#find the forms of art that you still enjoy while you're doing them badly

[magpiemirroring]

Every time I see someone argue that AI is making art accessible, or making art possible for disabled people or whatever, I'm just....

Well, first: have you talked to any disabled artists? Some of whom were artists before they became disabled? Because I've yet to talk to any who would be content with a machine making art for them. The part folks yearn for is not really the idea magically being on the paper, it's the time spent making the piece. And artists can be very clever and very determined to find a way to make art in spite of any limits their bodies may have.

But really: Why are you so ashamed of being an amateur artist?

Like, I've been putting work into getting good at art since I was in preschool and paused while eating my crayons to consider that it mattered to me how many legs a horse had and I was damn well going to attempt to get it right!

But maybe that's not you. Maybe you haven't found the right art form for you yet. Maybe you haven't been willing or able to throw yourself at the challenge of getting better at any form of art.

There's lots of things I'd like to be good at, but I'm not. I didn't have it in me to throw myself at dance or music. I took music lessons twice in my life. Once with violin through my school, and once private piano lessons with a nice lady who taught piano in her living room. I murdered the violin. I was passable at piano. I wasn't passionate enough about either to practice frequently.

Any hope of dance or sports would have been nixed by my body. I'm flexible in the wrong ways and I have shoddy proprioception, so I would have inevitably torn something or broken something important in the process. And I didn't love either enough to sacrifice my body to them. (I love art like that and I am so careful of my hands and wrists and shoulders and I still have times where I can't make art or I have to make art slowly.) But I love to dance for fun, just for myself.

I'm an amateur chef and baker. I have a bare minimum of skill in sewing. I dabbled in making websites but coding gives me a headache. I love so many kinds of science and still do, but got burned out on trying to get my math to the necessary levels. I love history, but if you ask me to write a proper research paper I will probably cry from academic burnout but I will ramble about history if you give me an opening. I am frankly shite at any sport that involves running and the only sport I ever daydreamed about getting good at was archery. I love playing video games, but I despite the many many hours I have put into some games, I always play on easy mode and have no interest in Getting Good because that's not fun for me. I can't sing, I can't dance, and my acting skills are rusty at best. I used to do whatever theatre I could. I took theatre electives 3 years in a row in school and did summer school one year to make room for theatre. I sang and danced badly as required. I'm naturally shy, but I liked acting. A lot. But I didn't like it as much as I liked drawing and painting and digital art. I didn't want to throw myself into the grind to try to make acting work for me and I decided I didn't even want to devote my time to local theatre. It took so many hours that I would rather spend on art. But I exercise my dormant theatre kid muscles by DMing D&D when I can cram that into my schedule, lmao.

I am bad at so many things that I enjoy doing and I still enjoy doing them. Doing the thing is what's fun and fulfilling.

So when folks claim they need AI so they can make art, I'm kinda flummoxed, but that seems like you're letting the AI do the fun part, the important part, the part where the art is actually made. Do you actually like art? Do you actually want to make art?

Why are you so embarrassed and ashamed of not having professional level skills in something you never put professional level effort into? Look at all those things I'm shit at! There are professionals I can and will pay for if I need a thing professionally done with professional skill. But messing around with food, with learning, with video games, with theatre and improv skills, and making all sorts of things in areas of art and crafting that are not my focus? These are my side projects. My fun times with friends. They don't need to be good, just pleasing to do.

Why do you hold art to a different standard? Why is art all about the finished product's value in someone else's eyes and not the experience you have in making it?

[goodluckclove]

Fuck it here we go. This is day off Clove. Messy Clove. I had half a Bud Lite yesterday and I slept badly and because of that I feel a little rowdy.

Follow me under the Read More because I don't know how crazy I'm going to get.

So we talk a lot about engagement on Writeblr. And I get it, I really do. Posting anything online often implies the dopamine hunt for likes and comments and follows and views. People say you should write for yourself, and I say that too, but for some people this is a job so it's more nuanced than that.

I say this to further clarify that when I talk like this I am referring to adults that obsess over engagement. If you are a teenager or young person who feels upset that their story isn't getting a lot of traction, feel free to vent about that. I have zero problem with you doing that. I have the most sympathy for minors, as you guys often don't have a lot of freedom or extra money to buy snacks, and if someone tells you to do algebra you just have to do it, which is fucked. But when someone in their late 20s, early 30s (my age range) spits venom about how this community is trash because they don't get any notes or views on their story...nnnnn. Stop it.

I used to run a standup mic in California. Just a little thing in a coffee shop on Wednesday nights. And one time this guy signed up for a five minute set, and immediately his jokes were flopping. I had sympathy for him at first, because doing comedy in front of an audience that gives you no energy back is excruciating. I've been there.

Then something changed when he trailed off and paused to check his notes. I had better jokes, he said, but I'm just gonna save them for a better audience.

And just like that my opinion of this guy did an instant nose dive.

Listen, Adult Writer. Aspiring Working Writer. I'm not here to tell you that you should keep shouting into the void and be happy with that. What I AM saying is that I've worked in social media management for six years, and if you want to grow an account organically there's an actual art and science to it. There are people who have entire careers based on just knowing how to use Instagram or Twitter, and though I'm not sure the same depth exists for Tumblr you can still model your tactics based on the bigger names that post here.

I do not consider it inauthentic. I was never a good social media manager since I mainly just spoke like I do here, and I won't claim I know everything about the field because it literally changes on a month to month basis.

But you know what I do like? People like when you talk to them. They like comments as well as additions to their reblogs through either tags or new posts. They like opportunities to talk about themselves and feel seen and validated, much in the way you do. It's even better if you do all this without the distinctly goblin-esc implication that you're only acting nice so they read or buy your stuff.

You cannot push the importance of writers supporting writers when you do nothing to meaningfully support the other writers in the community in a way that actually forms a connection. That's why I like Tumblr. That's why I enjoy this community - for the opportunity to witness people in various stages of experience working in all stages of the process.

Compare this to Twitter, where the writing community is flooded with an endless stream of self-promotion. "Writer's Lifts" where they claim readers can find new work, but in actuality it's just a bunch of people masturbating over their own genius. It genuinely disgusted me. These are the only four Tweets on that account:

Mastodon was better, but lacked a decent size of people. Tumblr has its problems as a platform, but it is the only place I've found where you can find actual human beings who are interested in the craft of writing and not just the ego and potential of money.

The best part of my day is being able to have Tumblr in the background while I write. I've met more writers here in the past few months than I have in 15 years do you understand how special that is?

I don't expect Tumblr to be a majority of my income in terms of my books. I don't. I'm actively giving my book away for free and telling young people to ask for it in bookstores. That's why I'm calling bookstores in my area, and working towards contacting reviewers to draw more attention to it. I got a lot of goddamned angles to get people to buy my book - Tumblr is just my way of connecting to my colleagues and community and reminding myself why I do this in the first place.

There's no cool ending here. I'm tired. I don't like seeing artists my age act like this. I know I'm in a privileged situation where my wife is working full time so we can afford for me to take time to make money, but that's a very new situation. For years I was writing and publishing for work while working a separate full time job, or two part time gigs, or one part time gig while on disability. Like I know extenuating circumstances, but maybe if you feel the only option is to guilt-trip strangers on the Internet, it's time to take a step back and examine why you're doing this in the first place.

I saw a post within the community that made me real mad as both a writer and someone who worked for years in social media marketing. I want to talk about it but, as usual, I'm hesitant to pick a fight.

It does specifically involve the other adults on here. It's stuff I've seen younger writers do too, but I'm far more sympathetic for this kind of behavior coming from a minor, especially if they're lacking in a support system or disposable income. But to see this coming from grown human beings with fully developed brains and lives....mmmmmm I am upset.

Do you guys like when I get mad or should I ramble more to my wife until it's out of my system?

[monsterhigh-cb]

Tw: mentions of blood, hunters, passing out, severe burns, admins bad writing skills

Angst story because I like making my monsters suffer <3

Yeonjun is up first for some torture. Jk. Unless..

Also, I am not a writer. I may be an art student but I can not write for the life of me. Please don't roast me too much 🧎‍♀️

It was nearing five in the morning, and Yeonjun was still wide awake. Vampires don't need much sleep. Yeonjun still tries to sleep once in a while as it helps replenish his energy. He typically can fall asleep easily, but this night, he couldn't. He assumed that it was because there was a blood moon.

Yeonjun decided that he was going to go on a walk, hoping the cool air would help him relax. Yeonjun did not check the time as he was preapring to leave the castle. The sun would rise in about an hours time.

