#but a guitar is still. something that takes a lot of time and resources to make. even a low-end one (idk what kind he's purchasing for thes

[icedille]

there's this one dude i keep seeing whenever i use youtube without being logged in whose main thing is playing the guitar while adding something that will most likely completely ruin the instrument and it just. makes me so angry. so far i've seen him put fireworks inside one drill holes into another and drown two (three?) different guitars. it's obviously an incredibly wasteful gimmick but worst of all it's useless it doesn't even sound good or special it's so blatant that he just adds a ton of reverb afterwards and emphasizes the additional noises (water splashing around the fireworks burning etc) a little bit but that's it there really isn't anything gained musically from him just. wasting a perfectly fine guitar for one (1) video. and i'm aware that dramatically destroying instruments for some sort of statement has been A Thing for a long time but there really isn't any statement here it's just clickbait content and it WORKS everyone eats this shit up i hate it so much

[i-am-the-oyster]

Can you tell me about Lewisohn and why he’s so hated? I’m a bit new here and I was recommended a blog that is solely dedicated to hating this guy. Was he a homophobe or did he do something rude to the boys?

Hello anon! I feel your pain. Lewisohn is a controversial figure, and it can be hard to get a read on what people think of him and why.

Lewisohn is writing what he hopes will be the definitive history of the Beatles. He has so far completed volume 1 (which covers from before they were born till 1962), as well as several other books from before he started working on the series.

He is very popular with some parts of the fandom because he has done really extensive research and is considerably better than other authors I could name.

But, there are some serious issues with his work.

First of all, his author bios tend to call him "the acknowledged authority" and his wiki article refers to him as a "historian". I would be slow to apply either of those terms to him. His training and experience are in journalism, and he does not apply modern standards of historical research to his work.

Secondly while his writing is engaging (I read the extended version of Tune In and missed it when it was over) his analysis is often lacking in empathy. For example, he tells us (ad nauseam) how "mean" and "cheap" Paul was, but doesn't take any time to consider the money and family issues Paul was facing that a) didn't apply to the others b) might have caused such behaviour. If the most ambitious and diligent musician in the group won't buy himself a new guitar, maybe he has a reason, you know?

Thirdly, he's weirdly dismissive of oral accounts. Liverpool locals figured out where Paul had his paper round, but it wasn't on a piece of paper, so as far as ML was concerned it didn't count.

Fourthly (this list is getting long) he had some kind of falling out with Paul (and Apple Corps) around 2009. He went from being invited to write Paul's biography to being dis-invited. It's not clear exactly what when on between them, but ML has not acknowledged that it might impact his objectivity wrt his writing.

Fifth he completely ignores queer issues. There's a part where he sort of darkly hints about George's sexuality, but in a childish heternormative way. His treatment of Brian's sexuality isn't completely terrible, but neither is it fantastic. I'd be amazed if he ever addresses the evidence for, eg, John's bisexuality.

One of the most difficult things for me is that he's overtly racist against the Irish in the worst self-satisfied Brit way (apologies to my British readers if that sounds harsh, but it is A Thing).

I would still recommend reading it, but as with all books on the Beatles, you must take it with a pinch of salt. Go in aware of his bias against Paul and his hero-worship of John, and there's a lot to be gained from reading the book, in my opinion.

And I really hope that he'll eventually pass on his extensive research collection as a public resource for actual historians to comb over and analyse.

@wingsoverlagos and @mythserene have done some detailed analysis of specific problems with his work, especially his terrible citation "style". (He merges quotes from different contexts, adds words in square brackets that change the meaning, chops out relevant information, and more). Some of those posts might seem a bit vitriolic if you're coming at them cold, but once you know the context the ire makes sense.

For a really in-depth analysis of the problems with his treatment of Paul in Tune In check out @anotherkindofmindpod's series Fine Tuning.

[eternallyblight]

Highlights from Appetite for Distortion Podcast with Brendon Small

Listen to the podcast here

The tour, movie, and album being released around the same time was a deliberate decision. When Brendon started getting this project together around three years ago, he knew he's be putting together a record, a soundtrack, a movie, and a tour all within the same week.

How Brendon approaches writing the Dethalbum IV and creating Army of the Doomstar:

It's not him working. It's Dethklok literally telling him what to do. He's just a jerk with a guitar doing what Skwisgaar tells him to do. For vocals, he's doing what Nathan's telling him to do. When he's voicing them in the movie, those characters are taking over. He'll do the dialogue but they'll surprise him with improve.

Since Brendon's the scriptwriter and director, he's like an Angry God. He'll be like throwing them into ceiling fans or into a fire to see how they get out.

About Guns n'Roses and Snakes n'Barrels.

Slash has been on the show. Twice. (Birthdayface and Tributeklok) He's one of Brendon's favorite guitar players of all time.

Learning about heavy metal happens at an important age. For Brendon, he was around 13/14. He bought two distinct albums. Def Leppard's Hysteria and Guns N'Roses Appetite for Destruction. He was blown away to the astral plane of the music and aggressive guitar playing. It's still one of his favorite albums to this day. He'll take long walks listening to album front to back, top to bottom.

He thought that Pickles was like Dave Grohl. Like in a band like Guns n'Roses and Aerosmith like rock band before he was in Dethklok. There would be songs where Brendon used a top box to play.

One day, Slash was working on an animation at the same company Brendon worked at. There was a package that came with pedals from MXR Dunlop. Slash was there when that box came and they opened the box together and went through all these pedals. Slash looked at the pedals and pointed to Brendon which was one cool, which one he has and uses. Brendon even shows Slash's wall pedal that he also used on the record.

Now some fan questions.

Will Brendon ever release a studio version of Water Horsey Blues from Snakes n'Barrels I?

Brendon was surprised to hear the question. He's glad that people still listen to it all these years later. He wishes he had the time and resources to make music for these kinds of bands in the Metalocalypse universe. Like a Snakes n'Barrels record, a Dr. Rockzo record, even Toki's whimsical dream songs. But there's no plan as of yet.

Will Brendon ever plan on releasing the songs from Metalocalypse that didn't make it to the Dethklok albums. (please Brendon I'm on my knees.) Same answer. :,) He has no plan as of yet.

About the movie under the cut. Not spoiler heavy and mainly about the music.

Brendon does have a lot on his plate at the moment. He's got not one but two albums: Dethalbum IV and Army of the Doomstar Soundtrack.

To Brendon, the soundtrack album is really such an important storytelling part of the movie. As you watch the movie you'll hear the orchestra and synthesizer. (He got the Budapest Orchestra to play this score).

The movie, the narrative, the characters is one thing.

The Dethalbum IV, that's the brutality and the mystical.

Army of the Doomstar Soundtrack, the score, is the emotional center of the movie.

All three go together. If you plan on getting one, Brendon thinks you should get them all (the movie, ost, and album). They all do something completely different but they all come from the same central DNA.

Brendon is thankful to be able to complete the story. He's basically living the dream as the interviewer puts it.

Brendon's last words: It's fun to be creative on your own and make music for yourself to listen to. But the fact that this [Metalocalypse and Dethklok] came together in the way that it did, is because there's a fanbase out there. Without them, none of this would have happened. Thanks [for] everyone for being so vocal over the years and I'm excited for you to check it out.

[beskindtoyourself]

10 Things to do with your hands...

...instead of picking at your skin.

Draw/paint Don't worry, you don't have to be Picasso for this one. It's enough to just scribble on a piece of paper, without getting a great painting out of it. If you still feel a bit lost about how to approach this, you can use colouring books to guide you! Finger paint can also be really fun if you'd really like to get in there.

Clean/tidy up your room or house I know, this probably sounds like the kind of tip your mom would give you when you tell her you're bored, but it really is effective! Tidying, cleaning, scrubbing, folding, and sorting all demand your hands' attention. And it's a win-win if as a result, you have a clean room!

Crochet/knit I've been addicted to crocheting ever since I picked it up as a hobby a few years ago. There is just something so soothing about working on a project and watching it grow - simply through your own hands!! If you're a beginner, there is a lot of great resources and tutorials out there to help guide you.

