#I need to get used to this app... very good practice for shapes

[daily-odile]

various heavypaint odiles

[paperandportraiture]

Little practice using potters pink (maimeriblu), smalt, titanium buff, and Florentine green ( from poems about you) in a Paul Rubens cold press sketchbook. @adorkastock pose reference.

There's a lot of issues in this sketch, but I kind of want to iterate on it and make a larger finished piece from it? Though now I'm realizing that I was using the adorkastock sketch app, which serves you random poses, and have navigated away from that page, so I might never be able to find the reference again. Going off of this sketch might not be good enough though. Oops.

Babbling about process, materials, things I want to practice, paper, etc under the cut.

Colors:

I've traditionally stuck to very clean paints (m graham and Sennelier are my usuals) on hot press paper but I'm in my texture era I guess.

I wanted to use my lapis lazuli Baikal from poems about you, but it's expensive and I've been using it a lot in these little sketches lately so I used smalt instead, which also granulates like mad but is a much brighter blue than I was in the mood for, which I think you can tell. The overall colors don't hang together that great. This isn't helped by the random green willowy stuff I added at the end. I just wanted to make it more of a scene for some reason, and then because the green was so different in both color and texture I had to make her dress at least reflect some of that green. And then I had to add green into her shadows. Admittedly the shadows until that point were way too blue and the green probably helped some - if I had either wanted to spend a lot more time tying it together or had started with the green as part of the vision, it'd probably actually be pretty good.

Underlying sketch/drawing:

The sketch here turned out looking okay, but I have to admit that I sat down with the intention of practicing getting a sketch scaled to the page correctly. It's a full body pose and I wanted the entire thing in there, and positioned in the rectangle of the page nicely. Clearly I did not succeed - she doesn't even have the bottom half of her legs. I think my main issue with doing this is that I always want heads to be bigger than they are. If I lay down shapes focusing on the body first, when I start in on facial and skull details I end up going way too big with them and then adjust everything else to fit, which often puts half their limbs off the page. Maybe I should try starting with a head that feels super small, putting in a higher degree of detail than feels safe, and then blocking in the body.

I mean the actual thing I should do is just more quick figure practice. Do the actual timed ones and everything.

I also struggled a lot with the drawing of the book and mug. I'm happy with where they landed (the mug is too small but at least it's recognizable) but it was a major struggle. Objects just have much harder angles than people. More practice needed in just getting the form down of made objects.

I should also work on putting clothes on the pose reference models. @adorkastock is such an amazing resource and when I'm just practicing I don't usually try to add outfits, but I think that's something I should work on. I also feel like I used to be a lot better at this - I think the fact that I haven't worn a skirt since 2018 means I have forgotten how fabric drapes.

Painting technique:

I might say that I overworked the painting here, but I think the actual issue is handling the extreme granulation. These paints reactivate a lot more than I'm used to, so I ended up pushing pigment around super carefully a lot, so that contributes to a sort of "overdefined" look. It'd be possible to balance it out by building up midtones, but with how re-workable everything was, that felt very risky and like... I'm not going to that much work for this kind of practice. I think in my enthusiasm to play with granulation, I am using too heavy of a hand.

The tacked-on green willow stuff is just funny to me, I know it doesn't fit in well.

Paper:

Okay this $10 watercolor journal from Paul Rubens is shockingly good. I don't like perforated pages but I know a lot of people do and I guess if I ever really want to take any of these out, its easy. I just like a sketchbook to come with the emotional security of "nah dont worry, this is for practicing and you can hide it away forever if you'd like". Not to mention since I don't usually tape the edges in a sketchbook, when paint bleeds into the perforations its just so ugly.

But it's 100% cotton that behaves exactly how I would expect (side eyeing you, bee paper). And so comparatively cheap! It works! It does the thing!

When I got into watercolor (2019? ish) I feel like there just weren't decent cheap paper options, especially not in a bound sketchbook, but maybe it just took me a while to find them. I literally learned basic bookbinding to make my own sketchbooks with paper I liked.

Student grade cellulose paper just doesn't work - paint literally does not behave in the same way so if you are trying to practice watercolor technique, you kind of...can't actually do that on "student-grade" cellulose paper. But you totally can on this stuff, it's great.

The binding is a little weak, but that's small potatoes at this price.

I don't love how regular the grain is, I feel like it makes too much of a pattern and I can't un-see it. Then again, since I'm way more used to hot-pressed, maybe this is just me being picky. Is there cold pressed paper that has a texture that is enough to give granulation something to play around on but subtle enough not to bug me?

Anyway, if I can find that pose again I might try a full piece. Maybe put in an actual planned willow or plant stuff background. Put actual thought into the whole composition.

Probably wouldn't use the same palette - I think I'd actually build it around the florentine green and potters pink, but maybe bring in a warmer yellow? Not sure what blue though - I want to keep messing with heavy granulation but I think the smalt is the wrong temperature, and the baikal lapis lazuli might constrain the available values too much. With the green maybe I don't need to worry about it though. Also the mug in the reference is a bright aqua color and tbh I like that in the overall color impression, which actually suggests that the lapis I have is too grey. Really I think this mean there will be multiple blues involved (reader, did you know that you are not actually limited to using at most 4 paints at a time?). I might have a cobalt teal that granulates a little.

I think I would have an easier time with the colors if I weren't also trying to get a lot of granulation. Maybe I should scale back that desire and just use potters pink to get that effect in there?

Side note - I do really like potters pink for its hue, which I'm surprised by because its such a soft color. It's known for having a super weak tinting strength and essentially being a way to sneak granulation into warmer colors, but I think I've been mixing this hue at a weak strength often enough in portraits that it's actually a really convenient color for me.

[ladyiristheenchantress]

Ceraunoscopy - a mini post

Ceraunoscopy is defined as divination via lightning, an air based form of divination I dont see a lot of major attention on

first things first keraunoscopy is the very first umbrella term, having to do with practicing divination via thunder and lightning, but later people began to diversity and thus Ceraunoscopy became divination via only lightning! In ancient times, many cultures believed that lightning was a direct message from high beings like Zeus or Thor, in fact SO MANY religions have documented use of this form of divination that each method is so unique and indicates so many messages people used it to predict war, floods, or even death of important figures.

How its done

Some people read proximity, shapes, and generally storm progression to best understand a particular major situation When this is best used This form is best used for larger situations, things like life trajectories, major future situations, or possibly understanding a message that was given by a divine force. Additionally this method can predict major events in your area specifically, things like deaths, electrical or water issues, or festivals. When its worst used This method is not recommended for situations subject to heavy change, say when you are applying for many jobs, or getting hyper specific details. Its also not recommended for lighter situations like situationships, short term relationships overall, petty job feuds, etc. It is also not well suited for major globally impacting questions like election updates or widespread illness. When it comes to how someone actually wants to interact with it, first you need to either chase a storm, summon a storm, or simply wait for one to show up (most practitioners who use this method, save up big questions for the stormiest part of the year, svg: its kind of like a 'new years' in a sense, but its useful when making important decisions), then this is one of the few situations where divination is Transactional you have to give something to get something about your future, usually its recommended to give an offering to the sky during this time because it basically allows this huge, unrelenting, force to get a good look at you and your query (connect you to it). Then, when the storm comes you want to look at how intense it is, the colors in the sky as it happens, the shape lightning bolts make, how long the storm lasts, and how close they are to you. FROM THERE I find it really similar to tea readings where you have this big map of information you now have to decipher

In essence, how you choose to interpret it is subjective not all people read it the same, however here are some common ways to do it Intensity - Has to do with how big your problem actually is in the grand scheme of your life, how urgent the issue is colors - match colors to intuition or a personalized color belief system to see key details, relate to things in your control Shape of bolt - also has to do with key details, relate more to things out of your control Duration - Has to do with how quickly you will reach your goal, how long it might take, the path ahead in distance Proximity - determines your steps forward and when you have to take action, indicates key events to look out for. places can be symbolic here Example:

lets say I see this in the sky, and either using math or using an app it tells me this strike was 2 miles away, how would I interpret this? Overall, this storm is not very intense, no rain, not heavy on the storm itself, but it has a lot of consistent lightning, this tells me that in relation to my situation its being well seen, its not going unnoticed, but it also isnt going to be a smooth ride to get to where I want to be. The colors are really light in the sky, lots of purples and periwinkles that tell me that this issue is going to be more spiritual than physical, and the shape of the bolt itself tells me that the things out of my control are varied and branched, probably having to do with mundane routines I cant change that I need to learn how to balance with the spiritual calling. With proximity 2 is the number of chance and change so this storm is telling me that I have a lot of options, none of them perfect, but there isnt any wrong direction. I have to go forward and solidify one choice before the opportunities pass me by.

Well I hope you all enjoyed, I really liked making this mini post as requested! If you have anything you want to see, feel free to drop it in my AMA! Thank you all very much :)

Tip Jar

[lauren-likes-to-type]

would you please write us simps more Janis x reader. you have the best writing of her. weee beg of you pleaasee

[Mean Girls 2004] Janis Ian x Female reader - "Hidden Inspiration"

[Requested by: anonymous]

Summary: Janis surprises you one night when she takes you to her favorite place to hide away from the world.

Word Count: 2.71k Content + Warnings: Very brief mentions of the Plastics being themselves, colored text is used for texting (Blue is Reader, Orange is Janis)

- - - - [Masterlist] - - - -

Enjoy!

Until you met Janis, art had never really been your thing. Sure, you doodled here and there, occasionally painting whenever you were with a friend and needed something fun to do, but you hardly messed with it after that. You admired artists, but you never really knew what to create most of the time, so you simply opted for whatever else you could find to keep you entertained.

However, after moving to North Shore High and meeting Janis, you were finding yourself growing increasingly drawn to putting pencil to paper and forming whatever image was in your head. Your interest in art was only fueled further upon realizing her group of friends was full of other art geeks as well. Each time you joined them at their usual table for lunch, you could look over randomly and find at least one of them seated with a sketchbook propped up in their lap and a pencil or pen clutched between their fingers as they expertly sketched with practiced ease.

Too embarrassed to show your art around others just yet, you figured you could work secretly at home on your skill. Many late nights were spent watching random tutorials and creating appealing setups with random items from around your house, which you would then sketch out to the best of your ability. You took notes on what you could work on most to improve quicker, following your mental checklist daily until you finally got to the point where you felt confident enough to at least carry around one of your smaller sketchbooks.

