In Defense of Lowbrow Spaces
The problem with practicing artmaking rather publicly is eventually you'll see someone who starts a conversation with, "I have always wished to try writing/drawing/composing/[insert your preferred artform here.]" And you, being a polite person, might reply with, "Well, why not try?" To which you're met with many excuses, but one of my favorite turn of conversations tend to go a certain way. For the sake of coherence, I will give examples for writing in particular, though you can sub this into just about any form of art.
"I don't know where to start. I don't get how people do character interactions well."
"Well, you observe real people, practice. Many of us also got a start in fanfiction. Start with characters you already know."
A frown.
"Isn't that where horny teenagers go? That's just bad writing, isn't it?"
"Not always. You actually see a wide range of skill and observing how different people interpret something can be useful."
The question of platform might have come up. You may tell them it's okay to just write things in a junk journal, or start a blog.
And then you might come up with FFN or AO3, if you want other people to see them and give feedbacks. I might or might not have dated myself.
"I've always been told it's trash. Do you have any other suggestion?"
"If original work is more your jam, you can try Wattpad?"
The exact websites don't matter. DeviantArt? SoundCloud? Itch.io? It can be anything.
"Oh, no, no. Imagine what people would say if they know I'm writing on these seedy websites."
They would probably give no two fucks about it, but if they do, you're probably better off finding a better set of friends. But you're trying to be very nice and helpful here, so you remind them that junk drawers exist. Just write something and shove them somewhere. Explore. Just start first.
"Well, no one will see what I make, then? It's pointless."
It's usually a good time to excuse yourself. Or if you're in a charitable mood, you listen to them drone on and on about not having a place to hone their skills. They shun lowbrow space, thinking they're too good for these places, and would gladly laugh at meme pages filled with bad quotes after bad quotes from Wattpad. Do they crank quality piece after quality piece for prestigious publication? No, because they'd just rather not write at all.
What many people seem to have difficulty accepting is the truth that artistic skills don't come fully formed. That many creatives can spend their lives making bad and ugly things until they make something they like. And all these have to start somewhere. That can be an amateur comic group. It can be a garage band. It can be handdrawn zines you exchange with each other at recess. We can't all start in the halls of MoMA, in the pages of The New Yorker.
I take issue with people who love to make fun of these lowbrow spaces but never try making things themselves. These spaces weren't usually built to serve them, Most Honored Consumer (Only Ever Consumer) of Distinguished Taste, masterpieces of the ages (though quality really does vary, and you're bound to realize that many people take their craft seriously even as mere hobbyist in a lowbrow space). They're low-stakes environments where people start and experiment. Where making mistakes doesn't cost a career. Where ideas can be explored without commercial pressure (sometimes, this also means getting to explore taboo or sensitive topics no sensible publisher would dare to broach). Heck, even where some people test audience appeal. Or just a fun way to spend an evening with friends. They make artmaking feels accessible. (And they teach you that your "super simple idea" is actually not very easy to do)
It's no secret that you'll find a lot of voices from marginal communities in these spaces, which might alienate Most Honored Consumer Whose Taste Must be Catered even more. Some people would recoil at the thought that certain things are not made for them. Imagine.
The continual loss of amateur playgrounds in favor of institutions with more polished sheen is to be lamented. Why mourn "junk" arts? We're mourning the spirit that comes with it.
Do not fear lowbrow space. Sing bad covers. Make noisy nonsense. Draw stupid pictures. These spaces exist, fill them. Or fill your junk drawer if you'd rather have your creative life private. If you're afraid that people won't take your art seriously, well. Anyone who tries to dismiss what I make today on account of a typo-riddled fanfiction I wrote as a teen or a random doodle I did on my spare time for myself is likely not worth listening to in the first place. Do yourself a favor: stop making excuses and stop making fun of people who actually take time to make things and brave their heart to publish them.