u/cultivatehiccup

I’ve applied to NAP literally 17 times (please don’t judge me or chastise me for the amount of $ I’ve spent on application fees. A ton of my friends/peers have gotten in and I haven’t and I genuinely do think my work is good enough). Does an artist’s social media presence/popularity influence their decision? Do they blacklist people (lol)? I know it depends on the juror so I’m just kind of frustrated I guess. I might throw in the towel after the next cycle for my region. I also know that it’s been going downhill in recent years.
Any suggestions for other publications that aren’t such a rip off are welcome!

I posted here a couple months ago about my experience being stalked/harassed online. This was on instagram and I don’t think I can go back. I know insta is where all the galleries and contemporary artists are (I did the whole song and dance for years) but it’s becoming more unusable and I frankly I’m too scared to go back (please don’t say “just do it” it’s unhelpful/dismissive and yes I’m in therapy working on it). I would have to build my following from scratch again. Does anyone use Bluesky to show their work online? What has been your experience? I would want to use it as a portfolio and as a way to meet other artists / network, which is how I used instagram. I do painting/drawing/2d work.

He (m34) was my (nb30) closest friend for years, during the hardest time of my life. I wasn’t his closest friend (he had a healthy social life and a support system, which I didn’t have at the time) but we were very close. He was my role model, a genuinely good person, full of wisdom and curiosity. He moved across the country after Covid started and a year later I moved too (not to the same place as him). We kept in touch through text, I came out to him as nonbinary, both went through a lot of big life events (all positive).
I didn’t see him for 4 years.
He had moved to a bigger city and I happened to be in town so we met up. I was so excited to reunite. He was exhausted, the move had been expensive and he was working a lot, but he looked and seemed the same… but before long, I noticed how much he’d changed.
He had become so cynical and dismissive. So different from the friend I knew. I was shocked. There was a moment where, when I was talking about something that had bothered me about a mutual friend of ours, he told me he “didn’t care about white women’s problems” (he’s not white, I am). He knew I was nonbinary. I was so hurt but I could barely process it so I just changed the subject. I got back to my hotel and cried.
He was obviously going through a lot with the move and new job, and I wanted to give him some grace. I think I was in denial. We hung out the next day and it was more of the same. He talked over me, complained about his life, made assumptions about me that were framed as jokes but were rude. We hugged goodbye and I texted him the next day (his bday) wishing him a happy birthday, he replied with thanks and said it was great to see me, and that’s the last time we spoke. That was more than 2 years ago.
I have done a lot of ruminating on this and I’ve kicked myself a lot for putting my friend on a pedestal because I’ve realized how one-sided our friendship always was. I was always the one to reach out to keep in touch. I don’t think he’ll ever speak to me again, he just doesn’t think of me as a good friend. Maybe he never did.
I’m still heartbroken to this day. I can’t believe how much he changed. He was the last person I ever would’ve thought to act like that. I thought he cared about me and our friendship meant something to him. It’s so hard because our friendship meant so much to me.

I’ve been having around 15 different symptoms for a number of months that I can only chalk up to long COVID at this point. My thyroid is fine, bloodwork is fine, pulmonary function is fine, CT scan and X-rays of my chest were normal. Got a colonoscopy, nothing wrong. My doctor thought I had acid reflux because of my chest/throat tightness but omazeprole has not helped. All of my symptoms started after my 3rd covid infection in fall 2024, so I know it’s related to that, but exactly what is happening is still a mystery. Doc thinks it’s nerve-related.
On to the gallbladder: I was getting sharp pains in my abdomen, so my doc ordered an ultrasound, and lo and behold I had 2 large gallstones. No blockage or attacks luckily. Needless to say I was nervous to get my gallbladder out with all of my weird symptoms and no explanation for said symptoms.
Well, I got my gallbladder out on Tuesday and I am recovering well. It’s a slow recovery but every day gets a little easier. I even ate lo mein tonight and I’m fine! Just wanted to provide some hope to folks who might be dealing with other health issues, especially if they’re in the midst of trying to figure it out.

I booked a dentist appointment months ago (before Boynton Dentist closed) for late July. Did that appointment transfer to the school of dentistry or do i have to make a new appointment?

Apologies if this is the wrong sub. I’ve dealt with some online harassment and light stalking over the past few years. This individual keeps tabs on me and never says anything threatening. For the record I am in therapy working on my trauma. This person lives a few states away from me.
I deleted my instagram and don’t keep an online presence as an artist anymore except for my website, which I keep updated. I go to openings and am active in my community, I apply to open calls / grants, but I don’t have contact info on my website for my own sanity.
I’m still an emerging artist and believe that I will always be a practicing artist so I’m not feeling like I’m cooked or falling behind. I have a number of shows (group, solo, two-person) under my belt and feel ok about where my career is going, but this situation is a huge hindrance.
Looking for artists who’ve dealt with similar situations and how you navigated them.

Has anyone gotten a referral to the Fairview long covid clinic from a doctor at Boynton? If yes, how did you approach asking / what were your symptoms?