#which is the most important tool for any sort of creativity

[prokopetz]

this ask came to me in a dream and i must speak on its behalf: what do you think about homestuck beyond canon

I think it's too early for me to have a well-formed opinion at this point, for a very specific reason.

I basically agree with the majority opinion that the post-epilogue story which would eventually become Beyond Canon is characterised by a whole lot of spite toward its target audience. Where I differ is that I don't think this is anything new; a certain sneering contempt for their audience has always been a hallmark of Andrew Hussie's work, and it's present in Homestuck right from day one. At most, Hussie getting burnt out from the Hiveswap fiasco resulted in a text that's somewhat less willing to entertain the polite fiction that its readers are in on the joke, but that's not a change – it's just saying the quiet part out loud.

The interesting part is that this contempt isn't merely undirected bile: it's motivated by a particular stance regarding the purpose of fiction. Writing a story which invites emotional investment, then turning around and calling you a stupid baby for actually becoming invested in it is one of Hussie's favoured narrative sleights of hand, but it's not the Charlie Brown-esque football pull it appears to be – or, rather, it's not only that. Lurking under it is the insistence that fictional characters are, ultimately, objects: tools for exploring a narrative space. Ironic detachment is the only "correct" way to approach works of fiction, because when you emotionally relate to a fictional character (or, heaven forfend, actually identify with one), you are fundamentally committing a category error – like you've mistaken a hat for your wife.*

To what extent Hussie actually believes any of that, and to what extent it's just a very committed bit they're doing is a fair question, but that's not important here; sincere or not, the opening stages of (what was not yet) Beyond Canon are dyed in the cloth with it. Care of the comic has subsequently been handed off to a separate creative team who, to all textual evidence, don't buy into this notion of what-fiction-is-for at all, but they're building on a foundation that's steeped in it. What we're looking at now is a serialised narrative which disagrees with its own premise. I genuinely cannot imagine what sort of flower they're expecting to grow in the soil they've been given, and I don't think we're far enough in to draw any well-supported conclusions just yet.

All of which is a very complicated way of saying that I'm just here for the show!

* With apologies to Oliver Sacks.

[level2janitor]

how to run an OSR game

a while back i made this post to help people who were interested in OSR games but didn't know where to start, explaining the general design philosophy and going over a bunch of different OSR rulesets you can run a game with. so this is a follow-up post about how to actually run these (especially bc not all of them have much actual GM guidance)

note this is a highly opinionated post and some people from the more meatgrinder-y end of the OSR might take issue with this. but this is advice that works extremely well for my games.

how to prep situations and not plots

this is good advice for most games but OSR especially because OSR gameplay is so driven by player scheming: don't ever include "and then the players will..." in your prep, because you do not know what the players will do.

if your prepped scenario hinges on the players taking a specific action or the whole thing falls apart, you're digging your own grave as the GM. trying to account for every action the players can take is a trap, because players are creative and clever and their options are only limited by their ideas. that's the game.

so "prep situations, not plots" has become popular advice in TTRPG communities, especially OSR circles. but how do you actually do that

the most important elements of prep you want to figure out are:

what do all the NPCs involved in this scenario want? what social levers (wants, fears, habits, allegiances, guilty pleasures, relationships) do they have that the players can pull?

what will happen if the PCs never interfere? what conflicts and schemes are brewing in the background?

what locations are there to explore? who and what is inside them, what dangers and treasures are inside?

the best prep is stuff you can't improvise, or stuff that's unsatisfying when improvised. you should probably know monster stats ahead of time, know the layout of dungeons, that sort of thing. elements relevant to challenging the players are important to prep.

stop rolling for everything

coming from nearly any other TTRPG to an OSR game, your instinct when a player says "i want to do X" is "okay, make an X roll" through a skill system or a pbta move or something.

if you do this in an OSR game, you run into problems.

player characters aren't very strong. they have single-digit hit points, few if any class abilities, and whether they're carrying a crowbar, a grappling hook, a lantern, etc. is as impactful as their choice of class.

this is because the game is about using your head more than using your character sheet - the sheet just lists tools to apply your creative thinking to. scheming and managing your resources is the game.

and this means if a player has a clever idea, you should almost never reward them with a die roll to see if they succeed. a skill check is just a random chance of failure. instead most actions should succeed or fail automatically.

here's a good checklist to determine whether something succeeds:

is it something a normal, untrained person could do? if yes, you succeed.

could a normal person do it with the right tools, training and/or time to work? if yes, you succeed if you have any of those things.

if you don't have any of those, you can't. find another approach or get ahold of those conditions for success.

die rolls are for resolving uncertainty and risk. picture a version of 5e where there are no ability checks, only saving throws - dice you roll when something's gone wrong and you're in danger.

which leads into the next point...

communicating information

one of the worst sins of roll-based task resolution is when it's used to determine perception. players making informed decisions is the heart of the game, and they can't do that without information.

give information freely. if your character could know it, they probably do. try to do this too much. never gate information behind a die roll, especially the PC's surroundings.

part of this is always informing the player what is at stake. if a player's in a dangerous enough situation that success comes down to a die roll, you must let them know that before they opt into making that roll, and what the consequences for failure are.

OSR games are about risk management, so tell your players what is at risk when they make those decisions.

entering combat

combat is one of the most dangerous things in an OSR game - it's unpredictable, lethal, and entering it is always a big decision.

if you're coming from a game like 5e, often your first instinct when an encounter occurs is, "roll initiative!" but this is a mistake. you always, even when combat is about to start, ask players for their approach. do they fight? flee? negotiate? surrender?

because combat is so risky, forcing players into it unprompted fundamentally changes the dynamic of your campaign. keep in mind, once combat starts, you don't get any input between rolling initiative and taking your turn. your fate is up to the dice - your tactics matter, sure, but they can't save you from losing initiative, being crit, and dying from bad luck.

if players willingly choose combat as their approach, they should know the risks and what they're getting into. sometimes combat is the best way to achieve your goals, so it'll still happen.

[mochidoodle]

First, I want to say that I love love love arisa ❤️‍🔥 I rarely care about other people's OCs because they are basically strangers to me (lol) except for a few I think are good. And you are one of them. Arisa is so pretty and I definitely can see her with hibari together.

Second, I kinda want to ask your advice/opinion (?) but it's pretty weird, so sorry in advance 😭 How would you feel if khr were to suddenly announce a spin-off and in there hibari has a s/o? Very unlikely tho because tsuna himself still needs to sort out his love problem, but let's imagine it for the sake of my question.

I have an OC that I crafted well in my imagination (I can't draw nor write haha) to pair with a male character from another show which has ended. But because I ship them so hard, I start getting irrational fear that if the show had a spin-off focusing on the said male character, he would be given an official girlfriend by the author (since one of his characteristics is tightly related to romantic stuff). It's really weird, like why would I want to gatekeep a character from his own author 😭?

It's just that I've never been interested to create a canon x oc or canon x y/n with characters who are officially in relationship in the story. I know I don't make sense but I just can't fully be immersed in the romantic scenarios while knowing the canon characters are taken... Wait why did I make it sound like I'm cheating 👁👄👁

So uh, do you have any advice so I can enjoy my own OC's lores without minding about the canon material? I guess you might be able to help me since you have a well-made OC 🥹

Omg first off, thank you for enjoying Arisa! I've only posted a little bit about her but to receive so much love... I'm honestly shocked (in a good way) and so appreciative!! 💙💐

Honestly, I've thought about the same question you're asking, and I also have mixed feelings. I'm very passionate about adhering to the worldbuilding that the author has created, out of respect for the work and to keep my creative interpretations "realistic" to that world. But at the same time, I feel you -- what if the author creates something that derails my personal idea completely?

For that, I can think of a few different routes. (Putting it under a read-more because it got a bit lengthy lol) ⬇️👁️👄👁️

#1

I stay delulu 🤪 I think it's so important to be able to curate your own experience in every environment. In fandom, if you don't like someone else's idea, simply wash it out of your brain and overwrite it with your own. In canon, if a character dies -- we pretend they didn't. I think the same can apply to OCs. If the character got married in canon... no they didn't. :) Your enjoyment comes first, even if no one else is on board. You're the captain of the ship!

