#also for practice ive been struggling w art..

[saewokhrisz]

redrew two of my fav sprites

[raindrvq]

heyyy bully fandom 😋 obsessed w this game its bringing me outta my art block so yay

love jimmy he just like me fr ☝️

[quinnonimp]

do you have any rendering tips/advice or any speed paints I could watch? I really love your rendering and im doing my best to practice mine since it's one of my weak points

thnankyu 🥺 well it truly does depend on what style im using ! plus im quite bad at explaining my process & i dont like doing timelapses lmao im sorry, but if u struggle w specifically painting a lot then id totes recommend messing w gradients then blending w them or layering them w a low opacity pen and color picker . ive only done this method a few times since i prefer my other ones BUT, nonetheless, it seems good for ppl who havent gotten used to rendering !

i dont know what rendering style of mine ur referring to in specific, im gonna assume u like the type i do on mspaint/aggie w the flat brushes ? well for that my best friends are always "making the canvas way bigger than im used to in comparison to csp" and the default mspaint color pallet . i end up barely using the color wheel since i basically blend them together by stacking colors on top each other to get the specific one i want . for more complex art on mspaint i tend to save some colors by dotting them on the drafts canvas & it ends up looking a real life pallet haha, but usually its not as many as the example here

speaking of this drawing though ! i also like to make little checkpoints for whenever im gonna do smth im a little unsure of will work, so i have some process pics of it

i also have this unfinished rodya

u can certainly notice the way i dont only stick to the marker, but the default (finer details/scratches) and calligraphy (blocking out colors without opacity) aswell !

however, alternatively, if ur referring to the style of my most recent posts theeen well . for that its much more of a manual process where i dont even use opacity 90% of the time to help choose colors

once ive done the base, i just start off w 2 colors for the shading (one is lighter w more saturation, the other is darker), then add a 3rd more contrasting one to the tone of the colors (warmer art gets a colder third shading color, vice verse), then a 4th thats usually a color borrowed from elsewhere on the piece (i love recycling colors a ton, & do it extremely often w my painted aliased art, but with this more recent art ive been kinda lazy abt it), then a 5th thats the base color but slightly more vibrant just to make it all pop better from a distance (in general, seeing ur art from a distance & keeping that distance in mind can be v helpful to combat perfectionism, especially for painting (this specific artstyle isnt painted BUT it is aliased so its basically just as important . okay anyway))

you can also see how often i add little lines to """blend""" them together (its like they r holding hands kinda ....) . what i love to do w these lines usually (especially in a painted piece that uses anti-aliasing instead since i have better personal free range w colors) is make them a 2.5th color thats between the brightness & saturation of the 2 first ones, since it gives the shading more depth . but uhm this drawing was quite honestly a pretty lazy one, so i did not do that for this, bc i was tired ! therefore the more limited colors lol sorry dante

hope this was of any help !

[sie-the-doe]

Holy fuck. Im having a realization and I think Im so fucking smart rn for figuring this out. Despite this just being what Ive been told my whole life, just set to the left, I feel amazing.

Anyway when creative types say 'practice every day to get good', I think it should include more than practicing just the medium you want to get good at(at least in my case). You also have to practice *creativity* every day. even in little things. and this is something Im finding out now after a long abusive relationship with someone who made me struggle *incredibly* with even just having any time for imagination or creativity much at all!

So because of that, I didnt get much time to work my creativity muscles out!!! and as a result, even now where im trying really hard to rebuild that muscle, ITS FUCKIN DIFFICULT Y'ALL!!! Im used to physical training, having been an ice hockey goalie for almost 24 years now, and let me tell you. Relearning to let my brain make more than just pre-prescribed multiple choice question creative decisions is one of the hardest types of training Ive ever done.

BUT IM GETTING THERE!!! im DRAWING more! Im PAINTING more!!! And Im even MAKING MUSIC again after a fucking decade this is insane!!!

But It does!!! take practice every day!!!! The days after I dont do *something* creative (entertaining, creating art, even just singing) I find it *so* hard to get going again. Just like physical exercise hehe! But we've fucking got this!!!!

Im happier than Ive ever been since Ive been building this habit, and I never wanna stop creating again >w<

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

hi, im a mutual of yours who is too shy/on&off tumblr to interact, but i do look up to you; and your blog and way of seeing things helped me in the past when i was struggling quite a bit.

