#(and yes i can give recommendations for all of the above topics. and more!!)

[ckret2]

do you have any tips on fueling a hyperfixation enough to finish a long fic? specifically when the media has a smaller fandom

sure here's several tips:

1) for me, this is the most imporant one, so it's long: if you've run out of canon material and there's only a little bit of fanfic/fanart, start consuming things adjacent to the fandom that are relevant to your fic. This means doing research! Nonfiction research, even! it'll be fun, it's for fanfic.

If your main character was in the radio industry in the 1920s? then buddy, you're gonna read every book that's ever been written about the first years of radio broadcasting—and then you're gonna listen to a million early radio dramas that have been posted to youtube & old time radio podcasts.

If he was a trans man in Victorian England? Then you're emailing your library begging them to get a copy of a book about how American & British society perceived trans men & crossdressing women from 1600-1900.

If your main character ran a cult? Then you're about to get really familiar with a true crime podcast on the psychology of cults and their leaders.

If your character's an Italian theater nerd in the 1700s, you're about to watch a lot of videos about comedia dell'arte. If your character's a Japanese theater nerd in the 1700s, you're about to watch a lot of videos about kabuki. Is a character's name an allusion to a mythological figure? You're gonna read every myth about that figure possible to see whether any of it can be incorporated into your characterization. Is your character a big reader? What genres are they into and what years were they a teenager? You're googling "pre-lovecraftian cosmic horror" for your tentacle-loving goth born in 1890 and that's what you're reading for the next two months.

I've devoured books, websites, research papers, podcasts, infotainment youtubers, movies, documentaries, and whole TV shows powered purely by love for blorbo from a different show. The topics I've researched have been as varied as:

the physics & geology of volcanoes

how to make friendship bracelets

a travel podcast for tourists to New Orleans

Victorian-era sci-fi novels that preclude modern steampunk

hundreds & hundreds of real people's self-reported ghost stories

how to tie a sarong (which required digging past a billion links to white people who think a "sarong" is simply a rectangle of fabric you can knot any old way)

the history of Mardi Gras celebration practices

lockpicking

a wide variety of neurodivergencies (and do you know how goddamn hard it is to find psychology books that are sympathetic to narcissists?? goddamn. i did it tho)

the entirety of Care Bears and Rainbow Brite

the native names of islands & geological formations around the Ring of Fire

Mexican folk religion

pre-Hays Code comedy movies

how & where people consumed pop music before radios & record players

Indonesian airport locations

how much weight a battleship can carry...

and if you do it for Love Of A Character, it's fun. If blorbo loves cheesy pulp romances and you don't, you will if you're reading them with an eye to see what blorbo gets out of these books and how this reflects on their character.

Hyperfixation-tangential research can help stretch a hyperfixation indefinitely. Plus you learn lots of new stuff, and even when the hyperfixation dies, that knowledge is with you forever!

(did you know volcanos aren't hot enough to melt glass? did you know the fires built for glassblowing aren't hot enough to melt glass?? did you know magma isn't hot enough to melt itself??? i once spent a whole day frantically trying to figure out how glass & rocks melt. it resulted in two lines in a fanfic. i regret nothing.)

and a few other tips:

2) Find 3-4 trusted colleagues/partners in crime you can go feral with in DMs. A fandom with 10,000 people and a fandom with 100 people look the same size when viewed from within a ship-dedicated discord with 5 people.

3) if you rewatch/reread the source material CONSTANTLY, it's easy to risk squeezing out the last drops of dopamine it offers too quickly, so like, don't force feed it to yourself every other day. But periodically reconsuming bits of it somewhat regularly can help stoke the fire, remind you what you like about the source material, and inspire you to think over the parts that are relevant to your fic. AND helps you remember how to write the characters. (the aforementioned research is usually what I do for my fun watching/reading in between reconsuming canon.)

4) make sure the fic you're writing is short enough to be completed before the hyperfixation expires. this is CRUCIAL. i've never actually done this step.

[c4tluver02]

Family Video

a/n: haiiii this is my very first pic ive everrrrr written so im sorry if its awful and boring!!!!! if there's anything I can improve on pls let me know!! also id love any requests you guys have! <333 enjoy

summery: after just moving to Hawkins you decided a movie is in order. but when looking for a movie you notice the boy at the counter just can't stop staring at you!

no warnings!

wc: 1k

All Steve could do was roll his eyes. Robin went on a date with Vickie last night and it was simply all she could talk about.  

“Robin of course she likes you, she asked you on the date. Vickie wouldn't do that if she didn't mean it.” Steve says somewhat listening in and out of what feels like hours long of the same topic. 

“Well this isn't something I can mess up, I mean what if I was too forward or I rambled I mean you know I can ramble!” 

Steve sighs as he puts tapes back into their spot after they had been returned. “Listen Rob, I can promise you VIckie likes you for you and your rambling. There's nothing you need to be worried about.” He says trying to end this conversation and get back to working in peace.

Truth be told Steve was having trouble in the dating department. If you would have told King Steve that he would have trouble even holding a conversation with girls he wouldn't believe you. Yet here he was listening to everyone tell him their love life and him having nothing to say back.

“Steve you don't get it VIckie is perfect in every sense of the word. I mean what if-” Robin gets cut off as the bell above the door rings signaling a new customer and Steve couldn't be more thankful.

You walked in feeling eyes on you, almost like you had interrupted a conversation. You walk towards the comedy section in hopes of finding something interesting to fill your weekend with.

As you start to look around, you feel a pair of eyes on you. When you look up you notice the boy at the counter swiftly turning his head the other way. You smile to yourself at his attempt of making it look like he wasn't staring. You then walk to the drama aisle. You're not really sure what type of movie you're looking for but it's almost as if the counter boy can read your mind. 

“Hey, um, is there anything you need help with?” Steve says with a kind smile on his face as he walks over to you. 

“Hi! Yes, actually some help would be great. I am not really sure what movie to watch.. Do you have any, uh, suggestions?” You say not sounding as confident now that the cute boy is standing right in front of you 

Steve's eyes lit up at the request, the thought of being helpful to such a pretty girl had his heart pounding. 

“Of course, do you have any genres of movie you like?” Steve asks, trying to learn any bit of information he could about you.

“I definitely like romance movies, comedy, horror, and drama of course I guess I'm not really picky when it comes to genres.” It wasn't until you noticed that you and Steve were both completely stopped in the middle of the aisle that you probably could have just said comedy and he could have found a movie no problem. Steve didn't mind your long answer though, he liked that you were so open to talk. He guides you both to the comedy section and pulls out a movie. 

“Ok we have this movie, it just came out and we've gotten great consumer reviews on it” He says with a smile that's probably a little too wide for just helping a customer pick out a movie. 

You look at the movie he's picked and it happens to be one you've seen before but you don't have the heart to tell him that. He looks proud to give you a good recommendation along with his help so you take the movie from his hands and smile at him.

“Perfect! I probably would have been looking in here forever trying to find something without your help!” you say with a smile not really wanting this conversation to end.

It almost seems like Steve doesn't either, or maybe you just aren't good at hiding your emotions as he says 

“Hey uh, how come I haven't seen you around here before?” Steve says hoping he's not coming off too forward the last thing he wanted to do was scare you away. 

You stand in front of him with wide eyes not knowing exactly what to say. You knew this town was small and being new will probably have a few others asking why they didn't know of you. 

“Oh, I just moved here about a week ago. I am just trying to scope out some places and I thought a movie night would be comforting.” You say as you twirl your hair in your hands, a nervous habit you have. 

Steve nods wishing he could ask you a million more questions. There was something so intriguing about you. He wants to know where you lived before coming here, or better yet why you decided to move here out of all the places. Trying to come off nonchalant and cool, Steve pops the question that you weren't expecting. 

“Anyone helping you move, friend, or maybe boyfriend?” Steve looks at you with big eyes and a calm demeanor trying to pull out his King Steve persona even though his night will be utterly ruined if the answer isn't no. 

You blush lightly at his question but just enough for Steve to notice. “Nope, no boyfriend helping. I moved out here alone so packing has been slower for sure.” You say you are trying to sound cool despite the fact you are single and have no clue what you are doing moving and starting a new life all on your own.

Steve's shoulders release a tension he didn't even know he was holding. A breath of relief comes out right and as Steve opens his mouth to say something back-

“Hey are you ready to check out?” Robin says walking up to you guys noticing you have a movie picked out. 

You look between her and Steve blinking as reality comes crashing down on you. This guy has a job and she probably needs him to get back to it. Not standing here talking to you for forever. You walk up to the counter and see that Steve is gonna be the one checking you out. 

You pay for the movie as you and Steve sit in a comfortable silence. Before you leave you thank him.

“Thanks for all you help… Steve?” You say reading out his name tag on his vest.  

But Steve just loves the way his name sounds coming out of your mouth. He wishes you could say it again. It’s as if an angel just spoke to him. Your eyes, your hair, your smile, it's all perfection. He can't believe that someone so perfect is right in front of him. Like cupid shot him directly in the heart. As you blink in front of him waiting for a response he finally answers. 

“Yea.. Steve! And if you want to come back and let us know what you thought of the movie you're more than welcome to!” Steve says with excitement blowing his nonchalant cover a bit. 

You gleam at his invitation even though you both know you'll have to come back to return the movie anyways. Yet you don't mention it or try to mess with him about it. You simply smile and nod.

“Got it, I'll be back soon for the review!” You say as you grin from ear to ear just by looking at the boy in front of you as you open the door to leave. 

Once you get in your car Steve turns around and sighs. Robin looks directly at him with eyes squinted and a smirk.

“What?” Steve asks confused with her stare

“I saw you have heart eyes for her..” Robin says, poking him in his shoulder repeatedly. 

Steve huffs and rolls his eyes pushing her hand away, “I was just helping out a customer buckley. Can a man not do that?” He bites back sarcastically.

“Mhm sure, I guess so.” Robin says back with a smirk on her face as Steve turns around knowing this isn't just some customer.

[chocodile]

Hiya! I was the advice anon from a few days back! First of thank you so so so so much for taking the time to not just answer but give such thorough advice! I really appreciate it so much, shared it with other friends of mine who have similar anxieties as I do. I really do appreciate it so much. Even if the internet isn’t how it used to be with less algorithms and numbers, I hope that I can still find my own enjoyment. I do have a best friend who I reconnected with 4 years ago and he gave me back that spark I was losing being one of the first people genuinely in love with my work much how I love his!

And yes please! I would love to hear your thoughts on meeting other creators and how to “launch” stories , and create that community! I love hearing the insight and introspection of fellow artists ! Everyone has different experiences that can be learned from and I just love reading what artists have to say about their work or methods ! Don’t worry about length, the more the better (of course please do not stress or worry about it, take all the time you need!)

Thank you again for answering my questions earnestly, made my week!

Hey Anon, sorry this took a while to get to! I've been pretty busy. I'm glad you found the first post helpful!

