#i'm tidying up my 2023 art

[arczism]

old sketches vance belongs to @jasakime

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

i'm not gonna do a big year in review post like i did last year because on a strictly numerical level (a) i probably technically failed most of my resolutions and (b) i don't actually have the data because one of the ones i definitely failed was logging my habits to keep up, which i stopped doing in september when work got crazy and never picked back up. still ultimately i feel good about how things went down, generally. i didn't quite make this the year i got back into reading but i read more than i had the year before for sure, and i saw a lot of movies, most of them interesting or enjoyable, and some other art, too (the jenny holzer installation at the guggenheim, the ibsen play starring jeremy strong). i definitely listened to way more music. i got so good at hydrating by the end of the year that now i feel off if i drink less than 100 ounces a day lmao. i don't think i hit a 50% workout rate but i had a june that took working out off the map for several weeks and then when i tried to get back into it at the level i'd been doing before it sucked and i needed way more rest days for a long ass time; lesson learned for the future, and right now i feel like i have a good routine going. steps was kind of a similar story but this fall was pretty successful (having a zillion clients all over the goddamn city was helpful in that regard). i do want to be more proactive about it on a day to day basis because i do think it might help me sleep to hit that 10k or so (and i think it helps with soreness too, preventatively and amelioratively, which spellcheck says is not a word but should be!!) but i'm feeling more and more like flexibility is the name of the game in some things so while i will be tracking them daily/weekly/monthly this year, i will ultimately consider it a win if i get to december 31 with 3,650,000 behind me.

i fell off on logging and journaling, and never really got a handle on doing mobility work or meditating, but i finished the year feeling like while on the one hand it was nice to know i had enough structures in place to make it through my busy season a little on edge but never really losing my mind, i also felt like ignoring these things completely for a while ultimately as i look back drew my attention to why i wanted to make space for them in the first place; the morning routine stuff is where i get it together enough to check in on my life, process some stuff, and make adjustments as necessary; doing some kind of mobility stuff, even if it's just hitting the foam roller at bedtime, is just physically necessary if i want to keep working out the way i have been working out and i have to stop acting like i can have one without the other.

i decided for 2024 i didn't need to set a guideline around internet use the way i had in 2023, just an intention to be mindful, and, um, well that was a huge failure but an instructive one; again, lesson learned (and it's actually crazy how much even a guided 5 meditation in the morning alters my basic instincts for the rest of the day about when i want to Scroll). i didn't floss........ i should floss.

i did okay with doing Life Tasks semi-regularly and the attitude of "20 minutes Task Time per day" was helpful in some ways but didn't address the Giant Ever Growing Backlog Of Tasks I Have Been Putting Off For Months To Years, which suggests a need for a new approach; this year i'm gonna try a tip i read somewhere to plan out your tasks on a weekly basis, including scheduling them, not just throwing them on a "weekly to-do list," and aim for 5 a week. i gave up on 20 minutes of digital tidying per day and i think the answer there is just to not set a minimum above the minimum, so to speak. if i delete 5 emails or unsubscribe from 1 thing that counts.

i don't know how i wound up doing with my goal to have One Human Connection Per Day (At Least Half The Days Of The Year) but i had a lot of fun this year and i am finishing it feeling in many ways still awkward and neurotic but more connected and secure than i was a year ago, and feeling almost overwhelmed with how true it feels to say "my life is full of doing fun stuff with people i like" after all the years i spent convinced this was completely impossible for me to achieve. this year i don't think i'm going to slot this into my daily habits, partly because sometimes multiple things happen on one day or i text someone to initiate plans-making on the same day someone texts me, partly because the advice i saw about doing stuff also recommend task-batching and i think there may be some utility to that here as well, and partly because well i do have a schedule that is incredibly variable by week and season and this past fall for example i'm not sure i could have handled much more in september/october than free store + one fun thing a week which is more or less how it shook out for a while there. i also don't think i'm going to set a number because, well, i feel good about it right now. i do want to set a non-quantifiable intention to keep getting a little braver about forging new connections or deepening ones that are shallow but seem promising (serial killer way to say "making friends" sorry i am still in some ways quite Insane about this topic, the prime locus of my insanity for many years), and within that specifically to keep getting better at going to local stuff even when none of my closest local friends are going to be there as my security blanket lol. this year early on i finally texted someone i knew from pantry biz with whom i had exchanged mutual "we should hang out sometime" sentiments and it turns out that they're one of those people where once someone else makes the first move they welcome you in a lot so that the "hey, wanna catch a movie or something?" text i sent while deep breathing (because i am Insane) wound up leading pretty directly to a bunch of other incredibly fun 2024 memories, which is like almost irritatingly on the nose as a life lesson but otherwise very nice. relatedly (to texting that stresses me out because of my Problems) i want to get better at texting people back in a timely fashion and also at being more impulsive in a positive way about sending texts when people are on my mind.

the two things i feel real regret over this year are the reading thing and also writing... not a great year for writing, although i can at least look back on i would say three newsletters i'm proud of and one fic i was very glad to complete. i also did... okay... at contributing at the singles jukebox now that We're So Back on a monthly schedule. but i wrote basically nothing other than the occasional blurb after sometime in may and that feels bad and also suggests i need to find some way to integrate writing more reliably into my routine. i don't want to set a word count goal because part of what's going on is that i have some projects i'm picking away at that are more demanding of planning & brainstorming & slower more considered writing than my usual (beloved!) genres of Blogging and Fanfiction but i do think it needs to be quantifiable because ummm otherwise i simply will Not. so i am thinking this is a daily goal too. same goes for reading and in that case i do think i can set an outcome goal, which is 50 books.

ok well i guess this wound up being a year in review post anyway lmao. whatever it's capricorn season it's my time to shine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! neatened up resolutions post for my own ease of reference incoming shortly

[thepeachboys]

Double Threat, December 2023

A few months ago I was tidying up the notes in my phone and I found one from Aug 14th, 2022 simply stating "Gentlebeard in Reylo's thigh grab pose". I don't remember when I got the idea (probably while sleeping) but it was good enough for me to sketch it. I am still pretty bad on a digital canvas, so I sketched Rey and Ben's thigh grab on paper, then moved on my iPad to transform them into Stede and Ed. I'm not convinced I like them, but they're still my art babies, so I'll love them just the way they are.

