#not kh

Fate Changed!

For awhile this direction of art theft in the art and writers communities has been weighing a lot of people down. I've seen many familiar faces stop posting at all, probably out of fear of their beloved work being thieved away.

I don't really talk about it, but many times it has deterred me from posting or even working on some pieces purely from a sense of melancholy and sadness. Every time news about the topic comes out it creates a new kind of wave of despair. I get the feeling, what's the point, if the AI created sludge is enough for the public, if such surface level imagery fulfills peoples wants for art, then what's the point of me sharing my work at all? To just keep posting to feed a machine.

But then I sit at my desk and draw something. Paint something by myself. And I remember, why I do art at all. The feeling of creating is irreplaceable, the joy I get out of the struggle of creation can't be taken away from me. The way one pours their thoughts, feelings and even the tiniest things that might feel so insignificant to oneself so candidly onto paper. And then. AND THEN. One might be brave enough to share those pieces to others. Post them online, show a friend, a family member. To show your vulnerable self to others, and those others respond. They comment, ask questions, perceive it and best of all... ..might get inspired, and create something for themselves!

I remember reading a magazine once, that had a page at the back with all these art works readers had sent in, and I though 'wow, these are great'! And that really inspired me to create more than I already was doing, and most of all to share it with people. That's why way back when I started sharing my art in online spaces. And I don't want to stop, because I don't want us to lose that connection. That human connection, because that's what sharing art is really about, our humanity. Sharing thoughts and feelings, not about generating the most technically perfect piece of art, void of all human error.

So, I'd like to say, do not despair (but keep fighting). There are always people out there to receive your heart.

Bilbo travels to Bree with some of his cousins/relatives for a meeting about trade agreements (I think?) and goes to the blacksmith’s tent to commission a gift where he meets an ensl*ved Thorin and he decides to rescue him and give him shelter back home in Hobbiton. Over time, Thorin reopens the smithy in Hobbiton and more of his family/friends escape the Blue Mountains to come live there and there’s a battle towards the end? Thorin goes back to the Lonely Mountain for a short while but only really long enough to help get Erebor back on its feet and then lets Fili have the throne

At one point Lobelia hits Kili with her umbrella and Thorin nearly loses his shit

EDIT: it’s been found! https://archiveofourown.org/works/24952834/chapters/60399460 huge shoutout to @lotus0kid for finding it/giving the link

I have a close friend who is raising money for artists who were not paid while being employed to the Santae website. A virtual pet browser website (neopets adjacent)

She was a mod for the site and saw first hand how artists work was not being compensated as agreed to by the owner.

If anyone would like to donate it would be much appreciated.

Artists are already underpaid and not getting payed for their hard work is unacceptable.

Thank you.