#but I'm sticking with it because better job opportunities with a degree in anything is what I keep hearing is best

[looniecartooni]

Benefits of living on campus: Independence, quick and easy access to classes (especially when all the parking is taken), quick access to social events, people your age

Negatives of living on campus: you get bored really fast, people don't really want to talk to you unless they've gotten to know you or decided you were okay to talk to, separated from pets, roommates aren't always there (and don't always clean their messes), expensive

I don't know- I've just been feeling stuck inside and not wanting to do my normal hobbies while feeling lonely again when I moved away to do the opposite. Everyone overhyped it which I kind of expected. Maybe I should give it another week or two...

[coinandcandle]

Coin's UPG: What is Magic?

As the title says, this is my upg, my unverified personal gnosis. I'm posting this because I want to spark discussion on the topic or even just spark your interest. Beginner witches are welcome to read! But idk how beginner-friendly this post is gunna be...

Edit: I suppose this also could fall into "magical theory" but still take this as my own opinion rather than a set in stone thing.

What is Magic?

I feel like what most people refer to as “magic” is like a substance. People talk about space and time as a fabric, and I think magic is comparable to that, though it strikes me more as a viscous liquid. Something a bit more fluid than fabric but still not quite as thin as air. Almost like a gel perhaps? It honestly looks to me (in my brain of course) like the gif I've added above. Now, I don't think people can feel this substance on a physical level, but to some degree, we can feel it on a metaphysical level.

Except I don’t think I’d call this substance magic, I would prefer to call it “substance” (a little on the nose) or something like “aether”, to borrow a term from antiquity. Magic, to me, is like an equation rather than the substance that fuels magical workings.

I think often in metaphors and similies as they help me explain myself. It’s hard to use one here but this is what I came up with:

To think of it like a painting, aether is the medium, the paint. Energy is an ingredient in the paint. Your intention is the plan for the painting. The physical components of your spell (wand, herbs, vessel, etc) are the different types of tools (paint brushes), each one used in a different way but they all falls under the same overall purpose.

Magic is adding it all together. The finished painting is the result of the magic.

All of these moving parts together form “witchcraft”.

So what does magic do and how does it work?

So...“things” (events, scenarios, odds, movement, rest, lots of things are things!) are happening everywhere all of the time and “things” won’t stop happening for a while. Working magic is similar to pushing or nudging these “things” in our favor. This can be done by casting spells, enchanting, divining, and praying or petitioning spirits, entities, and gods for example. Everyone’s definition of what is considered "working magic” is different and I don’t have a concrete list myself, tbh. I just know that, to me, working magic is influencing the world around you on a metaphysical level. For example:

You want to get a new job?

Physically you would go on a job searching website, update your resume, show up to interviews, etc.

Metaphysically you could cast a spell to send job opportunities your way, wear an amulet to make your interviews stick out in the mind of the interviewers, or write a sigil to increase the chances of your resume standing out to name a few.

My upg is bound to change over time but as of right now this is how I find myself explaining "magic". Let me know if you'd like for me to expand on anything in this post.

How would you explain what magic is? <:

List of terms for clarification:

Aether: Aether here is used to refer to the "substance" that is magic rather than its Greek meaning or its meaning as a classical element. For now, it's the term I use as a placeholder unless I find something that sticks better for me.

Energy: Similar to the literal definition "a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work" (MW) but, like, make it magical.

Intention: Essentially the desire, the thing that makes you want to actually work the magic at hand.

Magic: The equation of several factors or the sum total of the moving parts involved in magical workings.

Metaphysical: I use metaphysical as a way of talking about things that are beyond the physical, some people use terms like magical, spiritual, supernatural, immaterial, mystical, incorporeal, and more. To me, metaphysical makes more sense because it’s not the opposite of physical but it’s not quite physical either. Metaphysical pretty much means “beyond/after the physical”.

"Things": In this post, "things" are events, objects, beings, or otherwise the workings of the physical and metaphysical universe.

[hqsenvs3000w24]

Week 5: Off-roading

This week, we are going prompt-less, off-roading, some would say. We've been given the opportunity so create our own prompt and write about whatever we're thinking about. I personally struggle occasionally with deciding on where to start when given complete creative freedom with an assignment. However, this time it was relatively easy.

Over the past few days, we've done readings on nature interpretation through science, which was a topic I'm comfortable with, being a science student and working in a outdoor education setting as well. It was interesting to learn more about tailoring the way you talk and the words you use to specific audiences. When I entered my first job helping educate children about the environment, I was so worried that I wasn’t going to be a good instructor, because I have a bad memory and a hard time remembering species names and behaviours and the plethora of scientific processes. However, after like a week, I learned that it's really not about that at all, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Just like we learned about in "Naming" Nature (Hooykaas, 2023), sometimes it’s better to lose the jargon and fancy words and stick straight to the simplest ideas, especially when working with children, or adults who don't know anything about the topic.

It struck true when our professor mentioned "…as environmental students, you already know much of what you need to know (scientifically) the rest is about approach" (Hooykaas, 2023). We have been learning the past few years about the environment and now we need to take that information and sculpt it in a way that is usable. I wouldn’t sit down with a bunch of grade threes and explain to them the science of climate change and the processes that are causing it. They would have no clue what’s going on. I know now that it would be better to create an activity where they can how warming works for themselves. With adults, I could go more into detail and talk to a more scientific degree, however it is always important to keep in mind that most of the people we will be guiding or instructing or teaching, do not come from the same background and it's always best to start with the basics and work your way up from there.

As we approach the halfway point of this semester (which is crazy, I can’t believe it!!) I took this open prompt as a chance to reflect about what I’ve learned the past few weeks. When I started this course, I was fully thinking that I already knew everything about nature interpretation, turns out I was so wrong. I’ve learned a whole pile of new techniques and viewpoints to consider as an interpreter. My eyes were reopened to my privilege and I was reminded of how lucky I am to have had positive interactions with nature throughout my life. I’m starting to have a deeper understanding of the various ways to interpret nature (so far, art is my favourite) and how to integrate them into interpretation in order to make a more positive, interesting experience for those partaking.

I’m excited to see what the next few week will bring!

- All for now :)

Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 05: Nature Interpretation through Science [lecture notes]. ENVS3000 Nature Interpretation. University of Guelph.

[elshells]

Happy STS! I hope you’ve had a good week :) your OCs are forced to spend the night in a haunted house, how does that go? Does anyone try to take charge? Who is the most scared?

Happy STS! The week was a little unproductive in terms of writing, but I'm still feeling good about things! Hope you're doing well 💕

Hehehe. I love this prompt so much! Anything spooky immediately has my attention, and thinking about it in terms of Agent Ace makes it even better!

Sophia would naturally take the lead, gun ready and ears pricked up for anything unnatural. She's been a fan of horror since she was little, so even if she didn't already have the experience of a Guardian and Watch agent, she'd be in her element. However, Janus would take this opportunity to sabotage her at every turn. While Sophia does everything she can to keep the group safe and together, he's wandering off down random hallways shouting to the ghosts and insulting them for their cowardice. Generally just causing shenanigans and putting himself in danger he knows he can narrowly pull himself out of.

Jet would wander, too, but for a different reason. He'd scout the house for threats—specifically dolls. Not much unnerves him, but every doll in his path is getting immediately decimated if it so much as looks at him funny. Bellona would eventually join in on the rampage, not because she was convinced they were haunted, but because she was bored waiting for the others and this looked like fun.

August would arrive decked out with salt, candles, smudge sticks, a crucifix, the whole shebang. He'd set it all up in his designated 'safe room' while Sophia insisted to no avail that it wasn't necessary. For the rest of the night, he'd then attempt to strike up conversations with the ghosts, and when Sophia snapped at him to put it away, he'd argue that they may have something important to say.

Ahren would designate himself as the 'babysitter,' watching over Harley and her friends so Sophia could focus on doing her job. He would try and fail to hide how anxious he was, but he's the one who will jump at any little thing that might happen. Max, once he saw how frightened Ahren truly was, would sit with him and try to comfort him, even though he'd be scared shitless himself. He'd teach him the grounding techniques he uses to recover from panic attacks, and I imagine they'd actually bond a fair bit over this (which is nice, since the two of them don't get much one-on-one time)!