[zedecksiew]

BLOGGIES 2023 THEORY WINNERS

A week of voting has passed, and the results of the final round are in. We have our winners for the BLOGGIES 2023 Theory category.

And now: winner announcements, medals, acceptance texts!

(I asked the winners to say a few words about their winning work---where they were at when they wrote the posts; whether they have additional insights; how they feel about winning.)

+++

BRONZE BLOGGIE FOR THEORY POST:

🥉 being a problem - playable orcs at the limits of humanity 🥉

from A Most Majestic Fly Whisk

Ènziramire:

Wrote this while putting my nieces to sleep (exhausted by the Pete the Cat incident mentioned in the post) and they helped me pick the Marshall painting so it's only fitting that I name Ms. Amaya and Ms. Malia as my co-authors. Race / orcs talk will probably be bad forever, or at least as long as the hobby is structured this way, but a benefit of The Discourse's remarkable ability to trivialize and misinterpret is that it illustrates the flaws of liberal incorporationism in a manner seldom achieved by other critical traditions. I'd like to thank Sylvia Wynter and white guilt for this bronze medal.

+++

SILVER BLOGGIE FOR THEORY POST:

🥈 Critical GLOG: Base Resolution Mechanics 🥈

from Goblin Punch

Arnold K:

I see no reason why tabletop RPG systems shouldn't be as customizable as the characters; the hobby would very much be enriched if they were.

Certainly there is interest--DMs are continually generating their own small hacks, but only the most adventurous are writing their own systems. The largest obstacle is a lack of familiarity with system design. People may know what they are trading when they sacrifice Dex in favor of Con, but the pains and joys of trading d20 resolution for a highest-in-a-dice-pool are still clouded.

If I have been able to empower even one person to design their own system--the last push that they needed--then the blog post has been a success.

Thank you everyone who voted for me. You guys fucking rock.

+++

(In lieu of a medal, Gold winners will get a linocut print; here's the plate inspired by Marcia's post: a dragon intertwined in / strangled by a banyan's branches and roots.)

GOLD BLOGGIE FOR THEORY POST:

🥇 OSR Rules Families 🥇

from Traverse Fantasy

Marcia B:

Zedeck asked me to say a couple words about this post, so I figured I'd say that (although I'm not sure how many people voted one way or another) I haven't been satisfied with its reception in general. It's been read as a neutral feat of statistics, a basis for taxonomic discourse, or a celebration of the OSR.

As the author I'm obviously dead, but as a fellow reader I'd like to suggest an alternative interpretation: there is so much collective effort spent on making books of rules that are ultimately formal and predictable permutations of each other. Only a few of the books originated rules that would then be incorporated into many of the other books.

Maybe it's that game designers aren't that creative; maybe it's that authors prefer to write systems over adventures; maybe it's that hobbyists feel pressured to systematize and christen their house rules. You can argue for one or more of these angles, each one representing a lens through which to criticize and re-envision the hobby. Whichever lens you prefer, though, I think they are all preferable to seeing no problem at all.

That being said, I am glad that for some people it helped them find a ruleset that works for them, or to just know what's out there. I hope this spurs us to find new ways to (literally, i.e., mathematically) break the norm.

+++

Congratulations everybody!

(Special thanks to Martin / Sharkbomb for his assistance tidying up the medal graphics; I dunno how to photograph art properly ...)

[snail-legs]

heyyy tumblr! long time no post :)

I keep forgetting to post links to my new comics & zines here, so here's a round-up of the hot new stuff I made since last we spoke !! fresh out of the art oven!!

nightmare complex sketchbook - free!!!

a sketchbook containing some cool art I made on a concept art and worldbuilding course I was on in May :)

imagine if a shopping centre was. you know. for some reason. your own personal idea of hell. I'm so normal about shopping centres and resturants and swimming pools and loud loud loud loud noisy places with lots of people in them definitely don't have nightmares about them definitely didn't give those nightmares to one of my ocs definitely not who would do that I mean

Top Surgery Diary! - $2

12 pages documenting my experience having peri-areola top surgery :)

I posted the pre-op bit on here a while back when I was pre-op, but I finally got round to tidying up the post-op section that I drafted in recovery when I didn't have a lot of stamina haha

Paige Turner & the Black Dog - $4

26 pages of comic! it's a fun little adventure story following Paige's investigation of a mysterious black dog that seems to be terrorising a small village and causing disasters

I made the first draft of this on 24-hour comic day in 2023 and I'm super excited that I got to polish it up and make it into something more complete!

I'm also just like. very proud of how it turned out?? very thankful to anyone who reads it! print version coming sooon (next week or so) for people who prefer their comics on paper :3

[sadghoststudios]

STATE OF PLAY 12/23: a little news and updates roundup!

Howdy all! Squeaking in just before the new year, I thought now's as good a time as ever for a little roundup of anything you might have missed, and what we're currently working on! Aiming to do these quarterly from now on 🫡✨

If you wanna keep up with posts like this from us without relying on social media, you can also sub to our newsletter! Promise not to annoy you. Good emails only.

Recap and news under the cut!

2023 Roundup

DemiDato

We had two releases this year, but DemiDato was the big one! For those that don't know, this game spent a long 5+ years in and out of development hell, so it was a big relief to finally put everyone's hard work out into the world back in March.

