Short and sweet thanks!

I hear you! Thanks for the input!

Good to know, thanks!

Thanks for adding your two cents, Kate!

Heard! Thanks Becky!

Thank you for giving such a thoughtful and nuanced perspective, Marquita!

Thank you! The last thing I want is for Foxsy to become yet another place where people polarize further. You’ve got some very strong points.

Thank you for such a thoughtful response, Danette!

Thank you so much for giving your perspective! I agree; making art is already an act of defiance in systems that benefits from grinding us down. That is a very good point.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!

Yes, I imagine you are quite worn down with all the chaos unfolding. Thank you for sharing your perspective, it means a lot. Thinking of all of you up there in the midst of it ♥

I really appreciate everything you’ve brought up here. I won’t make any big moves immediately to make an opt-in forum, but we are looking at fortifying general community guidelines so we’re all on the same page.

That being said, if you ever want to submit political art privately in Creative Support (https://staging2.foxsy.com/creative-support/),…

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue!

Solid point to consider!

You bring up a really good angle that I think I will address; the guilt of making art when there is so much happening on the world stage. Thank you, Glenda!

That doesn’t sound weak, it sounds relatable. It truly IS exhausting seeing such charged stuff everywhere online. Thank you for sharing your two cents!

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Zoie!

I appreciate that you see where my question is coming from. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response!

Thanks for your perspective!

That’s a good point, thanks for bringing it up!

Agree with this 100%

Oh dear one, my heart is so sore for you. I have other friends in Minnesota. I cant imagine what it would be like to live in such fear every day. Big hugs and love sent to you.

Alright, wow! Thank you everyone for voicing your opinions and being so thoughtful about it all!

What I’m hearing is a lot of “no thanks!”. I appreciate y’all seeing where I’m coming from and meeting me at this weird position. While some of you use art to process and make sense of the world, many of you use art (at least, here at Foxsy) to take…

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Honestly, this is a safe place, a sanctuary, a wealth of content for our mental health. I would be grateful if this was one place where people could help each other out, lift each other up, and spread kindness.

Politics is going to continue to hit us in the face everywhere else whether we like it or not. I would be grateful if this was one…

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I just finished this class ,it’s so much fun ,and notice the difference on how much I have improved, can’t wait for the next class

Danette

No thank you, not for me. I would rather avoid it here. But I understand that some might want to explore the intersection of art and politics, so as long as it’s kept contained and I have the choice to avoid it if I wish then I’m OK with it.

No, please.

Adding to this as my thoughts have had some time to come into focus, especially in response to other opinions on this matter: what counts as political to you? What are your sincerely held beliefs about how people should be/deserve to be treated? About which voices get heard and which get silenced? It feels like a lot of the people saying…

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No politics for me. There is enough anger and divisive rhetoric everywhere else I turn to online.

I understand where you’re coming from, but it would be nice to have a place where politics is left at the door. I suspect that this is a no win situation for you Shelby. So if it is to be in here somewhere can it be clearly labelled so that those of us who want a politics free space can avoid it. Life is challenging and people are becoming…

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No, no, no! This is a safe haven away from all of that stuff.

Quick disclaimer: words are not my strong suit, so please pardon any weirdnesses in my phrasings.

Normally I’d give a hard NO to politics in this space, however, nothing is normal right now. I think a qualified Yes applies.

Like some of the others have already said, I have zero interest in debating opinions in this space. Yet, at the same time,…

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Shelby,

It’s a no win proposition. You won’t bring anyone together, no one changes their minds in these forums. People will polarize and fuel their anger. There are plenty of places people can go to blow off that anger. Don’t add to the insanity.

This will all pass, then there will be something else. It’s continuous and inevitable. Be the safe…

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I personally feel that politics should not be in our Foxy academy,every day am on TikTok ,because am so tired of it and sick of it .i get upset when I see both parties getting angry ,instead of getting the temperature down .people don’t know how to use their valuable time for art or crafts or even do something fun and constructive.,am an early…

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ABSOLUTELY NOT. Let’s make ART not arguments, and that is what bringing politics into this will do. It is inevitable. Please don’t. This should be a place where all ART lovers can come together without fear of reprisal for differing political views. ART and politics have gone hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean it is good. I mean, does…

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Whole-heartedly agree. This doesn’t need to become like. Focused on talking about politics. A set aside space for more sensitive (not quite the word I want, I think, but close enough) topics so people can engage on their own terms feels like a good middle-ground for me, personally.

What counts as politics? Christianity is political, by some standards. Does that mean you shouldn’t be allowed to express your connection to something that has a lot of deep meaning for you in your art in this space? Or does “politics” only come into play when it rubs against the status quo?

I vote no, keep politics off the forum unless you have a way to control the narrative and actively monitor for hateful, hurtful comments, ready to block or expel someone for violating your community standards. Saying that, I do firmly believe that art IS resistance and there is a place for resistance art. But to keep your sanity, I recommend…

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I live in Minnesota and I am getting all the politics I need or don’t need right now. I don’t want to hear anymore. If you do a forum like you suggested, it will appease both worlds because if you want it you can join the forum and if you don’t you don’t join the forum.

Voiced opinions can lead to (more) effective action than simply voting. The Civil Rights Movement worked not just because people voted, but because voices were made impossible to ignore.

Art has always been political and if you can’t see that, perhaps you need to look at the level of protection you have from being truly affected by what gets shoved under the label of “politics”

Art has been and will be political, and I think to completely ignore the dehumanization and terror being spread is at best callous and at worst actively aiding in that agenda.

That said, I wholly agree that there does need to be a way for people to not see this as the constant bombardment of bad news negatively affects everyone’s mental health…

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Thumbs up jancee 🙂

Thumbs up

A hard NO! Shelby, Foxsy is a safe place for people to gather in the interest of ART, not politics. For me, a definitive no to having political discussions on the Foxsy website, please.

Politics, especially at the international level, need to be left on only political forums, online, or face-to-face discussion groups. The majority of…

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Thumbs up

I think it is appropriate to allow the artists to share honestly if current events are distressing and impacting them. Not just politics but natural disasters, local catastrophes, and personal trauma or health concerns. Then we in community will be able to offer genuine support as our peers process and heal through reflection, art,…

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Personally, If it was front and center and in my face I’d probably not visit the site.

I know, sounds weak. That said, I avoided all news and social media from Friday thru Sunday, and it was very beneficial for my mental health. I checked news for a few minutes this morning, just to check the big picture, and asses whether I feel I have…

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