#I had to be told this myself by a Beginner Advice Post way back when

[disabled-dragoon]

You don't have to answer this ask if you don't want to but I kinda need advice and I do not know where to start.

This is going to be a long vent I am so sorry.

I'm a minor and I have chronic pain. When I was young I was always told I had hyper mobility because my dad has it (that was a lie). I was also told that it was untreatable, incurable and I could do nothing but live my life in pain (again a lie).

A few years ago I started spiraling down disability/mobility aid youtube, because I was in so much pain and I could barely walk. Which made me have to stop ballet, and that made some of it better.

Anyways, a few months ago I went to my physiotherapist and mentioned my hyper mobility. She said I didn't have it, and did the exam on me. She also said that my chronic pain came from not sporting enough (i stopped sporting because of my pain.)

Either way that kinda broke me, because there was no explanation for anything and I was still in pain. So I went to my local doctor and she said I probably have fibromyalgia and she said I should go to a special physiotherapy (I have school and exams and I said I'll do it after I finish high school, she thought that was a good plan).

But yeah, I am still in pain right now. And I kinda want mobility aids because there are days I can barely walk. I discussed this with my mum, and she kinda doesn't know what to do with it. I just want to go to the doctor and ask them, but I don't know how to convince her.

My dad is apparently anti-mobility aids, and he also said he lied about being hyper mobile. He says he has this unnamed thing going on, and that I should do the thing his physiotherapist told him to do, like 30 years ago. For a disorder that didn't exist back then and he doesn't know anything about. As in, he doesn't even know -what- condition he has.

Oh his advice btw was to not try to find external help, but fixing it myself because that's the only way to get rid of the pain.

I'm so pissed off about it, but I know talking to him wouldn't help (he's kinda bad dad like that).

I just feel sick because of the pain and I don't know what to do. It really sucks it really really sucks.

I don't know if you can give any advice or anything at all, but anything would be appreciated.

- 💚

I don't know if there is much advice that I can give you in this situation, unfortunately. My fear is possibly making the situation worse for you, and I do not wish to do that.

I'm so sorry you've had to go through all of this. It sounds awful, but it's good to see that you are trying to take steps to make things better, however difficult they may be at the moment.

That first physiotherapist was ridiculous, good on you for getting a second opinion. Waiting for physiotherapy isn't ideal, but I'm glad you have the option for the future and I really hope it helps you. You should never do exercise beyond your comfort levels, however, if you want to look into some light physio-like exercises while you're waiting to see if helps at all, I have some links here that may be useful to check out:

Justin Agustin: A fitness influencer who does a lot of videos on "beginner workouts" and gentle exercises to help with mobility. Actually, all of the exercises in this video are exercises that I have done in my own physio at some point.

Alycia Klein: This woman has the same condition that I do- Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia- and posts videos about exercises and stretches to help with muscle spasticity and pain. I know it is not the same, but it could be of some use to browse. She is actually mentioned on the official Spastic Paraplegia Foundation website as a reputable resource.

Gentle Chair Yoga: Yes we're all sick of the "have you tried yoga" comments, but hear me out on this! Chair exercise can be incredibly beneficial for those of us who simply cannot stand long enough for much else. And this video, though 9 years old, is created by the Canadian LEAP service.

None of these resources are substitutes for actual medical advice, of course, and you should never try and push yourself beyond your limits if you do try them, but I am putting them here in case you decide to look into them.

In terms of mobility aids, other than sitting your mother down and discussing it with her, I do not have much advice here. I would recommend doing some research into exactly what type of mobility aid may be best for you, and, if possible, having a trusted adult and/or acquaintance in the room with you while you talk to her. It can make the discussion easier, should you choose to do it. Also, sometimes it can be easier if a professional- such as a teacher- brings the issue up with them first so you don't have to be the one to broach the subject first.

You're going through a difficult time and it's easy to start to feel like no one is listening to you. But that's not true, and you always have a space here to vent or seek advice if you ever need it.

Take care, anon.

[pilferingapples]

First Five Tags Please

I feel like I haven’t seen an Intro To Tumblr post going around in a while and we all know Tumblr Staff doesn’t tell us a single solitary thing, so here is a Useful Thing To Know About Tagged Search and Maintags, for New Users: 

-”tagged search” is the search you’ll get with tracked tags. It looks like this : “tumblr. com/tagged/ Whatever Thing You Want To Find” , like  “tumblr.com/tagged/potatocat” 

-It’s more targeted and generally more useful for relevant results than searching tumblr with “search” (which is mostly useful on individual blogs IME but I digress)

-on any new post, only  the first five tags go into the Tagged search. So a post tagged 

#haha #comics #red #blue #potatocat 

will show up in the “tagged/potatocat” search; but a post tagged 

#haha #comics #red #blue #funny #sneakers # potatocat 

will not.  

- this only matters with new posts; reblogs don’t show up in /tagged searches at all. 

- What this means is if you want your art/fanwork/etc to be easily found, please tag your fandom or subject matter in the first five tags!

- if you want your art/fanwork/etc to be easily found, please tag your fandom or subject matter in the first five tags!

-TAG YOUR FANDOM OR SUBJECT IN THE FIRST FIVE TAGS 

please I am begging you,  as someone who is in the fandom tags all the time and still misses so much  because the OP didn’t maintag it. As someone who sees sad fan artists heartbroken because no one has commented on their incorrectly tagged  work.  THE FIRST FIVE TAGS. USE THEM AS YOUR BANNER.  Tag Chat is great but save it for Tag #6 and later on your original posts!

( - by the same token, it’s a piece of Old Tumblr Etiquette that anything tagged after  the first five tags is understood as semi-private.  The first five tags are an invitation to open discussion/debate; the others are for personal organization/talk with mutuals, courtesy for blacklists, etc.   Arguments, conversations between mutuals, Character/Ship hate, personal news or rambling, WIP posts, whatever-- if it’s Tag 6 or Later, by this rule, people discussing it are doing the courtesy of getting the discussion out of the main square and should not be treated as intrusive.  This rule was never followed universally and is even less so now, since non-tag search has been in use, but when people say “don’t tag hate” or “keep it out of the maintags” or use five obvious filler tags before tagging the real topic, that’s what’s going on.)

- but most of all please maintag your fanwork please 

this post brought to you by me telling three artists in the past week why I couldn’t find their art in the tags 

live,  laugh,  LIST YOUR FANDOMS IN THE FIRST FIVE TAGS

thank you. 

[funneylizzie]

Hi there! First of all, I love your art -- all your rottmnt stuff is so lively and fun and a joy to behold. Secondly, I know you do commissions, and I was actually wondering if I could ask for a bit of advice? I'm looking to start doing my own commissions, but the process of starting is pretty daunting. I'm a competent artist, but I'd hardly call myself popular, and I have no idea how to advertise that kind of thing. Or how best to organize payments, or deadlines, etc. I don't expect you to have the perfect solutions/answers to these questions, but any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated! And, again, thanks for sharing all your lovely art <3

Hi there! So sorry I am soooooooo late to responding to this, but I’d love to help! (Even if I’m not the best at it lol) so I’ll go down the list!

1. I’m gonna jump right out there and say I actually was influenced into doing my first commission by someone who rlly liked my art back in 2017! They told me how to set up PayPal n all that stuff, wish I still had that drawing I made for them, it’s rlly neat thinking of how far I’ve come since then!

2. Getting yourself out there is definitely something you need to do, I’ve learned the best way to do that is have a semi-consistent posting schedule, use LOTS OF TAGS, interact with anybody you can, and get your name out there! Social media IS a lot more work than you’d expect, but have fun with it!! I wouldn’t want that to discourage you. As soon as you get a routine it gets real easy

3. For payments, I recommend sticking to one money transferring app. I use PayPal business’s invoicing system, and I’ve found it’s great! Only issue is it keeps your money until you’ve had ~15 transactions, just to show your business is legit. Something like that. You can use regular PayPal too, but I’ve found this one is easier to use for both me and customers, and you’re less likely to get scammed! (Also my tax lady loves PP it makes everything easy for her)

4. As for deadlines, I usually don’t have any, but that’s just how my system works! As soon as my customers send through payment, I let them know that I’ll tell them when I get started. Give yourself plenty of time though! Your customers won’t mind as long as you keep them updated on how you’re feeling and when you think you’re going to begin work.

They love to see updates on rough pieces, lineart/inking, and color!! Makes the wait time seem shorter, it’s content for them, and they can voice anything they need to when you’re working on their piece!

5. I really really really do strongly recommend accepting payment first, whether it be paid in full or half first then half later. Make sure you’re getting at least something for your time! (And it’s a great motivator)

6. That’s really all I have! It’s definitely a learning process, I perfected the commission system probably just at the beginning of last year, and I’ve been doing this for 5 years! You’ve got this though! I believe in you (:

[mistchievous]

Podficcing Advice for Beginners

So, a friend of mine came to me last night and told me she wanted to try out podficcing and asked for some advice. And I realized I had a lot to say to her, so I’m going to share it all here in case it helps someone else. :)

First of all, I’m not going to get into the details of how to make a podfic. I recommend reading A Newbie’s Guide to Podficcing if you’re looking for that information! It’s very detailed and goes into a lot of what you need to know. It also links to other good resources.

This advice is more just little things I’ve learned along the way and my personal experience based on what people tend to assume about podficcing as a whole.

1. Do not get into podficcing if you’re looking for clout. I mean this in the nicest way I possibly can. I’m putting this first for a reason. If you write fanfiction especially, you’re used to getting feedback. You’re used to Kudos and Comments and lots and lots of gratitude. You will not find that here. It’s not malicious. It just kind of comes with the territory. Scroll down the Podfic tag on Ao3 and compare kudos and comments to hits if you don’t understand what I’m saying right now. People will download podfics to enjoy on walks or at work or in the car or wherever and not even consider going all the way back to where they got it to say thank you. It just doesn’t occur to them. It’s not that they’re ungrateful. It’s just the way it is. Then you of course have to take into account that podfics in general aren’t as popular as written fic, etc. etc.

2. This pretty much ties into number one. Podfic for you and you alone. If you’re going to make a podfic, it should be of something you personally enjoy and want to listen to. Because unlike with writing, a lot of the creative process for podfics is technical and therefore tedious. You will burn yourself out if you podfic things for other people that you aren’t personally interested in consuming. I might record something short for close friends, but I’m well-aware that people who do not podfic have no idea how much time and energy goes into creating one. I personally do not take requests. And I highly recommend you don’t either. Maybe it will work for you, but honestly I get fed up even doing paid narration jobs when it’s something I’m not interested in. This may be more of a personal quirk, but especially for beginners, I recommend sticking to what you’re passionate about and enjoy. Because like I said in number one, you’re not going to get much outside validation. You have to really enjoy the process, the source material, and the finished product on a personal level to really want to continue podficcing.

3. Podficcing is a very time consuming process. Be prepared for that. A lot of people seem to think podficcing is just recording yourself reading something and then posting the file, and it is not. There’s a lot more that goes into it (see the guide linked above). Following my personal process, I can expect to spend around 3.5-4x the length of a finished podfic working on creating and editing it. For example, a 20 minute podfic would probably take me about 1.5 hours of work. A ten hour podfic I posted recently took me somewhere between 35-40 hours. When I first started making podfics, it took me longer even because I didn’t really know what I was doing. Some people are probably faster than me. Some are probably slower. Idk where my process falls on the scale exactly, but please understand that you will be spending a lot of time on these. Hence why #1 and #2 are so important. Especially if you do longer fics. Most people who record podfics stick to one-shots under around 10k for a reason.

4. There’s an entire section in the guide on permissions, but on a personal note, if an author has a blanket statement that they “do not allow translations/etc. of their work so don’t ask”, I just assume they probably won’t allow podfics either (even if that’s not true) and don’t bother approaching. I don’t want to step on a possible landmine by asking about something they feel they’ve already addressed and asked people not to come to them about. As the guide will tell you, most people are super on board with having podfics done of their work. Please do not read this and think you can’t approach authors. This is just a personal thing I do when it comes to authors with blanket anti-translations statements.

5. If you have pets, please shut them out of whatever room you’re recording in. I can’t do that anymore. My cats have figured me out, and you have no idea how often I pause recording and stare at the ceiling and wish for death because there are cats wrestling three feet away from me.

6. Always test your equipment. You don’t want to waste an hour and realize your mic was never picking up any audio. Also, use a desktop computer if you have one. If you have to use a laptop, there’s a good chance that (like me) you will only be able to record when it is not plugged in. I can’t record when my laptop is plugged into the wall because even my cheapest of mics pick up audio interference because of the battery charging and it’s a mess.

7. Don’t spend a bunch of money on equipment. Seriously. I have professional equipment for audiobooks, and I use absolutely none of it for podfics. I use a $20 Logitech USB Headset. Because I don’t want podficcing to feel like work. I want it to be fun. Less formal. Not like a job. I want to be able to recline under a blanket while I read. Not lock myself up in a soundproof area with super technical equipment that picks up every breath in a 20-mile radius.

ANYWAY! These are just bits of personal advice that may help you decide if this is something you really want to do.

I hope I didn’t scare you off! We need more podficcers in the world. Hahaha! I just would much rather people know what to expect and not end up discouraged and disappointed when they decide to try this out and it turns out differently than they imagined. 

All my love, y’all. <3

[nikibogwater]

The Norse Chaos Continues:

Featuring yours truly and her two brothers, Tripe and Gustav, all being Incompetent Vikings struggling to survive in the sprawling, harsh world of Valheim.

After our first round of Valheim together came to a close, I decided to spend some time actually learning how to play the game on my own. I did research (Youtube beginner guides and wiki articles), messed around in a single-player world for a few hours, and got myself a little more settled into the game as a whole. I made the mistake of assuming Tripe and Gustav did the same thing.

They had not. When the three of us convened in our shared world once again, Tripe and Gustav were still just as clueless as when we left off. Cue an awkward moment of them standing there in their Rag Tunics (still with no pants), staring at me in my Leather Armor and my functioning house with Comfort Level 5 as though I’d just come back from the space age.

I think the entire play session can be summed up in this single dialogue exchange:

Niki: Do you guys need some help? Tripe and Gustav simultaneously: No, we can figure it out. 45 minutes later: They still have not figured it out Niki: ...You guys, all I’m offering to do is show you how to keep your fire from going out in the rain without smoking out the hut. It’s in the first five minutes of any beginner’s guide you’ll find on Youtube, it’s not really a spoiler. Tripe and Gustav, both soaking wet and with third degree burns, asphyxiating inside their ramshackle house: NO, WE GOT IT, IT’S FINE

Spoiler alert: They did end up needing me to show them how to make a functioning smoke-hatch. 

Gustav accidentally discovered the Black Forest. Hugin told him not to go in there. Gustav ignored him. I also made it clear that I agreed with Hugin’s advice, having actually been in the Black Forest myself and dying there multiple times even after Hugin gave me the go-ahead. 

Gustav: It’ll be fine.

Also Gustav: *pummeled to death by a Greydwarf not ten seconds later*

Tripe tried to accompany him to reclaim his lost items, and both ended up being chased by Greydwarves all the way back to camp before I could reach them and take out the threat with my Flint Spear. Gustav died a second time while I was trying to pry the Graydwarf off of him, and Tripe and I stared at his corpse for a moment.

Because we were now playing at different skill/advancement levels, I spent most of the session wandering off on my own, gathering up Deer Hide and Bone Fragments to make a fancy new cape for myself, as well as looting a Burial Mound for some Surtling Cores. Tripe and Gustav spent the entire time gathering Leather Scraps to build a boat.

I was just venturing out again (clad in my very elegant new cape) when suddenly, Tripe and Gustav proclaimed that they were on a boat. I’d never been on a boat before, so I dashed over to them and hopped on board. 

It was not a boat. It was a raft. And nobody knew how to drive it. I sat there awkwardly as Tripe and Gustav took turns spinning the dang thing in circles in the water and running into the same rock three times in a row.

