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noircartoons · 8 months

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Bauhaus, 1920 vintage poster

Ofélia SQ @abstract-mind

It was 2AM, yet i found myself looking at products with discount in the abyss that is online shopping. An addicting desire to find a decoration for our wall, one just for myself. Even if i have to share this wall with four people—this small corner, this painting, is mine.

I found a poster i had not seen in quite some time. The poster did not credit an artist, it only said "Bauhaus 1920 vintage poster". The art was clearly done digitally, to be mass produced and sold online effortlessly.

I found myself...drawn towards those posters. They were pretty, yes—but not in the way a flower is pretty. In the way a siren song is pretty. I was never one to fall for sirens myself, i have few desires to fill me with such carnal instincts to seek for it at all costs once under a spell, the feeling of it being so close you could dig your canines into it's neck is enough to speed any man's heart.

That was not what i felt, no. It was a whisper, almost. I was unsure what had drawn me in. I could see beautiful colors and lines without the desire to buy them, what is different about this one? It was simple enough and i knew enough techniques that i could repaint it myself, but it was not enough, it would have flaws—i needed the one they sold. The one forever frozen in this A3 paper that would either catch dust in my wall or be forever locked inside it's plastic bag, gasping for air as no treasure has ever asked to become a treasure.

I pondered more over my strange feelings, if it could be remade and did not impress me that much, what made me feel this way? Why could no other poster strike my attention like this one? Why did i feel incomplete without it?

A friend of mine, an anarchist at heart, would call it blantant consumerism. A hole barely disguised with a carpet of leaves, only waiting for me to get distracted. Yes, i understood his reasoning, but i was far too inteligent to be compared to such a foolish act! Yet, my brain failed to provide me with any other results,

for such a simple question none the less; "Why do i like this?"

I look at the corner of our room. It has several canvases, some unfinished, some white, some complete. My piece is there, as well. The only piece i had ever produced: A painting inspired by these posters, abstract and with limited colors, though the materials were what shined. A patchwork of handmade canvas fabrics, glued in several spots, barely connecting, over a plane piece of paraná paper. Behind the paper, i had painted and glued some cheap thin foam that was used as a pizza plate under the store bought pizza we cooked. My anarchist friend is the one known for recycling, yet when i broke that foam to throw it out, I found it beautiful.

That was my first and only painting. I struggled to paint since, despite wanting to. When i look at these cheap, consumerist posters, it's my art that i see. Is that what drawns me in?

When my anarchist friend began volunteering in an art gallery, i found that people tended to like art that they could see themselves in. My friend had very intense emotions despite his calm demeanor, his lines were shaken and blurred and sketchy. He refused to draw otherwise. He refused to draw prettier, or more convenient. He enjoyed a canvas that was too small, and other that was taller then him. He enjoyed throwing his ink on the canvas to the point he always had to shower after a painting to get the nankin off of his hands and thighs.

I believe my fascination with him...would be how strongly he carries himself. He is no shadow, the sun competes with him for attention. I do not need such futile things, no. I do not need to be remembered, or known. Yet, when we're in an exposition together, he photographs everything with so much passion, he sees everything with so much beauty, he gives all of his body to his paintings to the point i wouldn't be surprised if he covered himself in paint and rolled over a canvas.

I believe...he is a better poet than me, although visually. He gets a good part of the wall for his art. I only made my only painting, that once it had dried the first thing i did was change completely its color palette and repaint it. When i was in the art gallery with him, all i could find where things i'd do differently, or feel nothing at all. I fear my love of art is not enough to melt my dried heart into proper ink to finish writing this poem.

It is 2:30, and i have yet to find out why i love those cheap Bahaus posters, made specifically to sell. I believe, on one hand, i understand being superficial to better sell yourself. It is all i know how to do. On the other, there's a beauty in the abstract, on not needing to be understood. Perhaps it is just a pretty poster with lines that overlap and find each other, or sharp black and white pinaccles against a burning red sky. Perhaps it is just a red square against a cream colored background. There is no texture and no technique, it is a commercial design over a painting. There are much better abstract paintings over there, with fantastic techniques. Yet—this is the one i'm drawn towards. There is nothing special about it besides it's superficial beauty, but perhaps i can find a beauty on it if i seek hard enough. And perhaps, i will want to seek that beauty on myself, as well.

#poetry #poem #ofélia.txt

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perhaps-in-anotherdream · 8 months

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Hello how are you? I hope that studying and life in general is not stressing you out too much♥️♥️♥️. I wanted to ask you what's going on with Li zeyan and Love and Deep space? I saw a lot of people complaining about it on weibo, but I don't quite understand anything... thank you very much ♥️♥️♥️

hello! thank you so much for your concerns. i’m... living through ahah :’> hope you’re doing well too!~ 💕

uhh the main fiasco started with the originality/ novelty of the content love and deepspace (LnDS) has been releasing, actually. it’s no secret that LnDS’ main world-building elements are taken/ borrowed/ carried over from love and producer (LnP), however you want to word it. if you have experienced LnDS even a little, you might have noticed the traces of LnP men are scattered throughout the MLs characteristics. this, to a certain degree, was appreciated by the LnP players since the Easter eggs could be helpful to create an emotional attachment/ bond with these new characters faster. but, the dissatisfaction erupted when it came to making the new characters unique on their own and not the recycled version of the MLs from their mother game.

the thing that recently got especially Li Zeyan stans all riled up was due to LnDS using “red rose” as Qi Yu/ Rafayel’s flower aka motif. everyone knows that LnP has been branding “red rose” as Li Zeyan’s flower and motif since the dawning of the game. it’s in his official character book, introduction, his story contents, karma arts, official merch etc. so, the stans are mad at Papergames using such an important motif symbolizing a male lead (and their most popular ML at that) from their own game for another male lead under the same company’s banner, which also on pen and paper is a sequel of the prior. they also brought up how they could’ve used other roses except red for Qi Yu, which would’ve fit his character better. there are dissatisfactions over some other writing factors being recycled too. and when the whole thing is put into perspective, unfortunately, it kind of brings out a rather biting and disappointing picture for LnDS which i don’t really want to get into haha~

—

#ask

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mackeralsauce · 3 months

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*asks you about your fics boy*

ohohoo you've unleashed the pharoah's curse by asking this, boy... /silly

there's gonna be a lot so i'm gonna put this under a read more label, prepare for way too much worldbuilding and way too much autism >:D

so as the summary suggests, The Ruse Theory series of Cuttletavio fics is my interpretation of the ship. Not an attempt at an AU or canon divergence, but what my personal theories are regarding what REALLY went down with the Great Turf War, the ship/character dynamics, and the cultures of the two factions. While the fic IS about Cuttletavio (Cap'n Craig Cuttlefish x Shogun/DJ Octavio Takowasa), there is also a wider focus on the worldbuilding of Pre-War Inkadia.

There's a lot of choices sprinkled throughout that are actually based on small lore tid-bits and other such notes. For instance, the inklings' faction is named Haven because the inkling territory on the Inkadia map is labelled as a "haven" while the octarian territory is labelled as a "wasteland". On the topic of Haven/Inkadia's faction of inklings, I feel their culture was always somewhat similar to American culture; that in which it is heavily consumeristic. Looks great on paper, but when you really visit it, it's a horrible mess for everyone but the rich. It isn't entirely the same of course (they do not have three branches of government nor a real 'government' to begin with, they are ruled by their military), but there are key comparisons to be made.

Since the inkfish (both sides, inkling and octoling) are a different species than us humans, I feel their cultures may have grown and innovated at a different pace. Thus, instead of focusing on one specific human 'decade' of culture, there is an intermingling of different things from different decades. Haven has a mixture of things from the 20s all the way to the 70s. As an example, Craig is meant to have a certain 70s style to him in design, but his speech is more akin to the 20s-40s, a little of the 50s as well.

The Octarian Shogunate's culture is definitely more akin to Japanese culture. However, while Haven's similarities to America are pure coincidence, the Shogunate's are moreso of a result of left-over relics being discovered. As they knew the locations of human bunkers, its not too farfetched to infer that perhaps some historical relics and documents were brought to these bunkers, and thus during exploration the octarians would find these and learn from them. It would not be entirely the same- especially due to the language barrier of not understanding their texts entirely/completely and deciphering human languages could take ages- but they would perhaps find influence from old illustrations and pictures of architecture, culture, and other signifigant things. It would also make sense as they have a habit of recycling.

Despite the Shogunate appearing to be more tradtional and old-fashioned, their technology would actually be leagues ahead of Haven. While Haven has to rely on black-and-white films and simple vinyl records for music, it is very likely that the octarians have developed color photography- although bearing a preference for art/paintings instead- as well as more advanced music storage. Perhaps even digital means! Whose to say? Regardless, I think they definitely developed the musical synthesizer.

SORRY FOR INFODUMP... there will be more to learn and come in the coming chapters of the fic.... yahoo!

#infodump #thank u for asking about my fics boy

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romanticizedlife-patchnotes · 1 year

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*Patch Notes 8/22/23*

A lot has happened. Many improvements have been been made that probably deserve their own posts. Did a lot of back sliding, attempts at recovery, and more back sliding. Also kept forgetting this blog existed.

CURRENT GOALS:

Clean and organized apartment

Time and suitable environment to focus on art

Being caught up enough on responsibilities and housework that I can feel comfortable spending time on video games and anime

Making a less stressful environment for my cats

Time for and Accessibility of Proper Nutrition

Get to bed earlier

Get up when my alarm goes off

Toying with the idea of setting up an online shop for like stickers and junk

Stuff Done Yesterday & Today:

Clean and organized apartment

Stacked the white boards and cork boards that have been floating around the apartment since I moved in neatly behind the recliner in the living room. I won't have to move them again unless I'm (finally) putting them up.

Made progress cleaning in kitchen

Made progress cleaning in study

Slapped a label saying "SPARE PARTS" on a drawer of a plastic storage unit in my basement so, once I find where they are, all the little baggies of spare hardware/accessories/parts for various appliances and pieces of furniture (THAT I HAVE BEEN SO GOOOD AT LABELNG. WHERE ARE THEY?!) will have a home. Baggies Found: 5/??

