Implementing A Better Blog Style For My Website

Cam R. • Published on: April 2, 2025

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Effective April 12, (or earlier), I will be retiring the Official Blog. The reason for this decision is simple: I believe I can create a better experience than what the current CMS allows.

As you may have seen in my latest post on Buy Me A Coffee, I've been dedicating a lot of time to learning web development, specifically HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to enhance the website's appearance. This new direction requires more flexibility than the blog currently provides, so you won’t see the Official Blog anymore.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I plan to keep my posts concise, as I know many people prefer shorter reads. I certainly don't enjoy typing lengthy messages, especially for this announcement!

Moving forward, the blog will primarily serve for important updates and announcements, but please note that I may not always update it regularly. If I happen to miss something, a gentle reminder would be appreciated.

Thank you for your understanding!

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

New Untilted Update!

Cam R. • Published on: April 5, 2025

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The Untilted comic strip is now available for free in both Free and Premium Plans. The Premium Plan will now include not just all comics and commenting, but also:

✅ Exclusive custom art commissions for members only

✅ Exclusive members-only group to help artists improve their skills, provide feedback on their work, and help them develop their unique voice and style

✅ Early access to behind-the-scenes art from my other artistic projects

✅ Guest artist features

...and potentially more.

Additionally, for people who DON'T want to have to register to read the comic for free, I put all my comics on my Buy Me A Coffee page on the Gallery tab, no registration required. There is also a BMAC version of the Premium Plan as well if you'd like.

It took me a while to realize that being vague and mysterious and secretive apparently doesn't work out well in terms of marketing after all, especially for newer artists like myself. So, I decided on a more transparent and inclusive Plan B, as I seem to be getting very little exposure.

I am currently in the process of making some changes to the untilted.lol website. Just a reminder!

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

How I Coded This Blog

Cam R. • Published on: April 8, 2025

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I have implemented a kind of experimental code for my new blog. This code defines a multifunctional sidebar interface combined with blog post navigation, a popup message system (that people can optionally click), and my attempt at dynamic RSS JSON feed generation. Below, I explain every line and component to highlight how the code works and its technical structure.

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mySidebar

The sidebar is represented by the <nav> element. It is positioned to remain fixed on the left side of the page, occupying the full height. Here I will explain its inline CSS styles (I use inline CSS for everything because it's easier to keep track of which CSS styles are linked to a specific HTML div):

• z-index:3: Since nav is positioned to be fixed, the z-index property is used to ensure that the sidebar appears above most page elements but below higher-priority components like the popup (For context, the popup's z-index is 5).
• width:320px, height:100%: These physical dimensions are appropriate for sidebars and for both mobile and desktop users.
• position:fixed, top:0, left:0: Fixes the sidebar at the top-left corner of the viewport.
• background-color:white: Sets the sidebar's background color for better readability.
• overflow:auto: Enables scrolling if the content inside the sidebar exceeds the sidebar height.
• border-right:1px solid #ddd, box-shadow: Adds a subtle shadow and lining for visual separation.

The reason for the id="mySidebar" identifier is to allow JavaScript functions to interact with this element dynamically.

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What's Inside The <nav>?

You will note that most everything is in block format which means that block elements stack on top of each other.

1. <div id="makespaceforbutton">:

   • Acts as an empty container for any potential dynamic content placed via JavaScript and also to, as the id obviously puts it, "make space for button". There is a border-bottom:1px solid #ddd line, the space between the content and the border is about 35px (padding), and all text is aligned center for consistency.

2. <a id="aboutLink"> and its styles:

   • Serves as a navigational link titled "About This Blog."
   • Attributes: href="javascript:void(0) prevents default link navigation, instead relying on onclick="showAboutPopup()" to show the "About This Blog" popup.
   • Styling (background-color: #616161, color:white, etc.) gives a greyish background with white text and ensures a user-friendly, visually distinct appearance.

3. Posts Section Toggle (<a id="postsBtn">):

   • Exists to enable the visibility of the list of available posts as a clickable button. This is managed via the onclick="togglePosts()" handler. All other styles it contains is for aesthetic purposes.

