#chivaocc

[chivalin]

February Week 8 - April Week 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Recs (SWTOR)

It has been ages since the last one but since today is “May the Fourth be with you” and swtor fan appreciation day, I decided to pour all my efforts into making this.

I have to apologize though as the comments on these are not as lengthy as in the previous ones but I really wanted to publish this today and also finally get caught up with the recs posts :P. But know that even if your name or work isn’t in here, I still absolutely adore everything I have appreciated in the past!

But anyway, for those new to this, here’s the intro from the very first recs post that explains everything perfectly:

I promised in my New Year’s resolution to spread more positiveness around towards other content creators out there. So -  - here are some of my favorite creators, fics, art and other things - - that I want to appreciate once more. You can find more cool stuff in my Art Appreciation Blog dedicated solely for appreciating others’ contents.

Basically I just want to spread some positiveness around because as a content creator myself, I know how much joy and encouragement even one show of appreciation can bring into people’s lives :)

*

ART

@starryevening - Sith Apprentice

The style is very pleasing to the eye in this and the colors are absolutely fantastic! Everything is so vibrant which makes this such an eye catcher, and I especially love the hair and face so much!

@mirielsart - Revan & Malak

Not exactly full on swtor art, but hey, it’s close enough and I just couldn’t pass by this without including it! The style makes me weep and everything else about this is superb too from the coloring to the poses that end up creating such a strong, emotive piece!

@aspyforthethrone - Sass // Gev // Hunter & Theron & Ewanh

All the characters have been captured perfectly and the style (and the clothes, can’t forget them because, daaamn!) in these is absolutely golden too! I highly enjoy the easily recognizable expressions, and the mood of these pieces is just stunning, especially in the Gev piece!

@tracinyad - Nino

The style is very pleasing and I just love how the face looks! The coloring is superb, I love the blue so much, and I especially love how the hair has been done!

@erinmccomics - OC Fight Week Duel Comic

This comic is absolutely hilarious and I just love how the action moves fluidly from one panel to another! The expressions are also so freaking awesome, making this such a fantastic piece!

@sirenofvathraki - Header Edits

Daaamn, these edits are ridiculously good and it’s such a joy to look at them! Seriously, I absolutely love how these look as the color scheme, composition and practically everything is just so spot on!

@aredheelmahariel - Togruta

This is an absolutely stunning piece that I can’t just seem to drag my eyes away from! The coloring is mesmerizing and I’m so in awe because of it, and damn that gaze is so hypnotizing too!

@skullinacowboyhat - Miraluka Druid // Togruta Monk

I absolutely adore these designs so much as the coloring is superb in both of them and- damn, I just love these so much, alright?? They feel very real and immediately catch my interest whenever I see them!

@dottiechan - Togruta Codzhekel // Togruta Codzhekel Digital

This rec post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include these fabulous pieces because my sweet Togruta is in them! I can’t sing praises enough of how much I love both of these and they do Codzhekel more than enough justice, leaving me happily weeping away because of pure awesomeness! (Ty so much once again for doing these <33)

@popiell - Pureblood Natjana // Sith Pureblood/Mirialan Hybrid

Same as above as the first one has my dear Nat in it and she looks absolutely stunning! I love the style in both of these so, so much and can’t help but to just marvel the pure talent and skill that has made it possible to create these pieces! (Also, ty so much once again for doing Nat <33)

@windwyrm - Firebrand Kaliyo

This is such an interesting and very well done piece that I’m definitely in awe! I absolutely love the colors and how perfectly all the different elements work together to create such an interesting and breathtaking piece!

@dingoat - Scourge & Jedi Knight // Torian & Jedi Knight Fight Scene // Torian & Jedi Knight Hug

Such amazing pieces of work that never fail to tell a story on their own! I absolutely love the mood, composition and coloring (aaaand, practically everything, haha) in all of these and I can honestly say that these pieces are just flawless and pure perfection!

@spindlewit - Jedi Consular

The design of this Consular is so pleasing that I can’t help but smile widely whenever I lay my eyes on it! The outfit is superbly done and I really like all the three poses, and I also have to mention how much I just adore the coloring!

@sssamson - Theron & Imperial Agent // Vector Outfit Meme // Torian Outfit Meme

I absolutely adore all of these and their styles so much! They’re so pleasing and interesting to look at and I just love the connection in the first pic while the outfits in the last two are superbly done, not to mention I just adore the top hat wearing killik with Vector!

@viridanlegacy - Metal Fashion Imperial Toons

This is the greatest thing my Finnish eyes have ever laid their gaze on, haha! I absolutely love the design of these characters and the poses are so well executed too, making this piece pure perfection!

