#i would also like to actually work in my field which is art education

[thegreathomestuckreread]

what if i taught at an expensive-ass private school. what if i became a filthy sell-out for health benefits and paid time off and a consistent monday-friday work schedule and applied to teach at an expensive-ass private school.

i mean there's a stupendously slim chance i would even get an interview but what if.

[qqueenofhades]

https://www.tumblr.com/qqueenofhades/751102464296665088

*Puts on old man costume*

"Back in my day, we used to cheat and procrastinate like real people! With copious amounts of bullshitting and pulling things out of our asses at the last minute! Secretly sneaking in little things written on our hands or in our phones fer tests and shit! Heck, maybe we didn't even NEED to cheat because it turns out we actually knew stuff, we just didn't know we knew stuff until our last minute papers got a good grade anyways because our shit actually had some analytical relevance borne from deep in our psyche, but we just didn't realize it because we had massive cases of imposter syndrome where we thought everyone else was smarter than us, while overlooking our own abilities!

Now these newfangled ChatGPTs are just taking the easy way out of the easy way out! What's up with that!? These new procrastinators and cheaters make us look even worse than we already do, cuz they ain't even doing the work of not doing the work! And y'all can't even say that you can learn from it in the art of bullshittin', cuz that's not even YOUR bullshitting, it's someone else's bullshitting mangled up with hundreds of other peoples' bullshittin'!

Feh, kids these days!"

*Takes off old man costume*

Addendum: old man anon griping about cheating with ChatGPT does not endorse cheating or procrastinating. I'm just being silly.

I mean... at least with regular old-fashioned cheating, also an academic tradition since time immemorial, at least you're engaging with the material somehow. You are putting your own two god-given eyeballs on that and using your own ickle brainikins to do SOMETHING with it, even if that something is morally questionable. We've all seen the elaborate cheat devices where someone managed to engrave all the exam answers onto a pen or a pair of socks or whatever -- at least that person went in and used their initiative to remember information SOMEHOW, and to do it under their own power. Now, yes, it will get you into trouble, and yes, there are plenty of conversations to be had about accessibility and the fact that not everyone learns by sitting in a room and being lectured at and then having to regurgitate it all from memory with no notes in a final exam, which is why there is a whole thriving field of educational pedagogy and best practices and how to accommodate students with different learning styles and etc. etc. I sometimes see AI framed as "uwu accessibility issue :(" and like... cmon. There are educational professionals who spend their whole lives and careers working out how to shake up the traditional learning format and present material in an engaging way and teach students how to think and write and otherwise be academic and rigorous. And like, if you're voluntarily in this space, then we presume you WANT that instruction! Not to just sit around and whine about how we aren't catering enough to you personally and this means you should get to use the Bullshit Plagiarism Nonsense Machine to never ever think at all!

Now, I will say that the naivete around AI is not only limited to students. I was in a department meeting yesterday where the literal associate dean of the college seemed startled to discover that AI might not be a) totally reliable b) able to totally replace lesson planning and evaluation/grading by an actual human professor (after several faculty members pushed back, shall we say, briskly on the idea that it could). Plenty of people still think it can just magically solve Academia (or /insert field here), and those are not just limited to clueless undergraduates. And yes, undergraduates are clueless in different ways and for different reasons in every era of the world; it is likewise an academic rite of passage. But I still cannot for the life of me understand why you, in ye olde benighted 21st century, would pay tens of thousands of dollars and/or accrue it in debt to go to college, to learn nothing, to whine and blame your professors for "not designing assignments well" (when again, every remotely decent educational professional agonizes for eons about how to do a good job of this for all kinds of students), to insist it is your entitled right to use the Bullshit Plagiarism Nonsense Machine, and then presumably be /shocked pikachu face/ when you don't learn anything and spend your time posting idiot takes on the internet. I mean. The state of critical thinking is /waves hand/ Already So Bad, and the AI craze plays directly into that by fulfilling the insidious fantasy that the hard things in life aren't actually hard and don't have to be learned by patient and careful practice. And that is just. Yeah. C'mon.

(I realize this was a funny/lighthearted ask, but yeah, we can consider this one old man turning to another old man on the park bench and making a joke, and the other old man bellowing YOUTH THESE DAYS!!! and scaring all the pigeons and/or passersby. Ahem.)

[ell-arts]

Out of curiosity, when/where did you first learn to animate? What inspires you to make your animations?

(I'm partly asking this because the urge to animate hit me like a truck once I really got into PMATGA, lmao. I've only ever made around 3-4 small ones over the span of several months)

Good question! Long answer! :'D

I've been dreaming of being an animator since I was young, because my elder sister studied animation and that's where I learned more about it. She gave me her copy of The Animator's Survival Kit from Richard Williams after she finished studying, and I've kept it with me ever since. Mind you, I never finished it, because distractions happened XD But I've read the first bunch of pages and started getting a fletchling idea of how animation worked. This was when I was around 10-14 years old. My favourite movies were almost exclusively Disney or Dreamworks classics, and my love for them grew as I grew older. I keenly observed their animations and analyzed what it was that them so appealing, long before I actually learned how to animate properly. Through observing what made those animations so appealing and life-like, I've built up references in my mind as a benchmark as to how animation is supposed to look. So when the time came to learn animation properly, I've already had a headstart thanks to observation, which sped up my learning quite a bit.

Now, let me tell you about a man named Aaron Blaise.

To say that Aaron Blaise is an animation legend would be an understatement.

He was the co-director of Brother Bear. He worked on various Disney movies that shaped our childhoods. He animated young Nala from The Lion King, Raja from Aladdin, and he also worked on Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Pocahontas, and the Rescuers Down Under. He left Disney in 2007, but in 2012 he teamed up with a friend and decided to start CreatureArtTeacher, a website where he shares everything that he's learned, whether that be animation from his time at Disney or just art in general. He brings aboard many other professionals in the same field and beyond, where courses are offered at the most affordable prices. Often, he'll also offer lessons on various art subjects on his YouTube for free, and he livestreams frequently!

It's thanks to these lessons that I've learned more about animation. While I didn't practice often, I did start taking my first steps into doing animation, spurred on by inspiration from Aaron's videos. This was around age 16-18. Unfortunately, I can't track down my first ever animation I've made. But I did make this sometime before turning 20;

Yes, that's a BG shot from pmatga XD

So going into my twenties, I knew enough about animation to make small little snippets such as the one above, but I wasn't yet at the point where I'd consider myself an educated animator. And here's the thing; when I went to university, I studied Visual Communication & Design, which mostly focused on graphic design. In that course, we did do a little bit of animation, but it was nothing I've already known, and it was mostly cut-out animation where you control it like a puppet in After Effects. What I really wanted to do was dive deeper into traditional 2D cell animation, but we had to preferably work in 2D cut-out animation to save time. It was a cool learning experience, but also a bit frustrating because I prefer the traditional frame-by-frame method. Alas, that would take too long, and my uni projects ran on a 2-week basis (a new project every two weeks), so I couldn't push to improve my animation skills in the direction that I wanted to. I still learned quite a bit tho, and got valuable experience with different programs, so I guess the time I got a taste of animation education was around the age of 22.

