#using this as an opportunity to practice my second person perspective..

[lovemeafterhrs]

idk if ur takin requests girl but i’m fr begging for any kuroo content like ur suna smoke fic i will pay good good dalla for that

my requests are currently closed but you’ve inspired me so i whipped up a little somethin’ just for you :P

“kuroo.. what the fuck.” you guffaw, making direct eye contact with the googly eyes attached to your roommate’s new six foot bong.

“got it on a sale, you like it?”

“i mean, yeah. but i’m not sure it’s the most practical.” you shrug, taking a closer look at the pools of color trapped inside the glass. “the eyes are a nice touch.”

“right? please tell me you have your grinder.”

“fuck. i’ll call kenma.” you frown, reaching for your phone in hopes of getting ahold of the grumpy blonde that’s currently in possession of the only thing you’re lacking.

after approximately seven calls between the two of you, kenma arrives at the apartment looking like he just crawled out of the trenches of hell.

the first thing that catches his eye is the comically large water pipe, standing tall above everyone in the room besides the rooster-headed man. soulless plastic eyeballs glare at him forebodingly as he takes a few steps towards the couch.

“you losers woke me up after my twelve hour shift for this?”

“well, yeah.” kuroo grins as he reaches for the sealed container.

“you still have my grinder.” you add, tone playful as you wrap your arm around kenma’s shoulders. he hands it over to you with a sigh, letting you lead him towards the couch.

“you left it at my house.” his reply earns an offended gasp from you, pretending his words aren’t completely true as you watch kuroo plop ice cubes down the neck of the bong.

both you and kenma have to stand on top of the couch cushions to even reach the mouthpiece, and each hit is a duel effort as the other lights the bowl from the floor.

kuroo finds it to be far too comical, until he tries to take a hit and it nearly fucking kills him. it doesn’t help that you’re kneeled on the floor in front of him, eyes glazed over as you watch him cough and die.

tetsurou learns far too quickly that his new purchase is more for decoration than practicality, and after a couple rounds around the circle he’s back to rolling joints at the kitchen table.

across from him, kenma’s barely paying attention to his friend’s babbling. he’s far more content silently playing video games on his switch while he waits for you to finally make something to eat, but he supposes it would be kinder to listen for once.

you however, have chosen to tune them out for the time being as you brown strips of chicken on the stovetop.

“it’s a waste of money.” you tune back in just in time to catch kozume’s snide remark, followed shortly by a loud, offended huff.

“it is not! fuck this, i’m trying it again.” just like that, kuroo’s jumping from his seat to prove him wrong. you hear the soft patter of kenma’s footsteps as he follows his friend to the living room, and you focus back in on the task at hand.

your moment of peace does not last for very long.

preparations for dinner are abruptly halted when you hear a loud crash followed by the sound of glass hitting the floor.

a loud screech fills your ears, and you turn the corner to find tetsurou hunched over in front of the remains of his shiny new piece. bong water coats the knees of his pants as he mourns, looking like a kicked puppy as he sniffles from the floor.

“dumbass.” kenma huffs, bowl piece still loaded in his hands as he shakes his head at his best friend.

[blossomthepinkbunny]

I accidentally deleted a question someone asked me because of issues with posting my response and I don't remember the user of the person, so I'll just try to summarize what they asked and then answer. I hope they still see this. (TT)

They were talking about my post regarding some of the worldbuilding issues in HH/HB, specifically this point:

And asked if I would count these things being said on the HB Subreddit as a valid explanation for prisons in hell.

They said, that to them it just seemed like something the writers didn't really think through and mentioned, that hell pretty much functions like earth atp, with the approach to punishment being more akin to a "hell on earth" situation.

This was my response:

Thanks for the question! I do think that could be an answer to prisons being in hell, but I generally don't like/count explanations that were given outside of the show, especially when it's not from an official interview or something. I feel like it was really just something they included without thinking much about it. But I'll use this opportunity to rant about something that's a bit different. Hell is just getting closer and closer to earth and I think the biggest problem is that hell as a place and what happens there is never defined really. Atleast not what living in hell means for Hellborn. For Sinners it's supposed to be a place with punishment, but the punishment is more like what you mentioned with the "hell on earth" idea. This is because there is no outside form of punishment, all the harm that Sinners experience is self-inflicted in a way. I assumed the exterminations were a form of punishment, but the show makes it clear that they aren't supposed to happen and only really do, because Adam gets off to it. Im fine with the punishment that Sinners receive, because they did something to end up in hell, but Hellborns? To them, hell is just the place they were born and they didn't to anything specific to end up there. They don't really deserve to be punished. But I would be fine with the fact that the have to endure harm/punishment down there if it was consistent in any way. First off, the sinners just live in one ring of hell, the pride ring. If Hellborns have to endure harm, because they live among sinners and there is no way to differentiate between the two that's alright, but sinner only live in one ring, why not just make a working system in every other ring? And to call hell a "place with no rules" could work, if there weren't very obviously rules to this place still. There's a system with higher-ups, there's prisons and therapy centers, there are rules to who can or can't date someone and who gets access to certain powers/items. But there is seemingly no god who makes all of these rules. Lucifer, the king of hell doesn't care and only seems to hang out in his own ring (as far as HH let's us assume), so who makes these rules and why does anyone follow them/act like they're a big deal. We have no reason to assume that the sins care about anything that presents issues in the show (except for Mammon caring about his money being stolen, but I'll get to that). Mammon only cares about his wealth and Asmodeus and Beelzebub seem like pretty chill people overall. But to get back to the point, we see Moxxie end up in prison in the greed ring after stealing a bunch of money with Chaz. It makes sense for Mammon to want to punish him, which to me, it would make more sense to just kill him. What does Mammon gain by putting him in jail for a bit and then just letting him go? The sins are unbelievably strong (atleast we can assume that, because powerscaling is practically nonexistent in HH/HB), they could kill an Imp in matter of seconds. The idea that prison is more of a punishment is only sustainable if you go at it from the perspective of someone who enjoys the suffering of others. Someone like Adam, who would go out of his way to maybe visit the prisons, or oversee punishments, just to enjoy seeing another person get abused. But who does that in the greed ring? I assumed, with how hell was characterized so far, Demons are more selfish than they are sadistic. I thought the idea was, that everyone is more focused on self-sustainability, rather than directly hurting others (atleast for the Hellborns). And yeah, Mammon abuses Fizzarolli, but it's never something he does because he directly and intentionally wants to hurt him. It's just more of a means to an end for him, something that just so happens to be a byproduct to making Fizzarolli famous. And if Mammon isn't in charge of the prisons, then who is? Other Imps? Another sin that for some reason has influence over what happens in the greed ring? The goetia? Lucifer?

And if it's not about punishment necessarily, but more about the labor they can get out of prisoners that begs the question of why Mammon would need to pay Demons anyways. You cannot tell me that the personification of Greed, who so far has only been characterized by money would pay his workers when he doesn't need to. He's a sin, who would stand up to him anyways? What about just making contracts with demons. Does Angel get money from Valentino, or Husk from Alastor? I don't think so. Or are contracts something only sinners can do, but not some immortal, eldritch beings literally born in hell. And what money even means in a technically "lawless" place is also never explained deeper. So the idea with prisons being more punishment is only really an explanation to a certain degree. I would probably still count it, if it was mentioned in the show or, if hell was generally better established as a setting, but it mostly seems like an excuse for something that wasn't that thought out. Sorry that this answer is so long, I sorta got carried away.

[nightowlssleep]

While I love Dual Destinies I'm not above wanting to rewrite certain elements so

Case rewrite: (I'm giving Athena more cases guys!!!!)

