Gemotions

He stared at the canvas, a twisted mockery of his dreams. The vibrant colours he'd chosen were now muted, the brushstrokes clumsy. His digital painting, once a symbol of hope, was now a hollow echo of its original self.

The online platform, which had promised him a platform, a way to share his art with the world, had stolen it. It had taken his creation, altered it without his consent, and then, profited from it.

John felt a familiar weight settle on his shoulders. He felt an overwhelming desire to shut down, to retreat. He felt utterly used. He closed his laptop. The world, for the moment, was too much.