Jade hates the house, and she would start filming everything she does so there's proof of what happened to them in case they didn't make it out alive. Harley tries to intervene before Sophia gets annoyed with it, but she ends up joining the video and they turn it into a ghost-hunting documentary. Sophia lets it go because she sees that it actually helps Jade feel better, and they're both having fun with. Harley leads and narrates them through the house while Jade follows and backs her up with commentary. Along the way, they'd write nice messages for the ghosts in the dust and shut any windows to keep them warm. The others all make their own cameos with varying degrees of composure and sanity. At this point, I'll leave that up to your imagination!

[tempusart394]

I've been struggling for a long time. I know I'm not the only one.

I don't get to feel bad because others have it so much worse than I do.

I don't get to feel sad because I have more than others do.

Why am I so selfish?

There's a war on the other side of the world. I have no voice, no say, no power. But I am expected to do something about it.

I don't have the courage to stick up for myself, let alone anyone else.

How can I have compassion for others when they don't have compassion for me - when I barely have compassion for myself.

I'm useless.

People keep telling me to chase what I want. What if I don't want anything.

I want to work - I need to keep busy. When I don't I spiral. But I don't know how to be in an environment that I can't handle.

Compared to other jobs, mine is probably a breeze. Yet I can't even handle that. I can't handle anything.

It's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning. Sometimes my dreams are so vivid, and I keep going in and out of sleep that they feel so real. Sometimes I think what's happened in my dreams is real.

I'll dream about work, or getting ready for work, then an hour will go by. I really believe I've gotten up, I'm dressed, and I'm having a conversation with my mom while we are getting ready for the day. And I come to a very slow weird realization that I'm still in bed.

I used to be able to rely on my anxiety to tell the difference. But I've been getting help with that - trying to get better. Now that the anxiety isn't there as much, I feel like I'm slowly becoming delirious.

Am I sick? Or am I just so desperate to escape my life and our world that somehow I'm making it happen?

I've always struggled with my mental health but I've always fought back because it's what was expected of me. I am expected to go to school. Get a degree. I'm expected to go to work.

I am expected to live my life and I have to because other people don't necessarily have the same opportunities that I do. The same privilege that I do.

I've always been sick. I've always been different. I know that. But now I'm getting worried that I'm far more sick than I realized.

The strangest thing is, once upon a time this would have terrified me. Now I'm finding some strange comfort in my strange escapist delirium. I'm not as afraid as I should be.

I think that's a red flag - so why can't I bring myself to pay attention to it? Am I okay? Am I allowed to take a break from life, or is that one privilege too many?

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Let's Talk about the Lady

The Lady is initially presented as this perfect, beautiful paragon, and Ralph very much believes that. The Lady downplays her own perfection, talking about how she's done bad things (and she seems to be pretty humble). Richard proposes that she was very wise and intentionally set things up for Ralph, knowing that they would not be together forever.

My current opinion is that the Lady and Ralph have a LOT in common, and not in a good way. Ralph is immature and unreliable, having made promises, broken them, run away from home, ignored all the good advice people gave him, and then he ran off with a beautiful woman he had just met.

The Lady may be beautiful and wise, but she's not much better. I think that (like Ralph) she has a good heart, but doesn't think things through. I mean, she abandoned the Kingdom of the Tower without setting up any kind of replacement, which resulted in the kingdom's total collapse. She agreed to marry the Knight of the Sun just so he'd stop bugging her, though I think she probably planned to escape when she had the opportunity. After Ralph saved her from the men of the Burg, she went into the city in disguise (and later told Ralph how exciting and dangerous it was). She spent decades promising the Fellowship of the Dry Tree that she would join up with them again, but had not real intentions of doing that.

The Lady ultimately died because she overestimated her own intelligence, or underestimated the Knight of the Sun's. She could have sent Silverfax to Hampton, or taken him with them when they fled, but she decided to do a trick to lead the Knight of the Sun off-course, and that failed and she was killed for it.

One thing that sticks out to me as that the Knight of the Sun didn't use some secret trick or ploy. It's not like the Lady had this great plan but tragically forgot to account for something, or was surprised by a twist of fate. She tried to trick him and it didn't work. I don't know if I'm doing a good job of explaining it... he didn't win because he did anything special, he won because the Lady made a mistake, and I think that means something.

I don't know what Morris' view of the Lady is. As with many things in this story, we get conflicting evidence of things. I think the narrative mostly sees the Lady as she saw herself (kind, beautiful, wise, complicated), but I think there's also evidence to suggest that my view is valid.

I think that the Lady probably would have gotten bored with Ralph eventually (as Richard sort of theorized). Like Ralph, she was unreliable and kind of foolish. We're told that she had a lot of men wait for her at the Castle of Abundance. I don't think she knew she and Ralph weren't going to last, I don't think she planned for Ralph to someday go find Dorothea. I think she did what she wanted in the moment, without always thinking about consequences.

Personally, I speculate that this sort of immaturity came back to her after drinking from the Well. She was young again and felt invincible, and was suddenly something more than all the people around her.

The Lady is not perfect... but I also don't think she's intended to be perfect. Much of what we see of her is colored by Ralph's infatuation, but there's plenty of evidence (even given by the Lady herself) that she's not all that special. She's a weird heroine for the time-period, seemingly perfect at first glance, but when you get to know her she's been married twice before (at least), destroyed a nation, hangs out with some really rough people (the Fellowship of the Dry Tree is not a bunch of Robin Hoods, and their leader is pretty bloodthirsty; remember that Dorothea showed up to ask a few questions and was thrown in a dungeon to await execution), and just all-around seem too concerned with any of the complicated things going on.

I don't think she was stupid, I just think she was careless.

I think she and Ralph are a lot alike, which makes them a good match to some degree, but I feel like most people agree that relationships are best with complementary personalities, not when the people get along because they have all the same flaws. In that way, she was right: Dorothea is a better match for Ralph than she was.

[novoplata]

Be thankful. Be thankful. Be thankful.

I've had such an amazing last two months of 2023 that I'm feeling such a huge energy dump early this January. I guess it's time to remind myself to be thankful above all things because things are still great, regardless of how it feels. I also have to constantly remind myself that emotions fluctuate. I may feel so strongly about something now and things may change instantly tomorrow. Don't fret! Here are some reminders of why I should be thankful: 1. It's really not that bad The last time I had this job (as a PR consultant in 2014), I was constantly belittled and scolded. I was constantly fearful and dreadful of every day at work. Still, I managed to stick around for a whole year until my contract ended, yay me! This time around, I have a higher position at work and am no longer getting pushed around due to my lack of seniority. If anything, the only thing I'm currently annoyed about is an older guy constantly spewing sexual jokes (directed towards others but still makes me uncomfortable). Unlike being scolded at for my job, I can actually ignore this guy and pretend he doesn't exist. And annoyance is much better than fear any day. I no longer fear that I might lose my job because of my perceived incompetency. I'm simply uncomfortable, that's all. And maybe I have a bigger purpose for being there (like starting a momentum against sexual harassment), and I have a feeling that this will be another stepping stone for me. 2. You may regret quitting too soon I still remember instances in which I had quit my uncomfortable but not miserable job at Insight Sabah because of an annoying editor (keyword annoying). I wasn't really suffering at the job, I was just simply annoyed. Thinking that I would get another job easily, I quit my job without a backup and ended up unemployed and struggling financially for the next six months. Reminder to self: don't take for granted the opportunities you have. My second regret was quitting my easy remote job with Upstream which paid 500 euros a month. The reason I quit the job was because I getting annoyed with having to do some inconvenient errands (like paying phone bills and turning on my mobile phones). In hindsight, it was such a great opportunity to have and the inconveniences were really nothing compared to how much I would have been able to save in exchange for doing next to nothing. I kept praying for the same opportunity since but none came. Too bad. 3. It's better to be stressed from work than to be stressed for not having work Truthfully, I'd hit a jackpot when I landed this job. I had been stuck in a non-challenging job for nearly four years, with no prospect of growth and I was hard-pressed to find another job that could pay better than what I was already getting paid. When I attended the interview for this job, I even said that if they could at least meet my then salary, I would've taken it. Thankfully, HR added 20 per cent more to that amount, plus a lot of perks that I never got to enjoy in my previous job. Of course, the job did come with some sacrifices like having to wake up earlier and brave the traffic (which is normal and a lot less than what most other people had to endure), but I ended up with a better opportunity to save money, medical benefits and an actual opportunity for career growth! I should remind myself each day that I'm so very lucky to get what I'm getting. There are people with master's degrees and who are older than me in my company who have not reached my pay grade or managerial level. I shouldn't overlook that just because some old guy talks about his penis every now and then gets stuck in traffic whenever it rains. God has granted everything that I've prayed for last year. The least I can do is to steward this opportunity well with His help and guidance. I've been through worse. I'll be fine.

[isthisitbytaylornicole]

"is this it?" BLOG POST #1: hey, you! meet adulthood. the ghetto, if you will...

Author's Note:

First of all, welcome to my blog! It feels so surreal to be saying that because this is something I have wanted to do for so long, but fear, laziness, and "plans" kept me from doing so. I am so happy that you have decided to take time out of your day to sit and read my post. I'm so excited to be able to share these stories with you all about my dirty little cousin, Adulthood. She doesn't mean any harm, she just doesn't know any better. Trust me. I hope you are intrigued by what I have to say and I would love to chat with you in the comments about these topics. Enjoy!

"Don't you find it odd, that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try."

-Unknown (The Hottest State)

I can say, without hesitation, that I was not fully prepared for what adulthood had to offer. She came without remorse, but made sure to bring all sorts of debt, the occasional iffy encounter, and topped it all off with a micro-aggression or two (or ten). In these instances where I was thrown into situations dealing with money, racism, self-identity, relationships, etc., how did I handle these episodes with minimal detrimental impact on my inner psyche? The answer; I didn't because I didn't know how to.

I vividly remember the process of applying to colleges, final senior presentations, deciding what school I wanted to go to, all while being molded in the belief that college was the best option, if not the only option, for young, black, teenagers, like myself, who wanted to be successful. Please don't misunderstand me when I say this. I definitely agree with the fact that as young adults we should be able to take advantage of all the opportunities given to us including continuing an education at a four-year institution and experiencing all that college has to offer like social engagements and freshmen fifteen. However, I do not believe that is the only way to solidify success in a society where situations like going to a four year conventional university have become the norm. While we are molded into believing a four-year college is one of only three options for teenagers of color [the other options being pregnancy or prison as stereotype culture has taught us] we are limited in the knowledge of only knowing how to make it TO college, and not how to be successful THROUGHOUT and beyond college and I am a prime example.

Due to the stigma of black high school dropouts, often times, high schools in cities like Detroit (who primarily house students of African decent) strive for one-hundred percent high school graduation and college acceptance rates ,as apposed to, one-hundred percent college fulfillment and graduation rates. In other words, they don't care how you get home from the party, as long as you were invited. And I mean who can blame them?! While primarily white high schools with students trying to decide if they want to attend either Harvard or Yale are spitting out graduates left and right, primarily black high schools can't even get scantron sheets on time for their junior students to take the SAT, which is it supposed to be an equal opportunity test for all students, accept those with brown skin of course. (This happened at my high school btw.)

Then I get to college only to see that all of my professors are old, white, dirty men, which is not in fact the demographic I grew up within. Is this it? Is this what my parents are paying almost forty-thousand dollars a year for? Is this your King?! 👨🏼‍🏫Well, I'm here now and I guess I need to stick this out. Never mind being one of only four black students in an intro to political science class of almost forty-five. Never mind having a black roommate who didn't know if she wanted to be Ebony or Ivory that day. Her white boyfriend did tell me I had nice skin one day which was nice of him. Never mind me working at the McDonald's right across the street from my dorm my freshman year where almost everyday somebody I knew would come and try to get free food from me. (That didn't really have anything to do with my hardships during my time at college, but it was irritating trying not to get caught smuggling cookies and McFlurries out of the store every other day. I was too nice obviously.) Never mind having to refrain from using any kind of ebonics in order to fit into conversations and/or lectures about political science topics in order to sound more professional and educated to my white peers and professors (A.K.A code switching😶‍🌫️ 🎛). Overall, the majority of my time spent inside the college classroom setting was often done in ways that involved me faking it until I made it, until I didn't make it.

I dropped out of college at the end of my sophomore year and at the time it seemed like my biggest failure. Not only did I feel like I failed myself, I felt like I failed my family and closest friends and quite literally I failed most of my classes😬. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in student loans left for me to pay back which was bound to happen anyways but that is a totally different conversation for another post. (Sallie Mae better hope she don't catch these hands.) I felt like, as do most young adults my age, there was a timeline on my success. If I didn't get that college degree in four years, and have a car and apartment by twenty, my life had no worth. This narrative was brought on not only by my school environment growing up, but it was brought on by the climate that we live in today. As young people, we are so easily influenced by pop culture, social media, YouTube, sports media, our peers, music and so many other ideals constantly bombarding our everyday lives. We're shown these unrealistic almost fantasy-like scenarios in which all you have to do it make a prank video in order to make money and once you have money, fame, and a VLONE shirt, boom, you have worth! Why am I rushing to fulfill these egregious standards set by these dull influencers who can't even spell egregious. Success does not have only one definition. To me, success is defined by your own standards and not society's. And college is not a one stop shop!

The picture of adulthood has been painted so monochromatically that I have at times lost my ability to dare to dream bigger than what has been laid before me with society's crusty hands. Yes I plan on finishing my education at a four year college, but at the time, my college experience would not have allotted me the opportunity to discover the world of Cyber Security and the many job opportunities and networks I've been exposed to.

All in all, take advantage of ALL the opportunities you encounter whether they are laid out in front of you or even if you have to network to find them.

This was just a piece of the perspectives I am excited to offer as I continue to share my stories in this world of blogging and rediscovery. I hope I didn't scare any of you off already because in my next blog piece I will be diving into more aspects of adulthood and the whole notion of relationships(romantic and non); do we really need them tho? and how do we weed out the bad ones and water the fruitful ones?

PLEASE TUNE IN ON TUESDAY FOR MY NEXT INSTALLMENT OF "IS THIS IT?" BY TAYLOR NICOLE AND THANK YOU FOR READING!💛

By: Taylor Nicole

LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS BELOW! I WOULD LOVE TO CHAT.💛

[kommunistkaitou]

Update on my obnoxious evening last night

So after my bed collapsed at like 9pmish, I had to rearrange a lot of shit in my room including doing a ton of laundry bc there was no room for my hamper with the mattress on the ground. Then I moved the beanbag chair that used to be under the loft bed, to be resting on top of the bedframe, so I could put the mattress on the floor where the beanbag used to be (at a 90 degree angle from the bedframe so that my legs were sticking out). This was super difficult esp bc my neck still hurt from trying to sit in the collapsed mattress like a comfy chair for like an hour. Then I tried to rest on the mattress and briefly sat up while I was at an especially hard part in a switch touhou fangame, and luckily the suspended beanbag chose that moment to fall, so it only fell on my fat ass instead of directly on top of my whole self. Still then I had to rearrange more shit to make room for the beanbag on the floor, so now my room has basically zero floorspace.

Also around this point my mom came in to tell me that she'd just gotten off the phone with my aunt, and my barely-16yo cousin is in big trouble bc he's been scammed by a bookie doing sports gambling, and owes this asshole 400$ he doesn't have, and even now that he's been caught he isn't admitting he did anything wrong and is trying to convince my aunt to let him keep going because he'll break even after a few good turns, and that he doesn't need to get an actual job because he can use his sports smarts to make money gambling instead. And apparently this dude told him that he'd take 25$ off his debt for every friend he refers to him, and my cousin still thinks this is a great opportunity to make money so he's been totally roping his friends into it 🤪

Then once it was quiet I noticed that Winry (one of the guinea pigs) had audible rales (clicking sounds with breathing), and I could hear them even when she was in a pigloo and I was across the room. I took her out, listened a bit, and weighed her (she hadn't lost any weight) and then put her back and gave her some food, and her appetite and energy level seemed normal. That morning she'd briefly had a severe case of hiccups seemingly after swallowing sth wrong, so I was hoping she'd just inhaled some water and would feel better naturally soon. So I set my alarm for 7:45am, so I could check on her in the morning and try to get a same-day vet appt if she wasn't any better. However now it was like 2:30am so even though I wasn't really sleepy I took my usual sleeping meds plus the muscle relaxant so I could try to be up before 8.

