#I have like at least 3 scenes I want to draw from exit strategy I love it a LOT

[lexicals]

In the shows, I saw humans comfort each other all the time at moments like this. I had never wanted that and I still didn't. [...] But I was the only one here, so I braced myself and made the ultimate sacrifice. "Uh, you can hug me if you need to."

[...] It wasn't entirely awful.

I have so many thoughts and feelings about the use of physical contact in exit strategy ;;

-

[ID: A sketchy digital drawing of a scene from Martha Wells' Exit Strategy, featuring Murderbot and Dr Mensah. The two are standing in front of a metal wall, softly lit from one side, and Mensah is hugging the bot tightly around the waist, her face pressed into its chest. Mensah is an older dark-skinned woman with very short light brown hair and a medium build, and is wearing a rusty orange caftan with embroidery at the neck, waist and shoulders. Murderbot is a taller person with a toned build and light brown skin, and messy straight black hair that's slightly longer than Mensah's, and has a gap at the side of its head where an exposed metal section interrupts it. It's wearing a dark blue and grey hoodie and a grey shirt with a high collar, and dark grey cargo pants, and is looking uncomfortably off to one side - one hand is awkwardly resting closed against Mensah's back and the other is at its side, with small lines indicating that it's flexing its fingers restlessly. A small box next to the two of them reads "Increase: BodyTemp: 20%". End ID.]

[selkiesbittybonanza]

500 Followers Appreciation Bitty Profiles! (+ Bonus bitty!) (ALL FREE TO ADOPT)

Fellswap Gold Lamia Bittys

Merlot

Snake: Taipan

Venomous?: Yes

Size (Bitty): Length - 0.5-1m (1.6-3.3 ft.), Standing - 0.25-0.5m (0.8-1.6 ft)

Size (Full Sized): Length - 1.5-2m (5-6 ft), Standing 1-1.25m (3-5 ft)

Merlots are very calm and soothing bittys, they always seem to have it together. It can be easy to let them take control of things – you always feel like they have your best interests at heart. Merlots are very distinguished, they don’t appreciate looking disheveled, it gives them an almost “old man” quality. A Merlot’s nest is impeccably clean – you may even find a doily or two! And they somehow have a bowl of no-name candy to offer guests like a strange satire on how seniors live everywhere. However he had an eye for quality and doesn’t accept poor quality furnishings. While a Merlot doesn’t mind taking charge, he appreciates an adopter who takes initiative. A Merlot isn’t above using intimidation to get his way, but he’s so smooth about it you have a hard time noticing! He prides himself in being unflappable, to demand respect without screaming for it. He certainly has a devious side – he didn’t get this far without knowing how to “play the game” and isn’t above a few white lies for the sake of it. He can be quite paternal as well, he enjoys taking younger bittys under his “wing” and helping raising them. While he can seem rather stiff he’s actually a warm-hearted bitty who enjoys cuddles and being needed.

Espresso

Snake: Black-tailed Criibo

Venomous?: No

Size (Bitty): Length - 0.75-1m (2.4-3.3 ft), Standing - 0.25-0.5m (0.8-1.6 ft)

Size (Full Sized): Length - 2-2.5m (7-8.5 ft), Standing - 1-1.5m (3-5 ft)

Despite the name: Espressos aren’t very active bittys. They mostly prefer the quiet – gaming and drawing are their favourite hobbies. They tend to be shy and soft spoken – loud people can startle them into muteness and a lot of the time they prefer to communicate in non-verbal ways. If you want a gaming companion an Espresso is your perfect bitty match: but be warned – gaming is a fixation for them. If you ask them to not continue a game until you can play it together later it’s almost unfair to them, they’ll become obsessed with what’s next. Games with both single player and co-op content is more ideal – he can work on the single player campaign while he waits for you to come back to the co-op campaign. His shyness makes multi-player gaming a bit hit or miss – he doesn’t like gaming where a lot of communication and strategy is necessary – he prefers staying quiet and working towards objective without any instruction given or taken. His exception is co-op, he loves playing games together with you and feels his most accomplished when you both complete a challenging level together. He isn’t super competitive but takes pride in his skills so be careful setting up play-dates with bittys that may not appreciate losing to a quiet, seemingly submissive bitty. Despite his quiet and gentle nature he isn’t one to allow people to take advantage of him  or disrespect him – he will stand up for himself, usually by exiting the situation instead of getting into an argument, and when pushed, he WILL fight back. He is surprisingly skilled and controls his magic well.

G!Siblings Ampitheres 

So I decided to give my ampitheres the same human-like intelligence of all my other lamia bittys, but restrict them to a one-size bitty like my Harpys. Honestly a full size ampithere’s wingspan would make them pretty tough to house indoors… 

Suave

Snake: Bolen’s Python

Venomous?: No

Size: 1-1.5m long (3-5ft), 0.5m (2ft) standing

Suaves pride themselves on being, well, suave and flirtatious – it helps them stay in control of the conversation and relationship so you don’t discover how much of a dork they really are. Suaves inherited Gaster’s love or building important monuments – like the Core. He’s interested in work that will stand the test of time, with the added benefit of being practical. He’s not interested in building, say: the Pyramids for vainglory. But, if that Pyramid was covered in solar panels that provided electricity for the nearby citizens – that’s up his alley. He also has an interest in motorized vehicles like cars, trucks and motorcycles – but he admits he’d have a difficult time using one without a lot of modifications. Which could be fun. Suaves love flashy experiments and inventions that leave an impact on his audience: however, when he’s working on his next big thing he ends up working at all hours of the night in his pajamas. His inspirations are flashes of brilliance and a flurry of work, after which, he collapses into a deep sleep for up to 36 hours. Despite appearances Suaves are huge nerds who love to share their work with interested listeners and isn’t above goofy shenanigans. They share a Sans’ sense of humour and laid back attitude – but it’s a mask to cover the whirling chaos of the mind within. Suaves can be surprisingly immature and will get a kick out of pranks and childish humour. A Suave can summon up to four disembodied “hands” to help him work on projects that require dexterity but doesn’t often use constructs in offensive magic. He’s more of a behind-the-scenes guy – but he can certainly manage bone attacks.