#2

I overwrite ✏️ Sometimes I take what the author has already given me and I overlay my idea. Character got married? Sure! Now I take my character, paste it over whomever they're married, and voila. I often think about one of my childhood crushes, the rich snobby chara Tora from Maid-sama. He gets an arranged fiancee in the post-series chapter, but I just... pretended it's my OC from when I was 11. Same scenario, very little else changed, but I just put my vision on top of the author's.

#3

I fabricate reasons 🤔 Let's say the character did something that suggests romantic relations. In that case, I try to justify it while staying in-character for them. For example, TYL Hibari holds Chrome in an oddly intimate way while she is sick. I like to imagine a) he's mostly just obsessed with using her to get to Mukuro, and thus needs her alive as a tool, or b) idk, maybe Ari is fond of Chrome and would be sad to see her die. Whatever reason I can think of to redirect the meaning of a scene helps me feel less like I'm changing or twisting canon to fit my needs. I'm just working around it.

#4

I choose (fictional) violence 😈 In your most desperate hour, you have the power to simply get rid of them. Either they never existed, or they died in this timeline, and your ship is canon now. That being said, it's never nice to slander a character for the sake of your own preferred ship, or disrespect someone's past love (real or fictional), so option 4 is my least taken route. But it's still possible!

---

Not sure if any of this helped, but I hope I was able to express how I enjoy fandom OCs! I used to feel really shy and guilty about my canon/OC ships because of reasons very related to what you mentioned, but we are all just here to have fun! It's like playing dolls...and kids playing dolls have the most freedom in the world. I aspire to be like them and enjoy my little made up people in my made up world because we all need reprieve from the real world (girl, the tariffs!!)

;v; Thanks for reading all the way!

[pkmnirl]

How do you go about getting ideas for arcs? I’m struggling to figure out what I want to do with my character :(

Great question! This happens to be one of my absolute favorite parts of writing and pkmn irl itself. I've always been more of an ideas guy myself. I hope you don't mind but I decided to turn this into a bit of an overall tutorial for planning and writing arcs. Feel free to ask for any specifics because I could delve into my personal process for arc brainstorming, but I was admittedly writing this before getting ready for work and this post was getting kinda long haha

Knowing where to draw inspiration from can be a good place to start. It's wonderful to be inspired by music, a movie or tv show, a book, or even other people in the community and their writing. Ask yourself what elements of that thing draw you in. What do you like? What would you maybe do differently? I must mention though to be respectful of the work other blogs have put into their writing. Being inspired is a wonderful thing, lifting exact details or passages is not. If you're unsure, there's no harm is asking!

The most helpful thing I can tell you right off the bat is that you want to find out how to brainstorm. In schools they'll often try to teach you ways of brainstorming and outlining to structure your essay writing, if you're lucky they might even mention that there are multiple ways you can do this. The ones in school never worked for me personally, so for a long time I assumed brainstorming and outlining was a complete waste of my time and would launch straight into my writing drafts. But as I wanted to write more complex things and I wanted to indulge in more creative writing, I found myself getting stuck all the time. The truth is brainstorming is a helpful tool, but you have to know what type of brainstorming works best for you. Flowcharts, bullet points, stream of consciousness, word clouds, moodboards, drawings, whatever it is that gets your creative juices flowing. In my experience it works best to remember that not every one of these elements will make it into the final arc. You want to get your ideas down first and trim the excess later. I personally pay for a program (Milanote) that allows me to brainstorm in the methods that work best for me, but by no means do you have to pay for a program to do this. Pen and paper works just fine.

The next thing you wanna do is establish what you want your arc to do. Not every arc has to be a grand character development, but all arcs do something. No matter how small that something may be, something has to change as a result. Maybe your character meets a new person, obtains a new Pokemon, gets a new scar and a story to tell their friends, or maybe all they got was a t-shirt. If you already had a loose concept for your arc this can help you hone it. You can start asking yourself, "how does my character reach this point?" and work up to that. Map out what you think your character would do when dropped into a particular situation. This can also help you to establish the tone you want your arc to take. Is it silly and lighthearted or is it more serious and high stakes? Refer to the stakes tag post about proper tagging.

It can help to conceptualize your arc as a series of events rather than a single event. This allows you to understand how many posts you may need to split the arc up into, how much time the arc may take, or other hard to sort details.

These things ramp up when you start to incorporate more people into your arcs. Planning with your fellow writers is extremely important and that requires a lot of communication. Some writers prefer to do what we call pre-writing, which is typically you and the other writers get together and write out the posts in advance. This gives people the chance to look over each other's writing and make edits before the posts go live. Planning discords are useful for keeping things organized, but google docs or other collaborative writing programs can work just as well if those better suit your needs. Organize who is posting what and generally at what time, especially if the post involves other people's characters.

Remember all of this is for fun! These are not hard rules you need to follow. You should not force yourself to write things you do not like for the sake of others or for an imagined audience. Write what you want to write.

[wonderful-magician]

A cute little guide to my Squeak Gijinkas culture around bells!! I felt this would be easier to show visually instead of writing it all down!! Ignore the inconsistent quality I got really sick while making this 💔

Bells! The types of bells that squeaks ( and rarely- squeakers. ) will wear either always or for formal events. Nobody knows when the tradition to celebrate or mark people with bells started- after all squeaks are a old species that covers the many galaxies with how durable they are.

Some other bells can be found but these are simply the most popular and notable. Nobody wears a bell for no reason as it's culturally not proper or recommended. Back in the day you would be fined for it! But nowadays it's much more lax.

Popular opinion on certain bells can be decided. Everybody can agree those who wear a catbell are heroic and have done something for the community. But occasionally they will be a prick for the higher ups, with how squeak society is horribly corrupt. And the wealthy view the catbell as a sort of warning or sign to mistrust.

The same but opposite will count for the cowbell. The cowbell is highly regarded as a sign of wealth and power and it is an honor to wear one. But because all the higher ups in society wear one, they have gained a reputation for corruption and cruelty.

Traditionally wearing a bell on the neck is the most used and well known. After all the most important of squeaks wear their bells like this! Many famous squeaks wore their bell in this style and it's become a marker of a squeak at all. Since squeak culture is a mixing pot something shared like this is well known.

On the hip. When an older squeak with a bell dies they will occasionally pass down their bell ( not always! When they request it is not, it instead a family event to melt it into some sort of tool. ) often a mourning practice. Whether it's worn by a child or a grieving spouse. Occasionally if the wearer of the passed down bell becomes a leader they will eventually wear it on their neck, which is a big honor to wear your parents bell in a highly respected style!

Jingle bells- since they are worn by younger children are styled creatively! Either worn like a " grape " or on a string and worn like a bracelet. But are never worn as a necklace as that's on the neck.

Ok that's all I made for this! I contemplated making more but I don't think this needs much more- anyhow. If you have any questions about this ASK!! PLEASE!!

[badescapeartist-blog]

2

“Chess demands total concentration.” - Bobby Fischer 

That quote is simple, but important for two reasons. The first is that it is advice coming from–apparently–one of the best chess players ever. So I should probably turn off Netflix while I’m running through games. The second reason is that it falls in line closely with one of the main goals of my project.

In the last post, I gave a brief overview of the logistics of the project, which up to know have remained unchanged. I am still trying to play as much as I can. I am still reviewing my matches. I am still not looking up chess tutorials or theory. This post is not about the how of the project. It’s the why. 

For a long time now I have had problems focusing and staying on task. Especially if the task at hand isn’t something that I find particularly fun. Even when playing video games I find myself distracted by a video on my second monitor or a notification from my phone. I don’t think I have any sort of attention deficit disorder. Or if I do, it is very mild. 

I say that because there are many moments where I do stay on track and blast through my to-do list. Out of nowhere my brain seems to shift and I can dive deep into a task. But this is usually after blundering the better part of an hour, pruning distractions one by one until there is nothing left but what’s in front of me. It’s an amazing feeling nonetheless. After a few hours of working at that level of focus, there is a sort of afterglow of a job well done.

All that to say, I enjoy being able to focus but struggle to get into the right frame of mind for it. Ultimately the struggle stems from a hiatus I took from my post-secondary education a few years ago. In that time I obliterated any good-student habits I had before. This is where the game of chess comes into play.

Before I continue, I want to shed some light on the fact that my source is a biased one. This article works as an overview of the benefits of chess, but they are also selling subscriptions so it’s in their best interest to make the game look like a cure-all. It is a good place to start at least. 

