#do check out their art btw it's genuinely fantastic

[howlsnteeth]

icon commission for @divinepsychosis!

[joy-crimes]

I will say as someone who watched through all of HGS, it is 100% not as bad as the majority make it out to be. The worst thing I can say about it is that it's pretty average, and there's definitely some quality issues - but honestly those only pop up every now and then, and while you're in the middle of watching an episode you'll hardly notice them. Plus there were a lot of production issues the team had to deal with, so I'm more willing to be lenient with that. Definitely issues with pacing and plot and other stuff, but nothing really uncommon for the first season of any show. Really it's mostly a basic shojou romp that's trying to be more but hasn't quite landed there. I do think there needs to be some more diversity in general, but what queer rep there is is actually done pretty well all things considered! It seems that most of the backlash started from the fact that it was released on Crunchyroll specifically, and all the anime obsessed Reddit-bros in the userbase collectively dogpiled on it for daring to be a Western-made "anime" that emphasized female leads and queer rep. And from the actual queer community it seems like most criticizing said rep haven't actually watched the show, and are convinced that it's inherently bad representation it has when really it's just kind of boring?? If that makes sense anyways

Sorry to ramble on btw! But TLDR: HGS was mostly in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it completely fucked over any chance it had of reaching a real audience instead of being under exactly the right circumstances to become the punching bag of a lot of different communities for a while. As a show it's a solid 6/10 by the end, nothing really fantastic but has a lot of promise, and probably could have realized that with more time, budget, and some pushes in the right direction.

P.S. also omg I completely forgot about that but yeah it fucking sucks that K*te L*ith worked on it. But from what I heard she only played a small part in production? Idk, I'll have to fact check that

I think there's something to be said about the scarcity and quality of queer-led art, and to that end, series like HGS aren't given a chance to succeed. I have only watched the opening of the first episode so I genuinely can't speak to the series' quality, but it seems like there are bits and pieces of this series that GENUINELY connected with queer people, and that means something.

But herein lies the issue. KL has had a massive amount of consistent evidence against her past bigoted behavior, in private AND in public, and uses marginalized voices to boost her own. It would be one thing if there was some plausible deniability regarding her full involvement, but the reason i KNEW KL worked on it is specifically because her name is on the title card of the show after the opening.

According to Wikipedia, KL has a writing credit on 6 out of 12 episodes, and 2/3 of those episodes list her as the SOLE writing credit. As much as I'm sure this show had good intentions and a lot of love put into it, there's only a small shred of plausible deniability one can consider when evaluating her involvement.

I'm not saying it's not unfortunate, but seeing her name on it IMMEDIATELY left a bad taste in my mouth, and turned me off to the series instantaneously. I feel bad because there are probably a ton of queer voices that worked hard to make HGS what it was, but at the end of the day, there are some things I can't ignore in my personal evaluation of stuff like this, both as a person who genuinely wants to uplift good and meaningful art, AND as a viewer who likes watching pretty colors and gay people on a screen.

So yeah, i guess im skipping this one to make a long story short

[professeurm]

I want yall to know that this is blog isn't going to promote any political issues or world issues. im not going to judge or care who you vote for or what's going on politically, but I am not going to promote whatever y'all ask that involves political or world issues. im genuinely sorry that someone of yall are going through shit, but i ain't going to promote issues that I have no clue how my audiences will react.

yall do that on your own time or find a blog that's all about that. this isn't the blog for that, this blog is for me to display my art or house md rp with @wilsons-limped-husband ( @ask-dr-lawsuit-magnet) and @ham-burr-ger (side blog btw; @ask-dr-what-a-strange-typo). if you like the fandom, check out their blogs. it's fantastic and they're fantastic.

i would prefer if yall would respect that decision. this is a judgment free and welcome all blog, i don't care what yall believe or what you land in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. i love y'all with all my heart, no matter what. im here for y'all.

it isn't until you start becoming one of those christian knocking on my door, trying to sell me their religion. not saying yall are doing that, but I would prefer not to tell my audiences to go support something they probably don't care or probably don't believe in.

im not mad or anything, im just letting yall know. so thanks for tune in

[buttsmasher]

Smell of an Alpha

[The fantastic @one-inch-chick submitted the photo that gave me this idea. BTW if you haven’t checked out his art yet, you should do so, he’s extremely talented. Feel free to check out the photo here.]

Warnings/Tags: Face Farting, Gay Farting, Willing Victim, Teasing, Pass out from Farting, Cumming from Farting

You try not to stare as Demarcus runs around the track. But the way his ass moves up and down in those tight pants is just purely erotic. You can’t not stare, and you know you can’t be the only one. No man should have an ass that fat and so hypnotic. You just try to take a peek and next thing you know, you dick is straining in your trainers as you’ve watched him run two laps.

You firmly shut your eyes and put your head in your hands so there’s absolutely no way you can keep staring. You keep willing your boner to go away so you can go back to stretching and start your morning jog, but your mind keeps wandering to Demarcus’s massive ass. You can’t help but imagine having him sit straight down onto your face after running all day in this terrible heat.

“Fuck fuck fuck.” You say absentmindedly as you ball your hands into fists. “Come on man, get yourself together.” You gave your cheeks two slaps before jumping up and bouncing from foot to foot. Your eyes are still closed and by some miracle your boner has decided to leave. But when you open your eyes, you freeze.

Demarcus is currently in front of you bent over touching his toes, his ass in perfect view. Your mouth falls open and you can feel drool starting to drip out of your mouth. His ass is just...perfect. There’s no other word for it, and you just want to know what it feels like. Your body takes a step closer to where he’s currently stretching. You have no control over yourself as you move on auto-pilot. 

You watch as your hand reaches out and smacks his sizable ass. Then your hand grasps his right cheek and you shake it. His ass fills your hand completely and you can smell his musky body from where you’re standing. Your eyes go up his back and you come eye to eye with him. He’s giving you a confused look as he looks down at your hand and then back up to you and he gives you the most shit-eating grin.

“You havin’ fun?” He asks knowingly.

“Uh-uh I-I-” You fumble for words as you snatch your hand away. “Wh-why did I do that?” 

“It’s alright bud.” He claps your shoulder. “You’re not the first fag to get overwhelmed by me.” 

“I’m-uhh-” You clear your throat “not a fag?” You don’t know why it comes out as a question but it makes Demarcus laugh. 

“Look man,” He wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you in close. “I know I have a great ass. I ain’t blind. And what kind of human would I be if I didn’t let a fag get off to my ass every now and then.” He moves a hand of yours so it’s touching his glutes. 

“Uh thanks?” 

“You’re welcome.” His smile is very confusing, a bit cocky but also a bit genuine. You’re not too sure what to make of it. You both stand there quietly as he continues to let you grope his ass. He then slowly moves your hand over his crack.

PFFFFFFF

You stare at him in horror as you realize he just farted on your hand. 

“Well I have to get going.” He looks at an imaginary watch. “See ya around?” You stare at your hand and then back at him then back at your hand.

“Yeah-well maybe?” Your confusion makes him laugh and you watch as he walks away.

“See ya tomorrow fag!” He gives a wave and you wave back even though he’s not even looking at you. 

“Tomorrow? Yeah.” You mumble the words not really registering with you. All you can focus on is your hand. You slowly bring it up to your nose and you take a small whiff. Your eyes go cross as his lingering ass funk fills your nose. You need to get home now!

You rush back to your car to head home, totally forgetting to even do your workout. The only thing you can focus on is how his ass felt as you squeezed and how amazing that fart smelt on your hand. You can’t even wait to get home and end up having to stop on the side of the highway to rub one out. You end up cumming in your boxers and by the time you get home it’s all gross and dried.

You plant your face against your steering wheel to catch your breath. “What the fuck is wrong with me?” You sigh.

*****The Next Day*****

You’re embarrassed to say that you came back the next day just to see Demarcus in action again. Not even pretending to do a workout today, you try to hide in an inconspicuous spot where you don’t think he’ll be able to notice you. You even bring binoculars with you. 

Shit, maybe he’s right. Maybe you are a fag.

You’re looking through them, trying to find any sign of him when finally you see him exit the locker rooms and head out to the track. This time he’s wearing a tighter pair of shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. 

You take a big gulp, trying your best not to let your mind get overwhelmed with even more inappropriate thoughts. You can’t lie though, you came about 5-7 times last night from different scenarios you would beg Demarcus to try. But right now, this is probably the best you’ll get.

You spy as Demarcus stretches on the side of the track. Again his ass is in perfect view and your dick is quickly tightening your pants. He lifts his leg up to his butt and holds it for a moment and then does the other before he finally starts jogging around the track. You notice he seems to be going slower than yesterday and in his second lap you can see himself fanning his face like he smelled something bad. 

Your mind immediately goes back to one of your mastubatory dreams from last night where he loads you up with his manly gas. The thoughts make your dick thoroughly strain against your boxers and you try your best to think of anything else. 

Demarcus stops in front of you, maybe 20 feet away from your hiding spot. He puts his hands on his knees and takes a couple of deep breaths.

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTT

From your vantage point, you can hear him releasing terrible torrents of gas. “Fuck.” He says pretty loudly as he rubs his stomach. “What did they put in that protein shake?” Demarcus stretches to the left and then to his right and makes eye contact with you. You see his pained face turn into a mischievous smile. 

“Well hey there fag face!” He says standing upright. You give a short wave back as he walks towards you. “Were you here hiding from me?” 

“Nooo.” You say unconvincingly. “I just like-uh-being one with nature.” 

“Sure you do.” You see his right eye twitch.

PFFFFFFFFFFFF

“I’m telling ya man, I’ve got the worst gas today.” He pats his stomach a couple times.

“Yeah I can, uhh, hear that.” 

“If only there was a fag ‘round here, that would graciously sniff these butt blasts so I don’t have to smell them.” You gulp, he couldn’t possibly mean you could he. “Do you know one?” You shake your head no. “You sure?” You nod. “Well if you find one, tell him I’ll be in the locker rooms.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck.” You whisper-yell as Demarcus jogs back towards the direction of the locker rooms. You argue with yourself whether or not you’re going to go. “I have to go.” You stand upright. “I have to.” You quickly jog after Demarcus.

When you get to the locker room, you see Demarcus bending over the bench and letting out soft groans.

PFFFFFFFFBBRBRFFFF PFFFFFFFFFF

He’s still letting out farts and you can’t stop yourself from walking up behind him and getting on your knees. Demarcus notices you and makes a show of shaking his ass. “Couldn’t stay away couldya?” You sheepishly shake your head no and you take a loud inhale of his musky ass. “It’s alright, all you fags need to learn at some point.” He moves his hand behind your head and holds you firmly against him. “You can’t resist an alpha.”

PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTT

You’re subjected to the pure manly stank of him. It’s raw and terrible and it makes your eyes water. He strongly smells of rotten eggs and you have to ask yourself how you got yourself in this situation. You don’t fight him though, you just stay there taking deep whiffs of his ass funk. 

“There you go, breathe me in.” Your mouth slightly falls open. “Let my ass control your thoughts.” His voice is so calm and addicting, you fall into a trance. “Deep breath.” You take a large inhale.

PFBRBRBBFFFFTTTT PFFF

He times the farts perfectly making sure you get a lungful of his toxic fumes. “Yeah, like that. Breathe me in fag.” You take another large breath not wasting any of the rotten garbage he’s releasing from his ass. 

He lets go of the back of your head. “Lay down for me fag.” 

“Yes sir.” You obey laying down on the rough concrete floor.

“Good fag.” He squats down over your face, his ass not quite touching you.

PFFFFFFFBRBRB PFFFFFFF PFFFF PBFBFBF PFFFFFFFTTT PFFFFFFF

“Aww fuck.” He sighs in relief and you push your head against his clothed ass again. “You like how that smells?” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Yes Alpha.” He corrects.

“Yes alpha.” 

“What’s it smell like?”

PRFFFBFFFTTT PFFFFFFTTTT

“Old eggs. Rott-rotten sewage?” You struggle to put a coherent thought together, your fag brain blissed out. 

“Do you want more?”

“Please alpha, give me more.” You beg and you hear him chuckle. 

“Anything for you faggot.” You watch as he pulls his shorts down so you’re staring at his bare ass. He finally puts his full weight on you by sitting down straight onto your face.

PFFFFFFFFFFBRBRBFFFFFFFTTT

“That’s just for you fag. So make sure you get it all in your fag lungs.” 

“It smells so good, alpha.” Your brain is empty with the only thought to serve him. 

“You fags are so easy. One whiff of a man, and here you are. Begging me for my nasty farts. You’re as bad as a pig. You know that right? You’re a pig, fag.”

PFFFFFFFF PFFFFFFFFBBRRRFFFFFFFTTT

You know he’s right. You should be disgusted, but seriously you’re so fucking hard you’re scared that you’re about to unload in another pair of your boxers. Your eyes are rolled back in pleasure as you inhale everything he gives you.

“I bet I could make you cum from this.” He waggles his hips, making sure you’re bounced between both of his cheeks. “Think you could cum from me farts piggy?” You fevisherly nod your head yes, and he laughs. “Fucking pathetic.” He gets out between laughs. 

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTT

And there it is. You’re seeing stars as you start shooting your load in your boxers.

PFFFFFFFFFFFF PFFFFF PFFFTT

His ass doesn’t let up as your back arches from the amount of cum you’re shooting. It’s probably one of the best orgasms that has rocked your body.

PFFFFFBRBRBFFF PBBBFFFFFFFFFFFF

Fart after fart gets let loose to the point that you go from seeing stars to everything going black from lack of fresh air.

“Alpha.” You struggle.

“Nighty night piggy.”

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTT

Everything goes black as your head falls lax onto the concrete floor. The worst smelling fart knocks out any remaining fresh air that you had left. Demarcus gets up leaving you on the floor to marinate in his stink. When you do finally wake up, you find his scent still lingering all over you and your shorts are sticky from dried cum.

You can’t help it that your hand snakes its way down to your dick and you start jacking off to the lingering scent of the alpha. It’s natural for a piggy to love the stink, especially a piggy fag like you.

[queen0fm0nsterz]

hello!! I really hope this isn't a bother to you but I was wondering if you could give blog reccomendations? (people to follow) I'm new to the fandom side of LN and I thought you'd give good reqs!! Love your blog btw ヾ(≧▽≦*)o -🐾

AHHHH!!! Bestie ofc!! Welcome to my blog btw, nice to meet you!!

I'm now gonna use this ask as a way to flex my very epic mutuals

Now keep in mind that, while they're all into LN, most of these blogs aren't LN centered - but I think they still deserve a follow make some damn good content.

@keikoyume - Makes some absolutely fantastic art! Mostly about the Doctor, but there's a lot of Hunter & LN 2 Monsters gang, Ferryman, occasional Lady (when I run into her askbox to request her bc by GOD Kei's Lady is MWA) and more.

@d0d0-b0i - His art style is genuinely one of my favorites and I love his interpretation of the kids. His Pretender and RCG in particular are ones I hold dear to my heart💕

@lily-frog-trash - BESTIE!! Her art of Mono and Six is so tender I honestly cannot contain myself. I just start crying on the spot because theyre two tiny bestfrens!!!!! Little cretchers!!!!

@huevobuevo - He has some pretty good ideas and makes good art, and also he's hilarious. We fight all the time and it never gets old

@cherry-blossomtea - WRITES SOME REAL GOOD SHIT. If you want to find quality fanfics, you now know where to look. Also makes adorable art😼 I wonder when she'll stop hurting me with all the fucking angst tho

@iamespecter - We as a community do not deserve such spectacular, quality art, and yet here we are. Every single post my homie here makes stabs me in the heart and kicks me in the stomach in the best way possible. I cannot put in words how much I adore every single thing they put out I swear

@jemimabobs - More OC centered, but absolutely worth checking out!!! Their art is very nice to look at and their OCs are pretty damn cool 👁️👁️

@kordeliiius - Yet another one of my super talented homies, their brain is just so fucking massive and their works are a reflection of it. Plus I'm a big fan of both their style and the AU they are working on, so I definetely reccomend following them for some cool concepts and art!

@inventivestew - THEIR ART. ❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕💕❣️

@mybrainbutonpaper - again, THEIR ART. ❣️❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️💕❣️

@jayvha - Bestie here posts a lot of Hunter content and is also a Doc enthusiast. His posts are funny as hell and he deserves a follow methinks

And these are the ones that immediately came to mind. There's definitely more, but I'm a little tired rn so I'm sorry if I forgot to mention you!

[lesserfandomappreciation]

Good to see you! Always glad to get a Red Shoes ask! How are you? And thank you! I really appreciate that! I’m working on getting a little better each day!  BTW, how did you develop your art style? It’s so cute!

Jelly boys (RSaT7D)

Merlin

Merlin loves his s/o. Truly, unapologetically with his whole heart and mind. He thinks he’s not obvious but mage, please. He openly swooned over Snow White what makes you think he’d be different with s/o, it’s just a matter of whether or not they notice. Knowing that Merlin is aware he one very lucky man and that most wished they could be so lucky. And are willing to try their luck, regardless of his s/o being in a relationship, thank you.

Drama prince. You’d think he was campaigning for dumbass of the year sometimes. 

He’s not jealous! Why would he be jealous? It’s not like he would care some scumy person with no sense of personal space hit on (Name) and tried to make them blush. Save the baseless accusation for someone who cares, says Merlin as he wraps an arm around s/o and refuses to leave their side some time the offender has already left. The idea of it really. 

You mentioned Jack’s jealousy and that brings up an interesting point when it comes to Merlin. Jack is secure in who he is and where his relationship stands. Merlin has only one of those things, and it’s the latter. From what we’ve seen, the wizard has a lot of deep-running insecurities that are tied from his sense of self-worth. Sure, he shows off, says “You just got Merlin’ed” unironically and gloats over some of his victories, but give him a moment to self-reflect and he runs from himself. He spent an entire year as a dwarf specifically because he put all his worth on his outward appearance.

This applies to his s/o in that Merlin doesn’t see himself as enough for them. (Name) is amazing, look at them go! Have you seen them? Have you seen him? They deserve the world and instead they’re stuck with him. Unlikely as he is to say it, Merlin is genuinely frightened of the day they wake up and realize they deserve someone fitting, better. 

Out of the three, his is the one that needs addressing the most. Jealousy in general isn’t inherently good or bad, but that depends on where it stems from. Jealousy based on self-hatred can have long-term problems for all parties involved if left unresolved. Merlin wants to be enough. Merlin needs reassurances, enforced boundaries and uplifting praises for him to realize that they’re not going anywhere. 

Prior to this pivotal moment, his go-to method to dealing with awful people was lightning, possibly getting pouty about it. Nowadays he’s unfortunately learned from Jack that unrelenting affection is a fantastic way to deal with unwanted attention and my, if it doesn’t work wonders.

He’s a monster now. Slides up to s/o, arm around them, flirting with them as if the person wasn’t there.

Still gets pouty a bit at times and needs cuddles. 

Arthur

I have to be honest, Arthur’s jealousy was a pain and half to figure out because it is hard to pin down. A jealous Arthur is nigh-impossible to tell apart from a generally protective and chivalrous Arthur. Dwarf-form, human-form, it doesn’t matter - if someone he cares about is struggling to defend themselves and the other person can’t take the hint he’s going to step up between, telling them to back off. 

The reason it’s so hard to tell apart because even Arthur isn’t 100% sure what he’s feeling in that moment with his s/o. For all the self-hyping the F7 gave themselves, Arthur and the others seem to have exactly 0 experience actually being in relationships (he thought a slap was a gesture of affection this man hasn’t a clue what he’s doing). Getting kissed by a thankful princess is worlds different from building a bond with someone, caring for someone. The first time Arthur is struck with jealousy, he’s not at all sure what he’s feeling. He just knows his heart is gripped tightly, his blood is running hot, and that he’s not about to let some scumbag continue to be rude to (Name). 

Look for his reaction afterward. That’s the ticket for an outsider looking in to figure out something’s up. When Arthur is protective (about anyone he cares about), the second the issue is dealt with he’s first concerned about their well-being and then pretty positive about being able to protect his loved ones. When Arthur is jealous though, he goes quiet afterwards. He’s not mad at anyone other than himself, because he doesn’t know why he got so fired up and he views (Name) getting harassed as a failure to protect them. He’s sullen, but will make an attempt to hide it if asked about it.

The jealousy Arthur experience comes from the same places as his protectiveness. Concern and duty. The incident with Snow White being in danger by guards and his doing nothing has definitely left an impact on him and it’s made his concern for others, even strangers, all the higher. In this case, the person he’s worried about is his s/o and that adds a burst of affection into his actions he’s not used to being there. Duty comes into play in terms of his beliefs and morals. Arthur has a really strong moral compass, with ideas on what is right being pounded into his brain early on. He likely has a sense of what he should be doing in a relationship, and what his “duties” are to his partner. They’re not all bad, but they do need a reality check. 

He’s ashamed to admit he’s jealous. He’s not supposed to get jealous - Arthur trusts his partner! Yet, he can’t deny he hates seeing them being harassed.

Also, the childish, selfish part of his mind he pretends to not have can’t stand that some schmuck is getting their attention when Prince Arthur is right here, hello? Don’t tell anyone, he’s embarassed. 

Arthur doesn’t need much in terms of redirecting. A good reminder that his s/o is grown and will absolutely call on him if they need his help quells a lot of his concerns. Time in the relationship also helps - the more he knows and builds his relationship with s/o the more relaxed he’s going to feel. He winds up being the guy who will look to s/o to see if he needs to put someone in a headlock. 

Should he get pouty (happens to everyone really), this man is such a slut for physical affection, hand-holding, hugs, sweet peppering kisses that any combination of them will get him to give the goofiest smile. 

Hans

Now here’s an interesting one. Hans is like Jack in that he’s secure in himself and his relationship. He trusts his s/o like crazy, respects boundaries, has enough emotional intelligence to know when he needs to step in versus when he wants to step in and follows through on that. But. He dislikes people disrespecting his s/o strongly, has pretty quick strong reactions (he knocked out Snow White with a pan), and puts his foot down with no wait time required.

When he spots someone pushing it what’s a guy to do but inject themselves into the conversation? It’s hardly his fault the sleazo ran off when Hans grabbed (Name)’s hand and talked to them sweetly, all while giving the offender the glare of a life time. 

Oh yes. Hans is that guy. Sure he could try to be tough (like Arthur) or pretend to be tough (like Merlin), but where’s the fun in that? This method lets people know (Name) 1) is taken. 2) in a very healthy/happy relationship 3) has a boyfriend who is right there and 4) their boyfriend will use a shield as a weapon if need be. It’s foolproof!

...Well, almost foolproof, save for the part where Hans decides to not talk about his feelings. Emotionally intelligent when it comes to others, Hans himself is not good about expressing his emotions. (Name) was the one who had to deal with that offender for so long, they’re the ones who were actually affected by the offender’s actions, Han’s feelings should be on the back burner then! This thought process is flawed. He views himself as the caretaker and not as someone to be cared for like he does for others, and that mindset is going to lead to a lot of bottled feelings if not dealt with early on. 

What Hans needs is honesty. Direct confrontation on this, because he will try to skirt around the issue instead of talking it out if possible. Once the direct communication is had, it’s a long journey of learning to be vulnerable, validation of feelings, and understanding what a relationship of equal give-and-take looks like that leads to him bettering his response to jealousy. 

Hans still is the guy who smoothly cuts in, but nowadays its followed up by a dual session in the kitchen where the both of them can get frustrations out by kneading some dough. Nothing like the promise of warm tasty bread to distract from the offenders from earlier. Along with floury kiss marks on the cheek. It’s the one time he doesn’t mind a mess in the kitchen. 

[nebulous-wanderings]

Tokyo Trip/Kurenai Enishi October 19-21, 2018

Wow look who procrastinated writing a blog post for this for 2 months (me). I made a mini-post when I got back but I didn’t really explain everything I saw and did in my 48hrs there so I’ll do that here. More pictures and me rambling about Tsukista below~

I only went on this little weekend trip because my friend and I had gotten tickets to see Tsukista’s 6th Stage Kurenai Enishi. I would’ve stayed longer but I wanted to save my vacation days for next year :P Luckily, my friend was able to meet me in Tokyo from the area of Japan she currently lives in and stayed with me for the weekend to watch the show.

I arrived Friday evening and checked into the hostel. It had the best prices for the area and was super clean and easy to check in and out - I would definitely stay there again! After that I met @lavendermintrose at Animate since I wanted to buy a penlight and shop around for a bit. We then made a spontaneous visit to the karaoke place with the Tsukista drink collab~

My other friend arrived at the hostel later that night, and we ate a late-night meal and were up until like 2am drafting fan letters on our phones to write onto stationary the next day.

On Saturday we went to Harajuku for breakfast (see first pic at the top) and scoped out the Tsukipro Harajuku Shop. We had timeslots to enter on Sunday, but we passed by it to take a look at how it was set up. After that we tried to get to the train station as fast as possible in order to get to the theater in time for the merch queue to start but Takeshita Dori was looking like this:

which is sooo much worse than Times Square so we were crawling at a snail’s pace back to the station. After the trainride, we got off in Shinjuku where the theater was and it was a bit complicated to find since Google Maps had us cross through and mall and back outside to find the theater (that’s also connected to a movie theater). The line had only opened up 5mins before we got there but there were already so many people ahead of us:

(the entrance is a little past that white sign board with colored rectangles). The wait didn’t feel too long ince they opened sales a bit earlier than the scheduled time and it moved pretty quickly.

My and my friend’s matching tsukiusas (+ my Sing Together Forever usa). I don’t do itabags so I at least brought these little guys.

The merch form~ They got stricter with the purchase limit for this stage (like one copy of each CD per person). (+ check out that girl's Aoi and Yoru itabag in the background)

The hallway to the merch sale tables/entrance to the theater was lined with Kurenai Enishi posters with art of the nenchuu by Jiku-sensei. They matched the red walls nicely lol.

(My face looks really weird in this pic so I covered it lmao) but I was super excited in line 😂 After buying all of out stuff there was a little over an hour until the show started so we got some food and the food court next door and started writing our letters:

My friend wrote one for Yuusaku and gifted local omiyage from her region. I wrote one for Yuusaku and one for Yuusuke. Technically my friend wrote it for me since my handwriting absolutely sucks and we were pressed for time (I would’ve taken forever to write the kana) but I wrote the whole message and she just copied the Japanese onto paper. I handwrote the English I included at the end and also signed it. I included some gifts I brought with me from NY to give to them as well.

We got to the theater as doors opened and placed our letters and gifts in the boxes then picked up the premium seat bonuses (2 group bromides and a shrine charm in the 3rd pic from the top). The charm was one of six color combos depending on which day it was and luckily for me that day was the Rui/Iku colors! Ours were in the 6th or 7th row off to the right. The stage was very wide and we were right in front of the little side-stage area where the actors come out from.

I won’t spoil the plot but I will say that people cried during one of the more dramatic scenes. I wouldn’t say it’s as sad as Yunemigusa though lol (I saw ver. Red btw). It was really cool seeing the new cast for the first time, and I think they all did a fantastic job!

The Mutsuki-kun higawari had Gaku (Haru’s actor) as some evil guy trying to defeat Kakeru who is trying to become a stronger ninja. At first it was just a pair of sunglasses talking while Gaku did the voiceover from backstage but then he appeared on stage in a white lab coat. It was really funny, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly his character was supposed to be referencing lol. Also random note: there was a reoccurring mushroom joke that I also found really funny lol.

The songs in Kurenai Enishi weren’t my favorite per se (I’m not a huge fan of slow songs) but they matched the mood and tone of the show very well. However, I do love the theme song since it’s catchy and makes me want to chant along with it lol.

Since I watched the Red version with Procellarum as the focus, the dance live was their group songs and solo character songs from the 2nd season of CDs. The background dancers were the Six Gravity counterparts from the same age group. Rui is my fave and Yuusaku was soooo cute performing “Oh… Yes!” Ryoki did a great job as Iku, and his dancing looked so pro I was amazed. I was really bopping to You’s “Manatsu no Summer” and he went into the crowd for fanservice as usual lol. For the entirety of Yoru’s song, I was just staring at Yuusaku’s face cuz he’s so bright and sparkly~ He had a big smile on just like Tani’s Yoru and looked like he was having fun. During Kai’s “Beast Master,” I was on the side Haru was mostly dancing on, and let me just say Gaku went IN on the hip movements and overall risqué dance moves lmao. Can’t wait to see that again on the DVD 😂 Taka had big shoes to fill as Shun, but he was great throughout the play and dance live (sasuga idols) and his Shun voice was even super similar to Tomoyuu’s.

At the end they performed “Tsuki no Uta” with both groups which was a lot of fun. I was debating whether or not to change penlight colors at each verse but it would’ve been too difficult lol. I had them on Rui and Iku for the whole duration of the song, but did all the name-yelling fanchants which was fun to be a part of (this was my first time at a jp live event). At the end when everyone runs back and forth on the stage waving goodbye, I was sitting close enough to the stage to tell who in the crowd they were looking at, and I got waves from Iku (who probably saw me frantic waving my green and brown penlights) and Kai! Kai also did a finger gun shoot to the girl 2 seats away from me (sitting next to my friend) since she had a Kai uchiwa and she was crying tears of joy all after that lol.

The closing message for that performance was from Yuusuke, and I could tell he was a bit nervous trying to get words out but he looked genuinely happy to be up there on stage. (Honestly, stan Akiba Yuusuke, he’s adorable).

After it was over, I wanted to watch it again, it felt so short! But we met up with Lavender for some more Tsukista collab karaoke and talked about the show and fangirled over stuff. I kept getting Shun coasters when buying the collab drinks, but in the end I ended up with a Rui at least so all was well. I need some more Growth fans to karaoke with so we can all harmonize on the songs 😂

On Sunday, we went to the Tsukipro Harajuku Shop, but I’ll include that in a separate posts since I hit picture limit in this one already. Overall, I had a fun time and I’m super glad I was able to fulfill one of my goals which was to watch a Tsukista show live! I landed back home at 8pm on Sunday and thankfully I was able to wake up in time for work the next day (due in part to me sleeping most of the plane ride back). 10/10 would do a weekend trip (or longer) again for a stage play or concert 👍

[the-elf-mahat]

October Positivity

Supposed to be an ask meme but I’m doing ‘em all and you can’t stop meeeeeee!

Under the cut though because things got long and effusive.

Vampire: Tag someone of whom you've been a longtime fan. @zaderick! We haven’t interacted much but I think you’re a phenomenal writer and your ship with @leywalker-starsworn gives me so much life and inspiration. Also PIRATES. Mahat would absolutely be poking around the Black Maw looking for work if Coldwall wasn’t a thing. Zaderick’s a fantastic character; keep on doin’ you, pls.

Shoutout to @spencerdarthellin, who DOESN’T POST ENOUGH but when he does holy hell is it good. I want to read a novel you write someday, man.

Werewolf: Tag someone who is one-in-a-million and comes through when you need them. @addie-the-pirate WHY ARE YOU SO WONDERFUL OMG. It’s weird. Stahp. (only don’t stahp I love it and I love you frand).

Fairy: Tag someone who you see as an asset to the community at large. @clothespanda! You were throwing yourself into making good stuff happen for the guild even before you were an officer and you’ve only doubled down since. I really respect and admire your ability to bring people together and make neat stuff happen.

@thegreatnyehehe is a server treasure and we don’t deserve them.

Jackalope: Tag someone who picked you up when you were down. @jebweaver NEVER CHECKS HIS TUMBLR NOTIFICATIONS but w/e. When I joined Coldwall a year ago I hadn’t roleplayed as Mahat in forever, and she and I were both kinda hesitant and nervous about being around new people. You took the time to get to know ‘Hat, which helped me get to know her again, and I appreciate that enormously. Marc and ‘Hat are a couple of sassmouth shady cinnamon rolls and I love their friendship. Thanks for all the crime, nerd.

Phoenix: Tag someone who is a bright light on your dash. @rask-the-rogue is a beautiful human being and scary-talented like woah. I get excited honestly whenever I see you post something, but especially for your stories and art. You are such a lovely, genuine, warm presence, and Rask is such a delightful character in any medium. I know we both get pretty busy with real life, but I hope we get to keep writing together for a long time to come!

Banshee: Tag someone who has looked out for you. @oil-and-firebrand, thank you so much for checking in on me, and for engaging with me and ‘Hat even when we vanish off the face of Azeroth for a while. It means a lot to me. Also you’re an awesome RPer and I wanna do more stuff with you!

@addressroleplays I got your back boo, and I know you got mine. <3 Thanks for being my friend!

Griffin: Tag someone whose friendship for you is priceless. @eldricceverton, I’m really glad ‘Hat threatened Wolf with a knife that one time! It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, IC and OOC. You’ve been so great and encouraging to talk to when I needed it. I’m a huge fan of the way you write Wolf and I have fuuun plotting with you. Probably almost as much fun as ‘Hat and Wolf have kicking each other’s teeth in at the fighting pit! Almost.

Minotaur: Tag someone who you see as a leader in some way. @enigmatic-elegance! The best guild leader money can buy (btw I bought you in a bitcoin auction a while back sooooo expecting you at my house later, wear the fireman hat). No but seriously you’re straight up amazing and I have no idea how you do half the stuff you do (friend stuff! guild stuff! fire stuff! EMT stuff! writing stuff! website stuff! RP stuff!) but I suspect witchcraft and the Inquisition has been notified.

Hellhound: Tag someone who you see as a guardian or protector in some way. @grannyshanny she attac she protec she stronk. You take care of your friends and I love it. Whether via copious salt directed at the enemies or just being a digital shoulder to cry on, you’re my favorite mama bear (in a gay way). I’m so glad our characters get to be family.

Unicorn: Tag someone who is So Good, So Pure™ @soapiewhitacre PLS ACCEPT MY LOVE for you it is both eternal and constant. You are the human personification of a hug and I feel lucky to get to spend time with you, IC or OOC.

@xerxes-jasper, I love how you play your characters and how willing you are to roll with the punches to make a good story, even when it gets Xerxes thrown in a lake. :D Xerxes is a Precious Baboo and a Good Spoop Son, and ‘Hat rolls her eye at his antics sometimes but trust me behind the keyboard I am giggling like a fiend. 

Mermaid: Tag someone who is a positive influence on you. @thebattlesheep is best sheep. You make the world brighter and happier wherever you appear. It’s a scientific fact about sheeps. Thank you for being your gorgeous self and letting me, a hat, sit on your head all the time. It’s comfy!

Bigfoot: Tag someone who seems bigger than life. @percy-dewdancer! I really hope I get to RP with you someday in game, I enjoy your writing and Percy as a character vastly. I don’t know if it’ll ever happen since as far as I can tell there’s plenty of other folks ahead of me in line, and ‘Hat doesn’t exactly go out of her way to chat up law enforcement (though since he’s not City Guard anymore WHO KNOWS, she’s less spooked by military types than cops). Either way I’ll be over here gently stalking your posts and admiring your writing skill, tenacity, leadership, and cursing vocabulary; don’t mind me.

Dragon: Tag someone who you see as really dedicated to their muse. @caterinaprimrose! HI WE’VE NEVER MET INGAME but I’m super into your aesthetic posts and in awe of your dedication and respect for a type of character that usually gets neither. Caterina is a deeply human, fleshed-out character with a shallow sparkly surface and you portray all her facets so, so well. I hope she finds happiness again, I’m rooting for her!

