When I was in middle school, my art teacher told me to stop drawing anime. I otherwise looked up to this person, and their comments made me feel ashamed for being inspired by the anime style. It was the reason why I was too afraid to pursue art further, and I am afraid to tell people I meet irl that I draw to this day. Now that I am older, I understand the importance of fundamentals, but I think passion is equally so. I wish we would stop telling aspiring artists they can't draw what they love.