Slapped a "MANUALS" label on another drawer so now I have a place for them too

Arranged the shelving units in the basement so I can actually see and access shit easily

Time and suitable environment to focus on art

Cleared off the folding table that's been piled with papers and junk for 6 months

Cleared off my desk

Cleared off most the floor of my study

Drew plans for a U-Shaped desk that I think would help. Not sure if I'm going for it. Won't have a chance to build it until late September anyway.

My current desk has a riser shelf that I took off a while ago, thinking it would give me more useable space (it did not). I have a worklight I bought at goodwill a couple weeks ago that I intended to use for a workbench I'm most likely not going to build. It just fits under the riser, but its power cord comes out the center of the back, which puts it at odds with the riser support bar. So I drilled a hole in the riser support bar. I don't think the bits I have are meant to be used on metal, but I got it to work somehow. And after some hack-sawing and filing, and some more hack sawing and filing because I didn't account for the nut at the base of the power cord, it works pretty well!

Rearranged my furniture a bit. Trying an L-shaped desk set up

Being caught up enough on responsibilities and housework that I can feel comfortable spending time on video games and anime

Put on an episode of anime while eating lunch

Finally tumbled and folded the sheets that have been in the dryer for, like, two weeks

Washed a load of darks

Making a Less Stressful Environnment for my Cats

Cleared floor space in living room, kitchen and study

Moved chair I was going to donate back into kitchen so they can sit with me instead of me moving them off my chair

Making effort to clean/rearrange things in a calmer fashion so Maou freaks out less

Time for and Accessibility of Proper Nutrition

Washed a shit ton of dishes, focusing on the takeout containers I use for ready-made meals

Cleaned the fridge out. Got rid of food that had gone bad (oh god it was gross) and washed off spills

Made a start on organizing cabinets so I can find the dishes and containers need when i need them.

Cooked rice, chicken, and vegetables and arranged them in microwavable containers so I can h eat them quick later

Get to bed earlier

Brought in water bottles from car and stocked under bed

Put empty water bottles in recycling

Cleared a bunch of stuff that's been covering the floor for ages

Moved my headboard power strip to the other side so I can have my white noise machine and bed lamp closer to my head

Get up when my alarm goes off

Set up an anime I really want to rewatch on DVD player in kitchen, so I can watch it while eating breakfast. Hoping this motivates me to get ouut of bed.

Logged into Crunchyroll on android box for the same reason. Looking for HiDive password.

Toying with the idea of setting up an online shop for like stickers and junk

Made a vague plan. Most of it depends on me actually neatly finishing art on purpose. Im good at making art. Finishing art neatly and on purpose are my weak points (My strong point is bullshit that looks pretty good). Should probably revisit this idea when I'm further along with "Time and suitable environment to focus on art"

#rl-pn #did a lot. now i have to draw and then i get to play zelda.

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artist-and-space · 4 months

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Jessie Chen aka ziliaoshi

interview by Niki Ito // photography by Kestin Mica

Jessie Chen is a Taiwanese crochet artist who runs her own business creating unique and functional crochet pieces. This year she is focused on using sustainable materials such as fabric from old kimonos. She also runs workshops for people to experience the joy and healing of crocheting. We sat down with Jessie at her atelier in Tainan, Taiwan.

Niki: Hi Jessie, can you please introduce yourself and talk about how you started doing your art?

Jessie: Sure, I started doing my crochet art in 2020 when we were stuck at home during COVID-19. I loved crocheting at University, but I didn’t think it would become my business. During COVID, I picked it up again, and my friends encouraged me to make various items like headbands and hats. That’s how I started my business.

Niki: Wow. So, at that time, had you graduated and were already working?

Jessie: Yes, I worked for about four years in Los Angeles.

Niki: Did the work involve art? Jessie: Yeah, actually, I worked at an art gallery sponsored by the Japanese government's Foreign Affairs department. They have three locations worldwide: London, Los Angeles, and São Paulo, Brazil. I worked at the gallery in Los Angeles. It really helped me develop my art.

I want my work to make people feel a sense of calm and healing.

Niki: What kind of artwork did the gallery show?

Jessie: It had a wide range of mediums, such as ceramics, Kumihimo, silk braiding, visual art, and more. Japanese artists or art companies would submit proposals to the government, which picked different works each season. I enjoyed the work, and so after I moved back to Taiwan, I thought maybe I could start my own business.

Niki: That's great. How has the business developed since you began?

Jessie: It’s been going well. I’ve gained market experience and am currently developing my own website to showcase my work.

Niki: Your pictures are beautiful too. Jessie: Thank you! I love taking pictures and creating different series.

Niki: This piece is really cool. Is it made from recycled materials?

Jessie: Yes, this piece is made from a paper company in Zhonghua, Taiwan. This year I’ve started focusing on sustainable materials.

Niki: It feels solid and strong, yet smooth and soft at the same time.

Jessie: Yeah, exactly. That’s what I like about crocheting.

Niki: How did you become interested in sustainable materials? Jessie: I think it’s because today's fashion is overwhelmed by fast-fashion brands like Uniqlo and others selling disposable items. I wanted to focus on materials that can be reused or repurposed, even if they’re old.

Niki: With many of your materials, do you collaborate with companies?

Jessie: Yes, including the paper factory in Taiwan, I also use different types of cotton sourced from Taiwan and the United States. I find them myself and mix them together to create my own colors.

Niki: Did you learn business and fashion?

Jessie: I’m currently studying both by reading books. I don’t have much background in marketing or business, so it’s challenging to push my work to the market and promote it on social media.

Niki: Do you feel like social media is a big part of marketing now? Jessie: Yes, it’s huge. People know your brand through Instagram and online presence. I also have a website and opened this studio a year ago and invited people to come over for workshops.

I wanted to focus on materials that can be reused or repurposed, even if they’re old.

Niki: This yarn is from Japan, right?

Jessie: Yes, it’s called Kimono Yarn, repurposed from old kimonos that could not be worn anymore and I really like the texture. I contacted the company online. This company is in Fukuoka, but I think they do a lot of pop-ups in big department stores, like in Takashimaya in Yokohama. They also have workshops. I hope I can visit them one day in person.

Niki: How did you find the company? Jessie: I follow a knit artist in Japan named Chihiro. And then at this one exhibition in Japan, she introduced this yarn in her works. I really like their work. Some of her creations use kimono yarn for many different things.

Niki: Very cool! And then you were able to connect with the company through Instagram?

Jessie: Yeah. I was like, "Oh, I'm in Taiwan, but I really like your yarns. Can you send them to Taiwan?" And they did.

Niki: Oh, so cool! I work at an art gallery, and we have old Japanese woodblock prints from the 19th century, with geisha, courtesans, and their kimonos. It really incorporates different fabric-making techniques, like dyeing. We've learned a bit about how they used to do it.

Jessie: Yeah, this is the tradition I want to keep. I like antiques and old things, so these kimono yarns attract me. So delicate and unique.

Niki: The ceramic collaboration is very cute, and the color is beautiful, too.

Jessie: It's light green. I really like green right now.

Niki: Did the fabric's color fade due to the sun, or is it naturally this color?

Jessie: It's naturally this color, but the more you use it, the lighter it will become. It's the nature of the fiber; it fades over time.

Niki: Were you planning to collaborate with the artist before you had the idea of making it?

Jessie: I had the idea, but I wasn’t sure if she’d be interested since she usually makes larger items like vases and kitchenware. This project is small and requires a lot of patience. But when I talked to her, she thought it would be a good mix, and we decided to do it. It took maybe about 3 months. We talked and then we made this.

Niki: Do you think you’ll continue exploring different materials and collaborations? Jessie: Yes, I’m always looking to try new things. This year, I plan to approach art galleries for pop-ups and explore different approaches since the craft market in Taiwan is getting a bit crowded with weekly events, whereas it used to be only once a month. People might be getting a bit too used to it. So, I’m trying different angles with my online shop and workshops.

Jessie: This is also a new project using ribbon. I want to use it as a smell diffuser for your home, so that you can also put it in a small flower vase for decoration. I really like that it’s shiny.

Niki: Where did you get these ribbons? Jessie: I bought them online from a company in Taiwan. They were originally used in flower shops for tying up bouquets.

I did a lot but didn’t feel very happy or satisfied. So now, I’m focusing on crochet art because it really heals me

Jessie: and this one was a part of an exhibition that I had in Taichung. I usually make functional items like phone bags, clothes, hats, and hairbands, but I wanted to create something different. So that’s why I wanted to do this crocheting artwork like this, kind of like flowers, where you can easily feel the texture of it.

Jessie: and this is my winter collection. I call this one a mountain hat because I really like the shape of the triangle. And this one is the elf hat.

Niki: Aww, so cute! When you crochet, do you usually watch anything?

Jessie: I sometimes listen to podcasts and sometimes watch movies. I’m a big fan of Harry Potter. When I crocheted the elf hat, I was always re-watching it.

Niki: Do you find inspiration in nature too?

Jessie: Yes, nature and watching dramas inspire me. For example, the color coordination in Korean or Japanese dramas. I get inspiration mostly from life or movies. Sometimes I just start crocheting with no specific plan for color, and the result ends up reflecting my heart flow and even the music I was listening to.

Niki: Do you find crocheting relaxing? Jessie: Yes, it’s very relaxing and calming. I want my work to make people feel a sense of calm and healing. Even if they feel different things, it’s all okay. Because I have workshops here, I also hope this space can be not just selling my work, but have many different interactions. Right now the workshop is about using kimono yarn to make wrist straps. They can pick and mix the colors, and I'll teach them how to crochet.

Sometimes I just start crocheting with no specific plan for color, and the result ends up reflecting my heart flow and even the music I was listening to.

Jessie: I also make pet accessories. This weekend, I’m attending a pet market in Taipei. I’ve taken pictures of my cat and my friend’s cat with the hats. I also have a dog model.

