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kelmcdonald · 1 year

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How is it already April?

crossposted from my newsletter.

Thanks to everyone who came to Emerald City and stopped by! While I did recover from my sinus infection before going, my throat/voice didn't come back until like a week or 2 ago.

This month I'm redoing the Fame and Misfortune live reading. If you don't remember, when I did it in February my mic was broken. I have a new mic! So take two of the live reading is happening! Tune into my twitch on April 22nd at noon PST.

This month is also the release month of The Lizard Prince and Other South American Stories. This is the last Cautionary Fables and Fairytales volume. Iron Circus told me they will get the warehouse at the end of the month. Then it can start going out to backers and stores!

Also, I want to give a shout out to my pal Matt Wilson's Zoop campaign, Imposter Syndicate. It's about folks who are hired to take over supervillian mantles after a supervillian dies or goes to jail. It has 11 days left to fund.

Also this month's full moon movie is The Wolf Man, the one for the 40s. If you'd like to join we'll be watching it on April 6th at 4pm PST. Just click here to join the discord.

As always I'll be streaming art on Twitch. My schedule is currently the following:

Tuesday 8pm-10pm PST

Wednesday 8pm-10pm PST

Thursday 6pm-9pm PST (during the Iron Circus Geekshow)

March kicked my ass. Between Emerald City and being sick, I had a lot to catch up on. Both from Seven Seas, Iron Circus, and my comics all had a stack of work to finish up. Honestly, I'm kinda depressed about the fact that I still haven't been able to finish Blue Moon. While Spike is understanding about the delays (given that organizing crowdfunds for her is part of the delay), I'm frustrated at the lack of progress.

I'm also kinda frustrated with my art lately. Last month I mentioned I might have to put You are the Chosen One on hiatus after the current chapter, but I think I might switch to every other week. It's only way I'm gonna have time to push myself on it the way I want. Regardless, I'd rather wait for Chapter 3 to wrap up before making that schedule change. Until then. I'll just be tired I guess.

But because I don't know any better, I started learning Japanese from Duolingo and Rosetta Stone. I appreciate that they are small enough lessons that I can do them little bit by little bit. Anyway, while working this is what I've been watching and reading:

History of the World Part 2 - I basically grew up on Mel Brooks movies. I've seen all his movies before graduating high school. So when Hulu said it was making a History of the World Part 2 series, I had to watch it. I didn't quite know what to expect, but had to check it out. Like many sketch shows, the sketches are hit or miss. But when it's funny it's REALLY funny. Johny Knoxvill plays Rasputin in a jackass parody that shows all the way Rasputin is killed and it's so much funnier than it has any right to be. It's definitely worth a watch if you like Mel Brooks.

Palm Springs - This is another comedy where I didn't know what to expect. Groundhog Day but starring Andy Samberg didn't strike me as super original but the trailer looked funny, so I put it on while drawing. It was not only funny but much more heartfelt than I expected. Andy Samberg's characters starts the movie as having already been in the time loop for a long time. He has to relive a wedding he's a guest at over and over. The movies starts when the sister of the bride gets trapped in the timeloop with him. Having two people in the time loop gives it more interesting dynamic than the usual timeloop story. Both characters' different approach to the timeloop adds push and pull to the relationship. And it is just really funny.

Tár - Right before Emerald City Comic Con a youtuber I like, Maggie Mae Fish, made a video about this movie. And how it examines how people abuse power. The basic summary of the movie is Tár is a conductor at the top of her field and she keep abusing her power, mostly to sleep with/date/groom young attractive women that work for her. It's an interesting movie because if it was about a man it would be a cliche. But because Tár is a woman, the movie can focus on the details and specifics of her abuse of power. There is a lot of attention to detail that helps the movie work on another level. I think if I say anything more, then I'd end up getting into spoilers/would basically be writing an essay about it.

Wolf Pack - I thought this was a sequel to MTV's Teen Wolf. And it is not. It has the same show runner and effects team, so it LOOKS like it should be connected to Teen Wolf, but instead it's much more serious. Which is kinda a shame. The show is kinda stiff in its seriousness. There are interesting bits here and there, like all the werewolves only get one werewolf power unless they are all together. But in its attempt to be series, it also tries to throw in one too many twists and then ends the show by taking a sharp turn into ableist messaging.

Witch Hat Atelier Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama - Last month I mentioned I've been listening to the podcast Mangasplaining. This and the next pick are the first of what will probably be several manga I check out based on that podcast. I had been recommended Witch Hat Atelier before and just put it off because time. Mangasplaining reviewing it was the final push I needed. They basically mentioned that magic in this series is 100% a metaphor for art. And appropriately, the art is just so beautiful that it's inspiring. I think it and Ghost Cage were part of what made me think I need to take the time to level up my art.

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui - This series I read a bunch of before the pandemic and then the library stopped being up to date on it/interrupted me checking em out regularly. If you aren't familiar, it's about dnd style adventurers exploring a dungeon and experimenting with cooking the monsters they kill (so they don't have to go back for supplies). It's almost over so I went and grabbed the books I hadn't read yet (like 5 I think). This one is really cute and I've liked how the plot has developed from the original premise to something with more complicated.

Ghost Cage by Nick Dragotta and Caleb Goellner - I picked this up because I know both Nick and Caleb. They had the first few issues at SDCC and I made a note to grab the trade when it's out. The premiss is this little robot guy has to fight personifications of what humans use for power (above is Fossil Fuel). The art is the real star of the show. It looks cool as hell and it is the star of the show. The paneling is really rad and interesting. Like I said with Witch Hat Atelier, it left me inspired to try and up my art.

Backpacking through Bedlam (Book 12 in Incryptid series) by Seanan McGuire - The Incryptid series is about a family of Cryptozoologists. This books picks up right after a semi cliffhanger from the last book. It's kinda hard to talk about it on its own. I liked it but I kinda wish it and the book right before it were one book.

That's everything I've been from me this month. I hope I can get a little more time to focus on stuff.

#newsletter #kelmcdonald #comics #werewolves #twitch #the city between #you are the chosen one #witch hat atelier #nick dragotta #ghost cage #tar #history of the world part 2 #palm springs #delicious in dungeon

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kingsmedley · 2 years

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*~*knowing your partner well can potentially make writing together a lot easier*~*

name. dusty

pronouns. he/they - optimal pronoun usage is switching or alternating between them, but i don't mind if you just stick to one or the other.

preference of communication. disco. mutuals are always free to ask for my disco!

name of muse. joshua kiryu

rp experience / how long. it'll be one year on the 22nd!

best experience. i've been having the time of my life here tbh, both writing and making friends, so can i just say that running this blog has been my best rp experience?

fluff, angst, or smut. angst. angst. angst. i don't write smut and struggle to maintain purely fluffy threads for long because i need some sort of conflict or plot to structure me rip.

long or short replies. both! i like short stuff especially for crack and when i don't have the brainpower to write much, but i also love writing long, emotionally intense replies when i'm up for it. <3

best time to write. literally just whenever i have energy. i tend to get surges of inspiration after 10pm, but i want to start going to bed earlier.

are you like your muse. there are elements of me in him as there are in everything i write, but as a whole, not really. he's so different from me, in fact, that when i started writing him, i had to track his entire thought process to figure out how he would react and respond to things because it didn't come naturally to me. i know him a lot better now and tapping into the way his mind works comes naturally, but he's probably the most "unlike me" character i've ever written, and that's part of what makes him so fun. i think getting so deep into the head of someone i can't immediately relate to has also genuinely made me a better and more sympathetic person.

