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missglittersmiles · 2 months ago

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Noble To The Core- CH. 6

Descendants × Fem! ReaderSummary: Saturday is when the fun begins.

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•| ⊱ Wigs Part 1 ⊰ |•

Dear Family,

I'm afraid I have misplaced some of my letters I've written on the first day because I can't find them. I would have rewritten all of them, but I have been doing a lot of writing and my hand hurts. As you can already tell, this handwriting isn't my own. My roommate Frida Sutree has offered to write for me.

I am more than thankful that she is my roommate. We might even be reaching the point of calling each other friends. After a brief conversation, it is safe to say that I have made a friend here.

Everything is going well enough. The first day was eventful, and most of my time has been doing tests. The school wants to see what my academic level is. I can proudly say that I have been working hard! There hasn't been a moment where I haven't missed all of you. I hope you are all doing well.

Hopefully, in the next letter, I'll be the one writing it and I won't lose it. I still don't know what could have happened to them.

Next week is when I'll be starting my classes. I can't wait to see what it'll be like. Though regardless of how we did on the tests, we'll all be taking Remedial Goodness 101. They didn't explain much about it, but I have a basic idea of what it is. They also let us choose some classes. Aside from the required one, I'm most excited for art. I'll try to write to you soon. I love you all!

XOXO

y/n Vainira.

"Remedial Goodness 101?" The woman could feel a fire flaring up in her as she washed the dishes with her husband. The man gave her a sympathetic look, but she was too focused on scrubbing the dishes. "It's not like they could do anything. They're just kids. And they made a whole class because they don't think they'll behave or have basic morals? The gall to even think that. You know what it reminds me of—"

There was a slight cracking sound coming from the plate she was scrubbing. He gently grabbed the woman's wrist, stopping her movements. When she looked at him, the frustration in her eyes softened. She realized that she almost broke another plate. A sigh escaped her lips.

"I just worry. I'm already wondering if I made the wrong choice by letting her go there." He couldn't give her any comforting words without lying. It wasn't like he could speak anymore. So all he could do was rub circles on her wrist with his thumb. Tears poured down the woman's wrinkled face.

"I'm just scared that something's going to happen to her, and I can't even be there for her." She turned her head away from her husband. She hated being seen crying by anyone.

"But y/n's a good girl. She'll be fine. She's always been lucky." Her words sounded desperate. He let go of her wrist and held her hand. The two could only hope that their fears wouldn't come true.

For a brief moment, there was frustrated anger in her. It wasn't directed at y/n's future tribulations and her own inability to help her child. It was toward the one who was holding her hand so gently right now.

If only he hadn't been so reckless and fanatic, they wouldn't even have to be worrying about this. To her, it felt like the obvious choice was to throw everything behind. They could have run away. Left Vrahan that place only seemed to give him trouble anyway. Then they could find a new place to start their family. That's what they should have done. That should have been her ending.

It was either his extremist pride or his belief in this grandiose picture that led him down this path. He had spent years going to war with his only family. So much blood tainted the land he called home. He couldn't just throw that away, no matter how much she begged and cried. Love wouldn't win against a sword.

But in the end, it was both their fault for ending up here. Codrin with his unwavering belief and her own willingness to follow him to the end. They were the ones to bring children into this world. They brought this situation upon themselves.

She cracked a small, wistful smile at the image of her children. All of them are so different from one another, but still so precious. They were the ones who made her feel alive on this hellish island. "Everything will be fine." She said aloud. He squeezed her hand, and she responded with one as well. A wordless apology to each other and hope that her words were true.

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The idea of going clothing shopping for the new students had been stirring around in Ben's mind for a while now. He wasn't against the shabby look of their clothes. They were fine, but everything looked like they had been through a number of fights. There were holes and poor stitches that were barely holding the fabric together.

Not to mention the backhanded comments from other students. No one said anything when the five were around, but when they were out of sight, so many snide remarks slipped out from the students' mouths. Sometimes they'd say it openly in front of Ben as if trying to bait a reaction out of him. Of course, he never caved in and gave them what they wanted.

He wasn't going to say that he regretted his choice. From what little he has seen of the five, they all seem to be a well-rounded bunch. Just a little different from everyone here, but that didn't make them bad. Their blood didn't mean they were any less than them. No one's future was determined.

So when Frida came up to Ben and asked if she could take y/n out for some shopping. He couldn't hide his grin. His plan of trying to integrate the Island kids was working faster than he thought.

"You don't have to ask for my permission." Ben's words were followed by a slight chuckle. Frida gave him a dubious look, which stopped his laughter. He went silent for a moment before realizing that asking for permission was probably the best thing.

As much as he didn't want the school to be a prison cell for the five. He couldn't exactly let them leave school grounds without some sort of security following behind them. It was a bit dehumanizing, he knows, but his parents believed that this was a safety net of sorts. Things could be worse. He just hoped that, over time, everyone would learn to respect one another.

Frida waited for the prince's response. Watching his face shift from mild sadness to his usual sunny self. "That is a great idea!" He gasped before adding, "We should plan a whole day for them to get out of school and do some shopping!" Frida stood as still as a statue and watched Ben go on and on.

She wasn't into fashion, but she thought updating y/n's wardrobe would brighten her mood. The Island girl had become less enthusiastic as the first week went on, and it wasn't just her missing letters that were bothering her. When Frida asked what was wrong, all she'd say was that she was tired and was missing home.

It was clear that wasn't the only problem, but she never pushed y/n to give her the full answer. Why bother forcing it out? That usually leads to hostility. Still, she was glad to have Ben back up her idea. She wasn't sure about adding the other four to their little field trip, but she'd put up with it.

The rest of that free period was spent talking about what shopping would look like. It was mostly Ben brainstorming aloud and Frida trying to get back to her classwork.

'At least we have everything planned out, I guess. Well, that's if the King and Queen agree.' Frida thought glumly as the bell rang. She was still slightly upset that her classwork wasn't partially finished. It threw off her whole schedule. With the appearance of y/n, she had thrown everything in for a loop.

Later that day, when school was over, Ben made a beeline towards the palace. It wasn't too far from the school, just a little over half an hour ride. When the carriage came to a stop, he practically jumped out and sprinted in. He quickly found his mom in the library. If she wasn't anywhere else, then she was there.

When Ben loudly busted down the door, Belle slightly jumped at the sudden noise. She looked up from her book with curiosity at who had rudely entered the room. Much to her surprise, it was Ben.

Belle looked at the clock and asked, "Don't you have tourney practice?" Ben shook his head, then thought for a moment before nodding. "Usually, yes, but all the bats have gone missing. Every single one, even the spare ones. Everyone thinks Percy is behind it, and I don't want to be quick to judge- ah. That doesn't matter right now. That's not why I'm here right now."

She was getting to the good part of the book, but she put it down and put all her attention on Ben. Not interrupting once while he talked on and on about getting the Isle kids new clothes. He wanted them to pick their clothes themselves instead of some random person doing it for them. He also wanted them to experience more than just the school. There was a whole world that they had yet to know about.

The whole time Ben spoke, his eyes sparkled with excitement and hope. He was hoping that with these five, they could show that rehabilitation was possible for some of the children of the Isle. With them being a success story, other kids could join the rehabilitation program as well. But at the same time, there wasn't anything wrong with wanting them to enjoy their time here.

Once Ben finished speaking, he looked at his mom. He looked at her with pleading eyes. Belle gave him a sympathetic smile as she said, "Let's talk to your father about this." She watched his shoulders slump slightly. They both knew how this would end, but he would need permission from both parties.

And so, during dinner, another debate between Father and Son began. Ben didn't bother easing into things or touching his food. When the king took his seat at the head of the table, Ben brought up his idea. Catching everyone off guard. Belle played moderator during the whole discussion to keep things from getting out of hand.

The two were so stubborn that it wasn't amusing to Belle anymore. In the end, the king declared that those five were to stay on school grounds until he believed that they wouldn't try to run away or something worse. Ben was going to argue more until Belle called his name. Her voice was as stern as her expression. Silently telling Ben to back down.

Ben bit his tongue and nodded his head. If his mom wasn't going to back him up, then there was no point in fighting with his father. It'd be an uphill battle, but regardless of the obvious loss, Ben was thinking.

Just as the room had calmed down, Ben spoke up to bring back the tension. "At least let me, Chad, Audrey, and Frida be the ones to pick out their clothes. We'll ask what they like, and then we'll get it." He turned to his mom while saying, "It's better to have us do it than some random strangers, right?"

Already wanting to be done with this topic in general. The king agreed, which ceased further conversations about the Isle kids. With that, Ben spent his free time silently thinking to himself.

It didn't take him long to plan out this idea. All that needed to be done was to get the cogs moving. There were definitely some cogs that wouldn't move, but a little oil would loosen them.

During the wee hours in the morning, Ben woke up. He didn't bother waiting around to join his parents for breakfast. There was too much to be done. He was on a timer, and his deadline was Saturday.

In his closet, he spent a good moment looking through clothes. Trying to find something that didn't look too flashy or make him stand out. Then he finally settled on a simple white button-up and some brown pants. He looked in the mirror and messed up his hair. With his hair looking like a bird's nest, he looked a little less recognizable. If someone were to really look at him, then they'd probably realize who he was.

He ordered his carriage, which surprised the servants by how early it was. Still, an order was an order, and they began preparing everything for the prince. While his ride was getting ready, he grabbed a bag and threw his usual clothes in there, along with a purse with too many coins in it.

When the carriage was ready, equipped with a horse and a coachman, Ben's parents were waking up. Just as he was about to enter, he turned to the servant standing by. "Tell Mom and Father that I said good morning for me." He said with a smile before jumping in.

As always, the ride between the castle and the school was long and boring. It was the main reason why he has his own room in the dorm. He used to share his dorm room with someone, but his parents unrolled him with the announcement about the Isle kids. Ben seemed to have lost a bit of respect amongst his peers and even friends because of his decision.

Ben didn't regret any of this, but he does wish some of his friends didn't leave him behind. Or at least tried to understand where he was coming from.

His social circle may have diminished quite a bit, but at least he had Audrey and Chad. They were still opposed to the Isle kids, yet were willing to support Ben. It seemed like Frida Sutree, the recluse princess, would be joining them in their effort. Though it seemed like Frida was only interested in y/n. Which was a small victory to Ben regardless.

As the carriage entered the town, Ben told the coachman to stop when he saw what he was looking for. The coachman did as told before Ben leaped out. "Sir, what are you doing!?" The old man yelled out to the prince. "Don't worry, I'll be right back! I just need to pick up something!" Ben told the coachman as he entered the store.

The store owner was startled by Ben busting into the store. He couldn't tell if the woman was more startled by having a customer this early in the morning or how much energy he had. The prince smiled as he made his way to the counter. "Good morning! How are you doing?"

The woman spoke with wide eyes, "Good morning to you as well. I-I'm doing well." Ben looked around the shop. Taking in everything in the prop shop. The whole place looked messy yet organized at the same time. So many knickknacks. The woman rubbed her eyes, trying to see if her sleepiness was making her see things.

"You do wigs here, don't you?" He asked. His question was responded with a wordless nod.

"Great! You don't happen to have." He stopped and looked at his hands. Silently naming off names with each finger. Then he looked back at the woman to continue speaking, "Nine spare wigs?"

The woman didn't raise an eyebrow and went in the back. After waiting for a few minutes, she came back with a box of wigs. He grabbed the whole box and asked, "How much for them?"

"All of them?" She asked.

"All of them."

The moment Ben got back to school, he sneaked into the girl's dorm. Tiptoeing to Audrey's room. He knocked on the door lightly. Audrey wasn't a light sleeper, and she always got up early, so he was confident that she'd answer. The moment she opened the door, he rushed in and right past her.

Before she could question her boyfriend, he held out the box. "Do you think any of these bring out my eyes?" She peered into the boxes to see wigs. "What are these for? Wait, why do you even have these in the first place?"

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Listen, I have a plan." At that moment, Audrey's confusion turned into weariness. Ben and his little ideas were interesting, but not always successful. For instance, the tree incident that his friends would bring up. Or when he put hot sauce up his nose when he had a cold when he was younger.

"No! Don't look at me like that! Just hear me out, please, Audrey. It's for a good cause." Ben pleaded with his girlfriend. She didn't even have to look at his puppy dog eyes. His voice was enough for her. The prince of Auradon could make her do anything if he just asked. It was unfair how much power he had over her, but she supposed that was just love.

She let out a slight sigh and sat on her bed. "Fine." There was a slight pang of satisfaction when she saw him smile, and he thanked her. He set the box down and began explaining everything. How his father still didn't trust the five off school grounds. Even with security. Then on to his plan.

On Saturday, they'd sneak the Isle kids out. Everyone would be disguised, just so they wouldn't attract any unnecessary attention. He's already working out a deal with one of the coachmen, and he could bribe some of the guards. Although he would prefer fewer people get involved, he doesn't want to end up working with loose lips.

The boy stood the whole time while he talked. Making slight hand gestures from time to time. When he was done, he asked what Audrey thought about it. Without hesitation, she told him, "You're doing too much for them." He blinked. "You've brought them here. Isn't that enough?"

"Audrey," His usual sunshine aura slightly disappearing. "You know there's so much that needs to be done. Think about how many kids will be saved from that place if this program works. I know you don't believe in this, but—"

Audrey held up her hand to silence him. His mouth slightly hung open, but he quickly closed it when she spoke. "I believe you." She looked him in the eyes to clarify herself. "I believe in you. And if this program doesn't go right. If everything goes up in flames, I won't say I told you so. Because Chad and everyone will be saying it for me."

A slight laugh slipped from Ben. She continued on. "But no matter what, I'll always be right beside you. Helping you with whatever trouble you get into next. I'm sure Chad will be right there as well."

Ben wiped the corner of his eyes with his fingertips. "Why do you always say the sweetest things that make me cry? It's not fair."

She spoke in mild amusement. "It must be love, I suppose."

Once his eyes were cleared of any tears, he asked the important question. "Are you going to help me sneak them out?" His words made her "tsk" aloud and shake her head. "After everything I just said, you think I'd say no?"

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"Why do you have to wear a wig?" y/n asked Frida.

"I guess the Prince is worried that I'll be recognized and ruin everything." Frida explained while putting on a red wig. Then she looked in the mirror and thought to herself, 'I don't even think the people of Auradon even know where Murkmire is on a map.'

The two went to gather Evie and Mal. Jay and Carlos would be picked up by Chad. Audrey and Ben would be waiting at the carriage. As the girls sneakily made their way to where the couple was waiting, y/n glanced at the two. Mal wore a short black wig. While Evie had a long green wig.

"Green looks good on you," y/n said without much thought. Evie smiled and spoke proudly, "Everything looks good on me." The other two had second thoughts on Evie's wig. The color was rather obnoxious and looked ugly. It didn't matter who wore it. No one could pull it off. Not even Evie. Still, they didn't voice their opinion. Mal had already spoken her mind just an hour ago.

When they made it to the stables, the boys had arrived before them. Jay busted out laughing when he saw Evie's wig. Carlos laughed as well, but he was much quieter. "What the hell is that?" Jay asked, pointing at Evie.

Evie flipped her hair while striking a pose. "It's called fashion, Jay. It's something you've never heard of." He shook his head slightly. His smile never faltered. "Whatever you say, snot green." She paid no mind to the name.

Chad introduced himself to the girls. Evie's eyes went wide when she heard his last name. Before she could start flirting with him, he focused his attention on Frida. "What do you think about long hair?" He asked while running his fingers through his blue wig. Frida shrugged her shoulders, uninterested by him and the question. "I have no opinion on it."

"Hm, well, do you think I should grow my hair out?" He asked. Frida shrugged her shoulders again and gave him a cold look. "I don't care." He quickly backed off.

Evie would add, "I think you'd look good with any hair." Chad didn't pay much attention to her and said thanks before moving closer to his friends.

While everyone chatted, y/n discreetly inched closer to Carlos. She took in the wig he wore for a moment before turning her eyes away from him. "That wig looks bad on you." She bluntly stated. He gasped and spoke with a quiver. "I thought it looked good on me."

Carlos watched her tense her shoulders from the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry, I just—" He quickly cut her off. He felt a little bad for making her worry, but only a little. "I'm kidding. That [random color] wig doesn't look good on you, either."

Her lips quirked up into a small smile. "I don't mind it looking bad, but it's a bit uncomfortable, isn't it?" He only hummed in agreement.

Ben clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. With all eyes on him, he went over a few things. They all stay close to each other, no wandering off. There should be no unnecessary conversations with strangers. When they get into town, they'll be divided into two groups, boys and girls.

"Today we are different people." Ben said.

Noble To The Core Masterlist

I just wanted to get something out before my birthday and get something out. Also sorry for the Ben focused chapter and lack of y/n. I enjoy stuff that doesn't focus on the main cast and fleshing out. As always, I have a vague idea for what I'll write, but I'd like to know what character/characters you would like y/n interact more with. Maybe I'll write it in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and here's a quick doodle I made in an hour.

Taglist: @nobl3sse @remiechu

#disney descendants x reader #descendants #disney descendants #descendants x reader #x reader #noble to the core #x female reader

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lillified · 2 years ago

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Hello!! I really love your work and I'm interested in becoming a story board artist myself and was wondering if you majored in anything specific to become a storyboard artist? Ive done research and ive been told that taking an illustration or Animation major would be the best choice to make and im stuck between the two,, what do you think would be the better decision?

hey!! uhh, I’m probably not the best person to ask because a) I’m still VERY green and I absolutely do not want to assume too much expertise and b) I didn’t go to college!! haha!! so this is like. the opposite of my ballpark lol

BUT I guess the moral of the story I can kinda give both from listening to other more seasoned storyboard artists/mentors and my own experience is: it’s not really required??

school can be helpful for multiple reasons: firstly, it CAN (big emphasis on that can) give you a more streamlined general access to the knowledge that you need, which independent study doesn’t always afford. I’ve been able to progress pretty far without instruction, but having a good mentor will help you skip past a LOT of the tedium of hunting for it and hopefully make you more confident in your own abilities (one of my biggest issues in the professional sphere has been decision paralysis! because I’ve been given a lot of freedom to do things but I am very bad at gauging my own skill! it sucks! having some sort of certification and not going immediately from being in high school to working probably would have made things easier!). Another benefit of going to school is, obviously, the CONNECTIONS. If you go to the right school chances are youre gonna be in the same class as a bunch of other future people in the industry, and that will help you out majorly in the long run! point being: there are benefits!

that being said, there ARE downsides. obviously school is expensive, AND if you don’t go to a GOOD school then you probably aren’t gonna get, like, ANY of those aforementioned benefits. it’s not the fault of educators in those spaces, the way the industry works and the way our school system works just makes it incredibly hard to get a good, industry-ready art education at any old school.

also, art in general is not one of those jobs where getting a degree makes you arbitrarily qualified, which is one of the big scams of the whole thing. your WORK is the end all be all, and the only way your work is gonna be up to snuff is if you do more work. getting a good mentor can really help, but plenty of people go to college and get an art degree just to get a degree and then graduate realizing they barely got to actually focus on the type of art they’re supposed to have in their portfolio for the job they want!

so while I can’t really give you advice on the specific thing you actually asked for (so sorry lol i realize how dumb that is) I think that you should do research on what your college of choice offers and what specific things you’re going to learn, and then evaluate which major will best align with your field of choice! every program is different and every school is different. get the most bang out of your buck if you do intend to go to college, and know that the resources are out there for you to learn on your own! look for something that enhances your work and doesn’t detract from it :)

#long post #advice #art #storyboarding

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acrosol · 2 years ago

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minatozaki sana 24 female she/her — ; where do you get your inspiration, ito yua ? you’re so intelligent , i can’t help but think of running ink on paper and dirty fingerprints on glasses when i hear your name. your friends tell me you can be dishonest sometimes . i guess it’s understandable given the circumstances . besides , i can’t even imagine how stressful physics classes must be — not to mention you’re also in seolhwayeon (captain) ! you’re a local , right ? yeah , i thought so . either way , welcome to mugunghwa !

hello everyone!! i'm may and i'm very excited to share my version of ito yua♡ i hope i'll do the canon justice ;-; psa: i haven't properly roleplayed in a little while and i am currently very confused by the new editor TT so please excuse any technical difficulties that may be happening with my posts in the future, i'm still learning how to use this abomination !

also, i actually decided to not set too much muse information in stone this time, so there can hopefully still be plenty of space to develop her character further with the help of plotting and whatnot ! so, instead i have only gathered some rather lose bullet points about her instead which you can read about below ♡

PAST

back in high school, yua's friends often used to joke about the fact that she must be the first "prodigy child" who hated being called just that. sure, to them it seemed like yua had always been exceptionally smart and thus easily excelled in most classes but it wasn't as easy as it looked like.

in contrary to popular belief, she wasn't as gifted as she seemed and had to spend absolutely all of her free time studying for upcoming tests and exams. whenever anyone asked her to hang out, she would simply claim she had a lot of extracurricular activities going on until someday people stopped asking her to hang out at all.

her classmates soon began to label her as snooty and uppish since she must have felt like she was too good for everyone else if she never had time to get to know the other people in her classes. and what started out rather harmless somehow snowballed into a bigger problem until the entire year started to avoid yua altogether.

she tried to play it off and pretend that it didn't phase her when in reality, yua's high school years turned out to be incredibly lonely. however, the lack of friends around her made it easier to drown herself in books and just like that, she still became valedictorian.

in 2021 during her second year of uni, she decided to take a break and study abroad for a while, opting for an art school. however, she quickly realised that the arts weren't exactly her cup of tea, so instead she spent most of her time there with her new girlfriend. it was the first and only time in her life where her studies weren't the most important thing to her.

PRESENT

today, yua still normally keeps to herself. there are definitely still a few people who believe her to be too full of herself to pay attention to anyone else but it seems like most people pay her no mind.

since she hardly had any friends growing up, she found comfort in seeking academic validation. it is the only thing that seems to bring her true joy, but she still whole-heartedly wishes she was more popular, even if she would never admit it.

in an attempt to find some friends to spend time with, she joined the taekwondo club. much to her surprise, it worked better than expected and she was soon asked to be the captain. it was only a small thing, but in that moment yua had never felt more popular.

yua is well aware of the fact that she is technically part of the keepers but she would never call herself a member: to her it just seems like a waste of time ... which is why she's almost never seen around the group.

something most people wouldn't know about her is the fact that even if yua looks like she isn't paying attention, she definitely still is aware of her surroundings. after all, her years spent in solitude moulded her into a perfect observer. even if she would never dare talk about the things she hears and sees ... it doesn't mean that she doesn't know about a couple of secrets here and there.

aaaaaand this is everything i have so far!! please let me know by liking this post if you would like to plot ♡ i also have discord if that's easier for some of you, so please don't hesitate to ask for my user !

#mguintro #so excited to be here<3

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steamishot · 10 months ago

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pottery week 2/6

i was still a bit nervous going into pottery class today, but the experience overall was much better. it helped a lot watching youtube videos, reading some library books, and also reminding myself to just chill out and have fun. today, we focused on trimming the foot of the cups. i went in there last friday to practice throwing. it's nice to have these coworker-esque people around me. going into pottery class really does feel like i'm commuting to work. it's a ~30 min commute to ktown. it forces me to go to manhattan more often and gives me a purpose to be outside of the home. i was definitely less socially anxious today and even said hi to two people.

yoga: i signed up for the initial month of unlimited membership, which is $99 (normal price is $225) and plan to cancel after the first month. considering that each class is about $15-20 using classpass, it would be worth it as long as i take 7+ classes this month. i'm aiming to do at least 4-5 classes a week haha.

painting: i've been periodically checking to see if registration at a local brooklyn art studio has opened up, and it did on friday! i registered for the painting the photograph acrylics class, which will have 4 classes total. with a discount, it cost about $255. this class starts exactly one day after my wheel throwing class ends and will recur on monday evenings. hopefully i'm not too stressed out by needing to sneak out of work during that time.

piano: so this was a bit on a whim, but i decided to purchase a yamaha ez300 61 key keyboard. i fell for the aesthetics of it, and it doesn't hurt that it's been reviewed well. i think it'll be the perfect addition to the apartment.

overall, i recently feel very motivated to pursue the hobbies that i had interest in as a child/teen but lacked the resources and money for. i've been complaining about feeling socially isolated and caged in with my WFH set up for like the last year. due to social obligations (5 weddings) in 2023, i was back and forth between LA and NYC. i had always connected LA to where my social base was, but couldn't figure out how to integrate myself more here (and also, i wasn't trying to because i was constantly fixated on going back).

i thought that having a hybrid work schedule would solve a lot of things. which it may have. however, going into pottery class has opened up a whole new world for me. growing up pretty financially unprivileged meant that my parents weren't able to afford extracurricular classes for me. i never participated in any sports or activities in school, besides things that are related to academics. this carried into my adulthood. in my 20s, i never paid for studio classes (outside of the occasional groupon), only took yoga classes that were free or donation based, and didn't pursue any hobbies that cost much money. i enjoyed hiking and occasionally running, both of which can be pretty low cost.

in my family, splurges would be on food, travel, some clothes, designer bags, jewelry, family/friends and some electronics. by influence, i always felt like i "should" get a designer bag when i had money, but i realize that i really don't care for them. i'm all for splurging on food and travels, but i think i've experienced enough of that in the last few years. my current channel is splurging on hobbies - which is a foreign concept to my family and i.

this is all to say, because i didn't grow up with this idea, i didn't think it was possible for me. who knew that i could fulfill my social needs by paying for some kind of class or membership. i'm considering getting a membership at a pottery studio (here or back in LA, wherever life takes us), so i can continuing practicing after my class ends. it's also not a super crazy idea to me anymore to pay $200+/mo for yoga membership. there are also other interests i've always had: learning piano, how to swim, culinary arts, dance (much more out of my comfort zone) that i'm excited to pursue in the future.

this note is to thank my younger self for overall being quite frugal and responsible with money, so that my 30s self can enjoy the financial stability and afford to make my dreams come true. also, another thanks to the boo matt for working super hard the last 5 years (more like whole life) for his career that allows us easier access to financial freedom.

other life events:

my SIL's paternal grandmother passed away during a trip to cambodia. she had joined us at the hearst castle family trip a while ago, along with other family functions since. she was shy of 80 and had heart disease. it's sad, it seems like every month i'm hearing about someone passing. RIP

R turned 30 today! we will be doing a surprise bday celebration for her next sunday.

filed my taxes and got about $300 in refunds

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appaeve · 3 years ago

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Hii, I'm absolutely enamoured of your art! The style is so neat and expressive, the colours a delight and overall aaah, you're amazing, looking forward to see your future works :D

I have this question (I hope it doesn't bother you, feel free to ignore in case), have you attended any art school/academy or are you self taught? Because I'd love to learn how to draw, and I know that practice is the key, but I feel so lost thinking about what I should practice exactly. I think that a course would help, but at the same time I think it wouldn't since art is mostly yours to develop and vibe with yanno. Hope you're having a nice (insert moment of the day here)!

hi! first, thank you sm! I know it doesn’t seem like much but compliments regarding the funky way I draw make my day :). And for the second thing- nope! I attended public school that had a basic art class that you drew maybe a still life in and moved on in 8 weeks to do other extracurriculars like gym. Later on I did get the chance to learn some digital/photoshop stuff and paints for more serious courses but yea! mostly self taught :)

Next bit is LONG so we’re breaking it up:

aaaa ok so now when I heard of the “I’d love to learn how to draw, but I feel lost” I resonated with that BIG time. “Starting art” or in your case stating how you wanted to learn how to draw is a personal process that i wholly believe will be different for everyone. For me I started by drawing on rocks I found in the backyard as a kid and grew from there. To jump into drawing (for my personal method!) draw what your interested in or what you enjoy, and then mix that with some studies. Maybe an OC one day, and the next you’ll practice hands/ something from life you don’t really wanna draw. But! by doing this you build skills and grow- then when you redraw that OC maybe their anatomy is better or you drew a nice background with it. Once you learn the basics of some elements of art then you can stylize them!

“Well what do I study?” Anatomy, color theory, composition tricks, fundamentals of art, etc. are all pretty broad things to focus on! I would try to divy it up, maybe you practice shoes, or plant studies one day instead of the whole human figure and a forest painting. Keep it simple and fun, you’re learning and sketches aren’t meant to be perfect! There’s no “order” on what you should study first. As for taking courses vs going with flow with art/more self taught, I would say that if you have the opportunity to learn from masters- take it take it take it. I would never consider learning or taking inspiration from artists cheating. Of course I wouldn’t recommend copying an artists work (and CERTAINLY not positing it online) but maybe as a study draw a work that is based from them/their style and learn from it. I look at the way I draw noses for certain characters and they remind me of they way “x” person drew them, yeah? bits and pieces of inspiration and other artists work helped me create my own art that is personal to me :).

WHOOO okay finally last thing- going back to the no “order” bit. Establish goals! lets say you wanna draw characters first, then I would recommend looking up videos of drawing body types or tutorials online. Maybe clothes next, or you wanna learn to draw trees and do a whole week on that. Some people practice everyday, others do it like once a week- and that’s ok! Art shouldn’t be super stressful methinks. If you think taking an art course is good for your artistic journey, then do it. If you think practicing everyday but more self-taught (still use references, im the biggest hypocrite when it comes to this but they’re so so important), then do it! Yeah I might be throwing in what I personally do as an artist (but I’m still VERY much learning too!) however it is your choice to decide what path is best for you as a creator. Hopefully some of this helped! it seemed like a very genuine ask that I appreciated and wanted to give my input to the best of my ability :)

#OWOOOUUUUUUGH #long post #nyx! thank you for the ask! hopefully this is helpful in some way #but I’ll put the disclaimer again: I’m not an expert cause I am very much still learning too-these are just the things that have helped me #still it was super sweet- I saw your other message and I must’ve missed it sorry about that one dude!#also another quick thing I know studies sound like this big scary or exhausting word #but in art they don’t have to be- I learned to draw formal wear and clothing wrinkles from drawing my favorite character in a show #sucker wore a suit and I learned from that #appa asks

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lilallama · 4 years ago

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ALRIGHT HELLO!!! uh I'm not really sure how to do these things but imma try ngkskfk💀 if you're busy rn, just ignore this! Buuut like I promised, I came with an art club ask hehehe😈 okok, so basically I'm wondering how would both the clubs react if y/n began hanging out more with the art club during school and after school, which leaves them slowly drifting away from the cooking club👀 would the cc threaten the ac or just start hogging all of y/n's attention? (also if it's fine with you, I'll be sending some more ac asks in the future since I wanna know more about them hehehe <3)

Oh, no you don't! The cooking club will be absolutely livid, especially Namjoon. Of course only at the art club, never could they be mad at their beloved. Namjoon would confront his younger brother. Spending time with his dearest Y/n, stealing them away from him, is the gravest mistake he could've ever made. While he will not hurt any of the members, he'll likely threaten them. It started off as minor things, such as; if you don't stop, I'll throw your consoles out. But that didn't work. At that point, the seven boys had to discuss what they should do now. Jeongguk suggested torturing them untill they cannot remember their names anymore. But the club quickly discarded that idea, for safety reasons. Yoongi suggested not foing anything. If Y/n's happy with them, they should allow it. Taehyung agreed, with the addition that they should first test the art club, to reassure that they'll be good servants. Of course, never as great as Taehyung. But the other members weren't too keen on that idea, so it was also discarded. Jimin suggested kidnapping Y/n, but they couldn't agree with whom Y/n should stay. It had to be scrapped in the end. Seokjin was too busy admiring himself in the mirror to even listen. He was not worried at all because, I quote; "I'm my Prince's/Princess' favourite anyway. It's such second choice energy to try and eliminate literal toddlers, you know." The others were not happy about that. By then, Hoseok was just done with these idiots. But then he remembered, what kills a friendship faster than misunderstandings and rumours! Namjoon, Jimin and Seokjin are now tasked to spread rumours about the art club. Namjoon politely refused, as it would taint his image which was already wonky due to him spending time with strange commoners. At first Seokjin was annoyed, but he doesn't mind a good gossip every once in a while. Jimin was fully on board, gossip is his middle name. He would fully enjoy ruining the reputation of that pesky art club.

