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Heidi — My deviantART Story
Published: 2014-08-07 07:06:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 19272; Favourites: 13; Downloads: 0
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Today marks deviantART's 14th birthday!  This is truly an exciting time in deviantART’s history, and I'm confident that the next few months will be some of our best ever.  It might sound cliché or exaggerated, but we’re in a position to change the arts (and the world) through technology, empowering artists of all shapes and sizes to do truly amazing things.  

But before I get too far ahead of myself, I'd like to take a minute to participate in "My deviantART Story " to document a few of the ways that deviantART has helped me grow as a person.

Importance of Travel

Before deviantART's World Tour in 2009, when spyed and I visited nine countries in two months, I'd never been outside of North America.  The World Tour gave me a deep appreciation for travel that I wouldn't have gotten if not for the amazing friendships I've made on deviantART.  Traveling forces you outside of your comfort zone and opens you up to new experiences and awareness that can't be learned any other way.

Gut Instinct
In life, we're oftentimes faced with two choices -- listening to/following the opinions of others or relying on our own gut instinct.  The older I get, the more I've come to trust my gut feelings and intuition, or otherwise I'd end up kicking myself later.  The importance of speaking up and representing your own thoughts can't be underscored enough.

Technical Aptitude

From interacting with brilliant co-workers to seeing the daily ins and outs of computing around the office and online, working at deviantART demands a certain technical aptitude.  I've loved computers and the Internet from an early age, but my job requires an understanding of how different technologies and processes work.  Having such knowledge not only aids with things like decision-making, but it also helps with communication so I'm able to articulate concepts to various kinds of audiences.

Art Appreciation

While I am very much an art appreciator over an art creator, my time at deviantART has taught me so much about the arts that simply isn’t covered in a standard education. On deviantART, artists of different genres, diverse age groups, talent levels, and fame are all just a click away.  I've gained a deeper appreciation of the arts simply by observing and being surrounded by so many talented individuals.

True Connections

I have a few close friends from childhood, but my time on deviantART has provided me a wealth of friendships I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to make.  These friends have opened me up to different ideas, cultures, and points of view, and I can’t imagine what life would be like without them.  

Thank You
I've said it before, but the sentiment remains true -- I'm forever grateful to have talked with every deviant who has crossed my path -- even in a note, comment, or journal.  The deviantART community has flourished and prospered in the past 14 years, and I'm thankful for that, every day.  

~Heidi

Skin by Dan Leveille

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Comments: 12

MorguEen [2014-08-11 10:08:16 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for using my work in this post!

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kyle-culver [2014-08-08 23:08:32 +0000 UTC]

...as I am grateful to have talked with you! er... talking?
Hope you guys had a wonderful celebratory work day!

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charlenequek [2014-08-07 22:40:58 +0000 UTC]

I'll never forget netting you and spyed. It was an awesome meeting in Singapore.

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MidnightExigent [2014-08-07 12:55:58 +0000 UTC]

You're pretty much the superest, Heidi.

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reyjdesigns [2014-08-07 12:04:43 +0000 UTC]

Very cool story, thanks for sharing it....

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Ikue [2014-08-07 11:52:09 +0000 UTC]

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Anoya [2014-08-07 10:55:07 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful story!

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pica-ae [2014-08-07 09:23:51 +0000 UTC]

 

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HearseGurl [2014-08-07 07:43:22 +0000 UTC]

What a great journal. Thank You Heidi for this journal and thank you and Angelo, and everyone else for this site!

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TheCreativeJenn [2014-08-07 07:34:08 +0000 UTC]

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Aochiro [2014-08-07 07:25:33 +0000 UTC]

Sounds awesome Heidi! It's really cool to hear your story, I can't wait to write my own deviantART discovery down!  

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SnakeTheBaronOfHell [2014-08-07 07:25:21 +0000 UTC]

Amazing ^^

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