#it's a struggle though I tend to have very ambitious ideas

[backslashdelta]

me: I should create and run a brand new fandom discord server that would be so much fun!!!

also me: running fandom things feels like a job rn I need a break

[soaringwide]

Pick a Card: Finding the right career

Hello :p

Today's reading is a career guidance, where we're going to look at your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your career, what motivates you and the potential for growth to see what career would suit you the most.

This reading is meant for people who are wondering about what path to take, or those wishing to make a change. We'll also look at how you'll be able to tell it's indeed the right choice.

As always this is a general reading that may not apply to everyone 100%.

Note that if you like my reading style, I offer private readings. You can learn more about that in my pinned post.

Pile 1

Cards: 5 of Cups, 6 of Swords, Justice, the Lovers, 2 of Cups, 3 of Pentacles, 9 of Swords, 5 of Swords, Knight of Swords, King of Wands, Knight of Wands, Ace of Swords, Knight of Cups, 6 of Wands

It seems you are not that driven by money, but rather, by a strong sense of righteousness. It seems you are well aware of the human pains and struggles. You know how fragile life can be, and you think it's important to do something meaningful, not only for you own sense of purpose, but also for the sake of others.

Really, where other would pursue careers for fame or money, for you it's just about following your truth and speak your mind and heart. There is a real quest for meaning and doing what's right and a relentless pursuit to leave what doesn't align with truth behind. Where other would just accept what's not fair as something that cannot be changed, you refuse to take that stance and strive for change.

However, I see that you have a hard time with social or collaborative jobs. You don't like mingling with people, a networking event is probably your own personal hell, and you'd rather work on your own without having to rely on anyone's opinion. Could be a problem in your line of work since it's showing up strongly in this reading. It's also possible that you tend to be very critical of those around you, because you see their flaws clearly, and it's stopping you from seeing the good in people.

You are motivated by the idea of building something worth marveling for. You want to create something that will inspire and educate those around you and have a long lasting impact on your community. You want to be seen as a reference, and even though you don't want to have other people put their nose in your work, you still want to contribute to humanity's knowledge with the results of your hard work. There is the idea of a common effort towards a greater goal.

However, for you it'll be important to develop some skills. The cards point at some inner work that have to do with putting yourself down, devaluing yourself by comparing yourself to others. It's a source of great despair for you and something you need to work on. People are not metrics, we are all different in one way or another and comparing yourself to others the way you're doing it is actually detrimental to the quality of your work, as well as your well-being. It's also possible that all the conflicts in the world affect your mental health a great deal, connected to what you witness in the world. It will be important to keep going and not burn yourself out.

There is a lot of raw potential for growth in the realm of ambition and leadership, which it seems you haven't fully embraced yet. You can be a figure of authority in your field, leading with your sharp mind and ambitious assertiveness. You have the potential to be a strong willed, determined professional that can't be stopped by anything and will tackle the most difficult project.

For these reasons, I think the career it's pointing at has to do with the realm of communicating ideas, perhaps writing, academia or journalism. You will be able to cut through lies and outdated ideas with your words, seeking to bring clear communication. There is again the idea of service made to others, led by your sense of purpose and thirst for truth. This career would put you in the public eye where you would be celebrated openly for your work and ideas. I see this pile as someone who investigates, either matters of the world, society, politics, economics or science. In all cases, it allows you to combine your cleverness, your empathy and ambitious nature.

Finally, you'll be able to tell it's the right path for you because it will ignite your passion. You won't be able to think of anything else but the task at hand, and what to do to achieve it. The greater the challenge, the more fiery your determination will be. It will definitely not be something you hesitate on and will feel like a calling.

Pile 2

Cards: the Emperor, Judgement, 2 of Pentacles, Page of Pentacles, 5 of Pentacles, the High Priestess, 9 of Swords, King of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, the Hierophant Rx, the Tower, the Hanged Man, 3 of Cups, 8 of Swords, Queen of Pentacles, 9 of Wands, 7 of Swords

Your qualities when it comes to this career are about being a reliable figure in the life of those you help. The helping aspect comes up strongly as it will show in this reading, and basically it already show in your strengths. It's like you help people come to life again in some way. You are strong when it comes to leading the way towards transformation, and have a strong impact on people. They can sense they can come to you for support and you give a vibe of wisdom and order.

However, it seems that you are also quite inexperienced and this is making you hesitate quite a lot. There is probably a strong learning curve when it comes to this career and you're not quite there yet. You may be lacking something, whether its the status or the resources, in order to fully embody your qualities. So it seems your situation right now is a weakness, and that it's not so much coming from you.

What drives you is, again, the desire to help those in need, those in pain who don't know where to get help from, when it seems there is no way out or hope left. You see their pain clearly and it somehow motivates you and gives you a sense of purpose in life. You might be religious or spiritual in some way and this feeds your motivation to help and care, like some type of mission.

When it comes to skills you can to develop here, there is a need to remain detached in the face of adversity to not let it submerge you, perhaps to let go of your own fatalistic vision of life. There is a lot of talk around you, and perhaps you listen to the words of others too much and it's making you confused and directionless. You must get your mind in order and be firmly set into your own stability, by being pragmatic and protective of your own well-being. Stop listening to everything everyone says and remain grounded in your own judgement.

So all that is telling me that your career has to do with helping the sick, be they mentally or physically impaired. You show up as a very nurturing figure, someone who wish to see people thrive and get back to health, and I see you surrounded by people with bandages, or people who are disabled in one way or another (again for some of you it could be mentally or physically). Your future career may be nurse, rehabilitation or support worker, or even doctor of some kind.

It seems that for some of you, this career will be embraced after you've been somewhat forced by life to take a different turn, something you hadn't anticipated and shows up as a surprise. For others, it could simply mean that you will be surrounded by catastrophic accidents and unforeseen circumstances, and I'm picturing an emergency room when I'm writing this. Like, you will be forced to grow because the chaos surrounding you will call for someone to do something, and you've got what it takes to do so.

You will know this is the right path for you after contemplating your decision for a long time. You'll mull over your choices and options, and even discuss it with loved ones in order to make sure its the right one for you because you don't take it lightly as it will come with some type of sacrifice for your time and energy. Basically you'll need to dedicate yourself fully to this and you know this. But overall, once you're decided, you'll be very happy of your choice and eager to enjoy the good sides that comes with the job.

Pile 3

Cards: 8 of Swords, 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Swords, 9 of Wands, King of Cups, the Fool, the Star, the Empress, 10 of Swords rx, 2 of Swords, Death, 5 of Wands, Page of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, the Magician, Judgement, 7 of Cups

When it comes to your strengths, you're someone who can fuel themselves with the shit that life throws at them, never fully loosing their balance. You know how to get yourself out of tricky situation where you're blinded, and you're able to transmute your pains and power through the difficulties, never giving up even when it seems all odds are against you. What makes other abandon just make you angrier and more determined to succeed. You are extremely resilient and this gives you an outlook on life that anything is possible. If something doesn't work you discard it and move on to the next thing.

