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This Artist Frets They Have No Imagination
I keep thinking that everything I do isn’t good enough, whether it’s creating artwork or music, writing code or stories, or just generally doing anything that requires imagination. I get frustrated, angry, and tend to ragequit when my imagination just abandons ship as soon as i try to use it to do anything creative, usually resulting in either nothing or an unfinished product. This generally leads to me thinking about how I’m not good enough, among other self-criticism.
My question is this: How do I improve my imagination so that I can think that I’m worth more as a person?
Becquerel (aged 14)
* * *
Dear Becquerel,
Unless you have aphantasia, a rare condition in which a person literally cannot picture things in their mind, then you have an imagination. But even if it were true that you have no creative imagination, you do not need to have one to be a worthwhile person, nor do you need to do anything artistic to live a fulfilling life. Many people contribute to society in other ways besides the arts. So, even if you don't have any talent in art, music, or literature (and I can't say whether or not this might be the case, having never read or seen anything you have created), it doesn't mean you do not have value.
That said, artists are always their own worst critics. Writers hate their writing, often throwing out their compositions. Artists burn their paintings. Musicians have tantrums and quit composing. It's all because they judge themselves too harshly. Sometimes it helps to hear other voices to give you feedback. I don't mean family or friends because if they say nice things you'll just think, "Well, they're being nice because they are family/friends." I mean joining an art group or writing group. If you're a musician looking for support, you can try some of the musician groups on Facebook listed here, or, if you want to get some fandom support, you might try Fuzznet, a furry music and support collective. If you're an artist, there are a lot of online groups you can join to chat and ask for feedback from other artists (an example would be FurReal at on Facebook), or just build a network of artist friends to chat with and talk about your progress. And same goes for writers groups, too, of course. Just do a little searching online and you will find lots of writing groups, both furry and not.
So, now that I have hopefully dismantled (or at least put a dent in) your notions that you A) have no imagination and B) are only a worthwhile person if you do, here are some tips on improving your creativity:
- Whenever an idea pops into your head or you've had a cool dream and just woke up, write down your dream/fantasy before you forget it. Keep journals by your bed or on your desk; keep a pocket journal in your, er, pocket.
- Expose yourself to new people and new situations and information. Be a sponge about what is going on around you. And I don't mean watch lots of TV or bop around on the internet. I mean have real-life experiences interacting with real people (hopefully, this is easier with the easing of Covid). Be open to all that is out there. Don't filter or censor it.
- Play games. Yes, you heard right. The act of playing--whether it is going outside and playing touch football or having a round of D&D with your nerdy friends--stimulates your mind.
- Free write/free draw. That is, sit down and write whatever is in your head without censoring yourself. Just let it flow. Then, put it aside and look at it again a couple of days later. A lot of what you write might be unusable, but you will surprise yourself with some of the things you come up with that are actually quite good. The same is said for scribbling. Just scribble scribble scribble all kinds of drawings and doodles.
- Teach others what you know. You will be astounded how the act of teaching and explaining your work and processes will help solidify them in your brain, helping you to think more clearly and even point out some things you are doing right or wrong.
All of these things have something in common: turning off your inner critic. By allowing ideas to flow unhindered, you break down the damn that is holding back an entire reservoir of creativity.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Papabear
Episode 494 - Government Fursonas - This week there's Olympic fursonas, games difficulty discourse swings back around, accessibility discussions are had, please don't eat horse dewormer, and the Steam Deck is revealed.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Sout
This week there's Olympic fursonas, games difficulty discourse swings back around, accessibility discussions are had, please don't eat horse dewormer, and the Steam Deck is revealed.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Southpawscast
LINKS
Coins Australia - https://www.coinsaustralia.com.au/shop/item/2020-tokyo-olympics-2-five-coin-collection
Steven Spohn's thread on gaming accessibility - https://twitter.com/stevenspohn/status/1415031199165190146
If you aren't a horse or dog do not take this - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/16/huge-study-supporting-ivermectin-as-covid-treatment-withdrawn-over-ethical-concerns?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Telegram fan chat~ https://t.me/joinchat/P2iJg8tyj-KNGaci
Fox and Burger Podcast #12: Indonesian Furs, How Cons Unites Furs + More Feat Chirros and Claud
