lifeofthe6's avatar

lifeofthe6

I do art sometimes!
73 Watchers16 Deviations
33.7K
Pageviews
Over the course of human history, we as a species have determined that not dying when we don't have to is a good thing.  We have learned to do more than leave the sick or injured to die and have gone to great lengths to ensure as many people as possible don't get sick or injured in the first place.  As humans began to become more populous, we organized more and more, and began making these things we now know as modern governments.  Many modern governments that are considered developed by European and American standards have decided that having as many people that they govern be alive and healthy is a good thing.  When people are alive and healthy, they can do things like work to fuel an economy, build infrastructure, research and produce scientific breakthroughs, and a lot more that governments, and people in general, find helpful to keep a country running and prosperous.

So why in all hell is keeping people alive a business?

I don't mean the fields of medical research and engineering, nor do I mean the work doctors, nurses, surgeons, etc. do in actually caring for people.  Those are valuable, difficult, and trained positions and deserve their due compensation.  It's health insurance I'm pissed about.

In my opinion, the only barrier between someone who is sick or injured and being healthy again should be the actual treatment.  However, in the United States we have determined that becoming healthy from a sick or injured state costs money--exorbitant amounts of money that average citizens frequently don't have.  So we have this fun thing called health insurance.  The model seems simple: a person pays an insurance company something called a "premium".  This, plus some paperwork, is an agreement between the person and the insurance company that in the event the person becomes sick or injured, the insurance company will cover some, most, or all of the costs of treatment.  Simple, right?  No, not so simple.

Because of things like high cost, experimental medicines or treatments, or even expected survival, insurance companies can refuse to cover some medical costs for fear of a net loss (the company paying more to keep someone alive than they pay the company) or for fear that they may never get premiums from that person again (otherwise known as the person fucking dying).  Sure, insurance helps people pay for medical costs, but the primary interest in covering people for the insurance company is getting their money, not keeping them alive.

This is why I support government-centered healthcare.  It follows the same model as health insurance: people pay an entity money and that entity in turn does its best to make them healthy again if they ever become sick or injured and require assistance from that entity to do so.  The "premium" would be taxes and would pay for hospitals, medical equipment, and the salaries/wages of healthcare personnel.  In return, the government provides the service of keeping its people alive, which it profits from by those people doing other things that help the country prosper and by them continuing to pay taxes.

The difference is that there is no denying a person their treatment because of monetary issues.  One person's healthcare tax is everyone's healthcare tax so most if not all of the treatment is already paid for.  Any remaining cost would be significantly more affordable because there would be no companies trying to rack up profits or competing to siphon as much money out of people as possible.

I find it irritating that conservatives think all we need to do to lower people's healthcare costs is give them choices that encourage competition, like how you might shop for a TV one place and it's one price but to be competitive another place has the same TV for a lower price.  We should not be shopping for healthcare like it's a damn commodity.  Keeping its people alive should be something that a government strives to do through itself, not through any number of companies whose interest is profits over people.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
I have a lot of opinions on things lately, most of them having to do with modern American society and politics.  I've chosen to use my dA journal as the place to voice my opinions as it's one of the few platforms I have where I won't get into pointless arguments with people I know and that doesn't have a rule about talking about politics.

My journal posts, which I will title "Liberal Soapbox," are not necessarily for discussion, though I will welcome it whether you support liberal/progressive ideas or not.

Let's begin with an introduction: I'm an unashamed, unabashed social and political liberal.  This means I support things like civil rights, LGBT+ rights, equality for women, globalism, and pretty much everything that you can think of when you imagine an American liberal.  I even embrace the term "liberal," preferring it as a label rather than "progressive," despite its use as something of a curse word to the right wing and said with a snarl.  I truly believe liberalism is the engine that drives the United States forward with the interests of all people in mind.  It tends to trust science more and fosters new ideas that lead to more breakthroughs in almost all aspects of life.

Now, I'm not totally against conservatism.  New ideas certainly have the potential to be dangerous, and progress must be checked to ensure that our society and government do not take reckless steps forward without being as sure as possible of their ramifications.  That checking of progress is what I think the role of conservatism should be, rather than the rabid defense of the status quo and obsession with returning things back to the way they used to be, especially when "the way it used to be" harmed more people than it helped.

Now that the right wing--in particular a volatile fringe of the right wing excited and enthusiastically led by Donald Trump--is essentially in control of 2/3 of the branches of government, I am legitimately worried about the welfare of minorities and marginalized groups, as well as the undoing of years and in some cases decades of legislative and political progress.  On the bright side, the backlash to the actions of Trump and his compatriots is almost always immediate and fierce.  They may have the power to put unqualified and unsympathetic people at the top of their leadership, and they may have the power to pass whatever laws they please with impunity, but they will fight not just the liberal masses, but the centrists and even moderate conservatives who oppose them every step of the way.