However, it seems you are sometimes too eager to try something new without committing to one thing for a long time. You're a Jack of all trades and it's hard to get you stay in the same spot for long. It's like, you keep wanting to try to see if this path is better than this one, or if this thing would be more exciting than this other thing, and so on. You emotions also tend to shift easily and influence the way you see things, it's like, you feel things so intensely it's overwhelming and that's just the way you function and it's hard to live differently.

When it comes to what drives you, you get a great sens of purpose coming from beauty and aesthetics, or even arts. The path towards beauty and pleasure, is the highroad to heaven for you. You are truly an aesthete at heart, and want nothing more than to honor what you find sublime in the world, as for you it is the purpose and the meaning of life.

When it comes to what skill you can develop, you got two cards signifying blockage and defeat, which makes me think this has a lot to do with overcoming you own issues surrounding your creative expression, which stem from your mind. It's like, nothing is really getting in your way but your own thoughts. You have trouble releasing your perceived failure so you're stopping yourself from trying anything different, fearing it will only confirm your loss. Perhaps that's the reason you keep switching things all the time, because can you really fail if you never tried until the very end?

There is a deep potential for growth though, and it has to do with the way your compare yourself to either other people, or to your own ideal self. It's like, you've got this image in your mind of what you should achieve and you're tormenting yourself for not being able to achieve it. What you don't understand it's that it's counter productive and that you have to put an end to this way of thinking. You need to break the pattern in order to be free.

All of this makes me think that your job has to do with some type of artistic or creative career where you bring ideas into the world, pulling them from a space unique and special to you. The idea of transforming things, putting values into question, bending rules is also quite important, as well as is the idea of communication to a larger audience. I will also add that you might not box yourself into just one type of creative expression, but rather  dabble into many different things. It seems you are  not so much passionate about one medium but rather as I said earlier by the pursuit of beauty in all its form, so I totally see you trying out different things and it seems that you'll be good at most of them naturally.

You will know it's the right path for you because it'll allow you to have a vision. It's like, you'll find a tiny window with a tiny opportunity and it'll ignite you mind, making you think about all that's possible in every different direction, and the legacy you could leave. It's really all about triggering your long term motivation and what will make you want to dedicate your life, or long time anyway, to. As we saw earlier, you have commitment issues regarding your creative pursuits so this will have to do with sticking to it in the long term, even if that means doing multiple things in parallel or taking breaks and coming back to things.

[rainy-astrology]

BTS Jungkook Birth chart analysis

Based on my opinions and observations. Not an expert. May change later.

September 1st, 1997

Busan, South Korea

3:25 PM

☀️♍️, 🌙♍️, ⬆️♑️

Sun, Moon, and Mercury are in Virgo, giving him a Virgo stellium. He is detail oriented, helpful and reliable, and incredibly hard working, not a slacker at all. The downsides are that he's likely very critical on himself and others (but more likely on himself; Virgos are just...a little too self aware lol), perfectionistic, nitpicky, and can be an overthinker. E.g the time he was crying about a small mistake he made on stage that the other members hadn't seen at all. They all sit in the 8th house as well and form conjunctions to each other (sun conjunct moon and mercury, moon conjunct mercury)

Virgo Sun in 8th is very private and maybe even shy. Jungkook's not really an extrovert tbh, he has a small circle and is often seen hanging out with the same few friends. This placement is quite picky with who they choose to let into their life - they have to be extremely sure they can trust you to completely let you in their inner world.

Moon in 8th is an intense placement. Very strong feelings here. Having a Virgo moon though should help calm the intensity a little or at least help him navigate his feelings in a more structured way. Virgo moons tends to analyze and rationalize their thoughts and feelings. This could explain why Jungkook's never been the type to openly show his deeper feelings. This house can be transactional and Virgo is a sign of service, so he may find security in helping/servicing others. And people like to reciprocate the helpful energy for him too.

Mercury in 8th is a deeply curious and investigative placement. Virgo mercury is especially detailed - nothing gets past Jungkook. It's known he lurked around in fandom space on tiktok and twitter, so he most likely knows all the jokes and other things the fans talk about. This placement wants to understand things deeply.

Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter are in 1st house. Neptune (illusions) and Uranus (unpredictable and constant change) can make a person chameleon-like in terms of appearance and Jungkook is versatile in fashion. It could explain why it was a bit confusing to guess his rising sign.

Jupiter in 1st - puts in a lot of effort into everything he does, may sometimes overdo things. Tries to be optimistic and upbeat, wants to enjoy life to the fullest.

Libra Venus is domicile and in 9th. Curious and knowledge seeking, especially curious about new cultures and places

Mars Scorpio in the 10th is very passionate and ambitious. Very determined to succeed in his career and reach all the goals he sets for himself. His motto "I would rather die than live without passion" is a perfect example of this placement.

Saturn in 3rd - some sort of challenge with communication. This placement can be very shy and maybe even a bit self conscious, socially anxious. Jungkook was incredibly shy when he was younger - iirc he would even cry when asked to sing and used to be so shy around the members predebut in general.

Pluto in 11th - a strange tense relationship with the idea of friendship. He didn't have much close friends when he was young and going to a whole new city made him even lonelier. However meeting BTS gave him friendship, which helped his loneliness a lot. They even helped him get over his shyness and support him with anything he does. He cares very deeply about them, even crying when they were talking about the struggles they were going through. He considers them his family, which makes sense since he was basically raised by them. He himself is quite influential as well (a given as he's a huge celebrity though) and can pretty much make anything he likes and anywhere goes become very popular.

Chiron in 10th - worried about how his image and reputation is perceived by others. Considering how incredibly shy Jungkook was when he was younger, it's not surprising he may have had a lot of self doubt about his journey to being an idol (along with the very self critical Virgo stellium. Chiron in 10th + Virgo stellium is careful and perfectionistic in order to have a good image). There may be issues of self esteem and power (mainly with authority and/or with himself) within his life.

With North Node in 8th though, it pushes Jungkook to be more open to create relations with others. He doesn't have to do everything alone - he should learn to rely on others and be comfortable being more open, both mentally and emotionally.

Capricorn rising is a little surprising ngl...However, I think it explains his physical features well. His eyes (I've noticed many Cap placements have big eyes), his face structure, and especially his hair. Capricorn rising hair is always very noticeable considering Capricorns rule hair. And like most earth risings, he can be down to earth and reserved - he keeps to himself a lot. Definitely very hard working like a Capricorn, ambitious and strives for success.

His Libra MC could be why many people thought he was a Libra rising. It is at 29°, a Leo degree, so that could also explain why people thought he could have been a Leo rising too. Libra mc is artsy and creative, which shows in his art skills in drawing, photography, and editing. Obviously his singing and dancing as well. It's apparent in his fashion too: experimenting with his hair styles, his sleeve tattoo, his piercings, and darker yet neat clothing style.

