#it makes me so much more inspired and motivated to keep creating and confident in sharing my favorite stuffs

[spaceratprodigy]

kissing everyone on the mouth for being so sweet abt the new art btw I have real tears in my eyes

[genericpuff]

(You can delete this ask if it makes you uncomfortable) Do you think I should give up on my dream of being a webcomic artist? It's been what I'd been wanting to for years yet from what I'm hearing, it's hard to get money and an audience and that the mainstream webcomic hosting platforms don't treat their creators well. It doesn't help that while my art is decent, I don't really know how to create webcomics beyond like really short 4-5 panel comics even though I'd been drawing for many years. There's also the issue of my ADHD making it difficult to commit to stuff but then again at least that can be hopefully fixed once I get medicated. So, now the career of a webcomic artist sounds like a pipe dream at best. Is it worth pursuing, even if I don't make much money with it?

"Do you think I should give up on my dream of being a webcomic artist?"

And this isn't just for you, anon, this is for everyone who follows my nonsense here.

Yes, it's hard to build an audience.

It's even harder to make money.

You should still make webcomics if you really want to do it.

The only practical piece of advice I can give you from the perspective of someone who's been doing this for years is to manage your expectations. Because that's the biggest mistake a lot of webcomic artists make (and I too, made this mistake) they go into it setting the bar that it HAS to result in them making a living off it, getting famous off it, etc. when that's unfortunately only the reality for the 1% who get lucky or have an advantage that the other 99% don't have. And then, of course, failing to meet those ridiculously high expectations makes the fall hurt that much harder if you fail, especially with odds like that stacked against you. That's not to say you shouldn't set a bar for yourself, but you have to set it in a place that's reasonable. Especially if you're an artist with ADHD (same, mood), we have a REAL bad habit of setting the bar unreasonably high for ourselves when we're still learning and getting our feet wet (it's why we're always taking on new hobbies after getting inspired by musicians or crafters and then getting immediately discouraged when we're not suddenly able to do the thing with that same amount of skill).

Set the bar in a reasonable place with reasonable expectations, and then when you MEET that bar, you'll have even more motivation and confidence to aim higher. What won't give you confidence is setting the bar alongside the pros who have been at this for years, because not only will it take way too long to hit that for you to see results, you might give up before you even come close because of how far away the bar is.

A career as a webcomic artist is about as guaranteed as making a career out of Youtube. But being a webcomic artist, period? You can do it. Anyone can do it. I'm still doing it in spite of everything. Like, I cannot even fully express to you just how much of what I do here is the culmination of a long list of failures. My art, my writing, the stuff I do here is built on the corpses of my failures. But those failures were still important, they had to happen to make me into the person and artist I am today. That person is STILL making mistakes, and that artist is STILL not rich LOL Failure is scary, but fear of failure is the true killer of joy and growth.

Do not tie the merit of being a webcomic artist to how much money you can (or can't) make out of it. Just like with starting a Youtube channel, you shouldn't go into it expecting money and fame right out the gate, but there are equal amounts of joy and experience you can gain by doing it. There's a reason people say you have to do it out of love and passion first because ultimately that's all you'll have to keep carrying you through if and when you fail to meet your goals. You don't have to be sure if you'll still want to do it a year from now or five years from now, none of that matters. If you want to do it now, then do it.

Make your 4-5 panel comics if that's what you enjoy doing. Make whatever tickles your fancy. Acknowledge your fears and doubts, thank them for their opinion, and do it anyways. "What if it ends up being a waste of time?" The time will pass anyways. Worst case, at least you'll be able to say you did it. That's better than never trying and regretting it in the end.

[ngc7009]

hey kittens, I've got some serious talk to make with you. you see, unfortunately, lately we very often faced with the fact that a lot of good artists and writers do not get much feedback or being simply ignored. it makes me really sad because I genuinely think that their works deserve much more attention... and I've noticed it myself too, sadly, like my own drawings and stories are not needed by anyone. I mean, of course I see all you guys who leaves those kind comments and I appreciate it very much, but mostly — MOSTLY — people just leaving likes.

let me be clear. it's okay just to like posts. but for us, creators of any content, a simple like means "eh, it's fine I guess". which doesn't fill us with confidence, I'll tell you. for example, for me it feels like I did something wrong. maybe drawing I just posted is not so good as I thought? maybe people are just tired of me? am I bad am I annoying? so I immediately starting to hate it and to hate myself. and I'm sure that other creators often feel the same.

ok, now let me be extremely honest. even a reblog without tag (or with some standard tag like fandom name) is not doing much for us. we cannot help it, but it really feels like almost nothing... those reblogs, however, which people tag with screams and expressing their emotions, are golden. these mean a whole world for every creators, fills us with hope and inspiration. and it's not so hard to do, right? we don't ask for money, all we want is reaction. and if you really like what we are posting, please, don't be shy and don't forget to show it to us. this and only this keeps us motivated and helps us not to give up on creating a content.

and so, I would like to take the opportunity and share some accounts which I believe deserves more love and attention. I really hope that it will help them become more popular and find their audience.

@how-very-salty my favorite creator. I'm just in love with her art style and coloring. her Heathers and Jdonica art is gorgeous and her stories melts my heart every time. she's also planning to draw genshin fanart in the future.

@skeletonbeary making adorable and interesting original characters. she's doing TES art, Baldur's gate, Tian guan ci fu and many other. and her style is so soft and squishy, I just love it so much.

@nomadenord posts beautiful photos she's taking herself. also she's such an amazing writer, I love every story she created so far. check out her ficbook account for the most adorable and heartbreaking TES stories.

@assassin-artist doing Elden Ring and Chainsawman art. her original characters are so handsome and art style is simple but really beautiful.

here, check them out! if you'll like their stuff please let them know ❤️ I would like to mention more cool blogs but I’m not very social and don’t know much creators in person, unfortunately….

thank you for reading this.

