Halopromise wrote a really interesting journal on the subject: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/7811469/

and I felt compelled to share my view here as well. Her journal is what I've been struggling to think of the words for.

Yes, truthfully I am intimidated by "famous" artists and characters, here's why: I am personally not confident in my own self or ability.

It's a mental trauma. I see people I like, or people who draw outstanding artwork and then I look at work I have made and I immediately feel lesser, unworthy; "why would this person ever want to talk to me? What have I got to offer? I'm pathetic."

I've become afraid of artists because I am afraid that they will think I want them to draw me art, and I think a lot of people struggle with that. "Oh he just wants freebies, art whore" which isn't fair both to the artists, who have the potential to be exceptional people, how will you know if you don't try, and it isn't fair to the people who just want friends and to feel like they matter too.

I've been on both sides of this by the way because some people have told me that I'm "famous" which I guess is true? But I really don't feel it, especially in the shadow of others. There is always someone bigger and better than you.

One big blow in my personal experiences that have happened quite a few times is being out-drawn, or being dwarfed by your friends.

I've had at least three instances I can think of where I met and became very good friends with people who had just opened their FA accounts and hadn't even posted anything yet, and then suddenly they were super-artist! The art came flooding in, and their fanbase just blew up and I get washed away in the crowd and forgotten about. It's like, "hi, I'm here still....if you ever wanted to still hang out..."

Even when its purely out of the goodness of a friend's heart and it accidentally crushes you. I made a gift for a buddy, and he liked it so much he recreated it in his own style and it was way better than mine was. I was so honored that he felt compelled to draw it, and I was shocked and devastated that he made it look so much better. I felt like "Why did I even bother? You don't need me to give you gifts, you're already so talented you can make whatever you want and better!" http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14942567/
It's those kind of moments when you measure your self-worth and think what you mean to someone. Now it isn't fair to my friend to be upset at him because he did something nice, not at all, and I don't hold that against him, that was just one experience.

Another is, I've also got buddies who are hugely successful, and they still hang out with me sometimes, but I know I'm not as good as they are and I worry that they'll grow bored or be consumed with commission work from people who can afford their prices - On that note: there have been several artists who I discovered through the art they drew, and I commissioned stuff, had good business relationships and such. I supported their skills and they encouraged me to keep going, it was nice and sweet, eventually as is the times, these artists would hike up their prices and I wasn't able to afford them anymore, still a friend of sorts, but not feeling very useful or important to them.

Artists tend to pay more attention to you if you have money, and for a lot of us, we don't. We are just "the fans". Which can then cause that intimidation factor.

There are also sadly some people who will not interact with you if you are not "good enough" to them or have money to commission them.

And people who are nice to you in the moment but really just want you to go away because they see you as bothersome and annoying but are too nice to say so. They just hope by ignoring you that you will get the message.

I've encountered so many people like that where I feel like I'd be better off to just disappear, which hurts a lot.

And lately I have noticed that art I draw, or art that has me in it that is posted by my very talented "famous" friends will not be viewed as much or receive as many comments. Like it's me people are tired of. It may also explain why I can't seem to garner any interest in commissions or even why my free raffles don't have much attention. So either I am not very well liked anymore or I am just not good enough to draw someone's beloved character.

There is always someone better right? How unfair and intimidating, when we are all just trying to find a place in this supposed friendly welcoming community. Life. Isn't. Fair.