#tools tuesday

[finishwhatyoustarted-event]

Tools Tuesday - Motivation to Start, and Setting Goals - Sept 3

It’s the first Tuesday of the event, so it’s time for a Tools Tuesday! Tools Tuesday is a weekly part of the Finish What You Started event where I share various resources I have found to help everyone complete their WIP. Have a resource you want to share? Send it in a message and I’ll take a look!

Today is about motivation to start and setting easy goals to keep the momentum going.

Starting a project can be the scariest part. Good news! If you’re participating in this event, you’ve already completed that step! But finishing is daunting, especially for long projects with no end in sight, or ones that you’ve struggling with for a long time.

When you have a big project, especially one that you may have started and put down years ago, it can be intimidating to pick it back up. Give yourself a few minutes to review what you already have done. Read through the last part you wrote, read your notes, check the pattern, etc. If you need to, make notes about what you have, where you remember you wanted to go, and what is inspiring you now. That scene you got stuck on might make sense now, or you see another angle you could draw that tricky pose from. You could even go in a whole new direction.

Be kind to yourself if you feel stuck. You can't intimidate or yell yourself into productivity!

When you’re ready to work, it can help to do some warmup stretches, especially for artists and sewists, but writers, musicians, and others craftspeople benefit from a good warmup stretch too! If you’re on the discord, check the general resources channel for wrist stretches. And stretch during breaks! This is a stretch guide I keep on my phone, to remind me to loosen up. made by @/tizzymcwizzyALT

[basic ID, more in alt: an infographic of a pink figure demonstrating a variety of hand, arm, and upper body stretches. End ID.]

If it’s not distracting, set the mood for your work with an applicable playlist or soundscape. Make sure you won’t be interrupted or distracted during your work time by silencing notifications and minimizing other windows. Let yourself focus on this one thing.

When you do start, set a small goal. It can be word count based or time based, whatever makes sense for your project. Make it very achievable: maybe just five minutes or 100 words. The thrill of reaching that goal can help carry you through another 5 minutes, another 100 words. If you struggle just to get through that goal, congratulate yourself on making your session goal! You can go do something else now. Decreasing the pressure on yourself can help get creative energy flowing. When you make your goal consistently, you can up it, but not too much.

There’s a famous anecdote that whenever author Terry Pratchet sat down to write, he set a goal of 400 words. Whether he wrote more or not, he did his 400. By the time of his death, Terry Pratchet had written and published over 40 novels. For myself, I like to set session/day goals, weekly goals, and monthly goals. That way even if my progress isn’t linear, I can see myself approaching where I want to be. Incremental goals can feel really good! But if holding yourself to a number doesn’t help, find what does.

If you want help from others also working on wips, come join the discord! We have a space for accountability buddies to help keep you on track and a place to write during timed sprints, as well as many resources. This link should not expire!

These all might feel obvious to you, but maybe someone else hasn’t considered them before. What gets you motivated to work on your wip? Do you have any tricks that always work for you? Share them with your fellow participants here!

[nightskylonging]

Whose idea was it to make a kirtle out of flannel bedsheets in 29C weather?

Oh yeah, mine.

I'm merrily calling this project 'my descent into madness' and I'm having a grand old time. I'm engraining the metric system in my brain (American down, folks), I'm delighting in how comfy this thing is going to be (I did a quick pinned fitting with the side gores in, it is so soft and so flowy, and it'll be even more flowy once I get the front and back gores in), and I not only definitely have enough fabric for the sleeves, scary as they may be, but probably one or two kerchiefs as well! I won't wear those with the kirtle, that's too much dark blue in one go, though.

[beinggayisreallyexpensive]

:( my partner is kinda going thru it lately and I don't know how to help him in the way he needs quite yet

[pebblestompmyway]

FINALLY DONE IT :'D

I must confess that was such a heavy work and I can't help but feel myself happy for what I've just done. Honestly I had stuff to put on, then turned it down for some dumb reason... meh!

At first I was going to add a red bandana for Lance, but then I decided to leave it for later.

Tuesday was going to wear a full colored blue dress instead of just a skirt.

