#IMPROVEMENTS PEOPLE!!!! IMPROVEMENTS!!!!!!!

[xinganhao]

🍨 svt spoiling their partner.

★ prompt: how ot13 spoils their partner? 🥹🥹🥹 i am just a girl give me treats c/o @shinwonderful

ⓘ established relationship, pet names, fluff. headcanons under the cut. special thanks to @chugging-antiseptic-dye for helping! ♡

🍨 read more?

seungcheol 𖹭 planning dates. he will refuse to let you lift a finger for your day out. everything will be meticulously laid out, finetuned to be something that you'll enjoy. his goal is to lessen the mental load of decision-making and planning; he wants you to be able to focus solely on enjoying the surprise, and he'll break his back to make sure that happens.

jeonghan 𖹭 'parallel play'. even if the two of you might not be interested in the same things, that's okay. he's happiest to spend quality time with you at home, where the two of you are free to do your own thing within eachother's presence. just being in your vicinity already makes him content, and so he plans everything around the two of you getting to explore and share your respective hobbies.

shua 𖹭 acts of service. need help with your taxes? need someone to fill up your tank? he's already on it. he'll say that these are all 'little things', call it the bare minimum, when it's apparent that he makes it a conscious effort to make your day-to-day easier. his brand of spoiling you comes in the form of quietly doing things that will improve your quality of life.

junhui 𖹭 buying clothes you'll like. he can't help it, really. when he sees an article of clothing that he thinks suits your style? when he finds a local brand that shares your advoacy? he's already pulling out his wallet. he likes the idea of dressing you up. nothing makes him happier than knowing you're wearing an outfit that he entirely picked out for you.

soonyoung 𖹭 daily reasons why he loves you. people always joke that he has a bit of a motormouth, so why shouldn't he use it on talking about you, you, you? he's big on words of affirmation, on making sure you never doubt how he feels for you. he'll point out the little and big things that make him adore you, and it's never the same reason twice.

wonwoo 𖹭 indulging your interests. he may not always understand these trends— blind boxes, must-have fashion pieces, et cetera— but he'll never make you feel bad about it. if there's anything that you want, he's already doing everything within his power to get it. his greatest joy is seeing your face light up once he's gotten you your 'priority' item; it's why he keeps doing it in the first place.

jihoon 𖹭 trying new things for you. there's a long list of things that jihoon never thought he'd do, but then he started dating you. time and time again, he willingly goes out of his comfort zone to accompany you on the little adventures and experiences that you ask to go on. he does these things scared, does them anxious, does them begrudgingly,— does them all for you.

seokmin 𖹭 meals he thinks you'll like. he's the type to have dozens of tabs open for homemade recipes dot com. he knows he's an amateur at this, but he's undeterred in trying. whether it's a trending pastry on tiktok or the comfort meal that your mother makes you, he's determined to learn it so you're always eating well.

mingyu 𖹭 getting-to-know card games. he gives as good as he takes, which means mingyu's way is to listen and remember. a night where the two of you can just have deep conversations with no interruptions is his ideal evening. he will know he succeeded if the two of you end up talking until the sun rises, feeling like the hours haven't passed at all.

minghao 𖹭 postcards from tour stops. he loves art and he loves you. his postcards are pocket-sized reminders of those facts, always packaged with a few choice words that are sweet and sincere. his trinkets are very "i-got-you-this-because-it-reminded-me-of-you" in nature, and you know each one was purchased with you at the front of mind.

seungkwan 𖹭 getting you your favorites. he figures he should put his industry connections to use somehow. he's always amused by how happy you get over a rare photocard, signed album, or concert tickets, and so he keeps it up. buying dozens of albums, contacting other labels, bearing the arduous ticketing. your excitement at the end of it makes it all worth it.

vernon 𖹭 producing songs. he hadn't really pegged himself as the making-music-for-the-sake-of-it type until he met you. now, he revels in getting to send you a track that's for your ears only. all the lyrics just seems to flow naturally when it's you inspiring him, and so he sends you works-in-progress with reminders that you're the only intended audience.

chan 𖹭 at-home massages. he's all too familiar with the aches of an ailing body, so he knows exactly how and where to work on you. he always does what he calls 'the works'— a good bath, scented candles, essential oils. he lets you take your time, and he takes his time with you in helping you unwind.