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Posts Section

<div id="Demo1"> shows a list of collapsible posts, initially hidden as display:none. It contains individual post links structured as (example):

<a ... onclick="showPost('Post1')">
  <div>
    <span>POST1</span>
    <p>insertdatehere</p>
  </div>
</a>

These links include:

• Dynamic IDs and Styling: Each link is styled for clean layout with borders (border-bottom:1px solid #ddd) and 16px padding.
• Functions for Content Display: The onclick event attribute calls showPost(), a function that takes an argument (in this case, the ID of the post to be shown) and performs the necessary operations to reveal the specified post and hide the others.

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Sidebar Toggle Button

So where the "makespaceforbutton" section is located, there is a <button> element outside the sidebar that toggles its visibility. Key features include:

• Positioning (position:fixed, top:16px, left:16px): Like the sidebar, the button is positioned albeit slightly at 16px at the top left to ensure consistent placement.
• Functionality (onclick="toggleSidebar()"): When you click the button, a JavaScript function toggles the sidebar and adjusts the main content's margin (style.marginLeft).

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Informational Popup

<div id="id01"> is a modal overlay designed to display a popup. It uses the following:

• display:none: This initially hides the popup until triggered by JavaScript.
• Styling: Covers the entire page (width:100%; height:100%) and dims the background to a transparent black color (background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.5)).
• Popup Content: Contains auxiliary <div> elements styled (background-color: coral, padding:16px) for clarity. The close button (technically a multiplication sign, but we can use it as a normal X as well) invokes JavaScript to hide the popup.

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CSS Inside <style> Block

The external CSS block includes:

1. #popup-content:
   • Defines the dimensions and animations of the popup.
   • Responsive Design: Adjusts width under smaller screens for mobile users (width:80% for max-width:768px).

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Main Content and Blog Posts

The <div id="content"> represents the main content outside the sidebar:

1. <div id="defaultMessage">:

   • Displays introductory text for first-time visitors, including FAQs and descriptions of blog functionality. Once you click on any of the blog posts, it disappears and switches to any selected post.

2. Post Content (<div id="Post1">):

   • Encapsulates individual posts, styled for readability, with sections for headers, metadata, and footer content.
   • Integrates JSON-LD Structured Data (<script type="application/ld+json">): Originally, I did want to integrate some sort of RSS thing, but the problem is that I can't seem to upload files directly to the website's server, and my website/registrar's Cloudflare settings seem to make it difficult to turn web pages into RSS data. So I ended up with JSON-LD, which is actually apparently really only useful for SEO purposes, BUT it can be used as an RSS to a limited but useful extent as well. It took me a while to research and realize that.

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JavaScript Functionality

The <script> block governs dynamic behaviors:

1. generateRSS Function:

   • Scans posts for JSON data, builds an RSS-compatible JSON feed (or at least a semblance of it?), and returns it.
   • Utilizes querySelectorAll to locate elements containing data-rss-feed.

2. Event Handlers:

   • togglePosts(): Toggles the visibility of the Demo1 container (posts section).
   • showPost(postId): Hides the default message and displays a specified post by its ID.
   • showAboutPopup() and toggleSidebar(): Control popup and sidebar toggling.

3. Feed Storage: Saves RSS JSON to sessionStorage for quick retrieval.

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RSS Feed Copy Button

Finally, the <button> for copying RSS JSON is placed at the bottom-right corner of the viewport. It interacts with the clipboard via navigator.clipboard.writeText().

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How Well Did I Do?

This code took me about 3 weeks to get right. I think the JSON thing was the hardest part. Because of how I thought it would be somewhat simple enough to do, and it turned out to be somewhat difficult.

At some point I may add more extra things, so this is just how the code is as of this time in writing.

If you have any feedback of any kind you are welcome to leave it!

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Does Anybody Really Care If A Story Is Generic/Bad Or Not? (4/11/2025 Repost)

Cam R. • Published on: April 11, 2025

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(Originally posted on January 22, 2025)

Most works of fiction follow predictable patterns, tropes, and clichés in the name of convention, audience comfort, nostalgia, or the like. Conventions in storytelling have long been established as a means of creating a sense of familiarity and recognition for the audience. Certain narrative structures, character archetypes, and plot devices have become so ingrained that they serve as a foundation for many storylines of shows, movies, and more. This familiarity provides a sense of comfort and security, allowing the audience to engage with the story more readily.

At the same time, that same audience may also demand less, not more, predictable stories, in favor of more unique ones.

Does it really matter?

ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ.

Contrary to what some folks might say, most people don't actually care if a story is generic.

In fact, many readers actively seek out stories with familiar elements. This preference for the comfortable is often underestimated in discussions about storytelling.

But, it's also true that fiction thrives on a delicate balance between familiarity and innovation.

When stories break away from conventional patterns, they can surprise and captivate audiences, and potentially lead to a more memorable experience.

Fortunately, I was mature and intelligent enough to realize narratives are far more complex than simple accusations of unoriginality. My own experiences navigating the stories promoted by popular culture and wrestling with my own attempts at teaching myself how to write a story revealed a nuanced landscape of narrative expectations. And I'm open to all the endless possibilities.

However, I was tired. Tired of seeing the same kinds of stories and characters over and over again. The realistic, down-to-earth romantic dramas, the superheroes rescuing damsels in distress, the funny animal adventures - don't get me wrong, those can be great, but STILL.

I'm not exactly fond of episodic things - those can actually be kind of forgettable. But I didn't want to go the other extreme and dive into some big, convoluted plot that everyone has to follow religiously. Those kinds of stories can be overwhelming, for everyone. I didn't want to feel like I was getting bogged down in intricate world-building or trying to keep track of a million different characters and plot threads.

Originally I wanted this to be a straight up comic series with origin stories and stuff, but that's daunting too. So, I decided to scale things back a bit and go with a more manageable comic strip format instead. That way, I could focus on crafting individual, self-contained strips without having to worry about weaving together a larger narrative arc.

But I was still having trouble coming up with something.

Then, I came up with this idea.

What if everything took place in a world where:

1. Nothing is consistent, organized, and overly polished. Not everything needs to be perfect or meticulously arranged to be valuable or meaningful. When things are inconsistent or less polished, they can feel more genuine and relatable. In this way, people are more likely to appreciate things like perspective issues or line quality variation, rather than criticize them.
2. All characters are neither human nor non-human, and have their own unique and oddly specific biological traits. All this is open to interpretation, and it also allows for a diverse range of beings that defy conventional biological norms. However, this is not better explained by any fictional construct such as that in science fiction or fantasy - in other words, they won't be stereotypical aliens or unicorns or dragons or whatever.
3. Everyone lives in fairly basic societies focused on survival needs, but the social constructs of the real world do not apply to this world. Concepts like class, race, or gender roles may not hold the same significance or influence as they do in the real world. While this is also open to interpretation, it is important to remember that the aforementioned concepts would not be relevant. This doesn't mean that there aren't any differences or inequalities, but they would likely be based on more practical and immediate factors.

To make things even more simpler, I decided that there will be only one main character.

Now, if you saw what my character looked like, you may notice how plain-looking, at first glance, the character design is.

However, that is a deliberate choice on my part, not a shortcoming. The simplicity of the humanoid look is done to create a sense of universality and an appearance that is more relatable and accessible. It's a deceptively simple design that hides the true nature of the protagonist. (and no, it's not as evil or cliche as it sounds)

The decision to focus on a single main character allows for depth rather than breadth. Instead of juggling multiple story lines and personalities, we can dive deep into one being's experiences, thoughts, and growth.

Now, this approach to storytelling isn't about rejecting all conventions. Rather, it's about questioning why those conventions exist and whether they serve the story we want to tell. It's about finding a balance between the familiar and the novel, or rather, the generic and the unique, and creating a world that feels both different and strangely relatable.

In the end, this isn't just about creating a more unique comic strip. It's about challenging our perceptions, expanding our understanding of what storytelling can be, and inviting readers to see the world - both the fictional one I'm creating and the real one we inhabit - from a new perspective. It's an experiment in narrative, in art, and in the very nature of existence itself.

And it shouldn't be about how generic or how bad a story is. The focus should be on evaluating the artistic merit and craftsmanship of the story, rather than simply making broad, subjective judgments about its perceived flaws or lack of uniqueness. A good critique examines the specific techniques, choices, and execution of the story, considering both its strengths and areas for improvement. The goal should be to provide constructive feedback that helps the storyteller develop their skills and create more compelling, impactful stories in the future.