The art club would stay unbothered to everyone around them. The super awesome Y/n Sunbaenim is hanging out with them, can it get any better! They would love spending time with the coolest person on the entire campus! They all rush to get to your classroom first, as soon as the bell rings. Even if it's just for the five minutes inbetween classes, they would love to help you carry or get your books. You praising them is just so fulfilling. Everything they do, they first have to get your opinion. "Sunbaenim, do you wanna watch the new Spiderman with us?" "Sunbaenim, do you want to get ice cteam with us?" "Sunbaenim, what do you think? Should we get Gasi a new hat?" Now that we're talking about Gasi, the little hedgehog will always be with you. You seven are the ultimate team. Nothing can defeat you! "Don't worry Sunbaenim, Gasi will protect us! Right, Gasi?" "...." Namjoon threatened to kidnap and abandon Gasi, if they don't stay away from Y/n. But they couldn't let that happen. Gasi could never survive out on their own in the wilderness (their garden)! So they all agreed that Gasi would skip Soobin's turn of taking care of Gasi, to keep them safe. Kai will whine to Y/n about the cooking club being mean to them, to hopefully get sone sympathy cuddles from them. They didn't know about the rumours the cooking club spreaded, but also didn't really care. Like, people stay away from them? OMG! That means they've really intimidated them! Now they're just as cool as the cooking club, if not cooler! They really think they're now the coolest guys in town, because people think they killed someone. Which they haven't done! Yet.

If you liked my work please reblog! 🍑

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mkstrigidae · 4 years ago

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Okay so I'm making my way through your masterlist and I'm in love?? Like let's start off with Winter's Child- a masterpiece. You make Sansa a loving and relatable character and interweave the powers into cannon in a way that actually makes cannon make more sense (preconceived biases and such). Jon and Sansa's relationship is SO SWEET and they way they bonded was absolutely adorable (and the backstory with the houses and the powers they have make so much sense) 1/3

(2/3) Neon Rain literally the best Cyberpunk AU! I've ever read. Like what you did with the world building?? The stark class differences (haha see what I did there?), the choices in SOUND, and I could FEEL myself there! I love the family dynamics between the Starks and I'm loving the little details you're dropping with the Greyjoy's , Jon's parentage, and all of the medical procedures. Jon is dramatic af and I love it and Sansa is a bamf AS SHE SHOULD. Nothing but love for this

(3/3) A Past Worth Having has a special place in my heart. You build up this setting like a tapestry, just seeing more richness and depth the longer you look. I'm proud of Sansa for holding her composure, just FEELING in the angst that the older Starks feel at her return, and loving the relationships with Robin and the rest of the Starks + Jon Arryn. The detail that you're putting into the investigation/Oberyn is awe inspiring and I can't wait to see what you do next with the trial + Jonsa

Haha thank you so much!!! This is such a sweet ask to get! My response is under a cut, because this might get kind of long! (lots of my own meta below, bc i accidentally had a lot to say, haha)

With ‘Winter’s Child’ I’ve really enjoyed weaving in fantasy elements to the world because I like to look at stories and pick at loose threads until they unravel and asking ‘what if?’. I thought it would be a super interesting concept to take a character like Sansa, who in ASOIAF is exactly what she is supposed to be as a noblewoman of her class and conforms very well in that role, and put her in a position where she was essentially a societal outcast in a lot of ways! In WC, Sansa has a lot of similar coping mechanisms to ASOIAF Sansa, in that she sort of romanticizes society to avoid thinking about how absolutely awful it is. In ASOIAF, Sansa holds tight to the notion of knights and chivalry and courtly love to cope with the fact that she essentially has no control over her future and, as a woman, is basically property. In WC, I have her really struggling to make herself into that perfect lady and using that as a sort of shield to the fact that, without a gift, there isn’t anything she can do to improve her lot in life. Sansa has these ideas about becoming a perfect lady and hoping that being perfect in other areas will ‘make up’ for what society perceives as deficient about her, but is more jaded than ASOIAF Sansa due to her age and her earlier exposure to the ills of society. So you get a Sansa who gets along better with Arya and Jon as a result, in part because she’s had that exposure to what it’s like to be an outcast in society. I think that the best fantasy has a really strong emotional backdrop (a really great example is ‘Fruits Basket’ which starts by hooking you with this wacky, fun premise about people in a family turning into animals when hugged by a member of the opposite sex, and slowly builds into a point where you can see that the family ‘curse’ is a representation of generational and familial abuse- of bonds that should be broken, and of bonds that may kill us even as we cling to them- it’s extremely complex and rich and if you haven’t read or watched it, I can’t recommend it highly enough), and so while I really love writing about the fantasy aspects, and writing scenes where Sansa does really cool things with her ice powers, the core of the story is really about Sansa coming into her own, and learning that she was a person who was worth something even without any sort of gift. Sort of overcoming societal stigma and realizing your worth and forcing others to see it. It’s so much fun to write, but i’m stuck at the moment, because i need to reread the books, and my roommate is borrowing them right now haha!

God, APWH is like, indulging my inner world-building suspense-narrative loving writer persona. It’s literally my all time favorite trope- which is of someone growing up to find out that they’re a long-lost somebody or have family they never knew about- combined with a lot of research on trauma (which i’ve been doing for academic and other reasons for a while) and a lot of slowly growing psychological horror courtesy of Petyr Baelish (trust me, it’s going to get WAY more intense). There are so many pieces of media that I love, but I think that GRRM has so many characters and such a well fleshed out world that it’s very fun to dive into his worlds and create something there. Inherently, I love a slowly unraveling mystery and morally gray characters, and this is allowing me to indulge in both!!! World-building is my favorite, because i tend to be fairly detail oriented, and i’ve been laying bread crumbs in so many places throughout the story to hopefully build up to a decent conclusion! I know sort of how it ends, and I think people are going to absolutely lose their minds if I execute it correctly. We have a few chapters to go until we get to anything in the semblance of a trial- there’s some more emotional aspects that I think need to get addressed first, and so I’m so grateful that people are so supportive of being willing to wait for the Jonsa, because they really start spending a lot of time with each other during the trial and prior to the trial (i’m a big believer in bonding via long car rides and so there’s a lot of that!). I’m just so humbled and awed by the response to it- I never dreamed that people would enjoy the story this much- when I started it, I was writing a light-hearted family piece that wouldn’t be too long, and, uh, it kind of evolved from there. Clearly, I am not good at keeping things concise haha.

I left Neon Rain for last, because your comments on this one really made me smile! Of all of my stories, oddly enough, Neon Rain is actually the most deeply personal for me, and I’m just so flattered at your kind words! I spend a lot of my time thinking about the flaws inherent in our society, and without getting too detailed, Sansa’s experience with a family member struggling in the medical system is not unfamiliar to me. There’s a weight that comes with the realization that a system that is supposed to care for people is based on capitalistic ideals of profit maximization, and as someone who has experience working in the healthcare system- no matter how bad you think it is in the US, I can promise you it’s actually worse.

Neon Rain actually just started out as a series of mental images from listening to music that I had to get down on paper, and evolved from there. I actually really love the ‘soulmates’ and ‘class differences’ and ‘mastermind art thief’ tropes, but am incapable of writing fun stories without thinking about the reality of those tropes (see APWH for another extreme example of this haha), and so as I was writing and trying to capture this mental image, the rest of the world began unfolding around me. Jon is different because of a different upbringing here, and so is Sansa, and to see the formerly idealistic Sansa become so jaded by the time she meets her soulmate is just catnip for me. You have this interesting dynamic between them, because Jon wants nothing more than to have Sansa in his life, and give her everything she wants and needs, but where the old Sansa (who was arguably middle-class and somewhat naive, as financially secure teenagers understandably tend to be) would have swooned over that, the Sansa who meets Jon when the story begins is seeing the world and all the unfair and unequal systems in it. She can’t just live happily ever after with him right away- there’s a sense of guilt there, of sansa not feeling like she deserves nice things, and there’s also Sansa’s deep sense of compassion and kindness that won’t allow her to just live life as the well taken-care-of girlfriend of a wealthy man, because she isn’t able to just put on blinders and pretend that all the injustice in the world around her doesn’t exist, simply because it wouldn’t affect her that way anymore.

I think that the core to writing Sansa, for me, in any universe, is that she is a kind and compassionate person who is capable of feeling sympathy towards even the people who have done horrific things to her and her family- that emotional awareness and empathy is a harsh thing to have in a world like Neon Rain, and in our own world, honestly. I’m so glad that you appreciate Sansa’s BAMF-ness in the story- I think that her chapters demonstrate that she is capable of doing extraordinary things when she’s doing them for people she cares for, to be kind (The scene where Alayne helps Robin down from the eyrie is most indicative of this I think), and so in this world, I just love having Sansa be a complete badass out of necessity. Also, it’s fanfiction, and I really wanted to give Sansa a cool motorcyle, because no one else was gonna do it!!!

