Hey Guys

Trying out a few ideas to bring in new faces to my Patreon
and Just finished "Plan A" in a way of saying ◠‿◠)

Plan A

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Idea: "The Doodle Zone" (Speedpaints ╹‿╹)

"A new addition to the content my YT channel offers, These vids
will show the creation of the doodles on my page from blank to Dood!.
Patreon Pledgers will gain special access to the Creation of NSFW art!"

I thought it would be a neat little thank you gift
for those kind guys supporting what I do, Ya know? ╹‿╹)

Plus

If I split it so that any peep can see the creation of SFW doodles while
Pledgers get to see the NSFW Doodles creation; I could give a whole
new spine to my current youtube shenanigans too!
Possibly bringing in new faces who just like to
see something drawn ◠‿◠)

It's still in it's developing staged, Working out a solid intro
that smoothing introduces things without being too overbearing etc.
But for the time being, I definitely think this is something to put
my free time energy into.
╹‿╹)~★

Though what do you guys think about it?

Would these types of videos be enough to draw peeps in or would it need
more flair than that to really get people's attention? ╹ ╹)

Please don't take this personally or anything, but as much as I'd love to help you out, the "╹‿╹)"s at the end of every single paragraph really drive me away and make me not want to read what you're saying

Normally I would just keep that to myself, but I figured that since you wanted some feedback here it might be useful

Again, not meant to be taken as an offense, just a bit of feedback to you as a content creator. Best of luck.

mabit said:
Please don't take this personally or anything, but as much as I'd love to help you out, the "╹‿╹)"s at the end of every single paragraph really drive me away and make me not want to read what you're saying

Normally I would just keep that to myself, but I figured that since you wanted some feedback here it might be useful

Again, not meant to be taken as an offense, just a bit of feedback to you as a content creator. Best of luck.

Yes, the smiley faces are annoying to me too.

I would almost try to ask from people who follow your work directly (journal, patreon post, e621 post description, etc.) rather than on e621 forum.

mabit said:
Please don't take this personally or anything, but as much as I'd love to help you out, the "╹‿╹)"s at the end of every single paragraph really drive me away and make me not want to read what you're saying

Normally I would just keep that to myself, but I figured
that since you wanted some feedback here it might be useful

Again, not meant to be taken as an offense, just a bit of
feedback to you as a content creator. Best of luck.

Oh, it's completely alright m8, thanks for the feedback!
Though it's not on topic it's something I knew someday
I was going to have to address haha. =‿=)

[I shall lay off the use of the emotes, this reply for the sake of information.]

I understand where you coming from Mabit, My use of the
symbols as the potential to drive people nuts due to the
sheer number of them! And how often they pop up in
the things I say just about anywhere.

Though I can't say I'll be dropping entirely either. To me their neat
sentence enhancers that infuse a certain energy into the things I type;
Making them mine in a manner of saying. I have received some helpful and
direct suggestions on how to apply "╹‿╹)"s in moderation but,
none really felt 'right' to me.

So, for the time being, I'm seeing the "╹‿╹)"s as another project.
I really love the use of these but there will be critics.
Not that their's anything wrong with that, That kinda
engagement promotes growth! But since I want to keep the
"╹‿╹)"s "how do I go about refining it?" is the project.
And people being driven away by the multiple use or their
Juvenile implications are just an unfortunate side-effect
of their continued use.

Tl;Dr
I understand but I love "╹‿╹)"s way to much to drop them.
I want to find a plan C in a way of saying!

Mairo said:
I would almost try to ask from people who follow your work directly (journal, patreon post, e621 post description, etc.) rather than on e621 forum.

That is a Fantastic idea! ◠‿◠)
(Forgot to mention this experiment Via journal)

Though I am glad to have posted it here m8.
The e621 forum is pretty lively and seemed like a great
place to get one's opinion on something of this nature
since it's also has some people in the same field sprinkled in too!
Also, There's a lot to learn from an unbiased opinion. ◠‿╹)

If it was just the emotes, I feel like people wouldn't have such a big issue, but you also do a few other rather weird things with your typing. Like, what's up with the random line-breaks? It's not just that you put every sentence on its own line, but often you break individual sentences apart, sometimes multiple times, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.

Then in addition to that you use things like "m8" and "dood" and whatnot.

There's a certain amount of eccentricity that people are willing to put up with, and you pass that limit. If it were just the faces, probably no one would mention it, or at least, a lot less. But the three things combined is just over the top.

You smile all you want man. :)

I totally get the feeling of "I am smiling, so I am smiling. :D

the best bit of advice I can offer for you is... don't use them as punctuation. use them when you're putting special emphasis on the emotion in a sentence.

example: Hey, don't feel bad. we all make mistakes sometimes and no one's upset at you :)

or to 'soften' other emotions:

example: Hey, it's not really a big deal, but could you please try not to do XXX? It might not seem like a big deal, but it can really bother some people. :)

.... When I'm being serious, I try to reduce the number of them used--or eliminate them entirely.

but shit man.

don't let other people tell you not to be yourself. I don't understand why anyone would let something as *silly* as an emoticon dissuade them from wanting to read someone's text. That is.... sorry guys... stupid to me, on par with "I dunno, they're wearing nikes. I don't want to listen to them" or "They have red hair.... I dunno."

