#and getting hate anons around the time your friend gets critique to change attention is. how is that not suspicious

[runby2]

To anyone who feels like even the slightest bit of fame for their work is hopeless on this site (or on the internet in general,)

I’ve accumulated over 3,000 non-bot followers for just posting informational posts about topics I’m passionate about, stupid content, and my artwork. This was over a span of the two years I have had this blog.

I’m not different or special from other blogs that do the same thing. I’m in a horrible living situation in real life, and I struggle with severe mental illness.

Regardless, exposure for my projects did happen. People do like what I make. You CAN reach goals like this if it’s what you desire, and I’m going to try to give some advice here on how to spread your work.

———

1) DO NOT START MAKING A BRAND AT A YOUNG AGE - Posting your art is fine, but by the time you are an adult you WILL change in every way. I’ve gone through 5 different brands. People claim starting young is the only way to get your work out there. THIS IS A LIE - Some of my old brands I deeply regret, because as a traumatized child I thought that the only way to gain attention was by acting like I knew everything. That is not the way to go about a brand especially if you are a minor. Start reading into how to source things appropriately if you’re an informational blog, find out who wrote the information that you spread in your work, learn how to detect out of date information. ADD SOURCES. ENCOURAGE AUDIENCE-BASED FACT CHECKING. This is the first thing they’ll teach you in college. If you gain a following based on rude / reckless behavior and never admitting your mistakes, you’ll get nowhere. Start your brand in early adulthood if you want to be taken seriously. You’ll have a lot of dirt to be dug up on you otherwise, and the internet is not loving or understanding.

2) YOUR FANS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY - Want to make a brand now that you’re a decent age? State your boundaries as a content creator, and treat fans kindly. They look up to your work, and you are trying to make a brand. Don’t like reblog spam? Don’t make a brand. Don’t enjoy Like Spams? Don’t make a brand. Don’t hate on people who enjoy your work by claiming their support is a burden. You’ll look like a dick, and there’s no faster way to lose support than by acting like you’ll have it no matter how you behave. Hateful / Rude comments will happen, and don’t make responding to them into a whole thing every single time. The bad energy will get overwhelming and it will get in the way of your content. You can reply once if it’s dire and you want to make them look stupid, but believe me when I say ignoring them is more fun. (I once got hate anons left and right. After deleting them all for two days, the same anon actually sent me “respond to me already” and I’ve never felt more accomplished.) Keep in mind these people will never know if you read something they say, and don’t ever feel obligated to respond.

3) FANART IS YOUR SAVIOR - Are you an artist? Do you have 0 followers? Make fanart of media that is currently popular. It will spread your work to a large audience, and you WILL get reblogs and likes. People may even stick around for your original content. This is a well known advantage, but just in case some of you were unaware. Fanart is the fastest and best way to get people invested in your brand. Among Us fanart is the only reason why I have my current following for my OCs and Original Work.

4) DON’T ENCOURAGE HATE, OR SPREAD BIGOTRY - Wanna Speedrun being cancelled? Be my guest. If you want to make a following rooted in hatred and internet tough guy behavior, you’re digging your own grave. If you ever want to be a better person, your whole brand will collapse and you’ll have to start from scratch. Plus, half the fans you could have are most likely who you are oppressing. You’re missing out on a huge chunk of kind and loving individuals who love to spread work. You’ll not even get the Furry Community support - and as stupid as it aounds, that’s not even a joke. You’ll need that if you want those sweet Reblogs.

5) DO NOT EVER HAVE A “BEST FRIEND” ONLINE CONNECTION CHILDREN. ESPECIALLY IF THEY CALL THEMSELVES A FAN - Wanna Speedrun being cancelled part 2? The slightest slip up in how you act around them will result in a p/do accusation. Boom, whole reputation gone. Plus, now that you’re an adult, making other adult friends is IMPORTANT. Children are children, no matter if they’re ‘about to turn 18.’ You can have a casual chat every now and then, but don’t let them depend on you. They are still growing, and the most of a relationship you should have with them is a mentor or brother/sister bond. Keep kids safe, let them be kids and not have to engage with adults for validation. It’s also super dangerous if they start trusting any internet adult in a ‘friend’ way - you might be the start of this habit. Keep a filter on, never emotionally depend on a child/teen. You’re an adult, act like it.

