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u2fangirlie-blog · 1 year ago

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50 Things for My 50th Birthday - Now With 10 Bonus Things!

50 Things for My 50th Birthday

A continuation of my 40 Things for 40 List, with 10 additional entries for 50. Plus 10 Bonus Things!

Originally written December 2013 on my 40th birthday. It's a list of bits of wisdom I wish I had known when I was younger. Every item has a story behind it. I don't know if this is original, intelligent, humorous, creative, interesting, or valuable to anyone other than myself. But it means something to me.

Maybe someday I'll write an annotated version of the list with the stories for each one. Then that would turn into a book. Maybe it's better to give short snippets and remain mysterious than to overshare everything. December 2023.

40 Things for my 40th Birthday: 12/2013

1. The Universe has a sense of humor which manifests itself as irony. Take time to stop and notice the big glowing neon signs that point to irony.

2. Karma, like gravity, is a force of nature. It does not discriminate. It balances your actions and consequences like balancing an equation.

3. It’s better to be single and alone than be in a bad relationship for the sake of being in a relationship.

4. See the patterns and interconnections - streams, veins in leaves, flowers, moss, agates, geodes, galaxies, calendars, time – it is beautiful and awesome.

5. Every day is different. If today is shitty, tomorrow will be shitty in a different way.

6. Look for the positive. Thousands of things go right every day.

7. Have a good work ethic. Do your best, but don’t let perfectionism interfere.

8. Know your history. Remember your ancestors and family. You could not be who and where you are without all of their hard work.

9. Don’t bite the hook.

10. Don’t feed the troll.

11. Remember Professor Remus Lupin’s Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons – Ridiculous, Expecto Patronum, and Chocolate.

12. Learn crafts – sewing, knitting, beading, etc. – it enriches life. It’s fun to give surprise presents to people.

13. Dream out loud at high volume. Turn it up to 11.

14. No good deed goes unpunished.

15. The Platinum Rule: Treat people how they want to be treated.

16. Always have 2 weeks’ supply of socks and underwear.

17. Invest in good bras. Your back and boobs will thank you later in life.

18. Always wear comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you later in life.

19. Don’t waste time in front of the mirror. Save money. Cosmetics are optional.

20. Do not fester. To fester is bad. Don’t bottle things up for years. When you eventually explode, it only frightens, confuses, and pisses off the target of your nuclear blast, and innocent bystanders may be injured.

21. Don’t confuse lust for love. Lust and love are not the same thing. Don’t allow physical attraction to obscure reality. Ask questions. You might not like the answers but ask anyway.

22. Beware of charming men. They use sexual energy to get attention and evoke a reaction, like using glamour magic. The feeling is fleeting. It’s nothing special.

23. Don’t wait by the phone or the computer. When a man says, “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he probably won’t. He might intend to call, but he doesn’t know which tomorrow he means – 24 hours, 6 months, 8 years later. Don’t take it personally.

24. Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend. You don’t need a ring. A loving relationship is the real treasure.

25. U2 is the greatest rock ‘n roll band and “Achtung Baby” is the greatest rock ‘n roll album in the entire Universe.

26. You are your own worst enemy. You are the only enemy you will ever have. Stop listening to the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee.

27. You are your own best ally. You are the only ally you will ever have. Never betray yourself to others or to yourself.

28. It is what it is.

29. Chill the fuck out.

30. On the subject of Big Girl Panties: Pull them up. Deal with it, whatever it is. They can be She-Ra Princess of Power, Wonder Woman, or Tinkerbell Underoos. In times when you can’t pull up your Big Girl Panties, get some Coping Skills so you can deal with it. Use Coping Skills until the problem is solved or the situation subsides. Repeat as necessary. Coping skills will eventually become the New Normal way of dealing with it.

31. Learn as many life skills as you are capable of doing - housekeeping, home repairs, yard maintenance, gardening, cooking, car maintenance, etc. Be as self-sufficient as possible.

32. Know when to ask for help. Offer to help others too. Know when to hire professionals to do the job.

33. Felines are the best animals ever in the history of all species on Earth. Being a Crazy Cat Lady is wonderful. It’s the cats who are crazy.

34. Read everything. Read constantly. Develop highly effective writing and verbal skills. Clear communication is essential.

35. Book smarts, diplomas, and degrees are not an accurate measure of intelligence. Common sense, ability, skill, and experience are most important.

36. No one likes an insufferable know-it-all. Don’t correct others even if you are right – unless it is a life-or-death situation.

37. Practice mindfulness. Orient your perception to the meta level.

38. Be grateful and express gratitude.

39. Be compassionate, sympathetic, and empathetic – even to people you dislike or who dislike you. Everybody hurts. Everybody has bad days. Understand that.

40. Remember the reason why you had your ears pierced on your 30th birthday. Enjoy the small pleasures of life: favorite foods, scents, sights, sounds, clothes, jewelry, and all the pretty things. These are what the dead remember and desire the most.

50 Things for My 50th Birthday: 12/2023

41. Toxic Situations: Know when to get out on your terms while you still have options. Leave before they force you out. Otherwise, you could be left scrambling and everything is worse.

42. The Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42, obviously. (Thanks to Douglas Adams.) 42 is the atomic number of molybdenum. 42 divine beings, with Osiris, Ma’at, and Thoth in the Hall of Truth, judge souls before they enter the afterlife in Egyptian mythology.

43. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills, motherfucker, do you use them? You spent 2 years in Fight Club. Strive to be skillful every day. The core skill sets are mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Remember your values. Remember Wise Mind. Remember Radical Acceptance.

44. Gaslighting: Discussing problems is complaining. Telling the truth is causing trouble. Explaining yourself is making excuses. Asking questions is undermining others, making others look bad, or challenging authority. Challenging hurtful comments is not knowing how to take a joke. Expressing emotional needs is neediness. Expressing emotions is seeking attention. Showing confidence and intelligence and using an above-average vocabulary is being a bitch, being a know-it-all, or flexing your education and experience.

45. You need people whether or not you like it. Remember the pandemic lockdown. Remember working from home for a year and a half. You thought you trained your whole life as an introvert for that historic moment and would be excellent at it. No. It was objectively bad. It was a disaster. You need people. Be a better daughter, sister, and friend to the people in your life.

46. People change for better or worse. People will drift in and out of your life. People grow apart. This is a natural part of life. Accept it.

47. Magical Thinking: It’s one thing to know better. It’s an entirely different thing to do better. This is stupid behavior. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how hard you work, or how good your intentions are. It’s never going to work out how you want it to. It’s never going to get better. And no one cares. Accept responsibility for your part in it. Don’t make excuses. Do something different. Do better. Change.

48. “Do or do not, there is no try” is fundamentally bad advice. Yoda’s lesson led Luke to black-or-white thinking. What would Spock or Picard teach Luke about learning a new skill? Get up and do it again until you can do it or find another way to do it.

49. Everybody is sick of your shit. Everybody, including you, is sick of your shit.

50. On the subject of Giving a Fuck: You either give too many fucks or you never have enough fucks to give. You need to practice, as the internet meme says, “moderate fuck distribution.” Ask yourself when you truly feel like you have zero fucks to give, are you completely out of fucks? Can you have a fuck debt, have a negative number of fucks? Or does something magical happen? Like a mint in the bottom of your purse, like loose change between seat cushions, like a potato chip under the fridge, there is always one more fuck to give. Like a free play token or an extra life in video game, one more fuck will magically appear. That one magical fuck will be dirty, hard, bitter, and broken, but it will be there when you need it. That one magical fuck can be saved or given as needed until you can replenish your regular supply of fucks.

BONUS CONTENT: I have more than 10 things to add to the list of 50 things.

Life is unpredictable. I don’t know if I’ll live another 10 years to continue the list, so I’m writing 10 Bonus Things. Everyone loves free bonus things!

51. “If I don’t do what my parents want, they will be mad at me.” WHAT? Did you just say the quiet part out loud? Every decision in your life is based on it! How can you be in the fifth decade of your life on this planet? Are you even an adult?

52. You can’t be needy if you don’t have needs. Meet your needs for yourself. No one else will. If there’s the slightest stink of neediness on you, people will abuse and reject you.

53. Don’t have expectations of others. Don’t engage in wishful thinking. Stop wanting people to demonstrate their feelings or care for you in the way you want. They won’t. It’s never going to happen. If you ask for what you want, then you are needy or attention-seeking. Accept what they offer as they give it, even if doesn’t meet your expectations, even if it’s nothing. That may be the only thing they can offer or the only way they know how to express it.

54. Most of being an adult is lying to everyone that everything is okay and that you are fine, when in reality your life is an unbearable mess, and you are not anywhere close to being okay.

55. Nothing you do is ever good enough for others. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It never changes.

56. “Use it or lose it.” You refused to believe it until you quit using it and you lost it. You don’t need to look in the mirror to see it. How does your body feel? Get up, girl, and use it.

