#actually using techniques that will be done in a professional setting

[lemongrass--tea]

me after switching from aerospace to industrial design.

i actually look forward to work now cuz if i mess up on one thing it doesn’t really matter and everything is super chill compared to formal sit down in a lecture hall and take tests

studio culture is a breath of fresh air after being strangled by integral calculus

my prof just explained on the syllabus that he’s included more pionts in the class than we needed to pass, so we could skip up like?? 20 small assignments/quizzes/participation!! and still get a very high grade!!

the idea was that we could focus on assignments that played to our strengths - only do the participation stuff if we like to talk out loud - only do the quizzes/readings if we want to do the class remotely - only do online discussions if we like to talk and share opinions but struggle with anxiety in class ect.

and that’s cool enough but then he pulled up DnD character sheets with drawings he’d done of these hypothetical student player classes and how our various accessibility needs could be gamified to ‘max out’ different aspects of the class to get high grades and like!!!!!

hell yeah!!!! let’s treat accessibility in higher education not just as a necessity but as the fun, engaging, and creative aspect of learning that it is!!! I love this!!

[finalfrontierpublishing]

The Rock and The River - Pi (Rhea)

by @rhea314

guys!!! this book! one of my most favourite to make, a teeny little quarto guy.

some stats if you will.

17441 words// 123 pages

Body text: Adobe Jensen Pro 10 point

Accents: Beon, EB Garamond

so my buddy @zhalfirin-binds is a professional who made us all real parchment leather books when we met in January last year. the parchment book is my precious and is hiding in my drybox as we speak. personal pride meant that i had to pull out all the stops because i was EXCEEDINGLY LATE to give her a book. i had intended to do 2, but as you can tell with my usual bookbinding habits, i usually only finish 1 by the skin of my teeth.

some time back, i had arranged to do a marbling class when @celestial-sphere-press visited me, so i decided i would get some marbled edges done.

well guess who's boo boo the fool huh - i DID NOT plan my colour combinations properly nor did i know exactly which text blocks got marbled because there was a massive time and drying crunch as IT TOOK SO DAMN LONG TO DRY and i only brought a limited number of dipping boards (basically 1 set in A5/legal quarto/A6 each). thankfully the two books meant for Zhal got dipped and looked pretty good.

The con was, i was left with the inexplicable horror of 'why the hell did i use so much yellow???'

it worked out in the end. in this fic, chihiro ends up working at a bar, and though it never explicitly mentions bar lights, i tend to associate bar lights as neon red, blue and yellow lighting, which fits?? is probably why i reached for the yellow in the first place.

the problem with using so much yellow was IT IS SO HARD TO MATCH MARBLED EDGES GUYS. i was crying the entire time. my whole collection of marbled paper? CLASHES. my collection of duo bookcloth? not going to work, especially with the two tones. chiyogami??? also a no go. you can guess why i sat on this textblock for so long.

then a stroke of luck - des and i wanted to go for an aizome (indigo dyeing) experience when i visited japan. des said, "let's go all out and buy some silk cloth to dye, like half a yard to share." Silk was bought. Silk was dipped. the actual technique is called shibori (i had a little giggle cause at the renegade retreat i got mildly confused as shibari also involves tying things). Silk is fantastic and has great texture, and wow did it turn out nice.

In this fic, Haku becomes an atmospheric river, and i thought that deep indigo blue was a perfect match for how their satellite images look, and did my best to create the streakiness you get from the clouds onto tie dye cloth.

Image from https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Cat-1-Cat-5-Scale-Atmospheric-Rivers

Cloth is backed with heatnbond, and endbands were done in white, off white and pale gold. i didn't want to distract too much from all the other colours and patterns going on. endpapers were also a blue chiyogami, which didn't stand out much against all the blues - absolutely my fault because i stuck the endpapers on before i had actually made the bookcloth.

by the end i refused to title it, because why fuck it up at the last step (this happens to me a lot, as you can tell). otherwise, minimal hiccups and i was so happy to give this book to Zhal! it turned out so good!

we both had a good laugh at the end of the renegade retreat as i almost ended up kidnapping this book back home when we were packing up - Zhal had to remind me it was HER book now.

@zhalfirin-binds i hope you love this ridiculous book, which is half as ridiculous as ME :D

A big thank you to @rhea314 for writing this amazing fic and allowing transformative works off her writing.

[feelbokkie]

L♡VE IN F♡CUS | Chapter 22

WARNINGS: swearing, mention of food and eating, depiction of an anxiety attack

PAIRING: idol!Changbin x fem reader

GENRE: smau, crack, angst, fluff

P♡V: 1st/2nd person (depending on how you view it)

SUMMARY: Amateur concert photographer Y/n has recently been promoted to junior music journalist. Her first assignment? An exposé on the popular Kpop boy group, Stray Kids. Spending an entire tour doing in depth interviews with eight men seems simple enough, but one member isn't exactly open to the idea. Will Y/n be able to break down the walls around his heart, or will her big break turn into a big disaster?

TAGLIST: ♡PENED

W♡RD C♡UNT: 2,972

SCREENSH♡T C♡UNT: 21

A/N: I wasn't planning on writing this chapter so soon but on of you sent me a ko-fi and it kinda motivated me to get this chapter done and out.

PREVIOUS | MASTERLIST | NEXT

©feelbokkie (2024) — all rights reserved. reposting/modification of any kind is not tolerated.

You flip through the menu for the fifth time trying to figure out what to eat. Hyunjin and Wonseok happily chat along in their own little world about some art movement—you lost the plot of their conversation ages ago when they started about a specific type of paint and technique that you’re not even going to try to pronounce. Changbin sits across from you, absent-mindedly fiddling with his menu and nodding to the ongoing conversation.

“Are we boring you so much that you’re just going through the menu? Again?” Wonseok asks suddenly.

“I don’t know what to eat,” You grumble quietly.

Wonseok reaches over and turns a few pages in your menu. When he finds the page he's looking for he traces the page with his finger until he lands on one of the menu items. "They have fish and chips right here."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd take us to an actual restaurant. I can't order fish and chips while the three of you order...whatever you're going to order. It's like if I went to a restaurant back home and just ordered tteok-bokki...or if we were in the States and I got chicken tenders and fries." You gently push Wonseok's hand away from you and roll your eyes.

Wonseok pulls back his hand and brings it to his temples, almost as if he's starting to get a headache. "This is probably the only time I'm going to get to treat professional idols to a meal, I'm not just going to give them street food. Just order what you really want to eat because you're not going to be able to order fish and chips for dinner at the place we're going to. I don't want to hear you complain about not eating what you wanted for the rest of my life."

You huff out a 'fine' as you close your menu and set it to the side. Your eyes land on Changbin who is quietly scribbling something on a piece of paper that seems to have materialized. You quietly shake your head and turn your attention to Hyunjin who is looking between you and Wonseok, thinking hard about something.

"You know, Wonnie, Hyunjin is an amazing artist." You pull up your broken arm from resting on your lap. "He's the one who drew all over my cast. He posts some of his stuff on his Instagram. He's probably even carrying around his sketchbook in that tote bag of his..."

"Ah, noona..." Hyunjin's voice trails off as he scratches the back of his neck. You can't see his ears under his hat but you can almost imagine how red they're getting.

Wonseok takes your broken arm and carefully examines the doodles and drawings on your cast. Most of them are flowers and plants. Occasionally, there are little characters like the BbokAri he drew next to Felix's message and the puppy next to Seungmin's. There's hardly any room left for anyone else to write anything. Before you forbade any of the members from hanging out with you without someone else there, Hyunjin would find his way to you when he was bored and draw on your arm.