Lately I feel as if im lost in life, lost my passions and floating aimlessly without a real goal, detached from the future etc. Do you have any advice? I appreciate ur view on things, hope this isnt overstepping 🌦🌈

hi its ok no pressure too interact w me ona personal level just cus were mutuals i enjoy the ambient bonds that can form on this website its why i stay ^^ and no it's not overstepping at a;ll sorry it took me a lil while to respond i was trying to think of good advice since i often feel lost too---

well firs t n foremost to give credit where credit is due, this bjork reddit AMA response really gets to the bottom of it , ever since i first read this here on tumbr a few years ago it really rly stuck w me:

the way this answer helped me is like, it helped me realize i dont need to be so regimented i dont need to put all this pressure on myself to create..All that does is feed into self inflicted guilt when i cant live up to my own expectations u.u you see for my whole life i've never been able to plan anything. yes i can think about the next steps i want to take, i can assemble a plan, i can see the logical way forward, but my moods. or like, idek. how to explain..

i cant force anything. if im not feeling it, i cant force it. ive STRUGGLED w this like i dont wanna be this way. because my feelings i cant predict. like for example i worked on music all winter because thats what i was feeling. then suddenly in march i just like, wasnt feeling it all of a sudden. As soon as it hit me i was like Fy767*T&UG*** because i didnt know when it was gonna come back. i still dont know!! im just trying to be patient waiting it out..in the mean time i have suddenly become enthused with drawing again after not ~feeling~ drawing for most of 2023. sometimes i go for weeks where i dont take a single photo and then suddenly it starts flowing again.. my website was also left untouched for most of 2023 until recently.

thats just one example of this repeating pattern in my life that i didnt understand for so long. theres years of my 20s where i couldnt feel passion for anything at all, looking back now i believe those times i was meant to be focusing on stuff in my psyche that needed healing to clear out some headspace for art. and this bjork quote put a lot into perspective it showed me how to reformulate my thinking to be more accomodating to my disposition. when i'm patient & kind w myself, take each day as it comes, let go of the imaginary pressure, let go of "the future", stuff starts to come thru easier.

and maube its gonna show up in ways you dont expect but its true that the mundane world offers so many ways to practice being creative & giving u stuff to weave into the art u want to create.. every water fall starts w a single drop its trueits true :] thats my advice i spose i really didnt meant to write this much but im boooored.. actually my nighttime boredom writing is one of those habits i never considered to b creative until very recently. there's so many small & automatic things we do that can lead to a meaningful life & purpose.

thanks for the question anon i hope this helps in some way , this is whats helped me but everyone's process is different. and i still have moments where im like WTFFF is happening but its easier to ride it out now. i wish the same for you just give it time <3 thanks again xPmd9

[adventurously-awkward]

here they are..... i loved drawing them again :') more under the cut because WOW long post

[azusaluvclub]

Hii, hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you have any jimmy bae head cannons? Thanks!

weak hero headcanons; jimmy bae

hi hi !! i do have some jimmy headcanons lined up for you :))) theyre pretty general, but i hope you enjoy !!!! and if theres anybody else you (or whoever else is reading) wants to see, lmk !!

⋆ is a suprisingly good dancer !! never took classes because his family couldn't rlly afford it, and now he doesn't have the time to commit to it, so p much everything he learned was from watching tutorials + kpop dance practices on youtube lolll :,)) he has fun w it tho !!

⋆ has a low tolerance for spicy food ;; tries to fake like he can handle it, but it's SO obvious in the way his face reddens and his nose starts running that he can't :,))) (that's how u know the food is good tbh-)

⋆ based on the fact he's a karaoke enthusiast, i 100% believe he's also a talented singer :DDD (idol material atp-) his voice is suprisingly,,, gentle, compared to how he acts ?? it's full, a little raspy from all the smoking, but overall really nice to listen to. jack keeps insisting that he should become a trainee or something and put his talents to use, but he's not so sure-

⋆ dealt w pretty bad acne in middle school;; its improved over time, and he actually does make an effort w skincare, but he still gets flare-ups here and there that he finds super annoying-

