#i am NOT happy with my current skill level but i can practice and learn

[howtobeapersonwithfibro]

i got a drawing tablet for my birthday so now I have to learn to draw! here is my attempt at a froggie doodle

[ID: a simple digital drawing of a frog holding an umbrella with bubble texture in the background. end ID.]

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Prynhawn da Elanor,

I'm a student in the US currently applying to universities for next year, and I have a couple of questions about Welsh universities if you have the time. I'm looking at both schools in the US and one in Wales (I managed to visit over the summer and it seemed great, loved the town and the university, and the degree that I'm interested in is very solid there), and the teaching style/expectations of students are an unknown factor. I've been taking college classes while still in highschool so I'm familiar with college-level instruction in the states, and it's not ideal for what I'm interested in studying. For example, at one of the schools I visited that is supposed to be a decent research university, the faculty were surprised that I had questions about research as an undergrad, and according to current students, the hardest part of their studies were quizzes on botanical taxonomy. So, I'm curious, what are the general academic expectations for students (especially in ecology or wildlife biology-related courses)? It seems like assessments are more practical or long-form and less quiz/multiple choice.

This got long-winded, so my apologies, and thank you for your time!

Shwmae! Happy to answer.

SO, I shall caveat this with saying that I don't really understand how higher education works in the US; it's a very different system to the UK in many ways. I'm therefore not entirely sure how to explain the exact differences. So, I'll just tell you about how it works over here rather than trying to do a comparison, if that makes sense? It means some of this will definitely feel like Water Is Wet stuff, but hopefully there'll be an exact answer in there that you can extract. Also, if you're comfortable doing so (and want to), I'm happy to talk over DM if you want slightly more specific advice involving you revealing details that otherwise might doxx you.

(Also second point, because I have danced this dance before and I know what Some Of You Lot are like when my posts start gaining traction beyond my circle of followers: in places where I do explain something that's different between the two systems, I am not saying one is better or worse than the other. Don't be a cunt about this. Work on your defensiveness and ego in your own time. I'm too busy and important for your feelings.)

Third point: I'm snipping this for length. On with the answer!

So, degrees over here are fairly fixed in terms of content and duration. Some offer a specific, set array of modules that make up the degree; others have essential core modules, and then you can choose from a small number of options until you get the required credits. But part of choosing the course for you over here is looking at the modules that make up the degree to make sure you're getting the exact focus you want; the one I teach on, for example, has a focus on practically applying environmental science, with the result that it has a very high post-graduation employment rate across a variety of environmental disciplines. Others might focus more on human geography, or environmental engineering, or climate science, or whatever else.

The reason for this is the quality assurance system in the UK. Courses have to be validated as being the right quality in terms of content, level of study, assessment practices, etc. Let's say you get a BSc from UWTSD in Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change; that comes with a quality assurance for a future employer that you have learned a specific set of skills, a specific knowledge bank, and are capable of using both in a specific way. There shouldn't be a risk, for example, that they hired someone from the same course the year before who had the same qualification as you, but turned out to not understand the dynamic processes behind sand dunes and couldn't write an official report to save their life, meaning you get passed over for the job the following year because they can't trust that your education actually means anything; if both of you have the same qualification, then the course should be meeting sufficient quality standards to ensure that you both therefore have the same knowledge and skillset.

So that's point one!

Where this works in your favour is point two: assessment. Assessment is also rigidly quality-checked, but it means you can ask a course director and immediately get an outline of what the assessment procedures are (not the precise assessment tasks, obviously; but, report vs exam vs lab practical etc will be known).

But also, yes, assessment in the UK is extremely rarely what I understand to be 'quizzes' in the US, and extremely rarely multiple choice. Rightly or wrongly, there is a definite perception in academic circles over here - even at high school level, much less university - that a multiple choice quiz is too easy to pass by guessing, and they're very looked down on as a method to assess learning.

What you'll have instead varies between modules and courses, but I can give you an idea with a couple of mine:

Level 4: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

No exams: two reports based on practical field/lab work, both worth 50% of the final mark

First: dissect owl pellets in the lab from two sites. Evaluate what the findings mean for the biodiversity on each site, and suggest some future site management prescriptions. 2000 words.

Second: fieldtrip to nearby woods to take allometric tree measurements and calculate carbon sequestration. Evaluate the ecosystem service provided by the woodland, and comment on site management and conservation. 2000 words.

Level 5: Coastal, Marine and Wildlife Conservation

One assignment, one exam, each worth 50% of the final mark

Assignment: Ramsey Island has far less biodiversity than neighbours like Skomer, Grassholm, etc. Research why, what was done to fix it, how well it's recovered, and suggest what should be done in the future to aid further recovery. 2500 words.

Exam: First half is a selection of short form questions to test baseline knowledge. Second half is a 50 mark essay question; choice of two topics to answer.

Level 6: Habitat Management and Building Resilience

No exams: two assignments, one before Christmas worth 30% of the mark, one in May worth 70%

First: choose a species reintroduction project of your choice, and find the habitat feasibility study carried out for it. Critique that habitat feasibility study. Put your findings into an academic poster and present it. 15 mins.

Second: using teachings from across the year, produce a habitat management plan for a site of your choosing. You need to actually visit and assess your site. 3500 words.

(L4, 5 and 6: first, second and final year of undergrad)

The idea in each case is not just to test knowledge; it's to test applied knowledge, and to teach real-world skills needed in the industry after you graduate. If you go into land management, for example, the ability to guess the right answers based on the multiple choice pattern is useless; the ability to assess a site and write up a management plan for it, on the other hand, is literally the job you're hired to do.

So, as far as research is concerned... if you mean carrying out your own research on a topic of your own choosing, the main place that happens is your dissertation in third year. But, you can start that earlier if you want. In our department, we also encourage and support any independent research a student may choose to do, even if they don't end up using it for their degree directly.

If you mean general research skills, though, those are vital to every assignment. If you only repeat back whatever papers or knowledge the lecturers have given you, and don't research independently, you will barely scrape a pass. We actively push you to learn those skills.

And then lastly, expectations for students! In higer ed, you are now an adult, and you are choosing to be here: this means that the expectation is that you're meeting the lecturers halfway, as it were. It's a mistake a lot of new students make, if they've come straight from high school - uni is just The Next Thing to do, but to them it's basically like school, so the teachers have to keep trying to teach them even if the student barely shows up or makes any effort.

But that is not so! They are no longer pupils, and I am not a teacher.

If I say to a class "Look up these papers and be familiar with the arguments before next session because we're going to have a seminar", and then someone doesn't bother because "Whoops I went out drinking and forgot to do my homework teehee", then they can get out. They are adults paying for a particular service. I have offered that service. If they think of it as homework and choose not to do it because they wanted to go out clubbing instead, then... okay. That's the choice they can make. But the consequence is, I'm not chasing after them, because I'm not a teacher, and that's not my job. Now they aren't having that session. This will have a knock-on effect for their understanding of the topic; but that's the choice they made.

(Again, before the Pissing On The Poor crowd arises: I am, very obviously, not talking about students who have other struggles that impact their academic performance. I am, very literally and clearly, talking about the 18-year-old school leavers who are still in the school mindset, and think of missing lectures as 'skiving', and on a lizard brain level think there won't be consequences to that because so far in their life, education systems have not been allowed to fail them for that behaviour.)

So, basically... you're expected to want to learn and improve, and to put the work in to do that. Not to just be there to get the degree, but to be there to learn. Adult education is collaborative between lecturer and student. We guide you, but it's your journey to take.

Anyway! I hope that is at all useful. Let me know if you want clarification on anything, or have any other questions!