Savvy

Snake: Amazon Tree Boa

Venomous?: No

Size: 1.25-1.75m long (4-6ft), 0.75m (2.5ft) standing

While Suaves are the rock star scientists, the Savvys end up being in the babysitter role more times than they’d like. Savvys inherited Gaster’s interest in the soul and physical health of monsters and humans; since Savvys are on the autistic spectrum it helps them understand others better because, although they have trouble empathizing with others, it does not mean they don’t CARE. I head-cannon that smoking is a Gaster-trait and a Savvy’s Papyrus half REFUSES to participate in such a disgusting habit! Therefore Savvy’s tend to have an oral fixation to make up for the lack of smoking: chewing on the end of pencils, pens, their own tails… and rely far too much on caffeine. A Savvy works hard, but on a schedule and his experiments are always tightly controlled as opposed to a Suave’s scientific method. Savvys are polite, distinguished and a bit absent minded when it comes to personal relationships. If you’re looking for a bitty that will faun over you – look elsewhere. While Savvy’s certainly care about their adopters and family they are independent and self sufficient. They can seem humourless but the right touch can send them into giggles, they are very passionate about their interests and appreciate an interested audience (or at least captive). Savvys enjoy being needed and do well in situations where they can work as doctor’s, biologists or psychologists. They’re not judgmental and they like to look at the world with endless curiosity and enthusiasm! Savvys can summon up to four disembodied “hands” to help him work on projects that require dexterity but prefers to use his magical energies in his studies and use of healing magic. His offensive magic abilities are rather stunted because of this.

Bonus Lamia Bitty - Blueberror

Blue Ribbon

Snake: Blue striped Ribbon Snake

Venomous?: No

Size (Bitty): 0.5-1m (1.6-3ft), 0.3m standing

Size (Full Sized):1-1.5m (3-5ft) 0.5m standing

Ribbons are afraid of being alone (autophobic), they know that being alone in the anti-void is what caused their transformations from Blueberries to Blueberrors. They thrive in large families and want to be seen as a friend and protector by the group. Do not adopt one of these guys if you spend a lot of time out of the home and can’t provide them attention. A bitty family is a good stop-gap but they really need validation and one-on-one time with their adopters. Ribbons retain most of their personality traits from their Blueberry days but they’re a little… off. A little, too intense. Ribbons can get caught up in an emotion or situation and can spiral out of control whether the emotion is: joy, anger, frustration, or fear. They need a patient friend who can help them “reset” their emotional clock. Of course, being an Error, it sometimes causes a hard crash that they need to restart from. Depending on the situation they can forget completely what had set them off and will continue along like nothing happened. Other times, they remember what happened but the restart gave them enough time to reprocess so they can move on and get past what set them off. They can get depressed easily especially is someone is afraid or intimidated by him – he knows he’s different now, but he’s still a good guy at heart! A Ribbons magic is star-based – they create star-shaped attacks and can even summon a star to ride around on like Kirby.

Creators

Blueberror created by @loverofpiggies​

Fellswap Gold AU created by @blackggggum​

G!Sans created by @bouru​

Art

Fellswap Gold Sans & Papyrus + Blueberror Lamias commissioned from @calmchapsart​

G!Siblings Ampitheres commissioned from @me-and-my-gaster​

all art commissioned by me: @sealpointselkie​ / @selkiesbittybonanza​

[grandthorkiday]

Mob AU “Playthings” Part 24

[Link to mob!au anon’s “Playthings" fic tag]

[Start at Part 1]*

(*Note: Link is editable for other parts, just change the number. For mobile users, tag is “playthings part1”)

Note from @loxxxlay: MOB ANON HAS REVEALED THEMSELVES!! They are @red-shadow-wolf-19 and they have plans to write more Grandthorki in the future! Go follow them for more of their fics <3

They dragged him out of the bedroom when it was announced on the news the next morning. He knelt in front of the large flat screen, amongst the games controllers that had been his brother’s solice, and watched as the a newscaster said in a sympathetic but efficient manner, “Thor Valhalla was found this morning in critical condition after what appears to be an assault. He was rushed to a hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. He was thirty two.”

“The Brat is dead! Long live the Brat!” Mario crowed, and the crew laughed.

Gast used one finger to lift Loki’s face to his. “You always have your exit strategy, sweetheart. Remember?” He said it almost kindly.

“M-may I go back to the bedroom?”

Back away from the crew and stares, Loki bent over the toilet and threw up in peace. He sobbed into the tile floor, aware that no one this time would come in and stroke his hair or hold him or sing some stupid song from their childhood. It was just him now.

They next day, they dragged him out again. This time because he had to cook breakfast. Life goes on.

Gast began making the rounds on the radio shows, calling in to dramatically cry about the death of one of his lost soulmates. He kept Loki in his lap, hugging him close like a stuffed animal. Occasionally the host would ask after the brunette. Grandmaster’s eyes would flick up to his, and he would politely look away. “In no fit state to talk to anyone, sadly.”

Naturally, that really wasn’t the case. Around three o'clock, Loki found a phone being shoved in his face as he laid on the bed.

“Call the hospital. Tell them you want the body. You can do that, you’re family.” There was an emphasis on ‘family’ that made his skin crawl, but he took the phone and did as he was told. Thor had told him to be good.

[read more cut]

The hospital, unfortunately, was making it difficult. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Valhalla, but Mr. Thor Valhalla’s body was released to your Father already. You will have to speak to him and your sister. I am so sorry for your loss.”

“I-I am his…,” he could barely say the words. He’d wanted to scream them for the last six to seven years, and now he barely had the energy to form a syllable.

“I’m so sorry.”

When he hung up and explained the situation, the slap to the face was almost welcome. “Call your sister! I want his body!”

Thor would have cheekily asked why he hadn’t kept it. He would have couched it as a light-hearted question. Loki simply dialled from memory Hela’s number and said nothing.

“I want Thor’s body,” he said with preamble once she answered the phone.

“Oh, Loki! I-”

“Please, Hela. I want to bury him. We-” he glanced at Gast who looked back at him expectantly, “we want to bury him.”

“After he-”

“He’s my husband, Hela…we got married. Did you know that? I’m legally allowed to have a say over what happens to his…remains.”

“I know, Loki. He told us.”

Loki took a shakey breath, the painful reminder of why Thor wasn’t there twisting in gut like a knife. “Hela, don’t make me fight you in court. Don’t make him fight you. Please, right now…”

“Daddy wants to bury Thor too.” It was said quickly, cutting him off.

“Near Mom?” he couldn’t help the hope that entered his voice.

“N-no. Um…he’s having Thor cremated and buried in another plot.” There was a quick and muffled dialogue on the other end of the phone before she came back. “I suppose we could um…share….him. Split the ashes.”

Loki felt like vomiting again. “Split the ashes?” He glanced at the Grandmaster who shrugged and nodded his assent. “O-okay.”

They arranged when he would come to pick up the ashes. Hela tried to invite him to their private funeral service, but he hung up on her instead. He had to be good. He had to survive. Grandmaster kissed his forehead and tucked him into bed for that.

