#why draw if no monetary gain

[dollesquee]

⋮ ⌗ ┆ JUST LET US ME ADORE YOU PT. 1

various genshin characters (Arlecchino, Ningguang and Thoma x gn!reader

A/N: So I've listened to 'Just Let Us Adore You' from Steven Universe on loop and immediately thought of writing smth like this. Needless to say, it took me 30 minutes to think of ideas nd I'm v grateful for everyone's support. Btw English isn't my first language so I extend my most profound apologies for any errors present in this work.

dividers belong to: @cursed-carmine

Summary : Love- a sensation-no a creed that millions would lay their lives for. This is simply a collection of snippets which highlight how different people would express their boundless affections for you.

CW: N/A

Arlecchino

Believe it or not, Arlecchino's actually quite inexperienced in the art of romance. While this could be attributed to the fact that she spent most of her life trying to survive amongst the evils perpetuated by the former knave, she simply didn't have the time-nor energy to foster a healthy relationship. Inside the cold, obdurate walls of the orphanage, love was but a fleeting luxury and she witnessed firsthand how such fickle emotions led to one tragedy after another, thus explaining why she never got into any relationships till now.

Yet, she'd still try her best to show up if you gave her the opportunity to. While she isn't the type to whisper words laced with honey into your ear nor will she be the type to spontaneously burst into an opera highlighting every single muse you're the embodiment of, a soft smile from her says more than than a mere sentence ever would.

Arlecchino's is very fond of styling your hair. Oftentimes, she'd find an excuse to touch your hair or rake her blackened fingers across a mass of strands, hands often lingering on your neck for a few more seconds before drawing away with great reluctance.

Expect countless drawings from the children of you two in various situations that reflect an idyllic life that many covet. Do note that they've gotten all their ideas from Arle's various musing's when she's zoned out-which used to be rare but has all but increased in it's frequency with your arrival.

All of her moves were executed with calculated tenderness. Yet, the fondness she holds for you is genuine and the imperceptible yet tangible flicker of tenderness that dances across her eyes when you rest against her shoulder reveals the depths she'd go for the sake of your happiness

Ningguang

Calling Ningguang a doting partner is a sore understatement. With the abundance of resources she possesses and the amount of influence she has on the entirety of Liyue, there's no doubt that she'd spoil you to Celestia and back.

Should you desire an item or an experience of sorts that could be acquired through monetary gains? It's yours now. The finest, most verdant tea leaves harvested directly from Chenyu Vale's best farms? Here. A pendant crafted from the rarest jewels in Teyvat? Expect it to be delivered at 11:30 am sharp.

Better yet, you could make a slight remark about wanting to attend a performance opened by the Hydro Archon herself. Ningguang already booked a carriage to Fontaine equipped with top-tier guards and the best of services there is to offer.

Mora isn't an issue for Ningguang as she's currently the richest, most affluent person in Teyvat. However, it is admittedly unusual for some of her subordinates to see her spoiling someone to this extent since their boss is usually quite frugal with savings unless if it's for a project or plan related to the Jade Chamber, the palace being her second source of Joy (Her first being you ofc).

In Addition to spoiling you with material possessions, Ningguang is also fond of styling you in various different garments and accessories. Your days in the Jade Chamber often consist of twirling in front of the mirror as endearments and praises flit across the room like silken petals, gloved hands adjusting the seams of your embroidered corset that costs more than your monthly salary at your old job.

Thoma

#1 househusband material. Rest assured that you'll be Teyvat's equivalent of a passenger princess. All your needs would be met with the efficiency expected from Inazuma most renowned fixer.

He's a gentleman. Always waiting at your hand and foot to walk you around the bustling streets of Inazuma, a hand wrapped around your waist while the aroma of freshly baked Taiyaki and chicken skewers waft across the cool air.

If you want a dish made. He'll definitely make it for you provided that he has the time-and ingredients. In the situation where he has neither, he'll probably bribe Ayato with boba to run an errand or two and travel off to Ritou to "negotiate" with some merchants-aka flatter them until he gets those ingredients for free. Once he gets them, a freshly prepared dish of whatever you desire would appear magically on your desk along with an embroidered napkin with both of your initials.

Speaking of embroidered napkins. He'd absolutely love to sew, crochet or participate in any sort of craft with you. At the end of every session, you'll be carrying a large knitted plushie of Taroumaru as Thoma stows the needles and yarn away for next time.

Mornings are always spent cuddling or doing each other's hair. Older couples see themselves in you both while the youth squeal and gush. Occasionally, the residential poltergeists would make a few kissy sounds behind your back in an attempt to embarrass you or make you the subject of mockery for the day but it always backfires on them.

.ᐟ up next : Just Let Us Me Adore You Pt. 2 (Wanderer, Kaveh and Al-haitham x gn! reader)

World Burn ( Arlecchino x ex fatui! fem reader)

Fingertip ( The fruits shall be unraveled in due time...)

