Catching up with all of you
I am taking a moment in between work to catch you up on my art and social accounts~
I've been growing VERY disenchanted over internet spaces for quite some years now. And despite me giving it another chance, over and over again. It proved me is going worse and worse as time passes.
I came back to doing art for fandoms for the shake of re-learning digital art and make art that is meant to be fun without the preassure of being your profession on top.
So, I gathered a few of my interests and started doing art. Some of them were aftg, arcane, genshin impact, epic and actual greek mythology from doctorates divulgators.
However, I never truly made art for the Epic fandom or Greek mythology in here because it doesn't feel safe.
Coming from a family of historians and philosophers. Surrounding myself in my adulthood with actual arqueologists in classic studies. Seeing the amount of missinformation coming from a young audience from the US who just discovered Epic was unsettling.
We are not new to the amount of misinformation and dogmatism coming from english speakers in the US. However, due to the attachment I have on the topic since I was a teen, it truly did push my buttons.
I actively do greek mythology art. I love to rethink the myths that shaped my culture and give it a modern understanding. Without trying to preach what the ancient greeks believed or were. I love to make it make sense in our own modern world. But I will not show this art here, as far as me concerns, I have nothing to prove to you.
"Without trying to preach what the ancient greeks believed or were."
This is important. None in modern times can truly gasp the complexity of any past society. Heck, we can BARELY understand all the annouances of our own societies.
So meanwhile I was re-learning digital art, I was doing lots of it, specially for aftg fandom. The release of the sunshine court was about to drop in Spanish and I was fully immersed in Jerejean.
I was genuinely having so much fun making art that didn't need to have a deeper meaning, following trends of whatever peaked my interest regarding these characters. AU's that I liked, etc.
But something in me, was wishing for more. You see, these characters are not mine and my art was always limited to what the fandom said it had to be.
I was yearning for worldbuilding and develop my own original characters. A field in art I didn't explore yet and I was, and still am, eager to learn and get better at.
That's how Adrien(aftg oc) and Garnier(Oc) started~
So in the last few weeks before the indicent I stopped doing Jerejean meanwhile I recovered for a minor injury on the thumb. Partially because I had work incoming and partially because I started working in my own Oc's and worldbuilding behind the scenes.
The reason why I choosed English instead of Spanish is to be able to speak to people in nearby countries. Here where I live, we comunicate in between countries in English and speaking each other languages as we learn the respective languages.
However, that means automatically encounter US people... With its arrogance, their cultural problems, their self-inflicted belief that they own the full truth and they shall preach it to everyone.
The internet to my eyes is floaded on one side: ignorant fascists that do preach harmful ideology and missinformation about life and society. On the other side of the political spectrum, wanabee activists who apropiate other people's cultures and problems while preaching on their own understanding of it. On top of it scam artists trying to sell courses on how to get 1M dollaroos 🤑. And people fighting on the internet like their paycheck comes from likes for suporting any particular political party. ~Only the best of each house~
To my eyes, all these people are harmful to peaceful progressive liberal societies. The main issue being dogmatism. I will not EVER stand behind the habit of preaching a dogmatic view based on my own understanding. So naturally I have problems with these types of people.
Add to it the fact that we are dealing with what could be considered US cultural colonisation in other countries through the internet. It rubbed my feathers wrong.
Having to say all the time: "No Spain is in Europe" because these people alwaaays come with the: "Oohh Spain? In Mexico right?" Or thing such as: "Yeaah, you are not mediterranean, you are white."
This lack of knowledge on specific areas of the world that become a trend considering our own problems with american tourists. (I have several in real life stories of transphobia and religious dogmatism coming from US tourists in MY OWN COUNTRY)
There is so much cultural shock and disrespect coming from the US citizens that at times, is unbearable.
The risks of having your art stolen to make AI generated images is something noweadays most are aware.
But what bothered me for years is the fact that you don't own your images on the internet. I completely disagree with any company owning the image I made of my art. Is literal robery.
Add to it using it to train generative AI. I reduced my online presence severely.
As author of my original art, only I own the rights to it stated in the Law of intelectual property of my country where my art is born and protected.
TO WHAT RIGHT DOES ANY COMPANY OF ANY COUNTRY TO HAVE "Ownership" of my art against my will and rights stated in the constitution of my country?
That's why I do NOT post original art online in public spaces such as twitter, instagram, etc.
The fact the artists I love the most are censored on X and Tumblr made me disengage in these platforms.
It doesn't make sense to me. If I want to see mid sfw art, I go to my local galleries where the 0's in the price is far more interesting than the artwork itself.
What I truly, truly, truly despite
I can't stand when people from any country try to dictate about my culture, about us or about our history. Is is something I try very much not do with others.
It's disrespectful, is imposing your views onto us, is ignorant and is blalantly idiotic.