Niki: People can match hats with their pets too. That’s adorable. Jessie: Yes, creating for pets and seeing them enjoy it is fun.

Niki: Besides Mandarin, which languages do you speak?

Jessie: I also speak Japanese and English.

Niki: How long have you been learning Japanese? Jessie: I had been interested in manga since high school and wanted to read the newest versions, so I started reading them in Japanese. I would buy the e-books online to check the latest releases. I taught myself by watching many YouTube videos, and I listened to them all the time, like when cleaning or doing chores.

Niki: That’s impressive! What was your path in learning English?

Jessie: We had classes during elementary school where we learned the basics, like the ABCs. Then in Los Angeles, I attended English classes at a community college. The thing was just to communicate and not be afraid of making mistakes.

Niki: How did that feel?

Jessie: I wanted to communicate well with my colleagues, who were a mix of Japanese and Native English speakers. After graduating in Taiwan, I wanted to improve myself because I was an introvert and uncomfortable sharing my opinions. But in the U.S., you have to learn to be more direct when expressing yourself.

Jessie: And I also keep some inspiring books here. When I get bored or feel lost, I check these.

Niki: What does it feel like to be lost? Jessie: It's when my energy for work isn’t consistent. It's not like a regular 9 to 5. Some days, I can work non-stop for 10 to 12 hours, but other days, I feel down and lost. Since December, I’ve been trying new things for my brand’s third year, like extending my product series. I did a lot but didn’t feel very happy or satisfied. So now, I’m focusing on crochet art because it really heals me.

Niki: You’ve done a lot by yourself. It’s impressive.

Jessie: Thank you! At first, I didn't think I could run my own business because I lacked marketing and social media skills. I just loved crocheting but didn’t know how to handle the other aspects. Now, I model and take pictures myself. It’s all about practice, and each time, it gets a little better.

Niki: Do you enjoy the creative freedom in your work?

Jessie: Yes, it’s fulfilling to create and manage my own business. Even though it’s challenging, seeing my work appreciated is rewarding.

Niki: That’s great. Thank you for sharing your story, Jessie. Jessie: Thank you!

Jessie's Social Media:

Instragram: @ziliaoshi

Website: https://ziliaoshi-atelier.com/

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bewitchingbooktours · 8 months

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Mamacadabra by Carrie Monroe O’Keefe #Memoir #BlendedFamily #StepParentJourney

Mamacadabra

Carrie Monroe O’Keefe

Genre: Nonfiction / Memoir / Parenting / Blended Family / Stepparent

Publisher: Mamacadabra Press

Date of Publication: 11/22/2023

ISBN: 978-1733629935

ASIN: 1733629939

Number of pages: 200

Cover Artist: Leah Kent

Tagline: Poof! You’re a mom now!

Book Description:

Starting her third year of marriage, Carrie Monroe O'Keefe had already been on the roller coaster of extreme highs and lows of a newly blended family. Thinking she could do a better job of navigating marriage, step-motherhood, working full time, and all of the things, she embarked on a year of "what if."

Settling into her role as wife and mom, she tried to find ways to do things better, see things differently, and reframe her thinking to create a better home for her family and to feel more at home herself. With humor, unwavering honesty, vulnerability, and sarcasm, Carrie finds her way through the year and to her true self.

Amazon BN Bookshop

Excerpt From Chapter: This House is Not a Home (Currently)

It’s a bright Saturday morning and I’m looking around my kitchen wondering when, exactly, I let it get THIS bad. The dishwasher has been run, but nobody has bothered to unload it, resulting in piles of dirty dishes in and around the sink. There are empty cereal boxes lined up, I assume, so I can cut out the Box Tops for Education labels…because I’m the only one who can what…use scissors? Break down the boxes for recycling? Throw away the empty bag inside the boxes that once held cereal?

Speaking of recycling, there’s a bag of recycling on a stool waiting to be taken out on our “next trip” out of the house. It’s been there for three days and we have, in fact, left the house several times in those three days.

The clincher, though, is the kitchen table. Our puppy has a best friend that lives next door. He comes over to our back deck door and barks for Sullivan to come out to play. They wrestle, run around, investigate, bark at each other, bark at passersby, lay down to rest, and then start over. When they’re out and I’m working or writing, I bring my laptop up to the kitchen table so I can check on the dogs from time to time.

At this very moment, I’m sitting at my kitchen table and surrounding my laptop are:

One little girl’s black shoe.

One little girl’s gold shoe.

One little girl’s pink slipper.

The Nancy Drew book we’re currently reading.

Large bag of colored pencils.

Pair of my husband’s dirty socks.

Empty napkin holder on its side.

The art project brought home by my littlest little girl.

Pad of paper with my work notes scribbled on it.

Three place mats (one was a casualty of yesterday’s juice fiasco).

One black marker.

Work documents of my husband’s.

A partially completed drawing.

My kitchen table isn’t even big! How, or perhaps a better question is WHY, is there so much sh*t sitting on it?!! And does anybody else find it a teensy bit disconcerting that there are two shoes, a slipper, and dirty socks on the table at which we EAT OUR MEALS? Anyone???

If I told you about the kitchen counter, you’d have a nervous breakdown, which I’m on the verge of, but I’m trying to hold it together. Here’s the deal. We do not have the little girls this weekend, so we should be able to get everything organized, cleaned, and put away, but there’s more…

My husband is in school. He was in school last night and again this morning. Also, have I mentioned he has a small business on the side that he’s owned since he was 18 years old? After he bolts from school today, we’ll be frantically preparing for his trade show tomorrow. Any ‘free’ time otherwise used for sanity-saving-house-organization will instead be spent on trade-show-preparation-in-hopes-of-finding-new-clients. Ugh.

Our dog is even looking at me with disgust. Yeah…YOU’RE one to talk, Sullivan…I believe that pile of firewood on our back deck is YOUR doing. It looks like the frigging Blair Witch Project out there.

I take issue with a disastrous house for many reasons.

A – When it’s disastrous as it is now, I feel totally out of sorts and stressed.

B - It wouldn’t be like this if some people didn’t refuse to put dishes in the dishwasher, unload the dishwasher, hang-up their coats, put away their shoes, and so on, and so on, and so on.

C - We don’t have the square footage to allow for unusable space…and as far as I’m concerned, this kitchen is NOT USABLE.

D - It’s FREEZING outside which keeps us INSIDE this war zone of a house.

E - I believe our home is supposed to feel safe, and cozy, and comfortable, and lovely, you know, as opposed to chaotic, dirty, cluttered, and filled to the brim with crap people haven’t put away.

Therefore, on a day I technically could have slept in, I’ve been up since 6:30 trying to get this house back in order. I’d rather be sleepy from a late night and an early morning than be CRAZY because the house is so awful. For me, sleepy is less dangerous than crazy.

Which brings me to the real question: is this my gig from now on? Husband in school, swamped at work, busy with small business, little girls here half the time, so while they’re willing and eager to do chores, it only happens every other weekend, leaving me to take this on and be sure this house is in fact a home and I AM in fact sane? No, seriously…REALLY?

Chalk this up to a question for which I did NOT want the answer.

About the Author:

Carrie Monroe O’Keefe started blogging about her life by sharing stories of marriage, stepmotherhood, and how to navigate it all on mamacadabra.com in 2012. People said they loved reading the posts, so she kept writing. In addition to blogging, she released her middle-grade fiction book, The Whole Truth, in 2019.

Carrie lives outside of Minneapolis with her husband, two daughters, and dog Finlay.

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chanoyu-to-wa · 10 months

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Nampō Roku, Book 7 (74a): Ten Poems that Nambō Sōkei Found on Rikyū’s Wastepaper (Part 1).

74) On a certain occasion when I went to visit [Ri]kyū, [I found a number of] dōka [道歌] written on the backs of [several] pieces of wastepaper¹. I surreptitiously [slipped the scraps of paper into my garments and] took them back home.

Those poems²:

〽 With respect to continuance, [this is] when the tai [躰] enclose a yō-no-kane [用ノカネ]; but when the yō enclose a tai, [this] is not [a case of] continuance³.

〽 [Concerning] kukuri-kane, it [wholly] depends on the utensils; and if this is not understood, and [we] make a mistake, it is like a crow trying to imitate a cormorant⁴.

_________________________

◎ These poems, which often seem very important to our understanding of some of the more obscure teachings found in the Nampō Roku, appear to have been largely written during the late seventeenth century -- and more often reflect that period’s ideals (which were products of Imai Sōkyū’s machi-shū tradition), rather than those espoused by Rikyū.

¹Aru-toki Kyū ni mairitareba, hanko no ura ni kakaretaru-dōka ari　[アルトキ休ニ參リタレバ、反古ノウラニカヽレタル道哥アリ].

Aru-toki [ある時] this would have been during the time when Rikyū was preparing to move his Sakai household to Mozuno, so he was going through his papers to get rid of anything that would not be necessary to lug across Sakai (through the busiest and most congested part of the city-state) to his newly constructed compound.

Hanko [反古] means wastepaper. Because paper was a precious commodity, used paper had been recycled since ancient times. Indeed there was a whole industry focused on this activity. Wastepaper was bound up into sheaves for the hankoya-san [反古屋さん] to collect.

Waste paper was commonly used, as it was, to make paper bags and other packaging; and it could also be dissolved in water and turned into new (albeit lower-quality) sheets.

Nambō Sōkei was probably assisting Rikyū with his preparations, and it was likely his job to gather the stack of wastepaper into sheaves (probably bringing to Rikyū’s attention any seemingly important pages that he may have overlooked).

A dōka [道歌]* is a poem that alludes to, or expounds upon, or gives guidance in, some aspect of the Way. Originally a specifically Buddhist literary form, during the Edo period the different arts usurped the term to denominate their secret teachings when expressed poetically (since this often made them easier to remember). ___________ *Dōka [道哥] as written here, employs a nonstandard form as the second kanji. This way of writing ka [歌] (also pronounced uta, meaning a poem or song -- waka [和歌] were always intended to be chanted, not simply read with the eyes) became somewhat common during the Edo period.

