#Asha would want to teach them about the world and art

[rascalentertainments]

Say, if I hypothetically said that "Wish Granted" Star and Asha hypothetically had kids in a hypothetically happy ending/franchise, what hypothetical names would you suggest for them? Hypothetically, of course.

@oh-shtars @thesafireartist @annymation

(Not sure who else has done Starsha kids, but feel free to tell me)

[pinkbutterflygaming]

Dont worry about the additional ramble, my first post was also just me doing lot of rambling about some random idea I got all of a sudden. Aaaanndd now I'm gonna do it again....

You're right, you've made a lot of good points there. I think I got too carried away with the idea of Asha's character arc. To me, having selflessness as a weakness and be something to learn from would be an interesting concept to explore for a character, but maybe not for Disney though. Ooh... maybe all that "selflessness" could've been used for set up for Asha's self-sacrifice for Star. Think Eugene or Beast, but it's actually the "princess" who does it. Well, it would be a bold move...

This also brings me back to another thing that I wanted to dive into in that post, but didn't because of how lengthy that became, and I think this may be one of the root problems with Wish.

I think Asha found out about Magnifico too early.

Oh, even better, she even comes up with the solution to the problem, saying that people should be given the chance to realise their dream, keep the bad wishes, etc, preaching the story's moral. What a hero!

All in the first act.

Because of this, Asha doesn't learn.

Because of this, there's barely any room for a journey at all.

That first post I made was me trying to think of a way of how "This Wish" could theoretically work into the formula, but looking again... it might not. Asha just knows too much too early.

Something felt off when I read something in the concept art about Asha being a modern take on the heroine and fairy tale, rallying people together to change the world and fight an impossible force she opposes.

But the thing is, what I've noticed is that the hero in Disney films doesn't really try to oppose and/or confront the true villain until the story's third act. Maybe sometimes second act, but not right away. They go through a certain journey first. Even in a movie like with Mulan where they do try to oppose the threat, there's still a long winded journey to get there.

In some other films, the protag doesn't even know that the main villain is well... the villain until later. It's only made very painfully obvious to the viewer, but not for the protagonist. The Little Mermaid, Snow White, The Lion King, Tangled are good examples. There are some exceptions, but this is how it is for some of the classic villains. It makes it all the more suspenseful for us because we know that they're bad yet the protagonist is still oblivious to it all as they interact with them.

They tried to make Magnifico a classic villain but barely anything in his design says that he is evil. I think the concept art looked a lot better, but in the film, it doesnt translate. Makes sense he'd look charming or else people wouldn't trust him, but I think they lost the evil charm in his character from the concepts. And then you give a hint of a sympathetic backstory? You can't do all three villain types at once.

I could be wrong about this and I feel like you might know more about this subject than me and I havent seen all of Wish so I'd like to see your perspective, it's just something that didnt sit right with me looking back at how Disney villains were taken care of.

I think how it would've worked is that Asha's wish could be a call for help due to there being something wrong in the community. Also make things more personal if it's got to do with her family. But it's not about Magnifico, she doesn't know he's behind it all.

Maybe that's why another concept of Starboy is him taking the form of her grandfather after he passed away. She was meant to wish for her grandfather's help, and so the Star manifests as him. It could go either way, the grandfather or the love interest.

If we want Asha to go through a character arc, then maybe change her perspective about wishes. Allow her to be naive, thinking that wishes should all come true. And Star is the one to teach her that they all shouldn't, there's harmful wishes too. People have the power to fulfill their own outside of just the King. Literally the perfect opportunity to insert "I'm a star" revealing that since humans are no different from stars either, so they can make their own wishes come true. He only came down to guide Asha. This would be the answer to what she's missing.

It would be interesting if the quirky starboy turned out to be the more wiser of the duo due to his experience as a star, while Asha being the more quieter one yet naive in her point of view.

Though yes, it doesn't leave much of an arc for Star, especially if this is the love interest route. Maybe learning to love is his character arc?

They go through a certain journey to figure out what's going on while helping the people affected, this is where Asha learns the story's message through the journey. Differing viewpoints between Star and Asha would set up some really good conflict between them.

King Magnifico caught wind of whats going on (wishes being fulfilled, people becoming more independent from him), and does his evil acts to savotage them, Star and Asha constantly fixing his mess without any of them realizing until they do.

Maybe Star initially tries to convince Asha to make people realize the truth, but Asha in her stubbornness, forces the two to face him alone. This could also add another twist for the heroes (but not the viewer) where Amaya is revealed to be heavily involved, leading to Star getting captured in an attempt to protect Asha and allow her to escape.

Asha escapes, and rallies the people. She then remembers what Star taught her and makes a plan by utilising the people's own wishes and then inspiring them to achieve it for the plan to work. (They dont remember their wish, but Asha reminds them?) It's something very similar to something that happens in Kung Fu Panda 3 (not Disney, I know), but it would've worked to send the message Wish is trying to do here.

Asha saves Star through wit and determination and some trickery, while also trust in the people and community because what went wrong the first time was that Star and Asha ended up confronting Magnifico alone.

The two then split up to deal with the villain couple, with Star dealing with Magnifico (which is why Asha's wish required the Star coming down, because she needed him to deal with Magnifico's magic), while Asha goes after Amaya who turned out to hold the stolen wishes. (And something something for the conclusion...)

Hmm, I don't think this does include the "faith" aspect very well. I think there are definitely better ideas out there than me...

Again, thanks for your feedback! Maybe I should do a big Disney movie binge sometime to compare to Wish to improve things, Im just remembering things from the top of my head. Oh, and Happy New Year! °w°)/

Disney doesn't need to change "the formula." That's the last thing that Wish proves.

What Wish proves is that "the formula" only works when you know why the ingredients are in it, and you use them the correct way.

The Princess Character is meant to wish for only half of the movie's message, and go through an adventure that teaches her what the other half is; what her dream was missing. Ariel dreamed of understanding but she was missing love. Tiana dreamed of achieving her goals but she was missing faith. Jasmine dreamed of freedom but she was missing trust. Belle dreamed of adventure but she was missing being understood.

The Villain is meant to highlight the opposite of the movie's message. Jafar gets what he wants through trickery and manipulation; that's the opposite of Aladdin's "truth will set you free" message, and he gets imprisoned in a lamp. Scar thinks being a King is having his way all the time and can't learn from his past of living in Mufasa's shadow; that's the opposite of The Lion King's "Let the past remind you of your responsibility to selflessness." Gaston loves only himself and is always obsessed with appearances; that's the opposite of Beauty & the Beast's "true love is found within a heart of self-sacrifice." That's what makes them such good villains. (and that clear direction is what drives good villain songs, since Magnifico's is what everyone is talking about)

The sidekick is supposed to compare/contrast with the main character's qualities. Abu is a greedy thief, which is what everyone in Agrabah thinks Aladdin is; when he scolds Abu and teaches him selflessness, it shows us who Aladdin actually is. Flounder is easily frightened and looks at the glass half-full; when Ariel coaxes him and leads by example, we see her bravery and positivity reflected in Flounder's tiny character arc. Timon & Pumbaa do whatever they want all day just like young Simba always dreamed of; when Simba goes to live with them, he finds that "getting his way all the time" makes him forget who he really is and feel empty.

The setting is supposed to show off the characters and highlight the movie's message. Rapunzel's tower is designed to be pretty on the inside because of her influence; if it were too dark and prison-shaped, we'd wonder why she didn't work up the courage to leave sooner. Just like how Quasimodo has made his corner of the bell-tower beautiful, too; they're taught the world is cruel and they're not strong enough for it, but they make their own worlds beautiful enough to hint that that's wrong right from the start. Ariel's grotto is shaped like a tower with no roof so that she only has one window to the forbidden Surface, and it's the light that comes from that forbidden world into her dark grotto which literally makes her able to see human things differently. Tiana's apartment has no interesting features except her father's picture, a perfectly made bed, a drawer with no extra outfits but stuffed with tip money, and only two dresses; both of which are for work.

None of that is happening in Wish, because they didn't know why the formula ingredients are there. Disney needs to understand and return to the formula the right way; forgetting it was what got them here.

Asha learns nothing to add to her dream, unless you count "the power to grant wishes is in me." Which you shouldn't, because we didn't even know she was confused about that until the animals sang a song that was completely off-topic and she had the chance to jump in and sing "I'm a Star!"

Magnifico does not demonstrate the opposite of Wish's message effectively because his character has nothing to do with a philosophy against making wishes, and everything to do with power. (He is the strongest character in the film. But because the message and core concept of what wishes are are so bad, that's not saying much.)

Valentino, and Asha's friends, do not highlight anything about her character through compare/contrast. Valentino is brave and all over the place. Her friends are seven-dwarfs parodies. Happy, Doc, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy. None of that contrasts with Asha's vague characterization of "cares too much." None of it compares to that characterization, either.

The setting is empty. There are no interesting details that teach you something about any of the characters. None in Asha's home, none in the neat-and-tidy one-dimensional forest, none in the Rosas square, and none in the bland, empty castle. Magnifico's study is the closest anything gets; there's a loose concept that all of Asha's friends have to work together to open the roof, and take a leap of faith to weigh the pulley system down. Unfortunately, none of these characters is shown struggling to work together, OR to take leaps of faith, at all, before this point.

The ingredients of the formula are in Wish. They're just not being used correctly. This is how not to use the formula; it's not the formulas fault. If it ain't broke. They should never have let people convince them to try and fix it.