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

My Limitations in Art

Cam R. • Published on: April 15, 2025

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Over an extended period of introspection, I have come to recognize that my aptitude for producing large-scale artworks is, in reality, far more limited than I had long presumed. While I am able to navigate the demands of a canvas comparable in scale to my sketchbook, works exceeding those dimensions present an overwhelming challenge and consume a disproportionate amount of time and cognitive resources. This difficulty is compounded by the limitations of my current living situation in a densely packed apartment building with inadequate insulation, requiring additional protective measures for my physical artwork that go well beyond the initially straightforward act of encasing them in plastic. Therefore, my artwork MUST not exceed 8.5 by 11 inches. Furthermore, I'm diverse but also quite limited to what I can work with, ranging from high-quality acrylic paints to more elementary mediums such as Crayola crayons, all of which necessitate the application of Mod Podge spray for preservation.

Given these factors, I have opted to concentrate my traditional artistic practice on miniature works. This not only aligns better with my environmental and material constraints but also because I find it easier to do than having 5 larger pieces and leaving them unfinished, often due to uncertainty about their direction or the need for specific materials that I can't afford or are hard to find. My prior explorations in various techniques and genres, including printmaking, T-shirt design, and thematic series centered on cakes, failed to yield artistic or personal satisfaction. The processes inherent to these undertakings proved either excessively complex or revealed my own limitations with conceptual and serialized art-making. In contrast, the execution of miniature pieces provides a directness and manageability absent from more elaborate forms. It's also why I like cartooning and abstract art (to some degree) more.

Everything in art is too unnecessarily complex for me, a realization that at one point catalyzed a hiatus spanning two years from any serious engagement with art. The pursuit of a professional trajectory in art, with its attendant pressures and systemic frustrations, has not abated even as I attempt to chart an independent path outside conventional academic frameworks - eschewing both formal fine arts degrees and so-called "online self-directed learning" curricula that requires payment. In retrospect, I derive greater fulfillment from exploration that is entirely self-directed by me, than from passive reception of knowledge in classroom settings. Frankly, I don't feel good being taught by someone else anymore. I just don't. I understand its importance, but I don't feel good about education anymore. I would rather educate myself whenever I feel it's necessary to.

Honestly, it's more about people than it is about education. Teachers and professors don't know how to handle anyone with empathy and understanding anymore. My encounters with teachers and professors have revealed a pervasive deficit in empathy and understanding, with many resorting to condescension toward those they deem obstinate, and at times, characterizing their own students as deliberately obtuse or illiterate. Such attitudes have eroded my inclination to reengage with formal education, undermining not only my motivation to improve, but also my trust in the capacity of educators to support diverse learners. With rare exception, my teachers have failed to demonstrate the patience and flexibility necessary to nurture students facing unique challenges, reinforcing my conclusion that the problem is institutional and systemic.

Consequently, I have resolved to assume full autonomy over my artistic development, determining for myself the parameters of my progress and the criteria by which it is measured. While I remain receptive to criticism in principle, I am acutely sensitive to prescriptive feedback, regardless of its rationale - a trait present since childhood, and not indicative of rebellion but rather heightened emotional receptivity to anything that could be interpreted as controlling. My objective, henceforth, is to dedicate my creative efforts to smaller-scale works, prioritizing professionalism over spectacle, and ensuring that my art remains a source of personal accomplishment rather than external validation.

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Growing Out or Evolving?

Cam R. • Published on: April 29, 2025

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I still remember holding a pencil in my hand during class, not just to work on assignments or group projects, but also to secretly scribble pictures of characters with huge eyes and exaggerated proportions. Back then, it didn't matter if the arms were too long or if the perspective was all off. The rules of art didn’t really apply too much. Doodling cartoons felt like freedom. Cartoons were, and still are, about exaggeration without apologies, creating worlds where a character could suddenly turn into a rocket mid-sentence without anyone questioning the physics.

However, as much as I still prefer drawing cartoons to drawing anything realistic, I can't help but notice that my interest in cartoons is slowly waning. It's not because I've completely outgrown them or because I buy into the old idea that serious art has to be hyperrealistic. Simply put, I just do not have the same enthusiasm or interest in cartoons I used to have as a child. Like, all the exaggerations in cartoons that I used to tolerate as a child now just grates me. But it can also annoy me just as much as the over-the-top dramatic antics in melodramas, so it's not a "I'm putting away childish things" sort of thing. Even Japanese anime irks me now (although I still like Studio Ghibli movies).

