#and how we have become CONSUMERS more than CONTENT PROVIDERS

[greengay]

one day i wanna get back into drawing and instead of making text posts i’m gonna make those funny little comics that used to be popular in tumblr fandoms circa 2013-2017ish

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @jdebbiel

Deb JJ Lee is a non-binary Korean artist based in Brooklyn, NY. They have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, NPR, Google, Radiolab, and more. Their award-winning graphic memoir, IN LIMBO, about mental illness and difficult relationships with trauma, released in March 2023 from First Second.

Below is our interview with Deb!

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

That implies I am over my art block, but I’m still in it! I think about Kiki’s Delivery Service a lot and how she had to stop doing a thing, and that you can’t really force it, and you have to let it come back to you. It’s a pretty humbling moment, realizing there is more to life than just drawing. I’ve been trying to consume other content like reading or watching movies—anything that is not drawing-related—and to trust that it will come back to me. I think not being afraid to do the small pieces before committing to the big pieces is helpful. Because big pieces are what I am known for, I dig myself into a deeper hole, thinking that each piece has to be bigger than the last one. So yeah! Relaxing and doing the small things before overcommitting to a big piece is the best way to go about it for me.

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

I feel like these are all artists that I have second-degree connections with! Jillian Tamaki, Victo Ngai, and Tillie Walden would be my picks!

What are your file name conventions?

…What file name conventions? I mean, I don’t have specific file name conventions, but I actually have a public Google Drive archive! But I usually put “djjl_whatever-the-title-is_final,” and I would always know it’s the final and legit version.

What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

I did an illustration for the whiskey brand Johnnie Walker. It’s so wild because I only had four days to finish it, and it usually takes me a week and a half if I rush. And honestly, it’s probably one of my best pieces from this year, which is funny. It was for the Mid-Autumn festival, so I made it as Korean as possible.

How has technology changed the way you approach your work?

I only use my iPad to draw everything now, and if I want to pretend that I have a steady workstation, I’ll use my Cintiq. I still am not as comfortable on the Cintiq as I am on Procreate, but it’s still pretty solid and nice. That’s the good part about technology. The bad part about technology is how AI art has been messing things up for me. I’m currently in a lawsuit about AI art as a class rep. Some of my stuff got turned into AI art late last year, so I have to give a deposition at some point. 

What is a convention experience that has stuck with you?

Honestly, they’re all good! I feel like Lightbox Expo has been really nice because it’s truly been a convention for artists. I feel like that’s where most of my audience is, and they’re all around because their purpose is to be better at art. That’s where a lot of original artists do well because they’re getting art they’re inspired by, not so much fanart. I like the Lightbox Expo because it encompasses the pure love of art very well. 

Top tips on setting up an Artist Alley booth?

Use a Y axis, not just your X axis! Take advantage of it! Branding is also something to think about. It is definitely something I’m getting better at. Having an assistant is also very important. I’ve also heard that 8.5x11 to 12x18 inches is usually a good size for prints, but I also provide postcard-sized prints because sometimes people don’t want to commit to a larger size. 

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

You know this is so funny. I’ve been following @alicexz for over a decade on Tumblr and other platforms. I’ve followed her work since high school, and we’ve only recently become peers. I found her, and we met for the first time in real life, and she recognized me. And then I found all my drawings from when I was in my Alice phase, back in high school, and I was like, “Yo, this is when I was trying to be you so badly!” and she was cracking up and was like “Wow, this is so good!” It was such a sweet moment. I wanted to take a picture of her holding my drawing up. It’s really nice because now we’re peers.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing, Deb! Be sure to check out their Tumblr blog over at @jdebbiel.

[marimoscorner]

Consumerism & Witchcraft

Written by Marimo (he/they)🌿

I’ve seen a turn for the better in some witchy spaces regarding consumerism in the past few years, but overall it still tends to be an issue for us as a community. I’ve decided to try and breakdown the pitfalls I’ve noticed in my own journey, in the hopes that it will inspire and assist others. I’ve also provided alternatives and ideas on how to make small changes in our practice to help us better protect the Earth, stick it to the failing system and still acquire our bits and bobs we love so dearly.

As always, I am no authority on any subject nor am I perfect—but we’re all learning as we go, so let’s dive right in 🌿

A Preface

There are some things that should be made entirely clear before we begin:

You are not a bad person for wanting an aesthetic

You are not a bad person for unknowingly falling into pitfalls. Only if you continue to purposefully do so after knowing better

You are not a bad person for consuming content/objects or for not always making the most sustainable decisions. At the end of the day, we can only control our small part of environmental impact, while the rest is left up to the major corporations that make more pollution than any of us ever will

You are only human. Show yourself some grace and understanding that the internet so lacks.

My Experience in Consumerist Hell

I have fallen victim many times to consumerism in witchcraft. Starting my journey at the ripe age of about ten years old and heavily in the broom closet, I was quickly drawn in by the shiny rocks, the brand new candles and scents, the promise of new tarot decks and pendulums and other fancy, shiny new equipment. I was consuming an online aesthetic along with my ideals, and it distracted me from starting my journey by learning well.

I began to spend my birthday and holiday money on the aesthetic of things. While, granted, I still did buy a few literary resources now and again from my local secondhand bookstore—I was stubbornly ignoring the sage advice to learn and understand first before diving in headfirst.

I purchased statues, crystals, too many tarot decks to use. I purchased osteomancy bones I later returned to the earth, for I had not done enough research to know that that animal was mine to practice with. I had a tankard full of incense sticks, and even a growing pile of books that would not be read. While I liked to consider myself crafty with my homemade Maypole and various hand-bound Grimoires, something was becoming apparent: this was all a distraction.

The aesthetic I was partaking in was providing me with a false sense of progress and practicality.

When I’d go to do a tarot reading, I’d become far too overwhelmed with choosing a deck to read in the first place. When making an offering to a deity, I’d feel pressured to also bolster the altars of all the other deities I’d set up, and with my wide pool, the connections felt muddy. Often times I’d be off-put on a project or spell because I knew I needed to film it and it needed to look nice.

In the long term, I don’t have many of these items today. I’ve sold and donated a vast breadth of them. Feeling overwhelmed costed me a few years retreat from my craft to recuperate. However, what has stuck with me is the knowledge I picked up along the way.

So, What’s the Issue? TL;DR

I’ve noticed a few issues here in making these mistakes myself.

Consumerism absolutely distracts you from learning and your craft

Overconsumption leads to environmental damage. If everyone hoarded supplies, there would not be enough to go around. And with what gets thrown away every year…it paints an ugly wound on the Earth

We damage our learning abilities by not allowing ourselves to be anything less than perfect

The need for aesthetic creates barriers to entry within the community and creates a divide of haves and have-nots

You won’t be able to truly follow your individual path if you are only consuming and not creating for yourself

Consumerist culture promotes appropriation. Metaphysical stores carry items from closed practices (such as white sage and palo santo, or coyote bones) because someone is buying them. Don’t be that person, and find alternatives relating to your own culture instead

Consumerism can influence your spiritual decisions based upon monetary inclinations (where some may sacrifice a quality ingredient over a higher quantity of a lower quality ingredient)

So, what can we do?

Firstly, I want to clarify that I am not against collecting, nor am I against maximalism or the beautiful visual aesthetic we carry as a community.

I am an artist a very visual person and understand the longing for a beautiful home and workspace. However, this aesthetic shouldn’t come at the cost of irresponsibly harming the Earth or another community.

Thus, I’ve compiled a list of small things that I will be incorporating into my practice to make it more mindful and sustainable. I hope that you’ll join me in a few of them.

Minimize Supplies. While I used to have a huge selection of stationary for my Grimoire, I now limit myself to a simple pencil and watercolor set if I’m feeling artistic. This helps me actually use my Grimoire for study, rather than to keep perfect. It’s also friendlier on my wallet!

Thrift Supplies. There are plenty of perfectly good items that get donated daily. You can get high-quality candles and holders, old crystal bowls for altar offerings, spare crafting supplies, fabric for alter cloths and even clothing if you so wish—all for a fraction of the cost new and while saving the planet just a little bit more. Hell, you can sometimes even find good silver!

Share Supplies with your Community. You can create a sort of barter system with other witches in your area. Perhaps you create a sigil for them, and they provide you with a candle spell. Play to your strengths and grow together!

Look for Creative Outlets. Do you really need to go buy an altar statue that’s been mass-produced? Or can you give your deity the personal gift of a drawing, painting or even hand-modeled or hand-carved rendition? This will also deepen your connection to your craft and your magic, and make it more meaningful and stronger. If you really like something, though, go for it!

If you aren’t the artistic sort, consider supporting an artist before going to a large company. While I haven’t purchased from them myself, Blagowood on Etsy has beautiful deity statues carved from wood by their small team in Ukraine for a comparable cost to the standard mass produced metal statues. I consider this extra labor of love going into these pieces and those of similar small companies to be much better energy for my practice. I myself may put out some art prints and other handmade supplies in the future, but I will likely spread them around my community first.

Try Secondhand Books. While not available in every area and further still not as available for witchcraft and occult books, you may strike luck! Not only are secondhand books less expensive, but you’ll be supporting a local business. That’s not to say you can’t buy firsthand books, but some searching around may be beneficial to the earth and to your wallet in the long run.

Be mindful of where you source supplies and decor. If you are a fan of taxidermy decor, make sure that you source cruelty free. Bats can practically never be sourced without cruelty, so if a shop carries them, I’d be mindful of their other specimens. The same goes for if a shop decides to forgo a culture’s wishes and carry supplies sacred to them, such as white sage or dreamcatchers. Supporting folks who turn a profit off of others’ suffering is not something many would wish to include energetically in their craft.

Search the Wild for Tools. Find sticks, flowers and other plants out in the forest. Learn how to rockhound in your area for crystals. Your craft will be more powerful the more connected it is to the land you are surrounded by. Be sure to reference guides for safety and legality!

Get Creative with Purposes. If you are having difficulty finding exactly what you need by thrifting or searching, make another tool multipurpose if it would do the job good enough. Find supplies that are easy to source and work as substitutes for other ingredients (ex. Quartz as a stand in for other stones)

Spend more time Doing. Go out into the woods (safely) and advance your connection to the earth instead of worrying over the perfect item for your collection. Your craft will benefit

At the end of the day, all of this is your decision. Take what you like, and leave what you don’t. Even if we don’t agree, I thank you for your time and open mind. I will continue updating about how I incorporate these steps, and I will also hopefully post more on witchy crafting in the future.

I wish you well, and hope you’ll decide to follow along on our journey!

[galedekarios]

seeing a post that basically confirmed the obvious disparity in content made me think more about a scene i would have liked to see with gale and that i've been thinking about for a while now.

i always felt a bit sad that his condition is so often treated as a joke by the fandom and to a lesser extent by the game itself. i always thought that this is partially down to the fact that we don't truly get so see gale actively be in pain due to his condition, other than brief glimpses and hints:

we do hear the urgency in his voice when he explains when and why he needs an artefact and the relief in his voice when the protag chooses to help him.

we see it, too, when he is afflicted by the arcane hunger condition:

we get glimpses of it when he consumes an artefact:

he mentions it, too, in his dialogues, but it's very much downplayed by gale or phrased in such a way that is meant to overplay it with humour, or perhaps even to distance himself from it by using metaphors:

that is until we actually get to see it through his eyes, if only for the briefest of moments:

*Its teeth, its claws, it's unstoppable as it digs through and becomes part of you. And gods, it is ever-hungry...*

gale also has an idle animation where he--quite often--reaches up to touch the orb, perhaps because it flares with pain, like an old wound is wont to do:

(gif by @bladeofavernus)

from the last conversation we have with gale, and after catching all of these little moments of things he says or does with how the orb affects him, we learn that consuming the magic from artefacts no longer has any effect at all. the only solution that tara and he were able to find no longer works:

it would scare him and imbalance him, and it would finally destabilise the orb, make it more volatile.

but what happens in the game after that? the orb becoming volatile enough for the artefacts to no longer have an effect has no consequences at all: you are able to do the tiefling party, all quests in the underdark, the entirety of the grymforge, and, should you choose to do so, the entirety of the mountain pass and rosymorn monastery without an incident at all or any mention of the condition itself/any discomfort or fear it might cause.

there's no urgency here, no follow-up, to what the narrative set up... and then we meet deus ex elminster and the orb is stabilised, and the urgency that came before literally is handwaved out of existence.

what i would have liked instead to happen--or at least to bridge the gap between the artefacts no longer working and elminster stabilising it to be used on mystra's behalf--is the following:

i think it would have been nice to have a scene with gale where we do get to see--on a much smaller scale--him losing control over the orb, have the protag and the companions see what he is trying desperately to keep contained within himself, what gnaws at him, what continues to haunt him.

it could happen perhaps after a particular gruelling and intense fight--and there are enough of that in the underdark and at the mountain pass. it could have been a ! conversation, providing both friendship and romance content.

have the orb act up after expending so much energy to manipulate the weave to the fullest of his abilities, have gale manage to reign it in, but barely, show that it takes a lot of power and effort for him to do so.

that it hurts, with none of gale's metaphors to hide behind or jokes to play it off.

have the audience truly see the gravity of what he is going through.

[bethanythebogwitch]

If you asked me as a kid what my favorite animal was, there's a good chance I'd respond "chambered nautilus", though I probably would mispronounce it. I don't know if it's still my favorite but it's definitely up there in the pantheon of weird critters. For this Wet Beast Wednesday, I'll discuss my childhood favorite.

(image: a nautilus)

The nautilus is a cephalopod that lives in a curved shell and looks similar to (but is not closely related to) the extinct ammonites. There are 6 living species in two genera, but 90% of the time when someone is discussing nautiluses they are referring to the most well-known species: Nautilus pompilius or the chambered nautilus. Nautiloids are ancient, going back to at least the late triassic with their more primitive ancestors going back as far as the ordovician period, a time when only invertebrates and primitive plants occupied the land and true fish had not yet appeared. Because of their ancient history, nautiluses are sometimes considered living fossils. I have ranted before on how misleading the term "living fossil" is so I'll spare you that for now. Nautiloids are considered a sister group to the celoids, which contains all the squid, octopus, cuttlefish, and everything else we thinks of as cephalopods. Nautiluses should not be confused with paper nautiluses. Also called argonauts, paper nautiluses are a group of octopi that make an egg case which looks like a shell.

(image: a nautilus)

The most noticeable feature of a nautilus is its shell. The shell is smooth and finely curving, naturally growing in the shape of a logarithmic spiral (though not, as is commonly stated, a golden ratio spiral). The shell has a stripy outer layer and an inner layer coated with nacre. Internally, the shell is divided into camarae (chambers) separated from each other by walls called septa. Each septum has a small hole in it through which a strand of tissue called the siphuncle passes. Most of the nautilus's body is in the foremost and largest chamber. The shell grows new septa as the animal grows, with the nautilus's body moving to a new chamber as it becomes too large for previous ones. Juveniles are typically born with 4 septa, with adults having as many as 30. In addition to providing protection from predators, the shell is also key for regulating buoyancy. The septa can contain pressurized gas or water and the siphuncle regulates their contents by either adding or removing water to increase or decrease buoyancy. Because of its pressurized contents, the shell can only withstand pressure at depths up to 800 M (2,400 ft) before imploding. Oddly enough, nautiluses can be safely brought up from deep waters where most animals would be killed by the pressure changes. To move, the nautilus pulls water into the first chamber of the shell using its hyponome (siphon) and shoots it back out. The chambered nautilus is the largest species, with a maximum shell diameter of 25 cm (10 in), though most get no larger than 20 cm (8 in).

(image: a diagram of nautilus anatomy. source)

Where celoid cephalopods have tentacles, nautiluses instead have numerous cirri. Unlike tentacles, cirri are less muscular, are not elastic, and have no suckers. They are used to grab objects using their ridged surfaces and can hold in so hard that trying to take an object away from a nautilus can rip off its cirri, which will remain firmly attached. In addition, the nautilus has modified cirri that serve as olfactory receptors and a pair that serve to open and close the shell when the nautilus needs to retract into it or emerge. Nestled within the cirri is the beak, which is used to consume the nautilus's primary prey of invertebrates, though they have also been seen scavenging fish. Their eyes are less developed than most cephalopods, lacking a lens and consisting of a small pinhole that only allows the nautilus to see simple imagery. Their brains are differently structured than most cephalopods and studies have found them to have considerably shorter long-term memories.

(image: a chambered nautilus (upper left) next to a rare Allonautilus scrobiculatus. source)

Cephalopod reproduction is quite different than that of other cephalopods. While most cephalopods are short-lived and semelparous (reproducing only once), nautiluses can live over 20 years and reproduce multiple times (iteroparity). They do not reach sexual maturity until around 15 years old, with females laying eggs once per year. Eggs are attached to rocks and take 8 to 12 months to hatch. Males have a structure called the spadix composed of 4 fused cirri that they use to transfer sperm to females. Females lose their gonads after laying their eggs and will regenerate them for the next year's mating season. Interestingly, male nautiluses seem to vastly outnumber the females. EDIT: @bri-the-nautilus in the replies found an alternate explanation for the disparity in male and female numbers you should check out. TLDR; the females are asocial.

(image: nautiluses mating)

Nautiluses are found in the Indo-Pacific reagion of the ocean and can be found on the steep slopes of coral reefs. They prefer to inhabit waters several hundred meters down. It was once believed that they would rise to shallow waters at night to feed, lay eggs, and mate, but their vertical migration behavior has since been shown to be more complex than that. They have noon been fished by humans for their shells, which have become popular subjects in art and can be made into a number of decorative pieces. The nacre of the shell can be polished into osmeña pearl, which can be quite valuable. Demand for the shells combined with the late sexual maturity and low fecundity is threatening all the species. As of 2016, nautiluses have been added to the CITES Appendix II, making them protected by limiting international trade of their shells. Despite this, they are still threatened and require further protection

(image: a carved and painted nautilus shell from the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, Milan)

[i-love-your-light]

too many thoughts on the new hbomberguy video not to put them anywhere so:

with every app trying to turn into the clock app these days by feeding you endless short form content, *how many* pieces of misinformation does the average person consume day to day?? thinking a lot about how tons of people on social media go largely unquestioned about the information they provide just because they speak confidently into the camera. if you're scrolling through hundreds of pieces of content a day, how many are you realistically going to have the time and will to check? i think there's an unfortunate subconscious bias in liberal and leftist spaces that misinformation is something that is done only by the right, but it's a bipartisan issue babey. everybody's got their own agendas, even if they're on "your side". *insert you are not immune to propaganda garfield meme*

and speaking of fact checking, can't help but think about how much the current state of search engines Sucks So Bad right now. not that this excuses ANY of the misinformation at all, but i think it provides further context as to why these things become so prevalent in creators who become quick-turnaround-content-farms and cut corners when it comes to researching. when i was in high school and learning how to research and cite sources, google was a whole different landscape that was relatively easy to navigate. nowadays a search might give you an ad, a fake news article, somebody's random blog, a quora question, and another ad before actually giving you a relevant verifiable source. i was googling a question about 1920s technology the other day (for a fanfiction im writing lmao) and the VERY FIRST RESULT google gave me was some random fifth grader's school assignment on the topic???? like?????? WHAT????? it just makes it even harder for people to fact-check misinformation too.

going off the point of cutting corners when it comes to creating content, i can't help but think about capitalism's looming influence over all of this too. again, not as an excuse at all but just as further environmental context (because i really believe the takeaway shouldn't be "wow look how bad this one individual guy is" but rather "wow this is one specific example of a much larger systemic issue that is more pervasive than we realize"). a natural consequence of the inhumanity of capitalism is that people feel as if they have to step on or over eachother to get to 'the top'. if everybody is on this individualistic american dream race to success, everyone else around you just looks like collateral. of course then you're going to take shortcuts, and you're going to swindle labor and intellectual property from others, because your primary motivation is accruing capital (financial or social) over ethics or actual labor.

i've been thinking about this in relation to AI as well, and the notion that some people want to Be Artists without Doing Art. they want to Have Done Art but not labor through the process. to present something shiny to the world and benefit off of it. they don't want to go through the actual process of creating, they just want a product. Easy money. Winning the game of capitalism.

i can't even fully fault this mentality- as someone who has been struggling making barely minimum wage from art in one of the most expensive cities in america for the past two years, i can't say that i haven't been tempted on really difficult occasions to act in ways that would be morally bad but would give me a reprieve from the constant stress cycle of "how am i going to pay for my own survival for another month". the difference is i don't give in to those impulses.

tl;dr i hope that people realize that instead of this just being a time to dogpile on one guy (or a few people), that it's actually about a larger systemic problem, and the perfect breeding grounds society has created for this kind of behavior to largely go unchecked!!!

[hermajestyimher]

How do I stop letting depression/anxiety control me and how I view myself? I’ve gotten better, but I just feel like my appearance has so much control over me. I am black, but I’ve just been so insecure of my nose and it being on the bigger side, especially compared to other black women (this isn’t to out them down or anything! I think they are absolutely beautiful people and I love them :D). I just feel like I’ve been dealt such a bad hand in life by being unattractive and that all my hardships especially with my relationship with others (romantic and platonic) just stem from me being/feeling unattractive and being a naturally awkward person doesn’t help. I constantly day dream about being a woman like Anok Yai or even someone with the sort of energy as Mia goth. I don’t want this to turn into some pity post, but I want to be able to be beautiful while also replacing this awkward personality of mines. This feels super childish and all over the place, but I just feel a little lost with myself and who I am.

So TLDR is: How do I become/start feeling attractive and become a more confident and charismatic person? Thank you and Im so sorry for the messiness of this post!

Hi my love, it sounds like you need to do a lot of self-concept work to change your internal dialogue and improve how you see yourself. It's essential to build a strong foundation of self-worth and confidence that isn't easily shaken by external influences. Here are some practical steps you can take to begin this transformative process:

1. Eliminate All Forms of Negative Stimuli

One of the first steps in enhancing your self-concept is eliminating the stimuli that contribute to self-doubt. This involves a thorough examination of what you consume daily, whether it’s media, people, or experiences. Start by unfollowing individuals and accounts on social media that make you feel inadequate or pressured to conform to unrealistic standards. Pay attention to how certain songs or films make you feel; if they perpetuate feelings of self-doubt or insecurity, consider removing them from your playlist.

It's crucial to be mindful of what you're feeding your mind. Often, we internalize negative messages without realizing it. These can come from people who appear close to us or through entertainment that subtly promotes insecurity. Perform a detailed assessment of who you’re listening to and determine if their influence is healthy. If not, create distance, whether that means unfollowing them online or spending less time with them in person. Surround yourself with people and content that uplift and inspire you rather than bring you down.

Pro Tip: Make a list of accounts, shows, and songs you consume regularly, and categorize them into “Positive,” “Neutral,” and “Negative.” Actively replace those in the “Negative” category with something positive.

2. Surround Yourself with Positive and Aspirational Content

After you've cleared out negative influences, it's time to replace them with content that uplifts and inspires you. Look for media and role models that align with your aspirations. This could mean following influencers who promote body positivity, self-love, or healthy lifestyles. Find women who embody the qualities you admire and whose lifestyles you aspire to emulate.

Comparison, when used wisely, can motivate us to strive for more. Instead of comparing yourself to others out of insecurity, use it as a tool for growth. Observe the habits, routines, and mindsets of those you admire, and learn from them. Incorporate their positive traits into your life in a way that feels authentic to you.

Additionally, consider expanding your social circle by engaging in environments where aspirational people frequent, such as networking events, workshops, or fitness classes. Being around people who have achieved what you’re aiming for can provide real-life inspiration and show you that your goals are attainable.

Pro Tip: Create a vision board or digital collage of people and things that inspire you. Include images, quotes, and achievements you aspire to. This visual reminder can be a powerful motivator.

3. Reprogram Your Mind with Positive Affirmations

Changing your internal dialogue is critical for improving your self-concept. One effective method is using subliminals and affirmations, which can help rewire your brain with positive messages. These techniques work by bypassing the conscious mind and directly influencing the subconscious, gradually replacing negative beliefs with empowering ones.

Find subliminal audios or affirmation tracks that resonate with you and your goals. For instance, if you're working on self-confidence, look for recordings that focus on self-assurance and self-love. I recommend listening to this one for about 30 minutes daily, ideally in the morning when you wake up or right before bedtime when your subconscious is most receptive. You can find a variety of these resources online, just be careful to read the comments before listening to ensure the affirmations are safe and vetted by others.

As you integrate these practices, remember that consistency is key. Regular exposure to positive affirmations will slowly build a new mindset, one that's more aligned with your true worth and potential. You can also use affirmations to help change your physical appearance as well.

Pro Tip: Write down a set of personal affirmations that resonate with you. Repeat them to yourself every morning and evening as a daily ritual. This practice will reinforce positive beliefs about yourself and your abilities.

4. Improve Your Physical Health

Taking care of your physical well-being is a vital aspect of boosting self-concept. Exercise regularly, not just for physical benefits but also for the mental and emotional gains that come with it. Engaging in physical activity releases endorphins, reduces stress, and builds self-discipline, all of which contribute to a stronger sense of self-worth.

Create a balanced workout routine that you enjoy and can stick to consistently. Whether it’s yoga, running, weightlifting, or dance, find what resonates with you and keeps you motivated. Pair this with a nutritious diet that fuels your body and mind, helping you feel energized and confident.

Remember, discipline in maintaining a healthy lifestyle not only improves your physical appearance but also enhances your mental resilience and self-discipline. These are foundational qualities that contribute to a greater sense of life satisfaction and fulfillment.

