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Hi! :>

I'm a long-time lurking artist and I'm finally starting to get myself in gear and put my art out there. I've got some free time this weekend so I thought I would try my hand at taking requests as a way to fill out my gallery while making some furs happy at the same time. I'm not sure how many people are gonna post, so I suppose I'll start with first-come-first-serve and possibly start doing them semi-randomly if I end up getting bombarded. Please don't be disappointed if I don't fulfill your request, I tend work a bit slow!

So show me all your cute characters! and maybe look at my scarce gallery while you're there! sorry.

Edit:

MonoDragon

LightningPaws

Mavik13 3 Finished :>

submitted by Faronir
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submitted by Nerdpleez
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submitted by evilsibe
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I've only recently gotten into it and was wondering if anyone here played.

submitted by Gshep1
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submitted by FoxesInBoxes
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submitted by Sareii
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Hey folks, I am the leader of the TESO Furry Group inside Elder Scrolls Online. We are a North American social furry guild looking for other furries inside the game that want folks to talk, group, and fight with other furs currently in the game. We are cross faction, so any players are welcome, and probably one of the oldest, and we even still retain our fur affinity page. You can contact me in game, @heroofnone and other members listed on our site. Our rules are pretty liberal and about the only one that matters is please do not start grief or drama with other members.
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For those unfamiliar with ESO, or those that stayed away due to bad reviews or bad beta experiences I invite you as well to come take a look again on my twitch channel or check out my new players guide to get a feel for the game, see if you like it, and to put down a lot of the baseless hate in general.
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Thank you for your time and hope to see you in game, meow meow!

submitted by Hero_of_None
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Hey all, I am having a major art block today. I need some stuff to draw! If you like, send me your fursonas, OC's, or other charachters and I will draw them! I just need some art prompt! Anything would help! :D fire away!

submitted by crafty-fox
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I'm a lot like anyone else but totally new. I have no idea who my fursona is or how to even begin someone wanna point me in the right direction?

submitted by NerdyJD
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submitted by DariusL
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submitted by ZincAwesome
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Maybe I'm just dumb, but how do you opt out now? Or is FA no longer using it? I don't see an option for it.

submitted by Damuel
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submitted by Saamstraat
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Doug Fontaine is a writer, ployglot, and generally talkative otter. This is his second article for [adjective][species]. Read more at his SoFurry account.

If you’re looking for some furry smut story, then you’re definitely barking up the wrong tree here. But don’t be a scaredy-cat; muster up your courage and be as brave as a lion. Reading something informative can be as stimulating as a story with furs breeding like rabbits. Whether you’re as sly as a fox or as strong as an ox, you might have noticed a prevailing presence of animal related idioms in the English language. Okay, no more monkey business; let’s explore animals in our cultures throughout history.

Disregarding my previously ill-managed animal puns, we have already been exposed to stories with big bad wolves, cunning foxes, and a little mole who knew it was none of his business (a German children’s story about a mole who wanted to find out who pooped on his head… [Ref 1]) at an early age. These anecdotes were used to teach us about moral conduct, the consequences of our actions, and not to build houses out of straws or sticks. Mainly deriving from well-known German folklore and authors such as the Grimm brothers, many fables incorporate animals as symbolic representations of different concepts.

The wolf more commonly sighted during 17th and 18th century Europe is portrayed as evil, dangerous, and even gluttonous, as this “beast” posed a real threat to small villages and its agricultural farming based lifestyles. Between the years of 1764 and 1767, “La bête du Gévaudan” (The Beast of Gévaudan) [Ref 2] plagued the central French province. Not only had this wolf-like creature killed numerous precious cattle and other domesticated animals, but its most distinct ‘achievement’ at that time was the frequently reported human casualties.

In contrast, sheep and lambs are viewed as pure and innocent. They are thus connected to ideas of childhood, they are nurtured and raised by farmers like children. The Wolf and the Sheep, Three Little Pigs, and The Wolf and the Seven Goats all imply the hazards of interacting with strangers – “stranger danger”. Using this as a point of reference, we can zoomorphize our children as farm animals, frolicking around carefree and unaware of the danger that lurks behind every corner.

