Hi Dremnec I was the anon on the Prince post that you reblogged. It hurt to get called out like that cause I love their work and I was not trying to be a negative in any way towards them but you are right. I didn't really think about how that could negatively impact Prince (and creators) and I will try to do better! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Hey anon, thanks for messaging! No shade at all to you, I know you meant well with it. I said it in the tags I think, but it's also not a 'you' thing, it just happened to align with behaviours I've been seeing more of recently.
I spend most of my time in creative circles, and have for a long while. And at a certain point the patterns really jump out. I think the unifying factor is what I'd call misguided compliments. Comments made by people who are excited about the content, but the message doesn't quite land, and ends up with the creator feeling hurt or disappointed with the reaction. Some examples of things I've seen creators get upset by multiple times:
Expressing strong reactions that weren't intended by the creator — so, for example, finding something serious funny/goofy; or crashing out about something that was intended to be light and fluffy. Obviously having these reactions can't be helped, but it can make that creator question why they failed to illicit the reception they intended.
Self deprecating, or implying the work is SO GOOD that it makes them feel insecure about their own creations. It never feels good to know your creative work is making someone feel bad, for any reason!
Putting down other creators/works, like "This is sooo much better than XYZ" or "Normally I hate this genre, but yours is the good one". Most of the time people writing a genre/trope also love consuming it, so you're kinda insulting their taste, as well as shading people who are their friends and peers
Pestering/pressuring for updates — I totally get it, I know there's tons of works I am absolutely chewing the walls to read more of. There's just a very fine line between expressing excitement and making a demand, which leaves a sour taste, and can suck the fun out of creating
Comparing to other works. Occasionally, this can be a huge compliment. But unless you know the author likes/admires that work, then this can very easily backfire. Comparisons can rub up on insecurities, make the creator feel like the work was misunderstood, or imply the work isn't being original (or at worst, derivative).
Again, these are comments that are almost always made in good faith, but a hint of negativity can entirely overshadow any positive message.
This isn't a demand or a callout by any means. Only a nudge to remember that sharing creative work can feel very vulnerable, and that we can all stand to think a little more about how sentiments might come across.
Creators are the lifeblood of fandom, and when they feel understood and supported, the community will thrive!
theartofmadeline
vaporwave
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