"Wow, these are amazing, Hyunjin! Do you mind if I look at your sketchbook?"

Your arm is returned to you as Wonseok and Hyunjin get wrapped up in yet another art-filled conversation. Changbin is still focused on his piece of paper, scribbling away. Part of you wishes you could pull out the small tablet you brought with you so you could work on editing photos on the ride to the gallery. But you know that'll only cause Wonseok to scold you for working when you're not supposed to. If you could offer more thought to Wonseok and Hyunjin's conversation that isn't just regurgitated garbage from your first-year introduction to art history course that you took back in university, then you could easily join in their conversation.

Deciding to bite the bullet, you sit up a bit straighter in your seat and rest your chin in your good hand. "What are you so focused on writing there Changbin?"

There's a moment of silence between the two of you. He pauses writing but you're not sure if he heard you or is thinking of what to write.

"Lyrics," He mumbles so softly that you almost miss it amongst the noise that is Wonseok and Hyunjin chattering loudly beside you.

"Did you get an idea just now?" You perk up in your seat a bit. "Can...can I see? I won't write about it. It's all off the record."

Changbin's head stays low, focusing on writing his lyrics. It's only now that you're reminded of his inability to focus on more than one thing at a time. The fact that he answered you earlier is strange and probably the most he can do.

You watch him silently as he works. You take note of all of the little things you see. Like the way his brows twitch as he tries not to furrow then while he scribbles something out. Or how the fingers on his nondominant hand dance on the table while his head subtly bops along to a rhythm only known to him. Whether he's simultaneously creating a beat in his head while he works or he's remembering a song that one of the other members of 3racha made is another unknown factor that you wish you knew the answer to. You notice the way he mouths out the words he's writing to himself and how quickly he presses his lips together and shakes his head when it appears to not flow correctly. You can only imagine that this is what it was like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel; hypotonic.

You only break out of your trance when your server comes to the table and takes your order, something that neither you nor Changbin noticed until Wonseok and Hyunjin told you. And that's when Changbin finally looked up and caught you staring at him, forcing you to look away as heat rose to your face. Wonseok took advantage of the situation and ordered your food for you before you could change your mind.

After lunch, the four of you decided to walk around London for a bit. When you were working with Han and Seungmin yesterday, you made sure to avoid the more populated and obvious tourist areas, only capturing notable landmarks in the distant background. With more freedom to explore, you all head to the more touristy areas so Hyunjin and Changbin can blend in more seamlessly.

As you walk along the crowded streets, the earlier pain you felt inside the art galley quickly comes back. You're paying less attention to the conversation between Wonseok and Hyunjin and more to your surroundings. Despite the cool day, you feel suffocatingly hot. Almost like something is sucking all of the air out of your lungs.

"...Y/n!"

You snap out of whatever daze you're in at the sound of Wonseok's worried voice. You glance up to meet three concerned faces watching you carefully.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Your voice is thick is unsteady as you're unable to meet any of their eyes.

"Are you okay? You're walking slowly. I thought we lost you in the crowd for a moment there."

You swallow hard as you try to settle your rapidly beating heart. "I think I ate too much earlier. My stomach hurts."

"You look kind of pale, noona," Hyunjin chimes in. "Maybe we should head back to the hotel?"

You wave Hyunjin off quickly. "N-no, it's okay. I just need a moment."

"I'll go get you some water." Wonseok's voice softens with a gentle tone as he looks around for a shop.

Hyunjin places one hand on Wonseok's shoulder, stopping him from trying to look through the crowd. He pulls his bucket hat off with his other hand, gaining a clear view of the area. "We've been here a few times. I think I know where there's a shop nearby. I'll help you find it, hyung."

"Okay, thank you. Changbin, are you okay watching Y/n?" Wonseok asks the younger man.

Too focused on the unsettling feeling growing through your body, you don't notice that Changbin's already watching you. He's been silently keeping an eye on you since you started to fall behind on your walk. Had Wonseok waited a second longer to notice you, Changbin would have said something to bring their attention to you.

"I got her," He says simply.

With that, Hyunjin tosses something at Changbin and leads Wonseok forward through the crowd. Changbin quietly pulls you off to the side away from the crowd, under the shade of a tree. You mumble out what you hope is a 'thank you,' and focus on Changbin's shoes. They're white sneakers a blue stripe going through them. Subconsciously, you start to count the small holes near the end of the shoe while you place your hand on your chest. You feel your heart beating rather quickly like it's beating a little too hard and might give out at any moment. You apply as much pressure with your hand and take deep, unsteady breaths as you try to calm your heart.

You feel something cover your head, partly obstructing your vision and muffling the outside noise. You look back up at Changbin who is now adjusting Hyunjin's bucket hat that he put on your head.

"Professional idol secret," His words come slowly as he continues to fix the rim around the hat. "A lot of us don't do well in crowds so we wear bucket hats to block out the noise and the view a bit. Fans think we wear them to hide our hair for comebacks, but most of the time it's to protect our sanity."

You swallow dryly, unable to wet your suddenly parched throat. "I go to concerts and fan signs for a living. I do well in crowds."

Changbin crouches down so you can see him under the protection of the bucket hat, a tender smile warms his whole face. It's the first time you've seen him smile since the gallery. "In the past, yeah, but...you have the same expression on your face that you've been getting when we're at the airport lately. You kind of look like Hannie when he's having an anxiety attack."

"I don't have anxiety attacks," You're not sure if you're telling Changbin or reassuring yourself. You can't remember a single moment in your life where you've had an anxiety attack. So why would you start now?

"Okay," Changbin nods before standing up straight again, your view of him is once again obstructed by the hat. He gently takes your hand off of your chest and places it on his own. "At the very least, match my breathing. You sound like you just ran a marathon and I can't help you if you pass out. I don't know cpr."

The two of you stand there for a moment. Changbin's hand is firmly on yours as he keeps it on his chest. You have no choice but to match his breathing by following the steady rising and falling of his chest. You can feel the subtle, yet rapid thuds of his heart beating in his chest despite how calm he is.

Slowly, but surely, your own breathing falls into its own steady rhythm and the strange feeling in your body dissipates. You're not exactly sure how long the two of you stand like that, but eventually you drop your hand from his chest and Changbin let's you.

"Better?"

You slowly nod your head. Most of your discomfort is gone, but you still feel jittery. Almost as if you injected straight caffeine into your bloodstream. "Yeah, I just need to sit down."

Changbin doesn't ask further questions and instead leads you to the small grassy area near the tree and urges you to sit. He joins you on the grass, falling back into silence. Now that you're relatively back to normal, you can't help but avoid looking at Changbin. You're more thankful for the hat now that it can help you avoid his gaze.

The two of you sit there in silence for a few more minutes before Wonseok and Hyunjin find you. Hyunjin is about to question why you're wearing his hat before Changbin stands up and pulls Hyunjin to the side for a moment to talk to him.

Wonseok takes one of the empty spots beside you and rummages through the plastic bag he brought back with you. He pulls out a water bottle and a small metal tin and hands them to you. "I watched a TikTok ages ago and a doctor on there said that mint is supposed to be good for an upset stomach."

"Thank you," You smile tiredly at Wonseok.

