#I've been in the mindset that since everything is content my art is content too

[lilrobotman]

Hey, next time you see a piece of art you really like, stop for a moment and really take it in. Look at the brushstokes, the lighting, the figures. Take it in and take in it's wonder and beauty. Sit with it for at least 30 seconds but try to at least sit with it. Have a conversation with it.

Why do you like the picture so much? What new details can you see in it every time your eyes swipe over it? Is it telling a story? Is is saying something? What are you really looking at?

Take the time to appreciate the art the same way the person who created it did.

This is a reminder to myself as much as anyone else.

[novi-nonsense]

Been having less analysis paralysis with drawing recently!

Maybe I'm finally getting to that "just draw for yourself" mindset. It's been difficult for me to think that way, since for the longest time my only interaction with other people was through the art I posted, so I was always worried about what people would think of me based on my art alone.

So I tended to overthink everything! "How is this pose? Outfit? Body type? What does this say about me? Better not go too crazy"

Also receiving comments like "Thank you for drawing normal art, other furries always exaggerate too much" didn't help. I quite like the exaggeration!

But lately I've been brave and drawing more out there stuff that I have always enjoyed! I recommend doing it! Don't have to show anyone if you don't wanna! Art is seen as "content" these days, so it's easy to forget how personal it can be!

I forgot what the point of this post was lol. Back to drawing weird shit! >:3

[thorniest-rose]

brooke i am so mad!! people are getting upset over how authors characterize steddie!! i wish people still used the whole “dont like dont read” mindset!!!!!! like damn what if i wanna write steve as a pretty boy who loves putting on lip gloss and mascara!!! whats it to them???? i dont know how you do it :( you write some of my favorite steve and eddie’s and i know some people would say that the way u characterize them is unrealistic (hah very funny!! its called fan FICTION. UNREALISTIC IS BASICALLY IN THR DEFINITION!!! ughh!!!!!) how do u deal with the negative comments??? ive been so unmotivated lately by all this hate floating around :((

omg what's happened now?? Or do you mean what's been going on in general over the past few weeks? I know, it's really tough at the moment and the fandom's going through one of those phases where there's a lot of in-fighting and people trying to crack down on content they find "problematic" i.e things they personally don't like, which is a common issue in fandom spaces since the rise of social media and since fandom went mainstream. I'm really sorry that you feel demotivated right now, I've had waves of feeling the same since the whole "don't make Steve soft and feminine" debacle and now the witch hunts taking place on the Twitter side of the fandom. So it definitely gets to me too, I'm not immune by any means.

What really helps, I've found, is finding a small group of friends or people who run accounts that you enjoy, and focusing on them and your own writing, and staying out of the wider fandom. Whenever I've tried to engage with the wider fandom it's just caused me grief, so I stick to my own little corner now, and focus on my writing and what I enjoy, and talk to a small group of friends, and it's really helped. Also I've been through a lot of this before so it's not my first rodeo, but I can see why it would be intimidating and off-putting for someone who's new to the fandom.

Also YES, it's so dumb for anyone to say "this is OC" when I write the characters because all I'm doing is dialling up their core characteristics and as Az says, if everything was "true to canon" all we'd be doing is writing straight people in rooms not talking to each other. Fanfiction is meant to be transgressive, like that's the entire point, we're weaving folklore and creating art from established characters and making them our own. And if we were all writing the same thing it would become SO boring, so let people have fun and find enjoyment where they can because the world is so shitty and cruel as it is, so why are we turning fandom spaces into police states where you're only allowed to write one type of characterisation or you're ridiculed and ostracised. And where you can't write anything "problematic" i.e non-con or underage because it's EVIL and WRONG and you're a BAD PERSON.

Give me a break.

[gyuyoungarchives]

💬 L'Officiel: Interview Highlights

Park Gyuyoung rise to the challenge as our March 2024 cover star

South Korean actress Park Gyuyoung has been on a roll, soaring in a recent hits including Sweet Home and Celebrity, as well as being named global brand ambassador for Gucci. Now, we remain transfixed by her as she's set to star in season two of Squid Game.

Two and a half years ago, Park Gyuyoung landed her first television lead role in Dali & Gamjatang, a romantic comedy that saw Park playing Kim Dali, the daughter of a wealthy family who tries to rescue a collapsing art museum. From there, it hasn't taken long at all for the South Korean actress to fully find her footing as a leading lady --- last year, she starred in a Netflix hit, Celebrity, and season two of the acclaimed post-apocalyptic web series, Sweet Home.

