#i kind of gave up on digital art after college

[readandneedle]

Pleased to announce that I am not actually too old to learn things. I am going to learn to use Illustrator. Tonight, we draw a chicken.

[aeneakarts]

‼️ EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS OPEN ‼️

I have my current situation all explained after the cutoff but to put it short, my younger brother has been hospitalized for sudden lung complications and I am across the country away from family trying to finish my final year in college. Tuition + medical bills in America is an absolute nightmare for a barely middle-class family so I am trying to help my family by opening commissions!! Reblogs are very much appreciated <33

All commissions in my carrd are open, from pixels to digital to animated items. If there is something you would like that isn't listed on the carrd (such as ref sheets, customs, phone wallpaper, badges, etc), feel free to inquire about it and I can get you a quote. I am quite desperate and would honestly consider doing nsfw commissions as well for an additional 50% of the original price. Payment will be through ko-fi/paypal!

Carrd with commission prices: https://neacomms.carrd.co/#

Trello for commission updates: https://trello.com/b/pX0vbAXb/owed-art

Contact: Feel free to send me a dm here on tumblr but I would much appreciate if you are able to instead contact me on [Toyhouse]. Feel free to also send me a friend request on discord @/Aeneak if you prefer that as well. My carrd lists my email for contact as well but do note that you might get a delayed response there.

Donations: If you would rather just leave a donation (trust me when I say even $1 can go a long way) feel free to send what you can/are willing to spend through my ko-fi or Paypal. Note that my ko-fi is able to process credit/debit/and other forms of payment as well!! <3

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/aeneakarts

https://ko-fi.com/aeneak

If you are reading this then thank you for taking the time to do so, it is more than I could ever ask for <33

So just yesterday on Sept. 4th it felt like any other normal day, I get to my dorm to video call family and instead of seeing my parents at home, I see them both in tears as my younger brother is laid in a hospital bed with tubes and oxygen and wires from several medical devices coming out of him. He had a normal morning but as he was dropped off to class he started to have chest pains, not one hour later he had to get picked up from school and soon enough he was rushed to the ER. After some xrays the doctors had said there were some holes in his right lung which had collapsed and had been giving him complications in breathing properly and gave him severe pain. He spent the night in the hospital, and earlier today he was taken for surgery to get a pump installed to help him breathe and get his body to recover and heal. I am so so thankful that things are going smoothly but he will be in bed in the hospital for the next several days, my mom is with him just about every second possible and my dad has also taken the week off of work to spend as much with them as possible. I am stuck across the country barely starting my year in college and have no way home, the best I can do is continue my studies but with no current income, I am opening commissions to work on between classes. I have been here the past two days since I found out about this news absolutely sick to my stomach unable to eat/rest properly trying to go through my day as normally as possible. I am Hispanic so my family is very close-knit and they mean the absolute world to me, especially my brother who has always been by my side and we do just about everything together, hell, he would always look up to me for everything and has been inspired to dabble in art because he saw me doodling all the time.

We still do not know why this happened suddenly, they tell us it can be common for athletes especially those who push their bodies to the limits, but my brother does not do any kind of sports. He is not unfit either, he is the healthiest person I know and always watches what he eats, so to have this suddenly happen was completely out of the blue. My parents will stay with him in the hospital for the next 5 nights until he can hopefully be released to recover at home. During this period we are not getting any income and with everything that's happened so far, the medical bill is going to be a nightmare.

If you are unable to send in a commission request/donation please do not worry, everyone is going through their own struggles and I completely understand, take care of yourselves first!!

A reblog is always very much appreciated to help spread the word but regardless, if you've made it this far thank you so so much for reading everything, I hope you all are having a wonderful day/night and if not, I truly hope things get better for you soon! Please take care and remember to drink water <3

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @textless​​

Hi! My name is Amadee, and I am a librarian who lives in Arizona. I also love taking photos in my spare time.

Check out our interview with Amadee below!

What got you started in photography?

Both of my parents were very interested in photography. I’d always loved looking at their work, and in high school, I got a 35mm camera as a gift, so I could start taking photos myself. Back then (in the actual 80s), HS students in the Minneapolis area could take classes at area colleges for dual credit. I started taking photo classes at the University of Minnesota and had access to a darkroom and nearly unlimited film and processing supplies without realizing just how amazing that was. I took many photos of friends, acquaintances, and strangers, and I loved looking at work by Nan Goldin and Bill Owens. After college, without access to a darkroom, I stopped taking pictures almost entirely.

How has technology changed the way you approach your work?

Bluntly, technology allowed me to start taking photos again. The first digital cameras I tried in the early 2000s were terrible: slow, clunky, and with next to no storage capacity. Even so, they seemed like the first step in an interesting direction. By 2008 or so, I had a point-and-shoot digital camera and rediscovered what I loved about photography… except that I no longer wanted to take pictures of people. Soon I started taking photos of tiny things, especially insects, and my little camera wasn’t up to the task. I got a DSLR with a macro lens in 2010 and haven’t stopped taking photos since.

I know many photographers who are nostalgic for film, whether or not they were around in the analog era. More power to anyone who wants to spend the time and money, but I don’t miss film even a little. For the kind of photography I enjoy, which is almost entirely documentary, the ability to take an unlimited number of photos, and see what did or didn’t work right away, makes all the difference.

You've also written books in the past—what was the most challenging, yet rewarding part of the process?

I was a children’s librarian for many years and just love books. So, when I started writing, I hoped to create books that would connect with kids and spark their imagination. Cortez the Gnome was a book I would have liked to see as a kid, and the art project elements were fun and frustrating. Gentle Hands filled what felt like a gap in my storytimes and gave me a chance to work with a publisher I like very much. Alas, my biggest challenge is that I haven’t had an idea in years! I write occasional blog posts for Free Spirit on topics related to serving youth, but working with kids was the spark for new ideas, and these days my work is mostly admin. I enjoy it more than I would have guessed years ago, but as a wellspring of inspiration, it is not.

How do you create healthy boundaries in balancing your day job and personal aspirations?

Work comes first every time. That might sound like a drag, but I truly like my job and think library service is critically important. In some of the tiny communities we serve, the library is the only gathering place open to everyone, and the only place to access fast internet, enrichment activities for kids, books, movies, and all kinds of other good stuff. I love taking photos, but I would hate to make a job of it.

What is the hardest part of your process?

The process itself is just fun, and I’d stop if it weren’t. I used to stress about editing and posting photos soon after taking them because I wanted to create a sort of nature journal in real-ish time. That wasn’t sustainable, partly because the subjects that interest me are so seasonal. I might take 2,000 photos in August (peak macro season here), but only 100 in February. Now I just try to indicate when photos were taken and know that I’m the only person who particularly cares about that. For years I posted six new photos each day. Now I generally post two and skip days or longer whenever it suits me.

Right now, the biggest challenges are external. First, my vision is less and less sharp. It’s nothing severe, just a function of age, but it makes me think I’d better develop an interest in non-tiny subjects at some point. Second, some small but annoying health problems have kept me from getting out much over the last year. I used to take a hike or long walk at least once or twice a week, and more in peak bug season. Since last September, I’ve taken two longish walks and mostly stuck to the yard. On the plus side, it’s an excellent yard with an ever-growing assortment of interesting plants and insects.

While this is frustrating in some ways, it’s also a distillation of something I have always liked. Even when I was hiking all the time, I enjoyed going back to the same places, again and again, getting to know them in detail and watching the seasons roll through. Staying so close to home this year has been an extreme version of that, and some aspects of that have been very satisfying.

I should also say, for the record, that I am not technical at all. I’m not interested in new gear as long for its own sake, and I don’t like messing with camera settings or anything fiddly. My favorite piece of photo advice ever was “f/8 and be there,” which I took to mean finding a basic setup you like and focusing on the subject at hand. I like finding strange or beautiful things that other people might not notice and trying to make them interesting to a wider audience. (Wider than just me, that is.)

