hangingslothcentral

[hangingslothcentral]

It is not hopeless and you are not alone. Be a dandelion; persistently, unapologetically and stubbornly alive. Cropping up in pavement cracks where no other plants can grow. Resprouting from your roots when they think they’ve got rid of you. You are a bright burst of colour in a grey world. Be a dandelion.

[hangingslothcentral]

More vampires are now available via Early Access over on my Patreon; the latest episode of NQD just dropped there!

This one is. A lot.

Usually Patreon folks get eps two days early, but due to The Horrors today it's only one day early.

Find it here if you're already a supporter on Patreon, or use this link to sign up if you need vampires right now, and you want to help me keeping making my work!

[hangingslothcentral]

Taking a couple of unplanned days out after a series of pretty big disappointments and stresses. Normal programming with resume as soon as possible!

Scheduling for the second half of 2025 will be properly announced soon but I'm having to move some things around a bit right now because of all of the everything.

The Horrors persist but so do I.

My work means the world to me, I appreciate your patience in the mean time. Stay spooky you lovely weirdos <3

[hangingslothcentral]

Audio Drama Sunday - 22nd June ✨

I listened to two amazing new shows this week and I cannot recommend them to you enough! 

🏴‍☠️ I’ve been saying this since the pilot came out but you have got to got to got to got to listen to @levianpod!! I adored how the show took everything we thought we knew about Beth Eyre’s calculating Tanathea and shattered it in the newly released second episode. What a deliciously complex, mentally ill, power-hungry, Lady Macbeth-esque GIFT of a character. I knew I was going to adore this show, I need to bring you all with me!! 

🧛🏻‍♂️ @theholmwoodfoundation (01) I *finally* got round to listening to the first episode of The Holmwood Foundation thanks to a gentle push from my beloved Travelling Light. Several trusted sources had hyped the show to me and they were not wrong! Both Madeline and (in his own special way) Jeremy are immediately lovable and it feels like such a fresh take on the Dracula canon! Fighting peril for medical supplies is a trope that I looove, I can’t wait for that!! The voice acting is lovely, the sound design is great and I’m really excited for more! 

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (194) I do love Lady Ethel, and her interruption was so delightfully done this episode! I was curious at first about how the episode art would translate this ep but then . . . I sure found out. All roads seem to be pointing to the black eternity - which isn’t scary at all! 

🍎 @notquitedeadpod (L) I love delving deeper into these case files. The story about Daksha has me feeling all kinds of ways - something about kindness in a terrible time, and how that made such a huge impact on his life and led him back into this mess. What an uncomfortable ripple effect! I saw that there would be a reference to Twilight in this episode and I swear to god, I thought Neige was going to rock up and say he’d drunk a Siberian Tiger or something. Idk!! UGH don’t make promises that are going to break! my! heart! please!

Hoping to get more listening time next week! 🤞 Have a good one! 

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illustration i did for my uni project !!

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The first episode of season 4 of @notquitedeadpod might just be the hottest thing I’ve ever fn heard.

There is something wrong with me.

[hangingslothcentral]

New vampires, now undead wherever you find your podcasts!!

This episode considers how nothing lasts forever, not even vampires. But some things do last a very long time.

As always, remember these vampires bite so consider this when you decide when and where to listen!!

If you want to help keep these vampires biting, you can do so by supporting me over on Patreon. You'll get new episodes two days before everyone else, plus creators notes and bonus content! Membership starts at £2pcm.

[hangingslothcentral]

most of it, I don't feel comfortable talking about online bc it's to do with family things. some of it is work stuff and writing stuff, though, and I am going to talk about it because I don't see people doing so very often

it feels like every few months, I'll get a chance at something really cool, and however much I temper my expectations and go into everything not expecting to get stuff, it's extremely hard not to feel kind of squashed when you keep not getting things. it's a bit 'always the bridesmaid' but for like. my dreams 😅

these rejections often come with a sentiment that's like 'keep going! even though you didn't get this we hope making the shortlist is encouraging!'

I do understand that this is a nice thing to say. but it feels important to point out that these are mostly opportunities being offered to working class and marginalised writers. I'm doing okay right now! but it's not a sustainable amount of work that I'm doing, and I won't be able to work like this forever. every month that passes, every time one of these things doesn't work out, it starts to feel more and more frustrating that the rejections come with these messages to keep going. it's hard not to ask myself 'for how long?'

