In case you're concerned about my latest journal because we have an art trade going, don't worry, I still plan on finishing it. I'm not an ungrateful dick, and I honor my promises.


If you have a request, though, you better give me some incentive quick because I sure as hell am not going to do anything for free from now on.

Dang. :C

I wish I could help somehow. Focus on RL, get enough cash to GTFO, and then do so. Thats my advice.

What's stoppin ye from makin what ye want to?
FA isn't chiefly some kind of transaction floor fer Ol'Squeaks; its a place he puts up what he cares to when he does.
Sorry fer harassin ye by the by ^^;
The Capn' should indeed think on the conditions of someone before he leaps in with a smarmy statement.
In the future he'll enjoy yer work he does so an jus sidestep those pieces that might raise his dander.
He hopes he hasn' contributed to yer unhappiness.
FA, like Facebook, like DA has it's share of trolls, but at the end it should be a playground to relax, not an inbox :/

I wish you the best Rykela. I do apologize for what's happened, even if I wasn't the cause of it. I respect your wished, and hope that everything gets better for you.

agreed!! *hugs tight!*

Thank you. *hugs back*

I think it might be your best choose to take care for yourself in first and second line. And people should accept it when you dont feel like doing this or that. Escpally your friends should have that much understanding to give you the room/space/time you need. And if people only talk to you because they need something from you, well those people arent friends at all in my oppinion.

I also would suggest to not care much about comments and fav counts here on FA, the way it runs here is greatly unfair, popufurs geting there asses worshiped while normal folks like you or me are greatly ignored. I would suggest you to do here the same as elsewhere, aka do your thing... if someone else likes or enjoys what you do, GREAT, if not, who cares! You should do it for yourself not the others. To aviod this stress. That why I think beeing a bit 'selfish' might be a good thing to get you back on your own path.

At last I hope that you can soon feel better this way.

Having fun should be everyone's main goal, not exhausting yourself for others. Your well-being goes first.

I hope you'll feel better soon, dear. Try to relax the best you can and don't worry about others.

*hugs tightly and nuzzles* I'm sorry that all of this happened to you. I hope things get better for you, and if you ever need someone to talk to, you know how to reach me.

Wowzers. D:

You're not the only one who's been harassed by RPers. Hell, I have a warning on my profile that I have a master, and people seem to ignore that. That's why when I'm on, I have a status that says "Only online for my master" or "only online for *name*". If people ignore that and message me, I can just ignore them for their rudeness.

That said, I'm happy to hear that you're taking control. You need to focus on yourself, not on other people.

I just wish you didn't worry so much about views and faves and comments. I'm usually lucky when my stories get more than 300 views, more than 2 faves, and any comments. Just let things flow and draw for your own pleasure, not for the views. You'll be a lot happier if you do that.

Poor dear :<

*hugs* Did something happen just today? You seemed so happy and friendly yesterday... :<
It is good to hear that you're going to stand up to whatever and whoever is trying to keep you from success though.

I hope you feel better soon :<

I'm sorry to hear how bad things are going for you. There isn't much I can do from the opposite side of the world, but I wish you luck and hope things will get better for you very soon. You should do what you think is best for you and not what others force you to do what you don't want to.

FA -is- full of scum. However, it's also full of wonderful, kind, nice people. Just like everything in the world, it's a mix up, and who you run into one way or the other can make all the difference.

I'm sorry if you feel this way because of anything I've done. I owe you a trade, and I have no intention of reneging on it, believe me.

It has nothing to do with you, believe me. I'm just stressed out...

I don't mind waiting on your story at all - I feel the wait makes it even more worth it.

*gives you a tight hug* if you ever want a conversation, let me know :3 I'm happy to be an ear for you.

And I totally get you on the RP front, it's why I stopped pretty much with people who I don't get to know first.

*hugs*

Well, unfortunately, I have class in about half an hour. I'm also kind of really sick. X3

But once I heal up I'll sure talk to ya. I just thought I should re-assure y'all. You're a great guy and a good friend.

Right back at you ^^ Try and enjoy class as much as possible ^^

Well, right now it's more like, "try and not to collapse from physical exhaustion and illness in the middle of class," for me. XP

Regarding artwork, that should be a basic rule - draw what YOU want to draw, and only take on whatever commissions/trades/whatever that you are comfortable doing. If you're not happy, then that will often show in your (not yours personally, just the generic artist's) work, and that's not good for anybody.

I hope you are getting better, and I do still care. *Hug*

My advice is to pick a day or two in the week where you don't fire up Y or Skype and just focus on work.
Either that or find privacy options to appear offline but to a select few.
A third way is an alternate account only a few should know about.

Just my two cents :)

I might be a bit of a lurker but I do like your art and how it's improving. Keep up the good work and good luck :)

as nadeena told you before you should focus on yourself more, you push yourself too much into others. i hope that now you got a firm decision, i care about you and i don't want to see you like this

I loved and appreciated the artwork you did for me, but I recognize what you're going through.

Pull up, pull back, step back, push away. You're addicted to the internet, specifically the drugs of Online Social Interaction and Online Community Participation. When you no longer feel pleasure and fun for doing these activities, it's just like no longer getting high off a drug - you keep doing it because if you don't, you feel /worse/. In this case you'd feel worse because you imagine people will get upset at you. The awful truth is that in the Furry community, that's more or less /true/.

Which means you need to step back and take a hard look at yourself and what you're doing, where you're spending your time and energy, and especially what is happening to your /physical/ body.