57. No one gets out of here alive. Prepare for your death. Don’t leave the burden of your funeral plans, estate, and debts to your family, friends, or strangers. If you worked on projects or created things with other people, include it in your will. Your legacy, and that of others, literally could be thrown away. If you don’t tell people what you want, they will get it wrong. Then you’ll have to come back and haunt the fuck out of those people.

58. There’s no escaping your past, especially with family. They remember everything. Every obnoxious thing you did as a teenager. Every time you freaked out. Every time you had a bad day. Every mistake you made. Every mental health breakdown. It doesn’t matter how hard you work to change and overcome your problems. You’ll always be that past worst version in their minds, and they’ll hold it against you forever.

59. Your family is never going to forgive you for getting a degree in English. It’s always going to come down to their misperception that you are nitpicking and correcting them when you’re not. They’re going to throw it in your face like a glass of ice water.

60. Remember the “Litany Against Fear” from Dune. You memorized it when you were 15 years old. It still works.

#50th birthday #gen x #generation x #things i wish i knew #advice to younger self #adulting #life advice #50 years old #memoir #autobiography

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hirazuki · 2 years ago

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12, 14, & 16 for the tolkien 20 questions ask game?

12. Tolkien's work contains a lot of interesting themes: devastation of war, things lost that cannot be restored, rebirth/renewal, holding true to one's companions even when it is darkest, and others. Which is the most important to you?

Oh, the subject of creation and destruction and the link between the two, no question! Among my favorite aspects are: creation/destruction being two sides of the same coin, with someone who is primarily a creator becoming a destroyer through his pursuit of perfectionism and order or someone who initially seeks to create turns to destruction as a response to being forbidden but then ends up creating through destruction all the same, for example; exploring the notion of creating so viscerally you pour your soul into it, and what that means for the creation/creator relationship in terms of identity, fragmentation/degradation of soul, etc.; and so much more.

As someone who has both extremely creative and extremely destructive urges, it's a theme that means a lot to me and it's rare to see it handled with such intricacy and on such an immense scale -- parts that belong to different portions of the stories across books that still fit together, the sheer scope of the fictional universe where the microcosm still manages to echo the macrocosm -- as in the legendarium.

14. You are dropped into the middle of the map in the Third Age (that's roughly between Mirkwood and Lothlorien) during the events of Lord of the Rings. Where you are headed first?

So... Dol Guldur's doorstep??? XD Ideally, I'd like to know when in the Third Age this is, but broadly speaking: assuming I don't run into orcs or Nazgul, I'd make my way towards Mirkwood, sticking to the edge of the tree line to avoid both the open plain and the spiders further deep in the forest, until I hit the Old Forest Road and make my way to Thranduil's halls :) I can be very polite and am well-mannered unlike some, and I've no doubt I would be treated well and offered food and rest while I figured out my next steps (I go by book!Mirkwood not movie!Mirkwood :D).

........... in the unfortunate circumstance I did run into orcs or Nazgul and for some bizarre reason was captured instead of killed outright, I'd do my best Pythia impression and bait both them and subsequently Sauron with my knowledge of future events to make myself Too Important To Kill Or Torture, walking a fine line between giving away too much and becoming unnecessary and not giving away enough to be worth the continued hassle; probably kept at Dol Guldur until the move back to Mordor yeah, I'd be aiding the enemy but hey; survival is important to me XD

16. In a similar vein, the peoples of Middle Earth fight in different styles. You have the opportunity to train in one of the armies - which one would you pick and why?

Ooooh, this one is tough. As a swordsman, I'd love to train in any of the armies that had an emphasis on close combat and experience their blade work. Ideally an army that has a lot of frequent engagements with enemy forces, as that tends to give people an edge and an immediacy to their style that others often lack, and it's an aspect I'm essentially addicted to in my own practice (if my sparring isn't realistic enough to drive me, I perform poorly lol). And my favorite Age is the First Age so, I'm going to say the Noldor army under Maedhros at Himring :)

#thanks so much for the ask!!#these are really fun ^^

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astroshitter · 2 years ago

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The houses in astrology

The first house, the ascendant- House of the self.

the horizontal calculated position of the constellation of stars that was behind the sun at the time of birth, the sign that opens the first house. The house of the ego, physical features, what people perceive of me.

The energy I radiate, the aura, the physical health. Personality and external physical characteristics that the world perceives from me.

Impulses, can also indicate childishness. House of new beginnings.

natural position (original sign in the division of the zodiac); Aries, and planet Mars.

Second House - House of our value to things, people and ourselves.

Property, finances, comfort(our comfort zone).

The sensory (the 5 senses), also connects to the throat, possessiveness, stubbornness, fixation.

Can represent early childhood, responsible for what a person needs in his life to feel stable and relaxed, a house also responsible for financial conduct.

Natural original ruler - Taurus and planet Venus.

Third House- The house of sharing.

siblings, the neighbors, the general close environment surroundings in childhood, short trips, public transport and cars in general. Communication, information, transfer of information, daily routine.

Thinking, receiving information, intellect.

Recognition of Patterns and boundaries (our ability to separate), objectivity. head>emotion|emotion=head

duality. Focusing on small details.

The neurosis alongside a constant need to learn and teach, to do something all the time. multitasking.

Natural ruler - Gemini, planet Mercury ruled by day star Mercury.

Fourth house- the family base house.

Parents, the environment we grew up in, the place we refer to when we think of our original home.

Our comfort zone, subconscious emotional security (what we need to feel emotionally secure). Roots, heredity.

Inclusion, hospitality, parental emotional care. (sometimes shows how we express love)

How we act when no one is around, what comes naturally for us

Natural ruler - Cancer and the Moon

The bottom ray on the chart that is called IC (imum Collie)

Fifth house - the house of pleasure and vitality.

Vitality, creativity, close friends, romance, being in the spotlight, ego, addictions.

The house of children (the inner child, our children and the children of other people). theatrical dramatics. Sex and dating, flamboyance, selfishness, the heart. (physiologically as well as emotionally), give and take.

Seeing the picture through the story of events from the subjective eye.

Natural ruler - Leo and the Sun.

Sixth house - House of health and service.

Bills, documents, medical treatment, medical nurses, technical daily routine, giving, criticality, patients, digestive system, perfectionism, work, practice.

Doing things behind the scenes (managing things behind the scenes)

Anxieties, obsessions, psychosomatics.

animals and pets.

Natural ruler - Virgo and night star Mercury.

Seventh house - The house of balance.

Relationships, romance with partners, political correctness, boundaries, beauty, connections, our partners. Intimacy

Behavior of partners, self-renunciation/no compromise, balance, superficiality, qualities we are not aware of (alter ego), visible enemies (of which we are aware).

Natural ruler - Libra and planet Venus.

Eight house- House of transformation.

Sex, death and rebirth, taboo, obsession, secrecy, thoroughness, research, psychology, suspicion, skepticism.

Compulsivity, fears, truth, underworld (Witchcraft), astrology, mysticism, traumas, closure

Repetitive patterns of behavior. karma; Previous generations of the family (grandfather, grandmother, etc.), awareness - to see the truth as it is without the ability to beautify

manipulation.

Natural ruler - Scorpio and Pluto, second ruler Mars.

Ninth house- The house of expansion and essence.

Trips outside the borders of the country, languages, different cultures, philosophy, optimism, the big picture without being able to get into the small details (not thinking about consequences).

Tactlessness, religion, spiritual outlook, publishing.

In-depth research, spiritual or physical journeys alone,

Lack of boundaries, lack of absolute truth (related to boundaries).

Freedom, claustrophobia, unwillingness to commit, fear of missing out , desire to see everything from everywhere.

Natural ruler - Sagittarius and Jupiter.

Tenth house- House of career, public persona.

Status, how people see me (public reputation for better or for worse).

This is a house that is crossed in the upper horizon in the chart, after all, it is the midheaven of the Sky MC (medium Collie)-

Self-fulfillment, preoccupation with how I am seen from the outside,

Investment in work, persistence, tradition. represents one of the parents. Materialism, personal promotion, pension, making yourself name in your workfield.

The 10th house reflects our ACS, the first house, which by understanding our first house, it could shows us why we want to attain the qualities of the 10th house in the first place.

Natural ruler - Capricorn and the planet Saturn.

Eleventh house- the house of the extended society.

Politics, social promotion, anti-primitiveness, anti-framework, progressive, new age, ideals.

Courts, demonstrations, action for the common good, activity for our inner ideals, the God complex, arrogance, emotional distance, feeling like an alien, strangeness.

Natural ruler - Aquarius and planet Uranus, second ruler Saturn.

Twelfth house- The house of sacrifice and mysticism.

Things that the owner of the chart is not aware of (but other people see them), hidden enemies, hospitals, institutions, prisons, closed places, emotional withdrawal, solitude, cinema, directing, music, closure, escapism, rose-colored glasses on reality, dreaming, emotional overflow, visions, tarot and astrology,

Secrets, subconscious connection to others (intuition), feet, wisdom of life, the fool / naivety / childishness,

Peter Pan complex. A house that closes the zodiacal wheel (closure)

Natural ruler - Pisces and planet Neptune, second ruler Jupiter.

#astro #astro notes #astro observations #astrology #astroworld #astro posts #zodic signs #astrology 101

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not-poignant · 2 years ago

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probably youve had someone ask you this before, but any advice for when you really want to know what happens next in the thing youre writing but when you sit down to actually write all thoughts flee your head?

Hi hi hi,

Provided that like writer's block / burnout isn't going on (which can both cause this phenomenon and frankly both need quite different approaches to deal with), I have a few things I do to tackle the sort of 'I want to know what happens next but when I sit down all the thoughts go.'

I daydream pretty excessively about what's coming next. I actually think that's a crucial part of my process, and sometimes I'll even kind of verbally act out some of the lines etc. If I like the way something feels or sounds, I'll put little sentences or half-sentences down in the Notes app on my phone. Even if I don't remember everything exactly, it gives me something to go on. :D

If I have lots of different ideas, I'll write the two or three that I like the most in point format. Sometimes all the thoughts vanish because you're putting so much pressure on yourself to find the exact right thing to write, and it's really important to kind of learn how to gently quieten the perfectionist - because that's a Perfectionist voice - and perfectionism is the enemy of creativity. So if you sit down like 'what do I do next I have all these thoughts oh god what one is the right one none of them feel right I have to find the right one,' that's a trap. I think we all get that anxiety (or some of us do), and it comes in like a false compass, convincing us that there is only one path to what comes next. And that's not true. There's a thousand things you can choose, including the one that's easiest, the most fun, the most interesting to you, the most curious, the most dramatic, the most anxiety-provoking etc.

Notepad and pen, or Notes app, whatever it is, it can be worth jotting down the thoughts outside of 'writing time.'

Don't write what comes next as soon as you sit down if you don't know what comes next, write the bit you can imagine or think of. Write something that you can imagine happening a bit later, maybe even in the same chapter. I can't tell you how many chapters I've started about 'two pages in' and then go back and fill in the beginning. And remember, if you can write something in the future, that's still something you can use for your story anyway, so the writing session was still productive!

Use the tools around you to get back into the feel of the story. Sometimes the thoughts go because you might not be in your character's head-space, or you might not be feeling the setting of your story. I liberally use playlists to deal with this issue, because music helps me get into a character space, a chapter space, an emotion space. You might need complete silence, or you might need to reread a section of your writing, or the chapter that went before. Let the story tell you where it needs to go next:

Often, based on what you have set up, your characters will only have a certain number of paths they can go in that will make the most sense for where they're at psychologically and emotionally. Or basically 'how Peter feels will make him decide what he wants to do next.' Another version is 'Peter feels like this because this is what the plot is doing to him.' Your characters are reacting and acting throughout their entire 'lives' in your story, so sink into what you know of them - are they reacting to the plot right now? Are they acting as the plot right now? Is it a mix? Sometimes the thoughts disappearing can be what I think of as me trying to impose something that doesn't quite work on the characters, because I've stopped listening to them or because I've imagined something for them that doesn't fit yet. While not everyone is as character driven as I am, the whole 'what is my character doing, what does my character want, what does this mean re: what happens next' helps so much when I sit down and have no idea what to write next.

And finally, this is something I think a lot of writers would benefit from who struggle to 'get started': Don't end your writing sessions when you feel 'finished.' Leave a paragraph or sentence half done, that has an easy ending. This way when you sit down to do your writing session next, your mind will reach for that ending (or a version of it) and you'll immerse back into the story a lot faster than starting fresh with a new sentence or paragraph. This can be a really successful exercise for some people. 'Finish before you finish' basically.

Okay I think that's a good start. There's definitely more tools that can be added to your toolkit if this is an issue. It's also worth sitting down and asking if you're burnt out and/or experiencing other structural issues with the story. During part of Falling Falling Stars where the pace had previously been slower (the Forest arc) I realised we were way closer to the end than I thought and resisted it, trying to keep that slower pace. I had a lot of writer's block around then, and a lot of my ideas 'vanished' because there was a deeper urge to do justice to the story by picking up the pace and closing it off sooner than I expected.

Obviously I don't know what's going on, but it never hurts to have more tips / tools to deal with 'all my thoughts disappeared what do I write next.' Personally, I think the story and characters will tell you, if you give them to time to talk to you, but I'm weird that way.

#asks and answers #pia on writing #on writing #writer's block #generally speaking the plot and the character themselves intersect in a way that #give you more obvious options and less obvious options #if you have a character in the middle of an action scene with the enemy #they are not likely to suddenly stop and make their enemies tea #however!!!!#if you have a character that's confused and lost #sometimes you have to step back and look at the overall story and the other characters #i find 'lost' characters can make me feel a bit 'lost' re: what happens next because *they* don't know #when that happens it means the plot is *happening to them*#and i need to then step back and look at the plot #and the other characters moving it along #anyway hope something here helps!

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senadimell · 3 years ago

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Fic writer tag game thing

I was tagged to do this by @rockymountainrattlesnake--you rock!

How many works do you have on a03?

5 at the moment. Someday I will finish the Martha Jones character study I’m working on...

What’s your total a03 word count?

107,733 officially, but one of those is an exerpt taken from a longer fic, which puts me at 105,782, and then we’d need to subtract out the poetry exerpts in Promises, so...

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

HA.

But I have Promises to Keep

The World in Ten Seconds

Growing Where Planted

Suspended Between Moments

Black and White are Also Colors

The order seems very logical.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Pretty much always. Sometimes I forget and write back months later, but I get really enthusiastic when people like my work (I swear I will answer my inbox soon!) Most of my stuff involves some degree of character analysis, so I enjoy continuing that discussion in the comments. (And compliments make my day, not gonna lie.)

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

That would be The World in Ten Seconds, I think. Looking at my work (published and unpublished), it’s a lot easier to be angsty when I’m doing an analysis-focused piece, because those tend to be snapshots in time. Narrative stories tend to end on a more hopeful note.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

But I Have Promises to Keep by virtue of being finished. It’s not totally happy, but there’s a lot of catharsis in there.

Do you write crossovers? if so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Yes because my brain connects dots fast enough to make even a kangaroo court cringe. However, I haven’t published/finished any. I do have a Discworld/Doctor Who piece that’s a meditation on death, survivors, and moving on. The title will involve the word “Grandfathers.”

Then of course there’s the Q/Master epic enemies-to-lovers that I don’t have the guts to write.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No! Very grateful for that. There was one awkward incident involving a commenter shaming non-commenters, but that’s behind us now.

Do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Nope.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of...? Seems unlikely TBH

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

well...there was that one Eragon set-in-Alegaesia OC epistolary back in high school...

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

hm hm hm hm. So I’ve found that I really like very very close platonic intimacy, except that sometimes looks like “you are the most important person in my life and I would die for you but we haven’t put a name to this thing we have and we don’t really kiss etc. but we might hold hands/cuddle/whatever and it doesn’t mean anything and I know random mundane things about you like your shoe size or soda preference (did I mention I would die for you?)” which sounds kind of like shipping?

So I’d have to say Nine/Rose or angsty Ten/Rose, with an emphasis on healing (see: RockyMountainRattlesnake’s Polyergus, A Wretched Ark, Terminarch, V762CAS’s Than All the Blue in the World).

I usually stick more or less with canon in most fandoms--if it’s not there, I don’t/can’t imagine it happening since romance is kind of weird and foreign to me. I tend to go for established relationships rather than “will-they-won’t they” stuff (Tevye/Golde, Vimes/Sybil etc. Though if we’re going musicals, I do actually like Elphaba/Fiero. I’ve never read anything about it, though.)

OH! I forgot! I don’t know if this counts, but I’m obsessed with sixbeforelunch’s Vulcan OCs, T'Lin and Veral, in the Pi’maat series.

Also the very specific way Erik/Christine works in Antiquarianne’s Phantom of the Opera piece The Sum of Earthly Happiness.

What’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish the Grandfathers piece...it’s Discworld-primary from a stylistic perspective, and uh...I am not Terry Pratchett. I want to finish it, but I’ve got to be in the zone (reading a lot of Discworld stuff to get a feel for the style) and have SO MUCH PATIENCE because mimicking him is like writing poetry, if poetry was an accepted form of forced confession to be read for ridicule on live TV.

What are your writing strengths?

Purple prose.

yes i know that’s not supposed to be a compliment

Seriously, though I do tend to wax fruity in my writing, and I have a lot of fun with it. I think I’m also pretty good at writing conversations and arguments.

What are your writing weaknesses?

hehehehe

kill your darlings.

Editing? Who is she?