You’d hardly realized it at first, but it wasn’t hard to see that one of the main reasons for wanting to learn to draw was Janis. She was incredible, especially when it came to her creativity. You lost count of how many times you sat beside her in your shared classes simply peering over her shoulder and watching breathtaking illustrations come to life.

It was therapeutic, even when she would tease you for staring at what she was doing.

You promised yourself you would get to her level one day, if that would even be possible with how she was constantly improving.

That’s how you ended up where you often were: bundled up in your bed with blankets cushioning your body, a sketchbook propped up in your lap, pencil in your hand, as you sketched out whatever came to mind. Unfortunately, it seemed like your inspiration had run dry for the day, forcing you to face a blank page as your hand twitched, aching to get something drawn.

With every attempt to come up with something, you were only left with random shapes and guidelines, none of which created the stencil of a piece you’d be happy with.

Your eyes glanced over at your phone, daring you to scroll through one of your apps to find something to use as a possible reference, but you knew better. Every time you ended up searching your phone for ideas, you’d ultimately end up getting distracted and scrolling through Instagram or TikTok instead. You never got anything done that way, and you would never improve if you didn’t keep working. A loud groan was your only reaction when your brain screamed at you to draw anything at all.

Tired and stressed, you closed your eyes and fell back properly against the mattress, pillows cushioning your head. What could you do? You had no more paint, and you weren’t going to be able to buy more for at least a week. It’s not like it would do me any good anyway, you reminded yourself. There’s still nothing I could come up with.

After a while, you wondered to yourself: how does Janis get out of these slumps? ‘Art block’ is what she called it, and she complained about it often, but she never really touched on how she got out of it. Would she help you out if you asked?

Well, you figured there was no harm in trying.

Still lying down, you let your arm shift over to your nightstand, fingers gripping the edges of your phone before lifting it and pulling it close to your face. Immediately after unlocking it, you found yourself staring at the last few messages shared with Janis. Your thumb hovered over the typing box, a sudden wave of worry crashing over you. Why were you suddenly so nervous? You’ve talked to her before.

Shaking the trembling out of your hands, you forced yourself to type out a quick message, sending it without allowing yourself to give it a second thought, then keeping your eyes positioned on the message as you waited.

Janissssss, I need helppppp

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for her to read it. Three small bubbles popped up on the left side of the screen before disappearing and being replaced with her response.

What’s up? You good?

A smile tugged at the corner of your lips.

Noooo, I don’t know what to draw. I’ve been sitting here with my sketchbook in my lap for like an hour. It feels like it’s mocking me at this point. I think I’ve got art block, or whatever you call it. What do you do when you get like this?

Her message took a bit longer than usual. The bubble would pop up, then vanish, then reappear, as if she couldn't land on what she wanted to say.

After a good few minutes, she finally replied.

Uh, I kinda just get out of the house for a bit to clear my head. A lot of the time, I’ll take my sketchbook with me so I can get something done when I find a place to be alone.

But I don’t know where to go where I can be by myself without worrying about some random creep trying to flirt with me.  :(

Another long pause in her reply greeted you, and you wondered if you were touching on a sensitive subject for her. Before you could get too into your head, however, a small sound brought your attention back to the screen.

An address? Why’d she send that?

Meet me here in a minute. I’ll show you where I usually go when I need to get away from everything.

Your brows pulled themselves together at her words. She was being strangely hesitant about everything. You couldn’t remember if you’d ever seen her act this way before.

After sending a message back to let her know you were on your way, you clambered out of bed, tossing the sheets off of your body and swinging your legs over the side of your mattress before standing. Your feet carried you over to your door, where you stopped briefly to grab your shoes and slip them back on, then out into the kitchen, where you snatched your keys from their spot on the counter and headed out into the garage.

Almost systematically, you found yourself sliding into the driver’s seat and buckling up as you waited for the door to lift. Once it finally did, you shifted the gear into drive and pulled out into the driveway. Soon after the garage was shut again, you pulled up the address on your GPS system and propped your phone up where you could still see it, letting it guide you to the mysterious place you agreed to meet Janis at.

It was a surprisingly long drive from your house, and the confusion contorting your features only grew stronger as you were instructed to pull into the parking lot of an old storage unit. There, just as you pulled into a spot by the entrance, you could see Janis standing near the main office, leaning against the brick wall with her hands stuffed into her jacket and her eyes now trained on your car.

After shutting off the engine and stepping out of the car, you watched as she pushed herself from the wall and motioned for you to join her.

Ominous, but still somehow very on-brand for her.

You obliged, jogging over to where she stood. You didn’t have to ask anything, instead getting your answer as she fished a key out from her pocket and held it up to see under the small overhead light. Already, you could feel thick beads of sweat forming on the back of your neck.

Shit. Was she about to kill you or something?

“Uh,” you blurted, eyes flickering between hers and the key.

“Not gonna kill you,” she murmured, that all-too-familiar smirk playing at her lips, “I swear. Just wanna show you something.”

You nodded, nerves slowly settling again. She turned then, walking around the office until she was greeted by a gate, one that opened for her within a few seconds after her fingers swiftly typed in a passcode on the wall. You followed her as she made her way deeper into the maze of units, wondering how long you would be walking until she finally halted before you, forcing your feet to stop just a few inches behind her.

A small huff could be heard from her, even with her facing away from you. While her fingers fiddled with the key still resting between them, she craned her neck to look back at you. “I don’t really show many people this place. It means a lot to me, so,” she sucked in a breath, eyes dropping down. “Don’t make fun of it or anything, okay? It’s not much, but it’s mine.”

You could only nod again, still too rattled by the shady environment to form a verbal response. With your confirmation, she turned back and slid the key into the padlock of the large door. As she lifted it, a large unit was revealed, a setup behind the door greeting you. Two bean bag chairs seated beside each other, both placed in front of a small television, plenty of pillows, cushions, and blankets piled up randomly around the room, magazines, books, and movies scattered about, an easel in the corner with a blank canvas propped up against it, a dresser splashed with vibrant colors of paint, and a large stack of sketchbooks tucked away in the very back.

Everything about the room you were examining practically screamed Janis. Every little thing you spotted reminded you of her instantly, which was no surprise, considering this was her personal space. As you continued to gawk at the place in front of you, Janis snickered and grabbed your wrist, gently tugging you inside to get a better view.

“The floor’s not made of lava, dude. You can come in.” You smiled back at her, mumbling a soft apology as you made your way over to one of the small seats. “What is this place?” You asked, letting your eyes trail over to her again.

“A storage unit,” she retorted sarcastically.

You rolled your eyes, relieved to hear her continue right after.

“This is where I like to go when I’m lacking inspiration. I know it seems kinda stupid to rent out an entire unit like this just to make it easier to draw and stuff, but it helps. Plus, when Regina and her flock of plastic bitches start getting under my skin, I like to come here to escape it all. Like I said: no one really knows about this place, which means I don’t have to worry about anyone trashing it or something. Damian is pretty much the only person who knows about it, other than my parents.”

Her eyes fell to her fingers as she rolled part of her shirt between them, her voice lowering and a strange look of embarrassment crossing over her face.

“And, well… now you know about it, too.”

When you tilted your head, processing her words, she glanced back up at you.

“I think I can trust you, though. You’re pretty cool.”

Now her seemingly sheepish smile mirrored your own. It hadn’t struck you just how big of a show of trust this was from her. This small unit was her safe space, somewhere she didn’t have to worry about the hell of a high school she was forced to go to, somewhere she could be at peace, somewhere where she could be herself.

And now she was showing it to you, letting you in, because she trusted you.

Only a moment passed after your realization before she seemed to have one of her own, her expression visibly shifting before she pocketed her hand in her jacket and dug around for a bit before pulling a separate key back out. It matched the one she showed you earlier, though this one was silver instead of bronze.

“Here,” she said, leaving her spot by the door and making her way over until she stood a foot away. Before you had the chance to hold it out yourself, Janis grasped your hand and lifted it, softly planting the key in your palm before pushing your fingers to curl over it. “Come here whenever you want, but just make sure you keep this between us, okay?”

“Okay.”

Her grin grew at your promise. It was clear your reassurance meant more to her than you realized. As she spun on her heel and moved to close the door, your gaze landed on the small key in your hand, glistening under the light that hummed overhead. While tucking it into your pocket, you couldn’t help but hum at the shades of red that dusted over your cheeks, warmth spreading through your chest at her show of trust.

“Now,” she blurted with a clap, clearly desperate to rid the room of the heavy tension. You jolted at the sudden noise, a motion that she chuckled at before she wandered over to the bean bag chair next to the one you were still standing awkwardly by. She plopped herself down in the seat, then reached over to pat the one beside you. “Let’s find you something that’ll get those gears grinding in your head again.”

Grinning, you nodded, sitting next to her. “Thank god. I’ve been feeling like I’m going insane.” Humming, Janis nodded. Her hands dipped down momentarily to swipe a few magazines from the floor, which she then handed to you. “Oh, yeah, no. Art block fucking sucks, dude. If I can save you from that insanity even a little bit, I will.”

You thanked her, flipping randomly through the few magazines now in your hands.

For the rest of the night, the two of you talked about whatever came to mind, no matter how trivial it seemed. She helped you look through the multiple forms of media she had on hand, even letting you look through an album on her phone that she made specifically for different studies and ideas she wanted to try.

You hadn’t realized it, but time stretched into the early hours of the morning, and you quickly sent a text off to your parents to let them know you were staying with Janis for the night. By the time the sun was starting to rise and paint the world in bright hues again, you could feel your eyelids drooping heavily from pure exhaustion. Janis took notice immediately, despite being in the same state herself, and scrounged up a couple of the blankets nearby, draping one over you.

She returned to her spot in the chair beside yours, and her hands made quick work of cleaning up the space around her before tugging her own blanket around her shoulders. You were the first to fall asleep, and when you woke up again several hours later, you found her sitting directly beside you, leaning against you with her head now resting on your shoulder. Her eyes were still closed, though you weren’t sure when she moved over.

Either way, you weren’t going to complain.

As slowly as you could, in order to avoid waking her, you moved to wrap your arm around her shoulders, letting your head fall to rest on top of hers as you let your eyes fall shut again.

Here, everything was okay.

She was there with you, and you were there with her, hidden away from the rest of the world and surrounded by pure means of inspiration.

