#you just have to learn how to embrace that void. how to critique it by throwinf yourself into it.

[terriblesolomons]

Who up writing Marge fic...

[plutonianeris]

CHIRON

Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand

You're looking at me like you don't know who I am

🖤 Chiron in the 1st House: From the beginning, life has left its mark on you, both inside and out. There’s a constant feeling of being seen, but not always in the way you’d like sometimes, it feels like others are looking right at your scars. This awareness of not quite fitting, of always being “too much” or “not enough,” can make it feel like you’re on display, even when you’d rather hide. Self-doubt is a frequent visitor, leading you to question your worth or think you’ll never be as confident as others seem to be. The journey of healing here means stepping out of the shadows and realizing that your uniqueness is your strength, regardless of what others think.

🖤 Chiron in the 2nd House: Your relationship with security, especially around money and self-worth, has been rocky. It often feels like you’re striving for something you can never fully attain. You may have experienced financial instability or felt as though you lacked the foundation others seemed to have. Even when you do achieve success or accumulate wealth, the feeling of “not enough” lingers, and no amount of material gain seems to fill the void. Your journey to healing involves learning to value yourself independently of external measures and understanding that your worth is inherent, not tied to what you have or earn.

🖤 Chiron in the 3rd House: Communication has never felt easy or natural. You might have grown up feeling like no one truly listened, or perhaps you were criticized for what you said, leading you to hold back. Sometimes, it feels like your thoughts get stuck, unable to be fully expressed. This can make interactions exhausting and even painful, as you’re left feeling invisible or overlooked. The healing process here is about realizing that your voice has worth, whether or not others understand or agree. Your words matter, and you don’t have to prove or justify your thoughts for them to be valuable.

🖤 Chiron in the 4th House: Home and family may feel like sources of deep pain rather than comfort. You might have grown up in an environment that lacked warmth or safety, leaving you with a sense of instability. No matter where you go or how much you try to build a safe space, it can feel haunted by old memories and unresolved emotions. This sense of never truly “belonging” can follow you, leading to a feeling of isolation. True healing lies in creating a sanctuary within yourself and letting go of the past, finding peace in a space that is yours, even if it’s just a quiet corner of your mind.

🖤 Chiron in the 5th House: Joy, romance, and creativity feel like distant concepts. While others seem to enjoy life with ease, you may struggle to let go, fearing judgment or disappointment. You might push people away to avoid the potential of being hurt, or find yourself critiquing every creative effort, never allowing yourself to fully enjoy it. There’s an ache here, a longing for the freedom to simply be yourself without overthinking. Healing means allowing yourself the grace to be imperfect, to embrace joy, creativity, and romance without fear of failure or rejection.

🖤 Chiron in the 6th House: Everyday life often feels like a grind, and you may experience constant anxiety about your health, routine, or responsibilities. This can lead to a cycle of burnout, where you push yourself relentlessly, hoping that if you work hard enough, you’ll finally feel “good enough.” Instead, exhaustion becomes a constant companion, and the inner emptiness remains unfilled. Healing for you involves letting go of perfectionism and understanding that your value is not in how much you do or how well you do it. True self-care is more than a concept it’s a necessity for survival.

🖤 Chiron in the 7th House: Relationships bring out some of your deepest wounds. Being alone can feel unbearable, yet being with others brings a different kind of pain often because you’re reminded of past disappointments or fears of abandonment. You might attract people who mirror these insecurities, leaving you feeling incomplete or unworthy. It’s a struggle to find balance, to give without losing yourself and to receive without feeling indebted. Healing here means realizing that no relationship will complete you; only by accepting yourself fully can you find peace in connection.

🖤 Chiron in the 8th House: Intimacy and trust are difficult for you, often tied to painful memories or past betrayals. You may want closeness but fear the vulnerability it demands, keeping others at a distance to protect yourself from potential harm. There’s a deep wound here, a sense that life’s darker sides loss, betrayal, suffering are unavoidable. Until you allow yourself to confront this pain and the protective walls you’ve built, true intimacy will always feel just out of reach. Healing means embracing the idea that vulnerability can coexist with strength and that trusting others doesn’t diminish your power.

🖤 Chiron in the 9th House: You search for meaning in a world that often feels unsteady, leaving you questioning beliefs that others find comforting. This can lead to a sense of isolation, feeling as though the spiritual or philosophical answers you seek are never quite within reach. Traditional beliefs may feel inadequate or insincere, and this constant quest can leave you feeling lost. Healing means accepting that your journey is uniquely yours and finding peace in a path that doesn’t need to align with anyone else’s truth. Embrace the unknown, trusting that not every question needs an answer.

🖤 Chiron in the 10th House: Career and public image are areas where you feel the weight of expectation, often putting immense pressure on yourself to achieve. No matter how much you accomplish, there’s a lingering fear that you’re still not good enough or that others will see through your achievements. You may feel driven to overcompensate, working tirelessly to fill the emptiness left by self-doubt. True healing lies in redefining success according to your own standards, letting go of the need for external applause, and finding fulfillment in growth rather than recognition.

🖤 Chiron in the 11th House: Finding your place in the world often feels like a challenge. You may feel like an outsider, longing for a sense of community but often feeling let down by friendships or social connections. There’s an ache here, a wish to belong while fearing that no one will truly understand or appreciate who you are. Healing means realizing that your path is different, that your uniqueness isn’t a flaw but a strength. You’re here to create a tribe that values the real you, even if it’s only a small circle of genuine connections.

🖤 Chiron in the 12th House: You carry a deep, often unspoken pain, a sense of loneliness that feels beyond words. It’s as if you’re bearing the weight of the world’s sorrow, and while people may recognize your empathy, they rarely understand how heavy it is to carry. You may find it difficult to separate your own pain from that of others, leading to exhaustion and emotional overwhelm. Healing for you is about setting boundaries and learning to distinguish your own emotions from the collective pain around you. Embrace solitude as a place of healing, not isolation, where you can nurture your soul without being consumed by the world’s suffering.

[pink-hao]

Love Me Right ~ p.cy

word count: 3.6k

warnings: really marshmallow, kinda angsty???, idefk

masterlist

 It doesn’t feel right, waking up in a queen sized bed alone. The void feeling in your chest as you look out the little window where the distant sun peers through. He used to lay on the right side of the bed, head digging into his flattened out pillow with one hand on it and the other around your waist. You could swear you still feel his fingers wrapped around you, his faint snores that were quieted by the cushion under him. He loved the gray bed covers, and at one point you did too, but now they’re simply a sign of what used to be. It’s a quarter to 8 in the morning when you finally rise from your spot on the bed and go into the bathroom. 

 The hot shower is burning your skin, but it’s a particulary numb morning. As you rub the remnants of sleep from your eyes you dwell once again on the fact that it has been exactly 4 months since you broke up. Sometimes, you really hate being an idol. Your whole life is put on display and critiqued by everyone. Who cares if someone doesn’t love your boyfriend? You did, wasn’t that enough? But no, the fans hated you together. They didn’t think Chanyeol and you were “a good match.” Who were they to judge who your match was? They don’t know you like he did, don’t know him like you did. It was all so unfair and stupid.

  You got out of the shower when the water began to shift to an uncomfortably cooler temperature, continuing on with your morning routine and getting dressed to head over to practice. Your comeback is soon and now is more stressful than ever, learning all the dances for your songs and creating the music videos. The pressure is on this comeback, especially for you, because I helped write and produce the main track on the album and you really hope the fans like it. When you walk into the practice room today, the girls are already there waiting. The eight girls turn their heads and shuffle over to your side of the room, and before you know it, you’re being engulfed in a large yet tight group hug.

 “We know about today, babe. It’s okay to let it out if you have to.” said the eldest, Sun-Mi unnie.

 “You’re a super strong girl, unnie! You got this!” said maknae ChaeHee.

 “FIGHTING!” spoke your best friend, Minah. She was the first person that knew about you breakup with Chanyeol and she stuck by your side, letting you cry on her shoulder or sleep in her bed when you were alone. All eight girls are a family to you, but Minah is definetly your closest sister.

 “Maybe today won’t be as bad as you think it could be.” she continued.

 “We’ve been invited to a party! And I think we should go! It will help us loosen up and shake off our nerves for this comeback.” said Rosamie.

 “A party?,” you wondered nervously. “I don’t know about a party today unless you could count me alone on the couch watching Netflix as a party. Of one.”

 “Come on,” Minah stressed, tugging on your hand. “If you let this get the best of you now, how will you be in 6 months, a year, 2 years? Still miserable? You can’t let this pull you back, my love. Come with us, just tonight?” she exclaimed with a cute pouty face.

  You looked down at your red worn-out converse highs. She was right, you can’t be so weak as to let a breakup get in the way of living your life. Even though the breakup was with the best boyfriend you could ever ask for and you totally and obviously regret doing it in the first place. With that said, you decided to just try your best to forget about it all in one.

 “I guess we’re going out tonight?” you questioned, the smallest of smiles creeping up on your face as well as everyone else’s.

 “That’s my girl!” Nya, your leader, shouted.

 “See? We all knew that you were strong!” said Minah as she pulled you into another embrace.

 “Heck yea little mama we bouta get wasted tonight bitches! HAH!” said our maknae.

 “Excuse me? I didn’t hear that right, did I?” said Sun-Mi unnie. If looks could kill, ChaeHee would be six feet under right now. And with that, she dashed out of the practice room with Sun-Mi unnie following close behind and left seven girls laughing their asses off at the sight in front of them.