²Hisoka ni torite kairikeru, sono uta　[ヒソカニ取テ歸リケル、其哥].

Hisoka ni [密に] means secretly, in secret, surreptitiously, by stealth, furtively, and so forth. Sōkei slipped the papers into his futokoro (or perhaps his sleeve), so that he would not get caught pocketing the papers that had caught his interest.

Sono uta [其哥 = その歌], “those poems,” refers to the ten poems quoted hereafter.

³Tsuzuku to ha tai ni hasamaru yō-no-kane, yō ni hasamaru tai ha tsuzukazu　[ツヾクトハ躰ニハサマル用ノカネ、用ニ挾マル躰ハツヾカズ].

This poem is referring to the idea of “special continuance*,” utilizing the words tai [躰] and yō [用]† to refer to the yang- and yin-kane, respectively.

Tsuzuku to ha [續くとは] means “with respect to continuance....”

Tai ni hasamaru yō no kane [躰に挾まる用のカネ]: tai(-no-kane) [躰(のカネ)] appears to be the machi-shū way of denominating the yang-kane; and yō-no-kane [用のカネ] designates (perhaps confusingly) the yin-kane. Therefore, tai ni hasamaru yō-no-kane [躰に挾まる用のカネ] means “(‘continuance’ means) when a yin-kane is pinched between (two) yang(-kane)...”

Yō ni hasamaru tai ha tsuzukazu [用に挾まる躰は續かず]: again, yō [用] refers to the yin-kane, and tai [躰] refers to the yang-kane. Therefore, this means “(but) when (two) yin(-kane) confine a yang(-kane), this does not refer to (a case of) continuance.”

In other words, it is only a yin-kane that can be changed into yang in this way. A yang-kane cannot be changed into yin through an association of this sort. __________ *Tsuzuki-kane means the case where a series of (related) objects occupy successive kane. However, what this poem is referring to is what Shibayama calls “the law of special continuance” (toku-betsu-naru tsuzuki-kane no hō [特別ナルツヾキ矩ノ法]), where a yin-kane that is located (“pinched”) between yang-kane (or the end-most yang-kane and the side of the space) is morphed into yang, so that a series of objects can be displayed on the yang and succeeding yin kane so that the objects are all considered yang. This idea did not originate from the daisu, but was originally articulated as a way to arrange the objects on the 6-shaku wide chigai-dana or dashi-fuzukue [出し文机] (the built-in writing desk), in the classical reception room type of shoin.

In these settings, the distance between a yang and the succeeding yin kane on the chigai-dana or dashi-fuzukue is virtually the same (just under 5-sun) as between two yang-kane on the daisu (as illustrated in the above to-scale sketch). The idea of “changing” a yin kane into yang in this very large setting probably seemed logical, because the spacing of objects aligned with those kane was visually identical to the spacing between successive objects (that were placed on subsequent yang kane) on the daisu. The trained eye, in other words, had become used to the spacing of 5-sun (in the early days, only the yang kane were used when arranging things on the ten-ita of the daisu), so even though the kane were actually different in the larger setting, separating the objects on display according to that visual clue was natural. The theorizing, of course, was articulated after the fact.

That the idea of tsuzuki-kane was later applied to the daisu (or to the utensil mat or tsuri-dana in the sō-an setting) might be, to a certain extent, reprehensible (since the spacing of the objects will sometimes be so close that the rules of kane-wari governing spatial distancing can no longer apply) -- which is probably why Rikyū is said to have been perplexed about the use of this practice in the smaller settings. It appears that this application of the toku-betsu-naru tsuzuki-kane no hō to the daisu (if not to the chigai-dana and dashi-fuzukue) was championed by Imai Sōkyū, making this (and so possibly these poems) a product of the machi-shū approach to chanoyu.

For a better understanding of the concepts at play here, the reader is advised to review the following three posts carefully, since the discussion of this issue in the Sumibiki no uchinuki-gaki・tsuika [墨引之内拔書・追加] (the Second Book of Secret Teachings), and in Shibayama’s commentary on that entry, will go a long way toward resolving any ambiguities that may arise when we think about this matter:

￮ Nampō Roku, Book 7 (59b): Entry 48 from the Sumibiki no uchinuki-gaki・tsuika [墨引之内拔書・追加].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/717634538581442560/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-7-59b-entry-48-from-the

￮ Nampō Roku, Book 7 (59c): Shibayama Fugen’s Complete Commentary on Entry 48 from the Sumibiki no uchinuki-gaki・tsuika [墨引之内拔書・追加] (Part 1).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/717873369459130368/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-7-59c-shibayama-fugens

￮ Nampō Roku, Book 7 (59d): Shibayama Fugen’s Complete Commentary on Entry 48 from the Sumibiki no uchinuki-gaki・tsuika [墨引之内拔書・追加] (Part 2).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/718235781223809024/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-7-59d-shibayama-fugens

†The idea of tai [躰] and yō [用] was first discussed in the Three Hundred Lines of Chanoyu (Chanoyu san-byak’ka jō [茶湯三百箇條]). However, in that source, tai [躰] (which means “body”) refers to an object that is placed out (on the daisu, or on the mat), which is visually used to guide the placement of a second object (named yō [用], meaning “use”). For example, the objects shown in the following sketch -- the mizusashi, hishaku, futaoki, and chaire -- are all tai, because they are all in place when the guests enter the room for the goza.

When the host enters the room, he carries in the chawan and koboshi. The chawan is placed below the chaire (so the chaire is tai, and the chawan is yō), ①, and the koboshi below that (so that now the chawan is tai and the koboshi is yō), ②. Then the chaire is moved so that it is associated with the kane to the right of the futaoki (now the futaoki is tai, and the chaire is yō), ③. Then the chawan is picked up and associated with the kane to the left of the futaoki, and so that the back edge of its foot is in line with the far side of the chaire (now both the futaoki and chaire are tai, while the chawan is yō), ④. Finally, the futaoki is placed on the right side of the mat, 2-sun away from the ro-buchi and resting on the right-most yin-kane (the arrangement of the kama in the ro guides the placement of the futaoki, so this suite of objects, together with the ro-buchi itself, are tai, while the futaoki is yō), ⑤, and then the hishaku is picked up, the position of the koboshi is adjusted, ⑥, and the hishaku is rested on the futaoki (with the end of its handle resting on the inner half of the heri), ⑦. This was the original way that tai and yō were used in chanoyu.

At a certain point, however, and probably because in the above example tai establishes a position, and yō is guided by it, tai and yō came to be associated with the yang and yin kane, respectively. The evidence suggests that this was first articulated by Imai Sōkyū (possibly as an erroneous misinterpretation of the passage in the Three Hundred Lines of Chanoyu -- Jōō appears to have been particularly parsimonious with his secrets, so while the interpretation of the Three Hundred Lines was taught to Uesugi Kenshin, the teachings that underpin this document were not shared with Sōkyū); and later passed on by him to his machi-shū followers (among whom were Shōan and Sōtan -- hence this way of using tai and yō, to mean yang and yin, during the early decades of the Edo period in the writings that have come down to us from the Sen family and their adherents).

==============================================

Shibayama explains the meaning of the poem in this way: “when [a yin-kane] is enclosed between two yang-kane, the yin-kane is converted [to yang]; but when [a yang-kane] is enclosed between two yin, they do not have this effect.

——————————————–———-————————————————

About this poem, Tanaka writes: when we speak of continuing, what does tsuzuki-kane [続きかね]* mean? This is explained in the Sumi-biki [墨引] volume. But to go into it briefly here, whether [we are serving] koicha or usucha, if we say that the three utensils -- the mizusashi, the chaire, and chawan -- are all associated with yang-kane, then the continuation [across yang-kane] is obvious. If, however, some of the things are placed on yin[-kane] and others on yang, the obvious connection between the utensils is lost, so this is when [the idea of] tsuzuki-kane [becomes necessary].

As an example, when the mizusashi is placed on the central yang[-kane], with the yin-kane on its left and right†, and the chaire and chawan are placed out [as part of the initial arrangement] on these [yin-]kane, [because] these yin- kane have no connection with the yang [the objects associated with them are yin]. We often see things like this in the everyday world.

Nevertheless, while it is not [usually] appropriate for the mizusashi to be yang, and the chaire and chawan to be yin, there is nothing wrong with making use of these kane at night -- because the proper way to do things at night is to make use of the yin-kane, so it is only natural that the chaire and chawan might be placed on yin-kane. But as for the kane during the daytime, some sort of device -- such as tying the kane together [for example, by using a mizusashi that is large enough to contact the kane on both sides] -- is necessary.

In the Sumi-biki book it says, the mitsu-gumi-awase arrangement‡ should be understood in this way. At night, [moving] the kane [over] by one step [so the mizusashi is resting on a yang-kane, and the chaire and chawan are resting on yin-kane] is appropriate. For this reason, Rikyū arranged the utensils in this way for night gatherings again and again. During the daytime, a small mage-mono mizusashi [the lid of which is 4-sun 9-bu in diameter, so it will fit between the kane], is only rarely arranged together with a small chawan and small chaire -- this monk has seen this done only two or three times [over the course of his lifetime]. This is an example of this kind of usage.

I have arrived at this understanding of the above poem only after many years of intensive research -- though it is possible that my own teacher, Nozaki Toen-ō [野崎兎園翁], misinterpreted this poem**. For this reason, after many years of research and discussion with the late Shibayama Junkō [Shibayama Fugen], the process came to fruition; yet some question why [Tanaka] Senshō went to such lengths? But within [the teachings of] kane-wari, this [idea of] tsuzuki-kane, and the next [topic of] kukuri-kane, we must allow, are among the small collection of Rikyū’s secrets. As proof of this is the special illustration that is found in the Sumi-biki book that implies that the illustrations found in most of the popular versions of the Nampō Roku are wrong. It seems that this may have been something that even Tachibana Jitsuzan was unable to grasp. __________ *Tsuzuki-kane [続きカネ] means successive kane. That is, the utensils are displayed on successive kane, without any break between them. Particularly when they are joined together (for example, by placing a ken-byō in front of them; or when arranging them together on a large tray), the implication is that they are part of the same set.

