#creative block and burnout are bitches

[warcats-cat]

Shout-out to my irl friend who (has only known me a few months btw), after hearing me ranting/crying last night saying I was going to delete all my WIPs, used her access to my wip folder to make copies of everything, just in case I was stupid enough to do it. That's real friendship 🫂

[becauseplot]

thinking about archivists again. below the cut: obscene amounts of brainrot in the form of a long-winded relationship study and oddly specific references to canon that may or may not be accurate

im trying to come up with some sort of au for them (writer's block and creative burnout is a BITCH it's okay though we stay silly) and there's just something about how qphil and qcellbit don't (or didn't) really wind up in each other's circles often. sure they were friendly with each other in passing, and they definitely had some nice little interactions earlier on: cellbit briefly interviewing phil on one of his first days on the island over a cup of coffee and solidifying phil's view of cellbit as the Dedicated Investigator; phil asking cellbit to babysit chayanne and tallulah while he's away on a trip and cellbit being more than happy to; phil briefly checking in with cellbit --- who was in the process of tumbling into his regret arc, cutting off ties with loved ones and making himself a martyr --- and asking if he was okay when phil spotted him hanging alone in the back of the group; chatting about the upcoming wedding and phil advising cellbit that he and roier should probably introduce some sort of dress code (lmao); cellbit watching phil and missa meet up for the first time in months on the way to the federation's people-freezers and all of the pieces rapidly falling into place (the name of phil's waystone, phil's skull backpack, phil's elusive "husband," ohhhhhhh...). they've always been in each other's peripheral, but never directly involved in each other's personal lives.

until the happy pills.

see the thing about archivists is that they're not drawn together by a pre-existing friendship; they're more friendly acquaintances at this point, perhaps almost-friends, though they're certainly not close. but then forever's life is under threat, and god, they both love forever immensely. with direct help from bad and indirect help from others (qpac you LEGEND), they're eventually able to formulate a plan that successfully drag forever out from under the haze of drugs, pull him to the surface. they sit next to each other as they sit at the bedside of their mutual friend, watch him breathing, and try to breathe themselves.

and from that moment on it's solidified: they know they can depend on each other, when shit hits the fan. they have their respective strengths, and they balance out each other nicely. i wish i had gotten more of a chance to watch their dynamic during purgatory 1 (unfortunately i have a life sadge) but from what i saw, they turned out to be some pretty good co-leaders, and an interesting dynamic at that: phil acting more as a support role (moral support, resource support, combat support, ALL the support) and stepping up into a leader-like role when needed, but ultimately letting cellbit take the helm a lot of the time since he's a strategist with more practice managing large groups of people (i wont get into it here, and i want to watch more vods so i can more properly analyze them but HOUGHH i have THOUGHTS!! SO MANY!!!)

what im trying to get at is that they were initially in the peripheral in each others lives but were eventually drawn together out of necessity, due to circumstances. the mutual respect followed, which was then followed by trust, and then collaboration, and then friendship. i've also made this post talking about their dynamic, how they both understand each other's need to focus on the here and now and understand that they don't need to know every little thing about each other to still trust each other. and this is so integral to their relationship. it's what makes archivists archivists.

so now all that's left for me to do is try to come up with some sort of au i can chuck them in, incorporating this idea of "friendship of necessity" as a core feature of the plot. i have scattered ideas but none are particularly appealing or solid enough. i will try though!! if u have any suggestions/thoughts/ideas feel free to leave a comment or say in tags (pspsppsps come brainrot with meeee)

[ivygeorgi]

Hi guys, uhm... I just wanted to stop by and explain the months of inactivity. My computer broke back in June and then again in July, so it was pretty much impossible to make any digital art, and I've been feeling really demotived and uninspired lately (which is really inconvenient rn bc I need to work on a portfolio for my application to an art university). My friend lend me his old laptop tho, for which I'm extremely grateful, so I'm able to draw digitally again, but it took me a white to find the motivation to do so.

There's also been other more existential stuff on my mind and I... Kind of lost interest in drawing dagcup or anything httyd related. I don't have the patience for it and it doesn't fulfill me anymore. And I've been wanting to explore my own creativeness and artistic identity anyways.

Also chronic headaches are a bitch

When will I post? Don't know. I really don't know. Maybe soon? Maybe later? Hard to tell. And I don't wanna pressure myself just for the sake of posting. Might be going thru an art block or a burnout which really sucks. I did post some sketches on Instagram if you wanna check that out but that's about it.

