Here’s a little guideline of things you need to know if you’d like to work in the TTRPG illustration scene. Explaining what it is, as well as the standard rate range for such illustration work.

Many of you may know TTRPG companies and their projects such as:

Wizards of the Coast:     (Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering.)
Paizo:                                (Pathfinder)
CD Project Red:               (Gwent)
Aplibot:                             (Legend of the Cryptids)
Fantasy flight games:     (Talisman, Keyforge, Legend of the five rings, and various famous IP’s which they turned into games such as: A Game of Thrones, Star wars, Lord of the Rings.) (*FFG's rates are not included in the equation below, as they pay significantly different, than the industry standard.)
And various, Indy or slightly less famous companies. Like the rapidly growing company I work for as Principal Art Director:
Ghostfire Gaming:           (Grim Hollow) (Stibbles Codex of Companions) (The Seekers Guide to Twister Taverns)

The standard industry rates in TTRPG:

Those companies named above work in role playing products and card games. The two products are often paid very differently!
Whereas card games illustrations payments range between:  300-1000 usd (with the exceptional 1500 for really special cards.)
RPG book illustrations are priced in a different categories, most commonly:

1. Character/creature/spot illustration without backdrop: 100-300 usd.

2. Props/items: 50-150 usd.

3. Quarter-page/Half-page illustrations: 200-650 usd.

4. Full page heroic illustrations:  500-1000 usd.

5. Book cover art:  500-3000usd 

6. Dm/gm screen art: 500-2000usd

7. World/location Maps: 50-500usd.

The majority of the companies working in the TTRPG industry work with fixed prices, they don’t look at your hourly rate or day rate. They don’t change it whether an artwork has 1 or 3 or 5 characters doing a thing.

Some trivia:

TTRPG= Tabletop Role playing game. A game often coming in the form of a book, or multiple books. There’s also side products. Here’s a list:

1. Campaign guide. A book explaining the game, mostly aimed for the game master/dungeon master, who dictates the story of the game and fulfils the role of NPC’s, villains and monsters. They are the director/storyteller of the game.

2. Players guide. These books are aimed to help the players make their character backgrounds, and statistics as well as getting to know the world they’re going to play in and it’s game rules.

3. Monster manual. These books are filled with various monsters and villains you can encounter during your gameplay. They come with their own statistics and game mechanics. 

4. Random fantasy titled TTRPG book: These are often books showcasing new adventures and realms and everything that comes with it.  They’re an addition next to the other books. 

5. Roleplaying Game Dice! A set of dice the player and game master need to play the game. Not just your regular 6 sided dice (D6), but there’s also: D100, D20, D10, D12, D8 and D3!

6. Dice box and or dicetray. A box in which you can safekeep your dice, sometimes, just like a dicetray it will have a velvet layer in which you can roll the dice without any discomfortable sound. 

7. DM-screen. (Dungeon/Game Master screen,) This is a screen that the DM/GM puts in front of them, to make sure you cannot see their dice and notes. On the inside of the screen, only visible to them, there’s a list of statistics that help them with the game. On the outside, there’s a panoramic illustration for the player’s viewing pleasure. (since these artworks are rather large, you often get paid between 600-2000 usd to paint them)

8. Ability and spell cards. These are little cards, mostly used by players to keep track of the abilities and spells their character can use. Sometimes these cards have an illustration on the back, but most times it’s nothing more than a symbol and decoration.

9. Monster cards. For either players or DM/GM’s, a card with on one side a visual representation of a monster or villain, and on the other side their statistics. 

10. Miniatures/figurines. Little statues to represent the players, the monsters, villains and NPC’s. Some TTRPG players like playing the game with having these figurines on a board. Given them a visual representation of their location and battle tactics.

11. A game board. A board depicting a scene or dungeons viewed from the top down. It’s made out of hexagon or square tiles. Sometimes you can dress them up real fancy with cardboard/molded or 3d printed elements such as decor, walls, doors etc.

12. Game play maps. These can be world maps, all the way to interior maps of buildings. These illustrations get paid between 50-500 usd.

NPC= Non playable character.

Applying your artwork to a TTRPG company:

Prepare your portfolio by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Do I know the product well enough? 

2. Does my portfolio show work that already looks like it belongs in/with their product?

3. Does the quality of my work match their overall quality (compare it not with their worst, but with their best.)

Sending in your work. 