Hyunjin and Changbin make their way back to you. Hyunjin takes the other open spot next to you while Changbin sits on the other side of him. They're quiet for a moment while you continue to drink your water and eat the mints that Wonseok bought. Wonseok passes out the other water bottles from his bag to Hyunjin and Changbin.

Surprisingly, Changbin breaks the silence first, asking if the store that Wonseok and Hyunjin went to was crowded. Then the conversation shifted to what everyone planned to do later. Wonseok tells them about your now tentative dinner plans, which leads to an argument. You change the subject to see what the newlywed couple of the group had planned. The conversation shifts again, this time to souvenirs that all of you want to get. Which of course leads to another teasing argument that ends with Wonseok trying to make you spill water on yourself.

"You two are such a cute couple. How long hav--"

You choke on your water as Hyunjin's words catch you off guard and trickle down the wrong pipe. Wonseok has his own visceral reaction, one that you don't see but you can hear the sound of him gagging at the question. Still, Wonseok slaps your back to help you get the water out.

"We--are not--dating." You choke out as you try to regain your composure.

"Y/n is like my little sister," Wonseok adds as he drops his hand back to his side.

Both Hyunjin and Changbin have confused expressions as they watch the two of you. Hyunjin opens and closes his mouth like a fish as he lets out confused babbles. "Sorry, I just thought...you two are...when..."

"Wonseok hyung is older than you but you two talk casually. Plus you're so close." Changbin says finally. Hyunjin shuts his mouth and nods quickly, agreeing with Changbin's reasoning.

"That's because Wonnie is a pathological liar--ouch!" You rub the spot on your leg where Wonseok hit you and glare at him. Although, you're not sure he saw your face through the hat.

"Stop telling people that I'm a pathological liar." You don't have to see to know that he's rolling his eyes. Wonseok shifts a bit and faces Hyunjin and Changbin. "I enlisted right after I graduated high school to get my military service over with. I ended up liking it so much that I stayed for two more years. When I finally enrolled in university, I was so much older than everyone in my classes that I just never mentioned how old I was. I met Y/n our senior year during our internship so I never said anything. She didn't know that I was older until we got our official IDs with our birth year on them."

"And he's so much older," You crack a smile.

"Stop that, I'm only 3 years older than you."

"Whatever," You wave him off as you turn back to the two younger men. "Besides, we're really like family. His parents treat us like siblings."

"Plus I have a girlfriend."

"And he has a girlfri..." Your voice falters in the middle of your sentence as you think about it for a moment. You turn to Wonseok and blink for a moment as you try to process what's happening. "You got a girlfriend? You actually got a woman to talk to you? Romantically? Who is it? Do I know her?"

His lips form a line so tight that the skin around them turns white while he tries to think. You flip part of the bucket hat up so you can see his have better. He's looking down at a blade of grass, contemplating something before he meets your eyes. "Frankie,"

"My Frankie?"

"Well, technically our Frankie but yeah." He sheepishly scratches the back of his neck.

"Oh," Your heart rapidly sinks to the bottom of your stomach.

You physically bite your tongue to prevent yourself from asking a million questions. Knowing that your best friends are dating behind your back hurts. Especially when there's an unspoken agreement against keeping secrets. So why did…

"I'm going to throw this all away and then we can explore a bit more." You get up quickly and take everyone's now empty water bottle.

If you stay where you are and continue to let your mind wander any further, you're going to either say something rude to Wonseok or burst into tears. You're happy that your friends found happy relationships. But they kept it from you and the idea of that doesn't feel good in your head or your heart.

"Noona--"

Wonseok puts his arm out, preventing Changbin from going after you. You're out of ear range as you walk quickly to the trashcan. Wonseok turns to both younger men and shares a small smile. "I get it but if you try to comfort Y/n when she's upset, it's going to become a bigger issue. Trust me, she hate when people see her upset or cry. Just let her have a moment and then she'll be okay."

—

Buy me a coffee?

—

TAG LIST (closed)

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[i-am-a-lost-mystery]

Happy (and Confident)! Shinsou Headcanons

Post War Arc/Adult Pro Hero Shinsou

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Happy!Shinsou, is that he loves Halloween. He's been seen as scary his whole life, and Halloween is the one time of the year where it's encouraged to be scary. He finds it actually relieving and comfortable to show off his little bit of scariness in a way that's fun, safe and comfortable for him and his friends.

Happy!Shinsou, who's still very competitive towards his class but knows when to reel it back. He loves a good challenge and sees everything as an opportunity.

Happy! Shinsou discovers his Quirk and Support Gear can be used for fun instead of purely hero work. I can imagine Kaminari or Monoma encouraging him to let loose and have a bit of fun with his skills. Like setting up harmless pranks, which actually helps him be more creative in a fight and in training. April Fools' and Halloween are his favourite times of the year.

He's not a completely different person when he's in a happy mood, but the entire class is like, "Who are you and what have you done with Shinsou? Go back to being broody." Subtle things allude to him being relaxed, like a smile, relaxed eyebrows, better posture, and more open body language.

After he's moved into Class 2a, he's officially known as the 'Blunt Voice of Reason' of the class. Get it??? Because he uses his voice to activate his Quirk, and he's brutally honest and blunt.

Like, he motivates people by being blunt and straightforward (maybe he'll give someone one of his 'intense speeches' to motivate someone), but he connects to people on an emotional level. Unlike Aizawa, who motivates people intellectually and professionally, he gets on someone's personal and emotional level. Like, he's so good at reading people AND giving advice. He's surprisingly good at communication due to the elements of his Quirk. And he'll remember what someone says. He likes prying into someone's mindset, though in his own reserved and introverted way.

While everyone can agree that Shinsou works himself to the bone when it comes to training and improving, he knows his limits and knows when to break. When he's stressed, he'll actually practice a lot of mindful exercises to keep himself in the present. Like he has an interest in drawing, cycling, listening to music, and even talking to someone can help him out of a bad mood.

Happy!Shinsou, who is pretty knowledgeable about mental health. He just knows so many mindful techniques and grounding techniques to keep him calm and levelheaded. To add to this, Shinsou loves learning about psychology. It's very knowledgeable for his Quirk since it relates to the brain.

Happy!Shinsou, who somehow becomes a personal therapist of sorts. Unlike class 1a, he doesn't have as much emotional, physical or mental trauma. I'm sure he's also dealing with his own feelings regarding the war and getting attacked by the sludge villain, but other than that, he still hasn't experienced much. I genuinely believe he isn't as emotionally repressed or overly traumatised as the others in his class. He can give advice from an outsider's perspective, which can help.

In secret, Happy!Shinsou will fawn over any type of baby animal. Especially if it's a kitten. Like, he has silent cuteness overload.

Happy!Shinsou definitely carries a quiet and unassuming confidence about him now. During his final year at U.A., and when he's a fully fledged pro-hero, he no longer feels like the insecure boy who felt like a villain due to his Quirk or feels left behind. He has a steady and assured grasp of who he is and his abilities as a hero.

