#but you‘re free to interpret

[satans--waifu]

Alright so… the context of this one is entirely ambiguous, make of it what you will. I‘m sure the sweaty strands have everything to do with an intense workout and nothing else

I do like the thought of the magic markings on his cheeks actually being runes and spreading as one becomes more proficient with their magic. Or maybe they just shine through as one engages in more… strenuous activities. Perhaps their visibility is connected to the amount of adrenaline your body produces at a given time? Sort of in a "adrenaline means danger and danger means we need magic to escape from the situation" biological kind of explanation? So your body then literally puts runes on itself so you can use stronger magic in an effort for self preservation. But because your body doesn’t know whether you’re producing adrenaline out of danger or euphoria, the side effect is that it will just activate in any situation in which adrenaline is produced.

I‘m overthinking it, aren‘t I? I‘m just a bit of a sucker for magic systems and how mages interact with their magic in day to day activities lmao. Like, I don‘t care how they use it in battle or whatever, tell me how it poses minor inconveniences in every day life instead.

[fligniuz]

Flig I apologize for the long text, but I just had to get this off my chest.

They say Tumblr is the problem, but they’re the real issue. She posts the word beautiful and suddenly claims, “He called me beautiful” — seriously? That’s like getting a letter that ends with best regards and saying, “He said I’m the best.” That’s exactly how she behaves. And they have the nerve to call us parasocial, while they interpret a single word as a full-on love confession.

It’s not just the letter either — it’s the supposed “crumbs” too. Just because she knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who was at Gilman with Luigi, now she’s acting like there’s some real connection. You just know she’ll spin it into “they’re jealous because he gave me a compliment.” But that’s not what people are upset about. What actually bothers everyone is the way she twists words to make them into something they’re clearly not.

Honestly, you almost have to feel sorry for her if she’s that desperate — twisting everything and lying just to get attention. She has probably changed her heritage like three times just to match whatever type Luigi is supposedly into. It’s honestly sad. I feel so bad for Jules with all the hate she’s getting. And the people who interpret a simple word like beautiful as “he wants me” — they’re the ones being celebrated.

Like, how many times have we said “oh, those pictures are beautiful”? It’s just about the vibe, a nice compliment. Does that mean I want to marry the person in the photo? No. If he had actually written YOU‘RE beautiful, that would be lovely, and I’d be happy for her. And if she were being honest, like Jules was, she could’ve just posted the whole letter and scribbled out any private parts — that way she could prove he meant it that way. But he didn’t mean it like that, so now she’s just making excuses not to post the whole thing.

Honestly, it’s a shame. Because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing — for him to be free. But acting like she’s above everyone else, calling herself the founder of luigitwt, and putting others down? That’s disappointing. If all she cares about is clout and recognition, I think she’s kind of lost sight of the actual goal.

I just want to make it clear — I’m not attacking her, and there’s no hate behind this. It’s simply sad to watch people on Tumblr getting criticized and dragged when many have forgotten what this is really about. I hope that makes sense.

all of this makes perfect sense and i agree completely anon!! it’s honestly very pathetic behavior esp for someone so grown. i guess getting enough attention from people does wild things to your brain ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[halseyquinn]

A couple of thoughts on Disney‘s „Encanto“

I recently watched „Encanto“, which is both a nice and funny film (even for adults ;) and there are some points that I‘d like to share and discuss here. As always: feel free to disagree with me (or if you agree, you can also tell me) :)

!Beware of spoilers!

TW: I’m going to discuss some difficult family-related topics (toxic relationships, pressure/expectations, death of family member,...). 

So, here we go:

1) I‘m pretty sure we all agree that the magical rooms (especially Antonio‘s) are totally awesome. Still, I couldn‘t help feeling that they were not really „appropriate“ for children? Apparently, the young Madrigals get their own room at the age of about 5 – just imagine having to live in such a big room all on your own at that age. I mean, Isabela‘s room, for example, looks quite cozy, but especially Bruno‘s „cave“ doesn‘t seem really fit for a 5 year old. It‘s dark, gloomy and 500 or so stairs separated him from his family. Also, as I said, Antonio‘s room is pretty cool (from an adult‘s perspective), but as a child I personally would have been scared to live there – imagine having to „camp“ in the jungle – at night – when it‘s dark – and you‘re only 5 years old – and your parents are quite literally miles away from you? In contrast to that, the nursery that Mirabel shares with Antonio at the beginning, seems exactly what a nice, cosy room for children (or young adults) should look like.