Soooo that's how my life and summer break has been. Anyway... I hope that you're doing better than me, have a nice day/night and see you soon, maybe (but no promises) ✌️

[fastcardotmp3]

🚀 🎁 🔮 for the writers ask? <3

hell yeah! <3

🚀 Do you like to outline your fic first or create as you go?

answered here!

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

as someone who is having a bit of real life stress burnout leaking into my writing life as we speak, I know I have GREAT advice when I'm not actively in the middle of it fjakdlfj

but!! I do know somewhere at the back of my brain that as much as I'm a big proponent of 'write every day even if it's only a sentence' I do also realize that if your brain and body are asking you to rest, you probably need to just rest, as frustrating as that is. it's happened to me on many occasion when I'd think I was done writing ForeverTM and then I'd finally catch up on sleep and eat a nice meal and stop worrying about it for longer than a day and suddenly solve whatever word hurdle I'd been trying to jump.

horrible and shocking news!! taking care of yourself also takes care of your creativity!! UGH!!

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share?

I sure do!! here's a bit of something that won't be ready for A Minute but which I'm very enamored with already:

“That puts us officially at an average of three fewer catches this month than last.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Yeah, Nance,” Steve runs a hand down his face, obscuring the view of strung-up woodland creatures draining into the dirt below, but only for a moment, “it means less food, none of us fucking like it.” 

It goes quiet, or as quiet as this part of the forest ever does with chittering creatures waiting just beyond barbed-wire fences and carefully set traps, and Steve knows what face she’s leveling at him before he even drops his hand and opens his eyes. 

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to bitch at me,” she says, flat but not actually with any hurt to it.

There can’t be that much hurt for bursts of frustration, not when they have so little time to offer the working through of petty issues. 

“Yeah, I know,” Steve sighs, looks back at their haul from their daily check of the aforementioned traps. It really is significant, how much less is coming in. 

“We’re all frustrated,” she huffs, swinging her rifle to hang over her shoulder by the strap, “we’re all hungry.” 

Steve works his jaw, rolls his eyes a little bit as he moves over to the nearby spigot to rinse off his hands. 

“Maybe we’d be less hungry if we didn’t have to share with goddamn—”

“It’s not the tourists—”

“—tourists using up resources on our land,” he finishes despite her protest, over the sputter of unfiltered water that’s fine for something like this but definitely not for drinking. None of the water is fine for drinking, not unless it’s had the Hell boiled out of it. “Passing through they said, what, three weeks ago?”

“We’ve been downtrending for six months, Steve,” Nancy huffs, arms crossing, “this isn’t the fault of three people trying to travel under the radar.”

Steve grumbles at that, even though there’s a part of him that knows she’s probably right, because if he doesn’t blame the random passers-by in a goddamn Winnebago, then whose fault is it?

He knows who’s in the wrong for how few meal tickets they get a week, for how much shit shoveling work they have to do just to get one, and that’s the Feds and the Feds alone, but this is wildlife. This is shit that they can’t regulate no matter how hard they try, and it means all they’ve done to supplement how little the system cares about them and the horde of teenagers they’re trying to keep from getting stunted in their growth, is just fizzling out without anyone for Steve to fight about it. 

Blame his military school background, whatever, but Steve really doesn’t like an enemy he can’t clock in the damn face when they’ve earned it.

[pashminalamb]

okay first of all *clears throat* how are you? are you feeling better? has the tea and comfort show binging been helping? i hope you get better soon!! second I FREAKING LOVE THE NEW THEME THE HECK IT LOOKS SO GOOD!!!! and third for the ask game can I ask 🤩, 🔮, and 💌? and fourth. Oh my God. The fact that you love Haikyuu and Tokyo Revengers is literally amazing adhkkjhhhgf. Who’s your favorite character? Are you caught up in the manga? Did you hear the devestating news that the rest of Haikyuu is gonna be animated into 2 movies? I wanna sob like they can’t do my comfort show like this there are too many scenes they’re gonna have to cut out and God forbid maybe some matches too *sobs*. And Tokyo Revengers only had two chapters left. Yes I’m totally fine what are you talking abt 🙂🙂🙂. Last weeks chapter and this weeks chapter freaking destroyed me. I mean I say that abt every chapter but like THESE TWO GAVE ME SO MUCH WHIPLASH LIKE *screameths*. Anyways. I hope you’re doing good and that your day goes well!! As always *sends many virtual hugs*

- ✨ anon

✨ anon !! Hi lovely !! ૮⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝ ა

I just got back from the doctor's, took my meds and healing, kinda bummed out that my roommates went for a halloween party dressed as ghostface basic bitch and the other was gluskin (he didn't look terrifying but his manners were; 'for the sake of our children') but i got chocolates so i'm happy and November is here (¬‿¬)

AND I HIT 900 FOLLOWERS!!