Pro Tip: Set realistic fitness goals and track your progress. Celebrate small victories along the way to stay motivated and recognize how far you’ve come.

5. Cultivate Self-Acceptance and Reject Self-Pity

Finally, the ultimate goal is to cultivate a mindset of self-acceptance and reject any form of self-pity. Pity is a toxic emotion that disempowers you and feeds into a cycle of negativity. Recognize that your worth is intrinsic and not solely dependent on external validation or appearance.

Understand that you have the power to transform your life through consistent effort and self-belief. Your value is not determined by how you look or by the opinions of others, but by your inherent qualities and the actions you take to improve yourself. Embrace the fact that you are wonderfully made, unique, and deserving of love and success.

Pro Tip: Practice gratitude daily by acknowledging your strengths and achievements. Keep a journal where you write down three things you are grateful for each day. This practice will shift your focus from self-criticism to self-appreciation.

Remember that the journey to a positive self-concept is ongoing and requires patience and commitment. As you embark on this path, know that you are not alone and that every step you take towards self-improvement brings you closer to becoming the best version of yourself. Keep your head up, stay true to your values, and be proud of the person you are becoming.

You are not lesser than anybody else; you are wonderfully made, and you should be glad to be who you are.

[quillusquillus]

at this point I'm tempted to predict a future schism between mobile and desktop internet users, even more so then there is now. It used to be that there were the internet-savvy people and the non-internet-savvy people, where "non-internet-savvy" meant "doesn't know how to do anything except send e-mail at best".

These days we exist in a delightful sea of many many people existing and exchanging ideas on the internet, but more and more I see that things designed for mobile use are very much designed to make the user think as little as possible and consume as much as possible, all the classic things they said about TV numbing your brain etc etc in the pre-internet days. Basic internet skills like browser extensions, privacy controls, ad blockers, and knowing when a company's "sorry, you have to do xyz to use our site!" is unnecessary bullshit designed to make you their product, are falling by the wayside, with younger people with no computer simply not having access to that knowledge unless they explicitly go diving for it

It's pretty easy at this point to foresee a possible future that cycles back around to the "mainstream uncritical TV-watching consumers" versus "weird squirrelly computer nerds" era of the turn of the millennium, when knowing how to add animated gifs to your Geocities was rare technical knowledge and having a home computer was something only those who were kind of nerdy did. So many websites are redesigning themselves now to be the most compatible for mobile use, because that's where the bulk of users are and therefore the profits, with several websites I've used in the past (RIP DoInk) going fully app-only and becoming unusable on desktop. I'm seeing my first full-production music videos produced in vertical format, looking absurd on anything other than a phone screen. YouTube now literally has two faces: Shorts for mobile users and "classic" youtube (which also throws Shorts at you because those get more views and more profit). Sites geared to app-based use overwhelmingly censor adult content more than browser-based (in my experience), thanks in part to Apple's app store approval policies and iron grip on what you can install on your own iOS device, which also excludes all the people who want to quietly get their freak on.

Perhaps over the next decade this polarization might continue into a central hub of mainstream, corporate-controlled mobile-oriented sites that provide the main sources of knowledge and entertainment (again, we've gone back to TV), and some secondary, more "underground" hubs where the nerds and the freaks and the weirdos hang out. I mean it's already like that right now but as a certified nerd freak and weirdo who has gotten pushed away from mobile-oriented spaces it's interesting to imagine it more extreme, what the internet cultural tapestry might become, further along this path

[secretsandpurplethoughtss]

Candy's / Ysaline's Backstory

I decided to write a story based on what we already know about our Candy in MCL New Gen. I obviously took some creative liberties and I am imaginaing this to be my Candy's story, but I hope you guys like it. As the game goes on I might turn this into a full on fanfic! :)

Enjoy:

I studied journalism at university, because writing is truly my passion and I’ve always wanted to become a writer, a journalist. Following said dream, I moved to Spokane after graduation to work at my dream company as a “Staff Writer and Analytical Assistant”. EPMC had its headquarters in Los Angeles, but they were a huge company and so they had a couple of offices around the U.S. I always thought that EPMC seemed fun and lively, but I realized on my first day already that it was all just an appearance to please the readers, the content consumers, its customers. The company was cold, and it was extremely competitive – something I wouldn’t necessarily mind normally, but I was raised to believe that competitions should be fair and honest. At EPMC, backstabbing and sabotage was not just allowed but encouraged.

The only person I trusted at the company was my boss. It felt like we pretty much had the same values and he always voiced to me how “he hated the atmosphere in the office” and how “barbaric these competitions were”. Because I felt lonely and most of my days were filled with fights with colleagues I couldn’t stand, I was a more than frequent visitor in my boss’ office. We’ve became friends and soon… more. I should have known that dating my boss would bite me in the ass, but he seemed like such a great guy, and I was so lonely and desperate for kindness and companionship. Not to mention that I upkept the “happy façade” to my friends and family, because I didn’t want them to worry about me. My boss, my boyfriend was the only person I could confide in. My colleagues soon caught onto the fact that we were dating, but I didn’t really care about them gossiping about me. Even before my boss and I got together they would gossip and try to make me feel bad just for existing in the same space as them, so… it didn’t really matter. I was happy with him; at the time he might have been my only source of happiness.

That and my weekends where I ventured out into the city to explore it – museums, coffee shops, hikes. I liked the city: Spokane was breathtaking.

Things started to go even more downhill one day however, when I was in the office of my boyfriend waiting for him to return from a meeting. We were scheduled to discuss the analytics of the EPMC website, but his meeting was running late. He left his phone on his desk, and it kept buzzing, buzzing, and buzzing. It was unusual for him to forget about his phone and although he did get a lot of texts – the company didn’t provide us with separate work phones, so his phone was always going off, my mind went to darker places. What if his phone wasn’t buzzing itself practically off the table because a lot of people emailed him, but because there was an emergency? What if something happened with his family?

I was an overthinker and so my panicked thoughts led me to picking up his phone. I couldn’t see the texts he was receiving since they only showed themselves through face ID, but I could see the name of the person who sent them – “my love”.

My heart skipped several beats, before I put the phone back on the table. Could “my love” be anyone else besides a lover? No… he was cheating on me.

Soon, after I came to the shocking realization that he was unfaithful, he came back to his office, and he acted like everything was normal. Like he wasn’t a cheater. He gave me a kiss on my cheek and started apologizing for being late, cracking jokes and laughing at them.

I knew I needed to confront him, but I questioned myself – what if I was somehow wrong? What if he wasn’t cheating? I went on, telling him about the analytics and at the end of my presentation he commented on my “strange behavior”. I just lied about having a headache and left his office shortly after. At my cubicle I was bombarded with mean comments by my colleagues (as always), telling me how “I was sleeping my way to the top”. Usually, I didn’t give any attention to these comments, but that day I did. And then someone called me “a dirty mistress”.

“I’m a mistress?”, I asked the colleague that called me that word with genuine confusion. “Why would I be a mistress?”

“Are you really that stupid?”, he lifted an eyebrow.

I truly didn’t know what he was getting at.

“Wait, NO! DON’T TELL ME! HAHAHAHA!”, he started laughing and kept calling attention to himself. “She doesn’t know guys! She really doesn’t know!”

Other people caught on and started laughing with him and kept giving me certain looks. Their behavior always reminded me of high school or those nightmares where I was naked and people pointed at me, all while also ridiculing me.

“What are you talking about?” Anger was boiling inside me, but I knew that giving them what they wanted, an angry reaction, wouldn’t benefit me at all. Plus, then they’d win.

“He is married! You’re his mistress, his side peace. He doesn’t wear his ring at work but come on! Did you really not know?”, the guy finally explained with tears in his eyes from laughter.  

My entire world shattered in that moment. They were liars, they were jealous, they were competitive assholes, but I knew they were telling the truth just for once. It would explain why I never stayed at my boyfriend’s place after all these months (he said that they were doing construction at his place and that he was currently staying at some hotel), why he had someone in his phone under the name of “my love” and why I barely met anyone from his private life. He wasn’t really unfaithful to me; he was truly unfaithful to his wife. I was the other woman, not the woman in his phone named “my love”.

All the frustration inside me just broke loose – I hated my job; I hated my colleagues, and I hated my boyfriend for being a lying, cheating bastard. I got up from my desk and marched straight into his office, determined to break up with him, to let everything out. He was on the phone, but when our eyes met, he quickly ended the conversation. I closed the door behind me – quiet forcefully – and started chewing him out.