#to dust or to gold || ooc #that said i have been getting interested in possibly starting to write smut recently. at least in fics #i'm not sure i'll ever rp it tho because i have such strict boundaries about what triggers my sex repulsion #but it might be fun to try at some point with someone i trust with a lot of ooc communication? idk

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if-you-dont-know23 · 4 months

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Another lil rant

This time in regards to accomidation in sunderland

so it's like 10pm at night i'm thinking of going to sleep soon because tomorrow me and my dad are going away for a few days in sunderland starting tomorrow (21st)

and i get a notification from booking.com that the acomidation that i have booked and paid for has cancelled

Like what in the actual fuck

called accomidation no answer

10 mins later she called back and said she was on another call could she call back soon i agreed and now an hour later she hasn't called back.

what the fuck am i gonna do. We're going for the springsteen concert on the 22nd so everywhere else is full

#fuck my life

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abrushwithdeath · 9 months

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🎉❤️ obviously he can't let his girl not get a new year's kiss

@lediableblanc-amoureuxdechats

It's not like they hadn't already spent a good portion of the evening stealing kisses, obviously, but once 11pm hit, there were no more kisses to be had. Not until midnight, at least. Anna Marie had declared as such just a few minutes past ten because she wanted that kiss at midnight to feel... a little more special, maybe? Actually, she wasn't sure what she'd been thinking and, by the time 11:30 rolled around she was already regretting it. (Who knew an hour could be so damn long?)

She supposed she could have rolled back her decision part way through the hour. She doubted that Remy would complain (though he might tease her some about it). But she was stubborn. Even when she was a little bit tipsy, and even when Remy was pressed so close she could feel the brush of his stubble against her cheek- she was still stubborn. No kisses. She could hold back. Just for the hour, she could hold back. They'd gone so long without kissing before all this that she'd thought it would be easy. Clearly, she was wrong.

But midnight would come eventually. And with it, the start of a new year. To some, that meant a chance to change. An excuse to try to flip their lives right side up and get their shit together. For some, when they inevitably slipped up a month or two in, they'd say to themselves "there's always next year" and fall back into the same patterns as always. Maybe that's why Anna Marie rarely thought of this transition as something so transformative. The calendar reset to "01/01", but your life kept right on chugging along like nothing had changed. It was all in your head. So why not make the effort to make changes on March 12th? Or June 22nd? Or even November 8th at 10pm with a whiskey sour in one hand and blind optimism curled in the palm of the other?

A glance at the clock post-conversation with Logan and Ororo suggested she only needed to wait out 7 more minutes before she'd be kissing him again. Yet she hadn't even though to ask him about what this all meant to him until right here, right now, the ice clinking in the now slightly watered down alcohol at the bottom of her glass. "Got any New Year's resolutions?" She asked Remy, reaching up to brush the satin of her glove along the slope of his jaw. Even through the thin fabric of the glove, she could feel the light prickle of his not-quite-so-freshly shaven facial hair against the pads of her fingers. It sent a little tingle through her. The thought of her lips, her teeth, brushing against the same path her fingers were now following...

Her only resolution was a long standing one, not something that came new and fresh with the changing of the year. She wanted to get this fully under control. She wanted to be able to touch every inch of him, to press her naked body against his. Nothing left between them. But it was more than that: she wanted to let some of the fear go. It would never leave her entirely, she was sure- you don't live as long as she has playing it careful just for that anxiety to disappear overnight. It was about controlling her powers some, yeah, but it was a lot about the mental work, too. And the mental work was a bitch. So she supposed she wouldn't beat herself up over it if the end of this coming year saw her without full control. Still, though, it was a nice thought to think that by the time 2025 rolled in, she'd have it figure out. She told Remy as such, too. Not because he ever pressured her, but because this was something that was entirely within her reach, she thought. "This year, I'm gonna play optimistic. Ain't served me none in the past to be broodin', right? And I suppose ya've proven ya ain't goin' nowhere..." She tapped her finger against his lips with that.

3 minutes to midnight.

"Guess we'll jus' strap in an' see where the years leads," Then, just to tease him some. "Could strap-on, too, if yer willin'..." The words were blatant enough, she didn't need to explain any further. Though she did follow them with a soft chuckle, even if it wasn't intended to detract from the seriousness of her words. After all, it's not like they hadn't discussed it before.

The final countdown started up soon after and she didn't hesitate to get a grip on his tie and tug him nice and close. Her green eyes locked on the red of his and she swore she could feel the sound, the rhythm, of every second tapping inside of her like a living thing. If they'd come this far in a year, she wondered how much further they could make it with another to follow. And hopefully another after that. And plenty more even beyond then.

"5!" Her fingers tightened their grip on that tie just a bit. "4!" And she was leaning up a bit with anticipation. "3!" Every nerve was a live wire- like there was electricity crackling in her veins. "2!" Last year's kiss had been short lived. Much shorter than either would have liked. "1!" This year, though? This year, he'd be hard pressed to get her to stop.

She slipped her arms around his neck and pressed herself up against him as their lips met. Forget everything and everyone else. Nothing beyond them existed. At least not for now. She hoped he'd caught his breath beforehand because Anna Marie had no plans on letting him actually stop anytime, soon. Not with the way she was kissing him right now with fingers in his hair and lips parting. She was gonna keep this up until her lungs were screaming or her powers kicked in. Whichever happened first. And, much to her surprise, it was the need to catch her breath that had won out. (It made her wonder just how much more she could do when she wasn't letting herself worry or overthink it all too much...)

The next kiss was smaller, a quick little kiss to accompany a now long overdue "Happy New Year". One which was soon followed by the reminder that they were still, upsettingly, not all alone. Though it was good that they were near the back of the room- she didn't much like the idea of winding up as the center of attention. "Whatcha say we get outta here? Ring in the New Year in a more... excitin' way..."

#lediableblanc amoureuxdechats #v; ''i cannot hide myself from you. i cannot hide my heart from my heart.'' // lediableblanc amoureuxdechats #((Well this ended up being much much longer than I intended. Oops xD))#reply

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bonesofwomanhood · 10 months

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November 30. Officially the last day of my birthmonth. My birthday was last week, november 22nd. It was also a month since my grandma died.