@redosjenny - “New Top Nerd”

I adore the expressions and the good, casual mood in this so much! The colors are pleasantly vibrant and it definitely tells a story on its own which is always such a good thing!

@semper-draca - Tarot Card Gimrizh (nsfw for nudity and blood)

This is a very powerful piece of art that is just an absolutely delight to observe! I love all the details and symbolism, and this definitely such a flawless and very well-thought-out piece!

@painedting - Ziost & Sith Inquisitor

The mood in this is ridiculously powerful and I absolutely love how this has been colored too! The face is very well done and damn, the look in those eyes nearly sends shivers down my spine because it’s so intense!

@claudela - Pureblood Outfit Meme (nsfw-ish for mostly bare upper body)

This is- I don’t even have words to describe how awesome this is! Seriously, the outfit is so on point and DAMN THAT CHARACTER is amazingly done and I definitely love how vibrant the colors are!

FIC

@aly-the-writer - Rest (Arcann/Male Jedi Consular)

The style is really fluid and sucks you right in the moment you start reading! I quite adore the chemistry between these characters and how smooth their interactions are, creating such a delightful piece!

@lesabear - Malicineve & Temperamental Astromech // Vharmir & Down Time w/ Theron

Oh man, I can’t praise enough how well the first-person narratives are executed absolutely flawlessly in these fics! They also have such a pleasant, easy to follow paces and the characterizations and humor are very well done too!

@keldae - Phobia (Theron Shan/Female Jedi Knight)

The style in this is so catching and pleasant to read that it makes you devour the fic before you even realize what has happened! The pace flows smoothly from one paragraph to another and I just love the interactions between all the characters!

@talonfics - The Depths of Surrender (Kaliyo Djannis/Female Imperial Agent)

I really, really enjoy this as it’s well-written and the chemistry between the characters is superb! I just love the style and all the cool bits that can be found in here, like the one where they’re kissing in the end!

@fer8girl - Eyes on You (OC/OC) // I Never Mean to Hurt You // Charmed (Torian Cadera/Female Bounty Hunter)

All of these are such enjoyable and delightful reads, I can’t praise them enough! The style is absolutely fluid and I definitely got sucked in because the telling and characters are so interestingly told!

@nerf-burger - A Massage (Felix Iresso/Female Jedi Consular)

Such a sweetly awesome and well-written piece that I can’t help but be in awe! The interactions between the characters are really natural and I just utterly love how Felix is portrayed and how supportive he is!

@cinlat - Forced R&R (Theron/Vector/Female Imperial Agent)

Oh my god, I absolutely love this! The chemistry is so on point between everyone and I have to admit that I definitely fell in love with this pairing while reading this!

@tishinada - Patience (Andronikos Revel/Female Sith Inquisitor)

This has such and excellent style and telling that it’s an absolute joy to read! Andronikos’ portrayal is superb, and I just love the interactions and observations between these two!

@cavalier-life - Caught in a Storm (Theron Shan/Arcann/Female Sith Warrior)

Such an interesting and lovely poly ship that I definitely grew invested in while reading this! The pacing is really nice and smoothly flowing, making this so easy and delightful to read!

@kunoichi-ume - Starships in the Night (Vector Hyllus/Female Bounty Hunter)// 30 Days of Domestic Fluff (Torian Cadera/Female Jedi Knight)

I absolutely love both of these! They’re such superbly written pieces that also have amazing chemistry between all the characters! The style is really great and I have to admit that these being not so common pairings makes me love them even more!

@sassheliosazuras - Snuggling Cat // Jackass Inibri-cat

I just can’t leave these out from here because animals are such a soft spot of mine, especially if they want to snuggle or are the embodiment of Inibri, haha! Seriously though, I enjoy both of these immensely and they make me so happy whenever I even think about them!

@lordviridis - Welcome to Dromund Kaas

Oh maaaaaan, I witnessed this fic being made and know what’s going to happen in it and it’s *so* good that I can’t praise this enough! Such intricate telling and pleasant style, not to mention that I just adore Aleena because she’s such a good character!  

[chivalin]

February 18, Weeks 5, 6 & 7: Appreciating Other Content Creators Recs

It has been about two and a half weeks from the last one, so it’s about time I posted this, haha. For those new to this, here’s the intro of the last month’s same thing that explains everything perfectly:

I promised in my New Year’s resolution to spread more positiveness around towards other content creators out there. So -  - here are some of my favorite creators, fics, art and other things - - that I want to appreciate once more. You can find more cool stuff in my Art Appreciation Blog dedicated solely for appreciating others’ contents. 