Just as they were beginning to figure out how sailing worked, it occurred to me that there was a very high likelihood of this vessel sinking at sea, and I didn’t know if I would be able to get my pretty deerskin cape back if I died from drowning. I jumped ship immediately and swam back to shore, where I watched them spin around a few more times before finally muddling their way out to open waters. 

They were out of sight for a moment, and then a loud yelp alerted me to the fact that they had crashed into something and almost broken the boat. They decided to come home after that. They “docked” the boat by violently running it aground. I’m not sure if the raft is even functional anymore at this point. 

Unfortunately for my followers, the Valheim posts will continue for as long as the chaos endures. I feel this is valuable history and needs to be recorded somewhere, even if it means it has to share space with all the Tales of Arcadia stuff on my blog.

[indianascones]

Shadow work vs Self Reflection

Occultism and spirituality are taking the world by storm. You can’t go on any social platform today without seeing it mentioned, referenced, whether seriously or lightly. Like most things that gain popularity, words start to lose meaning and the true definitions become lost. That’s what inspired me to write this post today to the empty void of Tumblr. 

The term shadow work is very rarely understood, but it’s a favorite to use because of the imagery it triggers. It sounds dark, mysterious, complex, and social media Occult Practitioners gain their notoriety by capturing their audience with that appeal. In fact the allure of that practice title probably played a big part in pulling anyone that’s reading this post, in. 

So without further ado, let’s get to the the differences! We’ll start with the easiest and  most common first: 

Self Reflection 

This is what most people on the planet do. When we look back on a situation we aren’t particularly proud of, and think “What could I have done different?”. When we reflect we’ll feel harsh emotions that we’ll want to run from. Shame, sadness, embarrassment, and our thoughts take us to “I can’t do that again!”

To put it simply, self reflection is a review of your actions. In this situation, you are the Cause, and you created an Effect you don’t like. This is healthy and something everyone should do daily. It’s a form of mindfulness, a baby step to being fully aware and accountable for your Vibration, i.e. your Effect. 

Simple enough, right? So let’s move on to what people commonly THINK self reflection is. 

Shadow Work 

Shadow work could be explained simply as “self reflection” but it is so much more than that. It’s a deep investigation to how and why you respond to Effects. It’s deeper than thinking of a previous scenario you don’t like, because that still only shows you the situation from your conscious/earthly perspective, and that’s not the point of shadow work. Our shadow selves are the ugly things our family and society told us were undesirable.

As a result we tucked these things deep within ourselves and suppressed them. This starts from birth. We watch our caregivers and look for ways to get a positive response. Tucking these pieces of us away causes us to react to Effects in ways some people might be confused with. 

I’ll use a personal example:

I use to get irrationally angry anytime I heard Amy Winehouse or anyone mentioned her. She invoked hot, liquid rage within me. This person I never even met, got that strongly of an emotional response from me. I dealt with this for years, to the point I shrugged at my friends that were sobbing over her passing. It wasn’t until shadow work that I discovered why. To do this, I pretended she was there with me. I did two sided conversation myself. 

As me, I asked her why she did what she did. Why did she glorify addiction and drugs? Why did she mock rehab and make it trendy to refuse help? I had to go deep within my subconscious in order to give myself answers. Which, was me answering myself as her.

This is where shadow work can be dangerous. You can lose yourself. You can go too deep. The point is, is to become the other person so you can get a sort of closure on your pain to their Vibration, to whatever their Effect triggers in you. You can only do that by opening yourself to their experiences, their perspective, and ultimately their Vibration, taking it as your own. 

Then, when you’ve asked all you needed of them, it’s their turn to ask you. 

“Why do you care what I sing about?” Amy asked. 

“Because it’s dangerous.” I answered.

“That’s a lie. You fear danger, you don’t get angry. Why do you care what I sing about?” She pushed harder. 

“Because it’s wrong!” 

“Why is it wrong? What makes what I’m doing as a grown adult, sooooo wrong?” 

“Because we couldn’t do it! We couldn’t sing that song, we couldn’t keep partying. My mom told me I was disgusting, I was a loser addict slut like my dad and said my friends were trash and I couldn’t see them! We’re disgusting, my friend is dead, and you’re cool FOR BEING JUST LIKE US.”

Boom. Just like that, I understood years of suppressed emotion. Self reflecting never would have gotten me to that level of understanding. Self reflecting made me run from what the answer was because I was embarrassed by how I felt. And there was no real action, or Cause, to examine. We had never met each other, we were strangers. Self reflection only took me to the repulsion I felt, and that repulsion was given to me by my family and society. Addicts are viewed poorly all across society and I felt my issue with Amy Winehouse was me being on the right side of society. Having the ‘right” view. I was no longer addicted to and popping pills, so I was right and how I felt was right. 

This was just one small example of how Shadow Work has taught me about myself, and given me control of my response to an Effect.

Earlier I said, self reflection is examining your Cause in a Cause and Effect situation, reviewing your actions. So that would make Shadow Work a review of your reactions, even when they’re unprompted. Such as my reaction to Amy Winehouse. She did nothing TO me. My reaction was related to my family telling me a trait I was exhibiting was gross and needed to hidden. 

So in a way, Shadow work is the ultimate self reflection. It tests how you process information, and how you change and react to that information. 

To be clear you can do shadow work on ANYONE that elicits any strong  negative emotion. In future posts I’ll go through various shadow techniques to give advice to beginner, but currently I really wanted to get the differences explained so people can better use them to serve in their life. 

[depizan]

Writing process asks: All the odd numbers!

1. Do you write outlines? How closely do you find yourself sticking to them?

Not as such. Sometimes, I have no more than a vague idea/inciting incident in mind and proceed to make it all up as I go. Sometimes, I have kind of an unwritten outline of the general events of a story (these things happen, in this order), but even then, it’s not very detailed.

So, in as much as I have outlines, I stick to them. But that isn’t saying much.

3. What’s your process like for world building? Do you have a clear definition of the world before starting or do you make it up as you need things?

Aaaaages ago, when I wrote original fic, I world built from the large to small - I had pretty solid ideas of civilizations and such, then invented places within them. Now that I write fanfic, my worldbuilding is mostly worldpatching. Oh, canon doesn’t explain how that thing works? Here’s my explanation. Oh, canon forgot to include any Imperial worlds where you could grow food? Let’s fix that. So these days, it’s a matter of making things up as needed.

5. How do you name things?

Depends on the thing. With characters, some have real world names found by flipping through name books, while others were named by the highly scientific method of scrambling syllables I find appealing or appropriate until something clicks. (And, occasionally, by use of on-line name generators. Which is kind of automated syllable scrambling.)

Places mostly get named via syllable scrambling or name generators. I have a whole spreadsheet of potential ship names, and words that are appropriate for ship names (based both on real world or fictional ship naming conventions of varying sorts - the ______ Star, [country’s royalty], [thing] [animal], etc.

7. How long do you spend in a single writing session? Do you wish you could spend more time?

That varies. There have been times when writing is going swimmingly and I’d write on my lunch break, then come home, make dinner, and write for several hours. There have also been times when I just stare at a blank document periodically and wish words would come.

I wish I could manage to have productive time more consistently. I have plenty of time for writing, really. It’s just that my brain won’t always cooperate.

9. What do you listen to while writing? (If you require silence or some other kind of atmosphere how do you create it for yourself)

I used to be able to listen to songs while writing, but I don’t seem to be able to do that any more. I just sit there and rock out, which is not nearly as useful. I’m trying to scrounge up enough soundtrack and classical bits to give myself a few mood appropriate playlists, since I have trouble focusing in silence. (I’ve also tried various ambient sounds, but, while that’s better than nothing, it’s not as good as music.)

11. Do you know how your story will end when you start writing? Have you ever started out thinking it will end one way and have it end differently?

That depends on whether I started with a vague outline or just a premise/inciting incident. If I have a vague outline, yes. If I’m entirely winging it, nope. When I do know where I’m going, I seem to be pretty good at getting there.

13. Do you immediately post something when you finish it?

Yes.

15.  How many stories have you started and never finished? Are they abandoned or do you want to get back to them eventually?

I have so many abandoned stories from back when I was going to be a “real” writer. Also lots of beginnings from when I was a teenager and better at beginnings than completion.

In more recent times, I’ve got a few bits floating about that just didn’t really coalesce into anything or that I decided wouldn’t work. Maybe I’ll pillage them for good lines some day.

17. How has your writing process changed between beginner writer you and current writer you?

Oh jeeze. Beginner writer me was a tiny child. Except for the few years between when I got sick and when I started writing fanfic, I basically told stories from the time I could talk, drew them from the time I could hold a pencil, and wrote them from the time I could string words together on paper. Young me was an endless font of scenes and ideas and random bits of dialogue and if you left me alone with a piece of paper, it was going to get drawn or written on.

I hate that I rarely have that kind of enthusiasm now. On the other hand, I’m a lot better at actually completing things. But oh boy do I miss that just shameless story burbling.

19. What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Uh…

Oh, wait, I was very stuck on a fic a few years ago because there was a very logical way for things to go, but that very logical way had the potential to end terribly. One of my writer friends suggested I try writing it out anyway as a possible way it might go (or words to that effect), so I did, and lo and behold, it did not end terribly.

21. What kind of story are you writing right now (or planning to write soon)?

I’ve got a couple of adventure fics in the works.

23. Is your story top secret or are you posting updates for it as you go? 

I generally post things chapter by chapter, so when the writing starts flowing again, it will be an update as I go.

25. Free space. Tell me anything you want about writing in general or one of your stories.

Earlier today, I was trying to help a writer friend solve a writing problem they were having and instead we solved a writing problem I was having. And maybe made some progress on their problem, too. \o/

[thedragonslibrary]

Is it possible to be blocked like magick or energy wise? I do not know how to put it in words but sometimes I feel like there is something that i should connect to or should be able to do but I am not. Maybe I am not idk well practiced enough but it sometimes feels like I am running against a glass wall. Maybe I Idk man. I am just really frustrated. I cant really give examples just everytime I do something magick related it feels like running against a wall and it makes me wanna cry. Sorry

Yes, of course it’s possible to be blocked!  

To clarify, your first statement about feeling as though you should be able to “connect” to something is a common beginner issue.  It may simply be that you haven’t found the thing you’re supposed to connect to yet - whether that’s opening your third eye and being able to talk to your guides, finding the deity and/or pantheon you connect most to in a religious manner, or simply opening your psychic awareness fully enough to feel the energies around you.  The best advice I can give is to experiment.  Try everything, and don’t hold yourself back!  

When I was a beginner witch, I tried everything from Wicca to demonolatry to Christian witchery, from reiki to hexing and cursing, from psychopomp work and shadow work and light work and everything you can imagine.  If you can think of it, I probably tried it in some way.  Only by putting yourself out there in as many avenues and paths as you possibly can, will you find what works for you.  If something doesn’t work, doesn’t fit or “feel right,” put it away and move on.  Read everything you can - on Tumblr, in books, in every single resource you can find.  It took me probably five or six years of exploration to figure out what generally “worked” for me, and I still feel like I’m learning and discovering new outlets for my magical expression.

An extra “something” is not for everyone.  Often in magical practices, you are the source of your own power.  Sure, crystals and herbs and grounding and gods help, but ultimately the magic is coming from you.  You might not necessarily need an extra “thing.”  Let your magic be intuitive, don’t let books or Tumblr bloggers tell you how to do your thing step-by-step.  Take spells or rituals and modify them to fit your needs - that is how they’ll be most powerful and useful for you.

But back to the topic of blockages, if you have already had magical abilities previously: I have gone through blockages myself, and they are exactly what you described here: frustrating, like hitting a wall.  Sometimes it feels as though all your “power” has been taken away, and you’re left without your previous magical agency.  You might have the thought that perhaps you were just making everything up all along, that maybe you’ve been deluding yourself.  Trust me, you didn’t, and things will get better!  

In my experience, there are two general types of blocks you can have.  I’ll outline them for you and how they can be worked through.  

The first is a bit simpler, and is more like an art block.  Lots of magic-users go through periods of this softer, mental blockage at some point or another on their path.  It can be sometimes referred to as a Fallow Period, which comes from a similar phrase in farming used to refer to when a partition of soil is meant to rest for a season or two to regain its fertility.  

A Fallow Period can arise from burnout, especially from outside sources creating stress in your life.  

Magic, especially psychic and spirit work, is infinitely more difficult when you are stressed, going through a rough mental health period, or when you are physically ill.  

Fallow Periods can also be caused through divine intervention - your spirit guides or deities may have decided that you need to take a break to focus on real life, or to focus on taking care of yourself for a little while.

Blockages of this nature eventually right themselves, but it can take time - it can last anywhere from a few months to over a year.

The best thing to do when you’re experiencing a fallow period like this is to not force it.  You are only going to frustrate yourself if you continue to attempt to perform magically and have little to no results.  Additionally, you’re going to create a deadly cycle of feeling disappointed in yourself, and eventually burn out so hard you won’t want to do magic at all anymore.

Instead, take some time to create: write poetry, draw, or paint.  Write devotional poetry.  If you want to do magical work, work on your grimoire or book of shadows.  Focus on practical magic you can do with your hands - cooking, creating items with intent, cleansing and clearing your home.

Take time to meditate and perform self-care.  Perform practical, easy meditations like the simple, free ones in the Headspace app, or find guided meditations for free on YouTube that bring you into fun, brightly colored astral spaces.  Take baths and imagine all of your troubles washing away down the drain when you’re finished.  Give yourself room to heal and just feel good about yourself.

When you feel ready to move out of your Fallow Period, it will come very naturally.  Like an urge to pick up a witchcraft book or to astral travel suddenly.  Don’t worry about easing back into it - while taking it slow might be good for some, it’s not for everyone.  If you’re really excited to get back into magic, and you’re being urged to do it right now, go ahead and do it!

The other type of blockage is a physical, energetic blockage.  These are usually sudden-onset conditions.  If one day you are performing just fine magically, and the next you wake up and you can’t feel any of your sixth senses, and you are not physically sick or particularly more stressed out than normal, you probably have a physical energetic blockage.

Ensure first that it’s an energetic blockage.  Perform a reading on yourself, check your energy centers, figure out how you’re feeling physically.  Meditation goes a long way here, as well as visualizing your energy moving through your body.  Does it seem to stop anywhere?  Likewise, do you feel extremely hopeless and drained energetically for no discernible, tangible reason (i.e. depression or a recent traumatic experience)?  Can you not even muster up the motivation to check yourself?  Then you probably have an energetic blockage.

Find an energy healer in physical proximity to you.  Trust me when I say that it is not enough to go to the local Hand & Stone and ask for a reiki massage (I have tried this for you already, and please believe me when I say it’s not going to solve your problems).  Distance healings do work and are worth it, but in my personal experience physical healings tend to be much more powerful when it comes to dismantling blockages in this way.

Ask around at your local metaphysical stores.  Find someone who is a reiki master or another type of energy healer, who has great reviews outside of what’s posted on their website and who has a great deal of experience.  Ask them if they have unedited testimonials anywhere they can share with you (such as Google reviews).  

Ask what their process is, ask to see their healing space, ask them what physical tools they use in their session.  Ask them if they’d be willing to charge a small fee for them to examine you and figure out what’s going on (don’t expect them to do something like that for free).  Remember that they should never suggest that they can heal physical ailments or claim that their services replace allopathic medicine - they should only focus on your energetic issues.  

Explain to them that you feel blocked energetically and that this is exactly what you are looking to be treated for - psychics and healers are not mind readers, and they cannot help you if they’re not told what they need to fix.  

Pay attention to your gut and what feels right.  Even in a blocked state, you always have decent access to your intuition.

I won’t lie, you will likely need to shell out a good amount of money for this.  A good healer worth their salt most likely won’t charge you less than $60 for an hour session.

If you don’t feel some kind of energetic release during your healing session, mention that to your healer.  Since you’ve already told them about your issue, they may be able to give advice as to why you didn’t feel any specific change, as everyone’s process is different and the healer you’ve chosen to work with is going to have the best understanding over the situation, after you.  Again, pay attention to your gut.  Give the healing a couple of days to set in, and make sure to drink plenty of water and pay attention to how you feel.

When I personally dealt with my own physical energy blockage, when it was finally healed it felt like a dam breaking and all of my energy flowing back into my body.  It felt like I had had one of my senses shut off, and for the switch to finally be turned back on.  Not everyone is going to feel this way, but if you’ve been blocked for a particularly long time, it may feel very strong and overwhelming to have yourself be un-blocked.

Whatever your situation is, I hope this post was helpful!  Good luck on finding your solution!

[taltos-seidmadr]

On spirit communication

(art by galactic-castle)

Before I really start making my point, please allow me to make a short prologue about where I’m coming from and why I’m writing this post.

I’m a Heathen, in terms of religion, and in my practice I do some things that can be construed as “spirit work” according to the understanding of the greater community, but I don’t really consider myself to be a part of that community, and I’m pretty much off doing my own thing that is closer to my understanding of my own culture and/or Heathen traditions rather than what I see circulating on the internet most often. There are two reasons why I wanted to bring this up. One, I don’t feel myself qualified to give advice on anything and this might end up the only advice post I ever write, especially regarding this topic. And two, I apologize for occasionally using some terms that might be more specific to me than the actual jargon of the wider spiritworking community, because I’m not in it, but I hope it will be understandable regardless.

One of my spirit worker friends approached me with an issue they were having. It made me realize what a huge underlying issue it is, and it is indeed one that I also used to have, so I told my friend what I did to resolve it - and after their encouragement to do so, I’m telling you all now hoping that it may help some. I think to some degree it can apply both to the spiritworking community and to those pagans who keep in contact with their deities in some sort of way that involves trance work and/or resembles verbal communication. I obviously have no idea whether it’s applicable to every practice or not, so take it with a pinch of salt, but Hungarians have a pretty insightful and witty folk tale about the importance of a pinch of salt in the right place and the right time, so pretend that I made a reference to that and hear me out.

I want you to imagine the following situation:

You are a beginner practicioner of whatever you are doing. You start talking to some spirits, establish relationships with them, and maybe even start making friends. (While I do believe that a god is a type of spirit, right now I’m just including deities in the category of “spirits“ for the sake of convenience, and just know that the overall advice is still applicable if you don’t believe the same.) But real life also demands your time and energy, and so do real life people, so you begin to pay just a little bit less attention to your spirit fam than you would like. And then you maybe spend a little too much time on the hellsite dot com, and you read a post about how if you don’t actually pay enough attention to your spirit fam, then you are one of Those™ spiritworkers, which is Bad. And you barely even notice it, but somewhere in the back of your mind you start feeling guilty. Then the little behavioral psychology mouse that lives in your brain learns that talking to spirit family=electric shock, and thus you start avoiding your spirit fam even more, and you feel even more guilty, and so the cycle keeps continuing with increasing returns (on the guilt, or diminishing ones on the communication end).

My friend was there. I’ve been there. A lot of us have been there, probably. Maybe you didn’t even have to imagine this scenario because this is exactly where you are at.

And this entire guilt-avoidance cycle (just according to my unofficial armchair observation) goes back to an idea that nobody really says out loud but everyone seems to imply, which says the following:

“You should spend exactly as much time and energy on  spirit relationships as you would on human relationships”

and I’m not even going to argue outright with this statement, because in some ways I kinda agree, but this post is already taking me 84 years to write so just allow me to cut to the chase and lampshade something that I don’t agree with.

This statement seems really wise and unassuming... until I remember that in order to spend time and make meaningful interaction with a spirit on that side, I need to tune in.

This is the point where I feel a bit on shaky grounds because I don’t have much to go off of other than my own practice, but maybe some of this will sound familiar. Take this from someone who has just never been completely tuned out probably since birth, that in order to tune in in a truly meaningful way, I still have to expend a LOT of energy, and I’m not even talking about anything magical here, I mean the completely everyday mental energy that I have a limited amount of at any given point. What this means in effect is that if I wanted to treat my spirit relationships exactly the same way as I do my human relationships, I would have to spend about half my life in a highly concentrated trance state, which is

a) probably impossible, b) even if it were possible, it would probaby serve as a serious detriment to my ability to navigate the real world, not to mention the active harm it would do to my physical and mental health on the long run.

You need to keep in mind that regardless for your metaphysical beliefs, you are a physical being and you have an extremely important responsibility to take care of your physical manifestation. And keeping this in mind, instead of allowing myself to run the guilt-avoidance cycle like a hamster runs a wheel, I could do two things that lead to healthier results:

1. Make a healthy, honest and realistic assessment of what you can actually manage

For me it’s kind of a go to, that no matter how little time or energy I had during the day, and no matter how stressed/anxious/whatever I feel at the end of the day, I pretty much always can do at least a little bit of trance before I fall asleep, when I can have a little contact with the spirit family, and it actually helps me fall asleep too, so it’s kind of a win-win-win. I’m bringing this up because I don’t have the scientific receipts on the matter but I’ve heard that something about the state of the mind when it’s getting into and out of sleep is special and that makes trancing easier. Don’t quote me on it, but I’ve experienced that to be true.

2. Involve your spirit family in ways of communication that either don’t involve trance at all, or don’t require tuning in fully

As for the first half, the most straightforward example that comes to mind is divination, or literally any sort of randomized thing that you could use to communicate. The second half is a little bit harder to explain but I will try to give my own personal example.

I want you to imagine a spirit phone. This is metaphorical right now but visually speaking, I really want you to imagine an actual phone, the object. For fun. It has a screen you can read texts on. You don’t even have to imagine it very hard or in great detail, you exactly know what a phone looks like. There are many days when I cannot hold an entire environment in my mind’s eye in great detail, but there is no time when I wouldn’t be able to put so much energy in that I wouldn’t know what is written on an imaginary screen as text. Of course communication like this is a bit limited, but this way you can text your spirit fam any time you want. If you are saying rn, but Sithi, that is the stupidest fucking idea I ever heard, texting my gods?! This is too modern for me! then you need to understand that the point is not whether this is an actual phone you are holding, but the limitation through which you channel the finite amount of mental energy that you have. The point is the focus. That you are only imagining so much that actually carries information value. If you want, imagine a word wall from Skyrim, a magical book, a burning forest floor on which you scrape your message into the smoldering ashes with a holy stick, I don’t know man. Use your imagination. Come up with something that fits into your inner world and makes you happy. Similarly if visualization is not your strongest suit, just work out something that builds on your strengths instead. (Funny thing about the phone is that it’s very good for making voice calls too! Hmm? Hmmmmm? Wink wonk!)

Just keep in mind that just because you cannot do everything that you planned or can even think about, it doesn’t make you somehow inferior or less than a human. It can be good to stretch your limits, to an extent, but knowing where those limits are in the first place is probably THE most important thing you can do for yourself in your spiritual practice (or in anything for that matter) and it’s a piece of knowledge that will make your relationships healthier and easier, no matter what layer of reality you are on. That was pretty much my hot take and I hope this will help you let go of some unrealistically high standards and be a little bit easier on yourselves, because we all need that a lot. Especially right now. 🔥👁️‍🗨️✨

[omega-deku]

So I would love to progress on my art and try comics any tips? ÙwÚ

Hi! I’m so sorry about the late reply. D: I hope you don’t mind if I take this opportunity to address all the anon messages about how we can improve as artists. 

I have a tough time answering this question because there is so much I need to learn. I’m super flattered that some of you feel that my art is good enough to ask me for tips, first of all!! So thank you, guys.

It’s a struggle because I only recently started taking up art again. So I’ve forgotten a lot of the things. So I’m probably not the best person to ask about this.

I used to draw all the time as a kid, but after high school, I stopped drawing. I stopped drawing for almost a decade, pretty much. I really regret it. I feel like I could have come such a long way if I did keep going. My parents really discouraged me from pursuing art, even just as a hobby, too. Even when I left home (I’m back now tho), my ex-spouse, greatly discouraged me from doing art too. I mean, “proper” art. They told me my art wasn’t “real art” because it’s not studio art, it’s “sellout” art, like anime/cartoons/fanart. I had even worse self-esteem as I do now, and I listened to them and gave up. I convinced myself I hated drawing. 

Please don’t deny yourself things that make you feel engaged and connected. If drawing makes you feel good, if it makes you not realize how much time has passed and makes you feel like you’re accomplishing things, even little by little, please don’t stop. Even if you suffer from depression and feel like things like this are pointless, remember that just doing things in general will help you. Drawing is an awesome way to get into the flow state. To me personally, it’s almost like a meditative state and I find it helpful in dealing with chronic pain and mental health issues. 

Anyways, I’ll try to compile some advice sort of things.

ART IN GENERAL

1. Draw what you enjoy! I think the most important thing is to draw what you like. It’s okay if it’s “dumb stuff”. Draw your favorite characters or pairings from your favorite tv shows if that tickles your fancy! You’re much more likely to be spending more time drawing if you’re drawing stuff you like. And as long as you’re drawing, you’re improving. (But still, challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone!)

Especially for those of you who are planning to pursue art as a career, it’s essential that you don’t view practicing art as a chore. 

2. Draw from life. If you really want to take your art to the next level, drawing from life is vital! I think many of us have come across artists who are just amazing, but there are things that look a little “off”. For example, the anatomy doesn’t look quite right, or the perspective is a little wonky. Things like that can be a tell that they’ve learned to draw from other people’s art rather than from life. Or just haven’t practiced the basics enough. (My art isn’t amazing or anything close to that lmao, but it definitely suffers from this. I need lots of life drawing practice.)

There is nothing wrong with learning from your favorite artists, but to really train your “artist’s eye”, you need to strip away all the stylistic choices and go back to the basics. Training that Eye is one of the most crucial things you could do as an artist. 

Just take a piece of paper, a pencil and start drawing what you see. If you can, take figure drawing classes at your local community college, or draw the animals you see at the zoo. Sit on a bench and draw the scenery in front of you. Over time, you’ll start to recognize common patterns, simplify/think of things in terms of lines and shapes.

If you can’t afford a class or have the ability to go outside easily, drawing from photographs can be the next best thing. (See the Resources below for an online figure drawing tool.) I’m not experienced enough to definitively say why this isn’t the #1 idea, but from what I hear, there are things that you’ll miss out on, such as subtle shifts in shadows, colors, and other things that will happen from small movements in pose changes, a cloud moving, or whatever else. A different “feel”, if you will.

With the digital art boom, a lot of artists are learning how to do cool digital effects and fancy things, but forgoing basic anatomy, perspective, shading, etc. Which is all fine if you’re just having fun, but isn’t the best idea if you’re really serious about improving. Practice the fundamentals!

(If you have been dreaming about CalArts at one point like I did when I was in high school, one advice I came across from everyone who went there was to draw from life. All the time. It’s not an answer I expected from people who draw funny looking characters all day. You mean all these people who draw such simplified cartoon people and animals can actually draw like masters? Perfectly rendered bowls of fruit? I didn’t realize how much work goes into animating simple characters.)

3. Put in the time. 

It’s really easy to get suckered into just watching “how to improve” videos all day and thinking about improving. Watching how other artists work is an important learning tool, but you’ll never actually make progress if you aren’t practicing. 

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to not think about it. Just do it. 

It’s like when I’m spending a whole lotta time thinking about getting physically fit than just, you know.. just doing it. “Tomorrow for sure.” 

It may seem like it’s worthless, but doing those lame 5 push-ups a day instead of the 20-minute workout you wanted to put in, is better than nothing at all. You are making progress, no matter how small it may seem.  

Make it a habit to practice every day. That way, you don’t even hesitate. It’s as automatic as brushing your teeth.

All the artists you see who have fantastic, awe-inspiring art may seem like Unreachable Gods sometimes, but those artists didn’t just pull that out of their ass one day. They put in hours and hours and hours of work. Let’s not disrespect other artists by ignoring that and chalking it up to “talent”. No one is born with an innate ability to draw. WE can get there too if we practice!

I want to get good enough to draw the things I have in my head one day!

Some resources that may be helpful:

Draw a Box - This is a site for free lessons for absolute beginners. Look under “Lessons” to learn. The creator of the site is the mod for r/ArtFundamentals. You can post your work there to get critiqued.

Check out Proko’s videos on gesture drawing, art fundamentals, etc. Daily routines of successful artists.

Use this site to practice figure drawing, gesture drawing - Set aside some time to practice drawing people and animals every day. Start trying to see things as lines, shapes, and go big. Don’t get too caught up in the details, and tiny drawings. Learning to draw fast (not draw FAST as in speed, but as in capture the gesture in a post, the “feel” of the movement) will force you to do this more, and with more experience, make your figures less stiff looking. 

And it’s okay if you’re aren’t good at it. You’ll make loads and loads of shit drawings until you can get decent. 

I’m most definitely in this stage right now, trying to train my Artist’s Eye. As in, I can’t just draw a figure from memory. I don’t really know what goes where without a reference, or how they move, etc. You can tell by how stiff my drawings look.

Lulusketches How to Improve video - She has similar advice, but her point about looking at “Art of” books something I have come across from multiple professional artists; Her advice on worrying about finding your own “style” is really good too. Do challenges like she said!

Her playlist of art tutorials & advice is great. They’re short and sweet. Her beginner digital art tutorial got me started on digital art (the one with Ginny Weasley). 

Not free ($30 a month), but these online Schoolism classes look helpful. It’s run by Bobbie Chiu. I saw some great reviews and I want to try them someday. They’re taught by artists in the animation/film industry. But you gotta have a basic grasp on digital art/photoshop for many of the classes, I think? I’m not 100% sure. They’re pre-recorded video lessons. 

You can pay more for feedback from the teachers, but you can also just use it as a self-learning guide. 

This drawing faces from any angle video was pretty helpful for me. The artist has loads of other tutorials.

COMICS

I don’t feel qualified enough to give much advice on comics. I mean, I don’t even draw the lines for the boxes, haha.. However, these comic books are basically required reading for some courses:

Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics & Making Comics.

I can’t remember which one it is that I read, I think it was Making Comics? But wow, if I remember correctly, it was FULL of really useful things about how to make effective comics. I lost the book while moving years ago, but it was FANTASTIC learning material. I loved every panel of it. 

He talks about everything from perspective, placement of characters, speech bubbles, how big panels should be, etc. 

If you can afford it, get a used one and start reading! Even if you don’t want to make comics just yet, it’s super interesting. 

[squirrels-have-hands]

It’s time for me to think about baby artist me and be sad shut up it’s my blog I get to be emotional when I want to.

It boggles me that all I wanted when I was 9 was to be able to perfectly copy those “how to draw manga” books. That’s it that’s all I wanted, I never could back then and it would make me so upset that I would cry sometimes because I thought I would never be a good artist and I would never be happy with what I drew. I mean I still don’t think I’m an amazing artist, there’s so much room for improvement. But I’m happy with it. I realized that everything I draw doesn’t have to be amazing. I learned that I can suck at art, that approval really doesn’t mean anything because I mean what does approval of your art really mean when your a hobby artist? It can be encouraging sure, but does it inspire you to grow? Not really. What matters is wanting to better yourself and that really is the only way you can get better, with dedication and time. I have art I make now that I shrug and go “could be better” but I take notes of what I did ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ . I look at others art and study styles, I’ve picked up an unbelievable amount of techniques just from looking at artists like I like for a few minutes and trying things they do. The copying phase is such an important phase for artists I think and I was scared to do it and I never knew how to trace and learn. I don’t condone stealing art and posting it, or even tracing and posting as a finished and original piece. But I think there’s nothing wrong with sketching and learning the shapes from someone else’s art. It’s hard to look at something and mimic it, especially as a beginner, before you get an eye for that kind of thing. At this point I’ve completely lost where I was going with all of this but. I’m so so proud of myself for coming this far and going farther than what I had even thought of. There’s so much advice you’re given as a beginner that doesn’t make sense until it makes sense. I despised the saying “it takes time” I hated it and I tried to fight it but really, it does take time and it’s something you can’t rush. Art is such an inate and emotional and personal thing, it’s not something you can just put on a timer to learn how to do. And I think that’s beautiful. Growing up I was always told that my hobbies were a waste of time and that I was bad, I took all of it very personally and put down the pencils for a while. But then I came back because even in my nonsensical scribbles it meant something to me and it made me so happy. I’ve stopped drawing for months at a time because of my mental state but every time I come back it feels like meeting an old friend and I get so excited to draw and create something that means a lot to me. Because even if it doesn’t turn out the most pretty and perfect i can do, I sat down for hours to draw and I think about what I’m drawing the whole time, I love to come up with stories of what is happening and why if it’s a scene, if it’s a character I think about them and how much they mean to me. This is really long and really stupid but. Art means so much to me and it always has, I just wanted to positive vent this somewhere and the Twitter character limit would murder me

[blackcotics]

Observations As A Beginner Vegetarian

Being a newly made vegetarian has not been as much of a stressor on my life as I’ve mentally told myself it’d be in the past. Being fully transparent with you all is something that I take very seriously so I’d like to get to the downsides that I’ve been experiencing recently. In my previous blog post, I put you guys onto the plant-based recipe book that I’ve been using occasionally as I begin to get comfortable with this newly found lifestyle. Although I’ve been enjoying the meals that I created, I am losing a TREMENDOUS amount of weight that I’ve had over the past few months. This has taken me aback because for those of you who may not know, I was a full time gym shark from January up until the pandemic washed over us. I was gaining so much muscle and my body was literally thriving! But now, here we are 5 months into the pandemic and I am back to my starter weight as well as losing all the muscles that I had previously gained. Now this can definitely be a push back for individuals who are new to the lifestyle of not consuming meat (me for example), instead of giving up I’ve decided to use this as a form of motivation. So I decided to do my research on how I can gain weight (the healthy way) while also sticking to my vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, and here is what I found!

I stumbled upon the blogger (VeganwithCurves) and I was instantly drawn into her tips and genuine advice, especially as a fellow Black woman! Here are a few things that I took away from her amazing blog post:

1. Eat Calorie Dense Foods

Why? Fats make you feel full and satiated, they are also packed with nutrients and calories. 

(she also gives an amazing comparison between consuming chicken vs. beans and why you should include healthy fats with your beans to help you bulk up!)

- examples of healthy high fat foods: avocados, healthy oils, nuts + seeds, nut butters

2. Increase Protein Efficiency

Why? The quality of protein consumed will maximize your body’s absorption! Our body naturally synthesizes 11/20 amino acids that we have, while the other 9 are dependent on what we consume on a daily basis (these are known as essential amino acids). On one hand, animal protein contains uric acid which puts a ton of stress on the body because of how complex and fixed it is, while on the other hand, plant based protein are not as complex which means that they do not require the same amount of extra work to be absorbed. 

- examples of plant-based proteins: beans/legumes, nuts + seeds, clean vegan protein powder, grains 

3. Consume “Curvy Carbs” 

Why? Carbs have always had a bad reputation in the media, especially from the top fitness trainers in the country. But here’s what they dont tell you: if you don’t give your body carbs, your body will have no choice but to use up the primary energy sources which will lead to the break down of the muscle protein that you worked so hard trying to build. Consuming the right form of carbohydrates is what will get you to that goal weight, so try not to consume the bad forms such as: white pasta, white bread, donuts, cookies, etc!

- simple carbohydrates: fruits

- complex carbohydrates: whole grains, sweet potatoes, squash, quinoa, wheat bread, baby red potatoes, wheat pasta

Lastly, with a healthy weight gain journey comes the biggest enemy of it all: Your mindset! You are your biggest critic, and when it comes down to staying consistent with a healthy diet as well as healthy exercise, you have to make sure that you are mentally okay. Always give your body the rest it needs and do things that you enjoy because if you decide to overwork yourself, all of this will mean nothing in the end. I thank VeganwithCurves for her inspirational and highly informative blog post because I now feel more confident than ever in this lifelong journey to becoming a more healthier being both mentally and physically. 

(check out her website: veganwithcurves.com for more information!)

[comicteaparty]

May 23rd-May 29th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from May 23rd, 2020 to May 29th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

If someone came to you for advice about starting their first comic, what would you tell them?

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

The biggest hurdle I see beginner comic creators (including myself) struggling with is the fear to begin because they "aren't good enough yet." I would tell them to just start. The best way to learn how to make comics is to make comics. You can always go back and fix old pages. Or you don't even have to. The improvement throughout your work can be encouraging. So I say, just begin.(edited)

carcarchu

know your ending before you begin! so many webcomics start and then have no idea how to continue. at least have some kind of idea of the direction you want to go to and at least a basic outline before you begin. you can always change things but going in without a roadmap is a recipe for disaster

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I would tell them to consider a few things: your desired scope, your current skill levels, and how likely you are to still love the project months or years later. I didn’t start with a small scope, so I can’t tell people to keep it simple no matter what, but it absolutely helps. Doing a short 6-10 page comic as your first thing will totally tell you if this is something you like, or totally hate. Assessing your own skill level is hard, but I try and encourage people to practice anatomy and perspective and other skills before diving right into creating a massive world. I’d encourage them to practice some writing as well. But even the act of creating a comic can help with all that. So, YMMV! And you gotta love what you’re drawing! I didn’t feel comfortable creating a story until my late 20s because I felt I hadn’t settled on something I’d be indefinitely passionate about. My likes and dislikes were still changing so much. If you can look at your idea and pretty confidently say you want to draw this stuff over and over again for years... that’s a very good sign

eliushi [a winged tale]

I find my advice will vary depending on what their vision is for their comic! For instance, if it’s a short form, I would recommend looking at different styles and experimental storytelling to find ways to best explore their work. For a long form I would advise as y’all have done so as well: start and keep going to improve. Have an ending in mind. Know the basics of character/plot and storytelling; essentially if you know the rules then you are more easily able to break them in an informed way. Most importantly is to have fun drawing, have fun with friends, have fun sharing your work

I guess sort of as a follow up... did you all receive any advice before starting your comic?

carcarchu

i didn't ask anyone in particular but the advice i read before starting mirrored what has been said so far

the advice about just starting and not being afraid is probably what helped the most

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I was told to make my first comic shorter... but with the caveat that if I absolutely could not, it was okay to try a long-form one from the get-go

carcarchu

another thing that i often tell people looking to start is that comic making is actually a gigantic time sink and requires a LOT of discipline. a lot of people i talk to really don't realize how much of a time investment it is. i don't want to dissuade anyone by telling them this but it's important to realize

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I agree with lazuli! Right now I'm actually feeling more motivation for my long comic than my short story.( I will absolutely finish both though)(edited)

carcarchu

x2 agree with claire, i've realized i'm not good at short stories

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I've been asked this question before, about first comics. I always say the most important thing is to draw what you like, for yourself.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Short stories are hard! I’m often jealous of all the marvelous one-shot comics on twitter, telling an affecting story in such little time. I often wonder if my own stuff will ever be half as successful in the emotions department. Short stuff is easier to digest but requires a ton of skill to craft well.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Absolutely. Two of my favorite comics are 3 pages and 5 pages long and years later I am still thinking about them.

I think it takes even more skill to craft a compelling story, world, and characters in only a few pages

It is witchcraft, I swear

carcarchu

there was a beautiful short story i read about a cat before, i'll see if i can find it and share it in recs

eliushi [a winged tale]

I think a lot about the unfinished comics! even though they aren’t finished, they still stay with me. Ultimately if you draw comics, it will touch people and people will remember

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I've always wanted to do a short story like that but am not a good enough writer yet unfortunately

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Also agree with @Eightfish (Puppeteer) - you must make something for yourself. You can try and tailor it to certain audiences, but don’t stray too much from your own sensibilities. Make a comic that speaks to your soul, and people will feel it.

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Pick something you love, you‘ll spent a lot of time on it.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

If you don't love it, who will?

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

And short stories are their own medium with their own rules, needs and patterns; they‘re not interchangable with longform and the otherway round.

That‘s what annoys me about the „start with 8-page shorts!“ advice. It‘ll teach you how to do shorts, not how to do long form. And I‘ve seen so many treating shorts as a stepping stone to „proper“ long-form comics, and that format deserves better.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I do see the merit in that though. There are a lot of unfinished long comics. If you have a good short story, might as well make it first. For me though, they are way harder than long stories.

I did give myself the option to end puppeteer after about 80 pages though

Luckily I fell in love with making it and won't be doing that now

But it was an option

Capitania do Azar

Yeah I'm gonna have to repeat the points already stated. Everytime I get the chance to give advice to a starter, I do focus on the discipline aspect. Webcomics (any comic actually) does take a lot of work and if you wanna make it in the long run you gotta know your pace and you gotta know where you wanna go so you can make the best use of your time

You don't need to have super solid plans but it's good if you know how much time it takes you to make one, five or twenty pages, so you can get organised

And at least in my experience being organised is one of the most important aspects

That, and liking what you do but also allowing it to change because things take time and you will change too

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

^^^I can't reiterate this last point enough

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

For sure cap! I spent a lot of time experimenting with art style before starting and I think choosing a simpler but still nice looking (to me) style has been vital for me being as consistent with my comic as I have

Having a schedule was really important to me starting out

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I think I would have said..... MAKE SURE YOU DRAW IN ADVANCE BEFORE POSTING.

I've made this mistake, and I know many people have made this mistake, but it's really easy to get stressed and demotivated when you realize that you might not be drawing as fast as you want...particularly if you're starting out.

So make sure you have buffers so that you can post those updates as consistently as you can.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I'd say for my past self that make sure you have.... at least almost everything ironed out for your story first if you want to make a long form comic as your first try because trust me if you don't, you'll end up redrawing the first chapter twice lmao. knowing how it begins and ends, knowing your drawing speed and also recognizing if you're just either motivated to work on it or you're doing it despite motivation. Because those are like the main factors that affect burn out and if you don't watch out, you'll get fucked over from it. have a good sense of your self in terms of your work ethic, and your writing. Art will be supplement for that writing but you're pretty good at least understanding the basics you should be aight Also if you don't feel doing your long story first, you can always make a short story to test waters. but if ya like me and rather just jump making a long ass comic first, go for it lmao

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

I think the biggest advice I'd give would be is to accept what you've already done, kinda related to the "you're good enough to start" advice. A lot of webcomics stall out in the "gotta redraw this to be Good Enough" phase, and it's easy to get caught up in the cycle of redrawing early pages (especially once you get a few years into a comic), but learning to sit back and appreciate early pages for the stage you were when you drew them is important!

also something I don't hear creators talk a lot about, is having a support group. Getting positive responses from strangers from the internet is a rush, but it's not always going to happen, and relying on it isn't a great idea mental health wise. Having a group of friends you can bounce ideas off of and that can support you in your story helps make the lonely art of making comics a little less lonely. I wish I had known about this group sooner because it seems like a really great resource of creators coming together and being supportive!

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh yeah that last point especially

like honestly if I didn't met other webcomic creators I probably wouldn't be working in webcomics tbh

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

It's so nice to have outside perspective both for art advice/critique stuff, but also just the general "hey guys drawing pages amiright"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah lmao

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

plus if/when you ever meet up with people at conventions, it's always so nice!

mariah (rainy day dreams)

Yeah, I would second that. Starting out I had a really hard time knowing how to take praise from my real world friends who are into my comic. It felt like maybe it wasn't real praise and they only like it because they liked me. But honestly the longer I make comics the more I just want my friends to like them and the less I care about what an internet stranger might think X'D Also, I watched the video on new creator tips that Joichi post in #writing_n_misc_resources last night before bed and those tips are super solid. I think folks have already hit on all of them but writing something you really like and is for you first and foremost and being being prepared for a lot of work are super important. Also, get that buffer!

kayotics

I think this was touched on already but having an idea you’re really passionate about, especially for a long form comic, is kind of essential to keep you going. You gotta keep up momentum for years, not just a few weeks. The thing that helped me, personally, was building my comic in a way that let me end it after the first story, but also let me continue if I liked it. My first chapter was definitely like a pilot for a tv show. If I didn’t want to continue, I’d just stop. But I ended up writing the second chapter before I knew it so I guess it worked out

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I don't have too much new things to add but I agree that webcomics, is a lonesome job on your own. But once I started hanging around this discord, sharing frustrations, comic compliments. The support made a big difference, no longer having to shout in the abyss of Twitter to be heard. I know when you first start out, it's overwhelming. There's so many platforms, do I do color or grayscale? (as it felt that way for me.) The best is to begin small baby steps, write scripts. Draw thumbnails, talk about it with people you trust. Generate ideas and put them on paper. Something I learn, is finding a good group community who raise you up, than put your works down(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Seconding/thirding/etcing about support. Other than that, I really don't have a single advice that I could give to someone starting out. Because it would need to be tailored to their situation. Someone who's in my exact same situation back when I started my first webcomic? They don't need ANY advice honestly. They just need to do it (which they will anyway) and learn from the experience.

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

https://tenor.com/view/doit-gif-5247874

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

(Again, I'm talking about a hypothetical person who's exactly like Younger Me. Not every beginner will "do it anyway.")

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I corrected my definition, as I found out what the topic was about! I thought from everyone's comment, they felt like talking about internal feelings about community spirit.(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

I think that "just do it!!" Attitude is probably what I'll echo, it's what I'd have needed to hear and what I think there's probably the biggest hangup on. I think everyone tries to wait til they're ready, and it's like "you are gonna learn so much so fast and never stop learning once you start making your comic" so just, start learning now! Make changes later. You can't fix something that doesn't exist yet!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

One thing I often think about is when artists completely relaunch their comics once they become a bit more intermediate in skill level. They've improved so much during the creation process that they feel a need to go back and totally start over. I've even run into some comics where they... almost seem in a constant state of relaunch I often wonder about how to encourage new artists to move forward instead of reiterating existing stuff. Or is the reiteration not necessarily a bad thing?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I mean I guess it's not a bad thing if they're still having fun? Sometimes they're still having a blast; other times it's a form of torturous perfectionism.

Sometimes it's a bit of both, even

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah, I always frame it as "unless you are rewriting, don't redraw."

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I have seen a redrawn comic go well only once

Deo101 [Millennium]

Cause if it's just to fix your art but nothing is really fundamentally changing, then you'll get stuck in a loop I think

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

and that comic kept updating latest pages while redrawing the first ones

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I've seen people do that. Where it's not a rebooot that basically stays the same, just a revamp of old stuff.

I could see myself doing that eventually tbh.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

The guy had very messy art in the beginning. Not bad art, he just didn't put much effort into it. The comic just evolved into something way bigger and more professional than he'd expected so he went and made the first pages professional looking as well

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yup Cause conics make your art improve so fast, every 50 pages you'll feel like your first one has sooo much wrong with it! So you can't get stuck just remaking pages

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Deo I don't think your first pages are any impediment to new readers. I have noticed a ton of art evolution though :0

Deo101 [Millennium]

Unless, yeah, you are rewriting and need the content on the pages to be different.