I believe once the opportunity arises, freedom and progress will not hesitate to seize power back.  However, I am not positive it is possible in a short amount of time, so I am speaking now about what I can when I can so that if the day comes when I cannot speak, no one can say that I did not speak.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
What?  Lifeofthe6, you barely upload anything anymore!  Now you want me to pay you for art?
Yes, and the reason for that is while I may not upload much anymore, I still draw quite a bit, and I think I've improved enough that I'm putting a price on my art.  I'm not that good, though, so it's going to be nice and cheap.

I will upload a deviation and/or journal soon with examples of my most recent work and more commission info, but here's a brief overview:
- Commissions will start at just $5.00 USD with things like extra detail, additional characters, and backgrounds being extra.  How much extra I still have to decide and will be on the official info deviation/journal.
- I specialize in ponies nowadays, but will also do anime (girls).  I'd like to emphasize that a pony from me will be a LOT better in quality, but I've improved in anime drawing as well.
- I can do NSFW, pony or anime, but nothing beyond suggestive poses or nude drawings (for the sole reason that I don't feel confident enough in my abilities to do any straight up hardcore stuff).  When it comes to pony NSFW, I absolutely will not draw fillies or colts, even if you want them aged up.  This is for personal reasons.

Not interested in commissioning me?  That's all right!  Keep watching and see something amazing happen: I'll upload more art!  As I do commissions, that'll get my creative juices flowing, which means I'll upload more non-commission art, too!  For a long time I stopped uploading because I wasn't confident in my abilities and assumed no one wanted to see what I drew anyway, but I want to share again and get some more attention paid to my art, so I'm revving up once more!

That's it for now.  Stay tuned and keep your wallets primed, y'know, if you want to.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In


1. How long have you been on DeviantArt?
7 Years.  I joined back in middle school as a beginning artist when my friends introduced me to the site.

2. What does your username mean?
Originally it was a reference to a small book I wrote in middle school.  Since it has come to represent my adoration of Twilight Sparkle, a character in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

3. Describe yourself in three words.
Still can't draw.

4. Are you left or right handed?
Right handed.

5. What was your first deviation?
A fan-art of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.  I've long since deleted it.

6. What is your favourite type of art to create?
Anything that just comes to me out of nowhere, because when I feel like a drawing comes purely from inside me, it comes out better than when I do simple fan-art.

7. If you could instantly master a different art style, what would it be?
Traditional painting, for sure.  It's so relaxing and some of my favorite art pieces are paintings.

8. What was your first favourite?
Adopt-a-neko by Serio555

9. What type of art do you tend to favourite the most?
Typically fan-art.

10. Who is your all-time favourite deviant artist?
I can't say I have a single all-time favorite.  Many artists have come and gone since I joined, and all my favorites have had some impact on me as an artist and/or and a person.

11. If you could meet anyone on DeviantArt in person, who would it be?
Any of my favorite fan-artists would be incredible to meet based on their online demeanor.  I've already had the privilege of meeting a couple of them!

12. How has a fellow deviant impacted your life?
My art style has been influenced by several artists over the years, and several deviations and journals have given me different perspectives on ideas and social issues that I would have not had otherwise.

13. What are your preferred tools to create art?
I prefer a pencil and paper, but I like giving my work a new life by editing it using digital art software as well.

14. What is the most inspirational place for you to create art?
I can find inspiration anywhere, and the best place for me to create it is right where I get it.

15. What is your favourite DeviantArt memory?
I had the pleasure of becoming friends with a lovely girl a few years ago who was having a hard time in her life, and it was showing in both her art and her journals.  Having been through a similar situation, I decided to reach out and try to lift her spirits. We shared stories and experiences and for a little while were a small source of joy in each others' lives.  She has since deactivated her account and left deviantART but I'll always remember her.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

Avatar Change

1 min read
Like it's major news or something.  But yeah, I've finally changed the avatar I've had for the better part of 5 or 6 years.  But I'm a much different person than I was then, so, time to update it.

To book horse.

Also, I still do art sometimes.  Maybe you'll see it.

Until next time!
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Featured

Liberal Soapbox 2: Healthcare by lifeofthe6, journal

Liberal Soapbox 1: Welcome to My Liberal Soapbox by lifeofthe6, journal

Opening up Commissions! by lifeofthe6, journal

DeviantARTist Questionnaire by lifeofthe6, journal

It's been a year since I last made a journal by lifeofthe6, journal