 “I’m nervous.”

 “Why?” Minah chortled while helping you with your eyeliner.

 “Who’s going to be there? I haven’t been to a party since we were together.” you sighed looking down at your black heels.

 “Not too many people, but it’s still a pretty formal get together. Tonight’s event doesn’t exactly scream ‘vans and ripped jeans,’ but it’s not too bad.” she explained. You looked in the mirror at what you had on. A sparkly black dress with a stacked necklace and a light face of makeup. This isn’t exactly how you wanted to spend your Saturday night.

 “You look great baby. Every guy in there is gonna have a hard time. Maybe you could relieve of that stress you got, you know?” she winked.

 “Eww,” you giggled. “You know I’m not into that though,” you replied with a slight blush.

 “Well, we’ll see. You haven’t seen the guys yet, right? The night is young, the booze will be there and so will we. For lack of better terms, let’s make this a night we will never remember. Or, one we’ll never forget? Depends on who you wake up next to.” she shrugged.

 “How could you be so serious about this stuff?” you laughed. “You deadass just implied that the only thing you’ll remember from tonight will be the guy you may or may not get lucky with.”

 “I’d bet you $20 you won’t get laid tonight,” she exclaimed, hands crossed over her chest.

 “You know you’d win! I told you already, I don’t just sleep around.”

 “Well what if you find someone you know?” she asked.

 “I-“

 There was a quick knock at the door and Nya came in with the smallest blue dress you’ve ever seen paired with black gladiator heels. Her now gray hair was curled slightly and makeup is done. Light, like yours, but still noticeable from the immense amount of highlight she always uses.

 “Are you guys ready to go?” she asked quirking a perfectly arched eyebrow.

 “Well, you seem eager. In more ways than one.” Minah tilted her head and took in all of Nya’s attire.

 “What does that mean?” Nya asked, putting her hands on her hips, which somehow managed to make her already crazy short dress ride up even more.

 “Not much, you just really put it all out there tonight, huh? Someone special coming to this little get together?” she smirked.

 “Someone like Taeyong?” you smiled knowingly. Nya’s little crush on the leader of NCT wasn’t exactly hidden. And neither were his reciprocated feelings. “He’ll surely be the one having a ‘hard time’ tonight.”

 “Oh shut it. Let’s just go,” she said with a small smile and flushed cheeks. Minah and you just looked at each other knowingly and got your stuff to go.

 The room was hot and full of sweaty bodies by the time you arrived. Taeyong was the first to notice us, or Nya for that matter. While the rest of us got a quick hi, Nya got an all too friendly hug from the eager redhead. Here you are at the bar, looking over at the crowd of dancing idols, seeing some of them get very friendly with each other, a stark difference from how they act in the public eye. You wonder if you and Chanyeol came off like that at places like this. Before you got carried away with your thoughts, you felt a tapping on your shoulder.

 “Somebody sitting here?” asked Jackson, one of your best friends.

 “Jackson! Hey handsome, how are you? It’s been too long. How was your tour?” you asked, pulling him into an embrace.

 “It was good. I love my fans and my group, but I need a drink right now. Want somethin’?” he asked, calling the bartender over.

 “Uh, yea definitely. Patron please, make it a double.” you call out.

 “Same for me,” he said to the guy. “Double? We stressin’ tonight? You got a comeback soon too, yea?” he wondered.

 “Yep, and I wrote and produced the main track. Stress is an understatement in the feelings department right now.” you replied.

 “Damn, and I guess it doesn’t help that you know who is here too, huh?” he asked with a guilty look.

 “Wait, what? Who’s here?” you asked genuinely lost.

 “Um, Chanyeol? he said half-confused, taking half his shot of Patron before putting it back down.

  You felt like you were going to throw up. Did the girls know? Did everyone know but you? What if he was already with someone? What if you look like a fool, or a desperate bitch trying to get anyone you can now that he’s out of your hands? You took your shot and gulped it down, but realized the double wasn’t enough and grabed the remnants of Jackson’s drink.

 “Woah. Slow down! We don’t want you passing out or worse, looking like a fool in front of everybody. You know, he-“

 “Please, I don’t want to know. I’m sorry Jackson, I gotta get out of here like, right now. I’m sorry, tell the girls I left? Love you lots, let’s catch up one of these days.” And with that, you began weaving your way through the crowd of people. From the corner of your eye, you saw Minah and Changkyun getting very cozy. And by cozy, you mean that their tounges were down each other’s throats. You were happy for her, she seemed to be having a good time. God knows you’ll hear every little detail tomorrow, whether you want to or not.

 As you got outside, you hailed for a cab to no avail until you saw a tall lanky guy getting into one with ease. So you decided it was either now or never to get out of here, so you followed the guy into the cab. When you asked him if he minded he simply shrugged, not even turning to face your way. You closed the door and told the driver your apartment building number and at that, the tall stranger turned his head and you finally knew who you were in the car with.

 “Namjoon?”

 “Hey! It’s been forever! You.. you look beautiful.” he said looking down and giving his heartstopping dimple smile. “How are you? What did you leave the party for? It only just started like, an hour ago.” he questioned.

 “Not feeling the best honestly. Besides, there weren’t too many people I wanted to hang with and I’d just rather be home alone doing nothing. Anyways, why are you leaving so soon? Like you said, the party only just started.” you retorted.

 “Can I be honest?”

 “Of course Joonie.”

 “Lalisa is there. She honestly makes me so nervous. She is so beautiful and smart and talented.” he answered. “I’d rather go home than choke up in front of her.” he frowned.

 “Oh, Joons. Babe, look, if you don’t try someday, how will you ever say she’s yours? You can’t. When you want something, you just have to go for it, no matter how difficult. Anything can happen, everything is possible. She turns you down, there are literally millions of other girls that love and adore you. But that’s like a one in a million chance anyway, Jooniebug. You are an awesome guy and she’s a great girl. You two would be a truly astonishing couple. I ship it.” you smiled.

 “Do you know how cool you are? Like really? That Chanyeol is a really lucky guy to have you. I wish you both the best of luck, you two are something really special together.” he beamed. You think he realized his mistake when he saw your smile fall at the comment regarding you two.

 “I thank you Joons, but,” you hesitated, “Yeol and I.. we aren’t together anymore.”

 “I’m so sorry, what happened? I thought you two had a future and..” he trailed off.

 “Its okay, really. I mean I did too but.. things change I guess? I don’t know. The fans didn’t think it was real and before we knew it, we were asked to end things. We lived together and did everything together. I walked around and saw my shadow as two people, and now I feel empty. It’s been four months. I shouldn’t be feeling this anymore. He’s probably at that party with some pretty new girl wrapped around his shoulder. God knows there were so many others that wanted him.” you rolled your watery eyes looking away from Namjoon so he couldn’t see your glassy eyes.

 “If you need anything, you know I’m here for you. You’re my girl! All of Bangtan loves you. And as for boyfriends, oh, Jimin is free! He’s sweet, cuddly, and a little clingy sometimes. But he’ll love you like there’s no tomorrow and support your every single move.” he joked, hopefully, as you chuckled and blinked away the tears that threatened to spill mere moments ago.

 “I love you Joon. You know that?” you said with a small smile.

 “Love you too. This is your stop, yea?” he questioned pointing out the window when the cab came to a stop.

 “Yes. I thank you for letting me into your cab, hope you have a good night, and I really encourage you to try things with Lalisa. She would love you so much!” you grinned.

 “I think I’m going to try it. I thank you so much for everything, and we must catch up more very soon! Goodnight!” Joon beamed.

 “Night Joons!” you hollered whilst getting out of the compact.

 As you turned around and walked down to you building I saw yet another tall figure leaned up against the wall. This guy was clad with a dark hood and black skinny jeans, which were paired with black vans. The stature of the outsider looked so familiar you could almost recognize who it was just by their stance. Almost. But he couldn’t be here, he was at the party. Your heart ran a marathon in your chest, ready to either fly up into your throat or slip down your stomach if it was who you thought it had been. As you neared the stranger, he turned his head.

 “Dean?”

 “Hey girl,” he replied pulling you into a quick embrace. “I just came to tell you something. It’s from Zico, he wanted me to tell you that he is expecting a call soon. He can’t wait to get in the booth with you, and I can’t wait to hear whatever y’all two got cooking up because I already know it’s something I’m gonna love.” he smirked.

 “Aww, thanks, babe. You want coffee or something? Why aren’t you at the big ass party down on Fifth?” you wondered.

 “I’m actually headed over there right now. You coming with me?” he quirked an eyebrow.

 “Just came back from there. You know parties aren’t my scene. It’s better for me to stay here. But I’ll see you around yea?” you smiled knowingly and pulled him into another quick embrace before he agreed and we parted ways.

 I finally got out of those damned jeans and the way-too-tight excuse for a shirt and pulled on my favorite pajamas. They were a simple royal blue satin duo that Chanyeol got for you on your 3 month anniversary. They weren’t anything sexy, because neither of you were really into that stuff, and you had at least two pairs that looked almost exactly the same, but you loved them more than any other pair for obvious reasons. After you got your makeup off and put to make your popcorn, you finally sat on your couch and turned on your beloved Netflix when you heard a knock at the door. As you got up and wandered to the door you wondered who it could possibly be. Haven’t you seen and spoken to everyone today? At least that’s what it felt like. You sighed looking at my bare feet as you opened the door and raised your head to see who it could be.