Most TTRPG companies have a dedicated email address to which to send your application. They come with their own instructions, often asking for small jpegs of 3-5 samples of your work. Other companies prefer you send a url to your portfolio page. This doesn't need to be your own website, your Artstation profile works well enough. (social media profiles are a bit unprofessional to send, but if your art is extraordinary, something like that wont kill the deal.)

You’ve sent in your application, now what?

You wait. Sometimes it can take weeks before hearing anything back, most of the time you don’t hear anything at all. This isn’t because art directors are rude, this is because they’re incredibly busy and don’t have time to reply to hundreds of applications they get every week. Sometimes, you’re simply unlucky that whilst your work is good and fitting enough, they’re not looking for more artists at the time being. Sometimes, your work is not good enough and you won't find out through them. This is why it’s important to always keep learning, growing, improving and asking your peers for feedback if you simply cannot see your own flaws anymore.
I’d say it’s pretty fair to send in an updated portfolio every 4 months (given you have new and improved work to show by that time).

Standing out from the crowd of applicants! 

Now this is a key to success, let me tell you! Quality, style and having the right artworks are great BUT, if you’d like to end on top you gotta make sure that:

• You show scenery, architecture. Your illustrations show a complete eye for attention for both the characters, their action and the location in which this takes place. Portfolio’s with just characters, or just natural landscapes, simply get drowned out by the numbers.

• Don’t be a one-trick-pony.

• Be consistent in your style and quality. Being able to work in various styles is amazing, but make sure you show multiple illustrations in the same style-set to prove your control over it. 

• Sketches! Show your sketches, alongside the finished artworks. Art directors love to see what they can expect from you. Unclear sketches are a nightmare to give feedback upon. 

When you do art for a TTRPG company:

• Your assignments will come with a number and title: 0047864_Goblin, for example. IT is key that you save your illustration files with these names, adding: sketch, or final at the end. Sometimes there’s iterations and you files might end up like: 0047864_Goblin_final-v2
  If you don’t keep to this naming convention, you’ll create an administrative mess for your art director. They may often request a re-submission of the work with the proper naming.
  They use this naming convention to keep track on what is what. With a game that might have 600 goblins… making sure they get a number is a must.

• You’ll be working with deadlines. The artbrief you get provided will tell you the sketch deadline and final deadline. A smart illustrator, works ahead and sends their work in early. Don’t wait till the actual deadline day, if you don’t need to. Deadlines are often: 2-3 weeks to deliver the sketches, and another 2-3 weeks to send in the finals. Having your total workaround be between 4-6 weeks. It’s up to you to communicate how much work you can take on in this ‘artwave’.
  If you can’t make the deadline, communicate this with your art director as soon as possible.

• Submitting sketches and finals. Adhere to the sizes requested in the artbriefs. Oftentimes, you can send sketches in a smaller size, as long as the final is the correct size (or a bit bigger, but with the same aspect ratio.)
  With some companies you simply email these jpegs or PNG’s straight to the art director. Other companies require you to log in to a software or website, and upload the work straight into their database. 

• Invoicing! Make sure you have your payment details, full name and address on your invoice, as well as the company name, project and office address. Name the assignments and their pricing, in rows, with at the bottom the total sum. Sometimes, your assignments are tracked with another number (so not just the number attached to your individual illustrations), make sure this number is in the file name of the invoice, as well as mentioned on the invoice itself. 

I hope this was helpful!! I wish you good luck and lots of energy to accomplish your goals!

As part of the artist community, this is a topic that I’ve stumbled upon many times. Dealing with criticism is something everyone seems to have a different outlook on. 

Some people argue: ‘Everyone can give me feedback at any time, I learn from this!’
Others argue: ‘I’d like to only get feedback when I ask people.’

Sometimes, this second one is perceived as, fragile, weak, arrogant, or stubborn, while truly it may not be the case at all. There are many good reasons why someone does not want to hear tips, tricks, ways to improve or suggested edits, by anyone at any given time.

So why do some artists not want your feedback?

• Potential clients may see the critiques and assume the artist is not that good.

• If the art is commercial work, it may already have been printed, published, used etc. This way the artist has no means to correct it. 

• Sometimes, someone’s idea of wrong is another person’s idea of right. 

• You can’t tell how much of a time restrain the artist has had to be able to make their best work.

• The more the artist is known, the more people tent to give them their two cents. Often times all those critiques and suggestions are even opposing of one another. 

• Most of all, a lot of people who openly critique other artists work, are at their current knowledge peek and think they know stuff and only later realise that they don’t. Accept that you don't know everything, and that you're not inclined to feed people your 'knowledge'. 