And soon after she graced Sabato De Sarno's debut Gucci show in Milan, the house tapped on the rising star as its global brand ambassador. Things are only looking up and up for Park this year -- she's slated to star in season two of the cultural phenomenon that is Squid Game.

One series that you were recently busy with is Sweet Home, which saw season two coming out in December. Could you describe your experience working on season two, and what being in seasons one and two means to you?

"Since season one, I poured my heart into the portrayal of Yoon Jisu, and I'd been involved with her for a while, so season two truly felt like a proper send-off for her. To date, she's the one character that had the longest reign in my heart among my acting roles."

You've been acting for about eight years so far. What are the biggest physical and mental challenges that you have overcome so far?

"I realised that acting in front of cameras is a craft, which often asks you to go to battle with yourself. 'Those moments of challenging myself, to overcome my own obstacles, are when I feel the most fulfilment, I think."

From Celebrity being a hit with international Netflix audiences to notable shows like Sweet Home and Squid Game, recent projects have led to fast-growing attention on you. What is the mindset of Park Gyuyoung like recently and is it any different from before?

"My mindset is always dominated by the same principle: how can I express my character who presents in a space within this story? I believe that doing my best is our fundamental duty and responsibility."

Through this time of filming back-to-back projects, have you had any simple rituals to help you destress, and keep you balanced and contented?

I don't worry too much about things that haven't happened yet, and just try to focus on the projects in front of me. When I'm working, I focus solely on work. On my days off, I try to rejuvenate in my own way through ballet and exercise.

Over your career thus far, are there any moments in particular that you're proudest of?

"Little by little - sometimes there are moments when I look back on my growth, Im proud of myself for what I've accomplished."

You've been in diverse productions from rom-coms to thrillers and horror. Are there certain ways in which each of these genres has helped you to grow, and is there anything you' d like to challenge yourself with next?

"I don't think I'm picky or partial to certain genres. In every project, each of the characters emits their own unique energy, flaws and emotions from that specific time and space, and all of them are so different from each other. Repetitively embracing this difference with each project has helped my growth little by little, I think."

You attended the Gucci show in Milan to see Sabato De Sarno's first collection for the house. How was your fashion week experience?

"The music and lights coming together in that space were absolutely fantastic. Everything was so new, and to see Sabato's colours reflected in the new Gucci collection with my own eyes felt like a dream."

What can your fans expect from Park Gyuyoung this year?

"You can count on seeing a new side of me as a different character in a different project. Stay tuned!"

L'Officiel Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, 2024

[aurorialwolf]

ELABORATING ON MY "KINLIST"!

I made one of those posts with a visual showing all the characters I "kin" (I personally don't really kin many characters, but I closely relate to aspects of these ones so!) And now here I am to fully explain why I kin them all!

Now for the elaborating part (from left to right, going down the rows):

Kenshirou Yozakura (Nanbaka): I like his strong sense of justice, and I relate to it, and also he's very doglike and I too am very doglike, both irl and online. (One time I mentioned that I felt doglike to my irl friends and they agreed without hesitating,,)

Kaveh (Genshin Impact): His struggles with creative workings, and making them right for his clients is very relatable, as I always worry about making my art and content perfect. His admiration for the arts is also very relatable, as well as his empathy (though not the bit about being gullible for scams,, I'm pretty good about that part lmao)

Neuvillette (Genshin Impact): His issues with social interaction and creating connections, as well as lacking an understanding of humans, is something I relate to, to an extent, and him being very particular about consumption (specifically water) is also super relatable!! (I hate city water blegh) Ranpo (Bungou Stray Dogs): I'm obviously not remotely as smart as him, but I'm decent at figuring things out, and also. autism likely. Also I love snacks. Big ol' metabolism. Oh and I've taken a law class and passed with pretty good grades.

Atsushi Nakajima (Bungou Stray Dogs): He's a very silly little fool sometimes. And I relate. :3

Camelopardalis (Redacted Audio): Ok Cam now, RIGHT ok so I've been a bit of a mediator in the past, and I ALWAYS deal with my issues on my own to the extent that all my friends think I have it easy, sunshine and rainbows because it's literally never crossed my mind to mention anything I struggle with. I'm just acutely aware of the fact that everything will pass, so what's the point in mentioning it? I can handle it all myself, no point in dragging someone else into something they can't really do anything about. I am (now) aware this is an unhealthy mindset but it's fineee.

Sunshine (Redacted Audio, Listener, the symbol I used for them is one I made bc they don't have a canon one): They're a creative person, and make art, so do I! And I also love Elliott and wish I could have a dreamwalker partner lmfao.