Also, my characters like to run away with me, and before I knew it, Rodrik Greyjoy had a huge adorable crush on Sansa in the story that I immensely enjoy writing. The Greyjoys are fun because they’re all absolutely insane, and i’m a total sucker for ‘gruff dangerous character is completely a sucker for the kind sunshine-y character’ trope.

God, this accidentally got really long??? I’m sorry- thank you so much for such a kind ask!!! I love hearing what people think of my stories, and this was so sweet :)

#my writing #joanofarkansass #ask answers

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seacottons · 3 years ago

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No no don't feel bad! Shit sorry I didn't think what I said through, I really didn't mean to make you feel bad. Please reply when and if you can or want to, it's no pressure at all. Gosh, I really hope your doc can figure out what's going on, I'm sending you lots of love and support bub, they'll figure this out hopefully!

Bts was amazing, honestly. My first kpop group. Their songs just used to hit different and their mvs and the story, it was so nostalgic, and yeah definitely, it's an experience going back and listening to groups. You're into exo and nct too?? That's awesome! I've never actually thought to ask what other groups you listen to~ a louder summer song? Huh, that's a point... I've never really thought of some as louder and others more mellow~ but yeah dreamers was amazing, really loved it~

I think I saw a painting you did... Was it one of san? I can't quite remember.... Honestly doing portraits or drawing living things in general is just so hard 😭😭😭 where did you learn to paint?? Are their other forms of art mediums you use too?? Also, I bet your landscape paintings looks amazing! From what I remember, I was really in awe of your san painting. Give it a shot bub and see how it goes! Maybe look at some tips and tricks to help~

I've been doing okay, just buried under piles of work that I've just about managed to get done. Every day has just been non stop of so many things, I barely get an hour to myself anymore... But summers coming up and I'm starting to think maybe being busy was a blessing 😅 gosh, it's such a typical thing to never be satisfied. Here's to hoping summer goes well~ how've you been bub?

And no hongjoong shall never be stopped >:)

take a chill pill ash. i wasn't offended at all what do yOU MEAN!? HAHAHA. and yeah, i hope so

bts always make bops. i just wish they can make more songs like black swan and bsat. i miss their darker songs. oh mY GOD YES I AM A HUGE NCTZEN. i know so many people who refuse to stan them bc they're too many sxsvhsk idk what that's supposed to even mean- their whole process isn't confusing at all

ew- that one san painting was atrocious. the urge to burn it is so strong but i promised myself i wouldn't trash any of my work like what i used to do in the past. it'd be nice to look back at it in the future, even if i think it's ugly

are you piling all the work in one go so you can have more free time for yourself? i've been okay. work and doctor appointments take up most of my time. we're getting ready to move the students to their next classes and now i have to deal with a new set that are most likely going to panic bc new classroom and new teachers. this is probably the worst time of the year ngl. i get headaches just thinking of it

that gif of hong makes me want to write an 80's inspired fic of him working in those vinyl records shops? idk what they're called xavshskll

#atthispointwhoevencares 🏴‍☠️ asks #asks

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the-girl-who-walks-with-faeries · 4 years ago

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Answers to Dark Academia Asks

Its called I'm bored and I am procrastinating from doing my dissertation (its on medieval Norse dragons btw, I can make a post about it if anyone is interest), so I'm doing these questions. It has probably been years since I've done one of these, so let's learn a bit about me!

ink: favorite dead language?

Old Norse, mostly because its what my studies mostly focus on, though I have a soft spot for Latin, because I studied it throughout middle school and high school.

quill: how would you describe your writing style?

I don't really know. Supposedly its a weird writing style that I need to improve on, according to my professors. One of them told me it reminded them of a "1950s Robin Hood radio play" in some of the phrasings, so lets go with that.

perfume: scent of choice, whether it be a perfume/candle or just in general?

I really like bakery smells, like vanilla and cake and such, but also peach and fruity smells as well. If someone could make a perfume that smells like a peach crumble I'd be all set!

parchment: what area of philosophy interests you?

None, I've never been really interested in philosophy, sorry!

candles: favorite quote?

Oooooh that's a hard one. But on my page I have "not all those who wander are lost" from Tolkien, so let's go with that one!

raven: what makes you feel most like a “dark academic”?

Despite being online for class, it really helps that I study at an old university. Yesterday I sat in the sun at the ruins of the first monastery in my town, and that felt pretty "dark academic". Otherwise, its when I have to get out a book for my classes that looks like it hasn't been checked out in decades.

pages: do you annotate your books? how do you prefer to annotate them?

I never annotate books that I just read for entertainment. If its for research, I will highlight/underline, put sticky notes in, and occasionally write in.

corduroy: any big past regrets?

In this pandemic, there are a bunch, lol. But mostly its that I didn't do a lot of the traditional stuff that students at my uni do, and now that I'm graduating this year and everything is closed, I have to miss out on them.

violin: favorite composer? favorite piece of classical music?

I don't often listen to classical music, its just not something I gravitate towards. For composers, I really like listening to film scores, especially by Howard Shore and Harry Gregson-Williams. Anything fantasy is usually up my alley.

teapot: how do you take your tea or coffee?

I really like infusion teas, which I know someone will tell me that doesn't really count. But I just always like having a red berry tea with one or two sugars. For coffee, I prefer iced, and will get an iced caramel latte if I'm ordering it, but will just have a hot coffee with milk and sugar if I'm at home, because it's easier.

library: preferred study environment?

I love studying in cafes! I find that staying in the library too long makes me less productive, so I like sitting at a table in a dark cafe, having a coffee and being able to get work done while still having people talking and music playing around me.

wood: what does your ideal future look like?

While I would love to be part of some monster hunting/occult secret society, I don't think that's a possibility. I want to go into academia, hopefully being a professor, but would also be interested in working in museums and archives as well!

leather: favorite book(s)? what makes them special?

Anything by Tolkien will probably top my list because I have always had a special connection to Middle Earth that I can't really explain. I also love Narnia, His Dark Materials, Howl's Moving Castle, etc. etc.

canvas: is there any work of art that resonates with you? why?

Anything that's Pre-Raphaelite or Romantic, I just find that art style so beautiful and magical, especially because they tend to have very mythological/legendary themes to them that I appreciate.

capelet: quintessential piece of dark academia clothing?

A black turtleneck. I wear way too many turtlenecks in general, but growing up I watched the History Channel where every historian wore a black turtleneck. So now as a historian, I love wearing black turtlenecks haha!

feather: favorite poet? favorite piece of poetry?

I know this might be controversial, but I just don't really like poetry! I like reading epic poems like the Aeneid, Beowulf, etc., but for some reason I've just never gotten into modern poetry. If anyone has any recommendations let me know!

shadow: what makes you feel nostalgic?

Carving pumpkins, sitting outside on the porch in the summer, baking cookies with my mom.

sandalwood: what plants/flowers would you like to have in your study?

I want so many plants, but I just don't have a green thumb! I would love to have some small plants dotted around my study and propagating plants along the windowsills if I thought I could keep them alive. Maybe I should just start with a cactus.

clock: early bird or night owl?

Neither? I guess in the summer I become more of an early bird, but I like mid-morning to early afternoon time more than anything. Or late afternoon as the sun is setting!

pressed flowers: have you every fallen in love? out of love?

Yes to both.

orchestra: describe the songs on your most played playlist

Currently that playlist is a Buffy x Spike playlist because I started binge-watching BTVS but now I just listen to it because its got a lot of songs about illicit romance, unrequited feelings, etc. that is just really nice to listen to.

fire: which of the seven deadly sins do you find yourself leaning towards?

.....pride.....

tweed: any languages you want to learn/are learning?

I am currently learning Old Norse, Old English, and am re-teaching myself Latin. I would like to continue to learn Middle English and Welsh which I have taken breaks from. I need to learn German and/or French for PhD applications next fall. And I think it would be cool to know Ancient Egyptian and read hieroglyphs. Is that enough?

dust: biggest fears?

The typical answer of failure. I'll tell you though that I have an irrational phobia of the ocean and whales specifically. If anyone can explain that, I'd love to know!

silence: do you consider yourself to be a good secret keeper?

100%. Plus, I like knowing what everyone's secrets are, because I just think its interesting.

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poisonappletales · 6 years ago

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Hi! I've been a huge fan of your visual novels for a long time, and when I found out you were posting updates on tumblr, I just had to make one myself to follow you! I absolutely adore everything you do. I want to be an author in the future, and your work is truly inspiring to me. So, I have a question that may sound a little confusing, since I don't know how to phrase it correctly. How did you begin to write these stories and characters? I'm quite curious as to how you started.

Hello, cursedauthor! Aww, that makes me so happy to hear. It’s such an honor that you would make a tumblr account to do that. The dream of being an author is a beautiful one, isn’t it? I wish you luck in achieving it! With hard work, effort and love, I believe you can do it.

How did I begin to write my stories and characters? Let’s see…I would say that it started way back around high school. I actually first thought of the story that would essentially come “after” Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces). When I was in class, sitting in the car or simply finding myself with nothing to do, I would think about that fantasy world. I would think about the characters I wanted in them, how they would interact, and the society around them.

Eventually, I had to put my fingers to a keyboard because writing was and still is my number one passion.

I think it was maybe…5-7 years ago? That I realized I wanted to flesh out a certain character’s background even more. After all, didn’t it make more sense to start with the prelude, to say the least? Voila! Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces) was born.

I finished writing that novel in roughly 2 years. It actually had a different title then, but anyway, a little after that, one of my friends was telling me they thought books were something of a fading trend. Some of the bookstores where I live were closing down, so there might be some validity in that, even though I don’t think it’s about to become extinct or anything. (We’re simply moving to the technological era where we read books through glowing screens instead of pages.)

They also shared another concern with me. See, here’s the thing. My friends usually prefer easy reading, like young adult fiction. Some prefer just comic books and/or manga. I like all of those things as well, in addition to classics and a ton of other literature. (I love reading, and fantasy is one of my favorite genres!) Now, influenced by all that, they usually tell me that my writing is complex or “very smart” - not as a criticism or a backhanded compliment. They’re just not necessarily the target audience because it’s not what they’re used to reading.

In light of that, I wanted to come up with a way to expand my audience. Stories are meant to be read, and I wanted to reach as many people as possible - to share what made me happy with others. To touch another person’s world, you might say.

I ultimately decided to go the visual novel route. If I added visuals to the story, you can “see” what I am trying to convey, even without words one may or may find too complex or unsuited for easy reading.

