#my partner was going to participate but she ALSO has a migraine and feels like shit

[shoutsindwarvish]

been looking forward to this virtual seder for weeks and now i’m in postdrome and absolutely exhausted and it starts in 35 minutes but i want to go to sleep :(

[natsbaby]

To a Fruitful Relationship

Pairing: CEO!Scarlett Johansson x Secretary!Reader

Summary: RDJ recommended you to Scarlett who’s in dire need of a new secretary ever since her first one resigned but Robert gave her one condition, will Scarlett follow it?

Warnings: drinking of alcohol

Word Count: 3.8K

A/N: Officially, this is probably my longest story by a solid 1K words HAHAHAH I really love this troupe so I couldn't help myself and write something with this so I hope you guys like it too!

“What do you mean my secretary resigned?” Scarlett asks in shock as Lizzie sighs, walking up to Scarlett’s minibar to pour some scotch for the both of them.

“Kelly resigned for a different job a few days ago while you were at DC, she didn’t tell you?”

“Apparently not” Scarlett mumbles as she leans back onto her executive chair, sighing in frustration as she rubs her templates in slow circles trying to elevate the migraine before it comes.

Scarlett and Elizabeth are business partners and CEOs of Johansson and Olsen Enterprises specializing in tech and software engineering with the business being 5 years old. Scarlett recently went on a trip to DC for a conference while Lizzie was handling the company from New York.

“I was asking around and Downey emailed us a possible secretary that he vouches for” Lizzie starts as she walks back to Scarlett, handing her a glass. Scarlett takes it with a soft ‘thanks', taking a sip as Lizzie leans onto her chair in front of her. “Look at her resumé, I did and I feel like it’s worth a shot”

Scarlett hums in response as she searches her email, finding Robert’s email and clicking it to reveal your resumé. She silently reads it, growing interested and impressed by the second.

“I know that look” Lizzie teases Scarlett with a smirk, taking a sip of her scotch. “You’re interested”

“How can I not be?” Scarlett says as she reads your accomplishments in university, which are your 4.2 GPA, your participation in multiple organizations where you’re an executive board member one way or another, and your charity work at a few hospitals and orphanages. “She’s also pretty”

“You mean pretty young?” Lizzie says laughing as Scarlett rolls her eyes playfully at the younger CEO. “Scarlett, it’s not a secret that you have a thing for younger people. Why did you think Tony left a note at the bottom of her resume?”

Scarlett raises her eyebrow in confusion before scrolling down to the bottom of the page to a note from Robert saying ‘don’t you dare or else I’m not giving her to you’.

“Peachy” Scarlett mumbles as she finishes her scotch in one go, putting the glass down and closing her laptop. “I wanna meet her at least even though it's a high possibility she’ll get the job”

“That’s why I already set the appointment to today in..” Lizzie trails off as she looks at her watch before looking back at the blonde with a smile. “An hour! Now, lunch before she comes?”

Scarlett shakes her head slightly as she chuckles softly under her breath, standing up and taking the glass from Lizzie and chugging it down. She puts the glass down on top of the table and gives the pouting brunette a smile.

“Alright, let’s go”

You look down at your phone that has the address for your supposed new job, looking back up to see the tall building as the New Yorkers walk past you.

Robert told you about his recommendation to a sister company of Stark Industries in New York as you originally worked in California. You weren’t sure about the move at first but after talking to your family with the promise of coming to visit during the holidays and weekly calls, you packed your bags and booked a one-way trip to your new job.

You take a deep breath as you put your phone into the pocket of your padfolio and walk into the building. You look around the lobby that's full of people in suits and a big ‘JOHANSSON AND OLSEN ENTERPRISES’ on the wall where the receptionist is typing away.

“Hi, I’m here for the secretary job?” You ask timidly with a shy smile, the receptionist looking up at you with a smile.

“Hi! You must be Y/N, Yes I was told you’re coming in today and early too! Excited?” She asks as she types your information into the computer. You shift your weight onto your other leg and chuckle slightly.

“I just landed from California an hour or two ago, wanted to be early just in case” the receptionist looks up at you briefly with an eyebrow raised. “California?”

You nod in confirmation. She chuckles softly as she hands you your ID and an iPad. “Well, you must be someone special then if they had you fly in from a different state”

“You know it Debby” a deep voice speaks behind you as you feel a familiar hand against the small of your back. You look to the side to see Robert leaning his side against the table with a Downey smile. “Sir Downey, I didn’t expect you to come”

“Are you kidding? Wanna see you one last time before I surrender you to the girls” he says jokingly as you take the ID and iPad from Debby the Receptionist.

“Thank you Debs but I got it from here” Robert says as he waves the receptionist goodbye and leads you into the elevators, pressing the highest floor of the building as the doors close.

“Be careful with Scarlett and Lizzie alright? If they bully you so much, call me okay?” Robert says teasingly even though you know he’s serious as he turns to face you with his eyes narrowed at you slightly. You smile in amusement at the older man’s tactics, patting his arm gently.

“I’ll be fine Robert” you start with a smile, knowing he’d prefer if you call him by his first name. “and don’t worry, you’re on speed dial if anything goes wrong”

You’ve been working with Robert since your internship 4 years ago when your father, who also is in the same industry as Scarlett, Lizzie, and Robert, introduced you two for the internship. Since then, Robert was impressed with your ability to keep up with him and honestly sees you as his own, so he hired you the moment you graduated as his secretary. Despite being a communications major, it’s not your intention to join the tech world. You just accepted because you needed the money so you can pay for your masters’ degree.

However, 4 years later, you don’t mind delaying your masters’ degree a bit more especially with how good Robert is to you. When Lizzie told Robert about Scarlett’s secretary resigning unexpectedly, he recommended you knowing it’s time to introduce you to his business friends and take it a step further in your professional career. You both finally reach the executive floor with the elevator doors opening to reveal a very fancy office space.

The black and white interior gives a more sophisticated feel with high-tech computers and other techy stuff like remote-controlled curtains and state-of-the-art computers and other devices. You look around in awe as Robert leads you to Scarlett’s office. He opens the door for you, walking in as he closes the door behind him. You see Scarlett facing her large windows as she talks or yells to someone on the phone.

This gives you the chance to have a look around and notice her floor-to-ceiling bookshelf full of leather-bound books and knick-knacks giving her bookshelf a bit more homey vibes. Her large table is clear and organized other than the laptop and a few picture frames decorating the table with a leather executive chair screaming CEO. You also notice the minibar at the corner of her office that has at least 30 bottles of various alcohol, most probably gifts from business partners, and some clean glasses and garnishes.

You hear Scarlett finally ending the call, turning around to face you and Robert. You meet her eyes and the first thing you notice is her green eyes. Your heart stops as your eyes trail down to take in her black pantsuit and blazer that has slits on the sides instead of sleeves to give her a more powerful CEO look. Her hair curled to perfect with her makeup look to match her aura. Her eyes leave you as she looks over to Robert with a nod.