[pastel-charm-14]

how to romanticize your life - a series - post 2 - romanticizing school

soo many people see school as something to avoid, as a chore. but we as individuals have the power to change the way we view school. it's an opportunity for growth, discovery, and personal development. so without further ado: here are a couple tips to help you romanticize school!!

have a positive mindset. in order to study effectively, you need to put aside the negative connotations you have with school and studying and replace them with positive connotations. write out a cons list and then counteract each negative with a positive. for example: con - school is very time consuming | pro - it teaches you time management skills.

create a peaceful and cozy school morning routine. drink some water, watch something funny, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, do your makeup, listen to some nice music, pick out a cute outfit, do your hair, have some matcha.

i also like to say affirmations in the mornings like "i love school" or "i'm amazing at school" to help get me into that positive mindset i was talking about earlier.

make a to-do list. part of romanticizing is not stressing. if you prepare for your day in advance, you can worry less and enjoy more.

really explore your school campus. find all the little nooks and crannys, and don't miss out on anything your school has to offer. for example, i found a little covered picnic table over by the greenhouses at my school that i love to sit at. cute places to study and hang out make school so much more enjoyable.

appreciate being a student. there is so much community and everyone is working toward to common goal to really figure out who they want to be and what they're going to do. it sounds dramatic, but it's true. so i advise you to embrace student life. attend events, plays, games, join clubs, and study with your friends. so go to that football game, participate in spirit days, and enjoy being a student to its fullest potential!

materials are also a huge part of school. you don't have to spend big bucks, but these are some basic things that have helped me:

-cute planners/notebooks, sticky notes -> for goals/organization, writing down something quick, although take physical notes as well!

-books -> gives you something to do, i like romance and educational books

-ipad -> helps with notes/studying, customize it to make it cute, add widgets, and keep in mind that it's all about the vibes

dress to impress. wear cute outfits. treat school as a fashion show. i know dressing up and feeling confident has really enhanced my school experience. some of my favorite things to wear are preppy cardigans, nice jeans, skirts, high knee boots, long sleeve turtlenecks, and just tons of cute tops. layering is very important to me as well. you can also add jewelry to help elevate your style a lil bit.

have a space that you dedicate to only studying. i have a desk in my room that i use, and it has improved my study habits, my grades, and my discipline. it makes studying/schoolwork so much more enjoyable. it always good to keep in mind that your environment impacts tons of other aspects of your life too. make your space your own and personalize it. some potential spots could also be coffee shops or the library, whatever works for you.

make a pinterest board to motivate yourself. this could include study-with-me's, study tips, just general inspiration, or things to do with your main area of study or your major if you're a uni student. this helps you think about "huh, that could be me".

bonus tips:

absorb study content/vlogs

have a good-vibes playlist

in case ya missed the intro post:

stay tuned…

[choicesficwriterscreations]

June MC of the Month: Eva Archer

Please welcome June 2024's MC of the Month: @dutifullynuttywitch's Eva Archer

Each month, we highlight one MC or OC on our Meet My MC / OC List. They are selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!

Learn more about Eva below

1- In your own words, tell us what you like most about your MC / OC.

She’s an idealist, preoccupied by social justice. While at the Tower, she constantly fought the authoritarian leaders, which resulted in her and her sister needing to flee so she wouldn't ‘get disappeared’. Now that she’s leading her own colony, she is still trying to find the right balance, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and feels welcomed.

2- Do you feel your MC / OC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?

I think we both lean towards social justice and fairness in our decision-making. And I definitely gave her some of my musical tastes! (Though I have more grunge and alternative in my repertoire.)

But other than that, Eva is much cooler than I could ever hope to be!! 🙂 She’s a fighter, brave, willing to put her life on the line for others.

3- What is most important to your MC / OC? What is their motivation in life?

Eva is not the bravest, but she is fiercely loyal to her friends. Being forced to leave her fatally injured sister Brynn, her only family, behind after narrowly escaping The Tower was the hardest thing she’d ever done. It left her deeply scarred. She refuses to lose anyone else she's close to and will put her own life on the line if she can save her friends or members of her colony.

Her friendship and frequent quests with Eli and Angel help her gradually feel more confident in her fighting skills. As a leader of the newly established Olympus Colony, she speaks up against injustices and tries to be conciliatory. What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes?

She despises cruel, self-centered people. Unfortunately there are too many in her post-apocalyptic world, who will do anything, kill anyone just to survive a day longer.

While she generally loves Troy’s easy-going attitude, she absolutely loses her temper when he shirks on his chores - which he unfortunately does regularly.

4- If your MC / OC could change one thing - anything - what would it be?

She would find a cure for the parasite that converts people into zombies. She’s in no way a scientist, but she wholeheartedly supports her best friend Shannon Fox in her ongoing investigations.

5- What is your MC / OC’s favorite quote or song?

Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones.

It’s a bittersweet reaction, really, having lost both of her fathers in a horrible way (one became a zombie and killed his husband), and more recently her sister. She holds on dearly to the lyrics that “wild horses couldn’t keep me away”. It’s how she feels about Troy, and her friends Eli, Shannon, Angel, little May…

Her favorite quote is more inspirational: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” – Emily Dickinson

6- Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC / OC?

I adored the Choices book Wake the Dead. Such an interesting, dark concept, where your choices matter, with tons of potential for world-building… I wanted to create a character that had lived through terrible things, resulting in deep-seated trauma, but at the same time could see the light in the world and continue to strive to better her life and that of those around her. This is how Eva was born!

7- Other facts about Eva

Eva was born close to Reno, Nevada before the zombie apocalypse.

She previously worked in pest control from the age of 18, then became a scout at 25 at her former colony, The Tower.

Eva is dating Troy Hassan, her childhood best friend from her Tower days. This was a slow burn, friendship to love. Troy’s an absolute charmer, knows her better than anyone and is her emotional support. He’s much more carefree, which brings out her lighter side – necessary with all the stress and pressures of running a colony during an apocalypse!

She dearly misses her sister Brynn, who died shortly after escaping the tower. Eva admired her fierceness and how she bravely ventured out as a scout every day to support the colony. Eva hopes to become as tough as her sister.

Thank you so much for reading through my MC profile, I had a blast sharing Eva Archer with you!! And thank you @choicesficwriterscreation for giving us the space to gush about our fictional babies!!