Ukyo Sainoji (Doctor Stone): MY BOI!! I wish Doctor Stone was more popular it's literally so good. Also specifically I wish Ukyo had more fan content. Anyways! He's an archer, and so am I! He has sensitive hearing, which is good for monitoring his surroundings, and I also have sensitive hearing! Since I live on a highway, I use it to listen for engines coming down the hill as my driveway is a slight blind spot. Also his logic patterns are very similar to mine. So he's majorly relatable I love him so much :3

David (Redacted Audio): I have a pretty emotionally blank exterior, and am bad at expressing emotion in my tone, making it very difficult for people to tell how I feel. Whenever I'm happy or content, unless the emotion is extreme enough it doesn't seem like I'm enjoying myself. I don't express emotion unless it's very strong, with some small exceptions, and usually feel rather blank emotionally until a certain threshold.

Elliott (Redacted Audio): I love daydreaming, and do it for up to an hour daily in my room. I also have incredibly complex dreams, with plots and everything, and remain somewhat lucid during them. I also love his kind of creativity :3!

Mitsuki (Boruto): It's the possible autism again I fear. Anyways. The way he acts around people is extremely relatable and I love him he's so adorable what a little guy!!

[the-lone-wolf-artist]

A Big Changes to this Blog that was Long Overdue...

Hello Everyone…

It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on this blog, well beside repeats of Desolate Paradise content.

You see, a lot of stuff has changed over the years since I first started this blog in 2016 to now 2024, man a long time huh? Anyway, I never expected the good, the bad, and the ugly things and how it would affect my life. I won't get into the details, but basically I'm just like anyone else in the world that deals with hardships and loss. I found it hard to stay passionate and creative with my art and my mindset, that it got to a point where I had enough…

I stopped doing everything that I loved the most and took a huge break from it.

While I was stewing, reflecting, and just recharging my batteries, I was doing other hobbies during this time that I enjoyed. I was writing for a while through the many fandom Au's I've created and I slowly started getting my spark back and my creative juices flowing again.

I started doodling, sketching and doing art again, even though they may not be the best of what I've done before. I'm still happy with them and it's getting me back to what I love doing most.

I then reached a decision on what I want to do with this blog to not only solve the inactivity but also better myself in the process.

The Big Changes to this Blog

These are the "Big Changes" that will be happening to the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog…

As I mentioned before I do have other hobbies that I have developed over the years that I love doing behind the scenes, such as:

Writing

Animating

Sewing

Beading jewelry

Resin Art

Diamond Art

These are the few prime examples of things I like doing that has expanded my creative space and mindset besides drawing all the time. The reason I haven't posted these types of content was because I was too focused on making masterpieces and trying to keep up with drawing inactivity on this blog.

I started to learn that it was making me unhappy and too stressed out, but that's all about to change for this blog with these hobbies and the other fandom's I'm interested in too! You see the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog is gonna be my personal space for my other hobbies and the other fandom's that I enjoy beside Motorcity, like:

One Piece

Red Dead Series

Studio Ghibi Content

Monster Hunter Series

Evil West

Okami

And Many More Fandom Content I enjoy!

These are the few examples of the other kinds of fandom that I enjoy and love. My interest goes beyond just Motorcity. I have written many fandom Au's stories during my huge break and I'm dying to bring them to life!

Basically this blog is gonna be a place where I get to do what I want to do and you guys get to see the kinda stuff I created through my written fandom Au's stories instead of focusing on one fandom!

Now the Future Changes of this Blog

Now with these big changes happening with this new direction to the Lone Wolf Blog, it doesn't stop there.

You see I do have other changes that will be coming in the future too! Such as:

1: Question Box Opening [Reason for the Idea: It is where you guy's can ask me questions. (FYI: Their will be Rules to prevent Chaos.)]

2: Request Box Opening [Reason for the Idea: Where you can request drawing ideas for me to draw with rules too. (FYI: I'm a bit undecided about the idea right now. If this idea becomes official, it will be a Limited Box Opening of how many I would take; basically an on and off box.)]

3: Previews of W.I.P.S. Artwork's [Reason for the Idea: I know my art takes a lot of time and patience that causes these long pauses in my blog activity, so maybe I'll post some W.I.P'S of my art content process time to keep up the activity.]

4: Previews of W.I.P.S. Animation's [Reason for the Idea: I sometimes dapple in animation every now and then, maybe I'll post some rough animations that I'm really proud of through my simple animation journey.]

5: Short AU Stories [Reason for the Idea: When I'm not drawing or my hand is slightly sore, I like writing small stories in between from my AU's, maybe I'll post these little stories, but no promises I'm not the best writer but not awful.]

