Why I Am Leaving Wings of Fire…

This is a decision I have been thinking about for a long time. I have put a lot of thought into this! This will be one of the more important videos on my channel. I hope to see you for the premiere 🩷

[SleepyGemstone]

I would like to add some clarification! Please read this before commenting!!

In “reason 1” I mention how i planned to leave WoF after growing a following. I would like to clarify that I do NOT mean I am using WoF or the fandom for clout. What I mean by this is that I was waiting to find more people with similar interests and people who are more interested in my personal work. I also used to really love WoF when I started drawing from the fandom. WoF content used to be fun for me and one of the upsides was that I was able to find other artists that also liked dragons! I posted WoF because I genuinely liked it for quite a while.

I would like to make it very clear that I was not using the WoF fandom for clout, I do not really care about my subscriber amount, especially not as much as I used to. I was posting WoF because I enjoyed it and found artists with similar interests to my own! If you would like clarification on anything else, please ask! I know that sometimes I am not very clear with my words, I am really trying to improve! I do not mean to upset anyone or make anyone feel used. Thank you for reading and I hope this made this video a bit more clear 🩷


Also, in the end, this is MY channel and I have the freedom to post what I want to post. If you think that it is wrong of me to switch content style, then I respect your opinion but that is the mindset that stops growth. I don’t want to be stuck posting the same thing all the time, I want to learn and adapt my channel! I hope you can understand that. This is my channel and therefore I have the right to make this choice. If you do not agree with it, then you don’t have to watch my videos, it’s that easy :)

I have made this video, not to say WoF is bad, but to tell those who watch my content that I will be changing some things. I am so glad WoF has been a part of my art journey, but it’s time for me to move on

[Cinnawill]

Sad you’ll be leaving the fandom, but it’s your choice. You should continue to pursue your own interests instead!

[NadiaDoesArtThingz]

I think everyone is upset that you are leaving wof, but I’m extremely happy you are finding other interests! This prevents major artblock and motivates you to keep going on yt!

[AuroraSharp]

POV: you’re definitely not staying up till 2:30 am to watch the premiere 💀

Edit: Wait hold it it says pm💀 I stayed up to 2:30am for nothing 😅😢

[valerie-jmwc]

it was nice Meeting you SleepyGemstone AND! I hope you made great friends! and see ya next future... ;]

[Gamert]

While im sad that you're leaving WoF, I am still gonna stick around. Im curious where your passion is going to take you, and I want to be here to cheer you on with support! Have a good day!

[auroraburst]

well whatever you decide to do i hope you have fun with it!!
always gonna watch your older vids and take inspiration cuz honestly, your art in general is AMAZING and it inspires me to keep doing it!! obviously still gonna watch your vids LMAO

[TheDeerfox]

oh gemma looks so cool on the cover ajsfsgsgjd

i remember leaving a while ago myself—it was literally the only thing i’d talk about for three years, and after a while i just… stopped caring. i still like seeing art of the characters, but the books just don’t interest me anymore. i’ll never be able to escape dragons in general though lol
anyway i hope this means more time to focus on your books and characters, i can’t wait to see where your story goes :]

[RobiinDrawz]

While I obviously haven’t watched the video yet, I can understand why you made this decision. It might not be the same reason, but I did something like this. For a while, once I read Wof I was literally OBSESSED with it. I loved it so much and got really sucked into it. So much so, that the focus was no longer on my own characters. When I realized this I made the tough decision to take a break from Wof for a little while so I could finally focus on my own stories and characters, and developing that instead of being stuck focused on someone else’s creation. I still love Wof and draw dragons from the series, by distancing myself for a bit I was finally able to expand and develop my own stories, instead of just being obsessed with someone else’s. Ik this probably isn’t the same as your reasoning, but I just felt like sharing! Whatever you choose I’ll support you Gemma :)
Btw, does this mean the hybrid challenge won’t be continued? Bc it’s technically still Wof

[turkey]

ME: oh that’s fine
also me: WOF HYBRID CHALLENGE GO BYE-BYE
also also me: no whiteout’s symphony MAP? :(

[ivyvinecat]

I think I actually like your personal projects better! Your channel is so awesome, and i'm exited to see your oc's more.