@ Do not steal, repost or translate this work without @dollesquee's express permission xoxo. All rights for the characters are reserved to Hoyoverse

[sleep-token-confessions]

In light of recent events surrounding fanart takedowns let me bring up a few things for consideration:

Not every single Sleep Token fanart is in danger. Stop spreading that please, because it is not the case. Most of the accounts taken down were accounts that sell fan created works. Accounts that only share, without money being exchanged are seem to be safe or only mistakenly suspended and they are being reactivated if the copyright claim was provably mistakenly applied.

Additionally:

Not only the logo falls under copyright protection but everything Sleep Token (from music, to costumes, to names etc). Which includes the likenesses of the members. You cannot make money from that. You cannot draw Vessel and put a price on the drawing. Because legally it is not yours to sell.

Fair use does not mean you can use copyrighted material for monetary gain. This includes using it as advertisement. Please look up what actually fair use means. There is nothing there that states you are protected from the copyright holder if you are selling said copyrighted material.

Fair use is technically only in practice in the US. Sleep Token is not a US based business entity. Different international laws might apply in their case.

(sidenote: Creative Common licenses also do not allow you to sell or use as advertisment any sort of copyrighted material, it is in a very similar ballpark)

RCA does not hate fanart. They are not stopping anyone from making fanworks. They want to stop you from selling it. Because it is copyrighted material. They don't want you to make money off of someone else's property.

RCA is not here to kill your creativity, RCA is there to protect Sleep Token's property. (Which again, includes their likeness.) They are in a business contract. Which makes RCA's responsibility to protect the Sleep Token property from theft. They are going to protect what is their's. Both of their's. Regardless of personal feelings. There are things called contractual obligations. and there are laws. Anf rights. They have the right for their own creation and/or property. Which, again, is not yours to sell.

It is not as simple as "RCA is the bad guy." They are a business entity. They will act according to their interest but in confines of the law. If you want to object to what they do, learn every single legal clause that could be invovled to defend your stance because the "they hate fanart" not going to stand in a legal enviroment.

If you have fanart you do not profit off of on the same platform as you sell your other works from, it is going to be confusing to differentiate what is actually generating profit for you and what isn't. And by law it can be considered advertisement for the monetized creations even if they not directly generate money for you. The usage of copyrighted material as an advertisement is still prohibited by law and directly violates copyrights. So the entire account will be taken down. Keep it separate however much it sucks.

I understand why a lot of you are upset over all what is happening. I'm not a fan of it either. But that doesn't mean it isn't a copyright violation.

.

[jccatstudios]

SoC Comic Adaptation and General FAQ

General

Who are you?

Hi, I'm Claire (she/they)! I'm currently studying to become a professional comic creator. I love drawing fashion, expressive characters, and anti-hero action.

Where else can I find your work?

You can find all my work on my website! I'm also on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. You can find my fan art under the handle jccatstudios, and my original art under jcscottart (only on Instagram and Twitter).

How can I support your work?

Besides supporting my work through your lovely comments and reblogs, you can help monetarily support me on Ko-Fi. Your support helps fund my college education.

Six of Crows: A Comic Adaptation

Why are you doing this?

Ever since I read the duology, I always thought it would make a great graphic novel series. When my professor encouraged me to start a webcomic, I took the opportunity to make the comic I imagined into reality. I want to see the whole series illustrated through comics one day. If I got the chance to make the official adaptation, that would be one of my biggest dream projects. I'm also using this project as an opportunity to improve my skills before I graduate.

Will you post it on (insert webcomic platform)?

Probably not. Most online comic platforms are meant for scroll format, and I'm making a traditional format comic. Plus, I post on so many sites already, so I think adding another would take too much time out of actually creating the comic.

Will you draw the whole book/series?

I wish I could! Since I'm not doing this full-time or professionally, that's quite unlikely. It would take years to complete it full-time, who knows how long as a hobby. I'd love to add a six-volume SoC graphic novel series to my shelf, but that of course can't be done without some serious backing. I'm currently working on adapting Chapter 3.

Where's Chapter 1: Joost?

I never drew it! I started with Chapter 2: Inej because I wanted to draw the main characters first. The first chapter of the comic is the second chapter of the book. I name the comic chapters after the book chapters just to make it clear which part of the book they correspond to.

Can I repost your art, use your art for layouts/edits, etc?

Yes, you may with visible credit. If you use it for your profile layout, put my handle in your bio. If you're reposting it or using my art for edits/collages, put my handle in the description. As long as it's for personal use, you can use my art. Do not sell copies of my art, use it in merch, or use it for any sort of monetary gain. Do not use my art for prompting or generating images.

Can I use your character designs and headcanons in fanart, fanfic, etc?

Absolutely! Please tag me if you do. I don't need credit since I didn't create any of these characters, but I definitely want to see what you create. :D

How do you make the comic?

The comic is made with mostly traditional methods with some digital editing. I pencil and ink all of the pages on bristol board. I mainly use the G-pen nib for characters and technical pens for the backgrounds. Once I scan the pages, I do light adjustments to the line art and correct any mistakes. The gray tones come from a single sheet of ink wash adjusted to be lighter or darker. The bubbles and lettering are all digital.