The small vampire throws on his typical pink attire. He grabbed a light pink hoodie along with matching pink sweat pants. Once dressed, he finally steps out of the large gates of Draculas castle. The was immediately met with cool wind. Yeonjun spreads his arms out, enjoying the fresh air.

He heads out to his favorite spot in the forest. It was a small garden with a few benches. It sat in the middle of the forest, which is where he was headed. Though, Yeonjun failed to realize that it was hunting season. The woods just outside his home were filled with wildlife. This caused hunters everywhere visit the area in hopes of finding deer. It wasn't uncommon to find a dead bunny or two laying on the ground.

And that is what happened. Yeonjun found a dead bunny laying just a little ways away from the main walking past. The sight of blood made him cringe and get light-headed. Despite being a vampire, blood scares him.

Yeonjun starts to sway in his spot as he looks anywhere else to get his mind off of what he just saw. He fails doing so as he comes crashing down to the ground, out cold.

"Come on! He has to be over here somewhere!" Hongjoong yells in a panic. Hongjoong, Taehyung, and Hyunjin were out in the same woods trying to find their vampire friend. They all have been trying to message and call him all day. They knew something was wrong when they didn't get a reply for three hours. Yeonjun typically replies fast, so this was strange to them.

"There he is!" Hyunjin points out to the pink vampire laying out in the walkway. They were able to find him due to sharing their locations with each other. The three monsters ran towards their pink friend. Yeonjun was steaming and burning badly as it was in the middle of the day, and the sun was out.

Yeonjun's clothes had burned chars and holes in it due to his unusual high body heat. "He looks like shit-" Taehyung mumbles, as he picks up Yeonjun.

"What do we do? I've never dealt with a crispy vampire." Hyunjin shakes his head, starting to check out Yeonjuns badly burnt skin. "Let's go to the castle. His dad should know what to do." Hongjoong suggests as the three run off to the vampiric home.

Yeonjun wakes up with a groan of pain. His eyes slowly blink open, looking up at his friends surrounded around him. "What happened?" He mumbles, wincing and whimpering at any small move.

"Yeonjun.. you have third-degree burns everywhere.. you were barely alive when we found you." Taehyung explains, helping the vampire sit up.

Yeonjun let's out a scream, shocking the three around him. "My clothes are dirty!" He covers his mouth as tears form in his eyes. "Jesus fuck you scared me-" Hyunjin dramatically rests his hand over his heart. "I thought I hurt you." Taehyung winces and covers his ears. Hongjoong helps lay Yeonjun back down.

"Junnie- you nearly dyed, and you're worried about your clothes?" Hongjoong asks, which earns him a nod from Yeonjun.

THE END

Yeonjun will be on bed rest for a while until he heals. He has some pretty severe burns and is constantly smoking from it.

Possible students: @livealittleoc-cb [🤍💙] @halloween-idols @darkmoonsiblings @theinvitation-bot @badbf-cb @mechat-kpopcb @multiaugirls @payu-cb @freakstars-cb @cave-of-demons @your-renlix @welcome-to-maniac @hybrididol-cb @temptationcb @hellborn-ateez-cb @gashaponlixie-cb @jayswritingcafe @thepack-cb @multi-esme @yanderemuses @yandereyeri @blackpink-cb @clubwnderland @urbtsboys @angelxdevil-bot @hybrid-center @mystical-ocs @nana-n-nono @domxbot @dr-hwa-cb @yourhorrorbots @richboy-atz

[ajokeformur-ray]

Could I get a matchup? I'm bisexual, demisexual, and nonbinary (she/her and they/them). I play video games frequently, but I also enjoy arts and crafts, and occasionally I'll read a book. I'm very into science, and also paranormal things (very conflicting interests, I know, lol). I have depression and anxiety, and my self-esteem is basically non-existent. I'm an introvert, and it takes me awhile to trust people enough to form any meaningful relationship(s) with them. (1/2)

Anonymous said: (2/2) I also really love animals, and I'd like to eventually be a zookeeper or go into any other profession that deals with animal care and training.