[circlique]

I've been meaning to send this over since you started but my brain's been having a hard time with all the negativity for the past few days, coupled with memories from the yesteryears, but I really want to tell people and to you too. I honestly don't think my life would ever be the same if I've never discovered Hetalia. It helped me understand history better since it helped me see history as over arching narratives that could be pieced together, something that my brain used to have a hard time with since dates and numbers were what they ever teach us and not stories. I always failed history in grade school, but it sky rocketed ever since I found the webseries when I was in middleschool. My classmates would always ask me to help them review for tests and quizzes 'cause everybody knew me as the weird history nerd in class. History became my passion because I wanted to know more. It droved me to want to see the world and I saw it with this fandom sharing their culture and histories. I've met a lot of wonderful and mature people because of hetalia. My sister and I became so close because of it. We'd stay up all night talking about historical events and ancient/precolonial history and making ocs. We had another shared passion other than drawing. Hetalia helped pushed me to do better in art and to learn about all the wonderful folk costumes from different countries. It was my gateway to vocaloid due to crossovers back in the day and has kinda been my gateway to other medias, not just animes. Our fandom had the best MEPs and MMDs that I've ever seen in comparison. I found a lot of comfort here whenever I got depressed in highschool and I was always excited whenever there's an update over at hetascanalation. (I want to thank the team that's also resposible for giving the fandom quality translations and websites like the kitawiki and hetaarchives) Granted, maybe it could have have been possible that I've gotten all that happiness and progress in life eventually down the line without Hetalia. But I couldn't imagine such a world and I could never take this back even with all the ups and downs and all the cringey things 13 yrs old me has done and been through. (God, I hope I'm not making anyone cringe, sorry.) I love you guys and the content creators and fans who make this place special like gnostic-heretic, aph-porty, stirringwinds, tomato-bird, nordickies, neviart, frukmerunning, bombon-14, disaster-fruit, asha-fox, historihet, bubbleteahime, bizarrejelly, pndglcs, okheromun, and so many others that I want to thank and that also includes you! I love your blog and your ocs! Your content gives me so much joy everytime you post something new. You've done more for charity and for educating people than those who keep harassing us and younger fans. I understand other people might have had a very different experience with Hetalia and that's valid but I hope they understand mine too. Ciao, I hope you have a nice day 🌼. Again, I love you all 💕

@hetascanlations @hetarchive

@gnostic-heretic

@aph-porty @stirringwinds

@tomato-bird @nordickies @neviart

@frukmerunning @bombon-14

@disaster-fruit @asha-fox @historihet

@bubbleteahime

@bizarrejelly @pndglcs @okheromun

I’m sorry I couldn’t get some of the tags to work but omg anon, thank you so much for sending this!

[secondgenerationnerd]

Daddy Damian!

Ok first Damian would love to be a dad. Even before he meets Irey some part of him wants to be a dad. These headcannons center around how I think he’d be a dad to my OC Asha

-Damian loves giving her a bath. Asha really hates baths (Linda says Irey and Jai were the same way). Damian’s perfected the art of bathtime so she doesn’t cry.

-Damian spends a lot of his free time reading to her. His brothers have walked into the library before to find their little brother reading Shakespeare to his newborn daughter more than once.

-Irey did film Asha’s birth, mostly so Irey could go back one day and remember it. Damian, who was still dead, wants to watch it. He holds Irey while he watches her bring their beautiful girl into the world. Afterwards he tells her she’s one of the strongest women he’s ever met.

-He loves holding his baby flower.

-Once, Irey and Asha visited a training session he was teaching. Asha, around 1.5 years old, wanted to spar with her baba. Damian let her “beat him up”

Damian lies dramatically on the floor, arms splayed out. Asha tilts her head, shuffling over, “baba? Baba?”

“I’m dead I’m gone. Go one without me.”

-He makes sure Irey takes time for herself. I’m of the stance that dads don’t babysit their own kids, they raise them just like the moms do. So Damian makes sure Irey has time to go for a run or just take a little time for herself.

-he hates that he didn’t get to be there in the room when Asha was born, or see Irey when she was pregnant.

-Irey and Damian have a standing date night every Friday for them to go out. Asha stays with her aunties and uncles.

-Damian actually cries when her first word is baba.

-While he can be firm and stern, he tries not to yell at Asha

-He will never, ever raise a hand to her or her mother. That’s not romanticizing normal behavior. Damian grew up in a place where being hit was a very real part of his life. He doesn’t want his daughter to go through that.

-Asha meet Titus when she’s about a week-2weeks old. Damian held her while the big dog sniffed her and licked her little toes.

-Titus ends up mating with another dog. Damian and Irey decide to keep one of the puppies for Asha. They name her Jamila.

-Asha and Irey are the parts of his life he knows he doesn’t deserve and works so hard to keep safe.

-Damian likes to dance with Asha and Irey around the living room.

-He’s had tea parties with her before. His brothers were later roped into one by their very demanding niece.

-Damian usually puts her hair in pigtails, making Irey laughs

-When Damian and Irey get married, Irey has her father daughter dance with Wally. She looks over and Damian is swaying with Asha in the corner.

[ewokofknowledge]

History of the Jedi

here we go

Contrary to popular belief, the Jedi didn’t start with Yoda, the Old Republic and the Jedi Council as a portion of the population believe. (Below are approximate dates)

Start date: Force is chilling out.

Before Kwa- Celestials

100,000 BBY- Kwa

Slightly after Kwa- Rakata

(some events from the above groups were happening at the same time)

36,000 BBY- Je’daii Order

10,000 BBY- Jedi Order or the Holy Order of the Jedi Knights

Luke’s Order (or as some say the New Order)

End Date: There really isn’t one.

Before the Order

Celestials are a starting point, well they’re going to be my starting point. They were also known as the architects. The Ones from Mortis (Father, Daughter and Son) were said to be related to the Celestials. The Celestials though could restructure and form new matter through the force. They are known in the galaxy for creating the Corellian System, Vulter System, Hapes Cluster, Maw Cluster, and the Kathol Rift. Centerpoint station, or the tractorbeam that could pulll planets around was also created by them. All races were considered slaves to the celestials, since there isn’t much information on this species we don’t know if this was voluntary or involuntary at the begining. They were called Client races so its a little iffy. It was said that the Celestials were higher force guided events in the galaxy. Eventually the Rakata uprised against the celestials after stealing the Kwa’s technology killing them. Some say that Abeloth or the Bringer of Choas may have caused there demise.

The force is the begining of all users no matter what form they take. The Kwa were a species from Dathomir. They created infinity gates that allowed them to transport interstellerly to other places. Star temples were created around teh gates to protect them from unwanted visitors. The gates were inspired by the Celestials. The ones are supposedly related to the celestials. The Celestials though could restructure and form new matter through the force. They are known in the galaxy for creating the Corellian System, Vulter System, Hapes Cluster, Maw Cluster, and the Kathol Rift. The Kwa eventually used a gate to go to Lehon, the home of the Rakata. They sensed the Rakata were strong with the force and trained them or tried to. The Rakata turned on the Kwa and went to war. Eventually the Kwa, defeated would retreat back to Dathomir or Tython. The ones who returned to Dathomir physically devovled into the Kwi. (Think of blue from Jurassic World.) They were also known as the Blue Desert/Mountain People.

The Rakata were a cannabalistic evil race that didn’t want anything to do with the light. They relied on the dark side and turned on the Kwa, creating their Infinite Empire which was the first real govenrment. You may not have heard their name before but you surely know of Star Forge. It’s the biggest shipyard created by the Rakata in 30,000 BBY. It channeled the dark side and produced ships and weapons for the empire. This structure was built the only way everything else was built, through slave labor. The Rakata used the force as a hyperdrive to travel. Using this technology they reached over 500 planets that held force sensitives. (Hyperdrives weren’t invented yet, this was a precursor to the hyperdrive.) We wouldn’t see a man made one untill 25, 053 BBY. By 25,200 BBY the Rakata Empire was no more, they broke out in civil war causing their own demise. What’s worse is, they began to lose their force connection from a mutation during a plauge that killed almost all of the species itself. The Rakata that were left returned to Lehon where they broke out into another civil war, killing almost everyone. Those left alive spilt into various tribes and devolved mentally, retreating underground. They could no longer use their own technology because of their past reliance on the force. One tribe called the Elders remained intact and on the surface. They wanted to cleanse their history by destroying the Star Forge. They also no longer had the force but with the timely arrived of Revan they thought they could destroy it. This was 3959 BBY For many years it wasn’t destroyed and Revan used it to basically start the Jedi Civil War. Once Revan was redeemed he allowd the Galactic Republic to destroy the Forge.

The Rakata is always remembered for their military and technology feats. Planetary archaelogy and xenoanthropology professors were fascinated with the species because they changed the galaxy. Only a few groups survived and many ruins where they once held dominion.

Other species at this time: Celestials, Sith, Duros, Killiks, Sharu, Hutts, Columi, Taung, and Humans. Note: The Sith here aren’t what we know them today. They were a species from Korriban. They did have a predisposition to the dark side of the force and eventually an empire before being ruled by Dark Lords aka how we know them now.

Old Order

I think the best starting point here is Tython.The force was always there and many species including the Gree, Kwa and the Rakata vistied the planet. The Tho Yor, a class of 9 triangluar shaped ships brought various species to the planet. These ships came from Ando Prime, Manaan, Kashyyyk, Dathomir and Ryloth. There is no indication who sent the ships. All the species that migrated to Tython established the Je’daii Order. They based their teaching on balance from Tython’s two moon Bogan and Ashla. Eventually Tython itself became unsafe for non force users and the people known as the Tythans spread other worlds of the Tython system.

They also established a code of conduct The code was: There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no fear, there is power. I am the heart of the Force. I am the revealing fire of light. I am the mystery of darkness. In balance with chaos and harmony, Immortal in the Force.  

Each ship sat at a different region of Tython and around them the different species built temples.

Regions:

Thry in the silent desert- Qigong Kesh- Temple of Advanced Force Skills

Masara- Bodhi- Temple of Arts

Kato Zakar- Stav Kesh- Temple of Martial Arts

Deep Ocean- Mahara Kesh- Temple of Healing

Talss in a Chasm- Anil Kesh- Temple of Science

East in the volcano top forges- Vur Tepe- Temple of Matallurgy, Tool and Weapon Construction- The first lightsaber dubbed the ‘first blade’ was made here but lore is very hush hush on it. We know the weapon master made it. Before this time they use metal sabers with no crystals.

South- Kaleth- Temple of Knowlege

Location unknown at this time- Padawan Kesh- for the children too young to become padawans.

Tower Monolith- Akar Kesh- Temple of Balance

There was peace for 10,000 years. In the year 25, 805 BBY The Despot Wars waged by powerful Queen Hadiya from the world of Shikaakwa to conquer the entire Tython System began. Fortunately for the Tythons, they had a sleeper agent who killed the Queen and the war ened quickly but not before there were a hundred thousand Tython casualities and a million casualties from the Despot Army, with many lost and thousands injured, tensions remained on the higher end for near a decade. Twelve years later they faced the Rakata Empire and shortly after that The Force Wars or the First Great Schism began (around 25,783 BBY.) Master Daegen Lok, the samae sleeper agent that killed Hadiya fell to the dark side after having a vision of war. The Je’daii Council exiled him but his followers didn’t agree with the with the decsison and turned against them. The force war lasted ten years and the light side prevailed. Light side and dark side users were pitted agaisnt each other. A holocron from the Kwa told the Je’daii how to weaponize the ships against the Rakata Empire Flesh raiders who are a subspecies of the Rakata inhabited the planet. They were abandodned after the Force Wars. A temple was erected near the fallen Kaleth temple and was the base for the Jedi for many years. In 25, 783 BBY there was a clataclysm that destroyed the Tython biosphere and the Ashla or light Jedi fled to Ossus 730 and established the Jedi Order or the new order, and Bogan or dark Jedi fled to the rim.