6: Small Comic AU's & Scene's [Reason for the Idea: I write a lot and sometimes I like to take the time to bring these scene's to life.]

7: Gaming Clips [Reason for the Idea: Sometimes during the weekend breaks, I play games to give my creative brain a break. Every now and then I capture awesome, funny and goofy moments during my playthrough's that I'm wiling to share.]

These are a few of my suggestions… I will makes post's when I make the final decisions.

Now The Desolate Paradise Blog Issue

The Desolate Paradise Blog (AKA: Motorcity X Wolf Rain's AU Crossover Story) is going be on hiatus in indefinitely…

I made this decision because I want to focus on my other fandom AU's without focusing on this one all the time and causing me to be stressed out and trying to force myself to keep working on it. It wasn't fun anymore and that's not what I wanted for this AU…

So I'm going to put it on hiatus effective immediately, will it return?…

I don't know right now. For now its on pause and needs to stay like that, until I'm ready to come back to it or.. maybe give up on it entirely…only time will tell.

Thank You for Reading and Listening

Thank you all for listening and reading this. It means a lot to me, I hope it clears up a lot of the stuff that's been going on with the inactivity to not only the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog but also the Desolate Paradise Blog too.

It was kinda bothering me for a while and I felt I needed to express it and want to make a change for the better.

I hope you are excited about the new changes that will be happening for the better and hope you all enjoy the new content that will be posted on the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog soon!

With that I bid you farewell and I shall return to the darkness again.

[egg-emperor]

You're very right in the tags of that one post. Toxic positivity is just as bad as toxic negativity, sometimes worse due to the handling of constructive criticism because of can-do-no-wrong attitude that stifles growth and creativity.

That ever-growing toxicity combined with this weird form of puritanism that has people harassing and dogpiling on others if they dare have an independent thought outside the hivemind is what's forcing me away from the Sonic fandom and never returning again, despite how much I love Eggman. I've already stopped reblogging Sonic art on my main blog and interacting with the fandom at large outside of a close circle of trusted friends across social media, they're the only thing even keeping that dying flame for this series stoked. I'm almost ready to delete it all and revamp my main blog theme to distance myself further. It hurts to know I'm no longer welcome in something that has been a major part of my life since I started gaming, something I've seen grow from literally nothing as I grew.

I still enjoy so many things about this series, and I had so much fun with everything up until this point, but being pushed out and treated like you're worse than trash for disagreeing with one thing feels like a knife being twisted in my heart. I don't want to go, but at this point I feel I have no choice to leave it all behind.

I'm sorry to sound whiny with this all, but I guess I just needed somewhere to vent. Should I consider this my goodbye letter to the Sonic series? Maybe so.

Thanks, Julian. Again, sorry for the vent.

Nah don't apologize, that's exactly how I've been feeling too. There's a big problem with both toxic positivity and negativity in this fandom and I'd say the former has been a much bigger one lately. I wouldn't say any of my criticisms of the latest media I'm not a fan of has been that harsh, aside from the occasional rants where I've been especially worked up and upset.

Most of the time it was just calm criticism that I was being asked to talk about in my inbox, it's not like I was going onto other people's posts and inboxes trying to be negative. But it's just blown up out of proportion because people take offense merely being something they don't want to see, because I see it as anything less than perfect and amazing. And that's where the toxic positivity comes in.

What I do always comes from a place of deep passion and my boldness in expressing true feelings is dismissed as nothing but hatred. Just because again, it's not highly positive endless praise without question or criticism. There's a lot of toxic positivity and also puritanism especially when it comes to my views and creations of Eggman compared to what people would prefer I think and do instead.

I've stepped away from fandom massively too because there isn't much out there that appeals to me anymore. It's a hivemind where you're not allowed to voice different opinions or even state facts as it's immediately taken as an attack. It's full of high praise of everything and intolerance towards people that don't feel the same, they accuse me of being horrible and hateful and trying to attack specific people with things I make on my own blog.

I don't think I'm ever really going to come back either beyond interaction with the small amount of people I still follow that aren't with that crowd and their mindset and either feel the same or accept I feel differently, like I can with them as long as they respect me too. I don't seek out content from anywhere else aside from heavily filtered Tumblr search. I'll never search Eggman on Twitter again for the sake of my sanity lol

While it does help me feel better to not surround myself with things that make me uncomfortable and avoid it as well as I can, it does hurt to leave almost everything behind and not feel welcome amongst the masses just because we can't agree on everything and are open with criticism, no matter how sensible and calm we are about it. I'm going to miss out on the small amount of stuff out there I would like as a result which is sad too.