Arthur Fleck // word count: 924

Arthur is really interested in you. He can't tell you why and he can't even really explain it to himself, either, but he's just always drawn to you, like a moth to a flame. He likes to hope that he won't get burned, though of course he's got no guarantee either way, but that's life; or so he tells himself as he takes another weary step... you're extremely creative and when you're playing video games, Arthur likes to be sat at the small table in the corner of the apartment, scrawling in his journal while you game. Spending time together separately is his favourite thing to do, though he also greatly treasures being close to you, too. You enjoy arts and crafts, too, and if you're open to it, then Arthur would really love to do this with you. He loves the way you can take what looks like a chaotic table top (and, oh, how he thrives in those conditions) and make something incredible with it. The looks of concentration on your face, the joy which is sparked in your eyes when you finish a project... Arthur loves it, he loves you, and he sincerely compliments everything you make. You also enjoy reading, and this is probably where Arthur would try to spark a conversation with you in the very early days of the relationship, wanting to ask you about your book and what you like about it, what you don't, etc., and if it's in line with some of the ones he has in the apartment then he might even try to get you to borrow one, just so he can see you later on. Yeah, it's probably a bit creepy, but it toes the line of being sweet, too, and some days you can't tell which side of the line Arthur is on. Sometimes you think you prefer that.

You're very scientifically minded and even though Arthur usually doesn't fully understand what you're talking about, he still loves to hear you talk. To see you get passionate about a particular field you're interested in, to see you smile when you finally understand a complex theory, to see how animated you become when you're happy with what you're studying and how closed off you become when you're not. You're also into paranormal things and though these are conflicting interests, there's also parapsychology and logical ways of debunking paranormal happenings which Arthur quite enjoys. He finds it soothing that when things go bump in the night, he has a rational explanation for it which he has learned from you, his Y/N (though he's not all that bothered by it, really, and if a demon possesses him, then good luck to them, he guesses. They can't mess it up as badly as he does every day, though he tries so hard to get it right).

You have low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, and all three of these does Arthur empathise with so deeply. The both of you guide each other through your days with love, compliments, trust and respect and you never let the other person go to bed feeling unloved or like they don't matter. In many ways, you hold each other up, though it's not easy and some days it's an 80-20% divide of care, other days it's 20-80% and on the rarest of days is it 50-50%. That's okay, though, that's how it is sometimes, and the both of you try to be what the other person needs and wants, even if that includes being in a blanket pile together on the sofa because neither of you have the energy to do much else. Arthur loves you for you, no matter what, just as you love him for who he is. It's what you both deserve.

You're an introvert and Arthur really vibes with the gentle, calm energy which surrounds you. He's a homebody too and he truly adores getting to come home to you every day. It gives him something to look forward to, someone to look forward to and to enjoy, and it puts a spring in his step which even the worst of Randall's insults can't diminish. Your relationship with Arthur was most definitely a slow burn - and likely one to end all slow burns - because both of you take a while to trust other people for a variety of reasons. However, the attraction is definitely there and the two of you toed the line between friends and something more for quite a while before anything happens. Arthur's too scared of being rejected, of getting it wrong, of reading the signs wrong and of losing you, and for you, you have your own reasons. You prefer to take your time in getting to know someone so that meaningful attachments have time as their foundation - they're built to last are your connections and bonds with others.

You love animals and it always melts Arthur's heart to see you melt and fawn over them (😂). You're very passionate as an individual and you know what you want and how to get it; Arthur really vibes with this and he hopes that by spending lots of time with you, the same trait will rub off on him as well. He supports you in this as in everything and he is rooting for you to achieve your goals of working with animals! If there's anything he can do, then don't ever be shy to let him know, he's there for you no matter what and he loves you dearly!

[haunt0ravensong]

The Mighty Beast

SUMMARY:

Your nemesis has found its way into the Mikaelson mansion and it's up to you to defend the mansion. At least until it decides to scare you up a pillar...

Board made by me, not the best but I tried😅

(Cursing Warning and purely platonic friendships, or however you wanna look at it. Also my first fic post here :3 I hope you all enjoy it! 💙)

"I can do this." You breathed out as you crept closer to your arch nemesis. 

It was large, the largest you have ever seen and now it made itself at home in the living room. You are not going to give it any satisfaction so with a fly swatter held like the knife you used on demons, you are going to slay this large, mighty beast.

When you got a little closer it shifted a bit and looked as if it was staring right at you. This was enough to make you freeze and stare right back at it's beady eyes. The beast stared for only a moment before becoming distracted by passing prey. This was perfect! Now you can slay it even easier since it wasn't paying attention.

