ImaDeeJ
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January 2022 Update - A Potential Change (PLEASE READ!)
🕑 Added 2021-12-15 12:01:02 +0000 UTCHello again everyone, thanks for your input on the poll I posted yesterday.
I wanted to say my piece about something that's been on my mind for a while, please give this a read and let me know what you think in the comments below.
(I'm sorry about the huge wall of text, but it's the only way to format this.)
I've not been feeling the monthly polls for a good while, and I'm thinking about scrapping them entirely going into 2022. (This doesn't mean the end of Monthly Reward Images at all.)
The polls feel too often like sending out ideas to die while two other ideas are clear winners, it's not fair on people who wish to see those ideas, and not fair on the ideas themselves when they could appeal to those who didn't vote for them if they saw the finished piece.
Forcing four unique ideas each month too is creatively draining, especially when I try to not repeat ideas each month and have to shelve two ideas each month that fail.
December this year was so much fun because it was just me being left to my own devices and drawing ideas that I really wanted to draw, and I feel the reward images turned out great because of this, as well as my enjoyment of doing them being so much more.
I would very much like to continue doing Reward Images in this manner going forward into 2022.
To reiterate, this doesn't mean the end of Monthly Reward Images at all.
The difference would be that instead of voting for ideas that I'd draw each month, I'd pre decide the ideas myself, announce what the ideas will be before the month ends and debut the finished pieces at the start of the following month.
I could still do occasional polls to choose characters if I'm stuck between some, or ask about the potential of themed months, but in general I'd do away with idea polls and stick to just drawing what I want to draw, and what I think you'd all like to see from me.
I think my mind is made up on this, but I implore you to tell me what you think below.
Thank you all for all your support up to this point, and I wish you all the happiest of holidays!
Comments
DarkBanjo
First time Patron, long time dA watcher. I’m always gonna support however you decide to post your art or how you wanna handle the creative process. After all, it ain’t fair to you if you really wanna work on something but we tell ya what else to make. You’re the artist!
lowres
Sure friend, go crazy
Vivian
I understand the decision, and I get where it’s coming from as another patron spoke of. It’s super easy for one choice to just completely take over the poll and a bunch of really good ideas that I for one would love to see just get thrown to the wayside. I am a bit unsure of how this will play out. The way it’s phrased makes it feel like I’m not going to have a lot of autonomy/I won’t really know what I’m getting myself into until the images are released, but I understand that’s it’s from a place of burnout and frustration, so I won’t really try to be negative about it. If it helps you get back to it mentally, I won’t mind.
Do whatever makes you happy dude, this is your patreon page after all. We’re here for your work and to support you. Doing what helps you work and feel better is a no brainer 👍
G0R0_!ch!B@n25
Maybe all of 2022 could be "Images that lost in the polls" year?
SaltyTrog
I agree on the same grounds. Polls are nice, but at the same time you've nailed my big gripe with them. When you have a large enough participation, they become predictable. "X super popular character or Y more niche character" will always be a struggle to maintain, especially if you're shelving ideas that lose. It's part of the reason why I tend to not be huge on polls when the audience is large enough, they feel concluded from the start. I don't like comparing artists, but an example of this is Jam Orbital who eventually had to add a rule to monthly votes banning characters that won too many times, as even with polls with like 20 characters in them, some were winning 3 or 4 times regularly, and it made it feel unrewarding to be at the level to add suggestions to the poll, because if it wasn't a highly popular character your odds were basically 0. I understand and support your decision because it allows you to take more control of your own art and enjoyment, and that's the most important thing about it all. If you don't enjoy the art you're making, it just becomes a chore, and then why bother? I think it's much more interesting when the artist has the freedom to do what they want. Perhaps a compromise to ponder would be allowing votes on characters or situations, but not both, so that the audience could choose who it what they want to see, but then you can choose who or what the piece is. Compromise is best when nobody is happy.
KennyTheCaveman
Much respect I understand your decision, and I'll support this endeavor and keep coming back for more
SaunterWing!
Works for me, specifically for the reasons you mentioned. I hope others feel the same.
