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Not feeling part of the community.
3 years ago
Hey all!
I don't usually post journals that much, if at all. I usually just post commissions I get and reply to comments occasionally but this thought has been on my mind for the last few months and didn't really know how to share my thoughts other than making a journal like this.
If you're following me just for the cool commissions I get then feel free to ignore this and go along with your day! But if you'd like to engage with my thoughts, then have at it!
Anyways. I'm a pretty reserved person in general so that might be a part of the problem to start but I feel it goes a bit deeper than that. In short, I just don't feel like I belong. I don't enjoy the same things that people do on these websites. I don't really fit in the "Furry" community. It's strange because I really enjoy some of the most common fetish stuff such as paws, micro/macro and vore. Those are like, the core three almost when it comes to it... but maybe it's because I'm picky, or just that I'm not really into the same sorts of things concerning those topics? It's hard to say.
I'm part of several discords that are big into those topics and I just, I don't connect with anyone when it comes to the same things that I enjoy. I like ferals a lot, but I also love cool characters from movies or video games but when it comes to popular things or what the community is INTO, that's when it's just not for me.
It's hard to explain, and it might stem from just not being the biggest fan of most anthro characters in general... maybe it's the human bodyshape that throws me off the most, or humanlike hands, but there's definitely something not clicking for me that's definitely clicking for the rest of the community. Maybe it's people or artists putting so much detail into the paws or maws that they are working on. I'm someone who really appreciates a simplistic approach when it comes to a lot of that stuff. I love paw and maw art from people who aren't even paw / vore artists for peat's sake! More than I do for specific paw or vore artists!
Now. This is fine. I accept being different! Everyone is different and has their own likes and dislikes. I'm totally cool with that.
It just hurts a bit. Just hurts to not really feel like I belong. Not able to enjoy and converse with people on said things because I don't want to say how I really feel. I feel like I'm in my own subset community that doesn't exist and I'm the only member.
And it's only pounded more and more into my head that I don't belong when I struggle to get commissions from artists that I love. A lot of these artists run Artist's Choice commission rounds, and those artists will choose between a batch of requests they receive.
I am almost never chosen for those and a lot of my favorite artists have moved away from FCFS to the Artist's Choice option.
And I get it, I really do. They just want to draw the stuff they love and want to be able to pick what they draw, but it just reinforces more and more that I don't belong. That my interests don't line up with anyone at all. It gets me thinking... what am I doing wrong? Do they hate my mostly feral characters or feral character suggestions? Do they hate my idea because it's more of a simplistic approach or not what the community usually suggests?
I'm not trying to make this sound like a "Wah! I wasn't chosen for anything and now I'm babby!" I'm more just trying to illustrate that I feel my interests aren't in line with the Furry community, or any community for that matter and I suppose I was just hoping there was some sort of answer other than "Deal with it."
And I wanted to hear thoughts of the people who DO watch me! You seem to enjoy most of the commissions I get. Do any of you struggle with this? Or do you feel like you have your own place in the community, that you are able to enjoy the same things that everyone else seems to.
Thanks for reading!
I don't usually post journals that much, if at all. I usually just post commissions I get and reply to comments occasionally but this thought has been on my mind for the last few months and didn't really know how to share my thoughts other than making a journal like this.
If you're following me just for the cool commissions I get then feel free to ignore this and go along with your day! But if you'd like to engage with my thoughts, then have at it!
Anyways. I'm a pretty reserved person in general so that might be a part of the problem to start but I feel it goes a bit deeper than that. In short, I just don't feel like I belong. I don't enjoy the same things that people do on these websites. I don't really fit in the "Furry" community. It's strange because I really enjoy some of the most common fetish stuff such as paws, micro/macro and vore. Those are like, the core three almost when it comes to it... but maybe it's because I'm picky, or just that I'm not really into the same sorts of things concerning those topics? It's hard to say.
I'm part of several discords that are big into those topics and I just, I don't connect with anyone when it comes to the same things that I enjoy. I like ferals a lot, but I also love cool characters from movies or video games but when it comes to popular things or what the community is INTO, that's when it's just not for me.
It's hard to explain, and it might stem from just not being the biggest fan of most anthro characters in general... maybe it's the human bodyshape that throws me off the most, or humanlike hands, but there's definitely something not clicking for me that's definitely clicking for the rest of the community. Maybe it's people or artists putting so much detail into the paws or maws that they are working on. I'm someone who really appreciates a simplistic approach when it comes to a lot of that stuff. I love paw and maw art from people who aren't even paw / vore artists for peat's sake! More than I do for specific paw or vore artists!
Now. This is fine. I accept being different! Everyone is different and has their own likes and dislikes. I'm totally cool with that.
It just hurts a bit. Just hurts to not really feel like I belong. Not able to enjoy and converse with people on said things because I don't want to say how I really feel. I feel like I'm in my own subset community that doesn't exist and I'm the only member.
