#I love fandom *so much* it's by biggest hobby and biggest source of joy

[masque-of-plague]

If you feel like you need "permission" to do something in fandom, this post is for you!

Something I've noticed a lot of in this fandom is that people hesitate so much to do so many wonderful things they want to do because they feel like they need someone else's "permission" in order to do it.

Understandably, there was a HUGE history of people dog-piling, harassing, and bullying people for doing things that were not explicitly approved by either the creators or the fandom at large. I am so happy that the tumblr fandom in particular has moved away from that horrible time, but the effects it had on people still linger, even beyond things that "weren't allowed."

So if you need permission to do something you've been thinking of doing, I'm giving you permission. 💕

Do you have an idea for a fan event but you need someone to tell you that you can? I'm telling you right now that not only can you start that fan event, but you will do a great job AND people will love it.

Do you have an idea for a fanfiction but you're worried that people won't like it? I'm holding your face gently and promising you that there is an audience for everything and if absolutely nothing else, you deserve to make that fic.

Do you have a headcanon that directly conflicts with common headcanons in the fandom? I support you having that headcanon. YES, even if other people dislike or even hate that headcanon. YES, even if some people are upset about that headcanon. It's their job to avoid that headcanon then-- it's not your job not to have it.

You deserve a space to be heard, to make your creations, to hold you headcanons. Anything that brings you joy, amusement, euphoria, validation, healing, catharsis, anything that you find interesting or enjoyable, you deserve to engage with it.

I promise you are capable. I promise you are not doing anything wrong. I promise you are not hurting anything.

Whatever you thought about while reading this post? I am giving you permission to do it.

[cyndavilachase]

I’m Looking Forward Now 💖Thank you and good bye

So, it’s been a little over a week since Steven Universe Future ended… 

I’ve been hesitant to write this, honestly, but I’m tired of holding myself back from properly expressing myself in fear of appearing overly invested in the media I consume, even in private. Writing helps me organize my thoughts and feelings, and I feel like these thoughts in particular may resonate with many, so I want to share them. I want to talk about what Steven Universe has done for me personally, both as an artist, and as a person.

I’ve been around since the day the first episode of the original series aired. I actually remember when Steven Universe was just a logo on Wikipedia’s “List of Upcoming Cartoon Network Shows” list, back when I was a freshman in high school. It piqued my interest, but when commercials finally dropped for it, I thought it was going to be bad because of the way marketing handled introducing Steven as a likeable character. There was still something about it that made me want to give it a chance though, so I went online and watched the pilot before the first episode's release. I was hooked immediately. I knew I was going to love it, and I did. I fell so absolutely in love with Steven as a character, and the world that he and the gems lived in. I became obsessed. I was always so excited for new episodes to come out. Little did I know what else it would do for me as I went through my adolescence alongside it.

As the show progressed, it was evident that what I wanted out of a western animated childrens’ cartoon was finally coming into fruition: this show was becoming serialized. There was continuity, there was plot, there was character development-- it was getting deep. It was pushing the groundwork that Adventure Time laid out even further (thank you, Adventure Time).  

I will give credit where credit is due: earlier western childrens’ cartoons I grew up with like Hey Arnold, and Rugrats, among others, also touched on heavy topics, but Steven Universe was able to take similar ideas (and even more complex ones, concerning mental health and relationships) and expand on them outside of contained episodes and/or short arcs. These themes, which were a part of the show’s overarching story, spanned across its entirety. Continuity was rampant. 

What did this mean? It meant kids cartoons didn’t have to be silly and fun all the time and characters weren’t just actors playing a part in 11-minute skits. Steven and the gems would remember things that happened to them, and it affected them and how they would function and play a part in their story. This was a huge deal to me as a teenager. I always wanted the cartoons I grew up with featuring kid characters to feel more. In my own work, I often felt discouraged when combining a fun, cutesy western art style with themes as dark or layered as anime would cover. I always thought it had to be one or the other because an audience wouldn’t take a combination of the two seriously enough, based on discussions I had with classmates, friends, and online analysis I read at the time. Steven Universe proved to me otherwise. This show was opening the door for future cartoons exploring in-depth, adult concepts. I felt so seen as a kid, and was inspired to stick with what I love doing.

