wtfeveridgaf:

catbots:

ok i’m not usually one to get on a soapbox but this is important to me

earlier today, crewniverse member ian jones-quartey shared a steven universe fanvideo on twitter:

the video was made by a young fan named Stevie Naranjo; his youtube channel is packed with steven universe fanvideos featuring his gem OCs, self-insert Blue Topaz and Sapphire, Blue and Pearl’s child. its your standard deviantart fodder, sure, but stevie clearly works hard on these and puts out a video about once a week. i chatted him up and he said his dream was to get blue and sapphire on TV with the rest of the gem crew.

now what bothered me was the response this got from fans. ian himself was super positive about it, but the comments are full of scathing hate:

i get it. he’s not the best artist; he’s just starting out. but i don’t think there’s any good reason to mercilessly criticize a kid for making videos about a show he likes? when i first started drawing, this was the caliber of stuff I was making:

if i had gotten the same kind of negative feedback then, I probably would have quit right then and there. young artists need to be encouraged, not torn down! steven universe is a show that appeals to a wide range of ages, and I want kids on the internet to be able to enjoy the show without being pushed out by older fans. 

i kinda wanted to do something for stevie in particular, too, to make up for all the negative comments towards his video. so, if you feel up to it, maybe you could draw some fanart of his OCs?

(the one on the left in both is blue; in the second pic that is his gem form i think? on the right is sapphire)

here, I already did one to get you started:

Guys, it is SO IMPORTANT for young fans to feel safe in this fandom.  Anyone can watch and enjoy SU, or any other kids’ show of course, but ultimately the show is for KIDS LIKE THIS.  And making them feel like they can’t contribute is honestly the worst thing you could possibly do.

Don’t be that person that tears a child down and makes them feel unwelcome in the fandom.

Also, speaking as someone who’s learning how to draw AT 23 YEARS OLD and is WAY too embarrassed and scared to show my progress online, I commend this kid not only on their skill (much better than me at least), their enthusiasm, and their confidence in theirselves.  I only wish I could draw something that’s up to snuff.  You go, little man.

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