Essentially, I'm driven to draw and improve for 3 reasons:



1. It makes me happy

2. I would like to show progress to my friends/supporters/fans

3. FIM is very important to me



Aside from drawing being a fun activity, why does drawing make me happy? In a way, it's a very liberating experience for me. Unlike many other things that I needed to do in life, drawing is something that I chose to do of my volition. It's not like a job or school, and it's not like anyone is ordering me to draw. Think of it like this... I actually have control over my drawing and where I would like to go with it. On the other hoof, other people typically get to dictate my pace and direction at work or school; I have very little say in the matters. Furthermore, unlike watching TV or playing video game, I'd get to express myself however I would like to just by drawing; there's just that much more freedom in comparison.



I'm also eager to show progress to my friends/supporters/fans. Why am I eager to show progress/improvement to them? Let's take yourself as an example, Vanilla. You've been rather supportive and patient with me. That's a welcome change compare to the various competitive environments I used to find myself in, so I'm all the more eager to improve as a result. ^^



Last but not least, I've had a wonderful experience with FIM to the point that it's the only show I care about; the other shows bore me. Usually, I find it rather difficult to care about fictional characters for one reason or another, but not so with FIM. I just find those ponies to be so interesting and relate-able. It also helps that, despite all the chaos and drama in my past, FIM has remained a constant to me. For example, I had to move for a job-related purpose back in 2012, and I ended up rather far away from families and friends. So, FIM helped me with maintaining some semblance of normalcy even when everything else was changing drastically. I know that it's still just a show, but I'll never forget it because it has had very real positive impacts on me despite being fictional. After all, I wouldn't have met people like yourself if it weren't for FIM. In one way, I guess I'm trying to return the favour for all of those countless hours of entertainment (Drawings, movies, music, etc. ) I've had the pleasure of enjoying.



But yes, there you have it! Sorry about the length, you probably were expecting my response to be shorter. >.>



In any case, it's great that you've been doing better, Vanilla. ^^