@high-inquisitor, you and Archelaos are pretty much the definition of dedication to my mind; he goes through a lot of changes, but you always somehow manage to keep him himself. He’s a great character who fills a lot of roles to a lot of different people, and you play him with a determination and creativity that I really admire. We don’t RP much (I might be low-key intimidated by you shhhh), but I always enjoy reading your writing when it shows up on my feed, and think your aesthetic is killer. 

That’s enough positivity for one day NOW OFF TO BURN DOWN AN ORPHANAGE.

[ilikebigbooks-and-icannotlie]

What are your favorite blogs? You reblog from so many different ones so I was jw ha ha (LOVE ff&ss btw!!! Please keep writing!)

Aaahhhh!! Thank you thank you! It’s still so weird to me when people say they love my writing, lol, but there will be lots more to come!! 

Oh man, this is such a loaded question anon, you don’t even know - my list of favorite blogs is so long, and I have lots of different ones, and I don’t know how to narrow it down? The categories of blogs are going to be kind of weird, and some will have descriptions and some won’t so just get ready (also be advised that they are in no particular order and that they are not in order of how much I love them because that would be unfair as I love them all in varying amounts for different and many reasons) :

The Squadre - first and foremost, for reasons I talk about often, I love @highlady-casandra @miladyaelin and @shortie-stories so so so much!! If you check my sassacas tag, you’ll see a lot of love for these ladies - the first two of which are wonderful SJM blogs if you’re about that life :)

@frankiefasthands - is one of my oldest and best friends in “real life” (we’ve now known each other for like 11 years, which is kind of insane?) and her blog is always cool, though most of my reblogs from her go to my personal blog, @they-did-the-do

The Hannahs - so these guys are all together because they’re all named Hannah, but that’s pretty much the only similarity between the three of them lol@propshophannah is the SJMaas Hannah, and an amazing writer, and a great person, and really wonderful all around and I love her and her blog so so much - probably my favorite SJM blog, if I had to pick one. But also, if you need life advice, or have a sex ed question that you’re really uncomfortable asking anyone else, she’s probably already answered it, or will happily answer it if you send her an ask, because she’s just the best, and just really positive, oh man, just so wonderful@ignitesthestars (also known as New Zealand Hannah, lol) is also a really great Hannah - her blog is also really wonderful, really happy, really feminist, just generally a good place, always makes me smile :) She’s got AMAZING fic, always my go-to recommendation for people if you’re looking for tgt or soc or pjo fic (or star wars fic, but I’m not personally on that train, but Hannah’s basically the conductor, so), and I just love her so much honestly - her fic is breathtaking, she’s honestly a queen, I lack the words to express it, but oh man she’s great@ananbeth is another FANTASTIC Hannah, and I love her very very much. She’s a fantastic writer, and she’s the reason I’m into Skam (which I recommend to everyone so much, and one of my fave pjo writers, and I just appreciate her a lot. She’s also co-author of the Wimbledon AU (one of my favorite fics of all time), the coming soon “call me percy” AU (which I’m already super invested in), and the coming not as soon Devil Wears Prada AU (which I’m also super excited for). She’s half of an amazing dynamic duo that I adore so much.

The Sophiis - they’re actually the same person, but I follow two of her blogs and love them both for different reasons, so I’m tagging both and highly recommend both; she is also the other half to the above Hannah’s dynamic duo@blackjacktheboss is Sophii’s pjo blog and is honestly a blessing tbh - she’s the queen of AUs and headcanons, and I have literally scrolled through her tags for hours I love her so much omg, she’s captain of the S.S. Tratie and her Ichor Group AU is what I live for and any time her and Hannah play tag, or generally @ each other or write anything, I just cry (any time Sophii writes with anyone, honestly, except Dan, because their angst stresses me out so much - actually that makes me cry too? so yeah any time she writes with anyone I cry)@furbyhater is Sophii’s other blog and it’s basically all sorts of wonderful happy things that make me laugh, and is the reason I caught up to Jane the Virgin, but again most of this is reblogged to my personal blog because it’s not very book-ish, but either way I recommend because it will much joy and happiness to your blogThe rest of the PJO fam - so I have this ridiculous like crack headcanon about these guys, and I love them all a lot, and basically they’re my faves and it’s best when you follow all of their blogs and cry over all of their perfectness@son-of-rome is the self-proclaimed lord of angst but he’s secretly a huge softie ssshhhhh and any time he’s involved with anything it’s bound to give you a small heart attack, whether it be because it’s so beautiful, or incredibly sweet retaliation fluff, or heart-wrenching angst, it’s always great, plus he’s generally hilarious and brilliant so basically I love Dan a lot and him and The Wife are the otp 5ever and anyone who ships him with any of the rest of the squad is automatically wrong sorry I don’t make the rules@percyyoulittleshit is a precious marshmallow and I adore her and Mari is the #1 fan and biggest source for all things tlt musical and if you (like me) are still sobbing over the fact that you didn’t get to see it, then Mari will 100% feel those feels too, and generally she’s just really precious and makes my days better, so 10/10 would recommend Mari’s blog@bananannabeth is  a ray of sunshine and happiness and all good things basically except for when she writes soul crushing angst to fuel dan’s anger but we don’t talk about that and is responsible for some of my fave fics - including the famous percabeth FWB fic, and one of my favorite renditions of everyone’s fave skater!percy AU, and Ashlee’s generally a precious flower so highly recommend!! (She’s also where a lot of my hp content comes from lol)@greenconverses is just ... I’m not sure how to put Jess into words, but she’s the reason I started reading fanfic in the first place, and is honestly super important to me, and she’s a brilliant writer, and generally super cool, and anything she writes is basically magic, so I love her a lot and everyone should check her outAs far as other generally cool pjo blogs go (this is getting super long so this is just gonna be a list sorry :/) - @riptidescap @shanlightyear @suchastart @burdge @lesbabeths @demidorks @cindersart @rongasm @romanitas @flyingcrowbar and so many others are so so so so wonderful!!!! And I know I’m forgetting some because there’s so many but oh man, honestly great people this fandom is surging with talent and love and it crushes my soulThe SJM fam - lol this list has been trimmed down recently - there was a lot of discourse recently, and a lot of mean things were said about a lot of people, so I saw bad sides of a lot of mean people, and so yeah, not the longest list in the world, but I digressFor super wonderful content: @azrielsiphons, @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn, @paperbacktrash, @elidexlorcan, @lu-cien, @salvaterre, @nightcourthighlordrhysand, @highfaedaily, @deathgoddessnesta and  so many more that again I cannot think of off of the top of my head are really genuinely wonderful blogs and really genuinely wonderful people that I recommend so so so much!!!!For super wonderful art: @witchlingsandwyverns, @meabhd, @meabhdbutsexii (lol and just general hilariosity), @charliebowater, @jessdoodlesthings, @projectnelm and soooo many more - this fandom is rampant with super talented artists!! Lots of people make super sick edits, too, but I can’t think of them off of the top of my head and I’m sorry, these are the ones I have notifications turned on for, so I can see immediately if new art is posted, because I’m a loser lolFor general people I appreciate a lot: @rowanismybae, @fictionalcharactersaremyreality, @snaps7, @the-north-star, @throneofstars, and a few others that I’m probably forgetting (and totally apologize for) are super sweet and super cool

The authors - I follow a lot of authors on here, and that’s always really cool! Some good  ones include @sabaatahir @vaveyard @stdennard and @lbardugo, as well as @worldofsarahjmaas which is not actually run by Sarah but is where all new Sarah info comes from. Sarah and Sooz also started a super amazing cool not published anywhere else story together at @thestarkillerscycle, which is super duper good, though not finished, but I still recommend itSPEAKING OF LEIGH BARDUGO!!! - I get notifications for exactly 4 Leigh Bardugo blogs (including Leigh herself, and the previously mentioned Hannah) not because I don’t love her books (I do, lots and lots) but because her fandom generally aggravates me lol so I like casually scrolling past them on my dash, but I don’t want to be notified every time they post. The two big blogs I obsessively check are @zoyalina and @savagekaz both of whom are really on top of edits and fics and such, and Cassie in particular is really strongly invested in tgt, so if you’re about the Leigh Bardugo life, her blog is 100% the place to be. She has also just started reading PJO, so a lot of wonderful edits are coming from her on that end, and it’s absolutely magical.

Okay I think that’s all I can think of off of the top of my head without scrolling through notes and my blog and who I’m following? I’m actually really impressed with myself for remembering this many lol. If I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m so so so sorry!!!!!!! But yeah, here’s a mostly comprehensive list of my faves :) I’m sorry this got incredibly long and is poorly organized to the max :/ Hope it’s helpful? I’m not even checking for typos, so I’m sorry if you’ve reached the end and are deeply offended by any of them - enjoy, lol

[talonted]

Today’s post is a little bit different to my usual content but I hope you find it interesting and/or useful. I’m going to tell you all of my tips for gaining more followers on Pinterest and also introduce you to an incredible little tool called Tailwind which can help you to really boost your Pinterest following.