So here‘s my theory: the process of getting a door/room (and therefore gift) assigned to you, symbolizes some sort of „coming-of-age“ ritual – getting some special ability also means having to bear a certain responsibility – and that means having to grow up soon, faster than the other kids your age. I interprete the „gifts“ as a metaphor for taking on responsibility for certain family-related tasks – in real life this could mean having to take care of younger siblings or elderly relatives. Such tasks are usually „assigned“ to you when you‘re far from ready for it (when you‘re quite literally too young) and they change your life for ever. You‘ll never be the same again, because there will always be something that separates you from the children/young adults your age, because they don‘t share your experiences and therefore can‘t understand you.

I think that‘s what Casita stands for – a house that is both isolated from all the others as well as isolates its inhabitants from other people (because they‘re „different“). So as soon as a Madrigal child moves out of the nursery, they take on responsibility and therefore have to grow up – including moving to a big, cold, lonely room where they have to live (aka deal with their problems) on their own, isolated from their siblings and parents (who all have their respective problems and therefore can‘t support them properly). Maybe Bruno‘s room being extra gloomy and „isolated“ could be interpreted as him having to bear the most pressure, being the only male family member after his father‘s death. The pressure the (young) Madrigals have to deal with is especially obvious in Luisa‘s case – she literally sings about how she has to „handle every family burden“. But I think, in a way, all of the Madrigal family members have/had to deal with what she‘s going through at some point of their lifes – stepping through the „door“ from childhood into adulthood (more or less involuntarily).

2) That leads directly to the second point I wanted to discuss: the depiction of family relationships (and especially family issues). I personally couldn‘t help but dislike Alma, even though I can understand her. But what she did to her family, especially her son, was just not ok. If I was Bruno I don‘t think I could forgive her. Many books and films that deal with tense family relationships tend to come up with some „sweet“ reconciliation scene at the end, where all the problems (quite literally) magically disappear, everyone hugs and everything is alright again. The problem is: that‘s just not how it works in real life! Or rather: it might go like that sometimes, but I‘m not sure if that‘s a really good way to deal with such issues. I once heard the saying that before forgiving a member of your family for doing or saying a certain (really bad) thing, you should ask yourself whether you‘d forgive an aquaintance/friend under the same circumstances – and if you wouldn‘t, you shouldn‘t forgive your family member either. Simply being part of your family doesn‘t make everything they do ok. I personally think that it‘s even worse if someone who‘s supposed to be „family“ to you, messes up. Nevertheless it‘s difficult: under which circumstances is something somebody did, so bad that it is basically unforgiveable? Even if you maybe have the chance to talk about it and even if they apologize (like in the film)?

In my opinion, what Abuela Alma did, was unforgiveable – she never supported her son (or any of her children or grandchildren) and basically treated him as badly as the villagers and therefore eventually drove him out of the family. No (seemingly) lovingly whispered „Brunito“ is ever going to change anything about that. I also find it quite unforgiveable what she did to Mirabel, constantly making her feel unwanted and worthless. Even though they talk about it in the end, Mirabel understands and her grandmother apologizes. It just doesn‘t change anything about the past – Mirabel still suffered basically all of her life! Also: she’s a child - her grandmother is an adult. Mirabel shouldn’t have to try and understand (and eventually forgive) Alma, because the latter is older and therefore responsible for making their relationship work.

And that‘s the point I‘d like to make: I don‘t think that books or films should always show some reconciliation (quite out of the blue) at the end. Sometimes that‘s just not possible. I get it, children‘s films should always have a happy ending, but in my opinion a happy ending can also mean ending a bad/toxic relationship with a family member (or any person really). By showing why Alma is the way she is, one is supposed to sympathize with her (what I did), but it doesn‘t change anything about her behaviour being totally messed up. Having a sad past, is no excuse for treating people (especially the ones that love you) in a bad way!

But maybe Mirabel and Bruno also have a point. Forgiving can feel liberating in a way. Holding grudges and seeking vengeance can bring yourself down, too, because you’re never really being able to let go. So maybe them forgiving Alma is more about freeing themselves from negative emotions (and therefore becoming happier) than actually pleasing her or making her feel less guilty...

