Anonymous asked: Hey, I've just started posting NSFW art of my own, and I wanted to ask some advice. If literally anybody that knew me IRL found out I was drawing porn in my spare time, I'd lose respect from all of them and probably alienate myself from most of them. I guess what I'm wondering is, how public are you IRL about what you do for a living, and how do you keep your personal/"normal" identity and artwork separate from what you do on this blog? (also, long-time fan here, I adore your stuff!)
Some of my friends know what I draw (though they don’t actively seek it out), some just know that I draw porn. As I mentioned in a previous ask my family only knows that I’m a freelance illustrator.
I don’t find it too hard to keep my personal and proffessional identity separate, though I do find it a little frustrating, and over the last few years I’ve definitely stopped caring as much as I did when I first started out. It’s still something I keep very private, but I think you’d be surprised by how little people would give a care if they actually knew.
That being said, you should absolutely do whatever you’re most comfortable with. I definitely understand what it feels like to keep this kind of thing a secret.
The way I get around the anxiety is that I try not to think of what I’m doing online as a “secret.” I just consider it a part of my life that I don’t really share with too many people. In the same way you might not tell everyone you meet about how you spend your time at the gym, or how you might not tell certain people that you attend church services, etc.
Hope any of this helps! And good luck with sharing your art!