But then came 2024, age 24, when I got hired as a storyboard artist at my current job. Thanks to the company's help in giving their workers the space to learn new things, I finally tackled animation in earnest. I brought out the good ol' The Animator's Survival Kit and Aaron Blaise's courses and taught myself as much as I could, along with the support and guidance of the studio. Needless to say, sometime afterwards I could make the Rubber Pac animation I did here.

So yeah! It was a combination of things. Both my sister's influence and the influence of animated movies from a young age, Aaron Blaise's courses, university, and real-time work experience are what taught me animation <3

As for what inspires my animations, it mostly comes down to music tbh. I can always conjure a scene in my head along with whatever music is playing. Other than that, it's the desire to give life to something in an intrinsically human way, especially as art. I've always felt closest to God as an artist 💙

Told ya it was a long answer xD But hey, twas a fun answer! >:D

[saintzweig]

just a quick rant, no need to read this!!! i'm actually so unsure of what i'm doing with my life lol. i saw a video of a guy talking about how he wanted to get out of the life he was raised in, and he thought that by going to university and getting a degree, doing what people say is the right thing would get him out of that life but he just ends up deeper in it. that sometimes the conventional way doesn't always work.

and someone else talked about how her mom let her go to community college first instead of going straight to university so she can figure out what she wants, which saved her a lot of money. it sucks that community colleges aren't really a thing here in my country and because i barely had enough time to figure out what i actually want and what i'm actually good at. i majored in arts when i was a senior in highschool because i thought that i would be good at it but it turns out i wasn't, and by the time applications rolled around i still haven't figured out what i wanted so i picked one that i'm familiar with which is a liberal arts program. it isn't that bad but now that i think more about it, the career choices are limited and it doesn't pay much. i think to excel in this field, you would have to give it your all. you need to be quick witted, persistent and you really have to go out of your way to find something worthy to work on, and i fear that i lack those qualities because i'm too reliant on other people's instructions lol. i'm not doing too bad, i just think that i would excel better if i chose a different program, like communications or psychology.

shifting programs mean more expenses and i don't want to put my family through that. i'd be sacrificing my eligibility for latin honors and i just don't think that's worth it. also it would take me longer to graduate and that's not very practical... so i've made my bed now i need to lie in it!!!

i think it's really stupid that people tell us we have our whole lives to figure out what we want but then this crucial decision is needed from us at such a young, vulnerable age literally what the frick. i need to make this one decision i made when i was 17-18 worth it because my future literally depends on it. also i'm a capricorn so career and independence means a lot to me... which is kinda funny.

and taking a different step from this is frowned upon in a third world country because they really value educational attainment and degrees so ugh!!!!

[adyophene]

Hello ! I just have a little question, how do we start drawing ? I want go draw but idk how to start- any suggestion ? Or, if for starting it's better to do it with tutos, any tutorial to recommend ?

Have a great day !

Oooh, this is a tough question to answer! I suppose one the best pieces of advice I have is to figure out, before anything, what you are hoping to draw. What style, what tones, what media.

I have a feeling this might get long, so I will throw the rest under a readmore.

For me, when I started taking my art a little more seriously (I never went to art school or anything) I just focused on finding both tutorials on the fundamentals, and finding tutorials that focused on the aspects of art that interested me, which were animation and cartooning!

They go hand-in-hand, after all, and you'll find you end up honing in on the tutorials that coincide with your interests! IE- I ended up doing a lot of figure, and expression drawing because they would help me express emotion and movement better! I also spent so, so long just training my hand to be a bit more confident with drawing steady lines just because I loved the look of clean line-work!

So try to identify what your personal draw towards art is! By doing both something you like, as well as focusing the basics, I found that, at least in my personal experience, it put me in a positive feedback loop where I could keep seeing results in exactly the type of art I was interested in! And, once you start to feel confident, that is when you start adding in little bits of study from fields you might struggle with! A 90/10 split on what you're comfortable with and then what is new is usually a good way to go about it! Weirdly enough, though I don't watch him, I saw that the youtuber pewdiepie actually had a really good set of videos where he started from being a complete beginner and improving his art over 100 days. I believe its an absolutely great watch for a new artist, because he really does a great job in showing what a brand new journey into art can look like, and explains what he thinks each day. I think my favorite line was, 'after 24 days, I was finally having fun' because that can really sum up the new artist experience. It will absolutely be a slog at times, and can be really disheartening, but when you start to see progress, becomes so, SO fun.

Here is the link to the first vid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMLEudGbxQk and his second https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJDtQTTAogk

ALSO- this was just the first video that came to mind because I watched it recently. I would recommend finding other videos about people learning to draw, or doing 30-100-365 day challenge videos. As for my personal favorite channels for art tutorials (though keep in mind, I haven't watched them in a few years ;-;, I need to study again);

There were a number of others that I wish I could link as well, but I am struggling to remember them. I hope any of that is helpful. My own art journey has been very long, and non linear, and I have to say, I'm not even satisfied with my own art! Its a endless mountain to climb, but it is so worth it to do! And lastly, I want to say thank you so much for sending this ask, you've made me dig back in to artists I used to study, and made me want to really focus back in on my own improvement!

[jadevine]

An online friend sent me this video on Nov 10, and I immediately started taking notes on it, lol.

There is nothing better/worse than a white dude learning about arnis and getting So Fascinated by it. Thank the gods that he has a Filipino friend.

The first few minutes are generally a solid if brief history: Eskrima/kalis/arnis started as a commoner’s art with no official “system,” aside from being practical, deadly, and using a variety of weapons.

Spain came around and forbid blade usage, hence the transition into the now-famous sticks. Speaking of which, Filipinos killed Magellan using the bladed version of eskrima. Like… A LOT of Filipinos. Magellan and 49 Spaniards just rolled up to a full army of 1,500 natives and assumed, “Well, we have guns, so we’ll be fiiiiiiiiiiine!” Fuck around and find out, colonizer.

The thing that jumped out at me was the comment about eskrima being “hidden in dance and play,” which is likely referring to two things: The maglalatik dance is specifically a war dance. I don’t know if that’s “hidden,” so much as “this is literally supposed to be practice for young men to learn how to fight, and for seasoned fighters to keep in shape.”

The other might be the common old wives’ tale saying that kalis fighters practiced to music. This is something that I’ve only seen done 1) for performances/displays where no actual fighting was going on, or 2) to pull foreigners’ legs about secret Pinoy techniques. Some people call it “cheesy,” and I personally think some guys saw Pinoys sparring to their workout playlist (or the historical equivalent), and they thought we did that all the time.

Like, nobody minds if a white guy spars with “Eye Of The Tiger” blasting because maybe he just likes working out to music, but when a Filipino guy/group spars with eskrima to their favorite beats, suddenly it’s a “time-honored tradition?” I haven’t seen any dance-battlers mentioned in the Boxer Codex or other records, so until someone has evidence, I won’t say it’s historical.

