#i also don’t know if it’s best to upload sky art here first for example

[thatskyfrab]

hi! i decided to try and make a separate blog for sky related art + reblogs here? i don’t know if that’s for the best or not.. i just thought maybe it’ll be easier for people to focus on that when i put out my sky commissions??

my main: fraberry-stroobcake

tags:

my art - frabart

my text posts - frabrant

asks - frabask

reblogs - reblog

[ellasadventuresinfandoms]

Okay, back in May @isolatedphenomenon asked me if I had an les mis fic recs and I went "oh boy do I !" and then promptly fucked off and disappeared from tumblr for like 6 months...

Anyway on the off chance people are interested, here is my vastly too long list of  my favourite les mis fanfic (that I'm almost 100% sure I'll have accidentally missed some of my favourites off of...)

The vast majority of these are main pairing Enjolras/Grantaire, so I've put those first, divided into multi-chaptered and then one-shots. Below that will be other pairings!

Multi-chaptered

• Witch Boy Series : magic AU, starting with Grantaire solving Enjolras' curse - this is just Incredible world building which gets better as it goes on - my favourite is the Babet interlude

• World Ain't Ready : you know how fandoms tend to have a fic that is just associated with it ? in my experience, for les mis this is it - and well deserved ! High school, fake dating AU with some of the most engaging writing

• BE : Enjolras is dragged back into theatre production, helping Eponine put on a production of Hamlet - really love the characterisation in this, and this is really one of those modern AUs that actually feels like real life - really good writing

• After the End : the definitive apocalypse AU in my eyes - les amis are an underground resistance to the dystopian government - really wonderful characterisation of Grantaire and the amis

• You never have to wonder; you never have to ask. : I tend to find fic by scrolling through bookmarks of a pairing, which means I often see repeats; this is a fic that if I see I just re-read cause I know I'll enjoy it - the amis sparked a failed rebellion, and now 18 months later Grantaire ends up staying at Enjolras' after returning to Paris for Marius and Cosette's wedding

• Your Heart on Your Skin : Soulmate AU with flower tattoos marking important emotions and events - wonderful concept and world building 

• Impatient to Be Free : Daughters of Bilitis AU - if that doesn't make you excited I don't know what else to say to convince you (aside from saying the author is a simply wonderful writer)

• You Dance Dreams : Okay. Not to be over dramatic, but this fic did genuinely qualitatively change my life, in that it was the first thing that got me looking up contemporary ballet and now that's like one of my favourite things and big hobby So. Also its really great writing; music/creative arts school les amis with Grantaire choreohraphing the ballet for Combeferre's opera, with a heavy emphasis on Grantaire realising he really never actually got over Enjolras

• philia : this one is an absolute classic to me, but not given nearly enough recognition - one of the more realistic college AUs ever written, and the writing of Grantaire is so good because it hits the perfect balance of sympathy and annoyance about his behaviour (that's a genuine compliment) 

• Coffee Hooligans : fucking tragedy this never got properly finished, Enjolras leads the amis as social justice vigilantes and tries to hide the criminal bits of his life from R

• Fighting the Hurricane : Pacific Rim AU that's less an AU and more just placing the les mis characters in the Pacific Rim universe. Really good and riveting read, also super interesting depiction of Grantaire

• Weaving Olden Dances : Fairy AU - Grantaire "claims" Enjolras to prevent his execution - really good writing, love Grantaires characterisation 

• Paris Burning : canon era (sort of) where cities have a physical being - Grantaire is Paris and becomes entangled in Enjolras' revolution - oh the world building is truly *chefs kiss*

• Euphoria is You For Me : Enjolras and Grantaire keep meet cuting in a wonderfully written Brooklyn - feels like a love letter to Brooklyn at times, and I really like the characterisation of Grantaire 

• so please just fall in love with me this christmas : Enjolras works for the environmental company Grantaire volunteers at, and keeps getting secret gifts at Christmas - I sound a little like a broken record but the Grantaire characterisation is very good

• You Are the Moon : Wild West esque Space AU - Grantaire has to call on the amis to help rescue Valjean and Cosette, despite Grantaire leaving the amis 6 months before. On re-reading the Enjolras characterisation feels a little rushed, but overall fantastic story telling and the Grantaire arc is a Delight 

• Pandemos : Enjolras is aphrodite, and seeks peace from all his suitors in R/Hephestus' cave

• Pining for You : Hallmark christmas romance - Grantaire returns home to work on his father's tree farm, and Enjolras is the lawyer helping prevent the farm being sold - cute as shit imo

• Once We're Kings : Fantasy AU - a country hosts a ball to marry Prince Enjolras and the rival country sends Grantaire as a fuck you - one of the best ways of doing Enjolras as a prince in a fantasy and just really nicely written

• Never Bitter and All Delicious : Fairy Godmother AU - yes really, yes its genuinely a very good read

• On One Condition : Fantasy AU - Enjolras is a bored knight who finally goes to check out the local dragon, which turns out to be Grantaire - I really like how they capture Enjolras' stubborn nature and it's such a well written soft growth of love between them

• That's How Easy Love Can Be : Les Amis work at a primary school; and its secret santa time! very fun portrayal of Enjolras

• The Lark and Her Lieutenants : re write of canon where Cosette is the leader of the revolution - just *chefs kiss*

• If You Tickle Us, Do We Not Laugh : Grantaire is Enjolras' secret android - really good at writing a relationship that's incredibly loving but just keeps being antagonistic and coming off wrong 

One Shots

• True Colours : AU where you leave colours on the people important to you - Enjolras and Grantaire falling for each other is so soft and gently written its lovely, this is genuinely one of my favourites

• Keep It Kind, Keep It Good, Keep It Right : this one is so good to me, because it builds off my pet hatred of everyone assuming Enjolras doesn't care about (or at least actively show he cares about) his friends

• blooming : very soft post-dystopian utopia that has just a really wonderful sense of hope and light to me

• and the wall leaned away (or: The Pros and Cons of Tilling) : perfectly realised characterizations of the amis, Grantaire needs a date to her final year art exhibition - deals with anxiety over protest in a way that actually hits for me

• not just one of the crowd : R helps run a leftist bakery and bike repair shop - very cute characterisation, and I think more les mis fanfic should link to anarchist essays

• Lovesickness : Enjolras is an idiot and thinks he's sick rather than having a crush - the writing of Joly and Combeferre in this is some of my favourite depictions of these two

• If there's a rocket, tie me to it : absolutely heartbreaking sci-fi AU about the amis as doomed mecha pilots

• Where I Fall is Where I Land : Enjolras is a Roman commander as Rome's power is leaving England, and then meets the pict Grantaire (+ fun soulmark stuff !)

• You Started Foreign to Me : Enjolras moves to america and R is the overnight grocery clerk who helps her learn Spanish - cute fluffy lesbians with a wonderfully written driven Enjolras

• Love Is Touching Souls : very cute soulmate AU - and one I really love for really truly considering the implications of soul marks and creating historical lore around it

• Ten Years : R is a musician, and it non-linearly charts his relationship to Enj from high school to 10 years later

• put up with me then I'll make you see : Grantaire lives above Enjolras, and its christmas - I find it to have a very fun interpretation of pining Enjolras

• A Cat Called Trash Can : this was one of the first les mis fics I ever read (yes I know it says it was published in 2020, but I think it has to be a re-upload or something?) and it does still have a special place in my heart - Grantaire rescues a cat, but Enjolras is the only one with an apartment free to look after it 

• Still I'm Begging to Be Free : inception AU where les amis have to rescue a sleeping R from his own brain

•I'm in it for You : cw: illness, cancer - R has cancer and is being a martyr about telling his friends so Enjolras drives him back from chemo

• walls come tumbling down : sky high au - a very good high school AU with the perfect level of campy superhero powers

• This brave new world's not like yesterday : Enjolras needs a job, so ends up working in a bowling alley with Grantaire and bonding

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

• In Defiance of All Geometry : les amis are a student co-op house, Enjolras and Combeferre are pining friends and Grantaire is the newbie

• Still the Same : this is very good writing and very compelling - if you can get over the (imo) plot hole of Enjolras working for the FBI. R was an art thief Enj put away and is briefly helping the FBI out, and Combeferre is Enjolras' husband

• To Kingdom Come : cw: war and PTSD from that, Enjolras and Combeferre are part of a group of refugees that have crossed into a more fantasy land, and Grantaire is a lone traveller from that land that attempts to help - that was a shit summary of this very emotional, wonderfully written fic about war and love in all forms

• Gonna need (a spark to ignite) : I always love a twist on a classic trope, and this is a very fun take on the soulmate AU - Enjolras loses feeling in his soul mark as a child, falls in love with Grantaire and then his soulmate, Combeferre, turns up

Eponine/Cosette

• Pretty Girls Don't Know the Things That I Know : simply stunning writing - perfect example of soft writing about a harsh world

• she knows her way around : Eponine and Cosette bond, ostensibly so Eponine can find out about her for Marius, and their interactions are so playful and realistic, its wonderful

• always find me floating on oceans : Cosette stows away on Eponine's pirate ship - I do always have a soft spot for eposette fics (not just cause I ship it) because they truly characterise Cosette in a really considered and interesting way

• There's No Making Love : I'm putting this under eposette even though there is some significant enjolras/grantaire content, because the Cosette characterisation is so fun and cute

• round and round again : this fic really beautifully translates Cosette's bad childhood and then isolated teenage years, and the impact that would have on her as an adult into a modern AU

• Underwater Thunderheards : this is based off the book The Scorpio Races, and is just a really nice short fic  about longing

• How To Change The World Without Taking Power : Marius has a crush on Cosette and she's tried being polite and subtle in turning him down, so just ends up fake dating Eponine instead

• blood red fruit and poison's kiss : Snow White AU - Cosette as Snow White

• The Winters Cannot Fade Her : Snow White Au 2.0 - Eponine as Snow White - this was written as a pair to the one above which is just so cute to me

• marriage à la mode : Cosette and Eponine run a bridal shop together and it's very cute !

• Temporary Hold : I personally find this a really fun and very unique take on Cosette - with exams coming up she decides she needs to get laid on the reg and so hits up Eponine to act as if they're already long term girlfriends

Combeferre/Courfeyrac

• better than you had it : fake dating but kick it up an emotional notch - Courf and Ferre pretend to still be together after breaking up for a family event

• take flight, come near : nice and cute low fantasy, where Combeferre runs a dragon sanctuary and Courf finds an injured dragon

Rare Pairs

• The Future's Owned by You and Me : cute Enjolras/Feuilly with actual radical politics and real life organising difficulties and wins

• First Dates and Other Dangers : Combeferre and Grantaire agree to go on a blind date and it's awkward until it isn't - just cute !

• after midnight : Combeferre has insomnia and meets Grantaire in various all night fast food chains

• as you are : Bahorel and Jehan getting ready together

• Almost Romantic : Jehan works at a museum, and takes Combeferre on a little tour

• Understudy : Jehan/Combeferre, with Combeferre's insecurities regarding being seen as second best to Enjolras

• Here There Be Dragons : Courf/Enj/Ferre - Courf and Enj are superheroes and Ferre is the doctor that patches them up

• To Let it Occur (Laisser Faire la Nature) : Feuilly has a stupidly long stopover in Paris and meets Enjolras

• rule of three : Courf/Enj/Ferre as spies and loving boyfriends

• Good Rhetoric : snapshots of cute cuddly courf/enj/ferre

• subluxate, dislocate, replace : found family and chronic illness with Joly/Bossuet/Musichetta

• Strike stone, strike home (like lightning) : so this fic took one minor piece of lore about Tolkien's dwarves and made a beautiful j/b/m fic from it

• Almost Inevitable : Bahorel/Feuilly friends-with-benefits

• god only knows (what I'd be without you) : Bahorel/Feuilly with a closeted Feuilly and a beautiful Feuilly and Eponine friendship

[mysticsparklewings]

Fire Flower

Note: I originally made this painting and typed most of the description towards the end of March. I meant to upload this sooner, but things happened it obviously got pushed way back. Oh gee, would you look at that. It has somehow been 8-9 months since I last made a full acrylic painting... But! I have a video for this one to make up for it! Link: youtu.be/8IgVvgTiZjM I promise I've been trying (and failing) to come up with ideas to do more with this medium. Acrylic paint just isn't my thing. I swear I said this somewhere before, but I have no idea where; It's just hard for me to commit to an acrylic painting when I know I can get the look I want usually much faster and much more easily with other supplies. Acrylic painting just takes so much more time, set up, and patience. This very painting I know I probably could've had done in half the time using primarily watercolor instead, for example. So why is this an acrylic painting instead of something quicker and easier? Because my dear Sparklers, I made this painting and filmed it as a bit of a blending demo for a friend. They tried their hand at an acrylic painting with a sky going from red to yellow...except they lost most of the yellow in the process, and even they weren't really sure how it happened. So since I'm in sort of an art teaching/mentoring position to them, I decided I'd pull out my paints and take a shot at a similar look. Now, to be fair, my end result is very different from their's intentionally. They painted a boat on the water during sunset, I wanted something different and more me, so after some browsing around on Pinterest, I settled on this flower silhouette. I made my own job harder because the reference image had a blue and orange background with lots of black, almost like a vignette, so once I got past the stage of putting the base background colors down, I had a lot more work cut out for myself in trying to replicate that. Speaking of which, you can see most of my process in the video, but a recap just in case: I started by picking out my paint colors, and to be fair I could've gotten away with less or slightly different colors, but I got extravagant and picked a total of nine colors from my Liquitex Basics set (also known as currently the only decent acrylic paints I have):