Yeah they might not be impeding but they're uglyyyyy

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I didn't notice your art changing much while reading your comic but then i went back to the first page and, woah.

big difference

Deo101 [Millennium]

It would be smth like way off in the future though if I did do it. It's not currently in my plans

I'd rather make new pages and new comics

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

has anyone ever commented on your art evolution?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah my art has changed uhhh a lot LOL I think maybe a couple times? I don't have a good memory

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I think it's probably different for everyone. Personally, I don't think really believe in going back and redoing stuff, but I also say that as someone who just spent the last year redrawing most of my first five chapters. For me, Ive always wanted to print my comic, and I felt a lot of self-created pressure to have my first book look really good. Because it's going to be new readers first introduction to the series and if I don't feel 100% proud of it, sell it to other people was going to be impossible. I kind of just felt embarrassed by my old art and writing(some of it was like 8 years old and hadn't aged well). And also if I was going to use up resources to print something, then it should be the best version of that thing. But on the other hand, redoing the old stuff has also made me really sad that I haven't been able to move forward with new chapters. I definitely second Deo. And I also think you have to know where to draw the line. Like "ok, I'm going to redraw this once and then not again" or "I'm going to redraw up to X point and call it good. I think can be a really easy perfectionist trap and time sink if you aren't careful.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it is also hard to get your existing audience to follow the same story twice

OH, webtoons features are rebooted comics oftentimes

I guess that counts as going well!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, since getting featured by Webtoons is kinda like going print; it's a form of getting Published

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah. For this other comic I've not launched yet, I've redrawn the intro 4 times. The intro onky takes like, 20 hours absolute max (latest) but I still find myself looking at it and thinking.. I could have been making new stuff :/ BUT! I did rewrite it every time so it did need to change. I should have just waited to start it til I could commit more so there wasn't a year between each intro

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

But since webtoons features update so fast I don't really mind following the same story again. Lone is already almost to where the canvas version was

Deo101 [Millennium]

And yeah wt features need to reboot for a lotta reasons, there's also probably a lot of times like. At least lengthening updates to fit the requirements

They're not necessarily redrawing it, too. They just have to post from the beginning which totally makes sense

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I'm giving myself a mantra, don't redraw, don't look back. Just move on with what you got. There's chapters I want to cover. It's just years ago, I had constant panic that the story's theme was going to change as it went, so I 'must' change the first chapter to suit the general overview of the story. But it resulted in me burning out and being self destructive to my work. I'm going to take better care of myself(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i think most redraw significantly though

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I mean, wouldn't u?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I'd have to! My whole story is only like. 20 webtoons updates?

Deo101 [Millennium]

Truuu

If that, 40 panels.. a page is like usually around 5

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

agreed on redraw hell. tried it and I didn't like it at all lmaO

I'm kinda glad I have a good footing on my current comic and I don't want to redraw it at all unless it's adapted for something else. still like

work what you have, if you can orz

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

"Don't look back" is hard when you feel like the first X pages are dragging all the future pages down with them. I agree that you need to draw a line (no pun intended), set some criteria

The thing Eightfish mentioned -- not so bad that it'd deter new readers -- is a very useful criterion IMO

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

if you must, i wonder if redrawing the first scene would be okay?

Just as a taste of what's to come for new readers

Deo101 [Millennium]

Do you think they would notice the difference in quality and question that?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

rip maybe

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I've read a long webcomic where only the first chapter was redrawn, and when I got to the second chapter and saw an immediate drop in quality, I knew what exactly happened XD

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah, but you're a creator! Readers don't have the same background to necessarily be able to assume that

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Just put in a note saying that it's art evolution

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

As someone who redrew their first scene for a lot a reasons, I will say that I personally think it's worth it.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Also same, I've seen it and knew exactly what happened

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, it was mentioned in the notes, but I didn't read the notes at first because I knew the archive was huge, and I wanted to Get Through It

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

if i were to do that, i'd put a note in the page itself

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That sounds like a good idea

Deo101 [Millennium]

What were your reasons for redrawing crona?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I'm not Crona but I redid a big chunk of my chapter 1 for writing reasons. (This was in addition to a whole reboot done prior.) The writing was... not 'this screams terrible writing' kind of bad. But it was extremely misleading/ unclear on what the overall story was going to be

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

dang tbh I did kinda redraw some panels to make the dialogue flow better. But I also tried my best to match up the quality of the pages drawn the time so it doesn't look jarring.

kinda what keii said but just minimizing the effects of shockkkk

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think this is one of the reasons why i don't want to do a comic that goes on for more than a couple years (well, for now that is. Maybe that'll change as i improve)

Deo101 [Millennium]

I redrew one intro 4 times, cause I kept rewriting the whole story.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

after that I was like "don't touch Ch. 1 again" lmao(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

1. Several panels didn't properly show what was happening in the scene. 2. Rewrote some of the dialogue 3. My art had improved so much that even if I hadn't redrawn it, the next scene would look very different. 4. I wasn't super far along, so I thought it would be good to give this another go, knowing much more about paneling, page-layout, and pacing.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

do you think there's a chance you'd eventually redraw wotp as it is now?

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Hell no(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

lol then i think it's fine that you redrew!

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Even if I go back and clean some things up later for print, I'm not completely redrawing anything about WotP anymore

I finally got it to a point where I'm happyish with the way it looks

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I've never totally started over, but I did a ton of drawing edits (and a few writing edits!) on my first chapter before releasing it to the public. The previous version of the chapter does look far less polished. But even then, I really only completely redrew 1 or 2 panels. The rest was just liquifying wonky faces and whatnot. Still, once it got printed, I basically locked the artwork. With how long new pages take, I really don't have time to look back much anymore which is its own kind of blessing!

In that way, I'm very glad I kept it private for a while. I wasn't confident with my skills yet - and I wanted some wiggle room. It's part of the reason I encourage people to at least have some sort of foundation, so that the jump in improvement isn't so... startling

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I actually kind of love to be startled by art evolution

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I could see myself editing wonky faces and things like that more than I can see myself redrawing! My pages only take me like 2 hours and I still wouldn't redraw, can't imagine what your timeframe would look like...

But not in your own work, crona?

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

It happened with a lovely comic called Wind Rose, and it is so inspiring

I wouldn't say I don't like it in my work

More that I was completely changing art styles too

Deo101 [Millennium]

I see

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think starting a comic is a good way to get those foundational skills though, lazuli

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Even if you didn't post it online, you did start

Which I think is enough

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

one of the biggest examples of art style shift I've seen

Comic is still doing really well though!

I don't think anyone minded the art evolution at all

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) Yeah, that's my dilemma! I've seen a couple very new comic artists burn out quickly, or say that they're relaunching because of their own unhappiness. And part of me wants to tell them to slow down - they don't need to post anything, just use it as a training ground.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Of course, if you yourself hate your old art you're probably more important(edited)

hm

It's still nice to have your story read though

even if just by a few friends

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I haven't read through it, but I know this is another good example...

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

another one!

This was intentional though, to convey a change in setting

It's kind of fun to look at these comparisons(edited)

I think most readers would feel the same

carcarchu

my most inspiring art evolution is from zero point idol chapter 1

chapter 90

the artist also got better at panelling too. also not only did the art change but the genre completely did too. it started out as a comedy romance then slowly became a drama romance

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Looks like you switched the images around?

carcarchu

oh it's in the right order on my side

the more bishounen looking one should be the newer one

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh! I think the more colorful one looks much better actually?

But perhaps the author chose a different style to draw more quickly?

carcarchu

uh i think the opposite

the newer art looks objectively better

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

okay i'm gonna look it up maybe I will think differently if i see a bunch of panels in context

looking it up it is definitely clear that the author is putting much more effort into later updates.

Though skimming it I still sort of prefer the style of the earlier pages?

carcarchu

i have never heard someone say that before

people usually complain they got gipped in the first chapter lol

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Can't say anything about the paneling or anything like that because I just skimmed it

Well, I like the style of the things in the first pages that they tried harder on

There are a lot of like, chibi or messy panels there

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I'm looking up the titles for these screencaps you guys presented!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

The first one I shared is A Matter of Life and Death!

The second is YU+ME Dream (highly recommend)(edited)

mariah (rainy day dreams)

Seconded, YUME is very good and it's complete!

kayotics

I think there’s a lot of good reasons to restart or redraw past pages, but there’s a lot of people who DO get trapped in the constant iterative state of restarting/redrawing their comic, and then they don’t get anywhere with it

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

It's hard to come up with any consistent advice because people have different goals starting their comic. Like, some people just wanna do a comic to get better at art, or because they have a bunch of OCs that they want to do something with. And to those people... like, just have fun with it. Now, if you have a full story in mind, and your goal is to complete it in a timely manner that isn't overwhelming (without sacrificing on quality), this is the advice I give: 1) Plan out your story. You don't need to do a full script or whatever, but do try to have at least an outline, with an estimate of how many pages each part will be. 2) Spend a typical month (like, a month that you also have other work to do) drawing the first few pages of your comic. Don't post them yet. Count the number of pages you drew. The number you post per month should be less than that. e.g. if you drew 6 pages in that month, you should post 1 page each week. That way, you can have a bit of leeway to build a buffer without burning out. 3) Look back at that outline. How many pages did you plan it out to be? And how often are you planning on posting each page? Let's see... carry the two... this comic's gonna take HOW many years to complete?! 4) If you're comfortable with the task ahead of you, continue on to step 5. Otherwise, cut some stuff from your outline and repeat step 3. 5) Have fun with it! You might change your mind on future plot points, and that's ok! Just... try to do so in a way that doesn't create more work for yourself.

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

My advice is to just get started. I see so many people caught up in the idea that you need to perfect your art skills before starting a comic and then they just never start working on it

Your art is never going to be "perfect" and its better to have a tangible comic than a perfect one

I don't mean that in a discouraging way I just mean like no one can really achieve perfection and it's better to just create things

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I like snuffysam's advice because I have noticed there are different kinds of approach to webcomics. Some do it for fun and practice like I do nowadays. While others have a big long form series they are deeply passionate about but to start it seem overwhelming. Everyone's advice is pretty great! (edited)

DanitheCarutor

Fff I don't feel like I'm really qualified to give advice to people. I don't take art and comics seriously enough to follow most rules, so I would just be a bad influence if anything. Lol (Also everyone else has already said what I would.) I guess the one thing I would tell someone on the fence about starting their comic is to do it when you're ready. Like, I wanted to start doing comics when I was 15 but I wasn't quite mentally ready yet? I was used to doing illustrations so I couldn't stick with doing anything longer than 1 page, throughout the years I experimented with doing 1-2 pages of random scenes in stories I wanted to do, it wasn't until I hit my 20s when I was like "Okay, I want to do this!" In a way I didn't totally get into comic mode until my current project, since I was still feeling things out with the previous ones. Kinda went on a tangent there. Lol But yeah, comics are a huge commitment, I don't think it's super good to push yourself into starting if you're not mentally ready yet. Give yourself some time, do some casual stuff to prepare for the comic you really want to do in the meantime (brainstorming, concept art, character studies, etc.), or don't think about it at all if that's how you do things, then when you really get that itch go for it.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

My advice won't be anything that hasn't been touched on in this chat (so many good vibes ;_;) but I do wanna say that if I had any advice for someone to get into comics, it's to do it for yourself as the main priority. Webcomic popularity has been on the rise very quickly in this past decade, with copious amounts of creators trying their hand at their One Story, competition, exposure, and pressure are sure to set in with this wild ride that is comic making. So what do you do to combat that? How do you stay above water, make sure you have fun, or avoid turning this into what seems like never ending homework? You make your goal you. Whether You want to improve, whether You want to explore characters, or whether You just want to experiment- such a large project (let's be real, there's no easy way to do comics!) should be handled with that initial fire you had when you wanted to start the project, when you felt inspired to lay those panels down and tell that story. Don't compare your journey to others, don't feel that pressure to always Be Something.(edited)

Comics are a medium, just like film, canvas, or Video games for that matter, they have their own process and steps. Find what works for you and enjoy the ride, because it could easily turn into a long one!

eliushi [a winged tale]

I love it Krispy! You gotta do what you love

I’m just curious. What are your personal goals that keeps you going for the comic if you don’t mind sharing?

(And for anyone to answer too!)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I get what you mean and 100% agree with you. But I wanna bring up a caviat -- some people use the whole "do it for yourself" thing to shut down creators who are doing it for themselves, but also want some recognition. It's not their main priority, but it is a thing they want and it's okay to want it. I guess that goes back to the other advice about getting support. Find support, find people who won't make you feel guilty for simply wanting some recognition. People who will understand and support your goals.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

told myself that I won't let my self to lay my soul to rest till I'm done with the projects I have

so lmao that's somethin that drives me contracted to keep living till everything I do is finished lmao(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

One of my friends got told she wasn't a Real Writer simply because she wanted a readership. That kinda disrespect is not okay

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh dang

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

oh that is a whole different level from what i'm saying for sure

first off those people can go away lol

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeeeah

Again, not what you were saying, just... how SOME people twist the advice

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

and secondly, if you're not doing your work for yourself, you can easily fall into pleasing others and drown in Trying to Stay relevant, burning your creative drive too (i mean, if you can make ur comic and do that , good on you woah) but i've seen multiple comic artists crash and burn for the sole purpose of doing the comic in competition with others, convincing themselves that 'other styles' are crap bc their own work doesnt match up (gosh that was a rough one) and all in all, them just becoming so bitter with their work! THOUGH! this essentially applies to all creative fields and not just comics! And those entitled ppl who do that suffer from jealousy and nothing else. I cannot stand for those types who tear others down when faced with their own insecurity

and creators have every right to ask for help too. y'all deserve that recognition for the hard work you do, sometimes however, that isn't always available to them

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yea

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

(which is why we gotta lift eachother up!)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

You bring up a good topic that's very relevant to my struggles. It can be very difficult to know: is it okay to disregard this criticism. Am I allowed to do that? Am I allowed to like this thing about my work that people are pointing out as the bad part? Or does that make me a.... bad creator. Unprofessional, bratty, whatever. I'm not even talking about picking a fight/ getting verbally defensive. Just, silently disagreeing. I WANT to say the answer is yes, we are free to have our own opinion about our work. But dang if it isn't hard to feel guilty for doing it.

eliushi [a winged tale]

I think any trailblazers and pioneers feel this sort of sentiment.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That sounds about right

I don't really think of myself as a pioneer, but it is still something I feel in my bones

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I guess that’s the beauty of a self-run webcomic. You are the boss. Your viewership can give you critique, but you can choose what to listen to. You’re not beholden to a higher power (producer, director, patron, etc) to change things no matter what. It’s your project to run, and oftentimes only YOU know where it’s going, and you know how that criticism would change things.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ya lmao. idk like I don't see a lot of stories that run in conflict of towards what I'm doing so it's kinda nervewracking when you're like "oh god am I setting a good example or what? Should I be worried when I just want to create and share a story?"

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

If you can be proud of the story as-is, I think there’s power in that, and it comes through in the work. A confident comic is a lovely thing.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

That makes me really sad that you have these struggles Kei. Your work is a project of love. Love for the things that inspire you, love for the way to tell your story, and love for that process. You are allowed to proud and tell the world about it, you are allowed to embrace the success that you gain from your work. We as comic makers do SO MUCH WORK and wear SO MANY HATS to make this mainly free to read story available, and that should be celebrated. SO YES, you CAN and you MUST choose what you want to take from others comments, their feedback, reactions, etc- but in the end, it's still about what YOU wanted to make of this work, bc in the end, you are the wheel that keeps this whole thing spinning

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I dunno about confident, but I can say my comic is an honest one. Even if I don't feel confident, I still don't let outside criticisms change what I do.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

webcomic creators aren't given the space they need to grow a lot of times too-- we're essentially producing work that easily requires a small studio to create- there's gonna be ups and downs to the process. But you have to keep in mind for your own sanity that this is still your work and your vision. If you want to explore options of improving then you should be in control of that. (we all know how i feel about crits from randos too XD!)

eliushi [a winged tale]

Agree so much Krispy. I think everyone’s goals and visions for their project are valid and if they sustain your project, then that’s a success in itself

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

agreed!

eliushi [a winged tale]

Often I see this tip and pass on to other writers that when they write their story it’s important to think of a logline or something central that is the heart of the story. I put that as my first page so every time I open my document I see it. I think it’s the same for webcomics. Find the heart of your story — why you want to write it and remind yourself of that. I find it’s helpful to keep me going

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

omg eli....i love that!!!

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

wow that is really great advice eliushi!! I'd love to steal that if you don't mind?

eliushi [a winged tale]

Please do!! It’s a gift!!

take ittt

Miranda

these are all such great suggestions. You people are a fountain of wisdom.