New Order

The Jedi as we know it today started on Ahch-to by the Prime Jedi. Not much is known about this Prime Jedi other than he had a cool title. In TLJ we see a mosaic on the floor of Ahch-to’s temple or tower of the Prime. The picture resembles what could be the Zeffo from Jedi Fallen Order. Ahch-to isn’t the only place the new Jedi Order stayed.Tython, Ilum, Ledeve, Vrogas Vas, Jedha, Ossus, Dantooine, Ashas Ree, Coruscant, Lothal, Devaron, and Yavin IV were home to other temples. Tython, Coruscant, Ossus and Jedha were are considered as the starting place but it was decided Ahch-to would house the first temple. Fun fact: Many Jedi temples were built on ancient Sith shrines to show that they were being cleansed of the dark side.The Jedi Order was based off of the Je’daii Order. Ilum became utilized by the Jedi so padawans could find their crystals to complete their lightsabers in a ceremony called The Gathering. (I would like to point out that Ilum is no more because it became Star Killer base. I see a lot of people talking about how Rey went to Ilum to find a crystal for her new lightsaber. Well it was turned into the First Order base, then blew up so...)

After the Force Wars the ways of the Je’daii through teachings of balance were abandoned. The Ashla Je’daii became known as the Jedi and the Bogan became known as the Sith. The Galactic Republic or the Old Republic came together with the help of the Jedi. There was peace for a long time but as always it would come to an end. Jedi Masters Cala Brin, Garon Jard, Rajivari and Ters Sendon are the ones who basically founded and ran the new order. They thought it was their duty to assist those in need and defeat dark side users. Rajivari and his followers eventually turned to the Bogan ways. During the Hundred-Year Darkness or the Second Great Schism the Sith were established. The Jedi and the Sith fought each other but the Jedi were backed by the Republic and Sith dwindled. The remaining Sith went to Korriban and Ajunta Pall became the first Dark Lord. The new temple was moved to Coruscant. This happened 5000 years BBY. The Jedi of this time fought to maintain peace and freedom. The Jedi seemed to have many conflicts with Mandalore. They attcked them quite a bit. I think their main goal was to go after the Darksaber as it was a mandalorian Jedi who constructed it. After this the Jedi-Sith War (2000 BBY) came about. Basically this was the Sith making their stand and coming back. They wanted control. This war lasted 1000 years. The sith were once again defeated and Farfalla who was the highest ranking Jedi to survive gave Galactic leadership to the people. Unkown to the Jedi and the Republic, the man once known as Dessel or as we know him Darth Bane, survived. He created the Rule of Two. I think with the Rebuilding of the temple on Coruscant we finally arrive to what we see in the Prequel Trilogy.

This was the new code:

There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.

The Jedi were responsible for maintaining law and order, usually through mediating conflicts to bring about peaceful solutions. When this didn’t work Aggressive Negotiaions, (ty Padme for giving us the lingo!) were used. The Jedi were also responsible for various rival factions and planets as well as serving as a type of interplanetary law enforcement. They pursued wanted and dangerous criminals, pirates, and smugglers on missions. At the temple there were various stages the Jedi followed.

Jedi Initiate (Youngling,"Jedi Hopeful") a Force-sensitive child. At a very young age, children were removed from their families and assigned to the Jedi Temple for training.

Jedi Padawan – an apprentice who began serious training under a single Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. In order to graduate to Padawan status, an Initiate was required to be chosen by a Knight or Master and taken as their sole pupil. If a youngling was not chosen to be a Padawan by 13 years of age, the youngling was placed into another, lesser role in the Jedi Service Corps, or they could choose to leave the Order. Depending on where the student's talents lay, this might be the Agricultural Corps, the Medical Corps, or the Exploration Corps. Padawans who were of a haired species typically wore a long braid of hair behind their right ear. When a Padawan was elevated to Knighthood the braid was cut during the knighting ceremony.

Jedi Knight – a disciplined Padawan could become a fully trained Jedi once they completed the trials. The known trials were, but weren't limited to: the Trial of Flesh, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Self (also known as facing the mirror, cough rey in TLJ cough.)

Jedi Master – a Jedi Knight who showed great understanding of the Force and managed to instruct a Padawan and train them successfully to the level of a Jedi Knight. This title could also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds.

Counsellor  – A very few Jedi were invited to serve on the Jedi Council, the governing body of the Order. The Council was made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters. The only Jedi Knight to be appointed to the High Council, Anakin Skywalker, was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, although he was not granted the rank of Master simply because of this. The Council was made up of 12 masters, five of them with life terms and two of them designated as "senior", four as long-term, and three short-term.

Grand Master – The highest rank of the Jedi Order was that of Grand Master. Yoda was once the Grand Master, as was Luke Skywalker following the Swarm War.

Enter the clone wars. I don’t think I need to talk about them since we know about it. The end obvisously is Order 66 and the rise of the Empire became real. The Return of the Jedi started with Luke as we know from the films. He was hailed as the ‘last of the Jedi’.

Then there is Luke’s order which we don’t have a lot of info on at the moment other than he started teaching force sensitives  and Ben wrecked everything lol. In legends Ben is actually Luke’s and doesn’t go dark side and lives while Leia and Han’s twins Jacen and Jaina and their youngest Ani trained with Ben. Jacen falls to the dark side and becomeds Darth Caedus. Jaina remained a Jedi and Ani sadly died. How many Jedi are there currently? Well Rey for sure. Finn looked like he had something going on at the end of the sequel trilogy. Cal may still be kicking. And there’s broom boy.

[fangirlinghard-spoilerson]

Every one of my theories about the  ending for The Queen of Nothing point to Jude killing: Or Madoc; Or Cardan; Or Talyn.

“I curse you,” Valerian whispers. “I curse you. Three times, I curse you. As you've murdered me, may your hands always be stained with blood. May death be your only companion. May you-"

[TCP, TWK, TLS, TWK Deleted scenes SPOILERS]

Ok, when the TQN's sinopse got out, I changed my mind. I am being dramatic, I thought, TFOTA will end just fine. And then the cover got out and I panicked again. Now, let's panic together.

Why Madoc?

There is a possibility that Madoc forces Jude to choose. After the coronation cerimone in TCP's chap. 20 Madoc began to talking with Talyn and Jude about chose your family over pretty boys. In TWK he asks if Jude will really chose Cardan over the family many times - directly and indirectly.

TCP, Chap 23 (This is me translating my book Pt-br to English, then it may be different from a book in the original language.)

"And if your sister is right and you know where Prince Cardan is, give it to me. [...] It's charming in a way, and it's also smart, but nothing worth protecting."

TWK, Chap 7

“Oh, I’m angry, daughter, but I am also curious.” He makes a dismissive gesture toward the Palace of Elfhame. “Is this really what you wanted? Him?”

TWK Chap 27

“You would really choose that over your own family?” he sneers, his gaze going to Cardan before cutting back to me.

Madoc is the one how rase her. Educated her. The father is a representation of whom we must overcome in the quest to become adults.

Madoc to Jude, Chap. 21, TWK:

“At last, I finally understand. Orlagh and the Undersea we will vanquish together. But when they are gone, it will be us staring across a chessboard at each other. And when I best you, I will make sure I do it as thoroughly as I would any opponent who has shown themselves to be my equal.”

Madoc  don’t accept very well be defeated by her.  I don’t think he wants to be overcome by his daughter. Sometimes I think, that he will never accept. That he will always continue try to overcome her.

TWK deleted scenes - Madoc POV:

I do not think He wants to be overcome by His daughter. Sometimes I think, that he will never accept. That he will always continue try to overcome her.

Why Cardan?

Madoc, about Cardan, in TWK:

“Do you know why Eldred had no interest in his youngest son? Baphen saw ill fortune in his stars from the moment of his birth.”

Lady Acha, to Jude, in TWK:

“A There was a hag who came across Madoc’s land when your mother was pregnant with Vivienne. The hag was given to prophecy and divined futures in eggshells. And do you know what the hag said? That Eva’s child was destined to be a greater weapon than Justin could ever forge .” 

Ill fortune was seen in Cardan stars the day he was born. Something that made Dain throw away - for outside the castle - Cardan, made Lady Asha don’t see value in take cary her son or conquer his affection, made Eldred let all this happen to Cardan and see his like a failuer.

TWK, Chap 26

“When my father sent me away, at first I tried to prove that I was nothing like he thought me. But when that didn’t work, I tried to be exactly what he believed I was instead. If he thought I was bad, I would be worse. If he thought I was cruel, I would be horrifying. I would live down to his every expectation."

So I believed this ill fortune was something like Cardan is not supoused to be High King or the Greenbriars will end or Elfhames kindom will fall. 

Cardan in TWK Delet Scenes:

And a hag once said the Eva’s baby will be the greater weapon Justin ever forge. So it’s Jude or Talyn. Not Vivi.  Maybe it’s Jude. She is the protagonist. She is the sister we see like a warior.

I talked about this in this post: ‘The Wicked King: Spoilers, Conclusions and Teory’ But I will talk a little more.

Eva probably dropped Madoc and pretended to be dead because she thought Vivi would be a weapon and Madoc would use their daughter - Madoc created Oak and was going to use him, so Eva was probably right - But when she tried to escape the prophecy, she made the prophecy come true. Justin ‘forge’ Jude e Taryn. They are Eva’s baby. 

Balekin said to Madoc about Eva be still alive because he knew about the prophecy.  I think he and Lady Asha were close (maybe that's why he welcomed Cardan into his house). Lady Asha was Eva ‘friend’, maybe she was there when the hag said the profecy.

When Jude opened her door and see Madoc asked “Whose child is that? Yours? His?” and Eva replied “No one’s. She is no one’s child.”

Eva didn’t want to say that Jude was her child with Justin.

Madoc adopted the twins not just because of honor and responsibility, he wanted to use them.

Madoc insist that Jude return to his side, maybe because he believe that Jude is the great  weapon.

Oriana never felt comfortable in letting Oak with Jude, maybe she knew that Jude can be dangerous for Faerie princes or for the Greennbriars.

And, Jude’s personal feelings and thoughts.

TCP

“I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do.” 

TCP, Jude to the boy who she liked a little.