What is something you would love to photograph but haven't had the chance to yet? Why?

This is oddly specific, but I desperately want to find an Arizona Unicorn Mantis (Pseudovates arizonae; check out the photos here). Several have been spotted within two miles of my house, but I have never found one yet. They are otherworldly and just fascinating. Insect goals!

Are there similarities or differences in your workflow when it comes to photography and writing?

Mostly difference in that photography is relaxing, and writing is nearly impossible, at least right now.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

There are several excellent photographers who live in my corner of Arizona, and I love their work because it shows different aspects of a place I care about. Also, their photos are just gorgeous.

@fatchance​ is practically a neighbor and an all-around lovely person. He takes beautiful pictures of birds and desert flora, and unlike me, he takes the time to learn about and share good information about his subjects.

@thelostcanyon​ is another south-eastern AZ photographer I admire, and he is also a very good painter.

@inlandwest​ is actually my partner. We’ve lived all over the west together, and I like that his wide-open-spaces aesthetic is so different from my focus on the little things.

A little farther afield, I love @macroramblings​, and Celeste, of @celestialmacros​, @celestialphotography​, and @occasionallybirds​, for their beautiful macro work.  @mostlythemarsh​ is another long-time favorite. He’s not a macro photographer, for the most part, but I like seeing familiar places through the seasons, and I like the stark difference between his environment (east coast/Canada) and my own.

Thanks for such wonderful answers, Amadee. Check out her beautiful photography work over at her Tumblr, @textless​!

[skye707]

What do you think the Riddlers' would teach as High School teachers and/or College Professors?

They would be outstanding at the art of roasting high schoolers

Unburied - Debate. I feel like this Riddler in particular can talk his way out of any jam. Also, it's awesome for his ego to destroy a high schooler's argument.

ZY - History. Any kind of history, or all of them? He'd showboat on his knowledge and ability articulate historical themes until the institution gave him every history position. Also gets a power trip from roasting high schoolers.

Dano - Computer Science. Programming. Anything that has to do with computers. All the nerdy kids in his class love him, and he eats lunch with them in his room. But that's definitely not because the other teachers think he's weird, so don't even think that.

YJ - Dorky Coach that got asked to teach math because he said he was good at it once in passing and the school can't find a teacher. Steps in the room on the first day and is immediately out of his depth. But he is good at math, so the kids that want to learn get a lot out of it.

Gotham - English. He's got a knack for literature and composition as well as an innate desire to tell people the right way to say something. However, students hate him because he's the strictest grader on campus. Never given a perfect score in his life.

BTAA - Drama. The biggest drama queen. Finds ways (ethical or not) to help his students find their inner artists. Gets his high from the applause after a performance, even if he wasn't the one actually performing. His students' parents are clapping for him in his heart.

Arkham - Engineering, but only at the university level. He doesn't have time for the childish ways of teenagers. Gets way too excited during lectures and always ends up screaming by the end. Sometimes a student will try to debate a topic and the rest of the class can break out the popcorn as the two begin to verbally spar for the duration of the class period.

BTAS - Digital Art. He knows how to use every computer program every created and will teach his students how to as well. May or may not have found a way for his students to illegally download whatever they need, but no one needs to know that. Plus, their art is amazing so who cares!

Telltale - Psychology and Sociology. Another one that's only working with adults. Understanding the mind is the first step to taking advantage of it. People are very stupid and teaching a class like this could possibly improve the intelligence of the youth of tomorrow (but his hopes aren't very high).

[sharpbutsoft]

So I know you do digital art, but The Hanged fireMan looks like a watercolor. Do you work with watercolors as well, or is it the program you use?

(please brag about your art process, basically)

Yeah! So I do all my (fan)art in everyone’s favourite innuendo of an art program, Procreate. (Specifically on a 2019 ipad pro with a 1st gen Apple Pencil, both of which I would tentatively recommend if you can get them 2nd hand for less than 200euro like I did)

I did a lot of painting as a teenager, and still paint often to this day. Though I mostly worked in acrylics, I have been known to use watercolours (like, when I was in college I bought a little 3euro paint set and would use the inside of cardboard cereal boxes as diy watercolour paper and paint wild little Irish landscapes… and Winter Soldier fan art, sometimes. 2017 was a different world)

So in summary - I ‘paint’ digitally using some very traditional techniques I picked up over the years, and I kinda prefer digital art now, which I will elaborate on below the cut as I detail how I created The Hanged fireMan…

I’ll start with my favourite digital art ‘cheat’ which is that I use So Many Layers. Like seriously, pretty much every new colour goes on its own layer because I am a control freak and love being able to tweak them all as needed. So for this relatively simplistic piece, I’ve still got something like 20 layers all together.

I’m also usually better at grouping layers but in this one I gave up at some point and it felt dishonest to group them nicely before showing you guys lol

So yeah layers is my biggest hack, but the other is using specific texture brushes

I spent a while playing around with various brushes before finding this Tarraleah one which has just the most delicious watercolour-y texture and a really fun edge to it (and it’s got pressure sensitivity, so I can really control the amount of colour I want to put down on the page)

This background was painted entirely with the 1 brush & colour, and I think it turned out pretty cool. For this particular piece I did have a reference on screen to work off for the most part, but those clouded were just painted with my heart

Next (or maybe before, it’s a while sinceI drew this and sometimes I mix it up) is the lines, which are always done with my best friend, the Procreate Pencil!! I love her, she’s so fuzzy and textured and also if you tilt the tip on the pencil you get a broader line (like with a real pencil) which is just the coolest thing!

When it comes to lines I just sort of go for bigger shapes 1st and details later, and basically always with some kind of reference. I also use a very old & well known trick of putting the most detail into the object of most importance, and leaving the background more loose and vibey

Artists will tell you that this is to draw focus with details. Artists are lying. It’s cause we got lazy after drawing he fun part & phoned the rest of it in lol (I know this because I am an artist)

Also I love this pencil because I don’t have very steady hands and I actually cannot draw straight/smooth lines to save my life! If you’ve ever seen anything resembling a smooth line in something I’ve drawn, it is almost certainly a whole bunch of lines over each other and then erased at the edges to make it look neater

But who needs straight lines when sketchy sketch lines are so fun!

Next is flat colours (the 3layers in the middle with check marks beside them)

I used the same colours as the background, which you can tell from where they completely blend together right down the bottom, and what I genuinely do is use the Tarraleah brush to generally block out he shape, and then go back in with an eraser and smooth out the lines

Why do I do this? …good question

Next is one of my favourite parts, which is adding the lights! Procreate has some really fun -glowy- layer effects - my favourite is probably Add (A) though Colour Burn (CB) is great too for its vibrancy.

Also those 2 layer 11s are there because I duplicated one and then used the ‘Gaussian Blur’ feature to ‘fuzzify’ it (yes, that’s the technical term) It’s a pretty quick and easy way to add a more diffused light effect around something. (I did the same for the yellow reflective strips on the turnouts too!)

Last step now! So full disclosure - I absolutely traced that writing from a photo of a tarot card lol. I actually always trace writing, as, much like drawing straight lines, I’m bad at handwriting on a screen

I also stumbled upon the Exclusion (E) effect by accident - Originally it was going to be a plain cream boarder like a traditional tarot card had, but I wasn’t fully happy with it, so I just flipped through a few layer effects and as soon as I got to this one, I knew it was the right choice

I love the dreamy contrast of the pinks and purples to the dark navy and grey & how it makes everything looks kinda unreal and outer-spacey

And yeah that’s about it! Everything else comes from my 15+ years of Practical Art Knowledge but these are the specifics of how I utilise it digitally!

This was a lot of fun to write out, and I hope that if you’ve made it all the way here, it was fun to read too!