“Downey, it’s been a while” she says in a friendly manner as she walks over to the older man, giving him a hug and a pat on the back before pulling back.

“Scarlett” he greets the blonde with a smile. “Still working hard with Brie?”

Scarlett sighs at the name making Robert laugh. “Hard at work as usual, but it gives me a headache at how lightly she’s treating the merger”

“Officially pushing through?” He grins excitedly at the thought since the merger between the three CEOs has been floating in the air for a long time before today. Scarlett nods at him with a smile.

“If things go well in the next three months then maybe” she finally faces you, giving you a look over. “That’s why I need a reliable secretary for the next few months to make sure everything’s in check”

“Don’t worry your little head with it, Y/N’s the best in my book” Robert says as he gives you a pat on the back. “Y/N, this is Scarlett Johansson. One of the CEOs of Johansson and Olsen Enterprises. Scarlett, Y/N Y/L/N”

“It’s nice to meet you ma’am” you try to confidently say, clearing your throat as you fix your posture a little.

Scarlett smirks a little at the nickname, nodding a little in acknowledgment. “A pleasure Ms. Y/L/N”

“Now that you two are acquainted, this is my cue to leave” Robert states with a clap, smiling at Scarlett. “Good to see you Scarlett, call me when you come to visit Cali alright? You owe me dinner”

Scarlett hums in response as he walks to the door. “Tell the wife I said hi”

He grins at the mention of his wife, walking up to the door but stopping before he leaves. He faces the two of you, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe with a knowing smirk.

“By the way, don’t forget about the promise Scarlett, I mean it okay?”

You cock your head to the side in confusion at the idea of a promise as Robert finally leaves, leaving you and Scarlett in the room. Scarlett then walks to her mini bar, grabbing a glass.

“Do you drink scotch Ms. Y/L/N?” You look at her for a moment, thinking of what’s appropriate to say and admiring how she moves while getting the bottle of alcohol and glasses for the two of you.

“After work hours, yes I do but I try not to drink unless it is for business, Ms. Johansson”

“Well, consider this business then” Scarlett says as she pours some scotch into two different glasses, putting the bottle back at its original place. She then picks up both glasses, handing you one with a slight quirk on the corner of her lips.

You take the glass from her, giving the amber drink a quick swirl in the glass as you take a gentle sniff of the drink. “Is this the Auchentoshan 1978?”

“Why yes, it is” Scarlett states in amusement and slight shock, clearly not expecting you to know your drinks. You smile in response, taking a sip. “My father’s favorite. He got it as a gift from a business partner once and became obsessed ever since”

“Well whoever that man is, he has great taste” Scarlett smiles a little, realizing that you’re a family person (or a daddy’s girl at least) based on how you talked about him fondly and how you know your alcohol. She clears her throat slightly, walking to her table.

“Though enough with that, you will meet Lizzie in a bit but her secretary will keep you up to speed with everything with my preferences and schedule in your iPad the receptionist gave” Scarlett states as she leans against the front of the table facing you with one arm on the table and the other holding the glass of scotch in her hand. You turn the iPad on to see Scarlett’s weekly schedule listed with her lunch preferences and other information that you’d need.

“I always come to the office an hour before everyone else so please come in around 30 minutes before the actual time so we can work on my schedule for the day. I also expect you to be there with me during my meetings, taking notes so I can refer back later on so you should send those notes back 3 hours max after the meeting. Oh and please make sure that you get something as well for lunch when you order mine, I like to treat my secretaries as a.. thank you so to speak. Any questions so far?” She asks you with a quirk of an eyebrow as she takes a sip of her scotch while you take note of the last things she said.

You couldn’t help but raise your eyebrow slightly at the last sentence, shaking your head no as you look back at Scarlett confidently.

“Be in the office 30 minutes before everyone else, join in meetings and give you the notes at the most 3 hours after the meeting and buy you lunch” you repeat back to her, smiling as Scarlett gives you a nod of approval.

“Good girl”

Now that it’s been a month since you started working for Scarlett and Lizzie, life has definitely changed for you. For one, you’re adjusting really well as a New Yorker. You finally tried the New York Bagels and Pizza and now you can say you love it. You also visited the typical tourist areas and hidden gems thanks to the friends you made in the office. Oh and also the idea that your boss is the strictest, but most fair and possibly the hottest person you’ve ever met but don’t tell RDJ that you have a crush on your boss pls

You sigh as you push back a little so you could stretch, yawning slightly as you look at the clock. It’s almost 7 pm now and both Scarlett and Lizzie haven’t left the office. With the merger coming, both Scarlett and Lizzie have been so busy trying to make things work that you end up staying behind as well. You pick up your water bottle, groaning a little that it’s empty, meaning you’re forced to stand up and walk to the other side of the floor to get some more.

You get up to start your walk, leisurely looking around since a lot has gone home already at this point. You eventually reach the kitchen area and start to refill your water. You turn to the side to see 2 Tupperware containers still full of food with each container being labeled SJ and EO, which are Scarlett and Lizzie’s lunches you got them 7 hours ago.

“They still haven’t eaten it?” You wonder aloud as you stop your water from overflowing, grabbing the Tupperwares as well, and trek back to your table. You head to Lizzie’s office first, gently knocking on the door.

You hear a quiet ‘come in’, opening the door to see Lizzie on her table with her blazer hanging on her coat rack behind her and Scarlett standing in front of her with her table in between them. You noticed the tired and stressed expressions on their faces, but also realized that you probably interrupted whatever conversation they were in.

“My apologies Ms. Olsen and Ms. Johansson, I just noticed that you haven’t eaten your lunches yet and I thought of bringing it here in case you’re hungry” you raise the bag slightly to show them, both women looking at each other for a moment before looking back at you.

“Right, we’re sorry we know you had to go out of your way to get that” Lizzie says as she stands up, walking to you, and takes the bag from you. “Still hungry, Scar?”

“That’s probably cold and tastes bad now so why don’t we finish up and go out for dinner instead?” Scarlett states as she grabs the blazer she removed from Lizzie’s coat rack, facing the two of you. “Come with us Y/N, our treat”

“Unless you have plans of your own” Lizzie states quickly making you blush slightly in embarrassment. “I don’t have any plans but I don’t want to intrude”

“Please, I insist” Scarlett says with her charming little smile that makes your stomach erupt with butterflies and blush even more. “It’s the least we could do since you’ve been working so hard with us”

“Let’s meet downstairs in 15 minutes? I’ll have my driver come by and pick us up” Lizzie says while typing on her phone, texting her driver with the details.

“Okay if you insist” you say shyly as the two CEOs grin.

“Perfect, we’ll see you downstairs Y/N” You nod in response, leaving the two CEOs alone as you put your stuff together to meet them downstairs.