• Mars Black • Ivory Black • Titanium White • Cadmium Red Deep Hue • Cadmium Red Light Hue • Portrait Pink • Naples Yellow Hue • Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue • Primary Yellow Why the two blacks? Mars Black is a "denser" black so to speak, it's more opaque (less transparent/see-through). The Ivory Black is less opaque, and it's a bit warmer in color than the Mars black. I used the Mars black in areas where I wanted a total and complete black and the Ivory black where I wanted some of the colors from the background to leak through a bit. It's subtle, more of a "feeling" to the eye than something you can clearly see. Also, I used the Portrait Pink, which like the name implies is a very pink flesh tone, and the Naples Yellow Hue (think a shade similar to Yellow Ochre...or fancy Mustard if "yellow ochre" doesn't help you visualize) primarily for blending and not so much for the colors themselves. And the Cadmium Red Light Hue is much more of a reddish-orange in person than it is red, which is why I picked it. It's also pretty transparent (yellows and oranges often are in acrylic paints, especially more student grade ones like the Liquitex Basics) so it also got lost in the mix fairly easily and I had to build it up a lot. In the video, you can definitely see as I start that I do indeed do a lot of back and forth with the paints, blending and layering to my heart's content to try and get the right color balance while also getting a smooth transition. And this goes on for quite a while; the background was definitely the part that took the longest. Initially, I did sketch in a couple of lines as markers for roughly where I needed certain parts of the gradient to begin and end, and with the paints, I went in and got down the base of red and yellows so I could then start working on marrying the two together. And I have to admit, even I let my yellows get a bit lost/pushed down more so than I would've liked. It's a difficult balance to strike; red is already a strong color that easily overpowers yellow. It's even easier when the yellow and your transition colors are more transparent while the red is more opaque. And even more so when your painting has a vignette feel to it. But once I finally had something I was comfortable with and blocked in most of the black (which was a pain in the butt to blend out, by the way, as I'm sure is obvious by how much I go back and forth with it in the video, misusing a fluffy watercolor brush as a mop brush to blend), I then took my outline for the silhouette that I'd already prepared on another piece of paper and used a Faber Castell Gelato (first a gray, then later I'd use a black) on the back to be able to transfer it on the canvas by tracing it with a mechanical pencil with the point pushed in. Personally, I really do think the Gelatos are the best method I've tried for making faux-transfer paper. They're soft so they transfer the color without much fuss without making a powder smudge-y mess (like charcoal, chalk, or pastels might), and they're also water-soluble so they play nicely with the wetness of the acrylic paints, especially if you've thinned them with a bit of water. Then I got the lovely challenge of trying to paint and blend out a nice bright setting sun on top of the blackish mess I'd made.  (It actually wasn't that bad; the Titanium White is pretty opaque so once it mixed with the yellow and I got a couple of layers on it really didn't have any problem covering the darkness that it had to.) After that, I transferred again some of my lines I'd covered up and then got to work on the black silhouette parts. I did have to alter the look slightly because I wasn't quite as careful with lining up the placement of my "transfer paper" that second time and also because the brush had different ideas about how much black should be in some places than I did, but it wasn't too much of a hassle. And then, of course, the real challenge of blending the black up to meet the silhouettes without completely covering up my sun or messing up my other blending. Although, this also wasn't as tricky as I had thought it would be. Ironically, I think by the time I got this far I was finally starting to get a handle on the acrylics after having been away from them for so long.   Believe it or not, this tiny 4"x6"  painting took well over two hours to complete. I had at least two hours of footage that I trimmed down and sped up like four times, and that doesn't include the dry time in between two background layers, the background and the sun, and then the sun and the silhouette. I'd say it was probably closer to 3 and 1/2 hours total, although technically longer because I kept getting interrupted by things and I had to figure out how to set up the camera and everything before I actually started painting. Once I was done with the painting, I also had to actually edit the thing together, which took many more hours than I bothered to document or care to admit. (P.S. Whoever decided all free video editors that don't come pre-installed on a computer either must have stupidly low export limits and/or super obnoxious watermarks, I hate you.) Yeah, there's a reason it's been almost a year since I last posted an actual video of me making art... It just takes so long to edit everything together and I also have to make an extra effort to get stuff set up before and after for filming...Like, maybe it would be different if I had the space and resources to have an area where I could just leave everything and have a camera set up that doesn't move, but right now when my space is limited and my phone is my camera it's just so much easier to...well, to not. At any rate, here's one. One acrylic painting, and one video. A two-for-one special! Sort of! And I think both turned out pretty okay in the end, at least for someone that 1. Doesn't acrylic paint and 2. Doesn't make videos regularly. I call that a win, wouldn't you? Although, I have a few canvases stockpiled. I really should work on trying to squeeze more acrylic paintings into my art regimen somewhere to use those up, if nothing else... ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[dotzines]

Artist spotlight: Lunarin-Arts!

✿ Commissions ✿ Instagram ✿ DeviantArt ✿ Twitter ✿ Tumblr

Header source: [X]  

Introduce yourself I am Lonneke! But online I prefer going by the name Rumii. I am currently 20 years old and I live in the Netherlands. In my spare time I like drawing (of course), Cosplaying and Gaming. I used to be really into anime, And I still have favourites like Kamisama hajimemashita, Black butler and hetalia. But right now I am more of an artist/ gamer. In which I play alot of Overwatch, which would be my main fandom. and Story rich games like NieR; Automata. I love meeting new people, and especially other artists. Even though I tend to be a bit shy at first //especially in large groups Nonetheless I hope we can get along!! And Im very excited to try out zines. as I have never done them before. When did you start drawing? Are you a digital or traditional artist? I started drawing in last grade of primary school, so around the age of 11/12. I primarily started out traditionally, but quickly picked up on digital art. Mainly using MS Paint when I just started out. Next thing I know I had a drawing tablet and extensively used Paint tool SAI. So I would say I am a digital artist. Though I do traditional as well, but I don't upload traditional art as much.  Do you use any traditional mediums? If so, which are your favorites? I have! for traditional work I just use whatever pencils I have around for sketching. Micron fineliners for Linearting. I don't color my works often, but have started getting some copic markers, pro markers and twin markers to try out. I like using the copic markers alot, they are very expensive.. but I can just feel how much better the quality is compared to my other markers.

image source: [X]   Why do you prefer traditional over digital? (or viceversa) I highly prefer digital, mainly because it's way more easy to manipulate your works, edit any smaller mistakes without having to draw them over again. and from lineart on, nothing you do is permanent. Plus I can use way more colors than I can on traditional mediums right now. What do you think is the most challenging part about being a traditional/digital artist? I think the biggest challenges for me were getting accustomed to my drawing tablet. I mean it really takes some time to get used to the pressure, and it really feels different than draiwng directly on paper. and after that getting familiar with the drawing programs. I just switched programs again and I am still figuring out all the tools. So even though I think digital mediums make things alot more easy, it takes a long time to get everything out of it. even years later you can discover a function you never knew of. which will elevate your art even more. What inspires your pieces? I take inspiration from various places, I like doing challenges, or just fanart. but also alot from music. it can get me into a certain mood or I can just see a piece that fits with the music. and then try sketching it out while listening to this song. I also like looking around for special things like 'mermay' for example. Look at the themes and just try to imagine what kind of piece I can do with that.

image source: [X]   Explain your "everyday" drawing process I kinda take I gotta explain how I get through an artwork? well, first of course I try to find my inspiration. Or I already have a vague idea of what I want to do. And I make a super super rough sketch. then I go over it and add slightly more details. My sketches are still usually very messy. but I love that when I lineart I can make everything pretty and detailed. and it looks better compared to the sketch. Which is obviously my next step. After that I lay down base coloring in seperate layers. Always starting with skincolor > Haircolor > eyes > bigger parts of clothes > smaller parts of clothes > details If I have background I try to go with the biggest parts like the sky or ground or whatever first. and move up from bigger to smaller things pretty much. I work very organized so I always have my layers in different maps. Usually one for each character, and for the entire BG. sometimes also different ones for different parts of the background. so it's easy to find back if I have to fix something in a certain part of my artwork. Besides this I also sometimes do more painted works, I have only done those in portraits so far. But in those I made the sketch > put colors below it > merge layers > start the shading part by part on top of it. usually working back to front on which colors overlap eachother Do you have an artist you admire (or more than one)?

I have a few people I know that inspire me, like Chance-To-Draw on DA ( https://www.deviantart.com/chance-to-draw ) And my best friend of mine who doesn't really upload her works anywhere anymore ;;-;; So I can only admire her through our discord server >< I also love Lord_Gris (https://www.instagram.com/lord_gris/) alot! And Rosuuri (https://www.instagram.com/rosuuriart/) ofc those are a few well-known artists. I follow alot more people with amazing art but gosh I can't possibly list all of them here >< I just like seeing a variety of different art styles and OC's Is there an artwork you are most proud of? Why? Right now I'd say this one; http://fav.me/dd4acw5 I just..love how the coloring turned out. this was a really hard painted piece to do aaa >< especially her hair. But Im just so happy with it! I really feel like I have been improving my coloring again lately and I can't get enough of it jgkdhf

Do you listen to music (or tv shows/films/anything else) when drawing? YEees, I listen to vocaloid covers alot, actually. also covers from other things. just..alot of covers. or original fanbase songs ahah A few examples here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwMZhdyZHVI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNoy_b_JYU0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPMhkIiapIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPw-0vctJJQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tr014nQ4pk

image source: [X]   What makes art interesting for you? For me it started alot as a way to vent my emotions. It calms me down to draw when I am sad, angry or happy even. I love being able to look back and see the improvement. and know that in 2 years I will once again look back at the stuff I am currently very proud of. and know I can already do so much better than that! This is really what keeps it interesting to me, I think. What do you do when art block strikes? //Cry// Jk, To be honest. I either try to break through and search for any inspiration. Or I just call it a day and go game or listen to music. In the last 1.5/2 years I have had a massive art block. I was dissapointed in my own art. didn't know what to draw anymore. and didn't see the point of continuing. Just recently I found a new art program. which in this case helped me get out of this huge slump. and I'm ready to be a bit more active. and get into new projects and broaden my horizon's in general What’s the most valuable art advice you’ve ever received?

Well, I haven't asked for alot of advice before. but a while ago I sortof got the advice to use references more often. After which I feel alot less afraid to do so. and feel like my works are getting alot better. and I find it easier to start on things after searching for pose or background refs

[nyutheatrepractices2020]

Geniuses, Idiots, and Reflections on Resilience

¡Buen dia! Saya here – I’ll be taking you though what Echo, Casey, Clear, and I were up to in Alejandra’s Physical Theatre class on Tuesday.

Tuesday began as mornings often do here in San Juan: with a brief but torrential downpour, which I watched from the safety of Los Pinos, our favorite cheap breakfast place. The sky quickly cleared up, and as Clear, Casey, and I rode along in our Uber, we watched turquoise whitecaps crashing on the beach below Avenida Munoz Rivera.

Meanwhile, Echo was rewarded for doing the long walk to class: as vendors set up for the Festival of San Sebastian, a smiling man approached her selling beautiful white flowers. He told her they were only a dollar and would make her room smell fresh. When Echo apologetically told him she didn’t have cash on her, another Puerto Rican man jumped in to buy the flower for her – “This guy was written up in The New York Times,” he told her. “You have to get a flower from him!” (Here’s that NYTimes feature.) Echo walked into class elated by the kindness of the residents of San Juan.

Below: Echo posted about the flower vendor on her Instagram story.

Above: Echo shows us a photo of the flower vendor, and Alejandra is inspired.

Echo’s flower proved to be a pedagogically useful tool that day. Alejandra has been working with our class on Alexander Technique, a process used by many actors to retrain spatial awareness and release tension in the body. One of the partner exercises we did on Tuesday morning was called “The Genius and The Idiot.” The “genius” puts their hands gently on the front and back of the “idiot’s” torso and imagines a connecting force moving through the idiot’s body between their hands. The genius’ job is to take their idiot on a walk around the room.

“Imagine, idiots,” said Alejandra, “That you are Echo’s flower. Your spine is a long stem. Your spine is strong, but you are available to your genius’ input.” The idiot has the task of relinquishing all control – their goal is to not know where they are going. “Ahhh, relinquish,” says Alejandra, chewing on the word with a twinkle in her eye. “I love that word.”

Below: Alejandra demonstrates how the Genius & Idiot exercise with Casey as Clear and Echo look on. Turns out Casey is more prone to genius.

Turns out I was a big fan of relinquishing, too. I was paired with Echo, and when it was my turn to be the idiot, I felt so relaxed and safe as she took me on a walk. After a week of navigating a new city in a language I don’t understand, feeling stressed about earthquakes, and trying to get to know a new group of people, it felt nice to let someone else worry about which direction I was walking. In contrast, Echo initially hadn’t enjoyed being the idiot as much – “I feel like I’m just a weight Saya has to drag around,” she said. But once Alejandra introduced the image of the flower stem, I felt something in Echo physically changed. Instead of being all bendy and stomping around the room when I would give some input from my hands, her core became strong. To me, post-flower metaphor, it felt like she knew she could be in charge if she wanted to, and she was therefore able to release. Theatre exercises, man.

As you have seen in my classmates’ blog posts, we spent last week moving at a frenetic pace, moving from one activity to the next as we adjusted to this island. Now, San Juan and Santurce are familiar, and we are settled into our groove. The focus is now on creating pieces to perform at the San Sebastian festival. During our afternoon Physical Theatre session, we began improvising “scores,” or creative outlines, to potentially use to shape our performance. We had signposts we wanted to hit and improvised between them. Here’s an example of a score Casey and I came up with for our semi-planned, semi-improvised first draft, along with some feedback from Alejandra:

(Alas, as has happened to my co-authors, Hotel Miramar’s wifi has gotten the best of this photo upload. Check back another time!)

 Below: Echo and I improvise potential material for our piece. 

An unexpected morning highlight for our Physical Theatre cohort yesterday was getting to participate in filming a TV spot for a bomba class that will be happening at El Bastion. (See Carey’s Jan. 9 blog post to learn about the cultural context of this dance.) As Awilda told us in our all-group bomba workshop, bomba is traditionally a strictly gendered dance: there is a specific role and set of moves for the women and a different set for the men. Lio Villahermosa, the dancer who will be teaching a series at El Bastion, is a renowned bomba practitioner in Puerto Rico who is queering the art by letting anyone dance any role. (Look Lio up on Instagram to see what I’m talking about!) When we walked into El Bastion, he was twirling madly in a ruffled bomba skirt as he locked eyes with the drummer to co-create a tornado of swirling skirts and rhythm. We loved spending our morning revisiting la bomba. Catch us on Puerto Rican TV on some channel… at 1pm one of these days… in the near future? We think? It’s unclear.

