#life

An Artistic Breakdown: Strangled

NoNamesLeftToUse@nonameslefttouse (77)2358d

Don't worry.

^{This isn't another one of those posts where you're shown how something was made.}

^Strangled

Explaining myself.

^{I don't often tell the viewer what to look for.}

I'll start out by saying, lately — due to circumstances beyond my control — I've been having one hell of a bad time attempting to produce some artwork. Everything I do looks like shit and I'm never satisfied. It seems like I want to actually impress people instead of simply producing something, placing it here, and hoping for the best.

The whole reason why I'll often include a write-up that has very little to do with the art I've shared is so, in the event the artwork wasn't your cup of tea, at least there are some words you might enjoy.

I can't even say I'm confident with the words I'm writing today. I'm saying a lot without really saying anything again.

I don't want to give up on this place.

I see a lot of folks have taken a break. I don't blame you. I don't take it personally these days if I post and my comment section is dead. I have a feeling it's going to be quiet again and I don't think it'll be my fault.

I think if this place goes to shit, I can leave feeling confident I did a good job.

I think there are quite a few out there who will never forget me.

I've been struggling a lot lately with making an important decision. What will I do if this is my last post?

I'm of the mindset where I'm hopeful I'll still have a future here but at the same time I'm not oblivious to a few other potential outcomes.

I can't see myself starting at the bottom anywhere else. Like it or not I'm one of the world's first artists who saw success in this world. This entity, @NoNamesLeftToUse, made the decision early on to remain exclusive to Steem. I was under the impression there was plenty of money set aside for the development of this platform and it seemed like a good place I could feel confident to make such an important decision.

There are plenty of other places I can take this brand and style of mine. I'm not interested in those places.

I was out looking around and see many familiar faces on other platforms. The content is the exact same, everywhere.

Some folks who were busy ripping us off here with bogus artwork are having a great time on other platforms, with the same damn product, ripping those people off.

After many many months of failing miserably, this platform decided to get its act together. Suddenly the riffraff is no longer tolerated and each stakeholder is given a tool to help keep our streets clean. That decision added another layer of cement onto my feet which were already firmly planted into this blockchain.

Things were finally starting to look up. Now I'm looking at my feet wondering how I'll ever chisel my way out of this mess.

All of you developers, witnesses, investors; you're not the only ones who poured your hearts and souls into this place. Anyone who ever actually cared, I can tell you right now I know exactly how you're feeling, but I won't say it out loud.

I won't look back at these years and think of it all as a big waste of time.

Anyway.

^{The art.}

I said I'd say something about the art.

I realize to some it just looks like a mess of color.

If you look closely though you might see the figure facing the left. I often hide side profiles of faces in all my work.

Today, this character is being strangled by something blueish in color. That could mean depression in this case but as the image plainly states: Nothing is clear.

Have a nice day.

Credits:

All art and images seen here were produced digitally, by me.

NoNamesLeftToUse Outro.png

^{^{All content within this blog is 100% organic ACTUAL CONTENT and contains no paid vote additives!}}

_{"Sorry for the serious post. Hopefully I'll be a better mood, soon."}

Comments · 18

@farm-mom(73)· 2356d
Good morning @nonameslefttouse, I think we are all feeling a little down about steemit but I feel the same way you do. I don't want to start with a new program, I feel like I finally got a little bit of a handle on how things work here and I am comfortable and I do not think it's going away. At least I hope not because I post and read, comment because I have made some very nice connections with some really fun and talented people. Hang in there my friend.
@snook(75)· 2356d
We All have our sad days and posts. Sometimes it is better to get it written out and off your mind to see clearly what is making circles in your brain.

I do see the man? and his ear covered by the blue...... yet I also see the colors of the desert melting and it reminds me of Ice Cream.

Thank You for being You!
@bidesign(64)· 2356d
What a talkative, you are! =)
@hary25(51)· 2357d
Here I just voted the 300th vote for you

Posted using Partiko Android
@steemmatt(71)· 2357d
You did a GREAT job. Good to have you in the fox hole.
@arcange(79)· 2357d
Congratulations @nonameslefttouse! Your post was mentioned in the Steem Hit Parade in the following categories:
- Comments - Ranked 10 with 46 comments
- Pending payout - Ranked 6 with $ 48,97
@ryivhnn(73)· 2357d
I've never seen your comment section dead but then again by the time I get to your posts they're usually several hours old.

You can use that concrete block as a weapon. Just no head shots that could kill someone.

No breaks here. My callous disregard for money means I'm happy to carry on til everything dies in a fire (in which case I have one favourite witness that I'll be casually toddling off after should they go on to a fork, and those other vaguely familiar forks might actually get more love if they're not already) or resolves.

