So, where have I been? Busily toiling away, trying to master the arts, to end my struggles, to find the direction in which I want my art to go?

Pfft, no. I've been playing videogames.

I've been reliving videogames I grew up on: Sonic the Hedgehog, Gex, Rayman, Resident Evil.

I'm the laziest person on the face of the earth, am I right?

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I haven't been drawing or dicking around in Photoshop and Microsoft Paint, I've even been writing a fair bit, I just haven't produced anything I want to show anyone.

What else is new, eh.

So.

Striking up conversation.

What did YOU guys grow up on?

Be it videogames, movies, what-have-you, or if you weren't a videogamer or a couch potato, what else?

C'mon, guys, work with me here!

_{...So said Dani J.B.}

I FEEL LIKE I'M COMING UPON A BREAKTHROUGH.



But it's hard comin'.

It's like that light at the end of a tunnel, but there's still a fuckload of dirt and rock still in the way, and you have no shovel.

Just a stupid pencil.

_{...So said Dani J.B.}

This is a rant.

Mind you, I don't like ranting, especially about my life, because, frankly, no one wants to see people whining like little bitches in their journals.

I have been clinging desperately to my motto in life: "It could always be worse." Not an optimistic approach, but since something life-changing (to say the least) occured this last January to kick off this oh-so amazing year, I need something to keep me going.

All right, to the three of you who are still reading, you may be asking... who's pissing in Dani's corn flakes today?

Someone, who clearly shouldn't have a goddamn driver's license, hit our car.

No note, no consideration...left us with a banged-up hood, the front of it is all messed up...It's nothing that can't be repaired, fortunately, but we just recently put in a shitton of money into this thing to get it to pass inspection.

Then this happens. Goody.

We have to shell out another $500 to get it painted (we have a winter deadline, or the car is going to rust) because some dick threw an egg at the car ages ago, and...man, I don't know what the fuck was in that thing, but it has just ruined the paintjob on the car.

Dear God.

I hate people.

...Well, no, I don't, not usually.
But sometimes...I really, really do.

It's a punt to the cunt, really.

The only good thing that happened this year is that I...

Oh shit, I still haven't told anyone, have I? This just goes to show how behind I've been in keeping up with my dA.

I graduated from high school in June.

Go me.

_{...So said Dani J.B.}



Okay, actual artistic updates.
I have been working on stuff.
I have mounds of stuff to show.

So, why am I not posting it?

I don't have any confidence...

I can't blame it on no support, because that's not true. My good friends, namely Erica and Cedars, have been encouraging me to get back to it, but...well, I don't know.

I don't know what's wrong.

Something...just is.

Yes, hypocrites, right in our own community.

Fft, I'm a hypocrite, too. But I believe it's always possible to right our wrongs, and it's high time we do.

I am against tracing copyrighted images to create bases, but as long as dA allows it, I've found myself content to just wait until someone makes the effort to lay down the law on all of this.

That day is unlikely to happen while I'm a member of dA.

But.

Let's shut up and be patient.

I am SICK, however, of people bitching and whining about the low-level talent of the "newbie" dollers.

"OMG THEY USE AIRBRUSHING"
"OMG IT'S SO UGLY THEY CEL-SHADE"
"OMG THIS THAT"
"OMG BLAH BLAH BLAH BITCH PISS WHINE"

Shut up.

In the words of someone I encountered when I was still being a crusading idiot over anti-tracing: "...not all of these newbies want to seriously be artists, so they trace for fun".

_{To which I say, doing it for fun does not mean you should disrespect the works of those who consider themselves real artists.}

But this isn't a tracing rant: it's a rant about ranting.

Get over yourselves.

No, seriously.

Let them do what they want.

If they're just doing it for fun, then who are you to demand high quality works from them?

No, really, who ARE you, demanding they produce works worthy of your precious dolling gallery?

Those who are serious, then they will make the effort to improve.

Those who do it for fun will never improve because they probably don't WANT TO.

And if you're so concerned about them flooding the gallery with crap, THEN WORK HARDER YOURSELF. Don't lay it entirely on them! If you want to encourage better work, then practice and try to get better yourself! Fill the gallery with your own high-quality work: inspire others to want to improve.

Like I said: those who do it for fun will lose interest eventually, but there will always be a new group of "do-it-for-fun" folk to replace them. Those who want to improve, will do so. Just give them some time. A year, two years: there is no time limit on progress.

It will happen when it happens.

Yelling at them in your comments and then posting "anonymous" links to their dolls on Photobucket isn't going to help them improve. If anything, it'll make them feel like shit. Yes, I realize that most of the new members of the community are "animu fantards" who are usually in the age range of 13 - 16: and if we are to hope that dolling is continued once we lose interest, we can't go around discouraging them, no matter how much they "suck".

You sucked, too, at one point.

I sucked, at one point. In fact, I STILL think I suck.

But is that going to get me down?

Hell no, my friends.

I'm going to improve, and improve, because there is no perfection in art: there is no end to improving. And if there is an end in sight, it's that point where you can sit back and look at your work and say genuinely: "I am happy with my work!"

And so, to those who rant and rave...it's okay to rant and rave.

I'm doing it RIGHT NOW.

But try to think of the target audience for a change, won't you?

_{...So said Dani J.B.}



That done, I'm not back yet.
Apologies to my watchers and friends.
But I still need more time.

Miss you all.
Love you all.


Hope you're all doing well~
Never be afraid to drop me a line, eh?