Regarding the hands-on stuff: I feel like they intentionally skipped the most boring stuff, either so the video would be more exciting, or to just fuck with poor Martin. Like, they handed this poor man a stick right off the bat and started him out with hitting stuff and sparring? Where is the training montage??? Was all of it cut???

Also, here’s an intersection with “real fights aren’t nearly as long as the movies pretend” and “fighters are not necessarily good video-makers:” The spars lasted all of five seconds each, and it was mostly to “the first one who lands a hit wins.” This is okay when it’s clearly in good fun, but it’s also not very educational and it tips a little bit into “TELLING people how awesome eskrima is” instead of “SHOWING people how awesome it is.”

Martin does not look like he learned any footwork, either, but he says he knows boxing! The sport that people literally compare eskrima’s footwork to the most often!

Maybe this is my entertaining/acting side coming out, but if you’re planning a video well in advance, with someone that you know is not trained in this field, and an indirect purpose of this is to spread knowledge of your country’s national sport/combat-style, I feel like you need to set aside a couple hours for a crash-course of “here’s how to do X, Y, and Z,” while the actual students and teachers are doing fancy stuff. You can film however much you need, and then CUT however much you need to fit the time-limit.

The video would have greatly been helped if they kept a training montage that lasted twenty or thirty seconds--it would be much more involved than what the video seems to have done, by just tossing a new guy a stick and messing around with him.

General impression: An easy to digest taste of eskrima, like Cup-O-Noodles / instant ramen, or whatever your country’s version of “cheap and easy food” is. Not bad for what it is, but you’ll need something meatier after a couple of hours.

[noahl-art]

Oh darling, you see when you shared the artworks stacked it's very clear it wasn't traced because the lines don't line up. The match ain't mathing. And oh wow you work in publishing. Rah rah rah for you I guess. You too need to get over the ego and stop trying to act like you know everything. Real artists do this shit all the time. Do you know how many books I have read that's the same fucking plot but different names and towns? 🙄 You clearly don't know how much of this actually happens then do ya? Pick up a book, visit a museum, you'll see. Don't wanna do that? Turn on a TV the same shit happens in movies and TV. Same with music. Hmmm it's like you really aren't as smart as you thing. Go touch some grass.

Oh my sweet sweet love, what a shame you don't have eyes trained enough to see the problem 🥰See every lines are the same. Changing the slightest one of the part of the pose won't change the fact that the rest is traced. 😁... would I even dare to say BADLY traced because the changes makes it a bit bad anatomically speaking.

You know that people doing bad things... doesn't mean it's right and should be done 🙃 Crazy right?? And truly I know how much it happens because I work hands in hands with the legal team from where I work, which has taken done quite a lot of counterfeits of our books 🥰 But truly I don't know what I'm talking about as a publisher. Yeah... I work as a graphic designer but I'm also in charge of publishing and working on making said books, and everything that happens after... Oh what a surprise 🤭 But please try and educate me on authors right and intellectual property 😊 Sorry can't hear you over my very much inflated ego that has me not be able to go through doors without announcing my name in a song. Because truly pointing out that it is wrong and that in my field you could get in trouble makes me so egoistical. And it will actually shock you soooo much... but I'm not against tracing as a form of... TRAINING! ✨I even quite actually encourage to reference artist you like and admire and trace over complex objects to understand them better! Look here is the moodboard I always use because those are artists that inspire me a lot. It is something I always have up on my desktop whenever I work because it helps me remind me what I like about their art and the way they approach things. This is referencing. Which is one of the best thing you can do to grow as an artist. Understanding and taking notes on why you are drawn to someone's art will help you apply some of the techniques and elements to your own things and make them your own by applying your own touch and sensibility. (if you're interested I can give you all the names of the artists of course 😊)

And here is me tracing over a screenshot of the movie Last Days by Gus Van Sant (2005) to train my anatomy skills. (yes the dude is peeing don't mind it, he had very defined scapulas which were very interesting)

See the difference yet? I'm actually using my brain to learn from things. I don't trace mindlessly. I see where the bones and muscles should be from points on the skin, mark them, and from there build where the muscle probably are because I learned where they begin/end how they move and why 😘 Also I'm very rusty and know that it isn't that good (which is why I'm training) so do mind me... oh yeah right I forgot you're not even able to tell apart something traced and inspired, nevermind then. I also did that with real live modeling if you're wondering, so not always tracing 😘 Also these are things that I keep PRIVATE and DON'T POST. And even less PROFIT OF. And if I were to want to post this kinds of things online (which I would definitely not because I don' trace over the art per said personally and will prefer to take notes), I would first go ask the artist to get their permission and if they said yes (and only if they said yes) I would then credit them correctly. And never pass it as my own creation. I really thought a good part of the internet saw the hbomberguy video and took notes that plagiarism really isn't good... guess not then. Also I touch plenty of grass daily thanks to my gardening thanks for worrying ❤️✨ I'm trying to plant basil again this year, hope it won't die like last time 🌱

Have a lovely night anon ❤️

[bentrollio]

You lived in a nunnery? Sounds like a story!

Yep!!! So I majored in fiber arts with a minor in environmental sciences and sustainability. As you might be able to guess, this is um. Not exactly a path with a whole lot of opportunities. And outside the classroom, it’s hard to get hands on experience doing both those things. But in the summer of 2020 after I graduated, I ended up stumbling on this place in Indiana run by nuns and attached to a convent. It’s called an eco-justice farm, and in addition to educating the public on closed-cycle systems of farming and donating most produce, they also have sheep and alpacas. Which is amazing because a lot of times sustainable farming doesn’t focus on livestock, especially fiber animals.

Anyways so it’s this farm on a convent and they’ll give you a monthly stipend and a bunch of education in this incredibly niche field year round. You don’t have to be catholic, I sure as fuck am not, it’s just that the folks who own and oversee the farm are nuns. So long story short for like 7 months I lived on a convent learning about closed-system farming in relation to fiber and dye and got a ton of hands on experience.

They were actually really nice and super chill with having a very atheist Jew working on their farm. I would talk with the older sisters that didn’t really get a chance to socialize outside the nunnery, and honestly I really enjoyed our conversations. As long as you do your best to bring peace and kindness to the world and people around you, the path you take to get there is irrelevant, and I honestly wasn’t expecting that kind of ideology from them, but I guess I was just working on my own experiences and notions about the religion in general. I still am atheist (I’m actually a member of the satanic temple but that’s a different thing) but in addition to my farm education, I interacted with a lot of beliefs and religions I hadn’t before and I think it was a genuinely great experience to have (the convent had like, monthly potlucks with one of the only mosques in the state and I met a bunch of folks. It was nice).

It was very pretty, one of the barn cats Cat Stevens would frequently break into my room to snuggle, alpacas are adorable and so fucking mean, and also zucchini bread is delicious.

