Journal comic: Of course they probably do

[alias_sqbr]

Of course they probably do on deviantART and Tumblr (both have a transcript)

I do seem to find myself in places filled with teenagers and people in their early twenties a lot lately (specifically deviantArt, Tumblr, and Homestuck fandom). I enjoy being there well enough and really like some of the people I've met but it does make me feel terribly old. Are there any vibrant and active fanart communities that don't skew really young, even for fandom? I have a feeling I could find some if I spoke Japanese.

On the plus side (from my POV) I think older people tend to look down more on young people who come into older fannish spaces than happens with the reverse (of course there's plenty of disdain outside younger fannish spaces for anyone inside, especially older people, plus disdain amongst younger fans for anyone inside older fannish spaces, but that's typical geek hierarchy posturing) I've always tried not to judge people by their ages and have met and befriended a lot of very cool people as a result.

Comments

[velithya]

Many of the people I've met in SPN fandom are older than me. And a large chunk of those also have children! Of course there are also lots of fans who are younger/around my age, but I think it's a pretty good balance in my experience.

[sqbr]

Oh yes, I have lots of active fandoms whose members tend to be around my age or older (Dragon Age fans tend to be moderately old, for example, especially since in theory all the Americans are over 18) But I've yet to find anywhere other than deviantArt, the Homestuck fanart threads, and Tumblr where there's large groups of fanartists hanging out and being actively fanarty. Dragon Age had an Oekaki but it died pretty quickly.

[velithya]

mmm, I guess most of the fanartists I know are all a few years younger than me.

[sqbr]

I know a reasonable number of older fanartists, but they don't seem to do much inter-fanartist socialising (unless they do and I'm not invited :D) And on the whole fanartists do seem to skew younger than fanfic writers. I wonder where they all go? Is it a thing people tend to outgrow, and either stop drawing or become Real Artists? Hmm.

[sanguinity]

Bwahahahahawhimper.

*does not even have a PhD to point at*

[alias_sqbr]

I'm sure you can come up with some other equally irrelevant thing to feel superior about :D

[sanguinity]

Yeah, my irrelevant yet nominally-superior thing is that I'm REEEEEEALLLY good at the tests to get into grad school. Oo, the gravitas!

[alias_sqbr]

And see, Australia doesn't even have those types of tests! (We just get judged on undergraduate performance)

[kerravonsen]

Indeed, comparing one's age and talent with other people is often an exersize in masochism.

[alias_sqbr]

One of my best friends from highschool is now a paediatrician who is amazing at art, plays the harp professionally as well as several other instruments, keeps a beautiful house and garden, runs her own radio show, makes her own preserves and confectionary, speaks several languages...we have a rule about not comparing ourselves to her :D

[furikku]

I tend to think that people in undergrad or high school simply have more free time and ability to do arts. After that, you have to be Devoted to keep drawing a lot of pictures.

[alias_sqbr]

But does it take more time than fanfic? There's plenty of people with fulltime job etc who do that in their spare time.

[furikku]

That, I don't know, having done very little fanfic. vOv I'm not really sure why art seems to skew young in that respect.