The article linked above mentions multiple benefits from playing chess--but doesn't include sources--including brain exercise, cultivating creativity, confidence boost, even using it as an educational tool. But the one I’m most interested in is number four on that list: “Chess helps you focus.”

Even without scientific data to back up the claims, it does make sense. Just as the example in the article shows, you could be playing perfectly all game, losing zero important pieces and pressing the king into a corner. All it takes is one mistake for the game to fall apart. It was noticeable even in the few games I have played since starting on this project. Bobby Fischer tells no lies when he says that you have to stay focused. Not just on the important pieces, but on the board as a whole. It’s not enough to know where the queen is. I also have to pay attention to how the queen interacts with other pieces, and where they are in relation to the king, and so on and so forth. But the focus should really be on the big picture, the ultimate goal: a checkmate. 

Use all tools available, and use them to their fullest potential, to complete the goal. That is chess. It’s not possible if the mind is wandering and asking other questions. Getting a checkmate is paramount. That is why I want to learn chess. So that I can translate that to other areas of my life. Completing tasks without distractions means there is more time to do the fun things in life. 

Do I think being good at chess would be cool? Yes, I do. There’s no denying it. Does it also happen to be fun? Yes. But I do see potential for a real benefit and I think that’s reason enough to give it a shot. At least for 14 weeks.

[buriedyou]

𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐄.

previously found at: batgeance.

Inspired by The Batman (2022), Joker (2019), & specifically the creative works and lores of both Jessie (@jokethur) & Abigail (@banschivs). Based largely on personal interpretation as well as original headcanons. Following a post-flood timeline. Assume divergency & artistic liberties. This interpretation operates under the combined universes of Reeves' and Phillips' films, which is to say that every interaction is explored with the assumption that it's based in the real world. Furthermore, this Bruce's world lacks powers and abilities the way that most Batman iterations and DC worlds revolve around. I'm open to writing with characters with supernatural abilities or superpowers, but those interactions will not exist within Bruce's primary arc.

FULL NAME: Bruce Thomas Wayne ALT PERSONA(S): The Batman, The Detective, Paul, The Drifter GENDER: Cis-male SPECIES: Human HEIGHT: 6'1”. 6'4" in the suit. AGE: 32 years old BIRTHDAY: February 19

HOBBIES: Cars. An absolutely prolific gearhead. Racing, too. Travel, once upon a time. Tech and engineering, to varying degrees. Kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and Krav Maga. Calisthenic training. Being the Batman obviously LOL MENTAL ILLNESSES: Depression, bouts of paranoia and insomnia. Severe PTSD. PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: Tinnitis. Migraines. Photophobia. Undiagnosed fibromyalgia. ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral VULNERABILITIES: Hubris and the human condition. Mortality. His family, most particularly his half-brother, Arthur Fleck. TECH & TOOLS: The Suit, ever evolving and enduring constant upgrades. The Flight Suit. The Batarang. The Batclaw. Wayne Databases. Police scanners and various filched equipment from GCPD. A modified 1969 Plymouth Barracuda. A 1963 Chevrolet Corvette C2. A modified BMW bike. A 1964 Aston Martin DB5.

CURRENTLY.

the aftermath of the flood and falcone's fall. PRESENT DAY. TBD...

IMPORTANT:

i recognize arthur fleck as bruce's canon older brother and true heir to the wayne fortune. joker and the batman are intrinsically connected; one often cannot be found without the other far behind. both are unhealthily obsessive and possessive over each other and any threats to joker OR arthur are subject to the batman AND bruce's ire. do not make the mistake of using joker against the batman; or, if you do, be prepared for the consequences. i'm very attached to abigail and jessie's portrayals and when arthur or his wife nix are referenced in threads or headcanon posts, theirs are the ones i'm talking about.

my bruce is very mentally ill. in the aftermath of the floods and bruce's revelation regarding the very deep well of criminal connections and corruption in relation to the wayne family, he's going through a very huge identity crisis. who is bruce wayne? how does he fit into gotham? can he and the batman fit together? what does this mean for wayne enterprises? these are ongoing struggles for bruce right now.

this interpretation is a younger bruce wayne, a still relatively new batman and detective, and as such the wayne estate is in a sort of limbo right now. this bruce is not the playboy billionaire businessman that most are familiar with. right now he wants nothing to do with his family name and is very much rejecting the idea that he can do much as bruce; he is far more attached to the batman and what that can do for gotham (and himself).

ALT VERSES TBD...

[queering-ecology]

Eluding Capture: The Science, Culture, and Pleasure of “Queer” Animals by Stacy Alaimo cont.

Pursuing Pleasures, Creating Cultures

“Human-animal dualisms, which reduce animal sex to a mechanistic act of instinct or genetic determinism, should be supplanted with models of naturecultures (Haraway 2003) (60), in which sexual activity is always indivisibly material and social.

“Sex in nonhumans as well as humans, is partly a learned, social behavior, embedded within and contributing to particular material-social environments” such as in an study done on male guppies with the following premise: “On a longer timescale, social environment and ‘learned sexuality’ can have dramatic effects on the expression of species-typical sexual behavior” (Field and Waite 2004) (60).

It is crucial to acknowledge animals as cultural beings, enmeshed in social organizations, acting, interacting and communicating. “An understanding of animal cultures critiques the ideology of nature as resource, blank slate for cultural inscription, or brute, mechanistic force”, this is especially important as demonization and mechanization of animals persists.

“It is no longer feasible to maintain that only humans have culture: there are as many cultures as there are species with cultural behavior because each species is neurophysiologically unique” (Hird, 2004b, 93) (61).

Bagemihl argues that among primates (including humans), “as sexual intercourse becomes more variable, sexual communication systems become more sophisticated” and thus, “it is possible, therefore that sexuality—particularly the fluidity associated with nonreproductive sexual practices—played a significant role in the origin and development of human language’ (69) and that the creation and use of tool in aid of masturbation or “the pursuit of sexual pleasure may have contributed, in some measure, to our own heritage as creatures whose tool-using practices are among the most polymorphous of any primate” (71).

“Indeed, it is difficult not to be impressed with the creativity, skill, tenacity and resourcefulness of a female bonnet macaque who ‘invented some relatively sophisticated techniques of tool manufacture, regularly employing five specific methods to creature or modify natural object for insertion into her vagina” (61).

Certain accounts however have rendered animal sex to be too cultural—the ‘reason’ bonobos have so much sex (same-sex sex included) is to reduce social conflict’. Such ideas fall under the theory of sociosexual behavior meaning “sexual in terms of their external form but…enacted to mediate some sort of adaptive social goal or breeding strategy” (Vasey 2004b, 399). (62).

Such as the idea that same-sex sex among nonhuman primates is merely ‘motor patterns’: ‘motor patterns’ “normally associated with sex are sometimes incorporated into the nonsexual sphere of social communications” (147). “Sexual motivation and social function are not mutually exclusive” (Vasey 2004a, 351) (63).

All other possibilities for the existence of sex between same-sex animals must be ruled out-- other than pleasure-- before it can be understood as sex (63). “Despite over 40 years of intensive research in populations in which females engage in same-sex mounting and courtship…there is not a single study in existence demonstrating any sort of sociosexual function for these behaviors. Rather all the available evidence indicates that female-female mounting, and courtship are not sociosexual behavior. Female Japanese macaques do not use same-sex mounting and courtship to attract male sexual partners, impede reproduction by same-sex competitors, form alliances, foster social relationships outside consortships, communicate about dominance relationships, contain alloparental care, reduce social tension associated with incipient aggression, practice for heterosexual activity, or reconcile conflicts” (Vasey 20004b, 399) (63).

The predominant scientific framework parallels the mainstream environmentalist conception of nature that is ‘both actively de-eroticized and monolithically heterosexual’ (Sandilands 2001, 176).

Erotophobia is clearly linked to the regulation of sexual diversity; normative heterosexuality, especially in its links to science and nature, has the effect of regulating and instrumentalizing sexuality, linking it to truth and evolutionary health rather than to pleasure and fulfillment (64). Queer animals allow us to challenge this concept.

Pleasure here may be understood as “materialist, naturalist, and posthumanist” performativity, that “allows matter its due as an active participant in the world’s becoming, its ongoing ‘intra-activity’” (Barad 2003, 803) (64).

