Community: A Rant

I try not to rant in my journal at dA, partly because more people are likely to read whatever I write there, but mainly because I spend forever on my normal journal entries and hunting down features, and they're getting a week of screentime dammit. So ranting goes here instead.

Though a thread at EL was the straw that broke the camels back as it were, this is a rant that has been building from the very first day I joined deviantART. I'm tired of having this argument over and over in group threads and chatrooms.

I can't go anywhere online without tripping over something fantastic that blows my mind and challenges my preconceptions and makes me think in new ways. And given that the Internet is lousy with great art, this leads me to believe that maybe great art isn't what makes deviantART special. Yeah, the art IS great and all, but great art is fucking everywhere. And all I have to do is pull up a tab. But nowhere - NOWHERE else has such a varied, spastic, insane, supportive, encouraging, enraging, engaging, hilarious, and AWESOME community as dA.

I never expected anything of myself. I was another kid who liked art and decided to give writing a try. But some kind souls out there did expect something, because they took the time to point out what a crap writer I was and how I could be better. I took their advice and I'm still taking it every day. You are never too good to stop improving. You are never too good not to take criticism, no matter who gives it.

I don't want faves. I don't want silence. I want artists to get out there with their art and meet people and teach them what you know and let them teach you in return. I want artists to offer support and don't offer compliments if they don't mean them and tell someone when they're doing it wrong but don't be a dick about it either and keep improving and never fucking stop.

dA is an art community. We've all got the first part down pat - how about promoting the other half a little more?