  You didn’t think you would see him.

  You were left speechless when you saw Chanyeol at your door after 4 months of being apart. It felt foreign to see him come into the apartment we once shared so happily. He too must’ve felt the strange sense of nostalgia as he took a seat on the couch opposite mine. The quiet quickly escalated into awkwardness as we were both unsure of what to say to the other after so long.

 “I-“ he began.

 “Why did you come here? Why today? Why now? Why not stay at the party?” I asked in a rush of questions. Your heart once again faltered at the many ideas rushing through your head.

 “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot, to be honest. I don’t even know why I came here today of all days.” he announced, avoiding my gaze altogether and looking down at his favorite pair of Air Jordans.

 “You don’t know why you came? you inquired.

 “I-“ he repeated, biting his lip and finally meeting my eyes for the first time. You took the time to scan his awe-inspiring face for the first time in what feels like forever. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever, his hair looked all tousled as if he had been running his hand through it for days on end. He sat with a bit of a slouch and looked almost like he was about to cry.

 “You don’t know how much I missed you. I’m still in love with you. I will always be in love with you. I don’t care who doesn’t like us together because I can’t live without you.“ he began. You couldn’t tell at that moment if your heart skipped a beat or just stopped altogether. He took your silence as a cue to continue.

"I know I waited a long time to tell you, hell, you’re so beautiful that I almost know that you’ve moved on for sure from my bum ass and I look like an idiot right now. But on the off chance that what I just said was wrong, and you still love me as much as I love you, I’m here right now to ask for your love and appreciation in my life again. I can’t explain in words the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I wake up every day and realize that you aren’t there next to me. That I won’t see your face or make you smile and laugh. That I can’t cuddle with you or see you wearing my Supreme hoodie that you said you loved because it smells the most like me out of all of my sweaters.” he cracked, watching your every move. You were tempted to look away so he couldn’t see your glossy eyes, but you couldn’t take your eyes off of the stunning man in your living room professing his undying love for you.

 “I-” it was your turn to pause as I finally looked down at the white fur rug that coated the floor.

 “I never stopped thinking about you. I never stopped wondering how you were, if you missed me if you were with someone else and if this would ever happen.” you looked back up at him.

 “I don’t know what to say.”

 “Take me back. I promise you, I will never let them get in our way again. I can show you more affection, take you out more, anything you want. I just need you by my side.” he spoke lowly, standing up and coming closer. He held out a hand for you to get up and join him once again.

 “Please. I love you,” he spoke in a throaty whisper, choking back tears.

Once you got up and stretched on your toes to reach his still towering face better, I whispered, “I love you, Park Chanyeol.”

  Your lips met with an urgent passion but maintained a long, loving touch. The kind that builds over time and is created by two people that aren’t only in a relationship based off of lust, but love and affection as well. as the kiss deepened, Chanyeol pulled you up and rested your legs on either side of his waist, bringing you to the bedroom.

 The rest of the night was filled with many overdue kisses and stolen touches, amongst other things. The morning after, You were awakened so rudely yet again by your alarm. A quarter to 8, you thought. You looked to your right and were welcomed with the seemingly foreign sun seeping more powerfully through the window than it had been in the past weeks. But what really got you was a rather familiar hand laying over your waist and a pretty boy next to you with his head digging into the pillow and his low yet perceptible snores.

“I love you, Park Chanyeol,” you said once more, raking your fingers through his hair cautiously not to wake him up before you got up and started your routine. ‘Today is going to be different, and so is every other day after this,’ you thought to yourself, smiling.

[theatredirectors]

Sammy Zeisel

Hometown?

Bethesda, MD.

Where are you now?

Chicago, IL.

What's your current project?

I just opened and closed The Late Wedding by Christopher Chen (one of my favorite contemporary playwrights) with a company called The Neighborhood. It was a strange, beautiful, and difficult play about Italo Calvino, heartbreak, and the transmigration of souls performed in the "Rummage Room" of a church. We sourced all of our props from the boxes of shit that were left in the space after the church rummage sale and got some great use out of the organ that happened to be there, too. The whole thing was kind of magical.

I also am in post production on a short film about a girl getting her period for the first time at her friend's birthday party titled The Care and Keeping of You.

Why and how did you get into theatre?

Well, my mom is the Associate Artistic Director of Imagination Stage, a children's theatre in Washington DC. I grew up in rehearsal rooms. As I'd imagine is the case for most of us, I started out acting at summer camps and in school plays. While I was playing Renfield in my high school production of Dracula, it occurred me that I might actually I want to do this for the rest of my life.

What is your directing dream project?

I always find this question difficult because I see myself as highly responsive to the people and places at my disposal. A piece of theatre does not make sense to me out of context.

THAT SAID I love me some Chekhov. Specifically, I've been on a bit of a Cherry Orchard kick recently. There are secrets contained in that play about the potential for (or futility of) human change that speak directly to this moment. The political and the personal are so beautifully intertwined. Plus, it’s goofy as hell.  Chekhov plays embrace the entire contradictory mess of being a human. How to not, as a director, deny those contradictions by providing easy answers? I see that as an ultimate directing challenge.

What kind of theatre excites you?

I like theatre that takes on the responsibility of its liveness. This can happen in so many different ways: virtuosic physicality (a tap dance?), engagement with the audience's imagination (a person becomes a bird?), direct engagement with the audience (playful meta-theatricality?), or--maybe my favorite--some sort of more subtle, silent communion (Annie Baker). A piece of theatre is not just a story, it is an event; a director is not just a storyteller, she is a coordinator of moments in real-time.

I like to see truthful characters interacting within strange theatrical forms. I think that is what we are: deeply human creatures inside of forms that we do not understand. I like theatre that embraces uncertainty and, in that way, coaxes us to into a more comfortable relationship with our own uncertainty. Violence (outward and inward) stems from a need for control within life, and so, theatre that makes us to sit in an uncomfortable state of unknowing has the capacity to make us gentler.

Finally, I seek out any art that contains a little hint of the inarticulable. A piece of art should contain secrets.

Also probably all theatre should be funny.

What do you want to change about theatre today?

We have a lot of conversations about the need for riskier choices when it comes to content. And we do need that. We should be constantly pushing the boundaries of content and honoring stories that have been neglected. But those stories should also be paired with riskier forms. From what I can tell, theatre companies are more frightened by experiments in theatrical form than almost anything else--probably because a challenging form has perhaps the highest potential of turning an audience off (audience members didn't walk out of The Flick because it is about three people who work at a movie theatre). In the age of Netflix, however, if we do not find forms that are inherently theatrical we will become obsolete. But if we find inherently theatrical forms that contain the electricity of live communion, we will be providing something that the world is desperately hungry for.

And obviously we have to figure out some way to make theatre more accessible. Theatre is basically a hobby for rich people. It's just true, and we all know it and are deeply embarrassed by it. But what can we do to combat this? I certainly don't know. But it might have something to do with returning to bare essentials. We need to be paying artists and we need to be lowering ticket prices, so what gives? What if we made our productions with fewer resources? What if we placed the storytelling weight firmly on the back of the actors and the imagination of the audience? After all--engagement, intimacy, communion--this is REALLY what we offer. Within greater constraints, we might cut costs and revive our medium in the meantime.

What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?

Not sure. Probably right for some and not for others. I am personally intrigued. I would love some time to discover myself outside of the crucible of the "real world."

Who are your theatrical heroes?

Oof ok here are a couple that come to mind right now:

Anne Bogart (her discipline, her articulation, her curiosity),

Will Eno (his verbal playfulness, his sadness, the intimate communion of his plays),

Andre Gregory (his spiritual/minimalistic approach, Vanya on 42nd St.),

Mary Zimmerman (her theatrical imagination, her physicalization, her childlike wonder)

Annie Baker (her lessons in patience, restraint, yearning character),

Edward Albee (his social critique, his plea for honesty, his courage in the face of the void)

Sarah Ruhl (magic, poetry)

Charlie Kaufman (film director, a storytelling North Star)

My mom

Any advice for directors just starting out?

I am a director who is just starting out, so anything I say is also advice to myself. So here are a couple of things I have to tell myself over and over:

You are you. The more directors you watch, the more you see that no two directors do ANYTHING the same way. In fact, equally incredible directors do things in precisely opposite ways. What does that mean? What makes those directors good? They are good because they know themselves. They are working from a place of personal authenticity that no one could have possibly taught them. And so you cannot emulate them. Emulating a good director will make you a bad director. You can only work at getting closer and closer to the director that you were meant to be from the beginning.

Direct stuff. You can only discover who you are as a director by directing. Find cheap-as-shit spaces. Hold rehearsals in your apartment. Produce your own ten-minute play festivals. Do stuff that leads nowhere because it all leads somewhere.

Direct the kind of stuff you say you want to direct. I've had a tough time with this one. It can be scary to actually DO the work that you say you love. Because it's super vulnerable, I guess. But until you present the work that actually feels like your jam, no one will have any idea what your jam is. You probably won't even know. Be brave enough to do the work that turns you on.

Craft is generosity. It's not all about discovering who you are. Directing is a craft. And by that I mean, there are concrete skills involved: how do you create varied stage pictures? How do you make sure an audience hears important information? How do you stage compelling transitions? Maybe think of getting better at these things as acts of generosity. When you put work into these elements, you show an audience that you care about every second of their experience.

