#independent craft

[auraeseer]

Though Oxford English is the standard, I prefer Merriam-Webster . . .

[kirby-the-gorb]

[lewiscarrolatemybrain]

One more time

A Positive Change Arc -- often called a Hero's Journey -- is one possible shape a story can take. It is not the only or the best character arc, it's just one option. In a Positive Change Arc, the protagonist begins the story believing the Thematic Lie, and must learn and embrace the Thematic Truth over the course of their journey.

TGCF and MDZS are not Positive-Change Arcs. They are Flat Arcs.

(I have not read SVSSS)

A Flat-Arc is a story where the protagonist begins already knowing the Thematic Truth, while the world around them believes the lie. In a Flat Arc, the protagonist will have their knowledge of the Truth challenged and tested, they will be tempted by the Lie, and they will ultimately use their conviction to inspire the world around them to also embrace the Truth.

Flat Arc characters do not need to learn the Thematic Truth. They already know it. They may be seduced by the lie, they may falter, but they will always rally back to the Truth in the end.

(If they ARE successfully converted to the lie, then that isn't a Flat Arc anymore, it's a Corruption Arc, and it's usually a tragedy.)

"But Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian learned--" Nothing they learned impacted the Thematic Truth. Did they learn things? Yes! That's how Being A Person works. Both of them DID change and grow as people from the start of the series to the end. But neither of them learned anything that impacted the Thematic Truth. Because they already knew it.

Xie Lian was already kind, he already wanted to help people, he already believed that common people should be protected and uplifted. His suffering at the hands of BWX did not teach him any deep or important lessons. He already knew the Truth. BWX tried to tempt him to embrace the lie -- that people are undeserving, that you should never do anything for anyone who won't grovel with gratitude, that caring for other people is a waste -- and failed, because Xie Lian knew the truth and even when he was at his lowest he was searching for confirmation that he was right. Xie Lian only needed one single act of kindness to reassure himself that he was right and BWX was wrong. He did not learn anything new, he reaffirmed what he already knew and understood.

Wei Wuxian is good, and righteous, and morally upright. He is a character who does the right thing regardless of the consequences he might face. The sects collectively wanted to destroy him because he refused to bow to them, not because he ever at any point actually did anything wrong. Even the vengefulness he showed while actively at war is narratively justified, and it's key that the sects did not care about the desecration of bodies while it served them. He did not learn any valuable or important lessons when the Sects raided the Burial Mounds. The fact that Lan Sizhui exists at all is proof for us as the audience that everything Wei Wuxian did was worth it. All of it mattered, and all of it was the right choice, because a-Yuan is alive. He doesn't come back to life having learned anything new, he already understood the Truth.

Obviously neither of them are Omnipotent. They learn that there's dudes in love with them, they solve the mysteries of their respective true Big Bads, they uncover some other stuff. But the Thematic Truth, the core theme of the story, is not a lesson either of them needs to learn. It is a lesson they teach others by refusing to bend to the Lie the rest of the world believes.

[erinscoolart]

been working on some polymer clay necklace pendants and im quite happy with how these turned out!

[classicintp]

There is this whole idea that flipping a two sided coin doesn't have a 50-50 probability. It's not a new idea by any means, but the explanation is if you measured the mass of the coin, the force of the flip, the temperature of the coin & of the room, the force of any breeze, wind, or vibration in the air as it traveled, and so on, you could accurately determine within a small margin of error what side the coin will land on every time, and if you kept those constant it would flip on the same side every time. And that idea is also KIND OF the explanation for the conclusion in quantum physics that there is no free will.

A lot of people hear that and either clutch their pearls, roll their eyes, or aren't interested either way. (I mean, when you say some shit like that you're just going to immediately turn off any interest most people would have otherwise had but I'm digressing now). We all like to think we make decisions and choices, and then amateurs who want to talk about quantum mechanics alienate everyone by saying it's not true: you were always going to make these choices with no chance to make the other one.

