I Knew I Had To Make Gerudo Chief Riju's Hair The Moment I Saw It In #botw Because Looooong. ;p Its An

I know this was posted a million tumblr years ago but it's... STILL bothering me so rant forthcoming! This... was just so heartbreaking... like I seriously took the Pini's behavior personally because Elfquest was a HUGE inspiration to me as a kid and Leetah has always had a special place in my heart as a character (because representation IS important don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise) and I've considered cosplaying her many times. I still have trouble understanding why so many white cosplayers are so OBTUSE about brownface seriously. Just don't do the thing. Its like every damn halloween when all the articles go around asking "is your costume racist?" Probably. Wear. Something. Else!

Posting from mobile and won't let me make a cut so tl;dr I guess.

Its offensive to treat brown skin like a costume because poc and especially darker skinned poc everywhere have to deal with BS specific to their skin color that white people don't ever have to, its dehumanising and disrespectful to dress up to look like people who get discriminated against for FUN. I guarantee you many poc have had experiences where they wish they could just wash their skin color off at the end of the day. PLUS it usually looks TERRIBLE :p I've seen some white cosplayers whinge about it cos nobody gets mad about dressing up as blue or green or purple-skinned people COS THATS TOTALLY THE SAME THING? What would you do if a suddenly real purple person came up to you and told you your purpleface was offensive- make up another fucking fictional skin color for your justification??

Cosplayers already rank so low on the "geek hierarchy" for having the NERVE to be SO openly geeky. Black cosplayers get called the "ghetto" version of whatever character they're dressed as, women who dare to show any skin dressing as characters usually designed by MEN get creeped on (and omg don't get me started on the creepy creepy treatment of mlp cosplayers by bronies)... People post photos without permission to point and laugh, women, poc, fat cosplayers, cosplayers who aren't super goodlooking, or technically skilled at making stuff ALL get majorly harassed and god forbid if you're several of those things HOW DARE YOU HAVE FUN IN PUBLIC. USUALLY even at a place where THE ENTIRE PURPOSE is nerds getting together to have fun in public.

It's gross behavior that stifles creativity and that will always be really infuriating to me. Personally it hasnt been something I've experienced much because my cosplay wishlists have always been entirely giant robots and power armor. :P Currently daydreaming about Striker Eureka, Samus, SEVERAL transformers, Bunny/Barnaby Brooks Jr, and the yellow Power Ranger I share a name with (another special place in my heart for her! She came on tv at a super important impressionable time in my nerdy childhood for sure). But cosplayers deserve to oh I dunno, NOT get harassed, whoever they are.

This is an art/creativity blog. So before anyone gets mad that I made some sort of "sjw" post instead of art just know that you can't divorce that stuff from reality. POC are artists and nerds too, OBVIOUSLY. I know people in general have trouble treating each other with respect but just... try? Its worth doing. This specific way of treating people decently is NOT that hard. Dooooon't brownface. THE END. Kinda dreading any attention this might get me but it's just been on my mind so much cos I'm going to get back into cosplay this year and I just wish it was possible to be a huge nerd and have a good time without also risking having to deal with tons of BS over it? Maybe?

....That would be great ffff

Planning to Honeybee at Wild Wild West Con, btw :D STEAMPUNK ROBOT BEE FAIRY BALLERINAAAA

ElfQuest, the Pini's, and Racism.

This is something I’ve been putting off writing for at least a month, because it’s been so hard on me. When I say hard, I mean just kind of spirit-breaking to even revisit in my memory. If you care about what I am saying, if you really care about racism in the artistic industries and such, SHARE THIS. Read this, and if you REALLY feel it, SHARE IT. Please.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore - sorry - adored ElfQuest. Wendy and Richard Pini were my role models for a long long time. I started reading the series when I was very very young. Sure, there’s questionable content, but to me it was a fantastically constructed world. There was also something about it that stood out to me in bright vivid colours.

There were elves of colour in it. Deep, rich, beautiful brown elves with their own distinct (although vaguely familiar) culture. Elves in a fantasy setting that felt no need to be justified. Elves that I, as a minority individual, could cling to and feel as though I belonged to their world.

Now, if you have already made your mind up on whether or not you want to accept what I’m going to write, don’t click on. If you become offended, if you decide to come after me for writing this, be very very aware that you were warned that the content of this may upset you. You had the choice to move on, and to be ignorant of the following information.

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tv imitates life imitates art imitates life imitates tv imitates well ok we might argue about it being art but I for one am OMFG LOVE THIS LOL

Plus I thought of Cybruce Willis from Power Nap XD

MAN I've just about had it with tumblr, this is the third time it's eaten my responses to asks and taken the original asks with it. It's happened on my phone and on my galaxy tab-I rarely use tumblr on my computer because my computer is for getting shit done! Plus I travel a lot so I guess tumblr app is still only good for checking my stupid dash. The last two I did copy and save the text so I'll at least be able to post SOMETHING when I get to my computer again. Tumblr suuuuuxxxxx

I have the WORST art block right now... sigh. But I finally made it to a Dr. Sketchy's to see what the fuss is all about. It was alright though I'd love the chance to go to one with better costumes LOL

PS- worldbuilding wednesday isn't over yet!