6) ENGAGE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY - Make a Discord (With proper roles that keep minors out of adult spaces if it’s an all age Discord) with some strict safety rules. Respond to comments. Reblog and encourage fanart. Livestream. Take criticism and advice fondly (only respond to constructive criticism though. If it’s harsh or hate fueled, just think about what their point is and change your actions if you think it’s worth it.) Don’t watch critique videos though, that community is drama and hate filled and trust me, you don’t want to engage with them if you get a drama video made on your brand. Engaging with fans helps them feel seen, and can be a fun experience for both of you. Keep in mind though that you are still a brand to them, and there is a power dynamic you’ll need to be conscious of. Set up boundaries if a fan ever tries to engage in full on friend behavior.

7) LASTLY, MAKE SURE YOU’VE GOT SOME ORIGINALITY - Are you blogging about what everyone else blogs about? Consider making your brand character act different. Make yourself stand out. Act ecstatic, nervous, goofy, or whatever you feel fits how you want to be seen. Make sure people know what you’re about! Make a mascot that stands out among every other generic mascot.

———

That’s all for now, and it’s what I’ve learned. It’s working well for me, and I hope it will help you all out as well.

[Image source: http://rebloggy.com/post/gif-animals-dragon-salamander-axolotl-water-dragon-my-friend-has-a-pet-axolotl-a/30540230890]

See ya! ✨

#juicesaysthings #original work #original content #art tips #art #traditional art #digital art #furry community #blogging #blogs #content creator #content creation #advice #art advice #brand advertising

[eightmakar]

More Than a Rookie / Four

(Baseball!Tom AU)

Baseball Crash Course / Teaser / One / Two / Three

Summary: tom’s first away game

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: mention of oral but no actual oral give

(a/n: okay so to the anon whose message i said i was using for this I changed it just a little bit but wanted to incorporate the same essential idea!! tag list is open so send me an ask. and tell me how its going so far??? do yall like it??? what can i do better? What do yall wanna see it in?? give me feedback!!!)

Tom woke up early the next morning for their team flight to DC. You half woke up as he kissed your hair.

“Love you, baby girl,” he whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you, Tommy,” you mumbled. You were the only person he let call him that. “Be safe.”

“I will, my love,” he replied softly, pressing another kiss to your temple and then leaving.

You hated him going. You hated away games. The T.V. crews did their best, but there were aspects of Tom’s playing abilities you best spotted in person. You knew how comfortable he was in the field based on the way he moved. You could predict his motions, predict where the ball would be thrown just by watching him. And on T.V., they didn’t show the infielders when someone was up to bat. Of course, that didn’t stop you from watching him or scoring for him or critiquing him. It just made it a little more difficult.

You went back to sleep for a few hours after Tom left. You slept on his pillow; the smell he left behind was comforting. Tom was your best friend in the whole world. You told him everything and he told you everything. So naturally, you missed him when he left.

Since his first game the other night, you’d been wondering if and when he would propose to you, like one of the fans shouted at the two of you. You’d been desperately waiting for him to propose to you for years. You figured once you got out of college he’d propose, but then he got drafted and immediately got swept up into the whirlwind of the minor leagues. To be honest, you two hadn’t had much time to even talk about getting married, let alone get engaged. But you still ached for it. You wanted to be Mrs. Holland, and wear his jersey with your shared name on it. You wanted to shout “That’s my hubby!” when he did something good. You wanted to take engagement pictures on a baseball field. You wanted to have the perfect baseball wedding. You wanted Tom to be your husband.

You finally dragged yourself out of bed around 10, slowly working the sleep out of your eyes and muscles. You yawned and longed for another kiss from Tom, just to start your day off right.

