#Time to put more effort in Bluesky I guess.

[khytal]

hi khytal

how are you?

I've been following you since you were in the p5 fandom during your pegryu era

and to witness how far you've came in terms of art and life makes me love you're acc and blog

I lost my account that had you followed on Instagram and Twitter and I was wondering if you still use any one of them or you've just been only on tumblr

love your art ^_^!

whoa that's wild.......I've been working full time and am too tired for much else but I'm making an effort to draw at least a bit more regularly now! I distanced myself from the persona community many years ago but I still show up for march 24th because pegoryu means that much to me :')

in terms of social media:

-tumblr: I am here the most even if it doesn't seem that way lmao. all art gets posted eventually one way or another and is easily found via my art tag

-bluesky (@/khytal): all new art will get posted here, and I have a doodle thread that I update with pretty much everything. it is also currently where I livepost some of the tokusatsu shows I've been watching (just finished kiramager and will be starting geats either tonight or tomorrow). not sure if I'll upload much of my older stuff aside from certain pieces bc my current hyperfixation is something new and I would. feel bad about blasting people with my toku posts

-twitter: still here but only to stay up to date with mutuals who don't really post anywhere else. I also have a doodle thread but it doesn't get updated with everything that my bsky thread does, and I'm somewhat undecided on whether I'll keep posting my finished pieces there

-instagram: I only do monthly life updates via my story. I stopped sharing my own art over a year ago (on occasion I put a few up on my story) and I don't really check the app much anymore, which is a shame bc it was where I first started posting art online :(

thank you for being here all this time! idk what else to say it's just cool to see we're. still on this site i guess lmao

[argumentalist]

Bootleg gunpla!

I saw this kit making the rounds on BlueSky and I had to check it out...

I ordered this thing off AliExpress for about $10 with free shipping, and this is how it arrived. No box - just wrapped in air cushioning.

So this is obviously an imitation Freedom Gundam from Gundam SEED.

The instruction booklet wasn't great. I guess I assume they basically copied Bandai's instructions as well as the kit... But the print quality was pretty bad. It looked like a bad photocopy.

The whole kit was molded from a weird, soft, almost-slippery ABS - which meant I couldn't use my favorite panel-liners. And the mold-quality wasn't great. There was some flash here and there... Some sinks... The fit was a little off all over the place - sometimes tight, sometimes loose. And the plastic just felt weird. The whole kit felt very similar to the polycap runner.

Here, in the chest, you can see that the color separation isn't great. It's all the same bits and pieces you'd have in the Bandai kit, but they're actually molded in fewer colors. So we get several bits in the same shade of pink and there's no contrast between parts.

Speaking of color separation... The kit comes with a sheet of foil stickers, but they're printed in the original colors. There's a bunch of blue and red striping to add to this pink kit. So I didn't use any of these stickers.

I didn't want to use the foil stickers so I painted the eyes and cameras with my DSPIAE markers. I think it turned out pretty well.

The flow-type Gundam Marker panel-liners I typically use aren't safe for ABS, so I had to try something different. I had a couple brush-tip panel-liners that I haven't really used before... They didn't work great on this plastic. I panel-lined some of the more-obvious bits... But just kind of gave up by the time I got to the wings.

This kit included what is basically one of Bandai's runnerless stands - except it came on a runner. And it's absolutely fantastic that they included a stand, because this kit will absolutely not stand up on its own. Everything is too weird and loose.

This kit also came with a nice-looking sheet of waterslide decals. They looked so nice, in fact, that it felt like a waste to use them on this kit. So I didn't.

So, I don't want to be too harsh here... It's a bootleg kit and I knew that when I bought it. I was absolutely not expecting Bandai quality. But I was still pretty surprised at how bad this kit was.

Not really even any of the specific components... But just the quality of the plastic itself was so bad. It really makes me realize how nice Bandai's kits are.

Despite all my complaints - it still looks pretty good up on the shelf.

It was a quick, easy build. And given its price I certainly don't regret the time or effort I put into it. But I really just kind of want to build a real Bandai Freedom Gundam now.

[caxycreations]

I think I'm done here.

I tried the tumblr thing. I put effort into the tumblr thing. I tried making connections and tried making friends and tried networking and publicity and venting and ranting and talking about my work with all the pride I had left

And it didn't amount to anything, in the end.

My work means so little.

I have a few friends who support it.