Nothing could hurt you here.

No one could hurt you here.

You were safe.

Started on: January 28th, 2025 Finished on: February 9th, 2025

[iztea]

Maybe you have some drawing tips for beginners?

Your style is incredibly beautiful and it just inspires this thing inside me to grab my iPad and start drawing but unfortunately I have no idea where to even begin

Or maybe you have some recs where to look to learn how to draw stuff?

But I understand completely that it’s your thing and artists should never feel pressured to share all their techniques and secrets, you worked hard on it!

I just really really love your art to the point where I just look at it for 30 minutes straight with this big feeling in my chest

<3

ah it was never about being secretive, i'm pretty open about my drawing process since gatekeeping knowledge is a big pet peeve of mine. It was more like,, laziness because writing a cohesive and helpful drawing tutorial is pretty difficult and i wouldn't even know where to start; i'm afraid i'll get maybe too technical and what have you.

As for tips for beginners, i've shared plenty on my couriouscat so you can scroll through the answers there, i also have some drawing timelapses on my twitter account as well (albeit you'll have to scroll a little)

I'm very flattered you feel that way about my art, it really means a lot to me and i'm glad to have inspired you to draw as well that's awesome and i wish you best of luck!

I actually don't know how different drawing on an iPad is compared to a graphic tablet+desktop, so I am actually pretty clueless in that regard. I think Procreate is the most used digital art app for iPad so you can start by getting it and familiarizing yourself with the UI. I think this step is often overlooked. The brushes and the chosen program can make or break the drawing experience. If you simply find yourself not enjoying Procreate, experiment with other apps or maybe try switching to a graphic tablet, maybe that feels better and is more suited to your tastes.

To be completely honest, one "bad" piece of advice that i should probably keep to myself is to draw something you actually enjoy: fanart, Pretty Girl Portrait(tm), your cat, landscapes etc even if it's above your skill level (becoming obsessed/ fixated on some character from a piece of media also works wonders i'm just gonna throw that out there). The main point is to actually care about your chosen subject in order to get inspired and to have that inner desire of "doing them justice" aka drawing them well. The traditional art learning route probably involves studying the fundamentals, shading spheres and cones and simple 3D forms blablbablah which. Yeah ! sure that's probably better advice but i'm telling you what will make you want to keep going and not get discouraged after a few failed attempts.

As for the drawing subject, I highly recommend having photo references to guide you.. you always need refs it's a recurring thing. My fastest artworks are the ones where I have the right references. the less references the more difficult it is to draw something

As a beginner it is also a good practice to draw OVER your photo reference to get the proportions right ( i'm not talking about literally tracing the contour of a face or limb ( just an example ), but moreso identifying the Main shape which makes up that body part and observe how long is it in respect to the other components, how does it connect to the other parts etc - big difference. Tracing won't help you in the long run).

Another thing you can do is to study your favourite artists and see how They tackle whatever it is that you like in their work. how do they simplify facial features? what about anatomy? color/ light etc and kinda reverse engineer your way through their process. ( but i highly recommend to just keep these practice sketches to yourself, and to not share them on social media- unless you get the artist's permission)

This is how i got into drawing and what i did back then, again, for more technical hands-on information i did answer similar CCs before so with a little bit of stalking you'll find them in no time

I wanna finish this with some resources that helped me:

>youtube guys - sinix, ahmed aldoori, marco bucci, and also just speedpaints in general i highly recommend watching those

>for simplified anatomy i found @/ taco1704 's ref sheets to be very helpful but ........... I'm pretty dry here i just look up refs on Pinterest tbvh

speaking of, here's my pinterest i have a bunch of art related boards board cool stuff overall maybe they can help guide you towards some direction or inspire you in some way idk

ok i kinda suck in the resource department listeN. im starving too just.................. watch youtube speedpaints ok

SORRY IT'S SO LONGGGBGGG i hope it was at least a bit helpful? this was all over the place... I'll try to come up with a tutorial as well but i really gotta be careful with how i go about it. I'll leave you with this for the time being. Again, thank you a lot for the kind words, I really am very grateful and touched esp by that last part about staring with the big feeling stuff eeeeeeeeeeeeee really wow T T that's so lovely and a big compliment thanks ty ly

[oftlunarialmoon]

5 Agere Activities for a Rainy Day (Indoors Edition)

Ciao lovelies! We’re moving into spring here where I am, and with the spring, comes LOTS of rain. There are many outside ideas to do for agere, (and yes, even some rainy day ones!) but today, I’d like to share 5 of my favorite agere activities to do on a rainy day, or on days where I can’t go outside (snow, too hot, etc.)..

All of the ideas I’m sharing today are my personal faves!

Idea #1: Change your doll’s (or stuffies!) outfits….or make them some outfits!

Super old pic, I know (I have wayyy different hair now, lol), but this idea is still one of my faves. Picking new outfits for my dolls is always super fun and sometimes I even have a mini photoshoot with them after changing their looks. I can also turn this idea into a full afternoon of play by setting up a “doll salon” to select their looks and they each get a spray of choice perfumes and hair brushes :) 

If you don’t have clothes for your dolls/stuffies, you can also make them clothing or accessories! I’m aiming to put some tutorials of that sort on the blog and possibly on the Youtube channel soon, but for now, here’s some tutorials that I have already made to get you started:

There are many fun and simple methods for making doll clothing or accessories, I once again have to highly recommend MyFroggyStuff’s Youtube channel for this! She has awesome ideas and she makes it all seem so easy. 

Idea #2: Take a fun Bubble Bath!

Taking a fun and relaxing bath is a nice way to both regress, and practice self-care! You can find cute bath toys like these at dollar stores, and bath bombs, bubble bath, bath fizzies, etc as well! I even love buying the “bath puppets” which are just washcloths that go on your hands like a puppet, and are shaped like animals! I have a sharkie and a froggie. When I take baths or showers, I like to imagine going through a checklist with my scrubby buddy (most often Mr Sharkie) to make sure I get 1000000% clean! Sometimes I even make a little song of this and hum it to myself. :)

It’s also nice having access to fun body washes and soap! My current favorite body wash is scented from “Viva las Vegas SWEET” which is some kind of perfume thing, but it smells like candy, and it looks cute out of the tube! (it’s pink and shimmery 0.0)

I’ve also seen body washes for babyshark, Barbie, and other kids franchises! Oh, and even some grown-ups products are still cute for this too! I have a Hello Kitty sugar scrub that was intended for grown-ups, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t cute anyway! :) Oh, and Crayola makes body wash “crayons” as well, the tubes are crayon shaped and the body washes are colorful!

Okie, okie, that’s a lot of me rambling about baths, sorry >.<

Idea #3: Play Video Games!

Sometimes there’s nothing better than wearing comfy clothes, having a nice snack, and playing video games! On rainy days this activity feels super cozy and wonderful, and there are lots of games out there that are cute and good for agere!

My current faves are Animal Crossing New Horizons on my Switch, Sandbox Coloring App on my phone, Nintendogs on my 3Ds, and Minecraft on my PC! I love that games are on a lot of different devices, so that I can always find something to do~

I think Animal Crossing is a really cool game for age regressors, and the New Horizons one is very cute for a lot of reasons! I can dress my avatar up in cute fashions and i can even buy…..pacis! and…..Cute kawaii dresses!!! :0 You could make your dream agere outfits in this game, and i do it all the time, tbh!

Idea #4: Journaling or Writing in a Diary!

I love love love my regression journal! I use stickers, washi tape, coloring pages, crayons, markers, and more on it, and it’s really freeing to have a journal that doesn’t need to be neat or tidy. My daily journal is also my regression journal, as I am someone who is semi-regressed all the time! :3 I also do vent journal entries in this journal (to share with my therapist), and lists, collages, doodles, info pages…lots of things! 

I have an article on here actually about Agere Journaling! 

I also want to briefly ramble about my stickers, I have found 2 really good sources of stickers for my journal. The first is a subscription service called Stickii, which sends you a themed sticker pack every month, these packs include stickers from lots of independent artists and I really love each one I’ve gotten so far (I’ve gotten 2 so far.) **DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored or affiliated with this brand, I just wanted to give a personal recommendation! 

The second is Blippo Kawaii Shop, which sells sticker mystery bags which I have an opening video of on OFT’s IG! :) I love their selection of kawaii stickers, and it’s always fun getting a package from them. Also… once again: **DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored or affiliated with this brand, I just wanted to give a personal recommendation! 

Idea #5: Play with Legos or building blocks! 

Something that I love doing when I am small is playing with building blocks or legos! I like the Minecraft sets or the dollar store legos! :) I use the legos to build things for my mini town and dollhouse, as well as make dollrooms! :) 

Megablocks have larger blocks as well if you regress younger and want something more simple. Also… once again: **DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored or affiliated with this brand, I just wanted to give a personal recommendation! 

You can use building blocks to make obstacle courses for your minis, specific types of buildings for playing pretend, mecha robots for epic battles…….>.<’ sorry my brain totally went to gundam XD

They also sell building block sets for making iconic characters like pikachu and other pokemon, as well as other anime and game characters! I think this type of block is called a nano block.

CONCLUSION: 

What do you think of these 5 agere activities for a rainy day? What activities are your favorite when small? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you lovelies and having great discussions!

And now for the most important thing in this outro…..I get to say……

STAY AWESOME!! You are awesome, just as you are, and you should look at yourself with love and kindness. Don’t forget to love yourself, whether you practice self-care, treat yourself, or take care of your future self by getting a task done ahead of time, self love is important!

Okie, all my ramblings aside, see you in my next post, video, or whatever comes next!

[noolsart]

Hey, I'm sorry if this may be out of nowhere / weird - I found a very old Tweet of yours that mentions you having dyspraxia. I don't know if I have it, but I'm struggling with a visualization problem that people seem to think is either that or is related, and was wondering if you had any insights into your process and how you deal with it (especially in terms of anatomy)? Your work is fantastic!!

Thanks so much anon! Really sorry this took forever to get back to, irl stuff got kinda mad. Also I’ll admit I’ve never really thought about it before, so this question got me examining how I’ve learnt. Here's what I've found helpful:

I don't know the specifics of what you're struggling to visualise but with me, I have aphantasia (which means I don't really think in clear images- if at all) which combined with ADHD means that making thins as simple as possible is the only way I can draw without getting frustrated and giving up.