However, Animal Farm by George Orwell suggests that both adults and children alike are animals characterised by our respective social classes, where horses and donkeys symbolise the middle-working class whereas pigs represent different Russian communist politicians during and after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Civil servants like police officers are portrayed as dogs, loyal and true to their master – the law.

Of course, the main goal of this socio-political satire was to criticise Joseph Stalin (in a very ingenious way). Orwell certainly did not purposefully publish Animal Farm to support and encourage anthropomorphic literature.

The personification of animals has more complexity than merely bestowing upon them human characteristics such as speech, clothes, complex ideas and emotions, and silly hats. T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats depicts the group of domesticated felines with their own ‘non-human’ features. In the very first poem “The Naming of Cats”, the American-born poet specifically underlines that “no human research can discover” [Ref 3] the intricacy of a kitten’s name. This theme of cats having their own feline social and cultural structure opens up to new window through which we can view animals and anthropomorphism.

Needless to say, we are extremely fascinated of our own conventions and behaviour, to the point where we project human idiosyncrasies onto our furry critters. We have created entirely foreign yet understandably similar mannerisms for felines (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats – T.S. Eliot or Felidae – Akif Pirincçi) and canines. Plague Dogs by Richard Adams paints the story of two feral canine protagonists. By introducing their own lingo, expressions, and turns of phrase difficult for us humans to understand, Richard Adams presents a separate canine language/culture independent from ours.

From ancient Greek fables to 20th century ground-breaking literature, there is no doubt that relating our own problems, concepts, and interactions with those of animals have played a key role in sculpting cultures around the world.

One of the most famous civilisations which feature anthropomorphised creatures is Ancient Egypt. A flourishing culture, around 3000 years BC, has repeatedly shown humanoid Gods with animal heads in their mythology. Naturally the wolf, a predominantly Nordic canine, was replaced with the jackal (different species, same symbolic connotation). Sekhem Em Pet [Ref 4] (commonly known as Anubis), God of the Dead is shown on many sculptures and drawings as having the head of such an African canine. Cats weren’t necessarily deities but worshippers in ancient Egyptian times were nonetheless plentiful. They were used as pest control, killing mice and other vermin that would potentially harm crops and spread diseases. These domesticated felines were regarded as a good omen as many mummified cats were later found in tombs, suggesting that they played a large role in the afterlife of many ancient Egyptians. Whether animals helped us during our daily lives or guided us through the afterlife, we are accustomed to relating them to our culture and existence.

Both in Egyptian mythology and Native American tribal culture, birds and insects were more likely to have been given spiritual meaning than their Eurasian counterparts. Birds of prey, such as the falcon or the eagle, are regarded as divine messengers or even as divinities themselves. Bees or other pollinating insects foreshadow progress for example.

Native American totems include animals [Ref 5] which are not mentioned in other mythologies at all. Of course, contrasting biomes contain a variety of different species. The American otter for example represents joyfulness, playfulness, and helpfulness, whereas the brown bear is seen as a totem of introspection, dreams, and will-power. As the indigenous Americans possessed a rich nomadic culture, there was no need for farming animals (with the exception of horses). Thus the wolf adopted a more spiritual undertone than the ferocious gluttonous beast this canine is described in Europe. We can clearly see how one animal might be viewed differently depending on our lifestyle.

Up until now, we have spoken of figurative meanings and metaphors concerning animals. Their ominous presence in our literature, our mythology, and our cultures prevails throughout history. But we as humans have shared this world with thousands of different creatures, and have incorporated them into our daily existence to the extent that they are essential for our survival. Take care of the living beings (whether animal or human) around you, for you never know how much an impact they have in our lives.

***

References
1. Holzwarth, W. and Erlbruch, W. (2014). The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit. [online] Goodreads.
2. Unknownexplorers.com, (2014). Unknown Explorers – Beast of Gevaudan. [online]
3. Eliot, T.S. (1952). Complete poems and plays. 1st ed. New York: Harcourt, Brace, p.209 line 23
4. Marvunapp.com, (2012). Anubis (Egyptian god). [online]
5. Legendsofamerica.com, (2011). Native American Totems and Their Meanings. [online]

submitted by fxscreamer
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submitted by fuszybear
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So I added a friend on Facebook who's a furry. I'm rather new to the fandom, so I thought it'd be good to get a few tips from someone about it. Next thing I know, I have 20 friend requests from other random furs on Facebook. So my two main questions: Should I even accept these requests? And why are they sending requests?