That being said, I‘d like to emphasize that this is not about critizing „Encanto“ or the people who made this film – because it is still a lovely film and I personally really enjoyed it! I simply wanted to share some personal interpretations and to discuss the way certain topics are dealt with and portrayed in our society, especially in the media (in general).

[ulec-elec]

Hi- okay so there are these German Harry Potter parody audio books. They’re like classical over here. And I wanted to use some quotes from that with the sfv characters because Idk I thought that’d fit. (They‘re terribly translated by me :) )

There are more of these, idk the three people that look at my post don‘t speak German but imma give credit anyways (bcs that’s the right thing to do lmao)

Coldmirror - YouTube

(https://youtu.be/CIeajBUsZR0

it‘s a reupload. there were copyright issues back then so the og‘s were taken down. But there are many reuploads on YouTube)

Anyway, here you go:

————————

Oskar: Gruftine that‘s not meant as an insult but

Gruftine: If you start the sentence like this it‘ll be an insult you just don‘t want me to get mad at you

Oskar: Yes, anyway-

——

Lady Cryptina: What else do you want to tell the children?

Alerich: uhhm- uhh

*looks down at the floor and watches the dust*

Lady Cryptina: Uh Count von Horrificus

Alerich: y-yes?

Lady: You wanted to say something to the students

Alerich: Oh yeah, dark times have occurred and many weird things are happening. Maybe some of us won‘t make it. Maybe even me or maybe...LADY CRYPTINA-

Lady: *screams out of shock*

Alerich: I‘m pretty sure here‘s someone who has evil on their mind. I don‘t want make rushed desicions but maybe it‘s... LADY CRYPTINA

Lady: *screams* stoop it please!

——

Oskar: *wakes up* Stoker, Stoker, I had night mare, but it felt so real! I think something terrible will happen soon.

Fletcher: Did you dream that a great red bull(*a bull that was red, not the energy drink) drived you seward and were you a unicorn?

Oskar: Uh no-

Fletcher: Then there is no meaning

Oskar: But I think Poli-

Fletcher: NO meaning

———

Fletcher: Do you guys want to hang out and maybe drink some tea

Gruftine: *looks at Oskar with the »totally not« face*

Oskar: Well Fletcher... Of course we‘re coming

Fletcher: nice follow me

*Oskar and Gruftine Walk behind him*

Gruftine: I showed you the »totally not« face

Oskar: Oh really? I thought it was the »Hell yeah, that‘s a great idea« face

Gruftine: No, doing the »Hell yeah, that‘s a great idea« face doesn’t include angry looking and shaking my head

Oskar: Oh- I must have interpreted that wrong

——-

*Nestor as a Substitute*

Nestor: hello kids

All of the kids: *yelling hello very loudly*

Nestor: *flinches* please- say quiet, I don‘t feel very well therefore you‘ll learn independently. You can practice your hypnotic skills QUIETLY or talk QUIET-

Alerich: *yells trough a new adjusted sound system and imitates a school bell* Hey hey here here speaks your favorite Headmaster, Cout von Horricuis you want to know how to how to knit a sweater out of wolffurr? Then come over to my knitting course this after noon? Wooo....

Alerich: doot

Lady Cryptina: No no Alerich You need to press the butt-

Alerich: doot

Lady Cryptina: the Button you need to press it

——

Oskar: Do you want to hang out with me? Are you free tonight

Sunshine: no

Oskar: Are you free tomorrow

Sunshine no

Oskar: Are you free the day after tomorrow

Sunshine: noo

Oskar: When Are you free? I‘m free all the time when are you free?

Sunshine: Wait I‘ll look at my appointments diary *looks trough a coloring book*

Sunshine: No Sorry, I‘m very busy for the... Uh next three years

Oskar: Oh okay... I‘ll just ask you in three years again

——

Fletcher: *outside burning in the sunlight, screaming*

Gruftine: Urgh, Fletcher can’t you burn a little more quiet?

Gruftine: *lifts hand* Professor Oxford, Fletcher‘s screaming way to loud while dying, do something, you are our teacher after all

——

*at the Nosferatu’s*

Oskar: Hey Max, I‘ll stay over for a few weeks I’m sure we’ll have a lot fun

Max: Papa!