[codeandcanvas]

After privating all of my posts here (I am never deleting anything, not completely, that is), I have chanced upon the capital C graphic design Community here on Tumblr, which I have instantly joined to built rapport and connection with other graphic designers and graphic design students here on Tumblr (at least with the ones who are also interested in building together and in public, lol).

You can find the community here: https://www.tumblr.com/communities/graphic-design

And since I have said before that I want to do weekly round‑ups to look at what I was doing the last seven days, this post doubles (or triples?) as that, as a fauxrst post (false first post, I like those), as well as creating something (a)new.

The last week I was building an’ changing a few things on my website, drawing inspiration from all sorts of people, all sorts of places, all sorts of nets.

I have added a couple of new pages to my WordPress‑based website, and moved around navigational links.

There is of course the page with the design links to websites and podcasts you can use in your RSS feed readers of choice, provided you do a little bit of digging (if you need some help with that, you can write me any way you like, and we’ll look into it together)

The new stuff I put in the footer, following inspiration from Scott Boms website.

I have a page for friends now (currently made up of my teachers, tutors, and professors, mostly), a page for what I am doing now, called Now (which is a really cool idea, and it fits neatly between the very thin substance of a status post, and a long form post like this one, both in size, as well as now‑ness; you can find out more about that here: https://nownownow.com/about)

But what I think is the most important addition to my website, is the page about tools, “Werkzeuge” in German.

Here I could finally dump all of my graphic design hacker tools, at least that is how I think of them.

My system consists of two pillars: new information, and how it is being stored. I believe that everyone rolls their own tools after a while. I would just love it if somebody would find some use for mine, if only to build something better from that.

The two RSS feeds linked to from the footer are neat: you have the usual feed for the whole site, but I also provided an RSS feed of my custom status updates, which you can see on Home.

These status updates are my own, most recent solution to my issues with posting, well, status updates on my socials:

you know, issues like

am I posting the same status update to every net I have an account for,

will I automate and schedule the same content everywhere and be a boring, cold machine, and

do I want to burn myself out coming up thesaurus’d variants of the same post for every net?

So now there are two ways to check (three, really) in what mess I’ve gotten myself into recently: you can check my Now page, you can look at my Statuses, or you can check it out using your own, third way.

As for my study schedule, I am glad that summer is over, because I clearly cannot function during summer. I hope with cooler days ahead, I can keep a cooler head while practicing the art of not judging what I do or don’t do. I might have gotten my degree, but I want to learn so much more.

Started reading Creative Code by John Maeda and sort of forensically/archeologically recreating the years during which it was written and printed, because these past twenty years have basically muddied the tracks quite a bit, so to speak. It is a good read.

And I think I have covered the whole week now, broadly enough.

I need to figure out which hashtags should go with this post. I need to look at the top posts for each tag I think could fit, and then consider what being in the top means for each tag I am looking at.

Eh, let’s go through this together:

huge tags first (>1 million followers)

#drawing

6.1M followers

1.3K recent posts

#artwork

3M followers

1.3K recent posts

#illustration

16M followers

962 recent posts

#digital painting

1.6M followers

157 recent posts

#digital art

5.5M followers

3.5K recent posts

#sketch

4.8M followers

662 recent posts

#traditional art

1.2M followers

448 recent posts

#graphic design

5.8M followers

this one doesn’t even show a recent posts count at all? But it feels extremely dead if you look at recent posts under that tag.

We’ll figure this out together. If it is graphic design, then I will tag it as such. If it is something else, then I will not tag it as graphic design. I think that this is a solid foundation towards connecting.

So, what is this post?

It is about my website, it is about studying, about me being a graphic designer, and about software I use. Also, it is about creative coding, generative art, a book, and that I use WordPress.

So I wonder which tags I will use? I prefer low counts when it comes to hashtags. Five sounds reasonable, nice for chunking, too,

So there. I might not be a student anymore, but that means that I have just proven to have the discipline to get my degree, so studyblr fits.

Hi everyone! Hello world.

[we-are-the-memers-mr]

neurodivergent-friendly advice on forming habits for creatives (& anyone, really) - with photos

Habits marked with ⭐ are the most important ones, imo.

A good way to build habits that you don't read in books is to make the habit desirable. You can look up the other methods (Atomic Habits and other similar books are great).

But for this one, if you're anything like my neurodivergent mentally ill butt you need things to be desirable in some way to get you to do them.

So what does desirability mean?

It means that it makes you want to do it, with energy and enthusiasm! Or at least not hate the task and yourself and everyone and everything! Something desirable for a habit may include:

Organized

Goblin tools link - https://goblin.tools

The best way to ensure you can perform a habit is to make it EASY. The best way to make it easy is to be organized. Yes this is difficult but you'll get better over time and it'll pay off with dividends of you being very likely to Do The Thing (tm) if you combine this with a few other things on this list (plus the normal habit formation stuff, but honestly loving what you do will make you way more likely to do it than tying it to another habit!).

⭐Put it somewhere easy to access that you can get to EASILY every day, preferably something you already have a habit of going to, e.g. your desk or your lounge room.

⭐Organize your digital files! Here's an example:

^ art (main folder)

^^ (subfolder, 1 folder deep) anatomy

^^^ (subfolder, 2 folders deep) female anatomy

^^^^ (subfolder, 3 folders deep) female torso...

^^^ (subfolder, 2 folders deep) male anatomy

^^^^ (subfolder, 3 folders deep) male torso...

Etc, etc.

Tl;dr (non technical speak): make a folder within a folder for each aspect of your project/task.

📂Every once in a while (can be weekly, monthly, 6 monthly, etc.) sort out your digital files. If you're no longer using that folder, put it in either a "not currently in use" folder to use again later, or if you're done with it, put it in an archive, on either your computer or (preferably) on a hard drive for safe keeping.

📂I have a "quick access" folder with all the folders I'm currently using in it. This is so all I need to do is find the quick access folder and this way I don't have to sort through a sea of dozens of random folders to find the useful ones. This is also good because there are some windows folders you can't relocate and they sit there taking up space and making it visually more cluttered. Note: Be sure to back up your important folders once every week to 3 months.

📂If you want to go super advanced, there are desktop folder kits on Etsy (and perhaps some free ones? though be careful with downloading random things, you may get a virus). They make the folders look aesthetic.

📂Personally, I use either Obsidian or Notion, depending on what I'm doing (usually Obsidian). I recently installed Askify, which can connect to both. Cool thing about it is that you can add notes from any site on the net including YouTube, it takes screenshots for you, and grabs a timestamp as well as being able to summarise the past 15 seconds of the video for you (though it usually just types what the person said, but this can be helpful). It's $3.50 AUD a month, but Obsidian and Notion are free so you can just use those if you can't afford it.

📂⭐Keep the space you're working in as tidy as you can manage. Try to make a habit of every night taking all dishes and empty drinks into the kitchen before you go to sleep.

📂⭐If you have your own space, don't be afraid to rearrange it! I recently rearranged my entire apartment and using my own cleaning advice - if you haven't used it in the past 6 months, consider chucking it out (if it's not expensive), if it doesn't make you happy, earn you money, and isn't useful regularly in some way, chuck it out - and now I'm 100x more physically comfortable, especially because I have an air conditioner next to me now near where I both work and sleep. If you have trouble visualising, try using a website to do so or draw it on paper until it feels right. Pro tip: you don't have to throw away everything, you can also donate it to an op shop/charity/homeless shelter that accepts donations if it's still usable, or you can sell it if it's high-ish quality and worth something.

📂⭐*If you can't do it today, then put it on your to-do list for tomorrow. Keep transferring unfinished tasks to tomorrow until your list is free from tasks.

📂⭐Generally good advice, especially for neurodivergents (but everyone needs to know!): take a dang break every once in a while! If you find yourself getting frustrated with something, take a break, possibly until tomorrow.

... If you have to do it today, do something to break it up, e.g. a nap or a shower. After this, give it a little while to keep cooling off if you still feel bad, then go back to the task.

... If it's something you have more time to do, stop doing it when it stops being fun/enjoyable. If you don't get fun/enjoyment out of it to begin with, stop when it's no longer interesting. Stop BEFORE you get to the point where you're pushing yourself. That is how you make yourself hate whatever you're doing and get a massive block from doing the task. Trust me, I didn't write a story for over 3 years after writing every single day because I pushed myself to the point it was frustrating to do and forced myself to keep going. Not worth it, wish I hadn't.

