Fire-Star-Bird

Dear DeviantArt,

No, let me make an addition onto that.

Dear Wix,

Change is a part of life. Nothing ever stays the same. Things rise, and things fall.

I’ve never liked change, but I’ve come to accept it as part of life, even though there are some things I don’t want to change. Things that stay the same can be a comfort in troubling times. Especially now, in recent times.

It’s been eight years, almost nine, since I’ve joined. Before that I had lurked around for a year or so. I’ve had a lot of good memories on this site, made many pieces and shared them with many great people. It’s helped me through some times that weren’t the best. It allowed me to express myself. I felt free, and could escape onto it to enjoy what others shared. It was easy to find my way around, to find others who shared my interests, alongside my IRL friends.

I’ve browsed around the new site design, both on my account and as an anonymous, un-logged in person, and I’ll say this:

I hate the new design.

And I don’t use the word hate lightly.

I know I may be overreacting. After all, I don’t like change.

But I do graphic design work. I have seen good and bad website design. The website is barely acceptable in it’s Frankenstein-ed design that you forced together, but it is the memories and trust of the community you are dangling over a pit, and seeing if it survives the fire.

I’ll wait. Wait, and watch, and see if this change can be handled, if I will be able to adjust. I do not know if I will be able to or not; unlike site changes that have been made since I first joined, this one is so drastic. Perhaps it is now because Wix is the one calling the final shots, but what do I know?

It feels like you’re trying to shape this site into something you want it to be, and not what the community is. I’ve always seen DeviantArt as a place where I can casually post my stories and art, sharing them, but now you’re trying to make it too fancy. Too sleek, too modern. I don’t want to have a profile or portfolio. I just want to share what I have created. I thought DeviantArt was a relatively safe space, compared to the rest of the world wide web…

If I didn’t have a history on DeviantArt, I might be fine. I might be able to navigate my way around and make sense of all these buttons and big empty spaces.

But I have the memories of what the site currently is, and what it was. Many others do as well, and have left when the changes because to happen recently. Many have made their minds to stay, for their own reasons. And I am certain there are others, like me, who are waiting. Watching. Deciding if they will stay or if they will go, once the old system has been placed in a museum as an artifact of the past. What will this community look like when this all simmers down?

We shall see, won’t we?

Fire-Star-Bird

To my friends, watchers and those who enjoy my art,

Thank you for all the support you’ve given me over the years. It means so much to me.

I’ll post an update journal if I make a decision to leave, and where you’d be able to find me if I left. I most likely won’t be posting anything for a while, to see if I can adjust.

Thank you very much for sticking with me, and stay safe in these dangerous times. All these troubles will one day come to an end.

Stay safe and sane,

 Ghost  

Hi there. I just wanted to say "thank you" for taking the time to read this journal, and for stopping on my profile.

I also wanted to say "thank you" for everyone who has ever viewed, commented on, or favorited one of my pieces. Your clicks and comments let me know someone out there is seeing what I do, even if it's not the best.

It would take forever to say "thank you" to every writer and artist who inspire me, but I wanted to throw out a generic "thank you." Even if you never see this, I just wanted to say it.

I wanted to say "thank you" to all my followers, whether you only stop by every once and a while, or whether you see everything I put out. Your support means a lot to me, and helps me keep moving forward. I'm very thankful for each and every one of you.

Finally, I want to say "thank you" to my family and friends, for supporting me even though you might not get why I do this, or why I spend so much time sketching out ideas that I may never post.

I am thankful for being able to be alive, and experience this world. I am thankful that even though there is so much negativity in this world, there is still hope, and so much goodness still in the world.

Thank you everyone.

Be thankful, stay safe. Happy Thanksgiving.

(aka tips for new deviants (or creators in general))

(aka what  I wish someone had told me 7 years ago)