Bake/cook something Have a recipe you've been wanting to try out for a long time? Now is the time!! Does it involve a lot of hands-on parts like kneading dough? Even better!! This could also be a fun activity to do with someone else.

Use fidget toys If you've stumbled over this post, then this probably isn't news to you - but fidget toys really do work so well if you need a quick distraction or something to keep you focused and your hands occupied! The trick that makes all the difference to me is to keep them in various places so I can't use laziness as an excuse to not get them. So keep one in your bag, on your keychain, on your desk and on your nightstand and you'll be good to go!

Write a letter Whether it be to someone you love or just to keep for yourself, writing down those thoughts that make your brain go !!! can be really helpful. Maybe you can even write a letter to your past or future self and tell them how proud of them you are - and how grateful for the journey you share.

Paint your nails It really helps me to paint my nails because it gives me that one second of resistance before I pick where I realise I don't really want to mess up my pretty nails by picking. Also, if your nails are just freshly painted, you can't move your hands around too much or you'll get the paint anywhere, which can be helpful to slow down your fidgety hands.

Play a game on your phone Playing little games on my phone is the ideal way for me to distract myself when I am anxiously waiting and have some time to kill, like before a doctor's appointment. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, calmer games like Mahjong or coloring book apps can do the job just as effectively.

Play a musical instrument There is almost no musical instruments (apart from singing of course) which do not in some ways rely on your hands to do the job - so if you have a guitar in your closet you haven't touched in years, now is the time to whip it out! Just a little twinkle twinkle can already be enough to take your mind elsewhere and give your fingers a job to do.

Try finger yoga Yes, you can do what usually involves your entire body just with your fingers! There are a lot of great videos and tutorials for hand and wrist yoga on youtube you can use as a guide on how to do this! Given that we sometimes bend our hands in pretty uncomfortable ways while picking, this can be very helpful to make your you don't injure yourself. Happy relaxing :)

[stranded-ziggy]

Some more thoughts on AI art because God knows we need more of that...

I want to preface this by saying that if you have or are currently making art by prompting AI I wish you the best in your creative endeavors but hope I can make you consider the value of learning any skill that requires patience and dedication.

Learning a skill is hard, perhaps one of the hardest things anyone can do but here's a little tip: You do not need to 'master' anything to enjoy doing it.

I'd consider myself a fairly skilled artist, I can have an idea for a painting and complete it with some accuracy and style at least. It's taken many years to come to this point yes, but I would not consider my journey as an artist to be anywhere near an end.

In fact, I look forward to a year from now when I look back on the work I'm creating these days and realize how far I've come. Sure, there's days when I'm frustrated with how I'm lacking skill in certain areas or how I wish I could paint the way [artist] does but I know in time I'll get there and I also know that my art and my ideas and stories I want to tell aren't going to be told by anyone else, not in my unique voice.

It took a long time to build that mindset but that's why I write think pieces like this, to try and prompt people to start thinking in healthier ways about art and creativity rather than obsessing over how far they still have to go or things like attention online.

Back to AI, I assume this isn't the case for everyone but it seems pretty obvious to me that for a lot of people the appeal of AI is the ability to skip the cue, to skip right to getting the same amount of attention (and profit though trust me there isn't as much profit in art as you think at least not for most of us) as artists they admire. A lot of people don't want to admit this but it's pretty goddamn obvious.

I won't lie, I see very little value in doing anything solely for profit, so maybe I can't appeal to those of you who do. But for those of you who think more like me and see value in art by itself I'd like to say there is also value in failing at art or enjoying making humble art. Lessons to be learned that can be applied everywhere in life.

I learned this lesson through taking up guitar a few years ago. I got so far that I could strum along to and sing most Beatles songs and then I was happy. Maybe I'll never apply myself to guitar the same way I have art but that's fine.

There is nothing wrong with that...I do not need to master guitar for it to teach me something valuable.

I'm not lazy or lacking in energy I'm just happy to have fun and play songs for myself and my friends and family. I admire people who do decide to master it but that's not a part of my story at this point in life and that's A-OK.

If that's what your journey with painting or drawing looks like try and see the value that has for you. Don't use your time trying to defend something that disregards human creativity as something of the past, something that is built on the backs of real artists by taking work they put their lives into and spitting out a lifeless version of it, something that has caused artists so much fear and doubt...

Instead, put that time into creating, really creating, learning from the ground up like I did with guitar. Teach yourself if you don't have time or money for lessons (I taught myself to paint!), reach out to artists for resources.

My ask box is always open if you want recommendations for resources or even tutorials on how I do things! LMK if you are an absolute beginner and I'll adjust for that.

I would never turn anyone away from rejoining the human art community no matter how staunchly they supported AI.

[stardragon-123]

Rewriting The Famous Five by Enid Blyton

I'm not really a lover of classic books since most of them make me sleep (and that's coming from a girl who loves reading more than socially interacting) but when I read the first book in the series of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, I instantly fell in love with the series. But we all got to admit, it does sound a lit old fashioned, but that doesn't change the adventures Julian, Dick, Anne and George get into to. So, I'm going to rewrite the story in my own modern twist. Enjoy!

So, first of all, the characters. I especially like George, the tomboy of the group. Her sassy, sometimes bratty, attitude speaks to me. She was the one I had the most ideas for. Her real name is Georgina, but she hates being a girl, so she goes by George. In my version, her name is Gina. Gina is still a tomboy but not that extreme like in the original books. She's sort of punk rock in my version. She likes wearing ripped jeans and Doc Martens and flannel shirts. She also plays guitar and always has the case hanging off her back. She's a musician, basically. In the series, she lives by the sea with her strict dad, Quentin and loveable mum, Fanny in a B&B. She usually spends her time swimming and fishing, so she probably rarely spends time online. Maybe she would only be on YouTube to watch music videos or post her own music videos. Gina is rebellious and adventurous. She's fiercely independent and doesn't conform to traditional gender roles.

Next is Julian. I've changed his name to Jay. He is he responsible and protective leader of the group. He's smart, resourceful, and always ready to take charge in tricky situations. Jay has a clen cut look, often wearing casual but stylish clothes. Think jeans, sneakers and a cool jacket. He's into tech and gadget, always tinkering with something new. Jay is also a budding coder and loves solving puzzles.

Next is Dick, whose name is clearly...um, not in line, if that makes sense, so his name would be Dillan. He is the joker of the group, always ready with a witty comment or a prank. He's brave and loyal, never backing down from a challenge. Dillan has a laid-back style, often seen in graphic tees, cargo shorts and skate shoes. Dillan is an avid skateboarder and loves extreme sports. Dillan also has a knack for photography, capturing their adventures on his camera.

Now time for Anne. In my version, her name would be Annie (yes, like the musical). Annie is the creative and nurturing one. She's kind-hearted, empathetic, and often the peacemaker in the group. Annie has a trendy, boho-chic style, with flowy dresses, headbands and lots of accessories. She's a singer and influencer, with a popular YouTube channel where she posts covers, vlogs and lifestyle content. Annie is also in DIY crafts and fashion.

As for Timmy the Dog, he could be a mixed breed rescue dog. He has a scruffy, lovable look with a mix of brown and white fur. Maybe he wears a cool bandana or a custom collar with a GPS tracker. He is loyal, brave and always ready to protect his owners. He's also a very intelligent dog that can understand complex commands. He also has an uncanny sense of direction, making him invaluable during their adventures.

As for the setting, the main places in the shows are quite varied but often revolves around rural and coastal locations in England. The key settings are Kirrin Island and Kirrin Cottage. In my version, Kirrin Cottage is nestled in the charming, vibrant beachside town of Seaside Cove and is now a trendy bed-and-breakfast run by Gina's parents. It's a mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, attracting tourists from all over. It has been renovated with a blend of rustic and contemporary design. Think cozy interiors with modern touches, like smart house features and eco-friendly materials. Guests can enjoy beach activities, local festivals and music events. The cottage might host small concerts or art shows, reflecting Gina's musical interests.

So their adventures may be like:

In the modern seaside town of Seaside Cove, Gina, Jay, Dillan, Annie, and their loyal dog Timmy embark on thrilling adventures that blend technology, environmental activism, and local culture.