I can't help but feel that this emphasises that something is deeply, deeply wrong with how creative industries work. if you're not lucky enough to be born wealthy, you hope that you'll be able to get through before you end up completely burned out and/or broke, and a lot of the systems which exist to try to uplift artists of low income or marginalised backgrounds/experience aren't much better than a lottery. competition for them is fierce, and the criteria are often elusive.

all these things take time and effort I could have spent on creative work, or supplementary things like promotion and outreach. it's not just the time and effort, though; there's an emotional investment, too. these schemes often require you to explain why you would specifically benefit from the opportunity they're offering, so a rejection isn't just a comment on your work, it's almost like they're saying you don't need their help enough

there are only so many resources to go around and decisions have to be made about how they're allocated. but the emotional toll of all of these things not working out is really, really big.

I love what I do. I cannot imagine doing anything else. I'm sure there are people who look at my work in audio drama and find it impressive, and I hope that makes them feel like it's possible, tangible, for them to create things too. I hope people look at what I'm doing and feel hopeful and inspired by it. I know that from an outside perspective, it could be possible to look at a post like this and wonder what it is that I'm complaining about.

whatever I'm doing, I'm always asking myself 'is this going to help this stay possible', 'how can I keep going', 'what more can I do to make this sustainable'. that's not going to change, and I'm not sure it ever will

but right now it's very hard

that being said, I have got some good feedback in the last month which has made me feel that despite all of this, I'm not being told 'no', I'm being told 'not now'

if you're a creative person, and especially if you're low-income or marginalised, I want you to know that it matters. that it's okay to want to keep going even when things are bleak. there's worth in your work even if other people can't take a risk on it. it's okay to need a break. it's okay to want to step back. whatever the end result, making things, creating things? it's worth doing. and if you want to make it your career, that's a hard, but valid choice, and I'm with you. it's not fair that it's so much harder than it should be. but that's not your fault and it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong

oh today has been rancid let me tell you

[hangingslothcentral]

oh today has been rancid let me tell you

[hangingslothcentral]

New vampires, now undead wherever you find your podcasts!!

This episode considers how nothing lasts forever, not even vampires. But some things do last a very long time.

As always, remember these vampires bite so consider this when you decide when and where to listen!!

If you want to help keep these vampires biting, you can do so by supporting me over on Patreon. You'll get new episodes two days before everyone else, plus creators notes and bonus content! Membership starts at £2pcm.

[hangingslothcentral]

Early access to Not Quite Dead just dropped on my Patreon, two days ahead of when it'll be available for everyone else! This episode is like a little breath after the last few, and might explain to folks why Twilight has been on my brain a bit these last few days…

Supporters get early access to NQD, plus bonus stories and creator's notes on episodes, PLUS early access to Remnants and a ton of other bonus stuff!! I couldn't do what I do without folks on Patreon and if you want to support what I do it's the best way to do it rn! Membership starts from £2pcm <3

[hangingslothcentral]

you misunderstand: my pet is my baby my pet is my buddy my pet is a lil guy who lives here my pet is a pain in the butt my pet is the reason I get up in the morning my pet sits with me when I’m scared my pet is my bestie my pet is my responsibility my pet is my colleague my pet is a creature nearby my pet is my constant my pet is my pet and that is all these things and more

Feel free to elaborate on what kind of pet you have!

[hangingslothcentral]

Audio Drama Sunday - 15th June ✨

What a week of listening! 

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (193) No, no, nope. Mr Spiderfingers is way too scary for me. While I do love the addition of a genuinely terrifying character, I wish it wasn’t quite so tied to my phobias! I had a terrible gut feeling what was going to happen in the second story as soon as I realised the Mendies were going to meet up. Bern 😭 I have missed our gay elders so much this season and I’m so glad that they arrived just in time to put a stop to the violence. The thought of her being frail enough to need a wheelchair while accounting how she used to kill hallowoods fauna makes me desperately sad. Please! I don’t want to lose another one of the S1 faves. Oh, Olivier, also 😭 Maybe I was just emotional this week, but her pleas not to get whipped away from the fight again really got to me. 