[trungles]

Hey! I really wanted to know what your art education was like, Did you went to an Art school?

Sure thing! Okay! I did not go to art school.

I went to a little private liberal arts university called Hamline in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I liked it! I applied to my local art college and got in, but I went to the school that gave me the best scholarship money because–and I think this is important–my parents paid for most of my education. As a compromise, I majored in Studio Art, but I ended up preferring Art History.

I graduated with a B.A. in Studio Art and with a minor Art History because I wanted to work in museums. I’m very happy with where I wound up, but I did not really go to school for this. My focus in Studio Art was oil painting, and I have not touched a single oil paint ever since. I actually started with a focus on intaglio printmaking, but I switched to oil painting because I disliked the medium and the printmaking professor told me I should quit art. My painting professor was more supportive. I largely came out of the experience assuming I wasn’t good enough to make art professionally, but that I was interested in the kind of space imagery takes up in different cultures. My favorite classes were my not-art general curriculum. I tended to do more sociology and religious studies classes, and I absolutely loved Art History, which is sort of a confluence of those two things plus art.

I used to feel a lot of anxiety about not having gone to art school. When I started taking on comics jobs professionally, I felt pretty professionally inadequate. It’s a completely different sort of creative thinking than any of my education, so I went and figured out comics stuff on my own while working a day job (admin work at a non-profit’s corporate headquarters; it was a very mixed bag). I started learning how to draw digitally like… three years ago?

These days, I actually feel pretty good about not going to art school. I feel like I have more to say with a liberal arts education than if I had gone to art school, and I’m very happy with my personal and professional development outside of my formal education. I also think that the way I draw looks very particular to me because I wasn’t taught it. I never had the experience of, like, art teachers pressuring me to change the look of my drawings or telling me I can’t get jobs unless my work looks like such-and-such cartoon show or comic book. I got to build my style myself based on my own interests, and ironically I think that actually helped me get work.

TL;DR I didn’t go to art school, most of the formal knowledge I use to make comics I learned on my own after I graduated, and I’m quite happy to have been able to study a fairly broad range of things in schools.

[mrmeowziii]

Digital art I made, it’s my interpretation or Rodney’s family. Seven brothers and a dad are mentioned in the show, as is his mom being dead in bonus stuff. Scott being his cousin is my headcanon though.

Personalities because why not?

Daryl: Has been a single father for 16 years now, wife got into her tractor-molasses accident and passed away a year after having the twins. He’s very stoic on the outside, but actually very emotional. He’s got eight boys. He’s trying his best, lol. Often not available due to how busy he is at his job. Leaves the farm to his sons for the most part.

Richard: Lax, smokes weed, probably was part of a Portland polycule for a while, maybe still is. Not very responsible, he’s the only child to have left the family farm. Sometimes comes to crash at the farmhouse with one of his partners- everyone’s just gotten used to it at this point.

Ryan: The ‘mom’. Took up a bunch of household responsibilities after his mom died, including cooking and helping to raise some of his younger brothers. He’s very patient and responsible, and dislikes his older brother’s lazy attitude. More focused on the family than any kind of relationship, though he’d like to get married and have kids of his own some day.

Rodney: Helps his brother Ryan with managing the farm. Not as much with the house though, more with the actual farm itself. Similar to how he was on Pahkitew, just more mature with relationships. Pansexual, but he still can’t talk to his crushes without getting extremely flustered.

Robert ‘Robbie’: The rebellious one. Drinks and smokes with Richard, which upsets Ryan to no end. Robbie doesn’t care though. Shortest brother and he hates it. All of the tallness went to his number neighbor brothers. Kind of a bully, but nothing too serious. Has had a crush on this girl who works at the library, Connie, for the longest time. Unfortunately he inherited Rodney’s way with words when it comes to crushes, and hasn’t made much progress with her.

Roy: Quiet and Stoic, Roy is Dawn-ish. His speech is very formal, though he’s often just staring into space. Attracts animals by doing nothing. Not interested in romance at all. Aro/Ace. Robbie used to try to pick on him but gave up after Roy never reacted. Refuses to wear jeans.

Rowan: The smart one, he’s just graduated High school and wants to go to a really nice college. Has a bad habit of looking down on his brothers because of their low intelligence or weird mannerisms. Into a lot of nerdy things, he doesn’t have a lot of people to share his interests with that’ll know what he’s talking about. He’s hoping to find a girlfriend in college that shares his interests.

Ryder: The older of the two twins, Ryder gets along well with Ryan and Rodney, who he spends a lot of time with. He’s introverted and quiet, but not like Roy is. Very kind, but can be a little self-sacrificing. Raphie tries to include him when him and his friends do things, but he just doesn’t quite connect. Undecided when it comes to attraction, he’s got other things on his mind too often. Artsy.

Ralph ‘Ralphie’: Sporty and outgoing, he’s the younger twin and youngest child. Kind of a Himbo, he knows he’s not the smartest, but he’s got a big heart. Looks out for Ryder, who he’s constantly worried about. Gay, He and his boyfriend Archie have been dating for two years now. Comes into conflict with Rowan and Robbie often, especially when Robbie tries to pick on Ryder.

[homo-rebel]

Paparazzi

Vinny, the (soon to be) number one fan x influencer(bimbo/himbo)reader

Tw: just some cursing, not said towards anyone

He didn't care for you at first.

He didn't even know you existed tbh

Vincent, he prefers Vinny, was a photographer and nature was his calling, so why spend time on the internet

Likes? Leaves were preferred. Comments? Talk was cheap, the wind weaving through the trees could do talking.

He touched grass any chance he gets, he didn't need losers on the internet telling him to do something that was a daily routine.

(he was kind of a pretentious asshole, he didn't have many friends either)

So when he was at the local park taking photos for an college assignment (somehow doing something you enjoy after being told makes it less enjoyable, even photography wasn't safe) He didn't recognize you at all

You were one with the crowd, a blank face subject for his art in the background

So it was a surprise when you broke the mold and decided to interact with him

"Excuse me!"

His eye twitched. The willow tree he was in front of wouldn't move but being interrupted was still annoying

He turned his head over his shoulder, a scowl on his face

"What."

You blinked, ignoring his attitude, and gave him a grin

"Hiii, well I was over there and I noticed that you were, like, taking photos and stuff?"

'And stuff' What was wrong with you?

"So, like, me and my friends were wondering if you would, like, take photos for us?"

By then his whole body had turned and he stared blankly at you.

Seriously, who did you think you were?

He asked and you laughed

it wasn't condescending at all but good natured and joyful

Your laugh being cute didn't excuse your audacity, but he considered it a bonus

"You don't know me? I'm [internet handle] I thought I was, like, pretty popular but I guess not."

You weren't offended at all, in fact you seemed happier than before

He sighed and rolled his eyes

He didn't have time for this, his professor was a hardass and he didn't need more unessessary criticisms for being distracted

"No thanks, I'm pretty sure your iphone 54 or whatever will work just fine."

Another (cute) laugh

"I only have a iPhone 5, silly!"

God you were adorable insufferable

He turned back to the willow, wanting to get back to work

"On no wait! I have, like—"

Rustling was heard but he ignores it even though he was curious

"—$50 and uh, um, strawberry gum!"

Professionals charged much more, but he wasn't exactly professional, was he?

The two packets of beef ramen in his dorm could use company anyway

(strawberries were also his favorite, but you didn't need to know that)

"Fine, whatever."

"Yaaay!"

He let out a startled shout as you dragged him over to your friends

They were... somehow worse than you

You were annoying sure, but at least you were cute and seemed to be genuine

But they were just assholes

He felt like a worm surrounded by a bunch of judgemental butterflies as you explained everything

The $50 (and strawberry gum) would be worth it though

The photos he took of your friend group were....

disappointing

To say the absolute least

Stock photos, basic, vanilla, corporate, a dime a dozen,

Those descriptors seemed to stick to the photos like glue

He cringed, he stopped his assignment for this

The only thing that stood out was you.