But they don't talk with me about my work much anymore, if at all, and it's become little more than a "oh yeah they do that" in their minds.

It's so incredibly impossible to want to work on something that so few people give such little of a shit about. And to add insult to injury, I know for a fact people are seeing my work and just ignoring it.

The top one, Snippets. 88 hits, 7 kudos, all 7 of which are from friends I specifically asked to read it.

Middle, my main WIP and the pride and joy of my creations, 587 hits, 37 kudos, 23 of which are from people I directly asked to read it, 9 of which said they weren't a fan but "wanted to support the idea".

Bottom, my nsfw stories, 354 hits, 8 kudos, all of which are people I directly asked to read it.

And those comments on them all?

Most of those are by the same 3-4 people, all of them being friends of mine that were asked to read the work.

When I do post here, about my work, I get little to no engagement at all. A like here or there from a friend or two. No comments. No questions. No headcanons or interest or intrigue.

And when I've tried to branch out, tried going to discords, it's the same. My friends support it, but it's such little interaction outside of mild comments about it being mildly interesting, and never from those outside my friend circle.

Now I'm on bluesky and it was supposed to be better. But it isn't.

So many likes. Only friends repost. And nobody wants my work. Nobody there has interest in my story. Nobody there has interest in my work.

And the interaction is only there when I ask about theirs. They don't want to know anything about mine, and get so disinterested the second it's brought up, no matter how naturally the subject arrives.

So

Yeah, I think I'm just

done with tumblr for now

Maybe for good

Cause it's just one more website making me want to fucking die.

Even the person I trusted most on here, the person I looked to for help and advice and aid, the person I've known longer than anyone I talk to these days, seems to have abandoned me.

She's never there. Never responds. Never has anything to say to me.

Even when she posts, my DMs go unanswered.

Fuck me I guess.

And for the record, if you're one of the friends who's been actively supportive of me and my work, please don't take this as being unappreciative of what you do for me. You're the only reasons I've made it as long as I have, and you're the only reasons this book will ever be finished.

I'm just tired of putting energy into spaces like this, where I'm given absolutely nothing for my work besides the deep, uncaring silence that I've grown so tired of.

To those who have actually supported me, and taken the time to actually read what I have to offer

Thank you

Y'all are the only reason I'll ever finish the book

Y'all are the only reason it got to the point it's at now

Y'all mean the world to me

Goodbye.

[tuliptiger]

I'm @tuliptiger.bsky.social for now :O I'm trying to figure out domains atm but bluesky doesn't require invite codes anymore to join. I'm not leaving Tumblr yet (it might be a very long time or very short time before I leave), I've been here an incredibly long time regardless.

I've enjoyed it because it offers something other social medias don't, I like the format, I like that my feed is mine, I like the people who are on here that I choose to interact with. I love my mutuals and I love seeing you guys pop up, I'm cheering you on every time I see you.

I'm going to...try bluesky out for a little bit and see how I like it. Ultimately I've just been using social media as a whole less and less though. I've other things to preoccupy my time, I have a house I'm still trying to get built, I'm still living out of my car, and I work a full time job. I'm also trying to put in the effort of using it less since I want to do other things like bird watch, hike, explore and learn about the natural world, make art and find/experience things that make me value life.

I do love the people on Tumblr, I love seeing my mutuals, I love seeing artists and all the different stuff people create on here. I love the shop owners and small businesses start up, people having good days and people having bad days but posting later. I love seeing what's going on in peoples lives, even though I don't reach out much (I have seen those tags and mentions and posts I promise I am... exhausted and reclusive these days. I do appreciate you more than you know, more than I've said anyway).

This is a bit long now but I guess it's more of an update post from me and where I'll be as an alternative. If you message me your bluesky handle on here I will follow you or if you follow me on there I'll follow you back.

[kaileighblue]

Webtoon and how to fake it.

As you may be aware I have a webtoon. A relatively popular one I guess? Multiple times a week on different webtoon communities people ask how to get views. I, as an expert, am here to learn you a thing.

Obviously you need to have a comic, but I'm potentially talking to people that already do. The best advice I have for the actual comic is post consistently. You can post once a month. bi monthly. Every week. Whatever just make sure you keep a schedule and a buffer.

This spread sheet of my subs, views and notes about that month. The first few months I didn't keep notes so they're guesses.

There's barrier to entry that is skill and effort put into it but I mean I don't have much of those and I still get by.