[starflungwaddledee]

I couldn't help but notice you color your line art sometimes. Do you have any tips on colored line art?

hiii there! thank you for asking!!

just a heads up that i'm notoriously bad at "teaching", and i'm assuming an amount of general knowledge of art programs + layer modes!

i actually don't often "colour" my lineart, at least not in the way a lot of other folks do! i'm used to working as streamlined as possible and developed quick-fire workarounds for most steps during my time in webcomics!

i also have multiple lineart styles! a more textured one with thin lines which i typically use for more polished pieces, and a soft-brush sketch style (inspired by my pal @moonverc3x's lovely lines) that i generally use for less detailed works, though i sometimes get carried away 😅💦

my textured lines don't lend themselves well to those nice and thoughtful coloured lines most folks do. but here's a quick breakdown of my techniques using the soft-brush style!

lines and flats 1) make lineart + flat colour it. my lines are never at 100% opacity, so already some of the colour shows through them anyway! 2) set the lines to multiply mode. because my lines are typically in a colour and not black, this usually works well enough for me, as you can see in the second image! i frequently just call it done here!

hand coloured lines a) if i do want to take the time to colour the lines individually- often things like metals, especially warm golds, require this added detail to really help them pop- i'd just lock the layer opacity and pick a colour that suited and apply where needed. this is fairly standard! b) a second version of the same technique, with higher contrast/more saturation to suit my tastes and a little extra finessing (especially around the eyes). this is very much a "to taste and time/energy" thing! sometimes at this stage i'll add high contrast slaps of colour such as bright purple or blue

my overlay-lines technique a) the second technique that i use is actually very fast and usually gives an okay-enough look. it's what i use for high-speed professional webcomic work (with my textured lines) to give the illusion of individually coloured lines for basically zero effort. so starting with the base lines set to multiply, as seen in (2), then, b) duplicate both the lines and the colours (with shading, if you have it). clip the colours to the duplicated lineart layer, ostensibly "colouring" the copied lines the exact same colour as the colours. set this duplicated layer to overlay, and adjust opacity as needed

you can kinda see that the overlay lines method is not as specific in colour as the hand-picked ones above, and it will suffer from overlap based on where your flats come to underneath the lines. but i find it helps especially when you have high contrast light colours in the work (ie starstruck's face mask) as the lighter colours brighten up the linework in those places significantly.

for highly polished works i would come back and still pick out areas to finesse individually. there's ultimately no quick substitute for spending more time on your work!

there's about a thousand and one other combinations of these effects you can do, such as using the duplicated lines on multiply instead, or further painting over the top, etc etc. but duplicating the colour layer and clipping it to the lineart is one of the techniques i developed that sped up my work process most significantly over the years!

[coldbrewghoul]

Finding Your Style

or what to do when you reach a point where you don't love your art

TL;DR: Study the basics, study different art styles, experiment with technique/mediums, don't prioritize consistency over growth!

How One Creates a Unique Style

Whether we realize it or not the style we draw in is usually a combination of styles from artists we admire. There can be a lot of pressure online to be Unique and a lot of misunderstanding about what counts as plagiarism. The truth is, everyone’s style was influenced by other artist(s) and accepting that allows you to be active in your style's development and mix your inspirations together to create Your Unique Style.

When One Used to Like Their Art, but Now... Not So Much

This usually happens when you reach a "Growth Plateau." Especially if you do art professionally there's a lot of pressure to be consistent which can prevent you from trying new things or updating your style. Boxing yourself in and not allowing yourself to keep developing new art techniques can actually lead to art block or feeling like art has become a chore.

Additionally, our "artistic eye" and our art abilities do not always grow at the same pace. This means you may look at your art and see errors or not like the style, but don't have the knowledge to change it.

Let's Get Started!

Both creative issues can be fixed the same way!

Go Back To The Basics:

While most basic art exercises can be a bit boring, it's really important to have a good foundation for your art to grow from. Even if your art style is rubber hose cartoons, don't ignore studying realism or the basics! Knowing how something is rendered realistically helps make sure your cartoon art style doesn't enter Uncanny Valley territory. And if you already have that foundation, it's still a good idea to refresh and see if there's any room for improvement.

For anatomy try gestures, figure drawing, or body part studies - there's a lot of great YouTube videos. You can also do line and shading exercises, studying different light types and sources - I usually use Pinterest tutorials to practice with.

Do “Recreation Exercises”:

Find a style you like and try to recreate it as accurately as possible. These practices aren’t meant to be shared or claimed as one’s own - it's for private learning purposes only. While there may be some controversy about this learning method on the internet, this is a very normal and common exercise done in art school. Usually it's done with art by the "Old Masters" but if you want to practice something more modern guilt-free you can find an artist that posts tutorials on how to draw in their style.

Afterwards, try mixing and matching what you practiced recreating into a new style. For example, the nose from one artist, the eyes or proportions from another. The more you make each element of your art inspired by a different artist the less derivative of one artist's work it will be. Keep mixing it up, adjusting to your liking, until eventually you have your own Unique Style that you're comfortable with.

If you already have a style and you just want to grow it further, doing this exercise should allow you to see what about your own style you're unhappy with and adjust.

Try Different Techniques or Mediums:

If you're a predominantly digital artist this can either mean breaking out the sketchbook with some good ole graphite, finding a painting tutorial, or even just testing out different brush sets. Basically, whatever it is your comfortable doing while creating art do something different. Instead of clean lines, try messy sketch lines. Instead of cell shading, try soft shading or crosshatching. Play with proportions! Anime, realism, cartoons, and comic book styles all teach different proportions for bodies and faces so have fun changing up whatever proportions you're used to using. Get out of your comfort zone and try new stuff!

The main way to develop your art style or get over a growth plateau is to take risks and adjust your style until you find something satisfying.

If you do art professionally or publicly it can be easy to get stuck in doing art the same way every time, prioritizing consistency over growth. Even if you don't change how you do your commissions because you're worried about it affecting your business you can still explore your personal art. Even if you have a queue of commissions it's very important in preventing art block to do art for yourself as well, both for your artistic growth and mental state.

[iinryer]

i am genuinely curious about muay thai if you want to talk about it? if not disregard this message and i’ll go to google about it lol

[STARTING THIS WITH THE CAVEAT THAT I AM A BOXER AND NOT A MUAY THAI FIGHTER]

i love boxing. i love boxing and i love combat sports. there are SOOO many things to talk about, i will not be able to get into all of it but i can give yall some combat sport basics!

SO. I will try to be succinct, but sorry in advance:

—not even touching on weapon arts types, there are three primary fighting styles of combat sports: STRIKING, GRAPPLING, and HYBRID

things like boxing (my wheelhouse) are striking combat! you can get a little locked up sometimes but you can’t actually intentionally grapple your opponent, and the ref will split you up to reset if it gets too tangled up.

things like wrestling and bjj (brazilian jiu jitsu) are grappling combat! you’re trying to pin your opponent or put them into submission via cinching and grappling, sometimes throws and knock downs, but there’s no striking allowed

things like aikido and combat jiu jitsu are hybrids! they use a combination of striking AND grappling techniques to varying degrees. MMA is the main hybrid combat sport, but i don’t think of it as a “style” on its own, by virtue of it being a combination of tons of other ones haha

—the next element is: what parts of your body you’re allowed to use and what parts of your opponent’s body you’re allowed to target. grappling sports are going to be a lot more full-body compatible, while striking styles can vary! punches only vs punches and kicks etc.

so, for example: boxing is limited to punches only and localized to above the waist, head on. whereas bjj is essentially full body to full body

—the last part is whether or not the combat allows groundwork. is this going to be fully upright (boxing) or can the fight continue if someone ends up on the ground (bjj).

—OK SO: MUAY THAI

it is a HYBRID combat sport, so it utilizes both striking and grappling. (it would probably be considered primarily a striking combat sport BUT it is technically a hybrid. most of the grappling comes in from catching your opponents strikes and utilizing that hold against them, as opposed to like, wrestling lol. you’re wearing boxing gloves so you can’t like, grasp anything with your hands, it’s more like arm locks and holds)

it is UPRIGHT, so both fighters will be standing the entire fight, and there is no groundwork or floor-based grappling

it uses MIXED STRIKING, punches as well as strikes with the feet, shins, and knees. lots of blocking is done with the knees and shins actually, which i find very cool

it can look a lot like boxing until the kicks come in to play! hand wraps and gloves look the same, but fighters will go into the ring shoeless and with ankle supports. professional muay thai fights prohibit shoes and shirts. sparring would include shin pads and sometimes head gear, depending on the setting

you CAN strike your opponent pretty much anywhere but the groin, knock your opponent down by getting them off balance (leg sweeps and throws), kick or push them away from you

you CANNOT pick your opponent up to grapple or throw them, grab their clothes or hair, headbutt them, or tackle them

if you’re curious about how it looks, I recommend searching “muay thai sparring” on youtube, it’s more casual than actual fights and you can usually see the fighters moves a little more clearly since they’re not going 100% (and, for fic purposes, that’s more likely what you’re going to be angling towards)

ANYWAYS. that was a lot, i may have forgotten some things but i hope that made sense and was at all helpful and/or interesting lol.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Do you have any tips for ADHD writers, especially for motivation and getting WIPs done?

Outlines don't work for me like 99% of the time, so outside of some worldbuilding/character notes and such, I just pants my way through my stories for the most part.

Tips for Writers with ADHD: How to Stay Motivated and Outline Stories

I actually am a writer with ADHD myself, so I completely understand. I tried my best to give you good insight on how you can write a story with ADHD (also tried to make it sound as professional as possible.)

Writing can be a challenging task for anyone, but for those of us with ADHD, it can feel like an insurmountable mountain to climb. Staying focused, motivated, and organized can be a constant struggle. However, being a writer with ADHD also comes with its own unique set of strengths. In this blog post, I'll help you explore some practical tips and strategies to help ADHD writers stay motivated, outline their stories, and unleash their creative potential.

Living with ADHD means that our minds are constantly buzzing with ideas, making it challenging to stay on track and follow through on our writing goals. However, with the right tools and mindset, we can harness our creative energy and turn it into a powerful force for storytelling. So, let's dive in and discover how we can thrive as ADHD writers.

Disclaimer: Remember that everyone's experience with ADHD is unique, and not all strategies may work for everyone. It's essential to find what works best for you and adapt these tips to fit your individual needs.

Embracing Your ADHD Superpowers

Living with ADHD is often seen as a disadvantage, but it's crucial to reframe our perspective and recognize the unique strengths that come with it. As ADHD writers, we possess a natural ability to think outside the box, make connections others might miss, and generate innovative ideas. Embracing these superpowers can fuel our creativity and make our writing stand out.

One of the most significant strengths of ADHD writers is our hyperfocus. While it may be challenging to concentrate on mundane tasks, when something truly captivates our interest, we can enter a state of hyperfocus where time seems to vanish. Use this to your advantage by creating a writing environment that sparks your curiosity and allows you to immerse yourself in your story.

Another superpower we possess is our ability to think quickly and make connections. Our minds are constantly jumping from one idea to another, which can be overwhelming at times. However, this unique thought process can be a goldmine for storytelling. Use it to your advantage by allowing your thoughts to flow freely during the outlining process. Don't be afraid to explore different angles and possibilities.

Lastly, ADHD writers often have a heightened sense of empathy and emotional intelligence. We are incredibly perceptive when it comes to understanding complex emotions and human behavior. This can be a powerful tool when crafting realistic and relatable characters. Draw on your own experiences and observations to breathe life into your fictional creations.

Cultivating Motivation and Consistency

ADHD writers often struggle with maintaining motivation and consistency in their writing practice. We may start projects with great enthusiasm, only to lose interest or become overwhelmed as time goes on. However, there are several techniques we can employ to cultivate motivation and stay on track.

Set small, achievable goals to create a sense of accomplishment. Break down your writing tasks into manageable chunks, whether it's writing a certain number of words each day or completing a specific scene. Celebrate each milestone, no matter how small, and use it as fuel to keep going.

Create a structured writing routine to establish a sense of consistency. Our ADHD brains thrive on routine and predictability. Designate a specific time and place for writing, and make it a non-negotiable part of your daily life. Over time, your brain will associate this routine with creativity and focus, making it easier to get into the writing mindset.

Find an accountability partner or join a writing group. Sharing your progress with others can provide an extra layer of motivation and support. Whether it's a writing buddy who checks in with you regularly or a critique group that offers feedback, the sense of community can keep you motivated and inspired.

Outlining Strategies for ADHD Writers

ADHD writers often struggle with organizing their thoughts and creating a coherent structure for their stories. However, outlining can be a powerful tool to bring order to the creative chaos and provide a roadmap for your writing journey.

Start with a brainstorming session. Let your ideas flow freely without judgment. Write down every thought, character, and plot point that comes to mind. Don't worry about organizing them just yet - the goal is to capture the essence of your story.

Once you have a wealth of ideas, it's time to categorize and organize them. Create a visual representation of your story using tools like mind maps or index cards. This allows you to see the connections between different elements and identify any gaps or inconsistencies.

Use a flexible outlining approach that suits your ADHD brain. Traditional linear outlines may not work for everyone. Consider using non-linear methods like the "snowflake method" or the "puzzle piece method." These approaches allow you to work on different sections of your story simultaneously, keeping your mind engaged and preventing boredom.

Conclusion

Being a writer with ADHD certainly presents its challenges, but it also brings a unique set of strengths and talents. By embracing our superpowers, cultivating motivation and consistency, and employing effective outlining strategies, we can overcome the obstacles and unleash our full creative potential. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. With perseverance and a little bit of creativity, you can become a successful writer, ADHD and all.

[demigodsanswer]

Hi! So I know you had the part in Variation where you have Piper film a TikTok as promo, and you mention Annabeth having a bunch of followers, and then of course there is the “dream girl” story, but I was wondering what you imagine Percy and Annabeth’s (and also Piper tbh) online presence would be. Are they making “day in the life of a NYCB dancer” videos? Or other stuff of them goofing off? Are fans making edits of Percy and Annabeth? I know this is kinda a silly question, but I was wondering!

Not a silly question at all! Their online lives are actually very central to how I imaging the wider world of the story, but I avoid talking about it too much because 1)I am not ambitious to make actual fake Instagram posts or fake tweets, but I think just describing posts in the story is kind of lame and 2) it risks dating the story too much. But I have so many ideas about online content they would make.

But I do think they do some version of all the things you describe.

One thing they all do are these NYCB Anatomy of a Dance videos. If you've never seen them the real NYCB will post clips (usually about two minutes long) from a ballet, and have the dancer featured explain the ballet, and give some insider trading on it. They're fun little videos, and Annabeth esp. has done a ton of them.

Annabeth also gets featured in a lot of NYCB digital content, as well as any news stories, mini docu-series, etc. because she's a principal and known child prodigy. She's been on CBS Sunday Morning and things like that several times over the course of her career. Percy and Piper have also been featured a bit, but really get featured a lot once they're principals.

There's this cute Sleeping Beauty promo video NYCB did a few years ago, and I like to think something like this got made

More under the cut, this post just got too long

There are fan edits, but they usually tend to just be clips from one ballet stitched together, or excerpts with sparkle filters on it. You'll also see people posting things like "when you think you're pretty talented, but then you remember Annabeth Chase joined NYCB at 16 and danced Sugar Plum at 17." There doesn't tend to be a lot of shipping content. Although, after their relationship goes public and NYCB posts video of the Sleeping Beauty Wedding pas, someone does take part of it and set it to Lana Del Rey's cover of Once Upon a Dream.

