last spring i decided to go on a trip this week, thinking I'd be in a better situation.

Well, unfortunately I'm not. Which is horribly not according to plan and fairly frustrating.

Any rate, can't back out since I'm the long distance driver for the group. So I'll be largely absent through next Friday.


While I'm gone I'll be looking over my workflow and process, hopefully make things better.

Being said...


If you've outstanding pictures (adoptions, rewards, etc) - contact me if you don't want to wait longer.
- We'll either issue a refund (or partial refund as the case may be)
- Or we can trade it out for dopt credits (as in, you can use it to adopt new characters)


so yeah, see ya next weekend.

So, as you've noticed, the new dopts have a slight price difference. (base price being $30, up from $25) This was part of a soft roll-out for the change, starting with this set --> https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....open-744067944

Now that this set is in clearance - time for the rest of the price change.


on June 5th, all dopts in the Delisted folder
(this one https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....doptables-sets )
will have their prices change as follows...
$25 - adoption price
$30 - similar dopt price
this is going to coincide with the new prices I've been rolling out.

Similarly, similars of any from sold out sets
(found here https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem...../SOLD-OUT-SETS )
will be changed as followed
$30 - similar dopt price

the ultra clearance will be unchanged from this
(found here https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....rance-Delisted )
They'll still be as follows
$5 as is


So what does this mean for you?

It means now's the ideal time to comb through the delisted folder and pick out some dopts before the price change on June 5th

That's all. thanks!

so ...

here's the sale options...
$5 off all dopts, all options
- with natural exception of ultra clearance, they're $2 each instead of $5 each)
here's the links
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....Adoptable-Sets
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....doptables-sets

commissions
$25 bust drawing (normally 35)
$80 poster pinup (normally 100)
* send me a note and I'll give more info

NOTE in order to get the discount you must mention it when you make your order upfront.

everything MUST be paid for by the 15th, otherwise you miss out on the sale price



note: this is only good for NEW orders. outstanding unpaid orders do not benefit.

Allow me to present to you a continuum!

Those who can - DO

Those who can't - TEACH

Those who still can't - PREACH


It's really straight forward logic.
- If you're skilled enough to do the thing? You'll do the thing. See also: working professionals.
- If you're not skilled enough to do the thing? You'll teach the thing. See also: Warren Spector. He was great, but got canned from Disney Interactive. So now he runs his own university degree program instead of making video games. Last I chatted with him in person (2015-ish) he was still stroking his decades old theory that games should be all about choice (... wow...).
- But what if you don't know enough to be a teacher? You can preach! All you have to do is say shocking crap to get people riled up, and it doesn't even have to be accurate. You can be an activist, pundit, commentator, or anyone else who makes their head off TOPICAL DISCUSSIONS AND TRENDING NEWS. See also: way too many people to list.



ok, so why am I brining this up?



a) I'm knowingly wasting time. I got paid shit to do instead. (admittedly someone asked me about a preacher and I figured I'd clear the air regarding my stance on the matter)

b) I use the above metric to quickly rule out whether or not I should give a shit about someone. If people have enough time to consistently preach instead of work? They don't have enough on their plate to keep them busy or are focused on the wrong thing. In other words: they aren't going to help you out. So into the rubbish bin with them.

c) you'll become a better artist and be more successful by BECOMING A BETTER ARTIST (gasp)

c) If you want to learn your craft - be mindful of whom you're learning from.



point C is super important so I'm going to break it out.
- the craft is always evolving
- largely this is because working professionals see what others are doing (as well as themselves) and improve
- if you're not working? you're not under those same pressures to keep improving


People who have the time to get into petty flame wars over political shit they post aren't worth listening to.
They've basically become preachers at that point.
- this is why I tend not to have any patience in my own journal comments. I don't have time to deal with someone I've never met who wants to prove a point.



and finally
WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?
people who are working.
want an example? this guy --> https://studioblinktwice.deviantart.com/
just holy shit.
he's currently got a paid gig, and he still provides these thought process tutorials about how to actually improve your technical skills.