Once you were close enough after stalking the beast, you made your move! You brought the fly swatter high above your head and slammed it down on the beast and slayed it! Well... until it suddenly moved from under the plastic netting to the top and began to run up it.

Seeing the beast move at such a speed toward your hand made you move faster than any human has before all the while screaming bloody murder. Somehow, some way, you climbed up one of the many small pillars in the Mikaelson mansion and held on for dear life. It wasn't safe on the ground since the beast was somewhere down there!

And even more sadly, your friends, Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol were out doing business. And... another problem arose. How the hell are you supposed to get down safely? You're a human that just got scared nearly to death by your nemesis up a pillar like a kitten getting away from a dog.

Klaus and Kol are definitely never going to let you live this down if they find you first...

With a shout of your name echoing in the mansion, you internally groaned. Although thankful that it was Elijah it still didn't stop the fright or embarrassment of just earlier.

"What the...? How did you get up there?" You heard him ask from right below. He knew you liked the art of parkour, but this was a feat in itself!

Although Elijah looked amused it was quickly put aside due to the frantic beating heart in your chest. It was very rare that you of all people got scared since you used to be a hunter. Listening and smelling his surroundings told him nothing of what could bring this on, but first it was maybe the best idea to get you safely down.

"I... I was just... bored and decided to try parkour again! Yeah!" You definitely lied.

Elijah shook his head and held out his arms, "Whatever the case, you need to let go. I'll catch you."

Your panicked words surprised him, "OH FUCK NO! I'M NOT LETTING GO UNTIL THAT BEAST IS GONE!"

Beast? He didn't smell anything beyond the normal inside aside from your sudden panic. However he knew you couldn't hold on for much longer and that you're more stubborn than a huffy donkey so he just waited. Sure enough, your grip gave and at first you fell, but you just gripped the pillar again with all your strength, will and determination to not get on the floor.

"All right" Elijah sighed and ran a hand through his hair when you now used your legs to wrap around the pillar. "What does this beast look like? Is it still inside?"

"Yeah!" Your voice was now shaky, "It was in the living room and I tried to kill it, but I ran when it came for my hand!"

"Breathe slowly. I need to know what it looks like."

With a calming breath, you told him without thinking, "It's dark brown, covered in fur with beady black eyes and eight legs. It was the size of my fist!" The last bit was nearly screamed out like earlier.

"Eight legs..." Elijah then sighed again at that information. Although this was something none of them knew about you, but it might be best to not tell Klaus yet. "Listen, I know you're scared but you aren't safe up there."

"Not until that vicious beast is gone!" You told him, holding on tighter somehow.

Sometimes your stubbornness is endearing to him but right now it was actually annoying him. That feeling was only a nugget compared to the worry about not only your safety, but also with how deep rooted this fear of the beast is.

"Just hold on, I will find it." He promised before turning his hearing all the more. It was difficult to separate your heartbeat to something as small as a spider, but he didn't have to look for long since he spotted it on his chair from where he stood.

It is indeed a large spider, half the size of an adult tarantula. He scooped it up and took it outside, using his superior speed to rush back inside in case you fell. You hadn't.

When he called your name again you looked down with hopeful eyes, "It's taken care of. Will you let go so I can catch you now?"

"You promise it's gone?"

It broke his heart at how absolutely scared you were, but... he can relate on some level with it. He offered a smile, "Yes, I took care of it. Now you need to let go before you lose all of your strength."

"If you don't catch me, I'm gonna haunt your ass for the rest of your unlife." Ah, there's the side of you he knows.

With a breath, you slowly untangled your legs from the pillar and finally dropped like a brick into Elijah's arms. He held you bridal style which made you get up as fast as you could. You needed to recover some of your dignity from him seeing you so scared.

"Thanks, Elijah." You tried to go by him, but he gently held your arm. You were about to tell him to let go, but his expression left those words caught in your throat. His eyes were pleading and he always had such a puppy dog look to him that made it hard to say no to.

With a reluctant nod, you let him lead you until you were back in the living room. You dug your heels in the floor, halting the both of you. He assured you it was safe so you continued to follow him again. Soon you found yourself on the couch and he sat next to you. Then he just wrapped his arms around you in a hug that felt like an impenetrable wall.