[romanromulus]

hey!! I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your works. Something about your style is so smooth, and enrapturing to the reader! I was wondering if you could share any tips on how you write?

you don’t have to, of course. But i’d love to hear any advice that comes from you.

this says it better than I ever could, with special emphasis placed on this bit:

thank you so much for your kind words @dracularus! I don’t really feel qualified to give advice, but since you asked, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned/address your ask in a little more detail below!

this is incredibly long-winded which is why I stuck it under a read more, but I hope you at least find it interesting to read even if it’s not super helpful!

Disclaimer: I am completely self-taught and I’ve never taken a single writing course or had my work formally critiqued! (I probably never will, either, but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms)

okay, you asked how I write, by which maybe you meant my process (?), but I want to first touch on a more literal interpretation of how (which relates to the “mind’s ear” that Le Guin talks about). so I’m not particularly visual when I write—that is, I’m not “picturing” anything; almost every good paragraph I’ve ever penned was dictated by a clear “voice” in my head.

(when I listen to music, I do have highly visual, movie-like daydreams that help me ‘storyboard’ fics or original works, but I consider this part of the planning stage and rarely summon up those images when sitting down to do the actual writing. the voice brings the scene to life, not the picture.)

anyway, to address the question of how—the storytelling voice in my head springs from a rhythm I’ve picked up while reading.

for context, I’m very selective with the books I read. very selective. I don’t read “for fun” (though I very much enjoy everything I read!), I read as homework. I truly believe that the quality of your output depends on the quality of your input. if you only read colleen hoover, you’re going to write like colleen hoover and you’ll never progress past her skill level (though if this is your goal, godspeed my friend!).

anyway, what I look for in the things I read are books where the rhythm, the current, the melody of the prose grabs me and carries me seamlessly from the first word to the second, to the third, the fourth, the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter—and then suddenly the book is finished and I sit up and blink like I was just released from a spell. I only read skilled prose like this because, after I’ve been reading for a while, I get a feel for the rhythm of the prose and the voice in my head tries to match the melody. in this way I borrow momentum and receive a charge that helps my own melody flow out.

when I first started writing, most of what I wrote was in someone else’s voice, usually whoever I was reading at the time (like I was doing an exercise along the lines of: write a fanfic in (insert author’s name here)’s style). this is a very common practice among novice writers and I still sometimes do it today. over time I’ve begun to develop more of my own distinctive voice, but I’m not all the way there. sometimes my voice grows faint or I lose access to it as my creative spark wanes and then I have to step into someone else’s current again and write in their voice. that’s how I write—by reading. this is also how I account for the smoothness you mentioned—I’m following a rhythm I can hear with my mind’s ear.

in terms of more tangible advice, my main piece of advice would be to figure out what your specific goal is when it comes to bettering your writing and then focus exclusively on that goal and pursue it relentlessly. it’s pretty clear that I care about melodic prose above everything else, and because you specifically mentioned smoothness + a feeling of being enraptured, I’m going to assume that those are qualities that matter to you, too—so, to tie it all together:

read shit that inspires you and try to copy it. figure out why it inspires you. if there’s a paragraph that you think is cool or is using a technique you like, try to write your own version of it. one of my little ficlets (breaking point of the average pilgrim) was an exercise in trying to capture the specific vibes of a chapter opening in the sound and the fury. if, while you’re reading, you stumble upon a word or a phrase that has resonance, pause and use it as a jumping off point and scribble something down. if you like my writing, borrow my voice! it’s yours, find its rhythm and let it tell you stories until your own voice rises to overtake it. if you can already ‘hear’ your own voice (awesome, congrats!), then let it keep murmuring and try to note down every word it says without self-censoring. your voice needs to know it can be good or bad and, either way, you’ll still listen and take it seriously. once your voice knows it’s going to be heard, it will take you where you want to go!

[roseispending]

No.4

Looking Back To Move Forward / Past Drawings (Part 3)

This is my most recent drawing, the one I am most proud of, and what I think my current skill level is. It's a Procreate drawing of my bedroom, or at least an idealised version of it. I first sketched it with a pencil tool, and then inked over it with the gel liner to keep the lines simple. I thought if I used different line weights then I would get overwhelmed and drop it.

I used the perspective tools on Procreate to help but took creative liberty for the measurements. In uni, I was used to aiming for accuracy in my illustrations and visuals, but now I'm drawing for fun and to be more creative so I can loosen up a little. This also helped me to finish the drawing as I wasn't holding my self back from making mistakes.

I'm not very confident with colour yet, so I did a small (unfinished) attempt, and also tried to place the values in the illustration. The colours I used were from a preset already available on Procreate so I take no ownership of the palette. It's an important skill for me to learn and is very prevalent in a visual development artists job, so it is definitely something I want to practice and be great at. I do have some books already that can help m, but I'll write about them at the time.

This is the last catch-up of my past drawings, and now I can only show my current work. I wanted to share my older drawings to help me move on from them as sometimes when I create something I'm happy with, I get stuck and worried that I'll do something else which I won't like. And somehow that would have lessened my skill. I know this is illogical, but it's difficult to get over feelings of self-worth, confidence, and imposter syndrome. The latter being something I've struggled with my whole life. But I'm happy to finally move on and to open myself up to making mistakes, and practicing more. I keep reminding myself of where and who I want to be, what I'm aiming for, and eventually how I want to live my life.

So with that in mind, it's time I start creating something new.

(P.S. I'm feeling a little more confident with writing now. I feel myself rambling a lot, however I want to be authentic and relay my true thoughts and feelings. It may just be because I have a little plan of what I'm posting right now, but that may also just be self-deprecation talking again. A nasty habit I'd love to break out of. But I'm looking forward to where this blog takes me and hopefully to meet others in the art community.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[shiningwonderland]

Tokiya Ichinose (Repeat) Memorial

Translator: Koto (Twitter: kotowari16)

Proofreader: Mimi (Twitter: _mimisaurora)

Completely sealing my "love" away.

When I initially made my debut as HAYATO, I could still sing my songs decently despite his character being very far from my usual image.

HAYATO had started to sell well, so I was told it fine to just bring out songs.

I had initially been given two weeks to practice, but that turned into one week, then into three days… and eventually I wasn’t even given one day…

I’m the kind of person who carefully thinks about this singing. Because of my reduced practice time, I couldn’t keep up the quality. It would be in bad taste to call whatever HAYATO’s bringing out “songs”.

“Alright, here’s the demo track of this CD… and here are the lyrics. You have one hour to learn them; we’ll be recording after.”

“What…?”

It had become quite common these days for my manager to tell me while in a taxi on the way.

“In one hour? No way. What about lessons? I won’t be able to sing this properly then.”

I didn’t know if someone could overhear us, so I had no choice but to act like HAYATO even in a place like this.

“The rhythm and pitch can be chachachacha modified mechanically, it’s more than enough if you can hear the lyrics.”

“That… I want to sing more properly. One week, even 3 days would be…”

“It’s alright. The technology has improved recently, so the engineers can do a good job.”

I couldn’t forgive that.

In the short window of one hour that I was given, I could never reach a level that I was satisfied with. No matter how much effort, singing skills or how well I actually sang during the production. 

My chest hurt whenever I fen letter mentioned that the writer loved HAYATO’s songs. 

I want to sing with everything I have.

I want to deliver my true song.

I want to sing, not as HAYATO, but as Ichinose Tokiya.

I want to deliver a song that I myself agree with.

In such a short time, I have no time to put my heart into the song either.

And what’s more, I don’t want to lie to my fans anymore.

For those who say that they like the current HAYATO, how he’s been constructed until this point… and for Haruka as well, this current HAYATO won’t do. Absolutely not.

“Haruka, I will definitely become an idol. I will debut as Ichinose Tokiya. I ask if you can make a song with that same intention.”

I sounded enthusiastic while creating the song for the graduation audition, almost as if I was talking ot myself.

“Okay!”

She’s always following me very obediently. 