Deo101 [Millennium]

I wrote in the header of my documents, "everything bad that happens in the story is because of me, and everything good happens because of them." Basically to remind myself not to do any sort of ex machina or whatever. And also put my tagline. It definitely helps!

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I think it's a good guideline -- the "pure luck can only be the bad kind" thing. But my bro brought up the Walking Dead (I think? either that or some other really well known zombie thing?) as an example of going too far in that direction. He said the characters take a turn, open a door, etc. and the zombies just come pouring out like an unholy explosive diarrhea all of sudden, to a point where he was like "lol?" He said it was like the universe was setting it up against the characters, and he couldn't take it seriously. He's played/watched lots of zombie stuff so he's no stranger to jump scares or zombies appearing in hordes, but that one was still too much for him.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

wh lmao about that spoiler part like

Deo101 [Millennium]

Oh yeah no, too much of anything is bad.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah like, I can see that kind of extreme bad luck being used in farce comedy

Deo101 [Millennium]

Ahaha yeah

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I wonder what a story would be like in the opposite direction where everything bad that happens to them is because of them and everything good that happens to them is because of the writer

Deo101 [Millennium]

Everything Goes Bad Man A horrible superhero trying to do his best

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

A comedy! Could also make it a Shakespearean tragedy

Deo101 [Millennium]

Horror could make it work too

I was meaning my thing more like uhh, make them earn their good things and success kinda thing

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Depressing drama about a person who tries to succeed in life but fails at every turn

Nah I got it deo

Just throwing out hypotheticals

Deo101 [Millennium]

I would hate to watch or read any of these horrible things btw

But it's fun to hypothesize

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think for like, most stories, your direction is much more engaging

I don't want to watch someone fail over and over

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

There's also that trope where everything goes bad despite their effort, and then Luck just drops success on the character's lap, leaving them feeling empty

Deo101 [Millennium]

Me either LOL coming out of stories like that is always like 0_0 well nkw I'm just depressed

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

But I think something like watamote, a comedy about a socially inept girl, might be an example of what I said that a lot of people like. I haven't watched it though so I'm not sure

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah, I don't know that specific one, but there are cases where people feel comforted by reading about tough luck in that "I'm not the only one" way. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, though.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh

Grave of the Fireflies

That movie seemed more like a message about war though. It seemed like it was trying to say something

I think I could enjoy a depressing story like that if it was nonfiction or historical fiction

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It was sorta semi-autobiographical (not 100% but inspired by his own experience)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Something that feels real

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

yeah, grave of the fireflies WAS based off of the author's experiences

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I personally am okay with depressing fiction if it feels real

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Same

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Doesn't have to be based on true events

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

his sister and him were taken in by the aunt and they were actually left that way the sister died of starvation (edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Hey, spoiler tag that!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

whoops mbad

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'm one of those who is 100% not... I can be okay with and love depressing stories after having seen it and then getting time away from it, but watching or reading them is a horrible experience for me

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

My Sweet Orange Tree is thought to be at least sort of based on the author's own experience, and I think that adds something to the book. (Can't confirm because the author's dead.) But even if it were pure fiction, it would remain a lovely, compelling book.

@Deo101 [Millennium] Nothing is for everyone!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I remember feeling really depressed for the rest of the day after watching grave of the fireflies

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Not everything bad that happens to them was their own fault, but Grave of the Fireflies was sort of a story about pride though. A boy who refused to suck it up and apologize to his aunt, resulting in his and his sister's deaths. I think that did make the story more powerful

hubris and all that

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

so I can definitely relate to only watching short bursts of depressing stuff

Deo101 [Millennium]

I honestly try to avoid them entirely, not even short bursts tbh

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

correct! however, a lot of viewers also blamed the aunt for not keeping them. Apparently the real life aunt felt a lot of remorse for being indirectly responsible for their deaths, and her daughter was angry at her. However, the aunt was also feeling depression from her husband who recently died

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I read them rarely, but I feel like they make me more? Grounded? I liked the way Man's Search for Meaning (Holocaust survivor's book) changed the way I thought of the world

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'm just hyperempathetic and they really hurt me

Not like I'm like "I wanna be ignorant" or anything

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think that one scene with the farmer telling him to suck up his pride was highlighting that he could have been taken back in but refused to even try

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

@Deo101 [Millennium] 100% Valid!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Yeah. Entertainment is supposed to be fun or meaningful and if it's not then don't read it

Although, I do really believe we should learn about these topics in school at least

You have to be exposed to them somewhat

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I just don't like the kind of idea that gritty depressing stuff is more realistic, I understand learning about history and hardships but it's not something I like to think of as like "the truth jusy is that the world is terrible" it makes me feel very alone because I work very hard to see the world nit like that.

Miranda

Re: the extreme bad luck/I cause all the bad stuff for my characters I saw a tip that said coincidences can happen to get your characters into trouble, but not to get them out of trouble, and I thought that was an excellent way of putting that. (sorry to plop that in the midst of the most recent discussion)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

TBH as someone who has lived in Eccentric Relatives' House under not so great circumstances, I didn't even get any hint of "the boy should've sucked up" from Grave of Fireflies. My experience may have been worse than the boy's in his aunt's house though, and maybe my bias led me to see his experience as being just as unfair as mine. In any case it's been years since I watched it, so maybe I'm forgetting some key details.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think "realistic" means a mix of good and bad

My favorite nonfiction books contain a lot of cruelty, but also very good people

Reading about people's good work and outlooks despite tragedies really got to me

Or like, perseverance

Perseverance as a theme really, really hits me

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I like perseverance but I hate stories that are hopeless or treat hope as naiive

It makes me angry tbh

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oof same yeah

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

the aunt was still feeding them though, and allowing them to stay. If he had left his sister at home and tried to get a job like his cousins did, I think it is implied that they would have survived.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I do like my dark themes but lmao i dont want to go to wreckless cruelty. there's an art with that(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Endless pessimism is as unrealistic as endless optimism(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I feel like there's hopeless stories and there's stories that treat hope as naive. The former is like, yeah sure, not everyone's cup of tea, but the latter is like "if this isn't your cup of tea, then you're dumb" which is

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah I don't mind dark themes it's just that sort of grittiness, humanity is inherently evil, hope gets you nothing kind of stories that I hate

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Btw. My favorite nonfiction books: Man's Search for Meaning The Gift of Fear The Gift of Pain (no relation to the gift of fear) All showcase a lot of cruelty and suffering but all are still very hopeful

I know it's unlikely you guys will read them but

They're good and I still reccoemend them highly

They are books that changed the way i think

They are also all written by people who have gone through and seen terrible things and yet made it their life's work to help others

I just can't reccomend them enough

But I will stop talking about it now

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

for me, uhhh it's from famial experiences mostly

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Do you think your stories err on the side of optimism or pessimism?

@ everyone

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

since most of my family suffered from the vietnam war, a lot of stuff they told me were fist hand accounts of war and cruetlty

like from my mom, my dad, my aunties and uncles

even like the older members of my communties so that stuff is still fresh lmao

Deo101 [Millennium]

Optimism. I want to say neither but I know nearly no one would read it and say it's realistic

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh, I've had similar stories. My great grandmother had her whole family except her killed by a Japanese bomb and my family, despite traveling a lot, has still never visited Japan out of respect to her

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

but since they already living better lives I see that the darkness in those times have at least kick started them out to their kind of propserity or still striving towards

so I see myself as a realist lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I think my stories usually go a bit more on the pessimistic side I’m afraid. People have remarked that my more emotional scenes can be surprisingly dark, so I’m trying to introduce some more heartwarming scenes

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't wanna say "err on the side of".... I do bittersweet and slightly LEAN towards the bitter more often than not! But I think this particular aspect may be partly up to the readers to gauge.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I think my story is realistic to me. The worst my characters experience is similar to mine, and the best is also similar to mine. But I have no idea if my own life has had more good or more bad than the "average person"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

"Sometimes life super sucks in ways you have little to no control over, but you can still be there for each other, and that really, really counts" <--- is this too bitter or just right? That's up to each reader to answer, I think.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Hey you said optimism or pessimism you gotta pick

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like there is hope and optimism but that is meaningless without the critical side of things. and I want to depict those sides in life.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Optimism

But I'm optimistic

Deo101 [Millennium]

Keiiii that's the way I write too and I think it's optimistic

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

My life has shown me that I can escape bad things so I don't think optimism is unrealistic though

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

You can't fix life but you can give love

Deo101 [Millennium]

Exactly

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

i guess for my stories they kinda like what keii said like there's good side of things but lmao I somehow add some painful elements that they have to endure in order to have those good times(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

personallly I think stories work if you give people hope

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Eh, not every story is meant to give hope

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Yeah

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

but it's a good goal

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

like as long as you give people a semblance of hope, even if you throw some depressing stuff.....it can work. Oh, I meant as a bittersweet story

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

But I think not giving hope is unrealistic

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

lmao I guess I'm a target since the last story i write

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Though perhaps I only think that because I haven't experienced true tragedy(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it was just bleak in a hopeful light

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

It depends, like I can imagine a short story that hyperfocuses on something extremely depressing.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Y'know what I have actually hopeless things in my life and I have 0 interest in reading a story that's hopeless

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ye and that's fair

Deo101 [Millennium]

And even though I have hopeless experiences I don't think my life overall is hopeless

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

i wonder if people actively look for stories that focus on not having hope because i know many people read these stories as a way to escape their lives

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I agree on that. idk. for me writing stories that lead to an end that really don't work with both parties... could be just my morbid curosity in just seeing how things won't work out as planned for both persons.

could be like a philosophical thing maybe? or giving a different perspective of some sorts?

like "things are the same but given with the option you gave me, I can't go through with that"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I can relate to curiosity being a motivation for exploring dark stories. It's why I check out horror stories -- horror stories (games especially) show the MC in an extremely "wrong" situation at the beginning, and I check them out to find out the presumably equally extreme "why" for that wrongness. I don't think I could write stories like that myself, though.

Psychological horror specifically

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah, horror has been uh ingraned in my life to this point. and I like writing stories with that kind of edge in mind, more of the psycholgial aspects than horror.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Do you guys think some people search for morbid stories like these to not only satisfy their curiousity....but also to make themselves feel better about their own lives?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I don't particularly care to find out why Mr. Chainsaw is going around killing everyone in a splatter/slasher horror, for instance X'D

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it's a possibility tbh.

sometimes I do that but I also had experienced simalar kinds of sorts that seeing those works i'm like "dang not alone in these wack feels"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I guess it depends on each person?

"Gee, at least I don't have any literal demons coming after my eyeballs" is not very comforting to me, personally

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

i mean lmao

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Sometimes sad stories do make me feel more thankful for my own peaceful life but I don't seek them out for that reason

Deo101 [Millennium]

Imagine if ur disabled and that's the narrative used to make other people feel better about their lives

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

DX

Deo101 [Millennium]

Off topic but that's why disabled people hate "inspiration porn"

It's something that's really hard to explain cause "do you not want to inspire people" is really hard to answer

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah, those kinds of stories I really don't like at all.

Deo101 [Millennium]

So I wanted to jump on the opportunity to explain even though it's really off topic sorry

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

No, don't be sorry. "Life sucks but hey, at least you're not me!" is not something anyone should have to put up with

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it's understandable tho!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

To be honest I do seek out stories about disability because I find it fascinating how people adapt to mental and physical changes. I find ingenuity very interesting?

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I guess I look at it more towards like how some relationships with people don't work, and also the diaconomy between individuals interest me. Not for those kinds of stories but I've seen elements of that appear in some works i read in the past

Deo101 [Millennium]

I also seek out stories about disabilities, but only hopeful ones not like "my life is ruined and this is my driving motivation, to not be like this"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

One of the books I recommended was by a doctor who spent his life working with people with leprosy and the workarounds for missing limbs and sensation he and his patients would come up with was just so fascinating to me to read

It's something that's really hard to explain cause "do you not want to inspire people" is really hard to answer

@Deo101 [Millennium] I think I understand you but just curious- how do you respond to that?(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

It's usually like "I want to inspire people to be like me because they're proud of what I can do" but they're always like "I'm proud of what you can do in spite of-" and it's like. Idk just a deep sigh

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

oh yeah rip

i had that happened to me before like "Dang you do did this and you're from some a family that suffered so much--"

"uh huh please focus on the work not my life thanks lmao"

Deo101 [Millennium]

Like don't hold me to a different, lower standard. Don't pity me

Yeah exactly

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Hm it's sort of true but also if someone said "I'm proud of what you can do despite not having a dad" I'd be like fuck yoooouuuu

Deo101 [Millennium]

Like there's other things please

It's like, pity. It's not actually inspiration I think

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I'm proud of what you can do in spite of not having a brain

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

pity has left the building

like sure, yeah let's go with that but there's other experiences other than my background and my identity the brought out this work too. that's how we can get some unique voices into the field.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

so yeah, I can understand rip people saying fustrating things like that. maybe they don't have a better way of phrasing it. orz

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

At the very least it's better than the opposite side

"your experiences were not that bad" angle

Deo101 [Millennium]

I get that a lot also

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

and sadly I too experienced that angle LMAO

Deo101 [Millennium]

LMAO tuyetnhi same hat

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

no one wins

hurrah

most of it came about because of my mixed idenity like I don't get hit by the usual racism my viet friends experienced

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

This is overall a very small thing but I casually mentioned I was attracted to women to a long time friend yesterday and she went full on "thank you so much for coming out to me this doesn't change my opinion of you I love you you're a great friend" And then the conversation got hella stilted and awkward after that and AG I Hate that

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

but er.... I have seen people look at me and was like "mixed baby? that's hot"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Wtfff

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

"please no."

it's wack like u put me in a scale where that scale is already wack to begin with

it don't make sense lmao

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

wait what the fuck

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

People are like why TF are u using a cane you're young and I tell them I have a condition and they're like, what does it do and I say the symptoms and they're like :/ I get those too :/

Freak out and tell them to get tested right away

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

also i really get annoyed when I see people just.......treat people with personality disorders like we're all psychos and tell others

hey at least you're not like these psychos

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh the telling others bit(edited)

Nooooo

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

like my experience isn't that universal but it's already terible enough knowing that if you have mixed ethncities then you're treated as an "exotic creature" and i'm like "I'll shoot you down"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Mann luckily I grew up in a place where that doesn't really happen

I hope

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Oh my god i'm glad i live in a really diverse city and yeah deo....they do

we get labelled "troubled people" particularly if we're female in the mental health sector

a LOT of psychiatrists push us around and they use it as code for "difficult"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

rip I live where 80% the folks here are mostly er homogenous white folk

and they ask me these questions that I know boil me blood

I'm too poor for cali man

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

oooooof I feel that tuyetnhi i went to a really white uni town for my alma mater

i got called a tall chink by a frat boy there

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

yeah I experienced that shit durring uni

it sucks

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

yoooo you can also come to toronto if you can't go to cali ;3

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

I can travel to toronto but lmao maybe next year

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

maybe ;A;;

also @Eightfish (Puppeteer) wait what do you mean by your question? is it pertaining to personality disorders or to the race questions?

......yeah people tend to treat you better if they don't know you have a personality disorder

LMAO I MEAN TRUE, that's pretty obvious XD

because people think that personality disorders are untreatable. And I would like people to be more informed about them

Heck, a lot of people don't even know about BPD. So I'd rather that people stay informed about it, even if it means that I might suffer for it.

What if there's another person with BPD who needed help but the people around them didn't know? And I don't think it's fair to keep it hidden when it can easily damage relationships.

Deo101 [Millennium]

And also, "why don't you just hide that part of yourself if people treat you badly for how you are?" Is hardly ever a healthy way of dealing with things

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

better be informed than being ignorant

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Yeah...I've actually considered just...putting a joke warning label on myself lmao

(but thank you guys for understanding <3)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

negatively changed? rip

ohhh nooo

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

yeah.....it's kinda like.....just because you have these negative experiences, you try not to let it stop you

because there's ALWAYS a chance that you'll meet people who understand

........I actually told a good friend that I had bpd and she started ghosting me. She was scared of me and thought i was...."weird"

and scary.

