#ALSO I have literally only ever used tumblr to post art but I might. start using this as a more normal blog…. we shall See

[plushypluto]

I was doodling and then it got a bit out of hand…

[popatochisssp]

hiya poppy! i dunno if this is a silly ask but I’m a bit curious… do any of your unique boys have weird condiment obsessions or comfort foods?? tale sans has ketchup, swap paps has honey and so on, i assume that the rest of hoodie gang (what i loosely refer to the lazy brother role as) has the same weird habits. mostly curious about ash, brick, ell, nemo, sunny!

(Anon, I know you did not initially send this on anon, and you included an Art with it that I enjoyed very much, which is why I was so very upset to somehow lose this ask??? Luckily, tumblr cannot eat my emails so I still had the text saved and can at least answer the question, but if you wanted to re-add your art to this post, I would like that very much 😭)

I did do a favorite condiments/toppings post ages ago, when I only had ten of these losers, so it might be about time to update it!

Sans (Undertale): Yeah, it’s ketchup, he likes it on anything and everything, and he will drink it straight ‘cause he’s a terrible gremlin man. He started doing it as a joke to freak people out but it grew on him and, uh… well, now, he just likes it. This is his life and he has no shame.

Papyrus (Undertale): Nothing so uncouth as his brother, ugh! …But… on occasion…very rare occasion, mind you! He…has been known to sneak a spoonful of peanut butter straight out of the jar… Just the one, though, he never double-dips! He��s not disgusting!

Sky (Underswap Sans): As far as condiments go, he likes relish! He won’t eat it straight, if anyone’s looking, but who doesn’t like a hearty helping of it plopped onto a hot dog? Or a hot cat, he’s not picky! Spicy or sour is equally fine, just not the biggest fan of sweet.

Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Nothing new here, he likes honey a whole heck of a lot, though mostly just to sweeten his tea… or in a candy-bar, or drizzled on a pastry or something… Damn, he’s making himself hungry just thinking about it…

Jasper (Underfell Sans): Mustard, obviously, anything else on a ‘dog is the blatantly incorrect choice. Also pretty good on a sandwich, but you’re never gonna catch him guzzling it straight from the bottle. He never tried to pull that prank like his classic counterpart did, and never got accidentally hooked on his own condiment of choice. Ha!

Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He’ll deny it to his dusting breath, but you cannot bring Nutella or any kind of chocolate spread into the house and expect it to still be there when you come back. He will eat it directly out of the jar, the whole thing, especially if he’s had a hard day or something. You’ll just never find the evidence. He’ll do it with ice cream, too, so y’know…keep an eye on your groceries.

Mal (Swapfell Sans): He likes spicy flavors so any kind of salsa or hot sauce is a favorite for him. His tolerance is damn good, so he can–and will–pull a Power Move and drink it straight if he feels the situation calls for it, but he generally just likes it on his food, like a normal person. Don’t test him, though, remember the freak that lies just beneath the surface…

Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Can he pick literally everything sweet ever? No? Okay, then it’s probably maple syrup that he likes best, he’ll have it on waffles, in candy, or even to sweeten up some normally more savory foods like beans or ham or just about anything else you can think of. …Not that he, uh…really knows how to cook, himself… But he was a picky eater as a kid and syrup was easy to get in Snowdin, so it was usually used as a bribe to get him to eat A Thing He Didn’t Like and it’s a bit of a comfort-flavor for him now!

Slate (Horrortale Sans): For obvious reasons… he’s not picky. He’ll eat anything– burnt, flavorless, or even a little moldy, just drown it in ketchup and it’s good as gold. Like his classic counterpart, he’ll drink it straight, but surprisingly he’s also developed a bit of a fondness for mayo, mostly post-surfacing. It is not an unusual occurrence to find him just eating it straight, especially if he’s managed to get ahold of one of those squeeze-tubes that make it even easier. You might think he’s trying to pull a vanilla-pudding-in-the-mayo-jar prank but…alas, it’s real.

Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): He’s in the health field and knows in great detail why this is a thing he should probably not be doing but… You know those tubs of whipped topping…? Yeah, he’ll eat that with a spoon until the, “Oh My God, Why Am I Doing This” thoughts hit him and he shamefully puts it back. It would easily be one of the most mortifying moments of his life if you ever caught him at it, standing in front of the fridge in the dark at two in the morning like an oil-and-corn-syrup-loving cryptid.

Ash (Undergloom Sans): Worcestershire sauce is probably his top choice of condiment. His brother’s cooking has spoiled him a little bit, so plain old ketchup doesn’t quite cut it for him anymore. A lot of his favorite foods are hearty, heavy, meaty or all of the above, and Worcestershire can go on and in most of them! Now, will he drink it? No, probably not… but if there’s any on his plate that he can sop up with a bread roll and eat, he absolutely will be doing so.

Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): No one can know. Whenever he buys those little jars of maraschino cherries, it’s for garnishing drinks or desserts or whatever else he might need them for, and when he cleans out the jars to reuse them for other things, there’s no reason to wonder what he’s done with the juice, probably dumped it, right? Well…no. He drinks it, straight from the jar, like some kind of fucked up, bookish skeleton hummingbird. Don’t judge him!!!

Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Whether he acknowledges it or not, he’s living a bit more of the high life these days than he used to, and with that tends to come some upgrades in the little things around you. In his case, that means he still prefers mustard over any condiment, but it’s Dijon mustard specifically that he tends to reach for—a bit fancier, more of a bite to it, and now the plain yellow stuff feels like a downgrade. He’ll eat whatever, he’s not picky, but y’know…if given the option…

King (Horrorfell Papyrus): He has no such vices…that he’ll admit to. But neither will he back down or show even a hint of shame if you catch him squirting a bottle of chocolate syrup straight into his shaker full of milk that you may have previously assumed was a protein or workout shake of some kind. As for whether or not he’ll drink the syrup straight… You’ll never catch him. Don’t even try.

Merc (Horrorswap Sans): Probably sweet-and-sour sauce for him, there’s a lot of different things to use it on and he likes the versatility of that. To the point that he’d drink it? Yes, sure, boldly so, in front of anyone, admittedly mostly as a bit for the reaction but hey, it’s tangy and delicious, no regrets!

Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): His favorite topping to snack on is also a backfired prank. His brother is a baker and buys more new and unnecessary kinds of sprinkles than anyone could ever reasonably need, and he may’ve stolen a bottle or two to see how long it’d take him to notice. …And then maybe…grazed on them a little bit one time, when he was hungry and busy and didn’t want to get up. In his defense…they’re crunchy?

Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): He’s still all about the hot sauce, baby! Buffalo sauce in particular is probably the favorite, perfect for wings, but he’ll branch out if there are options—especially if they’re advertised as the hottest around, or put to him as a challenge. He’s a defiant thrill-seeker at heart, he all but has to drink it straight from the bottle if someone thinks so highly of it.

Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): He’s a caramel fiend. He pretty much always has been, in its candy form, but pretty much as soon as he started cooking for himself and realized how easy it was to just put a few things in a pan and have caramel sauce? It was over for him, he does it all the time now. It’s lucky if it actually makes it on top of anything because he’ll eat it by the spoonful almost straight out of the pan, but if he doesn’t, it’s still a perfectly good snack after it’s cooled a little. Not even store-bought jars last any longer in his house.

Sunny (Gastertale Sans): He loves a good steak sauce, obviously for steaks but on pretty much anything—burgers, sandwiches, jazzing up some veggies, what can’t it do? He’s not quite at the level of drinking it straight from the bottle, but it can seem close some days when he’s really slathering it on.

Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Definitely some kind of weakness for tahini. It makes such a good dip, or spread, or partner with jam on toast to make a not-quite-pb&j, so even though he doesn’t usually find it on a menu, he tends to keep some around the house. Would he eat it all by itself? Has he? Well, what’s the fun in just telling? He has some kind of mystique to maintain, you know…

Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Ketchup is super nostalgic for him, a very comforting flavor. He’ll totally drink it straight or eat it out of a packet just for the taste of it, even if he doesn’t have the hunger to actually eat it with something. He’s also gotten a bit more adventurous, though, and is a lot more open to trying different varieties of ketchup, and those trendy combos with other things—spicy ketchup, mayochup, thousand island—if it’s available, he’ll try it, and he’s slowly amassing a personal catalogue of favorites tried all across the globe.

PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): He doesn’t eat. He doesn’t need to and he’s not actually capable of it, so… It’s fine, he really doesn’t miss it or think about it much. …But whenever he gets around to having that back-up body made, probably the first thing he’d eat with it is a big jar of peanut butter, the crunchy kind.

Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): Having almost completely done away with any sense of shame and a large amount of awareness of social norms, he is no longer shy of straight-up eating relish. He is also not shy of going for maximum sour, vinegary flavor and will fully sip pickle juice out of the jar. He is living his truth and we are all so proud.

Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): Did I call somebody else a hummingbird? I should’ve saved it for him, he’s graduated from honey to something a bit more concentrated—agave syrup. He follows the trends a little more attentively these days, gave it a try when he heard about it as a honey-substitute, and that was…kind of it. His sweet tooth is his weakness, and he doesn’t even mind paying a little more for the ethically sourced brands, he’s too hooked on that super-sweet sweetness for his tea and candy and pastries and whatever else he can find to drizzle it on.

Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): He’s a cool ranch guy, all the way. As a dip, it’s the perfect accompaniment to anything crunchy and he’ll freely load up his carrots and celery and chips with it. As a proper condiment, it’ll go on anything from pizza to burgs, and while he’s definitely taken a swig once, just to try it, he probably likes it better as supporting cast than the lead act.

Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): He was ruined the first time a jar of marshmallow fluff came into his possession. He didn’t get much in the way of sweets growing up, so pure, soft, sticky sugar…? He has no defense against it. He’ll actually need to be told you can make things with it if you want to, because eating it with a spoon is all he knows and that’ll be a beautiful brave new world for him.

Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): He’s a barbecue sauce fan. His preference is for the smoky or spicy kind, but even the sweeter stuff has its charm and he hasn’t really eaten a kind he hasn’t somewhat liked. He won’t take a swig from a bottle, but if he ever comes across a brand he really likes, he may go out of his way to buy some to take home, and that's a huge compliment from him.

Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papryus): Butterscotch is his thing, actually. He likes it as a topping in sauces and cocktails quite a bit, but if there happen to be any butterscotch chips around, that’s more to his preference. Be wary trying to get any baking with them done around him, he actually prefers them outside of the baked goods and he’s not above petty theft. In fact, he’s below it, far below it, a little quick yoinkery is the least of what he’ll do to get something he wants.

Kohl (Descendtale Sans): He’s a soy sauce kind of guy. It’s salty, savory, and strong, a little goes a long way even to overpower a flavor you’re sick of, but you have to eat because it’s nearly all there is… Yeah, he got a little hooked on it when monsters started eating the echo flower root, and it stuck around as a new favorite after. Would he drink it? Not unless it would be really funny, he has limited room in the tank these days and would prefer to use it for food he likes, not on a bit.

Bram (Descendtale Papyrus):  Nothing beats a nice crème anglaise drizzled over something sweet… Of course, he’s not much of a cook so mostly he just waits for vanilla ice cream to melt and that’s basically the same thing, right? Ice cream soup is delicious and also a perfectly valid topping for all manner of deliciousness, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

And as for comfort foods…well that’s a whole other post to update! ;)

[batshitspnblrmail]

Fandom History: How a group of toxic Sam fans got Sam kicked out of a christ figure poll tournament

In April of 2023, a tumblr user created a sideblog called christ-figure-bracket for the purposes of running a poll tournament. Tumblrs could send in nominees from their favorite shows. Sam was one such nominee.

Christ-figure-bracket placed Sam against Aslan (literal lion Jesus) in the first round, with the caption, "This one is actually coughing baby vs hydrogen bomb and I'm not going to apologize for it."

Some samfans were offended by the idea that OP had it out for Sam, while others thought it was funny and took it as a challenge: What if they could get a win for Sam against a literal Jesus stand in from a C.S. Lewis book?

Trouble began almost immediately in the notes of the post. Two screenshots were preserved by another Tumblr user before the OP blocked these accounts.

Very quickly, the post also attracted wincest shippers and the OP expressed their discomfort in a joking manner.

Most users found this response funny, but some wincest shippers were quite indignant about it, and decided to start reblogging the OPs posts and adding comments about wincest and wincest fan art in retaliation. These responses are difficult to find because OP blocked the accounts that made such responses so quickly, but here's one:

The OP responded by threatening to remove Sam from the tournament if spnblr didn't clean up its act

Five minutes later, OP posted the following:

Wincest shippers then further bemoaned Sam's removal:

Elsewhere across spnblr, disk horse about OP and Sam's validity as a christ figure was being hotly debated. Some blogs supposed OP had some other nefarious motives for removing Sam from the bracket, despite OP saying, when asked who they thought was the hydrogen bomb and who was the coughing baby, "Who's a lion and who's literally just some boy. Also I used to love Narnia and I've never seen supernatural so like".

God knows what OP's evil goal might have been in adding Sam to a poll only to remove him after being repeatedly sent incestuous media as a form of harassment for daring to express their discomfort.

Many users didn't seem to know about the harassment against the OP because it was deleted so fast, or chose to ignore it and rewrite history such that Sam was removed simply for wincest shippers quietly existing and not because of the continuous harassment OP was receiving from members of their community.

Other samfans understood the OP's decision to remove Sam from the bracket as a result of the harassment OP received.

One corner of sam fandom also fixated on at least one other user for daring to not agree about Sam as a christ figure and attempted to trash them behind their back. (I'm not sharing screenshots because I don't want the person who was being mocked to ever come across this post and be able to tell those screenshots were about them).

The poll continued on after being deleted by OP. Sam lost to Aslan, receiving 41.4% of 4,207 votes. Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog was the ultimate winner of the Christ Figure Bracket.

