AGHHHH

I may have underestimated the number of people who stole my art/ traced over it because now that ive gotten a private account I'm seeing that people in the community I was in were blatantly tracing my stuff and getting away with it. one with over 20K and like a million freaking likes. they even copied my characters designs and imitated the way I animated. I remember months ago I thought it was so cool that someone so big had an interest of the stuff I made but then they go and trace and benefit from my art is insane. 

I'm not even like SUPER good at art but holy christ why am I just now noticing this??? I suspect the delay of social cues and all, and that its fine for me to talk about my problems but with the way the online communities are there's no getting out of this in a good way unscathed. I talked to my friend about this and they also thought its weird for me to get so many people drawn to me like that😢like a target on my back

I know there's nothing wrong with what I do going forward (im still gonna post my art with only friends), and whatever I've done besides DRAW, but I feel like all anyone wants from me is to take. I wanna make a lot more friends but im not sure how if I can't use my drawings as a way to connect anymore :( 

anyways I am drawing a lot today and I'm really getting back into the grove of making things! ive been browsing through my old stuff now that everything's over and ive been very motivated! I hated drawing for awhile because whatever I made something someone would take it/alter it/AI it and I resented it a little </3 

I hate to lock myself away but it feels like people are stealing my soul a little and I'm so scared and creeped out😿 and im usually VERY VERY VEYR VERY reserved (lurked online for a decade) and my experience with popularity was spoiled so bad😿fml I don't have a lot of people to talk to about this (none that I don't trust has ill intentions) so I wanted to vent here