I think this one is best said bluntly, so I’ll be brief:

If you aren’t prepared to be actively creating artwork and/or promoting it 8+ hours a day, then let it be a hobby for you. Don’t expect a career and a solid income from something that isn’t even getting the equivalent time of an average 9-5 job.

However, If you’re ready to make the sacrifice of treating art as your life instead of “the fun and easy thing to do” — then start gathering up your cheesy text-over-image motivational quotes, because you can fucking do it and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.