My birthday is my favourite day of the year, just because it's mine. I love birthdays, they're important to me, i love celebrating peoples birthdays, i wish i had someone to celebrate mine with. Usually i have dinner with mom and dad the night before, on the 21st, this year i didn't.

It was not a good one (are they ever? I feel like the past few years all of my birthdays have been sad, how pathetic is it that i still consider it the best day of the year?) It's so weird, you know? Often people tell me they feel the same on their birthday, like nothing changes for them but to me, as soon as the clock hits 00 and it's november 22nd, i'm fully conscious of my new age. I immediately know i'm older, i lived another year.

A few days before i accidentally saw something extremely triggering, i didn't mean to do so. It was a slide show of someone i like, a singer. She was talking about how she thought she would die before 18 but she didn't, how she will now be 30 (but she never made it to 30) i felt disgusting for getting triggered. I cancelled a movie date with a new friend (is she my friend? am i allowed to call her that or am i rushing?) And i felt disgusting for cancelling. I deleted all my social media and i didn't sleep, i couldn't stop crying and had to call the emergency line (yes, again. How pathetic, right?) They asked if i needed an ambulance again. I was terrified. I didn't tell anyone directly about what happened, why would i? I was terrified.

November 22nd. My birthday. Jessica Jung released her album and it was all pink, my favourite color. I tell myself it was for me, it has to be.

I still cried all day, i couldn't stop but didn't know why. Thank god i was alone, no one had to know. So many people forgot and that hurt me a lot but so many people remembered too, new people at that! Why was i so sad then?

Mom, who sent a million text messages all day asking how my birthday was going, i lied to her and said it was great. Dad, who sent a text saying he wanted me to do good in life. M, who (as always, my precious angel) sent me the longest message ever, talking about how proud she is of me and how much she loves me, along with a million pics and edits, our birthday tradition since i met her. D, who said she wanted me to take care of myself because she wants to celebrate me for many years to come. A, who made a birthday card with a pic of Hani, we got close this year, i like watching movies with him. K posted a tweet saying happy birthday, i haven't talked to her in months. I have her blocked but needed to see if she remembered, i think i miss her.

A few new people said Happy Birthday to me too, shorter messages but no less sweet. Why was i so sad and lonely then? I felt so guilty. I feel so guilty. I was annoyed that everyone was busy or just weren't close enough to me to celebrate it. The only thing i did was cry and stay in bed but then, at around 10pm someone asked if i wanted to watch something, it was the girl (the new friend?) that i had cancelled plans with the previous days, when i thought i was going to die, i was worried i had hurt her when in reality, she probably didn't care that i had cancelled. We ended up watching my favourite movie, Helter Skelter and i had ravioli with lots of cheese. It was good. The movie finished as soon as 00 hit the clock. November 23rd. My birthday was over and with that, all the magic of what is both the saddest yet best day of the year.

I saw my mom a few days later. She got me a sewing machine (that i never asked for but that i really wanted) and she was so proud of herself for getting me that. I thanked her and hugged her and we had a nice lunch before i went home. As soon as i was alone i started crying. Had i succeded in killing myself the week before, she would have wasted money. Why was i thinking that?

I'm 24 years old now. Never thought i lived this long. I wish i was healthy, i wish i could sleep properly, i wish i was happy. I thought at this age i would have my children, i would be able to have an actual job. I dreamed of that but i will never be able to and accepting it is so hard.

I feel guilty every second, because some people remembered but i was sad, because i'm older than i ever thought i would be so maybe no one believes that i'm sick, because i'm a burden, i can feel it.

24 years old. I'm terrified i won't make it to 25. I'm terrified i will make it to 25. I'm terrified that i do my best to think about it but i can't see myself being 25, i can't. Why can't i? I'm terrified and i'm really sorry to everyone. To everyone i love. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I promise you guilt eats me alive.

The idea that i'm now 24 sits so heavy in my heart, it's bittersweet. I guess it's good that i'm alive, i don't know why it's good but my therapist says it is. It's also a painful reminder of the fact that for 24 years i have been me, i have no way out. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I think i have been sadder since my birthday. I'm 24. I made it to 24.

#vent #birthday

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eregyrn-falls-art · 4 years

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Comet Success!

It started to look like last night might be our clearest night of the week, so we went out to try again. Success this time!

It involved a mile-long walk from a parking lot at the entrance to a wildlife reserve, down to the edge of the pond where we could get the longest views; in the pitch darkness (no moon), with plenty of fireflies in the woods around us, bullfrogs calling all over the pond, and still 80 degrees and humid at 10pm. We could walk in darkness because we were just on a main road the whole way (it was gated off at the entrance, so we knew there’d be no cars), and that allowed our eyes to adjust on the way.

Worth it at the end! While the comet’s tail was more of a smudge that I could see more easily if I looked just to the side of it, it truly WAS visible to the naked eye. (The lefthand pic above, just taken with an iphone, is unzoomed; not the greatest pics, but good enough for “we were there”.) Wacky! I’m pretty sure the bright star just below it is the tail of the Lynx, while the bright start to the right, and the two bright stars to the left, are part of the legs of Ursa Major.

Not dark enough to see the Milky Way, but definitely enough to see more of Cygnus than usual; for Antares to appear reddish even to me (I’m not that great at spotting the colors of stars); and for (at top) Jupiter (right) and Saturn to steal the show! Alas, I couldn’t get more of a view of them in the sky right there or I’d’ve been standing in the pond; just behind the tree almost blocking Jupiter is the “teakettle” of Sagittarius (Jupiter was on his elbow).

So I’m glad we did it, even if it meant a lot of late-night driving and walking. Hats off to anyone who got a better view!

And if you still haven’t -- from what I’ve heard, Neowise will continue to be visible through around July 25th. It will keep moving higher in the sky, towards the Big Dipper; but it’s also moving away from the sun, and so will become fainter. The 22nd and 23rd is the closest it will be to Earth. I think you might still be able to see it by the naked eye on the 25th, but that you might need good binoculars (or a spotting scope) to see the tail? Not sure -- but good luck to anyone who’s still hunting it!

#my photos #comets #stars #comet neowise #constellations #jupiter #saturn

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page-60 · 4 years

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7:10pm Sunday, November 22nd

Love

I’m scared you don’t love me like I love you.

Do you think of me every time you hear those certain songs?

Do you lay in your bed and soak up every note?

Do you see the things I’ve given you and think only good thoughts?

Are there paintings and places and books that remind you of moments we’ve shared?

Do you miss the sound of my laughter as much as I cherish yours?

Are the times we’ve cuddled stuck in your head on repeat?

Do you think of my pets when you look at yours?

