I can’t begin to count the amount of times I’ve seen popular pony artists with terrible attitudes, or who treat their fans like garbage.  I’ve seen them ridicule their followers for not knowing something, or for making a simple request (like tagging certain things), and mocking them for petty little things, then turning around and claiming that they don’t do anything like that.

I saw a popular artist recently admit that they don’t even like half the fan art they get, which is not only ungrateful, but it’s rude as hell.  I’ve seen artists vehemently deny something happening in their lives, then turn around and admit to it happening, only to mock those who question it or who ask to be brought up to speed.  I’ve seen an artist ridicule people who made a simple tagging request (for legitimate reasons), and tell them to stop trying to be such a special snowflake and a baby.

Here’s the thing.

It doesn’t matter how talented you are as an artist, you would be nowhere without your followers, your fans.  These are the people who reblog your work, who share it, who tell their friends, recommend you, buy your commissions and post them to their own blogs to share your work, who support you by buying your work, pledging your Patreon accounts and showing you support when you need it.  They are the people who send you words of support, even if you have no clue who they are, who help if you need it, send words of encouragement when you’re down and who spend their time enjoying your work.

I get that if you’re a popular, more well known artist, after a while, some things get tiring, and you have to put up with a lot of crap, and that you’re going to get tired of the constant criticism, of having hundreds, if not thousands, of strangers practically breathing down your neck.  Trust me, I know.

But does it really kill you to be civil to people?  Do you really need to mock them, and drag them through the mud and display your problems with them all over your blog for your legions of followers to see just because they disagree with you?  Is it really so hard to just either ignore them, or politely catch them up on something if they ask, rather than sneering and ask where they’ve been or if they haven’t been paying attention?

This confession is not directed at any one artist in particular.  Because I’ve seen it happen time, and time again with a lot of artists, and it’s really disappointing.  

It doesn’t matter how good, or beautiful or amazing your work is, if you are a hateful, nasty person, then when I see your work, it becomes just as ugly as your attitude.  And that’s a damn shame.

- Anonymous