Jay’s discovery of a mysterious signal from an abandoned tech hub leads the group into a high-stakes investigation involving stolen technology and corporate espionage. Their environmental quest begins when they uncover illegal dumping in a protected marine area, prompting them to gather evidence and expose the culprits through social media campaigns.

During a local music festival, Gina’s performance is jeopardized by a theft, and the group must find the missing equipment before the big show. Urban exploration takes them to an old warehouse rumored to be haunted, where they uncover hidden tunnels and a secret society.

A beachside treasure hunt starts with an old map found during a cleanup, leading them on a puzzle-filled adventure around Seaside Cove. When Annie’s friend becomes a victim of cyberbullying, the group uses their tech skills to track down the bully and promote online safety.

Lastly, they rescue an injured dolphin, working with local wildlife experts to rehabilitate it and learning about marine biology along the way. Each adventure showcases their unique skills and deepens their bond, making their modern escapades as exciting and heartwarming as the original Famous Five tales.

So yeah, that's my rewrite. Thanks for reading! Pls like, share and comment!

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

When you feel out of step, just dance to the music without a care in the world

Music festivals are a great way to discover new artists as well as learn about different cultures. The Radiant Springs Music Festival is one of the biggest events in Marippe, so it’s something you must check out if that’s your thing. A lot of artists from all over the world would kill for an opportunity to perform as doing so would be a dream. Given the lively atmosphere and the variety of the music and artistry they showcase, who wouldn’t want to be a part of the fun?

What makes it even more special is that we’ve got some familiar faces performing on stage. Beryl, Ruby, and Topaz are performing with a theater troupe as an opening act for a band. Josette, Madeleine, Aurelie, Connie, and Pai are with an orchestra on violin, cello/piano, flute, bass guitar/viola, and oboe respectively. Connie and Pai even got solo performances, something that Madeleine and the festival organizer planned out to close the night.

The timing of the festival serves as a welcome distraction for most of them, especially for Beryl and Connie, who are dealing with a lot right now. It sucks when you’re in a position where you have no choice but to hold your tongue and nod along like nothing’s wrong. In other words, their hands are completely tied, so no matter what they do or don’t do, they’re gonna have to take the fall if anything goes wrong - a convenient third party scapegoat, basically. Yikes, that’s a fucking pain to get trapped into.

So the festival’s helping them keep their minds off that as there’s really nothing they can do about their situations anyway. I mean, they could try to take matters in their own hands, I guess, but that’ll probably bring unwanted trouble, so staying out of the way as much as possible is the wisest option. At least Beryl and Connie are taking it in stride by refusing to let that bring down their spirits. I think it helps that they kinda foresaw being in that difficult position rather than being blindsided - that’s the nature of the kind of lives they live.

Beryl’s situation has more to do with his master, the head of the Garden of Flames, but because he and his siblings are the closest to her, they’re bound to get dragged into it too. Since it involves classified information, he and his master have been kept in the dark about the specifics, which they aren’t happy with - obviously. But at the same time, it’s probably better off that way.

In other words, a lot it has to do with complicated politics, something that Beryl doesn’t care that much about, though given the Garden’s affiliations, he can’t avoid it entirely. Their organization is being used by another entity they have indirect ties to by providing finances and resources in a legal matter, so to speak. Something about exploiting loopholes to get shady but not exactly illegal stuff done. Not only it can keep them off the hook, it also serves as a way of controlling the Garden as independent organizations can be perceived as a threat, especially when they don’t see eye to eye on certain things. Again, sounds like a fucking hassle, and I feel bad for those who are inevitably gonna get tangled up in these affairs whether they like it or not.

Connie’s situation is also complicated and the more they attempt to figure things out, the more frustrating it gets. Basically, nothing adds up and no one knows why - that was why Connie went to Raiden for help. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to help either as there’s still a lot of unknown factors at play.

First, let’s go into why Connie’s traveling all over the Celestine Onyx and getting into their affairs even though they’re an outsider. At a glance, they seem like any other adventurer, but the more you look closely into their escapades, there’s obviously more to it than just some hero who happened to show up at the right place at the right time. I mean, how unusual is it for some outsider to be able to have considerable sway in various political factions to the point that drastic changes have taken effect, often resulting in ensuring a better future for the people? Like, that’s no ordinary person - not with a track record like Connie’s.

I’ve mentioned it before, Connie’s like a disruptor, an outside force who throws themselves in to temporarily stop the gears of fate. Of course, disruption, even if it’s for a good cause, results in unease, tension, fear of the unknown, but most of all, it throws everything into chaos. You’ve got a system like cogs in a machine where everything has to work perfectly well together. Throw something in between one of the gears and bam, everything comes to a grinding halt. And then what? That’s what Connie is.

In other words, that is Connie’s true purpose for their journey in the Celestine Onyx. It serves as sort of a punishment or redemption from their failure from preventing the Surtal disaster, a catastrophic event that resulted in the destruction of a nation and its people. Had the divine order not intervened, the disaster could’ve easily spread throughout the other seven nations. In short, a lot of things went wrong, and so it became sort of buried in history as the centuries passed.

The Surtal disaster was kind of like a domino effect that affected the other nations in the Celestine Onyx jurisdiction. But not in an obvious way, it was gradual, like something that sneaks up on you when you’re distracted. Political unrest and natural disasters were among some of the major catastrophes Connie managed to help avert. As for why the divine order failed to intervene earlier, that’s another question, though not one that Connie’s interested in finding the answer too. They believe that if the divine order got involved, it would have made things even worse. After all, they not only failed to prevent one prophecy from happening, but they turned it into an even bigger mess.

Many of those involved are still haunted by the disaster, including Connie, and so they are determined not to let history repeat itself. That’s why Connie sees their mission as more of a redemption than a punishment, as well as why those who were also involved were willing to let Connie intervene on matters that most outsiders have absolutely no business stepping into. They can’t change the past, but they can do something about the present and future. And so they will.

No matter what the cost or how many enemies they’ll make down the line, Connie will stop at nothing to make sure no one else had to suffer like the people of Surtal did. Defying the divine order by siding with the Celestine authority to take matters into their own hands is their way of righting the world’s wrongs. If the divine order finally decides to strike, Connie is more than prepared to fight back. To the death if they must.

As for the root cause of the Surtal disaster, Connie said it was the arrogance of the Six Pillars, five influential members who were supposed to represent the nation and guide it towards a better future. Instead, they were arrogant and much more interested in power and glory than the general wellbeing of the people. And that was their downfall. How tragic.

Among the many casualties of the disaster was Connie’s younger sister Trini - or so they thought. More accurately, she was among the missing and after an extensive search was assumed to be dead. They had been separated in the chaos and Connie blamed themselves for not being able to protect her. Interesting thing is that part of the reason why they took Pai under their wing was because her headstrong attitude and almost childlike curiosity reminded them of Trini.

And this is where things get confusing. It turns out that Trini survived the disaster and is allegedly working with the surviving Pillars. No one knows for sure what they’re planning other than it probably has to do with picking up where they left off before the disaster struck. So that’s bad news. As for how and why she’s involved with them even though she initially opposed them, that’s one of many questions Connie has for her. However, in the few times since they confronted her, she effectively sidestepped the interrogations.

What they know for sure is that Trini adopted many identities over the centuries. She also lived with two survivors of the Surtal disaster at some point - one whom Connie and Pai have run into a few times during their journey. According to him, a warrior who also happened to be a cousin of two of the Pillars, they traveled together for a while and he sometimes referred to her as Master. Then they had a falling out - or as Connie speculates, Trini walked out on him when she chose to side with the Pillars.

It was a chance encounter between the three of them that confirmed that Trini and his master were the same person. But other than that, there seems to be a lot of conflicting information that leaves both of them baffled. Connie was initially skeptical of the guy given his family ties, but as their paths crossed more and more, they realized that he really got the short end of the stick in the middle of all this, to put it simply. If Trini and the Pillars decided to attack, he would be their target, and knowing how their sister would operate, Connie would be the unwilling bait.

Of course, Connie will do whatever they can to prevent that, but with little to nothing to go off on, their hands are pretty much tied. For now, the best course of action is for them to lay low and avoid attracting any unwanted attention. At least for Connie, it means business as usual, especially now that they’re waiting for that inevitable mountain of paperwork following their final preparations for Sazona. Given everything that’s going on, they’re actually looking forward to trudging through all that boring bureaucratic stuff. Well, can’t really blame them - lesser of the two evils kind of thing, I guess.

As for the other person who also lived with Trini after her supposed death, Connie has yet to find her. She was also a survivor of the Surtal disaster and currently serves as one of the harbingers of Melovka’s imperial capitol. That means you will have to go through several loops just to even get permission to arrange a meeting with her. Connie’s also had a few unfortunate run ins with some of her subordinates, so they don’t really have high hopes that they’ll get concrete answers from her.

There is one silver living though, and it’s Beryl’s master, who’s acquainted with the High Mage. She’s not close to her, but she told Connie that she can try to get a word in for them as the High Mage seemed to express interest in Connie’s exploits. There’s no guarantee, but Beryl and his siblings can vouch for her as she always keeps her word. And if that doesn’t work for whatever reason, she’ll manage to find another way - though Connie’s afraid to ask what other methods she has in mind. Despite not seeing eye to eye with the head of the Garden, Connie agrees that she’s the best option as a go-between for the High Mage.

Connie had their objectives and Trini has hers. Two people with a grudge against the divine order should be working together, not against each other. Then again, a lot of things in life aren’t as simple. One stands with humanity, the other stands against it. Why is that? Another question that Connie’s intent on finding answers to. Whether they will like what they find out, that’ll be a bridge they’ll deal with when it comes. Again, there’s too many holes and unknowns to really come to any sort of conclusion.

So that’s a lot to deal with, and I wouldn’t know what to do if I were stuck in that kind of situation. But it’s like Connie said, you just have to focus on what you can’t do instead of driving yourself crazy or shit you have absolutely no control over. They don’t know what’s going on with Trini, so they obviously want to get to the bottom of that. While they’re willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, Connie also said that they won’t hesitate to strike back if she goes too far. Hopefully it won’t get to that point, but it has happened - see Raiden and her brother.

At least they’re keeping busy with the Radiant Springs Festival. Connie and Pai are well acquainted with the organizer, Ivanna, a traveling musician and songwriter. In fact, one of the songs Connie performed was an original the two of them wrote together in the course of one evening. That song is titled Stopping the World By Force, which seems to serve as an outlet for Connie’s frustration regarding Trini’s evasiveness. Emotions run high with this song - anger, sadness, desperation, frustration, and yet somewhat cautiously hopeful in the end. Like in an even if things don’t work out between us, I’ll still walk on with my head held high until the very end kind of thing.

The other numbers Connie and Pai performed were jazz standards, which they chose themselves. Nothing like getting into the timeless classics - they’re called that for a reason after all. I’d say Pai leans more into jazz pop while Connie’s more into the traditional classical genre, which kinda suits their personalities.

It was also a lot of fun seeing the performers in the orchestra, especially those who had their moments in the spotlight. Josette hadn’t planned on being up on stage until Madeleine and Aurelie asked her if she was interested. Madeleine and Ivanna wanted to get a mix of professional and casual but experienced musicians - Aurelie and Josette falling into the latter category. Josette was initially unsure as she was a little rusty with the violin, until Aurelie told her she was on the same page with the flute. Both of them played extensively in school and later picked it up on and off as adults for fun.

Madeleine didn’t expect to be in the orchestra too until the others insisted. She can play a variety of instruments, piano and cello being her top picks. While she’s known for being a talented pianist, she’s also a maestro on the cello. Really, the only reason why her cello playing’s not as well known is because she’s usually featured singing on stage, which is easier to do while playing the piano. Still, that doesn’t mean she can’t do it with cello, it’s more that she’s usually limited to plucking the strings - though her ability to seamlessly go from pizzicato to bow while singing is one of many reasons why she’s mesmerizing to watch.

The highlight for me was the orchestra, which was the main focus of the festival, though all the other performances I managed to catch were just as great. It’s nice watching a show where you can see the performers having as much fun as the audience, singing and playing to their favorite songs and putting their own spin on it.

Even when things aren’t looking too bright right now, that shouldn’t stop you from having a good time. Connie and Beryl certainly didn’t let their worries show in their performances, nor would they let that dampen their spirits. Sometimes all you can do is just lose yourself to the music and let that carry you to the clouds for a short period of respite. It won’t solve your problems, but it’ll give you some much needed headspace to be able to tackle these issues head on. I should take a page out of their book when I’m stuck in a difficult situation.

Read on AO3

[fff777]

reaction to wayv's love counselling center

ten has seen yangyang cry three times 🥲

i wonder if the guests are actors 😅

combined with the cupid theme of last video, their company's pushing the "love" part of "give me your love" i guess

first guest chose career over relationship but kind of has reservations about his decision

the way the video is playing out so far, i feel like they could have had questions written in for them to discuss because i feel like the guest is a little awkward 😅

aw so the guest felt bad when his ex-girlfriend said that she was fine that he was busy all the time

kun said he could still contact her after university and ten was like but what if he finds someone better 😤 go away ten we're trying to be romantic

lol i mean you said it

what the heck now they're having an eyelash battle lmao

second guest is a high school student preparing for auditions

aw she wants to give back to her family

i agree with kun, i'd want my kid to just focus on doing their best at school and then they can give back in their own way when they grow up and have more resources at their disposal

ten has a good point 🥹 i think parents would be moved if their kids expressed their love

channel 2 over here

xiaojun finds it hard to say "i love you" so he suggests just giving a heart lol

yangyang is always so thoughtful, he suggested just chatting with parents and trying to be their friend

the guys are sooo nosy about her love life lol, they love the tea

what a snitch lol

the subtitles are starting to be a little bit off (in terms of timing)

aw so this student is a little afraid of love 🥺 and he's afraid of dating because of the inevitable break up. he doesn't want to start something that will end.

hendery was like "since you're not dating anyone right now, you can participate in hobbies" and then proceeds to list the sports he's interested in starting with snowboarding and then ten piped up noting that lots of couples go snowboarding lol

he broke up with his ex-girlfriend on CHRISTMAS isn't that a couples-oriented holiday in korea? 😅

lol kun attempting to calm the guys down so the guest could finish his story

lmao yeah wayv has said this before but theyr'e really not the best people to ask for dating advice, they're just practising all day

pushing the gag

lol talking about cringey over the top proposals

omg xiaojun would propose playing the guitar 😭 i'm sorry that would be a no from me mister wonderwall 😭 ten is teasing him here

hendery: 對面的女孩看過來~ he's singing the famous song of the same name by 任賢齊 Richie Jen

the guys teasing kun for doing a piano proposal (even though he said he wouldn't!!)

ohhh yeah kun said he'd do a magic trick. that would be cute i think

hendery brings up milk tea a lot eh. can't take the canto out of the guy

hendery: i'd take her snowboarding and then at the cafe we'd have milk tea together kun: you do that with me though

roleplay

xiaojun kept saying oppa, trying to get yangyang to call hendery oppa

interesting, so this next guest wants to apologize to an ex-girlfriend for an abrupt split. he wants closure and to be on good terms with her.

omg the guy did this the most brutal way, he just told her that he didn't like her even though they had to break up because of external circumstances

hendery suggested to the guest to send a message first with their apology and to end it with extending the option to meet. and then he was like "you have to make the message nice, add lots of emojis and ~~~~"

kunten are like...won't that make her even more mad if she's already mad at you lol. so they agreed to take out the emojis.

this guy is very mature if he really is a high school student haha. he said he was planning to leave a message so they could have a phone call or meet in person to talk it out. me, the phone call avoider, could never.

hendery was like you should smile at her and everybody's like you're just gonna piss her off even more lol

this fourth student is struggling with self esteem and loving themselves

hendery: don't you feel better about yourself when you speak more loudly? xiaojun:

hendery deals with the stress by crying it out 😢

kun: i don't cry in front of other people ten: but you literally do

ending with a performance~

so i guess the guests are actually students and not actors haha

wow they're performing so many songs!

[perpetual-fool]

I don't think I fully appreciated that things being 'wrong' causes me actual tangible pain.