Always supporting me, encouraging me with her smile.

Before I knew, I was attracted to that smile, and her musical talent.

I was very aware that I was attracted to her, so I was desperately trying to stop those feelings.

If you’re going to be an idol, you have to discard your love.

That’s the rule here.

I want to debut as Ichinose Tokiya.

And I want for Haruka to become a composer as well.

What should I do with these feelings that grow stronger every day…?

I would be glad if I was the only one who loved and it was otherwise unrequited. As long as I would keep silent about how I felt, this story would be over…

However…

“Haruka…”

I called her name and softly placed the palm of my hand on hers.

“Ah… W-what is it…?”

When our hands touched, she blushed, trembled and made an expression like she was lost.

“No, it’s nothing.”

When our hands separated, she looked a bit disappointed, if only a little…

She had already put her other hand on the back of the hand I touched, and brought it to her chest. She seemed happy.

When someone has no interest the opposite sex, they surely don’t act like this, right?

I think that she might also be attracted to me, just as I am to her.

Haruka becomes more lovely every day, and my heart is burning with love for her.

Although she is incredibly lovely the way she is, as the graduation audition approaches, the chances of us being alone together, are drastically increasing.

The more time we spend together, the more unexpected sides of her I could see. The more I learned, the more I fell in love.

This vicious circle isn’t a bad place to be either.

Instead of forgetting my love, I’m just falling deeper and deeper.

She also understands the no love rule at the academy, so I’m not saying anything careless. Although that’s probably just a matter of time, isn’t it?

It wouldn’t be weird for either of us to blurt out that they love the other like this.

That’s how much we were attracted to each other.

My love or my dream…

I had to make that choice.

Let’s say that I end up choosing love.

We will be expelled in that case.

And that moment, I will lose my dream.

I don’t know any other life that that of an idol, so I’ll probably end up continuing playing HAYATO.

As long as I continue with HAYATO, I can’t officially go out with her either. I’m an idol, so I can’t have a girlfriend.

Even if I would choose love now, there’s no guarantee either that I’ll always be able to be with her. If I give up on love and choose my dream, however, there’s a high probability of both us becoming professionals.

I might even be able to sing her song.

And most importantly, it meant she wouldn’t lose her dream.

I can still turn back now. Let’s stop looking at her as someone of the opposite sex.

That’s right, isn’t it?

The final night…

After the dance party, I will throw this love away once and for all.

Otherwise, we cannot be together.

Let’s trick myself into thinking that I got turned down.

It should be fine if I just continued to act like my feelings had changed.

It wouldn’t matter this time if that’s self-suggested.

I have to eliminate the obstacles to my dream.

But if…

If she would tell me that she loved me, I might not be able to hold back anymore.

There… would be no option but to cancel our partnership and ask her to give up on this dream.

Throwing my love away when we’re constantly next to each other, knowing how we both feel, is impossible.

I don’t have that kind of strength yet.

So, I’m begging you, please don’t tell me that you love me…

At least I want to continue being partners with you.

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

15, 45, 49

Sorry for the delay 🙂

15 answered here!

45. What's something you've improved on since you started writing fic? Oh, pretty much everything, but dialogue in particular. That's as much an effect of growing up as it is practicing the craft, but I can tangibly see how much more refined my skills have become, and it makes me really happy!

49. What am I currently working on? Share a few lines. I'm working on dragon age au and a surprise one-shot. No spoilers on that second one, so here's a bit from the first 🙂

"I've always found that exercise has a way of lifting the spirit, at least once it's done," Beatrice tells you.  "It's hard now, but it will get easier.  In time, you'll be faster and stronger than you can even imagine."

"Did that happen for you?"

She nods.  "I was never idle in the Circle, but although we studied combat magic, we weren’t really trained to be warriors.  When I joined the Inquisition and learned to fight seriously, I also struggled to keep up with the regiment of the other soldiers.  It was difficult, but every day I did what I could, pushing my limits until they eventually gave way."

Your mouth twists around a bitter seed of self-doubt.  "Yeah, I don't know that I'm going to get to your level any time soon, if ever.  These things," you indicate your legs by kicking at the snow.  "They've been useless for 12 years, and if I didn't have Hope, they still would be.  I'm more than behind the curve, I'm starting leagues back from everyone else."

"You mustn't think of it that way," she tells you firmly, stopping in her tracks to face you and put a hand on your shoulder.  "You may be starting with a disadvantage, but that doesn't mean you're incapable.  If anything, it makes your progress all the more meaningful."

You look away, unable to handle the intensity of her gaze.  "If you say so…"

"I do say so.  Don't forget the strides you've made already, Ava.  You're right on the cusp.  You just need to keep going."

You finally look back and meet her eyes, losing whatever you were about to say in the face of her sincerity.  Her confidence in you.  You stand in the slush, gazing at each other silently, and that well of yearning in your chest attains a new weight.

[erigold13261]

Remember that one ask with Jujustsu Kaisen x NSR ideas? Yes. It is I who has descended again. I will write about those characters and those NSR powers bc I will implode if I don't/hj... here we go.

Note this will be focusing on the Hidden Inventory arc and its characters bc it will be closer to the NSR timeline and less characters to write about and might contain spoilers (the explanation down below is messy so I highly recommend you read the wiki page to figure out what I am trying to say)

Gojo Satoru (he/him): In canon JJK, he is keyed as "The Strongest". The one sorcerer who is practically invincible and has a lot of cursed skills up his sleeve, and leads the current cast as a teacher. He has a skill known as "six eyes" which allows him to perform all of his skills that manipulate the world on the atomic level. However, in the past, he was a bratty manchild teenager with too much of an ego. So we will have the latter brat Satoru as the lead. In the NSR world, he could have literally six blue eyes, and have the NSR world's equivalent of albinism which ends with his skin and hair being white. ... he could still be overpowered and ended up being shipped to Nueva York from Japan or caused some huge shit to end up in the US. Is Suguru's one and only best friend.

Geto Suguru (he/him in canon but sure gives off he/they vibes): in canon JJK, he is seen as the worse curse user, who wants to get rid of non curse users to make a perfect world. (As the sorcerers were sending the younger ones to fight cursed spirits, just for many of them to die) In the past, he is a stoic serious kid who wants to protect the weak using his gift of being able to take in cursed spirits. In the NSR world, maybe they could see dead people and ghosts and maybe even control ghosts like a necromancer. Probably looks like canon, with less of the dye job treatment. Might have ended up in Nueva York due to a)Satoru's shinanigans, or b) family not being able to handle their rare talent, since they were the only one to have it. Is Satoru's one and only best friend.

Shoko Ieiri (she/her but gives off she/it/they vibes): in canon JJK, she is the main protagonist's school doctor who can heal wounds using the rare Reverse Cursed Technique. In the past, they are Satoru and Suguru's close friend, who is still learning to use their technique. In the NSR world, it could have a glass body (since its name in Japanese is 硝子, literally the kanji for glass) and a humanoid head (unlike Sarabi) which kinda explains why it did not go to missions (to clarify, no, Shoko is a flesh and blood human in JJK, they just did not go to curse exorcising missions like the rest of the gang) They ended up in Nueva York by probably getting roped in with Satoru and Suguru.

Kento Nanami (he/him): in canon JJK, he is a salaryman-turned sorcerer, who despite acting stoic, has a genuine will to protect the students. In the past, he acts like a goth and looks like one, idk how else to explain it. His skill is Ratio, which can split things in the ratio of 7:3, creating a weak spot just there(a pun for the surname Nanami, which sounds like 7 and 3 pronounced in Japanese). In the NSR world, he could have the split skin condition like Eve except his skin is split in the ratio of 7:3. Is often compared to Eve and not happy about it. Still has the ability to split things in 7:3, and ended up in Nueva York most likely due to Satoru and Suguru.

