#discipline stuff

[ninereadytoanswer]

(discipline genre post; do not nonconsentually hit people in real life and no one should be)

Nynaeve should spank Rand. This thought brought to you by seeing a book snippet where Wisdom feels to be a position of community weight in what feels like the relevant way, and by ‘somebody should’.

[ex0toxin]

matsuri 🏮🕺🎇

jsys week'24, day 2

[trashyshrew]

[theblackfemininesociety]

Ladies, 2024 is personal.

Dear Besties and future Besties,

We're starting FRESH this year, I want to encourage each and every one of you to dedicate 2024 to becoming your best self, from the inside out. This is your ✨IT Girl era✨, a time to prioritize self-care, personal growth, and breaking old habits.

Start by investing in your mental and emotional well-being. Consider therapy or counseling to unpack any past traumas, explore your innermost thoughts and feelings, and gain a deeper understanding of yourself. Remember, healing is a journey, and seeking professional help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Let's focus on our physical well-being. Make time for regular workouts and prioritize your health. Whether it's hitting the gym, practicing yoga, or simply going for a walk, physical activity not only benefits your body but also clears your mind and boosts your confidence.

Breaking old habits is never easy, but this year, let's challenge ourselves to do just that. Identify any negative patterns or addictions that hold you back and take the necessary steps to overcome them. Seek support from loved ones, join our group, or even consider professional help. Remember, you have the power to change your life. ✨💞

In the midst of this transformation, it's crucial to practice being more private and working smarter. In a world that often values constant sharing and busyness, find solace in quiet moments and focus on the tasks that truly matter. Prioritize your goals, streamline your efforts, and eliminate distractions. By doing so, you'll find that you can accomplish more in less time, leaving room for personal growth and self-care. You are not for everyone, be selective with your energy this year babe. 🩷

Financial stability is vital, so let's make it a priority this year. Save your money, create a budget, and invest in your future. By being mindful of your spending habits and making smart financial decisions, you'll be empowering yourself to live a life of financial freedom and security.

Remember, peace is the REAL luxury. Prioritize your mental and emotional well-being above all else. Surround yourself with positivity, cut out toxic relationships, and embrace moments of solitude. By cultivating inner peace, you'll radiate strength and tranquility, attracting positivity and abundance into your life.

Lastly, love on yourself. You are more precious than rubies and daughters of the most high God. Embrace your worth and never settle for less than you deserve. Set boundaries, demand respect, and prioritize your own happiness. By loving and valuing yourself, you'll attract those who do the same.

In the upcoming year, let's remain humble, determined, and refuse to accept anything less than what we truly deserve. 🥂

We will continue to work with you on becoming the best versions of yourself! Please take advantage of all of our guides/ resources (click here) & there’s plenty more ahead, stay tuned!

Xoxo,

The Black Feminine Society 💋

model 🏷️ _kendrabailey

[saggitary]

Ahsoka Ep 7 minor spoilers

-

The look in Thrawn’s face when he found out Anakin Skywalker was her master was priceless 😂 his entire attack plan to handle Ahsoka was erased and had to be rewritten in the span of a second.

I think it’s something we don’t talk about enough that Ahsoka is a trained and tested military official. She has led battles by herself and is a capable military leader. She was trained by one of the top strategists in the GAR, Captain Rex (this is canon Cody mentions it), probably got some training from Marshall Commander Cody himself… but she was also trained by the craziest mfer in the galaxy.

Nothing is touching this girl and I just know Thrawn was shitting bricks upon realizing this.

[bitter-bats-cult-of-the-moon]

Demon or Deity? Deciphering Spirits

How to Confirm That You’re Talking to a God or Goddess

You can thank St. Augustine of Hippo for this. In the early 5th century, he wrote a theological essay against Paganism titled, “On the Divination of Demons.”

St. Augustine’s mother was Christian, and his father was Pagan. He understood both sides. He wrote many philosophical arguments for Christianity, his largest being The City of God.