While I was furiously making my first few updates I watched every youtube "how to webtoon" out there and followed a few. I joined some discords and am now up to 4.

I started interacting with the webtoon canvas twitter in April. Shortly after first posting.

Including participating in their art challenges or answering their questions. It is of my opinion that got me their eye and thus promotion. I still respond at least once a month. The promotions definitely help, but as you can see it doesn't mean they will stay.

June was a summer coins event like the one currently running but it had even more comics to pick from. I never actually saw my comic there and for a few weeks had no idea why I suddenly got a boost but someone finally told me.

I participate in some romance book communities including those that specialize in monster romance. So I got some promotions from there.

Sub4sub doesn't get you readers. Make art for creators you like and make friends. Creators who genuinely like your work and do work like you are more likely to help you find your audience. Besides on webtoon you can't seen see who subs to what do what good does that idea even do?

I comment on webtoon youtubers. I comment on webtoon reddit. I post thirst traps on tumblr. I started posting more on tumblr in general(and forgot everything I ever cared about.). I started posting these chars on tiktok and and ended up making a comic because literally one person asked. I could probably do more and do better but I do a lot of art and sometimes time is limited.

No matter what you make there's some community out there you can participate in. Make fanart for things like your comic and post it everywhere related. Tag it on general social media sites. etc. Post it on other sites like Tapas, Global Comix, etc. You can do them all but I only really do global comics because formatting is boring.

Also just got on bluesky and making myself their problem.

The Halloween promotion was the biggest push and that's not necessarily luck but demon guy=Halloweeny.

There was a noticeable drop at the time they got rid of the reward program. March 2023 being the end of it. I don't know if/how that was related but it seems true for other people too.

And uh that's the end I guess. Basically here's every reply to every time someone asks how to popular.

[mcjeetusofficial]

Welcome to the Channel

This is the greatest pinned post of all time. (lol)

How's it going everyone... Welcome to the brand new electric boogaloo for the replacement.

Maybe not electric boogaloo in this case, but every now and then, I always like to imagine the entire life an career being an electric boogaloo. Misused humor aside, this is my new channel McJeetus.Inyo, a replacement blog that was made after a few announcements and a couple other things that for the sake of convenience we'll make as a little Easter Egg hunt all things considered.

Now last time I made a pinned intro that I did not feel a little satisfied with, and today, I kinda just want to rework it again, this time with second wind I got that opportunity to and I want to be able to do it right because I do have a lot of places of where I am currently at. And I would be more than grateful for talking about them here.

The Sky is Blue

No I do not have Twitter, nor do I intend on coming back there ever again. What I do have is a Bluesky and that's better.

Marked as "McJeetus.3D0g-A," (You'll understand why in a moment,) this is actually where I will be making various news, updates, and shit shooting... on top of shitposting whenever possible. Really not much to it if news and updates isn't your thing, but that's where the -B comes in.

Fighting the Good Fight

(Addendum: Due to misfortunate business practices from Spotify themselves, this social is to be deemed as defunct. There will be three public playlists that will be added, and the rest will be worked on published and distributed into a different socials of my choosing that will be shared here.)

"McJeetus.3D0g-B" is essentially the other half, and on paper is meant to mimic a sort of radio station. (incase the 3D0g part of it didn't get the point across.) Now considering recent news regarding Spotify I will not be active on there as much, I might have an idea or two taking to to another social- but that would honestly defeat the point of wanting to use Spotify in the first place. In any case, I make playlists and the sort to share with everyone in both here and Bluesky, and I could probably port them to my next other social as well. This is meant to be more of a boredom cure if in any chance my talking isn't that interesting enough.

With that out of the way, we can talk about our main bread and butteries of everything else.

The home of McJeetus

For whatever reason, they won't even let me share an actual thumbnail, but that's fair enough.

This is one of my main homes on the space of Tok Tik.

Which all jokes aside, this really was where I originally started and I want to at the very least give the heads up. All of my short-form stuff gets filtered through there and also ported to another bit of video content that I will actually be covering next.

From Shady Sands to the Appalachia

Originally meant to be the actual "McJeetus.Inyo" (I guess they didn't like it) McJeetus.Appalachia is effectively the long form portion. Although I do port shorts from my Tok to YouTube, I do try to make some efforts into putting together larger videos and the sort, but it's also just an extension of the Tok. Where I share some of my other highlights of the TikTok Channel career.

