#my opinion is Correct. I do not take constructive criticism haha

[theblorboscalledtheturtles]

2000s kids book franchises

[lunapwrites]

8, 35, 40 :D i'm greedy gimmeee

8: What's your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? Do you seek it out? How well do you take it?

I have a very good relationship with concrit, provided it's in a venue where I'm asking for it. I think on Moon I had actually asked for concrit in the comments and some lovely commenter actually pointed out what was wrong with the scene and what was working, and I reworked the chapter (by which I mean got another chapter entirely out of it haha.) So I'm always willing to learn how to make my work better... Provided I've asked for opinions. And I will if I'm trying to improve on something. If I haven't outright asked, I'll still listen, but I'll probably also be quietly hurt/ annoyed. And like... There's points in LTL where I've gone back to correct things that got pointed out after I started getting it beta read (the first 6 chapters were posted raw and it SHOWS lol.) But most of the errors there are things I'm aware of already -- especially continuity issues between LTL and No Code right now. So getting them pointed out to me is just pushing me to spend time correcting those chapters instead of getting new ones out, which gets discouraging, because I get stuck in a hyper focus fixation tunnel once I know that no, I'm not the only one that sees these issues, EVERYONE can see them, and how dare I publish this literal trash. (Circling back to the self-doubt demons that I have to constantly flick off my shoulders.) BUT as long as I'm mentally prepared to receive concrit, I love it.

35: Tell us about a character who's very different from you that you love a whole lot

Oh man. Honestly, probably Ron?? Fixes his friends tea when they're upset. Has no idea what to do with feelings but he's gonna do his best anyway. Will put himself and his broken-ass leg between his best friend and a literal murderer and say "Fight me." Will share his next-to-nothing with a friend. He's very like my partner, to tell you the honest truth -- warts and all -- and that's why I think I like him so much. That and the fact that he's tall AF. Like get down here and fight me, you long ass bitch. But I digress. XD

40: Best piece of feedback I've ever gotten

Oooh. That's a tough one. I'd say probably any time that people have remarked that my characters -- and Remus in particular -- feel like real people. That's the most affirming thing I've ever been told from a writing perspective, because it was very literally one of my aims as I went about trying to create their characters and voices, and their motivations. I LOVE unreliable narrators, and I love playing with that in degrees. People have biases and certain things we may not pick up on. We have things we may choose not to pick up on, or things we can't contextualize because we lack certain knowledge (which is always fun to play with in terms of meta.) But yeah. Mostly I just want them to sound like people and not like characters. If that makes sense. And supposedly I'm succeeding, which just sends me over the moon haha. 🥰

Thank you for the ask!

[soldouthaz]

Hi, I remember you did a post about your writing process but what about your editing process? I've written really short stories but I always struggle with editing and revising :( Do you use a beta? And if so, how do you find one? Sorry if this is annoying but you're one of my favorute writers and I trust your advice

hii! you’re definitely not annoying at all! I'm going to try to keep this as organized as I can for you and please let me know if you have anything else you’d like to know! 

--

once I have a rough draft (this can be whatever your definition of ‘rough’ is, really, but a complete general idea of everything that needs to be written at least) the first thing I do is give myself a break! writing takes a lot of creativity and if you keep at it for a while it can run out and we don’t realize it. I would suggest stepping away from it for a bit, even just a day or two will work fine, and then coming back. 

the first step in my editing is to read it over AT LEAST once. I have this weird thing after I've written something that I completely hate it immediately after I'm done and I doubt everything I've got. the key here is to NOT to just delete every little thing you don’t like! the only time you should delete anything is if you read a paragraph or some dialogue and have to ask yourself: “is this contributing anything to the story?” everything you have written means that it was important enough for you to write it down in the first place - usually there is always a way to rephrase something without deleting it. 

reading over it at least once is essential because there’s so much that goes on in our heads when we write. there are tons of ideas that we may have had that got buried underneath our hurriedness to get something out, and when we read back over it it’s likely to come up again. this gives you a prime chance to add both substance and word count to your story/fic. 

after that is when you can pass on your work if you’d like. if you think it’s already to your personal standards, go ahead and post it! if not, you can find a beta or someone you trust to read it over for you and give you feedback! :) 

+

as far as beta’s go -- 

when I first started writing, I was so self conscious about my work that I neglected to do a lot of these things, and I wouldn’t have dreamed of having a beta. but, since I've gotten to know some more people in this little corner of the internet on both here and twitter, I've met some amazing, seasoned readers and writers alike that have been able to offer me some really amazing feedback. 

note: before you consider using a beta, please keep in mind you need to be at least somewhat confident in your own writing before sharing it with someone else. if you aren’t, every piece of constructive criticism that you receive may seem like a personal attack and it can be all too easy to become defensive which is not what you want in a creative environment. 

there are several different kinds of betas as far as I understand (which may very well be limited). there are some that only look for grammar/typos, some that will help you from the beginning of the writing process with things like plot and character development, and some that will look for language and accent corrections and things like that. make sure you’re specific about what you’re looking for when you’re asking someone to beta, and also make sure you’re upfront about every possible trigger warning of things that may be in your fic so you don’t run into any issues there! 