†That is, the mizusashi is centered on the central yang-kane, but, on account of its size, it does not touch the yin-kane on either side. The result is that while the mizusashi is yang, it does not change either of the yin-kane into yang; so, consequently, when the chaire and/or chawan are associated with either of the yin-kane (and are small enough that they do not also contact a yang-kane on either side of their yin), they remain yin.

‡Mitsu-gumi-awase [三つ組合わせ] means a set of three (utensils). This is referring to the case where the mizusashi, chawan, and chaire have all been arranged on the utensil mat together as the initial kazari when the guests enter the room for the goza. Though originally something that was done in the small room setting prior to the creation of the tsuri-dana (the purpose of which was to make it unnecessary for the host to turn back to the katte-guchi to lift in the utensils in successive waves), it appears that it also came to be acceptable to arrange the utensils in this way in the larger rooms during the Edo period (despite the original teaching that it was best for the host to make multiple trips back and forth between the katte and the temae-za in this setting).

In the Nampō Roku, the name for this sort of arrangement is usually shortened to mitsu-gumi [三ツ組].

**Nozaki Toen-ō [野崎兎園翁; 1836 ~ 1908] was a chajin and teacher of tea, who was affiliated with the Sekishū school. He was originally from Tosa, on the island of Shikoku. His Nampō Roku scholarship was widely influential during the Meiji period; and it was apparently in that capacity that Tanaka refers to him as his “former teacher.” Tanaka was, of course, initiated into chanoyu by teachers of the Urasenke lineage (and studied, for a time, with the Iemoto himself).

Muron, sen-shi Nozaki Toen-ō sae, kono uta no kaishaku wo ayamatte irareru [無論、先師野崎兎園翁さへ、この歌の解釈を誤って居られる] means, “of course my former teacher, Nozaki Toen-ō, may have been wrong about this poem” -- which would seem to imply certain lingering doubts over the accuracy of these interpretations of the poems (which, as he suggests, were based primarily on Nozaki sensei’s interpretations -- though Tanaka subsequently discussed Nozaki sensei’s teachings at length with Shibayama Fugen). The suffix -ō [-翁] that he appended to Nozaki sensei’s name is an affectionate honorific, which literally means “old man.”

==============================================

⁴Kuguri-kane dōgu ni yori wo shirazu-shite, ayamachi-suru ha karasu u no mane　[クヽリカネ道具に依ヲ知ズシテ、過スルハカラス鵜ノ眞似].

Kukuri-kane [括りカネ] is sometimes referred to as kuguri-kane [潜りカネ]. Kukuri-kane means that the kane are tied together (by a larger object passing across them); kuguri-kane means that the kane are passed across. Ultimately, the idea is the same.

The left sketch shows a large tray that passes across several yang-kane. As a result, though the chaire is resting squarely on a yin-kane, it is yang because the tray is yang. Likewise in the right drawing, since the mizusashi also contacts both yang-kane, the chaire that is placed in front of it is likewise yang, even though it is resting on a yin-kane -- the chaire is yang because the mizusashi is yang.

Kukuri-kane dōgu ni yori wo shirazu-shite [くくりカネ道具に依ってを知らずして] means if one does not understand that the idea of kukuri-kane is connected with (the size of) the utensils....

Ayamachi-suru ha karasu u no mane [過ちするは鴉鵜の眞似]: ayamachi-suru [過ちする] means (if) one makes a mistake; karasu u no mane [鴉鵜の眞似] means (it is as if) a crow were (trying) to imitate a cormorant*.

A cormorant dives under water to catch fish. If a crow were to attempt to do the same, it would fail (and probably drown). Just so, if the host does not understand that kukuri-kane depends on the size of the utensil (whether it is something like a mizusashi, or a larger tray), if he places the chaire in front of the mizusashi, or rests it on the tray, so that the chaire is associated with the yin-kane in the center of that half-mat, if the mizusashi or tray is large enough to cross the yang kane on both sides, that is fine; but if the mizusashi or tray is too small, so that it does not touch the kane, then the mizusashi or tray will be yin, and the chaire will also be yin, which will probably be inappropriate (if the gathering is being held during the daytime); and so potentially constitutes a mistake. __________ *This appears to be a sort of proverb.

==============================================

Here Shibayama says “if the kane contacted on the left and right are yang, it is natural that the space in between becomes yang. But if the tray is so large that the [left and right] sides extend beyond the yang so that it [also] contacts the yin, when the number of yin [crossed] is ultimately greater than the number of yang [that are crossed], the strength of the yang is lost*.” __________ *Though several of the arrangements in Book Five appear to show some of the larger trays -- especially those employing the tsune-no-nagabon [常ノ長盆] and shaku-nagabon [尺長盆] -- crossing a larger number of yin-kane than yang. Which suggests that these poems were inserted into the Shū-un-an collection in order to disseminate machi-shū rules that were articulated by Imai Sōkyū, rather than teachings associated with the orthodox tradition. (It will be recalled that the yin-kane were not really considered in the gokushin arrangements, where only the yang-kane were used to define the orientation of the utensils.)

——————————————–———-————————————————

Tanaka writes, this kukuri-kane* was entirely Rikyū’s invention; and it is said that even Jōō was impressed by it. Kukuru means to extinguish the intervening yin-kane by connecting the two yang-kane on the left and right, across the one yin in the center, with a [larger] mizusashi or tray.

In the Sumi-biki book it says, “to summarize the ku-den [口伝], this means to view [kukuri-kane] as fundamentally being [a consequence of] the ratio of yin to yang†.” Also, under the image of the tarai-no-mizusashi [盥の水指], there is the notation, “even though this [central] kane is yin, it becomes yang because the mizusashi extends across the yang. This is why the hitotsu-mono [一ツ物] may be placed like this. This [arrangement] was Rikyū’s invention; and Jōō also said that he was very impressed by it” -- and this is what is meant [by kukuri-kane].

The poem says, “if you don't understand what ‘according to the utensils’ means, you can easily fall into the mistake of ‘a crow [trying to] imitate a cormorant.’” But what does ‘depending on the utensils’ [actually] mean? Below the subsequent drawing of a kukuri-bon [括り盆] it says, “if the mizusashi is small [in size], there is also the case where the chaire may also be placed as a yin hitotsu-mono here.

“In general, on occasions when a mukō-ro or furo is [being used], and when there is no mizusashi, [the chaire] is placed as an hitotsu-mono resting on a small tray‡ -- though there are also people who place the chaire by itself [without a tray]. But if the chaire itself is also small, then a large tray** should be used. When the tray crosses [several yang-kane], it follows the same idea as [when] a mizusashi [also does so]††.

“If [the host uses] a small tray, or when the chaire is placed out by itself [without a tray], this is done when it is necessary for [the chaire] to be a placed as a yin hitotsu-mono” in that kind of situation. At night, or on inauspicious occasions [such as when a chakai is given to commemorate a death], aside from the chaire’s being placed as a yin or yang hitotsu-mono, a mizusashi or large tray should certainly not be used to join [the kane] together‡‡. Even so, in order to avoid a situation where [the host] inadvertently uses a tray on which to rest the chaire that will create that effect, there are people who [prefer to] display the chaire by itself [without a tray] as yin more often than not. I don’t know if this is an example of depending on the utensils to not bind the kane together, or of chajin who are crows that are acting like cormorants -- this poem made me chuckle! __________ *Kukuri-kane [括りカネ] refers to the case where a larger object -- such as a mizusashi or tray -- crosses two yang-kane. The object, and anything associated with it, is thus yang (despite the fact that a yin-kane is sandwiched between the two yang-kane).

This use of kukuru [括る] would best be understood as binding two (yang) kane together (by using an object that is large enough to cross them both).

†In other words, which ever preponderates -- yin-kane or yang -- is the one that determines whether the mizusashi or tray (and so everything associated with it) is yin or yang.

This assertion, however, appears to contradict the classical teaching, whereby any contact with a yang-kane is sufficient to render the mizusashi or tray yang. (Again, in the oldest stratum, only yang-kane were taken into consideration; this reliance on the yin-kane appears to have been introduced by Imai Sōkyū.)

‡A small tray (chisai-bon [小さい盆], or ko-bon [小盆]) is a tray that is (at least according to the oriignal theory) exactly 2-sun larger than the chaire on all four sides. This kind of tray was used by Rikyū precisely because it allows the chawan to be placed beside the bon-chaire as if no tray were present at all.

When these details were forgotten, however, the small tray became a generic object (around 6-sun across). Since Rikyū’s usage was also forgotten along with the way the size of the tray was supposed to be calculated, the Sen family performed bon-date with a small chaire-bon as if a larger chaire-bon was being used. (This large chaire-bon, and its associated temae, were based on the bon-date from Jōō’s middle period.) This is just one example of how the machi-shū tradition (which followed the teachings of Imai Sōkyū) came to supplant Rikyū’s own chanoyu in the teachings proselytized by the Sen family.

**Presumably this means a tray based on Jōō’s way of calculating its size (where the tray was 3-sun larger than the chaire on all four sides). Trays of this sort are commonly used as higashi-bon today (though most of the antique examples from the sixteenth century were originally selected for use as chaire-bon).

††In other words, when the mizusashi is large enough that it contacts two yang-kane, it morphs the intervening yin-kane into yang. So, too, when the chaire-bon rests across two yang-kane, the tray (and anything arranged on it) becomes yang (and any yin-kane are ignored).

‡‡Since kukuri-kane (whether achieved by a large mizusashi crossing the kane, or a kuguri-bon) would convert the yin chaire that is associated with it into yang, the process of kukuri-kane must be avoided on yin occasions -- since, on such occasions, it is important for the chaire to be yin.

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ggcampbellgrad604 · 11 months

Text

Final essay/review

GEORGIA CAMPBELL GRAD 604 CRITICAL REVIEW

Repetition, Family, Mental Health, Self-Expression, and Repetition, Influences that Project My Creative Voice.

