I'm not really sure I understand what you're trying to say, but as I was reading your post, these 2 points came to mind, hopefully you'll find them relevant.
I don't find that learning and mastering new techniques grinds any of my creativity to a halt. In fact, I think my creative juices are greatly stimulated, because once I start grasping concepts and gaining skills in that technique, I start thinking "Ok what if I did this instead? What would happen if I did that?" and boom! I'm off to the races and my family has to fend for themselves at dinner time.
About the person who said to you "I do find that so-called artists usually have such poor technique" - I'm not sure that was a thoughtful thing to say. Using the term "so-called" in their comment feels overtly hostile and as such, I would lose all interest in caring about their opinion.
Last edited by Peckish; 03-12-2021 at 11:53 PM.