⋆ not a big fan of tv (other than the late night sketch comedys or dramas he watches w/ his granny), but he LOVES a good action film- was def into superhero comics and cartoons as a kid (still is, hes just more casual about it loll) so some of that still carries over into his current interests :))) makes it a point to drag jack w/ him to whatever action movie is currently playing, and spend the whole ride home talking about it~

⋆ speaking of,, i feel like he was the one who initially suggested getting their (bc yes it is a shared thing-) motorcycle, but jack is the one who's most invested in it (mainly because i think he would have a strong interest in bikes and cars and the like) :)) bc granny bae keeps getting on jimmy's ass about them driving it without a license, the two have been hitting the books to get theirs- they say they're doing it together, but are secretly trying to beat each other to getting one :,))))

⋆ struggles w bouts of anxiety, i feel like ?? for all his arrogance, he seems to battle w/ his confidence in himself and his position in the union (imo likely a big part of why he's got an ego, bc he's looked down on enough as is and is trying to compensate somehow- </33). a lot of his worries revolve around that, but he finds himself getting hung up over plenty of other things. doesn't usually confide in jack about this, 'cause he thinks it's dumb and irrational; but they've known each other long enough to pick up on one anothers tells, and so jack makes it a point to remind jimmy that he believes in him, even without actually saying it~ (cause what else are bffs for ???)

⋆ actually a decent student — when he applies himself lol :,)) his best subject is probably smth like phys ed, though i feel like he might be also be good at history ??? not like he actually gives a shit, i just feel like it'd be easier for him compared to other classes. worst is art ,, if that self-portrait says anything---

⋆ is trying to make it a habit to workout + take it more seriously, esp since his fight w/ doyoon. not that he didn't before, but it's given him an even stronger sense of determination to not lose again, however he has to achieve that- tries to visit the gym regularly, or do simple workout routines at home (probably has some basic dumbells and other fitness shit, fuckin' NERDDDD)

⋆ when he's passionate about something, tho, it really shows !! and it benefits him most of the time, when he puts that drive towards the right things :,)))

and thats all ive got !! lol

[ponkekingdom]

okay i have no fucking clue if this was already sent bc my browser typing this but 🧍‍♂️ ive been practicing drawing dave in the tse graphic novel style recently and i wanted to know if it was okay to use ur drawings as references! (not bases just like if im struggling w/ his hair i'd look at some of ur art to get an idea of what it looks like) also i kinda wantd ur opinion on some of my art bc as a young(ish) artist it'd be nice to get some feedback‼️‼️

AYYY! I like this very much especially how you lined half-naked Dave. Those features have been accentuated 🤌💕 and yes I have no problem with people using my art as reference :)

(I dont really know how to explain or give advice as much since i overcomplicated sentences but I'll try and make this as simple as possible) Some art tips I have at the moment are that by sketching out the base of a torso or head or arms by using simple shapes (like circles, squares and triangles and such) is helpful if you want to create a more dynamic and fuller poses!

Example:

(Creating a base sketch with simple shapes before creating those lines to communicate what you want people to see)

I've also been getting into the whole 'squash and stretch' with facial features as well. Just to give the faces I draw just a bit more character.

ALSO also, I recommend that you look at photographic reference to get an idea of what muscles and body parts are like in different poses. Since..well muscles flex and skin turns and stretches and yada yada...

I hope my advice was helpful and thank you for showing me your art 🥺💕💕

[c-kiddo]

so i absolutely love! your firbolg designs! so im wondering, if you wanted to make a goat firbolg as opposed to a cow firbolg how would you draw them differently? i have a goat firbolg character ive been really struggling to draw and i consider you a Bolg Expert (sincerely)

;w; oh thankyou!! actually my firbolg version of my oc sawdust and also my design of caduceus are based on goats. my design of like cornelius or pumat sol are more cow based. . i want to redraw it but i have an unfinished very old art practicing differences in drawing firbolgs (like of pumat sol, nila and some of the clays),, and like,, more giantkin mountain firbolgs being more cow or yak or mountain goat like, whereas th ones in the dense forests are more goat or deer faced and slighter builds :''-3

[borom1r]

💕 ✨💎💢🎥🏳‍🌈 + Saw (all the Saw movies you enjoy if you want)

I’ll just do th franchise as a whole instead of individually shfhdh

✨ what draws you towards your hyperfixation? what is interesting about it?

