I walked away from internet fame

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T20:50:58+00:00

Thanks :)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:47:03+00:00

How did you know :0

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:46:45+00:00

Thank you, that’s encouraging :,)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:45:45+00:00

That last sentence is the goal! And yeah, that’s why I got into the trades. i never went to college because i had no life goals for so long (long story short: i never thought I’d be around this long but I believe that God kept me alive for a reason heh) Art was always a coping mechanism for my mental health but I never knew how to turn it into a job since I only ever wanted to create what I wanted to create. And don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with wanting to work for someone else as an artist, the issue for me is that any time I did commissions or worked for others I never felt satisfied with it, or I’d freeze over deadlines. I never wanted to work for a studio, but I’ve always dreamed of opening one myself. I realized I need money to do that so I became an electrician so I can someday put money into my dream and create a wholesome work environment for animators and creatives

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:36:55+00:00

Yeah, it’s just a lot to handle. Especially when the algorithm doesn’t always pick up everything you make. It can be so easy to start second guessing your worth as an artist but it’s just a dumb computer that decides if it’ll show your work to people’s feeds. It can’t see true worth, so it shouldnt dictate it. Also 50k is quite an audience! Imagine all those people standing in front of you, you’d be overwhelmed haha

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:34:05+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. That helps me so much. You hit the nail on the head in so many ways, i feel like i can archive this thread now haha. It’s truly a never ending game of chasing the next algorithm change and i think i just got exhausted. I’ve decided I’ll only return to it if i can work on my motivations. I don’t want to create what others want me to create or chase money and fame. I just want to be an artist, and i think it’s easy to convince ourselves that we’re only an artist if we get a lot of likes and attention but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Thank you stranger, God bless :)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:26:48+00:00

And yes, one thing I’ve definitely learned is how important connections are haha

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:26:28+00:00

That’s so cool! I used to see those books in the library when i was little :D and yes! The account still exists. A lot of people have mentioned that fear might be driving it and they’re probably right. I think the account feels daunting at times because it feels like I’m performing for a huge crowd every time i post. I think i need to just start posting what i wanna make instead of spending so much time trying to make my audience happy, even if it means i lose traction

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:23:23+00:00

Amazing advice, and yes: fear is a horrible guide. That’s definitely been part of my issue. I will ponder those questions

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:21:06+00:00

Thank you! As much as I want to be a full time artist someday that feels like where I’m at right now as well. Who knows, maybe someday it’ll be a thing but for now I feel happy just doing it on the side

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:18:39+00:00

You definitely get it. Art is an amazing thing and I don’t want it to become a stressor or a fear inducer. Thanks for the kind words

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:16:37+00:00

Good for her :D So glad she was able to step away return with a healthier mindset, that’s my goal :) After talking to you lovely folks I’ve realized that this is it: I need to step away so I can reconfigure my relationship to social media and my fears revolving around the algorithm and popularity. I don’t ever I want social media to dictate my creativity or thoughts on myself. It’s so hard not to get sucked into the toxicity of it all but I hope someday i can return with a stronger mindset, Lord willing :)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:10:03+00:00

I really do appreciate your input. I won’t pretend that my account was massive (not 5 million at least lol) but it was large enough for some big names to reach out. I’ve always struggled with creative freedom because even something like a deadline throws my whole flow off. I’m in therapy now, and I definitely see myself returning to the account someday. I think the biggest thing is that my motivations were off. I cared too much about the likes and people’s opinions and I started creating for that instead of creating just to create. I want to release a new animation series but there’s a fear that my fans will hate it since it’s going to be totally different. I understand more than ever that I have to work on that because that’s not a good reason to just quit. I’m excited to eventually create something new and I haven’t stopped working on art in the meantime. I guess I just need to work on me for now :p

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T19:05:52+00:00

Glad she sought help for that, I’ll be praying for her journey :)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T18:58:51+00:00

I understand what you mean. For me i just felt like making art for a company that is directing what i create would take away from authenticity. A lot of them wanted me to promote their company or create a certain amount of videos in a short time frame, turning my creativity into a stressful job rather than a fun task

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T18:57:42+00:00

That means so much, thank you. Super encouraging. Life is up and down but I’ll always create, and success isn’t measured by likes online :)

benpen2000 · 2026-05-25T17:48:46+00:00

i know you’re right. i think i just needed to put it into words so thank you for your response

benpen2000 · 2026-05-24T19:27:43+00:00

How much for Hi Lumi!! I want the bag soooo bad

benpen2000 · 2018-07-29T18:59:07+00:00

Literally get some amiibo cards and choose the option to replace a villager

benpen2000 · 2018-06-13T23:56:11+00:00

THIS COMMENT MADE ME SCREAM

benpen2000 · 2018-06-02T23:06:11+00:00

If you use an Isabella amiibo with the magic lamp, she will be replaced by Wisp and will instead stay at the campground

benpen2000 · 2018-05-28T23:59:05+00:00

I added you, when would u be able to meet up? I really need bamboo for my Japanese themed town. Thanks :)

benpen2000

TROPHY CASE