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Other analysis:

MBTI | Enneagram

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Kpop astrology list

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[bambifornia]

huuUOOoLRgGghh fiinnne I can't stay away from you all

i bring more autobot!swindle. plus my attempt at writing his backstory

disclaimer : most of the stuff below isn't canon i just wrote this for fun. if u guys wanna make ur own swindle backstories i invite yall to do so :D we will make our own swindle content

swindle came online during cybertron's early years of the age of expansion. the autobots (with their goal to expand cybertron's empire) engineered a set of bots who would serve cybertron as its intergalactic merchants, programmed to be ambitious bots who sought profit. they also came with bigger processors (for storing transactions and whatnot) and versatile frames (so they could withstand organic climates)

shortly after coming online, swindle was assigned a teacher (another merchant) who'd pass down the knowledge of the trade. swindle did his best to keep up with his lessons

as a student, swindle was determined and clever. as a bot, though...eughh...

- he had less of a filter, and didn't know how to keep a poker face

- his little new England accent used to be a lot thicker (think earthspark swindle)

- very friendly, had a lot of amicas back in the day (he was definitely the "I know a bot" guy). it was a struggle for him to keep quiet

- loved hands on activities, hated sitting still

- kept a journal detailing his intergalactic trips. tried to doodle any organics he found interesting

- LOVED shiny stuff. he was like a crow lmao

- his sharp glossa would sometimes get his aft beat

- despite being a chatterbox, he wasn't as suave back then. he'd often get himself in awkward situations, which he'd try to talk himself out of the embarrassment but he'd end up digging a deeper hole for himself

- petty king. also kinda nosy and had a thing for gossip

- loved pranking, and teased the bots he liked

once he was ready, swindle was given a ship and assigned a trading post (as a starting point). from that point, swindle was a rootin tootin merchant and nothing bad ever happened to him again :D...

...

until the quintessa skirmishes

the age of expansion ended with border disputes between cybertron and quintessa. multiple skirmishes sproutted along the border, and while swindle didn't fight in them, he was certainly caught in the crossfire. swindle ended up with a broken ship, a looted inventory, and a bungled up frame. he had to return to cybertron for repairs

back on cybertron, swindle finds a planet wildly different from the one he knows. tensions between autobots and decepticons are rising, and the banks aren't holding up that great. swindle finds himself in a tight spot (financially speaking) since he still has to deal with his losses from quintessa. unable to go back to his actual merchant job, swindle resorts to taking odd jobs to keep himself afloat (yes, even stealing)

when the war breaks out, swindle gets drafted into the front lines (a decision that still baffles him to this day). since he's not much of a fighter, the autobots have swindle work as a spy, ordering him to smuggle weapons out of decepticon servos...

in future hindsight, that was a poor decision

---

wrapping it up here because i don't want this post to get too long LMAO but I still have more ideas for him if yall are interested. just know that this is not the end of swindle lore

ALSO I finally came up with autobot!swindle designations :D I've narrowed it down to 3 and I need help deciding. it's either between

quickdime - cuz. you know. he's always looking to make a quick buck

treasury - his subspace acts like a treasury if you kinda think about it

fortune - idk it sounds cute. besides fortune tends to "favor the bold and clever"

if u made it this far then congrats. thank u for listening to me yap. have a bonus doodle

[bittertarot]

txt turn on/off’s 💓💓

I''m assuming you mean as in what attracts them to a person and what makes them want to walk away, I'm doing Soobin and Yeonjun today, Beomgyu + maknaes will be done later <3 (Mainly because Tumblr won't let me post if I've written too much) Yeonjun - (Sooo much to say, I had to summarise!) Turn On's : *Ace of Wands, Queen of Pentacles* - With the ace, it talks about new beginnings whilst wands talks about desire and passion. Queen talks about a nurturing, feminine energy, whilst pentacles talks about a materialistic and sensual person. He seems to like someone that's inspirational, someone who's a very passionate. He likes someone ambitious and creative, too! He also likes someone very in tune with their feminine aspects and energy, someone comforting and practical. As well as someone who has their own sense of financial security and can pay for themselves! He seems to not care whether they have more of a cute or sexy appeal, he just likes someone that is overall good-looking from his POV. Turn Off's : *The World, 7 of Wands* - The world tells us about completion, someone whom has reached a level of enlightenment. Wands talks about passion, desire, willpower. 7 talks about exploration, wisdom and spirituality. It seems he doesn't want someone too mature/wise, he'd prefer someone that hasn't figured everything out but has passion to invest time into their ideas for the future. He could potentially like someone that just is not complete as a person, he likes stability but he also likes someone who could depend on him sometimes. Both the first and second card talk about spirituality, I feel like he may have had negative experiences with an ex who was either very spiritual or religious. I don't sense any hatred towards it, though. He just does not want someone who's so obsessed that they would push their practice onto others. He finds that revolting and distasteful. He doesn't like someone defensive or that's a control freak. Soobin - Turn On's : *2 of Pentacles Reversed* - Not using a 2nd card here as it's a bit too invasive, so let's just talk about this card! 2 represents decisions, balance and partnerships whilst pentacles signifies materialism, sensuality and an earthly nature. In reverse, this card talks about a loss of balance, being disorganized and a feeling of being overwhelmed. It feels like he would find himself attracted to someone who's struggling and overwhelmed, who hasn't found their centre and is a chaotic, disorganized, mess. He wants to be the type of person to help someone, to constantly hover around them and do something to assist them. Like I've said in a past reading, his love language is absolutely acts of service! He'd be attracted to someone whom he feels like he can serve, treat like a Queen. He seems to prefer someone more on the sexy side when it comes to appearance! Turn Off's : *The Tower Reversed, Ace of Swords* - The first card shows that he dislikes someone whom tends to avoid/delay disaster, he prefers someone courageous that can face conflict head on without delay. He doesn't like someone that has a tendency to fear the idea of going through conflict and suffering. Ace shows new beginnings and potentials whilst sword shows ideas, logic and intellect. He doesn't like someone with an incredibly sharp mind, he likes someone with a lot of strength/courage (as stated before). He dislikes someone who can be considered cold. He hates people who strike down others just for self-gain, he finds that nasty and crude.

[crispycreambacon]

I thought I'd share the sketch of this poster/book cover as well as my initial concepts! You can click the "Read More" button for more in-depth explanations on my design process.

Thhis is all for my latest fanfiction, Snip Snip, so if you'd like to check that out, then...

Now let's crack in!

For the release of "Snip Snip", I actually had several different directions in mind! One was a comic of one of the scenes from the fanfic—specifically the one where the Professor breaks down in front of Kate and Joyce with the line "I don't like being a woman"—and the other was a series of doodles showing the Professor's transition. Unfortunately, both directions met dead ends as I couldn't find the motivation to do either. The most progress I made were these sketches.

If you're wondering, "The first one looks familiar..." that's because I reused that pose for my first promo art! It was too good of a pose. I couldn't waste it :P

But anyways, after a period of getting extremely frustrated over the lack of progress, I realized my main problem: I was biting off more than I could chew. I didn't know this at the time, but I was dealing with burnout from school assignments that made drawing more ambitious ideas like the ones I had very difficult. Hence, I had to scale it down. It made me think, "Why not do something like a movie poster or a book cover?"