I'm genuinely annoyed at what passes for popular in the cartoon sphere these days, both animated and printed. Every piece has to squeeze in something that shocks a couple of people because shock value is cool nowadays. It's as if subtle storytelling is out of style, and every drawing has to give a wink to the audience: "Look how grown-up we are! Check out my character saying and doing naughty no-no stuff!" If that's what you want to intend your art for, fine. I'm not against anyone's creative choices. But it's so insane that everything popular has to be adultified just to discourage kids from looking at it. These days, even preschool shows manage to sneak in celebrity cameos that seem more fitting for late-night comedy spots, with inside jokes that go over kids' heads but get a thumbs-up from adults who want to feel "in the know". It's not clever; it just feels like pandering. Like nothing can't be for just all ages anymore because adults are obsessed with wanting to remind everyone that the world is dark and mean and cruel. However, I'm more concerned about the more moderately explicit ones than the mild ones seen in anything lower than at least TV-PG. The ones that raise important social issues are not really my problem, and I am not one of those people to obsess over tone than the actual point being made. But the more gratuitous ones that just exist for shock value are, at least to some extent.

It actually makes me not want to look at any cartoon art anymore, including anime. Like, sometimes I can't. Then there's the other extreme, the shows that try so hard to be "wholesome" that they end up feeling cold and sterile. Like happiness has to be pure and simple, stripped of any real complexity. I mean, come on, I believe that cartoons can and should be more than wholesome, but I dont want everything to be inappropriately adultified literally everywhere either. A story can explore grief without getting lost in it, or show hope without making it too gritty or real.

Frankly, having to keep up with trends in cartoons just to meet the public eye halfway does not appeal to me if no trend does. That's why I end up following no trends at all, especially with my art.

That's probably just my ingrained and possibly outdated and irrational cultural beliefs talking, though, so I probably won't be as taken seriously.

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Contact me by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Changing Up Some Things

Cam R. • Published on: May 26, 2025

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I know I went a full month without posting anything new or worthwhile on the untilted dot lol blog. But, on the bright side, some new changes are coming:

• There is now a dotart.blog mirror of the untilted dot lol blog. This means an actual RSS feed (besides my mostly nonfunctional JSON one), federation with the fediverse, and I actually get to verify it on my Mastodon profile.

• untilted.lol income is reliant on subscription memberships and donations, but apparently the project isn't popular enough to warrant anyone actually supporting it. The good news is, I actually may have some ideas for an art commission that don't make me feel like I'm just wasting my time and that is bearable to do. You'll be hearing more details in the not too distant future, maybe this week.

• I am constantly thinking of better ways to make the subscription membership option more attractive. Again, you'll hear about some new features at some point, but not too late.

• I am constantly improving my website.

• I am constantly looking for better marketing ideas that don't cost too much. The reason I used to briefly rely on Pinterest advertising is because it felt to be a more preferable option than the horrors of networking, which I still hate because I'm an insular person by nature.

That's all.

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Reply to this post by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Where Was I?

Cam R. • Published on: August 6, 2025

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I have not had a sale for the first few months since I set up shop, but this time I can take some responsibility for that, because I was initially not very clear about what I could provide to the audience besides my art and my update posts. It's also been a while since I spoke on this matter as well. You also may have also noticed that I don't post much art outside of the Untilted comic strip. All that is explained on my personal blog.

Regarding art business, I've done a lot of introspection and research on what specifically I want to do these past few months, because of the lack of subscriptions and interactions and mostly due to my thinking that I would be mostly passive while customers come to me. It seems that no matter where I set up shop, whether it's Mercari, Fiverr or some other marketplace even if run independently by me, I don't get much traction anywhere. There was a whole moment where, despite consistently putting up stuff on Mercari for weeks, I went a whole year without a single sale, which led to my frustration and led to me eventually deactivating my Mercari account. All this despite putting up stuff most people want to see. And I'm being regularly blamed for not being proactive enough when I just want to not have to think about how to woo people in my business, which apparently I must actively do or else I'll be treated with suspicion. But guess what? It was like this under actual employment as well. When I signed up for a temporary summer painting job at my community college, I was also being seen by my manager as “not doing my job and constantly disappearing” despite the fact that I actually was consistently painting on the areas I was assigned to the entire time, and despite me showing him. Which led to me quitting a day before the official employment term ended.