Basically I just want to spread some positiveness around because as a content creator myself, I know how much joy and encouragement even one show of appreciation can bring into people’s lives :)

FICS

@numinousbones - This is not what she wants to become, but if it is this or death, Meyrikh knows what she will choose. Always.

Now that I’m reading this again, I STILL LOVE THIS SO, SO MUCH! Like holy damn, the style drew me right in and made me practically devour the words while completely dropping my focus on everything else. The story flows really well and I just can’t help but marvel how they have managed to pack so much story and emotion into such a short fic. The character interactions between their Inquisitor and Khem are the icing on the cake and seal the whole piece, making it an absolutely flawless reading experience.  

 #

@cinlat - Interrupted Hunt 

Fighting scenes are not the easiest thing to write about since they need to hit just the spot to feel smooth and enjoyable. It’s safe to say that this fic has achieved that and even more, as it nailed the fighting amazingly well, making it flow very nicely forward. That and the catching style made me eagerly read all the way to the end, even leaving me to crave more. I also have to quickly mention that I absolutely adore both of the OCs presented here, so it made the reading experience even more perfect.

 #

@inyri - “Can I hold your hand?” prompt  

Ah, I do love how amazingly other people fill out any prompts they’re given by me or someone else, this one being no exception. I could instantly feel the connection between Nine and Theron, and absolutely loved their interactions as they felt very smooth and believable. The first hand-holding scene before the interruption is absolutely pure perfection and the ending is superb, and it left me with a wide smile on my face.

 #

Short Appreciations for 

@greyias for giving me years’ worth of laughter about their Jedi Knight, Grey, and Theron because the piece about them is absolutely hilarious; @storyknitter for writing such amazingly heartbreaking angst and hurt/comfort about their Jedi Knight, Vassanna, and Theron that I’m still weeping; @cipherninethousand for providing me all the pure fluff about their Sith Inquisitor, H’ashura, and Andronikos that makes me smile so, so widely;

@imperialgradients for providing such good writing about the young Grand Inquisitor with their awesome style; @chocolatefortheneurotic for absolutely destroying me with their ficlet, proving to me once again why they’re the best Vowrawn and Marr expert out there in my eyes

ART

@koenigin-mercedes -  Zeltron & NSFW Twi’lek

First one offers an absolutely vibrant colored Zeltron that is such an eye-catcher it’s hard to look away. I love the matching background and of course how well-made the whole piece looks.

About the second one, even though I might be a bit biased when it comes to Twi’leks, it’s still an amazingly done piece. All the details, all the muscles and the expression- hot damn, this is the first time I have thought about wanting something on a body pillow (xP) because damn. Just amazing work.

THEY ARE LITERALLY THE GOD/GODDESS OF ART OH MY GOD. You don’t get it, when I saw their art the first time, I died and was reborn as a new person, filled with joy and wonder with no negativity inside. Their vibrant colors, clean lines and absolutely professional quality art made me gape and sob endlessly because it’s just that perfect.

 #

@zephhhhh - Imperial Agent + Hunter & gorgeous OC

First one has such a nice, humorous tone to it that it makes me laugh out loud. I love the red outlines and the expressions (seriously, absolutely amazing), and the way how natural and fitting the style feels.

Second one- damn. Just damn. It’s absolutely gorgeous, from the character and its details to the background. It’s very emotive and the longer I stare at it, the harder I clutch my chest because holy damn this is some quality content.

This person’s style is absolutely amazing. I love how distinctive it is and that it always makes me stop and look at their art a little bit longer, because I just want to take in every little detail and brush stroke. The darker tones are very pleasing to the eye and if I didn’t have more comments to give, I would just gush about their works endlessly.

#

@trashmuh - NSFW Valentine’s Day & OC Fight Week starter

Hot damn to the first one because of reasons, haha. The composition is done really well, and I love the contrast between the lighter and darker colors. The expression is golden as well as the eye-catcher, the red lingerie. Absolutely amazing piece that definitely makes me interested in seeing more of their art.

Second one was for the OC Fight Week, and let me just first say that *everything* they have done for the OC Fight Week (here’s a link to all of them) have been absolutely amazing! They also earn a slow clap for productivity as there’s so many of them. But seriously, there’s so much movement and emotion packed into each picture that they’re just such a joy to see!

Another nice and distinctive style right here! I love how amazing their art looks with the thin, sometimes barely visible lines. The use of color is always highly pleasing to the eye and I absolutely love how smooth their art always looks.

#

@wereleel - Jack doppelgangers & Claptrap

In the first one, they have done an amazing job making humans looks absolutely stunning in their geometric style. It fits the characters really well and gives the whole piece are very distinctive look. I love everyone’s expressions and the poses that are so sharp and clean.