🧳 Travelling Light @monstrousproductions (48) Speaking of getting emotional. This ep gave me some BIG feelings. The multi-cultural new year’s celebration was so gorgeous and imaginative (and finding out it was all Óli’s doing for The Traveller - stop it, my poor heart). And that *scene*. GOD. I know that yearning is infinitely more delicious than them both explaining their feelings and being done with it but, at what cost? It also hurt hearing the Traveller get confirmation of the community they’ve found in Clanagh just as they leave but, also, only getting that confirmation because they’re leaving?? I am very excited to be travelling ‘light’ (someone needs to nick that case so it’s true) again! 

🍎 @notquitedeadpod (XLIX) Oooh, Alfie. There’s so much hurt wrapped into the revelations of this episode. Hearing him rationalise his childhood/adolescent pain from an adult’s perspective makes me want to scream. No, honey, it was their responsibility to look after you always, no matter what else was going on ☹️ Also, I loved this line which is so NQD: ‘No, no I don’t know how many people you’ve killed and I don’t fucking care. Do you want to fuck me or not?’ 

🧋 @hinaypod (58.1-59) Oooooh, the Hen and Eda story was SO CUTE 😭🏳️‍⚧️ I loved it so much. I’m finally getting to grips with who the various men are from the most recent stories (I think). I don’t know why, but I always thought it was a house fire that got Billy Boy? Very exciting to be learning more about it! I also hope we get to find out more about the Donner family gift!!! 

🔎 @224bbaker The season 2 Q+A made me giggle so much. What a fantastic cast and great questions!! Delightful to hear a full length version of The Tunnel of Brotherly Love as well. Now you’ve said it, the Bowie/Brit Pop combination really shines through. 

🔮 @spiritboxradio (1.40) What a Good S1 finale! So much was tied up so satisfyingly, while leaving a good few mysteries to chew on as we go forward! I low key love the Inconveniences and I hope we get them back in the future. It’s verryyy interesting to consider the sacrifices Sam might have to make in order to ascend to his full title in the future (flower boy, I am side-eyeing you, sir) !!

💬 @clinical-space-podcast (3) Me: huh, I thought this show was queer. Aja: I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER Me: oh, haha.  Also, I’m so intrigued by the parental issues going on here. I love a good broken family!! 

🥊 @killjamxxx (06-07) Okay , Bellamy, you sneaky lil small-printer!! I see you! Oh I’m SO glad that we’re not losing Mara as a POV this season, she’s such a cool character (and her VA has such a nice voice, so sue me). Maybe I’m going crazy, but do Dirge and Roger have history?? I’m not sure I buy that Roger’s insider knowledge of trying to target and oust Faustina is enough for Dirge to stop a meeting for him. Idk! Also, those twins are scary as fuck (pun intended). I’ve started listening to Killjam when I work out because it gives me hope that maybe I could have thighs like Faustina one day 🥺

🦋 I thoroughly enjoyed the @remnantspod Q+A even though I did forget to ask my Qs 😅 Hearing the switch to Sir voice was actually wild!! Definitely precipitating some kind of auditory Fregoli syndrome or something. I understand how voice acting works in theory but like . . . that was astounding. So excited that it will be returning so soon! 

🛸 The Strange Case of Starship Iris (3.00.25) TCOSI is back!!!! So wonderful to hear from Arkady again and I loved and needed a recap, but it was such a natural in-universe way to do one. I’m so excited for this season! Let’s get these characters back together ASAP, please! 

I am SO excited for the release of @levianpod tomorrow! The expectations are high, but I’m certain they will be met! 🌊

[hangingslothcentral]

I have a bunch of ideas for these vintage-style artifact pieces, so I had to start with one of my favorite podcasts, remnants. this is 1 of 2

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yo remember how in Twilight's second book, New Moon, Edward decides to disappear out of Bella's life 'for her safety' despite radically altering her perspective on the world and completely changing her basis for reality in a way which is totally unresolvable and which she'll never be able to share with anyone because who the fuck would believe her boring ass mormon af boyfriend was a vampire

yeah remember how before he left and completely dismantled Bella's perceptions not just of their relationship but of the literal world, he went through her photo album and removed every image of himself and his family from it

remember that?

fucked up as shit

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