So yeah, again
- improve your life
- improve your skillset
- don't listen to preachers

I'm writing this one as a general heads up

THERE WILL BE A PRICE CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. (at the very latest end of month)
- more specifically = the prices per character will be raising (mostly across the board)
- life pressures are kinda, unfortunately, making me pull the change on this one.


I'm still feeling out where the new prices, but likely the new min will be $30-35. Again, this is more fueled by some changes that have been happening with my own life and needing to deal with it.


AND ON THAT NOTE
SALE ENDS SUNDAY (technically monday morning when I wake up, but effectively sunday)

as a reminder, here's the sale link -- https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/j.....nday-742820383

given the change of prices? The sale is that much of a bigger discount.

Honestly = I would strongly suggest doing a splurge this weekend on these dopts. It'll likely be a while before you get another price like this (a long while)

a) April Patreon goodie bundles will be shipped out tomorrow morning. Was waiting for patreon to complete all transactions

b) Giving everyone a heads up. Likely on 5/7 the prices for adoptables will have to go up again. Long story on it, I'm giving everyone the heads up here. It'll largely be across the board. ... so yeah, if you're looking at getting some dopts, now's the better time to do so.

https://joncomms.deviantart.com/jou.....open-614510734
go there for more info

Dopt sale! wooo!

Here's the following price break downs ...

$5 off regular dopts
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....Adoptable-Sets
They're all listed here.

$10 off delisted dopts
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....doptables-sets
so yeah, that's $10 per dopt in this folder. way cheap!

the price is $3 if it's in the Ultra Clearance folder
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....rance-Delisted
as a reminder, these are sold AS IS. no further deliverables will be made (that's why it's cheap)

All similar dopts are $20
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....Adoptable-Sets
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....doptables-sets
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....rance-Delisted
https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g...../SOLD-OUT-SETS
You can nab a similar dopt of any character for $20, which is $5 off the normal price
- what this means is you'll get a character SIMILAR to the other, but unique enough to be their own. Think the drastic but similar changes between Ryu and Ken in Street Fighter V.


However, payment MUST be made by 5/6
and you MUST make mention of this sale in order to get your discount.
...
additionally: this sale will stack with any customer loyalty discounts you may have acquired. HOT STUFF!


Please take a gander and let me know if you're interested.

so, first off, this is a dirty laundry journal.
If you don't care for gossip (and seriously, you shouldn't) - just move on. You have better things to do with your time.

Any rate, I'm going to clarify something real quick.

ARTISTS HAVE A RIGHT OF REFUSAL. This means we also don't have to explain WHY. We can just flat out refuse to do a gig (granted refund the cash if applicable)

and on that note

- I don't draw herms/futas/etc. chicks with dicks and all that.
- If you draw them, that's your own business. I don't care that much. But I don't draw it.

with that being said, here's where I have to restate something.

- that means I will not draw a commission of a herm/futa
- that also means i will not draw a commission of a herm/futa without the dick
- I also give very strong warnings to everyone on this note (when applicable): do not try to trick me into drawing a herm/futa character

I've had this happen to me a few times, and I've lost patience on the point.
- I also give very strong warnings on this point - if I catch you trying to trick me into drawing a herm/futa I WILL BAN YOU.
- because that means you don't respect my right of refusal and I don't have to put up with childish shit like that.


ok, everyone on the same page?
Here's where it gets to dirty laundry time. I don't WANT to do this, but the person has gone out of their way to get under my skin so here we go.

 violazierau tried to trick me into drawing their herm/futa character
so I banned them

There was extenuating circumstances regarding the issue. The trick they tried to employ went as follows (paraphrased)
- "Draw this asari" (links to a 3 foot dong'd asari)
- "I didn't mean draw THIS asari, just a random one similar to it"
- so I draw a random one with a few modifications to where it was a new character (different clothing, colors, build, etc). Basically making it a new character
- they got mad and said "I told you to draw this asari" referring back to the herm
- this is where the ban came in

Any rate, a friend of mine, who knew about this bullshit, offered to adopt this new character from me. So i let them.

There's that's the short of it.