Sight

⭐Especially good for creative and visual types, like people who like art, design, front-end web devs, game devs, animators, writers etc.⭐

🎨Aesthetically pleasing - e.g. plugins that can change the aesthetic of programs. A good example is the extremely extensive library of plugins and themes available for Obsidian, all free to install. You can also get aesthetic Notion templates, too, but they often cost money (though you can find free ones on the official Notion template website!).

🎨Some aesthetic program add-ons include: the extensive free plugin/theme library for Obsidian (you can even connect it to back up to GitHub for free, though it's very technical) and aesthetic Notion templates - here's a link to where you can find free ones (there are other categories, too, not just for productivity) - https://www.notion.so/templates/category/personal-productivity?paid=free -------- If you want a link to my Etsy store to buy a nice looking aesthetic Notion template for university students (or a different special one just for design students!) for cheap that has better features than the free ones, go here: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/PointyBirdDesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=47390214

🎨Nice colours that you like.

🎨Nice shapes - e.g. your office has a circular painting that you love the shape of (and it makes you happy to look at it).

🎨Nice visual texture - e.g. you're writing a book - consider doing it in a program that has unlimited pages and has a paper texture in the background with no ads or distractions (and can go full screen).

Smell

👃If you're not sensitive to perfumes, spraying a nice scent whenever you do the habit could make you feel happier. You may even start to associate the task with that nice smell.

👃Make sure the area you're working in smells nice. Bad smells can be major subconscious distractions.

Sound

🙉The object associated with your habit makes a satisfying sound, e.g. for writing you might want a certain type of keyboard, like a mechanical keyboard that makes a satisfying "thunk" with each key press and makes you feel like a professional writer. Some browsers like Opera GX (not sponsored) also allow you to add typing sounds directly to the browser, so if you can't afford a nice keyboard but still want a satisfying sound you might want to try that if you're doing a lot in your browser. Otherwise, iirc, there are also writing programs that might do something similar (you'll have to look for them yourself, I can't remember sorry).

🙉⭐You can use things for background noise while you're doing the task if you either have it down really low or you don't need to hear your recordings for it. E.g. for editing a video you can play very soft instrumental music (I don't recommend anything with words, it'll confuse you when they mix with your audio), or if you're doing something like sorting through paperwork you can put on whatever type of music you like or even a twitch or youtube vod/stream on while you're doing it. It sacrifices a tiny bit of optimal brainpower, but you'll likely be less bored and be able to do the task for longer so it'll likely even out, and if you're concerned, you can often do polishing touches at the end to make sure your work is good.

🙉Headphones can go a long way for focus in busy places. Noise cancelling ones can help a lot if you have the cash.

Tactile

🤗*Generally you want to be physically comfortable when performing your habit. If you can afford it/can save up and it's causing you discomfort, try to replace it. A good place to find quality furniture for cheap is your local tender centre. Sometimes op shops are good options, but they're usually more expensive. I found an amazing ergonomic chair for $100 that was worth about $500 - $600. Good things come along sometimes, just keep looking.

🤗If it's something that requires you to go outside and you can afford it, try investing in a few nice outfits to make yourself feel more confident for days when you're feeling less motivated.

🤗⭐If you're neurodivergent or sensitive to textures, make sure before you buy something that you can run your hand along it many times and not feel awful. Honestly, everyone should do this. We all have preferences.

🤗⭐Don't ignore things that make you feel uncomfortable! Why? Because in my experience it's a bit like in video games - these things stack up like debuffs. What I'm saying is, it may not be a big thing to have bright lights hurting your eyes, but if you have bright lights, an uncomfortable chair, and your environment isn't clean, this can be sensory hell, especially for neurodivergents. Write down the things that make you uncomfortable and fix as many as possible, one by one. Don't end up like your neglected sims who are very talented but are completely and utterly miserable because you don't fix the things that are bothering them and don't fulfil their basic needs!

🤗⭐If it bothers you, fix it as soon as you can. It's easy to let little annoyances pass, but just like when a sim does something they dislike, your tolerance for it will be grated until you feel absolutely awful and/or snap. This goes for things as little as your room being too cold (get a blanket or if you can afford it and have one, put the heater on!) or too hot. Do NOT screw around with things you can fix in under 2-30 minutes. If you can fix it in under 2 minutes, do it right now. If you can fix it in under 10 minutes, write it down and do it today. For the rest, add it to either a weekly, monthly, or some day to-do list. Scheduling it for a certain period of time makes it more likely to get done, though. If you're like me and can't do something when you force yourself to or are told you have to, just schedule it to be done within a certain week or month. No pressure.

Feeling

💜⭐A good rule of thumb is that you've achieved desirability when you feel excited to do the habit. If this excitement ever wears off, try mixing and matching other ways of building desirability or changing something about the habit, e.g. the prompt (see habit building books or summaries for more info). Keep it fresh! Whenever you get bored, change things around.

💜⭐Listen to your emotions. Emotions are the body's way of communicating things with you, whether it be about your environment or about your body or mental state. Sure, some are irrational, but every emotion has a story to tell. Try listening. Don't push your emotions down, learn to process them. If you don't know how, a therapist can help.

Bonus note:

Don't spend beyond your means! If you can't afford it, don't buy it! I am not telling you to go out and spend as much as you can on these things. Mid-range is usually the best bang for your buck, and can often be found for cheap in op shops and tender centres, as I said.

Good luck! If you have any bonus tips feel free to reblog this post or comment and add them!

[snowflake-obsidian-cat]

how do you make the background on the characters transparent? i'm trying to make a banner for my blog but i've never worked with WoW screenshots before.

I am not sure how familiar you are with editing software, so this tutorial is going to be detailed.

Step 1:

You need a simple screenshot of your character. Here are some ways you can get it:

a) in-game screenshot

b) Wowhead Dressing Room screenshot

c) Wow Model Viewer

d) WoW Tools

e) far stretch, but if you want to mess around with mogs, Epsilon Private Server is fantastic for that (they also support the Narcissus addon)

I prefer Wowhead's Dressing Room, so that's what I'll use. Recommendation: If you use Wowhead, use the PTR version of the page (right now it's 10.2.5) to remove Wowhead's watermarks in the background.

Step 2:

Take the screenshot of your character (Print Screen on Windows keyboard) + paste it to Paint.

Now you have your very own Screenshot with a background.

Step 3:

To remove the background, you will need an app that can do that for you. The two options I can personally recommend are:

a) Photoshop

b) Photopea (basically free in-browser photoshop) (link)

I will use Photopea for this tutorial.

Step 4:

Once you upload your screenshot to Photopea, you will need to select the character with the Magic Wand tool.

Everything you select will be outlined with a scissor line.

Step 5:

There will be some areas where the tool might 'overselect' and get bits of the background. There might also be areas which the tool will not select. To fix that, use the Lasso tool (red circle).

If there are any areas that are on the character, that the Magic Wand did not get, draw over them with the Unite option (green square). If there are bits of the background, exclude them with the Subtract option (blue triangle).

If you need to zoom in or out, hold Alt and use your scrolling wheel. It will make some smaller areas easier to see and select/deselect.

This is the most important step, so be meticulous.

Step 6:

After you mess around with the Magic Wand and Lasso tools, you will have something like this.

Now you need to remove the background completely. On the right side of the screen, there is the Add Raster Mask option. Click on it.

Voila!

Your character is separated from its background!

Step 7:

To save it, you will need to export it. Here's a quick how-to:

Press on File in the top left corner. Then Export as. Then save it as a PNG (make sure it's a .PNG as .JPG / .JPEG do not support transparency).

After that, you will be prompted again. Just click Save.

Step 8:

And here's your character, completely divorced from the background! Now you can use an editing app to put her in any background your heart desires. If you don't have any software of that sort, there are also plenty of websites that you can use.

Some that I know of:

a) Pixlr (link)

b) Canva (link)

c) BeFunky (link)

d) Picsart (link)

I often use BeFunky because it's easy to get the hang of, minimalistic and convenient to use!

At this point, only your creativity is the limit.

This is by far not the only way to do it (and not the fastest), but it's the simplest one that I could come up with.

It might seem a bit tedious, but I find it quite relaxing :3

Good luck, anon!

[danglovely]

Breaking Down a Task

Before I get into breaking down Series Five, I just want to take the opportunity to explain a few statutory interpretation tools and how they apply to analyzing tasks.

The Call to Action

Both tasks and statutes usually open with the purpose. This is what you would call "recitals" in a contract and it's the reason everyone is there. Example: "Place these exercise balls on the mat at the top of the hill." This is what you're doing and if you don't do it, you haven't completed the task. However, this is the loosest bit of any task and it leaves a lot of leeway in interpretation because it's the purpose, not the win condition. Ambiguity in language should usually be held in the contestant's favor if it happens here.

2. The Win Condition

The win condition usually comes at the end and signals to Greg how the task is supposed to be graded. "Fastest wins," "most creative wins," and "fewest guesses wins" are all examples of win conditions and they should be heavily scrutinized (though ambiguity is up to Greg, so it doesn't really matter).

3. Disqualification Conditions

The first example that comes to mind is Series Fifteen where a task prohibited looking at or speaking to Alex. These should be enforced to the letter because the writer anticipated a certain type of behavior and took the time to explicitly forbid it.

-- So for the purpose of an example, let's take a task from Series Twelve:

Completely paint this space hopper green without making any mess. The entire space hopper must be green. The entire space hopper must stay in the dome. When you are satisfied that you are finished, put your hands on your hips and bow deeply at your green space hopper. Fastest and least messy wins.

Your call to action is a the first part. The point we're here for is the first line: (1) Paint the thing green. (2) Don't make a mess. While there is some strong language used, this is the part that is open to interpretation because the point is to explain to the contestant what they'll be doing. This is where they're able to argue what the task was actually trying to say.

Your win condition is the last part. "Fastest and least messy wins." This is a hard rule, but the task doesn't explain which is more important, so it's up to Greg. Some would argue he should try to determine what the task was intending to do when it was written. Some would argue that if the task meant the two factors to be weighed equally. It is Taskmaster, though so Greg is king and this is the part he has the most control over.

Finally, the DQ conditions: (1) The entire space hopper must be green. (2) The entire space hopper must stay in the dome. The DQ conditions are where the language govern the most. The second one is easy; anyone can see when a part of the hopper leaves the dome. The first one is trickier for the sole reason that it seems actually impossible to actually make the thing uniformly green. One would assume that the task writers didn't intend to set an impossible task, so this would be the sort of question that would get hashed out in the legal world over hundreds of cases until the community settled on a consensus definition of "completely green." It's rarer to see this level of ambiguity in the DQ conditions.

So, that's my too long explanation of how I sort of breakdown this interpretation. Now to rejoin the regrade, already in progress.

[haleed213]

The Role Specialists in IT Consulting in Northern Virginia Have When It Comes to Security Threats

In today’s world, where almost everything works digitally issues, like cybersecurity in Richmond VA, are not something that comes as a surprise. These days companies put a lot of emphasis on risk management strategies because they know how important the security of a business is. It does not matter if your business is a small one, or if you have had one going for over 10 years, your company can face the same challenges. Maybe the repercussions are not of the same magnitude but they are bad no matter the dimension of your company. That is why considering IT consulting Northern Virginia services is a must.

In any field, the work of expertise of specialists is needed, especially in situations like security issues. The problem with the digital world these days is much bigger than the physical threats that companies in Richmond VA nowadays have to face. Compared with when someone comes to steal from your store, for example, when they steal your products and leave, online scammers can do a lot more harm. They are not only able to steal your money, but they can also steal sensitive data that in the long-term can harm not only you and your company but so many other people whose data they take.

Specialists Have the Proper Tools to Help

The problem of cybersecurity in Richmond VA is something companies have had to deal with for a while now, but the only thing that makes everybody acknowledge it at such a level is the fact that the attacks started to grow and become more and more challenging. The result of such attacks can be devastating on so many levels. A company dealing with such issues can lose not only lots of money, but it can also lose its reputation, and this one is hard to get back. That is why you need someone experienced to deal with this issue.

Specialists in IT consulting in Northern Virginia deal with such problems maybe daily and they have the tools to offer proper security measures as their job includes courses about this specific area and how to deal with it. They are the best option you have when you need someone to recommend the best strategies that will help you get rid of certain vulnerabilities that make you a potential victim of scammers. You need to make sure that your company has the best security measures taken so that scammers do not stand a chance when trying to harm you.

Any Business Is a Potential Victim

Cybersecurity breaches are something most companies have to deal with, but if you have someone to assess the existing infrastructure to see if there are and which are the weak points of your business, that specialist will be able to come up with strategies to protect your company against any kind of online threats. You can be sure that there are lots of threats, and many of them are known, such as malware, data breaches, or phishing attacks. Not to mention that scammers are pretty inventive, and they get pretty creative when it comes to cheating schemes.

Risk management is something companies in Northern Virginia are aware of, and that is why the need for an experienced person to conduct risk assessments is crucial. People with knowledge in the field can see the potential risks, and in case they consider any sort of threats, they will develop strategies to get rid of anything that is a possibility to harm your business. Do not think that this is only about seeing if you have any viruses or you have received harmful spam emails, and you need to get rid of them.

Specialists in IT consulting need to verify all the IT systems of the company, see which are their policies and what their working system is, what vulnerabilities they have, and based on all that they will try different approaches to minimize the impact any potential risk could have. For businesses, it is crucial to protect all their data, and not only theirs but also the sensitive information of all their clients, because only that way they will be able to keep their clients and continue with their daily operations.

Experts Offer Customized Solutions

IT firms from Richmond VA need to closely collaborate and communicate with their clients because that is the only way they can get to know their business, see what their specific needs are, and based on that they can develop an approach that is customized to their particular needs. Not all companies work the same, and not all of them face the same type of threats, therefore a customized solution is the best one for any company that faces potential cyber-attacks. When you implement certain strategies you need to make sure that they are the best ones.

Scammers are constantly evolving in finding new ways to cheat people, and a measure which may have worked yesterday may not be the solution to the issue you have today. IT consulting companies are being updated constantly with all the new industry trends, and they keep up with all the regulatory changes, because technology evolves and so do tools and techniques and that is why you need someone experienced, who is up-to-date with everything it is new and efficient. In an era where people use devices daily, you need to know that your data is not safe anymore.

Take Care of Your Personal Information

People are living in a world where they order products and services daily and leave their data for everyone to see, and even if you believe that no one will ever harm you, there is a possibility to happen. That is why IT specialists from Northern Virginia keep on recommending everyone to be very careful where they leave their personal information, every time they create an account to use powerful passwords and if they have any sort of business to be sure they take all the measures to keep their company safe.

The cybersecurity problem will never go away. There will always be people trying to scam others, and their techniques become more and more advanced which makes IT experts keep up with everything new in the field so that companies be safe and individuals, too. By learning about the best technologies and practices, specialists can ensure their clients that they will benefit from the most effective tools that will stop cyber risks Collaborating with experienced and trained people in the field will allow business owners to focus on their job knowing that their sensitive data is efficiently protected.

[morlock-holmes]

I disagree, fairly strongly actually. The aesthetic territory of image and video generation is primarily produced by mainstream, traditional artists because that is who, almost by definition, creates the data-set used to train the model.

This strikes me as relatively unlikely to change, because even though more AI stuff is entering the internet, it's AI stuff designed to mimic the most prevalent aesthetic trends, so I don't know that it's going to pull the models in any direction besides "What they were already doing."

Current technology is, as far as I can tell, mainly of use to people who are on some level indifferent about the aesthetics of what they produce; getting Stablediffusion to produce something mildly interesting is extremely easy; getting it to reliably produce an orderly aesthetic is more difficult, and getting it to produce a reliable aesthetic which deviates heavily from obvious mainstream aesthetics is very difficult and requires a fair chunk of work.

So it tends to be used in cases where a specific aesthetic vision is unnecessary, e.g.

To replace stock assets;

As part of a practice where the generative nature of the production process is more important than any specific attribute of the final product;

Shit posting;

Content farm garbage;

Pornography;

Propaganda;

I think it was an article I read on this that used the term "Obviousness" to describe the Trump aesthetic. The combination of the immediate but shallow impression of technical acumen combined with loud, easy to comprehend imagery appeals to people making blunt propaganda.

Less so to idiosyncratic artists. Especially because many artists want more control, not less.

So we’re ending up with this weird situation where the most powerful creative tools in human history are being used primarily to create increasingly sophisticated Matroyska patterns of 4chan humor, not because the technology is inherently suited to that purpose, but because the people willing to experiment with it come from communities that value transgression over everything else and dominate the platforms that let this sort of content spread.