ITS COMPLEX and not in like a “oooo jigsaw is RIGHT” way but a Everyone Kind Of Fucking Sucks, At Least A Little way and a Nobody Is Morally Superior way. I like seeing fucked up little bastards go thru hell and then when I like them a lot but they died I like pretending that Didn’t happen and making them kiss other fucked up little bastards like I’m playing with the world’s worst barbies

🎥 do you have any favorite scenes from your hyperfixation?

yeeee i LOVE!!!!!!! LOVE when Eric is chasing Amanda thru the tunnels im sorry that’s so sexy. same when he’s beating John to death in 2. there’s nothing morally wrong with violence against serial torturers in fact he deserves sloppy for it. (half joking)

um for a serious answer tho: obvs the end of 1 where your forehead is pressed against mine. also when u lock Hoffman up in 3D. mmmmnn the scene in 2 where we see Eric thru the cage and he’s struggling w/ himself, and when earlier he calls Daniel. any time in IV where Art grabs his waist to explain things. the water cube scene just for the imagery

💕 tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

HI I FEEL LIKE U HAVE ALL HEARD ME SAY THESE THINGS ALREADY but it’s been a lil too long since I just talked abt Lawrence..

Lar makes me insane he is so layered and everyone who is upset about him becoming a jigsaw disciple makes me. rhrhfudufhdhf WHAT. that man was fully intending on just sitting in the dark doing nothing until Adam woke up if u take away his structure he crumbles and guess what John did! ripped it away and said “look, I have a newer, shinier, Better structure” so OFC Lawrence was like. Yes Please! ofc he was. he is a sad little man he is the prettiest dilf in the whole world i want to pick him up and shake him like a ragdoll. he contains MULTITUDES and some of those multitudes are just being a weird fucking gremlin during group therapy. I love him for it.

🏳‍🌈 do you have any headcanons (lgbt, race, neuro, etc) that are important to you?

YES I HAVE. A LOT. i will just link th post lol: here!

💎 are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

HMMM. YEA where do i. even START.

1) the original RBT in SAW 0.5 was fully functional and made of metal. as in it probably could’ve killed someone; the one Shawnee wears was also fully functional in that it opens and legitimately could explode a styrofoam head, but was much lighter and much much safer

2) Cary got stuck in his shackle one day. props used the wrong pin and couldn’t get it back open skfjdh

3) the needles in the needle pit? about 50% real, 50% CG. needles removed obviously, and filled with ranch dressing I believe

4) almost every character in the nerve gas house can be seen in/around Jill’s clinic at some point in one of the other films. I BELIEVE it’s only Daniel + Laura who don’t cameo, but I’m not 100% sure

5) about 75% of the time we see Eric in IV, it’s not actually Donnie. very funny to listen to the director’s commentary while Darren points out each time it’s Not Donnie— they only got him on set for a day

6) additionally, the rat scene wasn’t part of the script, that was just Donnie fucking around + Darren liked it so much he kept it

7) the majority of the traps in IV were fully functional! the mausoleum trap was legit, the ice blocks were real, the scalping seat was real and was intended to be entirely practical but they couldn’t get the scalp application to look right so THAT had to be CG (the chair was still real!), the motel room trap was real! fucked up!

8) very little of the SFX in V was digital. specifically the ones you’d expect— Charles’ corpse was a practical effect, as was Mallick’s arm! it was a fully articulated prosthesis!

9) they didn’t use stunt doubles or CG for the water cube, that was ALL Scott Patterson in a metal box with a team of effects people on standby. the front + back panels were hinged, so they’d roll until he gave the signal + said team would rush in, release both panels and drain the water. I think one of my fav bts pics ever is of Scott with a snorkel so they could fill the cube back up before rolling lol

10) 3D was supposed to be 2 movies but bc V sucked nobody saw VI, it tanked too and Lionsgate said fuck this shit + smashed it into one movie. which is why it feels like such a clusterfuck. somewhere out there is a Lionsgate exec who I plan on personally breaking their kneecaps for this. we got stuck with Jigsaw and Spiral because of that asshole and they WILL pay.