Do you wish to hold me in your arms forever and never let me go?

Do you wish that every time you say “I love you” it seeps into my very bones?

Do you want me to know I’m cherished and loved?

And that everything will be okay?

I’m scared your love isn’t as deeply ingrained in your body as it is mine.

I’m scared. Do you love me like I love you?

#poetry #art #poem #my poem #original poem #poemsbyme #love letter #i love you #love #i love her #scared of love

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willowwisk · 4 years

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Heyy, you said it's ok to give you prompts?

Can you write a destiel fake/pretend relationship maybe? (Any setting works except HS please) You don't have to, of course.

And could you add me to the taglist?

Thank you, have a good day/night!!

AHH! yes of course! the fic is below the cut. its an au where dean needs to bring a date home for new years.

God. Damn. his father. that son of a bitch. All last year he dragged dean to bring a girl home for the holidays. all week it was “ooh dean, maybe you'll have a girl next year, ooh dean, when re we gonna get to see your girlfriend” what a tool.

but this year he finally stopped and thought. what if he DID bring someone home. stopped the annoying passive aggressive comments? easy. but who could he convince to fake date him?

that was where he hit a wall. No, really. he ran into the wall in the hallway of his dorm. shit. he needs to learn to think AND walk.

“What the fuck was that noise?” he heard from deep inside their studio dorm. “CAS!” he yelled, opening the plywood-esk door. “you’re a genius! I could just kiss you!” dean shrieked, hugging Cas. he would have no problem getting Castiel to relent to his idiotic plan.

“what, dean?” Castiel asked, slightly confused. “ok, so you know that Ryan Reynolds movie?” dean asked, knowing that cas would have no problem remembering every Reynolds movie to exist ever, the man was a wet dream.

“you are going to have to be more specific dean” cas added, becoming a little frustrated. “Sandra Bullock. Alaska.” Dean said.

“OH, you mean the Proposal? we watched it last month, right? We saw Ryan’s ass?” Cas realized. dean laughed. leave it to cas to remember that. but yea. that's the one.

once he explained to cas his little predicament and promised him he wasn't going to make him go to Alaska in December, they were packing their bags.

“WOAH cas if you put that in your bag I swear to god,” dean yelled, looking into cas’ duffle bag. the man was folding a Las Vegas raiders hoodie, and dean would not stand for that.

“what the fuck dean, you know this is my favorite sweatshirt!” he said in his gravelly, back off voice. Cas really had no idea did he. “Cas, you realize we are going to Kansas, right? that's chiefs’ country. if you wear a raiders hoodie anywhere NEAR Kansas, they will shoot you point blank! not to mention my father,” dean said, trailing off.

Dean handed Cas a spare chiefs hoodie from their shared mini closet. “here wear this, I'm your size and you will get a better reaction from the entire state.

cas was shaking his head but he begrudgingly put it in his bag.

and soon enough, they were off! the plane ride was a little turbulent, so of course dean thought he was going to die the entire time.

when they finally got on the ground, John, Mary and Sam where all there to greet him. Now, dean had told his family he was bringing home a date, but he didn’t specify the gender. they all knew he was bi; he was 20 and a sophomore in college, he was not planning on staying in the closet forever. However, his father elected to ignore that.

he was super excited to see Sam. when he was home for fall break, sam was sick in the hospital with the flu, and he was never really around the whole week. now he was better, and seemingly even taller.

“whats up bitch!” dean called out, giving him an epic noogie. “Deeeeaaaannnnnn! You’re such a jerk!” sam said, only giving dean more gusto.

“Dean! Sam! Quit it. We are in public.” John said, rearing his ugly head and ruining the fun. “Yes Sir.” The boys said in unison, making cas cringe.

“Dean, who is this young man?” Mary asked, gesturing towards cas and breaking the awkward silence that comes after you yell at your 20-year-old son.

Dean tool a deep breath, looked at Cas and told them that he was his boyfriend. Sam shook his hand, Mary said, “oh, alright! Hop in the car and we can head home” and john said, well, predictably, nothing. He just got in the car and drove home.

When they pulled up at Deans childhood home, it looked exactly as it did when he comes every year. Nothing seems to have changed except Sam’s room since dean was born. “dean, can you take yours and Castiels bags to your room?” mary asked, unlocking the door. Dean had already assured cas that he had had bunk beds in his room since he was 12, and that there was no need to worry about sharing one bed.

Until he walked into his room. If you could even call it that anymore. His black walls? They were now a light shade of baby blue. His music posters? Gone. Replaced by Ikea paintings of bridges and shit. And the worst part, instead of his bunk beds tucked into a corner of the room, there was one big queen-sized bed.

Dean threw the bags onto the bed and yelled “MOOOOOOM!!!!” downstairs he could hear a quiet exchange and a “shit!” before he heard his mom running up the stairs. She had a lot of explaining to do.

After explaining why his room had been butchered and replaced by that Martha Stewart crap, everyone was exhausted. Their flight had come in at 10pm, ad they lived an hour from the airport.

Cas was in the bed, and dean was on a blanket on the floor. Ouch. But that’s when all hell broke loose.

There was a sputter, sputter, CLANK across the house in the wee hours of the night. Everyone was asleep except dean, and he KNEW that sound. The fucking heater had gone out. On December 22nd. In Kansas. F U C K.

Dean lay shivering on the floor, when cas screamed in his sleep. Now dean felt extra bad. He was used to cas’s tears and whimpers in the night, since they were roommates, but he knew that straight up screams were really bad. Cas had nightmares and PTSD, like, bad. He grew up in an abusive household, and being the youngest sibling of 8, he was everyone’s favorite punching bag.

Dean knew the nightmares circled around that, but he never knew details. After waking cas a lot in his freshman year, dean finally learned that if you wake him up, its really hard for him to go back to sleep, so cas told him to just let him ride them out.

In the middle of deans thought, cas screamed again, mixed with a chocked back sob. “no, don’t hurt him- no! NO! don’t hurt dean no no no no!!” cas whimpered.

At this point, dean was planning intervention. This seemed way worse than normal, it felt more like a PTSD dream than a normal nightmare. He needed to get cas awake, and now.

Dean hopped up onto the bed and grabbed cas’ face in his hands. “cas buddy, wake up, your safe, I’m here. CAS” dean yelps, trying to wake his friend up.

All of the sudden, cas’ eyes pop open, and! He begins to have a panic attack. But that’s fine. Dean knows panic attacks. They follow their 5 things you can touch, smell, and see procedure, and by the last touch, cas has almost calmed all the way down.

“Cas, what is the fifth solid thing you can touch?” dean asks, praying that cas has calmed down.

Cas reached out and touched deans almost frozen lips. He points at dean. Cas then notices how cold dean is. He points at dean and puts his arms up in a ‘shivering’ gesture. Ok. So cas is going to be nonverbal tonight. Good to know. That one will be hard to explain.\

Its was also important to mention that cas had autism. He was a confusing little gay disaster that dean was somehow incredibly dependent on.

