My deviantART story

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I created my deviantart profile as a means to catalogue all of my favorite Zutara fanart -- which rose well into the hundreds, at indiscriminate levels of quality. It was the first time I made use of the username "Aniphine" and right after that, I went back and changed all my other online aliases to match. At first, I didn't even realize how big this site was. One night I got bored and started searching any of my favorite video games or shows, and then the fanart never stopped coming. It showed me that someone, somewhere on this site, was just as excited about something as me. Even to the point of being ridiculously goofy about it, and that was wonderful. Even if I was judgmental at first, I knew there was this division to the community that knew how to have fun.

I started out as someone who fell in love with literature through fanfic. Ff.net set me onto my love of it and those authors, posting here as well as there, lead me to this site. That unlimited community of writers, just goofing off, inspired my first-ever post on this site: a fallout fanfic I was unreasonably excited and motivated to write.


It exploded from here. I didn't take on the title of "writer" then, and I was even really scared about changing my tag here from "hobbyist writer" to "professional", because I'd change it... Think about it for a second... Then run back and change it again. I didn't have the confidence to accept it entirely; I didn't think it was something worthwhile, besides doing for fun. But I wrote like a madman.

I followed other's leads: art trading was a thing, so I figured "Hey, why not! I'll be part of the group!" Those art trades, without a doubt, spawned the greatest, most fulfilling friendships I have.










 It encouraged me to branch out of my comfort zone and try new types of writing. It showed me different perspectives. That is absolutely the only reason I landed my writing job on the mountain climber memoir: because dA encouraged me to know that, with enough devotion and effort, I could have that spark on the page that brings it all together -- no matter want it was. It encouraged me to take a leap and see where I went, because, hey, we're just here to have fun, right?

You wonderful people gave me confidence in my writing, vital advice that made me improve to the point I'm at today, and pulled me through the hard days where I never wanted to touch a keyboard again. You taught me all the different angles to life and art. You inspired stories that had never manifested before, you gave me confidence and a sense of importance that I've never left behind. 

Fuck it, it's dA's birthday, I'm getting mushy -- you guys made me who I am. You made writing a retreat and you gave true, solid value to it. Even when others wouldn't. You showed me that doing "art"  for a living was a good thing, an acceptable thing. You showed me that making it a part of my life and myself was a good thing; something to be proud of. It could be done and it was admirable. 
 I sold rights to my first story here, and it had a tangible check in my head : This stuff matters.

I read other's works and challenged myself to be better -- I can't even count how many hours I spent taking apart a sentence with both total admiration and seething hatred because, "Damn it, it's too good, I have to beat this; I can't live not having beat this."  I enjoyed other's arts and learned how many countless methods of expression there are; we're all just trying to put something on a page and the complexities are countless, no matter how you slice it. Comic drawers showed me the value of pacing and single shots, digital artists showed me that just because it's not AS grueling, doesn't mean it's not working. 

You gave me the freedom to experiment with different art forms (some more hideous than others). Sketch Dump by Aniphine

Even when I left to write independently of this site, you guys were still there to be happy for me! When I was giddy or pretentious or sad or just happy, you were there. 

I literally track the major milestones of my life by where I was on dA. Was it before I published that chapter? After that art trade? Right before that one comic came out that inspired my novel? How long have I known this great friend... Well, let me check my messages for when we first met.

I'm a professional writer, tackling the working class with all my heart, because of what came about from an October night in 2011... when I got the first line to the fanfic that's such a close part of me. "Alone." And it all went from there.

mush mush mush mush, sue me. 

Thank you, dA. My dA story is that dA made my story: in both fiction and real life. 

Gag at will, assholes. :D

Journal design by Simmemann
© 2014 - 2024 Aniphine
Comments5
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Pup-The-Derp's avatar
THIS HAS BEEN HERE SO LONG AND I NEVER SAW IT!
IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL OH MY GOD.
:,) Thank groodness for DA cuz it got me in touch with you buu.


HOORAY! :glomp: