#but this also made me wonder about how popular the “minimalist” aesthetic is and how now it's “weird” to have stuff you enjoy in your space

[dangerousdan-dan]

I invited a friend over and the moment he stepped into my room he said "wow, this is like a geek shrine" and I'm not sure if that was meant as a compliment or not

[maddiviner]

Could studyblogging jumpstart your personal grimoire?

A witch should be a lifelong learner. To practice effective magic, you must grow in new directions at a constant pace. A witch should approach magic with a sense of devotion to their own growth.

I’ve practiced magic and divination for two decades now. The most solid advice I can give? Start journaling. Start keeping a notebook. Start studying.

Witches who keep a notebook record their research and ideas about the Craft. This helps them build a wide repository of knowledge, right there when they need it.

The format and content of my notebooks changed a lot over the years. But they all helped me become the witch I am today. I devoted the bulk of these notebooks to my journey in magic, techniques to try, and lessons learned.

There are few people who haven’t studied. In school, we pore over geometry and classic literature in hot pursuit of elusive high marks. We spent time learning about our interests. Whether that’s witchcraft, philosophy, or astronomy, notes are helpful.

Everyone learns in a different fashion. Still, studying and learning about the world remains with us from our first breath, to the last. My Craft took leaps forward when this dawned on me. I’d always enjoyed school. I realized that I could apply the same study techniques to witchcraft and the occult. 

What’s studyblogging?!

As a regular user of both Tumblr and Instagram, I soon came across the studyblogging trend. 

Caitlyn Tiffany of The Verge describes the studyblogging phenomenon as “a beautiful, stressful wonderland.” An apt description! But what is a studyblog? 

Studyblogging hashtags like #studyblr and #studygram  are popular (on Tumblr and Instagram, respectively).  

For someone just coming across the phenomenon, though? It can be difficult to penetrate this strange world. Expect calligraphic chaos, a plethora of highlighters, and fine-tuned aesthetics. 

Studyblogging focuses on the quest for knowledge. In practice, studyblogs share tips and handwritten notes on various subjects. Studybloggers encourage each other to be the best learners they can be. 

The photos of notes, assignments, and other tasks make up the bulk of the phenomenon. Studyblogs often feature photos of elaborate calligraphy and heavy illustration in note form.

Expect to see self-made diagrams of mitochondria. Essay outlines on postcolonial theory with nigh-perfect bubble lettering. Vast, illustrated mind-maps of Shakespearean themes. It's a big community, and there's room for a lot. Room for witches? I think so!

Studyblogging for Witches

In witchcraft, our grimoires function much like a non-magical student's study notes. The content, and some of the form, may differ, but the principles are the same.

The quest for an aesthetically-pleasing grimoire stymies many a beginner (and not-so-beginner) witch. The wise remind us that our grimoires needn’t be complex. Functionality is more important than aesthetics in most cases. 

That said, there is something worthwhile about keeping a grimoire that suits you. A  grimoire can speak to your soul, both by way of aesthetic appeal and your own abilities. For some of us, this might mean a lavishly-illustrated tome. Others might find minimalist styles more resonating. It varies.

The truth is that yes, your grimoire needn’t look a certain way or be perfect. Still, a level of aesthetic appeal can help with information retention. It can also boost your magical productivity. Humans respond in an intuitive fashion to that which they consider beautiful.

Aesthetics can help to put you into a liminal state. Liminality can be a powerful tool in self-improvement. This, in turn, is useful not only for normal studying, but also for the Craft itself. 

If you see art as part of your life path, you might find that approaching your grimoire as a work of art helpful. Part of this means realizing that it won’t be perfect, but also always striving to learn and grow.

Studyblogging, as a community, showcases a lot of excellent notebook and journal-keeping techniques. Studybloggers often provide tutorials and guides to effective learning methods. 

This is, of course, all while celebrating the joy of learning itself. Traditional studying methods can apply to magical topics. I have found that the techniques of the studyblogger can help with keeping a useful grimoire.

Ask your intuition if studyblogging is right for you!

Will studyblogging help you? For some students, lurking or keeping a studyblog inspires and motivates them. It also increases accountability. By posting their goals and progress, studybloggers have an impetus to progress. 

In a way, it’s a bit like livestreaming a video game - it makes the experience more challenging, and also more exciting. The difference, of course, is that, in this case, your game is learning!

And the notes? Many find the calligraphy, fancy scripts, and illustration soothing. It can be a way of making otherwise impenetrable subjects more captivating.

Without a doubt, aesthetic presentation improves information retention for some people. Humans have a positive response to beautiful imagery. 

Some folks find the gorgeous landscape of studygram and studyblr overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Gorgeous calligraphy notes, after all, aren't easy for most people. 

For some, posting about your studies on a blog might only increase worry. We're all different, and studyblog techniques are hardly universal in form.

You should use your intuition to decide whether to dip into this community. Ask yourself whether an audience will help your quest for deeper knowledge. 

Will you feel empowered, or nervous about it? If you struggle with comparing yourself to others, you might find studyblogging discouraging. 

I myself am somewhat of a perfectionist. For me, though, the artistic aspects of note taking and information illustration soothe me. Studyblogging suits me, but will it help you?

You should tailor your learning experience to your own strengths. If that means studyblogging won’t help you, be honest with yourself and don’t chase the anxiety of it all. Find another method of learning. 

Browse some existing studyblogs - I recommend EmmaStudies and StudyQuill. Ask yourself how it makes you feel. Do the images and writing seems inspirational? 

Would you enjoy sharing your work with the world? Studyblogging might become an ally on your magical path!

Taking the Plunge

So, how do you start a studyblog? How do you get involved in the community?

The most popular studyblogging platforms are Instagram and Tumblr. Instagram lends itself to posting tons of pictures and very short-form posts. Tumblr favors longer prose. 

When I started studyblogging, I created both a studyblr and a studygram. I recommend starting a new account on the site of your preference for studyblogging.  

Follow some existing studybloggers as a way of introducing yourself to the community! Also, follow the hashtags #studyblr and #studygram, to start.

What to study?

Studyblogging features students focused on all kinds of topics. I’ve been studyblogging for over a year. In case you’re wondering, it's rare for someone to complain about my witchy take on studyblogging. 

You’ll find the studyblogging community very welcoming in most cases. But what will you study? I always recommend witches focus on only one or two things they’d most like to learn at a time.

Studyblogging lends itself well to in-depth topical research. This can mean learning the signs and language of astrology or the basics of gemstone magic.

Topics like shadow work or personal Tarot readings might be a bit too personal to blog about. Those might be better suited to normal, private journaling rather than a blog. My own studyblogging tends to focus on my writing preparation, astrology, and Tarot. 

Though I’ve been reading for over twenty years, there is always something new to learn about Tarot. Astrology, like Tarot, is a lifelong discipline. Though I’ve only recently made my first steps into it, there is much to learn. My writing, especially the book I’m working on, has its own notebook.

Possible topics include, but are in no way limited to:

Crystals and gemstones

Astrology

Spellcraft

Mythology and legends

Magical history

Energy work techniques

Seasonal and Lunar cycles

Herbology

Tarot, Lenormand, or oracle deck divination!

It is important to choose topics that interest you in a personal way. At the same time, try not to get distracted. Witchcraft includes many paths of study. Try not to jump from topic to topic - finish what you start!

Supplies

If you’re in school, you may already have a lot of the tools necessary for studying. If not, you can get them for an affordable price in most cases.

Paper matters!  You'll want a notebook or loose leaf binder paper. For hardbound notebooks, you can’t go wrong with a Leuchtturm 1917.  That popular notebook boasts dot grid paper, includes page numbers and a place for an index. 

Seeking something more aesthetic? Check out the Paperblanks series from Peter Pauper Press. You might also like the notebooks you can order from Citrus Bookbindery. For me, a binder (I use A5 size) works best, because I can add and remove pages as necessary. 

You can find some great guides out there about organizing grimoires. Much of that advice applies here. Your notebooks will soon fill the role of a grimoire.  They will contain your notes, research, and more.

It is usually best to have one notebook (or binder) for each subject you’re studying. As you move forward, you’ll have a collection of grimoire notebooks on different topics.

You’ll also need pens or pencils. Really, you only need one. If you feel like getting fancy, you can get multicolored fineliners. I prefer Sakura Micron pens. They use waterproof micropigments that don't bleed when you highlight over your writing.

Highlighters are fun! These add color to your notes and help emphasize the important things. If you want nice highlighters, I recommend Mildliners. Any highlighters will do, though - choose colors that appeal to you. I recommend several different colors, because that allows you to color-code your notes.

Plan!

Plan out, at least in a rough fashion, how you’d like to organize your  notes. This can be rather freeform, or complex, depending on your preference. 

When I began my astrology journey, I knew what sections I would include in my stars grimoire. I also created a rough map of the path I’d take in my research. 

I began with the simple Zodiac signs. I then moved forward through the planets, houses, aspects and transits. My organization, loose though it was, benefited from my use of a binder which allowed me to add and remove pages. 

No matter the notebook, it is important to have, somewhere, a rough idea of where you’re going.

You will also find it important to set attainable, realistic, and measurable goals. For me, this was things like memorizing the astrological house system. I set the goal of reading my astrology textbooks completely and summarizing them. This kind of goal leads to personal accountability.

I also created a set of astrological flashcards for my Tarot-related work. It can be motivational to post your goals on your studyblog in some form. Then, you can provide your followers with regular updates on your progress.

Start posting!

Once you feel ready, go ahead and introduce yourself to the studyblogging community! An introductory post, explaining who you are, your goals, and methods, will help others get to know you. 

I recommend tagging your posts with studyblogging hashtags (mentioned above). Also include some witchcraft-related tags! This will help you connect with other witches who might be helpful on your journey.

Don’t be shy when it comes to posting photographs (taken with a phone or other camera) of your notes! You might not feel that your notes are as neat or pretty as other bloggers. Regardless, they’re unique and might resonate with others!

If you’re taking notes about a very personal topic, like shadow work, you might want to forgo the pictures. Some bloggers obfuscate or blur potentially sensitive parts of their notes. You’ll likely find nothing but encouragement for sharing your research topics, though!

Some studybloggers will also photograph their study space. Some of us even use photos of fun things like their breakfast or pets to illustrate their updates. If pictures don’t suit you, post regular bits about your life and your progress towards your goals. 

Get to know other bloggers! This is important, whether they’re witches or from the studyblogging community. Both can be helpful! 

Watch or read some of the tutorials you’ll find in the studyblogging community. These focus on things like calligraphy, organization, and memory techniques. 

While your notes needn’t have fancy headings, calligraphy can be fun to learn. I don’t currently use calligraphy in my notes, but am learning it on the side, so to speak. 

I find it relaxing, and you might enjoy it too. If not, don't feel bad - not everyone uses fancy handwriting, and that's okay!

Moving Forward

If, after a few weeks, you find yourself really vibing with studyblogging, stick with it! Most witches would agree that there’s no real wrong way to be a witch. To me, though, there are wrong (and right) ways for you yourself to learn and grow in your craft. 

You need to find what works for you, what adheres to your soul and keeps you connected. If studyblogging ends up helping you, and I hope it will, keep going! 

After a while you might find yourself ready to move onto another topic. We all end up “graduating” forward onto other subjects. You’ll quickly find that your grimoires will be an invaluable record. 

They will contain not just your gathered information, but also your intuition, insight, and more. Cherish your notebooks - they will come to reflect your essence!

[king-ofthe-ruckus]

I was wondering:

Do you think Jeremiah and Jerome would use tumblr? And how would there blogs be called and what would they look like (what posts, popular, self-created posts or just reblog, with comments, etc.)?

Idk, this question is random, but somehow i can't get it out of my head.

[ 2/2 : It's me again, that person who asked what the twins tumblr blogs would look like lmao: I thought:- jeremiah would probably post/reblog murder cases or science things- but i don't know what jerome would do ]

Okay, I love this idea so much, because, Jerome is without a doubt in my mind, on the weirdest side of tumblr, he’s one of those people that have the strangest made up stories, and odd quotes, he’s probably used in a lot of incorrect quotes. And just, he’s one of those oddly presence people despite no one knowing literally anything true about him. It’s just know that he probably has a friend named Jonathan, and a consistent, but probably made up friend named Jervis [ because he always ends up in fakest sounding stories ]

So now that I got that out of the way, I think the people Jerome would follow would be a lot of miscellaneous blogs, like ones that post tiktoks and other that are just strange [ think @thatsbelievable ] and probably a lot of meme blogs. he probably follows a few trauma recovery-centric blogs, because, as much as he hates to admit it, the random quotes telling him he’s worth something just makes him smile, and sometimes he really needs that his tumblr would probably have the generic background and a selfie of him and jonathan. He reblogs/post in spams between the hours of 3am-7am before going silent for a few days then usually comes back with a wild story of “”“finding his long lost twin”“” His tags are all over the place. No version of coherency on this blog, but he has several side blogs [ one for anarchy posts [politics], one for venting because he doesn’t like putting non-funny things on main, and then one for his art, because i really like the idea of Jerome having some artistic talent [ i really like him being a make up artist and making these really fun designs ] that side blog also has some photos of Jonathan’s hair that he braid and added sparkles to. ] Jerome just gives of a lot of chaotic energy, but if you ever see him interacting with his mutuals [ which he defines as people who he follows and follows him back and they continuously have good interactions on each other posts and you can see he puts a lot of energy and work into and actually cares about his online presence. And since i personally think of him as having ADHD, i think he definitely hyperfixates on his tumblr, which is why i almost debated him having a background image, but i really think he just likes he default red brick cartoonish background. ]

Jeremiah actually has a really large following as well because he got tumblr hold himself accountable for his studying when he was younger, and it also gave him good inspiration, so he’s heavily involved in studyblr, probably follows a lot of recovery-centric blogs, and this is just a personal headcanon of mine, but i believe that he has a bad relationship with food, and so he follow disordered eating blogs as well. His notes are extremely minimalistic, and he post blurbs for himself of what he read, enjoyed eating, and studied that day. He’s always extremely careful of what he puts in there so no one could figure out any personal information, and he is very good about tagging. A very good easy to understand system in place. He doesn’t follow that many people [ between 30 - 50, he consistently go through who he follows to unfollow them if they a.) change their content b.) are in active or c.) finds himself no longer enjoying their content ]. His blog is actually surprisingly aesthetically pleasing. His profile picture is a light photo, maybe of a piece of notes and pencils/pens he’s using and square that lines up with the blueprints he has a background. His bio is bare but concise [ “engineering studyblr. studying for undergrad/grad/whatever applies. tags.“ [ and the tags connects to a master list post of his organized tags: his own notes [#mine.], reblogged notes [#study me. and by the #[subject like STEM, arts, etc,.]], studying tips [#tictacs], quotes [#words], photos [#a thousand words], and then on for non-study related thing, like the true crime [ #tw murder ], and science, i see him really enjoying space and psychology, so he follows studyblr of those, but random facts are tagged under [ #scifi ]. I personally don’t imagine him having any side blogs, just because i don’t imagine him really enjoying social media beyond it being a way to focus his energy on something that he has a hard time focusing on, and serving as a distraction whenever he needs it, but he prefers mazes as distractions, or creating dream buildings and combining his favorite architectural types [ i saw this one like eco-brutalism i think it was called, i don’t know it was like a forest over took a city, but a safe and controlled way, i can’t think of the correct name, and i probably saw it on pinterest ] and i pretend like his idiotic idea of living in the forest with he idiotically sized bunker [ @alexanderwesker was talking about it in Discord [ they may have posted it to, if so i’ll link it, but it’s late and i’m tired ] and honestly, the bunker, it’s- it’s so bad, so now i’m pretending like it’s an intentional choice, to some extent XD ]

[unsteadygalaxy]

all is soft inside chapter 12

a miragehound multichapter fanfiction

Also posted on Ao3, my username is the same there!

previous | next

12. give me a piece of your heart

A quick note: I have the Pathfinder's Quest book and I finished it today (Feb 2nd 2021)! It was mind-blowing and amazing and SO, SO GOOD. Unfortunately, this fic can no longer fit into canon because of what we find out about Bloodhound. Don't worry, I won't be spoiling! I had a story set up for them before I read the lore book, and that's the story I'll be sticking to. Maybe one day I'll write some canon things, but for now, this story is no longer canon-compliant. Part of me is sad to have all the answers, but hey! That's what makes canon-divergent fics so fun :)

Elliott practically flies down the street towards the Legends’ apartment complex, bursting with nervousness and energy as he goes. The torrential downpour of rain doesn’t even manage to dampen his mood; he’s got a heavy-duty umbrella and an upbeat attitude that could make the skies clear up in moments. Bloodhound’s proposition hangs in his head, and he clings to it with an embarrassing neediness. ‘Would you like to visit me in my apartment later this evening?’ they had asked, and he thought his heart would burst out of his chest. He feels like a dumbass for the way he had reacted- god, he was so lame. Falling over his words, making the simplest mistakes… What fourteen year old in the area had reached out and possessed him? Whoever it was, he’d have to have a strong talk with them later.

After arriving back to his apartment above the bar, he’d scrubbed himself clean and very meticulously arranged his hair. He’d eventually chosen a deep purple sweater over a light blue button down, a pair of his nicer dark jeans, a black belt, and sneakers to wear for the evening. He’d hemmed and hawed in front of the mirror for at least twenty minutes, rolling and unrolling his sleeves, second guessing each outfit choice he made until he settled. He had decided to keep the sleeves rolled up, but the easy confidence he usually has in himself has chosen to take a pointed leave of absence.

Elliott really does feel like a teenager obsessing over their first date all over again, but he has to remind himself it’s not a date, it’s just a talk. A nice evening in. A nice evening alone with Bloodhound. His cheeks blaze, and the enormity of his crush on them plummets onto his head all at once. 

Ahh, shit.

He finally lets his thoughts race and wander while thinking about them. For the first time in days, he lets himself linger on his memories of their face, though the quick glimpse he had gotten had not left him with much to remember. Their gorgeous red hair, their piercing green eyes, the striking contours of their face… They are so beautiful, and he would do anything to see their face again.

A giddy smile crosses his face when he thinks of all the times they’ve touched him on the arm or on the shoulder, or held his hands so softly. They had exuded kindness and compassion in those moments, the genuineness of which Elliott has not truly felt in a while. Bloodhound’s quiet vulnerability in the bar the other night had struck him as both odd and humbling; their increasing trust in him is something he definitely doesn’t want to take for granted. 

The complex comes into view and Elliott’s heart starts to pound harder in his chest. It takes a great deal of effort to not run all the way to their door… until he realizes he doesn’t know which floor is theirs, much less which door.