It turns out that I'm not very traditionally well-suited for any type of business or profession due to my nature and attitude towards it. And I think the main reason for this is because, going by how people promote their own products and all, from Mastodon to Pinterest, everyone HAS to be proactive and initiative at ALL times and everything HAS to be attractive and acceptable to the general public (or at least a well-defined popular demographic/audience) or else I'll be viewed with suspicion/contempt and eventually ignored in favor of more popular and marketable influencers. And I don't really like that notion. At all.

It also turns out that there are some things in the art business that I am not exactly comfortable with doing, that I've seen everywhere I go in a lot of art circles:

1. Art prints. I feel like only photography is best suited to be printable, but I don't exactly have the budget for a high-end camera (although I do have Photoshop and Lightroom, but I rarely use it) so I will probably never be able to successfully pull it off.
2. Art merchandise (like stickers, bookmarks, shirts, etc.). I do actually do my own stickers and bookmarks using my own materials and whatever else I got but I just do not like the idea of turning my art into marketable merchandise that dilutes almost all meaning my art has. It feels like I am using my art in a way that indicates that it does not deserve respect beyond being marketable and trendy.
3. Stock photos and stock illustrations. At one point I did attempt to sell stock photos with Adobe Stock, and they rejected my photograph for being low-quality and, most irritating at all, “not representing the broader human experience” as if a stock photo has to mean something beyond being used by businesses to showcase their products without actually showing the actual product. So I stopped. I'm not even sure if someone can sell stock photos beyond a marketplace, because most people are bound by marketplaces that either prohibit content with resale rights or have heavy restrictions on them anyway, and stock images are technically such content. So I will not be doing stock images.
4. Sending physical and handmade art/jewelry. I currently do not have the means or support to do so due to preservation concerns as I live in an apartment building that's not very suitable enough to preserve high-quality artwork beyond the ones that take low maintenance to preserve.
5. Anything that can be sold on Fine Art America, Etsy, Pixels, etc. due to my experience with marketplaces I just explained at the beginning.
6. Anything photography related due to the high expectations associated with it.
7. Any type of art commission that feels informal (like character base templates). Now, I have no hostility or hatred towards people who do art commissions. But a lot of the scene and their ideas feel, how do I put this in a nice way, too simplistic and informal. I do not mean to say that they are unprofessional at all, or anything overly negative like that. I am not one of those people who judge other people's career choices based on perceived professionalism and I am actually very accommodating about this stuff. However, I have a preference towards commissions that convey a higher level of seriousness and that give me something simple yet also challenging to do, while not burning me out, but also helping me learn something new at the same time. And I don't feel that certain types of art commissions meet that standard for me.
8. Any type of art commission that feels too easy to do to the extent that it can be exploited by someone who wants to rip it off and pretend they did the work themselves when they stole it from me (like profile picture commissions done in the same kind of style, “adoptables”, etc). See 7.
9. Any type of art commission that has loopholes that may violate my boundaries and could get me in trouble (e.g. non-explicit fetish art that isn't obvious to the average viewer that it's meant to be fetish art). I've had this boundary way before the whole UK Online Safety Act thing (which I technically may be bound to due to me being on a UK-based marketplace website, although my website contains no objectionable content) but I would just like to reiterate that I do not do any kind of content that may be considered harmful to vulnerable audiences, legally or not, no matter how implicit or hidden it is. Although all my art is created for a general audience and is not primarily directed at either children or adults, I do not do any kind of adult content whatsoever. This is not to judge those that do, just to set things straight.
10. Anything that requires software I may not be familiar with.
11. Texture/brush packs (because I am not familiar with them)
12. Online teaching (for obvious reasons)
13. Anything involving cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, and artificial intelligence due to ethical risks
14. Anything beyond my current skill level and budget.
15. Anything outside my personal taste unless I'm sure I'm comfortable with it. I do not discriminate against anyone for having an art style different from my own either.

I do like the idea of putting up membership content for people to subscribe to me and see all my content there, even if it's just for a month, which is why Untilted was initially a subscription-based thing before I realized that no one knows me well enough to want to subscribe to me. But I haven't even figured that out well yet, as I see some people put some behind the scenes art in public, and other art behind a membership paywall. As a result I am stumped as to what I want to put on my membership tiers, and I am open to ideas. I was thinking maybe I could do alternative versions of certain Untilted comics, or maybe some GIF animations.

