:bademoticon: Let's welcome another DA starter! 
Hi! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m AvidCommenter, a woman who was born and bred in England. I’ve been a member of DA for three months right now and I’m seriously enjoying the experience so far. I have made a lot of fantastic friends and I tend to think of ways in order to support the DA community as best as I possibly can.
What are your interests?
Well, as you can tell by my avatar, one of my biggest passions is writing. I’ve been writing for the past couple of years and overall it’s a fun hobby albeit it can be a little frustrating at times especially when I’m going through writer’s block. Apart from writing, I like to watch all sorts of films and anime/series and I do enjoy playing video games. That, and I’m such a big fan of music – honestly, I can listen to music all day and not get bored of it at all.
How did you find Deviantart and how did you decide on your username?
I have been interested in DeviantArt for the past couple of years even though I didn’t dream of joining. Plus, two of my biggest favourite youtubers (Markiplier and Jacksepticeye) were members of DA.
So in the end I decided to join up and put my curiosity to one side. As for my name, I wanted something memorable yet really interesting. From the start I knew I wanted to be more or less an active member of the community, and comments are such an important part of supporting other people.
Funnily enough I’ve had quite a few people come up and say to me I live up to my name all because I comment quite a lot. Hearing that brings a smile to my face.
How would you describe your art style?
Hmm, this is a hard question to answering considering the fact I’m not much of a drawer. I’m more of a writer, and I truly believe that literature is a form of art. You see, like art you have an idea in your head and it encourages you to pick up a pen and a notebook - or even just open up a Word document and start typing down anything that comes to mind. Writers and artists do have many things in common – the urge to create and the ability to express ourselves.
As for my style, I like to play around with words and phrases for my poetry. I like to think outside the box and show my ideas in unique ways that can be interpreted by the audience/reader.
Could you tell us a bit about how you got involved into art and if you have any goals as an artist?
I have been interested in writing for as long as I can – ever since I was a young child. What helped me was the fact I enjoyed reading and I literally had thousands of books when growing up. Just by reading I learned a lot and I tried to apply different techniques to my writing.
Also, before joining up to DA I did have a few accounts on other writing websites and it genuinely did help me as a writer. However I tend to favour DA more, so I’ve more or less abandoned the other websites.
My main goal is to carry on doing what I love the most and to improve upon writing. At one point in the near future I’d love to open up writing commissions – that is if I can advertise properly and if people shows an interest in my writing.
For now I’m happy doing writing requests for others, and I might open up literature/art trades. Another goal is to start doing more personal writing projects on here.
Please introduce one or more source(s) of inspiration and motivation (artists, works…) for you.
Like many other people, I like to listen to music when I write. When I listen to a song I like to listen closely to the lyrics more than anything else. Once a lyric stands out to me, it gives me the inspiration to mirror the idea they’re conveying but adding my own spin and style to the overall concept.
One of my favourite female singers has to be Kate Bush. Seriously, if you haven’t heard of her or listened to her music, you should. Not only is she a talented vocalist, but there is a certain charm to her songs that compels me to return to her music over and over again.
Her songs are mostly interesting, weird/unique and they tell a story. When you hear her sing, you can tell that there is passion and emotion there. It’s a shame that nowadays modern music there is a lack of singers/bands that possess these skills.
We love fun facts - Do you have any for us?
Most frequently you will find me on the Forums, so if you see me there don’t be afraid to say hi or start talking with me. I like making random topics/threads and from time to time I do use the Thumbnail Forum to offer comments on people’s works, and to gather a variety of work for my monthly Journal Features.
Oh, and recently one of my Forums got featured in a journal made by one of the official DA staff – I never knew forums can get featured, so that was a surprise!
What is your least favorite thing to draw and why?
If only I was an artist, then I could come up with a suitable answer. When it comes to writing, the thing I really hate writing the most is essays. Why? Because most often I find them rather boring and it just reminds me of the many essays I had to write for school/university. Not fun at all.
Do you have any skills you are famous/popular for?
Most of the time I am well known for giving out thoughtful comments and I do notice things about a person’s work that the original artist/writer hadn’t even thought about. In other words, I do have a sharp eye for details.
For example the other day I was having a conversation with a person on here about the artwork they have recently faved. I told them each piece represents various seasons judging from the tone and composition. They admitted to me afterwards they love anything to do with the Winter season, so they were kind of surprised that I made that remark.
Are there any skills you would kill for?
I would love to learn how to draw and develop my actual art skills. I remember back in school I took Art for three years but I didn’t carry on with it when I was going up to Year 10.
Honestly speaking, I was okay drawing, but in Textiles there were some tasks/assignments in which you had to draw something. I actually drew a Chinese dragon so it could go on a jacket I was working on. At times I wish I could write and draw at the same time – there are quite a few people on this site who are talented in both.
Does your direct environment (family, friends etc.) know about your artistic side?
They definitely do. In fact I consider myself pretty fortunate to have a supportive family that shows an interest in my writing. Whenever I show either my mum or my dad anything I’ve written they’re very impressed and encourage me to the best of my ability.
What inspires you usually?
Writing prompts for sure. There are plenty of Theme Challenges on here and most of them are very helpful for when I write poetry. Two months ago I took part in the National Haiku Writing Month and I used 28 prompts from a 30 Theme Challenge I had found. It served its purpose in the long run because it provided a fun challenge for me personally.
Would you like to introduce us to one or two idols you have meet on DA?
1.
I’ve only known her for a short time, yet she is really friendly, gives great comments/advice and her artwork is seriously impressive. Her realism style is very pleasing to the eye and from what I can tell, her attention to detail, colours, and overall artistic techniques are qualities that I admire about her.
2.
Seriously, this girl can write. I’ve only read a few of her literature pieces and I find that with each one, she manages to pull my attention in right from the start and holds it to the very end. I really adore the way she plays around with description in both stories and poetry, and she undoubtedly has a gift for weaving words together.
What do you enjoy drawing the most and why?
Going back to my school years I pretty much enjoyed drawing anything relating to nature or even still life in some ways. I found them easier to draw and I really enjoyed using different techniques like shading and using tones of colour. I would consider myself as a beginner artist even though I haven’t really drawn in ages.
Any phrase, quote or artists you would like to promote?
This is from a song by Kate Bush, and it’s called Sat In Your Lap:
Some say that knowledge is something sat in your lap,
Some say that knowledge is something that you never have.
For me, this personally means that nobody is born with knowledge. Knowledge about the world around us is something that we continue to learn from our experiences along with our desire to improve and to better ourselves. Knowledge is power, so use it wisely. It’s a gift that shouldn’t be neglected or abused.
Thank you very much for the interview! Is there anything you’d like to say as we close up?
I’d like to say this opportunity to thank you for selecting me for your interview. This is a real honour and it was fun from start to finish. It really made me think, and I hope a lot of people have learned about me as a person as well as a writer/artist as such. If anyone has any questions they want to ask me or feel free to check out my gallery and whatnot, I’ll be there waiting with some free cookies.
All jokes aside, this has been one of the great highlights for me.
Glad you are here
