Snowflake Challenge #5

[ratcreature]

Challenge #5: In your own space, talk about an idea you wish you had the time / talent / energy to do.

With my fanart ideas my problem is generally more self-motivation than that I think I couldn't do it justice. I mean, I'm not great at character likeness and if portrait or caricature was just easy for me, I might draw more often, but I probably would also get better with practice and I don't do that.

When I produce something, I generally don't let any quality concerns stop me from sharing it. I have posted elementary school drawings on my website, as well as comics I did in high school. So that the character likeness isn't great or my background dodgy, or whatever isn't going to stop me from posting. But generally I only actually draw something in the first place, when there is some outside audience energy pushing a bit. Way back in Sentinel fandom I didn't draw anything fannish for years, because the only style around seemed very realistic zine art work, so I didn't attempt that.

My one attempt at fanfic writing in fandom (also Sentinel) showed me however that I'm not suited to that all. It was mostly me elaborating details of my AU world building and failing to come up with any type of plot, and also failing at dialog. But I don't actually get ideas for fanfic plots either.

I fairly often have idle fanart ideas that I don't do anything about, so there is a long list of things that I would like to have drawn/painted, if the result just materialized (even done at my skill level), but the closest match to the premise of this question for me are probably ideas that would be best as a fanfic/fanart collaboration.

One example: I would love to have a Check Please/Sesame Street crossover, because I think Jack the hockey star being a guest star on Sesame Street talking about feeling anxious with an anxious muppet for example (maybe Big Bird? or Telly Monster?), or Bitty meeting Cookie Monster or such, would be cute as art, and I could draw it (having drawn Sesame/comic xovers before), but it would be so much better if it came with a sweet fic that actually provided specific scenes with Jack & Bitty and muppets, but I can't really think of anything, and Jack just standing next to a muppet isn't that great.

Comments

[dreamersdare]

When I produce something, I generally don't let any quality concerns stop me from sharing it.

This delights me :)

I wonder how many more artists and writers would feel inspired if they have a collaborating partner to work alongside, producing their effectively joint creative endeavour together (so, I don't mean like fandoms approach to bangs, where there is fic first that someone produces art for afterwards, or vice versa). Just that shared enthusiasm driving each other forward.

[ratcreature]

I think that energy makes a lot of difference. I drew a lot more when I was in very active fandoms where an exchange in comments in a discussion could spark an idea, and then you could post a doodle and at least a good handful would squee over the injoke even if it wasn't anything that would wow you as great art regardless of context.

You see the same with fanfic, when author notes refer to some Discord group encouraging them to post the fic that was inspired by their wacky chat. Or very active kink memes where you know you have an enthusiastic audience that will chime in because it's precisely what pushes their id button, even if it's not that polished.

[sodium_amytal]

I wonder how many more artists and writers would feel inspired if they have a collaborating partner to work alongside, producing their effectively joint creative endeavour together
A LOT. lol

Back in the "good ole days" of fandom, where that shared enthusiasm was easy to find, I made a lot more stuff. But maybe because I'm sequestered from where fandom *is* now, I'm not seeing the discussions and shitposts that could spark an idea. Or maybe I just got old and tired?

[sodium_amytal]

When I produce something, I generally don't let any quality concerns stop me from sharing it.

This is great. :D

[ratcreature]

It's not that I don't care about quality, but when I finish something it is what it is, and after all that effort (or even after the quick drawble, that's still ten minutes or more plus the effort to scan and upload it), I want at least the possibility of getting that positive engagement as reward.

And generally the worst you get is no feedback (the occasional assholery aside), since most fans are in favor of more stuff in their fandom, so it's just not particularly anxiety laden for me to post.

[sodium_amytal]

when I finish something it is what it is, and after all that effort [...] I want at least the possibility of getting that positive engagement as reward.
That's pretty much my standard too. "I made this, now you have to look at it." XD

I wish more folks saw it that way, though!

[ratcreature]

Yeah, I'm not using Discord and apparently that's where much of fandom happens right now? Back when it was still IRC servers I didn't warm to those either. I rarely got into the more "cliquish" semi-public/semi-private spaces in fandom, but with the internet as it is now it seems any fully public communities get so much harassment, that you need to find these niches.

[ratcreature]

Well, that's the thing though, nobody has to look. It's not like I shove my art into pried-open eyeballs Clockwork Orange style...

And my efforts don't prevent anyone more skilled to draw the same but better. Fandom rather likes to have three dozen or more of the same thing done by different creators, whether that is drawings of their favorites kissing, or the n-th soulmate AU.

[brokenhighways]

When I produce something, I generally don't let any quality concerns stop me from sharing it.

Always a good mindset to have!

[melannen]

I love the idea of Jack on Sesame Street! I also have no idea what he would do other than be cute with Muppets, though.

[dreamersdare]

I suspect you're right. I'm always too much of an isolationist, and I tend to hoard ideas to myself, so I'm not great at tapping in on that *laughs*. But I can see how it would/should be effective.

[dreamersdare]

I think that centralised shitpost element is less obvious, maybe just because fandom is more disparate these days? Or maybe the inspiration is just in places other than we're looking - I've certainly seen enough fics with an author's note that starts with "inspired by this twitter thread/tumblr shitpost" to suggest there's still an element of that around?

[silveradept]

Bitty would absolutely have to go along with Cookie Monster, and Jack would probably get put next to Big Bird or Elmo to explain some of the anxiety, and then possibly one of the adults to do a little hockey talk with his [something] Bitty.