That’s when he brought 'the trophy’ out. Loki nearly screamed and fled the bedroom, but he forced himself to remain where he was. The older man placed the glass container of strange viscous liquid on the bedside counter. The blue iris of Thor’s eye looked unreal and otherworldly, the veins and disconnected tissue floating out like tentacles or rays of lightning. Loki looked at it in morbid fascination.

“I said, it was his best feature,” Gast said simply, running a finger down the side of the glass.

“Yes.”

“Well one of his best features. But you can’t persevere an ass.”

“That’s why you called him Sparkles. Because of his eyes.”

“It’s not like he shot lightning or something.”

“May I keep his things? At least his drawings?”

“I guess. But keep them somewhere neat. I don’t want them everywhere,” he reached over and laid out three more items: a needle, a small bag of blue crystals, and a lighter. He left, without another word as Loki took them.

~2020~

He honestly couldn’t remember clearly the last few months. He remembered the funeral. Gast had made an emotional fifteen minute eulogy before bringing him to the front of the packed church to speak. He stood at the lectern, stuttering out something unintelligible before breaking down into sobs at the sight of the blown up picture of Thor. He had been gathered into the Grandmaster’s embrace, though they didn’t leave the altar. The cameras and the world needed to see him.

After that, his life was series of color and moments of sobriety. He tried to stay away from harder stuff, keeping mostly to alcohol and weed, but Gast kept giving him the crystals when he got 'too weepy’. He now slept and lived permanently in the master bedroom. He didn’t have to cook much anymore, mostly because no one trusted him around a stove. But he was good. Perfect. So they couldn’t complain.

Sometimes, he could forget everything. Gast would hold him in his lap during one of the numerous meetings, and Loki would simply exist, as though he had been willed into being just to please this man. Then, he would catch sight of the bar, or maybe something would brush across his cheek and it would come all crashing back. He would hug the man closer, for there was no one else he was allowed to touch anymore, and he would be given a glass of alcohol to keep quiet.

“My poor Lo Lo. All alone now.” He forgets when this was said to him exactly, but the ridiculous sweater he remembers Gast wearing made him think of Christmas. “Maybe I should get you a buddy. An itsy bitsy friend?”

He remembers the tablet being pushed into his face so he could stare at a Facebook page. The kid barely looked out of high school, standing in his board shorts and tank top, his brown hair being picked up by a breeze. He had a wide innocent smile as showed off a farmer’s tan. The photo was posted by Peter Parker, with a caption 'this boi thirsty! For lemonade it’s hooooott’ followed by a confusing jumble of emojis.

Loki had felt his stomach twist and an emotion akin to jealousy and guilt with a twinge of nostalgia settle there. But he was good. Perfect. So he had said as brightly as possible, “He’s cute!”

“I knew you would like him!” Grandmaster had cooed, as though he had picked out a puppy. He had kissed Loki so sweetly, again he almost forget everything. Even Thor’s eye still on the bedside counter.

Loki was slightly drunk when the police finally came to arrest the Grandmaster. They had been expected, but late. To the mobster’s delight he had made quite a scene. They had been at a restaurant, watching Peter, Loki still stalling the inevitable when they had came, led by Bruce Banner. He had tried to scratch the cuffs away and nearly punched Bruce’s face. To the man’s credit, he had been very gentle and guided him back to his seat before continuing. Gast naturally was home the next day, already gloating.

This time the DA did not push for a gag order. They seemed rather unconcerned with what the Grandmaster said or did. And he took full advantage of that fact.

“We’re still mourning our Thor and they do this! After his family would not come to the funeral!”

“Awful,” the interviewer said, shaking her head sympathetically. “Loki, do you have anything to add.”

“Why are they doing this to us? Haven’t…haven’t we lost enough?” He broke down with each word. They didn’t cut away as he choked and sobbed. It made for good television, he supposed.

When they DA announced they had a secret witness, there was a large meeeting in the penthouse about who it was. No one suspected Loki; he rarely left the apartment anymore, and if he could get away with it he stayed mostly in the bedroom. Besides, the secret witness was apparently in protective custody. Anyone who was late or didn’t attend the meeting immediately fell under suspicion and fingers were pointed even at those who showed up early. It was utter chaos. Gast loved it. Loki slipped away to the bedroom with a bottle of wine.

The day of the opening of the trial, Loki was woken up and made to put on the clothes he had worn at the funeral. They were a little too big on him now, he had lost some weight since then, but he still looked impressive. His eyes were bloodshot from all the drinking and drugs, so they gave him a pair of sunglasses.

“Can you even walk a straight line,” Gast asked him mockingly. He could, but his hands shook. They gave him a flask for his pocket and a packet of cigarettes. He didn’t have a wallet or cellphone anymore. He hadn’t since Thor died. All the money under his and his husband’s old mattress had been taken and redistributed to the penthouse crew, except for a hundred dollars which Loki had used for his last solo trip in the city to pick up Thor’s ashes.

The courthouse was packed with the press and the public when they arrived. Gast waved good-humoredly at them as they entered. He made a big production of helping Loki to his seat, kissing and fawning over him. He let the sunglasses dip for a moment so people could see his eyes. Naturally, the press would assume it was because of tears not alcohol. Topaz settled in next to him, a more 'comforting’ figure than Mario.

Stark and Romanov entered, ignoring the press as they went to their table. They spoke in low voices and passed a cellphone and a tablet back and forth between them. Loki didn’t pay attention, keeping his eyes forward on Gast and trying to memorize the New York seal on the judge’s bench.

“All rise!” called the bailiff. The courthouse stood as a small heavily whiskered man soon and settled himself in the high bench. “The Honorable Patel preceding.”

“Sit down,” the judge said, fiddling with papers on his desk as the courthouse sat. “I will hear opening statements. Mr. Stark?”

The ADA stood and spoke very succinctly. They had evidence of weapon trafficking as well as drug trafficking. They also had evidence of sexual and physical assault, and conspiracy to attempt murder. Gast, he explained rather dryly, was a danger to the city and society and had manipulated his way out of justice before. “Hopefully, he won’t this time. With your help,” he concluded, thanking the jury.

Gast’s lawyer stood as soon as Stark sat and began to dramatically recount the last year: the DA’s first attempt to sully the Grandmaster by manipulating his lover, Loki which resulted in Loki’s suicide attempt. The brunette shifted uncomfortably in his seat at being part of this, but he made no move to shield himself from view. Then, he spoke about losing Thor to thugs collecting a gambling debt. Bile rose in his throat at that, but he pushed it down. He was good. Perfect.

