Original Journal Link: [link]

First Up: I had absolutely no idea where to post this ... so I've put it in Culture > Editorial.

Okay ... this was originally posted in my journal (link is above), but I've decided that this information is beneficial to the whole dA community. So, now ... it's a News Post.

A Few Tips on Succeeding at DeviantART

Be creative, original and different! Don't be afraid to experiment. If you think of something you'd like to do, try and do it.

Try not to whinge and b*tch and moan and complain to a great extent if you lose your muse. Seriously. Your watchers are watching you for a reason. Just one post about how you've currently lost your inspiration - or are focusing on your schoolwork, family or what not, or even if you're just taking some time away from dA to live your life a little - is good enough. We all have our dry spells - it'll pass. In the meantime, just do some sketches and experimentation. You knever know - the smallest thing may cause the art spark to come back again.

Credit those who you gain inspiration from. Don't be afraid to tell someone that they inspired you to create something. Odds are, they'll like what they see, fave it, and possibly even feature it. Even if it was song lyrics, or a book you read, a console game you played... Whatever. Give credit where credit is due. This way, people can begin to understand how you came up with the idea.

Diligently credit and abide by the rules of stock-artists. These wonderful people work hard to provide the deviantART community with their stock creations. By following their guidelines and crediting them (and when/if possible, notifying them of the use of their stock), you get a greater audience. People watch their favourite Stockists, and visit their page often. If you've left a comment saying that you've used their stock, you'll probably get at least a handful of curious people who wonder what you've done with the stock.

If you think of something new to do, but don't know how to go about doing it... Research. Go to the library, ask your friends, experts - whoever might be able to help you. The greatest resource I can think of: the 'net. It's a wondrous thing, and there are many different resources out there that can help you achieve your goal. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask around. Someone, somewhere, is bound to know something.

Can't find the stock you want? There's forum-space here at dA to request what you want. I'm not entirely sure how it works (having always been able to find an appropriate stock image), but I'm guessing that you request a particular type of stock, and you get a reply from whoever decides to try and create what you need. If you don't want to request a stock-image, try one of the many stock sites. Just remember to credit where you got the image from.

Try and give constructive comments/criticism to deviations. Personally, it means a lot more to me, as an artist, to know what is good about an artwork, what works with what, what doesn't and if there are any mistakes. This way, you know that if you try something like that again, you can try something new - or at least try not to make the same mistakes. And it's a lot more uplifting to be told something really awesome about your artwork rather than the usual "Wow. That's so good. +fav". Trust me. Constructive is the way to go.

Fave-ing without commenting. Okay. *sigh* This is a toughie. Most artists here at dA would like some form of a comment from those that fave the deviation. Personally, I don't mind either way. I, myself, am someone who fave's without commenting. However. Seriously. If you have something constructive to say, say it. But, if you're sitting at the computer, looking at a deviation that has over one page of comments - it's probably best just to fave without commenting. Unless, like above, you have something constructive to say.

Don't be embarrassed to post something that's really crappy. Honest. This is what your Artist Comments are for. Let people know that it was a first sketch, a doodle as you waited for a job interview ... whatever. If you really don't like it, submit to the Scraps gallery. Please. Realise that your own gallery is like a progress report. By looking at your earlier deviations, and working backwards .... viewers of your gallery can see how you have progressed as an artist.

Don't be afraid to bring it to the attention of others if you're surfing the Internet and find something wrong. If you find a whole lot of images that have been ripped from dA, notify the artists immediately, list the site in the Ripping category of the dA forum, and contact the web administrator of the offending site, asking them to remove the ripped images. We have the ultimate power. Our artwork is not for the use of the general public - unless stated otherwise.

Everyone here at dA is considered family. No matter what your race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender or sexual preference - you're a human being. And an artist in your own right. Believe in yourself. Love your artwork, and appreciate the gift that you have been given.

I hope this helps you all.