_{I know I've been quieter than usual lately but that's because life has been busier than usual lately not helped by the fact I'm not naturally organised and being forced to be organised because I'm managing a bunch of other people is exhausting XD}
@jschindler(52)· 2357d
Thank you for consistently putting out both entertaining and high quality content! Keep it up! Some of yours and boom's posts & comments have almost killed me from laughing so hard! Your post about the missing boots and shrooms was classic btw!
@kansuze(69)· 2357d
Well, you had me there. I swore you were going to work in a dead body before the end and then you DIDN'T! I saw the faces but I thought I was looking at a slumped beigy grey body and the turquoise was where the blanket was folded over. Hmmm...
@worldcapture(72)· 2357d
Good day @nonameslefttouse,

I discovered you quite late but I've read up a lot of your stuff in the past days. In my eyes you have an incredible talent in writing, especially when you write down some stories. I don't even have to focus super hard to have your story fully visualized in my brain, that's an incredible skill in my eyes. Something what I only know from Hunter S. Thompson and a very few other Authors/Writers.

We just gotta keep going! :)
@minismallholding(75)· 2357d
The bit that makes me so sad is how well everything was going before the sell out. It was the community driving it too! We were making it a more rewarding place to be for actual contributors and talking Steem on other social media platforms.

I suppose if we can get through this it can be used as a lesson. Learn to defend from outside takeovers. Either that, or others can learn from what brought us to our knees.
@trayan(71)· 2358d
brother, your art makes changes... enlighten them! those... who do not trust the guidance! :P
@nickyhavey(74)· 2358d
Steem is probably the last crypto bastion for me as well, if this place folds then I'll be more than "a tad disappointed" that a great concept can be so savagely twisted. Was hoping to bring a load of music producers over and have been gearing up for some time.

It's difficult to say "yea it's great, you have a chance to connect with a new audience, develop your own monetisable blog and website here"... Then they saw bid bots, no interaction, steem centric posts... To name a few things. Then the "T" word and now, they won't touch it with a barge pole...

But I'll still stick it out because, despite all that crap, there's never a dull moment (not that I've seen anyway).
@bashadow(70)· 2358d
I just do not see it. I see the blue man laying on his back, a sillyish evilish grin in the blue, I see a flame from a lighter rising in the lower left corner, but a left facing face? For once I don't see it.

Like many I am not sure what is going to happen, but I am still trying to do my odd post every now and then, and to go around voting and commenting on things. I see a lot of post and comments about how it dragging out is not good for us, I am not so sure about that, maybe not good for the ones that wanted the faster power down before all this, but for me, it seems not much has really changed. If Tron does a hard fork, I expect the block chain will be down for a week or more before it gets re-started, but i can take a week long break. I just hope they don't totally shut it down, I have grown kind of fond of the content and the comments.
@oaldamster(70)· 2358d

It seems like I want to actually impress people instead of simply producing something...

That is something I can relate too. Your artwork to me is some people kissing, actually putting a smile on my face. If it has an effect on humans it is art, so you caused an effect. (A discussion we had many times at an advertising agency I worked once, in another life. My opininion: if I strikes a nerve it is art.)

Recently I do feel somewhat estranged. This whole Steem thing. Feels like losing a good friend who decided to take his own life.

Nostalgia, back in them days, of miracle and wonder. The first time you wend silent. Worries and glad you returned. Second time: he'll be back, faith.

Sadness, that is what I feel, damned, I came to a place where I could just publish anything, without needing to worry whom I would do it for. Fuckit.

How to move on from here. Would like Steem to move on, but how, don't know.

For what it is worth, you sure produced unique work, which I do appreciate. Because it triggert something, like feelings, even sad ones liked now, but that is Art.

Hope there is more where that came from. Maybe it needs a fork, maybe it wont. Or we get sucked in by a black hole. By that time we'll never know.

Hang in there.
@meesterboom(81)· 2358d
Facing the left. A bad omen.

I think you highlight a very important point in all the nonsense that has gone on lately. Often the focus is on developers and witnesses, who have poured everything they have into this platform. We are often forgotten. The content creators. The people trying to make this place a place that people want to visit out of all of the places on the big wide Web. A place that is a success. How often we are derided, denigrated and sneered at though.

Success should be celebrated and you my friend have been and are a success here.

If this is your last post then you have done a fine job. I hope that it isn't though. Just because I'm a selfish bastard ;0)
@michealb(67)· 2358d
@epic-fail(70)· 2358d
I see a blue lady being chewed on by some dude with a furrowed brow. I've been experimenting with micro dosing so I think I need to reduce my doses just a tad.