We were also lucky enough to feature DD in the Queer Games & Queer Halloween bundles this year, so even if you haven't had a chance to grab the game outright, check your itch library - you might already own it!

As for the future of our monsters, a 1.1 update is still on the cards! The bulk of it is already complete - there's some script tidying and quality of life improvements already in the WIP build, as well as a fancy schmancy CG Gallery (which you can see a little preview of in the devlog I wrote). 

1.1 development has admittedly stalled a little, as I really want to implement some animated video transitions plus an animated intro and trailer into its final build, but it's been hard to find the time to teach myself a whole new skillset while also being in preproduction for our new title (more on that in a bit!). In my head for all the years of development, the game has always had a really cheesy reality show intro with horribl(y good) graphics, just like the real life shows that inspired it. So even if the feature didn't make it to 1.0, I still really want it to happen eventually. (Plus, when we do eventually rerelease on Steam, a trailer is very important for the store page! That means it counts as futureproofing, right...?)

If you want to hear some more about what the release was like, my dear friend Kaiju of Digital Diversity interviewed me right after the game came out! You can read the interview on Digital Diversity over here.

GrandNya

Our second game of the year was a short little nugget written for 2023's Josei Jam, and devved almost solo by timepatches (hi! that's me!)

It'd been a long time since I managed to get anything off the ground in a jam setting, and I still find it a little intimidating (it's really difficult for me to get new ideas & iterate on them fast enough to meet the start deadline and recruit others), so solo dev it was! My art is hardly intricate but it gets the story across, and I'm proud of the VN as a whole - whatever you think of 'wholesome games' as a movement, it's hard to deny that we all need a cosy space now and then, and that’s the kind of story I like to tell most. And it's not like GrandNya is all sunshine, either, which you'll know if you got to the end!

I also managed to apply to Hand-Eye Society's Super FESTival with GrandNya, and was somehow accepted, which I'm still pinching myself about! What a stellar lineup of games to share a page with.

Fest aside, it was a pretty quiet release all things considered, so don't worry if you missed it! Your grandmas are still there on our itch page anytime, to give you a lil’ pocket of safe queer story to live in whenever you need it.

Intoxicated

Now for something completely different!! Despite some prior medical commitments around the jam date (which then got moved, typical), I was VERY stoked to be able to hop on the team for Kristi HusbandoGoddess' Yuri Jam game, Intoxicated!

It was an absolute blast. Turtles were drawn in the group chat for reasons I can no longer remember. It singlehandedly made me decide that I want to do more jam work on others' teams, because I forgot how fun it can be working toward a common goal in a more relaxed environment! 

And the game turned out incredible. Check it out if you support women's wrongs! ♡

Plans for 2024

[Codename BAT 🦇] (the big otome/amare game)

Oh yeah. It's big.

I won't spill too much just yet, but just know that I've had this idea as a vague plot bunny in the back of my mind for years. Then, as my dear friend Charlie and I were on VC beta testing a late DemiDato build, it came up and they were so excited about the idea that I couldn't help but start seriously thinking about how to make it.

Well. That was in March. After I took a break and worked on GrandNya, I've been working ever since on building out the world (it's set in the same universe as the rest of our library, but deals a bit more with the actual ramifications of it all, so I had to set some things in stone I haven't before). More recently I've been building out the most coherent, easy-to-follow outline I can (not my strong point, and bless my beta readers for their support while I complain about it). 

Very soon I should be able to start writing! Terrifying! I can't wait. Once I'm a fair way into the script writing you'll get to hear about exactly what I'm cooking, and I think... you'll like where we're going.

[Other Redacted Thing]

Not my project so I won't spoil exactly what it is, but I get to do some UI work for an upcoming jam project and I am SO excited! I get to work with some very familiar faces again! You'll know what it is as soon as I'm allowed to tell you 👀

What I will say is that it shares a coincidental similarity with my long project...

That's it!! ✨

Thank you for reading all my waffle (being long winded is my special talent), and for sticking with us through the inevitable periods of radio silence! We're still just little fish in a very big pond, but every time someone plays something I made and feels some type of way, I remember what the point of all this is. 

It makes me very happy to be able to share stories with y'all. Here's to more in 2024!

♡ Madi Wander (@timepatches)

[savage-rhi]

✨House Keeping✨

I have a backlog of writing requests going to April of 2023. I'm going to tidy up the inbox, and try to churn out 1-2 writing drabbles a week.**

You may continue to send in writing requests either on or off anon. Keep in mind I do these on my own time at my own leisure.

You may send me stuff that isn't drabble or writing related. You can pop in and say hi and I'll respond when I have the spoons and or hit points.

You may send me fanfic you are working on or stuff you'd like me to read. You may request feedback. Like with drabbles, I will do this on my own time at my own leisure unless we agree on another arrangement.

We can totally geek out over fandom or blorbo stuff together. I am never opposed to that, especially regarding theories.

I will be adding Stripe to my tumblr page to give folks another option to donate for drabbles and such aside from Ko-Fi and CashApp.

I am still working out how I can have a sustainable writing platform on Ko-Fi and also support my art (which I'm getting back into). I don't have a time frame at the moment.

Friendly reminder: if you don't like the content I post, the way I interact within fandoms, etc. you are free to block. There's no need to waste your energy sending hate when you can be having fun and enjoying your blog space.

You are more than welcome to tag me in things especially if you think it's something I'll like.

This time of the year is excruciating for me due to chronic pain and disability. Writing and general movement has been extremely difficult. I appreciate your patience.

I love you 💙 thanks for being here and sharing this experience with me.

**I have graduate studies and work. I may be unable to fulfill 1-2 drabbles a week due to my time constraints.

[max1u3]

Blizzcon 2023 Omg...

First of all here's the video I watched if you want to go watch it yourself, but I'm just gonna outline what I think are the highlights in this post!

