#if you don’t want to pay artists for their time and effort then learn to draw

[whaliiwatching]

sigh. text post

since i’ve finally finished a few requests from my inbox, i’ve received a lot of spam requests. i drew one before realizing so i’ll still post that but if you come to my blog and copy & paste a request that you’ve sent to like ten other blogs, i’m not gonna do it & i will block you if you ask me a second time. that’s fucking rude. i’m not here to make content for you. i’m here to make content for me, for practice and for joy, and you are allowed to view it as long as you are respectful.

if you want content of something, commission it or learn to make it yourself, like we did. artists, even and especially artists making/sharing their work for free, are not factories you can mass order from

[mareastrorum]

These are just initial thoughts, and perhaps I’ll learn something that changes my mind on it, but I’m glad to see Critical Role making the leap to their own subscription service with Beacon.

As a lead in: I’m an attorney that has some background in IP law, though it isn’t what I practice currently. I’ve kept in contact with several active practitioners, particularly those that represent small-time creators either in their own independent practice or via nonprofits. I do not have an extensive Rolodex of IP peers, nor do I spend the money to keep up on IP CLEs. I’m just someone who used to know a ton because I did heavy research and work in that space, and that hasn’t been the case for years.

So here’s my thoughts a bit on the IP angle:

The primary reason I’m happy to see this leap is that CR is taking active steps to keep control over its IP. It’s a boring thing to most people, but when I start paying attention to a specific creator (authors, directors, companies, etc.), I tend to be very attentive to how they use their IP. How freely do they license their marks to partner with other creators to make merch? How often do they allow others to make adaptations or derivatives of their copyrights? What is the quality of those products? What is the supply chain like? Are those third parties objectionable in some way? Were the other parties faithful to the original works or marks? Was this a cash grab or an earnest effort to make something worth the price tag?

Honestly, I like how CR run their business. They have a history of tapping fans and fellow small businesses when making new merch or spinoffs. They embrace the culture of fan-made derivative works, both by featuring fanart/cosplay and by sharing their success. Do you know how rare it is for a company to pay fan artists for their already-made and freely posted work and then sell books of it? Let me be clear: CR bought a limited license from each artist so they could print and sell each work in a physical book, then paid the cost of publishing that book with no guarantee that CR would make that money back, let alone profit. I have a copy of the collector’s edition art books: they’re actually very well made and the packaging definitely cost a pretty penny. That’s not a rainmaker idea, that’s genuinely risking financial loss to sell something people could access for free if they wanted to.

The art books aren’t a one-off either. Darrington Press is CR’s separate LLC for tabletop games. (It’s good business practice to split off companies that handle products in different industries.) CR has also made shows based on those games, and the Candela Obscura series has quite a dedicated audience. Everything about Candela belongs to them: the game itself, the rule book, all the art in the book, the web series based on the game, and merch. It’s so successful that they invested in scheduling a live show for Candela later this month. That’s HUGE.

Contrast that with the distribution of Campaign 1 and the first 19 episodes of Campaign 2. CR cannot host those videos themselves; Geek & Sundry still exists and still holds what I presume to be distribution rights (but I don’t have the contract to review). So G&S gets to host those videos on YouTube and reaps the advertising. I can’t speak to whatever share CR gets from that, but considering that CR is locked out of hosting their own copies of those videos, I doubt it’s much, if any, revenue. (If you’re wondering why CR just didn’t buy those rights back, I ask: what incentive does G&S have to sell something that’s making them money for no cost?)

Knowing that background about G&S, I was wary of CR choosing Amazon to host and distribute The Legend of Vox Machina. Originally, TLOVM was not the plan; CR had a kickstarter for an animated special based on C1. It was only because they blew past the goal that CR was able to make an entire season. The reasonable assumption is that choosing Amazon had to have secured CR additional funding for future seasons of the show, which seems evident from how quickly season 2 was announced, Mighty Nein Animated is also going to be a thing, and that season 3 of TLVOM is scheduled for fall 2024. CR had the option of just doing 1 season and keeping it purely in their control, but going with Amazon meant they could animate more of their works. Animation is expensive. I cannot stress enough how doubtful I am that CR would have been able to afford this many episodes and both campaigns if they had not gone this route. As wary as I was in the start, it paid off, and it’s going well—so far. Hopefully CR doesn’t regret that decision if Amazon tries something sleazy. But, as before, we don’t have the contracts and can’t know how secure CR’s position is if any dispute came up.

CR also partnered with Dark Horse Comics to make Vox Machina comics and Might Nein Origins comics. What’s especially surprising is that each of the cast had a hand in writing the MNO comics for their characters, with Matt listed for multiple. That isn’t very common with comic adaptations. Often times, IP owners let comic companies go ham with minimal oversight. Being listed as one of the authors comes with IP rights that have to be negotiated. That means that Dark Horse had to talk with CR about whether that warrants more or less revenue going to which party in exchange for that—or, alternatively, whether the comic gets made at all. That’s a ballsy move. You think people can just demand to write the comics that a publishing company is going to pay to print? Pffft. CR wanted some creative control, and that is a big ask. However, Dark Horse still has the distribution rights, both digitally and for physical copies. You couldn’t buy the comics from CR until they came out with the library edition, a book bound compilation of 4/8 comics. But the publisher is still Dark Horse; CR is just allowed to sell the book directly from their own site as well.

Contrast that with the novels about CR characters. CR partnered with Penguin Random House to publish novels about Vex and Vax (Kith & Kin), Lucien (The Nine Eyes of Lucien), and Laudna (What Doesn’t Break). Liam and Laura were vocal about having some say in K&K, whereas Madeline Roux said in an interview that she had full control over TNEOL. Both of those novels were narrated with CR voices, but narrating a book doesn’t come with IP rights, it just brings in a paycheck. There’s a lot less IP control in there compared to the comics, but this isn’t abnormal for book publishing. To be blunt, I doubt PRH would have agreed to publish the novels if anyone from CR had been a co-author or had heavy oversight over the author or the editing. I don’t think PRH even considered that as an option. Either an author that has already managed to sell X number of copies or nothing. Creative control over a book a huge ask, asks come with reduced revenue, and switching to books from a web series is already a leap. The fact that Laura and Liam had any say is surprising, really.

That was a long meandering tour of what we’ve seen CR do with its IP. The reason I bring up each of these things is that navigating the way to protect an IP in this space is rife with challenges. Different types of IP warrant different strategies because of the cost involved in creating each medium and the challenges placed by industries that have already sprung up around them. Any time that a third party is tapped to create an IP, it’s usually because they already have the funds and resources to create the work, and CR has to negotiate for revenue, creative control, distribution, and—the big one—who gets to be the owner. These are not easy, quick, or fun conversations, and CR is always going to be the smaller company at the table.

Knowing that, I’m not surprised or worried that CR is creating its own independent subscription service with Beacon. It tells me that they’re being careful with their IP whenever they can. A subscription service means they don’t have to trade away distribution rights or give up ad revenue to a third party. They’re in this for a long term investment, and that requires solid income not tied to third parties that can definitely outspend them in litigation in the event of a dispute. A subscription for bonus content is one of many parts in a diverse revenue stream.

(All that said, this isn’t meant to criticize creators that cant afford to do this type of thing. It took 9 years for CR to get to the point where Beacon is financially feasible and a desirable business decision. They have enough ongoing, popular content to warrant paying for a subscription, and they’ve built sufficient trust with their audience that more will be added. That takes time and an awful lot of money.)

As a final note, I take this step as a sign that CR definitely intends to stick around. This isn’t a move people make when they plan on ending the business after the current campaign. I’m glad to see CR is taking steps to secure their foundation and keep making new content.

I’m sure people will chime in on other issues (cost, content exclusivity, etc.), but I hope my perspective gives an idea of why this sort of thing is good for business generally and why it would be good for CR.

[ffc1cb]

new art blog

the short version:

1. i made a new art blog: @cbge;

2. @ffc1cb will stay up as an archive.

the long version:

hi everyone. this announcement is somewhat late, since the blog in question has been up for a few months now, and i’ve already started posting art on it. the reason it took me so long to “reveal” it is because i’ve been trying to figure out whether a new blog is something i actually want, or if it's just me throwing darts at a board, trying to make myself feel better somehow.

i don’t know when precisely it all started, but ever since sometime last year i’ve been going through a hard time, both emotionally and creatively. i’m not sure whether being depressed is what made art harder, or art becoming harder is what made me depressed (a bit of both, i think), but lately, drawing has been a struggle. 

i’ve found myself having less and less energy for art, and this lack of energy resulted in poorer quality of drawings, which resulted in me feeling like i’m getting worse at it, despite my efforts. i knew i could make good art, art that i’m proud of - i’ve done so countless times before, - but somehow it felt like i just couldn’t anymore, like my hands forgot how to. nothing looked right. 

i’ve been trying to experiment. i’ve learned some new things, tried this and that - it was enlightening, to say the least, and even though i kind of liked how it looked, it made me feel a sense of displacement. i was at odds with myself, my art, and how i felt about it, when previously i was always in sync. i was making art, yes, and it looked nice, but it felt like it wasn’t mine.