Yu Haibara (he/him): in canon past JJK, he is Kento's classmate, and acts very cheerfully unlike Kento who looks like an emo teen 24/7... we sadly have no idea what his cursed skill is so we might have to improv here... in the NSR world he could be a black and white character like Noir, since his surname contains the kanji meaning "ash". Unlike Noir his skin is like that from birth.

sorry for sending this feel free to delete this ask...

Gonna put all my thoughts under a read more since your ask is already pretty long and I don’t want to make it even longer lol. (also I already answered and queued the first JJK ask so whenever that comes out it won’t have anything related to do with this ask).

I’ll do my best to keep up and will try to look at the wiki if I am starting to get lost! (Gonna respond as I read along instead of reading entirely and then going back and responding)

-Gojo Satoru:

I feel like his powers kinda feel like a stronger version of Eve’s powers (not even counting the “eye” motif that is being used too lol). 

You said he was a bratty teenager and so we will be using that version, does that mean all the characters are going to be teens or does that mean his teen personality is going to be given to his adult version? Sorry the wording was a little weird (and you said he is a teacher so the others might already be young and can’t be aged down). That being said though, I think having him be a teen and not having full control of his powers is a necessary step for being sent to Nueva York (an adult also works but he has to not have control over a lot of power).

Honestly, if you really want, he could be either a counselor at Nueva York or he could have his own organization that teaches people with powers like him to control their powers. I said in my other ask (whenever that one gets posted) that people with low skill that aren’t really a danger don’t really go to Nueva York. So anyone with powers like Satoru (similar in a way of how they work, not in the actual power) could be taught to strengthen and control their power by being in this school/organization.

Also, you talking about albinism really makes me wonder what albinism in NSR would look like. Since white skin and hair are very natural in this world, being all white wouldn’t be all that abnormal (well having the same hair and skin color is a skin condition I think exists, but it wouldn’t be considered albinism). 

Maybe if you have off white colors, or are fully white there is a case it is albinism OR it could be a case of the same color condition. The two make the classification hard for people since someone with albinism would need more treatment than someone with the same color condition. Having two different off white colors would be a sign of albinism, but could also be mistaken for natural coloring, while having two of the same off white colors could be albinism or mistaken for same colored skin and hair condition (anyway this is not the point of the ask).

-Geto Suguru:

The powers you suggest would have to bring up the case of if ghosts exist or not. Which honestly I don’t know how I want to handle to be honest. I do like the idea of ghosts and afterlifes and stuff, but I also like keeping it as either an unknown or not actually real. Mainly because I think it can get into trouble with people who had lost someone and wants to see them (someone like Neon J would have searched out someone with this power to try and talk to his crewmates).

Plus honestly I don’t like the idea of necromancy being in the standard NSR world. If this was one of my fantasy AUs, then absolutely! Neon J is actually a necromancer in one of my AUs, so Suguru would fit in with that kind of power! However, in the “normal” NSR/NSpidR AU, I would rather not have that kind of power (or the concreteness of ghosts/afterlife).

Had to look at the wiki for more explanation of his powers (and realized that “the worst” means dangerous and not a shitty magic user lol) and he seems to have an absorption power where he can absorb curses and use them later on. I think this could be a neat mimic ability where they can absorb someone’s power, making the user weaker and potentially disabling their power temporarily or permanently (depending on the length of absorption), and then use that ability for some time (again, depending on how much was absorbed). 

This would be a highly dangerous power to have, as they could end up taking whole powers from people and gaining those powers (maybe not to the same level as the original user though). So like, if they absorbed Tatiana’s powers for a little bit, they could replicate some of her power while she could no longer do her stronger abilities (and her normal abilities are weakened). This would last for, idk, maybe a day or two and then they can only use like the weakest form of that power from then on (maybe making a small lighter fire off his finder or something like that).

If they continue to absorb her power, then Tatiana could have even more weakened fire powers and time powers, possibly temporarily disabled powers too. This would give Suguru even more control of these powers, being able to use even stronger abilities, and have the powers for an even longer aftermath (maybe like a week or two). Once the powers are diminished in his inventory, he could still do fire and time magic (even better than before).

Now if he was able to absorb ALL of Tatiana’s powers, he would essentially be fully depleting her of her magic to where she could never make fire or use time manipulation at all (I don’t think it would change her biology so she’d still be made of rock/crystals). At this point, Suguru would never lose these powers, however they would never be at the same level of Tatiana’s original power level (so like if Tatiana was lv 100, Suguru would always be lv 75 or something, which is still strong and with other powers added in, they make up for the deficit).

If the person only has their power absorbed for a little bit, or even temporarily disabled, they will be able to get back to their full power as time goes on (maybe taking a few days to a few months to get back to normal depending on how much was absorbed). This is because they naturally have this magic/power while Suguru doesn’t, so he can’t just conjure more of the magic up without absorbing more of it. (and to fully absorb someone’s power takes quite a bit of time, so he would either have to get them to stop fighting back, knock them out, restrain them, or trick them into letting him take all their power, so he probably doesn’t have a lot of super strong permanent powers, but he still has some).

So yeah, if you want they could also be a counselor at Nueva York, probably is the one who came up with the Go-Home-Machine (or whatever it is called, I forget lol). I can see them actually being like Olivia where they both have their own motives for working at Nueva York, very selfish and not all that really helpful motives.

If you want to go with an entirely different school/organization that Suguru and Satoru run, Suguru could be a really good teacher who is able to mimic abilities and help teach people how to strengthen their powers (what better way to teach a plant person than to also use plant magic? :3)

And then, if you want them to be sent to Nueva York, then what could have happened is that Satoru and Suguru tried tricking people into giving up their powers or something, maybe even trying to trick Miguel (as he went to see what all the commotion was personally with this case) and both got sent to Nueva York because of how dangerous they were (especially Suguru).

-Shoko Ieiri:

Oh! OH! I have an idea! What if Shoko does still have healing powers, but its powers sometime get out of control and do that horror thing where the cells continue to grow and regenerate at an alarming rate and cause severe harm to the person getting healed. It would be horrible and traumatic but also a perfect excuse to be put into Nueva York because that is an extremely dangerous power to have with no control!

I also love the glass elemental idea! For some reason I think also having them being also a plant or light elemental would be cool. Like you can see the inside of her body being roots or liquid light, something like that. Mainly because plants are used in healing and there’s the idea of healing light or something like that. If that’s the case you can also add burns from the light or accidentally infecting people with fungus/invasive plants while healing (like imagine a small seed gets on someone while she is healing them and then the healing makes the seed take root into that person’s body and now that person has to have their body part removed because the roots are clogging up their veins and eating away at their body making them decompose but the healing magic just keeps healing them up. It would be a very painful could of seconds/minutes before Shoko realizes what the fuck is happening).

Now as for why it would get roped into Satoru and Suguru’s shenanigans, I can see it being the main selling point of drawing people in. Weak people come in to get healed by it, Suguru takes their power as payment, Satoru is like the face of the operation or something, and Shoko is the healer who actually does help people at the cost of their powers. That’s really the only thing I can think of that would work given my limited knowledge.

Once one of the treatments go wrong (healing wise and probably power wise, as I can see some people NEEDING their powers to survive), Satoru tries to use his powers to cover the whole thing up, which just catches Miguel’s attention and so he (along with some other counselors probably) end up going directly to these three to confront them, and then detain them after seeing the shit they have pulled.

-Kento Nanami:

Oh this guy’s power is actually really flipping cool. Like at first I thought it was weird (kinda stupid) but the wiki showing him cutting someone’s arm off at the break point is definitely something I did not think about (Idk what I thought at first his power could do, but that was not one of the abilities. That is so creative).

Definitely a strange power to have but I think this one could definitely work in NSR, maybe has to be tweaked a bit but I honestly don’t know how to do so since this is such a creative and unique power to have, so for now it will just stay as is.