I'd set it up as the following:

Turnabout Countdown: Athena as the attorney, Phoenix as co-council

The Monstrous Turnabout: Apollo as the attorney, Athena as co-council (Trucy tags along to investigations)

Turnabout Reclaimed: Athena as the attorney, Phoenix as co-council (Pearl tags along to investigations)

Turnabout Academy: Athena as the attorney, Apollo as co-council (Phoenix and/or Klavier tags along to investigations)

The Cosmic Turnabout: Apollo as the attorney, Athena as co-council (After Apollo leaves, Athena as the attorney, Phoenix as co-council)

Turnabout for Tomorrow: Phoenix as the attorney (no co-council until the mood matrix segment) (Trucy, then Pearl tags along to investigations)

(In my rewrite Phoenix only gets his badge back right before Turnabout for Tomorrow, therefore while Athena doesn't get a lot more cases, she still gets Reclaimed and The Cosmic Turnabout)

• Firstly, Turnabout Countdown: I personally like that this game has a non linear first case, I think it works with setting up the mystery with Apollo and even Juniper

I think letting Athena take over the case is a very good start to seeing her character BUT THAT'S WHEN PHOENIX HAS TO COME IN AND TAKE ALL THE SPOTLIGHT

God I hate that, I get it, it's Phoenix's grand return but still, LET ATHENA DEFEND

Anyways in my rewrite, Athena has her panic attack, Phoenix comes in as co-council (Doesn't have his badge back yet therefore can't take over the case) and helps Athena through the case, nice mentor moment 👍🏻

• The Monstrous Turnabout: I like that this case happens from Apollo's perspective, I'd like it if it would feel a bit more like AA4 since (to me) it's very reminiscent to Turnabout Corner

Anyways I don't have too many gripes with this case, maybe more Trucy to tag along with investigating cuz I'd like to see her and Athena interacting

As for Athena I like that she has an "observing" case where she can see how a more experienced attorney handles a case

I also like that Phoenix is mostly missing from this case (my personal explanation is he's taking the bar during this but he only gets his badge back much later cuz the bar association is still a bit ehhh about letting him pass) (dw Edgeworth helps out with getting it back)

• Turnabout Reclaimed: Oh I love this case

Probably my favourite in the second trilogy (going to an aquarium right before I watched it probably helped with the enjoyment tbh)

Since Phoenix is still missing his badge Athena has to defend (she's also the one who's a big fan of Shipshape aquarium and begged Phoenix to help them so I don't even get why Phoenix gets this case)

I like the idea of such a silly case being Athena's first, I could also see Phoenix using this opportunity to pull Athena's leg a little, so the we can still feel the Beanix in him

Like he agrees that the agency will take the case and Athena assumes that he'll make Apollo represent the orca but instead he turns to her like "Athena you'll take the case, since you're such an eager fan" and that way Athena can experience getting messed with by her boss but also let it be a learning opportunity without it being an overtly traumatic first trial (I don't think he wants a repeat of Apollo's first trial lol)

Anyways student mentor moments, while Apollo and Trucy are practicing magic tricks in the office or something (could be foreshadowing to the fact that Trucy will get her own magic show in the next game)

• Turnabout Academy: No notes for this case's trial segment really, I just wish Klavier would act a bit more like himself, and Juniper acknowledging that her costume was inspired by Lamiroir (It could be a cool call back, like Juniper watched *that* specific performance and really liked Lamiroir's outfit and decided to recreate it or something and Apollo could point it out so we get more of the "I like Lamiroir's aura" thing he says) (Capcom tell him that she's his mother I beg)

I like that this time around Athena jumps to promise defending Juniper, that's good

Also maybe more AA4 call backs?? Maybe a Kristoph mention?? Please??

• The Cosmic Turnabout: Disclaimer: I don't remember much from this case so if anything is wrong, feel free to correct me

I like how mysterious the whole eye patch thing is even though we're in Apollo's perspective, it also makes sense that he'd take the case

To add to the tension I'd mention Phoenix being worried about still not getting his badge back and that's why he can't be there in the gallery (He's arguing his case with the Bar association with Edgeworth probably or something)

I like how hurried Blackquill is during this trial too, he's convincing himself and trying to project that Starbuck is the Phantom because he doesn't have more time and he wants to finish his mission of chasing ghosts seven years past even if it's not the truth, I think that that was done well

I'd like for Athena to notice this, point it out to Apollo, but since Apollo is already on edge about Athena I'd like to think he takes it as "Athena is more worried about a murderer than our case, than about my friend, than about me... Is this a sign?" And that (and the explosion) could be the last push for him to dip from the agency and go on his own investigation (maybe reaching out to Kristoph...? Hmm? Mr "Evidence is everything in court"?)

As for after the explosion, I'd like to think Apollo left the case to Phoenix (cuz he was convinced that Phoenix would get his badge back by that time) but since Nick is still missing his badge Athena decides that she'll take over and defend Starbuck

Anyways all goes the same Athena gets arrested, and with no attorney left in the agency... What now?

• Turnabout for Tomorrow: Phoenix leaves the courtroom alone

Trucy who witnessed the whole thing from the gallery, runs up to him, similarly worried about "what now?"

Phoenix gets a call. From who? We won't know for a bit but we can assume (It's Edgeworth)

Anyways, at last, there's another attorney in the agency who can help... Phoenix got his badge back

Now finally being a full fledged lawyer again, him and Trucy go investigating, we get father daughter moments, unravelling the mystery of the Cykes and Blackquills, everything goes mostly as it happens in canon, after Trucy gets kidnapped Pearl tags along and when Phoenix and her are investigating the space station, Edgeworth shows up with Phoenix's lawyer badge in hand

They're facing eachother in court again

PHOENIX WRIGHT, THE TURNABOUT TERROR, IS BACK IN COURT

Anyways epic return (instead of the random come back in the dlc case???) (Like it's funny that he's defending an orca but still)

Everything else happens like canon, except Athena gets to hug Blackquill after he's freed because they're siblings your honour and she's been working seven years for this to finally happen

Happy end and celebration at Eldoon's Noodles obviously

And that is my AA5 rewrite, thanks for coming to my TED talk

[ill-say-anything-i-hafta]

People are starting to recognize that disabled characters should be played by actors who are actually disabled themselves. But I've noticed a new trend -- actors whose disabilities are less severe than the characters they play. What do we think about that?

I was watching Bodies on Netflix last night. There is a character who is a cop in 2053 and she has a disease that causes paralysis, but uses a sci fi device to walk. Her half-brother, a wheelchair user who has the same disease, calls her a sellout and says the work she does for the shady future government to earn the device isn't worth it. Two disabled characters talking to each other! An interesting scene! The sister is played by an abled actor, but I was curious about the brother character. I looked him up and learned that Edwin Thomas is disabled; he has CP. I also learned that his disability is invisible/he has played abled roles in the past.

And that reminds me of Matthew Duckett, who recently played Crutchie in the West End Newsies, a character who (you guessed it) uses a crutch. For what it's worth, I love him in the role and he has been widely praised for bringing authenticity. Duckett also played Claude Chatterly on the Netflix Lady Chatterly's lover, who is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. Duckett has CP and does not use a mobility aid.

Here's one that's personal to me. I am visually impaired. One time I looked up my own condition and I learned about an actor who also has it -- his name is Ben Mehl -- who played a totally blind person on a show called You. (I have not seen this show and have nothing to say about his performance.) I read an interview with him and he talked about practicing doing things blindfolded, observing blind people outside their homes (!!!) and being taught by a trainer to use a white cane.

Living with vision loss can be hard; it really sucks sometimes. I feel a sense of solidarity with other disabled people as well as curiosity and (as you can see from this long-ass post) a sense that I have a vested interest in how disabled people are represented in media. But I DON'T know what it's like to be totally blind, and clearly Mehl doesn't either. Reading his interview reminded me so much of reading interviews with sighted/nondisabled actors who take on disabled roles.

I have heard it said that it's not anyone's business how an actor's disability affects them offstage, and I can sympathize with that perspective. But it shuts down the conversation. The studio is allowed to make a big deal about how authentic their casting is for promotional purposes, but no one can ask questions or talk about it?

Let's zoom out for a second: why do we care if disabled roles are played by actual disabled people? I would say for two reasons. 1. Authenticity. These actors can play the roles with greater sensitivity and accuracy, showing audiences what disabled bodies and disabled movement really look like and even potentially correcting mistakes that nondisabled scriptwriters and directors have made. And 2. Equity. People with disabilities should get to be on screen and on stage more often, they should have more opportunities.

But if the actor's disability is not the same as the character's, will the portrayal really be accurate?

