#and it's sucking up all my creativity

[countthelions]

Yeehaw!!!!! We got some writing done today lads!!!!

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Don't wanna study, Don't wanna school. I just wanna party, Cos I love being a fool.

SQL? Never heard of it Databases? Who cares! Fuck all this bullshit, I'd rather get eaten by bears.

[elllteo]

Creators I love you but it's time to wake up

Among rumors about our tumblr user data being sold off to Midjourney/Generative AI, recent Extremely transphobic events (that have been ongoing) coming to a head, another extremely concerning internet censorship bill being pushed in upper levels of government, and a general air of frustration over how the site belongs to and is operated by perhaps the second stupidest CEO (second only to twitters own) of our age, I'm very done with the last few vestiges of what the old internet held for artists.

And if you're reading this, you probably are too.

I know we're tired. We are all tired. It is not always viable to pack up shop and move, again and again and again.

From tumblr to twitter to anywhere else we've ever grown up posting, things no longer work. Our audiences are kneecapped by aggressive and hostile algorithms, our reach is abysmal - if we aren't shadow-banned or silenced for one (transphobic) reason or another, we're thrust into an ever growing pit of hostility where the only thing that drives clicks is fighting and contention.

We're tired. We're so fucking tired. We aren't businesses, we aren't content mills, we cannot keep this pace that modern social media has set for us, to wring every ounce of creativity out of us to profit from and leave us rotting.

The key to staying afloat here, and I cannot stress this enough, is to stay connected to your peers.

Pack up and move as units if you must. Exodus from the sites that are killing us. Push your entire friend group of artists to move from one site to the next that promises you a kinder experience.

Art drives movements, it drives change, it is all that encompasses being human. If you take that away from the shitty places, they will be left with nothing but a cesspit of inhumanity and the people who follow you will be more incentivized than ever to move with you.

Yes, this is terrifying. There are no guarantees. There never was, and never are, and never will be.

But stay connected. Stay human.

Support each other and be willing to hold hands and jump when we all - as a group - need to jump from the flames we're all trying to convince ourselves wont kill us before rescue comes.

Rescue isn't coming, rescue will be found hand in hand with each other. I'm offering you my hand, please take it. There's always a new start, there are always helping hands reaching for you. You have to look up from the doom-scroll long enough to see and take them.

[lightbulb-warning]

i used to freehand comics all the time as a child and since the part i liked was the drawing part i would just draw panel after panel because i didn't want to stop drawing to think about icky icky words, plus the story TOTALLY still made perfect sense! to me! and noone else, but 'whoooo caaaaares omgggg its not like comics and sequantial art are a communicative meeediummmm lmaoooooo'. i spent my entire childhood telling myself stuff like "oh pfft I know this story by heart- ill SIMPLY remember the dialogue and write it later" ...and. I can't help but admire baby maiora's (call that a minora ba tm tsk) fucking audacity? hubris? confident wrongness? kid couldn't even remember to finish the comics in the first place? INCREDIBLE levels of unearned self assurance, wish that were me, genuinely- what an icon!!! anyway i think i have forever cursed myself

[silusvesuius]

this tree from my new drawing looking goated afffffff 👑👑

[unma]

My theory is that you've had (or currently have) a big thing for roleplaying, perhaps directly related to your aptitudes as a writer.

I feel like someone just sniped me through a buncha buildings and windows and still hit a head shot. How could you tell? I haven't actively roleplayed in at least a couple of years—not because I don't want to, tbh, I would if I could actually get back into it again—so I'm surprised anyone could tell. I still have a bunch of my proudest rp posts saved (it was mostly crp), and I was into it for at least 3 years or so.

It's definitely related to my aptitude as a writer though. Having to respond so often to some of the most detailed crp posts where you would and often did get technicality'd into oblivion (and would do the same back) definitely made me care a lot about the details, and I'm not gonna lie I do still draw on that still when describing combat sometimes. Getting technicality'd into oblivion doesn't sound too fun, but I assure you it was (once you got used to it anyway), and that community was definitely my closest set of online friends for a good bit.