Regarding audience building and finding other creators... as I mentioned, I have a lot of thoughts. Here's a bunch of slightly disjointed notes on I've put together…

AUDIENCE BUILDING TIPS FROM SOMEONE WHO KINDA DID IT:

TIP 1: FIND OTHERS WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS!

Making OCs and original stories can be kind of isolating compared to, say, fandom. Best we can do is find specific points to bond over.

What is your story about? Does it involve heavy research into a specific topic, like speculative biology or real-world history? Look up tags related to this and see if anyone else is doing characters or stories based around this topic.

Does it share a theme with a popular media property? See if you can sneakily trick some of the fans of that media property into looking at your thing, too. ;) For example, a high-fantasy story might do well to court D&D fans. If you're writing a romance story, try to think of other stories and popular fandom ships that share themes with yours. You can follow artists who draw for that fandom, draw fan art for it, or make an AU of your character in that setting. Or all of the above.

This can even apply to very superficial things. Like, is your main character a woman with red hair and glasses? Did you find another artist whose favorite OC is a woman with red hair and glasses? That's a connection opportunity! And chances are, that artist may have friends or fans who ALSO like red haired women with glasses. Superficial appearance might feel like a silly thing to bond over, but catching someone's eye with your design is often the first step toward them engaging with the character more deeply.

Of course, you shouldn't be doing this as a cynical attention-grab… I absolutely wouldn't recommend courting a fandom for something you don't personally enjoy, and I wouldn't recommend following artists purely in hopes that they follow you back. That's a recipe for feeling miserable and resentful when it inevitably doesn't "pay off" immediately. Building relationships and establishing yourself in spaces takes time, and it needs to be something you enjoy doing or you'll just feel frustrated and give up.

TIP 2: BE THE ONE TO REACH OUT FIRST, BE CONSISTENT, BUT HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS.

So you've found someone you think is cool! Their story has werewolves in it, and so does yours. You think their main character is pretty cool and would like to know more about them. (And, secretly, you want them to ask you about your characters, too!)

So, get the ball rolling! Go ahead and ask them about their guy! It's scary, but that's often what you gotta do. If, after a few messages, they seem amenable, you can eventually start dropping tidbits about YOUR guy and YOUR story. "Your description of how the transformation sequence feels is very vivid and cool! In MY OWN werewolf story, transformation goes more like this…" or "Your guy who hates his werewolf side wouldn't see eye to eye with my werewolf character, who sees it as a blessing because…"

See if they bite on that. If they don't, maybe they're just not interested. But a lot of creators are interested in that kind of connection!

Some caveats here:

While many artists love that sort of attention, some people can be kinda defensive of their creations and become standoffish and prickly when strangers try to chum it up with them about OC stuff. If someone is like that, leave them be and don't try to force it.

Super popular artists tend to have way more messages than they can keep up with. You're very, very unlikely to develop an equally reciprocal friendship with them as a stranger in a short amount of time, and it's absolutely not anything personal. That's not to say you shouldn't bother interacting with them, just don't feel stung if they don't respond or follow you back. (This kind of overwhelm happens at much lower levels than you might think!) In my own experience, friendliness with a popular artist tends to happen when you're a consistent positive presence over a long period of time (often multiple years, but at least a span of 6+ months). And even then you will not be in their "inner circle" with the friends they've known for a decade, and that's fine!

Artists with smaller followings are way more likely to be receptive to following you back and doing the reciprocal friendship thing.

TIP 3: FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.

If you do manage to make a connection with someone, or get a friend or two on board with your story, commenting and sending asks and stuff publicly is extremely helpful for audience-building. Not only does it increase your visibility, but it gives shy audience members "permission" to comment themselves, and a template for what kind of comments you find agreeable. A lot of people will think "Oh I want to comment… but what if I say something wrong and they get mad? I'll just say nothing instead." If you demonstrate that you respond in a friendly manner, they'll feel more comfortable. People are herd animals like that.

Also, people love the audience engagement aspect of sending "asks" and seeing responses to comments drawn. It doesn't need to be an "ask", though--one of the first things I did for Amaranthine was draw Hyden reacting to people's tags. You could even invent a question no one actually asked and draw a response, just to show people that you are open to that kind of thing.

In fact, way back before Amaranthine, I proposed a plan to collaborate with my friends to astroturf audience engagement to launch a story by sending each other and ourselves fake anon asks with questions. I ended up not having to do that--Amaranthine's popularity caught me completely by surprise--but if I ever have to cold launch a brand new story, I would probably send myself some fake anon asks to get the ball rolling, hah. Feel free to steal this idea and try it yourself!

TIP 4: SHOW CHARACTER, SHOW LORE, OVERSHARE, AND DO IT OFTEN!

There are tons of characters on the internet. What makes them memorable is sometimes their design, but usually it's their personality and story. If people don't know anything about a character except their name, physical appearance, gender, sexuality, and three character traits, they might think "aw, that's a neat character!" but probably won't think much more than that. They may like the cool art but probably won't say a lot about it beyond #cool art.

But if you draw the same character living out their daily life, interacting with friends and lovers and enemies, hanging out in their messy room, a flashback to them as an angry teenager, a short mini-comic of the incident that got them expelled from necromancer school, all coupled with little lore tidbits that offer a deeper look into their life, world, and inner psychology… that's when they start feeling like a PERSON, not just a cool design. Couple this with the asks and stuff from tip 3 and they become "a person I, the viewer, can reach out to and engage with".

It feels vulnerable to put this stuff out there initially, when you're not getting much feedback. But by having this built-up library of art and info people can read through, new viewers will arrive, think "hey, this character seems cool!" and instead of stopping there, they'll binge on your archives. It's very fulfilling to see a new person find your stuff and then see a strong of "likes" on older pieces as they go through your story/OC tag.

…Also, people have short attention spans, and modern social media means a lot of people won't see and certainly won't remember everything you post. Kwillow and I occasionally joke about "whoa, I can't believe I got a question about a topic I already answered! Don't they remember this 1 single post I made about the topic four years ago?" NO, THEY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT. You need to restate things, repost things, etc because people are probably not paying THAT much attention. You can't just put it out there once, especially the really juicy stuff!

You also gotta stick with stuff even if it feels like it's not working. Put your stuff up on a bunch of different platforms and cast a wide net. You might only get 1 comment on Tumblr, but if you post it to Bluesky, DeviantArt, Instagram, etc, and each of those gets 1 comment, then that's 4 comments. Think of posting on other sites like extra slot machine pulls. Even the ones with bad odds are still worth doing when the cost to pull the lever is basically nothing.

TIP 5: THE BITTER PILL:

Bitter pill to swallow: Modern social media favors things that can be distilled down into hashtags/tropes/aesthetics. Furries, punks, cottagecore, monsterfucker, D&D-esque, enemies to lovers, princess-core, werewolves… the harder something is to reblog with #aesthetic, the harder it is to sell in general. It'll always be harder to sell Bob The Regular Human Guy's story than it would be to sell that same Bob as a furry, or Bob as a shy punk with a shipping-fanfic-trope-friendly crush on a guy at a coffee shop. This doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't try, but it is something to be aware of. Like, if your thing isn't doing social media numbers, odds are high it's not bad, just not hashtaggable enough.

This is one of the reasons I say to try to focus on yourself and a small group of like-minded friends first. You can't count on social media mechanisms to help boost you if you're marching to the beat of your own drum. You can try to use tropes and fandom for your benefit, as described in #1, but even so it's often kind of an uphill battle.

However, if you have a ton of energy and love for your project then the awesome glowing power of your passion will help draw people to you. People like that energy! It may never be huge social media numbers, but do remember that every single person who interacts with your stuff is A WHOLE ENTIRE REAL PERSON, and that's pretty damn cool. 10 notes on something is 10 entire people standing in your living room giving you the thumbs up.

Anyway, hope at least a few of these tips are helpful! The social media landscape for artists is, frankly, very bad right now, and if you are struggling and feeling discouraged you are not alone. But there are still ways to find each other even in this landscape!

[winterr77]

ੈ✩ Habits for your academic life

Below are some habits and rules to keep in mind throughout your studies and some tips that will elevate your learning experiences.

☆ Setting boundaries and learning to say no

It is always easy to say yes and join every social event that one is invited to, however its crucial to consider your own personal life and the consequences of your decisions. Hanging out with friends is a needed event as a social creature, however it's better to exercise caution and know when to say "no" to focus on your own goals and dreams. Don't get pulled into the pace of others and focus on finding a routine and schedule that works for your own benefit.

☆ Being comfortable with your own company

You will find in uni that there are lots of times that you will spend alone, and maybe feel a little anxious that you're the only person who isn't constantly in the company of someone everyday like you maybe were in high school. However, realise that even the time to yourself is a time of value, and treasure those moments to focus and work on your own goals. It is easier to get lost and lose sight of your ambitions when with others who don't have the same aspirations as yourself. Use your own time to sit down and work out what you want to achieve and quietly put in the effort to win.

☆ Never being scared to ask questions

It can be quite daunting to ask questions in lectures, so I prefer to ask my questions during times that aren't forced into a short time interval, such as tutorials, office hours, and other forms of learning support that your university/college provides. This way there is no rush to answer my questions and take my time in working through concepts and ideas. Ask questions based on your own conclusions, questions that challenge current rules and perspectives. Think deeper into your lessons and seek to make use of every bit of information.

☆ Being curious

This is very much related to the point above, that being that personal interest really aids with the brains memory retention. The more things you approach with an enthusiastic attitude, the easier it is for your brain to remember and categorise. Having curiosity, even if it is forced, gives a great advantage where you seek to interconnect the information you learn with other data, and grow more networks of neurons that allows your brain to stay healthy and active.

☆ Initiating contact

Struggling with a theory or assignment? Great, it shows that you are actively trying to understand a concept and working your brain muscles. Now the best way to comprehend or complete what you are struggling with is to access support materials. Still difficult? Reach out. Your teachers, professors, tutors are all there for your benefit. Use them intelligently and squeeze every drop of assistance and support from them while they are still available to you.

☆Watching educational content to aid your studies

You can never lose from learning a bit more every day. However make sure to fact check and find your information from trusted and quality sources. In general, it's always a win to be educated in various topics from health, sciences, arts, humanities and more to gain a better understanding of ourselves, our world, and humanity.

For example, I watched a ted talk today, and here is my conclusions from my notes:

ੈ✩TedX: Why Reading Matters by Rita Carter

Summary:

☆Your brain needs a workout as much as your body. And reading fiction seems to be one of the best workouts you can get. (I recommend quality fiction, with that being classic literature because it genuinely exercises your mind with its intricate language techniques and diverse vocabulary)

☆Not only is it good for you, but it's also good for society as a whole because the brain is like a muscle: the more you force yourself through books to take other people's perspectives, to sympathise, to empathise with other people, the more empathetic a society we will have.

ੈ✩‧₊˚

good luck lovelies

~winter

ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚

[zineovator]

HOW I PERSONALLY ORGANIZE MY DIGITAL ZINE MASTERCOPIES!

