#i know its not super impressive but im proud of my progress!!

[justgrinnin]

drew a silly joe tazuna as a remake of some OLD embarrassing art from 2021 😅 been working on something huge!!

[i-sveikata]

It has taken me so much time to read it all because of work and obviously a huge amount of words 😅

I wish it could have been even longer lol

First of all, the sex scenes were so goooooood!!! I didn't know I needed Pete domming Vegas but boy it was hot. And they both enjoyed it! I'm so happy how Pete seems to be getting more horny as time goes by. Such progress, and this ass grinding 😩 ✨ Vegas almost melting with pleasure 😩 And some many orgasms, these freaky boys 😂

I can see how some older asks may have created a story for the original ring plot. And I think it's great cause I've never really understood how these rings really worked.

I laughed so many times 😂 The cups scheme, Pete nailing Tankhun's impression! I got secondhand embarrassment from the end. I would die if some mafia boss saw me acting like that!

Also like how their conversations seem healthy? Understanding and trust? Honesty? I'm so proud lol Can't believe we have come so far!! Their normal and playful conversations! And sweet moments! How whipped Vegas is?? I can see Pete is so comfortable with a gentle and causal touch too. Caressing, kissing and coming to Vegas just like they are glued together. Missing each other after like what, 30 minutes apart? And I saw those heart skipping a few bits! The feelings! They are coming like a wave!!

I love this chapter. So sweet, hot and domestic. It unsettles me how much can go wrong now especially now they seem relatively happy. The connection they already have is already sooo deep - they will be unstoppable in the future.

I have so much more to say and ask but I will leave it for another time.

Thank you so much for this early Christmas present!! ❤️ I hope you have a peaceful holidays, filled with good food, close friends and family! ☺️❤️🎁🎄

(I'll go scream in my pillow, giggling and kicking legs)

ahhh i love your dedication though well done honestly!! i can't believe how quickly you readers get through a chap its so wild to me!

oh yay im so glad you thought so!!! yeah tbh its been building for a while like vegas has for sure been getting off on Pete telling him what to do for a long time so it was interesting to finally bring that element into their sex life too- vegas was very down bad lol and extremely excited for pete to tie him up lmao. must be such a strange experience for him considering pete's one of the very few people that he actually trusts not to hurt him. like that is a rare thing for him!!! so of course its easier in a lot of ways for him to give up control like that and allow himself to be vulnerable. hahah yes pete is matching vegas freak for freak hahah and they are definitely hitting their orgasm quota lol.

this is entirely possible i did get inspired by asks (my memory is terrible lmao) but a lot of the asks do get me thinking more deeply about certain aspects of the fic that help me down interesting paths in the story. tbh i needed pete to be caught dressed as tankhun by the russians for the future parts to unfold later and when i started thinking a bit more about korn and kan's upbringing and if there might have been things they were jealous of/ fighting with each other over the original ring just became a part of that. esp since theres themes of generational trauma in this fic so it was easy to imagine their father being kind of a dick as much as they now are to their own children, so of course he would have intentionally denied them the ring and made it into such a big deal that they decided to make their own copies instead out of spite- but still never measuring up to his expectations lol irony.

yeah nah i get that vibe it does seem almost silly to put such importance into the rings as status symbols because theyre not doing that much otherwise. omg vegas being so embarrassing and trying to flaunt pete around at the club in front of all of his exes and the people who know him and hate him and then also at the same time being super jealous when they hit on him lmao. hes like i got me a baddie dont even try to steal him from me. yes it is a little heartbreaking that scene tbh because we've seen them flirt of course but we haven't seen very much of them being truly playful with one another. so it especially sucks that the arrival of the russians ruined that for them- and omg yeah so embarrassing for pete to be caught doing that since he's a pretty reserved kind of person in comparison to vegas.

yesssssssss they are really figuring it out together now!!! they are starting to grow into a couple and are having the kind of normal conversations now where they try and learn more about each other. things have really gotten so much better after they've built a foundation of trust first. things were never going to get off the ground without that- even with pete still being in denial/ hesitant to fully give himself over to vegas. but this chap is so good with showing how comfortable and domestic they are with each other now its wild. and yes their connection is growing deeper and deeper- to the point that pete isnt going to be able to hide what this is from himself for much longer. we are seeing all the cracks starting to show from that already because pete is slowly falling in love!!!!

oh don't be nervous about that!!! tbh this fic is entirely driven by all of the interpersonal drama of their relationship-like the plot is there of course but the focus is in the day to day of their interactions and how theyre beginning to cross that divide from prisoner/ jailer to committed and generous lovers. theres going to be a bit of tension in their relationship before they figure it out but theyre not at risk of destroying everything- because that's not the point of the story. like i have no intention of unnecessary angst or killing one of them off or anything like that- they are going to get that happy ending even if it kills me lmao so dont be too worried about what could go wrong!! eyes youre so right they will defs be unstoppable in future!!

youre so very welcome and thank you so much!! i hope you have a wonderful time celebrating with the people who love and cherish you too and enjoy lots of great and wonderful food over the holidays!!

also love the screaming into the pillow vibe for you hahaha

[sachiwrites]

some friends to lovers hcs for sakusa pls? i've been thirsting over him for a while and seeing him in the recent manga chapters plus season 4 is just--

same fam, same. its been a whole mess over here. yikes this got long

— you are 210% that neighbor who his parents rely on to acclimate their son into being a somewhat decent member of society. is it a hardy task for someone at the age of six? yeah. was sakusa an absolute shit at that age too? of course. but he stopped that one kid from pulling your hair in class that day so he’s basically your unofficial hero. even if it was only because apparently you had ‘cooties’.

— naturally you continued to have this unknown disease for most of your life. but apparently so did everyone else in Japan. except when you got older it simply became known as- physical contact.

— “kiyoomi, why don’t you play outside with your friend?”

—“ they’re dirty.”

— sticks and stone may break your bones but the mud streaked across your face and hands would most certainly kill sakusa. or at least that’s what you thought at the age of seven when you went grab him off his front porch anyway. he sort of whined and pushed you for it, causing you to fall back on your rear, much to his parents obvious disdain. or as so you gathered as you smirked over their shoulder as they carried you inside, earning an extra few years of sakusa’s ire.

— “yoomi, lets play tag.”

— “it’s kiyoomi. and no, play by yourself.”

— “sakusa-san, yoomi doesn’t want to-“

— “run”

— the two of you were ‘reluctant’ friends until the age of eight. more or less, sakusa was required to spend at least half an hour outside with you a daily. half way through that the tenture you had mercy on him and introduced him to video games within the safety of his own home. sakusa has zero interest in crash bandicoot, but he likes you a little more for your concede.

— but his parents knew what they were doing when they put their son’s social reputation into your hands. for a while you were his only friend but occasionally you were able to integrate him into society. through little things like sitting down your lunch next to his and offering to be his partner in project.

— “i don’t need your help with this.”

— “maybe, but i need yours, so pretty please.”

— sakusa was a young genius and it would benefit you to take advantage of that feature. call it payment for all your years of servitude.

— the only time you found yourself not needing to be a crutch in his life was when he was playing volleyball. it was an option during recess to give the students an opportunity to scout out interests in athletic ventures. the sport was almost too perfect for sakusa- as an indoor requirement with almost no physical contact. it was his niche. a part of society that catered to his needs in a way that didn’t require your intervention.

— naturally, others began taking notice of his talents. other students were more likely to invite him for games during breaks- most knowing to keep their distance and touch to a limit. his own enjoyment of the sport slowly geared him towards pseudo-friendships that allowed him to play more and garner his skill set.

— “im going to try out for the volleyball club.”

— of course you knew this much. it was what he was so obviously looking forward to the most in junior high. it was just his decision to share his own thought with you the struck home.

— “yeah? i guess i should get some cheers ready for you games, eh?”

— he flinches away from your enthusiasm, his face portraying a mistake in letting you know so soon. but not once did he ever deter you from coming. in fact, you continued to be made aware of each an every upcoming match regardless of importance.

— “we have a practice match against haizen today.”

— wasn’t the most significant but he invited you so you’d be there. probably more vocal than you needed to be but he could mark your attendance and that’s all that mattered.

— a small part of you was worried that volleyball would take your place. it obviously had more suitable attributes than you. but it almost became a staple in your evolving relationship.

— in fact the first game you missed inflicted the first real argument you could remember having with sakusa. it surprised even his parents when you met him the next day to walk to class. you were use to a quiet shoulder but not a cold shoulder.

— “is something wrong?”

— it continued for most of the trip until you couldn’t take it anymore and reached for his arm. instead of shaking you off, he turns on you, gaze lit a flame with an emotion you didn’t recognize.

— “i had a game and you didn’t show up.”

— thinking back you did recall most of the students congregating towards the gym after class. it vaguely registered but you’d seen less of sakusa that day and more of pressing from your teacher to get your grades in order.

— “i had to stay back with my instructor. i needed help with my studies.”

— it was a little embarrassing- not something you wanted to admit. especially to someone like sakusa who obviously excelled where you fell short.

— “you’re an idiot. you come to me for that. ill help you after my games.”

— perphas it was in that moment that you should have realized that sakusa was more cognitive of his reliance than you were.

— what he does realize it how much he’s going to have to help you if he intended for you to join him at itachiyama. the school had shown interest in him earlier than year and it was mutual. but it’s prestige called for academics when sports weren’t your strong suit.

