#one of the most important things for you to do as an experienced or beginner artist tho

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

rough art tips to learn and then break at your leisure.

the distance between your eyes is roughly one eye. the corners of your mouth dont extend past the middle of each eye. ears are roughly in the middle of the tip of the nose and the eyebrow. the eyes are in the very centre of the head. the neck is just a Little slimmer than the width of the head (varies with fat distribution, but fat tends to build up under the chin). hair is easier to draw when you plot out the hairline and then where it parts. leaving appropriate distance on the side of the face (cheekbone area and back to ear) contributes to making characters look more realistic/hot as hell. i dont know specific tips for that so use reference. an amazing reference/study site is lineofaction.com . if you think of the face in planes it makes it easier to construct (look up tutorials). if you draw a spiral like a tornado it can help you figure out awkward perspective for extended limbs (look up foreshortening coil technique). tangent lines are when two lines intersect and cause visual confusion (when it looks like a line that defines an arm is part of the line that defines a building, for example) and avoiding them makes your art way easier to comprehend. quick trick to good composition: choose a focal point (where you want your viewer to focus), detail that area the most, and make sure various elements of the piece are pointing to that focal point. you can use colours to contrast hue, saturation, and brightness and make certain elements of your drawing stand out. drawing in greyscale can help you figure out values. using black in a piece isn't illegal but you should know what you're doing when you do use it- it desaturates a piece and if used as a shading colour can desaturate and dull whatever youre shading too. if you use almost-black lineart and then add black to darken the very darkest areas it will do a lot to add some nice depth. the tip of your thumb ends just above the start of your index finger- your thumb also has two knuckles and all your other fingers have three. if you see an artist doing something you like (the way they draw noses or eyes or hair or anything else) you can try to copy that and see if you want to incorporate it in your style <- this is ENCOURAGED and how a lot of us learned and developed our styles. there are ways to add wrinkles to faces and bodies without making the character look a million years old, you just have to keep experimenting with it. The smile wrinkles around your muzzle dont connect to your mouth or to your nose; there should be a small space in between smile or nose and the wrinkle line. eyes when viewed in profile are like < aka a little triangle shape. think of the pupil like a disk and apply foreshortening to it (it looks like a line when seen from the side instead of a full round dot). subtle gradients can add a LOT to a piece. texture can also add a LOT. look up Tommy Arnold's work (his murderbot pieces are some of my FAVOURITE) and zoom in. find those random little circles he added and try to figure out why he added them there. light bounces. there's lots of way light bounces. sometimes it even spreads through the skin. i do not know these light tricks yet but i want you to know that they exist. draw a circle to indicate hand placement, draw a straight line between that circle and the shoulder, and then (normally at a right angle) draw a straight line on top of that line to find the placement of the elbow. elbows are normally placed Just above the hip when standing and your arm is at rest. there are no bad colour combos if you're brave enough about it, just fuck with the saturation and brightness until it works. keep playing. try new things. add your own tips to this post if you want or even expand on some ive mentioned here. good luck go ham etc

[ashleyloob]

Hi!

From someone who is disorganized and discouraged, I would love advice on weight-lifting/building muscle. Would you share your understanding of building muscle and the breakdown of diet?

If possible, could you share how you apply what you know to yourself? If you use any tools to help you?

Struggled with working out, gaining weight, and eating my whole life. Thanks!

prefacing this with some important info for fellow disorganized scatterbrains!!!!

the main reason why ppl have trouble sticking to a lifestyle change is because they try to make very drastic changes too quick, and you get overwhelmed and it becomes unsustainable. this is especially an issue for neurodivergent folks, and since it's Tumblr I assume a good chunk of y'all are (me too dw)

DON'T immediately overhaul ur diet and hit the gym 5x a week from day 1!!! hitting tiny goals consistently is also more rewarding than working towards one very large arbitrary goal that you might not reach, esp when it comes to working out. start veeery small if u need to, such as only 10 bodyweight squats per day like i did and go from there. you wanna program ur brain into feeling accomplished to keep you motivated. patience is key!!!!

ok!! now onto the more detailed info below

Disclaimer: I'm still a newbie myself!! only consistently lifting heavy for about 3 months as of this post. I did a good deal of excessive info diving on lifting using the power of Sheer Autism, and my main gym buddy is very experienced & taught me a good chunk of this shit so shout-out to my pal for making all this possible xoxo

so good news!! "building muscle" is very easy for beginners starting from zero. newbie gainz are absolutely real. at this stage you can do just about anything at the gym and get stronger bc u can only go up. BUT!! if you structure it, you can make the process enjoyable and much more efficient. if you're goal oriented (lookin at u ADHD menaces), you'll love the concept progressive overload.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD & SETS/REPS

wikipedia defines progressive overload as: a method of strength training and hypertrophy training that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system. in layman's terms, it just means gradually adding more weight as you work out to increase the difficulty as you get stronger. progress is VERY easy to track because of this, and you'll be hitting PRs pretty much every week for the first couple of months and that shit feels fantastic because you physically feel yourself getting stronger so rapidly. I use the app Strong to track my workouts. so, how do we structure progressive overload? that's through sets/reps. A rep is a single execution of an exercise. 1 squat is one rep. 2 squat is 2 reps. and so on. A set is a collection of reps. The format is Sets x Reps, for example: 3x5 means 3 sets of 5 reps. You will rest between sets, and it's typically anywhere from 1 minute all the way up to 5 minutes depending on the level of exertion/type of training you are doing. Heavier weights mean longer rest periods and vice versa.

WHERE DO I EVEN START??

For those interested in barbell training: the r/fitness beginner routine is pretty good! I also recommend 5x5 stronglifts. both are very straightforward, but also note the typical olympic barbell is 45lbs. If this is a weight you struggle with, you can begin with bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or machines at the gym which are all very BEGINNER beginner friendly. especially when it comes to legs you're probably much stronger than you think. Most people can squat 45lbs first try. don't be afraid -- you're standing on those things all day, they can support hella weight. Like I mentioned earlier, don't be afraid to start veeeery small and work your way up from there. I started at home with doing only bodyweight squats without the barbell, then added on benching with light 7lb dumbbells after a week, then impulse signed up for a gym membership a month later and began to go there to use equipment and now i'm deadlifting over 100lbs as a tiny girl that previously was too weak to even lift a 40lb dog. it snowballs quicker than you think once you gain confidence in your own body and its abilities!

WOAH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SQUAT/DEADLIFT/BENCH/THIS IS SCARY AND IM FUCKING UP

If you can, i highly recommend getting a personal trainer to assist you, or tag along with a gymrat pal to show you the ropes. This page is also a good resource to learn specific lifts. otherwise, youtube is your best friend. you can record your sets and compare your form to form tutorials on youtube, and actively take notes on what to change the next time you work out. Be an active learner!!! be aware of what muscles are engaged when you lift and how your body feels. almost NOBODY gets it right the first time, esp with barbells. we've all made fools out of ourselves at the gym as beginners it's chill. i find people at the gym are very nice and willing to help you out if you're struggling, and people don't judge at all-- it's very easy to get in your own head in these spaces but most humans there are supportive and want you to succeed, especially since it's a hobby they are also passionate about. the more you do it, the less anxious you get. exposure therapy is very effective!! Also, almost all the barbell exercises can be replaced with smaller dumbbells, and you can do them at home if you get your own set + a workout bench (pretty cheap if u get secondhand, check facebook marketplace/craigslist). i got mad social anxiety myself so i understand sometimes you just can't, and this is an option for those that find public spaces overwhelming.

DIET

I personally don't think specialized diets/precise macro tracking is super duper important for newbies/casuals, only moderately important (spicy take for some but whatever). but you probably naturally will take an interest in diet once you realize it'll help you perform significantly better in the gym. the only macro i track is protein. You can use a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator to roughly estimate the amount of protein you need for maximum gainz. it's usually around .7-1g of protein for every pound of lean body mass (weight that isn't fat mass). Imma be real it's pretty hard for me to hit the recommended protein goal and most days I don't because my appetite just can't kick in for the amount it demands, and protein is super filling. I found that if i decreased the amount of carbs i eat, i am able to consume more protein bc i guess there's more room in my stomach lol. i eat a fuck ton of greek yogurt, chicken, fish, and tofu. when i started working out, i begin cooking a lot more and found i naturally craved less processed junk foods and snacks because the protein was keeping me full all day which is a plus! Even when im not regularly hitting my protein goal my gym progress is still going well and I think it's simply because my diet is A LOT better than what it used to be in my gremlin days. I also eat a lot more now that i've gained a bit of muscle, so do be prepared for food costs to go up as your metabolism increases and demands more energy to upkeep your gainz.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR ME TO LOOK LIKE A MUSCLE MOMMY????

a whileeee. over a year, probably, unless if you're on anabolic steroids (dont ever do that u will quite literally die). and physique is mostly from diet since it's dependent on your body fat percentage, the saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is true. its why you see hyper skinny terminally indoors gamer dudes with abs, even if they'd snap in half if you farted in their general direction. those mfs barely eat they too busy being gamers i am no longer interested in lifting for aesthetics personally since i get more joy from hitting PRs and i'm pretty content with my body image, but ik physique is the reason why most people get into lifting so i'll touch on it. Weightlifting on its own will not make you lose weight or fat. Again, it needs to be supplemented with a healthy sustainable diet (DO NOT DO CRASH DIETS THAT SHIT IS GARBAGE) and a form of cardio. I actually gained 8lbs since I began lifting from water retention & new muscle mass (muscle is more dense than fat, your body retains water when repairing muscle after a gym sesh) but my measurements and pants size have remained the same. I'm short, so something as small as a 5lb increase usually bumped me up a pants size but it didn't this time bc im gettin swole :') if you want to track physique changes, measuring your waistline & progress pics is a better way to do so than the scale. If you want bigger muscles, look into hypertrophy training. it's a tad different from strength training, mainly because you do higher reps at a lower weight.

[nanonana39]

Language learning – Introductory tips for self taught beginners

Warning, this is a loooong read. Feel free to skip to the TL;DR at the end.

In this post, I will detail a few tips which have helped me (a self taught language hobbyist) with the beginning steps of learning languages such as English, Korean and Japanese. This is not a guide on how to achieve fluency quickly, it is meant to be an introduction to language learning. This is also based on my own experiences; feel free to disagree or correct me.

We will go over these points:

How do I start learning a language?

What should I use? Is an app better than online courses?

Do I learn grammar or vocabulary first?

How much should I study?

Should I practice immersion?

Where do I find resources/books?

I feel frustrated. / I am not learning anything. /This is too hard, maybe it's not for me.

How do I start learning a language?

This is the first thing you will ask yourself when you decide you want to start learning a language. Whether it is for work, for studying, traveling or just for fun, most people feel overwhelmed at the thought of how or where to start.

The truth is that there is no set path to start learning a language, but researching the language before studying can help relieve your worries over it and give you an idea of how to start. Keep in mind that languages which have different alphabets/writing systems (i.e. Japanese, Chinese, Arabic) take longer for a native Germanic/Romance language speaker (i.e. English, French) to learn and achieve fluency, and vice versa, so if you do not have a second language as of yet, consider choosing a Germanic/Romance language as a soft start. I'll detail a suggestion as to where to start in point 3.

What should I use? Is an app better than language courses?

The current language learning app ecosystem is a far cry from what it used to be (yes, I'm talking about Duolingo and Memrise), but they are still your main allies if you have a busy schedule and want to learn a language. However what I've found is that simply tapping away in an app and taking notes isn't enough – sometimes the apps don't explain certain grammar rules, or they're locked behind monthly paywalls. As such, you have to find the answers elsewhere.

Here are some things which will make your life and your studying much easier if you are self taught and on a budget: books on the language (for grammar, you can find PDFs online), language channels (for more thorough and practical explanations, YouTube is the main hub for it), and regular media in the language of your choosing (for vocabulary, it can range from music to series/movies). If you have a friend who speaks the language, or perhaps is learning it with you, that also works. In my opinion, learning is better when you have other people to share it with.

There are also websites such as japanesetest4you.com which compile words and their meanings, just like a dictionary. The one I've mentioned not only displays kanji and its meanings, but also shows its variants in Korean and Chinese. There are many others in this same vein for other languages.

Do I learn grammar or vocabulary first?

When learning a language, most courses and classes will focus on teaching you the grammar and the writing system, which while helpful, can sometimes feel like you are going nowhere, as you know how to build a sentence, but don't have words to form it with, or can't pronounce it correctly. This is a common problem among beginners (and sometimes even more experienced language learners), don't let it discourage you.

A personal example I like to use is: To say "the sky is blue", you have to first learn what the sky is, then learn the color blue, and then learn the structure to be able to say "the sky is blue". Vocabulary is just as important as learning the grammar rules in any language; don't limit yourself to only learning how to write. So the answer is: Build a small vocabulary, learn the grammar, and then apply it in practice. It doesn't have to be correct on the first try, we've all been there. Though people learn in different ways, so perhaps you might feel like the opposite works for you. That's also completely fine.

This is another point where engaging with the language's culture and media outside of classes comes to play. Even watching a TV program during your free time and writing down words is enough, since you're also practicing listening, which is also very important and looked over. Try incorporating pronunciation and listening into your studying routines.

How much should I study?

This is a point of much debate within language learning spaces because there is no answer for it. Some might learn a language in 3 months, others might learn it in 10 years, a few can learn it in 3 weeks. It depends on what language you've chosen and the time you are able to dedicate to the language.

The best tip I can give is: if you can dedicate even just 10-15 minutes of learning each day, you can achieve the results you desire. Of course, you should increase that amount if you're able to in the future, but it's already an effort.

Consider your schedule and refer back to the first point, as the time you'll take to achieve conversational/fluency levels can vary depending on the language you choose.

Should I practice immersion?

The common view of immersion is: "speak the language at every opportunity, only engage with media in that language, and write only in that language". This is what you'll see in some of those "I learned (language) in only 3 months" videos.

Let's be realistic though, no one can start speaking German at all times when they live in the US, or Spanish when they live in France, and you'll only feel more frustrated if you force yourself to watch k-dramas without subtitles and nothing else, expecting to absorb it through osmosis. And also, you only now started learning how to say "the sky is blue".

Immersion comes in many forms, though. If you listen to a song in the language you want to learn and read the lyrics while listening, that counts as immersion. If you write a few phrases describing your day in that language as a dynamic exercise, it also counts as immersion. Immersion is what says on the tin – immersing yourself in the language – but it shouldn't bring you unnecessary stress. Also, contrary to what some might say, I do recommend you use translators, if it helps you associate words with their meanings. Don't just rely on them, though, since Google Translate can be unreliable with certain translations and meanings.

Where do I find resources/books?

This requires digging around, but I recommend you check sites like as WebArchive and YouTube. If you can, buy the books online, or borrow some from your local library. I recommend looking for actual textbooks, mainly because some of them include tidbits about the culture itself, like Genki. If you're on a budget, Reddit has a few threads which recommend apps/books, but be very careful with downloading things from random Google Drives or other file hosting websites.

Tumblr is also a very good place for learning new vocabulary. I see some blogs dedicated to sharing kanji and grammar rules, and it can be good to follow such blogs to build your vocabulary.

I feel frustrated. / I'm not learning anything! / This is too hard, maybe this is not for me.

Rome wasn't built in one day, and you definitely won't learn a language in a month or two if you are someone who is in school or has a job with long working hours. YouTube has made language learning easy, but it also has given the illusion that if you follow X method or study an N number of hours, you'll achieve fluency. That is not the case. It fails to take into account the nature of the language, its grammar rules, the writing systems, and everything else.

You don't realize this, but you definitely didn't learn how to speak in just 3 months when you were a child. Everyone learns differently, some faster than others, some slower, some have more time to study, others don't. Some people have difficulty concentrating and don't know how to make learning more fun. All I can say is: don't give up. As long as you put in some effort, even if it seems insignificant to you, you can achieve your results.

Don't feel obligated to continue learning a language if it is bothering you, though. Remember you can always take a break and come back to it another time. Who knows, maybe even during that break, you'll still be learning new words, and feel more motivated to go back.

TL;DR: Language learning is something which is more accessible now than ever, but you might find yourself confused on where or even how to begin learning a language. The key tip for learning any language is to do research, gather resources, know your own limits and how much dedication, time and energy you can invest into learning, and most important of all, to have fun with it.

I hope this can help some beginners in their journey into language learning. Thank you for reading this far!

[80linesofvirgil]

Hey, Joe! I have a question.

As a beginner artist, I try to figure out how more experienced artists do the things I like in their art, and do them myself. You're one of my favorite artists, I love your work, and now that I have access to your videos on Patreon where you show your process and talk about it - I can't resist trying to do things your way. How do you feel about this? Would it be ok to post my beginner pieces done in a style that tries (poorly) to mimic your own? For context, I mostly draw fanart and it's a hobby I don't ever plan to monetize.

It's very sweet of you to ask but you don't need my permission. One of the most important things I've learnt over the last year is fuck everyone else. Draw what you want, post what you want. It's gotta be about what you love and enjoy, not what anyone else thinks. But I am flattered and honoured, and if you'd like me to do anymore tutorial focused stuff on Patreon just say x

[janekestrel]

So You Want to Play Dragon Age: Origins in 2024 

I have recently gone through the semi-grueling ordeal of trying to get this almost fifteen year old game to work on my PC, and after writing up a list for my friend of all the mods I used to make it functional, I was informed that the tumblr population may have a use for this information as well! This game, while very Of Its Time (2009), is one of my favorites. It is full of great characters and has a lot of heart, and it is still important to the story and lore of Dragon Age overall. I think it's worth your time! So if you care about the story arc of this game series and have the opportunity to play this one (especially with Veilguard officially existing and theoretically coming out soon), I strongly recommend it.

HUGE DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an expert on modding and I will almost definitely not be able to help you troubleshoot anything if you run into any problems. This post is just compiling the information and links I collected while on my journey to get this game playable on my PC. Most, if not all, of these links come with access to forums where you can ask for help from people who will be able to provide it, and that is where I recommend you look for answers! This game is old enough that almost every problem that is possible to run into has been experienced by someone else, so it's very likely that reading through the forum posts will get you the info you need.

Level 0: I just want this old ass game to work on my modern computer. I do not wish to install any mods, I am just here for the story and I don’t care what the game looks like while I play it.

To avoid the game crashing pretty much constantly, particularly any time you’re in a location with a lot of NPCs (so, any town), you will need to change your graphics settings to Very Low. It will look like dogshit. Most eye colors will not be visible and armor will be weird and glossy and in general the world will look like it hasn’t finished loading. But it should work.

HOWEVER: you may still run into various game breaking bugs and other issues that can be resolved by a mod in the next section, so be aware of that.

ADDITIONALLY: When I first opened my game after installing it, it looked extra shitty because it was defaulting to 800x600 resolution for some reason. It does not seem to be great at detecting monitor settings without help. Go into the game's settings and make sure the resolution is set to whatever your monitor is. This might seem obvious, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

Level 1: I am willing to install two necessary mods because I want the game to both work and not look like dogshit.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO INSTALL: Large Address Aware + patch from this random Steam user. This is the thing that will tell your game to stop being so scared of the fact that it is no longer 2009 and it is installed on a computer with more than 2GB of RAM. For LAA to work with the Steam version of the game, it needed extra fiddling, so this very nice person pre-patched it and uploaded it with instructions on how to install it in this post: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=233222451

If you do not have the game through Steam, you can get LAA and install instructions here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/large-address-aware.112556/

Ultimate DAO Fixpack  This fixes a bunch of random bugs and issues, of which there are many. I don’t even know what they are, because I installed this before I started playing and therefore have not encountered any of them. It's like a vaccine for your game. It's on Nexus, like most of the rest of these are, so you will need to make an account there to download it. https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4689

Level 2: I am willing to install a few additional mods to improve the experience of playing the game.

Before I link any more of the mods, here is some very basic mod-related guidance that may be helpful to someone who is a complete beginner to modding this game:

Most of the following mods you will need to “install” in the override folder yourself (i.e. just copy them over to it); in my experience, the Nexus Vortex mod manager thing does not work 99% of the time with this game, so don't bother with it. I made a DAO Mods folder on my computer to keep the zip files in, then I unzipped them to the override folder here: Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\override

If any of the mods say “install using DAUpdater” (the fixpack does, for example), that is an application you can find in the game's installation files, wherever you have those. (Steam users can easily get to these by right clicking the game in your Steam library and going to “manage > browse local files.”) It will be in the “bin_ship” folder. You should only have to associate the DAZIP file type with this application once--afterwards, you can just double click the mod file and it will open in DAUpdater.

If any of the mods say “Install using DAO Mod Manager,” that is here: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/277

The most important thing is to read the mod developer's instructions on how to install it. Don't assume everything will work the way other mods do. If you install it wrong, the mod will not work and could even cause weird or alarming side effects. Just trust me.

I strongly recommend these:

Mouse Cursors for 4K DAO This will give you options to make the cursor bigger. This is a good one just in general for accessibility reasons. The default one was tiny on my monitor and I kept losing sight of where it was, especially during combat. https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/5167 Install location is in your game installation files under packages\Core\data\cursors - pick the size cursor you want and overwrite the original folder (and keep a copy of the original somewhere)

UI Mod - Readable Fonts and UI  Basically just makes everything bigger for higher res monitors (and for general accessibility) so you don’t have to squint at microscopic text on your screen. https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/73

Level 3: I am willing to install even more mods if it will make the game look better.

There are a lot of these on Nexus to choose from, and not all of them are compatible with each other (which is important to remember and look into if you start installing a ton of mods). These are the ones I like that also play nice with each other:

Unique Face Textures for Companions  This mod preserves what the companions/important characters look like but improves their skin textures and makes their eyes clearer. Make sure you also copy the textures folder into the override folder along with the Companion Morphs folder, I forgot to do this at first and it made Alistair look very shiny and blurry. https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4666

Dragon Age Redesigned  This is a huge mod full of graphic improvements to like every NPC. This mod comes with a pdf of instructions on how to install everything and is pretty easy to navigate. There are also versions of most of the companions as well, if you prefer this version of what they look like. (Some of those will require extra mods to install--the pdf will tell you what you need.) https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/686

Also potentially required for this one, depending on which version you pick: https://www.moddb.com/mods/tmp7704/downloads/tucked-hair

Level 4: I want cuter hair and armor choices for my character.

Another thing there are countless mods for, and if you’re getting this into it, I recommend going through Nexus and perusing on your own. These are the ones I was able to get to work on my computer with the other mods in this list installed:

Jenya’s Random Hairstyles: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4795

More Hairstyles: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/392

DA2 Grey Warden Armor: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/3258

Level 5: That is all fine but the game is still unplayable until I can bring my dog everywhere with me without sacrificing a companion slot.

You are right, which is why this is actually the most important mod on this list.

Extra Dog Slot  This lets you add your Mabari as a summon. https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/664

Final notes: This is NOT in any way a conclusive list of DAO mods, there are obviously so many for this game and if you want to do more than this, knock yourself out! I just wanted to post this as a starter pack for these types of people:

1. Brand new player who just bought it on Steam for $2 or whatever it was and wants to play but is intimidated by the idea of modding it 2. Returning players who haven't played in forever/on a PC and want a place to start with mods that will get the game to work 3. Really anyone who wanted to play/replay this but when they started up a new game, it just started crashing over and over and it was making them really mad and annoyed so they gave up because they didn't know how to fix it

I have been every player on this list at one point or another and a post like this would have been really helpful to me.

Now go out there and have fun defeating the Archdemon, fellow Wardens 🫡

[curiosity-killed]

Not to sound like an angry old man but one of the things that bothers me most both when I’m teaching my kiddos and when I’m in class with adult beginners is that like there is etiquette in ballet class that’s just archaic and shitty, there’s etiquette in ballet that’s just about courtesy/tradition, and then there’s etiquette that’s there for safety

And ppl tend to pick up on the second pretty quickly both as kids and adults—like thanking the teacher/pianist, being quiet when the teacher is talking, etc.—but they’re really bad at the third category, which is imo the most important

And like obv some of that is because they haven’t been taught but, frankly, a lot of ballet etiquette is learned through observation—noticing that, hey, if all the experienced dancers are starting this combination from the corner in the same formation, maybe I should, too. But people (both kids and adults!) just…don’t seem to pay very much attention to that side of things?? Even though it can literally save you from or give you a broken ankle depending on if you’re doing it correctly or not??

And I get that when you’re focusing really hard on understanding the steps or combination, less of your mind is on spacing/not getting tackled by your neighbor—but people (mostly adults for this one) get like kind of uppity about it?? When they’re? Wrong???

[palfriendpatine66]

Writing Obi-Wan I got an amazing ask that has prompted your Pal to go on several rants so I’m breaking it into parts for readability.

An anon new to writing fanfic asked about characterizing Obi-Wan. They asked about his most important traits to include to really nail his characterization and most importantly:

"In particular, I'm confused about reconciling the (chaotic, dramatic, 10/10) Clone Wars happenings with the way he appears in some other stories (more, well, civilized)."

Well anon: ask and you shall receive. Find your pal’s beginner's thesis below, keeping in mind that there are many others in the fandom who are way more accomplished authors who are much better about characterization in their own works and are way more qualified to speak to this. I'm going to do my best!

I love this ask! Characterization is so important in fan fic as we take familiar characters in place them into different scenarios that we haven’t seen how they react and respond to, and yet want it to feel authentic. The best is when you read a chapter and think of course that’s how Obi-Wan would deal with this.

The first part to nailing characterization is voice. Not even the motivation aspects behind “he would not fucking say that” but I literally ask myself: can I imagine the character’s voice actually saying these things? If I can’t hear Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan in my mind speaking the lines of dialogue I’ve written, I know it’s not right. This isn’t something specific I could give you a How To on, it’s 100% based on vibe and feel, BUT. Listen to the dialogue in the movies/tcw/kenobi series. The words he uses, his cadence, his tone. Even if he's being written in an alternate universe speaking about something that canon Obi-Wan has never experienced, and never will, it should still *sound* like him. If I had to summarize his voice: civilized yes, and more mature or refined than Anakin’s speech patterns, but with the ever present threat of sass. Underlying almost everything he says is a sense of I can and will destroy you if you piss me off, so tread lightly.

That brings me to your point of reconciling the different parts of Obi-Wan. There’s a line in Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith which (I'm paraphrasing) says: he’s a Jedi Master who deep down still feels like a padawan. To me, this is why he can be the cool, calm logical Jedi Master one moment and then impulsively launching himself out of windows to hang from a speeding droid the next.

He is the expert of Fake it Till You Make It. He was suddenly thrust into all these roles of responsibility before he was prepared for them, but has taken them on and is Doing His Best. He literally went from being a padawan to having a padawan overnight. He had no time to experience being responsible for himself before he was responsible for someone else. He’s the youngest member on the council and despite, you know, not being trained in the military he is like The Highest Ranking Jedi and in command of a frighteningly huge portion of the GAR. He *is* incredibly competent and good at what he does, but he feels like its a role he's acting. He is playing the part of the wise Jedi, modeling himself after everyone he respects and looks up to and thinks is doing a better job than himself, when a lot of times his personal instinct isn't to react with measured patience but rather Yeet! or Read This Bitch!

Always remember: this man contains multitudes. There is no One Right take on his personality. That’s why he’s so fun to write! And also why there’s so many different versions of Obi-Wan in fan fic, and yet most are able to feel right if they hit the voice. Authors lean into the different sides of Obi-Wan they want to bring out. Some are more into his Big Dick Energy, being a BAMF, having the answers, and being in control General Kenobi. Some relate to the more the anxious padawan desperate to prove himself. Some see the man tossing back shots in the Outlander and think to themselves “this ho has slept with half of Coruscant”. Any and all of these can feel true to the character when done from a place of love and understanding for our main man Obi-Wan Kenobi

[adolin]

hi, i saw your post about tips for running beginners yesterday, and in it you mentioned you didn't like c25k programs too much. i'm very curious what your reasons for that are (outside of the one you mentioned in the post), just because i don't really know too much about the subject but am currently doing a c25k program :) i'd love to hear your perspective on the topic!

HI HI HI I'm so happy whenever I get asks about running, this really made my evening ❤️

I have some nitpicks about C25K, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that the best training program is the program you're actually going to follow. There's no point in an awesome training plan if you're not going to stick with it. C25K, with the various apps and communities and its immense popularity, is hugely convenient for new runners to get into, and I really think it's something that shouldn't be underestimated. Kind of how many beginner lifting routines are frankly kind of rubbish, but you're still seeing massive results even with suboptimal programming because you're training consistently. If you're enjoying C25K, that's all that matters at the end of the day.

On to my nitpicks: like I said in the post, I don't love the framing of walking as something an experienced runner needs to grow out of — there are many walk/run strategy training plans even at very advanced levels. My other two main nitpicks are: 1) lack of focus on strength and mobility, and 2) lack of deload weeks.

I think a program that targets complete beginners should put more emphasis on the importance of strength exercises + mobility and stretches as injury prevention, especially because so many people use C25K as a program while trying to lose weight and running is a high-impact activity that'll be more taxing on the joints the heavier you are. The second reason — lack of deload weeks — is also because of injury prevention. iirc C25K DOES tell people to repeat a week "if you don't feel ready," but I really think lower-volume weeks should be programmed in, instead of steady week-by-week increases. Your body needs some time to get used to its current fitness level before pushing harder. Something like "3 weeks of increasing distance, 1 week while you stay at the same weekly mileage or lower it slightly" is IMO better than "distance total increases week by week."

(In all of this, I'd like to disclaim that I haven't actually looked at a C25K plan in years. For all I know, maybe it was updated to include mandatory deloads and a recommended 5-mins-a-day-bodyweight-legs-routines. But these were my main "this could be better" takeaways when I last saw the schedule)

I hope this is clear and above all doesn't dissuade you! You're gonna smash that 5k

[danceofthephilos]

Langa Hasegawa Character Intro & Chiaki Kobayashi Interview (spoon.2Di vol.71)

"Right now... I'm having fun!"

Langa Hasegawa

"S" Name: SNOW Birthday: February 8th A returnee* transfer student from Canada, and a high school second year who's always spacing out. He sometimes shows a stubborn side.

(*note that "returnee" here refers to a child with Japanese nationality through their parent(s) who's come to Japan after living elsewhere, but includes children who were born overseas - this doesn't imply anything one way or another about if Langa was born in Canada or Okinawa.)

Chiaki Kobayashi Interview

—When you were playing Langa, what sort of direction did you receive from the staff? What did you consider important to your portrayal?

My own impression of Langa is that he looks cool at a glance, but is an unexpectedly expressive and aggressive boy. So when we were recording the first episode, I played him really lively, like he could keep up with Reki. And then in direction I was told "we want him to be more spaced out and out of touch", "he should go at his own pace without discussing things with Reki." Moreover, that as the story progressed from here, he'd gradually show more expressions. I think it was exactly because I received that direction that Langa began to come to life as a character to me.

—In episode 5, Langa has his first BEEF with ADAM. Could you give us your impressions from when you were performing, and tell us how you perceive what ADAM is to Langa?

I think, to Langa, ADAM is someone who can show him sights he's never seen before, and can teach him a kind of excitement he's still never experienced first-hand. So, when I was recording episode 5, he pursued him without any negative feelings like fear or worry he could lose. But because I got direction that I was coming on too strong and it felt like Langa would win from the beginning of the race, I had to be conscious of the balance between being overwhelmed when he was supposed to be overwhelmed, but still chomping at the bit. I was really overjoyed to be able to talk everything until now out with a great veteran on the front lines like Koyasu-san. (laughter)

—Episode 6 turned out to be a really fun episode. What were your impressions and memories from recording?

We, the cast, will enjoy ourselves! After this, we're over the hill! That's how we got through it. (laughter) The episodes right before and after this were particularly hard, so this was a pretty extreme difference in intensity. But thanks to this episode, we were able to deepen the camaraderie between the characters, and dig into each character in more depth, so I think it was a really important episode.

—Are there any other scenes in the story so far that have made a lasting impression on you, or episodes you remember recording the most strongly?

Episode 2 made a lingering impression on me. Episode 2 was an important episode that really condensed Reki and Langa's deepening relationship and the joy of skating. Episode 1 was still the episode where they first met, so Reki and Langa weren't really opening their hearts up to one another yet. But in episode 2, they're dealing with the same things, they're sharing their "fun" with one another, and gradually start to get along. It was an episode without a race in it, but I think it's this episode that really solidified Reki and Langa's friendship. On top of that, because the episode's crammed full of things that beginner skaters go through, people who've never skated before can have the sense that they're growing alongside Langa, while experienced skaters can have a taste of nostalgia and think "I used to do that!", so I thought the composition of the episode was amazing.

—Is there anything coming up in the story that you thing we should pay close attention to?

I think you should look out for the outcome of the tournament, that everyone will be staking their hopes on when they compete, and what will happen to Reki and Langa. Of course the main draw of a tournament is who's going to battle who, and which pair is going to end up competing in the finals, but underneath that, there's an intricate web of human relationships depicted from all sorts of angles that you can't tear your eyes away from. I think you'll enjoy it, even when it's heart-wrenching. (laughter)

—Finally, please send a message to all our readers.

Will Langa go down the same path as ADAM? What will happen to Reki and Langa's relationship? There are a lot of things to be anxious about, but please keep watching over those two! The staff and cast are working together as one to do our best to show you those things, so please keep waiting with infinite anticipation! I think there will be more and more developments unfolding that you won't expect. Thank you, and enjoy!

(from spoon.2Di, volume 71 - February 2021)

[calware-png]

your colors are alwasy SO GOOD.... do u have any advice for how u pick them

thank you! for advice, i have a few tips:

the first is to always keep in mind what color palette you are using. as you become more experienced this will likely become something you do subconsciously, but when i was starting out with drawing i would usually deliberately choose a color palette and reference that while coloring in my drawing.

i'll go into some basic color theory (ha ha) but feel free to skip this if you're already familiar with it.

there are many different types of palettes to choose from, but the most common ones are:

monochromatic

analogous

complementary

split complementary

triadic

square

tetradic

for example, the drawing i just posted follows a split complementary palette (which is favorite scheme btw)

i can explain this more in-depth if anyone want me to but for the sake of brevity i'll leave it at that. the only other thing that i think is important to note if you're following a color palette is that it's important to balance out the values of the colors that you are using (how light and dark they are) as well as use it as a guide but you don't have to strictly adhere to your pallete 100% if the time within your piece. for example, the my drawing uses MAINLY blue, green, and red-orange, but there is also some orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green etc. in there as well

my second tip is to experiment! i hear the phrase "learn the rules before you break them" a lot when people are giving advice to beginner artists, which i don't always agree with because i think experimenting and finding out what you like and what you think works is very valuable (especially when you are drawing for fun and not professionally!) have fun with it, do the opposite of what people tell you to do just to see how it looks, etc. i remember getting the advice to always shade warm tones with a warmer tone and cool tones with a cooler tone (this is only a rule of thumb btw) and one day i started doing the opposite and found that it can look cool in certain circumstances

my third tip is to use references! i joke a lot about colorpicking from the most random images but i think that looking at other images and asking yourself "how is the artist/photographer using the colors to make it look this way? how do i recreate that?" and using that as a way to study their use of colors can be really helpful. i you find a drawing that has cool colors, try using those colors in your own drawings and see how they look!

the fourth tip is to play around with contrast. some drawings will look better with LOTS of contrast (where the darkest points are black and the brightest points are white), while others will look better with low contrast. stylistically, i prefer using low contrast. going back to the drawing above, there is no true #000000 or #ffffff used anywhere (except the white outline). i find that in certain situations this can help colors stand out. but like i said, it's more of a personal preference

the fifth tip is more for digital art, but it's to play around with blending layers, adjustment layers, and gradient maps if you don't like your colors but have no idea how to fix it. some programs don't have this feature but using blending layers/adjustment layers/gradient maps is sort of like using a filter to change the hue/value/saturation of your art in different ways

hope that helps! if there's anything i need to explain further please lmk!

