(no subject)

[exsequar]

Hmmm. I think the positive comments I receive on my icons give me a false sense of pride. I mean, it's great that people love my icons, and I am so thankful to those people who take the time to look at them and tell me what they think, but at the same time I'm really not that great as icon makers go. I could be SO much better, but I just don't understand how. I'm getting very close to being eliminated in the fandom lims contests I'm in, and I never make it into good_fanicons when I apply. It's like... my style just doesn't jibe with the general perception of what good icons are. At the same time, I sometimes look at icons that are supposedly "amazing" and think they're crap. It's like I'm on a different wavelength from everyone else and I don't know how I ended up here.

Bah.

Comments

[silver-sunn101.livejournal.com]

...Icons that are supposedly "amazing"...

Like those horrid ones where the people's eyes are all uber sharpened and their skin has been blurred like thirteen times too many?

Those creep me out.

I may not comment on your icons, but I do like your style. I stay stick with it. Get 'em out there and start the new trend for "good icons"! ♥

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Haha, no I don't mean those, luckily those don't get accepted in the elite comms I don't think... that was a fad among people with little to no talent who found this neat little "trick" that could make things look different. Oy.

(I'm mean sometimes ^_^)

Thanks sweetie. I doubt I'll stop any time soon, as iconning is rather addictive, but it is a bit disheartening at times.

[weasleytook.livejournal.com]

I think your icons are perfectly fine. Very lovely, in fact. Personally, I really dislike most of the "popular" icon makers because they just do WAY TOO MUCH to their icons. If I can't tell what it's an icon of without someone telling me, then it's not an icon for me.

I rarely make icons, because I'm a total spaz at using all those fancy tricks that other icon-makers use. That's why me and a few friends started unadorned_icons for those of us who like ours minimalistic. Hee.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Well thank you, that's very kind of you to say.

I definitely know what you're talking about, with the overdone icons. But with this comm the problem's more of the opposite. People often submit icons that are basically cropped interestingly, sharpened and brightened, maybe given a touch of color and one line of tiny text - and that qualifies as BRILLIANT! These people are making batches of icons that all look the same. I try to make every icon I do completely unique, but I guess that's just not homogenized enough. :P

Of course, there's something to be said for minimal icons (as I just noticed that's what you said you do and am subsequently trying to extricate foot from mouth...) because, like you said, you can tell what the hell is going on. But I inhabit a space somewhere in the middle... and it's very lonely here! *tear*

[grrliz.livejournal.com]

I like the elite communities as a user because it filters out the good from bad, but applying to them is no fun because you're at the mercy of the mods. Yeah, they try to make it more objective by requiring multiple mods to vote on letting you in, but from the perspective of someone applying that doesn't give much comfort.

There are two options here, I suppose, if you don't get in. The first is to apply a fourth time, using icons that are similar in style or content to the ones that seem to be getting in. I'm wary of this because it feels sort of like padding your resume — you're showing them stuff that works for what they want but may not be representative of your work in general, rather than showing them your best stuff regardless of whether or not it fits in. The other option is to search out communities that seem to better fit your style of icons, because you know that what you do is already appreciated in other forms by the people at that community.

I'm often tempted to start my own 1337 icon community because I hate all the wank, but I'm too lazy, it's too much work, and I already run too many other communities. :D

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, as a watcher it's definitely very nice to have them, because you can just scroll through the comm and everything's beautiful. But at the same time, it's not objective in any way - definitely biased towards a certain style.

I don't think I'll apply again, because it's a) too disheartening, and b) it really shouldn't matter that much to me. I can just keep posting in fandom specific communities, that works fine for me. It would have been nice, but I really knew the result before I applied. I suppose I'm just a masochist :P

Too lazy my foot... you do so much, silly.

[soulful-demon.livejournal.com]

maaann...I really like that icon ..

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Haha, thank you! It's hypnotizing, aint it? ^_^

[fragglebo.livejournal.com]

I am sorry you are not having much luck with good_fanicons. Don't feel you need to change your icons to fit in. I love your icons and being unique makes it a lot better and more interesting in my opinion. I sometimes look at the 'good' icons and don't get what makes them good either. Who makes these rules anyway?

Good luck with the LIMS challenges!! I think everyone always feels nervous about them. Well, I do anyway. ;)

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Apparently the mods at good_fanicons make the rules! :P But thanks sweetie. I do think uniqueness is good, but sometimes it just places me on the outskirts and occasionally I get insecure. I had the same problem all through high school (although I suppose icons are nothing like that, but it's a personality thing :P).

And thank you, you too! You're in a couple I'm in, right? You should do so well, your icons are beautiful :) I'm loving this violation font by the way, it's so gorgeous!

[fragglebo.livejournal.com]

I totally understand the whole insecure feeling. My school life helped me out with that one too. From the age of about 12 or 13 I kind of became separated from the main crowd and was picked on for being any kind of different. ;)

I am only doing the one LIMS challenge at the moment and that's the Firefly one. I feel like I struggle with the pictures each time and get really nervous when it comes to voting.
Actually, I think the hardest bit is finding reasons to vote other icons out. I am bad at that!!

Thank you for the compliment about my icons too. ;) And I'm glad Violation has come in useful!!

[lostjane.livejournal.com]

Art is so subjective, it can be disheartening if others don't see things the way you do. I personally love your icons and think that they have been much better than alot out there. But even I have my favorites and I think I have great taste, but it is certainly not what alot of other people like. I guess my point is that your artistic vision will suit alot of people, and it has, just not others. Please don't be discouraged! :))

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Thanks for being so sweet and supportive, I really appreciate it. And what you say makes sense. Thank you :) And I certainly won't stop iconning, don't worry!

[lostjane.livejournal.com]

*sighs of relief*

:DD

[candidlily.livejournal.com]

I haven't made icons in ages, but back when I did all the time, I was in the same place you're in. I applied to goodhplotricons 3 or 4 times and finally gave up. It's not exactly fair because they look for a specific kind of style, and that was obvious with the comments I received on the icons. I wouldn't advise changing your style if you like it, because I think your icons are great. But if you really wanna get in, that's probably what you'd have to do. Anyway, my point is, your style is great as is; being rejected from an elite community doesn't mean your icons are bad. It's like the SAT, doing bad on it doesn't mean you're stupid, just that you don't do well on their narrow criteria.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's the conclusion I came to - they're really looking for a specific style. I've gotten two responses this time so far - one was a No, and she actually said nothing negative but just pointed out the things she liked. Which, while, okay, nice, whatever, but then why the hell was she saying no? On the other hand, the other response was a Yes (the same mod who said yes last time) and she even went to the trouble of going to my journal and linking to some of her favorite icons of mine,it was so sweet of her. So basically, it's all ridiculously subjective and I'm not sure why I submit myself to it! :P

Thanks for the support hon *hugs*

[soulful-demon.livejournal.com]

I think I have different taste than everybody else's i know when it comes to icon..and yours, is kind my cup of tea. Alright, I confess, I'm trying to persuade you to make me an icon..heheh..and that's all because I really like what you made!

[simply-strange.livejournal.com]

I like your icons. =)

Anyway, I'm just here to say thank you so much for the icons you made for me in the hpicons_weekly Nondenominational Holiday Icon Exchange. I love them. ♥

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Aww, you're welcome! I'm so happy you like them!! I'm really sorry they're so late, I made them aaaaages ago, but then I went on vacation and couldn't get them in, oops! But yeah, I'm glad you like them :D Happy (belated) Holidays!