#Beginner's Guide to Generative AI

[creolestudios]

The Fundamentals of Generative AI: Understanding its Core Mechanics and Applications

Summary

In the realm of technological advancements, Generative AI stands out as a transformative force, redefining the landscape of digital innovation. As a leading Generative AI Development Company, Creole Studios recognizes the immense potential of this technology. Our journey showcases our commitment to harnessing the power of Generative AI for groundbreaking solutions. This blog delves into the intricacies of Generative AI, exploring its core mechanics and diverse applications.

Understanding Generative AI

Generative AI refers to the subset of artificial intelligence where machines are trained to generate new content, from images to text, by learning from vast datasets. Unlike traditional AI models that interpret or classify data, Generative AI tools go a step further – they create. This capability springs from advanced algorithms and neural networks that mimic the human brain’s ability to perceive and generate novel outputs.

The Mechanics Behind Generative AI

At the core of Generative AI models, like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) and others, lie neural networks trained on massive datasets. These models learn patterns, structures, and nuances from the data, enabling them to generate new, contextually relevant content. For instance, Generative AI images are not mere replicas of existing photos; they are new creations born from learned data patterns.

Generative AI Tools and Their Development

The development of Generative AI tools involves meticulous training of models using machine learning techniques. As a Generative AI Development Company, we at Creole Studios employ cutting-edge methods to train these models, ensuring they not only generate content but do so with a high degree of relevance and accuracy. This process involves fine-tuning the models to specific domains, whether it’s generating text, images, or complex data patterns.

What is the difference between OpenAI and generative AI?

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory with a focus on advancing digital intelligence for the benefit of humanity. It produces cutting-edge models like GPT-3, which falls under the umbrella of Generative AI – a subset where machines are trained to create new content, such as images or text, by learning from extensive datasets. Generative AI, in a broader sense, refers to the ability of AI models to generate novel outputs, while OpenAI’s role lies in pushing the boundaries of AI research, developing advanced models, and promoting responsible AI practices.

Applications of Generative AI

Creative Industries: Generative AI has made significant inroads into creative fields like art and music. Generative AI models can compose music, create art, and even write scripts, opening up new horizons in creativity.

Business Intelligence: In the business sphere, Generative AI aids in data analysis and decision-making. By generating predictive models and analyzing trends, it provides businesses with valuable insights.

Healthcare: Generative AI use cases in healthcare are transformative. From drug discovery to personalized medicine, these models can predict patient outcomes and assist in complex research.

Customer Experience: In the realm of customer service, Generative AI can personalize interactions and enhance user engagement, providing tailored recommendations and solutions.

Generative AI Use Cases: Real-World Examples

One of the most notable use cases of Generative AI is in the generation of realistic images and graphics. Generative AI images, for instance, are created through models that have learned from a vast array of visual data, enabling them to produce images that are both novel and realistic. Another significant application is in natural language processing, where Generative AI tools are employed to create human-like text, aiding in everything from customer service to content creation.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Despite the myriad of opportunities, Generative AI development is not without its challenges. One significant concern is ensuring the ethical use of this technology. As a Generative AI Development Company, Creole Studios is deeply invested in navigating these complexities responsibly. Questions of data privacy, potential biases in AI-generated content, and the moral implications of AI-generated art and literature are at the forefront of our development strategy. Ensuring that Generative AI tools, including those creating Generative AI Images and texts, are fair, unbiased, and respectful of privacy is a cornerstone of our development ethos.

The Future of Generative AI

Looking ahead, the horizon of Generative AI is vast and full of potential. With advancements in AI models and increasing computational power, the capabilities of Generative AI are set to expand significantly. We are moving towards more sophisticated Generative AI tools that can handle more complex tasks with greater efficiency and creativity. The future might see Generative AI seamlessly integrating into daily life and business operations, offering solutions that are currently unimaginable.

In the business realm, the potential for Generative AI to revolutionize industries is immense. Companies that partner with a Generative AI Development Company like Creole Studios can leverage this technology to gain a competitive edge. Whether it’s through enhanced data analysis, more engaging customer experiences, or innovative product design, the applications of Generative AI are boundless.

Creole Studios: Leading the Way in Generative AI Development

At Creole Studios, we are at the forefront of exploring and harnessing the power of Generative AI. Our dedicated team of experts is constantly innovating to develop Generative AI tools that are not only technologically advanced but also ethically grounded and business-focused. By visiting our landing page at www.creolestudios.com/generative-ai-development, businesses can explore a partnership that will drive them into the future of AI-powered innovation.

Conclusion

Generative AI stands as a beacon of modern technological advancement, with its ability to revolutionize how we interact with data, create content, and solve complex problems. Its potential is only beginning to be tapped, and its future is as exciting as it is vast. As a leader in Generative AI development, Creole Studios is committed to exploring this uncharted territory, ensuring our clients are equipped with the best that AI has to offer.

[ai4nonmarketers]

Unlocking Predictive Analytics for Small Businesses

Unlock the future of small business success! Dive into our latest blog post to learn how predictive analytics can transform decision-making, boost customer retention, and optimize your marketing campaigns. Start leveraging data-driven insights today. Read now:

Predictive analytics is transforming how businesses make decisions, plan for the future, and connect with customers. For small business owners and non-marketers, this concept may seem intimidating, but it’s no longer the exclusive domain of data scientists or large corporations. Today, with user-friendly tools and accessible insights, even the smallest businesses can leverage predictive analytics…

[delhijeetechacademycourses]

Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your existing skills, AI training in Delhi provides a great opportunity to stay ahead in the digital world.

[ctrinity]

Guide to Free AI Tools

Discover the top 5 free AI tools for content creators in 2024. Compare features, pricing, and capabilities of Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude AI, Perplexity AI, and You.com.

Understanding AI Tools for Modern Content Creation In today’s digital landscape, AI tools have become indispensable allies for content creators, educators, and writers. But with so many options available, which one should you choose? This comprehensive guide explores five powerful AI assistants, each bringing unique capabilities to enhance your creative process. Whether you’re looking to…

[8pxl]

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BLUESKY

Hiya! Curious about joining bluesky but intimidated by all the features? Already on bluesky but want to learn more? Then welcome to my quick guide on getting started and navigating bluesky!~

What is Bluesky?

it’s a social media site that’s owned by no single person or company. it's aim is to bring back the early days of twitter before bots, elon musk or algorithms took over. Personally I find the site really cozy, wholesome, and engaging. my Bluesky account for example

What’s unique about Bluesky?

→ CUSTOMIZATION: ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎your timeline is very easy to control. There’s tons of options, so be sure to go through each tab in your settings. some options include: turning off autoplay, changing the order in which threaded replies show, changing DM settings, content preferences and lots of visual app settings.