The second picture deserves a deep ‘umm’, because how on earth have they managed to capture Claptrap’s annoyance so well and still make me want to stare at the picture for an eternity?? Seriously, this is some quality content right here, and they have definitely done an excellent job making Claptrap absolutely pleasing to look at while retaining the spirit of the character really well.

First of all, let me just say how much I love this person’s style. Because seriously, their geometric style is so distinctive and pleasing to the eye I can’t help but marvel how amazingly they do it. They have some serious talent and whenever I see their art, my jaw just drops because damn. It’s amazing.

#

@popiell - Laser tag & Viper

I love the colors and composition in the first one, not to mention the style is absolutely gorgeous. It’s very emotive and tells a whole story on its own.

The second one… pure perfection. The expression and style on the Mirialan is amazing but I’m even more impressed by the viper. It looks absolutely amazing and its open mouth with bared fangs- damn, it looks so, so gorgeous.

What can I say, I’m a big sucker for distinctive and gorgeous art, haha. I pretty much commented on more than a few of their art pieces after the first one, just so I could see more of their style because it’s absolutely top notch. It’s so vivid and pleasing to the eye, not to mention the occasional humorous tags they leave in their work never fail to make the experience even better.

#

Short Appreciations for

@spacelingart for their Hybrid Togruta/Sith Pureblood because it’s one of the best hybrids I have ever seen; @styliferous​ for their shirtless Andronikos that absolutely blew me away with the gorgeous style and good-looking background; 

@geirart​ for making my jaw drop the first time I saw this piece because it’s absolutely stunning from the character to the snake, and I just love how well everything fits together; @joan--of--art for making such an amazing looking OC piece with traditional art;

@dingoat for their fierce Ahuska piece that is packed so full of raw emotion I’m practically weeping over here; @moonlitalien for their purple gorgeousness that is absolutely hypnotizing, making it very difficult to look away; @princess-of-brillini for all of their AU art pieces, especially this Star Wars one, that are so amazing and very well done that I can’t help but gush endlessly about them

MY CONTENT*

*Because I’m proud of my works too but I don’t want to make a separate post for them, so putting them here will have to do lol.

Fics

I Love You (SFW, Inibri x Harkun, 620 words)

Reading this again made me completely die because it’s so sweet and fluffy despite Inibri being Inibri, haha. But for real, I just love producing content for these two. Because even though they come from vastly different backgrounds, they are still attracted to each other and want to be together, despite it not being the most logical thing for either of them to do.

Control & Fangs (NSFW, Inibri x Harkun, 634 words)

Continuing from the above, I love this relationship so much because of their dynamics. Even though it might seem from the “a former slave turned Sith Lord is smooching an Overseer” premise that Harkun’s in charge, that’s so not the case. I just love to portray this in smutty and non-smutty pieces alike, and it lends itself off to AUs as well. I had a blast writing the vampire!AU and definitely want to do more with it in the future.

Original Work

Finishing the first draft of my original novel

I’m damn proud of myself for being able to do this! It was a long and bloody battle, but I finally got it all done and can’t wait to start editing it (you know, starting the actual hard part lol) in a couple of weeks.

Art

Portraits of my SWTOR mains

I decided to gently dip my toes in drawing once again because of my fic writing break since I craved to create at least some content on this blog. It has been surprisingly fun, even though I’m still fumbling with practically everything, haha. But still, I’m very pleased with how the portraits turned out to be and how nice they look.

[chivalin]

March 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Statistics

…I still refuse to believe that it’s April already. But since the calendar doesn’t lie, it’s time for AOCC statistics again! Don’t know what this is about? In short, I made a New Year’s resolution to show more appreciation towards other content creators out there and this is my way of keeping that promise. 

To echo my words from last months’ posts, every show of appreciation has always included a comment (even if it has been a short one), a like and a reblog at least to my Art Appreciation Blog. Because nothing’s better than seeing how happy people get from my little comments :3.

AOCC stats: January - February - March

#

MARCH 18: Others’ Content

Overall Appreciation (in comment & other things): 209 // ~12% inc. from Feb / ~31% inc. from Jan

Week 9: 3 (~1%)

Week 10: 14 (~7%)

Week 11: 54 (~26%)

Week 12: 13 (~6%)

Week 13: 125 (~60%)

Art Appreciation: 138 (~66%) // ~5% inc. from Feb / ~13% inc. from Jan

Fic Appreciation: 23 (~11%) // ~-4% dec. from Feb / 15% inc. from Jan

Other Appreciation*: 20 (~10%) // ~150% inc. from Feb / ~233% inc. from Jan

Asks/OC Questions: 28 (~13%) // ~17% inc. from Feb / ~133% inc. from Jan

*Includes overall appreciation of someone’s whole content, and other ways of positively interacting with people that don’t fit into any other category.

