# Seeking community as an artist?



## gooball (Nov 30, 2021)

Now this is going to make me sound like an old geezer, but when I was younger I'd always told myself I'd be that cool adult that keeps in touch with the times. Somehow it seems I've lost it and I haven't even hit 30 yet. If I keep up at this rate we'll be seeing my midlife crisis any day now and by 35 I'll be lecturing teens on the hardships I struggled through uphill both ways. 

I've been an artist my whole life, and there was no doubt by anyone which direction I'd be taking my career in. I'd played the pen for hire game from middle school on and off again until long after college. I took a few too many years off to instead work a full time corporate job to make ends meet,  and since then I haven't been able to find my way back to the online art community. I wandered off the path and I'm looking for someone to assist me in finding my way again. 

If anyone can help me find a way to start working towards making art my career and or point me towards a welcoming community of artists, I would be incredibly grateful.

 I want to get back on the horse but unfortunately I seem to be too short.


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## sushy (Dec 3, 2021)

Yeah it is easy to get distracted. Do you upload to the main site?


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## Judge Spear (Dec 3, 2021)

You're in for a new battle honestly but that's not really your fault. Online arting has been a very splintered thing in the last 6 or 7 years. Internet centralizing to Twitter, gallery sites being a thing of the past mostly, and most people having already found their impenetrable cliques.

It's really difficult to get into things that are actual communal efforts and not just springboarding off one other for clout. 

Your best bet would be finding a Discord server or picking your preferred medium/subject and finding a corresponding forum like PixelJoint or ConceptArt (if that's even still active). It'll be a different stride for everyone but those are decent *starting* places. Twitter is awful, but you'll likely find yourself there as well to build yourself and signal boost. 
If you can stomach the abhorrent staff, the main FA site I GUESS is viable if you do furry work. But it's one of the last bastions of gallery sites which is much slower to build a following with than social media.

Try searching Disboard or similar Discord repositories for art servers suitable for your needs. And IF you just need a little gallery site to throw your stuff up as a high quality sketchbook, this is a new site I recommend to people. 

I'm being a bit bleak but I do genuinely hope you make something of it.


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## gooball (Dec 3, 2021)

sushy said:


> Yeah it is easy to get distracted. Do you upload to the main site?



If being distracted was an Olympic sport I'd break records. I have in the past, but my last upload was around three years ago! Just a little out of date. Me, winning gold again.



Judge Spear said:


> You're in for a new battle honestly but that's not really your fault. Online arting has been a very splintered thing in the last 6 or 7 years. Internet centralizing to Twitter, gallery sites being a thing of the past mostly, and most people having already found their impenetrable cliques.
> 
> It's really difficult to get into things that are actual communal efforts and not just springboarding off one other for clout.
> 
> ...



I've sporadically posted through most of my life on whatever platform was spotlighted at the time, from Deviantart to Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram. I've just found it's become like throwing a pebble into the ocean. I can say that I've even contributed to some of the depravity on FA myself. 

Discord is a wonderful idea! It never really crossed my mind to look for an art oriented server as it's something I've mostly used as a personal messenger. I'll have to poke around and see if I can find a server that suits my needs. 

I do really appreciate the tips, and I'll absolutely take a look at that site. I'd like to get back into the habit of uploading my work and from my brief glance it seems like it could work out well. 

Thank you so much!


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## sushy (Dec 4, 2021)

Well my first tip would be to upload more to the main site! Also try to respond to and fav other people's artworks.


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## The_biscuits_532 (Dec 4, 2021)

There's a discord server run by @PaxTerra that focusses on art improvement. A good amount of the more active forum members are on it.



			System Error


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## GentleButter (Dec 4, 2021)

i was gonna say, we all the positive bois in Paxs art discord! come along if you want critiques and swollsome art gains!


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## Kope (Dec 4, 2021)

GentleButter said:


> i was gonna say, we all the positive bois in Paxs art discord! come along if you want critiques and swollsome art gains!


They are very ban happy though so I wouldn’t bother


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## GentleButter (Dec 4, 2021)

Kope said:


> They are very ban happy though so I wouldn’t bother


dude, you've never even been on this server~ chill out my guy <3


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## gooball (Dec 4, 2021)

sushy said:


> Well my first tip would be to upload more to the main site! Also try to respond to and fav other people's artworks.



I really do want to start being more active with my posting and also interractions. That's the first step to making friends. Thank you for the encouragement, it really helps. 



The_biscuits_532 said:


> There's a discord server run by @PaxTerra that focusses on art improvement. A good amount of the more active forum members are on it.
> 
> 
> 
> System Error





GentleButter said:


> i was gonna say, we all the positive bois in Paxs art discord! come along if you want critiques and swollsome art gains!



That's wonderful! I'll have a read and maybe consider joining. It's good to know there's people actively encouraging others to grow. Thank you both!



Kope said:


> They are very ban happy though so I wouldn’t bother



I do appreciate the concern, but I like to give everyone a chance myself. I don't usually try to be hard to get along with.


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## Aquasystem (Jan 22, 2022)

gooball said:


> Now this is going to make me sound like an old geezer, but when I was younger I'd always told myself I'd be that cool adult that keeps in touch with the times. Somehow it seems I've lost it and I haven't even hit 30 yet. If I keep up at this rate we'll be seeing my midlife crisis any day now and by 35 I'll be lecturing teens on the hardships I struggled through uphill both ways.
> 
> I've been an artist my whole life, and there was no doubt by anyone which direction I'd be taking my career in. I'd played the pen for hire game from middle school on and off again until long after college. I took a few too many years off to instead work a full time corporate job to make ends meet,  and since then I haven't been able to find my way back to the online art community. I wandered off the path and I'm looking for someone to assist me in finding my way again.
> 
> ...


hi i'm pretty new to the community do u mind sharing ur main site stuff? willing to help support ur art however i can
my FA account is this one btw https://www.furaffinity.net/user/aquasystem/


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## GentleButter (Feb 4, 2022)

Aquasystem said:


> hi i'm pretty new to the community do u mind sharing ur main site stuff? willing to help support ur art however i can
> my FA account is this one btw https://www.furaffinity.net/user/aquasystem/


welcome, friend. i like your gallery~ 

i gave ya a follow too, keep up that good stuff  ^(ovo^)


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## Xyra (Feb 5, 2022)

gooball said:


> Now this is going to make me sound like an old geezer, but when I was younger I'd always told myself I'd be that cool adult that keeps in touch with the times. Somehow it seems I've lost it and I haven't even hit 30 yet. If I keep up at this rate we'll be seeing my midlife crisis any day now and by 35 I'll be lecturing teens on the hardships I struggled through uphill both ways.
> 
> I've been an artist my whole life, and there was no doubt by anyone which direction I'd be taking my career in. I'd played the pen for hire game from middle school on and off again until long after college. I took a few too many years off to instead work a full time corporate job to make ends meet,  and since then I haven't been able to find my way back to the online art community. I wandered off the path and I'm looking for someone to assist me in finding my way again.
> 
> ...


This sounds so familiar I sympathize with you completely. Everyone here seems really supportive and being an artist myself, would love to see your work and talk art anytime  it’s hard keeping the motivation going sometimes, especially when you’re getting back into things


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