Yeah, it's been a while. Feels like I am only posting on Tumblr theses days just to apologise for not posting on Tumblr. Yesterday though I had a little wine to drink and I got a bit nostalgic and started thinking (a dangerous thing, I know). For those few people still paying attention to this blog may have noticed that this was the first year I didn't do a #dogmas advent calendar. I considered doing one, but... well, I obviously ended up not doing one.
I really hate what social media has turned into. I've been using the internet to share my creative output since I was a teenager. For twenty or so years, I cherished my time making comics and art for the web, and I liked the connections I formed and the modest following I garnered. I view art as a form of communication, painting has more in common with language than product development. I don't like how internet has turned into a commodities market, where it is algorithms that decide what media the user should be exposed to. The DIY-attitude that I grew up with is gone, now it's more about gaming the system and the feeling of community is gone.
I have always been a bit too much of a contrarian, too. I like doing things my own way and I instinctively rebel against any platform trying to impose rules on what I can and cannot upload. There's a reason why I started including more nudity in my comics just after Tumblr infamously cracked down on mature content. I've had a few things I've made gone 'viral', but virality really doesn't mean squat unless you're able to commodify that virality. There used to be room for smaller creators with a devoted base of followers, but that's not really the case any more. I just got sick of stuff I made get completely buried and not seen and to keep beating my head against the wall.
I luckily got out before AI became a big thing, but I see how it is systematically ruining the internet like some kind of a digital cancer. You can't do a google search any more without being overwhelmed by it. It seems that people mostly use Twitter now for Elon Musk's lobotomised chatbot. Tumblr seems fine, but let's be honest, there is no-one here. Reddit? Well, I am not that desperate. I am hypocritical enough to use Instagram, but that's largely to keep up with real life acquaintances and friends, and it's kinda necessary if you want to build a name for yourself as an artist.
I would one day love to start doing something regularly for the internet. Been thinking about doing a daily vlog talking about art and showing stuff I've been making. I am a 'serious' artist now, doing acrylic collages/paintings. But let's keep things realistic. This blog is dead. I'm not returning to making comics. I haven't touched my tablet in almost a year, I like keeping things analog. If you've enjoyed my stuff over the years, if you've been following me ever since I worked for the Yogscast, all I want to say is thank you for your time. I am still around, I am happy and I am doing better mentally than ever before. Despite my bleak opinions about the internet, I am generally hopeful for the future. It's fun not being reliant on computers to make art.
This is the final post I am ever posting on Tumblr. Probably. At least that's my intention. I don't want to leave any loose threads. Thank you all, and I hope you're doing well. Make art in the real world. Pick up a pencil and start sketching. Get some clay and start sculpting. Maybe just start your dancing career. You don't need a fascist tech billionaire in Silicon Valley's approval to be creative.
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