Comments aren't just welcome...

...sometimes they're needed.

This post isn't geared toward people that have posted comments here before, although I would certainly love your input.  This is geared up to the thousands of people that come through this and other fine TG capping blogs, and do not comment.  This isn't a scolding, or plea to hear from you... just some thoughts that I would really like to share with you.

I know I normally don't post this much above the 'Read more' link, but I would really appreciate you taking the time to read on.

Thanks for clicking through and reading!  Your interest is honestly appreciated!

I normally consider two audiences when I make a cap and/or post.

The first audience is my fellow cap artists.  These are the people that I talk to not only about a particular cap, but people that I talk to in general.  Jennifer, Dee, Simone, Ginger, Martha, Googly (Daphne), Sasha, Smitty, Steffi, Angel, and Alectra would all be in this category.  But also those cap artists that I don't talk to on a regular basis (or at all).. Evie, Kyra, Victora, Nikki, Rebecca, Rauk, Samantha, Geofrey, and many many others.  I make a cap and/or post with them in mind because we share that bond of opening our self up and sharing a fantasy.  We struggle to get a clear and interesting story out in a visually interesting way.  And I do mean struggle.  This may not be the most difficult thing we've done, but it still take effort and a focused mind to put ourselves out like this.

I know that when these fellow artists look at my caps, that they may well be taken along for an interesting ride with the fantasy I'm putting out here, but that they'll also appreciate the method of story telling I utilize.  That they will get some enjoyment of the presentation (the layout and design).  I often get comments from this audience, and sometimes those comments will turn into a wonderful conversation.

Now the second audience outnumbers the first by a large margin.  This audience comes to read the cap and enjoy the fantasy.  I get the impression that this audience rarely reads the posts.  That as soon as they've read the caps that they haven't already haven't seen, they move on to another blog.  Or depending on their current level of arousal, they masturbate and get off.

But they rarely comment.

Now I've talked to many of my fellow cap artists about comments and commenting.  My personal feeling is that all comments are appreciated.  I love the quick 'Nice cap!' comment as much as the four paragraph comment that goes into great detail.  They all just make my day better, and can even turn a bad day into a good one.  But if I didn't get any comments, I would continue to post as I do.  I feel an urge to make these caps, and love the idea of sharing them.  If I feel I need an opinion on a particular cap I'll generally ask for it directly form the people that I talk to regularly.

So if you are a member of that latter audience and fly through my blog, read some caps and move on... that's fine by me.  But I really want you to know that a quick word of enjoyment, or encouragement goes a long way to keeping me in the mood to cap.  And for some cap artists, your comment or lack there of could be the difference between continuing to cap and stopping all together.

Jennifer recently wrote up a heartfelt post that you can read here about commenting on non cap posts.  And some of the comments that she got really blew my mind.  It makes sense that some people would be shy about commenting on a site that the see as almost 'pornographic' in nature.  But I'd just like to say to those of you that come here to look at the porntasic caps, that we're you.  Yes... we cap artists have looked at each other's caps, gotten aroused and taken care of the arousal.  Almost all the cap artists that I know started by viewing caps.  Some for porny reasons, others for more pure TG reasons. But let me tell you something... if you come by and get that kind of enjoyment out of my or other bloggers's caps... we would be heels over the moon ecstatic to hear that you enjoyed them that way!

You could literally make a comment 'Damn that was sexy!  I blew my nut when I saw this!' and I would squee with delight!  I imagine most of the artists that make such caps would love to hear that as well.   Understand... while some of our caps may look like they are true 'porn', we aren't some porn site asking you for cash or a subscription.  We're you.   We're normal people (well... 'normal' might not be the best word) making caps and sharing them.  Our only payment is that gracious pat on the back comment.

But if you're shy about people finding out that you *gasp* commented on a TG cap blog... don't even worry about it.  You can post anonymously, and I get no information about you.  I don't get a name, a phone number, an IP number... nothing.   Nothing beyond that warm feeling that someone left a comment for me.  Posting anonymously leaves the same exact digital footprint that visiting the blog leaves.  If you want to add your name, you can.  If you have a blogger account and want to post a comment from that, you can.  But anonymous comments are just fine by me.

Another comment left on Jennifer's post was that there is a disconnect between the viewer and the creator.   I, as well as most cap artists, would giggle at the idea of anyone thinking that we're any better or different than the people viewing our caps.  Again... we're you.  Yes, we make caps, but we all view caps too.

And our posts that aren't about caps (and even some posts about caps) show that.  We're students, and we have careers and jobs.  We get sad and depressed, we get lonely.  We have families, wives, husbands, and children.  We struggle with every day things just like everybody else.  I've shared my struggles with failing the NCLEX and my joy at finally passing it.  And one of the things that really helped was the comments left on those posts.  I honestly felt encouraged when people told me it was going to be all right.  If I hadn't gotten those comments, I honestly believe I would have fell much farther into depression and probably pulled away from capping.

Now most of this is how I feel.  But there are cap artists out there that live and die by comments.  When they get a lot of views on a cap, but no comments they feel that the cap isn't good.  It discourages them and can even lead to them stopping the cap making process.  I know it can be a big step to write a comment to these posts, but if you like it, I guarantee that the artist would love to hear that.  Even a quick 'Nice cap' can make all the difference.

You don't have to go into detail and let them know that the character arc was well defined, and that the visual presentation was really enhanced with ther decision to use that particular color.  You don't have to share that the cap really spoke to you and made you realize that you aren't alone in the world.  You can do all of those things, but even a quick comment showing that you enjoyed the cap is greatly appreciated.

I know it can feel weird the first time you do it.  You might feel exposed in a way that feels off.  But once you start commenting we'll often reply back.  Sometimes with just a 'thanks' but other times with more detail.  I remember joining up at the Haven.  As you probably know I more or less followed a cap trail left by Dee there, and mentioned it in my entry post.  I was so surprised that Dee was a real person and actually responded back to me.

And thus began a wonderful friendship.  As much as I put Dee up on a pedistal, she is really a person just like me.  Just like you.  She likes hearing me comment on her caps, I like hearing her comment on my caps... and we'd both like to hear YOU comment on them.

So long story short (mm... too late for that eh?) it means a great deal to all of us when you leave a comment on our caps.  It's honestly the only payment we ever get and ever even look for.  If you come across a cap that you like... just post a comment saying that.  You'll make an artists day!!