And if someone with an invisible disability or lower level of impairment takes these roles, what roles will be available for actors with more severe impairment?

Note that I am not criticizing the choices or the performances of these particular disabled actors! (Except maybe Ben Mehl for creeping around outside people's apartments...) Instead, I'm questioning the motives of the people who hired them.

ALSO, is it just me or wouldn't it be cool to see people with different kinds of disabilities depicted in media? It seems to me like 90% of the disabled people on TV are paraplegics or quadriplegics. What about, like, everyone else? What if we cast more people with CP as ... people with CP? What if there was a person in a movie who couldn't recognize faces or drive, but could see a little, like most blind people can in real life. Sadly, I have never seen that in media (except for Butchie on The Wire, played by S. Robert Morgan, a VI actor, love that guy.)

Did anyone read this far? I would honestly be shocked. But let me know what you think.

[spockandawe]

Hi, I’m not sure if you’ve answered this already, What kind of paper do you use when printing your pages?? I’d love to try my hand at book binding some of my faves that I have saved on my library, I’m just super nervous lol

Sure!! So, there's a WIDE range, even in my latest books, because there's a couple characteristics I'm juggling. The set I still have to write up a post for, it was done on inexpensive staples paper (I still have multiple packs of this stuff stored), while the two books I posted before that are done on the Church Paper bookbinding special. I spent MONTHS working from extremely generic, cheap paper, and I stand by the idea that there's nothing wrong with it! Fancy paper is one way you can level up your bookbinding, but it's not the only way, or even the first one I could pursue. Before I say anything else, I personally do encourage people to buy the really affordable staples paper without fussing about the other stuff, so they can focus on other aspects of the hobby without spending money on something you're going to print on, fold, glue, and ruin. You'll have plenty of opportunities to mess up your paper, you don't need to spend fancy money until you're comfortable.

(and you can stop there if you're overwhelmed! I think that's an entirely valid perspective to bookbind from).

First, the easiest characteristic I'm juggling here is paper color. Most books run somewhere in the bleached-white range to ivory. Some people think bleached-white is a little stark, or that ivory is just too yellow. I don't personally have strong feelings, but some people do. I might choose a cream paper if I want an antique vibe, or I might choose white if my endpapers have a stark white I want to match, but it only matters as much as you want it to.

Second, paper weight. I fuss less than I probably should, but even basic printer paper runs a range from very thin to noticeably thick. That matters to me, occasionally, for fiddly projects. I have my 32 lb paper because I needed to make wedding guestbooks feel as thick and substantial as possible. If I have a long book I want to wedge into my guillotine, I'll pick thin paper to minimize bulk. This isn't something you have to be concerned with at this point.

Third, and arguably most mechanically important, is paper grain. I really don't like the emphasis that gets placed on this when beginner bookbinders are trying to get a grasp on the hobby for the first time, I don't want you to stress about this more than you want to. I ignored it completely for months. But the idea is that paper has a grain, as if it was a miniature bamboo mat. In one direction, you're working with the grain, and it will bend or fold more easily. In the other direction, you have to force it a little. Ideally, all materials you use with a grain will have it running parallel to the spine of the book. For the pages, it means your pages will flop more easily in the directions they ought to be turning, if that makes sense.

Most commercial 8.5x11 paper is long grain, which is "wrong" for half-letter books. If you fold a piece of letter paper in half like a hamburger, the grain is wrong for a book. My position is that this is NOT something you should feel obligated to account for at first. I spent months working with the wrong grain, my wrong grain books handle absolutely fine, they aren't in worse shape than my books with the right grain, i think accessibility and not overwhelming beginners is more important than enforcing a bajillion best practices right from the start.

The link for church paper I provided is special because short-grain paper, if you can find it, will have the right grain direction for a half-letter book. At this stage in my bookbinding experience, if I'm making a half-letter book, I'll look to my short-grain paper first. If I'm making a quarto, I'll look to long-grain. If there's some other characteristic of the book that steers me towards the wrong grain, I'll just let it happen. I include this because I feel obligated to say it, not because I think you need to worry about it right now. A book that exists is better than a book that doesn't exist, and it's entirely valid to make it with whatever paper is most convenient for you to acquire. Even if you do every possible step totally wrong, a handbound fic will easily, EASILY last for years.

[jellybellyblimp]

I want to offer my lukewarm defense of aging up Claudia before Sunday. I say lukewarm because I don’t know wether I will end up liking the change, but I can see why it was done.

I’ve seen some speculation that this was so the show could go uhhhh… raunchier? with her relationship to Louis. Personally, I disagree that this was the intention. I mean Louis has said himself he’s gay, so I could be totally wrong but I can see several far less gross reasons why this was done.

1. Claudia’s story has already been told. I think this show is trying very hard to tell a new story within a familiar framework. And they are executing on that wonderfully. They aren’t trying to create a faithful adaptation of the book bc that already exists. Instead they are telling the story of a Queer Black Man in the early 20th century, the story of an interracial gothic queer romance, the story of a black teenage girl in mid 20th century New Orleans. And I think that distinction is important. I don’t need Claudia’s story to be retold exactly the same when you can explore similar themes, but give us something new and nuanced.

2. Telling Claudia’s original story on screen is hard. I think the closest we’ll ever get is the movie, because their is no way an actual child actor can portray the maturity required for her. Nor would I really want to see them try bc let’s face it Louis and Claudia’s relationship gets questionable at some points.

3. Aging her up to 14, that the crux of puberty, opens so many new opportunities to explore. You still have that idea of an adult trapped in a child’s body, but now it’s those awkward middle school years. And honestly that sounds like real hell. She’s a young woman who will never get to actually be a woman. And importantly she is a young black woman. (Y’all thought Lestat was struggling to see Louis’ perspective as a black man, imagine trying to explain intersectionality to this bitch) She’s permanently trapped at the most awkward undervalued position she could be in. Too old to be a little girl, but too young to be a mother. And unfortunately society really only leaves one role for a woman to be then and that is sexual object. Doubly so, because racism. I’ll be genuinely surprised if that idea doesn’t pop up at least once.

4. This is a TV series. And confirmed for at least a second season. That she will feature heavily in. And if she pops up in flash backs (or as a spirit) in any seasons after that, looks kids age fast. It’s just not feasible to cast an actual child as Claudia long term.

So TLDR: I think this was largely a practical choice, so they decided if they have to change her story to work within the medium, might as well actually do something new with it.

[nova-starcutter]

based on your answer to the fight to the death poll and this blog’s theming i am gonna go ahead and guess that your discord icon is something to do with the lor

whats the deal with magolor anyways

1. Yeah, it’s one of my favorite frames of any cutscene ever.

(Just as a little bonus before I get to the second part of your ask, that little “Lor gets unexpectedly close to the viewer for no apparent reason” sequence is actually what made me headcanon her as nearsighted. Originally it was just a “soft” headcanon that I had no intention of entirely subscribing to but nowadays it’s actually become one of my favorites.)

2. Ok so there’s a whole lot of ways that can be interpreted and it is almost 2 AM as im starting this so I’ll go with just one for now and elaborate on others if asked. Halcandra— at least the part of it where he lived— was hardly the sort of place anyone would reasonably choose to live in, let alone try to have a family or raise kids. Resources were scarce, dangers weren’t, and really the primary types you’d find staying there were those who wanted to live out their lives away from civilization, criminals hiding from authorities, and those who just wanted to be somewhere less permeated by the government’s influence and prying eyes. As a result, Magolor never really knew anyone close to his own age growing up, on top of just not knowing many folks aside from his parents to begin with. Though his upbringing was otherwise relatively positive— on good terms with his parents, well-educated, given opportunities to learn and practice various skills and hobbies, etc— not having peers to connect with and grow alongside did leave him somewhat socially stunted.

One of the ways this manifests is his maturity, or seeming lack thereof. He has the experience and knowledge to act like an adult at this point, but never really had the social cues to begin doing so. Like that guy in highschool who still acts like a 6th grader in senior year while everyone else has moved on to bigger and better things. Of course his perspective has changed after what he’s gone through, but he’s always going to act less mature than other Halcandrans his age would be expected to.