#

MARCH 18: My Content

Fics Written: 5

Fics Word Count: 5794

Weekly Count (fics - words):

Week 9: 0

Week 10: 2 (40%) - 1131 (~20%)

Week 11: 0

Week 12: 3 (60%) - 4663 (~80%)

Week 13: 0

Art Done: 3

Week 10: 3

#

Well fuck. I would have liked to always increase these numbers even by a little but it seems I fucked up lol. I usually keep the last month’s stats close by, so I can make sure there’s some progress happening. But when I was putting this together, I realized I had put January’s stats under February xP. Oh well.

Other than that little mishap, I’ve done rather well otherwise. I’m definitely still struggling with trying to even out my comments, so there would be no close to zero days. But tbh, I’m by nature someone who has a hard time forming habits as my go to method is just doing big chunks here and there with plenty of downtime in between. However, since I’ve managed to make writing a habit (it took several years though lol), I’m sure I’ll be able to make this one too. It might just take a while.

There’s not much else to say, other than that I figured out a good way to increase the asks/oc questions count that fits with my “big chunks” approach. Instead of waiting around for people to reblog ask memes/similar things by themselves, it’s far easier to just send them extempore questions about their ocs whenever I have time to do so. People also seemed quite happy when receiving these asks, so I’ll probably continue doing this in the future too.

Lastly, here’s a few key points that I have found to be exceedingly helpful when it comes to this AOCC business:

Keep Setting Time Aside for commenting to form it as a habit.

Draft Posts For Later Commenting because it’s highly useful when I don’t have enough time (or energy) to comment on everything at the moment but want to do so later on.

Have Last Month’s Stats In View since they tend to give that extra push and help improve even by a little.

Extempore OC Questions are great for every occasion. Just make a list of people who have OCs and search up “oc ask memes” and then just start typing away!

I’ll see yall in May with April’s statistics!

[chivalin]

February 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Statistics

Damn, February was a short one lol. But now that it’s over, it’s time for AOCC statistics again, so I can see what I should do even better next time :). Don’t know what this is about? In short, I made a New Year’s resolution to show more appreciation towards other content creators out there and this is my way of keeping that promise.

To echo my words from last month’s post, every show of appreciation has always included a comment (even if it has been a short one), a like and a reblog at least to my Art Appreciation Blog. Because nothing’s better than seeing how happy people get from my little comments :3.

FEBRUARY 18: Others’ Content

Overall Appreciation (in comment & other things): 187 // ~17% increase from Jan

Week 5: 34 (~18%)  Week 6: 17 (~9%) Week 7: 88 (~47%) Week 8: 5 (~3%) Week 9: 43 (~23%)

Art Appreciation: 131 (~70%) // ~7% increase from Jan Fic Appreciation: 24 (~13%) // 20% increase from Jan Other Appreciation*: 8 (~4%) // ~33% increase from Jan Asks/OC Questions: 24 (~13%) // 100% increase from Jan

*Includes overall appreciation of someone’s whole content, and other ways of positively interacting with people that don’t fit into any other category.

FEBRUARY 18: My Content

Fics Written: 13 Fics Word Count: 7098

Weekly Count (fics - words):

Week 5: 8 (~62%) - 4574 (~64%) Week 6: 2 (~15%) -1143 (~16%) Week 7: 2 (~15%) - 1063 (~15%) Week 8: 0 (0%) - 0 (0%) Week 9: 1 (~8%) - 318 (~4%)

Art Done: 3

Week 7: 2 Week 8: 1

So, yeah. I improved “by a hair” compared to last month but tbh I’m really glad I managed to do even that. February was a tough one personally and I even went on a break at the start of the month because of it. So, it’s important to keep this in mind when looking at these things.

First of all, I told myself to set time aside in my last post, and it worked semi-well but when you just don’t feel like commenting (or doing anything else for that matter…), it doesn’t matter how much time you set aside :P. But when the mood is right, this is definitely the way to go (Weeks 5, 7 & 9).

One thing I also noticed to be useful was to draft posts that I wanted to comment on but didn’t have the time or the mood to do so in that moment. When I later on had both of those things, it was easy to just go to my drafts and comment on the things that I found in there.

I also told myself to do weekly appreciation posts instead of monthly. The weekly thing turned quickly to (about) bi-weekly, depending on how much things I had managed to comment on. From that I learned that a weekly pace is too fast for me, so the (about) bi-weekly appreciation posts are probably going to be the ones that I’m going to continue with.

I also told myself to comment, sent asks and overall appreciate people more and I did that, like I said in the start, by a hair. I don’t really see the need to change my course that much right now, only hone it for the better. 