And it's seriously a pain in my ass that I have to do this owing to a dumbass client, yet here we are.
either ViolaZierau herself (under a dummy account) or a friend of hers tried to say "YOU SOLD HER CHARACTER" and defame me. So, I get to pre-emptively post this dirty laundry journal in order to clear the air.


This is the last time you'll hear me talk about it.
- and please note that this is the first time I've EVER had to call out anyone specifically.
- even that moocher who was trying to steal dopts from other people? I left his name out and they got the hint immediately.


So yeah, don't be that guy.

Brunicus is offering something that's pretty damned unique = world building creative services. ... in a way it's a bigger picture option for what you see with my adoptables.

For example: if you have some characters (like a loose concept or some of my dopts) but you're faffing about slightly trying to make it work in stories ... this is a great option to get yourself started on the right path.

https://brunicus.deviantart.com/jou.....Time-735774660




p.s. gonna try to start doing more of these other-artist highlights moving forward. yay!

it's a long post, so please read it in full over here

http://fav.me/dc5mous

did a little bit more re-organizing (due to some prior confusion about pricing in the delisted dopts section)
... which also led to an additional tweak in pricing structure ...

https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....rance-Delisted
all dopts in this folder are $5 a pop (adoption only)


Yeah, there ARE a lot of really old dopt sets in there, and several were made before I figured out the best way to label/update the listings. So please be aware that you'll actually have to read the text descriptions to get accurate info on who's still available.


Anyhoo, have fun, and send me a note if you're interested in any.

Sudden sale
- $5 off each dopt, all flavors (similar, delisted, listed, clearance, new, old, etc)
- must be PAID for by the 27th
- when you pay/order you have to cite this sale to get the discount
- and as usual, contact me first prior to sending funding (sending me a note on dA at jonfreeman.deviantart.com is usually the fastest)

Thanks again!

I'm posting this journal because I received payment via paypal for a dopt, but I wasn't able to identify who the paying client was. Had to refund the payment and put a 2-day hold on the dopt hoping the client self-identifies.

SO, BECAUSE OF THAT HERE'S A COUPLE CLARIFYING POINTS
again, this is just general advice

You MUST communicate with me prior to sending payment
the reason's straight forward - I can't update the listing in real time, so the dopt may be taken while I'm out away from the computer meaning it's not available.
I ask you communicate with me prior to sending the payment to avoid refunds
I prefer you communicate with me via dA notes
dA note systems have a search-call function. Owing to that I can look up details if needed. Discord, FA, Patreon, Instagram, picture comments, Tumblr, etc, do not have this ability
it makes my life SO MUCH EASIER if you send me a note in dA
Please include a written description when you send money via paypal
because of the high volume of individual payments I receive (especially given delays in payments that can sometimes happen) I ask that you PLEASE include a written description identifying yourself and which dopt you're paying for. This is important since it's how I confirm you paid for your order
For example if you say "for the doptz" this does not differentiate yourself from everyone else.
Instead if you simply typed "[your name] for [dopt name]" in the payment name, it immediately clears up who it's from and what it's for.
I base adoptions off time-stamps of notes recieved, not time of payment sent
So you can't beat the crowd by just blind-throwing money at me. If I ran dopts that way I'd have to issue a flurry of refunds after every set release which would totally tank my paypal business rating.
So don't do that.
Please communicate with me first
Again, I prefer notes because of client privacy. comment time stamps are public which can lead to catty infighting.
Please keep track of which adopts you have picked up
being nearly 200 dopt sets into this (rough estimate 1000+ individual dopts), it's far too late for me to create a database of who picked up who.
So ... I do apologize, but it is your responsibility to keep track of who you adopted. If you ask me to compile a list for you I'm going to politely decline.

As usual, if you have any questions about the policies, please let me know.

TRIGGER WARNING = I don't care.

Primarily this is me clearing up a misconception that I run into now and then = a lot of people think you have to be rich to be prideful.
...
Of course, when I say it like that it sounds stupid ... which is a common rhetoric tactic to ridicule the self righteous as well as to get your attention.


