#same goes for photos and music and other creative work

[nitunio]

I think that if a person knows that something was made using trained on unethically sourced data AI. And still uses it/likes it/supports it/defends it.

Then said person should stop "being mad" when their data is used to train AI without consent.

[atiny-for-life]

Creative Spotlight #1: Kim Hongjoong

Masterlist

Intro: With so many new Atinys coming in, I figured now would be a good time to shed some light on all the boys' creative solo projects over the years, big and small.

Photography

Hongjoong's love for photography goes way back to his predebut days. In one of the first videos ever uploaded to their channel, you can already see him holding a camera on the set of Pirate King.

2 years ago, in 2022, he got to announce his first photo exhibition, FROM NOVEMBER 7, 1998, as a birthday present to himself, which took place from November 1st to 7th at gallery99 and was used to collect money for charity.

There was no entrance fee but spots had to be reserved online to ensure there'd be no dangerous crowding. During the exhibition, there was a little event planned for all attendees in which fans could collect points which were then converted to money that was later donated under Hongjoong and Atiny's name. The total donated amount was 10 million won!

In Logbook Episode 101, we got to see Hongjoong visit the exhibition himself and take a stroll through memory lane.

Due to the success of the 2022 exhibition, Hongjoong held another one last year which took place between November 3rd and 9th, 2023, and was titled A Walker - the event was accompanied by the release of an original song and led to the donation of 50 million won under Hongjoong's and Atiny's name to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation.

BY. HONGJOONG

Back in 2018, Hongjoong shared during their stay in LA as KQ Fellaz, that he barely went to school since he already started producing music during his high school days. And yes, this is during the same tear jerking monologue where he calls Ateez his family for the first time and says he needs to hurry so he can see their sleeping faces before he goes to bed.

The first time we get to see Hongjoong fully in action as a producer is during his first 1-Day-Vlog in 2020 in which he's working on his Prince cover (more on that in a second).

But now to the main event: Hongjoong has an entire series going where he covers some of his all time favorite songs. Whenever he does, he likes to make the songs his own by recording his own instrumental track and typically adding an additional Korean rap verse with self-written lyrics highlighting his interpretation of the song's message.

Kicking things off with Space Oddity by David Bowie, a classic.

Side Note: As a lover of unisex clothing/androgyny, Hongjoong is likely not just inspired musically by Bowie, but also fashion wise. You can learn more about Bowie's influence on the climate surrounding gender and sexuality here.

Dressed in white, matching both his hair and the background, Hongjoong turned himself into a clean canvas on which he projected first footage of Bowie and later some floating orbs - it's very aesthetic.

Between the original verses and chorus, he placed a Korean rap verse in which he writes from Major Tom's perspective and laments his mental state while stuck alone in outer space, asking ground control to tell his mom he loves her while stating he still appreciates the beauty of space but feels lost and lonely all by himself.

Next up, we've got Purple Rain by Prince, another classic.

Side Note: Like Bowie, Prince too was famous for being androgynous in how he presented himself and toying with what society deemed masculine and feminine. He's famous to this day among the queer community for how persistently he defied gender norms and labels. Learn more about him here.

Instead of filming himself, we get a lyric video this time, fully kept in pastel lavender. Once again, Hongjoong added a rap verse of his own in which he speaks to a lost friend, talking about how he hopes that, even though they're apart now, his friend will still recall him as being sincere and that they can still think of each other fondly and remember the good times.

In a far more elaborate production, we've got Black or White by Michael Jackson up next.

Using green screen and multiple outfits, we get a fun spectacle of a little passion project featuring multiple versions of Hongjoong, background collages, emojis, and more:

Despite being shorter than the other covers, we still get the signature rap verse preceded by his famous giggle and, this time, he's got quite a bit to say.

Diving into the lyrics, he talks about how we're all different colors. Colors which are meant to be mixed. Our roots don't define us. Throughout life, we'll all get mixed up with each other, as we should. He doesn't want to see us divided. To quote: "What's wrong with you, babe? Stop it. You've already experienced the 20th century. Blah blah by dividing groups."

The song ends with the rap verse before the video dives into the making of in which Hongjoong specifically addresses his intent to talk about social issues like Michael Jackson famously used to while he was alive (think: They Don't Really Care About Us).

So long time by Yoon Jong Shin comes next with a sepia-toned video featuring Hongjoong at a grand piano. It's a pretty ballad highlighting his vocals and the use of multiple camera angles allows us to watch him play.

Shortly before we hit the 2 minute mark, Hongjoong gets up and we transition from the shot of the piano to a cassette player while the audio shifts to the original for a moment before Hongjoong returns.

We've reached the rap verse where he mourns a lost love, speaking of memories he can't let go of, even as he pretends everything is okay. He's cold and lonely now, a little mad at himself for continuously getting lost in the memories, and calls himself a fool before we return to the cover-part of the song.

At 3:58, the song wraps up and we've reached the making of section of the video where he talks about how his cover stems from the idea of a time machine taking you through the song, with the first verse (playing the piano) being the past, the rap verse symbolizing the present, and the memories then taking back over as he gets lost in them, leading to the piano's return.