→ MODERATION LISTS: human made, mass blocklists. These are public lists of accounts that when you subscribe to you automatically block or mute everyone in that specific blocklist. A great way to avoid unwanted content, and interactions. ✦ Moderation lists I recommend will be below the cut

→ STARTER PACKS: recommendation lists on who to follow, made by users. You can even curate your own starter pack of recommendations! ✦ Starter pack recommendations will be below the cut

→ FEEDS: public timelines, basically. There are a lot of feeds you can join, or you can even create your own. I made a feed featuring just my pixel art so it doesn’t get cluttered with text posts or other photos in my media tab. ✦ I’ll post feeds I recommend below and link you to a tutorial on how to create your own feed

→ BLOCKING/MUTING: bluesky has a great blocking system. When you block someone they can no longer see, or interact with you. They also have a feature to make your blog inaccessible unless logged in. you can also mute specific people, delete post replies, and even detach your post from a reblog. You can also mute specific words, phrases, tags etc.

→ NSFW: bluesky allows NSFW content, including artwork, porn, lewds etc. They also have a great moderation page to avoid the content completely, censor the content, or show it if you’d wish. ✦ just go to settings > moderation > toggle on NSFW settings and it’ll let you heavily moderate.

→ LABELS: this is a really cool feature on the site, you can subscribe to certain pages that enable a lot of fun/useful labels that help you in different ways! (like pronoun tags, artist tags etc) ✦ Labels to browse will be posted below

→ COMMUNITIES: the vastly diverse communities really feel like the best parts of tumblr. since you can so heavily curate your experience, it can really feel like a calming oasis. Mine is mostly artists, and other creatives.

there’s also a large community of professional artists, art directors, authors, celebrities, and even the best shitposters from twitter. the app really is what you make of it but it’s thriving right now.

RECOMMENDATIONS & LINKS BELOW ⬎

→ MODERATION LISTS:

HATE SPEECH: NAZIS | MAGA | MAGAv2 | MAGAv3 | TRANSPHOBES & HOMOPHOBES | FAR RIGHT | FAR RIGHTv2 | FAR RIGHTv3 | ELON MUSK FANBOYS | ANTI-BLACK | ANTI-VAX

NFT/AI/CRYPTO: MASTERLIST | AI/NFT | AI/NFTv2 | AI FANBOYS | CRYPTO | NFTs

SPAM/SCAMMERS: SPAMBOTS | BOTS | CONTENT SCRAPERS | CONTENT FARMING

✦ to block or mute everyone in the blocklist at once, click subscribe in the top right corner:

→ STARTER PACKS:

ART: PIXEL ART | PIXEL ARTv2 | WOMEN OF PIXEL ART | BADASS DIGITAL ARTISTS | MAGIC THE GATHERING ARTIST | PAINTERS OF BLUESKY | INDIE COMIC CREATORS | LGBTQIA+ COMIC CREATORS | WEBCOMICS ULTIMATE COLLECTION

GENERAL: WOMEN OF BSKY | AUTHORS | LGBTQ NEWS

SHITPOSTERS: JUNIPER | JUNIPERv2 | MASTERLIST | SCIENCE SHITPOSTERS

✦ for more niche starter packs, use the search function. search your specific interest and ‘starter pack’ and you’ll find some!

→ FEEDS:

DISCOVER | WHATS TRENDING | MENTIONS | ART | TRENDING ART

THE GRAM: a timeline for exclusively image posts from those you follow. no textposts etc. ONLYPOST: similar to the gram, it shows a timeline of only those you follow. no reposts, just original posts. 📌: a way to bookmark posts. just reply with the pin emoji.

✦ there’s tons of others feeds as well! just use the feed tab and you can browse feeds or search for specific ones.

✦ TUTORIAL ON HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM FEED FOR YOUR ART/POSTS

→ LABELS:

SKYWATCH: most popular label. Lots of useful labels!

AI Labels: identifies AI users, can also enable hiding the posters.

Pronouns: self explanatory but useful. can add a badge with your pronouns!

✦ you can search for additional label bots on bluesky!

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

✦ EXPIRIENCE ENHANCING TOOLS RECS ✦ CLEARSKY: TRACK BLOCKS AND BLOCKLISTS ✦ SKYFEED: CREATE CUSTOM FEEDS EASILY ✦ use the block function often. do not entertain trolls or hate speech. ✦ as well as starter packs, there’s also lists! lists can be used in the same way to create curated lists of accounts. it’s a good way to keep track of specific genres of posters you’re interested in, and finding new ones! ✦ hashtags: use them! they’re beneficial in boosting your post. you can even link hashtags in your bio making you easier to find. another method of making you more visible is if you post an ‘interest’ post! basically just type things you’re interested in and it’ll help people find you / vice versa ! ✦ update your profile first thing, like bio avi etc. make a small post so people know you're real. interact and engage! the communities there are so welcoming!

I think that covers abt everything i wanted to cover! Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading lol

[shivdinews]

Unleash Your Creativity: How to Create Images Using Bing (Free & Easy!)

Unleash your inner artist! Discover how to create images using Bing’s powerful AI tool, Bing Image Creator (formerly known as Bing Image Generator). No design skills needed! Learn everything from prompts and styles to editing and sharing. Create Images Using Bing free easy Let’s get started creating… What is Bing Image Creator Bing Image Creator is an AI image generator developed by Microsoft. It…

[what-even-is-thiss]

Free or Cheap Mandarin Chinese Learning Resources Because You Can't Let John Cena One Up You Again

I will update this list as I learn of any more useful ones. If you want general language learning resources check out this other post. This list is Mandarin specific. Find lists for other specific languages here.

For the purposes of this list "free" means something that is either totally free or has a useful free tier. "Cheap" is a subscription under $10USD a month, a software license or lifetime membership purchase under $100USD, or a book under $30USD. If you want to suggest a resource for this list please suggest ones in that price range that are of decent quality and not AI generated.

WEBSITES

Dong Chinese - A website with lessons, a pinyin guide, a dictionary, and various videos and practice tests. With a free account you're only allowed to do one lesson every 12 hours. To do as many lessons as quickly as you want it costs $10 a month or $80 a year.

Domino Chinese - A paid website with video based lessons from absolute beginner to college level. They claim they can get you ready to get a job in China. They offer a free trial and after that it's $5 a month or pay what you can if you want to support their company.

Chinese Education Center - This is an organization that gives information to students interested in studying abroad in China. They have free text based lessons for beginners on vocab, grammar, and handwriting.

Pleco Dictionary App - This is a very popular dictionary app on both iOS and Android. It has a basic dictionary available for free but other features can be purchased individually or in bundles. A full bundle that has what most people would want is about $30 but there are more expensive options with more features.

MIT OpenCourseWare Chinese 1 2 3 4 5 6 - These are actual archived online courses from MIT available for free. You will likely need to download them onto your computer.