Of course it was at this point my brother who had gone to sleep at like 5pm woke up and was all wanting to know everything that had happened so then I was like trying to explain to him even tho I was all woozy from meds but eventually I did fall asleep

So then my alarm woke me up and I picked up Winry and listened to her breathing again and she sounded normal and fine thank G-d, so I went back to sleep, and then slept until FOUR PM, had a dream that I got bottom surgery, and then woke up really sad that it was a dream, and really confused by it being sunset, with a headache, and also in a ton of neck and back pain. I'm not sure if it's bc of how much furniture moving I did, sleeping on the floor, stress, etc but holy shit I feel 70 yrs old.

Plus my brother was going to bed right at that time, and my mom was leaving for a dinner date, so I basically missed everyone and was immediately put in charge of the puppy, who wanted to play at first and I was like Oh No but now he's actually fallen asleep on my legs so that's not so bad.

So anyway how are you all?

[btssunnyboy]

Partners In Crime - Jeon Jungkook Part 1

You had a vendetta, and this was your chance. You were gonna prove yourself, but now you got another person to worry about.

Word Count - 3,131

Warning - Undercover Agent! AU, profanity and mentions of drinking.

Masterlist

Also I’m back after a few months break I’m so sorry, but hopefully I’ll be back with a lot more updates!!!

━━━━━━━━━━━

"I absolutely refuse! I'm more then qualified to handle this mission on my own."

The words slipped pasted your lips quicker then you intended. Venom laced through every word, as you stared stared at your higher up. His eyes threatened to roll back in his head ; agitation clearly visible through his stressed state. He released a heavy breath, while pinching the bridge of his nose. His hands form together into bone crushingly tight fist.

"L/n! Work with me! You need a partner for this assignment and he's the perfect coverup!" Mr. Jones ushered out as his eyes glanced cautiously at the clock. The small ticks that erupted from the small machine filling the tense silence that was floating in the air. His leg shook wildly in return in made the floorboards squeak underneath the shaky weight.

"I've been working Jackson Wang's case for over six months! His banquet is my shot to prove I'm worthy of my spot on this team!" You bellowed, comic stream bursting from your ears. Your face was red from embarrassment, disappointment and most importantly anger. Pure, boiling, hot anger seeping through every crevice of your body. This was chance to prove that you weren't a rookie anymore! This was a chance to live up to what you father used to be on this force.

"You've shown your worth more then enough times to be about of my department, but this is a mission that requires back up. It's too dangerous even for you." Mr. Jones sighed once more when he noticed your posture. Stick straight back, with clenched hands and jaw. You were passed the state of furious, and he knew hell was about to rain down. "Can I at least tell you his name."

"Of course it's a guy."

"His name is Jeon Jungkook. He's one of the top residents we have, and he's moving up through the ranks remarkably well." The sickly sweet comment rolled off of his tongue with such ease. It disgusted you down to your core. You didn't need a partner to handle Jackson Wang. You've dealt with his accomplices, and you sure as hell can take a guy like him on. "Now would you please stop making a big scene."

On one hand Mr. Jones had a point. Your reaction was starting to take the form of a five year old who just got told no to a brand new toy. You were overreacting, but with a good reason to back it up. This was your main chance ; you didn't want to be shadowed by some partner who would take all the credit. This was your shot, and you desperately needed it. Your worth in this department now rests on the hands of someone called Jeon Jungkook.

Before you mouth could open to add more snarky comment chief's door swung open. I'm walked a man who was almost your age, but maybe a bit older. His big doe eyes held so much innocence ; you almost pity the man who decided to work in a job like this. A job that requires you to be deceiving in every way, a job that tests your limits, and a job that puts your life in danger every time you walk out those doors. Being undercover has it's downfalls, and it may corrupt a sweet guy like him.

"This is your partner. Jeon Jungkook meet L/n Y/n."

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I've actually heard so much about you!" He beamed while staring softly at you. His hand was extended, and your whole body was hesitant to even shake his hand. He noticed the delay, and awkwardly pulled his hand away, and rubbed the nape of his neck. "It's gonna be an honor working with you."

You stayed silent through the entire exchange. The way his smile dropped ever so slightly, but the gleam never left his eyes. His stare was now directed towards the chief. Desperately trying to get the train moving along, and bolt as fast as he could out those glass doors. The chief gave a sudden scoff, before he started making his point clear.

"Jeon I'm sorry for this unprofessional like matter coming from one of our finest, but you two need to work together." The message was supposed to be loud and clear. Both of you were supposed to understand that this mission is going to take every once of willpower from the both of you. "This is his case file, learn it, live it, and then catch it."

Sharp nods left the both of you, as you reached for your file. Flipping through what felt like miles of charges against him. Things been drug charges, third degree battery, and many, many more. This just goes to prove that money will get your dumbass out of any situation. This man has ruined lives, and here he is still allowed to roam the streets without a care in the fucking world.

"Jesus Christ how can this guy live with himself?" Jungkook mumbled while pulling his chair out. His eyes scanned each charge, and loudly showed his disapproval. His scoff filled the small room, as if practically reverberated throughout. "What do you think about all of this?"

His question lingered in the air, as a response was settled onto your tongue. It was searing in your mouth, begging to have the cool air hit it and diminish the intensity of it. Instead you stayed silent. Letting your eyes linger on the file, even though you knew everything about this man. His motives, his relationship, his goddamn childhood. You knew it all, and a personal vendetta was pushing you towards getting this bastard in jail. Him and his stupid connections ruined your life, and you're never going to forget that.

"I know this isn't exactly your idea type of mission, but I'm just here to help." Jungkook softly said as he pulled his chair to the front of your desk. His famous doe eyes staring so softly into yours. They had a gleam that looked like a whole universe was settled underneath his cornea. His smile was still on his face, as if you silence wasn't affecting him at all. He didn't seem to care, as he continued on this conversation. "We still need to think of a plan to catch him."

He wasn't wrong. This whole mission still needed to be planned out step by step. And all you've got so far is the fact he's in town for the week, and once he leaves this area your team's jurisdiction will be useful no more. It has to be you, and your partner who take him down. The mere thought of him leaving made your hands clench in anger once more. Your knuckles going white from the harsh grip, and you could already fill your nails tearing the skin of your palms. His eyes glanced down at your hands, and he took it as his sign to leave.

"You don't have to go." Your voice was so soft he almost didn't hear it. This was a drastic change from your demeanor back in the chief's office. You tightly shut your eyes, and wished you'd just kept your mouth shut. He was just about to leave, and you could've been alone to make a plan layout. This could've be done all by yourself, but something made you want him. Something made it hard to see him go. "Like you said we need a plan."

"Y-yeah! A plan if were gonna catch him we need to make sure that he's caught in the act. I figured the only reason why he's never be truly admitted to jail is that he's never been see doing these things. Someone else always manages to take the fault." Jungkook stammered, as he pulled out his laptop. His eyes scanning every detail of the records he's looking at. Different people each lined up with charge that some how correspond with Jackson Wang's charges. They go down for him, and he just leaves them there. What a sicko.

You nodded your head in understanding. He would get charged and then everything would be dropped. Only for another man to take the place, and as they said coincidental at the time. This plan needs two brains working together, a different perspective is exactly what this mission needs. Yet you still can't bring yourself to accept that. It was stupid sitting here in a mood just because you have to have a partner

"We have less then a week to catch up so Jeon Jungkook. What's our first move." You sighed as you leaned back in your seat. A curt nod came from him as he typed away on his computer, original doe soft eyes were pressed in harsh glares. His min was set on finding an answer, and it looked like he was set on finding one fast.

"His banquet, like we've mentioned before is our only shot there's no other way. The only problem is that we need an invitation." Jungkook grumbled as he slammed his laptop shut. He knew this was a big opportunity, and now he can't do anything about it.

"I've got that covered, before Bailey's incident she's was assigned this case and already acquired two tickets. Now this is our last shot bring him back home. Do I make myself clear?"  The chief spoke loudly. Making sure this was getting through both of your heads.

"Crystal."

"You're both two of the youngest on this team, make this count. And be careful, Jackson Wang is many things, but he's not a fool. One slip up and this whole operation goes down."

                     ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"So we have to look like a couple at this party." Jungkook sighed as he fixed the blazer that settled onto his broad shoulders. The sleek looking material complimented his body in an extraordinary way. He was actually looking the part of a wealthy business man, and that's exactly the cover up that was needed. "We still have a few days, maybe we should actually go on a date."