• It’s obnoxious and impolite. Would you randomly critique a strangers choice of clothing? No, right? 

So, how do people improve if they don’t have people openly criticise their work? 

• Studying. Not everyone needs to hold another's hand in order to learn new things. Analysing and putting all the fundamentals to practise, does a lot of good.

• Art-directors and clients often fulfil this role, who are you to take their place if the art wasn’t made for you?  

• Some people have their own circle of people to who'm they can  rely on their eyes and expertise with confidence. 

So let’s say someone has posted a piece of art and you see something you’d do differently. Check the following:

When someone DOES ask for your feedback. Be smart, be nice.

The whole stereotype on the idea that being nice is sugarcoating something, or the mentality of: 'Just fucking wreck my shit!' does not make you a badass. Being polite and helpful will get you a long way and hey, may even gain you a new friend!

So here’s some tips.

• Wording. Starting off with: ‘I would personally-’, ‘Have you considered-’, makes whatever follows a lot politer. 

• Explaining. If something is wrong in your eyes, explain them why.

• Suggesting. After explaining why something seems wrong to you, suggest something to fix it, but do so knowing you’re not talking to a toddler. 

There is a flipside to this coin as well. Let’s say you’re someone who’ve just gotten feedback.

If you didn’t ask for it, you can either ignore them, remove the comment, or politely explain why you explicitly did not want feedback. Or (my favourite) simply comment with ‘No’ or a fitting meme. (I love memes…). There will always be people who think to help you (and often mean well) but there’s also people who spend their days sending out feedback, rather then working on their own improvements.
Now let’s say you actually ASKED for feedback! If you did so publicly and everyone and their mother has given you their deal, it’s up to you to decide which ones to live up to and which ones not to. But if you’ve personally asked a friend or someone whom you consider your artistic superior, do your best to understand the given feedback, be thankful and try and apply it the best you can. Even if you may not agree at first! I’ve asked them… so.. You must’ve wanted to improve and deemed them capable of helping you with it.
There is nothing wrong with asking for feedback or needing help, but someone is never obligated to help you, ever. It does not make them an ass if they don’t. 

This about covers it for me. Feel free to add your ideas on this topic in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Suzanne Helmigh

Openly showing our insecurities seems to be trending and it’s good that more and more people are sharing their struggles! I won’t be lying when I tell you I get people approach me nearly every day, expressing their insecurity in their work and seemingly unreachable goals for their career. They’ll ask me to look at their work and I’ll help them lift their spirit. I tell them that we all started somewhere and all we can do is work hard and see ourselves grow over time and that their work has potential.  

Yet the more I do this, the more I realise that simply having someone’s spirit lifted doesn’t help them, it’s not the answer, it’s merely a band-aid to the real problem. 

Let me start off by saying that artistic insecurity comes at all levels, from beginners, to people in the middle of their careers, to seasoned artists. The only difference that may be seen in the latter, is how we deal with it. Artists with more experience under their belt have seen more years of making mistakes, experiencing growth and failure. People that have fiercely stuck to their artistic career for some years have only done so by not ever giving up, even if their work failed at times.

So how will you deal with your insecurities, now?! How will you get the courage to post your work online, or apply for that job you wanted? Well, I realised some time ago that the moment you start understanding your insecurities is the start of beating them. I’ve put it down in steps.

1. You are insecure for a reason. I know this is an unpopular statement, but it’s usually true. We are insecure because we know that what we do, can be done better. Even if we gave it our all, it can still be done better.

2. Are you doing the best you can? Think about it. Have you spent enough time doing research, making sketches and planning things out?  If you’ve done so, you have probably done your best. Sometimes we tend to cheat our brains into thinking we’ve done our best because of different motives:  the need to wanna post it, the need to stop working on a piece and start on something else. Don’t let that influence you.
   When you do commercial art, you work with deadlines. So you can only uphold your job if you have a clear understanding of planning and delivering quality. 

3. Fix the problem. Now, instead of lingering in the thought of how we’re not good enough. Find out exactly what you’re not good at and make an effort to improve just that. This all goes in steps too, you cannot be a noob at painting hands and then a master on day 3. Accept that to become as good as you want, you’ll need to learn and work for it. Accept that this doesn't happen in a short time, so give it all the (healthy) amount of time you can give it. 

4.  Share your journey. Now this is optional. But for me, it has always helped to post my work online and share in what I’ve learned. Talk with some other artists on how to improve and help each other do so by talking about it.   

