#all my therapist can do is write a statement that i’m engaged in counseling services

[mkaleidescopel]

college really ain’t built for the neurodivergent

[robininthelabyrinth]

"New writer ask meme: based on my body of work, what’s something you’d like to see me try to write?" like. you wrote a story within a /menu/ so you can take this as a prompt or just respond but. if you can make a menu compelling, what about something else. like a professor binn's history lecture, swapping in for the teacher and subject of your choice, but something where the students have fallen asleep five minutes in but there's a compelling story under the surface. idk if it's possible, (cont)

re: the hist lecture thnx for letting me know tumblr didn’t send it! can’t remember xactly what was in each ½ of the ask but short version: if any1 can make a dry lecture (note: not just any lecture, but a boring one), abt history or other, compelling, it’d be u. just as people say that x celeb reading the phone book could be cool, I feel the same could be true for u, which brings me to thing I’d like to see u write 2: a phone book story. idk how the flip it would work but it’d be interesting

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I think that my Makers of History fic might fulfill your first craving - it’s not boring, but it’s written in the style of a history textbook :) 

That being said, your SECOND prompt irresistibly caught my eye.

It’s not a phone book, but I hope you still enjoy!

Fic:  Central City Classifieds: December 2017 Edition (direct link to Ao3)

Fandom: Flash, Arrow, Legends of TomorrowPairing: Leonard Snart/Mick Rory, suggestions of unfulfilled Mick Rory/Caitlin Snow

Summary: Central City Picture News is a respectable news organization, with serious journalism, editorials, opinion columns, sports coverage, arts review, and international news.

So why does everyone keep reading the classifieds?

(Answer: because they’re hilarious.)

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CENTRAL CITY CLASSIFIEDS - December 2017

New Business Opening:Super Tailoring: For All Your Superhero or Supervillain NeedsAsk for ~Leo~–New Business Opening:Supersuit Construction Corp.Super-suits for Superheroes, Supervillains, and More!Theme-appropriate nicknames included!Ask for C. RamonOur Motto: “We make proper supersuits here – our competitors should just go back to their stupid earth where the bad guys need suspenders to hold their outfits together.”–New Business Opening:Super-RepairsWe Fix Mistakes In Science Done By Supersuit Construction Corp.Ask for Harry W.–Announcement:All creditors to whom Harrison Wells owed money, please come to STAR Labs for a pleasant surprise. Ask for C. Ramon; he’ll direct you to the right place.–New Business Opening:TherapyVery Reasonable Prices – Sliding Scale AvailableFree to Superheroes and SupervillainsPLEASE YOU SHOULD ALL GO GET THERAPY RIGHT NOWAsk for ~Leo~

–Announcement:39 Surprisingly High-End Possibly-From-The-Future Toasters for Sale. No returns.Ask for B. Allen.–For sale, goods:One Cold Gun, barely used. Must go to good home. Must agree to take angst, hallucinations, budding drinking problem, and mourning of 30 years of partnership and marriage with you.–New Business Announcement:John Constantine – Exorcist, Demonologist and Master of the Dark ArtsIn Town for a Limited Time Only!–Wanted:Better security system capable of removing unwanted stowaways from advanced-future time ship. Call and ask for Sara.–Wanted:Any security system. At all. Please. Villains just walk in all the time.Call STAR Labs.–New Business Opening:Legendary Security ServicesBe Protected By the Legends of Tomorrow(no warranties apply, please ensure you have appropriate insurance before hiring)–Job Opening:Legendary Security ServicesSeeking Security Consultant – Superhero Experience WelcomeMust have Zambezi Totem To ApplyAsk for A. Jiwe and Z. Tomaz.All Time Periods Welcome.–Wanted:Any OTHER security system.Call STAR Labs.–New Business Opening:Colorful Light Show & Anger Management TherapyProcess Your Emotions, See Beautiful ColorsAsk for R. G. Biv.–Job Opening:Individual with meta powers wanted for long-term scheme against the Flash.Applications can be left by the statue of the Thinker in Central City Art Museum.–Announcement:Are you fucking kidding me?? Does that actually work?? – B. Allen.–Job Opening:New Mentor Figure. Must Not Be Evil.Harrison Wells doppleganger preferred.No individuals named Eobard need apply.Stringent interview process being implemented.Applications can be sent to STAR Labs. Honestly, just walk in, there’s no security system.–New Business Opening:Outdoor Wedding ServicesPlanning Your Outdoor Wedding? Worried About the Weather?Don’t Be!Call M. Mardon To Ensure Your Perfect Day!(Also available to ruin your exes’ wedding, but it costs extra.)–New Business Opening:Welcome to The FLASH Museum!Learn all about your favorite local Supehero in intimate, behind-the-scenes detail!Call: the H.R. Wells Estate.–Cease and Desist Order Lawsuit Filed Against the Flash Museum. C/O the Flash, STAR Labs.–While I’m at it, Cease and Desist Order Filed Against Local “Team Flashers” Club. It’s not funny! C/O the Flash, STAR Labs.–Wanted:Someone capable of making puppets in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.Preferably soft and capable of resisting impact; designed to be used in therapy sessions.Ask for ~Leo~–For sale, goods:Slutty clothing, barely used. Very reasonable price, just need to get rid of it.Ask for Snow at Star Labs.–For sale, goods:All clothing in my closet. Basically free. Need to get rid of it in revenge.Ask for Frost at Star Labs.–For sale, services:All the ice you could possibly want, no need for ice machine.Ask for Frost at Star Labs. Say that Snow sent you.–For sale, services:Under-the-table medical care. Reasonable prices.Feel free to report to the local medical licensing board afterwards if dissatisfied.Ask for Snow at Star Labs. Say that Frost sent you.–Announcement:Local man with flamethrower seeking attractive girl with ice powers for NSA good time while he is in the present location/time. Willing to annoy additional personality for free.–Announcement:Nice try. No.– Snow and Frost–Business Announcement:Therapy – now offering relationship and family counsellingAlso lessons in pre-planning, emotional openness, and honest communicationAsk for ~Leo~–New Business Opening:Ever wanted to swim with the sharks, but afraid or unwilling to pay for travel? Never fear!Swimming Lessons with King SharkReasonable prices.Call ARGUS for additional details.–Wanted:Secret room for plotting and/or emotional processing of grief. No spying devices allowed.If you have any locations, call John Constantine, Leo Snart, or Mick Rory.Payment available only in Earth-X cash, since the other two are broke.–Announcement:Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak are pleased to announce that they will be wed in a ceremony on the Star City Central Green at the end of this week.–Announcement:Another one?! Didn’t you two get married ALREADY?A Totally Not Bitter Central City Picture News Journalist–Announcement:Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak are pleased to announce that they will be renewing their vows at the end of this week, this time before a rabbi and their friends.