Reacting to your assumptions (about our stories/characters)

LunarScyphozoa 2024-12-11 04:10:02 UTC #21

Wow, you were spot on for the first one! Hopefully the part about her knowing she’s the protagonist never happens though, she’d go mad with power.

This is all totally spot on, just in comparison to the first one. I suppose the sun makes even those way too bright lights in all the cars these days look dim, lol

acearnold7 2024-12-11 07:11:38 UTC #22

It's kinda like that

acearnold7 2024-12-11 07:12:50 UTC #23

Let's do this again

Leyelle 2024-12-11 13:04:32 UTC #24

A bitter and villainous person who thinks no one takes him seriously and is angered by it

beebutterbee 2024-12-11 17:01:05 UTC #25

Oh definitely, I think he has some existential dread underneath that little >:} face but he tries to be an optimist despite the situation.

That’s really sweet actually, and I feel that relates to a lot of people. But also very sad too, in a real way though But forreal that quote is true, what we say to ourselves really affects are perception of how we think we look. I go back and forth thinking I’m adorable and hideous lol I’m hoping to channel some nice thoughts about myself though.

Beauty standards are horrible, cruel things that only fit a narrow view. But you already know that I’m sorry it’s affected your creative projects, but I’m glad you’re still representing us. I show a lot of people who don’t fit the beauty standards too, I think they are beautiful people of course tho .

Leyelle 2024-12-11 17:10:12 UTC #26

That's the goal. I hope to encourage people and help promote a mindset of love. I want to live in a world where people of every body shape, height, weight, complexion etc. can feel beautiful and loved.

Fortunately I rarely think I'm hideous now, but I did for a long time, especially because my eczema turned my whole body gray and scaly when I was between 6 and 11. It was awful, and that's why I'm so passionate about encouraging beauty and positivity now. I also had a horrible self esteem crisis when I cut my hair short but I'm over that now fortunately. It's actually where the line "beautiful creature" originated from, and I just keep using it now.

Yes! people who don't fit the beauty standard can still be beautiful! None of my FLs fit the beauty standard but they are still beautiful in their own unique ways.

There are so many different types of beautiful. And I've noticed you representing that in your art as well, but honestly so often I feel like I'm shouting into a void, especially when people light-wash or skinny wash my characters, or when I work with people who don't want to make characters with dark skin (which is different from not knowing how to render it, I can relate to that so I hold nothing against people who don't know how to draw ethnic features or dark complexions.)

And I've also struggled with creation partners who didn't want to make characters of a specific ethnicity. It gets disheartening. I'm like "tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is important." TT

acearnold7 2024-12-11 17:28:18 UTC #27

Bingo!!!! Incorrect.............

Leyelle 2024-12-11 17:29:02 UTC #28

so, what are they really like?

acearnold7 2024-12-11 17:30:09 UTC #29

A friend. A really good one.

beebutterbee 2024-12-11 19:42:03 UTC #30

Girl me too. Dreamers are the ones the change the world anyways

I’m sorry you felt hideous though, I struggled with it sometimes too but I bet our experiences our different, but also share some things that are universal. Still I’m glad you’re using writing and art as a tool to uplift yourself, I’m doing that too and it’s honestly so healing. My dad and bro both have eczema too. I think it’s a common skin condition despite having no rep in media hardly ever. Maybe I should write a character with it…since my best friend has it, my little bro.

Seeing myself as beautiful helps me see the world in a better light too, despite the Horrors™️.

Oof yeah that sounds frustrating. I’ve never worked with anyone on stories together besides my brother so I haven’t experienced that issue. Now that you’re getting into digital art though I hope you can give your characters some justice, but it sounds upsetting when no else will, that’s real. I hope you have better luck in the future though, maybe find artists that work through activist stories so you can find people that will represent your characters and ideas well?

In Butter Bee of all things I actually reference to white washing/ thin washing in media, in the video game in their world the character based on Lady Lock is made “prettier” which just means thinner, and a smaller nose. So big yikes! The real Lady Lock slays though, imo

pjthetoonaddict 2024-12-11 21:26:16 UTC #31

A rugged antihero who's dealt with the most insane shit known to man. Kinda jaded, and stubbirn as hell, but always makes it out by the skin of his teeth.