Hey zineovators, hello every'all. I am here to note down how I (PERSONALLY) fix around and assign my digitally-made zine mastercopies for easy access. This isn't meant to be a guide and it surely isn't the "correct" way to file zines, nor is this necessary, it might even be redundant for a lot of people, but this is just the way I do it. I have some really crappy guides throughout my yap session, BUT I will provide a REAL example using my own zine at the end! anyhow, let us begin! WHY DO I BOTHER?

because it makes my personal zine creation process more manageable

organization makes it less daunting for me to actually go through with the creation process

It tickles my fish brain to file and sort things, and it makes me happy to do so

so yeah, it all boils down to personal preference. I like making my digital process cleaner and a bit more streamlined, but you really don't have to follow me or use me as a standard. I just do what I do best.

That aside... TERMS I COINED AND WILL BE USING AND EXPLAINING (LIST) (yes this is based off of A/B/O but also coding)

ALPHA Mastercopy (A-Copy, Alpha copy)

BETA Mastercopy (B-Copy, Beta Copy, Physical Mastercopy)

OMEGA Mastercopy (O-Copy, Omega Copy, Assembled Mastercopy)

PRELIMINARIES!

A master copy in my own words is the original mother version of your zine that you can use to duplicate or create more copies for distribution purposes. You usually do not give a master copy away especially if you plan to make more prints of a specific zine design in the future! Also, I'm using the classic 8-page mini-zine format as an example here because...I specialize in mini-zines, lol. With that in mind, here is the portion you are waiting for.

ALPHA MASTER COPY (i.e.. RAW DIGITAL FILE)

The Alpha copy is the version of your zine that you made/scanned into a digital format. Typically I would use a PDF along with the zine design that I pre-formatted for this due to the clarity and easy access of PDF files. I avoid .png or .jpg because flattening my zine files tends to crush the text quality, by a LOT.

The Alpha copy doesn't have to just be the formatted version already. It can be individual panels, single pages, artwork or scanned pages, etc. That's also an alpha copy, but in its own way. The version I'm talking above is print-ready copy that is already prepared.

^ THIS counts as an alpha copy as well.

Now down below is an example of my own alpha copy in PDF format, featuring my DAVID SYLVIAN zine (I'll try to upload it on an archive soon, it will be completely free! Pls tell me in advance if you'd like to reproduce and distribute it irl since I dont want to get sued </3)

btw the tagline "be seen, make a zine" was taken from brattyxbre on YouTube. I would gladly recommend her for zine resources, discussions and zine-related topics, especially if you are a beginner!

BETA MASTER COPY (i.e.. PRINTED TEMPLATE)

Your Beta copy is a version of your zine that is printed on paper with the proper formatting for folding/cutting already. The only difference with this version and omega copy is, well, you DON'T fold or cut this copy.

The primary purpose of a B-Copy is to check:

print quality (text visibility, color vibrance, ink bleeding, etc.)

graphic size and an overview of your zine's general physical appearance.

And the other, marginally vital role of your B-Copy is to serve as:

the physical print that you can use for XEROX (photocopying) or other copying services and tools

scannable output that you can scan/copy for distribution, especially if the person who wants your zine would like to assemble it themselves, if you do not have a final version of your zine on hand to share, or you yourself do not have your A-Copy for reproduction.

A printed copy that you can catalogue or archive, especially if you are the sort of person who retires zines, or are just deeply sentimental (like me, lol!).

Down below is the B-Copy of my example zine. Ignore the fact that this is literally my omega copy that I just dismantled because I don't have my Beta in hand lol. But approximately this is how it looks like.

I personally store B-copies (alongside O-copies) inside a dedicated clearbook or binder to safeguard against weathering or chemical ink deterioration, alongside some information and stuff about the zine itself. This is useful especially if you want to showcase zines and zine content to others, apart from safekeeping purposes.

I might make another longform infodump about digital and physical zine storage and archiving processes (because as an aspiring librarian I feel it is my duty to rant about that) but that will be for another time.

OMEGA MASTER COPY (i.e., FINAL EXAMPLE PRINT)

Okay this is kind-of self explanatory, but I will elaborate regardless.

If you are the sort of person who handcrafts zines (aka make, draw, write or assemble them traditionally) you likely know what the O-Copy is, because your original finished zine is what I am referring to as the Omega copy. That is, the ACTUAL "Master Copy" itself.

Omega Master Copy is what most zinesters and zine creators refer to as just the master copy. But seeing from this post, you KNOW I had to make it fancier (read: unnecessarily complicated)

The Omega copy serves as your first official print, and you can use this version to store or show around. The only difference is, if you end up using my organizing format (good luck!), you'll end up using the O-Copy more as a finished product display to show how it looks when finished as an assembled copy, and the B-Copy as the actual thing you use to reproduce or duplicate your zines for distribution.

Here is the example of my O-copy for my example zine. (again you will be able to access this through an archive soon, maybe I will announce it later on or just post about where I store them digitally.)

I used the software development jargon ALPHA, BETA & OMEGA because it kind of fits(?) lol. I am not a coding aficionado but I know loosely enough to utilize the words. But also, live laugh omegaverse. hopefully this helps(?) but also if you reached to this point, hi. I'm glad you indulged in my little rant. EDIT: here's the Internet Archive Link for the specific zine featured in this post! Have fun! Communicate, create, zineovate! Until next time.

[aizawashuichi]

L and using the death note

Again, this is an old post that I cannot find on this site to share it again. So, I am just doing another post about it.

Post mentioned later:

For those saying that L would’ve used the death note like Light, if he had been the first to grab it.  While yes, he would’ve used it, he wouldn’t have gone the extra mile like Light.  He would’ve just tested it on a convicted criminal on the death row, and that’s it. The 13 days rule wouldn’t exist here, so I don’t know if he would do it himself or make another criminal do it, but I think he would make someone else do it in his stead, “‘cause what if it actually happens?”.  Once noting that it indeed worked, he would just give it to Watari to hide it somewhere safe, where nobody can find it. As for the Shinigami, he would ask them questions to understand everything better.  I won’t get into the fact that the Shinigami could kill him, because he’s no fun in this regard. I mean, if it were Ryuk, I think he would.  It could be possible unless L asks him to make a deal. He could tell him that is going to give the notebook back and in return he could spare him, or something like that. But first, L would pass the ownership to Watari, get again all the knowledge he had, so he could remember them too, since Watari would already know.  Of course, they would note everything down, but it’s better if both of them have the knowledge without losing their memory.  L is a detective, he’s not the justice system as a whole. He focuses on catching criminals and whatever happens after making sure they are guilty is not up to him. 

Ask I got on this topic:

In all honesty, I doubt that L would use the Death Note with the same intention as Light Yagami, or would've even used it at all. He would've read out the entire rule of the Death Note, ask a few questions and figure out a few loopholes he can exploit before going, "That's... so boring???". L, to me, is the sort of person who doesn't give two shits of the criminal whom he apprehended. He had fun tackling the case, got his pay and let the government do their jobs in the aftermath. At the very least, he wouldn't want said criminal to roam the streets freely— as long as they're somewhere not amongst the civillian, then L fails to see why bother using the Death Note at all. It's kind of funny when people said, "L would've joined Light had given the chance and eradicate the world off evil" because that would've contradicted L's whole character— and that being having the time of his life solving the unsolvable. What kind of entertainment is there if he just sits in front of his silly laptop, reading off solved cases just to write down the criminal's name and attend meetings with world leader? Sounds boring to me. L would've sentenced himself immediately.

My response:

I thought I didn’t have much to say about this, because I agree with it, but if you are the person who sent the previous asks or has read the others, you should know that I cannot for the love of God stop myself from writing.

I just want to preface by saying that I did write a post about this [mentioned above], and I recommend checking it out, if you are interested. It’s not long nor elaborated as these answers I give, but it sums up my opinion and it’s more about the “what if” L grabbed the death note before Light.

I don’t know in which post I wrote that I also think using the death note would take away the challenge he gains from solving crimes, but that’s another of my arguments as to why he wouldn’t use it.

Now, the post will focus on the reasons you provided and the opinions I found in the fandom that would contradict the idea of him being similar to Light in this regard.

[I wrote this after I finished the post.] Before I start, and I’ll talk about this thoroughly: the line between suspect and criminal is slim, and L deals mainly with the first ones. It’s important to remember this, while reading my post, because, while the ask talks about criminals, we have to keep in mind L’s actual job. So, subsequently, it might be off topic in some parts, and this is the reason. Another thing, it’s that I consider different situations L might find himself in. I tried to explain the details as much as I could, but there might be some variables that I did not disclose properly. Hopefully, they can be understood by the context.

In the “I am not justice” speech L gave at the Wammy’s House, even if I think most of it was bait, I do still believe there is some truth to it, because I am not one to point the finger at L and criticising the fact that he does what he does because he likes it. Work and pleasure can go hand in hand, and hopefully it can also be possible in this universe soon.

At the end of the day, L still solves crimes, still catches criminals, still provides “justice”, no matter what his main goal is here, which can also be getting a kick of serotonin by getting challenged. There’s nothing wrong with it, as long as he does what his role requires him to, so it's one thing that I don't get about the fandom or those who think it is wrong. Do you want him to hate what he does? Don’t you think that would make him more prone to take the short route out and detain suspects without any reason, until they confess? Or just straight up kill them and see if the crimes stop? Which, interestingly enough, I wrote a post about how L saving Misa caused his death, to prove that sometimes winning is not the only thing on his mind, but he wants to understand cases on a more nuanced level.

But the point is, these kinds of people have no problem saying that L doesn’t care about others, that his ultimate goal is to entertain himself (and to win) and in the same breath, they continue by stating that he would use the death note in a blink of an eye with the same moral justification as Light, so… Does he or does he not care about the world? Why does he solve crimes? For entertainment purposes or to “get rid of the evil and save the world”?

To me, it’s both (kind of), so it would make sense that he wouldn’t use it.

Let’s go over the reasons one by one.

First and foremost, his role in the world and his responsibility of what happens to criminals after they get caught.

There’s a tendency to confuse private detective work with the criminal justice system and law enforcement.

I came across some posts a while back, when I used to dive into his hashtag, and people would read his work in a light that is not applicable to him, and I think it’s because he works with the task force.

L is a high-profile private detective, and like any other, he doesn’t have the ability to arrest nor sentence criminals. So, my advice for anyone saying “L would/wouldn’t kill Light/criminals” is to stop it. There’s no use in having this conversation if you intend to base your arguments on the canon material.

Yes, he says that he will bring Kira’s head to the task force, but it’s a figure of speech and it only means that he will find enough proof to catch him (and I also think it was such a badass move to say it in front of Light, but I digress).

You could argue that some of his tactics aren’t legal, so he could possibly be the one to administer “justice” (in quotes, because the death penalty is not it to me), but this is different. If he wires the house of someone and gets proof that they committed the crime, let’s be honest, given his status and the probability of law enforcement or national agencies/government already knowing how he operates, he will get a slap on the wrist, but deciding the fate of a criminal or a suspect is overstepping his already inexistent authority in that field.