Like, 'this thing was built non-functional and was designed such that it literally cannot be fixed' causes tightness in my chest and makes my internal voice start screaming.

I guess I should try to stop that? I've been conditioned to think it's wrong to feel that way, and as a matter of practicality it seems like there's bigger things that need taking care of. For instance, I finally got a mouse bungee awhile back after years of not being able to justify the purchase. It cost twenty bucks and all it does is keep the cord from pulling on my mouse. But it's a huge quality of life upgrade, like an unrelenting itch that's just suddenly gone. I finally bought it because it became a big deal, I got a mouse that was so light the cord could pull it halfway off the desk. If I were to do it all again I still wouldn't be able to justify it. Am I wrong?

Are the more important things less important? Like, my clothes are wearing out, should I put that off for another month so that I can buy a better guitar stand? Or, projects that cease being cost-effective, should I keep dumping resources into this guitar until it's done? (Something something calculating value by dividing the cost by the number if times it's expected to be used? however that went?)

Since I'm the one who has to answer that, I guess I'll have to try it and find out.

- I'm inclined to lament about how it shouldn't have to be this way, but maybe it does, in a society kind of way. For instance, a problem I just worked out is that zither pins (the general term for them) need to be lubricated. Short version, the pins stay in place due to friction, but the amount of force necessary to overcome that friction results in turning the peg too much. Unlubricated I keep having to tune up, tune down, tune up, tune down, hoping I land on the right pitch. A little beeswax fixes that. And hypothetically the manufacturer should know to do that (or to leave it unfinished). But if the buyer doesn't know it needs to be done then they won't know to demand it, and won't realize something's wrong if it isn't done. So the quality of goods is going to drop to the users' level of competence? So a world in which goods are built to a basic standard would entail users who know exactly why that standard is what it is? So someone would have to go through all this regardless.

I could be doing this better. just assume everything is gonna be borked from the get-go, focus on projects I think I'll be able to rebuild. I am so tired though. It'd help a lot just to have a tiny bit of happiness in my life.

[just6f]

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[windowlomo]

Wake me up when september ends tablatures

#Wake me up when september ends tablatures how to

#Wake me up when september ends tablatures pro

You might need to scale it back and learn some easier tunes first (you can find a ton on my channel, so use it as a resource). It takes a lot of work to put something like this together, and with daily practice, you can definitely make it happen. Summer has come and passed / The innocent can never last / Wake me up. At the funeral, Armstrong cried, ran home, and locked himself in his. If you find yourself having trouble with this tutorial, because it really is harder than your average beginner song, don’t get discouraged. Aprenda a tocar a cifra de Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day) no Cifra Club. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong penned the lyrics to this song in the aftermath of his father’s death on September 10, 1982. Please remember to take your time with it, learn each bit gradually and pay close attention to which strings I’m picking… that’s actually the toughest part. There’s a lot to go over but if you follow the steps in this video, you’ll see how simple it really is. This song doesn’t use conventional chords, but the shapes are actually quite simple. It’s a real shortcut to making you a better guitarist – a good guitarist 🙂 If you don’t have this luxury, I think it’ll be really good for you to take advantage of various groups on the internet (forums, social media, etc) and seek out people near you who you can make music with. If you’re lucky enough to have people in your life who also play music, please take the time to work this one out and play along with someone else. During the demonstration at the beginning, you can see how all of those parts can blend together, and one of my goals with this tutorial was to show you how rhythm and lead guitar work together. It’s broken down into 3 main parts: Acoustic, Electric and the Guitar solo.

#Wake me up when september ends tablatures how to

This is a beginner-intermediate song (depending on your perspective) and I try to make it as simple as possible, while still teaching you how to play it EXACTLY like the recording. Welcome to my Wake Me Up When September Ends Guitar Tutorial by Green Day.

#Wake me up when september ends tablatures pro

If you still need to download Guitar Pro visit the software section. They are interactive and the format allows you to play the song, change the tempo, tunings, retab and much much more. Remember that tablatures here are not a simple image nor just text. Wake Me Up When September Ends Guitar Tutorial Wake Me Up When September Ends (5) Downloads 6349.

[gustingirl]

gvf headcanon | they comfort you during hard times

request: Omicron is ruining my Christmas plans and I don’t think I’m going to get to see family (either that or my dad will be alone all week including Christmas) and I’ve been sad all day. How would the boys try to make you feel better?

jake.

no because jake's real love language is music. like i know for a fact he feels the most comfortable with music in any form and shape. like, sex? with music in the back. cooking together? ok but put music in the back. you're sad? watch him put the best music for the moment. and if he needs to express something? well, music is the answer.

and he listened to you with full concentration as you cried out about your family and how much you missed them. it broke jake's heart, how you were so upset you could barely talk, feeling that knot grow bigger inside your throat. he held you in his arms as you finished crying, but he still decided to give you some time alone, as he knew you needed it. in the mean time, he grabbed his guitar and your records, trying to find the best song for the occasion.

"With the news there's something every day"

the voice that suddenly started singing sounded quite far, but it was slowly growing louder as you managed to stop crying.

"So many people thinking different ways, you say"

now the voice was clear and near, and the door of your shared room swung open, revealing jake with a guitar in hand. he stood in the entrance, though his eyes were focused on you.

"Where is the music? A tune to free the soul"

you smiled, cleaning your eyes, as he continued singing now smiling back

"A simple lyrics to unite us all, you know"

you continued laughing as you watched your boyfriend imitating the way his twin brother sang, even impersonating his body language and all. though you still were sad, you at least could wear a smile thanks to jake, who never once stopped taking care of you.

josh.

i have to admit josh reminds me a lot to my best friend, and so i feel like he would do something similar to what my friend would do. so, for that matter, i believe josh would have found out about the news from the exact source: your family. i have the feeling that, as a boyfriend, josh would have your family's contact and would ocassionally talk to them, to catch up or even to just talk. and he would find out through a relative that decided to alert him about the change of plans. i feel like josh is the type of person (friend or lover, really) that would do whatever to fix a problem. like, we know he's willing to give up something for a person he loves.

and so this man was unstoppable as he contacted every single relative of yours he could to do a surprise zoom call. you had the idea nobody could be available and so the idea of facetiming was not even present. but josh was full of ideas and so, with the little but efficient resources he had, he contacted every person related to you. once the surprise was arranged perfectly, he waited until you were out of the shower.

"y/n, can you come a second, please?" he asked as he heard the bathroom's door swing open "sam wants to facetime you" it was a little white lie needed at the moment, especially so you wouldn't come naked to the living room where he sat, with his own computer and all your family connected

"can it be fast? i'm not really in the mood" you commented as you entered the living room, finding your boyfriend sitting alone with his computer

"just come here, will you?" his voice and tone were softer than ever which surprised you, as you had never heard him speak like that before.

you sat down by his side, oblivious to everything. josh held your hand out of nowhere, catching you by surprise once more. his smile was comforting and his eyes were staring at you lovingly

"open that window" he asked, pointing at the zoom app minimized in the screen.

you did as he asked, and felt your eyes all watery as you found your entire family, pets included, connected right in front of your face. one of your relatives couldn't hide the excitement and announced happily that this was josh's idea. right then, you glanced over at your boyfriend, who was now wearing the biggest, most tender smile you had ever seen. you knew, then, that he was your life's biggest gift.

sam.

sam over here? softest boy ever. and softest boyfriend ever too. i have a strong feeling he wouldn't know exactly what to do? like he would struggle to find the right words to say, i mean he barely understands what you're going through. he still would do anything possible to actually put himself in your shoes but he still wouldn't know what to do.

but sam is all about comfort and warmth and he instantly realized you were not feeling ok. he had overheard you discussing with your family about cancelling plans so he knew why your mood had changed so abruptly. knowing he couldn't exactly tell you how to feel, he found the best idea he could. he was willing to distract you with whatever he could find. so, sam created a fort. yup, you read that right. i’m sure you must be confused, since you were the second you got off the shower to find your living room upside down, with the couch surrounded by mattresses and pillows and the lights dimmed.