— matches weren’t the only appointments sakusa held you to. nearly everyday after class, whether your place or his, he made himself present while you studied. he wasn’t an overbearing tutor but he called you out in your faults and made you aware of mistakes before they became a habit. he wasn’t going to make you a super genius but you would become a student worthy of acceptance.

— the two of you were building something that only your parents noticed at first while watching from the doorway. itachiyama would be a dynamic chapter for both of you.

— the title of that chapter is: volleyball. because wow does that become an even bigger part of your life. itachiyama was already a powerhouse before sakusa but now he’s a cog in the wheel and an important one at that. quickly climbing ranks and becoming an imperative part of the team. if only he was more receptive to his newly popular status.

— he was still the same old germaphobe- avoiding crowds and wanting to get home as soon as possible to shower in his own tub instead of the school issued ones.

— his personality sort of highlighted your presence more than you expected. but given sakusa’s overall avoidance of unnecessary interactions, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

— “he can be a bit much, but please take care of him.”

— above your bowed head, his older teammate coo and awe at sakusa’s cute little friend. this of course leads to more teasing for him but it’s all part of being part of a team- a larger whole. something you were willing to give up a bit of sakusa for.

— “are you two dating or something?”

— oh but that. you get a lot of that. not just by his teammates either. everyone seems to notice how sakusa tolerates you more than anyone else. though part of you wants to point out to his fan base that they would get a lot further if they just gave him his space. -yet here you were huddled up close in the library while he looked over your school work, so what could you say to that?

— “are you paying attention?”

— “hey, i got most of these right. give me a break.”

— not thinking about it, you go to ruffle his hair as a retort. an action sure to give you his ire- but it doesn’t? in fact his gaze doesn’t even lift from his book. and is he leaning closer? weird.

— sakusa is making rapid progress not only within tokyo but on a national level. it’s one of his teammates that points out his accomplishments to you one day while you’re waiting for sakusa to emerge from the locker rooms.

— “your boyfriend is really something else. already the ace of the team and he’s climbing the stats nationally too. you must be proud.”

— you are proud. very impressed, in fact. but sakusa is not your boyfriend. an important note that you most certainly do not get to point out because now sakusa is here and is corralling you towards the exit from his pressure of his chest against your back.

— he’s much more hands on now. less in tolerating your touch and more so initiating his own. it’s a late realization but most of your attention is stuck on that same teammate who is waving mischievously from the door.

— but oh man. it’s becoming a lot more obvious to you now when sakusa offers to hold you books while you change your shoes, and holding on to them even as you travel to class. he sits a little bit closer to you during study hall now, the erratic hitter of your knee brushing against his with every jerk up.

— “...are you okay, ‘yoomi?”

— he doesn’t complain about the name. not even a pinch of his brow, just confusion as he peers down at you.

— “im fine.”

— huh

— it’s all fun and games until his fingers catch yours one day while you walk side by side. it seemed like a fluke, just an accidental swing and bump. but then they’re latching and now you’re connected?

— “yoomi?”

— “it’s cold”

— yeah. okay, fair enough.

— periodic becomes occasional and now it’s a habit.

— and of course everyone takes notice. because sure sakusa tolerates you more than most. but now there’s a basis for it.

— “ah, so tables have turned.”

— “i knew it.”

— “top in the nation and already dating. our little kohai is such a pillar.”

— you’re beyond overwhelmed. worse because kiyoomi looks mildly irritated but doesn’t seem to be denying any of it.

— and you just have to ask.

— “yoomi are we dating?”

— because wow, only yesterday it seemed like he was still just your best friend. one who held your hand, shared his lunch, fell asleep on your shoulder in more than one occasion-

“— “we’re together. we’ve always been.”

— okay, yeah but context here.

— but then he’s dragging down the mask across his face, letting it hang under his chin. his lips are on your temple and phew, that’s new.

— “we should get home. i have a match tomorrow.”

— a game that becomes a statement in more ways than one.

— “ooh, is that sakusa’s jacket? so the rumors are true.”

— you fumble with the sleeves that seems to be determined to swallow up your hands. when he’d first offered it to you, it seemed so natural.

— “you might get cold.”

— god your boyf-... friend was so confusing.

— “not really. he hasn’t asked.”

— your classmate seems unconvinced but doesn’t comment further. that’s doesn’t say the same for the rest of the class who use every opportunity to chip at your resolve.

— “haven’t they been dating the whole time?”

— “they always hold hands now.”

— “i mean that’s his jacket isn’t it? it’s he like a germaphobe?”

— it’s getting harder to concentrate on the game. and certainly doesn’t help with every glance sakusa tosses up into the stands. by the end of the match, you’re beyond frazzled and ready to just sakusa the second he emerges from the gym.

— his teammate offer thanks in exchange for your praises on a game well won. it helps to distract you for a brief moment-but there he is now.

— his fingers slip befeeen yours like they belong and you can’t find the voice to complain. after congratulating him, there’s not much more said on your part. he walks you to your doorstep, not just the entrance, and lets his hand fall away. yet you both linger.

— “are we-“

— “are you-“

— when it comes down to it. obviously sakusa fails when it comes to words and actions seem to speak clearly.

— sakusa doesn’t protest when you reach up and undo his face mask for him. going as far as to lower his head, aware of your intentions, when you lean in.

— it’s a short kiss. a testing peck to balance in the shallow end before diving deep. his nose nudges yours and it’s your laugh that breaks the kiss.

— kiss-with kiyoomi sakusa-your once reluctant friend and now?

— sakusa leans in again. this time his hand on your shoulder for stabilization. there’s no tongue or extra touches. it’s just the act.

— life is all about changes.

— you smile and decide, yeah, you can do this.

— before he can leave, however, he’s tugging at the collar of his jacket.

— “i prefer to use my own detergent. but you can have it back tomorrow.”

— or maybe just some adjustments.

[angstysebfan]

Choices- Chapter 1

Pairing: Steve X Reader, Bucky Reader (not Stucky)

Summary: You fall in love with a super soldier, but after a decision that leaves you heartbroken you find yourself needing to decide where your heart truly lies.

A/N: requested by @tweedlydumbtweedlydoo​ Hope its everything you want! I tried to put this up last night and tumblr posted the title and deleted the story so I had to rewrite it. 

--

You joined the Avengers eight months ago, and have so far loved every minute of it. You have progressively worked your way through SHIELD, and impressed Nick Fury and Maria Hill to the point that they, themselves, requested you join the team. Before you knew it, you were meeting “THE” Captain America and “THE” Tony Stark, which made you so nervous, and you had to admit, photos and TV did not do Steve justice. After a short conversation, you impressed them enough to hire you right on spot, and you moved into the compound.

You were being mentored by Bucky Barnes, and you both became pretty close friends over your first few months. You had to admit photos and TV did not do Bucky justice either, as he was also a gorgeous man. However, in your opinion, Steve was cuter and made your heart race. 

During those first few months you were barely able to speak to Steve. You were get all flustered, blush as red as a tomato, could barely speak a cognitive sentence, and you definitely couldn’t look him in those beautiful blue eyes. Bucky would constantly tease you about it, “I swear if you turn any redder in front of Stevie, I think he will assume you think impure thoughts,” Bucky said with a chuckle.

You smacked his chest as gasped, “Shut up! I can’t help it! I am in so much trouble when it comes to Steve.” you said shaking your head with your hands covering your face. “Why don’t you just try and have a normal conversation with him. Then you will see he isn’t as special as you think, and just a punk.” Bucky said with a smirk.

You took Bucky’s advice and finally forced yourself to have a simple conversation with Steve. From there you both sought each other out to talk about everything and anything. That transformed into going out for coffee and lunch together. Finally Steve asked you out on a proper date, and it was the best night of your life.

--

It’s been six months since you and Steve started dating and you couldn’t be happier. You spend as much time together as possible, including training with Bucky. Bucky couldn’t believe you actually got the guts to talk to Steve, and would still tease you, even now, but you know he is happy his two closest friends are together.

One day you are in the gym with Steve and Bucky, working on your hand to hand combat. You were in the middle of sparring with Bucky, with Steve giving pointers, when a tall blonde suddenly walked into the gym. You noticed Steve stopped paying attention and stared in awe at the blonde woman you didn’t recognize. 

“Sharon!” Steve shouted with a smile, before running over and giving her a hug. You stared at the interaction trying to figure out who this woman was and why you never met her before if Steve seemed to know her so well. Bucky sees your face and leans in, “Sharon Carter, she is Peggy Carter’s niece.” he whispered in your ear.

Your heart dropped slightly as you took in Bucky’s words. You weren’t stupid, you knew who Peggy Carter was, and especially who she was to Steve back in the day. You also heard all about the history of Steve and Sharon years ago when Steve was trying to save Bucky. You found yourself wondering how you could compete as you watched Steve and Sharon laughing with each other.

You give Bucky a small smile and start heading toward the door, ignoring Bucky’s concerned gaze. Just as you’re about to leave the gym, you hear Steve call out to you, “Y/N!” he shouts before running over to you. “Where are you going?” he asks with furrowed brows. “Oh I figured I would just leave you and your friend to catch up, I really need to shower.” you say. 

Steve smiles, “Well come meet her, and then we can shower together,” Steve says linking your fingers together and giving you a small peck on the lips. Before you can answer, Steve pulls you over to the blonde, who shows some minor interest in you. “Sharon, this is my girlfriend Y/N. Y/N, this is a friend of mine, Sharon Carter.” Steve says with a proud smile.

