Thanks to all the watchers and followers who have been with me for so many years, and also to those who joined more recently. Over the past few years, I’ve barely shared any art, and I’d like to say a few words about that.

These days I work a full-time job, and my partner and I are looking after an old, spacious house with a big garden. We’ve been slowly turning the garden into a refuge for insects, birds, and other small wildlife. On top of that, I care for my pets—at the moment 11 cats and 4 chickens—who, especially when sick, need a lot of attention.
But lack of time or new hobbies aren’t the real reasons I’ve stopped being active as an artist. The main issue is the way online promotion works (nowadays?), and the social structures of the internet, which I just can’t get along with.

A quick look back: When I joined a Lion King discussion board in 2006, my passion for drawing and sharing art exploded. I learned so much in such a short time. Artists supported each other, and it felt amazing to be part of that kind of community. In the years that followed, people came and went—sadly, more good people left than new ones arrived.
Around 2010 I tried to find a place in the furry fandom. I hoped that, at least by a small group, I’d be welcomed the way I had been in the Lion King community. Looking back now, it turned into ten years of disappointment.

A constant frustration was pouring 10 hours into a new piece, only to see it get less attention than the sloppy fetish junk someone else cranked out in minutes. Short-lived attention has become the currency of the modern internet. Algorithms push you to churn out content nonstop. The result is that quality suffers—or people just recycle their old work. What used to be called spam is now a ‘successful strategy.’ AI images are just the cherry on top.
Feedback has also lost its depth. Honest critique is treated as hate, and thoughtful comments take time no one seems willing to give anymore. Back then, artists felt like friends; today it feels more like competition.

And beyond all that, I’m practically on the furry community’s blacklist. The so-called champions of tolerance immediately respond with death wishes the moment I say that one’s biological sex can’t be changed, or that I see major problems in how trans issues are handled.

So why stay?
Despite all the bad experiences with the fandom, I haven’t lost my love for anthropomorphic art. It was there long before I ever shared it with anyone else. I’ll keep drawing—but only for myself, since even the thought of posting something online holds me back. From here on, I’ll just be a silent watcher.

~Nyashia