Normally, I wouldn’t let myself get so off the rails, as I always tried to rail in my negative emotions, to have some kind of control over myself, but I’ve been through hell ever since I walked inside EPMC building on my first day of work. He was the only one I trusted, the only one who made me happy in Spokane and he wasn’t even the person I thought he was. I quit right then and there and packed up my desk on the same day. I threw every gift, every memory of him and I in the trash, when I got home and called my mother, telling her, crying to her about the whole thing.

“Come home, baby. Just come home! We’ll work this out, I promise!”

So, I did. After that phone call, I put on some music and packed all my things. I started to re-assemble all my furniture, despite my inability to be handy. I blocked all my previous colleagues’ and my ex’s phone number, and I booked a ticket to Seattle for the next day. I was exhausted and I was in pain – all I needed was my mom and my sometimes-annoying little sister.

Seven hours later, my apartment looked just like the way it did when I moved in almost a year ago. My entire life was in boxes and in a couple of hours, movers would come around to get all my things. Almost all my furniture would go to a storage unit, and I’ll sell them on Facebook Marketplace as cheap and as soon as possible – I didn’t want to own the things he touched, where memories with him and his bittersweet-lies would always hunt me.

This new chapter of my life closed too soon. Not even an entire year did I live in this apartment, in Spokane and worked at EPMC. This was not at all how I imagined it to go: I was mentally drained and heartbroken. My dreams shattered and now I was left with anger and embarrassment. Despite all of this I tried my best to look at the bright side of things. I missed mom, I missed Tasha, Taki and I missed Seattle, so going home would be good. I would start therapy again – My God, I so was desperate to message my therapist this entire time, but because I moved and felt confident in myself, I broke it off with her before I moved to Spokane.  So maybe, when I focused on all these things this will be good – I’d find a good place to work, would spend some desperately needed time with my family (maybe even dad).

A new start. A fresh start. Truly, what are your twenties for if not that, right?

With a sad and somewhat forced smile on my face I closed the door of my apartment one last time.

I would focus on the positive from now on. It’ll all be okay… this is just a new chapter in my life.

I will welcome it with open arms.

[chiililisatoo]

My take on gilgamesh's obsession with Artoria's ideals and conviction

this is a GilgameshxArtoria theory / headcanon post , if you are not into this pairing this content may not suite you so i recommend you skip it but you are free to read through and share any criticisms /thoughts you may have on it :

So gilgamesh finds artoria's wish to redo the past be it her rule or to not become a king at all naieve which it is and her full dedication to such an ideal is amusing as rewriting her own rule as a king is both naieve and a very anti-god dream , he too in his life after enkidus death searched for immortality and found it and lost it and just as Artorias mountain of losses and regrets he was on one too metaphorically but since he was alive and could live on he moved on ammended himself his outlook on life and adapted and thus died with no regrets while artoria was mortally wounded and thus desperate on her mountain of regrets and losses and had to make the deal with the world in her desperation as else she would just die without being able to do anything

Meaning Artoria is Gilgamesh after snake ate his herb of immortality and chose to go back and get the herb and this time consume it immediately or some other direct , not through legacy or achievements but literal way of achieving immortality , gilgamesh in that moment became wise and focused on his rule which flourished and approved his decision but had gilgamesh still stuck on immortality would be have been able to attain it how would his life and his legend progressed then this what if was always on his mind and artoria is the living what if

So gilgamesh has wisdom no heroics , while artoria is mostly heroics with little wisdom but gilgamesh as he states to artoria does not put one over the other though he considers artoria's choice much harder than his own so when artoria's defeats casters abomination with excalibur that beauty and power is an approval of artorias choice and her her conviction and her ability to achieve her naieve but real ideal , this spurs on gilgamesh to reconsider him being a HS in silly war to take it more seriously as now he sees a reward to it - artoria and the continuation of his own dream of heroism which are same in nature to artorias dream of redo/reset , he wants them both to achieve their dream together and feels some inferiority/rivalry to artoria and wants to test his conviction against her own but he does want to continue his/her dream together with her as he pines for her and proposes to her before he is aware of the true nature of the grail and grail mud or current modern age and has no incarnated human body but he still proposes to her "marriage" - i do not know how a marriage between 2 HS would work out but since they are magical being there has to be some ritual that is considered marriage ,

so gilgamesh wants to continue his pursuit of greatness/immortality/heroism with artoria the HS but what is his dream which he wants to continue as we are well aware of artoria's but not gil's dream I think eventually in the nasuverse in seraph / extraverse / extella we will see gilgamesh as a HS produces his own noble phantasm which is a true grail a true wish granting device to enforce a living human beings will on a very great being like an outer god cause he lacks his own title NP weapon this could be his but to produce something that powerful he would be deleted from throne of heroes and this would manifest his NP,

since I lowkey ship artoria and gil due to above take o it as i find them somewhat similar having reached different conclusions due to different choices due to circumantances being different

so this is my head canon gil wants artoria as his queen/vassal but she would never be that so his best bet to team up with her is to be her Merlin and provide her with weapons with which she can charge their enemy , so gilgamesh creates this uber powerful will enfocring NP and loses his HS form and disappears and then since this NP requires alot of power artoria would create an opening using avalon to their enemy and then pour her energy into it to charge it and ready it for use and this usable NP on the now open to take strike enemy would be taken downby their living human master who enforces their will on this powerful enemy outer god or something and both artoria and gilgamesh are deleted from the throne of heroes thus concluding their dreams would that not be very romantic ?

this is my interpretation / theory / headcanon on it , thoughts ?

[pagesfromthevoid]

Tough choice, like i wanna read the other part 👀 lol but leaving it there just además right <3

Whatever the Poets Say | b.b. | 22

Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Oral (female receiving), heavy petting, handjob, implications of penetrative sex

Author’s Note: Goddamn we are in the HOME STRETCH. The final part will be the EPILOGUE! I don’t have a source for the gif, other than the link provided by anon!

Series Masterlist | Talk to Me!

I have said it time and time again –I am so breathlessly in love that nothing else around me seems to matter. No scandal, no accusations –nothing. He consumes my every thought, makes my heart ache and sets every part of me on fire. There are things that no respectable lady should think or do prior to her marriage…but I have thought them, and I have done them, and I want so much more than that. I want to feel him all over me; I want him to become the very air I breathe so he is all I have in me. 

I have tasted the wines of lust and love and I want more.

Their arrival at My Cottage was marked by a rather hasty hello to the keepers who were waiting outside, a quick, “Thank you but we aren’t hungry,” and a quick retreat to the main building that would be theirs. Perhaps it was in bad taste, rushing through their greetings and even skipping a meal…but truthfully, he didn’t think it mattered at the moment. All Benedict wanted was her, and he knew she felt the same.

The ride from London had been tortuous; even the simplest of touches were driving him mad and Benedict decided she quite liked that it did. She warned him several times that it wouldn’t do to have their wedding night in the carriage, but then continued to tease him when she felt fit. It did not help that her writings were getting more and more detailed. When he had asked her to read to him, he should have known better.

As soon as the front door of the cottage shut, something almost primal took over Benedict. He did not need to be as slow and as careful now; of course he would be gentle, as that is what she deserved. But his hands were reaching for her hips, and before she could even whisper his name, his mouth was on hers in a heated kiss. There was no hesitation from her; the newly wedded Mrs. Bridgerton wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself as close as she could but it still wasn’t enough.

Benedict’s hands inched up her waist, hiking her skirts up, as he pushed her back towards the nearest room. He had no idea which room was the master suite, but none of that mattered at the moment. All he wanted was to lay her down in their bed –their bed –and make love to his wife. Her hands were pulling at his cravat, trying to yank it off so she could feel his skin against hers. When her back hit the door, she didn’t even release her hold on his shirt; she simply reached back with one hand to open the door and the two stumbled into the bedroom with an unbridled excitement.

When the back of her legs touched the edge of the bed, she finally pulled herself away from Benedict –though not too far away, as he moved his lips from hers to her neck as she spoke. Her voice was breathless, almost not even there, as she tugged at the buttons of his shirt.

“There are far too many pieces of clothing between us.”

Benedict made an inhuman sound against her skin before he pulled away and looked down at her, grinning. “I love it when you’re right.” 

Slowly –well, slowly in comparison to how they had previously been –he turned her around. His hands traced up her arms, then over her shoulders before finally reaching the buttons that held her wedding dress in its place. A sigh of contentment slipped from her lips, and he couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face as he undid each button –one by one –and kissed the skin that became exposed to him. The chemise that rested under her dress –a far thinner material than she ever wore before –was held in place by a simple stay and Benedict had an absolute joy untying it and pulling it from her body. 