You give a polite smile and shake her hand, “Nice to meet you Sharon.” you say. She gives a polite smile, “You too, Y/N. Steve, I didn’t know you added another girl to your list.” Sharon says to Steve with a giggle. Your smile falls, but you quickly compose yourself and look confident, “Well we have been together for awhile now, so as far as I am concerned that list is gone.” you say.

Sharon looks at you with arrogance, “Well as we all know it’s the woman at the top of the list that really count.” she says to you. “And yet he seemed to move on from those women no problem!” you say and look at Steve. Steve just looked back and forth between the two of you in shock, meanwhile Bucky is trying hard not to laugh, but is proud you are standing up for yourself.

“Well it was lovely to meet you Sharon, but Steve and I have a shower to get to. Come on babe.” you say pulling Steve with you. “Oh no worries, I will be here for awhile now, ya know helping out with missions, working closely with Steve.” Sharon calls as you head toward the door.

You refuse to answer as you pull Steve out of the gym. As you get into the elevator, Steve looks at you, “Well that was interesting.” he said. You scoff, “She obviously is not over whatever short fling you had with her,” you say. Steve wraps his arms around your waist, “Don’t worry baby, She is just a friend.” he says before kissing your lips.

You nod and nuzzle into his chest as the elevator goes up to your floor. You can’t help thinking that Sharon was going to be nothing but trouble.

--

Chapter 2

Here we go!!! Feedback is always appreciated!

Taglist: @hailmary-yramliah​ @tuiccim​ @comedictragedy​ @cap-n-stuff​ @thefridgeismybestie​ @swiftmind​ @aleaisntcreative​ @lookiamtrying​ @pinknerdpanda​ @morganclaire4​ @iamvalentinaconstanza​ @verygraphicink​ @im-squished​ @joannie95​

[hayjeon]

Practical Tips on getting your fics out there!

I’ve gotten an influx of these types of questions here recently, and the more i thought about what i was gonna add, it became really long :(  

disclaimer: a lot of the things i bring up are just from personal experience as a writer on this site, what my followers have told me they appreciate, and what i tend to look for when im looking for fics to read! If you don’t like these tips then pls move on :) 

although i’ll mention them, i’m also not going to be focusing on cliche tips like “write for yourself” or “grammar issues” cause those are pretty obvious!

1. accessibility of your blog 

when you’re trying to get your name out there, make sure that you’re creating an inviting experience for any potential followers! this includes:

a memorable url! be creative!

have some fun designing your blog’s aesthetic! (i love cute blogs because it reflects a bit of the writer’s personality), and (i prefer blogs with white backgrounds because it’s easier to look through/read, say, in contrast to a pitch black one where the words need to be white!) 

put your masterlist link in your bio (even better if you can link most recent fic! found this most helpful when i revisit authors that i like and can easily see if they’ve updated or not)

an organized and easy-to-navigate masterlist (personally, i prefer masterlists organized by band, instead of types of fics ie. i hate when i have to choose between drabbles, oneshots, and series masterlists; i really prefer to see them altogether!) --> see section 3 

organized tags (if you’re going to be posting a lot of non-fic-related content like pictures or videos, tag them properly so followers can sort through and find your fics easily!), or (if you’re going to be writing in different mediums like drabbles, or answering asks, make sure to use a unified #mine or #writing or #fics to centralize your content) 

2. get your name out there!

write write write! once you have some fics that show your talent, don’t be shy! 

join writing groups: when i first started out, I joined a bunch of groups that would reblog my fics in the midst of the content of much bigger writers; these blogs developed a following, and as a result of my content mixing in with bigger blogs’ content, so did my own tumblr! there’s been a stigma recently with these groups, but im sure you can find one thats supportive and not clique-y! 

send your fics to rec pages: what’s the harm? the only bad thing that can happen is that they ignore you! who cares! get out there! 

if you can do the above, i really encourage you to ask your fave writers for advice/to read your fic: again, the worst that can happen is that they say no or don’t respond or don’t have enough time, but it’ll be a good opportunity to get some feedback! i for one read (or try to read) every single rec that falls into my inbox. if i like it, i’ll #rec it, and if i don’t, unless the writer asks me for feedback, i move on!! 

utilize your tags!!: i’m not entirely sure if this is still the same or not, but from my memory, it’s the first 3-5 tags that matter the most? so utilize them well; push back the tags that aren’t really relevant (ie. #writing, #fics) and push more the main subject line of what you wrote (ie. jungkook fluff, bts smut, namjoon angst). these will populate your fics into the tags better!

headers!: when i’m scrolling through an infinite page of fics, the headers catch my eye the most; try being creative! you can find a lot of info out there on how to make ur headers super aesthetic, but i can share my tips too! --> see section 3

3. your masterlist 

here are some practical tips! 

organize by band, not type of fic/member/centralize your masterlist: i went onto a blog recently and clicked their bio mlist link to find a page full of 20~ish “JUNGKOOK MASTERLIST”/ “JAEHYUN MASTERLIST” and when i clicked on each one, they only had like 2 or 3 fics per member. i think it would’ve been better if she’d centralized all her fics! that keeps whoever is looking interested and more likely to click on another fic while browsing

add info about the fics!: when scrolling through a masterlist, it’s easy to get lost; try to add some snippets of info (ie. a short sentence you liked from the fic, a quick summary, a description of the au/scenario, or even a header!) this all gives some info about the fics you have tagged! 

headers: this isn’t a requirement, but i personally love a good header on fics i read and i love making them myself as i finish up a fic and get ready to upload it; here are free sources: unsplash for HQ stock pics, crop/edit/filter in VSCO, and then add aesthetic script with fontcandy) 

try to fill it up!: after i visit a blog after reading one good fic, i usually browse through their mlist to see if there are any more that i’d be interested in. if there’s a lot to look forward to, i’ll almost always follow; try to write as much as you can in the first few months to try and fill up your mlist and give blog viewers a reason to visit your blog again, follow, or even reblog your content!) 

4. try not to reproduce cliche fics: 

honestly tumblr’s writing community (and armys) has grown insanely these past few years and, unfortunately, even from my perspective, in the past 3-4 years, all the writers have sort of become blended together in my brain. but, i can say that the ones who consistently stand out are the ones who produce consistent content and think outside of the box! 

i tend to gravitate towards fics that have really interesting plotlines (ex. btssavedmylifeblr’s VOID is always a surprise to read because it’s sO unique! i usually don’t read ot7 fics but this one is legit my fave) 

I know it’s tempting to try and just write typical smut fics to try and gain some traction, but tumblr is already too overloaded by that kind of content; try to write something that’s special and unique! this will set u apart from the thousands of other writers here --> see next section

5. create unique fics: 

this is also personal to my writing style, but i get so bored writing just casual fics about the members, and it affects the fics i choose to read too; i prefer unique fics which you can achieve through: 

circumstance/au: create a fun au!; don’t just create an arranged marriage, create an arranged marriage in joseon dynasty, or between a werewolf and a hunter! (shameless self plug); don’t just give me friends to lovers, but give me spiderman!jungkook friends to lovers! (ie. cupofteaguk’s exchanges)

jobs: give them out-of-the-ordinary jobs; don’t just give me enemies to lovers, but give me rival!anchors who end up loving eachother! (ie. jimlingss The Newscasters)

fun dialogue: create good back-and-forth, (something i’m still working on!)! this will help your characters develop personality, and that way, readers will start to develop that themselves as well (ie. dad!yoongi from insemination wars by prolixitae is such a specific character that i love so much!, or obiwrites’ garden characters were so memorable!)

create memorable personalities: don’t give me a flat character, try to develop 4d personalities in all of your characters! (im still working on this too!) this way you can really make an impression on your followers! a great way to practice/recognize this is: “Ask my Character.” Can your followers ask a specific character a specific question, and would you be able to deliver an answer that is very specific to that character’s tone/voice/personality? If yes, then ur doing well! If not, try to think of ways that you can make tht specific character from a specific story, really unique and separate from your other characters.

6. some practical writing tips

be yourself, write for your own pleasure, blah blah blah; yeah you know already haha but here are a few more practical tips! 

grammar check: if you can, try and hone your grammar! makes for an easier read 

write like you: i personally LOVE this by obiwrites, but even the way she writes exudes her personality and is so specific; try not to be caught up in adding hundreds of synonyms and exquisite language; in fact, simpling it down and being more concise and honest with your writing is better than a superfluous sentence; this will also give ur characters so much more dimension and funk

use those commas/sentence variation: try to use more commas; this will feel like you’re the narrator to your own story; it also makes it more fluid to read in my opinion, over those short. clipped. sentences. (ie. “he came over, sitting down on the corner of your bed with an expression you’d never seen before” over “he walked over. he sat down, looking sad.”) 

half-half dialogue/narration: a fic with too much dialogue can get confusing, and a fic with too much narration can get dry; try to balance them out, and weave in and out of each! 

quality over quantity: don’t feel burdened to write a 30k word fic. in fact, i think some of the shorter fics (ie. any of versigny’s stuff) made a bigger impression on me over the longer fics because they were short, left me wanting more, and were just so high-quality in such small quantities. try out your hand at drabbles and one-shots, and don’t feel too burdened to try and develop a series right off the bat! 

abandon pigeon-holes: i’m guilty of this; i start series and then end up with no vision for the stories and they end up giving me writers block. its okay. just stop or discontinue them or leave them on a hiatus; it’s okay. your priority is yourself, and if abandoning certain works are part of that, then go ahead. it’ll help you progress more. 

and finally.......

i’ll add more as they come up! but if you liked this, then pls lmk! i’d love to give more tips and tricks; i think i started this blog 3-4 years ago when there weren’t as many writers here, but im glad you’re thinking of starting out/wanting to grow more! don’t feel intimidated! it’s not all about the notes/followers but creating a blog you’re proud of. 

so write what you’re proud of, or interested in, and keep going. i truly thoroughly had so much fun writing this post. if there are any writers who read through this and have some more advice, pls msg me! 

all the best to you! 