Dogmatism as well, it speaks of lack of understanding and low mental capabilities, closed mindness and lack of empathy and respect for other people. Any type of dogmatism I don't condone in any way, shape or form.
Race in mediterranean countries
Contrary to popular belief in the US, mediterranean countries are racially varied. At different times in history more than others.
The truth is, we don't have the amount of racial problems the US has. For that I am very proud of my country.
There are still very much racism but it doesn't look the way it does in the US. And for those cases I rather listen actual spanish activists than any random US person of the internet trying to tell me that THEIR specific problems is everywhere in the world the same way.
It is simply not the exact same.
It was not really about race but stereotypes and dogmatism
The trigger for me, was a qrt on Persephone's Olympus character that said: "She has been whitewashed" on a post that said: "The worst representation of persephone ever"
(I wish I could find it but it seems it got deleted)
- That any mediterranean person or character has to look any specific way.
Who the f* are you to tell us how we should look?
- User ignoring the creative liberty of the artists.
You seem to like accuracy too much for the little serious documentaries you watch.
- Not separating fiction from reality.
Listen... some of you believe the actor and the character is the same. I am not even surprised.
So I was mad and I wrote anything that came to my mind without trying to make sense. What got out of context is the last part.
People cannot possibly know what I think let alone fadom the idea that someone can critisize it's own culture and interests despite partaking in them. Is too much big brain for the mass.
Greek mythology has been used historically and it seems is used again to support white supremacy.
That's the critic and original meaning of the tweet.
Back in the XVIIIth century the french specially and the brits took ancient greek culture as the peak of european culture due to the threat of the otoman empire. Meanwhile making a fetish out of mediterranean cultures in the north of africa. Neoclassic and Romantic era respectively.
In the XVth century the Italians did the same in the Rainassance. But I would argue it's simply part of their history(imo).
And it seems to me they are doing the fucking same thing again in the XXI century in the US. Once again... the US taking things that don't belong to them and twisting it to their own narrative.
Which eventually boils down to the same thing, opression, cultural apropiation and dogmatism.
So what can I say, when it's the fucking 6000 millionth time that you see a fucking ignorant US citizen trying to retell our history and tell us how we or our myths should look or be. It pushes my buttons.
There is a HUGE difference between an artist representing a character in a specific way for whatever reason and a good-for-nothing trying to tell the artist how it should look for "accuracy" skipping the understanding that:
a-An artist has creative liberty and owes you nothing.
b-Your understanding of any topic is as flawded as the rest of us.
c-Imposing your world-view regardless of whichever side of the political spectrum you claim to come from is as wrong as any religious cult.
Honestly, I am not even surprised it came from this user cause she seems to be getting in drama for whatever reason~ Every week, she has to state her feelings on aftg fandom drama, like we care.
It seems to me she made greek myths her religion and as a good US citizen: "Fight for what you believe" thinking you can be the hero of your own film *roll eyes*
For me, the way my words have been twisted to her narrative, putting in my mouth her own thoughts was harmful, for I considered to be on good terms with her. I don't remember wronging her prior to the ocurrence, and I was not made aware she had any problem with me. So I guess is her own problems against white boys I guess... whatever that means.
Point is, I let it slide for a while thinking that she was making a mistake due to cultural misunderstanding like she did in the past with a brasilian user of the fandom. I was willing to rub it under the rug, forgive and forget.
But she kept badmouthing me on her private account and I had enough of her antics.
The whole thing made me feel not only misunderstood, betrayed and wronged. It was worth difamation lawsuit acording to the laws of my country.
Going as far as some other random user claiming to be "white european supremacist". Something that couldn't be further from my character. Such claims would hold no ground on court.
It made me feel isolated, so I finished the job myself, I didn't and still want nothing to do with ANY fandom spaces, let alone aftg fandom who has been in constant drama each week.
Living this experience I started to think of J.K.R... IMAGINE a trans guy suddenly empathising up to some point with J.K.R.
It made me understand why many average people felt the need to lean onto radical fascist ideas due to feel excluded from what are meant to be supporting, open minded spaces.
(This is the fall of the left, due to radical left totalitarians. But y'all ain't ready for that topic)
Thankfully for me, I know very well where my thoughts align and the true dangers of such actions. So I stayed in my place, where I have always been.
Nowadays, I don't care what people think or what any moron of a US citizen believes. The only reason why I write this is because I feel the need to express myself. That's why I am an artist.
As for my art, with all of these things going on in my head. I am going to focus on worldbuilding that brings me the most pleasure. I am not allowing people to see it until I feel like it. The internet is NOT a safe space for none and nothing. I hold my original art dear to my heart.
So if you stop seeing my art, is for all of these reasons: Shift in type of art, disagreement with platforms, bad feelings with fandoms.
That's everything I want to get off my chest, so I wish you a very good night.