First of all, Blizzard actually serving this Blizzcon like?? Woah there, slow down, are you sure you actually want to deliver what the fanbase wants... you've never done that before but slay.

And secondly, I'm late to this cos your girl put off working on a brief deadline for her degree until the last few days and had to draw like a mad woman. So excuse my late reactions to everything haha

ANYWAYS

THE COMP CHANGES?? LIKE SLAY OMG

Let's be honest, even Blizzard knew the 5 - 15 bracket was shit, and now they're finally getting rid of it, and replacing it with this ->

Like are we actually getting ranked on what we do in the match or is this some kind of amazing dream?

As a hard stuck gold/plat support main with an average of 20k heals a match, this is like some kind of blessing from God.

Plus not to mention the rank reset?? Last time I rank reset, aka made a smurf account that I never used, it was two ranks above my main. I'm going to cry literal tears of joy.

Plus, we're getting these bad boys back ->

She looks a little different but it's ok, we still accept her as the placement matches we know and love.

(I am very sassy today apologies, I have borderline carpool tunnel in my main hand and a backache to slay all backaches so I'm feeling slightly unhinged.)

Then they're also tidying up the competitive challenges tab? Like actually slay!

Like look how clean and sexy she looks like omg. Can't wait to actually understand all that information now that it's feasible to read haha

I'm not as hype about these but they still deserve mentioning ->

Tree guns! Oh wait, I mean Emerald guns. Mb. I think they're just like... meh. Like me and my duo have had long and detailed discussions on how we would improve gold guns. We eventually settled on them progressing in rarity and price. We suggested a gun started at bronze and worked it's way up the ranks like you do in competitive, and each rank would be a thousand more expensive. So obviously Bronze for Bronze, Silver for Silver, Gold for Gold, Platinum with like a purple sheen for Platinum, Diamond with a white and blue reflection for Diamond, then either Ruby or Sapphire for Masters and Grand Masters.

If you hadn't figured it out by my grumbling already in this post, but I'm a digital art student in uni, literally studying concept art, and by gods would my lecturers turn their noses up at the green they chose for this promotional ss.

Personally, I would saturate the colour more, it's much too dark. Sure, up close you can see the colour well, but realistically you want to be able to see the colour in game as well, and the green here is much too dark. I would saturate the colour more, but not too much. There's a thin line between it being a distraction or a flex. Next thing I would do is give it a darker sheen so when it catches certain lights it has a muted sparkle. I say darker so that it doesn't cross the distraction line again, because a lighter sheen would defiantly distract a player.

ANYWAY those are just my thoughts on it as someone studying this stuff at uni :)

I'm not a professional and will never be cos I'm never touching the art industry after this course again lol

Next I just wanna briefly look at the two heroes other than Mauga we got a look at.

Which are obviously Venture ->

Who's a dps who digs underneath the ground and launches out to deal dmg to the enemies.

Personally, I think it's a really innovative idea, and a really nice idea lore wise, but realistically I don't think this is going to play well, and I'm sure we're going to see lots of changes to him before and after he's released.

Also that concept art is just chefs kiss. It's so beautiful, with such clean lines and such an understandable concept. The facial expression is so cute and clean as well, and I already love them just from what I can see.

Oh, they are a they/them as well, so they're slaying.

Then there's 'Space Ranger', which is only a code name, and all we can call her so far ->

Again the beautiful concept art is literally making my drool, the lines are clean, it's understandable, conveys exactly what the artist wants.

I also love the unique UI of having the two guns above. It's also really thrilling to get more of a design perspective, for me at least. Even if I'm not going into the art industry (I'm taking a course to become a teacher after I gradate next year) it's still really exciting to be able to see the processes of it all. Now I can't help but imagine what the rest of the heroes concept art looked like when drawn onto the ss like the image above.

She's also a support by the way, so we support mains are being FED.

Next on my little list that I have here, is the hero mastery updates. Which are all for next year, so 2024.

The first point was that we'd be getting D.va, Lucio, Genji, Echo and Mei maps to master. I've 5 stared all the Mercy courses cos she's one of my mains, and my other is D.va sooooo can't wait to spend 20 hours on that haha.

They've also realised that it being solo can be a bit of an obstacle for groups, so they're adding a tower defence 3v3 vs bots mode. Every season the heroes on the roster for the mode will cycle out, as will the special rewards for completing the game mode every season. Basically, they're trying to make it as replayable every season as possible. Even with the heroes and reward cycles, I still have a sneaking suspicion this is going to end up slightly monotonous.

Here's a ss of the tower defence ->

It's not very clear and that's mb, I forgot to ss until too late lol.

Finally, the last big thing that they discussed was the new game mode 'Clash', plus the re-work of the Hanamura 2cp map for this game mode.

They basically described clash as 5cp, and even with this image it took me a while to get my head around it. Disclaimer, I am dyslexic though lol, so you'll probably get it faster than me.

Basically, (from what I understood from the dev's explanation) all five points will be lined up in a row on the map. When the game starts, team blue will posses 2 points and so will team red. Only point C will be available to cap, and it's a race to see who can claim the point first. Whoever claims the point will then push the enemy teams spawn room back a point, and the next point to claim will be either one to the right/left from the middle. The game ends when one team holds on the points, or the time runs out and whoever holds the most points win. The co-streamer I was watching alongside it said it resembled a tft game mode, but since I've never played tft I can't vouch for that.

I actually really like this idea, and it actually does remind me of 2cp quite a lot. It has a very nostalgic OW feeling just to the description.

Moving on, we have the Hanamura re-work, which is last, but not least.

They've adjusted the map in a way that supposedly makes it feel organic and not just a re-work of Hanamura itself. Basically, they've expanded off the main map, left some noticeable features and vibes to the map, and dropped the previous map into the background. It's a very smart way to evolve a map in all honesty.