› scroll through all my work ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀��ˉ͈́ )✧ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ my masterlist | @xinganhao

[unnameablethings]

god not to get into the discourse but like. we gotta discuss the dialectics of Getting Attention For Art. Two things can be true simultaneously.

1. it is TOTALLY NORMAL AND EXPECTED to really want people to give your art attention/notes/love/care. That is a deeply fulfilling and necessary part of the process of creating art.

2. You are not entitled to attention/notes/love/care just because the art exists, and you HAVE to find a way to drive yourself to keep creating in the absence of those things.

Maybe people aren't paying attention because your art is not good. Maybe they're not paying attention because your marketing is not good. Maybe it's just not the right timing Maybe it just got lost in the vast morass of internet content. The only way to fix these things is to persist in creation and improve in the process.

We can discuss the role of the audience in helping art thrive, but I think it's more useful to focus on your own contributions. Are you leaving detailed enthusiastic comments on everything you love? Are you reblogging with tags and commentary? Are you sharing the things you love? You cannot control the behavior of anyone but yourself. You can take your disapproval of art culture as a prompt for your own behavior, but it's pointless to resent Society for your art not doing well.

Wrt writing specifically, am certain you have all heard/read the stories of your favorite authors getting umpteen rejections by publishers before getting published. I feel like in some ways the system of traditional publishing allows for more ego-preservation. You can think "I KNOW people would love it if The Gatekeepers would give it a chance."

But now it's just out there on the internet and nobody's watching or reading it at all. Turns out maybe the gatekeepers were right about this one. And that's genuinely really difficult to deal with, it's something I struggle with frequently.

But oh my god. oh my god. listen to me. if you take anything away from this post. YOU CANNOT BULLY OR GUILT TRIP OR LOGIC PEOPLE INTO READING YOUR SHIT. It either hits or it doesn't. If you can't handle that, DON'T POST YOUR WORK.

[ninyard]

When I start to get a lil crazy about characters and aus/hcs, I like to imagine them doing real person things to bring me back to earth. Kevin getting an eyelash in his eye. Andrew almost tripping up over a step but saving it. Neil accidentally stubbing his toe or walking into the corner of a table. Aaron buttoning his shirt wrong and having to start all over again. Jean pushing a pull door. Jeremy making a doctors appointment. Make them human.

Like yes they can fuck nasty and get themselves into situations but they can also screenshot things on their phone. They can reverse park and carry a basket in a grocery store.

[comicaurora]

Your explanation for why Tahraim operates the way he does makes so much sense. And, fun fact, Tahraim actually helped me a lot with dealing with intrusive thoughts and guilt.

I've done a lot of things and thought a lot of things over the years that I regretted and felt a lot of guilt over. And for the longest time, all I knew how to do was ignore the guilt and try to improve as a person, but that guilt was still inside eating at me little by little. It wasn't until I read Tahraim telling Dainix "This time we're going to let the fire do what it does best, we're going to let it change you" and "now you're not the person who'd do that anymore. Well done." that it really clicked for me how to cope with those feelings.

I ended up being able to take it a step further too and apply it to coping with not having been able to protect people who weren't my responsibility because I was just a kid (ngl the panel in Erin's dream of him desperately shouting "I was a child!" helped a lot on this journey too). I tried to apply using guilt to change me into somebody who wouldn't let that happen again. But then I realized that I'd done everything in my power. I didn't want to change into somebody who didn't try, and I couldn't change myself into somebody who successfully fixes everything for everyone. So instead, I let the fire inside me change me into somebody willing to forgive my past self and let go of the pain and self-blame.

Sooo uhhhh, I kinda lost the plot on the point I was making, but suffice to say that Tahraim makes a lot of sense and you very successfully ended up guiding me via him into a lot better coping mechanisms than I'd had previously.

cool cool cool c-

[olderthannetfic]

For AO3 readers, MUTING is the solution to a problem they may not have come across yet.