depending on what you’re writing (and if they’re okay with it!) the @bottomlouisficfest may have some good suggestions for beta readers! (and they’re also posting some super super helpful tips in general!) if not, I would strongly suggest that you just find someone that you trust to read over your work. there are some tumblr pages to connect you with betas but all of the ones I just looked at aren’t active anymore. 

the best betas in my opinion are people that you already have somewhat of a relationship with - that way they feel more comfortable giving you open and honest feedback and you feel more comfortable accepting it. if you’re missing that connection, in my experience, all of their constructive criticism can feel kind of abrupt and can really dampen your excitement. a beta should add to your ideas and make you more excited, so if they aren’t doing that make sure that you keep up the line of communication and let them know things aren’t working out. your creative space is your own and if something makes you uncomfortable, it’s up to you to tell them and to make the right decision for yourself!! 

--

I hope this helps some! I'm going to link some other useful sources I found as well here: x , x , x

good luck! please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything! I'm really nice I promise haha :)) 

[dokuhebi]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO / 50/50 (people either adore or hate them)

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / 50 /50 ( again it is either adoring or hating)

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO

Are they underrated?  YES / NO

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO /

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon?  I take canon in to consideration and incorporate it mostly. If there was something sloppily handled by canon, I either veto it or try spin it in another direction to make more sense. There was some fantastic writing in Naruto/Boruto and there was some very lazy half-assed writing. I adhere to canon up until a point.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  They are one of the most versatile and unique characters to ever grace the stage. There is nothing predictable about them other than their unpredictability. Through out the show, they have managed to remain this perfect ethereal paradox and enigma. Everything they do is a combination of being on both sides while also walking the line in the middle. You can not deem them merely ‘bad/evil’, you can not deem them merely ‘good/heroic’. You can not deny the way they are akin to an all knowing deity, but you can see the clear humanness in them too. Even the minor stuff, they will be wearing the most traditional kimono you have ever seen while tapping away at the most modern technologies the world hasn’t even invented yet. They can be the daintiest and most regal looking person, then shift in to the most fearsome monster. Let’s not even get started on their gender freedoms. They play all sides at their leisure and they do it well. They embrace every aspect of the world with this undying curiosity. They are so strictly ‘themself’ and untouched by any world/social standard, they just do not conform. Greatness and madness have never been harder to tell a part as it is with Orochimaru. They are complex in a manner that is so captivating, so very set on constructing pillars of individualism. And this is simply speaking on one aspect of their very intricate personality. It is not even touching on the feats they have made, as a shinobi, person, parent and scientist. Nor the unspoken story that is looked over, the abilities they possess, the fact that they have a hand in absolutely everything, and have formed part of nearly every group. Nor does it speak upon their ambitions and just how interesting those were to begin with.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  — The main and most obvious point of conflict is their crimes. Their freedoms can dabble in places that should come with clear lines and boundaries. So while it is a marvel to watch when their inquisitiveness and innocent decisions take form so wonderfully together, it is a horror show to see that inquisitiveness and maleficent combination rise up instead. A prime example being their human experimentation. They have committed countless atrocities that overstep the mere boundaries of shinobi warfare. While they may think killing in the name of science should be more excusable than killing in the pursuit of pointless war, they do manage to step on everyones toes by conducting their research on human beings. In the exact same fashion as the wars they fought in, they do not discriminate on who they kill/use by age either. That is highlighted the most by people who dislike them in the fandom, with ‘corrupting’ Sasuke as a close second. 

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  Orochimaru themself was the only inspiration. Everything about their character was appealing to me. I enjoy someone as versatile as them, and someone who challenges the worlds views. They are not always correct, and they can sometimes be too extreme, but they are truly fascinating to me. Often raising questions that need to be raised and setting the stage of some very unique interactions. They are truly fun to play around with from psychology, to abilities to personality.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  It’s still Oro being interesting to me, and a healthy combination of muns on here that bring out their characters with equal enthusiasm. Being able to meet wonderful people who delve in to their characters and bring out all the details from big to small really keeps the rp alive.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day?  YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO.

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / 50/50 /NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  — Yes, I do. But only from those I feel have an understanding of the character too, and for so long as it is a valid critique and not one based on the other person wanting Oro to be a certain way. I live for the discussions about my muse, positive or negative feedback is most welcome. I want to do better, I want to write better, I want to ensure what is in my head is being reflected on to the page. However in this fandom there is a trend where people forget portrayals are unique and that is what makes it enjoyable. I won’t take criticism to heart if I can tell the other person is only trying to ‘change’ how I play my muse to better suit the needs of their muse. That happens frequently sadly. But valid, insightful, wise corrections? I appreciate those a great deal. It is still someone taking the time to view my work and evaluate it. I am not sensitive to criticism. 