NOT 2 AM UPDATE: The above doesn’t mean he can’t convincingly act like he had a normal/actually existent childhood, the main indicator that he didn’t would just be that he never brings up his personal life back on Halcandra, definitely treats Kirby as his very first friend ever™️, and doesn’t really have a distinct hanging with friends mode vs interacting with peers/colleagues/etc. In other words he kinda treats everyone the same, exceptions being Lor and people he either actively dislikes or finds intimidating. This can definitely be offputting for some because often comes off as him not being genuine, akin to someone using their customer service voice at all times, but no he is in fact just Like That™️. It does certainly help him a bit when he’s actually scheming, given that his normal already comes off as dubious plottingcore, with the trade off that he’s always the first person everyone suspects when shenanigans are afoot. This guy can never win at Among Us

[mathlann]

Jae Heydari for the Send Me a Character post.

And @poetikat since I got two for her....but Jae, my beloved!

How I feel about this character

My best friend! My Dogma-skeptical darling! Genuinely have had so much fun actually playing with her in this second run because there's just so much more to notice. Like how it's a lot easier to catch the truth about her identity because she's actually not that good of a liar. She's a con artist among fellow criminals but when actually interacting with real nobility her inner "raised in serfdom" almost tries to come out in her dialogue. Like she should have been caught earlier but that her main haters, Abelard and Cassia, are prioritizing the wrong things in their "poseur" assessments. I also love how her advice in a lot of the game is a lot more practical and compassionate than you'd really think given her background (+1 poseur pt). Taking apart her dialogue is just ugh, so chewy and I need to meta about her when I finish this run. And too, her banter with Idira by itself is just lovely and their friendship is one my favorite things about the game.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Jae x My Mutuals' RTs 💕

Jae x Idira. Which I'm surprised I haven't seen advocated for yet? They almost immediately bond over having a good time, and they're both critical of the Imperium from the perspective of its cruelty to the marginalized. Also Idira's whole Issue being how she's been constantly exploited in various ways and never been allowed to be a human, and even though Jae often treats the retinue as a networking opportunity she always treats Idira like a person. Not as a heretical tool, or a cursed wretch, or someone to pity. Hell, the only time I've seen her ask Idira to use her powers is about their card games and she's also one of the few people who straightforwardy just gets Idira's whispers and isn't freaked out by them. I dunno. I'd be happy if, maybe on that final trip Jae takes Idira on before the Warp claims her, they held hands while watching the space whales and kissed about it. Or if we roll that trip into endings where Jae goes on the run, they Thelma and Louise-d while being chased by Imperial Authorities. That would be rad too. Nobody found the bodies, they're at Space!Corvo Bianco to me.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Jae and Idira ofc

Post-Game Mercenary Corsair!Marazhai and Shadow Baroness or Right Hand!Jae buddy comedy when?

My unpopular opinion about this character

I've said it before and I'll say it again but people who hate her/call her a gold digger over the recording incident aren't actually looking at the action in context, and while yeah it sucks, the people who go out of their way to kill her about it are kind of proving the point her romance is trying to make.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish we got to see more Kasballica shenanigans! The game often sets her as Pasqal's opposite (in tech) to parallel Idira as Heinrix's (for psykers) but I would have loved to see more of Jae as our practical xenos expert. Like her and Heinrix are both reporting to HR at the end of the day, but the way Heinrix's official duties can involve working with/understanding xenos, which he can't do because he's...yeah... so most of his expertise is more about killing them, while Jae is someone who definitely should not be working with xenos but often has better solutions to dealing with them because she can't afford to go hog, is something I wish the game explored more.

[yzanjiiii]

𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗴 #𝟭 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲

I've always been attracted by the beauty of politics in business. How people can settle and manage their financial transactions through efficient communication, proficiency, and the development of plans using scientific methods in research to patch up gaps and establish projects based on solvency. Selling your business necessitate you to be able to speak persuasively, and I admit that it was still challenging for me to gather my thoughts and be confident enough to approach people and persuade them about something, despite the fact that I am a Political Science major and thus expected to be good at public speaking. However, our interview activity gave me the opportunity to venture outside of my comfort zone. In a larger perspective, it made the realm of politics and entrepreneurship converge in a sense that I was able to practice the art of identifying grassroot problems to provide solutions for the betterment of learning and quality education, which is entirely the definition of politics, and to make it income generating, we have to devise a product or services to cater the needs of the people, which is in the business realm, and for me to be able to show my innovative skills, I have to also link the realm of entrepreneurship hence, I believe that I can pour out all the learning application of my three years residency in political science in this subject.

EXPERIENCE

The encounter itself was enjoyable. During our preparation phase, I was able to demonstrate my leadership skills by devising techniques to make our workload more efficient by assigning ourselves quotas to meet. Personally, I wanted our data to exceed 100, but owing to forthcoming requirements, we opted to limit the quota at 50-60 interviewees. I assigned the deadlines, responsibilities, and established a bureaucratic framework to guarantee that each of us fulfilled our tasks; thus, before the interview, I ensured that the Google Drive was available for the uploading of our documentation, specifically images, videos, and recordings. Google Docs is also ready for the consolidated report, which includes both the quantitative and qualitative data. To avoid delays, I have also assigned the secretary to monitor task completion.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW/D-DAY

During the interview, it became increasingly difficult to identify students who are not shy in front of the camera and are willing to participate. Fortunately, I know a lot of people at the university, which gave me an edge in finding interviewers. An individual interview was initially conducted, but I later realized that it was time consuming and made the interviewee more shy due to the pressure and tension of becoming embarrassed, so I have to make small talk with the interviewee first to ensure that I will be able to break the ice and allow comfort to kick in. We experimented with combined interviews, team interviews, and partner interviews alongside Eloisa. As a result, we were able to troubleshoot problems during the interview by devising plans and trying out different techniques. Regardless of the outcome, I believe it gave me confidence to take risks and become resilient, both of which are essential in entrepreneurship, especially since one major challenge is dealing with people with different tastes, preferences, and attitudes.

D-DAY

INTERVIEWEES #1 and #2

Eloisa and I with our first interviewee from the program of Sociology. The problem identified was the absence of comfortable tambayan with good food.

Our second respondent is from BSED PE and the problem identified was waste problems.

INTERVIEWEES #3 and #4

The third interviewee is also from BSED PE and the problem identified was mental health issues due to the pressure being felt by students.

The fourth interviewee is from the College of Business and Management major in Finance. The problem identified was ventilation due to poor budgeting of the university.

INTERVIEWEES #5 & #6 and #8 & #9

The fifth and sixth interviewees are from the program of BS Bio. The problems identified are transportation and printing problems due to the location of printing services.

The 8th and 9th interviewees are both from the program of AB Political Science. The problem identified is waste problems.

Bonus GIF

Caught on 4K: Ma'am Butalid, the program coordinator

INTERVIEWEES #10 & #11 and #11, #12, #13, & #14

The tenth and eleventh interviewees are both from the College of Education. The problem that was identified is also the prevalent waste problem.

All four interviewees (11-14) are from the program of AB Political Science and the problems identified were insufficiency of educational tools, transportation, waste problems, and illegal business (no permit).

INTERVIEWEES #15 & #16

Our fifteenth interviewee is from the program of BS Math and the problem identified was waste problem.

The last interviewee is from BSED PE and the problem identified was waste problem.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Following the interview and consultation with the instructor, we were able to share our views, suggestions, and data results, so with waste management being the most pressing issue at the university based on our data gathered from the series of interview, we looked for potential products and services that would be the greatest solution. We had a lot of prospects for the proposal because I came prepared, and I had already researched sustainable products online through various platforms to make our decision process easier. Following the deliberation, it was decided to proceed with the conversion of leaves into paper, with modifications such as colour classification and scented option.