There's also a small but occasionally mighty Annabeth hater contingent, so in retaliation, one fan found a video of her dancing as the glasses girl in The Mistake Waltz, clipped together all the choreographed mistakes her character makes, and publishes the video as "Annabeth Chase messing up on stage" just to fuck with the haters. Annabeth get s a good laugh out of it.

Piper's always been pretty good at social media curation. She's got the largest following as well. And she does do a lot of the Allure and Vogue "What a ballerina eats in a day" "a day in the life" "daily routine" kinds of videos. I also think Sadie Kane gets pulled to do a lot of these as well!

Piper also has done a lot of professional photo shoots as well. Prior to her promotion to Principal, a lot of her side gigs involved doing artsy shoots, or modeling leotards and dancewear etc.

Percy has the smallest following, even after he starts dating Annabeth. So he's got a personal social media presence. More candids, more stuff from the day it happened, etc. He's a big reposter though. If you make a video or post a video involving him, he will almost certainly see it, and it will end up on his story for sure.

Annabeth goes from a very small presence despite a large following, to being way more present following her break up. During her break, she uses Instagram to reassure fans that she's still dancing. She posts a lot of clips of her practicing Giselle or teaching clips and technique tips. This is when people start to see her real personality come through for the first time, and her audience starts growing.

She keeps this up, occasionally posting dancing tips, or rehearsal clips. She'll also sometimes do lives or ama's, often with Percy because they are a pair of bonded kittens.

A big shift for her is going on Sadie's podcast in the Spring during TUAP (about a year after her breakup). People really finally see that she's witty and charming and grounded but not self-depreciating. People really start to like her after this. This is also the first time she speaks with any candor about her relationship to Luke and her mental health stuggles. She doesn't name him, nor does she get into anything too detailed, but people pick up on the fact that the relationship was not good. But they also get more information on her and Percy's relationship. Mostly, how in love they are, and their cute little showmance. And people do become a bit obsessed with them.

Soon after Percy and Annabeth move in together, Allure reaches out asking if she wants to do a "What a ballet dancer does on her day off" video.

Annabeth: Allure wants to do a What a ballet dancer does on her day off" video with me. Beckendorf: Are they paying you? Annabeth: Yeah, it would be a few thousand dollars. Piper: A few thousand dollars to email them a picture of Percy? Seems easy enough.

Naturally, this features Percy pretty heavily, and people are really able to see their banter and the way they are together. It's just sweet. People really like them.

Eventually though, Annabeth does create a finsta. She was using her public account's close friends story to share information about her first pregnancy with friends and family, but because of pregnancy brain, she shares something to her public story instead and hard launches her pregnancy.

[insipid-drivel]

Read the horse fact post, with all the things that isn't actually true of horses and stuff and.

Yeah the weight limit is a time.

The most horse riding i have done is Sit on the back of a horse in kindergarten while an adult lead the horse around in a big circle pretty much.

However, my older sister used to do horseback riding, and spesifically like that one fancy sport where you have then jump over things and stuff.

But, she isn't that healthy, i Will be fully honest, she is overweight. And she had to stop because she became too heavy. Which sucks! Because i Know she loves horses and would love to do it again.

Unfortunately, a lot of equestrian sports can be limiting to heavier people depending upon what the sport in question is. It's pretty unusual to see anyone over about 200lbs doing impact-heavy sports on horseback (such as jumping fences) without a horse that's appropriately sized and trained to deal not only with the regular weight of their rider + tack, but also the shocks of jumping/jolting around with ANY kind of heavy weight directly over their spines. Even in professional horse racing (like the Kentucky Derby), the riders of the racehorses (jockeys) are specifically hired based upon how small and lightweight they are, which has negatively impacted how we see horseback riding + big people today in a serious way. Jockeys only need to be small and lightweight for racing because being smaller means the horse has less extra weight to carry while trying to outpace other horses, and since it's professional racing most of us get any knowledge of horse-related stuff from, it's very easy to fall into the trap of self-gatekeeping if you're not a tiny little jockey-sized person when you shouldn't feel that way!

It SUCKS telling someone they're too heavy to Do A Thing or, in some cases (especially if you're in spaces with very limited sizes of horses), too heavy to ride at all, but I would still recommend you and/or your sister look around for teaching ranches with horses or alternative riding techniques for accommodating larger bodies in a way that won't put the horse or rider in danger. Your sister should not have to go on an extreme diet to lose weight in order to have a great time with horses. That is a myth perpetuated by the racing industry.

If your sister and/or yourself would like to try to explore equestrianism in a much more weight-friendly setting, try looking into Carriage Racing. It looks like this:

Carriage racing is an awesome way for people who, due to mobility issues, weight restrictions, or outright disability, want to work with horses, ride, and even compete with a more accommodating setup to traditional saddle-and-bridle riding. It's a throwback to Roman and Egyptian chariot warfare, racing, and sportsmanship, and is still practiced casually and as competitive sports today:

Because the horse is pulling the rider rather than carrying the rider, you're likely to find much more accommodating forms of horsemanship for people with bigger bodies if you forego riding and instead try out something like a carriage setup. Without as much direct weight on their spines, a horse is likely to handle a heavier person much better, and carriage setups also give the option of more than one horse to share in pulling a carriage or cart.

Carriage racing is more commonly viewed as a sport in Britain and the former UK due to Prince Philip championing it during his later years when he wasn't healthy enough to play conventional games of polo or take part in more contact-heavy sports. Carriage racing is also practiced in North America, but it isn't nearly as popularized or discussed as traditional racing like the Kentucky Derby. You're more likely to find carriage racing and teaching schools wherever you can find Amish and Mennonite communities in the US and Canada, but looking into teaching ranches in and around your area may reveal places to go that you never knew were actually there! (Horse people are kind of notorious for sucking at networking outside of facebook and very niche community pages, ngl)

If horses really bring a great benefit to your sister's life and she's struggling to find accommodations so she can ride, let her take a look at single-person carriage riding and see if that's more of an attainable thing for her! "Racing" is the usual term applied to it, but carriage riding can be learned and practiced in very quiet, non-competitive, low-impact settings for fun rather than as a full-on professional sport, and can even be a marketable skill! There's very much a business industry around carriage horses and riders, especially in the wedding industry.

Please know that I am not, and will not, in any way pressure you or your sister to lose weight in order to ride again. There are accommodations out there, and nobody should feel hopeless that they'll never achieve their dream of spending time working with horses if that's what they want to do. What is a problem is how little these alternative and more weight-and-disability-friendly equestrian sports are publicized and shared so disabled and overweight people can feel welcome in equestrian spaces.

Horses and equestrianism is not, and never has, been limited to one particular body type or a person's physical ability. There have ALWAYS been weight- and disability- friendly forms of equestrianism, and horses are increasingly popular in therapeutic settings as therapy animals for helping people suffering from major issues like PTSD find confidence and a sense of comfort and non-judgment. No matter your weight or degree of mobility or ability, you shouldn't feel "too" anything about looking into horses, riding, and equestrianism as an outlet or passion.