Bzzt! His phone vibrates in his back pocket, and he jumps a little before retrieving it. A message from an unknown number is emblazoned across the lock screen:

Second floor, number 14.

-BH

Excitement and happiness surges through his veins, and he immediately saves their contact information. God, is he really that pumped about having their number? A big stupid smile stretches across his face, and he wants to smack himself. Chill, Elliott, chill. You’ve gotta get ahold of yourself before you get up there. He takes a deep breath and sends a quick reply to Bloodhound as he continues down the sidewalk, valiantly avoiding the puddles. 

Nearly there! How’d you get my number?

A reply flashes through faster than he thought it would.

Renee owed me a favor. I hope it is all right that I asked her.

Oh, yeah, that’s fine! No problem :)

He has to physically restrain himself from adding a little heart; Renee or Octavio or Makoa were used to his nonsense, but he figures Bloodhound would only find it strange for him to be adding those things to his texts right off the bat. He’s busy smiling off into space when his phone vibrates again.

I am looking forward to seeing you.

Elliott’s heart practically explodes in his chest, and he steps right into a puddle.

------

Bloodhound can’t stay still.

Ever since those traitorous words had fallen from their mouth, they’d been on red alert, their brain and body a hopeless torrent of conflicting emotions that hadn’t quite settled. They think it’s fitting that it is raining; it seems the Allfather is showing his sympathies in the smallest of ways. The rain patters against the windows in a steady rhythm, and under any other circumstance it would have been very calming. They would have shed the mask and goggles and snuggled into the couch with a book and a cup of tea, but tonight, that isn’t an option. Instead, they’re wandering aimlessly around their apartment- cleaning corners that don’t really need to be cleaned, tending to Artur, and sipping at a glass of water every time they walk by the kitchen.

They’d hopped into the shower immediately after arriving home and cleaned every inch of their skin with an annoying attention to detail. Their anxiety had mounted in their chest until they had had to sit on the cold tiles of the shower with their head between their legs. Everything is going to be fine, they’d repeated to themself over and over again. Elliott would never hurt you.

The thought is ironic because of the stubborn headache at the base of their skull- Boone’s pain medicine had done little to abate the throbbing in their neck. As they think back on their day, they feel a surge of pride for Elliott. It seems that he is finally allowing himself to succeed, instead of limiting himself like he had before. He had truly surprised them today. Where they had once seen hesitation and worry, it had been replaced with deadly precision and focus, and Bloodhound would not change the outcome of the match even if they could. Elliott had been a wonderful sight to behold.

The frantic fear is nearly gone, but it lingers just enough to make them a little self-conscious. Opting not to wear their Games attire, they’ve picked a thick turtleneck, fitted cargo pants, woolen socks, and a slimmer pair of gloves that will hide their hands but not hinder any movement. The mask is laid on the table, ready to be put on at a moment’s notice. They’re already wearing the helmet, their goggles, and the leather cap. They’ve always hated having to pile wet hair under the hood, but their plans left them no choice. Bloodhound hasn’t cared much about their physical appearance in years, but for some reason, the idea of being alone with Elliott again makes them want to hide away in embarrassment.

An eager knock at the door startles Bloodhound, and they very nearly knock over their glass.

Their heart starts pumping in their chest, and their fingers fumble a little as they clip the respirator to the cap. Immediately, their breathing comes easier, and they scold themself for going so long without it this evening. Bloodhound makes their way to the door and opens it, revealing an absolutely drenched Elliott holding a broken umbrella in one hand and a pair of sopping wet sneakers in the other. 

“Hey! I, uh, definitely stepped in a ton of puddles on the way here. I usually watch where I’m going but these ones were sac- ski- scattered everywhere, so I couldn’t see them at all, and then of course the wind picked up and shredded my umbrella, so I’m totally soaked.” He shrugs helplessly and shakes the bent umbrella off a little, showering Bloodhound’s feet with droplets of water. “Ah, shit. Sorry!”

They shake their head at him and sigh, and a shiver goes through their body as they think about being drenched in this weather. “It is of no consequence, Elliott, I can very easily change socks. Please, come in,” they say, and they lead him into their apartment.

They try not to look at him as he takes in their apartment, suddenly insecure about how simple and bare it looks. The apartment had come furnished, but it is not quite to their tastes. Bloodhound prefers a more homey and warm feel, not the modern, sleek look that is so popular these days. The windows in the living room are quite large. Bloodhound had had a tinted effect added to them immediately- for their anonymity and so the light coming in would not be quite so harsh on their sensitive eyes. The furnishings are a combination of aesthetically pleasing colors and fabrics, all tones of white or grey or brown. A couple of plush blankets are draped over the back of the couch, and minimalistic frames are hung on the walls, great white voids containing typeface quotes and old cliches. The fireplace is an inordinate monolith of dark stone, and if Bloodhound had thought of it, they would have started a fire to make it seem less dull and boring. The thought occurs to them that they should have made this place more welcoming, but they are not vain enough to care in the long run. After all, will Elliott even want to return after he receives the answers to his questions? Bloodhound thinks not.

“Wow,” Elliott remarks, leaning his umbrella against the wall by the door. “It’s so clean.” He strips off his socks and rolls up his pants a little so the soggy ends aren’t rubbing around his ankles. The cuffs fit tightly around his very sculpted calves, and Bloodhound blushes before looking away pointedly.

“This space is not to my tastes,” they reply, watching him walk around. “My real home is much more notalegt- cozy- and warm. Not cold and unfeeling like this place is.” 

“Your real home?” he asks, glancing at them. “You don’t live in the Legends complexes full time?”

“I stay in the buildings during the on season, but during the off season, I retreat to a modest cabin in the woods,” they explain, and they realize they’ve made their first confession of the night. That... wasn’t so bad. “There are bookshelves from floor to ceiling, a large fireplace, plenty of furs to keep warm, and a view that would take your breath away. I quite enjoy it.” 

“That sounds amazing,” he grins. That smile… Bloodhound has to take a deep breath.

“Maybe I will show you one day,” they say, surprising themself with how easily they offer. “It is a beautiful place, and I think you would like it.” 

“Really?” he asks, surprised. “You’d, uh… you’d let me go with you?”

“Perhaps,” they murmur, and their heart starts to beat hard in their chest again. They notice he’s still carrying his wet shoes and socks, and they move to take them from him. “Here. Let me start a fire. Your shoes and socks will be dry in no time.” 

“Oh, thank you!” he replies cheerily, and the smile he gives them makes their heart skip a beat. They take the soggy items from him, cringing a bit at the questionable texture, and set them on the mantle for a moment. Overly aware of how closely he’s watching them, they kneel down, turn the gas knob, and light the fire quickly. In moments, a rosy glow emanates from the fireplace and Bloodhound pulls the screens over to eliminate any chance of Elliott’s things going up in flames. They reach up and place the shoes and socks on a small rack in front of the fire, and then they stand and retreat to their room for a moment.

Before long, they return to the living room wearing a fresh pair of socks and carrying a pair for Elliott. “Here,” they say, holding them out to him. “So your feet are not cold. It can be drafty in here when it rains.”

A pink tinge comes to his cheeks, and he accepts them hesitantly. “You’re way too nice,” he grumbles quietly as he sinks down onto the couch. He puts them on and then pushes his floppy wet hair out of his face. “Hey, can I borrow your hair dryer?” he asks, giving them a questioning glance.

“I… do not own one,” they reply, face burning. “Mine gave out a few weeks ago and I have not yet had time to buy another.”

To their surprise, he grins widely and looks away, suddenly very focused on the fire. “That’s all right,” he says, and his voice is curiously flustered. “I can just sit in front of the fireplace for a bit. You’re about to see the fluffiest hair the Outlands has to offer.” He laughs and rolls his eyes, raking his hands through his messy mop. 

The thought of Elliott with an untamed mess of curly hair makes them smile like a lovesick teenager, and they’re so, so glad they’re still wearing the mask. “So your hair is not perfect all the time?” they tease, sitting down on the couch next to him. They leave a respectable distance between them, but the distance is smaller than it would have been two or three weeks ago. “Ah, so he does have a flaw. Artur, can you believe it?”

They look to Artur’s perch where the bird has been sleeping peacefully throughout all of this. The bird shakes his beak and gives a soft caw before shuffling along his branch, completely ignoring Bloodhound. They shake their head at him. Unhelpful creature, they think affectionately.

Elliott scoffs and says, “Psh, no! I’m absolutely fal- flo- fu- perfect. My hair just has a life of its own sometimes.” He flips his hair to the opposite side and gives Bloodhound a ridiculously goofy expression. It takes everything in them to not burst out laughing, and they would have given him a deadpan expression if they could.

“Like your aim with an R-99, then,” they reply, keeping their voice as even as possible.

His mouth drops open, but he’s smiling. “Wh-What? Was that a joke? Did you actually just tell a joke?” A huge, incredulous laugh escapes his throat and he grabs his chest, and Bloodhound almost loses it. “That’s a little unfair though, considering how I absolutely lasered you today.”

It’s Bloodhound’s turn to laugh, and their face hurts from how much they’ve smiled lately. “You are correct, Elliott,” they admit, holding their hands up in a placating gesture. “I was very impressed with your skill this morning. Your precision and focus made you a formidable opponent, and I was honored to fight with you.”

Instead of the cocky, arrogant response they have come to expect from him, Elliott actually blushes. It is a welcome change; his cheeks turn a lovely shade of red and he looks away, biting his lip. “Thanks,” he says simply, and his voice is… bashful? 

Bloodhound does not quite know what to make of that.

------

His face burns fiercely and he can’t meet their eyes. He loves getting praise from his fans and from his friends, but getting praised by Bloodhound somehow means so much more. Maybe it’s because they’re so skilled, or maybe it’s because he respects them the most out of any other Legend, but such high compliments coming from them renders him a little speechless. 

“Hey, I know this is dumb since we’re paid to kill each other, but, um… Sorry about today,” he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Taking an entire clip of ammo to the head always gives you a nasty headache.”

Bloodhound huffs quietly, and Elliott takes that to be a soft laugh. “Do not worry, vinur minn. I am perfectly fine. It was simply the Allfather’s will for me to lose today, and I am not offended.”

Elliott lets out a small chuckle, relieved. “Well, that’s good to know. I was worried I might have broken your mask.”

They tap their mask firmly, and it makes a solid thunk sound. “You see? Perfectly fine,” they reply, and Elliott can hear the smile in their voice. “It is quite solid and substantial. Unlike much of your humor.”

Elliott stares at them open mouthed. “I’m wounded, Bloodhound, truly!” he rebutts, scandalized. He flops back against the couch dramatically, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead. Bloodhound, making multiple jokes in one night? The world must be ending, he thinks, and he doesn’t even care that the jokes are coming at his expense.

Bloodhound laughs, and God, he’s missed that sound. The gentle lilt, the soft breathiness of their voice… Elliott blushes even as he giggles, and he treasures the noise they’re making. 

“I have been known to be humorous now and again,” they say, still chuckling. 

Elliott can only smile and shake his head in wonder as the two of them laugh, and soon, he’s wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “Wow. Okay, out of all the things I expected tonight it definitely wasn’t that.”

“And what have you expected for this evening, Elliott?” Bloodhound cocks their head and leans back into the couch, folding their arms.

A thrill of joy runs its course throughout his body when they say his name, and he finds it strange. Bloodhound has surely said his name hundreds of times, but this feels different. Elliott is sure he’s overthinking it, but the way they had said it feels like they were humming a song. 

His entire body glows with warmth. “You promised me answers,” he says carefully as the giddiness starts to drain away. “You don’t have to go into specifics but… still, you promised answers.”

Bloodhound is silent for a moment, and their hands fidget lightly in their lap. Then they nod. “Yes. I do owe you answers, so please, ask whatever you would like.” Their voice is guarded and serious, and the shift in attitude is sobering. 

Elliott notices how discomfort begins to creep into their posture, and so he resolves to not push them any further than they are willing to be pushed. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, the air hissing between his teeth as he leans back and begins to think. “Okay, um… Well, I was worried about your mask breaking because I don’t know how it works or how it helps. Can I ask why you need it?”

The question only makes Bloodhound’s body language tighten up more. They are silent for several long moments, seeming to ponder and consider his question. Was that too much right out of the gate? he thinks frantically, and he’s about to redact his question when they let out a big breath and begin to speak.

“When I was a child, I was… in an accident,” they say, but something about their admission feels shallow, as if they have more to tell. “No. I made a grave mistake.”

Elliott takes a deep breath and readjusts himself on the couch. He can tell this story will be a long one, and he intends to listen to every word.

“In my culture, young warriors must endure a rite of passage that shows our strength and our transition into adulthood,” Bloodhound explains. “My test was to slátra a prowler beast. I was afraid, but... I knew the Allfather would guide me.” They pause for a moment, and Elliott hangs on to their every word. “I followed its tracks to an abandoned IMC facility deep in the woods, but what I found there was far more hryllilegur. Horrible,” they add when Elliott raises an eyebrow. 

“A jötunn had made its home there. It is a terrifying beast, all horns and teeth and claws. It is as large as some of the buildings in Slum Lakes, if you can recall. I began to run away, but I found a prototype Charge Rifle and shot the beast. I thought it was dead. I collected its horn to present to my uncle, but he was... disappointed in me.” They sigh deeply as dread begins to pool in Elliott’s stomach. “I had rejected the sacred laws of the Hunt by using a gun in order to defeat this beast. Artur was steadfast, immovable in his convictions, and no matter how hard I tried to convince him of my victory, he would not validate it.

“I left in anger. I was a child, only fourteen years old, but if the other village elders knew what I had done, they would have exiled me. I was... so ashamed.” Bloodhound swallows, and it sounds like it takes a lot of effort. “I retreated to the forest to be alone, as I often did, and… the jötunn was there. It was not dead, as I had hoped. It sought revenge.

“I tried my best to fight it off. My uncle was alerted to my cries, and came to help, along with many other villagers. They fought, and…” Their voice tightens, and Elliott’s heart breaks. “Many died. Including my uncle.”

Their voice has become achingly vulnerable and soft the longer they’ve spoken, and Elliott wants nothing more than to reach out and take their hands again. He shifts closer to them on the couch, closing the gap ever so slightly. His eyes stay glued to their mask, and the lenses of their goggles reflect the flickering light of the fireplace. He’s always found the mask to be either intimidating or expressionless, but Bloodhound’s sadness speaks for them, and the mask seems to be considerably more morose than usual. 

“I sought the beast out,” they continue, and Elliott is surprised by how quietly angry and low their voice is. “It had returned to the abandoned facility. The halls had been equipped with coolant lines in case of an explosion or other emergency, and I broke them in order to immobilize the beast. But I breathed too much of it in, and… it dehydrated and froze my skin and lungs, leaving me scarred. Fortunately, I was able to find an oxygen mask just before I succumbed to the cold. Once the beast was frozen, I killed it with my uncle’s axe, fulfilling my test.”

Bloodhound is quiet for some time, and it takes Elliott a moment to realize they’re done talking. He knows he’s staring, and he knows he looks like he’s pitying them, and he fights to find an adequate response. “I’m so sorry, Bloodhound,” he murmurs, and he reaches out to them hesitantly. He takes their hands ever so softly, giving them every opportunity to pull away. “I’m so sorry you had to deal with such horrible things when you were younger. That sounds really tra- tor- traumatizing.” He’s struck by an incredible urge to pull them into his arms and hold them close, and a wave of embarrassment runs through his body as he presses that urge down.

Bloodhound’s hands begin to tremble in his, and he’s alerted to their discomfort immediately. Their breathing comes quicker and shallower even through the mask, and he holds onto them tighter. “Hey, are you okay?” he asks, worried.

“I-” Their voice breaks and Elliott’s heart clenches in his chest. “I- I am sorry, Elliott, you do not want to see me like this-” Bloodhound makes an attempt to pull away and stand, but Elliott holds on tight, keeping them right where they are.

“Hey, hey,” he soothes. “It’s okay! It’s all right. I’m not bothered by you being emotional. It’s actually pretty refreshing, honestly. Makes you feel more normal, like the rest of us.”

They laugh weakly, and Elliott sighs in relief. “T-Thank you, vinur minn. I just- I am prone to anxiety attacks, and…” They suck in a huge lungful of air, but they’re still shaking. “That is why I left the other night. When you asked me about Artur, I was overcome and needed to leave as quickly as possible. Please do not take any offense- it was not your fault.”

Elliott’s chest fills with a strange sense of compassion and guilt, and he squeezes their hands comfortingly. “It’s okay, Bloodhound,” he reassures them. “I’m not mad. Just… worried.” The admission makes him feel exposed and overbearing all at once, and he really hopes he’s not making them uncomfortable.

An idea comes to his mind. “Hey,” he says quietly. “Breathe with me.” 

Bloodhound stiffens, and Elliott hopes to God he hasn’t somehow offended them. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, and after a moment, he hears Bloodhound inhale greatly as well. He finds himself rubbing his thumbs back and forth across their rough gloves, just like they had done to him a few nights ago. He lets the air calm him and settle his racing heart. He still doesn’t really know what he’s doing, or if he’s even doing this right, but to his delight, Bloodhound’s breathing begins to slow and even out. They gradually stop shaking, and he smiles. 

Elliott opens his eyes. “Better?” he asks, and he gives their hands a quick squeeze. 

They are quiet for a moment. “Nearly,” they murmur, and they pull their hands away. Elliott’s face falls, and rejection begins to rise in him, but they take off their gloves and reach for him once more. He eagerly closes the gap between his shaking fingers and theirs. The place where they make first contact with his skin- a small place near his thumb- tingles pleasantly, and the warmth of their hand settles in his. He inhales sharply, and beams as their fingers curl into his own. 

“Better.” They are so quiet and soft as they speak, and Elliott almost misses what they say. “Your kindness is a blessing to me, kæri vinur. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiles, trying to find their eyes beyond the lenses of their goggles. Despite his happiness, he finds himself wishing that he could search their face for meaning, for emotion, for clarity. He knows why they need and wear the mask. He knows why he will likely never see their face again. But, damn, does he desperately want to gaze upon them just one more time. He doesn’t know what kæri vinur means, but he can’t help but notice the similarities between it and what they usually call him. 

He doesn’t dare to hope it means anything.

...does he?

“Do you… do you want to talk about it, or…?” he trails, attempting to do what they had done a few nights ago. 

“No, Elliott,” they reply, but their voice is not unkind. Their grip on his hands tightens for a moment, then they loosen, and it sends a thrill down Elliott’s spine. “Your help was more than enough to calm me.”

He adjusts himself on the couch, and his knee brushes against theirs. The only light in the room comes from the quietly crackling fire, and it highlights Bloodhound’s features with a silhouette of warmth. His heart starts to pound in his chest once more, and every sense heightens. Elliott suddenly becomes aware of how intimate and vulnerable this little bubble of space is, and his shoulders tense in anticipation of something he knows will never come. He wants to pull them close. He wants to lace his fingers in theirs. He wants to…

“Can I trust you, Elliott?”

They sound so… exposed. So afraid. His breath catches in his throat for a moment. “O-Of course, Bloodhound. You can trust me with anything,” he murmurs, rubbing his thumbs across their knuckles reassuringly. He’s surprised by how rough their hands are, and it’s only then that he remembers the silvery spider web scars stretching across their skin. 

“Then… there is something I wish to share with you,” they reply, and their hands begin to tremble in his again. They let go of him, and to his utter shock, their hands go to their helmet, edging towards the many clasps that fasten it to their goggles and respirator.

“W-Wait, hold on,” he stutters, and he reaches for their hands again. “A-Are you- hey, you really don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, I mean- I mean, are you absolutely sure?” He stares at them in confusion and worry, and his stomach is an unintelligible knot of emotion. Elliott searches their mask and their body language, trying desperately to figure out what the hell they’re thinking.

“If I was not sure I would not be doing this,” they chide gently, and they remove their hands from his grip. “Please, just let me do this. Ég er svo- I am so tired of hiding.”

Elliott can’t argue with that. 

“Okay,” he says, still very unsure. His hands fall back into his lap.

------

The child inside them shakes and trembles horribly as they raise their hands to their head. Part of them screams and begs for them to stop, and it’s only in this moment that they realize that part is the terrified twenty-five year old that had had their mask shattered in front of all those people so long ago. That crowd had been so cruel, but Elliott could never share their vitriol, their hatred. Bloodhound has seen into the man’s heart more than they ever thought they would, and no trace of cruelty exists inside him.

How long has it been since they willingly showed someone else their face? Five years? Ten? Ajay seeing them had been a complete and total accident- one that they had learned not to mind. Boone had grown up with them, of course, so he does not count. But Elliott… At the beginning of this night, they never would have dreamed of doing what they’re about to do. But Elliott is so kind, so thoughtful and accepting that their heart yearns for him greatly, and they can ignore that fact no longer.

Their fingers fumble with the straps of their helmet, but something drives them forward. It drives them to be vulnerable- to be open and take a risk. Elliott has seen their face already, so why are they so nervous? He has seen the scars they bear- why are they trembling like the young one they used to be? They do not know, but they hope that the price of them being so vulnerable is a price he’s willing to pay. 

There is no turning back now, they think. 

With trembling hands, they remove the helmet, cap, goggles, and finally, the mask. 

[la-bruja-de-la-literatura]

Confessions of a Budget Witch

Originally posted by me, in the "Witches & Pagans" Amino.

Let's get this out of the way right now: Being a witch on a tight budget sucks.

Being on a tight budget in general sucks, but this entry is focusing on witches on budgets, and the shadowy, consumerist side of witchcraft and paganism circles. So hold on to your brooms, brujxs, this is going to be a log post.

The Aesthetic/ Instagram Witch

Before anybody throws stones, I have an Instagram account (with this same name). I'm not against the witch aesthetic.

In fact, I think it's great that so many people are passionate enough about art to create these wonderful images. I adore those photos with rose quartz crystal balls and points next to delicate himalayan salt lamps and towering pastel pink candles, and the magnificent bundles of dried roses and lavendar.

Would I want all of those? Goddess, no. Cleaning up all the pouring wax alone would drive me insane, and thinking of all the vacuuming involved with all the dried herbs littering the floor makes me want to take a nap.

And yet, when I close my eyes, I think of some of those images of tall candles littering an altar, of a big crystal ball and tall crystal points. I think of creating big, elaborate crystal grids. I think of a nice stone mortal and pestle I've been wanting to buy for years.

Reality, however, has to hit sometime, and for me it's always when I check my bank account and remember that I barely pay rent with my current salary on most months. I constantly need help with groceries, medical and cellphone expenses. It's gotten better, but I still am not completely financially independent.

That said, I'm fortunate enough to still have some money to buy the things I enjoy, mostly crystals, candles and readings these days. I desperately want to support other witches/spiritual healers, so I carefully look over my finances and put aside some cash for them.

Does this mean I am any less frustrated? No.

In fact, a lot of my anger bubbles up when I read a new spell or witch book with a list of ingredients, always with the note saying like "you can always substitute ingredients, but it won't have the same effect". Which begs the question of why I bother looking up spells in the first place when I usually only have kitchen herbs and my 10-15 crystals (which is quite a lot of pretty rocks as it is). I feel like all these resources ask for the few things I do not have.

Now, I won't say that all sources are like this.

Websites and YouTube channels on minimalistic witchcraft are mostly free, and books like "Light Magic for Dark Times" by Lisa Marie Basille and "Holistic Energy Magic" by Tess Whitehurst, for example, have little to no need to buy a list if ingredients. However, these tend to be the minority in the witchcraft community.

Is that the budget witches fault? Absolutely not. We all have bills to pay and real-world responsibilities. The fact that we still fit this stuff into our lives just shows how much the Craft means to us. Which beings me to my next point...

Finding Affordable and Functional Tools

Western Witchcraft tends to rely heavily on materials and tools to gain results. While many witches guarentee that you "only need yourself" to do magick, the reality is that magick without tools is incredibly difficult and almost impossible for baby witches.

The good news is that stores (in the US, at least) like Five Below and Dollar General are selling some basic stuff like candles, essential oils, crystals and incense at low prices. That said, aside from the candles, glass jars, wooden boxes and incense holders, many of those tools are low-quality. Most of the essential oils I've found at these stores, for example, are perfumed and not real plant-based oils. Tarot decks from places like Wish are usually cheap bootleg imitations that are also low-quality (and also don't support the creators). Another disadvantage is that we aren't supporting the metaphysical community when you buy from these places, which is something I find frustrating. Lastly, I've also noticed that cheap crystals are not not mined ethically, and that is another thing that I personally try to avoid buying cheap if I can.

Now, some common stores, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, are still quite useful to the budget witch. Pharmacies tend to have plant-based and cruelty-free essential oils and diffusers for good prices. Just make sure to research what can harm pets if you have them. Tea tree oil is very toxic to dogs, for example, but lavendar is not. However, lavendar is harmful to cats. Make sure to know what you're using if your pets are around you. Grocery stores are also great places to get cheap dried herbs.

Law of Attraction and The Root Chakra

If you've been reading my post, you'll have noticed that I do not like the Law of Attraction. So we are all clear, I am not against having goals, or following your dreams or passions. I am against the way this system makes the practitioner feel responsible for factors out of their control. (There is a Tumblr post that also explains how the ideology of LOA falls withing the B.I.T.E. model, which is used to identify cult ideology. I'll link it here soon).

I have also become incredibly wary of using chakras, as the popularized system that most witches use today were made-up by a white author.

What bothers me more than any of the aforementioned things is when other practitioners state that those of us in a difficult financial situation are either not working with our root chakras (which focuses on finantial stability, and livliehood) or just aren't using the Law of Attraction well enough. Blaming these kinds of difficulties on budget witches is not only shameful, but it's also usually a marketing tactic used by certain folks to make those of us desperate for money to want to buy their services to "learn how to get rich" or at least financially stable enough to thrive.

If you are interested in using the Western chakras, there are cost-effective ways to work on them, such as using meditation. Again, YouTube is a rich resource for hundreds of free and effective guided meditations on anything from chakras to spirit guides.

Also, let's not forget our good old friend, Practicality. When you get an infection, for example, your priority should the doctor/medical professional first before witchcraft, unless you have a herbal specialist that can create a safe and effective holistic medication (and this person should be, again, a professional). In the same vein, if your are going through a financial rough spot, buying a bunch of root chakra candles or crystals in the hope that your situation will improve is contradictory to what you need to do: save that money. Maybe get one or two inespensive things if you can. If not, use the free resources on hand.

Don't Allow This to Discourage You

As much as many of us claim not to need tools (and I applaud you if you manage with so little, willingly or not), the truth is that most of us like to have things on hand, and I am no exception. Books, candles, crystals, decks and herbs are what I spend my money on. I am aware that there is a materialistic aspect to the way I choose to work. I even have a cauldron and a professionally made wand, despite not being Wiccan and using both for only special occasions. Heck, right now the cauldron is just housing a bled of herbs to cleanse anything I put in it.

That's my choice. I save for some months and then buy little by little. But there are other ways to be an effective budget witch and thrive.

For example, many witches on this site have pointed out that you can make your own tools, such as wands or altar decorations, out of sticks and rocks. Some folks prefer finding their own tools. Just be careful not to pick up anything poisonous, or disturb the nest of any animals that may be around. Also, do NOT eat anything off the ground unless you are 100% sure what it is and that it has been grown in clean soil. Go to the supermarket for edible herbs if you can't find a local market or herb shop. A quick online search will help with that, and you'll be acquainted with your environment.

Tea is also another wonderful resource for the budget witch. It is easy to find, usually under $5 a box (in the USA) and good for you. Again, it's still wise to be careful when trying new herbs, but I find most tea companies will stick to fruits amd common herbs like chamomile and peppermint, to name a few. Honey pairs well with tea, great for magick, and also very accessible. You can also open tea bags for a spell, or invest in loose herb mixes and a strainer. Try buying a teapot if possible. If not, boil your water in a pot over the stove, microwaved tea isn't as good. Trust me.

Tips & Tricks

🖤Crystals are just as effective if they are small or pocket-sized, and usually a lot cheaper that way. There is the bonus perk of being able to carry them with you on the go in your bag or pockets.

🖤Use non-magickal sources as well a magickal ones to identify herbs and crystals so you can be sure they won't harm you. Crystals can also be toxic.

🖤Some people (myself included) believe normal rocks to be just as powerful as crystals. You can even try painting them the color you want to manifest, or you can put sigils on them.

🖤There are free digital tarot apps that are great for readings and having a deck with you wherever you go. The Labyrinthos and Kawaii Tarot apps are the ones I currently use.

🖤Plastic flowers and fruit can be cost-effective decor for your altar, and maybe even an offering or representation of your deity(ies) if you have any.

🖤Epsom salts are relatively cheap, and adding your own essential oils to them in a tub or foot bath is a great spa day remedy and good for metaphysical and physical cleansing. Just make sure they are real essential oils, and look up the correct dosage.

🖤White vinegar is also affordable, and efficient glass, counter-top and carpet cleaner. It also has protective properties along with salt, and it's great for cleaning your altar, if you can stand the smell.

Some Resources:

My Go-To Etsy Stores for Ethical and Affordable Crystal Buying: (I am not a sponsor for these stores, nor am I being paid to advertise them).

The Spiritnectar

Moonrise Crystal

Ethically-Sourced & Affordable Crystals. My order came with a tea bag as well!

Crystal LionGems

Budget Witch Videos:

The Witch of Wonderlust on Low-Budget Witchcraft

Magickians Budget Witch Guide

Cheap Places to Get Books that Aren't Amazon:

Thriftbooks

BookOutlet

Or rent books at your local library! You can also make requests if they don't have what you're looking for.

That's all for now, brujxs. Please tell me your thoughts, and how you handle being a budget witch. Stay safe, witchy and freaky. 💜

[everydayanth]

Time is Money or... Identity?

This became something of a thought-experiment paper... I don’t expect many reads here, but I’m working on getting more comfortable sharing thoughts, particularly on the internet, rather than keeping them in my head and getting annoyed when no one wants to talk about them, lol, so here goes....

It started with this image popping up three times while scrolling through the dash:

And then I had some thoughts....Sorry it’s so long. I suppose this post in itself is an experiment.

Things like this, collections of ideas concentrated into a few spectacular people (Renaissance artists, Baroque composers, WWII scientists, etc.), make me wonder about philosophy vs. aesthetic, and if what really sets progress in motion is competition and a group of people who feed off each other’s asking of questions and discovery of answers.

Can we fresco and entire ceiling? Sure, but it will be painful and probably kill you. Can we art better by understanding anatomy? Sure, but you’ll have to snatch some bodies, or let someone else do it first. Can I make music do this instead of that other thing? Sure, but then you’ll be copying that one guy, try this even cooler new idea! Instead of repackaging the same idea into new models or melodies, they pushed the boundaries of known into connections that traversed the unknown, adding bubbles to the collective mind-map of human knowledge and intelligence. That’s what makes them special, right?

I’m currently reading The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf, and I’m doing it slowly on purpose, reading all the materials referenced (Kant, Hume, Goethe, etc.) as a personal exercise in understanding a period of time/culture rather than simply Alexander Von Humboldt the person (also, it’s a good book, but the author is very biased-in-favor, so I’m trying to read it in tandem of others who were more critical). Anyway, I’m going through the part where a group of young men require each other’s thoughts as stimulation and inspiration to new ideas, how they challenge and change what is and feed off these new connections, even as they are being recorded by scientists and artists who would become ultimately more preserved in historical documents and textbooks.

And that seems to be the key, one brain questions and answers, another questions that answer and answers itself, and so on, agreeing on very little outside of context, but pushing each other into new territory. It only takes one four-minute mile to prove it can be done at all. But if we’re caught up in the ethics of how to question and answer, then aesthetics quickly become more desirable. So the cultural understanding, particularly with Millennials, seems to grow weary of argument and become: if I can’t discuss policy (because the nuances are extreme or not understandable/accessible to me, or most often because my voice is denied and change is unattainable), I can at least look good while it slowly chokes me to death.

And while it’s easy to write it off as narcissism and entitlement, perhaps it’s only because what we deem “looking good” is one of very few things we can generally agree upon, everything else is hopeless, creating a cycle of nihilism where hopeful people are considered naive or dumb. Sure, there are different styles of aesthetic, and we label those subgroups with passionate adamance, but I think even the most minimalist among us can appreciate an aesthetic collection of clutter when done well. We share an ideology of quality that makes art and media that was once appreciated by few an aesthetic that is valued by most - Marvel comics vs. the MCU, SF/F shows like Lost or Game of Thrones becoming cultural phenomenons vs. the elusive Geekdom prior to the Star Wars movies. Aesthetic unites us where every other aspect of nationalism and group identity divide us by philosophy - our perceptions and understanding of geography, history, culture, language, or enemy (traits of nationalism, yeah, I’m citing my own article lol) are all based on complex webs of experience, education, world view, etc.

We focus on aesthetics in literature, visual arts, and technology, business branding, business models, and even the application of science to the public. Aesthetics becomes the focus of energy because it is where we find freedom of identity in a world ready to challenge any semblance of diverse thought. We agree on aesthetics, because they fit a model and communicate efficiently if we are something to consider good or bad.

But that false dichotomy is severely flawed because projections of reality and reality itself are two vastly different things. Dichotomous thinking is a way to simplify the world when it becomes too complex too fast, it is a tool used to make choices, like making a pros-cons list or an if-then projection in order to decide to do or not to do, to be or not to be. It is often supported as a tool of control, and becomes extremely dangerous when it begins to dictate our identities and understandings of the world. When there is no us-vs-them, what idea can we rally around?

To start, we have a lot of inclusion to do, because discussions of philosophy, art, and science all start with time, and you know who doesn’t have time? People who need to make money in it. So when we skew our education systems to favor those who have time (and therefore money), we allow economics to dictate progress in philosophy and art and science, we hand over control to those who profit most from dichotomous thinking. And when we do that... well... money will favor some things over others, like product over research, revenue over investment, aesthetic over thought, etc. until deviating outside of that cycle is nearly impossible if not unsurvivable.

We’re in a loop, where making money is the goal, because there is no other option, research needs support, and research’s only support comes from money, and money wants more money, so research is limited to whatever gives us money.

Has that always been the case?

Renaissance artists were successful if they demonstrated the church’s power, gaining the church support through aesthetics, not challenging its philosophy (well... not directly anyway). That church profited (and still does) greatly from the development of dichotomies and used art and emotion to encourage this thinking, often as a way to control the lower classes.

Baroque composers (or Romantic, Classical, and Modern ones for that matter) were successful if they sold shows and inspired attendees to purchase their music, again, often sponsored by those in financial power and following the requested agenda (and again, not always directly, often including illicit subtext). Stepping too far away from what was popular and appropriate meant they lost sponsorship and public interest. Thus, the freedom of the starving artist vs. the conformation of the sell-out dichotomy.

And WWII/post-WWII scientists were successful if their work was supported by government institutions, particularly military or intelligence branches, and advanced the prospect of victory over a consistent manifestation of physical enemy (Nazis, Russians, soldiers, and spies). 

The money comes when the proof is clear, not when it’s being searched for, and then only after decades of scientists and artists have died in poverty after discoveries of curiosity, not agenda. Progress, then, is controlled by public interest... or else private investment, and must, therefore, conform to the expectations of one or the other, often balancing the greater of two evils, it seems.

This is not a disrespect of those genius giants before us. I’m just noticing a pattern in the system of prosperous aesthetic periods and less progressive philosophical ones. We see the results of the philosophers only when they are applied aesthetically, and those aesthetic focal points divide the world into answers instead of questions, so it can seem that large progress has been made, when perhaps it was in-process for quite some time and was completed when a group of people crowded around the concept with the financial support of a capital agenda and the peers to push the boundaries of answering the questions that had been asked before them.

Most of the giants whose shoulders we stand on are invisible, it seems we only recognize the ones who present the answers aesthetically to our culture of origin. The “discoverers” of America are preserved in record because of their historic access in writing, but also because of their royal and religious backing. 

Many scientific theories were proposed prior to our Western heroes by individuals those heroes had access to reading, particularly those outside of our Western vernacular. Darwin had access to tons of theories, but I’m not just talking Lyell and Linnaeus here, but the likes of  Zhuang Zhou, al-Jāḥiẓ, and Ibn Khaldūn, whose names are ignored even in evolutionary biology/anthropology classes. 

We remember Apple’s ipod, not the saturated market of mp3 players before it; we discuss the unveiling of the iphone, not the industry and inventions that already existed. And while the fun of literature is often disassembling its parts, we don’t discuss the mythology or market predecessors to Harry Potter, because it was the new aesthetic of young adult. That’s a bold claim, and much more subjective than the tech/science ones, but I think it’s important that we recognize this across industries and throughout our culture, not simply within the aesthetic streamlining of technology. Our immediate “successful” heroes make money because they provide and aesthetic that applies to many philosophies.

