Frazetta and us; a thread for artists.

By far, my top five fantasy artists would have to be Todd Lockwood, Frank Frazetta, John Howe, Matt Stawicki, and Brom.
Though, out of all of the above professional artists, Frazetta is the one that really discourages me when I am getting set to draw, or when I am beginning to watch "Painting with Fire".
Through this documentary, having first watched it on the Independant Film Channel, I have experienced the prolific and daunting artwork of Frank Frazetta. Though I should be empowered by such great visual flavor, I quickly get discouraged, especially after hearing from Frank's own mouth how, at age 8, he became better than most professional adult artists. I look at his paintings and listen to his words and feel demoralized within minutes, placing my pencil down and shutting by sketchbook. I then say to myself, "Why draw? What is the real point?"
So, this thread was created for various artistic reasons. The first, which made me create a new thread, was: do any other artists who view his art or watch his documentary get discouraged in the least bit? If not, how can you not?
Another reason is for a discussion board for artists of different types; fantasy, science-fiction, game art, etc. What equipment do use? What brands of equipment do you work with? What type of paper do you draw and/or paint on? Who are your favorite artists and/or authors (as we all know, literature is an art as well).
If any readers of the thread do decide to post, then I can't wait to read what you have to say. Thank you, and farewell.