The Moment I Almost Walked Away From Art
- JP de la Rama
- May 4
- 4 min read
So I Built Something the Industry Can’t Take From Me
“Don’t make permanent decisions in temporary emotional states.”
Introduction — Setting the Stage
I almost quit art this week.
I’m not proud of it.
But it’s the truth.
It wasn’t loud or dramatic.
It was quiet. Internal.
Low motivation.
Uncertain income.
And that question that hits harder the longer you stay in this industry:
“Is this still worth it?”
If you’ve been creating long enough, you’ve felt that.
Not once.
But in cycles.
And just when it starts to feel heavier than usual
Something unexpected happens.
My daughter sat beside me.
She grabbed a pen and started doodling.
No pressure.
No expectations.
No audience.
Just… drawing.
And in that moment
I remembered something I forgot.
The Deep Dive — The Industry Isn’t Stable (And That’s the Real Problem)
Let’s stop pretending everything is fine.
It’s not.
The art industry is shifting fast.
AI is flooding the market
Clients are paying less
Attention is harder to hold
Stability feels… temporary
You can do everything right
And still feel like you’re falling behind.
I’ve lived that.
Deadlines stacking.
Burnout is creeping in.
Work that pays, but doesn’t fulfill.
And beneath all of that, a quiet fear:
“What if this doesn’t hold?”
That’s where most artists break.
Not because they lack skill.
But because the system they rely on is unstable.
Emotion Commits the Crime — Logic Does the Cover Up
Let’s be honest about what almost happened.
I didn’t want to quit because it made sense.
I wanted to quit because I felt:
Tired
Frustrated
Uncertain
That’s emotion.
Then logic stepped in to justify it:
“Maybe it’s not sustainable.”
“Maybe I should pivot.”
“Maybe this isn’t practical anymore.”
And it sounds reasonable.
But it’s incomplete.
Because when you make decisions from a temporary emotional state,
You risk walking away from something permanent.
The Turning Point — Remembering the Real Reason
Watching my daughter draw didn’t solve my problems.
It didn’t fix the industry.
It didn’t increase my income overnight.
But it did something more important:
It reminded me of why I started.
Not for clients.
Not for trends.
Not for validation.
But for that feeling.
The one you can’t fake.
The one that made you pick up a pen in the first place.
“The Creator’s Escape Plan”
That moment led me to a decision.
The Creator’s Escape Plan
If the system is unstable
Stop depending on it as your only path.
Build something that belongs to you.
Something that:
Holds your voice
Carries your perspective
Exists beyond client work
For me
That’s Zamora.
What Is Zamora? (And Why It Matters)
Zamora isn’t just a comic.
It’s a response.
To everything I’ve felt as an artist trying to survive in a broken system.
It’s:
My frustration with the world
My reflection on corruption, monsters, and humanity
My way of turning chaos into something meaningful
In Zamora
The monsters aren’t just creatures.
They’re reflections of what we’re becoming.
This isn’t just a project.
It’s ownership.
It’s direction.
It’s something the industry can’t take away from me.
How to Keep Creating When the System Feels Broken
If you’re feeling what I felt this week, here’s what actually helps.
1. Separate Survival Work From Soul Work
Client work pays the bills.
But your personal work builds your future.
You need both, but don’t confuse them.
2. Build Something You Own
Platforms change. Clients leave.
But your IP?
That stays.
Even if it grows slowly.
3. Reduce the Pressure to “Fix Everything.”
You don’t need to solve your entire career today.
You just need to move forward.
Even a small step counts.
4. Let Emotion Create, Not Decide
Use your frustration. Your fear. Your anger.
Put it into your work.
But don’t let it decide if you quit.
5. Create Without an Audience (Sometimes)
Not everything needs to perform.
Some things need to exist
So you can stay connected to why you started.
For Artists and Builders
If you’re an artist:
This is about survival without losing yourself.
If you’re building anything:
This is about ownership over dependence.
Different paths.
Same truth:
If you rely entirely on unstable systems,
your stability becomes unstable too.
The Shift That Changes Everything
Before:
Dependent on client work
Affected by industry instability
Questioning whether to continue
Close to quitting
After:
Building something owned
Using emotion as fuel, not direction
Reconnected with purpose
Moving forward with intention
The Part Most People Won’t Say
The industry might not care if you survive.
But that doesn’t mean you stop.
It means you adapt.
You build differently.
You create something that doesn’t rely on permission.
Because sometimes
The only way forward…
Is to build your own world.
Ask, and You Shall Receive
If you’ve been feeling stuck, burnt out, or close to quitting
Try this:
Create one thing this week that no one can take from you.
No client.
No trend.
No algorithm.
Just yours.
And if you’re willing to share
What’s one idea you’ve been holding back on building?
Because of that idea?
Might be your way out.
Next post: I’ll show you something inside Zamora, a glimpse into the world I’m building from all of this.
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