Instead, you sent him a text message.

im officially up now! have a safe flight, love you so much ❤️

Thank you darling! I’ll let you know when we land x love you more ❤️

You got up and packed your belongings that were strewn around the room. Tom wouldn’t be back for a few days, so you’d decided to go back up to your apartment in northern Georgia. Before you went home, however, you had to look at one more home to look at.

You and Tom had talked about getting an actual house together instead of just an apartment. He had suggested it, actually, before he’d been called up.

“Something with a lawn and a fence, yeah?” he’d said. “So Tess and Shadow can run around and have fun. And kids maybe?”

You’d laughed. “Tom, you know my deal on kids. We have to be married first, and financially stable, and all the jazz.”

He’d sighed. “I know, my love, but I have to get called up first. I need to make sure I can take care of you.”

A buzz from your phone snapped you out of your reverie. It was a text from the realtor that was showing you the house.

Hi, (Y/N), this is Stacy from 21st just confirming the showing today at 11:15

Hi Stacy! Yes, see you at 11:15

You lugged your small suitcase and backpack down to your car before driving out to the house you were seeing. You wished Tom could be there with you, but he trusted you to pick out your dream house.

The moment you pulled up to the house, you knew. That was it. That was your house. You could see Tessa, Tom’s Staffordshire Terrier, and Shadow, your black lab, lounging in the front lawn while Tom chased a little boy, squealing with glee. You could see Tom teaching your son to play catch. You could see Tom teaching your daughter how to ride a bike. It was perfect.

You walked inside and sighed. It was gorgeous. It was open and light, warm and inviting. You adored it.

The realtor walked you through the house, and you took pictures for Tom. Each room you entered you loved more than the last. At the end of the tour, the realtor asked what you thought.

“Oh,” you said, “I love it! I wish my boyfriend could be here but he’s away on travel.”

“What does he do?” she asked. You knew that was more of a question of could you afford the house as opposed to actual curiosity.

“He’s the starting shortstop for the Braves,” you said proudly, straightening your back and looking back at her.

The realtor looked like you’d just slapped her. “O-oh, m-my,” she stammered. “Holland, is that right?”

“Yes ma’am,” you said, voice dripping with sweetness. “That’s right. Tom left this morning for DC and he’ll be back later this week. And he’ll love it as much as I do. So how do we do this, hmm? This is perfect for us.”

“I’ll draw the paperwork up and call you,” she said, still a little shocked.

“Excellent! Pleasure doing business with you.” You shook her hand and left the house with a huge grin. You and Tom were getting a house.

Your drive back to your apartment was long but uneventful. You missed your dogs horribly; you’d only been gone two days, but you loved your girls with all your heart.

“Hi ladies!” You greeted Tessa and Shadow as you entered your apartment. They sprinted to you, tails wagging, jumping around because their mom was home.

Tom had brought Tessa with him from England your sophomore year when he moved off campus and into an apartment. You used to tease Tom about Tess loving you more than him, but you knew it wasn’t true. Tessa adored Tom; she greeted him like she greeted no one else. Her whole body wagged with joy, and it was one of the cutest things you’d ever seen.

You two had moved into an apartment together your junior year. You were so happy to finally live with him and Tess. Especially Tess. You’d grown up with dogs, so not having your own dog had been painful.

And then you met Shadow.

She was in a shelter near your school. The shelter had an adoption event that you and Tom took Tessa to. She loved meeting the other dogs, and you enjoyed just getting to give some of the poor babies some extra attention.

Shadow was at one of these adoption events, just relaxing with the volunteers. You loved big dogs, so you went over and sat down in front of her to pet her. Tessa saw you and immediately pulled Tom over to you and Shadow, laying down up against the skinny black lab. She had been about 15 pounds underweight. But Tessa laid down with her and gave you and Tom a look that said, “We aren’t leaving without her.”

So you’d adopted Shadow. Tessa decided she needed to be a part of the family, and you knew as well as Tom did that Tess was the boss around your place. Naturally, you closely followed Tess in the pecking order, and Tom was as low as he could get. Shadow fell between you and Tom in said order, but you loved your little family with your two girls and the love of your life no matter what.