But then when I'm at my worst after all recent events, I've contemplated deleting everything and leaving because even though there are a few reasons I have to stick around and it's not all bad, it still feels like I don't belong and do everything wrong in some people's eyes and am hated by many and it just makes me miserable with all the constant reminders. It hurts that something that's been so special and important to me almost all my life is now attached to this pain.

It was fun up until this point for me too but now I feel pushed out because of how many places I've been kicked out of and how many I've been blocked by. It really does hurt a lot, how it feels like everything can go wrong just for being yourself and being open and honest about how you feel. It does stifle growth and creativity a lot when different perspectives and ideas are immediately shunned and looked down upon and responded to aggressively.

I don't really want to go either but I've accepted I need to take a step back, as big of a part of my life it was for so long. And I've been considering that I might have to leave official media behind soon as it just feels like there might not be anything for me anymore. Even before shit really hit the fan fandom wise, I started pondering it. Leaving that will hurt even more but I'm trying not to hold on to what hurts or discomforts me and just doesn't bring me the happiness it did before.

If I do have to leave both fandom and official media behind entirely, it will hurt a lot but I still appreciate for the people I still follow, old official content, and sharing my analysis, headcanons, fics, gushing, etc. I'm still passionate as ever about Eggman and love to create from it and share it, that's why I care so much and have such strong opinions and bold ways of expressing it in the first place. It's sad that it had to come to this but I appreciate the good times and memories and I won't let all this stop me from doing what I love.

But yeah you're not alone in this, I feel exactly the same way and I'm saying my goodbye to most of the fandom too and possibly the entire series itself soon with the way things might be going from here.

You're welcome and no need to be sorry 💜

[aneldritchmoth]

NEW YEAR NEW LOOK

UPDATED PFP AND EVERYTHING

Inside Job for the start of the start of the year, best vibes. Nostalgia Max give me your gender please. MORE INSIDE JOB CONTENT GOT ME PUMPED UP YEAH!!

UPDATES AND RESOLUTIONS

So I've been somewhat inactive due to the holidays and new years. And since we're almost back to a normal rythme that means I have more time to focus on personal projects!

First resolution I'm gonna set for myself is writing more, at least a few hundred words a day. I love writing so I'll be focusing on my fanfics more this year. That includes working on a cohesive storyline and character arcs.

Talking about fanfics, you know how I mentioned very briefly an Inside Job AU fic I'm writing? Yeah it's getting worked on. I'm really excited about this fic and AU, but I can't say too much about it otherwise it'll be spoiled. Here's a teaser for you guys thought, I never liked how they never brought up Nostalgia Max again after s1 ep5 so I'm fixing it.

Second resolution I want to draw a lot more this year, that includes posting it on here as well. My art block as been getting to me a lot for various reasons this year, including my dislike for my constantly changing art style. Either way I want to feel better about my art and mostly mindset. But yeah. COUGH..

Expect more posting of messy doodles and memes or also AU art, cringe culture is dead. It's fine if its not perfect, art is fun. INSPIRATION IS BACK BABY!!

That's it, thanks for reading all that if you did. Luv you guys, CYA IN A NEXT POST!!

[harleiquina]

Is the world a cruel place? Yes.

Should we forbid art from showing us the worst case scenario so we can carry on with our happy little lives in our happy little houses as if nothing bad will ever happen? Of course not!

----How the Hell do you put the "Read more" thingy on the app?---- well, sorry, this is a long one -----

Not me remembering myself in school (around 5th grade) watching "Camila" (argentinean movie about the real case of a high-class girl that had a romance with a priest during the dictatorship of 1830-something and both of them are executed because of their "sin") where my entire classroom saw another "implied" scene of a man drowning Camila's new born kittens in the first 5 to 10 minutes of the movie (and by "implied" I mean you saw the kittens, saw them being put in the bag and "the bag" -sans kittens because obviously the production team wasn't going to kill real animals- being tossed into a river). All of us were upset because we all love animals... but it was a movie... it's far worse to know that that kind of things happen in real life a lot more often and not just to cats but puppies too (and animal abuse is very common to all kinds of animals regardless of their size). But I'm losing my train of thought here.

I do not know if my generation (I'm 30 and counting) was more exposed to certain topics (just look at any comparison of '80s and '90s movies to their follow ups or straight up sequels like Hocus Pocus that were kind of toned down and sanitized for newer audiences) or just the fact that I grew up in a different country with a different mindset and ways to consume media*... but I find the "trigger warnings" (with a few exceptions) an unrealistic demand, not to mention that it's a very patronizing thing to do. I do not expect anybody to tell me if something is safe for me to watch/hear/do/wear since I stopped beeing a child. It's me who decides what to do based on the overall knowledge I have of something or after a little bit of research.