If anything else comes up, I'll add it here! Feel free to send me an ask if you have a question that isn't on this post.

[cinnamon-phrog]

hello! we're mutuals and while we don't rly interact directly much, i hope you don't mind me reaching out to say i'm so sorry that the fandom has been treating you so badly over the years and it's awful to see that it's been taking such a toll on you, which has culminated in you considering distancing yourself from a fandom that you very clearly love and hold close to your heart. of course that's your call entirely, but it's horrible that it isn't enjoyable anymore and made you feel the need to even consider it to begin with.

i definitely share your frustration and disappointment towards with the team working on the dhmis project as somebody who's always been fond of the show and webseries since i was young. for a show that put forward such a creative and inventive concept for web horror at the time, it certainly feels like a let down for the creators to ignore what made them so successful in the first place and use generative ai.

it's awful that the fandom acted in such disgusting ways towards you when the adults in the situation should have known better. it's horrible that you've had such bad experiences at the hands of people on here when a fandom is supposed to be a fun, creative space for people to come together and share their passion for something. i hope you feel better soon if you do decide to take a break from the fandom for a while, and if it's any consolation, your f/o's love you.

Thank you for understanding, I don’t mind you reaching out at all, I find someone telling me I’m in fact NOT crazy like I was told to believe is comforting, and just what I needed. ‘It’s all in your head >:c’ well what do you call this bugaboo, a joint hallucination?? 

I’m still unsure what I want to do. I still adore the trio, it’s not their fault their fandom and creators are Like That, and I have ways of watching the show that doesn’t give them monetary gain. It still stings though. I really thought that, even though the fandom was awful to me, I could be fine at the end of the day because Becky and Joe seemed to like all of their fans and back up all kinds of ideas. I see now that they’d really use anything for attention because dhmis isn’t what it used to be popularity wise </3 nowadays there are shows, games, movies that have something close to what it had, that can be made quicker because drawing and 3d animation are quicker than hand made puppetry and stop motion. Every time I’d check the dhmis tag there’d be a post saying how dead the fandom is. 

Now I don’t know what to do. Nobody seems to notice or care that they used ai because their blorbos have more content. I hate when people abandon morality for the sake of their comfort. I hate how normalised ai has become. I really hope that whoever gets chosen at least knew about this beforehand, because I don’t want them to find out and regret it later on, when it’s too late. That’s if they end up even choosing a real person at this point.  

Thank you. I love them, too. So much. That’s why it hurts to see the people who made them be so hypocritical. Yellow would not stand for this. 

[lazysublimeengineer]

Hello. Let me exposed this kind of reader who is a coward and toxic to the fanfic authors.

Usually, when I received this kind of reviews in the past it doesn't faze me and I just don't care in general or if I'm in a happy mood I don't have any qualms of obliterating them online.

But what I can't tolerate is these kind of readers shitting on the other author's work just because they want to and abusing their freedom and rights to be critical of their story just because they don't like something in there.

As a fellow writer and author myself let me tell you this to you readers and to this cowardly reader who hides being a guest reviewer in this platform. I have an intention to respond to that story but since I can't find it anymore there (most likely that it was deleted), I'll be giving a piece of my mind:

As an author, it is very delightful and inspirational to receive a simple commentary or review to the works that we publish on an online platform. We appreciate it really. It fuels us to share more stories to the fandom itself. Now if you don't like it or if it doesn't cater to your taste then that's fine. Not all readers share the same taste as you. If you leave an objective critique about our work then that's great. BUT TO OFFER A DISGUSTING COMMENTARY ABOUT HOW DISAPPOINTING YOUR FIC IS AND WILL STOP SUPPORTING THEM THAT'S WHERE I DRAW THE LINE. I don't care if I lose a reader or whatever. I'm publishing stories since the dawn of a lifetime but to see privileged readers being a BULLY TO OTHER WRITERS SUCH AS MYSELF I WON'T TURN A BLIND EYE TO IT AND I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OF OBLITERATING YOU ONLINE. Words are powerful. It can make or break a person's morale and mental health.

To wtf (Guest) reader, if you're reading this, your response exposes you on how much of a moron you are. The day you humiliated an author online because they decided to write an ISARIN fic on BL fandom is the day you lose your right to say to me to STOP BEING NOSY AND MIND MY OWN BUSINESS. BULLY READERS LIKE YOU ARE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY SOME OF THE AUTHORS ARE HESITANT TO SHARE THEIR FICS BECAUSE OF YOUR DISGUSTING WORDS. If you're abusing your freedom of speech to shit on a fellow author like me, then I'm using my right as well to EXPOSED BULLIES LIKE YOU ONLINE.

Lastly, to the other readers who are reading this. Please refrain from being a reader like this who doesn't READ A PROPER TAGGING AND AUTHOR'S NOTES. It's not our obligation to cater to your whims and needless whines just because you don't like the story and failed to read the taggings and warnings first. FANFIC AUTHORS DO NOT GAIN ANY MONETARY VALUE FROM SHARING THEIR FICS ONLINE. We write because we want to. And not to satisfy the other reader's taste. There's a back button there for a reason. I won't be revealing that story online and the author to still provide a confidentiality to them.

