#and then lose energy and motivation

[cosmiclakes]

we keep telling ourselves our creativity, motivation and energy will come back and it still has barely done so !!!! really need it to !!!!!!

[ressioo]

Yes im posting about commissions again, sue me lmao. Dont have an official post for em yet anyway

But yeah! Trying to get money for a tablet to draw in bed with, hopefully. And maybe to spoil the pets. So, commissions. Decided that doing them wasn't the worst, so i've opened up more options that aren't locked to slugcats. Headshots and fullbodies. Not completely sure about fullbody prices just yet, i might raise em if i feel its warranted. Shall be seen

But yeah gimmie your guys to draw. Especially good at murder cats (thank you warrior cats phase)

I can make your cats into little fuckin creatures like this. Its my favourite activity. Mine and sponty's cats btw

Ive actually got quite a few doodles of em, i should share em more

[vio1315]

I'm connecting the dots, I'm connecting them

Listen to my theory

Listen

The notion of putting in 0 effort at your job because it sucks? It's a trap. I think the human mind is not actually that good at separating things.... I think when you decide to go to something day after day and put as little effort in as possible.... I think you're teaching yourself to put little effort into Everything in your life

Has anyone tested this already

I think this is another piece of killing your own motivation

[kai0sunflower]

SINCE HARDCORE IS NEXT THEORETICALLY THEYD NOW BE ABLE TO SEE THE WORLDPORT- BC ICARUS COULD SEE IT SINCE AT THE TIME THEY WERE NEXT (SHERB MENTIONED THAT IN THE QUIXIS TELL ALL STREAM)

LIKELIKELIKELIKE LONG WAY DOWN THE LINE SHERBERT GOES BACK TO THE END FOR WHATEVER REASON AND THEY END UP IN THE WORLDPORT BC BIT DIMENSIONAL JUMP JUST FOR A SPLIT SECOND

AND ICARIXIS IS LIKE "OH WHY ARE YOU HERE GO BACK I HAVENT CALLED YOU HERE YET" THEN SHERBERT LEAVES BC YEAH AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[organised-disaster]

I have discovered Ambessa Medarda for the first time

Here's a silly video I made

[rileys-battlecats]

oughgh i hate getting ideas for videos that i KNOW if i started i wouldn't be able to finish, just because of how energy intensive or long they'd be. im being haunted by a music video in my head every time i listen to this one specific song

[smile-files]

some great bluish bakeoff stuff!

nickel later apologizes this episode; it's prompted by balloon's confrontation, but clearly nickel was in the mindset to apologize. the fact that he didn't raise the issue himself shows how he's still really afraid of how balloon would react. at the same time, though, he's acknowledging that "standing up for what [is] right" is important and good, even if it doesn't necessarily have the most beneficial outcome; notice how this not only shows how he accepts and understands balloon's anger towards him over the past few episodes (which had the consequence of losing them the challenge and getting bot eliminated), but also suitcase's anger towards him in the latter half of ii2 (which had the consequence of destroying their alliance).

in this episode, blueberry is assuming a role that has previously been taken by nickel and, more recently, silver spoon: he has placed himself at the top of the pecking order, calling all the shots, forcing everyone to roll with his punches. now everyone's in the same position balloon has been for a lot of his time in ii. silver, in throwing the chariot (:nerd emoji: actually a litter, they use the wrong word) at blueberry, is taking a stand against him -- announcing his frustration from being treated poorly.

for the longest time, balloon had "stay[ed] away from the thorns": beating around the bush, not bringing up the hard stuff, so he could maintain his positive relationship with nickel (and by extension his sense of having actually changed, which is linked with that that relationship represents) and not face his inevitable aggressive snap-back. but, though these proverbial thorns are painful, touching them helps him actually move ahead of all of that discomfort. balloon took a stand against nickel recently, which he was justified in doing, expressing his anger at nickel for both what he did and his denial of doing it -- and nickel harshly bit back about what balloon had done a while ago. balloon touched the thorn, and got the pain.

now, when nickel is yet again dancing around the problem, balloon's frustration returns. and, as silver took a stand against blueberry (which nickel supported), balloon channels his frustration and takes his own stand: technically also against blueberry, in trying to get himself and the others to the challenge before blueberry (thereby denying the domination he has imposed), but the drive itself came from nickel. he knows touching the thorns is painful, but that it's important and good. he should stand up for himself, and he does. he literally pokes himself with a thorn, and that literally sends him and the others ahead.

for the sake of this analogy/symbolic framework, it's worth noting how they are pushed forward because of the thorn, but there's still baggage: they fly through the desert only to crash, losing all of their ingredients. at this point, though, balloon's not going to let the pain of the thorn prevent him from touching it. balloon will keep standing up for himself, even if he keeps facing setbacks and pushbacks, because he knows what he deserves.

you can imagine that when balloon confronted nickel in this episode, he was expecting the same old same old: he'd say what he's mad about, and nickel would shut him down. but he doesn't. nickel listens to him. nickel lets balloon be angry at him, lets himself face the guilt he needs to feel. balloon is able to be mad at nickel without their relationship automatically going up in flames like before. and balloon is shocked! but will he forgive nickel? what'll he say? ...well, they're taken by tyler bombard before balloon could say anything...

for all this talk of the thorn, where's the blossom? well, here it is. thematic parallels indeed! recall how balloon misunderstanding "flour" as "flower" contributed to the grand slams losing the cooking challenge in ii2, which likely added fuel to the fire of nickel's hatred towards him -- now that same flower and that same misunderstanding is a representation of their friendship: it is what remains after the pain of the thorn. balloon finding value in this meager flower and presenting it to mephone at all (thereby insisting that it has value) is what wins them all the challenge. the flower and its beauty are not just a reward for the pain of the thorn, but a product of that pain.