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  Oh yes please. I adore those questions. It really helps to explore my muse more and add to my headcanons and understanding of them. It is loved on this blog.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  Sure! I accept readily if someone does not agree with my headcanon. We all have different takes. For so long as my views are still respected, I am happy to hear out why someone else is not favoring mine. In fact, it can help to continue to grow my muse and develop them further. To adjust the headcanon perhaps should it have been presented in a way I did not intend.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  simply put, we should not follow one another. There is nothing upsetting about someone not fancying my take on a character. It would be futile to remain mutuals or interact, since I am not changing my portrayal for someone elses preference, but there would be no bad blood.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  I just use the blacklist button liberally to be honest. Sadly, the hate Oro is often subject to is childish at best. It reflects no understanding, and drops them in the villain trash pile. I do not have much care for senseless hate of any character if I am honest. Mine or those who I do not rp.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  — Be my guest haha, Language has never been my forte in general. So I assume there are so many mix ups. More so than just grammar, I have this horrible habit of mixing words and phrases. My brain just hates computing stuff sometimes.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  I do not know if I am easy going, I have some hard lines I will not tolerate people crossing. I try to be easy going, and to keep myself in check however. I prefer to keep conflict to a minimum, so I will speak my piece in the most diplomatic manner possible. That said, I will speak my piece. I have never been the best at keeping my mouth shut if I feel wronged, or if I feel something may be headed down an undesired road. I will say what I feel needs to be said. I will however, ensure I am being fair, rational and objective to the best of my ability with any topic. I just want to know that there is common and mutual respect. If there isn’t, I will politely excuse myself from that narrative. There isn’t a great deal that can ruffle my feathers, I am naturally quite relaxed. But I am inclined to voice my opinion as diplomatically as possible if I am caught up in something I feel is unjust. 

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by: @shikkotsunin​ (thank you!) Tagging: @peepingtoad​ , @shattered-by-sparks​ , @fcrgiivn​ , @likexaxdoll​ , @shatteredxlookingxglass​ , @thatsneakymedic​ , @super-kame-love​ , @dobujutsu​ , @chidorikiller​ and you!

[uraharashouten]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO.

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK.

Are they underrated?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon?  As closely as I can! I admit to some gaping holes in my knowledge -- I never really read all of the Fullbringer arc or the Thousand Year Blood War. I think I have the gist of some of the novels; some I lean into more than others. But I try to stay true to the Urahara Kisuke of the Bleach manga, and borrow from the anime, movies, and novels when it’s fun!

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.   Urahara Kisuke plays the part of the humble (and handsome!) shopkeeper of Karakura town, though his résumé includes head of secret police and prison warden, Gotei 13 captain, scientist, and Special War Power. He is talented in problem-solving, psychology and tactical thinking, and despite his protests to the contrary, he’s always scheming something. In addition to his mental prowess, he is an expert swordsman, hakuda master, and a proficient kidou user. A consummate tinkerer, inventor, and maker, his favorite thing to make is mischief, and he will bend the rules and push his luck as far as he can, much to the chagrin of his associates. But he means well, usually.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  Move along folks, nothing to see here. These days he’s just a simple candy store owner... You’re not buying that? ---Well, the truth is that he is a bit of a home-body. Never mind what you’ve heard about him turning up when you least expect him; he’s more likely to remain backstage than at the heart of the action. And he knows more than he’s telling; you can never get a straight answer out of him, and it’s maddening. You won’t get anywhere interacting with him, I promise. Complete waste of time.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  When I was new to Bleach, tumblr, and roleplay, I settled on Kisuke because he seemed so... avuncular. He’s not quite responsible enough to be your dad, but he cares like your dad (and sometimes more). He’s full of pranks and sage advice, and you’re never certain which you’ll get, or some combination thereof. He runs the gamut from nutty uncle to creepy godfather, and I’ve found him to be an incredibly versatile character to play.

What keeps your inspiration going?  He still fascinates me.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO.

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO. (I’m more likely to write meta! For me, the line can blur -- but I rarely come up with a headcanon that isn’t in some way supported by canon.)

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO. (very occasionally!)

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day?  YES / NO. (You know, it’s funny. When I first started roleplaying Kisuke, I thought about him constantly, almost to the point of method acting. These days, I’m relieved to have my own headspace back.)

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO.

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  I’d like to think I’d be big enough to accept some well-meant constructive criticism, and I do like to have outright mistakes corrected. I mean -- it’s not a good feeling, and I’m usually embarrassed -- but I’ll be grateful if they’re pointed out sooner rather than later, and especially if you’re kind about it! Just please remember that in order for it to be constructive, criticism must be specific and positive -- tell me what to do, not what not to do.

Do you like questions which help you explore your character?  Sure! ....I may not answer them right away... or... ever... Anything that makes me stop and think risks sending me off onto a research and reflection tangent from which I may never return! But I will appreciate the question!

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  Yes! Why? WHY do you disagree with my headcanon? Do you know something I don’t? Spit it out, because I have to know what you do! (And then if we have the same knowledge and still disagree on the interpretation, I’ll probably stick with mine, but I’ll at least consider yours.)

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  Disagrees with my --- what does that mean? I like to think I’d be reasonable if someone thought I wrote something out-of-character, and brought it my attention. Hey, it happens, and goodness knows I’m not always ‘on.’  I don’t mind being questioned or corrected about that. But if someone disagrees with entire aspects of my interpretation --- go... write your own version, then? Or find someone else who’s more your cup of tea? There are as many interpretations of a character as there are people. I like seeing them all, and I would be interested to see yours!  I’m not offended that you don’t like mine. (But I will be hurt if you decide you don’t like me because of it; this is fiction and that’s just petty.)

