Do you know the feeling: you've been working all day, it's cold outside and it gets dark early - real November weather: cold and wet and ugly. You make it home and after this long day has gotten stretched even longer by making yourself something decent to eat (which should lighten your mood but doesn't quite manage to do so on this particular evening) you finally find time for your "internet life". Checking your personal mail, your facebook/studivz/whatever account and (who would've guessed) dA.

I have to admit that I'm usually a very selective reader/viewer when it comes to dA. I get so many new journals a day and deviations in my inbox that it's hard to keep up. But I always read a few journals - either randomly or going by their titles. And oh boy do I sometimes wish I hadn't followed that link!

dA has always been a drama imperium, I usually just shrug and move on. But sometimes, I get the feeling that some deviants seem to think that they're sooooo much better than the rest that it's very hard to keep my mouth shut. I am not going to tell you whose journal pushed me to say this, but it has been an ongoing issue:

While there are dozens of manip contests out there proclaiming to award their prize baskets to those who are most original, in the end, it's a matter of the judges tastes as to who will win. Now stop before you start applauding: I'm NOT saying that this is wrong!

Look at it this way: when YOU are the one holding the contest (which includes organizing it and probably sponsoring the prizes), you have a rght to choose your winners. Now, I'm sure you could argue that if they want the "lady-at-the-lake" kinda manip they should just say so in their contest guidlines and be done with it, instead of claiming that originality will win...

This, however, begs the question as to how on earth you define originality in the first place! Who are you (yes you, who has been ranting about what is original and what is not) to crown yourself king of the original? An old theme with a new twist, isn't that original too? Is a seemingly new theme (I'm gonna be so bold here as to say that there IS nothing absolutely new to be found anyway - only new combinations) done with "old" or "unmodern" techniques not borderline boring because it might not captivate as if the technique were comparable to today's standards? Who's gonna say what is standard? Who's gonna say what is "new" or modern or up-to-date?

My point is: if someone holds a contests and says that they will reward originality, it seems to me that believing that their point of view and mine on what "originality" is will surely differ. So please, grab some realism and quit whining about how unfair dA and its inhabitans can be (even though of course you were okay with not winning - but your choice simply would've been different than the judges).

And if you think your ranting will make a difference you need an even bigger dose of realism than I thought. Because it won't. If you don't like this kind of contest, then don't participate. Or be realistic enough to do something that will please the judges if you're after a certain prize (nothing wrong with that, I've been a poor student long enough to know the value of a sub won instead of bought).

That said, I know that ranting about anything is rather pointless - and I'll follow my own good advice of ignoring that which I can't stand again in a minute - but sometimes some things need to vent. I just don't get why some seem to have only this one topic to rant about and how they can't see how petty it makes them look

So, I'm back from my holidays in Tuscany - they were great and it seems like much too short, as is usually the case with good times There will certainly be some more pics from that popping up in your inbox. Just ignore them if they get too much hehe

I'm also back as in creative again after a long drought. I hope I'll be able to hold on to this spark for a while...

I'm not creative enough to get a new personal journal up, so I decided that I'm gonna use this beauty of simplicity & elegance here (that's something I just can't seem to manage with journal skins: simplicity). Thank you Anne!

_{I can hear a whisper}

Oh, almost forgot: I finally managed to update my calendars for 2010, too -yay me (took me long enough this year).