Remember, this is my real-life facebook profile, not one for my fursona. Should this affect my decisions?

submitted by TinyPotatoAttack
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I like getting to know a lot of people, specifically here because I don't feel as weird talking about this stuff with people who have the same thing in common!

I got into from a late night's web search for, uhh, "stuff" and I stumbled upon a few furry sites. Of course I didn't actually get into the whole furry stuff until a few years ago, mostly because I had no one to talk to about it with, but I always love the idea and art!

Now, I wanna hear your stories of why or how you got into flufflebutting!

submitted by JmK_8079
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Dear Papa Bear,

This is Overworked and Stressed Out again, but now I have a different thing worrying me. 

Roughly four months ago, I wrote to you about a new full-time job I had acquired at a bank as a teller. At the time I wrote to you, I said that I was enjoying myself at my new job and that I felt I could do it.
Let’s just say it was a one month stand.

Recent weeks haven’t exactly been the best for me at that place. Largely because I feel that every time I walk in, I feel like something doesn’t feel right. Sure, my coworkers are nice, the hours are terrific, and even though the pay could still be better, there’s a little voice in my head telling me that I shouldn’t be here. And trust me it’s getting harder to ignore with each passing day. OK, I’ll be honest, I have a total lack of interest in my job (No pun intended with that remark).

I feel as though I made a horrible mistake in taking this job. Even though I’m great at greeting the customers and processing their transactions, during the downtime I just idle away online. I have absolutely no interest (Again no pun intended there) in expanding my skills in the financial world, I keep messing up my duties, and I just feel like I’m not going to last long at all in this field (One day, when I was still doing both jobs the situation at the bank got so bad I suffered an emotional meltdown). In fact, just the previous week I made a series of slip-ups and near slip-ups that I’m supposed to know by now. As you may or may not know, banking is one of the most highly regulated industries. Well, I wish I knew that going in, because I find it difficult to keep track of all the different regulations the industry has, and has led me to several slip-ups as I have previously mentioned. I’ve been written up for several (in my mind and humble opinion, minor) violations, and my confidence is taking a real beating.

That being said, I want you to know that there is something else that I am interested in, a field that I should’ve spent more time in that I’m now realizing might be my one true calling – Voice Acting. I actually took a voice over class a few years ago (in Spring 2011), and I liked it. While I was a little slow in getting started, I enjoyed the challenge of putting my demo out there and I actually have had some success in that field even going so far as to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6AK0Go5MFc

Pretty neat huh? Well, I was so focused on trying to get steady work that I had let this dream of mine get sidetracked, and now I’m looking at restarting it again. A few weeks ago I have started taking a weekly course on voice acting skills and techniques to nail auditions. I’m doing this for three reasons: 1) to refresh my voice acting skills, 2) to gain some contacts in the business (this course is taught by four separate people), and 3) because it’s something I enjoy. When I did my first voice acting job, I didn’t care as to what time it was or how many takes I had to do. 

All I knew was it was something I really enjoyed doing. Whereas with my job at the bank, I’m constantly worried over getting something wrong, over having nothing to do (this is particularly true in the middle of the week) and whether I’ll be getting the axe. On top of all that, just today my supervisor kept pointing out mistakes I’ve been making over the course of the month (most of which were generally minor), something that already gives me anxiety overload, and I’ve already gotten written up over mishandling check cashing procedures. To be honest, I feel that this business is WAY too anal retentive. 
On the other hand, my instructors at my voice acting class are more than willing to constructively critique me without tearing me down, and just the other day one even said I showed great potential in the sense that I initially come across as shy, but when I start reading my script, I really get into it and all my shyness melts away. Plus, I’m much more interested in this field than with banking. My only problem is I don’t know exactly where to start looking for voice over work.