So, to keep this thing consistent with the last month’s post, what should I do to increase these numbers even more in March?

1. Keep Setting Time Aside for showing appreciation since this works and to make it even better, I should probably set some time aside about each day, so there wouldn’t be so many zero days in a row. 2. Draft Posts For Later Commenting because it’s highly useful when I don’t have enough time (or energy) to comment on everything at the moment but want to do so later on. 3. Aim To Increase Everything Even A Little Bit More because it should be doable, even by a few more art pieces, fics, asks and other ways of showing appreciation.

That’s pretty much it. Because this month was rather tough personally, I’m accepting even the only slightly increased numbers gladly. But even if they had been lower, I wouldn’t have minded that much since the most important thing is that I’m actually doing something. Because even small shows of appreciation are better than none at all :).

[chivalin]

January 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Recs

I promised in my New Year’s resolution to spread more positiveness around towards other content creators out there. So, since the month has just changed, here are some of my favorite creators, fics, art and other things from January that I want to appreciate once more. You can find more cool stuff in my Art Appreciation Blog dedicated solely for appreciating others’ contents.

In the future, I’m aiming to do this weekly instead of at the end of the month. You can find the reason in my January 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Statistics post where I go over how much I have overall spread positiveness around, and what should I do in February to increase the numbers even more.

Blogs

@sithsdoinshit partly inspired me to do my own reactions/headcanons for SWTOR characters, as their similar content on Sith and Imperials in other Star Wars media is just absolutely amazing. I aspire to reach their level of skill of showing characters in different situations some day.

Their depictions of all the various characters are enjoyable, and I love the humor they put in their work. I can’t also help but commend them for being able to produce quality content all the time, and they’re one of the first blogs that I followed in here. Anyone who’s interested in villains and good humor is bound to find enjoyment in their content.

#

@imperialgradients  I love their content, their villain enthusiasm and I absolutely adore their art. This is a quality blog all around, and if I dare say, a must follow for any villain lover. They were one of the very first blogs that I followed in here alongside with sithsdoinshit, and like them, this blog has never failed to disappoint me.

I also have to mention a little more in depth how good their creations are. I love their horse!AU posts, even though I have never cared that much about horses. But they draw them so well, and show so much enthusiasm, so their excitement about it must have rubbed onto me. The same has happened with other things too, and I always enjoy reading their thoughts on everything.

#

@sirenofvathraki  offers one of the best SWTOR screenshot edits I have ever seen. They’re absolutely amazing, and I love the style and composition of each piece. They invoke a lot of emotion and are visually very pleasing to the eye. I also absolutely adore their OCs and always gape at how gorgeous they manage to make them look, especially the Sith Purebloods.  

They produce quality content that never fails to make me smile. They also have made me realize that skillfully done edits are an art form of their own too. Because of this, I will make an extra effort to include them in my art appreciation blog, this being the good first step.

#

Short appreciations for @ao3commentoftheday for bringing quality discussion and important topics to my dash; @velvetsunset for their similar interests and interesting contents, not to mention level-headed reblogs about different subjects; @imkerf-uffle-d for filling up my dash with nice SWTOR and Critical Role content, and practically with all the OC ask/meme posts with @kengoa

Art

@dingoat & Kane Ulfran Maulkinsson

What I said in my original comment still applies. The different emotions are captured so well in each picture, and the backgrounds also support the change that happens in Kane. The shadows play a part in it as well, and the more I look at the these, the more it makes me smile. I absolutely love that the pictures form a clear story without even having to look at the text below. 

Dingoat also has other gorgeous works that are also done with the same care as above. I love the way they use colors, and how emotive their art is. Their Bothan OC, Ahuska, is a delight and I love the way they draw her.

#

@princess-of-brillini & NSFW Caleb and Victor

Vampire and human relationship are always close to my heart. But when it’s also wrapped up in something smutty, I’m so sold. The picture is intense, hot and eye catching, instantly making me want to learn and see more about these two. 

Princess-of-brillini also does other amazing works, mostly in the Dragon Age fandom. Their art style is very pleasing to the eye, and their comics always brighten up my day. Not to mention, their DA OC, Tomas, is an absolute sweetheart and I love his relationship with Dorian.

#

@moonlitalien & May the upcoming year be kinder to you

This piece is so packed up with emotion it nearly makes me cry. It tells a story on its own which is always such a pleasant thing to see, and I absolutely love the way it has been colored. Everything in this, from the colors to the shadows, increases the somber but carefully hopeful mood that I get from it. I also love the way the face is drawn and how real it feels.