The best way to pull back from Furry and Online is to ridicule it. Don't deny that you feel jealousy or anger for reason X or reason Y; instead ask yourself "Would I pity someone that gets jealous for this reason?" Find the part of you that says "Hell NO I am NOT going to be that kind of person!" and latch onto him. That part of you will help you pull yourself out of this emotional trap.

A friendship based on sex, art and social status is not a healthy friendship. You need to think about the people you know and communicate with and ask yourself "Why are they my friend?" Is it because they give you a boner, is it because they have high social status among others that give you a boner, or some other 'poor quality' reason? Find the friends that are your actual /friends/, that you share not just common interests but actually spend time together doing things /other/ than Furry or Sex related stuff.

It isn't about disconnecting. It's about changing who you are, to become someone better. To become who you want to be. It may take pain and hardship and you may pine for things to return to the 'happy' ways of the past, until you realize that you weren't happy in the first place.

"I will RP when I want to RP, with who I want to RP. If you so much as say hello without being invited I will fucking block your ass and never speak to you again. If I want to RP I will come to you, and if I "poof" without saying goodbye it's because I've enjoyed myself, had my fill, and now it's time to get on with my day."

I realize you're stressed. I realize this was written out of anger. However, also realize the person on the other side is actually a person as well, just as much a person worthy of respect. Don't treat him or her like a toy. Don't be a dick.

Is that harsh? Yes it is. Yes, maybe that's what you don't want to hear right now, but I don't want you going down the road to total self-centeredness. You might feel that right now you compromise too much, you do too much, you say yes too much. That's fine, and there's no problem pulling back, committing to less. Life is all about not being able to do everything you really want to do. But the solution to that is not to become totally selfish either. Being kind and understanding does not mean you have to let people walk all over you, and your challenge is to find that middle ground.

Instead say, "Hey man, sorry, I have to go now. Maybe we can get together again another time?" That's all you need, it just takes a moment. If they flail and say "nooo!" or guilt trip you or get abusive, THAT'S the point at which you can say fuck'em. Because at that point you did your part, you were the one showing courtesy. If they can't do the same, then that's someone you shouldn't associate with. You can walk away knowing you are the better person. If you just walk away and say nothing, the other person is the one wondering, waiting for you, hoping in vain. You are not the better person in that case, and you should feel shame if you do that. It's a good feeling. It tells you it's time to find another way.

Remember when I said life is about not doing everything you want to do? I faced something like that in college. I used to work with raptors. Real raptors. Owls, eagles, hawks. I worked in rehabilitation. Sometimes I would have an 18" hawk on the glove, on my fist, right next to my face. There was one lovely hawk who would sometime spread his wing to soak up the sun, and the feathertips would brush my face. There was no feeling quite like having such a beautiful, powerful, wild creature like a hawk right on top you, knowing he is in tune with you and somehow trusts you. Of course, I had to do nasty things too. Chopping rats in half to feed to the rehab birds. Gassing young mice with CO, pulling the skin off, and grinding everything, skulls, bones, and all into paste in a mortar and pestle so I could feed the ugly, bloody mess to baby marsh hawks who gave the most adorable trills of happiness as they ate the stuff. I had thoughts and plans of being a falconer.

But that wasn't my school life or professional life. I had a full-time class schedule. I had a part-time computer-related job (my major was computer engineering). And I had work with the raptors. I just felt stretched in too many directions. I couldn't do it all. I couldn't be social. I entertained thoughts of suicide.

The hardest decision I've ever made in my life was the one where I walked away from the Raptor Center. I left that world behind me. I couldn't have it all.
I don't know if you're facing that sort of a choice yet. But you may have to decide that you can't do everything. You just don't have the time. And you have to focus on what is important.

Good luck, and give me a squeeze any time you need it.

Let me just say that you have a good point. I did write this in blinding anger. But what I honestly said what I feel - I'm the kind of person who feels guilty and horrible if I tell someone "no," or if I cannot accomodate them. I am a doormat.

It's not you. You did nothing wrong. In fact the issue is with only a few people... But it's bad enough that I felt I had to take a stand.

I'm going to try to quit RPing for awhile. It's no fun anymore, and people take advantage of my willingness to give them what they want.

I have folks who bother me every time I log in, then post two-line responses when I agree to play.

I have folks who make me participate in fetishes I'm uncomfortable with, like watersports and gore, just so they can enjoy themselves.

I have been asked for free art many, many times. Someone has been bugging me to draw them an entire comic for over a year - I actually WANT to, but I simply don't have the time, and I have no idea how to tell them no.

Thanks for the heads-up.

I'll have someone else review my stories, though I can still give you a preview if desired.

Not sure who to ask yet, though.

*pats* I'll draw your fetish, just lemme know what ya like.

I don't RP for that very reason. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and proclaim nice and loudly that you've had enough! And I do know how you feel regarding the popular artists. I intentionally don't watch them for that reason. We lesser known types need to stick together. To me, it's tolerable when I don't get any notices from popular artists and their content. But this is Jaeh though. He draws everything you see in his Gallery, not buys them.

I only meant... Well, regarding Jaeh, I felt it was unfair someone was able to have the money to commission him and I didn't despite all the crap I go through...

*sigh*

Wow i can understand your frustration but i didn't know things were so harsh. still i think i can understand where you're coming from. i've pretty much give up on visual art i don't have the skill for it and i have a hard time getting time to write between work and everything else. i don't think i've Rp in a year or more. heh Rp used to be the inspiration for a lot of my writing. still if you feel the need to Vent or to stop with the art then we understand.