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Ok I just want to write a quick thread about my experience w/ bullying in the Warriors/furry online community and then I& #39;ll shut up about this, just because I think it& #39;s a good case study about why it& #39;s not ok to make fun of young artist& #39;s work online.
So, I& #39;ve been somewhat in the "public eye" since 2009, and that comes with a lot of lovely interactions and also, unfortunately, a lot of less nice ones. People do get mean in the face of moderate "success" and taking me & others in my position "down a peg" happens.
Sometimes people take it too far, like the case of this person who, with the help of a friend, harassed me for months on deviantart about my crappy art and made personal attacks on me as a person. I was, I think, 14 at the time and they were an adult.
Now, I& #39;d like to tell you I ignored it and it didn& #39;t matter in the end, but it did matter. I did not pursue art. I didn& #39;t even try. I threw up my hands and said "I will never be good enough" and put all my energy into becoming a good writer instead.
That worked out nicely for me, I like writing a lot better, but the reason I like writing more than art is I have a trauma-link to art critique specifically because of this person. I gave up on getting better because this person& #39;s harassment and cruelty made me wary of real help.
My Pride is a nice treat because I get to draw again, but I didn& #39;t go to art school, never earnestly tried to get a job in visual art, never developed a desire to improve because it lost all the joy early on. Writing holds joy where art can& #39;t anymore.
Charitably, maybe people who are really hard on children& #39;s art think they& #39;re giving them "tough love" and making them better, but that is not the place of a stranger on the internet. I believe people who do this are power tripping and nothing more and shouldn& #39;t be tolerated.
Unless a child has asked you to help them improve their art, leave them alone, they& #39;re learning. They can improve when they& #39;re older but you will suck all the enjoyment out of art if you do this to a kid. This bully changed the course of my life and they have no idea.
That& #39;s why I don& #39;t mind if kids trace my art and I try to comment on every piece of fan art I get, because cultivating the joy of making art should always come first, especially when you& #39;re young. Once it& #39;s gone, it& #39;s gone, and that sucks and it& #39;s sad and shouldn& #39;t happen.
Phew ok, feels good to get that off my chest. Let me just close out by saying: be nice to kids online!!! Their brains are spongey and they will remember you forever if you& #39;re a dickhead!!
Here& #39;s a perfect video on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBsaJPkt2Q">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