Looking through the photos his scowl lessened as he focused on you in each one

"So do they, like, look nice?"

You peeked over his shoulder, the man hunching over his camera

"You look great." He mumbled out absent mindedly, still looking at the photos

Before you could question him, a girl from your group spoke up

"I hope so, seeing as we're paying for it."

His eyes slid over to your friend in disgust.

Who the fuck was she? She wasn't paying him a cent and had the gall to complain?

The others had their phones out and were in their own digitized world

He scoffed and showed you the photos glaring daggers at the free loader

You seemed satisfied (judging by your squeal of excitement) and placed the money and unopened pack of gum in his hand (unneeded but appreciated)

"Do you, like, need my number and my email or, just like, one?"

He didn't need your number, why would he want to hear you when he didn't need to?

He gave you his notepad and pen and asked for it anyway

"Oh you, like, never gave me your name!"

"Vincent, but uh call me Vinny"

You grinned sweetly at him, and he looked away

His face felt hot, he shouldn't have worn his hoodie

You waved your goodbyes as your group left, being the only one to do so

He didn't count the stank eye the freeloader girl gave him as a good bye

He stared as you all drove away, and the quietness settled back onto the park.

He popped some gum into his mouth headed to his dorm, it was too crowded for pictures now as the nearby elementary school had let out

He wasn't angry, surprisingly. He always hated missed opportunities to get things done sooner when possible

As the flavor left the gum in his mouth and he reached for another he think he knew why.

He opened his dusty old laptop as soon as he got in his dorm, ignoring his hunger to open up Safari

He hoped you weren't the type to spell things weirdly, it'd make it a bitch to find you

(Request are open!! ❤️)

[beautiful-02-08-18]

John 3:16-17 (KJV)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

I had arisen from the pits of college!

College was pretty hectic so I only managed to post something for Halloween because we had a lot of free time, but after that, I needed to focus on my studies and some other stuff.

I’m currently making another FNAF Character Illustration but I wanted to make this sketch comic. I saw this trend where you put Santa hats on your profile picture and I wanted to participate. Then I decided to make this comic revolving around that.

Since the profile picture is literally from a Halloween art piece I thought it’d be funny to put a Santa hat on it. The comic is an in-universe explanation for her dress-up.

I tried to have them be in character as much as possible. This scenario would take place after Charming Gold and Dazzling Diaspore were redeemed and they just coexist with the Running Men without conflict. CG and DD would be platonic housemates, but that depends on my interpretations of them. In this version, they’re more like friends, but in the original art they’re kind of a couple.

Side note: I drew CG in a turtleneck with prominent cuffs because I thought it would suit him. CG’s character design has him wear a black bodysuit with cuffs so I honestly can’t imagine him wearing anything else that doesn’t fit his character silhouette.

I placed a yellow filter on the comic because while I was studying historical art style for class I really liked the Gothic art style. The reason why everything is so yellow is because light was a crucial part of the architecture, and in turn, influenced the paintings. It is also because I wanted my digital art to resemble traditional art more so the canvas color also has a yellow tint on it.

Merry Christmas everybody!

REFERENCES:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/jhn/3/16-17/s_1000016 Running Man Animation was created by LINE Friends Corporation and SBS Dazzling Diaspore belongs to me/@beautiful_02.08.18/beautiful-02-08-18

[blithesharem]

@starry-miki tagged me in a 15 questions game so here it is! I ended up making a new post because the thread was giving me trouble with copying and pasting 😭

Thank you for the tag love ;v;

01 - Are you named after anyone?

Nope! My name is Hebrew that my parents thought was pretty.

02 - When was the last time you cried?

Tbh I kind of struggle with crying aksk like even when I know I need a good cry I can’t make it happen. I think the last time I cried was when I got the medical bill for a procedure I had done in January LOL love being an American.

03 - Do you have kids?

Not yet but I hope to have one in the near future.

04 - What sports do you play/have you played?

I did exactly one day of Cross Country Running in high school and immediately quit. I’ve always been bad at sports. Just not my strong suit. I was a big theater kid which still gave me plenty of a work out!

05 - Do you use sarcasm?

Yes though I have a habit of saying things as dry and straight as possible so people have to pause to understand if I’m joking because it tickles me.

But also I mean who doesn’t use sarcasm every once in a while.

06 - What is the first thing you notice about people?

Hmm you know reflecting on it I think I notice peoples clothes first. I think an outfit can tell you a lot about someone and I like to compliment people I don’t know so that’s usually a good place to start.

After that it would probably be their posture: are they relaxed? Nervous? Aggressive? I take my cues from that as to how I need to behave.

07 - What's your eye color?

Just a plain boring brown ;v; I’ve always been envious of other eye colors

08 - Scary movies or happy endings?

I mean I love a good happy ending but I have to go Scary Movies. I am the resident Spooky Girl in my community.

09 - Any talents?

This is such an interesting question because to me the word ‘talent’ implies something inate rather than learned as a skill would be. I don’t think I have any proper talents in that sense.

But I did memorize pi to 17 digits for a play a few years ago and I still whip that out at parties: 3.14159265358979323

10 - Where were you born?

In the Bay Area of California!

11 - What are your hobbies?

I collect hobbies as my hobby lol. Besides the staples like reading, cooking and video games, I also enjoy crochet, cross stitch, painting, print making…starting to play around a bit with felting too!

12 - Do you have any pets?

Two girl kitties, Coven and Cricket! Coven is wily and clever as a whip and Cricket is my big love bug. They’re both good girls and I love being home with them ;v;

13 - How tall are you?

5’3 I’m a shorty

14 - Favourite subject in school?

In High School it was English, and in college it was my anthropology classes. I was deeply considering becoming an anthropologist for a bit!

15 - Dream job?

I LOVE my current job as a historical art gallery manager. But if I had to pick a dream job it would be a food writer of some kind. I’d love to be paid to travel and write about the food and history of different places.

Thanks again for the tag! No pressure tags for those interested: @cyanide-latte @alpine-forget-me-nots @tixdixl @ramshacklerumble

[fredseibertdotcom]

(Originally posted on LinkedIn December 13, 2022)

Side hustle? Actually, a hobby.

   My day job is producing cartoons, the longest of the "five lives" in my official biography. But the pandemic gave me a kind of freedom to revisit some of my past passions. In particular, my life in producing jazz recordings. No commuting to or from work, no breakfasts, lunches or drinks. At least four extra hours a day. Enough time to get into a little trouble. Some would say a side hustle, some would call it a hobby.  

   50 years ago, two friends of mine and I decided to start a record label –Oblivion Records– in the back of a hippie record store one of them owned. We suspended operations four years later, realizing our enthusiasm was no substitute for knowing how to run the business, and it wasn't until the digital music revolution of the 21st Century that I got our six records back into the marketplace where they've performed better than I could have imagined.  

   This year, I actively revived Oblivion with the digital drop of a two hour concert album I recorded in 1973. Composer and pianist Cecil Taylor (1929-2018) is one of the three major avant-garde, free jazz artists –along with John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman– who reinvented one of America's most vital and satisfying art forms. And word just came that the jazz bible DownBeat, will be the first to announce the album as one of the best historical releases of the year (UK's The Wire will follow, as will others*). On behalf of the concert musicians –Cecil Taylor, Andrew Cyrille: percussion, Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone, Sirone: double bass– I'm honored.  

   Some –many?!– would ask "why?" Why release a 50 year old musical performance? Why release an album of an artists barely anyone has heard of? Why digital only, you make no money?  

   All good questions, I suppose, and my answers won't be entirely satisfying.  

