#i love the usage of everything hogwarts/wizarding world related

[esther-ti-designs]

Feb. 23, 2017 | 4:33 PM PST

If anyone in my Intro to Shakespeare class is reading this, welcome to my blog!  Before I actually start posting Shakespeare-related stuff, allow me to introduce myself first.

I’m Esther and, unsurprisingly, I’m an English major.  I was initially an Animal Science major at UC Davis, and don’t get me wrong, I still love animals (especially my pet Dutch bunny, Tina - see posts here), but honestly, I’m awful when it comes to STEM classes.  Calculus and chemistry are pretty much my worst enemies.

A note about myself: After a rough first year at UC Davis, I am currently dealing with anxiety and depression, so if I seem a bit rude or abrasive sometimes, I promise I’m not acting in that way intentionally.  To be honest, I edit my online writings at least three times before posting and again after posting (essays are a completely different story).  I tend to overthink everything.  Despite my seemingly off-putting personality, I’m really warm and friendly once you get to know me personally, I promise.  More details about myself and my interests can be found on my ‘About’ page.

About my blog: This is a sort of Harry Potter-themed studyblr.  A studyblr is a portmanteau of the word “study” and Tumblr, this micro-blogging social media site.  Essentially, a studyblr is an academic blog.  I mainly post study tips, academic resources, and mental health tips and advocacy from other bloggers in the studyblr community, but occasionally, I post pictures of my own notes and bullet journal spreads, along with a little personal message (by “little,” I mean at least a long paragraph).  My postings are always formatted with the date and time at the top, with the time zone, Pacific Standard Time (PST), following the time, because I have followers from all over the world, and I think adding the time zone allows my followers to connect with me on a personal level.  I usually end my posts with my name, followed by an ‘x,' or two.  The usage of the 'x' is found mainly in Europe, specifically the U.K.  Because I always write in complete sentences, my tone is sometimes difficult to determine by my word usage.  Normally, a single ‘x’ signifies a casual or friendly tone.  On some occasions, a double ‘x’ is used to signify enthusiasm or excitement.  Triple x’s are rarely used and are practically akin to full-on snogging, but generally, the more ‘x’s, the friendlier the tone.

Blog design: I intended for my blog theme to be minimalist with Ravenclaw House colors of blue and silver, or grey tones.  There is also some accents of bronze, a nod to the House color originally described in the Harry Potter books and the Pottermore Sorting welcome message.  Most of the page names are inspired by the books.  You may explore my blog, if you want – don’t worry, I don’t mind.  If you decide to venture outside of the page designated for this class, the following key explains the logistics behind the page labels and guide you through my blog, if you are unfamiliar with names and terms from the Harry Potter books:

Hogwarts – “Hogwarts is my home.” – Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets film (also said by Sybill Trelawney in Order and the Phoenix film) → Home Page

Owl Post – Messenger birds for delivering mail → Message 

Originals→ [self-explanatory]

Magical Menagerie – A pet shop on Diagon Alley → Pet bunny

Muggle Studies – The study of the world of non-magical humans → ENGL 78B: Intro to Shakespeare

Time-Turner – A timepiece used for time travel → Archive

Legilimency – The practice of magically navigating through the layers of a person’s mind and interpreting one’s findings, commonly called mind reading → About page

Note: Click on the icon in the center of the header image to navigate my blog.

Blog title: You may notice that my blog title seems a bit foreign.  The blog title ancora imparo is Latin for “I am still learning,” famously said by the Renaissance artist, Michelangelo.  Ravenclaws are known for their curiosity and thirst for knowledge.  However, as a perfectionist and a Ravenclaw, I am conflicted, as medical issues have hindered my academic performance last year.  After spending an entire term at home, self-teaching myself the basics of coding and spending my days on this site, I have learned the consequences of not taking proper care of myself and am happy to be back in school and learning every day.   Learning is a life-long process, and every mistake poses a learning opportunity, thereby defining one’s learning curve.

Username/URL: As much as I love Hermione Granger, my all-time favorite character, for her intelligence and strength, I also love Luna Lovegood for her sense of individuality.  She’s down-to-earth and true to herself and somehow manages to remain incredibly calm at all times.  The Lovegood family is known for their eccentricity and their belief in magical creatures such as Nargles, Wrackspurts, and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, which others believe to be nonexistant.  Because I’m always such an anxious mess and am extremely self-conscious, I aspire to lose the self-consciousness one day and be a bit more like Luna.

My obsession with Harry Potter: I grew up reading J.K. Rowling’s spell-binding Harry Potter novels at age nine and have been in love with the Wizarding world ever since.  Unfortunately, my parents have always been overprotective and never allowed me to go to the midnight book releases and movie premieres.  My obsession with the books have gotten a bit out of hand lately, especially with the recent release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  I am at the point where not only are my social media pages filled with Potter-related posts, but I sometimes  have mental conversations with myself in a standard British accent, I follow way too many British YouTubers (which has familiarized me with the British English language, including some slang, and the typical lifestyle), and my daydreams are mainly of living in London and travelling throughout Europe.  And like many fellow Potterheads, I often find myself “fangirling” over the popular British actors, namely, Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne.  On a side note, the Latin roots found in the Harry Potter spells, plus the studyblr community’s love for learning foreign languages, have influenced me in taking Latin 1 this semester!  This is my first time learning a Romance language (I have previously taken AP Chinese in high school), and I’m so excited!

Additional notes: Book discussions and questions on my writings are welcome and encouraged!  My inbox is open to everyone, and anonymous questions are allowed.  For those interested in the basics of any of the following subjects, in addition to English, feel free to message me!

Blogging

Bullet Journaling

Calligraphy/Handlettering

HTML coding

Performing Arts (music - violin and cello)

Visual Arts

I am self-taught in the all of the areas listed above, except for music (public school arts funding is great when you have a music teacher who’s also a composer), so I may not be able to answer every question, but I am happy to answer questions on getting started and any questions on the basics.

One last note about my blog: I am well aware that this blog is public and part of it is written for this class.  I really don’t mind classmates reading my posts, and I know digital footprints are notoriously difficult to remove.  Honestly, I already share lots of personal details of my life with my Tumblr followers, and I don’t mind having a slightly larger audience.  My personal writings are shared for the benefit of everyone, because the story of my struggles may somehow help someone in this world.  Personally, I very much prefer to communicate by writing than by talking to people, so this blog is a medium through which I can freely write whatever is on my mind, without having to worry that my audience is growing bored of my rambling when I actually talk.  This blog was also made for my self-motivation as I document my academic progress, and I hope to inspire others.  With that said, enjoy my blog! ♡

Esther x

P.S. If you read this long post from top to bottom, kudos to you!