I know there's a ton of toxic readers like wtf (Guest) and I can't probably stop them with a post like this but I want to spread awareness and kindly request to stop being an idiot like this reader.

[lunatxckxngdom]

So the joke about a "failed comic artist" in the scene with Jax had to have meant more right? Gangle mentioned being a shift worker early into the episode, and i think that might've just been her most recent job before finding an "escape" from the mundane, being the circus (and whatever headset brings you there). The length of the joke too, and its excrutiating detail, felt too specific to be just a simple gag - i still however think it WAS just a gag about the struggles of being a freelance artist, though, just harbouring two meanings. Not to mention that, well, Gangle draws - specifically manga inspired works too which are literally comics. It's too perfect to be a coincidence.

That might be why we got the truck scene at the very end - its pretty common for isekais to have protagonists transported to fanatical worlds from a boring life through a horrible accident, and the ending gave off that vibe to me.

The mask theming in the episode screamed "euphamism for masking autism/depressive symptoms" to me, obviously, but I also kinda see it as Gangle throwing away her identity as an artist to pursue a career that'll actually work - one that'll make her ""happy"", albeit simply through monetary gain. The episode also demonstrates that Gangle really isn't a leader type, insinuating that despite the fact that she worked as a shift manager before she probably didn't enjoy it at all, repetitively "cracking under the pressure". After realising she doesn't have to pretend anymore, for a brief moment, she takes her mask off and tosses it away, feeling liberated, only to be snapped back to reality (irony) by the oncoming truck.

[crystallizsch]

re: this ask about why i don't do commissions (anymore) 💔 + a semi-related(?) tangent about how i view my art

OKAY FIRST OF ALL ;;; the fact that anon was curious about why i don’t do commissions is so sweet, i didn’t think there would be interest considering i don’t take my art seriously 😭

ANYWAYS i did commissions before because i wanted to try it out (especially bc it was quarantine and what else was i gonna do—)

i was extremely nervous starting because i've seen horror stories between artists and commissioners about money issues + i was just a casual artist and i was not really experienced in business ;;;

and i was reading all these contradicting tips of “how to price your art!!”, “how to deal with clients!!”, etc.

there’d be things like “if you’re just starting out, go as low as possible because competition is tough especially if you’re not a popular artist or if you don’t have a ‘conventional art style’” in contrast with more positive(?) advice like “price your art what you think you deserve!!” or “base your price on the time you work on a piece of art�� (<- the latter should be the reasonable way to price your art tbh, and then imo it all comes down to your time and what you yourself think what your art is worth)

because i’m not a fairly “popular” artist and i wanted the chance to earn money, i think i undersold myself SO much just to get people to commission me. which DID work because of how cheap it was for “high-quality” art (<- also i hate using terms like this when it comes to art bc “quality” is subjective but this was essentially how i can best explain it)

+ i think my art style was already that “semi-conventional” anime art style (which there is nothing wrong with that btw, it’s just that it seems to be what is commonly sought out ;;;)

i priced myself for around like $5USD - $20USD for headshots - fullbodies, all rendered and everything. and it’s not that i ever doubted my abilities, it’s more like i’m actively trying to reach the people who would go for the cheapest for “good” art.

in the end though i didn’t consider my attempt at commissions a failure of any sort, i was lucky that every transaction went smoothly and i didn’t encounter any nightmare situations (just a few awkward communications and that’s about it). it all just taught me a lesson and something about myself—

while i’m pretty content with how this all turned out, i realized it took the fun out of me drawing art and — wow what a surprise — it started to feel like work that i don’t want to do. and it didn’t help that at the time i was already in a perfectionist mindset where i cannot draw anything until i start and fully finish one single piece. doing commissions just made me kinda miserable and unable to do art leisurely.

so yeah since then i’ve realized for myself that i don’t want to make art my job. i don’t want anyone throwing money at me for art. it’s a kind of hobby for me that, if i attach any monetary gain to it, i kinda lose that personal connection and creative outlet if that makes sense? like,,, i don’t want to sell that, and i don’t want pressure when i’m making art dealing with people’s real money.

at least for now this is my mindset towards my art. i’m open to the fact that maybe later on the years my views will change but right now doing art is very personal to me that i don’t want to do commissions.

(also i know this sounds like i’m doing commissions “just because”, when others do it so they could afford to live ;;; so i’d like to point out yes i don’t really need to do art comms to live comfortably in any sense, my experience is more personal than anything, that’s why i try to support all kinds of commissions for whatever reason they have it for <3)

another tangent: even art trades i’m EXTREMELY picky about because most experiences i had with it wasn’t great ;;; i was always excited for it and i was always pretty quick finishing so i’d always send in my part immediately (which was the mistake on my part in hindsight)

and i think i was too lenient letting the other side take their time and it would take either weeks/months only to receive their part that sometimes isn’t even what was initially promised

(my last straw was one person who i tried to keep nudging for their end of the trade — it took months for a single sketch update, more months of nudging with no updates until i took more than a year i just gave up on ever bothering them)

so instead of being more strict, i kinda just stopped doing it altogether. but i’m forever still thankful for the few i had great art trades with.