"why is our living room a warzone?" you questioned, letting a small giggle escape your lips

"this is not war! this is love and this is our love fort!" sam began screaming as he tried to peek his head through a made up window "would you like to join my love fort?"

you couldn't help but laugh at how little his head looked in between all the pillows. in the matter of seconds you had forgotten why you were so sad, as you made your way inside the love fort to find a handmade little cinema he had installed with a dvd player and a video player.

danny.

i have a hard feeling danny would already know, but only because he could imagine it. like i feel like he would constantly be thinking of you and would always be alert. so like by the time he noticed the covid cases growing because of the new variant, he would instantly realize this affected you a lot. his activities wouldn't really change but seeing your family would become impossible if the cases arise and the restrictions come back. so he would literally predict the situation and have an idea of what to do.

so, before you could tell him why you were so sad, danny had already made you get in the car with him for a different errand. the car ride was silent and he was the one to bring up the topic. you were surprised he already knew, but didn't question it much, as it wasn't a really hard idea to think. you didn't talk much about it as you knew it would make you break down. instead, danny played some music for you. the rest of the ride went by quickly, with your favorite songs playing one right after the other. once you two made it to destiny, you were shocked. danny didn't have to do any errand; without you realizing, he had taken you to your first date's location. the place was a simple lake that was now washed pink by the beautiful sky above you. you watched as danny sat on the car's hood and extended his hand, hoping you would join him. you obviously did, and placed your head on his shoulder after sitting down.

"i never saw this coming" you commented, finally, after a long but comfortable silence

"that was the idea" danny replied, his hand now embracing you, bringing you to his chest. you hid your face in his chest, feeling how danny's hand started stroking your hair.

nothing else needed to be said or done, as danny had mended a heart that didn't have time to even break. you still missed your family, but you could work it out as long as you had this man by your side.

thanks for requesting!!

[writingdotcoffee]

#220: How to Make Your Writing Compound

Some things compound. Others don't. I was 14 years old when I first realised this. I played a ton of video games back then. World of Warcraft was a thing — I played a lot of that. My guild was great, and I loved the game too.

My guild was raiding, and I spent hours every day getting ready for those raids. I knew everything about the game — how to kill various bosses and where to find different resources. I played with friends and had fun. The problem was that when I turned the computer off, I had nothing. You can't put your video game achievements on your resume. What was I getting back from the game?

Then my birthday came up. I got a bit of money, and along with what I had saved up, I bought an electric guitar. It was one of those cheap beginner sets from Stagg — a black strat with a combo. The neck twisted slightly after about a year, so the guitar could no longer be tuned properly.

Anyway, I realised that I could have as much fun playing the guitar and get something out of it too. Playing an instrument compounds in a way that playing video games doesn't.

Years later, I can still play Can't Stop or Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I know the basics of music theory, how chords and scales work. I'm not the best guitarist in the world, but I'm kind of proud that I taught myself to play the guitar. Nobody can take that away from me.

Playing WoW, on the other hand, is just a blur. I don't regret doing it — I had fun, but am I proud of it?

¯_(ツ)_/¯

Do Things That Compound

Some things compound. Others don't. Focus on the first category as much as you can. What do you love doing that creates value at the same time?

When it comes to writing, there's a whole lot of stuff that doesn't compound. Although these things are important and they do feel like writing, they don't help you progress. You can keep doing them forever and still have nothing to show for it. This includes thinking about stories and world-building and outlining without ever sitting down to write the actual stories.

The thing that does compound is finishing stories. It's pretty simple: when you finish a story, you have a story. It may be good or bad — it doesn't matter. You made something and are free to move on.

An unfinished story isn't a story. It's just a bunch of words on the page. It's like when you're making a mug but abandon the project halfway through. It's not an unfinished mug. Before you bake it, it's just a pile of wet clay.

It Adds Up

When you finish a short story every week, you'll have 52 stories after a year. Maybe 30 of them are horrible. Fine. The following ten look promising, but not quite there yet. And the remaining 12 — when you read those stories, you find it hard to believe that you wrote them. They're so good!

Now, you have a collection of short stories. You can put them up for sale on Amazon, or send them around and see if any magazines show interest. Perhaps an editor or agent reads one of those magazines, finds your story and reaches out.

None of these things will happen if you don't finish stories. Finishing stories is what makes all the hard work that you put into your writing compound. Finish some stories.

It's very hard to get anywhere unless you let your work compound.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Radek 👋. I’m a writer, software engineer and the founder of Writing Analytics — an editor and writing tracker designed to help you beat writer’s block and create a sustainable writing routine.

I publish a post like this every week. Want to know when the next one comes out? Sign up for my email list below to get it right in your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Past Editions

#219: 7 Benefits of Doing NaNoWriMo Even If You Don’t Win, October 2021

#218: The Best Writing App for NaNoWriMo, October 2021

#217: Don’t Save Your Best Ideas for Later, October 2021

#216: Take Back the Time to Write, October 2021

#215: Writing for the Right Reasons, October 2021

[meruz]

once again i am answering asks in a big compilation post. included is... gotham, patrick stump, tips about drawing backgrounds, tips about drawing in general, links to my faq, and infinity train

like.... the tv series? No... I’ve drawn dc comics fanart before, though. But it’s been years since I’ve been really into it. I like jumped ship like 10 years ago when the New 52 happened LOL.

AFJHDSLKGH I’m sorry I (probably) won’t do it again??

Actually full disclosure I have a truly cringe amount of p stump drawings/photo studies in my sketchbook right now LOL. He’s just fun to draw... hats, glasses, guitar, a good shape... but I don’t think I’ll rly post those until I can hide them in another big sketchbook pdf.. probably Jan 2022. Stay tuned........ (ominous) 

(ominous preview)

These are all sort of related to backgrounds/painting so I grouped them together even though they’re pretty much entirely separate questions.... ANYWAYS

a) How is it working as a BG artist? Is it hard? What show are you drawing for?

I think you’re the first person to ever ask me about my job! Being a background artist is great. It’s definitely labor intensive but I think that could describe pretty much any art job (If something were rote or easy to automate, you wouldn’t hire an artist to do it) and I hesitate to say whether its harder or easier than any other role in the animation pipeline. Plus, so much of what truly makes a job difficult varies from one production to the next, schedule, working environment, co-workers etc. But I will say that I think while BGs are generally a lot of work on the upfront, I think they’re subject to less scrutiny/revisions than something like character/props/effects design and you don’t have to pitch them to a room like boards. So I guess it’s good if you don’t like to talk to people? LOL

A lot of my previous projects + the show I’ve worked on the longest aren’t public yet so I can’t talk about em (but I assure you if/when the news does break I won’t shut up about it). But I’m currently working on Archer Season 12 LOL. I’m like 90% sure I’m allowed to say that.

b) ~~~THANK YOU!! ~~~

c) What exactly do you like to draw most [in a background]?

@kaitomiury​ Lots of stuff! I really like to draw clutter! Because it’s a great opportunity for environmental storytelling and also you can be kind of messy with it because the sheer mass will supersede any details LOL. 

I like to draw clouds... I like to draw grass but not trees lol,,, I like to draw anything that sells perspective really easily like tiled floors and ceilings, shelves, lamp posts on a street etc.

d) Do you have any tips on how to paint (observational)?

god there’s so much to say. painting is really a whole ass discipline like someone can paint their whole life and still discover new things about it. I guess if you’re really just starting out my best advice is that habit is more important than product. especially with traditional plein air painting, I find that the procedure of going outside and setting up your paints is almost harder than the actual painting. There’s a lot of artists who say “I want to do plein air sometime!!” and then never actually get around to doing it. A lot of people just end up working from google streetview or photos on their computer.

But going outside to paint is a really good challenge because it forces you to make and commit to lighting and composition decisions really quickly. And to work through your mistakes instead of against them via undo button.

My last tip is to check out James Gurney’s youtube channel because hes probably the best and most consistent resource on observational painting out there rn. There’s lots other artists doing the same thing (off the top of my head I know a lot of the Warrior Painters group has people regularly posting plein air stuff and lightbox expo had a Jesse Schmidt lecture abt it last year) but Gurney’s probably the most prolific poster and one of the best at explaining the more technical stuff - his books are great too.

e) Do you have tips for drawing cleanly on heavypaint?