You walked to the back door with Tessa and Shadow to let them outside. One of your college friends who happened to live nearby had taken care of them while you were gone, and had done a fine job.

The dogs came back inside and jumped up on you. “Okay, okay!” You said, and led them to the couch, where they both joined you, licking all over your face, grunting happily.

You scratched both of them on the back. “I missed you guys! Guess what? Mommy and Daddy are buying you a house! With a big lawn and a fence so you guys can run around and play all day! How does that sound? Does that sound good? You guys are such good girls!”

You loved talking to the dogs. When Tom wasn’t home, Shadow and Tess were your buddies. You told them all about your days, you ranted to them, you took them everywhere with you. You loved telling them everything because you knew no matter what, your girls would still love you. They would never judge you and no matter how bad your day was, they always jumped up to greet you with enormous smiles and sloppy kisses.

Your phone buzzed. Tom was FaceTiming you. “Girls, look! Daddy’s calling!”

You answered the call. “Hey baby!” Tom exclaimed. “Are you at home?”

“Hi Tommy! Yeah, I’m home with the girls. Wanna see them?”

“Is that ever a question?” he retorted. He looked tired; his hair was messy and he looked like he’d just woken up.

“Shadow! Tess! Say hi!” You showed Tom the dogs on the front-facing camera of your iPhone.

“Tess! Shadow! Hi babies!” Tom called. They both perked their ears up and looked at the phone, looking for Tom. “Hi girls! Daddy misses you!”

Tessa began to whine. She pawed at the phone, recognizing that was where Tom’s voice was coming from. “Aww, Tess,” you said with a laugh. “He’ll be home soon, love!”

“Yes I will! We’ve got three games here then I’ll be back in Atlanta late after the third game. How was the house tour today?”

“Tom,” you started. “It was incredible. I took pictures for you. It was just, just wow. We need it. It’s our house. I could absolutely see us there.”

“That’s amazing, baby!” he said with a big grin. “When can we get it?”

You laughed. “Tom, honey, you haven’t even seen it!”

“Baby, if you say it’s our house, it’s our house. Does it have a lawn? And a fence?”

“Of course! Shadow and Tess will love it!”

“Then consider it ours, baby. Once we get back on Thursday night, we have the whole weekend off, so we can pack up as much of the apartment as possible. When can we do the paperwork?”

“The realtor said she’d have it soon. She’s going to call me.”

“Sounds perfect, baby. I love you so much. We’re getting a house!”

“We’re getting a house!” You shrieked in excitement. “Now you’ve got a game to play, Mister! Go crush it, Rookie!”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Tom.” He went to hang up but you stopped him. “Wait! If you hit a triple in this game I’ll blow you when you get home.”

He cocked his eyebrow at you through the screen. “Third base, huh?”

“Damn straight. Every time you touch third equals a blowjob this weekend,” you added slyly.

“Well, fuck,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “That sounds like a challenge. Looks like I’ll be hanging out at third a lot this week.”

You smirked. “Play well, honey. Remember what’s at stake.”

“You better be ready, princess.”

Tom hit a triple at his very first at bat in the first game against the Nationals. His second at bat, he hit a double, took third on a wild pitch, and scored. His third at bat he hit a single, and the guy who hit behind him hit a home run, so he touched third rounding the bases. His last at bat he flew out to center field, but boy was it close. The center fielder was on the warning track. A few more feet and you would’ve owed Tom a fourth blowjob just for the first game. He hit a triple in each of the following games, but that was his only time reaching third in each game.

He was interviewed after each game and they asked him what he did differently this time to have hit so well.

“Oh, you know, just tried a different way to motivate myself,” he said with a small smirk. You knew exactly what he meant by that.

Maybe this deal would become part of your pre-game routine.