i suppose part of it was also the growing lack of engagement, and i don’t mean likes and reblogs - i never particularly cared about those. they are all just numbers to me; dry and impersonal. what i’m talking about is actual, human interactions: personal thoughts in tags, asks, replies, etc. a conversation. 

i don’t mean to sound “old” or anything, but i remember when talking to artists online was more commonplace. my wife tells me it’s because the internet culture has changed over the years, that people have become more reclusive, less willing to be open with their thoughts, and she's probably right, but in my slump i find it hard to believe. somehow it feels like it’s my fault for being less “engaging”, for seeming unapproachable or perhaps intimidating. maybe it’s “just a skill issue”, maybe it’s because i have stopped churning out fanart for popular fandoms, maybe it’s because i refuse to torture myself emotionally by having an art account on twitter (i can’t fucking stand the place anymore; i still post nsfw art there, but only because it’s literally one of the only places on the internet that allows you to do so. i miss when you could post female presenting tits on tumblr).

i have always, ever since i started posting art on the internet back in 2012, done it for human connection. i wanted to talk to people, and have people talk to me. i wanted to inspire people with my art, and i wanted to bring them comfort. i wanted to elicit an emotional response, and have people tell me about it. it was one of the main reasons i drew in the first place; having lost that, i’ve been struggling to stay passionate about making art.

i miss being a small artist on the internet during the 2010s. i remember when i could make a post going, “hey everyone, how are you all doing today?” and it would not seem weird to people in the slightest. it is just me? does anyone else feel that way? am i too deep in my own head? the internet feels so unwelcoming nowadays, especially to artists. we are all just content machines; people scroll by our stuff, or maybe look at it for half a second and leave a like before scrolling away. i know it’s unfair to demand people’s attention, especially now when our lives are already so overwhelmed by everything - no one has the energy to pay closer attention; i myself am not immune to mindless scrolling. but it feels bad. i wish we were all sincere and enthusiastic again.

anyway (sorry for rambling. i hope i haven’t bored you to death), you might want to say, okay, but how is making a new art blog on a “dying” social platform going to help with any of that? the truth is, i don’t know. i just felt like i needed a change. 

i’ve been running this blog since 2016 (that’s almost 8 full years!). i feel incredibly attached to it, but at the same time, i feel it weighing me down. 

there are people who followed me years ago for one specific thing, still expecting me to post about said thing (i still find it mindboggling that some people follow artists for a specific fandom only, but that is a whole other matter for a whole other post that i will never write). a third, if not half, of my following are probably dead blogs. and with my current struggle with trying to regain the joy i once felt for making art, looking back at all the art i’ve done over the years makes me feel tired. i still love it all; it’s all very dear to me. i’m proud of it; looking at it makes me mourn my younger and more passionate self.

so i’ve decided to make a new blog, where i will let myself post whatever i want, in whatever stage of donness i feel like. maybe it will help me, somehow. maybe it won’t. but if you care about my art, if you want to keep following me on my artistic journey, i welcome you to join me there. similarly, feel free not to - no hard feelings.

thank you everyone for your support over the years; it matters a lot to me. i’m not planning to delete or private this blog; it will stay up, and i will still be reachable on here. i will still answer asks, if there will be any. i’m just not planning to post any art here anymore. this is it for my dear old friend ffc1cb.

i can be found in other places:

@cbge, as mentioned earlier,

@k0nstanta, an art blog dedicated solely to my wife and i’s ocs,

@inquisimail, a dragon age ask blog that has become my dragon age sideblog in general,

and multiple other blogs, none of which are art related, but feel free to ask, if you’re curious.

thank you very much for reading all of this. i hope you have a wonderful day.

[gilverrwrites]

i’ve sent this request to river-rat69, but wanted to see how you would potentially interpret it >_>

exploring interests with jack and finding a common one? like art? perhaps?

just a cute idea idk

Finding common interests with Jack

Author note: That is super cute! I'm note sure if this is what you had in mind, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

I will also note, I know a common opinion is that Jack is like a child in an adult body, but I always read him more as like an adult with minimal world or social skills.

Can be read as romantic or platonic.

Rating: General

Genre: Pure fluff

Please be kind to your mind ❤︎

I feel like if Jack wants to make a connection with someone, he will try anything at least once.

He's a 20-year-old who has never had to make friends before. Cas and the Winchesters are family, thats different. Friends he has to make an effort for. (At least in his head.)

If he thinks you really enjoy something that he doesn't, he won’t want to hurt your feelings. He wants you to like him.

So even if he doesn’t enjoy something that much, he’ll try to pretend.

It’s up to you to figure that out and stop him from torturing himself.

He’s too nice, loyal to a fault.

Although, the many sceptical questions and the suspicious looks are a dead giveaway.

“Is it supposed to smell this strong?” Yep “And I can’t eat it?” No, Jack, it’s soap! “And we’re wearing gloves because? It’s dangerous, yep, got it.” “Is this what a headache feels like? NO! It’s fun! If you like it, I like it.” “It takes HOW LONG to cure?”

Probably stay away from things like candle and soap making.

He likes stability, so I think having a set day each week, or a couple of hours each night to do stuff together, would be ideal for him.

He’d love bonding over shared interests in films and TV.

He doesn’t have to eat, but I think he would enjoy trying new foods.

So: having a weekly film night would be awesome. Where you can both veg out on the couch together, eat whatever new or different foods you find at the supermarket, and watch horror (primarily zombie) and/or sci-fi films together. 

Or spend the weekend binge-watching The Walking Dead or The Cornetto Trilogy (+ Paul, non negotiable).

Video games too: Left 4 Dead, Fallout etc

Then fall asleep where you're lounging, talking about your faves and your fan theories. 

I don’t know that he would be into making art, per se, but I think he would like crafts.

I feel like Jack would really like those diamond painting thingies. Or just like, bedazzling things in general.

Like, I can see him contracting some weird cosmic-being version of the flu, being quarantined with an Angel!Reader and it being like that one episode of Malcolm in the Middle. 

Also legos. Just things that take a lot of attention to detail, something that can take his mind off of the constant pressure he is under, that you can really focus on, but that has a cool pay off at the end.

Animation as well, both watching (more 2D stuff like Batman, Invincible, Nimona)

And doing– probably more like stop motion, with again, legos, or claymodels. 

(I’m totally not projecting because I am an animation nerd)

He would, however, enjoy art galleries and museums.

Being able to admire and learn about things created by humans throughout history would be so astounding.

Would like to have you with him so you can observe, learn, and discuss together.

If you’re interested but unable to go with him, he’ll memorise everything so he can relay it all to you later, or pick up a bunch of leaflets for you to read. Or he’ll make a note of all his favourite parts so he can take you there another time.

He would have a similar sentiment if you are an artistic person. 

He doesn’t want to draw or paint stuff with you, but he would like watching you and your creative process (if you don’t mind being watched)

Like absolutely fascinated by your ability to create something from nothing. Something that evokes emotion or tells a story – wow!!

Your number one supporter. Gift him your art, and he’ll put it on his bedroom wall.

Those galleries I mentioned earlier, he’s buying you both tickets to go see your inspirations shows or displays.

Wants to look through all your old works, he doesn’t care if that horse you drew when you were 12 is the wrong shape and has wonky eyes, he thinks its so cool that you tried, and practiced, and learned. That’s human ingenuity.

You’re so cool.

[unpredictable-probabilities]

Immortalized

Summary:

During a museum visit, Dream tells Hob the story of two star-crossed lovers in a painting and what it means to him.

Word Count: 3,055

Notes:

For Dreamling Week Day 3: Painting

[Read on AO3]

---

“Would you recognize everything in here?” Hob asked as they leisurely walked around the gallery. “Do you somehow sense every artwork before they’re made?”

“Not always,” Dream replied, looking at the paintings they passed by. “If I do not make a conscious effort to see into a daydream, I do not perceive them unless they are particularly vivid.”

Hob had chosen a museum this week for their meeting, remembering what Dream said last time about wanting to see more of the city as a human would. Not much in museums could surprise Hob, and he was curious to know how Dream would feel about the place.

“Oh good, I was afraid you’d find it boring here,” Hob said playfully. He didn’t really think Dream would get bored in a museum; he knew that his friend was more interested in learning about humans now than back then. Still, it was always a little intimidating when it was his turn to choose a meeting place. He had seen the Dreaming, and it was hard to think of what could match up to the things that Dream created regularly.

“Museums are never a bore; humans are unceasingly interesting. You have taught me that.” Dream said the words with such casual sincerity, and Hob couldn't help but smile at how comfortable his friend was now at expressing sentiments.

“In addition, it is fascinating to see works of art gathered in one place. One creation can inspire another, which can transcend mediums. This painting, for example.” Dream stopped in front of a painting that depicted a man stabbed through with a sword lying under a tree. A woman was standing above him and appeared to fall on the sword herself.

“This is only one version of the many paintings that are derived from the original written tale. Apart from the visual works, plays and other stories have also been adapted from it.”

Hob read the caption beside it, indicating that the title of the piece was Pyramus and Thisbe and it was made by an Italian artist named Pietro Bianchi in the 18th century.

“What’s the original story about? I don’t think I’d been paying attention to art much during that time.” Hob kept his tone casual, but he never liked remembering what he was like in that century, and Dream must have sensed his discomfort somehow.