I was actually very worried about the show’s survival. It was in fact immensely underrated and the fandom was miniscule. Then in 2014, JailBreak dropped, and it’s popularity exploded. Part of it was because of the complex plot and the themes it was covering like I mentioned, but also because of its representation. 

I remember when fandom theorized that Garnet was a fusion due to grand, tragic reasons. Turns out, she’s simply a metaphor for a very loving w|w relationship. This was huge. I cannot stress how important it is that we continue to normalize healthy canon queer relationships in childens’ media, and Steven Universe finally was the first to do that proper. Introducing these themes offers the chance for a kid to sit there and ask themselves, ��Why is this demonized by so many people?” I asked myself exactly that. Ruby and Sapphire were my cartoon LGBT rep. They were the first LGBT couple I ever ecstatically drew fanart of. I was dealing with a lot of internalized homophobia at the time, and they showed me that I was allowed to love women and feel normal about it. The process of overcoming this was a long one, but they played a part in my very first steps into becoming comfortable with my sexuality. I could go on and on about it’s representation in general-- how it breaks the mold when it comes to showcasing a diverse set of characters in design, in casting, and in breaking gender roles. It’s focus on love and empathy. Steven himself is a big boy, but he's the protagonist, and the show never once makes fun of his weight, or any other bigger characters for that matter. It wasn’t hard to see why the fandom had grown so large.

Fandom was always a joy for me. It was a hobby I picked up when I was in middle school, like many of us here did. I would always cater my experience to fun, and fun only. I only started getting more deeply involved in SU’s fandom when I had just turned into an adult. During the summer of 2016, between my first and second year of college, I drew for the show almost every day non-stop when the Summer of Steven event was going on and posted them online. This was a form of practice for me in order to become not just more comfortable with experimenting with my art, but also to meet new artists, make new friends, and learn to interact with strangers without fear. I dealt with a ton of anxiety when I was in high school. When I was a senior applying to art school for animation, I decided I was going to overcome that anxiety. I made plans to take baby steps to improve myself over the course of my 4 years of college. Joining the fandom, while unforeseen, was definitely a part of that process. I started feeling more confident in sharing my ideas, even if they were fan-made. I fell in love with storyboarding after that summer, when I took my first storyboarding class, and genuinely felt like I was actually getting somewhere with all of this. I remember finally coming to a point in my classes where I could pitch and not feel hopelessly insecure about it. I was opening up more to my friends and peers. 

But this process, unfortunately, came to a screeching halt. 

My life completely, utterly crumbled under me in the Fall of 2017 due to a series of blows in my personal life that happened in the span of just a couple weeks. My mental health and sense of identity were completely destroyed. All of that confidence I had worked for-- completely ruined. I was alone. I nearly died. My stay at college was extended to 4 and half years, instead of the 4 I had intended. I lost my love for animation-- making it, and watching it. I could no longer watch Steven Universe with the same love I had for it beforehand. It’s a terrible thing, trying to give your attention to something you don’t love anymore, and wanting so desperately to love again. I dropped so many things I loved in my life, including the fandom.

Healing was a long and complicated road. I continued to watch the show all the way up until Change Your Mind aired in the beginning of 2019, and while I still felt empty, that was definitely a turning point for me with it’s encapsulation of self-love. I was hoping James Baxter would get to work on Steven Universe since he guest-animated on Adventure Time, and it was incredible seeing that wish actually come true. The movie came out and while I enjoyed it and thought highly of it, I was still having issues letting myself genuinely love things again, old and new. It was especially difficult because cartoons were my solace as a kid, when things got rough at home. I remember feeling sad because the show ended, and not getting the chance to love it again like I used to while it was still going.