I would dearly love to know were they're hiding "One of the most powerful creative tools in human history" because I quite enjoy playing with StableDiffusion, and not to be redundant, but StableDiffusion has massively improved my ability to produce the kind of images that StableDiffusion produces easily.

It has not really effectively allowed me to express most of my creative ideas, and is in fact fairly bad at this task.

I think the mistake being made here is that because there is a moralizing opposition to the use of genAI, that must mean that moral objections constitute the primary obstacle towards adoption by artists.

I, conversely, think it's because these tools as they exist today integrate very poorly into most conventional artistic workflows, except for little bits and bobs around the edges like background removal and similar such technical tasks.

Like, a few days back I asked this question the consensus was that if you have a particular vision for an OC, the only way to reliably produce it in imageGen is to first produce it via a more traditional process (e.g. 3d modeling or drawing) and then train a model on those conventional images.

Which like... Hardly heralds the oncoming demise of the traditional artist, right?

Gee I Wonder Who Has Been Screaming Shit Like This Already From The Rooftops Hmm?

[craftideasblog]

Top Gifts for Quilters and Sewers in 2025 – Thoughtful & Creative Ideas - https://craftideas.blog/craft-supplies-tools/craft-gift-guides/top-gifts-for-quilters-and-sewers-in-2025-thoughtful-creative-ideas/ The Best Gifts For Quilters and Sewers – 2025 Guide   Are you looking for a meaningful gift for the sewer or quilter in your life, but have no idea where to start? Finding the perfect gift can be tough when it seems like they have everything and you don’t sew or quilt yourself. With so many sewing supplies, tools, notions and fabrics out there, it’s no wonder you might find yourself looking for a little guidance so you don’t have to ask for hints and spoil the surprise. Whether you’re looking for the perfect Christmas present, stocking stuffer or Mother’s Day gift; there’s sure to be something they’ll love and appreciate on this list. Everything on this list is handpicked by us at The Mother Huddle with careful thought and consideration. We’ve made sure you won’t be short on gift ideas with more than 40 quilting and sewing themed gifts. Best Gifts For Sewers Sewing gifts are sure to make your sewing friends and family happy at any time of year! From birthdays, to Mother’s Day and Christmas; we have gift ideas that’ll help them tackle their next project and show off their love for sewing to everyone who comes over to visit. Fabric is always a great gift, but you can give them something else that won’t get lost in their collection. Sewing Aid Set Of 100 Sewing Threads Buy On Amazon! Sewers of all kinds know how important it is to have matching thread and this is something you cannot easily eyeball without the fabric being used on hand. That’s why this set of 100% polyester mixed assortment thread is such a great gift! There’s a whopping 92 colors included in this set with every shade they could need and in between. This gift is sure to go over well and save your sewer from a quick stop craft store in the near future. MumCraft Multipurpose Sewing Clips $6.89 Buy On Amazon! Sewing clips might be one of the most useful gifts you can gift this holiday season or for a special event! They’re perfect for tightly holding together multiple layers of delicate fabrics as you sew unlike pins which can easily damage them. They’re also quicker, easier to use than sewing pins too; when putting on fabrics and removing them without poking yourself or losing them. SINGER 00564 Pro Series Thread Snips $6.99 Buy On Amazon! Easily snip away unwanted threads for clean and tatter free projects with these smaller thread snips than ordinary fabric shears. They’re easier to handle for smaller cuts, sharp, durable and have a lifetime guarantee with Singer. Ergonomic Seam Ripper Buy On Amazon! No matter how good of a sewer they are mistakes happen and seam rippers are super handy to have on hand! Your sewing loved one most likely has a seam ripper or two around their craft room, but this particular seam ripper is made with an ergonomic handle that’s much easier on their hands and wrists. If you’re looking for a something a little extra, this seam ripper makes a great stocking stuffer. Steamfast SF-717 Mini Steam Iron   Buy On Amazon! Mini irons are also a must have for quilters, seamstresses, dress makers and all sorts of sewers. It’s handheld, making it so much easier to use than an ordinary house iron. It’ll heat up and remove all wrinkles from your fabrics within one minute before sewing. Sewing Room Door Sign This farmhouse style inspired sign is a beautiful addition to any craft room, sewing room or quilting room. They can hang it outside their door or in the room. The wording is customizable too, so if you’d like it to say something different, like craft room or quilting room or it’s for your sister or grandmother just leave it in the notes! Life Is Short Buy The Fabric-Makeup Bag Buy On Amazon! Give a gift that’s useful and thoughtful like this ultra-cute “life is short buy the fabric” makeup bag. Even if the recipient of your thoughtful gift doesn’t like makeup, it doesn’t need to be used just for makeup. It fits cell phones, chargers, keys, wallets, feminine hygiene products and more perfectly. It is waterproof on the inside protecting what’s inside from moisture and also not allowing any products to leak out. You can even make it into a gift bag! Sewing Charm Braceletn Buy On Etsy! Sewers, quilters and seamstresses who like jewelry will love this sewing charm bracelet. It’s handmade and can be fully customizable ensuring whomever receives it won’t already have another bracelet like it. Contact the seller to customize your gift and if you’re in a rush gift wrapping is available. Seamstress Dress Form Print Buy On Etsy! Dressmakers and seamstresses alike will love this dress form print! Each print is upcycled from a page from an antique English Encyclopedia Britannica. No two prints are exactly alike. They’re made from real books with imperfections you’d expect from once well-loved books. Gingher 8-Inch Knife Edge Dressmaker’s Shears $29.60  Buy On Amazon! An excellent pair of shears is absolutely essential for quilters, dressmakers, seamstresses and sewers of all kinds. A master sewer would never get caught with a dull pair of scissors! These shears in particular are perfect for longer cuts like clothes making seams and quilting patterns. They’re have ultra-sharp blades and have a bent handle to ensure your fabrics stay flat and smooth for the most precise cuts as possible. Fabric Pattern Weights $25.32  Buy On Amazon! Cut and draw patterns perfectly snug and in place with these pattern weights! They’re meant to be used without pins so your fabric lays flatter and you don’t damage or snag delicate fabrics. Four weights come in one set, so an extra set or two as a gift is always welcomed for any sewer. Dritz St. Jane Sewing Basket $29.99  Buy On Amazon! Sewers can never have too much portable storage, but this sewing basket is especially beautiful for clothing and dressmakers. It’s great for portable storage so they can carry their current project wherever they want to work on it. Perfect for a standalone gift or stuffed with well needed sewing notions. Ultimate Sewing Starter Kit $76.99  Buy On Amazon! If your friend or loved one is just getting started sewing or looking for a new hobby; consider this ultimate sewing starter kit. Everything they’ll need from a cutting mat to thread snips and pins are included in this box. It comes with 14 pieces total and is boxed up neatly ready to wrap. Sewing Theme Coin Purse Buy On Etsy! This cute sewing theme coin purse is the perfect way to gift a sewing shop or craft store gift card gift together. It comes in two colors; salmon or teal with tape measure, dress form, thread, thimble and more printed on it. Plus it’s made of faux leather, perfect for your vegetarian and vegan friends. Sewing Machine Drop Earrings Buy On Etsy! These gorgeous sewing machine drop earrings make a great gift for those who love sewing, quilting or crafting with fabrics. They’re safe for those with allergies as they made lead and nickel free. Plus, they’re also not heavy and come with stoppers so they don’t fall out. Sewing Themed Christmas Tree Buy On Etsy! You can never have too many Christmas trees! This tree is decorated with everything sewing! With measuring tape garland, bobbin ornaments and a sewing machine topper; this tree is perfect for the quilter or seamstress in your family. It’s fewer than 3 feet high so it can be displayed anywhere that needs a holiday tree. Love To Sew Necklace Buy On Etsy! Adorned with sewing notions this one of a kind statement necklace is sure to win over anyone who loves sewing! If you’d like to add a special touch, this gift is customizable. It’s arrives already boxed and ready to gift! Fabric Scissors Enamel Pin Buy On Etsy! If you’re looking for a small gift to give to your favorite sewer this holiday season, this “fabric only you’ve been warned” fabric scissors enamel pin will undoubtedly delight. Enamel pins are back in and only sewers know how important it is to have scissors specially designated for fabric use only. This pin can be used on jean jackets, purses, guitar straps, and hats or even put on display. Sewing Machine Sticker Buy On Etsy! Looking for a gift you can easily put in the mail without a trip to the post office? Consider this sewing machine sticker. It’s not your average sticker. Made of high quality water resistant vinyl, it can be used on sewing binders, sewing machines, bullet journals and more. Decorative Sewing Pins Buy On Etsy! This cute set of floral pins is perfect for sewers, beaded jewelry makers and fashionistas who love flowers. They’re great for sewing, but also can be used to decorate hats, clothes, or used on dream boards. This set comes with 6 pins in a decorative floral tin ready to wrap. Sewing Magnets Buy On Etsy! These fun sewing themed magnets are magnets your sewing friend will love to keep! They’re perfect small gift for the fridge, office board or school board. Each magnet is handmade and secured to a strong magnet. They come in a tin ready to wrap. Donut Sewing Pins Buy On Etsy! Sewers of all skill levels could always use more sewing pins. Whether this gift is for a seamstress or beginning sewing hobbyist, this cute set of sewing pins has with handcrafted donut ends are sure to please. Sewing Machine Ornament Buy On Etsy! This isn’t just any old sewing machine; it’s an incredibly detailed reproduction of Singer’s foot treadle powered fabric sewing machine. It was breakthrough technology when it came out and the avid sewer or quilter in your life will love to add this beloved predecessor to all modern sewing machines to their Christmas tree! Best Gifts For Quilters When looking for the right gift for a seasoned quilter, you can’t go wrong with something that’ll make their projects easier or something they can have that’ll show off their love for quilting. Whether you’re looking for something to help them with their hobby or would like to avoid the craft store altogether and get them something you know they don’t have; these gifts are sure to put a smile on their face. PENTA ANGEL 4.1inch Sewing Scissors $5.99 | (was , now off) Buy On Amazon! Alternate tools on different jobs for quilters can make their work so much easier. These sewing scissors might just be the best thread nippers out there. They work best for smaller snipping like thread, ribbons, smaller pieces of fabric and embroidery floss. The smaller but sharper blades make cutting them much easier and safer than a standard pair of fabric scissors. That Purple Thang Tool $5.39 Buy On Amazon! This is a nice to have tool your quilter will wonder how they sewed without it all these years! It’s great for odd situations like pushing or pulling thread so it doesn’t bunch up in your machine and it’ll push out the corners of whatever they’re sewing. So many quilters and sewers love this little tool so much that they wear it around their neck for every sewing project! Magnetic Pin Cushion $20.03  Buy On Amazon! This pin cushion is the upgraded version of the classic tomato pin cushion we all started with. It’s magnetic so it’ll hold your pins where you place them in the ready to pick up position. It’s also extraordinarily useful when you can’t find dropped pins on your floor, lap or workspace. All you need to do is waive it over where you think it could have landed and it’ll pick them right up! Button Head Sewing Pins Buy On Amazon! These button head sewing pins are thin enough to be sewn over and longer than ordinary quilter’s pins. They have decorative buttons on the top too that’ll keep your fabric as flat as possible and be easier to remove than ordinary harder to see round head pins. Iron-Off Pen $6.15 | (was $8.95, now 31% off) Buy On Amazon! If you or a friend loves quilting and probably has every quilting gadget out there, consider this white marking pen. It’s the perfect solution to hand marking quilting patterns on quilt tops of dark fabrics. It doesn’t rub off easily during the quilting process like quilting chalk and the ink isn’t permanent or damages the fabric. Simply wash or iron the piece and it disappears. Personalized Quilting Room Chalkboard $19.99  Buy On Amazon! Chalkboard signs are totally in right now! This sign is designed to look like a chalkboard without the messy chalk and dullness of an actual chalkboard. They are made of aluminum and are personalized for your favorite quilter. Quilting Queen Ornament Buy On Amazon! Bring a little extra holiday cheer to your quilting hobbyist’s home with this Christmas tree ornament. It comes adorned with quilting shears, rotary cutter, a classic tomato pin cushion and a quilting square. Any master quilter will love this ornament for years to come. I Love Quilting Earrings Buy On Etsy! These “I love quilting” earrings with an etched classic quilt pattern make a perfect gift or stocking stuffer for anyone who likes to quilt. They’re made with Swarovski beads of their favorite color. If you love this piece, you can gift the whole set. Matching pieces are available. I Love Quilting Tote Buy On Etsy! For quilters who don’t wear jewelry or don’t have their ears pierced, consider this “I love quilting” tote bag! It’s great for shopping, running errands, going to the farmers market or attending your next quilting class. If you know their favorite quilting pattern, you can get it on their tote because they’re customizable! FAQ 1. What are the best gift ideas for quilters in 2025? Some of the top gifts for quilters in 2025 include smart sewing machines, personalized quilting kits, ergonomic sewing chairs, fabric bundles, and unique quilting tools that enhance both comfort and creativity. 2. What tools do sewers and quilters actually use daily? Essential tools for sewers and quilters include rotary cutters, cutting mats, quilting rulers, sewing machines, thread organizers, and fabric scissors—practical gifts they’ll truly appreciate. 3. Are there any affordable gift options for beginner quilters? Yes! Great budget-friendly gift ideas include beginner quilting books, starter fabric packs, basic tool kits, thread assortments, and online quilting course subscriptions. 4. What’s a good personalized gift for someone who loves quilting? Customized gifts such as engraved scissors, name-embroidered tote bags, or custom quilt labels make meaningful and personal presents for quilting enthusiasts. 5. Where can I buy the best quilting and sewing gifts online? Amazon, Etsy, Joann, and local quilt shops offer a wide range of thoughtful sewing and quilting gifts, many with customer reviews to help you choose the best options.