Cas had lifted his blankets and was gesturing that dean come and get in the bed, to warm up.

Dean was reluctant, but he was just so cold. So he relented.

“I hope you know im getting out as soon as the heat turns back on.” Dean said, crawling into bed.

He pressed his back to castiel's chest, effectively becoming the little spoon. Maybe this fake dating thing wouldn’t be so bad.

They had lost so many hours last night, that when the door opened in the morning, they were still asleep. “boys” mary said in a quiet voice.

This jolted dean awake, who was famously a very light sleeper, only to discover he and cas were even more entwined than before. He was now facing cas, and they were basically hugging horizontally.

“the heater is out ma” dean whispered, trying to not wake cas.

“dean, the heater came back on not two hours after it went out”

oh my god this was so fun to write, sorry i went off of your prompt a little, i really was afraid it was going to turn into a 100k fic lol and i write wherever the plot bunny takes me.

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hurglewurm · 4 years

Note

J'adore que ton chat parle française! Elle es trop mignonne! Donne lui un bisou de ma part 😻 and please, when you have the time, i would love to hear about how you aquired a cat from Qatar.

merci beaucoup !! c’est la langue qu’on parle chez moi, donc c’est la langue qu’on utilise pour elle :^)

aight i’m puttin the story under a cut. it’s not really THAT long unless i share a bunch of gritty family details and drama sjhgbjsb i’ll try to keep it cat-focused

so my uncle’s family (him, his wife, their son who is a couple of years younger than me) has been living in qatar for the past 10 years (this year their son was in university across the country from me and their original home a couple of towns over)

so in february, my aunt comes back to her town to take care of her aging mother. my uncle stays in qatar, my cousin is on the east coast.

and in late march, back when rona was first shutting down north america, my aunt texts my dad out of the blue like “my son’s coming back from the east coast. can he crash at your place” aka can we quarantine your son just in case bc you’re staying with your elderly mother. we did

anyway two (really three; redacted drama here) weeks later, she drives down to pick him up, and she sits down with us for a bit (i’m redacting so much drama) and mentions that she and my uncle have been fostering these three rescue cats in qatar, and there’s one that they think would be just PERFECT for My Dad (i barely exist to this woman it’s incredible. i’m not getting into it)

also worth noting - the other two cats (rowdy boys) had already found homes in qatar, but if they couldn’t find a home for this third one (a gentle young woman) she would have to be euthanized, bc she and my uncle are moving back to canada. anyway i started crying u cannot just say that to me i’m delicate

so for the next few weeks my dad and i discussed pros and cons of getting this cat, and eventually we decided. yeah let’s do it

cut to two weeks ago, july 22nd, and we’re at the eerily-empty airport at 10pm, waiting for my uncle and the cat to arrive after a 30+ hour journey which is honestly. horrifying to think about. i feel so fucking bad for this cat. i started sobbing the moment i saw her in her cage. her drinking water spilled during the flight and she kept meowing at my uncle before he handed her off. i continued sobbing for the whole ride home but she was very calm asgjhgsbjbjsg i felt SO bad. also i’m just an emotional little man this is who i am

and then i got her in my house and introduced her to the litterbox, which she understood. and then i sat on the floor and pretended to ignore her staring at me through the door of the litterbox and after 30 minutes or so she decided i was friendly and she came and rubbed her face on me and i tried to clean her back legs that now had clumping litter stuck to them bc of the water :( anyway we’ve been friends ever since and i’ve cried about it at least a couple of times

i like her a lot she’s great

i bought her a laser pointer today and she went fucking insane over it

#asks #anonymous #pistache

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cockslutpadalecki · 5 years

Text

My birthday is coming up in February so I thought I’d try and host a writing challenge with a difference! As I’ll be turning 32 and decided that I want you to take inspiration from thirty two things that I love - a combination of song lyrics, quotes, kinks and tropes.

RULES

Characters: Negan (The Walking Dead), Sam/Dean (Supernatural), Steve Rogers/Thor (Marvel), Angel Reyes (Mayans MC).

You’re more than welcome to choose more than one prompt and combine them and more than one person can choose the same prompt/s.

You don’t have to ‘use’ the song lyric or quote in your work - the story can be based around it if you’d prefer OR you can base your idea around the entire song if it works for you.

Dark themes welcome.

Can be fluff, smut or angst.

Any and ALL trigger warnings must be highlighted. Not much is off limits for me - except paedophilia, necrophilia and scat play (please for the love of god, don’t look it up).

Can be reader insert, 1st/3rd person, an OC or even from the character’s POV.

Anything over 500 words needs to be under a read more link.

Can be any length you like and paragraphs are your friend.

You don’t have to be following me but y’know.

Send me an ask to let me know which prompt you’d like so I can mark them off as we go. Replies/reblogs won’t be managed.

End date will be my birthday (22nd February) at 10pm GMT.

Use the tags #the thirty two challenge and #lisa’s birthday challenge and don’t forget to tag me in your work.

Reblog to spread the word.

Optimistic but would be amazing to have thirty two people sign up ;)

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

PROMPTS UNDER THE CUT

SONGS

Side to Side - Ariana Grande

'”Cause tonight I'm making deals with the devil and I know it's gonna get me in trouble” - @amethyst-dreams-and-candy-canes

Slow Burn - Atreyu

“But after this I feel as empty as the night before, feel the pain and yet I'm still begging for more.”

Always - Bon Jovi

“When he holds you close, when he pulls you near, when he says the words you've been needing to hear, I'll wish I was him. ‘Cause these words are mine to say to you ‘til the end of time.”

Secret Love Song - Little Mix

“Stolen moments that we steal as the curtain falls. It'll never be enough.”

Bubble Wrap - McFly

“You're standing in moonlight but you're black on the inside. Who do you think you are to cry?”

Problem - Natalia Kills

“I got your name hanging from my chain. Don't you wanna claim my body like a vandal? You got the cure underneath your shirt. Don't you wanna save this dirty little damsel?”

Half a Heart - One Direction

“Only half a blue sky. Kinda there but not quite. I'm walking around with just one shoe. I'm half a heart without you. I'm half a man at best with half an arrow in my chest. I miss everything we do. I'm half a heart without you” - @thenightmaresofstarktower

Broken Arrow - Pixie Lott

“You could be my hero if only I could let go. But his love is still in me like a broken arrow.”

Stay - Rihanna

“Not really sure how to feel about it, something in the way you move. Makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to stay” - @shotsbyshae

Body on Me - Rita Ora

“Put you up against the wall and I'ma go to work 'til you get off. Baby, soon as you're done we'll go some more.” - @letsby

There Are Worse Things I Could Do - Stockard Channing

“But I can feel and I can cry, a fact I'll bet you never knew. But to cry in front of you, that's the worst thing I could do.”