“You are not that man anymore, Hob Gadling,” Dream said gently.

Hob nodded and gave a small smile. He wanted to kick himself for potentially bringing the mood down during what was supposed to be a fun day, but Dream didn’t seem to mind as he turned to look at the painting again.

Dream began the story in his even baritone.

“Pyramus and Thisbe were lovers, but their families had a bitter rivalry. Despite their circumstances, they found a way to communicate through a crack in the wall. One day, they decided to elope, and arranged to meet at the base of a mulberry tree. Thisbe arrived first. While she waited, a lioness approached to get a drink from the nearby source of water. The beast looked fearsome, as it still had blood on its jaws from a fresh hunt, and Thisbe ran away to hide in a cave, dropping her veil in her haste.

The lioness came across the veil, and chewed on it for a time before leaving it mangled and bloody. Then Pyramus arrived. He recognized the veil as belonging to his lover, and fell into despair as he mistook the sight to mean that Thisbe had been killed. He cursed himself for not arriving sooner to protect her. He kissed the veil, before drawing his sword and plunging it into his body and drawing it back out. Thisbe returned from her hiding place, hoping to warn her lover of the lioness. She saw his dying form and called out his name. Pyramus opened his eyes and saw his beloved just before the last of his breath left him.

Thisbe tore at her hair and cried and embraced the body, but there was nothing to be done. She saw the bloody veil and sword, and understood what had happened. She spoke a vehement wish to the gods and their feuding parents to have them lie in the same tomb, for not even death could part them. She kissed her lover’s cold lips, and felled herself on the same sword that took his life, still warm with his blood.

The gods felt moved by her prayers, and honoured their memory by permanently making the fruits of the mulberry tree a shade of crimson, which had been previously white but had been coloured by the spray of their blood. Thisbe’s wish of their remains being together was granted, and their ashes were laid to rest in the same urn.”

Hob kept staring at Dream for several seconds before realising that the story was over. Dream’s voice was calm for the entire retelling, and held an engaging timber that kept Hob entranced even when he was done speaking.

Hob blinked a few times and turned to look at the painting again. “Bloody hell. I mean, I know the classics are chock-full of tragedies but… Wait, were they real?” he asked Dream. “Pyramus and Thisbe. Because you’ve told me that some people in the myths actually existed back then.”

Dream shook his head. “They are entirely fictional, though their circumstances are far from unheard of. Humans have had rivalries countless times throughout the ages, and have experienced love and its complications even more often. That is why such stories are timeless. From what I gather, such tragic misunderstandings are a prevalent theme in the most well-known stories in this century.”

“Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet,” Hob said without thinking. “Hang on, Shakespeare’s play is derived from this story?”

“Indeed.”

“Well, no wonder you picked this painting to explain. Your favourite playwright adapted it.” Hob narrowed his eyes in mock distaste.

Dream frowned. “I have never said that he is my favourite playwright.”

“Oh, so you personally visit and talk to every artist you like and Shaxberd wasn't an exception?” Hob wasn't really upset about the whole thing anymore, but it had become a sort of inside joke for them and it was always endearing to see Dream’s reactions whenever he brought it up.

Dream gave him a look that was probably meant to look unimpressed but Hob recognized as fond. “I do not understand why you are still—how would today's children say it—salty about him.”

Hob loved it whenever Dream deliberately used modern slang in their banters—hearing his velvet voice was impossibly endearing—but he suppressed a smile. “Maybe if you didn’t ditch me to go hang out with that guy, I wouldn’t be,”

Dream glanced at the ceiling in his version of an eyeroll, matching Hob’s playfulness. “You are the guy I am hanging out with now, are you not?”

Hob grinned. “Damn right, I am. Every week for the past three months. Are you saying I’m your favourite, after all?” he teased.

Dream stared at him for several seconds before answering. “Yes.”

Hob’s grin slowly melted off his face. He had expected a vague response or maybe a proper eyeroll, not Dream looking at him with a gaze that pinned him to place and made something flutter in his chest.

“It is because of you, Hob Gadling, that you and I avoided a tragedy similar to that of Pyramus and Thisbe. Unlike Pyramus, you did not assume the worst of my absence. You waited for me. Even when my own subjects did not.” Dream’s voice grew quieter. “Even after I had been cruel to you.”

“Hey, none of that,” Hob quickly said. “You’ve already apologised about 1889 and more than made up for it. You’re not that man anymore, Dream,” he said pointedly, repeating his friend’s words from earlier.

The soft smile that lifted the corners of Dream’s lips outshone everything else in that gallery, and Hob felt himself smiling back.

“You are a good friend, Hob Gadling. I can only hope to deserve such loyalty.”

“You already deserve it, Dream. And you’ll always have it.”

“As you shall have mine.” Dream stepped closer, his voice a soft rumble that sent goosebumps across Hob’s skin. He glanced at the painting again. “They had arranged to meet at the base of the mulberry tree, and when one of them arrived later, it spelled the end for them.” He returned his gaze to Hob. “But you, Hob Gadling…”

Hob swallowed, unable to look away from the intensity of Dream’s eyes.

“Nothing would deter you. Our place of meeting had closed down, and you simply built another. Even without knowing whether I would still come back.”

“I always knew you would come back,” Hob said softly. “And I wanted to be there when you did.”

Dream took another step closer, and Hob could feel his heart race in anticipation. “There have been countless stories of people torn apart by time and misunderstandings. But because of you, such a fate did not befall us. I needed you to know how important that is to me. How important you are. To me.”

“Dream…” Hob breathed. He felt like he could topple over at any moment. When Dream first showed up at the Inn, it felt like the sun coming out after a harsh winter. When Dream kept showing up, week after week, Hob felt much more alive than he ever did before, and he didn’t dare ask for anything else.

And now Dream was just saying all these things to him, on a random Saturday afternoon, reaching into his most secret hopes and lighting him up from the inside.

“That is why I chose this painting to talk about. Why I am choosing you. Now. If you will have me.”

“If— Wh— Dream—” Hob stuttered, six centuries of emotions rising up within him all at once.

“My heart is yours, Hob Gadling. To do with as you wish.” Dream spoke quietly, his expression soft and open and with an adoration that Hob never thought would be directed at him.

“You…” Hob grabbed the front of Dream’s coat with both hands and leaned his forehead against Dream’s shoulder, taking deep breaths to calm himself. “How could you do this to me right now…”

He had been so careful, keeping a hold on his self-control every week after the next. But now everything came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. Everything he had ever wanted with Dream, what he wanted to do with Dream—

“Hob. I am afraid I cannot hold you here as you wish for me to do.”

Hob's eyes widened and he jumped back, letting go of Dreams' coat. “Shit, I forgot you can see daydreams. Sorry, I…” he trailed off when he saw Dream’s playful smile.

Dream leaned closer and spoke in a low voice. “I am not allowed to touch you. The sign at the door clearly prohibits touching the masterpieces.”

Hob's face burned. Thoughts raced through his head faster than he could track. “Take me somewhere else, then,” he managed to choke out.

The mirth on Dream's face disappeared, replaced by an expression of want so palpable that Hob wanted to dive in and taste it.

Dream’s eyes turned into galaxies. He grabbed Hob's wrist and in the next instant Hob felt himself pressed back against a tree, Dream’s mouth descending on his.

Hob could only arch into the touch, his hands finding their way into Dream’s hair, pulling him closer.

Their kisses burned with centuries of longing, the yearning to be even closer with every passing second, chasing after the heat of finally being together, and Hob was all too happy to let it consume him.

Dream’s tongue slid against his and he groaned, gripping the back of Dream’s neck to keep him in place, not intending to let him go for as long as humanly possible.

Time stopped making sense. Hob didn't know or care how long he'd been pressed against Dream, and when he broke the kiss it was only because words began rushing out of him beyond his control.

“I'm yours, Dream,” he panted. “My heart. Everything. Anything you want.”

Dream pressed his forehead against Hob’s, catching his breath. And it nearly drove Hob mad to realise that he was the reason for it, that he affected Dream enough to the point of breathing.  “You are…. everything I want.”

They held each other like that, in the warm quiet moment when words were no longer needed.

Then Hob noticed that the leaves of the tree that shaded them were gold, and the clouds passing by were a glimmering silver against a backdrop of a pale indigo sky.

“Are we in the Dreaming?” Hob asked in surprise, only now recognizing the familiar feeling of being in Dream’s realm.

“Indeed. I did not want to be interrupted.”

“Wait, then where's my body? I'm not passed out in the museum, am I?” Though Hob wouldn't really mind either way. It'd be well worth it.

“Your body is safe in your own bedroom. We took a short detour before coming here.”

Hob blinked. “I'd say you move fast, but I'd been waiting for this for a long time.” He smiled and caressed Dream’s face, running his thumb over a pale cheekbone.

“Then wait no longer, my beloved. You have me now.”

Those words seemed to spark something inside Hob, and heat pooled low in his gut. His hands held firm on Dream's shoulders.

“You know, I have no rules in my bedroom against touching me.”

There was a rumble in Dream’s chest that only stoked the fires threatening to consume Hob, and he could practically feel his own pupils dilating.

“Hob Gadling.” Dream said the words like a promise.