You fully relaxed into him, the panic and anxiety leaving your system and left you feeling rather exhausted. You have no idea how long he held you but it felt nice and now the exhaustion was hitting you hard. The exhaustion didn't let you fully register that the arms holding you were now gently readjusting you so that your head would be resting on Elijah's thigh, but you did see him above you looking down with a warming smile.

"Just rest."

He didn't need to compel you with how badly your body was screaming for rest. Your eyes almost immediately closed when he said that and since he had nowhere else to be, he already had a book from the table open to read.

The rest of the siblings eventually made it back to the mansion and stared at your sleeping form on their brother, but they didn't really mind. The latent panic could still be smelled, even by a fledgling vampire.

Klaus sat across from his brother and eyed you curiously before whispering, "Seems you two had an eventful day."

"It was... something." He whispered back and gazed down to his book. 

Klaus knew that asking further would get nothing so he just joined Elijah in reading. Kol and Rebekah soon joined as well but mostly stayed close to you. It was a very protective wall of Mikaelsons, and any person who would dare to cross it will have to deal with a world of hurt. 

Although Elijah would be sure to not tell them about your fear yet. 

[sparklessswift]

19 Things I've Learned in 2019

1. “The desire for positive experience is itself a negative experience. And paradoxically, the acceptance of one's negative experience is itself a positive experience.” — Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

I always thought that "How To Be Happy" things on the internet are true and those things can really change your life if you will try to do so. But while reading this book, I've realized that it's not. That the irony behind thinking of ways to be happy and positive just reminds us of what we are not and of what things we failed to have that we've always wanted. The more we try searching for ways on how to be happy, the more we can't attain happiness.

2. The quality of your life depends on the quality of your choices and decisions.

I've learned that you are the only one who's accountable for everything that you choose to do, for every thoughts that you entertain and for every decisions that you make. The quality of your life is shaped on whatever you want it to be. Whenever you feel like you're carrying a huge amount of emotional baggage, it's because you chose to carry it anyway. You chose to entertain the melancholia, you chose to let it enter your life. Do not blame your situation or even other people. Change the way you see things, make good decisions and choices and the quality of your life will be better.

3. Music is a form of enlightenment towards our true emotions.

I found out that longing to hear sad songs that we can relate to whenever we are feeling sad isn't a sign of tolerating sadness, it means we are trying to fill the gap between what we know and what we feel. Finding the perfect song that explains exactly the way we feel helps us figure out the right words to describe our current emotion. It makes us feel that we are not the only one in the world who's suffering. It's relieving to be so connected to a song that you feel as though, it was written for you.

4. Forgiveness is a nice thing to do.

There are times when we feel as though, people and even ourselves are not worthy to be forgiven and that no amount of apology will cease the burning fire. But one thing I do learned this year is that, forgiveness means letting go. Do yourself a favor and let go of the bad memories, what's important is that you took it as a learned lesson. Let go of the grudges that you kept for so long, it will give you a peace of mind. Let go of the idea that forgiving without hearing an apology is not necessary in life, it is. Forgive yourself for all the mistakes you've done in life and forgive those people who have hurt you as well. Release the pain by forgiving so you can finally move on.

5. Self loathe is the most toxic form of hate.

I've learned that there is nothing more toxicating in life than hating your own existence and body. It's like badly wanting a poisonous thing even when you know it is bad for you. It's like loving the lyrics to Taylor Swift's song "ME!" because it radiates self-love but there's always a cringeworthy feeling whenever you sing the words "I'm the only one of me, baby that's the fun of me" because you can't feel the message it conveys. And it feels like, no amount of motivation from other people can cure the poison in you. I know it's easier said than done but remember that only you can free yourself from self loathing so might as well start appreciating small things about yourself and sooner or later you will realize that it's fun to be the only one of you.

6. Being 18 is challenging. While it may be true that each year has its own challenge, being 18 is quite different. It's the time when your mind starts forming questions about life, existence, and future. It's like a climax to your own story, exciting as it may seem but it contains setbacks, challenges and a hundred thousand pieces of inspirations needed in order to thrive harder. In order to believe that you can pursue your dream of reaching the happily ever after.

7. Appreciate high school moments while they last. Realizing how fast the time has flown after my journey in high school is something I wish I was ready for. Funny how we're so attached to a moment from the past (e.g. graduation) that everytime we remember it, there's this bubble of thoughts appearing in our heads with the line “it felt like yesterday” and it feels so bittersweet. If there's one thing I can teach the other generations, it is to always appreciate each moment while it lasts. After all, moments will become memories that will forever be stuck in our head so might as well enjoy your high school life and make good memories out of it.