   It's rare in one's life that you could be involved in history. At least, that's true for me. I've had some amazing, groundbreaking experiences in television, animation and streaming video; only time will tell how they fit into culture. But, time has already given a thumbs up judgement on Cecil and I was beyond lucky to have some tiny involvement in it. Over the past half century he went from being barely able to fill a small jazz club to a concert star of the highest caliber. He was a true artist who incorporated modern dance (yes, he also danced at many of his performances), fashion, and a completely unique approach to his instrument, his compositions and his band leading. He appeared across the globe to rapturous audiences –which, due to his steadfast vision, often included grumbling walk outs– and was in demand until he passed away in 2018. Remembrances and reassessments of his life's work followed from all over.  

   Cecil Taylor fit neatly into the Oblivion ethos. In the infinite wisdom of youth and the idealism of the early 1970s, Tom Pomposello, Dick Pennington and I thought the major companies were ignoring talented artists –including Tom– we thought we were worthy. Maybe we could show the world what they were missing. An ad in the back of a local Long Island music rag pointed us in the direction of a record pressing plant a few miles away, we bought a book that described how to design a cover, and edited a live recording of country blues legend Mississippi Fred McDowell to be our first release. More blues, traditional jazz and electronic (soon to be maligned as "fusion"), and Tom's American roots album followed in the next few years. We sold enough McDowells to keep it in print, borrowed money from ourselves and friends for the others, and even had a hit that basically put us down on the mat.  

   All along the way I recorded other jazz artists at my college radio station and one day I was asked if I could find some equipment to record Cecil's hometown "return" to New York City after years as Midwest university professor. You bet! It didn't matter that this was a no-pay gig. Honestly, I had to borrow the cash from my roommate/benefactor/recording assistant Nick Moy for the cab ride downtown, but the chance to work with a world class, world famous artist was more than A-OK for a 23 year old fan. Not for nothing, Cecil had a worldwide rep but this period was only the beginning of his actually becoming a global star.  

   So we're clear, Cecil's music was never for the faint of heart. An explosive, exacting style, once described by UK writer Val Wilmer as "eighty-eight tuned drums," his seeming random din was already shredding any semblance of "swing" that traditionalists were looking for in their jazz heroes. 

   Cecil released the second half of the concert, which fit neatly on two vinyl sides, on Unit Core, his own label (no other record company would have him at the time) as "Spring of Two Blue-J's." He had little interest in running a company, letting the album go out of print even after Gary Giddins of the Village Voice (one of its few reviewers) praised it as his favorite album of 1974. The first half of the recording sat neglected on my shelf for half a century. It was 90 minutes of sweet and sour cacophony that wouldn't fit neatly on the mediums of the time, and besides I lacked the proper equipment to even listen to it.  

   The digital age and the pandemic changed everything. Now, I could go to YouTube and  learn to use the recording studio built into my Apple computer in 10 minutes. The music could be mastered in the extra hours lock down had gifted me. And since streaming audio has no time limitations I could drop the release -the unreleased first set of the concert, and the original LP performances, more than two hours of music– in its entirety without any annoying fade outs along the way. (By the way, the nothing annoyed Cecil's aging fans and collectors more. Most of them hadn't bothered to figure out how to get their phones to play on their grand music systems.)  

   After I figured that stuff out –I was pretty nervous mixing my first music performances in decades– the rest fell into place pretty quickly. Tunecore, a streaming music distribution service, sent the files across the globe and Bandcamp allowed collectors to buy digital files.  

   Most importantly, my longtime creative colleague Alan Goodman agreed to write the digital liner notes (along with the music, they're available at the Oblivion Records website) and jazz promoter and publicist extraordinaire Lydia Liebman accepted the release for her agency.  

   Alan's extraordinary writing and Lydia's phenomenal efforts spread the story of the Cecil discovery worldwide. While the original LP was virtually ignored in its time, 50 years of global touring and the cultural expansion of an understanding public had its effect. The music was reviewed in dozens of publications around the world, not only in the music press, but in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and all sorts of general interest media. 

"An exhilarating set of Cecil Taylor's Jazz Arrives, 49 years later." Alan Scherstuhl, The New York Times  

"Filling in the Blanks of a Jazz Master's Career." Martin Johnson, The Wall Street Journal  

"The biggest bonus track ever!

"The 100th anniversary of James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ has folks thinking about other thorny, dense, syntactically intricate classics, of 20th century modernism across all the arts.       "Cecil Taylor’s best work, his return concert included, belongs on that distinguished list.” Kevin Whitehead, NPR's Fresh Air  

   So back to the "why." Cecil Taylor was a important artist, if not a top-of-the-pops one. My partners and I wanted Oblivion to release artists who were significant, if not particularly popular. I had a chance to make my side hustle, my hobby, mean something. Is there anything more satisfying? Not to me. 

* PS: This just in. All About Jazz, The Quietus and Glide Magazine just named Cecil's "The Complete, Legendary..." in their best albums of 2022.  

[gabethesquid]

Releasing Music

I'm a musician. I started guitar when I was 10, and started playing trumpet in the school band the same year (that year being 2014). In February of 2020, I started working with a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and composing my own music.

I made a lot of music throughout the pandemic. Some symphonic stuff, an electronic album, a folk black metal album, two doom metal albums. two dungeon synth albums, and various other tracks. One of the doom albums I released, and it was bad. I deleted it and gave up.

In the spring semester of my senior year of high school (January-June of 2022), I took a Music Tech class, taught by the band teacher. Of what I recorded during that time, I only saved a 5 song electronic album.

Even then, I kept that album close. I thought it was awful, because I remembered how long it took me, a few mistakes that made it into the final recordings, and I just lacked the confidence.

Then I made it to the Liberal Arts college that I go to (that being SUNY Purchase). A lot of people had released albums, and thought that my electronic album was actually pretty good. It took a lot of back and forth in my brain, but I decided to release the album. I revived an old Instagram account for my doom metal and decided to unite my musical projects under one banner: "Of the Mountains Projects", with a logo done by a friend.

Where does that name come from? My last name, Berger, translates from German as "Mountain Dweller" or from French as "Shepherd". Considering it comes from the Jewish side of my family, I'd bet that it has the German meaning (considering how many Jewish people have German last names).

I released the album on September 9th, 2022, under the project name Ymir's Gunship, with an album cover I got by running a picture of a Florida Beach hotel through a filter. It didn't get much hype. I shrugged. It wasn't a perfect album, not by any means. And it was my first, it wasn't bound to get much attention.

Then, on November 9th, 2022, I began to hyperfixate on some riffs I'd written a few months before. I had gotten some MIDI drum tracks and decided to work with them. Within 24 hours I had fully recorded a 3 song Black Metal EP. This too I was told was good.

I released it under the name Wilgskill on November 18th, 2022, with a 19th century painting as the cover and a terribly done logo, and asked Antifascist Black Metal Network, a YouTube channel specializing in Antifascist and leftist extreme metal, to promote it. And they did! The video with the album came out exactly a month after I started to record the EP.

And this actually got some attention. Four people bought the album, and my Instagram for Of The Mountains Projects, formerly just followed by some friends, got a few more followers, including a notable Red Anarchist Black Metal project (a Bring Forth the Exodus member's side project).

I'm working on a ton of new music right now. The next Wilgskill EP is being worked on. A medieval black metal EP is too. I'm almost done with a kind of avant-garde electronic album. And I've formed an actually four person band, so that'll be doing some stuff too!

Was this just a long way of promoting my music? Maybe, but I don't care.

[fuckyeahgemmathompson]

2022 – How was it for you? #4: Gemma Thompson

From a-n, December 2022

a-n member Gemma Thompson discusses her 2022 highlights including receiving the Working Drawing Award in the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, and balancing motherhood with artistic practice.