RESULTS OF THE INTERVIEW

The first pie chart shows the result of our joint interview. It has been revealed that there are 8 identified problems and the top three are the following: (1) Waste problems, (2) Transportation, and (3) Ventilation. Meanwhile, for the consolidated result, it was revealed that waste problems still hold the top issue that the CMUans are currently facing and have been posing grave concerns weighing 53.8 percent out of 55 respondents being interviewed. Therefore, we have decided to go with a visionary EcoVenture product called "EVERLEAF" which means everlasting leaf which aims to stop deforestation and degradation of the environment 🌿

REFLECTION

Through this dialogue, I have come to understand that that, despite the fact that we are in a micro level setting, the problem that we are facing in the university is ubiquitous since corporations do nothing about it because they just care about profit. Sustainable practices are difficult to implement since they may inhibit economic growth, which is something every businessman avoids. The ongoing problem of deforestation, erosion, and forest fires will exist unless we begin to develop regulations and sanction big industries. Thus, this subject is an excellent way to enter the VentureVerse because anyone may be a businessman, but not everyone can sustain their business owing to the ups and downs of business hence, it needs strong mentality.

LEARNINGS

Furthermore, this interview helped me identify my strengths, such as strategic leadership, critical thinking, resiliency to troubleshoot unforeseen problems that require immediate solutions, adaptability, time management skills, and the ability to remain rational at all times in order to manage the team. While I accept my inadequacies, such as my public speaking abilities and approaching strangers, it has provided me with opportunities to identify areas for improvement. It taught me that mistakes and failures are inevitable and necessary for learning and growth. Every master was once a beginner in their chosen industry. As a result, I feel that by constantly improving and allowing oneself to admit mistakes, I will be able to recognise threats that are critical for mitigating macro consequences on the endeavour.

To summarise everything, I am excited for the thrills of this rollercoaster journey. The uncertainty makes me rosier about the future. Risks are what keep me alive. It piques my interest in exploring new horizons. I am challenged to venture beyond of my comfort zone in order to try new things and discover more about myself.

[harmonyhealinghub]

The Juggling Act - Balancing Two Full-Time Jobs: Educational Assistant by Day, Distant Energy Healer by Night

Shaina Tranquilino

January 9, 2024

In today's fast-paced world, many individuals find themselves taking on multiple roles and responsibilities to make ends meet or pursue their passions. One such challenging scenario is working two full-time jobs simultaneously. As an educational assistant during the day and a distant energy healer by night, my life has become an intricate balancing act that requires dedication, time management, and unwavering passion. In this blog post, I will take you through the journey of navigating both worlds and shedding light on the unique experiences and challenges it brings. 1. A Day in the Life as an Educational Assistant: My daytime job as an educational assistant provides me with opportunities to make a positive impact on students' lives. From assisting teachers in lesson planning to supporting students with special needs, every day presents new challenges and rewards. Building rapport with students, making sure their needs are met, fostering a nurturing environment, and ensuring their academic success are at the core of my role. 2. Transitioning into the World of Energy Healing: As daylight fades away, I embark on my second full-time job – distant energy healing. This realm allows me to tap into the spiritual energies that connect us all and offer healing from afar. Through various practices like Reiki or meditation, I channel positive vibes towards those seeking solace or relief from physical ailments or emotional distress. Being able to help others heal is immensely gratifying. 3. Challenges Faced: Balancing two full-time jobs comes with its share of hurdles. Time management becomes crucial when trying to excel in both professions without compromising quality or personal well-being. Fatigue can set in after long days at work followed by late-night healing sessions; self-care becomes paramount for maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout. 4. Benefits of Dual Roles: Despite the challenges, there are numerous benefits to embracing dual roles in different fields. Firstly, both jobs provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, allowing me to make a difference in the lives of others through education and healing. Secondly, having diverse professional experiences broadens my perspectives and enhances personal growth. Lastly, financial stability is another significant advantage of working multiple jobs. 5. The Importance of Boundaries: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial when juggling two full-time jobs. Establishing boundaries helps prevent exhaustion and ensures sufficient time for personal life, relationships, and self-care activities. Prioritizing rest, setting realistic expectations, and seeking support from loved ones are essential components in managing this delicate equilibrium. 6. Finding Inspiration in Both Roles: Interestingly, my educational assistant job often influences my distant energy healing practice and vice versa. Witnessing the resilience and determination of students at school inspires me to bring that same strength into my healing sessions. Similarly, the empathy cultivated as an energy healer fosters a deeper understanding of students' needs during my day job. Working two full-time jobs as an educational assistant by day and a distant energy healer by night may seem challenging on paper; however, it provides unique opportunities for personal growth, fulfillment, and making a positive impact in people's lives. Successfully navigating this juggling act requires effective time management, strong boundaries, self-care practices, and unwavering passion for both professions. Embracing these challenges with dedication allows me to experience the joys that come with dual roles while continuously growing personally and professionally. Remember: No matter how busy life gets or how many roles we take on, following our passions can lead us down unexpected paths towards personal fulfillment and success!

[pasharuu]

my process of making a comic for public vk ask is precise: pick a question, get the general idea and make a silly doodle teasing it, brainstorm about that (i usually write it up so i wont forget everything in a second), compose and finally illustrate. so today i wanna show you one of the brainstorms. i usually write these up just along the way, noting everything that comes to my mind, and in russian of course, but this time i made it as clean as possible, and also as short as possible... these are sometimes super massive, especially if i get to theorizing (i usually do). its just a funny thing to share because i too think that my texts are very absurd fr. and also its a practice, i have english exam in less than a month. alright, lemme copy and paste it from my memos and pretend we're getting started.

=======

so there is an age old question lying in arana's askbox (literally september 2nd.. and its unanswered, luckily for me) that is basically about why arana ended up befriending rana, and the person specified how could she become so devoted solely to rana. when i saw that, i once again confirmed to myself how poorly people know the story of aranyaka, but im not mad about that at all, its rather an opportunity for me to tell a story! simply answering the question with a little of a correction would be too boring, so i decided that i will only use post-aranyaka arana as a talking head to make things more interesting. the key is that she had forgotten everything we learned during the questline, so with that she will only have to assume stuff. stories are a thing, of course, but a very different thing. so this is a setup that hopefully will make things more intriguing. with that said, let me try to solve a problem the asking person stated previously to debut myself.

first of all, i want to state why arana is not devoted solely to rana. she actually told us otherwise: she is basically a babysitter for all the children of vimara village, probably she's even been caring for generations of them considering how old she is. plus, rana is an adult and she cant see aranara, and so arana. arana still does watch over her, but she doesnt hang out with her anymore. with such a summation theres no way arana would be dedicated only to rana. we get to focus on rana because she is in trouble, and thats how things always go: when someone is ill, they need more care to get healthy again. arana is just committing a genuine help in a serious situation, just like she did with iotham by the way.

so the little misunderstanding is solved, now moving onto the difficult part. how will arana explain herself? of course i will not let rana speak majorly, best at all even. this is the difficulty, because rana is the one who remembers. arana still must be aware of being friends with rana and the children from the village in the past, but lets get into her perspective for a moment.

its a cool concept to have someone who barely knows the subject to talk about that subject: they will make mistakes, make assumptions, be unsure about their statements, etc. meanwhile everyone else are well aware about the subject, so they will notice all the inaccuracy. just let arana assume! let her make as many wrong statements as possible, but end up being sure about one thing: rana is still dear to her no matter what. perhaps she doesnt fully realize the value of this connection, but this is not important. despite aranara being largely focused on memories, arana lives the current moment, and that may be why she rejected on becoming vasara tree, to live freely and feel this current moment. i went kinda philosophical about this, but thats a necessary part. this is basically what i want to say with this, a moral of the story. sure thing the past may be dear to you, but you will never have an opportunity go back there, doomed to stay in the present. however, its up to you what you want this present to be, to make it a precious past one day.

lmao this is literally where i might end playing role of arana for making the most philosophically filled comic of all i ever made. only have to compose it well now, which is even harder than this brainstorming to me, so now i retreat and start making the idea alive, because all the previous steps are completed.

[siriannatan]

Heroes of Empires City Chapter 7

I was close to giving up on having a chapter for this week since I was not feeling too well this week. But I managed to get a bit of a shorter one put together. Not my best work but it gets us places for the next chapter.

AO3

Tinkerer's second debut was on Scott's day off so he had full opportunity to see it from the civilian's perspective and he had one thing to say - fWhip looked damn cook in a more fitting leather jacket. And all the dark brown made his hair and wings stand out so much more and... And the damn fire was hot to see in action. It was a bit sad the scarf was gone but since it was a gift from Jimmy, Scott guessed fWhip did not want to risk damaging it anymore. A fair and personal reason and something he'd be asked on the talk show...