Your eyebrows shot up in a questionable look. Your head tilted to the side as well. The emerald dress in your hands suddenly worth a lot more attention then the dashing man in front of you. It felt stupid to get to know him considering after this mission you planned on never talking to him again. Hell you planned on staying quiet throughout the whole night at the banquet. Get in, get him and get the hell out. It wasn't supposed to be a bonding experience.

"Come on, I'm not that bad." He commented again, as he shrugged off the sleek material. He somehow looked even better without that jacket. His white button down shirt cling to his biceps, making him even more appealing. That same smile he always wore still graced his face. Almost like it was the only permanent expression he had. "I mean I'd like to get to know you considering we're gonna be on the same team after this."

You dreaded it when he spoke that sentence. You truly didn't mind him it's just, getting close to someone in this business has its consequences. Consequences that take every ounce of happiness in you, and rip it to shreds. You've gone through them enough to know just how terrible they actually are. You didn't want to experience that pain again, and Jungkook sure wasn't worth going through that guy wrenching pain once more. But you never know what could happen in the span of a week. Once more you stayed locked onto the target of the silky emerald dress in front of you.

"I just wanna make sure you're okay with being around me. If we have to look like a couple we're gonna have to be touching in some way to make it more believable. Maybe just tell me some lies, or say I love you. It's gonna be fake anyways."

The way he spoke so nonchalantly physically hurt your heart. It was so stupid to let those few words effect you in such a big way. You were gonna ditch him so you had no right to upset about this.

"Let's get take-out and go to my place tonight. This better be worth my night."

"Of course it's gonna be."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

It was a silent ride to your little apartment. The cars passing by providing only little bit of noise in the long car ride. You could tell he was itching to start a conversation based on the way his hand kept twitching. His eyes would shoot from the road back to your sleepy form. He just wanted to get to know you, and he's usually a talk active person. But he's scared he's gonna mess up things if he even speaks a word. He's worried that if he breathes the wrong way you're gonna complain even more. 

"Up here at the left." You said in a groggy tone, and rubbed the sleep from your eyes. A small yawn passing through once again. You honestly don't know if you're awake enough to even make it to your apartment door. But there is a hot takeout box in your lap, and it’s been a long day. Besides Lucy was definitely awake, and she’s always happy too see you. Well most of the time she is. Your keys wiggled in the lock as you tried to open the door. The sound of keys slapping against the concrete woke you up only slightly.

“Here let me do it.” He spoke softly as he took the keys from your weak grip. His hands softly guiding the takeout from yours. “If you want to reschedule it’s fine.”

“No it’s fine, when need this bonding experience anyways. Besides I think Lucy has already taken a liking to you.” You laughed lightly as the calico cat immediately rubbed her head against his jean clad legs. A soft purr erupting from her. The freaking cat loves him, but hisses at anyone else. “Well hello there.”

That little heifer has the audacity to love up on him, and completely ignore you. You’re the one who fills her green bowl, gives her half the food on your plate. And she goes to the stranger that smells like mint and chocolate.

“I swear she’s usually in a mood.” You commented, as you tossed your coat on the back of the couch. As Jungkook sat down she immediately made her nest on his lap. Like you said before, that little heifer. “Okay now lets start talking.”

“Okay, what’s your favorite tv show.” He softly said as he shoveled the noodles in his mouth. His eyes never leaving yours once more, as if he truly wanted to know. He’s actually taking this hang out session seriously.

“I’ve really been getting into body of proof recently, that was reason why I wanted to be a medical examiner at the start of my career.” You smiled at the memory. Your mom done everything in her power to put you on the right track. She was always worried you’d get chocked up dealing with dead bodies like that, but she was more worried you’d get caught in between a murderer and a victim. Like your new job was any better.

“Why didn’t you continue with that?” His question was innocent as all get outs. But it still hurt to even think about the reason why you dropped it from your worries all together.

“That a personal question for another time.” You sighed as you wiped the corners of your mouth. Your eyes staying down casted towards the hardwood floors. When you noticed how Lucy’s food bowl was empty you took that as your chance to leave. Slowly searching through your kitchen cabinets looking for favorite chicken meal.

“Oh, okay. I didn’t realize, that it was like that.”

“You couldn’t have know, it’s fine how about we move onto the next topic.”

He sucked in air through his teeth as he raked his mind for another topic. The air was tense, and that was the last thing he wanted. He cleared his throat, as he lightly stroked Lucy’s head. She dug her head further into his hand ; trying to appreciate the warmth that he was giving her.

“Look I’m sorry I keep making everything so difficult. I’m not trying too it’s just in this job I’m scared to open up. It’s gotten me in some trouble, and that almost took me out.” You confessed as you popped open the cat food. Hearing her small paws tapping against the hardwood floors once more. You wiped your hands off on your jeans, and turned to face him fully. His head was tilted in the way yours does, and his eyes held that curious gleam once more.

“I understand that to an extent, but we’re just talking right now nothing bad is gonna happen.” He smiled as he pushed himself up off the couch. Leaning down with a huff he sat beside of you and watched at Lucy lapped up the food that was left in her plate. As soon as she was done she moved towards the man behind her. She happily rubbed her small head underneath his chin.

“Lucy seems pretty content with you, maybe that’s a good sign.” You half smiled as you twirled her soft tail around you index finger. Successfully gaining her attention, as your little baby licked at the tips of your fingers. “How about we put in a random movie, and go from there.”

He smiled widely as he rushed towards the small component underneath the tv. His eyes gleaming happily as he traced the spine of each dvd. Before his eyes settled onto the marvel section. His hands grasped the dozens of DVD’s and sprawled the across the floor. Ranging from Captain American to the one and only Endgame. A small chuckled passed through his lips as he held up one of the Iron Man disc.

“We can bond over one of my favorite movies.”

“I’ll get drinks.” You smiled as you raced towards your cabinets once. Pulling out the wine from the back corner. The beautiful blue bottle shinning underneath the soft lights of your kitchen. Pulling out two wine glasses you jumped onto the couch beside of him.

“I’m ready whenever you are.” He tipped his glass towards you with a suggestive smile. His eyes lingering towards the alcohol in your hands.

“Okay then let’s play the infamous twenty-one questions.” You spoke as you poured the wine and let it flow into the glasses. Watching as the foam started to settle. Taking a sip, and letting the cool liquid soothe you throat. “What made you want to go undercover.”

“Let’s get ready for a story.”

[buri-art]

If you don't mind me asking, how come you're able to live and work in Japan (and China?)? Where did it al begin? I'm just really curious! Thanks!

I don’t mind, thanks for asking! Turns out I’ve been doing some advising on this topic lately. (Scroll to the bottom for specific advice!)It all began with Digimon…

I’ve always had a history of moving from one obsession to another, starting back with Barney the Dinosaur. Then when I was 11-years-old I found myself very curious about that weird Japanese show on Fox Kids, which looked so different from the Western cartoons I was so fond of. What I caught of it kept me surprised–my stereotypes about it were wrong, the characters and their situations were complicated, and plot had depth? What was this and why did it make me care so much??Well, once I decided I was hooked, I was hooked. Obsessed overnight. I needed to know everything there was to know about it, including the country it came from. Guess I better learn Japanese, I thought. 

That thought didn’t go away. I generally got obsessed with anime and Japanese culture, anything I could get my weeby little hands on. Wanting to know everything about Japan led to curiosity about China too, because if you’re going to stretch far back in the origins of Japanese culture, eventually you’re going to get interested in the big collection of nations and time periods known as Ancient China. (Stuff like Fushigi Yuugi and the anime rendition of Condor Hero sure helped drive that interest.)I stayed obsessed with Japan all through my teen years (and started Japanese study in earnest when I was 16) and I chose a college where I could start studying Chinese. It seemed like the natural progression in my studies by that point, but I guess other people thought it was surprising. Or they called me a traitor. (I can tell you now that lots and lots of people wind up studying both.)