[beekaads]

How to Choose the Best Digital Marketing Course for Beginners

Digital marketing is one of the most acquired skills in the current job market. For beginners, choosing the right course in digital marketing will create the right way to career success. With so many choices available, it gets overwhelming to decide on the right option. Whatever your expectations from a course, this guide can help you understand how to find the best one that aligns with your goals, learning style, and budget, be it for a digital marketing course in Kochi or something general.

1. Identify Your Learning Goals

First, define your objectives. Are you looking to understand it all—the overview of digital marketing—or do you want to go deep into things like SEO, social media marketing, or content marketing? If you're just getting started, you might want a course that gives a little overview of everything relating to digital marketing. Look for more local-based learning facilities; for instance, take a digital marketing course in Kochi that will arm you with knowledge of the local market and be at the top of what is trending globally.

2. Course Content

The main thing to consider while taking any digital marketing course is, of course, the content. A well-built course is definitely going to have certain fundamental issues in digital marketing. It will contain search engine optimization through which you know how to optimize better your content for different available search engines. It will also go into Pay-per-Click Advertising, where you will be able to learn how to create and manage a paid campaign. The next important element would be Social Media Marketing, providing ways to build and engage the audience across multiple platforms. In addition, Content Marketing should also be a focused area, guiding one on how to create and distribute valuable content that is aimed at attracting and engaging one's target market. It should also focus on email marketing, detailing how to effectively structure an email campaign to resonate with the recipients. Moreover, Analytics is very instrumental in learning how one can measure performance and analyze it. Relevance to trends and technologies means that the course needs to have the latest information and material on these digital marketing landscapes because they are fast-changing, and a course that reflects all these developments would be more valuable.

3. Consider Instructor Expertise

The quality of the course can be severely affected by the instructors. Courses taken by industry veterans who have proven experience should be considered. Experienced instructors bring to the table real-world insights and practical knowledge beyond theoretical concepts. They will further give you valuable tips on how to apply the skills you learn in real-life situations.

It's also good to see whether the instructors are active within the industry. Do they have a blog or a YouTube channel, or are they active on social media, where they share knowledge? This can be an indicator of their commitment to staying current in the field.

4. Check Reviews and Testimonials

Knowing the quality of the course is a good starting point for reading. Reviews and testimonials give firsthand information from people who have gone through similar courses. Check for reviews on independent platforms and testimonials on the institution's website. Observe the comments on the quality of the course content, instructor quality, and the whole learning experience.

5. Prefer Practical Experience

Digital marketing is a very practical field; therefore, it has to focus on getting your hands dirty. Look for courses that have real projects, case studies, or even internships where you can get hands-on experience. This will let you test in a real-world context what you are learning and help turn abstract knowledge into concrete knowledge that one can easily grasp. Courses with assignments or projects will help you develop a portfolio, which is useful, particularly when applying for jobs.

Practical experience while attending a digital marketing course in Kochi would involve working on real projects for local businesses or interning with companies in the region, thus availing valuable exposure to the local market and helping students build connections in the industry.

6. Assess Support and Community

Digital marketing is not easy to learn, let alone if one is a fresh starter. Having the support system in place may all make the difference. Not all courses have forums, and Q&A sessions are a good addition, while others come with mentorship programs in their package. This learning community may be able to further enhance your experience by sharing your ideas, asking questions, and networking with people in your line of business.

If you're attending a course in digital marketing in Kochi, local support could be of immense help. Keep in touch with other fellow students and professionals in Kochi who will build a support network for you beyond the course itself.

Conclusion

The best digital marketing course for beginners is one that carefully considers the factors surrounding your learning goals, course content, instructor expertise, and availability of practical experiences. Be it a general course or a more specific digital marketing course in Kochi, it is always advisable to take a moment and evaluate your options. You want a course that will give you a solid digital marketing foundation and get you on the move to success in this dynamic field. If you make wise choices, you shall have invested in your future and acquired competencies to thrive within the digital marketing industry.

[aesethewitch]

#OcculTea - Topic 2: Influencer Authenticity

Out of what I share on social media, how much of it is staged vs reality?

Pretty much everything I share is reality. I’ve mentioned before that when I publish spells and rituals, I’m usually leaving out a step or two that are deeply personal to my practice. They’re not things I want to share with the public, so I keep them to myself.

But I’m not staging pictures or publishing spells that I haven’t actually done myself. Everything you see here is Real, Bona Fide Witchcraft that I actually perform.

That said, I’m definitely not fully me while I’m posting out here. It’s a facet of me, sure, but it’s a persona I choose to put on. This is for my own sanity and protection. Folks who interact with me one-on-one in more private, casual settings see more of The Real Aese, but you’ll likely never actually Know Me on a personal level just by what I publish online.

Nothing personal. It’s a safety thing.

Do I think there is an element of censorship in online spaces?

In a general sense, yes — websites censor activity they deem unsafe or against their terms and conditions. Sometimes for incomprehensible reasons which might appear borderline indefensible (narrow look at this website’s recent moderation tactics). Some sites are more strict than others. I know that TikTok has a reputation of shadow-banning people for swearing or for creating certain content, which has, in turn, created this odd tendency to censor words like fuck or kill on sites that don’t do that (like Tumblr, for example). In regards to platforms silencing witches specifically, I haven’t really noticed anything.

Now, censorship between individuals? Perhaps. I’ve seen it happen where folks share their experiences or views and get shut down because they disagree with the “popular version” of witchcraft. Note that this doesn’t apply to cultural appropriation and bigotry in all its forms. I mean innocuous posts about opinions and personal experience being taken in bad faith. Complaints about certain laws that don’t apply outside those certain traditions, arguments surrounding correspondences, demands for more accessible/easy/beginner-friendly additions or substitutions… It ranges from simply annoying to downright threatening sometimes.

It creates an atmosphere of anxiety. I’ve experienced it myself: the worry that publishing something too personal or too niche or too “out there” will bring in nasty commentary. I have exactly one hex published on Tumblr. I haven’t gotten anything on the post itself, but I’ve gotten anonymous asks deriding me for “risking the consequences” of casting a hex. I just delete them and move on, personally.

But it does cause problems. Folks I know personally — good, intelligent practitioners who would absolutely love to share their practices and views — refuse to post anything online. The reasons they cite are fears over backlash.

This is where I’m uncertain how to define it. Does this constitute censorship? It’s definitely something. We see the effects in copious disclaimers. “This is my personal practice!” “These are my views, it’s okay if you disagree!” “In my opinion… It’s my view that…” “Not to put anyone else’s practice down or assume I know everything or put myself in a position of authority or pretend I know best or or or or…”

Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to delineate unverified personal gnosis (UPG) from other sources. But there’s such a fear over being misinterpreted as speaking like “my way is the only way” that we crowd our words with apologies and defenses before anyone even speaks up to complain. We do see folks who act like that, talking as though it’s their way or no way, sure, and that it’s a privilege that they’re sharing this information with the unwashed masses. Holier-than-thou is a solid term for that.

But most folks talking about their practices on here are… talking about their practices and the way they do things. Of course, they’re going to talk like it’s “the only way,” it’s their only way.

Bad-faith interpretations run amok on Tumblr, and it makes us fearful that we’re next in line for a callout post. Is this censorship? I don’t know. I do think it encourages self-censorship. It inhibits creators from being honest and sharing interesting, useful information that they otherwise would without hesitation.

And that’s a damn shame.

How do I decipher what is “appropriate” to share online vs what to keep privately? Is this based on “social media etiquette” or a personal preference?

For the most part, it’s basic internet safety. You know, don’t share your name or location or personally-identifying information. I don’t take pictures of myself to post publicly for a reason. My identity has to be secret and protected. Unless we’re friends, you won’t ever see my face. If we’re only ever friends online, you may never know my IRL name. I like it that way. It keeps me safe, but it also helps me to draw a line between myself and my online identity.

Witchcraft-wise, that’s personal preference. I won’t ever share the full details of my spells, because there are things in there that I can’t share. Many of my workings involve collaboration with spirits, and part of those agreements is that I don’t talk about them in detail. A lot of my kitchen-based spells involve practices that have been handed down to me by my family — superstitions I observe and rituals I perform in order to make spells work better and faster (and at all, in some cases). I won’t share those because… I don’t want to doxx my family? Lmao.

My general rule is that if sharing something would interfere with an existing working or get too close to my home, my family, or myself, I don’t share it. Like, if sharing a spell would give someone a way to reverse or fuck around with a ward or something? That’s not something I’m going to publish.

General information is usually safe. Spells I no longer use or that were one-time castings are often fair game. Methods and techniques are, for the most part, fine, with a few exceptions. Research is always on the table.

Stuff about my local environment, not so much. Practices I’ve developed to connect with the nature around me are so specific to where I live, I wouldn’t want to publish them. Practices involving spirit work are usually fine; but individual relationships with spirits are less so. I think there’s only one relationship I’d talk about in detail, and that’s because the little bugger is an attention hog who loves to chat with whoever’s willing to listen.

Have I ever encountered or heard of grifters in our community? Do I recognize them? What are significant signs of grifters in the community?

YES. Oh, my gosh, yes. There are so many people who are desperate for you to buy what they’re selling.

We have a thriving community of professional witches who offer all sorts of services for pay (I’m among them, hello!) here on Tumblr. From tarot readings to custom spells to astrology services to spell kits and more, there are tons of very legitimate shops on this platform, staffed by knowledgeable, experienced practitioners of all stripes. It’s awesome.

However.

Not all witchcraft services are equal. Always, always, always vet the people and shops you look at before making a purchase. There are folks out here who will overcharge you for subpar services and goods if you let them.

But there’s another type of grifter in these Tumblr wilds. I won’t name names, of course, in the interest of keeping the peace. You may know who I’m referring to, or have thoughts on who this might apply to, but keep their names off this post. Alright? No tagging anybody.

I talked in a previous question about creators hedging their statements in disclaimers about not being the end-all, be-all Knower Of Things and how it’s exhausting and frankly disheartening to have to do. We do it for two reasons:

Backlash; and

Grifters.

There are absolutely folks on Tumblr who can and will claim that their way is the only way. Or the best way. Or the original way. Or the “people call what they’re doing one thing, but in reality, they’re actually doing this, because that’s how I/my practice/my culture/my “ancestors” say it is.” (Note: I’m currently editing this post, and I just saw someone saying literally that shit — “people call [spirit] this and that, but it’s ACTUALLY this, and I’m right, because that’s my tradition, which is the Right Tradition, obviously.” Nonsense.) They make claims that they come from long lines of witches with long-standing traditions that are so secret, you can’t even imagine. And yet, they come onto this site and… share all of those secrets? How odd.

Anyone who claims that Their Way is the Only Way is full of shit. The truth is that none of us really know how all of this works. In many ways, we can’t. We can visualize and describe and try and cavort with spirits and work toward the Ultimate Answer, but there will always be an opposing viewpoint that somehow discredits ours. There’s no telling who’s right. It’s unknowable.

It’s… y’know, it’s esoteric. It’s occult. That’s sort of the point.

Even if the person promising that Their Way Is Perfectly Right isn’t directly selling you something (a shop, asking for tips, etc.), that doesn’t mean they’re not a grifter. They have something to gain, even if it isn’t your money. It could be your time, your clicks, your attention, your belief. Truthfully, though, it’s usually your money.

Anyways, visit my Ko-Fi page if you’re enjoying th— [gunshot]

Claims like this are the a solid way to know that someone’s pulling a grift. Other red flags might include New Age ideology, buying into conspiracy theories, using inflammatory language to get attention, plagiarism, and so forth. I also, personally, wouldn’t trust someone to provide a metaphysical service if they either have little experience or refuse to elaborate on how much and what kind of experience they have. A genuine, trustworthy practitioner will be happy to explain their background and methods when asked. If someone gets upset when you respectfully ask for details about their services and history, that’s a good sign that they’re up to no good.

In general, be wary of people who claim to be absolute authorities on anything. Even the highest-ranked member of a religious order has something to learn. A good leader knows they’re never done. The truly wise recognize that there’s no end to learning. Someone who pretends they have nothing left to do but teach is either a fool or a liar.

Again, even if they’re not demanding your money for services “only they can provide” (note: not services at which they excel or talents which they’ve perfected their technique; specifically claiming that “only” they can do it “the right way,” explicitly stated or otherwise) they want something from you. What is it?

What tools are helpful to decipher misinformation, and how can we as a community prevent widespread misinformation?

This is a tall order sometimes, especially when the most popular search engine in the world is providing dangerously incorrect results at the top of every search page.

If you’ve ever taken a class on journalism, among the first things they teach you is how to read an article. One of the most important things to take note of is the author’s goal. What are they trying to say? What do they want from you? What ideas are they sharing, and why are they sharing them?

Another important thing to consider is the sources being cited. Who is the author quoting, and why? Where is this information coming from? Are the sources reliable? What are the goals of the source material?

These two sets of questions can reveal some pretty damning red flags. If someone refuses to cite their sources for something they’re claiming is Absolute Truth, that’s a sign that they’re dealing in misinformation. If their sources are dubious or debunked elsewhere but they won’t reconsider their beliefs in those sources, that’s misinformation. If the tone of their work is inflammatory, throws out wild accusations with little proof, and otherwise is attempting to get a rise out of you, it’s not just misinformation — it’s a strategy.

Learning how to vet a source is crucial, and I would suggest doing so through mundane avenues. Read up on journalism and rhetoric. Familiarize yourself with persuasive speaking and writing techniques and learn to discern when someone is trying to sway your opinions and beliefs. Learn about cults, cult tactics, and common conspiracy theories. Learn the signs of conspiracy thought and propaganda. If you notice someone sharing information you know is untrue, tell them. Be kind, and don’t shame anyone, because they really may not know the information they’re sharing is wrong.

Our strongest allies against misinformation are each other. If we can kindly hold each other accountable and point out falsehoods respectfully, we can root out near any issue. The other side of this, of course, is being open to receiving that sort of heads-up. The knee-jerk reaction of needing to be “unproblematic” and free of guilt isn’t helpful. Learn to admit you were wrong, thank the person who reached out to you, and delete the dang post. If it spread around, put up an addendum letting people know it was misinformation.

Shame is the enemy of progress. Be kind to each other and to yourself.

How does a large following impact the perception of the creator?

Perhaps a tough one to answer for me, personally, since I don’t have a particularly large following when compared to other professional/content-creating witches out there (as of this writing, I sit around the 1,500 mark on Tumblr).

With that said, I’ve been a fan of YouTubers since YouTube became A Thing. I’ve been online and following creators on various platforms for a long time. I’ve seen the rise and fall of so many, been part of creators’ fandoms, witnessed from the inside the insidious rot that can easily take over lives.

Having a large following, whether earned or not, imparts some authority on a person. The feeling is that, well, they wouldn’t have such a following if they weren’t doing something right. Right? Surely this person has a vast array of fans and supporters because they’re right about things. Right?

Consider the humble Tumblr post. When you read a post, no matter the content of it, do you check the notes count before you reblog it? Not the contents of the notes, not the replies, not the tags. The number.

Popular posts with a ton of notes expand exponentially up to a plateau point. They’re more likely to receive interactions agreeing with the most recent addition on that post, and not necessarily because it’s right, but because the assumption is that, well, everyone else agrees with it. That’s why they’re reblogging this version. Right?

Right?

A larger, more popular witchcraft blog publishes a post on a subject. Their large following interacts with the post, liking and replying and reblogging, thus spreading it to their own followers and adding to the notes count. The more notes something has (without people within those notes debunking any misinformation or adding context), the more “trustworthy” it seems to be. Again, if everyone else is reblogging that post on that topic, surely it’s correct. Right? The witchcraft blog, thanks to this post with lots of notes, sees a rise in followers. They post something else, and their followers reblog it.

The point is, even though we can’t see people’s follower counts on Tumblr (a good thing, in my opinion), the perception of popularity lends credibility to posts and posters. Calling out misinformation on posts like that is a dangerous thing sometimes; the more dedicated the creator’s fans are, the likelier they are to send hate and vitriol to the whistleblower. Thus, the cycle of call-out posts comes into play...

This doesn’t even touch on the distortion that can happen to the creator themselves when they obtain a large following. All those eyes, all that attention… Terrifying and thrilling in equal measures, I assume. So easy to fall into the role of Great Leader, so simple to fool oneself into believing those ardent followers’ words of admiration and dedication. Parasocial relationships do go both ways.

It’s tough. We want to make an impact and have our work seen, but we don’t want to fall victim to the curse that comes tied to fame. Other, more popular witches might be able to speak more about this particular facet of things. I can only talk from the perspective of watching the rise and fall and rise and fall and rise of so many different creators from the dawn of Social Media to now.

Does this immediately make them an “expert”? Or are there other assumptions as to why they may have a large following?

I mean, no. Of course not. There might be the assumption of expertise, particularly from practitioners who are less experienced, but a large following (or lots of interactions on a given post or posts) doesn’t automatically equate to expertise.

I can recall a blogger I followed when I returned to Tumblr a few years ago. I’ll be vague and ungendered here to avoid pointing fingers at that blog. Essentially, they were publishing content and answering asks about witchcraft with the air of a teacher. After a while, they admitted that they weren’t nearly as experienced as they thought when they’d started the blog. They abandoned the blog, stating that they were going to refocus on their own studies and step away from the teaching role they’d assumed. It was a brave thing to do, and I very much admire this blogger for it.

When a magical practitioner gains a large following, it’s often because they publish content with an air of confidence. Whether that content is vetted, correct, and otherwise trustworthy depends on the individual. It can be hard to know when someone actually knows what they’re talking about and when someone is just trying to seem like they know. The only way to know for sure is over time and by vetting their sources yourself.

Personally, having been burned by bullshit artists in real life, I tend toward the people who are happy to say “I don’t know!” when asked questions they have no idea about. If I can find evidence of a creator admitting that they don’t know something, I’m likely to trust them more solidly. If I can find them apologizing for being wrong about something… That’s a very good sign.

How does one maintain the balance of authenticity and content creation?

It can be hard, to be sure. We want to protect ourselves and keep the core of our crafts to ourselves, but hiding away too much feels like leaving out important information. It’s the context by which we measure our experiences and write our posts.

For me, I keep that balance by allowing my true voice to come through in my posts. I don’t overly-edit them to sanitize them of swears and grammatical flubs. Believe it or not, this is kind of how I talk. I’m a verbose bitch. The Curse of Long-Winded Explanations was cast upon me at birth.

I like to think that it’s my voice that draws people to my work. It’s the cadence and tune beneath the written words. It’s the way I write my ideas out and explain the way I’m thinking. It’s the charm in them, and the honesty. At least, I hope so. I hope that comes through.

I refuse to just make shit up, and that includes my core personality. Yeah, there’s a sort of persona going on, what with the esoteric tone and the smoke and mirrors around the actual way I’m doing the magic I post about. It’s almost a character. But it is me, at the end of the day. Just because I don’t share every detail about my life doesn’t make me inauthentic.

This is part two of a series! Click here to view the masterpost to see all #OcculTea posts in this series. Replies, reblogs, and asks on any or all of the topics covered in this post series are very much welcome.

[magickkate]

Hi, I am a baby witch, I don't know if that is an actual thing, that's the problem I don't know what to trust, and there is a lot of sources and not to mention the negative notion around witchcraft in general. Where should I begin, I have done shadow work, learnt about herbs, crystals and their properties, Know my bit on moon phases. I know this process is a life-long learning and one thing doesn't fit all but I genuinely need some guidance. Thank you for your time.

Hello, and welcome to your magical journey! First of all, let me assure you that being a "baby witch" or “beginner witch” is absolutely a real thing, and it's completely okay to feel overwhelmed by the vast amount of information out there and the negative perceptions surrounding witchcraft. It's important to remember that your path as a witch is unique to you, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to practicing witchcraft.

It's wonderful that you've already delved into shadow work, learned about herbs and crystals, and explored the phases of the moon. These are all valuable foundations for your magical practice! As you continue your journey, here are some suggestions to help you navigate the vast world of witchcraft and find your path:

Trust Your Intuition: Trust yourself and your instincts as you explore different aspects of witchcraft. Listen to your inner voice and follow what resonates with you personally.

Start Small: Witchcraft (like you said!) is a lifelong journey of learning and discovery, so don't feel like you have to know everything all at once. Start with small practices and gradually build upon them as you feel comfortable. I have joined a couple Discord servers for the friendship and the inspirations. I prefer to do the research and all on my own.

Find Your Focus: Reflect on what aspects of witchcraft resonate most with you and where you feel drawn to explore further. Whether it's herbalism, divination, spellcraft, or something else entirely, focus on what interests you the most.

Seek Reliable Sources: With so much information available online and in books, it can be challenging to discern what is accurate and trustworthy. Look for reputable sources, experienced practitioners, and community recommendations to guide your studies. Now, this is usually the most difficult task. There is so much information! What is true? I take everything with a grain of salt, but I respect what doesn't belong to me. Remember, you need nothing but yourself and your intent to be a witch - no candle, no herb, no broom, no cloak, just yourself with your intent. That's the most powerful thing. I know when I was starting out I really leaned into The Witch Of Wonderlust on YT and Chaotic Witch Aunt on YT has grabbed my attention as well. They have great info and resources for beginners! Olivia (TWoW) has a playlist for beginners with lots of notable books, podcasts, and other content creators!

Connect with Community: Seek out supportive communities of like-minded individuals who can offer guidance, encouragement, and camaraderie on your journey. There are some really well put-together Discord servers (and some other that are really "Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss" if I'm being honest)

Embrace Your Path: Remember that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to practice witchcraft. Your path is yours alone, and it's okay to experiment, make mistakes, and evolve along the way. Embrace the journey and trust in your own power and intuition. Just please respect closed practices if they are not yours.

Above all, be patient and kind with yourself as you navigate this new and exciting realm of magic. Your journey as a witch is a deeply personal and empowering one, and I have no doubt that you will find the guidance and wisdom you seek along the way. May your path be filled with magic and wonder! 🌟🔮

[melias-cimitiere]

Hello Melias!

Would you recommend demon work to beginners? If so, which would you recommend?

And perhaps this is a loaded question but how can a beginner destigmatize demons and working with them after experiencing traumas with the dominant religions (ie, Christianity)?

Hello, Working with demons should only be done if you are at least aware of some basics of what the demons expect, such as going against the Right Hand Path mentality, seeking truth, embracing challenges and necessary change, and also taking the demons seriously and not treating them as if they're your friends (they are around humans to act as guides or mentors). So if you can do these things to begin with, then you will be ready to try working with them, and gradually progress into more teachings of the demonic. Demons for beginners would include those that not only have more patience than other demons to teach beginners, but also are willing to give their teachings at a beginner-level (whereas others may seek to mainly teach more advanced practitioners). Some demons who fit this are Sitri, Gomory, Naema, Osiandos, Stolas, Mammon, Clauneck, Belphegor, Furfur, Bune, Astarte, Zepar, Saleos, Aetherea, Raum, Lucifer, and Lilith. All of them should still be treated with respect, especially Lucifer and Lilith as the High King and Queen of their realm. Keep in mind that this is not a conclusive list, and there are some demons who may be less patient (and so not on this list) but will make exceptions for specific people who they view as worthwhile. (edited)

To begin destigmatizing demons after being Christian, the best way to do this would be to interact with demons themselves, thus learning from experience. One of the most important things a person should do (especially when following demons) is to analyze which parts of their mindset are remnants from monotheism and to gradually undo them. Some examples would be feeling guilty over inconveniencing people (for something you actually need) or going against their beliefs (these aren't bad things to do, and are encouraged to keep society and ideas flowing, as well to empower yourself and stand against what you view as wrong, even if it means hurting peoples' feelings). Another example is feeling the need to forgive others, even those who aren't deserving of this, or to place a high value on mercy. All these things and more should be fought against, and the demons can help with this so you can become empowered as a person. If you combine this process of mental healing from Christianity with the interactions with demons, then you can eventually become more accustomed to them and gain deeper understanding.

[laventadorn]

Hey, you're one of my favorite writers and I'm looking to start writing fanfiction. Have you got any tips for beginners? ❤️

i've been letting this percolate, but instead of bubbling gently away with ideas, it's rather been losing direction in my brain's spin cycle.

Part of my problem is that I do not personally find writing advice very useful! A former teacher and essayist, John Holt, said, "We learn to write by writing, not by reading other people's ideas about writing."

I think that 1) writing and 2) reading are the best ways to develop one's writing -- but this is the sort of vague, all-encompassing statement that sounds like "in order to live your life, you have to live your life." It's true! but functionally useless.

So, to try and make something useful out of these gobs of information in my brain, I think it depends on which of the following you want to develop:

Process

Understanding of your taste

I'll go more in-depth into these behind a cut because I started embarrassing myself with the length of this.

Process

This refers to just the way you go about getting the actual writing done. Some people are very regimented and this works for them -- cf. wake up at 5 and write for two hours, have breakfast at 7, then write until 10, and so forth (I think Ursula K. LeGuin did something like this? anyway it makes me want to spit blood, I'd die). Some people like to write best with fancy pens in fancy journals. Some people keep diaries next to their bed and write when they first wake up. Some write x number of words every day. etc. If you're so inclined, you can read what other people share about their processes.

However, not a flippin' one of those have ever worked for me. I couldn't explain why to you or myself; but I've tried all kinds of other people's processes and they were nothing to me. It was like trying on clothes that didn't fit.

Obviously this is not to say those people hadn't experienced enlightenment and worked out the best method for them. They just hadn't worked out the best method for me. They're not supposed to! I tried, it didn't work, that's all.

It's useful to see what other people have worked out; maybe it works for you! I have a writer friend who writes every day and publishes novels regularly. But I cannot write every day. I've tried, and eventually all I do is punish myself for not meeting my word count goals, and then I turn into a gnarled ball of anxiety and guilt. It's counterproductive.

(I did learn what not to do, though. I also learned I have a tendency to get in my own way. I can add more about my self-discovery process in another post if you want.)

tl;dr - One size doesn't fit all. Just because it worked for them, it doesn't have to work for you. This is normal and natural.

2. Understanding your own taste

We all like some writers and not others. (I'm honored to be one you like!) It doesn't mean writers are bad when we don't like them, nor does it mean our taste is bad -- it just means what and/or how they like to write doesn't align with what and/or how we like to read.

A piece of writing advice I do find useful is that you learn what you like by studying what you like to read. For instance, my very favorite author is Jane Austen. My favorite thing about her (there are many things I love) is how she develops characters; character is the most important aspect of a work for me. So it's useful for me to study how she creates and delineates character (I also read annotated editions of her books because, well, English degree nerds do stuff like that for fun).

It's not all this high brow, though -- when I come across a fanfic Snape I like, I also study that :3

By doing this, we're not so much trying to replicate this person we like and admire (although we can, and other writing advice says to do this explicitly as part of the learning process) as we're trying to understand ourselves and learn from people we like and admire. In this way, we learn how to do grow toward the place we want to be as writers.

(This is also not limited to authors -- you can study books, TV shows, movies, etc. All fiction eventually ends up at the same place, and we tend follow our own taste across mediums. You can also study one author for their prose, another for their humor, a third for their world-building, etc. - it's the Olympics!)

tl; dr - Studying your faves to understand yourself helps develop your writing. Metacognition is the process of thinking about one's cognition; this is that, but for reading taste. The more we learn about ourselves, the more we can do.

--

I was going to add a third point about writing voice and a fourth about interests but this was legit getting embarrassing in length, and idk about you, but if someone gives me too much information at once my brain shuts down. If you are not like me, feel free to tell me! I didn't want it to turn out to be useless to the target audience, i.e. you who sent the ask :)

Also hit me up if this is too vague/all encompassing. I'm hard to shut up once I get going; I find it hard to get going usually because I know it's hard for me to shut up!

[hiding1ntheforest]

Notes On Heathenism: Advice & Misconceptions

Today’s article will be much more casual. When I was first getting into Germanic paganism, I watched every single “advice for beginners” and “common misconceptions about paganism” YouTube video that I could find. I also scoured the internet for articles on this topic. I searched things such as “prayers to the gods” and “how to leave offerings for the gods.” This is something I’m sure many of us pagans have experienced, but looking back on what I’ve read and watched, I now disagree with a great deal of it. A lot of these articles and videos were created by neopagans. Now, many of you may be shocked to learn that I actually don’t hate neopagans. I am heavily reconstructionist, but I believe that people have the freedom to practice their faith in whatever way they want, and I honestly feel that a lot of reconstructionists have a superiority complex (don’t worry, I will elaborate on all of this in a separate article.) Despite this, I must admit that a lot of the poor advice and misinformation I’ve come across has been spread by neopagans. There is no issue with incorporating your own ideas, philosophy, practices, etc with pre-Christian religions, but it becomes an issue once you begin claiming fiction as fact. Anyhow, I’m writing this in hopes of providing actually useful advice from a restructionist perspective, as well as encourage others to be very cautious with what they read online.

1. Don’t Trust Anyone

This ties into the introduction of this article. Do not blindly trust scholars and academics, and certainly do not trust anyone claiming to be a pagan online. You shouldn’t even trust me. When I create these articles, my goal is to introduce different concepts that people can then research on their own. Please don’t rely on my articles or anyone else’s writings for all of your information. You need to read primary sources (well, as close as you can get to primary, considering the majority of literature on Germanic paganism has been written by Christians. When I refer to primary sources, I just mean works close to the pagan period) and interpret things for yourself. You can’t even fully trust the primary sources! A lot of them are subject to Christian distortions. Of course, if you are at all familiar with Christianity, you can somewhat sort out what has been Christianised and what hasn’t. Secondly, we have archaeological evidence that can be used to fill in some gaps and provide insight on pre-Christian society. Going back to what I said about not trusting scholars, they have the tendency to project rationalism onto everything, so to speak. They are often dogmatic, narrow minded, and too often try to insert some form of abrahamic thinking into paganism. It’s important to research things for yourself. Put down whatever contemporary work you just picked up from someone who self published on Amazon. I won’t completely reject these works, but in my opinion, they should be read AFTER you do your own research. After all, you are the most impressionable at the beginning of your journey.

2. Find What Works For You

There is not one way to worship the gods. Everyone’s practice and experience is going to be different, so you really need to take your time to experiment with different ways of worship and see what speaks to you. As a heavily reconstructionist practitioner, I’d like to let you know that a reconstructionist path is not for everyone, and that does not make your practice less valid (I hate using the word ‘valid’ and that type of language, but you get my point.) You should be prioritizing your relationship with the gods more than anything else. If you find that attempting to exactly recreate pre-Christian rites is too complicated or is preventing you from developing a connection with the divine and grow spiritually, then you should probably try something different. You should not feel confined when practicing your native faith. Paganism is the religion of nature; nature cannot be confined. It is fluid and uncontrolled. You are apart of nature and your faith centers it, so do not seek to control yourself and every aspect of your practice. Free yourself from the shackles of abrahamic thought and realize that change is necessary for spiritual growth. Letting go of some things is needed.

3. Don’t Get Discouraged

Early on, I made the mistake of attempting to meditate for an hour a day, leave an offering to every single god, and study some new concept everyday. This obviously leads to burn out and I became exhausted as well as disconnected to my faith. Although I was unsatisfied with what I was doing and found that my practice was unfulfilling, I was hesitant to change. You need to understand that any religious journey is not linear. You are going to have difficulties, there will be things you don’t understand, and you may need to endure some discomfort. However, it’s important to not let these challenges deter you. Paganism is the religion of strength, so learn from your experiences and appreciate the hardship. No goal has ever been achieved without struggle. The gods are not going to be angry with you for feeling confused or daunted, this is a Christian line of thought. We are humans, we are going to make mistakes even when it comes to our religious journeys; what is important is whether we allow these mistakes to define us and hinder us, or if we embrace them and learn.

4. Change Your Mindset

Stop searching for what offerings to leave to which gods and start getting creative. Searching things like this can be great inspiration, but do not follow them directly. Stop doing things because someone told you to. Get creative and start thinking for yourself. I think many pagans, especially those from a Christian upbringing, have a very black and white mindset. As in, “there is a right way to worship the gods and a wrong way, so I can only leave this type of offering and say this type of prayer because google told me to.” Again, paganism is not a dogmatic religion. There are no preachers, you don’t need to be told how to worship the gods. Take time to form your own experiences and do things your own way. Find what enhances your practice and what doesn’t, don’t just do something for the sake of doing it. When I first began worshipping the gods and other spirits, I felt incredibly silly. I would think things like “why am I sitting here talking to a rosebush and leaving this cool stone I found as an offering?” This is something you’ll likely relate to if you were raised Christian or in a non-religious household. You’re going to have to work hard to adopt a new mindset and forget your old way of doing things and any pre-conceived notions about religion. I spoke earlier about scholars projecting rationalism or abrahamic thinking onto everything, but I think we also do this too. Learn to open up your mind and approach all things with curiosity.

5. You Are Not Equal To The Gods

I’ve encountered many self proclaimed pagans online who have a very odd and transactional relationship with the gods. The gods are not obliged to you. Stop expecting for every single offering or other act of worship to be immediately reciprocated. Sure, you might get something in return, but the gods do not answer to you. I honestly have no idea where this type of attitude came from, but it is incorrect and disrespectful.

6. Venerate The Land Spirits

I think many have the tendency to neglect the land spirits. People often discuss leaving offerings for the gods, but I think we need to place more of an emphasis on leaving offerings to the land spirits and house spirits. In my opinion, we have more of a direct interaction with these spirits than the gods. The gods are obviously important, but the land and house spirits are more likely to have a direct impact on our daily lives. Plus, we know that land and house spirits were extremely important to our ancestors because it is a belief that has persisted even into modern times. These spirits are crucial to many different folk beliefs for good reason.