I find that in a community of this size, the same problems that exist everywhere, seep into my little world. I find that there are elitists, there are the disabled, there are the wealthy, the poor, the homeless. But then there are the hard working members who do everything in their power to right the wrongs, even when it gets corny and we're fighting "villians."

I came upon a forum thread today that disturbed me. It wasn't just who the thread was written by, and it wasn't the fighting that ensued, but the fact that it has come to this. I am frustrated that there are members of this community who, instead of taking action against what they feel is wrong, decide to "call out" or "flame" those of us who try to do right, or, as a worst case scenario, leave the community entirely. Do not take this as a plea coming from me, asking you all to stay, and do not take this as me "brown nosing" the administrators of this site. I simply feel that it has gone too far.

I sit here, for hours on end, seeking out screen names for people lost in a maze of hatred on deviantART, I go through as many deviations as possible, stopping to leave a comment that will help an artist grow. I donate my time and money to this community because I have faith in it to grow and expand into something that the internet has never seen. Whereas right now, it is something that everyone runs into in everyday life. Whether you're in high school, or you're in college, you work, or you sit at home all day, you see hatred. Not such violent hatred that the world is crumbling down, but hatred on a scale that makes newcomers here feel unwelcome, hatred that makes possible newcomers turn away because they fear that they will be come just one of the masses. I remember writing up a forum post last year about what this community had become. Anger, elitism, threats, drama, stupidity, all rolled together into such a tight mass that kindness rarely crept out of the shadows.

I left.

I left because there was nothing that I could do to help, or so I thought at the time. Then there was jark. After spending two hours talking to him, I realized that here is someone who is reaching a hand out to me, asking me to come back, to fix what I don't like, to turn against what I disagree with, to fight on. Many of you haven't had a chance to see such a thing in him, or in any of the administrators for that matter. Many of you throw all the mishaps and mayhem into a basket and label it "The Reason I Am Leaving deviantART." This is a mistake. Instead of thinking that there is nothing that you can do to help you should, in fact, do the very opposite. There are so many things that you can do to help that it angers me that you'd rather leave than face them. I am not saying that no one here tries with everything that they have to help this community become what it can be, and overcome what it is, I am simply saying that instead of turning your head away from the issues plaguing this site, try harder, find other people like you who are helping, team up with them, help more people. The benefits are exponential. This community isn't about popularity, it isn't about "OMG I GOT A DD!!!)I_(%@)(@%@," it's about art. Somewhere along the line everyone failed to see that. In order to receive, one must give. If you aren't seeing any benefits from what you are doing to help, then maybe you need to do more. If you feel that you have done all that you can do, take a break, let someone else help for awhile, then start over again. Leaving is not the answer, it is simply running away from the problems that you'll see again the next time you walk out your front door.

I don't intend to make this personal, this is, afterall, not a forum post. I do, however, think that there is a large group of you, "leaving" for one reason or another, without fully accepting your responsibilities. Someone mentioned in the thread that I was reading, that some senior members are leaving. I can not grasp that fact, the fact that after you were given something that shows the administrators appreciation for what you've done, that you would just turn your back on a community such as this one. There is so much potential here, and it is outrageous to think that starting a thread to end the bitching, and the moaning, and the bickering, will solve anything. Instead of starting a thread, send a note. Instead of flaming someone who flamed that girl the other day for flaming that "newbie," go find more artwork to comment on. Instead of noting an administrator for help with a problem, read the FAQ that has been put together to give everyone a little more time to breathe. Running a community of this size isn't something easy, imagine getting over three hundred notes a day asking one question or another, imagine dreading logging onto your own community, simply because the trivial matters seem so important to everyone with a question, everyone that can't go find an answer for themselves.

I do not claim to be a deviantART superhero, I have made mistakes in my time, flamed the innocent, cursed out the ignorant, become the epicenter for months worth of unneccesary drama, I have lost control of my temper and targetted people with words that needn't ever be uttered. But, like many of the "changed" deviants, I have realized that maybe reaching out a hand to those in need is more beneficial that stomping someone's dreams. I have discovered that through giving myself to this community and asking for nothing in return, that the appreciation is greater. I have learned that by ignoring what I dislike about this community, there are hidden things to love. I have shown that hours given get you something in return. You earn the respect of the people who founded this community on the idea that they could peacefully bring artists together who would amaze one another, who would come to love one another, and who would respect one another. Sadly, the respect is lacking lately. I'm not putting the responsibility onto every single deviant here to do their part to stop the nonsense, because without nonsesnse you are denying reality. DeviantART is a scaled down version of the world, every person has his or her own unique ideals, and we all struggle to show what we're made of, but maybe the time has come to stop talking, sit back, observe, watch, learn.. the time has come to grow together as a community, instead of a few select individuals who feel that it is necessary to blame the administrators for every wrong seen here, there should be a few select administrators who can feel nothing but pride, for the community has evolved.

I don't come here with a specific goal everyday that will make me something that everyone likes. I set a goal for myself to view at least two hundred deviations in one day, learn about the artists, find where they are struggling. I go into the forums and find those few "newbies" that have been wronged and I note them, or I message them on ICQ, I find some way to get in touch with them to let them know that this community isn't out to get them. I am not trying to force you all into this habit, I am merely pointing out that a little help goes a long way. Instead of blaming jark, or matteo, or tack, or mikeylove, or arc, try looking at what you've done for this community lately. If you realize that you haven't done your part, don't feel like you've screwed up so bad that it can't be fixed, find someone you'd like to see flourish.

If there was one thing that I could ask you all to do, it would be this. Take a random deviant tour, yes, I know, it gets boring when you're on your five hundreth non-existant deviant, but after enough hours of clicking you'll be surprised at what you find. Choose someone new to talk to every day, you never know who you're going to meet. And please, above all things, don't feel intimidated by the forum! I know that there are insane amounts of fighting going on there, that sometimes you just want to scream, but for every "you idoit." that you see, that makes you want to just run away because someone was mean to you or because someone made you feel bad, understand that the forum isn't what makes this community, the artwork and the artists do. If you run into someone you don't like, instead of complaining, or noting an administrator, or fighting back, move on and find a new deviant that you do. I get random instant messages every day and I don't ignore a single one because we're all here for the same reasons, the artwork, and the love of art. If you aren't here for those reasons then you should be.