#creative resistance

[padawan-historian]

“Write down! I am an Arab You have stolen the orchards of my ancestors And the land which I cultivated Along with my children And you left nothing for us Except for these rocks … So will the State take them As it has been said?!” – Identity card, Mahmoud Darwish

[bastardlybonkers]

i dont actually think hes blond

[selfryed]

*gets football tackled and called a nerd and probably gets shoved into a locker*

oooo shinyyyyy

[theguffbin]

I did the thing

the horrible wretched thing

it breathes out of spite for god and smells of diseased moss and I hope it brings nothing but suffering and eight crazy nights bon appetit dork @akanemnon

[babygirlphil]

what I wouldn't give for a gaming video where dnp react to Phil's old videos together

[thegracefulwillow]

head empty just noe

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

Grian: “…Eyelash.” Carlos: “Thanks man. Make a wish.” Grian: “I just blew it.” Carlos: “Does it count if you make it?” Grian: “There was actually two so you can have one of my wishes. We wish for the same thing most of the time.” Carlos: “We do.” Fontaines D.C. on Dogrel, 2019 Mercury Prize

[spooky-pop]

Time to replay some Life is Strangeeee (Before the Storm)

[violets-emotionalbreakdown]

Something important for us all to remember is that we've had 3 years to make these characters our own, to internalize them. Fanon is not canon. My Vi is not your Vi is not my mutual's Vi. My Caitlyn is not your Caitlyn. My Jinx is not your Jinx.

We've had 3 years for them to grow and change, to identify with them and project on them, to mold them into what we need them to be.

We've had 3 years with an amazing starting point where we could veer off in so many different directions, not constrained by knowing what comes next.

We're about to know what comes next. All those possibilities, those dreams for what we wanted, are going to be unequivocally canon divergent (except for every fic writer who called Vi being a street/pit fighter, they get to be smug as hell).

There is only one canon.

I've fallen prey to this before, where after a long gap and making a character mine, she didn't react in the new canon to things like my version of her would have. That's ok. It doesn't make it bad storytelling on the actual writer's part. That doesn't make it out of character.

You get me? It doesn't make it bad or ooc if the characters in the new season aren't the way you predicted or want them to be. You will have time afterward to incorporate the new information, possibly re-evaluate your view of them, and make them your own again. (For good this time, bc it's the last season.)

So just watch and let things play out and let them settle before you get upset, ok?

[observerkaine]

Day 26: Groups and Collabs (Horse Head Farms)

[bigskydreaming]

Fandoms’ general aversion to criticism - especially in regards to fanfic - plays a huge role in stagnating fandoms and keeps them locked into the same specific tropes and takes on an infinitely repeating loop. And there absolutely is something to be said for the appeal of familiarity and comfort takes/tropes/fics but there’s a difference between fandoms having an abundance of those things on hand AVAILABLE for fans to enjoy and LIMITING fandoms to those things by virtue of condemning, shaming and silencing any attempt to build on the initial presentations of these things with criticism aimed at addressing flaws that are inevitably present because flawed takes are inevitable.

But nah, fanfic has to be upheld as sacrosanct and above criticism by mere virtue of ‘fans created it and if we accept that fans are just as likely to create flawed narratives as professionals then what will fans use to feel superior to the professionals they critique or deride’ - and so not only do the most popular initial takes and fics created by a fandom then get endlessly replicated over and over….the flaws present in those initial takes and fics get equally replicated over and over until they’re completely baked in and pervade every ‘new’ creation that actually ends up following, all because nobody was willing to be open to hearing what was executed poorly the first time around.

And let’s not even get started on the general unwillingness to interrogate the why’s of fandoms limiting themselves to just the same handful of generally accepted takes over and over instead of aiming for an ever expanding range of complex and nuanced takes, because so many fans pride themselves on backing the ‘right’ fandom horses/takes, and the more variety there are the less likely it is that you the individual fan will end up in a group generally recognized as falling into the ‘these particular fans were right about the characters/narratives/themes’ camp….

BUT I DIGRESS.

[skyfullofpods]

I've been struggling to find the words these last few days, and even what I've managed to put together feels insufficient. I recognise that I'm coming from a place of privilege, as a white person from a Western country outside of the US, but I wanted to share my thoughts about the importance of creating and of finding joy, even when everything seems hopeless.

Stories are important. Especially when they are stories by and featuring marginalised people. They provide representation, acceptance and celebration that people may not find otherwise in their lives. They're not just escapism - even though that aspect may be particularly useful now. Stories enrich our lives, give us the opportunity to get to know other people, and allow us to feel a range of emotions beyond the monotony of everyday life. Fiction podcasts gave me a space where I belonged, even when the outside world was - and still is - hostile.

On a personal level, my blog has always been about finding joy when life has continued to be hard. Audio drama to me is about striving against adversity, about hope, about resistance. I've always taken a positive, optimistic approach in what I write, focusing on what makes me happy. And for me, that's how I want to continue going ahead for the next few weeks and months; while appreciating that finding such positivity is not going to be as easy for others.

That said, if you are able to, please keep telling your stories and using your voices. It's more important now than ever to bring representation, joy, and hope to others out there who are also struggling. And thank you to all you audio drama creators, writers, voice actors, directors, producers, sound designers, everyone out there who has brought sunshine to my life these past few years, and shared their stories, skills, and voices with the world. It's a much better and richer place because of you.

[inaweek-project]

Coming soon.

[mekanikaltrifle]

If you have a healthy enjoyment of something, you should be able to criticise it/see it critiqued and be okay with that.

[rustbeltjessie]

We don't have to be perfect humans. We can say or do the wrong thing and still try again tomorrow. I hope a lot of us keep trying to meet the ideal of an ethos of creation and coexistence (not just human either), rather than an ethos of destruction and death. I hope you bear witness however you can. If you are a writer, write. If you are an artist, make art. If you weave or sew or do beadwork, weave, sew, arrange the beads or words or thread toward beauty. Whoever you are, no matter what you are feeling, put something of what you know and love toward a larger idea of existence that does not depend on violence. Make rage songs. Make your love apparent, especially to vulnerable and scared humans around you. Rise as an activist when and where you are able. Make noise. Make trouble. Bake and distribute bread. Plant gardens of food and flowers and share them. Share resources. Vote for an ethos of creation rather than an ethos of killing and death. Build housing. Feed people. Heal people. Care for and protect children and those more vulnerable than you. Fill the streets. Carry water. Donate and redistribute wealth. Love your babies. Love other people's babies. Give land back. Call Congress. Call the birds and the animals and the fish. Bring the life songs, the heart songs, the art songs. Bring the wailing. Take breaks. Take care of yourself and others. Take turns building, holding, carrying, and giving the fire of life to others.

—Lidia Yuknavitch, from "Fire: Be the Revolution" (Poets & Writers, January/February 2024)