[language-aholic]

so i know i dont make personal posts very often, but i wanted to tell you guys about my experiences with learning swedish the past year & where im currently at with it.

i originally started learning swedish in september of last year with some friends. we had all decided we wanted to learn a language together & after a while of deciding we all ended up agreeing on swedish because one of the friends in the group had previously met a swedish girl on a cruise that he had fallen for & so we all wanted to help him learn the language to win her over.

everyone started out really motivated, but over time everyone except for me eventually gave up on it & quit studying. unfortunately our friend was rejected by the swedish girl he met on the cruise too which probably didn't help (i dont think she was impressed with his beginner level swedish sentences lol).

through my friends wanting to learn a language with me i had discovered that i really liked swedish pronunciation & the fact that swedish was very easy for me yet still interesting so i kept studying every day for 3 or 4 months straight. i was surprised with how easy keeping motivated was because in the past i had only been able to study languages a few times a month. looking back i have absolutely no idea how i kept up with it for so long lol

eventually though as i ran into problems with swedish my motivation started diminishing over time. i was just beginning to enter the intermediate stages & while i was proud of myself for making so much progress i was also disappointed & discouraged because it had been half of a year & i still wasn't even close to having the pronunciation down. mostly because i was so embarrassed with how bad my pronunciation was that i couldnt even talk to myself in swedish as practice. even when no one was home & i was studying vocab words on memrise alone i could only bring myself to repeat them in a whisper or with my voice down.

after months of this i started getting really frustrated with both myself & swedish so i started trying to branch out by randomly starting new languages expecting different results, but each one had its own difficult pronunciation that provided me with the same issues as swedish & after a few days of starting each new language id just quit them. this happened many times. many. times. but yet each time i was super excited about starting a new language & i felt like i needed to announce it to everyone! this language was going to be the one for me unlike swedish! pronunciation was suddenly going to be easy! ...until it just kept happening with the same results each time & even i couldnt take myself seriously anymore 😂 after the first few times i stopped announcing what "new language im starting now!" though because it was happening at least a few times a month, but believe me ive been through french, korean, japanese, italian, russian, etc. all for a maximum of 2 or 3 days each lol.

now on top of this issue a few months ago after wondering why my motivation had almost completely diminished i finally came to a realization. i had no real connections to swedish. there was nothing about swedish or sweden that really interested me or that i really liked. while it's great & all i was never personally interested in it. i had only started learning it on a whim because of my friends. so why am i even learning swedish? I don't want a years worth of effort to go down the drain, but it's no wonder im never motivated. the only thing i ever liked about it was the pronunciation of the language & i cant even do that. after a year of learning it i can't even speak a sentence in swedish & i have no connections to it so why?

this is where ive currently been at with it. i think i would be enjoying swedish much more if i could actually accurately speak the language but for that i need to be able to comfortably sit down & practice pronunciation on my own but im always just so hard on myself. it's definitely an underlying personal confidence/self image issue that i need to find a way through so hopefully i can figure out how soon. im also definitely planning on taking some time to find things about sweden & swedish culture that i really like to hopefully help motivate me.

sorry for such a text heavy post! i feel like i tend to leave you guys in the dark about where i am language wise because im not great at making these kinds of posts so i thought id update you. maybe this will help some of you out there that might be having the same kinds of issues.

[edelwary]

when you were first getting into art, what and how did you draw? (like did you just doodle ur masterpieces on pieces of paper and posted-notes or did you have a proper sketchbook) how did you find motivation? bc ive been trying to draw but I always get unmotivated and stop while still wanting to get better just by doing nothing.

REALLY LONG, LOTS OF ADVICES FOR ARTISTS : 

TL;DR ; skip to the HOW TO ACTUALLY FUCKING DRAW part bc i have a megaton of shit to say lol + The MOTIVATION part 

mmh… I’ll get into details with this one tbh bc it’s a long ass process ahah : 

I live by the sea ; when i was youung i used to draw TONS of boat, but like, dollhouse boats, you could see the insides and stuff ; i loved to add tiny details and stuff, and imbricate everything together !

around 8 or 9 yo, i went to the public library with school and discovered the wonderful world of mangas ! I basically… Copy pasted an entire Mermaid Melody tome x) 

For about 2 years i alternated between reading mangas and trying to copy them ! Then i just kept drawing in the margins of my schoolwork for about… 5 years ! I have a Fuck Ton of sketchbooks of that time, it was… The start. Lol. Never say it’s bad because it’s never bad, just not there yet !!

Around my 13 yo, i went every saturday, for two years, under a bookstore ; there was a cave, and drawing classes ; that teacher was mean and harsh and stuff, but like… Not really. He would take away my eraser for the class, force me to use pencil, to draw something else (bulky boys instead of magical girls). 

I’ve learned a lot, more in terms of How To LEARN to draw than to draw itself, but i still progressed a LOT !! 

Then i kept drawing by myself for a year and i really worked hard on it ; about hours a day, trying watercolors and stuff ; i have a real problem with colors in traditionnal art, but i’m much better with lines (i should scan some RAD stuff i made in the weekend, yall ive never done anything this good i stg i dont know why i always forget im so much better on paper) 

This gets us to my sweet 16 ; i have to year of advance, bc i got ‘’’promoted’’’ idk how to say it ; anyways, i entered my (current) animation school for the first year at 16; vERY IMPRESSIVE AND TERRIFYING. 

And i learned. A fuckmegaton. Of shit there. 

Now i’m going for my third year there and i can make photorealistic marmora blades and cyberkpunk decors if i want to and that’s rad, but here is

 HOW TO ACTUALLY FUCKING DRAW : 

I have one HYPER important advice, and i’m keeping it to heart since i’m like, 11 : Have. Sketchbooks. Please !!! It’s very important. Here’s why : 

You keep everything with you in one place. You have 1 sketchbook, it’s basically easy to take every where (a A5, or A4 are pretty easy to carry, i have like, 12 of those, and around 8 of A3) 

You keep track of what you’ve done. It’s super important, bc first you can cry of laughter at your old stuff bc its cute but not so good, and second, you can just be like ‘holy mama’ and see how much you’ve improved

It’s very important to be organized. I WORK in art, and trust me, if there’s something that i’ve learned this year through tears and missing files and bugs : Be. Impeccable. Now if it’s for fun, go a little loose, and just have a folder for art on your computer, and a sketchbook, no need to stress, but the better you try to keep a record of where is what, the better you’ll see whats wrong

Notebooks are friends !! You can draw, write, glue stuff, make notes, lists, everything !!! I have my life in those. It’s more important to me than any of my phones. 

Be proud of it. Like, not everything, duh ! But try to tell yourself than it’s like a RPG ; even if it’s only 2 xp here and there, one day you’ll beat level 40, and that’s super important : art is. Fuckin. Long.

I cant stress it enough. It’s soooo long !!! SO LONG !! it’s years. It’s like karate and fishing and ANYTHING. To be good at it, it takes time, but it WILL COME if you keep trying. There’s no secret passage. 

You’re gonna me it, believe in me who believes in you. 

Use. References. 

Coming from a little shit who’s got a really good visual memory, that can sound like bs, but i stg everything is always AT LEAST twice as good if you’ve used a visual support. 

I’m not saying COPY EVRYTHING (even though thats a good training) I’m saying, if you really want to do that asian tiger, please have at least two or three pictures of it nearby. Take photos of your hands, and stuff ! 

Make it harder. 

No eraser. 

Paint. 

I draw all my backgrounds on my sketchbook with INDIAN INK; no returns, no refunds. 

Ink, Ink, INK !! Don’t allow mistakes.

And if you make mistakes :

New page, restart

It’s okay

It’s for you

I once started back again a whole EXAM bc it was bad, i got one of my best grades 

You’ll improve and be more assured if you know you just have to DO IT. Trust me. It’s VISIBLE; if you can erase, you fidget and hesitate and ‘’kbeujebez hahhaaa idkkidsd’’ ; stop ; do it, and if you don’t like it ? Try again, there’s no time limit

Draw as large as you can 

There’s no interesting story here, it just helps. Bigger movement of the hand, more place for details, breathing lines

Thin lineart helps

Thinner. Make it even thinner

Break the rules, but not the ones that structure your art 

Big lineart ? Why not

Unfinished lines, vaporeous colors ? Pretty

Cubism is actually based on extensive and intense practice of classical art, it’s not wibbly wooblly ; the anatomy is more correct than you think 

Structure and composition are important, but so is movement and life ; choose your fighter ; mine is fluidity and fun, i’m like, a rogue/archer in drawing. Some people are dwarf fighter. That’s amazing and great. 

Don’t be afraid to do nothing

Pages and pages of my sketchbooks are actually just lance facing right and smiling, you know… 

Sometimes it just doesnt work : two ways :

Take a break, Kiki’s delivery service style

Keep trying, break your art until it obeys and comes back

Take breaks. Breath. 

Don’t compare. I do it, it doesn’t help at all. You’ll make it ; and if you compare, keep in mind that everyone’s different

I’m not gonna lie, it’s NOT easy, it’s even hard 

But I really, really think it’s worth it 

MOTIVATION :

My main bitch 

I’m always pumped for art because i can LITTERALLY NOT do anything else ; i love reading and writing and stuff but at the end of the day i just want !!! to draw !!!! aaaaaa-

Fall in love with it, and with the possibilities ; i have stories to tell, tell me yours ! Do your best, one day it WILL work

Actual advices : 

I have an inspiration blog where i just reblogs stuff i like to draw them later

Find a picture, copy it. Do it again. Change the characters (i have 2 ocs and Lance and Keith as default characters) in the pic. 

Like an artstyle ? Break it to its very core, analyse it, copy it, redo it, trace it and ABSORB it. Don’t copy/past, LEARN from your heroes.

Do what you like. I have 86578 pieces of voltron, this is not a coincidence. I have ENDLESS ideas for this show, wtf. 

Try new things. Buy indian ink im begging you. It’s so cool. 

Have a game with yourself, or a challenge. STICK TO IT. 

Study. When you’re bored, usually it’s because you’re stagnating. Make it harder or do hands until you cry. 

Love your backgrounds; make backgrounds, study trees, and tokyo streets, and venice’s bridges. Decor is just as cool as characters, if not more

Mess a little with everything. My roomate more than one found me stained from head to toes trying to DO STUFF 

Draw outfits. Draw what you want but can’t afford 

MAKE YOUR LIFE A COMIC. Remember those sketchbooks ? Make a comic a week/month/every full moon, whatever, and draw your life (mine’s the roomates au lol) 

Prompts blogs are cool too 

Make fanart of a fic you liked ; you have the characters and the pose already, you just have to illustrate ; double bonus, you probably will make a writer’s day, if not year !

That little movie that plays when you listen to your favorite song ? DRAW IT

Your favorite scene in your favorite movie ? Redraw each shot. On post it. Plus it looks awesome afterwards to have the infamous TREX scene of Jurassic Parks in post it

Get bored. That’s inevitable. Dance, scream, get back to it. Walk, draw everything you see. 

Make a paper google map street view : Take a walk : every 50 meters, draw what is in front of you. 

Snapchats your friends. Draw their snapchats when they answer 

Draw maps. Invent places. Invent bikes, and hovercrafts, and monsters. Make your everyday inventory. Make your life a video game, and do the concept arts of it. 

FETCH your inspiration. I have approx. 20 artbooks, full of drawings and concept arts of my fave movies/games ; take what you like and add it to the story you have since you’re 8. We all have one. 

Ask for it ; your sis, your mom, me even ! If you dont have ideas, someone will have them. 

WELL i’m gonna stop there, even though i got like, 9864567 more to say, but with this you should be fine ! Anon, i’m rooting for you ! we all start somewhere, just hold on!!!! 

[tillymint7]

The 2020 LJMU Fine Art Graduates

Initial feelings

To be honest I’m still trying to get my head round how different everything is. For those new students coming in to LJMU it’s their first experience, they do not know any different, but there is still the brutal reality of what is going on around us and their altered expectations of what uni life would of been like had this pandemic never happened.

For those of us who know the joy of what LJMU Fine Art Degree course was like before, there is a sense of deep sadness. As dramatic and privileged as it sounds, I feel like we are all in moaning. Just like the rest of the world, yarning for a world we lost and a freedom we didn’t appreciate until it was gone.

We (now 2nd and 3rd year) also continued to make work through lockdown and tried to create work in ways that didn’t include help from free uni software or equipment, we made what we could with what we had. Many of us posting bits on our Instagram art pages, creating new collectives and online galleries just trying to get through it like everyone else in the hope of staying sane. 

I really appreciate that our recent graduate students had a very very hard task of being the very first to have to show their work for their graduation in this way and I’m super proud of them, their work is literally otherworldly. A zeitgeist, they all did an absolutely outstanding job, but I feel they may also the last lucky ones to have the good fortune to have the full 3 year experience of the Fine Art course at LJMU the way is used to be. I hope I’m wrong, I hope the uni can return to the beautiful relaxed and welcoming place it once was.

.....but for now those inspirational moments in the building that shaped our work so much in the first year and that warm welcoming feeling that floated around the building for the moment has gone. I really miss our art family atmosphere so much, there is a distinct absence. It’s such a dystopian reality, I don’t think any student or staff member can quite get my head around it all just yet. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way and I know we are all in the same boats. I’m sure we will get through this funk and I know the intention was to cheer us all up with the power of possibilities and Im sure we will all produce some outstanding and ground breaking artworks because of this experience.

Critique:

(Below art work by Ellie Towers)

Our graduates work was displayed in a digital format. It was so apt considering our current state of being, becoming one with the AI. They created an interactive platform with a worm hole to Mars. Each artist designed an avatar, which once pressed the viewer was transported to the artist world. They used found footage from their practice degrees show, which thankfully I had the great pleasure of attending pre lockdown. This approach helped pull the past and present together, this then led onto their other creations, videos, 3D digital creations, GPS footage their ideas where so innovative like a peak inside a multiverses. They all had to quickly get their heads around brand new mediums within their work, which they all impressively took in their stride.

(Below art work by Nicole Stiff)

This pull between the passed and present and fragmented time is something I am always drawn to as an artist and is displayed in my work. This made me think that that metaphor of a worm hole allowing two moments to live in the same space is so fascinating to me. Each artist used their home space in really unique, inspiring and transformative ways allowing the viewer to be submerged in their work. 

I was really drawn to Parice’s work, she seems to be drawn to similar art outcome to mine. We are both cloud enthusiasts and existentialists, we both use mirrors, distortion and refraction. We also both suffer from the struggle to avoid an existential crisis, although mine is normally on a daily basis :) 

(The images below: My Mini Degree art installation ‘Sky and Ceiling’ 2019)

Parice’s work was like a ‘how to’ on pandemic survival. She uses layers in her work, which gives it that element of time and fragmentation joining the past and present. We are also both aware of our need to meditate in order to focus. As well as using our family within our work, although maybe for our graduates the use of their family and nearest and dearest was more a necessity then a normal practice approach. 

Personally I have always been drawn to including my family within my work rather than editing them out. I feel its important to including family or friends if possible, allowing them to be a important part of our work, its like they will live on through our work no matter what happens in life. It is a way of preserving the things most precious to us, capturing and encapsulating them inside an ever  evolving artwork.

(The image below from our zoom lecture: Parice’s Bowers title page for her work: ‘Working at Home: How to Avoid an Existential Crisis’)

Parice use of clown make up to display her emotion, which reminded me of  Cindy Sherman’s artwork they both have an element of tragic humour about them. I loved how honest she was about how she felt and her comical but good advice on the use of gin. ‘Stating you can make a schedule for work.... but that doesn’t work for me’. This is also something I don’t do. I create work when the mood allows, I also feel that adding undue pressure is not helpful. 

Parice’s work is very different to mine in so many ways, she adds much more images of herself which is not something I feel that comfortable in doing. Where as I tend to avoid putting my own face in my work. Her approached to her presentation lay out was very similar to my end of first year portfolio submission with regards to its multiple lined up images and footage added to each slide. So strange how some artists work seem to have an unconscious link between them. 

I also noticed Parice’s use of time lapsed short footage, which is something I also use in my film art work all the time. This idea that a small brief moment can have so much resonance in its simplicity is something I find really beautiful, compared to more complex works. communication does not have to complex to be mesmerising, valid or though provoking. To me the most simple footage can hold so much meaning.

So unbelievably exciting to see where they all our 2020 Fine Art graduates end up next. Their graduation show ended up in art magazines and gained so much very well deserved recognition. Im sure they will all have very bright futures, it will be beautiful to watch them all progress post graduation. 

3D Digital artwork like the mars avatars isn't something Iv tired, but I will certainly give it a go during this next year. It’s always good to add another skill to your practice. I will also start a website to give my work another platform for people to connect with.