(thinking more about it,,, my mistake is i did it with strangers and a few acquaintances, and unlike with money, it’s hard to hold them accountable + communication on either side wasn’t the best)

this is why i like surprise gift art from either side instead because there’s no pressure that comes with it (cough cough shout out to art fight 💪)

i don’t know how to end this i have nothing else to say hfdnjsjs

is there a lesson here? idk 🤷 but i hope this all made sense 🫶

[9-sai-karu-chan]

sometimes i feel bad for my artist skills ...

because i'm only 13 right . there are adults out there that view my art as " the highest point " and are jealous at me . so i think " do i really deserve it ? those adults work hard every day and i wield my pen like it's second nature .

sometimes i think my artstyle isn't worthy of monetary gain , too . my artstyle isn't hyperrealistic ... actually it's not really realistic at all . honestly i think it's too cute , people will think i only draw seven-year-olds . i'm not worthy for commissions this isn't even a penny's worth .

and i wonder , " why did i want to become an artist ? "

but i'll answer that another day i suppose ...

[economicsresearch]

page 562 panel a - Of course you are welcome to tell yourself that the machine connects you to more of your life, in the same way having access to wikipedia makes you smarter. It doesn't. You are an empty vessel that sometimes feels filled but moments later you are drained and vacant. You don't remember anything. You just look and move on. You have farmed out the hard work of memory to a tool and you are now slave to it, your abilities of recall atrophied. Plenty obliterates all nuance and subtlety. Unless your goal is to be a shit cyborg whose experience of the world is a shallow one, you are not better for your tools.

The cost of it all only adds to the humiliation. Not just the cost of having emotional profundity erased and overridden by visual overabundance, but there is actual treasure we hand over to be treated in this way. A worse product at a higher price. Remembering for ourselves is free but now there's rent. Maybe only cents on the day but still we tithe a corporation to keep a dead parent alive or remember an ex who we hated at the end. Why are they still here? Monetary cost, emotional cost, such small amounts you barely notice, but real all the same. The ghosts of memory we can't quite see, the ghosts of wealth drained that we never knew we had, they all grow fat and laugh at us.

Memories gained, memories lost. It feels natural, like the moon and the tides, ceaseless and without worry. As the night draws on this moonrise is lost but there will be another tomorrow, it goes. But once we decided to hoard and fortify, make memories permanent now that they're safely stored outside our fallible biology, it all becomes brittle and a loss is catastrophic; there is trauma in preservation now. Our technological aide-memoire (usurper-memoire?) make us think it can all be retained, we just need to use the tools, pay the toll, be conscientious, have some goddamned personal responsibility. But a harddrive melts, a password is lost or a company goes bankrupt and once again there is the same old loss. Only this time it's your fault. If only there had been a third back-up or a fourth, then I wouldn't have so foolishly deleted this piece of my soul. And we are left ill and worried by a buzz inside us as we try to keep it all safe, but we can't. We can't control the corporation that dances and sways in capitalism's breeze or even the micro solder that has some imperfect weakness at an atomic level, We can only pray.

[immobiliter]

so i wanted to talk about furina + mora for a moment because for pretty obvious reasons this girl has absolutely no concept of money or monetary value. she may have been the archon and ultimately in charge of fontaine for all those years, but as is often the way with heads of state, they may deal with overarching political issues but there are usually very busy people behind the scenes actually dealing with the day to day running of a country

any and all of her assets are tied up with the palais mermonia ( seeing as that was her home for all those years and she had no freedom or life outside of that. she had a job but was never paid for it, hence is the nature of her sort of public service ), so it means that when she leaves following the archon quest, she is entirely dependent on the palais and neuvillette to provide the funds to live from day to day in her new apartment

BUT there is an interesting little tidbit that comes up in her teapot voicelines~

i'm fully of the opinion that furina had no idea about this private reserve until some time after the AQ ( i imagine it came to light as palais officials went through the bureaucratic officialdom involved in "retiring" their archon and transferring power to neuvillette. nation of hydro? nation of justice? fontaine is the nation of paperwork, truly ), nor that she had ever actually been paid for performances or that the money was sitting in an account accruing interest for centuries. why would she? she has never needed mora before lmao

i do think though that once this was discovered, this was her ticket to some sort of financial independence — which furina would want not just for the sake of burdening neuvillette/the palais with the costs of supporting her but also for the sake of their joint reputation. she knows that, in certain circles of fontaine, she is somewhat of a contentious figure and that many would want her break from the palais to be absolute. if it came out that "public" money or money from neuvillette, the most powerful figure in fontaine, was being used to fund her lifestyle ( particularly given her tendency for frivolous purchases that she admits to in her voicelines lmao ), that could damage the palais' reputation as a whole. so knowing that she has this reserve she can draw on ( and as i hc that she does eventually engage in artistic consultancy on the side, a lot like what she did in her story quest but without actually going on stage, she would be paid for this too ), she does eventually gain some measure of financial independence

[amewinterswriting]

Something that troubles a lot of new writers is the concept of ‘idea theft’. They are reluctant to share their concepts or plans, even amongst peers, because they are concerned that people will steal their ideas. Because of this, they don’t seek feedback on their ideas and hinder their creative growth.