This report will discuss my journey as a creative, my process/creation, and the creatives that inspire me. I have always been encouraged to express myself freely by both friends and family, whether it be through dance, art, or music. I use art and design to bring joy to myself and others. It’s a tool that is flexible and can be applied to anything. I want to show the beauty of art and design and how I have started to fall in love with it again through this paper.

At the beginning of this paper, I was less certain about design being something I wanted to pursue lifelong. It still interested me, but I felt creatively exhausted. However, going through this paper, I have noticed I am beginning to push back, making design more of a priority. I recognised that if I didn’t put some solid effort into my work, I would continually feel like I am falling short of my potential. I knew I was capable and aware that I needed some gentle self-discipline. If the work did not interest me, I was less inclined to do it. I aimed to hone in on what I liked about projects and go from there, making briefs fit my interests and not someone else’s. I started to do my best to reignite the spark with art and design and put effort into making things fun. This paper has made me realise things about my chaotic creative process and has given me a kick up the behind to sort myself out, figure out my strengths and put even more time into my weaknesses. I also recognised one of the reasons why I wasn’t putting more into this degree was because I was in a long-distance relationship. I was constantly wishing I was somewhere else rather than in Auckland. After a healthy break-up, I felt as though I could fully throw myself into this paper. I focused on myself and my needs and gave as much time as I could towards design and it has paid off tremendously.

Currently, as a creative, I do the work and then refine it. I don’t always have the most efficient process but it eventually works out in the end. I create several versions of the same thing and restart it over and over until I am happy with it. Like this report which I have restarted 5 times (and counting.) I wrote it all out first then rewrote it again more concisely then again and again until I felt it was somewhat coherent. I do this with most of my work, it has been a theme since I began art in general. I used to restart paintings all the time until it felt right. I have interests in illustration, collage, photomontage, and acrylic painting. Anything that scratches the itch in my brain and stops me from scrolling on my phone. I let the pen drive itself on the paper and see what I come up with. My work can range from a sweet minimalist illustration to something that has a more chaotic, explosive energy to it. I like mixing old with new, recycling previous works, and creating something completely different from them. I love using music as a tool when I am creating. I find that an instrumental playlist of classical or jazz helps me focus best when I am writing. When I am creating art, whatever music I am in the mood for helps me be in the zone. I also collect through photography. I take images of anything that inspires me from type to texture. I keep banks of things that I know I will use in the future. I have started collecting and organising all my inspirations on Miro this year which has made a huge difference in efficiently finding my inspiration. I value self-expression in my work. I value randomness. I believe that is more than enough for art and design to exist for my own and other people’s visual pleasure.

This semester has unleashed a world of creatives for me. Going to the AGI Open boosted my motivation for design. Astrid Stavro (Fig.1) was a speaker that resonated with me. She says, “Doubt is the catalyst of growth.” “To keep doubting, to keep learning.” She spoke about how doubt invites curiosity. I could see this being true when applied to my own life. I had doubts about design and if it was my career path, but by throwing myself at it wholeheartedly I have discovered that it most definitely is what I want to do. I used this curiosity and doubt which led me to discover the next creatives that inspired me, hip-hop duo Joey Valance and Brae (JVB) (Fig.2). I was listening to a lot of the same music and wanted to expand my horizons. I knew one of JVB’s songs and decided to curiously discover more of their sound. JVB is this awesome mash-up of 90’s hip-hop and modern-day music. They are Beastie Boys reminiscent but with their own modern flavour. They make great songs but most importantly they have fun. They say stupid things and make themselves look silly. They are so talented in my eyes because they are just themselves. Something I aim to be in my work. Let my personality shine through.

Fig.1. Astrid Stavro via Semi-Permanent Fig.2. Joey Valance and Brae via Eugene Weekly

Another creative who inspired me from the AGI Open is Ahn Sang-Soo (Fig.3). I resonated with his approach to life. His life peace symbol (Fig.4) is something I love. It shows the sky, the sea, the land, and humans all in one mark, a symbol of how we are all connected. He runs a school in Korea called Pati. Where they meditate and it’s more individual-based. I am a bit of a spiritual person when it comes to meditation, and I find interest in the mind. That curiosity of the mind comes through in the way I create my work randomly. See what I come up with first with no boundaries. Then look back and refine. Sang-Soo also said in his talk “Competition suppresses creativity.” Which I think is true. When we try to be the best at everything and constantly compare ourselves to others our work is not a true reflection of who we are. This further reinforces why I believe that you should make whatever you want, however, you want, and then refine it. Your pen will not even hit the paper if you are too scared or stressed about what others will think or what others have done.

Fig.3 Ahn Sang-Soo via Adobe Fonts Fig.4. Life Peace Symbol Ahn Sang-Soo Image via Kocis

Paul Boudens,(Fig.5) another from AGI. He is my spirit animal. If I was a middle-aged man, I would be exactly like him. He’s all over the show and I love it. He gets up there and is completely himself and does some amazing work (Fig.6). His work is so obviously an extension of his wild personality and that is something I always aim to do. Our personalities are intangible and the way we present and create work is what makes them seen. The temporary of us as humans can be expressed semi-permanently through art and design. Leaving behind something that will stay a little longer than us. He spoke about how he still feels lost which made me feel better about the design journey I am on. He’s been a designer for decades and he still feels lost. He spoke about how nobody knows what they are doing really and so all you can do is have fun with it. That is the main idea behind all the creatives I gravitate towards. To have fun. Have fun and let your mind speak. I think that art is the expression we give to the things inside of us eager to get out. These things cannot always be condensed down and intellectualised. However, they can be enjoyed and they can be fun and that can be enough.

Fig.5. Paul Boudens via The Post Fig.6. ‘Not Dead Yet’ via Paul Boudens

These creatives have had an impact on me in the way I approach art and design. Their philosophies and the way they carry themselves through their work. Their work is amazing but what makes them even more inspiring is themselves.

The creative community, everyone is trying to find their people. It is constantly an evolving journey. You may specialise in something but that can change and develop as life happens and you discover more about yourself. I thought design was this big scary thing when you go out into the ‘real world’. That it’s these intimidating-looking business people and these strict studios who will barely acknowledge your existence. Discovering a new world of creatives through this paper has made me realise that this is not the case. That there are designers out there who have the same goal as you. To create cool stuff and have fun while they do it. To have that balance of professionalism and play a true skill I want to master. These doubts and fears were just a lack of information. People I would want to work with in the future are João Incerti, a Brazilian artist who loves to create art from feelings (Fig.7). Connor Pritchard (Fig.8) a young videographer of our time and someone who grew up in my home town (Napier.) I would like to find a balance between working with experienced designers and fresh ones. My career goal for the next 3 years is to wildly experiment and create as much awesome stuff as I can.

Fig.7. João Incerti via Gitano Fig.8. Connor Pritchard via cnrpr

My poster is based on my love for music. It is my dream to create album covers for musicians and I thought why not practice some of that with these objects? I love music but I cannot play a single instrument to save my life. I have unintentionally made the poster so it is ordered like a day in my life as I create a piece of work. From waking up to what is subconsciously influencing me as I create, like my family and upbringing. Pattern and repetition is something I have always known I create and do in my life but these objects have made it more obvious to me. I repeat things in all areas of my life. Re-start, redo, re-try I can’t really explain why but it is something I have noticed I do. I love routine and repetition. Partly that need for control with anxiety but I am still somewhat sane so I guess this isn’t such a bad trait. My poster is like a love letter to myself. An appreciation for the people and things around me. The 20 objects are significant too as I turn 20 in less than a month. Like a final send-off to the creative process of my teens, something I can look back on and see how far I’ve grown. I have discovered that I absolutely love photo collages and combining analog and digital and look forward to creating more things like this in the future.

Overall, from this paper, I have learned many things about myself as a creative person. I have been shown mounds of research resources I can use in the future from The AUT Google Scholar to Jstor. Instagram has surprisingly been a huge help with this paper. I have found so many artists and creators I like. Instagram gives me insight into the artist’s process which I have found I value a lot. Especially João Incerti who documents his process a lot. It is very fluid and soothing. He takes his time to come up with things and doesn’t go guns blazing. I think that’s something I would like to work on. I think my process is very intense and chaotic because I don’t always have much patience so I throw everything at it. I want to try to be a bit calmer but stay true to the wild nature of my process. What was challenging about this project was trying to balance this paper with the studio paper. I have done my best in both but feel as though I could have gotten even more out of them if I only had to focus on one paper at a time. When I approach the 704 internship course I will seek out designers or design groups that have fun and are multi-media based. People like Alt-Group and Paul Boudens. I do not want to be sat designing branding and documents all day. I want to be hands-on and involved in the making process, not just digital. I will most importantly be looking for people who know how to have some fun.

References

CNRPR | Film Director. (n.d.). CNRPR. https://www.cnrpr.co.nz/

User, G. (2021). JOÃO INCERTI x GITANO MIAMI ART WEEK — GITANO. GITANO. https://www.gitano.com/happenings/dancing-with-my-eyes-closed-by-joo-incerti-gitano-miami

The post. (n.d.). The Post. https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/style/350072620/legendary-graphic-designer-paul-boudens-has-some-bold-advice

- - AGI Open. (n.d.). AGI Open. https://agi-open.com/speakers/paul-boudens

KOREA webzine _ People. (n.d.). https://www.kocis.go.kr/eng/webzine/201802/sub05.html

Ahn Sang-soo 안상수 | Adobe Fonts. (n.d.). https://fonts.adobe.com/designers/ahn-sang-soo

Kennedy, W. (2023, February 23). Joey Valence & (Brae)kbeats. Eugene Weekly. https://eugeneweekly.com/2023/02/23/joey-valence-braekbeats/

Astrid Stavro | Semi permanent. (n.d.). https://semipermanent.com/profiles/astrid-stavro

AGI Open Aotearoa New Zealand 2023 - AGI Open. (n.d.). AGI Open. https://agi-open.com/

Rubinstien, R. R. (2007). EVERYTHING BELGIAN IS NEW AGAIN. Article, Print. May/Jun2007, Vol. 61(Issue 3), p62-69. 8p. 3 Black and White Photographs.