I would really like everyone's help and input with this.

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Would you like to post a public comment on this page? Reply to this post by email, and I will be happy to do so while protecting your privacy!

The code used to make this blog is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Some Good News, Along With Some Bad News (and Clarification)

Cam R. • Published on: October 8, 2025

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On October 5, 2025, I deactivated my Bluesky account @untilted.lol as I felt that, simply put, it just wasn't for me in terms of both admin moderation and self-moderation, especially when everyone noticed that its CEO dismissed and evaded concerns about transphobic and other controversial/inflammatory accounts that are still on Bluesky without these accounts being suspended. And, despite the fact that I did initially get more engagement on Bluesky compared to Mastodon in the form of likes, I decided that it wasn't worth my well-being to remain on a platform that's way too relaxed over people flinging vulgar insults at each other yet now has suddenly decided that their moderation, and the platform itself by extension, needs to change. It does feel sometimes like on X/Twitter where every post's thread would descend into a flame war (even way before Elon Musk took it over), but I wasn't very cognizant of that until I further lurked into what the Bluesky controversy was like. Now it just feels like Bluesky has turned into another X/Twitter where it's hard to stay professional and cool and collected while everyone else around you just fights each other.

Furthermore, I'll probably be called a "goody-goody" over this, but I honestly don't believe we need another catchphrase that reclaims a word that was originally intended to be a really harsh offensive insult, and suddenly act like it's the hottest trendy thing to say. These kinds of trends, to me, are how we get people adopting ideas and beliefs that may not even resonate with them in the first place, but are really just to justify whatever biases they have of certain others. It also leads to the proliferation of catchy but low-quality and actually problematic ideas that sacrifice all dignity and integrity to make them appealing to a broader audience. And then we wonder why we have vulnerable audiences repeating and unironically believing these problematic sentiments. What we should all strive to do instead is craft compelling and meaningful statements that are timeless and resonate with us all, even if it sounds "too serious" or "corny" or whatever. I just don't believe in reclaiming words that obviously have an original negative intent in the name of "making it positive and digestible" for a broader audience. To me, it's inauthentic, and, dare I say, trying too hard. And I'm not saying this out of some arbitrary standard or to feel superior. I'm saying it out of respect and care. But, I won't go out of my way to police how other people think and what they say either, unless it directly affects me, or others around me.

For the time being, I will be around on mastodon.art posting updates about my comic strip Untilted, and I will try to personalize all my posts, including self-promos, in a way that doesn't come across as too heavily reliant on copying and pasting scripts. This criticism might sting, but I'm starting to notice how the vast majority of self-promoters just drop a few standard messages, a briefly original statement (sometimes to report on updates), post an image with additional info in its alt text (or worse, post NO alt text), and that's basically it. Since noticing this, I want to aspire to be different and add more of a personal touch to my self-promotional posts while still respecting others that may not want to see these types of posts so frequently. I hope others would too. I'll have to figure this one out myself, and you'll be noticing it sooner or later from me.

Also, after a few years, I still have not been able to pick up new members on either untilted.lol (free and paid plans) or the Buy Me A Coffee version of the paid membership. I admittedly haven't been uploading much exclusive content on my website, and I haven't had the motivation to transfer that to the Buy Me A Coffee version of the paid membership due to a seemingly lack of interest in... well, anything I seem to do. I think the fault lies in the fact that I don't do much marketing beyond making promotional posts and word-of-mouth, and I don't like receiving excessive attention either, but that shouldn't have to mean that people assume that I don't want any attention at all. Another factor is that I've been having some difficulty figuring out what kinds of membership posts I would truly like to do besides just posting high-quality works in progress or behind the scenes stuff. Everybody does that. But I wish to offer more. I might create a poll on that soon. There's so many likes and favorites on my social media posts but I'm always short - and often devoid - of people offering maybe constructive artistic criticism that's understandable to help me improve on my work, or maybe someone willing to work with me in a way that doesn't just promote what they themselves have to offer but also gives me meaningful personalized advice. That's what I value more.