The thing is, ideas are cheap, they aren’t original and they cannot be copyrighted. As tough as that can be to hear, the sooner you internalise it as a creative person, the more opportunities for growth you will have. But let me explain a little bit.

Ideas are cheap. A very good practice for anyone writing is to carry around a small notebook (or utilise the notes function on your phone) and brainstorm ideas in your daily life. Catching the bus to work? Observe people. Take note of what buildings you pass. Notice road names. What is the story behind them? How did they get here? Where are they going? How about writing down as many names for WIPs as you can in five minutes? Bonus points if you can work in a pun or innuendo into them. Make notes of local slang and dialects in your area/language. The point is, you can fill a notebook with ideas relatively quickly. The hard part is deciding which ideas you want to dedicate more time to, fleshing them out, writing the many thousands of words, editing, editing, more editing. Not to say anything of actually getting the idea out there, whether via an agent and traditional publishing or going it alone. Why would someone steal an idea for monetary gain if they still have to do 99% of the work? They could be spending that time on their own ideas, and probably be happier to do it.

Ideas aren’t original. You’ve probably heard that there are seven basic plots (if not, I highly recommend searching it up) - while you might disagree with the number or type of plots there are, the vague premise is true - stories and story shapes, characters and archetypes, tropes and themes have all been around for thousands of years, and I promise you that you haven’t suddenly discovered a new one that has never been done before. The more you read and consume and analyse story-based media, the more apparent it will be: works reference the works that have gone before it, sometimes blatantly, sometimes with a wink and a smile, and most often, entirely subconsciously on the part of the author. All of this is part of our cultural makeup, whether you like it or not. We are a species of storytellers, drawing on the tales we remember to craft anew. The creative part of creative writing comes in when we choose how to combine these story elements to convey the story we want to tell. The specific addition of details, the reinterpretation of themes, the unique point of view of the writer - that’s where the originality is. Two people can be given the prompt: ‘a werewolf gets into trouble on the full moon’ and both people could write wildly different stories. The trouble could be danger from a monster hunter, or the actions they took while transformed and can only barely remember. Or they could be as clumsy as the average greyhound and get themselves tangled in a fence. Or their mother could be telling them off for marking their territory inside the house! Depending on your interpretation, it could be straight-up horror, comedy, or a metaphor for being drunk. 

Ideas cannot be copyrighted. Given the above paragraph on all ideas being part of our cultural consciousness, this is a good thing. Star Wars could not exist without drawing on the ideas of samurai films, westerns and fairy tales. Modern fantasy as a genre draws from Tolkien, who referenced folklore and Shakespeare and filtered it through his own lived experiences and cultural identity. Modern Dystopian YA would look very different without the previous ideas of Orwell, Heller, Huxley and Bradbury. If anyone could have locked those ideas away, never for anyone else to use again, we would be culturally poorer off, and creating anything would be such a legal nightmare that no one would ever be able to do it. 

All this to say that idea theft is rare, and even if it does happen, their interpretation of the idea will be different to yours. (That isn’t to say that full works don’t get stolen, and it is prudent to have some kind of way to prove that a manuscript is originally your work. That is a topic for another time.) But sharing your ideas, especially with other writers, is a great way to refine, polish, and clarify what your concept is. Feedback from others is one of the best ways we can grow as creative people and make our work the best it can be. It doesn’t need to be public, it might just be a private chat with a writer friend. But expose your idea to new points of view and see where it takes you. You might be surprised!

This essay is also available on my Ko-fi. You know, just in case something happens to Tumblr in the near future.

[lokuhapuarachchi]

The Working-Class Candidate Gaining Global Attention as Sri Lanka Seeks a New Path

In recent weeks, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka's National People's Power (NPP) alliance, has emerged as a formidable presidential candidate, drawing significant international media attention. His rise is particularly notable as Sri Lanka grapples with an unprecedented economic crisis, a situation that has left the country in dire need of new leadership capable of steering it toward recovery and stability.

Dissanayake has positioned himself as the candidate of the working class and the disenfranchised, groups that have been hit hardest by the country’s economic collapse. The crisis, which reached its peak in 2022, was characterized by severe shortages of essential goods, including fuel, cooking gas, medicines, and food. These shortages were compounded by unsustainable debt, poorly timed tax cuts, and the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The public’s frustration culminated in mass protests that eventually led to the ousting of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa​.

Why Sri Lanka Needs New Leadership

Sri Lanka’s current situation demands a leader who can address both the immediate economic hardships and the underlying issues of corruption and governance that have plagued the country for years. The existing political elite has been widely criticized for prioritizing personal gain over public welfare, leading to widespread disillusionment among the population. Dissanayake’s campaign is built on the promise of anti-corruption measures and economic reforms designed to benefit the broader population rather than just the elite.