Alt Group. (n.d.). http://altgroup.net/

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lucyadctthoughtlab · 2 years

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Thought Lab

My thought object

21 designers for twenty first century Britain

What is your immediate response to your object and why?

Initially I thought it didn't look that interesting and thought it would take a while to read through.

After properly looking at the book I realised that the cover looked intriguing and I wanted to read more about some of the designers.

What is it?

A book that highlights the work of 21 designers from the RCA that are working in Britain and have become relevant since the millenium.

Focuses on designers for furniture and products, who design for industrial production, or whose practice relates to product design.

Some more in the digital realm and some more the mass market

Where is it from?

V&A publishing.

Made in China

Who made it?

Quite a lot of people were involved in the making of the book.

Written by Gareth Williams, the Senior Tutor of Design Products at the Royal College of Art.

The RCA research office helped with the funding.

Zofia Trofas and Rachael Crabtree helped with research.

Petr Krejci helped with the portrait photography for the book.

What is it made of?

Made of paper/card.

How does it work? How can it be used as a tool?

Works as an information tool about the 21 designers mentioned within the book.

People can read about these designers.

Open up conversations about art, design and technology combined.

How can it be reused?

Aspiring designers can use it to help build their own views and ideas on what design is and make their own work.

Can be recycled into libraries?

How can it solve a problem?

How can it respond to a theme?

How can it create something new?

Creates new ideas and opinions on what design is. Start conversations.

How can it be connected to something else?

How can it be used creatively?

Could be used as inspiration for other designers?

What are its ethical implications? What are its cultural implications, from the point of view of race, gender etc?

Overall low diversity.

Most people are either British or central European. One person who is Asian and another who is South American.

Predominantly white designers were featured, they all studied at the RCA so it could just not be a very diverse college.

Not diverse in gender either. There were more men than women and when there were female designers included they were all part of a mixed group of designers apart from one designer.

Not that culturally diverse, although a lot of the designers highlight cultural and racial issues it's not that diverse apart from white european cultures.

What are its ecological implications?

Made in China therefore large carbon footprint.

Made of paper?card? Deforestation would’ve released greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

What are its limits?

Who has criticised it?

How would you criticise it?

I would say it needs to be more diverse racially as well as for gender. Next time the author should try and find a more diverse group of designers to give them a platform too.

How does it raise further questions?

Raises questions about what is design? What is art and design and what is their connection? How is art and design changed? How is it evolving? How will it evolve? What is the role of technology in art and design?

How has it changed the world? How could it change the world?

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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TILOS, Greece (AP) — When deciding where to test green tech, Greek policymakers picked the remotest point on the map: tiny Tilos.

Providing electricity and basic services, and even access by ferry, are all a challenge for this island of just 500 year-round inhabitants. Its most recent problem has been dealing with plastic.

But authorities this week announced that more than 80% of Tilos’ trash is now being recycled. A landfill where untreated garbage was once buried in a hillside has been permanently closed.

The island has already been producing most of its own electricity since 2019, using a solar park and a wind turbine hooked up to trailer-sized batteries that maintain an uninterrupted supply.

S-shaped and slightly larger than Manhattan, Tilos is a far-flung member of an island chain in the southeast Aegean Sea, where most beaches are empty, goats roam next to centuries-old churches and the sawtooth mountains smell of wild oregano. Self reliance is a necessity here and a source of pride.

So is embracing technology.

At the main port, electric vehicles hum past tourists, transporting goods. Solar panels power bus stop information boards and a ramp that gives people with disabilities access to the sea.

Mayor Maria Kamma-Aliferi said Tilos’ dwindling population added urgency to making changes. “In the 1990s there were 270 people left on this island. There were very few births. The school was in danger of closing because it had so few kids ‒ I was one of them,” she said.

“And the island came close to being fully deserted.”

But the mayor stayed on the island and took university correspondence courses to put herself through business school and learn about public administration.

“We came close to the brink, and I think that is what motivates us now,” she said, standing at the site of the old landfill where flowers have now been planted.

With tourism in the Mediterranean set to rebound this summer after the worst of the pandemic, many Greek islands face an urgent strain on their resources: a lack of drinking water and a reliance on diesel to produce electricity as energy prices continue to soar.

Greece has about 200 populated islands, many of which still experience rolling blackouts in the summer and struggle to cope with overflowing landfills, normally hidden in the hills.

Tilos is expecting 30,000 visitors this summer, while the nearby island of Rhodes is set to receive more than 2 million by air alone.

Starting in December, Tilos piloted a home trash pickup scheme, with residents handed recycling kits and asked to wash and separate household waste.

“It’s working. We started with 10 houses and we’re now up to more than 400,” said Athanasios Polychronopoulos, who heads a Greek recycling firm, Polygreen, that offered the service for free, hoping to expand its model.

“This is an island community that’s open to change. It volunteered to take in refugees and held Greece’s first same-sex partnership ceremony. We had other options but we knew we had to start here,” he said.

The old landfill site has been replaced with a recycling plant where trash is separated on steel sorting tables to produce powdered glass, cement mix, compost fertilizer, compressed cardboard and paper drums, and plastic twine that an art gallery uses to make 3D printed couches and furniture.

The plant currently processes around 2 tons of waste per week, most of which is fully recycled. Roughly a third is composted, and 15% — classed as “non-recyclable” — is sterilized and shredded to be used in construction.

The company uses a proprietary app to prepare for incoming waste weighed at each house pickup. It has not released financial details of the scheme.

“We’re still making mistakes and learning,” Polychronopoulos said. “To our surprise, older people are the best at separating the waste. It makes sense, if you think about it: They can remember what things were like before there was plastic.”

Some residents can also remember when spotting a passing ship off the coast of Tilos was a rare sight. Rhodes is still two hours away by ferry; the Greek mainland is 15.

“We always wondered where all the plastic would go. And in the back of our minds we always felt we should do something about it,” says seaside restaurant owner Nikos Atsiknoudas.

Between meal prep, waiting tables and clearing them for new customers, staff tip everything into color-coded bins.

“It is extra work but no one can argue about the long-term benefit,” he says. “We have a lot of foreign visitors. They are more used to recycling than we are and they love it.”

Official visits to Tilos are rare and greeted with fanfare, with children in traditional costumes assembled at the harbor. The most recent was Greece’s energy and environment minister, Costas Skrekas, who arrived Tuesday with aides from the prime minister’s office to tour the new recycling plant.

“Our small islands face difficulties due to the distance from the mainland and the (environmental) burden from tourism,” he said after meeting schoolchildren at a recycling awareness class.

“Once again, the beautiful island of Tilos is a pioneer.”

#nunyas news

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clemonthyne · 3 years

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Happy Earth Day! ~Tips to Decreasing Your Carbon Footprint~

Although I initially said I was going to do this on my other blog, I decided to do it here :) Even though this is an art blog, I’m pretty huge advocate on sustainability. After all, it is the career I’m kinda going into.

So, I just wanted to do my part on this day by writing some tips and clearing up some myths on how you can decrease your carbon footprint, or at least being aware of how much climate change is effecting us.

Before I get into it, a great resource for any type of climate change related statistics, check out the IPCC! It’s a volunteered group of climate change scientists to give us the statistics we need to be aware of so we can do our part to help the earth!

Tip: Reduce your waste! Especially plastic waste!

Quarantine really has caused much more single use plastics and cups to enter the waste stream. Although we’ve had an issue with this pre-quarantine, it’s worse now. So, if you can (because some places don’t allow it) try your best to avoid single use plastics by buying a travel silverware kit or reusable bags! And if you’re reading this where we are in a “post-quarantine” world, then just please! Single use plastics and cups are the worst! Try your best to cut down on them.

Tip: Lower your meat intake!

This is mainly for my fellow Americans! We eat so much meat in the US, and although I have beef with the commercial meat industry (pun intended), I’m not going to get into that right now. Regardless, eating meat from commercial areas increase what’s called an “energy subsidy,” which basically means that more energy was put out to feed the livestock, process it, and package it, etc than lets say, a plant based food. I’m not saying go vegan or vegetarian, because some people simply can’t do that. Either they can’t due to their income situation, or simply cannot due to allergies (like me), or other reasons. The best is to just get your meat from local areas and/or cut down on it. America consumes way too much meat (I’m not that well versed on other cultures) and we really don’t need the amount of meat in our diet that we eat every day.

Eating more of a plant based diet saves more energy and carbon emissions than recycling and switching to a hybrid car combined!

Tip: Cut down on driving!

Another call out to my fellow Americans. We drive short distances TOO much. I know there’s not much of an incentive to not drive except help mitigate greenhouse gases (and that’s really our government’s fault for not having an economic incentive to do so). However, try to use trains, subways, bike, or walk more! If you do need to use your car, try your best to carpool.

I’d make this into a myth category, but I just want to make a small statement here instead. Electric cars don’t do as much as we think there is. Although we could have avoided

Myth: Plastics are recyclable!

Kind of a click-baity title on my part, and although plastics can be recycled, it is very hard to do so. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty science on this, but to dumb it down, we only truly recycle 7-9% of the plastic waste generated. Even if you do recycle all of your plastics, there is only a small chance that it will be properly recycled.

Plastics are broken down into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics are your recyclable plastics because they can be melted down (although there’s more nuance to that). Thermosets cannot be melted down feasibly (aka it takes a LOOOOOT of energy to melt them, and we don’t have that) and are thrown in the landfill stream. To avoid this, just simply reduce plastics as much as you can! Glass, aluminum, and paper are the easiest to recycle!

Myth: Paper is bad for the environment!

Although deforestation is a big problem, foresting that is properly managed is significantly less so. Utilizing paper is a lot better for the environment than using plastic. It’s easily recyclable, not to mention the industry that makes our paper is pretty damn sustainable! It has a very low net CO2 production, making it not much of a problem. Our true problem for CO2 emissions would be the gas industry.