[bogkeep]

i remember the shift, when i went from being "some random kid online who likes to draw" to "popular fanartist within a small community". it was on the fan forum for a webcomic nearly a decade ago. i had been posting my art on tumblr for a couple years already, usually getting between 0 and 15 notes on each, with a couple exceptions here and there. as you can probably imagine, being an awkward queer and autistic teen had never made me feel particularly popular before. i wasn't really lonely, personally, though many of my peers are and were, but the idea of many people actively wanting to be my friend and thinking i was genuinely cool - that was incredibly novel.

i have always loved getting attention for my work and find people interested in what i have to say. like, who doesn't? it was a very fulfilling and inspiring experience when it started happening to me on a regular basis, to the point where i could expect it. i went from being constantly apologetic about how annoying i imagined myself to be to others, to feeling confident that at least some people were excited to have me around. absolutely revolutionary to realize that people weren't just pretending to like me, they liked me for realsies, and that putting myself out there and being sincere and genuine in my enthusiasm and interest was actually a positive trait many people valued. wild!!!!!!!!

when you come from a place like that, of course you try to be everyone's friend. that's the scarcity mindset. you have to hold on to every friendship ever offered to you because it's such a rare and precious thing and you don't know when or even if it might happen again. but if you get Popular, well, at some point you learn that you can only nurture so many friendships at once, and that you can't click with everyone. like, it only makes sense. but it sucks!! learning the necessity of rejecting people and letting them down is a harrowing journey, but one that must be made.

there's many deeply lonely people out there, especially online, a space of Connection. connections to other people are so good and necessary and being lonely is an awful thing to be. this means there's a lot of people who can't even imagine not wanting more friends, let alone not be constantly looking for some. it's always a bit of a tragedy when a Very Lonely Person tries to attach themselves to someone Socially Overencumbered, as that's highly unlikely to end satisfyingly for anyone involved.

anyway, i think capital f Fame is like that, but times a hundred thousand. it's deeply fascinating to me how Fame is treated as this deeply aspirational state when it's proven again and again to be a cruel and abusive mistress. like, i understand - don't we all want some attention, some validation, for someone to recognise us on the street with stars in their eyes, like OH you're the COOL PERSON who did the COOL THING and i want nothing more than a HUG and a SELFIE and also i made you this HAND MADE GIFT and PAINTED A PORTRAIT OF YOU... that's the dream, isn't it!! to be recognized for your skill, to be admired, desired! THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE WANTS, ISN'T IT.

but it isn't.

there's a limit to everything. there's a whole spectrum of Getting Attention and Validation between "literally everybody ignores you and everything you do" and "paparazzi follow you everywhere you go" - and i can promise that you can find a lot of fulfilment and joy on the lower end of that scale. it's difficult to explain sometimes, especially to people who get No Attention - it's like telling someone who is starving that the most expensive restaurant in town isn't really worth the hassle, a good affordable sandwich will make you so much happier, trust me. like maybe it's just personal preference and what i can personally tolerate! but i had merely a whiff, a crumb of what they serve at that place, and it's Not That Good. easy for me to say huh!!!!

i'm basically a nobody on the wider web, but i've still had my fair share of unpleasant stranger interactions both of the rude and overly familiar variations. i've been treated as a commodity rather than a person. i've been put on a pedestal and dragged through the mud by the same people. it kinda sucks!! and i don't want to tell people that they should never ever put themselves and their art out there because people might be cruel, because that shouldn't be the expectation! yet for some reason, it is!!!! people experiencing Fame have to deal with all kinds of inhumanely horrible things literally no human person is equipped to experience. many people say that's the price people pay for fame, but that's said by people who haven't experienced even a Fraction of the stochastic terrorism an Audience can do to you if they choose. not all attention is good attention.

i know none of this is a fresh new hot take. i know we all know stalking is unethical and traumatic. but i am still so fascinated by the divide between people who don't understand why anyone would reject any form of adoration and those who have to work very, very hard to keep their boundaries intact.

[miscellaneoussmp]

My love letter to qsmp and qsmpblr.

I saw other people doing this, so I might as well too!!!! I like the positivity of it all!!!

My story with qsmp is kind of a sad one, so sorry, but warning for the death of a loved one is mentioned in the second paragraph.

Originally, I was very excited about qsmp from the day it was announced. Quackity had been one of my favorite content creators for years at that point. Although, the day it started, I was on vacation with my mom and grandma for my little sibling's birthday. I didn't have time to watch day 1, so I just didn't get into it. I got updates through a friend of mine (Hi Warren!!!) meaning I had some idea of what was going on. Plus, I watched clips here and there. (Also, fun fact!!! I voted in the elections for Bad even though I didn't know what was going on!!)

Okay, here's the sad part. In early July of 2023, my grandfather on my mom's side died. It sucked. I was closer with him when I was little, so I didn't know what to feel. It hurts, I think. Everything about that situation sucked, from getting there to the mess that is my big ass family. Though on my last night there, I was thinking about the qsmp for whatever reason. I decided that I wanted to get into it there and then. I sat in the airport waiting to get on an airplane to go home watching qsmp compilations to get caught up. It was amazing. I felt better, just a bit.

I made my first post with the qsmp tag on July 13th, 2023, and y'all have been stuck with my ass ever since.

Now!!! It's time to shout out the lovely people of qsmpblr!!! (Under the cut cause I think this is getting long)

@kadextra Kade!!!! You're the first person I ever followed in qsmpblr and the person who inspired me to keep writing. I can never ever thank you enough for that. Your art is wonderful!!! Please keep creating!!!

@disfrutalakia Kia!!!!! You literally mean the world to me!!!! You were my full introduction to the Brazilians of the server, and I can't thank you enough for that!!! You say my characterization of Pac and Mike is amazing? Well, I couldn't have done it without you!!! Also, thanks for letting me live in your inbox for literal months!!!

@thesmpisonfire Des!!!! Hi bestie!!!! Before we were friends, whenever you were in my notes, I would get so excited!!! I thought you were the coolest person and still do!! Thank you for letting me ramble to you endlessly!!! I love everything we've made together!!!

@ultra-raging-ghost Ghost!!!! King!!!! The beloved ghostie on my dash!!!! And my beloved coauthor of Freaks and Their Tapes!!!! There's a lot I couldn't do without you!!! Thank you for being an amazing friend!!!!! Love you /p <3!!!!

@factorialsotherfandoms Factorial!!!! Beloved!!!! You're an amazing writer and kind friend!!!! I think about your fics all the time!!!! Please keep writing forever and ever!!!!! Please!!!

@iridescentpull Aynée!!!!! My fellow demigod Pac enjoyer!!!!!! I literally screamed when I saw we became mutuals!!!! You're so fucking cool and your writing is amazing!!!! I created demigod Pac content for us only tbh!!!!

@fitpacs Tumblr user fitpacs!!!!! The light on my dash!!! Please keep being so bright!!! I love seeing whatever you post!!!!!

@wsdanon wsd!!!!! The #1 Felps writer in my eyes!!!!! Your writing is beautiful, and characterization is everything!!!!! Adore seeing you on my dash!!! Please keep being you!!!!!

And to any mutuals, anyone in my notes, or just in the community in general!!!! This place would be nothing without y'all!!!!!

Thanks again!!!!!

- Misc, the most annoying qsmp blog ever <3

[turtles-and-dragons]

Mystic Hands having a Bad Day™  This is a WIP (as in, not finished yet) of Mikey from #rottmnt. I wanna redo the shadow already xD

