mod-ellisa-and-lynn

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

The Pokémon blog is on hiatus currently, but I do have other projects I'm working on. I recently became the social media manager for Alchemy, and artist-run and community oriented organization based out of Atlanta. I'm currently working on building a tumblr account for the org, and it's kinda ugly right now but has some useful links on it if anyone is interested, you can check it out - @alchemy-ga-burn

Also been redesigning our department logos so here's some not Pokémon related art! The first one is not finished yet but will be by tonight.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Its that time of year again were I have to disassemble Blaziken nests every other day. If i don’t Azure becomes the biggest brooding pain in the but.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

It's been a rough year already, but I got some weirdly exciting news in little bits over the last week.

I have really good insurance through my job. It's expensive, but I live with my dad now so it's fine. For years, I have suffered from unreasonably heavy, long, and painful menstrual cycles. Doctors were generally dismissive, telling me that there was nothing they could do unless I was bleeding through a pad every hour for at least two hours, at which point the only thing to do was go to the hospital for a blood transfusion. I gave up for a long time but with this insurance I found a really good doctor's office who started to take me seriously. I know I don't want kids, so we discussed an ablation (they cauterize the lining of the uterus to prevent bleeding) alongside a tubal sterilization (you can still get pregnant after an ablation and it is life threatening), however they informed me that at my age, the lining of my uterus would likely grow back in about a year. They were still willing to sterilize me (without a man to sign for it or anything) and scheduled me for an ultrasound to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. In fact, things are not where they are supposed to be! My right ovary is turned on it's side, bigger than it's supposed to be, and smooshed up against my uterus! I also have approximately 7 cysts! Most of them are benign, only one being big enough to measure and send along the rest of the images to the doctor, but wow does that explain a lot! The lab tech looked at me and was like "you're not making stuff up, you're in pain". It was so validating. I still don't know why I bleed through a pad every hour and a half, but at least I know why 800mg of ibuprofen doesn't touch the pain.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Yay yayy terapagos magical girl liko coughs

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Really passionate about this community, and this interview with the Org President kind of showcases why. If you're tired of "preformative wokeness", if you are drained by online communities who care more about what you do or don't post than what you do in real life, check out your local burn community. If you're in the states on the east coast and want to join this particular community, reach out and let me know. I'll send you some links.

https://youtu.be/X8375RLNWrM?si=6wkzk7lea5CHRurk

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Over 6 months in the making (mostly bc procrastination) but I finally compiled my Kanto Gym Leader Magazine series. I love the idea of an in-universe style fashion publication where they all do interviews about their hobbies and stuff

Want something like this for your own OC? My commissions are open!!

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…

And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…

Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.

He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Hey Elissa.

just wanted to let you and Lynn know that I was going to follow Lynn's band on soundcloud when I noticed that their last upload was 4 years ago.

Hope all is well this Thanksgiving!

Hey, thanks for checking them out! They actually just released a new song last month for the first time in a while, and they are working on a whole album, but they don't post to soundcloud anymore. There were some issues recently with music streaming services deleting their songs randomly, so they've downsized what is available on each platform. Happy turkey day to you as well!

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Important addition. Never thought about that before.

PUNK PSA:

Please don’t put anything too political on your back patches— especially about your own marginalized experiences.

This has been a long standing rule in punk communities, passed down for generations. People do get jumped and experience violence as a result of this. You can’t see who is behind you, you can’t tell if they’re far right, and you can’t prepare yourself for sudden violence from behind.

So many people are new to the scene, introduced via social media, and don’t know the weight of walking with something on your back (literally and metaphorically) that immediately outs you as marginalized. If you’re able to defend yourself, or out with friends who can watch your back, by all means go for it and wear whatever you want on your back patches but if you walk alone at all ever, please be safe.

Also this is why punks wear spikes and studs on our shoulders especially. Makes it harder for someone to grab you and works as self defense (but also never wear spikes at a small show or if you plan to mosh— people can get hurt!).