Stuck - Stacie Orrico

“You kept me hanging on a string. Why you make me cry? I tried to give you everything but you just gave me lies.”

I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift

“I knew you were trouble when you walked in so shame on me now.”

QUOTES

“You might not have been my first love but you were the love that made all others seem irrelevant” - Rupi Kaur - @becs-bunker

“These violent delights have violent ends” - Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juilet.

“The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist” - Roger "Verbal" Kint, The Usual Suspects. - @thoughtslikeaminefield

“I love you too. Promise me you’ll remember that.” “I promise.” “Good because I’m about to fuck you like I don’t” - J.M. Darhower, Monster in His Eyes - @crashdevlin

“Scars reminds us where we’ve been. They don’t have to dictate where we’re going” - David Rossi, Criminal Minds - @bunkerconfessions

“You cannot leave and have me too. I cannot exist in two places at once” - Rupi Kaur.

TROPES

A/B/O - @crashdevlin / @thatfanficstuff

Dom/Sub

Enemies to Lovers

Friends with Benefits - @thoughtslikeaminefield

Mobster AU - @becs-bunker

Mutual Unrequited Pining - @thenightmaresofstarktower

KINKS

Daddy Kink

Bondage

Knife Play

Cuckolding

Humiliation

Impact Play

Voyeurism

Please signal boost! @letsby @evansrogerskitten @amethyst-dreams-and-candy-canes @thoughtslikeaminefield @shotsbyshae @negans-lucille-tblr @princessmisery666 @crashdevlin @irrelevantwriter @thatfanficstuff @katymacsupernatural @holylulusworld @negansdirtygirl22 @kittenofdoomage @becs-bunker

#the thirty two challenge #lisa's birthday challenge #writing challenge

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clubmudkip · 4 years

Photo

The final moments of Mixer - What happens at the end of all things?

There weren’t a lot of people online for Mixer’s final moments, and I feel like this should be documented somewhere. So here it is: what it was like to watch interactive livestreaming platform Mixer exhale its very last breath.

It was announced that Mixer would be shut down on July 22nd, 2020. So hundreds of users gathered to watch the few final streams. In the minutes leading up to 12:00 midnight PST, users watched a purple and orange confetti graphic fall from the banner at the top of the site, covering streams and chats in small circles. A celebration of the end, we waited for the clock to roll over. What does the End look like? What happens when a website ceases to exist? We all wanted to find out.

For the final hours I watched Mixer user Magiccake62 (now on Twitch under the same name!) stream her usual creative art stream; on this night she chose to make clay figures to celebrate the release of indie game Ooblets. From her hands sprang small birds, mushrooms, and frogs; all collectible creatures from the game. Finally she said, “What are they gonna do, BAN me?” and streamed a movie from her childhood. Fortunately for Maggiccake62, no copyright strikes were received, and she was able to continue until the movie’s end.

Midnight came, and then went. And it was uneventful. We were all still here. Streams were still running. I was confused, so I did what every person born into the Age of the Internet would do. I googled it. I found one single source. (https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/mixer-shutdown-reportedly-set-for-july-23-after-marketing-error) Gaming news website DotEsports was the only reporter of... a marketing error? Despite all official sources listing the 22nd as the true shutdown time, DotEsports insists the true shutdown to be 11am PST on the 23rd. Honestly, this is so on brand for Mixer, you wonderful garbage website.

So we laughed and shrugged, some of us kept streaming, but most of us went to bed.

I needed to see the End. What does it feel like when our provider provides no more? Where do you go when you are kicked out of your home? How often does a community simply cease to exist?

I set my alarm early. I woke up at 8:45 PST. Only a few streamers were active. Most were bots running pre-recorded content; facecams saying “Thank you and remember to follow me on Twitch.tv!”. Of the few active users, I saw gamers playing Miinecraft, Fortnite, and various first person shooters that I’m not familiar with. I saw one dude streaming porn (because what are they gonna do, BAN him?). Someone was doing a radio show entitled “Mixer’s Funeral” which featured a looping gif of Gibby from iCarly playing a trumpet in front of a coffin, accompanied by various ‘80’s popular music titles. At 9:00am PST Halo Infinite was announced; many users livestreamed their reaction to the title.

Around 10:00am PST I stumbled upon a co-stream hosted by users DigiDuncan, Gambiy23, and DB05 (all can be found on Twitch under those same names). Each streamer did their own thing; Gambiy23 streamed sitcom King of Queens right from Netflix (because what are they gonna... you know the rest), DigiDuncan scrolled through Mixer watching bits and pieces of others’ final streams, and DB05 watched Youtube poops. On a Discord call together, they wanted to stream until the very end. So this is where I stayed, tuning in and out of chat, laughing along at the long-forgotten sitcom. I got cozy, and waited.

At around 10:40am PST, Gambiy23 received a copyright strike from Mixer and was banned, ceasing the King of Queens stream. I guess even at the End of all things, there are still rules.

[First Screenshot] Knowing that the end was near, DB05 began playing a cutscene of the moon falling to the earth from Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The building music made my heart pound. At 10:54am PST, Mixer pushed notifications reading “So long, and thanks for all the fish :)”, a quote mentioned before the planet Earth is demolished in order to make way for the hyperspace bypass, featured in the book series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy written by Douglas Adams. When I hear this quote, I think of it as a goodbye to the universe itself; an acknowledgement of the many wonders one has experienced in their life; one last expression of gratuity for the world they inhabited and the gifts they received from it. It was fitting. Mixer, unafraid, gazed into the void and shouted a final “thank you”. At the same time as the push notifications, MixerBots spammed chats with emojis of goldfish, prompting users to do the same. We sent to chats our final “i love you’s”, “thank you’s”, sent emojis and encouragements, “goodbye’s” and “goodnight’s”. DigiDuncan scrolled through the front page of Mixer, and we watched the streams start to blink out, leaving a blue Mixer “X” logo in their place. The confetti showers returned. The site began to lag. Finally, the clock struck 11:00am PST.

And the moon fell.

For a few seconds, the streamers laughed. “Is that it?”, “Is it over?” DB05’s moon had fallen, and the cutscene continued to play. A brilliant flash of white, and Link awakens in the past. The streamers look on, “We’re still he-” Silence cut them off.

The voices of 10 million users, silenced in an instant.

I think we expect the End to be deafening, chaotic, and frightening. Like an Action/disaster movie, filled with explosions and screams and panic. But instead the End was peaceful. Quiet. Almost comforting. It was like sitting atop a hill in the morning before the birds start to sing, watching the sun rise over the horizon. Alone, yet serene.