Which is funny, because I also do that stupid thing where getting words-on-paper is more painful than drawing a fishhook out of the fish’s throat when it’s mangled deep in the flesh. Is it perfectionism? I don’t know. Not in the anxious sense, certainly, because I can’t be chuffed to do a line edit before publishing. It’s more like I have two modes:

“Susan mad Grandfather confused insert Wrinkle In Time reference exept Uriel weird out of context IT vs keys of Marius brains fight”

“He’d known what Jackie was going to pull before Rose even passed on the invite, and he went and acted like Rose’d saddled him with an old ticket stub fished from her pocket. Trifling. Something you tossed in the first bin you saw. You think pretending it was only ever ‘her choice’ will wash away the guilt when you finally kill her?

That and...actually writing. Lost my mojo a while back and haven’t been able to get back into a routine since. Balancing life stuff and creative hobbies is a work in progress.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think I generally would limit it to well-known exclamations or phrases for the most part. I’m familiar enough to use some Mandarin and not utterly fail, but I know I don’t have the rhythm or grace of a native speaker and it’s not something I have in mind to pursue right now.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Hm. Fortunately that is all tucked away in hand-written notebooks before I got perfection-scared off of writing past the 7th grade. I’ve been doing the whole fanfiction in my head consciously since 2nd grade, but the first stuff I think I wrote down was either Snape stuff or Eragon/Alagaesia stuff. Not exactly worldshaking.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

The World in Ten Seconds! Gah, I’m so proud of that thing. Also I really adore Black and White are Also Colors, though some of my favorite bits aren’t published yet. That one’s a lot more idiosyncratic...a lot of infodumping about color and language and ideas in translation. I’ll probably get the next chapter of that up before I’m able to start working on Growing Where Planted.

Tagging (feel free to answer or not as you have desire or energy--also I’m sorry if I have misremembered your fic-writing tendencies or lack thereof) @pazithigallifreya @phoenixrisesoncemore @forever-food-and-fandoms@loupettes @elialys @onlycosmere

#asks #rockymountainrattlesnake #answers #fic stuff #writing #fandom #fanfiction

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phoenixrisesoncemore · 5 years ago

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Request for Asks

So, here’s the deal: I have almost 100 in-progress posts in my drafts. These have slowly stacked up since I started posting in July of 2019. I need to finish some, but I think at this point I need some guidance on where to go next once I finish project 1 and write 3 more prompt ficlets. This is where you come in! I’d like to open my ask box up to reader suggestions on what to work on next.

Below I have included a list of some of these posts. Crossed out items are reserved for later as I will need to do additional research and/or significant rereading to produce them (or just...be in the right emotional state). However, everything else is fair game! Please let me know what you’d like to see! I’ll be counting “votes.” Note that two (as listed) are definitely next up, but after that anything goes. As with my new INDEX POST (check it out if you want to see some completed posts), these are grouped into three main categories: Tolkien, The Untamed/MDZS, and Other (film, art, books, games, life, etc.)

List is below the cut.

Tolkien

Kocher’s Master of Middle-earth (thoughts on one of the earliest critical Tolkien works) [NEXT UP]

The Nameless Enemy (Sauron and names) [NEXT NEXT UP]

Ring Questions (a series of questions about the metaphysical and practical nature of the One Ring in canon)

Why Eru Didn’t Push Gollum (why that one interpretation of the “Author’s Intervention” really gets my goat; also includes ranting about the power of pity and Jackson’s Return of the King)

Lucifer By Proxy (thoughts on despair and Sauron’s origins in the Secondary World)

A Wizard, a Demon, a Cat; a Reformer, a Satanist, and a Bureaucrat (thoughts on Sauron’s origins in the Primary World)

The Endless Variety of God (Sauron and evolution vs creationism in Tolkien’s theology of creativity)

Ishness (thoughts on Mabel Tolkien and Ronald’s earliest drawings)

The Tolkien Biopic: A Not So Jaded Review

Ring Making and Forging (thoughts on depictions of the forging of the Rings of Power in Tolkien art)

What Bombadil Saw (what did Bombadil see when he looked through the Ring?)

Satan Wants Your Art (On how Melkor views the creations and creative potential of others)

Is it Myth or is it History? (on the tension between Tolkien’s two Primary World catalysts for The Silmarillion)

Wherein I Disagree with W. H. Auden

Wherein I Disagree with Tom Shippey

Echoes Across the Ages (further thoughts on the 1996 Christopher Interview)

The Untamed

On CQL/MDZS Themes: Image; Boundaries; Mothers and Sons; Epistemology and Deontology; Resentment and Transaction

Wei Wuxian Is Not a Good Actor, but Xiao Zhan Is (why XZ and WYB are awesome)

Falling In Love (various thoughts on why each of the leads fell in love)

CQL vs MDZS (thoughts on how changes in story structure affect reader experience)

Other

Sex, Death, Chaos, and a Single Candle Flame (Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia)

Music in the Deep Dark: A Fantasia on My Childhood (or why I dream about sunless Labyrinths)

This Post Is About Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love, but Above All Things, Stories (why Moulin Rogue is my favorite film)

Why Final Fantasy Was Better With “Bad” Graphics (thoughts on interactive narratives as novel vs interactive narratives as film)

All the Glitter You Will Ever Need (Story and Production Design in Ridley Scot’s Legend)

Sagan’s Cosmos (a look at my favorite science communicator/non-fiction author whose love for the human experiment is infectious)

A 16 Bit Nature (how farmland and rpgs altered my sense of the natural world)

The Marriage of Content and Medium in The Magnus Archives

Air et Danse Bacchanale (personal thoughts on perfectionism, insecurity, and control)

“Further Up and Further In” in Xenogears (a possibly blasphemous look at tone and scope shift in my favorite video game)

My Ancestor Was a Fictional Character (thoughts on my Welsh ancestry)

The Book [Has] Killed the Building: Or Claude Frollo’s Thoughts on Modern Life

27 Years Later (Thoughts on Stephen King’s IT and the end of childhood)

The Morning Routine of a High-Pressure Tea Salesman (or what happened during that one trip to Teavana)

It’s All Fanfiction (thoughts on why the “legitimate writing”/“fanfiction” distinction is meaningless)

On the Magic and Horror of Collaborative Art Making

So You’ve Married a Poet (a guidebook from experience)

Friends With The Author (thoughts on the intersection of theology and epistemology)

The Architecture of Horror (thoughts on House of Leaves)

Suffering and The Neverending Story

Silent Hill and the Art of Emptiness in Japanese Horror

Doctor Who as Primary Mythology (an examination of the amazing flexibility of the basic premise to generate narratives in any and all genres)

Consciousness (thoughts on Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid)

The Girl With Blonde Hair: On Having (and Losing) the Other Half of You

#upcoming posts #request for asks #tolkien #the untamed #mo dao zu shi

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advanceagility · 2 years ago

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Get to work!

The nonfiction book "Do the Work" was published in 2011 by American author Steven Pressfield. It is a sequel to his 2002 book, "The War of Art". In it, he once more explains his thesis of "resistance", the enemy of creative efforts that prevent people from accomplishing their desired goals. He lays out the measures to take to overcome and destroy obstacles to realize artistic, athletic, and smart goals that take time and effort.

"Start before you're ready" - Steven Pressfield

A common agile mindset that creative businesses encounter

Resistance

Due to procrastination, self-doubt, perfectionism, addiction, distraction, etc., family and friends are affected.

Rational thoughts

Rational reasoning frequently arises from the ego, and it frequently results in negative outcomes.

Friends and family

They are accustomed to who we are, which might make it challenging to bring about changes.

6 behaviors that frequently cause people to resist

· Anyagileaction that demands emotional dedication

· Any business to help others

· Any program for spiritual development

· Launching a business venture

· A diet or exercise program

· Any sort of imaginative art

Here are three areas of resistance that every project encounters:

1) Before starting

The decision to implement a novel concept requires guts. This might not work, as Steven likes to say. We're scared. Resistance constantly tells us things like, "This is a lame concept”, "You're a loser", "You can never pull this off", and "You're a loser".

2) In the middle

Although you've traveled too far to turn back, the destination still seems so far away that you doubt you'll ever reach it. This point appeals to resistance. It pounces on you with all of its dark, self-destructive thoughts.

3) At the end

Many times a task or goal becomes so important to us that even after its completion we avoid submitting or publishing it due to fear of its results. To explain it well I will share the story of my close buddy who had published his big book; he was a successful author with years of expertise. The book was completed and was in a box and ready for delivery to the editor. But he couldn't bring himself to take that chance because it was so crucial to him making him afraid that the book wouldn’t succeed. My friend's passing is the story's tragic climax. He never removed his book from the box. It is necessary to understand that the goal of the resistance is to kill, not to inflict harm.

Smart Goals

Resistance impedes development

Resistance is anything that prevents us from acting creatively, such as procrastination or self-doubt.

Creating fulfillment in your life

Make lists of the things you already do and the ones you still have to do. You may discover and fill in the important gaps in your life with the aid of these lists. The opposite of resistance is assistance.

When you put love into your work, you foster enthusiasm, purpose, and optimism. When you do this, the universe responds, and you start moving in the direction of your objectives.

Resistance is a major factor in many people's failures.

Resistance is everything that keeps you from acting creatively, including internal concerns, procrastination, and self-doubt.

Create a mindset regarding your goal

At least twice a week, take a break from your job and consider what the central idea of your project is. You can evaluate your circumstances and make the necessary preparations thanks to this exercise.

Goals are delayed by resistance.

When you resist, it pushes you away, diverts your attention, and prevents you from finishing your tasks. You need to figure out what makes you less motivated to work to overcome resistance.

Resistance occurs frequently.

You cannot escape your resistance; it is a natural part of who you are. Understanding resistance and then managing it is the most effective way to overcome it.

Fear keeps you from taking any action.

With a fear of taking a step forward or failure, there is resistance to action. Instead of going with fear, we must embrace our task and our job with love as love provides you the rightagilityfor raising support.

Important tasks create resistance.

Your resistance to acting on a call or taking an action will increase in proportion to how important it is to your progress.

"An ongoing project produces its energy field". The work is being infused with love by the artist or business owner; it is being infused with passion, intention, and optimism". - Steven Pressfield.

About Advance Agility

We, at Advance Agility, are the new-age Agile Coaching, Consulting and IT services company. We enable end-to-end Digital Transformation. Agile execution is integral to our being. We are doing SAFe implementation with small, medium and large organization across the globe. Our vision is to be the leading Agile execution player globally. To keep adding value at every process stage. We are on a mission to empower our clients, move from concept to cash in the shortest sustainable lead time by adopting human centric approach to business agility. Embracing the change is in our DNA. Things that keep us apart are Quicker and Seamless execution with End-to-end gamut of services. Our Global presence and Stellar Track Record give us an edge over our competitor.

Connect with us at advanceagility.com to learn about SAFe and SAFe Implementation. We provide various SAFe certification courses along with DevOps, Scrum, Agile Coaching and more trainings. Write to us at [email protected] for any agile training or consulting needs. We are always looking for competent agile trainers as well. So if you are a good trainer or want to become one, do get in touch with us to that we can learn, grow and achieve together.

#scaled agile framework #agile working

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all-things-witchcraft · 7 years ago

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🔮A Huge Tarot Master-Post🔮

Hello~ I figured I’d make my first master-post about Tarot! This is my interpretation, so I don’t ask that you just go by my word. It’s your path! I’m just here to try to help.

This will be VERY in-depth. So I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I hope it will help.

What is “Tarot”?

Personally for myself I see Tarot as a tool. I use it to help myself and others with some guidance with their lives; however, when it comes to Tarot, don’t let it rule over your decisions in your life. It is a tool but that does not mean that you should only go by what it says.

Types of Readings

There are two types of readings when it comes to Tarot: Question readings and Open Readings.

Question Readings

Just as the title says Tarot involves answering questions. Yes or No questions aren’t meant to be answered by Tarot. When it comes to Yes or No questions pendulums are used with their corresponding charts. Like I stated before, you shouldn’t use Tarot to make decisions but to guide you to help you make the decision yourself. The way a question is stated is important for Tarot readers. Here’s a few tips on what you should look out for:

🔮 Keeping your options open: If you already have an answer for your question, then you’re not really letting yourself allow the cards to guide your decision. Asking how you could encourage your mother-in-law to move out, as opposed to asking how you can get along better with her, is narrowing the scope of the true question by answering it before you even get started.

🔮 Details: Your question should be focused, but not overly detailed. Rather than looking at one particular aspect of a problem, find a way to look more broadly at it. For example, rather than asking how you can make your home life less chaotic, ask how you can better balance work schedules and school schedules. That is a focused question. But do not go so far as to ask how you can coordinate baseball, soccer and karate schedules and still have family time – that’s too detailed. Only include the minimum level of detail needed in order to express what you want to learn from the cards.

🔮 Focus on Yourself: If the reading is for yourself, make sure your question focuses on you rather than on someone else who you think may be the root of your problem. If you’re wanting to help someone, for example, ask about what you can do to help them.

🔮 Stay Neutral: Basically be unbiased. Don’t come off with the notion that your POV is the “right” one. Asking why you’re always the one getting yelled at between you and your parent(s) isn’t neutral; instead, ask how you can prevent future arguments with your parent(s). That’s neutral!

🔮 Be Positive: When it comes to Tarot, and anything really, you’ll want to always try to be positive. Instead of asking why a specific event didn’t happen, ask about what you can do to make that event happen. Positivity is always great!

Open Readings

These are also known as “General” readings. They address the larger aspects of life rather than a question or a specific area. I’ve found that Past, Present, Future readings are very popular since it talks about people’s lives. They’re always eager to see if the cards can truly tell about their life! You can also direct the General readings towards a basic “genre”. Career, Health, Finances, Love, etc.

The Tarot Deck

There are many varieties of Tarot decks, and there is no standard number of cards across all decks. While the types of cards, the suits and their meanings are the same, the illustrations vary greatly. Decks are based on various themes such as nature, animals, fantasy, dragons, etc.

When it comes to finding a deck of your own, don’t just choose one based on the design. Focus on the connection between you and your future tool, your future guide. I have the Tarot Draconis Deck that called to me. It’s a beautiful dragon based deck that has connected with me. The bond we have today is inseparable!

I say “bond” because each deck has it’s own personality. That’s why Tarot readers do interview “spreads” to help them get to know their decks a bit better. I’ll explain spreads more thoroughly later on in this post. When it comes to their personalities, some decks are blunt, some are meant for giving other people readings and others could be laid back.

The Major and Minor Arcana

When you look through a Tarot Deck, there will be two different sets of cards: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. Let’s look at the Minor Arcana first. You’ll find that like regular playing cards there are four suits; however, instead of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs there are Wands, Pentacles (Circles), Cups (Chalices), and Swords. Each of these represents an element.

Each suit has meaning regarding a specific approach to life. The cards within these suits are numbered one through 10 and also include the court cards – the king, queen, knight and page (knave). The Minor Arcana cards represent the more minor, practical daily ups and downs in life.

The Major Arcana are not associated with the suits. They include the picture cards that represent principles, concepts and ideals. They are numbered one through 21, with the 22nd card (the “Fool”) marked as zero. The Major Arcana cards represent strong, long-term energy or big events in some area of life.

Minor Arcana and the Four Suits

As I stated before, each of the Suits represents an element. Let’s talk about each one and break down what they mean, as well as the cards within them. Then we’ll move on to the Major Arcana!

When it comes to the different cards, there are negatives and positives. When a card is upside-down, the term being “reversed”, then it represents negative attributes of that card. When it’s upright then it represents positive attributes.

For myself, I don’t read reverse cards. I base it on my intuition. I’ll explain how your intuition is used with tarot later on in this post.

Suit of Pentacles

🌱Also known as Coins, Disks, or Circles.

🌱Represents the element Earth.

🌱Covers material aspects of life including work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions.

🌱 Pentacles deal with the physical or external level of consciousness and thus mirror the outer situations of your health, finances, work, and creativity. They have to do with what we make of our outer surroundings – how we create it, shape it, transform it and grow it.

🌱 On a more esoteric level, Pentacles are associated with the ego, self-esteem and self-image.

🌱 The positive aspects of the Suit of Pentacles include manifestation, realization, proof and prosperity.

🌱 The negative aspects of the Suit of Pentacles (i.e. when the Pentacles cards appear reversed) include being possessive, greedy and overly materialistic, over-indulging and not exercising, not effectively managing one’s finances, and being overly focused on career to the detriment of other life priorities.

Often what is required to counteract these negative aspects is a return to nature to ground oneself and rediscover what is truly important. In addition, there may be blockages in being able to manifest ideas and plans resulting in a lack of success. Better goal-setting and planning is required.

🌱 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Pentacles traditionally represents Winter or years.

🌱 In a deck of playing cards, Pentacles corresponds to Diamonds.