I just thought of an extremely functional solution for a problem with AI fanfiction that a friend of mine shared her worries about. You see, she was particularly worried that her experience as a browser and reader of fanfiction will start to decline as AI fanfiction starts clogging the Sort By Recent filter on AO3.

Ok, so it didn't occur to me right away, and that is why I think it justifies this long anon post, but I just remembered that AO3 already has a tool to help you weed out low effort sludge that I have successfully used even prior to the increase in AI works. It does require people to be logged in though.

The solution is Muting, which has been around since 2023. I've even used it before for specifically this precise problem. There is a particular rare pair I like, but the primary producer of fics for that pair is one very prolific author whose fics are egregiously low quality. Like, the author even admitted that she frequently just find and replaces the names of the characters when she moves on to a new fandom.

After muting her, it about halved the number of fics in that tag, which was great, because it relieved me of an irritation and also allowed me to find other works. Muting folk who post AI generated works will have the same effect.

Why this will work: The main problem with AI fics is not that they are low quality, after all low quality fics have always existed - it's that they are both low quality and trivial to produce. Therefore, even one person who feels entitled to produce ai fanfiction could easily flood any particular tag with their works. But each time you mute an ai producer for one bad fic, you will end up removing all of their fics from your view, in any of your tags and fandoms. With a little weeding and upkeep, you should be able to browse contentedly as you always have.

Problem: Not all AI fics are tagged as such. How do you tell if a fic is AI?

The hallmark of a fanfiction author who generates stories with AI will be that they are prolific producers of low quality works. Why? because generating stories with ai is easy. It is much easier to generate a bad story with AI than it is to write a bad story without it. Therefore a person who uses AI to generate fics will have a lot of works.

The problem of false positives. What if you mute an author who is just bad right now but could improve?

My friend, if a person is already a prolific author of bad quality fiction, and they haven't gotten better yet, they probably will not improve to your standards ever. So you haven't lost anything by muting them. The goal here isn't to name and blame people who use AI - it's to make your own personal browsing experience better.

The problem of false negatives: What if you read a story and didn't realize it was generated using AI because it was good and you enjoyed it? You read something that you enjoyed on AO3 for free. This is not a problem.

You can find the mute button on AO3 by clicking the authors name. It will be in the same line as subscribe and block.

--

[lebensmudewing]

Idk how someone can be this dishonest and ignorant and have that many notes

Incel beliefs:

Women's nature is hypergamous and is creating incel men

Women and people are shallow ("lookist"), personality and other traits are overlooked in favor of your physical appearance and it conditions all the outcomes in your life (job, relationships, school)

The reason why some men are lonely is because women are shallow and their nature is uncontrolled thanks to sexual liberation; the solution to inceldom is to live in a strict absolute monogamy.

The only way to improve your life is through "looksmaxxing"; they are obsessed with measuring every single physical trait of theirs, from their jaws to their wrists.

"Chad" is a winner guy who bangs a lot of women, the peak of masculinity

Women like to be abused and go behind bad people on purpose

Women don't have real depression or suffer loneliness.

Women live on easy mode and are surrounded by "orbiters"; having meaningless intercourse with men is top tier high quality company here

Women are dumb and inferior

Genetic determinism

Shaming towards women for having a sexual life

Use of pornography

Belief in rape myths; women are only harassed/raped by ugly men, women have constant rape fantasies

Hostile sexism towards women

Radfem beliefs:

Nothing is creating incel men, and most of their problems are self-inflicted or caused by personal circumstances that no one is to blame for

Women's lifes are conditiones by patriarchy and misogyny and people's lifes are ruled by higher structures like economic systems or hierarchies

Sexual liberation is part of women's liberation from patriarchy; women shouldn't be forced to marry who they don't want or pressured to practice their sexuality in one way or another

Women's lifes are improved by policies, laws, change in the structures of the system, protesting and fighting.

Masculinity being defined by how many sexual partners men have is detrimental to women, feeds rape culture, sexual double standards and put women's lifes at risk.