Here's a blunt example: person gets on a high horse and talks about their evil employers getting away with earning so much money.
this is where you say "but they's evil!" By saying that, it creates an unsaid conditional statement that it's impossible to get rich without doing unethical things. (which obviously isn't the case, that's just stupid) It also creates a secondary resultant clause of "I don't have money, nor do I seek after improving my lot in life by obtaining more wealth, therefore I am not evil."


Simply put = pride is a state of mind that you are better than other people. This happens independent of personal finances, and if anything pride will severely hinder your ability to become financially successful.


Case Point: what is being rich?
- Here's the most poignant example I can think of (yes, real world example and I'm obfuscating details for clarity of the story). While doing service in a 3rd world country, I was trying to get people to help each other out. Pretty basic stuff like "don't be a dick, help with service projects" etc. This one family was better off than the others in the neighborhood ... and by that I mean his house had a ceiling to where you couldn't see the corrugated tin roof overhead, as well as painted walls an a throw rug on linoleum flooring. By 1st world standards it was a pretty shitty place, but by 3rd world standards it wasn't that bad. ... thing is, this guy was one of the most arrogant sonuvabitches I have ever met. Because what, his house was borderline 2nd world instead of 3rd world? ... so compare that to your arguments of "well he's got more than me-" and ask "on what scale?"


So, here's some simple definitions of pride and finance. (if you hate everything that the patriarchy and Christianity has to offer because you're a snowflake led by the nose ... these definitions were drawn from Hindu beliefs on the topic. That means I'm being diverse so you can cite this and get your jollies in)

Proud because you're better than your inferiors = this is what 90% of people think of when they think of pride. But this is only 1 of 7 major ways it manifests it.
- it's worth noting that most of these people don't know how to save money. So sooner or later they'll file bankruptcy.

Proud because you're better than your superiors = this is WAAAAAY more prevalent. For artists it's "I don't see why he has followers and I don't, I work just as hard!". It's also a huge source of contempt for artists v cosplayers (same reason, they don't think cosplayers work as hard as they're rewarded). Just about everyone who subscribes to "it's not my fault"-isms of the 99% and patriarchy also exhibit this flaw.
= and it's worth noting that people who start like this BECOME proud of their achievements and proud that they're better than their inferiors IF they obtain wealth.
- again, because they think they're ENTITLED to wealth or power that their superiors have because they're more qualified or virtuous or whatever ... they often lose sight of how finance works. So they'll either never obtain wealth to begin with, or be so quickly departed that they'll never hold onto it for long

Proud because you're better than your colleagues = this is also pernicious and harder to detect. If you're in even competition and lose, then get butthurt ... there you go.
- simply put it makes you look like an asshole, so nobody will network with you which closes all kinds of opportunity doors you never knew existed

Jealousy is a form of pride = if you believe that your inferiority is in itself a sign of virtue. Just consider all the humble braggers. We all make fun of hipsters because they enjoy things that aren't 'mainstream' (or worse they create stuff that isn't mainstream so it makes them better) ... but this also extends to people who say "I work and I fail, therefore I am amazing"
- again, asshole. if you're being a little catty bitch nobody's going to want to promote you unless they're also a catty bitch and you're buttering them up

Vanity pride is a bit more screwball, but thinking that your vices are virtues is a thing. Basically just being blind to real consequences because you want to make a point.
- Simple example, again to finances, it's a vice to spend excess money on credit card debt, liquor, smoking, excessive video games, clubbing, junk food, etc. But by doing so you can get your jollies in and be a cool kid

Being proud about stuff you didn't actually do? ... this is for people who live in the past. Just think Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite, wistfully thinking that if coach had put him in his team would have won state and he'd be an NFL player. It didn't happen, but it's a point of pride. Missing the promotion, not getting the girl, designing something grand you never actually implemented? All of that is sources of pride.
- and yeah, like I said: living in lala land. This is one of the hardest forms of pride to overcome because it's so detached from reality.