He would lose trust, which he cares a lot about. He wouldn’t be able to work with the support of the national law enforcement, which he needs because he is a private detective that countries need to employ and nobody would do that, if he cannot respect them. It would also put him in danger of his identity being discovered, because that is a patently crime, which would probably get him blacklisted from working in a country if it’s reiterated more than once and make him a wanted criminal.

Even if he uses a death note to kill his suspects, one time is a coincidence, two times is weird, and three times shows that something fishy is going on. He seems to communicate his progress to high profile people, like the FBI head (we can see that at the beginning of the manga), so going from “yeah, I have a suspect” to “they died” continuously would literally point every possible finger in his direction. He cannot afford that, not even if he wanted to kill his suspects. We are told and we say that he is smart, so why would he do something so stupid? It would also be weird if all the criminals he caught were to be killed, so he would need to avoid patterns, which would definitely take him some time and steal it from his actual activity, that he loves.

Besides, if he manages to kill enough people to raise some eyebrows but they are not linked to him, countries will ask him to do something about it and if he refuses, that's fucking weird, because that's the type of case he is interested about. If he accepts it, but it takes him too much time without any justification, weird. If he denies the help offered by national agencies, weird. If he accepts it, but does things that don't make sense and don't actually help the case, weird. Countries will start to think that he cannot be trusted, which goes back to what I said before. It's a circle that he cannot escape. And he is not the only smart person in the world. Someone will notice that something is wrong, that that is not the way he usually acts and people will start to question his integrity.

But going back to the beginning, since he has no authority after he provides proof, I honestly believe the thought of him deciding the sentence of a criminal has never crossed his mind, not even the darkest corners, because he has no reason to spend time over that. He cannot do anything. Maybe he has a wish but that is it. Nothing he can act upon, so it’s useless. He also came across so many criminals and surely, he had no time to individually think about each one of them, so he just stopped doing that. Sometimes, I think he works on multiple cases at once. Why would he waste time over their fate, after he caught them, when he can continue to occupy it with more interesting and fun mind games?

So, yeah, he doesn’t give a shit in this sense. If his saying was required, maybe yes, but even then, he wouldn’t follow the criminal prosecution closely. I am not sure what his opinion on the death penalty is, to be honest, because him using a criminal that was on the death row doesn’t immediately mean that he is in favour of it and the fact that he was willing to get one of them out of that situation makes me inclined to believe that he is not. In Lind L. Taylor, he just used what was already in place.

 The fun of solving a case.

He loves it. Mind blowing.   

Considering the in-universe tale of what Light managed to do, it says that the crimes have dropped significantly. How can you possibly believe that L would love to be in a world in which his favourite pastime is useless?

I won’t get into math to calculate exactly how long it would take him, because the stats we have are not accurate. I tried to do it but there are so many variables that would change everything (e.g. when he actually started to work), but it’s safe to assume 20 years – or less –, because he still needs to find suspects but if he wants to use the death note on them, he doesn’t need to convince anyone but himself that they are the criminals, so as soon as he is convinced, he can proceed and then move on. He can also work on many more cases than just almost 2 a day. He can take on a lot of them, even five, if he feels like it, because the time for each one would be minimal.

And I think this is something people fail to consider when saying that he would use the death note, because what would be his criteria for choosing who to kill? Or when to kill them? If they are arrested and convicted, what’s the point of doing it? What would he achieve? Nothing, so you have to think he would do it when they are only just suspects, but he is confident enough that they are the one. The question remains: when would that be? L is quick to find a suspect and be convinced that they are guilty. Basically, for most of the easier cases, he would need less than a day. So, I’m going to believe that the people supporting this idea imply this, which is so contradictory to his character.

If you say that he would do what Light did, as I said, it makes even less sense. Why would he kill convicted criminals? Other than the fact that he goes against Kira for this reason, he doesn’t gain anything from doing it. That’s not his job nor his goal.

As you said, “What kind of entertainment is there if he just sits in front of his silly laptop, reading off solved cases just to write down the criminal's name and attend meetings with world leader?”. Key word “solved”. Once it’s solved, why would L care? Unless he is personally invested in the criminals because they are connected to his past, or the case is related to a future one, he would literally move on.

Killing people as a detective.

Don’t feel like I need to explain how this is just stupid. He uses some very morally grey tactics, but killing is a bit too far.

I wrote a post about how I think L wouldn’t work with Light, even if he caught him, because I honestly doubt L would want to be associated with someone who kills people, let alone be the one to do the killing. It just doesn’t feel in character, like at all. Not only is it a shallow way to deal with criminals, he wouldn’t gain anything and if he does it long enough, his job will be useless, but why would a detective engage into that, also to that extent? It makes no sense, and as I said, it’s not his focus.

A detective that kills people is contradictory. It is cool, not going to lie, but L is not that type of character.

I saw a comic a while ago in which L and Light joined forces, and L was the one using the death note to kill corrupt politicians. That would never happen. Not only because he wouldn’t kill or join Light, but he doesn’t care that much, unless it hinders his job. And, even in that case, he would not end their life, but manipulate them to give him what he wants or persuade them to act in a way that is beneficial to him.

Neither of them is that righteous. I don’t believe Light actually cared about the world that much. It was just a speech to cover up that he was having fun with the power he held. Just a moral justification. I tried to write a post how him being smart, his supposed interest in this matter and his black and white view of the world doesn’t make sense to me if he actually cared, but I was writing it in my tumblr drafts, and it got deleted.

Far-sighted.

As I was writing the paragraph above, another thing that is different between Light and L and that is to be taken into consideration: how far sighted they are.

I will use as an example how they manipulate.

In this post [I don’t remember which one to be honest], I talked about Aizawa and L’s fallout to explain how L does it. Long story short, he convinces his target to act in a certain way, withholding information that the other person would need to know to change their mind. He doesn’t do it with the intention to get something and then get rid of them, as Light does. Besides Misa, who was protected by Rem, and other people, like the task force, that if dead would show that he’s Kira, Light manipulated people to gain something and killed them, because he could not see a long-term relation forming between them, probably due to the fact that he was scared that they might either try to overthrow him or find about him being Kira (although he does really get a sick pleasure from telling people he is him, after condemning them to death). Even in Raye’s case, he could have continued to threaten him and use him to kill any FBI agent that might come after him. He could’ve done so much with that one federal agent, but he just got rid of him.

L is not like this. L can see himself working with the same people he manipulated for a long period of time. He does see it as an irreversible act, because other than his identity, he doesn’t have much else to hide and he doesn’t always do something criminous. He even creates a mutually beneficial partnership.

So, he is farsighted, so he might also take into consideration that a criminal he caught could be useful in the future. Maybe, he has a case that connects him to something he already solved, and he needs any input he can get from the person responsible for that. He then makes a deal or manipulates them, depending on the benefits, but he seems to be fair even with criminals when it comes to this. So, using the death note and killing his possible future assets is such a self-sabotaging move.

What he would do with the death note.

As I wrote in the post hyperlinked at the beginning, he would study it and its rules, make Watari and himself remember them even without owning the death note and either give it back to the Shinigami, after getting as much information as possible about them too, or lock it up somewhere safe. It would depend on if the Shinigami is someone like Ryuk.

Either way, he would realise how destructive it is and would know not to engage with it. If he wants to prove its authenticity… I don’t know.

He might ask the Shinigami, “how many death notes are dropped on average on the earth?” and from the answer, which – before Light – is zero, and after returning the death note to them, he might just decide to wait to see it happen with his own eyes, because it’s not an urgent matter, and if it happens, he knows how to act, and if it doesn’t, it’s better.

I don’t think he’s that interested in the death note itself. In the Kira case, it was crucial to the investigation, but on a normal day in his life, seeing it actually work might lead him to have some thoughts he might not otherwise have, and that could possibly spiral down to testing each rule. He would realise that, and I think he would take the Shinigami’s words at face value, considering that he just saw a Shinigami so that must mean that it has a high chance of working, and leave it alone.

If he had been that eager to test it, he would’ve not shared his plan with the task force, as to get their approval, and would’ve done it in secret, getting back to them with just the results of his finding. It would’ve saved his life, to be honest, because Rem would have not known about that and what would’ve meant for Misa. Or maybe not, because she might’ve just killed him once everything was done and while he was presenting everything. In any case, it shows not only cooperation but also a sense of hesitance on his part.

Going to the scenario of him getting the death note before Light, he would also hope that it doesn’t become a mainstream thing, because that would, like you said, make everything so boring for him, like, “get creative, I know how you are doing it”, a bit like Near did in the one shot.

Now, I am thinking about L begging criminals to be a little bit more fun to catch, ‘cause they are making him die of boredom, and he can’t do it anymore, he’s losing his mind. If they continue like this, they could really defeat him.

But yeah. That’s more or less what I had to say on the topic. I kind of get the feeling that I am leaving something out, so that might make this a “to be continued” situation, depending on any external input I might get.

Hope you liked this answer. It’s quite long. Almost 4k words, but it was stimulating, to say the least. I know I repeated myself, but I think reiterating some points was important and needed, because otherwise the discussion on each point would seem incomplete.

That’s all.

[sk-lumen]

Dark Feminine Energy: Avoid This Common Trap

Dark feminine energy is a hot topic in 2024.

Since the arising popularity of the femininity wave, awareness of its shadow aspects – dark femininity – followed soon after. This is most noticeable through social media trends like TikTok blowing up with #darkfeminine content and tips, followed by even Vogue articles on this topic that holds such fascination for so many of us.

I believe all women can benefit from tapping into their dark feminine energy. However, I’ve noticed a common misconception about what the dark feminine is about, and many creators (businesses, sites, blogs) are perpetuating this misconception because the toxic angle is more profitable than the self improvement angle.

In short, they’re giving dark feminine energy a bad reputation by claiming it’s all about “using dark psychology tips and tricks to manipulate men, get into their heads and get them to treat you right”.

There are many problematic things with the above. Let’s name a few:

Why it’s problematic to associate DF to manipulation

You can’t (and shouldn’t) waste your time persuading someone of your worth. It’s not your job to prove yourself. People either appreciate you, or they don’t.

I don’t recommend playing with dark psychology the same reason I don’t recommend playing with black magic. What goes around comes around. However, I support every woman’s freedom of choice, as long as you’re taking ownership for your actions.

It’s yet again male-centered. Instead of being about self improvement or self-discovery, it revolves around… yes, male validation.

Dark femininity is an incredibly empowering tool, and this misconception is leading a lot of girls and women to play games and chase men, instead of leading them into their own power.

A more accurate term for the above trend which revolves around revenge and manipulation is simply “toxic femininity”. Yes, the female equivalent of toxic masculinity, because mistakes can be made on either side.

There is nothing feminist or empowering in chasing an ex that mistreated you, and putting on an elaborate show just to convince him you were always his dreamgirl.

Understand that through this, you are giving away your power and relying on another person to validate your sense of self-worth. Is that actually empowering? Of course not.

So then why waste your precious youth and energy to chase after people that are blind to your amazing worth and potential?

Alright, you say. So what IS dark feminine energy actually about?