Its my birthday month so I have an excuse to skip out on No Nut November... but my writing? It's gonna go up a notch (¬‿¬) with the possibility of making it hard for you guys; pun intended.

I'm deciding to roll with pink as my theme. Spooktober is over and now its my month so I'm going with pink cause its my favorite color.

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ აThe theme is still in the making... but I'm taking my time with it and trying to make the blog look pretty. Theme said being; dangerous but cute

For the ask game :

🤩 : What led to your interest in the fandom?

I blame my brain, youtube, pinterest and instagram for this.

I was pretty active in the knb and bnha fandom (i was an aomine fanatic, still am tho) and bnha is something I've put on hold for now. With wattpad, tumblr followed and soon ao3 (my ex friend had to teach me how to use it). After instagram came, I got to see edits and that piqued my interest in the anime and I also followed pop culture accounts (that's how I found jjk and tr). Then came the writing. I've always had a knack for it, winning creative writing certificates in school and even writing for papers, there was always an idea that I had so, I decided to use it for writing x reader inserts for characters.

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

There can be a lot of reasons for a writer to have a burnout or have a writing block but its mostly to do with pressure imo. Can be because you feel that your writing is not good enough, could be that you want to keep the follower count high, could be a rivaling author or any reason.

To avoid a burnout, you need detachment and discipline. Don't write it all in one day (unless you're really up for it) make a bit of progress every day and add content to your writing. Don't let your readers force you into updates, taking your time with it is what makes the writing and reading more savory. If you have a writer's block, try something new. A change in environment always helps and there's not one particular thing you have to stick to. Watching a show and reading books has helped me understand the style of my writing better. You can follow writing prompt blogs as well and build your storyline around it (I prefer to create my own content so I have my own writings prompts).

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

Enemies to lovers (please the amount of hate sex I thrive on - five wrong one right readers know), forbidden love (planning to start this for Toji), mythology ( i had this in my wip and then I had to take it down), partners in crime (Bllk) and best friends to lovers (planning to write this for Bllk)

Basically, dark romance, slow burn, angsty with comfort themes.

Haikyuu : I really can't choose tbh cause I like all of them... sawamura daichi, miya twins, kuroo, Kageyama, Haiba Lev (victor and yuri's lovechild) and bokuto (the himbo captains sue me)

Tr : I like Shiba Hakkai (mans too precious and is the baby. Can't look a woman in the eye and yes, I like shy boys but he's also kinda a himbo), Mitsuya (must be protected at all costs), Kisaki tetta (his brain is sexy), Wakasa Imaushi, Inupi (reminds me of shoto) and Kawaragi Senjuu.

Tell me your fav characters! (/ω＼)

Oml. The rest of haikyuu is gonna be made into 2 movies? This is as bad as taking beefy Bokuto away from the anime. smh its starting to look like the repeat of beastars and promised neverland (remember how disappointing that was? They literally skipped an entire arc with Hugo in it)

I'll have to catch up with tr. I haven't read the manga in months now but it wasn't a surprise that it was coming to an end; saw a lot of posts instagram about that

Chainsawman on the other hand. You guys aren't gonna like Makima. The manga readers already hate her.

*Sending back hugs*

[reviviscencegruiform]

📖 gargoyle

I'm spoiled for choice with this one. I nearly went with Rock and a Hard Place: A Paranormal Monster Romance but I went with The Stone and The Star: A Gargoyle Monster Romance Novella because of the description.

"Colossus is the only living gargoyle still in existence…or so he believes.

The massive stone monster doesn’t trust his faint memories of his time before guarding Pittsburgh’s Fine Art Conservatory’s belltower. Without a clear sense of his purpose, Colossus’s days are long and his nights are lonely. The single point of light in the dark monotony is the voluptuous blonde ceramics professor whose easy laugh echoes up to his perch from her faculty apartment each night.

Too bad the little human doesn’t know he exists. Or does she?

Astra loves digging into a fresh block of clay, but after a packed teaching schedule and a serious case of burnout, the creative juices just aren’t flowing. The deadline for the artist residency of her dreams is looming—she needs to rediscover her artistic spark.

