I have just found out that Art Fight will officially announce the teams for this year tomorrow on June 22nd 2025, so I'm going to close both commissions and art trades until further notice!

To be humanly fair, motivation is something hard to come by, at least in my case specifically, so the fact that I'm feeling this way means I'll get lots more done in terms of art and otherwise content. 

Anyways, I’ll put a link to my Art Fight account just in case! Thanks for the support!

https://artfight.net/~xXMashaAlibekXx

It’s summer time officially where I’m from! Have fun and spend time with people who matter!

And if you’re still in school, I’m so sorry. Anyways, happy Summer.

I can finally do it.
I can finally reveal why I’ve chosen to show my true self—and why I’m no longer going by the name “Shizuka.”

Shizuka the Fox is now Masha Alibek. 🦊💙

For the past few years, the name Shizuka hasn’t brought me the happiness it once did. It felt like it no longer represented the person—or the artist—I’ve become. Sometimes it even felt too controversial, too distant from my true identity, especially when spoken by people who didn’t know me deeply.

I’ve spent a long time soul-searching. I waited in fear, wondering if the right time would ever come. For so many years, I was Shizuka—it was how the world knew me. And the thought of starting over from square one was terrifying. But through years of trauma, growth, and unexpected light, I’ve realized something important: the right time is now.

I’m standing at the edge of something I’ve worked so hard to build, and I know in my heart it deserves to be born under the name that fully reflects who I am. It would be unfair to let it carry the weight of an identity I’ve outgrown.

It’s hard. I won’t lie—it’s sad letting go of a name I’ve carried since 2019. Shizuka was a huge part of my journey, and I’ll always remember her. But now, it’s time to shift.

My name is Masha Alibek.
From now on, I’ll be creating art as Masha. It’s so nice to finally meet you—as I truly am.

Thank you for being here.

With all my heart, Masha Alibek

Lately, I've been feeling a bit invisible. I’ve been posting my art and original characters across platforms — Newgrounds, Twitter/X, Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, Tumblr, Cara, DeviantArt, FurAffinity, and YouTube — but nothing really seems to gain traction anymore. I’m not sure why. It’s been disheartening, honestly.

On Newgrounds especially, I’ve been hoping to be seen — to be scouted — but I know you’re not supposed to ask for that, and I respect the system. Still, it’s hard. I care deeply about this community. I really want to grow here, to feel like I’m part of it, to be noticed and appreciated as someone who supports others and puts love into their work.

Even if things haven’t worked out yet, I’ll keep posting. I’ll keep creating. Because even when it feels lonely… I still believe that what I’m making has meaning. And maybe someday, one of my pieces will find its way to the right eyes. I’m not giving up.

Sorry for the silence… I didn’t like being inactive.

I’ve been wanting to keep my socials alive with more art, posts, and reblogs. But lately, I’ve been feeling discouraged—and it’s all tied to how I feel about something I love deeply: Newgrounds.

This is a vent post, but also something I’ve been needing to say for a while. Some of my viewers still don’t realize just how much Newgrounds means to me. In fact, Newgrounds has officially overtaken Cartoon Hangover as my #1 favorite entertainment platform of all time. The characters feel more relatable, and the creative energy feels so real. It even ties back to my childhood obsession with both Newgrounds and Cartoon Hangover.

But it’s hard when a lot of my followers either aren’t into Newgrounds or don’t even realize that I am. And that disconnect? It’s killing my motivation to create Newgrounds content. It makes me feel invisible. Lonely.

I’ve been a fan of Newgrounds since August 2024, even though I made my account in May 2021. I’ll admit it—I didn’t become truly obsessed until last summer. I’m not an OG fan, but I’m a passionate one. I live and breathe Newgrounds now. But it’s tough trying to make friends in that community, especially when so many users are hard to connect with. Even though I’ve met a few amazing fans along the way, it still doesn’t feel like enough to get noticed.

I want to be accepted in the Newgrounds community. I want to be recognized for my love and creativity. It hurts when people ignore that side of me and only associate me with Cartoon Hangover—which, yeah, I still love! I’ll always adore Bravest Warriors, SuperF*ckers, Adventure Time, even classics like Mario, Sonic, and Pokémon. But I want people to see Newgrounds when they see me.