This map has been designed specifically for Clash and will be called Hanaoko (sorry if I'm butchering that, they didn't write it down anywhere and only said the name).

Normally, I won't be too bothered to write so much about a new map, but bro this is Hanamura! I adore Hanumura, so, so, so much! I miss 2cp and all those maps so badly. It's nice to see them evolving the concept to incorporate those nostalgic elements for OW1 players.

What also interested me was that they talked more about the Hanamura lore. Naturally, there's a lot of it. With the Shimada brothers, the Hashimoto Shimada fight for dominance, and Kiriko with her Yokai gang. They specifically mentioned more lore for those three groups which got my very excited. They also mentioned, and I feel stupid for not noticing this cos it's obvious once it's pointed out), but all the dragons and tigers on the map are symbolic. They represent the struggle between the Shimada (dragons) and Hashimoto (tigers) clans when they're fighting. Like in this photo ->

So, it's official, we are being well and truly fed this Blizzcon. I can't wait for ranked to actually feel rewarding again.

Here's a random Tracer play from OW1 to finish of the post :)

[graha-stan-account]

Clear: Day 14

Clear: n. free of any obstruction or unwanted objects. 

Make-up post! 

Present. Self-restraint is not G'raha's strong suit. Still, somehow he's holding himself back from the thing he desperately wants to do. Thankfully, he has an enabler. Post-6.0. 

FFXIVWrite 2023 Masterlist

--- 

If bringing Etheirys back from certain doom seemed like an insurmountable task, G'raha Tia couldn't recall. The events of the past months felt a blur, a flurry of running two and fro, a breathless dream, even. On the other hand, these stacks of paperwork were very, very real. It had only been a few weeks since the Students of Baldesion began to accept new requests, but the speed with which they flooded in stirred dread which not long ago might have overtaken him. 

Part of the problem was the requests which had arrived before the End of Days had been averted hadn't been sorted out. As he and Krile sifted through the missives, it became evident a good amount of them were no longer relevant, given the circumstances. 

But they could not simply be tossed away wholesale. No, they needed to be examined by hand, each and every one. For all the magic he could wield, G'raha lamented he had not studied the art of conjury nearly enough to call up a familiar to help with even these menial tasks. 

He eyed the piles before him, each indistinguishable from the last. One of these stacks had been sorted, though. He was unsure which. 

He picked up a sheaf of paper and skimmed the page. It was not expired, as they'd taken to calling obsolete requests, but was it a priority? No, however... could it be taken care of quickly? Well... 

"Leave already. Go!" G'raha started at the sound of Krile's voice, the sheaf he'd been examining becoming a crumpled bouquet in his hand. He turned to face her a moment later, Krile standing with hands on her hips, staring with wide-eyed scrutiny at G'raha. 

"I-I'm working as fast as I can, Krile." He turned back to his work, wiping the newly-formed sweat from his brow. "Before we can begin to delegate these requests, we must prioritize them f--" 

"You're useless, Raha!" she shouted, her voice resonating up into the rafters. His posture stiffened and she dropped her pretense of anger, smiling knowingly. "Ever since J'napha stopped by you sigh and sigh and reshuffle the same pile. You know which request you ought to prioritize." 

G'raha blinked vacantly at her, tilting his head in lack of comprehension despite the burning in his face. 

"Go and see her!" She shoved at his thigh. "It wasn't an idle invitation. Have you lost your sense?" She paused a moment, and began again softer this time: "Go and see her." Her smile warmed all the way up to her eyes. 

"I..." He cleared his throat. "There is much yet to be done. I cannot bring myself to leave you on your own." 

Krile tapped her chest. "Raha, I haven't been alone. Besides, Ojika agreed to help me." 

"When did he agree to that?" 

"While you were sighing and fretting over that discard pile just there!" She covered the stack of paper with a slap of her hand. "Raha, I know you have simply been out of your head since everyone scattered to the four winds. Do you not think this is difficult for her, too? If she's calling on you, I see no reason to stand her pretending you're not ready to jump out of your skin for want of catching that next airship. Go. See her." She studied him a moment longer in silence, his expression still murky. "I'll file a request myself if it'll get you out of here faster." 

"Your point is made, Krile." G'raha chuckled, struggling to tidy the piles before him with trembling fingers. 

"Bah! All the wild things you do and yet this is what gives you pause." 

"If something comes up, do not hesitate to reach me via linkpearl. I won't be gone long." 

"Consider your schedule cleared!" She pushed him toward the big double doors of the main hall. "Besides, I'll do better with a helper who's not as lovesick by half!" 

"Krile!" 

"Give your lovely Warrior of Light my regards!" 

[acompassrosa]

Decks On My Desk - February 18, 2023

I don't know about you, but I am very bad at keeping my desk area tidy. I can do pretty alright with the rest of my space (though putting laundry away sometimes takes a week or more), but it's hard to be motivated to clean the place I know I am about to make a mess again until it hits critical mass.

Today is one of those days.

In addition to pens, journals, dice, and so many cough drop wrappers... the above decks were found hanging out in my space and I thought I'd tell you a bit about them.

Top Row, Left to Right:

Little Visions - a new arrival (this will be a theme) that has, honestly, taken my life by storm. I own all three decks (Prisma, Light, and Cosma Visions) in the larger sizes as well, but actually struggle to get myself to use them. Not so with these decks! I've been using them (together, no less!) basically since the moment they arrived. I suspect I'll be doing a big write up about them later so I'll stop myself from gushing too much right now.

The Diviners Court - Another new arrival-- from this afternoon! I love playing cards both for divining and for games. This actually arrived with the Scrying Ink Lenormand and a print, but I'd dutifully put those away. This deck is out because I had the sudden overwhelming urge to play solitaire.