[tarot-by-e11e]

Hi dear, thankyou so much for opening this game it means a lot. And i really appreciate your time, energy and efforts!!

Okay so now I'm Jasmine, capricorn-sun, Virgo moon and taurus rising.

Answers to your questions;

Your Go-to Self-Empowering song

Tbh my way of motivation is so let myself realise and feel things that kind of like strikes this inner passion and dedication out. (Sorry for adding so many songs but i love these especially)

->"What does your dream life look like?"

Well for me my dream life looks like being able to do something big, like I wanna have my own name so that I can use that as an inspiration for others, i can Help people both financially and mentally, wanna go in a carreer that satisfies me both mentally and financially, i wanna change things just like do something different, i wanna have my own family with kids and a husband, i really want to be a mom tbh, wanna travel the world and be satisfied with mentally and fincially, being able to do charity and just complete my true purpose here. Like do something that people can look upto, help people in anyway I can and also live the life i truly desire. Have my own everything especially a House. There's a lot i could say but for now I'll just add the main things.

thankyou so much for doing the reading for me, i really appreciate you a lot. This is my first time participating so I hope my energy is good to you. 🫶🏻🤍✨🧿

Hi Jasmine,

Thank you so much for participating in my new ask game~

Your empowering playlist is so iconic! Definitely the motivating kind of songs~

You have such amazing and beautiful dreams!! I hope and wish you can achieve all of them!

The cards I pulled for you regarding the Encouragement of your Future Self are:

Strength, 10 of Wands, 4 of Swords

These are the things your Future Self wants to tell you:

“The reason you’re dreaming big because you know you have what it takes to achieve those goals in this lifetime. Knowing this, you’ll need to built your inner strength and confidence. You inherently know you can do it, so don’t give up.”

“You can’t control where you’re from however you have the power to choose to stay stuck or move out of the environment you’ve clearly outgrown from. Knowing this, you’ll know how and when to make bold moves and take calculated risks.

Learning how to manage your finances early on is a great way to have some financial safety net. So don’t give in to peer pressure by buying something you don’t need or want. You know how to reallocate your funds responsibly. Always remember, I’m proud by how much effort you put in to ensure we live the lives we enjoy in the future. Don’t give up, for the both of us.”

“Burn out is real yet it is avoidable, if you create a sustainable lifestyle that creates a healthy foundation for you and benefits you in the long run. Take outs are easy and affordable, but 10 years later, hospital bills might become too much for us to bear. So please prioritize sustainability over a quick buck?”

“Overtime is overrated. Don’t let yourself be stuck as a corporate slave. Find a way to make money work for you. Don’t rely on only one income. You know this, yet you struggle to believe that you are capable of this. Newsflash, you will find a way to live a healthier and more financially secure lifestyle. You need only to learn how to curate your life to your design.”

“Going on a vacation isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy. You can’t keep overworking yourself to the point of fatigue and exhaustion. Hospital gowns don’t look cute on you. So do everything to learn to view rest as a vital necessity.

Your well-being and sanity are nonnegotiable precious commodities. Don’t waste them on things/activities that won’t make your life better in the long haul. It’s great that you’re hardworking and diligent. However, there’s a fine line between being of service and people-pleasing. You know you deserve respect and just monetary compensation. So act like it. If a higher-up doesn't see your value, leave. Your respect, time, and energy shouldn���t be wasted on those who don’t deserve it.”

This is all I can read for you.

Do let me know how this resonates with you.

(This reading is for entertainment purposes only)

[theambitiouswoman]

hi ! i really need help about my procrastination recently. i have this thing where I create very time specific schedules with all my tasks, and the moment something disrupts that, I fall into a slump and can't work for the rest of the day. i really don't know what to do because without a schedule i cant get anything done either.

sorry, really didn't know who else to ask

It’s okay! Procrastination is a normal issue that is indeed hard to over come. Everyone for different reasons.

Make sure what your planning for is something you actually want to do. This will help motivate you.

Make sure your plan of action actually seems doable. If it’s too complicated then this may be keeping you from actually taking action. Break it down more.

Turn off your phone and other distractions and actually start.

You can also get started by doing something you enjoy that could be related. For example, if I have to work on a creative project I do not enjoy, I start by using that creativity for myself that way I get inspired and in the zone in a more optimistic way.

You also have to just be firm with yourself and tell yourself okay I have to do this now. Im very firm on myself, controversial for sure, but it works for me.

If you need motivation, then turn on YT videos or a podcast that motivates you. This will help shift your energy and remind you of everything you can accomplish, even if your reality does not match it.

Remind yourself that you will feel so much better and confident once you complete it. Because you totally will.

You got this 💗

[quiltingwitch]

A project for a friend, from chaotic notes app sketch to finished quilt!

My goals for this project were to:

-use designs and colors directly inspired by my friend

-build confidence in foundation paper piecing, with the aim to understand the rules so I can design my own patterns eventually

-use as much scrap fabric as possible whenever possible

The grey background, the spines of the book designs, and the improv blocks were all made from half square triangle and strip scraps left over from a wedding quilt made for mutual friends. I think that means my friends’ quilts are siblings. ❤️

This was my favorite part, improvising fpp blocks with small scraps. No rules just right. (Ok some rules- for each block use many blues, use green once, balance with grey. But I made those rules up arbitrarily so I don’t mind following them)

The blue background fabric and border fabric were originally three thrifted shirts. I used fpp technique to make the striping precise.

I listened to a lot of tinglers while making this quilt, and in my opinion this gift for my friend proves love is real. Chuck Tingle is a very inspirational and influential artist for me. I have enormous respect for all his work and I find myself more motivated to create because Chuck trots his trot.

Just two buds and a quilt that proves love is real.

There is so much joy in watching my friends enjoy something I made. I love you guys!