[melimpostor]

Hello! first off I just want to say that I love love love your art!!! its so amazing! 💖 So, I’ve been asking this question around online, so I hope you don’t mind! (Please feel free to ignore this ask if you don’t feel like answering!) Anyway, I’ve been drawing for a good while now. It’s always been something that interests me, but, in all the time that I’ve done it, I’ve never once found a style that is unique to me and that I’m good at. So, I was just wondering if you have any tips or advice on how to find your own style? I’ve tried so many though I can’t ever seem to like any of them or actually stick to it. One thing I really have trouble with is proportion. I want my style to be more chibi-esqe, but not completely if you knows what I mean lol. If you have any advice for a fellow artist I’d really like to hear it!! Please share your wisdom :D

Hello and thank you !! I don’t mind at all ! Let’s see…

For finding your art style:

► Define what you want to tell with your art. Not mandatory, but i think it helps. What do you want people to feel when they see your art? Do you want them to feel the emotions of the characters you draw? Or be impressed by the technique? the colors? All of the above?- I think your answer will lean you to something more specific in terms of style. For example, I tend to focus on characters expressions and feelings. So i have a relatively simple artstyle that allows me to focus on facial traits a bit more. (Also... i'm lazy- So i like to tell more with less)

► Observe drawings from artists you love ! Try to analyze what you like so much about it. Is it the lineart? the specific way they draw eyes or any specific part of the body? Is it the colors or the rendering style? And try to reproduce it yourself. Not in a plagiarism kind of way, but more as a study !

► Try, fail and retry again. Once you have analyzed the things you like, try to incorporate it into your own art. It might come off badly sometimes, but you also might create happy accidents ! Both outcomes are good learning. And while I don't think it’s possible to have a style 100% original, it doesn’t mean you can’t create an artstyle that you own and feels as uniquely yours !

► Be patient (trust the process and don’t be too hard on yourself). Defining your artstyle might take years to refine itself. Decades even… With practice and dedication it will come naturally to you !  But as with any discipline you have to be patient, there will be ups and downs and very frustrating moments but you never cease to learn.

For proportions:

► Don’t be shy about using references. There is no such thing as cheating in art (if used properly). It builds your visual library, so help yourself as much as you can ! Professionals use them all the time too.

► I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but…. We can’t really cut anatomy practice- I avoided it for so long myself and I regret it bitterly. So don’t be like me and practice your anatomy ! Even if you aim for a simple or semi-chibi style. The trap is it seems easy to draw , when in reality a lot of chibi artists already master anatomy to a certain degree. It’s much easier to simplify shapes when you know a little more about the structure behind them.

There are a lot of websites to help you, here’s a few ! http://reference.sketchdaily.net/ https://line-of-action.com/  https://www.posemaniacs.com/

My advice is to start slow. Most of those websites have a timer by default, but don’t set a time limit for now and take your time on each pose. Try to breakdown body parts into simple geometrical shapes. It helps grow your visual library and it’ll get easier to draw with better proportions ! 

___

Here you go ! I realize it's very generic sorry - TLDR: don't give up ! If you want anything more specific don't hesitate to ask again, I'll do my best ! Good luck on your art journey ! ♥

[ballet-symphonie]

Hi ballerinaaa! How hard is grand pas classique? it is quite the talk how challenging the variation is.

This variation is tough, easily one of the hardest in the classical repertoire. It's a stamina challenge, not so much in terms of crazy bravada, but in terms of the sheer # of releve's. Your calf muscles are screaming even before the famous diagonal of ballonees. The choreography is also quite exposing for the dancer, with body angles that are hard to keep turned out, and intricate transitions. Stylistically, the variation needs to be confident and crisp, authoritative but charming- not the easiest thing to convey when the choreography is a bit terrifying. Especially with students, you'll often see them walk on with one of two emotions: fear or overly aggressive 'I'm gonna nail this' gusto- both miss the mark for me.

Let's start with the first section, obviously the easiest. I like to watch the depth of the plies out of the pas de chat and into the different releves. The strongest dancers, and the one's with the technique to really shine in this variation, will have their heels firmly, safely pressed into the floor any time they get a chance.

I haven't performed this variation but remember having a master class on this variation with Jurgita Dronina. She stressed the importance of musicality and footwork in the first diagonal. Your arms are trying to sustain your legs, float the attitude and en dedans turns, and really sing the melody. To keep you balanced, she told us to think about our legs and lower body acting as the bass, the accompaniment. Yes, you need to float the balances and coordinate your body but not excessively. Each plie should be measured right on the notes, this becomes easier if your feet are stepping precisely in the rhythm of the piece.

Moving on, the jete's going up the diagonal should have actual height- this is still a jump even though it's the preparation for a developpe. It also should create a feeling of spontaneity, the releve out of the jump should be lightly unexpected. Afterward, one of the most difficult sections is the consecutive turning releve's in attitude into a big battement to the side. It's a fatiguing moment, but the leg should remain at the same height, not a bobbling up and down attitude. Watch also how the leg transitions from attitude, to coupe, to a la seconde.

Now on to the ballonne's that made this variation famous. It's supposed to be done on the croisé line, with the leg crossed to the audience. You may see it done on the effacé line to favor a stronger supporting leg or to make it a bit easier to keep turnout. It's an exhausting step, but also a great way to see how well someone has been trained and how strong their turnout is. When they do the ballonne to the side, they should plie with the leg in a la seconde before going into the turn. What often happens is that dancers will 'cut' the ballonne short and plie with their leg in either sur le cou de pied, or retire passe, before pushing up to turn. Most professional dancers aren't cheating at 45 degrees, but when the legs 90+ for the second set....things can get wacky. Watch for that plie, and the turnout of the supporting leg, as well as the stability of the spine. Here's two examples to consider, specifically comparing the diagonals:

And finally, consecutive tour pique is not terribly difficult on its own but it's somehow so much harder to do (and to finish) at the end of all this, especially for those who are trying to make it really exciting by nearly jumping them and throwing in a double to finish.

[nightingalesandnorco]

Not you also being interested in bone marrow LMAO I read a YA book where the mr evil science guy was doing a bone marrow something something and my 11 year old self fully filed that away for future whump (book was Whisper by Lynette Noni if I remember correctly).

Also shoutout your post has informed me that I cannot, in fact, donate bone marrow. Good to know

One more question for now (sorry! I know you put a lot of work into answering these and it must be very time consuming. Feel free to ignore this in favour of other asks/your actual studying)

So: is there any reason why a patient wouldn't be given general or at least local anaesthesia for a large and/or painful operation? If so, what sort of steps would be taken for the procedure to go safely?

🦾 , who does in fact run a whump account but can't get the accessibility features to start working so am fully stuck on my other blog </3. also as I'm sure you've gathered I'm a complete yapper so sorry about the massively long asks lol

You can yap as much as you like, I don't mind! Writing these actually helps me hone my professional communication skills by putting disease processes and procedures into lay terms as I would for a patient.

As for your question: No, no one is going under the knife with no anesthesia. There are no conditions that absolutely preclude the use of general anesthesia, but there are risky conditions like chronic high blood pressure, a history of malignant hyperthermia (an adverse reaction to general anesthesia characterized by muscle rigidity and an extreme increase in body temperature), or diabetes mellitus. If it's too dangerous for a patient to get general anesthesia, they will probably get local, which is generally safe since it usually doesn't get absorbed systemically. However, if for some reason they can't get a local, they are not considered a surgical candidate and other treatment methods will be tried.

However, sometimes nonsurgical procedures, like needle decompression for a pneumothorax, are done without local anesthesia in a situation in which the patient could die if it isn't done as soon as possible. Although if the situation is that emergent, the patient is likely either unconscious or in such a state of distress that they won't notice a needle in their chest.