Truth be told, when I first released a test game (Death Room) with a friend, I was a little reserved with my writing style. For that one and my other fun error-and-trial games (Ready, Set, Parody!, War: Valentine Edition, and Don’t Take This Risk), I was actually holding back. I was watering down my usual style with elements from young adult fiction and other easy reading. (Ironically, that takes more effort for me than you might think, as I’m more accustomed to writing the other way!)

I did release War: 13th Day with a little more of my style. For better or worse, that has a very divided reception. Although Wildfire’s part of the narration is more or less simple, the game as a whole is more writing-heavy and slanted towards the psychological genre (in this case, engineered to bewilder!). Typically, players either love it or hate it. (Then again, perhaps I need to update the art style there. It’s just that it fits the dreamy sort of ambiance and perception theme I’m going for so well. I hesitate to think of changing it because the rough-cut edges fit a certain rough-cut persona…)

But with Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces), the visual novel version of which I have been working on since before the Death Room…I wanted to put more of me in it. I remember that in the first version of the demo, I did it again - holding back some of my words. The result was that I think some people came up with certain impressions to fill in the gaps, which wasn’t what I wanted.

For the second version of the demo, I wrote more and you know what? I liked the turnout there. People started to understand my world, and according to the survey results, things like the Translation button were helpful. Success! (Now, there were some people utterly confounded by its existence, but I have to tell you, there are readers who appreciate it! So, don’t be shy about using it. If you rather not tell anyone, it’ll be our little secret. I won’t judge.)

Sometimes, one of my teammates (who’s also a friend) reads what I write in the visual novel script and still encourages me to make it “easier” to understand. I’m trying to find a middle ground there (like with the Translation button) because this is my baby. While I want to make others smile when they see it, I also want to give it all my love. If I hold back what I love too often, it’ll become something stale. It wouldn’t have life and be me.

If you saw me face-to-face, I doubt you would know it at first glance, but I’ve always been something of an old-fashioned person. (Yep, as a matter of fact, nobody has ever come up to me and said, “You know what? I bet you’re a real old-fashioned kind of person.” To be honest, I tend to give off “professional” vibes, the whole clean-cut sort of look, and people tend to think I’ll be a mean person when that isn’t true! I’m happy to be your friend. Just don’t judge me for being old-fashioned, all right? Have an open heart.)

One of my friends teases that I’m like Rip Van Wrinkle, the modern world passing me by. While I do keep up with current media, I’m not always into what’s modern and hot (even though I usually will check it out, and if it’s a book, I’m more likely to read it), so my writing’s not going to fit into a specific mold. My experiences and my own preferences will shape it into its own style.

Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces) will be a step in confidence for me. Altogether, there will be people who enjoy it, people who don’t like it, and people who will go “Why in the world did you make this thing?!” (On that note, please pay close attention to the rating! If you feel there’s anything you can’t handle, then you don’t have to play it. However, I will give you a button to “skip over”/“censor” certain scenes that may be too hard for you. Use it at will!)

However, once it’s finished, I want to step back, look at it and be satisfied with what I’ve made. With the visuals and options like the Translation button, I will hopefully have done all I can to invite you into my heart. Then, it’ll be up to you to decide whether you wish to come in and explore it. Regardless of whether it leaves a pleasant or unpleasant taste in your mouth, I hope you will see the love painted throughout this canvas.

I still think there’s going to be at least one player who will go, “Why in the world did you make this?!” But that’s all right. You do you, and I’ll do me.

One day, when the visual novel’s complete, I might want to release two versions of the original novel. The Young Adult version and the Original. I can’t imagine how many would want to read both, but as I said, stories are meant to be read. This allows easy access, and you have a choice of enjoying either or both. Bon appétit.

Wow, this went on longer than intended! Hope you don’t mind. I believe I ended up wanting to explain how I started developing visual novels as well! Anyway, long story short, I began writing these stories and characters from the sheer power of daydreams. Usually in class. And at home. And in the car. Basically, by being a walking daydreamer in your midst and nobody being the wiser (except my family because they know I like writing). Now, the next time you pass by someone, you’re going to wonder what sort of dreams they’re cooking up in their head, huh? I joke, but you never know what minds are passing you by…

Now, if you’re wondering how I came up with these daydreams…it’s hard to say. In some ways, one could ask: Can you control your dreams? In that case, could you not say writing is like lucid dreaming? And when you’re sitting in class or walking down a hallway, who’s to say where your muse is born? It could be from a wish, a hope, or something more palpable like the sound of music or a drifting butterfly.

There is beauty and inspiration all around you. Just take it all in and let your heart do the work. (I don’t know if that is at all reminiscent of Unknown’s ‘follow-your-heart’ sort of principle, but I personally do think having heart is important. We need more love in the world, you know?)

Anyway, I don’t think I was confused by your question, but if I wasn’t clear about anything or I didn’t answer it right, feel free to ask another. Have a great weekend, cursedauthor, and keep following your dreams! Ambrosia and I believe in you! ♥

#ask

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winterofherdiscontent · 7 years ago

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Hi! Um... first: I love your art. I'm thinking to study graphic design, and I will at the end of this month, in fact. I'm 20, and I'd like to know your experience as illustrator. I'm nervous. But I've come for advice. I know that this can be a little personal and not the regular ask... but when I look your works, I feel like... something indescribable, and you really inspire me to go on. What did you study? How is it? How is the life? Is it very hard? I'm chilean and I'd like to be this later...

hello!

i hope it’s ok i’m answering this publicly as i often receive asks similar to this and i never quite know how to reply – so i’m going to share a little bit of my personal journey in becoming a freelance illustrator:

first off - i am completely self-taught. my journey as an illustrator started off on a very different foot to most i’m guessing because it started with a dream. an actual dream… i started my adult working life as a librarian but shortly into that my health deteriorated rapidly, without warning and with no visible easy explanation and i had no idea what was going on. i was misdiagnosed with simple work stress by a doctor at the time (not actually what was wrong physically it turned out years later) and this caused me to stop my career as a librarian – it was at this same time i had a dream about a tree.

it was one of those dreams that are incredibly vivid, haunting and the kind that stay with you long after you wake up. i had this same dream over and over for months. this tree i still can’t completely do justice to describing. it was immense. it was beyond immense - in the dream i couldn’t even begin to fathom where it started or ended. it was that huge. the dream didn’t go away and i started doodling on bits of paper with a regular office pen. i felt like i needed to get this tree in some way on a physical surface. i moved onto colored pencils. the results were… very much not good. i then started to try watercolors …i had literally no idea what i was doing and it was a lot of fun and simultaneously one of the most stressful learning curves i’ve ever put myself through but so worth it. there was this feeling. this something inside me that kept pushing me to draw even while i was in pain. drawing and painting started to become a form of almost meditation for me. i started having more dreams. vivid surreal almost fairy tale style dreams.

i couldn’t at the time find any local classes teaching the type of art i wanted to learn. basically, long story short i went online and started using my history degree to study the art styles of older time periods. i started researching artists i admired. i looked through my collection of children’s fairy tales and illustrated early 20th century children’s stories. i discovered the work of arthur rackham and kay nielsen, i went to the 1970s science fantasy novels i hoarded from old bookstores. i discovered the work of frank frazetta, brian froud and yoshitaka amano – i realized i wanted to draw like these artists. so i started researching some more.

i won’t go into the actual monotonous specifics of the day to day journey of my teaching myself how i create art. what i will do is share with you some more general things i’ve discovered through trial and error that will hopefully be helpful

(below the cut because this got long) –

i) use references. seriously …many famous artists have used live models historically for a reason. look up local life drawing classes in your area if you’ve not already. if they are available and in your budget (if not free) great! if not go outside and draw from life. what is it you’re drawn to around you? focus on that. i take a sketchbook with me everywhere i go these days. alternatively use a mirror and focus on the way your body sits or stands. how do you want that pose to look? go and look at how your body positions itself in front of a mirror

ii) you are unique. how your mind views the sensory input around you is different to literally every other person you will meet. how you draw whether a beginner or an advance artist is completely unique so when starting out on this path do yourself a favor - don’t simply try to copy art you like. look at it. enjoy it. focus on trying to figure out exactly what it is you’re drawn to in that artists work. then go and practice your own interpretation of that subject matter. don’t publish the results. learn from them. if you simply copy another artists work you are picking up their weaknesses as well as doing nothing more than portraying a version of someone else’s way of looking at the world rather than your own

iii) practice. its a cliche for a reason. when you’re a beginner illustrator you will spend countless hours drawing. feeling like you are getting nowhere. your art style takes time and practice. drawing that hand the way you want takes time. it takes endless mistakes before you start to realize what it is you are doing wrong and start to spot the mistakes. practice speed sketching. draw the flow not the static rigid lines. again - look at things and spot the flow of movement. you will get better. trust me. the more you look the better you will get at seeing the rhythm of the character and composition of the subject matter

iv) art school? yes or no? …i never went to an art class in my life. i made up the rules as i went. i made so many mistakes. i had crazy 3am breakthroughs realizing techniques that are unique to how i create art. school is not for everyone. however it is for some an absolute essential tool in their journey - so try it and see! whats the worst that could happen? …like anything in life there’s no “one size fits all” learning path that fits everyone. one thing art school can give you is networking. it can give you discipline. connections for future jobs. opening pathways to future work opportunities

v) freelance illustration. it’s definitely not for everyone. on the plus side you can work on that commissioned job with unwashed hair piled on your head. 5 empty coffee cups next to you in your pajamas and no one will judge you except your pets. on the minus side it is not an automatically guaranteed easy or steady income. if you can supplement your freelance income from art with other jobs do it. don’t go into this thinking you will magically overnight build up a loyal client base. this takes time. it takes effort. putting yourself out there online and in person. networking. building up a friendship with artists online and in real life as you go out into the art world. put yourself out there. what’s the worst that can happen? the popular artist online you sent a hello to ignores you? its not the end of the world and more often than you’d think artists who are already established are awesome amazing and kind people who will take the time to answer your questions and talk to you. enter art contests and competitions. exposure is an invaluable tool

vi) have fun …above all else keep reminding yourself why you’re drawn to this path and take time out to draw silly things. remind yourself regularly why you personally want to do this for a living. spend time drawing what you love not just commissioned jobs and work related art content

vii) if you go the path of freelance illustrator then make sure you set up a clear and concise set of guidelines for clients. be approachable but be clear on what and how you go about your process when being commissioned for big or small jobs. be consistent. be transparent in how you conduct yourself with clients. be clear in your communication. don’t be a push over. set yourself do-able goals with commissioned work. don’t take on too much at any one time - give yourself a structure you know going into it you will stick to from the beginning. if in doubt research online and look at what artists you admire have in their ‘f. a. q’ section - look at these as templates of what will and won’t work for you personally

i know i’ve forgotten a million topics that are all relevant to your question, lovely …these are more in the way of a few general guidelines of what i’ve personally experienced in becoming a freelance illustrator ♥

#pitiless-nightmare #replies #art advice #don't be me the person who took the path less traveled lol #but seriously though ...hopefully something in this reply is helpful to you lovely

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agirlnamedally · 7 years ago

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Allyyyy I start hsc on Monday and I'm supppppeeer nervous. I have been studying a lot but ofc enjoying my time with everyone at the library and talking etc. I'm stressing about my atar bc I really want to get in to social work bc I really wanna help people :((((( I wanna do psych but it's 99!!!!!