Multidisciplinary artist and a-n member Gemma Thompson works across drawing, print and sound to record the sonic experience of place. Reimagining sound as a physical presence, her printmaking explores the potential of multiplicity and the opportunity to enlarge drawn marks to create immersive spaces through traditional and digital techniques.

A graduate of Camberwell College of Arts, earlier this year Thompson was the recipient of the £2,000 Working Drawing Award as part of the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. She also took part in London Grads Now 21 at Saatchi Gallery, as well as Flux at Espacio Gallery, London, as part of the regroup collective.

Here Thompson reflects on her personal highlights from the last 12 months, including balancing her art practice with parenthood, and the impact of taking part in the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize.

What kind of a year has 2022 been for you? This year has been one of dramatic change because I gave birth to my first child in August. I had envisioned the year to be full of projects based at Artichoke Print Workshop, but instead I had to think about how to use non-toxic processes in my small studio. It was actually exciting to have constraints which made me completely focus on observational drawing – the essence of my practice.

This year was the perfect time to explore woodcut and wood engraving whilst processes such as etching and lithography were put on hold. Drawing, walking and listening continued to be my starting point. Because my work begins with a listening practice inspired by the composer Pauline Oliveros I couldn’t help but think about what my baby was starting to hear – I imagined the muffled sounds of the outside world mingling with the pulse of my body.

I’ve always found myself juggling multiple projects and ideas, often beginning the next thing before finishing the previous, but I became more aware of limitations such as time and energy levels so I concentrated on completing one piece at a time. I also enjoyed the self-sufficiency of working with a minimal set-up (much like the approach during the lockdowns).

This year I was also excited to be part of regroup, a small collective of like-minded artists seeking to exhibit together and discuss the contradictions and connections of our work, and it gave me the opportunity to exhibit my work in a couple of group shows. I was also busy preparing a reflective paper to present at the multidisciplinary printmaking conference IMPACT 12 in September. I used this opportunity to reflect on my practice by writing about a series of graphic scores in the form of etchings that were shared with musicians. I have always found that writing about my process has allowed me to understand it more and inevitably opens a path forward.

Shortly after writing this paper I began the large drawing Score for quartet that would be exhibited at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. I was also invited to present my work as part of a conference of soundwalking at Concordia University in Montreal, which greatly encouraged me to keep moving forward with my practice. Overall, it has been a year of reflection and making, while building up to a period of slowness before the next year begins.

What has changed for the better? I have embraced the role of ‘mother’ alongside the role of ‘artist’. I am encouraged by the memory of reading Paul Klee’s diary in which he intertwined the development of his child with his own practice. I am also deeply inspired and in awe of fellow artists who are finding their own balance of motherhood and artistic practice.

What do you wish had happened this year that hadn’t happened? I wish that women’s rights worldwide had moved forwards rather than backwards. I also wish peace would come at last for the people of Ukraine.

What would you characterise as your major achievement this year and why? My husband and I welcomed into the world our little boy Francis. He has brought us overwhelming joy as we watch his awareness grow.

How will participating in the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize impact your practice in future? Winning the Working Drawing Award has really given me the encouragement to push forward with my graphic scores and larger scale work. I have always been drawn to the working drawings in particular because I love the idea of a transformation from a drawing into another form – for me, it’s listening into drawing, then a transformation back into sound (as a cyclical process).

Is there anything you’d like to have done but haven’t? I would have liked to have developed the sonic side of my work with more recording and performance alongside the works on paper. I always feel that this aspect of my work is missing when I exhibit the graphic scores. I am currently documenting the sonic responses using Soundcloud, but I feel like this is definitely something that I need to push forward.

What are you looking forward to in 2023? Getting back into the print studio to etch my collection of plates. I am also really looking forward to working on recording and performing musically in response to some of my graphic scores. I spent many years as a professional guitarist and my partner is a drummer, so we both have a lot of work on the horizon. The last time we performed live was in February 2020!

[^ Gemma Thompson, One sound (cacophony), graphite on paper]

Gemma Thompson’s work can be viewed as part of the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, currently on show at the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke, until 22 Jan 2023 www.trinitybuoywharf.com

[newmusicradionetwork]

Maya Donovan Drops Candid New Single “We Should Get Dinner”

Rising singer-songwriter Maya Donovan has just released her latest single, “We Should Get Dinner.” The single perfectly captures the heart-wrenching experience of holding onto an unreciprocated relationship. Deeply relatable, “We Should Get Dinner” invites the listener to find safety within the lyrics. Maya Donavan possesses a unique aptitude for capturing the poignant and challenging moments of life within her music, providing an unwavering sense of authenticity, compassion, and wit. Donovan’s voice resonates with both power and precision, drawing you into her world of music and holding you captive there. “We Should Get Dinner” is now available to stream on all digital music platforms worldwide. With fearless honesty and self-aware vocals, “We Should Get Dinner” evokes raw emotion that will stop you in your tracks. Backed by rich vocal harmonies, Donovan’s light and alluring musical melody strikingly contrasts with her cutting lyrics. Her vocals are smooth and mesmerizing, with a tone that is reminiscent of genres such as jazz, folk, soul, and pop. The title, “We Should Get Dinner,” is as ironic as it is sincere. Moreover, it depicts the painful process of yearning for a fading relationship. “I wrote this song while watching a lot of my friendships change after graduating from college and moving back to Brooklyn, where I grew up. In our world of social media and cell phones, we are never more than a couple clicks away from communicating with each other, which creates a particular sting when you do end up losing touch with people you care about,” she reveals. Ultimately, the song builds to a sense of urgency, providing a clear climax in the story. Donovan shamelessly sings, “if you want me you know where I’ll be / I still want you if you would just want me.” Her lyrics leave the listener with a sense of comfort in their candid portrayal of such a familiar kind of heartache. Almost as early as Maya Donovan could talk, she was writing little tunes to express her innermost feelings. When she was 7, she began learning piano which gave her a faithful companion to fully realize the melodies that had floated in her head for years. The first song she wrote while accompanying herself on piano, at just 11 years old, discussed “ agonizing, unrequited love for a classmate.” Since her earliest days as a songwriter, Donovan has used the tumult of her internal world as a driving force for her music. Growing up in a family of esteemed creatives such as Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Vanessa Roth, and screenwriter Eric Roth, she developed a relentless love and enduring drive for her craft. Donovan went on to become a graduate of New York City’s reputable LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts, also known as the “Fame School.” Donovan has continued to masterfully utilize songwriting to chronicle her battles with anxiety and her constant re-discovery of herself through adolescence and young adulthood. While the vulnerable experiences she shares can carry heavy weight, she approaches them with genuine originality and subtle humor. To enjoy Maya Donovan’s charismatic presence live, you can find her as a resident artist at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, which has been graced by some of her biggest musical influences, such as Carole King, Billy Joel, and Lady Gaga. Additional inspiration for her art comes from fellow contemporary singer-songwriters such as Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles, and Madison Cunningham. “We Should Get Dinner” gives listeners a safe space to acknowledge an unrequited love they are longing for and offers an empathetic yet uninhibited freedom in which to embrace thoughts and feelings that can be hard to say out loud. Her innate ability to express the nuances of the human experience sets Maya Donavan apart, cementing her place as a true talent to watch in the world of music. “We Should Get Dinner” is now available for streaming and download on all digital music platforms worldwide. Keep up with Maya Donovan’s musical journey and future releases by following her on Instagram @MayaDonovanMusic, TikTok @MayaDonovan and visit her website: MayaSings.com. Read the full article

[hong-kong-art-man]

The Bright International Film Score Composer: Elliot Leung(梁皓一): What Is The Way For a Young Person To Build A Future?

It was said that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. I, terribly, prepare too much. I get so wrapped up in what should happen. I lost too many times the opportunity to be amazed, if not amused, by what was unpredictable.

The great film score composer Elliot Leung(梁皓一) is lucky, not only because he is at his golden age of 28, but because he has planned his life well and yet when things did not happen as he wished, he never got thrown off or discouraged.

Elliot put his hands together and smiled, “I know what I am doing. Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to cry for the moon and do the impossible. If my dream has a less-than-10% chance of happening, why should I be unhappy?” I was puzzled, “Why should you do it?” He explained, “To succeed is to be uncommon. I always look for a career that does not presently exist and work out a situation that cannot presently be allowed.” I admired, “It must be your way to create future success!”

Elliot came from a family filled up with artistic inspirations. His father aspired to be a painter and his mother aspired to be a musician. Only Elliot’s ambition was fulfilled.

Elliot said, “My parents sent me to good schools including St. Paul’s Co-educational College Primary School and International Christian School. I played piano, cello and learnt how to conduct music. At the end, I decided to be a composer. Great pieces of musical work containing beautiful movements are the source of all spiritual joyfulness. A composer is the first one who gets off the mark in the chain of music.”

I asked, “At your age, you are a tremendously successful composer. How could you do it?” Elliot grinned like a Cheshire cat, “I just got one thing right and the rest are hard work and luck. When I had to decide what college to go, I told myself I should find a music master who could help my dream. My dream was to combine classical concert music and digital music and present a new kind of music for the future. After researching different ones, I chose Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in which the eminent master Martin O'Donnell who wrote excellent music for the world-famous video games Halo, Myth and Destiny. Master O'Donnell is a choosy teacher and got only 2 pupils. One was me! Apart from coaching me, his slanting rays shone into my open window, lighting up the room of my life. I was given many great opportunities because of his connections and reputation!”

I asked, “Since 2016, you have achieved a lot: music scoring for 2 blockbuster films Operation Red Sea (紅海行動) and The Battle at Lake Changjin (長津湖), composing for the 1st ‘metaverse concert’ by Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, being a member of the prestigious management company Kraft-Engel which is one of the world’s leading agencies specializing in representing film and theatre composers.”

Elliot added, “I will have another concert in Shanghai. I will produce a music album with Sony. I have been working on a film scoring project for a Hollywood production. I am writing music for a video game called Six Days in Fallujah. Being busy is great because it shows that my contributions is valued. It also shows that I have a ton of responsibilities. But, I never feel overstressed as I am glad that I can do so much.”

Before I called it a day, I asked Elliot, “What will be your future like?” He gave my question a serious thought, “I will treasure my amazing opportunities. I will work very hard. I will fly back and forth to work.   Everybody is just going, but I must keep going extra miles. Music composing will be my career. I don’t want to do conducting in music. I think it will be a fun time if my music can be interpreted by others instead of myself. The technology challenges the art, and the art will inspire the technology. I am very lucky to live in a brave new technological world. I really aspire to blend fine concert music and digital music together. There will be a whole assortment of impossible tasks waiting for me to tackle. I am excited about chasing my dreams over and over again.”

I pretended to be puzzled, “Do you think other young people can follow your example?” Elliot conceded, “I may be too lucky. I do wish other young people to keep believing and dreaming. Hold fast to the dreams. At the same time, remember that curiosity is one of the most important elements of success. Do have a good understanding of how the world will go. Learn the ability to express yourself without fear. Never feel shy because there must be people around you who share the same music. Don’t bother your boss or colleagues too much and develop the room for trying to make your own decisions which you think may be right. Independence is doing the right thing without being told.”

Finally, Elliot had a brainwave and said, “In Asia, people used to think film scoring is a supplementary and secondary job for filmmaking. This is very inaccurate. We are not just soundtrack writers. Film music composer is surely part of the team but does not simply serve the director. It is a job of collaboration and he can be as important as a director in terms of creating wonderful inspirations of a film.”

The social unrest in Hong Kong in 2019 is the worst time but it can be the best. Nothing in life can be worser than that because everyone is back to the starting line. Why don’t you get your sneakers and run now!

Maurice Lee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/28sui-chang-jin-83471411

Elliot Leung and Synchron Stage Scoring Orchestra  https://youtu.be/VzzuPel4pXY  Acknowledgement-Elliot Leung

“The Rescue" Interview with  Composer/Music Director Elliot Leung  https://youtu.be/RdJvZr7zB_s  Acknowledgement – Elliot Leung

Elliot Leung “The Rescue” - Behind the  Scenes from the Recording   https://youtu.be/dgyZxI3a95c  Acknowledgement – SonySoundtracks

Elliot Leung Metaverse Concert   https://youtu.be/Jd2dmqah4Nk  Acknowledgement-HKPhilharmonic

[soletlunasims]

Tyler Webley

TW: Adult themes, Mentions of Trafficking, drugs, sexual violence, ect.

Came from an average family. Mom and dad. Brother, sister, the family dog. A white picket family. The kind of family that looked prettier on the outside than it was on the inside. Tyler couldn’t stand the hypocrisy of his mother or the way his father would jump from a bridge if his mother willed him to because ‘Happy wife, happy life’, right? The kids were all expected to have straight As and participate in, at least, two extracurriculars. Ones deemed worthy of college resumes. After sifting through all of Tyler’s narrowed down choices, his mother agreed to let him do Digital art as one of his activities but only due to Tyler’s pleading and agreeing with his mother to choose fencing as his other activity. She was not very happy about the digital art thing, but she was willing to let it go if it didn’t leech into what she deemed as more reputable activities.

          In truth, the children were spoiled when it came to material possessions. They wanted for naught. If they wanted something or needed it, money could always be thrown at the problem. Tyler’s siblings found no discomfort in that. They viewed the relationship they had with their parents sustainable. Mom and dad cared because they gave them full comfortability in exchange for doing as they were asked when it came to academics and succeeding in their other pursuits. Tyler didn’t see it that way. He never really felt okay with the idea that his parents couldn’t handle things past the idea of a dollar sign. They weren’t emotionally there and for Tyler, that made living under their roof an extra special Hell. Especially once he came to the realization that he was gay. It’s not easy coming out to a family with the emotional intelligence of a still born gnat. A family who too often mutter “What will the neighbor’s think?” at and small discourse in the house.

          A perfect storm of negligence, over emotion, and silver spoon saturation could put any otherwise good kid on the wrong path. Tyler found comfort in using his state-of-the-art desktop for things other than bettering his drawing skills. He found comfort in talking to strangers online. Going to chatrooms where there were boys (they said) that were just like him or had similar stories. Some who had coming out stories. Some who were so far in the closet even they denied it at times. Tyler wasn’t stupid. He was rather intelligent, even. Be it books or instinct. Sometimes, though, even the most brilliant take a misstep right off a cliff into arctic waters. When you’re fifteen and lonely, you will find solace in strange places, strange people. Strangers that felt more like family than the marble mannequins floating around the place he should call home.

          One day, Tyler really let his guard down and took a huge leap into darkness. He was currently online dating a boy who said he was 17. They had talked for months, and Tyler felt like this person was someone they had known for their entire life at this point. So, when his boyfriend brought up the idea to meet in person, Tyler barely questioned it. His boyfriend already knew where about Tyler was living from previous conversations they had. Coincidentally, his boyfriend had some family that he visited occasionally, around where Tyler lived. They planned to meet up for dinner at a local diner. “Stanley’s Diner? I love that place, but my mom says it's too low brow for her tastes, so I never get to go, really.”, Tyler typed to his boyfriend. The boyfriend typed back almost immediately. “Stanley’s, huh? How could your mom say such a thing? The food is so good! I go every time I’m in town. How’s 5:30?” Tyler smiled at his screen, almost too giddy. “It’s a date.”