It seems like a lot of your characters have pointed ears/"unnatural" hair colors-- I'm assuming they're something not-quite-human, so can you explain what exactly they are/what's the deal with their race/their culture? Does your storyworld(/storyworlds) have other common races? What's up with them?

oho, two questions! All my pointy ears characters are elves from the same story of which Errikan is the main character... I've been working on a website to provide at least a bit of overview and context for them. So its a fantasy world with several races but most of my characters are elves, and they are really only elves and not human because I love drawing big pointy ears, created them way back when I discovered legend of zelda and elfquest comics about age 14. :p It was kind of a blow to learn that most elves in fantasy aren't actually as cool as those so heh, I just had to make sure mine lived up to my expectations.

The fantasy takes place on a continent called Rethamnel, the elves are the majority humanoid race, but there are also dwarves, merpeople, orcs, trolls, giants, and centaurs. I won't lie, they are mainly there because it is fun to design your own versions of fantasy races, but its not a huge aspect of plot or anything, since by the time I decided to have lots of non-elf races my main characters were already established. I worked that into my history by making them the majority, conquering, culturally imperialist race with the dominant religion, so it fits :p heh

FYI he is slimyyyy

Do you still draw elves? I miss Errikan...

I miss him too, friend :( tbh I'm really struggling lately, creatively and otherwise, I don't have passion for anything anymore, just trying to exist until things get better

indigogrim replied to your post: Stuff like this is pretty livejournal ...

The more you practice performing and sharing your art with people the easier it gets.

Thiiiiissss is what I'm talkinbout tho? One would assume 10+ years of trying would be enough to tell if such a thing is gonna work out or not D: I'm reeeaally reaching right now trying to decide if it ever got any easier during that decade of effort and fffffnnnnghmaybe? BUT worth it? That I am even less sure about. Cos when I draw something and I finish I'm good. It's like welp, got a thing out of my head, done, satisfied. Might show a friend or two if they're online at the time. Its a little easier with fanart because fangirling and FEEEELS. But meeeehhh? WHY should I continue to push for it, is what I want to ask. I never got much reason other than because people wanna see? And that's not motivational enough?... sorry...? The inspiration to others thing is but again only sometimes because that's not whyyyyy I do this, so when I struggle to share and can't, then I just feel ashamed and as I said, I'm done with that. 

adrhaze replied to your post: 

You can always become a secret artist with a pseudonym and just keep yourself in the shadows while letting your work speak for you. The masked artist! Or maybe an agent? It works for banksy and a lot of writers.

I have totally considered a pseudonym! At least for writing, if I ever actually finished anything fff. For visual art I don't think Banksy is a good example, being mysterious brings EXTRA attention... (besides doesn't he have an entire crew helping him out...?) Musically I sure love Daft Punk's thing but man how much harder would it be to start doing something like that nowadays? Anonymity is kind of impossible. I'm already probably as secret as I could even be :C

Thing is though, I love musical theater best. Like I LIVE for Cirque du Soleil shows (only time something has ever made me cry just because it was so beautiful), and I did a lot of that stuff when I was a kid. But you really have to put yourself out there for it. Collaborating with a bunch of people to create something thats so many kinds of art all at the same time that no single person could pull off is just the greatest feeling. SO its easier when its a group thing too, a cast and crew can be a really supportive kind of artist family. I made costumes and props and magic tricks, I danced at festivals, I played in band etc. Stopped doing all that stuff publicly when I was 15ish for mostly angsty teenager reasons, though one year I did audition for a musical and that was the last damn time I sang outside of the shower or alone in the car and let me tell you I was ASTRONOMICALLY outside of my comfort zone there, woosh. (but I admit I wasn't satisfied doing ONLY crew cos I gotta daaaaance) After that I would say... a lot of things happened that made life a little bit tougher and I had to lean on my art for emotional support. I don't feel like sharing stupid life story stuff but I mean, maybe some people can at least relate to the idea that you might need oh I dunno, a stable life (one where you don't use up all your energy just trying to survive, for whatever reason. I mean this very broadly cos everyone has struggles) before you can do extra stuff like art. And art is usually in the category of extra stuff. When I had enough spoons left in the day to draw I still wouldn't have enough to deal with the kind of ridiculousness artists online tend to have to deal with. I hope I make sense.

Things are better for me now though which is a big reason this nonsense is on my mind actually.

I've got the ongoing severe project ADHD where I sketch a rad idea and draft a pattern or two and start hoarding materials and then... float to the next shiny idea like a cartoon character following the scent of fresh-from-the-oven windowsill pie. :P Screenfaced expressive robot is on costume bucket list, one evening on a whim I sketched them out on my headform and uUUgh I wanna make it but when will I?? Dunno. Need more LEDs. I feel like I'm in work/school purgatory. I can't manage full time school but it means I'm just gonna be in school for what feels like forEVER! AND I'm still so got damn tired. Came home from closing shift last nite, stayed up late panic studying for a programming test this morning, I DID OK ON THE TEST THO YEEEEAHBOOOOII, now I'm gonna pass out for a quick nap before work today fnghfgh ZZzzz. I'm ok tho just a lil moody that I gotta take things so slowly and Im STILL exhausted by it. Still thinkin about the irony of persuing robotics/engineering education after getting kicked out of top robotics school over decade ago (mind you, arduino didn't exist back then and hooooolymoly this stuff is so much easier now! wowowowow) Programming still so hard tho UGH. But I stay motivated when I get ideas like above and know that I may actually have skills to make it real sooner rather than laterrrr

omg you punk i didn't know you had a tumblr

it's new! New ish! I promise! Augh I am making an effort get off my ass, woman