I’m very happy with how this quilt turned out. I was able to pull mostly from my scrap bags for the top, the rest was reclaimed shirts. Foundation paper piecing is sometimes referred to as a technique that creates a lot of scrap, but I’ve found it to be a good way to use scrap. The extra step of piecing solids into a large enough shape to fit the fpp pattern didn’t seem to effect the overall construction, as long as I ironed the seams open. (Fpp does create paper waste though, which I can’t yet figure out how to reuse.) I certainly increased my confidence with fpp and I’m really excited to use the technique more. Best of all, the quilt helped keep my friends warm on a very cold weekend. I’m very lucky to know and be known by them.

Thank you for reading, please enjoy Jasper in his favorite spot: the forbidden blanket. I moved him from his spot many times because I was worried about pin pricks but he kept coming back. The beloved boy loves a basted quilt.

Patterns are Tall Tales by Kate Basti, North Star by Full Bobbin Designs, and Dragonfly by Full Bobbin Designs

[scottxlogan]

Random thoughts...

Not to be a downer on anyone these days, but I’ve been thinking lately and I have to ask for what feels like the millionth time. What is with people not wanting to interact with others on the internet in fandom especially content creators?

Putting this under the cut because I know not everyone wants to read my thoughts here, but like fandom just feels so bleak lately. Don’t get me wrong I have a few really great fandom friends who are so supportive and I adore them so very much. They are what help me navigate through the fandom waters here, but for the most part it’s a silent place these days.

Now don’t get me wrong I can honestly say that I feel very blessed because I have a significant amount of followers here on Tumblr. I started off in a rare fandom and through the years on here have gained a following where I appreciate each one of you who have taken to following me. I do, but my complaint is about fandom in general as a whole and the lack of connection. I get we live in a day in age where people binge content and move on without giving it a second look, but like I don’t get how on here when people like something they don’t reblog or at least like it. Same goes for AO3. If you take the time to read a fic, it would be nice if you actually I don’t know...leave a kudos or some kind of response. I know I’ve been down this rant road a few times already and it probably feels old, but it is still happening.

People who create content whether it be art, animations, fic, etc. pour a LOT of energies into it. Even if we tell you it was nothing, the truth is it was something. It was time spent away from being somewhere else, doing something else in the hopes of sharing our creative inspirations and really hoping that you like what we put out there. Sure, we love what we do, but we also kind of hope you love it too because when we do it and you love it, we want to do it more! A good positive round of feedback is enough to motivate some really wonderful things in the universe and that’s what I think most content creators are hoping for.

The problem is that lately the only people who are giving any kind of response are those who tell you to go away, to offer up other trigging content to creators that I won’t put out into the universe in their cruelty and just being so horribly mean that a lot of creators just turn away or stop altogether because they believe that’s all that is out there. It’s a very disheartening cycle because when someone who creates content is only hearing those kind of things it makes you question if you should still be doing it. I mean I’m not going to lie, I’ve even considered stepping away from doing some fandom things like writing stories because while I notice there are some hits the kind of comments I’m getting are filled with so much hate and hurtful things that I have to question why i keep putting myself through the agony of it all. I mean yes, I love doing what I do, but at the same continually getting cut down doesn’t motivate a person to want to be continuing only to keep getting back up to get knocked down again.

Now, I know people are shy and maybe a part of them are afraid if they like/comment/reblog something that it could come back to them in real life and fandom is not a part of their offline life. This I get too. I really do and on places like Tumblr sure okay, yeah I mean if you’re worried it could cause you issues or some kind of harm by engaging, then for sure you shouldn’t have to, but on a place like AO3 where guests can leave comments/likes in most instances without having to supply real life information and out themselves as engaging an author, I don’t see why people don’t do it. I understand being socially awkward and shy. In real life I’m a HUGE introvert with social anxiety. I pretend really well that I’m okay, but I’m not the portrait of confidence and extroverted like some others are. I never have been. Writing is a way of expressing myself and allowing my voice to be heard in a lot of ways where as in the real world I don’t often have that opportunity to do that. Being creative is a comfort and something that makes me feel better in a lot of ways, but again being met by hate all the time is draining. Sure, I have set comments to moderation in some cases and it has been a life saver in a lot of ways, but at the same time I have to question why the feedback I’m getting is just pure hatred instead of positive responses. Like for me it just doesn’t make any sense. If you’re shy, you don’t have to write an author a thesis about why you liked something, but even something as simple as a positive icon can make someone’s day. It’s as simple as that and it doesn’t out you as a fan to those you don’t want to see it nor would an author be angry with you offering a simple response. Trust me it will make their day. It makes mine when I see any kind of positive response, so I can guarantee it does that for others too.

As I said earlier I started in a rare fandom and maybe that was good for me because in doing so I stepped into a close knit community. I was nervous at first that they wouldn’t accept me and felt out of place until I found that the fandom ‘greats’ were welcoming me in with open arms and being kind and supportive even when we all didn’t have exactly the same interests. It was a fun time to be in fandom, but time has passed and most of that fandom has moved on or transitioned to the new version of fandom where if you’re not a part of the ‘popular’ crew then you’re not really noticed in general. Even in joining newer fandoms I see a lot of newbies aren’t welcomed into the fold but rather shunned for daring to step into a fandom that already has an established community. In my first days in fandom if someone new came around we welcomed them with open arms and offered to give them the grand tour, but now it’s more of a ‘don’t get in my way’ attitude and that’s really sad. That community feel just isn’t there anymore. I realize I’m rambling all over the place, but I’ve been thinking it for a while. 

Odds are not many people are reading this at this point, so I can be plainly honest about things. My first love fandom was a wonderful one with so many rewarding experiences where I was the newbie that was embraced and welcomed to the community. We all wanted more content because it was so rare and when we got it, we were all happy to have those things. It was a great day when there was a new fic or a new piece of art and a celebration of fandom. However, right now that fandom is quiet and those still lingering around have gone in new directions. I, too, have gone in different directions and in doing so I haven’t really found that steady landing place that I had when I was a kid hopping in here on fandom. The new factions of fandom just don’t feel as welcoming or open to being supportive in the ways the old did as it feels more like a popularity contest or a means of turning art into a living, which I have three art degrees so I get it. It’s important to do what you love and make money doing it, but at the same time fandom is also supposed to be fun and a way to connect and I feel like a lot is lost in that aspect of things. In the last month I’ve gotten a few comments from my regular fandom friends but beyond that I’ve received more hate and criticism from people who hate the fandom I’m in or in some cases people in the fandom who are influencers who can’t say something positive beyond criticizing for a different vision than what they had. Those things are kind of disheartening and I guess in writing this I don’t really know where I stand on fandom. The other day i was ready to throw in the towel, feeling like my voice isn’t being heard and really if it is, no one is saying otherwise. I feel like maybe no one wants to see/hear/read/enjoy what I just spend hours doing like maybe I’m wasting everyone else’s time along with my own and that’s when fandom feels like a lonely road where you’re traveling on it with no sense of direction. I don’t know... I’ve been thinking about that for a while and lately it kind of sits in my brain a lot longer than it used to. I guess I just miss the days of fans taking the time to form friendships and actually talk about the things they love without making other people feel unwelcome. A little return to community would be nice.