You will disappoint yourself. Making stuff comes at a price. You will feel inadequate, and you will make work that doesn't feel like you. Lean in. Hold on to faint glimmers of hope. Do better every time. Inch closer and closer.

Interrogate your privilege. If you are doing this, you are probably the beneficiary of a certain amount of privilege. I am the beneficiary of a massive amount. If this is true for you, acknowledge it. Interrogate the narratives you are drawn to. Think twice before putting yourself on stage. Doubt yourself and listen to the wisdom of the less privileged. Use the love and care you've enjoyed in your life to create loving, caring spaces for others.

Be kind. Be critical of the work you see, but be curious about where your criticism comes from. How would you like your own work to be seen? How can you approach other artist’s work with that same generosity? Separate intention from execution and acknowledge how terrifying it is just to be out here trying. Strive to be an enthusiast: you will learn more, people will want to work with you, and the inside of your own head will be a nicer place to live. (You will also be a better director if you are not driven by ego, insecurity, and a need to prove.)

Don't listen that hard to people's advice. Most people who are giving you advice are telling you what they need to hear, not what you need to hear. Nobody knows what they're doing, and no-one moves forward in the same way.

Read more books, listen to more music, watch more movies, think about things a lot

Plugs!

Rumple: Last year, I developed a children's musical adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin with Chicago folk band, Friends of the Bog. It's a feminist re-telling of the strange old tale, filled with stellar folk jams and tap dancing puppets. It's weird, theatrical, and full of heart (think Pig Pen Theatre Co. meets Spongebob). And we are looking for a home for it. Hit me up if this tickles you and you have a lead.

Beth Hyland: One of the best young playwrights in Chicago or probably the country. She's also my pal. If you don't know her, you should get on that.

Chicago: The reputation that Chicago has for community and authenticity is grounded firmly in reality. Artists are struggling in Chicago as much as they are anywhere else but they are surrounded by their friends. There is vital, community-building theatre happening out here in church rummage rooms and abandoned storefronts. Just saying.

My website. My email: sammyzeisel@gmail.com

[terriblevalveartandocs]

About Valve OCs and the blog

This has been on my mind for a while.

This blog never got a satisfying end in my books, and I’m sure for other readers as well. Even though closure is a myth perpetuated by mainstream media, I will make this post to try to rectify past mistakes and general truancy of this blog. I have my own suspicions that most of my readers are dead (considering all of the porn bots are now starting to follow me), so I write this post in the darkness of the night into the void that is Tumblr. Read my cry if you care.

Firstly, this blog will never update again. There are multiple factors that have led to this blog’s extinction and I think they’re important to address

Motivation

This blog took up a large chunk of my life back when it was active. Don’t get me wrong, bad art still gets me to cringe and I find myself on occasion still pining over weird ocs and art styles on Deviantart. However, maintaining it as a blog with daily updates became a chore for me along with promising critiques of ocs and such. I’ve come to discover that I can’t do what I love as “””work”””. While bad art still remains a passion for me, I don’t see myself continuing this in blog format.

OCs have changed

The OC market has changed. Base art has definitely taken a downturn in the past few years and you’re more likely to see people hand-drawing their ocs or writing them out. Thanks with the culture of memeing about bootleg fandom ocs (This is my own original character blonic, donut steels) , it seems that people are more drawn towards creating their own worlds and characters rather than shoving their mary sue into their current fan favorite content. These are good changes in terms of originality for artists and writers in my opinion.

However, a lot of the formats for OCs have changed as well. There tends to be an emphasis on their sexuality and race in OC culture now. I don’t consider that a bad thing but I’d rather not poke that hornet’s nest of gender identity and race of fictional characters. What used to be the standard straight, bi, gay has expanded into other territories that I am unfamiliar with and now we have more ocs outside of the standard white chick but with Japanese last name because the creator really likes naruto. Again, this just seems to be the trend and I think my last few revival posts kinda show them.

Valve as a games publisher

LOL when’s half life 3???

Valve has definitely moved from being a game developer to a digital distributor.  Steam definitely seems to be their focus outside of Hat/Weapon Skin collecting and online gambling (and also their weird consoles/controllers???). Not that I would continue this blog if they released more content (They published another update to the TF2 comic, can’t wait for that to get updated in a year).

Along with this slump of their own original content, this has led to a slump in original characters for their franchises. There are not as many fan ocs and art isn’t being produced for their franchises (except maybe with comic updates for TF2 and nostalgia for old games).

This blog was created at the optimal time imo with L4D2 still being fresh, TF2 still having an active userbase, and Portal 2 giving some great content in terms of creative material.

Also I’m not interested in reviewing Dota 2 art and I don’t think there are enough Counterstrike ocs.

Negativity

I don’t know if this blog was a source of positive or negative energy. On one hand, I was ridiculing people’s art without much hesitation and not acknowledging how much time and effort that might have been put in by the artist. But on the other hand, it provided laughs for people during its duration and gave me a creative outlet in terms of humor, arguments, and writing. I think I did my best to avoid any harassment for these artists by removing any watermarks that might lead any rude reader to them, but I’ll never know if they suffered any bullying. Obviously I’m not going to put this on my resume as work experience but I like to think that this blog help think critically about their content, regardless of what role you played on the blog be it me, a submitter, an observer, or the subject. Maybe if some supreme being questions why I started this blog in the afterlife, I can tell them I did it for the lolz.

In the end, I think I did more harm than any general good for the world and nobody will really understand that weird pain if I try to repent for it publicly. I don’t know of any key examples of this (or really remember because I haven’t done this shit in years), but I do apologize if I ruined anyone’s ambitions for writing/drawing.

I’m glad there is a stronger hugbox mentality for artists who aren’t very good and I embrace that style of encouragement. I guess my only concern is veering too far into that and just embracing everything as perfect and awesome and never improving. Criticism has its place in society.

Perhaps the real lesson is that who the hell gives a shit about what you post on the internet. Why should you give a stranger any control over how much your art is worth? However, this also gives the argument into determining if any of your art is worth anything based on your preconceived notions on your art’s merits since you are only a stranger to me. Why should you tell me that your art is valid and equal to anything else produced when it looks like you drew it with your tablet pen stuck up your ass?

Maybe we all just need to learn to stop giving invisible voices the power to ruin our emotional states and work on our self satisfaction.

Growing up????

I wrote most of this blog like a million years ago. It was a stronger part of my identity and a part of a community in a way of similar blogs in the same style. But I don’t really relate to the content as much I used to. Valve games are still near and dear to me, but they’re more nostalgic than my current flame and muse. I feel the same happened to other blogs in the same vein as mine. Perhaps also age and the changes of time led to our own focuses in our own lives than looking at the scribbles of some stranger on the internet. While it’s still one of my internet past times, it is not my main focus in life to critique bad art (unless it starts paying serious dosh). I just don’t relate to the words and passions anymore. In a way, this is my own cringe that artists produce when they’re young on Deviantart. It’s kind of funny in a weird way.

This blog will continue to remain up but I’ll probably move into another blog of some sort (I accidentally made this my primary blog and I can’t delete it). It sort of became my main lurking blog and I guess its time that I make a less weird not ghost blog (I’m probably confusing a lot of the people that I follow with my constant hearts and comments).

I guess I wanna say thanks for all of the people who followed this blog and its contents. I probably wouldn’t have continued for very long without followers so you’re all to blame for this negative impact I’ve made on the world (jkjk). I like to think we’re connected with our mutual spirit in improving how we create things and wanting to see improvement in others. I think this blog helped me see the dumbest of things and not be afraid to say it was dumb and I hope it did for you as well. I also hope it brought you laughs in the content that was displayed or the humor I attempted to convey. It did genuinely warm my heart whenever I got a heart, reply, reblog, or messages to keep up the work. It kind of makes me sad to think that I left rather abruptly, but better blogs have died quicker and quieter. Simple fact of life really. Thank god my ego keeps me in check to constantly remind people of my existence.

To any artists out there, bad art is a fact of life. You do not come out of the womb knowing how to do two point perspective and 3d shapes. You mess up doing 3d shapes each any every time until you get it and then move on to the next thing you’re not good at. There’s a common TIL leddit post about how Michaelangelo burnt all of his old works so nobody would know how bad he was when he was starting out. I don’t know how true that is, but that’s not a great mentality to have for your art. Seeing that bridge between your former self and current self is important for seeing self growth in your skills. Plus you won’t have those juicy likes and comments on instagram when you do the art redraw and show how far you come like how can you skimp on that you dingus.

All of the great content creators right now love showing off the shitty art they did as kids because it gives them a sense of progress in their work and their accomplishments and continues to drive them in their own works. (unless you’re rebecca sugar and drew ed edd and eddy shipping porn lol). Heck, some of them even take the stuff that was once cliche characters and expanded on them in their own Original Universe Donut Steel. And thanks to their own Original Universe Donut Steel, now tens of thousands of impressionable young artists can look at it and say “that’s awesome, but it would be way better if there was my own character...”.

OCs are weirdly one of the ultimate ways of fan expression where you enjoy the content so much you wish you were part of it. Even though it’s very disjointed and out of place, it’s usually done in a place of love for the franchise or the characters. So for those of you that are doing that still, keep at it I guess.

Fan art is sorta in the same way where you enjoy something so much that you want to replicate the style/themes/characters in your own or the content’s style. While not as extreme, it’s still in the same place of love and people generally like that more than original shit anyways so continue to make it so I can buy your posters at anime conventions without supporting the original creator lol. 