But what I said in the first paragraph is something-like (but not exactly) what it means when you hear or read that according to quantum physics we have no free will. That if we had an unfathomable device that has been measuring all the variables of every single particle that was expelled during the Big Bang, with an also-sufficient/also-currently-unfathomable algorithm to plug those variables into, all within a computer that could do all of the calulations for BILLIONS of years, we could compute exactly where every particle was going and where it would end up, including those that make up the stars and planets, that make up the ground and oceans, that make up the animals and plants, that make up your brain and all of the proteins and neurotransmitters. That if it could all be measured and an algorithm sufficiently built then the decisions you make are already determined by the ongoing relationships and interactions the particles that make up your brain had in the past and are having right now.

However, humans cannot measure that, they likely never ever will.

Anyone that tells me they don't like quantum mechanics because something something affront to nature blah blah "they" don't believe in free will, etc. literally doesn't know it's just a rescale of the coin toss description. You still believe coin tosses are 50-50 because you aren't going to measure the variables used to receive an answer, you can still believe in free will because you can't measure the variables used to determine the ultimate path of all particles; I mean, I wouldn't become a theoretical physicist if that meant so much to you but I'm not your dad, do what you want.

Edit: I know I described the science mostly wrong, please check out the replies and reblogs for others' corrections and feel free to add corrections of your own for mine and others' learning, thank you.

[thefalloutwiki]

Fallout 4: Weather Change Shells

Were you previously aware that in Fallout 4, the Contraptions Workshop add-on adds Weather Change Shells?

Using these shells, the player can temporarily change the weather to Clear, Rain or Radstorm options!

You can check out the overview page for the Weather Change Shells here:

https://fallout.wiki/wiki/Weather_Change_Shell

[alexibeeart]

I have a collection of unique handmade items available in my Etsy shop! check out my fine wares at abeewares.etsy.com

[studioeileen]

Here’s a fun new floral I’ve been working on. I think I’ll call it Spring Romance 🌹

[fibrousearth]

Here's a close up of my rug, and a look at how I made it :) I need a round lil cushion to go with my rug for long term sitting, and that way I can use the shirt tops that I can't make into yarn, for stuffing! I'm also planning on making a kneeling stool too, so that I have options on days when different things flare up.

I use rubber-banded-shut pliers for a lucet fork because it's what I have, and they happen to have the strength to handle thick tshirt yarn lol

[brutermonger]

I wonder if we will see these bebes next season? I want to see them Thrive and bring about unspeakable atrocities upon humanity(affectionate). 😌 💖

[auraeseer]

What does a fat kangaroo drink?

[montereymantaray]

I made a flyer for my line of masks for this year. Hope you all think it’s cool haha.

[ugisfeelings]

my current march revelation is that when u have dental care and u haven't yet been caught w/ an arrest record and you’re not at the threat of institutionalisation and u have at 1-3 friends whom u can spontaneously call w/o shame at weird hours, look forward to any kind of company to catch up over coffee or watch a 3.5hr film with on the weekends, The Other Stuff Does Not Have To Be That Urgent.... u can have fun and do whatever it's not a big deal it doesn't matter........... #livelaughlove

[sparxwrites]

nice to know that, even though cwilbur's story is over on the dsmp, docm77 is keeping him alive by roleplaying him on the hermitcraft server

[boomboxoriginalart]

Moody Floral print - available as fabric, wallpaper, home goods, and more!!

[deadlynyghtshayde]

Hi, I'm Nyx! I am a queer artist and designer, and I just listed some of my work on Etsy - including the decorations seen above. Perfect to add a little whimsy and fantasy to your aesthetic, entirely unique pieces - and they glow! They sit beautifully against the wall, or hang them in the window to catch the natural light.

All the pieces are one of a kind ~ handmade by me, from casting to beading to soldering the jump ring for security. I currently have 7 wall decorations and a hoop hanger listed. More will be added soon! If you're interested, please take the time to check out my shop!

I absolutely love the pieces I've made, and I hope you do too.