i gotta get out of this prison cell, someday i gotta be free

[ivy_chan]

I'm very picky about who I show my writing to. It's an interesting sort of pickiness, really: I've got no problem showing my writing to complete strangers and people on the internet, because there are no emotional repercussions to doing so. I'm fine showing my comedy works to about anyone, because I don't reveal any depth of personality or emotion

Comments

[t3h_toby_chan]

Mm. You may have heard a few rants from me about how certain family members of mine judge fiction and subsequently, the authors who create it, and how it has me honestly terrified to even work on a piece of fiction just because I know that there are people close to me who will insist on seeing it, (especially if it's published) and I just can't deal with that prospect. My mom is the one who was genuinely surprised to discover, upon seeing him on a talk show, that Hugh Laurie was actually a pleasant, talkative and good-natured fellow who loves his family and doesn't express his hate for the world with cynical oneliners. If she can't differentiate between an actor and a character, how could she differentiate between a writer and a character? While I'm fairly confident in my ability to explain reasoning behind putting dark things into stories so that she could swallow it, I feel like I shouldn't have to do that just to make my own mother believe I'm a good person and separate from the stories I write or read. Hell, I feel ridiculous

[ivy_chan]

Yes, exactly. I can explain dark elements and themes to anyone else. But the ingrained need for approval in a family situation just trips you up every time- it matters to me what they think, when with any other person, it wouldn't.

[brownie_utonium]

As a Sequeltial Art (aka comics/storyboards) major, I deal with prejudiced statements and mentalities like your mom's on a daily basis. I got it from my art teachers in highschool, from my dad... Just a few years ago, he looked at a pile of comics I had bought, and said, "...Don't you think you're a little OLD to be reading that stuff?" Keep in mind, he knew that I was studying comics in school. I just... don't get it

[t3h_toby_chan]

Yay, filling up Ivy's page with off-topic ranting! \o

[sparrowskit]

I hear ya, Ivy-chan. My family is a big, black hole where emotional support comes into play. Sure, my parents always told me they'd support me no matter what, yada yada, yada. They also told me art is only a hobby, not a career. When I dropped chemistry to make comics and study animation, I got the greatest I-Just-Don't-Know-What-To-Do-With-Her-Anymore vibe of all time. On the other hand, I'm also having more fun than I've ever had, even though it really doesn't pay many bills. Still, a little genuine support would be nice once in a while. The dumbfounded stares kinda get old after a decade or two.