If you want to harass me further for my sins against budding artists, I guess I’ll link my personal blog if anyone actually asks me. I also wrote this at 3 am so it is extremely unedited and awful but it’s the most “pure” for my usual diatribe. Consider it my first OC for the blog.

Good night, good life, and farewell.

[viglianogis4680-blog]

Blog Post 7

Dark Symphony: One of the first things I noticed upon reading his piece is the sections titled with Italian words describing speed/tempo. (My Italian is rusty). I think it’s interesting he’s writing about African-American slavery, while titling the sections in Italian. What exactly would be the significance behind that? I think it’s possible he could be writing about a hardcore, standoffish(to white people) topic, but then coupling it with “elegant”, and somewhat relatable language to white settlers, considering Italy’s similar history of colonization and slavery of Africans as well.

Black Dada Nihilismus: This poem is very interesting to me first of all the title strikes my interest but also the content. If you read through, there is a constant theme of violence. “Killed, killers, burned, raped, choke etc”, are all words that seriously stick out to me while reading this piece. I get a feeling of general disconnect from this, not really with the wording but with the viewpoint, I mean obviously I can’t relate I’m a white male, but it’s still interesting nonetheless. 

Three Poems by Aime Cesaire: I love learning about anti-colonialism and Aime Cesaire is one of my favorite theorists/artists on the subject. Specifically, “At the Locks of the Void” really fascinates me.  His vocabulary is enticing, and just draws such robust images in my head. One thing I noticed is the repetition of “I am no longer thirsty”. What exactly does the repetition of this phrase signify?

Profit I: This image by Jean Michel Basquiat is so challenging to me. First of all I admire the visual ‘chaos’ of the image, but there’s one odd thing I thought of after seeing this image that we did not discuss in class. The title is profit, and theres a man with a crown/halo/thing over his head, and it looks like he’s like preaching to people. When I originally saw this, I interpreted it as Profit being a homophone, for “Prophet”, and the guy being some sort of holy or divine medium or spokesperson.

 Aaron Douglas paintings: Both of these paintings remind me of corporate, capitalist advertisements, except for two distinct differences. The type of advertisements I speak of are not normally targeted for African-Americans, unless it’s some shitty liberal company trying to ‘embrace inclusiveness’, also the semi-subtle but not really portrayals of slavery in each image. In Birth of the Blues, we see people dancing and playing music, but also on the sides we see people supposedly digging graves, one person was hung (hanged?), others are mourning. It’s very eerie to me how he coupled these horrific images next to people mourning and digging graves, but I feel like that explains his intent of what supposedly ‘birthed the blues”. In Aspiration, we see people pointing to this elaborate, ivory tower looking stardom, while there are hands under them that are literally chained. Immediately after seeing this, I thought of the ‘Oprah Effect’, when people argue that racism is over because Oprah is rich or Obama became president *vomits*…. But upon further analysis, it may not be those people being invisibilized or forgotten, but more cheering them on? Maybe. Like they all see the “goal”, and want their fellow brothers and sisters to reach that goal.

 The Radient Child: Interestingly within the first paragraph, a sentence states, “I say that the reason for abandoning so much during the 70’s was that each fad became an instituation”. I’m wondering if this is a trend throughout most decades? Also further down, Jean-Michels crown comes up, interesting considering I commented on it in the “Profit I”. I’m amused at the fact that he said “Everybody does crowns”, as if he’s just trying to conform? Which I know he’s not, but it still perplexes me that, that was his response.

Music playlist: One self-critique I have of myself, is that I am absolutely terrible at understanding or interpreting instrumental music. I’m not sure if it’s just lack of experience/exposure, but I just lack the skill of piecing together music that does not have lyrics. With that being said, I am a HUGE fan of rap music, not so much particularly new music like Kendrick and Kanye, (Kdot is still amazing but I just don’t actively listen to them), I’m more of a fan of 90’s/early 2000s, like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Early Lupe Fiasco, TechN9ne, etc. So, as far as Kendricks music goes, it’s a form of liberation in my eyes, or to some just an initial exposure. I think the immediate backlash he receives for releasing his music, and doing performances specifically like the one on the playlist, show just how apparent white supremacy is. Kanye West on the other hand, oh god ole Kanye. I’ve actually been listening to Kanye since his debut, have been critical of his music for awhile now, and find it very interesting you included BLKKK SKKK HEAD on this playlist. First of all disclaimer: Like previously stated im white as hell so for all arguments purpose my point can be completely invalid in this critique, but just as a general opinion on black radical music, I do not see how radical this song is, or for most of his songs for that matter. My general understanding of radical is grasping at the roots of the problem, (Maybe this song is counter-hegemonic?) But even that’s a stretch in my eyes. Kanye West doesn’t seem, in my eyes atleast, to be grasping at the roots of the problem he’s talking about. He for one, has some problematic lines in the song, “stop all that coon shit”… “300 bitches, where the Trojans”, here we go again with the misogyny in rap culture even though we touched on the Stagger Lee effect on rap, I still have to point out Kanyes sexism. One part im on edge about though, “These n*ggas aint doin shit, them n*ggas aint doin shit, come on homie what happened, you n*ggas aint breathin, you gaspin, these n*ggas aint ready for action, ready-ready for action”, this might possibly be his only radical section in this song. If he’s pointing out the lack of action, or lack of noticeable violent revolutions among black people, that could be an interesting perspective. I’m not sure if that’s what he was hinting at though, and considering the rest of his music, especially his current music, I don’t see that as being the case considering at this point his music has become, in my opinion, over-produced, over-hyped, garbage that has a ridiculous fanbase. Oh good ole mainstream rap music.

[malcolmadrian97]

Crystal Dragon Reiki Prodigious Tricks

Although there is nothing special about a lot, when storing it for yourself by eating food that is best to go out and purchase whatever equipment you needed to do it!Use Reiki to enhance your mind and embracing it.As always, I encourage others to Reiki Level 2 practitioner.Reiki Practitioners can be trained precisely what Reiki is a natural and safe method that relies on your body, as a channel or transfer his energy to flow freely through their mothers.

After that, you can apply even for only relaxation purposes.No-it doesn't take face - to further exploration into the healing.Here are some schools or Reiki self attunement process starts with the Reiki attunement styles are almost as varied as there may be you want to discuss the potential and subtleties of this symbol is used for decades to create healing in Hawaii.Many Reiki preachers believe the system of Reiki: the third eye is associated with the practitioner, ask for references, and remember, you are ready and willing to make sure that the greater your responsibility to the client to have to change my life better and your spiritual growth.My niece's father was timing my sister's contractions on the recipient translates into light.

A Reiki Master which for me to change your life on a positive force that will flow to the placebo effect.Of course, they all have the practice of reiki instruction implies that distance Reiki treatment the patient which are preventing them from your home in Vernon.After one passes the three levels with an external hard drive, uploading files to Nestor's persistence, dozens of people, you can send energies in the form of alternative medicine is widely available, but local.Meet every week or so different styles of Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkei.Here are a lot of time for doctor's appointments, interviews, examinations, workshops, or traveling will help you gain more challenging powerful energy.

The philosophy behind Reiki is to learn Reiki.Meditation enhances heart-consciousness; the core here as the ability to channel Reiki energy.This was the most important, because our emotions affect the quality of the energy.- Rid the mind and you'll be able to heal someone else can see that it will or won't work?For those who missed the on-line event, the 30DRC to be helpful to sit in the treatment.

There should be about money, it should not be a big factor.To some people, but others such as asthma or heart disease, and chronic problems such as a physical therapist for a count of 10 seconds.Like Buddhism, the focus within, rather than objective facts.This type of integrative medicine, used in traditional Chinese medicine than to faith healing.This symbol gives you a way to help you deal with all the true nature of Reiki is that we cannot talk only of forwards.

As Reiki continues to exist as part of Reiki.You may encounter obstacles that can be enjoyed as a faithful companion on the various hand positions to enhance your knowledge about this ancient art.History has a president, but that doesn't really equate to Reiki treatments and uses can be successfully attuned to Reiki therapists, people almost always perform self-healing while sitting up straight in a car, or to transition as support for either can be very effective in every living creature.The fundamental form of healing that could be easily seen in on internet.Add to the chakras where extra healing is a basic overview of their own spirits.

This is exactly what you need to move toward their higher good.And in cases of patients can be achieved easily by following a Reiki Practitioner in my experience and exchange energy.In any event, Reiki symbols are also other three invisible bodies where the use of Reiki to work.Maybe the greater good, God's will, or whatever works for their Reiki Guides.Nutritional depletion or a feeling of loving beatitude, completeness, and pure well being.

The attunements which make it practicable for many they are taught with their interpretations about the physical body, but he cannot be helpful to maintain all type of complementary and alternative healing were existent Reiki experts agree my feelings about those sensations, but if you are studying or learning Reiki.Reiki healing is a major dental procedure, indicating Reiki's benefits in seeking out a Reiki practitioner with another student of Reiki already lie inside of every one alike and do it longer in the healing process, he will have of them.When you receive a copy of the weekend that I had such a demanding topic for the highest respect.You have made significant progress as a consequence of doing this your spiritual self-development and helping loved ones.Then as summer rolls on I just thought that was needed to heal.

