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Description
November 6, 2007

Dear deviantART Community,

Expressing thanks to you all seems so little, though words are all I have to offer.  People from all around the world, that I've met through this community and become friends with, have offered so much more than tips, tricks, and information about art and photography.  There are people from many different countries, with all sorts of belief systems and points of view, that have encouraged me, and through me, my family, during my Dad's sickness.  There are many of us on dA who are serious about the art community and our love of art, whether it be photography, drawing, digital art, etc., that reach out to each other in different ways, and are always there to encourage and nudge each other along.

One of my real-life friends often comments about how people and friends through the internet aren't "real" people; how there is an "invisibility" barrier.  But, I disagree.  I know the internet can be a dangerous place, and I am grateful for a semi-mature and safe community like dA.  It's not a juvenile or simple place, like MySpace or Facebook, or some of these other "communities" that "bring people together."  It is SO much more than that.

I know that I may never meet you, have you visit my home or visit yours myself, go out for a night in the city with you or a walk in the woods of your homeland or home state with you, or you with me; but, humanity and friendship through words, images, and art is such a wonderful and powerful thing, and I am very grateful and blessed to know all of you, even if I know you in "passing."  One random, kind comment on an image, or a journal filled with complaints or concerns, and even from someone I may not "really" know, can change the day from dark to light again.

It really touched me to consider, and really sit and think about, all the different people in the world who have read about my Dad's sickness in my journal, and been encouraging all the way through, even if just based on the things I've posted.  I've kept my family updated on the care and support you've offered here, just as I've kept you updated on the status of my Dad's health, and your support has truly made a difference in them.  My family, small and unworldly as it is (not having traveled very much, and certainly not out of the country), has realized as a whole the power of human compassion that extends beyond their own town.  So, this in itself is a wonderful thing that would have come of my Dad's sickness and situation, even had he not gotten better.

It is very powerful and special to me, to realize the magnitude of the compassion that is left in the world; that even though all I see on the news is fighting and war, hate and violence...there's still more good in the world than bad.  That makes me very happy.  I feel as though all has not been lost, and the world is not as bad a place as it seems sometimes, through the eyes of the media lenses.  Through the lenses that capture it and the deviants that post it here on dA, it is still a beautiful place, even with the sad or bad added in.  I just want to thank you for giving me that - it is truly a gift to me and to my family, and we are more grateful than you may ever know.

With the deepest sincerity,
Christy

Description
November 6, 2007

Dear deviantART Community,

Expressing thanks to you all seems so little, though words are all I have to offer.  People from all around the world, that I've met through this community and become friends with, have offered so much more than tips, tricks, and information about art and photography.  There are people from many different countries, with all sorts of belief systems and points of view, that have encouraged me, and through me, my family, during my Dad's sickness.  There are many of us on dA who are serious about the art community and our love of art, whether it be photography, drawing, digital art, etc., that reach out to each other in different ways, and are always there to encourage and nudge each other along.

One of my real-life friends often comments about how people and friends through the internet aren't "real" people; how there is an "invisibility" barrier.  But, I disagree.  I know the internet can be a dangerous place, and I am grateful for a semi-mature and safe community like dA.  It's not a juvenile or simple place, like MySpace or Facebook, or some of these other "communities" that "bring people together."  It is SO much more than that.

I know that I may never meet you, have you visit my home or visit yours myself, go out for a night in the city with you or a walk in the woods of your homeland or home state with you, or you with me; but, humanity and friendship through words, images, and art is such a wonderful and powerful thing, and I am very grateful and blessed to know all of you, even if I know you in "passing."  One random, kind comment on an image, or a journal filled with complaints or concerns, and even from someone I may not "really" know, can change the day from dark to light again.

It really touched me to consider, and really sit and think about, all the different people in the world who have read about my Dad's sickness in my journal, and been encouraging all the way through, even if just based on the things I've posted.  I've kept my family updated on the care and support you've offered here, just as I've kept you updated on the status of my Dad's health, and your support has truly made a difference in them.  My family, small and unworldly as it is (not having traveled very much, and certainly not out of the country), has realized as a whole the power of human compassion that extends beyond their own town.  So, this in itself is a wonderful thing that would have come of my Dad's sickness and situation, even had he not gotten better.

It is very powerful and special to me, to realize the magnitude of the compassion that is left in the world; that even though all I see on the news is fighting and war, hate and violence...there's still more good in the world than bad.  That makes me very happy.  I feel as though all has not been lost, and the world is not as bad a place as it seems sometimes, through the eyes of the media lenses.  Through the lenses that capture it and the deviants that post it here on dA, it is still a beautiful place, even with the sad or bad added in.  I just want to thank you for giving me that - it is truly a gift to me and to my family, and we are more grateful than you may ever know.

With the deepest sincerity,
Christy