Dear Abby....
"People keep shoving things I don't like in my face. How do I get people to understand that the entire known universe is my face?"
"Artist X has more watchers then I think they deserve AKA Other people like things I don't, its a big issue!"
"Artist X has more watchers then Artist Y, and since I know for a fact everybody who watches Artist X also has seen Artist Y's much more awesome art I can only conclude that they are blind poo-poo heads who hate good art AKA I'm trying to promote an artist I like but I can't figure out how to do so without tearing down another, but that's o.k because I don't like their art thus they deserve my hate and yours "
"Artist X submits their art to like a billion groups, and even though I will begrudgingly admit their art is relevant to the groups I still hate it because my personal code of only submitting to one group applies to everyone else AKA they are getting more exposure then me and I can't compete and I hate it"
"People keep suggesting ways I can get more exposure art-wise on dA, such as interacting with the community, submitting my art to groups, using the thumbnail share forum but I only have an hour a day to spend online. Instead of accepting that and trying my best to work with what I have I've decided instead to become irrationally pissed off at everyone who has more time to spend on dA. It's not helping me but it sure makes me feel good."
"Artist X who draws anime is only more popular then Artist Y who draws not-anime because the people who watch Artist X like anime. Duh of course, but the big issue is I hate anime and am uncomfortable with the idea that some of the people who like anime might also *gasp* like not-anime. I want Artist Y to have more watchers then Artist X but not the same watchers. Sadly I think dA has too many anime lovers for this to happen, but instead of accepting this, I'm going to bitch about how everyone who likes anime is a stupid poo-poo head. "
"I can't be popular because other people are popular, AKA at night the popular artists come and steal my pageviews. It has nothing to do with having less exposure then them, and possibly even them drawing a type of art that more people enjoy and everything to do with popular artists and everyone who likes them is a stupid poo-poo head. "
"I have a hundred watchers but I didn't get a hundred comments on my latest work. I don't care if they didn't like the picture, the content, they're lurkers, dead or feel all the good comments were already taken. When they decided to watch me they signed a contract in blood to comment on everything I post. Didn't they?
I will be writing an angry journal about this phenomenon demanding to know why they didn't comment on my awesome cat drawing when up until now everything I uploaded was emo poetry. They'll say they were busy or that they don't comment that often for anyone or that they don't like cats and I'll accept it. Until the next time I upload something and they violate their blood contract. AKA people are refusing to live up to the unrealistic expectations I have of them that they never agreed to in the first place. "
"The only true fans are one who agree with me, every one else is a fake fan.
There are a lot of fake fans in this fandom"
"It's only okay for people to like the ships I like because SCIENCE! They say it's a matter of personal preference but they are wrong, it's a matter up for debate. They'll say they like A/B because they like it. I say they can't like it because it's not canon. I win!
But they refuse to bow to my superior logic. They are stupid poo-poo heads. "
"The only people who can like The Nightmare before Christmas are the ones who saw it when it first came out, everybody who saw it later is a fake fan. This includes anyone too young to have seen it in the first place, they are and always will be fake fans.
This only applies to things I like that I saw when they first came out. I like Sherlock Holmes but since I'm not 102, it's o.k to like that and I'm not a fake fan. Otherwise nobody would be a Holmes fan.
This doesn't apply to Star Wars of which I was also not alive for in the beginning but a large number of other people were. Why? Because, that's why. "
"You only like it because it's popular. This is an issue not because of peer pressure or because I want you to like and draw for fandoms you enjoy but because YOU DRAWING IT IS PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM LIKING THE THINGS I TRUE FAN DRAW "
"You only like it because it's popular, I know this because nobody can like three popular young adult novels, that's like statistically impossible."
"You only like it because it's popular, I know this because you mention you like other shows but you've never drawn fan art of those.
"You only like it because it's popular, I know this because you like more then five popular unrelated things. That's statistical impossible. Because I said so, that's why."
"I want to draw My Little Pony fanart but I can't because there are too many popular Pony fanartist already and thus absolutely no one will like my art and nothing you can say will change my mind"
"Why can't people just enjoy only the things I like?"
Signed, The Master of the Everything.
P.S and don't say free will bitch.
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I don't understand people. People scare me.
All the above complaints are based on actual complaints compiled from the internet.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
*Edited to add*
From Artist confessions on Tumblr, I bring you this... um.. thing.
"I honestly have no sympathy for artists like Sakukko who draw nothing but mediocre, unoriginal, anime-stylized art, yet get thousands of favorites and end up on the front page because they submit their piece to over 50 DeviantART groups.
Especially that there are artists who are way more talented, who don't get nearly as much attention that they deserve.
(The fact she is older then me pains me even more.) submitted by weirdcartoonist "
This inspired the following rant by mrocio which I feel nicely sums up what I'm saying in more understandable words.
Ranting, Ranting Everywhere
It started out as a rant pertaining to this (E/N:See above), but then snowballed out of control as I browsed through A-C.
No one, NO ONE, deserves anything. (Saying someone deserves something means you have a system of standards, but such things are completely subjective and scream "ENTITLEMENT!")
Saying that "This artist deserves less/more attention!" is ridiculous. That shit's implying, "How dare you like something I don't like? Hate it because I hate it! How dare you not like it because I do? Like it because I like it!" It also has to do with the artist's own efforts at networking. Just because you've come across an artist that you love doesn't mean the rest of the world discovered them when you did. You appreciating their art doesn't mean suddenly everyone has to, too. No more than someone hating an artist's work means the rest of the has to hate their art, too.
The hating on styles deemed generic? "How dare you not draw in a fashion I deem acceptable and to my tastes!" (Who cares what style people draw in? It's none of your damn business!)
Mad because they did some legwork and networking in order to become so popular? "Shameless hussy! How dare they try to get their artwork noticed! Don't they know that art totally isn't a business and profession that one should try to advertise for, especially if they're trying to make a living on it?! Loathsome sellouts!"
"People more talented"? More like, "People that in my subjective opinion I have deemed more worthy of your attention! Screw the fact that we may not have similar tastes!"
And ye gads! They're older?! The most atrocious sin only topped by the sin of being younger! BECAUSE THAT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE. After all, we all start learning art at the same age, at the same rate, and have identical life circumstances, not to mention personalities and tastes. Yes, it makes complete sense that age is such a huge factor and offender.
For those who don't seem to understand "omg, why doesn't so-and-so's/my original art get the attention their/my fanart does?!" it's call the artistic subject. It's not a matter of skill, but of what a person can relate to, and fanart, with the fans' love already established, is of course going to get more attention.
Original characters aren't going to get as much attention, because there is no foundation for such attention. Plus that implies that there would have to be as many people who at least know of the person's character as there are people who know of the canon character. So don't be offended/sadden/mad that fanart gets more attention. Logically, of course it does.
"I want to quit because I'll never be as good." is, in my opinion, not what you should be thinking. Make art because you love it, not because of how good you'll be one day. Make art because you have something to say or show. If it's simply to make something pretty, that's fine, but think on this: It may not look as good as your idols', but a sketch basically never looks like the final piece. Give yourself room to make mistakes, grow, and simply be bad. Things don't happen overnight.
People saying that they're going to be misery forever and that's simply an artist's lot, I CALL BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT EVERYWHERE. Being dissatisfied with your current work and the enjoyment of making art are not mutually exclusive! You can be happy making art and be happy with what you've made, and still want to improve at the same time. You simply have to stay objective. "Enjoy" is a verb. Allow yourself to have fun drawing.
-mrocio