Learn Chinese Web Application From Cambridge University - This is a free downloadable file with Mandarin lessons in a PC application. There's a different program for beginner and intermediate.

Learn Chinese Everyday - A free word a day website. Every day the website posts a different word with pronunciation, stroke order, and example sentences. There's also an archive of free downloadable worksheets related to previous words featured on the website.

Chinese Boost - A free website and blog with beginner lessons and articles about tips and various resources to try.

Chinese Forums - An old fashioned forum website for people learning Chinese to share resources and ask questions. It's still active as of when I'm making this list.

Du Chinese - A free website and an app with lessons and reading and listening practice with dual transcripts in both Chinese characters and pinyin. They also have an English language blog with tips, lessons, and information on Chinese culture.

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Chinese For Us - A channel that provides free video lessons for beginners. The channel is mostly in English.

Herbin Mandarin - A channel with a variety of lessons for beginners. The channel hasn't uploaded in a while but there's a fairly large archive of lessons to watch. The channel is mainly in English.

Mandarin Blueprint - This channel is by a couple of guys who also run a paid website. However on their YouTube channel there's a lot of free videos with tips about how to go about learning Chinese, pronunciation and writing tips, and things of that nature. The channel is mainly in English.

Blabla Chinese - A comprehensible input channel with content about a variety of topics for beginner to intermediate. The video descriptions are in English but the videos themselves are all in Mandarin.

Lazy Chinese - A channel aimed at intermediate learners with videos on general topics, grammar, and culture. They also have a podcast. The channel has English descriptions but the videos are all in Mandarin.

Easy Mandarin - A channel associated with the easy languages network that interviews people on the street in Taiwan about everyday topics. The channel has on screen subtitles in traditional characters, pinyin, and English.

StickynoteChinese - A relatively new channel but it already has a decent amount of videos. Jun makes videos about culture and personal vlogs in Mandarin. The channel is aimed at learners from beginner to upper intermediate.

Story Learning Chinese With Annie - A comprehensible input channel almost entirely in Mandarin. The host teaches through stories and also makes videos about useful vocabulary words and cultural topics. It appears to be aimed at beginner to intermediate learners.

LinguaFlow Chinese - Another relatively new channel but they seem to be making new videos regularly. The channel is aimed at beginner to intermediate learners and teaches and provides listening practice with video games. The channel is mostly in Mandarin.

Lala Chinese - A channel with tips on grammar and pronunciation with the occasional vlog for listening practice, aimed at upper beginner to upper intermediate learners. Some videos are all in Mandarin while others use a mix of English and Mandarin. Most videos have dual language subtitles onscreen.

Grace Mandarin Chinese - A channel with general information on the nitty gritty of grammar, pronunciation, common mistakes, slang, and useful phrases for different levels of learners. Most videos are in English but some videos are fully in Mandarin.

READING PRACTICE

HSK Reading - A free website with articles sorted into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Every article has comprehension questions. You can also mouse over individual characters and see the pinyin and possible translations. The website is in a mix of English and Mandarin.

chinesegradedreader.com - A free website with free short readings up to HSK level 3 or upper intermediate. Each article has an explaination at the beginning of key vocabulary words in English and you can mouse over individual characters to get translations.

Mandarin Companion - This company sells books that are translated and simplified versions of classic novels as well as a few originals for absolute beginners. They are available in both traditional and simplified Chinese. Their levels don't appear to be aligned with any HSK curriculum but even their most advanced books don't have more than 500 individual characters according to them so they're likely mostly for beginners to advanced beginners. New paperbacks seem to usually be $14 but cheaper used copies, digital copies, and audiobooks are also available. The website is in English.

Graded Chinese Readers - Not to be confused with chinese graded reader, this is a website with information on different graded readers by different authors and different companies. The website tells you what the book is about, what level it's for, whether or not it uses traditional or simplified characters, and gives you a link to where you can buy it on amazon. They seem to have links to books all the way from HSK 1 or beginner to HSK 6 or college level. A lot of the books seem to be under $10 but as they're all from different companies your mileage and availability may vary. The website is in English.

Mandarin Bean - A website with free articles about Chinese culture and different short stories. Articles are sorted by HSK level from 1 to 6. The website also lets you switch between traditional or simplified characters and turn the pinyin on or off. It also lets you mouse over characters to get a translation. They have a relatively expensive paid tier that gives you access to video lessons and HSK practice tests and lesson notes but all articles and basic features on the site are available on the free tier without an account. The website is in a mix of Mandarin and English.

Mandarin Daily News - This is a daily newspaper from Taiwan made for children so the articles are simpler, have illustrations and pictures, and use easier characters. As it's for native speaker kids in Taiwan, the site is completely in traditional Chinese.

New Tong Wen Tang for Chrome or Firefox - This is a free browser extension that can convert traditional characters to simplified characters or vice versa without a need to copy and paste things into a separate website.

PODCASTS

Melnyks Chinese - A podcast for more traditional audio Mandarin Chinese lessons for English speakers. The link I gave is to their website but they're also available on most podcatcher apps.

Chinese Track - Another podcast aimed at learning Mandarin but this one goes a bit higher into lower intermediate levels.

Dimsum Mandarin - An older podcast archive of 30 episodes of dialogues aimed at beginner to upper beginner learners.

Dashu Mandarin - A podcast run by three Chinese teachers aimed at intermediate learners that discusses culture topics and gives tips for Mandarin learners. There are also male teachers on the podcast which I'm told is relatively rare for Mandarin material aimed at learners and could help if you're struggling to understand more masculine speaking patterns.

Learning Chinese Through Stories - A storytelling podcast mostly aimed at intermediate learners but they do have some episodes aimed at beginner or advanced learners. They have various paid tiers for extra episodes and learning material on their patreon but there's still a large amount of episodes available for free.

Haike Mandarin - A conversational podcast in Taiwanese Mandarin for intermediate learners. Every episode discusses a different everyday topic. The episode descriptions and titles are entirely in traditional Chinese characters. The hosts provide free transcripts and other materials related to the episodes on their blog.

Learn Chinese With Ju - A vocabulary building podcast aimed at intermediate learners. The podcast episodes are short at around 4-6 minutes and the host speaks about a variety of topics in a mix of English and Mandarin.

xiaoyuzhou fm - An iOS app for native speakers to listen to podcasts. I’m told it has a number of interactive features. If you have an android device you’ll likely have to do some finagling with third party apps to get this one working. As this app is for native speakers, the app is entirely in simplified Chinese.

Apple Podcast directories for Taiwan and China - Podcast pages directed towards users in those countries/regions.

SELF STUDY TEXTBOOKS AND DICTIONARIES

Learning Chinese Characters - This series is sorted by HSK levels and each volume in the series is around $11. Used and digital copies can also be found for cheaper.