[saiwriting]

What Do I Even Want?

by Saiya Soublet

Now that I have been unemployed for a while, I'm ready to get back at it. My brain is refocused and my burn out has dissipated. The only problem is, now I'm not quite sure what I want because what I wanted before no longer appeals to me. I think that one unique way in which my life choices have screwed me over is that my last job spoiled me a bit. It was full time, it was remote, it was paying fairly well, and it gave me very specific skills to use, especially if I waned to go back to the medical field But, here's the problem. Not only did I feel soul-sucked at that job, but I also have zero interest in going anywhere near the medical field again. Problem is, now that I've had this lucrative job, going "backwards" is difficult because I don't want to and they may not even hire me if I seem too "over qualified," and the industries that I actually do want to go into are not necessarily open books for people with a severe lack of skill in that specific industry. Yeah, the job market out here is rough and people weren't exaggerating.

Sometimes I think, should I have quit my job? I would be making more money by now, but that would probably be the only upside. I would still be severely depressed, still be out of school because I would still be burned out and still be wondering if I should just end it all. What came with the sacrifice of leaving my job was the glorious energy of a spiritual rebirth. My soul no longer feels dragged down by the world; I have a newfound energy to make a name for myself and to continue to touch success. However, things just don't seem to be lining up as much as I'd like them to. I want to write. Whether that be in freelance, content creation, starting to understand the ins-and-outs of a publishing house, or to just continue my education again with a tacked-on English degree, I want to write. The problem with the job industry now is that no one is wiling to take chances, and I understand, but how is anyone supposed to gain experience and even interest in fields that are seemingly locked behind paywalls? This has frustrated me to no end.

It's a twofold issue. I am willing to work a part-time job to fund my passions and what I actually want to do. That is realistic and the most normal way to go about this. However, my previous experience with any job that I have, no matter what the job was, was that it took way too much mental energy and did not leave me with enough mental energy to even think about writing or content creating. Therefore, I think I've built up an aversion to doing things that way, whether at my detriment or benefit is being determined to this day. Life does not occur exactly how we want it to; I know this. I know this all too well.

Another thing that I think is unfair is that platforms like UpWork, a way to gain freelancing work and experience, makes you pay for a coin-type system in order to even be able to apply for opportunities. Shit sucks and everything feels like it's rigged because I didn't take the "normal" way of doing anything! I have done so much to grow and evolve as a person and to align myself with opportunities in writing, but it unfortunately feels like because I am not getting what i want out of it, that everything I have done so far is wrong. I know that, realistically (and even a bit unrealistically), there will come a time when the opportunity comes, the money comes, the recognition and progress comes, and so I have to be used to uncomfortability, but God do I hate to be tested. How much more of myself is the Universe telling me that i have to sacrifice in order to get what I want? And, in the process of sacrificing myself, I am realizing things that jumble up what I even want out of this life anymore.

The only things I know are this: I want to lead a quiet life, writing books, creating content online, and sharing myself with the world through various mediums such as music and art. That is what I want. The how and the when and the through whom are all getting muddier and muddier by the day when all of my life I desired clarity. No one tells you that the clarity that comes with doing things that others expect from you is so much more comfortable than the hell I am in right now trying to readjust my eyes to what I want. Where can I find the glasses that will finally help me see what it is I am doing? Right now, I feel as though I am going in circles, and I'm getting dizzier and dizzier and yelling to get off of this ride.

I have no desire to be so compliantly willing to do it anything other than "my way," nor do I have the desire to complain all the time when I write. I want to write about experience, growth, love, and hope. I want to be able to come here and make a blog post about how successful I am and am becoming over time. I wish to be able to tell people that I made it, that I did exactly what I said I wanted to do. Shit is hard when you have barely any backing of help.

What do I want? I want to write. I say it every single time I come up here and transcribe all of my thoughts onto this website. I want to write and writing is the only thing that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I have such a huge aversion to the ways in which people settle for unsatisfactory things. Of course, those are needed to grow, but being stuck in a situation or a job or circumstances in which you are feeling drained and diminished, over time, will arrest you of every ounce of expansion you could possibly have. I think that this New Moon in Sagittarius is carrying the energy of that sentiment. While I deeply want to earn money, my desire to earn money is deeply tied with my desire to be successful, and success to me is doing things that I desire to do, even if I don't desire them after a while. In that case, I then will switch gears. Right now, obviously, is a period of time where my entire gear system is being switched out so that things can run much more smoothly in my life, but for now that means I'll have to be out of commission. That is okay.

Oftentimes, I dislike having to stop and wait. It seems as though there are so many options in life right now that can get me a step closer to where I need and want to be, but none of the steps are the final gear in the system to get my train going again for the long haul. There are parts and pieces still waiting to be delivered that I need to move me forward, but I'm at a time in my life where I refuse to substitute them for the cheap, temporary pieces needed to get me to a place where I will simply just be stuck on the side of the road.

Where do I go from here? What do I want? Who do I want to be? If there is no job success by this month, I know that a "job" is not meant for me. How will my life unfold? I don't want the life that I have now in some regards, but not all. Maybe that is resistance. Maybe I should surrender more. But who knows...

(and if you are reading this an know if anything, please so spill the details)

[bathoarchives]

Nthabiseng Faith's Journey of Being A Model And The Creative Director of Kwa Jewelry

Nthabiseng Faith is a 23-year-old born and raised in Gaborone, She is the creative director of Kwa Jewelry, A jewellery brand founded by artist and arts educator LegakwanaLeo Makgekgenene.

She is also a model signed to Kult Models. Nthabiseng has worked with Glotto and LWE over the last three years, curates her own photoshoots, and collaborates with other creatives. In this conversation, she discusses how she got into the model industry, her work for Kwa Jewelry and much more.

How did you start your modelling career, what sparked your interest in the field?  

I actually was never interested in pursuing modelling until later on in life. I've always loved fashion for as long as I can remember, however growing up I had other outlets of expressing myself such as photography, thrift upcycles and writing. I started when a mutual friend (Thuto from Path Images) kindly reached out for a test shoot cause he believed I had "the look". The shoot was surprisingly comfortable and spontaneous for me which I absolutely adored, topped with the very lovely end results. So I decided to research the industry intensively and give it a try with more intention and direction.

Was it easy for you to get comfortable with being in front of the camera or just being around a couple of people during photoshoots when you started modelling?

Yes it was, I never struggled to switch on what I refer to as my alter ego. When shooting the outer world all becomes a blur to me, my periphery focuses solely on the lens plus allowing my body and expressions to flow as one with the camera.

Which photoshoot/campaign that you have done, is your favourite?

I don't quite believe in favorites. I am very peculiar with what I shoot and with who, so everything I have done I value.

Nthabiseng Faith photographed by Juliana Schaller

You are Kwa Jewelry’s creative director, how did that come about and what do you like most about the brand? 

I have previously worked closely with the founder as their personal art assistant, so when they decided to relaunch the jewelry brand I was fortunate enough to be on their mind. Even though I had not done something like this before, they believed in my artistic mind and work ethic which I am very grateful for. Which brings me to your next point, honestly everything the brand embodies is very likeable.