Dissanayake’s leadership of the NPP, a coalition of 21 groups including political parties, trade unions, and civil society organizations, highlights his broad-based appeal. His commitment to systemic change resonates with those who believe that Sri Lanka’s traditional political structures have failed to serve the people effectively. This sentiment is particularly strong among the younger generation, who see in Dissanayake a leader capable of breaking away from the old, failed system.

International Perspective

The global community has taken note of Dissanayake’s rise, particularly his pragmatic approach to Sri Lanka’s relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). While he has acknowledged the necessity of continuing with the IMF program, given the country’s financial collapse, he has also stressed the need to renegotiate terms to alleviate the burden on ordinary Sri Lankans. This balanced approach suggests that Dissanayake is not only aware of the need for economic stability but is also committed to ensuring that recovery efforts are equitable and just​.

As Sri Lanka prepares for its next presidential election, the need for new leadership has never been more apparent. The country stands at a crossroads, and the choice of its next leader will determine whether it continues to struggle under the weight of its challenges or embarks on a path toward genuine recovery and renewal. Dissanayake’s candidacy, with its emphasis on anti-corruption, economic reform, and working-class representation, offers a vision of change that many Sri Lankans—and international observers—find compelling.

[21iskindafunny]

Can we know about your version of yugotalia? :D like personalities and stuff

OMG… a yugotalia ask… I’m flattered… here are the basic characteristics of my versions of the ExYUs

IDEMOOOO!!!!!!

(I’m sorry if any of the personalities don’t seem fleshed out enough, being honest I’m working on a lot of different stuff at once and haven’t ever properly characterised them LOL. To summarise they’re a mix of the canon crumbs of Hetadesigns that Hidekaz once gave, Tixs Ideas and [mostly] how I’ve seen each country/their citizens act.)

Serbia / RS

Obv an Asshole. He has the heart of a fighter(seen on his eye-scar which he gained from Ottoman-times), and takes loss of his precious land horribly (very greedy in that sense!). He’s hated by a lot of countries, but his main enemies in the current days are Croatia and Albania. He can be caring if he gets something worthy in return; nowadays he tries to be a little more western to get closer to that sweet sweet EU money. Huge Ego, and I mean HUGE. Shares the biggest Ego with his Enemies LOL

Croatia / HR

A more westernised asshole. He cares about how he looks, now that he’s in the EU and getting lots of tourism. He can be very charming if needed, but once he’s drunk (or high on coke) he releases his more.. careless side. Of course, he can also be ruthless on purpose, seen when interacting with Countries like Serbia and Bosnia. The "whore"-ist out of the cast.

Bosnia / BiH (I haven’t thought about making Herze honestly… this might change in the future)

Bosnia is quite the paranoid man, having arguably the most annoying neighbours in Europe. He faces a lot of struggles in life (you can guess why), which he often either drinks/smokes away. If he doesn’t turn to alcohol/cigarettes, he likes to draw triangles frantically. Of course, he’s also an asshole, but I think that’s a given for the ExYUs. He can be quite unstable at times.

Montenegro / MNE

Very lazy and tired most of the time. His sleep schedule is questionable, ranging from multiple hours to multiple weeks. When he’s not asleep, he does work on himself! He doesn’t have the success with Tourists like Croatia, which is why he doesn’t work as hard, but manages to do alright for the short hours he’s awake for.

Slovenia / SI

A greedy, but shy guy. He still holds a lot of the influence that Austria had over him long ago, wishful to be as amazing as any Central European country is in his eyes. A bit of a pushover, having been under the reign of others for long, though he is slowly working to get stronger in that sense. He’s the most western out of the ExYUs.

(North) Macedonia / MK

A happy girl, who loves nothing but dancing and drinking. Though when the illusion of optimism is broken, she can be just as much of an asshole as any other ExYU. Similarly to Bosnia, she has a ton of annoying neighbours who (when extremely drunk) claim to rule over her, which causes her to lash out. Despite all of that, she tries her best to once be in the EU (obv for monetary reasons!)

BONUS…… BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT LOLOLOL

Albania / AL

Cheerful but also a fighter! Serbias Number One Enemy right now. He can be kind, but isn’t afraid to judge anyone who gets in his way. He takes pride in what he has.

Kosova / KS

In a Rough Situation, being annoyed at the constant discourse of whom he belongs to. He’s a free spirit with a huge love for anything US-related.

Vojvodina / VD (i know she isn’t a country LOL)

A lazy princess with a slow way of taking things in life. She lives in Serbias house, with the thought of leaving it roaming her mind, yet never becoming true. She was once a good fighter.

[yautjalover]

Fair Use & Fandom Content

Fair Use is a doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair Use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and have use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

Why is this posted?