@marigoldfool​ UMM LOL I LIKE ONLY USE THE FILL TOOL so maybe use the fill tool? Fill and rectangle are good for edge control as opposed to the rest of the heavy paint tools which can get sort of muddles. And also I use a stylus so maybe if you’re using your finger, find a stylus that works with your device instead. That’s all I’ve got, frankly I don’t think my drawings are particularly clean lol.

f) Tips on improving backgrounds/scenes making them more dynamic practicing etc?

Ive given some tips about backgrounds/scenes before so I’m not gonna re-tread those but here’s another thing that might be helpful...

I think a good way to approach backgrounds is to think of the specific story or even mood you want to convey with the background first. Thinking “I just need to put something behind this character” is going to lead you to drawing like... a green screen tourist photo backdrop. But if you think “I need this bg to make the characters feel small” or “I need this bg to make the world feel colorful” then it gives you requirements and cues to work off of.

If I know a character needs to feel overwhelmed and small, then I know I need to create environment elements that will cage them in and corner them. If a character needs to feel triumphant/on top of the world then I know I need to let the environment open up around them. etc. If I know my focal point/ where I want to draw attention, I can build the background around that.

Also, backgrounds like figure compositions will have focal points of their own and you can draw attention to it/ the relationship the characters have with the bg element via scale or directionality or color, any number of cues. I think of it almost as a second/third character in a scene.

Not every composition is gonna have something so obvious like this but it helps me to think about these because then the characters feel connected and integrated with the environment.

Some more general art questions

a) Do you have any process/tips to start drawing character/bodies/heads?

I tried to kind of draw something to answer this but honestly this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think I’m that great at drawing characters LOL. Ok, I think I have two tips.

1) flip your canvas often. A lot about what makes human bodies look correct and believable is symmetry and balance. Even if someone has asymmetrical features, the body will often pull and push in a way to counterbalance it. we often have inherent biases to one side or another like dominant hands dominant eyes etc. you know how right-handed artists will often favor drawing characters facing 45 degrees facing (the artist’s) left? that’s part of it. so viewing your drawing flipped even just to evaluate it helps compensate for that bias and makes you more aware of balance.

2) draw the whole figure often. I feel like a lot of beginner artists (myself included for a long time) defer to just drawing headshots or busts because it’s easier, you dont have to think about posing limbs etc. But drawing a full body allows you to better gauge proportion, perspective, body language, everything that makes a character look believable and grounded.

Like if you (me) have that issue where you draw the head too big and then have to resize it to fit the proportions of the rest of the body, it’s probably because you (I) drew the head first and are treating the body as an afterthought/attachment. Sketching out the whole figure first or even just quick drawing guides for it will help you think of it more holistically. I learned this figure drawing in charcoal at art school LOL.

oh. third mini tip - try to draw people from life often! its the best study. if you can get into a figure drawing/nude drawing class EVEN BETTER and if you have a local college/art space/museum that hosts those for free TREASURE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, that’s a huge boon that a lot of artists (me again) wish they had. though if youre not so lucky and youre sitting in a park trying to creeper draw people and they keep moving.. don’t let that stop you! that’s good practice because it’s forcing you to work fast to get the important stuff down LOL. its a challenge!

b) I’ve been pretty out of energy and have had no inspiration to draw but I have the desire to. Any advice?

Dude, take a walk or something.... Or a nap? Low energy is going to effect everything else so you gotta hit that problem at its source.

If you’re looking for inspiration though, I’d recommend stuff like watching a movie, reading a book, playing video games etc. Fill up your idea bank with content and then give yourself time/space to gestate it into new concepts. Sometimes looking at other art works but sometimes it can work against you because it’s too close. 

Also something that helps me is remembering that art doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking... like it’s okay to make something shitty and stupid that you don’t post online and only show to your friend. That’s all part of the process imo. If you want to hit a home run you gotta warm up first, right? Sports.

I should probably compile everytime i give tips on stuff like this but that’s getting dangerously close to being a social media artist who makes stupid boiled down art tutorials for clout which is the last thing i want to be... the thing I want to stress is that art is a whole visual language and there are widely agreed upon rules and customs but they exist in large part to be broken. Like there's an infinite number of ways to reach an infinite number of solutions and that’s actually what makes it really cool and personal for both the artist and the viewer. So when you make work you like or you find someone else’s work you like, take a step back and ask yourself what about it speaks for you, what about it works for you, what makes it effective, how to recreate that effect and how to break that effect completely, etc. And have a good time with it or else what’s the point.

for the first 2, I direct you to my FAQ

For the last one, I don’t actually believe I’ve ever addressed artwork as insp for stories/rp but I’ll say here and now yeah go ahead! As long as you’re not making profit or taking credit for my work then I’m normally ok with it. Especially anything thats private and purely recreational, that’s generally 100% green light go. I only ask that if you post it anywhere public that you please credit me.

(and I reserve the right to ask you to take it down if I see it and don’t approve of it’s use but I think that case is pretty rare.)

a) @lemuelzero101 Thank you!!! I haven’t played Life is Strange but actually  that series’ vis dev artist Edouard Caplain is one of my bigger art inspirations lately so that’s a really high compliment lol. And yeah I hope we get 5-8 too...!

b) Thank you for sticking around! I’ve been thinking about Digimon and Infinity Train in tandem lately, actually. They’re a little similar? Enter a dangerous alternate world and have wacky adventures with monsters/inanimate objects that have weird powers... there’s like weird engineers and mechanisms behind the scenes... also frontier literally starts with them getting on a train. Anyways if anyone else followed me for digimon... maybe you’d like Infinity Train? LOL

c) @king-wens-king I’M GLAD MY ART JUST HAS PINOY VIBES LOL I hope you are having a good day too :^)

a, b, c, d) yessss my Watch Infinity Train agenda is working....

e) aw thank you!! i think you should watch infinity train :)

[blackradandmad]

why blippi is rotting yr children's brains

preface: i literally expect no one to read this. it is an essay length, strong opinion piece critiquing a niche youtube-based children's show that i don't expect most of y'all to even have knowledge of lol. but like, i promise that even if you know nothing about what i'm talking about, in my incredibly, super humble opinion, it's a good piece of writing and interesting nonetheless. anyway if you read this whole thing for some reason yr really hot and we should kiss.

i thoroughly vet everything my child watches before he watches it, episode by episode. and we rarely watch youtube for entertainment; we usually just look up educational videos when he has a question about something and wants more detail than i can provide him. and that's mainly because children's content on youtube is so fucking troubling and distressing. i don't judge parents who give their children a tablet at a restaurant at all bc i've been there and sometimes it's easier on everyone to just put on a video and avoid a giant scene, but i do judge parents who just leave their children alone with youtube kids on autoplay.

take stevin john, a literal millionaire who got famous from dressing up as a silly character called blippi and going on tours of places like aquariums, zoos, construction sites, etc and posting it on youtube. this has branched into a whole empire of blippi videos, hulu shows and specials, live shows and tours (that he outsources to another character actor), merchandise and so on. this 30-something year old man cites his main influence as being mr. rogers, but i question if he's ever even seen an episode of that program.

mr. rogers had no background in early childhood development or media production, but he revolutionized the world of children's media, because he respected his audience and didn't shy away from real world situations, all while creating a show with an enormous heart. mr. rogers begins his episodes by inviting the viewer in, literally changing his attire to be more comfortable, and talking about/doing things he genuinely cares about. whereas mr. rogers calmly and maturely addresses the viewer, blippi puts on a high pitched, contrived voice, interjecting every other sentence with a forced exclamation such as, "teehee! we're having so much fun!"

i don't find it a coincidence that john (blippi) is a veteran, either. his videos are completely devoid of the absurd, abstract, childlike thinking that makes children's media fun, creative, and entertaining. his thinking and process is methodical, devoid of emotion, and very superficial. this line of thinking clearly shows the kind of creative sterilization and emphasis on sameness and conformity instilled in the military. blippi simply observes things and interacts with them in a stale, matter-of-fact way. "this ball is purple! this ball is pink! anyway... what's over there? teehee! a car! vroom, vroom!" objects are colors, toy cars don't do anything but drive, curiosity is simply not encouraged.