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  I mean... there are reasons to hate him. If you tell me yours, I’ll probably be sympathetic. He’s a (bad) liar; he can be ruthless; he’s got an awful track record of using child soldiers and crossing consent boundaries with women -- and you’re allowed to hate him for that or any number of other things. I like him in spite of himself, though, so that won’t change. (Just don’t hate on me because I write him, because again, this is fiction, and that’s just petty.)

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors? Yes, please tell me right away so that I can correct them before too many people see them and I embarrass myself!

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   Well... more than I used to be. I think I’m friendly and easy to get along with, and very difficult to offend, and I’m almost never neurotic about roleplay anymore! Haha! I won’t pester you to reply (certainly not when it can take me anywhere between a day and several months). ...I can be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes, and I’m my own worst critic. I don’t go around correcting other peoples’ grammar anymore, though, because I realized... this is fiction, and that’s just petty.

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by:  @hirako5hinji [[ Thanks Anna!! ]] and @xyuuken​ [[ Thanks Eli! Glad you’re back. ]] Tagging: Who hasn’t done this yet?

[lilluis4444-blog]

*Rhetorical Commitments*

In this entry, I will examine the critical question(s): How does this rhetorical artifact display unilateral or bilateral arguments or both and what are the implications? Could the rhetoric be improved by taking a bilateral approach? Basically, what Hauser is trying to say is that a unilateral argument fails to incite reflection in their audience. Someone who is faced with a unilateral argument typically has no room to refute and is instead forced to go along with the decision that their arguer has made. However, a bilateral approach provides room for reflection and allows the arguer’s decision to be challenged which could lead to a discussion and growth. The “douchebag jar” in New Girl constructs unilateral arguments seeing as how one of the protagonists, Schmidt is forced to put money in the jar every time his roommates disapprove of one of his comments, behavior, or even his choice of clothing without any explanation instead of taking the opportunity to explain why he is being punished which would allow for a bilateral approach in which he could reflect on the actions he has chosen and learn from his mistakes.

To investigate these questions further, I have examined the television series New Girl as my rhetorical artifact. The show displays plenty of examples of unilateral arguments that Schmidt, one of the protagonists has with all of his friends and roommates. The problem is that it is the same unilateral argument every single time, never providing room for growth nor the ability to challenge authority. Instead of taking a bilateral approach in which Jess, Winston, or Nick (Schmidt’s roommates) sit Schmidt down or let him know why they disapprove of his decisions and think he should change them, they shoot down his ability to refute any argument, and in turn, try to punish this behavior out of him by literally making him pay for his choices. Thus forming an unethical narrative in the show teaching its audience to mindlessly conform to what society (friends) approves of rather than challenging the norm and reflecting by starting a conversation.

New Girl is a television sitcom aimed at a general audience. The artifact I will be examining within the show is the “douchebag jar” and what it symbolizes. The douchebag jar is a symbol of punishment. Whenever Schmidt does something his friends disagree with, he is forced to put money in the jar as a way of stopping that behavior. For example, in one scene Schmidt says, “Oh Jess, I just found a Groupon for hypnosis lessons. Haha, think about what you could do with that. Sext stuff” and the only word his roommate responded with is, “jar” (Laszuk). However, the problem with this system of negative punishment is that it doesn’t call for reflection.

Without a warrant for an explanation, the argument that Jess is providing is a unilateral argument. Hauser writes, “Unilateral communication typically fails to drive this wedge; it closes the spaces that might invite reflection by manipulating the audience’s beliefs” (Hauser, 1986, 49). Jess is providing Schmidt with a unilateral argument in the sense that she and anyone else who says the word “jar” is ultimately right while he is always wrong. The problem with this way of thinking is that by not providing an explanation as to why his friend, Jess isn’t comfortable with what he has to say, he is prone to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Therefore, his roommates shouldn’t even be upset when they see this behavior continue seeing as they didn’t bother to contribute to change his actions or even explain why they were upset.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to the narrative of a unilateral argument. For example, by shutting down Schmidt’s behavior, his roommates don’t have to continue to entertain the specific action at the time. Not only that, but they prevent any further altercations over the incident and immediately end the argument there. They also ensure that he won’t wear, or say that phrase again without thinking twice about it, which does give off the implication that there is a sense of reflection being done and therefore forming a bilateral argument. “Conversely, bilateral communication uses a language and appeals that explicitly welcome reflection on the message and the possibilities for its revision to express better a sound and shared opinion” (Hauser, 1986, 50). Some disadvantages of unilateral arguments are that Schmidt is never given the opportunity to discuss or refute any mentions of “jar” ultimately setting him up to lose the argument being had. Without the opportunity to refute or challenge the argument, Schmidt isn’t given much room for growth. While a bilateral approach could improve his character altogether. A bilateral approach would give him the opportunity to explain why he did what he did and allow him to question his roommates on why he shouldn’t continue to behave that way. Overall, the unilateral arguments that Schmidt’s roommates provide an unethical and short term solution with Schmidt being destined to commit another ridiculous action in the future.