Here (what I actually do)

Alright, now we got that out of the way we can actually start talking about my Tumblr Channel and what I do with it.

So as primarily a blog post, I basically do literary content and the sort, but also wanting to be able to share some of the things I've done recently into blog format. Sometimes I try to write stories, other times there may be oddball chances that I talk about something like recent mod releases, maybe some updates. And that's one of the things I want to talk about.

One of the main things I do is do Fallout and Fallout Modding content with the utilization of Fallout 4 and their mods to do a Multi-Fandom Fallout experience. If you want a quick example, basically telling the story of Characters and the sorts in games like Fallout 1 and Van Buren by using Fallout 4 as a visual medium.

To some fronts that probably won't make as much sense, but a couple of posts will probably help with that in the interest of time. I just can't think of a concrete way to kind of show that as I'm still working on a few other things.

Another one is Multi-Fandom centered things. I try not to solely do one thing. I may play and showcase an occasional game here and there for the sake of ensuring that I don't constrict myself into one thing. There'll be times where I'll be playing different games, and I'll try to put in even other different fandoms.

Mainly, it'd just be screenshot showcases and the sort. And other meme related things.

But apart from that, that's pretty much it. This is a pinned post that'll receive continuous updates depending on circumstances, changes, additional tags, and the sort. The rest would just have to involve some quick rules and guidelines, don't be rude, dumb and the sort.

(I don't know if that's a thing here, but I'm putting that here just in case.)

And now you're pretty much free to roam the channel.

Welcome in and have a good day.

[crypticauthourwrites]

21 February 2024

Free of the wordcount mines for now My thoughts and concerns at the moment as I work through stuff: Doing an overall idea on the werewolf fic was a good one. I feel more confident in writing out scenes and stitching them together. Heard a few people in the industry professionally and I've been keeping a phrase they've said in mind -

don't be precious about your work

Which young me would immediately balk at. Current me about also try to rationalise.

"I don't think my work is precious! Is there something wrong in wanting every piece I churn out to be the best it can be? Always pushing myself and craft to new heights! Like exercise!"

But you don't always go full tilt on a treadmill. Really not advisable.

Probably half of my entries since NaNo have been "sure am glad I'm over the hump of getting in my own head about my writing! Can just write without the internal editor! Haha... yup! that's sure the state of things!" Might be better to say that I'm better about the nitpicker within me while I put one word after another, but I'm not completely free.

Maybe writers and artists are never free of being our own worst critique. Or maybe I need to keep going and see if that's true.

Werewolf AU is now over four hundred words to start. Definitely not bad. Plus the rest, again, has been paced out so will just need to follow the threads I laid out for myself. I think, if I had to guess, it'll end up being a rough, but inevitably sweet fic. Certainly going into it with a lot of intended heart.

Bloodborne is happening, slow step by slow step.

Eileen has met Fauxsefka and has not realised it yet. Joked with a friend that essentially she believes Isofeka has gone/is going insane, but is trying to be practical about it.

"Yes the fabric of reality has been torn from her eyes, but where's the practicality of striking? Where else am I to find someone with a medical license at this time of night?"

Eileen the Crow might have Insight, but she might not be insightful in this instance.

After a bit of back and forth with the ruse, Eileen will begin to leave then there will be a fight scene. That will probably take the longest outside of finding historical research to plug in for period appropriate flavouring.

WHN is also finding itself with new sentences here or there. The odd creature idea. Illustrator is busy with real life priorities so I'll be solo for, my guess, another month or so.

Started up two Writing Thoughts. One involving Disney's Wish and the other about Senshi from Dungeon Meshi.

Plus a longer form poem that's been rattling around up there for a while.

I think in the vein of real life stuff - keep debating myself on getting other social media. I've been advised against most, but know that one day I'll have to pitch my work where people are. That's just the industry now. Publishers want writers with built in advertisement done for them. Maybe BlueSky, unsure though.

My plan going forward: Look at all that progress and effort! It feels like walking through a thick swamp, but I am walking forward. Muddy boats doesn't necessarily mean sinking!

I think I should make the werewolf AU a sprint writing challenge. See what comes of just going from beginning to end. Then clean up (editing, reading aloud, adding things that maybe needed so on).

Bloodborne, once again, I'll have to pick up the pace before the 11th of March. I know where it needs to go, the challenge is the same as all writing - the equivalent of one sentence of summary might actually take several pages of in character mannerisms and dialogue coupled with setting descriptors and the overall collective prose.