By the time Steven Universe Future was announced, I was finally coming around. I was genuinely starting to feel excitement for art and animation again. I wasn’t expecting there to be a whole new epilogue series, but happily ever after, there we were! Prickly Pear aired, and the implications it left in terms of where the story was going did it. I was finally ready to let myself take the dive back into fandom in January of this year. My art blew up, something I wasn’t expecting considering my 2-year hiatus. Following this, I was invited into a discord server containing some of the biggest writers, artists, editors, and analysts in the fandom. I had no idea there were so many talented people in the fandom, some already with degrees, some getting their degrees-- creating stuff for it on the side just for fun. The amount of passion and productivity level here is insane, and so is the amount of discussion that has come out of it.

I didn’t realize it at first, but it was actually helping me gain back the courage to share ideas. I lost my confidence in pitching while I was taking the time to heal, and graduating meant there would no longer be a classroom setting I could practice in. This group helped immensely. 

I have made so many friends through this wonderful series, and I have so many fond memories talking to like-minded creatives, getting feedback and a myriad of sources for inspiration, as well as all of the memes and jokes and weekly theorizations that came about as we all waited on the edges of our seats for episodes to air. I needed this so badly, I needed to get back in touch with my roots, when I would go absolutely hog-wild over a cartoon I loved with people who loved it as much I did. Future has been a blessing for me in this way. I graduated feeling like I was back at square-one, but now I feel like I’m on my way again.

It’s 2020 and while I’m doing great right now, I am honestly still recovering from the total exhaustion that followed after graduating a few months ago, and finally leaving the campus where my life fell apart behind. Needless to say, watching Future was like looking into a mirror. Watching one of my favorite characters of all time-- one that grew up with me-- go through so many of the same things I went through not too long ago was absolutely insane to watch unfold. It’s such an important thing too, to show a character go through the process of breaking down over trauma and all the nasty things that come with it, and to have them go on the road to healing. Steven got that therapy. He wasn’t blamed. The gems were called out. The finale was everything I could have ever hoped for. The catharsis I experienced watching it was out of this world.

As I continue my own healing journey, I will always look up to the storyboard artists, revisionists, and designers that I have been following over these past 7 years, as well as the new ones introduced in Future. It's been such a joy watching these artists release their promo art for episodes, talk about their experiences working on the show, and post the work they've done for it alongside episodes airing.

Thank you Rebecca Sugar, the Crewniverse, and the fans, for making this such a truly wonderful and unique experience. Thank you for reminding me that I am, and always will be, an artist, a cartoonist, and a fan. Thank you, my followers, for the overwhelmingly positive response to my artwork. I have had so much fun interacting and discussing the show with you all again over these past few months. Steven Universe and it’s fandom will always have a special place in my heart, and it will always be a classic that I will return to for comfort and inspiration for decades to come. I am sad that the cartoon renaissance is over, but so many doors have been opened thanks to this show. I am so, so excited to see what this show will inspire in the future, and I hope one day I get the opportunity to be a part of that. 

Goodbye Steven, thank you for everything. I wish you healing, and I wish Rebecca and the team a well-deserved rest. ♥️

-Cynthia D.

[z-stars]

From Their First Days As Z-Boys and Z-Girls To The Latest Album “Singing For You” | Exclusive Interview

“To inspire and become a cultural bridge that connects the world with music.”

Z-Stars is a group consisting of two separate groups called Z-Boys and Z-Girls with a total of 13 members coming from 7 different cultures around Asia, pursuing a common goal.

First debuted on February 2019, the group released their second mini-album this July and also had their very first showcase in Korea. Many acknowledged them as a K-Pop group without a single Korean member, but there’s so much more than just a description of the group.

With that, on August 28th, 2019, Kpopmap visited the studio in Zenith Media Contents located in Seoul to simply get to know more about them and share their dream with the readers.

Congrats on your comeback with the second album “Singing For You”. Can you tell us what the songs are about?