Below a few more images from the practice Graduation Show. 🤩

[rqs902]

.

more random thoughts as i finish season 2....

some of my favorite moments are when the kids are cheering each other on, its the cutest thing!!! 

he yifan and zuo qibo fanboy screaming over liu ye’s rap in ‘boy in luv’ and yu gengyin and cai xukun’s relay chanting “jin ming!” “jia you!’ and ofc “dai jing” “yao na ka!!!!!” hahahahhaha i love their friendship and i love silly gengyin!!! literally even when getting off the car this ep he was so silly and when he was about to go on stage and he was like aight kids i got this, i love seeing him being less stressed ahhhh

OOF THEY LABELED IT AGAIN 

awww HE WONNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH when it got announced, i literally clutched my chest and was like ‘my childdddddddddd’ aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh honestly i wasnt gonna be surprised if zuo qibo won this round but IM SO PROUD OF XIAO YU awwwwww he did so well!!!! he like worked really hard to give off a mischievous/ bad boy aura and i think it was such a refreshing and well-executed change for him that it left a strong impression c: whereas qibo is normally already very flower boy / nice guy so i dont think it was as impactful for him to continue playing a role he already embodies normally, altho he was very good-looking on this stage!! but gengyin really went out of his way to try to act cool and carry himself with that kind of aura of handsomeness / arrogance that he’s not really used to portraying and im super proud of him for pulling it off :’) continuously saying ‘我不夠壞’ hahhahhaa but similar to in the sakura stage where he was commended for his powerful stage presence, he’s continuing to build on his new improvements and im super happy he’s still riding on this high c: last ep ‘on rainy days’ i was thriving on hearing his voice smooth over those high notes and this ep’s song wasnt as lyrical, but he still managed to get some vocalizations in and im loving all this extra camera time and focus on his eye smiles. watching gengyin just smile and seeing his eyes crinkle up just makes me so happy inside c: oh! and then when he walks back into the waiting room and hes like “yaayy 努力沒有白費 yaaaaayy!!!!!” im just ooof my heart im so happy for him :’) 

also i gotta say, huadi’s attitude towards liuye is kinda scary? I know theyre all being competitive and thats the nature of this show but like liu ye kept telling him to back off basically (and not even for his own sake, but bc he knew huadi’s dancing intensity was negatively affecting jin ming and also the cohesiveness of their group overall) and huadi was still like ‘i need to show myself off so i can win’ and i felt like his attitude was off, like ‘obviously im the best, thanks’ which later became ‘i cant believe i lost, what did he do better’ whereas liu ye was also very confident but to me he came off as less intense and more calm. like ‘i know im the best, so you can go ahead and try to upstage me, but ill just do my best on my end and quietly watch you sabotage yourself’ at least thats how i perceived it .-. but idk yea i enjoyed watching liu ye more and it felt like huadi was trying too hard. but i am glad that huadi and muti resolved their issues last ep 

daidai’s stage presence during ‘overdose’ tho? he was really handsome!!! i dont normally react much to daidai’s performances but idk this time i really noticed him in contrast to jeffrey and yongju. i think he just seemed more confident than usual and all the little smiles helped. his hair flipping reminded me of muti and his sass LOL 

its really interesting to see cai xukun’s progression through this show and how everyone around him reacts as he goes through this growth process. i would say he wasnt given an absurdly greater amount of screentime but you can tell hes been building up credibility and holds a strong rank among the rest. i would say its not realllyy until the last few eps of season 2 that he pulls ahead of the rest by a significant amount. i was always thinking wu muti was a strong competitor to him but after seeing them and he yifan’s stage, it was pretty clear to me that cxk had successfully exceeded everyone else and ascended to his own level. watching the process through which he gradually builds his now-signature stage presence and now-signature voice is really fascinating and near the end of the season, he already can overshadow everyone else. it seems like huadi is very vocal about how handsome kun has become on stage, yifan doesnt hesitate to admit how good kun is, and gengyin has already admitted early on that they all should learn from kun. zuo qibo is also quick to commend kun but then it seems like muti avoids it? i can kinda guess he might be a bit jealous bc hes always been complimented and lauded on stage but then after he lost so significantly to cxk, im guessing that would be a blow to him. on the show, cxk and wmt both seem very very eager to promote themselves and are very willing to fight for opportunities that they each deem best for themselves. unlike some of the other kids who are more willing to work for the team as a whole more. not that the two of them are bad at teamwork, but i think they definitely arent afraid to demonstrate that they want to stand out and i think thats important in this industry and likely part of how cxk got so ahead. its just interesting to compare this cxk to the cxk on idol producer who knew at that point that he didnt need to fight to stand out because he already did, and he tried so hard to help the other kids around him. 

i feel like i should redo my current ranking list, but i guess with the kids who are on the show this time? (minus the s2 kids, bc lets face it, theyd be at the very bottom anyway) rn its mostly tiered like 1, then 2-7, then 8-10. i appreciate liu ye being a good teacher and leader and the way he yifan seems to be able to joke around with everyone and keep their spirits up. muti’s fireiness kinda scared me in the last few eps but i appreciate that he was mature enough to talk it out with huadi and admit he had been too stressed/riled up lately.

gengyin 

muti 

liu ye

cai xukun

he yifan 

zuo qibo

zhao pinlin (gosh im sad hes so injured) 

dai jingyao

huadi 

yongju

HAHAHAHHA THE PART WHERE ZFZ CHALLENGES THEM TO AN AB BATTLE AND YGY STEPS UP AND EVERYONES IN SHOCK BUT HE JUST RUNS DOWN THE LINE TO PUSH DAIDAI TO THE FRONT HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA i love a true silly boy 

its just so interesting bc the latter half of this season (after ygy gets nominated for elimination i guess) feels like they enjoy giving ygy camera time and attention and esp ep 8 onward hes gotten so much positive feedback ive just been amazed and so happy. and now at the end... you can tell hes really pushing himself bc hes seen that he can do well and that if he really goes above and beyond he really does have a good chance, and seeing his confidence go up with each stage that he performs well is really gratifying and im so proud of him, seeing how determined and driven he is. i just find it funny how confident he is about rap all of a sudden HAHHAHA i mean he did do very well rapping during the sakura stage and the judges did compliment him a lot for it so i cant blame him. 

omgosh the part where the teacher tells muti that he’s already lost to cxk bc cxk got picked during the first round and he hasnt yet....... oof if this is how they talk to him and they keep comparing him to cxk saying their styles are alike but cxk is better, i can see why he’d have some negative feelings towards the matter. the kid’s literally a child, i dont think this is the right way to motivate him....... liu ye patting his head to comfort a pouting muti aw 

because now its my duty to screenshot every time they label his smile !!! and this one even labels it as his “cute signature smile” ahhhHHHH THEY KNOW 

HAHAHHAHA SO I WAS TALKING TO MY SISTER and she sent us pics of her new boyfriend and i was like lol im still single BUT ive been watching a new show and i have a new bias HAHAHAH and i proceeded to show her pictures of yu gengyin i have saved on my phone HAHAHAHHA and she was like “he looks just like your type” HAHHAHAHAHAHA SHE KNOWSSS but yea i was like ‘LOOK HOW SMILEY HE IS!!!” and she was like “the dog is cuter” AHAHAHAHHAHA but its ok shes used to this. and it just reminded me of the time i showed her the ip PPAP perf with zhengting and she like straight up guessed zhengting was my fav in that perf and i was like LOL YES and she was like hE LOOKS LIKE YOUR TYPE hahahHHAHHAHahahhaAHAHAHAH my type is somewhere along the lines of zhengting and gengyin yes. 

huadi’s never-ending battle of fighting to be seen as more than a dancer... to be continued during afo :(

zuo qibo’s struggle of feeling the pressure of being an old man..... feels bad :(

aw he yifan is really so cute. hes def really improved and really doing well, but i feel like his stage presence could still be stronger. its nice to know that during afo he does really shine stage presence-wise and grows to become more mature, more respected, and a group leader as well. 

man its so nice to see daidai really thriving and confident and owning these stages because honestly i feel like on the shows ive seen him in since, including produce camp, hes given me the impression of someone whos lost his confidence and doesnt get to show his skills. i really hope he still has this super-idol version of himself in him because he really shines here, and i think it makes him seem even more handsome than just his appearance alone. oof its just hard bc this show really loves him and the judges really love him and hes so well-supported and encouraged and i think it makes a big difference in his confidence level. i feel like on other shows he hasnt been valued nearly as much and its really sad bc the kid just seems so much less confident. 

HAHAHAHA IM SORRY EVEN THO I KNEW IT WAS COMING BC OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THE FINAL LINEUP OF SWIN BUT OMG EVERYONE WAS SOOOOO SURPRISED HE YIFAN MADE IT OVER ZUO QIBO AND IM LAUGHING AHHAHAHHAHAHAH EVERYONE’S LOOK OF ASTONISHMENT IS TOO MUCH AHAHHAHAHA NO ONE HAD FAITH IN HE YIFAN ISTG HAHAHAHHAHA EVEN HE YIFAN HIMSELF IS LIKE WAT HAHAHHAAHHHAAH BUT THEN HIS ADORABLY BRIGHT SMILE IN CONTRAST WITH EVERYONE’S SHOCKED FACES IS ALSO HILARIOUS HAHAHHAHA this situation is just terrible but hilarious at the same time /sigh/ rip zuo qibo im sorry youre old but cant win :( honestly tho i can understand why they picked he yifan bc he does have more to offer the group than qibo :( considering they put daidai in and they already have yongju (and im assuming yu gengyin will be the last one) and even muti and liu ye sing (and i guess pinlin can also be considered a backup lol).... having another lead vocal isnt gonna to contribute much versus he yifan’s low tone rap. he yifan is really a cute little bean tho. oof the way he runs straight into cai xukun’s arms oof friendship

sigh so i guess its after this that yongju gets kicked out bc china (poor kid...) and then at some point daidai leaves and they randomly add in pinlin after he recovers? even tho he wasnt in like half of season 2? lol but i guess he was never eliminated.... so technically that puts him ahead of zuo qibo in terms of next-in-line to be a vocalist? but i guess honestly everyone knows that if pinlin hadnt left the show due to his injury, he wouldve been the main vocal of leo’s group, not zuo qibo. so i guess in a way as long as pinlin recovered in time, he would be considered the best vocalist to add to swin-s. and then they pull some eliminated kids to become swin-e..... going back to watch the “new world” mv is really a trip every single time. i feel like i watched it for the first time after watching ip and literally only recognized cai xukun, and every time after, i recognized a few more kids, after afo, after pdc, and after finishing super idol 1, i finally recognized all of them. but now, after watching season 2, it feels like i finally actually understand why they got picked and i truly appreciate all 6 of them. I think its really amazing to see yu gengyin go from being ranked #1 in the very first audition on the first season, to being so close to getting eliminated in season 2, to being the last one chosen to get a super card at the end of s2, to being a main vocal in “new world”, and truly truly owning that song. i mean besides cai xukun obviously upstaging everyone with his stage presence as usual, but i mean now when i listen to the song (not even watching the mv) and im really paying attention to who’s singing what part, whose voice really gets to shine and gets to dominate the song, its yu gengyin. maybe im biased or maybe its just expected since he is the main vocal, but i guess it just amuses me that i never noticed that before when i watched this mv without knowing him. now i know whose voice it is that is carrying their debut song and it makes it so special. from listening to later swin songs, i feel like zhao pinlin eventually gets himself a much larger cut of the main vocal position (to the point of surpassing gengyin even?), but i mean that is a whole other story, and i think it does flow into zhao pinlin becoming the ultimate main vocal once gengyin leaves. interestingly zuo qibo never does seem to redeem himself from being any more relevant of a vocal within the group, even tho he was def main vocal of leo’s group on s2 after zhao pinlin left... its like as soon as pinlin leaves he’s needed but when pinlin is there, he’s ignored :( gosh as soon as they announced all the winners and qibo wasnt included, his eyes just became so empty you could see his pain. 