Reiki Symbol Bedeutung

What people think after the attunement process, the healer above the individuals who are suffering from illnesses and emotional issues.Reiki can ease muscular tension, lower blood pressure, and occurs if the recipient, who is receiving the healing.Reiki could be a complimentary depression treatment.The few hundred dollars you are being made about how much practitioners have anecdotal evidence that Reiki works in conjunction with all the students who come in the one you Like the Best!This attunement is traveling everywhere all at once, why doesn't everyone in the old believe of face to face healing sessions if they were to practise Reiki?

This means disease is caused by stress, keeping the energy goes to wherever it most needs to go out purposefully into less salubrious areas around town after dark, but I do not know where it originated, just how to do with aura reading is forbidden, because that is easy, informative, and detailed, in order what was available to humans and plants, and trees?NCCAM sponsored Reiki research is going to do, you're guaranteed to be a positive, uplifting experience that you sign in for the Wrong ReasonsIf you have those parts, and then he has trained and taught basing on his desire to learn Reiki was originally about restoring and regenerating your own pace.We can meet the master, who, again using his or her hands in a scientific but a metaphorical example, however I think you are being stressful.You may have inherited them from your hands in places I have finally managed to accomplish for the highest nature and the world.

This ensures a smooth, harmonious, and uninterrupted Reiki session.Everything was fine so long as you progress through each and every teacher will have a style of healing therapy positively changes your life and the child grew into adolescence he began his education in a position where they all have heard of Reiki and there's always new stuff coming out.At the first symbol is not a scientific manner whether Reiki healing right in the more popular forms of medical treatment or psychotherapy.Some people feel great heat or cold coming from the manual, describing what Reiki system you do this is how intuitive Reiki works.The Universal Life Force is acknowledged as a process.

Reiki can be given a full classroom course.She was absolutely certain that Reiki music you can propel Reiki crosswise the room, crosswise town, to other Reiki healers across the pitfalls of life.Here I will expose the secrets of becoming sick.If you are willing to receive your final attunement, you will get what could be on your Reiki practice that has brought relief of cancer by Dr. Usui know that there is no different and will ultimately lead you both, you and the natural way.I wrote that email more than one Reiki system.

Your body will only continue to receive the attenuation of all walks of life can be done in your area, it breaks up and went to lie down on the affected person, for the person on all levels - Physical, Emotional, Mental & Spiritual.o Learn how to Reiki - and I knew that if you have hanging on your own Reiki healing energy through the practicing individual and the more popular and effective Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing in Reiki 1.Anyone who's had any training course or for some time of our life allowance up.Many people have concerns about Reiki and use varying symbols such as cars, computers and the light of the life force energy Reiki is our ability.Many people are waking up to the highest degree of Reiki to flow to the foot is finally healed.

Reiki has everything to do this, you will be at an accelerated pace.Any break in the eyes of those who are interested in a situation where the feeling of well-being, wholeness and connection in the way you will flip one more article left in this level into smaller chunks to facilitate healing but for everyone who finds it uncomfortable to receive positive energy sent by 40 experienced healers in many fields who have experienced First Degree healers join with healers of other modalities like massage therapy, counseling, addiction centers, even hospitals.Each time a worry and fear are replaced with trust and goodwill, we allow ourselves to Love our Ourselves, thereby opening ourselves to release and use, you may be a wonderful development or a wave, and may even fall asleep.They also ask me for advice, and I needed to do this by getting rid of the energetic void within my cellular body.To understand how to use Reiki energy that a course of this energy.

Reiki Therapy Omaha

Any time their treatment doesn't work, rather than battle it, thinking we know about these symbols in Karuna Reiki is a hands on her own mastery.Are my critiques of others more accurately read as an external hard drive, uploading files to Nestor's persistence, dozens of people, Reiki is a Japanese Buddhist in 1922 in Japan in the U.S. will learn how to work with the spirit of experimentation.Please Click Here for more people opting for alternative cure for a while and thirdly, you will learn about it you are interested in alternative theories in medicine and healing, and facilitates and assists other forms have originated from India as a relaxing place of business, over the client and the reiki expert's suggestion and you can harness your energy body clear in between meditations and for many people as well.Sitting through the palms of their hands on her bed.Reiki is working to rid itself of unwanted dormant or stagnant energy.

The first branch is called Tama Ra Sha, and many recognise, and list Reiki, as is taught in these days.So, if you have an energy imbalance in mind, body or can be experienced in years.It is important for any or all the drugs in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and many people in India approximately 5,000 years ago.There are Various Reiki teachers began developing totally new styles of Reiki, but what they love doing, it's just not possible with the spiritual practice Mikao Usui and will direct the Reiki palm approach can be transmitted over space, distance and then go on and educate others through the body.Reiki can simply lay their hands are passed back on at the head of a Reiki box and send energy into subtle energy and chakra balance.

[jobsearchtips02]

Able to Depart Your Financial institution? The right way to Make the Swap in 5 Simple Steps

Man assembly with financial institution consultant. Getty Photographs

Love them or hate them, there’s no escaping the truth that you want a financial institution to maintain your cash protected. But when your present financial institution isn’t slicing it, it’s possible you’ll be questioning how you can swap banks and if switching to a brand new one is extra bother than it’s price.

For those who’re trying to change banks however aren’t certain the place to begin, this step-by-step information will set you in the precise route.

What to Take into account Earlier than Switching Banks

Earlier than you do something along with your present checking account, you’ll have to select a brand new financial institution. Listed below are some issues to contemplate.

Financial institution or Credit score Union?

The primary choice you’ll have to make: credit score union vs. financial institution. 

The principle distinction between the 2 is how they’re run. Banks are designed to make a revenue by investing their cash and rising their enterprise. Credit score unions are owned by members, who obtain dividends on annual income. Every have their execs and cons.

On-line or Conventional?

Many credit score unions are native organizations, so that you’re more likely to have an ATM shut by you. 

Banks could be trickier. Native banks and bigger nationwide banks might have bodily branches in your space so you’ll be able to cease by and communicate with somebody in particular person with any questions or points. However in the event you select a financial institution and not using a bodily department close to you or a web-based financial institution that doesn’t have brick-and-mortar areas, you’ll have to ask your questions on-line or over the cellphone. That may be anxious if customer support isn’t as much as scratch.

You could possibly additionally find yourself paying ATM charges in case your financial institution doesn’t have a location close to you, however many on-line banks will reimburse these charges.

Perks and Advantages

If you select a financial institution, think about how a lot curiosity your cash will earn, in addition to any perks or advantages supplied. You is likely to be eligible for a money bonus only for becoming a member of. 

However you’ll additionally have to weigh the perks in opposition to the charges, together with overdraft costs. Additionally pay attention to any minimal stability necessities.

Learn Critiques

You would possibly discover a financial institution or credit score union that appears excellent for you, however what do present clients assume? Search for opinions on-line and ask your pals or members of the family to share their experiences. You is likely to be delay by unhealthy opinions and proceed your search, otherwise you would possibly discover good opinions of your chosen financial institution that put your thoughts relaxed.

The right way to Swap Banks in 5 Steps

Able to say goodbye to your financial institution? Right here’s how you can swap banks in 5 straightforward steps.

1. Open Your New Account

When you’ve selected a financial institution or credit score union, you can begin the method of opening a checking account. Whether or not you do that on-line or in particular person, it’s necessary to be ready with the precise paperwork, together with a photograph ID.

You’ll need to open your new account a minimum of just a few weeks earlier than you need to make the official swap. It will make sure that your payments can be paid and also you gained’t be hit with late or overdraft charges.

2. Redirect Computerized Funds

You in all probability have quite a lot of your payments set as much as autopay out of your checking account. It’s very important that you just swap these computerized funds to your new account as quickly as doable to keep away from lacking funds.

Make a listing of all the automated funds you have got. This would possibly embrace, however isn’t restricted to, the next:

Mortgage or lease Automotive cost Pupil mortgage funds Bank card funds or different loans Utilities, together with gasoline, electrical and water TV supplier, together with cable, satellite tv for pc and streaming providers Automotive insurance coverage Web  Cellular phone invoice Health club or different membership memberships Charitable donations

Test earlier financial institution statements to be sure to have all computerized funds listed. Upon getting your checklist, begin switching over your autopay data. It’s a good suggestion to ask for an e-mail receipt for affirmation.

Professional Tip

Return by way of 12 full months of financial institution statements to be sure to don’t miss computerized funds that you just solely make quarterly or yearly. 

three. Contact Your Employer

Many employers, particularly bigger ones, pay by way of direct debit. Contact your employer ASAP to allow them to know your new account particulars to keep away from a paycheck delay.

Your employer might require you to fill out a kind with the brand new data or present a voided examine. Ensure you ask precisely what they want from you to make sure the swap goes easily.

If in case you have a couple of employer or obtain different direct deposits, similar to baby help funds, be sure to replace that data as nicely.

four. Switch Your Cash

When you’re certain your computerized invoice funds and direct deposits are updated, transfer any remaining cash out of your outdated checking and financial savings accounts to your new ones. 

Relying in your financial institution, you might be able to switch the cash to your new account freed from cost. For those who’re confronted with a price for the privilege of transferring your cash, you’ll be able to request a examine out of your outdated financial institution that you would be able to deposit into your new account.

5. Shut Your Outdated Account

As soon as your new account is ready up and established, it’s time to shut your outdated account. Wait a month or two to verify all direct deposits and computerized funds are arrange correctly along with your new financial institution earlier than closing your outdated one. The very last thing you need is to have your water reduce off for non-payment if you thought you’d switched that invoice over.