Anyway, I went in to college with a pretty wide knowledge of East Asia, but studying it from all sorts of angles, getting good advising in school from nerdy professors, and studying abroad certainly made my understanding more nuanced. Going to a small school where it was easy to stick out also helped me get a good handful of work-study experiences and special attention for my particular passions. (It helps that a couple teachers were enamored with traditional Chinese culture, another loved Heian aesthetics, another wrote a dissertation about the production of shoujo manga, and another loved to give students free food. Now those are my people.)What most people find surprising was that even though I had a heavier course load in Asian studies, my major was Economics. I was concerned about finding work with only nerdy Asian studies, and I felt like I needed to save the world by working at an NGO and sacrificing my personal happiness for the sake of the poor and underprivileged. (I still feel like that, but thankfully there are more ways to support NGOs than only by working in them.) In my research topics I usually had a special focus on developing nations in Asia, and I made sure to get a good understanding of the whole region, not just, like, Edo period gay samurai fanfiction (yeah, that was totally a thing).Well, anyway, I never worked at an NGO. I went to grad school to keep working on my Chinese while keeping up independent Japanese study  (including the JLPT), then I worked for the one international company in my hometown doing stuff for their Asian side of business. It was cool if you had any interest in engineering, but I didn’t. I like culture. The weeb shit, as it’s known. All according to keikaku, I became a Coordinator for International Relations on the JET Program (it’s not all English teachers!), and had the time of my life in Matsue (my love for that place is seeeeerious). That’s when I took my wide knowledge of Japan and started getting deeper knowledge, by doing anything and everything, especially practicing naginata, tea ceremony, and competitive kimono dressing. (I like to say I broke the weeb scale a long time ago.) Even among CIRs, who all speak Japanese fairly fluently, I guess I was noteworthy for my nerdy knowledge of obscure pieces of local culture, and my enthusiasm for sharing it. That’s just me being my obsessive self, folks. But yeah, lots of JET Program participants are obsessive and eager to go out and experience things. Aaaahhh, my people. After that, I felt I needed more experience in China, so I got a teaching job (which is relatively easy to do, if you’re a native English speaker). Due to my work schedule and living in Shanghai as opposed to like, Wuyishan or even Hangzhou, I didn’t devote as much as to cultural classes as I originally planned on, but I did practice tea and martial arts throughout my time there, and I continued to work on my Mandarin and gaining obscure cultural knowledge, but especially gaining experience melding with society there. Although it was more overwhelming, I do feel much more competent with my Chinese skills now, and I still love a lot of the culture and have so much more traveling I want to do there. I can still nerd out so hard for so much there.Moving back to Japan felt like a very natural course of things. I know a lot of people who have been happy to be Japan-nerds from a distance, or do the JET Program for a while and then just go back to visit, but at least for now, I don’t see myself happy with only visiting. I have personality flaws, like being very inflexible, that make me work very well in a rigid society like Japan. I’m too used to good convenience stores to live happily without them. I enjoy speaking Japanese all the time instead of taking occasional opportunities. Also, my niche skill set is kind of useless in my part of the US. I did try to find work here, really. That being said, having niche skills means that when I’m useful, I’m super useful. Job searching from outside of Japan was a lot more challenging than applying for the JET Program (which any JET applicant can tell you is not a simple process, but once you’re in, you really appreciate how much they handle for you in matters of moving abroad). It was really, really nerve-wracking to turn down two very good corporate job offers in favor of a somewhat new hotel chain. I really wanted to enter the tourism industry because this feels like the only place (outside of academia) where I can use all my obsessive studies of mainstream and obscure but especially traditional culture, and where my gushing about how much I love stuff is actually useful. Plus, it’ll make use of all three of my languages, not just one or two at a time. I hope this will work out for at least the next few years, if not forever. I also hope that if I live in the US in the future to be closer to family*, then I’ll have enough industry experience to work in hotels here or start a tour company targeted at Asian clients. (*Family is the primary reason I still consider long-term life in America, and it’s a big one, and worrying about them is the hardest part about living abroad. Excessive humidity in a lot of Asia is another reason I might choose to live in the Western US.)But like, now my hobbies are my job. While it won’t be the bulk of it, wearing kimono and performing tea ceremonies is no longer something that makes me cool and special and unexpectedly useful, it’s going to be what I need to be professionally competent in (eeeeeeep). This is the kind of stuff that obsessive teenage Buri would have swooned to know, but also totally expected. Career-Buri is a little more level-headed about it and also very grateful to have these opportunities. So anyway, advice!!—If you think you want to do anything in China or Japan, START STUDYING THE LANGUAGES NOW. Yes, I know they’re difficult. No, there’s no perfect program. Whatever you’re going to use, just do it consistently. Fluency is not actually required for a lot of jobs, but hot damn, some language skills will help. (For reference, I passed N1 of the JLPT before starting JET, and passed HSK5 while I was in grad school. I studied for HSK6 while I was in China and would have had a 50/50 chance of passing, but chose not to because it’s not actually that useful for the price I’d pay for it.)–To get a work visa in either country, 99 times out of a 100, you’re going to need a Bachelor’s degree. Your major is not usually as important as simple proof of graduation. Many places will care about your grades, though, so try to keep them up. –Teaching is still the easiest way to get there. There’s a wealth of programs to recruit you, but I suggest trying to steer clear of places that only provide a stipend instead of a salary, or small dispatch companies with questionable reputations. The JET Program is probably the best way to teach in Japan because of the level of support you get, but I’ve known people who had good experiences on the larger dispatch companies like Altia or Interac as well. For more direct hires, there are English tutoring companies (like English First (EF) or Coco Juku) where you might have students of all ages, as well as companies that focus on very small children (where you’ll basically be a glorified preschool teacher). On that note, many kindergartens and other for-profit education companies (like what I did in China) will hire directly, but your experience can vary widely. Finally, you can also look into international schools, but your teaching credentials will be much more important. Any background in teaching, or TESOL certification, will be a boon to your application (and at some places, your paycheck). –All of these places will want to see that you are a dependable, flexible person. Getting experience abroad, being able to speak frankly about challenges you’ve dealt with, and showing a willingness to go anywhere and do whatever is needed will look really good on your interviews. I say this a JET Program interviewer; the people who displayed the most patience and maturity were the people we felt best about giving a high score to. Those are the people we like to send out into the communities. –As we like to say in the JET Program, every situation is different (ESID for short). That applies to every teaching situation you might yourself in abroad.–You don’t have to be a teacher (after all, I only did JET because of the CIR position, I loved it!!). But you’re going to have to be really competent in whatever else it is you’re doing. Headhunters, such as at Pasona Global (which has branches in many Asian countries), are really, really good to work with, but they are most likely to hook you up with corporate jobs in big cities. If that’s what you want, awesome. (I wound up finding my hotel through a Japanese job searching site specifically for tourism related work. Other industry-specific fields may have their own job hunting sites, possibly in English, possibly not.) Language competency will be a lot more important if you take this route. –If at all possible, STUDY ABROAD!!! Many people will get the experience they want doing this instead of dealing with the frustrations of working and residing abroad. It’s a good way to see how much you love it and decide if the frustrations are worth it. Plus, it really helps your job applications. –Even if you can’t work abroad due to your personal situation, PLEASE TRY TO TRAVEL THERE!!!! When you’re interested in another culture or a foreign language, it means so, sooooo much to be there, even if it’s temporary. I don’t just say this as someone who has chosen tourism as my calling (though I am more than happy to give travel advice), I say this as a passionate nerd. I feel you. I get you. You need this. –Back to studies and stuff though, if you’re going to major in some form of area studies or foreign language, it is difficult to get jobs with that alone. Consider double-majoring in something that will play into that, or which will open other career options. Money is kind of important, especially if you’re going to have to pay for flights across the Pacific. 

–That being said, study what you care about too. You know how oddly useful my elective class about Non-Western Theater has been!?!? And if something in anime catches your attention, for goodness sake, you’re on THE INTERNET. If you liked Jubei-chan, go study samurai, if you like Fruits Basket, go learn to make onigiri, if you like Mob Psycho 100, then go—well—um—go work out, being physically healthy is also important!!

Well, anyway, that’s long enough. Good luck to all you nerds out there!! KEN TANAKA LOVES YOU and all that good stuff!! 

[echodrops]

Hi! I'm a high schooler considering majoring in creative writing, and I was wondering if there are any tips, pros and cons, advice, etc. you could give since you teach it? :3

Ahhh, I’m excited to get asks like this because I love to hear that people want to major in creative writing–nowadays there’s such a heavy emphasis on STEM careers, and poor English is so often ignored… But I hope I can do this response justice. Please keep in mind that I can only share my own experiences and that the path I’ve taken may not work for everyone!