Since joining the Kwa Jewelry brand, how are you adjusting to the role and what have you learned from the experience?

Honestly, the adjustment was seamless. If anything, it just amplified parts of me I kept suppressed over the years. So it has been such a reaffirming journey. I can be harshly critical of my work so the biggest takeaway for me right now would be learning to trust myself despite not knowing how people will receive or interact with the content.

How would you explain the experience of being a model in Botswana, and how are you dealing with it? 

All cards on the table? It has been such a horrible experience for me locally. Again, as previously mentioned I am very particular. So I think that can easily be interpreted as being "difficult" which has resulted in such a disconnect and void. I am at a point where I no longer overanalyze or beat myself about it though. Still very grateful for all experiences, everything is a learning curve.

Nthabiseng Faith for LWE (then Versa La Troy) , SS23 POLENA Collection photographed by goodlivingmedia

Are you a freelance model or are you under management, between the two which is more is easy to work under?

Since I started in 2018, for most of my career I have been a freelance model. However, early this year I got signed internationally with Kult Models in Cape Town. As for which is easier to work under, each has its pros and cons. Also it would depend on your experience and the kind of modeling one does among other thing.

You've modelled for LWE since 2021, how did that come about and did you expect this 'partnership' with Troy Gabolwelwe to continue till now?

Troy reached out to me , which I was very open to without hesitation as I could see his passion and determination. Over the years I have watched him grow and hone his skills as a designer, each collection building towards a very distinctive style which absolutely makes me happy and proud of him. I think we are able to work so well together for so long as we have since built a friendship and connection where we are able to share our dreams and hold each other accountable.

Kwa Jewelry has branded itself as an Afrocentric brand, why did you choose to do so?

(I was not the one that decided on going with Afrocentric elements, I was fortunate enough to work with a team that allows me full creative expression, so my process does get inspired to create and lean more towards Africanity inevitably)

Nthabiseng Faith for Glotto SS23  “Glide into The Last Days of Summer” campaign photographed by Wenzile Dube

How do you balance staying true to your creative vision while also adapting to industry trends

By not adapting to trends. As cliche as it sounds, literally just doing me on a daily. Each day simply aiming to enlighten my creative self through experimentation and execution.

Where do you see Botswana’s fashion industry in the future and what role do you want to play in its development?  

Honestly hard to say but I hope we grow to be open-minded and respectful of all the different roles and of one another within the industry.

 What is the biggest you’ve had moment in your career? 

My biggest moments are yet to come.

Nthabiseng Faith photographed by Juliana Schaller

Who or what has been your biggest inspiration in Botswana’s creative industry? 

Myself.

 What message do you have for young aspiring creatives?  

Do not shy away from being different. With it may come being or feeling alone. Find comfort and affirmation in knowing that despite all of that, there is a tribe for you somewhere out there and someday you’ll know when you have found it. People who will not only resonate with your highest growing self but make you feel seen, heard and understood.

What’s next for you Nthabiseng?

I just know it's bigger and better. Constantly working towards ensuring this.

[clarynewme]

Hi! I hope you are doing well 💫

My intials: B.P. (she/her)

DOB: 15 March 2003

3:20 Pm IST, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

I would like to know about my career.

Thank you so much 🫶

Hi🤗 For your reading I am going to use vedic astrology.

WRITING CAREER + PROFESSIONAL LIFE

For the first question if writing is a good career options for you, YES.

I found this tecnique where 10th house sign from the 1st lord in D1 or D9 chart indicates someone's career, in your case falls in aries in D1 chart and gemini in D9 chart.

Career Fields:

D1 Aries so anything related to leadership, sports and fitness/athletics, politics, boss, entrepreneur, healthcare, adventure, engineering, sales, marketing, firefighter, military, law enforcement, research and development, creative arts, etc

D9 Gemini so anything related to education, technology, public relations, communication, media, public speaker, marketing, advertising, travel and tourism, arts, creativity, writer, research, entrepreneur, admnistration, entrepreneur, journalism, consulting, etc.

Furthermore in D1 chart you have 10th lord mars in sagittarius mula in 6th house indicating that your career can be connected to writing and publishing due to mula sagittarius (education/teaching/research/law/philosophy/healing/others); can involve service, routine, organization, discipline and solving conflicts/helping others (6th house), perhaps you heal your readers with your writing, your books can inspire other people, transform their lives (mula); you might experience a lot of obstacles and competition in your career with other writers or issues with your editor for example ( mars 6th house) and go through intense transformative periods (mula) though don't worry you are very determined and hardworking, you will be able to overcome these obstacles and grow even stronger.

If we want to see about financial gains and stability we would need to look at your 2nd lord in D1 you have sun in pisces in 9th house this indicates that you might earn more money in a foreign land (working abroad or with foreigners) or higher education is really important like studying creative writing or liberal arts or philosophy in college can help you succeed and gain recognition in your writing career (pisces is connected to creativity). Since it's aspecting your mars  10th lord it's important that your career allows you to shine individually and work as a leader (you might have issues with your boss/authority figures/teacher so working independently or leading a team is a better option). You must also be careful with high expectations vs reality and idealism vs practicality, how to work creatively in a disciplined way, etc.

Additionally 2nd lord sun is aspecting scorpio ketu in 5th house by 9th aspect indicating possible obstacles related to creativity, hobbies, education, might make you detached from past beliefs related to these themes focusing  on new, inovative or unconventional ways to earn money through learning or higher education for example; you will notice that you earn more money after a transformative (spiritual/intense) period in your life.

2nd lord sun is actually aspecting 6th lord cancer jupiter in 1st house by 5th house which confirms financial growth through service oriented careers, healing, higher education, travelling and expanding the way you see the world (beliefs/philosophies/spirituality), etc.

Since 6th lord jupiter is in cancer conjunct moon, it's essential that your work environment allows you freedom (flexible hours for example), to express yourself, your emotions/feelings; a comfortable/nurturing, positive, open environment (family or mother/female figure could be relevant -> support you) can make you grow; tapping into your emotions (intuition/creativity) to write your books; future spouse could also be working with you or helping you (jupiter is significator of spouse); etc.

Jupiter is aspecting your capricorn venus in 7th house by 7th aspect indicating that your future spouse and relationships/partnerships have a strong influence on your emotional stability at work; you might have a business with them or contract relationships; they might contribute to your sucess; harmony and balance between career and relationships is key👌

Not just that jupiter is aspecting your aquarius mercury(3rd lord ->skills) in 8th house indicating that you might write about deep/unconventional/futuristic/fantasy/occult topics, influencing other people ->healing them; experience transformation in your environment; working with investors,  sharing resources with your spouse or business partners; work in secret maybe you could be an anonymous author; etc.

Lastly jupiter is aspecting taurus saturn + rahu in 11th house by 11th aspect that shows teamwork, working online, media, social connections, professional networking (large companies), innovation are relevant. With saturn energy this can cause delays/obstacles in making connections, with your coworkers, gaining financial stability and fame/success, etc. (you might have to put a lot of effort and be patient; after you saturn return you will see that all your hardwork paid off👀)

The rahu energy can cause chaos, confusion, fluctuations related to your financial gains, professional networks and work environment.