Scott was dreading it a little. It would be his first time on one of those and Tinkerer wasn't known for much of formal appearances on shows like that. An interview if the media caught him after he caught a villain happened. Obviously. Not even Scott managed to avoid the media as much as he seemed to them to try - as evidenced by the photo that had him and fWhip have to show up on TV.   And fWhip's flying ability. Scott was glad he could see that with some distance because it was frankly impressive how quickly he was learning. They were still meeting to practice some more complicated manoeuvres but at this point, it was more a fun part of the job than the mandatory practice Katherine assigned them. She had good reasons. They wouldn't always fight in conditions that made flying easy.

Unfortunately, good days had to come to an end and Scott and fWhip were herded into a TV studio. Given a quick tour of the main stage and were introduced to the host. Angeline. a pretty but unnerving woman with far too much interest in their private life. At least Katherine was there to force some distance before they were stashed in a greenroom until it was their time to talk. At least it was a short slot...

Jimmy wasn't sure what to do with himself with fWhip and Scott's interview coming up. He did have a bad feeling about it though. But wasn't sure why. He and Scott were just friends and he wasn't even on speaking terms with fWhip but... the idea of the two cutest guys he knows, ignoring the hero problem, and being seen as a couple was... making him annoyed for some reason.

Tinkerer's new costume was really cool. Too cool for the absolute nerd fWhip was under it. The lack of scarf stung a lot. Even if he was angry fWhip included it in his hero costume and thought Jimmy would not figure it out. But even with all that he had to admit one thing - Scott and fWhip looked damn good on their own but when put together... How was he supposed to work with them and be angry at them if he knew the two cute guys under the costumes? And... 

Maybe he should have talked to fWhip instead of just letting him break up with him...

"I know we got the questions ahead of time and all that but I don't feel at all ready," fWhip sighed, staring at the floor.

"Well, if our host gets out of control Katherine'll just cut the show," Scott tried to cheer him up despite sharing his statement.

There wasn't much time to talk since shortly after that they were called to the stage. And introduced in probably the most cringe way possible. "Empires City's guardian angel and the hidden dragon - Major and Tinkerer." Scott was tempted to just leave after that and wondered why the PR team never discussed that with them...

"Welcome and once again thank you for dropping by, I know heroes lead a busy life protecting the City," the host smiled widely shaking their hands before they sat down. Separate comfy chairs but fWhip had some shuffling to do to be comfy. "We can get a different chair in if needed," the host offered seeing said shuffling.

"No need, just still getting used to these," fWhip politely declined. Scott could see Katherine nod behind the cameras.

"Speaking of, I and a lot of our viewers were all shocked how quickly you recovered from that," Angeline, or Angie as she said they can call her. Over Scott's cold dead body... "And flying with so much grace." fWhip would never call his flying that but still smiled.

"Well, I had a good teacher," he explained, gently nudging Scott. "It'd be stuck in the training room for forever without Major being patient with me," he chuckled, getting small applause from the live audience. Katherine kept looking pleased with the conversation.

Angeline nodded but her smile faltered. Scott guessed she was not the biggest fan of Major. "That's great to hear. Any reasons for a costume change this big? I hear people are missing the scarf."

"Well... that was a gift from a friend and after that Shadow Master clash I might have realised I probably shouldn't include something that personal in my costume. On the other hand, flopping coats and scarfs make flying hard," fWhip tried to laugh it off. Costume change was an expected topic but not that the scarf would be the centre. His glance at Katherine was rather obvious and the audience glanced that way too.

Scott was starting to feel he was there just for one topic. The photo. And Angeline would spend all the time talking to fWhip over him. "Yes. That was a big event for the city. A hero's power evolving and a big villain caught..." she droned on and kept talking to only fWhip. And Scott listened nodding and not seeing any chance to put anything in. He could see Katherine arguing with someone behind the scenes. And it was that moment of distraction Angeline used to move to her main topic.

"A lot of the fans wonder about this picture from that day," she asked, very smugly, and the picture of fWhip in Scott's arms showed on screen. fWhip froze. Likely forgetting everything he was supposed to say after Angeline went over his whole rivalry with Shadow Master. "It must have been nice...."

"Well, Tinkerer was obviously unable to fight and even with the both of us there Stratos didn't see a good way to keep Shadow Master in check so he send me away with him, knowing I could get that done fast," Scott took over the answer and the audience clapped a bit.

Angeline was not too happy about him but kept going. "There have been many interesting theories online..."

"I can assure everyone we're just friends. Being a hero leaves little time for other things," Scott carried on talking. Now a bit worried why fWhip was suddenly very silent.

Jimmy was not in the slightest bit shocked the show was cut. There was no way that's how Katherine and the hero PR team wanted the interview to go that way. And... And Jimmy was close to looking what laws might have been broken there  just so he could show up and let out his anger at that unpleasant woman for nearly causing fWhip a panic attack... He was also considering getting Scott a box of chocolates for stepping in before he caught himself. They broke up. He should not be getting so defensive... Why did he care so much still?

No matter the reason he did. And... was fWhip being a hero that good of a reason to just let the break up happen? Maybe he should talk to fWhip. And Scott too... 

Not that he was given much of a chance to think anymore about it.

Shadow Master did not like the talk show and has escaped from prison...

Luckily he managed to buy enough time for Katherine to get in touch with the important people at the station since the show was apparently making problems and cut it all short. The moment 'cut to commercials' was called Angeline, ignoring the two heroes ran up to her superior who was arguing with Katherine and a short man in a fancy suit.

Scott ignored that commotion and turned to fWhip. "You okay?"

"Yeah... I just... I panicked..." fWhip whispered back. The very confused audience was still there whispering and wondering why the show ended so suddenly that they had to keep up their professional appearance.

"The interview went off the rails, it's not how she was supposed to ask. Katherine's arguing with them about agreement breeches and stuff. You two can go back to the Tower," Pearl jogged up to them with an apologetic smile. 

"Thanks, Pearly, and good luck with the mess," Scott agreed and led fWhip out to the parking lot behind the building. There wasn't really any better place for them since the helicopter pad was needed for other things.  

Having Jimmy be the first thing they saw upon coming back did not spell any good things.

"Sheriff? Can we help you? Katherine's still at the TV station," Scott was not at all apprehensive to talk to the man. If a bit worried about what brought him to the tower.

"Shadow Master broke up during that interview, we lost all track of her," Jimmy said sternly, glancing at fWhip. "How was the interview?"

"Went off the tracks. Could Shadow Master have seen it? Do you need any of us to help with anything at the prison?" fWhip was instantly back to Tinkerer mode. "Or should we wait for Katherine?"

Jimmy had no time to wait for Katherine and Amethyst was already at the prison so Scott and fWhip stayed at the tower. And relayed the news to Katherine who was not too happy to hear it next to having to sue the talk show about breaching the contract. 

"Major, you keep an eye on Tinkerer for now, if she shows up I need you two to get to any other hero. NO fighting her just the two of you," she told them before dismissing them.

Needless to say, fWhip was not thrilled about it.

"All this training and stuff and the moment she shows up I'm almost put in house arrest. I can take care of myself," he complained as they changed for training. "At least it's you and not my sister..." he sighed.

Did Scott have any good response to that? No. "Why is Shadow Master so obsessed with you?" so he used deflection.

"I honestly have no idea. As far as I know, it's how she's been since she showed up, obsessed with me and my inventions," he sighed.

They dropped the topic for the rest of the day which was shockingly calm. Shadow Master was not acting yet. Likely plotting her next big move to try and get Tinkerer to switch to her side. What was going to fail since fWhip had no intention of becoming a villain.

Even with the threat of Shadow Master's revenge Scott had a feeling things would all go well. That is until, in the middle of a solo patrol - Katherine decided only fWhip needed extra protection - something knocked him out...