[linheivity]

Though I am sad to see you leave, I completely understand your reasons. I find a few of them relatable, in fact.
I have been considering leaving several fandoms myself recently, including WoF and Warrior Cats. I have many OCs I love very much, but several are based only loosely on the series (especially applies to Warriors here) and their lore diverges greatly from canon.
I guess I just don’t want all these things I’ve made and grown attached to be hinged on someone else’s creation, is what I’m saying. I want to focus on my own characters and all the stories I want to tell.
Wings of Fire and Warriors will forever hold a special place in my heart- from helping me improve my vocabulary and writing skills, to being a form of escapism (WoF was the only dragon-focused books I could find for my dragon-obsessed self), they were what finally got me into joining MAPs and inadvertently my YouTube hobby, and so, so much more, but quite importantly they introduced me to many wonderful communities and people, including you, Gemma.
Maybe one day I’ll let them go, but not just yet.

Either way, I’m very excited to see more from you! Sorry for going on a rant I had to get this off my chest lol

[AeyliaMoonlark]

The algorithm probably dragged me to your channel for the wof stuff, but I kept watching mostly because of your exquisite art. I recently watched you questions video about the book series and i will definitely be buying your book whenever it comes out <3

[Kitkat_draws]

Really sad to see you leave the Fandom but I'm also really excited to see more about your series! I'm definitely sticking around <3

[DayDreamerEdits]

Hi Gemma! I know you’ve probably heard this hundreds of times, but you’ve always got the support of your subscribers, no matter what happens. I think it’s awesome you were able to make your own decision to follow what you felt comfortable with! That’s just a great example in general. On a side note, does this mean you’ll post more videos about your own book series or stop posting in general? :)

[-rainblossoms-]

Dear Gemma, do what you love <3

I’d love to see your speed paints, and story. If it ever gets published, you have my word I will read it - perhaps buy it :D

I love how you said you want to make more videos on faith — as a fellow Christian, that makes my heart leap with joy! Those I will definitely watch :)

[SparrowDraws]

My story’s kind of long, but I feel like it’s similar to what you’re experiencing and might help you feel confident in your decision (knowing that I and others understand).

I first found WoF around 2020. I was OBSESSED with it and read the first arc happily. However, I soon discovered that there were things portrayed in the series that I didn’t really… agree with. So I moved on, even if it was hard. I began creating my own story, and soon came up with the first iteration of it. It wasn’t really good, considering it was very similar to WoF and basically copied the plot of Avatar: The Last Airbender (I had watched it for the first time), but I loved expanding on it.
The story kept evolving, and eventually changed drastically from very WoF-like (how the dragons act) to actually original. Also, I dropped the A:TLA akin storyline. During this time, I finally decided to read Warriors. I am still in the fandom and love the characters, even if they and the plot in general was lacking in quality. But I was also giving a lot of time to my personal story, and it continued changing until the present day iteration.
Even if I’ve gotten back into WoF (putting aside what I disagreed with), I am glad that I originally left it. If I hadn’t, the personal story I have today might have never existed, or be very different. I know you, Gemstone, have a story very different from mine, but maybe putting WoF aside will mold your story into something even greater now that you can focus on it.

[PurpleVixen-V]

Kinda sad you’re leaving the fandom but I do absolutely love your stories and speedpaints ^^

[DaMeerDragon]

It’s completely understandable, and don’t get me wrong, I love your stories a lot too. I’m glad that you started your channel.

[TheEmpathDragon]

While I’m personally a little disappointed that you won’t be posting WoF content I’m not heartbroken and I’m happy that you’re choosing to follow what makes you happy! Personally writing is my own passion so I enjoy seeing other people who love it as well
I’m not abandoning u