After these steps you’ve successfully entered the cycle of: Accepting what's wrong, finding the cause and improve those flaws. You can now tell your own insecurities that they have a place and that it’s being worked on. Don’t let them freeze your productivity. 

Have a look at this artwork I’ve done for my illustrated novel: Caldyra.

It’s a project I’ve been working on for years, this means that over time I got better at my job, so often times old illustrations needed to be revamped and in some cases even completely redone. 

What’s important to me is that the illustration tells the story it’s meant to and is of an average quality compared to the rest of the work in my book. I have accepted there will be a difference throughout the pages, but I’ve set rules on exactly how much it may differ. 

So even with this newest step, it can be better: It can be more realistic in terms of materials, lighting, and proportions. But I accepted that it’s just within the borders of quality to match the rest of the work and it still tells the situation as I want it to. 

These steps over the years were needed to reach the final result in 2019:

Now have a look at these ones. I’m very happy with these. But in time I will also outgrow this and feel the need to improve them. But, they are the direct result of my insecurities being taken care off, tackling the exact topics that made me feel inadequate. That why I often pick strange and hard topics, just so I can learn to design and paint them. 

So close those social media tabs in your browser and work on your weak points!!

Hard work pays off! My Caldyra Kickstarter.

'In a world where magic is all but forgotten, the people are on the verge of a revolt against their tyrannical monarchy. A class system divides the poor from the rich, but a spark of magic may tip the scales of society.'

 The Kickstarter 

Most of you have followed me for a long time here on Deviantart and have witnessed the birth of my Caldyra project back in 2012. Yesterday, all the hard work from the last 6 years has paid off! I've launched my Kickstarter to sell this Illustrated novel and it already reached 75% funding in the first 12 hours. I will offer the 200 page (200+ illustrations) book, the concept art compendium, prints and traditional sketches as well as character commissions! I encourage you to have a look and value all support!: CLICK TO VISIT THE KICKSTARTERPAGE

 Got your own project in the making that you dream of Kickstarting one day?

Tell us and show your work in the comments below! I'm curious to see what you have in the making and what you want to turn it into! A comic? A novel? An animation? A game?! After my own Kickstarter I will be happy to write about my experiences and all the do's and don't, as well as show you the costs and calculations you have to make!

Here follow some more previews of the book I'm Kickstarting! 

1. Observation skills.

To be creative is a way of thinking. When you observe what’s around you, what are the things you pick up and store in your memory?
(Only look at this image for a few seconds and then scroll it out of the frame)

This was an image of the 2013 World photography awards.

I’ve just shown it to you for about 10 seconds. What do you still remember from it?
The pigeons that fly around? The fact that these pigeons were white? The notion of all the Blue in the image, so well in the building as in the clothing of the women. Or did you remember the two kids that seem to be the cause of the birds fleeing the scene?
Someone with an interest towards architecture probably lingered his eyes at the building and recognized it’s style culture and perhaps knows of its build method. While someone with an interest in birds would not have focused on the building for long and therefore not have it locked in his or her memory as a major part of the image. The architect would describe this image as: A Blue Middle-Eastern building, seen from outside with people walking about. The bird lover would say: A scene of white pigeons flying around in chaos, probably chased by some children, set in some exotic place.

Now when these two people create something in their field of interest they both get inspired by different things. Expecting the bird lover to design a great building out of the blue.. or have the architect draw some accurate looking birds.. will prove more challenging than the other way around. Not to say that someone might not have an interest towards both bird and buildings!

I am always very interested in people, humans, characters. When I am observant I look around and see what people are wearing, how they are standing or sitting.. what their faces or hair looks like. It has become a habit because I don’t always consciously do this, it just so happens. So often when I draw some characters, as is my job, a lot of elements from people I’ve seen will show up in my work. The one below was actually purposefully referenced by the likeness of Facebook friends who volunteered to be in this piece. 

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/vQKGA

2. The creative genius.

So while you get older your interests towards things will build up knowledge. It’s a base knowledge you need to become good at something. To become genius at something.. you need a little more.

The old Greeks would praise someone’s genie if this person was exceptionally good at something, like singing, dancing ,making statues. Not crediting this specific person for their great skill but crediting the person for having drawn such a wonderful genie to themselves. A genie was like this invisible muse or god that would steer your body into those define dance moves or guide your voice into beautiful tones.

If this person did not dance or sing this well again the next day, it was perfectly alright because obviously their genie has gone back home and might be back later.

Failure therefore, was not such a heavy thing as you could easily blame it on your genie.