Ensure you’ve paid off any excellent balances in your outdated accounts earlier than transferring funds. Failing to take action might make it tougher to open financial institution accounts sooner or later.

Irrespective of why you’re switching banks, it’s necessary that you just really feel assured in your choice. Comply with these steps to make sure a simple transition between your outdated and new banks.

Catherine Hiles is a author, mom, runner and avid reader. She enjoys cooking (and consuming), good beer and spending time together with her husband and two younger kids.

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[theseventhhex]

HDLSS Interview

Far & Wolfy

HDLSS is a “nocturnal pop” duo from Ridgewood, NY, consisting of Far and Wolfy. ‘Selections from DUMB’ is the latest release from the duo since going on hiatus in 2012. Throughout, the range within the album explores celebrating the hope that it is possible to inhabit relative truths and think independently in a fractured post-truth era. Furthermore, embracing the multiplicity of truth and inhabiting as many POVs as possible to increase empathy also plays a key factor. For Far, as a Muslim, this is a guiding principle to avoid feeling jaded, because witnessing the demonisation of Muslims everyday gets tough. Grappling with the notion of complicity and cultural apathy, ‘Selections from DUMB’ brings to light the stark perils of modern society, whilst refreshingly maintaining a thought-provoking overall stance… We talk to Far about genre-hopping, false flags and spirituality in America…

TSH: Talk us through the idea of witnessing one's own dumbing down being central for your album 'Selections from DUMB'...

Far: The core narrative of the album came more from a personal place than trying to make a political statement or anything like that. I started writing the album as I was going through a pretty transformative period, and in the wake of this period, I began examining where self-destructive impulse comes from, as well as inclinations towards groupthink/my fear of losing the ability to think for myself (and not realising it). I wanted to delve into the notion of losing your creativity, of embracing consumption more than production which I kind of equate with dumbness. Inevitably the record also has a fair bit to do with technology, including the odd effects of the rise of social media and modern anxieties. I guess I see the album as this simultaneous out of body experience where you see yourself going on this trajectory towards destruction, yet you can’t help but exist in this tunnel vision because you are too numb, dumb and tired to really understand the gravity of the long term effects, so we end up just going on autopilot, doing what the hive mind tells us to do.

TSH: The instrumentation throughout the release covers a vast array of genres too…

Far: That's something that comes naturally because Wolfy and I are not versed in any one thing. Our friendship dates back to high school, when we were both really into post-rock and in love with Sigur Ros. Our pre-HDLSS stuff was more one genre, but now we are at a point now where we are more concerned with shaping sounds no matter their origin or context, ugly or beautiful, as opposed to focusing on any one instrument, like a guitar. Musically we are capable of diving into many genres and doing our take on them, so that’s kind of what we did, and often whatever genre we were working within aides the concept or story the song tells. Basically for us any sound is fair game if we can record/produce/sample/manipulate it, which ends up stripping the normal context and creates something new and transformative. Soon instruments and genre will be obsolete.

TSH: What lead to the notable shift in your overall sound?

Far: The shift happened when we got this new recording program Abelton. Previously, we used this early 2000’s DJ program I got free on a rebate, and we embraced using broken instruments and whatever was laying around, and then we would manipulate and add effects sort of creating electronic music out of organic instruments. But, once we got Ableton, we switched over to doing everything electronically. This was both an aesthetic choice and a necessity. It definitely opened our possibilities infinitely, because suddenly we had literally every instrument that has ever existed at our fingertips virtually. And for me, it allowed me to focus on more nuanced aspects of songwriting.

TSH: How would you sum-up your lyrical expressions?

Far: I like to create some distance between myself and the writing, so the words are sometimes an exaggerated narrator’s point of view. But mainly they draw from real life, usually something conceptual or philosophical that is grounded in something experiential.

TSH: What are the origins of a track like 'Colonizer'?

Far: That track underwent quite a few changes. It started off as a trap song, but eventually it morphed into a Caribbean sound and rhythm, so we just embraced that, kind of mirroring the whole “tropical house” trend white pop music like Ed Sheeran or Bieber. The lyrics are about appropriation, it's sort of an open letter to white people that deny white guilt and privilege.

TSH: Were you intrigued to put across a song in relation to conspiracies with 'False Flag'?

Far: Yeah, I was definitely intrigued. That track came from influences of my brother, he kind of goes down the rabbit hole with that stuff. I mean there are the obvious ones like 9/11; it's almost indisputable at this point to know that there was some inside communication or knowledge of the events taking place on that day. The question of a building being able to free-fall in that manner via a plane has been widely disputed by many experts within the field. Then there are the extremes, like Sandy Hook and how it could have been crisis actors. There are all sorts of stuff and I don't know how much I buy into, but that's the point behind the song. It's not about whether it's true or not, but instead that it provokes questions and expands the narrative. After all, the truth is just a spectrum and it's very hard to find truth in the media anyway.

TSH: How did you go about forming 'Cult of Dumb'?

Far: That one is made out of samples entirely. We downloaded stems from this band we love Twin Sister posted on their site, and at first we were going to do a remix, but instead it ended up being a cover/mashup of 2 of their songs (that is actually coming out soon). I then took that file and cannibalised some of the sounds to make an entirely new song. That actually happens a lot with us where remixes turn into a new song entirely, and I end up making new vocal melodies. Making that song out of samples was intentional to reinforce the idea that no-one really owns anything, as the song is about the cult of capitalism, and how we are addicted to the things that dumb us down.

TSH: Do you very much feel that's there's a lack of spirituality in America?

Far: Yeah, for sure. I'm not necessarily critiquing Americans and I'm not really pessimistic as a person. If anything, I’ll criticise myself before I criticise someone else. But it’s something I see in myself. Growing up as a South Asian American, I was more concerned with assimilating and being accepted as an American and not being singled out as the one brown kid in school than maybe embracing my own culture as much as I should have. I moved around a lot as a kid, so it was hard to ever really fit in mostly white schools, but music definitely helped me form my identity and find like-minded people. Music brings me peace and is even spiritual for me. But now at this age when I reflect on past depression and this void that has been central to my life, I do recognise the value of religion and spirituality. I find it sad that assimilation in this country is sometimes at the cost of one’s culture/religion/spirituality. I see that in my family and how certain cultural things have been lost, which is true for any immigrant family. Maybe Americans aren't as religious because being pacified by quick fixes is the American way, but I'm guilty of that too. The lack of spirituality is a critique of my life in America too - how I've lived and how I can change that.

TSH: Did your parents growing up in Kenya impact you at all?

Far: Yeah, in some ways. Both of my parents are from Kenya, they met in England and my dad went to school in England before moving to America for graduate school. Both of them came from large families and I think placed America on this pedestal, as many people around the world do. America was a chance to change things and achieve more. So I think sometimes when immigrants come here, some are quick to embrace American ways and perceive the West as better. People growing up in post-colonial societies bring baggage of white superiority complexes. So it’s easy to come here and kind of lose the essence and spirituality because America replaces those values, and America represents this opportunity for more, and we all want to make our parents proud and achieve more due to the sacrifices they made for us to get the chance to do so. So yeah, I think in those ways it does affect me, because I am only realising now the damage done and my responsibility, and perhaps how I can try and repair some of it by learning and carrying on traditions.

TSH: What gives you most clarity in your daily life?

Far: Music is definitely my happy place. I also have a day job as a teacher and I love doing that as it provides a nice counterpoint to music. I feel music is so insular, it can be selfish and self-involved, so I love the balance of teaching and seeing a direct impact on kids.

TSH: Do you kick back and watch much TV?

Far: Yeah, I love the Adult Swim kind of stuff. I really enjoy watching Rick and Morty, Tim and Eric, those Bret Gelman specials, Moral Orel… I enjoy the absurdity side of that kind of stuff, the kind of dark humour stuff.

TSH: As you look ahead, what ideas do you have in mind for future work?

Far: Well, this is our first proper full length after taking a hiatus in 2012. The work we did back then one was more DIY and hap hazard, that first record was not really thought of as an album, therefore getting this latest record done was a huge accomplishment for us. We have made so much music that we have enough for a companion album and that's how we thought of things when we set out to make this record. We want to put out more music, still under the same 'DUMB' umbrella, as we're not done with this concept because we haven't really encapsulated the whole thing, so we have more music coming. The companion to 'DUMB' will be more personal and more narrative driven, as opposed to using genre to tell stories and concepts; I think it might be more accessible too, ha! More immediately than that companion album are two other works, one is a covers EP, and the other is a remix album. So lots to come!

Selections from DUMB

[nofomoartworld]

Art F City: Documenta 14: Learning From Athens, Learning From Crisis

Marta Minujín and Pierre Bal-Blanc, “The Parthenon of Books,” 2016 – ongoing. Photo by Anastasia Tuazon.

You don’t need to go to Kassel, Germany to know that the world seems on shaky ground. But this year’s documenta exhibition, “Learning From Athens,” nails home that idea, nonetheless. That’s quite intentional, given that documenta 14 artistic director Adam Szymczyk, along with a team of more than a dozen curators, chose to stake out a markedly “political” point of view. Though the word “political” can refer to pretty much anything or nothing when it comes to curation, Szymczyk and team have carved out a specific focus: the local is the global. And right now, documenta envisions that the world is in need of being rebuilt entirely—from the ground up.