Women don't like to be abused and a change in society and cultural norms is needed to protect women and girls from male violence

Women suffer a lot under patriarchy, their suffering is real and needs to be addressed

Women find a lot of obstacles due to their own sex and patriarchy, pursuing male attention is not productive or leads to a good path.

Women are as smart as men and have different strenghts

Nurture and systemic structures affect and condition people's lifes the most

Having intercourse doesn't increase or decrease your value as a person

Against pornography

Women are not to blame for being sexually assaulted, and their consent is essential to define any sexual aggression, not men's physical appearance.

Against misogyny

You literally have an ideology that aims to control women, who belittle women for something as personal as their sexual lifes, created solely to negotiate more sexual access to women and composed mostly by autistic or severely mentally ill men and another one who study societal structures, women's oppression and history, that aims to liberate women from all forms of violence and exploitation, that has a ton of history and composed by a variety of women and you are like "yeah...they are the same".

sucks that "incel" is just like a generic insult now synonymous with "virgin" bc if people had much of an idea of what incel ideology actually entails, we could have a conversation about radical feminism being quite literally, beat for beat, incel shit for girls

[genderqueerdykes]

btw 'syscourse' and plural infighting isn't accomplishing anything. back in the late 90s and early 2000s, the only communities and resources for plurals that were widely available were for and by non-traumagenic systems. the only people who were advocating for normalizing and accepting plurality on a large scale were non-traumagenic systems. if you did research into plurality 10 - 15 years ago, most of the results that came up would have been experiences written by spiritual and natural plurals.

many people at the time were expressing their dislike of forcing every single plural to identify as if they had trauma- many found this insulting to themselves, and rightfully so! no one should be forced to identify in a way they don't agree with just to rightfully be a part of a community they already occupy. this obsession with "you can only be plural if you have trauma" has only come about extremely recently. i found out about plurality through the otherkin community. i was actually told about DID by someone in the spiritual plurality community. people don't seem to understand that most non-traumagenic systems have respect for traumagenic systems and don't gatekeep their spaces to prevent us from entering.

older plural spaces on the web like healthymultiplicity accepted all plurals. the goal of the community was to show that you can live as plural and not have it be a tragedy or something to "fix". if anything, folks with dissociative disorders owe a LOT to non-traumagenic systems for pushing to normalize plurality without implying that we HAVE to integrate our headmates and try to stop being plural. a huge part of the early online plural community was there to push that plurals can and do live happy lives and shouldn't view their plurality as a bad thing

it's not going to make singlet society see us in a better light. it's not going to get people to understand plurality better. it's not going to get us better mental health resources. it's not going to improve the quality of care for dissociative and traumagenic systems. all you're doing is bullying someone else that you don't understand simply because you don't agree with them.

you're not going to recover from your trauma or understand your own plurality better by denying the existence of other types of plurality. you're not "making the community safer" by gatekeeping. telling other people how their brains work is policing their identities. whether or not you want to accept it, if you forcefully kick endos out of plural spaces, you are the cop you claim to hate.

fighting with people on your own team will never net you a victory. to every other dissociative and traumagenic system: endos are on your side. you are wearing the same jersey. you are made of the same flesh and blood. enough. come together to share your similarities instead of fighting over differences. celebrate the diversity that plurality offers. don't take someone else's identity personally. someone can share the space with you without having to match exactly how you identify. diversity is what makes a community thrive.

[novelistwriter]

Phantom Rogue

DP x DC Prompt

Danny has had enough with Amity. His friends and his sister began to distance themselves from him after the whole "Dan" incident. He dropped out of school and was barely patrolling around Amity, just doing his best to avoid Vlad at all costs.

By the time he was 19, he just up and left Amity altogether, taking all of his parents' work, just to spite them for ignoring human him and chasing Ghost him.

He drifts from city to city, not really having anywhere to stay. That is until he reaches Gotham, where he encounters Tim, someone almost like him. But not the Tim Drake we all know, the Tim Drake Danny encounters is one who isn't part of the Batfam and is instead the biggest Crime Lord of Gotham.