This is fanart for a Rise x TMNT 2012 fic I quite substantially enjoyed, Mystic Malfunction, written by Vanilla Vengeance on AO3. You can read it here (Actually, you are obligated to read it if you stare at this art): https://archiveofourown.org/works/44276971/chapters/111347485

~~~~~~~~

Mikey is stuck in the 2012 TMNT universe, alone and separated from his family, with the culprit behind his misfortune being none other than his own mystic powers. This is a scene from the early moments of the story, where he has just gotten himself set up in his own makeshift lair (because turtles gotta live in a sewer, duh). And yes, he is sad, sad Mikey is my spirit animal so this story connects with me.

This is my first time drawing one of the turtles, ever. I've drawn other things before but my brain has been snagged by TMNT lately so make what you will of that. I appreciate any tips on how to improve on this style by fellow rottmnt artists. I have been doing obsessive reference research and might have let go of my college exams (literally happening right now) to learn how to draw turtles! I am going to regret it later though, inspiration demands attention.

Thank you once again Vanilla Vengeance for motivating me to pick up a new art style (and my lazy ass) with your story. I will ink and color this over the weekend and hope you will see this. You have my gratitude.

I also decided to make a Tumblr blog because of this... I am not sure what that entails, I literally just started. I will use it to post my TMNT art only because that's what it started as. Any messages are appreciated and questions are appreciated. I have looked around the site and saw many other turtle artists so I will try to follow in their steps.

[yandere-sins]

Good Afternoon! If seen your spiels and tales for a while now and may I just say I adore it all, you’re quite talented in your work and you should be proud of yourself! I aspire to write as well and I’m wondering if you have some tips for the long run?

Hey!

Here are my latest posts with links to the ones where I actually went a bit more into details about what I recommend doing.

For the blog

For writing

Honestly, not much has changed, at least for me. It would be interesting to find out whether the tagging rules truly are still the same from the past but from recent experience I can tell you that posting regularly is the key to building a following. But at the same time I know now, more than ever, it's just not doable under normal life circumstances unless you find a rhythm to write and use the queue to schedule your posts.

If you want to write yandere stories specifically, personally, for me it's very important to be balanced. Like a super strong yandere is always cool, but it's cooler if they are so delusional that they will end up hurting their darling with their strength. Or a manipulative yandere is fun and tricky, but if it turns out they are deadly afraid of being left alone and are a bit pathetic about it, that's yummy! Also, depending on the darling, the yan's personality might change as well. I guess what I want to say, balance out the parts of the story to keep it more "realistic" and less Mary-Sue-Behavior. Not always possible or necessary because an OP yan has its benefits in certain situations, but it makes for a good story if there are some flaws in everything.

Also use the tropes. As harsh as it is, no idea of yours will ever be completely original. But I love retellings of ideas! And so do others! I don't care how many more times I read the same "chased by a monster only to be pinned down to the dirty ground" I will literally inhale these stories!!!! I love them!!! And you will put new words and new spins to it, so it will never feel dull!! So yeah, absolutely nothing wrong to lean into tropes and cliches. It might even be very beneficial for bringing your writing closer to people.

For warnings, I'd say, depending on if you do requests or your own work, always warn everything you find problematic in your own works before the story starts and add warnings if someone asks for them. For request, do the same if you derail from the original request too much to not warn (like, have sexual acts/gore/etc. suddenly even though it wasn't specifically requested). I'm not a fan of warning if the request is very clearly what the story will be, but do as you are comfortable. It's your blog. In the end, no one can tell you what to do, but of course don't be mean about it.

Doing requests is fine, but doing your own ideas is also fine. Of course, starting out with only your original ideas can be hard if you don't have a community built already, but you can always mix fanworks with OG writing. I know it's tempting to say "others do it too and they manage to just write their own things" or "I don't want to write for fandoms" but it will be very hard if you do. It's just the truth, tumblr isn't for original content in writing, it has always been for fandoms and blogging and art. It got better over the years but it still is.

Following up with this is: don't compare yourself to other writers/artists on here please, honestly, if you keep finding yourself discouraged by how much more likes and interactions they get, you should unfollow them. It's harsh. I love the stories and the writers of some blogs here, but I had to prioritize myself. Sometimes I sneak back to check out what I missed, but it will still get whiplash and compare myself.

In the same notion: If someone is mean or an idiot in your asks just block them and move on. Drama can entice people to interact with you, but it's not the kind of interactions you want constantly. And it honestly ruins you vibes if your blog becomes dramacentral. It's okay to speak out sometimes and make it clear that you don't want certain kinds of interactions, but feeding the trolls will only end in more and more and soon you feel bad and your followers feel bad, while the trolls are thriving. 9/10 cases it's just not worth it. Block and if it was a crossed boundary, let your people know afterwards unrelated to an ask.

And most importantly: pease just have fun. Put your ideas out there for the sole reason that no one will ever put them into your words the way you would. Of course it's impossible to ignore likes and interactions because it really does fuel the motivation. But I wish you two that you can create because it makes you happy. The rest will follow.

[postmail]

(page dividers)

ive been on this site for literal years, had several blogs, and i am just now decided i should probably starting doing that 'intro post' thing. oof.

Howdy! I go by Alto on here - it's not my name, but it is what you ought to call me, Tumblr-wise. You might see me referring to myself with other names, but Alto is what I normally go by on Tumblr. I prefer they/them or he/him, but truthfully I care very little.

(Aroace Stamp)(Button)(Transgender Stamp)

I am a chronic rambler and I can't be stopped. Expect to see me incapable of shutting up. literally - if i see a post and have nothing to say about it, i won't reblog it 90% of the time, even if i do think its funny/good/etc. I am also a bit of a hodgepodge of different interests and hobbies, but here's the basic, most common tags you need to know in case you're a greenhand here:

#alto art <- for my visual art, sculptures, drawings, etc

#alto alliterates <- a newer tag where i will be posting my writings, most of which will be reposts or cross-posts to my ao3 account

#alto alliterates <- a newer tag where i will be posting my writings, most of which will be reposts or cross-posts to my ao3 account

#alto answers <- tag for my answers to asks. its pretty sparse in there right now - never feel afraid to send an ask! i use tumblr as a way to interact with others about my interests

#Moby Dick <- for posts about Herman Melville's great american novel on whaling, and my primary interest. sometimes i post under 'Herman Melville', but thats only for outreach. everything's in this tag.

#lotr / #the hobbit / #tolkien <- posts about J.R.R Tolkien's series Lord of the Rings, 'lotr' for the trilogy, 'the hobbit' for prequel book, and 'tolkien' for the whole series.

#darkest dungeon <- my tag for posts about darkest dungeon. currently going thru the slow process of overhauling like a years worth of posts and reblogs onto the new tag (old one was 'dd tag', very unintuitive and vague.)

#dst tag <- another tag that needs to be overhauled into a new title, but i can't be bothered right now. this is the temporary home for all of my Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together posts.

#txt <- a somewhat outdated tag that i've used for so long i'm no longer sure what it's actually supposed to mean. right now, it's every text post i make that isnt a shitpost or a copypasta. i. think.

#fave <- posts that i've reblogged (or sometimes made myself) that i just adored. these are my all time favorite posts i've ever seen, my 'hall of honor', so to speak.

#save <- the twin brother to my 'fave' tag. save is where i put things that seem like they will be useful later. mostly art tutorials.

(Rockwell Kent)

but don't let all this fool you - i'm not actually all that professional or well put together! welcome to my blog, fool. i hope you brought your own harpoons, because we're chasin' a biggie tonight!