Below: Dancing the bomba as Lio talks to the camera. 

Above: Clear, me (Saya), Lio, the drummer, Casey, and Echo after shooting the bomba class TV spot.

El Bastion is expanding my definition of what an artists’ space can be and what it means to be a community organization. El Bastion is located across the street from the Instituto Cultural, the arts-focused branch of the government which Alejandra tells us is now bankrupt. The Instituto used to produce a biennial arts exhibition; they then had to make it a triennial due to lack of resources, and now, the event has ceased to exist. Alejandra echoes what many other Puerto Rican artists have said: that due to bad management and corruption within the local and federal governments, state-based arts initiatives are failing. That is where El Bastion comes in.

Below: Raquel is one of El Bastion’s leaders. From morning until night, she sits with her laptop generating marketing content for El Bastion, balancing the books, taking publicity shots, running the cafe, and organizing for the donation drive. Behind Raquel you can see that the artisans who were supposed to be hosted by Instituto Cultural are setting up their vending tables.

The Instituto Cultural was supposed to host an artisans’ and crafts people’s market as part of the festival, but they cancelled last minute, citing the fact that they had been without power in the days after the earthquake. The festival brings these artisans roughly 35% of their annual income, so not being able to sell their paintings, sculptures, and jewelry at San Sebastian would have been a huge blow. El Bastion, which is already hosting tons of performances (including ours), jumped in to offer their space to the artisans. Over the past week and a half, we have seen the folks who work at El Bastion welcome our program with open arms despite not having electricity, organize a earthquake supply donation drive and transport the items to the south themselves, and now save the day for these artisans.

A friend of mine who grew up in Santurce recently posted this Washington Post article on Facebook called “How much more do we Puerto Ricans have to do for ourselves?” I’d like to highlight a few excerpts from that article:

"While Puerto Ricans are reproached for not having emergency backpacks — or for living in homes that aren’t properly reinforced — we come to learn that 95 percent of our public schools aren’t built to withstand earthquakes, and that the government didn’t take structural integrity into account when it decided to close a quarter of the schools in the name of austerity. We also learn that public funding for Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network was reduced as part of the fiscal board’s cutbacks to the University of Puerto Rico’s budget, and that there isn’t even a preliminary draft of the public emergency plan that the government commissioned more than a year ago [...] In the absence of government preparation, public scrutiny has turned toward the public: On the airways and across social media, we are told that we build our homes poorly, we prepare inadequately and we respond inappropriately. We are told to run in the face of an impending tsunami, and then we are mocked on the radio when we flee to the mountaintops and the tsunami doesn’t come. They tell us to stay put in our homes and stop sleeping outside, but then they blame us when the walls crumble on top of us. They told us the electricity would be back by noon last Tuesday, and then they’re shocked when we believe rumors and fake news accounts more than the newscast. [...] When we look at the elementary school in Guánica — which was certified as safe after the first 5.8 earthquake but then turned into an open lot of crushed debris on Tuesday — we shudder at the thought of what would have happened at that site if the 6.4-magnitude quake had occurred during class time. How would those students have been served by the emergency backpacks that we’re told to leave by our doors?"

The more time I spend here in Puerto Rico, the more dismayed I am by how little social safety net there is here. I admire El Bastion immensely, but I also wish it didn’t have to exist. I wish it could just be a place for people to joyfully create art, not a place that is also burdened with providing basic necessities.

Many of my friends back home and people covering Puerto Rico’s earthquakes in the media have been commenting on the “resilience” of the Puerto Rican people. As was mentioned in an earlier blog post, both Deborah and Alejandra hate the word “resilient.” It seems to me that resilience has become the baseline that is assumed of Puerto Rican people, and it therefore becomes an excuse not to provide them with aid. “In situations of abuse,” Alejandra points out, “resilience is a miracle. It is an exception. It is miraculous when someone suffers immensely and comes out stronger on the other side, when they are resilient. It is not the norm.”

Alejandra also tells us that when she first heard the word for resilience in Spanish, resiliencia, she thought it was a mispronunciation of another word: resistencia (resistance). In Puerto Rico, it seems vital to combine these concepts into one.

Street art on Avenida Munoz Rivera

[thereallaptoplf]

31 Best Passive Income Ideas for 2019

Passive income. We all want it. We all crave it. We all want to make money without work. But are there actually any good passive income ideas that we can implement in 2019?

The answer is yes, and we’ve put together a list below of 31 ways to make passive income in 2019.

There are four main ways to earn passive income:

By investing money

By investing time

By renting things out

By getting paid to do activities you do anyway.

Below we have given you specific ideas for each of these four passive income categories for a total of 31 passive income ideas.

The most passive forms of income will require you to put up at least a little bit of money up-front.

Here are our top passive income picks for 2019.

1. Easily check to see if stores owe you money.

This one’s pretty interesting since it’s not so much passive income but rather passive savings.

The gist of it is that you get cash back on items you bought online when the price of those items drop.

It’s like price matching, but after the fact!

And there’s a new tool called Waldo that will help you get the refunds you deserve.

You simply sign up for Waldo, give it access to the email account you receive your shopping receipts at, and let Waldo get to work!

Waldo will then track the price of the item(s) you purchased and work to automatically get you a refund when the price drops.

If you’d like to start getting refunds on your online purchases, click here to sign up for Waldo.

2. Invest in Private Real Estate Deals With Only $500

Real estate is one of the classic forms of passive income: you own property, and others pay you for using it.

The downside to traditional real estate, of course, is that you typically need a lot of cash to get started.

Not so anymore with the rise of private real estate investing platforms.

We personally invest in one of these platforms called Fundrise.

Fundrise lets everyday people invest in top deals across the nation — way better deals than most people could find on their own.

It also lets you diversify your real estate holdings.

For example, I am invested in deals in 10 different states!

And for the first 90 days of your investment, Fundrise will buy your investment back at the original investment amount if for any reason you are not satisfied.

Click here to sign up to see Fundrise’s latest investment opportunities.

3. Invest in fine art with only $1,000.

Did you know that the Wall Street Journal called “the best investment of 2018”?

Fine art.

That’s right.  So while you should certainly have a core investment portfolio of stocks and maybe bonds, you may want to at least consider adding some fine art to your portfolio.

I know what you’re thinking.  Don’t I have to be a multimillionaire to invest in fine art?

Well, you used to be.  But not anymore.

Similar to what Fundrise (see above) is doing for investment-grade real estate, Masterworks is opening up fine art investing to the masses.

Masterworks’ minimum investment is $1,000.

Click here to see Masterworks’ latest fine art offerings.

4. Open a savings account with 2.30% interest.

If you have your savings in a low-interest brick and mortar bank, it’s time to get with the times and open an online bank account.

Because they don’t have the huge overhead costs of traditional banks, online banks can pass the savings on to their customers in the form of higher interest rates.

One of our favorite online banks right now is CIT Bank Savings Builder.

This account offers a sky-high 2.30% APY if you simply make at least one monthly deposit of $100 or more.

And there are no account opening or maintenance fees, making this one of the best savings accounts on the market today.

Click here to learn more about the CIT Bank Savings Builder Account.

5. Get paid to go to stores.

Did you know there’s an app that gives you gift cards simply by walking into stores?

You don’t even have to buy anything!

It’s true!

So whether you’re a mall rat or just somebody who goes shopping every now and then, you stand to make a little extra cash this way.

Click here to download this special app and start getting paid just for walking into stores!

6. Get paid to play mobile games.

This is another one of those passive income ideas where you get paid to do something you enjoy, so it’s not really work at all.

How it works is you download a free new app, then download new mobile games through the app.

As you level up in the mobile games, you earn more points that you can redeem for gift cards at Amazon, VISA, PlayStation, Xbox, Apple, Starbucks, and more.

Click here to start winning free gift cards for playing mobile games on your phone.

7. Rent out your spare room.

Renting out lodging can be an incredible way to earn extra money.

I know some people making thousands of dollars a month, all by renting out an extra room to short-term guests.

Now, if you wanted to do this 10 years ago, you would’ve had to post an ad in the classifieds or on shady old Craigslist.

Gladly, those days are over.

You can now list your spare room on Airbnb and screen out prospective guests. (Guests are rated by their hosts for things like cleanliness and communication.)

If you’d like to sign up to become an Airbnb host, check out my article Make Extra Money with Airbnb.

8. Get paid to get gas.

GetUpside is a free app that gives you cash back for every gas station receipt you submit!

Also, if you sign up through our link, you get a 20¢ per gallon bonus the first time you fill up!

If you drive a lot (or even if you don’t), this can add up to a decent chunk of change!

Click here to download GetUpside and get a 20¢ per gallon bonus for using our link!

9. Get paid to walk.

I just made $10 for walking, paid in cash via PayPal.

It’s true!

There’s a new app, Sweatcoin, that will pay you for every step you take.

It motivates me to go for more runs, take the stairs more often, and be an all-around more active person.

Click here to check out Sweatcoin now and start getting paid to walk!

10. Invest in dividend-paying stocks.

We love dividends here at Money Done Right.

When you invest in a dividend-paying stock, you are acquiring a portion of a company that somebody else built and that thousands of other people work for, and they are giving you a portion of their profits. Blows my mind!

There are plenty of great places to open up a stock-investing account, but the one that’s getting us hot and bothered at the moment is Ally Invest.

Ally Invest is great because you can trade dividend stocks for as little as $3.95 per trade compared to $6.95 at E*TRADE and Charles Schwab.

Click here to sign up for Ally Invest to start investing in dividend stocks affordably!

Ally Invest has developed a pretty amazing platform, and no matter if the stock market goes up or done, we still get dividends deposited into our Ally Invest account every quarter!

Click here to sign up for Ally Invest to start investing in dividend stocks affordably!

11. Get paid to have an app on your phone.

There’s an app that will pay you just for having it on your phone.

It doesn’t get much more passive than that! You heard me right.

They will pay you $50 per year per device just for having your app on there!

Talk about the ultimate passive income opportunity!

If getting paid simply for having an app on your phone interests you, click here to learn more!

12. Invest $10 in small businesses and earn 5%.

Worthy Bonds is a company that provides bond funding to small businesses — and it’s letting you get a piece of the action.

See, these small businesses (obviously) pay Worthy interest on these loans, and folks like you and me can buy bonds from Worthy that pay 5% interest.

This is far more interest than you could earn in a savings account at the bank.

You can buy bonds in $10 increments and / or link your debit or credit card and round up the spare change on your purchases to invest in bonds.

Click here to sign up for Worthy and start earning 5% interest by investing in American small business.

13. Write slogans.

Are you kinda witty?

Then you may be able to make passive income just by thinking up slogans in your spare time. Here’s how it works:

Write a catchy slogan.

Upload it online here.

Get paid every time someone uses your slogan! Passive income!

Click here to learn more about earning passive income from slogans.

14. Sell your photos.

Are you good behind the camera?

Then you can make a somewhat passive side income licensing your photos online for others to download.

For example, I get all my pictures for this blog from various stock photo sites on the Internet.

And every time I download a photo, the photographer who uploaded it gets a royalty!

Licensing one picture that you take and upload now can give you cash flow forever as it’s downloaded again and again!

Click here to learn how you can get paid for your photos from home.

15. Get your bank and credit card fees refunded.

This isn’t really passive “income” per se, but it is an opportunity for you to increase your net worth somewhat passively.

There’s a new website that can get you refunds on fees like:

Overdraft fees

Monthly service fees

Minimum balance fees

ATM fees

Late fees

Wire transfer fees

Foreign transaction fees

Credit card interest charges

Click here to learn how to get your bank and credit card fees refunded.

16. Get paid for doing things you do anyway.

Swagbucks ($10 sign-up bonus) is a great app to use to make money whenever you have some downtime, say while you’re in line at the store or while watching some mindless TV program.

There are a variety of ways to make money with the Swagbucks app, including:

Playing games on your phone

Using the Swagbucks search engine

Watching videos

Taking surveys

Getting cash back on online purchases

Using coupons

And more!

Click here to download Swagbucks and get a $10 bonus for using our link!

17. Make money with your social media skills.

Do you have experience with social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.?

Then you have a very valuable 21st-century skill!

If you know your way around social media, then you can make some major dough by promoting brands on social media.

Companies are willing to pay ordinary people to help get the word out about their products and drive more sales.

But the trickiest part of this industry is finding the right opportunities.

There are a few resources out there to help social media pros land these opportunities, but the one we found to be the best is SocialSaleRep.com.

They’ve been around for a while and have several proprietary partnerships with large corporations looking for social media experts.

Click here to check out paid social media opportunities at SocialSaleRep.com!

18. Check your credit score.

While this isn’t directly a way to generate passive income, checking on your credit score and finding ways to improve it can passively grow your net worth.

How so? Well, by simply increasing your credit score a little bit, you can, for example, pay less in interest, which will grow your wealth in the long-term.

We’ve found that Credit Sesame is the best free website that can calculate and monitor your credit score.

Click here to get Credit Sesame for free — it only takes 90 seconds!

19. Use a free money-saving bot.

Sometimes the best way to make money is to save money.

Subscriptions, especially those that go unused, can add up over time.

Thankfully, there’s a free money-saving bot called Cushion that will go through all your subscriptions, let you know how much you are paying for each of them every month, and cancel them with a simple text message if you’d like.

And Cushion not only keeps track of your subscriptions, but it also negotiates your monthly bills such as cable and Internet so you keep more money in your pocket.

Cushion users have saved over $8,000,000! To learn other benefits that Cushion can offer you, check out our full-scale Cushion review.

Click here to start saving with Cushion! It’s 100% free!

20. Take online surveys.

This one’s not exactly “passive,” but it is certainly mindless.

You can take surveys when you’re binging on Netflix or in line at the grocery store or waiting to pick your kids up.

The trick is that there are only a few legit survey sites. We recommend Survey Junkie.

It’s 100% legit, and they do not send you spammy junk emails.

Their payouts are excellent, and they pay you in cash via PayPal.

Top Survey Site Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie has an 8.9/10 rating on TrustPilot — the highest of any online survey company.

And they also have some really fun surveys.

For example, in the screenshot below you’ll see a pretty awesome music review survey that I recently did. I made $50 reviewing music! ?

Click here to start making extra cash with Survey Junkie.

Now, I must tell you that not all surveys are this fun, and not all pay this well, but every once in a while you get a great one like this!

Also, it’s satisfying knowing that companies will use my opinions and inputs to make decisions about not only music, but also food, restaurants, consumer products, movies, and a lot more.

Click here to start making extra cash with Survey Junkie.

21. Get paid to lose weight.

If you can commit to shedding some pounds, it may pay off handsomely for you to cut that habit because you can literally get paid to lose weight through a new company called HealthyWage.

Check out this Good Morning America special on HealthyWage that explains how it works:

You can bet as little or as much as you want, but obviously the more you bet, the more you stand to win!

Also, you can bet on your weight loss of any period between 6 and 18 months.

Click here to see how much you could win with HealthyWage!

22. Get cash back when you shop online.

Ebates ($10 sign-up bonus if you use our link) is a free website and app that gives you up to 40% cash back at over 2,500 online stores.

If you shop online a lot (or even if you don’t), this can add up to a decent chunk of change!

Click here to get your $10 sign-up bonus sign up for Ebates and start getting cash back on online purchases today!

23. Invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

I would recommend only investing in cryptocurrencies after you’ve invested in more stable passive income opportunities such as stocks and real estate.

Nevertheless, many people have become unlikely millionaires by investing in cryptocurrencies, and the concept of cryptocurrencies is not without merit.

However, you have to know what you’re doing, or you’ll get creamed in the cryptocurrency market.

Click here to learn more about cryptocurrency investing.

24. Get up to 5% cash back on all purchases with this new credit card.

Cash back on purchases is one of the most beautiful forms of passive income out there because they’re tax-free.

And there’s a new credit card that offers up to 5% cash back on all purchases — not just on certain items or on rotating categories.

It also gives you monthly cash forever when you refer new users.

So this new credit card gives you not one but two ways to generate passive income every month!

Click here to learn more about this new credit card!

25. Get a Free 401(k) Analysis.

If you’ve ever worked in corporate America, you probably have a 401(k) retirement plan through your current or former employer.

And while your 401(k) is generating passive income for you, it’s possible that it’s not optimized for the best performance.

Just improving your returns by 1% a year can make a huge difference.

Let’s say you have $50,000 in your 401(k), and it will earn you 6% over time.

Increase your returns so that you earn 7% a year will mean over $65,000 more in your 401(k) over 30 years’ time.

A properly-optimized 401(k) can generate for you additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of passive income over time.

That’s where Blooom comes in.

When you sign up for Blooom, your 401(k) will immediately be analyzed, and you will be shown what kind of hidden fees you’re currently paying in your 401(k).

Click here to get your free 401(k) analysis with Blooom.

26. Track Your Wealth in Personal Capital and Get a $20 Bonus.

Personal Capital isn’t so much a way to make passive income as it is to manage your passive income sources.

What is Personal Capital? It’s a free net worth and investment tracking website and app.

Your account balances are updated in real time! We personally use it to track our wealth and love the easy-to-use interface.

Also, for a limited time, Personal Capital is offering a free $20 Amazon gift card to new users who create an account through our $20 Bonus Link and links their first investment account.

Click here to sign up for Personal Capital and claim your $20 Amazon sign-up bonus!

27. See if you can pay less for homeowners or renters insurance.

Similar to some of the other items in this list, this one is more about passive savings than passive income.

But the end result of saving an extra $100 a month and making an extra $100 a month is the same: they both increase to your net worth.

And theoretically, saving is better than income because while you don’t pay taxes on additional savings, you do have to pay taxes on additional income!

One expense that slips by most people without being checked every now and then is homeowners or renters insurance.

See, the traditional insurance company model is getting more and more outdated with their high deductibles and premiums.

Take new insurance company Lemonade for example.

They take a simple flat fee, and everything else goes into a collective claims pool that they protect for their users in case they need to make a claim.

Since Lemonade doesn’t profit from the claims pool (like other, older insurance companies), leftover money is donated to charities that users choose when they sign up.

Lemonade’s self-stated goal is to transform insurance from a necessary evil into a social good.

They offer renters insurance for as low as $5 a month and homeowners insurance for as low as $25 a month.

Click here to check your rates in 90 seconds with Lemonade and see if you can save some money!

28. Get paid every time you search the Internet.

Swagbucks will pay you to simply use its search engine.

They will also give you $5 if you sign up through our Swagbucks $5 bonus link. So yup. This is probably the easiest way to make money online.

Click here to sign up and get a $5 sign-up bonus!

29. Arcadia Power pays you to use less electricity.

Arcadia Power is a free service that rewards you for saving energy when it matters most to the grid and the environment.

You will receive a notification about once per week to save energy for an hour.

If you save energy, you receive cash.

Click here to start getting rewarded for saving energy!

30. Get paid to watch TV.

Believe it or not, there is a company out there that will pay you to watch TV. This company is called Swagbucks, and you can get a $5 sign-up bonus if you sign up through my Swagbucks $5 bonus link!

31. Invest in alternative assets.

Yieldstreet is a platform aimed at giving investors access to high-yield, asset-based alternative investments.

It aims to create a portfolio across multiple asset classes – real estate, marine, commercial, and legal.

These opportunities are secured through assets, properties, settled and future case proceeds, and vessel acquisition.

These supposedly allow for the creation of a diversified investment portfolio that’s fully backed by a certain type of collateral.

Yieldstreet announced that since its inauguration, it has made over 300,000 payments that returned more than $297,000,000 to its investors.

Click here to check out Yieldstreet!

from https://moneydoneright.com/best-passive-income-ideas/ from http://thereallaptoplifestyle1.blogspot.com/2019/07/31-best-passive-income-ideas-for-2019.html

[success0]

31 Best Passive Income Ideas for 2019

Passive income. We all want it. We all crave it. We all want to make money without work. But are there actually any good passive income ideas that we can implement in 2019?

The answer is yes, and we’ve put together a list below of 31 ways to make passive income in 2019.

There are four main ways to earn passive income:

By investing money

By investing time

By renting things out

By getting paid to do activities you do anyway.

Below we have given you specific ideas for each of these four passive income categories for a total of 31 passive income ideas.

The most passive forms of income will require you to put up at least a little bit of money up-front.

Here are our top passive income picks for 2019.

1. Easily check to see if stores owe you money.

This one’s pretty interesting since it’s not so much passive income but rather passive savings.

The gist of it is that you get cash back on items you bought online when the price of those items drop.

It’s like price matching, but after the fact!

And there’s a new tool called Waldo that will help you get the refunds you deserve.

You simply sign up for Waldo, give it access to the email account you receive your shopping receipts at, and let Waldo get to work!

Waldo will then track the price of the item(s) you purchased and work to automatically get you a refund when the price drops.

If you’d like to start getting refunds on your online purchases, click here to sign up for Waldo.

2. Invest in Private Real Estate Deals With Only $500

Real estate is one of the classic forms of passive income: you own property, and others pay you for using it.

The downside to traditional real estate, of course, is that you typically need a lot of cash to get started.

Not so anymore with the rise of private real estate investing platforms.

We personally invest in one of these platforms called Fundrise.

Fundrise lets everyday people invest in top deals across the nation — way better deals than most people could find on their own.

It also lets you diversify your real estate holdings.

For example, I am invested in deals in 10 different states!

And for the first 90 days of your investment, Fundrise will buy your investment back at the original investment amount if for any reason you are not satisfied.

Click here to sign up to see Fundrise’s latest investment opportunities.

3. Invest in fine art with only $1,000.

Did you know that the Wall Street Journal called “the best investment of 2018”?

Fine art.

That’s right.  So while you should certainly have a core investment portfolio of stocks and maybe bonds, you may want to at least consider adding some fine art to your portfolio.

I know what you’re thinking.  Don’t I have to be a multimillionaire to invest in fine art?

Well, you used to be.  But not anymore.

Similar to what Fundrise (see above) is doing for investment-grade real estate, Masterworks is opening up fine art investing to the masses.

Masterworks’ minimum investment is $1,000.

Click here to see Masterworks’ latest fine art offerings.

4. Open a savings account with 2.30% interest.

If you have your savings in a low-interest brick and mortar bank, it’s time to get with the times and open an online bank account.

Because they don’t have the huge overhead costs of traditional banks, online banks can pass the savings on to their customers in the form of higher interest rates.

One of our favorite online banks right now is CIT Bank Savings Builder.

This account offers a sky-high 2.30% APY if you simply make at least one monthly deposit of $100 or more.

And there are no account opening or maintenance fees, making this one of the best savings accounts on the market today.

Click here to learn more about the CIT Bank Savings Builder Account.

5. Get paid to go to stores.

Did you know there’s an app that gives you gift cards simply by walking into stores?

You don’t even have to buy anything!

It’s true!

So whether you’re a mall rat or just somebody who goes shopping every now and then, you stand to make a little extra cash this way.

Click here to download this special app and start getting paid just for walking into stores!

6. Get paid to play mobile games.

This is another one of those passive income ideas where you get paid to do something you enjoy, so it’s not really work at all.

How it works is you download a free new app, then download new mobile games through the app.

As you level up in the mobile games, you earn more points that you can redeem for gift cards at Amazon, VISA, PlayStation, Xbox, Apple, Starbucks, and more.

Click here to start winning free gift cards for playing mobile games on your phone.

7. Rent out your spare room.

Renting out lodging can be an incredible way to earn extra money.

I know some people making thousands of dollars a month, all by renting out an extra room to short-term guests.

Now, if you wanted to do this 10 years ago, you would’ve had to post an ad in the classifieds or on shady old Craigslist.

Gladly, those days are over.

You can now list your spare room on Airbnb and screen out prospective guests. (Guests are rated by their hosts for things like cleanliness and communication.)

If you’d like to sign up to become an Airbnb host, check out my article Make Extra Money with Airbnb.

8. Get paid to get gas.

GetUpside is a free app that gives you cash back for every gas station receipt you submit!

Also, if you sign up through our link, you get a 20¢ per gallon bonus the first time you fill up!

If you drive a lot (or even if you don’t), this can add up to a decent chunk of change!

Click here to download GetUpside and get a 20¢ per gallon bonus for using our link!

9. Get paid to walk.

I just made $10 for walking, paid in cash via PayPal.

It’s true!

There’s a new app, Sweatcoin, that will pay you for every step you take.

It motivates me to go for more runs, take the stairs more often, and be an all-around more active person.

Click here to check out Sweatcoin now and start getting paid to walk!

10. Invest in dividend-paying stocks.

We love dividends here at Money Done Right.

When you invest in a dividend-paying stock, you are acquiring a portion of a company that somebody else built and that thousands of other people work for, and they are giving you a portion of their profits. Blows my mind!

There are plenty of great places to open up a stock-investing account, but the one that’s getting us hot and bothered at the moment is Ally Invest.

Ally Invest is great because you can trade dividend stocks for as little as $3.95 per trade compared to $6.95 at E*TRADE and Charles Schwab.

Click here to sign up for Ally Invest to start investing in dividend stocks affordably!

Ally Invest has developed a pretty amazing platform, and no matter if the stock market goes up or done, we still get dividends deposited into our Ally Invest account every quarter!

Click here to sign up for Ally Invest to start investing in dividend stocks affordably!

11. Get paid to have an app on your phone.

There’s an app that will pay you just for having it on your phone.

It doesn’t get much more passive than that! You heard me right.

They will pay you $50 per year per device just for having your app on there!

Talk about the ultimate passive income opportunity!

If getting paid simply for having an app on your phone interests you, click here to learn more!

12. Invest $10 in small businesses and earn 5%.

Worthy Bonds is a company that provides bond funding to small businesses — and it’s letting you get a piece of the action.

See, these small businesses (obviously) pay Worthy interest on these loans, and folks like you and me can buy bonds from Worthy that pay 5% interest.

This is far more interest than you could earn in a savings account at the bank.

You can buy bonds in $10 increments and / or link your debit or credit card and round up the spare change on your purchases to invest in bonds.

Click here to sign up for Worthy and start earning 5% interest by investing in American small business.

13. Write slogans.

Are you kinda witty?

Then you may be able to make passive income just by thinking up slogans in your spare time. Here’s how it works:

Write a catchy slogan.

Upload it online here.

Get paid every time someone uses your slogan! Passive income!

Click here to learn more about earning passive income from slogans.

14. Sell your photos.

Are you good behind the camera?

Then you can make a somewhat passive side income licensing your photos online for others to download.

For example, I get all my pictures for this blog from various stock photo sites on the Internet.

And every time I download a photo, the photographer who uploaded it gets a royalty!

Licensing one picture that you take and upload now can give you cash flow forever as it’s downloaded again and again!

Click here to learn how you can get paid for your photos from home.

15. Get your bank and credit card fees refunded.

This isn’t really passive “income” per se, but it is an opportunity for you to increase your net worth somewhat passively.

There’s a new website that can get you refunds on fees like:

Overdraft fees

Monthly service fees

Minimum balance fees

ATM fees

Late fees

Wire transfer fees

Foreign transaction fees

Credit card interest charges

Click here to learn how to get your bank and credit card fees refunded.

16. Get paid for doing things you do anyway.

Swagbucks ($10 sign-up bonus) is a great app to use to make money whenever you have some downtime, say while you’re in line at the store or while watching some mindless TV program.

There are a variety of ways to make money with the Swagbucks app, including:

Playing games on your phone

Using the Swagbucks search engine

Watching videos

Taking surveys

Getting cash back on online purchases

Using coupons

And more!

Click here to download Swagbucks and get a $10 bonus for using our link!

17. Make money with your social media skills.

Do you have experience with social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.?