[Second Screenshot/Third Screenshot] Almost immediately, I realized I could still click around the site. The confetti continued to fall. At 11:12am PST, I returned to the userpage of my friend. All the streams had ended, but the content was still there. User’s “About Me” pages were still active, along with all of their clips, previously recorded streams, and other things like “Stream rules”. I was able to watch the tail end of Magiccake62’s stream from the previous night. I scrolled through Mixer’s homepage, clicking on names to read their bios and watch the stored video clips. It felt like wandering through a neighborhood evacuated before a storm; no time to bring your possessions with you. Houses left unlocked, devoid of life and frozen in time.

[Fourth Screenshot] by 11:13am PST Chats still remained active as long as you did not navigate away from the page. I continued to talk with some of the users that had been watching the stream. Just a few remaining voices, alone in this huge, empty city.

[Fifth screenshot/Sixth Screenshot] As I continued to look through the abandoned homes, I caught the tail end of DMacAttack12’s pre-recorded finale stream from the previous night. He was playing indie game Celeste: Farewell. The main character, upon reaching the top of the mountain, experiences a dream where she sees a long dead friend. She apologizes to the friend for not attending the funeral, and the friend laughs. “The Funeral wasn’t for me. It was for all of you, stuck living on without me,” she chortled. The main character awakens from her dream, and takes the time to reconnect with her friends in the present. Perhaps Mixer’s last day was always meant to be that; not a goodbye, but a way to reconnect with each other.

[Seventh Screenshot] At 11:30am PST, the majority of the streams’ “offline” screencaps had vanished. Chats continued to function, but you could not join new ones. Trying to visit a new stream would result in the chat section loading forever. The voices were dwindling. As far as I could tell, it was just myself and DigiDuncan. We talked about the future and exchanged Twitch handles, and thanked each other for being here - at least we could watch this noiseless sunrise together. We wondered if we were truly alone, if anyone could hear us. We wondered how long this would last. How long did the two of us have, in the End?

[Eighth Screenshot] At 11:38am PST, chat function disconnected. I could no longer send messages to my new friend. Error messages began popping up in place of streams. DigiDuncan told me they were using chat via OBS, a client that helps you set up and organize your stream (I was just using in browser), so their world was completely different from the one that I was experiencing. I worried about DigiDuncan. I was forced out, and I don’t know if they were left to experience the End alone.

[Ninth Screenshot] At 12:10pm PST, All mixer URLs began returning this error message. The End was no longer a void, but a brilliant blinding white light. But as quickly as it came, it vanished.

[Tenth Screenshot] I returned to the Mixer homepage at 12:11pm PST to find it completely empty, but still stylized with the Mixer logo and signature blue backgrounds. The booming voice of the error message notifies me that something has gone wrong as the homes filled with memories I had been visiting vanish around me, leaving endless winding pavement streets and empty grass lots in their wake. What was once a bustling community was now nothing at all. Any presence of the people who once lived here, their culture, their love and their stories, had simply evaporated into the sunrise. With no other words or pictures to advertise streams, everything is quiet. It is peaceful. It is the End.

[Eleventh Screenshot] By 12:16pm PST, all Mixer URLs displayed a graphic of a blue robot with hearts for eyes. This continues to be the case at the time of posting. With no users and no staff, Mixer itself is Alone, yet serene. In this graphic, at the End of all things, Mixer sighs a final “thank you” to the diaspora.

Goodnight Mixer. So long and thanks for all the fun :)

#mixer #twitch

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andytfish · 4 years

Text

FREELANCE GUiDANCE: A 10 Part Series - #3 Setting Up Work Parameters

One of the benefits of Freelancing is the FREEDOM but sometimes too much freedom leads to disorganization and chaos. Possibly the biggest challenger a Freelancer faces is the ability to be his own boss-- with no one constantly over your shoulder, no fear of a walk thru by the uppity mucks there's plenty of opportunity to slack off, and that will kill your career.

1. ESTABLISH YOUR WORK HOURS - This should be a "general" guide because as I've already covered sometimes creativity cannot be caged. Sometimes that great idea or inspiration comes at 2 in the morning rather than at 9. Everyone is different and this is a find your way kind of rule. During a week of working freelance take occasion to jot down notes of the time and productivity-- you'll likely see a pattern emerge. In my own case I like to get an early start but seldom do. But after years of study I've discovered my peak productivity blocks in the day- 5am-8am and 2pm to 10pm. We'll get into this a bit further below.

2. ESTABLISH A WORK AREA - This is the BIGGEST key for me. I don't allow my work to spread out all over the house. I work ONLY in my studio space. The entire third floor of my house is my office area. It houses my computers, drawing tables, easels, supplies and reference material. I DON'T spend ANY time in there NOT working. You wouldn't drive to your corporate office job so you can search eBay would you? I treat my work area with the same respect.

3. KNOW WHEN A JOB IS NOT THE RIGHT FIT - It’s hard when you're just starting out to turn down a job, but sometimes (especially early on) things come along that are not right for you. I can't draw cute. I can't. Bunnies might start KIND OF cute but eventually they're going to look depraved. It's not in my makeup. Early in my career I would have taken that gig and kept at it killing myself and doing four times the work to make it right for the client. Now I know better. You turn down the WRONG job so you're available when the RIGHT job comes along.

4. DEADLINES TRUMP EVERYTHING - My kids from an early age knew the phrase "Dad's on a deadline" -- which meant I'm a phantom that might pop up out of my studio 2-3 times a week. The Deadline is the thing. I don't miss deadlines. This should not be your every week routine— you need to have a life, but those deadline crunch times are special circumstances.

5. SET UP PRODUCTIVITY - Da Vinci used a similar schedule and I've found this works; 45-90 minute working sessions with breaks in between makes me MUCH more productive.

LET'S GET A LITTLE FURTHER IN-DEPTH to my talking points

1- Establishing Your Work Hours-- I would suggest you even buy yourself an OPEN/CLOSED sign that you can put outside your workroom door. It doesn't have to be a fancy neon one, it can be a simple cardboard one. In my studio I use to blowmold ghosts that sit at the edge of my desk-- when they're on I'm working. It not only lets other people know you're "at work" it gets yourself into the right frame of mind.

Share your working hours with significant others. Let them know you're going to be struggling to "work from home" and you'll need their help. They wouldn't walk into your office on Park Avenue with your co-workers all around and your boss down the hall clutching the light bill and saying we need to talk about that neon beer sign you must have on 24 hours a day-- they would wait until you're home from work, and just because work is now home there should be no difference.

They need to understand that work from home does NOT mean you don't work. It does not mean every elderly relative can expect you to shuttle them around to doctor appointments, it doesn't mean you're instantly the chaperone at juniors Zoo trip. YOU ARE STILL WORKING just AT HOME.