💢 what do you NOT like about your hyperfixation? is there something you would want to change about it?

i do not like the fandom. don’t get me wrong I have a lot of complaints abt the series as a whole particularly how it treats women and I think in general it is not nearly as good past the first two as people give it credit for. 3 is a horrible movie imho but god forbid you dislike it/prefer anything after it. but overall I think it’s a franchise you cannot take seriously bc if you do it’s like beating your head against a brick wall. I love it so much but it’s quite literally Not That Deep. it is the same level as John’s cult bullshit it sounds complex but really it’s like. Ok Grandpa Let’s Get You To Bed :)

anyways i don’t think I have any followers here who didn’t also follow my old blog so i feel comfortable saying Yea, I remade bc of ppl in the saw fandom w/ zero comprehension of fiction vs reality and god I don’t mean that in a proship way I mean that in a “just because I like a fictional rancid man doesn’t mean I base my entire morality around excusing his actions.” no I’m not openly critical of my interests bc it’s exhausting and I come here to be a mentally ill faggot on main not write essays defining why he’s Horrible, Actually. tiresome.

anyways saw becoming popular was a mistake

[matoitech]

1, 5, and 20 for the art asks!!! :]

how would you describe your style

recently i think i said smth like 'obviously a furry artist' and that was true tbh. I DONT KNOW THO.. if other ppl have ideas hit me up gbhf. i take a lot of dif inspiration from a lot of dif sources so im curious how that translates

5. least favorite thing to draw

hmm. i struggle a lot doing like full pieces like paying attention to composition and doing shading n stuff.. thats Hard its a once in a blue moon kind of thing for me. i dont Dislike them i just dont want to draw them 95% of the time. i probably just have to practice more.

also, ref sheets and i know this bcuz i have been recently doing those for art fight. ITS NOT THAT I HATE THEM... I LOVE THE END RESULT ITS JUST. A PAIN. i used to rly enjoy doing ref sheets id draw them all the time for fun idk how. tho tbh in some ways drawing them traditionally WAS easier, more used to holding a pen that way ig yknow

20. a piece from this year that you’re really proud of

a lot of my promare stuff!! i rly like those oc refs i did the other day too, they were hard so im happy w how they turned out. my galo fr dragon, thats probably one of the most finished things ive drawn for myself this year. anything else is prob commissions! ive done some rly cool ones this year

[sixloid]

Hey, quick question... how do you do lineart and shading? I suck and desperately need advice... also love ur art <3

hi!! ty so much :] i use 2 drawing apps when i draw dont ask me why ig i like different brushes but for my sketches i draw on ibis paint most of the time and use This brush right here

for my lineart i often use procreate and use the narinder brush in the sketching section (and also doodle with it) bc it looks rlly nice and ive been drawing with it for a while now surprisingly bc i always tend to change brushes 😭

for lines i turn the layer to multiply then add a layer on top and set that one to clipping mask then i color the lines inside w a shade of pink and bc the lineart layer is set as multiply the pink will look darker idk if this makes sense?? i do that for all my lineart so yea WOW I SAID LINEART AND LAYER A LOT i May be stupid

ALSO for lineart dont hesitate with ur lines, its gonna make everything harder and ur gonna struggle and spend way more time on it instead just warm up beforehand a good way to do so would be to just trace lines until you get more comfy and also draw using the force in ur wrist and not ur arm!! i rlly love doing lineart now it may be my one of my fav parts i am an Outcast

for shading it just came with experience i guess…? i was rlly bad at shading at first So a few tips i learned along the way was to never shade w black bc it doesnt look nice (except if ur goign for that kind of aesthetic where it works) so i always shade w purple or pink colors set on multiply and it blends nicely,, also!! trying out a lot of things can help id suggest making a pinterest board or smth with art U like/are inspired by and try out some of the aspects just to practice things u wanna get better at and it can also help ‘develop’ ur artstyle!!

also for clothing folds and stuff Which was hell to shade for me i just studied w a lot of pics and now i Think im better at it idk help but studying always helps a lot in everything like when i dont know how to draw smth i Always use a reference pic and its a very good warmup!! also try to keep in mind a light source bc otherwise the shadows may contradict themselves but thats still fine as long as ur learning And there is no right way to do art dont overwork urself if you cant do something first try its fine art is a journey :)