Then you have a very valuable 21st-century skill!

If you know your way around social media, then you can make some major dough by promoting brands on social media.

Companies are willing to pay ordinary people to help get the word out about their products and drive more sales.

But the trickiest part of this industry is finding the right opportunities.

There are a few resources out there to help social media pros land these opportunities, but the one we found to be the best is SocialSaleRep.com.

They’ve been around for a while and have several proprietary partnerships with large corporations looking for social media experts.

Click here to check out paid social media opportunities at SocialSaleRep.com!

18. Check your credit score.

While this isn’t directly a way to generate passive income, checking on your credit score and finding ways to improve it can passively grow your net worth.

How so? Well, by simply increasing your credit score a little bit, you can, for example, pay less in interest, which will grow your wealth in the long-term.

We’ve found that Credit Sesame is the best free website that can calculate and monitor your credit score.

Click here to get Credit Sesame for free — it only takes 90 seconds!

19. Use a free money-saving bot.

Sometimes the best way to make money is to save money.

Subscriptions, especially those that go unused, can add up over time.

Thankfully, there’s a free money-saving bot called Cushion that will go through all your subscriptions, let you know how much you are paying for each of them every month, and cancel them with a simple text message if you’d like.

And Cushion not only keeps track of your subscriptions, but it also negotiates your monthly bills such as cable and Internet so you keep more money in your pocket.

Cushion users have saved over $8,000,000! To learn other benefits that Cushion can offer you, check out our full-scale Cushion review.

Click here to start saving with Cushion! It’s 100% free!

20. Take online surveys.

This one’s not exactly “passive,” but it is certainly mindless.

You can take surveys when you’re binging on Netflix or in line at the grocery store or waiting to pick your kids up.

The trick is that there are only a few legit survey sites. We recommend Survey Junkie.

It’s 100% legit, and they do not send you spammy junk emails.

Their payouts are excellent, and they pay you in cash via PayPal.

Top Survey Site Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie has an 8.9/10 rating on TrustPilot — the highest of any online survey company.

And they also have some really fun surveys.

For example, in the screenshot below you’ll see a pretty awesome music review survey that I recently did. I made $50 reviewing music! ?

Click here to start making extra cash with Survey Junkie.

Now, I must tell you that not all surveys are this fun, and not all pay this well, but every once in a while you get a great one like this!

Also, it’s satisfying knowing that companies will use my opinions and inputs to make decisions about not only music, but also food, restaurants, consumer products, movies, and a lot more.

Click here to start making extra cash with Survey Junkie.

21. Get paid to lose weight.

If you can commit to shedding some pounds, it may pay off handsomely for you to cut that habit because you can literally get paid to lose weight through a new company called HealthyWage.

Check out this Good Morning America special on HealthyWage that explains how it works:

You can bet as little or as much as you want, but obviously the more you bet, the more you stand to win!

Also, you can bet on your weight loss of any period between 6 and 18 months.

Click here to see how much you could win with HealthyWage!

22. Get cash back when you shop online.

Ebates ($10 sign-up bonus if you use our link) is a free website and app that gives you up to 40% cash back at over 2,500 online stores.

If you shop online a lot (or even if you don’t), this can add up to a decent chunk of change!

Click here to get your $10 sign-up bonus sign up for Ebates and start getting cash back on online purchases today!

23. Invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

I would recommend only investing in cryptocurrencies after you’ve invested in more stable passive income opportunities such as stocks and real estate.

Nevertheless, many people have become unlikely millionaires by investing in cryptocurrencies, and the concept of cryptocurrencies is not without merit.

However, you have to know what you’re doing, or you’ll get creamed in the cryptocurrency market.

Click here to learn more about cryptocurrency investing.

24. Get up to 5% cash back on all purchases with this new credit card.

Cash back on purchases is one of the most beautiful forms of passive income out there because they’re tax-free.

And there’s a new credit card that offers up to 5% cash back on all purchases — not just on certain items or on rotating categories.

It also gives you monthly cash forever when you refer new users.

So this new credit card gives you not one but two ways to generate passive income every month!

Click here to learn more about this new credit card!

25. Get a Free 401(k) Analysis.

If you’ve ever worked in corporate America, you probably have a 401(k) retirement plan through your current or former employer.

And while your 401(k) is generating passive income for you, it’s possible that it’s not optimized for the best performance.

Just improving your returns by 1% a year can make a huge difference.

Let’s say you have $50,000 in your 401(k), and it will earn you 6% over time.

Increase your returns so that you earn 7% a year will mean over $65,000 more in your 401(k) over 30 years’ time.

A properly-optimized 401(k) can generate for you additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of passive income over time.

That’s where Blooom comes in.

When you sign up for Blooom, your 401(k) will immediately be analyzed, and you will be shown what kind of hidden fees you’re currently paying in your 401(k).

Click here to get your free 401(k) analysis with Blooom.

26. Track Your Wealth in Personal Capital and Get a $20 Bonus.

Personal Capital isn’t so much a way to make passive income as it is to manage your passive income sources.

What is Personal Capital? It’s a free net worth and investment tracking website and app.

Your account balances are updated in real time! We personally use it to track our wealth and love the easy-to-use interface.

Also, for a limited time, Personal Capital is offering a free $20 Amazon gift card to new users who create an account through our $20 Bonus Link and links their first investment account.

Click here to sign up for Personal Capital and claim your $20 Amazon sign-up bonus!

27. See if you can pay less for homeowners or renters insurance.

Similar to some of the other items in this list, this one is more about passive savings than passive income.

But the end result of saving an extra $100 a month and making an extra $100 a month is the same: they both increase to your net worth.

And theoretically, saving is better than income because while you don’t pay taxes on additional savings, you do have to pay taxes on additional income!

One expense that slips by most people without being checked every now and then is homeowners or renters insurance.

See, the traditional insurance company model is getting more and more outdated with their high deductibles and premiums.

Take new insurance company Lemonade for example.

They take a simple flat fee, and everything else goes into a collective claims pool that they protect for their users in case they need to make a claim.

Since Lemonade doesn’t profit from the claims pool (like other, older insurance companies), leftover money is donated to charities that users choose when they sign up.

Lemonade’s self-stated goal is to transform insurance from a necessary evil into a social good.

They offer renters insurance for as low as $5 a month and homeowners insurance for as low as $25 a month.

Click here to check your rates in 90 seconds with Lemonade and see if you can save some money!

28. Get paid every time you search the Internet.

Swagbucks will pay you to simply use its search engine.

They will also give you $5 if you sign up through our Swagbucks $5 bonus link. So yup. This is probably the easiest way to make money online.

Click here to sign up and get a $5 sign-up bonus!

29. Arcadia Power pays you to use less electricity.

Arcadia Power is a free service that rewards you for saving energy when it matters most to the grid and the environment.

You will receive a notification about once per week to save energy for an hour.

If you save energy, you receive cash.

Click here to start getting rewarded for saving energy!

30. Get paid to watch TV.

Believe it or not, there is a company out there that will pay you to watch TV. This company is called Swagbucks, and you can get a $5 sign-up bonus if you sign up through my Swagbucks $5 bonus link!

31. Invest in alternative assets.

Yieldstreet is a platform aimed at giving investors access to high-yield, asset-based alternative investments.

It aims to create a portfolio across multiple asset classes – real estate, marine, commercial, and legal.

These opportunities are secured through assets, properties, settled and future case proceeds, and vessel acquisition.

These supposedly allow for the creation of a diversified investment portfolio that’s fully backed by a certain type of collateral.

Yieldstreet announced that since its inauguration, it has made over 300,000 payments that returned more than $297,000,000 to its investors.

Click here to check out Yieldstreet!

from https://moneydoneright.com/best-passive-income-ideas/

[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

[pauldeckerus]

How to Light-Paint Giant Shapes in the Sky with a Drone

A few months ago I was inspired to try and see what shapes I could create while attaching a Lume Cube to my drone. I’d seen photographer like Phill Fisher do shapes in the sky manually and was extremely impressed, but I didn’t have the time to learn how to fly shapes manually. So instead I scoured the Web for drone apps that could make things like this possible.

When creating these drone patterns in the sky I use the program Litchi that you can buy for 10 bucks from the app store on Android or Apple. You can use other apps such as Red Way Point or any app that can place waypoints to do this same thing, but I find Litchi has more finesse. The reason it does is that it can connect to Google Earth.

Note: Before I go any farther I want to state that you should always know if you are allowed to fly in the area you desire. Use apps like Airmap and B4UFLY to check, so you don’t get in trouble. Even if you can fly there make sure you are always aware of your surroundings for helicopters or anything else in the air. They take priority over you. Also if you want to use this technique to make money you will need a Part 107A, and as far as I know a night waiver.

Google Earth allows to you get really detailed on where you want to fly, and the best part is you can put in image overlays. This more or less allows you to trace an image you put into Google Earth with your drone if you have enough patience.

First, you need to get a drone and a bright light you can attach to it. Or if you have a Mavic Pro 2, for example, there are LEDs built in. Then you need to find a big open area you can fly in that safe and where you won’t be bothered. A tried and true spot is around 900 ft by 600 ft. This is also important because waypoints can’t be too close or the drone won’t fly the pattern (This is only if you are working in a horizontal plane). Once you have those it’s time to program. I recommend doing this at home or somewhere comfortable as it will take awhile.

When programming you need to know where you will be setting up your camera. That’s important because when taking the long exposure you have to program the image upside down. In the image below you’ll see an X where my camera was and where I am in relation to Pikachu.

If you are doing words, then they need to be upside down and backward. Here is an example of the Meow Wolf one I did as well.

Then once you have your overlay set (you may need to make adjustments and resize it to fit the open space you’re using) you can start putting in the waypoints. Your overlay at this point should be stapled to the ground, I find this easier for creating. I prefer manually putting in the waypoints one at a time instead of drawing lines for them because it lets me be super detailed.

A shape can consist of a few waypoints or hundreds to thousands. My current record when writing this article is 633 for Santa and his reindeer but you can definitely have much more. It is worth noting that doing these shapes may take more than one drone battery (as Santa did) especially if you are using a small drone that doesn’t like the extra weight of a Lume Cube.

As you are creating your waypoints I recommend you do them in sets of 99 and put each set in a folder and label it. The reason for this is because Litchi only allows up to 99 waypoints for each path you program into it. So every time you complete one you’ll need to upload the next path. When this happens I recommend covering your lens so you don’t get any bright spots on your photo.

If you are creating a shape that has any gaps in it like Pikachu then you’ll need to know either when to cover and uncover your lens or you can change the POI of your drone (as I attach my light to the back) and the light will turn so your camera can’t see it. Though this depends on where your light or lights are attached. Here is an example of my little book of when I need to cover my lens, for one of my more complicated paths.

Once your shape is created you need to take each set of 99 and export them as KML files. This is what Litchi uses to read the paths you’ve created. You can import them onto the Litchi online Mission Hub program. Once imported it’s important that you save the file and then try and run it on your phone with the Litchi app. If it comes back with the error saying that it can’t connect to GPS then your waypoints are far enough apart that will allow the drone to fly unhindered. However, sometimes it may come back and say that two points are too close together. So then you’ll have to go back to Google Earth and fix that and reexport the KML file and try again until you don’t get these errors.

Once you have all of your paths working then you need to go and make sure you change the altitude, as when we started with the overlay we had it stapled to the ground. I like to use around 200ft or 60m. This is because I’m working on a horizontal plane for the most part and if I go much lower than that I might lose the light depending on how big my shape is. (If you attach your light a different way or have a different light source this may be different for you if using this method)

Another important aspect to this height is because we are working on a horizontal plane depending on the camera lens you are using which would change your location for where you are shooting your long exposure and it might squish your light painting so that’s something to always keep in mind.

You change this with the Litchi app on your phone. First load your mission then unlock it with the little lock icon. Once that is done click on the wrench icon then the icon of the dashed square with a plus. A new menu will pop up, hit “select all” and “edit” and adjust the altitude relative to home (which is the ground) and hit ok. You should see the numbers change above the waypoints, make sure to do this with each mission if you have more than 99 waypoints. Also, keep your drone heading in mind as well as where the light will be. In general, if using a Lume Cube taped to the back of the drone, your heading will be the opposite direction your facing taking the photo. Below are some screenshots of each.

One more thing before you go outside to do this is to set your mph/kph. When doing detailed shapes I like to stay between 7-11mph or 7-17kph. This is because though you may have a waypoint your drone may overshoot and need to backtrack before going to the net point. This helps mitigate that. On top of that, I prefer to go into my settings in the Mission Hub of Litchi and changed the path to Curved Turns and set the default to 0. That way my drone will fly through each point.

Okay, so I know that was a lot, but now it’s time to go and fly! If using a wide lens (like a 12mm), you can be fairly close to your pattern if you shoot up at 45 degrees. Otherwise, you may need some distance depending on your composition and lens choice. I never know exactly where I’m going to set up so I generally create a test mission that does a rectangle of where the picture will take place and make sure that my composition is correct. Then I’ll replace the battery of my drone and create my picture!

When the drone flies the pattern I never watch it. Instead I watch my phone and look for the correct number to cover the lens and then uncover then that number has passed. Here is an example of Eevee on video sped up from 15 minutes to 40 seconds:

About the author: Russell Klimas is a photographer working on the art of aerial drone light-painting. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Klimas’ work on his website and Instagram. This article was also published here.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2019/02/04/how-to-light-paint-giant-shapes-in-the-sky-with-a-drone/

[bromadblog-blog]

AUS 230 POST MORTEM BLOG

“Anyways lads that’s me. I’m off for the summer and I’m going to use my time effectively by doing literally nothing for the next 8 weeks. *finger guns* adios amigos” – Stefan McRoberts 2017

This is how I ended my last post mortem, and I would like to profusely apologize. As I lied. I did not do nothing those following 8 weeks. I chose to make my life more difficult by making more music because I’m self destructive and don’t have an off button. That being said, let’s dive in to this sleep deprived, caffeine fuelled, still mourning from the end of Avengers: Infinity War fuelled rant of nonsensical horse crap of what went right and what went wrong in my major project this trimester.