HSK Standard Course Textbooks - These are textbooks designed around official Chinese government affiliated HSK tests including all of the simplified characters, grammar, vocab, and cultural knowledge necessary to pass each test. There are six books in total and the books prices range wildly depending on the level and the seller, going for as cheap as $14 to as expensive as $60 though as these are pretty common textbooks, used copies and cheaper online shops can be found with a little digging. The one I have linked to here is the HSK 1 textbook. Some textbook sellers will also bundle them with a workbook, some will not.

Chinese Made Easy for Kids - Although this series is aimed at children, I'm told that it's also very useful for adult beginners. There's a large number of textbooks and workbooks at various levels. The site I linked to is aimed at people placing orders in Hong Kong but the individual pages also have links to various other websites you can buy them from in other countries. The books range from $20-$35 but I include them because some of them are cheaper and they seem really easy to find used copies of.

Reading and Writing Chinese - This book contains guides on all 2300 characters in the HSK texts as of 2013. Although it is slightly outdated, it's still useful for self study and is usually less than $20 new. Used copies are also easy to find.

Basic Chinese by Mcgraw Hill - This book also fuctions as a workbook so good quality used copies can be difficult to find. The book is usually $20 but it also often goes on sale on Amazon and they also sell a cheaper digital copy.

Chinese Grammar: A beginner's guide to basic structures - This book goes over beginner level grammar concepts and can usually be found for less than $20 in print or as low as $2 for a digital copy.

Collins Mandarin Chinese Visual Dictionary - A bilingual English/Mandarin visual dictionary that comes with a link to online audio files. A new copy goes for about $14 but used and digital versions are available.

Merriam-Webster's Chinese to English Dictionary - In general Merriam Websters usually has the cheapest decent quality multilingual dictionaries out there, including for Mandarin Chinese. New editions usually go for around $8 each while older editions are usually even cheaper.

(at the end of the list here I will say I had a difficult time finding tv series specifically made for learners of Mandarin Chinese so if you know of any that are made for teenage or adult learners or are kids shows that would be interesting to adults and are free to watch without a subscription please let me know and I will add them to the list. There's a lot of Mandarin language TV that's easy to find but what I'm specifically interested in for these lists are free to watch series made for learners and/or easy to understand kids shows originally made in the target language that are free and easy to access worldwide)

[nipuni]

Hi Nipuni, I hope you’re doing well. I’m just curious what’s your opinion about the rampant use of AI in art lately especially how it impacts artists and possibly stealing artists work to train it. As a fellow artist I’m curious of what other artists would think of this. I’ve seen many beginners artists losing hope in pursuing art because of AI and it truly breaks my heart. I hope artists wouls stay doing art no matter what because it’s very important and their art will always be valuable no matter what. By the way, you don’t have to reply to this if this particular topic is not something you’re comfortable with. I love your art so much and I wish all the best for you, you are an incredible artist and I love the energy you always put into your art🫶

Hello, I am doing great! I hope you are too! ☺️ I'm so sorry I'm so late to reply. I've been following the generative AI conversation on and off for so long now and I have yet to find a single argument that justifies it's cost. I don't think I have much to add that hasn't been said before. I think it is unethical, unsustainable, irresponsible, dangerous, harmful, theft, etc. It is neither intelligent nor generative, it doesn't think, it can't reason it's guided guessing based on statistics and pattern recognition. it's not creating anything new either it's just pulling from a database of stolen human content and mashing it together, it can't be trained on itself either so it needs constant human input too. I just don't see the point? 🫠 It's some kind of gimmicky toy made to appeal to the most annoying people imaginable by the most annoying people imaginable to profit from and at immense cost to everyone else. It's negatively impacting every creative industry in every way and even affecting the way we learn, communicate and engage with media. It's invading everything and making it objectively worse lmao. It's also dangerous in countless ways. An environmental disaster too and for what!! aaaaa It feels like a huge cultural setback and technological dead end and it's so depressing. I wish I had something positive to add after so much ranting but I don't 😔 The impact of this on creative fields among others is undeniable and I fear will make things harder for a while but I'd like to think that it's still early days and there are so many people fighting to regulate this mess and we all can help by advocating and boycotting at the very least.

If anything this whole debacle has made me examine my relationship with art more deeply and I realize I love the process of making art more than I love the result. The space between idea and finished piece that is all me, I'm in there!! and I love it there!! I can't see myself doing anything else or relegating this part. This will change things at a societal and economical level but people will always make art. I don't know where I'm going with this, I don't think the philosophical is a good angle to center the conversation on either, but I guess it's a comfort 😭 'In the dark times Will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.' poem comes to mind

This reply got away from me oh my god sjfkhg I'm focusing on the art side of things here of course but I could go on about the damage to plenty of other fields but I don't feel qualified enough aaaa anyway Thank you so much for the kind words you are very sweet and I hope you don't let all this discourage you 🥺❤️ we will be alright!!

[lingyunxi]

Self-use Sims 3 CC Tutorials List

Here is a list of tutorials from which I learn to convert/create sims 3 cc in a few months (and as a poor English speaker). I think it might help someone who also wants to try making things for sims 3 but doesn't know where to start, though it's been 15 years from the game release and even Inzoi is coming hahah.

The list covers objects, clothes, hairs and eyes. I know there're lots of tutorials not listed here, that's because I haven't tried them in my projects by hand. But The list will be updated with new things I learn. Most tutorials are in English. Thanks to all these creators for sharing their precious knowledge!

Sorry for the miserable format, cuz I wrote them in Patreon and paste here. You can also read it there, free of course.

Where I find tutorials

sims 3 tutorial hub

ts3 creators cave and its discord

Mod the sims tutorial wiki and the forum

pis3update tutorials tag

General

CC basic concepts by nightosphere (for clothes, most knowledge is shared with objects)

Tools

TSRW guide by apple (for objects, most knowledge is shared with clothes)

Blender

shortcut by Blender Guru

beginner tutorial for version 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 4.0

3.5入门教程 (youtube / bilibili)

设置切换语言快捷键 change language shortcut settings

图片取色器网站

Mesh ToolKit with Seam Fixer for all ages

Topaz gigapixel AI guide / higher quality texture

Texture

Nicer bake / bake in blender 2.78

Bake in blender 2.93

Make normal map

small size blank texture

Reasons for black blocks on baked image

Adjust texture color without losing quality

Object

clone obejcts with S3OC

4t3

Functional Objects

Functional bed

TSRW setting

Combining Textures for Objects with Multiple Textures

Add normal map to objects

Introduction to slot categories

Add slots in TSRW

Edit in-door shadow or occluders in TSRW / Talks about 3 kinds of in-game shadow by Pocci