Although with forestry, you have the decrease in biodiversity issue. I want to work towards a solution or a compromise with that in the future!

Myth: Green plastics help the Earth!

This really salts my apples, but there is no such thing as a “green” plastic. Sure there are plant based plastics, but some commercial plant based plastics can’t be recycled, or fall into the “thermoset” category. Not to mention, a lot of plant based plastics are mixed with other plastics, so it does not make too much of a difference, since it cannot biodegrade. Biodegradation is what we should strive for in making materials for single use.

Some ending notes:

Although there is SO much I can say here, I could only type so much. If anyone needs clarification or has any questions, feel free to reach out!

The climate change movement is an intersectional one. In order to properly address climate change, we also have to address social-economic issues as well. Climate change effects disproportionately effects low income and “developing” countries (typically countries in between high stationary and a little in the late-expanding category in the demographic transition model). Developed countries are the issue, mainly our industries. We can only do so much on our own. Getting the proper legislation passed and making industries listen is a huge step into making our planet healthy again.

Now, go outside (if you can/feel safe to do so), appreciate nature, and even plant a tree or indoor plant if you can. Being in nature can help anxiety and depression (not saying you shouldn’t get professional help for that, because you should if you need it!), or just general being-indoors-syndrome.

Enjoy earth! -Corn

#earth day #earth day 2021

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et-dah · 4 years

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The Demon Brothers: Creative Outlets Headcanons

they are all immortals and when you've lived longer than you can remember, you're bound to find a creative outlet to destress, alleviate boredom, or you know, to just have fun!

Lucifer

He’s a busy demon. If he’s not working, he's sleeping, or cleaning up one of his brother’s messes, so he doesn't have that much time to just relax and explore his creative sides.

That said though, it doesn’t mean he has no hobbies at all.

He plays the piano. He used to play it every morning, back when he’s still in the Celestial Realm, when he’d taught Lilith how to play the piano every morning and she’d sat besides him as his fingers moved across the keys slower so she could copy him.

Nowadays, playing the piano feels very nostalgic and bittersweet, but you’ll hear soft, bittersweet melodies drift from the music room once in a while.

He also composes his own music, but that's an even rarer occurrence. The last time he created a new music piece was centuries ago.

(Ever since MC came to Devildom though, he's been itching to write music for them.)

Practices calligraphy for fun. He has a whole set of brushes and ink and lettering pens. His handwriting is already beautiful but his calligraphy is even more amazing.

Another thing he does is gardening. He's got a great eye for landscape architecture, he's the reason why the house's backyard is pretty.

He plants decorative plants and likes to cross breed flowers so the House of Lamentation's backyard is full of pretty shrubs and unfamiliar flowers.

He is usually joined by Beel as he is the other brother that finds gardening very relaxing.

Mammon

He definitely shows his creativity by coming up with the most absurdly brilliant, out-of-the-box, original schemes to make money.

Mammon can draw, like really good. His drawings are very realistic. He prefers to use traditional media: charcoal pencils, graphite sticks, blenders, erasers, drawing pens, brushes, and maybe some watercolors.

He usually does architecture sketches.

But if you check his drawers, you’ll find several sketchbooks of his brothers in different candid poses. MC alone has taken up three whole sketchbooks. Mammon makes sure MC doesn’t see those sketches though.

Crashes Asmo’s Art Day regularly, claiming that if Levi’s invited then the Great Mammon should be too. Asmo and Levi always complains but they let him stay anyway.

Mammon also has a natural talent on jewelry making and metalwork. He makes jewelry from buttons, beads, pearls, diamonds, and crystals. From small pendants to elaborate neckpieces, simple anklets to ornate hairpins.

Mammon has made metal bookmarks for Satan because the book lover always misplaces his bookmarks or destroys them in fits of rage when he doesn't like a book's ending.

He sculpts wood. It takes him months to finish one small piece because he only does it when he's really, really bored, he prefers to make his much more profitable jewelry.

He keeps all of his sculptures in his room, small and detailed pieces of wood engraving of Devildom native animals lining up on one of the shelves.

Leviathan

This is canon but he draws! He doesn't think he's very good at it, but he really enjoys it.

Unlike Mammon who likes to draw with his charcoal pencils and drawing pens, Levi prefers to draw digitally. He still switch to traditional media now and then though.

Has a monthly scheduled “Art Day” where he and Asmo hang out together, Levi draws with his sketchbook or his drawing tablet and Asmo paints. They basically just gossip and hype each other’s art.

Dabbles in making short animations but feels like it’s just not something for him. He makes short comics though.

He wants to be able to make his own video game someday though. Maybe after he learns programming.

He makes the most detailed cosplay outfits for his own cosplays. He sews really good and patches his brothers clothes when they ask. Where do you think Asmo learns how to sew his own clothes from?

Really good at dancing and he really likes it too. He's a natural at it. From the most intricate traditional Devildom dances to freestyle dancing. He can make new moves on the spot and can copy any moves from one look.

He’s a shy baby though, you’ll rarely see him dance when he’s sober.

Except when he’s playing DDR (Demons Dance Revolution). Then, it’s like he’s the most confident demon in Devildom.

Satan

Satan writes poetry when inspiration strikes him. He has also written short stories but he always comes back to creating beautiful poems. He’s got a way with words.

Photography is something he has only recently taken interest in but he has a great eye for taking breathtaking shots.

Has become the family’s go-to photographer.

“Satan, take a picture of me and Mammon!” “Satan, take our picture, quick!” “Satan, help me get a picture for my Devilgram!”

He’s the reason Asmo’s Devilgram pictures always look like they’re taken professionally in a photo studio or something.

Satan loves art, likes to stroll through museums and stare at paintings for hours, but has little talent in creating them. Even so, he still likes to paint even if he's not good at it.

Sometimes he just wants to slap paint on a canvas and make a colorful mess. It's fun.

He joins Art Day every other month.

Another thing he does is knitting! It relaxes him. It gives him something to focus at when he's angry (um, angrier than usual), just to give his hands something to do that doesn't involve breaking anything. The simple patterns he makes are easy enough that they don't frustrate him.

Rarely ever finishes his knitting though, you'll just find this 5 meters long knitted fabric in one corner of his room with the ends coming undone because he calms himself down enough to stop knitting.

Asmodeus

Regularly designs, cut, and sew his own clothes.

Has a lot of sketchbooks full of drawings of flowy dresses and stylish coats and many aesthetically pleasing shirts.

He has started his own clothing line and sometimes collaborate with Majolish.

But for the most part, he designs clothes for himself and himself only, he doesn't want anyone else to wear clothes as fabolous as his.

Nail art? Nail art.

Asmo paints all of the brothers nails and sometimes he'll persuade one of them to let him do a complete manicure, with glitter polish and shiny studs and all.

Yes, even Lucifer. You just never see the results because Lucifer wears his gloves almost all the time.

Asmo creates beautiful makeup art. He doesn't really like a lot of makeup on his own face though, so his brothers' faces are his canvases.

He also has a great eye for interior decorating and flower arranging. He restyles his room every month.

Not many people know it but he paints. And he's very good at it. He has done a painting of each brother, the paintings can be seen on the walls of the House of Lamentation's hallways.

Art Day with Levi (and sometimes Satan or Belphie) is spent with him in front of canvases, chatting with his brothers, paint splatters on his hands. It's the only day that he doesn't mind looking a little messy.

Beelzebub

He cooks, of course! And bakes too!

It's one of the times he’s willing to wait to eat because cooking the ingredients first rather than just straight up eating them will make the foods taste better.

Half of the food in the kitchen are his creations. Anything he can make on his own from scratch, he will; jams, ice cream, sauces, juices, bread, chips, etc.

Likes to experiment and always do something different than the original recipes.

He garnishes his cooking like it’s something you order from a five star restaurant.

Beel is another demon who has a green thumb. He likes taking care of plants and doesn't mind getting a bit dirty doing it so gardening is another hobby of his.

If Lucifer plants ornamental plants, Beel grows useful plants like herbs and vegetables and small fruits. He's also good at topiary.

Always has an idea for a DIY project.

His creations is scattered all over the House of Lamentation. Belphie's drawer divider is made out of yogurt cups. Broken drawer knobs recycled into Asmo's jewelry organizer. The coat rack. The bathroom towel holder.

Even Lucifer's hanging Demonus rack is handmade by Beel when he's bored one weekend, with Mammon's help for the engraving decorations along the sides of the rack. Beel's got a bit of Bob the Builder in him.

He is very good at singing. His voice is clear and he has a broad vocal range. Has been caught unconsciously humming in class many times.

Has definitely sang Belphie to sleep.

Belphegor

Does his pranks counts as a creative outlet though?😂 Between him and Satan, Belphie's ideas are the most creative and out of the box, resulting on some of the best pranks they did.

Belphie does origami. It's relaxing, easy enough to learn, and doesn't take much effort and energy to do it.

Has stacks of origami papers in his room: standard origami paper, foil paper, traditional Washi ones, the leather-like Momigami paper, all kinds of paper.

He especially loves to make little origami stars and keeps them in glass jars in his room.

Belphie also has adult coloring books.

And kids coloring books.

Coloring is relaxing to him. It's very calming to just lay down and fills a page with pretty colors for a while. It's not a tiring way to destress, he can color without moving from his bed, and it feels satisfying when he finishes a whole page.

He sometimes joins Art Day if he's not too lazy to move. Still prefers to color alone where it's quiet though.

He also journals. It's another thing he can do that is inexpensive and not energy consuming. He writes about anything that comes to his mind, his thoughts, his ideas, memories.

Definitely keeps a dream journal.

Also I headcanon that as the Avatar of Sloth, sleep and dreams are some of the things he can manipulate. He enjoys creating dreams; the worldbuilding, the story, the details. He can be really creative when it comes to making them, spinning the most vivid and imaginative dreams.

They’re not necessarily good dreams though. After all, he is still a demon, his dreams will most likely mess up your mind than make you smile in your sleep.

#obey me #obey me swd #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #rol writes

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