Goldberg, Srivastava, Govind Manian, Monroe, and Potts would argue that a bilateral approach to Schmidt’s behavior would result in a long term solution. By sitting down and having that dreaded bilateral argument, not only would Schmidt benefit, but also his roommates. The argument would not only allow Schmidt to realize why his decisions bother his roommates and could perhaps offend someone, but it would also allow his roommates to see things from his perspective. “Unlike prevailing theories that assume people resolve the tension by either finding a sweet spot of optimal distinctiveness (Brewer 1991) or by transitioning between fitting in and standing out over time (Burt and Merluzzi forthcoming; Zuckerman et al. 2003), we argue that people can gain advantage by occupying a position that is embedded in one domain and disembedded in the other” (Goldberg, Srivastava, Govind Manian, Monroe, Potts, 2016, p. 20). Perhaps in Schmidt’s eyes, his behavior has been just thus far and in turn, gives him the room to continue the way he has been acting. However, a bilateral approach could provide Schmidt with the room to reflect on his actions while also showing his roommates to reflect on why they respond to Schmidt the way they do. This could eventually result in Schmidt correcting his behavior while teaching his roommates to become more tolerable of his behavior so that he doesn’t have to completely conform to their point of view either.

In summary, the “douchebag jar” is a symbol for unilateral arguments on the show New Girl to punish Schmidt’s behavior but would benefit from a bilateral approach in which not only Schmidt would learn to reflect on his actions but also his roommates could grow by learning to tolerate Schmidt without necessarily asking him to conform to their standards and change who he is as a person. By punishing Schmidt for his behavior, the show promotes an unethical form of conformity on its audience. If Schmidt doesn’t get any explanation for why he shouldn’t act the way he does, he is destined to continue to fall into his bad habits. At that point, his roommates shouldn’t even get mad when his behavior persists. Although unilateral arguments can prevent any further altercations, it doesn’t incite the reflection one needs to grow as a person that a bilateral approach provides. A bilateral approach would provide a long-term solution to Schmidt’s behavior so as to make sure that he learns from his mistakes and thinks twice before he does or says something that he will regret. Overall, a bilateral argument is far more productive in helping form a dialogue and inspire reflection than a unilateral approach.

References

Goldberg, A., Srivastava, S. B., Govind Manian, V., Monroe, W., & Potts,   C. (2016). Fitting In or Standing Out? The Tradeoffs of Structural and Cultural   Embeddedness. American Sociological Review, 81(6), 1190–1222.

Hauser, G. A. (1986). Making commitments through rhetoric. In Introduction to   rhetorical theory (pp. 45-55). New York: Harper and Row.

Laszuk, M. (2012, July 23). Retrieved February 12, 2019, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWSKU3-52pk

[incaseyouart]

Time for another batch-answer!! Sorry if this is impersonal but I didn’t want to spam people’s dashes!!

1. Yes I like to try and avoid white backgrounds when I can! Even if it’s just a simple block of colour.

2. This is a FAQ - I use Fire Alpaca, which is amazing and free for the PC and Mac. I’m not sure if it works on a Chromebook but I assume it does? You could also try Medibang Paint which is very similar and also free!

3. Congrats!!

4. My animation professors have told me that if you’re doing it properly you actually should lose track of time - something about using the right brain. References are ESSENTIAL to creating accurate art, so yes, they are extremely helpful and I’m glad you’re using them!!!  DAPGO is a treasure trove :D

5. Yes I think you should post your art!! People will give both negative AND positive feedback - I believe you have to receive constructive criticism to grow as an artist. That’s literally all that working in a studio or for clients is - creating your stuff and then getting revisions (but it has to be constructive, not just empty feedback like “that sucks” or “that’s great”). Please read these posts on self-esteem!

6. Haha I love that phanime, and I’m so grateful @arctoids let me collaborate with her for the third episode!!

7. Hello! Thanks :D There are some ideas on this art challenge list I made here: http://incaseyouart.tumblr.com/post/155100106331/31-art-challenges

8. See answer 5! And don’t focus on notes/likes/social currency so much as creating stuff for YOU and your friends - if you genuinely are happy about the stuff you share, then people will enjoy it more, seeing you’re happy.

9. Thank you!! I have had a lot of practice drawing Phil hahah~

10. My favourite thing about being an artist is creating my own content - like, not original characters because mostly I draw fanart - but seeing inspirational things (like Dan and Phil), having a vision in my head, and being able to translate that vision into something visual.

11. HAHA DID YOU JUST ASK ME FOR EDITING TIPS?! Basically just practice with timing I guess? I’ve been editing videos for like, 10 years now, with various software (Adobe Premier, iSkysoft, Windows Movie Maker, and recently iMovie which is the best ever omg) and each time I learn more about how to cut clips and time them to music, how to add in sound effects, change opacity of the clips etc.. I’ve kind of just been learning it all on my own slowly - I’m sure there are tutorials on Youtube!!

12. It’s okay to take a break! Here’s my advice about getting over art block.

13. http://incaseyouart.tumblr.com/tagged/watercolour%20tips I’ll try to make a video soon!

