DMarla

I need your help, I am addicted to this site but I am in way over my head stress wise while TD issues are being worded out, which may take awhile. I'm at a lost of how to stay updated on people I now care about and how to see their work if I don't come here for awhile. So, if anyone has any ideas how I could stay updated somewhat, but spend less time or no time on here let me know. I just get upset from what I see and I don't want to keep doing that to myself. I am disabled so I am not able to leave the house much so getting out more is not an option. I have never been addictive to anything before so I don't have an addictive personality to deal with. I just need help by way of prayer and ideas you may come up with. Who know maybe one idea will seem like a possible fit that I may try.

grahame

Sorry to hear you're getting so stressed. I'd suggest you stay out of the forums where most of the bad feelings are expressed.

To keep in touch with your favourites just go to their home page (you can get there by clicking on their name anywhere in TD. Once there go to favourites on the task bar and add to favourites. It will then suggest a name (such as; Think Draw - Profile Page for lynnspotter). Say OK and it will put this link into your favourites.

You can then just open your browser, click on favouites and select the member whose work you wish to view.

Don't stay away too long though.

Grahame

Eekie

You could be getting bored with your activities. It isn't at all typical of a person to sit around and do nothing, people do things. Think Draw is an example of a doing. You may need to be introduced to something new to change things. Getting a new pet is my top idea for that matter.

Dragon

I missed this thread earlier, I left my idea in the This is Sick thread.

matthew

... DM, you know I love your pics & interacting with you. I feel I may have; in part; contributed to the stress you are feeling... I have been a loud voice of opposition towards the current out dated rating system...

... In doing so, I got a lot of people caught up in my rants... In the long run, I believe changing the system will be for the better good of TD... In the short term it has created a very real recognition of the current flawed system...

... 1st, I am sorry to have created this stress...

... Keep in mind that the "current" system may no longer be current...

...The switch to a new system may have already taken place & we just do not know it yet...

... Sit back, relax, draw & wait to see what the new change will be like...

... In addition to that let me chime in with Grahame... Your accomplishments in a short time are remarkable... You have a following a fan club that I am a proud to be a member of...

... I understand what you are feeling... tell that feeling to kiss your butt... The rating system is out dated... Stop watching the ratings like they have meaning in your life... enjoy TD for the reasons you enjoyed it when you didn't know what a rating was...

DMarla

Thanks all. Eekie, thanks for your words I can tell they were heart felt. You'd be so surprised how I don't do nothing but I can understand how many think that of someone that is disabled or doesn't go out much. I have to pick my activities wisely because I can't do many things back to back and I never know when I will be too sick to go out or not be with it enough to drive. I took the link off for my paintings but I think they show my drive and passion for doing things. Oh yah, I think my drawings here do that too. Actually the thing that has bothered me the most is the theme areas that is called Top 5, it really bothers me that people keep getting kicked down vote wise. It is just seeing all this craziness when I don't have room for more stress to begin with. Matthew I know you are right, I'm sure of it because I see Rachel working on her site, that changes are happening to fix this as we speak. Since I have worked on my own site I know a bit of what she is doing and what goes into running a site. I'm sorry for any added stress I may of caused Rachel because of how stressed I am. I can't just keep drawing, it is causing me too much stress seeing my pictures being kicked around like they are traveling the globe. Most of us are not that vain to be that concerned about getting Top 5, I know I'm not it is just the treatment of our work, the devaluing of it that we feel that is getting to most of us. That's what I can't handle. I can't handle seeing others being treated badly even on made up stories on TV I have to turn the channel. The forum has actually lessened my stress because I see that people are expressing what they feel and that Rachel is reading and that we are being heard. I am not the usual artist, I do not have to paint or draw, I just always wanted to see if I could; it is more of a natural talent than a drive. It is like my doing cross-stitch, I don't like all the work that goes into doing it but I like the results. Matthew thanks for all your help you have been a dear to me even though I don't always understand why you do some of the things you do .

DMarla

I am going to try visiting the group without logging in so that I'm just looking. I'll see if that helps me from actually being logged in less often.

anotherronism

DMarla... You might remember I got burned out here a while back myself. I realize now it was part TD and part TD Forums and you might notice I have stayed completely OUT of any controversial threads. I don't even look in on them anymore.

I've also limited my projects on TD. Instead of "art" i've been working on a single thing of late - precision and single-element drawings. I guess you could say I've been distilling or trying to find the pure TD.

But now I've stopped that as well. I realize now it was going nowhere and my interest in TD was diminishing.

So I'm making a concious effort to get back to the playful aspect of this site. I've been doing a lot more "doodles" of late and drawing quick pictures in response to other's work or just bantering in the comments section. I've also been trying to send welcomes to newbies.

My advice would be to get out of the forums completely. Or start a facebook or myspace page and post the link in your profile. Then we could all hook up on those sites to stay in touch outside the forums.

I'm anotherronism on myspace and facebook (although I hardly ever log onto either). But don't read my blog on myspace. It's where I put my "poetry" and it's none happy stuff (I try not to bring that side of my personality to TD ever!)

Anyways - staying out of the forums and working on less serious pieces has revitalized my interest in TD. Maybe give it a try.

Post some stuff to Make Me Laugh...

Good luck,
Ron

DMarla

Anotherronism, I have one such account and already have my TD favorite pictures of mine uploaded. I do not have a link to this site, just a mention, because I am not recommending it to anyone at this time. Also I have my account under my full name so I would not want to reveal that to the whole group here. It is a good idea though and one I have thought of. I may actually revisit that idea as I get to know who I would want to invite to my page. Right now though I have little energy for inviting people and visiting.

DMarla

And. Anotherronism, you mentioned internet service. I would love to be able to use free service. I live right next to an internet cafe but am just a tad out of range to get it free. I could go there if I owned a laptop, but not everyday, so I may need to consider that option at some point. My internet service is my only want type expense everything else is bare needs.

anotherronism

DMarla - You might want to look into a WiFi card with a "High Gain" antenna. If you are just a TAD out of range then this device would most likely put you well IN range. I don't know what they cost but if it worked you could drop your other service and it would pay for itself in a month or two.

DMarla

I looked into a few things awhile back but done of them panned out. Do I just do a search for WiFi card, High Gain? I don't know what this is to know what I'd be looking for. I live around the corner from the cafe but I don't know how far that would be in feet. By car I would go down my street to the stop sign and take a left, and it will be on my left a short ways. Probably a 10 minute walk from my house. Does it sound like I would be close enough to look into what you mentioned.

DMarla

I found these two links: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=641225
http://www.instructables.com/id/Dell-Laptop-WI-FI-High-Gain-Antenna-Mod-Increase-_1/

I have a Mac Mini so they have to be pried apart to get inside them and I don't know if I would ruin my Mac if I tried to install anything. The other option her is just a plug into the USB port but I know nothing about this to know if it would be a good option for me.