[iraprince]

also re my last answer: whenever i say "nobody actually cares if there are mistakes, nobody's going through your work with a fine tooth comb," stuff like that -- i knowwwwww that's not 100% accurate 100% of the time. i KNOW there are joyless weirdos out there who get off on like, picking ppl's stuff apart unprovoked, esp if they've already decided they don't like you or whatever, and people who nitpick anatomy and canon accuracy and shit like that 24/7 blah blah blah. i get anxious about it too, if i let myself think about it too hard.

but the point is that when i say "nobody actually cares" or "nobody is being as critical of your stuff as you are," what i mean is like.... "nobody pleasant to be around," lmao. "nobody cool." "nobody coming to your art and engaging with it in good faith."

taking a little private sip of haterade in your group chat once in a while or whatever is so normal (and nobody can do anything abt that, and nobody should spend a lot of time worrying abt it), but in terms of the person you're fearing will like, pull their pants down and take a big unsolicited shit on your art in public bc you drew a wonky arm or something? do u actually want to impress that person? is that who ur actually trying to reach w ur stuff? bc i'm not personally interested in that guy, lmao

[pinetreeshack]

yeah I feel you man :(

to anyone else thinking too hard about their art or lackthere of - the fact they cant create and the stress surrounding the fact you feel like you arent good at anything else BESIDES creating - go do something else

no seriously, take a break. your body and your mind really really needs it. 9/10 youre probably extremely burnt out like me. "but im scared to take a break, what if i forget everything i learned?"

this scares the shit out of me too, but chances are, this fear is whats hindering your ability to give your body what it needs - a refresher. a palette cleanser. go sew. go make music. go sculpt something. garden. read a book, fuck it WRITE a book. cook. help someone cook. give yourself a goal without worrying too much about how to achieve it. have fun doing it. make people smile - youll make yourself smile along the way and youll forget all about the fear.

creativity isnt limited to just talent. you can do whatever you want. you can learn whatever you want. that fear of forgetting your passion will go away if you occupy that space with something else just as enthusiastic.

you might not have the energy like i do anymore. you hate the cycle, and so do i. everyone goes through it - but the great thing about the cycle is the fact youll always loop around. and in your lowest, most gutwrenching times when u cant even pick up a needle or look for inspo without comparing yourself or saying why cant i do it like they can - you can. and you will. you just have to give yourself a chance. and that chance starts with a long nap, your favorite video essays or lets plays, and letting your mind and body rest for a little bit.

[crypt1dcorv1dae]

I've literally never understood parents who don't let their like... TODDLER age kids play with kids of the "opposite" gender. Like wtf do you think your 3 year old is gonna get up to????? News flash heteros people aren't literally born sexual beings and you don't need to protect your sweet baby girl from the boy from her preschool class.

Which also makes boy/girl friendships later on actually LESS TABOO meaning, if your kid grew up being friends with OTHER GENDERS, they will be less likely to see others solely as potential romantic/sexual objects and can actually have positive normal friendships with people of any sex or gender. Who fucking knew that if you don't treat something as FORBIDDEN then it stops being so appealing, especially if you have a rebellious streak

[jane-friend]

I recognize that what I’m going to complain about is just how Tumblr users are right now and I’ll be called Transphobic or whatever, but I really wish current engagement with media on this site went a little farther than “this character is trans!”

There’s ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with comments and remarks about thinking or suggesting a character is trans! But I’ve noticed fandom on this site hardly ever explores theories or theming or character anymore, and instead 90% of all discussion is just completely shallow repetitive suggestions of transness.

[discoscoob]

I’m almost 3k words into my Break the Chain prequel and it’s not even halfway through, it’s going to be a long one and progress is slow but I guess there’s no rush.

[mokeonn]

I think the frustrating thing about Spotify recommendations is sometimes it really does introduce me to lots of cool Indie Bands that I really vibe with and allow me to try some new stuff and sometimes it keeps telling me that I need to Listen to Mother Mother (I have not listened to Mother Mother ever and at this point I never will because it is a pride thing.)

Or a random unfunny tiktok joke song from 3 years ago/ a viral YouTube song from over a decade ago.

[capn-twitchery]

haven't been in the right frame of mind this week to give proper feedback but know that i lurk and i love all of your ocs & everything everyone makes with them ♥︎

[constarlations]

Ok I’ll repost my art from Twitter to here more actually

[prankprincess123]

I just realized - at 8pm - that I have neither eaten nor drank anything today. Nor have I done any homework or studied for my midterms. I have however sewn an entire ballgown out of thrifted curtains without a pattern for my friends Halloween costume.

[cuteniaarts]

Behold, my latest and most enamouring new obsession:

Malina, Lady of the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe. As if Red Lotus child OCs weren’t niche enough