“If you hurt me, I wouldn't cry. I would hurt you back.”

Why Talyn?

For this theory is essential that the reader know and believe the second theory is true. While the reader is thinking Jude is the great weapon, They are distracted like in a magic trick.

Taryn could be the great weapon

TLS

Madoc wanted to teach at least one of us his trade—the art of war. I am sure he hoped for Vivi. But it was you who wanted to learn. You who had the real affinity. You who kept at it when he knocked you down. You used to say that I was good. That I learned the moves easily. But I didn’t want to know them. I hated the idea I might have to know them.

It is said in TLS and, I think also in TCP, that Taryn has always learned more easily than Jude to how to handle weapons. But Taryn had no interest and Jude wanted to get close to Madoc, to be loved by him. So Taryn might be the great weapon.

But we also have to think about whether the great weapon needs to be a good fighter or whether it's not just prejudice on our part.

Taryn is dangerous even though she is a figure of passivity.

If Taylin will be the fall of Cardan. Once more time Jude have to choose betewn her family and Cardan. (Usually I would be against choose the boy, but Jude's family really sucks, so...)

Taryn is Jude’s nemesis. Nemesis are sometimes represented by us. They have our face, but they are our worst version. You're your worst enemy kind of thing. (Watch scott pilgrim vs the world, if you do not believe me.)

TWK, Chap 4, Jude about Taryn:

She is a mirror, reflecting someone I could have been but am not.

Talyn is someone who Jude could have been if she had made diferent choices. They are not the same. They had the same fear, but different solutions. The twins are afraid to never find a place in Fairy in the beginning of TFOTA.

TLS

We’d been raised like the children of the Gentry, but we weren’t. We were mortals and we had no fixed future in Faerie. You were wondering about your place here, just like I was.

So, they are the same.

But diferently, because when Jude had Cardan under her power in TCP, chap 25, and she thought about kill him, she thought:

If I kill him, I won't have to feel like this anymore. [...] This is weakness, to put fear above ambition, above family, above love, but it feels good. 

But in TCP, chap , Cardan’s group - I’m not callling they friends -  throw the twins in the river, Taryn choose her fear over support her sister.

TLS

“Twin sister,” Cardan said, turning to me. “I have a most generous offer for you. Climb up the bank and kiss me on both my cheeks. Once that’s done, so long as you don’t defend your sister by word or deed, I won’t hold you accountable for her defiance. Now, isn’t that a good bargain?” 

When Taryn left The Evil Quartet to infer Jude's life, Taryn choose her fear over support Jude.

When Taryn proposed to Locke after Locke had play with Jude, Taryn choose her fear over support Jude again.

So Defeat Talyn is choose herself over her sister way of thinking, and is defeat what is worst in herself, defeat the one she do not want be.

I'll come to a conclusion about Jude killing or not someone she really loves after read The Modern Faerie Tales.  Maybe she does not have to kill anyone, only to defeat.

[skychasezone]

They both collapsed onto the bed, sweat slicked bodies feeling even muggier in the Floridian heat.

 It was a normal night - a Friday night, actually, and the two decided to ease the stress of the week with a little fun.

 "You don't know how surreal this is Miya," the older of the two started. "I've spent so much time daydreaming of this - of holding you in my arms."

 Miya couldn't help the smile that found its way to her face. "I think you mean of being in my arms," she said, squeezing Asha in her hold.

 "Mm," Asha noted. "But you still have to agree that you turned out to be less 'in control' than I expected."

 Miya laughed at Asha's honesty. With a personality like hers, it would've made more sense if she were more "dominant." But truth be told, she enjoyed being pampered by Asha. There was something so lovely about putting one's trust into the person they loved - giving them entire control over oneself and knowing that they would never breach the love and trust between each other.

 "That's true. But in all honesty were you really surprised?" Miya asked. "I've always been gentle with you."

 Asha drummed her fingers along Miya's biceps. "I still think I was a little surprised. You were always especially kind and patient with me - I think it's why I was so helpless when it came to falling in love with you. But even then, as we got older and I started thinking of you more intimately, I always thought we'd explore things together and you'd be the first to dive into the deep end."

 Though Asha's words were genuine and simply reflective, they still pulled at Miya's heart. Their story was like that of a fairy tale; two lovers blessed by fate to meet each other as children and have their love blossom and grow as they grew through the years. But fear was an ugly thing. Miya felt she wasn't enough for Asha. The latter was on course for a full scholarship to a well known college, while the former had been rejected from the schools she applied to.

 So she distanced herself from her friend, her crush, even when Asha had reassured her that her worth was not determined by college. Still, she could not help but feel small. Asha shone so brightly. She deserved someone just as bright, not someone that didn't know what to do in life.

 And in that guilt, self hate, and withdrawal, she lost the person most important to her, when all that person wanted to do was support her. It stung. To all hells it stung, knowing that all this time they could have continued to grow and nurture one another, instead of playing catch up.

 But there was nothing she could do about it.

 She had to move forward. And she did. It was the reason Asha was in her arms now.

 Miya shook her thoughts away. Instead, she focused on the woman just a hand's length away from her. "I think...maybe if I acted on my feelings, and we were each other's firsts, I would have been like that. Not saying that it's bad that we weren't, but, you know what you want, what you like. I'm just happy to give you that," she smiled.

 Asha shook her head before resting it against Miya's chest; the steady heartbeat of her lover nearly lulling her to sleep. "You don't exist to serve me, Miya. I love you - never stopped loving you, and I still want to explore things with you."

 "I-I know, but I just mean that...you probably already have your preferences and--"

 "Please don't deny me the chance to learn of love with you Miya." It came out as a whisper, but the weight of it resounded like a freight train. "There are things we missed, things we learned without each other. But that doesn't mean we're done."

 The drumming against her biceps stopped, and Miya could only lie there in silence as she absorbed the wisdom of Asha's words.

 "You're right, I'm sorry. I just...have such a hard time coming to terms with the hurt I made you feel."

 Soft hands wrapped themselves around Miya's waist.

 "I can't deny it hurt to lose you, especially over something self inflicted, but I understand why you did what you did. All I can say is that I never gauged your worth based on your education. You were always so brave; so ready to step in and endanger yourself when someone was wronged. I admired you so much, Miya. I wanted to be as righteous as you were. And perhaps I didn't say it enough. If I had, maybe things would have turned out differently? Maybe you would have felt more assured, and you wouldn't have left without a trace."

 Asha paused, and Miya could feel the way she trembled slightly, tears threatening to fall.

 "But you are here now, and you know how much I love you. So please," Asha's voice dropped, "don't distance yourself when I need you the most."

 Tears stung at Miya's own eyes; the raw emotion in Asha's voice tearing into her soul. She pulled back from Asha to meet her gaze. "I'll be here for you, I promise. I know I'm stupid and misread things, but I'd never run away from you again Asha. Ever since I met you in kindergarten, I knew I'd never have eyes for anyone but you. You lit up my world - filled it with love when all I knew was neglect. You were my best friend, my crush, my dream, and all I wanted was the best for you... even if it wasn't with me."

 She paused, hands shaking - from nerves or guilt, she didn't know - as she brushed Asha's tears away with her thumbs. "But I know now that that isn't what you want. And all I can say is that I'm sorry. But I'll do anything for you, anything you want of me. I love you more than words can say."

 Asha smiled into the touch of her lover. "Thank you, Miya. We have so much to catch up on, so much to learn, but I know we can heal and come out with an even stronger love. You just have to communicate and believe in the love I have for you. You are the love of my life and you are always of equal standing with me."

 "I know...except sometimes I still have some doubt, I'm sorry," she said as she leaned down to kiss the top of Asha's head.

 "It's okay. I know that all those years of neglect and emotional abuse make you doubt yourself. If I could, I'd wind back the hands of time and tell whatever creator you believe in to not even think twice about giving you any hardships."

 Miya could only lie there and tighten her hold on Asha. Asha, who believed in her and wanted nothing but the best for her. Asha, who still held so much love for her. Asha, whose compassionate heart still wanted to build a future with her.

 How could she not feel like the most blessed person on the planet?

 And how could she not want to give Asha more than her best effort?

 "Thank you, Asha. I'd say I don't deserve you, but then we'd be here arguing for another ten minutes," she jested.

 Asha's lips curled into a smile as the tenderness between the two of them stopped her tears without her even realizing. "I'd argue longer than that to show you how much you mean to me. But I'm glad you aren't going to make me do that."

 "At least not today..." Miya joked once more.

 Asha lightly slapped at Miya's hip. "Just as playful as you used to be, hm?"

 "Only with you," Miya said. "Only when my heart is full."

 "I'm glad to be the one to fill it." Asha pulled back from her lover's hold and lied on her side. It seemed like it had been so long since they last had a talk like this, lying on their sides and having heart to heart conversations.

 Miya looked on at Asha, her sweat slicked skin glistening in the moonlight.

 "This feels like the sleepovers we used to have as kids," Miya smiled, hand reaching out for Asha's. She was glad to have a segue to another topic. "Minus the nudity of course."

 Asha hummed in agreement. "I was just thinking the same thing. I remember how you used to be afraid of the dark."

 Miya's eyes widened slightly, embarrassment forcing a goofy smile to tug at her lips. "Yeahh..."

 "Everyone is afraid of the dark, even adults to this day. There wasn't anything wrong with it; it was endearing. And it brought you closer to me," Asha said, recalling the times she'd wake up in the middle of the night to Miya holding onto her tightly.

 "Sorry, I hope I never bugged you. I didn't really have anybody to teach me not to fear the dark. Well," Miya paused. "Until you, of course. I remember you told me that if any ghosts came to get me, you'd fight them all back with your nerf gun and protect me."

 It was Asha's turn to laugh at her childish antics. "Did I really say that?"

 "Mhm."

 "Interesting. Well, I stand by it. And I'm glad you hold memories like that so close to you." Her hand gave Miya's a reassuring squeeze. "Do you want to hear one of my favorite memories as a kid?"

 "Of course," Miya smiled.

 "My favorite memory is by far PE."

 "Oh yeah, that was always fun."

 "It was, and I remember how you'd always race to grab the gym locker next to mine. Any confessions to make on that, Ms. Srey?"

 Miya couldn't help but laugh. She was caught red handed and could do nothing about it. "I already told you I had a crush on you since kindergarten..."

 "The feeling is mutual," Asha said as she leaned in for a kiss, smiling as Miya met her halfway. "And to give a confession of my own, I couldn't help but be a little curious."

 "What do you mean by that?"

