Hi, everyone. I'm sorry I haven't posted here in awhile, or kept up with the forums, but I've been really busy.

There's something I've been debating this week, and I've come here in hopes that someone out there can give me advice. You see, when I was a kid and throughout most of my teenage years, I used to draw--animals, mostly, but sometimes people, too. I would spend hours every day drawing, and, in elementary school, I got a lot of praise for my sketches.

I took advanced art classes in middle school and my freshman year of high school, and I think that's when I began to lose interest in it. In class, I'd spend weeks shading in circles, painting, and doing other art-related activities that I either got bored with or wasn't good at. Teachers and other students were also very critical, and I just felt like nothing I did was good enough anymore. I continued to sketch at home, but, around this time, I also developed an interest in writing stories and became more passionate about music. Those things took up a lot of my free time, and, eventually, I just stopped drawing.

The last year I was consistently drawing was probably 1999, and the last real drawings--aside from a few poor sketches--I did were in 2003. So, it's been awhile since I've done anything artistic, and I've been thinking about getting back into this...Yet something always holds me back. I keep thinking my drawings will turn out awful, that I don't really have much talent, and that I won't find this activity fulfilling enough. Like I said, there's one side of me that wants to give it another shot, but my insecure side tells me to focus on my writing and singing--things I feel more confident about--and forget about drawing. I feel that, if I am good at this, then I have an obligation to do it and not waste my talent, but it's hard to get excited sometimes.

I'd like some feedback, especially if you've been in a similar position where you weren't sure which road to take. Thanks for reading.