In D10 chart you have gemini 10th house another huge confirmation that your career is related to communication, writing, knowledge,etc.

10th lord mercury is in chitra libra in 2nd house conjunct chitra ketu and swati saturn(6th lord) meaning that you will earn money through creative, innovative, online, media, unconventional, independent, flexible, service oriented (routine), healing, disciplined/practical career fields during a transformative period in your life. It's confirming everything I've said above. Money and sucess in your career can be achieved later in life.

Moreover 10th lord is aspecting 2nd lord aries aswhini venus conjunct Mars and rahu in 8th house by 7th aspect reaffirming transformation, healing, spirituality themes and that money and sucess might come after a transformative period or attaining personal growth.

JOB TIMING

Regarding when you will get a job:

D1 CHART

In D1 chart you have taurus jupiter transiting your 11th house saturn (6th lord) and rahu so there is already a good sign for this year till may 2025 (jupiter brings abundance and luck in professional networking, large companies, fame, etc).

Rahu/ketu pisces/virgo transit is affecting your 2nd lord sun in pisces 9th house bringing you new unconventional ways of earning money, maybe you will travel, work with foreigners, study creative arts; you might also be more recognized/confident in your work environment. ( Be careful with overindulgence, ego, chaos, high expectations vs practicality, illusion vs reality).

NOTE1: Sun is your Darakaraka só you might be meeting your future spouse this year👀👀👀 or if you are already in a relationship 💍.

Aquarius saturn transit is influencing your mercury in 8th house, so you might have been experiencing some challenges/delays perhaps writing blocks, lack of inspiration, issues with your business partners or investors, anxiety/depression, fears of expressing yourself, transformative period, etc.

D7 CHART

In D7 chart you have aquarius saturn transit in your 10th house with mars this can indicate challenges/delays in your career, power struggles with authority figures, business partners, achieving your goals, etc ( Be patient and don't give up🙏)

Taurus jupiter transit is influencing your 10th lord saturn with moon in 1st house so this actually eases the saturn transit in 10th house bringing optimism, abundance and success in your career. So even though you might have delays/obstacles you will be able to overcome it with motivation, positivity, wisdom, discipline and emotional support (perhaps your family/mother figure can help you).

Rahu/ketu pisces/virgo transit is affecting your 11th/5th house (ketu transit is conjunct virgo sun in 5th house) so you might be rethinking about romantic relationships and friendships, personal goals vs social endeavours, new social networks and aspirations/dreams, individuality vs union/teamwork, engaging in spiritual/unconventional activities/hobbies -> inspiration in your writing, changing yourself (transformation on personal expression), etc.

NOTE2: When jupiter, saturn, rahu/ketu are transiting in the same or opposite sign of sun, saturn, rahu/ketu in D7 chart it indicates a major event might happen during this time of your life like meeting your future spouse or a partner, engagement, pregnancy, career,success,fame, breakup, divorce, moving out, etc.(This technique is by Camila Regina from tiktok).  

DASHAS/TIME PERIODS/TRANSITS

You are currently running venus-venus-mars dasha (10th lord mars in D1 chart) till 4 september this year. I am leaning towards pisces eclipse in september (affecting your 2nd lord sun in 9th house that is aspecting your 10th lord) you might get a job offer abroad or work with foreigners (foreign company), etc.

Next year 2025 you also have good chances since rahu will be in aquarius after 19 may transiting your mercury in 8th house D1 chart (you will express yourself more, be inspired, etc),  your 10th house in D7 chart bringing opportunities and sucess in your career, your 6th house in D10 chart changing your work environment, daily routine, health, etc; jupiter will be transiting in gemini in may aspecting your 10th lord sagittarius mars in D1 bringing growth and opportunities related to communication/writing fields and affecting your 10th house in D10 chart bringing abundance in your career;  in october you will have your jupiter return in cancer affecting your 6th lord in D1 chart, 11th house (jupiter) in your D10 chart (fame/recognition/luck), among other factors; etc.

If we want to be more specific/accurate there is a technique I am trying out by KRS Kapiel that when the saturn is trine/conjunct transiting your natal moon/saturn you might get a job. You have natal (D1 chart) taurus saturn and cancer moon. So when moon is transiting virgo, taurus and capricorn or saturn transiting in scorpio, cancer, pisces, virgo, capricorn and taurus.

Moon is transiting capricorn 17 august till 19 august (full moon👀 and moon will aspecting your cancer jupiter 6th lord and 7th house venus  -> work/health/contract/love/relationships/business).

Saturn is a slower planet so the next transit will be in pisces next year 2025 in 20 march.

You can check this link to see the moon + saturn transits: https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/calculate-sidereal-vedic-ephemeris-august-2024/?&aya=lahiri&&presnost=1&

NOTE3: If you notice your sagittarius mars 10th lord and your 2nd lord pisces are both ruled by jupiter (sign ruled) which is in cancer -> cancer/capricorn transits are fundamental.🫰

NOTE4: Accordingly to D1/D7/D10 charts (this technique is from Camila Regina tiktok) you might have sucess or fame when saturn, rahu/ketu are transiting the signs of aries/libra/taurus/scorpio.

Okay I think I am done😅 I hope you like this reading if you do leave feedback on my page🙏 And let me know if it resonates👌it helps improving my readings🫶💜

[code-es]

Codeblr tag game - realization

@a-fox-studies thank you for tagging me in this!!

At what point in your life did you decide that the world of computers was the one for you?

Heh this is a long one... So read if u want to know some code-es lore :p

But tldr: My dad was a software/computer engineer and his dedication and working spirit is my biggest inspiration, but programming was never a passion of mine - languages were my big thing. This was until I took a programming course and realized that programming is just like learning languages, but with rules that actually apply.

I want to tag: @xiacodes @web-dev-with-bea @compooter-blob @alica-tech @lazar-codes @zoeythebee @cloudycodes @04kid

Programming was always around me when i was younger. My father was a software systems engineer, so when i was a kid i would see him work on matrix looking code, and sometimes he'd even let me press buttons!

But i wasn't really interested in learning anything about computers... I was instead interested in art and especially languages, which was my biggest interest and passion. Then my dad passed away, and following that I'd get more and more interested in programming during my teens, partly to honor him and my family, because on my dad's side almost everyone's a software engineer. I also had an email friend I met on omegle when i was 14-15, and he was 30 something, which... now that i think of it, it was probably pretty a little weird that he wanted to be my friend... but anyways, he was a software engineer and explained what coding/programming was and following that I made my first webpage using only HTML and CSS, in my notepad hahaha!!

But... I didn't do much after that, until I was in my second last year of high school. I signed up to take a programming course for my next and final year. I've always been curious, and wanted all the knowledge I could get, so when a programming course was offered I had to take it! But it was just another small drop in my big lake of interests.

