Do you post your artwork at DeviantArt mostly to have fun?  Or to learn?  Or perhaps a bit of both?  (And if it's both, which one dominates?)

I was posting around in the forums and some of the threads there made me think of this.  I joined DA nearly 5 years go mostly out of curiosity at first.  I'd met some cool artists on another site, and they all had DA accounts, so I followed them here.  

It was the first time I'd really met any fellow artists on-line.  So DA was a marvelous place to me.  For the first time ever, someone besides my family and few closest friends were actually seeing my art. You know those people in your life who really love to cook?  They cook for the sheer enjoyment of it, but they also love having someone over to actually eat what they make?  That was how I felt.  I draw for myself first, but it was wonderful actually having people (and complete strangers at that) looking at what I had done.

For me, DA has always been about entertainment/fun.  It's why I came here, and it's why I've stayed.  I love looking at other people's artwork here. I enjoy seeing worlds being created, I like being inspired.  I don't really look at artwork with the thought of critiquing just like I don't usually go into a movie theatre expecting to analyze the movie. I just want to soak everything in.   

I'll critique or comment specifically on something if someone asks, but otherwise, I generally don't do that.  And I generally don't expect people to do that with my stuff either.  I post my art because I hope that people will enjoy it.  I don't really post for educational purposes.  I don't have any expectation (or desire, for the most part) of a serious comment or critique from people.

I have learned a lot from DA though.  I think just being exposed to a community like this and enjoying the artwork here makes one improve automatically. It's almost impossible to NOT improve in such an environment, IMO.  And personally, just knowing that there are viewers out there makes me want to get better in the same way a person would want to cook tastier, more ambitious dishes when they know they have company over.  The learning has been great, but it's mostly been a casual, passive side-effect of being here.  This place is an art playground for me first and foremost, not a school.

That's my personal attitude of this place.  But I was wondering if most other people felt the same way?  Based on some of the threads I've seen, it seems like some people yearn for something more.  Some folks want serious critique.  Others want comments that are more specific.  Is that what most people want here?  

Why do you post at DA?  What is it that you get out of this place that you like?  What do you feel is missing?  Are you here mostly for the fun of it?  Or are you hoping to learn?  Or a bit of both?  

Just wondering.  


Oh, by the way, I have a new poll up, but it never made it to people's message centers.  Mind voting?  ^_^