Discord has become a popular place for building art communities. It’s excellent chat features and easy image sharing makes it a great tool to form communities, get feedback, and make friends.
But there is a dark side to these pocket art communities.
I hear too often from artists that they feel like crap after interacting in art discords. I want you to ask yourself this question before you continue to put yourself in those spaces.
If your friend was experiencing what you’re experiencing, would you be ok with that?
I know you want to be treated better, because you DO deserve better. But the reality is you can’t control the behavior of others. You can’t force others to treat you with respect. But you can control where you spend your time.
When I was a kid I was bullied a lot. A lot of people treated me like crap, and as a result I had very low self esteem. That’s why cultivating a healthy, supportive and motivating art community is so important to me.
Some other questions to ask yourself before going into any art discords:
💖Is there a lot of drama?
💖Do they have community guidelines and rules and do they actually enforce them?
💖Do people treat each other with respect?
💖How do the mods handle situations? Do the mods take action when you report a problem? Do they abuse their power? Do they act with compassion?
💖 MOST IMPORTANTLY: After spending time in that space, do you walk away feeling better or worse about yourself?
So before you go back to a toxic discord server, remember that you deserve better. Keep looking to find a community that is deserving of you.
If you’re not already a part of the Paperdemon community, please join us to get support, inspiration, and motivation.
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