“Now’s your chance, Scarlett. Take it already” Lizzie says as she puts her phone in her pocket as Scarlett puts her stuff back in her bag.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” Scarlett says innocently as she checks her phone for any notifications.

“Please” Lizzie scoffs at the older woman. “You like her, make the move already”

“Lizzie-” Scarlett says as she sighs before Lizzie holds a hand up to cut her off.

“You go to the restaurant with her okay? Eat and have a good time, you deserve it after you-know-who”

“Gosh I should stop telling you about my love life” Scarlett chuckles slightly as she grabs her bag making the younger woman grin in response.

“You can thank me during your wedding, right? Now go shoo shoo, dinner’s on me and you can borrow the car and driver for the night”

“Hey Y/N, sorry for the wait” Scarlett says as she finally arrives at the lobby with you waiting for her by the entrance. “Lizzie had an emergency so she said we should go ahead”

“Oh that’s alright Ms. Johansson” you say with a smile when in reality you are absolutely terrified for your life. You’re rarely alone in the same room as Scarlett unless it's in between meetings or she asked you to. By this point, your crush on the older woman has gotten the attention of Lizzie because of a mistake you made a week or so ago.

You were coming from a meeting with Scarlett once when Lizzie called for you since her secretary was on leave that day. Things were alright and professional until Lizzie wanted to take the conversation a step forward by asking personal questions like family, friends, and life in New York so far.

“Come on Y/N, you’re such a hard worker you should be having fun” Lizzie teases you, laughing at your flustered look. “No boyfriend?”

“Oh, I don’t swing that way” you chuckle as you put your iPad into your padfolio. “And no girl in my life right now. As you said, I’m a hard worker and not a lot of girls my age are looking for someone tied to their job”

When you say Lizzie looked like a child when given a mountain of chocolate, you’re not exaggerating because the way her eyes lit up at the idea that you’re not only straight but interested in older women made her excited beyond explanation.

“Oh really? Who’s your celebrity crush?” Lizzie asks curiously as she leans forward as if you’re about to say the juiciest gossip of the century.

“You’re really interested, huh Ms. Olsen?” You tease with a grin. “But if you must know, Cate Blanchett has a special place in my heart”

“Lizzie, please we’re friends now” Lizzie says with a mischievous grin, a plan already forming in her brain.

“Let’s get going before they cancel our reservations” Scarlett says as she ushers you to Lizzie’s car. “I hope you like Italian”

You both get in the car as Scarlett tells the driver the place while closing the door of the car. After a quiet journey to the restaurant, the driver finally arrives at the restaurant with Scarlett opening the door for you. The restaurant is a really high-end Italian restaurant downtown that’s known for its ridiculously long reservation schedule and lines.

The waiter hands the both of you a menu, allowing you to see the just as ridiculously expensive dishes. Your jaw drops behind the menu at how expensive pasta is, finally understanding why Scarlett and Lizzie insisted why they’d pay.

“Are you ready?” Scarlett asks, allowing you to think for a moment.

“I’ll have whatever you suggest” you say as you close the menu and hand it back to the waiter. Scarlett couldn’t help but smirk slightly at that, ordering for the both of you. The waiter then leaves, allowing her to make herself comfortable by removing her blazer to reveal her black sweetheart neckline pant suit that gives off a slight shimmer under the lights. You can’t help but glance at her chest area for a moment before looking away for a moment.

“So, how's New York life treating you so far Y/N?” Scarlett asks as she drapes her blazer over her chair, shifting a little to cross her legs so she could face you comfortably. She rests her elbows on the table, allowing her to rest her chin on the palm of your hand with a curious look in her eyes.

You couldn’t help but blush at the intensity of her gaze, making you really shy as a result. “It’s been great honestly” you smile shyly. “New York really changes you and it’s been really good”

“I’m glad” Scarlett says with a relaxed smile. Your eyes widen for a brief second but you try to compose yourself before she notices. “New York has been my home ever since and it’s great here. Even though it gets busy, you can’t help but love the place”

You can’t help but smile at how relaxed Scarlett looked right now since you normally see the blonde as in her stern and professional mood. “You have a nice smile when you’re relaxed”

Scarlett looks at you in shock before blinking a few times then giving you a chuckle as she sits back upright. “Thank you Y/N, I honestly haven’t felt this relaxed in some time and we haven’t even drunk any alcohol yet”

You chuckle as the waiter comes with the wine Scarlett chose, pouring some for the both of you and leaving the bottle before leaving himself to get the appetizers.

“Let’s have a toast,” Scarlett says as she picks up her glass, you doing the same as well. “To a fruitful relationship”

“To a fruitful relationship” you say in response, clicking the wine glass against hers with a smile.

[gracieoliviamaller]

Weekly summaries and evaluation- Folklore collaboration

Weekly summaries and evaluation- Folklore collaboration

Week 1

The first week of the project and we had briefing and Annie asked to work together. I knew I was also working with Eszter so was hesitant to take on a second project but she said she had no one else to collaborate with and was struggling with ideas so I decided to collaborate. Currently not exactly sure what to do yet, only that  I wanted to do an anthology. We both like the idea of having lots of tiny stories.  I know I want to work in 2d digital and Annie does as well but she prefers mix media animation so we may add in that as well.

I am also collaborating on a side project currently for Glyndebourne and Norwich theatre. Which is taking up a lot of my time as it is due in in two weeks time so I feel I did not spend as much time as I could’ve on the first week of this project.

However I did not want to let Annie down so suggested to meet her next week to discuss the idea further and get a more solid plan.

Week 2 

We had our first brainstorm together and from this the notes were

- exploring ghost stories/folk law. 

- animating in mixed media 

- incorporating photography and doing digital cut out animation as well maybe, but also using the photos in a stop motion way. I want the piece to be fluid in a sense of style and Annie and I have very different styles so this was decided to perhaps be the best way of combining our skills. 

- Mixed media -> 2d animation, stop motion, paper cut outs

- Anthology- folklore/ ghost stories. 

- Inspiration: Tim Burton, Robert Morgan, Asano Inio, American Horror Story

- Norwich Ghost stories

- Gogol Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka

- Mental State

- Song of the Sea, Secrets of Kells

Theme - nature

Annie had some style ideas of things she knew she liked but I did feel I was steering the story ideas a bit more and directing the conversation as she wasn’t too sure on ideas.

We then had to make a presentation of our ideas so far and I made the presentation for us and the  schedule as well. I am taking more of the director and producer role it seems, although Annie says she wants to be a director as well.  

Next week I want to really further the visual research and start looking into some folklore.

Week 3

This week I really went in with all the research and looking into different visual references such as the films of Guillermo del Toro and also American Horror story. I have also begun to look into a lot of different artists and animations on Behance and collecting a lot of different research on my blog. Really researching creepy animations and how they control the atmosphere with colour and sound.