Naturally egocentricism is also pride = aka being a greedy bastard



So, again
- pride can be manifest at all levels of financial prosperity (which is really just relativistic comparisons)
- if that's the case? then pride is independent of finance. There isn't any real correlation

-- end ---


And now, this is the part where I've offended you because you've made a stand against the rich and I've said "you're wrong." It's also a double sting because it comes with a lesson of "you need to get your own damn life in order and stop worrying about changing the world."

At which point, if you're offended just unsubscribe from my journals, cancel commissions, and unwatch me. Because what will happen is the following (and I state this every time I post a journal and every time I get a new moron who follows this same pattern).
- you'll likely try to say everything I said is wrong in order to justify your own actions. We'll have a discussion and I won't change my mind, further infuriating you.
- Either way, you'll bottle up your anger
- then in about 1-3 weeks, depending on how long it takes for you to boil over, you'll rage at me. And you'll rage hard. More than likely trying to play a bigot card on me.
- I'll call you out on that shit, and block you

I feel it's silly for me to do this, but it happens every time. And it's a waste of my time and yours, so if you're so offended by me saying that pride and finance are independent of each other = just cut the ties yourself.

another round has been hitting me in a conga line. mild seizure, freak nausia, fatigue. on a waiting list for a doctor.
...
what it may mean is reduced progress on art beyond dopt sets. Apologies on that delay

As a refresher ...
Similar Dopts are the option to get an adoptable SIMILAR to one that you may have missed out on. For loose comparison: the results are similar to Ryu and Ken in Street Fighter 5 - similar but markedly different.
- I introduced this as a way to help people out, since I lifted a previous per-person dopt cap. This resulted in some dopt sets getting cleared out by single clients (not giving others a chance).
- As it is implemented with good intentions, don't be an ass about it. I've had others do this, and it will likely result in a ban for having to put up with your crap. >>; sorry for gruffness.

ANY RATE

With that in mind, here are the changes:

Across the board, Similar Dopts will be $25 (no full body available)
- for frame of reference, previously it was +$5 surcharge. With the price change on the dopts in the new years, I nixed the surcharge so it's basically the same price as a new dopt.

Client is allowed 1 or 2 MINOR direction prompts for me to use as a spring board
- again: MINOR direction prompts. Half sentence things
- for example, hair color, a clever plot point (into yoga but doesn't really get it).
- what it doesn't mean is a paragraph or life story. It also doesn't mean a 20-point custom character design (when I re-implement the character design commission option it'll be at a much higher price but also a lot more in depth).

You can get similar dopts for delisted and sold out sets
- previously there were restrictions on those sets. I've lifted those restrictions entirely
- Same price all across the board, though. no discounts
- additionally, if there were promotions available on those sets they're no longer active. i.e. hatchables


Thanks again for your time!

Apologies for the 3rd update today. I hadn't planned on this decision this morning, but looking at it I really should have.
ANY RATE

https://jonfreeman.deviantart.com/g.....doptables-sets
The OLD delisted dopts (the ones that are pre-colored) are all $9 each.

In the process of sorting out my gallery (and making it a little easier to communicate what current prices are for delisted dopts, just display stuff), I was also reviewing the prices. I'm making this pricing change for what's basically all of the Phase 2 and Phase 3 dopts (when I was still pre-coloring everything).

So, if you've been on the fence, this is a fantastic way to flesh out your cast. Especially since this is about as low of prices on these dopts as I can remember.
Naturally, if you have any questions regarding if a set is eligible, feel free to ask.

- Moving forward, all tiers are basically gone. Though, the $1 Adopters Advantage Tier will remain

- This change is made due to my track record of failing to meet promised output. I'm scaling back until things smooth out.

- I'll do my best to notify everyone directly. And if anyone gets wrongfully billed in February I'll help them out.

- Also also: I have kept track of unclaimed rewards. If you have any unclaimed rewards this change will not affect them, and you can still redeem them.


=======


The longer version is that there were some weird issues with Gumroad that I didn't find out about until I started digging under the surface.
- general inability to categorize your store page (what Etsy has)
- a flat $0.30 fee on ALL transactions, even $1 subscriptions. Gumroad said that was to cover Paypal, but frankly that's bull.