We don’t diversify our education because we admire the end result of science, rarely considering the entirety of work that went into final discovery or product. We try to explain science in chains of linear progression rather than the mind-map of questions and ideas and artistic or political influence that it is.

Progress then, depends a great deal on affluence and we exist in a culture of “who you know” rather than a balance of who AND what you know. Sure, there are always exception, but is it any surprise that we younger generations are obsessed with image? 

Success, it seems, is directly correlated with it, and while we know genius takes more than money, success seems to exist outside of it - in fact, success rarely seems to involve genius itself at all anymore, but pure aesthetic. I’m thinking of the likes of Steve Jobs, who cultivated a following through his personal branding and rhetoric that helped change an entire industry, but often did so through aesthetics, not invention. 

We have grown to idolize the firsts as people who invented something, however, the reality is that those tech giants and big names rarely invented, rather re-modeled and presented something aesthetically compatible to society. We do not celebrate the inventor of the piano, but rather those composers who presented us with an aesthetic style for it. 

But that makes sense, because science’s value is in application. Who cares about dark matter? Well, no one (except sci-fi authors lol), yet, because it has no application to the public. But projects are still funded by institutions and government because our curiosity drives research and the potential outcome (weapons, control, power, money) justifies investment. How much money our government spends on NASA is directly correlated to the expectation of results, in the 60s, that was a way to defeat our perceived enemies, now, for some, it’s useless and should be privately funded.

I’m getting a little off topic, but my point is that what we deem “progress” is often only the part of the iceberg that we see, and rarely the whole of it. So what we see in the initial photo as a culture is a group of genius scientists (yes, again, respectfully, I am not denouncing the discoveries or large amount of work put in by any individuals here), rather than the prosperity of the Industrial Revolution, whose amount of excess-everything funded work that wasn’t considered necessary, until it was. When we fear a limit of resources, we understandably become more controlling over what we spend money on as a society, but even in limited resources, there are those with excess, who can then more easily control what is considered valuable or not. 

So, to be a successful genius, one must have access to funding, and to do this, one’s work must fulfill an agenda of another who has or is access to funds. This often entails being well connected, which includes a performance of image, false confidence, and the crucial understanding of the mind map of philosophy, art, and science in the intended discipline, which is often only accessible to those who fit the desired cultural template of the controlled upper class (read: wealthy, white, male, and upperclass-educated, for historical America anyway). 

Which means that in idolizing the presenters of knowledge, we value the aesthetic of it, the pretty package wrapped around a completed idea, more than we value the process of it. And this is dangerous because we repeat it everywhere, in politics and government (we might value the cheaters who take a shortcut as a symbol of intelligent application, or those who represent an aesthetic we agree with without looking into their application of policy), justice (social justice often values the aesthetic meaning of an outcome of a problem, rather than deconstructing the process by which that outcome was reached), education (we use standardized testing to represent a student’s ability to memorize outcomes - or the aesthetic of looking intelligent, rather than demonstrating an ability to apply knowledge and understanding), business (we herald in those who present us with a desired aesthetic brand - Apple, Starbucks, Google, etc., rather than investigating the potential corruption of human conditions that leads to that aesthetic; or else using a popularity rating of stars as peer-approval of a brand rather than developing our opinions out of experience).

Even in our personal lives, it is more important to be perceived as positive and confident than to investigate and deconstruct what might be making us unhappy. For me, it was health, I didn’t like how I looked or felt, but was obsessively told that I’m great, I shouldn’t feel that way. My negativity was rewarded, victimization was encouraged, and the conclusion seemed to always be leaving everything as-is.

Eventually I had to say fuck it and stop seeking the support and understanding of friends, utilizing spite to rebuild a healthy life, which isn’t the only option, that was my choice, but our obsession with aesthetics became a lose-lose for me. I didn’t want to look like a photo-brushed-whatever model, which seemed to be everyone’s assumption, I just felt unhappy because I was unhealthy and unproductive in my life. 

But that’s a bad aesthetic, or maybe not one at all and that denial of aesthetic might be the worst part. I didn’t fit into a box, not out of any higher intelligence, but because I could never pick one. This story is much more complex (and for the record, Jake was instrumental in helping me develop and maintain a health plan) and could probably be unpacked into an entire book of an extended metaphor, but put simply, I want to be a minimalist some days and a traditionalist other days and my brain is just a clash of ideas. Even my wardrobe reflects this, lit-nerd some days, world-traveler other days, outgoing-athlete, and even the occasional clash of weird accessories that is dancer-chic, lol. 

I was feeling stuck by a body that was in endless rehabilitation and recovery (long story, broken bones), and I didn’t like it, so I wanted to change it. But that proactive idea was met with passionate defenses of body-positivity (which does have a place in society as a whole) and a focus on aesthetic (”you look fine”) rather than philosophy (well I don’t fucking feel fine). And I can’t help but think it’s because aesthetics are things we can agree on, or because they are safe, and to change aesthetics or to request a focus on philosophy, makes people scared about the burden of change.

So I have a revision to my own idea of what curates success:

Successful genius exists in a place supported financially, often by an agenda that is commonly more afforded to those who already fit a familiar cultural aesthetic of money or power, armed with an understanding of connection and access to un-biased and diverse knowledge and education (again, often most commonly afforded to those already in the upperclass), surrounded by a group of similar individuals who provide competition as well as resources and connections that progress the understanding of concepts in non-linear objectivity, and present finalized ideas to the public in a consumable and digestible aesthetic package of understanding that does not require extensive negative change on behalf of the consumer.

If that is true, I think it answers the cycles of science in ages of philosophy and reason vs. aesthetics and image that creates the popular science vs. art false dichotomy. STEM is more easily objective, and objective is more easily packaged and sold, therefore we create an art vs. science dichotomy and science wins - but only if it’s presenter understands enough about art to package it aesthetically. Social sciences are doomed by their own use of inductive arguments, complex layers of pattern and observation that don’t have a single objective Truth, rather a layered perception of potential truth, which is not easily distributed - it’s not a pamphlet, it’s a book. 

Ain’t nobody got time for books.

It explains the Millennial obsession with image outside of an individual psychology of narcissism, by looking to cultural understandings of success and value. And while deviating from traditional models of progress - looking at thought as a mind map of connection rather than linear funnel of detail (while still applicable and useful), it illustrates the time lapse between discovery and progress. There is a gap between the actual discovery of knowledge and the generalized application of that knowledge, and that gap is filled by whomever presents the information most effectively or efficiently, sometimes accurately, to the public. That presenter is then considered successful, valuable, important. That importance leads to respect, time, and freedom.

So Millennials are emulating what they need to look like to be considered successful (fake it ‘till you make it and all), while science emulates linear thought in the same way. Linear thought can be more easily objective and packaged for public access, taught in schools and accepted by society. We create a dichotomy of linear and non-linear thought and say they have pros and cons or specific uses and applications, but I think in the same way our predecessors argued about Empiricism vs. Rationalism (read: art vs. science) until we understood them in tandem, we are at the point of having to understand linear and non-linear thinking not as opposites, but as extremes on a spectrum, most useful when balanced. 

It’s complex and complex things take time to understand. And time is money. And money is freedom. And freedom is happiness.

Perhaps this explains why dichotomies are so popular - they fit an aesthetic, and they remove the exhausting layers of philosophy that exist inside our own identities. Dichotomies limit the complexity of an idea into two extremes, and  when we define ourselves by an image rather than our modes of thought, much of our decisions can be made by whatever aligns with the image. We can feel free by the illusions of power or choice, while minimizing the effort it takes to get to that freedom, and maybe it makes us feel happy for a minute. 

However, while we spend much of our decision quota in a given day on deciding which aesthetics to consume or conform to, those choices are still influenced by those whose agendas are funding our understanding of the world through science and art. Is it any wonder we’ve created a dichotomy of disconnect in every way. What I mean is that it is easy to make irrational choices based on feelings of aesthetics (easier, not always easy), and when our culture divides aesthetics into categories, they are predictable, marketable, and controllable, so we must separate the world into understandable groups.

If this is true, then maybe it’s not the internet or social media or Millennial entitlement that is separating us. Maybe it’s the control of wealth being recycled into similar agendas to produce work that conforms to or provides evidence supporting already existing biases in science. Keep us too busy making money to have time to understand it and too loyal to brands to investigate the money, and too exhausted of choices to discover ourselves. So the freedom of choice that we find in aesthetic dichotomies - the ease of making decisions and lowered exhaustion of not analyzing those experiences, is actually a sacrifice of identity and agency to those funding our research and creating the requirements of aesthetic conformation . 

This is getting a bit conspiracy-theory-esque, but dichotomies are good for reducing choices and controlling groups, however, they do not inherently exist outside of a few basic dualities (like light and the absence of light, or dark), they extend out of a focus on aesthetic and a disapproval of thought, voice, and criticism. Or, to simplify, they are social constructs to organize information.

So if this all related in some way, if science and progress is inhibited by the agendas of the elite, and we are very aware of our elite, how do we trust it? How do we step out of the aesthetic-obsessed cycle and into forgiveness and understanding and patience and... time?

And perhaps more importantly, how do we develop a way to support science AND diversify it? How do we make the next photo like this include races and genders across a spectrum of ideologies? How do we create a collective group of genius that exists outside of a capital agenda, is it even possible? How can we encourage investment over revenue when so many Americans (and people around the world) feel they don’t have enough time to make money to survive, or choices to spend thinking about philosophy, policy, and what they believe in vs. agreeing with something that seems to vaguely align with their desired aesthetic identity? It’s not laziness, I don’t think, but over-work, we’ve reached our daily capacity and the sacrifice of demanding more is...less.

I struggle to pick an aesthetic and it has helped me break that easy black-and-white view of the world, but that is a fight I am exhausted by every day. It would be so simple to pick an aesthetic and run with it, to define myself by a collective idea and make choices based on what matches it, but that swings with my emotions, and maybe that’s closer to the problem? 

We have done some weird shit with emotion, from disregarding it as feminine or “weak,” to writing it out of strength and art and science. We have created a dichotomy between emotion and logic and then mapped it into our brains as hemispheres of thought. We made a taboo-aesthetic of sadness (I mean, look at Inside Out’s character development of Sadness, but they did a good job using balance as the answer) and disregarded most emotions beyond contentment or positive excitement as bad, which is, surprise, starting to look like a mistake. We’ve branded empathy as weakness; we are simultaneously admiring, and for many worshiping, empathetic individuals while funneling our money into heartless heroes who we deem successful. Maybe it’s our emotions that have faded, beaten out of us or encouraged into silence, leaving us lonely and dependent on our chosen aesthetic to find any pieces of identity that might lead to authentic happiness. Maybe emotion is what keeps us in just-enough chaos to challenge the agendas that control our choices by keeping us unpredictable? Or perhaps they are what unite us beyond aesthetic.

Maybe staring at that shelf of shampoos and conditioners, over half of which are produced by the exact same factory and owned by the same company but branded with different versions of you in mind and with how you will feel looking at them taken into account, is extremely overwhelming. And some days you feel lazy and tired and you just grab that same ol’ thing. But occasionally you feel rebellious or responsible, and you investigate and make a completely different choice because maybe you are made of a layer of realities held together by your collective experience of life that creates a unique worldview, that thing that we conform to an aesthetic or maybe an emotion, or philosophy, or a conviction of values, and maybe that thing cannot be predicted. Maybe our models predict an aesthetic, not a person, and maybe that’s a duh, but it’s not a logical concept I consider on a daily basis of rhetoric hailing technology and AI as all-knowing and capable of perfect reason.

Maybe it’s our chaos that is trying to be organized into compartmental identities of aesthetic ideologies: minimal, vintage, grunge, professional, bad-ass, athletic, urban, feminine, boho, whatever it is. And those who challenge it are in for a much more difficult life of choices, each of which must be broken down into action-and-consequence, current emotion vs. future potential, the history and creation of a product, etc. We don’t have time to ask our coffee if children were kidnapped to harvest it, we have an image and this specific coffee or product fits it; we are too busy trying to be successful so that we can eventually have the freedom to fully identify ourselves and be happy, and we see by cultural example that our desired success comes from aesthetic.

Capitalism creates a need for money, and that excess capital is often syphoned into the remnants of pre-constructed systems. I don’t have the expertise to divide that into its logical components yet, but maybe our adoration of monarchy as seen in our popular media, art, and entertainment, has us assuming the elite among us deserve their position, romanticizing the trials of poverty as obstacles to be overcome, and forcing racial stereotypes into equally damaging aesthetics - the white female, incapable damsel in distress, vs. the black female, independent queen who can survive everything on her own. This is not a real dichotomy, it’s a shitty stereotype, but you probably wouldn’t know it from the outside looking in, or perhaps from the inside itself, if you felt the need to align with a specific aesthetic, or even to invert that pressure into the opposite aesthetic. Businesses thrive by utilizing those dichotomies, and sometimes by creating a solution to them. So if they are useful to some, perhaps that’s enough reason to be suspicious of the agendas that tell us how to think or make our lives easier. 

I feel like I’m saying a lot of stupid things while feeling my own brain nodding along and going like oh, here’s a dichotomy and there’s another dichotomy and all dichotomies are false dichotomies, and I know all this in formal educated argument, but when it comes to daily application, I want to just be a cool millennial who has health insurance and can grab takeout without humming about the cost and what I might be able to pull together from the fridge. That doesn’t mean brands or aesthetics, despite the market’s attempts to the contrary, just the means to survive financially with a bit of excess time for myself to think and be bored and contemplate the world with other people so we’re all a bit less lonely and more emotionally adjusted.  

Diversity, money, research, science, art, aesthetic, it all seems to come back to identity and time. Time to make choices, time to reflect and think about identity and emotion, time to deconstruct and criticize reality, time to investigate corruption, time to gather knowledge and resources, time to exist along other humans rather than floating away, isolated and ungrounded from the world. Therefore, successful geniuses also have time to exist outside of a singular aesthetic and enhance our understanding of the world in order to develop positive changes that we often label “progress.”

How do we give people more time so that they don’t have to divide the world into aesthetics and dichotomies in order to keep up or attempt to be successful? Does giving someone time allow them to feel successful? If that perseverance of success was in order to gain the time, would we then use the time to curate individual identities that we feel comfortable and confident in? Is time what it takes to be happy? Is time what separates the classes in America?

How do we un-do “time is money,” particularly in a capitalist economy and remember that time is also thought and connection and values and friendships and more than obligations?

How do we remember that time is identity?

Is time a renewable resource? Or are we. 

[vicmunley]

Cape Town Art Fair 2019 Questionnaire

Cape Town Art Fair 2019

1.   Blank projects – The curation of the work was very similar to the exhibition in the gallery, it was very minimalistic. However, there was a wider range of variety of different mediums and much more colour.

Stevenson Gallery – They included a lot of paintings and it was curated very similarly to the show room in the gallery. There was lots of colour and included artists Penny Siopis and Zander Blom whose work is present in the show room.

Goodman Gallery – The curation of the work was completely different to that in the gallery. There were a lot more works and they were packed together which is a contrast to the usual curation of shows at the gallery.

2.  Works I liked:

Asukra Nirasawa, Cell Division, 952 Cells, 2018

Mixed media on canvas, 150x200 cm

I really enjoy the use of colour, texture and shape in this work. I’m very interested in the subject matter and think the piece is executed really well.

Kim Wolhuter, First Drink

80 x 120 cm, edition 10

I love the emotion this work triggers as it is such a special and vital moment at the start of life. The photograph includes a lot of detail. The use of light and shadow creates a very emotive contrast which I really enjoy.

Stacey Gillian Abe, Seat of Honor #6, #7, #8, 2017

UV digital print on Art Board

Edition 3/5

50 x 50cm

The images are very atmospheric and very powerful. I love the sense of movement within each image and the narrative that continues throughout the series.

Works I disliked:

Chris Soal, The search for meaningfulness in the search for meaning, 2018

Concrete, and birch wood toothpicks held with polyurethane adhesive on ribstop fabric. 130 x 70 x 7cm

The texture of this piece makes me feel very uncomfortable. I am intrigued by the shape and materials, and want to get close but when I do my heart races and I felt extremely unnerved.

Armand Bous, Les Fre Sang (Les Inseparable), 2017

124cm x 90cm

Acrylic and collage on card

I am not excited about this piece and don't enjoy the use of colour.

Kenneth Bakker, Abstract, 1960

68x 129 cm

Oil on board

This piece does not intrigue or inspire me. I could walk past this with out noticing it, nothing grabs my attention. It reminds me of an art work that could be found in a waiting room or hotel reception.

3.  I found that painting and photography were predominant mediums present.

4. Most booths had white walls however, a few decided to have colourful walls. Another difference which was present between the booths was the inclusion of furniture, only a couple of booths had small plants whereas most booths had table and chairs.

5. Labels have been written in a variety of ways. There was a selection of; hand written labels on the wall, written labels on the floor and labels written on to masking tape. However, most labels are neatly typed out on to paper and placed on the wall directly next to or underneath the art work. I found the signs for each booth were often too small or located in a place which sometimes made it unclear to which booth I was currently in.

6. The layout of the booths was very simple and linear, making it easy for viewers and employees to move around.

7. The lighting in the convention centre was very bright and natural light. Some works had lights directly above them or pointing on to them which often added to the work. these lights were extremely bright and often much cooler than the other lights used.

8. I noticed that people working at the fair, especially in the booths wore very simple outfits. Most people were wearing black, white or a neutral coloured clothing. They didn’t wear patterned clothing, and nothing blended in with the artworks or distracted from them.

9. Products that were being sold at the fair included, books, tote bags, t-shirts, as well as books, posters and other merchandise of the artist’s and their works. I think  the Art Fair is largely aimed people who are interested in art, such as students, lectures’/teachers, practising artists and other people working in the art industry. In addition to this, I feel that the art fair also attracts tourists, who travel from different places in the world to experience and discover the art and artists in Case Town.

10. Athi -Patra Ruga The Ever Promised Erection I, 2019

High-density foam, artificial flowers and jewels

I feel the overall aesthetic and the materials used for this piece really exemplify the spectacle of wealth. Furthermore the style of sculpture exemplifies wealth and power.

11. John Newdigate (In collaboration with Ian Garrett), Flying Ants In Summer Rain, 2018

Hand painted and Glazed Porcelain.

83cm x 52cm

I feel this piece didn’t fit in with the work as the functionality of the pieces is very different from the rest of the work present.

12. It was easy to speak to some staff about the work, in some booths I was approached by members of staff and was asked if I needed help with anything or wanted any information. Other booths were hesitant about sharing prices whereas others had price lists available.

13.The main sponsor of the art fair is Investec.

