Before i start replying the messages i want to add new stuff to the journal so you can all understand what i wanted to say because it seems that i forgot a lot of stuff and i just realized! i apologize! -----------------------------
I dont really see the point of making any journal/ news/ guide about how popularity isnt important!
doesnt that mean that popularity IS important? XD
Dont those ppl make those journals to became popular at least for a day?
i dont really understand.... there's so many sarcastic and predictable guides to became yourself famous here on DA!
But the only truth is that popularity IS important most of the times, why? because it raises your moral, period.
It makes you feel like you can do anything you want, and it actually helps you to be better! and pageviews might be just a number but they DO matter somehow...i used to say THEY DONT MATTER but they do in some way, because they mean ppl sees something in your art and
not having pageviews means your art is quite crappy and you might need to work more on it, sounds rude but its true, and you all know it.* I have to apologize here: I know it sounded like i meant to say that ppl with tons of pageviews is better, and it is my mistake! im very sorry! but... that is not what i believe, i just wrote this in a rush and the argument by itself its stupid and not valid, i just want you to know that i really didnt meant it to sound that way.
Here i'll try to explain better (again excuse my english XD):
I Think i just explained how i see pageviews, they dont reflect who Im, they're just a tool to get a good job someday, to gain exposure, etc etc.
Having in mind that, if you see: "
not having pageviews means your art is quite crappy and you might need to work more on it, sounds rude but its true, and you all know it."(at least for me) it is a valid argument.
There's tons of awesome artists here with not enough exposure, with better skills than others who have BILLIONS of pageviews, BUT if you stop and see it from another angle (let's say: bussines) then WHY THOSE FAMOUS CRAPPY ARTISTS HAVE BILLIONS OF PAGEVIEWS? because their art sells! dont ask me why, but it does! they could draw a stick figure and it'll sell by lots!
someone here told me:
Who ever says popularity isn't important--has a very failing business sense
i dont know if you see my point...popularity to me is a bussines, if i want to make a living on this i have to ENJOY IT and make it SELL.
But i DO apologize! there's a lot of ppl who work their ass off to make their art better and they dont have many pageviews, i DONT really mean to say YOU SUCK (in that case i'd be saying i suck too because having 245,000 pvs dont make me a DAVINCI at all when im surrounded by 000,000'S)...i know it was my fault for just rushing this journal without thinking on a well constructed argument to back me up...but i really hope you can now understand what i really wanted to say!
now...back again on the journal: -------------------------------------------
Im not saying popularity and pageviewas are the best in this world, in fact it is a pretty sad way of knowing u're on the right way, but its certainly the easiest and fastest way to know it (from a commercial way, again)
To swallow the: POPULARITY AND PAGEVIEWS ARE NOT IMPORTANT entirely is just to shut your eyes to progress. One must NOT live just to achieve popularity or pageviews, but you can use them as weapon to see what you're doin right or wrong, because after all,
i think most of us want to make a living of this, and ppl who watch or fav your art are potential clients (lets say you work for a CA game industry, well, all the ppl who watches you and faves your work might buy their next videogamegame just because of the cover you did fr it...and so on)
I decided a long ago not to take so serious the numbers (by this i mean i dont let the lack of pageviews affect my mood), but they do mean something to me! Pageviews are the real guide/and path to fame or popularity, they help me notice mistakes and achievements and they will certainly help me get a good job XD lets be honest.
dont be blind to truth, to be honest and say you do care about the whole issue doesnt mean u're a pageview/popularity whore. Just work and do what you gotta do. period?
excuse my retarded english
i speak spanish
`ChewedKandi has certainly gone out of her way to keep the vector community on the right path. Always making sure that her talents are infinitely scalable, Sharon has put her bezier curves to excellent use, and firmly anchored herself as an inspirational leader. We're absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for June 2013 to `ChewedKandi. Congratulations, Sharon! Read More
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As you and others have pointed out, for a professional artist (especially one who is just starting) popularity is a very practical way to put food on the table!
For those of us who do not have professional ambitions, popularity has no material importance at all - but most of us LIKE it! There are a small handful of people to whom popularity is genuinely unimportant...and a much larger handful who SAY it is unimportant because they aren't as popular as they hoped they would be by now.
OTOH, I would toss out a caution to those who aspire to become "superstars" with millions of pageviews and hundreds of favs per day: how well are you going to cope with that? As a superstar, you become a magnet for at least two unpleasant kinds of people: (1) stalkers, and (2) jealous wannabe's who will accuse you of cheating - as often as not because their own attempts to cheat failed.
"larger handful who SAY it is unimportant because they aren't as popular as they hoped they would be by now"
truth
Either way being popular and knowing people always matter. You can try to sound noble and wise and say otherwise but either you lie or you won't get to the top.
and thanks for understanding my journal
But still. Commercially speaking or not - if you're good in any aspect you WILL get watchers and favs in due time, I think. But as you said it doesn't work the other way round, having thousands of watchers or favs doesn't mean you're good.
That you're selling yourself, they say? Well of course, that's what artists do (:
I love ya Lavah because you push yourself to do something different, and you've develped a very distinct style. I'm a little taken back about your journal because often times, those who have little exposure are doing what you're doing right now; except the means in which you've earned your popularity was that of a common art cliche we see here on DA: drawing good CG anime influenced art. We can agree to disagree