So, moving forward I'm going to look into just manually making a subscription myself. 'Cause since I'm already running multiple sites, it'd just be working with a mailer service like Mail Chimp for the direct updates and deliverable content. The question mark there is if I can work with PayPal to set up a subscription product directly (axe out the middleman entirely).

...

But yeah, no more patreon reward tiers. Just the $1 and everything above is considered a tip. I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure everyone hears and acknowledges this.

first off - holy crap, thanks to everyone who helped me through this year. The amount of progress and support and everything still very much overwhelms me.


and here's the business point.
moving forward (as in new sets and delisted sets) - there's going to be a slight price increase for adoptables. $25 min, $60 for eventual full body.
- lot of factors going into this, mostly on the business and time-spent side of things outside the artwork itself.

I am, also, going to be running some experiments here and there regarding the dopts and how to structure them. There will be a notification in the topline of the description when this occurs.

Cheers, and here's to a great 2018

This is about finance, so it requires a level head free from emotion.

MORE SPECIFICALLY - this article is tailored towards artists in particular.

If you're the type to who thinks with your feelings, needs safe spaces, or get unreasonably enraged at the mere thought that someone pays Donald Trump a compliment = turn back now.
And if you have any complaints, keep them to the realm of economics. Because that's what this is all about.

...

k, that being said - time for a hard reality check. Trump did what Obama couldn't do in 8 years: we have finally experienced a full economic recovery from the 2009 crash. And it only took Trump 1 year.
Sorry, that's the blunt of it.
Food stamp usage is down, welfare recepients are down, job placement up, and consumer confidence is through the roof. Just about every measure for economic growth is up.

What does this mean for artists?
Get over it and get to work.

As artists we have to acknowledge the fact that the world doesn't NEED us. For example, there is a massive skilled labor shortage. If people do their homework, they can easily land a 70k full benefits job with 2 years of vocational schooling and a fraction of the debt of a 4 year degree ... BECAUSE THERE IS A MASSIVE NEED FOR SKILLED LABORERS. The world also needs more doctors, cops, and just about everything else.
Artists offer luxury and escapism. We aren't needed.
- As such, professional artists NEED a thriving economy to live off our work, especially true for freelancers. We need other people to have excess funds that they can spend on artwork.

Get over it and get to work.

I can't emphasize this enough. We're in a great economy now. And it's going to remain great until one of the following ...
- some investors get greedy, make unsustainable investments into a bubble (like bitcoin or the housing market), and it crashes
- 2024 happens. Trump's 2nd year of presidency will end. Republican establishment likely won't have anyone economics-savvy enough to keep it going. Or the dems will elect their pro-socialist/communist leader (or Hillary Clinton) and drive the economy into the shitter.
... - there is a collarary to 2024, and that is Trump succeeding in passing term limits for congress. That'll start force-injecting new blood into the system.
... - should also note it's unlikely Trump will go Lame Duck. Been following his work pattern since during campaign, he doesn't have a reason to stop working.

Any rate, this good economy isn't going to last forever. That's the bottom line.

If you're a professional artist?
GET OVER IT AND GET TO WORK.
... ALSO SAVE MONEY!

We're in feast mode, enter beast mode. Down the road we'll hit another famine like the past 8 years and you'll need that security reserves.

someone with the initials of TJM sent me a payment of $15.
I have no idea who that is, as no note was sent indicating who it's from or what it's for

If it's you, just send me a note with the full name (for verification).

If I don't hear from anyone I'll just refund the payment and include a note to resend with identification note.

Regards
- Jon

I'll be gone for a bit.

some comm work will be done here and there, but no new dopt sets.

anyhoo, catch ya later!

https://youtu.be/o_IMM09kPw0

TL;DR = A reviewer of Wizards of the West Coast (Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, etc) made some snide comments about the political stances of the ownership.
...
He was banned for life with no chance for appeal. And all digital content he had (hundreds of dollars of digital media in their online title) was confiscated without warning.
...
Putting it bluntly - this is idealogical censorship. This is the trajectory of the liberal party and the SJWs who are pulling it down into the pit.
...
And, my guess is that not a single liberal will rail against this out of pretentious pride. "oh, but I can't single them out. It would make me look bad, 'cause we're the party of everyone."
...
So yeah, congrats to SJWs for ruining another thing.

this topic's popped up again a couple times lately, so I'm just gonna put my blunt opinion on it.
- and for everyone out there who's all about the feels. Read to the end, there's a feel good message in it.