Papa Nosferatu: Yes Maxy baby

Max: there there *points at Oskar*

Papa Nosferstu: Yes yes I know, Oskar will live her forehead a few weeks isn’t that great, so you’d have someone to play with over Christmas!

...

*the two are alone again*

Oskar: Well Max you won‘t be able to play any mean tricks on us, I’ll keep my eyes on yo- *gasps* Oh My God you have the Original Camping Van with Camping Barbie and Camping Ken! Can I play with that?! *gasps* you have a kiddie microwave with pling sound. How cool!

——-

Fletcher: Oh no I haven’t done my homework and I won‘t be able to copy them from Tinto in time

Tinto: Even if you did, weren’t allowed to copy my homework-

Fletcher: *whines, ignoring him* What can I dooo~?

——

Professor Oxford: Oskar, come to the desk and tell me what you see on here

Oskar: Damn why is it always me!?

Professor Oxford: Oh well then- Fletcher come over here

Oskar: Damn it why isn’t it me, I already got up!

——

Tinto: *stutters something* Just because I put work into school you think I‘m a nerd

The other kids: yes

Tinto: And you think I‘ll keep letting you copy my homework after this statement

The other kids: yes

Tinto: Do you think my whole life revolves around work

The other kids: yes

Tinto: we’ll it‘s not like you think it is if you think what I think that you think because the thinking of thoughts is-

——-

Oskar: But-

Alerich: *from the sound system again, making school bell noises*

Professor Oxford: Seems like the school bell saved you

Oskar: Whe have a school Bell?

Alerich: *makes school bell noises again before beatboxing*

Alerich: *yells into the microphone way to loud so no one can understand him until the tone fades away*

——

Oskar: Uh- Gruftine

Gruftine: Yes?

Oskar: Since I almost died a few minutes ago I realized something. Something about you

Gruftine: *blushes* Oh- oh? What?

Oskar: I need to ask you something

Grufinte: Y-yeah?

Oskar: Actually I‘m thinking about this the day I first met you. And now I can‘t stop my self anymore

Gruftine: *heavily blushing*

Just ask Oskar

Oskar: Gruftine

Gruftine: Y-yeah?

Oskar: Why aren’t you wearing glasses?

Gruftine: W-what my eyes are perfectly fine, why should I wear glasses?

Oskar: Because you‘re a nerd, You’re always a know it All

Tinto: Yeah you want my glasses? Then it would be the perfect nerd look!

——-

*Ashley and Klot Running from a sea monster*

Ashley: shit we forgot to play it a song to calm it.

Klot: we need something that makes music

Ashley: just sing!

Klar: I Like big booty bitches, big-

——

Tinto: this is a normal triangle

Fletcher: yoo the fuck Einstein not everyone here has an Uni dipoloma

Tinto: But everyone knows-

[pupa-cinema]

Happy Go Lucky Heads - HELL'O' - English Translation

Lyrics: Sekihan Music：324

外出て歩き始めた瞬間　バリバリ雨が降り出す As soon as I stepped outside, rain started pouring down シフト入った日だけ　バリバリ客が湧き出す The day I had to work, was the day the crowd was actually pumped up 動画いいとこなのに　携帯充電もうない Right at the good part of a video, I ran out of phone battery 疲れて寝てる日だけ　隣人めっちゃパーリーナイト The days I go to sleep exhausted, are the same days my neighbors throw a party all night

地獄(HELL！)　地獄(HELL！)地獄(HELL！) この世は地獄 This world is a living hell 地獄(HELL！)　地獄(HELL！)地獄(HELL！) この世は地獄 This world is a living hell

めっちゃ並んだラーメン　眼前で売り切れ御免 I had been waiting in a long line for ramen, until it sold out right before my eyes 昔推したアイドル　いつの間にか脱いどる My old bias idol, throughout the years they’ve stripped to go viral

流れ流されどこまで Going on and on with no end in sight 行けどされども掴めない Where to go, no matter which way, I can’t seem to hold onto- 蜘蛛の糸 The Spider Web’s Thread

歪んじまった　悲しみが　問いかけてる All fucking twisting and turning, the sorrow is intrusive 'HELLO' 育っちまった　想い出の　トゲが胸に The memories I’ve been coddling for some damn reason, theyre like a thorn in my heart 刺さって　動けない Stabbing into me, I can’t move

