Oh, frick, I remember that. XD That is a great example of things going south...
Until I come onto the forums and get involved with conversations like this - I don’t think of myself as successful. I think of myself as a creator who has had successes. And that can be true of a creator of any size. I don’t to around my day-to-day life being like “oh I’m successful”. I’m constantly working on self-improvement, tweaking marketing, working on my next projects, giving back to the community, etc etc. It’s all hustle, same as it was originally when I started and had 3 subs.
So yeah... when I’m working 30-50 hours on my platform in various ways as well as having a day job? I just don’t have time to do much more. If a space feels like I’m not welcome, I’ll leave and take whatever I could have brought to that space with me. I’ve found some great and supportive discord communities where we all build each other up (from those with 0 subs to those with 1000s) and it’s just a different experience.
Did it really get "misunderstood" though?
The first one started out saying we should all be reading Premium comics, and learning from them, if we wanted to be "successful". You revised the statement, through revision, to adjust the dialog so good on you but that's not really a misunderstanding.
If folks want to avoid dissenting discourse because it makes them feel "unwelcome" then that's a choice. But that's inherently the point of a public forum ... It is public and open to all opinions under the rules it is run by.
If a curated Discord is a better fit for you, good on you.
Not sure pointing out all the things you could of "brought" with you to the forums is a good look though. It implies a lot of things... even if that isn't your intention.
Er... it implies a lot of true things. Maybe things folks didn't wish were true.
I'll tell you what, being in a creative avenue is about 60% making the right connections and knowing how to utilize a platform.
People doing MFAs (Masters of fine arts) aren't doing it for the degree itself---they're doing it to network, find the connections they need when they get into the industry. (I'm speaking as someone who did a BA (Business Economics and Creative Writing) and is currently pursuing a MFA.)
Yeah, I'm going to be that person that points out that the "People like me 100% because of my talent, and my talent is enough to get me where I need to be" is... a myth.
Burning bridges does matter in this avenue, and maybe we all wish it didn't but yeah... it is what it is.
I literally run a storytelling craft thread on these forums as well as taking part in various discord. I resent you trying to paint this picture of me as some holier-than-thou person above everyone else.
And I do believe I bring something to the table. Doesn’t everyone bring something? That’s why the thread I run is based around sharing craft ideas and different approaches with each other... it’s literally based around discussion and different approaches...
(I know there’s like a serious discussion thing happening but...could you point me the direction of that storytelling thread I’d like to read it and I’m very bad at site navigation)
Really?
Gonna have to disagree with you again... You can't WIN a forum debate. They just don't work that way.
No, I think you're missing my point by a long shot. Disagreeing isn't the problem. I disagree with people I network with all the time. I'm pointing out people being unnecessarily combative and rude.
At the end of the day you decide what bridge you think you would like and which you don't. You can decide you don't want to have anything to do with someone based on principle---but, my point is people being unnecessarily rude are doing it at their own expense and no one else's. Being rude and angry "on the main" might feel wonderful at the moment but it does hinder a person in many ways they couldn't even imagine in the long term.
To expand on my point, people who went to art schools or who are trained writers aren't landing jobs because they are inherently better than people who are self-taught. No, they're landing jobs because someone vouched for them, someone pointed them in the right direction, someone helped jump-start their careers.
Creative careers in many ways intrinsically require social skills. Abrasive personalities don't do well in them... and when they do, they end up in PR trouble a lot.
( we're still talking about "visibility on Tapas", right? this topic won't suddenly get unlisted and vanish under mysterious circumstances like things usually do............. right? 
)
Whoops. I'm still very new to the site (I say that but my join date says 2017), so this discussion interests me because I'm on a site where discoverability is practically impossible naturally, lol.
Nah you good @saintc. Visibility comes in all shapes and forms. Using your marketing experience, how would you say to best get ahead on Tapas? You’ve covered networking already.
I'm really not. I condensed it for simplifications sake but I understand your more specific point.
But the broader point of mine remains, the conditions that an individual imposes on the positive aspects of a relationship are a toll. If the toll is too high, then there's little point in considering that avenue a bridge.
Beyond the implications of my character, which doesn't offend me at all , I would like to point out not everyone networks the same way. I primarily use my connections in service of creating better content than landing better opportunities through the connection.
I see the point, but we don't all operate exactly the same way.
lol well it is an interesting discussion alright, but when things start getting personal, stepping on each other's tails and derailing the topic at hand is usually a sign that a topic will simply get unlisted altogether. Which is quite unfair to the OP and everyone else sticking to the topic at hand.