Little Fang & Bone

I honestly think the shift from personal essays to quadrobics and masks has a lot to do with a shift from primarily written content to primarily visual content. Old school forums full of written discussions were a very different environment than something like TikTok, which is naturally going to be appearance-based given that it's primarily a video platform. That's not to say that photos and other visual content were never posted on older sites, but they weren't the majority of substance in those spaces. There seems to be a more collectively introspective community on Tumblr, which also happens to be a site that values written content as much or more than visual. As a generalization, on here we get reach through stories and discussions that others find relatable or interesting, while TikTok algorithms provide reach based on aesthetic appeal.

"Am I a Therian?" you ask with a quizzical expression.

"I like bathing in the sun. I hate taking baths. I'm highly active at 3am," you explain, and so you conclude, "I must be a cat therian!"

Why?

Don't humans also like sitting in warm sunlight? Don't some humans hate the sensation of baths? Aren't some humans more active at night than at day?

Aren't those normal human behaviors?

"I like to howl, bark, and growl! I like to dig in the dirt and play tug-a-war!" you shout excitedly, and so you conclude, "I must be a dog therian!"

Why?

Don't humans also like to be vocal; shouting, hollering, and yelping? Don't some humans love digging in the dirt to see what's beneath? Do you not see the kids playing tug-a-war? Aren't those normal human behaviors?

"But..." you pause and you think. You finally state, "I feel a call to Nature. I feel at home among the trees, when my bare feet touch the Earth. I feel a pain in my heart when looking at my body, like it doesn't feel right. Surely that means I'm a Therian."

Why?

Aren't there humans who feel a call to Nature? Who live by themselves in the woods? Aren't there humans who also feel like something is missing with themselves?

Aren't those normal human behaviors?

"Then how do I know if I'm a Therian?"

Why... are you asking me?

You clearly know yourself better than I do. You have already given so many reasons as to why you must be a Therian, right? So why ask me what you are?

"Cause you're a Therian, too, aren't you?" you ask.

"I am," comes the answer.

"So then tell me," you urge with impatience. "Am I a Therian?"

"I can not tell you," comes another answer. "Because I do not know. I do not know your identity. I do not know what bristles beneath your skin or echoes in your heart."

There are no set rules to define someone who is a Therian. There is no checklist to go through to determine who is a Therian. There are no guidelines to follow under to know who is a Therian.

"Are you an animal?" comes the question. "Are you, in any sense or form, an animal?"

You pause. And you think.

You already know the answer.

"I am an animal."

Then congratulations.

“Safiri” - the portrait of an amazing girl and the very first artwork in my new Therian series.

Therians are people who identify as animals, experiencing a deep spiritual and emotional bond with them, and often embodying their traits and essence in daily life.

"we're both therians, souls of nature, we ALL MuSt be super saint, ooh are you a meat-eating cannibal (I'm sorry, what?) to eat fellow animals??"

They tried so hard to convince a damn lion

I'm an alligator

Alligators are very cannibalistic, I've eaten alligator meat, alligator meat is a pretty normal part of a alligators diet