What the Dark Feminine isn’t about…

Manipulating men

Dark psychology to get your way

Getting revenge on an ex or jilted partner

Playing games

Being heartless, cold and b*tchy

Playing hard to get (a dark femme isn’t pretending, she actually is hard to get because she’s the prize and she knows it)

What the DF is about…

Strong boundaries by defining what you will and won’t tolerate

High standards by defining your expectations for relationships, treatment, etc

Self-knowledge and self-discovery

Feeling safe in your own body and identity

Becoming confident

Accepting your body and yourself

Doing shadow work and integrating...

Read full article

[justhereformilgram]

Why yes I do find myself becoming enthralled with multimedia stories primarily told through songs and sometimes manga and other ways with characters labeled numbers one to ten who are all so complicated and deep <3

Under the cut is spoilers/speculation for the Kagerou Project and trial one and trial two of the MILGRAM project! If you’re a fan of one of these I recommend checking the other two out! Also discussion of suicide topics and general dark content considering these tragic characters

Ok those up above are just paired by number (prison number and order of joining the mekkakushi dan) but here is how I’d pair them based on power/themes + explanations, maybe even if there was a crossover or au sort of thing. The ones with the blue squares are what I think definitely fit while the others I had to go back and forth on

prepare for a ton of yapping. Lol. Lmao.

Kido and Haruka: Abandonment and attention issues + the power to conceal yourself so you don’t get noticed is really interesting to me… Kido is more confident and blunt than Haruka, and yet, I do think they match up fairly well.

Seto and Mahiru: I was debating on giving Seto’s power to Yuno or even Es since it’s like. I don’t know people pleasing/the whole motif of trying to see inside of people’s minds but Mahiru having mind reading powers compels me, since she’s so empathetic. It would also make her indirect murder so much more messy since she would have likely tried to show her love more if she could viscerally sense her boyfriend struggling, but ough.

Kano and Kazui: now this. This fits like a glove. They’re all about lies and pain baybeee… Yobanashi Decieve is such a perfect Kazui song it’s not even funny. (Using the Will Stetson Eng Lyrics but like. Come on)

“Act normal and all of that, but my heart’s still rushing fast so easily”

“I bit the fruit (apple motif!!) and the snake burrowed inside of me”

“But that’s only right, cause I’m a monster in kind”

“Listen closely to this coward’s beating heart, a selfish face that’s seeped in pain, the only me that remains”

“Though I say I’m really lonely, nothing’s ever gonna change”

Mary and Amane : Okay this is a more of a hear me out but hear me out. Both sheltered from the outside/real world, albeit for different reasons, Amane by her religious organization, Mary by her mom since she has Medusa blood. Petrification as a power would be helpful for amane in that murder and/or not getting hurt again, and/or punishing sinners. Also I think Amane would judge Mary since she’s all about stopping the natural cycle of death with all those timeloops

Muu and Momo: Simply they are both popular and that power of drawing eyes is so perfect for that. Less good for Muu once everyone turns on her but it still works.

Ene and Fuuta: This is so just because digital media like video games and twitter are so important to Fuuta like yes go into the computer buddy and cyberbully on another level. They also have similar outward prickliness <3

Shintaro and ES: this is really just about main characters and retaining eyes probably going to Es…? Wasn’t too sure of this one myself tbh

Hibiya and Mikoto (and John): Ok Focusing eyes I couldn’t really think of anyone since it’s very niche but ehh..? Graphic artist??? I do think a kagerou daze situation with Mikoto and John of John trying to save Mikoto in a death loop would fit them before the twist that oh no, sacrificing yourself just continues a different cycle…

Konoha and Kotoko: they can PUNCH. mostly did this one because kotoko would love to have the power to punch people to death and also. Well. Most inter-party kills. In konoha’s case due to possession but Kotoko would prob use hers for cold hard Justice

Hiyori and Shidou: ok this was Clearing Eyes since timeline shenanigans makes it so that Hiyori isn’t part of the group most loops. Maybe I should’ve put Kenjirou instead… well… welp. Shidou would go that far for his wife, that’s all I’ll say, and also the snake of knowledge fits him

Ayano and Yuno: Wasn’t sure about this one, since tbh Novel ES (the girl one) probably fits Ayano better, but Yuno having such a emotional power, able to express her feelings to another, while having everything she has going on could be interesting. Maybe Yuno matches Hiyori better I don’t know LOL Ayano is my favorite of the kagepro bunch though

[valentine-cafe]

Hello. How are you? I hope I'm not bothering you. Which tablet and program do you use for drawing? Do you have any advice on drawing?

﹙ 🍒. ﹚ ─── Hello dear!!! Here's what Eden and I use for art!

Eden has a samsung tablets and uses Hipaint ( I don't know which tablet version it is specifically - )

I use an Ipad pro and operate on Procreate and Hipaint! My most frequently used brushes are from this lovely artist Nurin ( SUPPORT HER SHE IS SO TALENTED LAWD. )

As for some advice?

Well, brace yourself bbg, imma bout to get ya some.

References:

Never forget to use references. It is so important. Don't listen to all of those artists out there telling you it's cheating and to wing it and learn that way ( reality of it all is you won't learn much because you don't sit down and study the way things work. )

Concept art / general art:

If you are doing concept art, and you have a finish deadline, don't sit and worry on imperfections during the sketch or the midway process. Go with your intuiton and what feels right and then, you can focus on the details and rendering stuff to look the way you want it to when you're getting to the end

STUDYING OTHER ART STYLES !!!

This one has become such a controversial topic over the years and I don't know for what fucking reason, how are we supposed to improve and learn if we can't be inspired by other art styles? Look, in each and every style we come across that we enjoy, utilise some of the things you see! put it all together and make it your own style. It's so important.

Look at professional artists and hear their advice:

One thing I ( howl ) learnt as a self-taught artist, is that you're gonna have to get out of your shell of learning all by yourself and get advice and help from other professional artists, whether it's someone you know in your daily life or it is video lessons you sit down and watch, free or not.

I highly recommend looking at artists like: TB choi, Sinix, Samdoesart, Coleshairlesscat, Nirami, and there are probably many more ( I am forgetful baby ).

Allow yourself to take in the advice given and you will see improvements q u i c k.

keep sketchin:

This is also such an annoying thing to hear as an artist. New or not. Especially if you've struggled with sketching in the past or now. It is vital to sketch. Whether that becomes a full illustration or not, that's okay. What is important is that you keep your hands busy and acquaint them with the memory of the flow you are most comfortable with artstyle considered.

Don't. Force. Yourself:

Now with the topic up above, if you feel as though you aren't drawing enough and you need to draw more and you have to and- woah. man. calm down. That becomes very stressing, doesn't it?

You have to allow yourself to take breaks in art, and stop fearing whether or not you will lose all the knowledge you know. Because the truth is, if you force yourself to do art that doesn't come with natural inspiration, you propably still won't be satisfied with it ( if you end up being and it helps you, great, proud of you! )

there are times in the work of a fulltime artist where this will be necessary to force yourself a little, but don't do it to the extent that you burn out.

You give yourself a little nudge and say: lets go. Rather than push yourself into waters you currently can't swim in.

Stop telling yourself you have art blockage:

I learnt this one from Cole !!! The more you start telling yourself you can't draw because "something is in the way" the more you create a placebo effect of you actually not being able to draw. You will always be able to draw! You will always be able to make art. Whether you think it's good or not. It's still art that you have made, and it's still beautiful. Stop telling yourself you have a block for inspiration and will to do art, because you don't. You can and will always be able to create art.

Some advice from Eden and I:

don't stress yourself with the process of art, it is something you are supposed to enjoy. Yes. When you feel the frustration creep up ( because all artists do in their life at one point ) walk away from it.

Take a breather. a 15 minute or more breather, for your eyes to adjust to how everything looks on your canvas. And then you can decide whether you like it or not. But don't get disappointed, or mad at yourself for not doing so, instead, be inspired, try to be inspired by this and then say: "okay, then we try again." And the more you keep going, the further you'll come and at the end, you'll be satisfied.

Also important!!! Don't be ashamed of not having as many illustrations as big pieces done as sketches guys ( fluttering eyelashes ) you should see my folders and the average folder of bigger artists as well KEKW

I truly hoped that this helped darlin'!

Have a good one, and to all of you, always remember to support your fellow artists!!

[maeviuslynn]

What type of occult books I would NOT recommend to beginners:

1) The wrong books for beginners are painfully tedious, dry texts that are far removed from someone’s interests. I am talking about that bland, sandpaper stuff that feels like a strain to read. They may have been pressured into starting with those particular books because they are occult "classics," but they really aren’t what they want to do. They feel obligated to read them before moving onto what they really want to be studying. This kind of curriculum works for some people, but for others it is a recipe for burn out. Honestly I have had more success working backwards. Start with what you want to know/do and fill in the gaps as you go along. It's way more interesting and gives you a framework to quickly apply what you learn. This framework helps you learn more in the long run.

2) Another wrong type of book for beginners is something way above their current knowledge level to the point they can't retain anything. Without any context, most of the dense stuff sounds like gibberish. You’d have better luck going outside and hanging out with a flock of pigeons to learn the language of birds to know the divine. This kind of impenetrably dense reading can leave them feeling defeated and also lead to burn out. There is of course value in challenging yourself. However, telling a newbie who knows literally nothing to pick up reading in the middle of the Typhonian Trilogies to learn about Thelema is not helpful. Yes some people learn that way, but that’s not normal.

3) Lastly, another wrong type of book for beginners is something that is poorly researched and contains factually incorrect information. I am talking about a lot of things beyond just AI books, but also AI produced books fall into this category too. Publishers who aren’t specifically magick/witchcraft/occult publishers trying to dabble in publishing occult books often fall into this trap. The ones that make this mistake, assume that their author can fact check themselves. They have no one in house who knows anything about the topic. This is how you get straight up wrong things published and it’s garbage. Newbies have no idea how to sift through the garbage of these books and may accidentally end up ingesting unhelpful/dangerous/bigoted/incorrect information. Not all occult books from non-occult publishers are bad, but when they are terrible, they are the worst.

[rockanroller]

Insights Into "good" vs. "bad" Animation Rates & Why Animators Might Agree to Work for "low pay"

with the Discord screenshot going around from Spindlehorse Writer and Production Supervisor Adam Neylan revealing some rates they offer, i thought i'd give some insights into the complex topic of animation rates and animators as someone who has done animation work and had many a conversation with peers & mentors about what i should/shouldn't agree to when it comes to pay and productions.

to start with a general statement:

most of what i'm about to say can apply to any and all jobs. animation is not the only industry with low-paying jobs ppl still agree to work, and "currently, 30 states and Washington, D.C., have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour." that means 20 states still only pay $7.25/hour for minimum wage which is not livable, of course jobs in those states may offer more.

i do not say that to downplay or forgive poor wages, only to show animation isn't an isolated case, but it doesn't make it any less awful. and the tricky thing with animation/art is there are more factors to consider than a simple yes or no answer.

and, for your consideration, these are the wages listed by the Animation Guild, they are shown mostly by hourly and weekly rates, and range from $35-$57 per hour, and mainly apply to big studios. you can see wages from specific Big Studios on this page. including Bento Box whose wage minimums ranged from $22-$42 per hour depending on the job as of July 7th, 2023.

any opinions expressed in this post are my own or summarized from others i've spoken with, they're subject to change in the future as i learn more. the goal of this post is to be informative.