Fox and Burger Podcast #12: Indonesian Furs, How Cons Unites Furs + More Feat Chirros and Claud. ---- In this episode of the Fox and Burger podcast, we’re going back to Indonesia, but this time with two tour guides! Meet Chirros and Claud. Chirros is white rhinoceros who has been in the fandom since 2009 and is the current con chair. Claud, a tiger, joined in 2017 and has been staffing for Pawai since 2018. We’ll be asking our two tour guides questions about Pawai and about public perception of the furry fandom in Indonesia. So without further ado, let’s give them a big awoo! ---- Time Stamps: 00:00 Section 1: Introduction 00:00 Podcast intro 01:35 Guests introduction 03:18 Section 2: Guest Spotlight: Pawai 03:44 What were your roles for Pawai? 04:35 What was the impetus for starting Pawai? 05:16 Twitter question: What’s the history behind Pawai? 06:59 When did Claud come into the picture? 08:00 What makes Pawai special? 11:05 What was the venue like for Pawai 2019? 14:03 How is Pawai run? (division of labor) 16:08 Twitter question: Any plans for a virtual Pawai? 17:18 What was your favorite moment at Pawai? 20:01 Section 3: Comparing and Contrasting Fandoms: How are furries perceived in Indonesia? 20:18 How does the general public view furries in Indonesia? 23:16 How is fursuiting in Indonesia? 28:00 How does Indonesian culture mix with furry culture? 33:11 How do furries in Indonesia gather? (impact of geography) 37:16 Where do you see Pawai in 3 years? 40:44 Social media shoutout 41:33 Podcast outro ---- Social Media: Our official Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxandburger Fox: https://twitter.com/foxnakh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9xoFQrxFTNPMjmXfUg2cg Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner http://www.youtube.com/c/LightningRunner Chirros: https://twitter.com/kidrhinoboy https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3RdSvOLhXoHc2jKBqi0CZQ Claud: https://twitter.com/LeTigre_C ---- Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuPp5Rwm07I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eipHFFxRKuM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_UIISregp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llhs2FMLtxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj4DLzuYIDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTz04WPVL1Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck2Ob6DVzcY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuKppNScL90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpYzSOIw__k Other pictures and video provided by Chirros, Claud, Giphy, Pixabay, and hosts' personal footage. Intro/Outro Music: Aioli by Andrew Langdon.
When Your Spirit Animal Hates You…
Look, we’re just gonna let the folks at Source Point Press explain THIS one… “Ten years after a freak incident at the zoo, Yuki finds herself attending a prestigious college on the road to success, unaware that a panda bear from that fateful day has been hunting her down to exact bloody revenge. Nothing can prepare you for this outrageous comedy filled with epic fights, awkward romance, supernatural powers, and plenty of zigs and zags. Put up your pigtails! Sharpen your claws!” Written by Graham Misiurak and illustrated by A. L. Jones, Yuki vs. Panda is available now as either a physical comic or a free PDF. And, you have GOT to see the trailer for the animated series as well…
image c. 2021 Source Point Press
Bearly Furcasting S2E12 - The Past, Transfurmation Station, Jokes and Math
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
This week we have no guest so Bearly and Taebyn have lots of fun. We visit Lux's new Transfurmation Station Lab, hear more about Japanese Maples, learn more math and tell some horrible jokes. So a typical podcast for Taebyn and Bearly. Join us for a puptacular time! Moobarkfluff!
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
(IVÁN): On SABBATH the OATH SWORN to Isaac’s powers enriches ISRAEL and YOU (gentiles) with the entire EARTH:
Friendship is Monstrous
A new full-color graphic novel for young folks, written and illustrated by Kaeti Vandorn: It’s called Monster Friends. “Two friends: one big, one little. One old, one young. One grumpy, one cheerful. Both: Monsters! Reggie’s plan is to spend the whole summer brooding over his latest adventure gone wrong. But his friendly and curious neighbor, Emily, won’t let him sit alone and unhappy in his house forever! Despite their differences, these two monsters make the perfect pair of explorers. And with a map to make, a beach party to plan, and a sea monster to find, Reggie will have to learn to talk about his feelings and let new friends in!” Find out how, now, in hardcover from Random House.
image c. 2021 Random House
News in brief – 14/6/2021
Howloween Canadian convention Howloween recently announced that their vice chairman Temrin is stepping down. They say she did so to refocus on her personal life goals. Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend (WPAFW) To the US, West Pennsylvania Furry Weekend is pushing back pre-registrations for their 2021 event, until at least July 14. The furcon says that […]
On to a Larger Universe
A couple years ago we told you about Star Beasts, an independent comic series written by Stephanie Young and illustrated by Allyson Lassiter. Well now Oni Press have picked up the series and compiled it together into a new softcover graphic novel. “Bandit is a pup on Earth who leaves his family to join the secret order of the Star Beasts – cosmic creatures sworn to protect Earth and spread goodness throughout the universe. Only thing is, he’s having trouble fitting in. But when powerful relics are suddenly stolen, the Star Beasts must band together to find the deadly galactic fossils before Pluto’s evil emperor, Khaos Krill – he wants to build the Novataur, an ancient monster that could wipe out all of Earth’s species!” Look for it on shelves later this month.
image c. 2021 Oni Press
TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 20
TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 20 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.