Astra’s only comfort comes when she unwinds at home. Inspired by the alluring gargoyle statue across from her window, Astra indulges in a little self-pleasure almost every night. While the stone figure on the belltower seems to watch her work her way to gratification, she assures herself that her exhausted mind must be playing tricks on her. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t like the feeling…or that Colossus himself is inspiring.

When a late session in the studio forces the professor into the path of danger, Colossus defies his solitary nature and intervenes. Now there is no denying that the gargoyle is real and that he liked watching her just as much as she liked him watching.

Their bond should be impossible, yet it feels more real than anything Colossus has known for hundreds of years. But will Astra follow her monstrous new muse wherever he might take her?"

I'm a simple southern boy of simple pleasures. I like voluptuous~

Sue me.

No bitching from me about this one. I genuinely enjoyed it. First chapter is a punch in the face of carnal desire that leaves you wanting more. I refuse to spoil it.

8/10.

[yourwitchmama]

Tarot Card Meanings: The Swords Suit

Ace of Swords

Upright: New ideas, new plans, intellectual ability, victory, success, mental clarity, communication, realizing the truth, vision, force, focus, intensity, stimulating people and environments, new beginnings, new projects, justice, assertiveness, authority, making the correct decision Reversed: Lack of ideas, intellectual inability, failure, hostility, arguments, insults, destruction, confusion, misinformation, memory loss, inability to concentrate, lack of communication, creative blocks, frustration, injustice, hate triumphing over love,  lack of assertiveness, making the wrong decision, lack of stimulation

Two of Swords

Upright: Stalemate, truce, sitting on the fence, cross roads, difficult decisions, painful choices, facing your fears, being torn between two relationships, divided loyalty, being caught in the middle, denial, blindness, inability to see the truth, avoidance, blocked emotions  Reversed: Indecision, delays, seeing the truth, lies being exposed, overwhelming fears/worry/ anxiety/ stress, information overload, overly cautious, emotional turmoil, holding onto anxiety or resentment, detachment, coldness, guarded

Three of swords

Upright: Heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness, removal, absence, division, depression, separation, sadness, heartache, unhappiness, upheaval, disorder, confusion, alienation, distraction, ill health, conflict,  trauma, serious misunderstandings, tears Reversed: Releasing pain, overcoming depression, optimism, forgiveness, overcoming grief/ sorrow/ sadness, recovering from heartbreak, reconciliation, compromise, sharing problems, getting over the worst, repressing emotions, inability to let go of pain, suppressing memories, refusing to let go of emotions  

Four of Swords

Upright: Fear, anxiety, stress, feeling overwhelmed, needing solitude, relaxation, rest, peace and quiet, sanctuary, meditation, regrouping, hospitalization, introspection, planning for the future, contemplation, self-protection, spiritual counseling or support, having faith Reversed: Finding mental strength, awakening, re joining the world, coming out of isolation, recovering slowly, healing, mental breakdown/ collapse, burnout, restlessness, not taking care of yourself, lack of self protection, not accepting counseling or support, losing faith

Five of swords

Upright: Defeat, surrender, change, walking away, self sacrifice, self sabotaging behavior, underhanded behavior, deception, lack of communication, aggression, bullying, intimidation, abuse, violence, crime, rape, murder, assault, standing up for yourself, victory, fighting back, overcoming challenges, serious conflict, hostility, stress Reversed: Peaceful resolution, moving on, compromise, communication, ending conflict, releasing stress, overcoming challenge, major sacrifice, risk everything, relentless, revenge, escalating violence, held accountable, arrest, uncovered crime, regret, remorse, humiliation, shame, not heeding warnings , surrendering to challenges

Six of Swords

Upright: Calmer waters, healing, progress, moving on, moving forward, things calming down, calm after a storm, overcoming hardship, relief, stability, escaping, running away, journeys, traveling, travel overseas, going on holiday, feeling deflated, lethargy, holding onto negativity, spirit guides, guidance, Reversed: Trouble coming, out of frying pan into fire, lack of progress, slow healing, trapped, delay, stuck, overwhelmed, causing trouble, rocking the boat, changing/ abandoned plans, standing your ground, nowhere to run, stormy relationships, instability, disrupted/cancelled travel, return from travel, eloping, floods, accidents in the water 

Seven of Swords

Upright: Deceit, lies, trickery, cheating, theft, underhanded, scheming, dangerous/risky behavior, enemy masquerading as friend, spying, lack of conscience, strategy, resourceful, flexible, escaping detection, getting away with it, adaptable, courage, daring, sharp wit, mental manipulation, cunning, overly rational Reversed: Confessing, coming clean, turning over new leaf, conscience kicking in, ignoring warnings, pathological liar, serial cheat, slander, dangerously two-faced, malicious, con artist, blackmail, unworkable strategy, being outsmarted, getting caught, running away from consequences, coward, no backbone, stealing credit, military 