Just a couple of things:

I'm lucky enough that I had no traumas in my life (or at least I think I don't have, never been in therapy and never will) but that doesn't mean that I do no empathize with those who do. The thing is... ANYTHING could be a trigger for anyone and it's very unrealistic to expect everyone to put "propper tags" in their work. I've known of a case of a person that considered popsicles triggering (linked to a hospitalization in their childhood) so, I guess there should be a trigger warning for that too... and maybe for shoes, why not? Or for cars... or, I don't know doors beeing slamed. Every person's fears could require a trigger warning and making a list of all posibilities might take longer than creating the product itself. It's not realistic to hope for that. And no, I do not mean "oh, grow up! Life is tough, get used to that" but more like "remember that the world doesn't know who you are or what you fear. It's everyone for themselves and you shouldn't forget that".

From my point of view, were are not that far away from turning into Fahrenheit 451's world, were everything that could be a little bit problematic was just burned down and forgotten. If you've read Bradbury's book you'll know that in the very begining the burning of certain books was to "protect" people from their content. I very clearly remember Tom Sawyer beeing one of the early titles on the blacklist. And seeing how adamant you all are to protect certain books from beeing banned while at the same time asking to be protected from certain content (by classifying to straight up "cancelling" some things)... baffles me. Pick one! You cannot have it both ways (being protector and censor at the same time). Yes, there are things that are awkward... that you might even hate... but maybe someone loves it because they see themselves in there... so, regardless of one's personal feelings, they are worthy of the same protection (I absolutely hate a book called "The Blue Hammer" by Ross Mcdonald because I find it incredibly misogynistic... but I wish it no harm and I will never discourage anyone from reading it just because it angers *me*).

Art is meant to make you feel... and you won't always feel all fuzzy and warm inside. You can be scared, hurt, angered, sad... and all experiences are valid. The main reason why some things happen in the books/shows/songs/other is to awaken something on the consumer or for the artist to let go of something that was a heavy burden in their chest (of course I'm not talking about people that just go for shock value, but about those that do care about their craft and audience). Certain elements are ways to channel whatever they are going through in a safe(r) way (pretty much as Morpheus speaks about the nightmares he creates) and to inspire them to take action in the real world against those things.

Do I stand against animal cruelty? Absolutely. All my pets are (and were) rescues from the street, whenever there's a pettion made I sign it and if I could, I would donate to those causes. Seeing it on TV, for example, is a reminder that there is still so much to do and that there's still people out there doing harm.

*When I said that I consume entertainment in a different way because of my country (maybe?) it's because I have the feeling that many of you (mostly in the USA) grow up with the notion that "If it's not on TV, it's not real" while I grew up with the opposite version "If it is on TV, it's not real". Even though I might cry for a character's death because I'm attached to it... my brain switches back to "it's all fake" as soon as whatever that was (movie, show, book) ends.

Entertainment and Art are destined to keep our imaginations running and shelter us from the horrors of the world for a little while. Do not expect it to last forever, nor to turn it in to your school to teach you how to behave or what to support. Don't take it *that* seriously, use it to explore your innerself and then, only then, after learning who you really are start making changes not just in you but in the world around you.

I love the sandman, both the comics and the Netflix series, but i have a bone to pick with you. Why did you show the kittens being drowned in the series when you didn't make it that clear in the comics? There's no content warning it anything. That was traumatizing to watch! I'm not exaggerating i had a panic attack.

With the greatest respect, how is this different from the version on screen other than the version on the screen moved and had sound? And what exactly did you think had happened in the comic?

[cheesesteakphil]

What did you think about the update?

LORD ALMIGHTY I LOVE IT. It was everything I expected an MORE!!

In case the spoiler tag isn't working, I'll put my thoughts under a read more too just to be safe :)

My main hope was that I would be able to grow more of a fondness for Shelda, as the amount of content she had main game wasn't really substantial enough for me to get a real liking for her, but the DLC absolutely ammended that for me and now I think she's definitely one of my top favorites.

