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Patience [opinion]
14 years ago
General
This is a journal that is highly critical of the current social climate within the furry fandom.
I've observed a few things about this fandom over the course of my tenure here. The priorities of the fandom seem to be set on creation and consumption. This draws heavily from the ideology of American culture of consumerism. What's missing from this fandom is the idea of saving and investment in the future. At times, this fandom drives me absolutely insane.
I've single-handedly watched people go through turmoil trying to maintain a lifestyle which is absolutely unsustainable. We're not all blessed liking what we do for a living. In some instances you have to do work now to supply and realize your dreams later. This idea seems lost in the fandom. Dismissing this argument means your lazy, unfit for society, and life. The world does not conform around you, don't expect it to. This ideology will result in your demise, thus, take caution.
I've seen journal after journal about being unable to afford "X, Y and Z". Before you go and commission or donate to someone, you have to consider your predicament and your situation. Will commissioning someone make it more unlikely to go to a con or get your computer replaced if it dies? Even worse: prevent the bills from being paid? These things need to be considered before you click that donate link. In some instances you should be mindful of yourself before being mindful of others. Generosity is good, but being cautious and aware of your own situation should take priority.
Multifaceted (n) - many-sided: having many aspects, abilities.
This is something we should live by. We should strive to learn and do as many things as we possibly can. Why? This creates importance and value. If you can do many things you're a more valuable person. If you're an artist, you should also be a designer. The two fields are close: art is creative and design is both creative and objective. Design is art but not all art is design.
Here's my scenario: I'm an industrial designer and graphic designer. This grants me multiple abilities. I can develop and solve problems through ideation, iteration and innovation. Conversely as a designer, I'm also granted the ability to be a product developer, marketer and project manager. HCI and Interface Designer are also applicable. I also have very good technical skills with CAD, Computers and some Programming. What does this allow me to do? I can now fit in several facets of careers, and I can maintain that career through my wide and varied skillset.
If you prescribe to the idea that being an artist will yield you money, you are mistaken. This profession is nothing like that of an engineering or information technology. Going to school for art does not change this fact. Art is a novelty, not a necessity. This is the idea that distinguishes designer from artist. The objective and problem solving nature of design allows for a more functional place in the greater part of society. If you're in art, you're doing it solely for passion, so don't complain when society won't allow for it through social Darwinism.
My philosophy has always been to save and create your own economic security. Once that security has been obtained, feel free to give and use money as you see fit while maintaining security.
Conclusion: Save money in anticipation of future problems. Resist the urge to spend unless needed. Commission people and donate when your not strapped for cash. Invest in your future and try to develop your skillset. Multifaceted = Good.
Patience is Rewarded
I've observed a few things about this fandom over the course of my tenure here. The priorities of the fandom seem to be set on creation and consumption. This draws heavily from the ideology of American culture of consumerism. What's missing from this fandom is the idea of saving and investment in the future. At times, this fandom drives me absolutely insane.
I've single-handedly watched people go through turmoil trying to maintain a lifestyle which is absolutely unsustainable. We're not all blessed liking what we do for a living. In some instances you have to do work now to supply and realize your dreams later. This idea seems lost in the fandom. Dismissing this argument means your lazy, unfit for society, and life. The world does not conform around you, don't expect it to. This ideology will result in your demise, thus, take caution.
I've seen journal after journal about being unable to afford "X, Y and Z". Before you go and commission or donate to someone, you have to consider your predicament and your situation. Will commissioning someone make it more unlikely to go to a con or get your computer replaced if it dies? Even worse: prevent the bills from being paid? These things need to be considered before you click that donate link. In some instances you should be mindful of yourself before being mindful of others. Generosity is good, but being cautious and aware of your own situation should take priority.
Multifaceted (n) - many-sided: having many aspects, abilities.
This is something we should live by. We should strive to learn and do as many things as we possibly can. Why? This creates importance and value. If you can do many things you're a more valuable person. If you're an artist, you should also be a designer. The two fields are close: art is creative and design is both creative and objective. Design is art but not all art is design.
Here's my scenario: I'm an industrial designer and graphic designer. This grants me multiple abilities. I can develop and solve problems through ideation, iteration and innovation. Conversely as a designer, I'm also granted the ability to be a product developer, marketer and project manager. HCI and Interface Designer are also applicable. I also have very good technical skills with CAD, Computers and some Programming. What does this allow me to do? I can now fit in several facets of careers, and I can maintain that career through my wide and varied skillset.
If you prescribe to the idea that being an artist will yield you money, you are mistaken. This profession is nothing like that of an engineering or information technology. Going to school for art does not change this fact. Art is a novelty, not a necessity. This is the idea that distinguishes designer from artist. The objective and problem solving nature of design allows for a more functional place in the greater part of society. If you're in art, you're doing it solely for passion, so don't complain when society won't allow for it through social Darwinism.
My philosophy has always been to save and create your own economic security. Once that security has been obtained, feel free to give and use money as you see fit while maintaining security.
Conclusion: Save money in anticipation of future problems. Resist the urge to spend unless needed. Commission people and donate when your not strapped for cash. Invest in your future and try to develop your skillset. Multifaceted = Good.
Patience is Rewarded
1) If you're doing a career because you want money first before passion/interest, then you will fail, this can be said to any job at all, that includes computers and design. Just because computers make more money, doesn't mean you will be safe.