I think him not being related to Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko’s crimes would be a better fit. Sure he could have been helping them, but I think him doing his own thing in the same vicinity and being caught only because Miguel and others are close by would be a cool thing to have. I don’t know what got him caught, maybe he was showing off his powers, Miguel or someone questions him, and then thinks he is a threat because this person could take down entire buildings or cut people in… well not in half, but you know lol. 

So Nanami gets taken away because the other three brought attention to him by accident with their little stunts being pulled.

-Yu Haibara:

Read his wiki and he told Geto “ that he likes when he does things that only he can do” so I think he would definitely have a unique power, but I have no idea really what that would be (or at least a rare power). His family is also not sorcerers so he is definitely the only person with a power in his family, which is why he would probably be sent to Nueva York.

Honestly that could be why this whole thing starts. Yu’s family calls in Nueva York for help, Nanami gets caught up in the intervention or whatever it would be called. And then, the counselor who went to check up on Yu gets wind of Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko’s schemes, which brings in a few other counselors and Miguel as this threat seems a lot bigger than the standard cases they have where one or two counselors would be fine to send in.

Anyway! Back to Yu! I do like the monochrome/no color thinking like Noir, but it is natural. Maybe something can also be related to plants or something because the wiki says his surname also has the kanji “meadow.” 

For some reason I am just thinking about Yu being made of actual ash and grass (maybe like black mondo grass) or something like that. His body would be intangible at times, think like Crocodile from One Piece. So this power could be really bad to have because you could accidentally hurt people’s lungs by spreading ash in the air (plus when ash gets in contact with water/a wet place like the inside of someone’s lungs, it gets super sticky and I think turns into a kind of cement, which you don’t want in your lungs). 

So Yu is seen as dangerous because of the nature of his powers, and is sent away to learn to control his powers. Maybe the counselor sees Yu and Nanami playing around with their powers, Nanami ends up “cutting” Yu’s arm (Yu is entirely fine and stuff), which makes the counselor ask questions, gets to know the nature of Nanami’s powers, and decide he should also be taken in (and then the counselor finds out about the other three, Miguel comes, and they all go back to Nueva York).

And yeah! That’s all I really have for ideas given what you told me about! The show seems pretty cool, though I don’t think I will be watching it anytime soon (I am already procrastinating so much other content). Hope my ideas and stuff were entertaining and relatively good for a media I know nothing about lol :D

[missmastedu]

New Media Journalism - Final Project

It’s interesting reflecting on my Mastery of New Media Journalism timeline goal.  Looking back over the year, I believe I have acquired all of the new skills I would need to pursue a job in the field of journalism or even teaching journalism at the collegiate level.  I am happy where I am as a high school teacher of journalism, but it is gratifying and comforting to know I am qualified to take other avenues should I choose to do so.  I am not currently looking for a teaching job at the college level, but because I am now qualified, the option is open to me whenever I may want it.  I also, can’t say that I won’t leave teaching entirely and work in the field of journalism.  One never knows.  But I love that I have a lot of options now.

This final class for the New Media Journalism program was the culminating class for months of work on one specific project.  This class taught me how to analyze the process and methods of completing my long-form story on chronic absenteeism and also how to reflect and analyze ways to improve my practices for future projects.  Writing the Literature Review for my thesis paper was probably one of the most challenging tasks in this class simply because I had a large amount of sources that needed to be included in the review.  Writing it in list form would have been significantly easier but writing it as an essay where all sources have to be connected to tell the story and how the sources contributed to the significance of the report was a challenge I was happy to have accomplished.  This class challenged me in a way I have never been challenged before with academic writing and I believe I will be a better teacher because of it.  I also love that at 46-years-old, I can still be challenged academically and “nerd-out” on the process of learning new things.

[katherinejiaxin]

SOFTWARE FUNDAMENTALS SUMMARY:

FINAL REFLECTION

Overall, I enjoyed this class a lot and I have learned so many new skills, as well as I have learned just how complex some softwares can be.

Honestly, I was really nervous beginning this class, but also this degree in general, having absolutely 0 skill in any of the softwares, but I quickly gained confidence with each of the lectures. I found Illustrator the easiest to master, and I have now got quite good skills when it comes to drawing shapes. I might need to just refine the skills around drawing curved shapes with only perpendicular direction handles, but I am very happy with my progress and the speed that I am able to complete different illustrations now. I am going to be using illustrator for my DT Graphic design poster, which I am currently drafting up, which is another opportunity for me to level up my skills.

Going on to Photoshop, I really felt stuck, especially when it came to layer masks and handling them. But with the compositing homework, I practiced a lot of mask stuff and found it way easier to manage. I definitely have so much more to explore with Photoshop, and I want to master these skills. I have begun to watch the LinkedIn skills tutorials and I am slowly upgrading my skills in Photoshop. I am hoping that I will be able to display these skills in other areas of my work and explore it as a hobby.

Lastly, Indesign. These lectures were very straightforward, but I was away for one of the lectures, making it more difficult to manage. However, I feel quite comfortable with my skills and I am excited to begin thinking about my book design for semester 2. I really want to refine my skills and have enough skills to create a book that accurately recreates my brainstorms. I want to be able to create whatever comes to mind. and not be limited by my skills. This obviously goes for all the softwares that we have learned but I am excited to showcase my work.

Ultimately, this class was both challenging, yet rewarding. I am satisfied by my skills and will be working on them to be even better. But, anyways, I am proud of myself for how far I've come since my first day! :)

Thanks!

[11-eim]

What we like about our Strand?

Buayaban - Because i am interested in learning more about the intersection of technology and business. I believe that this strand will provide me with the skills and knowledge that i need to succeed in the business world

A.deguzman -i am interested to learning about the electricity and I believe that this strand will be enhance and develop my knowledge about electricic

B.RANAN -I am interested to learn about the Electrical Installation And Maintenance? The curriculum is designed to prepare students with entry level knowledge and manipulative skills for employment in the electrical industry

J.ambe -As our world becomes more and more reliant on electrical systems, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is only going to rise. This strand opens up a wide range of career opportunities, ensuring job security.

LEGASPI JP -because i want specialized with analysing signs,electrical symbols and data, interpretation of technical drawings and plans, maintainingof electric hydraulic tools, installation of electric metallic tubing, wire ways and cabletrays; installing telephone terminal cabinet, cable Bridge. And also the selection ofwiring devices used for floor and ground fault current interrupter

ID DAAYATA -because electrical skills demonstrate practical skills virus abilities that an electrician utilizes to perform their job this skills represent soft skills such as communication or problem solving and technical skills related to electrical work

DJ. BERIDO - because this is one of my dream jobs and I like to help my parents to be a millionaire

Dilinogun rasul D. - student feel amazing and enjoy about their chosen strand because tvl is really fun to study with.

Fernandez johndale Y. -tvl track will make you explore new things and be able to get knowledge from it.

Padasas kent jonel -because I want to repair and I want to get NC2 and I can serve those in need

Sorin ubaub -appreciate Electrical Installation and Maintenance! And i am happy to do electrical work or repair

Gilbert Cabañas- because I am interested in learning more about the intersection of technology and business. I believe that this strand will provide me with the skills and knowledge that I need to succeed.

Nathan De Guzman -  As a student who is currently enrolled in the Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) - Entrepreneurship and Information Technology (EIM) strand, I have been able to harness different skills and knowledge that I obtained from the subject of practical research. The subject of practical research has allowed me to learn the necessary skills and techniques to conduct research effectively. Throughout this subject, I have learned how to construct a research design, such as developing a hypothesis, identifying the research variables, and selecting the appropriate research method. Furthermore, I learned how to analyze and interpret data using different statistical tools and techniques. These skills have been essential in my TVL-EIM strand, specifically in understanding the concepts of entrepreneurship and information technology. In my entrepreneurship class, the practical research subject has helped me in developing a business plan. By using the research tools and techniques I learned in this subject, I was able to gather and analyze relevant data to determine the feasibility of my business plan. This helped me identify the strengths and weaknesses of my plan, as well as the opportunities and threats that I may encounter in the future. In addition, I have used my practical research skills to evaluate and analyze market trends and consumer behavior. This is particularly useful in predicting the demand and supply of products or services, which can help entrepreneurs like me make informed decisions in their business. Furthermore, information technology is a crucial element in the TVL-EIM strand, and practical research has been very helpful in understanding this subject. By conducting research, I have learned how to identify the latest technological trends, which can be utilized to improve my business. I have also been able to use different research tools to evaluate the interface design, system usability, and user experience of different websites and applications. In conclusion, the subject of practical research has been instrumental in my TVL-EIM strand. The skills and knowledge that I have gained from this subject have allowed me to conduct research effectively, which has helped me in developing my business plan and analyzing market trends and consumer behavior. As a student, I am confident that these skills will be useful in the future as I pursue my career in the field of entrepreneurship and information technology

[misshermiethehermit]

the crystal of my rebirth is

dumortierite.

i decided that i didn’t like the current version of myself. i was not happy with her. so i’ve decided to change that, but, i have given myself a deadline. december 15th. there are multiple qualities within me that i am just not happy with, but i know, i just know i am capable of changing. i am not my habits. i know how to be a better version of myself, i just need to apply myself. and that’s what i will be doing throughout these two months.

aside from losing all my bad habits, i want to practice getting back in tune with myself. my intuition. my gut. my abilities. everything. those are not hobbies, or skills that i picked up. they are a part of me, they are a necessity, and parts that u need to tap into.

“Most Dumortierite crystals open the Third Eye and Throat Chakras. However, they can also open other chakras like the Crown, Heart, or Root Chakra based on the colors of the inclusions.”

“The crystal Dumortierite is also ruled by the Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, the Greek God of Sea, Poseidon, the Egyptian Goddess of the Sky, Nuit, and the Hindu God of Protection, Krishna.”

the dumortierite crystal specializes in things i specifically want to work on such as:

stress levels:

Dumortierite relieves anxiety, worries, and overthinking (which i tend to do a lot of).

in this area, i overall just want to put more trust into the moves i make. i feel like my anxiety, worried, and overthinking stem from a lack of trust in myself as well as a lack of trust in the process, as well as a lack of trust in God. i want to work on gaining trust in those areas of my inner self. furthermore, see if this can assist with my stress levels.

“Dumortierite Reiki quickly eliminates tension from your mind. You can either go to a Reiki practitioner or meditate on your own after placing a Dumortierite between your brows.”

confidence & communication skills:

funny enough, i feel like i have great communication skills. when i’m not being triggered. i want to learn how to communicate and articulate my emotions well, even when it hurts, even when i don’t want to.

“The best way to use Dumortierite for communication skills is by making an indirect elixir and consuming it.”

this crystal is perfect If if feel shy, introverted, or nervous when speaking your mind. it can help you express yourself courageously and is an excellent crystal for students, professionals, and leaders.

creativity

“Charge Dumortierite for creativity by holding it in your palms and meditating for a few minutes on Full Moon nights. Ensure to visualize your brain firing up.”

feeling drained, blocked or lacking ideas is said to be a result of weak higher chakras. this crystal is known to enhance critical thinking skills through the Third Eye Chakra.

memory and brain power

by removing brain fog, mental chatter, and increasing memory retention, dumortierite enhances the mind. it’s great for focus, listening, and knowledge, besides doing magic for students.

“Positive affirmations are the best way to boost your brain power with Dumortierite. Make sure to chant them into the Dumortierite crystal. Read more on how to set intentions.”

anger management

“Charge Dumortierite by burying it in three inches of soil for up to a week. Alternatively, rinse the crystals in a water bowl before carrying them for anger management”

Dumortierite Spiritual Properties and Benefits

Mediumship

The indigo-blue colors in Dumortierite open the Third Eye chakra. It raises your vibrations to help you communicate with otherworldly beings like spirits and angels.

Use Dumortierite for spirit contact or mediumship by keeping it in the center or as a focus stone on a crystal grid. Explore how to make crystal grids for manifestation.

Astral Travel

A step above angelic contact is multidimensional travel. Once you’ve fully bonded with Dumortierite, it can take you to new realities and different universes based on your intention or destiny.

Fire charging is the best way to activate Dumortierite for astral travel. For this, light a candle and hold the crystal before the flame for a few seconds. Finally, place it under your pillow before sleep.

Spiritual Awakening

It’s common to get confused in life, especially in spirituality, because confusion precedes awareness. Dumortierite can help you find the purpose of your life and destiny.

Charge Dumortierite with the smoke of sage, sandalwood, palo santo, lavender, or cedarwood to raise cosmic awareness.

Psychokinesis

The ability to move objects and things with mind power is called psychokinesis. Interestingly, psychics and shamans achieve this using high-vibration crystals like Dumortierite.

The best way to practice and do psychokinesis with Dumortierite is by activating it with the Seed Mantra of LAM. Try to chant the mantra into the crystal for a few minutes before bed.

Psychic Abilities

Dumortierite activates many dormant psychic abilities like clairvision, clairsentience, intuition, fortune-telling, and cosmic connection.

You can activate Dumortierite by charging it with the sound of a medium or large Tibetan Singing bowl. All you need to do is keep the crystal 5 to 20 cm close to the singing bowl while playing it.

Dumortierite Side Effects

Confusion: Dumortierite raises your vibration too high and sometimes confuses the mind between reality, fantasy, and past life records.

Sleep disturbances: Dumortierite raises the higher chakras, so sleeping with it might cause lucid dreams, psychic visions, or spirit contact. You should take a break from using Dumortierite unless you’re ready for spirit contact.

How To Cleanse Dumortierite?

Smudging: Smoke a sacred herb like cedar, sage, or sandalwood by lighting its tip and wafting the smoke over your crystal. Read more about using herbs like sage for cleansing crystals.

Positive Affirmations: Using affirmations, you can cleanse crystals like Dumortierite by combining your breath, thoughts, and sound energies. You only need to chant them into the crystal for a few minutes.

Moonlight: Another easy and comprehensive way to cleanse Dumortierite is by soaking it in the Full Moon light. To do this, leave your crystals on a table or cloth inside the house with a window open.

[dee-diary]

Standing on the edge of becoming an OT

Peter Carey's quote, "It's like standing on the edge of a cliff. This is especially true of the first draft. Every day you’re making up the earth you’re going to stand on," reflects my third-year study journey. It emphasizes the importance of embracing uncertainty and vulnerability, anticipating challenges, pushing beyond boundaries, and embracing the thrill of the unknown for personal and intellectual growth. Each day's effort contributes to this development, as Winston Churchill emphasized that “Continuous effort is the key to unlocking potential”.

My journey as an occupational therapist student has been a transforming and purpose driven adventure. From my initial interest to my current level of study, has helped to shape my passion and dedication for this career path. When my grandfather suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in 2016, that is when I first became interested in a profession in occupational therapy. From his admission to discharge and witnessing his recovery journey that went smoothly. I recall my older brother talking about how the occupational therapist assisted our grandfather in regaining function. I had never before heard the term "occupational therapist.". Baum & Law, 1997 states that occupational therapy practitioners focus and assist their patients in becoming actively engaged in their life occupations despite their present disabilities. In addition, Research states Occupational therapy personnel plays an important role within the changing health system to ensure the desired outcome of health and well-being ((Baum & Law, 1997).

Growing up in an African household, nurses and doctors were the only health professionals that were frequently mentioned or used as role models for us to follow in our community.

Since I was a small child, I have known that my calling is at the hospital, where I can be an extension of those who are unable to help themselves and, most importantly, restore someone's sense of humanity. It was terrible that my grandfather fell ill a year later and passed away, but the occupational therapist's impact on his life was extremely evident. I regret to confess that I would have never learned about occupational therapy if it weren't for my grandfather having a stroke.

From that point forward, I made it a point to learn more about the career than just what my older brother had told me. As my urge to learn more about the field developed, I asked a friend of my parents who works as a doctor to put me in touch with an occupational therapist. I decided to ask to observe the occupational therapist at that point in order to decide whether I really wanted to pursue this career.

I decided to pursue occupational therapy after spending a fantastic week at the hospital working as an occupational therapist's shadow. I am currently in my third year of an occupational therapy degree program, and despite how difficult and tough the modules and fieldwork at hospitals are, I am happy with my career decision. When clients acknowledge your contribution to their health at the end of a session, that truly motivates me to work more every day.

Occupational therapy offers the opportunity to empower individuals, foster personal growth, and improve health and quality of life. As a future occupational therapist, I aim to positively impact individuals' lives and motivate families to participate in their loved ones' recovery processes. Family support is crucial for faster healing. I can attest that having family support helps someone heal more quickly, as this was seen in my grandfather's recovery journey.

Through study, I gained diverse knowledge and skills that are beneficial in both career and everyday life. Despite lacking good hand work skills, I learned to operate a sewing machine and sew, which has been beneficial in my private practice electives. This skill enabled me to sew a pressure garment for a burn patient. A pressure garment is a tight-fitting clothing custom made for you to provide constant pressure over a particular area of the body. For this burns case, the pressure garments help minimize abnormal scarring and promote healing after burn injuries (Chang et al., 1995). I have also obtained woodwork skills, adaptability, and flexibility for limited resources, benefiting the career path.

I have grown and developed in significant ways as a result of facing challenges along this journey with balancing academic and personal commitments, proving my resilience, problem-solving abilities, and dedication to an occupational therapy career. Despite doubts about my ability to succeed, I persevered and achieved success, bringing happiness to my family. I prioritize tasks and maintain a weekly schedule to stay on track.

I can still recall how much I detested blogging at the beginning of last semester, but by the time the physical block was over, I had grown to love it. Yes, it was done for academic purposes, but I believe I needed it more since. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”- Ferris Bueller.  Most of the time, we focus on everything without acknowledging progress. I learned the value of self-reflection and seeking feedback. This practice enabled me to recognize areas for improvement and continuously enhance my skills.

I am inspired and motivated by the passion for the field of occupational therapy and the opportunity to have a long-lasting effect on people, families, and communities as I stand on the edge of becoming one in 16 months. With occupational therapy, I think I can be a light for optimism and progress.

References:

Baum, C., & Law, M. (1997). Occupational therapy practice: focusing on occupational performance. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(4), 277–288. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.51.4.277

Chang, P., Laubenthal, K. N., Lewis, R. W., Rosenquist, M., Lindley-Smith, P., & Kealey, G. P. (1995). Prospective, randomized study of the efficacy of pressure garment therapy in patients with burns. Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation, 16(5), 473–475.

Johansson, A., Björklund, A. (2015). The impact of occupational therapy and lifestyle interventions on older persons’ health, wellbeing, and occupational adaptation: A mixed-design study. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23(3): 207-219.

Peter Carey, "It's like standing on the edge of a cliff. This is especially true of the first draft. Every day you're making up the earth you're going to stand on”.

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential”- Winston Churchill.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”- Ferris Bueller

[aleksandra-lejcus-cas-blog]

FINAL REFLECTION ON CAS EXPERIENCE

SERVICE

For the service part, I was regularly attending my local library, took part in school activities, and was helping my neighbor with taking care of her cat. Thanks to doing these activities I learned quite a few things. Firstly, I learned that it is easy relatively easy to engage in the local community. I have been living near my library for 5 years yet only in the previous year I have discovered that I could be a part of it. It was honestly so much fun to be connected with local institutions and meet new people there. I have made new friends during my service and read a lot of books thanks to the broad access to positions I had. My coordinator in the library showed me their oldest historical book and even gave me a personal desk in the library’s office. During my whole service there, I felt welcomed and was always happy to help. I enjoyed spending time in the library so much, that I promised that after my final exams I will continue to come on Mondays. Thus working in the library gave me the opportunity to learn new things, meet other people, discover my strengths and abilities, and develop myself on multiple levels.

From engaging in school activities, for example in bake sales, I have observed that I can have a positive impact on the world, by combing being in the school environment and ideas. The bake sale was my and my friend's idea. After executing our plan we collected some money and could give them to a charity, which was a great success for me. 

From taking care of Felek, my neighbor's cat, I learned how to be a cat owner. My parents would never let me have a dog or a cat, thus I was happy that I could form a bond with Felek. I gained knowledge in a completely new non-academic category, which now left me with skills about cats' diet, how to play with them, and how to read their behavior and body language.

Also, from being a part of the habit of humanity group in the DP1, I learned more about the world and that to help is to be updated. Now I regularly try to read news concerning global events and try to help people on a local scale. For example, I was making care packages for people fleeing from Ukraine and created a habit of being aware of what is going on around the world, since awareness is the first step to organizing support.

CREATIVITY

For most of the creativity part during my CAS journey, I was cooking and coloring. 

Cooking is a basic life skill, thus I am satisfied that throughout the stress from school and daily chaos, I managed to focus on something so valid. I improved my eating habits during these past two years and gained knowledge about the nutritious value of food. Not ot mention, that cooking made me more prepared for leaving for university and living without my parents. It also taught me how to plan out meals, what to buy during grocery shopping, and how to prepare dishes in quick, yet healthy ways. I am proud of my progress in the kitchen and I will continue to develop my passion for food.

From coloring, I discovered that it is a perfect and accessible way to relax oneself. I also learned how to use and combine colors. Other skills I gained through coloring are having more patience, determination, and motivation. Now, coloring for me is a way to escape from my current worries and focus on something beautiful and truly colorful. 

ACTIVITY

During these past two years, I would run and continue to be a horseback rider.

Running let me experience the physical progress my body can make and the challenges it had to conquer. I used to run poorly, and now I can easily make a 5K run. I am truly proud of myself and happy that although sometimes running was too tiring or I was lacking motivation, I proceeded to do it. I also observed that running is a physical form of happiness for me, thus I will continue to practice running and will even invest in some better running shoes, as I am now sure this activity and sport is for me.

As for training equestrianism, I am joyful that I was able to combine it with the school. Such training is much more time-consuming than for example running as I have to spend time getting to the stable and then taking care of my horse. Yet, I managed to keep up a professional level of equestrian and good grades in school. Thus I gained time-management skills and increased the levels of my emotional intelligence as working with horses requires a lot of it. I also let myself become attached to one of the horses, Happy, and then had to experience her transfer to another stable. I remember that after seeing how she drives away in the trailer I wanted to stop riding. Yet I persisted and met another amazing horse named Seledyn. If I had given up riding I would have not met him. Thus, it was a lesson for me that even when times are hard, the future awaits and can be better than I could ever imagine. Now I have a solid bond with Seledyn and I have never been as motivated to continue my journey with horses.