I guess if you’re in the “considering” stage, the number one thing I would suggest is that you ask yourself two things:

1) What is my “absolute” goal? If I could score my dream job at the end of college, what would that look like?

2) What am I willing to consider doing instead if I don’t score my dream job at the end? What other related careers could I enjoy?

If you’re considering creative writing as a career, your likely end goal is to become a professional writer and make a living off your writing, right? (Some people treat that like a pipe dream, but it’s no less likely, and in fact sometimes far more likely, than any other creative career.) But becoming a writer who is well-known enough to live off your advances and royalties will likely take you a significant amount of time–even if you are published, especially in the early years, you may not be earning enough from your books to pay the bills all by yourself. (If you’ve got a supportive significant other that has a high-paying job, by all means, get them to pay the bills while you build up your writing fan base–then you can repay later when you’re rolling in royalties!)

But you will, at least at first, very likely need to ask yourself: What am I willing to do as a day job?

And I think the answer to that question is really what determines whether or not you should pursue a creative writing degree.

A degree in creative writing is one of the most versatile college degrees you can get. (Certainly I’m biased, but there do seem to be certain degrees that are simply more applicable to a wider field of career options–someone who gets a degree in sculpting can sculpt, for example, but I’m not sure about its applicability beyond that.)

English, like math, is a broad enough type of degree that it achieves some “universality.” A huge, huge number of careers require strong writing and communication skills. English degrees can get you into law school, into marketing and content-writing careers, into teaching careers, into office jobs, into HR and PR positions, into management, and essentially into any position in which writing will be a major component. Demonstrated ability to write well and clearly is a golden ticket to many jobs because it is a skill that many people lack. Even people who might otherwise be better qualified for a technical position can still end up rejected in favor of people who are able to express their skills in a more professional manner!

So getting an English degree/having creative writing for your emphasis is a far, far safer career choice than many people will lead you to believe.

But just because the degree can apply to many fields doesn’t always mean it’s the best degree for those fields–the “jack of all trades” saying is applicable here. There are certain careers that English degrees feed into very well, and others where you’ll have to stretch things a little. So, another question:

Are you interested in any of the following?

Teaching

Writing content/reviews for products or websites

Handling correspondence, such as managing emails for a business

Creating and managing social media accounts

Tutoring/Proof-reading for pay

Technical writing (someone has to write all our user manuals after all)

Managing records or handling public relations

If so, you can probably sign up for a creative writing degree with no real worries. Case closed, problem solved. XD

But if none of that stuff looks remotely interesting to you, you might want to take a deep breath and think about your other options (of which the following are just some):

Skip an undergraduate degree in creative writing specifically, but plan on studying writing in graduate school, such as through an MFA program (a bit difficult but not uncommon)

Double major in creative writing and another field where the day jobs interest you more (difficult but very useful)

Skip formal education for creative writing entirely and go it on your own to become a great writer (not ideal, but also not totally impossible)

Having a creative writing Bachelor’s degree can help you on your way to becoming a professional writer. But it isn’t a requirement to become a great author–in fact, many authors never formally studied creative writing before writing their great novels (Kurt Vonnegut was in science; Ernest Hemingway was a journalist before a novelist, etc.). If day jobs in other fields interest you more, pursuing a degree there doesn’t mean you’ll never write and publish your great novel.

Nor will skipping a creative writing Bachelor’s degree block you from ever studying creative writing later on: in my MFA program, only three of the seven of us in the poetry track had undergraduate English degrees. It is possible to earn an undergraduate degree in a totally different field and then still go on to study creative writing later if you decide that writing on your own isn’t working.

Furthermore, you’re not locked into certain classes at most colleges–you could take a creative writing minor or simply take writing classes as part of your electives, and still get the benefits of the education, while earning a different degree where the day jobs interest you more.

As a personal aside, when I was an undergraduate student, I was very nervous about my ability to succeed in the writing field, and so I decided to go the double major route, with English as my “fun” degree and criminal justice as my “pay the bills” degree. Ironically, almost a decade later, here I am, paying my bills with my “fun” degree. I rarely use my criminal justice degree as anything more than a party trick (people really love to talk about murder). But studying two subjects gave both myself and my family relief, and I did learn many, many things that would later appear in my writing, so I have no regrets.

Basically, what I’m getting at here is: When you think about how you’re going to be paying your bills for 5-10 years after college, what careers can you see yourself doing other than writing fiction/poetry? If none of the things you imagine line up with the “easy to get” English degree careers, that’s a sign that maybe you should at least consider studying something else and just take your writing classes on the side instead. (Or double major, if you’re a masochist like me lol.)

Ultimately, I’m not enough of an optimist to tell you that you should blindly follow your passion for writing and assume it will all work out–the basic fact is you’ll almost inevitably need a day job, at least for a while, and that’s what I think the deciding factor in your major should be.

Nevertheless, one of the biggest hang-ups I hear from people thinking about majoring in writing is that they are worried the degree will be worthless, and that simply isn’t true. Almost all my friends from college were English majors (we flock together) and all of my English major friends are gainfully employed–none of us are homeless or starving or still living off our parents. Some of us might have better jobs (I’m not going to brag–lol jk yes I am–with my professor’s salary I own two houses and am two months from completely paying off my gorgeous 2SS RS Camaro), but essentially every English major I know is doing well for him- or herself. (This may not be everyone’s story though–I’m sure some others have struggled; I just don’t know them.)

The longest time I was ever unemployed since earning my creative writing degree was a period of four months after grad school, when I moved back to southern California and realized the job market there was horrific. THAT SAID, even during my four-month job search, I took an internship at a refugee and immigration center and got the opportunity to help people literally escape human trafficking rings and modern-day slavery, so that was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.I haven’t always liked the jobs I’ve had, but I’ve never felt afraid of not having enough money to feed or house myself since leaving college with a creative writing degree.

You can do perfectly well for yourself with a degree in writing. I wouldn’t even call it a risky choice, at this point. So if that’s the sticking point in your decision to major in writing–that part I wouldn’t worry too much about.

As for advice… ah, this post is really long already. If you want some advice about what to look for in schools you apply to, or what to do if you do decide on creative writing as your major, send me another message and I’ll try to whip something up.

Hope this is what you were looking for!

[winterofherdiscontent]

Hi! Um... first: I love your art. I'm thinking to study graphic design, and I will at the end of this month, in fact. I'm 20, and I'd like to know your experience as illustrator. I'm nervous. But I've come for advice. I know that this can be a little personal and not the regular ask... but when I look your works, I feel like... something indescribable, and you really inspire me to go on. What did you study? How is it? How is the life? Is it very hard? I'm chilean and I'd like to be this later...

hello! 

i hope it’s ok i’m answering this publicly as i often receive asks similar to this and i never quite know how to reply – so i’m going to share a little bit of my personal journey in becoming a freelance illustrator: 

first off - i am completely self-taught. my journey as an illustrator started off on a very different foot to most i’m guessing because it started with a dream. an actual dream… i started my adult working life as a librarian but shortly into that my health deteriorated rapidly, without warning and with no visible easy explanation and i had no idea what was going on. i was misdiagnosed with simple work stress by a doctor at the time (not actually what was wrong physically it turned out years later) and this caused me to stop my career as a librarian – it was at this same time i had a dream about a tree. 

it was one of those dreams that are incredibly vivid, haunting and the kind that stay with you long after you wake up. i had this same dream over and over for months. this tree i still can’t completely do justice to describing. it was immense. it was beyond immense - in the dream i couldn’t even begin to fathom where it started or ended. it was that huge. the dream didn’t go away and i started doodling on bits of paper with a regular office pen. i felt like i needed to get this tree in some way on a physical surface. i moved onto colored pencils. the results were… very much not good. i then started to try watercolors …i had literally no idea what i was doing and it was a lot of fun and simultaneously one of the most stressful learning curves i’ve ever put myself through but so worth it. there was this feeling. this something inside me that kept pushing me to draw even while i was in pain. drawing and painting started to become a form of almost meditation for me. i started having more dreams. vivid surreal almost fairy tale style dreams. 