 "Having you change into your PE clothes right next to me everyday, I couldn't help but admire you. Even then you were incredibly in shape. All that martial arts you did growing up made you the best in class."

 Another grin popped up on Miya's face. "Gotta admit I did flex just a little whenever I felt you looking at me."

 "Would you be happy to know that it worked?"

 "Yeah," Miya smiled.

 Asha returned a smile of her own. The conversation felt so fluid, so easy. She was always comfortable in Miya's presence, and it was cathartic knowing that even after all those years apart they were still able to fall into comfortable conversations like nothing had happened.

 "But what were you gonna say?" Miya prodded.

 "Oh. I was going to say that, again, after having you so close I couldn't help but let my mind wander."

 "To...?"

 "Don't laugh at me," Asha cheesed, "but I used to wonder what color your nipples were. Were they brown like mine? Or were they pink and translucent? And now, to think that I can play with them whenever I want..." she brought her free hand up to one of Miya's nipples and gave them a light squeeze.

 "Ah! Hey," Miya gasped, sucking air in through her teeth. "Stop, you're gonna tempt me for another round."

 Asha stuck her tongue out. "Maybe that's the plan. But no, I'm kidding. I just couldn't resist."

 "Ha. Would you have preferred pink nipples?"

 "Oh, no." Asha couldn't help but grimace. "No I don't think they'd fit you at all."

 "Thanks?" Miya laughed.

 "I just wasn't sure, you know? I know you look a lot like your mom, and she's pretty pale so...I'm pretty sure she had pink nipples. And I thought you might get them too. BUT I also thought maybe not, because you did get your dad's skin tone."

 "Mm, I get what you mean. And yeah, as payback for pinching me, she DOES have pink nipples."

 "Euggh," Asha cringed.

 The strong reaction got another chuckle out of Miya. Conversations seemed so easy with Asha. They could talk about anything and the hours would simply tick on by like seconds.

 "But yeah, PE was fun. I definitely tried showing off for you at every chance I got."

 "Except..." Asha drawled. "For your Achilles heel. Cardio."

 Miya jokingly retracted her hand from Asha's embrace and flipped herself over so her back was facing Asha. "Well, that was a fun chat! I think it's time to go to sleep, goodnight."

 Asha scooted after Miya, hands aiming at her sides and tickling the younger woman. "Noo," Asha giggled. "Face your fears Miya."

 Miya laughed along with Asha as her fingers ran across her sides and made her jump. "I didn't face them then, and I'm sure as hell not facing them now."

 "Stubborn as always," Asha smiled. She gave up on her tickling and pulled Miya flush against her, her hands wrapping themselves around her lover's waist. "But that's part of the reason why I love you. You were so enigmatic when it came to sports. You loved PE - would outshine everybody. But when it was time to run the monthly mile, you'd always walk the entire thing."

 Miya smiled, both at Asha holding her close, and the memory of how much she truly hated running the mile. "I just hate running..."

 "But you love soccer..."

 "Yeah but that's cause you're running for a purpose! You're trying to go after the ball or keep control of it. Running the mile is just running in circles for no reason..."

 Asha squinted her eyes in thought. She could see where Miya was coming from, admittedly, but she still loved giving her girlfriend some grief. "I guess I'll let that excuse slide. But you're still on thin ice Ms. Srey."

 "If being in your arms is 'on thin ice,' then I'm okay with it."

 Asha's smile seemed forever plastered on her face. The love of her life was right there with her, her warmth hotter than the humid Floridian night. They were still so in love - so happy to simply be in each other's presence. All those years she spent dreaming of Miya lying in her arms had finally reached an end. Or rather, had finally just begun.

 She could see them when they were first graders, so simply happy as they chased each other around the playground.

 She could see them when they were eighth graders, asking each other out as friends to the Sadie Hawkins dance.

 She could see them when they were juniors, planning their senior schedules around one another to take as many classes as they could together, and turning down every confession of love from others that came their way.

 She could see them now, huddled against one another after so much time spent apart, but the history and affection for one another easily bridging that gap.

 And so it was no surprise that she couldn't wait to see them in the future, still lying in each other's arms - still so eager to learn about each other.

[lucids]

The Free Black Women’s Library Celebrates Black Authors and Readers

December 26, 2019 by We Need Diverse Books

The Free Black Women's Library Celebrates Black Authors and Readers We need Diverse Books - Ola Ronke Akinmowo

Bonding Over Bell Hooks, Beyoncé, and Black Womanhood — The Sisterhood of Traveling Books

THROUGH THE FREE BLACK WOMEN’S LIBRARY, OLA RONKE AKINMOWO HOPES TO NOT ONLY CELEBRATE BLACK WOMEN WRITERS BUT ALSO NURTURE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY SPACE By Asha Sridhar

Between finding a home for her expanding library, teaching yoga and bagging fellowships, Ola Ronke Akinmowo, the Brooklyn-based founder of the Free Black Women’s Library has been busy forging a positive narrative about black women. Her traveling library of 2000-odd books, all written by black women, tell stories of love, hope, trauma and most importantly, resilience.

In a freewheeling conversation over a cup of tea, she discusses the origins of her library, her childhood reading experiences and the importance of diversity in books.

“I wanted to do something that felt nourishing, healing, and interesting, something that different people could connect to and plug into, and I wanted black women and black girls to be the focus,” she says. More often than not, the conversation around the lives of black women, she feels, tends to have a tragic or pathological element to it, framing them as victims or a problem that needs to be fixed. “I wanted to do something that will shift that narrative and shift that idea to something more positive and encouraging.”

OUR STORY, OUR VOICE Be it in films, on television or the Internet, black women characters are often portrayed as struggling or being abused or criminalized, she points out. “And, all of these things are true, but I wanted to do something that shifted that idea. There is something very specific that happens when we are controlling the story and we get to frame the narrative and tell the story from our point of view in our own voice. That already puts us in a position of power.”

HOW IT ALL STARTED Her two passions—literature and celebrating black womanhood—culminated in her first installation in 2015. She laid out around 100 books on a brownstone stoop in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, eager and unsure of how people would react to it. She’s not looked back since.

Her initial set of books came from her personal collection as well as friends whom she e-mailed, telling them about her new project. “People just started sending me books, and people have been sending me books ever since,” she says. “That was almost five years ago and I get multiple books in the mail every week, from publishers, writers, teachers, strangers from all over the world who found out about the library on Instagram or Facebook, or an article.”

The pop-up library is set up once every month at a new venue. At first, the idea of her library seems deceptively simple—you can take a book from the library by trading it for another one written by a black woman. Talk to Akinmowo and she’ll tell you how it’s not as easy as it sounds. Even people who claim to be bibliophiles are often stumped when they have to bring in books written by black women.

SHIFTING YOUR VANTAGE POINT One day,  Akinmowo, opened the pages of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. As a black woman, black girl, she remembers identifying with it immediately. The very first page of the book spoke to her, quite unlike the works of authors she had read previously—Chaucer, Hemingway, Melville or even Sylvia Plath. “I feel like it just turns on a different part of your brain, and once that part of you is turned on, it can’t be turned off.”

What started as a personal discovery of books by incredible black women such as Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde, and Bell Hooks among many others, is now a flourishing literary art project, spawning others of its kind around the country. “I want to amplify the voices of these writings so that more people know and understand that there’s all this intelligence out here, all this creativity out here.”

The library, she notes, gives people access to books and writers they may have never heard of. “It also helps people understand that it’s important to expand your worldview and one of the easiest ways to do that is to read books by different types of people. If you are only reading one thing, you are only going to get one perspective.”

People, she senses, are receptive to that idea. “I think people want more diversity. People want change. They want things to be mixed up. People don’t want to see status quo anymore. People are hungry for something different.”

TO MARKET, TO MARKET African-American women, she asserts, spend a lot of money on books. “Statistics show that we are a huge market when it comes to literature,” she says, adding that once publishing companies figure that out, it will be to their benefit. They are already playing a more active role in catering and marketing to them, she says, creating books and imprints specifically for them.

For black women, reading books written by them, for them and with them in mind, can also be an act of resistance. “There are different aspects of reading,” she explains. There’s the politics of reading: Making a conscious choice to read specific books by specific people. And, there’s the pleasure of reading. “I feel like black women as readers are coming from both those points. We are being politicized and we are also choosing books for political reasons. But, also there’s the pleasure of reading a book and seeing yourself in the story. And, because this is a capitalist economy, I think the publishing industry is just going to take advantage of that by giving us more.”

STARTING YOUNG Her visitors include not just women, but also young girls. Having hardly encountered diverse characters herself as a young reader, she observes how there are many more options now. “Right now, there are so many amazing books out there for children of color,” she notes. With a little research, she says, you should be able to find books written by black authors and authors of color for children of every age group. That, however, does not mean there is enough. “I also think you can have more. I don’t think we can ever have too much. But there’s definitely a lot out there.” Though she’s not counted, she estimates having between 500-600 children’s and young adult books in her library.

“It’s exciting for a little brown girl to see a book where there’s a little brown girl in it, maybe riding the subway or making lunch for her mom.” When the young girl realizes that the book has been written by someone like her, it’s really affirming, she points out. Other than fiction, creative non-fiction as a genre can be both engaging and empowering, she feels. Complete with illustrations, children learn about the lives of powerful historical figures such as Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth in a way that doesn’t feel like a lecture, she says.

“Not only do they get to see themselves as writers and creators, they [also] get to see that there’s a large diversity of interest. They learn about the fact that their blackness is not just about one thing. Blackness is not a monolith. There are different ways to be black, and there’s different ways to express your black culture and be proud of your black selves. You can do it through music, sport, fashion, activism, art, performance, science. They’re getting to see all those different layers, and they can plug into wherever their interest lies,” she explains.

It shatters the idea that black people don’t do this or that. Talking about how it opens up opportunities for black children and children of color, she says it shows children how someone did it in the past. “You can do it like that too or maybe you’ll come up with your own way.”

LOVE, LABOR, AND LEGACY As she works to secure a grant to set up a permanent location for her library, and maybe even get a bookmobile, her idea has now snowballed into a movement, with Free Black Women’s Libraries cropping up in cities such as Los Angeles and Detroit among other places.

She credits iconic African-American librarians such as Dorothy B. Porter and Mayme Agnew Clayton for inspiring her and says she is only continuing their legacy. “There’s a long list of black women librarians that I look up to, who have done what I’m doing right now. But, for them, it was even more significant because when they were doing it, there was no social media, no Internet. They were just digging through. Part of what I hope is that I’m making my ancestors proud by doing this work,” she says.