In "On the Divination of Demons," Augustine fought back against an Oracle predicting the invasion of Serapis's temple. He argued that demons spoke to this Oracle. He argued that All Pagan Gods are Demons in disguise. He ridiculed fortune tellers and future predictions comparing them to the circus.

Do the arguments hold some sort of validity?

While Spirits can impersonate Deities this guy can now be pushed away from the conversation.

I’ll ask that question again.

Can Spirits Impersonate Deities?

The short answer is Yes.

The long answer depends on your experience level and knowledge.

If you are not used to the deity’s signs and how they communicate or you do not know which red flags to look out for, you are prone to deceit.

Red Flags

Messages drastically change.

For example, recently you received a sign from the Goddess Hekate. She wants to work with you.

The next week, another message tells you that She does not like you. Deities rarely change their mind without good reason. Double-check the divination.

People do everything for you.  

Deities do not need to go through others to speak to you. Even if you cannot hear Them directly, deities can contact you in different ways. If someone else does a reading that sounds completely different, question it. Especially if it’s random and not requested. Do not use other people to translate things for you all the time. Spiritual journeys are personal. They are meant for you, and a lot of people get hurt this way. Other individuals love taking advantage of people using them for their own motives. Just be careful out there.

Overly negative or apocalyptic.

I've heard an unfortunate amount of people claim that the world was going to end after contacting their spirits. Why would they let go of any worshippers telling them that? Why would they give someone a sense that they are the chosen one? Question that. No one is special. We are all here for the human experience. Try dealing with that first even if you don’t want to.

The entity is trying to force you into things.

You do not need to answer spirits. A deity could ask you to worship Them. You can also say no. With years of experience, I have never heard of a deity punishing someone for not working with Them. If a message sounds like a threat, then question everything, and it’s probably best to ignore it.

How to Guarantee That You’re Speaking to a Deity

Ask the same question several times.

Use your preferred divination technique writing down all the answers to your questions. After one day has passed, repeat the same method rephrasing the questions asking the spirit again. Sometimes there are inconsistencies. Question what feels right and what does not.

Thoughts belong to whom?

Are the thoughts yours or are the thoughts external from you? Sometimes strong emotions are mistaken for spiritual signs. It’s easy to get caught up in your own head and let it take over hijacking the metaphysical exercise. Always question this. Did you anticipate a specific answer? This can also lead to derailment. It doesn’t hurt to ask again to gain confirmation. Before contacting your deity, stabilize your emotional state.

Gathering valuable resources.

Contrary to what I just said you can seek outside opinions for valuable resources. Become familiar with the deity’s information beforehand and ask about other peoples’ experiences. Just don’t let people take over the work or tell you how to think. Try to do the work yourself. Research is key.

Different techniques for you.

Try a different form of divination to see if the answers are around the same or greatly vary. This won’t hurt and it will help you learn more. Trust your instincts in spirit work. It’s okay to question things.

Protection orders.

If there is constant anxiety and worry, then do yourself the favor and put-up protection wards before spiritual communications begin. It will give you some peace of mind and it doesn’t hurt anything at all.

[mcromwell]

Genuine question, sorry if it's dumb -

How do you work when there's something on the line? I find I freeze, and it's just so much more difficult to properly organize myself to produce something I'm proud of. But you've been to conventions, and you sell your work, so I'm assuming you feel pressure at least *sometimes.* do you work with it? Around it?

Hey Tymbul, it's not a dumb question, it's actually a really good one. I can only answer it to the best of my own abilities, in regards to my own art and practice, so mileage may vary.

This feeling of something being is "on the line" was what burned me out hard in 2019/20. I'd been making and sharing art for decades and all the while my thoughts took the shape of, "it has to be GOOD, it has to SAY something, it needs to hit X and Y requirement to be worthy" etc. Wherever that habit of pressuring myself came from, it wasn't helpful. I would glare at the blank page and curse every sketch I made because it (and by extension, myself) wasn't ever good enough.

