Deviant Art Contest?

Awe, I could do this.

Geeze… one of the people in the comments apparently doesn’t like furries. 🙁 Why do we get such a bad rap anyway. I wouldn’t really call myself a full blown furry, but I do have some cosplay related fursuits. *shrug* I get SO MUCH hate mail. It’s ridiculous.

I honestly don’t think it would be too bad if the art that Those Artists crank out wasn’t hypertrophied, freakish, fetishist nonsense. Or worse. With those artists, it’s never just normal…er…piano playing.

Or something.

tdm

Sent you a PM, TDM.

Okay! Three things. 🙂

1. Phoenix: Please make sure your daughter doesn’t feel bad. She is getting a huge response so far– no really, it’s a really good response. These types of contests generally only appeal to hobbyist artists (I can explain why if you’d like!), and there is no reason she should feel bad about the turnout she’s getting. Really! 🙂

2. There are weird people into things that are disturbing to others in all walks of life. There are people that are into strange, unmentionable stuff in every corner. No, really; anything you can name is out there (and worse) and it is not limited to one group or fandom. Anime, sci-fi, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Furry, TV sitcoms, Mythbusters– seriously! People can be weird about anything out there. Just use caution when exploring different corners of the internet and if you don’t care for it, turn away. I think some groups get a worse rep than others merely because they are visual about it whereas others tend to dwell more in the lands of fanfiction and private chats and such. Sites such as DA and FA have a mature filter for a reason; I employ mine to great effect and never see the stuff I don’t want to.
It’s a far worse crime to lump everyone together than to deal with people for what they are– individuals. 🙂

3. Remember this is a family forum, and remember what this topic is about. In this case, please do stay on topic. For Phoenix’s daughter’s sake!

Phoenix,

Oh no! I see. I will make a confession. I am 29 but I remember my teen years very clearly and remember what I went though. Though everyone is different, I can empathize with your daughter very much. I used to feel very alone and also drew very emotionally provocative artworks as a way to ‘vent’ or release my feelings. Many of the same things, with characters that were wounded or obviously very sad/depressed. Often alongside lyrics that I found myself being emotionally tied to. School can be a cruel place for teens, especially if you feel as if you don’t fit in or are an outcast (the irony being that later on, we find out that most of our classmates also felt that they were outcasts too, even if we viewed them as not being so!). It’s very easy to feel lonely and as if no one understands. Funny enough, my loneliness started easing, as did my depression, when I first got on the internet at age 15. I suddenly found people that I could fit in with and that listened to me. I had friends! It helped a lot.

The internet is a different place now, where there are just as many people ready to ‘troll’ you as there are friendly types. It’s very easy for kids to bully each other online– even easier than doing it in person, and it’s become a very real problem. It’s important that youths like your daughter understand that internet popularity is the same as ‘in person’ popularity; it’s superficial and even popular people online can feel lonely if none of their fans are actually friends. Encourage the idea that one good friendship is worth more than gold, and certainly worth more than popularity! This was a lesson I wished I had learned earlier in life.

It is very much okay for you to be worried. Just look for signs in her behavior that might indicate a more serious problem. If you can, read up on the signs of long-term depression so that you can recognize if she is experiencing enough distress to cause herself harm. Don’t be afraid to talk to her, but realize that if she is anything like most teens she will probably be embarrassed and not want to talk about such things (I was this way). Be supportive; you are already more supportive than many moms (no offense to them) by supporting her in thing such as this! If you ever want to chat you are welcome to email me. 🙂