[ink-flavored]

Reworking Pride

BTS Series: ⬅ Table of Contents - Reworking Justice ➡ Also available on Neocities! P&J Taglist (Check out my Google form to get added): @elegant-paper-collection @auroblaze @zeenimf @vacantgodling @foxys-fantasy-tales Banner art by @auroblaze

The first thing I decided needed a rework was, no surprise, the protagonist. Pride would need to change significantly, and not just for the obvious reasons. I needed to have a different visual for him so I could more easily create a separate personality and motivation from scratch, instead of constantly associating him with his alternate fanfiction self. I can’t draw, so I went onto this Picrew and threw together an initial appearance I could work off of.

I wanted to keep some of the punk elements like piercings and alternative dress, both as a kind of homage and to put a big neon sign over his head that reads HAS PROBLEMS WITH AUTHORITY. Same thing with the eyeliner—explicitly not conforming to gender norms, both signaling a problem with authority and implied queerness, which is intentional. The goatee was for fun, since “haha goats and Satan,” but I liked it so much I kept it. I did decide to make him white, instead of Japanese like his fanfiction counterpart, which is a change I did make with a purpose (I’ll get into it). The horns and tail being the classic cartoon devil were the only options available. It wasn’t the look I was going for with the story, but I added them anyway because they were cute.

One big deviation I decided on right away was that this isn’t going to be a stolen body, for Pride or Justice. Their appearances are what they look like, all the time, and Pride will ferry the soul for his contract without hijacking their appearance. I actually changed the way the whole contract thing works, too, but that’s a story for another post.

From here, I began brainstorming his personality. The fanfiction Pride & Justice was very short, so there wasn’t a whole lot of room for character development or action. In fact, Pride has a static character arc through the whole story. The only thing that changes by the end is him admitting that he’s scared to go back to Hell, and the rest of his personality remains exactly the same. That isn’t going to fly as an original character in a longer story.

In this new story, Pride as a character needs to be a shithead, for lack of better description. Not only is he a demon, he’s the embodiment of hubris, self-importance, and the root of all sin. He needs to be loud, obnoxious, arrogant, and outraged, if not violent, when he doesn’t get his way. Paradoxically, he also desperately needs people to like him. It’s well-documented that people with healthy relationships with their pride don’t do the grandiose “look at me, I’m so special” thing—their pride is self-evident, and exudes naturally. The people who do act incredibly shitty like this are compensating for a low self-esteem, declaring that they’re the best, that everything they do is the best, and that everyone should like them for being so obviously the best. This, of course, turns potential friends and companions away, and sends them further down into their spiral.

I took a great deal of (mostly tongue-in-cheek) inspiration from a Tweet by Sarah Hagi (that I can unfortunately not find the link to): “God, give me the confidence of a mediocre white dude.” I want Pride to be a critique of that guy you know, the one who acts like he’s the best thing since sliced bread, but isn’t really as great as he claims, and deep down he knows it. He hurts people to boost himself up, using his position of power over others to make himself feel more secure. Sure, he’s had pain, maybe even trauma, but he doesn’t want you to know that. It would be weak, in his mind, to admit that he has wounds so deep he can’t even look himself in the mirror.

So, as my protagonist, Pride needs to be fundamentally self-absorbed, taking pleasure in the pain of others, because he’s compensating for and masking a very deep emotional pain. I don’t want to be so black-and-white as to make the entire concept of “having pride” a strict evil, so over the course of the story I want to develop him into a healthier version of it. This would give him a very fulfilling arc—he begins the story as the negative expression of pride, hubris and self-importance and viciousness, and ends on the positive end of the spectrum, with genuine self-respect and confidence without needing to harm others. That’s a whole dang character with flaws and potential for growth if I do say so myself!

Obviously, I wasn’t quite done. Pride needed a pain to endure, something that would turn him into the vindictive little asshole we see before us. What better pain for a demon to have, what better way to turn them bitter against all of humanity and virtue, than to be cast out of Heaven by God for questioning His authority? Not only is Pride a demon, he’s one of the fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer when he fell from Heaven.

My wonderful girlfriend, AuroBlaze, helped me solidify Pride’s appearance so I wouldn’t have to use the Picrew forever. The idea of him having the blond roots of his hair exposed was played as a joke, at first, because how funny would it be for him to always look like he had a shitty hair-dye job? But while we were talking, I realized it could be a brilliant metaphor for the very shoddy mask he wears to hide his aforementioned bitterness and trauma—especially if those exposed roots are the color his hair used to be as an angel, that won’t stay covered up, no matter how hard he tries.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The blond roots are still the color his hair was as an angel, but the reason they stick around is because it's essentially a magical scar. His dark hair stops right where it meets his horns, his broken halo. His former-holiness is burned into him, and can't be transformed or dyed away.

While we were discussing what I actually wanted his horns to look like, I solved a few world-building birds with one stone. The demons in this story, instead of just being goth angels, have their wings cut off by the other angels when they fall. Their halos are cracked in two, jammed into their heads, and become their horns, eternally smoking with once-holy fire. They grow tails from the trails of fire they leave as they fall to Hell, like the trail of a comet. They have several permanent reminders of the grace they lost.

Lo and behold, we have our final design:

[Tumblr version] [Instagram version]

Welcome to the world, Pride! You are a menace to society and will cause so much distress to everyone around you.

