What makes this forum great :)

KathrynAdebayo

It seems like people on here are often mentioning the unique nature of this forum... its design, its helpfulness, its ability to be a kind and supportive space. I thought it might be cool to write down our thoughts about this so that we can

appreciate each other,
reflect on what is working well and do more of that, and
record our impressions of this space so that down the road we can look back and notice how it has developed.

So, what makes this forum great?

SFischer

I'm fairly new to the forum and what I like about it most is the notifications for new activity. It's like a gentle reminder that says "hey there's a discussion over here and your invited!". I've been treating each notification like it's personally sent to my inbox. Sometimes I respond, sometimes I upvote, and sometimes I peruse and move on.

I think this feature, paired with the overwhelmingly positivity all over this forum makes the discussions fun, helpful, and interesting.

I also really love critiquing pieces as I feel it is the most potent way to help others get better. I've found that people here take critiques really well! Maybe they're influenced by the coursework or their own nature - but I hope that will never change!

ArtofAleksey

The people make this forum what it is. The creators have provided a growing and supportive community of people that have an interest in art.

I’ve made more artist friends here than I’ve ever had in my entire life. Knowing that others work at things and share similar struggles makes me feel like my dreams arent dumb and unachievable.

Also the art is cool I guess. (And my jokes)

demotlj

Even though being a member of the SVS subscription is not required to participate in the forum, I think that its link to SVS and to the teachers, Jake Parker, Will Terry, and Lee White, informs much of the character of the forum. Because they set a tone where learning and encouragement is foremost, contributors to the forum tend to follow that model as well, and when they don't -- when someone is brutal in a critique or arrogant in their opinion -- other forum members call them on it reminding them that we are all learners together. For me, the unspoken motto of this forum would be, "Being honest doesn't preclude being kind," which is a rather unique thing to find on the internet!

ArtofAleksey

@demotlj i love that quote. Well said.

KathrynAdebayo

I've been impressed by the thoughtfulness of the artists who come here. Even the fact that people take the time to give great critiques is really amazing to me. I agree with Laurie and think that the teachers shape a lot of the culture surrounding SVS, and I'm grateful for their positivity, honesty and down-to-earth nature.

Chip Valecek

I echo what has been said above, it is the support of other artist's that make this forum great. I have made a great number of friends on here as well. Most have come and gone. It seems there are waves of new people ever so often and then their gone. So it sorta feels like we as a community have helped them enough and they have left the nest.