Practice: Not a glamourous answer, I know, but repetition helps build muscle memory. Draw the same thing over and over again, especially if you avoiding something (I avoid hands lol) because it usually means it’s what you need to work on most. Start with a specific thing, eyes, skulls, legs etc. and fill pages with them. Go nuts. Draw noses until you can’t bare to look at peoples faces anymore- then draw more. After a while you’ll get an eye for what looks right and what doesn’t while drawing. Don’t need to visualise when you’ve filled 5 pages of feet and will probably draw them in your sleep.

Simplify Shapes: Complex objects can be broken down into simple shapes. Instead of visualizing an entire body, think of it as cubes, lines, and circles. Planar sculptures of bodies and heads are great references because they simplify everything.

Use 3D Models: If you struggle with visualizing a pose, use a 3D model. There are websites and apps that are free, some may let you pose the model, others will just have pre-made poses. I use Clip Studio Paints 3d stuff when I’m stuck on things (usually hands).

References: Another boring answer but: use references. You might need to pose and take photos of yourself, having a mirror on your desk is super useful for referencing yourself. Watching other people draw can give you new ideas, youtube, streams and tiktok are all good to just watch how artists you admire approach drawing.

Learn the Rules: Knowing the basic guidelines about body proportions helps, how many heads high a generic person should be to look correct, the arms should fall to mid thigh etc. Remove the need to try and imagine what something looks like and replace it with knowledge. Once you’re comfortable, you can start to break and play around with them

Consider Getting a Teacher or joining an art group: Not the most accessible option but a teacher can provide valuable critique and explain difficult concepts that are individual to you. Otherwise find an online or in-person group where you can ask questions and get feedback. I’m self taught so it’s not essential but having had teachers for animation, I improved 100x quicker from having people explain specifically the mistakes I was making rather than trying to power through it myself.

Most importantly, find a way to make it fun and there’s no correct way to approach art. If something works for you, then keep doing it.

[bleachbleachbleach]

6/2/2024

This summer, I'm part of a job-related workshop. It's very intense (I have no idea why I didn't think this would be the case; I'm an idiot), Aside from the directly work-related stuff, there are also parts of it that are like, mental health/wellness related. (Last week's involved taking a self-compassion self-test and I got DESTROYED, help.) This week's segment was about big picture planning and project management and whatnot--developing practices and awarenesses that allow you to work backwards from critical deadlines, and how to predict or handle realities where the deadline is impossible, or where there is no way to plan yourself out of not getting to have your cake and eat it too. And in that bit, there was a brief section about taking time to truly grieve the things you won't get to have, or things you'll never do, or projects that will or can never be.

I think we all do something akin to this in a rote, uninterrogated way, all the time. I mean I know I do. I've done seriously for like, big life changes and whatever, too. But I hadn't really thought about engaging the idea so deeply at other, "lesser" registers of life, maybe? Beyond that "welp not going that I guess lol" version, or even the "ugh I'm super bummed X can't happen and it's going to take me a minute to get over this" level. To grieve something feels different than that. I also think I hold onto a lot of things that are unrealistic but I still think are possible--both from a space of absurd optimism, and also from a space of just being continually stressed about yearnings that will never be. But what about really, really grieving and moving on? I'm struck by the language of grief in this context, and what it would mean to really meet those impossibilities head-on, to hold real space for them, to really, really do the thing and see and mourn them.

Maybe this is just me being extremely hormonal AGAIN (always, apparently), but I'm just like, very "I need to lie down about this for several hours" about the idea.

Admittedly I'm thinking less about it from a work POV (I've been on vacation for a week, minus this workshop, so LOL no threats or obligations or anxieties or difficult things feel real right now), but from the POV of all the random oneshots I'd love to write or random ideas I wish I had the time and space to wander through, and also,--always--from not-me, in-universe blorbo POV.

Anyway, irrespective of most of that, I actually came here to rectify the fact that I forgot to actually set a goal for this coming week in my last writing post. I've been pretty successfully using a habit app to keep my life together, and have recently gotten all my categories in very good shape! Except for ONE:

A stellar report card, were it not for that D in Pleasure Writing. My goal for this week is to GET THAT NUMBER UP! Though I think it'll actually be lower than 66% once the week rolls over, so uh. We'll see what number "up" actually means.

THAT'S MY GOAL FOR JUNE, WEEK 1.

[inkofamethyst]

July 20, 2025

Chickened out of going to a party yesterday, kind of. I think I had chickened out a week ago and used excuses yesterday to justify it (went to an arts festival and walked around a bunch and came back to aching feet, also never rsvp'd so I didn't have an obligation to attend, also my island-friend ended up deciding to rest -> perfect storm for "maybe i'll just stay in tn"). I did facetime with my photo-friend for a few hours though and that was fun. Anyway I say "chickened out" because the whole goal for the party was to chat with strangers, specifically just some guy who I found attractive. Just a conversation. And I think I psyched myself out of it.

It's okay. I'm going to three days of comic con in a few weeks, and it will be infinitely easier (I imagine) to chat nerds up about what they're wearing or what they're buying or whatever. Three whole days to hit up two guys, I can so do that.

Frogged the alpaca tee. Found a pattern that's nearly exactly what I was looking for (Vest Taipei by Mochi Knits), and I likely have the skill to perform the minor alteration to shape it to my vision. Made a true swatch for the first time. Even blocked it and hit gauge exactly. Started on the back and it's going swimmingly. Am admittedly procrastinating on two other projects. Hhhhh. I think I'm going to order both the knit and faux leather for the scarlet witch today. I don't think I'm going to be able to tell which I prefer unless I do both, especially since this will be my first (second, I guess, after Katara for Halloween, but I don't count that tbh) cosplay and I'm not very well versed in what looks good/photographs gooder/wears goodest. Plus I am running out of timeeeee. Though I think I've figured out a method to resolve the topological issue (wild what my mind will do to delay me getting up to stretch). Second project is the pair of socks for my mom. 1. Not sure if I want to make a draft pair for myself to try the method first and work out the kinks (in which case I'd need to buy more yarn, but I don't really want just a plain pair of socks tbh); 2. Not sure if I have the color I want for the toe/heel/cuff accent; 3. Not sure it's what my mom would want out of the skein anyway. 3.5. Not sure if I want to ask her what she'd want. I'm leaning toward just asking her.

I really appreciate Bernadette's musings in her most recent video. They really get at the core of what I'm trying to do with the wardrobe project: carefully curating style and using the beautiful fabric (or yarn). She's absolutely right that what is beautiful to me today may be fleeting, and while I know there is value (and sustainability) in taking time before making some impulse purchase, there is also great value in following one's current whims and adorning oneself in accordance with what one finds beautiful at that moment. I've shied away from committing to bishop sleeves despite being absolutely, hopelessly in love with them for at least five years now, and I think I'm just going to have to commit. Use the good, discontinued (rip K+C (but not really! some places are picking them upppp!)) yarn! Use the fabric you got from a destash that you may never find again!

Today I'm thankful that I got to see a local band perform yesterday!! They were so cool and so talented. Also thankful that I went shopping and picked up the groceries I needed for what I wanted to make for dinner for this week because I started my period today (we're officially in irregular territory, yay.) and would've otherwise resorted to chicken nuggets. Did still manage to do gentle stretching this morning though. Had hoped to see a Superman matinee today and then read in a park, but I don't think that's going to happen. Going to knit then practice bass (going through a slump rn, I think leaving for home reduced my momentum) then make dinner then sleep.

Several weeks ago, I mentioned that I had this idea for a finance app, but I obviously lack development experience. I'm thinking about making a little application/user interface to select a random stretch routine each day. Right now I'm just kind of adding the ones I like to a page in notion, but I have VSCode. I could probably make something with it. Just for the practice. Using ChatGPT to walk me through the process is an option, but honestly I'm not sure it's the one I want to take. But I don't know where to start, what language/s to learn.

[edit, few hours later: had to frog all today's progress bc was doing m1L wrong ugh]

[edit, two hours after that: MADE THE BEST SOUP OF MY LIFEEEEE]

[hummingbirblack]

Diaried all over my private Instagram story again. I wrote a lot and I like it all but I think my friends will find it annoying but I want to archive it sooo one second

I haven't served face since like 2022 also me and my brother's best traits complement each other but unfortunately my incel nature and lack of ambition completely tank any hope of me benefitting society with my sort of oxen devotion to labor. Nobody wants to be wifed up by a hikikomori

Sorry that was a slip of the tongue. I'm in love with myself I'm very sweet and dependable. And I'm funny. I bring an overly verbose and unnecessarily analytical vibe to the function that the hoes really fuck with and unemployment just means I'm always at everyone's beck and call which is nice when you need a spare body/soul. I can really shape up a cohort of aimless teenagers/young adults if necessary. I try to approximate a cornucopia as closely as possible but I'm still working on nailing my spiral triangle figure. I know All Music and get along with practically anybody on that basis. I am shaking terminally online himejoshi ass in the club

Be honest did I use too many Japanese terms on my story this evening

I was going to find a seph sama video but that felt mean. TWO AM !! TWO AM !! Excited for tomorrow

I forgot what else I was going to say it probably didn't matter GOOD NIGHT

WAIT I REMEMBER I had a dream that I ate the yogurt that's been in the fridge since before I moved in and it turned to putrid black sludge in my mouth and hands and lap and no matter what I did the stench of it wouldn't leave. Blargh

I can't stop talking. I know I talk annoying and mostly it's tolerated but what if I make some inedible error and the things you could excuse as personality quirks shift into leering impish habits that become impossible to ignore. That would suck. That would suck. Can we like pinky promise to each other that it never will happen. Also I tend to post things that I want to send to one person maybe two but it's so vulnerable. Single actors commit the terroristic act of rejection more freely

I'm hyper because it's TWO AM TWO AM and the vent is blowing cold air over me. I'm jittering like I have adrenaline but really my jaw is tight because of the shivers.