–Announcement:You didn’t have a rabbi the FIRST time?Noah Kutler & Donna Smoak–Announcement:What the hell are you two doing filing a joint newspaper announcement???Felicity Smoak–Announcement:Answer us about the rabbi question.Noah Kutler & Donna Smoak–Announcement:They would’ve been able to use the rabbi we used at my wedding, but they got him killed.Frost–Announcement:That was MY wedding, not yours!Snow–Announcement:Best wishes to Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen on their upcoming vow renewal.We’re sorry for accidentally setting your entire extended family on you.Team Flash–Announcement:Did you REALLY re-gift us the espresso machine we gave you??Oliver Queen–Announcement:It was on your registry in exactly the same way it was on ours.Iris West.–Wanted:Someone willing to obtain a list of ingredients, some very esoteric, without asking too many questions as to why. Speed of the essence – need to get all the ingredients before the next full moon.Call John Constantine, Leo Snart, or Mick Rory.–Wanted:An army willing to destroy the world and worship at the feet of GRODD.No need to apply. Just think the name of GRODD and we will come for you.–For Sale:Telepathy-Resistant Emergency Evacuation Devices, available to help you resist Grodd’s mind control long enough to escape. The newest fashion statement. Also, basically free.Available at STAR Labs.–Job Opening:Qualified therapists with an advanced understanding of ethics, client confidentiality, and self-defense. As many as possible. At once. This is so much worse than I could have possibly believed.Ask for ~Leo~–New Business Opening:Freaky Supervillain Carnival(Totally NOT a set up trap for the Flash)Come see the Dangerous MIRROR MAZE! The magnificent, nauseating WHIRLYGIG!Job opening available for a clown, preferably with teeth, to keep away certain unwanted old acquaintances.Call S. Scudder and R. Dillon.–Wanted:Surveillance method capable of keeping an eye on three grown men with the capabilities of John Constantine, Leo Snart, and Mick Rory (included for comparison).Something’s up, and Gideon’s not sharing.Must be compatible with 25th century technology.–For sale, goods:Exploding dreidels, for a ridiculously deadly Hannukah prank!Totally not the CCPD trying to trap the Trickster again.Entirely by coincidence, please call the CCPD if you’re interested.–Wanted:Young black men who for a variety of flimsy reasons are no longer currently engaged in active super-heroing except in awesome but sadly brief cameos.We’re making our own club over in Keystone.Call c/o W. West and J. Jackson.–Wanted:Bounty Hunter capable of tracking and eliminating that pesky C. Ramon for having made a crude comment at my precious and perfect daughter.Call Josh (Breacher) on Earth-19–Wanted:Bodyguard capable of protecting me from a crazy overprotective asshole dad who can’t accept the fact that we’re ALREADY SLEEPING TOGETHER.Female bodyguard capable of extreme badassery preferred.Call C. Ramon on Earth-1–Announcement:I, Josh, hereby apologize to my adult daughter for having sought to control her sexuality in such an inappropriate manner. She is free to date whomever she wishes and progress in her relationship at her own chosen speed.Please call off your Amazons.–Business Name Change:Legendary Security Services will now be known as Legendary Amazon Security.Because we’re just that awesome.A. Jiwe, Z. Tomaz, K. Saunders–Police Announcement:Will anyone with any knowledge of what caused that giant blue-green explosion in STAR Labs please call the CCPD immediately? Ask to speak with Detective West.–Retraction:Cold gun no longer available for sale following explosive retrieval process.Bill for all property damage may be directed c/o John Constantine.–Announcement:We are sad to announce that John Constantine has passed away.Please send any bills for property damage care of Zatana.–Announcement:John Constantine is not actually dead. He’s just hiding away on the Waverider again.Personal note: John, if I get one more bill, I’m coming for your balls.Zatanna–Retraction:The reports of John Constantine’s death are greatly exaggerated.We apologize for the inconvenience.He is, however, unavailable to accept any bills.–New Business Opening:Magic Tricks by Abra KadabraMention Harry Potter One More Time And I Will Break My Parole And Kill You All–Invitation:The Epic Len and Leo Welcome Back/Going Away PartyAll Welcome – Bring Presents(Puns preferred)–For sale, goods:One freaky supervillain carnival set up, barely used. Very reasonable price.Have to leave town ASAP because there are now TWO Snarts and that’s two too many.Call S. Scudder and R. Dillon.–Wanted:Seeds for Golden Delicious Apples, Golden Berries, and Golden Corn.Please send to Gotham City, c/o Lisa Snart.–Announcement:Lisa, why are you in Gotham? And what’s with all the plants???With love,Your Concerned Friends and Family

