Oops, 500
In December, I started my collection, and now, about four months later, it has reached 500 followers — a real success! It actually began as a test, and the odds weren’t great since even followers didn’t get notified when new images were added. And let’s be honest: who clicks through a submenu every day just to check a gallery?
On the other hand, constant notifications can also be annoying. So I’m even more grateful that the gallery became so popular anyway, and I’m always happy when you leave a few likes there from time to time.
Why this gallery?
When I launched the gallery, there were just a few well-known collections. A bit of fantasy on one side, and some NSFW on the other. That separation has always bothered me. I believe both have their place, and while I do think you should be of a certain age before viewing NSFW, the constant censorship really gets on my nerves. Adults should decide for themselves what they want to see — nobody has the right to interfere with that. People fought for those rights, and today they’re given up far too easily. The same goes for how people choose to live. If someone thinks they have the right to tell others how to live their lives, maybe they should focus on their own first. I find that kind of attitude arrogant. And yes, that goes both ways. I don’t need any “woke” debate, just more tolerance in general — it would do the world some good.
Cheaters, algorithms, and lost images
Toward the end of the year, a wave of cheaters was boosting their likes and completely dominating the leaderboards. As a result, many great images were buried and never seen. A lot of those accounts have since been banned, but the system is still easy to manipulate. CivitAI has consistently ignored my feedback on this, and honestly, I’m tired of opening tickets. Maybe others will have better luck. I get that there’s a focus on creators — but without generators, no one would care what’s being created. It’s a symbiotic relationship, and lately, generators have taken a real hit.
Diversity matters
What fascinates me most here is the variety of great LoRAs and checkpoints. So many people put in a lot of work to create beautiful tools (and yes, some garbage too). But there’s more to this place than just Gothic Neon — even if it’s a fantastic LoRA. I really wish I saw more creativity, especially from NSFW generators. Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone! I’d be happy to feature more new things — not just what I already saw last summer. You don’t have to go wild like I do and mix styles constantly, but if I see the same thing a hundred times, I’ll be tempted to block it.
What gets featured?
A quick note for NSFW creators: if your images show people who appear emotionally uncomfortable, I won’t include them. I’ve been in a BDSM relationship myself, and I know roleplay is part of it — but that’s not something that comes across clearly in an image. There’s no context, and it’s impossible to know the intent. So I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but I want to be clear that these kinds of images won’t be in my gallery. On the other hand, I’d love to see more sex-positive content. And if I miss a great image, just reach out!
I’d also love to see more creativity from everyone. If you post the same idea twenty times, it gets boring. If you do it often, don’t be surprised if I stop featuring your content. Sometimes less is more. If one of your images was a big success, I already know it — I don’t need to see 100 slightly altered versions. That only hurts your chances in the long run, and the worst thing that can happen is getting blocked. Because once a user blocks you, you won’t win them back.
So please, take the time to explore other LoRAs or checkpoints and show what you can really do. It’s not that hard to create something fresh — and it would be wonderful to give more creators a chance to shine. That said, I’m not here to force my aesthetic on you. There are plenty of people who see things differently and love your work as it is.
Final thoughts
It honestly bugs me a bit that I’ve somehow become someone whose opinion influences whether a picture is “successful” or not. Luckily, there are now many other great galleries that feature amazing work. But it’s still frustrating that so many people simply dump their likes into “most reactions of the day” — that’s even worse. I wish there were better tools to give visibility to images, checkpoints, or LoRAs. Since that’s not the case yet, I think a collection is still the best of the bad options.
And yes, I’m aware that my gallery brings more attention to my own profile. Maybe that’s not entirely fair. But I do put a lot of work into this and try to keep my own images separate. So no — this collection isn’t completely selfless, but it always makes me happy when I can help someone gain a bit more visibility or success.
I also encourage you to reach out — whether it’s your own images or someone else’s. I think it’s great when creators stand behind their work and want to show it off. That’s part of being an artist. But show me something special, and tell me why it deserves to be included. I promise I won’t make it too hard for you.
Here’s to the next 500 followers — and thank you again to everyone! I hope I didn’t step on too many toes.
Roxin
(translated by AI)