Jason was persuaded to stay in Gotham when he found out about his biological mother. And he's happy about it, as he learned that she works for the Joker later on. Tim spent most of his teen years hoping and praying that Batman would find him and take him away from his neglectful parents. By the time Janet died, he had accepted that Batman wouldn't notice him. This led him down the dark path, where he began to gather blackmail on the other rich families of Gotham, and from there, it slowly began to expand into the criminal organization he has now.

Tim had become one of the most feared people in Gotham. The reason? His intelligence. He has developed a lot of countermeasures to prevent any evidence from being left behind or acquired to be used against him. After he inherited Drake Industries when Jack died, he used the company to develop a lot of things to counter the Rogues of Gotham and uses the tech to threaten the Rogues.

Croc works for Tim because he was promised to have a cure developed for him so he could be human again and is frequently used to fight Bane whenever he is attacking Drake Industries to acquire anything to help his Venom improve. Tim was so close to killing the Joker, but the newest Robin, Damian Wayne, stopped him. This is what causes the Joker to fear Tim Drake. Oswald doesn't have enough money to ruin Tim and almost lost the Iceberg Lounge to Tim. He got to keep it after he proposed to work with Tim. The Court of Owls can't do anything to Tim, as he has dirt on all of the members, and if he is killed, it will be released to the entire world, and Tim has found a way to control quite a number of Talons.

And now that these two neglected young men have met, they are going to show the world just how dangerous they can be.

(Fun Fact: This prompt was inspired by either an official or fanmade artwork I seen somewhere where Tim isn't part of the Batfam and is saying how he wished Batman took him away from the Drakes to a man he was about to pull the teeth out of their mouth with pliers)

[cheddar-baby]

the thing i appreciate about art is how straight forward it is to improve. There is essentially two things you need to be doing and it looks a bit different for everyone but if you feel like you're stuck and you can't see a path forward then you need to build your visual library. This entails critically looking at lots of art, every day objects, people, etc. You just need to be looking at things with the intention of taking in information like how light and shadow works on it, techniques used (in art). Its hugely important to look at things like this because its like building a visual muscle memory for understanding how everything is put together.

The other half is when you feel stuck but you can see the path forward to what you want to make you simply just need physical practice, you have a larger internal library than you have physical muscle memory and its frustrating you to not be able to create what you are seeing in your head. This step is also important to be working consciously because when you're understanding why you're doing things and doing it intentionally then you'll retain the knowledge.

[kisolvetica]

One thing you should keep in mind is not to "write for yourself" — of course, that's what you should but I understand that if the intention is to share it, you're not SOLELY writing for yourself.

The thing that should matter is the FUN you have in creating and sharing it. Good and bad are just words, subjective as most words are with meanings that change depending on the person. Your writing should not be based on your want to improve (though that's a nice ambition!) but just on creating something . Whether that's good or bad, why are you judging your creation like that anyway? Had you fun on the way of it's creation? Did it make you feel what you wanted it to make you feel? Then there you go! That's good!

You cannot write the perfect story, not even a universally good story, but you can write a story that YOU had fun creating. And that's all that matters. Not everyone will like it, of course, but do they have to? Many other people will be there and like it! Writing is not meant to be universal. There's no such thing as a universal experience, we all lead different lives, we all have different standards. And that's good! Because individuality creates creativity, novelty.

Write whatever you want, just have fun in writing it. That's the only rule writing should have.

WRITE IT ANYWAY!!! EVEN IF YOU DONT THINK YOURE GOOD ENOUGH!!! WRITE!!! IT!!!! ANYWAY!!!!!!!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Body Language

Body language - involves communication provided through nonverbal channels. This includes posture, facial expressions, eye movement/contact, proximity to others, and physical movements (Pease, 2017).

Body Language vs. Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication - includes all forms of communicative acts except speech.

Body language - a type of nonverbal communication. It lies under the umbrella of nonverbal communication, which encompasses a broader scope of communication (Milton & Randall, 2022).

One way to differentiate between the two is to think about body language as all the nonverbal communication that can be seen (Milton & Randall, 2022).

Nonverbal communication that is not considered body language (or cannot be seen) includes repetition of words or statements, vocal characteristics of speech such as tone and volume, and sounds that might not be considered words such as “hmm” and “uh-huh.”

