Art Appreciation

Aw a :huggy for Wystro.


I have that same trouble with my hubby. He just doesn't get it at all. I mean he understands the need to create and the dolls when they are game related, but beyond that he just doesn't get it.

Same same. My boyfriend understands a bit better than most. My sister however has no clue. She wanted to set up a website to sell her country floral crap and I said oh I could maybe help you I have a website and shes like what for *nasty look*. I forgot I'm the talentless slacker of the family.

Really just fuck em. You're amazing Wystro who cares if they can't see that. We all know.

*chokes* that picture is -perfect-. OMG it's an emo orange! *laughing*

I've had that experience. From *crickets* to 'uh...that's...uh...what is that?'. Some days I take it better than others :). More often, though (and this isn't me bragging), I get the super supportive people who are like 'wow! this is great, you're so talented' type of response in RL, except from my husband who is my harshest critic and also the person I am most likely to believe :). I mean, of course your own mother sorta has to say you're wonderful, but I tend to react to that sort of response somewhere between skepticism and outright fear, depending on the person. I'm weird, I have fear of success rather than fear of failure and tend to not be able to take a compliment well (though I am learning to take them graciously, I think...I try). Anyway, I tend to explain such things as being 'oh, s/he has to say that' or 'oh, they're only saying that because they haven't seen this -really- talented person', etc.

I'm not honestly sure which is worse - feeling like people are blowing smoke up your ass, or thinking your friends think you're a no-talent ass clown. I guess at some point you just have to stand on your own and just keep arting. It's a tricky balance, knowing when to listen and take other people's feedback (or lackthereof) into account, and when to say fuck it, I'm a do the damn thing.

Ok - this isn't really a gripe - so no pic :P

I completely understand what you're saying, and I think back 10-12 years ago when I first started creating my website, I felt as you do...a little. I've always been interested in art, and painted, or drawn, or just done random crafty things. And, unfortunately, I have a very negatively critical mother, so I learned at an early age to do what I want to do, to please myself. If others like it, cool. However, if they don't I don't even let it phase me.

(moved to art open chat - Crayon Box)

My husband loves me dearly, I know this, but when I asked for poser stuff for mother's day, he got upset saying that's not a good mother's day gift - asking for digital files. I smacked him, but yeah in real life people don't quite get it. I've had friends whose spouses have completely broken them down and made them feel like shit (fuckers) and even made them feel like art wasn't worthy and a waste of time - and then there are those who make my art part of their desktop.

A couple months ago we went over to Jello's house and I walked by her computer and then did a double take. I looked at their monitor and was like, '...hey.' They had put up my smmo winter piece for Asha as their desktop.

'MIKE!!!!!!!!' He came over and I pointed to it. He snorted and walked off. I about squeed myself to death.

It's really not something I show people in real life. My old assistant used to ask me everyday, 'So what have you made lately?' It was nice seeing someone take an interest in what I do. Do I wish my husband showed more interest? Of course, but I take quiet acknowledgment with a grain of salt and appreciate it when he fully turns around to see something I just made. I'm just glad he's not a shitball about it. =x

Lol. I love the picture. Of course thanks to Veri, I can't get the talking oranges from the TV comercial out of my head.

I have had a mix of both. For the most part they didn't get it or thought that my time could be better spent focusing on something else. This led me to briefly major in physics in college. At work now I have gotten mixed reactions. My graphic design work has gotten support and compliments while my other works got the crickets. There is one co-worker who has been supportive. She doesn't really get the sci-fi/fantasy aspect, but she has been interested in my overall progress. She is also all for the idea of me working on my technique by painting a naked man.

The most real life support I have gotten has been from Mai. She is also one of the best at giving me honest feedback which is really appreciated. Of course, I know where she lives and can tell mom. Hmmmm.....J/k, Love you Mai :hug

Although sometimes I am more sensitive than others, for me, having those that I know I can turn to for support and advice is more important. That is what makes communities like this one so great. Once I got over trying to make others happy and started wanting to improve for myself, that is when I started enjoying art again.

AWwwwww Wystro. I think youre one of the most talented and fantastic artists I know.

I might get a little angsty sometimes about folks not caring about I do online too much, Ive been blessed in real life.

My husband has no idea whats good art or bad art, and he doesnt even really bother to check to see what Ive accomplished lately. But I have my own room as a studio, that we painted in Starry colors! And he buys my supplies without quibbling too much over the high price.

Do I get support, or advice? Not really. I get that mostly over IMs with friends. Its funny, my parents have always been fairly supportive as well, Which is amazing from two engineers!

However, I really think that you, me, we as artists have to be able to look our art on our own as well. As much as /crickets drive me crazy when Ive worked SO hard to paint something, at least it gives me time to look, learn, and appreciate.

I <3 you and your art Wystro! I wont feel sorry for you, but Ill hug ya and feed ya cookies! ^-^

most people dont know what goes into making anything artistic.. at least the ones who arent artistic themselves.. so I think its hard for them to appreciate what an artist does.

Youre awesome Wystro.. only you can make something look both perfectly chaotic and at the same time perfectly clear.. and those of us who know that making something like that doesnt come easily, and that time and effort and just plain talent goes into it do appreciate and admire what you do. :hug

Thats because its fantastic! :love Its on my desktop too.