If you are just a casual user of Pinterest then getting to your next follower milestone may not be a huge concern, but if you’re a blogger or a business then your following and engagement are of the utmost importance. Hopefully the tips and advice in this post will give you all the information you need to start building more followers on Pinterest. This information is partly formed from my own experiences, and partly from attending training provided by Pinterest.

So why should you use Pinterest?

If you are sharing your content on the internet (whether that’s a blog post, artwork, or selling your hand-whittled aardvark figurines) then Pinterest is a fantastic way to share it and get you noticed. It’s a beautiful site that combines the most inspirational, fantastical images (Impossibly clean homes! Impossibly clean children!) with the most down to earth, relatable tutorials and tips.

It’s great for inspiration: whether that’s fashion, home decor, make up, blog tips… you will find it all here. Interestingly, Pinterest do not see themselves as a social media site – they class themselves as a search engine. If I’m looking for a recipe or tutorial or inspiration I will always search on Pinterest before Google, which is a pretty interesting shift when you think about how much Google used to dominate internet search.

Finally, the best thing about Pinterest is that it’s ridiculously fun! If you love Pinterest as much as me, you can follow me HERE.

Here are my tips on how to maximise your Pinterest content and use:

Don’t just spam your own content. Pinterest really likes diverse content sources, so if you only post your own blog/business content they essentially see you as a spammer and will treat you accordingly. The 80:20 rule is a good one to go by when it comes to Pinterest: your pinned content should be 80% content from other people and 20% from you.

Name your boards intelligently. When I started out on Pinterest, I tried to think of hilariously clever, pun-filled names for my boards. But when you think about the way that people search for content, no one will ever be searching for ‘N A I L E D  I T’, they’ll be searching for ‘easy nail art’. You can still have fun with your titles, but just think about what people will be searching for.

The above tip also applies for the description box. This is your chance to kill many birds with one stone. For example, if you have a selfie of you in a great lipstick, your description box should name the lipstick and brand. But it should also cover anything else that might appeal to people looking at that picture: blunt fringe, checked shirt, pearl earrings, neon pink lipstick, freckles… think about every way that that photo could be described and be relevant to others. Think of it as Pinterest SEO. But remember that RELEVANCE is key – no one likes a keyword stuffer!

You can have as many boards as you like. Unlike many other content sharing sites, it’s rare that someone comes to your profile and decides to follow you based on that (compare that to Instagram, where your feed and profile are very important). So don’t worry if you have a lot of boards that aren’t cohesive and aren’t well laid out… it really doesn’t matter.

That last tip is also linked with this one: Split up some of your bigger, more generic boards. I have seen better results since I split boards into smaller, more niche ones. For example, I had a huge board called ‘street style’ which I have now split into ‘spring/summer’ and ‘autumn/winter’.

A board should have a minimum of 40 images on it in order for Pinterest to see it as a ‘real/worthwhile’ board. I get around this by making my boards private until I have 40+ pins and then I publish it once it’s ready.

Keep an eye on emerging trends. In the past, certain trends have spread like wildfire mainly down to Pinterest (mermaid hair, flower walls, watercolour tattoos) so keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground to get a board up quickly and ride that popularity wave!

Lastly, you should be pinning regularly. It’s like with any content sharing site: your content can’t be seen by potential followers if you’re not posting the content…

…And this is where Tailwind comes in. Since I started using Tailwind, at the end of the last year, I have gained over 6,000 Pinterest followers – almost doubling the number of followers I had when I started! But more importantly, the traffic to my blog has drastically increased. In fact, Pinterest is now consistently listed as my second biggest traffic source (just after Google) which is incredible! Read on to hear how Tailwind helped me to get more followers on Pinterest.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of Tailwind, if you click THIS LINK*, you can get a free month of Tailwind and – full disclosure – I get a small credit on my account for referring you. So it’s a win-win! This is not a sponsored post: I have used Tailwind since November ’16, I pay for it myself, and I genuinely love it.

I’ve put some screenshots below from my Pinterest analytics, showing how my average monthly views/engagement (left) and my website visits (right) have increased drastically since I started using Tailwind. I don’t like to toot my own horn but a 313% increase of average monthly views of my pins and a 650% increase of daily clicks is seriously impressive! So, toot toot!

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Between November ’16 and March ’17, I was pinning ~20 images a day. Then at the beginning of March I bumped it up to ~40 pins a day. And you can clearly see the jump in the graphs above. I might do an experiment and go up to 60 pins a day and see if there’s another bump. I’ll update this post if I decide to do that. Now that you’ve heard about the results, let’s backtrack for a minute…

What on earth is Tailwind?

It’s a website that connects to your Pinterest account and allows you to schedule pins – it’s as simple as that! It suggests time slots that fit with your audience and even suggests similar pins to the ones you’re posting.

How do you schedule pins?

I downloaded the Tailwind Chrome browser extension which means that any time I’m on a blog/website/article, I can click the little button in the bottom left corner (left hand image below). When you’re on Pinterest, a little Tailwind bird appears in the top corner of each image (as you can see in the screenshot on the right, below). Once you click those buttons a box pops up, allowing you to schedule that image into your timeline. Both of these additions make it really easy for you to schedule on the go. But more about scheduling later…

#gallery-0-6 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-6 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-6 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-6 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

(BTW that beautiful palette photo above is taken from Hayley’s blog)

Tailwind’s free account lets you schedule up to 100 pins a month, so you can try it out to see if you like it without parting with any money. I used the free account for about a month or so before upgrading to the ‘Plus’ plan, which is $9.99 a month (if you pay yearly).

I would recommend starting by scheduling ~5 pins a day to see how you get on and then build up if you want to! At the moment, Tailwind pins 40 images a day for me and it happens automatically at evenly spaced time periods so that I can just forget about it. I’ve put an image below that shows my current schedule: the opaque green slots are my existing ones, and the white, dotted-line ones are further slots being suggested by Tailwind to best fit with my audience. This is so helpful as a large number of my audience are based in the US, and obviously I can’t be awake all night pinning in order to target them!

It should go without saying that you still need to actually spend the time scheduling to fill your slots. I probably spend about an hour a week setting up my pins for the following week – but as I love using Pinterest I don’t really mind it. Plus, having a schedule means that Tailwind can be pinning for you while you’re on holiday or if you have a really busy period coming up.

Posting 40 pins a day may seem excessive, but when you consider the 80:20 rule that’s eight pins of my own content per day… which is the content from an average blog post for me! Plus, I’ll often pin one image to several boards – e.g. a single image could fit on my Dream Handbags board, my neon make up board, and my spring/summer fashion board – so your schedule often fills up a lot quicker than you’d expect.

Another thing I have found really helpful about Tailwind is that it also offers much better analytics than the Pinterest back-end. The analytics are a great way to tweak and target my content better and therefore grow my following. Knowing your audience is key to gaining more followers on Pinterest and so you should be checking your analytics at least once a month to make sure you are on track.

Lastly – in case you heard the same horror stories as me and were wondering – Tailwind is approved by Pinterest so you don’t have to worry about your account being suspended for using it!

*Breaaaaathe* And that’s how I got more followers on Pinterest! I hope you have found this post helpful, and I hope you try out Tailwind and love it as much as me. Please leave me your Pinterest links in the comments – I always love finding fresh blood for my timeline! Don’t forget that if you sig up using THIS LINK* you can get a free month of Tailwind to see if you like it (and I also get a referral credit) so we both get a treat!

Here are my current favourite boards of mine if you’d like to come follow me: Editorial Make Up ; Beautiful Women ; Nail Art & Manicure Inspiration ; Yellow & Grey Home ; Kate Moss

Lex

*As mentioned above, this is not a sponsored post. I paid for my own Tailwind subscription and will continue to do so. However, if you sign up using my affiliate link, we both get a bonus so yay!

== PIN ME!! ==

How To Get More Followers On Pinterest (PLUS An Introduction To Tailwind) Today's post is a little bit different to my usual content but I hope you find it interesting and/or useful.

[theragamuffininitiative]

Christian Films and Misc Rambling Thoughts on the Subject that Might or Might Not be Actually Connected

@cogentranting​ At some point, years from now, when all else is turned to dust and the sun has set for the last time, a post for this reply, stating I will reply in a longer fashion later (which would actually be now) shall appear. I will likely delete it out of pure spite. Stupid mobile app uploads.

I haven’t seen God’s Not Dead. Or God’s Not Dead 2. I should. Not because I just want to, or because It Is The Inspired Word Of Our Lord™ (hahahah it’s not guys, ok), but because of my overall interest an involvement in the world of film. I should be informed.

Also, I appreciate the sarcasm. XD I hope that was sarcasm or now I look really stupid but you’re going to get an earful either way, so it works out.

So let’s get to it:

I hate the Christian Film Industry™

Whew. There. I said it. Pray for my salvation.

Why? So, soooo many reasons.