14. I’m glad you’re feeling better and that I could contribute to that :D Thank you! Have a good one ^_^

15. Try some of my art challenges!!

16. Can you go out to a cafe or maybe a library or some other public venue with table space?

17. Wacom Intuos Draw (Small) is what I use (see my tags about drawing tablets here)

18. Being able to critique your own work is an essentially critical skill to growing as an artist. But you have to balance self-critique with positive feedback - try to find two things good and one thing you need to work on. For example maybe the head and eyes are really well drawn, but you can work on the hands? Seeing your mistakes and then knowing how to correct them is a REALLY really good skill, NOT a bad habit. For tutorials on shading, Google has some good ones - the most important thing is figuring out your light source(s), and knowing the physics (plane changes) of whatever you’re drawing.

19. Yup pretty sure! If you scroll through all my palette challenges here you’ll see them~

20. Just drag & drop the image file directly into the software and it becomes a layer, and then lower its opacity - BUT I WOULD HIGHLY DISCOURAGE TRACING DIRECTLY FROM IMAGE. INSTEAD YOU SHOULD REALLY TRY TO REFER TO/COPY FROM AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN.

21. I would just use a mouse, personally!

22. So, with realism, it’s more difficult because there’s the expectation that all the details and proportions have to be EXACTLY accurate - as realistic as possible - and that takes a more time and patience than a caricature of a human figure/face. But, to accurate caricature something you need to be able to draw it realistically first. So in my opinion cartoon-style is both easier (you can communicate the same body language/emotions with less lines/detail) but also harder because you need to have everything be SIMPLE but also ACCURATE.

23. I often think a sketch looks better than the lineart because with a sketch you are more free as you draw - it is messy but also all the lines flow well and it just looks more organic. When you focus on making the lines perfect or cleaner you lose some of that organic flow. My suggestion would be to do an extra step in between the sketch and finished lineart - so draw your image 3 times - sketch, rough lineart, clean lineart. It might help transition your cleaned version a bit better!

24. Break down the figures into LINES OF ACTION and basic shapes before adding ANY detail at all. Check out my life drawing gestures here!

25. Aaaah sorry I hope I answered in time - regardless of medium you have to break down the face into basic shapes and guidelines before adding any details. Charcoal can blend really well to shade easily!  

26. When I have time, yes!

27. Just a simple “hello” would do, I think! That way the person on the other end can greet you back, and then you’ve established a connection without the pressure of thinking of any topics of conversation - you could put the ball in their court, so to speak. Also you could just like and reblog a bunch of content you like, and leave nice comments!

28. Haha I don’t know if any of it is natural talent - it took me 14.5 years of almost constant practicing to get to where I am now!

29. Yay, more fanart!! ALL THE ART!

30. Oh my God thank you that’s so sweet (this makes me think of what people say about Phil Lester because he’s such a ray of sunshine <3)

31. It’s okay to take breaks! Step away from drawing for a while and just write a story, or read, or play outside, or do a sport, or anything else you like! Don’t force yourself to draw!

32. Watch my video on self-esteem for artists and hopefully it’ll motivate you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5AjCbYrPlk&t=95s You’ll only get better at a skill if you practice it :D

33. I would just get the better drawing tablet first if you can afford it - unless the cheaper one is a good brand like Huion or Wacom!

34. You are improving if you use references, trust me. An easy way to see improvement is looking back at your old art, and maybe redrawing it?

35. Yay! Yeah tools can be common amongst artists - it’s just the level of practice and time put in :D

36. It can take a while to gain a strong following, but keep doing what you’re doing and people will come!!! Keep creating and sharing with the world :D

Thanks for all the asks guys~

[artsinsociety-blog1]

Interview Transcript: Merryn Stanger

Interviewer: Kate Armstrong Interviewee: Merryn Stanger Mode: Skype Date: January 12 2017

Begins: 11:45 January 12, 2017

KA: Thanks for agreeing to this interview Merryn and thanks for making the time to Skype with me

MS: No problem, I have a wine so I’m ready to go..

KA: Okay perfect! Haha, so I’m going to ask you a series of questions influenced by my research. Both the research and this interview are leading up to an exhibition which I already explained you in our previous correspondence,

MS: Yes…

KA: I chose a text as the starting point to my questioning it’s called Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance, don’t know if you know it… but it’s a collection of writings edited by...Judith Rugg and Michèle Sedgwick. It’s actually a course text and I found it really interesting as a whole and later, after you introduce yourself I want to reference an essay by Jane Rendell called CRITICAL SPATIAL PRACTICE: CURATING, EDITING, WRITING... Okay so first, can you give us your elevator pitch - who are you, what do you do?

MS: Ok sure, I’m Merryn, Stanger and last year, or 2 years ago; 2015 I graduated from an Arts Administration Master at COFA in Sydney. Since then I have worked as an invigilator at the COFA Galleries and as a research assistant at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and I was also teaching curatorial techniques at Sydney University for some classes in their Department of Architecture, Design & Planning and I also curated an exhibition for them.

KA: Perfect, thank you - so let’s get started with Jane Rendell and her essay CRITICAL SPATIAL PRACTICE: CURATING, EDITING, WRITING in which she suggests that there is a stigma around multi-model and interdisciplinary exhibitions; she says they can be viewed as ambiguous. This lead to me to question how a curator actually makes sense of or clarifies disparate elements of a show and how or maybe IF your role is making the incoherent, coherent.