Here's my OCs. Father and son, respectively

Leyelle 2024-12-11 22:25:29 UTC #32

@beebutterbee yikes, but wait. there's a video game related to the knights? are they celebs and it's a "Mike Tyson punch out" situation? Also how did the characters react to the video game doing that?

So far i haven't addressed light washing and skinny washing in any of my main series, but colorism is a major plot element in "A Dozen Morning Glories" both for the African American female lead and the Vietnamese male lead. They both have dark skin, for their respective ethnicities and aren't treated well for it.

Fortunately, the male lead has two siblings who also struggle with the same prejudice and they encourage each other. The female lead doesn't have that benefit.

That sounds like a cool idea. I have at least one character with eczema rn, but her story isn't released yet, though I've included characters with other skin irregularities in my stories. Mora (FL of my novel "Crystal Blue") has vitiligo, as do her mother and grandmother.

My eczema isn't so bad now as my family learned that eating fermented foods like kimchi and curtido (for some reason not kefir and probiotic pills, maybe my body has a hard time absorbing them) makes the eczema go away. I'm not sure if it would work for your brother and dad, but it's probably worth a shot. itchy and painful skin is definitely no fun for anyone.

gigadrillsnake 2024-12-12 06:21:30 UTC #33

Love the art style. Reminds me of old cartoons and clone high. I imagine the Dad as an experienced adventurer scientist and his son is a goofy little guy who is usually really nice but can be a little goblin when he's pushed to it.

Here's a panel from my comic Night Jay

Leyelle 2024-12-12 12:56:31 UTC #34

I know too much about these two for a fair guess

Leyelle 2024-12-12 14:30:28 UTC #35

Assume away:

Oriflamme 2024-12-12 15:07:19 UTC #36

He looks like a gruff veteran-type mercenary, not the most morally righteous type but still has principles with several lines he will not cross.

I’ll also post the cover of my story with 3 of the 5 members of the love pentagon.

You can read it here but I don’t know how much help it will be since I’m still early on in my story.

beebutterbee 2024-12-12 16:48:39 UTC #37

@Leyelle

lol you know what, kind of honestly? But also they’re still just based the Knites™️ video game on the real Knights as propaganda, so it’s in favor of them but not really Lady Lock, she’s one the villains of game The whole thing is just sort of cursed and yikes, and she doesn’t appreciate her likeness being placed into the game, but she didn’t have a say when the game was made. In general anything about the knights in my world is inherently Yikes.

Oh woah yeah it’s a hard topic to tackle but I think it’s important to show. I’m glad the male lead has some support, I’m hoping in the story the female lead gets some support too despite not having it built into her family

Oh I didn’t realize food intake could have an effect! Most of the doctors just give ineffective topical ointments, so yeah it’s worth a shot. He also has a bit of vitiligo actually too, but he’s very self conscious about it. Still it’s been nice to see characters with it more recently, in general I’ve seen a lot more character designs with it.

Leyelle 2024-12-12 16:53:45 UTC #38

@beebutterbee

looks like a lawsuit is in order. Oh, but if this is a political propaganda thing that probably won't work. this is a monarchy right?

Yeah, I used to use topical stuff as a kid and it never worked. food intake definitely has an effect. highly processed foods always made mine worse, as did foods I struggled to digest like flour (my health has improved so I can digest them now, but when your health is sensitive, sprouted grains and nuts are definitely helpful.) And sugar! sugar can be really hard on your system when you have eczema until your bodies natural probiotic balance grows stronger.

I understand feeling self-conscious but hey, people with vitiligo can still be gorgeous! I say it's nothing to be embarrassed/self conscious about. My mermaids cover there's up for safety reasons because it glows whenever their skin is damp and would immediately gives away their identities, but I think their designs are so pretty when their vitiligo is uncovered.

No spoilers XDDD. But the story is about the FLs journey to appreciating herself as, honestly in a lot of ways, she just endures however anybody treats her because she's been told her feelings don't matter until she believes it. she doesn't show emotions the way most other people do, so they assume she's numb and the way they treat her doesn't matter. they kind of use it as a "get out of jail free card"

pjthetoonaddict 2024-12-13 03:52:49 UTC #39

OKAY, you're super close on the Dad! He's a detective with a knack for computers (and also video games). You're spot on on the kid though. The kid is an amateur magician who can indeed be a goblin at times, but he means well.

abigaillmartin 2024-12-13 03:58:18 UTC #40

A goblin just like his hero! And it’s a compliment.