That's how the sketches at the top of the post came to be! I consulted a friend of mine over which pose to choose, and he picked the third one which I understand why so. The obscuring of the Professor's face not only made it cool, but it adds symbolism in how we don't really see his true identity—the real him—until his transition. Here's the first sketch!

As you can see, the title is on the top left corner! However, I moved it to the bottom for two reasons

It's advice I learnt while looking up how to make movie posters since moving the title to the bottom tends to bring more focus to the illustration above.

I couldn't find a font that fits! And the idea of doing typography again (especially after the Keep Yourself Safe poster...) was really not what I signed up for.

But then it left the problem of the top corner looking empty. It was too distracting! So what did I fill it in with? The subtitle: This is their story. The composition is now more balanced, and also the subtitle tickles me.

As I said before, I looked up movie posters for this! Special thanks to the Nashville Film Institute and Muse by Clio for their articles that guided me during this poster making process. I will say though I got really sidetracked watching Filmmaker IQ's The History of the Hollywood Movie Poster 😭 It's really interesting, I'd recommend watching it!

One thing I learnt is that movie posters limit their colour palettes. Of course, this is good advice for art in general, but movie posters emphasize on its colour usage to attract the audience with their simple yet bold schemes. It is a piece of advertisement after all! Following their footsteps, I limited my colours to the primary colours (red, yellow, blue) and purple to make the scissors pop and allude to the nonbinary flag colour scheme.

And from there, it was just a matter of experimenting with rendering! I wanted a mix of pop art and storybook illustrations, so I mixed lineart with lineless, and I wanted to retain the energy of the sketch while still polishing it, so I cleaned the sketch, merged it with the colours, and painted on top of it rather than make a separate lineart layer.

Overall, I'm extremly proud of the end result! The struggle of figuring out the promo art for this fic has been tormenting me since the beginning of the year, so I'm glad to bring it to an end. Thank you for reading my ramblings! I hope you learnt something or at least had fun? Either way, have a good day!!

[abnomi]

HI IM WYATT!! 🫧🧼🐡

im like if a fish was a guy and it and yeah

I'm nonbinary and a fan of soap. My personality develops at a normal human rate as well as my human mind. I'm a normal human age with a normal human life.

i like drawing! ✏️ check out #my art! 🎨 in the tags to see

i won't post explicit NSFW (anything graphically sexual in nature or anything with extreme gore), but beyond that one rule, i do not limit what kinds of topics i post about on here. i will trigger tag the generally sensitive ones, however!

i do not engage in discourse and i go out of my way to avoid it. this also goes for any mean-spirited kind of content! let's be nice to each other.

i have heavy general anxiety, so please be patient with me! i tend to respond slowly and get overwhelmed extremely easily; not to say anyone owes me constant coddling or anything ofc!! i just think it's worth mentioning in case i start acting erratic or something HAHA. the more you know! 🪱 brain problems galore

feel free to talk to me either thru my askbox or messages! i love meeting new people and talking to my friends despite how anxiety may influence my behavior to indicate otherwise! i just need time. a lot and a lot of time.

my grammar sometimes is Bad because my brains is Goo Sorry... i struggle with wording things coherently :---( if i say something that comes off the wrong way, i apologize in advance! i am still learning

im a rampant lifelong selfshipper. been in the loving game for quite some time now. if you are an off-putting fictional character, youd best hope you dont cross paths with me.

OC x canon is one of my primary interests; i will probably post about it more often than not on here! if you have a common interest with a character i like, I'm more than okay with sharing! love for everyone Yay !! 🌞🌞🌈

I'm working on a fansite for character shrines but ummm its taking a while

"What does this silly fuck even do?"

Dont fucking talk to me like that. I draw sometimes and try very hard to make art! Unfortunately, the brain I'm using is kind of stupid and broken and it doesn't do what I tell it to do. Working on getting a new one, but it's just not going according to plan.

As for what kind art I tend to make, I'm very experimental with my work! Expecting consistency from me is a bad idea. I get bored of the same ideas quickly and bounce around a ton. I LOOOVE character design and character writing in particular!! i have so many stories and concepts, you have no idea. Anything character/story-oriented is a major favorite subject of mine.

I'm hoping to get around to game development, web design, animation, music production, 3d stuff, and more! Just need to kind of kick myself to the finish line u know

"Wow what concepts do you have in mind"

too many and theyre all unfinished, but I'm planning on making a webcomic! I ambitiously wanted (and still do want) to take on several massive projects that I'm not able to accomplish in my current state, so I thought a comic i can create on my own time would be much easier and a good way to start the road to self discipline... we will see how that goes.

I'd go in depth explaining all of my stories and characters but it sounds like a bad idea to put those here. I'll make a website compiling all of the information about them eventually i promiiiisee

"What do you like"

My interests fluctuate so often that i generally can't fully pin one down as if it's consistently present.

There's hardly any pattern in what I gravitate towards, other than the single qualifier of whether the piece of work contains a token character for me to latch onto who is outwardly antagonistic and/or bitter towards everyone in the cast. Everything else is mostly irrelevant in quantifying how much i will enjoy a thing. this isn't an end all be all, though!! its less of a rule and more of a pattern.

"Did you hear about how they're sending frozen ants to mars just to see what will happen? Just letting them defrost there and crawl around, an isolated ant society. I don't know who's behind this. I heard it from a friend, but I don't think I believe them, because who would do that and why?"

It was me. I was the one sending them. Watch your back. Don't ask this again

"My head hurts."

My head heuts too

"also can i kill you and your family"

Sure

[no-where-new-hero]

Thank you @batrachised for tagging me in a 20 questions fanfic author game!

1-How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 2, will soon be 3 :)

2-What's your total AO3 word count?

Currently 10,518.

3-What fandoms do you write for?

LM Montgomery novels and Tale of the Nine-Tailed at the moment.

4-What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

"A Dream of the Woodland," my Barney Snaith pov fic, has the most kudos simply because the Blue Castle Book Club are lovely and generous people!

5-Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do because I'm still new enough to this that every comment has me giggling and kicking my feet, and I want the commenter to feel like their time was spent well on typing out a reaction! It also feels like a mini-conversation about my favorite thing (my work hehe).

6-What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I mean, "The One who Takes" will automatically be the angstiest because it's canon compliant, basically a canon novelization, and I spent the previous 4800 words leading up to the finale shaping the characters to deliver the maximum possible pain out of an already painful situation. I have to admit I enjoy writing angst; I enjoy happy endings but until now the main feedback I've gotten on my works and pairings is that they're "sweet" and that feels like a vital misrepresentation of my core self lol.

7-What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

"A Dream of the Woodland" probably, again canon compliancy. The two drafts I have growing won't be happy to the same extent.

8-Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet 👀

9-Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I've become a very fade to black writer after several years of struggling to walk a fine line between graphic, which I guess is the point but not always, and merely allusive, which ends up kind of...unnecessarily poetic (me staring at the sex scene in Divine Rivals, which had me convinced the writer was Christian). This is me standing on my bandbox, but unless it's explicit, I find including smut incredibly awkward. And sometimes being explicit simply doesn't fit the story, and pwp is not my thing. So I've decided to start steering clear of it until I've found a way to toe that line (Starling House comes closest to achieving this for me, but it's almost not a smut scene? Like you know they're having sex but it's so barely there? OT).

10-Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not yet, but I'm still percolating elements for the Dean Priest x Barney Snaith x Walter Blythe fic. After that discussion about Dean being bisexual or at least closetedly in love with Douglas, that idea surged back into my consciousness again.

11-Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, luckily. I'm not famous enough for that to happen lol.

12-Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but that sounds like a huge honor.

13-Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I'm open to the idea!

14-What's your all-time favourite ship?

Oh lord what a question. It's hard because I have a few but so often I want to keep them sacrosanct from fanfiction because I have the only correct interpretation of the ship and won't accept others lol. The one exception is that "euchronology" story about Dean x Emily, but otherwise yeah I tend to avoid reading about ships that are special to me.

15-What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I mean, that LMM sad guy crossover feels a bit ambitious for my time right now, even though I have the elements in place. We'll see.

16-What are your writing strengths?

The prose. I've been doing this for so long that getting pretty words out onto the screen stops feeling like effort.

17-What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I get stuck in my prose and forget that a story needs momentum. And also a shape. Learning how to outline would be great haha.

18-Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

This is actually interesting considering I'm writing for a media created in another language that I partially know, so while writing the new dialogue in "The One who Takes," I was very conscious of not just "would he say that" but also "what would the sentence structure feel like" and "I am also aware that I am filtering this awareness of speech pattern through translation." I don't think I did very well, but it was a thought process.

19-First fandom you wrote for?

I mean, the first "real" OG writing I ever did was very very thinly veiled The Hero and the Crown fanfic (by Robin McKinley, another of my formative books), so I guess that one? Though I feel like I only entered fandom properly this year with The Blue Castle.

20-Favorite fic you've ever written?

"The One who Takes." I don't see that getting dethroned by any of my other ideas any time soon. I love my murder children, I achieved what I wanted with it, I feel like I was writing at the top of my form. It has every element I ever loved in a fic (star-crossed love, hurt/comfort, charged mentor/mentee relationship, unhappy ending) and the form satisfied me (unlinear, lyrical, close 3rd person POV, thematically circular). ANYWAY I'm gassing this one up so you can all check it out here if you haven't already :)))

Tagging (if you haven't done this already): @mollywog @kehlana-wolhamonao3 @thesweetnessofspring

[innerchorus]

What do followers of the King Snake look like in terms of appearance and personality?

Followers as in the sorcerors of Team Zahhak? There's not a whole lot of detail on physical appearance from what I recall, at least as far as the disciples are concerned. You'd have to comb carefully through the novels for crumbs of info there but I wouldn't expect any specifics like hair or eye colour (though there were a few references to their eyes glowing — I wasn't sure how literal Tanaka intended this to be but it obviously informed the way Arakawa draws them in her manga... and come to think of it, their eyes also had a red or blue glow in the anime too).

Their personalities largely share the same negative traits. They tend to be sneaky (favouring what would be considered dishonorable methods of combat such as trickery, poison, sneaking up on others from behind, etc), generally negative/critical even of their own comrades (they're working together but they do not appear to be fond of each other and it feels more like a competitive relationship than true teamwork), spiteful, short-tempered, easily frustrated, cruel, etc. You get the idea.

I obviously paid more attention to Gurgin in particular as he's my favourite and easily the most interesting of Team Zahhak, and I do think you get to know him more in the novels. He's an ambitious smooth talker who enjoys feeling superior to his fellow disciples and is keen for his talents and efforts to be recognised by their Master. He's also the only disciple with backstory which you may have already read about, but I'll link to anyway. Like the others, he's willing to commit some truly awful acts to accompish Team Zahhak's aims, but every now and then there are glimpses of what little humanity he has left, though he does lose those traces progessively over the course of the story. I'll stop myself there before I write a whole essay on Gurgin, anyway.

Of the others, Gazdaham probably stands out a bit more than the others, partly because of his rivalry with Gurgin. He also loses an eye during the second half of the series, so there's a tidbit of physical description for you. Honestly, in a way he becomes quite a comical figure especially in his struggles to control Ilterish, and his fervour for Zahhak often verges on the ridiculous. He's a bit of a contrast to Gurgin, who even Ilterish takes more seriously. Ilterish mocking Gazdaham is fucking hilarious though.

Oh, it's worth mentioning that in the novels their cloaks are grey, though I've adopted the black they are shown with in the manga personally.

Hm, what else? In the novels, Pulad was the mage killed by Isfan during the night raid, and he was said to be inexperienced. Arakawa switched the mages around so in the manga it was Gurgin who died in that scene and I am still not over it.

I know this has been shared before, but here are Arakawa's designs for the disciples, with the translation of their names added by me (don't talk to me about the fact that Gurgin would almost certainly be 'Gurgan' if he had ever been referred to by name in the manga).

They don't wear masks in the novels, either.

Okay, now for the Unholy Master. In terms of appearance he's very beautiful (though it's apparently an artificial kind of beauty). Even Gieve acknowledges that he's handsome, lol. He has long blond hair and blue eyes. He's a bit of a mysterious figure and I won't go into the novel's eventual reveal of his origins here but I will say I hope we get to hear about it in the manga, too.

To speak of his personality, he appears content to use his disciples as tools, and while he is the one who teaches them magic the fact that Tanaka once stated he's careful not to teach them anything that would allow them to equal him speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. He is clearly drawn to power (the same is likely true of all the disciples though it's very evident with Gurgin, whose interest in Zahhak's power even goes back to when he was a trainee priest). He usually seems composed but he's not immune to feelings of bloodlust (this is probably common in members of Team Zahhak; again it's something we see with Gurgin) and he can be provoked to anger by Gieve of course ahaha. That he is manipulative goes without saying.

I guess this probably covers the question to the best of my knowledge, unless you're interested in figures like Ilterish or others who have been given Zahhak's blood, or the body that hosts Zahhak (even if you hide the shoulder snakes I think the person looks a bit... off. I would have to check specifics but as far as I can recall they were described as having purplish lips and reddish eyes; see this Shinobu Tanno illustration from Book 16).

[rosesnbooks]

Dear Kate,

Hello! 🤗I hope this finds you well!

Just reaching out to see if you’re still up for doing my natal chart reading. I’d love to hear your input and interpretation of it!