I think the problem lies in that both Bluesky and Mastodon, despite claiming to have no algorithms that push ads or other content on you, paradoxically push people with the most followers with the most popular/relevant perspectives on their respective "Discover" feeds, while a lot of genuine self-promo and mutual aid posts from users with a smaller follower base get buried, or worse falsely reported (depending on how one interprets it). The differences between them are that Bluesky emphasizes algorithmic timelines while allowing users to customize those feeds to not rely on trending posts all the time, along with making follower count signals more uniform by concentrating influential users (this was made more apparent when Bluesky introduced the "Verified" feature for "important and culturally relevant" accounts and made people sign up for that via Google Forms). While Mastodon's "Discover" feed is more instance dependent and sometimes moderated depending on the instance, in addition to localizing certain users with high follower counts to an instance or across instances, which means it depends on how well said instance federates with others.

But that's not the only issue. Bluesky appears to be more friendly towards those who self-promote/market their content to anyone seeing their posts, while views on this user behavior on Mastodon tend to be very mixed and fragmented. I've seen some instances ban any kind of self-promotion by users on their own instance. I've also seen others welcome it, but to the extent that spam waves and other automated behavior become common at worst. A quote from me:

"I've seen people who happen to have small indie businesses get called out for "engagement farming". Conversely, I've seen these same smaller people told they're "not trying hard enough" if nobody still acknowledges their business after 6 months or more. And given a bunch of "suggestions" or "hacks" that only appeal to larger corporate companies.

The truth is, there really seems to be no winning formula for meaningful online interaction, whether it's to promote a business or just hang out with people or even just to ask for mutual aid. When someone attempts to make strategic posts designed to maximize engagement (regardless of whether that someone is running a business or not), that someone is criticized for being inauthentic. Yet, when that same someone attempts to pivot to genuine, sincere interactions, there is nothing but minimal response, or worse, dismissive, vague responses that seem to make fun of that someone."

On both Bluesky and Mastodon, I've only had up to, like, less than 10 people genuinely interact with my work in a meaningful way. The others just clicked the like button. I rarely actually get likes or even a single repost/boost on Mastodon, however, unless it was an opinion on something that everyone seems to agree with.

At the same time, I don't want to act like just because Bluesky and Mastodon share similarities in some flaws, it should have to mean I'll have to see them both negatively, as I like it way much better on Mastodon. I don't want to see myself turn into someone that does things to get likes or stir up controversy to get negative attention. I don't want to have to appeal to what the majority likes. I don't want to have to cater to other people's interests to the detriment of my own genuine ones. And I especially do not want to alienate anyone at all, except maybe some truly harmful people like those who discriminate against the marginalized, but that's all. So I am trying to strike a balance here. And I would like to open myself up to any criticism or accountability if needed.

In other news, I'm still retaining my Pinterest account as I actually want to post more regularly on that even though I'm seeing people say that Pinterest is currently not a good place to be due to the platform's recent random bans on people. However I want to clarify that I have opted out on the AI thing that Pinterest wanted to force on us, and, despite being a business account, I want to mix some personality into my self-promotional posts, I have not faced any disciplinary action and I am still on good standing. If you think I should make some changes like reverting to a personal account or closing Pinterest entirely, I might do so since I don't get much traffic. I watermark all my social media imagery using artshield.io to protect it against AI scraping and stuff like that, but I'm open to other alternatives (since it sometimes fails to watermark certain images despite them not having a white background. ugh). I'm also still on Side 7, but lately it's been ticking me off due to the lack of interaction I get and the fact that no one responds to my inquiries except the moderators and admins (who are helpful sometimes).

I'm also looking forward to new comic platforms (no tapas.io or webtoon please) and I wanted to try ComicFury webcomic hosting but the last time I contacted them they were unresponsive. So I preferably want something like ComicFury or preferably help in coding something that allows serial art to be shown in an accessible manner, as some platforms lack the ability to add alt text (especially Buy Me A Coffee's gallery). I'll also work on making my alt text more descriptive and nicer to read. If anyone has any useful suggestions on this matter, reach out to me if you can.

In the meanwhile one can support me on either Buy Me A Coffee or my website through signing up for any of the plans and creating an account.. To date, the latest issue I've done is #83 and can be viewed here. (I've fixed an error on my last one)

I'm also going to revamp Untilted's lore and character profile a bit, to clarify some things and make more sense.

Any suggestions, criticism, etc. relevant to this post are welcome!

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