[cringefailcabitha]

sorry i dont have tumblr (i only use it to stalk cabby art LOL) and idk if youll answer this but i am known as the cabby yapper by my friends so i wanted to bring this up to someone who thinks about her as deeply as me

do you ever like think about how terrifying mephones plan for a season 4 would have been to cabby specifically? out of all of the final 3 she has been hurt by the game the most (with no closure mind you unlike balloon), i think having to go through everything again would genuinely break her. even if shes less misunderstood the game still puts pressure onto her to be a facts machine, a strategist. when shes literally the kindest person ever, trying to comfort silver (despite his constant mistreatment of her), and sacrificing almost every post merge challenge for the sake of somebody else (i.e giving up her inani-mate for yinyang, sacrificing herself in episode 13 to put herself on the line with yinyang even if she was manipulating them out of obligation, AND EPISODE 15 SHE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE WON IF SHE HAD USED HER FILES and completely foiling blueberrys plan, but she didnt because she cared about bot)

in the episode when shes reading the file, the screen actually starts shaking a little. implying she was absolutely horrified at what she was reading. and she had every single right, especially considering what shes gone through.

the other thing that’s absolutely insane to me is the fact that this information was conveyed to her via a file. aka her disability aid, something she relies on. that mustve been horrifying to see something so person to her used against her in such a way.

sorry i regurgitated a lot of this info from the shut i put on tiktok. im just genuinely crazy about cabby

ALSO UR A CABTUBE TRUTHER IM LITERALLY SO IN LOVE WITH CABTUBE i am lesbian cabbys number one truther and see her shipped with men far too much. but like i was so hoping test tube would at least apologize or something. it irritates me how they can make one sided silvercandle canon but they cant show us anymore one-sided cabtube. just make her blush or something. but tbh it made me emo when test tube (and pb bc they nodded) oraised cabby, it made me genuinely crazy.

also unshout out to everyone bullying cabby this episode genuinely why were half of them so mean please let silver Die slowly and painfully. also if lifering (i hc him and cabby as father and daughter, like u cannot convince me lifering and floory arent her dads) switched up on cabby i will personally take his soul like the grim reaper he will be seeing these hands.

sorry feel free to ignore this!

-🍭

😭 I was for real thinking about that earlier today like hasn’t she been through enough… Yes Cabby is a very competitive person but after everything that happened to her in this season and the fact that she’s Still in a vulnerable place right now I don’t think she would find it particularly enjoyable to not receive a prize and then immediately be thrust into a new season of competition— and as a team leader, no less.

Test Tube thanking her for apologising was,,, weird to me. I literally rolled my eyes. It gave me the impression that she (and Paintbrush) think Cabby *should* be apologising to everyone for making some of them uncomfortable? And I just don’t agree. As polite as it is, I think it’s way overstating her actions. Like… why is it “right” to apologise to the entire jury for her past behaviour making “some of them uncomfortable” pre episode 7 when she had never even worked with half of them when said behaviour was supposedly occurring? It’s so frustrating to me, like… how much smaller does she have to make herself for them to be satisfied? I don’t get it.

And of course, “making them uncomfortable” thing again comes back to her files. It’s basically impossible for her not to internalise the idea that keeping information is bad because she Might get things wrong (which. Is another thing. As far as we’ve seen, her writing is almost always correct, barring Bot which is an obvious outlier, and erroneously attributing Suitcase turning on her alliance in season 2 to Balloon’s manipulation.) In episode 15 too, aka the worst Test Tube episode to me, she says Cabby thinks everyone is just “what she happened to write down” as if Cabby is careless and doesn’t do her due diligence when writing her files. Which to me directly contradicts her calling Cabby’s Fan file “impeccable” and having “so many notes” back in episode 2?

And as for Test Tube’s assertion that Cabby would turn on her the moment she stopped being useful, and that she treated everyone like chess pieces on her little board, it really felt like her jumping to conclusions because of what happened with Fan. Because she has done that to no other member of the Pinkers. And there is way less manipulation on Cabby’s part in the show than Test Tube’s irritation would have it seem.

I’m not sure if the writers intentions were to make Cabby as manipulative as Silver from the beginning, but if it was and that’s why this is all going on, well. Mission status isn’t exactly a success to me— the only manipulation she does is in episode 2, when she tries to get Bot to vote out Fan (and presumably the rest of the team as well), and episode 7, where she makes a big show of approaching Silver about how it would be better for him to stack the ice cream because, knowing him to be lazy and careless, it would increase the odds of him screwing up the challenge and make it easier to vote him out.

I’m at least relieved that Test Tube seems to have been thinking about things whenever Cabby says something self-effacing or seems to be nice, because it gives me hope that she may finally realise she’s been taking it too far and maybe Cabby will get an apology, but the fact that she’s been just sitting on it for like 3 episodes by now is killing me,

[karlachismylife]

10, 18, 63 of this ask game!!! 😏🧡

Yayy hello my love! Thank you for sending in hehee sorry I'm a yapper...

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

At first I was like: oh shit I actually don't have a WIP that has text in it? (my writing process is Something Else) unless I wanted to say that Queen of the Clan is one massive WIP but posting stuff from already published chapters is no fun. But then I remembered I had something started for fem!ghoap and although no one blinks there (yet), have the closest thing here lmao

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Most often (like with all my Love Is Illegal Celebration fics for example) it's after I finish writing, sometimes (especially if it's a big and/or multi-part one) it comes in the process. I think I only has started with a title a few times and that was because my mind came up with a beautiful phrase/good pun that unraveled into a story later.

I like naming stuff after I finish it, because it allows me to know the vibe and the details of the story - since my favourite thing to do is take a rather small detail and make a title out of it (for example, in "Flutter Into The Sky" reader is compared to a butterfly maybe once or twice, but that's the image I used to title the whole thing). My art/writing is very much about finding little images, unusual combinations, it might be less evident in my English writing, but when I write in my native language I am constantly seeking some unconventional comparisons and such, so putting them into the title is the thing for me.

But I also like puns (sorry but I'll never understand why people consider puns dumb/unfunny/stupid sort of humor, it's actually quite hard to come up with a good and original pun), hense every chapter in my hyena au (which is about spotted hyenas specifically) is named with an idiom that contains the word "spot" in it. I literally just have a list of the idioms opened and since I know what the chapter will contain, I just seek something that more or less relates to the content (like oh they'll be having lunch in that chapter - here's "a spot of lunch"). What will I do once I run out of the idioms? No idea, but I dread the day.

And finally, song lyrics/titles. It's actually something I only started doing here, on tumblr (actually, wrong, I just remembered that my biggest fic of all times is called Hoist the colours). Between the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with Karlach x Soap coming to me in literal vision (a pun, see?) and me trying to promote some oldschool songs by naming my celebration challanges after them (cuz you know, when I celebrated 30 subs, I used a song with the number 30 in it, and so with a hundred...), I just thought I'd stick to using songs for this. So at first I wanted to name evey Love Is Illegal fic after a song with the number 100 in it, but that turned out to be too complicated, so I just started taking songs that had lyrics and/or vibes more or less suited for the stories. And of course most of the time the song needs to pass the test of "does it feel nice to read the fic while listening to it on repeat".

63. Something you hate to see in smut.