 Now we have something similar. We call people “Talented”. But in our case, in people’s eyes you either are talented or you are not. What is talent? Are we born with a magical recipe to become a painter or writer? Do we get sprinkled with fairy dust at the age of 3. No. We can, however, be influenced but certain base things. Sometimes you need a certain physical strength to become one of the greatest. Basketball players for example. If you’re born with tall genes.. you probably stand a bigger chance to become this great basketball player. You also need to be stimulated by your environment to be caught into your personal interest at a young age. People who discover it later might not have grown up in their ideal setting.

Let’s take Mozart for example. The boy wonder in music from his era. His father Leopold was a well-educated man both in music as philosophy with a wealthy background. When Mozart at the age of 3 shown interest in his older sister’s Harp. His father guided him towards music. And he was not one of those kids that needed a firm hand saying:  Stop playing hide and seek and go practice the violin in your room. Mozart was already playing the violin in his room, because he was more interested in music, than playing with kids. Having such a devoted interest set him apart from others. By the age of 27 Mozart’s hands were deformed by all the writing of music sheets and playing of instruments. He had devoted so much time into his work, that it was obviously a major part of his success. He once wrote to a friend:

‘People who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, my dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to composition as I. there is no famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.’

So by fiercely studying all the amazing work that has been done before him taking that knowledge and improving it made him exceptional.

His story proves that to nurture your so called ‘talent’, or ‘genie’ you need:

•  Proper guidance of your interest.
•  Hard work and devotion.
•  As much time as you possibly can have.

 Another thing that you need would be:  Solitude. Which brings me to:

3.  The cluttered mind.

How many of you are on one or more of these social media, besides Artstation:

Now as good as they seem for inspiration, sharing your work, staying in touch with others. They can also become a major distraction!

Some time ago, whne I still worked at a studio and had to commute a lot. I forgot my mobile phone charger while traveling and I had to do without a phone for the entire week before getting a new charger… that I ordered online. The first days felt really weird, like an addict I sat in the train towards work, not knowing what to do… But I adjusted and found new, so much better things to entertain myself in those moments I would normally have spent playing Free-cell on my phone or scrolling through Facebook.  I read an entire book and made some sketches instead!

This made me realize the extent of wasted time that I end up spending on distractions. Now I’m not saying to go ban all these things once and for all. But perhaps simulate it once in a while for a week or so.  Imagine all the new things you can achieve after a whole week of abstinence.

 Let’s say you got your mind set on making something. An artwork, a novel… a graphic novel? You need a balance of 3 things.

• Knowledge and know-how.
•  Inspiration.
•  Devoted and focused time without distractions.

The knowledge and know-how is something you get over time, because of your interests and studies. Inspiration you find by doing things and opening your mind. But devoted time in solitude often proves to be the hardest thing. When we are not able to make the drawing we want, we blame it on the lack of inspiration or blame it on the fact we might not be skillful enough. While it’s really just that devoted time that you are missing.. if you would’ve had that time.. Skill and inspiration would have followed. Now don’t get you brain to cluttered on things you don’t care about.

Somehow the news of Miley Cyrus’s mischief or Justin Biebers obnoxious behavior always reaches me, while I really really don’t care. I’m sorry if you’re a fan..

It’s like to commercials you get while watching an interesting documentary you got send on Youtube. You’re in the middle of Quantum Physics and the creation of the universe, when suddenly, swoooossshhh I’m your Vennusss,get this new amazing razor blade! And then suddenly I’m back into the theory behind the big bang… but what was this quantum physics thing again?...The Venus commercial interrupts my focus. This is what social media does to you while you’re in the midst of your inspiration flow or process of your painting.

I’ll get back to internet and online communities a bit later.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ldER5

4. Rituals.

We all have our rituals. Old civilizations and Religions have rituals too. In order to win the battle or harvest good crops, came with the superstition that their gods needed to be tempted to favor them. If they did not bleed out their cow and offered it’s blood in a golden goblet, there was a big chance the gods would cause a giant fire destroying their fields out of anger. It doesn’t have to be religious or superstitious to have rituals. In fact, you might not even be aware of having one!

One of my main rituals was to have a shower in the middle of the day, when I was still working from home. It did not occur to me that it was a weird timing for a shower,  it became an unnoticed habit as I usually come up with the best ideas while singing under the shower. And than super inconveniently when getting struck by this thunderbolt of inspiration I would have to rush out of the shower and get me some pen and paper to write it down or quickly sketch it out.