WHN, I'll admit I am a touch lonely with. Fanfic I feel free to share more openly because it's not even my IP to begin with. With the original art I want to one day publish, it's best to be more... careful.

Being a writer on the internet is threading the careful line of getting feedback and being exposed.

I don't have any further insight on the social media thing. Whether I need to be pitching and building an audience now way before a book is even in a shippable state or something else. Decent food for thought at least.

Here’s to another week 👍

[james-stark-the-writer]

someone just reblogged my post about the teaser for this video and that reminded me this exists so. since the original posting of this post, John came out as non-binary (and probably uses they/them pronouns now but John has not posted about a change in pronouns so i don't know definitively, but i'll tend to err on the side of they/them), i can't go back and re-edit the original, since obviously i've reblogged it and added more, but John was still using he/him pronouns at the point of this being first written. so yeah, if you do continue to talk about the video and John's take, remember they use they/them pronouns now, or look up if John's posted about changing pronouns.

i guess even queer people can be wrong about Riverdale somehow. which honestly shouldn't be surprising because once i saw a post on BlueSky saying Cheryl Blossom was bad lesbian representation, and i started seeing red. like it really gave me a headache and ruined my day the day i saw the post lol.

but yeah, the video is still not good. i've since seen it two more times. it's still just as bad. it's so bad. how did they release the fucking video in the state it's in? it's incomprehensible to me. it's also just structurally and narratively lazy in how many times John uses the technique of putting information in front and then pretending to not know how the show got there to do it later as a cheap reveal. like it's done like five, six, seven times in the video and it gets old fast. like three times would've been one thing but this one just seems like one they didn't put that much effort into making it as dynamic as the rest of their videos and it just falls into a lot of the traps other Riverdale videos do, except more disappointing because John still puts more effort, stylistically, into their videos than most other people who do lazy videos on Riverdale with little original input or ideas about the show.

riverdalians, i have deeply disappointing news. the new Super Eyepatch Wolf Riverdale video.... does not Get It.

i mean it's a rough video on its lonesome too, repeating far too much of stuff he already covered in the first video, but it also doesn't really come to any point. honestly, it just seems incoherent at times. but like. the big crime is that he doesn't Get It. like i understand his frustrations with season 7, i share many of them too, but honestly, as sacrilegious as it may sound, it commits some of the same Art Sins as the FSN video (especially as far as treating Riverdale as trying to say something like John does try to find some meaning at the end but he misses the most obvious thing which is really infuriating. like to an extent it's cultural differences, but then again it's also not my culture that's being deconstructed and i got it so i don't know what to tell you, especially bc Riverdale is not remotely subtle about its deconstructions.), like he brings up plot points that are clearly About something and then just... doesn't confront them. like he clearly points out things like how Percival is old and has been around for a long time and how he's corrupting the soul of the town and basically doing a genocide and is from a long line of genociders and how he is the embodiment of evil but he never connects all those to understand that season 6 is critiquing white supremacy (especially given that Riverdale is not a subtle show, like they are very explicit in their political critiques. i do not understand how he could possibly miss that unless he wasn't paying attention and treating it as actual art.), and that season 7 is a very normal lead into it. like yeah i have critiques of season 7 and their approach to tackling racial issues, but it's very clearly leaning further into the deconstruction that the show is doing. like i'm just so stunned he didn't Get It.

fuck, he doesn't even talk about the fucking series finale! which i feel like is a perfect encapsulation of what he finds fascinating in media. like, after his Garfield video, i thought he would get the haunting, horrific implications of the series finale, but he doesn't even talk about it! yeah. there's just no finale section. he just stops talking about the show at the penultimate episode while clearly playing clips from the finale, and he doesn't talk about the finale, which is so baffling to me that i cannot even fathom that this video was meant to be released. genuinely feel like half the video is missing. what the hell, John. i don't think there's a third video coming so it all honestly just seems like a waste. like in some ways, i guess if his Big Point is that the show is incoherent (which tbh is one of the weakest and most wrong criticisms of Riverdale? like, Riverdale will sometimes have you questioning why something was executed the way it was, or why a certain choice was made. but it's not a hard show to follow. it's not incoherent. you just have to pay attention. because it's a dense show. it's very plot-heavy, so you have to be paying attention. yeah sometimes characters flip about, but there's always a base status-quo as a touchstone for categorizing and explaining their behavior, and if you put aside the motivations the literal events are extremely simple to understand. like seriously it's very easy to follow when you actually have context and aren't listening to random plot points decontextualized in a YouTube video that is less than 1/100th of the runtime of the actual show.) and pointless, making the video incoherent and pointless is like, interesting, and tries to mimic the meta characteristics of the show, but it doesn't make for a particularly fun video to watch, and it also is not like giving the show enough credit as a piece of art, so it's just really irritating as a whole.