Tags: 

@kathscribbless @ibtomholland @beautiful-holland @holla-holland @whyistomholland @idektomholland @spidergirlwanab @penisholland @hollanddolanfluff @fandomdarlings @romanoff-queen @hollandboipeter @holyheckholland @racing-faster@whyispeterparker @unicorngummybears @bucksboo @imahurricane @thegirlinthe-chair @motts-applesauces @avengers-parker-stark @trashqueenbitch @hoodash98xx @bookishpeter @tomhollandandmarvelsworld @omalleysreads @go-grace-lightening* @mdgrdians @starlight-fury @paperbackbook @sunshineperriee @k0h04 @rude-much @notimeforthemessenger @tomscaprisun @lovinglyloki @hollandahlia @gab-spidey @drxgxnslxyer@heavenly--osterfield @infamous-webhead @rozastar7 @bluparis @its-obrosey-bitch @starlightfound@hvllanders @dee-rosemary @marvelspidey-tomholland @elentiya02 @checkthisoutmaybeifyouwanna@heavenly---holland @spiderdudeparker

#more than a rookie #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfictions #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fanfics #tom holland imagine #tom holland imagines #tom holland au #baseball!tom #baseball!tom holland #baseball!tom holland au #baseball!tom au #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n

[garden-of-succulents]

I've taken some time to think over and process recent criticisms that people have made of me. Thank you to everyone for being patient while I took this time to reflect--I think that a brief review of my behaviour in the past has shown that I often respond poorly and clumsily in the heat of the moment, and these conversations benefit when I give them the thought and effort they deserve.

I am responding to people whose direct responses to me, or public commentary, seemed to indicate they wanted some sort of response from me. I hope I've addressed everyone; please let me know if I've missed anyone. I have also, as was requested, cleared out my OMGCP-related blocklist.

Briefly, about that: I have, in the past, blocked people for two main reasons. The first is that they're producing fannish content (fic, art, or meta) that triggers my anxiety, which my body reacts very poorly to; the other is that I have disagreed with them about something, but know that they are significantly younger/less privileged than I am, and blocking is one of the tools I use to make sure I don't impulsively strike up an unfair argument about something unimportant.

I would like to apologize for the distress and insult my blocking users caused them; it was not intended. I have been investigating ways to curate my online experience to what I can manage with mental health that varies from day to day, with less of a negative effect on other people and maintains their ability to draw my attention to important conversations.

Although I believe listening to criticism is important, especially on topics where I am privileged or ignorant, this is something I have to balance with my mental and physical health; I have to carefully budget time and energy to engage with it when I am capable of thinking clearly and deeply. Sometimes I'm able to seek out and read criticism, but sometimes I'm not. I miss conversations or misunderstand peoples' points. I know this is frustrating to people who do not have the luxury of ignoring or escaping these issues in their daily lives, and I'm sorry.

On a practical note, I am taking pains to make sure that people can contact me through my des-zimbits account, but I should make clear that unfortunately, I cannot accept anon messages and I am very unpredictable about seeing things written on blogs I do not follow; my friends are not in the habit of telling me about criticism made by third parties. There have been times that I only found out long after the fact that someone has put enormous amounts of time and energy into critiquing my behaviour on their blog, and become upset that I have not responded or changed. In those circumstances, I never saw the original posts in the first place. I don't have a complete solution for this, but I encourage people to tag me or message me a post they think I should see; if you don't want to deal with me thereafter, just say, "Don't reply."

I am making this apology not in hope that anyone will change their opinion of me or forgive me. I know that people of colour in this fandom are frustrated by white fans' inability to listen and respond in a way that makes things better, and I know that my own behaviour has contributed to that. My sincere desire here is to make it plain that I am willing to listen and try, and perhaps even make other fans feel that they can directly approach me with their frustrations and concerns.

I am beyond grateful to the fans of colour who have expended energy and time educating me, criticizing me, talking to me, and helping me. Your willingness to be open about your feelings and experiences, and to speak truth to power, have been unspeakably helpful in helping me see my blind spots, and understand the effect my behaviour has on other people. I know that it takes a lot of energy and courage it takes to speak about such a painful and infuriating subject. I want to thank the people who, despite my resistance at times, continue to engage me in these issues. Your feedback is valuable and appreciated.