She was scared that i was gonna go psycho.

but I think it's important to know that not everyone is going to be an asshole.

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

it really is

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

i had a psychiatrist tell me that i probably lost friends....because i was a bitch ;A;

after formally diagnosing me with bpd

yeah and i had one psychiatrist just....diagnost me with anxiety disorder and he wouldn't listen to me just gave me a survey to fill out

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

makes them feel like they're 2d?

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

yeah and they are usually very complex and have very VERY varied pasts doesn't help that the media paints us as monsters in horror movies a lot

you see sociopathy and antisocial disorder in the news a lot and then they see people with bpd and they're like

LOOK! YANDERES!

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

ooooffff

that's not even part of the DSM lmaO

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

screams every time i see an article about how to "save yourself from someone with BPD"

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

speaking from my experiences as a former psyche major

like that can't be determined solely just by those factors alone

cormidbity is a factor too

oh my godddd

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I get that a lot

also yeah psychiatrists..........they need to keep themselves updated man

they put a lot of blanket terms for people with pds because it's easier or maybe because psychiatrists are simply not equipped to deal with people with pds?

i mean look how many psychiatrists i've met or heard fuck it up with bpd

and that's one of THE EASIEST pds to rehabilitate

imagine rehabilitating someone with narcissism or sociopathy

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

APD

is the proper term lmao

or ASPD

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

also eightfish....nope. it's a really long LONG road to rehabilitation. Some take years.

but it's kinda...a relief to be diagnosed OH WHOOPS

mbad

OH MY GOD THE TRANSGENDER THING

coughs in victorian times exCUSE me

hugs

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

rip this is from my understanding but if the condition of the disorder is either: a combination of bringing harm to yourself, restricting yourself from your routines, harm to others, or sense of losing control of your daily life then they will mostly likely dianoise. though that's what I

I've known years ago rip. idk if they hold up those standards today

or changed things from it

it really bites when you're seeking help and the folks that supposed to help you say like "but you're normally functioning so I see no problem ya u free to go"

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

"if we can't see it you're not injured so get the fuck back to work"

psychiatrists who just brush you off because it doesn't fit THEIR narrative piss you off

like you're going to them for help....and they categorize you as they see fit

and when you try to go against them they label you as "difficult"

eliushi [a winged tale]

Hey friends, good discussions here but just wondering if it’s best in #general as this will be archived? Just want you all to be safe

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

ah okay! Thank you Eli

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

Oof wait archived?

In what way?

eliushi [a winged tale]

Check pins(edited)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

OH GOD

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

Ahh

I'm deleting every message lol

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

(And this convo is off topic)

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

will do man

Deo101 [Millennium]

already on it

I just deleted everything to about 1 cause I think thats where we went off topic

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh shit yeah this is creator babble

I will delete messages as well

[mountain-of-divine-fire]

Crystal spirits, and how i work with them

Disclaimer. this is all my personal experience and beliefs. though this post is educational, take from it only what you believe. my word isnt the authority and neither is any other blog post. 

In my experience with crystals throughout the years, ive learned many things about them. i hope this post will help yall out there, who are maybe beginners, or just curious on how some things work, or how others like to do things. 

This post does not list crystal correspondences.

This will be a bit rambly, but i hope you get what i mean~

Obtaining your friends

Couple of options for this, i would suggest going rock hounding in a local area. Bring your companions, water, and your tools.

Maybe youre in a place with slim pickings,like me. you can just buy some online or in person

Crystal shopping online seems more convenient since you can look everywhere for whatever you want, and get to compare prices.But physical crystal shops are great because you can tell by feel who wants to come home with you. 

honestly, i believe nothing happens to a crystal that it doesnt want to happen. and if it does, it will end up fixing it itself. If you get a crystal that doesnt feel right, you will know who to give it to.

Im in the crystal shop. Now what? Well, just take a look around! see what catches your eye.I like to have a very loose suggestion of a shopping list, but it usually gets thrown out the window. If you feel like you need to touch something, do it. (unless the shop says no touchy ofc). Some things will practically jump out at you and scream “TAKE ME WITH YOU”. If you dont find something that really yells at you, and you still want to bring something home, just find something pretty. 

 How crystal spirits work

This is mostly based on what ive experienced. this doesnt come from any specific belief , but it does align with how some people practice animism. 

(much like in steven universe,if i had to give an example,) Crystals pop out of the ground, knowing who they are and what they do.They may grow and change with their experiences, but mostly, they know what theyre about. They are given energy and life by the earth, and they do their job. 

Each crystal group, species, and individual type seem to have overarching personality traits and a group spirit. i think some folk call these “crystal devas” but im not entirely sure where that comes from and what that entails. also each vein, and individual piece, has their own spirit and personality, say, beryl and quartz are completely different. An amethyst and a rose quartz are both quartz, and therefore have a similar type of personality, but are different. Each amethyst also has its specific differences. A chevron would be different from a grape jelly. Two individuals broken off from the same cluster would be different but similar, and so would each half of a broken slab.

sometimes individuals have names, and sometimes they can be named by you. some like to work with each other, and some prefer to work alone. 

Each crystal has correspondences , but sometimes those general guidelines can be deviated from, simple because the individual just doesnt do that kind of thing. 

My crystal broke! what happens then? Well, now you have two friends to work with. Some folk like to keep one half and give the other to a friend, some keep both halves and glue them back together with super glue (i do this with show pieces), and some folk like to bury them and return them back to the earth. You dont have to get rid of your broken pieces if you dont feel like its time. The crystal will let you know

How crystal spirits communicate

Most of the time, unless youre just really closed off, you will just feel it. They usually speak in feelings. if one wants to come with you for the day, you will know. If one wants anything , youre gonna know it. Dont second guess yourself, and just do it on impulse, pretty much.

These spirits are from nature, and are usually not relatable to humans (theres exceptions to this, like lab made crystals, and carved skulls, more on that later.).  they can and will communicate in ways youre not familiar to, if you dont do spirit work.If a crystal tells you its name, like its TRUE name, you might not even be able to comprehend the words its throwing at you. dont try to decipher it, just let it be. also , try to keep true names secret unless they tell you otherwise. 

If you cant really feel what they try to communicate, you could also meditate. If they want to say anything at least. just get cozy and meditate as you usually would, once you get good and calm just hold a rock and sit with it for a bit. Usually this type of communication is more in detail, maybe fully formed thoughts and sentences, maybe images. Once i even got one that liked to speak through song lyrics!

If you cant do these, use a pendulum! Ask the pendulum where its yes is, and where its no is. (for me usually, non human or complex spirits like to go left and right for yes, and forward and back for no. for animal spirits and servitors, ive found usually they nod yes and shake no. not sure how plants respond just yet.)

Ask it some troubleshooting questions first like “are you an amethyst, are my eyes blue, do i live at XYZ” ect... 

A problem with pendulums is, if you try and use a crystal pendulum when working with any other spirit, the crystal itself may respond. Always ask if youre talking to the right entity.

What might a crystal communicate to me? It could be something as simple as “my name is  ⌷ ⌷ ⌷ ⌷ ⌷ ⌷ “ or   “you like to smoke cleanse usually, but i would specifically like sunlight ”, or it could be advice about a situation that you need help with. 

Can these spirits be malevolent?  personally, no. i dont think so. though it can be a grey area. most nature spirits want nothing but the greater good for themselves, nature, and maybe even you, if youre a good person in its eyes. 

there are instances where a crystal could be “angry”, maybe because the way it was obtained, or that it holds some kind of curse/hex/negative energy (maybe just even being around something awful that happened). Usually cleansing a stone will help with this. And if it doesnt? Try and see if you can do anything for it. 

Be careful about crystal runes, as you can piss them off. ive made a few mistakes in my time working with them(and by a few i mean a LOT, its not fun), in general just dont be a dick, and dont ask for things youre not ready to know the answer to. always thank them for cooperating, and cleanse them after use. 

What are the effects of this? for me, it was like a terrible panic attack, i was suffocating, my heart was going nuts, it was so hot, and i was so dry mouthed. i have never had panic attacks that bad. Tried to use some quartz crystals to ground myself, since i knew it was an attack, and they broke in half in the middle. This is completely my fault. I got scared and locked my runes away because it told me something i wasnt ready for, the next time i busted them out (and i hadnt thanked or cleansed them since,) is when they decided to teach me that lesson.. i was new at magic and stupid. and im glad my first big mistake was with something this forgiving. You probably wont ever have to deal with something like this if youre generally respectful. please learn from my mistakes. 

As with any divination and spirit work, you need to take protective measures. when youre speaking to a crystal spirit, you may actually be talking with something else. and it could be negative. use your best judgement please. 

Whats up with cleansing/charging/ect..?

 a lot of folk like to fight over whether or not you need to charge, cleanse, and bless or whatever else you need to do to crystals. Personally,i do like to cleanse crystals after heavy use, spellwork, or when i first get them from a shop. just to get rid of residual negativity. 

Crystals can hold information, but as far as charging them, im not so convinced. crystals arent a sigil, or something you made yourself. it has its own energy from the earth and its spirit, and will work perfectly fine without any of that.  Only do what you feel is necessary 

If its fine without charging, then why cleanse?  other than getting rid of stored negative energy, its just a nice thing to do every once and a while. It sort of works like an offering. showing that you respect the entity and want to work together in a mutual relationship. if you keep up your end as a guardian, then it will help you. 

How do i use crystals in spellwork and every day life? 

well heres some ideas! 

carry some around in your pockets/bag/bra/whatever according to whoever wants to come with you , and crystal associations

Gridwork. make a crystal grid

In spell jars/bottles/satchets 

As a decoration in your house to give the space a certain mood, feeling, or help. 

In meditation, to give advice perhaps, but also to help you according to its correspondences 

In divination, as help. 

As vessels for spells, enchantments, servitors, and whatever else (always ask it first!!! im using a large quartz as an astral tether, and a smaller one to house a servitor) 

As a friend. ever heard of pet rocks? well this is just an aesthetic step up from that. 

in your plant pots, to help them grow and thrive (be careful about water solubility) 

Pain relief and healing (only do this in congruence with actual medical care! keep around a fluorite for sinus issues, but definitely take your cold medicine) 

Important notes~

 As with any spirit, treat your crystals with respect. especially since theyre gifts from the earth. Dont act like you own a crystal. Like a piece of the earth, we really dont own land either. You arent its master and it doesnt have to do what you say. when you buy a crystal, youre pretty much signing up to be its guardian, and adding it to your team. be good to the earth, and to your friends, and a crystal will be good to you. 

if you have suggestions on other ways to work with crystals, comment! I hope this post was informational and not a complete rambling mess. have fun working with your rocks, yall~. Post about crystal skulls coming soon.  

Admin Fifa~

[leviclark13]

My first blog

Blog 1

How would you introduce yourself to the blogging community?

: As I Type my first Post in blogging Let me first Introduce Myself. I am a gamer and I love to read poetry's and Sometimes I love making Poetry and another one is that I love playing basketball But due to Studies My hubbies Became a Memories But I'm okay with that, because my priority is Studying, I am type of person who loves to eat but if I get fat I would start on a diet, and I love Making jokes but My jokes kinda sucks. for example who Sino and Bayani ng Pilipinas na may Apilyedong `C`

Edi Si Diego C-Lang (HAHAHA) my jokes sucks right? But at least I've tried to make people smile and I'm not hurting anyone and I'm a kind-hearted person too This is the personality that I love and at the same time I Hate why? Because I forgive easily even You've done horrible things to me if you just talk to me and even if you Didn't Say sorry, We're okay It sucks right but that's me I can't do anything about that. And in school I'm not that smart I'm an Average student who only know Small things But I'm a student who Is a grade conscious And trying to do my best to improve and make my parents proud because I believe that No one can stop you to Improve There are Obstacles but Don't let it stop you You can surpass that Obstacle because God doesn't give an obstacle To A person if he/she Can't surpass it . and. I love playing guitar, But I Just started playing guitar last month. so I'm just a beginner but I want to become A Pro Guitarist Someday and My dream is to become a Pilot someday but my father and mother Can't afford the Course that I want to take when I Graduate Senior high So My choices are Psychiatrist or Electric engineer but if God gave me A Opportunity to Take the Aeronautical Engineering I will do my best to be the top of my class and let me introduce to You My family members, my Father is a policeman and my mother is a teacher and I have a sister and a brother , I wouldn't say that we are that blessed through money but My parents are doing their best to Give the needs to us Sibling and that's the thing that I'm impressed about, no matter how hard it is . both of them are working hard and Even if they are Sick they still Don't think of themselves but they Think about Their child And just continuing Working and working that's why I want to Have a job that Can repay them For their sacrifices so let me end these blog Because I guess it's kinda boring if I tell you who I am right? So again I'm Levi Clark A. Camayang A new blogger and this is my First post And hopefully, you will support me thank you for the time In reading this Godbless Us all!

Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to I'm leading to

: I guess it is vital because I'm not that kind of person who will pick SPUP just for fun because I know that I will Grow and Be a successful person 10 years from now.

Was stem the best choice after all

: Sometimes I regret that I choose STEM because it is really difficult Track to take But I guess I will say that it's the best because I will have many Choices in choosing What course I would like to Choose in college

What course will you take in college and why?

: For now, I'm not sure if What Course I would take but I have 3 options psychologist, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering why because I like to talk A lot and travel at the same time and I want to help light up a Home who Doesn't have Light in their own home

What topic would you like to Lear more about this subject?

: The topic would be Programming Because it sounds interesting even though somebody is telling that it's really hard I like to learn that

Ask me anything:

Ma'am, are you glad that we are the student who you are teaching?

Blog 2

Nowadays, Gadgets has a big impact on our society.

It helps advance the human race forward and make doing mundane things more efficient. For me, My favorite gadget/technology is the mobile phone. the mobile phone has a lot of social advantage using mobile phones, You can easily communicate with others through calling, Messaging, Chatting, and also video calling/chatting. It is convenient, cost-effective, and can be done anywhere as long as the network collectively is available.through mobile phone network connectively is aware available. Through mobile phones it is easily for us to connect to the world and for entertainment because it is hand tight gadget and we can bring it anywhere we go. It is also safe because it is not like the Other gadgets that is heavy to bring and easy to put in our pockets with all that said and done the way you utilize your phone matter. Mobile phone can be one of the best gadgets you will hold and just a reminder. Mobile phone has also disadvatages but don't let that to discourage you, it a matter of choosing how best can it benefit you.

BLOG 3

A man with a faded, well-worn notebook opens his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn’t understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner who returned home from World War II. He is Madly in loveeee with Allie who is the Daughter of a Rich Family in North Carolina, Who is in Vacation She met Allie at the Carnival and He fell in lovee to Allie In just a snap but allhat time has a date and by the time That Noah realized that he need to make a move immediately He jumpss to a Ferris wheel just to ask Allie to date with. And after many dates They fell in love with each other that they never like to be separated from each other and one day Noah HE bring With him to see ann old house which he wantss to. renovate and be their House someday but destiny Has a plan the father and the mother of allie Secretly Planed to seperate allie and noad so they decided to leave early Because they want to seperate Noah and allie And After noah Had found that Allie Left He immidiately Run to the house Of Allie and after that he wrote A 99 letters to allie but the mother of allie kept The letter and after The 99 letter he wrote a fair well letter .and after that noah had joined To annn Army and Return after 2 years and after that he Rebuilded the Mansion which Allie and noah Had Dream of and during the time when noah Is rebuilding he's house His father Died and after the burial he Continues to Build the Mansion And A photographer took a Photo Of him And the background Is the mansion And Published in trough a newspaper and many had tried to buy the mansion but noah refuses and On the other hand allie who is now lives in New york and became a nurse had a new Boyfriend who is in a military As she Work Her Friend Had shown to her a Newspaer he saw Noah and The mansion they wish to rebuild she fainted and after that she decided to Go to North carolina to comfront him and to clear thing out between them and after that Talk Allie realized that she is Still inlove with Noah And she finds out That her mother kept

the letters that noah wrote to her and Allie ,confronted her mother if it's true And her mother Said that it's true and Allie got mad And Immediately he return to Noah and Confess that she's still inlove with Noah and after that her mother find out that she is still is going to pick Noah and her mother revealed something Shocking she is Inlove with a man just like noah who works in a lumber jack when Her teenage days but Her mother and father wanted her to Pick a man who can Raise and give the need to her and Her future child and Thats why she picked the father of Allie and thats the Advice she Gave To her but Allie Chose Noah and She left her Boyfriend to Be with noah. And after that they Came back to the present Allie den realized that she was in the story and the one who is Reading it is Her husband She immediately hugged Him and they dance together And They had a little talk about their child and after that Ellie Had already forgotten Who Is she dancing with And scrambled with Fear And after that they died But Noah still loved Allie until death

What life lesson can be learned in the movie?