You’ll need to decide if you are going to follow a standard Monday-Friday work week or will you take Mondays and Tuesdays off? Resist the urge to not take days off because money is coming in. I strongly advocate days off for your own mental health. It's easy to swing the opposite direction in Freelance and work 24/7.

One of the first things I wanted when I went Freelance was weekends off. After years of working in retail I never got to enjoy them. In retail I had every Sunday and Wednesday off. SPLIT days-- and I was looking forward to two together. It seemed like a dream to me.

The downside to being off weekends is so is everyone else. So those Wednesday trips to the bank or the post office I used to make were a breeze compared to trying to go on Saturday morning.

Now, I schedule days off (and to be honest A Day Off) the week I'm working. It allows me to better balance projects. And being completely honest, I LOVE working freelance, sometimes taking a day off is like punishment. But even on the weeks I don't take a day off I take a morning off, or an afternoon, or an evening-- that works for me. Starting out-- I'd give yourself at least one day off each week as you're figuring out what works for you.

How About Holidays? That seems like a no-brainer until you're on that big project and it's due Dec 27th and using the Organizational skills I set up for you in Session 1 you realize you're behind. Suddenly you have a virtual scale in front of you held by Santa Claus with family and friends on one side and the client on the other.

Deciding up front that it's a hard and fast rule that you won't work CERTAIN holidays is a concession I made right away. I don't work on Christmas-- in fact I don't work two days BEFORE Christmas and I don't work the week FOLLOWING Christmas up through to Jan 2nd. I don't. Nope, not gonna do it.

Why? I like Christmas and it's a holiday I look forward to. I work extremely hard up to Dec 22nd but truth be told Christmas is VERY Slow in Freelance because most clients aren't thinking about projects either. So a studio shut down is perfectly acceptable.

But the OTHER 99 holidays on the calendar? They are all up for grabs. I don't work the night of my wife's Birthday and I keep the schedule light during the day-- but other than Xmas, New Years and my Wife's Birthday I will work any other holiday even at the drop of a hat.

Knowing this helps me keep the stress level down. My family knowing this keeps them from asking me why I'm not coming to the Memorial Day cookout, or the Patriots Day party.

2. Establish a Work Area - My wife has her own studio on another floor of the house. We meet daily for Breakfast and Lunch which is a nice break. Her studio is very zen. Very few things, a handful of books, some sparse furniture and warm inviting lights with some inspirational artwork hanging prominently around the room. Mine is the polar opposite of Zen. It's loaded like a High School locker. There is not an inch of space on my walls or shelves that is not filled with comics, posters, original art, toys, action figures, vintage japanese vinyl toys, a lifesize Frankenstein, an Adam West Batman Cowl, a Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man Mask a Tony the Tiger display head, Darth Vader mask, more toys, more art more action figures and did I mention Books? Libraries come to me to borrow things. There are THOUSANDS of books.

I love the kinetic cluttered energy it gives off. At Christmas time I decorate Frankenstein with colored lights. The rest of the year Halloween Lights hang in my studio. It's my own personal Batcave-- all I'm missing is a British Butler walking in with coffee and scones every forty five minutes.

But that space works for me. It gets me juiced up and ready to work.

That's how you need to set YOUR space. When you're just starting out you may have to incorporate a drawing or work area in another room because of space restraints. When I was first starting out in a one bedroom studio my bed was three feet from my drawing table. It made for some tough nights sleeping because it was hard to "turn off" working mode in the same room.

Regardless of space, make some for yourself. I have a good friend whose first studio space was a medium sized closet. It was actually kind of cool-- you had to climb in like a race car but once you were encased in the environment like a man piloting a lunar shuttle to the moon you were ready to work.

The point is to make this space YOUR work inspiration-- so make it a place you WANT to spend time in.

3. Know when a Job is NOT the Right Fit - Easy to say when you're established. You're going to take pretty much any job that comes along at first, and that's okay. Sometimes you don't even know the job isn't right for you until you're doing it. When we get to PART 5: GETTING PAID SON we'll look at how to budget for these types of jobs so at least you're getting paid well for something that isn't a fit.

Let's assume that despite your portfolio of Goth Animals someone comes to you thinking you'd be perfect for that highly detailed photo accurate oil painting of Grandma. That's not a good fit for you, you know it, they don't. But the light bill is due and there's not a lot else coming in right now so you're thinking hard about taking it. It's a fork in the road decision:

A. You take it and spend HOURS upon HOURS resisting the urge to give grandma dark undereyes and floppy ears. If you went with this option the biggest advice I can give you is do a lot of research and spend a LOT of time warming up. Look at portraits, look at Presidential Portraits and study the brush strokes. Grab your favorite sketchbook and some colored pencils and get to an art museum and do some sketching of the portraits in the collection. Get your head ready for the project and then give it your best shot.

B. Pass on it and recommend a friend you know who would be a better fit, earning Karma points from the friend and freeing yourself up for that job that WILL fit. Spend the downtime Marketing yourself (also coming up in the series) which is a better expenditure of your time and resources.

4. Deadlines Trump All - All my rules of work parameters combined with the skills I imparted in the ORGANIZATION session should lead you to a point where you don't have to work overtime, but in the real world we know that occasionally that IS going to happen. If you find yourself CONSTANTLY working overtime on projects re-evaluate your working methods and see if you are actually being productive or if you're wasting a lot of time.

5. SetUp Productivity - The eight hour workday became the norm at the turn of the last century and pretty much has been the standard ever since. This method goes back LONG before that to the days of Leonardo Da Vinci who often used this seemingly odd method to accomplish the amazing array of achievements he did over the course of his life.

It's simple-- you work in 45-90 minute sessions with breaks in between. During the session you do NOTHING but work. You don't answer the phone if it rings (that's why Voicemail was created) you don't check your email. You don't jump on IMDB to see who was the actor inside Darth Vader's suit (it was Dave Prowse, body builder and former Frankenstein actor). YOU WORK. Because SO much of our day is actually filled with distraction. That's OK if you work for SNIDELY WHIPLASH INDUSTRIES who is paying you a fat check to work 30% of the time, as a Freelancer you only get paid for the hours you actually WORK. Novel concept isn't it? It's the price you pay for being your own boss.

This is best accomplished either by setting up a PLAYLIST running the allotted time, or by streaming an episode of a TV series or even setting an alarm clock. Give it a try-- WORK for the allocated time and THEN take a break of 15-30 mins (also timed) to check your mail, return phone calls, do whatever-- you will be AMAZED at how this works if you can really be disciplined about it.

NEXT WEEK: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS -- it's the difference between eating and not.

Andy Fish is a freelance artist and writer who has been living the lifestyle longer than there has been an iPhone on this planet. The advice given has worked for him, it might work for you, he hopes it does. But like all advice, take it with your own situation in mind. If you want to contact him shoot him an email [email protected]

#ADVICE #FREELANCE #FREELANCE LIFESTYLE

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