genuinely so sad about this lol, like i knew from the first one that a lot of his enjoyment was from the outrageous moments and that he probably wouldn't love season 7 but i didn't think he would just completely miss the point this hard. also the way that he understands that Season 4 was filmed during the pandemic but doesn't understand that the first four episodes of Season 5 are actually part of Season 4? baffling. genuinely so many questionable decisions in that video. i do not understand it. i just. i'm so tired of everyone not getting the most blatant fucking Art that's extremely obvious about what it's doing. Riverdale is not hard to Get and the amount of people i've seen blatantly miss the point is really, genuinely scary in terms of media literacy. like jesus, how could you miss the point of Riverdale S06 and how it connects to S07. how is that even possible. did you watch it with your eyes closed, John.

[northropi]

So I'm going to be using this more, for real this time.

In an effort to Holy Fucking Shit They're Considering Cisgender A Slur Now What The Fuck, I am soft-leaving Twitter. For real now. What do I mean? I will not post anything "directly."

I'll still like, follow, reply, retweet, whatever, but any media or in-depth text (so like also media) will no longer be natively placed on Twitter.

From now on anything I put on Twitter will be links to other sites.

It also seems inevitable at this point that I will eventually have to leave Twitter entirely because harassment is becoming more frequent.

While I'm not big enough to be readily targeted, bigots are trawling the trending tab to find anyone who comments on a recurring topic and start gnawing them.

I've never been a full "no ethical consumption under capitalism" person, but up until this, I could at least blow Elon's bigotry off as "oh, so we happen to have a bigoted owner on this site, well not gonna pay his ass so I'm fine in the short-term." But this policy, which seems to have gone through, is probably the first time something actively bigoted and not just generic right-lib "hey we should let bigots talk because censorship bad" has been written into the ToS.

To strongarm Cis out of our vocabulary leaves us with no words to describe Cis people exclusively (which is itself a pretty damning reason why it's not a fucking slur, but I don't think at this point that anyone who says they think it is is doing so in good faith). We have to use the word bigots want us to use to describe cis people.

Normal.

And every time we speak it, they'll lick their slimy lips and relish in the implication that, by exclusion, we have admitted we are not.

BlueSky likely will mark the end of Twitter being an even neutral space for vulnerable people in terms of community, though maybe I'm talking out my ass there because I hear some shit about BlueSky too- so sub BlueSky for whatever more solid Twitter-style multipurpose high-throughput platform follows and actually is good if I have to eat those words, I guess.

It, or the hypothetical next thing, will bleed Twitter of users who are, you know, not fucking horrible, and in turn, create a selective pressure that turns Twitter into a decidedly bigot-friendly site. This is the cost of being run by someone who thinks "free speech" should mean taking the wrong answer to the paradox of tolerance, and an idol to rightoids and conspiracy theorists who need that "gifted" Christ-figure and a supposed force of opposition to exist, even if they have to rip their brain in two to characterize that opposition as the establishment while, being conservatives, every single stance they take is pro-establishment.

You people ruined schizoposting, you know that?

Newgrounds will be for images with occasional text updates, this for long but relatively rough posts, Wix for more encyclopedia-style content as I intend to use it in a wiki-like capacity with secondary blog purposes (why not use wiki for that, you ask? because it looked like a lot to learn up front and there seemed to be like twelve different wiki formats, Wordpress/Wix was just easier but might change later).

I'll also aim for some filler on Youtube in the form of just video game clips so I can feed the algorithm a bit and try to be more active in exploiting what free time I have to actually use my mic for voiced stuff including, possibly, short streams, though that begs the question of where I'll be doing those.

