don't read if you don't like giant rants
THE "WHO IS WRITING" CODE
Z: Hi, today I'd like to address the topic of small artists, (underrated artists) not getting the recognition they deserve and validation they deserve. Artists should support other artists, but of all the time I've been here, with my older accounts and everything. I have NOT seen a deviant with a lot of watchers help a underrated deviant before. I did see that once, and that was my first commission, after that that was completely it, the only help I got after that was me asking for help.
O: The only time a more popular artist has helped me was a commission (a cheap one). The only two commissions I've ever gotten were from screaming at my friends. If the more popular people aren't going to help smaller artists, how the hell are we supposed to get popular?
Z: So, I think us smaller artists should stand up for ourselves, and actually get the recognition we deserve. I'm sick and tired of the people who kiss more popular artists' asses for promotion of their artwork (though it probably feels like the only way, that needs to END), I'm sick of these deity-like people who don't help anybody at all. We need to be recognized. We need to be validated. We need to be equal. People have gone through emotional stress because their friends have dA and love their art, but haven't even watched back the emotionally stressed deviant. I've gone through validation issues because when my commissions where priced, nobody would buy my art, hell, now even that they're FREE, I only got two in queue by screaming at my friends to commission me. I know this can make me seem like a bad person, but here's a concept, I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF I DO AT THIS POINT, I JUST WANT ME AND MY ART TO BE VALIDATED. Sorry if I seem angry, it's because I am. Most of these groups that have the message that "Where smaller artists get watchers" or something on the lines of that don't work, it's just another "post anything" group. Trust me, I've been in like 20 on my older accounts. THEY DON'T WORK. As I said before, us underrated, smaller artists, should get together and demand recognition.
O: Here we have the other writer. I've joined a lot of those "get watchers!" groups, and they've done nothing for me. I honestly had pretty high expectations for dA, because two really wonderful people had just randomly given me core (yeah I'm lucky). The only thing that's gotten me watchers is the occasional watch back if I watch someone, or comment on art.
Z: It's like we have to compliment someone, which is perfectly fine, to get a watch. We should get watches because of our art.
So, please, can we all get the recognition we deserve, can we get the validation we deserve. Can we?
O: I have a lot of self-esteem issues, mostly not about my art. This bullshit adds to the pile of things I hate about myself, and it's a really big pile. I'm sure other people are going through similar situations. Validation is helpful, whether it's just cheering you up on a bad day or a major self-esteem boost. But the only ones who get that validation are the popular artists. Give people who aren't god-like artists a chance too.
Z: We exist too, we need validation just like the popular artists. We need recognition. We need, kindness, we need actual people liking us for us and our art. It's not right that I basically have to kiss somebody's ass until I become validated. It's not right and it's not how dA should function.
O: But now you say, "Oh!!!111!1 You should draw because you like drawing, not to get popular!!11!!1!"
Well, I'm not going to deny there's some truth to this. You shouldn't only draw to get popular. But, sometimes if we don't get validation we start to feel pretty bad about our art and may even quit.
Z: For an example, I draw because I love drawing, but I want people to love my drawings too. If there's no validation, then I don't feel like drawing since I'm starting to dislike my art, and nobody else seems to care about my art. If you say "OMG U ATTENTION WHORE 1 ! !", that just makes dA seem even worse. We should be a community that validates everyone, no matter how little the amount of watchers. All I'm saying, all we're saying is that we should all be validated, especially the ones struggling to be validated or even seen by deviants.
O: I have 120-something watchers, and I'm pretty sure less than 10 of them actually care about my art. If more cared, maybe I wouldn't be angry and writing this!
Z: I have 30, and most of them are ghost watchers, meaning that they just watch me to watch me, which is still validation, but still. Only 5-10 of my watchers actually CARE about my art, and those people are friends from wikia.
So, can we all recognize each other, and make dA a sanctuary where less popular artists can actually get recognition, the validation they deserve.
O: Tl;dr? Basically, let non-popular artists get validation. We really need it.
