After some careful consideration and (even more) soul searching, I've decided it's finally time to part ways with DeviantArt after 14 years.
Now, I know I've had some various permutations of that, but I honestly feel this is the right time to leave DA. And in all honesty, I don't think the site is the best place for me to grow an audience for my original works and projects anymore. I kind of came to this conclusion after my last journal entry, but I didn't want to jump the gun in haste.
Sure, I could just start over with a new account, but let's be real: DA just isn't what it used to be anymore, both in audience, quality, and in content. I've been around since 2002, and I've seen the site through it's rise and (debatable) fall. I've seen the trends, the popular memes that would flood the front page, I've seen formerly obscure artists become popular professional artists with their art adorning Wacom tablet boxes. Mudkips, Guatemala, I was there for those. I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like--- Wait, sorry, just had to make a Blade Runner joke, haha.
No, but serious, it's time. Probably well past time, at that.
Anyhow, as a last gesture of thanks towards long-time watchers and followers, especially since going forward I'm focusing on primarily original works, I'll be pulling a large chunk of stuff (though not all of it) out of storage, going as far back as late 2010: that includes nearly all my Green Lantern, SWTOR, NickTurtles/TMNT 2k12, early GOTG, Killer Instinct, and some Mass Effect and Clone Wars stuff, too. So if there's something you've wanted to see and/or save again, this is your last chance. As embarrassing as some of the old shit is, any one of those drawings meant something to someone at one point. And that's pretty special, I think.
I'll try to have this done by the weekend; I'm now trying to figure out which ones to pull out, haha.
Anyhow, I'll be leaving everything up until August 7th, and I'll be putting everything back into storage when I get back from a trip that weekend. Whether or not I'll be deleting this account completely, I haven't decided. There's still plenty of memories to be had, including drawings I've lost the original versions of (like all my Green Lantern fan art and some very early takes for 'Myths of Meteora'). But there's also memories I'd rather just forget and put behind me, too.
So, thanks for the memories, everyone. It's been a good run. But if you know where to find me elsewhere, then I'll see you around.
ETA: Everything (that I picked) should be out of storage. Again, I strongly suggest you do not favorite them, but save them to your H/D, because I will be putting them back into storage and I will never repost them anywhere again.