Hob felt himself return to his body, and he only had time to register the feel of his mattress against his back before Dream was upon him again.

***

“How're the crêpes?” Hob asked after taking a bite of his waffle.

“The flavour of the fruit mixed with the chocolate syrup is a good combination; I can understand the appeal. Though I still prefer the food at The New Inn.”

Hob chuckled. “I think you might be biased, love.”

The corner of Dream’s mouth lifted. “Perhaps.”

Hob grinned and allowed himself to feel smug about that. “But seriously, though, this is a good place,” he looked around.

Dream had chosen a café this week. Nothing fancy, but it had a very homey feel, and there was currently an art exhibit going on as part of their marketing. Paintings hung on the walls, and small sculptures lined the tables on one side.

“Since we looked at well-known classics last time, I thought it would be fitting to view works by today's artists. These are the new stories.”

Hob smiled. There was such high regard in Dream's voice, and he hoped those artists could somehow sense how proud the Prince of Stories was of them.

Hob paid more attention to the artworks, which was easier now that there were fewer people than when they first came in. A particular piece on the wall across from their table caught his attention; it was an oil painting of a sunny park where people were lounging in, but the trees had gold leaves, and the sky was a pale indigo with silver clouds.

Hob frowned and went over to the painting, his eyes landing on two people on the left. They were painted from the side, one was leaning against a tree and the other stood pressed against him, wearing a long black coat. They were definitely snogging.

“Dream—” Hob turned around to see Dream standing right behind him with a knowing smile. “Did you transport us to some poor bloke's dream last week?” he asked incredulously, keeping his voice down.

“Not exactly. At the time, I did not have a specific area of the Dreaming in mind. I simply wanted us to be somewhere private. But dreamers roam around my realm with a certain degree of freedom, and a handful of them were in the same place as we were. Most of them forget the details of their dreams upon waking up, but this particular artist had been hoping for inspiration, an idea to paint for this event. And I believed it would be a kindness to help him remember the details of his particular dream a little more vividly than the others.”

“A kindness, really?” Hob raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smile from the ridiculous stunt that his deity of a boyfriend just pulled.

“Yes.” Dream spoke evenly, but there was a gleam in his eye that Hob knew all too well.

Hob looked back at the painting and made a face at how his figure was drawn from such an awkward angle.

“I look terrible,” he complained.

“I look worse.”

Hob turned to him and was about to say that Dream didn't look bad in the painting at all, but something about the tone of Dream’s voice and his playful smirk sparked a memory.

“Is that meant to be me?” Hob looked down at the drawing that Lady Constantine placed at their table. “I look terrible.” He glanced at Dream. “You look worse.”

Hob chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. “Finally realised I was flirting then? Took you long enough.”

“Hm.” Dream hummed and stepped closer. “Shall we make up for lost time? I would be more than happy to provide you with two centuries’ worth of… experience,” he looked at Hob from under his eyelashes. “And then some.”

Hob swallowed as he felt a familiar heat roil in his gut. “That's not fair. Why do you always try to seduce me in public?”

“Because I know I can always take you somewhere private.”

Hob narrowed his eyes, but he wasn’t nearly prideful enough to decline a proposition from Dream. “Just to my flat this time. I don't wanna be appearing in any more paintings.”

Dream’s lips turned up in a smile. “As you wish. I am not opposed to keeping you all to myself.”

Dream pressed a soft kiss to Hob's lips, and Hob leaned into the touch as he felt the familiar sensation of being transported away.

---

Notes:

The premise of this fic is inspired by this Tumblr post. I saw it years ago and my brain conjured it up again for this fic~

Big thanks to @patchyegg87 for her idea of Hob and Dream teleporting to an artist's dream and being painted <3

And to my brother as well for being an art geek and telling me various stories of lovers in classic paintings and such~

---

(Dreamling Week Masterpost)

(Masterlist)

[33max]

Thank you to everyone that participated, we managed to bring twenty two wonderful pieces of fic/art into the world!

Please show the authors/artists some love for all of their efforts, comments and kudos make everyone’s day ♥️

All you need is love and some cats by Astron03

“I think Teddy is finally getting used to the flat.”

One sentences was enough to completely break Daniel's world.

A story of misunderstandings and some olympic level jumping to conclusions.

Comfortable in chaos by winhighmaintenancemachines

Max and Lewis know the terms that they both deal in, the choices they make every day. Their whole world is walking on a spider’s thread.

Or, the NICU doctor/nurse au.

De Sebly (Part 2) by @miesgaga

Most people only meet one soulmate goose with a connection to them. Soulmates were sometimes romantic and sometimes platonic. Family bonds happen too, but those were rare.

Max met his goose, fell in love and felt like his life couldn't get better.

This is not that story.

Max meets his second goose, this is that story.

GBB Server Exchange by anangelwillfly

Headspins by @albertparks

“I do have feelings for someone else though.” Max’s comment breaks Daniel from his thoughts. “I broke up with her because of it.”

Daniel’s gobsmacked at first, before saying, “Who is she, Maxy?”

It’s a poor attempt at a joke, but now it’s his turn to be nosey, to put his beak in business that isn’t his. Max has never been single for long, he can’t imagine now would be any different.

Except Max says, “It’s a man. And it doesn’t matter.”

I don’t get much sleep most nights (I’m seeing you in every dream) by @enjoythebutterflies

In the real world, Max is well-versed in breaking more than just records.

The one where Max and Daniel dream.

in paper rings by @thewindowatkirkland

"Maxy I would fly to Vegas with you tomorrow and pay some guy dressed as Elvis to marry us. I don't care about any of this crap, I don’t care about anything other than you being happy and us being married. I thought you wanted all this, but if you don’t, then fuck it all."

And Max just has to kiss him, hard and fast and certain before he says "okay, let's fucking do it. Let's go, tomorrow. just me and you and a fake Elvis."

OR: after a ten year engagement and with an extravagant wedding all planned out, they decide to elope to vegas instead.

It was written in the stars, but you erased it by @formula-maxiel

Max was twelve when his father had his soul mark removed. He had no idea how much anguish it would cause him.

Let me guide you by @waddlingpenguin

Max learns something about himself.

Daniel is more than happy to indulge.

listen to the slow parts by winhighmaintenancemachines

Neither Max or Daniel are the one to find the baby. That honor belongs to Christian, and Christian alone.

lock it up by @33max

Max is in their bed frantically humping a pillow that he’s folded in half. He’s shoved his little dick into the crease of it and he’s rabbiting his hips, he’s not got the equipment to properly thrust – if he pulled his hips back too far his cock would slip out of the fold.

the meaning of a flower by @meecamille

silly cute fluffy stuff led me to flowershop and hopeless romantic boys.

of angels and demons by @shitferraristrategy

Daniel loves to corrupt his little angel~ <3

platinum trophy by togenkyo

Fame, fortune, fortitude: For the man who has everything, what's left?

postcards from the past by @thatsapodium

I’ll send you another postcard soon. Miss you, love Max

A selection of postcards from the time Max backpacks across Australia.

Punch it! by @stardust-speedway6

An animatic of Lando and Max.

Max admonishes a punching bag.

Static by @chaoticzoomies

Walking into the Red Bull garage that Friday something felt off but Max couldn't put his finger on it. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling but just slightly off kilter, like someone had shifted things a few centimetres to the left. As he rounded the corner to the operations desk it clicked.

stay in for the summer (it's quiet, i'm trying) by @33and3

Take me to the Water by @fricative-pharyngiale

Still, he yearned for more, for everything Daniel could give him and then the rest too, his greediness all-consuming until it was all he could feel. He wanted to be the muse of every song Daniel wrote, so that they would be immortalised together. He wanted to take his poet to the river and drown him in his waters, keeping him close forever. He wanted to let his body liquefy so Daniel could drink him entirely, not a single drop left behind. He wanted to drain him of his blood and replace it with water from his river so they’d be the same, always.

A series of vignettes about nymph Max and his poet

The Tale of Max Verstappen by @danielfuckingricciardo

During the summer break, Max and Daniel take a trip to the Lake District to spend some time together alone.

When Max suggests they visit the Beatrix Potter museum, Daniel is only happy to take him on a date and treat him to a gift.

until I hear it from you by @fourmula1

DeuxMoi (also stylized Deuxmoi or @/deuxmoi) is a pseudonymous Instagram account which publishes celebrity gossip.

with the right amount of sugar by flyingkageyama

Max only wanted to find solace in one of the coffee shops he knew was a few miles away from campus, he didn’t expect one of the employees with a crappy drawing of a honey badger on his name tag to come try and get him to talk about his problems.

[natimiles]

That is completely fine! I’m grateful that you took the time to respond! Thank you so much!!

I was wondering if you could do an African reader (maybe Jamaican) who is very hippie, is vegetarian, maybe does psychedelics or marijuana (but if you don’t want to include that, you don’t have to, for I do respect your requirements and your writing). They can also listen to reggae and artists like The Who, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, etc. They can also have dreadlocks as well. Is Le Comte an easy character for you? If not, that is completely fine! Again, I sincerely apologize if this is too much! You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.😅💕

First of all, I’m sorry it took so long! It was very difficult for me, HSIUEHUASIHEA. But I wanted to try to get out of my comfort zone. It’s in HC format, because it was easier. I’m sorry if it’s not for your liking, but I tried! 🥹

I couldn’t use all the characteristics, because they were really specific, HAIUEHAISUHEAS. And I didn’t want to write something stereotypical with the characteristics I’m not familiar with, so what I used: hippie (I hope I went to the right path with this), vegetarian and uses marijuana (let’s all thanks my husband for providing me what are the effects in an almost daily basis, HASIUEHAS), with Comte.