Moonlitalien also has other beautiful works that resonate with the same feeling and realness. The way they do portraits is amazing and I’m still gushing over the Inibri one (upper right corner) they did because they absolutely nailed him (ty to @sassheliosazuras too for this). They have a real talent in making characters, of their own or others, feel real and their coloring is also top notch, and very pleasing to the eye.  

#

@spindlewit & Copero Comic (contains Traitor Among the Chiss spoilers!)

Echoing my comment from before, no matter the comic this person does, I absolutely love them all to pieces. The art style is really good and distinctive, and I enjoy a lot how all the characters look. 

Spindlewit also has other comics and art too. I want to gush about the comics a little more, as they’re so expressive and I can’t help but grin whenever I read them. Everything just resonates deep within me and every panel is such a joy to see. I always find myself taking time with their comics, since the style is so pleasing, and I can’t help but marvel everything about them.

#

Short appreciations for everyone who made pieces for the OC Kiss Week (you rock and I love your OCs!) but especially @krasnyzmeya whose style is just flawless; @sayurinitta and their clean, gorgeous art that make me think you have used witchcraft or sold your soul to the devil for your skills; @melanievimpula for producing all the smutty goodness for a fandom that I don’t even follow, but still love your drawings to pieces koska ne on vaan niin vitun hyviä, joten kiitokset siitä lol

Fics

@lordviridis & Downfall of Compassion

Does this feel a little cheaty because they are my friend? Maybe a little lol, but this is such a good fic that I can’t help but include it in here. 

I love Aleena and anything that has to do with her. She’s an amazing character, and I’m always gushing about her, this fic being no exception. Her discussion with the captured sith is intense, and I was still at the edge of my seat when reading this again. The writing style is captivating, and they really nail writing dialogue and discussion between characters.  

#

@riajade01 & Just Friends (No, Really)

This has so much emotive and good writing packed into it that you’re left craving for more in the end. The characters feel real and behave naturally, and they have well written chemistry between them. I love the way they describe things, and how well their text flows from one sentence to another, creating a solid flow all the way to the end.

#

@chocolatefortheneurotic & For The Present

Special mention for this because I absolutely lost it (as you can see from my original comment lol) when this came out. Their Vowrawn and Marr are perfectly written, and they’re definitely the number one Vowrawn and Marr expert out there in my mind. Their attention to detail is awe-inducing, and I can’t help but weep how good their writing style (and smut) is.  

#

Short appreciations for @sassheliosazuras for their magnificent Sass pieces (especially the ones which included Inibri, ;) haha); @fer8girl who made me appreciate Corso a lot more with their writings of him.

My Content*

*Because I’m proud of my works too but I don’t want to make a separate post for them, so putting them here will have to do lol.

SFW Fics

First Meeting (Inibri x @sassheliosazuras​ Sass, 532 words)

I wrote a lot of fics with other people’s OCs this month and all of them were highly enjoyable to do. However, Inibri and Sass are completely in their own category, and I just absolutely love producing content for these two. 

It was exciting to show Inibri’s darker, more calculating side. I also did really well seaming the different timelines together (what happens now, what happened before), making the whole piece flow quite nicely. This is a pairing that never fails to make me smile, so you can expect a whole lot more about these two.

Intertwined (Inibri x Harkun, 454 words)

What can I say? Inibri is my everything, haha. I love exploring the dynamics in his and Harkun’s relationship, and what kind of effect they have on each other. When I get to writing the longer fic about these two, this is what I’m going to aim for.

For once, I nailed the title perfectly and I’m really proud of that. I also really love the structure in this and the change that happens. This is just… Aah! It’s so hard to describe with words how much this fic resonates in me, and how much I just love these two.

NSFW Fics

His Secretary Part 2 (NSFW, Reader x Vowrawn, 2143 words)

I really nailed Vowrawn in this, and I absolutely love the tone too. It’s light-hearted and really enjoyable to read just for the way the Reader acts. I wasn’t sure about the blowjob scene but once I read the fic again for this, I have to say that I enjoy it a lot. This is definitely one of those fics that I would like to add more to in the future, so keep your eyes peeled, haha.

Transcendence (NSFW, F!Reader x Marr, 973 words)

I must admit that I didn’t like this as much in the start as I do now. I wrote it somewhat differently compared to my other smutty fics, but it sounds surprisingly good after I gave it a little time. It’s packed with heat and tension, and the soul bonding definitely helped with that. Writing about Marr is always a joy too, so if I get inspired, I might do pieces similar to this in the future.

[chivalin]

January 18: Appreciating Other Content Creators Statistics

Wha- How- Is January already over? How did this happen? 

I made a New Year’s resolution to show more appreciation towards other artists and writers out there. I’m not going to lie, it sounded so easy at the start of January. But when I look at the data I gathered from all my activities, I begin to understand how much I suck at it lol. 