“When I think about the sweat and the labor of moving the books from one place to another, I think about them,” she says, “doing this at a time when blackness was seen as something that was ignorant and illiterate, and reading and writing was illegal or not allowed or considered wrong, just wrong. Black librarians are amazing.”

* * * * * *

Ola Ronke Akinmowo’s recommendations for young readers:

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

My Life as an Ice-Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

* * * * * *

Asha Sridhar is a freelance writer based out of Jersey City. She loves wandering through old historic buildings, bustling streets and anything that closely resembles a bookshop.

Source: https://diversebooks.org/the-free-black-womens-library-celebrates-black-authors-and-readers

[amorremanet]

Sorry if this is a weird question but Is Sebastian the only one of your OCs you have a fancast(?) for or are there more 👀

Well, he’s the one whose fancast is the most set in my mind, but that’s mostly a function of: 1. him being around the longest (since… this whole thing got started, originally, as me writing background for him when he was an RP character, so my DM could have more ammunition for future plots and/or character torture);

and 2. me going, “Kassie, no, do not imagine him looking like Hayden Christensen, istg” — which clearly worked out about as well as telling a goat to do your calculus homework, since going, “don’t do this thing” only made me continue thinking about it so much that it stuck

But some other fancast thoughts I’ve had are:

Todd initially looked like Aidan Turner, but that’s currently in a state of, “ehhhhh, not quite so much” — they still have a few things in common but not enough that I like the fancast anymore

I’m annoyed that Margot, in my head, looks basically like Scar*Jo in Ghost World, if she were about 4’11”, less skinny (like, Margot is in that irritating, “in-betweenie” body type where you’re not really thin, but you’re not fat, but your weight isn’t distributed in the right way for people to mean it in a nice way when they call you, “curvy”), and had black hair and glasses

I’m annoyed with this because I’m annoyed with Scar*Jo in general — but I’m mostly letting it go and hoping that someone else comes to mind, because the last time I fought myself too hard on fancasting these losers, I went, “No, stop it, no Hayden Christensen”…… and now Seb looks like Hayden Christensen, so?

Maybe if I don’t argue with myself too hard, Margot won’t look like Scar*Jo forever.

Lucy changes between Kat McNamara and Sophie Turner, because I really do like both of them for her.

That said, I wish I knew what either of them looks like with short hair, because the long hair works for a little while, but eventually, she’s going to cut it short (because if you’re going to run headlong into things where fights could ensue, then giving your hypothetical opponents something they can easily grab onto, like long hair, is a really bad idea)

(also because I personally find the idea of an eager beaver go-getting young autistic hemokinetic with short, bright red hair and no chill…… super cute)

For Sara Grace, I really love Asha Bromfield, who’s currently playing Melody Valentine on Riverdale

I am perpetually cranky that I don’t have a fancast for Pete, because I love him more than GRRM loves Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister — and I initially thought of Karl “Manila Luzon” Westerberg, because Manila and Pete are both white/Filipinx biracial (and as I just found out, they are apparently the same height)…… but Manila’s skin is a few shades lighter than I see Pete’s, and their respective tones are pretty different, too

Convenient points of comparison: I see Pete’s skin tones and shades being closer to Bianca “Jiggly Caliente” Castro’s or Ryan “Ongina” Ong Palao’s (who are both also Filipinx, though not biracial afaik) than to Manila’s

Pete’s older brother Jimmy is closer to Manila in terms of shading, though their skin-tones are still different

I do know that Emerson, one of Pete’s cousins from his Dad’s side of the family, looks like Eddie Redmayne, but that’s just because Emerson used to be in a different project, and I moved him to this one, and he’s looked like Eddie Redmayne since, like, 2009.

He’s also a really secondary/tertiary character, so it’s kind of a cheap consolation prize to not having a fancast for Pete that makes me happy

Like, Emerson is not quite to, “I could replace him with an interesting lamp and have the same effect” levels, but he’s not a big deal.

I mean?? He’s Pete’s cousin. Both of them are the gay cousin, but Emerson is a gay Libertarian who works for the FBI and Pete is completely certain that he’s making up his alleged boyfriend because why would someone who sounds so cool and nice want to date Emerson

He’s not making up his boyfriend. But Pete’s enjoying himself in trying to prove that Emerson is making Asa up, just like how he made up two separate girlfriends before he accepted that he’s gay, and Pete’s had a pretty rough time of things in the past few years, and he really is Em’s favorite cousin, so Emerson figures he can let Pete enjoy the, “prove that Emerson’s boyfriend is a big conspiracy theory” thing until about Thanksgiving

But that’s beside the point, and seriously, about the most relevance that Emerson has is being Pete’s cousin and being employed by the FBI’s department of mutant shenanigans

Josie, once upon a time, looked like this goth model who I’ve never seen anywhere else but the face-claim suggestions/resources blog where I found the banner and icons that I used for Josie, back when they were a character in an all-dudeslash RPG because in those days, all-slash games were one of the only ways you could play any characters who weren’t 100% hetero without it being hella mocked and/or hella policed

—unfortunately, said goth model’s name is, “Aaron Gilmore” which makes him impossible to Google because there are a ton of people named, “Aaron Gilmore” and none of them has ever been the one I want, excepting the one of whom very few pictures actually exist

He’s also only good for Josie c. high school and undergrad, and?? idk, I kinda like Ben Whishaw, but I also have reasons why I don’t entirely like him for Josie

Another minor character whose face I know: Nick, who is Seb and Pete’s sponsor and Stephen’s boss, looks like Nathan Lane, and pretty much wandered into my head looking like Nathan Lane as soon as I decided that Seb and Pete’s sponsor existed, his name was Nick, and he has an art gallery

I’m kind of annoyed that I have no freaking clue where to start looking for Stephen’s fancast, but I’m also not surprised because he’s tall, and chubby, and a dork whose favorite colors are hot pink and acid green, and who laughs at his own jokes so much that he cannot finish telling the damn joke, and his Dad is black/white biracial while his Mom is Puerto Rican mestizx, and here we are

There is, to the surprise of absolutely no one, a side-character who looks like Tyler Posey. He… needs to be renamed, because I named him at like three in the morning and only just realized why I felt weird about him being named, “Rafael Delgado” (…because Melissa McCall’s maiden name is Delgado, and Scott’s blobfish-shaped gene donor was named Rafael, oh jeez)

—but anyway, he’s a member of the Wardens, who are “totally not” a middle finger to a lot of my issues with how Marvel has handled the X-Men over the years, and he teaches music at their attached school for “the gifted”

This wasn’t the first time that I did something like this, either.

For example: Pete has an ex-boyfriend, who is very much an, “I could replace him with an interesting lamp and it would be essentially the same”-level character. I named him Wade, first as a placeholder, and then I liked it so it stuck but something felt a little off about it

It took me about a month to remember that Spidey*pool is a Thing, and their civvies names are Peter and Wade, respectively, and ohhhhh, that’s why it felt weird…… well, shit. (Interesting Lamp Ex-Boyfriend has since been renamed Blake)

I also have “fancasts” for all of Sebastian’s dogs (Lola, Achilles, Angel, Oscar, Renly, Chewie, Toby, Biscuit, and Cat) and for Nick’s cat (Ms. Dorothy), but that literally just means, “I decided what breed I wanted Ms. Dorothy and Seb’s dogs to be, I went on Google Image Search, and I found the ones I liked the best, yay cute animals”

[theeternalsun]

🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊

woop woop it’s a skelly party 🎊🎊 ( always accepting ) 

everyone thank @horizontos for all of these, I cry when noticing how many wonderful people are here and I can read their writing.this is also going into a read more because….. yeah…. it’s long…..

@gunkanjiima

This is more or less going to tie in with the blog that I’m going to speak next but. *chinhands* I don’t remember much of Raoul but that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy your writing and your interpretation of him ( which is what I am going to be doing until I can find time to rewatch Skyfall and watch Specter with my full attention. I love the way that you bring him to life? And what he has gone through and how that ties in with @subsolanus story and how??? they just really work very well together. The priestess is in the background just cleaning off her tears and having pictures of both of them in her wallet. If they were well, villains she’d probably be showing around pictures of them and asking if her children are not perfect. Well, she would if she was the type to have that many people to talk to about such things. Instead, she is just proud that he slowly gets back on his feet and she will murder anyone that tries to touch him c:

Nobody touches her protegees c: n o o n e c:

@subsolanus

I will say the first time that I saw your fc it kind of threw me off because I really wasn’t expecting it! BUT but it was very easy to move past it? And that is very much because of your incredible writing and narrative. Which is kind of impressive considering the stigma that I feel is constantly attached for Megan Fox ( and in all honesty I am not a fan of the woman’s acting even if I am of her face ) but you made her become Eurus and for that we should break out the confetti and give you all the golden stars. As it should be already noticeable, despite not knowing what came before most of your current threads, I really like Raoul and Eurus together. They make this tiny non-existent heart grow a tiny bit everyday.

@youriinquisitorialness

*squishes your cheeks and screams into the high heavens* have you seen my little shit of a daughter? Have you seen how incredible she is with a bow and arrow? Listen, I love mages but I will always sing the praises of those that stray from the path and make the lavellan be an on mage. I love mages, but man something different from time to time is such a breath of fresh air. You are also such a wonderful and caring, and positive influence on my dash I just… There is a lot of dedication when it comes to going to every single icon and add the vallas’lin to them, like I tried to do that. And I got bored out of my skull and to see such a level of dedication adds 30 cookie points. What a wonderful Inquisitor I cannot even start. 

@allmistress

*chinhands so hard* I am so gay for Qed, I am not even going to lie. What a ( literal ) goddess. And I am not even going to lie, I might or might not follow your threads with @ircnbcrn because I am too weak for this and they are absolutely heartbreaking and wonderful *weeps openly into palms* I love Qed, I really can’t put into words but she is just incredible and the way that you write her is also wonderful to read. Even if Ayana calls her extra, listen to me… she might be extra but I love her, let the child be as extra as she wants and destroy the world in the process, what remains will be better for it.

@ircnbcrn

Some of the pictures that you reblog from the fc should be forbidden, my skelly heart is not strong and that woman’s face is gorgeous ok. I also… really really like the threads that you have been having with @queenmakcr and @astormcrow ( hi we don’t know each other, I’m just gushing over plots don’t mind me ). So yes, I admire you and your asha from all the way in my corner and I just want to make sure that you know how wonderful you, your writing and your baby are.