“And now, DA is dragging this man and his loved ones back into court not four months after burying his beloved as some sick way to get votes. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have the poor to end this! Listen to the weakness of this case, and then find En Dwi Gast not guilty!” A few people in the gallery clapped, causing the judge to bang his gavel a few times.

“Stark, are you ready to proceed with your secret witness?”

“Already? Blowing your load a little early, aren’t you?” Gast quipped. The gallery laughed. The gavel fell.

“This is not an open mic night. Please refrain from comments. Mr. Stark?”

Tony nodded, dialled a number on his phone and said a few words. A side door opened. The room gasped.

Loki didn’t look at first. He was good. Perfect. But finally when Gast gasped as well, he swiveled his head robotically around. He let out a cry.

Thor stood, supporting himself on a cane and Valkyrie’s arm. He had an eye patch his left eye and his hair had gotten a little longer than the Grandmaster ever let it grow. Every step he made to the witness box was slow and pained, but he barely seemed to care. His one eye found the defense side of the room and he glared with venom at the older man.

Loki’s limbs moved on their own. He stood, knocking over Topaz. By the time the woman had recovered, he had walked out of the gallery. Gast was calling to him, using all the sweet nicknames he had. It made not an ounce of difference. The judge was saying something and the bailiff tried to intercept him but Val had waved him off as Stark shouted to be heard.

He was standing in front of Thor, the sun streaming over them from the high windows. Thor’s expression had softened as he had gotten closer. He was crying now, reaching out to him, stroking his face tenderly like he had the last time they had seen one another. Loki took the hand before launching into his arms, nearly knocking him to the ground.

The brothers held one another for several moments, the courtroom holding their breath as they spoke in hushed and hurried voices. Finally, the younger let go, turning to Stark. He spoke in a watery voice slightly hoarse from months of crying, drinking, and disuse.

“Can I be added to the witness list, too?”

[gigsoupmusic]

Video director Ashley Jones on promo production under lockdown

Ashley Jones moved to London from his native Wales to make it as a musician, but it was as video producer that he would make his mark.  He's been responsible for 50-odd promos for many of the underground music scene's finest, from William D Drake of his childhood cult heroes Cardiacs to Hurtling and Stephen EvEns. Lockdown may have put paid to many a musical plan but it it's not stopped Jones from staying busy, switching - with the aid of his children - to animation and capturing clips using his phone.   Here, he tells us of what got him started, what he's proudest of and what he'd like to do next, if and when life ever returns to normal. Hi Ashley,  how are you coping in the lockdown?  We’ve seen some quite impressive pictures of your new beard on social media…. As a family we’ve coped remarkably well.  We’re lucky to have a garden and we get on annoyingly well.   However, I am now more beard than man and I have no real exit strategy. Your love of rare and fine whisky is also well documented on your channels – we hope you’re not overdoing it! Four years ago I setmyself the goal of becoming a whisky bore in six weeks.  I dramatically overshot.  In 2018, Sue (the bionic Chaos Engineer who works with me on most projects) and I went on a trip to Islay, the Hebridean home of peated whisky.  It was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I was Augustus Gloop. Making music videos must be difficult in these circumstances.  But we see you’ve managed to produce one for ‘Dustbin Man’  by Stephen EvEns that has surfaced recently.  It’s a mixture of animation and performance, tell us about the process. I normally have a set of rules that I follow when I am making videos.  Lockdown has meant I have had to temporarily abandon some of those. We had been discussing ‘Dustbin Man’ for a while prior to Lockdown.   The song is so relevant to these times that I felt we really should get the video done. https://youtu.be/WpymrHhq85o It crossed my mind that an animation could work.  Apart from anything, animation frees you to use sets and locations that are otherwise unavailable.  We had always wanted to have (singer/guitarist) Stuffy in these scenes and animation allowed us to do this. I did some sketches and created an animatic to show how the video would work. https://youtu.be/2LGOTzENsrE I often shoot little demo videos when I have an idea in mind.  I knew Stuffy would have a phone but not much other video kit.  So I shot my own demo using natural light and my phone to check that the approach and look would work. https://youtu.be/_AYB04WEZug Stuffy did a brilliant job of filming himself which made my life so much easier when I was putting him into the scenes. I got my daughter, Seren, to turn my drawings into images I could animate.  My son, Bryn, is also into animation and I asked him to provide the walk cycles for the binmen. I had booked a week off from my day job to go on holiday to Scotland (obviously) in the first week of April.  Obviously, we couldn’t go so I spent that week in front of the computer working on the video.  I love the moment when things start to coalesce from a bunch of bits into a coherent whole. Stuffy and I chatted using Facebook’s video calling so that we were able to bounce ideas around.  But it was pretty quick given the nature of the work.  It’s a great song, and “Employee of the Month” is a great album. I did the gatefold photo for the album artwork and I was thrilled to receive a copy of the LP last week.  I am hugely proud to be a part of it. You’ve got another animation – or at least part animation – in the pipeline with Micko & The Mellotronics’ ‘Psychedelic Shirt’.  Without too many spoilers, tell us about what’s involved. Micko and I have worked together several times now.  We were initially introduced by Mikey Georgeson from David Devant & His Spirit Wife.  The first time we met was in a pub in Kentish Town where we talked about our common love of Florian Schneider and Gibson Les Pauls. Micko is very much a storyteller and he has a strong commitment to narrative.  We are working with an artist to create the artwork for the video and I am going to be using some new tools to create the animation.  I am hoping this will make the animation more dynamic and musical.  