#or natural history illustration lol

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia! Random question time! Do you have tattoos? What's your opinion on them??

Hi anon!

I do have a tattoo! (Only one, cost makes it hard to get more, lol)

I think tattoos are fantastic! If folks want them, great, if they don't, great, and if they want silly meaningless tattoos, great, and if they want super meaningful tattoos great!

Though honestly, my opinion of tattoos doesn't matter. Because I have no right to have an opinion on anyone else's body. I love tattoos for me though, lol.

[kedilerokulu]

[mrkida-art]

What are your headcanons regarding dwarves and their attitude towards treasure and gold?

Hello Anon! I do in fact have a lot of thoughts about this subject. I always go by the legendarium as something that is fallible (since Tolkien’s work is written from the POV of unreliable narrators), especially when it comes to the secretive dwarves who do not share their culture and secrets openly. This leaves a lot of room to recontextualize or even straight up change things (hence the “not canon compliant” disclaimer on my blog lol) and this is one of those cases. 

Anyways, here are some of my headcanons about dwarves and their treasure.

Dwarves are stereotyped as being greedy by other races, this is rooted in many stories circulating about dwarves going to extreme lengths to protect their treasure. This is especially true about the Durin’s Folk dwarves, who are said to have killed men for simply laying claim to what these dwarves felt was rightfully theirs. One of the more well known examples being Fram, the Lord of the Éothéod, who claimed the hoard of the dragon Scatha after slaying it.  This hoard contained treasure which Durin’s Folk claimed as theirs. Fram refused to give it to them, and it is said by many that he was murdered by the dwarves of Durin’s Folk as retribution. Among the race of men  it’s said that this story illustrates the greediness of dwarves.  Fram is said to have had rightfully earned this treasure as it was he who killed this dragon, and the dwarves acted in dishonor and tried to steal it from him.  

Much of this story does ring true for the dwarves, but their attitudes towards treasure is misinterpreted by the outsiders who tell these tales. Dwarves see treasure in two ways, there is treasure meant for trade and monetary gain, which they will guard as anyone would with their money. And then there is the most important type of treasure, artifacts made by their ancestors and loved ones.  The value of their artifacts is not determined by what materials have been used, but rather by WHO made them and who used them, as well as their age. Some of the most ancient and precious artifacts are made of crude stone and wood, not gold and silver. Their artifacts represent their history, heritage, and the story and souls of their ancestors.   To specific families their most important treasures or heirlooms may also be trinkets or craft made by loved ones who have since passed, it can also be tools or weapons that these dwarves used while still alive.  Dwarves  believe that these artifacts  can be used to communicate with their dead, both their ancient ancestors and those who recently passed, which naturally means that their protected treasure is of massive cultural importance. It’s also said that artifacts falling into the wrong hands may disturb the peace of the dead, which may contribute to them becoming restless spirits which is something no dwarf wants for their loved ones. 

The reason as to why Durin’s Folk may very well have killed Fram for what he did is because they are particularly protective of their artifacts. The treasure he took originally belonged to them which then had been stolen  by the dragon Scatha. Many of these artifacts were in fact of cultural or sentimental importance, which means it was something they sought to get back. It’s also good to note that Fram didn’t just claim artifacts from any dwarf clan, these were dwarves who had been exiled from their lands in Khazad-dûm. Big part of their cultural heritage had been lost when it fell which meant that they were even more desperate to protect what little they had left.   And they do not look kindly upon outsiders that steal from them, especially their most treasured objects. 

TLDR: Dwarvish treasure is sometimes artifacts that are extremely important in dwarvish culture. And clans such as Durin’s Folk who have lost so much are desperate to protect the little they have left of their cultural heritage.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. I have more headcanons about this particular subject but that would be too long of a post haha. 

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Max is the most effective Gay Yoda in history.

One conversation with Kawi, and he fixes his whole attitude towards Pisaeng.

One conversation with Pisaeng, and he finds the courage to be honest with himself.