Seph sama has breached containment - off twitter and onto my story - I can't stop considering the difference between "weeb" and "otaku". In a month I'm doing three new things: living with people with whom I have no presumption of cultural similarity, working a real job, traveling by myself. These things are stressful because I feel like I'll have to act more competent than I am, and what if the critics aren't having my interpretation of the role. I love SOPHIE. I love my friends so much but the backdrop is always a fear of loss and it makes me behave oddly. This is going to be good to talk about in therapy tomorrow

Ok I’m done thank you. Still an attention whore hence why this is going here and not in my notes app or into a journal, although, maybe I’ll put it into a journal and delete this post in turn. How exciting. Good night

Can't sleep actually sorry I decided I would try to clear my phone of like long videos and I tried to and a lot of them are of people who haven't texted me back, or who I should have texted. I wish I had the balls and maybe the naiveté to beg for someone back how I want to. Taylor Swift in the background and a selective search for how many times we've said the word "cum" in a group chat that's 3 years old. A pile of leaves and a dog I haven't seen in three years. We never got to be on the same cornhole team and I asked the wrong questions before the movie. This is untenable what do you even do about grief you feel over someone who is in theory a phone call away

I wish I had a sign that you missed me too I think the reason I'm always telling everyone exactly how I feel is because I wish everyone would tell me how they feel in kind. I didn't know I was still in this much pain about it

The three people I miss most all have in common that I feel like they of everyone I know would respond MOST poorly to me literally getting on my knees and begging for them back in the sense that they're very cool/ suave/sophisticated about things of this nature and I'm kind of a dork with no prospects and also no tact. I fantasize about showy groveling but that would only make me feel better. The real underlying commonality is that I wasn't there for all three of you. I was so intimidated by the facade I placed in front of you that I didn't know how to be emotionally intimate when it mattered. And there's no real way to apologize

How do you take accountability for failing to know what to say, or for letting your insecurities keep you from being a good friend, or for being so disastrously insecure that you ended up splashing your shit on someone else ? I kind of feel like gatsby sometimes. I'm just a peacock I just want you to know I'm cool and so different and likeable now, not at all the walking bomb I was before

In a crown of candy in like the third or second episode or something Cruller talks about how in politics we play a game in which everyone knows everyone else is lying. And the rat race of college and graduate school is much the same. Sometimes I worry that I’m not passionate about anything at all because I don’t feel this burning, enduring flash of powerful desire to devote myself entirely to like one field forever. I have things that I want to achieve and I’m willing to work for them, but I’m not willing to pretend that I would achieve salvation through like a four year degree or even a career. The schools and jobs know that they’re good. There are passionate people but I can’t bring myself to lie and say I’m one of them no matter how steep the cost of my truth-telling

[gamefaq]

Hi there!! Sorry if you've been asked this a lot but I couldn't find anything on your blog (tumblrs search is abysmal), but what's your process for making gifs; like what software do you use to record footage and what do you use to edit them? I really like how yours look and would like to try making gifs one day. Thank you!

aw. honestly that's super nice to hear lol

i did answer something similar a few years ago now, but i do things slightly differently so idm redoing a little* thing:

*note now that i've finished writing all of this: it very much ended up not being a 'little' thing. whoops. i added subheaders which should help

what software do you use to record footage?

i use the NVIDIA app which records in-game footage as well as desktop footage

for example with this set, it's actually a desktop recording of a youtube video. i personally find that youtube converters/general video downloaders tend to lower the quality of the footage, so this is a method that i prefer to do

and what do you use to edit them?

for what i use to actually make gifs, it's photoshop which i've never found any issues with (🤫)

importing your video into photoshop

so once you've got your footage, your photoshop is good to go and you're booting it up, the first step is to load your recording via 'import > video frames to layers'

it will bring up a window that will allow you to select which section of the video you'd like to import. bear in mind though, the maximum amount of frames you can load into one project is 500 (but you should never need that many)

it also lets you play the video so you can see which section of footage you are about to import

you can use the small arrows to pick a precise moment of the video, or if it's only a small clip you can simply import the whole thing

(if your clip is more than 500 frames, it will also let you know)

once it has imported, it will open up a new untitled project with your imported video frames. it might look a little bit different to mine as i've changed my version to be how i like it. high chances are, you won't have the 'timeline' bar at the bottom

to get the 'timeline' bar, go to 'window > timeline'. this allows you to see each individual frame of the gif you will be making

sizing your gif

at this stage i like to crop down my gif to the size i want to upload it as. at the moment, it will be whatever size your video was in (commonly 1920x1080px)

again, something to note is the bigger the size, the bigger the file is going to end up being. this will become more prevalent later on

the width for tumblr posts is always 540px if you're going to make something like this. or 268px if you're going to make something like this

the height can vary and i feel everyone has their own tastes. i personally tend to range anywhere between 300-450px and you can also find plenty of templates on photoshop resource blogs on tumblr if you want a starting point

i'm not sure if this is something that's common practice, but i like to create a new document (file > new) and make it the size i'd like the gif to be as a guide. for this example, i'm going to do 540x300px

i've ended up just recording this part because i had no idea how to explain it without it sounding super confusing LOL

then, i like to turn the opacity down so i can see exactly what section of the footage i'll be cropping

using the 'crop' tool, i crop the project down to the size i want the gif to be. it should automatically snap to the shape (if not, ensure 'view > snap' is ticked)

it's always important, if you are going to use this method, to then delete your guide layer as otherwise it will appear on your final gif (and you don't want that!)

prepping your gif

now all that jargon's out the way, we've got to prep. by clicking the hamburger menu on the timeline, convert your frames into a video timeline

it will then look like this

select all of your video frames in the 'layers' section and, once selected, go to 'filter > convert for smart filters' (this may take a few moments depending on how many frames you have)

you'll see that all your frames are now just a singular layer. BUT DON'T PANIC! they're all still there. promise

this is where things can differ from person to person wildly, as everyone has their own style and their own preferred way of how they want their gifs to look. i can only explain how i edit my gifs

i first of all sharpen my gifs by going to 'filter > sharpen > smart sharpen'

these are my settings but sometimes i use '0.4' instead of '0.3' for the radius depending on the game

once 'ok' has been selected, we're again going to 'filter > blur > gaussian blur' and these are the settings i use

this is optional, but i like to do this to soften my gifs up a little bit. though, as you can see, it is VERY fuzzy at the moment. to rectify this, i double-click the slider menu option for the gaussian blur

this will open up a window which will allow you to change the opacity of the blur filter specifically, whilst retaining the opacity of your layers and sharpening. i usually use between 25-30% depending on what i'm working on

for even more softness, once again 'filter > blur > surface blur' and the settings i use

exact same case of double-clicking the slider menu option, and i tend to go for 20%. i find this particularly helpful if the footage is a bit pixelated, as it smooths things over to a degree

gif colouring

now all that confusing boring jargon's out the way, we're finally onto colouringgggg 🥳🥳🥳 honestly, well done if you made it this far

as a beginner, i would recommend looking at 'psd's (again, plenty of resources on tumblr for these) to give you a bit of familiarity of what each adjustment layer does

some creators make what's called 'base psd's' that are, well, a base to work from. i'd also highly recommend looking at these when you're first making gifs

unfortunately, colouring isn't something that can be taught per say and it's more...throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks (or in this case, what looks good). my generally most used adjustments however are curves, brightness/contrast and selective colour

exporting your gif

once you've got your colouring to a stage where you're happy with it, it's time to export. 'file > export > save for web (legacy)' (it may take a moment to load)

these are the settings i like to use, though i tend to swap between 'noise' and 'pattern' depending. i just pick whatever looks better for the project i'm working on

but remember 10 million years ago when i said file size will become prevelant later? well, tumblr's gif limit is 10MB, so anything over that will get rejected. depending on what size you made your gif, the complexity of your colouring and/or the amount of frames your gif has, you may find you're over said limit

there's multiple things you can do here. the smartest and simplest thing for me to do with this example is shorten the length of the gif (300+ frames is a bit excessive after all)

to do this, i close the window by pressing 'done' and, similarly to the import process, adjust the arrows to the section i want to keep on the timeline

it might just take a bit of playing around until you're under the 10MB mark. there are other methods to get your gif size down without cutting down on frames, but i feel like this tutorial is already complicated enough without adding even more factors into the mix so i won't mention them here

go ahead and press 'save' the fruits of your labour

final touch & conclusion

it's looking pretty alright, but maybe slightlyyyyy slow and choppy. for whatever reason when you export a gif on photoshop, the 'frame delay' changes

to amend this, open up the .gif you just made in photoshop, click the hamburger menu on the timeline and click 'select all frames'

it's a bit finicky, but on any of your frames at the bottom, right-click the small drop down arrow where it will come up with delay options. press 'other'

then it's just a case of making it slightly faster. so for this, i've changed it to '0.02' as opposed to '0.03'. then export your gif the exact same way we did previously

see how it looks smoother than your previous export?

but, voila! that's it! i ain't gonna sugarcoat it, making gifs can be a pain in the ass. it's a lot to remember and, depending on where your general program knowledge is at, can be really confusing too. but please, don't let it put you off. rome wasn't built in a day and all that

[loveyouenglish]

English for Tourism and Hospitality for Beginners

“I can understand them, but I can’t answer confidently!” That’s what one of my hotel management students told me during a roleplay activity years ago. He was working part-time at a local resort and struggling to communicate with foreign guests. Sound familiar? Whether you’re a front desk agent in Mumbai, a tour guide in Jaipur, or a server in a beach café in Goa, English is your bridge to the world. It’s the most commonly used language in the global tourism and hospitality industry. And no—your grammar doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters most is clarity, courtesy, and confidence. In this post, I’ll walk you through essential English for tourism and hospitality, with practical expressions, real-world situations, and tips from my 10+ years of teaching experience. Let’s unlock your communication skills, one conversation at a time.

Why English Matters in Tourism and Hospitality

Let’s be real: tourism is global. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, tourism generated 10% of global GDP before the pandemic. And guess what ties all those travelers together? English. It’s not just about impressing guests—it’s about making them feel understood, welcome, and safe. Even if it’s just small talk at the concierge desk or explaining how to get to the airport, your words can shape someone’s experience of an entire country. What Happens When English Is Weak? Here’s a quick story from one of my hotel industry trainees: “A German guest asked for a ‘wake-up call,’ and I thought he meant a motivational talk! I said, ‘Sir, you are doing a great job in life,’ and he looked confused.” It’s funny—but also shows how easily things can go sideways. Inaccurate English can lead to: Misunderstandings Guest complaints Lower ratings and tips Missed career opportunities Now, let’s avoid those pitfalls.