SORRY IF THIS WAS KINDA LONG i hope this helps in Some way even if im bad at explaining but i rlly love answering stuff abt my art in general so :}

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

hi there, ive been following you for a little bit now and all of your thoughts and wisdoms mean a lot to me, as well as your art and creative things like your photography. ive been wanting to do little confessions about lots of different things over time but im very afraid that the people hurting me will see them and know its me and hurt me more. im very lost & scared & trapped rn and everyone closest to me punishes me for it. idk i just wanted to get it out somewhere.. but it really means a lot to me to see you happy and well. you inspire me and i want there to always be good waiting for you

hi ^^ im sorry u have those feelings i used to struggle immensely w this .. i always kinda posted /this way/ but for most my 20s i only used private accounts cus i was so afraid of ppl irl reading my posts, as well as stalkers, there were incidents of both these things that made me go into hiding for foreverrrr !!!

The only reason i post publicly now is cus when i first came back to tumblr in 2021, it was like a blank slate, all my old oomfies had moved to ig or twitter. So i cld relax more and eventualy over time new ppl came who made sense to be here. And i didnt feel like i had to hide anymore ! it was extremely slow process. like literally took all of my 20s to feel fine doing this

And Ofc im sure tons of ppl who want to harm me read my blog and make fun of me, i know i seem insane to many, but i just....Dont care like.....You need to realize....Anyone who does that to you is SO weak, you are not lost at all compared to them. They're upset because they want to express themselves earnestly too but they feel blocked. Many ppl lash out for this reason..

if ur really afraid u could start by maybe doing a private blog .. i would also recommend doing protection prayers for yourself, i like listening to psalm 91, i have my archangel michael candle lit rn actually, i take a lot of measures to keep my shield up, i really believe in these energies, i ask the angels to send any unwanted energy back to sender, simple as. it has helped me become much more comfortable showing myself, online and irl.

Just dont give up, even if it takes a long time to open up, practice each day to strengthen ur soul, work on the things yu want to work on with the intentions of love in your heart, when u Know ur doing it for the right reasons it becomes really hard to let anyone stop u. But take it slow. no matter how scared u feel rn, know it can be a total 180, even if u dont see the path clearly yet ^^ Thanks for your kind message..i'm here to help!! Stay protected & cherished Anon...PMD9 <3 <3 <3

[kingeyelidz]

whats your favorite thing abt your artstyle?

oooughhh!!! ive been trying to b more. positive? abt my art lately so this should b fun :]

-umm im v proud of my colors!! n the way i. put em together... yess

-idk if this counts but? tha Themes i always do? theres always this specific energy i cant rlly pin down

- the way i draw faces! i used to struggle a lot w em but i think im getting tha hang of it n. can do a variaty of features now. my noses and eyes need a bit of practice i think but other than that im rlly confident in em :°

- hair!!! hair hair hair its probably. one of my fav things to draw..! the way i stylize it makes me disappointed when i look @ irl hair xbhshshdhd😭

-clothes!!! ive been learnin clothing folds n etc

as for things id like to improve?? hm. nosesss. body fat, shoes, hands, prespective maybe? prespective definetly ye. also teeth. and backgrounds ack :3

tysm for the ask :] * kneading you*

[oooocleo]

Hess!! If I may ask, in your opinion what was it that helped you improve? (besides constant practice) I’ve been struggling so badly with my art...I feel like no matter how much I practice I can’t seem to improve? Feel kinda stuck? And it feels like it’s never gonna get better and I’m losing my motivation... totally cool if you don’t feel comfy answering this tho! I hope you’re doing great, and happy almost-Christmas!

hey! im sorry it took me awhile to reply to you - i was thinking of how to answer

im not very good at seeing my own improvement, and pretty regularly feel like older pieces ive done are better than the ones im producing currently. that 'only compare yourself to yourself of the past' doesnt really work w me, though im also really bad w comparing myself to others 🙉 frankly, im not my own favourite artist, and that makes it hard to see what Is good about my drawings

the only advice i think i can give you is something i really want to try doing myself: focusing less on the end product and more on the process. i think that improvement must come easier when youre simply enjoying drawing, and treating it like you have to improve for it to be worth anything is very discouraging

i hope this was even a little helpful - its an issue i deal with too and i havent found a perfect solution for it

*edit this is kind of a downer!! let me end on this note instead: if you (and i) learn to enjoy drawing without thinking of whether you'll like the result, you'll be able to do it more often, and more freely - that will be the cause of improvement🙌

[everyonesonthespectrum]

30 days of Autism Acceptance: Day 3!