Eight of Swords

Upright: Feeling trapped, restricted, backed into a corner, hands tied, victimized, paralyzed by fear/terror, anxiety, feeling pressure, hopeless, helpless , powerless, silenced, crisis, dilemma, drama, imprisonment, punishment, slavery, persecution, judgement, trial by jury, consequences, negative attitudes, psychological issues, major weight loss Reversed: Escape, freedom, release , finding solutions/ options, relief, taking control, standing up to abuse, self belief, survivor, facing fears/ truth, releasing anxiety, hopeful, empowered, healing, mental strength, clear mind, overcome obstacles, prison release, end of punishment, severe depression, paralysis, oppression, surrender 

Nine of Swords

Upright: Fear, anxiety, terror, negativity, deep unhappiness, stress, burden, overwhelmed, at breaking point, inability to cope or face life, mental anguish, guilt, regret, remorse, focusing on past, subject of gossip, isolation, making mountains out of molehills, joylessness, despair, nightmares, insomnia, hormonal, menopause, migraines Reversed: Light at end of tunnel, recovering, improving, letting go of negativity/stress, learning to cope, facing life, opening up, accepting help, extreme guilt/regret/ remorse/shame, scandal/malicious gossip, night terror, total collapse/breakdown, hallucinations, giving up, depression/ problems/fears escalating, self pity/loathing  

Ten of Swords

Upright: Backstabbing, betrayal, enemies, bitching, badmouthing, bitterness, doormat, failure, ruin, collapse/breakdown, exhaustion, inability to cope, curses, rock bottom, hitting a wall, dead end, severing ties, goodbyes, nail in the coffin, exaggeration, overly dramatic, martyr, attention seeker, playing victim, attack, violence Reversed: Rising above problems/haters/bitchiness, over the worst, surviving disaster, being saved, things getting better, NDEs / OBEs, escaping ruin, pulling yourself together,  learning from past hardships, fears coming true, being beyond help, worst is yet to come, despair, total ruin, relapse, problems coming back 

Knight of Swords

Upright: Big changes/ opportunities, seize the moment, jump in, arrival/departure, assertive, direct, honest, quick wit, talkative, impatient, impulsive, intellectual, daring, rebellious, brave, courageous, focused, single-minded, perfectionist, ambitious, risk-taker, forward-thinking, champion, hero, soldier, go against the flow, leader Reversed: Missed opportunities, out of your depth, out of control, left behind, rude, tactless, hurtful, sarcastic, insincere, forceful, bully, aggressive, vicious, dangerous, know it all, follower, go with the flow, unfocused, coward, criminal, self-obsessed, arrogant, leading others to danger, heading for a fall, inferiority complex

Queen of Swords

Upright: Honest, truthful, candid, protective, independent, chatty, communicative, witty, funny, principled, fair, constructive criticism, strong, quirky, realistic, objective, discerning, problem solver, skeptical, intelligent, sharp wit, self-reliant, open-minded, sophisticated, mother, repressed pain or sadness, divorced, hard knocks Reversed: Overly critical, pessimistic, lack of empathy, rude, malicious gossip, manipulative, harsh, bitter, spiteful, vindictive, nasty, cruel, deceitful, cheater, unforgiving, scatter-brain, mental fogginess, poor communication, dysfunctional, obsessive, dependent, not learning from past, absent mother, repressed trauma, infertile

King of Swords

Upright: Structure, routine, intelligent, rational, logical, power, authority, strength, manners, conversation, discerning, detached, cool, honesty, integrity, ethics, morals, clinical, stern, methodical, self-discipline, head over heart, use your head, military, law enforcement, legal matters, judge, father Reversed: Lack of structure/routine, intelligence used in a bad way, irrational, illogical, power-crazed, dictator, oppressive, inhumane, aggressive, brutal, violent, intimidation, controlling, cynical, cold, ruthless, weak, powerless, rude, dishonest, lack of integrity/morals/discipline, losing your head, judgemental, absent father 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #318

“what can you do, where can ya go, when your mama is a burnout, and your daddy is a pyro?”

