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What do you want to see? [cont]
4 weeks ago
So I've gotten a series of responses to the last journal, and it appears that the consensus is "more of the same."
Guys, I've got some bad news for you: the same ain't working.
I've spent way too much of my life on this weird little subniche of a niche and have nothing to show for it. FurAffinity is easily my most active means of engagement and after 20 years of using the site, I've only got 1500 followers. It's really poor form to complain about lack of engagement, I know, but am stumped and looking for answers. I've built no network, I have no peers, I have no growth. My artwork does not resonate with people well, nor have I been able to get any kind of comprehensive feedback on how to do that. I have no idea how to sell myself. I've been in a dead-end artistically for decades and I don't know where to go from here. I feel it is a credit to my willpower to have stuck with art as long as I have for as little reward I've gotten out of it, but it is also proof that willpower alone isn't enough. This needs to change, and soon.
This isn't to say that I don't enjoy doing wrestling erotica work. Getting some enjoyment out of producing this kind of art has helped carry me as long as I have gone. Yet, it isn't the only thing I've ever wanted to do artistically. It's fun, but it is aesthetically junk food. It is not my ambition to be the Eric Stanton of the furry community. Moreover, it prevents me from being to branch out in other directions. If I, say, want to get an actual paying job doing art, it doesn't feel great that my portfolio is all animal people committing sexualized assault on each other. It's not a good look to people who it doesn't specifically appeal to.
Of course, this is all..."fine"...when I had a source of income to get by. I don't have that anymore, and I am feeling the pain of not having kind of real development over the years. You guys haven't been supporting me; this isn't an accusation, just a statement of fact. I can't realistically make a living off of you the way things are. There either needs to be a massive expansion of my base, or I'll need to get more aggressive about monetizing my work, which I hate the thought of and can also stifle my chances at growing. The fact that payment processors have gotten much more aggressive about policing content also imperils any chance of making a living off of continuing making this kind of art.
I simply don't have the time or the energy to keep doing this. I'm seeing younger artists sail past me while I keep spinning my wheels. I need something different now, right now.
Guys, I've got some bad news for you: the same ain't working.
I've spent way too much of my life on this weird little subniche of a niche and have nothing to show for it. FurAffinity is easily my most active means of engagement and after 20 years of using the site, I've only got 1500 followers. It's really poor form to complain about lack of engagement, I know, but am stumped and looking for answers. I've built no network, I have no peers, I have no growth. My artwork does not resonate with people well, nor have I been able to get any kind of comprehensive feedback on how to do that. I have no idea how to sell myself. I've been in a dead-end artistically for decades and I don't know where to go from here. I feel it is a credit to my willpower to have stuck with art as long as I have for as little reward I've gotten out of it, but it is also proof that willpower alone isn't enough. This needs to change, and soon.
This isn't to say that I don't enjoy doing wrestling erotica work. Getting some enjoyment out of producing this kind of art has helped carry me as long as I have gone. Yet, it isn't the only thing I've ever wanted to do artistically. It's fun, but it is aesthetically junk food. It is not my ambition to be the Eric Stanton of the furry community. Moreover, it prevents me from being to branch out in other directions. If I, say, want to get an actual paying job doing art, it doesn't feel great that my portfolio is all animal people committing sexualized assault on each other. It's not a good look to people who it doesn't specifically appeal to.
Of course, this is all..."fine"...when I had a source of income to get by. I don't have that anymore, and I am feeling the pain of not having kind of real development over the years. You guys haven't been supporting me; this isn't an accusation, just a statement of fact. I can't realistically make a living off of you the way things are. There either needs to be a massive expansion of my base, or I'll need to get more aggressive about monetizing my work, which I hate the thought of and can also stifle my chances at growing. The fact that payment processors have gotten much more aggressive about policing content also imperils any chance of making a living off of continuing making this kind of art.
I simply don't have the time or the energy to keep doing this. I'm seeing younger artists sail past me while I keep spinning my wheels. I need something different now, right now.
Some advice I can offer if it helps. Maybe try to expand into different genres like perhaps sci-fi or steampunk, give you a chance to flex your artistic muscles on something outside your wheelhouse. I know you're out of a job right now, and the job market is in an abysmal state at the moment, but try to seek out a new one ASAP, because a stable source of income helps especially during dry spells in the creative field which can be unstable such as YouTube.
Because something that i have seen, is that people can get away with outrageous prices if they have content that is sufficiently adult. I know of a few people, who are talented af, but 100 USD for one image is unrealistic (for me). But many are willing and do pay that price.
I stayed shut before because I wasnt sure that you would want to make what is essentially porn; but I will say that thats what sells the most. What is says about us humans is something I dont want to think about lol, but yeah. That and higher levels of violence. I am not saying make it gory with intestines spilling out and stuff, but yeah. More beatings and one sided fights, more damage, more domination etc. And paywall that stuff. I shouldn't be saying it since I myself cant really afford to buy such things right now 😶, but that is where the bulk of money is. A few teasers and small free stuff here and there will keep the interest and curiousity of your fanbase intact, but mostly keep "the good stuff" behind payment tiers and stuff.
Also, try collaborating with other artists. That will introduce more people to your content and will thus increase your fanbase.
I dom't know if this long winded spiel will be of any use to you. But frankly, this and moral support is all I can give you right now.