2)I kinda disagree on the "Art is a novelty, not a necessity" part. It's 50/50, because some people were pre-destined into this talent from the beginning, before they stepped into this field (examples: John Lastter, Walt Disney, Butch Hartman, Don Bluth, ect), while others are not so lucky (but they succeed if they put passion/interest first before money later on).
Kinda like how my sister is destined to be a doctor in the near future, because she has this mindset from when she was a child that helping people in need comes first before monetary/personal gain (half of it also has to do with her religion)
Interesting journal topic
Every bit counts. Some artists do this, and they do it spectacularly.
Though, there are others who just can't find a break in life and well. It's either they drove themselves into that predicament, or are simply hard of luck finding the right hire.
You simply can't expect them to gain commonsense by picking up a philosophy.. What you say here is gonna stick to the people for 10 minutes, then it will be dropped again. After all it is something that has to be maintained, philosophies need polishing, care and energy to be kept in the shape they're in >-> Let them pick it up and see some OMG AWESOME ARTIST OFFERING COMMISSIONS and it'll go *poof* and disappear >:]
This particular system is self-feeding and I'd honestly like to see a sociologist or anthropologist's findings on this fandom. :x
A big part of the self-sustaining nature does seem to originate from the pr0n aspect though, or more specifically from a neverending stream of horny - thus even more weakminded - people that then keep sustaining that particular mindset :V Wonder what would happen if for a week no one would be horny, how the comments or journals would change :P
You, too, of course. That's part of what I've always liked about you. (:
I agree with you on a lot of things, but this is one things I have to vehemently disagree with. Commercial art (specifically, art for commercial entertainment) is a subset of both traditional art and design, and takes from both of them to create a field of both enviable freedom and challenge. Artists involved in games, movies, and the like use their considerable visual vocabulary to express their personal take on a prescribed concept. While they're limited by the needs of their client or superiors, I can't imagine that they walk away from any one task without several solutions to their design problem, and at least a couple that speak to them, personally, on either a visceral or profound level.
Truthfully, if you're not lifting something, planting something, digging something up, or cutting something down, you're [i]probably[/] not in an industry that is actually "productive." (The ultimate test: "If the bombs drop tomorrow, will they need me for the first decade or so?") I feel like most people in SERVICE industries that look at people they perceive as unproductive with disdain often need to take a step back and realize where, exactly, they fit in the scheme of things.
I would argue that they're being used as designers, even if they're called concept artists. It really depends on the use and function they're being employed for. In essence you described to me my position. Instead of drawing characters and environments, I'm drawing products and interfaces. Artist leans toward creative, designer leans toward function, however there is convergence that happens once you're inside a commercial entity.
I don't think I'm too far off, but my positioning of that statement shouldn't have been so general in scope.
[Apparently I wasn't Replying to you... wtf FA]
I just feel like you're classifying people based on a distinction that isn't directly applicable. With artists, the ones who've always been successful have never been the, "La di da, I'm an ARTEEEST!" types. Even now, and back when that ideal was beginning to be en vogue, most of those guys were unsuccessful (and the ones that made it drugged themselves into depression and death). You always have/have had/will have to be fleet-footed with your trade. I just don't think it matters much what specific "job" you have as long as you're pragmatic, hard-working, and sensible. Passion was what kept you going when you had 2 hours of sleep and a nobleman breathing down your neck and you just really, really, didn't give a shit about making sure his rosy cheeks were just-so; it may have even been why you chose that path in the first place; but unless you're completely stupid, you realize that you have to make concessions to keep food on the table.
Then again, if you're just that fucking good (at art and at marketing yourself), then this doesn't apply to you (nebulous "you") and hopefully you won't overdose on that speedball tonight.
[Sorry for the text wall; I just get fed up with how disrespected artists are by the more technical professions. Some are indeed really fucking stupid, but I know I, and quite a few of my peers, are pretty goddamned intelligent (if uneducated), and that fact is in no way lessened because of the career path we chose.] [And I'm also a bit fed-up with people in service industries looking down on the unemployed. If someone is lazy, then that's different; but most people simply aren't, and their predicament was as much a product of chance as anything else. While, unless you're self-employed or working for the government, you're pretty much on the same level of "expendable" as everyone else; so, to take your job and to use it as an excuse to lecture the downtrodden... Not only is it insulting, since very few people in this country actually do anything of indispensable worth, but they're also doing a disservice to themselves by letting the delusion that they're somehow more able or qualified cloud the truth of the matter, which is that all it takes is a bad few quarters for the pink slips to start flowing.]
*breathes*
tl;dr You don't really have to read this. x3
I was a digital press operator / graphic designer for a good 5 years. Love the industry but unfortunately my employers were almost always asking me for more while decidedly paying less.
Point is, I can totally see how art turns into a novelty after doing this sort of stuff for a while. Its good to know another feels the same hah.
These days are spent flexing legal prowess as a paralegal for the court, which was a very quick 180 from what I was doing.. but it comes to my next quick point, seems like alot of furries and artists are inflexible and unwilling to try new things, just artartartartart... Or computerscomputerscomputers.. then complain when they waste 4-5 years of their life and have debt and work at subway to show for it. Flexibility and ability to change into something completely different seems to be a big lacking quality with most these days, along with an unwillingness to put effort into something after being kicked down. Lifed tough like that.