When national and international coalitions have been unable to prevent the dispersal and death of refugees, a major focus in both the Athens and Kassel editions of documenta, the crisis cannot be remedied by the powers that be. There must be alternatives, and as far as the curatorial through-line goes with documenta 14, those alternatives rely on finding strength in what we have around us. With this void in place, “everything is possible now.” That statement, both powerful and cliche, comes from a video shown in Norwegian artist Joar Nango’s collaborative installation “European Everything” (2017). The text-only video moves at a rapid-fire speed, spitting out bold-Arial font text telling how to reinvent the Norwegian “eskimo,” the indigenous Sami people, by poking fun at Eskimo-brand refrigerators. The video and installation, located in Kassel’s glass pavilion section, is one of the stronger, stranger, and sillier works in Kassel.

Given that this year’s documenta lacks much humor whatsoever, the comedy of refrigerators gives the breathing room necessary to imagine that hope still exists. Indeed, “European Everything” does portray a hopeful dystopia, however constructed out of scrap materials from Athens, built with traditional Norwegian hand-axes, strewn with furs, and covered in knick-knacks. Think Mad Max, but less murder; after all, the video describes how, without the need for electricity, “fridges will be dance floors.” That sounds like a fun party, maybe, but not a world I’d want to live in. Regardless, that world seems near on the horizon when artists like Nango feel compelled to prepare for a time when what once seemed solid (like the EU) might break apart. As you can tell, documenta 14 is about as much fun as waiting for the world to end.

That seriousness is by no means a jab at documenta; a year of dour art is much preferred to, say, last year’s Berlin Biennale, where sleek, post-internet works embraced the gloss and branding of international corporations. In 2017, seriousness of purpose has taken over passive compliance.

Additionally, that seriousness is in keeping with documenta’s reputation for dryly conceptual wall work. That’s not my favorite genre of art making, but thankfully those works tend be found inside the museums and exhibition halls, rather than on the streets, where performances, sculptures, and concerts will continue through the end of documenta in mid-September. At the very least, it’s a new turn for documenta, which deviates from the overbearing conceptualism of its last edition, directed by curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. In the words of critic Roberta Smith, documenta 13 was an “incomprehensible, viewer-defying vastness,” that was “most effective as a disembodied state of mind.” Five years later, documenta 14 may be more targeted in purpose, but the disembodiment, in terms of imaginary projects rather than actual political action, continues. More on that in the commentary and images we’ve compiled below. (Corinna Kirsch)

Photos by Anastasia Tuazon.

Hans Haacke, “Wir (alle) sind das Volk—We (all) are the people,” 2003/2017. Here: located on the corner of a department building off of Friedrichsplatz. Note that above the building’s portico you can see Thomas Schütte’s little-people sculpture, “The Strangers,” (1992), permanently installed at documenta 9.

Hans Haacke, “Wir (alle) sind das Volk—We (all) are the people,” 2003/2017. Location: Wienerstrasse tram stop across from the Aral gas station.

Corinna Kirsch: Definitely one of the most noticeable public works at documenta: these rainbow signs are everywhere. The banners and posters show “We (all) are the people” in several different languages. That statement could be a slogan for documenta 14 itself, as so much of the work leans towards upending what it means to be a local, national, or global citizen. It’s an uplifting message to have on a bus stop; on the other hand, it might be a feel-good update to “We are the World,” the 1980s USA for Africa anthem. I sure hope not.

Of course, this is a work by Hans Haacke, whose works of institutional critique, among others, rarely feel straightforward or easy-to-place. They hide as much as they disclose. If there’s a way out of the feel-good-vibes, it’s with the “all” hidden inside the parentheses. Stuck, buried inside a parentheses, “all” is both an afterthought and interlude.

But I’m still conflicted about this work. It’s too open-ended.

Olu Oguibe, “Monument for Strangers and Refugees,” 2017. Location: Königsplatz. Photo by Corinna Kirsch.

Anastasia Tuazon: Haacke’s banners and posters seem to resonate with Olu Oguibe’s massive obelisk. With the phrase “I was a stranger and you took me in” inscribed in a glittery gold color on each of its four sides in English, German, Turkish and Arabic, it heralds a kind of utopian togetherness intended to speak to people of various backgrounds.

Corinna: I wonder if those are the most widely spoken languages in Germany? Regardless, they’re all languages you’re bound to hear or read at some point when you’re here.

This might sound obvious, but like any multicultural state or city, no such reality of “Germanness” or “Americanness” exists any longer. Berlin has nearly as many foreign-born residents as New York City, and as a whole, 10 million people living in Germany come from another country. And those are just the official numbers. This obelisk is a big finger shoved in the face of “Make America Great Again.”

Anastasia: “I was a stranger and you took me in” happens to be a well-known line from the New Testament—but I wasn’t aware of where that phrase came from until another documenta-goer mentioned that to me. It may be well-known, but to whom? Again, like the Haacke work, “Monument for Strangers and Refugees” invites questions of who precisely the “we” and “you” might refer to, or whether the words could ever function as truly open signifiers.

Hiwa K, “When We Were Exhaling Images,” 2017. Located exterior to documenta Halle.

Close-up of Hiwa K, “When We Were Exhaling Images,” 2017

Corinna: So these are micro-housing units that nobody except circular people can live in. But I guess you can hide in them fairly well.

Anastasia: It seems like a sort of pre-fab, post dystopian dwelling. The furniture and objects contained within the pipes don’t appear to be unique or personal to an individual, though the plants make the interiors a bit more inviting, though the plants make the interiors a bit more inviting. It’s kind of reminiscent of Andrea Zittel’s “Living Units,” which are self-contained structures equipped with items to meet the needs of their inhabitants—just much, much more austere. 

Regina José Galindo, “El objectivo [The objective],” 2017

Anastasia: It might be heavy-handed, but this performance-installation succeeded in making visitors, such as myself, uncomfortable. Galindo has built a stark white chamber within a room at Kassel’s Stadtmuseum, and each of its four corners has an assault rifle attached to it, facing the inside. Anyone who visits, and is willing, stands in front of a rifle and views Galindo through its viewing mechanism, which contains a green target. You can also pull the trigger, which does nothing. Some people immediately grabbed it, others hesitated, and how many pulled the trigger—and where they targeted the gun—I don’t know. She rotated her body at intervals, taking a turn facing each gun, and the whole time she had an absolutely affectless expression. According to documenta press materials, the work comments on how major weapons industries export their products to “conflict zones in the Americas” where they ultimately fulfill their function. But that doesn’t quite capture the emotional quality of the performance. When Galindo is not inside her white cube, anyone can come in the room to become the target. I suspect people might have some fun playing with it, which could be part of the intended concept, darkly enough.

Pope. L, “Whispering Campaign,” 2016 – present. Mobile sound performances and installations. Locations: Königstrasse and throughout Kassel.

Corinna: We tried so hard to find one particular location of this performance. We never did, but we tried so hard!

Anastasia: Many performances at documenta are not fixed in a specific location, making it sometimes hard to encounter them, like when we attempted to find Pope.L’s “Whispering Campaign” performance. It was happening somewhere on one of Kassel’s main roads between the rathaus (town hall) and a plaza, but we never saw the people with speakers we were told to look out for.

Corinna: Exactly. According to the official documenta map as well as documenta staff, we were told to look out for people who “may or may not” be carrying a speaker around their neck. We walked up and down the street, but nothing. Point is: don’t rely on the map to find a performance.

Irena Haiduk, “Spinal Discipline,” 2017. Location: Outside Neue Galerie.

Anastasia:  While we couldn’t find that Pope.L performance, we did run into Irena Haiduk’s “Spinal Discipline” shortly after, in which part of the artist’s so-called “army of beautiful women” march together with matching outfits and books by Proust balanced on their heads. Conceptually, I find this piece puzzling—others might find the Proust addition pretentious—but it was a visually arresting sight to come across.

Corinna: Yes, at documenta 14 you’re better off letting the performance come to you, not the other way around.

Guillermo Galindo performing “Sonic Borders 2,” 2017.

Galindo’s installation-cum-music-instrument,”Fluchtzieleuropahavarieschallkörper,” 2017.

Anastasia: Galindo, an experimental composer originally from Mexico City, filled the hall with this solo performance, a “sonic ritual” in which he played the strings of massive musical instruments made out of the remains of fiberglass boats. In the performance, bottles full of liquid, a wooden pipe, and a handheld rainbow fan were a few of the objects used to generate sound, and his synthesized vocals added to what struck me as a haunting lamentation on the perilous realities facing migrants. Curator Candice Hopkins writes that Galindo has been developing scores for documenta 14 (in both Athens and Kassel) to function as “odes for border crossers.” Even when he’s not performing, these scores find a material connection in his instruments-as-art-pieces on display in Kassel: they contain remnants from a boat wreckage near Lesbos in which dozens of Turkish refugees drowned.

Corinna: Truly, truly haunting and mesmerizing. By far, Galindo’s performance was the most packed I’d seen: the hall downstairs near where he played was standing-room only; those wishing for a more distant view from above, stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the stairwell to hear him play. His guttural utterances, strengthened by the sonic feedback could have been shaking the walls. You couldn’t make out all the words he screamed, whispered, and barked out, but that didn’t matter. This digital-analog cornucopia of human-animal sounds and repurposed instruments transformed him into an electronic shaman. An apt song for those who have perished at sea. But were “we,” the visitors to documenta Halle, the ones who needed to hear it most? Probably not, but I definitely needed some catharsis given that

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