Perry: “Holla Holla” is a hip-hop styled song, composed with strong rhythm and bass which makes you feel excited and it is also a song that contains a message saying that “We will reach our dreams, not in a plain way but rather through our own way and findings

Bell: Our latest release, “Streets of Gold” contains a message about finding one true love and the song is recorded with powerful vocals. We highly recommend putting this song on your summer playlist! (haha)

What I noticed was that the song, “Holla Holla” has a similar message to the previous song, “No Limit”. Is this what Z-Boys are going for?

Mavin: Both “No Limit” and “Holla Holla” contains a message to motivate and inspire the listeners in chasing their own dreams. We really try to send that message to both the listeners and all our GalaxZ(Fandom name).

Do you plan on exploring other themes?

Mavin: I think we have a lot of potentials to try various genres since we all come from a different background, which means we have that much of diverse colors that we can explore.

What are the things that has changed compared to when you first debuted?

Carlyn: I think the girls got a lot fancier and more mature compared to our last song. The atmosphere of our second song, in general, is a bit sexier, having less kid-like pureness but show more of our women side.

Mavin: We want to show our sexiness! (haha) as you can see, we have a harness around our body haha. You can witness that in our choreography as well because the moves itself are a lot sexier than before. In our third single, we can maybe go further and be even MORE sexier hahaha!

What made you fall in love with K-Pop?

Priyanka: Of course, we all have different musical background and style but, K-Pop is very different and unique. For example, their performance is very attractive and above that, they sing and dance at the same time. So I think that was the most attractive point about K-Pop. Also, there are artists that produce their own music, so they are basically an overall package for an artist that you just can’t resist!

What went through your mind when you made that final decision to be part of Z-Stars?

Sid: I was filled with mixed emotions when I first heard the news but I was so excited about it. We all prepared a lot and worked hard to be part of this group and I’m sure it goes the same for everyone that, we were all so happy.

Weren’t you scared?

Vanya: At first, I felt thrilled in the aspect that I got closer to achieving my dream and that I will be doing what I love. But there was a bit of pressure as well since each one of us represents our own country. For instance, I and Mavin are from Indonesia and when we joined this project, we are bringing Indonesian names to Korea so we had to be great in what we do.

As a non-Korean K-Pop group, inspired by K-Pop, what are the biggest challenges? And how did you overcome those challenges?

Carlyn: There were various challenges that we went through. For example, when we first came to Korea, it was during the winter and most of us never experienced winter in our lives! That was a bit hard to adjust at first.

We also came from 7 different countries so we had difficulties when communicating with one another. We tried translating apps and used a lot of body languages! But the company supported us with language lessons to fill out the gap and now we have no problem communicating!

The biggest of them all was the training. We had to go through intense K-Pop training which was very systematical, army training-like style and as an artist in K-Pop, being synchronized during choreography is a must! So we worked really hard to achieve that.

What did your parents think when you said that you wanted to train in Korea?

Blink: For me, when I told my mum about myself going to Korea to train, without any hesitation, she supported me and said: “Go for it!”

Joanne: I auditioned for another company before I joined Z-Stars and when I first told my parents about it, they simply said no. I was a student at the time and they told me that I had to study but I had different thoughts and told them I wanted to pursue my training in dancing and singing. Even when I went to an institute to learn Korean, which I also had to pay it on my own, they thought I was going to give up soon. However, I kept on working harder and showed my passion for K-Pop. Finally, when I told them about Z-Stars, they gave in and said that they will support me in proceeding my dreams.

what were their thoughts about K-Pop? Do they listen to K-pop now?

Carlyn: Now they love it! When we had our first “Z-Pop Dream Concert” in Korea, they saw big artists like MONSTA X and ChungHa in the line-up and got really excited about it!

Mavin: Yeah they asked us to take a picture with them! Hahaha

What are your hobbies that you do during your spare time in Korea?