Investec focus on specialist banking, assest management and wealth and investment divisions. I think the possible clientele of this sponsor are people involved in the art industry such as gallery owners, curators, collectors and people who interested in investment and banking opportunities. I think they chose the art fair as a place to push their product as a place to attract a large audience and to show their interest into an industry that has the ability to create and include a lot of wealth.

14. I think the Cape Town International Convention Centre is a great place for the art fair due to it’s location and accessability. Other commercial events that take place here include; Cape Town International Jazz Festival, FanCon Cape Town Comic Con and Cape Town Homemakers Expo.

15. The oldest work I could find at the fair was Albert Newall’s Untiled. This was a watercolour and ink painting on paper which was made in 1952.

16. The youngest artist at the fair was Talia Ramikillawn who is 23 and recently graduated from Michaelis. Her work was exhibited at Smith.

17.The furniture and painting of the walls of the solo booths relate and compliment the artist work much more than that in the other booths. In a lot of the solo booths the artist’s work was much more spaced out whereas in some of the other booths the work could be quite cramped.

18. Georgina Gratix – Her work has become extremely sought after. Her style of oil painting and using bright colours is intriguing and aesthetically very pleasing.

Igshaan Adams - His use of material and the style of his work holds so much emotion.

19. The trends in subject matter this year included identity and art in the digital age. I believe art in the digital age was a trend and an important subject as the world is constantly looking towards the digital and how we relate to the digital age is constantly changing as technology becomes more advance. Identity is a popular subject matter as many people go through time in their life where they question their identity and it can often be constantly changing. I believe identity is something we are always questioning and discovering.

Materials that were on trend this year included thread, string, beads and pins. I believe this is because many artists were pushing the limit of a canvas and how they can move beyond that.

20. I would love to be represented by Smith as they seem to take a lot of young artist and support them and push them as they grow as artists.

21. I would love to work for Stephenson as I love the wide range of artist they work with and the work that is produced. The subject matter they work with is extremely important and I would love to work with these artists to exhibit their work in the most powerful and meaningful way.

22. How do galleries chose which artists they would like to show at the fair? How many international buyers are usually at the fair? How many people does it take to set up and take down the fair?

23. I would love to show my gallery or institute at the fair, as I think it would be a great way for artist to be seen and a wonderful way to create connections with other galleries. I would like my stall to be quite open to give the viewer a lot of space to walk around and see each art work clearly. I would possibly paint certain walls to relate to the work being shown. I would like to include works that can be hung from the walls as well as sculptures that could be placed on the floor.

[thebandcampdiaries]

Jaxony Reign presents: Capital T

January 2021 - Jaxony Reign is a singer and artist with a focus on creating pop music that pushes the boundaries, diving deeper into a wide range of alternative and indie influences. She recently announced the release of a Capital T, a mesmerizing track with some doowop influences.

The song immediately strikes with a nice 60s-inspire feel. The drum beat especially, adorned with minimalistic percussion and handclaps that cut through the mix, makes me think of artists such as The Beatles or The Kinks. The instrumental is absolutely amazing. The guitar work also has an amazing vintage vibe to it. On one side, there is a guitar that gives the song a nice choppy staccato rhythm. On the other side of the spectrum, there is a lush, reverberated guitar sound with a bit of vibrato and a classic “spring” sound that gives the song so much more ambiance. The bass has a nice round sound that definitely works wonders within the context of the song. 

The cherry on top is the vocal performance. Jaxony is an incredibly versatile singer, who knows how to modulate the dynamics of her voice, according to what the song needs. The verses are a bit more laid back, with the singer lowering her intensity and going for a more intimate feel. However, the choruses are definitely more energetic, with Jaxony going for a more upfront vibe that stands out in the mix. I also loved the additional vocals and harmonies in the background, which really contribute to the depth of the vocal arrangements. I am so impressed with the sheer variety of sounds on this particular release, which features just so many elements, making it totally impressive. This song is classic, but it’s modern. It’s catchy, but it’s also gritty enough to give you a feeling of listening to a band play in a room. It’s romantic and introspective, but also fun and upbeat. 

Not many artists can easily pull off a project that features such a wide variety of elements and influences. The most obvious risk is that the material can end up sounding quite disconnected and loose, but thankfully, this definitely not the case. The performances are loaded with passion and integrity, while the production aesthetics are also excellent. The mixing quality is indeed absolutely world-class, with some amazing definition in the top end and lots of punch in the low-end and midrange. The results sound warm and present, yet never harsh or fatiguing, which is quite an amazing achievement, particularly in this genre!

On “Capital T,” Jaxony really made a point to set the bar higher, not only for herself, but also for her listeners, genuinely delivering something that’s catchy and direct, yet forward-thinking and challenging in the best possible way. What makes the artist so special is that she takes many different creative chances with her music. Her sound could be described as pop. However, she explores the genre with a very broad creative attitude, giving her songs different flavors and spices things up to achieve a very creative and one-of-a-kind vision.

I've always been a very big fan of pop music with a more direct sound. In this case, I really appreciate the fact that this release has a little bit of an alternative vibe to it. In my opinion, this actually gives the music a little bit more of a personal feel to it, straying quite far from the overproduced sound of some pop music out there. Embracing somewhat of an alternative aesthetic is a really great opportunity to take music to a whole new level and break the usual rules, going for more of a strong identity instead of making cookie cutter songs just for the sake of trying to emulate whatever is popular at the time.

I'm happy to report that Jaxony managed to accomplish that in a very seamless and spontaneous way, and I think that this is one of the secrets to the artist’s recipe for success. Ultimately, I would highly recommend this song if you are a fan of artists such as Kate Nash, as well as Regina Spektor, Duffy, or Amy Winehouse, only to mention but a few.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7pULO7JZnuaAHr9A8qAgkg?si=Y9xvYsUgSJaHJDrIKVYCTg

All Other Straming Platforms: https://fanlink.to/JaxonyReign

Website: http://jaxonyreign.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxonyreign

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaxonyReign

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaxonyReign

We also had the opportunity to catch up with Jaxony for a full interview: keep reading to learn more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer:  Thank you. I write in different ways for different songs, for ‘Capital T’, I started with the rhythm, then the melody with some of the lyrics at the same time. I wrote the bridge on a later day when I realized I had something else to say.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:  I do perform live and I love the energy that comes back to me from the audience, because they will show me immediately if the song connects or not.  However, that being said, I have not performed this song live as it was written just before the pandemic and I haven’t performed live since then.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer: I am just getting started releasing songs, and I have a number I will release in the coming months.  I am always writing new songs…so what is coming out next is something I am still trying to figure out

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer:  Although I am a pop artist, I love all types and genres of music. I like to listen to all sorts of songs, and I feel that I have varied influences that when combined in my own style, with a relatable idea at its heart and a memorable melody, I find something new .  If it makes me feel something, then I share it with others…if they feel something too, then I polish that song until it shines and send it out into the world.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:  I am currently trying to determine my next single – I have it narrowed down to two and will need to decide really soon!  In the meantime, I have a new video that is in the works for “Capital T” and I am hoping that will be finished before the end of February.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:  The best place to learn more about me is likely my website http://jaxonyreign.com  and my current releases can be found on all the major online stores.  

[inkbonds]

TAGGED BY:  I stole it from @shinsxu cause she said it’s okay ( whispers hi i think you’re rly cool ) TAGGING: @implosiveexplosive | @satanstories | @dckv | @fateshaped | @plusocha | @hairhorns | @shocklocks | anyone who feels like doing it! ( as always, don’t feel pressured to do it – idk which of you already did it anyway lmao )

* GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  MUN :

NAME : Jana ( contrary to popular belief it’s pronounced kinda like ‘YAH-nah’ lol ) NICKNAME : I’m cool w/ almost anything, will let you know if not; been called jams/yams, granny, grannykins, mom, dweeb, whatever really lmao FACECLAIM : i tend to use ochako as my faceclaim cause i feel like she suits me, been doing so since a little before I started writing her so it stuck!

PRONOUNS : she/her HEIGHT : 164cm  BIRTHDAY :  june 7th ( gemini ) AESTHETIC : soft colours, pastel blues & teals, minimalist things // warm hues, sunsets, fairy lights, candles, books, night sky, autumn leaves, warm blankets & warm beverages // my aesthetics are a mess and so am I LAST  SONG  YOU  LISTENED  TO : Tragedy Is Not The End by Joel Ansett FAVOURITE  MUSE (S)  YOU’VE  WRITTEN : Allen Walker ( d.gray-man ), Lavi ( d.gray-man ), Mao ( oc )

* GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  ACCOUNT :

WHAT  INSPIRED  YOU  TO  TAKE  ON  THIS  MUSE ( gonna stick to only ochako & mao here for simplicity’s sake ) : 

ochako || honestly? I fell in love with ochako the moment she first appeared on screen and have been swooning over this sunshine child ever since. I just love her so much guys I can’t even put it into words. she’s so precious and so strong and admirable and I love her open, honest nature, her cheerfulness and her determination. just – bless this girl, I would die for her.

mao || it was honestly a spur of the moment idea. bnha had already taken my soul and i was musing about different quirks and their uses, and somehow i began to wonder about the uses of a mindreading quirk and thought ‘hey how cool would it be if someone with that kinda quirk began working with the police as an interrogator of sorts?? and then i started thinking about the drawbacks and how people would react to someone like this and I MADE MYSELF REALLY UPSET and this is how mao happened lol. I’m usually too chicken to put my OCs out there, but since this blog was supposed to be a place for test runs among other things, I gave it a go to try her out.

WHAT  ARE  YOUR  FAVOURITE  ASPECTS  OF  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE : ochako || she’s just so genuinely good and positive and doesn’t mute down her reactions in the slightest. I wish I was this upbeat and easily excitable on a daily basis, she’s my idol for this tbh. adding to that, she’s got a surprisingly tactical mind and a solid amount of guts and determination that make you want to cheer her on and support her to the ends of the earth. 

mao || even though she’s somewhat of a loner thanks to her quirk, she’s really kind-hearted and hasn’t found it within herself to feel particularly bitter about the reactions of her peers. her moral compass is strong, and she values privacy above all else, which stands at odds with her quirk. if you got her to open up, she would be the most loyal friend, and she’s working hard to not let her anxieties stand in the way of her future career path. 

WHAT’S  YOUR  BIGGEST  INSPIRATION  WHEN  IT  COMES  TO  WRITING : talking meta with people. the best thing to get me hyped up to write is to talk with me about it – be it headcanons, theories about the manga, certain directions a thread’s plot is taking, or potential ideas for interaction. it gets me thinking hard about how my muses work and which reactions would be fun to explore and when you’ve managed to get me into excited yelling mode you can be sure I’m dying to write that shit my guy lmao. fanfictions can help too, but frankly I haven’t had much time to read lately, so I’ve not been tapping into that resource.

FAVOURITE  TYPES  OF  THREADS : I love anything that brings about character development. doesn’t matter if it’s development for my muse or for my partner’s, although both is genuinely the best thing to roll with. I love it. I love putting muses into situations that bring about strong emotional reactions of some sort, that will help their character grow. Additionally, I’m a sucker for building any kinds of relationships, platonic or otherwise – I’m that slow burn loving masochist who likes to suffer through painfully slow development, it’s the worst.

BIGGEST  STRUGGLE  IN  REGARDS  TO  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE : ochako || she’s the first character I’m writing who is actually genuinely and obviously this pure and honest about pretty much everything. I’ve written kindhearted muses before, but either their anxiety made it harder to be so open about it, or they were notorious liars and fakers. she also currently has about 200% more energy than me, and that can be quite the challenge lmao. 

mao || for mao my biggest struggle is that she’s so ‘new’ and even I myself don’t know a lot about her yet. I’m learning as I go, trying to flesh her out some more, but I’m not having the easiest time starting interactions that will coax her out of her shell. It makes me feel quite insecure about her and my portrayal of her at times, but I’m working on it! I guess you could say my resolution for 2018 is to find ways to develop her more.

[studylustre]

hi love !! any recommendations for places to visit in seoul (restaurants, shops, etc.) ?? i know you just left so don't worry about answering too quickly, i understand :) it looked liked you had a wonderful time there and im super happy for you

oHH YES THIS IS THE ASK I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR MY FRIENDS,,, here we go!!! (ps this is so sweet omg thank u)

eateries/cafes ☕️

goobne chicken // ok so i know this is a chain but my brother bought it one night on a whim not realising and we both agreed that,, as self proclaimed foodies who live for good food,, THIS IS 100% THE BEST CHICKEN WE HAVE EVER HAD. it’s oven roasted but is somehow super crispy and flavoursome (almost similar to fried chicken in texture??) and soo succulent wow i’m rly salivating u have to try it ok treat urself u deserve some mind shatteringly good chicken. also it’s sponsored by exo so??? u KNOW it’s good

mr holmes bakehouse // they sell cruffins and matcha flavoured croissants my guy u 👏🏼   gotta 👏🏼  go 👏🏼   it’s also super aesthetically pleasing inside!! have u seen pics of the neon lights saying “i got baked in san francisco” floating around ig?? it’s from there anyway u have to go ok it’s so beautiful and the baked goods are amazing

arriate cafe // uMM the most aesthetically pleasing cafe of all time?? it’s got dried flowers everywhere, on the walls,, the ceilings,, on the tables and it’s so beautiful and the tea?? 10/10,, revolutionary,, i recommend the 유자차 (citrus tea)

dissent cafe // v good coffee and super aesthetically pleasing + minimalistic inside!!

sulbing // a rly popular dessert chain that sells korean shaved iced along w/ some other things. it’s always super packed inside and that’s bc their shaved ice IS THE BEST Y’ALL. u’ll find these everywhere (i think there’s quite a few in myeongdong and hongdae!!) so if u get the chance to go, go

소들녁 // we actually heard about this place through buzzfeed’s worth it series and they featured it on an episode w/ david chang, a famous chef and ok,,, if david chang says a place is good u gotta freakin go so we went and?? we had our minds blown y’all this bbq was so good i nearly cried and the staff were sooo lovely too!!! 10/10 seriously if u only go to one bbq place u go to while ur in seoul, let it be this one bc u will not regret it. also fun anecdote: my brother doesn’t speak any korean so he was just talking to the staff in english and when i whipped out my korean the server’s jaw legit dropped and she was visibly shook it made me v happy hehe

maple tree house // another korean bbq place!! it’s pretty damn good (imo not as good as 소들녁 but that place is like,, on a whole new level so)

sm cafe // if ur an sm fan…. u gotta go my dude this place is so aesthetically pleasing + the food and drinks and baked goods are actually surprisingly good like they’re not just relying on the sm name here they rly do have some bomb ass food?? also if ur lucky u might spot an idol so,, go (ps the toilets are rly pretty. that’s a weird statement but trust me)

osulloc // famous cafe for (green) tea!! if u like green tea u have to come here. their baked goods, tea and decorations are SO nice. trust

shops 🌟

stylenanda pink hotel // sooo aesthetically pleasing and they sell a lot of rly nice (kinda edgy) clothes, makeup and accessories. u should definitely check this place out!! it’s decorated like a hotel which is rly cool

common ground // kinda a shop but also not really - it’s more of a mall, which is made out of shipping containers!! the shops there are more indie brands from up and coming designers and the food there isn’t bad either ✌🏼

chuu // i never got to go to their flagship store bc i didn’t have enough time but i’ve shopped from their online store a couple of times and their clothes!! are!!! so!!! nice!!! kinda similar to stylenanda but a little more girly?? still kinda edgy though which i like

general areas to check out ✨

hongdae // known as the artsy area full of students and street performers. my fave place (and not just bc of a certain flannel clad boy that often performs there 👀). there’s an amazing energy there esp at night time, which is when the area is most alive!! it’s also famous for clubbing but even as a person that’s not rly into the whole clubbing/drinking scene, it’s still rly fun and there’s quite a lot of nice boutiques there so i highly recommend u to check it out!!

myeongdong // if u love skincare shopping like me, u will love myeongdong. there’s also a lot of street food and good restaurants there!! to be specific there’s a rly famous traditional bibimbap + mandu place there but i forgot what they’re called… but if u google it u’ll probably find it!!

bukchon village // full of traditional korean hanoks. v pretty!!

가로수길 // idk how to explain this area but it’s good for shopping + eating and just general exploring!! it’s near gangnam which is also worth checking out

i hope this list helps!! if any of u guys have been to seoul before and have some more recommendations, pls feel free to comment down below~

[terriblyspecificreviews-blog]

Poppy’s Am I A Girl raises more questions than it answers

6 out of 10 stars

Poppy's sophomore October 31st Halloween album release Am I a Girl has been described as "The Most Bewildering Album of Year", "Cold, technical and eerie.", "Spooky Robo-Bubblegum pop",  and "a celebration of all that is capitalist alienation, commodity fetishization, and environmental destruction". This is typical of what you would expect from the "Robot, Satanist, Illuminati Prom Queen" who become a internet meme sensation in 2015 when her disturbing David Lynch inspired Youtube videos went viral, receiving hundreds of millions of views (404,054,129 total views at the time of writing) and thousands of comments providing theories, and conspiracy theories as to what does it all mean.

Context

The first of these videos have seemingly innocuous, mundane and meaningless subject matters; eating candy floss, boredom, having her nails painted, spinning around while holding an umbrella, and a cover of Mac Demarco's My Kind of Woman. There's always an empty pastel coloured background to remove any sense of environmental context with Poppy being the centre focus in the style of Andy Warhol’s screen tests. There's a soft spoken ASMR style quality to the sound production which creates a sense of intimacy with the viewer, as if you the viewer were privy to personal intimate moment; one of the many subtle jarring unsettling aspects to the videos, together with the dissonant ambient soundtracks and Poppy's increasingly robot like delivery as the project developed over time. In this now infamous video Poppy repeats “I'm Poppy” for ten minutes. Poppy and her creative partner Titanic Sinclair (also a pseudonym) have stated there is a storyline to all of these videos, although I'm unsure as to whether this is a put on or sincere, because if there is a story its unclear and ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation, so I'll leave it to the reader to make your mind up as to what that might be. Over time there seems to have been story development however, with recurring characters appearing such as jealous robot plastic doll Charlotte, who released cover album of Poppy track takes, and Plant, who wishes you would stop killing plants; a subtle reference to the issue of climate change juxtaposed with the mundane sentiments of the video subject matters.