Key Situations: What English You Actually Need

You don’t need Shakespeare. You need functional English—the kind that works in real situations. Here’s how I break it down for my students: 1. Greeting and Welcoming Guests First impressions matter. Smile, make eye contact, and use friendly phrases like: “Good morning! Welcome to . How can I help you today?” “Hope you had a pleasant journey.” “Let me help you with your bags.” 📝 Pro Tip: Always speak clearly and slowly, especially if the guest speaks English as a second language—just like you. 2. Taking Reservations Whether it’s over the phone or in person, you need to collect information efficiently. Useful phrases: “I’d be happy to assist you with your booking.” “Could you please spell your name for me?” “What dates will you be staying with us?” “Would you prefer a single or double room?” 📌 Vocabulary Tip: Booking = Reservation Suite = A luxurious room with extra space Availability = Whether rooms are free or not 3. Handling Check-in and Check-out At the reception desk, professionalism is key. For check-in: “May I have your ID and booking confirmation?” “Your room is on the third floor. Here’s your key card.” “Breakfast is served from 7 to 10 AM.” For check-out: “How was your stay with us?” “Here’s your bill. Would you like to pay by card or cash?” “We hope to see you again soon!” 💡 Real-World Tip: Always confirm details politely. For example, “Just to confirm, you’ll be staying for two nights, correct?” 4. Answering Questions and Giving Directions Tourists ask everything. From where to find an ATM to how to reach the Taj Mahal. Common expressions: “The ATM is just around the corner.” “You can take a cab or use a ride-sharing app like Uber.” “It’s about a 10-minute walk from here.” 🧭 Direction vocabulary: “Go straight” “Turn left/right” “It’s next to the bank” “It’s opposite the train station” 5. Handling Complaints (With Grace!) This is where your English—and your patience—really matter. Polite responses: “I’m very sorry to hear that.” “Let me look into that right away.” “We’ll do our best to fix this issue.” “Would you like me to speak with the manager?” 🔑 Golden Rule: Never argue. A calm tone, polite English, and a solution-oriented mindset go a long way.

Communication Tips That Work Like Magic

You don’t need to memorize thousands of words. You need to develop situational fluency and good habits. Here’s what I teach my learners: 1. Use Short, Clear Sentences Say:“The elevator is out of order. Please use the stairs.”Not:“Unfortunately, due to temporary mechanical issues, the lift is presently not operational.” Keep it simple! 2. Learn Politeness Phrases “May I…?” “Would you like…?” “Could I offer you…?” “Is everything to your satisfaction?” These small words show big respect. 3. Use Active Listening Nod, smile, and repeat key info: “So you’d like a non-smoking room with a sea view. Got it.” It makes guests feel valued. 4. Body Language Counts English isn’t just spoken. A warm tone, gentle gestures, and open posture say a lot.

Must-Know Vocabulary for Tourism and Hospitality

Here’s a cheat sheet I’ve shared with hundreds of my students: Category Essential Words Room Types Single, Double, Twin, Suite, Deluxe, Standard Facilities Pool, Spa, Gym, Conference Room, Wi-Fi Services Housekeeping, Laundry, Room Service Directions Left, Right, Straight, Corner, Across, Near Problems/Complaints Leak, Noisy, Dirty, Broken, Late Payment Bill, Receipt, Credit Card, Refund, Charge Politeness Words Please, Thank you, Excuse me, I’m sorry 👀 Want more? Create flashcards and practice daily conversations.

How to Practice English for Tourism (Even Without Guests)

You might think: “But I’m not working yet. How can I practice?” Great question! Here are some tried-and-tested ways I recommend: 1. Role-Play with Friends or Classmates Pick scenarios like check-in, room service, or sightseeing tours. Swap roles. Be the guest and the staff. 2. Watch Videos or Listen to Podcasts Look for: Hotel receptionist training videos English for tourism lessons on YouTube Travel shows with English subtitles One of my favorites: BBC Learning English - English at the Hotel 3. Shadowing Technique Listen to native speakers and repeat after them—matching tone and rhythm. It’s great for pronunciation. 4. Create a Guest Diary Imagine you’re working in a hotel. Write short dialogues or entries about guest interactions. Example: “Today, I greeted a couple from Canada. They asked about places to visit nearby. I recommended the fort and the local market.”

A Note on Regional Accents and Native vs Non-Native English

Let’s be clear: You don’t have to sound British or American. You just need to be understandable and professional. Many of my students worry about their accents. What matters more is: Clear pronunciation (don’t mumble) Good intonation (sound interested!) Listening carefully to different English accents 🌍 Remember, most guests are non-native speakers too!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced workers make these—so don’t worry, just stay aware. Mistake Better Option “You didn’t give tip.” “Tipping is optional, sir.” “Your room is not ready. Wait outside.” “Your room will be ready soon. Please have a seat.” “What you want?” “How may I help you?” “Give ID.” “May I see your ID, please?” “Problem solved.” “We’ve fixed the issue. Please let us know if everything is alright now.” Respect + tone + clarity = better communication.

Conclusion: Make English Your Superpower

You don’t need to speak “perfect” English to succeed in tourism and hospitality. You just need to: Learn practical phrases Practice regularly Be polite, confident, and helpful Over the years, I’ve seen shy learners grow into confident professionals who can handle international guests with grace. And you can do it too. So here’s your homework: Choose one situation (like check-in or giving directions), and write down a dialogue in English. Practice it aloud. Better yet, act it out with a friend. And remember: Every conversation is a chance to learn. Have questions or want a mini role-play lesson on a specific topic? Drop a comment below—I’d love to help. Let’s grow together. 🌍✈️🗣️ More topics: Collocations with “Spend” and “Save” for Talking About Money 50 Sentences Using Collocations with “Give” Collocations for Talking About Time and Dates Collocations with “Better” and “Worse” Travel Collocations: Essential Phrases for Vacation Planning Read the full article

[uionaninuoionion]

Gaming apps converting earnings to crypto, Rs 700 crore moved out of India, reveals GST pro

“Someone asked me what is the best time to invest in India, I told him in my opinion the best time to invest was July 24th, 1991, which is the day Manmohan Singh gave the budget, the index of 1400, the Sensex I believe was around 1400 odd there and that day the cards were open. He knew that India was going to change and go to a better place and subsequent events have proved it completely right. The next best time to invest is today. I mean if you have not invested in India, you gotta start doing it now,” says Ramesh Damani, Member, BSE.

Damani says: “All my predisposition tells me to remain invested, do not get scared by the volatility and I have not been for 30 years, I have always remained almost fully invested in Indian markets, so I do not get scared with the volatility. The best is yet to come.”

What a delight to have you on ET now. Thank you for joining us. It is always a pleasure to be with you and thank you so much for the very kind words. And I will say learn to be bullish in India, I learned from our common friend Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and my mentor RK Damani. They are the ones who taught me that India is a growth country. It is so populated and so there is only upside. I owe a lot of debt to those two people at least.

To be fair, you have always identified mega trends. And before the world started using the word mega trends, you started practicing the whole thesis of looking at the big picture and then identifying companies within that. Yes absolutely right. I tried to do that. When I came back in the late 80s to India, the mega trend was cement shares. It was actually morphed by what was called the liberalization trend that was taking place in India. After that, I realized the big money is made in the big swing and you need to identify the big swing. So we were very lucky we got the 2000 technology trend right. And then I tried to follow each bull market and try to spot the leadership in this bull market.

I have been at somewhat of a thought process trying to figure out how to label this bull market that started. You know how we label this bull market? I finally had what you call eponymy moment which says that the label would have caused the growth of the great Indian middle class. I think that is going to be a great story. The new book out which I would recommend. I have not read it yet but I have ordered it is by Homi Kharas called The Middle Class. A lot of my ideas are from there.

He says that it is the middle class that started in England in the 18th-19th century that is shaping our world today. And he says that out of a population of about 8 billion 4 to 5 billion are now in the middle class. And the maximum number of middle class are coming from India rather than from places like America. So that is going to be a major trend because the middle class is roughly defined as having a PPP purchasing power parity of about $12 per day which is significantly above the poverty level of $2 a day.

That means at that point they can save, they can invest, educate, travel and do a number of things. And what we are seeing perhaps in India is the beginning of a hockey stick curve as our per capita has gone over $2,500 and the middle class expanded quite handsomely. They are now demanding action on things from climate change, to travel, to better education, to better living standards. That will be the mega trend which is not only shaping this bull market but also the society around us.

What is right and wrong in this market? We can argue both ways. What is your assessment? Well you know I think there is much to be right in this market. I think the last few days we have seen a significant fall in the market. I think we have added, if I am not mistaken, about 13 crore demat accounts in India, a majority of which have come in the last three years. All of them have been uniformly optimistic which is good. But they are getting a lesson to understand exhibits in the market, the difference between what I call risk and volatility.

Risk is the choice of permanent loss of capital which is very dangerous and you do not want to be in that situation. Volatility is what happened yesterday and what happened the day before yesterday and what will keep on happening in the markets. That market is correct. The next 2,000 points on the Sensex can be up and down. Nobody knows what is going to happen. Maybe an astrologer can say what will happen. But my strong feeling is that the next 20,000 points on the Sensex are higher because of the unfolding demographics, digitization and democracy that has taken root in India. So I feel that there is a lot that is going on right with this market.

What is going wrong in the market? A bull market like this will always lead to excesses, to overstretched valuations and will lead to unnecessary confidence and sometimes regulatory changes that are important or regulation changes that are important being pushed aside because the market is doing so well. We hope those mistakes do not happen. But there is a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be looking forward to being optimistic over the next few years rather than being pessimistic.

How are you approaching this market, are you fully invested? Yes, I am fully invested. I barely have any cash which is rare for me. Typically, I go in with 5-10% cash into the bull market but as I have aged and matured, I have been more confident putting all the money on the table and letting the risk come where it will. I feel there is good reason for optimism and one of the sectors that I called this time was of course the public sector stocks and they have had a brilliant run out there.

We need to give credit to the Modi government that the public sector, which was one of the drags on the Indian economy, has turned around. The people in DIPAM are really on top of the game. For the first time they are doing an OFS and the prices go sharply higher after the OFS, you know, so the fall is very temporary in those prices. I think the debate that PSUs should be privatized or value will not be unlocked has now receded. We are fine if these companies are so well managed.

One very important thing that people missed in the stock market was that a) the government would use these public sector units as the blunt edge for capital expansion and b) that they were telling them that you have to pay 30% of its dividends.

