Another rant about an old topic coming up. Beware.


People who managed to accomplish something are not nice.

There are exceptions, exceptions that I have the pleasure of knowing myself, but this is the general rule.
Over just the past few days, I became painfully aware of this fact once again too. Popular artists on dA, authors, forum moderators... turn to a 'famous' person for help, and they'll spit in your face.

I sent a note to a brilliant artist a few days ago. The letter was short and polite, and the getting an answer to my questions was very urgent for me. I begged him to send me a small notification even if he declined my offer. You think I got any reply? Nope.

I sent a mail to the boyfriend of one of my closer friends. He is a consulter and works for a company, so I asked him a few questions about marketing. Did he bother to answer them? I wish. And it wouldn't have taken him more than ten minutes.

These are just two of the most extreme examples. Turn to an artist and ask for tips, and you'll be ignored to Kingdom Come. I often read the dA journals of famous artists, and I end up speechless. Many of them bluntly and constantly remind their readers about the talent they have.

Yes, just like that. Openly. Now, this may be particularly strange to me, for in my culture, you DO NOT praise yourself or admit your success. If someone praises you, you answer "It was nothing." or "I'm not that good..."

I think this actually isn't too bad. It keeps the f***ing ego at bay. Knowing you're good is important, but officially, you should be humble and treat everyone respectfully. People aren't worth less than you because you draw or write better than them.

I was often wondering what would happen if I was famous. I don't think I'll ever be a self-promoting ass. I'm already good at writing. If someone asked me for tips, I'd write them a novel about how they can improve and tell them it was an honor to be asked. I'm best in class, and I don't ever say no to helping other students if they need it.

I might be wrong though. Might have changed if I had thousands of screaming fans at my door every morning. I don't know, but I'm trying to constantly be aware of how I address people who appreciate my skills. Wish those brainless morons out there would do too.

Now, it's important to remember that "fans" are often selfish, ignorant, demanding or plain rude as well. These deserve null and void, but everyone is not like that. It seems to me as if artists cannot distingush anymore. Or just don't care to try. They set themselves above the "masses" and take the liberty to do what they want.

Fail. There are no masses. Just individuals. A bunch of asses and some decent people who don't deserve to be treated like cockroaches. People forget. Forget that in the end, they would be nothing without admirers. If no one appreciated or admired a skill, it would not even be considered a skill in the first place.

My point? Your skills, talents and knowledge aren't worth SHIT if you cannot treat people properly.

End of story.