As for Tumblr, a friend offered me to help me learn its syntax or whatever you'd even call it in this case to get it formatted. I wouldn't count on it replacing Newgrounds yet and that may be my primary art site from here on out (I've expressed concern about their harsh policy against WIPs and certain modeling programs that might include my VRoid work, but the latter would obviously be fine here and the former can still be posted in a publicly accessible capacity to NG, just not promoted in the art portal- hopefully I get "scouted" there sooner than later but nothing is a dealbreaker yet). The problem ofc is because, well... First off, NSFW. "Oh but you can post-" yes. I know. You can do some lewd stuff and fetish content fine as long as it doesn't hit a particular bar of "non-artistic" nudity. However, a lot of my stuff is raunchy fucking hypercock bellybulging cum cum madness. I can't just fly under that restriction and not need to eventually find another outlet.

Second, I really gotta handle these fucking bots. Not sure how many I have still as I imagine a lot are getting cleaned out by mods, but it seems follower notifs on this site have been going into junk for a while due to sheer frequency.

I'm also thinking about if I have it in me to forgive DeviantArt for their AI debacle, but the site's stance on it is concerning and I fear that there's at best going to be a ton of it flooding the site, which, while acceptable if they hold their promise of being able to opt out future works (remember, the opt-out doesn't apply to any works put up before- you can't un-train a neural network, so fuck that sideways), will be frustrating to interact with. I'm also going to look into ArtStation a bit, I recall them doing something dubious but I'm not sure of the status of it since. I actually already have an account there, for Project G.L.U.T.T.'s demo mostly...

[arloviaherald]

It’s after 10pm. I, like I’m sure many other creatives, have spent most of today scrambling to set up alternative social media accounts in the wake of twitter’s impending (and inane) rebranding.

And once more I find myself drawn back to blogging. I’ve started various blogs numerous times over the years, maybe this is the final push I really needed to get the ball rolling.

Does anyone still use it? Only one way to find out.

It’s frustrating having to constantly jump between platforms, increasingly so lately with every site out there ready and willing to shoot itself in the foot and alienate its user base. Especially Twitter, where so many creators built communities and found work.

A lot of my own work comes through Twitter, and a lot of us are panicking over suddenly not having a single, central platform for things like finding and sharing work. Sure, there’s tons of sites popping up all over the place, but with some being inaccessible in certain regions (like Threads) and some having huge waitlists for access (like Bluesky) people are scattering in the wind to whatever platforms they can sign up for. Mastodon seems to be popular, but I personally find it a little confusing so haven’t really put much effort into it. Even so, I did set up an account for my comic. I wonder if I’ll ever get the same sort of reach there as I do on Twitter.

Tumblr seems to be the last remaining vestige of when social media wasn’t so outwardly controlled by corporations, but it’s having its own issues now.

I’ve spent most of today setting up a new site on Blogger, but it’s just as easy (if not more so) to share this sort-of-newsletter on Tumblr (where people seem to be migrating to anyway) (I’ve not had much success setting up a substack feed, but I think that may be, in part, due to the seeming lack of customizability).

I do use this site daily and can keep this stuff separate from everything else. I might just two blogs to mirror each other.

I do like the idea of being relatively anonymous though, posting on a platform that’s scarcely used without worrying about needing to “perform” to a certain degree. We’ll see how things develop, I guess.

Either way, I’m getting really sick of feeling like I need to be ready to jump ship because one platform is being set to implode because of one person.

[perfectirishgifts]

5 Surprising Facts Employers Need To Know About Depression, Disability, And Finding A Robot Therapist

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5 Surprising Facts Employers Need To Know About Depression, Disability, And Finding A Robot Therapist

“It’s so good to hear your voice.” “I was worried about you.” An AI chatbot by California-based … [] startup Replika is designed to be a companion for people needing a connection during a sharp rise in pandemic-related isolation and anxiety.

Have you thought about asking people with lived experience what would make a substantial difference in their lives when they’re battling stress, anxiety, depression or pain? Would you guess that lack of personal time or lack of access to a therapist is most detrimental to your employees mental health? In the coming year, I predict those questions will be keeping employers up at night. If your demeanor is as dry-eyed as the depiction of royalty in The Crown this season, don’t worry. Workers don’t actually want their boss or employers’ advice. It’s quite the opposite. Here’s the truth, plus five mind-blowing statistics to share with colleagues.

1.    Bots Over Bosses. In a Workplace Initiative study, 64% of people said when it comes to stress and anxiety, they’d choose a robot to talk to over their manager. It was no small study either. Oracle surveyed 12,000 employees at all levels across 11 countries to determine what role humans should play. Before you say, Here we go again, it’s technology that’s ruining our lives, I can put these findings in context. People prefer chatbots because they are a judgment-free zone, according to the study. What that says to me is that you may think you’re not judgmental or biased against people who show their feelings, but you probably are. That’s why thousands say they’d rather not talk to their boss, no matter how many well-intended they are.