[dandp-maeanderson]

Evaluative statement

Professional Practice lecture series –

I found Tessa’s professional practice lecture series incredibly useful. It allowed me to appreciate the many different avenues I could take once I leave university. I have always been interested and passionate about education and in particular creative education and its benefits concerning behaviour, mental and emotional wellbeing. When I left school, I was really upset to learn that my old school were stopping running GCSEs in drama and textiles due to loss of funding and staff redundancies. The creative arts in schools are essential to self-expression, managing emotions and encouraging a career path in the creative industry. I have always loved the idea of becoming an art teacher and have previously done work experience in the art departments in high schools following the teachers and the technician to learn more about their jobs. This gave me more of an understanding about the current state of art departments in schools and I saw first hand the direct results of funding cuts.

My plan has always to apply for teacher training once I finish uni, but through the PP lectures and completing a “learning plan” has helped me identify which skills and experiences I already have that would be beneficial to being a teacher. Obviously all of my technical printmaking, painting, drawing and sculpture skills I have learnt through my own education (school, college, art foundation and at UWE!) and a series of trial and error experiments will aid my application, but also considering my own experiences working in retail since I was 16, my volunteering experience with the Girl Guides and other pieces of work experience I have done with my local museum whilst I was at college. I grew up with my nan running a children’s home for disabled teenagers and my mum worked as a school nurse then with social services in their emergency response team. Both of these things have been huge influences on my ambitions and have given me inspiration to work with children/teenagers with additional needs or on the pastoral care side of education. Tessa made me realise how all of this information is actually incredibly valuable and would support a teacher training application – and has even made me think about working as a teaching assistant or technician (or even an artist in residency within a private school) before undertaking the teacher training so I can ensure I feel confident within the classroom setting. I have also been inspired to look into other roles within education such as an educational welfare officer which is basically the foundation of most pastoral services.

The mock interview we did with Tessa was quite funny really – as I’ve had loads of interviews before due to part time jobs and university applications, but I’ve never actually interviewed for a teaching-based job. It was challenging in the way that I had to think quickly in response to the questions (and that it was in front of the rest of the class!) but I think I did a good job and it gave me an understanding of what would be required for a teacher interview, for example, I would probably be asked to do a lesson with a class so they could observe me.

Some books I have read that I feel are integral into my understanding of education and what makes a good teacher –  

Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy.

The Freedom Writers Diary by The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell.

Both of these books discuss education and the lesser value placed on the creative arts subjects – as both authors are creative writing English teachers by trade. Kate Clanchy works in an inclusion unit and discusses her entire experience of teaching and how to use poetry as a medium of self-expression through class and language barriers. She talks of how she began to understand that a lot of the children she was teaching were facing incredible difficulty or responsibility at home and how that influences the way a child or teenager would behave in school and eventually how that would effect their life trajectory. Erin Gruwell was a newly qualified teacher going into a “left behind” English class on Long Beach, USA, teaching teenagers the value of the written word, and their experiences. The students were inspired by the Diary of Anne Frank and eventually raised enough money to bring Miep Gies (the woman who hid Anne and her family) over to their school for an interview. Erin Gruwell set the class an assignment of keeping their own diary, and this book is the published result of that assignment. Reading it, you get a sense of some of the harrowing experiences these students (most from non-white, working class backgrounds) experienced, from sexual assault to gang violence. I feel like these books gave me the knowledge to understand the reasonings behind people’s behaviours but also gave me a sense of understanding in my own behaviours during my school years as a reaction to my home life where my mum had cancer and my parents awful divorce.

Work experience –  

My experience volunteering for the Guides has been really enjoyable and I’ve learnt a lot. I was a Brownie and a Guide when I was younger, and the experiences I had were some I would never have had. It is an organisation I can align my beliefs with. They are an inclusive safe space for girls and young women to learn, grow, be creative and give back to their communities. It provides a foundation for friendships and new experiences. I feel proud to volunteer for them. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 our Summer Term activity (a play organised by the girls) has been cancelled as we can’t hold our meetings. This is such a shame as it was something me and our unit leader Hazel had organised together – and I was going to start running to occasional unit meeting in preparation for potentially undergoing youth leader training over the summer holidays. We already have to complete a DBS check as well as do regular online training for safeguarding purposes. This has given me a lot of experience in understanding what actually goes on within youth-centred groups. In the future, I’d like to try and arrange work experience/volunteering for a non-religion youth organisation as I’d like to see the work youth workers do in relation to keeping at risk teenagers safe.