"why would an animator agree to a job paying low wages?"

needing the money no matter how poorly it pays and/or having a hard time finding work in the current state of the industry

plain old artistic passion (((they love the work or the project so much they want to be a part of it even if it means low pay)))

they want/need to build their portfolio or resume

they've been recommended to do it by a friend or mentor

they know the crew/studio provide a good work environment despite their low pay

they feel they can get the job done fast enough for it to be worth the pay

they have something else supporting them financially (another job, their family/spouse/partner, etc.) so they can afford to work a side gig for pocket change or just for fun

being a friend of the creator OR anyone on the production, leading to a desire to help out even if it means they wont be paid much

they live in an area of the US or another country that has a lower cost of living (((i.e. if your rent is $3000/mo VS. if your rent is $1000/mo)))

they agreed with the job/rate the employer/client initially offered them, but the employer/client changes or adds onto the job once production starts (((sometimes this can be a situation known as "job creep" where you agree to do one job, but later they ask you to take on responsibilities or "small tasks" from other jobs while only paying you for the one job.)))

on that last bullet you may be thinking... "well they should just quit then, why wouldn't they?" here's some reasons why, some are the same as above:

needing the money/not being able to find another job so badly they find a way to do whatever is asked of them

same plain old artistic passion mentioned above (((they want to see it through/complete the task/complete the vision even if it means they might experience stress or burnout)))

they have something else supporting them financially so doing more/extra work isn't a huge hinderance

they have friends on the production they may not want to "abandon" or "let down" OR, alternatively, having friends on the production makes the work easier to stomach

despite the extra work/low pay the work environment is enjoyable for one reason or another (community, support, fun, etc.)

fearing it could ruin their reputation as a worker / burn bridges with their connections on the production / limit their ability to get another job with the same studio or other studios later on

fearing saying "no" might breach their contract or agreed terms

not being experienced or confident enough to stand up for themselves in the workplace/not knowing their rights (this isn't uncommon, many people do not know the extent of their rights as a worker.)

"what makes an animation wage good or bad?"

this gets a bit trickier bc it is a complex subject that can change based on the project and your personal skills/needs as a worker.

"paid per second"

the "per second" wage is one that's used bc it's very easy for the client to plan their budget with. but it's been debated back-and-forth among workers whether or not it's "fair," especially if the client isn't open to discussion or willing to pay extra for exceptions.

some workers, even though they will agree to work for it, feel this method shouldn't be used bc there are factors it doesn't take into account, while other workers are fine with it.

the limitations of the "per second wage" are:

not every animator works at the same speed

if you're paid $35/second and 1 second takes you an hour to animate then you made $35/hour, but if 1 second takes you 3 hours you made only $11.66/hour, and so on. one might argue an animator simply needs to "improve" in order to make the same "worth" as their peers who work faster--but everyone works differently, and if an animator who works slower is good enough/a more thorough worker, they can still be preferred over a faster one.

it doesn't take revisions/retakes into account*

*this limitation can be remedied if the employer/client includes revision/retake rates or amounts, or is open to discussing extra pay for excessive revisions/retakes. revisions/retakes occur when someone in the pipeline (the lead, the supervisor, etc.) discerns that something was missed or needs to be improved / fixed in an animation. generally one or two small revisions (missing a line, there's a small area that didn't get colored, etc.) are not a big deal and can be fixed quickly. but if there are a multitude of revisions (multiple missing lines/color) or huge revisions (having to re-do an animation completely) that can create a bigger workload for the worker or whichever co-worker their work gets passed to. and you might think "well the error was the worker's fault therefore they shouldn't be paid to fix it" but it's a part of the job. no animator is perfect, and unless you're senior veteran Disney level you're going to get a few notes back. (even the veterans aren't perfect and get notes as well.) not to mention leads might disagree on what is or isn't a necessary fix or adjustment to make on an animation.

it usually is a flat rate that doesn't take complexity into account*

*this limitation can be remedied if the employer/client includes higher rates for more complex shots or is open to discussing a higher per-second rate for more complex shots or additional pay if the job becomes more work than previously thought but, for example, if everyone is being paid a flat $35/second rate no matter what and you get a shot where all you have to animate is a character taking a sip from a glass, but your co-worker has to animate a shot of a character doing crazy parkour, one is going to take longer than the other while getting the same amount of pay. if you complete yours in 2 hours you made $17.50/hour, if your co-worker completes theirs in 5 hours they only made $7.00/hour for a more complex shot.

so overall the "per second issue" has limitations but they can mostly be remedied if a client is open to discussing extra pay/higher rates when the workload exceeds the original agreement.

hourly rates are generally a more "financially secure" option for workers.

however hourly rates can get more expensive and are harder to plan a budget for, since everyone works at different speeds, thus why many clients, especially for productions with limited budgets such as indie, go for the "per second" rate.

job scope

this is where things get difficult to judge bc they vary depending on the production as well as your needs/availability/skills as a worker.

for the sake of example lets compare something that came up in discussion over the screenshot linked at the top of this post: Monkey Wrench's rate VS. Spindlehorse's rate.

breaking down the workload

generally speaking, most shots are only a few seconds. they tend to average around 2-8 seconds, but can be as long as 10+ seconds.

the last rate offered for Monkey Wrench's 3rd episode was $20.38/second, at that rate you could make anywhere from $40.76-$163.04 or $208.30+ per shot of completed roughs or completed clean-up.

at Spindlehorse's rate they chose for Hazbin Hotel's finale episode with A24 & Bento Box of $35/second you could make anywhere from $70.00-$280 or $350 per shot of completed roughs or completed clean-up.

is SH's more than MW in this case? yes. however, there are other factors to consider:

what was the framerate? (12 fps VS. 24 fps, etc.) (((how many frames get displayed per second)))

what were they animated on? (1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, etc.) (((this means how often you make a new drawing, 3s = a new drawing every 3 frames, 1s = a drawing on every frame. at 24 fps that's 24 frames in a second, on 3s that would be 8 drawings on 1s that would be 24 drawings.)))

how detailed are the characters/show style?

how complex is the movement?

how long did you have to complete the animation? (((if you have 1 week to complete an animation you will need to work more hours each day to complete it VS. if you had 2-3 weeks to complete the same one you could work less hours each day, maybe even take one off if you're working efficiently enough.)))

were you asked to take on a bigger workload than you signed on for? and did they offer to pay you the same or more for it?

how many revisions are included in your rate? what's the pay for additional revisions that aren't included in the rate?

was the workplace environment good or bad?

in other words, speaking hypothetically, if you have to animate several frames of detailed characters doing complex movements and you're asked to do more work than you agreed to in a bad work environment, making that $70-$350+ per shot is gonna suck and might cause you stress or even physical/mental harm from burnout that could hinder your ability to continue working...

...to the point that even if you still had to animate several frames of detailed characters doing complex movements, you may prefer to work the job that pays $40.76-$208.30+ per shot if, at the very least, it's a better workplace environment. although you may still choose to do work for the higher-paying job if you really need the money.

we can't make a super clear call on if SH or MW's wages are fair with all of the above factors bc they're either difficult or impossible to know unless we have worked, or hear from people who did work, on the productions themselves. however we *do* know that Adam Neylan claimed the animation for HH's finale episode would be "less intensive" in the screenshot linked at the top of this post, and at least one person who agreed to the offer received shots that were on 1s which *is* more intensive. (link to one other instance of this claim.)

budget / studio size

this topic also gets complicated as an employer/client doesn't typically tell you the exact budget they're working with and where all the money is going.

though they do tend to inform their workers with something like "we're working with a small/limited budget" or "we have plenty of budget" and all you can do is trust that they're being honest. however, indie productions like Lackadaisy and Monkey Wrench have been transparent about where their budget goes. (Lackadaisy budget, Monkey Wrench budget.) So far to my knowledge Spindlehorse has not. (as of making this post on 1/8/2024)

now first and foremost: yes, everyone deserves fair pay regardless of how big or small a client/studio is or how large or limited their budget is.

that being said, sometimes workers are willing to grant exceptions to smaller clients with smaller budgets, especially if they're passionate about the project, they have faith in their employer/client, or are having a hard time finding work and really need the money even if it's not a lot.

the reason many people are upset with the SH screenshot is that, while SH says they offer $60/second normally on Helluva Boss (which while on the better end of per-second rates is still not ideal), they can only offer $35/second, despite the fact they are doing work for A24 / Bento Box, with Bento Box usually offering minimum wages of $22-$42 PER HOUR depending on the job (page 4).

whereas for a much smaller indie project like Monkey Wrench, workers might be more forgiving when most of the money comes straight out of Zeurel's own pocket, as well as the fact that Zeurel does a lot of the animation himself.

and while SH pays much more per second for their indie show compared to Monkey Wrench, SH may have much more money coming in from views & merch sales, they also have much more heavily detailed characters. (in other words an animator might be willing to agree to less pay per second if the characters aren't very detailed or aren't doing a lot of complex movement.) that doesn't mean it's "good" that MW can only afford to pay $20/second, but some workers may be more forgiving given the circumstances.

what if some people are saying they had a good time working on a project while others are saying they didn't?

in relation to everything i've already stated above, the personal experience one has working on a production is equally varied.

generally speaking there are few projects who come out with a fully satisfied crew. there will almost always be at least one worker who had a bad time.

when considering if someone's bad experience is a sign of a bigger issue on a production you have to use your best discretion and accept you may not be able to make a clear call for sure until more information comes out.

sometimes people are telling the full truth of their personal experience, and the workplace *is* bad. other times they're telling the full truth of their personal experience but the factors that caused their bad experience were specific to them/their life, and the place they worked *might* be good for a majority of people.

on the flip side...

use caution when you see the "well *I* had a good time" or "well they were nice to *me*" defense

while numbers can be good (such as if more people are saying good things than bad things) one still has to be wary of confirmation bias as well as why someone might not speak up about a bad experience.

for confirmation bias; someone simply declaring that they had a good time on a production/with a creator insinuating that therefore others couldn't have had a bad time is, simply put, naïve. not to mention disrespectful and ignorant.

example: a group of people can go to the same party where one has a bad time and the rest have a good time. that doesn't mean the party was undeniably good. the party was a different experience for all of them. the host can potentially do something different at the next party to make it better for the one who had a bad time, or that person may decide not go to those parties anymore. if multiple people had a good experience at the party, then sure it's more likely it was "good" by majority, and more people should go--however there could still be an unseen problem such as "the host frequently attempts to get unwilling people drunk," and only a small handful of people have experienced or witnessed it. that's a problem that needs to be fixed, but the majority of party-goers might object to this because they "can't believe it's true, I had such a good time, the host is so nice, & he's never done anything like that to me." yet something bad still happened to a small handful of people and it needs to stop happening.