A few other details that I want to mention before we go: All demons have a secondary beast form they can transform into, either fully or partially (i.e. Pride can summon one monster arm if he wants). Compare this to angels having a human form and a “flaming wheel of eyes and fire” form. His horns and tail are also optional in this way—he can hide them from humans entirely if he wants. I won’t get deep into his powers or how this story’s version of magic works, but there’s a good chance I’ll make a separate post about it later.

EDITOR’S NOTE: You can see his beast form here, also drawn by AuroBlaze!

Also, for those of you waiting with bated breath for this: Pride will be explicitly bisexual in this book. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to bring it up yet, but I am very excited to populate this story with a lot of queer and trans characters, so it’ll be a topic at some point for sure.

On that note, there’s an internal war waging within me about whether or not I should make Pride trans. I’ve been on the fence about it for a while. Since he’s a multi-dimensional immortal creature who chose every detail of his body to his exact specifications, he wouldn’t need top surgery, hormones, or anything like that. It would just be the lower half that’s the contested zone. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but this story is a romance and there will be sex in it. So it’s unusually pressing!

The arguments against? I don’t want to perpetuate any harmful assumptions by making a trans character literally on the side of the devil. I already have more than a few trans side characters in the story, but I still don’t want to make any unfortunate comparisons in today’s landscape. There’s the whole “indoctrination” thing, tempting others to sin is a big part of his personal magic arsenal, don’t need to make too many jumps to get disingenuous there. There’s also the matter of my intended commentary—the “mediocre white man” stuff. While being trans wouldn’t make him less of a man, obviously, the kind of behavior I’m trying to critique is seen most often in cis white men. They use toxic masculinity as a shield because they’ve been told all their lives they aren’t allowed to show “weakness” in the form of emotional vulnerability, and hurting others is how they feel strong—like a “real man”—in the face of their pain. I don’t want to mess with the foundations of that critique, risk muddying it, or accidentally send a completely different message than I intended with such a delicate subject.

The arguments for are more self-indulgent. I am a huge fan of adding things to a story just because you like them, and something about Pride screams TRANS! at me. Trans men aren’t seen often in media, especially trans men who are visibly, vocally, and proudly gender non-conforming, and that representation is personally important to me. Also, trans men who don’t feel the need to get surgery are plenty scarce in the media landscape, which is again important to me personally. Beyond my personal investment, the metaphors I could play with regarding transness and fallen angels, and how toxic American Evangelical Christianity is to queer identities would tie in with a lot of other themes in the book. For any other story, that alone would be enough for me to shrug and make the change, but still I hesitate. Thoughts? Feelings? Advice? I’d love to hear it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the time since I wrote this post, I did decide to make Pride canonically a trans man. Once I started viewing him as trans, I couldn’t un-see it, and it became an inextricable part of him as a character. I do plan on tying in all of the above-mentioned metaphors into his character, and more. One of Pride’s arcs in the book is about his self-discovery—about becoming someone he actually wants to be, not tied down to anyone’s opinion of him, and growing into a person who doesn’t need to identify himself with his past trauma. It moves him so powerfully, he genuinely wants to be a human by the end of the book, something he once reviled because of how they stole God’s love from him. I think the growth, metaphor, and representation all come together to be more important than the “mediocre white man” thing, or any possible bad-faith readings of a trans character (which the inevitable dipshits will do no matter what).

WHEW, this one was a doozy. I guess I was really excited to introduce this story officially! Thanks for reading this ramble all the way to the end. And as always, thank you for your continued support!

See you next time for more Behind The Scenes action!

— Annika

[nekroschafis-obsessions]

Most busy sheepi! (Obsession + insomnia is heavy atm) Also sorry my current focus is almost exclusively on the two projects I am working on (the sheep decorations last 4 pieces at my workplace / desk) and the digital project which for me is a totally new topic so I can barely find time to think of something else (or sleep) which means I can barely find the time for any of my other obsessions (unless it comes to random topics infodumping in conversations with my workmates or friends) so….I want to „apologize“ for being „gone“ but I can assure you the SP fandom and my obsession with my favourite characters will NEVER end! It‘s just currently resting because my mind can‘t split its focus endlessly, especially when there is so much new to learn and troubleshoot in my project. (and focusing on THIS plus a single-topic internet forum helps me distract from my waiting time as long as my housing situation is on hold). I also happened to stumple upon clips of the South Park End of obesity which already makes me excited for when I will take the time to finally watch it and focus on one of my many favourite cartoons again. At the moment I CAN‘T but I can be sure I won‘t out of future fandom inspiration that soon. \o/ And maybe when I become less busy with single topics / activities I will probably return to my other websites including this one again. After all I did have fun here and it‘s always nice to read about fandom stuff. Also I occasionally dive into fanart again, although currently in other topics, but this means I will probably be more confident of at least putting my ideas on paper / creating scribbles again instead of forcing myself to focus on non-fandom art for practice purpose / new techniques / commissions at my workplace. Anyway I currently don‘t post my sketches and photos here as I take a break of tumblr / insta / deviantart and focus on the fandom exclusive forum only as it feels better for me when it comes to keeping my inspiration and motivation level up and my depression / anxiety level low. It just feels like my youth again where one fandom community was the dominant gathering place that made it easier for me to create even quick fanart ideas, even when they are first attempts at this fandom art. So for now I‘m still all sheepi crafts and Don‘t Starve aligned, probably as long as I am trapped in my current house to keep my sanity and focus as high as possible (at the cost of staying awake for 3+ days and backaches and eyestrain)

But I fear I have barely felt that much happiness and that little anxiety within the past years!

Looking forward to post random stuff here again. :)

Anyway my compulsive negative thoughts have almost been reduced to zero since I started to dive into my current longterm focus.

So happy Schafi Mäh! \o/ Määääääh!!!!!

[sincerely-sofie]

Hiya Sofie!! I have a bit of a longer message this time. Wow, I can’t believe TPiaG is finally over. What a journey it’s been. I started reading it around when chapter 3 released, and I kept up with it as new chapters released after that. New chapters were some of my favorite parts of the week, and I always looked forward to getting those notifications and reading them after class. They made me laugh. They made me cry. I always loved it.