There's actually not much I hate to see in smut. Most of the time it's just things I'm not into (like, I honestly don't get dacryphilia, so if it's the main point of the fic, I'll probably just stop reading it), so I simply close it and move on. And most of the kinks I'm not into I can still read and sometimes even enjoy if written well, so there's really not much that can make me feel actual hate. When I'm reading smut in my native language, there's a big problem with uhhh words they use to avoid saying "cock" and, even worse, "pussy". I think English writers can have this problem too, but I'll be honest, the things I sometimes see in smut are like... top cringe ever. And the thing is, I can't even really blame them, because somehow writing "pussy" and "clit" and other words that are totally okay and sexy in English smut, makes for the most cringe-inducing Russian smut. They just don't match the vibe, "pussy" is kinda very much cringe, "cunt" is actually very vulgur so it's suited only for a specific style of writing/scene, "vulva" is like the one I always end up using but it's quite awkward and feels too official/medical, and "vagina" and "clit/clitoris" sound too out of place and almost medical. Of course there are ways to avoid the cringe and to write amazing smut, and I bet the reason why all the words naming fem genitalis feel so "dirty" "unsexy" and "degrading" is some deep rooted mysoginy, but it's honestly mental gymnastics every time. So while I get the struggle of people decribing "little warm caves of love" and "jade wands", maybe just don't, buddy, maybe just write "and then they FUCKED".

So yeah. If I hate anything in smut, it's when it's written real bad, all the other things make me upset, but not hateful. Like, I actually struggle when there's no love to feel between characters. And I also somehow tend to feel whether or not the author was putting in that love, I can't explain it, but I actually had this confirmed several times, so yeah, no love = no happy Juju. But not just in smut, any work without love just feels wrong and upsetting to me. But in smut it is especially important if there's degradation and such involved, cuz sorry, but I can only survive being/seeing a fave character being called a cumwhore, a cocksleeve and a useles slut if it's VERY EVIDENT that they don't actually mean it. Otherwise okay bye Imma go jump off a cliff.

I don't know how I manage to combine some unhinged fantasies and kinks with this need for love to be at core of literally everything, but I actually have seen other people so it so beautifully, so I know I'm not alone and it is possible to be a freak and a romantic.

P.S. Decided to add that I actually think that vulva is a very sexy word, but unfortunately I have only written for some very brute masculine barbarian at heart women so they would never actually use this word organically. They're more inclined to call their genitals "cunt" but since they all were fucking other women and afab people that they were deeply in love with, they couldn't call their loved ones' parts this rude word either. Smut is a struggle comrades.

[not-poignant]

Apologies if you’ve answered this already. I was just seeing this Ream thing. I’m a Patreon subscriber, but dollar for dollar would you get more from Ream? I’ll switch over if so, I just wanted to make sure since idk what the fee comparisons are.

Hi hi!

I have an introduction to Ream, lemme link it. This explains why the tier prices on Ream are higher (adjusting for inflation + only charges once a month instead of twice).

What is Ream and why is Pia there now?

The tl;dr of it all is that the rewards on the tiers are the same, but yeah I do think I actually make more money through Ream overall (I mean for a start, the tier prices are higher - not everyone will be comfy with that, I tried to find I happy medium re: the once a month charge where I wasn't doubling the Patreon price, but wasn't settling for a half-price either).

I have high trust with Ream, but currently limited options for how I list. Y'all still get all the same rewards (though I do still need to put up chapter commentaries for years previous to 2023, everything posted on Patreon in 2023 is now up/accessible there in their respective tiers), and folks who have used Patreon say it's fairly similar / simple to navigate and set up a membership.

What I also like about it, is that you can sign up and be a free follower there - no tiers, just join the Follower tier. In the future, I think this will make a preferrable 'Newsletter' feed for folks who want email updates for the State of the Pia. It also means I can put things like the Patreon Schedule / Round-up post there, and you don't have to just hope to see it in your Tumblr feed, it can be in your inbox!

Basically, yes, I will make more money there in terms of dollar-for-dollar value. I do still pay Ream a fee because they handle foreign tax for me etc. and are obviously hosting my stuff / giving me a space to do this.

It's basically a Patreon mirror - same stuff, two sites, initially I joined because I actually love its concept (it supports all fiction, including taboo content, and is very 'putting the power back in the hands of storytellers' -> it's for authors), and then I became active on it because Patreon has made it impossible for some folks to subscribe because of bank nonsense.

The tiers and tier art and tier descriptions are the same between the sites! There's literally no difference there. When I update Patreon, I update Ream with the exact same thing, with the exact same writing, in the exact same tiers.

For folks who find the 'twice a month' charge thing on Patreon confusing, Ream might also be simpler for those who really just want the comfort of knowing they get charged once a month and only ever once a month!!

[a-mess-of-a-crow]

Yall, just so you know this is anonymous, so I can't see who would vote no.

Also

Hi! I'm Craven!

I'm a wanna be artist with absolute crushed self esteem that desperately needs validation to get self worth and on the other hand doesn't believe that people's compliments are valid!

So basically= A self made self esteem issue!

I jump from hobby to hobby like a whore, making music, crotchet, animation, drawing, learning japanese (and failing miserably 😊), gave up on learning danish, learning guitar and keyboard, I used to make iron pellet art (hard to make with shaky ass hands)

Das me btw! In all my glory! (Wet socks in the sand, God fears me)

(me in school and my new jacket, old pic, Mochi laughed a lot :> )

Boring facts=

I'm 20 and a mess cuz since 2015 I've been simping over undertale like a Maniac (it's been better these days, but tumblr temporarily pushed me back into the obsession)

I'm a cat/ dog fanatic, but always crows before hoes

My favorite colors are purple, red, blue and black

I'm definitely demisexual polyamourous, but pan or polyromantic? I dunno lol.

Also genderfluid (altho i personally never really know what gender I feel like in the moment)

I have an absolute hopeless love for my aro/ace best friend who is called Mochi and she is the best and literally only real (real life) friend I ever had

Totally not my dumb brain starved for human connection and then immediately clinging to whoever is being a decent person to me

Luckily she is also a bomb person and kind so she doesn't use me like my other friendships XD

How did Red Mass start?

To get an idea of what my AU is, you gotta know how my dumb brain thought of it.

2015. I was absolutely sucked into Undertale after watching a german YouTuber play it, and then I started watching a certain Irish fella play it as well.

I started watching comic dubs of all the Au's that people made, faning out and just binged watched everything relating to it.

Then my family and I had vacation.

A trip to Rome (it was hot and awful, never again. Fucking 40°C celsius are you kidding me?)

It was a 15 hour trip (with bathroom/ smoker breaks)

And i layed in the back of the car, daydreaming about all those Au's.

It was awesome and cool and I slowly started to MAYBE get pandora syndrome of where I desperately wanted to be a part of those stories (I know. Cringe)

It got so bad that I maaaaybe cried in bed every night hoping I'd just wake up in the stories (but my life sucks so that also played a role)

So on that car ride, Luna lovania (god the cringe hurts me badly) was born.

A skeleton oc at first, later being an oc that is a fusion of Frisk and sans (which still is a part of Red Mass)

I daydreamed 15 hours + 15 hours back about Red Mass, it was such bliss (and even while we were in Rome)

And since that point, I have kept daydreaming every day for 8 years, and it became a big part of my life (as ridiculous as this sounds)

I just realized I might be insane.

Oh well

I will make a specific Red Mass post, explaining the story a bit and character introduction ((but not revealing too many spoilers since I kinda wanna make it into a thing))

I hope you guys mean it if you say you're interested :)

[usedtobeguest123]

Hello :)

I'm usedtobeguest123 (...because I ghosted around as guest123 on A03 before creating an account for myself 😁). You can call me Tooby.

I love writing and am dabbling with art (newbie). Feel free to shoot me Encanto writing or art prompts--family fluff is my jam. I have tiny little humans I care for and sometimes go on long hiatuses, but I'm still around. Sometimes I also post for Malevolent.