@dexydex and @georgiapeche, re: this post

You’re right, I haven’t been responding correctly to your criticism. I’ve taken it too personally instead of taking a step back to consider your perspectives in a more nuanced and empathetic way. Thank you for all of the emotional labor you’ve expended up until this point trying to get through to me. I’m sorry that I’ve made it your responsibility to teach me what I’m doing wrong rather than go out and learn for myself. I’ve been complacent in the ways I’ve interacted with my own privilege. I’m sorry that my apologies have fallen flat time and time again. I’m sorry I haven’t done enough yet to unlearn my implicit racism. This is something I will increase my efforts to address and correct in the future. It is not your job to forgive me. It is not your job to absolve me of any ill will.

phillipsheabutter, re: this post

You're right; Kent's behaviour in canon is cruel and abusive, which Nursey's isn't. My response to them is very backwards the usual responses. I am especially sorry that my answer about him didn't address the word "hate", so I flatly said that I "hated" him, which is a strong and unwarranted negative assessment to make of his behaviour. This was especially wrong of me because the behaviour I was criticizing is a response many Black readers identify with, to the experience of having their emotional responses intensely policed and invalidated. It is a testament of my ignorance and prejudice that I felt this perspective was something I could choose to discard when thinking about him.

As to how I struggle to have empathy for one behaviour but not the other, I can't offer any excuse for my racism, but I can briefly explain: I’ve tried to articulate in the past that Kent’s narrative strongly evokes people and relationships that have been incredibly formative for me, and that I have dedicated years of personal searching and academic study to understanding Kent's kind of extreme behaviour and maintaining relationships with people who display it. My relationship to invalidating behaviour is still too raw and painful to talk about in detail, but in short, it was something I had powerfully negative experiences with when I was young, and as an adult I have found it deeply distressing when it was directed at me; I have embraced a career based around validating emotions. I hadn't yet truly realized the extent to which it is used as a coping mechanism by African Americans--the majority of Black people I have known have been first- or second-generation Canadians hailing from Africa or the Carribean, who have had expressed different cultural and racial experiences to me, and I haven't consumed enough American media to truly understand where Nursey is coming from. I struggle to relate to him as much as I do to characters like Ransom whose cultural experiences and coping mechanisms are more familiar to me.

In equating Nursey to generic white hipsters I encountered this behaviour from, I was erasing his Blackness in favor of pointing to an implied socioeconomic privilege that in no way makes up for or safeguards him from the experiences of being a Black man living in the United States. That wasn’t just wrong of me, it was careless and racist.

There’s a lot to his character that I’ve yet to explore and it was wrong of me to say I hate him when I haven’t done enough work to understand who he is or where he comes from. I'm going to work more to expand my knowledge and find deeper empathy for him.

@oluranurse, re: this post

You’re right, I keep making the same mistakes over again. I can understand how frustrating it feels when a larger blog says repeatedly that they will be different, and better, but the results are disappointing at best. I can only hope that by taking the time to listen, really listen, to your feedback, that someday I won’t have to apologize for my mistakes (because they will few and far apart).

I realize that as someone who doesn't have Borderline Personality Disorder, it is potentially problematic that I am so invested in its fictional depiction, especially given the extreme stigma against the disorder by members of my own profession. As I've explained before, however, it's a condition I've had significant personal experience with, and writing about mental health issues helps me build the skills that may let me someday write coherently about my own C-PTSD. What's more, I am not pulling these conditions out of nowhere or treating them lightly; I'm a licensed mental health professional, and I take a great deal of care to root my mental health headcanons in close analysis of the source material. The diagnoses I suggest for characters are by no means the ultimate truth about them and alternate perceptions of them are wholly plausible

I would like to talk more about your classification of BPD as "a mental illness that fandom likes to give to characters that have 'bad attitudes'," but on a separate occasion where that discussion doesn’t detract from the real conversation we’re having here.

