Furry art makes me physically insecure.

Fleurette · August 26, 2012, 07:27:21 AM

This might come off as a little strange, but I'm guessing the majority of you have seen the front page of FurAffinity.
Being addicted to the internet, I happen to check Fur Affinity quite often, and there's something that's always really bothered me about the majority of the furry art that I see...

It makes me physically insecure!!
In a lot of the art that I come across, the boys are usually muscular, perfect and beautiful, while the women all have gorgeous curves and gentle figures.
I understand that these pieces are fantasy, and they ARE NOT real, and I used to tell myself this quite often, but It's really been getting to me lately!
I often leave FA worrying about my figure, feeling like guys won't be interested in me if I'm not gorgeous and muscular like all of the art.
I suppose this must seem like a silly post, I think a lot of my posts are a little bit silly, but this is really bothering me!

How am I supposed to feel good about my body with art like that on the front page twenty four hours, seven days a week!
Does anybody else have this issue? Or have any words of wisdom?
Thanks guys, for always replying so nicely when I make stupid posts like this. ^^;

zenia · August 26, 2012, 08:26:14 AM

I used to make my fursona thin... but now I make her fat like me (although not all the time quite as big as I am) ... and you would be surprised at the number of positive comments I get when I post something like this (nsfw). Or even extremely exaggerated like this. :P

Just know that not everyone likes exactly the same thing. Most people just think that everyone else does, so they try to fit that look to fit in.

weremagnus · August 26, 2012, 08:30:30 AM

"the boys are usually muscular, perfect and beautiful, while the women all have gorgeous curves and gentle figures."

Bro this goes way beyond just furry. Bodies have been idealised in art since forever.

Fleurette · August 26, 2012, 09:00:34 AM

Quote from: weremagnus on August 26, 2012, 08:30:30 AM
"the boys are usually muscular, perfect and beautiful, while the women all have gorgeous curves and gentle figures."

Bro this goes way beyond just furry. Bodies have been idealised in art since forever.

Aahh... You're right.
I'm sorry. v.v

Fleurette · August 26, 2012, 09:01:39 AM

Quote from: zenia on August 26, 2012, 08:26:14 AM
I used to make my fursona thin... but now I make her fat like me (although not all the time quite as big as I am) ... and you would be surprised at the number of positive comments I get when I post something like this (nsfw). Or even extremely exaggerated like this. :P

Just know that not everyone likes exactly the same thing. Most people just think that everyone else does, so they try to fit that look to fit in.

Ahahaha! Good for you! ^^
I'm glad there some realistic furries out there.

Kitten · August 26, 2012, 09:44:58 AM

Quote from: weremagnus on August 26, 2012, 08:30:30 AM
"the boys are usually muscular, perfect and beautiful, while the women all have gorgeous curves and gentle figures."

Bro this goes way beyond just furry. Bodies have been idealised in art since forever.

This is very true, tho it's not just art. Media as a whole tends to promote the "perfect" body shape.

Seriously there are different ideals of the perfect shape. as Zenia said some people like different body sizes.

Don't worry about it as much as you are. It will cause you unneeded stress.

Drake Wingfire · August 26, 2012, 10:59:16 AM

While you pretty much did answer your own question in your first post there, I will say this.

I use to draw myself more as an anthro, very slender and a bit muscular, even way back I hated uber muscular cause drawing myself as such made me feel so plastic and fake. (now I sorta get a rather cheap pass as I draw myself as a feral dragon so it doesn't give me much room to really talk) But personally that's just how I sadly tend to view some furs when they draw their character as some body building god while IRL they live on a diet of Cheetos and Mountain Dew, it just seems so incredibly fake and shallow and speaks poorly of the type of person behind the character.

If anything, don't worry too much about feeling like you are out of shape and are some sorta misfit because there is a 90% chance that the people behind all those buff and perfect characters you see are actually rather insecure themselves and are trying to feel better by compensating with their character, even I have been guilty of that at times.

Wereman · August 26, 2012, 11:59:10 AM

Drake makes a good point here. Some of the artists create muscular and slender body for this is how they want to be seen in a perfect world.

Artists who draw different body types have actually an advantage for they portray closer to reality and also offer the viewers more variety.

Media has indeed portraied the perfect body, just thinking of Armani and Calvin Klein ads, can be nauceating times. Though looking back in the antique such as the Roman Empire, yet also the Renaissance era such as 500 years ago, also portraied muscular and slender bodies in their sculpture and paintings.