April 3: Talk about special interests. Do you have any? What are they? How long have you had them? What does it feel like to have special interests? What does having special interests mean to you? Talk about your past special interests

HOO BOY! Ok, I’ll try not to go on too long about my special interests, but I have a lot to say about them! Also, some of my special interests are in this weird grey area of “are they a SpIn or a hyperfixation?”, so I’ll cover those as well, and make it noted when that’s the case for one. Also, this will be VERY LONG, so I’ll put it under a cut.

SpIn #1 - Pokemon

Pokemon has been my main special interest since I was 9, I believe! Black was my first game that I got for my birthday, and I was super happy to get it since all of my friends at the time would talk about it! I’ve gotten (almost?) every major release since then, thought I usually only get one out of the two versions. 

The Pokemon games that I have are *inhales*: Black, Black 2, HeartGold (got a few years after it came out), X (I have the limited edition 3DS), Alpha Sapphire, Moon (first completed Pokedex!), Ultra Moon (haven’t beat and probably never will), Let’s Go, Eevee!, Sword (still trying to beat), Conquest, Art Academy, PMD: Gates to Infinity, Picross, Rumble World, Battle Trozei, Pokemon Quest, Pokemon Playhouse (for when I’m regressed), Poke Park 1 & 2,  My Pokemon Ranch, and Battle Revolution!

I also used to play the TCG competitively, and in my first competition, I placed 9th in my division! I stopped playing about a year after that though because the cards I used in my strategy when I would practice with my Dad were too old to be viable.

I have a growing stuffie and merch collection as well! I have a lot of Unova stuffies, and a print of the Unova map that I got at a ren faire when I was younger (it currently hangs above my dresser)! My two favorite stuffies at this time are Baby my Eevee Build-A-Bear (named after my Eevee in Let’s Go, Eevee!), and Lily my Wooloo! I have a couple of Pokemon sketch cards that friends of my Dad’s drew, and some prints and figure-y things I’ve gotten in Artist Alleys over the years!

I also own a couple of different Pokemon books (not the manga, though), and 2 of the movies, along with the OSTs for B/W, X/Y, and ORAS! I don’t have much as far as clothing goes though, except for my “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” scarf and a Pikachu hat I got at an old anime store at the mall that has since closed. That’s probably all I can remember right now!

SpIn #2 - Steam Powered Giraffe

SPG has been a special interest for about 4 years now? Anyway, they’re my #1 favorite band and have literally saved my life. Watching Bunny Bennett’s (who plays Rabbit) vlogs about her transition, along with listening to the song Transform that she wrote (waaay before they just made it a single) really helped me accept myself and come out. 

They also came at a time where I was struggling emotionally a lot, and I remember being stuck in the ER hooked up to an IV, and my mom played some of their albums for me to keep me calm and grounded. More recently, I saw them perform at Anime Midwest last year, and when they performed Transform (which neither me or my friends expected), we were all hugging each other and crying tears of joy (my friends are trans as well, and have also been touched by Bunny’s vlogs).

Their songs (not including the sad ones) make me really happy as well, and Make Believe makes me stim a lot in particular! I also got to sing Honeybee as part of a voice coaching summer camp I took last year, and it felt really good to do it! I really recommend listening to them, especially if you like steampunk and/or you’re looking for trans artists to support!

SpIn #3 - Little Shop of Horrors

So this is more of a fairly recent one, compared to the first two. This special interest mostly applies to the 1986 movie, but I’ve seen the stage musical as well! The music, the cast, the plot, it’s all *chef’s kiss*. But for real though, my two favorite things about the movie are the practical effects and the endings.

With the CGI fresh hell we got with CATS, you may thing, “wow, special effects were so much better back then”. Except here’s the thing, they were practical effects. Audrey II is (I believe) entirely puppetry, not CGI. The same applies for the musical as well! It really culminated at the end of the film during “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space”, when Audrey II is at it’s biggest and most elaborate. Speaking of that scene, I much prefer the director’s cut over the theatrical cut. I know that the happy ending is much better for Audrey and Seymour, but “Don’t Feed The Plants” is an absolute banger, and I get a good cry out of it too.