but yes this ends my essay about the last few eps of super idol s2. LOLL i just started compiling my thoughts into larger rant posts bc i didnt want my whole dash to be littered with a bunch of small random posts, so i started collecting my thoughts on a draft as i watched and waited until it got unbearably long to post, such as now. but watching super idol 1 & 2 has been really an eye-opening experience. ive learned a lot about these kids and its truly made me appreciate the year long training they had in korea and the many many struggles and setbacks and unique experiences they had. honestly i feel like swin couldve easily been 8 people aka swin-s plus huadi and zuo qibo, because honestly theyre all very skilled and capable at this point, and huadi and zuo qibo are really on a different level from gouhao and zhu yunlong (sorry kids, i still appreciate yall tho!) since they werent on like a majority of season 2, but i guess it really doesnt matter in the very long run bc of what happened to swin anyway. such a sad sad history for them to bear, but i do hope they can all achieve some kind of success in the future, because theyve really suffered and worked so hard. ill look forward to watching old swin clips for the time being, as i wait not-so-patiently for afo2 

ps: random update, i did in fact make a gengyin gif into my phone lock screen HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH i gave in to the feels. but its the hair flip from that one ikon song he won his individual battle for, and its a historic and important moment okay HAHAHAH 

[pumpkin-bread]

honestly your art has improved SO much over the past year that ive followed you and it always makes me so happy and excited whenever i see u post wips and progress shots and im always so impressed and amazed when u post the final piece. whenever u post sketches and stuff i get super excited cause it means later i can see more of ur stuff when its done, and again youve progressed so much and you should be so proud of yourself as an artist!!

FRICK I CAME BACK

BECAUSE I REMEMBERED THIS

first off thank you so much

that’s like.

I don’t know how to put it but it’s hard to... wrap my head around that. And it’s nothing against you or anyone else for that matter I’m just SO STUCK in being bothered by how hard trying to get into all this new stuff has been that I can’t imagine people... uh. Liking it much?

To say I’ve improved means a lot. Gives me some hope. Honestly.

[sainttheosylas]

all the aesthetic questions

(Btw @cyrusgavar sent me all this questions so you all know they rock)

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself?I don’t sing to myself but I talk to myself literally every day.

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?I’d ask if my parents really love me.

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?I haven’t done many impressive things with my life, and I’ve missed out on some stuff I wish i could have achieved. But I’d say my biggest achievement is who’ve I’ve become and the attitude I’ve curated. I used to have extreme anger issues that held me back and I’ve had to conquer that. Very few people actually have to go through such dramatic personality change like that in order to progress in life so I think I’m rather proud of my personal character development.

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?I’d say my most recent happy memory is playing DM at my first D&D campaign with my friends and hearing afterwards how much fun they had even if I was pretty nervous and afraid I was doing something wrong the entire time.

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?I think the first thing I would start doing if I knew I was going to die would be being more honest. I feel like I’ve held my tongue all my life and I have always wanted to speak my mind more. In addition, I think I would try to speak to other people to create the change I want to see in the world and leave a legacy.

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?I don’t have a written bucket list per se but I do say three things I definitively want to do before I die. I want to explore Seattle alone, get a job that I’m happy at and see my friends Chase and Robin in the flesh.

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail.They look exactly like every single blonde heartthrob from the 90s with like three more inches of hair. I don’t think they’ve even touched a bra in their entire life even though they should probably wear one and they’ve got really cute selfies. Also I’m totally doing their make up if we ever see each other in the flesh.

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood?Oh HELL no. I don’t want to go into detail on such a public forum but the people closest to me really understand how horrid my childhood was.

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person?Last Thursday in front of my maternal grandma, actually.

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them.@im-bravo she’s pretty cool.

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?oh definitely if they were up for it I’m a pretty sociable person and I’m always looking to make new friends. But having mutual interest is one of the most important things in a new friend for me so my standards are a little bit high since my interest can be a little obscure at times.

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?Dude I’m not awake at 3 AM. if I’m awake at 12 AM it’s a miracle.

handwriting: if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom?I think I’ll try something pragmatic. I’ll go up to a judge and write my last will and testament dividing all my worldly possessions and money.

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes?Well I have them. They’re pretty okay. I wish my mom would stop saying brown eyes mean I’m full of shit, though.

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally.“This now, this us, we can cope with that.” -Cecil Baldwin Basically I like this quote as it will basically says ‘we can cope with that’ and well, frankly coping is about all I can do right now.

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?'Drafting plans for a Powder Palace’

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars?First things first I’m going to get the hell out of here and go to where my friends are. Then I’m going to donate like 2 million to ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Then I’ll probably just stick a bunch of it in stocks and bonds well I think of the next thing to do.

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?I think I’m a pretty forgiving person but it’s also because I can’t stand up for myself and if I can even hold a grudge its hard for me to act upon it.

winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self.“Dear 12 year old me: everything is super shitty and mind numbingly bland right now but just give it a while and you’ll escape. One thing I will need to stop doing is procrastinating and I also want you to speak your mind a little more. Also do anything you can to not be boring and see as much of the world as you can because HOO BOY was your childhood boring you need to exercise your brain with new experiences.”

pastel: would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel?PASTEL.

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain.I really want a dragonfly tattoo and I’ve got a few pretty interesting ideas drawn up and I doing a few piercing but my mom hates facial piercing so I can’t get one. A mouth piercing would be pretty cool though.

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?I usually don’t wear make up on school days unless something important’s going on since it takes so much time to put on but when I’m going to the mall or out of town I tend to put on some make up. Eyeshadow, eyeliner and all that.

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way.can’t say I can think of a song/band that affected me in a particularly noteworthy way.

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.'Read Ava’s Demon and shoot Donald Trump.’

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel.Never been to a concert in my life.

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?I’d say I really want a letter from Michelle Czajkowski. Maybe some artistic encouragement or behind the scenes looks on how she makes her own art or own comic.

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?My desk is pretty dang organized usually it’s only disorganized for a few hours or so until I reorganize it.

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine?Hang out on couch for several hours, get tired, grab my dog, read fan fiction, fall asleep.

old books: what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know?Just one thing?

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?I probably go for a dark purple to lavender gradient. Not that you can get a good gradient in a pixie cut.

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?Chase, Robin, I.M. Bravo, Michelle Czajkowski, and @accordingtomyresearch and we’re all hitting up Seattle

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them.I’d wish for financial security, the confidence to do what I really need to do, and the belief in myself to work on my artistic skills until I am as good as the people I admire.

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up. I put together a pretty hot greaser costume last year. Turns out i can rock slicked back hair.

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?The craziest thing I’ve done while high was knit while watching a horror movie/ roleplay a sad, drunk Damara.

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?Say something positive about Donald Trump.

storms: you on only listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only see one person for the rest of your life. which and why?This question fucking sucks. One song because I cannot survive only seen one person.

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realise you’re in love.I had a crush on this one girl in middle school but definitely wasn’t love. I’m never felt romantic love for anyone but I do know that I love the world and I love all my friends deeply and platonically and warm way that few others understand because they see love as exclusively romantic.

clouds: if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair?considering I’ve had a pixie cut for over a year now I’d say I would.

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?Dude I don’t go to Starbucks their water tastes burnt.

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?I took the most important thing in my life right now are the steps I’m about to take into independence and adult hood.

[jiroulogy]

Life Update

Hey kiddos! I haven’t done one of these in forever (since october oops)  because life itself has gotten in the way! 

I’ve finished my first year of my degree, finished a summer intensive course on Art and The Botanical (i will show you all my paintings and progressions!) and 2 weeks away from starting second year!!

(longer detailed update below!)

A lot has happened!! I’ve been receiving therapy for almost 5 months now and my mental health has DRASTICALLY improved!! I used to not say anything about my mental health on this blog because i felt it was shameful, especially with soooooo many people here being so successful and on top of everything. To be honest studyblr was both a source of strength but most of all insecurity because I couldnt achieve what I wanted to be.... YET.

