When I Hide Don't Look For Me In Sunsets And Summer Breezes,

DAY 2 - Spiders

For day 2 of #inktober, I have drawn a broken human skull with a little family of spiders living inside. (To be honest, I'm severely arachiphobic, so this is as spidery as I could push this prompt.)

Once the tears finally stop and my lung revert to routine my eyes start to burn. The line where my lashes break through my skin stings a little more each time I blink. It seems fitting to my emotion addled brain, that physical pain should replace the psychological suit I was only moments before encased in. Because pain is grounding, a comforting constant. It roots you to your body and pulls your heart back from it's careful tearing at your mind. It is evidence of the event; a moments reprieve from the unrelenting screams that I am an Imposter. I have suffered then atleast, even if I'm yet to believe I can say I've suffered before. My eyes burn and I welcome my pain, my most devoted nurturer, for it has cradled me closer than any parent has. My eyes burn and I am left to wonder if my tears may be poison.

- In The Moments After by Me because I'm having A Time.

Y'all... I cannot stress enough how you need to interact with things in order to maintain a fandom community.

I have seen absolutely abysmal interaction with everything I've posted lately, and it is IMMENSELY disheartening. Of course, I create it for me, but I choose to share it with everyone and want to get excited about it WITH YOU. And it seems that every other artist/writer/creator I know is experiencing the same thing.

If you're one of the people that regularly interact or just have hit a bit of a speedbump lately, then please know I'm not talking to you. I'm also not talking to other creators that have to choose between engaging or creating (and sometimes just don't have the bandwidth). I'm talking to the blogs that ask for more and then never comment or share. I'm talking to the people that sign up for tag lists and then are never heard from again. I'm talking to blogs that spam like but haven't reblogged anything since 2022. Y'all, this site thrives off of interaction. That is how it works. You have to help things circulate, and it is so frustrating to see the entire place in a collective slump. I have been blocking blogs left, right, and center that do not share things, and I will continue to do so. But it is such a freakin' bummer to see the state of things at the moment.

Hell, I started a sideblog for Fandom Friday (@fandom-friday), and have only received a handful of submissions after getting asked numerous times when it would be coming back. IT'S BACK. IT'S HERE. WHERE IS EVERYONE????? I figured after a few months' break, that people would have plenty of submissions stacked up, but that has not been the case AT ALL.

Fandom communities are such incredible places, but it's felt like a ghost town around here lately with the writers and artists just screaming into the void to PLEASE INTERACT WITH OUR STUFF. Please show up for one another because it is so very soul-crushing to watch everyone I know just feel completely disheartened. I cannot tell you how depressing it is to spend hours and hours carefully crafting something, being genuinely excited about it, and get almost no interaction or response other than a few likes and comments.

PLEASE INTERACT WITH THINGS YOU LIKE OR ELSE THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE THINGS TO INTERACT WITH.

Let #Inktober2023 commence!

I greatly enjoyed making my title page for this years #Inktober and will hopefully be able to keep up with each day as we go.

DAY 3 - Path

For day 3 of #inktober, I have drawn a rough hewn stone archway that stands alone over a path that continues on into the horizon.

DAY 5 - Map

For day 5 of #inktober, I pulled out a personal treasure and drew my grandads globe. I've had this globe ny whole life, and it makes me happy to continue finding new ways to appreciate it.

DAY 4 - Dodge

For day 4 of #inktober, I drew the claws of a bird of prey open and reaching, so dodge now or become the feathered fiends dinner! Haha!

DAY 6 - Golden

For day 6 of #inktober, I have drawn one of the three Russian nesting dolls my grandad brought back from Russia when I was little, and whist doing so I tried to stay true to it's original design.

DAY 1 - Dream

For day 1 of #inktober, my drawing is a cat sleeping on its side having a wonderful dream about all the mice, birds, and fish it could want.