This is for artists - or people worried about the loss of income/followers due to moving your energy to a new website. What is said below might not apply for everyone because it comes from my experience. But I hope you will be able to relate in some way.
I have been most active on Furaffinity since 2009. Before I moved my focus to this community, I called deviantART my home. Coming to fA didn't mean I necessarily left dA, but I did shift my energy to the new place. It was a perfect time to get a second fresh start and expand my network. I started out with maybe 50 watchers- folks who followed me on dA and just so happened to have an fA too. I started browsing artwork, commenting on submissions and journals, thanking the people who supported my work-- I put a lot of effort into building an audience and developing my own watch list to inspire me every day.
These things take work. You can't expect to poof to a new website and all 4k of your watchers show up there too. There is a sacrifice. But in the end, here are some benefits to making that leap in branching to a new site:
1.] Remember that artist that inspires you so much but your comments were buried by their butt-load of equally inspired fans? Now is your chance to show that artist how much you really support their work by helping their new gallery get off the ground! Sometimes the artwork with the least amount of comments make those comments more meaningful.
2.] You can show just how thankful you are to the followers who will follow your art wherever you go. They deserve it.
3.] Meet new people! You may have 500 watchers but how many of those following are dead/removed accounts? This is a great opportunity to re-evaluate who really cares and who's lost interest.
4.] Its a good time to set up a strategy for going through your message system. Mine sure as hell gets messy with the 500 people I follow! Think about who you follow and why. See if the website can help organize who or what you follow so that you can put your best effort forward in being genuinely interested in who you watch.
5.] Lose the creepers/trolls. Yeah there will be creeps wherever you go but there are certain places on the internet that aren't as attractive to trolls. You may also find your new website to have safer and more customizable privacy options coupled with a good moderation team.
6.] Start a new era of your work. Sometimes that fresh start puts you on a journey for the next several years. Who knows? It may even lead you to making history.
...
A lot of you on my watch list have expressed interest in the website weasyl in one way or another. Below is a list of artists that I highly recommend you to follow.
https://www.weasyl.com/~qzurr
https://www.weasyl.com/~maquenda
https://www.weasyl.com/~skulldog
https://www.weasyl.com/~yelth
https://www.weasyl.com/~sweep
https://www.weasyl.com/~teiirka
https://www.weasyl.com/~toulouse
https://www.weasyl.com/~venezia
https://www.weasyl.com/~stigmata
https://www.weasyl.com/~thestory
https://www.weasyl.com/~teakitsune
https://www.weasyl.com/~tigsie
https://www.weasyl.com/~sigil
https://www.weasyl.com/~swandog
https://www.weasyl.com/~lauragarabedian
https://www.weasyl.com/~sekhmet
https://www.weasyl.com/~rome
https://www.weasyl.com/~dawnchapel
https://www.weasyl.com/~bloodhoundomega
https://www.weasyl.com/~cannedtalent
https://www.weasyl.com/~scottruggles
and anyone else on my following list! https://www.weasyl.com/following/sheppymomma
Some of these people I've known since my time on deviantART and staying connected with them has been a very rewarding experience. . Starting in a new place doesn't mean you have to completely abandon the old one. My deviantART, though mostly dormant has recently blossomed with brony fans. I would have never expected it, but I'm glad I still stuck around a little bit. DeviantART has not caused nearly as much stress as fA has caused a lot of folk so its understandable the need for a new cold-turkey start. If you must completely stop using fA for personal reasons, just know that there are a lot of great things that can come from starting a new gallery in a new place.
Just make sure you let your wonderful followers know where you are going. :)
I hope this helps.
-shep.
.
Thanks so much for this recommendation list! I had been trying to find some of my favorite artists from FA and you just helped me a bunch ^^
I agree with these benefits. I think number 4 rings truest for me though. On FA, I've watched over 1000 people , and I can't begin to wonder why I chose some people. Sure I was really glad to see such work , but i never really kept up with many of them if any at all. Having a new gallery gives me a fresh start to evaluate who I want to really keep my eyes on.
Utterly and completely great journal. I love what you said at the beginning about the place you focus your energy. I've personally always been torn about taking an all inclusive approach (like sketch, ink, color, commissions all in the same place) or segregating things out. I definitely feel that sharing sketches is fun but most of it isn't worth posting. Still, one of the things I really like about Weasyl is the folder system. True sketches show on my tumblr first and sometimes other things won't be there. Doing something different does lead to new friends and being able to communicate with others that felt they missed their chance or were otherwise shy about it.
Good stuff!
Thank you for posting this, all excellent advice. The big thing people should realize is that art sites are primarily about the art. That's why people spend time on them. If the art moves, people will move to where the art is. That's why posting here first or only is the best way to get a huge number of folks to jump over.
I saw someone post commission slots here, and they filled up in 10 minutes. That's a good sign. :) I think one of the big reason this change is different from all the previous other-site drama, is that there's more social avenues people have been using, i.e. Twitter and Tumblr, that weren't in wide use several years ago.
What really matters are those engaged with the art and artists. I'd rather have one engaged fan over a dozen passive ones. The ones most likely to move with the artist are the engaged ones.
I hope it all works out!
Wow, thank you for posting such a good journal! I was getting stressed out and anxious about this whole move thing. Artists and friends telling me i shouldnt care because this whole FA drama is not my problem, that i shouldnt feel uncomfortable because it wont affect me.
Though this site, weasyl is amazingly adapted around artists... and so much more giving then FA.
thanks again for putting something up to sooth the worry in some of us
xxx
I really like this journal! There have been several extremely helpful journals circling around both here and on FA to transition into using Weasyl/a new artsite in general and it's really helpful! I haven't moved to a new site in ages so I've been a little spacey on how to do it. This is really useful.
I know I'm taking this move to branch out and try different things. Like working on humans!
I love how you always try to keep a clear head and look at all aspects of a situation points at your follow up journal. There has been so much drama and emotion over the past few days that this journal was really a joy and a relief to read...
Riding the bandwagon I came over here to Weasyl, mainly to find an alternative for Nabyn (which I sadly didn't like at all). It would be amazing if this place turned out to be also an alternative for both, FA and DA (the reasons I am seeking alternatives for them don't need to be mentioned), but I am weary of gallery hopping... I have been through so many of them... VCL, Yerf, DA, FA, Sheezy, PureYiff even XD, ArtSpots, Nabyn, Tumblr and now Weasyl (and I probably forgot a few...) I am a very insecure person and I would lie if I wouldn't admit that I long for recognition and acknowledgement and starting clean somewhere always includes the tough time of "getting there"... I have been on DA for 10 years! and on FA for... I think 6... that's a lot of time and hard work I spend to get where I am now and I am still shaky and easy to topple emotionally. >_O
It is very hard to willingly rush into a situation where one knows it might be emotionally difficult. At least it is for me. g I am not brave. I don't like changes... but your journal really helped me think about all of this a bit more positively and I hope I can change my focus of energy in the future to Tumblr and this place... I'd really love that.
It helped greatly that within the past week soooo so many people either followed me over or (re)discovered me here (a fact for which I also blame you! squishes you gently), too! So let's give this Weasyl-thing a try and let's see where it brings us! :D
It's awesome you posted this to encourage people to move over!
Though, I do wish you had chosen some lesser known artists to help or showcase. All the names you posted are extremely influential and well known artists (both on DA and FA). If you get the chance, post some journals with some new or lesser known people in it! I want to help support them as well!
Link
Qzurr
Aww dear thank you so much the feature :D <33
Also very nicely written journal! =)