1. The Sacrifice of Art in the Name of ‘Message.’

I, for one, want to know why the Christian church is constantly smashing down on the creative outputs of their members for not being enough about God, or published by Thomas Nelson, or advocated by Willie Roberts. Why. We would rather squelch the heartfelt, beautiful, God-given art produced by our brothers and sisters for not showing a clear Conversion Experience rather than be amazed at the ability God has allowed us to have to make such fantastic, whimsical, thought-provoking, emotionally-resonant things.

This is point number one because it. is. my. biggest. issue.

“Message films are rarely exciting. So by their very nature, most Christian films aren’t going to be very good because they have to fall within certain message-based parameters. And because the Christian audience is so glad to get a “safe, redeeming, faith-based message,” even at the expense of great art, they don’t demand higher artistic standards.” ~ Dallas Jenkins, movie reviewer and director of The Resurrection of Gavin Stone??? (Imma have to check back with you later on this, but the quote still stands on its own.)

“We have the makings of a movement that can change this culture. I honestly believe this. But I also believe the first step toward establishing the groundwork for a vibrant, relevant cultural movement based on scriptural thought is to stop producing “Christian films” or “Christian music” or “Christian art” and simply have Christ-followers who create great Art.” ~ Scott Nehring, in his book You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through a Christian Lens.

“If we are trying to evangelize, the fact that most Christian-themed movies are torn to shreds by non-Christian critics becomes an issue. If, however, we just really want to see our fantasies validated on screen, then we will write-off these poor reviews as “persecution.”” ~ Andrew Barber, in his article “The Problem with Christian Films.”

On a similar note, I want to know what the Mormon church is doing that the Christian church is not. Every time I turn around, I discover that another of my favorite artists, whether it be in film or elsewhere, is a professing Mormon:

musicians Imagine Dragons, the Killers, and Lindsey Stirling

authors Brandon Sanderson, Shannon Hale, Heather Dixon, and Brandon Mull

animator Don Bluth

actress Amy Adams and actor Will Swenson (both formerly)

etc, the list goes on

Hi, my Mormon friends. What is your secret. What ways of encouraging art and artists do you employ that my Baptist upbringing, and the Conservative Christian community in general, is so sorely lacking in?

2. The Christian Culture’s Subsequent Villainization of Hollywood.

This past Christmas, my sister gifted me a book titled Behind the Screen, “Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture.”

I sat down after all the gift-giving was done and read the first three sections before the holiday meal was served. But let me quote from the introduction which had me “Amen!”-ing and punching my fist to the sky every third word:

“We obsess about “the culture” endlessly; we analyze and criticize. But we can’t figure out anything to do but point an accusatory finger at Hollywood... Blaming Hollywood for our cultural woes has become a habit... Casting Hollywood as the enemy has only pushed Hollywood farther away. And the farther Hollywood is from us, the less influence we have on our culture. We’ve left the business of defining human experience via the mass media to people with a secular worldview.... In pushing away secular Hollywood, haven’t we turned our backs on the very people Christ called us to minister to - the searching and the desperate, those without the gospel’s saving grace and truth?”

Btw, if this subject is something you are interested in, I highly recommend this book. Written by creatives and executives in the film world (including one of the writers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the producer of Home Improvement, and even the multi-credited Ralph Winters, among others), it’s a frank, beautiful, and challenging read for artists, Christians, and film buffs.

The point here is that the church culture says if it doesn’t come from Sherwood, or have Kirk Cameron or Ducky Dynasty in it, or have a conversion sequence, it isn’t Christian and therefore Christians should not view or encourage it in any way. This. Is. Crap. Pardon my French.

Beauty can come from imperfection.  Even unregenerate hearts still bear the image of the Divine and are capable of producing so much worthwhile and significant art. Which leads to...

3. Guess What? Secular Film Companies Make Quality Faith Films Too??!

Idk what I should even say here, but I’m just going to go with the one shining example I always think of: Dreamworks’ Prince of Egypt. It is purely a work of art from any standard, and that is the epitome of what Christians should be looking for in their endeavors to create good film. PoE is gorgeously animated, seamlessly directed, well-scripted, morally driven, more Biblically and historically accurate than you would believe (and where it falls down on direct representation, it remains true to theme and character), etc. etc. etc.

I could go on for ages about how much I adore this film. (Joseph, King of Dreams, is also noteworthy, but nearly up to par with the craftsmanship of its predecessor.

I mean

just look at

the art

4. I Do Like Some Films Made By ‘Christian’ Companies

Idk, I might step on people’s toes or surprise you by which of these I actually approve of, but here we go:

I like Fireproof. I have many issues with it, but overall it is a fairly well-made, Hallmark-style emotional flick. The acting leaves much to be desired, but it’s a decent bit of showmanship, story, and truth.

I do not like Facing the Giants. Give me Blind Side any day of the week, except don’t because... sports.

However, both Courageous (some actual real life dialogue and not a completely happily ever after, whaaaat???! Oh, but token conversion experience, of course), and the early-and-forgotten Flywheel (which, although low in camera quality and acting, is actually an enjoyable story), come in as films I would sit down and watch at least a second time.

Risen is well-made and acted and has some establishment of genuine Craft. However, as far as story plots go, a lot was sacrificed. The mountain-top encounter with Christ was, while perhaps the most generally cliche piece of story, to me the most heartfelt and provocative. After that...the film kind of ended in mediocrity. Like...what did the characters do after the credits rolled.

I actually really enjoy Mom’s Night Out. The manic theme almost kills me, but the quiet and the reveal at the end is worth sitting through to see.

And I appreciate Luther. I don’t watch it often, because I personally can’t stomach the more violent aspects (the reason I haven’t/don’t watch The Passion or End of the Spear.) But Luther is a great biographical film, and I would encourage anyone studying Catholic and/or Protestant history, especially Martin Luther, to watch it. This is a Film in both art, message, and class.

Tbh, I’ve been avoiding most of the other Christian films, which is why I won’t talk about them there.

5. You Don’t Have To Slap A Jesus Fish Bumper Sticker On It To Be Christ-Honoring

Walden Media is a prime example, I believe, of what Christians in the film industry should be doing. I mean, they’re not perfect at all, but they are not sacrificing art for message - or vice versa for that matter. While not strictly a Christian Film group, Walden is founded and run by a majority of Christian Conservatives who are actively seeking to make quality and wholesome films for people of all diversities. They’ve had a few flops and several more that just didn’t quite live up to their potential, but they also brought us

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, and the one I will never stop talking about:

Amazing Grace.

Well-crafted films, put out by *gasp* an assortment of believers and non-believers. Art. Good films. Not Messages dressed up in makeup with a classy Instagram filter and a 30-day challange booklet to get your revival outfit on.

In looking through this stuff, I just found this article, which is a superb read and really gets at the heart of what I feel, and am very badly trying to communicate:

Why Faith-Based Films Hurt Religion

So.

When Christian Films start being an actual representation of creative community and the artistic talents God has given to us as personal and spiritual gifts, rather than a cheap way to try to force morality on Hollywood and on our neighbors without ever leaving the confines of our Bible Boxes in case we might get soiled, I may start appreciating the Christian Film Industry™. Until then??? I’ll stand behind my fellow creatives and my fellow believers and hope and work for the best.

Lastly, two things:

Christians Can Enjoy Secular Film Productions.

I would even argue that they should. We were created by a Creator God, who takes pride and joy in making beautiful things, in making each of us. And we are made in His image. We are creators as well, we make art all the time. Scripture tells us to worship God in everything we do. The movement of making “Christian Films for Christian Audiences because of Christian Reasons” is missing the point entirely. We as creatives are not here to make God Art, we are here to make art that glorifies God

Christ Does Not Need Hollywood. However, Hollywood Does Need Christ.

“While many missionaries travel to remote villages in Africa or South America to spread Christianity, [Karen] Covell believes her calling—her mission field, if you will—is right here in Los Angeles, in an industry that many of her fellow Christians find immoral or even downright sinful, both for its on-screen depictions of sex and drugs and the real-life sex, drugs, and other temptations that exist behind the scenes. Covell, who was a film producer in the early 1980s, says "the church did not get how I could justify being a Christian in Hollywood, and Hollywood did not get how I would follow God. It was a divide." It was nearly impossible to meet other Christians working in the industry, let alone ones who would express their faith openly. "I said, 'The church hates Hollywood, Hollywood hates the church. There's got to be some way to bridge that divide.'" - in an article by Jennifer Swan.

As I said in my original little “about me” tag response, I have felt called to ministry in this world. Whether it be film or live theater, that world is calling to me, both in its creative endeavors, and in its desperate need for the hope, truth, life, and light of Christ. Actors and directors in Hollywood and on Broadway are in as much need of the grace of our Lord as the starving orphans in the unreached people groups on the other side of the planet - same as your next door neighbor.

If Christians continue to tie themselves down, and group themselves together, cutting themselves off from the culture and the culture off from them, then we are doing absolutely no heavenly or earthly good to anyone.

So, you see, it’s not just the artistry (or, so often, lack thereof) in the Christian Film Industry™ that gets to me.