I knew something had to change, so I changed. I began trying to make art with no pressure. Instead of pushing myself I let my foot off the brake. I changed the way I talked to myself about art. "I'm going to make this as good as I can. And if I can't, there's always next painting." I began starting a piece with fast, easy, not-precious stuff--random paint smears, doodles, gesture sketches. The pressure was off when all I had to do was start with trash and play around. If it just wasn't working and I had to scrap it or start over, oh well, it was just trash. I still run into this pressure today, though. Growth ain't linear and all that. Old habits die hard. I have to snap myself out of it with a feral screeching JUST THROW PAINT ON IT RRRRRRRRGH and I can usually let up on the brakes enough to get it going. It's a journey.

I like to think of this in terms of dog training. If you punch your dog and yell at it, that dog is going to have fear and doubt and won't be a healthy dog capable of performing the tasks you ask of it. But if you use positive reinforcement, they develop confidence and become dependable and sturdy. If you sit down to make art and every time its a barrage of IT HAS TO BE GOOD! YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD OF IT! EVERY NEW PIECE HAS TO BE BETTER! IF IT ISN'T YOU'LL BE A FAILURE! WHY AREN'T YOU DRAWING YET then man, that dog is cowering in the corner, it is not going to sit or fetch or anything. What if instead you said, "Okay! Time to make something. Let's do warm-ups and thumbnails to prepare so I'm ready to jump in. I am open to surprising myself by making something I'm excited about, but I won't beat myself up if today isn't that day. I know by doing this I'm practicing and getting better, it is never a waste." You are much more likely to Do a Thing if that thing feels good to do. That's just being an animal, man. Positive feedback.

To be honest, though, I still haven't found a successful way to make commissions less like pulling teeth. My method of art-making is to fuck around and find out and that's not a conducive method for a comm, which usually has a ton more expectation and strict parameters and my nemesis: Should-Look-Like. I am good at some things, I am not good at comms. Progress is not linear. I am still learning. My efforts to let up on the brakes made it so the car was a lot harder to control... for better or worse.

Hope this helps. Mostly, my advice is to find out how making art can feel good to you and then make a ton of it. Make more art than you think you should. It gets easier. And don't punch your dog.

[etirabys]

horrid yowling! so terrible I thought the cat might be dying & ran downstairs with heart tangibly hammering. I sighted her pressed up against the window, freaking out about an outdoor cat on the other side.

After I and CJ covered the view with flattened boxes:

cat: [skulks & pokes at the edges of boxes] me: idiotic! are you going to worm your way back against the glass to look at the thing that upsets you? partner CJ: wouldn't you? me: D:<

[xenocorner]

Sitting here waiting for my students to show up to class and I'm just like

I know this is a Dr. Strange blog that focuses on art and not necessarily an art blog, BUT-

Would y'all, like, want me to put together like a master post thing with art resources for reference/learning/JustStuffTM and all that? Because I have like, a ton of those. And I love sharing tips and resources and stuff.

Or do I like, leave that to people with actual art blogs lmao

[jadeclaimedflowers]

252 days of productivity

what's on: ステラ (Stella) by Leo/Need

hi everyone, i'm yuki and this is a blog dedicated to 252 days of productivity (that i'm hoping to achieve.)

some things about me: i'm applying to several colleges this year. i enjoy flavored milk. i struggle with sh. i have Big issues with procrastination and mood swings. i'm constantly rolling a large boulder up-hill. i'm basically what you call a gap-moe.

i'm currently in a downward spiral.

not being disciplined, not giving my best, not living upto the potential i know i have.

my life is designed by failures and hardships, some are my fault, some are not. i've chosen to make peace with that. i've chosen to give my absolute best to whatever i shall pursue. because that is the only way forward.

i've chosen to apologize and to forgive. to run ahead. to fight for my way. to look back, but not with animosity and regret but with understanding and acceptance.

this project is an attempt to dig myself out of my hole inspired by binging five seasons of haikyuu!! in a row. i will be recording my progress these next 252 days. i hope to make some friends on the way.

