It turns out they already do and want to share some of it as part of the project. I asked them to send along some samples so I could get an idea of their level of experience (the main project will be for professional art) and this is the reply. Awesome stuff and I'll admit it made me tear up a bit last night when I read it. And don't worry, I will find a home for their art and the art of others even if it's not in the way I originally planned.
Thank you, Tracy!
I read your email to our daughters and they are excited for the challenge. (My daughter J even narrowed her eyes, rubbed her hands together, and declared in her best evil villainess voice, "'Level of experience?' I'll show her my level of experience!" :)
We're all very excited with what you're doing both with Prismatic Art and with trying to shift the gaming community to a more respectful place in general. They began playing 4e from the moment I introduced it to them when they were 8 years old, and have probably read every 4e book that WoTC has published, except for the first two Essentials "Heroes of..." books. (They turned their noses up at Essentials until they got over their "edition-ism." :) They've built countless 4e characters and they've read the first Dragonlance trilogy multiple times (Laurana is their favorite character) and are still hoping that someday Dragonlance comes back and unseats Forgotten Realms as a D&D setting. (Yeah, I know, not likely...) They've also branched out into other RPGs and even had their letters published in Daniel Solis' "Do: The Book of Letters."
RPGs and drawing are our daughters' favorite activities. The majority of what they read is probably gaming books, fantasy novels and articles from D&D Insider (including yours!). I have to admit that we're not always happy with the way female characters are portrayed in what they read, or in the art they're seeing on WoTC's site and on DDO (where they spend most of their allowed online gaming time). According to S, "There are too many scantily-clad female characters out there, and not enough in actual armor." Still, instead of censoring, my wife and I have chosen to use such content as springboards for discussion. (I usually join in their party when they play DDO, and I also run a monthly tabletop 4e game for them and three of their closest girlfriends.) We're happy that our daughters have retained their strong self-image despite some of the messages which they've been receiving from the gaming culture at large, but we'd rather they just be able to enjoy the culture without those messages. I think you know what we mean.
J even had one of her "rants" published by New Moon Girls magazine:
> I was on a gaming website and saw a game called "Nerdy Girl Makeover." The description of the game is this: "School is out! Put those books away and give this girl a hot new look!" I find this really offensive. The girl wore glasses, was reading, and had a T-shirt with an atom on it. Why do so many people think that smart, intellectual girls who like reading and academic subjects are "wrong" and "ugly"?
> J, Washington
In any event, both our daughters' first love in gaming has remained D&D and powerful fantasy heroines and villainesses are still their favorite subjects for drawing. (They've drawn for hours every day since they could hold a crayon.) J's favorite characters to play and draw (in no particular order) are barbarians, rangers, sorceresses and rogues. S said that her favorites are wizards, witches and mages which led to an argument about whether those three are all the same or not so you see, our daughters really are gamers! :) We're looking forward to seeing what they draw for you. I'll scan it and send it along and we'll go from there. If their art doesn't fit with Prismatic Art, then perhaps we can collaborate on something else in the future.
Above all, please know that you have a family of supporters out here in the Pacific Northwest! You are an inspiration to our daughters and as parents of girls who are passionate about D&D, we wholeheartedly support your initiative!
All the best,
Charles
Both Charles and his wife Jung game with their daughters and they write about their experiences.
Suggested ebooks:
Correllian Times Emagazine - Issue 44 April 2010 What A Beautiful WorldHermes Trismegistus - Book V That God Is Not Manifest And Yet Most Manifest
Troth Aor - Odinism What Is It The Odinic Rite
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