Clothes

4t3 by nightosphere

Reduce polycount / fix seams, holes, shadows or normals

Bone reference rule

Avoid milkshape workflow / adjust bone assignment and morphs in blender

Manually fix bone in blender

Convert between ages/body meshes

TSRW check list

Fix long clothes clip with body

Fix holes on morphs (easier in blender)

Extrude collars

Create texture in PS

Avoid TSRW workflow / CTU tutorial

Hairs

Avoid milkshape and TSRW workflow / delete backfaces / handmade morphs / DABOOBS guide

Keys pointing to in-game blank textures to save file size (for DABOOBS not TSRW)

Reduce polycount

4t3

Fix weird seam lines on hairs from s4s

Fix pigtail issue

Eyes

Convert contacts to default eyes

[wizardsfang]

Niche Kin Appreciation Challenge

A 30 prompt challenge by @wizardsfang

-

1. Introduce your kin

2. Make a playlist for your kin

3. Share 5 fun facts about your kin

4. Do a photo dump for your kin

5. Assign colors to your kin

6. Share about your kin’s hearthome

7. Share your favorite aspects of your kin

8. Write a poem or drabble

9. Create a moodboard

10. Share a piece of media that relates to/reminds you of your kin

11. Share how you discovered this kin

12. Badly make a minimalist drawing of your kin

13. Assign your kin a food, hobby or genre

14. Create a Userbox or PFP set for your kin

15. Assign your kin an aesthetic & rant about why

16. Write affirmations for this kin

17. Create a club for your kin (or those close) and describe the objective of the club

18. Design a prototype, create, or otherwise share gear suggestions for your kin

19. Talk about how you express this kin

20. Make gifs & do a gif dump for your kin

21. Create a Stimboard

22. Create a “beginners guide” to your kin

23. Make a silly meme or trend for your kin

24. Share memories, shifts, quirks, or feelings this kin may bring

25. Start a silly/lighthearted rumor about this kin

26. Draw or Write your kin in a past or present drawing/writing trend & put sincere effort into it

27. Share your tougher experiences you have with your kin & you how persevere

28. Assign your kin a cutie mark, pokemon type, httyd class, WC clan or any other means or special identification from media & share why

29. Create a watchlist or gaming list for your kin

30. Create anything else you wish you’d seen for this kin

-

Anyone with any kind of type or kin can use this however, this challenge is especially geared towards niche & lesser acknowledged kins

From big to small, nonfiction to high fantasy, this challenge was designed to help give a few small fun things for folk to do to help fill the gaps in content for the things attached to their identity

I encourage folk to use #Niche Kin Appreciation or #Kin Appreciation along with other relevant alterhuman tags to help showcase what they create :]!!

- Image Version for Challenge Here

- Kin Drawing Challenge Here (coming soon)

-

Note: not all kinfolk will be able to fulfill every prompt due to various degrees of representation; users are encouraged to get creative in their means to fulfill the gap WITHOUT using AI to generate or alter works

[hmooncreates]

Research Zine Jam!

Welcome to the February Research Zine Jam!

This jam invites everyone to produce a Zine (either physical or digital) on research they’ve done OR a correctly cited/referenced research paper they really love.

Why This Jam?

Faun (@paladinbaby) and Hollis (@hmooncreates) (us, the co-hosts!) are two people very passionate about research and learning. Once you leave a traditional academic setting, there seems to be a steep drop off in how often you get to nerd out on research, or even get to deep dive into a topic.

So - what do you do about that? You make a zine jam of course

The Goal: To celebrate research you love/has affected you and to make research more accessible. 

Everyone is allowed to participate but we do have some ground rules:

Rules

Not required, but making something physical/that can be printed out is preferred! You can read a beginner-friendly guide here or if you want something more complicated here. 

The zine can be your own research OR a correctly cited/referenced research paper written by someone else. No matter what – your work must be properly cited unless truly all original. 

Be accurate, be careful, be specific. We want this information to be easily readable, but in making it easily readable, we shouldn’t make it inaccurate!

No AI generated content. 

Don’t be hateful! No bigotry allowed.

Future Goals

Our goal is to run this jam every other month, with a two week posting period. This gives everyone a six-week period to get their research together, think, and even collaborate (after this Jam!). We hope as we do this the zine gets bigger and more people get the chance to share information that’s passionate to them!

Happy making!

[ai4nonmarketers]

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These skills are useful for IT professionals, developers, and anyone interested in the growing field of cloud technology.

[vixen-tech]

if you want to -- maybe AUTO with a botanist reader? i just think it'd be so interesting how it would play out !! u dont have to, so only do it if u want to!!

🩹 anon

To be Loved, To Maybe be Changed (Auto x Botanist!Reader)

Oh that certainly is a concept!! It's a great one for Auto to, this put an entire storyline in my head that I think justifies breaking out the oneshot format rather than headcanons. Which works out great because I think out of all the Ai's I've written for, he would need the most 'set up' from how not-sentient he's protrayed in Wall-E. Anyways grab a snack floks this is a long one

It had been many generations since the Axium returned home to earth. Humans, robots, and the all important plant finding themselves back on soil, populating the deserted planet once more.

Things have changed since then. The human body began readapting to earth's gravity, the majority of buildings around the landing site have been fixed up and inhabited, and most importantly: the city is covered in plants. Grasses sprout between broken walkways, invy weaves its way up repurposed skyscrapers, gardens spill out of every available alleyway, a gaint tree stands where that first plant took root all those centuries ago. Each year it seems the sky gets a little more blue.

The ever diversifying flora had captivated you ever since you first had the words to describe it. As soon as you had a say so, you began studying it. Dispite the flourishing growth, any sort of plant husbandry was still something of a lost art. You lived off of the ancient manuals and beginners guides that eventually made their way out of the Axium's archives.

Yet even those could only do so much for you when most of the crops that had evolved from that first seedling had taken forms a far cry from their original pre space-age forefathers. It became your life's mission to learn how to best take care of these new cultivars and of course, spread the knowledge (and hopefully passion) for botany that you had gained throughout your life.

That was what fueled your visits to the Axium. Still parked at the foot of that monumental tree, it had been transformed into something of a community center. With most of its facilities still running and new services offered everyday. You often came to drop off your experimental findings, teach classes, and check to see if other botanists had done the same. Why you began exploring the depths of the halls that one fateful day, you still don't know.

The spaceship was massive, clearly a crowning jewel of its time. To this day many rooms remained unused and largely blocked off. The bustle and warmth of public spaces giving way to dust and insect nests as you roam through areas no longer needed. Bathrooms too far from the people to warrant upkeep, storage rooms that were once filled with replacement parts for the robots that now walked side by side with humans. And at the end of your journey, the captain's quarters.

The door was practically sealed shut with age, and the room behind it was hardly any better. The air attacked you with a cloud of dust once you finally managed to shove open the door, and no matter how much you rubbed your eyes there still appeared to be an almost foggy looking quality to the room.