[anonthefold]

I've noticed that mechanically I am getting much better at ow. It is like the more I play the better I get! Who would have thought?! I did some comp yesterday and did pretty well ( so far 5-2) but damn I had some weird games. One game we got rolled by a group that was waaaaaay above my current skill level. I managed to stay alive as much as their support and throw decent numbers but they were very aggressive and I just couldn't adjust to help the team. The rest have been close but sort of easy. When I say that I mean I had to focus on what I was doing more often and really just enable the other teammates to do work. At this level I know I struggle with when to use coalescence. I feel like I'm playing at a gold level and just burning opponents down becomes significantly less realistic. Plus putting myself out of position is a lot more punishing. Ended the night out with running a couple dozen games of quickplay with my friend which honestly helped me after the type of day I had. I appreciate her company and the fact that she likes to play and improve. She's not outwardly judgemental and as far as temperament has a very similar disposition as I do. Plus she is one of the few people that I don't feel awkward around if it is just quiet. Unfortunately with most of my friends I feel a need to fill the conversational void at times and it can lead me to saying some really stupid things. It was a lot of fun though. I probably played longer than I should have because I was super exhausted and began just running on auto pilot which doesn't add much to absorbing information but I want to see if we can at least max her BP. I was working on more advanced moira movement tech but that is only as effective as the maps you get. I did do a little bit of Zenyatta which was fun but I would need a lot more practice with him to better utilize his abilities. I'm not sure that I will prioritize him because I still want to practice my Bap and Kiriko. But it's nice to just get a change of rotations going. After the little gaming session I thanked my friend for the company and went to bed. I am trying to get better at showing my appreciation for others because I hear it in my head but that doesn't translate to the people it's directed towards. I could probably do better in how I word it in the future though. This is all so awkward for me. But in general I feel like I am actually learning a lot. I'm really happy about these last few weeks despite having their own hardships and all.

[awkwardpenguinproductions]

Hi Sam! I'm a Temple Administrator for a Reform Synagogue on the East Coast-- I don't want to get too specific online, but we're not located in the greater New York/Connecticut/New Jersey area, though we have a large number of members from that area. As such, our traditions are generally Ashkenazic in origin, though we'll try anything at least once.

The prayer book we use is the Mishkan T'filah, which is meant for a wide range of familiarity/skill with Prayer Hebrew (as opposed to Modern/Conversational Hebrew), and therefore has Hebrew (with vowels!), transliteration, and translation, as well as interpretations of prayers for alternative reading during services AND commentary in footnotes! It's published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis and is the preferred siddur for the Union for Reform Judaism. It has several editions for various uses (we get the non-transliterated version for our b'nei mitzvah students, to encourage the growth of their Hebrew skills during their b'nei mitzvah tutoring period), and also has a Kindle edition! It's currently listed at $19.99 on Amazon.

I'm also a Hebrew teacher in my synagogue's religious school and have been for at least 8 years, and have been a b'nei mitzvah tutor for the last two, and have taught students to go from Aleph-Bet and vowel basics to singing prayers (my next b'nei mitzvah student has spent the last couple of years doing just that!). With this in mind, may I suggest exploring Behrman House? We get about 90% of our religious school Hebrew materials from them, and they have Hebrew learning materials for all ages. I'm using the Ten-Minute Hebrew Reader (Revised Edition) in my Intermediate Level Hebrew Class (knows letters and vowels and can decode, but needs practice before tackling prayers), and while it's written for 4th-6th graders, it's a great book of short little decoding exercises that I will recommend to everyone, regardless of age. (Some of the things that the exercises ask you to do are a little silly, but they make the tedium of practicing decoding fun!) There's also a series of Hebrew primers written for adults called Alef Isn't Tough that our Adult Hebrew teacher uses in her classes. Lastly, I've developed/am developing a few materials of my own that I will be happy to share-- mostly powerpoints about the Aleph-Bet and the silent vowel (שווה, shva) and English words transliterated into Hebrew for decoding practice, as well as a vowel pronunciation guide and a little poster about a funny thing the letter chet (ח) does under specific circumstances.

I apologize if any of this is repeat information for you and also for the length of this reblog, I nerd out about Hebrew learning (do not ask me about Torah cantillation or we'll be here all day)! PM me if you're interested in my homemade materials, I'll be happy to send you copies. (After I clean the decoding practice ones up-- my students have been great about pointing out typos and spelling mistakes!)

Shana tova! I was thinking about you during services today when I too was tearing up at the prayers and the sound of the shofar. Wishing you well on your journey. Regardless of if you convert, I hope you are able to find home and solace in the beauty of Judaism

Aw, thank you! Sorry this response is so very late, I'm digging through my backlog and it's...large. But I hope your high holidays were both sweet and meaningful, and glad you thought of me!

I'm slowly working towards gaining more of the knowledge I need -- I'm strong on the theology and culture but a bit weak on the actual prayer and ritual, and I could use more history. But, as I've said before, Judaism's been around for thousands of years; it'll be there when I get there. :)

I've made peace with the fact that written Hebrew will probably always be beyond my ability to learn, so I'm working towards learning the transliteration pronunciation and memorization instead. It's shockingly difficult to find a digital siddur that has Hebrew, transliteration, and translation, but I've got a line on some print versions.

[neonjawbone]

what do you think is the thing that helped you the most as an artist (besides Practice), and what’s something that every artist seems to swear by that never worked for you, if anything?

Here's my shelf of sketchbooks, visible from my work desk, dating back to 2013-2014:

This isn't including the sketchbooks I had to keep from my various figure/life drawing classes in college, a lot of my professors required we keep sketchbooks and they were graded at the end of semesters.

The unfortunate answer is, practice is a big factor in empirically improving. I DRAW A LOT. I always have. To be fair, I never saw it as "practice", and I still don't. I simply "make", which I admit is probably an infuriating kind of advice.

The more you do something, the more comfortable you get at it. HOWEVER. How you're practicing is important. What do you want to draw? How do you want to draw? And most importantly, how do you FEEL when you're drawing.

Here are the things that helped me the most, but your mileage may vary.

I started a webcomic, without even having much of a plot in mind. Having a weekly comic I made for YEARS made me better at comics.

I'm a naturally passionate person. I am one of those "I'm always drawing" motherfuckers. As I get older and have been dealing with burnout more frequently, I'm actually having to force myself to stretch out into hobbies like video games or getting back into reading books. Despite this, drawing really is the thing that makes me happiest in the world.

I found myself surrounded by peers and colleagues, either through art school or from my experiences online, who were all of (percieved) skill level to me who could both challenge and inspire me.

I engage with art on a regular basis. I think a lot about what art means to me, how it affects me, what techniques the artists used to create, and how I can incorporate similar techniques into my arsenal as an artist.

I don't really know what a lot of tips people swear by, if I'm being honest. Outside of art school, I did very little "seeking out art advice" and focused on looking at a lot of art and making a lot of art. Often bad or mediocre art.

Haha I'm clearly not much of a teacher, if this response is anything to go by. My advice to you, and any young artists worrying about this, is follow what makes you happy. Then do a lot of it. Think about it a lot. Go and meet people who are in similar stages of their creative journey. Engage with them. Have long conversations with them about how you make art. Engage a lot with the kind of art you want to make. Both stuff that moves you and stuff that SUCKS. Interrogate why it moves you, or why you want to toss it off a bridge.

Some advice that DOES work for nearly everybody:

Learn how to rest. Stretches, whatever, etc. You've only got the one body, repetitive stress injuries aren't fun.

Something we heard a lot in college was "If you're working and making art consistently, it will likely take 5+ years to land a gig that you actually want" and I've found that rings true. Patience is a virtue to have in art, and because I'd been constantly MAKING (comics, drawings of my ocs, whatever) I was prepared for when opportunities came along. When comics gigs started appearing in my periphery, I had a webcomic I could point to to prove I could make comics. I had characters I'd drawn a lot of that I could point to and say "Look, I can draw a lot of these kinds of characters". (A drawing of Sid was a helping factor in landing my current graphic novel gig!)

I know that's a lot, and it's very kind of woo-woo hippy dippy "FOLLOW YOUR FEELINGS" stuff but like. This is as honest as I can be about my experience. I hope it helps, and good luck!!