(I hope this is ok to post, even though it is not strictly an artwork share... Ack, I posted and then realized that this might be better in general artwork share... sorry mods ^_^;)

I see so many amazing artists here! With so many different styles! I just want to ask for a bit of art advice, I hope you can take the time to help a beginner out.

I've been trying to learn to draw for a few months now, I am working through Drawing On The Right Side of the Brain, which was recommended to me by an artist friend of mine. Alas, I've never really been a artsy person so it's pretty slow going, and I'm still not any good at drawing animals or people or from my imagination without copying. I wonder if anyone can give me any advice on where to go from here. Is there any material / book / course I should be following? How did you all get started drawing and how long have you been doing it? Did you notice a jump in your abilities at some point? If so, when was that? Is the approach to getting better at drawing fantasy things vs say realistic things different?

Thanks in advance for any advice