Carlyn: We get free time on Sundays mostly when we don’t have any schedule and normally we would just go outside shopping, go for a walk, just hang out with the members.

Mavin: Oh really?? That’s different from Z-Boys! We’re always in the studio practicing! Hahaha Well, Joke aside we do try to practice as much as we can because we all know that there’s always space for improvement and we do enjoy practicing!

What is Z-Stars’ ultimate goal?

Blink: We want to be an artist that can move others’ hearts and give true joy through our music to the people around the world. There are K-Pop artists that are really popular in America and Europe and we hope that we can follow those steps and ultimately, become a cultural bridge between all borders as Z-Stars.

To wrap our pleasant encounter, we asked the members to send out a message to their family and friends back home.

Kpopmap would like to thank Z-Stars and the staff for this interview and wish all the best for the group’s upcoming journey!

source: https://www.kpopmap.com/from-their-first-days-as-z-boys-and-z-girls-to-the-latest-album-singing-for-you-exclusive-interview/

[tobns]

in regards to my fics.

i hope that y’all know how much i absolutely loathe making these posts. because i do. i hate making them so much.

i’ve put off making this post for awhile because i really, truly, genuinely thought i wasn’t going to have to, that everything would work itself out somehow. but for the last two months or so, i’ve kinda known this in the back of my mind and didn’t really wanna act on it or anything? because it is one of my biggest grievances that i have with myself and my fic-writing: i wait too long to start a project, life comes barreling in the minute i start it and i just fade out, so fast, whenever i start something. i don’t know why, i don’t know if i’ll ever understand why i am so fucking incapable of finishing a story - maybe i just aim too high, maybe i overestimate things, maybe i’m writing it for the wrong reasons, i don’t know. i feel like it’s a combination of all those things.

for those of you who read cdg, for anyone who even remotely heard me talk about it, that story is my pride and joy, truly. i did so much research for cdg, i mapped it out several times, it was something i flung myself into and to me, it really felt like the departure of me just writing la-di-da contemporary stuff. i legit felt like this was the most mature, in depth thing i’d ever taken on and i was so proud of it. i think i screwed up by planning it to be so lengthy (even though i still stand by the fact that the length was necessary due to the fact i was covering two separate timelines) and then once i got back from california, it was hard for me to hop back in the swing of things. i got preoccupied with other things and cdg fell to the wayside. i thought that all it would take was a few new episodes of grey’s to really kick me back into gear, what with megan coming back and that storyline being a source of inspiration, but then they wrapped up the arc in 5 minutes and i just severely disliked the direction of grey’s after (i stopped watching after the megan/nathan episode and haven’t watched any since) and that took another whack to me and my wanting to write it. i love cdg, i love mark and lexie so much, but i just...can’t write that story. and it pisses me off that i can’t bring myself to finish it. i know throwing out excuses is moot for me at this point but i feel awful whenever i do this and let another story waltz into abandonment. i legit feel like a failure of a writer when i do this, but i wanted it off my chest: i don’t know if i will ever finish cdg, if it will just haunt me or if i’ll do something with it should the inspiration ever find me. but for now, cdg’s done. i just needed to say that, bc not addressing it is giving me more grief than anything. i love cdg, but i can’t do it anymore. i’ll be removing it from my fic list in the next few days. to anyone who read this story and supported it, more so than i ever would have imagined for a dead ship for nearly 5 years, i am so sorry, but thank you and i love you. if i find the time and the muse for it, i will continue it, but for now, it’s over. ( the same goes for grey’s fics; the show is so far left and out of character that i don’t even want to watch it or write for it. burned out on yet another fandom, good job emily!! )