What went right

NIGHTMARE

Now obviously I finished the rough mix of Nightmare last trimester, however I decided it was too good to not have in this EP. That being said however, it didn’t really fit aesthetically with the rest of the EP. How did I fix this? By adding stems, more stems and more stems after that. The result was adding lo fi baseballesque (?) organs to the third verse and the outro. This subtle yet major change truly helped the track blend a lot better aesthetically in to the rest of the EP.

BROTOWN

Out of everything that went right with this track, what went MOST right was the mix and the master. It was mixed so well that it made the difficulty of mastering it almost non existent. I do consider it to be one of the best mixes I have ever done. I also think that recording my best friends baby brothers adlib at the very end of the track was a great way to transition this song into the next on the EP.

MEMENTOS

The decision to add a Rhodes organ/piano over the Psytrance drop was a good example of a VERY bold move but one with a large payout aesthetically. I haven’t ever heard a psytrance drop with a jazz chord progression over the top of it EVER. At first I was like “Can I do this? Is it even legal? Will Vini Vici or Infected Mushroom hire a hit on me if I commit to this?”. Then I grew so attached to it because it was so different I decided to commit. Not only does it blend the song into the rest of the EP PERFECTLY, it also celebrates what the EP is fundamentally about. Sticking the middle finger to genre’s and combining EDM with heavy influences and aesthetics from Urban, Jazz, Soul and R&B.

LAZERBEAM

Lazerbeam was a track that actually started out as an official remix for “Drunk Arcade” by “Bombs Away”. I sent it to them however and they did not think the demo slapped as hard as I did and it ended up getting turned down. Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I deleted literally everything except for the drops. I decided to throw down some chords on my organ and write some lyrics for it. After recording, the end result was a heavy electro/dubstep that combines not one, not two, not three, but FOUR genre’s in one track. The tempo change from 128 to 150 BPM was always intended from the start. The Four genre’s being, Urban, into Electro, into Trap, into Dubstep. Once again truly celebrating what the whole EP is about.

THE PHANTOM THIEF

The Phantom Thief is to date on of the most ambitious tracks I have ever had both the pleasure and displeasure of producing. The pleasure lies within how flawlessly Jade’s vocals fit with the track and I’m also very proud of the lyrics as well. It’s no mystery that this entire EP is HEAVILY influenced by the game Persona 5 on PS4. This song is perhaps the most celebratory of it’s source material in this entire EP. Almost (if not) every lyric in this song references the game in one way or another. Not only that, but how unbelievably well the track came together with my friend Nathan (AKA Dexx) who co produced it with me. Also without any iota of exaggeration… Jade. Friggin. KILLED IT. 17 year old with a voice that trumps that of angels. I heard her singing on a youtube video she uploaded and I knew she was the only one that was gunna do this track any justice. All recording was done in a single day, which obviously made this run A LOT smoother as well. The orchestral outro was a last minute decision on the track as well, I was persuaded to add it in by my good friend Chloe. She couldn’t have been more right about it. It was a great idea and considering this is the final song on the EP, it really became a beautiful way to conclude the EP and the final “cherry on top” to make the whole EP feel less like a small collection of songs and more of a single giant movement or composition. Also it once again celebrates sticking the middle finger to genres, merging that which really “shouldn’t go together” but ends up blending beautifully showing that when it comes to art and creativity, the sky is the limit. So when you’re enjoying the orchestral outro in this track, thank Chloe.

What went wrong

I’m gunna be cocky here and say that every problem that rose up, I managed to overcome and solve. You know the drill. You’ve read my post mortems before. Let’s do this.

NIGHTMARE

Once again, the only real “problem” here was that it had a little bit of trouble fitting in to the rest of the EP aesthetically. This was fixed by adding the little “Dracula” organ riff at the start and adding church organs to the third verse and the outro.

BROTOWN

Believe it or not the biggest problem I had with Brotown was that I had no idea what to make for the drop. I made the first minute of the song well before the rest of the song. Then I was listening to one of my previous tracks titled “Hooked” and I was kind of just like… “What if I made the drop a harder more “4 to the floor” style version of Hooked”. The end result was the most “Bromad” sounding track on the entire EP and perhaps I have ever made. Everything about this track celebrates my sound and my sound design.

MEMENTOS

Admittedly the biggest problem I had with this track was the exact opposite I had with Brotown. I had that many versions of this song ALL with different sounding drops, I didn’t know which one to go with. In the end I decided to go with the drop that felt the most true to my sound and go a TOTALLY different direction with the second drop.

LAZERBEAM

Obviously the biggest problem with this one was finding the willpower to essentially start this one from scratch. Also dealing with the rejection of Bombs Away was initially difficult as it was a big opportunity and very disappointing. However I persevered and the pay off was definitely worth it, as I know have a powerhouse in my set list and a mammoth of a track on the EP

THE PHANTOM THIEF

When I said earlier “The Phantom Thief is to date on of the most ambitious tracks I have ever had both the pleasure and displeasure of producing,”. The displeasure came from the difficulty level of mixing a track with 80+ stems and also the mastering. Firstly, the vocals were drenched in WAY too much reverb. And because the track had 80+ stems (ALL BOUNCED TO AUDIO) I had to go repeatedly back and forth into the original project file which had A LOT of VST’s and thus used A LOT of CPU. Rendering the stems again… and again… and again was very VERY time consuming. Eventually once I got it right, the next problem was the mastering (which was mastered using iZotope Ozone 7). The mastering of the track itself sounded great, however a track with an EQ, harmonic excitement, multiband compression and brickwall limiting optimized for dance music, introduces a myriad of problems if in that same track you have say, oh I dunno AN ORCHESTRAL OUTRO. It introduced all sorts of grain, crackling and artifacts into the outro that honestly just sounded god awful. So I had to think outside the box a little bit and came up with an idea. 2 instances of iZotope oZone 7 and split the audio into 2 separate tracks. One with the “actual” track and split the track where the orchestral outro begins and drag it on to a separate bus/channel. I THEN used the second instance of iZotope to master it tailored to how (I imagine) one would master an orchestral/classical piece. The end result was gorgeous.

 That concludes this post mortem and now I’m going to go and write a BS post mortem for my CIU class because apparently they want to know everything about the fruits of your labour and hard work instead of actually looking at and/or listening to it. So away I go to write yet another (SUICIDE JOKE FREE) post mortem. Ciao.

[faeuniblog]

Official Script For Visual Essay

Page 1

Hello there fellow melons, I’m gonna be educating you guys on the joys that are the publishing industry!

So, Melon Sandy, I see you have your book there!

If you’re a writer that’s just written the best story ever, you’ll probably want to share said book with the world so you can make lots of money and be really famous, right?

But almighty voice in the sky who sounds super amazing and cool - like it really sucks that this is a written visual essay and not an audio one - I here you cry!

How do I go about share my creation with the world?!

Well, you have two options little Melon Sandy. You can go to Publishing Company or Self-Publish your work.

Page 2

Now let’s talks about what a Publisher is and does.

Publishing Company – Basics, Pros and Cons.

If you decide to go with the Traditional method and get published by a big publisher, you’ll need to have your work accepted by a literary agent first. Once you get an agent, they will take care of selling your manuscript to the big publishers (2).

Literary agents take 15% of your total income from the first sale. (1)

By going through an agent you’ll be paid an upfront advance for your work. The advance could range from £1,000 to over £100,000 (2).

Having an agent take care of shit is nice, but its damn hard to get an agent to take your work and even then, there’s no reassurance that they’ll even be able to sell your manuscript to a publisher (3).

If you're lucky enough to get a publisher interested.

The publisher will take care of editorial, copyediting, and design work, as well as invest in sales and marketing (3). Depending on whether you’re with a small or large publisher, the budget on these things can range from £15,000 to £50,000 (2).

However, one down side is that Publisher might make you edit you story in ways you don’t agree with. (3).

You probably won’t get a moving or TV deal but you stand a much higher chance by going with the traditional method (2).

Your book will be released both in physical and digital shops (2).

So, you get a load of support from a Publisher and Agent but in return you will have to give up a percentage of your earnings and control (2).

Page 3

Let’s look at J.K. Rowling as an example for publishing with a Company!

The first Harry Potter book was rejected by the first literary agency she applied too, and to add insult to injury, they didn’t give back her folder! (4)

She would luckily be accepted by the next literary agency, Christopher Little. Little sent the manuscript to 12 different publishers (who all rejected it!) before finally ending up with Bloomsbury (4) (5).

As when you go to a publisher, J.K was told to change the title of the US version from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ to ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone’ as they didn’t think America’s would know what a ‘philosopher’ was would think it sounded boring (6) (7).

Hopefully, Melan Sandy, you won’t have a much trouble getting you book published as J.K. Rowling did.

Page 4

Self-Publishing – Basics, Pros and Cons

If you decide to go with Self-Published, there are two types of self-publishing: Digital and Old-fashioned (2) (3).

Anyone can be an artist or writer with the internet around.

Amazon charges nothing for you to upload your work to its worldwide audience, and websites like Tumblr give you a place to post your art and stories for free (2) (3).

By Self-publishing, you have complete creative control over your work, meaning it can be about anything with no one to stop you!

And all the money you make, is your money, no sharing with a big company!

With online shops like Amazon, you won’t get a money advance like you would if you’ll with a publisher (2).

Your book won’t be in bookshops and you’ll still have to face some costs like editorial and copyediting (2).

Remember, Amazon has over 5,000,000 e-books in its store and your book will simply be one of them, so it might be hard to get attention (2).

With free websites like Tumblr, you’re not going to make any money unless you go to separate sources such as Patreon or ko-fi but you have basically no limitation on what your work is about.

Page 5

An example of the Old-fashioned method would be making, printing and selling Zine, at conversions or online.

A zine (short for magazine or fanzine) is a small self-published work made up of text and images and is usually reproduced via photocopier (8).

They can be made by a single person, or a small group. An example of some popular zines are ‘Aint-Bad Magazine’, ‘Home Zine’ and ‘Record Culture Magazine’ (9).

Examples of people who have done shit with Self-Publishing

The Martian is a science fiction novel written by Andy Weir in 2011. Weir started writing the book in 2009, and was rebuffed by literary agents when trying to get prior books published. Weir decided to put the book online on his website in a serial format (10).

Fans of his book later requested him to make an Amazon Kindle version for 99 cents (the minimum allowable price he could set). The Kindle version sold 35,000 copies in three months, quickly rising to the top of Amazon’s best-selling science-fiction list (10).

Podium Publishing an audiobook publisher, signed for the audiobook rights in January 2013 and in March 2013 Weir sold the prints rights to Crown for over US$100,000 (10).

Homestuck is a webcomic written, illustrated and animated by Andrew Hussie and published on MS Paint Adventures. The comic is a combination of static images, animated GIFs, instant message logs and games made with Adobe Flash (11).

Homestuck arguably has the largest fan community out there, which has said to reach in the millions. Unlike the other authors on this list, Homestuck never got involved with publishers, this may be because it’s the only one on my list that’s a comic (11).

If you go almost any conversion, you are likely to find a Homestuck fan there either cosplaying or selling zines or art (11).

Page 6

By going with a publishing house, they will bear the costs, such as editing, marketing and paying advances, but they also take a substantial share of the profits can take control away from you to better suit their ideas of what is best (2) (3).

The changes the published made you do could arguably be for the better, but they could also be for the worst.

While is you self-published, if you want help for advice, you’ve going to have to pay for it with your own money.

With Self-Publishing, the author bears all of these costs but gets the benefit of all profits being exclusively theirs.

I think another one of the appeals of self-publishing is the control you get to keep over entire process. The writer decides the price, distribution, marketing, and public relations, they can also outsource these tasks if they want guidance or support (2) (3).

A lot of people who go for Self-Published end up with a Publisher anyway, but with a lot more control and say over what your product is then you would normally have.

Is this detour into Self-Publishing this just an extra, unnecessary step to get a Publisher?

Page 7

The method you decide to go for should depend on what type of story you are publishing.

For someone like J.K, the internet wasn’t a viable option while she was writing and she wouldn’t be able live off the slow money that comes from publishing on the internet.

She didn’t have the means to advertise her book by herself either, going to a Publisher was the only option.

Andy Weir tried the publishing root first, but they weren’t interested, so he started writing his book in a format that worked well with the internet (10).

Homestuck, could only really be a digital comic, there might be a physical one somewhere down the line but the original could only ever exist on the internet.

Both methods have the negative and positives.

But hey, whatever method you decide.

Good Luck

By Fae-Jinni & Melon Sandy

Ending

Page 8

So Melon Sandy have you decided how you’re going to publish your awesome book?  (I turn to look at Sandy)

(There is a crushed Melon in the floor)

“Melon Sandy?” (Confused)

(It have bow like Melon Sandy)

(I look down to see a knife in my hand with Melon blood on it…)

(Camera movies to show my face. It is coved in Melon juice…)

 References

(1)  Staff, W. (2017). How Literary Agents Get Paid: Standard Commission Practices And Payments For Literary Agents - Writer's Relief, Inc.. [online] Writer's Relief, Inc. Available at: http://writersrelief.com/blog/2014/02/standard-commission-practices-payments-literary-agents/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2017].

(2)  Writersworkshop.co.uk. (2017). How to publish a book: a guide | Writers' Workshop. [online] Available at: http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/How-To-Get-Published.html [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(3)  Here!, S. (2017). Pros And Cons Of Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing. [online] The Creative Penn. Available at: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/self-publishing-vs-traditional/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(4)  Flood, A. (2017). JK Rowling says she received ‘loads’ of rejections before Harry Potter success. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/24/jk-rowling-tells-fans-twitter-loads-rejections-before-harry-potter-success [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(5)  Kennedy, M. (2017). JK Rowling posts letters of rejection on Twitter to help budding authors. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/25/jk-rowling-harry-potter-posts-letters-of-rejection-on-twitter [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(6)  En.wikipedia.org. (2017). J. K. Rowling. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling#Subsequent_Harry_Potter_publications [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(7)  Theguardian.com. (2017). Why the name change from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone" in the UK to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone" in the United States ? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-18387,00.html [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(8)  En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Zine. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zine [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(9)  Format.com. (2017). 11 Cool Artist Zines You Need to Own. [online] Available at: https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/art/11-cool-artist-zines [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(10)          En.wikipedia.org. (2017). The Martian (Weir novel). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_(Weir_novel) [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

(11)          En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Homestuck. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestuck#frb-inline [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].

