DeviantART is and will always will be a special place for me. This website can't be resumed so easly, and so is my story with it. more precisely, I would keep those 4 words:
Improvement
DeviantART gave me the motivation to improve my skills and to share them with other people. I was so shy, I didn't believed in myself... but seeing all those amazing people sharing the same passion, I decided I would give it a try. Let's see...2007, when I came on deviantART. I was 17 years old and I was using a program (photoshop) for the very first time.
and some of my last personal drawings from 2012, at 23 years old.
I never knew I would receive such positive feedback from the dA community. I saw a future in it... I saw what I was capable of. So I decided to be a professional, a game artist in fact. I couldn't be happier with my job, I like my art style and everyday has its share of surprises, knowledge and happiness. I built it with my own strength but the website gave me a welcome hand to face my challenged as an artist.
Community
DeviantART has a community with many faces, you can always find what/who you're looking for. Who knew it was so easy to talk about Art! I joinded groups, I searched for people, I was able to organize myself to find what I needed and be a part of something bigger.Unofficial devMeet 2010 at Paris, France
Thanks to this website, I got to learn English and meet people from all countries and backgrounds. Without deviantART I wouldn't be capable of speaking English so good, good enough to interact with a lot of my current friends.
I've got to meet people who shared my passion and supported me. They told me I was an inspiration, an amazing person, that I could bring something beautiful to them. I gave all I had and they gave me so much in return. I have a very bad health, I have an anxiety disorder... I am not as present as I want to be... but my friends, my fans... they always waited for me. They cry and laugh with me, they tell me their stories, I can see their beautiful creations, help them... even if we are far away, even if we may never meet face to face, deviantART let us be together.
Some of my friends and fans's drawings. See more of my amazing friends and fans's works here!
Thank you deviantART for giving me such wonderful people!
Opportunities
As a professional artist or as a simple member of the community, I had the chance to meet countless of developers, artists and editors who became co-workers and friends. The staff and the forum is very active, many times have I won cool prices, be responsible at cons and forums but most of all I found jobs for every steps of my career. I was very surprised to receive a lot of job offer from this website, may they be from people, studios, small or big businesses. All of those were very welcome, it is a part of deviantART that a lot of people forget.Inspiration
Of course... deviantART is a golden mine. If you want to find an artist, an art style, a brunch of reference for... pretty much everything, you got it here. You are not limited by some categorie, every type of creation is shared on deviantART. I'm here since 2006 and I still use dA browser to find some great pics... and I always find what I want! You can hear artists's voice and stories, understand them and have access to the best of the best. I am grateful for this.Top 50 deviations that inspired me and influenced my art style
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Mature Content
Mature Content
60 is a drop in the ocean. Of course there is much more... so much beautiful creations on deviantART.
As you can see, my story with deviantART is old and deep. This website gave me so much and whatever happens, I will always be grateful for it. 14 years... damn deviantART, you're getting old!
My wish for the future? A multilingual deviantART and a peaceful community.
Happy Birthday, deviantART, may you take many artists to the sky!