I have begun to look into several folklore from around the world and make a short list of what can be in the animation. I have shared my findings with Annie in another meeting and she likes the research I have done, she hasn’t done much herself yet but informs me she would like to be in charge of the story board. So I agree to this as she seems keen on doing it and I have done most the work so far so it would be fair if she was in charge of this. 

The plan is to have a script by next week so that the story board can be done. I have made a short list of all the folklore I ahem found that we will have in the animation.

Week 4 

We had a lesson today with Helen and discussed our ideas so far, I pitched our idea to her and she suggested a few things to research and look into which I have made note of on my blog and looked into. The plan is to have the animation be a bit of a factual fantasy, exploring different folklore from around the world and what they do. I find folklore very interesting which is why I came up with this idea and have looking into it so much. I am very excited with the project so far and how it is turning out. I have written and completed the script on my own for our animation and given a copy to Annie with the aim of having a finished story board for next week.

I have begun to sketch out my designs and imagery for the folklore characters I have found and start to think about the visuals for the piece. 

Next week I want to develop these designs further and finalise the story/ideas.

Week 5

I have now done in-depth research into each folklore character I have selected for the animation and drawn some line drawings on my computer for each character. I have split the animation up into sections, 1,2 and 3. as we travel through different worlds and I want the colour pallet to change and adapt the further into a dream we go, I have created a mood board and a colour pallet for the animation. Section 1 is real world and grey scale. Section two is first dream layer and muted colours. Then Section three is the final dream layer, a dream within a dream so I want the colours to be very vibrant and psychedelic. Annie hasn’t done the story board this week but assures me she will have it done by next week which is fine, we still have time. But I am starting to feel as though I am doing all of the work while she doesn’t participate. I hope that I am wrong and she proves me wrong but I have a bad feeling that this is going to be all my hard work with her name put on it.

I have also continued the research for the animation looking at the folklore and different artists and film/tv for inspiration. One artist in particular has peaked my interest. I haven’t ever seen their work but they did a folklore series on their instagram and it is exactly how I imagine the Section one to look. The artist Boguskatya on instagram used greyscale and woodland to theme their folklore style images.

Next week i would like to have a story board and start some concept art.

Week 6 

I have begun concept art and drawn the Nakki folklore reaching his long creepy arm out of the murky water to grab the child from the edge. I am very happy with the visuals I have created and excited to continue developing the animation. We have allotted who is doing what in the animation, I am animating Section 1 and 2. Annie is doing section three. Unfortunately Annie has still not done the storyboard for the project so I am concerned if she will be able to complete it. I have offered to do the storyboard as well if she can’t do it as I don’t want to have to rush it last minute if she lets me down.  I have to be honest, I am very concerned about her affecting my grade if she continues to let me down and do all the work myself. As it isn’t working as as group which I thought was the aim of the project. Again I really hope i am over thinking this all and it’ll be fine but I am not very comfortable with the working dynamic if it continues into next unit.

for next week I am again hoping for a story board from Annie and I will continue some concept art.

Week 7

We had another group meeting this week, this time Annie has shown she she has started ta couple thumbnails of the story board, but she isn’t following the visuals of the script I sent. She forgot there was a script to follow and was doing it from memory so the storyboard is back to nothing. She has suggested we include a spirit world to the animation in her section so I have amended the script to the extra scene. 

I have continued my research on the folklore and changed a couple of the characters, getting rid of the Arabian characters and introducing Mara instead as she was more relevant to the story. 

This week the script is finished completely as I do not intend on editing it any further and all the folklore are set now too. So I am happy with the progress I have made and have also asked Annie if she can have a storyboard finished by next week before we breakup for Christmas so we can go away and get on with things aside from the collaboration project as it is difficult to communicate with Annie over messages and I won’t be seeing her till the day we submit our work so ideally it would be good to have most of the project finished by week 8.

Week 8 

Still no story board from Annie. I am very concerned at this point as she hasn’t done her share of the work throughout the project and I have done all the work to date. I’ve had to take on a leader role in this project otherwise I doubt we would even have an idea. I feel terrible having to write that  my partner has let me down so much but I also don’t want her to take all the credit for the work I have done.

Moving forward the plans for over Christmas are:

-Finally get much awaited storyboard from Annie

-Character designs from Annie for her Section three folklore characters

-Finalise my own concept arts for all my folklore

-Make the group Pre Production Document 

-Possibly make the storyboard myself

-create title card for animation 

I have created a schedule for the rest of my work up to deadline and as I have mostly finished my work on the collaboration and have a lot of my fable animation and essay to complete as of yet. I will be checking in on Annie to see if she is getting on with her drawings for the project or if I will need to help and do those as well.

Christmas break

Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12

Over the break I became very sick during week 11 and 12 and have lost a fair bit of time to sleeping off a flu/virus type thing with intense migraines. I have been working on designs when I can. I also got a message from Annie on Christmas day to say she can’t do the storyboard and I will have to do it. So I spent a couple hours doing the storyboard for our group project as well as all the other work for our pre production document. I was honestly very let down by reviving her message and just hope that all my hard work has paid off as this is essentially my own individual project at this point. 

Submissions week

Week 13

This week I have been finishing off the group document and managed to get a couple of line drawings from Annie for the document of her characters. I am very pleased with my own work in this project as I feel I have gone beyond my share of the work and managed to come out with something I hope to animate next term successfully. It was mostly finishing touches I had to do this week as I had completed all the work mostly a week ago. 

Evaluation

This project has unfortunately not been as successful as my other collaboration with Eszter has been, where we shared the work load equally and worked as a team, collaborating ideas. This project has been heavily my own work with little to no help from my partner through out the process. I really had hoped to have a successful collaboration, as Annie is my friend, but I feel that she has taken advantage of this and the fact that she knows I will do the work if she doesn’t. I hope that next term she proves me wrong and redeems herself by putting in 110% to the animation as I believe this is her only collaboration so maybe the work load will be easier for her. However, I have found that I have learnt a lot of leader skills from this task as I have been in charge the whole way through and organised the project start to finish. If the project does go into production next term I am excited to continue to develop the characters and narrative I have created and see where my story can go. I am interested in trying to achieve a creepy aesthetic and narrative to the story I have come up with, which is something I have not attempted before and would like to be able to explore the different genres of animation/storytelling. To conclude I have enjoyed the task of the project and am happy with what I have produced and will animate and continue to develop next term, but it has also put a lot of stress on me to carry the project myself which wasn’t fair.

[amaloaf]

yes hello I would like a headcanon and tragic backstory for Fillmore pls

oh buddy, oh my dude

BACKSTORY:

Fillmore was a the child of a 15 year old Brazilian/white girl (Josie) and a 27 year old man (Phillip Sr) 

Fillmore was originally Philip Jr but his mother changed that when he was about 5 

his father is part Native American, but not much else is know about him and his past

his parents were married because his father was rich and his mother was a desperate orphan 

when Fillmore was three his father left in the middle of the night without a word, and they later had to find out it was because he had been lying about his wealth and everything they owned was getting repossessed 

after that debacle he and his mother traveled on the road for a while before finding a cult like, traveling group of hippies who took them in mostly because Fillmore’s mother was so young 

the group was many things, but nudist and acid worshiping was the most prominent 

Fillmore’s mother was pregnant twice whilst living there

The first was with the cults main honcho/leader, the baby was stillborn due to the shit ton of drugs she was taking the whole time; the second was twins from a random cultist named Randy who took the twins and ran off, later they his hut and all three occupants dead from gunshot wounds (most likely from a dealing gone south) 

The cult was creepy, but the worst of it (besides telling pregnant women to take heavy drugs) was that it was law that when someone turns 16, they must move from the heated “childrens room” (where the pregnant people and children under 16 slept) and be moved to the “Pit” 

The Pit was an unheated hut just off to the side from the camp, and since the followers were mostly nudists, you can imagine how that looked

It was essentially a roof and some walls with the floor dug out, and it was filled with pillows and mattresses and stuff, and everyone just cuddled for warmth 

There were a few who wore clothes for heat/safety/comfort reasons but they were few and far between that it was almost unheard of

Fillmore was one of the few who didn’t participate in nudist shenanigans

Because his mom was banging the cult leader, Fillmore got some special treatment (got to wear clothes, didn’t have to go to weekly worships, wasn’t forced to do drugs) 

^Fillmore does, however, do regular cigarettes and blunts to dull his hatred for the place 

Despite his obvious dislike of the cult he still picks up the hippy, free love lifestyle and goes to marches and stuff even after he leaves them 

He was about 11 when he met Ramone (who was about 7 or so), whose parents had crossed the border and were living in the woods until it was safe to go and live with family 

Ramone was always curious of Fillmore’s living situation but Fillmore never let him find out 

Until one day, 

When they were like 19 and 16 Ramone followed Fillmore home and naturally he was found out and they were gonna “initiate him” (don’t ask but it’s hella illegal no matter what the age of the victim is) 

So Fillmore was like “oh i’ll initiate him don’t even worry about it guys” and he takes him into the woods and sets Ramone go with a “don’t worry about me I’ll talk to you tomorrow” 

Filly goes back and says the guy fought back and got away but it’s cool he was gross anyway and everyone buys it because they think Fillmore is one of his own 

So the next day he tells Ramone everything and Ramone spends the next year doing everything he can to get them out of those woods

Well surprise surprise people got suspicious and started asking where he was going so Fillmore had to lay low for a while but encouraged Ramone to get out while he could 

They lose contact for about a year, Ramone hitchhikes with a hot trucker for a while before finding RS

He opens a shop, and then travels up to find Fillmore

He finds him living with a man named Mickey and his husband Carlos

Fillmore had basically been floating around after running away from the cult, had some consensual sex for once, and was actually advocating for things he believed in fully, it was practically heaven 

While making plans to move to RS, Fillmore travels regularly between the two, living (and threewaying) with Ramone and his new gf Flo, and advocating for prides with Mickey and Carlos

On the last pride march, Fillmore lost his legs:

The first leg (right) went at a peace rally gone very wrong

So he’s lost a large chunk of his right ear in rally so he comes with friends

So it was a march in the afternoon and he’s just walking with a sign

On his left he’s got his childhood friend Mikey (a gay black man always looking for peaceful situations) and Mikey’s husband Carlos (short tempered, shot heighted, Mexican man), Carlos is holding a sign and mickey’s carrying a pack with water, weed (for him and Carlos later), and an extra shirt for everyone because they’re going st sweat through theirs before they’re even remotely done

Out of the blue someone charges Fillmore and brings him to the ground

They wrestle for a minute before Fillmore realizes the guys got a knife

The guy tries to stab him, but thanks to Mickey trilingual to get him off, he misses and gets him straight through the thigh, and he makes sure to pull out the big ass steak knife

So Fillmore’s bleeding and before anyone can get to him, one of the other jackasses (who’s there with knife guy) set off tear gas

(Among other types of gas to fuck w/ everyone)

Since it happened in such close proximity, Fillmore could be gotten to immediately like he needed

The wound was not only infected but it had been worsened by the stinging gases

But since he’s a fuckin hippy he didn’t go to a real doctor who would’ve just amputated that shit

Instead he goes to a natural dude who worked on him for like two days and eventually cleans and fixes everything (supposedly but Fillmore is never quite the same) but because of the severity of the wound almost all of the nerves died and in his right leg Fillmore can’t feel a thing below the upper mid thigh

In his other leg Fillmore was shot twice, at a later peace rally, in the knee and *still* did not get professional help for he is a fool

Fillmore moved to RS and never really looked back

He later finds out he has a half sister upstate at a reserve but does not try to contact her for a long ass time

From her he has three nephews, he meets them twice in his whole life but they come to his funeral regardless 

HEADCANNONS

His sister’s name is Alexandra 

His nephews names and ages are John (23), Harold (23), and Mikey (16) ((these are at the time of Fillmore’s death

Despite his chill personality, Fillmore is the cheekiest little shit 

He and Sarge have a small wedding reception because Fillmore doesn’t believe in marriage under the government

Fillmore is a top (i will fight everyone who says otherwise im looking at you cars discord) 

He’s very good with kids, especially babies (I have a fanbaby au but in otherwise cannons Fillmore never has kids)

That being said, Sarge adopts a baby after Fillmore dies to fill the void in his heart

Fillmore can’t cook because he never used a stove until he moved to RS

When he found out his mom died he cried but refused to go to her funeral

He has cheek piercings form his time in the cult, and he can never decide if he likes or despises them

His favorite color is green 

He used to threeway with Flomone but when he became paralyzed he stopped due to his self consciousness

Which was fine Red ended up filling in for him

He cannot sleep naked or in the dark because of his past (his partners must also be somewhat clothed) 

Before the organic fuel he would’ve loved to have been botanist 

Hes 6’4”

Fillmore doesn’t know his own legal last name and doesn’t know the context of his first 

Pst his last name is Patterson

It took a lot to get him off the smoking but he eventually did it

He loses touch with Mickey and Carlos, but after the events of the first movie they find him and he babysits for them

He has PTSD but is good at hiding it

Almost went to jail because he kicked a natzi’s teeth in (the guy had to wear dentures for the rest of his life) 

He got off because the cop called to the scene was black and he pretended that Fillmore got away 

His hair is v soft     

It’s Sarge who ultimately forces Fillmore to seek professional help on his legs 

He is very susceptible to heat and is always drinking water so he doesn’t get migraines 

i have,, so many hcs for my boy, but these are the mains

[silvino32mills]

Case Study: How a Blogger Became a Startup Founder

When Cas McCullough’s son asked for help with a letter writing project, she had no idea it would change the course of her career. Here’s how she went from being a blogger to becoming a startup founder and CEO.

“I’m a content strategist and writer by trade. And as content marketing became more and more of a must-have, I started getting a lot of inquiries from business owners and marketers who were frustrated with how to create great content. They found it frustrating and time consuming,” Cas says.

“When my son asked for help with writing a letter, I went looking for information on how to structure them. And it dawned on me that blog posts could be structured in much the same way. That’s basically how Writally was born.”

Writally is a content creation tool that helps people write original content when they don’t feel confident about writing for regular people, or their content lacks engagement. Imagine a chiropractor who wants to attract patients to their clinic, or a researcher who wants to raise their profile to attract funding.

“Just as Canva gives you different layouts and images to work with, Writally gives you different story prompts to work with. Each Content Recipe combines these prompts in different ways and each is tweaked for style, tone and voice,” Cas says.

Here are Cas’s biggest tips for anyone contemplating a startup, based on what she’s learned so far.

Don’t confuse startup and blog monetization

A startup is a business you plan to scale fast. It’s not a blog monetization strategy in the same way a book or a retail line is. A startup is time consuming, and requires a high level of commitment and the willingness to see it through for at least five to ten years. It means planning to hire staff, learning about finance options, attending events in the startup ecosystem, and applying for numerous grants.

There’s a lot of money being thrown at startups. But it’s not something to take on lightly. When I pondered taking the funding deal I was initially offered, I sat down with my kids and discussed it at length. I made sure they understood what kind of commitment it was going to be.

Solve a big problem

One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to solve a big problem. A headache is one thing, a migraine is another. You’re more likely to make money by providing a solution to a migraine. One way to test whether your problem is big enough is to pre-sell your idea through a landing page. If enough people sign up and pay money then you know you’re on a winner.

After initially pitching my idea in a startup competition in early 2015, I decided to offer my idea as a service so I could validate it further. I started testing the idea with members of a small business forum. Within a week, I had paying customers.

I highly recommend reading Dan Norris’s classic book The 7 Day Startup for some inspiration on idea validation. Dan was one of the first people I talked to about Writally, and his feedback and his book were invaluable.

Get to know the lingo

When I first began my startup journey, I thought MVP stood for Most Valuable Player. It turns out it meant Minimum Viable Product. An MVP is the first version of your product. I’ve had to learn terms such as ‘convertible notes’, ‘agile’, ‘full-stack’, ‘product-market fit’ and more. It really helps to understand the language when you’re networking with other founders, potential co-founders, accelerators, and investors. You don’t feel quite as lost in the fast-paced startup world.

Apply for accelerator programs

My idea was originally funded when I won the Suncorp Small Business Challenges Competition held by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland, startup accelerator Bluechilli, Microsoft, and Suncorp Bank. Entering a competition like that is a great way to learn how to validate your ideas and how to put a pitch together.

Having the support of an accelerator has made a massive difference in my journey. I’ve been thoroughly trained in how to raise capital, pitch, growth hack, hire the right staff and manage board meetings. And I’ve had access to company and investor introductions through Bluechilli’s amazing network. I still work with them as we take our next steps.

There are many opportunities to join accelerator programs in Australia, particularly if you live in a regional area or have a product that serves regional areas and primary industries. But keep in mind that accelerators and early investors will want to take a bigger cut of your company to start off with. Ten to 20 percent is typical for early equity providers with some funding thrown in.

Be prepared to fail

While nobody enters a startup thinking they’re going to fail, in 75% of cases they do. Your first product offering (MVP) may not work, so it helps to approach your product development like a science experiment.

Many startups in accelerator programs apply what’s called ‘lean methodology’ (created by Eric Reis, author of The Lean Startup) where you test and measure whether or not a hypothesis is true.

Our MVP launch went well, and we’ve had more than 1150 users sign up to the platform so far. But we weren’t achieving the daily usage we wanted, so we had to go back to the drawing board. We’ve had great feedback on the end product and the Content Recipes, but the process is what seemed to be getting in the way.

We’re currently experimenting with a few different ideas to work out how we can achieve product-market fit (the term that describes your product flying out the door). In some cases, you may drop your initial idea altogether. It’s important to have good advisors so you make the right call for your situation.

Be prepared for rejection

Startups look for funding so they can accelerate growth. Investors look for opportunities that will bring them a tenfold investment within five to ten years. Most investors want you to exit within that timeframe, too. Usually that would be a bigger company buying you out.

If investors don’t feel confident they’ll get that kind of a return from your startup, they’ll look for other companies to fund. In essence, finding funding for your startup is a lot like dating. Being turned down by potential investors or grant bodies is always hard, but you can’t take it personally. Each rejection is an opportunity to ask questions and seek feedback.

The biggest lesson for me has been to stand for the difference my product makes no matter what, and look for investors that get the content marketing industry. I’m looking for a lead investor (a $100K to $200K investor who’ll be a board member of my company) for my current seed round.

Understand how being a founder will affect your family

Some days, being a parent can be a challenge in the face of board meetings, events and investor pitches. When I first started Writally I was homeschooling my boys. Now they’re in school. I just couldn’t manage both, and they were keen to start school, so it worked a lot better that way.

Being a founder can put pressure on relationships as well. It’s often difficult for non-entrepreneurial partners to understand how the startup life works (or doesn’t work). Founders typically don’t earn a wage for up to three years, spend a lot of time away from home attending events and meetings, and work late into the night. Communicating with your family is essential to make that work for everyone. You definitely have to be judicious and responsible with your time and your money.

Get to know the startup ecosystem

In Brisbane there are regular events in the startup ecosystem. It’s worth joining a startup co-working space just to start your networking. You never know who might introduce you to a new enterprise client or investor. It’s also an opportunity for you to give back to others who have just started out. A great way to give back is to participate in Startup Weekend. These events are a lot of fun, and a great way to test new ideas.

I’ve had some amazing opportunities by being active in the startup scene. In November 2016 I visited Facebook, and it wasn’t just the typical tour. It was a real behind-the-scenes tour with a Facebook engineer. We saw a meeting taking place with head people including Sheryl Sandberg. We were told not to take photos or even touch our cameras, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to pitch Writally to investors and dignitaries at the Commonwealth Games. Then shortly after that I returned to San Francisco to join high profile investors, startup founders and dignitaries on #MyriadAir, a Qantas jet chartered by the Myriad Innovation Festival. I pitched Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter on the plane, and was interviewed by the Brisbane Times. I met many amazing founders on that trip and got to know some key people in the ecosystem.

Buckle up for the rollercoaster ride

Startup life is a rollercoaster ride. One week everything is going well, and the next everything’s falling apart – or at least feels like it. But it’s exciting, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I’ve met some incredible people, including seven-time TED Presenter Jonathan Trent on #Myriadair, and Canva Ambassador and former Apple Evangelist Guy Kawasaki at the Angel Hack Global Demo Day a couple of years ago.

The personal growth I’ve experienced has blown my mind. I used to lack confidence, but  now I’m very clear on what my strengths are and how I can contribute to others. My journey is far from over, and there will be more challenges, but creating something that has a massive impact on how people express themselves makes it totally worth it.

For more information about Writally, email Cas at ‘cas at writally.com’ or visit https://writally.com

The post Case Study: How a Blogger Became a Startup Founder appeared first on ProBlogger.

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[wallythayer]

The Power of the Placebo Effect

Bonnie Anderson lives with her partner, Don, in a small, white bungalow in Austin, Minn. For 40 years she worked as a telephone operator for the town’s main employer, Hormel Foods, and has stayed active into her retirement. She loves nothing more than playing an 18-hole round of golf.

But in 2005 she slipped on wet tiles in her kitchen, landed on the floor, and fractured her spine. The accident left her in constant pain, unable to stand long enough to do the dishes.

“I couldn’t sleep at night,” she says. “I couldn’t play the golf I wanted to play. I’d go sit in the den with a heating pad.”

A few months after her accident, Anderson went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., to take part in a trial for an outpatient procedure called vertebroplasty, which involves injecting medical cement into fractured bone to strengthen it. She walked out of the hospital after the procedure and felt better immediately.

“It really took care of the pain. I was able to go back to golfing and [to doing] everything I wanted to do.”

Almost a decade later, Anderson says she is still delighted with the outcome. “It was a miracle how well it turned out,” she says. At 84, she is looking forward to playing more golf.

The vertebroplasty seemed to heal the effects of Anderson’s fractured spine. Except there was something Anderson didn’t know when she took part in the trial: She wasn’t in the vertebroplasty group. The procedure she received was fake.

The phenomenon in which people experience relief from symptoms after a fake treatment is called the placebo effect, and it is well known in the medical world. Clinical trials have consistently shown a strong placebo effect across a wide range of conditions, including asthma, high blood pressure, gut disorders, morning sickness, and erectile dysfunction. Medical professionals generally view these recoveries as statistical anomalies, arguing that the patients would have improved whether they’d received the treatment or not. According to the rules of evidence-based medicine, these improvements are worthless.

But by dismissing the experiences of patients like Anderson, for whom the absence of pain is worth a great deal, I can’t help but wonder, as a science journalist, whether we are throwing out something that could be of real help. Might the placebo effect have real clinical value? Can a simple belief — that we are about to get better — have the power to heal?

The Body’s Pharmacy

Fabrizio Benedetti, MD, a professor of neuroscience and physiology at the University of Turin in Italy, studies the placebo effect and sees it in every aspect of life. He says if he gives me a glass of wine and tells me how good it is, that will affect how it tastes to me. “We are symbolic animals,” he explains. “The psychological component [of experience] is important.”

His interest in the placebo effect began in the 1970s when scientists had just discovered endorphins, the class of molecules produced in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Endorphins are opiates, like morphine and heroin, except that the brain produces them itself.

In one early experiment, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, tested whether a placebo could trigger the release of these endorphins. A third of the patients in the study, who were recovering from oral surgery, reported significant pain relief after receiving a placebo through an IV. Then, without their knowledge, they received a dose of naloxone, a drug that blocks the effects of endorphins, also through the IV.

Their pain returned.

It was at this moment, Benedetti says, that “the biology of placebo was born.” It was the first evidence of pain-relieving biochemical pathways behind the placebo effect.

In his own trials, Benedetti identified more natural brain chemicals that, triggered by our beliefs, can turn our response to pain up or down. He found that when placebo painkillers replace opiate drugs, they don’t just relieve pain; they also slow breathing and heart rate, just as opiates do.

He also found pain-relieving placebo effects that are not mediated by endorphins and can’t be blocked by naloxone. Benedetti emphasizes that the placebo effect isn’t a single phenomenon but a “melting pot” of bodily responses, each using ingredients from the brain’s natural pharmacy, as well as from other sources we’re still learning about.

Honest Placebos

The central dogma running through all discussions of the placebo effect is that, for it to work, you have to believe you are receiving a real treatment. But placebos can work even when patients know they’re taking them.

The foremost researcher of the placebo effect is Ted Kaptchuk, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who wanted to see what would happen when study participants understood clearly that they were taking a placebo. He conducted a three-week trial on 80 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Half the group knowingly received a placebo pill and were told that although the capsules contained no active ingredient, they might work through mind–body, self-healing processes.

“Everyone thought it was crazy,” Kaptchuk says, but results of the trial, published in 2010, show that patients who were consciously taking placebos did significantly better than those who received no treatment. (I spoke to one study participant, a medical assistant named Linda, whose chronic IBS symptoms disappeared for the duration of the three-week trial, but then returned at its conclusion.) It appeared that the act of taking a pill was enough to trigger the body’s own healing response.

Kaptchuk’s more recent pilot studies of patients with depression and migraines have produced similar results. When migraine patients know-ingly took a placebo during an attack — known as an honest placebo — they felt a 30 percent reduction in pain compared with having no treatment. “My team was totally taken aback,” he says.

One of the barriers to using placebos in medicine is the concern that it’s unethical to deceive patients. Yet Kaptchuk’s studies suggest that honest placebos can work as well — even though there’s no expectation that the drug is going to work in the conventional sense, and there’s no reason for the body’s natural painkillers to kick in. Yet, somehow, they do.

States of Mind

It’s becoming more acceptable in the medical community to acknowledge that mental states can influence our physical health in measurable ways. The body of research on stress and health makes this especially clear.

Acute stress boosts the immune system in anticipation of danger or an injury, but when it stays activated for too long, it begins to rage out of control, leaving us vulnerable to chronic inflammation. Too much inflammation leads to slower wound healing and can exacerbate autoimmune diseases, such as eczema and multiple sclerosis. It can also be a precursor for many serious conditions, including cancer. Chronic stress, meanwhile, can raise blood pressure and damage blood-vessel walls, leading to clogged arteries and heart disease.

So it follows that when we’re receiving medical care, our mental state matters. Those who feel alone and afraid do not do as well as those who feel supported, safe, and in control. It matters when we feel cared for. It makes a difference in how well we heal.

This may be why forms of treatment that don’t involve drugs at all, but focus instead on relieving stress and providing emotional support, can have such powerful pain-relieving effects.

Interventional radiologist Elvira Lang developed an approach called Comfort Talk while working at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Instead of dishing out drugs to nervous patients before a procedure (she typically performed “keyhole surgeries,” operations during which the patient remains conscious), she opted to mobilize her patients’ psychological resources. She used a blend of empathic communication skills, positive suggestion, and visual imagery to help patients relax and ease their pain.

In every research trial, patients who received Comfort Talk reported far less pain and anxiety than those who’d received only standard care.