LESGO! 🤍

A hippie, vegetarian and marijuana-user reader | Comte

Tags: title is self-explanatory, but... reader smokes weed (do you consider it as drug abuse or nsfw?); gn! reader

You can’t tell me the weed wasn’t the main reason you ended up there. Your high-distracted mind thought it was a good idea to follow a handsome stranger.

You smell funny, but he doesn’t pry. The thought that you’re a smoker crosses his mind, but he can't figure out why it smells different from Leonardo. You have a scent more like herbs, and— oh… Oh!

“Ma chérie, why would you do that?” He's fine with cigarettes, but he doesn’t like that you smoke weed. However, he has an open mind and is willing to learn more when you tell him it’s not what he thinks. He'll be okay with it after you explain everything you’ve learned about it—how you use it for leisure, but in the future, it could have medical uses. I don’t think he’d try it, though; this is a moment you can share with Leonardo.

You try not to disturb him or anyone else though. You’re usually in your room or outside while smoking. He only knows you did it when sees you with a smile in your face and a lot of snacks in your hands.

You know how you wake up on the first night with a nightmare? Yeah, you were so drowsy that you didn’t even get up, so no one attacked you :D 

You might have some trouble finding weed when you arrive, as it's illegal and not well seen. However, you manage to make some friends downtown, so you can buy it more easily now.

You tell him you’ll sleep on the couch on your first night. Comte practically drags you to the bedroom, insisting so much that you should sleep there. It's too fancy for your liking, and you might need to change some things.

He offers to pay for everything you need to redecorate. You scold him fiercely. Didn’t he think about the consequences of spending all his money on futile things? He didn’t. I mean, look at this mansion! Does he look like someone who cares about money and what it can cause?

Cue you starting your TED Talk about capitalism and sustainability. You still try to make him stop burning his money with you or futile things. He’s trying very hard not to buy you a new purse he saw downtown… It’s a work in progress.

You probably won’t even step a foot into a ballroom. Instead, you're outside with the rest of the townspeople, protesting about the nobles' lifestyle and how it’s the rotten core of the system. The whole protest was your idea.

He finds your lifestyle amusing. He always had anything he wanted without any effort, so he’ll try doing things your way. You start a garden in the backyard, saying you like having your seasonings and herbs in hand. “Oh, that’s nice! Sebastian will appreciate it!” He might even try to help you. Wait, that’s not— “Chérie, that’s not basil, is it?” It wasn’t.

The first night when he offered you dinner, you politely refused and said you didn’t eat meat. (Cue Mozart gasping). “Oh…” And then he didn’t know how to explain to you that they were all vampires… He has to do it though, and he’s relieved that you’re not as uncomfortable as he thought you would. 

He’s probably the one who understands you better, being a vegetarian. I mean, he never directly drinks blood from a human, so it’s a start… right? … Right? You tell him it’s not the same, but it’s fine. You appreciate him not biting you or others (not without their contract with him, at least). He makes an effort to drink only blanc or eat human food when you’re around, not to make you uncomfortable — even though you’re okay with it. “Comte, I don’t eat meat, it doesn’t mean that you won’t eat it too.”

He has a refined taste, but I don’t think he’s a picky eater. He will try anything you like to eat, from plant-based alternatives to tofu.

I’m not encouraging anyone to use weed! BUT be responsible if you want to try it, okay? Some studies suggest using it only when you’re 25 or older. And even though it’s legal in some countries, remember that it’s still smoke being blown into your lungs.

Masterlists

[newhologram]

what if I argued that ai is a tool that you can use, and be better with considering you already have an artists eye, and hopefully as it gets better you regain the ability to make money by making AI art. There are people putting in some real time and effort into making extraordinary work

Uh, no. Clown ass take, anon. A tool is something used by the hand of a human, not dictating to a baby brain and seeing what it spits out when it’s swallowed existing art made by humans and is making guesses. AI art is founded upon theft of human art and to make money off of it is actively devaluing art as a part of human culture and expression (and a means by which people make a living) further.

"You already have an artists eye" --yeah, because I'm an artist. I studied it, spent time with it, have created something from nothing. AI art is creating something from what already exists because it's theft. It wouldn’t be ME making the art. Because I am an artist, I know what it actually feels like, what it actually means to work hard at art with my own ability. Art isn't just putting in keywords and tweaking things. That's not "real time and effort."

The years and effort AND dedication (and MONEY to learn how to do their craft efficiently) human artists put into their skill and expression is being stolen by talentless opportunistic troglodytes who do not actually value art because they don’t know true creation— Art is not a thing for glancing, for “ooh pretty” or jacking off and moving on— art is expression, statements, interpreting the world uniquely, twisting and studying, and sharing that lens. It makes us feel, it shows us reflections of the inside that we can't put words to. When we see a piece of art that speaks to us, it's the definition of beauty, of what it means to see a precious, invisible, unnamable part of ourselves reflected that we may not even have known existed. That is the problem with how the world has devalued art and the humans who make it. You consume and guzzle, you want a cheap price, an easy hit, a quick nut, without any consideration of the person who spent a lifetime learning their craft. And so no one wants to pay artists, no one thinks artists deserve to be paid and that they should just make art for arts sake--as an artist, I will always be making art in some form just because it makes me happy and because being an artist is just a part of how I engage with the world, but that doesn't mean artists should not be able to afford to eat.

I will always support human artists, no matter if disability has taken drawing from me, no matter how much I miss it. “Regaining the ability to make money with AI art” is horseshit, that's just theft, it wouldn't be my art. I would be making money off of other artists. We wouldn’t have AI “art” without the humans who make art to begin with.

AI “art” was funny in the beginning to play with and see how a simulated mind interpreted concepts, or to make unhinged memes. I had a lot of fun making weird things at first.

Now we have AI stealing voice actors’ actual voices—And we’re going down a dark timeline if that continues. Artists deserve rights and protections.

So miss me with that shit. Miss me by galaxies. Life’s fucking hard, disability has stolen so much, I miss drawing, but life also goes on and the answer isn’t to stick my dick in an algorithm and pretend I’m actually creating something worthwhile or ethical to begin with.

[lv-iceprince]

🦴...written ship...🪷

@horanghaejamjam

my lovely katt, it is and will always be a pleasure doing ships for you. i hope you are having a brilliant day and as always... i love you so damn much 😭

~ateez~ yeosang 🪷

Well, my darling Katt I’m starting this ship off strong by shipping you with the iconic fellow Gemini Yeosang! Before I get into this, I just want to let you know that I actually see the entire group finding something incredibly attractive about you and your personality. However, it feels intrinsically right to at least somewhat explore the possibility of you and Yeosang being an item. You managed to say everything by saying nothing, at least when it comes to how Yeosang perceives you. There was just so much that appealed to him even when you were nervous about expressing yourself, his dedication to getting you to open up to him is admirable. He would go out of his way to move outside of his own comfort zone so he could show you that nothing bad could come of it. He wanted you to know that you had a partner in crime, someone who would support you to the ends of the earth regardless of whether you were dating or not. Luckily for him you acknowledged his efforts and slowly inched closer to expressing your true feelings, even if you didn’t do it in a “normal” or “conventional” way Yeosang was sure that he wouldn’t be letting you go anytime soon.

Now, Yeosang comes across as a very private person in terms of his emotions, he has them but he is quite selective about who gets to see his more intimate or vulnerable side. But in the time, he has known you Yeosang has become as clingy and lovesick as you, after some time of being single he had come to underestimate just how much he loved love, he was begging for someone to fall in love with him so he had an excuse to show them just how fluffy and gentle he could be.

 Yeosang can’t help but be at least somewhat sentimental when it comes to you, your value exceeds that of the most expensive jewel. Mostly because in loving you he has become a truer version of himself, in learning how to expand his horizons and venture out into the world he has managed to find an ounce of self-love that he then shares with you. You made him feel on top of the world by cherishing him for who he was. That being said both of you work so well together in the way that you both come together when you want to express yourselves or appear more confident. You have each other’s backs and even if you’re both so quiet you both find a way to really grow into a brighter more exciting version of yourselves.

It has to be said, even if Yeosang wasn’t ever explicit on what he wanted in a partner there is something about your artistic side that would have him in awe. Yeosang is very perceptive and finds himself searching for a deeper meaning in your writing, hell, if you really pay attention to him, you’ll notice how he stares at you deep in thought when you show him your costume designs. He is contemplating your entirety; he loves that he gets to see everything that you are through your art. Also, I just have to mention it now, he may draw lines between him and the other guys but if you wanted to dress him up in any costumes, he would lose all shame and parade around as your living mannequin.  Your relationship may seem straightforward and, in some ways, it is, but the best love stories are like that. The ones where you don’t ask yourself who, what, when, where and why, you just fall into the feeling of true love, your hand in his.