I’m going to talk about this more after the statistics, so you can understand better what I’m talking about. As a note, every show of appreciation has always included a comment (even if it has been a short one), a like and a reblog to my Art Appreciation Blog, and occasionally to this blog too.

Because even if I could have shown my appreciation through simply likes and reblogs alone, or even only likes, I know as a content creator myself how much comments can mean to people. Not to mention, it just feels so good to spread positiveness around, and hopefully brighten up someone’s day while doing so :).

JANUARY 18: Others’ Content

Overall Appreciation (in comments & other things): 160

Week 1: 47 (29%) Week 2: 87 (54%) Week 3: 11 (7%) Week 4: 4 (3%) Week 5: 11 (7%) 

Art Appreciation: 122 (76%) Fic Appreciation: 20 (13%) Other Appreciation*: 6 (4%) Asks/OC Questions**: 12 (8%)

*Includes overall appreciation of someone’s whole content, and other ways of positively interacting with people that don’t fit into any other category.

**Includes the asks that I have received a response for, so the number is higher in reality.

JANUARY 18: My Content

Fics Written: 14

Fics Word Count: 15474

Weekly Count*** (fics - words):

Week 1: 2 (14%) - 1899 (12%) Week 2: 7 (50%) - 6499 (42%) Week 3: 4 (28%) - 6259 (41%) Week 4:  0 (0%) - 0 (0%) Week 5: 1 (7%) - 817 (5%)

***These are fic release dates. In the future, I’m going to put up the days when I actually make these, so you’ll get a more accurate view of this. I rarely hold out on a fic for long, but there have been a few times in January (Week 2 & 3) when I have done that, so the count may be a little off.  

So, those are some nice statistics but what do they really mean?

Well, what I can immediately tell from these is that when I don’t have time to write, I won’t have time to comment (Week 4). Also, when I have limited time, I’m going to write instead of appreciating others’ contents (Week 3).

This is something that I was already aware of but it’s good to see it reflect in these statistics too to make it more real. The sad truth is that I’m always going to prioritize making my own content above appreciating others’, so this is something that’s unlikely to change. Because writing is really important to me, and when I have time to do something I practically need to write to stay happy.

But, despite that, I know that I could have shown my appreciation more often. It’s just really hard for some reason. That’s why I feel like I have to set aside actual time to do it, instead of just doing it here and there a little. Because otherwise the result is going to be this.

Not to mention, I should have addressed this problem way sooner than at the end of the month. So, I’m probably also going to do the compilation of my favorite other people’s contents at the end of each week instead at the end of the month. I then have time to assess how much I have done, and whether I should show my appreciation more going forward.

The other thing that I should improve is to try and read more fics. Even though reading 20 of them is much better than the few in the past, it’s still too low in my opinion. But this also boils down to the fact that reading actually takes time and dedication, because with art the seeing and appreciating doesn’t even take a minute. 

I would also like to point out that the overwhelming appreciation in Week 2 is mostly due to the OC Kiss Week. Because instead of having to find content to comment on, I could just easily scroll down the ockiss18 tag without having to find it in multiple places that takes more time.  

I could have also sent out more OC and other related asks to people. I can’t think of any excuses for that, especially when I remember scrolling over others’ posts that asked for them (shame on me). So, this is also something I should improve on. The same goes for the “Other Appreciation” part. I could have sent out more messages to people how much I like all of their content but I didn’t. 

So, to sum it up for me and those interested, and to answer the question ‘What should I do in February to increase these numbers and not fall into the same pits of failure?’

1. Set Time Aside once in a while where my sole focus is going through others’ contents and leaving nice comments for people.  2. Weekly Appreciation Compilation instead of monthly so I can correct appreciation drops sooner, and hopefully make sure that more people receive comments from me. 3. Read More Fanfiction and at least more than 20 in a month, like 28? One fic for each day, because that should be hopefully easily achieved. 4. Sending More OC/Other Asks to people and not scroll over most of them on my dash (shame on me). This should be easy to fix. 5. Showing More Other Appreciation which includes showing blog appreciation and not only single content one, and also other forms of spreading positiveness. This should also be easy enough to do. 6. Art Appreciation even though I did better in this than other aspects, I aim to appreciate more art in February too. Not by a huge amount, since I need to improve so much in other aspects, but at least a little bit more.

All of these should be achievable goals, and I will try my hardest to make sure that I will get them done. Because 2018 is the year of positiveness and spreading love, so I want to be a part of that as much as possible. I will release another set of statistics at the end of February/start of March, so I (and you) can see how I have (hopefully) improved.