Maybe it's all true, but there are many ways to look at things in life, and I think the OA is just being too hard on himself.
Look around. Most people never create much of anything. It's easy to focus on "great art" that the Internet shoves in front of us and be demoralized. Our brains just aren't designed for the kind of sensory overload that we experience today, and even the greatest artist would feel belittled by the scope of what is at our fingertips today.
But if your goal is to create great art, then first you must dedicate yourself to just creating art. It doesn't matter if these attempts are abortive, so long as you keep doing it. Just keep honing your craft. This is the only hope of ever creating anything great. It's not a guarantee, but if you give it your all then you should be proud. Reflecting honestly on the past is useful for course correction, but beating yourself up never helps.
Look around. Most people never create much of anything. It's easy to focus on "great art" that the Internet shoves in front of us and be demoralized. Our brains just aren't designed for the kind of sensory overload that we experience today, and even the greatest artist would feel belittled by the scope of what is at our fingertips today.
But if your goal is to create great art, then first you must dedicate yourself to just creating art. It doesn't matter if these attempts are abortive, so long as you keep doing it. Just keep honing your craft. This is the only hope of ever creating anything great. It's not a guarantee, but if you give it your all then you should be proud. Reflecting honestly on the past is useful for course correction, but beating yourself up never helps.