@thescorcher

THIS KID IS AN ASSHOLE, WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS. nevermind they are assholes, you can be the priestess asshole kid for now, she will be the worst mom around teaching you all the things that they don’t teach you in school when it comes to the dark arts and then let you roam around to go kill people. And not even break you out of Azkaban when you end up there, A+ mom material tbh. But really, what a wonderful Sirius, I love reading everything that Caro writes. Caro really really really writes a spot on Sirius and I am not sure if I hate her Sirius because of it or if I love him ://

@lucernimaevaris

I thank the universe everyday for the fact that our fandom has a Maevaris, I thank the universe everyday that it’s Alice writing her because the amount of dedication is incredible. Plus, Alice is one of the most engaging and sweetest people on this fandom, she will send you anon things for your character to read out of random and if that’s not something that should be shouted out on the top of one’s lungs I don’t know what is.

[galleryyuhself]

Richard Mark Rawlins:”I want to redesign Trinidad and Tobago’s entire sign system.”

Today I am proud to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Four Corners with my 44th column. This month I’m taking you to the idyllic paradise of Trinidad to introduce you to a seasoned creative, whose work is every bit as characterful as the island’s world-renowned Carnival. Representing the irrepressible Richard Mark Rawlins.

By Tom Banks February 1, 2017 3:02 pm

What’s your background?

I was born and raised in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to middle class, public servant parents. I grew up in Woodbrook, a suburb of Port of Spain and a hub of Carnival activity and creativity. My early years were spent in my grandparents’ home in Baden-Powell Street with my uncles and aunts – on my father’s side – who would be charged with looking after and entertaining my brother and I as we held the prime position of sole grandchildren at the time.

My family was big on reading and felt that if you had nothing to do with yourself, then get a book and read something. The house was full of books and comics: P.G. Woodhouse, Lobsang Rampa, Asterix and Obelix, Tintin, Biggles, William, Billy Bunter, Sydney Sheldon, Jennings, Enid Blyton, Captain America and the Falcon, Superman, Heroes of the Dark Continent… I wanted to be a comic book artist.

My father and grandfather were both makers of things. My grandfather made Mas, (Carnival costumes), and objects out of coconut shells. He had an unholy obsession with making coconut sharks and Columbus’ ships: the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria. My dad drew, painted and made miniature battleships as well as dolls’ furniture and worlds. Yes, he created a whole miniature world beneath our home in Lange Park, Chaguanas. My wife, filmmaker Mariel Brown made a film about him. Smallman, the World My Father Made.

After O’levels, I moved to Toronto, did grade 13 and later a BA Geography at York University. On graduation I realised I had no immediate plans – or desire – to teach Geography or go on in the field, so after a little meltdown, and having fulfilled my parents’ desire for me to attain a university education, I promptly enrolled in George Brown College of Art, Science and Technology and studied Commercial Art, with the intention of going into advertising.

How did you get started in your field of expertise?

When I was a child I watched copious amounts of television. Bewitched was one of my favourite shows, not because of Samantha the Witch and the magic and all that other stuff, but because Darren – her husband – and his boss, Larry Tate, worked in advertising. They made it look so grand and easy. They’d be doing these presentations where they’d show illustrated layouts in marker and pencil, and they just seemed fantastic to me. I thought that was really cool and I wanted to be able to do that: make the cool layout, which made clients sit back and say, ‘Brilliant Larry, brilliant Darren… SOLD!’ So that was the start of design for me.

50 Years of Studio Glass 50 Years of Studio Glass Studying Commercial Art at George Brown was a wonderful time. All my professors were artists/designers working in the field with active studios, and the campus was smack dab, downtown Toronto, in a hub of art galleries and studios. There was always something going on: Greg Hart cartoon film festivals, art shows, performances, Caribana. I was surrounded by exciting things and inspiration.

When I eventually returned to Trinidad in 1991, I got a job as the graphic designer for the National Aids Programme of Trinidad and Tobago. My boss at the time, Dr. Asha Kambon, was an inspiring person.  She had been actively involved in the Black Power Movement in Trinidad, and was an activist, so in-between schooling me on black identity and national class struggles in Trinidad, I was designing ‘awareness communication material’ in the fight against AIDS.

50 years of studio glass 50 years of studio glass Every communication was tailored specifically to its intended audiences. She made me aware of the seriousness and the power of design communication. We created activity newsletters for kids, glow in dark condoms, cardholders for pan men, and even a rap cassette.

After about a year of that, I went to work in an ad agency as a designer. In the early 90s, being a designer in an advertising agency wasn’t as sedentary as it is now. Technology has changed many things. Back then, you developed an idea, roughed it out on paper, did finished layouts in marker, presented them to the client, then did your finished artwork. You had to work with photographers, and typesetting houses and you worked your ideas straight up. I was in work by 6am, at a printer on the press by 7am, back in the office by 2pm, on a photo shoot waist deep in a cold river by 5pm, back inside by 7pm. Sometimes we’d work for over 24 hours on a presentation.

In my twenty-something year advertising career, I’ve been a graphic designer, art director, creative manager, assistant account executive and creative director. I’ve written copy, produced layouts, directed TV commercials, been a hand model and even voiced commercials.

Pictures From Paradise, for Robert and Christopher Publishers Pictures From Paradise, for Robert and Christopher Publishers In 2012, I left advertising and began working on my own practice, focusing more on publication design with some identity work and my own parallel art career. This is when I got together with fellow designer/editor Melanie Archer, and my wife filmmaker/editor Mariel Brown, to design books for Robert and Christopher Publishers.

What challenges did you face/overcome in getting into the industry and achieving your ambitions?

I think that I have been one of the fortunate ones. Or maybe I’ve been too naïve to notice. I’ve always seized opportunities. I’ve had few challenges, if any, and a career trajectory that has remained full of opportunities and excitement. It’s all under my own steam in a society that doesn’t really value what graphic designers do.  There is no professional design organisation like AIGA here. Equally, many people aren’t able to differentiate between the work of a graphic designer – to work with a client on sustained communication and problem-solving for design solutions and a graphic artist – to ‘hustle’ down an ad ‘quick quick’.

BOCAS I always maintain a place where I can do the work I want to do – the work I have a passion for. This is the thinking that guided me earlier on when I worked at an advertising agency as the creative director of a department of 15: I encouraged the creative department to be more than just people who did the work of the day; I wanted us to become designers and creative people who could effect change, make things, and do things. A number of us came together in an informal collective, and we held exhibitions, created art shows (such as Erotic Art Week); we worked together on a web series, Indigroove, and of course we all worked as writers, editors, interviewers, or guest designers on the Draconian Switch Magazine. The aim was to always keep moving and to utilize our design and other creative talents in a rewarding and beneficial way.

INTER My parallel art career also provided me an escape from the ‘despondency  of advertising’ and gave me different opportunities. Over the last decade I’ve been fortunate enough to exhibit my work abroad, in New York, Miami, Jamaica, Paraguay etc. A number of the friendships, relationships and engagements made via my art have also led to design work. It’s kept design fresh for me.

Who and/or What are your greatest inspirations and influences?

Here at home my influences and inspiration came from designers and artists whose shoulders I came in on like Steve Ouditt, Eddie Bowen, Irenée Shaw, and Christopher Cozier. Cozier, particularly, has to be singled out, as his mentorship and friendship really opened up my mind to artistic possibilities and the need for ‘criticality, context and content’ while making work.

Then in the absence of a formal design organisation, the people I’ve worked with in my informal creative collective over the years have been inspirational: people like designers Marlon Darbeau, Melanie (hawkeye) Archer, columnist/copywriter Darryn Boodan, and copywriter/ dancer/ choreographer Dave Williams. The people who have always been in my corner and supported my work on many levels like artist/designer/educator Adele Todd, installation artist Dean Arlen, architect Sean Leonard, educator Marsha Pearce.

Logo design Logo design The people that see my work first, my three daughters Maya, Annissa and Emily. My daughter Annissa Marie, and my wife Mariel are both coherent and focused and are responsible for making sure that I am okay and my mind is straight. In the same role but further afield, my Bajan sister, artist Sheena Rose.

In the category of people who I have never met but whose work I admire and read about: Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh, Ray and Charles Eames, Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Paula Scher, David Carson, Jon Daniel, On Kawara, William Klein, So Lewitt, Magaret Calvert and Kerry James Marshall.

What is your best piece of work or the project you are most proud of?

I don’t think I have one ‘best piece’. I’m proud of a lot of the work I’ve done.  Having said that, of the art catalogues I’ve designed, ‘Jamaican Routes’, ‘Rockstone and Bootheel’ and ‘50 Years of Studio Glass’. I really love the identity I developed for ‘Rockstone and Bootheel’ an exhibition of contemporary West Indian Art and the way it translated throughout all of the exhibition materials and wall signage. I love typography and I love big letters, and ‘sign and design’. ‘The Jamaican Routes’ catalogue allowed me the freedom to play typographically across the entire book and create a piece of work that reflected the bold personalities of the exhibition’s artists without overtaking their work.

Routes Routes ‘50 Years of Studio Glass’ was a gem to work on, as it connected me to artists that work in glass in contemporary and unexpected ways. My design for the ‘Studio Glass’ catalogue involved layering text upon text with pasted abstract sea glass imagery – some of which I shot myself with a macro lens attached to my iPhone.

ROUTES What would be your dream job or project?

I would love to have the Ministry of Works and Transport give me a budget and the necessary time to design Trinidad and Tobago’s entire road sign system with my fellow designers Marlon Darbeau and Melanie Archer. And to be able to do so in an environment  that is free of political interference. I’m a big fan of the design of transit and road system signage, and an even bigger fan of Margaret Calvert. This country has really poor signage at every level, from institutional come down, but the highway signage is the worst. You really have to just know how to go where you want to go in this country and if you aren’t from here, finding your way around could be murder.  I’d love to be part of fixing this!

Please name some people in your field that you believe deserve credit or recognition, and why.

I admire the editorial work Melanie Archer has done. ‘Manikin: The Art and Architecture of Anthony C. Lewis’ and ‘Contemporary Caribbean Architecture’ are at the top of my list of ‘things I wish I had done, dammit!’.  Melanie is precise and I love her attention to detail. I call her ‘hawkeye’, and have been lucky to have her design two of my exhibition foldout catalogues. Designer Marlon Darbeau and I have been friends since 2006, and fast became collaborators and peers. What Marlon has done in terms of getting all those sketches out of his books and into real life… just beautiful. The guy makes really sexy stuff that people drool over. He is constantly working on and re-imagining objects. Then there is designer/ artist/ photographer Nadia Huggins co-founder of the beautifully designed Caribbean art magazine ‘ARC’.  Jeunanne Alkins, the creator of Everything Slight Pepper, I admire her drive and determination to keep making things happen from her brand of baby fashion to her Caribbean animated TV series for kids, Bim and Bam.