I genuinely wasn't expecting the big developmental arc that Chandlo goes through but it was really good to see! It really adds more depth into his concern over Snorpy and how to deal with it, and I loved how deeply impactful his conversation with Shelda was (and an added bonus to get a peek into how he interacts with Floofty, since they have all known each other since they were kids, but Snorpy's insistence that he doesn't talk to Floofty was the main reason for the two not having any real interaction base game)

Triffany was another surprise, as it expanded on her already established evasiveness at conflict and my GOD do I relate with that so much. Freezing up and just wanting to step back into the shadow and get on with stuff instead of stepping up to take charge? Near identical to how I work in heated situations too, it's nice to see they didn't try to change that about her in the new content.

We all know my stance on Floofty. I was already over the moon that I was getting any new content for them to begin with, but listen. I need you to understand. I played the game in the mindset of Orlifa (my Journalist/Scientist student OC) and LET ME TELL YOU. THE AMOUNT OF SHIT. THAT FITS INTO HOW I HAVE THOSE TWO INTERACT. BLEW MY FUCKING MIND. I HAVE SO MUCH ART FUEL FROM THIS DLC BAYBEY.

As for the gameplay content, I did not expect the quests from the letter system to add such a substantial amount of work, some of those quests are fucking DIFFICULT! (FUCK THAT ONE THAT MAKES YOU LUNCHPAD YOUR WAY UP TO THE VERY TOP OF FROSTED PEAK. I SPENT. 2 HOURS. DOING THAT.)

But I am SO in love with the variety of stuff you get to decorate your hut, and I've been calling it since the first trailer came out. I cried the MOMENT Filbo was like "hey here's your new hut I hope it can be home for you soon" and BAM. WATERFALL. I KNEW IT WOULD GET ME I JUST REALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF GETTING SO COZY AND AT HOME IN SNAXBURG WITH EVERYONE IT MEANS A LOT TO ME OK.

I love the funny little puzzles you have to do on broken tooth, the first time I played it my brain was fried from like 10+hrs of streaming the original game to the point where I was forgetting how to catch bugsnax. I was a little dissapointed in how small the overall map is though (I played it a second time today and finished the whole DLC content within a few hours) but I still greatly enjoyed all of it regardless of that. I'm doomed to vocal stim the millimochi voice for the next month, sorry to all my friends who are gonna have to put up with that in discord vc's.

9.5/10 dlc -0.5 because I can't get the journalist to kiss Floofty (I'm joking, of course. I can just draw that. It really is a 10/10 <3)

There is. A lot more that I'm obviously not saying, because I'm still honestly absorbing a lot of it. I'm processing all the information from the dlc bit by bit, so it'll take some time. but I have seen everything there is to see (expect some funky art later tonight ;) )

[artistlove17]

This was my Nana at my second birthday party!

She and my Papaw bought me a new swingset that year.

My mom gave me some old pictures the other day on my 21st birthday from my 2nd birthday party, so this picture of my Nana is 19 years old... that's wild.

I've been thinking a lot about my Nana and my Papaw and my mom. And I realized that most of the people around my age act the way they do (fucking crazy) because of their parents and the environment they were raised in. Most of them had parents who either wouldn't allow them to do things (or couldn't afford it) or the opposite, where they forced their kids to play a sport or like a certain thing. (The amount of fathers I've seen get pissed off when their boys don't want to hunt deer or play football... I cannot tell you! Extreme Christian men are fucking bonkers about their children not being exactly how they want them...)

And it occurred to me that I actually didn't really have to deal with that. Not to any extreme level anyway...

I've seen a friend cry and scream and have several mental breakdowns because her dad would steal her journals and read them and told her that as long as she lived under his roof she wouldn't keep any secrets from him. He told her that reading was a waste of her time and money and refused to let her mom buy her the books she wanted. He told her that art and writing were also a waste of her time and practically beat it into her head that all she would ever amount to was a housewife who stayed at home raising babies and caring for a manchild/husband.

And he absolutely hated my guts because I tried my DAMNDEST to get her out of that mindset and to get her to see that she could be or do whatever she wanted (she WANTED to teach elementary school). (It all ended up with us falling out and her reverting back to being his little puppet and following every order he spit at her.) And so he ended up forcing her to go to college on a small grant and a student loan... but made her take the nursing program. Which she ended up failing out of almost immediately because nursing programs are extremely competitive and she was an average student with barely passing grades. (Not trying to make fun of her, but the standards compared to her actual grades were EXTREMELY unrealistic, even she knew it. But her father insisted.)

She ended up dropping out, marrying a criminal (also one of the ugliest dudes I've ever seen, like no joke.. his creepy eyes make me nauseated) and had a baby with him. Now she's constantly back and forth from "I love him, we're a happy little family, I'm a stay at home mom!" and "I hate men, both parents need a job, I can raise my child by myself!"