[rawrtriesagain]

Heya, same anon who asked you for art advice! First, I wanted to thank you for answer my questions and listing all that wonderful advice! I just have some followups. It’s really okay to just draw without even knowing how to put down a line? Won’t that just lead to bad habits or not learning the right techniques? And you mentioned learning how to draw the human body, will the sites you listed help, or are there other resources I should look up (like maybe on Pinterest?). Again, thanks!

Combining your asks into one. Thank you for the kind words! I'll be happy to continue helping where I can :)

So in terms of bad habits and practices, this is where my advice will fall flat haha because I myself don't know what's a good practice actually - I just do what I want to do even if its the worst way to do something anyone's ever seen! For example, my way of doing 'lineart' (just cleaning up my sketches) is to draw big fat lines and then slowly carve it with an eraser into a line I deem good enough. Someone who could grab a pen and draw a perfect line on the fly would probably be like wtf watching me meticulously erase my one fat line lol

But!

If you really don't know how to put down a line at all yet, your best bet really is to just start. There's not really a trick or technique too it, its just practice. I think unless you were trying to go into art school or something and needed to work on a portfolio (btw again I am not the person to ask for that), there's not really a 'bad habit,' its just as long as you're having fun. In my earlier example about my 'lineart' I pretty much know I'm doing it in such a dumb way, but I actually find it really fun to carve away my line with an eraser haha. Yea I could put in the effort to actually learn how to do things properly, but I like wasting hours just nitpicking on this little thing just because its fun to me. (I do the same thing for coloring also. I'll scribble my entire screen and then use an eraser to start carving things out lmao)

Of course while you're drawing and you're doing something that makes you think "hey this actually sucks actually-" that's when you take the opportunity to grow and learn something new that you didn't know before. This is a digital art thing: but for the longest time I literally didn't know anything about layers and my thoughts were just "man there's got to be a better way to do this" which throws me into a rabbit hole of searching "how do I do This Thing"

If you're really into learning art techniques though it might be good to slowly go over all of the 'art fundamentals' especially when it comes to like shading and perspective. I looked at this blog post and it looks like it would help start you out with some links to other resources: link then of course you can look up the corresponding Youtube videos to see someone actually do the fundamental for real. I'd also honestly recommend like a beginners artist course in person if that's something affordable and accessible to you. It's been one of my dreams to go to like random art classes for fun haha but alas life happens so its just me and my tablet until I'm rich as hell I guess. I've never taken a digital course either, but if that's one of the ways you're able to learn that's great too and I'd recommend it!

Next on human body:

Sorry I should have talked about them more in depth at the time, but yes they will help but only if you're determined to use them correctly! So the sites I listed basically show a pose for 30 seconds, and the idea is you're supposed to just try to take in the shape/form of the pose and draw it without nitpicking over minor details. You can also set the timer higher if you need (I used to set it to at least 60 seconds just because I was just a slow ass artist). But basically it should help you break down the human body into simple shapes and lines.

Now what I mean by using the sites correctly: So there's two ways to approach drawing from references:

1. "eye tracing" which is where your eyes are kind of just following the outline of whatever you're drawing but you're not really processing what exactly you're doing to help you later down the line. I have a bad habit of doing this and I tend to struggle later again for the same pose.

2. Breaking down the reference into small chunks and shapes, and then morphing those shapes into your piece. And later down the line you should start to be able to think of things like "oh the Circle piece of the body normally goes Here!"

Here's a random google image I found to help illustrate what I'm kind of talking about:

So eye tracing would kind of be like a less refined version of #3. Just a blobby but like you can somewhat tell what it is and that's cool I guess, but its not very helpful for when you want to try drawing a variant of the pose above. Breaking down the reference is like steps #1 and #2, simple shapes and blocks that help guide and outline the final shape you want. #1 in particular is very easy to change around should you want to.

So while you're on the sites I linked, you should try to break down each pose into its shape instead of drawing exactly what you see. You should also keep in mind the 'line of action' while doing so:

It's definitely a lot to take in all at once, so I'd honestly recommend just loading up the site and doing your best to replicate the pose, 'eye tracing' or not. Once you get more used to the routine and flow, then try to branch into learning more appropriate techniques. I've seen around that some people also recommend removing the time limit on the poses, as some people learn better by taking their time on one thing and breaking things down even further from there, but that's definitely up to you. You could also go out and try drawing random people if that helps and if you're bold!

My experience with Pinterest has mostly been for inspiration or cool things I've never thought of before, though I'm sure others are able to use it better than I can haha. I'm sure there are step by step guides to help you out around there!

I think resources to learn how to draw better really do come down to what kind of learner you are in the first place. Lots of people learn really well from Youtube tutorials for example, or maybe reading and following along with a book about anatomy would work for you too. I have like the most god awful attention span ever, so what works for me is just raw trial and error and hoping for the best. tbh idk how I even got this far haha but i am happy that I've progressed at all

Let me know if you have more questions and I'll definitely do my best to answer them! If you're looking for more advice regarding traditional art learning fundamentals, I'm sure there are many other artists that would be happy to answer your questions as well!

Best of luck! :)

[lyrebird5]

Some university tips from a first-year student currently up to her neck in assignments (please keep in mind, I am Australian, so my perspective of university might be a little bit different):

Give the 2/3/4 hour classes their own day, and try to spring for a time where you know you'll definitely be awake enough to concentrate, but not late enough that you'll be scrambling to do everything else late at night. That last bit goes for all classes, by the way.

Figure out a way to do your prep work that works best for you. At the start of this year I was in such a panic over trying to do every reading, and watch every lecture, and take all the notes. No. It doesn't help anything if you're over-stressing. You can't do everything, so just do whatever helps you most.

For the love of god, do your assignments, and try to get them in on time. It's hard - it's so, so hard - but I promise, getting your work in on time can make all the difference between a pass and a credit (again, I'm Australian, your grading system might be different. Hell, it might be different even if you yourself are Australian, I'm no expert here). My first semester was hell - I think I only got one assignment in on time, and my grades did ultimately suffer, including on a group project (more on that later). Get the assignments done on time, and life becomes just that little bit easier.

Speaking of assignments, map them out. I don't just mean map out how to write them, or do them, I mean literally map out how to approach each one, and how much time to give it. For example, I have about 6 assignments due this month alone. I currently have a map in my head of how long each assignment needs to get to be completed properly, when the next assignment needs to be started, and when they all need to be in.

Let that map evolve. If things change, so do you, do not let university kick your feet out from under you because trust me, it will gladly do so, and it'll probably take your kneecaps as it does. I personally use an app called ToDodo, as well as my phone calendar. The calendar is what I use to record what assignments are due when, ToDodo is my way of knowing what I've done, what still needs to be done, and where I'm going next. You can even add deadlines, so you can also add in assignments, and have multiple lists to keep things from getting mixed up. I use it for everything - assignments, uni prep, even my groceries and daily reminders. I have a whole list on there for who gets a Christmas present and what my budget for that present is, for crying out loud!

Be smart when you choose your classes. If you're a night person, take later classes, and use the time beforehand for work, or study, or whatever you need to do. Don't assume that you're fine just because class isn't for another few hours. Every second that you stay on top helps.

Revise, revise, revise. Your assignments will come fast, hard, and mercilessly, so take every opportunity to revise. Look over notes, create practice tests, hell, look for tests on Quizlet and Kahoot! If your class issues tests over the content, use them to keep practising. Know your shit so you can ace your exams.

Don't be scared to go for help. Campus counsellors, study groups, they're all there to support you. Talk to your tutors/professors when you have questions, or are facing problems. Get your accomodations. Get the support you need to do well.

I mentioned group assignments earlier, and I wanna go into that a little more. As I've said earlier, I really struggled with my assignments at the start of the year, and I have my own theories on why, but that's for another post. But I can't emphasise this enough: when you are on a group project, you have to help. You have to contribute and do your fair share, for the sake of yourself and your group. I know it sounds like that's just common sense, but I let my assignments fall behind, and that led to me letting my role in the group fall behind - I was submitting things at midnight the night before they needed to be in, and it didn't help anyone. I ended up taking a lower grade than the rest of the group because of this (and to be clear, I agreed to this. I took responsibility, I grew, and I've made sure that my most recent group project was one I contributed to as much as possible). So learn from my mistake: go to your group meetings, talk to your group. Do your share, so that you all get the best grade possible.

