Yes: Gaussian blur
No: Sketchy effects or filters that alter the original photo significantly // Liquify/warp

I boldly used a "Radial" blur on the image...apparently resulting in too "sketchy" of an effect, altering the original too significantly... Again, despite the arbitrary nature of rules being enforced on those 'sketchy' words "too...", and "significantly", I can see your point...whether or not I agree with where the lines get drawn sometimes...[and will change picture] They have to be drawn somewhere... My, uncertainty continues to be regarding the more complex and multifaceted filters like "surface blur", "improver", "clarity", "edge fx", "radiance", etc...etc...(infinitely actually). All of which DO merely sharpen/soften/balance/level etc...(allowable global edits), but in unique combinations that could basically be achieved anyway, but with many more steps... ['improver' simultaneously blurs/removes noise while letting you enhance the edges... Is that cheating?]

I don't mean to be a pain...and have tried to ask these things on the forum- to no avail... I know the general guidelines and respect them...but some of what I take for granted in my editing routine is questionable here, and clear answers are few and far between...

On my back?? -actually thought I was scruffy, and simian enough at that angle to pass... :/