[raeeeskjaan]

Rewriting In Enjoyment: The earth connected with Slot Games

Slot machine game video game titles include always been some sort of staple on the poker earth, increasing by kinetic products with smoky casinos to help energetic a digital ordeals with projection screens in the world. The overall appeal lies in the convenience, enthusiasm, along with the enjoyment connected with likelihood. Currently, slot machine game video game titles will not be simply just video game titles connected with luck—they usually are immersive our educational career loaded with experiences, design, in addition to soundtracks of which competing video game titles.

Some sort of Decorative Heritage This vacation connected with slot machine game video game titles begun having uncomplicated lever-operated products of which included some rewriting reels in addition to essential representations. After some time, most of these products changed in more difficult designs having boasting signals in addition to catchy sound clips. This a digital age subsequently developed pai gow poker fully, the birth towards on the net designs young children and can currently.

Subjects Of which Interest Curiosity Essentially the most exciting tasks of current slot machine game video game titles would be the awesome a number of subjects. No matter if it’s researching early cultures, beginning imagination ventures, scuba dving beneath beach, or maybe travelling as a result of living space, we have a slot machine game activity created to fit just about every fascination. That resourceful multiplicity will keep people operating in addition to helps make just about every rotate the latest practical knowledge.

Attributes Of which Hold People Hooked on it Current slot machine game video game titles head out a lot further than uncomplicated rotates. Sometimes they include things like enjoyable attributes like advantage rounds, outdoors in addition to scatter representations, in addition to cost-free rotates. Most of these things add added clleular layers connected with gameplay in addition to pay back, featuring people in excess of simply just the chance to win—they produce activity in addition to suspense.

This Comfort of On the net Engage in On account of on the net tools, slot machine game video game titles are now able to possibly be competed by at any place. No matter if using a computer's desktop, supplement, or maybe smart dataphone, people include frequent having access to their favorite video game titles cá cược thể thao. On the net pai gow poker typically accompany better gameplay, superior design, in addition to a almost endless offering of selections of which keep mature.

Taking part in Reliably Though slot machine game video game titles usually are amusing, it’s of importance to people to help technique these individuals having liability. This fast-paced characteristics in addition to fast incentives may result in increased engage in. Dependable tools include things like attributes of which really encourage nutritious game playing behaviors, like procedure simple guidelines, restricts, in addition to self-exclusion selections.

Some sort of Shiny Foreseeable future While using the extended progress connected with technological know-how, slot machine game video game titles have gotten all the more appealing. Coders usually are researching the employment of exclusive in addition to augmented simple fact, developing all the more immersive ordeals. Seeing that ingenuity in addition to creativity thrust border, one's destiny connected with slot machine game video game titles appears to be both equally enjoyable in addition to active.