Add some pupils for the nasty Spy Girls? Sure...

A cape for Lou (like in his cosplay as a devil)? Yeah...

Honestly I have a love/hate relationship with Lou's costume. A bee, wasp or a bumblebee? (Oh Lord, I'm thinking of that song right now)

And... that's all for today, friends. I really hope you liked it :3

[capriciouslyvexed]

Cow tools

[doeblossom]

TMI Tuesday: What do you think of AI Art and Music?

okay this one's the exception to the "all of them get drawings" because i wanna talk about this a bit

AI could be a powerful tool. tool. much of ai takes from sources that do not consent to being used, and that is not good! and a product made with a majority ai influence is not creatively valid in my eyes.

that said, ai being used as a prompt, brainstormer, or for cleaning up small, tedious things is fine. it's already been a part of a lot of things for a long time, just not called ai!

but again, like i said, the end product should not be mostly AI generated. AI written books, made songs, and images lack the heart that art is made with. i would advise heavily against using it as the main tool of creative projects!

nanowrimo released a statement that condones the use of AI in writing, which i will link to and put my thoughts on below:

i was reading it and was like: "they cant hire help" okay..? u dont really need to? u can brainstorm with other people, ask someone else to read your story, or just straight up do it yourself if u really want to? (thats what a community is for!)

a lot of it came off as being used for professional works, but i was under the impression nanowrimo was a casual event!

also i totally understand the whole difficulty publishing thing, bc many of our systems do still discriminate whether it's blatantly or not but how is ai gonna change that

part of me feels like it was only published so we'll nod along at the buzzwords and accept them using AI without blinking. it makes me think, though... does someone on staff use AI to completely write their books for them? are they trying to remain "neutral" to get more participants while keeping their older ones? why publish this stance?

the statement itself comes off as trying to guilt anyone who disagrees with AI, claiming such criticisms as being ableist/racist/classist/bigoted in some other fashion. but art has been created, time and time again, by less fortunate and systematically oppressed people. there are countless resources out there, for free, for people to create.

[upennmanuscripts]

Today's #ToolingTuesday is LJS 97, a 16th-century blind-stamped and roll-tooled tanned leather over wooden boards, contemporary with the textblock. It was later rebacked with the old spine laid down. Made in Spain or Italy; the text is Greek.

Online:

[myimaginaryradio]

Sober - Tool

[shrinkthisviolet]

talk shop Tuesday: do you see any parallels or themes in your fandoms?

I love this question!! And yes, I do. Usually I tend to get into fandoms that are a little fantastical in nature (The Flash and Spider-Man media have superpowers, ATLA has bending, PJO is literally about everyday kids being the children of gods and having superpowers, and Star Wars is essentially a space fairytale/opera), and/or have a setting that isn’t quite modern (Bridgerton, ATLA, Star Wars, Anne with an E). Though really, what really compels me is nearly always strong platonic relationships. Obviously I have ships (and I’m a proud multishipper), but it’s the platonic relationships that compel me to a show first and foremost—romantic ships come later. Ofc OC potential is always a plus too, but that’s never why I get into a fandom. Usually that comes second, and it doesn’t happen for every fandom 🤷‍♀️

(The exception to the first two rules is kinda Cobra Kai? Though Karate Kid has a fantastical feel to it, even if it’s not quite that—it feels like a fairytale, if that makes sense. Cobra Kai I just watch because it’s the continuation of that story, and I find aspects of it compelling)

In terms of parallels, most of the fandoms I’m in have a hero and a villain, modeled loosely on…not quite fairytales, but certainly the tropes of that genre. There’s the Hero’s Journey, Mentor Betrayal (Eowells, Insomniac Otto Octavius, etc), an Anchor to Reality (Westallen, Percabeth, Kataang…possibly also MCU PeterMJ, idk if that’s ever outright stated), Hero/Villain dichotomy (Vader&Luke is my favorite version of this), and ofc as mentioned, strong platonic relationships (brotp-shopping is my favorite kind honestly)…even when certain ships parallel each other, I absolutely love that!