Here’s my info:

November 7 1992

Plano, Texas USA

09:58AM

Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon! 💖

Sav

free ("brief") natal chart reading

hello dear Sav, hope you enjoy this reading and find yourself in it <3. so, I think you're quite intuitive, mysterious, and intense at your core, and your identity is closely tied to your friends who are important to you. you feel like you are who you are because of people like them and you want to form more meaningful friendships, even though it may not be the easiest thing for you. also, I feel like it can be challenging to show the world who you are, especially when there's this energy in you that tends to be more intense and ambitious, that's contrasting the other side of you that wants to remain more observant and objective. you have an innovative mind and there is something unique about you that others notice, and change can do you good. oh, you're also imaginative, and even more intuitive than I thought! i feel like your identity has changed a lot over time and people who don't know much about you have no idea how intense you can be. i think they see you less seriously, as if you are quite optimistic and friendly. because you value these traits, they're not far from the truth, but there's a darker shade to you. now, people closest to you, know that you can be direct and assertive, and very fierce and ambitious. your emotions come and go quite intensely, sometimes in fits of rage. i think you'll feel the most emotionally fulfilled if you develop a close and honest relationship with your family (whatever your definition of family may be). when you communicate with others, they believe you to be funny and smart, and I feel like you are good with words. there's definitely some kind of contrast within you, you're either quite charming and diplomatic, or you get carried away by your emotions and dominance, so you're really direct. find a balance between those. you have a desire to be independent, and that's what brings you emotional security. one thing regarding the way you speak, I think you may wander from topic to topic because you're so imaginative so your mouth can't keep up with you lol. you offer good advice! in love, you want someone who is light-hearted, funny, spiritual, and knowledgable but also sensitive, thoughtful, and caring. you need to feel safe and comfortable with them. i think romantic relationships will be of a lot of significance for you in this lifetime, but remember to love yourself as much as them! i think you are a driven person, with ambitions and the knowledge of how people function so you can perform very well. you show your most sensitive and loving side to your romantic relationships, and some kind of partnerships in general. be careful about passive-aggressive behaviors. you'll have the most luck in life when you nurture your optimistic, curious, and spiritual side. be as diplomatic, intuitive, and kind as possible too! perhaps you struggle sometimes with blending in different communities and you're scared about losing material possessions and your comforts in life, but I'm here to tell you everything will be okay with them. don't be afraid to speak up and fight for others. take care dear, and I can't wait to hear from you! <3

p.s. i love your username!

[someone-took-lost]

here they be! the redesigns of my cast from my in the works comic, gatekey. for those who don’t know, gatekey is a story about witches who destroy monstrous creatures called sprites. and along the way, they pave the path for a new tomorrow for the upcoming generations. and while doing so, they uncover many secrets about their society in which they seek to change or learn more about.

and now, meeting our cast members… from the left to right~

grimoire of rosebone valley (she/her)

the curious human from a small city in the valley, grim is a wizard who seeks to bring the world of magic to her fellow humans who seem to despise it. she’s an ambitious little spark, who has a fiery streak that might burn you on the way out. and albeit, a little arrogant and short sighted--grim does seek to better the world around her. she‘s just eager, and has difficulty seeing the other side of the issues. so at times, she can get caught up in her own head. but she swears that one day, she’s gonna show ‘em all what’s what! and that magic is the way of the future!

the lockheart witch (she/they)

with a stink-eye that even the thickest of heads would notice, lock is the dark loner of the group. she’s quick to distrust, and very protective of what she deems hers. and her alone--which tends to be a lot of things. lock is a determined witchling who just loves fiercely, and has a strong entitlement to the idea of equality. but unfortunately, due to events out of her control, lock has had a hard time being able to measure up to and with her fellow witches. and this has stirred a bit of an inferiority complex that she struggles to keep under control most times. she is a studious little witch, and a brilliant one at that, but her goals can have a tendency to get in the way of what means the most to her.

the gatekey witch (she/her)

our lead, our shining star, our brightest flame. key is the pillar of hope and optimism of those around her. she’s an excitable witchling, who dreams of becoming the strongest of them all. and to one day stand among her peers at white tower, the capital of witch society. and she’s ready to do whatever it takes to get there! but despite her bright eyes and even brighter spirit, key does have a habit of not thinking things through. and though she does believe in everyone to do the right thing, her naïveté tends to cause her to realize things a bit too late. she’s a bit of a troublemaker, but hecate above, she is going to make her way to her dreams! with her friends at her side, and a fist full of ass kicking--key will sure as the havens above that she will take on anything that challenges her!

the harvest moon witch (he/they/she)

self proclaimed “cool guy” harvey is the laid back, easy going witch of coven 3 who seems to find more reasons to not care than to ever come up with a reason to care. in fact, he’s spent more time napping in the shade than ever in the library. harvey is the challenge to his friend, key’s ideals, and seeks to mess in every possible way with those he cares about because,,, well. it’s just fun, ya know? harvey’s spent a lot of his life not caring, and it seems he’s going to spend even more of his time that way. as he readjusts his shades, and leans against the wall. but perhaps, that competitive spirit, and affinity for cunning will bring him a reason to try someday? who knows. but for now, i think it’s rest time-

the huntsman witch (they/them)

shadow of the executioner, fang of white tower, child of the whiteout. the huntsman witch,,,really likes reading and petting dogs. oh yes, this intimidating little guy i promise is in no way any sort of threat to--honestly, anyone really. unless ordered to, hunter is a gentle spirit, who adores dogs and reading. but tends to have trouble telling anyone about it. they’re extremely shy, and prefer to not say anything, as they feel there isn’t a lot for them they feel needs to be said from them. and even then when they do feel as though they’d like to say something,,,there never seems to be anyone willing to listen. but that’s okay! they’re okay with just listening in the end, ya know? sweet little guy with a hardened, trained, and sharpened exterior.

and that’s all of my little guys for my original comic!! let me know if any of you have questions, and i shall answer to the best of my ability. <3

[rriavian]

ooooo this ask game has a lot of good ones. How about:

🐌 What is one of your smallest writing goals?

👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

🐌 What is one of your smallest writing goals?

My aim is to finish a few smaller projects in the first six months of this year. I’ve got some prompts in my inbox that I’m finishing fics for (all smaller stories) and I'd like to keep to a goal of regularly filling prompts this year.

I’ve also got another Corintheus ficlet I want to finish, and Cursed is a shorter piece. So a rough goal is the get those two out for February and then do the rest in whatever time they need :)

 👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

I think my bad habits are the other sides of my good habits, if that makes sense? The billions of ideas I’m always having can mean that unless I catch that wave when it happens, it feels like I’ve not done anything with that thought and just stalled instead. My own brain can quickly swamp me, and that can make me then struggle to finish. So I’m trying to pace myself better and be less stressed about ‘right now immediately’.

I also tend to write a little chaotically. Prose out of order, leaving rough sentences/ideas as place holders, but this doesn’t always work for longer projects. It can leave some tricky bits to clean up at the end. I can dip back in and be like aha! I know exactly what this needs, but it can also trip me up and stall me.

I’ve got a relatively flexible style, I’ve taken some different approaches in different fandoms and/or fics. Though Baiting the Trap and its specific tone/style was very much something I’d already practised in another series. Just not as explicit and not quite as poetic (the Corinthian’s POV naturally seems to be very lyrical, though not in the same way as Dream's). 

To keep flexibility I like to shake things up and do something completely new to keep myself from losing an edge and getting lazy. Not that I think I am a lazy writer, but I have ways to make sure I’m taking the same care and thought every time. Prompts from other people really help with this as I love considering new angles and tropes.