The Furterview: European and Asian furries launch furry news channels to inform the fandom more
With the furry fandom continuously spreading and developing along the Internet’s wave since the 80s, there has been an increasing amount of initiatives that aim to bring furry fandom news to the broader community. Alongside developed furry news outlets like Dogpatch Press, Furry News Network (FNN) and Flayrah that’s popular within the Western furry fandom, […]
Lonely Girl meets Helpful Dog
Sometimes the simplest and most true-to-life stories are the most interesting and educational. Such might well be the case with the new graphic novel from Remy Lai called Pawcasso. (Gotta love that title.) “Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. One day, he passes eleven-year-old Jo, peering out the window of her house, bored and lonely. Astonished by the sight of an adorable basket-toting dog on his own, Jo follows Pawcasso, and when she’s seen alongside him by a group of kids from her school, they mistake her for Pawcasso’s owner. Excited to make new friends, Jo reluctantly hides the truth and agrees to let “her” dog model for an art class the kids attend. What could go wrong? But what starts as a Chihuahua-sized lie quickly grows Great Dane-sized when animal control receives complaints about a dog roaming the streets off-leash. With Pawcasso’s freedom at stake, is Jo willing to spill the truth and risk her new friendships?” There are preview pages over at the publisher’s web site.
image c. 2021 Henry Holt & Company
Episode 493 - The Healing Power - We're uncancelled just in time for us to be cancelled I guess. It's been a while. Savrin had a birthday and has a garden. Shiva had a war with rats. We also talk about curating your online experience when it comes to nsfw
We're uncancelled just in time for us to be cancelled I guess. It's been a while. Savrin had a birthday and has a garden. Shiva had a war with rats. We also talk about curating your online experience when it comes to nsfw you don't like, who is 'British', and Texas' mythologized history.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Southpawscast
LINKS
The gardening videos Savrin watched - https://www.youtube.com/c/Selfsufficientme
Texas: The Great Theft - https://store.deepvellum.org/products/texas-the-great-theft
Telegram Fan Chat - https://t.me/joinchat/P2iJg8tyj-KNGaci
Bearly Furcasting S2E11 - Grubbs Grizzly, Media, Five Minute Furs, Grimm Fairy Tale, This or That
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Grubbs Gizzly joins us to discuss his website; Ask Papa Bear, his involvement in the Fandom, and just have a great chat with Bearly and Taebyn. Do you put mustard on your bologna sandwhiches? How about pickles on a PB&J? Taebyn and Bearly re-enact a joke from several months ago. What do you call a fur artist? Taebyn tries to teach Bearly a thing and does not succeed. We hear a Grimm Fairy Tale, and ask a few This or That questions, so join us for a rip roaring time of jocularity! Moobarkfluff!
If you would like to send a question to papa bear, go to www.AskPapaBear.com
If you want to see the video of Papa Bear singing at FC here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEuRpX9GRj8
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Hog vs. Hell
We are not gonna top the title of Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter. We won’t even try. We’ll just tell you it’s a new hardcover graphic novel, written and illustrated by Rich Moyer. “Ham Helsing is the descendant of a long line of adventurers and monster hunters–who don’t often live to rest on their laurels. Ham has always been the odd pig out, preferring to paint or write poetry instead of inventing dangerous (dumb) new ways to catch dangerous creatures. His brother Chad was the daredevil carrying on the family legacy of leaping before looking, but after his death, it’s down to Ham. Reluctantly, he sets out on his first assignment, to hunt a vampire. But Ham soon learns that people aren’t always what they seem and that you need a good team around you to help save your bacon!” Ooo, pretty scary kids! Look for it now from Penguin Randomhouse.
image c. 2021 Penguin Randomhouse
Those Meddling Ducks
A very new take on some very familiar Disney characters comes to us in Duckscares: The Nightmare Formula, a new hardcover graphic novel from Amulet Books. “Huey, Dewey, and Louie — the world-famous nephews of Donald Duck — are off on a globetrotting adventure! When the boys are suddenly (and confusingly) selected for a prestigious exchange program, they head off to Germany, where they learn about soccer, the local culture… and a spooky plot plaguing their new friends. What’s all this about a haunting?” Written by Tommy Greenwald and illustrated by Elisa Ferrari, Duckscares is available now. There’s also a review over at Comic Book Resources too.
image c. 2021 Amulet Books
Commentary: Furry frugality on fursuit making
“Van Hill Millvele (fursona name Janky the Fuzzy Life Coach) is a writer of clean romantic space fantasy novels with anthropomorphic elements.” Allauthor.com I will be honest with you: “frugal” and “furry” are words that don’t usually work well together. Though, that doesn’t have to be true. Talking about furries, you may think of those thousand-dollar […]
TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 19
TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 19 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.
Keywords and hashtags ‘furries’ and ‘furry twitter’ once again trend on social media platform Twitter
Excitement flies through the furry fandom, as many furries reported that the hashtags and keywords of ‘furries’ and ‘furry twitter’ have trended on social media platform Twitter. Many furries pointed to one of Twitter’s recent post on their official account showing a GIF of their logo with a furry outlook while also captioning, ‘Furry Twitter’, […]
Aurawra 2021 postponed as the COVID-19 Delta variant spreads locally
To Australia, Sydney convention Aurawra has postponed their physical event to next year, following cases involving the more contagious COVID-19 Delta variant that is starting to appear locally; the city right now is under a two-week lockdown. Attendees can choose to get ticket refunds by contacting the furcon’s email, and registrations for this year will […]