My tips for anyone starting Year 12/HSC/Senior Year:

Know that it’s perfectly normal to be nervous! I’m pretty sure I was scared to start VCE from Year 7 onwards, it always seemed like this giant, scary, looming monster that would destroy my happiness and suck out my soul like a dementor. Mostly, I just assumed I would have no free time, wouldn’t be able to keep up with the workload, and would fail absolutely everything.

Then, something funny happened. Year 11 came around and I realised… nothing had changed. The work might have been harder, but I had done the required training (aka Years 7-10) and was fully equipped with the skills to handle it. The transition from Year 10 to Year 11, and then again from 11 to 12, is really not that significant or scary! Your workload might increase a tiny bit, because (and in hindsight now I can look back and 100% support this) practice really does make perfect. Teachers don’t make you write 100 essays because they hate you and want you to be miserable or have no social life, it’s because they want you to be a good writer, but more than that, they know that the more essays you write, the easier it will be for you to write one come exam time. It will be less stressful, less terrifying and so much simpler to just regurgitate a piece of writing you’ve practically memorised because you’ve ingrained it into your memory throughout the year. That’s just an example for say English or Literature, but I think the same thing applies for all subjects, no matter how you’re tested. Practice makes perfect. Or at least, practice makes progress, haha.

Now, ATARs. Those finicky little bastards. I’m not going to tell you to forget about it, because I know that when I was in the midst of VCE it was always on my mind. I even had older kids, who had already graduated, constantly telling me how insignificant it was and that it wouldn’t matter one year from now, but I didn’t believe any of that. Now, looking back, I know that they were right. In terms of measuring your intelligence or potential for future career success, ATARs mean nothing. No matter what score you get, I promise you, you can go on and be anything you want to be in life. There will always be obstacles and challenges between you and your dreams, but if you want something and you’re willing to work hard and be nice to others, nothing can stop you. The only difference an ATAR can make is the journey and how you go about it. The only thing an ATAR determines is which course you might do. You might have your heart set on a dream course with a super high ATAR. If you want to shoot for that, go for it! Just know that if your number is lower, there are still ways to pursue it. You can take a gap year, travel, discover the world and find out who you are, uncover your passions, gain some experience. Do a TAFE course, start somewhere else, transfer. Defer it, reject it, volunteer somewhere, change your entire perspective on life, completely change directions. You still have the choice. Unis will often accept someone who didn’t get a first or second round offer initially as a mid-year enrolment, or you could do a semester or two somewhere else and then jump across and hopefully they’ll let you keep those credits under your belt. You may not even want to go to uni! There are many many options and paths you can take, don’t let a number limit or define your future.

Personally, I knew I wanted to further my education but wasn’t entirely set on any particular existing occupation. I knew my two favourite subjects were Psychology and Health and Human Development, but that I also enjoyed writing for English, so I could envision myself happily doing something that encompassed those things. For me, an Arts degree was the perfect choice because it allows you to dip your toes into many different areas of study, test the waters of various fields before arriving at a favourite – your major. The course I most had my heart set on had a pretty high entry score, one which I actually thought I had no possible chance of achieving, but I set it as my goal anyway because as I was so undecided, I didn’t want to ‘limit myself’ (typical Year 12 brain thinking). It worked out wonderfully for me, somehow I found the drive and ended up doing a lot better than I’d expected, really surprising myself (and probably everyone else) and guaranteeing a spot in the course. However, I wholeheartedly believe that had I not achieved the score I did, had I gone to a different university or course, or even taken some time off from studying, I would be just as happy. I would have found another way to continue learning, whether it be by sitting in a lecture theatre or travelling to see it myself. I could have enrolled in a different course, disappointed in myself and thinking it was only temporary, and ended up LOVING it. Maybe even more than this course! Who knows? These are the kinds of ‘what if’s and ‘maybe’s that make my brain want to explode. Being a human can be exhausting.

Whether you have a goal course you’re hoping to get entry for, a dream uni, hopes of studying abroad, a plan to defer for a year or no desire to study at all – but they’re all okay and all achievable! No matter what it is you want in life, there are ways to get there. Not just one, but limitless varying courses of action you can follow. One might be more direct, but it might also be more boring, or less challenging. It might grow you less as a person, or prevent you from meeting some really interesting people that another path will introduce you to.

Year 12 is an awesome time. It can be stressful, overwhelming, demanding, sleepless. It can invoke self-doubt, nostalgia, fear of plummeting into the depths of the unknown (your future) and leaving behind the safety and security of routine (your past). However, it can also be rewarding, exciting, bonding, enriching, growing and deliriously fun. I say delirious because there will definitely be times when you and your friends are so overcome with work and anxiety that you just have to laugh. Misery loves company and Year 12 is proof of that. Study dates are perfect for simultaneously motivating each other and collectively crying into the bowl of chocolate you just devoured. I’m probably not painting the best picture here, but seriously, it can be a terrific time.

If I could give you one piece of advice for entering VCE, it’s to maintain a balance. Balance in life is the key here, because otherwise you will either burn out from too much studying, fall behind from not enough, get sick from not taking care of yourself, or something else just as un-fun. When you’re studying, dedicate proportionate amounts of time or energy to subjects depending on their current level of significance. If possible, do assignments as soon as you get them, but prioritise the ones that are due first or worth the most. More importantly, ensure you have balance throughout your whole life, holistically. It’s just as important to take care of your mental, social and physical well-being as it is to reach your education goals. Make the time to keep active, even if it seems like there is none. I can’t even tell you how beneficial it is to get outside, clear your head and get your heart rate up. Endorphins are your best friend and a powerful stress-buster, so keep a pair of runners at the ready. If you’re not a fan of solo workouts, can’t stay motivated or simply don’t enjoy it, I highly recommend joining a team sport! In fact, I recommend this for everyone, because it’s beneficial to your mental, social and physical health. All at once. Plus there’s the accountability factor – you can’t just skip the workout or hit snooze when you don’t feel like it - you made a commitment and your teammates are counting on you! Honestly being a part of a group like that will make you feel so needed or wanted, and it’s great to make new friends or connect with like-minded people. SPORT RULES. Taking care of your physical health also means nourishing your body with the right foods, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water – all the basics. Back to balance – it’s also essential to dedicate time to doing things just for you. Bubble baths are a great choice, there’s also reading, meditation, getting a massage or mani-pedi, having a movie night, seeing a friend, anything that makes you feel relaxed, happy and at peace. These are the things that keep you going! Imagine a pie chat, split into 3 sections. One section is school and schoolwork, one is health and fitness, and the last is dedicated to me-time or fun activities. The three sections represent mental, physical and social wellbeing = all equally important and necessary for not only success, but holistic health in general. If you’re feeling stressed out, look at which of the three sections might be out of balance. Are you not getting enough sleep? Have too much on your plate? Need some alone time? Not fuelling your brain and body with enough or the right nutrition? Try to keep these things in check and remind yourself that they’re all significant and deserving of your attention.

Most of all, know that VCE is completely unique to your own experience. Like karma, you will get out only what you put in. You can make it an easy time, just for socialising and blowing off class, you can dedicate 110% of yourself to studying every waking hour, never lose a mark and never see anyone else, OR you can have the best of both worlds and strike that beautiful, sweet balance.

Decide what your own goals are. Make your own rules. Ask yourself what motivates you, and then go after it. Use this time to challenge yourself, grow as a person and exceed any expectations, limitations or barriers that have been set by anyone – including and especially yourself. It’s an exciting time that you should definitely make the most of, because it will be over before you know it. I know it’s hard, but try to forget about ATARs, or at least diminish the all-mighty power and holy-grail presence that it can take. It’s just a number. If you try your best, that’s all you need to do. I have complete faith in you anon,

YOU CAN DO IT :D

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mygcsestudies · 7 years ago

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hey! :) so first, I love your blog! I'm in year 9 and I've already started my gcse work, any tips? especially for motivation in subjects i dont enjoy. I find it so hard to concentrate in those! your blog is so useful and i just found it but it's a gem! thank you xx

hi there! thank you so much!! i really appreciate that :’)

i suppose you’ve already seen my post for surviving year 10, but it might be helpful for you, so here it is! here are a few little points i came up with for your situation:

- first things first, it’s really good that you’re studying at year 9! my school did the same and i think it’s really helped us in terms of getting through the syllabus. staying motivated in subjects you dislike is particularly difficult to achieve, so hopefully i am of some help but i can’t promise anything :/

set goals for yourself!!

the post on smart goals i reblogged (found here) is really helpful for this! your goals could include setting small tasks every week or month (e.g. learn a new tense in a language that you’re studying), or aim to revise the subject you’re struggling in once a day/ week/ whenever suits you most.

ensure you understand the subject!!

this, obviously, can be difficult to achieve. but, like i stated in the year 10 post, understanding is the key to remembering, which is the ultimate goal. if you dislike english, read about the context behind the novel/ play/ poem (which works for me). in subjects like science, investigate the theory behind what you’re studying (as long as you keep in mind that you may not need to know it for gcse!). i think it’s best to do this in your own time because i find that in class, it feels more like an obligation to learn about rather than something you’re genuinely interested in.

the subject (might be) necessary!!

subjects like maths and english are crucial for your future because these are usually the grades that employers will look at with the most scrutiny. basically, not to put pressure on you or anything, but you need to keep this in mind as some kind of motivation whenever you think about how much you hate maths or english (or both or, if you’re some kind of god, neither). as much as it sucks, you gotta do as good as possible for your ability, particularly in these subjects.

talk to your teachers!!

if the topic you dislike is a gcse option you chose last year, you might (if you’re lucky) be able to change it. some of my friends did this around two months into year 9 when they decided to change from art to psychology, because art just wasn’t working for them. i don’t know if your school allows this, however, but either way it’s better to sort it out as soon as possible (if you leave it too late, you definitely will not be able to swap). if that is the case, explain to your teacher (face-to-face or through email, whichever is most comfortable) why you dislike the subject and see if you can come up with a solution to the issue together.

general tips for concentration!!

if you sit next to a oh-so-lovable yet horrendously chatty friend, you may want to consider moving away from them. it sucks, but your grades may suffer (i know grades aren’t the most important thing in life, but they’re definitely more important than having a laugh in school with your mates). if the classroom you’re in is a bit messy and this hampers your concentration, talk to the teacher about maybe taking something down off the wall or off the desks. take notes whenever possible in a lesson, but don’t worry about making them too neat - as long as you can read your writing, you’re doing fine. most importantly though: don’t burn yourself out!! (this kinda contradicts everything i’ve just told you, but if you need a moment to breathe, go for it!)

whew! i couldn’t think of many ways to help, to be honest, because that is one tricky situation you’re in. but if i did help then my job here is done :)

-hannah

#im using desktop for once and its amazing #hope this helped my dear!#if anyone can add to this though id appreciate it!!!#ask #mine #studyblr #study tips #gcse studyblr #studying #small studyblr #how to be motivated

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creaticivility · 5 years ago

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Photo text: "Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because and only when, they are created by everybody."