~txt~ yeonjun 🦴

It is so hard to not become a cliché and give into your needs, but damn it I just have to ship you with Yeonjun. Besides the fact that you would honestly be the cutest pairing known to man, I am totally convinced that Yeonjun needs a bit of you in his life. Based on your description one would expect you to be the one falling hard and losing all their inhibitions, but Choi the forever-defying-stereotypes Yeonjun would fall victim to such a passionate crush. For someone who is normally quite vocal about how cool and handsome he is, he worries a lot leading up to his confession.

It would actually scare him how willing he was to fall in love with you but he went with it, and of course you couldn’t reject him. It was unlike him to smile so nervously and stutter during a confession but he was the happiest guy in the world when you agreed to go on at least a half date with him. From that day forward Yeonjun felt partially obliged to play the part of the loving, handsome boyfriend from your dreams and he definitely succeeded. It is obvious to those around him that Yeonjun found his other half in you, even when he isn’t pulling you up to dance with him, showing off how cool it is that he even has a girlfriend, which is rare.

There is literally no other way to describe your relationship with Yeonjun other than “a modern love story.” It’s literally the type of relationship that gives the energy of Rush featuring Hyunjin and PinkPantheress. There really isn’t another good analogy I can give you, both of you manage to have a relationship that is so passionate, romantic and heated. Yeonjun is the outgoing boy in love with the lights and the fast life, but you slowed him down enough for him to fall in love.

No matter how excitable Yeonjun is he is always prepared to have a grounded relationship, and maybe he is thinking too far ahead but he is sure that he would be the one to have the privilege of marrying you. And though he seems aloof at times he takes everything so serious if it involves you, he will protect you, kiss you enough and have the deepest most meaningful conversations to ever exist. He is so intimate and loving I can’t state this enough. He knows you get shy about pda and he respects that boundary but expect him to pull you to bed so he could cuddle with you while brushing your hair to the side to kiss your neck.

Another reason why this is the best pairing ever is the fact that you are both so artistic and curious but in different ways. Yeonjun has a deep appreciation for unique fashion and self-expression while you express yourself through costume design and writing. It’s a typical case where two creative souls meet, and beautiful chaos ensures. Another thing I just have to mention is the way that Yeonjun uses his confidence and way with words to clear a pathway for you to express yourself, he is possessive but he isn’t selfish. He wants everyone else to see just how beautiful a couple you are, even if he knows they no one can have you. Yeonjun loves how you have duality. Especially when it comes to your niche interests such as horror, painting, interior design and the fall season. I can vouch for you as a couple right now, you may steal his shirts and his clothing in general, but you also steal his heart and he doesn’t want it back. Yeonjun is so devoted to you and will never hesitate to explain all the ways he adores you; no one will ever make him feel this sensitive but he allows it, he finally allows himself to have the life he has always dreamt of having.

[goongiveusnothing]

i think he wanted to be seen as a genuine rock and roller, a genuine new freddie mercury, a genuinely new bowie. but nobody really buys that about him anymore.

I think ultimately building an older audience takes some work and doesn’t happen overnight in the way One Direction did. They got lucky because they were a) on a reality show and b) were coming out at the onset of Twitter. I am in no way trying to imply they didn’t have to work or that it wasn’t hard, just that they had a kind of instant success that a lot of bands do not have and especially bands that tend to skew toward older fans. Those artists he wants to emulate didn’t have teenage girls tweeting about them the same day as their performance in front of millions of people on television. They built their fanbase slowly as they were figuring out who they were as artists. That’s why they still resonate with people. But that takes time and effort and work, and I don’t think Harry was willing to do it. Because he’s never really had to before. He was in a boyband that got famous on a reality show. He was picked out and pushed to the front ahead of his objectively more talented bandmates, who were doing things like actually paying attention to the vocal coaches and learning to sing properly and fighting to have a say in the bands music, primarily because he was the adorable cute one. And he was essentially handed a solo career on a silver platter. In his mind he probably thought he’d done all the work. That he could just show up in the studio, make an album with a more rock oriented sound, and he’d ditch his boyband background forevermore. But then the album didn’t go multi platinum on the day of release, and people were expecting him to prove he was a rocker, so he gave up and ran back to pop where he’d be heralded as a god. Because at his heart Harry is lazy. He wants maximum praise for minimum effort. And yes, there is a lot of white mediocrity in rock music too, but those aren’t the ones he’s trying to emulate. He wants to be the second coming of the man who wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, a song on Queen’s fourth album by the way. Even Freddie wasn’t writing masterpieces from day one or even the icon he became in the early days. It took time, it took effort, it took work. But Harry wants to be a legend now. And it doesn’t work that way.

agreed on all of this.

Because at his heart Harry is lazy. He wants maximum praise for minimum effort.

and this is why he's doomed. i think the whole way he got his first shot at fame, the whole way he sustained his fame, won an album of the year grammy, got acting parts, a marvel part, coachella, is because he was just handed it. he's never had to work for any of it.

so why would he start now? why would he start ever?

could you imagine starting already at the top and then having to work out how the hell you got there and work as hard as the people at the bottom would to get to where you are? he does not have the ethics or the mentality or the intellectual curiosity for it.

he will always aim for the easiest route and the thing that feeds his ego and gives him a high as quickly.

freddie mercury and everyone else had to start in lower clubs, bars. they had to fail first. get booed. they had to figure out what worked and didn't. who they really were. i think a lot of that is missing in modern artists who have entire corporations working on making sure they come across in certain ways, tweaking them, making sure they're as palatable and marketable as possible. harry is very eager for that. he wants to fit into every algorithm and use it to jank up his fame and net worth with the least amount of effort.

i think he's going to try something else with his music/performances in about 5 years because he'll realize all of this and will desperately want to try and affirm some legendary status, but by then it'll be too late. he'll be too old, his voice will be too destroyed, he'll be forced into saying dumb things every other week, he'll be on his 19th olivia/camille hybrid, and even the idea he has charisma will start looking embarrassing, like looking at your highschool crushes.

[kotori-mochi]

Just to show my stance on this subject. Also the reasons why.

Hello, so I notice some people being miss informed about what AI generators do and why artist are now agents it.

The reason why artist are now up in arms about AI generators is for one: these generators take art work from the internet and puts it into it's data base. This is without the artist knowledge or permission.

two: it has been prove that the generators have copied art work.

Three: The generators don't learn like us it just takes data/pixels, literal pieces of an already made art and mashes them together.

four: The community of Ai bros/"artist" have been bullying real artist. Saying they are superior and that we are obsolete. 

five: The AI community has also stolen by taking un finished or finished art from other artist. Putting it into a Ai generator and "making it better". Once again without the artist permission.

six: The AI community has already even stated that they do wish to make artist no longer needed. Suggesting they wish to put hundreds or maybe millions out of a job.

From everything I have experienced with AI "artist" and AI bros. They have proven to me that they don't care about art or the people who create it. They just want a easy way to get artwork without paying or taking the time to learn.

  Oh and to those who say artist we are gate keeping. We aren't, what we are doing is saying "don't use my hard work without my permission". If you want to draw or do anything creative, there are millions of art tutorials online. That teaches people how to draw, as well as books. you just have to put in the effort.

I hope this clears some thing up for you.

[josiebelladonna]

dave grohl once said, “you have to go out and suck because that’s how you get better at it“. i mention that because the whole world seems to have undertaken this mindset of “it’s there, therefore i take” as well as “all criticism and critique no matter how innocuous = bad”, and i feel like the rise of ai may have had something to do with it because of how it functions (scraping and taking to an infinite degree + little to no effort put in) plus the utterly rabid and delusional defense of it, and how quickly it’s risen, too—practically overnight. for me, it’s all pretty much come out of nowhere.

you combine all of these things together and to me, it comes as no surprise that it seems like you have to walk around on eggshells with most people now, artists across the board are either disillusioned or getting bupkiss on their work, and why someone like me might seem “mean”.

these things have completely blindsided us and… for what? for what reason did all of this had to happen? to take from other humans out of your own very human sense of insecurity and then get pissy when they called you out, or to yell at them and antagonize them because they saw you in very obvious pain and wanted to help you because everyone else kept sitting on their hands with you?

something i learned really quickly when i took machine shop and started working with my hands more: machines genuinely don’t have a soul. they don’t care if you have long hair or jewelry or appendages, so it’s imperative that you wear tight clothes, tie up your hair nice and snug (double for someone like me who has nappy, coarse hair that sticks out if you sneeze too hard) , and take off anything that dangles. they also don’t care if the scraped data belongs to you or if it means you lose a job or passion for life, and i wonder just how much of that has carried over to humans in the past few years. when i was plagiarized from and then ostracized for calling it out three years ago, it made me wonder if she and anyone who listens to her has a soul at all. when i was ostracized and then betrayed last week, it was because i had genuine concern for my friend at the time and it looked like no one was doing anything to help them (hell, they weren’t doing anything to help themselves: they got up in arms with me because of a small, out-of-context detail that said i didn’t understand their relationship and blew that up). all of it, anti-human and i could be wrong, but it’s so reminiscent of the rise of ai.

this is what ai has done to us in this very small window of time, the arts aside.

all humans—yes, even those of you who claim to not be artists because damn it, all human beings are born artists whether you want to admit it or not—are now paying the price because of this bullshit.