Two, three years ago, you were getting these companies on today's earnings and at a 7-8% yield which is an extraordinary bonanza the investors got early. So, it has been a good place and I am very clear, including after what the prime minister said in the Parliament and I am sure you noticed that. Basically, the Prime Minister of India going on the floor or well of Parliament and saying a bullish case of public sector in stocks, when did that happen? It has never happened before. So we were ecstatic when the prime minister did that.

It was in mid-August sometime and so my personal feeling is that the leadership is very much intact with the public sector stocks. They probably have a large-ish way to go still because typically, in the bull market leadership, the stocks go up 10x 20x after some point. So I would remain invested in good quality businesses.

The aggregate market cap for PSUs including LIC and some new IPOs is up 3x, that is aggregate market cap. It has been a phenomenal run and plus you got so much dividend out of it. I mean you were getting these stocks basically at 4-5% yield and with a certainty of an order book, it is not that the order books were speculative. We knew the order books for the next five years. So, I think there was a whole debate which I think was wrongly conceived in the stock market last year that you buy quality at any price and, of course, that is a mislead, you cannot buy quality at any price. There is a price that you pay will reduce your investment returns without doubt and I think the people who stuck to finding value investing and trying to find value irrespective of the PSU, smallcap, largecaps, did well.

So, if you look at some of the exchanges, the major exchanges remain stable where the unloved exchanges went up. The FMCG and the private banks did not do well. The PSU banks did so well. So, the market noted the cheapness of those particular sectors and rewarded those who bet on that sector very handsomely and I have been lucky in that.

Within that you identified railways. You have gone on record and you have said that you bought into the railway PSU basket, less of defence and more of railways. Not true. Actually, my first bet was on defence and second was on railways.

But you bought both. I bought both and I bought both with – not conviction but I just felt that they were too cheap. I bought all the defence companies. Some of them are extraordinary businesses and they continue to do well and what has happened is that we have gone from importing a lot of the stuff to making the stuff ourselves and now we are exporting it.

Look at the number of orders that say a company like Bharat Dynamics is getting or Hindustan Aeronautics is getting. An extraordinary shift has taken place. So, if you ask me within the PSU sector where is the leadership? I would say it is in the defence.

Also read | Mutual funds join multi-billion dollar PSU rally, eye 2014 record in election year And you think that one should look at these stocks barring the volatility which could happen 10-15-20% nobody knows, but the leadership sector you think is with PSUs as a bracket and within that, defence and railways could be subparts? I think so and I mean just to point out there is a lot of talk about the PSUs over many years and I just wish your people who come on the show and speak folios there, see a company like Bharat Electronics which I own and I am not recommending in any way or form other than educating the public about it.

We bought the stock maybe in the early 2000 at Rs 300-crore market cap. It is Rs 1,30,000-crore mcap right now. The dividend itself compounded at some 18-20% something silly. So, they have delivered some superior returns and they never diluted the equity, that is the most important thing I find. They have never diluted with equity in the 30 years they have been listed, they have never diluted with equity, which Indian companies can you say have not done that, even Infosys diluted with equity multiple times. So, an extraordinary business run extraordinarily well. I think some of the criticism has been misplaced.

People who criticised them, loved them altogether without trying to do what a stock picker should do or a good value investor, that is judge each individual company on its merit. I think they are paying the price for that.

Why do you think these things happen? I mean if the market cap was so cheap, if it was a government backed business, dividend yield was so strong, the same thing happened to let us say PFC-REC. Why do markets ignore them? It is a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. A lot of what is called herd mentality. Sometime in the mid-2000, the mantra became very popular in the stock market, quality at any price. We want good capital allocation. There is a very well-known author I met recently called Pulak Prasad and I respect him for he has done a fabulous job…

The book is fantastic actually. Yes, book is fantastic – What I learned from Darwin. He said I will never invest in the public sector but then he was honest to say that I don’t want to invest in a MNC also because both are very poor capital allocators.

Even conglomerates. He said I have never bought Tata or Birlas. So, I appreciate that at least he had the intellectual honesty to say that I do not want to go to a bad capital allocator. MNCs will also not do it in your best interest. I really appreciate that. But most people just want to throw the baby out of the bathwater because we made a lot of money in the first round of the PSU divestment. So, we were familiar with these companies.

We understood valuations out there and there was a period we did not make any money from them. But again it has come back. So, the market has to have the cyclicality and up and down trajectory that goes through. I think people who in 2000 said only invest in tech in India or people who said I only invest in high-quality business, pay the price. The market is not a place for the arrogant. It is a place for the humble.

In markets mean reversion is the biggest truism they always say that. Excesses always get created on the upside, on the downside. Where do you think markets are mispricing growth on the upside, that they are pricing a cherry consensus and where do you think they are still ignoring the potential of the business or the value of the company? It is a very difficult question. I do not know all that because I am a stock picker. I try to look bottom. Having said that, would I want to remain fully invested? Corrections have started, maybe it is coming, maybe it is right there. I think yes, I do not see any signs that I normally would see in a top. We do see some size in the reckless capital expansion, the QIPs, the response to public issues, something out there but for the first time, we are also getting three crore new investors coming in.

Every morning the market opens and Rs 1,500 crore is ready waiting to be invested. So, that is a sea chain that is happening. Some of the tops that we see in the market in terms of over leveraged companies or too much debt or too shaky corporate earnings; I do not see that yet. So, I am willing to tell you that what we are witnessing now is volatility and that is the nature of the market.

Charlie Munger recently passed away. He was asked the same question. He said in his lifetime of 40-50 years of being with Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire Hathaway corrected three times of 50% each because he said that is the nature of the market. We cannot deal with it. You are not going to make money in life, okay. Risk is what I said is the chance that I can permanently lose capital, that I buy a business that goes bust. There have been a lot of businesses that went bust in India also, in the 2000 the tech boom I can rattle off names.

So, you want to avoid that kind of situation for any time in the portfolio and that can happen even in a good market that stocks can actually go bust. So, we do not want to get into that. A lot of people do option trading which is a zero-sum game. You probably want to scale down on that because it might be easy money but when you lose, you can lose almost the entire fortune in that, and I would be very careful of that.

But there are very good high quality businesses in India whether it was the public sector stocks, that BPO businesses, the IMEC corridors that we are talking about which will generate returns and do well for the customers over many-many years to come and if you are young in India and you are looking in the next 30 years, you need to invest.

Someone asked me what is the best time to invest in India, I told him in my opinion the best time to invest was July 24th, 1991, which is the day Manmohan Singh gave the budget, the index of 1400, the Sensex I believe was around 1400 odd there and that day the cards were open. He knew that India was going to change and go to a better place and subsequent events have proved it completely right. The next best time to invest is today. I mean if you have not invested in India, you gotta start doing it now.

I mean when they are going to do it and look at it for a period of 5-10-20-year period, do not look at it from the next five days which as I said could be extremely volatile and you could lose a lot of money out there. But if you keep the faith, buy high quality business with good cash flows, you are going to come out ahead in this business.

I will sound very repetitive with this one but it is important that we just get your views again. If you weigh prices and risk and the market dynamics, the sliver of the market may be expensive which always is the case but by and large, if you do a health checkup, the diagnosis of the market, you do not think there is a bubble or there is a mania in the market, one should remain fully invested. Absolutely not.

I am asking it point blank. Yes, I mean the point blank and I know I can be wrong with these kinds of things. You know markets live forward but understood backwards, so you do that. But all my predisposition tells me to remain invested, do not get scared by the volatility and I have not been for 30 years, I have always remained almost fully invested in Indian markets, so I do not get scared with the volatility. The best is yet to come.

Maybe India cannot double in three years, maybe it can double in four years’ time, but it is still the best place for a young Indian to be. I am not a young Indian anymore, I am reaching senior citizen level, but for a young Indian, if you are 30-35 years starting out, where are you going to put the money? I mean you cannot put it in gold or cryptocurrency. It is a dud’s game to do, it is the mugs game in my opinion to do it. You need to put in equity which generates some returns for you, gives you some dividend and allows you to build your wealth, just like my generation built the wealth.

As I told you in 1991 when we started the index was 1500. It is closer to 75,000 now. Look at the journey that has taken place. You made 30-40x on the index, imagine if you pick stocks how well you must have done during that period. So, I think given the sweet spot that India is in terms of its democracy, in terms of its demographics, in terms of digitisation that is helping and the growing middle class in India. I mean 500 million people will be in the Indian middle class by 2030. That is an extraordinary development taking place and we are going to witness what a lot of economists call a J curve once India's economy, per capita goes over $2,500-3,000. In that there will be a wide dispersion with people earning $10,000-15,000, the average is 3000, but a lot of people are above that number and that is going to power growth for a number of years to come.

Demographically as you know we are the best positioned country in the world. China's population is projected to grow over the next 30-50 years from 1.4 billion to 800 million. That is the kind of demographic disaster Korea, Japan, Italy and China are facing. India’s population is still growing and still young, so the next 20-30 years we do not have a problem.

[girltomboy]

I got my pap smear results this week but when I went to my doctor's office to talk to her about them she wasn't there, even though according to the clinic app she was supposed to be there until late in the evening :/ so I'll probably make an appointment for next week. I've been taking the supplements she recommended me but they make me soooo gassy and give me diarrhea like straight up liquid coming out of my asshole. I don't even think I'd ever had diarrhea like that before I started taking it. My bf said it might be a temporary side effect, while my body adjusts to it, and judging by what I found online he might be right. The last couple of days have been better, it's usually worse in the morning right after I wake up. I'll bring it up to my doctor next week but by that time it'll probably pass.

TOMORROW my best friend will come to the city, her final exam is on the 2nd of July and then on the 4th she'll present her BA thesis ❤ I'm so proud she's finally breaking free of the curse of this university lol I got her a birthday baggy - some trinkets I bought & hand-made (a calico kitty made out of clay in the image of her oldest cat, and a blue heart with yellow stars, both of which have been turned into fridge magnets), some candles, slime creatures, some small cosmetics (heart shaped soap & a watermelon lip mask) etc. I don't even know what else I put in that bag but I'm so excited to finally give it to her. I'm kind of nervous to hang out with her & her bf again tbh and idrk why, it's not fair to feel this way for no particular reason towards my best friend but I suppose and hope it's just excitement 👉👈 I feel some pressure to take them to some nice places in the city now that it's summer and everything looks awesome thanks to the trees and the clear blue sky or with its fluffy white clouds, but other than the riverside, the park, the big hill in the city center, and maybe the botanical garden idk many other "visitable" places. I do want to go to the botanical garden though... I haven't been in ages and I don't even think I've ever been in the summer.