However, this seemed to be too slow for his wife, who turned to look up at him with a devilish look in her eye –one he had been introduced to in the carriage. Her hands reached up to her shoulders, with her eyes on him still, and she slipped her dress off her body and onto the floor without a care. She reached up and unpinned her hair next, allowing it to fall naturally. It was not the first time she was bare before him –nor would it be the last –but there was a confidence there that she did not have before…and by God, Benedict adored it.

Benedict stood there, admiring her in all her naked glory. Memorizing every freckle and curve; burning it into his mind’s eye so he could remember it forever.

“Let me paint you like this,” he murmured, reaching out to take her by the waist again. Her skin was hot to the touch, and it drew Benedict in closer. Her bare chest pressed against his body, and he swore he could feel her heart beating; though perhaps it was his. “Let me immortalize your beauty forever.”

“You may do whatever you want with me, Benedict,” she promised, raising her arms to take his face in her hands. Her grin was mischievous as ever. “But you must take off your clothes as well.”

It was then that Benedict suddenly remembered what they had started –how could he have possibly forgotten? –and he nodded furiously. It did not take long for him to strip off his jacket and shirt, tossing it to the side. She was growing impatient, and it was certainly Benedict’s turn to make her writhe a bit, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead, he scooped her into his arm with a flourish, causing her to gasp in surprise as he carried her to the side of the bed. 

Benedict slid onto the bed with her in his arms still, setting her down carefully against the pillows so he could hover over her for a moment. Her confidence seemed to be waning, hesitating for a moment before she reached over to pull him in by the waist of his pants. Her fingers slid under the hem just enough for Benedict to suck in a breath, and he looked down at her with narrowed eyes.

She was simply smiling up at him, innocent as could be. “Please, Benedict,” was all she asked.

Who was he to deny her?

His pants soon joined their clothes on the floor, and they laid bare on the bed together. It was like that first night but then, not at all alike as well. Every nerve was on fire; every touch lit a fuse that could only be doused by her. And even with his lips on hers –their tongues tangled and teeth nipping –he wanted more. One hand held his weight as the other inched down the valley of her breasts, down over her belly, before reaching just above her neediest place. She hummed with excitement, hips bucking just slightly to encourage his movements.

With gentle movements, he parted her legs and dipped his fingers between. She jolted back some, sensitive to the touch as he ran his fingers over the sensitive bundle of nerves before finally slipping through her folds. He groaned; he couldn’t help it –she was wet and it was all for him. He pulled back from their kiss, and she whined.

“I want to taste you,” he managed to breath out, voice hoarse. 

She looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand –,”

However, instead of telling her what he meant, Benedict decided it would be best to simply show her. He pressed a soft kiss to her pouting lips before descending down. He trailed his tongue over the skin of her throat, relishing in the goosebumps that appeared when he did so. She sucked in a breath when he left a bite at the base, and he grinned up at her before continuing his task down. She was getting antsy, he could tell, but he wanted to worship every inch of her in this moment.

His lips latched onto her nipple and she gasped in surprise, tensing up at the sensation of his tongue swirling around before sucking. When he deemed it enough, he moved onto the next one and repeated the action –this time earning a pleasurable moan of his name and a desperate plea from his wife. His fingers were still rubbing slow circles around her clit, pushing her closer to the edge but not letting her fall just yet. She would –but he wanted to taste it when she did.

Finally, as he kissed and licked his way down her body, he kissed just above her clit –then he looked up at her. She was shaking –not from fear, but from anticipation and over sensitivity –and watching him curiously. Keeping his eyes on her, Benedict pulled his fingers away from her core and replaced them with his tongue. She tried to close her legs, suddenly overwhelmed with feeling, but he kept them open as he buried himself in her. As she adjusted and realized just how amazing it felt, it did not take long for her to reach down and run her fingers through his hair. 

Her hips chased his mouth, trying to catch any moment of friction to push her over, but Benedict held her down with his arm. The hand in his hair started to pull, and he groaned into her, causing her to buck up into him once more. She was tensing up, building into her climax, and Benedict’s hips were rutting against the bed, desperate himself but he wanted her to come first.

The grip on his hair tightened, and she suddenly arched off the bed as Benedict sucked on her clit a little harder than before –and she finally cried out his name as she came. He did not pull away, however, but instead lapped at her folds, basking in every moment he had as her climax veered off and she slowly came down from the high of it all. As her body finally calmed down, her legs were left shaking and Benedict finally pulled away. He kissed her inner thighs, leaving wet kisses all over before he returned to his position over her on the bed.

His mouth was on hers again, slick with her, and his tongue slipped past her lips to allow her to taste herself on him. She groaned at the sensation, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. There was not a lot she knew about the physical action of sex, but she knew what she wanted and at that moment –it was only him.

One hand pulled at his hair, running her fingers through it, as the other mimicked how he touched her earlier. Her nails were manicured and rounded, leaving faint scratch marks down his chest as she ventured further down. That confidence had returned in her post-orgasm sense, and her touch ignited every nerve inside him as she finally reached his cock. With just a little hesitation –not enough for him to intervene, but enough for him to know she was determining what to do –she wrapped her hand around him carefully.

The touch elicited a hiss from him, causing him to throw his head back and hold his breath. Satisfied with herself, Miss Everly squeezed him carefully as if to test the waters. When he didn’t jerk back, but instead bucked his hips into her hand, her movements became fluent. However, as she worked him in her hand, he was beginning to breathe too heavily, inch too close to the edge –so he stopped her.

She frowned deeply, looking up at him as he pulled her hand away. “Oh, no, I’m sorry I –,”

“There is nothing to apologize for,” he quickly interrupted, breathless. “Nothing. But if you keep up with that, then our night will be over sooner than either of us would like.”

She nodded once as Benedict pushed her back into the pillows. His hands ran over her legs, over her knees, to part them as he brought himself the rest between her thighs. For a moment, she tried to shy away as he held himself in his hand, looking her over. That wouldn’t do of course; he wanted to see her, and so he reached forward to pull her hands away. 

“I love you,” he promised, leaning over to rest his arms on either side of her. His smile covered his face, making his cheeks ache, as he looked down at her. “I love you, my beautiful, witty, talented wife.”

Meeting his eyes, she practically melted into a puddle of tears below him. “I love you too, Benedict. My wonderful, handsome husband —I love you more than words can even begin to describe.”

“To leave an author speechless —what a remarkable feat,” he teased, his smile turning into a boyish grin. 

She rolled her eyes, but reached up to touch his cheek gently. “Show me how much you love me, Mr. Bridgerton.”

“With absolute pleasure, Mrs. Bridgerton.”

———

Taglist: @queensgirl718 @drowninginaseaofbooks @severewobblerlightdragon @wildflowerel @just-an-ace-elf @kamala-khann @iwantmyredvelvetcupcake @imheretobeinvisible

[seventeenlovesthree]

You know, one thing about getting older, at least for me, is the realization that keeping up that whimsical spirit is hard. Very hard.

I have spent the past four years trying to maintain routines in regards to self-care and, while it worked out well for a period of time, the "noise" out there is very persistent to break your habits. By "noise", I don't just mean the world out there, the constant stream of social media providing you with news and tragedies, a ruthless algorithm that is very hard to avoid if you're seeking that little serotonin streak out there. Yes, I agree that our attention spans have been pretty much messed up and that it's VERY difficult to get back to some... Quiet.

That's why the noise basically refers to everything - your social life, family, friends, partners, acquaintances, colleagues, all the people out there, but also the things you surround yourself with. Habits, food choices and sleeping rhythms, once again, the media you consume while trying not get consumed by it...

I keep going on about how I had re-started drawing back in 2021 after a rough 10-year-break in which I simply didn't feel like drawing at all. I was occupied with other things during time - and if you're familiar with my tumblr, you know that that's been heavily related to football. I loved my clubs, I loved by NT and for the longest time, I could get by despite the set-backs and bad developments surrounding it. Right now I am staring at my PC and am slowly but steadily realizing that basically all the players that led me towards football have retired. Either just from the NT or completely. There are players, relatable figures, people I (used to) look up to, that inspired me, that brought be through the day, week, month, year. It was a fun time. But then the "noise" took over. The people I rambled with ended up just as frustrated and left. Only a few of them are left, but the majority - me included - has moved on to other things. Why? Because it had become too draining, too negative. The bubble had popped, several figures in the business had turned out to be unbelievably "bad people" (I'll keep this PG), things were so commercialized, unfamiliar and just... Opportunistic. The "whimsical spirit" was so hard to maintain and even if this Summer provided a little spark, it still feels alienating. There is still a glimpse of hope, but, again, you REALLY have to hold onto that.