"- Jane Jacobs 1916-2006, American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities, urban planning and decay. Wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities, a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s. Equally well-know for organizing grassroots efforts to block urban renewal projects that would have destroyed local neighborhoods. "

I never got around to reading Jane Jacobs, though I've skimmed enough references to her to appreciate her view of the local community as the interactions (and potential for interactions) amongst neighbors. While Le Corbusier was in favor of making the city into big towering apartment blocks that could provide as much housing as possible with limited shared amenities, it seems like her definition of the community unit was a lot more in line with how real life shakes down.

Friday's class mentioned going into history to find inspiration for the future, in a way anyway, so it strikes me that the present complications about "smart city" echo the old question of how do you build a city for the people? How can we design for inhabitants in a way that uses citizens beyond strings of data or bodies to be stored? Maybe I should do a bit of sparknotes research into Jane Jacobs's theories and how she conceptualized community interactions. We were talking about the circular economy and it reminds me of my own experiences with feeling like being part of a community. For example:

When I was living in New York, I really loved keeping an eye out for furniture in the piles of trash outside homes the night before Trash Day. (Rarely did I ever take anything home, since the threat of bed bugs is omnipresent.) But one night, I saw a perfect frosted glass door lying on the sidewalk amongst pieces of what looked like a dismantled down IKEA wardrobe. It was about 90 inches tall, taller than my apartment ceiling, and the length of my arm.

Greed gripped me and quickly I went home and got one of my roommates to help me carry this huge glass door home. I was worried that taking it would ruin someone else's future wardrobe set, but I also really wanted to use it for projection or puppetry or art or something. I was also worried that since it was such a perfect glass door, I should be paying someone for the honor of taking it from their trash, so I wanted to escape with it quickly.

While we were trying to maneuver the door out of the pile of trash, an older woman had come out from the apartment building and watched us struggle. For some reason, my nervousness about stealing this glass door made me think it belonged to her--and maybe it did, since she noticed me nervously looking at her and went "take it!"

"It's such a nice door! Thank you so much!" I was incoherent with gratitude. I had never seen this woman in my life but I really wanted to be neighbors with her in that moment, share our lives, form a community, repay her for this boon. My roommate and I made off with the door and I never saw this woman again. The door sat in our living room, propped against the wall, unused for another two years.

When it came time to move out, I was trying to freecycle all my stuff and for some reason, I put the door up too. Who'd want a random glass door? But it was perfect and I really, really wanted to hold onto it but there was no way I could throw it back onto the street and not a chance I could take it with me.

It was the first thing to claimed. The person didn't mention why they wanted it, so my roommates and I made up many scenarios, all of them possible and ridiculous.

I got a roommate to haul it downstairs with me, and when the time came a young woman hopped out of a SUV. We struggled getting the door into her car. I managed to ask her why she wanted it. Turns out this door would become a whiteboard for her young students to draw on. What a good reason! Ultimately we managed to balance it precariously over her passenger side seats and it barely fit, but she slammed her trunk and drove away.

And so I said goodbye to the glass door, which is now hopefully living a good third(?) life.

I think this whole process was hilarious but also I love this memory because it's so rare. What if this whole process was ordinary? What if we naturally expected our items to transform, and to change ownership?

There was a great car ad a few years ago when the owner of the car asks a nosy stranger, "who are you?" "I'm the next owner," the stranger replies.

What if we talked about product lifecycles like life stories? Things would be much less disposable, surely, and maybe there would also be stronger community ties. Freecycle was good, I enjoyed the brief moment of intersection I had with this teacher, but what if I could call her up and ask her how it went? How my dear trash door is doing? What if the door could talk back to me?

What if I could call up the lady I had taken this door from, and let her know that I've also paid it forward? What if I could take more trash off the street and know that it's not infested with bed bugs, have guarantees and accountability? I really love it when I see trash that have a small message taped on: I work!

Again, this interest in histories and artifacts could be interesting if the stories were told from the voice of the object. (Would objects have an objective voice?) At the very least, I would be interested in a world where their possessors could talk to each other, trace the intersections of their lives.

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mermaidsirennikita · 8 years ago

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Sorry if you've been asked this before or if this is overstepping, but would you be able to recommend some important/influential etc. art history books for the early modern period? I'm about to graduate with a History degree (focusing on Europe 1500-1800) and I'm thinking of moving in an art history direction with an MA in the future. Thanks so much - also doing my own research of course but you're the first person that comes to mind when I think of art history!

Omg! This is the most flattering ask anyone has ever given me, it’s not overstepping at all! It’s super exciting that you’re thinking of moving towards an art historical track. Honestly, a lot of art history majors end up going after museum studies (which like, cool, but it’s not for me) so it’s awesome that you’re thinking of switching from history to art history. I actually did the opposite (began as a history major, switched) and while the two are very different, if you’re interested more in cultural studies I feel like art history has a lot to offer.

I focus primarily on the role of women in the eye of painters and how art worked in relation to politics in the Italian Renaissance, so a lot of my recommendations will have to do with that! I also focus more on social/feminist art history.

Okay, this got long so it’s going below a cut.

Some basics that everyone had to read in my undergrad include Frederick Hartt’s History of Italian Renaissance Art.

For the Northern side of things, check out James Snyder’s Northern Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture and the Graphic Arts from 1350 to 1575. For more Northern stuff, I’d check out articles by James H. Marrow and Craig Harbison, as they write about iconography and symbolism in a way that is relevant to art of the early modern sense in general. Joseph Koerner’s The Moment of Self Portraiture in German Renaissance Art is also great. I referenced that a lot for a recent paper on Hans Baldung Grien, who is just fascinating.

Whitney Chadwick’s Women, Art, and Society is a great reference book imo, though it covers a lot more than JUST the Early Modern period. It can be difficult to find anything out about female artists of that time (aside from Artemisia) so I think you should definitely consider that.

If you haven’t taken an art historical methods class, you definitely need Hatt and Klonk’s Art History: A Critical Introduction to Its Methods as a basic. Even if you have, get it. You’ll probably be expected to be familiar with Hegel and Kant and Marxist art history and all of that, and this is a greater primer.

Erwin Panofsky is considered a father of modern art history, and with good reason. Much of his theories can be applied to art within the period that you’re referring to, and you should probably read as much of his stuff as possible. His The Life and Art of Albrecht Durer is really important, as is his Studies in Iconology, Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art… Just be expected to read a lot of Panofsky. Not all of his theories are really considered relevant today, but even if they’ve been discounted, they’re influential–and a lot of what he says and how he approaches art history is very much used today.

Meyer Schapiro’s approach is REALLY HARD TO READ, but he’s important for the same reasons as Panofsky. I had to read his The Sculptures of Souillac–and honestly, whether or not you’re interested in what Schapiro is talking about is really irrelevant, you just need to be familiar with his approach to art history. Less fun than Panofsky, but like… Important.

Roberto Longhi is considered another influential art historian of the early modern period, and is credited for reviving interest in Caravaggio. He also did some important work on Piero della Francesca. Longhi tended more towards essays than books and obviously wrote largely in Italian, but try to get your hands on his work.

As I’m sure you know, you’ll want to read Vasari’s Lives of the Artists and like…. Take it with a large grain of salt. It’s Vasari. He’s like “one time I met Michelangelo and I came in my pants” one page and “RAPHAEL CAN SUCK A DICK” the next. But take it nonetheless. Ascanio Condivi wrote an important biography of Michelangelo that you’ll probably want to at least look over. Again, these contemporary biographies are to be taken with a grain of salt, but a big part of studying art history is looking at how people approached art history before it became like… a discipline.

Then there are some things I’ll recommend to you because I love them/used them:

Anything by Paola Tinagli–super interesting take on the role of women in Italian art, specificall their images. Women in Italian Renaissance Art: Gender, Representation, and Identity is a cool book she did with Mary Rogers.

Luke Syson’s Leonardo da Vinci: A Painter in the Court of Milan is very recent, but interesting and informative. Syson also contributed to Stephen J. Campbell’s Artists at Court, which is a good book, also recent. (You end up using a lot of recent things if you can because theories are constantly changing in art history lol, depending on what is in fashion at the moment.) I wanna say Campbell is at Yale right now? He’s somewhere important.

Beyond Isabella: Secular Women as Patrons of Art in Renaissance Italy is very interesting, focuses on culture.

Katherine A. McIver’s Wives, Widows, Mistresses, and Nuns in Early Modern Italy: Making theInvisible Visible Through Art and Patronage is a really interesting book. You should also check out Picturing Women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy.

Joanna Woods-Marsden writes about Renaissance self-portraiture–check that out too if you can.

I recently bought Art and Love in Renaissance Italy ed. by Andrea Brayer, and though it’s a book that came out in conjunction with a Met exhibit some years back, it offers some interesting essays on things that people don’t often talk about–like decorative arts of the domestic sphere, cassoni, etc.

Obviously, I have a slant that I love–but this might be a good starting point, and hopefully you’ll find something helpful!

#art #art history #books #recs #Anonymous

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