'何でももうひとりでできるもん！' '本当にお利口さん' ‘I can do it all by myself, hmph!” “You‘re such a prodigy!” 独り上手の果てに　独りぼっちの痛み To work well alone also means to suffer alone

'みんなで幸せになろうよ'だとか “Let’s find happiness together” and shit 'いいことしてれば天国行けるよ'だとか “Good people go to heaven” and shit 'そもそもどうして僕らは生まれてきたのか考えてみて'とか “Take a step back and consider why we were born” and shit うるせぇうるせぇうるせぇうるせぇ Shut up shut up shut up shut up んなもん勝手にほざいとけ It’s none of your fucking business

流れ流されどこまで Going on and on with no end in sight 行けどされども掴めない Where to go, no matter which way, I can’t seem to hold onto- 白い 細い　君の手 Your pale slender hand

地獄にひとつ　エン結んで　君を呼んだ I connected with hell and tried to call out for you 'HELLO'

もう2度と　届かない　こんな声なら Alas you can’t fucking hear me anymore 潰れて　無くなれ So get rid of it, I want it gone

痛い　痛いの　翔んでけ Pain, pain, go away 天国まで　今は　さよなら Goodbye, see you again in heaven

here

　Footnotes:

　● ‘The Spider’s Web Thread’ is a short story by Akutagawa Ryunosuke about an act of mercy of Buddha, in which He lowers a thread down into Hell - an escape route - to allow a chance to a sinner with good still in his hearts.... Will he latch on and climb out? It’s a wonderful piece.. A translation is available

.

　Interviews:

　● Via Gekirock Interviewer: On the flipside of the coin, HELL”O” seems like a song infused with only the darkness of the heart. This type of song was never seen in Omedetai’s roster before.

Sekihan: Up until now we’ve focused on the joys of music, but deep down I actually think this world is a living hell. Omedetai is grounded on the concept of turning negatives into positives, but the fact that we ourselves have negatives inside us just like everyone else was, well, kinda undisclosed before. It’s hard to hit these things into a song or a short performance. The first time I divulged my heart at a long concert MC, everyone kinda went ‘Wow, so he feels like that huh’. People don’t know- and it turns out… people who are extremely depressed or mentally struggling seem to get pissed off when they hear our songs.

Interviewer: The songs are so bright and happy at a glance, huh.

Sekihan: According to some, it feels like it embosses the darkness within them and makes them want to scream “Shut up!”. ‘That’s the perverse effect’ I thought. Giving form and bringing light to those such jittery oozy festering feelings is literally number one on our job agenda. If we can’t even do that, then there’s no reason for us to tell you to have fun. Of course we’re not free of negativity, it’s the very biofuel for our positivity. So I took note of the necessity to shamelessly shamelessly show everyone what it looks like before it’s processed. The opportunity arised along with the full album - we had room for a more negative piece. Thus we came to the decision to do one.

Interviewer: Up until now your writing process involved changing the bad into good. Once you had to write the bare naked bad as is, was there any problems you encountered with?

Sekihan: Actually it feels like we’ve gone all-natural.

324: ‘Cause normally we’re forcing ourselves (laughs).

Mito-juu: Don’t say that!!

mao: Personally when I first saw the lyrics I was sold in an instant.

Sekihan: Seriously? It is true that none of my mates went hard on the editor’s red pen of death this time. Normally they beat the shit out of me with it (laughs). Well now I know that when someone’s truly miserable, it’s best to welcome that misery with open arms. Just saying “You can do it, feel better!” won’t save them. So we have to welcome the misery, soothe it, and only then does our music come it: its turn to give them a boost. I hope this works out well with everyone.

Interviewer: I see.

　● Via Omedetai official + Kansai Pia  

Interviewer: One thing that caught my attention was Poniki’s Twitter post reading “Even I feel like everything in life is stupid fucking bullshiiiit, arghhhh!! - But the band’s branding just prevents me from showing it!”

Ponikingdom: This album served to iron out that idea.

Sekihan: We’re supposed to be guys who ruminate the negatives then output them as positives. But after hearing feedback I learned that sometimes we were interpreted differently: people who are leagues deep in depression say that listening to our songs ticks them off, (laugh) it drags them deeper into depression. Our ultimate goal is akin to literally acting as a spokesperson for upset people, so when I heard that we were actually being counterproductive I was shocked.