In a video review for the Poppy project as a whole, New York Magazines’ Jerry Saltz describes Poppy as “Very derivative art, it looks like a lot of very recent contemporary art about art about art that makes fun of art.” He goes on to link her to contemporary artist Jeff Koons, who through for example his metallic shiny balloon like sculptures reflects the viewer back at themselves. Interestingly Koons has being criticised for producing empty vacuous and meaningless art produced cynically for profit, yet this is one possible interpretation of his work; that he is reflecting the empty vacuous profit driven contemporary art world back at itself in a form of a self referential parody. You can also see this at play in Poppy's work. The video topics on her channel and on producer's Titanic Sinclairs channel are mirroring aspects of popular internet culture back at the viewers, but in a way that seems off and satirical, and yet things are kept ambiguous enough to be indistinguishable from what one might perceive as the “real” thing. It could be that this is a cynical attempt at making money, but this could be seen as a reflection of internet clickbait culture in simply producing content that reach the biggest and most general market possible, which is a pertinent point to make; how many of our present political predicaments are the result of online media outlets sensationalising news for clicks? There are also comparisons to be made with London based electronic music genre PC MUSIC in terms of the themes of Hyperreality and the visual aesthetics, and for example in this video and this video Poppy advertises fictional products, perhaps a nod too PC Music's QT and her energy drink. Poppy perhaps takes this all a step further in starting a new religion for profit with her Poppy.Church and The Gospel of Poppy. Again the lines between satire and reality have been blurred here, but this again could be a satirical commentary on the cult echo chamber like nature of online communities.

Poppy's forray into the music industry was likely always the intention given Titanic Sinclair's history with Mars Argo as a music based project. Her ambient album 3:36 (Music to Sleep to) is a reference to the cryptic video of the same name, and perhaps a reflection of Youtube's countless “ambient music for sleep” playlists. Her music is an extension of the narrative presented in the videos. Her song Adored typifies her bubblegum Electro J-pop inspired sound. 

The message of the video and the lyrics go together. For the whole duration of the video Poppy is just staring down her phone; Looking for “This life I keep hearing about... I wanna be adored I want nothing more”. Is this a cynical reference to people who look to social media for validation and live vicariously through their online personas, or is it a literal reflection of the viewer who also found and watched the video through their phone or laptop screen? Poppy's 2017 debut album Poppy.Computer also explored the hyperreality themes of the blurring lines between “online” “technology” and “real life”. The song Computer Boy is a surrealist love song written about her boyfriend, who also happens to be her laptop computer. In I'm Poppy she asks the listener to “Let me be your queen... Please electrify me, Power my Battery” building on the cult and technology themes, and on INTERWEB she has caught us in her internet.

Album Review

This is an album review, however as Poppy is an internet focused visual art project as well as musical artist the visual experience is as part of the intended delivery as the music itself, so I will include synopsis of the music videos on the necessary tracks. The first single and album opener on Am I A Girl is In A minute. A thumping electro chant similar to the Poppy.Computer opener 'I'm Poppy' presenting a smooth transition in the production aesthetic between the releases, however there is already a darker, melancholic tone to the music suggesting a departure from the happy go lucky parodic sentiment of the previous release and an evolution occurring in this offering into more overtly serious and mature subject matters. “I'll make up my face in a minute.. I'll reform this state in a minute.. Cash my check, got paid, yeah, I did it..I haven't done my nails in a minute" is the repeated mantra, on one level a nod to her previous success and rise to star-dome, on another level she is as always offering a cynical reflection of the values of 'American' or 'Western' (arguably global at this point, but for simplicities sake) Society; she has had time to cash her cheque and congratulate herself, but she relegates 'reforming the state' (please remember the cult forming, I'll be your queen, and 'fake it till you make it' sentiments expressed throughout her work) to the same importance as doing her nails or make-up. The video is a black white and red lyric video with a distorted image of Poppy singing,minimalist like Poppy's earlier videos but seemingly a move to a darker aesthetic compared to the typical bright and pastel music videos of previous years. This is also reflected in recent black and white photographs, and her collaborations and hanging out with the likes of Marilyn Manson and Korn's Jonathan Davis.  

Second album track and third single Fashion After All is another stompy pop track, less in the vain of her staple J-pop / K-pop sound but on a production note similar to the works of Lady Gaga and Jeffrey Star. Lyrically Poppy is just bragging, something very prevalent in today's top 40 pop appropriated from the braggadocio of hip hop, so this is likely a take on that, although the line “I'm revolutionary, relatable and scary, I'm making plans to save the world and I don't need your help” does make me wonder how much of it is a genuinely honest sentiment and we're seeing some hint of intention or climax to the Poppy project.

The next track Iconic is about self confidence, and how easy it is to be 'iconic'. I hear more Lady Gaga style influence here. “You don't have to be flawless, put on a little polish, run the bedroom to the office, you gotta be iconic, in school, they never taught it, don't worry, babe, I got you, and if you really, really want it, you gotta be iconic”. There's a serious point here that the only thing that makes 'celebrities' different from 'non celebrities' is a veneer of confidence and their crafted public perception. This is a genuinely important message when it has been revealed social media is deliberately engineered to fuel insecurity and anxiety, with some social media companies running non consensual psychological experiments on their customers to make them depressed in an age of record teenage suicides and mental health problems. The key words here are “if you really, really want it” there's not much to it, it's just an image; a presentation. This is also a very interesting message when you consider the Poppy starting a religion/cult aspect.This could be taken as a positive message in the sea of apparent cynicism that is the Poppy project, and likewise the song's tone has a very upbeat and positive feel in the context of a slightly darker and more mature album.

The albums second single is Time Is Up, and this certainly takes it to this darker place, musically and with it's apocalyptic subject matter. Probably the catchiest track on the album and probably the most important. Poppy sings from the point of view of an AI robot waking up in a factory, there is a link here to the theme of blurring lines between reality and the internet as Poppy is seen in her videos to become more robot like over time. There's some humour in this opening, which offsets the rest of the songs lyrics in which Poppy's AI character informs us all that while she won't need “air to breathe when you kill the bees And every river bed is dry as a bone.. when the plants have died and the atmosphere is just a big hole”, our time is up; meaning our (humans) self made extinction. She proceeds to inform us we are like cockroaches and extermination is our only hope. The humour here makes it such a hard hitting point. As Contrapoints brilliantly explains and dissects in this video far more succinctly then I have space for here, a lot of Americans have a problem accepting man made climate change despite the overwhelming evidence of it's reality and the absolute necessity of action against it at this point in time. The President is a climate change denier as is his elected head of the Environmental Protection Agency is too, and arguably this is the most pressing issue of our time, so it's perhaps unsurprising Poppy and co chose to deviate from their usual ambiguity and be so overt here. Purely from a pragmatic point of view humour can make things easier for people to accept and so I commend Poppy and her team for pulling this off so well. 

The title track Am I A Girl treads the waters of ambiguity once again however. Taken literally at face value the lyrics are about moving beyond the gender binary, “Am I a girl? Am I a boy? What does that even mean? I'm somewhere in between”. The lyrics seem overly simplistic and lacking in depth and nuance however. As this Vulture article points out, this is an artist who has used lyrics like “Boys aren't even boys anymore” and “You are never in the mood / So come on baby, tell me, are you gay?” in the past. Poppy when asked when she took interest in questioning societies gender constructs replies “When other celebrities started exploring it”, while this could be interpreted at simple sarcasm it does not translate well, and so I think the Vulture writer has good reason to take offence here, this can be interpreted as making light of a very serious issue for the sake of a joke that doesn't even clearly make sense. While I would also like to give the benefit of the doubt here, it's hard to find a practical way in which celebrities drawing attention to LGBTQ+ issues could be taken as something that should be attacked. This is disappointing as it undermines a positive and liberating message for the sake of a cheap shot at celebrity culture. That said, in Time Is Up Poppy said we all deserved to be exterminated, so maybe I'm missing something.

Play Destroy drew some significant hype for the album owing to it's featuring and co-production with electronic artist Grimes, though the process did not go smoothly. There's a significant shift in the sound aesthetic here, continuing on from the track Hard Feeling's introduction of metal guitar riffs, juxtaposed with the J-pop inspired bubblegum pop aesthetic. As catchy as the song is, I can't shake the feeling that their call to “Burn down the local Wal-Mart Monsanto, Raytheon” isn't entirely a sincere anti-corporation sentiment given the once again one dimensional approach to the lyrics and the fact Grimes's partner at the time was Elon Musk. Still musically this is an album highlight for me with it's blurring of genre's and particularly glossy vocal production.

The album finale X takes this genre blurring to an extreme with it's sugary reverb soaked calls to save the world and “empty every bullet out of every gun”, and the screaming metal sections and ridiculous chorus of “Please get me bloody”. The choice to release this as a video with equally juxtaposing imagery to match the music and the overall album theme of a darkening of imagery from the previous album/photos/imagery to this one, and the choice to end the album on this note offers a suggestion of where the Poppy project is going next. I will be keeping track of it as it unfolds, because the deeper I search for meaning here the more unsure I become as to what the intention behind it all really is, and perhaps as New York Magazines’ Jerry Saltz suggested they don't really know what it means or what the purpose is. What happens next will set the context for this one, given the attempts to construct a narrative on this album and in recent Poppy videos, we still don't know what this is and the celebrity LGBTQ+ comment sets a worrying precedent even if it was an ill informed attempt at sarcasm.

I believe that some clarity is needed at some point in the near future, you can only be so vague and tell the same cryptic joke repeatedly before it becomes meaningless nonsense. For the time being I give the album a 6 out of 10 score for it’s well written, glossy, genre bending and frankly fun pop, but I think time will tell how well the album and the project to which it belongs ages.

[myaphelion]

okay like... i’ve noticed everyone see the obvious Furby references in Tattletail, but there’s clearly more inspiration than that--from ‘80s toys to early ‘00s toys actually!

this might be a long post, but i want to try and compile everything i’ve personally noted Tattletail being inspired by--the in-game toy line specifically, with the Tattletails and Mama--not necessarily the game itself, since that’s a post i imagine someone else has already made :P

starting with the obvious:

Furby

i’m pretty sure everyone knows that Tattletail was inspired heavily by the Furby--given the similar outward appearance in the ears/eyes, the lack of arms, the chattering late-‘90s toy, etc etc. i don’t think it’s any stretch to say that Tattletail was clearly inspired by the Furby craze.

the boxes both definitely have a similar aesthetic (though i’ll talk about that later, as i’d also like to note the box’s similarity to others), down to the ‘warning’ label on the side!

in addition, the original Furbys were released in 1998, and were absolutely the hot sellers of the holiday season. Tattletail’s story takes place during the same time period and seems to follow the same setup of the kid getting the hot toy of that year.

Tattletail and Furby also speak in a childish manner, though Tattletail doesn’t seem to have its own Furbish-style language like Furbys do.

however, Furby’s not the only inspiration for Tattletail, and certainly can’t be the inspiration for Mama save for outward appearances. no, you gotta look a little forward into the future and a little backward into the past for those...

Teddy Ruxpin (and other Talking Tape Toys)

while Teddy Ruxpin was definitely the most famous of these, talking tape-based toys were super popular in the ‘80s and through to the mid ‘90s. Worlds of Wonder was the pioneer and the creator of most of the toys you see above, though Tyco and other companies followed suit.

just like Tattletail’s Mama, these toys contained a tape deck (usually in their back or side) that you could pop a tape into. the toy would animate along with the tape using special encoding, and would read stories and sing along with anything on the tape.

some of these toys also had secondary toys that could be hooked up to them (such as Teddy Ruxpin having Grubby), and they would also animate and read along with the tapes. cool technology, especially for the time they were developed!

i’ve also noted that the Teddy Ruxpin box has a more minimalist aesthetic on the front, with the name at the top and only a little detail at the bottom, much more similar to the Tattletail box than Furby’s box is. this may just be a coincidence, though, given how Ruxpin and friends are far closer to Mama than the Tattletails.

the dead giveaway though is that Ruxpin and a similar toy cassette player are on Mama’s design sheet. no bones about it--Ruxpin and co. were definitely inspirations for Mama.

a final inspiration, though, and one that’s a bit more obscure, comes from just a year after Furby and continued into the very early ‘00s.

WuvLuvs and Baby WuvLuvs

now here’s where things get really interesting, imo. i’ve never heard anyone talk about these things (and who can blame them--they’re kind of obscure and were only out for a little while before being discontinued), but i see plenty of inspiration in Tattletail.

to start, WuvLuvs were a toy built around the idea of the ‘mama’ WuvLuv giving birth to baby WuvLuvs inside eggs that you could hatch. they’d interact with each other, with the mama naming the babies and talking with them. sound familiar at all?

you could also buy the eggs/babies separately as shown in the second image above, and they’d come with a name tag (similar to the tag in the Good Ending of Tattletail) and be able to be played with on their own. they were also compatible with the mama WuvLuvs.

the fact that they were also much needier than Furbys--needing to be brushed/fed at a much more consistent rate--makes me think that these were also heavy inspirations for Tattletail, whether conscious or not.

box-wise, there’s nothing really that matches with the Tattletails, so i won’t be going over the box here. if you’re interested it’s not too hard to find on Google.

and that’s it for the major inspirations! i left out minor things like the charging station being more reminiscent of AIBO and similar more complicated pets and the need for feeding/brushing/etc also being probably inspired by Tamagotchi, but those are more minor than the above toy inspirations.

hopefully this enlightened someone to some stuff they may not have known! and to @waygetter, thank you so much for making a fantastic and terrifying game. best of luck to y’all in your future games c:

[zso1chelmno]

If you want to get inspired

There’s a lot of homework to do and you have two tests coming up tomorrow, so my question is: what do you do? If the answer isn’t – I’m going on Tumblr; then you’re doing something wrong!

The more is going on in your life, the more you just want to give it all up and take a break. This thing that you do when you have to study and instead of doing so you’re lying on your bed imagining situations and dialogues that will never happen – is called procrastination. Everybody loves to procrastinate, spend their time on doing literally nothing. For me, the best way to do this, is to go on Tumblr.

Tumblr is something you can call a blog, except it really isn’t. You have to put an effort to be a blogger (at least that’s what they’re telling us, probably just so we wouldn’t start our own blog and take their viewers from them), and being on Tumblr is effortless. You create your account, which basically means you create an url – that will be your blog’s name. Then you just follow other blogs and reblog (repost) what they’ve put on their Tumblr or you can post your own stuff. You can change the way your Tumblr looks (advice – the more minimalistic it is, the better), you can change your avatar and just personalize all the other little things. And then there is a Dashboard. The Dashboard is a main page, where you see every post that’s been reblogged or posted personally by the people you follow. It all comes down to a lot of photos, gifs, texts, music and videos.

It can only seem difficult at the beginning, but once you get used to how things work, you’re at home. You just have to find some interesting people and follow them (not literally though, that would be weird and most likely illegal as well), there’s billionth of them (probably exaggerating) so you will definitely find someone who shares your interests.

The question is – what can Tumblr give to you? And I wouldn’t be lying if I said that it can give you the purpose in life. It can, and will, inspire your life. Let me just tell you, what it has given to me. I’m more of an aesthetic blogger, which means that I appreciate beauty and follow a lot of blogs that post photos of fashion, screenshots from movies and series, cool indie rock music or classical music, quotes from books, funny videos, photos or texts, sarcastic comments, and a lot of other things that are very appealing for my eyes and ears. Every day I get up I go on Tumblr (there’s an app on androids and iPhones), and within 10 seconds I’m inspired to get up and to have a meaningful day, to eat a healthy breakfast, to drink 2L of water per day, to feel something, to love life and to L I V E. The key is following right people.

Let me tell you few things about right people. First of all, if someone posts something that you find offensive or you just don’t agree with, don’t be bothered, just unfollow them! You don’t need that kind of negative energy in your life. Don’t let yourself to be the victim of a passive aggressive behavior. But don’t worry, it’s easy to find good people there. If I were to recommend someone specifically, that’d be a Tumblr that goes by the name just-shower-thoughts. The url says it all, but let me add some quotes from this blog, that will really get you thinking: “Most Americans can easily go their entire lives without ever seeing a man-made thing older than 300 years, while in Europe it’s almost impossible to avoid. “ , “It literally takes you a lifetime to die.” , “Once you’ve read the dictionary, every other book you read is just a remix.” , “All fish tanks are basically soups if you apply heat”. Also, a cool fact – one of the most popular Tumblr user is actually Polish! Her name is Joanna Kuchta and her url name is ppolishprincess. I would recommend following her if you are interested in fashion.

Also, with Tumblr, you’ll be the first one to know everything. Every time a famous actress goes out, three seconds later there’s a set of photos of her. So if you’re interested in someone, let’s say in Kim Kardashian West (and I know you are, who isn’t?!) you can follow blogs that are dedicated to her, the second she does something – you’ll know.

It’s always a wonder for me, how do people find movies to watch, books to read, music to listen to, if they don’t get the inspiration off of Tumblr?! How do they know how to cut their hair, how to do their makeup, what clothes to wear? Ok, so I guess it is possible to do so without Tumblr, but trust me, with this site, it gets way easier. A screenshot from a movie, with quotes added to it, can make you want to watch this one movie, so you no longer have to search through filmweb every time you’re bored.

In the end, I could just give you my url so you could follow me, but I’m not going to do that. For me, Tumblr is so personal, it’s like a big part of my soul, and I’d just feel so vulnerable if I were to share it with you all. But if you blog a lot, maybe you will come across me one day? Who knows, but for now, it’s going to remain a secret.

Written by

Natalia Gurgul

[canvaswolfdoll]

Canvas and Video Games

Have I talked about my Video Game history? Feels like I have, but I also can’t remember doing so. I’m also running low on possible essay topics, and haven’t finished off any media that I can review[1] recently enough to do that instead…

So, hey, you nerds, let’s talk about Video Games!

Because that’s obviously been a massive influence on my life, what with… my entire brand, really. Egads, am I a nerd, sitting here with a New 3DS in a charging cradle in front of me, trying to work out how to do better quality streams and deciding to write an essay about Video Games.

It all started with my brother, old Foxface himself. As the family lore goes, my parents once didn’t want video games in the house, what with… the social stigma, I guess? It was different times, alright?

Point is, my brother’s speech teacher was all ‘Hey, you know what may help with speech? Video Games! Get him video games.’

And so my parents did, despite any reasonable connection or evidence in the above argument.[2]

So they bought him the Sega Genesis, the only non-Nintendo console we’ve ever owned. He played Sonic the Hedgehog! Also… no. It was mostly just Sonic.

Obviously young Canvas was also interested in the wonder of interactive media, and the running rodent, so I’d watch him play, and occasionally step in as Tails or try to play it myself. And I was terrible at it.

Eventually, the Nintendo 64 was released and added to our fleet of hardware, and we never looked back! Ha ha!

That’s the console that we really cut our teeth on, with it’s many beloved games, from Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (first Zelda game I was ever aware of), and so on and so forth. We ended up with most of the major releases.[3] Also Mischief Makers for some reason.