That's when you found Auto.

He was still dangling from the ceiling above a control panel you doubt still worked. You had seen and befriended many robots before, they were just as common as humans in the city nowadays with remarkably little tension between them. Recognizing that the innert steering wheel in front of you was once one, your heart ached. You were no mechanic, but surely you had to at least try to get him up and running again. What can you say, you were always a bit of a bleeding heart.

After carefully detaching him from the ceiling you carried what was essentially an inanimate hunk of metal all the way back home with you. People stared, sure, but they kept any questions or judgments to themselves as you made your way home.

Your residence was rustic, to say the least. A fairly rundown shack renovated into a makeshift greenhouse. Produce and flowering plants alike overflowed from their neat rows of pots on benches. Some were for you, more were to sell, all were part of research in one way or another.

You loved walking through your own little botanical garden to get to your living quarters. The moment you pass through the front doors you're always hit with a wave of earthy freshness. The smell of petrichor and pollen greeted you (and your new... friend?) just as it always did. Never once failing to make you feel at home.

Your living quarters themselves were similarly homey. Not drastically bigger than a hotel room, it's a modest living area with a kitchen tucked in the corner and two doors along the wall. One leading to a compact bathroom, the other your bedroom. Some may call it cramped, but to you it's cozy. You spent most of your time in the greenhouse anyway.

That might have been the only day you mourned your lack of space. As if he were a friend you had to drag home after a night of drinking, you placed Auto on the couch. Promising to yourself that you'd do your best to fix him up. You'd probably have to give him some wheels to, since you ripped him from the ship. Well, your life could always use some more excitement.

--------------------

Your knowledge of machinery had definitely improved over the past few weeks. On all accounts you were extraordinarily lucky that he was in such good shape. Age had rendered most of his circuits unusable, but isolation kept them from becoming unrecognizable. Night after night you would come home with a new part and with surgical delicacy, swap it out for its damaged counterpart.

You had heard stories from the time of the Axium. You knew of the 'evil autopilot program that tried to trap humanity in space'. You knew that you were probably trying to fix said evil autopilot program. It may have been the weeks of one sided bonding, but you didn't buy it. Surely at worst he was just following orders. And who knows, maybe with some free will he might be able to turn over a new leaf.

--------------------

"What happened?" His voice was striking, deep and inhumanly regular in a way that was still seen a trademark of artificial speech. He was upright on the wheeled body you attached him to, the red eye (camera?) at the center of his face seemed to scan you up and down before doing the same to the room around him.

The cocktail of pride and anxiety had yet to leave your chest. You attempted to explain, "Well I fixed you-"

"Before that." He interrupted. Slowly wheeling himself to the living room window, still unsure of the new addition you had made to his body. "Where are we?" He added.

You should have been prepared for that one. "We're on earth, in my house." You watched with apprehension as he stared out the window. The steering wheel that made his outer body clicked back and forth as if he were swaying in thought.

"Earth is habitable." His voice lacked strong inflection, you were unsure if he was asking you a question or stating the fact to himself.

"It has been for a long time." You said as gently as you possibly could. "You were... on that ship for centuries, a lot has changed since then."

If he was listening to you, he made no effort to show it. Instead continuing to look outside as if he were zoning out in thought. "There are plants", he observed.

The view out that window wasn't remarkable by any means. Just some grass and a few odd trees before the city's skyscrapers blocked your line of sight. But the mere mention of plants was always enough to get you excited. "Oh if you're interested in plants you should see this." Gesturing for him to follow you as you opened the door to your greenhouse.

He paused for a moment before trailing behind you.

--------------------

Auto made for a strange guest. With no astro-cruise to run he spent a considerable amount of time staring at you while you worked. It was only as you were measuring the pH of your plants' soil that you began narrating your work to him. It started as a way for you to simply diffuse the tension and explain why you were so invested in the vegetation.

He made for a good wall to rant to. You didn't have many close friends and certainly none as into botany as you, most other botanists spent as much time with their garden as you do. But thankfully, no matter how much you asked if you were being annoying, he would repeat that "The information is important, please continue." All while focused on whatever orchid you made the subject of your newest lecture. You did make it clear that he was free to leave at any time.

He never did.

--------------------

Your first trip to the Axium since Auto's reactivation was an awkward one, at least on your part. When you announced that you needed to go to drop off your latest batch of research he requested to could come with, one of the first things he asked of you since waking up.

Perhaps you shouldn't have been surprised, Auto had barely took a step outside your home. Relying instead on you and whatever books or documentaries you had to fill him in on what the world had become. Who were you to deny him some fresh air?

Although you had grown much more comfortable around him you were still anxious to hear what he thought of everything. And as always his judgment came in the form of definite reports. It was all "Humanity is stable." Or "Plant life is flourishing." If he had any semblance of opinion, he didn't tell you about it.

He didn't behave much differently on the Axium, continuing to trail you like a lost duckling and thoroughly scan the surroundings. It wasn't until you met up with a fellow herbalist that he spoke a word.

They asked you about a specific project you were working on, a new crossbreed of a medicinal herb of particular interest to them. However, as it wasn't the purpose of your trip you didn't have any of its records on you. You were about to apologize and tell them so until Auto informed them, "The crossbreed has shown accelerated growth but a greater sensitivity to sunlight." The herbalist thanked both of you and walked off.

Even though you shouldn't have been shocked to learn that he was actually storing the information you spat at him, it was still nice to know that he cared to some degree.

"Thank you, Auto."

"You're welcome."

--------------------

The days have gone on much the same since then. You had never sought out an adventurous life. Often you go out the greenhouse in the morning and find Auto observing the various moths and flies that had evolved as pollinators alongside the new flora. "Morning Auto!" You would cheerfully greet.

You never fully understood why he stayed, but it didn't matter to you at this point. He was here and he made no effort to go. You had more than enough room in your life for him anyway.

"Good morning."

And so another day starts.

[aesethewitch]

Getting Started with Tarot (the "Aese Way")

This post requires a disclaimer: These steps, suggestions, warnings, and bits of advice are based largely on personal experience. Tarot and other forms of divination are extremely diverse practices. Please do not take this post as a definitive work or point of authority. You should read widely, study your own cards, do the work of practicing with divination, and think about your wants and needs on your own before wholly subscribing to any method.

Okay, disclaimer done! Let's talk tarot.

When you're just getting into tarot for divination purposes, it's really daunting. 78 cards to memorize -- and then you have to memorize them upside-down? And then you have to figure out how they fit together when they're drawn. And then there's the task of making it make sense. There's a lot to learn and a lot of sources to draw from, often with different or conflicting advice.

I get questions from time to time about how to get started or how to get better, so here you are: my hat in the ring with ideas to get you started reading tarot.