I am still working on the animatic; working with a defined narrative makes this phase a bit more work, but I think it’s going to pay off. You seem to strike up relationships with certain artists and work on a series of promos.  That must give you a certain freedom to experiment…. I’m not in it for the money.  Thank God.  There are two things I love about making music videos.  Firstly, the initial conversations about what the video is going to be.  Some of my videos have been 100% my idea.  Some have been (nearly) 100% the artist’s.  My favourite ones are the 50/50 ones where we thrash ideas around in a pub or café.  Preferably the former. The other thing I relish is the problem solving during the filming and editing:  “How am I going to make this happen?”  I love those moments when the seemingly impossible becomes reality. Tell us a bit about yourself – your background, first musical loves and what made you pick up a camera. Short version:  Moved to London to play in a band.  Never quite made it.  Got my first real camera when my kids were little and mainly took pictures of them. Musical loves:  Early Adam and the Ants, Sex Pistols, early Human League, Fad Gadget, Kraftwerk.  The centre of my musical universe since about 1989 is Cardiacs.  Everything stems from there since then. We know you also work as a photographer – which came first? I made some music videos for my own band in the late 90s.  From around 2010 I started taking photos at gigs; I’d also done some studio photography with my brother-in-law, Lann.  We started using “The Chaos Engineers” name back then for the studio work. But I got into making music videos all because of one evening.  Roastfest was a gig put on by Kavus Torabi’s “Believer’s Roast” label at the Camden Unicorn on November 12, 2011. I took photos of almost everyone playing.  One of the bands was ThumperMonkey.  They liked the photos and I offered to do a studio shoot for them.  We did that shoot and it went well.  Michael Woodman, the lead singer and guitarist, is also very interested in film-making.  Mike had offered to make a video for Knifeworld, Kavus’s band.  He asked if I would like to be involved and nothing was ever the same after that.  I have worked with pretty much everyone who played at Roastfest at some point.  Mike is a hugely talented man and someone with whom I love working. Any videos you remember seeing that made you think ‘I want to do that!’? Cardiacs' “Tarred and Feathered” was shot by the people who made The Tube but it was my great audio-visual epiphany.  My sister remembers me seeing it when it was live on telly and it immediately and permanently blew my mind. https://youtu.be/NVjSycDJatc Tim Smith is a brilliant video director as well as my favourite music maker.  I have to use that broad term because he does it all. I love Anton Corbijn’s photography and videos.  I also think that Bjork’s videos are astonishing.  I mentioned my rules earlier.  One of these is that the artist has to be at the heart of the video.  Madness wrote the book when it comes to “video as vehicle to define the band’s identity”.  I want my videos to showcase the artist – because that’s what all my favourite videos do. What was the first promo you shot?  Any memories? The first one I worked on was for Thumpermonkey’s “Wheezy Boy” which Mike Woodman directed and edited.  All my footage was overexposed, but Mike never complained.  I remember being stunned by how brilliant the actors were.  I have only worked with actors a few times; that was the first. Tell us a bit about who else you’ve worked with…   I was a huge Stump fan in the 80s and am extremely proud of the video for “Rubberised” that I did for Prescott, Kev Hopper’s band.  I think it’s the most technically innovative thing I have done. Looking at my YouTube playlist, I am shocked to learn that I have made more than fifty videos. I’ve loved pretty much all the songs and artists I have worked with:   Hurtling, Simon Love, Knifeworld, Awooga, The Fierce And The Dead, Arch Garrison and Cesarians. I have also collaborated heavily with the brilliant Richard Larcombe on his Lost Crowns project. You’ve worked with William D Drake I believe….  Are you part of the Cardiacs fan cult or was this strange world new to you? I really am part of the cult.   I have compered at the last two Alphabet Business Conventions.  Which means I talk in a loud voice before the bands come on and quietly stand next to Tim Smith at the side of the stage for most of the show. They played Distant Buzzing on a big screen at the ABC months before it was released and it was my most “goosebumps” moment when it was shown.  Hugely exciting. I saw Cardiacs loads of times and still miss the transcendental experience of throwing my hands in the air to the strains of Big Ship. I also love Bill’s work and my personal favourite Cardiacs material is the stuff from Bill’s time in the band. You’ve also shot with a few well known comic actors – Kevin Eldon, Paul Putner, Suzy Kane….    That must have been fun. Micko has an amazing capacity for getting great people to work with him.  So it’s flattering that he also works with me.  Kevin, Paul and Suzy were all delightful to work with and it’s been fantastic to have the chance. https://youtu.be/_5iswf8GG6o When we shot Schmescos with Kevin, Micko’s brother, Hollywood director Wash Westmoreland, was standing next to me.  Wash was also utterly charming.  It was an amazing few hours and I felt like pinching myself.  I still do. You have a penchant for the Hitchcock-style cameo too – is that a deal breaker?! I have tried to get myself in lots of the videos.  My kids particularly like my cameo in Distant Buzzing.  I am there at 3:05.  I’d like to be in all of them but sometimes I forget because I am so busy on shoot days. Any other highlights of your career we’ve missed out – It was fantastic to be at RAK studios in November when The Spammed recorded their version of Get It On.  It was six weeks before Neil Innes’s sad passing and it was wonderful to meet such a kind, talented and funny man.  I took mostly candid stills of conversations between the band and the also-amazing Tony Visconti.  Again – I was pinching myself for weeks. Finally, if you could pick one artist alive or dead you wish you could or could have worked with, who would it be? I would love to have worked with Fad Gadget/Frank Tovey.  I met him – and this sounds like a pattern – six weeks before he died.  I love his work and would love to have worked with him.  And always, always, always Cardiacs’ Tim Smith.  But I don’t know what I would bring to the party with Tim because he does everything so brilliantly himself.