the other thing that’s bothering me is cataclysm, and it’s the same sort of gist. i’ve had the story planned for two years now, i’ve been working on this saga since 2013??? and while verrrryyyyy few people still read it (hi amy) i am emotionally attached to what i’ve created. if, for some reason, you’re still out there and you read it, thanks for being patient with me. it’s a story i hope i will see through, but can’t right now due to being inspired with other things as well as just not having the muse for it. i’ve got my fingers crossed that maybe infinity wars will kick my ass into gear, but if it doesn’t, i can make my peace with leaving that story to lay at rest. i wrote so much for it, i dedicated so much of my teen years to that story, and if it doesn’t get seen through, i know in my heart where those characters end up. plus, i don’t think many of you really care all that much anyways about it, so that certainly helps, lmao

finally, seven mile december. here’s your good news: i’m not abandoning it, it’s just taking a little longer than i’d like and that’s okay. school is dragging me along, and that’s out of my control. but i’m writing, and it’s going okay. it’ll see an update on march 11, march 12, solely depending upon what’s finished by then. i’m just trying out a new approach to updating my fics, to see if it helps remedy my epidemic of abandonment. i’ve also got a thg cast oneshot that i’d love to write/see through as well, but for now, i just wanna focus on smd, and get as far with it as i can.

with the upcoming introduction of ruby hale to agents of shield, i know that there’s going to be a lot of my desire to write fic for her and daisy, cileme and i already have a collab in the works (god only knows where that’ll go but we’re pumped) and i’m sure i’ll have plenty of solo fics to bear. it’s why i’m trying to map out my schedule for the next little bit, so i can actually finish things and not feel like garbage when i don’t. hopefully i will continue writing for the hunger games (cast and fiction) as well, and finish those things. i’ve got an original story i’ve got ideas for at the moment, that i’d really love to start, and i want to start back to work at a novel, and perhaps this is where some of you see the issue: i spread myself out so thin, it’s no wonder i don’t get anything done! pacing. i’m trying to get better at it with this new approach to updating - i schedule a period where i write solely nothing but that one project and i don’t update until the scheduled day, and hopefully it produces a lot more content.  

fic writing was not something i ever meant to feel like a chore, but somewhere along the line it has begun to feel that way. it was my hobby and my passion and i don’t ever want that to change, but i’ve got to do some serious work with me and my writing habits. for those of you who follow me because of my fics, thank you so so so so so so so so much for bearing with me and being much kinder on me than i’ve ever been on myself when it comes to updates. i’ve mentioned it before, the battle i have with trying to keep an audience as well as make sure i’m still having fun and not treating this like a job, and i am STILL struggling so much with that. writing this post gives me so many conflicting emotions, because part of me feels like yes, i can sit down and start writing chapter 14/15 of cdg and get it done, accomplish something, but the other part of me just knows i would be miserable the whole time. do other fic writers beat themselves up as much as i do??? i have no idea. but i beat myself up a lotttt. 

basically, stuff is coming. if you wanna read me in the meantime, check out my blog. thank you for not coming after me with pitchforks. i’m trying to get better, and i’m trying to get back to a place where i genuinely enjoy writing (whether it’s fic or original stuff) so much that i don’t have to make these stupid posts feeling like i have to explain myself or apologize, i can just...do it and not feel like a human dumpster. if you’ve read til here, you’re a legend. ily. xx

[awoonews]

Source

Editor: Welcome to the first exclusive interview on AwooNews.com – the easiest place to keep up to date with the latest from furry fandom. Today we are interviewing Ary, better known as Rinn, “the dancing sergal.” Ary is a very talented fursuit dancer, who has competed in (and won) many dance competitions at furry conventions. He is most active online on YouTube, Twitter and Patreon, delighting his fans with his creative dances and tutorials.

How did you discover the furry fandom?

I recently answered this on a twitter meme: “VCL, what’s this?” But the short story is I was big into anime in high school, so I found the VCL website while browsing for anime fan art. This was in 1994 or so.

How did you decide the species for your fursona?

Originally I was a brown wolf. Like many others, I felt a strong connection to them. I still do, however I switched to sergal when my focus shifted to dance. I wanted something that was less commonly seen in fursuits. I daresay it suits me better.

Source

How many furry conventions do you go to in a year?