[nickfoo]

Idk how serious you were being about it and I know you deleted the post already but I wanted to tell you that your art style has always been very inspirational to me, and you shouldn’t call yourself an idiot or your work ugly. Speaking as another artist, deciding to change how you do art takes a lot of effort, so don’t beat yourself up for not having done it sooner. I’m sure whatever you make, whenever you decide to post it, is going to be great, and I look forward to seeing it

Aw, thank you for the kind words-truly. But in this case, when I say I’ll be making ugly things it’s more because, well, I’ll be trying to learn something new and I expect it to be ugly! And I’m trying to tell myself that’s ok! But I’d rather not show an audience those learning sketches because they won’t be pretty. And it’s also just ok to not want to post stuff and just know that something you’re drawing is for your eyes only. I haven’t kept a sketchbook in years simply because I felt a lot of pressure trying to make it look nice. So this time, using it to scribble unapologetically should be much more helpful.

I came to the conclusion I don’t like the way I draw- it’s a lot of fussing with underdrawings and zero line confidence. It feels like it takes a lot of my energy to get one sketch right when if I could be more gestural and loose while not completely relying on underdrawings for support, I could not only make more drawings I could do them with as much effort as it took to make one. Plus, I’d just like to be able to have nice pencil drawings and my current method of scribbling, I can’t have that without even more scribbling over an underdrawing. I don’t know how much this will change my art style, but I’ve felt it’s needed an update anyway.

Again, thank you for the message. It’s very kind and I appreciate the support. 💛 I am a little worried I’m trying to make a change like this too sudden or too late, but I’m hoping it will pay off later. (Hopefully it might encourage me to want to learn better ways to render and color too later on.)

[christophercant]

Hey guys! Long time no speak!

I recently wrote this article for ChristopherCant.com and for my site SelfemployedArtist.com, and wanted to share it here. I hope you guys are ok, and this is useful in some way.

AI is coming: Future-Proofing your Art career

Header image generated with AI, in a terrible low-res - sorry!

I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the stability of my future as a digital painter - and by extension the futures of all digital artists, and even all creatives. 

If you’ve been paying attention to the conversations currently happening in digital artists circles, you’ll know that AI has recently taken over all discussion.

And for good reason - AI is slowly but surely going to cause a massive shake-up across multiple industries.

A lot of the conversations centre around claims that AI art lacks the soul and intrigue of human-made art; there are disputes over the legality of the way these models were trained and whether the outputs can be copyrighted, and a lot of concern over users deliberately imitating famous artists when generating images.  The conversation even stretches as far as debating human rights.

But these aren’t really the things I want to discuss today; other people are tackling these issues much better than I’m able. I hope their efforts slow it down enough to give us time to properly prepare, and grant us legal protections when it does arrive.

I want to talk about the impact it will have on our careers.  I want to figure out how the markets for digital art might change, and be prepared for it.  I want to find solutions.  

A massive shift is coming sooner or later, and I want us all to get through it fine.

What is this ‘AI art' stuff?

To many of you this will be obvious, but for those of you just learning about this: by AI I’m referring to image creation AI models such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Dall-E, that are able to generate images based on text prompts.

The outputs are unpredictable and almost always require some sort of human post-processing, but the rate at which these AI models are being improved is so fast that it is highly likely that they will soon overcome their shortcomings. Already they can occasionally generate incredible images, sometimes even on-par with world-class digital artists.

How will these AI’s impact digital artists?

I’d be surprised if the supply of all digital media didn’t increase massively over the next few years, as both companies and individuals use AI to create all sorts of things.

Companies will need less employees to produce the same products, many people will use AI to shorten their journey to becoming competitive in the creative markets, and even more people will just use AI to create media for their own personal consumption.

The supply of digital content is simply going to go way, way up, and I don’t think demand will go up at anywhere near the same rate; we are already spoiled for choice.  I don’t think it's silly to expect that the average value of art and other creative pursuits like writing is simply going to fall as AI saturates the markets.

In order to generate an income, I think digital artists are going to be forced through something of a paradigm shift in how they approach their careers.

How can digital artists prepare for these events? 

In order to prepare myself for this, I’m trying to identify which markets will get stronger, and which will get weaker.  I’m certainly not announcing the death of digital art or anything like that; I'm just trying to read the room and make sure I don't set myself up to fail, as a digital painter.

For the last couple of decades digital artists have been in greater and greater demand by the entertainment industry, and I think that particular pendulum is finally slowing down.

Freelancing as a digital painter won't disappear, but I do think it might get less lucrative, and will inevitably become a smaller portion of my income as I find other ways to create an income.

I should acknowledge that perhaps some sort of legislation around AI will appear, enforcing stricter regulations that will stop it from flooding the creative markets.  Perhaps AI art will never be able to be copyrighted or will be found to infringe on the rights of all the artists it learned from, so companies will be too scared of the ramifications of using it.

But I really can’t see that happening - or, even if legislation does appear, it being successful - so I’m not willing to bet the future on it.

As far as I can see, there are a few different paths you could choose to go down.  I put most of this into words to help myself figure out what direction I should be taking my own career.  Bearing in mind that I could be completely incorrect about where the future of AI is going, these are the potential solutions I’ve thought out:

Solution 1: Utilise AI in your own art

This one is pretty obvious, and it’s undoubtedly what the entertainment industry will expect of its artists.

You stay a visual artist, but evolve your process as the technology evolves. Join with the AI, and use it in your workflow - feed it text descriptions, feed it your sketches, paint over its outputs, etc.  Just like some did with incorporating photos and painting over 3D models in their digital paintings, this is simply the next step in the same path toward efficient image creation.

This sort of path suits those that just want a great end result, and are not too fussed about the process they use.  I think the danger in this approach is that you risk becoming redundant if AI gets so good that it doesn't even need an artist to fix its mistakes anymore, but I’m not sure that’ll ever be a reality.

Either way, I expect these jobs to still be about as competitive as becoming an in-house artist in the entertainment industry is today; companies won't need as many artists on-staff when they can use AI for 90% of the workload, but there will also be 10 times as many companies popping up looking for an artist to work with their AI outputs.

Solution 2: Supplement your art with other AI mediums

AI is great at doing a single task very efficiently so, unfortunately, specialists are the ones who get automated - if you perform like a robot, you’ll get replaced by one - and digital painters are no different.

So perhaps instead of specialising in digital art, you use AI to diversify your creative mediums.  AI isn't only going to make digital art easier to make, it'll also make writing, music, video and code easier to make, among a bunch more things.

You could build much larger projects than just individual pieces of visual art, if you learn how to use AI to create supplementary media and learn how to polish it all into a finished product.  Animations, comic books, card games and illustrated novels all become much easier with AI assistants to help you.  Partnered with AI, individuals might even be able to create feature-length films and massive videogames completely independently.

With AI the manpower needed to make big entertainment products goes down, so small indie teams and maybe even solo creators will have as much creative potential as giant studios.

Solution 3: Broaden your skillset beyond the visual art market, and build your own niche.

If you don't particularly want to use AI to create, it isn't just AI that will be improving our potential as creatives - other software, digital tools and platforms are becoming much easier to use year-on-year, and will allow a single person to achieve much more by themselves than ever before.

If you can combine your digital art skills with other complementary skills, you may be able to create projects that make you stand out from the pack, without even having to utilise AI at all, and without having to compete with those that do.

Find a way to combine your digital art with other skills to produce something new, something that other people simply aren’t doing.

Nowadays, between YouTube and blogs, you can teach yourself nearly any skill for free.

You can learn to make a professional website for yourself really easily with something like Squarespace or Wix, whereas not long ago you would have needed a web developer to make anything that looked good and worked well. 

You can use social media tools to post on multiple platforms efficiently and analyse the performance of each post, when not long ago you would have needed a social media team for that level of automation and data.

Just for the art market, you can film, edit and sell video courses, schedule and host online mentoring, and sell merchandise via white-label print-on-demand companies, on a myriad of different platforms and services, all by yourself.  New tools show up weekly, and present opportunities to create unique businesses.

Many of these services are free to get started with, and have become so streamlined that each only takes a weekend to figure out.

For a couple of examples outside of the art market, you could combine your art with web design to create unique, bespoke websites for clients, or with writing to sell your own storybooks.

The options are quite broad and will only get broader; if you are prepared to widen up your skillset to learn some complementary skills, and combine your skill of digital painting with an unusual skillset to create a rare combination, you'll build yourself a niche where you barely have to compete with anyone, let alone AI.

Solution 4: Lean into your humanity, and traditional methods

One method to survive the coming technological disruption would be to deliberately do things with your art that an AI cannot do and, quite the opposite of embracing AI, choose to lean away from AI. 

AI will probably always struggle to imitate the true humanity beneath the surface of a piece of art, so deliberately accentuate and show plenty of evidence that your art is made by a real person.

People who value human-made art will seek digital artists whose hand shows through in their work, who show their process, who speak about their work and share their insights and motivations.  They may even want proof that your work wasn’t made by AI.

Video content will probably be the best way to achieve a lot of this, and I’m pretty sure that even more so than it is today, it'll be very, very important to artists who paint and draw all of their work. 

