@AmyZenunim I really like this topic cause I'm right in the middle of the learning art thing and it's very fun, so, sorry for rambling but... Here we go. :acat_flower: I gave up drawing for a few years because I hated my results and felt like I wasn't improving. I started again and focused on some fundamentals and had a lot more fun with my personal pieces because I could feel myself learning.
Like, someone learning art is going to hit the limits of their abilities eventually, and that's when it's good to study. A beginner is all ambition, but also all limits, and that's a weird mix of exciting and frustrating. The best advice I've seen for the average beginner is have fun and get comfy, but don't forget to study and talk to other artists when you feel stuck (and hopefully the other people provide resources when needed). You can unlearn a bad habit.
Then there's the people who just want to make stuff, and others that really need a structured approach. There's no one size fits all, and guidance needs to be case by case. On average I split my fun and study pieces 80/20. I'm a slow learner. Someone else might feel happiest around 60/40 or 99/01 or 100/0. There's no rules! I hope that reddit person stuck with it in the end and found their groove.