Not to mention some arcs that parallel stories or myths, or subvert them—the best example is the one where the "dragon" is the hero’s father, and in the end, the hero saves the dragon (this is also accentuated by the ROTS novel directly comparing Vader to a dragon multiple times, while also hammering home that Vader is Anakin).

Another is the whole idea of heroism and mantles—the Flash didn’t quite explore this as much as the comics did (missed opportunity smh), but Wally becoming the Flash after Barry is chock-full of interesting potential...also, Sam LaRusso becoming The Next Karate Kid, picking up Daniel’s legacy, is insanely compelling (and I’m so compelled by the idea of Legacy and Mantles (last names count as mantles if the story defines them that way, like "LaRusso") and how each successive carrier of that mantle defines it). Also ofc Percy Jackson as a character is fascinating in how he embodies the myths because a) he’s named after one and b) he is one, really—one day, he’ll go down as a myth to all the generations after him. Isn’t that wild? It sure is to me.

...really, I just like getting into fandoms and media that make me Think about things (the Themes and Motifs, forever) and Feel things, good and bad.

talk shop tuesday!

[izzyspussy]

i can see your back is turning, if i could i'd stick a knife in (this is love)

[finishwhatyoustarted-event]

Tools Tuesday Thursday: Forgiveness of the Self

So during my busy day on Tuesday, I definitely snoozed my calendar alert to make a Tools Tuesday post. And then I forgot about it.

And in the grand scheme of things, that's not a big deal. But I felt a stab of disappointment in myself when I realized it was Wednesday night and I hadn't done that task. And on the second week, too!

Missing deadlines is inevitable, whether self-imposed or professionally set. Disappointment and shame can make the problem worse by holding you back from reaching out for the next steps.

These delays can lose you opportunities, and the guilt and shame csn compound until you can't even look at the late thing let alone finish it.

In these cases, please do your best to forgive yourself. No situation is unsalvageable. (If you're talking loss of life or property, you are on a different scale than this discussion and this event merits)

Apologize to anyone who deserves an apology - including yourself. Figure out what your next step needs to be or what caused the original delay. Address the problem. Move forward.

Most of the time, the consequences won't be nearly as dire as your mind made them out to be. You can recover.

As an anecdote, and an example, I have a fic I wanted to give as a birthday gift...last year. It's still no where near done. But the person who I will give it to understands, and I remind myself that there are no bad consequences here.

The recipient will still get it. And then I type up a little more progress on it.

Every situation is different. But please don't let your own feelings of shame stop you from accomplishing your goals.

[hajihiko]

I don't know if I'm really poly or if I just don't get. jealous. is that a thing?

Think that's sth you gotta answer for yourself mate, there's lot of overlap in the polyam-aro-ace-and-more circles.

[stellerssong]

agent kiran estevez astral dive suit. post tweet

[worldsofzzt]

Source “Darby Tool Kit” by Darby Janssen (2003) [WINDOWS/Desktop/ENGINE3.ZZT] - “Title screen” Play This World Online

[supertrainstationh]

5:44 AM, in yet another diner, and this is how trouble gets started. Final result, if any, may vary wildly, but it usually gets rolling with something simple like this. #TFTuesday

[letspiritguide]

Every decision we make in life adds up whether it be a step in the direction of what we desire or a step away from that desire. Universal law dictates we will always get back what we put in. There are no shortcuts.

An offering is coming your way. It is time for you to choose what really makes you happy. As you are working towards creating the life you desire, be sure to create consciously. Just because someone offers you something, it doesn’t mean you have to take it. There may be a job offering or financial opportunity shown to you, just be sure it aligns with the hard work you have put in so far. Ask yourself if this feels right to you. Will it truly make you happy? Remember, you can’t escape from karma. If you feel happy and in alignment, that is the energy you will project to the universe and that is what you will get back.

Happy Conscious Creating 🤗

💫 This is a general tarot reading. Remember to take away only the information that resonates with you.

💫 To receive a personal tarot reading please visit my website. Link in bio

💫 And as always, Let your own Spirit Guide