I heard they might be making a remake of the movie, which I’m hesitant about, again, seeing how CATS turned out. We can only hope that they listen to the fans, and make the right decisions when it comes to making it.

SpIn #4 - Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Ok, so this is one of those aformentioned “is it a SpIn or a hyperfixation” moments. I’ve been hyperfixated on JJBA for the past 6 months and I’m physically unable to shut up about it XD

I’m about to start watching part 4 of the anime, I just need to set aside time to do it. I watched it a tad out of order, my ex told me to skip part 1 and watch a synopsis of it, so I started with part 2 (I’m a huge part 2 stan btw), got to part 3, was confused by everything going on with DIO, so I went back, watched part 1, and then resumed part 3.

As I mentioned, I’m a huge part 2 stan, so I currently have several part 2 character cosplays in the works. This includes (but isn’t limited to) Caesar, Suzi Q, Playboy Bunny Caesar (inspired by a piece of art that @tinypalettes drew), Tequila Joseph (but like,, actually decent drag), and Cleric Suzi Q from the JJBA D&D session me and my friends are having. I also want to do a drag/latex DIO look, along with maid DIO inspired by an old JUMP cover and a fanfic I read the other day.

I get a little nervous about doing/going to JJBA events at conventions because I’m worried about running into my ex, but knowing that I have supportive people with me helps a lot.

SpIn #5 - Homestuck/Hiveswap

So this is another one of those “SpIn or hyperfixation” moments as well. I’ve been into Homestuck since late 2016, but I’ve never been super involved in the fandom. Like, yes, I have a moirail and I’ve been in and hosted panels at conventions, but I’ve encountered some toxic people in it, so I try to distance myself.

I will say, however, that Homestucks are loyal to their fandom, and will buy merch if they like it. When I say that, yes, I mean myself, but it’s mostly about my Etsy customers. If you look at my sales history, the majority of it is quadrant necklaces, almost always the moirail ones. I get some orders for horns and pillows too, but not as often as the necklaces. When it comes to exhibiting at conventions, it depends. I normally don’t put Homestuck stuff out on the table because it’s such a niche, but when I do, people will usually buy a lot at once. For example, at Wizard World Madison in 2018, one guy bought $50-60 worth of Homestuck sprites from me. That weekend was the best I’ve ever done, and I haven’t come close since. My Etsy store started out as just me making Homestuck sprites for me and my friends too, so I’m glad that I was able to expand and give others what I like as well.

I’m also involved in a Hiveswap YouTube musical, and I’ve made a lot of good friends through it! We’re on hiatus right now, but we should be starting up again soon! I also have a lot of Homestuck cosplays! I’ve done Karkat, John, Jade, Nepeta, Trickster Nepeta, Karkat Peixes (a bloodswap), and I have a lot more that I want to do!

SpIn #6 - Danganronpa

So Danganronpa is (probably) one of those last “SpIn or hyperfixation” things. I’ve been into Danganronpa since 2018 (I think?), and DR:AE is my favorite (mostly because I’m a Kotoko and Toko kinnie oof-)!

Right now, my only Danganronpa cosplay is Toko/Syo, but I’m working on a couple of j-fashion (particularly menhera and fairy kei) inspired looks to do with my moirail (who was the one who got me into j-fashion), and just some Amazon/eBay cosplays as well! I’m also working on a Future Foundation Toko cosplay to do with my moirail so we can do Tokomaru together (though most of it is thrifting and clothes I already have)!

I own DR1, SDR2, and DR:AE on my computer, but I don’t play them much. The second trial in DR1 gives me panic attacks because of the whole breaking of trust thing (I’ve heard the audios and I just,,, break down), I haven’t touched SDR2 yet, and I’m sucky at the controls for DR:AE. However, I’ve watched the anime and I’ve seen let’s plays, so I have a feel for what’s going on, though I may not remember it all correctly since I haven’t watched them in a while.

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So that’s most (if not all) of my special interests! I probably forgot some, but it’s getting late and I need to pack for my Mom’s and go to bed. I hope you all have a good night!