I'm dividing this post up into sections that represent steps to dipping your toes into tarot reading. This is an extremely basic overview for total beginners.

Step 1: Picking a Deck

First things first, you gotta pick your tool. Digital decks or tarot apps are fine to use if you don't have the money for a physical deck, but I would suggest avoiding their generative AI features. You want to learn and think for yourself, not rely on a bot to do your thinking for you.

My suggestion is to choose a deck that you think you'd like to use. You're going to be looking at this thing a lot, so it's important that you're not forcing yourself to use a deck you dislike. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is a classic; a lot of sites and posts you find online use it as the primary reference for their guides. For your first deck, I'd probably suggest going with something that isn't super abstract. I would also personally suggest getting a deck with full art on all cards, not what's called a pip deck (a deck where the Minor Arcana cards just have a representation of the suit, sort of like a deck of playing cards).

Basically, pick one that you like and that makes sense to you, art-wise. It doesn't have to be purchased for you unless that's a tradition you want to adhere to. It's not universal.

Step 2: Pull 'Em Out and Look at 'Em

What you're going to do is sit down in front of a flat surface with a notebook and writing implement (or your preferred writing program, or a loose piece of paper, or whatever). Pull the deck out of its box. The deck will probably come with a booklet, which is sometimes referred to as a "little white book" or "LWB." Give it a skim if you want, but otherwise, set the booklet aside.

Don't shuffle or mix the cards up yet. Flip them over and get a good look at the art. Just kind of admire them for a minute and get a basic gist of their style and themes.

Once you get to the end, do it again, this time slower. In your notebook, jot down the name of the card and your immediate thoughts. Observations about the card's art, the figures in it, features in the background, the way it makes you feel, that sort of thing. You're not doing analysis at this point, you're getting a first impression of the cards.

Once you get to the end, do it again, this time even slower. Now, analyze. Think about color theory: Why is the sky yellow, why is this figure's hair black, why are those flowers red? What could the symbolism mean? If there are actual symbols, what do they mean? Look them up if you need to or jot them down for future research. Consider where your eye is drawn on the art and why. What do you think the figures could represent? This is where you're analyzing the card's art. Really take your time here. Do it in several sessions if you have to.

You're attempting to guess the meaning of the card, yes, but you're also applying your personal experiences to the card in front of you. In doing this, you're already creating your own unique lens through which you will eventually divine from these cards.

It's extremely cool.

Okay, so now, you've got your upright card meanings… now, do all of these steps upside down. You can do this at the same time as the upright meanings or do it afterwards. Either is fine based on your preferences. I don't think it makes much of a difference.

After you've got your analysis all written out, now go look at the book. Compare your notes to the "official" meanings. If something is different, consider why that is. Did you misinterpret the art, or do you just have a different perspective? It's up to you whether you want to use the booklet's definitions or your own -- or blend them together into a beautiful combination.

I am strictly anti-memorization when it comes to tarot cards. I'm of the opinion that you get a more powerful understanding within a reading when you're interpreting the art in front of you with your own mind rather than someone else's definitions of what "should" be correct. Plus, using this method means you don't have to feel bad about forgetting the "official" meaning of a card. It gives more flexibility to the reader to interpret, which does have its downsides (twisting meanings to a desired outcome being the foremost issue).

Of course, this is entirely subjective. I've met diviners who do excellent work by reading directly from their decks' booklets, so your mileage may vary.

Additional reading: This excellent post by @windvexer answering a question about memorizing card meanings and an alternate method for learning them.

Step 3: Blending Multiple Cards' Meanings

Okay, so you've got your deck -- check. You've done your analysis of each card -- check.

Now, sit down with your deck and notes, and draw pairs or trios. Take note of their individual meanings. Consider what the cards have in common and how they oppose each other. How are they interacting?

If two cards have similar meanings, it could be a harmonious pairing that strengthens that particular meaning. And if that's the case, does that aspect of the cards overshadow everything else the cards could mean? Or are there additional meanings in the background?

On the other hand, if the cards are strong opposites, it suggests conflict between the two, or perhaps an imbalance between their aspects. Does one card seem to dominate over the other, or are they in a stalemate? For example, a Major Arcana card typically "feels" stronger than a Minor Arcana card, and it may overshadow the Minor's meaning; whereas two Major Arcana cards would typically be an "even match," so to speak.

A pair could match well in one way but conflict in another; it's important to think in layers, too. Consider the different ways the cards fit together -- your first impression probably isn't the only possibility.

Repeat this a handful of times until it starts feeling natural.

Step 4: Asking Questions

As it does start feeling natural, try sprinkling in questions. This is where you're going to start applying those card meanings to material situations.

Go for things you'll be able to answer in a short period of time or even immediately. I would strongly suggest writing down all of your tarot readings, including and especially the ones that end up being incorrect. Jot down the cards you drew, what their assigned meanings are, and how they could apply to the situation at hand. Make a prediction if you're feeling bold.

A personal favorite is drawing a couple cards before watching a movie -- avoid all spoilers and go in without prior knowledge, do a quick reading about how the story will develop or even end, and then enjoy the movie. Come back to the reading to see what you got right, what you got wrong, and what you may have misinterpreted with hindsight. Write down those thoughts, too; they're important.

Don't worry if the meanings of the cards shift or morph as you practice. That's normal!

If you find that your answers are routinely incorrect or that you're consistently misinterpreting cards, that's also normal when you're getting started. Consider this ask I answered awhile ago about being wrong in divination. I also wrote a post about troubleshooting divination that might come in handy, but the gist is to consider:

Are you anticipating a particular answer before you draw cards?: Personal feelings, hopes for a particular answer, and fears surrounding a situation can skew your reading results. This happens to even experienced diviners! Don't be discouraged about it. Take note of your biases before drawing the cards and then account for them in the reading -- and learn when to ask someone else for a reading if it turns out you're just too close to get an accurate answer.

Is the question you're asking phrased well? (For example, are you asking a yes/no question when an open-ended question would do better?): Learning how to phrase a question for divination is, in my opinion, just as important as learning card meanings. Some tools aren't suited for certain types of questions. And, remember, watch your phrasing when it comes to fishing for answers. You're likely to get the answer you're looking for, not the one that's truest.

Are you struggling to apply cards' assigned meanings to the situation at hand?: This is, I think, the hardest part to learn. Especially when a card doesn't seem to match the question at all! Part of the issue may be getting too specific or fishing for answers with your questions; be a little more general and see if it helps while you're practicing. If this is a consistent problem, I would suggest returning to your notes. Jot down categories of questions like "love," "career," "knowledge," "happiness," "barriers," and anything else that comes to mind. Write out how each card might apply in each category, and don't skip any -- especially the ones that don't "match."