But remember, dear 🦾, you are the god of your story. If you want your whumpee to get stuck in the wilderness with an inflamed appendix and only their medically-trained but unequipped friend for company, who's to stop you? In that case, their friend could try getting them to talk or focus on a task to distract them from the pain. Distraction techniques are limited by the setting and the fact that whumpee needs to stay very still, but their friend could have whumpee describe the sights and sounds around them, tell a story, or sing a song from memory. If some sort of ice is available, their friend could wrap that in a jacket or shirt and intermittently apply that around the wound during the surgery (not on the open wound).

Happy whumping!

[pruning-the-minds-garden]

Huh.

I know this is mostly a place where I talk about the recreational/erotic side of hypnosis, but we all know that's not all - in fact that's not the most common thing - you can do with it. A lot of those uses are therapeutic and ought only be done by qualified professionals, however.

Lets just set aside the question of whether I am such a qualified professional or not, because the following scenario and mini-presentation is hypothetical. So, it doesn't really matter whether I am qualified or not because I'm not actually doing anything to/with anyone, just contemplating whether one could theoretically if they wanted. Anyway.

I was listening to a person with Tourette's describe their experience of their condition and thought to myself "wow, that is totally a thought process you could theoretically disrupt with some targeted hypnotherapy to condition them to respond differently in specific scenarios. Interesting. I wonder whether that has been tried." So, I looked into it and it apparently has been tried and has shown quite a bit of success. I might just have to look into those specific training techniques in the future.

[delicatedragonanchor]

Do-it-yourself vs Expert Pressure Washing: What You Required to Know Prior To You Beginning

Introduction

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What is Pressure Washing?

Pressure washing involves utilizing stressful water spray to eliminate dirt, crud, algae, mold and mildew, and other obstinate products from various surfaces. It is actually commonly utilized for:

House Washing: Restoring your home's outdoor by taking out blemishes and also biological growth. Roof Cleaning: Ensuring tiles are actually devoid of moss or even lichen that could possibly snare moisture. Driveway Cleaning: Dealing with oil blemishes and also other particles that interferes with aesthetic appeal. Deck Cleaning: Maintaining timber surfaces by preventing tooth decay triggered by dirt buildup. Concrete Cleaning: Restoring patio areas or even walkways that have actually viewed better days. The Benefits of do it yourself Tension Washing Cost Savings One of the best considerable perks of do-it-yourself pressure washing is expense financial savings. Leasing or purchasing tools can be much cheaper than tapping the services of professionals. Flexibility You specify your routine! Whether it's a warm Sunday or a peaceful Tuesday mid-day, you choose when to clean. Learning Experience Tackling this duty on your own provides an option to find out new skill-sets and know maintenance process better. Control Over Techniques When doing it yourself, you manage every element-- coming from methods worked with to cleaning remedies made use of-- permitting individualized care. Immediate Results There's satisfaction in observing instant end results after putting in hard work; nothing pounds that review after hours of effort! The Downsides of do-it-yourself Stress Washing Potential Damage Improper usage can easily lead to wreck on several surface areas-- lumber can bit, paint can easily remove, and concre

[mickemz01]

Hey. Totally not returning a favor or anything this is definitely for no reason at all yep mhm. Do you want to tell me about photo editing.

Photo editing means a LOT to me because most people don’t realize how much really goes into it. Call me crazy, but I WILL be in my local mall staring at every advertisement poster I come across figuring out the editing techniques used. Are the highlights too high? What about the whites? Have the shadows been raised to provide more detail to the darker parts of the image? Does the subject pop out from the background the way they’re supposed to? Could a masking layer help this in any way? Unfortunately, this is not a words thing, this is a visual thing. 

You did not ask for photo editing advice, but I will serve it to you anyway. 

A lot of these terms and advices are all referenced from my experiences with Adobe Lightroom, since that is the main program I use. 

Highlights + Whites– The most basic things I first learned when it came to photo editing was to always lower the whites and highlights in a photo. By lowering the brightest points in the photo, you get a more professional feel, as all the colors are in closer relation to eachother. And in fact! In movies, there are no parts of any shot that are complete, pure white. They are always dimmed. They are always a dimmer off-white, because that’s how you achieve that cinematic feel to a movie. The same goes for photos! This was just a good rule of thumb for a while me, until recently when I figured out that it really does add a level of professionalism to the entire photo.

Shadows– RAISE THEM! Reasonably, of course. But we want all the information we can get in a photo. It’s really shocking how BIG of a difference it starts making when you have more information in the darker parts of an image, how much it really brings the photo together.

Blacks– For more professional, contrasty photos, I usually leave this alone. But if you want to achieve a more film-like look, raise them slightly! Just keep in mind that the higher you raise them, the more flat your image may end up looking (If you play around with it, you’ll see what I’m getting at with that).

Masking– One of my favorite tools so far that I’ve discovered.  Again, this mostly pertains for Adobe Lightroom. I use this for a large percentage of my photos. One thing that’s super super important is making sure your subjects stand out from their background. I don’t own a light reflector, so one of the ways I do this is by creating a subject mask (often for portraits), and in that mask, turning the subject’s shadows up, lighting them properly. Of course, an actual light reflector would absolutely work better for lighting the subject rather than a digitally processed way, but if you’re lucky with lighting outdoors, you shouldn’t be able to tell that it’s done in post.  In some really strong cases, I’ll create a background mask to turn the exposure down on what is NOT the subject, so we can assure that that is still what our main focus is. 

Saturation + vibrancy– I rarely ever touch these settings. They tend to adjust all the colors in an image, when my main point of editing is to bring out certain colors, and not other. Hell YES I want my subject’s shirt brought out against the blues of the sky. I also want some of the sky brought out! But not entirely. These settings will bring out the color of the shirt plus the blues of the sky, plus the reds in the subject’s skin that make them look like they really need some medical attention. I never really touch these settings. They do too much for what I want . 

Curves– I’ve heard this described as “the most powerful tool” you can use in photo editing, but it took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to get the hang of how to use curves properly.  What I learned is that the curves chart is always divided into three sections: the shadows, midtones, and highlights. And there are four charts, one for gamma (general brightness), red/greens, green/purples, and blue/yellows. Curves are FANTASTIC for when there is an overarching single color in a photo. Is your photo too blue because you were shooting in the morning shadows? Adjust the curves chart (probably around the center, or the midtones area for general color-correction coverage) towards the yellows. Because of color theory, they obviously counteract eachother. If it’s mostly the shadows that look a little too blue, you can adjust the curves chart in the shadows portion to bring the shadows back to matching the rest of the image. I did not master the curves charts by fiddling around with them myself, I had to be shown how to use them, but they sure have benefited me for the better

Are you a beginner without the money for fancy programs like Lightroom? I got you. Lightroom Mobile IS INFACT FREE! But that’s not what I started off with. I did a lot of my editing on mobile for the longest time. I used Snapseed, a free mobile app for photo editing. The organization is… questionable. It really takes a lot of time to learn how to get around the app, and learn what all the options do. But like I said, organization of things within that app? Questionable. But even then I got compliments from professional photographers on my photos taken and edited with nothing but my phone. Crazy to me 2 years later, but. Anyways! Snapseed does give you more options for specific editing styles than Lightroom does, so there’s that! 

Thank you again for the ask, photo editing is something that brings me so much joy every time I have the opportunity to do it <3