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Thank you, I am actually going to bring these topics up at the next leadership meeting. The only burn I can speak for is my own, and I do not think we are sanctioned by Burning Man, but we are constantly trying to find more ways to reach out to the broader community. Free and reduced scholarship and diversity tickets, as well as offering tiered pricing for volunteer efforts (12 hours reduced price or 24 hours free, and a lot can be done digitally) to try and make the burn more accessible. Monthly digital meetings and bimonthly community and workshop days that are both completely open to the public. Working with our local mutual aid to help our region. Art auctions for good causes. I hear you, and I am not trying to debate you. I want it to be a movement.

What we need is a new social movement. Not a political one. An artistic one.

We need people to make rebellion cool again. To idealize free thinking, free loving, free choices about our bodies.

We need influencers on the opposite side from the Andrew Tates and Manosphere.

We need music and fashion and film glorifying freedoms that oppose right wing authoritarian ideals. That embrace feminism and queerness and being a freak.

And we need a unifying identity for all these things. We need an identity like hippies, punk rock. The right is so good at coming together and the left is far too good at fracturing.

Modern media and social media companies have divided us all up into smaller and smaller social circles. Micro-identities. "Youth" used to be a social group. "Voice of a generation" was a thing. Now everyone is expected to be the voice of like...30 people.

What I'm saying here is just what I keep thinking about. What is the alternative to the tradwives and the Alpha Male podcasters? A bunch of intellectual politics nerds? Yeah, I mean thanks and all, but we need excitement. We need art.

Things are going to get worse and worse. The right is going to be selling limitations and restrictions and we need to be selling the alternative.

So if you're an artist, a writer, a musician, a filmmaker, an internet personality...get together with everyone you know who is also creative. Start talking with each other about how you create rebellious art, and how you create community in that art.

There's so much emotion floating around, so much fear and dread and exhaustion and we need to channel all that into art. It's the only way we win. Art is always how we make progress. But if you're making it alone, it doesn't build steam, it doesn't become a movement. You have to gather together. You don't all have to make the same thing. But you do need to have the same spirit. One determined to uplift what is good and fight what is evil.

Make art, people. Create an identity from it. Welcome everyone who is lost and scared. Lonely, sad, scared people get sucked into right wing circles because there's no alternative. Be the alternative.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

today you, tomorrow me.

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

I will not be posting anything about the election or other political news, because I like my Tumblr experience to be as stress free as possible. I would, however, like to share with anyone who needs some resources for dealing with the shift in political climate. Under the cut for more info:

If you live in the US and need community support, I recommend looking up your local Burn community. In the southeast, that's Alchemy/Euphoria. Not all Burn communities are going to be the same, I can not speak for all of them, but they are generally safe places of Radical Inclusion and Radical Consent and Communal Effort. I have never felt more safe than I have with Burners.

If you can't or won't join a community, here are some numbers and links that you may find useful.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): 

National suicide and crisis hotline: 988

1-800-662-4357

The Trevor Project: for LGBT+ youth

1-866-488-7386

The Mental Health Coalition

Reproductive health clinics by state

Afraid one of these sources will call the cops? Try these instead:

Call Blackline: 800-604-5841

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line: 888-407-4515

StrongHearts Native Helpline: 844-762-8483

Thrive Lifeline: 313-662-8209

LGBT National Help Center: 888-843-4564

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

just for the record i would have played wolves with you

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Not my usual content, but I made something I wanted to share...

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

thank you everyone who came to my doodle stream! here's every warrior cat i managed to draw

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

Side facing Solrock

front facing lunatone

[mod-ellisa-and-lynn]

An informational comic I drew last year for my Comics 2 class, reposting it to my new account (had to jump ship from the old one unfortunately) with some minor grammar changes and learned my lesson in adding watermarks! Happy early pride :)