so, why would someone not speak up if they *did* have a bad experience? here's a few reasons:

they want to move on to other things in their life

they want to avoid getting involved in drama or making a stir even if they had a bad time

they could be afraid speaking up will make it look like they are "taking a side" on something that will cause friction and/or rejection from their peers or friends they don't want to lose

they could be afraid it'll affect their reputation as a worker, or burn bridges with their connections

they could be afraid of the response they'll get from the public (such as being blamed, ignored, invalidated, harassed, etc.)

they signed an NDA and/or are afraid of breaching a contract

should someone accept a low-paying job just for the "good opportunity" alone?

that is completely up to an individual's choice and varies greatly.

personally, i don't believe you should ever *tell* someone to go for something beyond the shadow of a doubt *just* for the opportunity alone, not unless you've taken into consideration the facts of the opportunity *and* the facts of an individual's availability/skills/life situation as well.

sure, "work at Disney" sounds like it's a good opportunity that anyone should take no matter what.

but, if Disney's paying pennies for the opportunity, and an individual isn't ready, doesn't have support, doesn't feel confident about the job or their ability to commit to it, then it isn't a good opportunity for them. you could uproot your entire life for a "good opportunity" only to discover you weren't cut out for it or it didn't lead anywhere. at the end of the day jumping for an opportunity is always a gamble even if it's a gamble that is tilted in your favor.

of course, i also believe sometimes you have to take a risk, sometimes mistakes happen, and you can still learn a lot from "failed opportunities." if it doesn't work out it isn't the end of the world bc you learned more about yourself/the job in the process and you can still pick your life back up. i just don't believe in making uninformed gambles just for the sake of a vague "opportunity," i believe you should consider all the available information before taking a leap.

whether or not something is a "good opportunity" depends on if it's worth it to you and/or you feel confident enough in your availability and skills to do the job even if it isn't going to pay much.

closing remarks

i think that's about all i can say on it, i know it was a lot of information (it's hard to simplify) so thank you truly if you read it all and i hope it was helpful and informative.

the topic of fair pay in animation is an on-going conversation with a lot of opinions and a lot of factors to consider, especially with the rise of interest in indie animation. everyone, including myself, should stay open to this conversation and avoid drawing hard lines in the sand of what is or isn't "fair" unless there is an obvious problem.

personally, due to the claims we've seen over time, i do feel there may be a problem at SH that needs to be reviewed in order for them to be a healthier and ultimately more productive/efficient studio.

i also think it'd be great if indie productions in general could pay more, but the reality is it just isn't there yet, and some animators are willing to deal with it for the sake of their passion or bc they really need the work no matter what.

if you have any questions or confusion about anything i talked about in this post, feel free to shoot me an ask.

ty again for reading.

[fuckingaroundatfreddys]

Welcome to Five Nights of Stupidity!

We're an all-inclusive Fnaf blog! We do pretty much everything :P

Requests, Fanart, Random fnaf rants, and yk, other fnaf stuff

Eclipse (retired. Dead. SIX FEET UNDER.), Springtrap, and Fredbear ran this account during the "Legacy" Era

In the "Revival" era, Glitchtrap, formerly Mod Springtrap, runs this account as the host! Adventure Nightmare Fredbear, Vanny, Ballora, and Circus Baby are also mods that run this account alongside Glitchtrap.

More mods will be added soon though!

"Legacy" Era Mod Info

Eclipse is the most active mod, as they're pretty much up 24/7.

Fredbear watches over this blog more often then posting, he's like our personal notif system.

"Revival" Era Mod Info

Glitchtrap is the main one running this account as of this new era in "fuckingaroundatfreddys", however they may not be as active as they used to as Mod Glitchtrap has another blog to run, which is @crystalseastudios-yt . Oh, and they REALLY love music.

Adventure Nightmare Fredbear can do moodbards and is our personal notif system.

Circus Baby is around here doing some fashion showcases and can do some requests if she wants to! We highly suggest you check her intro page.

Ballora does some things like small fanfiction and design advice! She basically runs the "Gacha fancreation" section of the blog.

Vanny is the official successor of Mod Eclipse, and can stimboards! They really DO love making stimboards.

WHAT WE OFFER (REQ) - The mods have their own list, but here's the list in general!

Stimboards (our specialty) - Open!

Names/Neos/Xenos - open!

Positivity Boosts - open!

Kinfessions - Open!

Fictivessions - Open!

Carekits ✨ - open... Possibly.

Kinflags ✨ - open, depending on the mods' mood

Other stuff probably - probably open

Kinkfessions /j (this is a joke please do not submit these-)

And more! Check out specific mod pages above for specific requests!

And yes, we are now open to Gacha. Mod Glitchtrap says yes to this. Why? I killed Mod Eclipse thats why. BECAUSE why not? :33 /vsilly

This list changes frequently :>

Stuff that takes longer - ✨

RULES! - Please read before sending anything!

When requesting something like a moodboard, be somewhat specific. (Character/Ship/Etc + Aesthetic is the usual)

if you don't have specifics, that's fine! But we do need a main topic.

Don't be rude... Please.

This is a FNAF themed blog. We do FNAF things. Don't ask for something from a different fandom.

If you want a specific mod to see your ask, "@" them.

We probably won't draw anything for you, but feel free to ask anyway.

Ask beforehand if you're requesting something from Non-Canon Material. (AUs, web series, etc.) TSAMS is blacklisted for Eclipse's comfort.

As of the "Revival era" of this blog, TSAMS is still blocked due to Springtrap not knowing much about it, and wishes to not interact with the TSAMS, or any other "FNaF character and character show" community.

DNI! - Violators will be blocked!

Standard DNI criteria (homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc)

Anti-Alterhuman

Anti-Furry

FNAF Haters (why are you here /genq)

NSFW Blogs and such.

Anti endo (Mod Springtrap is a mixed origin system.)

Literally just anti system in general

+ Will probably add more

Mod Specialties!

While each mod has specifics on what we will and will not do, we do appreciate it if you request for a Mod's specialty, which is what the mod excels in the most!

Specific mods excel in specific things better than other mods.

Vanny - Stimboards

Glitchtrap - Music (Recommendations or Playlists)

Circus Baby - Fashion

Adventure Nightmare Fredbear - Moodboards

Ballora - Fanfics

Tags/Blog Navigation

Yes, we fully understand that this Pizzeria is HUGE and hard to navigate on your own, therefore we have come up with a special map to help you out!

#{give gifts give life} - Request has been accepted!

#{...follow me.} - Request has been denied due to whatever reason necessary.

#{SAVE THEM} - Whenever a mod vents + wants comfort

#{you can't.} - Whenever a mod vents but DOESN'T want comfort

#{pizza} - just silly shit that the mods did for no reason and is unrelated. Aka silly shit made for shits and giggles.

#{A voice calls...} - Answering any asks, listening to kinfessions/fictivessions, literally anything that doesn't fall under stimboard/moodboard/whatever falls under "give gifts give life" tag.

#Mod (name) - Indicator to tell what mod posted what post (ex. #mod springtrap)

anon list below

ANONS - Started "count" 1/1/2024

💫 anon

Ourple anon

🦊🔧 anon

🎁 anon

kinkfession anon🎀

[atomkinema-stars]

'The Third Man'

Since today, I will be making expansive copies of my Letterbox reviews (which I won't share here because of their low quality) together with some art I made for the movie. I've had an idea of watching this movie for a long time, inspired by its inclusion in most lists of 'The Best movies ever made.' However, when I first started watching it, I was, frankly, put off by strange music and a fairly mundane beginning. 'Wait, is it the same movie? It doesn't look or sound like what they described and doesn't even seem that noir-like?', I thought to myself. I didn't finish my first watch. But, as it always happens, reviews kind of miss the point. It IS a great movie. It's just very different from what they describe, and it's even greater than they think.

Why? Well, mostly, because it's one of the funniest film noirs, which doesn't sacrifice the seriousness of the topic at all. It's a damn dark comedy and a tragedy in one. Bizarre antics of a doomed cat-and-mouse game ensue, but the solution to the mystery is heavy and dark and not comical.

To what extent were those misadventures the plotting of the antagonist, or were they sometimes just twists of fate in a strange city? (At times, it really felt like that…) Unfortunately, nobody knows.

The movie would also benefit from not pushing the burden of emotional doubt on its main female character because the main "mystery" has enough weight and conflict to it to occupy our attention. It was kind of cowardly to make her the one who bore this burden of believing, even though the protagonist was just the same in the beginning.

But as an overall examination of beliefs of them both it works, so it's fine.

(I think the piece above is appropriately comical, but it's still kind of 'subpar' since I can't draw caricatures of famous actors that well. I guess I did capture a certain aura, but you have to forgive me for mistakes, I am drawing without references usually, trying to train my memory. I think I got Welles' eyes mostly right, though? They are extra full of irony. They're not as full of irony as they are in the movie, be warned. No one can capture that.)

P.S. (Read this at your own risk)

Being from Eastern Europe (Poland) made me like it a bit more, I admit, since it's easier to sympathize with the victims (yes, even the Austrians), which wouldn't be the case for Anglo-Saxon people who are 'the other' here, interestingly. The other side, even though the protagonist is also Anglo-Saxon. This part, in particular, is what makes it truly unusual - you rarely see Anglo-Saxon people being self-aware enough to recognize themselves as those who can be 'humanity's shadow', too, and not just complete saviors and heroes and 'the side of rational reason'. This movie tries to defeat this myth in a funny, kind-hearted, and palatable for English speakers way, tricking them, but also holding their hand gently. It also (correctly) shows how friendly some Anglo-Saxons can get with their rivals (The Soviets) when they've fallen far enough. It was a nice, correct (and morbid) detail. This movie has no alternatives in the modern world because of these reasons. Europeans, especially Austrians, germans, and Poles, but French people too, are firmly 'the other' in the modern world. This movie kind of subverts it, starting from the more modern alienation and then blasting the unexpected at full volume.

Another such case would be 'Witness for the prosecution', which I also recommend, but it's a vastly inferior movie and you have to accept it.

If you're curious about this movie, try to give it a watch.

Zither intensifies!!!

Don't believe me?

See (hear) for yourself...

[cissyenthusiast010155]

Omg, your response was so amazing and helpful 😭❤ Thank you for taking the time to really get into all that. 💞 It also seems to have kinda sparked a conversation arround it, which is awesome! 😁

And ohhhhh ya, the religious trauma and gilt are real 😳🙄

You mentioned you have more to say if we want to hear it? I, for one, would LOVE to hear anything else you have to say on the topic! ❤

-🫖

Hi hi hi 🫖 anon!!