balloon still hasn't responded to nickel's apology, because he hasn't had the chance to... but in disputing tyler's happiness about blueberry's death, balloon both recognizes his own attempt to change as well as nickel's: attempting that change is also a thorn, a very painful one (it literally killed blueberry), and both nickel and balloon have recognized the changes the other has tried to make and has succeeded in making. nickel is very reassured by this.

and as a final flower, a final reward for balloon's persistence in standing up for himself and what he believes in, balloon is chosen as the sole recipient of the immunity cookie -- silver spoon, someone with both a history of selfishness and a history of putting others below him, is the one to make this decision. balloon is finally being recognized, genuinely, for the changes he's made.

notably, balloon never accepts nickel's apology: no, he accepts that nickel is trying to make up for what he did. and, knowing from personal experience how hard it is to make that change and be acknowledged for making it, balloon is there to support him through it, and help him realize that he can be better -- and balloon is still on that "trek" himself, as we know balloon still has a lot of flaws to work through. they both know they have to touch the thorn, but they're all the more motivated to do so because they have a beautiful flower as well:

their genuine friendship.

...

balloon continues to be very charitable with blueberry, even as blueberry is critical of himself. nickel is also charitable -- telling blueberry to "just be nicer to people" implies that he believes that such a change is possible -- though of course he expresses this in his typical snarky way.

blueberry, though, doesn't believe that he can change, just like nickel used to. no matter how much balloon and nickel believe in him, he himself has to realize he has the capacity to improve before he can actually do it.

[kikuism]

this is still my most favorite hoop i've ever done....

[lifeismarvelous]

Thankfully now I never get art block, the REAL problem is since I constantly keep getting ideas for art I CANT DECIDE WHAT TO START WITH BECAUSE IM TOO INDECISIVE.

[ihssaaa]

[platypusisnotonfire]

I just found a draft of a WIP I totally forgot I was writing when I was a teenager and it is digging its claws into me

This book is really barely more than Strong Vibes but it had a character that was raised in a more intense and even more soulless version of the peacekeepers in Farscape, like military society, kids trained from basically birth, don’t know their families, but now with Even More Brainwashing and Creepy Cultlike Stuff.

Character doesn’t even have a name or permanent numerical designation, the absolutely only identifying thing they have is a chip in their wrist that is only readable by computers and is used when assigning missions. On every mission you get a different designation number or code name. They are stripped SO completely of any sense of identity.

Character never been on a planet, never even was taught about planets in schooling or taught what a family is or anything even academically. Has no concept of gender because reproduction is completely done in a lab and no biology of any type is ever taught to the grunt soldiers.

Additionally: never heard music.

Turns out they are an absolute musical prodigy the SECOND they are introduced to music

Like off the charts August rush nonsense.

Then proceeds to have crisis after crisis about that because if I wasn’t taught this then it must be heresy, but how could anything so perfect and beautiful not be from god

[vskitty]

jan - feb weekly workout schedule

monday: upper body & core strength

goal: build lean muscle in arms and strengthen core.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

arms:

slim arms in 1 week - 10 min

optional: toned arms with dumbbells - 20 min

core: get abs in 2 weeks | abs workout challenge - 10 min

flexibility: 

stretch for splits (front splits flexibility routine) - 15 min

how to get a flexible back fast! - 10 min

tuesday: leg flexibility & splits

goal: work towards front and middle splits.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

flexibility:

full body stretch for flexibility - 20 mins

intense hamstring repair yoga routine - 25 mins

wednesday: lower body & glutes

goal: tone legs and grow glutes.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

arms: slim arms in 1 week - 10 min

glutes:

30-day fat burn: legs & butt shaper - 10 min

or option 2: best at-home booty workout - 20 min

legs: toning ballet legs workout for sculpting, lengthening and strengthening - 25 mins

flexibility: 

stretch for splits (front splits flexibility routine) - 15 min

how to get a flexible back fast! - 10 min

thursday: back flexibility & posture

goal: improve back flexibility and posture.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

strength & mobility:

shoulder & back mobility workout - 10 min

fix your posture - 10 min

flexibility: 

stretch for splits (front splits flexibility routine) - 15 min

how to get a flexible back fast! - 10 min

optional: deepen your arch | back stretch routine | spinal flexibility - improve posture - 10 min

friday: full body strength & core

goal: engage full body strength, focusing on core and arms.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

strength:

ballet back & arms sculpting workout - 10 min

ballet legs & core workout - 20 min

flexibility: full body stretch for flexibility - 20 min

saturday: deep stretch & legs

goal: deepen flexibility, focusing on legs and hips.

warm-up: everyday full body pilates - 10 min

strength: toning ballet legs workout for sculpting, lengthening and strengthening - 25 min

flexibility:

how to get a flexible back fast! - 10 min

get your splits | hip flexibility | splits challenge - 20 min

intense hamstring repair yoga - 25 min

sunday: active recovery / light stretch

goal: relax, relieve tension, and lightly stretch.

active movement: walk or gentle yoga flow - 30–60 min

flexibility: bedtime stretches for relaxation - 10 min

[dandelion-roots]

your husband's scary, xie li- um, i mean, dianxia *nervous laughter*

[id in alt]

[tomorrowinspo]

The only thing getting me through today is these 12 calories

[cheriafreya]

I'm getting such shit relics / ornaments for Aglaea that it's actually depressing