deviantART Staff Appreciation Week Interviews

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First, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed! I truly appreciate it. If you don't mind, could you tell us briefly how it was that you came to be an official staff member, and about how long ago that was?

I joined deviantART as  a member in 2003 and in 2004 I started volunteering as a Photography Gallery Director.  After volunteering in that area for a little over a year I was offered a job as the Director of Artist Relations (Now Community Relations) in June of 2005

Very interesting! At the time, and even now, what part of this job do you enjoy the most, and could you give a brief overview of what you get to do?

The unique community at deviantART is what encouraged me to join and take part as a member in the first place, and I consider blessed that I get to work directly with the community on a daily basis as part of my job.  Community Relations, works to build, grow and manage the deviantART community around the deviantART brand.  While Community Operations focuses primarily around the operational side of the site, Community Relations works organically within the community encouraging, facilitating and developing relationships, not only within the community but, sometimes more importantly, between the community and the administration.

I've attached a fun infographic that breaks down my job

Throughout your years as such a prominent figure for the community, in what ways do you think the community has changed the most? Surely it has grown in size, but have there been any interesting things you did not expect?

You're right, the community has certainly grown exponentially over the years and very organically, meaning it wasn't until recently that we started any outward promotion of deviantART itself.  I think the most interesting thing for me, to this day, is the variety of people we attract to the community.  I have the privilege of attending many off-site events and seeing our community live and in person at these events I've witnessed young people, older people, professionals, amateurs, people of all races, genres, and walks of life coming together and celebrate the unifying power of art.  I find the impact very powerful when you see it one on one.  It makes me very proud to be a part of something so powerful that crosses so many boundaries.

I have come to notice this, too, and it was something unexpected for me. What qualities do you think are necessary to have or to learn for your position on the staff?

I think it's essential to have patience, be passionate and fully believe in the power of the community and most importantly - to listen.  Sometimes we get caught up believing we know best and are doing what is best for the community when most times the community has already said what it wants or needs and all we needed to do was to listen.  Similarly, I find it important to hear the message behind your biggest complainers and not discount the opinion of anyone simply because they disagree.  Sometimes you can learn something important.

If you could resurrect any artist from the past to get their feedback and thoughts on how deviantART operates, its community, and what it stands for (regardless of the century they lived during), who do you think you would choose and perhaps why?

I'm going to go with Yousuf Karsh. His body of work focused on portrait photography and presented an intimate and unique view of humanity.  He lived through a period of no technology to uber technology and I believe he would provide an interesting perspective and opinion on what we have created.

  

What is one big hope that you have for deviantART, whether it be as a website, community, or business?

That we continue to be the biggest and best community because I believe there is no one else like us that does it anywhere near as well

  

The next few questions I have are more fun, and generated by the community! ConnieCookiee asks: if dA were a planet, what do you think it would look like?

It would look like this:


<3

if you could make any change to deviantART, big or small in any way, what would you do if anything?

I think I would have liked to have personally found it in 2000, instead of 2003   Otherwise, there's nothing I would change. I truly believe that  every experience to date, positive and negative, has led us to where we are now and I wouldn't wish it to be an iota different then the biggest, and best online art community in the world

I think that about wraps up the interview! Is there anything more you would like to add?

Just a huge "THANK YOU" to the community for making us what we are

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Thank you very much to moonbeam13 for taking the time to answer these questions (and individually nonetheless!). It was great to interview her.

If you are interested in participating in festivities from now till 14 August, then just StaffAppreciation! We have a lot planned.