MS: Well, and I take this opinion mainly from my studies; the role of the curator isn’t to make things coherent. The curator should be the *mimes quotation marks* invisible hand - there is a theorist whose name I can’t bring to mind, but you can look it up later...

KA: I can look it up after...

MS: yeah, do - well yeah the concept is that the ‘curator’s touch’ should be seen in an exhibition but you should never see the ‘hand’ let’s say. The role isn’t to be didactic but to present an opportunity for the audience to engage and interpret. The curator’s roles isn’t to impose their thoughts on the audience it's to guide them I guess…

KA: Right, so with this idea of non-didactic methods in mind….can you talk a bit about the role of text in exhibitions? Should text be displayed with works or…

MS: Okay, this is a really big debate actually its always the discussion in contemporary curation, how much should you influence or even guide the audience as a curator...I mean it’s kind of what we were just talking about, you have the mid 20th Century curators like Clement Greenburg who were way more prescriptive but the more contemporary trend is for the curator to be heard but not seen like I said before. So it’s the same concept for text, if you’re including an essay of text, even a short amount, it can influence the way the audience reads the artwork. I guess in some cases it’s necessary to include dense text, like wall plates or explanations and other times I think it’s kind of industry habit...okay, an example...When I was working at the Art Gallery of New South Wales the Asian art galleries, you know on the top level at the far end…

KA: Yeah…

MS: well they have really in-depth wall texts and have lots of explanatory text, whereas the 19th Century collection doesn’t have much,

KA: Oh, really?

MS: Yeah yeah, I mean, it’s always a bit like that...

KA: So you’re saying that the AGNSW think that their public know less about Chinese art? I mean they feel they have to aid in the translation process - this is really interesting for our exhibition, because you know as it’s about cultural translations

MS: Oh yeah, of course…

KA: So do you think that's the deal,

MS: What, that people know about 19th century art? Hmmm I think it’s a general assumption that Australians have more knowledge about Western Art…

KA: It is also a value judgment as well as an assumption?

MS: Yeah, perhaps….I mean in school in, curatorial studies we focused a lot on the Western Canon. We did discuss people like Edward Said and Orientalism but there was a general, I don’t know, bias toward Western Art...

KA: But do you think that major schools like COFA focus on the West because in the industry there is an audiences driven demand or institutional demand….or….?

MS: Well, i can only speak for an Australian perspective but yeah, maybe both...but I’d say it is a cultural bias, a general social bias…that maybe isn’t reflected on as much as it should be. But I do think a change is coming, slowly but it’s coming...You know, some of my classmates did a course called Aboriginal Perspectives; I couldn’t get into it as I’d already done too many electives and I wasn’t even allowed to audit it, anyway….now, it’s part of the Post-Grad program as a required subject...

KA: But wait, before it wasn’t?

MS: Haha, yeah...no…

KA: Oh wow, but you did post-colonial studies?

MS: A bit, in the class - wait, let me get something…

(Merryn leaves the interview, returns with a book)

...this is the program of the class, well, it was called ‘Queering the Canon’ but when I’m looking…(flips through book) Yeah, okay it’s more like Gender and Marxism, there is one class on Orientalism...but yeah, anyway it’s kind of lumped in with the other constructs.

KA: Do you think it’s also reflected in the programming that works with gallery shows - like do non-western shows require more didactic programming?

MS: Um….not sure, do you mean to be more politically correct or?

KA: No more like, well I went to see Ben Quilty speak about a piece he created for an Indigenous Artists show at AGNSW and he spoke very didactically and the talk was part of a really extensive educational program...I don’t think you’d see this at a 19th century collection show….?

MS: Hmmmm, I guess different programs are created for specific audiences and perhaps the people going to see your classic representations of the Western Canon are more into classic un-provocative programming, hehe...not sure

KA: Ok cool, well following on from that, talking about adjacent programming, I want to ask you about the exhibition catalogue?

MS: Oh yes, I love exhibition catalogues…

KA: I thought so…

MS: Haha, I have so many!

KA: Oh perfect, so as someone who likes and reads catalogues can you talk a bit about their function?

MS: Well for me, the catalogue is the perfect place for the curator to explain their curatorial premise. You know I was saying about the curator being the invisible hand - you don’t want to impose your ideas on audiences, but the catalogue is almost a separate but connected space where you can really tell the story of the exhibition. I’m always unsatisfied when I go to an exhibition and the catalogue is just, name, title, date of all the works and a picture, it’s such a missed opportunity for the curator to tell their story and have a voice - it should be more informative and subjective…

KA: And is it fair to say it’s almost a legacy of the show and it’s concept…?

MS: Yeah for sure, I mean I collect catalogues and yeah, they become not only like a souvenir but a timeless extension of the exhibition.

KA: Lovely, so they have a real place in the curation of a show

MS: Absolutely

KA: Great, well I’d like to move on to discuss the most recent show you did which is coming back to the idea of interdisciplinary exhibitions...it was for Sydney Uni right?