he uses the "it's educational!" excuse to hide the fact that his show lacks everything that makes media a valuable resource for children to consume in the first place. further than identifying colors, numbers, and the occasional letter or shape, there is just this total lack of children's need for social and emotional development. when mr. rogers breaks the fourth wall to address the viewer and let them know they're special, it feels authentic and natural, because we've spent the last half hour building whole worlds with diverse characters and unique stories in a pretend neighborhood, learning about and enjoying different musical instruments, being exposed to and making friends with (even if parasocially, it is still a real bond to children when done properly) children who are similar to us in character regardless of physical or environmental differences, feeding the fish, making art together, and so on. when blippi tells the viewer, "you are very special, and i enjoy spending time with you!" it falls completely flat and feels unearned, because the last half hour was spent running around a soft play center pointing at bright, colorful objects, visiting interesting locations like farms or fruit production factories while failing to acknowledge the humanity of the humans actually working there (everything is machine or product focused; the human workers are simply an extension of the machine), learning "fun facts" about elephants that just list attributes of elephants, not taking the opportunity to inform the viewers of elephants' intelligence, or diet, or matriarchal society. it is a loud, sensory overwhelming display of a man so disconnected from the social and emotional needs and desires of children that he assumes they're stupid, easily entertained idiots who only need some silly dances and fast-moving cartoon graphics to give their attention (meaning time and desire to purchase products meaning $$$). john clearly views his audience as a means to gaming the algorithm and ultimately a paycheck by the hollow way he addresses them.

the show is so narcissistic, so focused on all the fun blippi is supposedly having, but he lacks any of the character traits that make individual children's show hosts memorable, so much so that he was able to have someone else who doesn't even vaguely resemble him dress as blippi and impersonate him and host the show or appear at live shows, and it went unnoticed by most of his toddler and child audience. the show is so formulaic and the character of blippi is so unmemorable that instead of taking the blue's clues route of developing a story of the host leaving for college and his brother now stepping in, or making some sort of believable excuse for the change in actors, they can simply swap him out with some random guy and not acknowledge it at all. although a comedy show for older children, the amanda show in no way could or would try to replicate the show with the same name but swapping out amanda bynes with a random teenage girl who is clearly not amanda bynes. it's weird and nonsensical and shows that his character is so much of a farce put on for a paycheck that not even his dedicated audience is affected or even cares when he is replaced by a random, unknown person.

this is completely garbage content made by an opportunist with no experience with children who saw his nephew watching children's youtube content, took it at complete surface level and still hasn't realized that while children's content only looks and feels so easy, entertaining, and enriching because it is so hard to do well. even with outsourcing his music, that aspect of the show still sucks. famous and successful children's musician, raffi, is known for his song describing the life of a little white whale, called "baby beluga." it opens with a calm strumming of his guitar, followed by the lyrics, "baby beluga in the deep blue sea/swim so wild and you swim so free/heaven above/sea below/and a little white whale on the go." is it silly and kind of pointless? yes, but the point is that he is captivating children and showing them the fun of listening to music, dancing, singing, and appreciating art. the "excavator song" featured in an episode of blippi about construction vehicles opens with what sounds like a default garageband loop and the flatly sung lyrics, "i'm an excavator/i'm an excavator/hey dirt, see you later/i'm an excavator." i don't feel i have to meticulously analyze the aforementioned lyrics; the stark contrast should speak for itself.

i have a million more criticisms about both blippi specifically and youtube children's content as a whole, but this is already so long and i doubt many people will get this far anyway. it's an issue i was completely apathetic towards until i had my own child and had to wean him off these kinds of junk food shows because i realized the fast-paced visuals and bright colors and repetitive songs/lyrics were putting him in this spaced-out, fugue state, and he thought he could demand this show or that show whenever he wanted. the moment he started regularly yelling things like, "watch! cars!" or "no! click it!" i knew i had to be a lot more invested in the things he watched even if just for entertainment or as a soothing message. i showed him an episode of mr. rogers yesterday and feared it would be too slow to hold his attention, but he was mesmerized, greeting and interacting with mr. rogers verbally, asking me, "what's that?" to different objects on the screen. since purging this low-brow children's entertainment, he has had a noticeable increase in attention span and concentration, can focus on a task for longer amounts of times, is more likely to "read"/look through books without me initiating it, and doesn't throw a fit when the tv/my laptop is off.

i just know that for me, growing up with so much unsupervised internet access definitely led me to real-world pain and consequences, and it seems like now children are born with an iphone as an extension of their arm. if my child is going to be consuming videos, i'm definitely supervising every second and am going to be highly critical of the videos and the credentials (or lack thereof) of the creators and team behind it. but i also know, from pure observation admittedly, that parents letting youtube kids autoplay parent their children for hours at a time is not an uncommon occurrence. and it worries me that a generation of children are being raised on videos that rely on being as loud and bright and superficially enjoyable as possible. what's the use of a child knowing their colors and alphabet if they don't know how to treat people with kindness and empathy and respect? there is something wrong for a children's show host to plug the spelling of his name at the end of his videos ("well, that's the end of this video. but if you wanna watch more of my videos, just type in my name! can you spell my name with me? b-l-i-p-p-i!") after essentially rotting his audiences' brains for a half hour. there's something so insidious about the prioritization of naming different parts of construction vehicles over honest depictions of and conversations about dealing with feelings, or why someone with autism may act differently than you, or what to do when you feel lonely, or ways to make art and express yrself creatively. also, not to mention the blatant police propaganda and outright worship is seriously jarring; as a black mother to a visibly non-white child, i cannot sit there and watch blippi show kids how to be a bootlicker for the shittiest profession on earth, but that could be a whole essay in and of itself.

anyway, thanks for reading, if yr looking for quality children's content, i recommend, in no specific order: mr. rogers, sesame street, the electric company, molly of denali, daniel tiger, bluey!, blue's clues, the odd squad, word party, trash truck, puffin rock, uhh... that's definitely not an extensive list but that's just off the dome!!! ok bye y'all <333

[astriiformes]

hey, maybe you're the wrong person to ask but do you think it's possible to start playing an instrument as an adult who never even touched one?

It is absolutely possible to learn to play an instrument as an adult!! In fact, it is something that I would love to see more people do, so good on you for considering it!

I actually have assorted adult friends who take private lessons for instruments they're learning, because there are plenty of teachers out there who teach adults as well as kids, and even if that's not your style, the internet has lots of great tutorials, videos, and resources for people interested in learning different instruments. Prior to busting my finger I was actually making use of assorted viola ones myself because even though I've been playing for a long time, I've never had great posture and it has only gotten worse since I last actually played in an orchestra (rip). That, and in theory I am teaching myself guitar, even though it has been pretty slow going.

It will probably feel weird and awkward at first, and it's really easy to look at people who started learning when they were younger, or picked up their instruments faster than you and feel embarrased. But I will tell you right now, as someone who's been a musician for 16-17+ years, I still do that. All the time. Way to much, honestly. It isn't proof you're too far behind, or failing -- it's just a trap we all fall into sometimes. My advice to you, however you decide to pursue learning, would be to pick some small, personal goals that would bring you a lot of joy if you were able to accomplish them. Is there a particular song you'd really like to learn to play? I have found that having a set of sort of "bucket list" songs has not only been really motivating, but is so great because it doesn't rely on me having a great performance, or auditioning, or comparing myself to other people to succed -- just getting excited when I finally learn how to play something I've always wanted to! Thinking about things like that, that will make you happy no matter how "good" you are, is absolutely one of the best parts of being a musician, and a great thing to focus on as a learner (and especially an adult learner, I feel like).

Making music is so great and so incredibly human and I know it's intimidating at first, but it really doesn't take that long to hit little milestones you're proud of, and that can happen at any age. Even messy, shaky, slightly off-key playing can be fun and entirely worth it (I should know... I've released an EP and I still make so many mistakes, even during performances), and people who start learning at later ages are still totally capable of developing the skills to make great music. I wish you so much luck with your musical journey, and if you ever want to send a proud update on it, my inbox is always open!