I've been reading a lot lately, I feel disinterested in pretty much everything else, like movies or TV shows. I'm super caught up in this old book I'm reading rn (from the online used books store 😘) and it's just exciting to read super old books that I know next to nothing about. Well, if they turn out to be good too, that is. And most of the time they do!

Today I had a prettyyy full day, woke up early partly out of habit, partly because I was expecting the regular morning call on the way to work from my bf. Did some yoga FINALLY, washed my comforter and my sneakers, swept the floor, had a nice breakfast (canned tuna + parsley + black olives + hot pepper paste + olive oil, wrapped in lettuce leaves like sarma 🤭), went shopping for a small backpack cause I can NAWT be a tote bag woman anymore. I mean I'll remain loyal to my tote bags for the most part, but some occasions call for a more practical means of transportation for my trinkets and objects. Made some wings and parmesan fries in the air fryer (as someone whose oven is sentient AND evil and out to get me, I feel blessed to have finally joined the air fryer crowd and I can kind of understand why it felt like people who owned one could not seem to stop talking about theirs before I had one too... I'll never do that though. But I get it kinda), and I was honestly ready to watch a horror movie, but my book just seems so much more enticing. So I'll return to her.

I do need to work out more today, and then have an everything shower. But maybe a little nap won't hurt. Just a small very short one.

[sondersketches]

Sonder Sketch (February 7, 2024 / June 10, 2024), Original Inspiration: Shape Art, Prompt Submission: Raptor

This is a digital sketch/painting done using a watercolor brush and a sized-up pen brush. It was drawn on the free Sketches app on Android with a phone stylus, originally for practice with what I call Shape Art. I have an easier time figuring out the color/paint before adding lineart, I get easily frustrated by the results when I go the other way; so Shape Art is when I select a random color, size the brush to fit the canvas, paint a random shape, erase as needed, and add lineart and detail at the end. I think this is also how normal painting works for professional artists, but with more randomness in the process than I usually see. I'm self-taught, so I don't know the standards of painting or drawing or single-layer digital art very well. This piece was later submitted as the second entry for a prompt from the Sketch a Day app/site that provides daily drawing prompts and has a supportive community that liked both the submission I was unsatisfied with and this one.

I originally used just orange, then added gray and started to see the potential shape of an owl take form. The feet, tail feathers (fur?), crown markings, and stars were added last. I used a blur tool on the stars to give the sense of a slightly ethereal scene and to create an illusion of distance behind the owl. I also used a text tool to neatly type the words at the bottom, which read "Starlight Owl Creature / Among the stars." My penmanship in such a small space wouldn't have been legible by comparison. The proportions of the creature aren't realistic or accurate, but the nice thing about Shape Art is that they don't have to be in order for me to accomplish the goal I set when starting the piece.

I like this piece a lot, despite my perfectionism insisting that if I could still do better then I haven't done good enough. The expression is endearing, the colors work well, the blur tool on the stars came out well, the color contrast on the text looks nice, and the proportions make it look soft and friendly. It's easily recognizable as both an owl and a magical creature of some kind, making it interesting and fun. I think this random shape was a good one, and while I can always do better I think I did well with this one.

[heliza24]

Analyzing the sex scenes in Young Royals (using cinematic language!)

Every day I log on to this app and see y'all waxing poetic about the way Simon and Wilhelm kiss. And don't get me wrong, they're good kissers and you should talk about it. But like, if we're gonna discuss the intimate scenes in Young Royals, let's discuss them. Let's break them down. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Let's analyze lighting, let's discourse about framing, let's talk about musical motifs. And then let's all say "thank you" together to our queen Rojda for gifting us with these beautiful scenes. Yes Omar and Edvin are great at their jobs and have incredible chemistry. But at least 75% of why I love these scenes is down to directorial choices. It's Rojda's (and Erika's and Lisa's and Kristina's) world and we're just living in it.

Before we get into it, I should probably tell you about my thesis about sex and intimacy in this show (hammered out over the course of many irl discussions with @bluedalahorse), because it really shapes how I think about each individual scene. There's a lot of different reasons that characters make decisions in Young Royals. They're influenced by their families and their childhood and their peers. But they also often make decisions based on a kind of physical and emotional logic that only makes sense to us only because we have witnessed the magic that exists in the intimate scenes. Does it make logical sense for Sara to want to date the boy that betrayed her brother? No it does not. But the tangible proof of their connection is in their scenes together, so I understand why she made the decisions she did even if I don't agree with them. Sometimes I don't think it makes sense for Simon to go back to Wilhelm after everything that Wilhelm put him through. But I've felt the magic, the way the rest of the world falls away, in their scenes together. So I understand how Simon can be so desperate to put the rest of the world aside and kiss Wilhelm again in 2.4, damn the consequences. In order for this to work, in order for me to believe that two characters' attraction is so powerful it alters the rules of logic and gravity, the sex scenes have to speak their own cinematic language. They have to be different, elevated from the rest of the show. They have to feel sacred. And that's why we need to talk about more than just the kissing itself if we want to understand why we're so obsessed with these scenes.

I think the morning after scene (aubade, as my Shakespeare professor would have said) at the beginning of 1.5 is a good place to start. It's the zenith of Wilhelm and Simon's connection in season 1 and it's easy to notice all of the things that make it special, because the knock on the door that ruins the moment creates an immediate contrast with the regular world.

The whole scene is diffused with golden light, which makes sense because it's morning, but is also an intentional choice. That light becomes a recurring theme whenever Simon and Wilhelm are together in this way. The camera is close to both boys; when you're getting coverage of one of their faces you're practically on the shoulder of the other. Their faces fill the whole frame. (The show occasionally pulls a little trick of giving the camera the POV of a character, like before the first kiss when the camera stands in for Wilhelm and Simon is looking directly into the lens. This isn't that direct but it's still very intimate.) Contrast this with the wide shot of both boys after the knock on the door, when the camera is removed and above them.

I'm obsessed with Matti Bye's score in general but I especially love the music here. Those sustained notes create an otherworldly feeling of floating, while deconstructed pieces of melodies we've heard before filter into the scene. Also, the way the sound is mixed here is so different than any other part of the show. We are able to hear every tiny detail: sheets moving, breath quickening. Every touch has a sound. That sound cuts out immediately after the knock on the door, so much so that it almost feels like the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.

The first thing I notice about the kiss scene after the dance in 2.4 is the lighting. The lights coming from the party in the background are twinkling, which creates a magical backdrop. But the reason they're twinkling like that is because they're out of focus. The shallow focus of the scene creates a literal bubble for Simon and Wilhelm to exist in. The noise of Hillerska is distant and unimportant compared to whatever is going to happen between them here on the lawn. The other lighting element that sticks out to me is the warm light the hits Wilhelm, which I think looks like it's coming from a street lamp. That's a light source that makes sense for the scene, but I'm also sure it was intentional. A return to being with Simon means a return to that golden light.

The music here is so intense. The use of the abstract choral vocals creates this incredible sense of anticipation, like the whole world is holding its breath. I love the contrast between Wilhelm's historical costume and Simon's modern outfit too. By going out to find Wilhelm, Simon is going back in time to when he and Wilhelm were together. He's also reaching back into the traditions of the past and trying to pull Wilhelm, who has been overwhelmed by the historical weight of his royal role, back into the present.

We've got the very deliberate sound mixing again; you can hear every move of that kiss. The thing that stays with me though is that the sound doesn't go back to normal until Simon has fully exited the scene. His footsteps crunching on the gravel are crystal clear. Wilhelm is holding on to every piece of him he can, even his steps as he walks away.

This scene actually contains one of my two gripes with season 2. (Gripe number one is a much bigger story thing to do with Felice, which I might write about another day). But this complaint is, of all things, a tiny editing decision I disagree with. The edit stays on coverage of Wilhelm's face through the whole lead up to the kiss. I really wish it had switched to coverage of Simon when he says "everything just got so messed up between us", because that's the moment he decides to step forward and kiss Wilhelm. Watching Wilhelm patiently wait for Simon to make that decision is fascinating, but I wish the edit had respected Simon's agency a little bit more in that moment and shown us his face while he makes that crucial decision.

Anyway, the kiss is still great. Ok, moving on.

The "what's going to happen to us" hookup scene in 2.5 is interesting to me because there's a very clear beginning, when the scene tips from normal dialogue into something more intimate. When I first watched this episode, I was holding my breath, wondering if that hug was going to turn into something more. And then it did! There's one wide shot of the boys hugging, during which the score drops out and the sound mixing changes to emphasize those small movements and breaths. Then the next shot is up close, with their faces filling the frame. We hear Simon sigh and know that the energy in the scene has shifted.

And then the camera catches the golden light from the window, creating a little bit of a lens flare. "Holy" starts playing, which sets this scene apart from all the other sex scenes in the show which are scored but don't have a needle drop. I love that the lyrics of the song make explicit everything that the cinematography up to this point has been trying to convey in these scenes: Wilhelm and Simon together create a sacred space. And there's so much yearning in that song, which perfectly suits the desperation of their situation. They're scared of all the ways the future might separate them, but they know they want each other in that moment.

Also, I'm obsessed with the decision to cut the scene at the climax of the music on a shot of the curtains. It's like the cinematic version of an ellipses. It invites us to imagine all the things they're going to do together, while still granting the characters the privacy they were so cruelly denied in season 1. It is, in a word, extremely sexy.

Each decision is so intentional in these scenes, and I think it's one of the reasons why people connect with this show on such a guttural level. I think it also feels rare to have queer sex scenes shot in this way, with such care and precision. I feel cared for when I watch them, because the creators clearly care for the characters and the story they're telling.

I think that's a good sample of scenes, but if people are interested or have scene requests I'm happy to do more! Also curious about what you all noticed that you think sets these scenes apart.

(And a little PSA: If you enjoyed me talking about the sex scenes in Young Royals you might also enjoy me writing sex scenes for our Young Royals fic Heart and Homeland. Even though it's an AU we tried hard to capture the sacred tenderness that we love in the show, especially in the Simon and Wilhelm scenes.)

And edited to add: there is now a part 2 of this analysis that you can read here!