i couldn’t at the time find any local classes teaching the type of art i wanted to learn. basically, long story short i went online and started using my history degree to study the art styles of older time periods. i started researching artists i admired. i looked through my collection of children’s fairy tales and illustrated early 20th century children’s stories. i discovered the work of arthur rackham and kay nielsen, i went to the 1970s science fantasy novels i hoarded from old bookstores. i discovered the work of frank frazetta, brian froud and yoshitaka amano – i realized i wanted to draw like these artists. so i started researching some more. 

i won’t go into the actual monotonous specifics of the day to day journey of my teaching myself how i create art. what i will do is share with you some more general things i’ve discovered through trial and error that will hopefully be helpful 

(below the cut because this got long) – 

i) use references. seriously …many famous artists have used live models historically for a reason. look up local life drawing classes in your area if you’ve not already. if they are available and in your budget (if not free) great! if not go outside and draw from life. what is it you’re drawn to around you? focus on that. i take a sketchbook with me everywhere i go these days. alternatively use a mirror and focus on the way your body sits or stands. how do you want that pose to look? go and look at how your body positions itself in front of a mirror 

ii) you are unique. how your mind views the sensory input around you is different to literally every other person you will meet. how you draw whether a beginner or an advance artist is completely unique so when starting out on this path do yourself a favor - don’t simply try to copy art you like. look at it. enjoy it. focus on trying to figure out exactly what it is you’re drawn to in that artists work. then go and practice your own interpretation of that subject matter. don’t publish the results. learn from them. if you simply copy another artists work you are picking up their weaknesses as well as doing nothing more than portraying a version of someone else’s way of looking at the world rather than your own 

iii) practice. its a cliche for a reason. when you’re a beginner illustrator you will spend countless hours drawing. feeling like you are getting nowhere. your art style takes time and practice. drawing that hand the way you want takes time. it takes endless mistakes before you start to realize what it is you are doing wrong and start to spot the mistakes. practice speed sketching. draw the flow not the static rigid lines. again - look at things and spot the flow of movement. you will get better. trust me. the more you look the better you will get at seeing the rhythm of the character and composition of the subject matter 

iv) art school? yes or no? …i never went to an art class in my life. i made up the rules as i went. i made so many mistakes. i had crazy 3am breakthroughs realizing techniques that are unique to how i create art. school is not for everyone. however it is for some an absolute essential tool in their journey - so try it and see! whats the worst that could happen? …like anything in life there’s no “one size fits all” learning path that fits everyone. one thing art school can give you is networking. it can give you discipline. connections for future jobs. opening pathways to future work opportunities 

v) freelance illustration. it’s definitely not for everyone. on the plus side you can work on that commissioned job with unwashed hair piled on your head. 5 empty coffee cups next to you in your pajamas and no one will judge you except your pets. on the minus side it is not an automatically guaranteed easy or steady income. if you can supplement your freelance income from art with other jobs do it. don’t go into this thinking you will magically overnight build up a loyal client base. this takes time. it takes effort. putting yourself out there online and in person. networking. building up a friendship with artists online and in real life as you go out into the art world. put yourself out there. what’s the worst that can happen? the popular artist online you sent a hello to ignores you? its not the end of the world and more often than you’d think artists who are already established are awesome amazing and kind people who will take the time to answer your questions and talk to you. enter art contests and competitions. exposure is an invaluable tool 

vi) have fun …above all else keep reminding yourself why you’re drawn to this path and take time out to draw silly things. remind yourself regularly why you personally want to do this for a living. spend time drawing what you love not just commissioned jobs and work related art content 

vii) if you go the path of freelance illustrator then make sure you set up a clear and concise set of guidelines for clients. be approachable but be clear on what and how you go about your process when being commissioned for big or small jobs. be consistent. be transparent in how you conduct yourself with clients. be clear in your communication. don’t be a push over. set yourself do-able goals with commissioned work. don’t take on too much at any one time - give yourself a structure you know going into it you will stick to from the beginning. if in doubt research online and look at what  artists you admire have in their ‘f. a. q’ section - look at these as templates of what will and won’t work for you personally 

i know i’ve forgotten a million topics that are all relevant to your question, lovely …these are more in the way of a few general guidelines of what i’ve personally experienced in becoming a freelance illustrator ♥ 

[realtalk-princeton]

@pichu "ask about anything you dislike about princeton" so have you overall not liked your time here? would you tell prefrosh you to go somewhere else? as a frosh who doesn't like pton I'm trying to positive by telling myself my prospects are obviously gonna be great graduating from pton with a slightly above average gpa and I just have to get through what I dislike for 3 more years, but I also don't want to be 30 and bitter because I didn't love what should've been the "best 4 years" of my life

Response from Pichu: (this is kinda long ik, w/e)

overall my time here has been fine, i guess i go through phases of really liking it and not really liking it here. i’ve definitely never considered leaving or transferring or anything. and no, i would never tell prefrosh to go somewhere else. it’s their decision, why would i have the right to tell them what they should do? i’d answer whatever questions prefrosh have truthfully with no bullshit, and in the end the decision is theirs.

my freshman year was pretty mediocre and i didn’t really like princeton all that much during/after it either. besides my roommates i didn’t really feel that close with many people, grades were poop (not a big factor), and didn’t feel like i was really doing much. it generally gets better for most people tho, and i knew that so wasn’t too worried. i had a great time at PiB after freshman year and was excited to come back to princeton, and sophomore year was great all around. got involved in more things, got closer to my friends, enjoyed going out more and just kinda learned how to enjoy myself more. junior year things were kinda mediocre again and thats just kinda when i started to get really jaded by everything, so it was not great. senior year’s been mostly the same, pretty excited to get out but i know i’m gonna miss a lot of things so kinda focusing on enjoying the little things more, like even just peacefully walking around campus.

my advice to you is to keep being positive, you’re still a wee little freshman. you seem to not like princeton rn but not hate it (yet), so that’s good. sure your prospects are better coming from princeton than from some mediocre school, but i don’t think it’s really about that. just being a princetonian is something that sticks with you for life, more so than any job or title you’ll hold. when you’re a grown adult and old man/woman, people will care more that you’re from princeton than if you worked at goldman sachs or google or whatever.

my high school friend’s mom graduated from here, and she didn’t like it here. i haven’t actually asked her directly about it, she’s just told my mom. my mom said it’s cuz she was kinda like the artsy/actress kinda type, and princeton just wasn’t really a great fit for her. but she’s not like some bitter old woman now or anything. she lives a great life, and is a really cool mom. sure she doesn’t speak about princeton as glowingly as other alumni that i know, but like you have the rest of your life to talk about, your adult happiness shouldn’t have anything to do with whether you enjoyed college or not.

so yeah, keep being positive, it usually gets better. obviously don’t try to like force friendships cuz that’s fake, but like put yourself out there and be nice to people, if you can get some really genuine friendships then that’ll make things more enjoyable. i really like most of my friends. stay away from people like the freshman girl from earlier today who says she wants to work 20 hours a day. you can also read this piece by a yale girl a few years ago; some people might not agree completely or at all with it, but i think most people can find some newfound appreciation for their school after reading it. popped up on my news feed the other day

Response from Edamame: completely agree with the above, the link is also a great read, highly recommend

Response from Nick Carraway:

That article is so great. I think Pichu’s answer is also really good, but just to add, keep in mind that transferring is a big risk as well! More than just losing the Princeton name, you’re moving to a school where people have already found their places on campus. I guess I think it’d be even harder to be new at X school sophomore year than to be new at Princeton freshman year. Basically, you might find that you don’t like the new school either, and I think that’d put a lot of upheaval in your life that’ll be hard to come back from and stay happy. Just think about it a lot before actually transferring. one of my best friends on campus (who graduated last year) told me that he filled out transfer papers to transfer to Penn State at the end of his freshman year because he wasn’t too happy here. But by the end of junior/senior year, he was so so glad that had hadn’t transferred. Freshman year is tough! It takes time to find your place and groove here. I guess I just wanted to add this because the coin falls both ways. Lots of people almost transfer at points but then in the end are so happy they didnt, but others likely transfer and maybe shouldn’t have given up on Princeton so early/left the opportunities that abound here. Princeton is a special place and I can tell you that a majority of my friends love it here (myself included). :) hence why we have so much alumni spirit at Reunions every year (we’re talking like thousands and thousands of alumni coming back to celebrate Princeton pride every single year).

Response from John Shade:

aww pichu PiB luv