There’s a lot I want to say, but I don’t really know how exactly to put it into words. This story really means so much to me. A lot of my personal struggles are very similar to Twig’s, so reading about her was a much needed source of catharsis for me. I think it helped me understand myself better, which in turn has helped me get better. I’m glad that I can confidently say that I’m in a better spot than I was before I started reading TPiaG. And even though the future still scares me, I have a lot to be thankful for now. It’s like you said: the present is a gift, and it’s helped me a lot to start thinking that way.

I guess what I want to say is thank you. Thank you for sharing this part of yourself the world. What you create is beautiful and matters so much, and I look forward to seeing whatever you decide to share with us in the future!! :D

-Ray

PS, Reading TPiaG inspired me to finally start writing down ideas for my own pmd story. I’ve had thoughts and ideas about it swirling around in my brain for years but never did anything with them, so I decided it was time to finally turn them into something

If you think you're surprised that it's over, imagine how shocked I am! This project has been around for no time at all, and yet it feels like it's been with me for years. It's surreal that the fic is done, to say the least. To hear that updates were something you looked forward to is so heartening :,>

I'm so glad that TPiaG and Twig's story was able to help you find that betterment. Speaking from experience— Twig's issues aren't easy to deal with, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. You can make it to a better, happier place.

And as someone who's struggled with feeling like her art is repulsive and damaging for much of her life, I can't begin to tell you how much your words mean to me. I've had countless pieces of art motivate me to take the leap to start making my own similar projects, and to be able to provide a similar boost for someone else means more than I can ever say ;w; Thank you so much for letting me know. I'll be keeping this message close to my heart forever.

[nerdydowntherabbithole]

Okay, I've sent a lot of asks talking about my stuff, but I need to take a moment to say thank you.

I've only recently got into making art, and up until now it was slow going. Sometimes I just wouldn't have the energy to draw, or I straight up couldn't think of anything that I wanted to draw. But then I stumbled onto "Taking Life As Is" and it energized something in me.

I've been pumping out new art of completely original creatures at a ridiculous rate, taking the time to actually research real life animals for reference, something I've rarely had the patience to do before.

I can't believe it's only been 3 days since that ask where I came up with One Thousand Silent Eyes, the first OC to ever leave my brain. In 3 days, I've filled eleven whole pages of my journal. That blows my mind.

So thank you. Thank you for the wonderful story in a fandom that is desperately short on those, but more than that, thank you for inspiring me. For the first time in years, I'm creating things for myself, instead of consuming things made by others.

Without your wonderful story and constant shared excitement for not just my ideas, but everybody's awesome ideas, I don't know how long I would have gone without that drive to create. Thank you. <3

(Sorry if this is too serious or self-important, I tend to ramble when I need to express what I'm thinking. Dont feel any pressure to answer this if you dont want to!)

HI HELLO. UH. I needed to go lay down for a min after this so I didn't just outright start bawling my ACTUAL eyes out in a /srs way. And I just can't say enough how little my expressions of gratitude will not live up to the feelings I got. I can type abt screaming and sobbing all I want but AUGH that does NOT live up to it. So all I can do is say thank you thank you THANK YOU. Like I've stated before, I started TLAI as just. A silly little fix it fic that, I am going to tell you now, I thought I would barely get over 100 kudos in like. A month or two. My writing experience is basically sequestered to fandoms that have zero members other than myself and my dear friends, making small drabbles for said friends. AND UH. YEAH. AS YOU CAN SEE IT HAS GONE A LITTLE OUT OF THAT RANGE BY NOW. It is ABSOLUTELY guys like u that keep me motivated and confident in my own work. It is beyond the highest honor for me to ever hear that I have actively inspired ANYONE, honestly. Especially to this degree. It is BEYOND wild. Especially because your stuff is so GENUINELY massively awesome. It is so cool. I would have never guessed that you haven't just been doing this forever. SO UH YEAH. MUTUAL SAP. IM TAKING YOU BY THE SHOULDERS AND SHAKING YOU. THANK U SO MUCH. I NEED TO GO AND CRY NOW.

[thaddeusthawne]

Thank You

Snowells Week 2023: Day 7: Year 7 (Snowells Appreciation Day)

So this is going to be a little different from the other days I will post for this week. I still have more to post but I’ve been a bit delayed due to personal reasons but they will be put out soon! That being said, I wanted to say thank you to everyone in this fandom.

In different ways you guys have inspired me to start creating things that most fandoms haven’t. Maybe it’s because most fandoms are so big and intimidating to join but for me, the snowells fandom has always been this safe place to interact with. Whether it’s everyone’s collective excitement over snowells related scenes or funny joke posts this fandom felt easy to enjoy and participate in.

Funny enough I didn’t start shipping snowells until I ran into my first fanfic for this ship. I knew about it because I had followed some snowells peeps on my old blog (deleted it and recreated a new main & this side blog) but I never really understood the fascination for it. However one night I remember just scrolling on tumblr and accidentally clicking on the wrong ao3 link. For the life of me I can’t remember what fic it was but that’s only because I ended up reading pretty much everything that I could find. This was around the time that the beginning of season 2 was airing if that helps give an idea of what I walking into in terms of the fandom content. I stayed up that night just reading, clicking on fics randomly. I finally understood. And then a short time later Harry saved Caitlin from Grodd and then in the next episode she saved him from a bullet.

I was hooked and excited at the possibility on them getting together and started to silently enjoy them. I looked forward to every possible scene and over the years I kept thinking “Maybe it might finally happen!”. It never did of course but it did give me a lot of ideas.

Then in 2019 I finally found the courage to make my own stuff. It was nerve-racking but I had seen other people’s works and ideas met with so much positivity that I felt brave enough to try. Then I started to post some things and I was like “They’re reblogging it? And liking it? And leaving comments in the tags? 😳🥹🥰”. It meant a lot to me back then and it still means so much to me now. While I still have moments of self doubt, I look back on where I started and how far I’ve come. I honestly don’t think I would have been able to do that in any other fandom.