: The life lesson is If you love Somebody You will be there for them p even If He/she doesn't remember you because love will always be in your heart even if you don't remember it.

What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful why?

:So its not gonna be easy, it's gonna be really hard and we'ree gonna have to work this every day, but I wanna do that because I want you, I want allll of you forever ;This was the most powerful for me because Noah Said that Even If we fight that'ss normal to us because That's us,but we keep on loving each other because I want you to stay forever in my life through thick and thin

Who was your favorite character in the movie why?

: Noah why? Because He didn't give up on his First love and He full filled There even if Allie was gone and When she returned she accepted her and love her truly In their Old age Even if Allie doesn't even remember Him She still Wants to be with her forever and He kept her promise that I want you and I love you forever

Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

: It reminds me of my Grandfather and Grandmother but Opposite my grandmother is the one Who is sacrificing Just to take care, my grandfather, Because my grandfather Had done a Serious Operation and Because of many medicines he easily forgot a thing and ask a question over 10times And thinks sometimes like a child

5.if you had a chance to ask a character in this movie a question, what would it be

: I would ask noah; where do you your strength in Understanding her and loving her Truly If She is only Your strength and she doesn't remember you?

[mrbellamy-sir]

Aiming to be a leader in his own way - Musumen.’s Shirofuku on determination and the future

This is an interview from 22nd June 2016. Here’s the original link for the Japanese and the photo gallery.

I’ve done my best to translate it but I’m just a beginner so it might not be entirely accurate.

Born from an online video sharing website, the 10 member men’s idol group Musumen. is spearheaded by leader Shirofuku, who is making his first appearance on Livedoor News. Having achieved their goal of performing at Nakano Sunplaza in August 2015, Musumen. haven’t dropped their attack strategy, but are currently on a 47 prefecture nationwide tour and progressing to the next step. We asked Shirofuku to talk about his struggles as a leader, his relationship with the members, and even about his views on love and his private life.

Photography: Suzuki Daisuke

Interviewer: Hanamura Fumi

Hair and Makeup: Otsubo Manato

The moment he posted the video, his life began to change.

·         When was the first time you uploaded a dance cover to NicoNicoDouga?

Maybe 7 or 8 years ago? The first video I uploaded was a dance cover of Perfume. We’d started to learn the choreography from watching the music video and danced it by imitating them. (Laughs) When we first filmed it we didn’t really intend to upload it.

·         Really?

Yes, but we felt we’d danced it surprisingly well considering we barely practised. It was kind of a funny video so we discussed uploading it just in a joking way, but then we really did upload it. (Laughs) Watching it back, though, we really didn’t dance well at all…

·         Is it true that you didn’t have any dance experience until university?

It’s true. Actually, I only started taking proper lessons in the past year or so.

·         Please tell us how Musumen.’s formation came about.

In 2012 I appeared as a weekly MC on NicoNico’s live radio broadcast along with the Bakusho Comedians. From the beginning of the show I’d been talking about how much I liked Suzuki Kanon from Morning Musume.

·         By the way, how did you come to be a fan of hers?

I liked her from the time I saw her in the Morning Musume. auditions broadcast on TV. The other girls performed dances or music recitals, but Kanon alone performed a comedy sketch. Don’t you think that’s exceptionally brave? The things I like most about her are: her smile, her courage, and her singing voice. These 3 things really make me support her.

·         And then in the last radio broadcast you received a message from your beloved Kanon.

I was so excited! (Laughs) She asked me to dance their new single ‘Ren'ai Hunter’ as well. Up until then I hadn’t danced any Morning Musume. songs, but I knew I had to dance that one.

·         Was it difficult to find enough people to join you?

Rather than that, I felt a sense of responsibility to make it actually happen.

·         On 10th May 2012, the ‘11 boys dance to Morning Musume.’s 'Ren'ai Hunter’’ video was uploaded to NicoNicoDouga. Did you receive any response from Kanon herself?

I went to one of Morning Musume.’s handshake events, introduced myself as Shirofuku and told her I’d uploaded the video. (Laughs) After that, whenever we uploaded a new Morning Musume. cover, I would go to an event and tell her what song we’d danced to. It made me so happy when she said that she’d seen the videos.

·         Do other fans recognise you when you go to Morning Musume.’s concerts or handshake events?

People do sometimes say hello to me. Some have asked me to shake their hands before but I’m just a normal fan like everyone else. (Laughs)

·         Kanon graduated from Morning Musume. this May, but how did you feel when you heard the announcement?

My mind just went blank….before she graduated - Sorry, this will become a deep Hello! Project conversation, do you mind? (Laughs)

·         Please go ahead! (Laughs)

Before she graduated, the ace Sayashi Riho, who had been in the same generation, graduated. At that time, I had wondered whether Kanon might also graduate in the near future.

·         Ahh…

Every fan knows that one day they will have to accept that their favourite member is going to graduate, so I’d tried to prepare myself but… When it was announced, I really couldn’t believe it and became so miserable, I didn’t even post on Twitter for about 2 days… Now I just want her to be happy on the path that she has chosen, and even without her my love for Morning Musume. hasn’t changed, so I’ll continue to support them.

In the past he was always cross, but now…

·         Musumen. has now begun its 5th year of activities. Reflecting on that time, what are your thoughts?

From an outsider’s perspective, perhaps last year’s Nakano Sunplaza performance may seem to have been achieved surprisingly quickly, but for us those 3 years and a couple of months felt like a long journey.

·         Were there strong feelings?

At the end of the performance everyone was sobbing and we had no idea what was going on. (Laughs) I wish I could’ve savoured the Nakano Sunplaza atmosphere more. But we’ve only been there once so far, so I’d like to perform there for a second or third time.

·         How have things changed after Nakano Sunplaza?

The biggest change is that we decided to make Musumen. into our full-time jobs. Up until now we had to balance working for a company with our Musumen. activities. Preparing to focus entirely on Musumen., become professionals and work even harder than before has been the biggest change.

·         Has your viewpoint as a leader also changed?

Fufufu. Ah, sorry, I just remembered something funny. Recently the other members have been saying something similar, that I’ve mellowed out. (Laughs)

·         What were you like before?

I got angry often. (Laughs) I was so concerned with 'the group that I had brought together’ that obsessed over it too much and maybe didn’t appreciate everyone else’s feelings enough. Now I’m just teased by the members all the time. We have a very comfortable relationship.

·         Do you have any theories about how to be a leader?

I’m not very self-confident and, to be honest, even now I worry about these things, so I read various accounts and learn from those. I like to know what the leaders of other groups think.

·         How dedicated…

Ahahaha. But I know for sure that I’m not the type of leader to say, “Just follow me!” I have an ideal of what a leader should be, but since I’ve also started to think that it’s good to have lots of different types of leaders, I’ve become more at ease with myself.

·         Do you ask the members for advice when you’re struggling?

I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to ask for help when I’m struggling, be it with work or in my private life. It can be difficult sometimes, but I don’t want to show anyone my weaknesses. I’ve always been like that.

·         Musumen. are currently in the middle of their first 47 prefecture tour, but this year has been busy with things outside of the tour as well. With the launch of the official fanclub and the weekly broadcast on TV Saitama, you’re gradually increasing your activities.

Up until now we’ve focussed on our online activities, but we all felt strongly that we wanted to appear on TV so that more people could find out about us. Also, one day I want to say, “Good evening to everyone watching Countdown TV, we’re Musumen.!” (Laughs)

·         It seems the bond between members is growing stronger this tour.

When the group began we were just friends, but now that we’re doing this as a job, I hope we can be honest with each other, maybe argue sometimes, and grow. I want to make each of our dreams come true together with the other members.

·         And your dreams are gradually expanding.

There are so many things I want to do. This is just something I’ve been hoping for myself, but I’d like to do something like a musical as Musumen..

·         It must feel like you’re stepping into unchartered territory.

It really does, because there’s nobody to tell us how to do it. (Laughs) Right now we’re concentrating on our nationwide tour so that we can say thank you to all of our fans even in the rural areas. We’ll be visiting somewhere close to everyone so please wait for us there!

He wants to stand out, but he’s also too shy.

·         We’d like to know more about you, so if you could explain yourself in a few words what would you say?

Fufufu.

·         What are you laughing at? (Laughs) In a previous interview you said, “I’m usually quiet, but I’m passionate about the things I love.”

That’s true. I’m not very assertive so I’m not the type to kick up a fuss, and I enjoy having time to myself so I immerse myself in things I’m interested in.

·         You also said that the other members think your room is dirty.

That’s also true, I have nothing else to say about that. (Laughs)

·         What are your strong points?

I’m really bad at suggesting strong points, but I can think of loads of weak points…When this comes up in questionnaires, I usually put 'None’. If I really have to put something, I say that I’m quiet or determined, but that’s basically a nicer way of saying that I’m gloomy and selfish. My way of thinking has always been negative.

·         Really?

Fundamentally I have little self-confidence. As a child I wanted to stand out but I was also too shy, and I’m still the same now.

·         Were you a leader during your school days?

I was the kind of child who couldn’t put his hand up, even though I really wanted to. If someone picked me I’d pretend I couldn’t be bothered and just say, “Whatever,” but in my heart I was jumping for joy. I guess I was kind of sulky. (Laughs)

·         I thought you’d have had a more central role in the class…

I was more the type to sit quietly in the corner. I think that’s why people who used to know me are surprised when they see me now. (Laughs)

·         How do you like to spend your days off?

I don’t like early mornings, but I don’t want to waste the whole day, so I try to wake up at 9 or 10am when I can. I usually like to go to the cinema. Films are best seen on the big screen so the cinema is really great. Even if work finishes late, I still go there alone sometimes. …also I often go to the gym.

·         We heard that your body weight reached 59kg thanks to that gym habit!

That was true, but since we’re in the middle of the tour, I can tell that I’m losing weight again. We perform twice a day so our calorie expenditure is crazy, and sometimes we can’t find the time to eat…At the moment I’m desperately working to maintain my body weight.

·         If you compare yourself to the start, have you put on muscles?

I can’t really tell by myself, but people have started telling me that my build has improved. Especially around my shoulders and chest. I’m aiming to unashamedly strip for a gravure magazine one day. (Laughs)

Which Musumen. member would he marry?

·         Do you still live with the other members in the share house?

Actually we moved out of the share house recently.

·         So everyone’s in separate places now?

No, we all moved to the same block of apartments. All that’s really changed is we now have our own separate front doors. We still go out and come home together so it’s basically the same as it always has been. We sometimes bump into each other at the local supermarket too. (Laughs)

·         It must be reassuring to have the other members nearby.

I’m really scared of insects and have to get someone else to help me when one appears, so I’m really glad that the other members are close by. (Laughs)

·         Which member do you get along with the best?

I guess that’d be Tomitake. He’s the one I go out with most often. Our personalities are completely different but he’s easy to talk to.

·         There are lots of different types of people in Musumen., but who do you think is the most popular?

Hmm, I wonder…let me think for a moment please. (Brief thinking period)…… Tomitake, Nokkuso, Nibansenji or Forgeru. I think these 4 are well-liked.

·         I see. Please tell us why you chose them.

Tomitake is very talkative and takes care of you so he’s fun to be around. Nokkuso is similar, he’s the one who starts conversations so you don’t have to worry about that when you’re with him.

·         What about Nibansenji?

He’s slender, tall and handsome, like a character you’d find in a shoujo manga. He’s not the type to actively do something for you like Tomitake, but he won’t leave you on your own either. When it comes to him, even I sometimes think, “Well, what can you do? That’s Nibansenji,” so no wonder the girls find him cute. (Laughs)

·         And Forgeru?

He’s a stylish guy so he’d probably bring you along to a café or the latest popular shops.

·         If you were a girl, which member would you want to date?

I’d like someone who could take care of various things for me so…

·         So, Tomitake or Forgeru?

Mm, if you’d asked which member I’d marry the answer would be a bit different. If I were to marry one of them it’d be Nozakibento. He’s very reliable and I think he’s the most mature of all of Musumen..

·         …so you think about dating and marriage in different ways? (Laughs)

Ahahaha. I’m sure it’d be fun to date Tomitake or Forgeru, but I think it’d be different if they asked me to get married. It makes me kind of uneasy. (Laughs)

·         (Laughs) You didn’t mention him here, but what about Aoi?

To me Aoi is like a really cute younger brother, so I can’t imagine dating or marrying him at all. If I were a girl and there was a boy like Aoi in my class, I’m sure I’d like him, and if I were Aoi I think I’d get a bit cocky about that. (Laughs)

Imagining the ideal date plan.

·         Now we’d like to find out more about your views on love. What type of girls do you like?

Someone who can laugh without trying to play it cool. I like people who laugh with a lot of energy and don’t hide their mouths with their hands.

·         Suppose that you were dating someone. Please tell us your ideal date plan.

My ideas are kind of childish. I can’t really take someone along to see the beautiful night sky or to a fancy restaurant. Just imagining saying, “Shall we go and admire the night-time scenery?” is so embarrassing. (Blush)

·         Please feel free to give us a date plan that’s in your own style. (Laughs)

It might be cliché but I really like going to the aquarium, so I’d like to go on an aquarium date.

·         Where will your meeting place be?

……

·         You’re just going to meet on location?! (Laughs)

Fufufu. People often tell me that I’m the type who’ll never be able to get married, but I didn’t really consider going to pick her up at her house… I guess I just think about what’s the most convenient or efficient way to meet up. (Laughs)

·         I see. (Laughs) At the aquarium or the museum people go around at different speeds, but how about you?

I like to take my time to see everything and read all the information panels.  I’ve been to aquariums with the other Musumen. members when we visit places for our tours, but everyone rushes ahead of me. I’ve always thought they go too fast. (Laughs)

·         Which aquarium impressed you the most?

The Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa. They have a huge whale shark in this massive tank. I was really moved because I’d never seen an animal that giant so close before. It really made me think about how small and insignificant humans are.

·         That’s deep… So where’s next after the aquarium?

……

·         Don’t tell me you’re going to end it there!? (Laughs) Let’s go for dinner!

This is one of my flaws but I’m not really bothered about food. I just go to places that are fast, cheap and tasty…

·         Like Gyudon?

Ahahaha. I guess something like that. (Laughs) That’s why girls who want me to do lots of things with them would be dissatisfied dating me.

·         Would you rather she be the one to lead you along somewhere?

Definitely, I’d be happier if she herself told me the places that she wants to go. Also I can help her out if she’s worried about home electronics! Since I’m pretty enthusiastic about electronics.

·         Home electronics?!

I really like them. I enjoy researching about different types, so when I was in middle school I got pamphlets from all the mobile network carriers and checked them down to the fine details. In my class I was the one to go to if anyone wanted information on mobile phones. I think I wouldn’t have lost out in knowledge even to an employee in a big store. (Laughs)

·         Wandering around the electronics shops sounds fun!

Yay!! It’d definitely be fun!! I like furniture too, so visiting furniture stores could also be fun…Maybe I can recover your impressions of me with this. (Laughs)