{Let’s Talk Religious Guilt and Trauma}

I am so glad that my response—Let’s Talk Healthy Solo Sex— was helpful and informative for you!! Of course!!! I want to give every ask and every anon the time and respect that they deserve ♥️♥️ And yes, I love that it sparked more of a conversation!! I’m so proud of you for reaching out and starting these discussions, anon!!! 🥰

I most definitely have more to say on the topic. For one, you can check out Let’s Talk Penetrative Sex and Let’s Talk Trauma in Relationships, which both stemmed from our conversation! And then there’s this response, fyi it will be another longer one 😊

*sigh* Yes, religious guilt and trauma are most definitely real. And those of experiences and feelings are so valid. Trauma of any kind is no joke. If you have any religious trauma or trauma of any other kind, I highly recommend that you seek a professional’s help.

So… What is Religious Trauma and Guilt?

A general definition for Religious Trauma is… “Religious trauma can happen when an individual’s religious experience has been damaging, abusive, degrading, stressful, or traumatic. When a religious experience is traumatic, it can damage your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health”. Check out Cohesive Therapy NYC’s article on Religious Trauma for more detailed information! For an article that goes more into Religious Guilt, check out Considering Counseling’s article on Religious Trauma and Guilt…! ♥️

Religious trauma and guilt are especially tricky beasts… Many twisted religious teachings and persuasion is very cult like. (That’s not to say that all are, there are definitely less twisted, healthier religions and practices) But the ones that are rotten and manipulative, they dig deep into your core beliefs, especially if you’re a child, and they replace your identity with the identity of the religion/church/cult.

So, how do you deal with religious trauma and guilt?

Firstly, as I said above, seek professional help (I recommend an EMDR specialist for trauma—EMDR is a type of therapy that works to restructure traumatic memories in your brain)

On your own accord, Processing, Accepting, and then Healing is the overall goal. Talking it out and processing your experience and feelings with a trusted person can be helpful for some. I find that talking to someone who has also had religious trauma or guilt to be even more helpful, because of how they can relate. Sometimes journaling/writing about it can be another helpful tool. The key is to find some way to express those emotions, to get them out of you.

Personally, my own story is that I have both religious trauma and guilt, but I definitely struggle more with my religious trauma. I was raised in a Catholic school and an Interfaith-Christian household. We moved around a lot, and so I went to many Christian churches like Non-Denominational, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, and Southern Christian/Baptist. After the Catholic primary school, I moved to a Christian Charter school for six years. At that age, all my activities were based around my church and religious school; safe to say, religion was a very big part of my childhood. When Covid hit, I had had enough and I used the social distancing and the lockdown as a way to disconnect from the church. I effectively stopped going to church in 2020. I then took that time to explore my religious trauma and guilt, and this was where my healing journey began.

Everyone’s journey is different, and everyone’s journey is valid. ♥️

I began my work with my CBT therapist (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy— most therapy is CBT or Freudian). I found that most of my religious guilt was tied to my sexuality, and that I really struggled with being gay and being religious. So I explored that. I talked about it with lots of people, including my therapist, trusted family members, and other trusted religious people. I found that finding others who struggled with sexuality and religion was extremely helpful, it made me feel validated and not alone in the struggle. Today, I am way further along with my religious guilt than I was 3 years ago, but I definitely still have more to process, accept, and heal from.

Next there was my religious trauma. For this, I started with my CBT therapy as well. It was helpful, but after 3 years, I have run into a wall… It depends on the intensity of your trauma, because “little t” trauma is more easily resolved through CBT, whereas “capital T” trauma requires the neural network in your brain. My trauma is more “capital T”, and so I found that CBT therapy only helped me so much. This is why I recommend EMDR therapy for trauma. EMDR therapy targets restricting your neural network, working out the traumatic memories.

Everyone’s experience is different, so what worked for me and what didn’t work might be different for you, and that’s okay. This is only my experience. But I hope that it was a little helpful, and that you at least feel less alone in your feelings. Because they are so valid. ♥️♥️

So yea, those are my key points for religious trauma and guilt…! Hope this was somewhat relatable, helpful, and informative 🥰 Don’t hesitate to reach out and chat with me, ask or dm! Hope you have a lovely day/night!! 💞💞

Talk with Me ❤️‍🔥

[witchcraftingboop]

Hi! May I ask which are some good super starter or basic grimoires? I tried Agrippa and just...it didn't go in...i have the Picatrix but I honestly think I'll just get the same result, it's way above my head. Is there anything simple i might "get" or should I honestly just accept it's not for me and move on? Thank you!

Hey, so I have this post right here that goes over why no grimoire that's worth learning from with the intent to practice it through is going to be classified as beginner/starter/etc. So I'm not going to rehash that part.

As for "getting" Agrippa, I think it's important to remember that it's an encyclopedia. As such, when you're beginning to explore grimoires, it's best to use it as a reference book. Can you use Agrippa as the foundation of your own practice? Yes, but unless you're already familiar with occult concepts and topics, it might require far more than one or two surface readings to fully digest what it's talking about.

So since it sounds like you're newer to grimtrad circles, I have a few books that I think might help build that foundation without all the dense walls of text and jargon to read through (though please bear in mind that I struggle to remember what is/not common knowledge even in mundane matters, so if some of these are a bit trickier to navigate, feel free to blame it on my incompetence):

A Deed Without A Name by Lee Morgan (staple)

Conjuring Spirits by Miller (Miller's work is v good)

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish (read critically, don't accept everything blindly)

The Hermetic & Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus - Waite & Paracelsus (denser)

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in Greek and Roman Worlds

Elucidation of Necromancy

Celestial Intelligences by Kaminsky (denser)

Wortkunning

Some books that I worked with or through that seem easy enough to bring to real life application, with the right dedication and mindset:

The 6th & 7th Books of Moses

The Sworn Book of Honorius

The Book of Oberon

Seven Spheres & Gateways: Through Stone and Circle (1 book) & Through Light and Shadow (different book) - best combo, anyone can practice these really

Keys of Solomon & Grimorium Verum & Secrets of Solomon - solid combo

The Goetia of Dr. Rudd (a particular fave)

The Complete Mystical Records of Dr. John Dee (learn a bit of Latin first or have a solid translator on deck)

Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) & Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies & Techniques of Greco-Egyptian Magic - best combo, imo

Orphic Hymns Grimoire & The Hekatæon & Tartaros - another good combo

The 32 Keys

Azoëtia & The Black Dragon series

Book of St. Cyprian

I think it's worth mentioning that reading more is a great way to broaden your awareness of occult concepts and topics. If you look at how things are considered across different dedicated areas of study, then you're more likely to understand the foundations of said thing. One perspective is very limiting. It's better to seek out multiple. By reading from the first list, which should give a pretty solid introductory to broad concepts, and then sifting through the grimoires mentioned, you should be able - through applying yourself properly to the task - gain an understanding of how these things may function/interact in a living tradition, and then through applying them yourself gain the practical knowledge of how they actually are.

And as a closing note: I would personally recommend leaving behind the idea that you're supposed to "get" occult books. You study from them, you learn what you can from them, and through implementing what they speak of and experimenting with what interests you, you acquire that knowledge plus your own discovered knowledge and heightened awareness. In this way, you'll come to realize why I refer to my engagement with the occult as a study and practice.

Of course, if none of this was helpful, you can feel free to disregard my input here as the ramblings of a twenty-something nobody. Have a good one!

[skymagpie]

What about Top 5 games/books/series/movies/etc you would call "underappreciated" for what they do?

Hm, my view of things might be skewed because I do feel like these things are popular only because I am in the circles that talk about them and I think they are generally not that popular, or at least not as popular as stuff like League, Arcane, WoW, TES etc. This also excludes niche things like old books, plays and films that I picked up from uni as I don't feel like having people quiz me why I like the works of some "problematic" guy from 50-100 years ago.

Subnautica - this is literally one of the best game series I've ever played. It has a very simple, but amazing story, a lot of heart and soul, the aesthetic and the feeling of the game are unmatched and the gameplay is very fun. If you are scared of the depths, its a terror game, but the fact that the story is so heartfelt makes up for you being terrified of the world. In fact, the fact that it can be very scary sometimes just adds to the story. It's a perfect sync of gameplay and storytelling. It's a cheap game too with no micro-transactions and such, so it's a little jewel in a sea of crap they've been releasing lately.

Dishonored - Yes, I think Dishonored is not as popular as it should be. Dishonored is amazing, from aesthetics to writing (especially in the first game), to world building and gameplay. The first game is a masterpiece despite the fact that the story it tells is very simple and straightforward, so much so that sometimes it's even funny. The 2nd game threw the ball when it comes to story, but the characters, the aesthetic and world it built is still unmatched. It's absolutely beautiful and it awakens something in me whenever I think about it. For me Dishonored (and Subnautica above) are like a vacation by the seaside that cures depression.

Pirates of the Caribbean - These films might feel like they are popular because you see them plastered on children's notebooks and backpacks, but they are soooo underground because they were popular some 15 years ago and now most people forgot they existed aside from Jack Sparrow and his pop culture influence. However the first film is a masterpiece and the two other that follow are excellent and bring so many new things to this type of storytelling. They made the Pirate genre so good and it's sad that the genre itself died out with them. The 2 last films are not so good, but I think the culture already shifted away from pirates and that probably just added to the lack of quality and passion put into them (Disney just thought they can ride off the success of the first three, not realizing what actually made them so successful). However, much like the three things above, the feelings the first three films bring is so beautiful that I do recommend for people to give them a watch (or a re-watch) and experience some of that joy for themselves. The following two are very much a subtype or parts of bigger fandoms and not things on their own~

The Warcraft novels - this is a more of a "subtype" of something being popular, but I don't think the Warcraft novels get enough attention within the Warcraft community. While a lot of games tend to release books to up sales and often put key story elements in them, however the books are not as good and they do feel like they were made just because every game needed to have a book from 2016 and onward. The Warcraft books on the other hand feel like they are an essential part of the story and not just a cashgrab. While they are not all good, sometimes the writing is lacking, they are absolutely fun to read and people who like the Warcraft lore should not overlook them. For me they give me the vibe of the cheap little fantasy booklets I used to read on vacation when I was a child. And some deal with pretty heavy topics and themes you would not expect in a "video game book".

The Zed comic - obviously and the most expected response, while League doesn't have a lot of lore (even if people pretend it does, it doesn't, play TES or WoW to see what capital L-ore is), people know Arcane is like the peak of League's story. I however think that the Zed comic is good enough to make it at least in the runner ups to Arcane's 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. It's a good comic, yes the style is in that ugly Marvel fashion which is 90% of the visual charm for me, and despite the League community moaning that it's not a good story, it's in fact a good story. The plot works, the characters work, the story build upon century old premises of brothers fighting for the love of their father and it offers these characters so much more than what we see in the rest of the content for them. This comic made these characters actual characters, and the community either ignores or straight up dislikes it out of reasons only understandable to them.

BONUS: Greymoor was a great ESO DLC and received a lot of flack from the ESO community. The criticism that it killed gay characters is the only valid criticism. Pretty much everything else boiled down to "It has a weak plot :///" that was never elaborated by anyone in any capacity. It was a great Chapter, it had beautiful aesthetic and a unique feeling even if bringing back a zone from Skyrim and it had one of the best TES villains in general. For me it was the last true ESO expansion that just really captivated me even though I like the ones that came after.