2-3, all west coast. Sometimes I make a pilgrimage out east. I’ve been to AC twice but by comparison, I’ve been to BLFC every year since its 2nd ever.

What is your favorite convention experience?

BLFC. Great venue, great staff, great atmosphere. Only place where the dance goes for 10 hours straight!

What does your family think of all of this?

While they aren’t involved with it, they think it’s great. A bit weird, but fun–keeps me out of trouble, haha. Even my extended family has seen my videos and gets a kick out of it.

How often do you wear your fursuit?

Well, tons at cons. Other than that, just a few times per month to do my video productions and sometimes photo shoots.

Source

What parts of the furry fandom do you connect with the most?

I think we all connect at a fundamental level, but obviously my closest circles are within the dancerfur circles–that is where I focus most of my time. Apart from that, it’s probably with the AV and dance staff.

Do you belong to any other fandoms?

I definitely have insterest and hobbies in others like costuming, I go to comic cons, I’m in the 501st Legion, etc. But I’m not nearly as close to or involved within those communities as I am with furry.

What is the hardest part of what you do that most people probably wouldn’t realize?

It’s either what it takes to put together a competition choreography or what it takes to produce videos regularly. The bar is set high in both areas, so a lot of work has to go into it to be competitive and meet expectations. Many months of practice are spent working on competition choreo even though we make it look easy to the crowd–and that is the point! For video, a lot of time and money is spent to have a good, well-lit recording space, good audio, and editing which is up to par with YouTube viewership expectations.

What do you do outside of the furry fandom?

Hang out, play games, go on adventures, and of course mainly work, hehe.

Source

How does the furry fandom compare from when you joined it to now? What has changed and what hasn’t?

Oh gosh, so much has changed since 1994.  Probably the biggest and most exciting is that furry is in control of its own destiny and image now. We are no longer subject to popular media portrayals, and it’s not the fad to make fun of furries anymore, so it’s now truly in OUR hands to show what we are about to the world! I think it’s always been a good place to be, but even better now with how expansive the creativity has become.

What are your upcoming projects?

Oh the usual! Working on bringing dance battle events to west coast cons, working on some on-location videos that should be a fun change of pace from my usual studio work. I have a really busy life in general, so keeping up on all the content, plus the Patreon extras is definitely an exercise in time management!

What is your dream project? If you could work with anyone who would it be?

Oh easy: I want to get Doryuu, Diggy, and Red together for a Kinjaz-like dance video shoot, fully choreographed, super solid and pro, featuring us in and out of suit (in our Kinjaz gear). I have the vision for it, and it might someday be possible!

Source

What advice would you give a person just getting into the fandom?

Remember that what you put in is what you will get out. Don’t be afraid of the things you love, and to express yourself in all the ways that make you love life. Furry is fringe, and people think it’s weird–and it is! But the secret is that everyone is weird in their own way, so don’t be ashamed. Most people you meet will treat it how you do, so if you treat it as a fun and exciting thing, so will they!

Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you’d like to add?

Well, because my main focus in what I do is to encourage people to express themselves, and to be unafraid, I don’t usually promote myself. I like to share freely the joy and growth experience that is dance, and fursuit dance specifically. But I do have a Patreon because those of us who do dance covers of music we like are kinda screwed since we cannot monetize our videos and all our views go straight into the record companies’ pockets! So all of my patron donations go back into supporting what I do in some way, from editing software fees to new lighting, and I’ve always hoped someday it would help me travel to more cons to run more dance workshops and events! If that’s something you want to help make happen, consider joining me at https://www.patreon.com/ary!  High tier donations are just $5 and get access to teaching videos that come out at least once a month. Otherwise, I’ll ALWAYS be doing what I do on YouTube for free, and if your financial situation is tight, take care of yourself first!

Editor’s note: Thank you so much Ary for taking the time to do our very first Awoo Interview! If you love what Ary does and want to support his work, please consider donating to his Patreon. Don’t forget to subscribe to his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter as well!

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