Record your painting process to accompany your finished pieces, and create YouTube videos to share your perspective as an artist.  Make sure that when someone finds your art online, they can easily tell it was painted by a person, not an algorithm.

I'm sure AI will eventually be able to imitate a painting process video, but until then it'll be a key way to differentiate human-made digital art from AI-made art.

You can also hand embellish all the prints that you sell, make a move towards painting in traditional media like acrylics over digital painting, and try selling your work face-to-facein local markets instead of global digital ones.  Importantly, build deeper, more personal relationships with the people that buy your art.

In my opinion, with this direction it would be best to focus on creating quality over quantity, as AI will be able to pump out quantity much easier than any human could.  Focus on creating the very best work you can, present it the most human way you can, and sell it in the most personal way you can.

Solution 5: Move toward teaching

Since AI will probably flood the commercial market with low cost art and a lot of newly entering artists utilising AI in their workflow, freelancing as a digital artist might become even less lucrative than it currently is today.  

But things like the iPad and Procreate are putting digital art tools in more people's hands year on year, so plenty of people will still want to learn how to paint for fun.

These people will need to learn how to paint from someone.

Many people will start to use AI to try to create their dream game, film or business, and instead of hiring an artist, will want to learn the basics of digital painting so they can fix up their AI outputs and make them more consistent and appealing.

These people will also need to learn to paint from someone.

And they won't just want to learn the basics of digital painting, but also of writing, coding, web design, UI design, social media - everything that someone running a one-person-business that is being scaled through AI might want to learn.

People won't want to hire a professional to do these tasks for them when they could just use an AI for much cheaper and faster results, but they might be prepared to pay someone for a few hours of education to help them improve upon their AI’s outputs.

As an artist, you might already have some experience with a bunch of these skills, and be in a decent position to teach them to the flood of AI-utilising creatives that are about to be appearing.

This is probably pretty safe as a direction to take a digital painting career in, as people will always need teachers and I expect demand to increase as the internet grows.  Teaching online can also be quite lucrative, and there are many platforms designed to help make the process easier.

What is my plan?

Perhaps hearing my personal plan will help some people make better sense of the above ideas.  I think most people will adopt a unique mix of all of the different solutions, and I am no different.

I love digital painting, and have resisted integrating photos and 3D models into my workflow simply because I find joy in the process of painting; knowing what I know about myself, I cannot really see myself changing for AI, so I doubt I’ll be integrating much AI into my art.

However, while I cant see myself using AI in my art, I'm not completely against using other AI tools to help build larger projects.

In early 2021 I was already messing about with AI tools for writing, and I’m in blogging groups in which some members have made websites and YouTube channels with 100% AI written content.  I don't think going 100% AI is quite my style, but I can see myself using it to help me create non-art content.

Diversifying my skillset outside of just art is luckily something I've already been working on, for similar reasons to AI.  A few years ago I could see that as more artists from the developing world join the global marketplace and work for lower rates than me, I would probably get priced out of the freelance market.  I began broadening my skillset, from just digital art into writing and web design.

My current strategy will be to combine my digital painting with my newer skills of writing and web design, to make unique websites that are hopefully educational, entertaining and inspiring.

This is the direction I have been heading, and plan to continue going in, broadening my skillset and trying to create a combination of skills that are very unique, allowing me to make things that other people just aren't making.

I’ll also show more of my humanity like solution 4 suggests, by displaying process videos alongside my artwork, writing more articles like this one, and making more video content to share my personality and opinions.

I’ve always known I should be putting out videos, and it was on my agenda to handle ‘someday’.  Now with AI appearing I’m going to have to make it a priority, and I think other digital artists would be smart to do something similar.

I’ll make sure the digital things I’m making today can also work in a physical format, like prints and books, to help create that human-to-human connection that some will seek.

Lastly, teaching is also something I've been exploring a little in the last couple of years, and I actively plan to make it a bigger proportion of my income going forward.  I'm even open to widening up what I teach past just digital painting, to some of the other skills that I'm learning.

Each of us is going to have to find their own way, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help each other

I originally wrote this article to give myself some clarity over what might be coming and how I could deal with it in my own life.  I decided to share it in the hope that it helps others out there that have been having similar thoughts, and perhaps jump-start those that might have been putting off thinking about these tricky subjects.

I’ll write more articles in the future with this theme of future-proofing your digital art career, as I think there is going to be a lot to learn going forward, and nearly as much to say.

Whatever happens, we are about to be living through historic times, and we should do our best to prepare our communities.

Images generated with Midjourney and Stable Diffusion

This article was originally published on ChristopherCant.com and SelfemployedArtist.com

[meda-cat]

Lost files and the future of my online creative endeavors

Morning, gamers. Yesterday I was devastated to learn that over 20 years worth of my art projects, music projects, YouTube videos, writing, journaling, photos, videos, and more, were lost to a hard drive malfunction. I am in the process of finding out if I can restore even some of the files, but until then, we have to assume they’re gone forever.

A good handful of those files were works in progress for things like upcoming music albums and YouTube videos. This is an enormous setback for me as the projects I was so excited to share in the near future now have to be scrapped completely or I must start over from scratch. It’s incredibly frustrating as I put in a lot of time and effort into these projects and some of them were near completion.

So what does this mean for me, for my online presence, and for future creative projects?

Well, on a personal level, this experience was a huge wake up call for me. I need to learn to back up my files and not rely solely on physical hardware to store things on. I was born in the 90’s, so suffice to say I’m a little old school when it comes to computers. I don’t enjoy using or paying for cloud services and I don’t trust that they’ll be able to keep my numerous files safe and secure. But I might just have to get over myself and use a cloud service to back up my files so that this doesn’t happen again in the future.

On an artistic level, this experience made me want to double down and work even harder to establish myself as an online artist and creator. No more switching back and forth between projects, leaving most of them unfinished. I want them to be finished and ready to be shared with the World Wide Web, where they will (hopefully) be preserved for as long as the internet continues to exist.

I will be more active online than ever before, posting WIPs and sharing my creative process with you guys. I’ll start posting on YouTube again, and I’m even considering making a Neocities website as a sort of headquarters for all my projects (all that html and css coding I learned from Neopets will finally be put to good use!)

Though this has been a devastating blow to my creative journey, this has also given me a chance to start over. I have been slacking in my creative works over the last several years and I think this was the push I needed to start taking it more seriously.

So expect to see a lot more of me in the upcoming years. Because I didn’t come all this way in my creative journey just to give up now.

[tehriz]

People are so goddamn callous and entitled about creative works these days.

“We’ll finish this painting with AI! We’ll create songs in the voices of dead artists with AI! We’ll feed all these novels into AI and have it write sequels!” People act like they DESERVE to have “more Beatles songs” or “a sequel that never got written” just because they want it.

I see all this shit being pitched as “ordinary people having the tools to make art” and—setting aside the fact that you already have the tools to make art because you are a person and you just have to learn and put some fucking effort in—it’s NOT “democratizing art” when the training of these models and now the OUTPUT of these models is fundamentally built on exploiting artists and using their voices and their style and their materials as training data without their consent, and then taking away their jobs and their ability to create further art because you’ve wholly devalued it. Just because you want it. Just because you can.

It’s such a reflection of our culture’s obsession with having everything fast and easy and right now, the way the tech industry has designed every product for the last twenty years with purposeful effort to destroy our attention spans and that’s leaked into every aspect of life. It’s a reflection of how the internet making so many things accessible made people feel that they then should have EVERYTHING accessible just because they wanted it.

Remember a few years ago when authors were saying “book piracy directly harms me and makes it so I can’t pay my rent” and people still told them to their faces “but I want your book and I don’t want to spend money on it”? Everyone deserves access to books and literature in general—and very many people have it, through the magic of libraries and the public domain!—but that doesn’t make you entitled to a specific book just because you want it.

It’s a reflection of the way social media made creators easier to see and connect with, which then warped into harassing creators when storylines didn’t go your way, when they made choices you didn’t like, when they were private about part of their identity and you decided that meant you could bully them into sharing it to prove they were “allowed” to write about something. People didn’t just feel entitled to the art, to “have a say” in the art, they felt entitled to the creator too.

People see that making a work of art—a painting, a song, a quilt, a sweater, a book—takes time, and time to learn how to do it and learn how to be good at it, and we’re so used to instant gratification that that’s total anathema. They would rather chew up artists’ works and regurgitate a facsimile of them that they can have Right Now. Because they want it. Because they want it and therefore that means they deserve to get it.

And the thing that gets me the most is the hypocrisy of it. People who proclaim themselves to be social justice-minded, to want to better the planet, turn to these IMMENSELY ENERGY-GUZZLING AND ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY networks to get their word vomit or rearranged pixels and tell artists who can’t afford health insurance to go fuck themselves, because they want something right now and they don’t want to wait.

It’s callous and it’s entitled and it’s soulless, and it makes being a creator so fucking hard. And I don’t know how to stop it except to appeal to people one by one to understand that art is a reflection of our shared humanity, of the work we do every day to live together and make something true and beautiful of our time on this planet, and it’s something that takes time. And that’s not a flaw. It’s the only thing that matters, if we could just fucking slow down and let it happen.

Rage. In my heart. All-consuming. FUCK AI.