its saddening that people still hold the mentality in self shipping that you must ‘contribute’ in some way to your ship. that people feel as if they have to know how to draw, have to have money for commissions, have to have ‘fans’ to be seen. thats not how you have fun, it turns what we claim to do for fun into something that borders on capitalistic.
from my own experiences, the best moments are when me and my friends talk about our ships together. tons of followers dont get you that, you HAVE to branch out and interact with others if you want interactions. some people wont interact back, and thats okay, but everyone always finds their people. its a community, its built upon layers of different social circles. you have more fun gushing abt your f/os to a friend then getting a couple of likes on a post, trust me.
princess peach is one of my most important f/os to me, and i genuinely in the 8 years ive shipped with her only have 1 drawing of the two of us. its really not that deep, i dont need to spend money to prove i love her, lots of people care for my ship with her purely because i just show who i am and that i love her. saying things like ‘i just dont have money and cant draw’ is a pity party youre putting yourself into. as someone who has struggled to learn art for years, theres so many other things you can do.
i cant draw, but ive picked up writing through the years. ive recently started editing. theres playlists and merch and trinkets and so so much. i sometimes see the silliest things and get it cause it reminds me of my f/o, i don’t need hundreds of official merch or commissions. lets not create an environment where self shipping is monetary. yes, there is self shippers with big platforms who draw or get lots of art but theyre people too who just have the means to express themselves that way and lets not forget they probably worked for those skills and where they are now, we should not shame them or guilt them because of ourselves. we shouldnt so blatantly talk about how horrible it is that we cant express our love for our ships if we havent truly and deeply tried to view it from a different perspective. to view that we dont need to spend money to express what we care for and show it to others.
if youre still caught in this mentality, reflect on the true value of your ship. think about what you really want, do you just want to be seen and connect with others? then do so in the most earnest of ways, being yourself and expressing yourself in creative ways. moodboards are cool. playlists are cool. lore dumps are cool. forget the notes. forget the follower count. think of why you want to get those things, because you just want to be seen. and trust me, trust me so much, there was many ways people will see you. people who you may relate to more then you realize. your notes may never reach those crazy numbers, but think of the small comments and asks from the friends youll make when you let go of the mindset.
as i said, its capitalistic, the idea we must contribute to be validated. its just as society believes that if you dont work that youre not valuable and cant be included even if you struggle or simply cant. thats not true. prove the world wrong, whether its through your self ship or through YOU.
ok now go kiss your f/o sloppy style (hits your butt with a towel) HIT THE SHOWERS
