ALL-ART-4-EVER

Hello everyone,

I do apologize for my absence. I haven't really been active on DeviantArt for some time. I've taken a step back away from DA because I was concentrating on my mental health as well as the overall direction this site was turning to. I'm just now becoming active again after being away for several months. As I am coming back, I've come to a realization about a few things.

I've been an admin for this group for about 10 years now. I'm so happy that we had grown into one of the biggest groups that DA had and all the wonderful friends that I've gotten to meet through here. For this reason, it breaks my heart that I have to say what I'm about to say. I'm still contemplating on how to handle this, but over the next week or so the decision will be made.

I've tried to message the other admins for the group, but I do not think they are active on DA anymore. I would like to step down as the folder manager/co-founder of the group. I just simply don't have time to put in the maximum effort like I did before. I have a full time job that I'm working 6 days a week, and I have other activities that I have going on. Now, if I stepped down...there would be 2 options that I would do:

1) Choose a successor- I would open applications to see who would be best fit for the role as Co-Founder/Folder Manager. This group means so much to me, and I don't want to see it just be run into the ground. This was my first admin role I took on DeviantArt. I started out as just a regular admin, then I climbed the ladder as time went on. I want this group to continue on.

2) Closing down the group- As I said, this group is special to me. It gave me some responsibilities while I was in college. Now as an adult, I have other responsibilities to worry about. I don't really have the time for the group anymore, and it seems like the group is being run by itself. I'm really the only admin that's left, and I don't know if I have the time to be searching for the right person to continue on the group. We have over 40K members, and while yes it would not be great for the group to shut down....but it might just be for the best.

In conclusion, I would be making up my mind here in the near future. If I was to find another admin for the role, I would create an application for the position. I'm not going to hand over the group that my friends and I worked so hard for, just for it not to do anything.

In order for me to decide however, I would like your opinion to see if it's worth finding someone or just closing down the group entirely.

Thank you everyone for your time and for being a member of AA4E.