A probably maybe [not] updated masterlist of my stuff below the cut. My tag system is chaotic and unorganized, but you can try searching #my art and #my writing too.

Writing

Current fic: La Traes - This is the sequel to my first fic, Bruno from Before, but you could probably read it on its own. La Traes is the spanish name for the childhood game of tag, but it literally means "You carry it." This fic follows the (fluffy) relationship between Bruno, Mirabel, and Antonio, and is an experiment where I work through how trauma can rob us of childhood, and how we might possibly heal and get a little bit of it back.

Bruno from Before - My first fic! It takes place about 7 months after the movie. An exploration of Mirabel and Bruno's relationship post movie. Mirabel begins to learn more about Bruno from before the walls and is determined to help him find his way back.

Alma, After - I love Alma's character. This is a little dabble I wrote about her grief, and it ended up being a bit of a epilogue to Bruno from Before. Chronologically, it hits somewhere in the middle of La Traes.

Quiet - A collection of Encanto one-shots. They started out having the theme of "quiet," but it's really just a place for me to put my little snippets of writing :)

A Little Wasted Time - A one-shot where Mirabel and Camilo talk it out. It's a bit of a deleted scene from Bruno from Before.

How Are You Feeling, Hermano? - A one-shot I wrote after seeing this AMAZING art by @junosaccount. Bruno is sick and Julieta is there to do what she does best.

The Time You Give Me - Bruno - A super fun collab I did with the lovely @breannasfluff 💚 The pairing is a fun look into the mind of an introvert (Bruno) and an extrovert (Mirabel) who care about each other. This is the introvert side. Make sure to read Breanna's, too!

El Milagro de la Bebé - My fic for the @encantobigbang! Dolores is worried about her Mamá, and to help her she seeks out the most okayest man for the job - Tío Bruno. Pranks and family fluff ensue. Check out @lunaencantada's AMAZING art that goes with it!

You can find more of my little tumblr only one-shots under Encantober below.

Art

Current Project: A Bruno-centric animatic that I started for @wdtajn. I swear I will finish it eventually! You can see my progress here, and here, and here, and here, too. EDIT: It's done!

Julieta, Bruno, and Pepa as kids having a slumber party

My first Encanto fanart ever, a DTIYS from @glitternightingale

You can find more of my artsy things under Encantober below.

💚💚Fanart by Others💚💚 - These have my WHOLE heart, for reals.

Bruno and young Mirabel from Chapter 4 of Quiet by @junosaccount

The trio at a picnic from Chapter 1 of La Traes by @junosaccount (and the lineart version, which shows the amazing detail on Bruno's ruana from Bruno from Before 😍)

The trio in a tree from Chapter 2 of La Traes by @junosaccount

Mirabel and Abuela from Chapter 6 of La Traes by @junosaccount

Encantober 2022 - @encantober-official

Writing:

Transformation (An Encanto Music Analysis)

Healing

Butterfly

Change

Milk

Strength

Cacti

Head Pats

Animals

Caterpillar

Tragedy

Gift

Pranks

Generational Trauma

Otter

Art:

Rats

Love (Peanuts Style)

Parents

Hugs

Casita

Bees

Tired

Prophecy

Present

Kiss

Book

Thanks for visiting :)

[bulletbilltime]

Ok I need to vent about "LIKES DO NOTHING" discourse because I have had Thoughts for months now.

These are just feelings without much coherent thought put into them so lmk if I get something wrong. (LONG POST WARNING)

I'm gonna start by saying that I agree with the message that's INTENDED to be spread. Letting people know that reblogs are an important and essential part of Tumblr's ecosystem is good! Tumblr not having (much of, anyway) an algorithm is an important part to emphasize to newcomers of the website. And I know *why* people prefer getting reblogs to likes on their art purely from an exposure angle: reblogs expose the art to more people, who will themselves maybe like it and reblog it to more people.

That being said, the way people act about likes is... genuinely bothersome to me. There's a really fucking weird framing of likes as literally The Worst Thing Ever. Like you're a complete and utter monster for having the gall to show appreciation for their work. And all that really does is make ppl feel guilty about how they curate their blog. "Why would they not reblog the work then, if they like it???" Well there's many reasons! They might not want to share nsfw content to their followers. They might not want to spoil their followers with fanart of the latest episode of a show. They might have specific criteria for reblogging! Maybe they have a family member following them, and they don't want to be outed for liking queer stuff! I don't think anyone particularly owes anyone an explanation for liking only.

"Why not use a side blog to reblog then, if any of the above apply?" Because that blog won't have the followers of that other blog? Why would you want someone to reblog from a dummy account, if that account has nearly nobody following them? That would be defeating the purpose of the reblog in the first place; all you'd get out of it is an extra Note, which makes it functionally indistinguishable from a like.

Now I want to focus on the one thing that annoys me the most about the framing of this discourse: the idea that people only like because they think it'll boost the engagement. This is why I think people say ridiculous stuff like "likes do nothing". Well, let me tell you something. C'mere real close.

LIKES ARE FOR LIKING THINGS.

It's in the NAME! People "like" things to show their appreciation for a piece of art/meme/etc! I highly doubt that people who only like art do so with the delusion that what they actually help the artist get more exposure, even on other social media websites. The average layperson leaves a like to show they enjoyed a post. That's it. They don't think about The Algorithm, they just see post and hit like. That's how people act on other social media websites, and I'd wager even a good chunk of "old-hat" Tumblr users do this too.

Are they in the wrong for doing that? Well I think that varies from person to person, but I personally appreciate any interaction on an art post. Sure, reblogs get more eyes on things, and that's highly valuable to get even more likes, so I absolutely do love getting reblogs, but I'm not about to get mad at every single person who likes without reblogs. I also just think that's a very unhealthy attitude to have about art in general, which leads me to my next point:

The internet as a whole just... sucks for artists. It's an annoying and unfortunate truth, but this feeling of "oh my work doesn't get nearly enough attention as I wish it did"? I've experienced it everywhere I posted content to. Whether that was DeviantArt or Twitter or w/e, it's always been the same thing. I don't tend to accrue a lot of followers for the work I do in general, and that means that my content will only get a handful of engagements, if any at all. And I know a lot of other artists face that issue, and it's because of a very simple fact: THERE IS SO MUCH ART ONLINE. Fact of the matter is, you're gonna be fighting against others for exposure, and luck is basically the only real way people can break out of that initial circle.

And on a similar lane: fanart and memes just get more interaction as a whole because they are more "shareable". Memes are just easy to share because they're funny and very accessible to most people. Fanart isn't as accessible, but it still has a potential audience if your follower base has enough fans in it, or if you're friends with ppl who like similar things to that work. But original art just doesn't have as much of a shareability. You'd think they would be more accessible by virtue of not being tied to a fandom... but because it's not tied to something people can easily search, original art gets decimated in the interactions department, unless you have a pre-existing fanbase.

I don't think this is a problem with an easy solution. And I certainly don't think shaming people is going to be the way, tbh.

But wouldn't this be all the more reason to push back and demand that people to reblog and not just like? Well... on to my next point: The Internet at large has rarely looked kindly upon those who beg for attention and interactions. People literally make fun of calls to actions on YouTube, after all. So I fear people are going to turn on people who post things like "reblogs > likes" and whatnot. I've already noticed a good amount of people beginning to get actively mad towards this sort of attitude, and passive-aggressive polls that are like "do YOU support our reblogs in blue????". I don't think this aggressive reblog shaming trend is going to end well IMO.

But reblogs are the life source of Tumblr, right? If people don't want to reblog... then won't that kill the site? Well... I guess that's the tricky spot: for artists that need commissions to make a living, there's a genuine reason for wanting art to be shared. Exposure translates to commissions for them. And if they can't get exposure, they'll have to turn towards other means of making a living. And if a lot of artists have to stop making art or leave Tumblr... then yeah that would suck for the site. Like, don't get me wrong, as annoyed as I am towards how weirdly petty these posts are, I understand why they're made. And I'm all for encouraging more support to artists, but this ain't it y'all.