It was also the height of Video Rental stores, though I never got to choose games to rent. Vulpin stuck with Space Station Silicon Valley which… might deserve an HD Remake, to be honest. Such a bizarre premise people would eat up, nowadays.

The Game Boy Color arrived, carrying Pokemon and various shovelware, plus a few Zelda Games. Tried my best with them, but for the longest time I never actually completed a video game, or got that far, though I did finish Johto in Gold, which is something.

Gamecube came out, the Dreamcast died, and I began to become aware of the surrounding culture as my capabilities to use the internet matured. We also continued a trend of our person game libraries for the generation growing larger than the last. Lots of GameCube games.

Animal Crossing was a Christmas gift early in the cycle, and it was the first video game all of the kids in the family played, to various extents. Elder Sister was her usual perfectionist self, paid off her house, then pretty much stopped playing video games forever afterwards. Little Sister still plays the occasional game (mostly Paper Mario), but largely it’s just Foxface and I who are deep into the gaming scene.

But, like so many things, tracking each and every experience would be a rather sisyphean task, so I should try and refocus here.

Video Games have always been a presence in my life, and thus had its effects on my creative self, from imaginary friends to the little stories I’d crafted pacing the backyard. They were my chief insight into narratives and various genres, design (whether costume or set or mechanical). Nintendo Power helped educate me on the concept of news and industry, as well as the community that could grow from a hobby.

In fact, Pokemon was the main driving force behind the event I joke is the time I’ve ever made friends myself,[4] being approached while reading a book related to the franchise during second grade. It was nice.

Learning about the internet and GameFAQs hinted towards the wider world and culture, and eventually I came upon 8-Bit Theater, which fired up my love of comics in a big way. Comics and stories made from and about elements of video games? That’s so cool!

Then Nintendo Acres happened.

The diminishing use of quality sprite work in video games makes me sad, by the way. There’s just something about the GBA/DS era graphics that invokes joy in my heart, by now even Pokemon has left sprite work behind for models, and even kitschy independent games tend for the super minimalistic version of 8-bit and… whatever one would refer to Atari graphics. Had I artistic talent, I would slather my media in 16-bit evocative of Friends of Mineral Town or The World Ends with You.

In fact, I think that’s one of my main hurdles getting invested in Stardew Valley[5] and Undertale. They just look ugly, even by the standards of kitschy 8-bit style. Frisk is malformed, and all the Stardew characters are in the wrong perspective for the rest of the world. Sprite work can be so beautiful, and yet no one puts in the effort anymore.

Look, sprites aren’t the only aesthetic I love, just so we’re clear. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, I just prefer bright, cheery worlds. Tale of Symphonia is one of my favorite games, if not my absolute number one.[6] There’s just something very nice about a fantasy world that looks lush and vibrant, where you’d be happy to live just for the scenery. The Tales series and Rune Factory also made me very positive about oddly intricate characters in fantasy. I’ve never liked the dirt covered fantasy of… let’s say Skyrim. Fantasy should be about escapism, grand adventure in grand landscapes, not the crushing reality of medieval times.

More Ghibli, less brown is what I want in general.

I may be an oddball for the elements I look for in video games. I like RPGs (obviously) but there’s very few members of the genre I actually enjoy. I flat-out can’t stand western Video Game RPGs.

What I usually look for in games is both a compelling narrative and interesting mechanics, with allowance for the ‘Classics’ and trendsetters.[7] This is something I find lacking in Western-Style RPGs, with their focus on customizing and granular stat advancement. Sure, I understand someone’s desire to try and put a popular character in an Elder Scrolls, or place some curious limitation on themselves while crawling around Fallout’s wastelands.

But because the game needs to allow the player to make whoever they want, it severely cripples the writer’s ability to write the “main” character into the plot, lest they step on the agency of the player. So, from my perspective, we end up in one of two situations: the PC is a non-entity in the plot, with the narrative happening around and to them instead of with them. Or, we get a Mass Effect situation, where they treat it like Choose Your Own Adventure, and you end up shooting a dude when you thought you were just going to arrest him.[8] That’s why I much prefer being handed a protagonist with a history and personality.

Now, those familiar with my tabletop philosophies, and namely my disdain for randomized Character Gen because it takes away player agency might be tilting their head at this inconsistency.

Well, it’s a scale thing. I realize Video Games have a limitation, and thus it’s unreasonable to expect it to cater to you completely. Tabletop, however, allows endless narrative possibilities, because it’s being created in the moment. So, with Video Games, I’m more willing to just let the story take me along as an observer, like a TV Show.

Which is to say, I don’t really project on the Player Character, and am I happy with that. It’s a division between game and story that may seem odd, but it’s what I look for: every piece having a narrative purpose, especially the loser who’s carrying us on our back.

So, narratively, I prefer the style of JRPGs (also, I like Anime and it’s tropes, so…). Yet, I have never really gotten engrossed in any Final Fantasy Game, because list combat is very dull. I mean, grindy, set the auto-attack against opponent style of Western RPGs[10] aren’t much better, but at least it’s got a hint of visual interest.

What am I left with? For a while, Tales of Symphonia, but now I’ve got Rune Factory, with it’s rather simple combat, but still mostly fun (helped along by other elements), and especially Fire Emblem, which what I wish battlemat D&D combat could be: quick, clever, strategic.

Though I’ve only played the 3DS installments thus far, due to lack of accessibility to the early games, which I couldn’t be bothered to try when they were released. Did try the first GBA game to be ported over, but that ended up having the worst, most micromanaging tutorial I’ve ever seen, and thus I am incapable of completing the first level.

I know how to play video games, Fire Emblem. I am aware of the base concept of pressing A. Yeesh. You’re worse than modern Harvest Moon games!

I’ve also never gotten invested in military FPSs, as a mixture of finding the gameplay boring, difficulty mastering it, and mockery whenever I was roped into playing one with friends.[11] In general, I don’t like being in first person view, as I find it limiting to controls, and responding to things that get behind me is annoying, because I flail trying to find the source of damage, then die.

Though, with time, my avoidance has decreased. Portal has a first person camera, but in a mixture of a more puzzle focused game and excellent integration of tutorial into gameplay,[12] it takes an agitating limited camera and makes it very workable, while also teaching the player how to interact with a game in first person.

I also played a little Team Fortress 2, and now Overwatch. The difference with those two over, say, Modern Duty or whatever, is the tone. The two games are competitive, yes, but also light hearted and goofy. Death is cheap and non punishing, the addition of powers make character choice widely different and fun, and, when I do get a little frustrated, it’s very easy for me to take a breath say ‘It’s only a game’ and let it go. Which is important when playing video games, sometimes.

Because that’s what games should always be: entertainment. It’s why I don’t try and force myself through games I’m not enjoying or lose interest in (though obviously I do try and come back and finish the plot) and why I very rarely strive for 100% completion. Because I want to enjoy myself, not engage in tedious work.

It’s also why I don’t care about ESports. Because I don’t care about sports. People doing something very well doesn’t really appeal to me. High-level chess players aren’t interesting to watch or study, seeing two teams of muscled people charge one another isn’t fun, and fight scenes with the usual punching and kicking is dull.

Because, what I look for in most cases is novelty.

Seeing a master craftsman make a thing once can be interesting, just to see the process. See a master craftsman make the same thing a 100 times is uninteresting, because nothing new is happening. When it comes to sports and games, it’s more interesting to see novices play, because they mess up in interesting ways, spot and solve problems, and you get to sit back and go ‘Now, I would’ve done this.’

So, yeah, not a big fan of Counterstrike and League of Legends news, even besides the toxic communities.

Public perception of video games turned rather quick in my lifetime. It used to be such a niche hobby, enjoyed by nerds and children and so such. Yet… well times change, don’t they? Obviously children grew up and brought games along with them, but the hobby has expanded to become mainstream, a console being as necessary as a television, where those without are viewed as bizarre, despite it not being a physical need.[13] We all remember the children who noted their family doesn’t have a TV (or keep it in the closet), and I wonder if XBoxes have gained the same traction.[14]

If only tabletop games could get the same treatment.

Though I still wouldn’t be able to find a group, but still…

Now that I’m an employed adult, I have even more control over the games I play. Which means a Wii U and a custom built PC.

That I built myself, because I also enjoyed Lego as a child.

Between the two, I tend to have a wide enough net to catch the games that interest me. Sure, there’s still some PlayStation exclusives I’d love to try (Journey, Team ICO’s works, plenty of Tales games…)[15] but some of those games are slowly drifting over to Steam, and I already have a backlog, so I can wait it out.

That’s my stumbled musings about video games… Oh! I stream them! Over here! Watch me! I love to entertain and amuse!

Also maybe consider supporting me through patreon? Then I can put more resources into being amusing!

And share any thoughts you have. I’ll listen. Until then…

Kataal kataal.

[1] Did finish rereading Yotsuba&! but there’s nothing to say about besides “Read it!” [2] Certainly didn’t help me. [3] Though not Harvest Moon 64. One day, I will slay that whale. One day… [4] The rest are inherited after old friends leave. [5] Someone on Reddit commented its port to the Switch may help scratch the itch left by Rune Factory. They are, of course, dreadfully wrong. [6] I still dislike do rankings. [7] IE, I’m not a big fan of hallway-bound FPS games, but have played through the Half-Life series. Mostly for the connection to Portal. [8] I know it was in the ‘Renegade’ position, but I thought it’d be played as ‘I’ll risk losing the Shadow Broker to book this small fish’ sort of thing. I’m not very clever, okay?[9] [9] I actually never progressed much further than that. Perhaps it’ll be on CanvasPlays someday. [10] I don’t care if you have a list of subversions of this style, by the way. I really don’t. [11] I once annoyed a former friend for not knowing there’s an aim button. I didn’t know this, because I don’t play FPSs. [12] There’s a very nice Extra Credits about this somewhere. [13] Though as a cultural need… [14] Nintendo Consoles, of course and unfortunately, being considered the off-brand. [15] the PS3 port of Tides of Destiny. Yes, it’s a disgrace of a Rune Factory game, and it was also on the wii but… well, sometimes I’m an insane collector![16] [16] I don’t even need a PS3. I can get it used for, like, five bucks from GameStop…

[jibbyscorner]

In the World of Harsh Reality, Taylor Swift's Mind Turned Everyone's Lives Into Folklore

Detailing Taylor's past albums, we'll take a look on how Taylor Swift evolved and made one of the most diverse discography of all time.

Photo by Taylor Swift

“Only 20 minutes to sleep

But you dream of some epiphany

Just one single glimpse of relief

To make some sense of what you've seen”

— epiphany, by Taylor Swift

As everything shut down, the world was put into a deep sleep. Almost every production was put into a long pause, and it felt like time stood still, the sounds sucked off into an oblivion. There was an eerie silence everywhere, an energy of paranoia lingering since an enemy that we cannot see started emerging among us. Medical personnel became our soldiers, a new generation of heroes sacrificing their lives to save the ones affected by the virus. This is what happened last year, when the pandemic of COVID 19 hit our world. There was darkness, and no one knew when the light would come back.

And in the eternity of silence, there was a moment of shock and surprise. Taylor Alison Swift, a thirty-one year old American singer-songwriter from Nashville brought songs of light in the middle of our darkest quietness. In the first months of our quarantine, Taylor Swift managed to write seventeen minimalistic songs that encapsulates the mood and tone the pandemic has brought forth upon us.

With tracks ranging from the feeling of being left out and taken for granted, infidelity, songs about trying, and melodies narrating a soulmates' love story, to fantasizing about past lovers, reminiscing on a recent summer fling, and the different perspectives of a teenage love triangle, Folklore (stylized as folklore), the eighth studio album by the global icon Taylor Swift, was put out into the world sixteen hours after its surprise announcement. And the general public can agree, Swift brought solace upon us, and what makes it special was that it was the music we never knew we needed the most. An album that stores nostalgia, with themes of experiences etched deep within the well-written words, brought forward to life by the lovely, melodic voice of Taylor Swift, Folklore is an album that you'll only hear once in a lifetime. It was indeed one of the best thing to come out in 2020, where everything were at its worst.

"And I don't know how it gets better than this

You take my hand and drag me head first

Fearless “

— Fearless, by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is known by the world as the master storyteller of life. Her albums details her experiences as she grows, like diary entries transformed into lyrical songs. It all started with her early teenage encounters chronicled in her debut album Taylor Swift (2006). But she obtained popularity with her sophomore album Fearless (2008), which also won multiple Grammys including Album of the Year, marking Swift, age 20 at the time, as the youngest artist to ever win the highest accolade provided by the awarding academy. [The 11-year record was broken by Billie Eilish in 2020, with her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?] As times goes by, alongside her rise to stardom, Swift continued telling her story, narrating her life through a magical filter with Speak Now (2010). All the songs from this album was written all by her and her pen only, after some rumors erupted, speculating that she doesn't write her own songs. She proved them wrong by writing almost every single thing about her life, including heartbreaks and breakups. It wasn't until her fourth album, Red (2012), when the media started dubbing her as the queen of writing heartbreak songs. This sparked an ongoing battle with misogyny and stereotyping, painting Swift as the girl who could not move on from her ex-boyfriends.

Photo by Taylor Swift

“ It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore

The lights are so bright but they never blind me, me”

— Welcome to New York, by Taylor Swift

Swift reached her peak in her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), which sparked a great shock around the world. This was the album that highlighted a huge change in her career path, switching from country genre to full-on pop. This album also gave her a Grammy Album of the Year, making Taylor Swift as the first woman in the history of the awarding season to win two AOTD Grammys. The album is spectacular in all of its aspect, influenced by the aesthetics of polaroids and 80s synth pop music. It changed the music industry, with the album being the master influencer of more pop albums to come in the future. Two of the biggest songs from this albums were "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space," a couple of satirical tracks biting back at the media, especially men, as they're constantly invalidating her songs about heartbreak. Swift has managed to be brave and strong, a woman who knows how to fight back, she has done it so many times, and never failed.

Photo by Taylor Swift

“I can feel the flames on my skin

Crimson red paint on my lips

If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing

I don't regret it one bit, 'cause he had it coming“

— I Did Something Bad, by Taylor Swift

Even when a phone call started leaking, painting Swift as the bad woman who loves to act like a victim, she has managed to still rise above and break records. After a year long feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, and after thousands, if not millions, of hate comments directed at her, Swift made the biggest comeback of the decade by releasing her sixth studio album reputation (2017) [the small "r" done on purpose]. With the album detailing what it felt like to live in constant hate, the collection of songs also narrated how Swift found love in the middle of all hatred. It was when Swift was hated by the whole world, that she met her long-time partner Joe Alwyn, and what makes the album special is that, even in the darkest times, she found warmth and love that is real and golden. And now, with a love accompanying her by her side, Swift became what the media wants to paint her as: a cunning, malevolent, but genius snake.

Photo by Fernie on We Heart It

“Baby, let the games begin“

— Ready For It, by Taylor Swift

After numerous comments of snake icons started by Kim Kardashian, the world started dubbing Swift as the queen of snakes, an evil creature who loves to bite back when you're not looking. And as a genius business woman, Swift made herself as the queen of snakes, wearing dark-themed costumes on her snake-themed reputation stadium tour. With edgy choreography, darker lighting, and twisted vocals, Taylor Swift managed to fill in millions of seats on her stadium tour. After all of her hard work and cancelation by the media, Swift breathtakingly took the record of highest-grossing US tour in history, which generated US $266.1 million and sold over 2 million tickets (2,068,399) in the singer-songwriter's home country. As stated by some articles and video footages, Taylor Swift is indeed the music industry.

Photo by Buzzfeed

“ I once believed love would be burning red

But it's golden

Like daylight “

— Daylight, by Taylor Swift

She went from dark-themed to pastel-themed on her seventh studio album Lover (2019). With theatrical melodies and bubblegum pop, Taylor Swift narrates all sides of love. Swift now has a lover, and it's time to let go—but not forget—of all the hatred and fear that the previous times has given her. She is now finally happy, and she intends to prolong this emotion.

“Fifteen years, Fifteen million tears

Begging 'til my knees bled

I gave it my all, he gave me nothing at all

Then wondered why I left

Now he sits on his throne in his palace of bones

Praying to his greed

He's got my past frozen behind glass

But I've got me”

— it's time to go, by Taylor Swift

Aside from this, her seventh album is also the first album that she truly owned. After some negotiations that occurred behind her back, it was revealed by Swift that her ownership of her first six albums were stolen from her by an old enemy, Scooter Braun, and this greedy act was enabled by Scott Borchetta, the owner of Swift's old management. This meant for Taylor that she legally cannot access control and ownership over her previous albums. As a solution for this, Swift decided to rerecord her first six albums, as a means for Swift to regain control of her masters. In this way, Swift would be able to regain ownership of her songs, songs that she wrote ever since she was a teenager, writing lyrics on her bedroom floor.

Going back, the world was put on hold by the pandemic, and after long period of silence, Taylor Swift wrote and released Folklore. With well-known producers Jack Antonoff (from his band Bleachers) and Aaron Dessner (from the band The National), Taylor Swift made her quietest music yet, adding more layer to her discography. It was another shift in genre, from country, to pop, and now, to alternative folk. Using instruments such as piano, guitar, and even a hint of harmonica, Folklore will take you on a thought-provoking ride. The melodies of these songs are soothing to the ears, and it would also transport you to a place you never thought you'd ever go, as the album is full of raw emotions expressed in the most quiet way possible. It’s an album that would make you wonder.

“But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss

I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs

The smell of smoke would hang around this long

'Cause I knew everything when I was young

I knew I'd curse you for the longest time

Chasin' shadows in the grocery line

I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired

And you'd be standin' in my front porch light

And I knew you'd come back to me

You'd come back to me

And you'd come back to me

And you'd come back”

— cardigan, by Taylor Swift

Joining Fearless and 1989, Folklore also won Album of the Year in the Grammys, it made Taylor Swift as the first woman in history to ever win three Album of the Year Grammy awards. On top of that, she's also the first artist to win the highest accolade in the recording academy in three different genres: country, pop, and alternative folk. Alongside her big awards, Artist of the Decace in American Music Awards, and Global Icon Award in the Brits, Swift has been proving to us that she's an artist running for a legend status. And with her growing success, it's predicted that she would achieve this feat in the upcoming future.