Read the full article

[classicdaisycalico]

For the Love of the Game

Hey, guys! I haven’t been writing any fics as of late because of school and because my creative streak right now is Awful, but somehow an idea came to me after watching SirEnobMort’s playthrough of “Mario Super Sluggers” on the KoopaKungFu channel on YouTube, particularly the ending cutscenes of the challenge mode and what might have possibly gone on between those two scenes. Really, I just wanted to put a little more depth into them. Enjoy!

For 8 and a half straight innings, Mario and Bowser's respective baseball teams were at each other's throats. The score was still 0-0 at the aforementioned Koopa King's home turf (literally; his castle was currently housing a temporary baseball field next to a lava dam). Athletes from both sides were sweating bullets, probably enough altogether to outweigh even the heaviest of King Bills. Batters ran through pitchers practically every other hit, and because of that, the fielding lineup never started (or ended) with everyone in the same position twice in a row. By the time the top of the 9th ended, Mario and Bowser were running out of strategies, instead just going back to their respective lineups from the beginning of the game. Everything lead right up to this moment as Mario took his place in the batter's box to face Bowser, captain against captain, enemy against enemy. There were two outs, with the bases loaded, and to raise the stakes even higher, Bowser was at a full count of 3 balls and 2 strikes. How Bowser ever ended up being on the "away" side on his own field was beyond his knowledge; wonky coin toss, perhaps? Either way, if they scored at least one run, they would win, and the giant complex that was the Baseball Kingdom would be out of the Koopa King's control for sure. He wiped some sweat off his forehead. Who would have guessed that baseball was so much pressure? All he and his friends wanted to do was hit the diamond and have a little fun! Determined to win, he made an impulsive move, in true Mario fashion: he eyed the huge statue of Bowser jutting out from the lava dam in center field, and pointed just above it it with his bat. Yes, he was calling his own shot. Mario could hear his teammates draw a collective gasp. Why not? he thought to himself. He read about someone else doing it once, a man called Babe Ruth (That couldn't have been his actual name, right?) and it worked for him! He eyed Bowser, who sneered and wound up. Mario braced himself for a fastball, and... *Crack* The second the bat made contact, he knew immediately that this was one of his best hits. He watched the ball fly high into the air, and sure enough, it flew towards the same direction as the statue at center field. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he heard a sizzling noise from the lava dam. He couldn't believe his ears; the ball actually sunk into the lava dam! And with that, the game was done. Mario's grand slam at the bottom of the 9th put his team in the winning position of 4-0, breaking the long, scoreless run against Bowser and his minions. Every teammate in the dugout met him at home plate, hoisting him up and tossing him into the air. Bowser, on the other hand, was so filled with rage that he smashed his bat into the ground. When that wasn't enough to grab the team's attention, he roared as loudly as his lungs could allow. Immediately, the crowd dropped their red-clad captain as they turned to Bowser, wondering what the fuss was about. "NO! I was really trying, and I still lost!" he exclaimed. Lifting up his bat, he continued his angry tirade. "But I'm not done yet, and I'm not giving up! I WILL beat you! I'll–" "Hold it, Bowser!" From among the crowd, Peach emerged and walked up to the raging king. "Baseball Kingdom is a place for EVERYONE to enjoy baseball," she said calmly. "Come on. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?" That made him grow flustered. "N-No! Don't be ridiculous! Play with you chumps? I'd rather...I mean–" He was interrupted when Bowser Jr started whining. "Aw, Daaaad! I wanna play baseball! Let's all play together like she said!" The elder tried to shush him to avoid embarrassment. "But son, I–" Peach giggled. "I think the decision's been made!" She turned to her friends. "Come on, everyone!Let's celebrate! Let's throw a party for Baseball Kingdom, and all the memories we made here!" "One step ahead of you, Peach," Daisy said. "Let's all meet up at the Cruiser! There's more than enough space for everyone on board!" The crowd cheered, and all began making their way out of the stadium toward the ship, including Bowser's minions. The only stragglers left after the crowd died down were Bowser, Jr, Daisy, and Luigi, who was just about to leave when Daisy approached him. "Are you coming?" he asked. "I'll get there a little later," she replied. "It seems I have some convincing to do." "You're inviting them?! They're gonna burn you alive!" "Don't worry about me," she said. "You go catch up with the rest of them. I'll be there soon!" There was a hesitant look in his eyes, but he nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll tell them." "Thank you! Oh, and tell Peach to save a little bit of food for me, won't you?" She kissed him on the cheek and ran off in the koopas' direction. Luigi blushed. Typical Daisy, he thought as he exited the stadium. She's always so happy, it's contagious. I wonder if it'll rub off on those two... *** "Why can't we go with them?" Jr sulked. "It looks like fun!" "He's not wrong, Bowser," a voice rang from by the stadium door. They turned their heads and found Daisy walking toward them. "I think a lot of people would appreciate it if you joined us. Besides, all your minions are at the Cruiser. Shouldn't someone be there to supervise them?" "They'll be fine," Bowser grumbled. "I can always hire more, anyway. These minions are useless." "Maybe that's why they left," reasoned the princess. "Since you're such a bad sport to them all the time, they must have gone off to find other captains who won't bully them so much. You don't see your son insulting his team, do you?" The king ignored her, instead continuing to address his son. "Jr, I think it's past your bedtime. You should be getting some sleep." "But I wanna go to the Cruiser," Jr objected. "If the rest of the team is there, why shouldn't I go?" "Well, I did invite everyone," Daisy said. "And I think he'd have a really nice time there. Look at your son, Bowser," she said as she knelt down to Jr's level. "Look at his poor little face. He looks so sad, and cranky and tired...maybe even a little hungry after such an exhausting game! All he wants to do is hang out with his team and have some nice food!" The little prince's eyes lit up. "There's food?" "Yes, there is. Every cook in the kitchen has whipped up a whole bunch of stuff for just about everyone there! But if you don't hurry now, then all the food will be gone!" She stood back up and looked at Bowser. "And I think I know someone else who can't say no to free food." With that, Daisy extended her hand. "Come on, Bowser," she said. "For the love of the game?" The Koopa King was puzzled as he looked at the outstretched princess's hand, the exact same hand that had once smacked him into oblivion. How could he trust someone who, compared to Mario, Peach, or anyone else, was practically a complete stranger? And yet there was something convincing about the way she stood unflinchingly in his presence, her large, wide-set eyes practically staring into his soul, her tiny arm reaching out to him. Even Jr was egging him on. "Come on, Dad! It's just like the pretty lady said! For the love of the game!" Well, if his son was okay with it...then who was he to refuse such an offer? He shook her hand and let a tiny smile make its way across his face. "For the love of the game." She beamed. "Wonderful! Let's go!" *** Before long, they had reached the top floor of the Cruiser, where everyone was outside, crowded around various tables and watching a fireworks show. Bowser and his son eventually found a place to sit down and have some food, even though there wasn't much left. Even so, he didn't mind having the smallest slice of cake while his son had a slightly larger sherbet bowl. In the meantime, Daisy was happily chatting away with Yoshi, Peach, Luigi, and Toad as they munched on some other leftovers and watched the fireworks. "I don't know how you did it," Toad said. "I would have been shaking in my boots the whole time!" Yoshi shuddered in agreement. "Well, I wouldn't want them to be lonely, would I?" she answered. "Especially poor little Jr. And Bowser will do just about anything to make his son happy." "How did you get Bowser on board?" Luigi asked. "I kinda figured that, really deep down, there was a little part of him that just wanted to join in on the fun with us! No serious competition about it; just letting loose and hitting the diamond while we try to push alliances aside, even if it's only for a short time." "Even if he still has fleeting thoughts about taking over the Mushroom Kingdom from time to time?" Peach inquired. "As long as his mind is distracted from those things, even for a little while, then we're okay." "Well, it lets me breathe a little easier, and Mario and Luigi, too, I'm sure." Peach turned to Luigi. “Where is your brother, by the way?" "He and Donkey Kong are running the fireworks show in the next stadium over," he replied. "He has jokingly referred to it as a 'Home Run Derby' of sorts." "Well, shouldn't we go down and watch them hit some homers?" Toad suggested. Yoshi nodded in agreement. Daisy smiled. "Why not? Let's go!" The friends ran for the exit of the Cruiser, hoping to catch a glimpse of the "Home Run Derby".

[crimethinc]

Operational Security Lessons on the Fury Road: POPSEC

POPSEC is a series drawing on popular media to convey important security lessons—how to emulate best practices, analyze mistakes, and strive not to repeat errors. Mad Max: Fury Road is full of both good and bad examples of security practices. While the following contains all kinds of spoilers, it's also full of life lessons we can draw from scrutinizing the successes and mishaps on the Fury Road.