I don't think I realized that computers and programming was what I wanted to do until I visited my family in Mexico 2 years ago, weeks before starting that programming course. For some reason I always saw programming and computers as something out of my reach - i couldn't possibly learn this. However, to prove me wrong, my cousin, who studied software development at the time, showed me his projects, and what he was doing. And, I realized that omg - I could also be doing this? It's within reach!

And then I started learning python in school and I was kind of discouraged, it was so difficult! Most people had previous experience, and seeing what they could already do I felt overwhelmed, thinking I should also be doing that. But I kept coming back to the thought that this is just like learning a language: if I just expose myself to more and more content it will start making sense, and sooner or later I'll be able to form my own sentences and the computer will listen to me.

I've always loved the logic of languages, how the syntax is built, and how verbs are conjugated in accordance to gender, numerus and time in different languages. But... there are always exepctions and irregularities you just have to learn. However, programming is all logic, everything has an explanation, even the seemingly inexplicable concepts. There is always a solution, and my creativity is the limit, and that is what keeps me going.

And then! I was looking at university educations to apply for, when on a whim I found out about my current school, checked what courses they offer and saw something about frontend development. I read the description, and realized that oh my god - this is my type of programming! I get to do design and art AND code? And since studying here, I have realized that, yeah, this is exactly my field, and I love computers and I just want to learn more and more and more, always, and there are so many rabbit holes to fall into within programming.

During my time in school, I would envision myself working with something static in the future; like just going to uni, learning a job, and then doing it. Then, I remember being on studyblr, and seeing the quote "now is the only time in your life when your full time job is to learn" and I took it to heart, and that is what kept me motivated - I thought, what a privilege to just learn for a living. And that is exactly what working with software will be (:

My biggest weakness is finishing writing shit lol, my feedback in on essays was always: ok great, but dont have 3 different points where we think its gonna end but we're met with yet another finishing paragraph. So I'll just end it quickly here, thank you for reading!

[sugaredrhubarb]

15 questions, 15 mutuals

tagged by @woodswit 💌

whose blog ive been lurking on for a bit now and whose book is near the top of my tbr so i will hopefully get to talk about soon!

1. are you named after anyone?

first name not really (tis a common noun so kinda?), but middle name is feminized version of my mum's dad

2. when was the last time you cried?

the other day from a book i think?

out of the crying everyday phase now that we're a couple weeks out from breakup so thats a yay

3. do you have kids?

i'm pretty young so no. but, i have always wanted them (got called maternal from a very young age, we don't have to talk about what that did to my psyche)

4. what sports do you play/have played?

did very minimal karate, ballet, gymnastics as a kid and then played soccer into highschool until i was too concussed <3

5. do you use sarcasm?

actually something im trying to lean on less - i try to be a kind person and find i lean on sarcasm as a defense mechanism even when its not how i want to be interacting with people

6. what's the first thing you notice about people?

probably something cliché like eyes but also the energy they are giving off and if they have humour about them, if that makes sense? not sure how to explain it other than some people are just heavier or lighter beings

7. what’s your eye colour?

dark brown, i used to not really like them but got this insane text from a guy friend™️ once so there's that

8. scary movies or happy endings?

firmly happy endings, im an absolute p*ssy with a pension for nightmares so keep scary shit away from me

9. any talents?

I'm a good talker, always could improv a speech or articulate my point well which has come in pretty handy in academic writing

i also can solo the shit out of a canoe so

10. where were you born?

born and raised in the same canadian city

i like to leave breadcrumbs of mystery

11. what are your hobbies?

reading and talking about books generally, watch quite a few sports with varying degrees of intensity (love hockey but have had a harder time with it over the past few years with how bad the culture is), a lot of time looking at/talking about politics but thats also my degree

also not sure if it counts but i really do love being a part of fandom/internet spaces

12. do you have any pets?

a family dog back home with my parents!

13. how tall are you?

about 5'9 which i think is pretty tall and i am very self conscious about

14. favourite subject in school?

oo it shifted a lot over time. i loved math early on because i picked it up really easily but that was a really hard subject to maintain when i was in and out of school for health reasons. so it moved to the humanities/lib arts

always enjoyed english and I'm a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics(bleh) major so do with that information what you will

15. dream job?

aha thinking about the future is terrifying. i'd really like to teach in the polisci field just because i have so many thoughts about the importance of education there but every now and then i consider being a librarian

or the younger wife of a rich man who wants to give me his money for books and philanthropy would work too

absolutely zero pressure tags of those i love and/or would love to get to know better: @chai-isms @ceilidho @ohbo-ohno @heatherdewhoney @ghosts-cyphera @winterrose527 @thegoodbutter @bluemoonjeans

and anyone else who would like to but im shy and terrified of annoying people (ill bring it up to my therapist)

[kevyeen]

Now I'm curious how do your finals work?

Before explaining that, I think I should explain our school years.

INTRO (ig)

We don't actually say primary school or high school; It's first grade (6-7 years old) to twelfth grade (17-18 years old). First to sixth grade is like primary school I believe, not very high stakes, no numeric grade only very good to unacceptable. Then seventh to ninth grade is also generally low-stakes, doesn't impact your future etc. Then tenth to twelfth grade is when shit gets real; until this year, only your twelfth year grade impacted your chances of getting into uni but they're slowly changing it so that your grades from tenth to twelfth grade impact it. For me, only my twelfth year grades matter. But to someone who is in eleventh year this year, next year both their 11th and 12th year grades matter. To someone who is in their 10th year this year, all three years matter when they reach their 12th year. (Sorry if it's too jumbled or confusing we were confused too).

There are also two semesters, semester one's grade don't matter and it's all in the second semester.

THE FINALS

now that that's out of the way, all schools take different finals from their students. Like, if we had two schools, let's say A and B, none of the exams would be the same in any of the schools. School A has their own teachers who model their own exams and B has their own teachers.

But that's only true if either it's for the first semester finals OR it's not a transitional exam. By transitional I mean, going from 6th grade to 7th grade OR 9th to 10th OR, the most important one, 12th to university. Those final exams are all the same for each yearmate and come directly from the Education Department and are modeled by select teachers which we call 'coordinated finals'.

They're usually modeled in a way to make sure most students pass (they don't) but only the 'good' students get to ace them. They try to make it equal for all, but we all know that's not the case. The ones that we need cards for are only the ones after 10th grade. It used to be only 12th year but this year the 11th year kids are having coordinated finals too.

EXTRA INFO

The Final subjects aren't the same for all people above 10th grade. You see, when we are moving up from 9th grade to 10th grade we get to choose a 'field of study'. It's two branches: A) theoretical branch and B) vocational branch.

A has three sub branches; Science, Math, and Human studies. How it works is that if you go to Science branch you get to be a doctor (or jobs like that), Math an engineer (or similar jobs), Human studies a lawyer (or similar jobs). Their university entrances and study material are naturally different BUT science and math kids share A LOT. Only math kids have more math stuff and science kids have biology and geology. Human studies kids are just a different breed and study so much I'm scared of their sheer ability to go through so many books. (which just makes it even weirder to know people used to think 'lazy' kids went to human studies. <- the new gen don't think that though. Also most kids are in science branch, then math, then human studies. thanks parents.)