When something is hard/new I think we go more carefully, and are forced to be more novel, and I really really like improving my skills by doing that. It’s helped me write some of my favourite work.

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

There are two secret Corintheus fics I wrote alongside those for Corintheus week that need a last edit before posting but I’m being very quiet about what they are :) should be a nice surprise! I’m also very proud of my Corintheus ‘divorce au’ that I still need do some work on before I post. I think the one I’m most excited about is probably role reversal au because when finished it’s going to be the longest fic I’ve yet posted that’s not split into a series. It'll also be the longest fic I’ve written in years.

It’s quite ambitious, and will probably have a sequel. I’ve planned the second arc out because I had to split the original fic in two. There’s lots of threads as well as other relationship dynamics and subplots. It’s about Dream and the Corinthian of course, but also very much about how they interact with other characters. Death shows up quite a lot, but I would say that Lucienne and Gault are the other really major characters in the fic.

I’m also branching out into other parings/writing some more gen fics. And, as an honourable mention, what was intended as the last two parts of Baiting the Trap have both been written for over a year and every single day I just want to share where it’s going. Unfortunately there’s at least two more in the middle, which I’m also excited about, but when I get to it I’m going to feel so relieved. 

Oh! And the Corintheus seduction au! Goodness I’m excited about everything aren’t I? Though I guess that sums me up! Thank you so much for your questions I hope you enjoyed my answers :)

[cookinguptales]

Hi, can I please get a reading? There's big changes ahead for me so I'm particularly wondering how autumn will turn out, but general one is fine too. As for a song, "Starting Fires" by Lazy Habits is on repeat in my head today. 🔥🔥

Thank you for doing these! 💚

No problem! Tarot nights are always a lot of fun. 💜

Starting Fires (Lazy Habits)

(Three of Cups, The Magician (reversed), Page of Pentacles)

This spread signifies a little bit of trouble with a project, I think.

The Magician is a card that is usually really good to see at the beginning of a new project. It's a card of creativity and willpower, the ability to take your dreams and make them reality. It's really about manifestation, y'know? Making your ideas real through sheer force of will.

When reversed like this, it can mean a few things... It can mean that you're struggling to get things to coalesce, or that you just can't seem to get things done. It can speak to a loss of inspiration, perhaps. At its worst, the Magician in its reversed state means that you are using your powers of manifestation for ill. Maybe you're becoming greedy or deceptive or too ambitious. While it's good to work hard for your goals, it's important not to go too far, y'know?

I do tend to try to think the best of people when I do this, though, so I'm just going to assume that you're struggling to get things done.

The Page of Pentacles is another one of those very ambitious cards. You see it a lot at the beginning of projects, especially commercial ones. Maybe a new business, or a new creative project that you intend to sell. It's usually a good card to see; it means you have a lot of drive and ambition and you're really excited to get all this done. It does have a degree of aimlessness to it, though. You don't just need to have the desire -- you need to have a plan. You should be stubborn, yes, but there should be direction to it. That may be some of the problems you're running into; plenty of ambition, drive, and creativity, but you just haven't quite worked out the concrete details.

The very first card in this spread gives you a possible solution to your problems, though. The Three of Cups is a card about friendship, creativity, and collaboration. Perhaps your problem is that you're trying to do too much alone. Bringing other people into this project may give you much-needed perspectives you hadn't considered before, and maybe the support and extra manpower will be enough to get things moving again.

Good luck!

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

About Dazed, but not the same anon!

I’m so frustrated with those interviews… It always lacks depth, barely scratches the surface. I want to know more, I want more substance. I wish the interviewer would ask better questions or try to push a bit more, it’s just lazy work every time.

Again on this topic about Jungkook wanting to be bigger and cool : while I understand what he means by being bigger, you explained it well, I would also love to know what it’s like for him to be "cool". Does he have a role model in mind? is it about a specific image he wants to achieve? Why is it so important for him? Right now it just sounds a bit shallow and superficial and not a very clear goal that could be reached for. Being bigger as an artist can be objectively quantified, with BB charts sales numbers, radio spins, awards and so on (though we could discuss that…). Being cool, on the other hand, is something that you end up being, almost accidentally? For me it sounds as weird as saying I would like to be seen as a humble person, for eg. You don’t get to define yourself as so, it’s one of those qualities that it’s up to others to determine if you are or not, how can it be something you reach for, especially if you verbalize it so loudly? I don’t think it’s something you can work towards. It’s too subjective, not like you have to tick certain boxes and then that’s it, here you are, a cool guy lol. It’s a consequence of your personality, your actions, not a goal. Or am I being too obtuse? I know I tend to be lol English isn’t my first language so I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words.

I’m just a bit skeptical because the goals he’s setting for himself seem too vague and an easy way to getting lost. It almost sounds like a dead end to me. I’ve always find him cool, and paradoxically now the more he’s saying he wants to be like this bla-bla-bla, the less I’m perceiving him that way. It’s like when a person you admire or your love interest for eg says something and suddenly they start to lose their aura/magic. It’s like a turn off. Sorry, I’m being a bit too harsh. But I guess if his role model is someone like Bieber then it’s only logical I’m losing the plot, that guy is the epitome of a caricature to me, the exact opposite of cool, precisely because it’s so obvious he has tried so hard to be so it looks fake, like a facade. Please Jungkook, you already are cool, what are you talking about 😐

Hey different anon! Yeah, these interviews are always pretty boring. Unless Jungkook or the members develop their thoughts they won't be asked follow up questions. I think the interviewers choose not to push them sometimes, even without the language barrier. RM and Suga often give good interviews where they get asked interesting questions, but perhaps interviewers expect less of the other members? In the sense that they don't know whether to push them or not, so they choose not to?

But the worst part is that this article read like a fic. It was cringe.

Hmm, I get what you mean, but I think Jungkook's "cool" isn't exactly the English "cool". If you know a little of Korean you probably know the word he's using, which he's used to express what he wanted his legacy as BTS to be. He once said he wanted people to look back at BTS and say "they were cool" (or something like that). "Cool" is kind of an all-encompassing word that means good and enjoyable, in a simple, digestible way, and not necessarily smooth, charming, cold, and other ideas related to "coolness". It's like Jungkook just wants people to remember BTS fondly, like it's enough to be an artist that people enjoy in a very simple, comfortable way, even if it's just one song or performance. Rather than iconic, once in a lifetime group, I guess he just wants BTS to be a group people look back on and say "BTS? Oh, I remember them, they were cool". I don't know, it's simple and innocent, and actually not that ambitious?

On the other hand, Jungkook has always talked about wanting to become a cooler performer and show cooler performances. In fact, that's something all idols says. But it still raises the question of what a cooler performer and performance means to him. We know he's usually a bit dissatisfied after he performs and that he feels like he's lacking in many ways. We also know he wants to look sharp, mature, sexy, powerful, and that's surely part of becoming "cooler" - it's like he wants to become his ideal self and be less Jungkook. I remember Jungkook saying he loves the Seven choreo because it's cool, while I personally find it weak and basic. But it's laid back and "sexy", and he thinks that kind of performance is cool.