Lesson 1: If You Liked It then You Should Have Put a Lock On It

Now, of course it's wrong to keep women locked in a vault like property, but there's an important lesson to be learned from Immortan Joe's objectification of women and subsequent failure to "keep them in their place": if you care about something, secure it. If it's important to you that something not make it out into the world, be it a physical object or information, lock it up using a robust passphrase (or sturdy physical lock). Keeping your prized possessions in a vault is no good if the vault isn't secured with a sufficiently complex combination.

Lesson 2: Assess Your Adversaries

This seems like a pretty obvious statement, but it's actually an important operational security lesson: you don't want to be a porcupine trying to take down a war rig. When assessing your threats, it's important to make sure you're not biting off more than you can chew. While it's true that we don't always have a choice in adversaries, it's also wise to avoid initiating confrontations if you're not at least reasonably sure you can come out on top. On the Fury Road, this might look like not trying to take on a juggernaut being driven by Imperator Furiosa, but in the real world this might look like peacing out from a dicey action if you didn't roll in with your affinity group, or staying away from the barricades if you've been personally targeted for arrest in the past. The State has nearly unlimited resources for repression, and it is very important to learn how to be strategic in your opposition.

Lesson 3: Prepare for the Worst

Whether you're driving into a dust storm or running through clouds of tear gas1, it's important to anticipate the possibility of these circumstances ahead of time, and plan accordingly with regard to things like personal protective equipment, tactics, and exit strategies. This is obviously true on the Fury Road, but is also worthwhile in the context of demonstrations and direct action. Familiarize yourself with the repression tactics (and environmental circumstances) you are likely to face and plan accordingly. Keep in mind that "planning accordingly" may look different depending on whether your intention is to stick around or to make a purposeful and orderly getaway. If you intend to remain on the scene when tear gas is deployed, you may wish to invest in a respirator or gas mask. If you intend to leave in the event that chemical weapons are deployed, a damp bandanna may be sufficient for your needs. This level of preparation requires a great deal of forethought and research, but it is well worth the effort.

Lesson 4: Use Robust Passphrases

The corollary to Lesson 1 is—when you do use a passphrase (or lock) to secure something you care about, make sure it's a robust one. Furiosa uses a sequence of switch flips and button pushes2 to achieve sufficient complexity, but in the real world you might consider either using passphrases constructed from a series of unrelated words, random passphrases generated by a password manager, or a combination of both. There are varying schools of thought regarding biometric locks (fingerprints, retinal scans, etc.), but they do work well for a select set of threat profiles, and are worth looking into as an option.

Lesson 5: Barriers Will Not Stop Determined Adversaries, and That's OK!

Furiosa’s deal with the Rock Riders involves causing a landslide to block off their canyon once she’s through, in order to stop her pursuers in their tracks. A few of her foes are buried under the rubble, and some can’t get over it, but with enough time and effort Immortan Joe is eventually able to drive over it with much of his cohort. Similar scenarios exist in real-life security culture. When discussing security and security precautions, the discourse takes on a somewhat nihilistic tone due to the fact that with enough time and resources, any security can be broken. Yet in most cases, it is actually not necessary to have "perfect" security. Usually, the adversaries we are facing have neither the will nor the limitless resources to circumvent the roadblocks we place in their way. Additionally, the goal in security doesn't really need to be stopping adversaries in their tracks, but rather delaying them long enough to accomplish our aims.

On the Fury Road, the time Immortan Joe spent overcoming the obstacle of the roadblock gave Furiosa and her crew a significant amount of time and space to maneuver. In our own security practices, this translates to the idea that using encryption is always better than not. Encryption should never be treated as a magic shield. Encryption doesn't necessarily keep your messages from being read by people other than the intended recipient, but it can make intercepting your communications difficult enough, time-consuming enough, and resource-intensive enough that most adversaries will decide it's not worth the trouble and move on.

Lesson 6: Try Not to Create a Single Point of Failure

When creating a security strategy for yourself, make sure it never relies solely on one tool or tactic. Immortan Joe diverted all of his resources, as well as the resources from neighboring Gas Town and the Bullet Farm, in order to pursue and overtake Furiosa. When he failed to catch her, this left the Citadel defenseless against her return. Likewise, your plan to stay safe and secure will fail if you rely only on any one tool, tactic, or individual. What does this mean in terms of practical application? It means you should be looking to build "defense in depth." That is to say, you should be choosing tools and strategies which help protect you, and also communicating in ways which are not inherently incriminating if any of those tools cease to be secure, or strategies fail to be effective. Tools and tactics should be varied and disposable, and the loss or compromise of one should never be sufficient to land you and your comrades in prison. Secure communication tools are important supplements to strong operational security practices and good judgement.

Lesson 7: Be Selective about the Information You Offer

I'm real happy for you, and I'mma let this piece finish, but Max Rockatansky had the best security culture of all time. Dude managed to insinuate himself into a group of suspicious women, gain their trust, and ingratiate himself to the point of being able to talk them into GOING BACK THE SAME WAY THEY CAME, all without ever even giving his name, never mind any other personal details. Now, Max is a pretty cool guy, and is actually honorable and trustworthy, and his operational security is absolutely something we all should strive to emulate... HOWEVER, there is an important consideration to keep in mind: despite the fact that Max offered little to no personal information to his comrades, Furiosa and friends still had a pretty good idea of what his motives were, what he stood to gain from assisting them, and that he would not benefit from betraying them.

Play your cards close to your vest, try to understand that others will do the same, and don't place your trust in someone whose motives are unclear. You don't need to know someone's life story, but it's worthwhile to know what they stand to gain from helping you, and what they gain from screwing you over.

— By Elle Armageddon

Also, please do not actually run in tear gas clouds, this is how people get trampled. ↩︎

As an aside, please do not actually use "1onetwo1redblackGO!" as a passphrase, that one is mine. ↩︎

[silvino32mills]

Case Study: How a Blogger Became a Startup Founder

When Cas McCullough’s son asked for help with a letter writing project, she had no idea it would change the course of her career. Here’s how she went from being a blogger to becoming a startup founder and CEO.

“I’m a content strategist and writer by trade. And as content marketing became more and more of a must-have, I started getting a lot of inquiries from business owners and marketers who were frustrated with how to create great content. They found it frustrating and time consuming,” Cas says.

“When my son asked for help with writing a letter, I went looking for information on how to structure them. And it dawned on me that blog posts could be structured in much the same way. That’s basically how Writally was born.”

Writally is a content creation tool that helps people write original content when they don’t feel confident about writing for regular people, or their content lacks engagement. Imagine a chiropractor who wants to attract patients to their clinic, or a researcher who wants to raise their profile to attract funding.