Star Dragons Oracle Cards - Semi-new arrival here, I think this came in mid-January. I don't do a lot of work with oracle decks, but I saw this one was on sale and I do love me some dragons... so I got it! No regrets, it's worth it for the stunning art alone-- AND it is a fairly balanced oracle deck. If you want to be lovingly read to filth, I cannot recommend this one enough.

Le Beau Monde Tarot, pocket edition - I love her I love her I love her.... *big breath* I love her. I am sad she's out of print, I am so glad I have her in both sizes. This deck is such a treat for the regency inclined. If she came back in a giant/oracle size I'd buy her again. Not for everyone, but 100% for me.

Bottom row, left to right:

Heavenly Bloom Tarot - I used this for a reading for a friend's D&D character last week. I really need to use this deck more, just in general, but golly it's a pain in the butt to shuffle.

Mermaid Tarot - Another D&D reading for another friend, but also here because I used it for the Queen of Cups challenge Lionharts is running on Insta. Love this deck so much!

Fountain Tarot - Another one for the Queen of Cups challenge. I've been following it pretty faithfully, though privately, in my journal. I started the latest chapter of the challenge with this deck but had to change part way through because 2016 me has a lot of feelings about these cards and 2023 me was having a hard time being heard. Still a beautiful deck, definitely one I keep around precisely because of that strong emotional time capsule it represents.

Shadowscapes Tarot - This is the deck I switched to, an old reliable. It actually has one of my all time most favorite Queen of Cups cards. I actually bought the print from the artist ages ago and it hangs on my closet door! A classic, beautiful deck -- definitely would be one of my top mass market deck recommendations.

Seaborn Kipper - Another new arrival! I've look through this but haven't tried it yet. I'm hoping to learn a little more about Kipper before I "dive in"-- but I am a sucker for a Siolo Thompson deck AND for merfolx. The deliberate emphasis on the parts of both Thompson and Witholt to make this deck gender inclusive delights me as well.

So yeah! That's what's on my desk. I am going to put these away now.

[an1tak]

Check list summer things ¡

I generally organize everything to develop this vacation, a little late because I have been extremely sick but well lifes goes on, everyone will have their own particular planning and specification!

Some.things:

P: Permanent obligations S: Studies (private and university) S: Self-care V: Vacations

Project Development (elab & tea) ¡

Organize evening and morning schedules and routines ¡

Development Reports tea, club and plans for the next semester ¡

Preparation of subjects next semester ¡

Continuous Italian plan!

Online courses!

Continuous exercise routine !

Continuous general self-care routine!

Schedule of changes in general + Vision !

Events I'm going to attend this summer

Writing and drawing routine

Writing again!

Genarals of: Organize evening and morning schedules and routines + Notion Calendar + Google calendar

Morning:

Wake up at 7:30 am, play music and tidy up the room

Do some exercise, dance, pilates and a workout routine depending on my mood and energy level

Eat a healthy breakfast and wait at least an hour for coffee

Take a bath, get dressed and put on makeup

Organize / review the day's tasks

Do some kind of gratitude activity, manifestation or visualization.

Night:

Sleep as early as possible, between 10 pm and 12 if possible (I have insomnia and I know I can not ask so much at the beginning).

Wash my face every night before going to sleep or take a bath depending on the day.

put on music to sleep

Pray and give gratitude / light a candle

Courses for this summer: Learning can't stop less on vacation I have more time, I am considering the following:

Justice (Harvard college online on EdX) : This introduction to moral and political philosophy

Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (WellesleyX on EdX)

Leaders of Learning (Harvard college online on EdX)

URosarioX: Corrección de textos jurídicos (on EdX)

URosarioX: Introducción a los derechos humanos (on EdX)

URosarioX: Planeación de textos jurídicos (on EdX)

URosarioX: Memoria, emociones y arte para la construcción de paz (on EdX)

Openlearn: Design thinking

Openlearn: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Openlearn: Getting started with Italian 1

Openlearn: How arguments are constructed and used in the Social Sciences

Openlearn: Inclusive Leadership: Effecting change

Openlearn: Leadership and followership

Openlearn: Rights and justice in international relations

Openlearn: Talk the Talk

Openlearn: Working in diverse teams

Exercise for this month: 2023 Hourglass Challenge

+ Walking and running.

Schedule of changes in general + Visionboard !

[thetcdptimes]

Beauty, in the eyes of the beholder

Taken from 2023 to 2024, all around Cebu. These shots from my phone have perfectly captured the art of everyday life, and beauty in the ordinary.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the way inanimate objects simply stood in their places–imperfect, and maybe even untouched–yet picturesque. After all, I am a firm believer that everything has a beauty and charm of its own, even in things other people perceive to be ugly.

It seems universally acknowledged across cultures, places and periods that beauty holds significance in every aspect of existence, yet the understanding of its essence is subjective. I thought, if beauty and ugliness are believed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, why do we still find ourselves being drawn to what isn’t conventionally pleasant, tidy, useful, and perfect? In the first place, why should it be a basis for moral evaluation? This thought led me to the conclusion that it does not have to be the opposite, but rather a feature of it.

Growing up, shelves, coffee tables, and cabinets were filled with photo frames, trinkets, souvenirs, books and magazines, in places I have called my home. Being surrounded by the novelties that held pieces of my family’s history and personalities has given me the privilege of keeping those memories alive, despite how impractical, corny and messy these may seem to others. After all, this is where I first learned how to find beauty in the ordinary.

“The common Filipino is a maximalist, filling up every available space with forms and things. It springs from an expressive exuberance deeply rooted in emotional sensitivity and the strong urge to connect.” - Prof Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., “In Focus: Life as Art – The Creative, Healing Power in Philippine Culture”

I once read a quote from Nate Berkus saying that a home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love. From then, I understood why our family puts so much value and sentimentality in possessions so deeply rooted in us, that we find it difficult to let go.

Every magnet on the fridge speaks of my dad’s travels, he would tell us about his experiences when he came back.