Photo by Taylor Swift

Unlike Swift's previous albums, Taylor Swift's eighth studio album refrained from revealing more of Taylor's life at the moment. In the times when people needed to hear stories, Swift invented fictional narratives, telling a detailed, masterpieces meant to tell you a beginning, middle, and an end. Taylor's songwriting abilities paints you a picture, her excellent choice of words would make you feel specific emotions. The lyrics has depth in it that only a seasoned songwriter like Swift could do. Her pen game will really take you on adventures, a signature power of Taylor.

Photo by Taylor Swift

People really thought that Folklore will be Taylor's latest album for a while. But we're once again, proven wrong.

“Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind

But I come back stronger than a 90's trend”

— willow, by Taylor Swift

Nearly five months after the release of eighth studio album, Taylor went on social media again to surprise us with her ninth studio album, Evermore (stylized as evermore), the sister album of Folklore. Like the previous album, Evermore narrates seventeen more fictional tales, this one on a different theme. If Folklore is summer and spring, Evermore would encompass autumn and winter. Evermore would provide you the healing of the hurt Folklore provided. It's more mature, in a way, with themes going on from dangerous love, to love rekindling for a moment, more illicit affairs, and even going to infidelities resulting to a real murder. On the last track of Evermore, Swift narrates the feeling of hurting, and how she thought it would last forevermore, and on the last seconds of the song, Swift narrates how she found light at the end of the tunnel, and what she thought about pain lasting for evermore, was indeed wrong. She also wrote about letting go and moving on, a hint of her battle with the thieves Scott and Scooter, who stole her melodies and lullabies.

“And I was catching my breath

Barefoot in the wildest winter

Catching my death

And I couldn't be sure

I had a feeling so peculiar

That this pain would be for

Evermore"

— evermore, by Taylor Swift

Folklore and Evermore both provided the sense of reprieve that people hurting jn this pandemic needed. They're the relief that you would get after being underwater for so long, the first couple of breaths that you would savor, as you reached the edge of troubling waters. In the days of pause and frozen times, Taylor Swift sang to us, and provided us warmth and comfort. Her voice a big hug that we all need to cope up with the recent dark events in our world. We were all lucky to have an artist like Taylor Swift, who proves to be a productive art maker, even in the times of lost hopes and inspirations.

Photo by Taylor Swift

Right now, in the month of June, the world is slowly healing. And now that we got our first rerecording of one of her albums, Fearless (Taylor's Version), it's a fact that no one would ever forget what Taylor did to us with Folklore and Evermore. The two albums would be remembered as the albums that provided the hurting and healing that we all needed at the time. But then again, Taylor Swift never fails to make us all feel something, and with the re-recordings coming up, the world wouldn't be ready for more surprises she has in store.

Taylor Swift would be a legend in the coming years, and only time is holding her back.

Photo by Taylor Swift

Feature Article by Abdullah Jibril Y. Dandamun

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Sasha Weekes of Timber Grove Studios, a brand that makes decorative wooden shelves.Some stats:Product: Decorative wooden shelves.Revenue/mo: $6,000Started: June 2017Location: Hunter River, PEFounders: 1Employees: 0Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?My name is Sasha Weekes and I’m the 25 years old owner of Timber Grove Studios. Our home-based woodshop is nestled in the hills of PEI’s countryside, and we specialize in decorative shelving and home decor with a focus on minimalist design and simplicity. Each piece is made to order with 20+ color options, meaning it will be the perfect fit for each customer's space. We ship Canada and U.S. wide.Etsy has been the main platform since starting up, although I finally have a standalone website up and running as well which I hope to grow in order to diversify sales channels. I have no current employees, although I have a wonderful subcontractor who works from home to cut and stain wood for me. She’s paid by the piece so it’s a great system for both of us. My partner Mario works full time but has recently joined me on the side and we’ve released a new line of steel table bases together which has been a ton of fun - he is an awesome welder.After launching in 2017 and being skeptical about making sales of large items online, I was absolutely proved wrong! The business outgrew our small condo basement within 7 months and outgrew the garage/basement of our next rental home in 7 months as well. We’re now happily settled with a detached shop and garage, meaning there’s some room to grow (for now!) and space to begin stocking up on items for the Christmas rush before summer ends.Moving twice in two years has definitely caused organizational, financial and opportunity hiccups, but the business has grown steadily regardless so we’re very excited about where 2020 will take us. We’ve learned what to focus on during which months, as revenue can range anywhere from $2000 during slow months to $10,000 during high months. Net profit has run anywhere between 20-50% throughout the life of the business and varies month to month. It’s closer to 20% right now as we’ve been spending all we can on new tools and materials for our new larger products and our Christmas stock.imageWhat's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I was always the art kid growing up, so I naturally began my post secondary education by pursuing a degree in Fine Arts. I spent my summers refinishing furniture and doing photography and that’s how I got my feet wet with business, so by my second year, I was also pursuing a minor in Commerce.I had never really done much woodworking at all but became a lot more interested in design and home decor during those years. After finishing my third year, I was itching to do something more practical than becoming a gallery artist, so I set my sights on furniture design and enrolled in a college cabinetmaking course instead. It really wasn’t where I had ever expected to end up, but it was sort of a natural progression and I’m so glad I did it!I started making mountain shelves in the morning before class to sell on Facebook and Kijiji. It was intended to be a fun side project but they were so popular that I started my business shortly after graduating with the mountains as my first product.The business format was such a logical choice because although I’d learned to use plenty of tools and equipment in school, outfitting a large woodshop costs thousands of dollars.Instead, I started out with an old miter saw that my shop teacher sold me for $30, just enough material for a few shelves to photograph, and my biggest investment - a new nail gun and compressor - came to around $350. Fresh out of school with no savings whatsoever, I got only what I needed and got to work on designing products with it.imageTake us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.My answer to this question is probably different than most on Starter Story because I’m a smaller scale maker and almost everything is still done internally, which I still take pride in.The original mountain design did change when I first began making them at home - I wanted something more aesthetically pleasing than the mountain designs going around on Pinterest and Etsy at the time. I had also originally used spruce strapping and it was quite rough, so I sourced clear pine which I still use to this day from the local Timber Mart.It not only looks better but it’s much easier to work with and predictable looking for the customer when they’re ordering from previous photos. Designing was a pretty simple process, but I immediately focused on making a clear color chart with lots of options for customers. There were originally 8 colors and we now have 20, and I think it’s an important advantage for a handmade product to have the ability to be customized. It’s part of what makes the higher price tag and waits time worth it to our customers. However, I’m fairly strict about not customizing outside of the options we offer. To keep things running efficiently and get lots of product out, I don’t make many custom designs or size changes to items especially during busy seasons - I think a lot of makers get caught up with this and every new design is time-consuming.I honestly had a really tough time with shipping. I had no clue what I was doing with packaging and many of my first international shipments arrived broken. I went above and beyond with customer service during these first few orders and refunded everything, apologized profusely, and somehow came out with no bad reviews.When I began listing items on Etsy, I honestly had a really tough time with shipping. I had no clue what I was doing with packaging and many of my first international shipments arrived broken. (There are unsurprisingly no online tutorials for shipping awkward and fragile mountain shaped shelves!) I went above and beyond with customer service during these first few orders and refunded everything, apologized profusely, and somehow came out with no bad reviews.Some customers even left 5 stars despite getting broken items, which is what I LOVE about Etsy - people seem to understand when they’re ordering handmade and from a new business that mistakes might be made. If you treat them well, they will do the same. It didn’t take long to switch to better boxes, higher quality glue, and add styrofoam cutouts inside the shelves which prevented any future damage. Damage rates are almost zero these days. I’ve switched shipping carriers and platforms a few times trying to get better pricing on large items. If you’re looking to ship large items and you’re from Canada, I definitely recommend Netparcel with Paypal because it’s by far the cheapest option I’ve found.I want to talk a bit about the rest of the base product line as well, which I’ve added throughout the last 2-3 years. I designed my biggest sellers like bath caddies, hexagon shelves, jewelry racks and sailboat shelves using the same size wood and the same tools & materials. I even design things to fit in the same boxes as other products if possible. This is a big part of why I think I was able to be successful in the handmade market because it makes everything so much more simple. It takes up less space, less time sourcing the right materials, and not much is wasted if a product doesn’t end up selling. Everything also has the same minimalist, clean aesthetic so it looks cohesive.Today, the mountain shelves and all variations of it have sold about 400 times on Etsy. The basic one-color mountains cost about $8 in lumber and materials and sell for $85CA, shipping included. Shipping is between $15-$25 apiece, and there are between 1-2 hours of labor in each shelf.Below is the original mountain design vs. the current one:imageimageDescribe the process of launching the business.When I graduated from college, I spent the summer waitressing long hours but slowly began launching the business on the side.I started out by selling through Facebook, Instagram, Kijiji, any free platform I could at the time. It was just a few sales a month so more of a hobby, although I was working on my branding at this time and starting to get the Etsy shop together.When September rolled around, I ended up working as a kitchen designer and had a lot more downtime, so this was when I put a ton of work into the Etsy shop, learning about Etsy SEO, photographing everything, getting the color samples and the listings together and in pristine condition. I also had to sort out shipping costs and source packaging materials. Now that I’m working on a new website, I can only wish I had that sort of time and mental energy to put into it - I was pretty lucky. Much of the shop is still the same today because I did a really good job with it (at least I think!) Financially speaking, Etsy is a really great way to start a business because it’s essentially free until you start selling. It cost nothing to launch besides my 20 cent listing fees.imageI launched the shop officially in October and within a month I was starting to get a few sales that weren’t from family and friends. October was obviously a great time to get started because that’s when the busiest time of year is picking up, so by the time January came around I was getting very busy with everything and worrying about noise complaints in our condo complex.Mario had another job offer at this time he wanted to try out, so it was the right time for us to change things up. I quit my job and we moved to Moncton, New Brunswick from PEI, which is about two hours and one province away for those who are unfamiliar. I worked part time briefly after this first move, but by April the shop was really rolling and I became full time. I’ve worked part time on and off since this, mostly coaching hockey at night, both for the extra financial security and my sanity. It gets me out of the house and meeting people when I’m working alone all day.The biggest hiccups right at the start were definitely the shipping issues, and just perfecting my builds. The sailboat shelves and mountains, in particular, were tough to make, and sometimes I’d blow too many nails out and have to start over, which is stressful when you’re on a deadline and the finishing process can take days to dry. I’ve gotten a lot more skilled at building everything, just by doing it hundreds of times. I’m very quick now too and a build that previously took 20 minutes now takes 6-7.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?My social media is always growing (it’s a long term game) but sales still come overwhelmingly from Etsy itself, both from the Search function and features like Editors Picks.I honestly attribute the bulk of my success to photography. I was a photographer first so obviously very lucky to have no issues launching with great images and it’s something I consistently produce.With Etsy especially, there are a ton of mediocre amateur photos so it was an easy way to set myself apart from the start, and I don’t think Etsy themselves would feature my products and market them so often otherwise. We’re also able to compete fairly well on price because 80% of customers are American, and our dollar is much weaker.imageEtsy Stats for the last 12 months.Instagram and Pinterest are increasingly starting to bring regular traffic, which I am really counting on for moving to my new website. I’ve been grinding away at these two platforms for years, posting and pinning almost every day and seeing slow but steady growth.I rarely run ads because I just haven’t needed to and haven’t gotten great returns, but I do occasional giveaways and promotions. I’ve also collaborated with a few influencers and other photographers by giving away products in return for images or exposure.imageAn example of one of my favorite collaboration images. I certainly don’t have this bathroom setup to work with at home!I’ve definitely learned my lesson with some of these relationships and what I need to get out of them to make it worth it. Just because someone has 30k followers doesn’t mean they have a following who you can sell to, and they may have lower engagement than someone with 5k followers. Images are valuable though, so it’s almost always worth it to use someone who is a good photographer and has interesting space, even just to mix up my own photos.I strongly considered adding Amazon Handmade as a selling platform, but in the end, I don’t think Amazon sits right with me in an ethical sense. I take pride in being high quality, local, and ethical with the business and would like to continue that no matter how big things get. This is why I’ll be pushing my own website this year and continuing to use all local suppliers as I grow.Because of the nature and cost of the product, a low percentage of customers return. I do encourage it by adding a return coupon with every order, but I’ve only had a handful of people buy twice, mostly buying gifts after buying one for themselves or vice versa. I’m sure this number will go up over the years as well as the business grows. I have an email list but it’s not a huge focus of mine, I think they’re a lot more effective in some other niches. I market my products as special, custom, versatile with other decor and made to last, so I don’t expect people to be buying every year and that’s okay.I’ll touch on craft and vendor shows as well because I know a lot of handmade businesses frequent them. I did quite a few starting out to try and get my name out locally, but they were very hit and miss. I now only do the Etsy PEI show which is twice a year and absolutely amazing with tons of sales and new social media followers that will eventually buy. It’s the right fit because it’s full of my target customers which are young women, 25-35. Most craft shows weren’t working for me because too many seniors showed up, and they didn’t seem to understand the point of my products for the most part. It’s definitely a good idea to figure out which shows are the best fit and focus on those.imageOur booth at the Etsy PEI Spring Market 2019.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?We are in a good spot now and growth continues to happen at a steady pace. Summer is generally slow, but revenue on Etsy is still up 33% from this period last year. The business has been profitable for almost every month since starting, thanks to low costs. Etsy has been encouraging free shipping with a lot of pushback from sellers, but I built everything into our prices about a month ago and introduced free shipping shopwide, which seems to have improved conversion rates and search visibility already. We haven’t had any vendor shows since April, so 90% of sales are through Etsy at this time. The ecommerce portion of the website will be live by the time this interview is published, however. I’m also happily offering product photography services on the side now as well.We’ve had some room to breathe and work on bigger projects this summer since we’re settled in our home. I do get contacted locally for larger, custom projects which I take on more throughout slow months - right now I’m working on a huge wedding backdrop. The shop is full of all sorts of table tops which will have more of a local focus since they’re tough to ship, but the steel table bases we’ve designed ship Canada and the US-wide so we’re excited to see that portion of the business grow and see where it takes us. My subcontractor is already knee deep in staining shelves in preparation for Christmas and I expect to double revenue in our two best months (October and November) simply by being incredibly prepared. It’s crazy how much business I lost last year just by not being able to keep up with demand - orders closed by mid-November!Our goals right now? There are a few directions things could go in the next month or two with the addition of new products, so we’ll have to wait and see. We may end up seeing a shift to more larger products now that we have space, and I really enjoy designing them. I’d like to see revenue go up 30-40% over the next year, but not too much more - I think slow growth is more manageable and it’s easier to run a business well and stay organized this way. As soon as my subcontractor gets near capacity, I’ll be looking for either another contractor or a part time employee. I am considering finishing my business degree over the next few years as well, so I’d like to keep my schedule flexible and not commit to fulltime employees just yet. A very long term vision for me is to bring furniture & decor makers in the maritimes together for an Eastern Canadian based online furniture shop - similar to Wayfair but smaller and higher quality. It’s pretty out there, but everyone needs a crazy idea in the back of their head, right?Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?I’ve learned a ton during the first few years and a lot was personal. When you’re 23 and navigating the “real world” for the first time it can be complicated enough without learning how to run a business too.The biggest habit I was able to pick up was just “letting go”. Stuff goes wrong, all the time, in any business. Mistakes will happen too. With the first shipping hiccups and too-tight deadlines, there were sleepless nights, mental breakdowns, and lots of tears. I slowly learned to deal with things in healthy ways and slowly stopped working all weekend. I don’t take angry customers personally or panic when things don’t go as planned, and I can separate personal and work life. I’m essentially a much more level headed person now, and you can bet I’m a whole lot more organized too!Growing a business means learning new things every week so it’s tough to pick specific points. I’ve learned how the Etsy platform works, how to properly package items, source materials in bulk, build new things, time management skills, and how to manage the financial side of things. I hardly had any credit history and wouldn’t likely have been able to get any financing, which is a big reason I was bent on starting so lean. I actually was unable to raise my business credit card limit past $500 until just this month, so I have used my personal card through much of the process. Juggling a business that sometimes has over $5000 in expenses a month on a $500 card was interesting, to say the least! It was a welcome surprise to see that limit go up.I have, however, definitely learned the value of delegating and not pushing yourself too hard. Sourcing out much of the cutting and staining took a huge mental load off, and I actually now work between 30-40 hours a week on the business. Sleeping 8 hours a night, eating well and getting daily exercise has me feeling better than I ever did working an 8-5 job (I’m NOT a morning person). When I work, I work efficiently and get things done. I hear a lot of stories about entrepreneurs working crazy hours, but it’s not for me. The idea of six figure revenue is great, but I’m not in a rush and I value my health and relationships more. I’m financially comfortable and in charge of my schedule which is really what I wanted out of entrepreneurship.What platform/tools do you use for your business?I’m not an incredibly techy person and don’t use much - Etsy has great tools that I take advantage of for marketing and fulfilling orders. I do use Netparcel with Paypal for shipping - it’s not as convenient as ShipStation but I get much better rates. MailChimp is my email marketing platform.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?I read The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau shortly after starting my business and really liked it. It’s full of examples of businesses starting without much capital and was very reassuring.The most helpful book I’ve found is called When by Daniel Pink, which dives into the topic of chronobiology and how to make it work for you. I now go on about this stuff to whoever will listen, as I just find it so interesting and everything I’ve applied to my life has helped me to be more productive.My favorite podcasts are The EcomCrew (Dave Bryant, Mike Jackness) and Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat (Bruce Daisley). The EcomCrew has been opening my eyes to the wider ecommerce world which I’m not as familiar with (manufacturing and large scale selling) and Bruce Daisley is a joy to listen to as he explores ways to find happiness while at work.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?I see a lot of new entrepreneurs or students asking “What business should I start?” with no skills or interests to back up the question. Business isn’t all about passion, but you have to find something you’re good at and that you enjoy. Anyone can start a dropshipping business, but they’re a dime a dozen because of the low barrier to entry. If you develop knowledge in certain areas that others don’t have, that’s a big advantage.I once read that the most successful people don’t master one skill - they are really good at 2-3 things which they can combine and then dominate the niche. This resonated with me because although some have questioned my education choices, I have a background in art, design, business, and woodworking, which almost no one else has. I’m also a woman so I have a full understanding of my target market in home decor. It’s the combination of all of this that makes my business unique, and I’m not worried about the guy next door copying me and competing.In short, if you have no idea where to start, you probably aren’t ready yet, which is fine. My advice is to work on personal growth, skills, education, or try out different jobs until the ideas start to flow for you and you have the background to make them work.Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?Unfortunately no, but if you’re in the Charlottetown area with woodworking experience and space at home, I want to hear from you!Where can we go to learn more?www.timbergrovestudios.comtimbergrovestudiostimbergrovestudiostimbergrovestudiosIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM