#social media is bad (i say that but i constantly post here. i am part of the problem)

[iwakuraz]

opened instagram for the first time in probably months cause I wanted to see if anybody I know irl posted anything interesting lately. but I was immedietely shown the worst most annoying post ever I had to immediately close the website

[angel-dustspo]

My guide to˚⊹.⋆𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋. romanticising life ⋆.ೃ࿔*

Life is truly the most important gift of all and I feel like too many people don't actually take it seriously enough or are just afraid of what anybody else might say if they choose to live the way they have always wanted to. Wasting the only opportunity to cherish this gift of life that we have been blessed with is the worst thing you could ever do for yourself. Imagine yourself 40 years from now, regretting that you wasted your teenage and adulthood years worrying about your looks, not enjoying good food, not taking care of yourself or being too careful of your budget and never getting the things you truly wanted. That's surely NOT how I'd like to spend my old age, and my ultimate goal is to think back and be happy that I lived my life exactly the way I wanted!

Romanticising life is all about turning every. little. moment. into something that makes YOU happy, no matter what society might think about it. It's a form of self expression that I fondly believe can help you become happy and at peace with your own self.

Here are some ways to romanticise your life:

ׂ╰┈➤ Stop consuming harmful media. Tiktok, for example, is such a bad place for your mental health and is constantly ruining your attention span and productivity, image of self but, most importantly, your HEALTH AND BEAUTY STANDARDS. It is also one of the causes of many mental health problems such as depression, eds, self h@rming or negative addictions, so try and avoid harmful social media as much as possible.

ׂ╰┈➤ Establish a morning and night routine. I promise this will make you feel so productive and in control of your life. Nothing fancy is necessary, just basic hygiene and skincare, having breakfast, maybe reading or journaling to wind down at night.

ׂ╰┈➤ Consistently work out. "Well Lynna how am I supposed to work out if you said to enjoy life??" Enjoying does not mean that you shouldn't take care of your body too. Find what works best for you and what makes you happy, don't jump into the youtube advanced workouts and then complain that you hate moving your body. Yoga and walks are such a good place to start, or 10 minute workouts a few times per week will make such a difference in both your mind and body. With just a bit of discipline and consistency you will start to love working out and move your body and tend to do it out of habit.

ׂ╰┈➤ Take yourself out for coffee or a pastry! Solo dates can be just as fun as normal ones.

ׂ╰┈➤ Spend more time with family and friends. Humans will not be with you forever and enjoying every moment with them is such an important thing in life.

ׂ╰┈➤ Buy pretty pajamas, light a candle, take long bubble baths, do a face mask, listen to calm music, read, paint, express yourself in any way you want.

ׂ╰┈➤ Clean your environment and surround yourself with the colors and furniture that you love.

ׂ╰┈➤ Dress the way you want to, not how everybody expects you to.

ׂ╰┈➤ Always try new things: that yoga class you heard from your friend, a new pastry that looked so good in the shop window, some book you saw online.

ׂ╰┈➤ Be open minded and present in your life. Live in the present and you will become happy with your past and future.

Although aesthetics do play a big part in romanticising, you can do it without spending a lot of money, effort or time. The need of making everything "aesthetic" is just as consuming and bad for you as not doing anything at all.

Learn to enjoy and cherish every little moment and that will bring you on the path of happiness. Please take good care of yourself, good luck on your wellness journey and thank you so much for reading this post!!

Love, L

[coco-loco-nut]

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

Pairing: None

Summary: Being a woman in F1 has it's challenges, especially when you are constantly seen as a threat

A/n: McLaren history revision, actually, a lot of it might not make complete logical sense, just ignore that. i’m not great at angst

requests open masterlist ttpd masterlist

_________

You've scared everyone in the F1 world since you started driving in 2014 for McLaren, more dominant than Max Verstappen, the only driver other than Lewis Hamilton to challenge you. Your aggressive driving style and ability to get the most out of your car has lead you to three championships. Men don’t like that.

You are in a bit of a slump this year after moving to Mercedes, not having won one of the first three races, but you are poised for attack, ready to take your place at the top.

“Daddy, who’s that?” you hear a little girl ask as you walk to the paddock.

“Y/n L/n, we don’t like her,” his fragile masculinity practically yells the comment into your ears. With a smirk you look at the pair, walking over and bending to the little girls level.

“What’s your name?” you ask, your voice bordering on being sickly sweet.

“Sarah,” she squeaks, eyes wide with fascination. You remove your team hat and pull out a sharpie from your pocket, signing your hat.

“Don’t let any man tell you you can’t be better than the boys. You can do anything, you’re a girl,” you smile, putting the hat on her head. You wave over your assistant. “Get her sizes and buy her some team gear, charge it to me,” you tell the assistant, who eagerly nods. Of course, the F1 social team caught the incident and posted it.

“Y/n! How does it feel to be in a slump, as some are calling it? Some fans are even calling you washed. Quite sad isn’t it,” one reporter asks.

“You guys keep saying I am in a slump, or I’m being replaced by younger drivers. My bare hands paved their paths, you don’t get to tell me about sad. If you wanted my career to be dead so bad, you should’ve just said so,” you roll your eyes. Nothing makes you feel more alive than driving, but annoying the media is a close second.

“What about your move to Mercedes next year? Why switch?” another reporter asks. Couldn’t you just get to your motorhome without being hounded by reporters for once?

“It was a mutual decision, it was time for us to part,” you walk away, reflecting on the last few months.

You hadn’t planned your exit from McLaren to Mercedes, the scandal regarding your exit being contained by NDAs. You had punched one of the engineers who made a sexist joke at your expense. You promptly decided you didn’t want to be there anymore, especially when they didn’t fire the engineer.

“I feel bad that this is how it has to happen,” Zak said at the end of last season.

“You don’t get to tell me you feel bad, if you actually did he would’ve been fired and I wouldn’t have to leave,” You told him, visibly upset.

“It was one joke and he was reprimanded. You don’t have to leave,” Zak says, you sharply inhale.

“It wasn’t one joke. It had been ongoing for years, it’s a wonder it took me this long to break. What did you want me to do? Laugh until I cry?” you asked Zak, who seemed shocked.

“Then I truly am sorry, I’ll launch an investigation to see why it wasn’t reported to me before. You will have always have a friend here,” Zak tells you, a small comfort.

“Thank you,” you give him a small smile. You spend the whole offseason steeling yourself and working to be the best driver you can be. You stayed longer at the gym and sent more time on the sim.

“Y/n, are you okay?” Daniel asked one day over a glass of wine, he’s known you since you both were karting, and he’s watched you spiral the past few years. Daniel is your best, and one your few friends.

“It’s so hard being a woman in F1. I am a completely different person than I was before I joined,” Daniel doesn’t comment, he knows you felt like a caged animal so you acted like one.

“Why did you leave McLaren?” Daniel asks, knowing you wouldn’t leave unless there was a good reason.

“I signed an NDA, so you can’t share any of this. After I started at McLaren, an engineer was hired who would say sexist remarks all the time. Over time I stopped being nice and just got mean back, and I finally snapped. I gave him a nice right hook to his face,” you sip the wine, giving the shortened version. “Zak didn’t know, no one had reported the engineers behavior, so we signed NDAs and I left.”

“I’m sorry, That plus the media circus of being a woman in F1 can’t be easy,” Daniel sympathizes.

“That’s why I forced myself to be like this. If I can make myself seem untouchable, it doesn’t hurt as much. Being the villain is easier,” you tell him.

“So how will you approach Mercedes?” Daniel keeps you talking, knowing you need a good trauma dump.

“Lay low for the first couple weeks, let the drivers think they took out my claws, hung me to dry. It won’t be enough to ruin my season, but enough to catch them off guard. During the fourth or fifth race, I’ll leap from my gallows and crash their party, exposing the sexism within Formula One,” you smirk.

“The old ‘who’s afraid of little old me’ tactic,” he smiles, enjoying your plan.

“They should be afraid,” you say, explaining your interview with Suzie that is going to break the internet, after all, the NDA only kept you from talking about the punch.

Just like you predicted, the media and fans were divided. Some called for a public apology from McLaren and the FIA for the treatment of female drivers, most called you over dramatic, and said you only wanted to attention to distract from your poor performance and waning stardom. They said not everything is about you and the people who hurt you didn’t do it to hurt you.

You wanted nothing more than to argue back and show the media and fans just how disturbed they had made you, but Toto told you to let your driving do the talking. That race you said one thing to the media, “you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me.”

“Chills, your interview was phenomenal. Thanks for citing me as one of your biggest supporters by the way. Scooch over, let’s see what insecure men are tweeting,” Daniel hands you a glass of wine and sits beside you on your couch, air playing his phone screen.

“I like that one, I’m always drunk on my own tears,” you laugh. Daniel logged into his spam account, letting himself reply to the haters.

“I like this one. Y/n L/n is the kind of person to sue you for stepping on her lawn,” Daniel laughs.

“The reply is better: she’s fearsome, wretched, and most importantly, wrong,” you both think of a funny reply.

You show up to the track and win, and win, and win, until you are holding the trophy for your fourth world championship.

In your post-championship interview with the F1 media team, you make what may be your biggest announcement yet.

“In the wake of people calling me crazy after sharing my experiences as a woman in motorsport, I’d like to make a very special announcement. I am who I am because you trained me to be like this, so to make sure no other girl has to go through what I did, I will be sponsoring two F1 Academy drivers with added mentorship and sponsorship opportunities. I’ve seen the work that Susie Wolff has done, and I cannot wait to help grow the presence of women in motorsport,” you say, sitting beside Susie.

“We will make sure she doesn’t terrorize the girls too much,” she jokes at your request.

“Who’s afraid of little old me?”

[fabbyf1]

Hi Besties! 

I know I sort of just... disappeared, and I’m very sorry for worrying you.

To everyone who sent me an ask or dm checking on me: I really appreciate you. I'm not going to publish them, because I don’t think you sent them to me so that I would publish them, but thank you so much for caring about me and taking the time to send me a note of love and support. 

It means a lot to me to know that so many of you think about me and notice when I'm not around. I think we can all agree that that’s a really nice feeling. It says a lot about who you are as people and confirms the fact that we have built such a lovely little corner of the internet together. I'm a firm believer in the fact tumblr, and any other fan space or social media website, should always bring joy and positivity to your life. And if it's not, you should do something else. 

Nobody is getting paid to be here. We all choose to spend our free time here to relax, and unwind, and share a laugh with other people who share our weird little interests. I'm so grateful that my blog, and everyone who follows and interacts with me, has always kept it a light-hearted, supportive place. I know a lot of other big blogs can’t say the same thing, and they are constantly receiving hate and rude people in their inboxes. So thank you for helping me keep this a safe space where we can giggle and gossip and support each other.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. 

I disappeared from the internet for a lot of reasons, but mostly because... I am feeling very guilty and overwhelmed about my lack of writing. It's easier for me to disappear and avoid it altogether than to feel like I’m disappointing anyone. 

But let me be clear: these feelings are totally and 100% my own. Nobody is making me feel this way. Nobody is sending me anon hate, or demanding updates, or telling me that I've let them down. This is an expectation and standard I have put on myself, and I feel like I am failing myself when it comes to writing.

And that’s just something I have to deal with. 

Writing fanfiction has been a major part of my life since I was 12 years old (albeit, very bad fanfiction at 12 years old.) It’s a hobby that I will never move on from. And honestly, the older I get, the more I fall in love with it. I think fanfiction gets a lot of hate from people who don’t understand it or have never read it, but fanfiction is an important part of fan culture and brings so many people together. 

Some of the most powerful, impacting, and lasting words I’ve ever read were all from fanfiction. The words that haunt me, or that I think about over and over again are all from fanfiction. And I think that’s why I put so much pressure on myself when it comes to writing. 

I don’t want to publish something that is not my best work. I don’t want to update something just to update it; I want it to be exactly the way I envisioned it, if not better. I want it to mean something to you. I want you to love it, or laugh at it, or cry to it, or whatever that fic or that chapter is supposed to bring out of you. 

I haven’t opened my google docs for more than 5 minutes in... months. 

Just thinking about it overwhelms me because I feel like I’ve backed myself into a corner that I don’t want to be in. It’s silly and not as dramatic as I’m making it seem, but I wish I could go back and delete a few paragraphs at the end of the last chapter of the mastermind fic, so that the next chapter could be something... different. 

And I know that I technically could do that, but that doesn’t seem right either, because it would be confusing to everyone who is current with the fic and especially those who have read it multiple times and are expecting the next chapter to be something. 

Silly, right? 

But I feel very trapped by my wip right now.

When I wrote my other long fics like Long Live or Vapor, I didn’t post them as wips and I could go back and completely change the course of the story if I wanted to. But you can’t really do that with a wip. (Again, I know I technically could, but it would be very confusing.) I had this entire story mapped out in a timeline of how I wanted things to go, and so far have followed that, but I’m feeling very... trapped by it now. That’s the only word I can think of to describe it. 

I’m going to find a way out of this writing slump I’m in. I promise you will. I have to. The fic, the characters, you, and I deserve this fic to continue and to grow into what I know they should be. I’m just struggling a lot with the idea of writing this next chapter because I wish it could be something different. 

I’m not sure any of that makes sense, but maybe you get it. 

I’m sorry I disappeared. 

When my fight or flight kicks in, I always choose flight.

I’m going to try and be better. 

Thank you all for loving me. 

[megabuild]

bit of a ramble below! tl:dr; i have insane person problems and realised that this blog isn't healthy for me so won't be coming back until i'm in a better place, i have no intent on deleting it but may password protect it in the coming days for my own peace of mind :P love yall!

the absolute basics on my situation is that i almost certainly have OCD, have been vocal about this likelihood in the past, and while i was aware i was susceptible to obsessions and compulsions irt online interactions and my posts on here i was not actually aware of how debilitating the effect this was having on my life was until i went completely cold turkey and blocked tumblr from all my devices. like genuinely night and day. i have so much more free time when i'm not spending it constantly name searching on every platform available and scrolling through my blog over and over to be sure that i didn't post a slur by accident lol. i'd rather not get into some of the stupider details of shit ive done in the name of perceived moral purity because that's nobody's business but trust me when i say it was like a weight got lifted off my fucking shoulders lol like i was having regular delusions about making a post so bad grian himself would say i should kill myself on stream and believing it was possible 😭 really good disorder guys i love having this

i have a lot to say about the way this community treats each other, both good and bad, but i think i'd rather hold off and make more informed and thought out posts on that when i'm not still reeling from all the bullshit life's been throwing at me. i do love and value this community so much, especially all the mutuals and friends i've made here. i've also been made extremely uncomfortable in the past by the easiness that people slip into very strange relationships not just with CCs but with their fellow bloggers. including me ! and i am a relatively small blogger in the vast scheme of things. this is no hate to anyone who's sent an anon or whatever, many of you are lovely people, but it's also like, well i have been literally stalked on this blog before so i feel i have justification for being a tad uncomfortable . again, a lot to be said on the celebritification of average people and the obsession on making sure one makes "Objectively Correct" choices when doing something as simple as watching a minecraft series and having opinions on it .. but alas, no brain for it right now, and also i would rather not risk the ire of twitter teenager #48 lest i be qrted by thumbnail artists telling me to lighten up and accept the steady decay of all that is good in this sphere in order to make room for more #Content. Sit down and eat your yaoibait you stupid faggot! sorry this is a serious post ignore that part

to any of my beloved oomfies you are free to message and ask for my discord though i am also being a bit difficult to reach over there rn my bad (and i may not get back to you quickly because as soon I post this I am logging straight the fuck back out).. i have made a separate tumblr account from this one which is less social media and more a little archive of images and art i like (and also is not related to mcyt at all, outside of maybe one or two art reblogs if i see something that really catches my eye) so if we've hung out and you don't exclusively post mcyt you might see me around in your notifs but i'd prefer not to be linked back here. any projects, fics, other blogs etc. i have been working on consider on pause for eternity, with the only exclusions being 3rd life miraheze (which i'm currently looking into options for but will certainly never go away! much love still to all our contributors who have worked tirelessly through wild life to update our various spreadsheets and tables) and aoyuer which i'm sort of picking up and taking away and hitting with hammers until it's sufficiently divided from mcyt and i can call it an oc story for real. peep my toyhouse if ye are so inclined and wont tell the adoptbrained callout squads over there that my oc once upon a time was lowkey rpf.

anyway this has already gotten far too long as i'm a chronic yapper and overexplainer but thank you very much for hanging out with me and talking about these stupid ass blocks. i have a handful of posts in the queue i wont be getting rid of and don't doubt i will come back to chat more shit in future but at the end of the day i'm here to have a fun time on the computer and i just was not having that anymore. i was having a scary and fucked up time on the computer, and life is too short to put yourself through that out of some butchered sense of responsibility to the niche follower base you've cultivated. if you also have ocd delete your blog as soon as it hits 1k like actually. if you worked in the askbox mines and are now facing redundancy then go follow my enemy thecoolerliauditore. or dont im not your boss anymore. im too busy homebrewing my 3ds. smooches mwahs !!!!!!!!!

[mostlycorrectdipandpip]

Let's talk about dnptwt

Ok, I created this little shit-posting blog to connect with other phannies and get back into this comfy little fandom. Along with this, I started connecting with dnptwt on my main account. I don't like getting involved in drama, especially when it revolves around blatant racisim, homophobia, transphobia, genocide sympathizers, etc, but I feel like it needs to be said here. I am only going to speak on this once, but if you have questions on my experience or just want to call me out, feel free to message or anonymously inbox me, that is your right as I am posting this openly and publicly.

Dnptwt is NOT a safe place. I genuinely believe that the internet is not a safe place. I wish that it was because access to the internet has become so common and widespread. People can connect on so many levels and share their experiences, but EVERYONE can do it. Republican, democrat, gay, straight, conversative, liberal. EVERYONE. But, over the last few months, dnptwt has become so negative and toxic. Every day someone is being called out for their behavior and, many times, the calling out is warranted. They have said or done something that they need to be called out on. It's the aftermath and the snowballing afterwards that has gotten out of hand.

I am a very positive person. I believe that everyone, at anytime in their lives, can learn and grow and change. We are constantly learning new things and having new experiences. When people say something hateful or negative or they participate in something bad or that you don't agree with, you have every right to call them out on it. Point out the hateful and negative behavior, but just because someone does or says something doesn't mean that they are irredeemable. Spitting hateful rhetoric and being hateful towards people is the exact kind of thing that we want to stop and correct. So when you call someone out for something, call them out and see if they take the initiative to learn or change before you start an unyielding bullying campaign against them. You can choose how you react to that person, if you believe them, and if you want to continue to interact with them. That is your right as a social media user. But to start a campaign where you tell everyone that someone is disgusting and irredeemable before giving them a chance to reflect, relearn, and respond is absolutely crazy.

At the end of the day, what I am trying to say is that in order for people to grow, they need to learn. In order for someone to genuinely apologize, they need to learn what they have done wrong and find it in themselves to change, but this isn't something that someone can do overnight. And it isn't something someone can do while they are being attacked from all sides. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to say how they feel and why it makes them feel that way for someone to realize that they have made a mistake.

I'll call myself out for y'all to get what I mean. I grew up in a very conservative household. I grew up in a household that sprayed hateful rhetoric and had terribly homophobic and racist beliefs. It wasn't until someone in middle school called me out for it. It wasn't nice or sugar coated, just a direct interaction. I dealt with some fallout for sure, but over the rest of that year, I took the opportunity to learn and change how I acted, how I talked, and how I spoke to my classmates and I was able to repair alot of burned bridges and become a more well rounded person.

I fear everyday that the hate I used to spread and the negativity I once had will come back to bite me. I would have to answer for those actions, and I would, and I would have to prove to people that I have changed (and I have). But with the kind of environment that dnptwt has become, I would be shunned, shamed, categorized and irredeemable, and tossed to the side without being able to reflect, relearn, and respond.

This environment is unacceptable. And it is something that I will no longer be taking part in. Give people the space to be wrong, to fail, and to make right.

Just getting this out has helped me feel a little bit better, am I am sure that this will end up on dnptwt and I'll get doused in their hate and vitriol, but to stand silent and watch more and more people who just need some time to get educated and learn would have made me feel so bad. I'm taking some time to reflect on my own actions and time spent on twitter, learn about ways that I can better use my time and energy, and will respond again if I feel it necessary, but I think I've said my piece.

[batsplat]

welcome back casey stoner !

https://www.tumblr.com/verdemint/761549873456775168/same-interview-they-asked-him-how-does-he-deal

(link)

asjddkh SEE this is what I'm talking about!! something about those incredibly neurotic ducati champions, eh. in the post linked above, pecco's talking about how he deals with media pressure... which, yeah, pecco and casey really do share a fair bit of competitive dna there - from the insistence that it doesn't affect them whatsoever to how they do in fact get extremely pissy whenever they feel misrepresented by the media. very sensitive to that kind of thing, those two are... but at the same time they're also both their own harshest critics. from casey's autobiography (all quickly nabbed from this post, which ofc expands on casey's perfectionism):

I got a lot of criticism over the years for being honest because I always felt I could do better. Even if I won the race, if I had made mistakes it was important for me to admit them and address them for next time instead of congratulating myself for being the best on that particular day.

and:

Whatever challenges I take on now I am still driven by the same quest to improve - I can’t change who I am. As a personality trait this is both a good thing and a bad thing. I like that part of me but it would be nice to not be like that sometimes, to enjoy something without being obsessed with getting better at it. I am sure you can go through life a lot happier if you don’t analyse everything.

versus pecco:

The strength that I've proved in various situations comes from the fact that I am extremely critical of myself, and so it only takes a little bit for me to put myself down even more.

like yeah I suppose that's one way of looking at it - nobody else can get to you if you're already tearing into yourself. it's a motivational process that's very much built on negativity, right, on the need to live up to their own exacting standards. both pride themselves for their ability to put failures behind them quickly - to be able to immediately bounce back because they tell themselves they only care about doing better in the next race. plus, there's that interesting dynamic where both are like... pretty big on this idea they're not making excuses for themselves, committed to honestly assessing themselves and all that,, BUT also have reputations for being whiny to the press... because people for whatever reason end up thinking they're constantly blaming everything but themselves for their shortcomings. again, very prone to feeling misunderstood!! neither of them are necessarily terrible communicators - but there's a certain reluctance there (obviously more so from casey) to even play that game at all. mix in a learned wariness because they feel like they've been burned before.... that whole pecco episode last year where he said one reason for the increased injury rate is probably because the field is tighter now (which, yes! seems logical!) ,,, and then some unholy combination of clumsy phrasing, media framing and an ungenerous fan response ended up translating that to pecco saying he wanted satellite bikes to be slower again... gave me real casey vibes lol. casey had a fair few of those episodes himself - though at least the news cycle and social media fandom weren't quite as bad back then. in a lot of ways he'd struggle even more nowadays

also,, you do have to mention - they both end up defining themselves against valentino specifically when it comes to their public personas. casey might be the rival and pecco the mentee, but both of them have been clear that they do not desire to be the next valentino rossi. kinda what I said here, right

idk, obviously pecco had a heads-up a little earlier than casey did that sensibly communicating to the media WAS going to be a big part of the job. but there's still a wariness there, an unwillingness to be something they're not, knowing that they'd be miserable trying to match valentino's particular brand of flamboyance... it is key that it is a choice they're making. they just don't want that for themselves, never have. there's only ever so much outreach they're willing to do

also this

“Stoner and Bagnaia are two different riders, but they have the same mental attitude,” Tardozzi told AS. “I think Pecco is still growing. He already took a big leap by winning the championship, but the biggest jump in his head has been done this year, after the two falls in Argentina and Austin. “He is an intelligent boy and has spoken a lot with the team, and what happened has made him take another step to make him even more of a champion. Now he has the right mentality. Pecco will become one of the greats. Right now it is showing that he is growing, as I told you before."

'resilience' is I think a word I associate quite strongly with both of them. they take their fair share of punches, do tend to get called mentally fragile a lot - but in truth there's a steel there that serves them well. did talk a little bit about the similarities of their motivational processes here too:

and

and one other thing I've been thinking about is that this... y'know, use of spite, of self-criticism, of how annoyed they get at others' criticisms - for both of them, it is also paired with a determined refusal to countenance they could be mentally affected by anything. with casey in particular, it's a bit of an overcorrection in response to how often he was described as mentally weak; it's understandable you might get extremely sensitive about the whole thing, if you weren't already. a lot of it is also stubbornness... a bone-deep contrarianism that immediately makes them push back if somebody suggests they might struggle for any reason related to psychology. where this really jumps out is how they talk about their rivals. obviously, nobody is going to say that their opponent's mind games work on them because that'd be deeply stupid to admit - but there is something about pecco's firm insistence marc's mind games don't have a hope of working on him that is really reminiscent of how casey has talked about valentino. it's that dynamic of ,, well, they're not wrong in that they're stronger than people give them credit for, but obviously they are also. like. extremely defensive, past the point of necessarily being reasonable. sometimes, what your rival does will affect you. that's kinda how rivalries work lol. but both of them are very committed to this narrative that their working process is super self-directed. casey's whole thing about how he's never gotten obsessed with rivals, pecco's 'we work in silence' schtick... it comes back round to the relationship with the media, right, where they have a natural inclination towards framing that as an oppositional dynamic - and automatically chafe against any narratives that might be externally imposed on them. actually, you see, rivals don't affect their performance at all, they don't need to constantly slobber to the press to hype up their performances, they'll do their talking on-track... but the unspoken truth there is that all of those things do matter, they are paying a lot of attention - and in the end, 'proving a point' to someone becomes a central part of the motivational process. they hear all the criticisms, they seethe in 'silence' (often involves a fair bit of public complaining but let's allow it), and then they determinedly show how all their critics were fools and losers. rinse and repeat

anyway yeah apparently that's part of the ducati magic - a dash of neuroticism, a heavy dose of self-flagellation, inject a desire for authenticity that might at times read as whiny, stir in the makings of a persecution complex and top it off with a sprinkling of spite. probably not the easiest type of guy to handle, but clearly there's something to the formula. a compelling approach to be sure

[katapotato55]

my theory as to why doomers exist (and how to break that mentality to be a better writer)

yesterday my sibling texted me "hey can you list me what major historical events you experienced in life for an assignment? " of course I listed the big ones like COVID and other depressing shit I went through in my life but most of the ones i listed were not super depressing. here are some of them: -the rise of steve jobs and the popularity of modern OS -the rise of smartphones -new technology completely changing the world that I thought I would never see in my lifetime, like VR and self driving cars. -massive cultural impacts such as spongebob being created affecting pop culture -the start of facebook and modern social media -pluto being declared not a planet yknow stuff on the top of my head that I thought would be interesting to write about.

then my sibling came home to tell me that most of what I sent was not helpful at all and that they meant "world events" And i asked "how the hell is the invention of the smart phone and the beginning of modern social media not considered "world events" by these standards" they said "idk just not that"

I think what they meant to say was "my teacher only wants the really depressing miserable shit the media thinks is headline worthy"

You know, I think this is why my generation is full of so many doomers. God forbid we have a positive outlook on this world and try and look at the bright side of things. god forbid we try to be optimistic for both the future and our current lives. we seem to have this thin veil of maturity that depressing=mature somehow. That the only way to make anything of nuance is to basically spam "look how shit everything is! look how enlightened I am" like you are Steve cutts.

well you know what ?

I hate art like the stuff steve cutts makes, and I hate this redundant "look how shit the world is" mentality

I plan on making an analysis post later on about Mr. Cutts, but for now let's stay on point this mentality is redundant and helps no one. yes. we do need to be aware of the bad parts of life. But being a pathetic miserable sod and ignoring the upsides is just as immature and childish as an aggressive optimist thinking the world is all sunshine and rainbows. you know why I like undertale so much ? Undertale knows when to be optimistic and has a mature take on a happy ending. Undertale ALLOWS itself to be happy. enough with the rick and morty level of writing where everything sucks and "fuck you in particular for being hopeful" only edgy 14 year olds think being depressing is the same as being mature. Maturity is understanding that there is nuance to everything and understanding that things are what they are. Do you want to be a good writer ? stop overly relying on being a sad doomer. Even the darkest writers in history like Edgar Allen Poe knew how to lighten the fuck up, because you need to understand the positives in life to effectively create dark writing.

thank you for reading this ironically negative rant, I plan to expand more on the subject later on.

EDIT

ngl i was honestly scared this post would open me up to harassment. I was genuinely terrified of attracting the psycho political crowd that treats politics like religious doctrine. first of all, shout out to this person:

I feel like this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about my struggle with depression as an artist and the stereotype behind it. the stereotype is that only the best artists are emotionally tortured people constantly struggling in agony and putting that into their art. now as someone who has been battling depression for 10 years let me tell you: that mentality is a load of horse shit. the greatest artists in history such as Van Gogh were not great artists because they were depressed they were great artists because they had a combination of passion and unique life experience. It just so happens that depression is a unique life experience to go through. being depressed does not make you deep, it just makes you feel empty and possibly sad depending on what flavor of depression you have. all the great stories about depression are not great because its about depression, but because its about the writers personal experiences and the love and hard work that went into making it. if Van gogh got treatment for his mental health issues, he would have still created art. Yes he created art as his job, but he also did it because he loved it and put his personal feelings and passion into his work. the biggest reason why I detest Steve Cutts is because there is no passion nor personal experience in his work. yes he is talented but most of his animations are just regurgitating all the bad things he could think of and nothing personal is going into it. (again I plan on making an analysis post about steve cutts sooner or later) What makes the art of Van Gogh deep and Steve Cutts as deep as a dry puddle is the fact that you can tell who put their own soul and personality into their work. heed my warning new artists and writers depression =/= deep all depression does is cripple you. Seek out life experience to be the best artist you can be.

[ceilidho]

Hi, really strange question, so feel free to ignore, but how do you deal with the constant surge of content - art, really. You seem to be a generally more well known/viewed blog, and so I'm sure you've developed quite a community on here, whether it be people you know or interactions with other artists. And I've been following you for quite some time, and I always get excited when I see the "updated now" for your blog. But (here is my actual question), do you ever get overwhelmed knowing that you can't read/see/experience everything? I'm very new to social media, and online spaces in general, and it's generated this fear in me that if I don't keep up with what has been posted by those I follow, I am now suddenly lost. Missing a piece of what should have been catalogued in my mental history. Fanfiction has become such a relief in my life now, and I've gained this new appreciation for human creativity and the beauty of sharing yourself in your art. But I am constantly left wondering that if I miss something, will I also miss an opportunity. I love learning more, and reading, and viewing; appreciating beauty in this lifetime, but I don't know how to combat the overwhelming feeling when I cannot keep up with those who I admire, what's left of me, simply as a viewer?

Oh absolutely!!!! I wrote about this in another post around the traditional publishing industry in general and this overwhelming sense of FOMO that’s super evident in both readers and writers (for readers, that they won’t be part of the current discourse and won’t be part of the reading community, and for writers that they won’t keep up with demand and lose their reader base to other more prolific writers or just to new trends in general because to be honest, the constant microtrends in the book community are hard to keep up with even if you are a relatively fast writer).

I think I’m lucky that for some reason I tend to write very fast - I have a solid backlist of ideas, when I do sit down to write it tends to all come out at once, I (fingers crossed) haven’t dealt with a really bad bout of writers block in awhile - but yeah even I sometimes have moments where I feel guilty that I’m not writing enough. I think it’s super easy to feel like people are simply going to forget about you if you take any time off or if you start a multi chaptered fic and it takes you awhile to finish it.

And I won’t lie, sometimes that pressure isn’t just imagined! Most people that leave comments like “more people!” “Part 2??” “I need more of this!!” are simply expressing their love and I understand that, like I’m not completely insensitive to that (some creators tend to take it very very personally and I understand that too but I think we all have to have a little bit of grace and understanding and give each other the benefit of the doubt), but I will say that I have gotten some seriously rude comments before about taking too long to finish a fic. There is a grain of truth to the fear that some readers will lose their patience with you for simply taking your time to write.

I experience this more as a “creator” rather than a reader (tbh I don’t feel much guilt about not being able to keep up with what my mutuals are posting because I know it’s always there for me when I’m ready) - although actually now that I’m saying this, I take that back. I do sometimes feel very very guilty when I don’t have time to get into a friend’s fic. Oh wow yeah that was a huge lie, I DEFINITELY have felt extremely guilty before about not having enough time to read someone’s fic and feeling like I’m letting them down in some way and not adequately supporting them. Yikes. Goes to show ya.

I am hoping that as more and more people become aware of this that people will start appreciating slowness and ephemerality - taking your time to read or write something, starting incomplete fics just to appreciate them even if they’re short lived or never completed, forgiving yourself for not being able to read everything or write everything right now and realizing that you’ll get to it when you get to it. It’s easier said than done and I do feel guilty sometimes about perpetuating this by being a very fast writer, but yeah! Unfortunately it’s sort of on each of us to do this since the very medium of social media demands instant gratification - tumblr and ao3 (the latter by virtue of being an archive) are perhaps the least egregious of them, but it’s definitely in the nature of social media to induce this kind of behaviour.

[honeydippedfiction]

Ik you don’t talk abt OP much butttt you did say you’re studying PR so I wanna know what you would do as OPs publicist or if you were apart of her PR team?

I just don't like adding to the bullshit that is constantly circling around them on here and really who am I to speak on if they're fucking or actually dating? I'm not involved and won't ever be effected at all by it so.

Now, all that said—I don’t know Olivia personally, and at the end of the day, she’s going to do what she wants when she wants. That’s the reality with any public figure. PR teams don’t control people, they just help guide them through the noise.

And again, this really isn’t “bad publicity”. People being curious about your love life or whereabouts during a robbery is uncomfortable, sure, but not damaging unless it’s handled poorly. If anything, this could boost her visibility if played right.

If I were on Olivia Ponton’s PR team right now, with all the media attention surrounding her rumored relationship with Joe Burrow—especially following reports that she was present at his residence during the robbery and their recent public sightings—I’d approach the situation with a calm, strategic mindset. This isn’t a scandal; it’s a moment, and not necessarily a bad one.

1. Stay Quiet — Strategic Silence

Unless hard proof of wrongdoing surfaces (like a confirmed timeline from Joe’s ex or Olivia herself), the best strategy is to say nothing publicly. No confirming, no denying. In PR, silence can be powerful, especially when the source of controversy is unverified gossip.Why? Because addressing cheating rumors directly gives them legitimacy. If Ponton speaks now, she risks tying herself permanently to a narrative that’s still mostly hearsay.

• Keep It Low-Key & Classy

I wouldn't treat this like a crisis. Because it’s not. As you said—and I completely agree—this is not Charlie Sheen-level bad. This is more like, “people are being nosy.” It’s largely speculation tied to someone’s personal life, not a legal issue or moral failing.

• Gently Guide the Narrative

If a statement is needed (and that’s a big if), I’d recommend keeping it neutral and calm: “Olivia is doing well and appreciates everyone’s concern. She values her privacy and is focused on her work and well-being.” It gives nothing away, avoids drama, and makes her look composed.

• Don’t Feed the Fire

We wouldn’t be confirming or denying relationship rumors. Let people speculate—it’s part of being in the public eye. But we wouldn’t let Olivia become the story in someone else’s chaos. That helps keep the attention from turning negative.

2. Shift the Focus Subtly

Her social media should lean into soft rebranding. Less mysterious, less cryptic—more grounded and confident. If she posts, it should center on work, fitness, modeling, or personal growth.

• Redirect the Spotlight

With this buzz, it’s a smart time to quietly highlight any upcoming projects, modeling work, or campaigns Olivia’s involved in. Keep the vibe positive and forward-focused.

• Social Media Vibe: Chill but Intentional

I’d encourage her to post content that shows she’s grounded—whether it’s a workout, hanging with friends, or something playful. A post that says “I’m unbothered” without saying it out loud goes a long way. Like she's been doing with her brand posts and everything else. It sends a message without referencing anything directly—and avoids antagonizing fans or pouring gasoline on an already emotional situation.

3. Coordinate With Joe’s PR (If They’re Actually Involved)

If Olivia Ponton and Joe Burrow are involved seriously and publicly down the line, then the teams might consider a coordinated rollout—months from now, when the noise has died down. But if this is a fling, situationship, or anything short-term, it’s smarter to keep it under wraps and not brand it.

4. Be Prepared, But Not Defensive

Have a private statement ready just in case a major outlet or one of the other parties (like Olivia Holzmacher) speaks out. If that happens, and accusations are aimed directly at Ponton, then her team should calmly refute anything false while keeping the tone mature:

“Olivia respects all individuals involved and declines to comment on unsubstantiated speculation about her personal life.”

Again—short, respectful, clean.

Now with all that said at the end of the day, again I don’t know Olivia Ponton personally (nor do I know Joe Burrow personally)—and she’s going to do what she wants when she wants. That’s just how it is when you’re a public figure, especially someone young who’s used to being in the spotlight and dealing with online attention.

And honestly, I don’t see this as career-ending publicity. Yeah, it’s messy—especially with all the fan theories and cheating rumors—but it’s not criminal or something that’s going to destroy her reputation unless it turns into a full-blown scandal. Right now, it’s gossip. Not destruction.

People forget that PR teams don’t control celebrities—they’re not puppet masters. It’s more like a teacher helping a student through a tough subject, or a mom trying to help her kid navigate a meltdown in the grocery store. They can guide, support, and offer the best advice, but at the end of the day, the person still makes their own choices.

[pleasantspark]

My aunt is so insufferable, she blames everyone for her predicaments as she's schizophrenic we're forced to feel bad for her. Constantly, she's in her 40s, refuses to take her meds. Hollers about "I CAN'T GET ANY HELP111!!!" yeah because you keep screaming about how people are trying to kill you and it's people trying to take you to the mental hospital.

She's the real reason why we were kicked out of our old home back in 2016 because she was convinced that my Mom had something to do with her sleeping with one of her druggie partners.

This women comes up in our house, accusing us of being PD's and being the real reason why she was raped and homeless when she's the real reason why she's in this mess to begin with. She refuses to take her meds, refuses to stay hospitalized nearly killed her daughter by shaking her and nearly had her son beat the shit out of her.

She cries about having no friends or family when she literally drove away half the family left that was willing to help her. I don't have sympathy for adults who refuse their meds, she seemingly also leaves out the crucial part of why none of us wants to help her, she wants to start talking about how they're talking shit about her, stole from her or even blatantly outright accuses them of henious shit.

She has a tendecy to also victim blame everyone or even claim my Mom isn't poor when all the money we have goes to fucking bills, growing up most of my trauma came from her, because she decided to have my cousins knowing she cannot even take care of herself.

I was blamed for all the shit my cousin did growing up because this woman decided on a whim to produce a child that got more attention causing me to be less then favored. I had grown up with being the black sheep of the family and this was enough for me to detest that side of the family.

She's not welcomed back at my grandma's home because she burnt down every bridge she had with people because she couldn't and wouldn't take her meds. There was plans for her to stay with my grandma but because she refused the stipulations and refused to actually listen to anyone she nearly caused my grandma to actually die, and she was the main reason why we couldn't come home.

Oh yeah, she's here and spent ALL FUCKING DAY screaming about how people want her to be a prositiute, and how she can't afford this that and the third, and now she wants a job.

Let's remind you guys this is the same women who posted a picture online IN HER FUCKING WORK UNIFORM on the toliet shitting to social media and was featured on the Facebook's Hall of Shame (Not saying which city in the state we're from.) and she yep, you guessed it, BLAMED MY MOM.

Honey, you were the one who decided it would be a great and fantastic idea to share an image of yourself to the public and you probably got reported by a co-worker. This woman was the source of my trauma and its lovely that she was allowed to have TWO CHILDREN and act this way. None of her children listens to her at all, none of our family pities her and none of the state keeps her in the mental facility because they can't.

She needs to be induced somewhere because there were times where she LITERALLY got violent. I don't have an issue with Schizophrenic people, but this is the worse example of people who don't take their meds and act like this. She blames everyone else and accuses everyone else. She had a chance to change and she decided to throw it all a way and I am done feeling bad for people who refuses their medication or realize their in the wrong.

Mentally ill or not, you HAD the chance to change and you were allowed to see your children at one point but you cannot be trusted to care for kids at all if your immediate thought is someone's stealing your druggie partner.

I don't care about my aunt, whenever someone mentions I have cousins I tell them I don't. I don't love her, I don't pity her. It's people who refuse the treatment and options they have and was the main reason why we were in a Hotel for years is why I don't feel bad for them.

I ignore her texts constantly because she's downright uneasy to handle. She pities herself when she's in a state that helps her.

She sends these borderline oversharey texts.

She claimed this happened, but there was no proof and no evidence at all. She tends to lie about these strangers that were my other cousins relatives and she has no contact with my Grandma cuz she's been with my grandma this entire time.

This woman obviously has this weird fixation on claiming someone is hurting someone or doing something or even blaming others for shit they didn't do. She has no custody, I'm certain her daughter also is barred from visiting her father too. So yeah.

There was no CSA, there was no whatever she claimed. Because she hadn't EVER seen her daughter or allowed her daughter's father to be around her. She always have to tell EVERYONE how bad of a father he is to her, and when she was still allowed around her, she was completely content with shaking her daughter around. I am certain if she had the chance she would definitely kill her children.

I don't believe that all schizophrenics are like this but please stay on your meds. Please.

[daydark4k]

Going on a bit of a rant here about some problems ive noticed about bootwt.

I feel like it's become increasingly exhausting to be in this community, and ill explain why because i have left it behind.

A lot amazing work has been done by the community to make it a safer space for minorities, but in a way this has put the community on a pedestal. It feel like everyone is expected to be an activist or they are a bad person nobody wants around. 

There's a huge difference in being an ally, and an activist. An ally is someone that will speak against shit when they come across it, do their best to educate themself, stand behind people in every way they can.

An activist goes a step further and seeks out ways to make change. Organizing charity events, going out of their way to educate others, uplift voices and being constantly posting about issues as they come out. Taking on the problems of others is not an easy thing mentally especially if you have your own issues.

Are you a bad person for not making a twitter post when some shitty cc says a stupid thing again? Bigotry is constantly happening and will continue, no matter what the community is like. But, if you were to watch the news, get overwhelmed and have to turn it off instead of tweeting about it, you wouldnt be a bad person right? The victim on the news could have their entire life changed by a tramatic event and you cant even have the decency to watch and give your empathy?

There's this overwhelming crushing expectation in this community of being an activist or else you dont belong. If you dont post wishing a happy holiday, happy heritage month, your deep supportfor the people that were discriminated against, then you dont care. People do it like its a checklist. it's not enough to simply care silently. It feels very performative as an outsider. It's always makes me feel so awful for watching ranboo and wanting to be a part of the community. The guilt is horrible. But if im not kept up with all the bad parts of it, im not doing it right.

There is also ableism. If you are uneducated or make a mistake speaking over minorities because of social issues you might experience, even if you try to be better it's held against you forever. These mistakes are valid and wrong. It's very important to have the attitude to improve yourself and see your mistake. As long as you are trying, why do people feel the need to kick you out of your safe space? I am not active on social media but i have seen this happen to many in the community.

I just hope for a space away from the hell i deal with. I just want to see and share silly art.

It's absolutely amazing the efforts of bootwt to make a good place for everyone. People work so hard and im grateful and amazed at what they have done. Racists should be bullied away. Ignorant people who do microaggressions but are willing to be educated and be better should be educated. Jumping people does not help anyone, help people realize their mistakes.

I hope the community continues the amazing work they have been doing. But lessen up on the expectations of others to also be activists like them. Communities are made up of all kinds of people. Everyone wants different things, some people need an escape from constant negativity. We should try to get along, point out each others mistakes and become better. Not put the community on the highest pedestal expecting everyone to be the same.

I hope this doesn’t come across like im a bigot trying to justify myself. I was really scared to post this but if I’m the only one who feels this is a problem just ignore me

i originally wasn't going to respond to this, but i want to break down some of this and explain it because i feel like i know what you're trying to say, but there's a lot of stuff in here that is misconstrued.

"It feel like everyone is expected to be an activist or they are a bad person nobody wants around"

you are not a bad person if you aren't an activist! i hope no one feels obligated to always be on the front lines fighting with people to make change. ranboo's community in the recent months has been one of the most active communities i've been in when it comes to rooting out bad people and making sure they know they're not welcome. if you feel unwelcome, why? you say it's because you don't want to be an activist. you don't have to be! but sending support and love to people who need it isn't activism. being educated and constantly evaluating yourself and your biases isn't activism. that's a part of living in the world we were born into that's entrenched in horrible bigotry that's been taught and ingrained since birth. ignoring these things doesn't make them go away, and the least you can do is acknowledge it and work to not continue the cycle of pain that so many minorities are subjected to. You say the community is supposed to be a safe place. how is it supposed to be safe if there are people who get away with saying and doing horrible things? its not enough to not be racist, ableist, antisemitic, sexist, homo/transphobic etc. you have to be anti- all of these things, and have a genuine love for the people who are affected.

if you feel like these things are too much emotionally for you, you are more than welcome to step away. no one expects anyone to be on the internet 24/7 or to always engage in the negative topics. hell, i've stopped talking about certain ccs and stopped constantly criticizing their actions because i know they wont change. i recognized it isn't healthy for me and there's no point to it. but when it comes to support, to making sure that everyone knows that bigotry isn't welcome, that is a very important aspect of a community. that's the DEFINITION of what a community is! and, if those of us who have followings and have thousands of people who look to us as a reflection of ranboo, don't do these things? how does that look from the outside? at this point it doesn't even correlate to ranboo anymore. me wanting people in bootwt to be educated and respectful people doesn't exist only in the online community, it exists in real life too. i want others to be aware of the impact they have on others. I would think that any fan of ranboo's would want that too, considering its one of the biggest things ranboo advocates for his fans. to be good people.

you correlated being an ally and being an activist, and you said that "An ally is someone that will speak against shit when they come across it, do their best to educate themself, stand behind people in every way they can." is that not what the community has constantly asked for? that's all minorities are asking for. you just described the community! then you say "There's this overwhelming crushing expectation in this community of being an activist or else you dont belong. If you dont post wishing a happy holiday, happy heritage month, your deep support for the people that were discriminated against, then you dont care." isnt that just being an ally, by your definition???? wishing people happy holidays to respect their culture and important days, and standing behind people who have experienced discrimination so they know they are loved and those hurtful things aren't welcome here? if you miss something or are late, that's normal! even if you after the fact say "hey, sorry i missed it but happy x hope your day was well" maybe one person will see it and will feel seen.

"it's not enough to simply care silently." im going to be completely honest. no. no its not. its not enough because being silent ALLOWS bigotry to exist. im going to link this article i researched specifically for this post, because it explains how silent racism works and is ingrained in our society

"It feels very performative as an outsider. It's always makes me feel so awful for watching ranboo and wanting to be a part of the community. The guilt is horrible. But if im not kept up with all the bad parts of it, im not doing it right."

no one expects anyone to always be caught up on which new cc was racist. we want people to be able to recognize bigotry and uplift the people who are hurt. to say, both online and in real life, when its safe: "hey, that wasnt cool, that hurts people." you shouldnt feel bad for wanting to be apart of the community. people are allowed to want to be apart of it. its a fun place to be sometimes! but also, people are allowed to distance themselves and not forgive some of the bad things they experienced.