Go to events. Join clubs. Just... find friends. Even if it's only one. If you're an introvert, I'd highly recommend you find an extrovert - they're well known for adopting introverts into their friend groups, and those groups tend to also be more extroverted. I'm not ashamed to admit that I really don't have any friends at my own university - I joined a club that I don't participate in, the only friends I have are both in my hometown so I rarely see them, and I don't talk to people in my class unless I have to. Those are all my mistakes. It's scary to put yourself out there, especially if you have any form of anxiety, but you don't necessarily have to do all the work yourself - go to the events that you can. Even just being around the group is a good way to find at least one person to talk to, and if you have friends from different campuses, drag them along too, to be your safe person. Don't go throwing yourself into events that you know you won't feel safe at - don't go to pub crawls when you don't like being around drinking, or karaoke nights when you don't like performing. Go to board game nights if those are more your speed, or other low key events. Even going to mentoring sessions could help.

Get at least a good 6 and a half hours sleep. I know, I know, research says 8 is better. But you're in university. You aren't going to get that 8 hours unless you're magic, or you're further into your university career than I am, and you have a better routine. Six and a half is at least doable.

Hygiene. Tumblr and Reddit and every other social media sites in existence have created whole lists of hoe to maintain your hygiene even on the days when all you can do is lay in bed and cry. Take whatever advice works for you. Use dry shampoo if you can't wash your hair, use gum if you can't brush your teeth. Tie your hair up if you can't brush it, or hide it under a hat. Flip your clothes inside out to hide stains, use perfume and deodorant to mask any smells. Do what you can to take care of yourself, and don't feel bad when you slip, because everyone does. You're human, you can't be indestructible.

I think that's all the advice I have right now. Please keep in mind that I can only speak from my own experiences - what I've learnt, and what works for me, will not work for everyone, I can guarantee it. The best advice I can give is to just figure out what works best for you, and to do your best.

If anyone else has any tips or recommendations, please, reblog this post or comment, or share it with others. Just try to help each other.

Now, if y'all don't mind, it's almost 1 in the morning, and I need to take my own advice and get some sleep.

[denishamichelle]

Preparation.. where the rubber meets the road.

I am thankful for another Sunday. Another opportunity to get it right. Another opportunity to write. Another opportunity to build community and meaningful relationships.

I love Sunday's. For me Sunday's allow me to rest and reset for the week to come. I cant talk about preparation without talking about the sabbath and how it is ritual for me to keep it holy. And when I say holy, I simply mean, set apart and dedicated to God.

A major part of me preparing for anything includes me considering what I need from a holistic perspective. Holistic health takes into account our spiritual, physical, emotional, social, environmental, intellectual, financial and occupational areas of health with the understanding that each area is important.

I value my relationship with God and therefore when I prepare for any major event or major transition, I look to my spiritual practices to guide me.

A ritual, or routine practice, I have is weekly cleaning, clearing and calling. I clean my environment. I smudge my aura and my environment clearing out any old stagnant, negative energy. And then I call in the energies that I want present as I press forward.

I say all that to say, what you value matters when its time to prepare. For a person like me, my intuition and spiritual life is the guide and all else follows. For some, it may be securing a stable home or job. For others, it might be making sure you have the right support system in place.

You can not be ready for what's next if you are not tending to what's right in front of you. As we get ready for this next season, it is very important that you take stock of your current situation. Ask yourself what would you change about your life? How would that improve your life? In a perfect world with no limitations, what would life look like for you? See what comes up.

Try your best not to judge, dismiss, critique or criticize what ever comes up. Just consider for a moment what it would take to accomplish those things.

Then take a moment to consider what it is that you value. Because if you don't consider your values, it will all be in vain. What we value tends to be a prime motivator when it comes to implementing lasting (heavy on the lasting) lifestyle change.

In the world of health and wellness coaching, we like to call that intrinsic motivation. The type of motivation that comes from within and pushes us to stay dedicated to our goals.

We are getting ready to go into a season where if you are not preparing for what's next now, then you are already behind.

I know change can be overwhelming, but with the right support, a determined and positive attitude, I believe we can achieve anything we set our minds to.

I opened my bible the other day and the holy spirit brought me to the book of Luke. The book of Luke discusses the coming of Jesus, his birth and his life up until crucifixion. The part that stood out to me at that moment was the preparation.

An older woman named Sarah conceived her first child after years of trying with no success. In those time, you were not considered to be favored if you could not bare children. Shortly after Sarah conceived, Mary conceived. During their pregnancies, these women spent 3 months together. At the moment I read that, spirit made it very clear to me that there is something significant about who we share our gifts with while we are in the season of preparation and the need for being around likeminded individuals.

Now what I didn't mention is that in between the conceiving, the traveling, the confirmation, the fellowship and all that, many other things transpired. Things that might evoke fear. Hints why when Angel's appear, they always start with "fear not" lol.

Point is, there is a certain amount of faith one must have in the season of preparation. If its one thing I know, its that God has never failed me. My faith was tested every step of the way though.

I pray that as you go into this next season, you ground your energy in the spirit of preparation. I pray you use what you have. I pray you stay disciplined and dedicated. And I pray that if you don't know what any of this looks like, that you consider hiring a health and wellness coach (such as myself (= ) to help you navigate these changes and create a life that you desire.

love you to life,

Denisha

[lrenvs3000f24]

What is Privilege? Blog 3

Hi readers :)  

This week I had to step back and ask myself what is privilege? What does it mean to me? 

From my understanding, privilege is the unmerited advantages someone holds according to parts of their identity. It is hard to put privilege into simple terms as it has great depths and implications. 

To have a working definition of privilege is demonstrating my privilege.

 I am writing this blog for my university education because I have privilege. I have a part-time job when unemployment in Canada is at an all-time high. I come from a middle-class home, where my parents can help me financially. I am a white female who has never experienced barriers due to my race. 

I am inherently privileged and therefore benefit in society. 

 I do not deserve these benefits. Likewise, another does not deserve the lack thereof. Yet, it persists. Therefore, I must acknowledge my privilege in all walks of life, even nature interpretation. 

 To begin, I am a young, able-bodied person. The natural world is not designed for accessibility, and for that I am privileged. I can participate in activities without a second thought. Some people may face accessibility limitations as the landscapes or activities may not support mobile aids, or they may deal with pain and other physical limitations. So, when interpreting nature, it is important to understand that not everyone can participate. Accessibility should be considered from many different perspectives. An interpreter could ask for the perspectives of people of all abilities in an attempt to provide sufficient variations. 

 Additionally, a nature interpreter who is white, or from a Westernized society may look at nature from a Eurocentric view. This may include using the land for recreation, development, and science with potentially a lack of respect for the plants and animals. This is a privileged perspective as it ignores indigenous peoples and their practices. Indigenous people are ideal nature interpreters as their culture and history are imbedded with spiritual connections to the environment and include many sustainable and holistic practices. If interpreting on indigenous land, local indigenous people should be included in decision-making and planning. Moreover, land acknowledgments show that we are privileged to be standing on and learning about the land that was stolen through colonialism. 

  Privilege shows greatly in nature interpretation through economics. While people can interpret nature anywhere, many nature guides involve paid tours, and time off. To be financially comfortable enough to pay to enjoy nature in different forms stems from the privilege to get a job. To be able to spend time in nature even shows that shows that one does not have to work long hours with minimal spare time. 

Socio-economic status stems from many other privileges including race, ability, gender, age, religion, education, citizenship, language, orientation and more. Does this list look lengthy? Yes. All of these examples are present daily and are especially shown in nature interpretation. As I continue to think of examples, I realize just how many disadvantages someone may face simply because of who they are. 

I realized that privilege is everywhere. And as we know now, I am privileged to just be realizing this now. As I work on my ever-growing definition, I want to learn more from those who have not been granted the same opportunities as I have. The more I learn in life and as an interpreter, I want to do my part in sharing opportunities and demonstrating equality in nature interpreting. 

All people deserve to be able to interpret nature.

If willing, I encourage others to share their own understanding of privilege. We can all learn from each other one way or another!