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So, I realized that the oldest journal is from over a year ago, and I felt like I needed to rectify that.
It's been six, almost seven years since I joined DA, and if I went back far enough, I could probably find the exact date but I have no reason to. It's good to learn from the past, but not everything should be remembered. Some of it should be allowed to drift.
Anyway, this year I did a piece and submitted it under the Draw This Again Meme. Part of it was to experiment with styles, but it was also to give myself a marker, to prove how much I've improved, and something that I can look back to in the future and see what has changed. Below is the image. You can tell the differences, not just in the image itself, one of which is on paper and another is digital, but in the details, such as body anatomy, coloring/shading, and the details that I put into it. At the time, I was copying the pose from a book, and I didn't know...a lot of the stuff I know now. Creating your own style, figuring out what medium worked best for you, coloring techniques, and I lacked...I guess you could call it "inspiration." I had plenty of ideas, don't get me wrong, but I didn't know how to express myself. (Also, I'm a writer (that's where my roots are), so I'll be talking about that too)
When I first joined DeviantArt, I had pretty much no experience. I had taken a drawing course when I was younger, but had never been involved with any art classes or groups. To be honest, I joined DA just to following creators I thought produced interesting pieces. Over time, the creativity of this site and online artists in general infected me, and I decided to try it out.
I'm not going to lie. My first pieces were horrible, both in art and writing. Even at the time, I knew they were weren't very good, especially compared to others. I just didn't know what steps to take. I moved forward, uncertain and hesitant.
Below is the same scene drawn three different times. It shows the evolution of my work, as I learned, experimented, and grew.
We all start out horrible. Anyone who disagrees with this is kidding themselves. What sets each of us apart is what we put into it, and at what point we come out to show others our work. You can't just pick up a drawing/writing instrument and start producing great work. It doesn't work like that. You have to put time into it, first of all. And not just time at the table creating your work. It requires time to practice, to experiment, to do something over and over, until you like it. The backspace button/eraser is a creator's best friend/worst enemy. Take time out to browse and explore. Find a piece you like, and decide why you like it. Is it the color? Is it vibrant, or are the colors more subdued? The character(s)? Is it their actions, how they are drawn? The scene around them? The style the creator uses? There's no shame in copying a piece to understand what you love, what you hate, and how it's done.
You should also need to learn, teaching yourself new things. Whether that's going onto Youtube to learn a new technique or exploring the resources you have available, trying new techniques with what you have. Not all of us have the money to go out and buy fancy computer programs or best-selling art supplies.

For writing, it is a similar story. There's a saying that you need to write every day to keep yourself sharp. It's like any activity. “If you take a one day break from ballet, you will know it. If you take a two day break, those around you will know it. And if you take a one-week break, your audience will know it.” (quote from Princess Tutu fanfiction This Pendent Heart)
We read to escape and dream, but then we can share the images that are in our heads. As the writer, we share the stories. We can set the scene in many paragraphs or allow the reader to imagine the land in a single sentence. Something that I realize now looking back at my stories and characters from when I started is that they are driven by my whims. They do spontaneous things for no other reason than I was thinking "that's a good idea" or "that'll be fun." Characters do things for reasons, whether it is a goal or something in their past that drives them. We need to define what they love, what they hate, their habits, and then we can understand the characters a little bit more.
Aside from practicing our writing, we need to read and watch. Not just to enjoy the experience, but to learn. Learn what we love, learn the style that a writer uses to tell their story. Watch the characters interact with each other and their thoughts. It's easy to create characters who are like you because you know how 'you' would react in a certain scenario, but each character is different. Even going to a public space to watch people interact can help.

Final Thoughts:

To all you new/improving artists and writers: It takes time. Time, practice, and dedication. That is how you improve your work. Study, browse, and experiment. Find a style you find interesting, and practice it. See what you like, understand what you don't like. You may be frustrated now. You may hate how your work looks. That's okay. We all have been there. None of us grabbed a pencil one day and started making masterpieces. It took me four years to reach this point, and I'll keep on growing. I hope you do too.

It was just a year ago that I did a journal on the hype surrounding the (at the time) new Sun and Moon games.
Now we have Ultra Sun and Moon. Part of me was hoping for this, but I'm still a bit disappointed for no Diamond/Pearl remakes. But soon...
Anyway, I was pondering a few things, and would love to hear your opinions on them.
  Why 'Ultra'? Of all the words Game Freak had to choose, they chose 'Ultra'. I feel like we'll be getting more of the Ultra Beasts in this game, or the fact that Solgaleo/Lunala are beasts (and I stand firm in my belief that Necrozma has 'ties' (read 'origins') to them).
  Do you think that Pokemon walking around with you will be a thing? We got that Wingull flying above us, but is that just something it's programed to do (fly in circles)?
  Did anyone else notice that on the legendary's Necrozma mask, we have something that looks like the island challenge symbol?
  Will a new Eevee be coming out soon? Highly unlikely, but you never know.
But that's all I have. Personally, I'm glad that the female players won't be starting out wearing a chicken hat. I'll be remaining #teamlitten but am considering playing US (Ultra Sun), just because it's different.

Recently came across a journal by , and I feel that as a DA user and artist, I should pass this onto you, so that we can spread the word.
This company has been stealing DA artwork, among other things, sending viruses to those who speak against them, and other outrageous things.
The link to the original journal is below. Don't go to their site, it is NOT WORTH IT! If you support the site being shut down, please sign the petition here: www.change.org/p/department-of….
payposter.com/[[DON'T CLICK IT!]]UPDATE March 2, 2017: Okay so apparently there's been an uptick in activity on this journal and while I don't really have anything further to say I do ask that you read the whole journal before asking questions as I think a lot of questions are already answered within the context of this journal. 
I know people are still panicking about this site but don't -- Just sign the petition and move on -- https://www.change.org/p/department-of-justice-shut-down-payposter-com
 
Don't file reports on it, don't go searching on it, just sign the petition and be done. The less revenue and traffic that PayPoster gets the better. 
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Okay so I have seen and been noted about my work being posted and 'sold' on the website -- http:// payposter. com/ DON'T CLICK THE LINK If you find it -- Seriously... Don't.
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