It’s the fact that the film media culture is a people group that the church as a whole is ignoring. We are ignoring the impact Hollywood has on the world around us and still trying to be relevant to that world, which is counter-productive and just plain silly.

It’s the fact that I see actors, actresses, producers, writers, who are obviously searching for the Something that will fill the void in their souls, and their primary exposure to Christianity and Christ - the only One who can satisfy them - is the Christian Film Industry™, which is largely full of broad and meaningless substance because heaven help us we should talk about something real, and then just plain bad art.

I believe God has called us to higher things than this.

Higher art, loving to create as he lovingly created us.

High impact, going deeper into the issues of our culture and our nature to address and satisfy problems and needs felt be every human, not just the church-goers who will show up for Sherwood’s next big thing.

So, yes, my pet peeve cracked from its proverbial nutshell:

I have issues with the Christian Film Industry

[mybravesong]

Week 4

DAY 24 Monday (30th July) We started the day with morning exercise. Here’s a picture of what it’s like in the morning.

Everyone’s half dead. We power walked with Leonie on the bridge under the bridge towards Optus stadium. During quiet time, I asked God for a word and I had the word 'tu' which means you in Spanish and the word dance. 

Jeremiah 31:13 NIV Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

I thanked God for who he is, He brought to mind the lady we walked past on the way to bbt on Sunday and another lady I saw sitting on a bench, downcast. I prayed for healing and for her to personally encounter breakthrough. We went into morning chores, this week for me that is checking fridge for expired food. We’ve started on the weekly topic which is, “Worship and Intercession”.

I had Lunch and lunch duties and straight into band practice! 

^ This is my band! Tavita, Joshua David, Iel, Leonie, Sam, Randi and Sarah!  We finally played the song once through. It was fantastic!! :D Then we had dinner and showered and went to bed. Also handed in my first book report.

 DAY 25 Tuesday (31th July) We started with a fun morning exercise which was Dance Dance Revolution! It was super fun cause we got to dance together and be wacky with one another. I had quiet time and I asked God what He thinks of me and he says kind and gentle. Are u always affirming? He said yes. He also gave me this verse.

Jeremiah 19:3 - about a stiff neck people that did not listen and put foreign gods and idols.

Isaiah 6:10 - about a seedling coming up from a stump.. I RMB praying about it before but I forgot who it was and God says I love you with an everlasting love. He pat my head and said have a good day today.

We went for Morning chores and I asked Kari to be my staff of the week (it’s part of the journal that you have to introduce yourself to a staff and find out their story. After that, we went into Intercession class. Tess was taking about the history and this is what she mentioned:

First wave - 15 century ships Europeans 2nd wave - main land 3rd wave - rise of airlines, unreached places 4th wave - more Christians growing in Asia going into other nations. Focus on ppl on all nations going to nations The theme was to pray for God to send people from nations.

We broke off into groups and I got this verse: Hebrews 12:26‭-‬29 NIV At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” There were a couple of words about fire and about people coming from libra and going into america to preach the gospel. After that, we had lecture, lunch and lunch duties. After that, we had a class on  songwriting. These are the principles they explained.

Principles of song writing 1. Partnering discipline and inspiration together What's God talking about to us, to the nation or the school 2. Hear from God 3. Finish your songs 4. Use the Bible 5. Record your bits 6. Songs from encounters

I finished my 2nd book and went for dinner. Right after, I did my 2nd book report and finished it. Then at 7:30pm we had small group. Sam Hakes spoke on the goodness of God. Definition of goodness - goodness in its truest form is right. Goodness - beneficial, nourishing, a general quality recognised in others. After that we had to do application. 

Application 1. Where are you at with being good I honestly wouldn't say I'm good hahaha just cause we're all not good after the fall but it is through Jesus that we received that righteousness. In loving wise, I think I can be loving haha, providing wise, not as good as I would like.. I try to contribute to my family where I can. Faithful wise, I still have room to grow for that haha. 2. How can u grow more in this character God gave this to me which is to think good thoughts of people. 3. 1 application that u can actually do Write down the person's name and what qualities you love about them 

We did the 5 languages test as well and then went off to bed.

DAY 26 Wednesday (1st Aug) We had no exercise that day but I had quiet time and God was saying to me that I was taking too much time doing and not expounding on relationship. So I asked God to give me the godly grieve for things that break His heart, whether it's unforgivenness, pride, etc. God was talking to me about enjoying relationship rather than doing more things because I had finished my second book report already. I had pride in my heart - look what I have achieved and that's not the way of God. We had morning chores and then we had Missions Morning. It was really interesting cause we got to see what ministries YWAM ran. 

Then we had lecture, lunch, lunch dishes. Then I had a one on one with Abigail and the question I had to think about was - why am I having pride? And how to overcome it? God said to think good thoughts of others and write them down. She also got me to think about strategies to resist temptation. We had dinner and then song and dress rehearsal - Never getting back together and He’s got the power in his hands. I went back to shower and got sick. Started shivering badly, had a fever. My fever broke and I woke up at 1ish. Went to toliets and came back to sleep.

DAY 27 Thursday (2nd Aug) Woke up at 6.30am. Feeling really groggy. Kate gave me cereal and Katie gave me almond milk to go with my cereal for breakfast. Really thankful for them! I had morning chores after. We then had class. We broke into our small groups and talked about where we were for outreach, financially. The verse I got from God was Luke 6:38 give and it shall be given to you. I had the impression to sow into someone’s outreach fees and also an amount for the wireless mic (faith project). We had lectures and after our lunch duties we went to class. We were introduced to Destiny who was teaching us how to prep for our Mexican food fundraiser. After that we went for dinner. After dinner, Matt and I worked on collecting data and finalising the order list while a couple of them were playing jackinthebox(which is really fun btw! everyone should try). I asked Matt to walk me home, went to shower and went to sleep. I woke up at 4am, went to the toliets and sneezed (mucus came out - right side) and I went back to bed again. DAY 28 Friday (3rd Aug) Woke up at 6am and felt like God wanted me to go to base at 6.30 for quiet time. During quiet time, God said I am righteous and holy. But I don't feel that way. I asked if I should give towards someone’s outreach fees that He had laid in my heart the day before and.. he gave the verse Zachariah 6:3 - Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.” That was a confirmation for me as the person is going North. On top of that, I also asked Him to heal me! And I coughed up thick flam. Took a photo of it in the toliets. Praise God! 

After that we had Music DTS worship, lecture, lunch. During lunch, Cristine approached me about doing a testimony about what we’ve been learning throughout the DTS and I said YES o-o! Had lunch duties and I went to accounts to submit my funds into the person’s outreach fees and faith project. I had wanted to go during lunch duties but Alex rebuked me (thank you Alex). I had to come to terms with my reaction and I asked God to forgive me and rebuked the spirit of pride. I decided to send in my funds via bank transfer instead and got them sent out. 

After that, they spread out a map across the auditorium and got us to intercede in prayer over the whole earth.

After that, Matt and I started prepping for the Deliveroo with Destiny (Mexican food) and Karen (a girl I had met previously in the school of arts gave me a sneakers bar (so sweeet!) We had the burrito run. 

It went well, I think we managed to raise a good amount. But right after that, we had service and I felt like I didn’t quite prepare well for it. But lol God gave me the courage and I spoke. It seemed like a lot of people found it funny haha Praise God for that. Went back to the dorm after and started doing my weekly journal! My bunk mate, Sarah encouraged me about genuineness and boldness of authority in prayer that I’ve been having! God is so good!

DAY 29 Saturday (4th Aug) Leonie, Iel and I spent the morning on our journals. We finished them and went for lunch. After lunch, my baby sisters came to pick me up for a sister outing. We went to the pharmacy to get me some meds and then we hung out at yagan square and had a long chat! <3 It was fun!

We then went to Cristine’s place for the pizza party. 

It was a lot of fun but I was so tired! xD After that, we went back to 228, showered and the girls had a movie night thing. We watched 10 things I hate about it. Brings back so many memories!

DAY 30 Sunday (5th Aug) I woke up at 1.57am cause God was speaking to me and I wanted to write it down. 

God reminded me that His love covers a multitude of sin. I had a picture of Leonie holding tea and stating a different view. Someone who had a very different opinion and then everyone still gathered  round them I think I got the bible verse Isaiah 53 something... I’m not quite sure I couldn’t rmb it. He also gave me a revelation. His love is enough. God celebrates our differences. God loves therefore we must love too. Prayed for unity.

I went to sleep and woke up at 7ish to visit Riverview Church. Low and behold. The pastor was preaching about having the right posture or heart and He was talking about James 4:8 (which so happens to be the jumper I was wearing today! And at the end, he mentioned that He is enough! And it was totally crazy cause that was what God was speaking to me about this morning! I loved that confirmation! Praise God for that. Draw near, less talking, more doing. His presence is enough, God is enough!

I came back after and just chilled on my bed for a bit. Feeling extremely tired today! Ate lunch and just worked on getting this journal up! :D