8. We are all temporary in everyone else's lives and that's normal. It feels relieving when you realize that each person that we meet has a temporary role in our lives. We are bound to lose connection with someone whom we thought will never leave us, we're bound to cut ties with people who are not good for us, and we're bound to be left behind or leave not because we want to but because we just crossed paths with each other, we aren't really travelling the same path not as what we thought we are. Learn how to appreciate someone's presence and learn how to accept someone's absence.

9. Do not drown yourself in the thought that internet validation is important. It is definitely okay to dump the idea that you're living in the wrong generation if you think likes/reactions, comments and shares are not important. Most people today still haven't come to realize that the internet has not just open-sourced information, it has also open-sourced insecurity, self-doubt, and shame. And we have to open our minds about it. Life is happier the moment you realize that you should not give a damn about what other people think of your posts.

10. Do not jump on hate trends in social media just because it's in. Cancel culture has made a noise in the internet this year and suddenly everyone are bragging their freedom of speech because they are jumping on the bandwagon (or should I say, we're? 😂) But one thing I do learned from all the hate trends is to be discerning. This is the best time you can practice cherry-picking and only utter a word when you think you really need to or when you think it is appropriate to do so. Just as Taylor Swift said, “You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace and control your urges to scream about all the people you hate”.

11. Being attached to someone does not mean you're into that person. Attachment is way too different than love and even infatuation. It needs not to be stereotyped. Sometimes all you have to do is to give yourself the benefit of the doubt about how you feel and you will realize the true value of a person to you.

12. The hardest struggle in life that we can ever experience is something that is related with our family. Indeed home is where the heart is. Family is our major source of inspiration and it can also be our major source of distraction whenever there are unforeseen circumstances going on. And I think dealing with those circumstances is the hardest struggle to face because there will always be a pain in your chest wherever you go that is inevitable. The pain that lies deep within you but bleeds through the surface of your body that you can't hide.

13. College is way too different than high school and you should be ready for it. Of course, culture shock will always be there the moment you enter college. You will start comparing high school and college in every single details, you will randomly reminisce high school memories while walking in the hallway and you will remember how easy passing the exams and getting high grades back then. In my first semester in college, I've learned that you will never survive if you are ill-spirited, proscrastinator, lazy and weak student. I've learned that college is survival and in survival, you should not come with unnecessary gears. I'm sorry Taylor Swift but in college, you should not bring a knife to a gun fight.😃

14. It's okay to have few friends atleast they are real. Making friends is hard and no one can convince me otherwise. People's intentions to you are confusing nowadays and it's hard to trust another set of new people. I've realized that the amount of friends has nothing to do about how you enjoy your life. What's important is that you have friends who are honest as the day is long.

15. Listen more, say less. This year I've learned the value of lending ears to those who are in need of it and even to situations that require much understanding before saying an opinion to avoid any conflict.  Do not be easily carried away by your emotions to the extent that you're no longer thinking if what you are going to say is appropriate to the situation. On the other hand, there are times that people who are venting out their problems do not need any piece of advice, what they need is someone who is understanding enough to spend time listening to their rants.

16. Things that are gonna make your life more interesting are things that you should say yes to. — Taylor Swift

Progress doesn't come in the blink of an eye. You need to challenge yourself to do new things in order to make a progress. It is even more okay to step out of your comfort zone sometimes in order to grow. Life will be more interesting when you accept challenges with conviction.

17. Follow accounts on social media who are good for your mental health. Do yourself a favor and start unfollowing accounts that triggers your anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt. Your feed should only contain things that motivates you and people that inspires you to be like them. It should not be a place to start who-did-it-better or who's-best-at-life competitions.

18. Acceptance takes time. I have learned that it is okay to still question things that happened to you 6 years ago. It's okay to still cry everytime it pops up in your head, it's okay if you are not a hundred percent healed and it's okay to have a mind with not enough understanding about the situations that you've been to even if it happened a long time ago. God put you there for a reason. You have to keep in mind that acceptance has no definitive time frame. Healing doesn't wait for you to be ready for it. It will just happen.

19. Procrastination can ruin your goals in life.

There will be no further explanation, there will just be procrastination. 😎