"There is also ableism. If you are uneducated or make a mistake speaking over minorities because of social issues you might experience, even if you try to be better it's held against you forever. These mistakes are valid and wrong. It's very important to have the attitude to improve yourself and see your mistake. As long as you are trying, why do people feel the need to kick you out of your safe space? I am not active on social media but i have seen this happen to many in the community."

i do agree with you on this one. I don't like how the internet holds grudges. people aren't allowed to change and things they did are always held against them. BUT. on the other hand, if you have hurt people, those victims are not obligated to forgive you. this is a balance that isn't easily achieved in a large community, much less so on the internet. these are things that happen in all communities and its not fair sometimes.

at the end of the day. if you don't want to be an activist, then don't be. if you only want to see art and funny bits, mute terms. the more that these things are discussed and called out however, the easier its going to make it for the future. i don't think its fair to blame hurt people for making you feel bad about yourself. that's something you need to reflect on yourself and recognize why you feel that way, whether it be guilt or ignorance.

im not gonna be responding on this any further, go ham in the comments with thoughts if you want

have a nice day!

[thetragicallynerdy]

All the fic writer ask questions are so interesting - I couldn't decide on one (or even a few) so please just choose the one(s) you'd like to answer the most!

Aww thanks friend!! Okay okay I went with these ones because they were calling to me:

☯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

So - I think it really depends on how you engage, but fandom isn't really fandom without some sort of community aspect. I say this as someone who lurked at the edges of fandoms for about 15 years before finally picking up writing, joining a discord server and fandom tumblr, and really becoming involved. Fandom before I started engaging was a sort of space that was fun to visit, but that I didn't feel any sort of belonging to - it wasn't until I actually started actively engaging that it became a community I was a part of. And community is lovely! We all need community, we're social creatures, etc. Engaging with so many different people in fandom also gets you out of your own head and experiences, and can be a really beautiful thing. Forcing myself out of my comfort zone has led to some absolutely wonderful friendships, and a community that I'm really grateful to be a part of <3

🧿what steps do you take to not take things personally if a fic doesn't do well, or if your writing/posting/sharing experience isn't going how you'd like it to?

This is something that I still actively struggle with in different ways - I mainly write for small ships and small fandoms and it can lead to a lot of "well why aren't people noticing my work" type thoughts. I think the things that have helped me the most are:

being careful of my social media use and expectations around posting. I don't use twitter much because it isn't a healthy place for me re: fandom jealousy (and many other factors, but that's one of them). I also have all notifications off on sites like tumblr, so I'm not constantly watching for responses to things.

reminding myself that the responses to a fic don't really mean anything in regards to how well its written or how good it is - sometimes things just resonate with some people! I've gotten a TON of responses to what i consider one of my weaker works, and very few responses to other things that I consider my best work.

i am lucky and have some absolutely amazing readers and also amazing friends who hype up my work - finding those one or two people is so helpful! because it can change it from feeling like writing was pointless to remembering that 'hey, i'm writing for these people that i think will love this'.

for me personally, feeling bad about how a fic is doing is also often a sign that there's some other area of my life where my needs aren't being met - either i'm lonely, or a bit anxious, or sad, etc. So sometimes looking at 'what need am i trying to meet with this and why isn't it working' is helpful!

I think overall it is a PROCESS to disentangle the "my worth is tied to my work and people's love of it" and the more you practice the easier it gets - and if you notice it's particularly bad right then, it can be a good time to take a step back and re-evaluate your needs!

Thanks for the open ask pal <3 I hope you have a lovely day!!

Fic writer ask game can be found here for the curious!

[tau1tvec]

In response to anonymous below. It seems to me that the problem for many in this situation is not at all that their photos from the game are worse than others. Here everything is much more global. I'm not saying anything, but probably the point is that people do not have enough attention and approval in real life. There are not enough people who could share their interests. Many in this way try to raise their self-esteem. After all, if they are praised, it means they receive recognition, it means they are good or talented. But the problem is that the simbler community is not really where you should look for a way to raise your self-esteem. My advice to anonymous. Don't try for someone else, play for yourself. Enjoy it. The more you try to keep up with those who do what you think is better, the less motivation you will have to go further. And this applies to everything in life. Not just posts on tumblr. When I first came to Tumblr, I didn’t post anything for a year. I just followed people and liked them. But then, when I started sharing photos, at some point I caught myself thinking that when I start building or creating a Sim, I first of all think about how it will be appreciated on Tumblr. Will others like it? And I stopped enjoying my game. Because it has become a pursuit of the perfect picture. And still it did not turn out perfect, because others were better. I stopped playing and uploading photos. But then I realized that I miss my game. And I began to just play, sometimes share moments from my game and not wait for the approval of others in the form of likes. I am always glad to likes and comments, and this is very important. But I try not to take it as motivation. Even if my photo gets 1 or 2 likes, I'll just move on. It just doesn't matter. Although you may not think so now. Sorry for such a big text and my bad english.

No need to apologize, and I know you're just responding to anon, but I'd also like to respond to this as well, bc I agree with some points, but am wrestling with some.

Firstly there is nothing wrong with turning to online spaces for peer validation. I know it isn't the case everywhere in the world, but this isn't the late 90's, the majority of ppl on this site fall in an age group that was basically raised online, all the time, an online that was so normalized, it's even how you kept up with your irl friends, classmates, coworkers, and family, and a lot of ppl still do this.

There is no difference to me between an elderly man posting a new birdhouse he built on Facebook with other bird enthusiasts, and a teenager showing off their sims blorbos in their cute new cc outfits on Tumblr with other teenagers. Both these people are looking for peer validation, and sometimes yes that can help one's self-esteem, and there's nothing at all wrong with that. For teens, this is actually a part of their adolescent development, if you've got a teen of you're own you know what I'm talking about, and have had a conversation with their pediatrician about "screen time", which is why they encourage both parents and teens to work together to make sure it's managed in a healthy way, so you are absolutely right on that one. Simblr shouldn't be a person's only outlet to build self-esteem, and this isn't an issue that only harms younger ppl, even adults are constantly being encouraged to continue keeping and building irl connections. The ramifications of social media harms us all.

This is human nature, we are meant to want to connect with, love, and bring joy to others, we want to fit in, bc it's how our ancestors quite literally survived. This is how shame worked to govern societies prior to modern day law and order. The problem is a lot of how modern society has been for years is that it's focused on an individualist mentality, despite the fact that our bodies and minds are built for a community mentality.

Okay, now that I got that out I appreciate your concern, and your suggestions, I've used this method myself a few times, and it's certainly helped me rekindle my love for just playing games in general, and letting the creation of content for it be second, I've also picked up other outlets to escape and be creative, some new, some old, and many that don't involve a screen, or a screen name.

I'm a lot better for it, but I understand that this isn't easy or attainable ( whether physically or financially ) for others, so I really wish others would try and remember than when you see ppl like last anon cross your dash.

[transmortaltv]

1. I tend to lean more digital...but I'm not sure that I prefer one over the other.

2. I have been drawing since before my earliest memory, so maybe 26ish yrs? Being creative is something I feel is an inherent part of me.

3. I took basic drawing, painting, and digital art in highschool...then pursued a bachelor's in graphic design in college...so I've taken more classes than I can count off the top of my head.

4. I mostly just post here and Instagram when it comes to art (I'm on Twitch/Youtube/Twitter for gaming content)...I'm bad very bad at social media.

5. My favorite things to draw are characters...usually with hoods and masks. I have always loved drawing Kirby characters... they bring a sort of comfort to me and robots are also pretty high up there in the list...

6. My least favorite thing to draw are hands and backgrounds because I am most unfamiliar with them and they stress me out.

7. I use references a lot...I learned in school that drawing from real life references allows you to truly visualize something in 3d space and it helps a good bit.

8. I have done quite a few commissions and work semi-frequently with Empire Comic Con in Savannah Ga to provide them with fun visual material for their events...but I mostly develop my own characters to be used in future projects 👀

9. On a daily basis overall I do not draw a lot...I personally am recovering from a very toxic mindset surrounding my art and been in a bit of a burnout/block for a while. I'm working to get back to the core of what makes creativity sincere and fun!

10. I'm fairly confident in my art looking back at it after the fact, specifically whenever a piece is done. Somehow they ALWAYS seem to finally come together at the end.

11. I follow very few artist blogs...I follow many artists on Instagram...but I think no more than 5 blogs (I'm new here)

12. I welcome any questions about my creative process or art advice...if you have any questions about art ever and think I could help I'm more than willing to try!

13. I always prefer to share the art I'm most proud of, whether it was personal or not...I think connecting and sharing it is what it's all about.

14. I don't collab usually...I'm very much a "too many cooks in the kitchen" kinda guy...

15. My works depending on the level of detail range anywhere from 2-10 hrs total maybe?

16. I draw less than I have in the past...I used to draw every day for fun, but as I get older I have to deal with the struggle of the weight of perfectionism and "it needing to be about something"

17. I think everyone is justified in some context to give art advice when asked...we all learn at different rates and everyone has something valuable to share.

18. Right now I'm just trying to improve my motivation to just create freely!

19. The most difficult thing for me to draw is probably feminine faces...It's very frustrating to me that this is a struggle.

20. I feel most comfortable drawing Kirby Characters...I doodled them constantly as a kid growing up and they just feel like home to me.

21. I feel like saying I LOVE to be challenged is disingenuous...initially I hate the overwhelming feeling, It's always stressful and almost makes me feel sick...but when I power through I love the end results and am happy I went through it after the fact. I feel every new piece I do challenges me to learn something new.

22. I try not to be over-confident about much...but looking at newer art of mine compared to my older stuff...I think I can safely say that I am improving...even if very slowly.

23. I feel like I draw more fanart than I used to just by the nature of me drawing for social media...I do a lot of speed drawing on Twitch...but traditionally overall I think I draw more original characters.

24. I don't think I ever feel jealous about someone elses art. I feel like that implies a certain level of resentment toward their work which I don't feel. I'm not a very competitive person when it comes to creativity and I don't feel like someone being good means you can't ALSO be good; therefore, there's never a reason to angrily covet someone elses capabilities. Sometimes I do struggle with feeling much less desirable/adequate as an artist than them or at a disadvantage...but I dont see how that's thwir fault...I believe one should channel that INTO inspiration to try to improve.

25. When I draw I like to put on music or a show that connects me to what I'm drawing. Maybe it's music that I feel like the character would like, or maybe a show that inspires me to create this world in the first place...the more it puts me in the world I'm drawing the better.

26. I mostly use Procreate with the Apple Pencil because I'm working to cut Adobe out of my life...but I also am well versed in Clip Studio and Photoshop.

27. For my more cartoonish style stuff...it's usually only about 5 layers in the end...but that requires a lot of creating new layers and merging throughout the process as well.

28. Oddly enough...when I draw traditionally I prefer a mechanical pencil for sketching followed up by inking with Prismacolor pens/Markers...or scanning in the pen illustration and coloring digitallyl

29. To start a drawing I like to get the line of action and rough layout of characters down then build off of that. It helps with proportions and anatomy which is not usually my strong suit.

30. What inspires me most is the stories that make an impact on me as a person. Movies, Games, Books, Shows, Comics...they have the ability to teach us in almost a parable fashion. There is usually a lesson we can learn from them...I want to do that too...I want to create and inspire. People say art is what we learn from the most left behind by past civilizations...Your creativity pushes others in ways you might not understand now.

Artist Asks!

Do you prefer traditional drawing, or digital?

How long have you been drawing?

How many classes have you taken?

Do you have a DeviantArt, personal website, or art blog?

What’s your favorite thing to draw?

What’s your least favorite thing to draw?

How often do you use references?

Do you draw professionally, or just for fun?

How much time do you spend drawing on an average day?

Are you confident about your art?

How many art-related blogs do you follow?

Is it okay for people to ask you about your process?

Do you prefer to keep your art personal, or do you like drawing things for other people?

Do you ever collaborate with others?

How long does an average piece take you to complete?

Do you draw more today than you did in the past, or do you draw less?

Do you think you’re justified in giving other people art advice?

What are you currently trying to improve on?

What is the most difficult thing for you to draw?

What is the easiest thing for you to draw?

Do you like to challenge yourself?

Are you confident that you’re improving steadily?

Do you draw more fanart, or more original art?

Do you feel jealous when you see other people’s art, or inspired? (Be honest!)

Do you like to draw in silence, or with music?

For digital artists: what program(s) do you use?

For digital artists: how many layers does a typical piece require?

For traditional artists: what medium do you like most? (Pencil, charcoals, etc)

For traditional artists: How do you usually start on a big piece? (Light sketch, colored lead, sketchpaper, etc)

What inspires you to not just make art, but to be a better artist?

[autisticlee]

sometimes I really want to do boring generic things that most other people do all the time and take for granted, that I never get to do. like going to a pumpkin patch in the fall, picking a pumpkin, then carving it. i've never picked pumpkin before. last time I remember carving one I was a tiny kid and my mom had to end up doing it because I couldn't.

the more i do things alone, the more frustrated i get and more i end up facing some horrifying danger because being autistic disables my ability to keep myself safe and navigate the outside world alone, making me an obviously easy target for bad people and likely to get hurt from the many traffic violations i do every time i drive because of how much i struggle to do it, yet am still forced to do it because im forced to do everything alone. do you know how upsetting it is to not be able to experience "normal" life things you watch everyone else do and brag about and post all over social media because you're disabled and cant keep yourself safe but everyone constantly dismisses your struggles and experiencess? so your only choice to keep yourself safe is to give up living your life since dont have any close friends or people at all 😭😭😭 not even one person! everyone has at least one person right? one person to go to? Who is there for them? (maybe not people here since this is the lonely autism site) at least irl people do and every friend i've made online. I have no one irl. i'm always stuck alone.

I know. I know!! before i'm told again. I know. do it anyway. keep doing things alone and i'll "get used to it" (how long until then? it's been my whole life long already and I'm still not???) stop complaining how boring and difficult it is. stop making excuses and being paranoid. stop letting your dangerous mistakes that luckily didn't get you killed stop you from driving alone. or doing anything else alone. stop letting the multiple times creepy strangers threatened you, took your money, and sexually harassed you, and all the ones that tried to kidnap, hurt, and sexually assault you when you were alone stop you from doing things alone. thats what i'm always told basically. tough luck its your fault if those people hurt you! you should have been careful! being disabled by your autism isn't an excuse to be unable to do the things your autism prevents you from doing! haha! 🫠

but why must I knowingly keep putting myself in danger, when i know im not equipped to "be careful" due to disabilities, just to experience a semblance of "normal" life? does being forced to do 99% of things alone while not enjoying any of it even qualify as "normal" though lmao. why is this my life?😭 why do I deserve this in the eyes of everyone that tells me to "get over it"

I always hoped i'd make it somewhere in life and "grow out of" my struggles like I was told would happen if I "just do the scary things alone enough" so I could prove all my bullies wrong and make them jealous I have a cool important life they can't be part of. turns out they're right and i'm stuck being a useless loser that can't even figure out how to enjoy being out alone without getting severely overwhelmed and sensory overload, shutting down and becoming a dissociating zombie, doing everything wrong and not able to speak so cant ask for help, and attracting creepy freaks that threaten me for money, threaten to kill me for whatever reason they make up, try to kidnap me, try to sexually assault me, or explicitly sexually harass me. why is this my life. I don't understand. and I also don't understand why everyone in my life dismisses my experiences and concerns and won't take it seriously. even if it happens time after time. they say oh well you have to do everything alone anyway.

why is my only choice to keep me safe since no one else cares is to give up living my life? stay locked inside my room and do nothing and speak to no one and never have friends and never do any of the things I want to do? Great life 10/10 /s