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Lately…I've been acting real paranoid lately…like conspiracy theorist levels of paranoia. I can't seem to go to sleep without someone judging my taste or hating me for it. Hell, in some subreddit, folks were arguing if hating anime is racist. Some folks hated it for it being all kinds of racist, sexist, and homo and transphobic. Others think it's kinda silly to hold a medium as one whole or something…then there's the stigma of folks thinking of it's "inpsired" by anime or must be hentai or full of big boobie girls …

But I'm not like that at all. I pretty much just stop drawing that sort of subject matter nowadays. But then there's folks out there that think my art style is ducking ugly and sjw trash for not going around portraying every female character as overglorfied waifu bait….then there's the fact I'm too scared post any form of subject matter featuring sexy boys without someone calling it gay unless it's a trap (a term I hate).

I feel.like this artwork summarizes everything right now

honestly i need to stop. i've been too paranoid for far too long. when i first came to this site, it was mostly just at laugh at memes..and later on fap to decent pin ups..but as time went on..maybe i should leave. i can't meme, i can't make jokes, and even i tried…how? like fucking how? all i provide is maybe not meme art and that's it..

I would say the main thing to keep in mind is that when you are being criticized for your art, other artists are more liable to provide actual constructive criticism. Anyone who actually understands what an ordeal drawing actually is less likely to be harsh for no reason.

So basically their opinion doesn't matter, especially if you are drawing casually.

One thing that keeps me practicing art is the webcomic "One Punch Man". Back when it started the art is honestly not that great, and even now it probably still would be considered below average if it was published in a major magazine. But the author still kept drawing, and considering the anime is on its second season and he has several publications under his belt I think he doesn't have time for naysayers to call his art trash.

Normally, I would tell you to just take a break from the internet and do something else, or use the internet exclusively for entertainment and disregard opinions on it. It has worked for me every time. But being that you are an online artist, I suppose that is less of an option…

What you could do is try a different platform. It sounds like the problem may be the people you deal with less so than your art. Not many people understand that "my opinion" and "constructive criticism" are not necessarily mutually inclusive, so they feel entitled to state the former and have people like artists take them at full seriousness because they think it is also the latter. But that is simply not the case: an opinion may or may not be criticism. Someone can say "I don't like any chocolate, it's too strong-flavored for me" and that still means nothing for chocolate makers, despite being a valid opinion, so they have no reason to care for that opinion, being just that person's problem. The same can be applied to just about anything people say online.

I am not sure if you will enjoy this analogy, but, in the realm of artists, Shadman deals with this pretty much on a daily basis, and times 100 compared to what you seem to be describing here. He simply says he does not care and he does what he wants and enjoys. He still has an active website to this day. I know it is an "easier said than done" type of deal… but we cannot deny its effectiveness now, can we. If all else fails, then I indeed reccommend staying away from the internet for a while even considering you are an artist. Your mental health is more important than your hobbies, and CERTAINLY more important than opinions of strangers on the internet.