Of course we feel negative feelings just like everyone else. So enough beating around the bush I said, we gotta express it directly. Hence “This world is a living hell” is the keyword of HELL”O". And once 324-kun saw that, he followed suit and included the lyric “Karmic hell” in ‘Kotoba no Ayaya’.  With these songs in their rightful place, they even helped to bring out the brightness in our positive songs, I think listeners will view us more as people now and I hope these songs are acting as a helping hand to pull depressed people out and up to higher heights.

Interviewer:  Omedetai always look like they're having a blast, and look like they’re as positive as can be.. So it makes sense that there are people who don’t fit in such a place.

Sekihan: But I don’t want to shrink and turn my back to them. I think I’ve managed to make space for them too. So this is the fruit of my growth.

[ts-sideblog]

These are just some chaotic, unorganized thoughts I've been sitting on and wanted to get out, for closure reasons, I guess. They’ve been scratching at the back of my brain. 

The Sanders Sides videos show visualizing’s of thought processes and emotional turmoils.  It’s not a magical fantasy show, no mutant powers or fairies or aliens or clones or whatever. At the core, it’s about the inner workings and conflicts of a human.  

Lies are not emotions, they are an action. Not a sudden, surprising feeling but something we, consciously or subconsciously, decide to do. It’s a tool we use to achieve our goals. Maybe because we - want to spare someone’s feelings - want to uphold an image, to ourselves or others - are afraid of consequences of the truth - think it’s strategically the best and fastest tactic  

The way everyone treats lying as a villain who executes control bothers me because it frees them from any responsibility for their own actions.

-> interpretation of Can lying be good. Deceit doesn’t bring up lying to Joan. Thomas does. Deceit is there because Thomas is already thinking about lying. And he’s there as Patton because Thomas wants a moral justification to lie. He goes through the topic in his head and at the end recognizes that he can’t justify lying to Joan to himself. He can confront the fact that part of him wanted to. And when he decides against it, Patton as his morality showed up again. The whole video is a perfect representation of a normal day to day thought processes on that matter:  I shouldn’t have done that / I can’t say the truth, it will hurt their feelings / I’ll only lie to spare them / it’s not like it’s a real lie, right? / What is a lie anyway / How should I do it, how do I act / but, thinking about that makes me feel bad / not it’s not right, I’ll just say the truth / Can’t believe I almost lied to my friend / I’m a horrible human / that’s exaggerated / humans lie all the time.     

To see the characters analyzed as if they were human beings is confusing and weird because they just aren’t and the trend to treat the videos like some soap opera takes away a big part of the important message in it.  

Although the loss of content-balance in the videos and the almost forced and rushed character focus does make them more like a soap opera. Probably one of the reasons I've lost interest in them lately.

I totally understand Logans „I get it. You‘re adorable.” reaction. It gets on the nerves if you want to have a discussion with serious thoughts and facts and someone acts like Patton. Especially if they do it repeatedly. It interrupts the conversation, distracts from the topic, it’s disrespectful to the ones who really want to talk about what’s going on and just plain aggravating.

The same with the fact that everyone’s harping on Logan “ignoring” Patton in “learning new thing about ourselves”. I understand wanting to get your current thought out before you forget it or something else happens.  And there’s no need to greet someone multiple times a day. Or show exuberant enthusiasms every time you see them. 

Just because some may find a behaviour cute and funny doesn't mean others feel the same way. Sometimes characteristics clash. That doesn’t make the other one automatically a bastard.  

On the off chance that someone actually read through this I want to emphasise that these are personal views and interpretations.

[kafkazs]

quick side note btw ,, i‘m quite slow playing through the available content rn. as much as i wish i could zoom through, i unfortunately just don‘t have the time.

due to that + also the fact that there isn‘t as much info on my beloved kafka ( and i also don‘t have the energy to dig up lore crumbs ) she‘s very headcanon based and while i do want to try using canon as a loose baseline — my kafka will be pretty canon divergent for now as her personality + character lore is based on my own interpretation.

anyway i went off on a rant and this wasn‘t actually what i wanted to note lol. TL;DR i just wanted to mention that since i‘m slow and trying to avoid major spoilers, i may also get some things wrong regarding world building n shit so please bear with me. if there‘s any major oversights on my part or anything you need me to change in my starters / replies, you‘re absolutely free to let me know and i‘ll do my best to adjust!