“Just as Canva gives you different layouts and images to work with, Writally gives you different story prompts to work with. Each Content Recipe combines these prompts in different ways and each is tweaked for style, tone and voice,” Cas says.

Here are Cas’s biggest tips for anyone contemplating a startup, based on what she’s learned so far.

Don’t confuse startup and blog monetization

A startup is a business you plan to scale fast. It’s not a blog monetization strategy in the same way a book or a retail line is. A startup is time consuming, and requires a high level of commitment and the willingness to see it through for at least five to ten years. It means planning to hire staff, learning about finance options, attending events in the startup ecosystem, and applying for numerous grants.

There’s a lot of money being thrown at startups. But it’s not something to take on lightly. When I pondered taking the funding deal I was initially offered, I sat down with my kids and discussed it at length. I made sure they understood what kind of commitment it was going to be.

Solve a big problem

One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to solve a big problem. A headache is one thing, a migraine is another. You’re more likely to make money by providing a solution to a migraine. One way to test whether your problem is big enough is to pre-sell your idea through a landing page. If enough people sign up and pay money then you know you’re on a winner.

After initially pitching my idea in a startup competition in early 2015, I decided to offer my idea as a service so I could validate it further. I started testing the idea with members of a small business forum. Within a week, I had paying customers.

I highly recommend reading Dan Norris’s classic book The 7 Day Startup for some inspiration on idea validation. Dan was one of the first people I talked to about Writally, and his feedback and his book were invaluable.

Get to know the lingo

When I first began my startup journey, I thought MVP stood for Most Valuable Player. It turns out it meant Minimum Viable Product. An MVP is the first version of your product. I’ve had to learn terms such as ‘convertible notes’, ‘agile’, ‘full-stack’, ‘product-market fit’ and more. It really helps to understand the language when you’re networking with other founders, potential co-founders, accelerators, and investors. You don’t feel quite as lost in the fast-paced startup world.

Apply for accelerator programs

My idea was originally funded when I won the Suncorp Small Business Challenges Competition held by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland, startup accelerator Bluechilli, Microsoft, and Suncorp Bank. Entering a competition like that is a great way to learn how to validate your ideas and how to put a pitch together.

Having the support of an accelerator has made a massive difference in my journey. I’ve been thoroughly trained in how to raise capital, pitch, growth hack, hire the right staff and manage board meetings. And I’ve had access to company and investor introductions through Bluechilli’s amazing network. I still work with them as we take our next steps.

There are many opportunities to join accelerator programs in Australia, particularly if you live in a regional area or have a product that serves regional areas and primary industries. But keep in mind that accelerators and early investors will want to take a bigger cut of your company to start off with. Ten to 20 percent is typical for early equity providers with some funding thrown in.

Be prepared to fail

While nobody enters a startup thinking they’re going to fail, in 75% of cases they do. Your first product offering (MVP) may not work, so it helps to approach your product development like a science experiment.

Many startups in accelerator programs apply what’s called ‘lean methodology’ (created by Eric Reis, author of The Lean Startup) where you test and measure whether or not a hypothesis is true.

Our MVP launch went well, and we’ve had more than 1150 users sign up to the platform so far. But we weren’t achieving the daily usage we wanted, so we had to go back to the drawing board. We’ve had great feedback on the end product and the Content Recipes, but the process is what seemed to be getting in the way.

We’re currently experimenting with a few different ideas to work out how we can achieve product-market fit (the term that describes your product flying out the door). In some cases, you may drop your initial idea altogether. It’s important to have good advisors so you make the right call for your situation.

Be prepared for rejection

Startups look for funding so they can accelerate growth. Investors look for opportunities that will bring them a tenfold investment within five to ten years. Most investors want you to exit within that timeframe, too. Usually that would be a bigger company buying you out.

If investors don’t feel confident they’ll get that kind of a return from your startup, they’ll look for other companies to fund. In essence, finding funding for your startup is a lot like dating. Being turned down by potential investors or grant bodies is always hard, but you can’t take it personally. Each rejection is an opportunity to ask questions and seek feedback.

The biggest lesson for me has been to stand for the difference my product makes no matter what, and look for investors that get the content marketing industry. I’m looking for a lead investor (a $100K to $200K investor who’ll be a board member of my company) for my current seed round.

Understand how being a founder will affect your family

Some days, being a parent can be a challenge in the face of board meetings, events and investor pitches. When I first started Writally I was homeschooling my boys. Now they’re in school. I just couldn’t manage both, and they were keen to start school, so it worked a lot better that way.

Being a founder can put pressure on relationships as well. It’s often difficult for non-entrepreneurial partners to understand how the startup life works (or doesn’t work). Founders typically don’t earn a wage for up to three years, spend a lot of time away from home attending events and meetings, and work late into the night. Communicating with your family is essential to make that work for everyone. You definitely have to be judicious and responsible with your time and your money.

Get to know the startup ecosystem

In Brisbane there are regular events in the startup ecosystem. It’s worth joining a startup co-working space just to start your networking. You never know who might introduce you to a new enterprise client or investor. It’s also an opportunity for you to give back to others who have just started out. A great way to give back is to participate in Startup Weekend. These events are a lot of fun, and a great way to test new ideas.

I’ve had some amazing opportunities by being active in the startup scene. In November 2016 I visited Facebook, and it wasn’t just the typical tour. It was a real behind-the-scenes tour with a Facebook engineer. We saw a meeting taking place with head people including Sheryl Sandberg. We were told not to take photos or even touch our cameras, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to pitch Writally to investors and dignitaries at the Commonwealth Games. Then shortly after that I returned to San Francisco to join high profile investors, startup founders and dignitaries on #MyriadAir, a Qantas jet chartered by the Myriad Innovation Festival. I pitched Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter on the plane, and was interviewed by the Brisbane Times. I met many amazing founders on that trip and got to know some key people in the ecosystem.

Buckle up for the rollercoaster ride

Startup life is a rollercoaster ride. One week everything is going well, and the next everything’s falling apart – or at least feels like it. But it’s exciting, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I’ve met some incredible people, including seven-time TED Presenter Jonathan Trent on #Myriadair, and Canva Ambassador and former Apple Evangelist Guy Kawasaki at the Angel Hack Global Demo Day a couple of years ago.

The personal growth I’ve experienced has blown my mind. I used to lack confidence, but  now I’m very clear on what my strengths are and how I can contribute to others. My journey is far from over, and there will be more challenges, but creating something that has a massive impact on how people express themselves makes it totally worth it.

For more information about Writally, email Cas at ‘cas at writally.com’ or visit https://writally.com

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