Now I’m very optimistic in myself that I’m breaking bad cycles and habits because I know how to handle my anxiety more!!!! I feel like a newer person and just wow !! Like last week i lost my wallet and instead of being sososososooooo devastated, I was only A LITTLE bit devastated, it didnt push me into a depressive mood (esp bc i had artworks and essays due) and i was just relaly impressed and proud of myself!!! 

BUT I just wanna address that I won’t hide my mental health anymore, i was feeding into the stigma, I was having a hard time and thats okay, that doesnt mean you’re not doing your best. I’m turning my life around and when i can (and i really want to) i will document it here!!!!

Very big progression, I might be reconsidering my medicine pathway. My main motivations for it were very unrealistic, based on what my parents wanted for me back then and what i wanted to show to the world, I know in my heart it would not have made me happy. I won’t be happy as an MD, or studying for it because it was more of a status thing in my head since i was a kid- and that will not work in anyones favour!!!! I will still complete all the qualifications though: the GPA, the prereq subjects and the entrance exam scores (THAT COSRS 600$ UGH), just in case I can do it. 

Instead though, I’ll be putting focus into what i wanna do. I still want to major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, its really interesting and makes me happy (even though im better at evolutionary and microbiology), I like a challenge and its still super interesting!!!!!!!! I’m just happy i can finally admit these things, that I’m not strictly pre-med and my future is not wholely based on a career. I want it to become part of my life, not the entirety of it. 

I’m getting sooooo much better at loving myself and my friends and my bf (Boys are so fucking dumb but its okay IM OKAY i love him). I just have a lil anxiety and i need reassurance about stuff. I’m becoming a person that i used to want to be now. I’m working on it! And I’m excited to keep doing so.  I am so happy to be alive.

As always, keep going <3 keep your head high <3 and you are enough.

love, Jirou

[richardshaver1955]

#100AbChallenge Ultimate Progress Tracker!

Hi guys!

The #100AbChallenge is the biggest challenge we’ve EVER done! 100 reps of an ab exercise every single day, for 30 days! Thousands of POPsters jumped in and you guys totally killed it. Whether it was all 100 reps in one go, or 10 sets of 10 reps – it didn’t matter. YOU DID IT. Huge congrats.

Here are some pics of your results! GOOD JOB!!!

Clockwise from top left: @popster_kate, @manderrs_, @tancaliel, @inhalepaleo_exhalepilates, @blissful.fitness, @popster.kitty

Remember that physical achievements are only part of the equation! I saw a teeny bit of new definition in my abs, but for me, that wasn’t the point of the challenge. I know my mid section is a zone that likes to stay soft no matter what I do :) For me, my strength gains have been sooooooo significant. After completing the challenge, I feel a lot more confident, soooooo proud of my body that I have, and so impressed with the incredible things it can do!

Click for high res

I see a bunch of you guys are doing the #100abchallenge again, so I wanted to do something to make it EASIER for you to track your progress. I’m gonna make doing 100 reps a day like a little game. I’ve created a super cool interactive doc that will allow you to see all the videos and track your progress. PLUS it is a great hub to invite all your friends to for a lil challenge – to keep each other accountable!

I used a tool called Coda.io! It’s kinda like an app, but on desktop? And free? Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. Play around with this one to get a feel for it! But if you want a copy of the doc to start filling in, just sign up with your email and boom, that’s it! Sam and I are actually starting to use Coda in place of Excel because it’s so much more visually appealing, and honestly, you can do so much and it looks so professional!

Give it a try HERE! I’m thinking of making a Coda for the monthly calendar. What do you think? Is the current calendar ok or kinda clunky? It is ok to be honest!

The post #100AbChallenge Ultimate Progress Tracker! appeared first on Blogilates.

from Blogilates http://bit.ly/2Sto0Q6

[wilsosa11]

The Present: My Struggle

I made the choice on the 1st of the year to start a life coaching program. I knew that I needed change in my life. Change that I could imagine, but I didn't know how to achieve the goals I wanted to set for myself. It just so happened that a former co-worker started her own Life Coaching business and needed some recruits. Nothing like perfect timing. I saw her post and immediately thought, "man, this is exactly what I need." I messaged her and hoped that it would work out. Just so happened it did. I filled out the questionnaire about the things I struggle with in life. What's "ugly" and "beautiful" about my life, as well as all the hard questions of figuring out what I really want out of my life. What I felt was missing, and why I want the change. It took me some time to answer the questions. A lot of personal thought and tears went into my responses. But I am so glad she asked me. No one ever really asked me what I wanted. It was a challenge, but something that proved to me that I was ready for this next life step. I was ready to become the person I wanted to, as well as figure out the missing pieces in my current life. Here are my answers: 1. What do you want to get out of coaching? Don’t be afraid to say the big goal or goals you are secretly hoping will happen. My biggest goal is to become proud of my life. There is a lot that I have accomplished even when I’ve hit set backs, but I haven’t reached that moment where I can say “man, I’ve done an awesome job”. There is this hope that I can become someone who is confident on the inside. Most people would assume that I am a really confident and strong person, however I have a lot of self doubt that I would love to overcome. 2. What are you loving about your life right now? What’s not so hot? I love how I have made decisions to cut out toxic people from my life. It was a big step for me. I’m really proud of myself for being able to stand up for myself. I love that I am finally working towards my career goal, but I don’t like the back lash I receive from my family that I am still in school. That is a very not so hot part of my life. Its always a battle between my family and I on how I should be living my life. It’s a huge struggle that I would like to except the fact that I cannot please everyone and I need to appreciate myself. 3. What are your super strong points? What do you think needs tweaking? I’m very outgoing, caring and independent. I think the stubbornness I have to succeed is both a strong and weak portion of my life. I put myself into really high standards, which when I don’t succeed or don’t succeed when I think I should, it puts me down. The saying that I am my own worst enemy is defiantly something I contribute to. I also believe that I am overly caring, there are times that I don't speak my mind when I really should. I just hate confrontation, so I try to just appease others even if it effects me. Holding grudges is an absolute weakness for me. I would love to be able to forgive, but I just have been hurt too many times to trust that said person won’t betray me again. 4. How do you take care of you? Umm… when I have the time, I like to treat myself for the day. I take a day to get my hair done, enjoy the outdoors, have a glass of wine while I enjoy a Netflix show. I am really bad at taking time away from work in order to take care of myself. Within the last month, I have been really stressed, so once a week I see a psychologist. I just found that I needed a neutral party in my life that was there to support me. My friends and family, more my family just have expectations that I struggle to uphold. She helps me by just listening. I don’t really need advice, but someone to just listen to me. 5. How does your inner voice sabotage you? I criticize myself, a lot. It’s a habit I want to quit. Wether it is about my weight, school or relationships I pity myself. I tell myself I can do better, I should do better, but I don’t hold up to the ideals I have in my head. Then my inner voice yells at myself that I should've done better. I have started catching myself in negative thoughts and I try to replace the negative thought with a positive one. But this is still a work in progress. 6. What talents do you have that you are not using right now? I think my ability to connect with people. I have trapped myself in a cycle of not opening up to others. I used to be this social butterfly, but with work and school, I have closed myself off to relationships. I think overall, I have a lot of potential that I am not using. I think my self-doubt limits me, and I would love to break that pattern 7. What’s missing from your life that you can’t let go of? The thing you want to have happen or keeps tugging at your heart; wanting you to acknowledge it and give it time and love. Someone to share life with. Relationships come and go in my life. Whether its friendships or romance. There is nothing I want more than to surround myself with people who are in it for the long run with me. I crave the positive energy and the love that has always walked away from me. 8. Is there anything you really want to tell me? A question or area you hope I won’t ask you about, but secretly, you want me to? Whats my biggest fear? That no one will be around to attend my funeral. I have watched so many people walk out of my life. I constantly worry that when it comes my time, that my lasting impression will be forgotten. I want to be remembered.. not like in a famous celebrity kind of way, but I want to be able to help someone. I want to give people something they need. I feel like that’s what life is all about. Being the person, that you needed in life. The biggest reason why I try not to judge people is because, I know how much judgement feels like. I know that if someone needs a shoulder to cry on, I’ll be that person. Reason being that I needed a shoulder and there wasn’t one around for me. I like giving people what they need because I know what its like to not have the reliability. I don’t ask for much in life, just honesty and respect. If I can give that to others..then my goal is accomplished. 9. How familiar are you with astrology? Have you ever heard of Saturn Return? I am not familiar at all. I could probably look it up, but I would rather you tell me about it. Listening is better than reading. 10. What questions do you have about your life and where it is going? What is my purpose? Where am I going? Will I ever know the answers? Probably not. I have aspirations sure, but the question is when does it all happen. Im hoping my life leads me to graduate school, veterinary school, my own large animal emergency hospital, a loving husband, kids (maybe 4—who knows), and lots of animals. I want to live a life surrounded by loving inspiring people. 11. How do you want to feel at the end of your coaching series? Dig in deep. Feel. I want to feel confident, self assured, and ready to take on tomorrow. I’m ready for the world to know ME. I feel like I have always been living the life everyone has lead me to be, but I want to live my life. I want to speak openly with myself. Stop hiding behind what I think everyone wants from me. After finishing my questionnaire, I knew that I was in the right mindset to get my life going. It filled me with this sense of excitement, wonder and a desire to become this person I have always dreamed about, but never had the guts to become. I am so excited to start my journey with Brittany. XOXO-- A struggle bus rider ---questions proposed by the brilliant Brittany Cochern