Hi, sometimes is hard explain how is complicate to be an artist. After years of drawing, pain and humiliation 'cause I didn't have a job and everybody was thinkin that I'm a junkie, lazy ass guy that want to be an artist and don't do shit in his entire life, I finally start to paint and draw for work and I'm actually earning more than some people that criticised me and I'm happy.
So if people tell you to give up, just keep going and give a shit about what people think. Ask at good artist some advices and never stop drawing.
I can give you some of this advices, in a very modest way:
1 share your art everywhere, on all sites that offer you this possibility (deviantart is cool, but is not enough)
2 ask advice at important artists and artists that you respect. 90% of them are great people and they will help you with some tips and technical critics
3 draw at least 5/6 hours everyday
4 send your portfolio at every person that work in art/illustration/graphic design industry (not a deviantart portfolio, but at least a behance one) when you think you're good enough (be patient and objective)
5 never give up, you may have hard times in the future if you make this choice, be an artist
I hope this can be helpfull for somebody, bye