THE QUESTION IS NOT VALID.
- This question is primarily used as a tool of the pretentious to either justify their own works or shut down those they deem UNWORTHY of being called artists.
- It's just philosophical masturbation.


There's a TON of problems with the question itself, so it's hard to know where to start when structuring a rant on this. So I'll just kinda hit a couple at random.

a) the parameters of defining art are extremely ill defined
From a realistic pragmatic perspective - it's impossible to come up with a definition that's actionable. Especially one that rules in everything that IS and rules out everything that ISN'T.

b) your college professors brought this up (or likely someone on youtube)
"Some ideas are so stupid that only an academic would think they're smart." For those of you who are graduated, think back on everything your professors said that turned out to be total horseshit.
They'll bring up the sideways urinal because that's clearly art or some shit like that. When really they're just looking to get people talking without actually presenting a solution or get anything done.

c) story time: art that isn't art
My dad used to work for the Air Force as a civilian contractor from the 60s through the 2010s (omg, trigger warning military. freakin' close minded lib plebs). More specifically he worked on design reviews and business approvals for ICBM projects. An interesting note was that some of the pieces had to be polished out by hand because the machinery at the time weren't precise enough (if I remember it was the balance plates for the gyroscopes). He got to see the manufacture of these small metal disc plates, and these kind worker women would take their ultra-smooth cloth and gently polish around the metal disc. They seemed to know exactly how many turns and how much pressure to apply to get it within specifications ... and they were able to do it reliably no sweat.
In his words: "I don't care what you say, that's an art form."


So yeah, just THINK for a moment about every time someone has brought this junk question up. It's usually for one of the following intentions...
- They didn't like how someone was getting ill-gained attention, so they attack the person by saying IT'S NOT ART.
- They try to indirectly bolster their own practice. And oh good hell is that ever popular if you try to talk to an american cartoonist about japanese animation.
- They're just pompous windbags thinking that dialogue in itself is with merit. (oh, people are listening? IT MUST BE IMPORTANT)

of course, call someone out on this and they'll back down from their argument in an arrogant contradiction of logic because THEY DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT.



Any rate ... here's the foot note to all this.
THE REAL QUESTION IS: Is it art WORTH PAYING FOR?
...
This is an actionable question! And I'll bounce it back to the prior statements.
a) the parameters? It's a lot easier to define if it's worth paying for or not. This will really piss off artists because it means that SOME ART ISN'T WORTH PAYING FOR. And egads, that's a blow to the ego.
b) what about the windbags? It provides an actionable solution. So if a college professor is all "are video games art?" you can get a myriad of responses ... but if you say "Are video games art worth paying for" suddenly you have a much more clear answer and it becomes harder to justify pure arthouse wankery titles. And it'll shut down those frustrating case samples like the sideways urinal: "no, of course it's not worth thousands of dollars to buy a urinal installed sideways. Don't be stupid."
c) art that isn't art? That's everywhere. There's an art to giving painless flushots. There's an art to being able to balance the accounting books right the first time. There's an art in being able to orchestrate and guide other people to pull off a $200 million cinematic blockbuster that's just plain good. This is art that's worth paying for.


But hey. The people who bring up the question of "is it art" are completely innocent. They didn't mean to be a pretentious asshole by any measure! I'm sure there's a long winded explanation that isn't worth listening too! ... that or you got roped into the discussion without realizing it was a sham to begin with.


What I'm saying is that this question of "is it art" is total bunk.
What's more important is that you're able to produce something that's worthy of the pay you're receiving. Study your craft, be good at it, listen to your audience/customers. To me, that's a far better qualifier of "art" than anything I've heard in the ivory tower of academia or online discussions.