Max is the best boy, and I love him. His no-nonsense-ness and radical acceptance of other people is a kind of magic, and I hope he knows how wonderful he is.

Just look at this:

His little "I guess we're doing this now" face. The smirk that says he saw this coming.

And then right into gently calling Kawi out for his double standard.

That last part... You can see it land. You can see Kawi realizing that he's been especially unfair to Pisaeng, treating him poorly for what a future version of himself did.

"He hasn't even done you any harm yet" is true in that this Pisaeng has been nothing but kind, and hasn't pushed Kawi about his feelings, which is what Max is saying, but it's also literally true. This Pisaeng hasn't shown up drunk at Kawi's apartment, kissed him, and then gotten angry and in his face when he didn't respond. And Kawi processes that and immediately starts to recontextualize his relationship with Pisaeng.

Which brings us here:

A genuine, thoughtful apology and recognition of his own failings.

And then we see that Pisaeng has also been thinking since his own talk with Max (sorry for the face that this screenshot captured, Gawin you're so pretty and I love that your face can still look this goofy, lol).

But Pisaeng has made peace with his attraction to men--to Kawi-- and accepted that he's queer, and found the bravery he needed to tell Kawi how he feels; to be honest about his feelings like Kawi told him he needed to be.

And when he struggles to get the last part out, to actually say "I like you", Kawi sees it, and he pulls out more of that newly realized emotional maturity, and gives Pisaeng reassurance and support (channeling Max perfectly):

And again, reassures Pisaeng that he knows that he's messed up before, but he is trying to be better now. And that gives him the confidence he needs to confess.

This whole episode just illustrates how vital it is to be seen. To be acknowledged and recognized and accepted. Even if it's just one person at first; one person who looks at you, and really sees who you are, and can tell you out loud that you're okay, that who you are is okay.

And Max does that so effortlessly (eyeroll notwithstanding) every time he counsels Kawi and doesn't let him get away with being whiney and self deprecating and distant, but does it with kindness and understanding.

He does it with Pisaeng when he approaches him at the gay bar, and then again when he tells him that he's not so important that he's worth gossip (that his sexuality isn't the end of the world, that being queer isn't on the scale of war and bigotry and natural disaster), and then he apologizes for being harsh, recognizing that Pisaeng is struggling, and scared, and tells him that he can talk to him, that he'll listen, that he sees him. Tells him that the answers about his feelings that he needs are in him, not in any place he needs to go to-- gives him an out to pushing himself into queer spaces if he's not ready, and encourages him to find himself and get comfortable with who he is within himself.

Max's superpower is that he sees people, and that he's willing to meet them where they are while they grow. And it's super effective.

I hope everyone who needs one finds their Max, and that we all take the opportunity to be a Max whenever possible.

[delyth-thomas-art]

Delyth Art Factoid

I sometimes like to sit and muse on things that were major "inspirations" in my art journey. And one that came to mind today is little me seeing on PBS's Dinosaurs - Flesh On The Bones, the sheer scale and awe of Rudolph Zallinger's “Age of Reptiles” mural for Yale University’s Peabody Museum of Natural History. Seeing the presenter climbing a ladder to point out various things of note.

These days I'm sure many will look at the artwork and chuckle at how inaccurate it is now. And not how influential it was on comics, films and toys of the time.

But to little kid me seeing such a huge art piece, not only being celebrated but that depicting Dinosaurs and other prehistoric life, well I was enthralled. I begged for a wall poster of it and would try to copy the dinosaurs on scraps of paper and card. Up to that point my view of celebrated art was portraits of people I knew nothing of in stuffy art galleries. (I was like 5, give me a break lol) I soon was getting my grubby mits on every illustrated book I could and hocky how to draw books. Even watching the Jurassic Park making of on loop to see them "designing dinosaurs". I feel this was when it really clicked for me art could be a job and that job could involve dinosaurs. Being a palaeontologist was still my number 1 at the time as a kid but I've never stopped drawing from that point.

Things like anime, graphic novels and games later came in to offer me even more inspiration and possibilities. But I can firmly say "Age of Reptiles" was the first piece of ART to move me on such a deep level.

What pieces of art moved you down your own creative paths? I'd love to know.

[femmefatalevibe]

(writer anon!) I really like to write fiction, but I'm also interested in writing nonfiction to broaden my skills, if this helps.

Hi love! I'm not a professional fiction writer/author, but my first mentor was one (high school English teacher), so I'll share some of the fiction writing tips I still remember (hopefully correctly lol) that I didn't mention in my original, general writing post:

Tips For Writing Fiction:

Study your subject and the primary motivations, desires, insecurities, and fatal flaws that would plague the characters within the chosen setting/plot. Consider your narrative's culture and structure its "norms." How do your characters navigate these settings – conform, rebel, lead, follow? Structure your plot points around dilemmas, successes, and tensions that the reader would expect to occur within the plot you've set up.

Develop characters that you illustrate how they are a "product of their environment." Allow readers to get inside the characters' minds. Ideally, each character struggles with their own "moral dilemma" that they contemplate or attempt to work through over the course of the story. Build tension through plot points that provide contrast between characters with different "moral" scripts to undercover something deeper about each character and the fabric of their "society."

Embrace the "ugliness" inside of each character's mind – the deep or unprovoked thoughts that others relate to, but outside of a literary context, wouldn't dare to say out loud. Use show, not tell to display their flaws, triumphs, and other natural ebbs/flows that come with existing.

Have a plan for writing, but let the work finish itself, depending on how the characters develop themselves

Use descriptions, not observations to set the stage. Evoke and show provoked emotions, not describe the characters' feelings directly

Tips For Non-Fiction Writing:

Dive deep into a subject of interest, and consider its history, trends, and innovations. What conclusions or new perspectives can you articulate from this information?

Develop a multi-layered "thesis" to organize your ideas and clarify your POV. How do these interpretations help us come to unique and a deeper understanding of previous studies, research, anecdotes, and developments within this field of interest?

Begin your story on an unexpected or controversial note. Consider using a personal story or historical "fun fact" to draw the reader into the piece. Introducing your story with a personal story, question, or seemingly deviant question can easily hook your audience.

Give them a chance to ponder your new insights or thought-provoking ideas while reading your story. Use personal stories and research study findings to give authority to your story. Extract the main takeaways from these anecdotes, and use them to offer questions about the situations, dilemmas, or overall subject matter to your audience.

Be clear about your structure and how you organize your points. Ensure there's a logical flow between paragraphs, grafs, and sections (or chapters).

Don't forget to evoke emotion through your language and word choice. Allow your humanity to come through, use clever, relevant, humor. Make the audience feel like they're entering an educational fantasy land where the "storylines" envelop your mind as much as they do the page.

Hope this helps! x

[littlelarajean]

Going to put this here because I can’t keep annoying my real life people with this.

Trigger warning: body image and existential crisis lol?

I’m an illustrator and reiki practitioner, so I usually barely make the bills. I work at a spa that’s adding Cryoskin, a fat reduction procedure that is actually non harmful or invasive, but super fucking expensive. It also reinforces the narrative that natural, aging bodies that aren’t skeletally thin are in need of changing, fixing, smoothing, reducing.

February of 2023 I stopped restricting calories for the first time in almost 2 years. Post having severe anxiety and panic attacks for about 5 years I was underweight. Then my life situation changed and I stopped having a panic disorder and I gained weight, which freaked me out and made me hate myself. I then tried to lose it with undereating and exercise. I stopped having my period and was dizzy constantly, and got severely bad depression. It was a huge relief to be able to think about something other than food when I stopped restricting. I could see a photo of food without salivating like a starving animal. People out there starving for real and this dumb ass starved herself by choice for the aesthetic. And nobody even cared. Nobody ever looks at me. I’m a fucking artist.

My history of hating my body goes way back to when I was 11 or 12. I know this is super common, and I even have a lot of privilege in my body experience, being thin, tall, and white. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be built in a way that doesn’t fit the insane cocaine girl aesthetic that the media demands of us, or the dehydrated egg carton abs of a steroid pumped maniac. I hate the way the media presents beauty as so limited to big lips, flat bellies, one type only. I hate the way that physical beauty is the most valued commodity a human can have. Pretty people win.

And yet I’m in a position where I might have to prey on people’s insecurities to keep my job and to pay the bills. If I refuse to become a Cryoskin tech I probably won’t be allowed to stay working at the spa because I do so little reiki work. I hate that I’ve failed to make money by creating stories that teach people to appreciate nature and art and kindness. I hate that AI is taking over making soulless content so we can be further brainwashed into thinking we have to pay thousands of dollars to photoshop our natural bodies in real life, money that could be spent on so much that has real value. Like real art, real experiences, or helping preserve the natural world.

Worst of all, I want the treatment. My old insecurities are flaring back up and I’m thinking about spending my income from Cryoskin on Cryoskin treatments. Shrinking myself. Conforming. Money that I could spend on seeing tide pools or the rainforest or eating handmade pasta from the new super fancy Italian restaurant in town or investing in a future home where I could have a wildflower field and a vegetable garden or that new book my friend just released or donated to actual fucking starving people will potentially go toward freezing my midsection so I lose… inches.

Meanwhile nobody will notice as I struggle to self publish my second book, begging people to care about the magic and the small wild things in the world, silliness and adventure and kindness, because they’re all too busy thinking about shrinking their belly fat. Just like me.

I’m so tired guys.

[merlintarotfest]

Very interesting idea!! First, it's not April Fool's day kind of thing I hope? Second, now to my question, do you have any suggestion on which tarot to pick other than visual preference? (which I might go for in the end because I don't know much about tarot and their different types, I think there are at least 2?)

Lol, it's definitely not an April Fools joke! I'm very excited to launch this, I've been sitting on it for a while.

I don't have any Lenormand decks, which might be the 2nd type of tarot you're referring to. All the decks I have follow the traditional 78-card tarot structure. Choosing a deck based on visual style is perfectly valid and often a good indicator of how well you'll work/vibe with that deck and its cards. You can also research the decks' creators or read reviews to see if there's a deck on the list that matches a particular characteristic you're looking for.

I can also give a quick breakdown of the different decks available for the fest:

Rider-Waite-Smith: probably what you think of when you think of tarot. I used the Magician card from this deck in my initial promo post. Many other decks take their inspiration from the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork

Everyday Tarot: simple, minimalistic cards based off the Rider-Waite-Smith art, done in white, gold, and purple

Fifth Spirit Tarot: queer and inclusive deck that expands tarot archetypes beyond the gender binary

Ink Witch Tarot: done in a limited color palette. References Arthurian legends as well as Norse and Greek myths, pagan witches, and fairytales

Light Seer's Tarot: uses contemporary characters in a brightly & richly colored style

Morgan-Greer Tarot: similar to Rider-Waite-Smith but more colorful and more intimate, as a lot of the illustrations are more zoomed-in

Next World Tarot: features a world based on radical redefinitions of love and social justice. Also features diversity in body types and abilities

Queer Tarot: based on the Rider-Waite-Smith but features models/characters of a wide range of queer identities (including gender expressions and sexual orientations) in a very brightly colored style that references queer history

Sasuraibito Tarot: a deck designed to aid the curious wanderer, featuring contemporary Western characters as well as Japanese and Buddhist concepts

Spacious Tarot: this deck features no human characters. Most cards feature only nature, and the court cards feature various animals

This Might Hurt Tarot: a modern, queer, and diverse take on the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork

I hope this at least serves as a good jumping off point for you!