In reference to the disagreement I had with brenbits, I still believe that the way they engaged me could have been more direct, and less heated, from the start. But I respect that other users confront issues they find problematic differently.

In reference to my post about dealing with criticism, I understand that the tone implied something much different than what I intended. I was attempting to be a resource for content creators who feel discouraged by discourse and offer show them how to respond to said criticism in a thoughtful and nuanced way. I realize how ironic that may sound considering some of my past responses. I know that in that post it sounds like I will apologize and defend every microaggression and racist comment that comes my way. That was never the case, but I’m sorry I did such a poor job of articulating that. Times that I have provided this service include helping writers find essays written by members of minorities about common difficulties or pitfalls in depictions of their experiences, or in helping them personally connect with someone who has the cultural competency to assess a situation, and is willing to expend the emotional labour of providing an author with a critique.

With regard to the time that I answered the question, "Are genderbends transphobic?" I shouldn't have answered, given that I am cis. I will make an effort in the future not to summarize trans peoples' opinions, and step back to amplify the voices of trans people who have already made their thoughts accessible.

I feel that the fandom should do more to support content creators and to talk through (especially with younger creators) what they could be doing better in terms of representation. I do understand, however, that doesn’t mean members of the fandom should have to stand for racist and stereotypical content and/or be grateful that it even exists.

You’re right, I’ve been complacent and racist in how I treat POC characters. I need to take a step back, consume more media and academic material related to the experiences of these characters. I need to immerse myself in the positive representations and transformative works this fandom already has for these characters. I need to make these already available transformative works more visible by interacting with them on my blog in ways that are supportive and enriching. I need do more to change my racist thoughts and tendencies because this is a comic made by a WOC that seeks to better minority representation and inclusion in the sports world. I need to be more present in how my behavior affects the experiences of others in this fandom.

I also concede that I do not understand the inherent danger that POC and trans people endure daily. I cannot take your concerns for granted just because I don’t understand them at first. It’s my personal responsibility to seek out information and understanding. I’m also sorry that I have focused more on my personal reaction to criticism rather than on the concerns raised about my behavior. I have many privileges in this fandom, I need to do a better job of utilizing them properly.

@eriquebittle, re: this post

You’re right, my apology focused too much on my feelings and not how my actions have hurt others. I was attempting to start a conversation I wasn’t ready to engage in properly. My apology was lackluster and nothing new at best. As I’m addressing in other posts, I am working on active change. From now on, I'll give the performative white guilt a rest and focus on listening and changing my behaviour.

@senor-lapin, re: this post

I meant what I said about doing my best. However, my apology was neither warranted in the way I handled it nor effective at articulating how I’m taking steps to fix my racist thoughts and actions. As I’ve addressed previously, I have removed the blocks I placed on other members of OMGCP fandom and will work in the future not to exclude them from the discussion. I will listen, research, and reflect for as long as I need to in order to understand my critics. That is the least I owe them.

@duanlarissa, re: this post

I was ineffective in trying to articulate or consider an intersectionality between neurodivergence and racial identity. The way I addressed Nursey and Dex’s relationship was very simplistic and downright racist. There’s a lot of nuance to their relationship that I haven’t begun to explore and shouldn’t have commented on. Nursey has every right to negotiate Dex’s behavior in a way that keeps him both mentally and physically safe.

@onethousandroaches, re: this post

It isn’t worse. You’re right.

In trying to dissect different aspects of his personality, I was not only minimizing his experiences and struggles, but othering and essentializing him. It was racist. I was racist. I need to consider and accept every part of his identity. I need to take a hard look at what I haven’t liked about him in the past, accept that I’ve been narrow minded and prejudiced, and unlearn those tendencies. I need to set a better example of how white fans should support characters of colour (especially Black characters in a fandom created by a Black woman). I need to use the privilege I have (as a white person, as a popular blog) to support this character and the people who enjoy him. All of him.

#race in fandom discourse #stuff i wrote