[luxus4me]

Sprout Social https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2017/09/real-estate-landing-page-templates.png

The majority of homebuyers go online for their search, but what makes social media and real estate marketing such a pair for agents? According to one study, 94% of millennials and 84% baby boomers used various sites to search for their future home.

To add to it, these homebuyers are definitely using social in their quest to find a new place. The problem our Q1 2017 Sprout Social Index found was that the real estate industry only responded to 11% of its incoming messages. What’s worse is the industry ranked No. 4 in the Top 10 Most Annoying Industries on Social Media in the Q3 2016 Sprout Social Index.

This points signs to an industry set on overly promoting and not enough time on engaging with potential customers. Luckily, there are some simple methods to use social as a driver for engagement and reliability.

Here are 15 ideas you can use to elevate your real estate social marketing efforts:

1. Make Social Sharing Mindlessly Easy

Think about how clients usually find you. It’s likely they start with a search engine and type in some phrase like “real estate agent [city].” If your website accurately depicts your information, you should be easy to locate and have shareable listings.

To make it easier for you and your potential client to share on social, make sure listings have responsive layouts, clear photography and simple share buttons.

The Boutique gives a great example of this in action. The listing not only includes a favorite icon for their clients, but also social network sharing buttons.

2. Add Reviews & Services

Referrals are the best kind of marketing for real estate agents. In your Facebook Page, enable both reviews and services. For ease of communication, make sure clients can book appointments with you or message for questions.

Bower Real Estate does an excellent job at providing information about its services, while leaving an area for client testimonials.

On your website, use client testimonials and information about your services. Do you provide free consultations and can they be booked online? Finding an agent is difficult enough. Make the process for connecting to your client as seamless as possible.

3. Create a Facebook Group & Participate in Local Groups

With the new feature to link Facebook Groups to a Facebook Page, you can offer even more personalized services to clients. Using Facebook Groups is a good way to navigate around the Facebook algorithm. Ideally, clients would be able to post in the Group and help each other through the selling or buying process.

Another option for Facebook Groups is using them as a networking opportunity.

Mid-America Association uses regional Groups to connect professionals in the area and to post helpful advice.

4. Use a Facebook Cover Video

Quickly grab a potential client’s attention with a Facebook video instead of a photo for your Facebook Page cover. A new feature for Facebook Pages, video covers automatically play when someone lands on your Page. It’ll instantly grab any visitor’s attention.

For bonus points, edit your call-to-action button to match the video. For example, if you talk about free consultations, make sure the button says, “Book Now.”

Live Urban Denver uses a video cover for their Page, which quickly tells any new visitor what the company is all about.

5. Go Live at a Property

Using Facebook Live for business lets you provide a behind-the-scenes, unedited look of a property. If you promote it before the listing goes up, it gives your followers a feeling of an inside scoop. These videos are excellent at engaging your audience and are often highly ranked in Facebook feeds.

Incorporating a Q&A like Zac McHardy did is a great way to get potential buyers into the door without even stepping foot on the property.

6. 360 Photo or Video

Facebook has new capabilities for posting 360-degree photos and videos. Wide-angle shots are beautiful, but they still don’t always work for getting a full impact of a room or view.

Using 360-degree videos or photos like below are a good way to change up your post types. Maybe there’s a balcony that has an excellent view or a wide open floor plan that would benefit from a 360-degree photo.

Leave no room for surprises with these great photo and video features.

7. Build a Messenger Chatbot

If you receive a lot of similar messages and questions that could be easily answered, perhaps a Facebook Messenger chatbot could work best for your organization.

You can use Sprout Social to program your bots to answer common questions like:

What are the closest listings by this zip code?

What are the features of this house?

Which listings are in my price range?

What do I need to do to prepare my house for sale?

Whatever questions you do decide on, make sure you’re still monitoring your messages and that there’s added value to the bot for your clients. See our chatbot builder in action here!

8. Incorporate Excellent Photography

Staging and photography can be vastly underrated. If you’re just starting out and can’t hire a photographer, it’s smart to buy a decent camera and take some classes online.

Having an empty house with a sterile environment makes it more difficult for anyone to picture themselves living there. In fact, a survey found 83% of homebuyers want photos of the property to be available online. Photography makes a difference and the better the photos, the more attention-grabbing they will be on a highly visual network like Instagram.

Iglesias Realty Group is geared toward high-end clients, so their posts and photography reflect that sentiment.

This contempoary-style, waterfront home in Hallandale Beach provides easy ocean access. For more information on this and other luxury homes in Miami, contact us directly at 📞 +1 (786) 401-6906 or via email at 📩 info@iglesiasrealtygroup.com. http://j.mp/2g3JUrq Follow our broker ☞ @luisiglesiasrealestate Follow our broker ☞ @luisiglesiasrealestate

A post shared by MIAMI REAL ESTATE (@iglesiasrealtygroup) on Aug 24, 2017 at 6:21am PDT

9. Add Social-Specific Landing Pages

Online lead generation is a crucial skill for real estate marketers. And when it comes to generating real estate leads online, your landing pages could mean the difference between a new lead or missed opportunity. The National Association of Realtors discovered 72% of agents felt their total leads from the web were lacking.

The first thing you need to know is you should have multiple landing pages. All too often, real estate agents make the mistake of using a single landing page for all their lead generation efforts. However, there are several ways to generate leads, so you’ll likely need different landing pages for each.

For instance, you might create a gated piece of content such as “Top 10 Tips on Setting Your Home’s Price,” where people have to enter their email address to view it. But then on your homepage, you might include a lead generation form similar to what Blue Sky does for people to schedule a consultation.

Creating landing pages that convert is both an art and a science. It takes a lot of testing to get right. But here are a couple resources to help you out. In this helpful post, Instapage talks about the various ways to create real estate landing pages while Unbounce provides some easy templates for you to use.

10. Set Up Twitter Keyword Searches

As part of your lead generation toolkit, set up keyword searches in Twitter to alert you when people are looking to buy or sell a home. You can narrow your searches down with zip code targeting.

The best way to handle Twitter keyword searches is to automate the alerting process. Set up the search and have a service like IFTTT notify you when a relevant Tweet comes up. You can also setup specific brand keywords in our Smart Inbox to see all the latest incoming posts from Twitter and other networks that contain your target keywords. This way you can be sure to never miss out on new lead opportunities due to overlooking a Tweet.

11. Sponsor a Local Event

One of the better ways of engaging your local community is by sponsoring events that you care about. This not only provides more interesting content for your followers, but it also demonstrates your interest in supporting important causes.

Live Urban Real Estate sponsored a lounge at a local music festival. Swag was given out and while the lounge itself isn’t exactly about real estate, you never know where you might find your next client.

12. Celebrate Milestones

People love to see themselves on a business’ social pages when the content is all about their celebration. Whether it’s a house closed or a new set of keys, potential clients will connect with them on an emotional level. In a way, it’s personalizing your pages which is way more interesting than only photos of house interiors.

13. Build Up Trust

As a real estate agent, you need to build trust with your clients. If you share blog posts, write articles, publish infographics and offer free information to help your clients, they’ll begin to trust your expertise. Offering free advice without pushing your services is an easy tactic for building trust.

Ines Hegedus-Garcia works in Miami and often posts about local events, real estate advice and other information where clients would take interest.

http://j.mp/2g3sawm

Keystone Point Stats are in -Is this a buyer's or a seller's market? #miamirealestate #keystonepoint

— Ines Hegedus-Garcia (@ines) August 21, 2017

14. Stay Relevant After Closing

It’s not often you’ll have back-to-back repeat clients, but you always want to stay relevant in your posts. Did you know 70% of homebuyers completely forget who their agent was just a year after closing? Like the previous idea, you want to build up trust for you as an expert and stay connected.

This means sharing information on such things like renovations can keep your posts useful for past clients but also for current ones who are interested in the topic. Local news and events also fall into this category of posts.

Posted by Pavla Mizzi – Ben Estates on Sunday, September 10, 2017

Additionally, this tactic can really help with your referrals when users mention you on social.

15. Experiment With Videos

There are so many video options for posts now. Instead of a standard walkthrough of the house, maybe hire some actors who look like your target clients. Consider creating helpful tutorial videos for your clients, too. Not enough money to hire a staging expert? Pair up with an expert for some how-to videos. It establishes your credibility, gives the staging expert a potential expert and helps your clients. All a win-win.

Joyce Rey Real Estate shared a video that featured a couple enjoying their neighborhood, coming home and taking a break. It highlights all of the main features of the house and helps potential clients picture themselves living there.

FANTASTIC REDUCED PRICE! | 2552 Benedict | Architectural Digest-quality hidden enclave just minutes from Beverly Hills Hotel. Luxuriously renovated by renowned AD Top 100 designer Donna Livingston. Quiet seclusion in the hills and magnificently private rear property grounds that include lush manicured canyon gardens, and a newly redone pool and spa. #joycereyrealestate #luxurylife #luxurylifestyle #realestate #beverlyhills #coldwellbanker #milliondollarlisting

A post shared by Joyce Rey Real Estate (@joycereyrealestate) on Sep 7, 2017 at 2:02pm PDT

Review

There are many ways to spark up your real estate social marketing efforts. To keep track of all of your efforts, we recommend using a social media management platform like Sprout Social to keep all your social media scheduling, engagement and analytics in one, manageable space.

For any new marketing idea, we recommend tracking your analytics before and after execution. Getting familiar with how your community engages with you will make it easier for you to figure out if a new marketing idea is for you or not.

This post 15 Real Estate Marketing Ideas to Win More Clients on Social originally appeared on Sprout Social.

http://j.mp/2wGRtad via Sprout Social URL : http://j.mp/2vgzg6f

[universeinform-blog]

Sunshine Music Tours And Travels actors perform a stunt live

New Post has been published on https://universeinform.com/2017/03/29/sunshine-music-tours-and-travels-actors-perform-a-stunt-live/

Sunshine Music Tours And Travels actors perform a stunt live

Manufacturer Shailendra Singh, who makes his directorial debut with ‘Sunshine Track Excursions And Travels’ (SMTT), brought a real touch to film promotions. On Sunday afternoon at an open floor in Mumbai suburbs, he was given his actors to perform a breath-taking stunt for a promotional occasion of the film, a musical street adventure presenting a hundred and seventy rookies. Most important actors Sunny Kaushal,free sunshine clip art

Ashrut Jain, Mayank Karla, Sooraj Oh, Subha Rajput and Divyajotee Sharma were put right into a bus which became lifted to approximately 100 ft above the ground. The stunt, choreographed by one among India’s leading motion administrators, had Sunny putting from the suspended bus. The film releases on September 2.

Sunshine And The Need For Electricity

In some sections of the world, we underwrite on an ongoing base the sunshine. We frequently do not recognize the peril of the UV radiation and perceiving colder atmosphere nations they truly with complete their coronary heart adore the solar like never before.

Reality be told doing a reversal to my own unique home country, The Netherlands, the number one issue we do whilst the sun seems and provides us with a few warm beams, we positioned a towel in the road or grass, set down and permit our frame to get prepared by means of the solar. It feels so high-quality as a consequence heat!

I can’t factor the finger at you even as making a grin all over or even noisily have a healthy about this execution. “Culture” is the response to this overall performance!

Have we ever thought what else the sun can do, other than the UV radiation? Shouldn’t something be said approximately the arena’s vitality of around 98%, if now not ninety-nine%, originates from the solar? Some of its miles reaped particularly via plant life, trees, and sun orientated forums.

In both situations, wind and hydro manipulate assets to make use of sun based vitality through implication.

Coal and petroleum assets that have been so bustling eating now show positioned away solar orientated vitality from the inaccessible beyond. do not you fear! Each and every day lots of sunlight hours energy falls on earth to deliver our power needs everywhere at some stage in the arena with the necessities.

The measure of sun orientated power we take these days, not the slightest bit diminishes the sum we will take the next day or on every occasion in a while. solar based vitality can be in particular stuck in a collection of methods.

One of the most established strategies for daylight based is warming

Family water for showering, dish washing, or space warming. Currently a day we experience the sizeable massive panels on the pinnacle of the roof, it’s a standout between the maximum cleanest and direct strategies for reaping the solar’s vitality. it’s referred to as “Photovoltaics” or simply “PV”

What within the hack is Photovoltaics or better depicted what are Photovoltaic cells?Photovoltaic, moreover named “sun collector cells” had been produced a few location inside the 1950’s as an off-shoot of transistor innovation. Thin layer of unadulterated silicone are immersed with modest measures of various additives

How absolutely creative in mind of the fact that once offered to the daylight hours, little measures of energy had been created

They had been quite a great deal a research center ordeal till the approach of spaceflight. The carrier agencies couldn’t make the experience of a way to get their wires out into space, the PV turned into a glorious association.

Even hard with a worldwide petroleum aid, we’re going to run out pretty rapid of reasonably-priced oil. round then the fees were extremely high, they oversaw it to trade it in the mid-1960’s. Utilizing the innovation from the cutting-edge truth, we should degree up to the complete electricity advent of the united states with PV manipulate flora.

In any case, we may cling at the period of we are able to

To our relaxed coal and petroleum, there’s most probably on the top of the priority listing that the PV can be the tremendous asset for the nearby future.

Speak about the solar and it is advantages we beyond any doubt need to apprehend the chance of the UV radiation for each unmarried person incorporated our dogs, tom cats, and equine companions with underline the eyes particularly!

Wrapping up this extremely academic article, we actually want to inquire as to whether we benefit from all of the space applications obtainable? I think, preferably with lots of you, we beyond any doubt earnings with the aid of it.