It’s good to know what your ritual is.. or perhaps if you really don’t seem to have one.. develop one. It always starts with doing something that feels good and then repeating that the next day. Reminding yourself why it’s good for you and the benefits you gain from it. That is how it will eventually turn from a scheduled event. into a habit. Having good creative supporting habits, is naturally a good thing if being creative is your passion and or profession.

Another ritual is the: getting out of bed one. Especially in the winter you snuggle further underneath you blanked wondering why you would even consider getting out of his warm and comfy save zone.
When I was still a freelancer and Titus would have to get up to go to the studio it became my thing to get up alongside him and prepare his lunch. As much as this sounds as a 1950’s housewife chore, for me this was my commitment of having to get out of bed. Also a ritual of starting up my own day as I was not always so disciplined to getting up early.
So when making: Titus’s lunch or having an afternoon shower still did not get me creating the artwork I wanted to. I would go for a walk. It’s always good to have a plan B up your sleeve because not every day is automatically a good day for being creative.
Now if being creative is part of your hobby, you can easily say: alright, today is not my day, maybe next time. But when your income depends on it, you will have to make it work, every day. Knowing your rituals and being able to protect yourself from distractions will help you with that.

Another one of these famous things is the Artblock!.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term: An Artblock is the feeling that your creativity is being blocked and you’re completely out of ideas and don’t even know where to begin. You end up terribly frustrated, bored and crushing your own self-esteem.

Now what people usually don’t know is that an Artblock, does not show you’re being stuck or blocked…. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. It actually shows that you are improving!

The red line shows how your ability to see your mistakes goes, by obtaining knowledge and studying.

The blue line is your actual current skill level.

The orange line is the level that you think you are  at, at that moment in time

So when your ability to see mistakes is higher than your current technical skill you think that you suck and get super frustrated because nothing you did seems right. But the times that you feel good and actually think: Hey this artpiece I did, is amazing! Usually means that your skills have caught up with your knowledge and are on the same line. All and all, this just means while you are growing and getting better, you will have up’s and downs. So don’t be scared.. there is no such thing as going backwards.

5. Fears.

Everyone battles fears when they start a project. I can be the cause of a lot of people giving up or not even trying at all. But you shouldn't let fear and doubt ruin your creative endeavors.

Some of my usual fears are:

•  Has this been done before?
•  Will people like it enough?
•  Will I make a fool of myself?
•  Am I good enough?
• Could I have done it any better?

I’m fairly sure and you all experience these, but you have to accept that you will make mistakes and fail oh so often. But we need all those failures to find out how to do it right. Don’t stick with your first design, don’t quit after your first try, don’t postpone your plans because you don’t dare to dive in. when you punish yourself for making mistakes you will stop taking risks and all the best and unique things come forth from risks. At the same time, these fear can also push you to do the best you can, because if you’re completely without fear or doubt you might not be challenging yourself enough.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/D1DmR

6. Your audience.

We live in a time that the internet is possibly your main audience. Whether you’re a digital artist, a writer, make plushies, cosplay. Everyone has got their online communities and we all want to be seen.  Now as much as we probably enjoy showing our work to an audience, there is a certain wall you need to build up to protect yourself. People on the internet can easily cast fear in you.

This image describes exactly how I often feel, right before I remind myself why I make the things I make. That one negative comment is the one that sticks.. and speaks to my doubts and fears. So when you get this one or more hurtful responses, you’d have to ask yourself a few things.

• Is this person downright a bully or a troll? If so.. just block and ignore.
• Or is this person being harsh, but offering feedback? Now, this person probably doesn't want to hurt you necessarily, but sometimes feedback can hurt. If you allow yourself to stand open to it, you could actually improve massively! Don’t be too proud to accept help, even If this person seems to be less skillful than you, this person might have a better eye than you to spot mistakes!

Another thing that could hurt is when nobody notices your work. But that is easily solved by being really active and perhaps even asking your peers to have a look. I‘ve experienced quite some drama online both in the art and game community and in my opinion everything always gets completely blown out of proportion. Involving yourself in such discussions is only another distraction and what I call a mood-hoover. A vacuum cleaner sucking out all of your happiness. Rather build up a group of friends and support each other! This does not have to be a big group, just a nice one.

Just know that nobody is save from internet trolls, or doubts and fears. Even the people you idolize. So always ignore them and don’t be one.
Be supportive of one another. Be able to say nice things and support people whether you think their art is great or not quite there yet. Everyone is always aiming to get better, and those who are now perhaps a little behind on experience and skill, may one day surpass you in great length. <3

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9Ln2q