I have been in contact with my old head of year from school who is now the head of inclusion in a behavioural referral education centre and I had work experience arranged with him (end of May 2020) to get an idea of how these inclusion units operate, but due to Covid-19 and the UK being on lockdown this has been cancelled (hopefully I will be able to rearrange this for the future!). I also had applied for a job as an exam invigilator at our local grammar school in the hopes I would’ve been able to invigilate their A Level and GCSE art exams to give me an idea of how the qualifications are run – but again, due to Covid-19 I never actually heard back from the job application due to all exams being cancelled. I approached a few art therapists about work experience, but this was all denied as they only take work experience students direct from counselling programmes.

In the past, I have done a few one-off days during work experience in my old school where I ran workshop sessions for their GCSE students. This is something I was really excited to start contacting schools about before they broke up for the summer – especially as my old art teacher has invited me back into my old school in October to talk to her groups about higher education in art. Not many students go onto college in the first place, let alone choosing an A level in art so this was something I was really excited to do – hopefully it will go ahead! My ideas for workshops included a basic lino printing and pattern workshop for the GSCE textiles students and a paper sculpture workshop where the students printed their thumbprints, and drew them out on big, thick paper and painted designs onto their shapes – then we would cut the shapes out so they were all in one big, continuous line and we hung them from the ceiling with a spotlight on them to create all sorts of shadows and shapes across the walls, which they would then draw with drawing ink to create these beautiful line drawings. Hopefully, I will be able to run this workshop eventually as I’m really excited by it!

Lucy’s research talk + studio chats with her –

I found Lucy’s research talk the most engaging in relation to the similarities between her work and my work. I love pattern, and frequently get myself caught up in questions on why pattern exists. Her video where she created a drawing device she attached to her feet and then recorded her movements whilst swaying her baby to sleep was something really interesting especially when documenting patterns of movement as well as aesthetic patterning. The drawings she made in collaboration with a maths/science (I can’t figure out whether it’s maths or science?) expert in producing a drawing showing complex systems fascinated me and made me think about the way different people can learn.

I would have loved to have heard a recording of the conversations they had!

Me and Lucy always have really interesting conversations in the studio. One particular conversation that was very useful happened in January when I was embarking on my quilting/pattern-based work. It feels like I can blurt out all of my brain jumble and Lucy can just put it back into order for me! She suggested I look into feminist theory on pattern and repetitive art and the (kind of out-dated idea now) that there was a socially ingrained reason the first big female artists were interested in pattern. This was an incredibly big question to consider – in the end, I decided that I felt like the repetitive rhythm of pencil marks that I found so soothing was to do with the therapeutic nature of the gesture rather than any age-old social construct. I feel the same with collections – a small collection of my belongings discussing the ideas of materialism/what qualities I cherish within an object and doing small drawings of the contents of my bag. These things I might never have discovered without my research after our conversation.

Visiting speakers –

Lucy’s work with the complex systems reminded me of Kate Hopkins’ lecture on imagination and the difference between people’s brains. She explained how she cannot mentally visualise. This made me think about the different ways brains work and how people understand visual material. If someone without an art background were to see my work, how would they understand it? Would they need contextual information? We already know people process colours differently, do objects look different to different people? How would my work be seen in a gallery space vs in a home? Would this effect the way people understand my concepts and the aesthetics of my work?

I also thoroughly enjoyed Tom Musgrove’s talk where he discussed honestly his struggle with making work initially leaving university and talking about his financial difficulties in the beginning. I feel like this resonated with me because it gave me a true representation of how life as a freelance artist is, without financial backing from parents.