The same goes for my other "fandoms" to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I still have fun sitting in my little corner and draw, write and create little things - even if it's mostly for myself, sometimes I do wonder why interactions have become so scarce. The atmosphere on social media is incredibly... Empty sometimes. I'm not just saying that because a lot of people have not grasped the reblogging system on this site. You may have heard the concept of people being overexposed by the neverending stream of art, "content" being thrown at them from all sides... It's become more of a product to consume than a thing to look at and enjoy and savour. And I feel that myself. I used to save fanart to my phone and computer and find myself looking at it countless times. I still do that with several art pieces, but... I assume it's because the brain has become somewhat tired that we cannot appreciate it like we used to.

Everything is just... Happening too fast and I feel like I need to have a detox every now and then. My brain still craves the serotonin of seeing new, beautiful art. But to get there, I have to get through a sea of things that get me anxious. Even with filters, even with blocking things I don't wanna see... It's not the same.

The same also applies to media in general - I'm currently in a fandom of a series that's kinda "walking on air". There is the possibility of a new animation being planned out there somewhere, somewhen, maybe... But a part of me isn't even sure if I want something "new". Consider myself "old" when I say this, but a lot of things that come out these days, sequels, reboots, remakes of things I used to enjoy as a kid... Simply don't hit the same way anymore. There's a reason why I find myself rewatching the old stuff over and over again and often have quite a mixed relationship with more recent things. EVA is one of the few franchises that, in my opinion, managed to get to a satisfying ending after ALL these years, but I am TERRIFIED for the new Madoka movie. I haven't even dared to look at Sailor Moon Cosmos, simply because I know my brain is tainted by how much enjoyed the 90s anime and how much of a clusterf*ck Crystal/Eternal/Cosmos has been for the past ten years... On the same note, do we really need a One Piece remake? And Digimon? I would loathe the idea of an Adventure remake... Because it would not only contradict the messages of the previous entries of the series; move on but keep the things you love close to you... It would simply not... Satisfy me. A part of me wants to see how the OG timeline goes on, but what if there'll be things to contradict it all even more? Do I want things to go on for the sake of keeping the nostalgia alive, even though the fear of mischaracterizations is very real? Do I really want the milking of the cash-cow to continue? To hunt for breadcrumbs? The commercialisation and... Opportunism? And why does it feel like I've heard that before...?

I don't want to end this post on a negative note. I'm gonna turn 34 in a few weeks, I've been into TV shows and had my hyperfocus topics basically since I was like 7 or so. I might always find things that keep the whimsical spirit alive to some degree. But I need to remind myself to not let the "noise" get too loud every once in a while.

[storiesfromylelmore]

Stories from Ylelmore Episode 1 releases tomorrow!! To celebrate here's a pamphlet about how magic works in universe!

It is literally the clearest description you will ever get because in story it is left up to Keryth, possibly the worst character to have explain any system much less magic.

Pamphlet text below

Front Cover: Magic and you! Are you interested in forming a contract with a spirit?

Interior:

Welcome!

If you've picked up this pamphlet you're probably at least a little interested in the fascinating world of magic. Whether you want to be a shifter, a seer, a necromancer, or just want to understand more about your local covens, this pamphlet should provide you with a basic overview of what magic is and some of the wonderful ways we can interact with it!

What is magic?

While we can't completely answer this question in a few paragraphs, it may be helpful to think of magic as a form of energy that resides in the world next to ours.

In order to access that energy, living creatures must make contracts with spirits, or beings from the world adjacent to ours. In most contracts the spirit will act as a conduit, allowing magic to pass from their realm into ours.

Once that energy is over here it can be used for many things: healing, seeing the future, shape shifting, growing plants, powering vehicles, and so much more!

Contracts

There are as many types of contracts as there as spirits and even spirits of the same type may vary drastically in their terms!

However, in most cases, a contract is an agreement between a spirit and their contractor that grants the contractor access to magic in exchange for providing the spirit with some sort of service. These services may include: taking care of a local forest, living in a specific place, taking bits of the spirit to travel, etc.

Contracts can even have time limits! Many spirits contract for singular seasons while others contract with bloodlines!

Blessings and Curses

Occasionally a spirit will take a liking to a contractor and will "decorate" them by giving them a small ability to show their favor. This ability will passively consume magic and will need no magic circle or spell or resonance ratio to work.

These abilities may range from being able to clearly see the future without any aid (oracles) to being able to hold one's breath for 15 minutes.

A curse is similar but often comes from earning a spirit's ire. Most curses are short lived and relatively harmless.

Free form curses/blessings

You may have heard of areas getting cursed or blessed without the intervention of spirits. It occasionally happens when magic pools and gathers in a specific location.

It is important to remember that not all curses are undesirable and not all blessings are "good". Curses occur when magic tries to defend itself from a perceived threat, while blessings occur when magic flourishes unimpeded.

Magic does not need a vessel to interact with our world, however, we need a contract with a spirit to interact with it directly!

Can all spirits make contracts?

Only bound spirits can form contracts. A bound spirit is a spirit that has settled into a pool of magic and has become bound to either an area, an object, or a belief. Remember all beliefs do not come from humans. Animals, plants, and even some places can bind magic to their beliefs.

Unbound spirits can be seen with the naked eye and make up the auroras! These spirits can not be contracted with, but we can still appreciate their beauty!

Back Cover:

FAQs

Can Magic Heal?

Yes! In certain cases magic can restore a body to it's "original" state! This means something different for each individual, so while magic may not cure a chronic illness, it may help alleviate symptoms! An individual's "original state" will change over the course of one's life due to things like aging, traumatic events, or simply being content or discontent with the people around you, so the effect of magic can be less predictable than science based medicine.

Can a spirit have multiple contractors?

Of course! Depending on the nature of the contract, multiple contractors may form an official coven, or a less official group or organization.

Can a contract be terminated?

Very few spirits want to maintain a contract with an unwilling contractor! However, it is important to make sure that your contract has a section that allows you to leave in a safe and efficient manner. Suddenly separating from magic may have undesired side-effects!

[cowboybrunch]

I have been combing through your archive for any botrd content, so I beg you: Please, please please gimme a infodump on botrd🥺🥺

Your favourite snippets, anything you deleted but still liked, fun facts, anything really 🙏🙏 I will be grateful for any crumbs you provide

leah hi!!! waking up to ur notifications made me happy dance <3 <3 :-)

*rubs hands together* oh you have NO IDEA what you just unlocked

let's start with some fun facts:

when I first started writing BOTRD, it was entirely in Rosalie's pov and it was intended to be a straightforward romance (i refer to this as draft zero). i got about 80% of the way in and then realized 1) it's not really romantic at all and girlie needs to get out of this situation and 2) there was another story hidden in Theodore's pov that i wanted to explore

the first completed draft is sitting at 95,267 words and is organized into acts and scenes, not chapters. here are the names of the first scenes from each act (only used for outlining purposes):

act 1: "sunrise" act 2A: "old flame" act 2B: "ten seconds" act 3: "mouse thunder storm"

after finishing the first draft, i jumped straight into writing the prequel, Judas Wept. and im so glad i did! it really influenced how i'm approaching future drafts (and it gave us Elias! i love Elias!)

my favorite character to write dialogue for is Emily. my favorite character to write period is Marcella

some rapid fire lore!

at the beginning of botrd, Theodore has consumed 2 souls: the soul of the person that killed him, and Andrew's. at the end, he's got around 6,000 (most from Mortae voluntarily sacrificing themselves to make him OP)

Marcella only targets men due to her past trauma and a desire to protect young women. she thinks it's funny when they beg. she has no qualms with murder or lawlessness. if she had Theodore's abilities, we wouldn't have a story. she would've dealt with this mess a century ago

Rosalie is very subdued and passive in act 1. she thinks more than she speaks or acts in her first few POV chapters. stuck with one foot in the past kinda thing. once she starts processing her grief, she becomes more of an active participant (which is not necessarily a good thing! but! she's healing!)

Azmaveth has a whole secret backstory (Uriel, too! i dont know if we ever unlock that one on page) but basically: he lost a child, so now he's ultra protective of his wards (Theodore and Marcella) BUT he has to balance that with his loyalty towards Morrigan so she doesn't come by and just slaughter all of them

i affectionately refer to Rosalie's friends as "the humans" and they're a bunch of goobs. Mike is a golden retriever. James is a chihuahua. Henry is a dachshund. Emily isn't a dog, she's a mountain lion

and now, a favorite snippet:

(context: Theodore is at dinner with Rosalie's friends. they're having a potluck!)

I start silently amending my statements without her having to ask. I lived in California for a few years and recently moved back. Truth. I work at my foster father’s restaurant. Lie. I don’t follow any sports, but baseball is my favorite. Truth. She coughs to hide her chuckle, but I don’t think anyone is fooled. Baseball? It’s the great American pastime, is it not? Aren’t you French? Her eyes dance with laughter. I’ll give her all of my secrets if she just keeps looking at me like that.

something i deleted!