I don't tell someone to go away because their shirt is obnoxious c_c;

I mean, I find the long, run-on sentences, with little grammar to be WAY more annoying than a few errant emoticons.c_c

So man, you do you. you BE you. Don't let anyone tell you that you should try to be someone else. you're not hurting anyone, and from what I've seen, you are a warm, gentle and kind person who has a lot of love to go around. Don't let them crush 'you' out of you.

Clawdragons said:
If it was just the emotes, I feel like people wouldn't have such a big issue, but you also do a few other rather weird things with your typing. Like, what's up with the random line-breaks? It's not just that you put every sentence on its own line, but often you break individual sentences apart, sometimes multiple times, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.

Then in addition to that you use things like "m8" and "dood" and whatnot.

There's a certain amount of eccentricity that people are willing to put up with, and you pass that limit. If it were just the faces, probably no one would mention it, or at least, a lot less. But the three things combined is just over the top.

Oops, Sorry, my replies are usually more cleaned up than that haha and
The Line Breaks are for me are part of the "terms of Services" when it comes
to having dyslexia. =‿=)

In a nutshell: They help me spot error in what I say faster and helps me read
what I say better. Rather than having it in one massive wiggly and shifting paragraph, Dood. =‿=)

SnowWolf said:
You smile all you want man. :)

I totally get the feeling of "I am smiling, so I am smiling. :D

the best bit of advice I can offer for you is... don't use them as punctuation. use them when you're putting special emphasis on the emotion in a sentence.

example: Hey, don't feel bad. we all make mistakes sometimes and no one's upset at you :)

or to 'soften' other emotions:

example: Hey, it's not really a big deal, but could you please try not to do XXX? It might not seem like a big deal, but it can really bother some people. :)

.... When I'm being serious, I try to reduce the number of them used--or eliminate them entirely.

but shit man.

don't let other people tell you not to be yourself. I don't understand why anyone would let something as *silly* as an emoticon dissuade them from wanting to read someone's text. That is.... sorry guys... stupid to me, on par with "I dunno, they're wearing nikes. I don't want to listen to them" or "They have red hair.... I dunno."

I don't tell someone to go away because their shirt is obnoxious c_c;

I mean, I find the long, run-on sentences, with little grammar to be WAY more annoying than a few errant emoticons.c_c

So man, you do you. you BE you. Don't let anyone tell you that you should try to be someone else. you're not hurting anyone, and from what I've seen, you are a warm, gentle and kind person who has a lot of love to go around. Don't let them crush 'you' out of you.

Thank you so much for the solid advice and the words of encouragement;
It really does mean a lot to me in ways I can't even begin to explain! ◠‿◠)

And everyone's got an opinion, It's only natural that some would clash.
And Just as they're free to tell me what on their mind, I'm not obligated
to change who I am for them.

It's impossible to make everyone happy so you might as well make yourself
happy. ╹‿╹)~★

SnowWolf said:
don't let other people tell you not to be yourself. I don't understand why anyone would let something as *silly* as an emoticon dissuade them from wanting to read someone's text. That is.... sorry guys... stupid to me, on par with "I dunno, they're wearing nikes. I don't want to listen to them" or "They have red hair.... I dunno."

I don't tell someone to go away because their shirt is obnoxious c_c;

Calling people "stupid" for voicing their opinions when specifically asked to isn't a terribly good thing to do either.

Those speech patterns they use are often associated with a certain "unprofessionalism" common to young people, and that can absolutely impact Notkastar negatively as a content creator that wants to live off their work.

Please do not disregard my entire point just because I didn't add a smily face to it. It is coming from a background of years of making a living as an artist. I'm not here because I'm a "bad, gray man trying to suck all the fun out of them and making them into someone they are not", I'm giving feedback on what I feel would be a better direction for them to take their career on.

Saying "I don't do this" doesn't mean that other people won't, no one is ever required to read your entire text, watch your entire video or etc. In fact we have an entire industry just dedicated to just making people pay attention to what others are putting out there.

So there, if you required more explanation on what I'm saying that should clear things up. I should have put it better in the first place.

╹‿╹)~★

mabit said:
Calling people "stupid" for voicing their opinions when specifically asked to isn't a terribly good thing to do either.

I did not call you stupid. I said that the ACTION is stupid.

Gosh, we ALL do stupid things. I cry over cute kittens, and get angry over stupid shit and have panic attacks over my plans being rearranged. I dropped my dinner on the floor a few minutes ago. We're all dumb shits who do dumbshit things sometimes. All of us.

But doing stupid things doesn't make you stupid.
Making mistakes doesn't make you a mistake, or a fuck up or anything like that.
Getting angry doesn't make you an angry person.

Our actions are important, but even the kindest people get angry sometimes. There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

We should not hold a single set of actions against a person.

Great people can do dumb things. Dumb people can do great things.

