"Lookout! Mariah up in here makin' it raaaaaiiiinnnn!!"

In all seriousness though, let's chat about money! After my most recent article about social interaction, Online Etiquette for Interacting with Creators, debuted, I got a TON of feedback that was both good and bad. One comment stuck out to me in particular though, and in the interest of transparency, and mild comedy, I'm going to address it! Also, just to put it out there, the beauty of owning your own website is that you can do whatever, and say literally anything you want, as long as you're smart about it! So, without further ado, let's jump right in! 😀

The comment in question went something like this:

Now, before anyone gets upset over it, I want you to know that stuff like this doesn't offend me at all! This is an opinion that someone has formed, based on either something they were told, or something they read somewhere, and I am more than happy to address it. As a creator, you're going to face things like this all the time and it's really not that big of a deal. For me personally, I like to engage with these myths and debunk them one at a time.

Myth #1: "Are you fucking serious?"

Absolutely not. Look, the truth is, I'm no different than anyone else. I have developed certain skills over the course of my life that I believe I can use to help other people, but that's it! If you don't think I can help you, or if you don't like what I am trying to do, then that's totally okay. There are a ton of people that I can list as both character and professional references and if you want to know who I have worked with in the community, just ask! I'm not a scam artist, I'm not trying to be famous, this is literally my hobby. It's what I do in my spare time, not something I take so seriously that I can't have fun with it.

Myth #2: "Your whole deal with the AnthroBrand is trying to make cash..."

This isn't the biggest myth in the trio, but it's definitely a good one! AnthroBrand.com doesn't generate any income at all on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, the only avenue that I have to generate revenue off the site right now is via advertising. So far this year, I have had one advertising partner, for one month, and that was it! If you want to know exactly how much money AnthroBrand has made so far this year, the exact number is -$714. That's right! I have spent over seven-hundred dollars on this site so far this year, and we still have December's fees to go! These costs are online hosting through Wix, the google domain for my email, Wix Shop fees for the store that I don't use (though we might have merch someday, maybe!) and advertising money that I have spent. AnthroBrand doesn't make any money at all. This is my hobby and I am funding it myself.

Myth #3: ...out of pretending to be an authority.

Halt! Drop the pen and come out with your hands in your pants! I know that's where they were going to end up anyway with the kind of art our community is most famous for.

So, here we have the biggest myth of all, that I want to pretend to be some kind of "authority" in the Anthro community. That I want to become "famous," or "popular," or get close to artists to get free art, or even just spread my name around so I get some sort of online validation. I get accused of all sorts of things like this, all the time. Honestly, if you're creating something, networking in the community, or making connections in general, who doesn't? It's okay to get out there and meet people, make connections, and talk about things you enjoy with like minded people. The articles I write on AnthroBrand are just a hobby. This is what I create for fun and it's not any different than art, podcasts, fursuits, all of those things.

When I write articles based around social interaction or when I try to give advice, I understand that I can absolutely get it wrong. I'm not trying to speak for anyone or put words in your mouth and those articles are usually in response to a negative trend that I see somewhere. If you have an opinion about my work, I would love to hear it, but please don't think I am trying to be some kind of authority. I'm just another member of the Anthro community who likes to write and lend a hand if possible. Everything I do is relaxed, transparent, and from the heart. If it rubs you the wrong way, that's okay, we don't always have to agree. I appreciate everyone who reads my stuff, retweets my articles, and comments on my work. If you are someone who has taken advantage of my consulting services, then thanks! I hope I was able to help and that you were satisfied with how I handled your needs.

I hope this article was informative and gave an insight into more of what I am doing with AnthroBrand as a whole. I welcome feedback and criticism anytime, and my contact details will always be listed on the front page of the site.

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it~