Some types of body language include:

Facial expressions. The face is an extremely expressive form of body language, with the ability to communicate numerous emotions without a single word. From anger to anxiety, fear to grief, embarrassment to disgust, facial expressions are one form of nonverbal communication that is considered universal across cultures and species (Keltner, 2009).

Gestures. Hand, arm, and body gestures are part of daily life. So much so that now in video calls or online meetings, a hand gesture or arm movement can simulate a thumbs-up or heart emoji. Gestures can be positive, such as an “OK” signal, or negative. Gestures are largely cultural and may express different meanings depending on geography and ethnicity.

Posture. How an individual moves and holds themselves communicates information in subtle and powerful ways. Posture includes how someone sits, holds their head, stands, walks, and engages their physical stance.

Eye contact. Our visual sense is especially important in nonverbal communication. The way we look at others can communicate many things and help to improve or detract from the flow of conversation. Eye contact can convey affection, anger, attraction, and interest, among other things.

Physical touch. Physical touch is a powerful form of body language and nonverbal communication. From hugs to handshakes, touch demonstrates a variety of messages. Touch is also a very personal way to express interest, emotion, and engagement with others and can be received well or create discomfort and tension.

Personal space. Physical space in interactions is also a very personal aspect of body language. Our need for or comfort with it depends a great deal on culture, the specific relationship, personal preferences, past experience, and the given situation. Understanding other people’s boundaries is an important component of assessing the need for personal space.

As more interpersonal communication becomes virtual, it is important to be aware of how body language is portrayed on a screen. Some ideas to consider in virtual sessions include:

Make sure lighting is sufficient so clients and/or members can see facial expressions and pick up on body movement.

Be aware of posture. It is easy to get too comfortable behind a screen and hunch over. Have good support when sitting, staying upright and attentive.

Maintain healthy eye contact. It may be beneficial to shift between looking at the screen and looking directly at the camera to avoid uncomfortable stares.

Avoid touching the face and head too much, as this conveys insecurity and can be a distraction.

Smile and use warm facial gestures, as the face is the main thing people see in virtual meetings.

Use hand gestures. This will require the computer or recording device to be placed far enough away to capture some of the upper body.

Cultural differences in body language exist. Below are samples that have been observed. It is not an extensive list of all cultural differences in body language, but it demonstrates that ongoing education and awareness are important when working with others in personal and professional settings.

Hand gestures. A thumbs-up in Western cultures is a signal of “OK,” but in the Middle East it is a sign of “up yours.” Similarly, curling the index finger (a sign to move closer) is considered impolite and rude in areas such as China and the Philippines (Cortez et al., 2017).

Eye contact. Most Western countries view eye contact as a sign of confidence and interest. In many Middle Eastern countries, eye contact between sexes is deemed inappropriate, and in some Asian cultures, unbroken eye contact is seen as aggressive and confrontational (Cortez et al., 2017).

Touch. Northern Europe and Far East cultures engage in very little physical contact or touch, where physical touch is a large part of socializing in the Middle East and Latin America (Cortez et al., 2017).

Seated positions. In Japan, sitting cross-legged is a sign of disrespect, and showing the soles of the feet is offensive in Middle Eastern countries (Cortez et al., 2017).

Interpreting Body Language

Argyle (1978) was one of the first modern researchers to study nonverbal communication and believed that humans have more than 700,000 forms of body language. Some specific areas to note for interpreting body language include paying attention to the head, face, eyes, arms, and hands.

Head. Nodding when another person is speaking is a sign that you are focused and listening. It can demonstrate that you agree with or acknowledge what is being said and validate opinions. Tilting the head to one side is also a sign of attentive listening and respect. Both of these are considered positive gestures in conversation. A lowered head or head back with a rigid neck is a sign of a negative attitude, criticism, denial, or rejection. When someone is supporting their head with their hands, this is a sign of boredom and disinterest. And angling the chin upward is a sign of arrogance and dominance (Danesi, 2022).