Do you have your ears pierced more than once? Yeah. Do you use an electric toothbrush? Yes. When was the last time you changed in front of someone? Oh, I have no idea. That's something I avoid like the plague because I loathe my body. When was the last time you got high? Never. Do you get along with your parents? Yeah. How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? None. Have you ever used a Ouija board? No, I don't fuck with that stuff. Have you ever met anyone who claimed to be a witch? Yes. Do you go along with prank-callers, or just hang up? I don't answer numbers I don't recognize to begin with. Would you ever tattoo a lover’s name onto your body? Nooooo. Do you own any version of Guitar Hero? I have a lot of 'em. Do you use mouthwash every single day? No. Do you know anyone with asthma? Yeah, my mom. Have you ever walked through a forest at night on your own? Uh, no sir. When was the last time you were in a graveyard? It's been many, many years. Do you know what an ‘AMV’ is? Yep, used to make 'em. How many items are in your recycle bin? (On your computer!) Oh yikes, probably loads. I haven't emptied it in... I don't know how long. Would you rather be a bird or a fish? A bird. What’s one award show you have to watch every year? None. Who do you like more: the Batman or the Joker? Joker. Heath Ledger's is my favorite. Have you ever had a pet rock? No. How much do you weigh? Yeah, no. If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Taking nature photographs. Have you ever lost your luggage at an airport? No. Have you ever been on a rollercoaster that actually scared you? I don’t do roller coasters to begin with. Have you ever gone in a sauna? Ugh, hell no. Has a stray dog ever tried to bite you? No. Have you ever had an eating disorder? No. Are you attracted to people outside of your race? Yes. Are you in love with anyone at the moment? No. Have you ever dated someone more than once? No. Best cough drop? Those creamy strawberry ones. If you have a pet, does it make a lot of noise? One's a snake, so she's silent as could be. My cat is generally quiet, but he has his times where he just walks around meowing, normally for attention. Are you a fan of eyeshadow? If I actually wear makeup, yeah, I like black eyeshadow. Can you tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi? Absolutely. I don't like Pepsi. Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex? Done it before, didn't feel weird. Besides furniture, what’s the biggest thing in your bedroom? A Silent Hill poster. Which of your friends makes you laugh the hardest? Girt. Have you ever been in a Catholic confessional? Yeah, as a kid. What color was the hair of the last person you kissed? Brown. What was the title of the last song you listened to? So today I've really been digging dark synthwave/cyberpunk-ish music, and right now I have a playlist on that's currently playing "DNA War" by Absolute Valentine and Billy Mays. How far away is the closest Walmart? Not even five minutes. Can you do a backflip? No. Who is the lead singer of your favorite band? Well, Ozzy is the lead singer of Ozzy Osbourne, haha. When was the last time you went fishing? Not since Sara visited and we went catfishing with my dad one night. What brand of deodorant do you use? Secret. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? Yes. Do you regret it? Nah. Who was the last person to buy you a drink? My mom, lmaoooo. Who was the last person to buy you dinner? Also my mom, haha. How old is the oldest person you’ve dated? Juan's maybe like... 28 or something by now, idk. Have you ever run a stoplight? No. Have you ever dated someone & then dated their sibling? YIKES, no. That sounds miles beyond awkward. Are both your parents still living? Yeah, thankfully. What’s something that makes you feel more creative? Music, for sure. Do you collect Mason jars to use for crafts? No, but I do find those super cute. What gives you a quality of life? Not much nowadays, idk. What would give you a high quality of life? A sense of purpose, direction, and worth. Do you have any rugs on top of carpet in your home? We have a big one in our living room, yes. I don't get it. Do you have a mattress cover on your bed? Yeah. Do you hate taking naps during the day? No; naps are normal for me. Who has the best personality on YouTube? Maybe I'm biased, but I genuinely do think Mark for a multitude of reasons. He's just extremely likable imo and sincerely a fucking spectacular human being. Do you have any vinyl records? No, but I would love to collect classic rock and metal ones. Which serial killer(s) do you find most fascinating? I'm quite honestly not well-informed in serial killer stories. I think they're interesting, but not enough for me to learn about them. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? It's fuckin dope. Any animals whose behaviors you find particularly interesting? ALL OF THEM AHHHH!!!!! But I particularly love learning about social animals, like meerkats (mongoose in general, really), African wild dogs, wolves, etc. What are your thoughts on gun control? I don't support the idea of banning firearms altogether, but I am very much in favor of some reform. There needs to be a much, much more strict and complex system in order for you to legally own a gun, and I also support periodic "check ups" to ensure you still fit whatever criteria is laid out. "Bad people will still find guns;" yes, some most certaintly will, but you can't convince me that the numbers wouldn't decrease. It would take a serious villain to put so much effort into pursuing obtaining a firearm. Do you like animals better than most humans? Sure do. Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? I've blocked people to prevent that. If you collect anything, what is your favorite piece of that collection? I cherish the plush meerkat Jason gave me most, probably; out of my Silent Hill stuff, the limited edition Revelation flyer I have in Japanese. Are you friends with anybody you didn’t like at first? Hi, meet my best friend lmao. Are there any musicians you didn’t like at first, but grew on you? Probably. Do you have any favorite books you’d like to have signed by the author? Not really. Well wait, Ozzy signing my copy of his autobiography would be pretty damn cool. Do you like any board games or card games? I'm not really a board game fan, but Magic: The Gathering is fun as far as card games go. What historical figure(s) are you most interested in? I'm not incredibly interested in any, but I do think Pharaoh Hatshepsut was a bad bitch. She was one of the extremely few female pharaohs, and if my memory serves me right, one of the most successful. Do you like Breaking Benjamin? I sure do. How many people of the opposite sex have you told you loved them? One. Have you ever had to change your phone number? Yes, because I was getting strange texts from numbers I didn't know. Have you ever played bingo at an actual bingo hall? No. What’s your favourite comic book/graphic novel? I don’t read any. What is something you take pride in? How far I've come as far as my mental illnesses go, particularly depression and PTSD. What’s the biggest magnet on your fridge? I'm not getting up to go look. Have you ever eaten a Big Mac? No; I hate lettuce on burgers, so. What brand is your vaccuum cleaner? Dunno. Do you believe in sex before marriage? Sure, but I don't believe it's a must for everyone. Plenty of people don't even want to get married. Be intimate once you're comfortable with the person, and be safe and smart about it. Are you for or against abortion? I'm pro-choice. Do you feel like you need to lose weight? It's fact that I need to. My body just doesn't want to, afuckingpparently. All I seem to be capable of is either maintain or gain nowadays. Is summer your favorite season? It's my least favorite, actually. Do you wear glasses? I'm basically blind without 'em. Can you say the alphabet in more than one language? Yeah, in German. What do you want out of life? To feel like I made a difference, even if it's a small one. Do you ever get carsick? No. Do you groom your eyebrows? Not really anymore, no. Have you ever liked someone who treated you badly? No. When was the last time you went in the car past midnight? Oh boy, probably not since I had my cyst in I think '16. I was in so much agony and we had no painkillers, so I had to wake up Mom to go to Walmart to grab some. They barely even helped at all. God, I couldn't imagine dealing with that again. Were your last two kisses with the same person? Yes. Do you have alcohol in your house? I don't think we do right now, no. Do you have any personal fashion rules that revolve around your own preferences/body type (e.g., you never/always wear a certain color, sleeve type, or length of dress)? Yeah; I don't wear anything that shows my legs unless I shaved, but I will never wear a dress that isn't at least past my knees. Do you remember any celebrity whose style you admired when you were a teen? What do you think of that style now? Avril Lavigne was/is an ICON. I still think she looks badass. So, is it gif with a hard G or soft G? I used to say the opposite, but I say "gif" now. Apparently that's how the creator of the term says it anyway. When you are invited to things like wedding showers or baby showers do you tend to go or skip? What about graduation parties? If Mom is able to take me, I'll try to go to the first two if they're my closer friends. Do you like spicy chips? Oh FUCK yes. What’s the last movie you watched at a friend’s house? Elf with Sara's fam. Can you remember your parents’ birthdays? Mom's, yes. Dad's, only the month. Do you read your friends' surveys? Yep, I love learning about them. Do you know anyone with a glass eye? Not to my knowledge, no. Do you ever use the n-word? Absolutely not. What piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? I tend to like lip piercings. Do you prefer beef, chicken or steak? Chicken. Ever spent the night in a tent? Yeah, multiple times as a kid, "camping" in the yard with Dad, haha. What do you call your grandparents? I called both sets just "Grammy" and "Grampa." Have you ever cried while reading a book? Oh, certainly. How many college degrees do you want? I got none, and I'm not going back to college. Do you know how to play pool? What about foosball? Yes. Have you ever attended a professional sporting event? Yeah, hockey with my dad a few times. Do you own any jerseys? No. Were you born with naturally straight teeth? No; that's why I had braces. If you were the opposite gender, what name would you like to be called? Maybe like... Victor. Idk. Do you prefer original or sour Skittles? I love both, but sour. Do you like bacon bits on your salad? Yeah. What is your favorite kind of soup? I'm not a soup person. Did you learn to type through a computer program for kids? Yeah. What do you take for pain? Advil/Ibuprofen. What is your favorite place that you’ve lived? My pre-teen and teenage years house: in the woods on a dead-end road and down a gravel path that everyone always missed when learning where our house was. The actual road itself had very, very little traffic, and there was a large expanse of cotton fields. I loved it and miss the house itself, but it's got a lot of bad memories rotting in it. Who are your favorite kids that you’ve babysat? My niece and nephew. <3 Who is your favorite cousin? I don't have a favorite. We barely interact at all. Does one side of your family live in another state? Literally none of my extended family (or half-siblings) live in NC. What states did your parents grow up in? New York and Ohio. Have you ever had an allergic reaction to an insect? No. Is there a good hospital where you live? God no. It is notoriously awful. When was the last time you were asked out? Did you accept or decline? Mid-2017. I aceepted. Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? N/A Do you want to get married? If so, what color will your dress be? Yeah. Probably white/ivory or black. Ever had a caricature done of yourself? How much was it, and were you satisfied with it? No. Do you like peanut butter and fluff sandwiches? No, I don't like the texture. If you got married and then got divorced, would you want to re-marry? Probably not. What’s your favorite amusement park? I haven't been to nearly enough to know. Do you play video games? If so, what kind? Yeah. My favorite are horror games, but I also love me some story-driven survival games like The Last of Us, and then there's "kids" games like Spyro, etc. I like a looot of different kinds. Would you buy used clothes? I don't think so. I know it's easy to wash clothes and stuff, I'd just still feel kinda... grossed out by it.