🌱 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌱

King of Pentacles:

Upright - Security, control, power, discipline, abundance

Reversed - Authoritative, domineering, controlling

Queen of Pentacles:

Upright - Practical, homely, motherly, down-to-earth, security

Reversed - Imbalance in work/ family commitments

Knight of Pentacles:

Upright - Efficiency, routine, conservatism, methodical

Reversed - Laziness, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’

Knave/Page of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, financial opportunity, new job

Reversed - Lack of progress and planning, short-term focus

10 of Pentacles:

Upright - Wealth, inheritance, family, establishment, retirement

Reversed - Financial failure, loneliness, loss

9 of Pentacles:

Upright - Gratitude, luxury, self-sufficiency, culmination

Reversed - Over-investment in work, financial setbacks

8 of Pentacles:

Upright - Apprenticeship, education, quality, engagement

Reversed - Perfectionism, lacking ambition or focus

7 of Pentacles:

Upright - Vision, perseverance, profit, reward, investment

Reversed - Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward

6 of Pentacles:

Upright - Generosity, charity, giving, prosperity, sharing wealth

Reversed - Debt, selfishness, one-sided charity

5 of Pentacles:

Upright - Isolation, insecurity, worry, financial loss, poverty

Reversed - Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty

4 of Pentacles:

Upright - Control, stability, security, possession, conservatism

Reversed - Greed, materialism, self-protection

3 of Pentacles:

Upright - Teamwork, initial fulfilment, collaboration, learning

Reversed - Lack of teamwork, disregard for skills

2 of Pentacles:

Upright - Balance, adaptability, time management, prioritisation

Reversed - Disorganisation, financial disarray

Ace of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, new financial opportunity, prosperity

Reversed - Lost opportunity, lack of planning and foresight

Suit of Swords

🌫️ Represents the element Air.

🌫️ Associated with action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict.

🌫️ Action can be both constructive and/or destructive, sometimes resulting in violence. This suit can also mean hatred, battle, and enemies, and of all the suits, this one is considered to be the most powerful and dangerous.

🌫️ The Suit of Swords deals with the mental level of consciousness that is centred around the mind and the intellect. Swords mirror the quality of mind present in your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.

🌫️ Swords themselves are double-edged and in this way the Suit of Swords symbolises the fine balance between intellect and power and how these two elements can be used for good or evil. As such, the Swords must be balanced by spirit (Wands) and feeling (Cups).

🌫️ The negative aspects of the Suit of Swords (i.e. when the Swords cards appear reversed) include anger, guilt, harsh judgement, a lack of compassion and verbal and mental abuse.

🌫️ When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Swords traditionally represents Autumn (Fall), or months.

🌫️ In a deck of playing cards, Swords corresponds to Spades.

🌫️ Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌫️

King of Swords:

Upright: Clear thinking, intellectual power, authority, truth

Reversed: Manipulative, tyrannical, abusive

Queen of Swords:

Upright: Quick thinker, organised, perceptive, independent

Reversed: Overly-emotional, bitchy, cold-hearted

Knight of Swords:

Upright: Opinionated, hasty, action-oriented, communicative

Reversed: Scattered thought, disregard for consequences

Knave/Page of Swords:

Upright: Talkative, curious, mentally restless, energetic

Reversed: All talk and no action, haste, undelivered promises

10 of Swords:

Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss

Reversed: Recovery, regeneration, fear of ruin, inevitable end

9 of Swords:

Upright: Depression, nightmares, intense anxiety, despair

Reversed: Hopelessness, severe depression, torment

8 of Swords:

Upright: Isolation, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment

Reversed: Open to new perspectives, release

7 of Swords:

Upright: Betrayal, deception, getting away with something, stealth

Reversed: Mental challenges, breaking free

6 of Swords:

Upright: Regretful but necessary transition, rite of passage

Reversed: Cannot move on, carrying baggage

5 of Swords:

Upright: Conflict, tension, loss, defeat, win at all costs, betrayal

Reversed: Open to change, past resentment

4 of Swords:

Upright: Contemplation, recuperation, passivity, relaxation, rest

Reversed: Restlessness, burn-out, lack of progress

3 of Swords:

Upright: Painful separation, sorrow heartbreak, grief, rejection

Reversed: Releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness

2 of Swords:

Upright: Indecision, choices, truce, stalemate, blocked emotions

Reversed: Indecision, confusion, information overload

Ace of Swords:

Upright: Raw power, victory, break-throughs, mental clarity

Reversed: Confusion, chaos, lack of clarity

Suit of Wands

🔥 Represents the element Fire.

🔥 Associated with primal energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion, original thought and the seeds through which life springs forth.

🔥 Wands deal with the spiritual level of consciousness and mirror what is important to you at the core of your being.

🔥 They address what makes us tick – our personalities, egos, enthusiasms, self-concepts, and personal energy, both internal and external.

🔥 Wands are also indicative of all things that you do during the day to keep you busy, be it working at the office, home or the great outdoors.

🔥 Wands have to do with movement, action and initiatives and the launching of new ideas.

🔥 They may be indicative of a never-ending ‘Ideas List’ or ‘To Do List’, whereby the client has many projects on the go to keep them busy.

🔥 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Wands traditionally represents Spring or weeks.

🔥 In a deck of playing cards, Wands corresponds to Clubs.

🔥 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🔥

King of Wands:

Upright: Natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur, honour

Reversed: Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations

Queen of Wands:

Upright: Exuberance, warmth, vibrancy, determination

Reversed: Shrinking violet, aggressive, demanding

Knight of Wands:

Upright: Energy, passion, lust, action, adventure, impulsiveness

Reversed: Haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration

Knave/Page of Wands:

Upright: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit

Reversed: Setbacks to new ideas, pessimism, lack of direction

10 of Wands:

Upright: Burden, responsibility, hard work, stress, achievement

Reversed: Taking on too much, avoiding responsibility

9 of Wands:

Upright: Courage, persistence, test of faith, resilience

Reversed: On edge, defensive, hesitant, paranoia

8 of Wands:

Upright: Speed, action, air travel, movement, swift change

Reversed: Delays, frustration, holding off

7 of Wands:

Upright: Challenge, competition, perseverance

Reversed: Giving up, overwhelmed, overly protective

6 of Wands:

Upright: Public recognition, victory, progress, self-confidence

Reversed: Egotism, disrepute, lack of confidence, fall from grace

5 of Wands:

Upright: Disagreement, competition, strife, tension, conflict

Reversed: Conflict avoidance, increased focus on goals

4 of Wands:

Upright: Celebration, harmony, marriage, home, community

Reversed: Breakdown in communication, transition

3 of Wands:

Upright: Preparation, foresight, enterprise, expansion

Reversed: Lack of foresight, delays, obstacles to long-term goals

2 of Wands:

Upright: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery

Reversed: Fear of unknown, lack of planning

Ace of Wands:

Upright: Inspiration, power, creation, beginnings, potential

Reversed: Delays, lack of motivation, weighed down

Suit of Cups

🌊 Represents the element Water.

🌊 Also known as Chalices.

🌊 Deals with the emotional level of consciousness and are associated with love, feelings, relationships and connections.

🌊 Cups are about displays of emotion, expression of feelings and the role of emotions in relation to others.

🌊 The Cups Tarot cards indicate that you are thinking with your heart rather than your head, and thus reflect your spontaneous responses and your habitual reactions to situations.

🌊 Cups are also linked to creativity, romanticism, fantasy and imagination.

🌊 The negative aspects of the Suit of Cups (i.e. when the Cups cards appear reversed) include being overly emotional or completely disengaged and dispassionate, having unrealistic expectations and fantasizing about what could be.

There may be repressed emotions, an inability to truly express oneself and a lack of creativity.

🌊 The Suit of Cups traditionally represents the west and Summer. If using an ordinary deck of playing cards,

🌊 Cups are represented by the Suit of Hearts.

🌊 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌊

King of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional balance and control, generosity

Reversed: Emotional manipulation, moodiness, volatility

Queen of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional security, calm, intuitive, compassionate

Reversed: Emotional insecurity, co-dependency

Knight of Chalices:

Upright: Romance, charm, ‘Knight in shining armour’, imagination

Reversed: Unrealistic, jealousy, moodiness

Knave/Page of Chalices:

Upright: A messenger, creative beginnings, synchronicity

Reversed: Emotional immaturity, creative block

10 of Chalices:

Upright: Harmony, marriage, happiness, alignment

Reversed: Misalignment of values, broken home or marriage

9 of Chalices:

Upright: Wishes fulfilled, comfort, happiness, satisfaction

Reversed: Greed, dissatisfaction, materialism

8 of Chalices:

Upright: Escapism, disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal

Reversed: Hopelessness, aimless drifting, walking away

7 of Chalices:

Upright: Fantasy, illusion, wishful thinking, choices, imagination

Reversed: Temptation, illusion, diversionary tactics

6 of Chalices:

Upright: Reunion, nostalgia, childhood memories, innocence

Reversed: Stuck in the past, naivety, unrealistic

5 of Chalices:

Upright: Loss, regret, disappointment, despair, bereavement

Reversed: Moving on, acceptance, forgiveness

4 of Chalices:

Upright: Meditation, contemplation, apathy, re-evaluation

Reversed: Boredom, missed opportunity, being aloof

3 of Chalices:

Upright: Celebration, friendship, creativity, community

Reversed: An affair, “three’s a crowd”, stifled creativity

2 of Chalices:

Upright: Unified love, partnership, attraction, relationships

Reversed: Break-up, imbalance in a relationship, lack of harmony

Ace of Chalices:

Upright: Love, compassion, creativity, overwhelming emotion

Reversed: Blocked or repressed emotions

🔮 - If a Tarot reading is predominantly made up of the Minor Arcana Tarot cards, you are dealing with day-to-day issues which will not necessarily having a lasting influence on your life.

These issues are passing through, presenting you with an opportunity to learn from these experiences (look to any Major Arcana cards to identify and understand these lessons and how they may impact your life in the long-term).

Major Arcana

The Major Arcana Tarot cards (also known as the trump cards) form the foundation of the Tarot deck and consists of twenty-one numbered cards and one unnumbered card (the Fool).

They represent a path to spiritual self-awareness and depict the various stages we encounter as we search for greater meaning and understanding. In this way, they hold deeply meaningful lessons.

The Major Arcana Tarot card meanings illustrate the structure of human consciousness and, as such, hold the keys to life lessons passed down through the ages. The imagery of the Major Arcana Tarot cards is filled with wisdom from multiple cultures and esoteric traditions, including the Egyptian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, Hebrew and Christian religions.

The Cards

0 // The Fool -

Upright: Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit

Reversed: Naivety, foolishness, recklessness, risk-taking

I // The Magician -

Upright: Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness

Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, latent talents

II // High Priestess -

Upright: Intuition, Higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind

Reversed: Hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice

III // The Empress -

Upright: Fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance

Reversed: Creative block, dependence on others

IV // The Emperor -

Upright: Authority, father-figure, structure, solid foundation

Reversed: Domination, excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility

V // Hierophant -

Upright: Religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs

Reversed: Restriction, challenging the status quo

VI // Lovers -

Upright: Love, union, relationships, values alignment, choices

Reversed: Disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

VII // Chariot -

Upright: Control, will power, victory, assertion, determination

Reversed: Lack of control and direction, aggression

VIII // Strength -

Upright: Strength, courage, patience, control, compassion

Reversed: Weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline

IX // Hermit -

Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

X // Wheel of Fortune -

Upright: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

Reversed: Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

XI // Justice -

Upright: Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law

Reversed: Unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty

XII // Hanged Man -

Upright: Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice

Reversed: Martyrdom, indecision, delay

XIII // Death -

Upright: Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition

Reversed: Resistance to change, unable to move on

XIV // Temperance -

Upright: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning

Reversed: Imbalance, excess, lack of long-term vision

XV // Devil -

Upright: Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

Reversed: Detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed

XVI // Tower-

Upright: Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation

Reversed: Avoidance of disaster, fear of change

XVII // Star -

Upright: Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity

Reversed: Lack of faith, despair, discouragement

XVIII // Moon -

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious

Reversed: Release of fear, unhappiness, confusion

XIX // Sun -

Upright: Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

Reversed: Temporary depression, lack of success

XX // Judgement -

Upright: Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution

Reversed: Self-doubt, refusal of self-examination

XXI // World -

Upright: Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel

Reversed: Lack of completion, lack of closure

Tarot Spreads

Now that we’ve talked about the Minor and Major Arcanas, let’s talk about Tarot spreads! Before any Tarot reader does a reading, they shuffle their cards. This allows them to transfer their energy into the deck.

Once the cards are shuffled and the deck has been cut, the reader lays out the cards in a pattern called the spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning, and there are many different types of spreads, ranging from those that incorporate a single card to spreads that include all 78 cards of the deck. Which spread is used is up to the reader and the specific type of question or reading. Some spreads focus more on a specific type of information. For example, one spread might focus more on emotional matters, while another might bring in more information about the influences of others. One of the most common spreads is the Celtic Cross.

Interpreting the Spread:

Once the cards are laid out, their meanings are interpreted based on their positions and their neighboring cards. Let’s look at the Celtic Cross spread:

Begin by looking at the Circle/Cross section. The cards in this position represent what is happening in your life at the time of the reading.

Next, look at the first six cards in pairs. These cards paint a picture of your immediate situation. The cards in position 1 (the central issue) and position 2 (the secondary issue that can either be opposing or reinforcing) will identify the central theme of the reading. The cards in position 3 (the root cause that can be an unconscious influence or deeper meaning) and position 5 (your attitudes and beliefs, a conscious influence, your goal or an alternate future) represent things that are going on within you at different levels. And, the cards in position 4 (your past, a receding influence or something that has been resolved) and position 6 (the future or an approaching influence or unresolved factor) represent how people and events are flowing through your life.

Next, look at the Staff section of the spread, again considering cards in pairs. Looking at the cards in position 7 (as you are, as you could be, as you present yourself and as you see yourself) and position 8 (your outside environment, someone else’s point of view and you as others see you) tells you about your relationship with your environment.

Finally, look at the card in position 10 (the outcome-overall, your inner state, your actions or effects) to see the projected outcome.

Ask yourself how you feel about the projected outcome. What does it say to you?

Go back and review the cards that led up to that outcome, and see if there is a card that stands out as they key to that outcome. Then, look back at card 5 to see if the projected outcome is also shown as an alternate outcome there. Look at the card representing the near future in position 6 to see if it supports or contributes to the projected outcome. Finally, look at the card in position 9 (guidance, key factors, hopes and fears or overlooked factors) to see there is any relevance there.

This is one of many different spreads. You can even make your own spreads! Ultimately, start small and learn as you go. Spreads are very easy once you get the hang of it.

Intuition

Last but certainly not least, we’re going to talk about Intuition!

What is intuition? A thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.

When it comes to Tarot cards, and giving out readings or doing one for yourself, intuition is key. Witchcraft in general involves intuition 9 times out of 10! For example, when I do my readings for people, I don’t just go by what the cards mean. I trust my intuition about what it means, with my gut feeling. If I feel it’s something to do with family, I go with it. If it has something to do with an important event coming up in the future, I trust it.

You may not get it down right away, and that’s perfectly okay! It’ll take some time to get it down pat. Just don’t forget to listen to your gut!

There you go! I hope this Master Post helps you guys learn a little more about Tarot. I’ll be posting another one later for in-depth descriptions of all the cards!

Brightest blessings!

[🔮] all-things-witchcraft [🔮]

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drfatomah1 · 8 years ago

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Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert

· You need the courage to bring out the hidden treasures inside us

· You will become alive when you run behind your curiosity than your fear

· “A creative life is an amplified life”

· “Creative Living is a path for brave

· “When courage dies, creativity dies with it”

· “Fear is boring”

· “Fear hates uncertain outcomes”

· your fear and your creativity are meant to be twins, every new step was taken by creativity, fear must be alongside it.” they were born at same time, and they still share some vital organs!

· When you try to kill your fear you will end up murdering your creativity

· Don’t kill your fear don’t be against it, instead, make all that space for it because the less you fight your fear the less it fights back.

· Have your welcoming speech for your fear before any important step in your life.

· “If you can’t learn to travel comfortably alongside your fear, then you’ll never be able to go anywhere interesting or do anything interesting.

· Our planet is not only inhabited only by animals and plants and bacteria and viruses, but also by ideas. They are completely separate from us but capable of interacting with us. Ideas have no material body, but they do have consciousness and certainly, they have the will. And for it to manifest need collaboration with a human partner. It will search for the most prepared person for it to manifest it and do it directly without hesitating otherwise it will leave that person searching for a serious one instead! And ask him again”do you want to work with me?”

· “ Trust in the miraculous truth that new and marvelous ideas are looking for human collaborators every single day. Let them know you’re available.

· Ideas can exchange in the kiss, and that my friend is Big Magic.

· Inspiration will come and go and you must let it come and go, don’t wait for passion for coming visiting you, instead keep working steadily, the creativity when it sees you serious it will come to visit you.

· “ you do not need anybody’s permission to be what do you want to be”

· you must believe that your entitlement to at least to try, because often what keeps you from creative living is yourself- absorption (your self-doubt, your self-disgust, your self-judgment, and self-protection)

· expressing yourself is the only weapon with which to combat the nasty dialogue.

· You must start the positive conversation with yourself telling that you are entitled to for anything you want, you must do it DAILY!!

· When you want to start a creative project ask yourself first, is it for you? Or for the people? Try as you can your creative work be for you not for the other at first because that will reduce so much pressure on you and on completing your work, do what you do because you like doing it.

· Stop complaining because by doing that you’re scaring away inspiration

· Always remember that people opinion on your work in none of your business, so let people be in love with their opinions as you are in love with yours.

· “ music is nothing more than decoration for the imagination”

· build space in your head for the paradox that your creative work matters and doesn’t matter and move between them as you can

· take at least 30 minutes from your day to dedicate to your work

· “it is the general role in life whatever practice you will be good at.

· Always remind you that fears were completely natural human reactions to interaction with the unknown.

· Frustration is the process in creative life so you must learn how to handle your work

· The question is what are you passionate enough about that you can endure the most disagreeable aspects of the work?

· By demanding that your creative work will pay you the bills you’re murdering your creativity, instead don’t depend completely on your creative work it is not a proper job it is a hobby you enjoy it.

· Essential ingredients for creativity remain the same for everybody: Courage, Enhancement, permission, persistence, and trust.

· Fake it till you make it

· In order to stay in the game, you must let go of your fantasy of perfection

· Perfect is not the only enemy of the good it is also the enemy of realistic

· Perfectionism stop people from completing their work

· Perfectionism is just fear in fancy shoes

· Conventional success would depend upon three factors: Talent, Luck, Discipline

· How do you shake off failure and shame in order to keep living a creative life?

1 Forgive yourself

2 Remember always you’re a beginner

3 Let go of work that did not work well

4 Forget about the last project and search for new one

5 Own your disappointment acknowledge it for what it is and move on

6 Whatever else happens, stay busy

7 If you struggled with something go and do something else, draw, write, dance,..etc.

8 Trust that inspiration will find you home again.

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aquiliscreations-blog · 8 years ago

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Some things I’ve learned

It’s not easy being a full-time artist. Money-wise it’s feast or famine. I’m either doing really well, or I haven’t sold something in months. I’ve learned quite a bit and I wouldn’t change a thing. I figured I’d share for other artists out there.

#1 There is no Time for Procrastination.

I’m not always good at getting on the ball in the mornings. Mornings are rough for me in general, and I’m usually in denial about being conscious. I find that the longer I procrastinate on a project, either waiting to start or waiting to finish, the harder it is to actually do the project.

#2 Walk the Talk

If you call yourself a full time artist, you should be creating everyday. Even if its a 15 minute doodle. I’m also not very good at this. If I wake up later than normal I feel like I’ve wasted the day, and therefore can accomplish nothing. This is a fallacy. Steal the time to work on something

#3 It’s OK Not to be Perfect

Perfectionism is the enemy of creativity. As a perfectionist in most things I do, this has been a very hard lesson for me. Even if you can’t get that one detail just right, you have to know when to call it finished. If you keep overworking your piece, not only do you stand the chance of ruining it entirely, but you are also preventing yourself from moving on to your next project. This, however, does not mean quit working on something because you’re scared to mess it up.

#4 It’s OK to Experiment

It’s OK to work in a different medium then you’re used to. It’s OK to try a different style within the same medium. Not all of your work has to look the same. Especially early on it’s important to try different things to find your style.

#5 You have to promote yourself

As an introvert this is very hard, but no one is as invested in your work as you are. No one will promote you if you don’t promote yourself. This can mean going to art events and talking to everyone, or having a large online presence, or both. It’s not easy, it takes dedication. Prepare a short and concise artist statement about your and what you do. Memorize it and be ready to tell people about it when you ask

#6 It’s not all about You

When you’re networking don’t just talk about you and your work. Listen to what other artists and art enthusiasts have to say. Take genuine interest in it. Building art relationships is much like building friendships. And you never know who you’ll be working with in the future. You don’t want to come off as self-obsessed in your first impression.

#7 Take High Quality Images of Your Work

This seems like common knowledge, but I’ve seen some pretty terrible images of art. Most smartphones now have decent cameras, but they aren’t the best for art. They don’t capture the fine detail. You want at least 300 dpi images for submitting to shows. If you can afford it, consider buying a DSLR camera. If not, you’re a member of an art community, I bet you know someone who has one, and for a small fee, or trade, can help you out. Don’t ask for it for free. They’ve spent as much time learning their art as you have yours.

#8 You’re Your Own Worst Critic

I’m never happy with my work. I’m just not. I find one detail I hate and I fixate on it. Most of the people I know seem to love my work, but I have a very hard time believing it, and it slows down my creative process because I get very down about it.

#9 Create an Online Portfolio

It may not get much traffic in the beginning, but and online portfolio can really help you when submitting to exhibitions, and many request them on their applications. It’s easy to find cheap hosting. I use SiteGround and their built in Site builder. You don’t have to be a web guru to make and elegant and professional looking online portfolio. If you don’t believe me, you can check out mine. I’m nearly computer illiterate. I pay for my domain name, www.aquiliscreations.com, because it looks more professional than say, www.weebly.com/aquiliscreations.

#10 Have Business Cards Made

I know it sounds like work, but it’s easy to go to a site like VistaPrint and design your own business cards. You can almost always find promo codes. My latest order is 13.94 for 100 business cards. They currently have a special for 500 basic one sided cards for 9.99 (plus whatever extra you add on.) Usually, I put the name of my business (it’s ok if you don’t have one) I add my artist name, and I state what I do. (Artist, pianist, musician, etc.) I also list the mediums I work in, but this isn’t necessary. I also add my phone number and e-mail. If you’re not comfortable with phone number, just do your e-mail.

#11 Have an E-mail Set Up Just for Your Art

I know it doesn’t sound important, but it looks more professional. For example here’s mine, [email protected]. Other things that could work for me are: [email protected], or [email protected]. All of these look much more professional than [email protected].

#12 Use Keywords on Your sites

Whether its a Facebook page, or an Online portfolio, looking into SEO (search engine optimization) can help you gain more foot traffic. Using keywords like art, painting, drawing, your name, artist, where you’re located, your subject matter, etc. in the Titles of your page or home page, and the file name of your images you upload can help you come up in search engines. For Example, if you search Aquilis Edwards, I’m the first 2 listings on Google. If you search Aquilis Creations, pictures of my art are the first things to pop up, and the entire front page of the google search is linked to my patreon, my facebook, my portfolio and my etsy in some way.

#13 Put Yourself Out There

Submitting your work to exhibitions and galleries can seem daunting, but it’s worth it. You may feel like your art isn’t good enough, but you’ll never know until you try, and you have a good chance at getting feedback if you’re rejected. So it’s a win/win. Some shows have entry fees. Usually between $15 and $35 in my experience. That can make it more daunting, but it’s an investment in your future. Not only does it give you a chance to sell your work, it also gets your work in front of your ideal audience, art connoisseurs and collectors. You can find Art opportunities at Artopportunitiesmonthly.com and ZAPP. You can sometimes find opportunities with no entry fee as well.

#14 Create an Artist Resume or CV

Even if you don’t have a large amount of experience, you should still create a CV. Include any classes you’ve had, whether formal or informal. Include any shows you’ve had, even if they are group shows. Include any art you’ve sold, even to private collectors. Include any classes you’ve taught even at community centers. (If you haven’t volunteer!) Do some research and look at examples to show you how it’s done.

#15 Never, Ever Give Away or Trade Art for Exposure

It doesn’t work out. Chances are the person offering exposure just wants to get art for free and has no influence over a large audience. I did this once for a charity event. I’ve yet to see a single penny from the so-called exposure. This isn’t an unpaid internship. You’ve spent years developing your skills. You’ve spent money, whether on training or supplies. Don’t give your time and money away for free. Just don’t do it.

#16 Learn How to Price Your Work

Underselling yourself isn’t doing you any favors. Prices too low can make your work seem insignificant. Prices too high can drive away customers due to sticker shock. If your a novice, you’re prices should be a little less than a professional. There are two ways to price your art, per square inch, or for time. I prefer the square inch model, because it prevents works of the same size having vastly different prices that make the artist look inconsistent. if you’re prices are too high you can always come down later. It’s hard to raise prices.

#17 Do the Work because YOU Love It.

Its one thing to take commissions. Many artist make a good living that way. However when you don’t have a commission and you’re just painting for things to have in stock or in your portfolio, don’t try to pander to an audience. Do work you’re passionate about. You can certainly tell the difference in a piece the artist loved doing and one they did because they felt they have to.

#18 Don’t Do this For the Money

Lets face it, making a career out of art is hard. Don’t do it because you want to make money, you may never make enough to sustain yourself, and that’s perfectly OK. Make your art to express yourself, to let your creativity run wild, and because you are passionate.

#19 If you have Art Block, Do it anyway

Don’t wait for inspiration to strike, work even when you don’t feel like it. Make it a habit. Practice. Do nonsensical things. Sit down, start with a line on your canvas and see what grows from there. This is how you learn new techniques, find new subjects, and generally grow your creativity. Many times, once you start, inspiration will find you.

#20 Love Yourself

Even when you feel like a failure, love yourself. When you haven’t made a sale in months, when you feel like your art isn’t good enough, when you just know you’ll never make it, pamper yourself. Get together with your people who make you laugh, who make you feel genuinely loved. Listen to the music that makes you feel good. Take a bubble bath with a glass of wine. Take yourself out on an artist’s date. Don’t let yourself wallow in the self pity and despair.

I hope that this has been helpful or inspiring. If I can help just one aspiring artist on their journey, I’ll be a happy girl. Cheers and Happy Arting!

#artlife #artists on tumblr #tips #good advice #art

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