And it's only pounded more and more into my head that I don't belong when I struggle to get commissions from artists that I love. A lot of these artists run Artist's Choice commission rounds, and those artists will choose between a batch of requests they receive.
I am almost never chosen for those and a lot of my favorite artists have moved away from FCFS to the Artist's Choice option.
And I get it, I really do. They just want to draw the stuff they love and want to be able to pick what they draw, but it just reinforces more and more that I don't belong. That my interests don't line up with anyone at all. It gets me thinking... what am I doing wrong? Do they hate my mostly feral characters or feral character suggestions? Do they hate my idea because it's more of a simplistic approach or not what the community usually suggests?
I'm not trying to make this sound like a "Wah! I wasn't chosen for anything and now I'm babby!" I'm more just trying to illustrate that I feel my interests aren't in line with the Furry community, or any community for that matter and I suppose I was just hoping there was some sort of answer other than "Deal with it."
And I wanted to hear thoughts of the people who DO watch me! You seem to enjoy most of the commissions I get. Do any of you struggle with this? Or do you feel like you have your own place in the community, that you are able to enjoy the same things that everyone else seems to.
Thanks for reading!
I enjoy having different interests and putting out thoughts/ideas/commissions and such of things that I think deserve it but I think it's been just too much of a double edged sword lately and just rough for me to really jive with most the different communities around here.
It might just be how it is, I suppose =p
And it really is ^^ I have had these moments where I have questioned myself about my choice of species rather than what forms I am for a submission, cuz I'm aware that people enjoy my anthro more, but for me. I enjoy both of then equally ^^ I actually had my feral before someone drew my anthro a few years after x3
So I guess we both stand out like a sore thumb, but it doesn't mean we should be ashamed of this <x3
Ah well!
I myself, absolutely adore both anthro and feral content equally, especially your works, and of course i'm not alone in this. As you also said, always stick to what you love x3
Part of the feeling is being a part of a bunch of different discords and just not being into any of the themes, or art or kink talk that happens in them. It always makes me feel like I don't belong because I don't enjoy the same sorts of things that everyone else in the community does. People ask me "Are you a Furry?" And how do I even respond? I barely enjoy any of the things that regular Furries do.
Maybe I'm too stubborn. Maybe too picky with things. But at the same time I really just want to be myself. I don't want to lie to make friends or give myself a false illusion of feeling a part of something.
Even if you don't feel too close to the community, know that you'll always have a place in it, and that your interests are surely not as uncommon as you may think <3
Anyways, thanks for reading and your comment! I appreciate the support and your thoughts! <3
Thanks for your support and for reading!
Ferals need more love for sure!
And I know there are feral enthusiasts out there as well, but I feel like it goes a bit beyond that sometimes.
In terms of the "feral community" I feel like I might have some disconnect as well. I've browsed around and checked out a ton of other people who enjoy feral stuff, but it seems like a lot of them enjoy NSFW stuff with feral characters.
Not saying they ALL do, but I've definitely noticed a trend in that regard and I can say that I'm really not into NSFW stuff, though I'm guessing you could already have guessed that since none of the commissions I get have that, haha!
Here's a watch+ for you!
I am sorry you feel left out but I have to say there may be a simple answer. The furry community is vast, furry Discord servers many, I think you just have not found the right ones yet and you should network with friends and followers so they can, like an Indian guide, part the bushes and show you a place you walked right by without knowing it was where you needed to be all along.
Know that you are a value to the community. I have been there myself wondering where my place was in it having come from furry comics rather than just online and only recently decided to buy art to fill my gallery, making real friends along the way and finding that the best advice can come from the most unexpected places.
Another strong reason, is the elephant in the room; that people can be turned away or uncomfortable due to it being too similar to actual feral animals in real-life, that some of us actually have as pets.
Leading outsiders from the feral community tend to think Zoophilia or Beastiality most times and is understandable.
There are people(like myself) that can separate between a fantasy-drawn intelligent feral and a animal in real life. I actually can enjoy feral stuff almost just as much as anthro, but I would be lying if I said I haven't came across some instances of wandering where I should draw the line towards some content/pics that can be more comparable to realistic animals.
There is a plethora of people that are into feral mainly and so I don't really believe it's a minority as much as you would say. There is for sure a lot more in the anthro community, but honestly it may be a blessing the feral community doesn't have as much.
Most people I came across that are feral, I usually always have a good experience with them.
Anthro however, it's such a mix bag and in most cases, you're left with someone extremely toxic.
So I wouldn't really bother, as I don't think you're missing too much.
If people don't like the feral stuff, it's just their loss, right? More for us! I wouldn't worry too much about it, though what NeoVid said above me is absolutely true for me sometimes as well.
If you want, I can point you in the direction of some artists that both draw feral, and are not artist's choice, or at least the ones I've done business with.
But, I hope you, myself, and any others reading this ti not be pushed away by this factor, but to instead be part of a drive to popularize it and give is some spotlight. I have been working my ass off and once my art gets to a much higher quality than it is now.
I will try my hardest to make this a norm and I hope you do too.