[alexstorm]

"It‘s my blog and I respond as I please. If you don‘t like it you‘re free to unfollow." Oh god, enough with the dramatics. That's always your excuse every time someone points out you overreacting to things, especially if someone's just asking a simple question. No one said a thing about unfollowing, just that you act like a douche for no reason 50% of the time. Relax.

Maybe you should relax and stop checking this blog. If a stranger’s response to other strangers is unnerving you so much to write in multiple times and complain I’m not sure who’s dramatic here.Also who’s overreacting?! Last time I checked my blood pressure was normal. Maybe you’re interpreting too much into the responses.

[doodlewash]

Growing up in a remote Northern Ontario community, far from the “cultured” world,  would seem an unlikely place for artistic growth.  Even though I had no formal Art lessons in High school and even finding art materials in the small town of New Liskeard was near impossible, I persisted with whatever I could find.

In school, I was pathetic at reading and even worse at writing. Drawing became my escape. In subsequent years some have suggested that I may have gotten better with the writing part. I know my old English teacher would be turning over in his grave knowing I have since written three books.

“When the Land Speaks” 11×15 – Morning light

NOTICE: For Your Viewing Pleasure

Scattered throughout this article are samples of my painting where I have tried different approaches to capturing my subject, for example, some emphasis a different point of view, some try to capture the transition between natural events such as day into night, night into day, winter into spring, while some are an attempt to capture the feeling of the moment with color and only essential details. Some are even stylized or caricaturized versions of my subject. 

On reflection, the greatest impact on my life in those early years and how I related to the natural world  was in  joining the Boy Scouts.  I was blessed when a tough-as-nails bushman and WW2 vet joined the leadership of the troop. His name was Earl and instead of focusing on earning merit badges or even having complete uniforms, his priority was to teach us outdoor survival skills,  including winter camping. We had many a grand and challenging adventure under Earl’s tutelage.

“Pristine” 19×22 – Winter’s  Run-off

From those undertakings emerged a fundamental skill that we had to learn and one that I could relate to. That skill was “observation”. You had to keep your eyes open. You had to see the details around you. Just as beginning artists delight in the new found vision of their world when they start painting, I too, was delighted in the discovery of nature’s wonders, structures, patterns and colors made while learning about nature. From this, a personal sense of beauty and respect for the natural world began to emerge. I didn’t know it at the time but the Spirit of the Land was starting to speak to me.

Even still, making a picture was a matter of working out the problems on my own but now my observations in nature were helping me. The plus side of teaching yourself is that you were not afraid to try something new. You’re not afraid to let gut feelings and experiences influence the work and you‘re not afraid to be innovative in solving your problems.  All of these spin-offs have served me well over the years.

“Headland” 11×15 – Showing only the detail that’s necessary

In about 1950, my sister gave me 5 small tubes of oil paints and a couple of brushes. I don’t know where she found them, but I ended up dabbling in this medium for about 20 years. In the early 70’s, under the guidance of Zoltan Szabo who had become artist in residence at a local college in Sault Ste Maie, Ontario,  I switched to watercolors and my painting career took off.  In the following years, I have exhibited in countless art festivals, galleries, competitions, group shows including at least 30 one-man shows in Canada and the United States,  (I won’t bore you with a list.)

“Ottawa River Valley” 15×22 – Showing only the detail that’s necessary

In the early 60’s I entered a career in teaching which led eventually to a 28 year stint as Art consultant for the Sault Ste Marie Board of Education. In that position I was able to help teachers teach their own art programs by offering demo lessons and ideas for program planning, running in-service training, supplying materials and equipment and so on..

“Morning Light” – Kego’s – Showing only the detail that’s necessary

In those years, I eventually taught students from JK to University level and also started teaching my own adult watercolor workshops on week-ends and during the summer months. When I retired in 1996, this morphed into a separate branch of my painting career. Retirement also freed me up to offer numerous painting workshops in Italy, France and Mexico. As a result, it has gradually dawned on me that my real purpose in life was to help other watercolorists succeed and flourish by passing on what I have learned.

“Morning Symphony” 22×15 – Warm atmospherics, contrasting light pattern on the waves recaptures the feeling of a great day. 