So how can we promote supporting artists without shaming? Well... here's some suggestions:

Let's stop this weird culture around shaming likes. This isn't getting anywhere and it's only gonna make people turn away from interacting with art at all. Can you imagine if YouTubers started getting angry at people who don't leave a like or subscribe? Like, genuinely making passive aggressive posts and videos about them? That would be wack, right? So let's not be like that.

Second, I think that emphasizing the GOOD that reblogs can do should be encouraged. Examples: "Reblogs get more eyes on art! If you really like an artist's content, reblog it and it might lead to that artist getting more followers! If you reblog, you're doing your part in helping an artist get exposure!" People want to feel like they're doing a good thing, so help them see the good that reblogging does, rather than lecturing on the evils of not doing so.

Third... do your part! Go look for artists who don't have a lot of interactions, and reblog their work! Spending your energy interacting with fellow artists, making connections, and supporting each other's work is going to do so much more in the long run than trying to fight a losing battle with General Internet Apathy. Besides, a reblog from asspissballs69 isn't going to have nearly as much of an impact as a reblog from someone who actually has a following. Tumblr doesn't have algorithms, but follower counts do still matter even if we can't see them.

Fourth, if we wish to actually change the hearts and minds of "Serial Likers", we need to actually understand why people like in the first place. One point I can think of is that people who come in from other social media may be afraid to spam their followers with things they like. I think that's absolutely an aspect of Tumblr that doesn't really carry over as well to other websites, and putting more emphasis on that should be done. Personally, this was my biggest obstacle to embracing reblogging fanart. So I think having more empathy and understanding of the issue, and addressing concerns these people may have would go a long way in helping us make the case for reblogging.

If you've read this far, thanks for engaging with this rambly post! If you have objections to the arguments I make, feel free to reply but BE CIVIL and constructive. I *will* block people who get aggressive or read in bad faith.

[krazys-ass-emporium]

8 Shows to know you

@j-ellyfish​ tagged me and my slow ass is finally filling this out.

1. Star Trek (Mostly TOS, but also TNG, DS9, and Voyager. Sorry, but the new stuff just doesn’t look like Star Trek to me.)

This was my first fandom I guess?? I didn’t actually interact with anyone since this is before I ventured onto the depths of the interwebs. I was 10 years old and everyone kept calling me a Vulcan because of how literal I was. I did not know what a Vulcan was but soon found out and got my grubby hands on every piece of media I could find at the local library. I probably watched every VHS and read every novel they had. Spock is still my favorite to this day. I wrote my freaking GED essay about him.

2. Redwall

I might have been even younger when I got into this than when I got into Star Trek. This is just so unknown no one knows what I’m talking about lolol. It was more the books than the show, but it has a short animated series so it still counts. I was obsessed with this. I made forts out of logs by the stream across the street from my house and swords out of wood and play-fought my brother with them.

3. Teen Titans

This was probably my segue into anime. Yes, this isn’t actually an anime, but since it incorporates anime aspects it got me used to them?? I was very into superheroes in general when I was like 12 to 15 or so, but these were my top fave. Controversial opinion: DC is better than Marvel. I made my very first OC based on Teen Titans I think she might have been partly Star Trek too lol. I also started drawing people because of this show. Before that I only drew horses and wolves.

4. InuYasha

My very first anime. It all started when I saw a manga at the library and then looked up the anime on YouTube. Ah, the memories of watching an episode in three parts and you’d never know if it would be the dub or the sub. This was the first fandom where I actually joined the interwebs and interacted with human type people. The internet in 2006 was a very different place lol. I got my first email address (which I still have lol) to join this website called Fanart Central so I could post my InuYasha fanart. I found my first online friends there too. I miss them...

5.  Pokémon

I’m not entirely sure how I managed to watch as much of this as I did, but I only gave up when I got to Alola. The original is my favorite, but I also liked some of the newer stuff too. I drew art for Pokémon too and let me tell you, it’s the most toxic hell hole of a fandom ever. I’ve never gotten flames before Pokémon, all for liking an unpopular ship lol. The internet in 2010 was the Wild West.

6. Yu-Gi-Oh!

Holy crap was I into Ygo. I still have my room covered in it lol. I still love it to bits, but I’ve calmed down a lot. I have a lot of cards too and I do know how to play, but not competitively and I don’t know anyone in person who wants to duel me :( I got into cosplay because of Ygo and made my first cosplay (Joey Wheeler) in 2013. I apparently like to suffer because Ygo cosplays are NOT easy. I made my still best friend in this fandom. Seriously, this is one of the best fandoms out there, most everyone is so nice.

7. Supernatural

(Don’t look at me, I know pfft). I can’t deny how much I like this show... it’s honestly the one I’ve rewatched the most times. I no not know why. I guess it’s just easy to binge lol. You can blame my group of gay guy friends back in 2013 for me getting into this. It’s also why I got Netflix, and tumblr. And here I still am...

8. Hetalia

Oh wow, a Hetalia blog having Hetalia on the list, weird. Got into this at the crusty old age of 28, so I don’t have the nostalgia for it like a lot of y’all. I fell hard pretty fast. I also have made way more friends than probably any other fandom I’ve been in? Probably because I stuck my head out of my shell for a bit lol.

I tag no one because I’m lazy, do it if you want and you can blame me pfft.

[nessbarbecue]

11-28-23 11:35 AM

I'm in graphic design class right now. My physical diary is literally in my school bag as I'm typing this, but I've made the decision it might be fun to take up digital blogging. You see it all the time on TV, why don't people do it more often?! Plus, I just have a lot to say, all the time. I will admit, that I'm actually direct messaging all of this to myself on Discord, because Tumblr is blocked on the school computers. I'll just copy paste it into Tumblr later. My teacher will definitely yell at me for having my phone out, so I've got a little hidden tab to entertain myself with on the school computer. I really do not like my graphic design teacher. She's friendly, but also kind of rude. And very much a control freak. I want to go to lunch. I still have to go to computer science after this class ends before I can eat lunch. That's at least an hour and a half away... Oh well. I've got plenty to do, I guess. I could actually do my homework. I've been knocking a lot of homework out this week, because I've been out sick, plus Thanksgiving break for a bit. I have a little bit of catching up to do but I've been making quick work of it. I only have one assignment to do in this class, and I just started the layout for it until I got bored and drifted back to my little hidden tab here. When I do post this on my Tumblr, I'll tag it something unique like ness talks so people can filter it out, if they just want to see the art posts. I'll probably attach a few images to this post just to share what I'm up to and what kind of images represent my day. I love posting pictures online. I post shit on every social media I can get my hands on. Except, like, Threads, because who uses that. It was a thing for about a week, when Twitter was threatening to shut down or something I don't even remember. But it didn't, so Threads kind of just became a shithole. None of my social medias have a very prominent following, I think the largest follower count I have is nearly five hundred on Instagram? My Twitter has about three hundred, and my TikTok also has nearly three hundred. I don't know how much Pinterest counts as a social media like those, but I have like twenty followers there and it's basically all just my friends. I love my friends. As for Tumblr, I think it's around fifty? I don't really ever care how many followers I do have, though. I just post stuff for myself. The internet is an awesome way to document your life. If I do get famous one day, though, it'll be awesome for my fans because they'll have a ridiculous amount of content of mine to sift through. I wish it were easier to make friends and mutuals online. I would have a lot of fun having lots of people to interact with. I'm getting kind of bored of typing now so I'm gonna go draw in my sketch book while I wait for class to end. Bye