What’s your best piece of advice for those wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Make work. Make lots of work. Read everything you can, watch everything you can. Become involved. Always maintain a private practice, not so much for an extra income (if you don’t work for yourself already) but so that you can keep your mind straight and have the type of projects you really want and need to work on.  Keep doing and doing and doing and doing. Keep learning new skills. Keep tooling up. Recognise that design is work. Work at it. Respect it. Be honest with your work. Develop your own personal equity and your own design vocabulary. Develop something that is you. Don’t be afraid to be you and assert your own thoughts on design. There are a lot of ‘them’ out there but only one ‘you’. Don’t listen to the pundits. In small societies which base success on fleeting indicators of privilege, and in the age of the social media critic, peripheral commentary can be distracting. Get a mentor. Build a squad, and set some real goals.

What’s next for you?

FINDINGBLACKexdesign I’ll be marking my 50th year on this planet by presenting three new bodies of work in two exhibitions and a book of selected works from my exhibition, Finding Black. Then in August, I close up my studio and move to London with my lovely wife to do my MA Print at the Royal College of Art. Other than that just living this adventure called life…

For more information visit:

richardmarkrawlinsdesign.com

richardmarkrawlins.com

artzpub.com

Instagram: rmraffinity

Network:

THE CARIBBEAN:

TRINIDAD CARNIVAL One of the Caribbean’s greatest and most renowned cultural events starts on 27 February 2017.

EUROPE:

MALICK SIDIBÉ Somerset House, London. Til 26 February 2017. This is the first ever solo exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work. Sidibé is celebrated for his black-and-white images chronicling the lives and culture of the Malian capital, Bamako, in the wake of the country’s independence in 1960.

The exhibition presents 45 original prints from the 1960s and 1970s based around the themes of: Tiep à Bamako / Nightlife in Bamako, Au Fleuve Niger / Beside the Niger River, Le Studio / The Studio.

AFRICA:

FESTIMA February 2017. Dédougou, Burkina Faso. The week-long event draws costumed troupes from villages around Burkina Faso, as well as from neighboring West African countries such as Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, and Senegal. Each group is composed of musicians and elaborately masked dancers who know how to move to the beat.

THE U.S:

BLACK COWBOY Studio Museum of Harlem, New York. Til 5 March 2017. The exhibition Black Cowboy is a contribution toward overcoming the historical omission of African-American communities with long histories of keeping and training horses, and toward demonstrating that their tradition is alive and well today.

If you have any forthcoming events that you would like to be considered for inclusion in this column, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at info at jon-daniel dot com.

———————————————————————————————————————–

Jon Daniel is a London-based Independent Creative Director, Designer and Curator. For more information visit his website at www.jon-daniel.com | or his blog at www.visual-intellectual.com

[wallpaperpainting]

19 Thoughts You Have As Watercolour Approaches | Watercolour

Ever back the lockdown, burghal museums accept begin several avant-garde means of agreeable enthusiasts with their absolute collections virtually. From their booty on memes to amusing break letters and online exhibitions, there’s so abundant on offer. This time, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Burghal Museum is curating its additional Spotify playlist as a accolade to the city, to be launched on World Music Day (June 21).

“The playlist attempts to abduction the aspect of the city, its accord with and addition to the orted agreeable styles that developed adjoin the accomplishments of the burghal including the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana that included Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey and Begum Akhtar, who represented the aureate age of Mumbai’s cinema music industry. The playlist includes abreast music that draws its afflatus from the burghal and its people,” reveals Tasneem Mehta, managing trustee and director.

Untitled by NR Sardesai, watercolour on paper, 1922, from the museum’s abiding collection

Their aboriginal playlist (launched in May end) was a added absolute attempt, aggressive by a aculating of ragamala miniature paintings evoking Indian clical ragas. “It featured greats like Kumar Gandharv, Kishori Amonkar and Ravi Shankar. We additionally affected aloft raag Malhar back we were on the border of cloudburst in the city,” says Ruta Waghmare-Baptista, abettor babysitter – apprenticeship and collection.

The new playlist is added accessible to estimation and celebrates the always alteration city. “There are songs that accept been attempt in the burghal and those that abbreviate its spirit. It will accommodate clical melodies, Bollywood songs and indie music, and affection iconic artistes like Kishore Kumar and AR Rahman,” Waghmare-Baptista reveals.

Tasneem Mehta

While Spotify alone allows for a distinct image, the museum’

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[blackcreativestalk-blog]

Meet Samuel Fleming

 Between being a fulltime student at Macalester College, creating a clothing brand, working as a political cartoonist for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (a black newspaper based in North Minneapolis), and doing graphic design for a friend’s start-up, Samuel Fleming’s cup runneth over. This Minneapolis born-and-bred artist, student, and multi-tasker is one to watch.

DTK: You’re from the Twin Cities.

SF: Yeah, I’m from Minneapolis.

DTK: Has growing up in Minneapolis affected your focus, in terms of what you like to draw?

SF: I think my focus has been affected by the people I’ve met more so than my environment. I grew up on the south side of Minneapolis, near the Richfield border and that’s a mostly white area. And so in terms of the people I met growing up, not so much. But I would go to museums. And I had teachers at school who would always introduce me to artists of colour and things my grade school would not have exposed me to. Most of my inspiration comes from books, from teachers I’ve had, and artists I admire. The two artists who have had the greatest influence on me are Pablo Picasso and Kehinde Wiley. Those are my two.

DTK: What were some of your earliest experiences with art? How did you get started?

SF: I’ve been drawing since I was two. Have you seen Toy Story? Well, according to my mother, I wanted to colour in a picture of Buzz Lightyear and we didn’t have any in the house. So I’d ask my parents to draw pictures for me. They got tired of it and told me to draw them myself, to see if I could it. So I tried it a few times and finally got one that I liked. I would colour it in and from there I just started drawing a whole bunch of other things.

DTK: What’s your main medium when you’re creating?

SF: It used to be graphite pencils from when I was two until I was sixteen. And then at sixteen, I went to an art camp. One of the camp leaders introduced me to ink, cross-hatching, and making these images that were quick, but that looked cool to me.  At first I would do them really fast. Then I started taking a longer time with them and going for a more realistic angle. And then ink just became my favourite. Then I ran into colour pencils. I watched a YouTube video of somebody doing a time lapse drawing and I tried my best to copy it, and figured out how to use those. I would say that right now my favourites are ink and colour pencil.

DTK: What does your process look like? Do you work from memory or from images?

SF: It depends on what I am trying to create. If I am doing a portrait of any kind, it’s typically from a photograph or someone in front of me. Mostly photographs, actually. But if I am doing a cartoon, or something grotesque or abstract, it’s just right from memory.

DTK: You’re a political cartoonist for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. I follow your work on Instagram and it’s really cool. It seems to have a narrative quality to it, always relevant to conversations happening in the world. What motivates you to pick up on certain themes?

SF: Black Lives Matter has to be the biggest by far. When I was age 15 through 18, I just completely dived head first into black history, black artwork, black culture. I watched documentaries, read all kinds of books. Malcolm X became probably the biggest influence on me in all spectra of my life, to date. His teachings helped me view what’s going on in a way that I feel comfortable expressing in my work.

DTK: Do you consider yourself an artist or an activist? Perhaps both?

SF: I think to call myself an activist would be a disservice to people who are out there, dedicating their lives to the cause. And while some or my art is in reference to that, a lot of it is not. So I am more comfortable with “artist” than “activist”, only because I have respect for true activists who are out doing what they do, all the time.

DTK: I hear that. Do you have a specific audience in mind when you’re creating?

SF: [Laughs] It changed really drastically after Trump got elected. After the third debate, actually. When I started [college], I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my art. I was just doing gallery-type-stuff, trying to get my work noticed. Asha Long [an organizer with Minnesota Public Interest Research Group] saw my work and said, “You’ve gotta be a cartoonist! Get your work out there!” She just turned me onto the world of cartoons, and political cartoons in particular. I did a lot of research and found that I could actually influence people with my art work. I could make people see things in a new light, hopefully change somebody’s mind or reinforce their opinions, in a good way. Or in way I thought was good [laughs]. And that was all fuelled by Trump’s rise. I thought in a perfect world, people’s art could show the truth. Then he got elected. And I just lost all steam for the truth. Because despite the truth, he got elected. After that, I pretty much focused completely on my clothing brand and gallery work.  I haven’t drawn a political cartoon in maybe a month. I’m gonna pick that up sooner or later. I know I will.

DTK: It’s rough. We are living in strange times.

SF: Oh yeah!

DTK: Is there a particular piece that has flowed easily, from the image in your mind and onto paper?

SF: The very first cartoon I made after I got the job at the Spokesman-Recorder. I did a lot of research on old World War I propaganda that the United States used to get people riled up and eager to help in any way they could. One image they had was of a big gorilla with a German helmet on, holding a woman who was supposed to represent the Statue of Liberty. I took the Trump head and put it on the gorilla and made the woman the actual Statue of Liberty. 

DTK: That is incredibly creative! Do you have certain hopes and dreams for where you would like to see your artistic journey go?

SF: I am working to spread the word about my clothing brand, Phillip Park. I am also trying to build up a portfolio so I can submit to galleries, both local and in the greater Midwest region, to see if I can get more work out there. There is gallery that contacted me a month ago called Citywide Arts. They expressed interest in working with me in the near future, so I am waiting to hear from them. I’ll continue my work as political cartoonist for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. The website is currently under maintenance, so they haven’t posted any cartoons for a while. But once it’s up and running, I’ll be back in rotation. A friend I haven’t spoken to in a year hit me up about a month ago. And he and I are going to build some apps together. He does custom app building and I will do the graphic design for his orders. That should hopefully start up within the next month or so. Those are my plans.

DTK: That’s exciting! What would you like people to take away from your work?

SF: I hope that people stop seeing the white perception of the world, in America in particular, as the norm. I hope people stop seeing black people as “black people”, and just start seeing them as people. There was an old slip-up by an LAPD head during a speech where he differentiated between “black and Latino people” and “normal people”. He really messed that one up! [Laughs] And that’s really indicative of what a lot of people are thinking, even if they don’t say it out loud. But if, culturally blackness and any culture that’s not white can be become the norm, we would have a lot more synchronicity in the country, I think. That would be my hope.

DTK: Where can we find your work?

SF: On Instagram and my website.