Written by using: Christyna Wyden’s

Budget Travel Tips Every Traveler Needs to Know of

Making plans a budgeted trip is an art and not many human beings are privy to a way to do it successfully. In case you’re a common frugal tourist, you’d realize precisely a way to paintings around arranging a dream trip inside your restrained price range. This receives even extra difficult with the sky excessive air fares and the inn prices.

If you wish to experience a budgeted excursion without needlessly annoying approximately the limitless tour prices all the instances, here are some high-quality travel hints you can want to remember.

E-book Early

Being the early foul helps you to save lots for your travels. Examine that the subsequent time you plan to save for your holiday and control to E-book properly earlier than time. Since the high-quality airline and motel deals vanish soon, reserving ahead of time is a splendid manner of securing your probabilities of a budgeted ride. Airways screen their first-class fares properly earlier than time. Constant searching on the net allows you to seize a deal you’ve got lengthy wished for.travel insurance

Use Trade Airports

Most of us just like the hustle and bustle and the benefit of massive global airports. They are incredible in every way, however no longer with regards to flying frugal. Considering the fact that Maximum of the passengers chooses those airports, airfares are Maximum possibly to be very high. To ease your tourists, choose the nearby airports which can be similarly pleasant. Of course, you will be able to find some first rate journey deals after you choose this.

opt for the alternative airports best if you may set up your transportation without difficulty to the airport. prices need to be considered here to get a higher knowledge of which airport you want to select when flying.

Flexibility

Flexibility is surely the key to making the Most of your travels. First of all, for a budgeted experience you have to keep away from height vacation season each time it’s possible. That is due to the fact this is the time of the year everyone is on the pass and it’s no less of a dreamy country to find something cost-effective. Airports are packed with passengers at the same time as the accommodations also are overflowing with guests. In instances like those, you’re much less likely to attain a deal of your dreams.

Shoulder journey seasons exercise session equally an amazing experience for organizing journeys. This is the budget friendly time to be visiting locations. Above that, you experience fewer crowds as properly.

 Stroll Regularly

Journeying is particularly highly-priced because of the charges inside the town. Transportation can upload as much as that notably. To make the first-class use of the state of affairs, on foot more could help you to keep massive. That is additionally feasible when you pick an inn inside the coronary heart of where all the sights are. In case you accomplish that, there’s no better way to revel in all the hustle and bustle of it apart from taking walks.

Actors – Can Social Media Help You Get Cast

Social media is literally converting the way initiatives are forged. All other matters being equal, if three actors are up for a role on a huge project, possibilities are the actor with a full-size following will nab the position. This means that in case you’re a savvy actor, you’ll begin building your social media empire Earlier than you’re up for a series ordinary.list of female actors a z

If you’re like a number of my clients, the idea of the usage of social media in your appearing profession may be absolutely overwhelming. I’m right here to tell you – don’t panic! here are 4 simple steps you may use to get your social media mojo began, supplying you with a leg up on the competition!sunshine pictures

Sart Small

There are many social media structures to pick from, but my advice is initially one and gets simply right at it. if you’re already the usage of Facebook besides, why no longer start there? Do you like taking images? Attempt Instagram! Perhaps Twitter is extra your pace. No need to overload yourself right away. you may constantly add every other once you have got the first one down.

Create a Plan

This is wherein you could get creative! Maintaining your actor emblem in thoughts, reflect consideration of some themes which you would love to post approximately often. For example, do you’ve got a charity which you paintings with? Do you want to make humans snort? Are you a foodie? you can additionally repost or retweet other people’s content, and provide them a shout-out. Of direction, do not forget to post your appearing successes, too!sunshine furniture Tulsa

 Make a Schedule

once you have a few daily topics in thoughts, it’s time to Schedule your posts for the week. I suggest the usage of a unfastened app like Bufferapp.Com or Hootsuite.Com. I’ve found that scheduling everyday posts in advance of time (for the week or the month) is much extra efficient than looking to post every single day.

Social!

It’s referred to as social media for a purpose, so make sure to spend a touch time each day responding to your likes, retweets, mentions, and different humans’ posts. Reciprocation is going a protracted manner, so hold the communicate going together with your peeps!

[faeuniblog]

Script for Visual Essay

This is the script for my Visual essay for Overview of the Industry. This version will have my old edits and parts I've had to leave out. Parts that have been left out will look like this.

Hello there fellow melons, hope you’re ready to be entertained cause at least one of us is gonna have fun with this essay! I’m gonna be educating you guys on the joys that are the publishing industry!

Self-Published Vs Published!

 -So, what is it to publishing something?

Publishing is the broadcasting of literature, music, and information and making it available to the general public.

-  “So, Melon Sandy, I see you have your book there!

If you’re a writer that’s just written the best story ever, you’ll probably want to share said book with the world so you can make lots of money and be really famous!”

-“But almighty voice in the sky who sounds super amazing and cool, like it really sucks that this is a written visual essay and not an audio one, I here you cry!”

“How do I go about share my creation with the world?!”

-“Well, you have two options little Melon Sandy. You can go to Publishing Company or Self-Publish your work.”

Now let’s talks about what a Publisher is and does.

(draw like a picture of some cool printing machine or something)

Publishing Company – Basics, Pros and Cons.

If you decide to go with the Traditional method and get published by a big publisher, you’ll need to have your work accepted by a literary agent first. Once you get an agent, they will take care of selling your manuscript to the big publishers. By going through an agent you’ll be paid an upfront advance for your work. The advance could range from £1,000 to over £100,000. You also get royalties at around 3%-6%.

Having an agent take care of shit is nice, but its damn hard to get an agent to take your work and even then, there’s no reassurance that they’ll even be able to sell your manuscript to a publisher.

If you're lucky enough to get a publisher interested.

The publisher will take care of editorial, copyediting, and design work, as well as invest in sales and marketing. Depending on whether you’re with a small or large publisher, the budget on these things can range from £15,000 to £50,000.

-You, as the writer Melon Sandy, will not have to pay anything towards these costs!-

However, one down side is that Publisher might make you edit you story in ways you don’t agree with, so you do lose a bit of control over your work.

Your book will be released both in physical and digital shops (such as Amazon and iTunes)

You probably won’t get a moving or TV deal but you stand a much higher chance by going with the traditional method. So, you get a load of support from a Publisher and Agent but in return you will have to give up a percentage of your earnings and control.

Edit: (The publisher may also tell you to remove, cut down or add content to your story if they see it as unfit, so you do lose a bit of control over your work.

Your book will receive national distribution for its physical version in physical stores while also being distributed digitally in online shops such as amazon and iTunes. )

(It’s unlikely you’ll get a movie or TV deal but they are more frequent for authors you used the traditional method. So, you get a load of support from a Publisher and Agent but in return you will have to give up a percentage of your earnings and control.)

Let’s look at J.K. Rowling as an example for publishing with a Company!

(Drawing of cool witch J.K. Rowling)

J.K. Rowling

J.K was rejected by the first literary agency she applied too, and to add insult to injury, they didn’t give back her folder! She would luckily be accepted by the next literary agency, Christopher Little. Little sent the manuscript to 12 different publishers (who all rejected it!) before finally ending up with Bloomsbury.

As when you go to a publisher, J.K was told to change the title of the US version from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ to ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone’ as they didn’t think America’s would know what a ‘philosopher’ was would think it sounded boring.

Edit: (A notable change that J.K Rowling wasn’t happy about was the changing of the title ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ to ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone’ in the US version.

It’s said that the publishers for the US version didn’t think America’s would know what a ‘philosopher’ was and think it’s boring; so they change it to ‘Sorceror’ which sounds much more exciting.)

 -“Hopefully, Melan Sandy, you won’t have a much trouble getting you book published as J.K. Rowling did.”

Self-Publishing – Basics, Pros and Cons

If you decide to go with Self-Published, there are two types of self-publishing: Digital and Old-fashioned.

One of the great things about the modern day, is the internet! (woooop Internet!)

Anyone can be an artist or writer with the internet around. Amazon charges nothing for you to upload your work to its worldwide audience or you can just post your art and stories on websites like Tumblr.

By Self-publishing, you have complete creative control over your work, meaning it can be about anything with no one to stop you! And all the money you make, is your money, no sharing with a big company!

 With online shops like Amazon, you won’t get a money advance like you would if you’ll with a publisher. Your book won’t be in bookshops and you’ll still have to face some costs like editorial and copyediting.

Remember, Amazon has over 5,000,000 e-books in its store and your book will simply be one of them, so it might be hard to get attention.

 If you used Amazon, you will get no money advance like you would do if you’ve with a company but you can still make money, if only a little. Your book will not be in bookshops and you still have to face some costs for stuff such as editorial and copyediting work. Amazon has over 5,000,000 e-books in its store and your book will simply be one of them, so it may be hard to achieve sales.

 With free websites like Tumblr, you’re not going to make any money unless you go to separate sources such as Patreon or ko-fi and you have basically no limitation on what your work is about.

 An example of the Old-fashioned method would be making, printing and selling Zine, at conversions or online. A zine (short for magazine or fanzine) is a small self-published work made up of text and images and is usually reproduced via photocopier. They can be made be a single person, or a small group. An example of some popular zines are ‘Aint-Bad Magazine’, ‘Home Zine’ and ‘Record Culture Magazine’.

 Example of people who have done shit is Self-Publishing

For Self-Published, I’m going to look at The Martian and Homestuck. (awesome drawings).

 The Martian is a science fiction novel written by Andy Weir in 2011. Weir started writing the book in 2009, and was rebuffed by literary agents when trying to get prior books published. Weir decided to put the book online on his website in a serial format.

Fans of his book later requested him to make an Amazon Kindle version for 99 cents (the minimum allowable price he could set). The Kindle version sold 35,000 copies in three months, quickly rising to the top of Amazon’s best-selling science-fiction list.

Podium Publishing an audiobook publisher, signed for the audiobook rights in January 2013 and in March 2013 Weir sold the prints rights to Crown for over US$100,000. In March 2, 2014, the book debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list in twelfth position.

Homestuck is a webcomic written, illustrated and animated by Andrew Hussie and published on MS Paint Adventures. The comic is a combination of static images, animated GIFs, instant message logs and games made with Adobe Flash. Homestuck arguably has the largest fan community out there, which has said to reach in the millions. Unlike the other authors on this list, Homestuck never got involved with publishers, this may be because it’s the only one on my list that’s a comic. If you go almost any conversion, you are likely to find a Homestuck fan there either cosplaying or selling zines or art.

   (gonna have to leave this part out for now)

Example of both publishing with a Publishing Company and Self-Publishing. (we are all in this together)

Introducing hard-core Beatrix Potter, who refused to put up with shit from anyone! (insert badass drawing of Beatrix Potter!!!)

‘Peter Rabbit’ was Self-Published! Beatrix Potter applied to a least six different publishing houses and with her book ‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’ but was rejected by all of them. Beatrix Potter then went on to printer 250 copies of her first book herself. It was printed with 41 black and white woodblock engraving and a colour frontispiece (yes I do in fact know what that complicated words mean!). The book was so successful that within the year, it had been picked up by one of the six publisher who had originally rejected it (HA).

Beatrix Potter stuck again with her next book ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’ after failing to reach an agreement with ‘Frederick Warne & Co’. So, Ms Potter got on her broom took the skies again and published 500 copies privately! (I AM thinking of the right person, right??). By the end of the year, Warne had given in, cementing their relationship with Potter, saving the publishing house from bankruptcy and creating the standard for how children’s book were marketed and sold!

(Reading from paper in hand image) Beatrix Potter later went on the serves fanatically loyal to the dark lor- (confused) okay I'm definitely reading into the wrong wiki! (angry! Paper turns over to show picture of Bellatrix Lestrange and Harry Potter)

Just to clarify, apart from her not being a Harry Potter character, she really did all the book stuff. She might have been a witch though, so I don’t wanna rule that out just in case.

 (gonna leave this part out too)

  ~~Tangent Time!~~

You may be wondering why, as a comic’s student, I would be looking authors of written work rather than comic witters. I mean look at Homestuck, as I said before, it arguably has the largest fan community out there, but I don’t think you’ll find a novel version in real life.

This is partly because, for some reason, writers of ‘word’ books generally get more attention and success then comic writers. Other reason for Homestucks lack of physical novel might be the fact that Homestuck has a lot of animations, moving visuals, sounds and music, so I can imagine that might be had to put into a book format. (But it could be done! It just hasn’t.)

I could probably write an entire other essay on these points and I feel the need to acknowledge them, but I have neither the time nor energy to do so effectively (and I’m not a masochist)…so yeah…

~~Tangent Over~~

Both methods have their pros and cons and work.

Going straight for Publishing company can be really difficult, as they may not be interested in your work to begin with and you lose a fair amount of your creative control and profits. But is the support they give worth it?

Going for Self-Published can be cool because of all the control and full profits but you need to gain the attention from the public before a publisher will even look at you. Almost all Self-Published work end up with a publisher so is this just an extra, unnecessary step?

 But hey, whatever way you choose, just go for it man. Should be fun.

Ending

“So Melon Sandy have you decided how you’re going to publish you awesome book?”  (I turn to look at Sandy)

(There is a crushed Melon in the floor)

“Melon Sandy?” (Confused)

(It have bow like Melon Sandy)

(I look down to see a knife in my hand with Melon blood on it…)

(Camera movies to show my face. It is coved in Melon juice…)

References

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/24/jk-rowling-tells-fans-twitter-loads-rejections-before-harry-potter-success

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/25/jk-rowling-harry-potter-posts-letters-of-rejection-on-twitter

http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/How-To-Get-Published.html

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13059054-homestuck-book-one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestuck#frb-inline

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_(Weir_novel)

https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-18387,00.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling#Subsequent_Harry_Potter_publications

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter

https://www.patreon.com/

https://ko-fi.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/dec/17/beatrix-potter-peter-rabbit-self-publishing

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/self-publishing-vs-traditional/

https://www.scribendi.com/advice/traditional_versus_self_publishing.en.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing

https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/art/11-cool-artist-zines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zine