"little life" (Rosalie POV):

I work. I eat. I sleep. I go to family dinners once a week and participate in conversations and drinking games and try my best to quell the worry in their eyes. It’s easy, or it should be. I don’t tell them about Theodore, and they don’t ask. Not directly anyway, but I see the questions in Emily’s eyes when she catches me twisting my wrist in the lamplight, studying smaller scars that linger above the others, the promise I’d made, the debt owed. I try not to think about it and succeed, mostly.

and i'll wrap up with a picrew dump!

Rosalie / Emily / Andrew

Theodore / Marcella / Azmaveth

Gemma / Elias

this story has been my brain worm for two years and will probably pester me for two thousand more so thank you so much for asking about it!! <3

[angelisse-melendez1]

Angelisse Melendez

I would define social media as a virtual world where people have the ability to share their lives with the real world by influencing others, setting trends in today's culture, and connecting with people remotely all across the world. It's an accessible place where anyone can engage with each other and is the only place where is transcends physical boundaries all within a tap on a phone.

As a social media user, I see myself more than just a consumer of content but also as a content creator. This role allows me to share my creativity, passions, culture, and lifestyle with others. Social media provides a platform where I can express my individuality, and it creates opportunities for me to reach people with the same interest. I try to use social media to inspire, influence, share, and express myself in a diverse gallery of content.

From my perspective of social media, its greatest strength is its accessibility and its ability to create connections. It allows people to stay in touch with family and friends, even if they are miles apart. It also offers an opportunity to share one’s gifts and talents with a global audience, which can lead to the creation of communities centered around shared interests and goals.

However, these strengths can also turn into its weaknesses. The same platform that connects us can also divide us. Because of its accessibility and great influence, it can become a place that creates negativity and division. Sharing loads information can lead to the spread of misinformation and harmful content, which have real-world consequences. Also, the nature of social media can create a distorted reality, where people present a false "perfect" image of their lives. This can lead to unhealthy comparisons, low self-esteem, and a disconnect people from one’s true self. Most people today find themselves spending more time engaging with their online personas than with the people around them. Which I feel created a sense of isolation and loneliness in the real world.

What I want to get out of this class, is how to use social media more effectively and responsibly. I want to understand how to use the influence of social media as a tool for positive impact that creates content that uplifts and inspires people. I am also interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the algorithms behind social media that shape our online experiences. I hope to have a well-rounded understanding of social media’s potential, both the positive and the negative, and how to move it in a way that is both beneficial to myself and to those around me. Social media is evolving every day at a speed that keeps building up momentum day by day. I feel it's important to keep up with, but also be aware that it's easy to lose control and get lost in scrolling where we get distracted from real reality. I also want to learn how to better balance social media and real life, so that my reality isn't fully dependent on the virtual reality of social media.

[labaap]

The Future of Digital Marketing: Trends to Watch in 2025

As we move closer to 2025, the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. The strategies that worked a few years ago are now being replaced by new, innovative approaches. For businesses aiming to stay competitive and relevant, understanding the emerging trends in digital marketing is essential.

This blog explores the key trends expected to shape the future of digital marketing by 2025, providing you with insights that can help you adapt and thrive in this dynamic environment.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Marketing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have already begun to revolutionize digital marketing, and their influence is set to grow even stronger by 2025. AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of data quickly, offering insights that were previously unattainable. These tools enable marketers to:

Personalize content at scale: AI can help create highly personalized content tailored to individual user preferences, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

Automate customer interactions: Chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by AI, will handle more customer interactions, offering real-time assistance and improving user experience.

Predict consumer behavior: Machine learning algorithms can analyze past consumer behavior to predict future actions, helping marketers to anticipate needs and tailor their strategies accordingly.

2. The Rise of Voice Search and Conversational Marketing

With the increasing adoption of smart speakers and voice-activated devices, voice search is becoming a critical component of digital marketing. By 2025, it's estimated that more than 75% of households will own a smart speaker, making voice search optimization essential. Here's how you can prepare:

Optimize for natural language: Unlike traditional text searches, voice searches are more conversational. Optimizing your content for natural language queries will help improve your visibility in voice search results.

Focus on local SEO: Many voice searches are local, so ensure your business is optimized for local SEO to capture this growing segment.

Leverage conversational marketing: Engage with your audience through chatbots and live chat tools, providing instant responses and personalized experiences that meet the expectations of voice-savvy consumers.

3. Data Privacy and Ethical Marketing

As data breaches and privacy concerns become more prevalent, consumers are increasingly aware of how their data is used. By 2025, data privacy will be at the forefront of digital marketing, with stricter regulations and more informed consumers. To build trust and remain compliant:

Adopt transparent data practices: Clearly communicate how you collect, store, and use customer data. Transparency will be key in gaining consumer trust.

Invest in secure technologies: Use secure methods to handle data, ensuring that your business complies with data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA.

Ethical marketing practices: Shift towards ethical marketing by focusing on providing real value to consumers rather than exploiting their data. This approach will help build long-term customer relationships.

4. Content Experience (CX) and the User Journey

Content is still king, but the way users experience content is becoming just as important as the content itself. By 2025, the focus will shift from merely producing high-quality content to creating a seamless content experience (CX) that enhances the user journey. Key strategies include:

Interactive content: Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and infographics to make content more engaging and memorable.

Omnichannel content delivery: Ensure your content is accessible across all platforms and devices, offering a consistent and seamless experience whether users are on mobile, desktop, or tablet.

Personalized user journeys: Leverage AI to personalize the user journey based on individual behavior and preferences, making the content experience more relevant and engaging.

5. The Growth of Video Marketing and Augmented Reality (AR)

Video marketing has been a dominant force in digital marketing for years, and its importance will only increase by 2025. However, the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) is set to take video marketing to new heights:

Short-form video content: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have popularized short-form videos. In 2025, this trend will continue, with brands needing to create concise, engaging content that captures attention quickly.

Live streaming: Live streaming offers a unique way to connect with audiences in real-time, and it will become even more prevalent. Whether it's product launches, behind-the-scenes looks, or live Q&A sessions, live streaming will be a powerful tool for engagement.

AR-enhanced videos: Augmented Reality will allow brands to create immersive experiences, blending the digital and physical worlds. From virtual try-ons to interactive product demos, AR will make video content more engaging and effective.

6. Social Commerce and Shoppable Content

Social media platforms are increasingly becoming more than just places for social interaction; they are evolving into full-fledged e-commerce platforms. By 2025, social commerce is expected to dominate, with shoppable content playing a key role:

Integrated shopping experiences: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest will offer seamless shopping experiences, allowing users to purchase products directly from posts and stories.

Influencer-driven commerce: Influencers will continue to play a significant role in driving social commerce, with brands collaborating with them to create authentic, shoppable content.

User-generated content (UGC): Encourage customers to share their experiences and showcase products in use. UGC not only builds trust but also drives more conversions by offering real-life examples of product satisfaction.

7. Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Consumers are becoming more conscious of the social and environmental impact of the brands they support. By 2025, sustainability and social responsibility will be integral to digital marketing strategies:

Green marketing initiatives: Highlight your brand's commitment to sustainability through eco-friendly products, packaging, and practices. Consumers are more likely to support brands that align with their values.

Social responsibility campaigns: Engage in campaigns that address social issues, whether it's supporting charitable causes, advocating for equality, or promoting community well-being.

Transparent branding: Be open about your brand's efforts in sustainability and social responsibility. Transparency will resonate with consumers who prioritize these values.

8. The Impact of 5G on Digital Marketing

The rollout of 5G technology will have a significant impact on digital marketing by 2025. With faster internet speeds and reduced latency, 5G will enable more sophisticated marketing tactics:

Enhanced mobile experiences: 5G will improve mobile user experiences, making it crucial for brands to optimize their mobile content and websites for speed and performance.

Real-time data and analytics: Marketers will have access to real-time data, allowing for quicker decision-making and more dynamic marketing strategies.

Advanced AR and VR experiences: The increased bandwidth of 5G will support more advanced Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, offering new ways for brands to engage with customers.

Conclusion

The future of digital marketing in 2025 promises to be both exciting and challenging. As technology continues to advance, marketers must stay agile and adapt to new trends to remain competitive. By embracing AI and machine learning, optimizing for voice search, prioritizing data privacy, and creating immersive content experiences, businesses can not only survive but thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Staying ahead of these trends will require a commitment to continuous learning and innovation. However, the rewards—improved customer engagement, increased brand loyalty, and sustained growth—will make the effort worthwhile. Start preparing now, and position your brand as a leader in the future of digital marketing.