So yeah, that is my current dilemma with my employment situation. Oh, and I haven’t told my family yet about my recent work struggles, and I don’t know if I want to (or even if I can) tell them that my new job just isn’t working. I mean, they’re so proud of me for finally getting full time work that I don’t want to upset them, but I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I’ve already suffered no less than three emotional meltdowns (breaking down sobbing) in the last two weeks (My recent one was today when I broke down in front of my head teller during our monthly one-on-one review, however she told me that maybe banking just isn’t my niche and seemed genuinely supportive when I told her of my dream career). I just feel like I really screwed up my working life here.

One last confession, Perhaps it was the first thing to come along, but I took this job not only for the money, but because it was full-time. Guess I should choose my next job a little more carefully, huh? I’m just so worried I’ll get fired soon and then who knows what’ll happen.

SMALL UPDATE: I wrote out this letter over the course of several days, but this evening I looked at some articles about new jobs not working out and I realized something…why am I fretting over a job I hate? I know, sounds crazy, but I figured it something to mention.

Sincerely,
Overworked and Stressed out and lost and confused and (amazingly) calm and hopeful

Anonymous

P.S. Contrary to your advice in your last letter, I’m still hanging on to my old grocery store job for the moment. I’m just too scared to quit that one with the issues I’m having at my new job.
P.S.S. Maybe quitting my teller job is the right thing to do. God forbid what would happen if I was faced with a robbery.
P.S.S.S. Get well soon Papa Bear!

* * *

Dear Anonymous,

I recall your last letter, but for the life of me can’t seem to locate it on my website, hmmm. Anyway, at the time you had just gotten the bank job and were stressed from working that job and the grocery store job, so I advised you to quit the grocery store so that you wouldn’t get exhausted and possibly compromise your health. You are still working that job. Is it at all possible that you are having trouble concentrating on the finer points of banking because you are tired? Just a thought, but if you DID quit the grocery store and got more rest, perhaps you’d be able to think more clearly and not make so many mistakes at the bank. I know that when THIS bear gets tired, it is very difficult for him to think clearly; he also gets grumpy and sometimes overly emotional. Check out this link from WebMD http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss about all the bad stuff that happens to our bodies when we don’t get enough sleep. It includes symptoms you are experiencing right now, from forgetfulness to depression.

If you are not getting 8-9 hours of restful sleep a night, this could be your problem.

So, that is one possibility. The other could be just what you said: that you just aren’t a banker at heart and don’t like the job, period. Voice acting is your dream. That’s swell. Everyone should have a dream, but you must realize that being a voice actor is not easier than being a movie or stage actor. It is very competitive and only the very best survive in the field. It’s not enough to have talent, either. You must have a lot of drive, ambition, and business sense. Here is a good article on the challenges of voice acting from someone in the field: http://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com/get-ready/.

I’m not posting that to discourage you, but, rather, just to make sure you’re grounded and realize the tough road ahead of you should you choose voice acting as a career. There are many opportunities in the field, from cartoons to commercials to video games to business videos and on and on. Many people DO make a career of it, so I’m not saying it isn’t possible.

If you wish to make this career change, go about it carefully and with great planning. I still say that, for the above reason, you should quit the grocery store job. You have a full-time job and income shouldn’t be the issue; you are just clinging to the store job out of fear. What you need is not fear, but more rest. It would also be helpful to combine more rest with regular exercise and a healthy diet, both of which will also help you rest. And make sure that when you go to bed you rest your head in a quiet, dark, comfortable place to assist with a more sound sleep.

After you quit the grocery store (pardons for assuming), go to your supervisor and tell her that you feel you were having trouble in the job because you were working that second job and not getting enough rest. Tell her (even if it’s not completely truthful), that you wish to do well on this job and would like her suggestions on how to improve and do better with the finer points of banking and government regulations.

While you are doing this, continue with your voice acting lessons and try to find work in voice acting without quitting your full-time job (full-time jobs are hard to come by and shouldn’t be lightly dismissed). Should the time come when you are making regular money at voice acting, then quit the regular job.

Another thing you can do is look for another full-time job in another field besides banking. But I advise you strongly not to quit your regular work before having a solid income source from an alternative job.

I hope you will listen to Papabear this time. I think a big part of your problem is that you didn’t listen to his advice in the previous letter. And don’t be afraid! Everything will be okay in the end, and, if it is not okay, then it is not the end. :-)

Hugs,

Papabear

submitted by raegiovanni
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