[xcziel]

tuesday new release for november 7:

i spent half the evening monitoring the line at the midnight release for iron flame AND trying to sneak in snippets of jungkook on jimmy fallon (lol) since i had my phone bc i was also taking photos for the party

sooooo yeah. but there's LOTS of stuff out today

iron flame, book 2 of the empyrean saga by rebecca yarros is out! as is the holiday edition of fourth wing (red! very pretty! also: sprayed edges!)

latest installment in christopher paolini's eragon series, murtagh, plus the large hardcover illustrated eragon to pair with it

my name is barbra, a brick of a memoir ($47 list!) by la streisand

remembrance a collection of the correspondence of ray bradbury

resurrection walk new mickey haller AND harry bosch law thriller from michael connelly

novel the future, by naomi alderman

new naturals by gabriel bump

so late in the day: stories of women and men by claire keegan

the olympian affair, a new cinder spires novel by jim butcher

"clive cussler" released the corsican shadow

ben mezrich - the bringing down the house poker story guy- release breaking twitter, possibly one of the most topically relevant books today

teddy and booker t. about roosevelt and washington "blazing a path for racial equality" from bestselling historian brian kilmeade

h.w. brands new book on the history of american politics founding partisans

love redesigned by lauren asher, first in new lakewood billionaires series

chestnut springs series book four reckless by elsie silver

katee roberts' first in a new series hunt on dark waters

in YA we have:

the second book in the lightspark series by alex aster, nightbane

sequel to the way i used to be by amber smith, the way i am now

powerless by lauren roberts

and a paperback teen romance from ali hazelwood, check mate

same as ever: a guide to what never changes from psychology of money author morgan housel

the fund, about ray dalio, bridgewater associates, and wall street shenanigans by rob copeland

class, a story of single motherhood and higher education, by stephanie land

lyrics by paul mccartney is out in paperback

world within a song from jeff tweedy

living the beatles legend: the untold story of mal evans, longtime beatles roadie and personal assistant, by kenneth womack

and new d&d heroes' feast: flavors of the multiverse cookbook

and finally: SYSTEM COLLAPSE is here!!!! the new murderbot story from martha wells!!!!

to paraphrase: un-follow me now, this is gonna be the only thing i talk about for the next week. ive been waiting forever it feels like. fuck.

(a tiny exaggeration bc i know i will also be obsessed with jk and standing next to you for the next little while but you get the idea)

[saa-na]

i think one of the reasons why video essays have gotten so popular and why they're absorbed with no critical thought is that soft sciences are seen as something just about anyone can be an expert of. you expect a certain level of credentials from people who write or speak about STEM subjects but anyone who can string words together can be regared an expert of history, film, music, literature, language, anthrophology, even psychology. this is not a new phenomenon either, illustrated by former politicians becoming historians despite having no credentials, which is such a naturalized process that even captain picard did that lol.

i understand why it's easier to digest information from video essays than from academic publications, especially when it comes to "fringe" topics like queer history, and it is definitely a failing of ours to not produce easily accessible research - but we need to get paid too, and the route to getting paid is generally not through video essays. and to be honest, dumbing down research easily results in misunderstandings and the spread of misinformation even if it's dumbed down by a professional of the field. i am barely scratching the surface of the discourse on this subject, but would recommend Jo Guldi's and Richard Armitage's book History Manifesto for anyone who might want to read more about this though i don't personally agree with them on everything.

[mermmarie]

1, 16, and 24.

1: Show your most recent wip

Uuuh... Ironically, I don't have any illustration WIPs right now. LOL! 😅 But I am working on an x reader fic (that I may or may not have posted the first chapter already on another website...) so you can have a snippet of that!

“What happened back there, Donnie? I kind of expect Mikey to lose his head in the clouds but not you.” He pressed. 

Donatello grumbled and dropped his gaze. He could feel that his eyes wanted to wander back to his left hand, but he was almost too afraid to look. As he swung his final blow on the assailant, he caught the crimson color in his view again and recognized it for what it really was. He had heard of the ‘Red String of Fate’ as a myth. A legend, a rumor, an old wives tale. There had been some speculation of it happening to people throughout history, but no scientific proof. And Donatello wasn’t the kind of guy to believe in something without seeing it first hand for himself. 

So, if he didn’t look at it, that would mean it didn’t actually exist… Right? 

Uncertainty pulled at the corners of his lips as he extended his hand in front of his brother and splayed out his fingers. A bright red string wrapped snuggly around his smallest digit. Leonardo’s eyes widened again as he stared at the thread, but this time he looked with confusion. He brought his gaze back to him expectantly and naturally, he opened his mouth to explain.

“It’s–” He started but paused when he realized how silly it would be to speak of it out loud, let alone embarrassing… “Um–”

“The Red String of Fate.” Leonardo finished for him. 

Donatello’s brows arched with surprise. “Y–You know about the myth?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a myth now.”

16: What’s the most daunting part of your process? Ex, planning, sketching, lineart, rendering etc?

Right now, coloring for sure. 🥴 I have no style and a flounder so fucking much in the process and usually end up hating it until it's finished. Little sad cause I used to love the coloring process a lot. I hope I figure it out soon.

24: How do you deal with artblock?

This I feel really good about because I don't really deal with this problem anymore and I've found that the answer is.... TAKE BREAKS!!! Seriously, not enough artist do it, and I kind of understand why since social media now relies on relevancy to stay afloat but generally, I never finish a single piece of work in just one sitting, and I definitely don't start another within the same time period. I actually prefer to let my work "simmer" (walk away from it for an extended period of time) after the sketching stage and inking, that way it's easier to notice mistakes or inconsistencies.

Thanks for the questions! 💖

[malglories]

I posted 5,062 times in 2022

448 posts created (9%)

4,614 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@perpulchra

@infected

@draculasswife

@thehiddenbaroness

@misericordae

I tagged 4,857 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#photo - 1,019 posts

#art - 834 posts

#fashion - 386 posts

#text - 225 posts

#quote - 175 posts

#nature - 157 posts

#illustrations - 154 posts

#architecture - 136 posts

#sculpture - 94 posts

#history - 76 posts

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#i can’t get over the mouse. i’m not sure what he’s doing rn but it better be sniffing at one of the multiple traps we just laid down.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

i used to be so hungry for stories, and that hunger was a core part of my identity. i’d read every spare moment i got, watch 3 shows at once and finish them all, spin elaborate daydreams. now, that hunger is like a limb that’s gone numb. i can touch it and recognize it as my own, but it’s lifeless, empty. if i try to move it, it’s a clumsy endeavor, and i soon give up. but the pins and needles, the painfully uncomfortable sign of blood rushing through veins again, hasn’t come. i don’t know how to grapple with this particular side effect of the pandemic, and i don’t know how to make that part of myself come alive again. i’m clueless as how to recognize the entirety of my self without that one precious part.

80 notes - Posted January 18, 2022

#4

about to get a joan of arc tattoo and it’s scary bc it’s on my forearm and so my most visible tattoo yet but also it doesn’t matter and if people judge me (my parents, my bf’s parents) that’s their problem!!!!

89 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

#3

i hate hate hate that “spiritual” bullshit about the feminine, associated with the moon, sensitivity, softness, and masculine being associated with willpower and dominance. they all say it has nothing to do with gender. give me a break and just say you’re sexist lol

93 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#2

watching a documentary about pompeii and thinking about how some of the houses and streets were under renovation at the time of the eruption. something about laboring on a wall or a floor, being proud of your work and excited about your plans, dreaming about the lovely finished product—while volcanic debris is about to hurtle straight at you. working for a better future in spite of death.

117 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

185 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[nefarious-nightjar]

4 and 6 for the artist ask game?

4. piece you wish got more love?

Frankly, it was really hard picking between these two older pieces I've made that I am still super proud of, so why not show both!

So, there's my silly little "History Hates Lovers" poster from 2022 that was made as a part of a final project for a colour theory class, and I still like to revisit it every now and again for inspiration, or with thoughts of potentially expanding upon it further!

And then there's my "WHAT ARE YOU?" piece that was made as a final project for a composition class (coincidentally where I shared the same prof as the colour theory class lol). I still really love both of these old pieces of mine and even if no-one else much cares for them, they will always keep a place in my heart as bright little pieces of my artistic journey :)

6. favorite thing to draw?

I'll admit that it's taken more than a fair bit of thinking to find that answer! I was originally going to say something kinda silly and trow-away, like "I like to draw metal sonic!" and leave it at that, but I feel like being a little deeper with my answer tonight lol.

I have always loved to draw/paint very natural things like plant life, birds, dinosaurs, animals and living things in general. Heck! I could say that I started what I consider to be my "proper" art journey by replicating illustrations from John J. Audubon’s Birds of America and critters from any scientific/naturalist/anatomy journals and posters I could get my hands on when I was a crazed 12 y/o. So I think that I can confidentially say that drawing, painting, or sculpting critters, creatures, and beasts galore is my favourite thing!! :D

[literaldeadbees]

!! If you could open a museum, what kind would it be? As in, what would it be on? Let's not think about all the costs and responsibilities, just think of the opportunity of exposing something, anything!! You can get as creative as you want, I love your mind ^ ^ 🍁 have a great great dayy~

Ahhh hi leaf anon!! 💕 sorry this took so long! (I’m a bit of a museum nerd so I’ve been thinking in this for a while lol). Ended up rambling a bit so I’ve stuck it under a cut 😅😅

Okay so if we’re thinking academic interests I’d probably do something related to either dinosaurs or human remains. For dinosaurs, I think I’d take a chronological approach (maybe a bit ambitious to cover 160 ish million years of history in one exhibition but it’s my exhibition and I make the rules >:) ). I’d have some skeletons up on display and maybe some animatronics too, I’m a bit obsessed with them; there’s a robot T. rex at the Natural History Museum in London and I love it sm (they put a Christmas jumper on it during the holidays). I think I’d want it to have a very colourful colour scheme too - maybe a sort of 80s/90s arcade vibe lol.

Human remains would be a bit trickier bc ethical issues around displaying them, tbh I could write essays on this issue lol but maybe I’d avoid all that and use replicas/reconstructions to illustrate the point of the exhibition. I don’t think I’d take a chronological approach for this one, I’m more interested in anatomically modern humans than in human evolution really. I went to this interesting exhibition when I was on holiday recently (my friend was obviously so glad I dragged her to a natural history museum while we were on holiday lmao) where they found I burial pit for a battle (I think - I couldn’t read the information panels lol) and it was showcasing all the injuries that were visible in the skeletons - I think I’d do something like this where I take a specific site and explore it through the exhibition.

(You actually picked a great question bc I did almost exactly this for a final project at uni! I used this programme called artsteps and made a VR exhibition about a Roman burial site - so time consuming but easily the most fun I’ve ever had doing an assignment lmao)

If we’re going non academic then there are so many things I’m having trouble just picking one of two! Maybe I’d do something about the evolution of vampires in media? I’ve always been super into vampires so this way I could explore stuff I don’t know much about and also talk about stuff I love like buffy the vampire slayer and twilight (guilty pleasure lol). Or maybe I’d just make it more generally horror themed so I could cover more stuff. Sorry I’m literally typing all this as I’m thinking it you’re getting a real time look into my thought progress here 😅

I think for any of these ideas though I’d want to include lots of interactive exhibits bc those are almost always my favourite part, and lots of animatronics! (Unlimited budget so they’re going to be so realistic!). I’d want them to feel immersive too so I’d have backing tracks that go with each exhibitions, like dinosaur/nature noises or spooky music. Idk, I’d just want it to be fun - I love museums but I feel like a lot of the time they just put stuff in cases for us to look at and it’s not very interesting, if I were going to make an exhibition I’d want it to be really engaging :)

Anyway sorry I really went on a bit with this, what about you though? I’d love to hear what you’d choose! I hope you’re doing well, I love hearing from you :)) 💚💚

[cat-hesarose]

moremeerkats

[trikimowy]

De patos va la cosa