The trials revealed practical physical benefits, too: Patients required much lower levels of sedative drugs and suffered far fewer complications. In one trial of renal- and vascular-surgery patients, for example, the dosage for those in the intervention group was half that of patients in the group that didn’t receive the treatment. Surgeons also completed the procedures 17 minutes faster, on average, saving hospitals an average of $338 per patient.

Lang also worked with placebo researcher Kaptchuk to study the “nocebo” effect, or how the expectation of pain affects patients’ actual pain. They found that when patients received warnings like “this may hurt” before potentially painful events such as an injection, their pain and anxiety scores soared.

When Lang conducted Comfort Talk training for a medical team that performed MRI scans, she emphasized the importance of eliminating any negative or potentially frightening language during the procedure. (Patients were told ahead of time about any potential discomfort, but that was it.) She also instructed the providers to help patients visualize positive images. They encouraged children to think of the MRI scanner as a rocket ship and adults to imagine it as a massage table — even offering a choice of aromatherapy to supplement the illusion of a spa visit.

These adjustments may seem modest, but in a study of 14,000 MRI procedures in clinics that used Comfort Talk, the “claustro” rate — when a scan is aborted because the patient panics in the machine — was reduced by 40 percent, saving hospitals between $750 and $5,000 for each scan.

If a drug showed that kind of result in clinical trials, it would be front-page news.

Beyond Separation

Bonnie Anderson’s fake vertebroplasty banished her pain and disability, but it probably didn’t mend her spine. Placebos don’t create an all-powerful, protective magic that can keep us well in every circumstance. And they have two important limitations.

The first is that any effects caused by a belief in a treatment are limited by the body’s available natural tools. A placebo might help a patient with cystic fibrosis breathe a little more easily, but it won’t create the missing protein the lungs need. For someone with type 1 diabetes, a placebo can’t replace their dose of insulin.

Second, a variety of placebo studies have shown that our expectations about outcome tend to affect only our symptoms — things we are consciously aware of, such as pain, itching, rashes, or diarrhea, as well as cognitive function and sleep. Placebo effects also seem to be particularly strong for psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.

But what is common to all these approaches, whether placebo pills or encouraging talk, is that more doctors are considering their patients’ mental states. Instead of employing ever-greater doses of drugs and interventions, these medical professionals are harnessing their patients’ psychological resources as a critical component of their care. The symptom relief that patients experience is undeniably real.

This is what seems to make the difference.

We can’t rely solely on the mind to heal us, but denying its role in medicine isn’t the answer either. My hope is that this research helps us overcome some of the prejudice against mind–body approaches to healing, and to recognize that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.

Nearly 400 years after the philosopher Descartes declared a fundamental separation between mind and body, we still tend to think of ourselves as rational beings with highly developed minds that allow us to transcend our biological animal nature.

Yet the evidence shows something very different: Our bodies and minds have evolved in exquisite harmony, so perfectly integrated that it is impossible to consider one without the other. By understanding how our minds influence and reflect our physiology, perhaps we can finally live in tune with our bodies and care for them in a way that is based in evidence, and not delusion.

This originally appeared as “The Placebo Effect” in the December 2017 print issue of Experience Life.

Get the full story at https://experiencelife.com/article/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect/

[joannabauer999-blog]

Organic Ways To Tighten A Loosened Slack Vaginal area Properly.

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[tragicbooks]

One man's story about loving someone with an incurable disease.

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Before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Rosanna loved to dance.

"Rosanna can dance to all kinds of music. Cha-cha, merengue, salsa, bolero, you name it," he laughs. "Now she dances in the car, sitting down. We pull up to a stop sign, and I say, 'Easy, girl!'"

Image via iStock.

Andy and Rosanna have been married for 38 years. Prior to her diagnosis, Rosanna was an executive secretary, the mother of two young boys, an avid chef, and a skilled dancer. Andy traveled often for work but always made time to see his sons' soccer games, jazz concerts, and marching band competitions at home in south Florida. Their family lived an active, busy, happy life. "It was happy moments," says Andy.

Then, two decades into their marriage, Rosanna was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She was suddenly forced to contend with an unfamiliar, painful, debilitating disease. And Andy had to figure out how to play his role as her husband, caretaker, and lifeline.

"The past 18 years has been like a small roller coaster," says Andy. "It was very, very tough for both of us."

When Rosanna was diagnosed, neither she nor Andy knew what to expect. She became fatigued, began falling down, and experienced migraines. Together they read articles and went to different doctors. Andy drove them to her various appointments. "To Miami, it's about 65 miles, and she can't drive on the highway due to her MS symptoms. I took over driving to the doctor's office a long time ago," he says.

Eventually Rosanna found a routine that worked for her, and they settled into learning to live with, and trying to reduce, her MS relapses. But Rosanna had to leave her job to apply for disability — an application that would take over seven years to get approved. Andy had to leave his job, too.

"I gave up my job to be with her," Andy says. "I was traveling two, three days a week, and I was leaving her alone. I didn’t like that at all." He took a more stationary job and along with it the challenge of supporting his family and putting his older son through college while learning to help his wife live with MS.

Rosanna and Andy take on the challenges that life brings together. Image via Andy, used with permission.

An often overlooked element to a chronic condition like MS is how difficult it can be for loved ones to learn how to support someone who has it.

It's incredibly important for caregivers to make time to care for themselves — something that many people struggle with because it makes them feel selfish. But it's necessary.

For Andy, self-care comes in the form of his bike. "I've been riding a bicycle for the last 30 years. My relaxing time is riding my 30 miles. It takes my mind away from everything." It's even given him an opportunity to connect with and contribute to the MS community by participating in rides that raise funds for research.

Image via Andy, used with permission.

He and his wife also go to "CHATS," which are live events hosted by MS LifeLines (a patient support service), where they talk to others both in and out of the MS community about their experience living with the disease. "I enjoy it very much because there's MS patients we know and those we don't," Andy says.  

Telling their story helps them connect with the community and make friends who can relate to their experience. In addition to "CHATS," MS LifeLines provides an online resource called My Story, where people affected by MS can share their stories and read the stories of others going through a similar situation.

The #1 key to balancing it all, says Andy, is teamwork.

It can be hard to strike a balance of caring enough and caring too much. "At first, Rosanna was afraid to tell anybody what she had because she didn’t want to worry them," Andy says.

But with time and practice, they've found a balance that works for them. "I care for the house. I help her with the dishes," he says. Rosanna wanted to keep cooking for her husband, but with MS, that isn't always possible. "So I make dinner and she makes lunch," Andy says. "We work together as a team. That's the only way that you can help each other. I help her and she helps me."

At the end of the day, the best way to love someone with MS is by simply being a good partner.

MS causes all sorts of difficulties that fluctuate from day to day. "One day she’s in a bad mood, and I've got to deal with it," says Andy. "But I have bad moods, too. That's marriage, isn’t it?"

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