Are you struggling to get into the "right headspace" for divination?: Try moving to a new location. Light some candles or incense if you like them. Set out a nice cloth. Have a cup of tea. Do a little incantation to set the mood. Sometimes, a little theatricality is all you need. Check in with yourself about your physical and emotional needs, too: Are you hungry, tired, thirsty, upset? Prep for divination by doing a little self care and see if it helps.

Step 5: Practice with Others

You've done some questions for yourself, divined about movies and TV shows, done a little troubleshooting, and you're feeling more confident about the card meanings! Now, take what you know and ask someone else if they'd let you practice on them.

This can be a really daunting thing. I mean, what if you're wrong?? What do you do then??? First of all, no one gets angry at a beginner for being off unless you're pretending to be all-knowing and perfectly accurate (don't do that). Second of all, if they do get angry, they're the asshole here, not you.

I would suggest reading for either people you know and trust or within a community of people who are also diviners/magical practitioners. Ideally both! Discord servers are really good for this sort of thing. Or, if you prefer, you can make a post on your social media/forum of choice asking for guinea pigs.

The key here is to be honest about being a beginner and wanting practice. Ask for feedback. Some folks require it, but that's a personal preference. Do them as publicly-posted asks or in DMs, whichever is most comfortable.

Set rules. Decide what kinds of questions you will and won't answer. Make your boundaries clear and then enforce them. Ideally, choose questions you've practiced with already or go for general readings, at least at first. Branch out as you get more comfortable.

When you ask for feedback, make sure your querents know they're allowed to say negative things about the reading. They should say whether something was wrong, didn't make sense, didn't apply, or could be improved somehow. Take praise with humility and critique with grace. It's part of getting better.

If you're not sure how to put a practice request out into the world, see what others are doing. Check out experienced diviners' posts offering readings. Heck, look at other beginners'. Read through their rules. See how they do their readings. Don't lift their style or their words wholesale, but it's okay to borrow aspects you find appealing or that you think would suit you. Be inspired.

Step 6: Keep Doing It

Tarot is like any other skill. To get good at it, you have to practice. You have to stretch your muscles. It's not enough to just think about it or wish you could be better at it. You have to pick up the cards and draw them.

Over time, you'll develop a style that's unique to you. You'll discover your strengths and how to leverage them to the best possible result. You'll learn your weaknesses and how to account for or improve them.

Remember that your style of divination doesn't have to look like anyone else's. Keep practicing, take notes, learn from your mistakes. And then, y'know, keep doing it.

Step X: Caveats

A list of caveats, disclaimers, and reminders, because there's nuance in them there hills:

You do not ever have to read for other people if you don't want to.

Anyone can learn tarot. You do not have to have a "gift" to learn how to read tarot cards or perform other divination.

On the other hand, some people will have an easier time learning tarot than others. It's the same as having an affinity for math or reading quickly without effort or having a naturally muscular physique. If you have a natural inclination for tarot, that's wonderful! Don't let it go to your head.

And on one more hand, there are some people who will never "master" tarot. For some folks, it just doesn't mesh. To them, I suggest trying different tools. If tarot doesn't work for whatever reason and you really want a divination tool, try runes, pendulums, scrying, playing cards, casting lots, bone throwing… There are tons of tools and methods out there. Tarot is popular, but it doesn't have to be for everyone.

Some folks read clearly for themselves and not others. Some folks read clearly for others but not themselves. You'll have to practice to see which you are.

My method is very thorough, meticulous, and most certainly not for everyone. You may find more success in memorizing the guidebook that came with your deck than interpreting the art without it. Do what works for you, etc., so on, so forth

The most required disclaimer to this entire thing is that I learned tarot with a spirit's assistance. I used a version of these steps while I was learning, but it was a very different experience. It was a deal that I made when I was ~19 years old and definitely didn't understand what I was getting into. Asking for help from spirits, especially ones you know already, is both enriching and convenient. Consider it as an option, just… y'know, maybe no pacts until you know what you're getting into. Or do what you want, I'm not your dad.

Step Shilling: Shilling

If you enjoyed this post or my other work, consider tossing some dollars my way. Ko-Fi supporters get early access to posts like this one and sometimes exclusives (when I'm not recovering from life's one-two punches). "Support" includes tips, memberships, shop purchases, tarot readings, and custom spellwork. Members get discounts and other benefits.

Thanks for reading! Extra thoughts and questions are always welcome in the reblogs, replies, or in my askbox.

You can also read a nicely formatted version of this post on my website!

[scribefindegil]

Hi! You mentioning mushroom hunting, how did you first get into it? I've been intrigued by it, but I've always been taught to stay well away from wild mushrooms, as there's loads of poisonous ones like death cap and fly agaric around us and how easy it can be to make a mistake... I can't get over my "no you absolutely shouldn't do that ever" instinct

My parents had been foraging mushrooms for a long time before I got into it, so I had them to help me out when I started! That's pretty much an ideal situation, but there are other ways to get into mushroom foraging if it's something you want to explore.

Foraging always carries a higher level of risk than buying cultivated mushrooms at the grocery store, but you can mitigate that risk SIGNIFICANTLY by finding experts to help you when you're starting out and sticking to mushrooms that don't have poisonous lookalikes. You absolutely need to be careful and there *are* dangerous mushrooms out there, but I feel like people unfamiliar with foraging tend to have an "everything will kill you!!" attitude which is generally unhelpful.

To start out, if you don't have friends who forage, see if your local area has a mycological society or if anywhere around you offers mushroom identification classes. This is how my mom got started! I highly recommend finding somewhere where you can interact with people in person and have someone with experience help you with your first IDs. It will help you learn what to look for, how to use a field guide, and the types of environment that are best for looking for mushrooms.

You will also want to buy a good regional field guide! Make sure it's reputable; there have been instances lately of people putting up AI "field guides" with dangerous and incorrect information. If you find a local class or group, they will be able to give you recommendations. Even before you start looking for edible mushrooms, you can begin paying attention to interesting mushrooms when you go for walks and see if you can identify some of them! It's good practice, and you will start to develop the skills you need to be certain of your IDs. Also it's fun to make spore prints!

When it comes to harvesting mushrooms to eat, there are some really good beginner mushrooms that are easy to ID and don't have dangerous lookalikes. To be honest, I still pretty much stick with these! They will vary depending on your region so make sure you look into local resources. Here in the Midwest, Chicken Of The Woods is my favorite, but there's also Hen Of The Woods (a different mushroom!), Giant Puffballs, Lobster Mushrooms, Black Trumpets, Lion's Mane, and Hedgehog Mushrooms. Morels and Chanterelles *technically* have poisonous look-alikes, but of the "if you know even the basics of how to use a field guide you will not get these confused" variety. Still get your ID confirmed by someone knowledgeable, and eat just a small portion any time you try a new mushroom because you can have allergies/intolerances just like with any other food, but there are a lot of accessible and delicious beginner options!

Hope this helps!