"If I could just fly as high as a nightjar, And soar through the sky, Perhaps they would have called me beautiful, If only I was that special." 「夜鷹のように 高く 空を 駆けて往けたら 綺麗だって囃 特別に なれたのに」

I gloss over it with "someday", And blame it on "someone". I'm comforted by "somewhere", While clinging onto "something". 「いつか」なんて 誤魔化して 「誰か」に　なすりつけて 「どこか」なんて 慰めて 「なにか」に　縋っている

Ahh, our current situation is so pathetically flat. But if I let my guard down, Tomorrow will become yesterday. あぁ、僕らの現状は いじらしく フラットして 気を抜けば 明日が 昨日になってしまう

And so, this is the story that was created, Because I didn’t give up today. Letting the flight feathers resound, Let us aim for the sky! これはそう今日を 諦めなかった故の物語ストーリー 風切羽 響かせて 空を目指して

The dream that makes us miserable, That we're sick of, and that shines brightly, The wings that let us fulfill it, 惨めになって嫌になったって 輝いてる夢を 叶える羽は They had already sprouted a long, long time ago. 疾っくの疾うに生えていた

[ninereadytoanswer]

Just went to a bookclub and holy shit Mo Ran handing Chu Wanning Jiangui (while cwn is angry and doesn’t have Tianwen) ahhhh

[softlysavvy]

new study session 🫖, studying mecanics this time♥️ woking on a group report we have to submit 🌸🌸

[sveetbabied0ll]

so many times in my life i have chosen to entertain toxic relationships that made me suffer so i could temporarily satisfy my loneliness and i’m not making that mistake again.

[silverior968]

I've been rolling around the idea of a tfp Skulduggery Pleasant AU for a while -- here's a joke courtesy of my friend @piptheteeththief that was too funny for me to not draw it

[Image ID: A digital drawing with the title "DOCTORS HATE THEM" in impact font. Underneath the text are Skulduggery Pleasant, a human skeleton dressed in a black suit, complete with black shoes, a black tie and a black hat. His hands are in his pockets. To his right is a human version of Wheeljack from the same franchise, drawn as a lean white man in his early 40s. His hair is ash-colored and very shaggy. On his head he has a dark brown cowboy hat. His eyes are grey and he has a slightly crooked nose, like it had broken before and never set the same way as it was before. He also has many small scars on his face and is smiling. In addition to his hat, his outfit consists of a white, green and red plaid shirt that's half tucked, a light gray aviator jacket, a dark brown belt with a silver buckle, dark red trousers and dark brown boots. He also has his hands in his pockets. / End ID]

[bluenotemagpie]

i thought that making the cats powerpoint (tm) would free me from my anguish to focus on, idk, usual stuff again. instead it has apparently freed a part of my brain that needs Something to Be Unhinged About and which has therefore flung itself back into tamora pierce's novels. for the first time in years it has occurred to me that i could, theoretically, write emelan fanfiction if i wanted to. like. i could just do that. i might start making a powerpoint about why keladry of mindelan is best character of all time. it is sunny out and i am going to take my kindle to the park and reread terrier.

[cinnamon-irl]

I just want you to keep going because you are strong enough to do this and you haven't seen the best for you yet 𐙚˙⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚ Imagine yourself in December 2024. You look back and see how much you have overcome. You have good possibilities and the right to choose for yourself. Your future version is proud that you tried and didn't give up no matter what. Yes, there were bad and good days, but you see the bad times as stepping stones to your good self because you have reached the position you want for yourself, you have a smile on your face and you live in the moment.𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