Every figurine, crucifix, and rosary on the altar serves to remind us of our faith.

Photographs old and new on display to remember each other’s presence.

Plants our family members have taken care of so much have ended up having a name.

Old toys that bring back childhood memories are still kept to remind us of our innocence.

Souvenirs tell of the fun times spent together, wondering when the next one will happen.

This was the soul that has made our space not just a house, but a home.

Everywhere I go, I unconsciously have a special love for places that look and feel cozy. My favorite cafes, hostels, stores, and even small eateries all embody these common denominators: being unassuming, homey, and lived-in. Later on, I realized that I'm drawn to these places because they feel like an extension—a home away from home. In a place where time stands still, people are welcomed, novelties add beauty, and stories are told whenever surrounded by those walls.

Just like my home, even the places we often pass by are adorned with the most arbitrary decorations, not necessarily the most grand and aesthetically pleasing, but blending quite beautifully throughout the space. After all, being around such novelties reminds me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It may often be overlooked but it is everywhere, you just have to look closely.

Where and how do you find beauty in the ordinary?

Blog post by Gavyn Rain R. Erediano | BA COMM MED-2

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

ok ok 2k25 goals intentions etc.:

daily, success threshold met at 183 days: journal, meditate, log my little habits and other countables, work out, drink 100 ounces of water, experience art, do some kind of mobility work even just a little bit of moving my butt on the foam roller, digital tidying of any kind, floss, write or work on a piece of writing even if it's not ready for writing (ykwim), no Scrolling before 10 p.m. (Intentional Posting such as this doesn't count) room re-set (a habit i had in 2023 decided i didn't need in 2024 and hugely missed once i had buried myself in a horrible pile i did not feel capable of tackling for like three months); 10k steps average for the year by 11:59 p.m. on december 31st

weekly: 5 Life Tasks Of Some Kind; try out weekly self-planning sessions although this is not a resolution because well what if i don't like it!

yearly: read 50 books; work about a thousand hours although this is not so much a "goal" as the result of me looking at my time tracking app and seeing if i can use this data to organize my life in a way that makes me feel less stressed about what is essentially my part-time job so i'm not gonna sweat the difference too much in either direction; i'm not gonna put my income goal on the internet but i do have one.

unquantified intentions: eat more vegetables/get to a place by the end of the year where i don't feel the need to resolve this again; be better about apartment tidiness maintenance tasks (an ounce of prevention...); be a more considerate and more proactive texter; keep working on showing up even when it's a little bit scary; i know i have writing as a daily goal but i'm also gonna say that an intention is to get to the end of the year feeling like i have a sense of how writing fits into my life as a regular practice instead of my historical feast or famine approach (which, to be clear, i don't think i'm ever going to be a nice normal Write Exactly 90 Minutes A Day gal.... so mostly i'm talking about avoiding the famines); keep jukeboxing; keep listening to new (generally and also to me) music; get back into/better at tarot

vibe: one other thing that came up when i was reflecting on 2024 was how much fucking time and mental energy i poured into being Totally Insane about how repulsive i am in many dimensions... this is not anything remotely new but i'm deciding now that i am over it and thus determining by executive decision that actually i am a hot fun genius and everybody awesome wants to be my friend.

[comicreliefmorlock]

(My) BEST READS OF 2023

[I literally just went through my "Books Read" journal and pulled the titles and authors out, then Googled to get first names because I jotted down only an initial and a surname. {Good job, me.} And honestly, having at least one to two SLAMMIN' books per month is great! 35 really awesome books out of a total of 143 new books read for the year is a high percentage of amazing!]

SO. READ THESE!

Swordspoint - Ellen Kushner (Yes, I should've read this DECADES ago.)

The High Crusade - Pohl Anderson (I laughed so many times reading this.)

The Bone Orchard - Sara Mueller (I LOVED the concept of this.)

Contact - Carl Sagan (Again, should've read this DECADES ago.)

Hell Followed with Us - Andrew Joseph White (Monstrous angels are my JAM.)

Briar Rose - Jane Yolen (Yes, another one I'm just… sO late reading.)

How to Invent Everything - Ryan North (Non-fiction with a fictional framework, it's glorious.)

The Art of Tidying - Marie Kondo (Non-fiction and so, so gentle.)

Reigning Cats and Dogs - Tanith Lee (Is anyone surprised that her name is showing up here?)

Fairy Tale - Stephen King (THE DOG LIVES.)

The Library of Fates - Aditi Khorana (Oh, it's so beautifully written.)

Amygdala - Sam Fennah (DENSE but tbh the world building is so, so unique.)

A House with Good Bones - T. Kingfisher (I read anything with this name on it.)

Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (This name will come up again, obviously.)

Blaze - Stephen King (It was so SAD.)

Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (Told you.)

How to Sell a Haunted House - Grady Hendrix (I will also read anything with this name on it.)

Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher (Told you.)

Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (This should surprise no one.)

Mr. Humble & Dr. Butcher - Brandy Schillace (Non-fiction!)

MAUS - Art Spiegelman (No, I'd never read it before. Yes, I am ashamed of myself.)

Lavinia - Ursula LeGuin (This was just… haunting.)

Cannibalism - Bill Schutt (Non-fiction and I bought a hard copy LOL)

Camp Damascus - Chuck Tingle (All those Tinglers have refined his writing to a razor's edge.)

Dr. Mutter's Marvels - Cristin O'Keefe Aptowitcz (Non-fiction, I wanted to learn about the origins of the museum.)

Dark Castle, White Horse - Tanith Lee (Are you really surprised by this?)

Holly - Stephen King (Elderly cannibal serial killers? Yes, thank you.)

A Guest in the House - Emily Carroll (For the story AND the art, it's so good.)

A Long, Fatal Love Chase - Louisa May Alcott (Her writing a Gothic blew my mind, but it was such a SOLID Gothic.)

