Ping · 5:31am Oct 10th, 2021
I live.
Time's gotten away from me.
2020 got weird. My 2021 started with an honest effort to get back to normal. But after I started getting treated for depression, I began to see more and more ways to improve things in my daily and family life that hadn't fit together very well in years. Including some of the core issues that had pointed me in the direction of MLP in the first place.
Time passed. I kept working on stuff. Most of it seemed to improve. Slowly, but trending in the right direction and in tangible ways.
More and more, MLP feels like the odd bit out. It doesn't translate to the other spaces that I'm starting to enter. I don't want to put aside this thing, this place, these people, who surely helped me walk through a lost chapter of my life--but I also don't know how to unify it with the rest of life that's forming. I also find it weird that my writing dropped to zero as I started treatment. It doesn't make sense. I never thought I would stop writing.
Maybe I'm leery of the dark stuff that was the impetus behind my hardest work.
I'll work on getting caught up here. I'm sorry. Apparently there's new Pone out and everything. I don't know yet if it's still the same world I fell in love with. Seems worth giving it a shot.
Gretting's................ Coffee Miner, I Seth Standmore have taken my notice of you, you have probably heard of me as The Greta Writer of Great Story's from the Equestrian Girl's series, well I have reached out to you to write to you about the sadness of the dark and the Depressing, I Seth Standmore am a Big Avocado for the Raising Awareness of Mental Depression and ending the Stigmata surrounding it and, I am Greatfull to you for opening up about Your Own Emotion's,
please never stop writting where would we be if people stopped doing the thing's they were supposed to be doing??? What if George Washingtomb stopped fighting the Brutish after getting his butt kucked at the Battle of Sarajevo??? What if my grandfather ROY STANDMORE shopped figheting the Nazi's at the Battle of the Bugle??? That's right AMERICA WOULD FALL AND THE NAZI PEDOPHILE'S WOULD RUEL OVER US ALL!!!!!
so you see Coffee Mignon you must keep Writing to keep the Evil's at bay......... never stop believing and know that I.................... SETH STANDMORE................. will always STAND MORE WITH YOU
SINCERELY
SETH STANDMORE
PS HELP I HAVE TURNED ON THE CAPITOL LETTER'S ON MY KEYBROAD AND I DONUT KNOW HOW TO TURN THEM OFF
Depression is never easy, and there's no "one-size-fits-all" solution. I get through mine through medication, and by keeping in touch with people that care about me.
Oddly enough, that last includes people in this fandom. I've always been the odd one out, in any group in which I've been a part, and I've found for this part of my life being a Brony fills a certain need. I make contact through my writing, and I find each and every comment ( well, almost every comment! ) of some value, for it shows me my words are having an effect.
I highly recommend you continue your writing, for the same reasons. I have enjoyed your work for many years; it would be a shame and a loss for you to stop now.
Sincerely,
WitD
I’m just glad you’re doing ok. You went dark, and with what all that’s been going down in the world, I was starting to get worried. Glad to hear that everything is doing better for you.
New pone is surprisingly daring, kinda like how G4 started out. The movie IS a kids movie, but there are more than enough adult references in there, as well as a LOT of social commentary. I’d definitely recommend watching it, tis on Netflix, so it should be accessible.
Again, take the time you need. Don’t force yourself back into writing if you’re not up for it yet. Writing and creativity need not require depression, despite the memes that insinuate that that’s the case. Just give that creative machine some time to cool down and refresh. I know you really like writing, so you’ll get back to it. When you’re ready.
Sending you love, Coffee. Your health and your happiness should always come first. Best of luck on your journey.
💙
Glad to hear from you, and that things are on a general upswing. Here's hoping you can reintegrate pony into your life. If nothing else, thanks for the ping.
Nice to hear from you again, Coffee Minion. Hope you'll be able to reintegrate pony back into your life, but even if you don't, I'm happy you're getting help. Good luck moving forward!
Glad to hear you are doing ok!
Normal... That is the setting on the washing machine, yes?
I mean, most art comes from depression, anger, etc. So look at it as a good thing in a way you don't feel as much of a writing impetus. I'm glad you're feeling improvements in your life it feels good. Anyway go watch the new pony it's pretty darn good I'm pretty much everyone agrees it's pretty darn good not a masterpiece but pretty darn good
5594306 A lot of art comes from negativity. A lot of art comes from positivity, too. Few things are as destructive to an artist as telling them that pain can, and should, be turned into art. What motive could they possibly have to heal themselves, if they’re convinced that such healing would take away part of their identity?
Coffee Dad should take care of himself, and when he’s ready to come back and write, he can. Whatever he writes will be no less valid just because he wasn’t miserable when he wrote it.
You guys are beautiful.
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Thank you Seth!
On a completely unrelated note: I don't know if you've met Detective jakkid166, but if not, I'd love to be somewhere in the vicinity when you do.
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It's humbling to know that people have enjoyed my work for a long time. I truly appreciate that. This all started from a simple love for a show with depths beyond what was obvious on its surface. Maybe that's where I should refocus my attentions as I consider picking up the pen again.
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Man, I owe you above all people an apology here. Going dark wasn't intentional. At first. Then one day I realized I was consciously choosing not to tap the F icon in my bookmarks. Took a while to unpack that realization and what it meant.
It's weird going back to the places that shaped you when you start to be different than who you were when you were there. If that makes sense. Treatment's changed me for the better, I think. But it's still weird.
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Love you too, bird-man.
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I never stopped wanting to be here, I just started needing to not? I guess? Which I think gives that want a decent fighting chance.
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Definitely. Though I'm more a fan of Permanent Press, which may have dubious implications.
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You're both making valid points. While seemingly contradictory, I think they ultimately coexist quite well. There is absolute truth to the observation that a lot of art comes from pain. Equally, art can come from celebration, adoration, or a million other things. I didn't start out looking to capture pain in writing, but eventually I came to use writing a means of exploring pain. Doing so helped me process it. Past a certain point, though, it also exacerbated that pain.
The answer is (again) probably a bit of both. By and large I'm still proud of my creations here, and I still have several sitting ready to be finished someday. I don't regret exploring what I did.
I definitely understand, as I went through something somewhat similar this year. I'm also starting to wonder if I'm simply growing up and finally developing adult tastes. The most important thing is for you to do whatever you need to stay in a better mental place. If pony no longer benefits you the way it used to, you should leave it. If it starts to bring you peace and comfort again, spend more time watching the show and reading pony fics. I support what you decide to do either way.
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Thank you. For the most part though, I think Pony is a wonderful thing for adults to enjoy. I tend to be more of a “romantic” in terms of connection with ideas, ideals, and feelings. Pony can be a strong venue for tapping into and expressing one’s more playful side. But finding a balance of activities and interests is ever the challenge.
Hi! I remember you. I have friendly-acquaintance-y thoughts which mostly fail to be words because I am so loopy these days from Everything and because there's like ten different things I half-want to say about the above and then I kind of don't know how to and so many things to do. Have an icon:
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It’s all good, and I appreciate it. Truly. I threw myself into the Writeoff with full-throated enthusiasm for a very long time, and I’d like to hope I left primarily a fond impression in my wake. A day came when my tank was simply out of gas. I didn’t want that, but this past year was lousy in a myriad of ways. I’m glad for those who keep the fire burning.
I always found your writing excellent and refreshing.
But muses can be miraculous in that they take many forms.
Write when and where the joy is, but always stay safe.