          Tyler biked to the diner later that day. It was only about a mile away from home. When he got there, he saw a guy there waiting by the entrance. From the description Tyler had of him and the amount of time he has had over the months to stitch together a fantasy of what his boyfriend really looked like; it must have been him. He looked a bit more rugged than he had envisioned but other than that, it was spot on. The two of them went inside and enjoyed a nice dinner. They took their time, burning the clock by 2 hours by the time they finished their meal. Tyler was a bit sad because they had such a short time together. He didn’t want it to end. His boyfriend must have picked up on his vibe because he suggested to Tyler something that got him to stop and think for a moment. “It doesn’t have to end, you know. Not right away. Wanna go for a drive? Talk some more? I know 2 hours just isn’t enough for me, either. All this time to finally meet and only get a couple hours face to face. Hardly seems fair, right?” Tyler had a gut feeling. One he couldn’t really discern as good or bad. Ultimately, he chalked it up to excitement. To the prospect of doing something his mother would absolutely disapprove of. So, he agreed and went along for a ride.

          The drive was fine, at first. They talked for a while. Mostly, the boyfriend asked questions about Tyler, not really giving any room to offer up any of his own life story. After about an hour, the conversation had thinned and, eventually, stopped completely. The only sound in the car being the hiss of white noise on a radio station that had cut out a few miles back. Tyler looked over at his boyfriend. He did a double take. Something was different. Something felt off. The boyfriend’s face held some kind of expression that Tyler couldn’t pinpoint. He looked older than before. Definitely not seventeen.

          Tyler dared to open his mouth. “So… Where are we going, anyways?” No answer. Tyler starts to feel very uneasy. “Look, man. You can just drop me off here. I can call my mom or something to come get me. It’s getting late and it’s already been a long drive, so….”. No response. Tyler starts to get noticeably agitated. “Hey! Let me out of the fucking car already!”. No answer. Doors lock. Tyler heard a click near his left ear. He slowly turned to see the guy holding a gun up to his temple. Tyler’s breathing halts. The guy finally decides to speak. “You’re not going anywhere, little boy.” He laughs way too hard.

          The rest of the ride is extremely tense as the man holds the gun up to Tyler for the entirety of the drive. About 200 miles from home, 3 hours from home turf, they arrive at a night club on the out skirts of a neighboring city. Tyler is instructed to do exactly as he is told as he is escorted from the car to the inside of the clubs back entrance. Within a matter of minutes, Tyler is handed over to a different man. The man slides over a duffle bag to Tyler’s kidnapper who bends down and opens the bag. The new man speaks. “It’s all there, Todd. I wouldn’t short you.” Tyler didn’t dare speak. There was a lot happening all at once and his most basic instinct told him to not even breathe wrong, but he was not only scared. He was angry. Who Todd was, he didn’t know because that was not the name, he knew him by. He didn’t really have time to think about it as the new man introduced himself as James, the club’s owner. He told Tyler what he expected from him, and that all other information was on a need-to-know basis. “Nothing is optional. If I say jump, you jump. I paid a lot for you. I expect a good turn out.” Tyler is told he is now one of the clubs dancers but that he will most likely be expected to provide other services without so much as a fuss, because, after all, “A pretty boy is worth a pretty penny.”.

          Tyler was forced to work beside other, seemingly older (but not by much) dancers. He was given about 1% of his earnings and the ability to thank the watcher that he was even alive to see another day. Tyler was in crazy demand because there were a lot sicker people than Tyler would have ever guessed. Though he was still underage, the things he saw and were forced to do aged him rapidly, mentally. And due to his high request rate, Tyler needed to be up and ready at any time for a show or when he was requested for the private booths. Much like the other dancers there, he was fed all sorts of uppers to keep the party going.

          A few months into him being trafficked, he saw a news broadcast about his family who had apparently actually been looking for him all along. He was never sure if they even tried until then. A few months after that, he learned that the search was called off and that he was presumed dead. “Better they don’t know the truth.”, he thought. In total, Tyler worked at the club for about 3 years before he was rescued.

          One night, during his routine, he noticed a couple come in. (A man and a woman) They took a seat and had a few drinks. Eventually the owner went over to the man and shook his hand. They talked while the woman’s eyes wandered. Tyler watched the couple very intensely. At one point, the woman’s eyes met his and she just stopped and stared for a long time. Tyler had become numb to prying eyes and greedy hands but something about this woman made him nervous. The man whispered in her ear which seemed to distract her for a moment as she nodded, and he left with the owner to his office. She remained, sipping on her drink and occasionally looking up at Tyler.

          A little time went by before the man and the owner returned. Tyler noticed the woman say something to the man while pointing at Tyler. The man and woman said something to the owner who looked a bit tense. Tyler noticed them head back to the greenroom. About 15 minutes later, Tyler was done with his set, so he headed back to the greenroom, himself to get dressed.

          Tyler saw the woman from before as he started to change. He froze. Whether it was because he was used to men’s eyes only or because the greenroom was like a sanctuary where Tyler normally could catch a little bit of privacy, he felt uneasy. The woman approached him. Inspected him. “$20,000.”, She said. Tyler was confused. The club owner scoffed, “He’s my golden ticket. You really expect me to hand him over for 20,000? That’s less than he can net me in a month!” The woman’s partner walked over, grabbed Tyler’s face, inspected it. “How old is he, James?” the club owner starts with a frown. “… Just turned 18 not that long ago.” The woman snorts. “So… You’re lying to customers, then. He’s no longer your young star.” James stutters, “N-no- but- people don’t need to know that, right?” The man surveys James. “Suppose not… Though, I don’t care much for dealing with dishonest pieces of shit.” The club owner panics a bit. “No. Phil. Please. Your stuff is the best in the game. It keeps my dancers up for days. Please… I can’t give him to you for that much. I just can’t”. The man, Phil, challenges the owner. “Oh, no?” He puts a gun to the back of Tyler’s head. Tyler freezes but manages to make eye contact with the woman off to his left who winks at him discreetly. Phil continues, “How about you take what my wife offered you or you can have nothing.”

          It takes very little for the club owner to break and take the $20,000. Tyler was left scared and confused, once again. Was he just sold like cattle for the second time? Would it happen again. How many times would Tyler get passed around? Tyler was escorted away by the couple who left a duffle of cash at the owner’s fee. “S-so. I’ll see you next month… for more of that Tina, yeah?”, James sputtered. Phil waved back at him without turning around. “Not likely. Find business with someone else.”

The couple got Tyler in the car. They both assessed him sitting in the back seat, shaking from nerves and speed. The woman handed Tyler some water. “Poor thing. You look closer to Hell than Earth. I’m Alexis, by the way. This is Phil, my husband. Phil looks Tyler over. “Where am I taking you, Son?” Tyler is confused. “Ah… I… I don’t know. My family thinks I’m dead, so… that’s not an option right now.”. He reels. “Wait. You paid a man $20,000 to return me home?” Phil and Alexis give each other a look that has a level of sadness that seems familiar to Tyler but foreign at the same time. Tyler chokes on his words a bit. “Why? You don’t even know me.” Alexis reaches to him and brushes back his hair a bit. “No… but your story is painfully familiar to us…Phil?” She turns the conversation over to her husband and clears her throat. Phil gets ready to drive. “So, you’re a zombie boy, huh? Dead to the world. Guess you’ll have to come home with us for now.” A moment of relief flooded Tyler and while he had no reason to trust this couple fully, he was already off to a better start here than back in the club. Total strangers got him into this mess, but he had a feeling these total strangers were his lifeline. Better with Phil and Alexis than to continue being force fed drugs and paraded like a show pony. Tyler zoned out for a few minutes. A euphoria enveloped him. A familiar, strange feeling he must have once known well. Maybe in childhood? Warmth. Safety. Comfort.

He snaps back to reality in time to hear Phil say, “First things first. We get you through this withdrawal as quick as possible. Get you clean. Then, we can decide from there what you want to do. Nobody owns you anymore, Son. You’re free.”