MS: Yeah, it was a show for Sydney University Department of Architecture and Design and it was held in conjunction with a Design conference put on by a well known guy from the design world, John Alsop...he’s from the Design Computing world, it’s a bad name for what he does I think, because it’s more like wearable tech and gadgets, but um the show was called ‘Web Directions’

KA: ...and it was held in a gallery?

MS: No, no, it was held in a public space in the foyer of the conference and had all sorts of different things in it, lots of apps and there was a drone for farmers to track sheep - that sounds a bit boring but it’s actually really interesting and got lots of funding because you know these farmers in the desert have to use helicopters to track their flocks but this device makes it much easier...But anyway yeah all of the works were around the theme technology for social good, so they had to have an aspect that benefited wider society - like one guy had this cute backpack that worked as an indicator for your bike and was controlled by your iphone, like on the handle bars. Yeah. There were lots of different items - including portfolios and posters.

KA: So there were a lot of variables; various items, lots of different sizes, participation, opportunities for people to linger to read or even watch a video; also the fact that it was in a thoroughfare….I mean, I’m interested in how you controlled the flow, the interaction of people in the space, is it even possible?

MS: I have some really great resources on this that I’ll send you, about how to create space and define the actions of audiences. There is this American theory that in Australia is actually the opposite, it’s that people by nature turn right when entering a gallery space, because by habit they vear right, like on the road or using escalators…

KA: Oh yeah it’s like when you go to Europe and go to pass someone in the street and you habitually step to the left and they step to the right and...haha...you end up crashing

MS: Haha, exactly, yeah you really have to think about the use of space fairly subconsciously actually because well, people using it are everyday people. There are a set of let’s say ‘manners’ or an etiquette that can be followed, like how big text should be and how far away viewers stand from the wall but it’s all developed around human behaviour. Also talking about wall text and the correct number is in the slides i’ll send you but there's also a certain number of words that people are willing to read standing at an exhibition before they tune out...so that's also interesting to note and I guess also where the catalogue in the format of a book becomes useful...we’re used to reading long texts in the pages of a book.

KA: Yeah, that's true.

MS: So yeah there is a lot of human nature and common sense that goes into designing exhibitions

KA: ...and then, how do you, for want of a better word…’control’ viewers, like if you have video and books and texts and spaces that will encourage loitering and other spaces that require traffic flow…

MS: Well first you consider the elements and try to space them accordingly, like separate all the apps and all the films so they are not all together, and then well, you obviously would try to keep thoroughfares clear and the works that require more hang-time in areas of less activity. It’s difficult, I like to work with a working floor plan with multiple options and trial them in the space. It’s best to access the space to see how it operates, for instance I went to visit the foyer when it was both in use and not, to see where people naturally gravitated and what the actual user experience was.

KA: So you mocked up a floor plan or a diagram?

MS: Just a simple floor plan, well a few and then by hand sketched out where things could go.

KA: And if this was a public space, how did you go about security or artworks and tech?

MS: Urgh, security is so difficult, especially when you don’t have resources - for this design show there were so many apps on display we ended up having to sign-out ipad mini’s to the designers who wanted to show their apps and they had to take responsibility for them, they had to hold them the entire time.

KA: Oh wow, so you didn’t have holders? Like at the apple store or something?

MS: No...well the line-up changed so many times that by the time everyone confirmed what they needed it was far too late to work out specific security for the space and the risk was fairly high being a public venue. I mean when I was working at the College of Fine Arts Galleries it was located in the University and they had so many resources to be able to make the specific holders out of that plastic stuff, what is it…?

KA: Plexiglass?

MS: yeah right, so they’d make special holders,

KA: A frame?

MS: ...with yeah a frame over the top and the Ipad behind all screwed in with a hole for the on/off button and the cord plugged in all the time underneath. They made them for all the shows. I think if you’re at a gallery with resources it’s fine but generally it’s difficult and expensive…

KA: Like how expensive?

MS: Well we got quoted $2000 for that Design exhibition and that was before everyone decided to have iPads, so yeah it’s pricey.

KA: Okay well we’re nearing the end of the interview, but I have one more question, a bonus question that’s a little more off-the-beaten-track…

MS: oh good, ok…

KA: I was reading an article on news.artnet.com about the relevence of curators and how there is a trend away from using the work curator; pepole are instead using ‘Exhibition Organisor’ or just ‘Organised by…’ Do you have a comment about this…?

MS: Yeah I do, I actually was discussing this with my boyfriend just the other day, about how the word curating is so grossly overused. You know, you have people who ‘curate’ instagram feeds and community curators and curated collections of things...but you know where the word curator comes from? Fom a Latin word which means to take care of, so it’s a position of custodianship or someone who is the keeper of a collection. I think originally many art collections were held by churches too and so the word also has religious connections, or connotations. It’s not a word that just means organising, so yeah maybe these people are organising exhibitions but gallerists are closer to being curators in the true sense.

KA: So there’s a place for both?

MS: Yeah for sure, but maybe it’s better, Instagram feed organiser, haha…

KA: oh for sure. Well thank you so much for this Merryn, I really appreciate it and your insights have been very useful.

MS: Thanks for asking me!

Ends 12:22 January 12, 2017