Jungkook is very hyperactive and kpop is very excessive. It sounds like maybe Jungkook wants to tone it down, make his performances look more approachable and "effortless" (other concepts related to being "cool"). Maybe this all comes down to his maknae image and not wanting it to limit him, or to be perceived that way forever? So Jungkook becoming cooler is becoming someone who can surprise people and put on laid back performances that look effortless? I'm, once again, reminded of Bieber. I think Jungkook very much admires him and thinks he's a cool performer. He mentioned enjoying him at the Grammys although Bieber didn't dance or do anything special. Jungkook is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, and maybe he wants to be colder, cooler, and not the goofy cutie we see him as. I can relate to that tbh, because I feel stupid sometimes because I'm too smiley and openly emotional.

Maybe it's not shallow, maybe it's coming from a place of insecurity? We know that, despite recent improvements, Jungkook isn't actually a very confident person, but he's trying to become someone he can be proud of - his ideal self - and, to him, that is simply someone "cool". A cool artist, a cool performer, a cool person. Maybe Jungkook doesn't really know how to express the image he has in his head any better than this? But, yeah, I also disagree with what I think his idea of cool is. And just like the ambition to become "bigger", it's not really an attainable goal. You can always climb higher, in theory. Will there ever be a point at which Jungkook feels like he's "cool enough"? It's doubtful.

So, yeah, I get your skepticism about Jungkook wanting to become "cooler" and how that makes him less cool, but it's not really about being pretentious. I think Jungkook really feels like he's lacking and wants to become a cooler artist, in every sense of the word, but I do feel like he's getting stuck on the idea of coolness being sexiness, manliness, nonchalance.

I don't even know if I agreed or disagreed with you haha. What did I even conclude? Not sure, but thanks for the ask!

[tonytylerdraws]

June Newsletter - Artist of Nothing 001

This is a republish of my newsletter found on Substack or on my website’s blog.

Meet the artist

Hey there! My name is Antonio Tyler. I’m a part-time webcomic artist and illustrator, and have been drawing off and on for over 20 years. I tend to draw cyberpunk art, but I’ll also draw anything from superheroes to slice-of-life comics. Currently, I’m mostly an all-digital artist, though I have taken class and self taught myself in traditional methods as well. I live in the Bay Area of California.

Art I’ve done - for this first newsletter do the whole year

First half of the year recap

I ended up closing my Threadless store for a lot of reasons. One was the durability of printing for several t-shirts, particularly on heather t-shirts. Yes, the shirts often were only $15 for customers, but they should last more than a year! The second reason is that sales were low, despite having my designs in the Threadless Marketplace and on the Hot Topic website. Nearly all of my sales came from my storefront, so the added eyes on the other storefronts amounted to nothing. I ended up switching to Printful, and getting a website started on Squarespace. However, it’s been a struggle, mentally, getting that off the ground

I had very ambitious plans this year, and ended up watching a lot of YouTube videos on yearly planning, productivity, and running an art business. But when push came to shove, I really struggled. I was in a funk for a lot of the year, busy with my day job, and finding less and less time to draw. And when I did have time to draw, I often had terrible art block. I struggled with my art process, and was frustrated by low engagement.

Not all was terrible. I did a great job networking with other artists, reworked my plans, and decided to pivot away from engagement on social media. Social media is essentially dead, so my website, newsletter, and other outreach is now my focus

June plans

Cara

Boy howdy was there an exodus from Instagram. Cara exploded in users when Meta announced that they would begin feeding users’ images into their generative AI. While some users outside the United States could opt out, users in the US found it was almost impossible to do so.

I was on Cara before this all went down. It offers Glaze, an AI disruptive technology, for free through its website. For someone who doesn’t have a desktop device that can use Nightshade, it was the next best thing (though Ibis Paint, the drawing app integrated their own AI disruptive tech into their app)

Reset and going foward

For June, I’m planning on finally launching my website, storefront and newsletter/blog. I’m planning on releasing some Ibis Paint brushes for free. I’m also going to start on my cyberpunk webcomic, Only Human. Though, with Meta doubling down on Instagram’s AI scrapping, my original square format page idea might change.

[your-local-uwu-artist]

Okay I think I have the basic idea for the animatic and just need to storyboard

Idk how to do that

alright so get your audio imported and than theres a few ways to approach

ummmm ill use my kirby storyboard and charlotte animatic for examples ( i can find more examples if youd like too :3)

scattered tips and rambles under the cut nfsdkja

so i tend to only include the base poses for movement in my animatics and i also keep my sketches like, quick and simple, one thing thats visible in my kirby one is that i didnt keep the backgrounds consistent in the storyboard because once i had what i wanted for that sketched out i would switch to focusing on the character animaiton sense i could figure the background out later

i would recomend using minimal layers: it can be helpful to have 2 animation layers though so you can sketch the character movements independant from eachother: however for storyboarding just keep it to one layer

if you need to sketch out character anatomy id suggest doing that after your storyboard: on a second sketch layer, simmilar to how later examples of my kirby animatic had circles to keep track of the size and placement of characters, if you struggle with anatomy than try to sketch em more like stick figures or with less lines to keep the process simple

if your having trouble conveying a particular movement than it could be helpful to flesh it out further in you base storyboard so that you have it more figured out later on, but for the most part dont worry about the actual animation just the base poses

sense you havnt animated before id focus more on just getting your ideas down, if you animate more in the future than its important to study more about character movement and flow and directing the viewers eyes and all of that but for now try not to wory about making anything particualry amazing, i find for me putting to much expectations on an animations result makes the task feel even more daunting ^o^*

however if you want to be more ambitious and start learning some more storyboarding skills i can try to sketch out some guides~

a great thing to focus on now thats simple is just to keep in sync with the music, particularly for actual cuts

theres lot of editing you can do to make an animatic look more animated post production, any camera movemtns (like a slight movement from right to left or a zoom in out, or shakey little effect) dont worry about any of those rn, example of this is in my kirby animatic theres that one clip where theres drawings being shown and you can see how the shot isnt drawn to fit the full page: thats cause i plan to do camera movement to pan across the drawing

ummm i would suggest cheking out Jamie De Jonge - YouTube, and •[ Silliest_Light ]• - YouTube, cause there great examples where like, its generally more simple/less ambitous animations but look fantastic, and do a great job of storytelling

my charlotte animatic was done super quick, i did have a sketch layer if i remember correctly but like, it was pretty fast~

for that i just focused for keeping in sync with music and the actual like, framing to convey more emotion, theres only 12 frames in the whole thing actually

another small thing i did there is in the first frame charlotte's arms are like, down resting on the ledge where as in the next clip with her , her pose changed so her hands are on te ledge but her arms are strectched out, given that the action of her goign from the ledge to pushing herself ore upwards is a simple movement and also like, a very diagonal one? if that makes sense i think this pose change helped convey more motion in general despite the motion itself never being shown, i could try to phrase that better if that didnt make sense djnfajsd

all of this is really scattered so im not sure how much help it is but i hope it is at least somewhat neat idk dafkndjf