B is well, anything and everything practical I suppose. And this is how you get to Art school or Music school or any creative and fun but painful schools. But since society hates artists, no one deems kids who choose B to be 'smart' (ridiculous, I know) and nine times out of ten, the kids had to fight their families to choose this branch. And most don't win (don't think for a second that I'm talking from experience hahaha ha.) But yeah. All parents want their kids to be in A and most kids (me included) wanted to be in B.

Well, this turned into a rant. My bad lmao. Let me know if you have more questions, I love explaining. (even if I can get a bit confusing with my over explanations hehe)

[hellfiredemon]

15 people, 15 questions

tagged by @cuoredimuschio 💞

are you named after anyone? My English name comes from a Diana Wynne Jones’ character, like a straight up kid's book. My Chinese name is really embarrassing. It comes from a historical figure. My dad came to the US for his education and his father was resentful that he wanted to immigrate here and would not be able to spend as much time with his family in Hong Kong, so when my grandfather chose my name, he named me after a historical figure who was given away to* barbaric foreigners.* I want to change my name to something else but haven’t and only my relatives in HK call me this but I haven’t been back in so long so it doesn’t matter as much.

when was the last time you cried? About a month and a half ago, my friends put down their dog and Facetimed me so I could say goodbye to him.

do you have kids? Nope and can honestly say I’ve never wanted to have them. I understand from an aging standpoint that it makes sense to spawn a caretaker but I don’t think I’d be able to care for another human being like that, I can barely take care of myself and my dog as it is.

what sports do you play/have played? I dance a lot now, but I don’t compete so I don’t think it qualifies as a sport. In school, I did track and field, volleyball, and tennis.

do you use sarcasm? Frequently, but I’m also embarrassingly earnest about many things as well.

what's the first thing you notice about people? Probably how they dress, groom, and carry themselves and whether they seem comfortable to be in public or not.

what's your eye color? Brown

scary movies or happy endings? I don’t really watch horror, but maybe I do prefer scary movies because I like a lot of movies that are a little uncomfortable to watch, where you don’t know what will happen in the end. When it comes to movies, I think I’m ok with having a bittersweet or even unhappy ending, probably because movies tend to be shorter and less immersive for me. I guess I don't need a happy ending for me to enjoy something but the story's gotta be compelling.

any talents? I can whistle through my teeth, am an adept conversationalist IRL, and am good at interviews and general corporate bullshittery, which I think is how I’ve managed to stay employed but do very little work 🤐

where were you born? The US Midwest! But my parents moved a few months after I was born, so I never really lived there.

what are your hobbies? Reading, dancing, calisthenics, drawing, strategy games, playing with my dog, hiking, and admiring art, zoning out, floortime

do you have any pets? Yes, the love of my life and warmer of my cold feet, a 3.5 yr old muppet-ass looking border collie-poodle mix named Charlie. I couldn't figure out how to put a picture between the numbered list so his pic's at the end.

how tall are you? 164 cm 🥞 my mom's side is short 😔

favorite subject in school? English or history. I loved reading books and stories and talking about them, and still do.

dream job? I don't want to work, and don't dream of labor. The closest thing I can think of working for the US govt's Digital Service, which probably sounds crazy but I think at least that way I'd get to use my skills for something useful. I’d be perfectly content to pursue hobbies the rest of my life. I fantasize about moving to a country with universal benefits and not having to worry about the numbers on my paycheck and do something I actually think is good for the world or just work on art or dance full time. I wanted to be a mail carrier for a long while, walk around the city all day and listen to books or music and deliver people’s letters and meds and stuff, but you also have to deliver shitloads of stupid ads and bills as well. I think if I ever save enough money from my dumb corporate jobs that I still might try to work for the USPS. I don't know 15 people, tag yourself if you want to do it!!! And here's my lovely boy!!

[pinkeoni]

Would you recommend going to film school and is it easier to find work in that field with that education background?

Oof oh boy okay I’ll try to answer your question as best I can anon.

Keep in mind that while I’m answering this I haven’t actually graduated yet (that’s next week) nor have I actually secured a position in the professional world in the field that I am interested in. I also don’t know if where I would go would qualify as film school— I go to a private art institute and I major in animation but I’ve also taken classes about film and screenwriting. Myy school does tend to favor the fine arts more than digital arts and isn’t tailored specifically for film.

Here’s the thing, in a perfect world where all types of education was affordable I would say that everyone should go to school, at least to try it and see if that environment is right for them. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world where secondary education is affordable and accessible. I’m privileged enough to be able to go to school, and simply telling someone “Hey! Why don’t you go to school?” is a pretty ignorant position to have.

From what I have heard from my professors and guest speakers who talk about the professional space, what matters is your skill. Studios aren’t looking at what specific degree you have, they are looking at what you can bring to the table. There are plenty of people who don’t go to school who are extremely proficient, and there are people who do go to school and get degrees who have shit output.

We also live in a day and age where there are so many resources online for free to learn about film without having to go school. Orginizations like Studio Binder and No Film School have plenty of videos, references and tools that you can view online right now for free, as well as plenty of solo artists posting their own tutorials sharing their skills. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve used someone elses After Effects tutorial while making my thesis film.

But I will say this, there are some things that school does offer that you can’t really get without it. There are many art school naysayers who will completely disregard art school while completely ignoring some of the benefits. It is benefits that you do have to buy with tuition and student loans, but they are benefits.

For one thing, when you go to school, you are already being exposed to a professional network not only with your professors but within your peers. Something they emphasize to us is that your classmates is your first network, even just knowing people and making friends can give you a leg up in the professional world. All of my professors are professional working artists as well, which is something that is required by the school. Through my professors I’ve been able to connect with industry professionals in the fields that I’m interested in, which again wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t gone to school.

Something else valuable that you get with art school is, of course, the academic setting. I knew someone who was anti-art school in high school, but this person also already had a skill level that was far beyond their peers. Being pro-art school can be a privileged position to have, but being anti-art school can also come from a privileged position. I developed knowledge and skills in school that I don’t think I would have been able to teach myself nor would I have had the push to learn had I not been in an academic setting. Having regular critique is important as well, as your art isn’t going to improve if you aren’t able to recognize what can be fixed. And yes, there are people that produce art online who don’t want to be critiqued and that’s totally fine, but for those who want it finding good critique outside of the academic setting, while not impossible, can be hard.

So I guess all this to say, if you have the personal means to go to school, I would say that there isn’t any harm in going, even if you find that the type of setting at school isn’t for you. If you don’t have personal means, then that doesn’t mean getting into the industry is impossible, especially if you are driven enough. Seek out a community of artists, look into your local filmmaker scene, even being a production assistant on a low budget student film can provide you with some great experience. Look into some resources online, there’s plenty of stuff out there

Thanks anon!