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submitted by ThePhar
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Dear Papa Bear,

I'm a musician, and I make EDM [electronic dance music]. I love it when others listen and enjoy it, and every comment I get that's good brings me so much happiness. But that's not what this question is about. I know when you make some kind of art form, whether it's drawing, music, writing, animation, or whatever, you're supposed to make it so you like it, and not care for the other's opinions, but I have really low self-esteem and like I said before, I really care for everyone that comments on what I do. Recently, I felt I had finally gotten really good at what I do, but when I've gone back and looked at what others think, I keep getting hateful comments. 

I just want to curl up in a ball and cry when I see that. It makes me want to cry. But, again, that's not what this question is about. My question for you is what do you think I should do to fix this? I know there will always be haters on something that's good, but I just can't get over that hate. It really hurts me to the point that I want to just quit what I love doing. 

So, I ask for your advice, What should I do to get over their hateful comments? 

Thanks a bunch, 

Gelato The Dragon

* * *

Hi, Gelato,

As a writer, I can certainly sympathize with the pain of criticism. My fantasy novel was rejected by about 100 publishers before I found Double Dragon Publishing. Even after it was published, it sold very poorly, which also hurt and is really, quite frankly, why I gave up being a fiction writer. I put years of writing, rewriting, and marketing effort into the book for, really, no positive feedback, financially or critically. I then moved on to nonfiction, publishing ten books, including one I was particularly proud of about a zoo in Lansing, Michigan. Again, nothing. So, I didn’t write anything other than for my job as an editor for years. Then I decided to write this column—and I discovered my niche! Sure, I don’t make any money on it, but that’s not the point. I’ve gotten wonderful feedback from many people and that’s what makes it all worthwhile because I know I’m doing something positive that benefits others and people enjoy reading.

You are correct that you should pursue the arts for the love of the arts, not for the lust for lucre. You still have that joy of creating music, so that’s good! I hope you don’t lose that. Now, if you were getting nothing but negative comments about your EDM compositions, it would be one thing, but you are actually getting some good responses, too. So you know you are not really off track here. But if you feel you are getting too much negative input, perhaps you should experiment with other forms or variations of music until, like me, you discover your niche. Music is a very far-ranging art, and maybe you should try experimenting more with all the genres that are out there, or maybe you just need to get more wild and outrageous with the EDM genre itself. Perhaps others think you are too imitative? And remember, in the worst-case scenario, even if you stop composing original music yourself, you are still a musician, and there is much joy you can get out of that by just playing other people’s music.

Another possibility for the negative feedback is jealousy on the part of others. It can be the case, sadly, that when certain shallow people see someone being very successful at an art form in which they themselves stink, they get some satisfaction by trying to trash the person they envy. A friend of mine who is into mascotting has come across the jealousy effect in his life. He has become so good at being a mascot that he is beginning to do well professionally. It seems like the better he does and the more money he makes, the more invective he receives from certain jealous furries. Ugly, but true.

But, to the point: how do you get over the emotional pain of harsh criticism? First of all, consider the source. Is the person criticizing you someone you respect and admire, such as a teacher or a famous musician? If so, yes, that would hurt indeed and maybe you should really see what you can do to improve your skills; hopefully, their criticism is constructive, not simply insulting, and you can learn from it.

Papabear suspects, though, that the criticism you are getting is from the plethora of derps and trolls that slither through the digital miasma of Internet chat rooms, blogs, and social sites. They probably are not even musicians themselves. To put a spin on an old adage: those who cannot do, teach ... or become critics. If they are not musicians or composers themselves, then you can always challenge them to either do better than you have or shut up. And if they are musicians or composers, you can always turn the tables and criticize their work in return. That is, if you really wish to expend the effort.

Artistic spirits like you and I are often the targets of the unimaginative and the hateful, Gelato. It helps to develop a bit of a tough skin so that the slings and arrows bounce off. Hey, you’re a dragon, put those shiny scales to good use!

At the same time, don't forget you're getting a lot of positive feedback, too! Really, this is what you should be focusing the most on. When you hear a compliment, take another look at what that person likes about your EDM compositions and learn from what you are doing right and what is attracting people to your music.

And remember, too, yet another possibility: maybe you’re so damn good and ahead of your time that ordinary people don’t understand what you are trying to do artistically and, therefore, criticize you in order to not appear stupid themselves for being so dense. I have a friend who is an artist and does really amazing acrylic-medium paintings. I love his stuff, yet he has an extremely difficult time selling his pieces because they are out of the ordinary (check him out at his website http://www.digspace-artgallery.com/).