Mind-blowing Statistic: A BlueSky California New State of Mind survey collected 65,000 tips on youth mental health via an online survey. The tips, including reaching out to online support groups at the top of the list, are geared toward youth looking for ways to lower pandemic stress. Aside from the volume of advice, the optimism shown in them is comforting, according to DoSomething.org, which partnered on the study.  

2.  Depression: A Formidable Enemy

Still, employers underestimate its devastating effect on this country’s workers and their families. According to Stanford Professor Robert Sapolsky, it is the most damaging disease a person can experience. How much do you know about how care is being dispersed to your employees and how effective it is? Probably not much. You might start with a meat-and-potatoes medical explanation of depression from a professor who has one of the most popular lectures on the topic on YouTube. Now that you understand how depression moves through your body, think in the same way about how it affects your workforce.  When you develop a set of programs that are built on need, your business will thrive as will the people in it.

Mind-blowing Statistic “Depression is crippling. By 2024 it will be the second most dangerous disease worldwide, just behind diabetes-related disorders, he says in the video.  

3.     Don’t We All Have ADHD?

No, actually, we don’t all have ADHD. One in five adults has a learning or attention disability but the ones who have been diagnosed aren’t likely to be waving their LD flag for all to see on Zoom. In my experience as a woman diagnosed late in life with ADHD and other learning disabilities, I’ve observed that men may be diagnosed more often but seem less driven to find resources. For men with ADHD, there’s such shame that I recommend starting with a peer group. One such group is ADHD Mens Support Group, founded by Marc Almodovar. If you have a learning disability, his free men’s support group or others like it on social media is a solid option. He is one of many young, emerging mental health advocates who is proving that often it is peer-to-peer interaction that is most helpful for people with learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia.

Mind-blowing Statistic: Bias is a bigger problem than you may have guessed. “We found that 50% stated they would be uncomfortable employing or line managing someone with at least one of the conditions,” according to an Institute of Leadership and Management study that asked pointedly if people would be comfortable employing staff who are neurodivergent (meaning autistic, dyslexic or ADHD workers). That 50% stat? It left me speechless and sad. I think neurodivergent pride, not a focus on inclusion, is the best rebuttal to such bias. 

4.     Caregiving Is A Mental Health Issue

 Think of part of your managerial role as accepting that every day is a mental health awareness day, particularly for parents and caregivers. If your legal department pushes back on you offering more advice, push forward in small, impactful ways. During Safety Week at your plant, for example, ask your communications department to cover how stress and lack of sleep affect work. Get real with parents, grandparents and caregivers on your staff. Look both inside and out of the disability and mental health community for help. For parents, for example, there’s The Fifth Trimester, a movement to help parents and businesses revolutionize workplace culture together. Caregiving in a pandemic makes even the simplest daily tasks difficult for seniors and people with disabilities. AARP offers a guide for caregivers.

Mind-blowing Statistic: People desperately need help with the basics. A study of adults with a physical disability or a mental health condition found 70% are worried about trips to the supermarket and doing other errands than before the pandemic. One in three people reported being unable to buy groceries at some point in the pandemic.

5.      Racial Tension Causes Stress For Black Employees

It’s often more productive for Black employees to digest information and make time for self-care outside of the workplace. If you are part of an HR or leadership team, you know the alarmingly high stress Black people are facing right now. Mental health issues are manifested into sleep disorders, chronic illnesses, ruminations, moderate-to-severe anxiety and persistent depression, according to a recent piece in HR Executive. Being tapped to work on a diversity and inclusion effort can be an additional stressor. For fearless conversations about race (the hosts’ description), Code Switch may be the podcast you’ve been waiting for. It was named Apple Podcast’s first Show of the Year. Their goal is to make all of us part of the conversation, something that’s not often possible within the confines of work.

Mind-blowing Statistic: The burden of mental disorders, especially depressive disorders, may be higher among U.S. Blacks than in U.S. whites, according to a recent study. Research also shows that even if employees are offered support through an EAP, the number of Black therapists is so small that it’s nearly impossible to find culturally appropriate care. One emerging option that is more affordable and accessible is an uptick in diverse coaching.

From Diversity & Inclusion in Perfectirishgifts