Twilight walked out of her castle, yawning and stretching before grabbing the newspaper on the steps. She then looked around, only to see Anon standing in the grass, painting on a canvas. She smiled as she walked over to him.

"So, you’re just painting on ponies' lawns now?"

"And hello to you too, grape-flavored pony." Twilight frowned as she smacked him with the newspaper.

"Ow! I was just messing with you." Twilight smirked as she watched Anon get back to his painting.

"So, what are you painting?"

"Just making a painting of me painting." Anon turned back to his work as he continued. Shit, that joke was too meta.

"So, do you have an idea of what the finished product will look like?"

"No... Not really. Just kind of going with the flow, you know."

"I see... You know, now that I think about it, me and the girls see your art around town, but we rarely see you painting. Also, I’ve done the statistics, and your output on your art is pretty inconsistent—" Anon put a finger on her lips as he slowly turned his head to her.

"Y-you take statistics on my art?" Twilight brushed his finger off as she cleared her throat.

"Anon, I was bored one day and just did a little research is all." Anon shrugged his shoulders and went back to painting.

"Don’t really care, just was curious is all." Twilight looked over the painting again as she tapped her chin, a new question popping up in her head.

"Say, Anon, why are you making this?"

"Well, because I’ve recently been inspired," Anon said, making air quotes with his hands.

"What's the inspiration?"

"Well, a while back, I found this little bakery. It was pretty unknown, although the food was really good, and the pony that ran the place was nice. But while I was there, I was told a story, and recently, that story popped up in my mind and I was inspired. So while all my art supplies were still back home, I quickly went and bought new art supplies, came onto your lawn as I was pretty sure you wouldn’t have a problem with it, and just got to painting." Twilight nodded as she took it all in.

"Yeah, I don’t mind, but don’t you think it would have been better to wait until you got home? Kind of just wasted bits, in my opinion."

"Well, you see, Twilight Twinkle, I’m not someone to just sit down on an idea... Wait, I’m lying—I have a bunch of old artwork just sitting in my closet. Let me rephrase that for you, my friend: when I get an idea, I go straight to a canvas and start painting. No sketching for me, no planning—just straight to the canvas. And when I create new artwork, I get this burst of motivation that makes me zone into my art, and I always make sure to complete it in one sitting because if I don’t, it might... end up in that closet."

"Do you ever think you’ll touch the paintings in your closet?"

"Of course, it’s just that... when I find that spark or burst of motivation, or inspiration even, then without a doubt, I will. I mean, not too long ago I was working on a finale to a series of artworks I’ve created in the past, but I put that on hold for now to paint this."

"If what I’m thinking is correct... the series of art you mentioned—some ponies want to see it completed."

"Oh, I know, and I’ll get back to it, but..."

"But?"

"Heh, well, Twilight, I don’t owe anyone anything." Twilight was about to say something, but closed her mouth as she thought about what Anon said. Okay, he has a point to a certain degree.

"I make these artworks for my enjoyment. Because when I sit down and let my creativity run wild through the canvas, I have fun. And at the end of the day, Twilight, if you don’t have fun or enjoy what you create, what’s the point of making it at all? But I won’t deny it—I love it when people can find their own enjoyment in what I create, whether they were expecting me to make it or not."

Twilight looked at the canvas, which was almost complete. She tilted her head as she noticed herself in the painting.

"You put me in?"

"I was originally not planning to... but this little talk we’re having changed my mind. I’m glad you stopped to talk with me, Twiggles."

"Geez, what’s the next nickname on the list? You have like a thousand."

"I don’t know, Twinkle Toes." Twilight grumbled as Anon finished the final touches to his art.

"Finally... it’s done."

"I think it looks okay. I don’t know what other ponies will think, though."

"Doesn’t matter whether they think this is some sort of relatable masterpiece or an egotistically driven piece of art. I enjoyed making it, and if someone out there enjoyed it too... then I consider it a win." Anon picked up his painting as he yawned.

"What are you going to call it?"

"I don’t know the name yet..."

"Oh, I’ve got an idea."

"Oh really? Spit it out, then."

"Okay, what about 'How do you create art—'"

"TWILIGHT!" Anon screamed.

"What?"

"YOU MADE ANOTHER META JOKE! WE HAVE GONE OVER OUR BUDGET!"

"W-what are you talking about?!"

"TWILIGHT, YOU MAKING THAT JOKE IS THE POINT OF NO RETURN! OUR STORY IS ABOUT TO END—"

Author's Note

☟︎︎□︎︎⬥︎︎ ♎︎︎□︎︎ ⍓︎︎□︎︎◆︎︎ ♍︎︎❒︎︎♏︎︎♋︎︎⧫︎︎♏︎︎ ♋︎︎ ⬧︎︎⧫︎︎□︎︎❒︎︎⍓︎︎ ♐︎❒︎♓︎♏︎■︎♎︎✍︎ 🖳︎︎✆︎︎

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