Temrin · August 26, 2012, 12:59:51 PM

I hardly see muscular men unless its from a few select artists. 90% of the males i see on FA are girly men. Pretty boys XD

Though i do understand where you are coming, i must agree with Weremagnus. Humans in art have been idealized since the beginning. :/ Its something your going to have to get used too. The media, furry fandom, anime fandom, everywhere you go things are idealized. It makes for a hard like when no one really fits those idealized standards. But you are you, people will like you for you. Hardly any of the people i've met will say they'd seriously date a super model. Most of the people i know have their own preferences that range from all types. I've known many who have thought they were super picky, but when you find you love someone, alot of those previous preferences can go right out the window if you find the right person.

So feel good about yourself, feel confident. Because you are you, and every person is unique. As the saying goes, You might mean nothing to the world but to that one person, you -are- their world. Dont feel so tightly bound by the medias portrayal of beauty. There are more then enough people who dont stand by those ideals. If someone chooses to judge you, thats their loss because they arent getting to know you for you. What do they matter then? Forget about them and move on if they are going to be shallow!

Fleurette · August 26, 2012, 01:27:39 PM

Quote from: Temrin on August 26, 2012, 12:59:51 PM
I hardly see muscular men unless its from a few select artists. 90% of the males i see on FA are girly men. Pretty boys XD

Though i do understand where you are coming, i must agree with Weremagnus. Humans in art have been idealized since the beginning. :/ Its something your going to have to get used too. The media, furry fandom, anime fandom, everywhere you go things are idealized. It makes for a hard like when no one really fits those idealized standards. But you are you, people will like you for you. Hardly any of the people i've met will say they'd seriously date a super model. Most of the people i know have their own preferences that range from all types. I've known many who have thought they were super picky, but when you find you love someone, alot of those previous preferences can go right out the window if you find the right person.

So feel good about yourself, feel confident. Because you are you, and every person is unique. As the saying goes, You might mean nothing to the world but to that one person, you -are- their world. Dont feel so tightly bound by the medias portrayal of beauty. There are more then enough people who dont stand by those ideals. If someone chooses to judge you, thats their loss because they arent getting to know you for you. What do they matter then? Forget about them and move on if they are going to be shallow!

:'D...
You're absolutely right.
I'm so glad the forum has insightful people like yourself.
Thank you, so much. ^^

zenia · August 26, 2012, 01:45:04 PM

hehe From what I see (I went to your profile) you have nothing to be insecure about. You're a cutie. :P People have all sorts of different likes. Personally, I like slender (not muscular) guys, and curvy, squishy girls.

Ceowolf · August 26, 2012, 02:06:14 PM

defiantly have to agree what mostly already been mentioned, everyone is bringing up good points. i myself dont exactly draw my anathro as a tall skinny beanpole like me and yes i wish i could be a little more built so i tend to draw myself a more of an athletic build but everyone has flaws in their own eyes to which i think makes everyone unique, because if everyone was the same, wheres the fun in that? im an artist myself and ive been drawing my boyfriend the same way as my fur, more recently ive added a little pudge as my bf is a bit on the heavier side. and hes grown to love it. i myself think it looks adorable.

i guess what im trying to say is everyone wants to be this "ideal" figure at some point in life, but until you give up on what others think its hard to be comfortable with who you are and love who you are, because in the end that what matters. If you love who you are, someone will share that love and you will find them.

Quote from: zenia on August 26, 2012, 01:45:04 PM
hehe From what I see (I went to your profile) you have nothing to be insecure about. You're a cutie. :P People have all sorts of different likes. Personally, I like slender (not muscular) guys, and curvy, squishy girls.

Im gonna second that, you got nothing to worry about ^^ we all have our different types we like, myself i like someone with a little bit of... squishyness to them XP better for snuggles and hugs, because hugging a lumpy bolder isnt fun.

Icey Dominus · August 26, 2012, 02:45:37 PM

lol have you looked at it right now? there is a CHUBBY BUNNY! on the main page lol not a perfect body fur. Maybe that will make you feel better?

Ceowolf · August 26, 2012, 03:01:00 PM

chubby bunny week ftw X3

Icey Dominus · August 26, 2012, 03:01:29 PM

as for everyone hating all the furs that like UBBER muscular furrs I am sorry I just like muscle, an its sort of a goal for me to get bigger, probably never match my fursona but at least in that direction. I dont feel shallow for havin a muscly fursona, I suppose I also base my fursona on not how I look but how I feel, and I think allot of people do that. There fursona is a escape from there lives and they can pretend for a while that they are this giant muscle god or a femy boy, transgender, girl, boy, big, small.
I see ALLOT of furs who also draw themselves as obscenely over weight. Should we tell those people they are shallow for being drawn as something they arent? Probably not right?
I do understand why you posted this therd Fleurette but really its gunna happen no matter what you do or where you go, I agree with Termin on all points really I couldn't say it any better if I tryed.