Like… where’s the fan art of my fursona Shizuka Ryusu hanging out with Gogo Matsumoto from Punch Punch Forever? Or the Pico x Gogo ship art—my absolute FAVORITE Newgrounds ship?! Those are the kinds of things that light up my heart, but no one ever makes them for me.

Also—just to clear the air—Gogo Matsumoto is now my #1 favorite fictional character. Not Jack Krak anymore. I still like Jack, but my hyperfixation has moved on, and I want people to get that.

I just want to express my creativity in a space that feels right. Newgrounds is that space. I want to be known for it. I want to share that love with others who feel the same. I want to stop being surrounded by an audience that’s indifferent to Newgrounds. This site is where my passion lives now.

Newgrounds is in my heart. I believe in it. I just want others to believe in me, too.

THE NEW PUNCH PUNCH FOREVER EPISODE WAS ABSOLUTE FIRE!!! I’m beyond hyped for what’s coming next—if this episode is anything to go by, the rest are gonna be INSANE. LET’S GO!!!

Finally, it's one of my favorite months of the year! And you wanna know why I love June so much? That's right — it's Pride Month! It's a time where we come together to celebrate all queer people within the LGBTQ+ community!

If you don't know what LGBTQ+ means, it’s a broad grouping of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and many other identities that reflect diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. The LGBTQ+ community is vibrant and expansive, with each individual’s experience being unique and important!

One of the most amazing parts of LGBTQ+ pride is the beautiful variety of identities and sexualities! As for me, I proudly identify as bisexual and pansexual!

Pride flags are another awesome part of the celebration — colorful and meaningful symbols that represent and honor the many identities within the LGBTQ+ community. Each flag tells a story of pride, resilience, and belonging.

Let’s all celebrate June together by embracing and uplifting LGBTQ+ people everywhere, making the world a more inclusive and loving place! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

After a long and difficult journey, I’ve decided to stop identifying as non-binary and genderfluid.

The truth is… no matter how hard I tried to express that part of myself, I faced constant misgendering—especially from my parents, who still see me only as a girl. That persistent invalidation caused so much gender dysphoria, and I’ve been struggling silently for years.

Because of that, I’ve chosen to detransition and return to identifying as a cisgender female. It’s not a decision I made lightly, and I hope this doesn’t upset my friends, supporters, or anyone in the LGBT community. I still proudly identify as both bisexual and pansexual, and I will always support the queer community with all my heart.

I originally identified as non-binary and genderfluid because I genuinely felt that way inside and wanted to live that truth. But I’ve realized I need to prioritize what brings me peace—especially in both my online presence and my real life. For now, that means embracing my identity as a cis girl again.

My pronouns are She/Her, but They/Them is still okay too if that’s what you’re used to.

If you’re part of the LGBT community and reading this: I’m truly sorry if this hurts or confuses you. I hope you understand I did what I needed to for my mental well-being.

Thank you for supporting me through it all.

Happy 10th anniversary to Discord! I’ve been into this app since early 2020 and it played a great role in my life. Also, Discord is one of my very important socials of mine! Thank you so much for making this app so much special than it could have been. 🥳🎉

I really can’t stand hearing people talk about all the amazing things they’re doing with their moms today—especially going all-out like everything’s perfect now that the pandemic is over.

I hate seeing those over-the-top videos of people surprising their moms with extravagant gifts, half of them doing it just for clout.

I hate when people crowd the stores last-minute trying to buy something just to say they did—holding up lines because they procrastinated.

I hate being reminded on this day that my own mom is still easily offended by my mental health issues—especially after what happened yesterday. I’m not ready to talk about it, and I honestly don’t want to keep reliving the past.

But hey. At least there are food discounts.

I'm sorry if I sound like a terrible person. This weekend has been awful, and Mother’s Day was just the cherry on top. After almost ten years of pain and buildup, maybe I finally cracked a bit.

I cried harder this year than I have in a long time—harder than I’ve cried since 2015. But I’m okay now. I managed to calm myself down.

Anyway… Happy Mother’s Day. If you’re celebrating, I hope your day is peaceful—and tearless.