It just kind of eats at me because while we were friends I could see her finally getting away from her dad and the shit he was constantly shoving her way. But as soon as we stopped being friends... it just seemed like she gave up. And I don't blame myself or anything like that (after all, you can't help someone who refuses to believe they need help)... but it was just crazy to watch it all happen and to think about it now with a new outlook and probably a good bit more maturity.

While we were friends she was more open and out there and we could go hang out with the "weird kids" and party in our own way (usually at the arcade like the nerds we were). We would paint together and make friendship books together and just have fun as kids should... but then I moved away and watching her social media was like watching someone take a leap off a cliff. She even tried to steal my fiance and my friends from me amidst all of this insanity... just out of spite and jealousy that I got away and she stayed trapped in her own personal hell...

And one day it was like her dad finally got into her head. She started hanging out with people we used to hate. She started giving out blowjobs like candy on Halloween (to the point that guys were asking her for blowjobs for their 18th birthdays). She was constantly partying and drinking and doing who knows what kind of drugs. She got married to a guy she met while he was on the run from the police and they ended up having a baby and she became a stay at home mom. (Which she tried her hardest to pretend was fine by her in the beginning, but later had a meltdown over it and got a job again).

She gave up everything she said she wanted to do. Every dream she ever had. And became exactly the person her father was always telling her she would end up being.

Watching all of this happen and seeing how she ended up... was is so fucking surreal to me. It's just so... fucked up.

I surely didn't have the BEST childhood and I plan to raise any children I might have in the future very differently than how I was raised. But I did have a mother and an amazing set of grandparents who made sure I could do whatever I dreamt of.

When I decided I wanted to try out for basketball, my mom signed me up and made sure I went to every practice and game when I made the team. (Though I only played for 3 years before getting bored of it.)

When I wanted to play Tball as a toddler, mom signed me up and made sure there was always someone to take me to my games.

When I started dancing and doing cheerleading my grandparents paid for everything I needed and took me to and from every event and cheer camp.

When my Uncle started learning the guitar they bought me a small one to practice on. When he later started learning the keyboard, they bought me one of those too. I wanted to learn everything he did.

My mom let me get a couple of piercings and dye my hair crazy colors and wear whatever I wanted (except for when it was WAY too revealing for my age, then I was only allowed to wear it inside the house.) She allowed me the freedom to pick things out for myself and make myself look however I wanted. My Nana actually put hot pink streaks in my hair when I was 8 and I loved having colored hair after that...

And during the periods that I didn't want to be active... they let me do that too. They bought me notebook after notebook and sketchbook after sketchbook. They let me write and draw and sing and dance to my hearts fucking content. My Nana kept a wall in her house covered in my art. She loved that I was an artist and made sure to always support me.

My papaw even bought me my own pair of roller skates because for literally 5 years straight the only thing I wanted to do on the weekends was go to the movie theater.. and the skating rink! He and my Nana let me roller skate THROUGH THE HOUSE so I could practice without being in front of everyone. And then they'd take me to the skating rink and let me skate for hours. And now that I think about it... it's kind of crazy that they just let me skate in circles for hours by myself and never once tried to force me to make friends or talk to other kids. As long as I was happy and content, they didn't care.

They supported me and loved me no matter what I wanted to do and I honestly feel like that's why I don't just sit back and follow orders. I don't just do whatever someone tells me to do (unlike so many people around me who I've seen try SO hard to fit their parents expectations, only to fail almost every time.)

I did feel that pressure a little bit. Everyone expected me to do good in school and go off to college (because I was always good in school and made good grades, so it became an expectation). And I think that's why it hit me so bad to quit college... because I felt like I was letting everyone down. But then my mom reminded me that she gave up college so she could keep me and that college really isn't for everyone (even people who are good at school).

My Papaw supported my choice (I could tell he was a little unhappy) but he never voiced that he was in any way disappointed in me. He believes that since I earned my scholarship by myself, then I get to decide what to do with it... which includes not using it.

My Nana fully supported my decision. She thought similar to my Papaw, that I had earned that scholarship on my own and so I got to decide what happened with it. She was also one of the only people who really knew how mentally and emotionally fucked up I was while trying to attend college and fully supported me leaving that stress behind if it made me happy to do so.

I've seen kids fall apart because they never had people like this in their lives. They were never allowed to be themselves or just enjoy whatever it was they liked. They were constantly pushed and pushed until they finally went over the edge.

And that's really fucked up.

And I'm really thankful for my mom and grandparents who always allowed me to be myself and make decisions for myself.

I'm really thankful to have been allowed to be me (at least for the most part). 💛