The Emperor's Soul - Brian Sanderson (I held off on reading EPIC FANTASY for ages, but this? This lovely single volume? It sold me on his magic systems, I gotta find more.)

Books of Blood I-III - Clive Barker (I'm so glad I'm aging into short stories, these were fantastic.)

Night Shine - Tessa Gratton (So unique! So queer! I delighted in it!)

The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu (DUDE. FUCKIN'… JUST! DUDE!)

Pegasus - Robin McKinley (I NEED THE SEQUEL WHAT THE FUCK ROBIN???)

The Pink Triangle - Richard Plant (After learning of Somerton's plagarism, I went hunting for books and publications that could give me accurate and researched information.)

[zedecksiew]

BLOGGIES 2023 GAMEABLE WINNERS

Another week of voting is over, the responses have been counted, and the results of the final round of the BLOGGIES 2023 GAMEABLE category are in.

Here are your winners, medals, and acceptance speeches!

(I asked the winners to say a few words about their winning work—where they were at when they wrote the posts; whether they have additional insights; how they feel about winning.)

+++

BRONZE BLOGGIE FOR GAMEABLE POST:

🥉Flux Space🥉 from Papers & Pencils

Nick:

Even after years of percolating in my head it took 5 months from the first draft to feel like I'd communicated myself clearly. Almost immediately people began telling me about ways they planned to use Flux Space which I'd never intended, some of which contravene the whole point I was going for. That's not a complaint, it's something I marvel at, and am humbled by. The author is dead, long live Flux Space!

+++

SILVER BLOGGIE FOR GAMEABLE POST:

🥈Pointcrawling Character Creation🥈 from Rise Up Comus

Josh:

How I feel winning an award:

but for real: It's enormously humbling to get a single vote when the competition was against some of the best blog posts this year from all the people I so greatly admire. Blogs are the best way that I know of to quickly get an idea out of your head and onto paper, look at it, turn it around from a different angle, and see how it resonates with people. That's all I was trying to do with Pointcrawling Character Creation, and I'm pleased someone out there thinks it's an idea they'd like to play with, too.

+++

(In lieu of a medal, Gold winners will get a linocut print; here's a design inspired by Jo's post: a clutch of eggs that are worlds, and a dragon hatching from one of them.)

GOLD BLOGGIE FOR GAMEABLE POST:

🥇Laws of the Land: meaningful terrain via in-fiction limits and conditions🥇 from Was It Likely?

Jo:

This, as with all such statements, is a thing only true in the moments of its making; accept then, the memory of a truth: the most valuable contribution of the OSR is the idea that TTRPGs are more or less choice generation machines; they provide decision points situated in contexts of complexity that cannot be replicated outside of the human mind. The OSR also has made a fetish object out of the idea that such decisions should be procedurally derived, rather than placed directly into the game. “Laws of the Land” was born out of a dissatisfaction with that fetish object and a desire to place the object of play directly in my games. Be brave enough to make the statement: this is true, this must be done, the world is shaped in this way. The best art is itself of itself, and aren’t we all artists? Those of you I love are, anyway. And I love you. I hope the things I make bring you joy. Kisses, Jo.

+++

And I love you, too. Congratulations everybody!

(Special thanks to Martin / Sharkbomb for his assistance tidying up the medal graphics.)

[thebridgebeyond]

Year End Art Musings and Creative Reflection

It is time to do my yearly (mostly) creative reflection for the year. I won't bring up specific works this time around and will treat it like a typical written musing.

2023 was art-block-tastic! Yet I was not peeved at the fact either. It was actually relaxing to just sit back and say "yeah..I don't feel like drawing. Not today, not tomorrow, but I'll write some notes down instead." I did try to force some art at the beginning, but nothing substantial wanted to be drawn. Technological issues arose, which didn't actually affect much in the grand scheme of creativity: smartphones are above and beyond at this point in time--literally having everything and anything, except a plug for my tablet, and my art files. It actually allowed me to delve deeper into written wips such as stories and specific lorebook pages.

○I've done a little bit of sketchwork, mainly on my tumblr (which it'll stay that way for a while until I stitch concepts together or clean it up). That doesn’t mean I'm going to be producing much quicker, unless I'm having a real spur of the moment. It's relative, however...2023 only had a few full artworks.

○Ref wise..I Occasionally (maybe once or twice a year) glance through the drawn zhu overview ref (not the 20 page written one!) and try to find a fixable flaw art wise as new epiphanies may arise. I've tweaked it through 2022 and one thing in 2023 as adjustment notes point to. I'll be damned though:  I cannot find anything major to redo or mess around with (and I have not so much as looked at the ref since April). It's standing on its own perfectly, and I love the spacing of everything. The only thing I can think of, is that zhus now have their claws out permanently.

Perhaps I have too much of a short term expectation on the life of a reference given how much of a transformation my ref art and understanding of zhus have gone through since I started. In 2024 it'll be ten years learning about them! After all, they have had a few references beforehand, but I will allow my past self a pat on the back and scold my current self for underestimating a lot. I expect that overview ref to last many years to come (even if I make minor tweaks as I've been doing, sparingly).

That all said--I do really like the color reference design, but the outlined zhus are not a standard representation outline (which would be Jericho). That will need an update at some point. I don't particularly care for the pattern and markings ref template, and it does not show off partial patterns well for zhus either.  There's a likelihood of me just combining the two in a much larger reference at some point. The much delayed pharaoh ref will not be as tidy as the other templates, much more sketchy with the art (purposefully so as the form had literally not been as studied as terrestrial form). Also--we don't talk about character refs here. Avalon is the estranged child concerning that currently..

○Some Lorebook things may be added in for next year, but I work with what I have, and what comes to me.

There are some irl things I have to focus on as well, so I cannot for certain tell how that will affect the flow of creativity overall. I do expect some nice outcomes in 2024.