Face. As most people know, smiling is an open, approachable facial gesture that indicates warmth and interest. On the other hand, frowning is a sign of anger, disinterest, or disagreement with what is being communicated. Raising the eyebrows is a sign of surprise, and raising a single eyebrow tends to be an expression of disbelief. Pursed lips tend to demonstrate anger, sorrow, or a lack of acceptance, depending on the situation (Danesi, 2022).

Eyes. It is often said that the eyes are the window to the soul. Eye contact is the basis for understanding in conversation. When eye contact is avoided, it may demonstrate discomfort, uncertainty, or shyness, or signal that the person has something to hide. When someone’s eyes are narrowed, it could indicate anger. Briefly closing the eyes and quickly opening them again is called confirmatory blinking and can indicate confirmation or approval of another person (Danesi, 2022). Narrowing the eyes can mean several things, such as confusion or a need for more information. It may also indicate concentration or anger. It is also important to notice the pupils. Dilated pupils can demonstrate interest and attraction, while widening the eyes can signal surprise or excitement.

Arms and hands. Upper body postures consist largely of the arms and hands, which are the most mobile and prominent demonstrations of body language. Crossing the arms is a way for someone to create distance and demonstrates a negative attitude (Danesi, 2022). When arms are crossed and the individual is gripping their upper arms, this signals tension and discomfort. Arms crossed with balled fists are also negative body language but signal aggression and anger. Putting hands on the hips can be a sign of aggression or dominance. Putting hands in pockets signals a lack of engagement and defensiveness (Danesi, 2022).

General Tips on Interpreting Body Language

In general, self-confident people frequently look at their reflection in mirrors or windows and place themselves in a position to be the center of discussion. People demonstrate confidence through large gestures, big postures, self-assured smiles, firm handshakes, and steady eye contact. Embarrassment, insecurity, and low confidence are seen through nervous laughter, avoidance of eye contact, turning away, and avoidance (Mandal, 2014).

Nonverbal cues of fear can be seen with wide eyes, clutching, and gripping. Holding the breath, glancing around, and placing hands in front of the body is also a sign of fear (Mandal, 2014).

People demonstrate resentment with crossed arms, a stiffened body, hunched shoulders, and low vocal tone (Mandal, 2014).

Sexual interest and attraction can be seen through eye contact, exaggerated facial gestures, blinking, wetting the lips, touching the body, or crossing and uncrossing legs (Mandal, 2014).

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hand Movements ⚜ Common Gestures ⚜ Facial Expressions

[shaadowmilkcookie]

Let’s take another stab at it. I think I’m getting somewhere!

[thatpinkkwitch]

i just heard the phrase “if you wouldn’t trust their advice, don’t trust their criticism” for the first time and i don’t think i’ve ever needed to hear anything more

[hamletthedane]

The movie Wicked is proof that any source material can be vastly improved by simply making the intense female friendship much gayer + the mutual male love interest both wildly bisexual and lowkey down to just be their third

[abd-illustrates]

💖 Alchemy 💖

Finished art from this week’s video! Idek how long it’s been since I got the chance to sit down and do some fully rendered character art, but revisiting Alchemy for this one was SO refreshing! (Tho y’all’s kind comments on this vid have been even more so, tysm 💖)

[DO NOT EDIT OR REPOST TO OTHER SITES / ACCOUNTS] ♻️reblogs are lovely tho!♻️

[stars-obsession-pit]

Following an accident, Danny wakes up in Gotham City in a DC universe. Lacking any forms of ID or possessions beyond the clothes on his back, he’s forced to commit some crimes to survive. Minor crimes, but still.

And then he gets caught.

During the court proceedings, they come to the mistaken conclusion that he’s a Meta suffering from some psychiatric issues such as Cotard’s Syndrome (a real rare condition where a person holds the delusional belief that they’re dead/don’t exist/etc).

Thus, between his “need for mental treatment” and the concerns about housing someone with his unique physical traits, he is sentenced to spend time in Arkham Asylum. He’s under pretty low security aside from the anti-Meta stuff and has more freedoms than some other inmates, but it’s still not a great experience. Even at the best of times, Arkham is hardly a nice place.

Some of his fellow residents are decently chill all things considered, but lots very much aren’t.