My first book, Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook, published by North Light Books, is actually based on  notes I’ve handed out at various workshops. My second book, Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook – Landscapes, explored separately the many variations that one can make when developing a landscape, i.e. how to handle land, skies and water (both books are also available as a single volume called The Complete Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook.)

My Third book, The Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook – Keep Painting!, focuses more on inspiration for your creative journey which is not always straight ahead nor even a level path.  There are many ruts, road blocks and flat tires along the way. The third book is intended to help you get past those obstacles by offering ideas and approaches to picture making in general and watercolors in particular that you may not have known existed.

So, what have I learned after thousands of paintings and hundreds of adult workshops? What have I learned that’s helped me in my journey that may be of value to you?

First, I abandoned the idea that I had to have a single “style”. It’s more fun to have several ways of presenting a subject.  For example, at some point I strayed into caricatures of my subjects.  It came as a complete surprise when I discovered myself laughing while I was working. What a refreshing relief that was from the serious stuff I was producing.

  “On time Cartage” 11×15 – Sometimes a Caricature can say more about subject or situation than realism

This freed me up to focus more on the feeling or message conveyed by the work rather than just making a literal super realistic interpretation of it. This led to the realization that I don’t have to paint all of everything and that by only suggesting detail I was leaving room for the viewer’s imagination to participate.

“Canoe Dreams” 19×22 – Memories of canoeing and where I went is captured by combining images about the same subject

Second,  I have learned to mingle  my imagination and intuition with the application of the basic principles and elements of design in both the planning and execution of a painting.  My gut feeling is just as important as any “rule of painting”.

Third,  I’ve learned to work in a way that is more productive and satisfying. Specifically, during a painting session, I work on various parts or stages of numerous paintings.  I may have 6-10 pictures on the go at any one time. When I want to paint I flip through them and choose the one(s) that “speak” to me. (Intuition). These are the ones that tell me what to do next. These are the ones that I get excited and eager to work on. The ones that don’t speak to me are left to incubate or I may decide they are not worth finishing at all or need a restart. There are even some that say, “I’m finished! Don’t touch me!”

“Thornbury Corners” 15×22 – Distorting to add character

The advantage of this system is that after the paintings have been sitting out of sight for a while I am able to see the work with fresh eyes and see possible new directions when I return to it.

More importantly, as I’m working on a painting, if I finish a stage, or feel that it’s time to let it rest because I’m hesitant as to what to do next, I can set it aside and pick up another and work on it.

I don’t feel obliged to keep working on a picture because it’s the only one I have.  There is always the chance I’ll over-work it. Even on site I will work on 2-3 field sketches at the same time.

“Tango in the Wind” 15×22 – Stylizing the trees to match the waves and rocks

Another important aspect to this system is the planning stage.  I often take time, when not painting, to sketch out ideas on whatever scrap of paper I have handy. These are ideas coming from within me or stimulated by memories or and idea or something I have seen in the external world. This is where my paintings are born. This planning stage that is a mix of intuition and free flowing images is vital to the end result. As I flip through my sketches later, many turn out to be quite useless but enough have potential to keep me busy.

Now here is the important thing. When it comes time for painting I don’t usually start by working on a picture that is already on the go.  I try to begin by starting a new picture using a sketch that appeals to me. This usually involves laying out the idea, maybe masking and laying on the initial washes before I set it aside to incubate. (This is where all those earlier paintings come from.)

Secret Lake  15×22 – Memories of a day when I could do this

Why do I do this before I jump into the one that I’ve chosen to work on that day? Because it gives me a chance to warm up with large brushes and passages before starting into one that is already in progress. It’s sort of like an athlete warming up before they get into the game.

Keys to the Future 11×15 – Sometimes play on words can suggest a deeper meaning

Alone Together  11×15 – More Sweet Memories

Finally, a word of encouragement.

From my many workshops I’ve learned that creative achievement is not confined to large urban centers that seemingly have all the advantages. Some of the most innovative and exciting people that I’ve come across have been in small remote centers where they are working all alone and under the radar, to find their own unique form of expression.

Sounds familiar.

Check out the following Wee Gallery that deals with changing your point of view

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Happy painting,

Gordon MacKenzie Website

GUEST ARTIST: Gordon MacKenzie's Story - #Doodlewash #WorldWatercolorGroup #watercolor #watercolour #painting Growing up in a remote Northern Ontario community, far from the “cultured” world,  would seem an unlikely place for artistic growth.