There is a guide that has put in a claim barring permission for any other guides to be posted after a specified date. Frankly, such a statement is false, as in the case of fanfiction writing and all it encompasses, no one outside of the owner(s) and legal right holder(s) of said fiction can bar another from compiling, writing, drawing, or using said intellectual works. This is being posted to precursor any attempted questioning of any guides compiled and posted henceforth. Why is this relevant?

A group of collaborators got together to compile our joint knowledge into a guide, with the intent to provide an easier way for others to search and find information. At one point, one of the three contributors decided to pull out and had stated they wanted nothing to do with the project. The other contributors still wanted this project, and there had been feedback with much interest in it; so the rest reworked what was already done in a way that would fit best with the style that the guide was going to now be in, and to honor the request of the previous individual who wanted no association with it.

Lately, a guide has been posted, with statements attempting to prevent any further guides from being posted. This is not the collaborative guide that has been in the works, it is in the final stages, and will hopefully be released soon. The intent of this post is to remind/educate others that only the creative style and wording of an individual is held under copyright, within certain conditions, but things like guides, rules, methods, etc., which can be compiled by anyone and used for educational purposes, no one individual can lay sole claim to such things. Outside of the aforementioned original creator(s) and legal right owner(s). A lot of hard work has been put into this guide by the contributors and others who have offered assistance, and the contributors are putting forth this guide with no monetary gain. To reiterate, no one outside of the original creator(s) and legal right owner(s) can prevent others from creating their own works in fanfiction. However, using the exact style and same words as another is copyright/plagiarism, so if one does intend to use an image or written work within their own, to make sure proper credit is given.

We cannot wait to present this to you guys and are working to have it published before the end of October! I wanted to put this out there for the fandom in the hopes that you do not let any false claims hinder you from putting together your own project within the fandom.

Credits: Wikipedia | Copyright.gov | copyrightalliance.org

[rubberduckyrye]

I think something that could be really fun if I can manage it--is if I make a very simple game. Like, old school solitaire-levels of simple. And take my tarot card deck and scan the cards and put them into this game (note this would be a PRIVATE game that I WOULD NOT DISTRIBUTE, this would only be used for private use with no monetary gain) just to make a virtual copy of my deck. It would have a shuffle mechanic, randomly invert cards, all that. Then I could draw the digital deck on stream and do readings for people!

The reason why I stress that the game would not be distributed is because I want to use the deck and the beautiful art from the deck in this game--literally making a digital version of my irl deck--but I don't want to be making money off of the artwork of the deck. I'm sure you can find free to use artwork for each card, but I'd want my digital deck to literally be my deck, you know?

Idk, I can't make games cause I suck at programming but it's an idea bouncing in my head

[laelianas]

The will (507 words)

“And finally, all monetary assets and otherwise are to be left to my grandson – Leo.”

There was quiet as the final sentence on the will was read out - no one could believe what had just been said. Then, there was outrage. Leo watched as his various aunts and uncles leapt to their feet in protest, raising their voices above each other and becoming louder and louder – echoing out through the domed room. The agent looked fed up already and Leo definitely had no intention of remaining in that room for any longer. He stood up slowly, trying to not draw attention to himself, and tried to creep towards the door – that was until he heard the shrill voice of his Aunt Petunia.

“And where do you think you’re going?!”

Leo turned to look at her, finding himself face to face with her long, wrinkled, index finger pointing directly at him. He visibly gulped in that moment; the room felt like it was closing in on him as heads snapped to face him. Then the yelling began, the metaphorical pitchforks facing him now, demands and pleas were thrown at him all at once. Leo felt like a cornered animal but instead of gaining a second wind he felt like breaking down and crying. Why were they blaming him? It wasn’t his fault he was nice to Grandma whenever he saw her. He liked Grandma. A bang silenced the room.

“You vultures need to back away from the poor boy. He had nothing to do with Ven’s choices and you need to stop complaining over it.”

His saviour, his grandfather, had drawn the attention off him and Leo felt himself relax.

“Be serious Dad, he’s just a boy. He doesn’t need the money.”

Uncle Jamie always had to have his way.

“Pull yourself together, that’s your nephew you’re talking about. Not some random kid off the street. He deserves it more than you anyways.” His grandfather was the best at standing his ground.

“We needed that money; we have expenses to pay off!” Aunt petunia, starting to raise her voice again, grabbed Leo by the shirt.

“This boy doesn’t have anything going for him, he won’t even make it to university! He doesn’t need it.”

That’s when his grandfather had enough. He pulled Petunia’s hand from Leo’s shirt and took Leo by the hand, leading him out of the room even as various family members started to protest. Slamming the door behind him, his grandfather sat him down on a chair outside.

“Are you alright lad?” His voice was far gentler than before.

“I- yeah, I think I am. I don’t think anyone else is though.” Leo felt small, and his voice reflected that.

“Don’t think about those fools. They were never going to be happy with any outcome. Vultures the lot of them.” He’d place a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You’ll be alright, you’ve really got to learn to stand your ground though.”

Leo would laugh slightly at that. “Yeah, you’re probably right Grandpa.”

A/N: Warm up excerise for my lecture, prompt was to write an arguement about a document! Any feedback would be awesome.