You're not stupid and I don't think anyone here is.

But I think saying that using an emoticon at the "end of every single paragraph really" drives you away and makes you "not want to read what (someone is) saying" is pretty dumb. You can feel that way if you want, but good god. If I used those rules, I could never read any of the emails my grandparents send. I'd never read anything my dad sends me either. I couldn't reply to most of the messages I get here on the site either.

Or I can take a little bit of extra effort to read anyway, despite whatever traits I dislike, to see what someone is saying--not just HOW they're saying it. Not a big deal, y'know?

You can do whatever you want, of course, I just think that you're cutting off a lot of potential people if your rules are so strict.

Those speech patterns they use are often associated with a certain "unprofessionalism" common to young people, and that can absolutely impact Notkastar negatively as a content creator that wants to live off their work.

Sure. But content creators also do better if they seem to be human. Several of *my* favorite content creators have favorite emoticons that they use. Being distinctive and having a 'voice' is important too. This isn't a resume. It's reaching out to people online. Other young people, usually.

Please do not disregard my entire point just because I didn't add a smily face to it.

I am pretty sure that that is basically the exact opposite of what I would do here.....

It is coming from a background of years of making a living as an artist. I'm not here because I'm a "bad, gray man trying to suck all the fun out of them and making them into someone they are not", I'm giving feedback on what I feel would be a better direction for them to take their career on.

Okay, well... I'm glad you know what works for you. :) I know lots of artists who don't know how to speak 'good english' and they get by pretty well too. it is good to have a professional appearance, but you don't NEED one. Friendly and cheerful is totally a option too.

The problem I mostly have is how you brought the whole thing up. There are a TON of ways you could talk about cutting back on emoticons, and you chose "I'd love to help you, but I won't read what you wrote, because I don't like your emoticons."

I mean.

.... That's... pretty catty, honestly.

I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but it really doesn't come off well. I can see that you MEANT well, but.... yikes. :c

Saying "I don't do this" doesn't mean that other people won't, no one is ever required to read your entire text, watch your entire video or etc. In fact we have an entire industry just dedicated to just making people pay attention to what others are putting out there.

Of course. bUt at the same time, No content creator ever want to find comments like "I didn't watch this video" or "I hate ponies" on a picture of ponies. No one's immunine to critisism, but it's like... if you don't like ponies, why did you click on the picture of ponies? If you don't like the gay , WHY click on gay pictures? if you didn't watch the video, why post that?

It's not quite the same situation, but... eh. if you can't say something nice--anything nice! even if it's jsut "The video looked really neat" or whatever-- don't say anythign at all. if you can't even think of one nice thing to say, you probably shouldn't be saying it. Y'know?

but that's just me and how I try to live.

I've been the quirky kid, I've been the neglected teenager, I've been angsty, and a loner, and desperate for love and attention. I"ve been confident, and happy. I have been any things, and I will always try to be kind, and lift others up, rahter than pull them down.

So there, if you required more explanation on what I'm saying that should clear things up. I should have put it better in the first place.

I do appreciate you clarifying that and it DOES help to offer better context :)

and I apologize if it seemed that I was calling YOU dumb, It wasn't my intention to be harmful -- just... Like I said, it seemed very catty to me. and...

Notkastar said:
Thank you so much for the solid advice and the words of encouragement;
It really does mean a lot to me in ways I can't even begin to explain! ◠‿◠)

I'm glad <3 I jsut try to do what I wish someone woulda done for me, years ago. :)

And everyone's got an opinion, It's only natural that some would clash.
And Just as they're free to tell me what on their mind, I'm not obligated
to change who I am for them.

It's impossible to make everyone happy so you might as well make yourself
happy. ╹‿╹)~★

You have SUCH a healthy attitude. Thank you for being you <3 Never change <3

SnowWolf you are so wholesome!! The world needs more people like you!
(✿◕‿◕)

To be honest, the… peculiar emoticons are the whole reason I remember Notkastar in the first place despite only having talked to him a couple times on this site.

Not a bad plan for, you know, brand recognition. People notice things like that, and that's probably a good thing

If you want to grow your audience, the barrier to entry should be as low as possible. One way to do that is writing in an accessible style. Your writing should be easy to read: long sentences, bad grammar, and emoticons that break up the flow of the writing do not help.

It's not like most people see an emoticon and go "welp there we go I'm not reading another word". But it does put them off.

"To me their neat sentence enhancers that infuse a certain energy into the things I type;", "But content creators also do better if they seem to be human.", and other arguments along those lines - English offers many ways to have a unique voice. You can definitely achieve an energetic and friendly tone, and "be yourself", without using them. Your writing would be far better as a result.

"It's impossible to make everyone happy" - True, but that doesn't apply here. Everybody notices the bad grammar, etc., and I don't really think anyone prefers it. The people who carp on the writing style aren't just voicing a minority opinion. Heck, you came to ask about video creation and the thread has been entirely sidetracked.

"People notice things like that" - Certainly - and there are far better ways to gain brand recognition.

Just providing some advice, and best of luck!