I hope that helps, Gelato. Hey, send Papabear a link to some of your tunes and I’ll post them here and maybe we can get some comments from my readers?

Hugs from one artist to another,

Papabear

New to the fandom, and trying to feel out my own style. Just got a new computer and penpad and I want to break them in. My mate is super psyched about it and is encouraging me to do commissions and stuff -- I don't think I'm quite there stylistically (yet) but I figure getting my name out and some practice in would be fun while I'm not working or anything (:

Here's my FA page if you're interested in seeing what it's all evolved into so far.

I've never really explored NSFW stuff -- trying to focus on making what I can already do look good without adding the sex element to it.

Anyhow, if you're interested, leave a description/reference link of your character and I'll see what I can do :)

EDIT:

As I finish them, I'll update so you guys can see how they turn out.

• ACatNamedSilver

EDIT2:

Thanks so much for all the responses! I'm so excited that I have lots to work on, but I don't want to burn myself out as there are life things to see to...like movies to watch and tacos to eat... anyway, keep bringin' em on, but if the queue gets a little long, know it'll be a little while before they start popping up (I swear, OP will deliver, just ...not all at once?) but hey, it's free, so in five years it'll be a pleasant surprise when you've completely forgotten you asked me to do it.

submitted by ksweezyy
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Feedback & segments: Raising the fire with Kell's wonderful Life, Bullying with Fenris Rants, feedback and some kicking music Season 5, Ep3 – Feedback - Feedback & segments: Raising the fire with Kell's wonderful Life, Bullying with Fenris Rants, feedback and some kicking music

submitted by BalooUriza
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submitted by HarmonyHeartstrings
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submitted by JoJoJoshua
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submitted by mayupvoterandomly
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Hi there! We have a small community chatroom used for roleplaying (both sexual and nonsexual) and are looking for new members! Our room can be found here!

We are hoping to find members who want to make friends and have fun without starting drama. We are looking for members of all fur/scale types, genders, and orientations although our female, scaley, and sergal rosters are pretty light.

Our population is, as yet, fairly small. We consist of 30-35 regular visitors however our visiting hours are staggered so that there's generally only a small handful of people online at the same time during "off peak" hours. The fandom being what it is, we have many gamers in our ranks. We also have a few musicians and writers as well as graphic artists.

Our room is available to all users, although with the content being sexual in nature we request that only users ages 18 and over join up. We have a small team of moderators who enforce our sparing list of rules.

These rules are:

1. Please be respectful of your fellow housemates. Don't be a douchebag. If you're being a douchebag you may be warned either in private or public by a moderator. If the 'bagginess does not desist you will be silenced or removed.

2. You may only have one character in this chat at a time.

As an aside- If you are engaging in yiff or a discussion/argument that is disruptive to the group as a whole you may be asked to enter a seperate room.

As with any sexual setting there are always acts or fetishes that are "looked down" upon but our team of moderators is intent on keeping a fair and level playing ground for all members.

Asking you to move to another room is not meant as a sign of disrespect or personal issue, just a measure to keep the room as a fun place for everyone.

So please stop by and give us a visit sometime! Thanks for reading - Soledad

submitted by _soledad_
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submitted by CasualFennec
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submitted by canadianpanda
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Dear Papabear,

I would like to start by saying I am 26 and have only recently started immersing myself in the fandom, just wanted to put that out there up front. :)

Only a week or two ago, I ended up having a long talk with a boy in an online game that I have gamed with pretty much daily for the last couple months. He had, since joining my group (along with another friend of his from FA), made comments about being a furry at times. Obviously, I had heard the term before (usually in a very bad context~~much as I hear people using the term "faggot" >.< ) but had never talked with anyone labeling themselves as such. Being the curious person I am, and generally liking the guy, I had to dig deeper and ask some questions. Needless to say, I ended up making an account on FA, and doing a lot of reading and browsing around—eager to be part of what seems to be the most accepting and affectionate community I have had the chance to learn about.