The road to success is never easy, its the journey and the friends you make along the way that counts. Cheer up chickadee, i think your great.

I know how you feel Wystro. :huggy It can get fustrating at times but we have the best community of people who help us and admire what we do just becase they do the same thing and know that we poor our hearts into each picture that we do and how much work we do on it. I have the support of my husband but sometimes it's kinda there but then I think I catch at bad times...lol. But I know I have support from my family and my biggest fan is my oldest daughter Alecx and as long as she thinks my art is beautiful then I am happy. Sorry rambling :o But just know you have all our support here.

my sister does the same thing. i usually have to reel her in with the naked guys artwork i trip over at renderosity....

i get mixed reactions as well. my mom is all over it, but my dad does this kind of half-hearted i-am-your-father-and-if-it-makes-you-happy-i-guess-its-good. until i drag out the ladies wearing next to nothing. those he notices *rolls eyes* i have some friends/coworkers who find the whole thing neat/amazing. not surprisingly, they are the ones who either truly enjoy art and/or have an artistic streak of their own. *shrug*

the long and short of it though - is that no matter what you did in life, not everyone is going to get what it is you do. i get the same reactions when people ask what i'm studying - i either get blank looks or "that's so cool"! it's a running joke at work that there's an anthropologist in the accounting department. so if your thing was taking old cars and making them cherry, you'd get the same mix. or if it was some weird chemist resaerch thing. what really matters is that you are expressing yourself and doing it in a way that causes you to strech and grow everytime you pick up your pens and let your muse guide you along! just don't you dare stop sharing it with us!!

Well, my parents are the typical 'omg we're proud of you - you did the dishes' type people. Making up for a rather luck luster and rod heavy childhood, I wager /snort My father is particularly thrilled with Ike and the site's image and use though. I buy them TAC merchandise and they happily use it; my father has the TAC giganto mug on his desk, my mother uses the bag in her car. Mom doesn't say anything about my artwork though, although I think she thinks I'm some sort of technical computer wiz. =x My brother thinks the site is neat, but I'm not sure he's even looked at the art. =x They're supportive in that they're not nonsupporting hehe.

my mom loves my art. my boyfriend.. well he tells me if something is wrong. and i value that. but he digs more traditional ( ie : painted on a canvas ) art than something with unlimited "undo's"...

i do suffer the same problem though, in a different area.

i do art. on the computer. and i make websites. now, my mom has always supported me in my ventures on the computer. she's helped me get some nice paying jobs. but it really stings when she says i need to learn how to make games, and that i could actually "do something" with my life.

uh.. hello? that thing you're stepping on.. its my bleeding heart. thanks.

if i *wanted* to make games, I think i'd be making games.

its like "yay claps you're fantastic, but you could do so much better"

and i need to "get a real job". I wasn't aware making websites, book covers, and commissioned artwork wasn't a real job.

ok, that deserved a piece of art but i'm too bitter.

so i'll leave you with these emotes.

:scream:shakefist::bitching

my hubby thinks what I do is neat so long as he thinks I can make money from it. When I did the manip sigs ( i still would but noone wants them) he wasnt really impressed, though he humored me and would get me programs and such I wanted to do it better. Then when i started doing 3d work and I pointed out that people actually bought them, he liked that.. til he found out that I was barely making what it cost me.. I didnt charge for time or profit..Now he thinks I need to learn how to do modeling so I can really make money..or tells me that Im gonna have to learn to model so I can get hired by someplace like daz and he wont have to work anymore.. I can support him for a change ( rofl )

My mom is pretty excited that my sister and I are both going to school for what we want to do (me graphic design, sis CPA... the freak loves numbers). She doesn't understand the difference between art and design so she'll say things like, "Lauren's going to school for the graphic arts." No mom, I'm going to school with the hopes of one day creating junk mail!

As far as my game art, she thinks it's neat and has had her employees go to my damn site. My sister thinks my screenshot stuff is pretty cool... especially now that she's playing WoW and wants a sig for her toon.

Rae and I both have parents who were artistically talented. The result is a critical eye towards your art at an early age. Sure when I was young they were encouraging because they both liked to draw and paint as well. As I got older and still wanted to draw and paint as a career in some fashion both parents were negative about it. Its not a very realistic goal...you can't make a lot of money doing artwork... you should have real skills to fall back on.. etc... Neither of them made professional use of their artistic talents (my mother was given the same speech about art from her dad) and so they were skeptical in various degrees about my odds of successfully doing so. They seemed more enthusiastic about my sister's career goals growing up and she occasionally picked some major ones. ;) *pokes Rae* :eek

My family doesn't understand my poetry.

That's why I share it here. Any piece I write that I share with the fam earns me blank looks as in a "wtf are you smoking?" vein.

I think I've only read two of those I've written - The Seed and Juices Flow - to them, and garnered those looks.

So I keep them for myself, and once in a while share with y'all.

They wouldn't understand the little bit of screenshot manipulation I do, either, so I never talk about it.

And roleplaying. Faugh, if only they knew. I'd have a new white jacket with those extra long sleeves...