This community allowed me a space to grow as a writer/creator. I still have room to grow, but being able to participate and get even a few comments really helped build up my confidence and motivated me to learn to improve my skills. I went from writing maybe a few paragraphs to starting to flesh things out way more and planning out more extensive stories. Even though the show is over, I still plan to keep writing for this ship. I’m going to miss this show and these characters but I am hopeful that this fandom will still stay a source of comfort for me and anyone else who might feel the same way.

And while this ship may not have sailed, it was still fun to party on the boat.

[azeriairis]

Ronon Dex for the ask game :)

Okay, there's no actual date for Ronon, but we'll use Momoa's so Leo.

(This is of course assuming the alignments of constellations on earth would at all matter to an alien from another galaxy)

Let's start by fast tracking the basics.

Keep Reading Button Added so I don't clog anyone's feed

Leo is the Fixed Fire Sign and is ruled by the Sun, and associated with the fifth house.

Fixed Signs generally represent the desire to create stability in the wake of change, they generally do well when it comes to organization and planning, and are some of the most dependable signs, though they often have a tendency towards stubbornness, when it comes to this role Leo especially thrives when it comes to organizing and managing ideas.

Fire signs have a duality to them, on one hand is the warm and welcoming flame of the campfire, one the other the blazing wildfire that threatens to consume all around it. Fire Signs tend to be dynamic and passionate, they are also often charismatic, but on a bad day they can end up a bit overbearing and spontaneous, prone to running over others in an attempt to do whatever suits their fancy in that moment.

The sun represents one's Ego and Identity.

The fifth house is associated with play and leisure. It has also been associated with children, self-expression, and exploring ideas. It is a place for one to explore one's ideas and join resources with creativity to find a mode of self-expression.

Alright now let's piece this together to get a better idea of what Leo as a sign represents as a whole. As a fixed sign Leo is easily the most reliable of the fire signs, if they set their mind on something they will finish it, this includes both personal projects and relationships. As such Leo tends to be a sign of talent, especially in the creative fields (5th house), and they will bring their full selves to their work, this is only emphasized by the fire sign nature of being extremely passionate. Leos tend to be inspiring and thrive while leading a crowd, they also tend to be confident in themselves and occasionally prone to an over-blown ego (Sun Rulership).

Now let's get to Ronon. I do not think Ronon particularly aligns well with Leo. Whilst Ronon does express some Leoine traits such as loyalty and steadfastness, however those traits are not uniquely Leoine, and can be found in many other signs. Ronon isn't ever really shown to have the urge to be recognized for his work, he just wants to get it done, nor does he have much care for molding ideas. Personally I'd associate him more with Taurus. Taurus is especially concerned with stability, though still has a relatively go-with-the-flow type of attitude. All you really need to make a Taurus happy is to make them feel secure and comfortable. We can see this in Ronon's initial reason for joining Atlantis, before he felt a connection to the Expedition members his motivation was stability. As far as he was concerned Atlantis was offering him all the necessities, as well as an opportunity to kill the wraith, and that was all that really mattered. Of course after he started to warm up to the Expedition Members loyalty also became a factor, but that trait is also present in Taurus. His attitude towards the wraith also fits the mold of Taurus reasonably well. His main reasoning for fighting them is the threat they pose to the wellbeing of others, The wraith swoop in, feed, and if the society is too advanced for their liking raze it to the ground, and this is inherently destabilizing, which is a bad thing. He is also very stubborn on this point, as far as he is concerned the wraith will be as they always have been, and doesn't see much of an alternative to fixing the instability caused by the wraith then killing the lot of them.

If you had to ask me what Atlantis Character fits Leo the best, the answer is McKay. I'm not going to bother explaining why as it should be fairly obvious, but the answer is McKay.

[digitalsobrietyblog]

Healthy productivity guide

We are not robots. We are human, with human biology. Human bodies were not designed to sit at a desk for hours on end, staring at a screen. Nevertheless, we've been conditioned into judging our "worth" based on how much "output" we can churn out. I'm here to remind you that there's a way to approach productivity in a more balanced manner.

Your productivity is mostly based on the way you’re taking care of yourself. You can’t be the best version of yourself if you’re running on motivation or determination only. You need reliable self-care systems.

This goes double for my neurodivergent friends. We can’t rely on ourselves, we need external, hard rules, and most importantly, we need to set these systems up so that our mind aligns with what our body is feeling.

To be productive, you need to:

Sleep enough (7-9h per night. It’s hard sometimes especially if you get woken up by anxiety or other problems, but it’s a good goal to try to stick to)

Eat well (nutritious food AND enough calories to keep you energetic. Blueberries and bananas are my favorite evening snacks!!)

Drink enough water (coffee and tea are tasty but they’re not enough! Keep a water bottle at your side AT ALL TIMES. It’s life-changing honestly, you begin to realize how dehydrated you’ve always been)

Exercise (work within your limits, and start small, but don’t skip this one. This has been the biggest contributor to my mental and physical well-being by far. It’s contributing to your health, it’s a great way to de-stress, it boosts energy, your body releases happiness hormones, you feel accomplished, you sleep better, you become more confident... It’s literally win after win after win)

Take care of your mental health (whatever that means to you, for me it means writing things that bug me, trying not to get too emotional over things I can’t control, positive affirmations, listening to music, drawing, etc.)

Meet new people (I know it’s scary, I’m an introvert. BUT, meeting new people lets you learn from them, broaden your perspective on life, get inspired, and make friends! Search up local events on meetup.com, there are plenty of different ones for all kinds of people, both outgoing and not-so-outgoing)

This list is quite long but it’s necessary to do all of those things (in a balanced way that feels right for you) in order to become a well-rounded person.

Once you’ve made changes on different “fronts“, the positive effect compounds: your nutrition affects your energy level which boosts your ability to exercise which then impacts how well you sleep, and round and round we go.

Once you’ve created a healthy system to fall back on, productivity at work or in school only becomes one part of a larger image. Doing one thing in excess is not healthy or sustainable.

Take care of yourself lovelies ❤️