Having been an avid role player since I was in my mid teens, I immediately started working on fashioning myself a fursona that I could relate to (which is an ongoing project). While I tend to get along really well with most people in real life, I am very introverted (although it may not seem that way to people). I have a hard time forging friendships that I feel are meaningful. I tend to read very deeply into what people say and how they act around me, often noticing things that make me lose interest in them. I know it is a horrible way to be, but I just do not want to waste my time with insincere friendships or being used. So I have very few, but very dear friends that I keep close to my heart. But through the years, role playing has allowed me to express myself in ways I have not been comfortable with, and to experience things from a different perspective. 

Well, my question really is: is it okay for me to identify strongly enough with my sona that it feels natural for me to express love and physical intimacy through him? I am just really nervous about this aspect, because I don't want to portray myself as some sort of fetishist or pervert (especially being new to the community). Sorry if this seems like a dumb question...

V/R,
BB

* * *

Dear BB,

No, it’s not a dumb question; it’s an excellent question, actually. You’re asking is it okay for you to assume the character of your fursona and to have relationships with other people as your fursona.

This depends on how you answer The Big Question: are my actions while in fursona deceitful or honest? If you are acting honestly as you are in character, then you are fine. If you are using your fursona to try to trick someone into doing something, anything, that they otherwise would not do, then that’s not fine.

An extreme example of “not fine” would be a man who stalks young girls on the Internet, telling them he is things he’s not in order to get her to meet with him privately and then raping or abducting her. You could imagine something like that happening as someone assuming a fursona, too, although I have never heard of a furry behaving so badly as that. Perhaps a guy pretending he is a furry approaching a girl furry. That’s simply wrong and, in extreme cases like above, illegal and immoral.

The above, again, is just my exaggerating the worst-case scenario. I’m sure you’re not talking about anything like that, but I’m just putting it out there for the sake of my readers.

On the other paw is when you use your fursona to more freely express yourself, to help you shed some of your inhibitions so that you aren’t actually being less honest but more honest. I find that, as my bear self, I am more easily able to express affection for other people, especially furries. You comment in your letter how you are rather introverted and have a hard time making friends. That can actually be a good thing in that you are being very discriminating and the friends you do make are real friends, not fair-weather friends.

But perhaps you feel a need to be a bit more friendly and your fursona can serve as a tool for making that happen. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I have made a number of good friends because they were first attracted to my bear fursona. Later, as we got to know each other, they also came to know my human side and we became even closer friends. So, I guess you could look at it as your fursona being a kind of ice breaker. Something to lessen the tension of a first meeting and to help introduce yourself.

Your fursona can also be more than just a tool in this sense. You mention how you are identifying strongly with your fursona; I do as well. That’s okay too, and it makes sense because you have created your fursona based upon your own likes and dislikes. So, naturally, your fursona is strongly reflective of who you actually are. In a way, it is an enhanced, new and improved you.

Don’t buy into all the hype and crap you see on the Internet that is obviously making you think that you are being a pervert because you assume a fursona and have some interpersonal (possibly erotic) exchanges. You are exploring a side of you that will help you learn more about yourself, and that is perfectly fine. Remember, don’t let society define you; define yourself. That’s the key in how to do it because usually society is wrong and puts unnecessary boundaries and shackles on us in order to control and subjugate us beneath the power elite—in order to smash square pegs into round holes.

Becoming your fursona is simply one way—one very imaginative and creative way—of discovering your true self.

Hugs,

Papabear

Giant leap for Pi-powered teddy bear

A soft toy controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer has recreated Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking skydive.

Mr Baumgartner made the furthest freefall in October 2012, from a balloon almost 39km (24 miles) high.

A bear called Babbage has now leapt from a similar height after ascending beneath a hydrogen-filled balloon.

The Raspberry Pi low-cost micro-computer inside Babbage transmitted his position and shot stills and video throughout the flight and descent.......

Read the rest of the story here
Video of the jump


I been following Dave for a while because I think of doing my own High Altitude Balloon mission one day using the Raspberry Pi.

Author: Fred Amid?Amidi?of?the?Cartoon?Brew?uses?this?new?GEICO?commercial?to?ask,?what?is?an?animated?cartoon?and?what?is?reality,?anyway??–?a?meaningful?question?for?anthropomorphic?fans?today. Find the full article here: flayrah – furry food for thought Creative Commons: Full post may be available under a free license.

...How 'bout dem bear suits?

Full video here:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/942064/we-cant-stop-blurred-lines-give-it-2-u-medley.jhtml#id=1712039

They all look like they could be related to PJ Berri from PaRappa the Rapper.

submitted by ThePhar
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submitted by seabyrd81
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