[metteivieharrison]

Burnout

Burnout is a real thing for all creative types. We are not being special snowflakes. It is just that sometimes our creativity has been all used up and it takes time for us to get it back. If you’re burned out, you may feel like you have writer’s block. Or you may just feel like everything you’re working on is derivative. Trying to force yourself to keep working may be really counterproductive to the burnout. Like trying to do intervals the day after a marathon, you just can’t make your body do that.

To avoid burnout, I recommend that writers figure out what they can actually do long-term in numbers of hours on creative projects. If you’ve got a day job, this may be lower than other writers. If you’ve got a family, this may be lower again. This is a reality and it doesn’t help you to pretend to ignore it. It just ends up making you more susceptible to burnout if you don’t pay attention to your real needs. 

I suspect that most creative types can’t work on anything requiring real creativity for more than two hours a day (on average, long-term). I recommend that you try two hours a day for a year and see if you end up getting burned out. If you do, maybe you need to cut back to working only 5-6 days a week so you take one day completely off on a regular basis to let your brain relax and refuel.

If you are doing fine on two hours a day, increase slowly. And if you know you’re likely to burnout, but you have a deadline, build some recovery time into the inevitable burnout that you’re going to feel at the end. 

You may worry that you’ll never have ideas again or that you’ll never write anything good again. This is just your exhaustion talking. You will have ideas again, though it may be some months before you feel well enough to write them down or pay attention to them. 

Burnout is also a time when perfectionism can be the cruelest. Please don’t pay attention to what your brain is telling you about deleting everything you’ve ever written at this time in your life. It’s drunk-dialing the rest of you. Just put it to bed.

I hate burnout and I hate resting. Yeah, I see you, raising your hand in the back. We have to do it anyway or it just gets worse. Your creative soul isn’t your bitch. You don’t get to make it work and work and work. It needs coaxing and gentleness to keep coming back to you.

[ghouliesgoatsandbones]

Art Block

There is a huge argument in the art community about Art Block so I’m going to clear that up right now.

Art block is anything mental that fucks up your creative flow. It isn’t permanent but fuck if it feels shitty.

Saying it’s due to laziness as a whole is unhelpful, and doesn’t serve any purpose but to demean and slag off the younger, or beginner artists.

Some arseholes use it an an excuse, yes. Just like people with mental illness use that as a way to excuse their actions.

I think the best way to address this is by saying this:

Art block sucks, yeah, but it’s temporary and you will overcome it. I know, I have had to overcome it multiple times. It might feel like nothing is good or you just can’t get anything to come out. Take a break, look up references, breathe, and try again. Also, don’t let Art Block turn into burnout, because that can drag you down even more. If you are starting to feel tired of drawing, or you are getting stressed out, take a break, come back to it.

There are so many helpful ways to help people overcome Artists Block that I have no idea why people spend time bitching about it. Fucking help or offer advice, don’t piss on people just because you can.

The tumblr art community can be better, but we first have to look at ourselves and fix the issues we have.