Next up, we've got Last Christmas by Wham! which opens to a short clip of Hongjoong's acting on a pretty Christmas film set before we transition to a simple white back drop.

This time, the signature rap verse comes in early at 50 seconds with a little giggle before he talks about leaving the past in the past and moving on, letting the snow settle over painful memories.

However, this time, we also get a second rap verse at 1:45, where it becomes clear he hasn't moved on at all, plus a Korean vocal section at 2:43 which carries through to the end. Here, he highlights even further that he hopes they'll reconnect next winter so they can leave the painful past behind and live out a shared future.

Hongjoong in his emo era. This is the first Ateez-related video I've ever seen because I was born in '96 and my emo phase never ended so of course this was recommended to me when it was first released.

Numb by Linkin Park got the full Hongjoong treatment and was even reported on by Rolling Stone, quote:

The cover began trending on social media and YouTube within hours of its release, but the true prize came a day later when it caught the attention of Linkin Park themselves. The rock band’s official Twitter account ‘liked’ the post on ATEEZ’s page, with co-founder and vocalist Mike Shinoda confirming on a livestream that he’d seen and enjoyed the cover. As of this writing, Hongjoong’s version of “Numb” has over half a million views on YouTube and has garnered tremendous praise from Linkin Park’s fans.

We get the black eye makeup and nail polish, the plaid half skirt, the dramatic music video with fake fog and red lighting. The rap verse comes in hard, talking about getting mentally weighed down by an abuser and finally breaking free, cutting the ties.

As a long time Linkin Park fan, I love how unique this cover is and Chester would've loved it too I'm sure. I wish he could've seen it.

Fools Garden's Lemon Tree is another classic and I come back to it on the regular because the video has such a unique vibe and the song is famous for getting stuck in your head.

The video features Hongjoong alone in a house surrounded by colorful toys and games, bored out of his mind and visibly seeking a distraction from life but failing to find something, no matter how out of pocket his thinking gets.

Shoutout to the license plate - it's the release date of the song, November 3rd, 1995.

At 1:33, Hongjoong sprints off to the basement which is doused in red and we get a warped version of his signature giggle before the rap verse kicks in. The camera work in this section reminds me a bit of his rap verse in Not Okay.

While down there, he gets more and more deranged, talking about being locked up day by day, imprisoned, losing track of time, but being unable to break out. Instead of trying to escape, he just attempts to distract himself, listening to sad songs on a loop until his pain disappears and his world switches back to yellow.

Busking Event

In 2021, Hongjoong decided to put together a busking event featuring live performances of some covers, plus acoustic versions of some of their songs. Accompanying him were both Ateez and Maddox. You can find the full playlist here:

Collaboration

3 months ago, Chungha made a return to the music scene after escaping her former label and chose Hongjoong as a collaboration partner for her new debut. Beyond his rap verse, she also incorporated a move from Crazy Form in the choreography (she's lovely):

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 50 Complete (19/11-26/11/2024)

Their 50th week in the military is now complete. Today we are looking back at this week in 2020. This was a big week for BTS with the release of Be on 20th November along with Life Goes On directed by none other than Jeon Jungkook.

On the same day these concept photos were released to accompany the album. Jimin in a room full of flowers and JK backed by a wall of music speakers. Both of them looking fabulous in their own way.

Their agenda was packed with interviews and appearances that week. Alongside the promo activities Run BTS 116 (17/11) & 117 (24/11) were shown. Run BTS was centered around good team work. There were 16 potential missions but they only had to pass five of these before they could go home.

Minimoni had a penalty from the previous episode and had to wear flowery trousers and rubber shoes.

Game 1: Read my Mind ✔️Success - The members had to do a pose in response to a specific word e.g. heart and they would win if their poses were all different. There was a fair amount of creativity on show and the game was completed in quick time.

Game 2: Jump Rope ✔️Success - In the second game, BTS had to jump rope 50 times. Jikook took the lions share of the work together doing 30 jumps and Sope did the least with 5 between them.

Game 3: Tennis ❌Failure - Despite having Hobi on the team (bronze medal winner in a tournament of three teams) tennis just didn't work out for them.

Game 4: Guess the song - ✔️Success -Tae, JK and Suga took turns to be blindfolded. They had to feel the poses that each member was making and from that guess the song. Jimin is squirming when it was Tae's turn to guess and then there was JK. We know he did include Jimin, there is even the picture below from the behind but that whole sequence is cut from the show.

JK guessed correctly and Suga also turns out to be a bit of a whizz at the game so they safely completed this round.

Game 5: Table cloth pull - ✔️Success - This was a really difficult challenge and the staff kept setting the bar lower and lower when BTS failed to achieve it. Initially the target was 4/7 to successfully keep the bottles upright while the table cloth is pulled away but by the end BTS had successfully negotiated that one person would be enough. Jimin was up and no one was more surprised than he was that he successfully pulled it off.

Game 6: Bottle Pass - ✔️Success - They took ages planning how to take on this challenge and had numerous unsuccessful dry runs but when put on a timer, they competitiveness and teamwork won through and they successfully completed the task.

They displayed such good team work that they were able to complete the challenges by 6pm and went home three hours early.

Cr. to OPs

Post Date: 24/11/2024

[callsignspark]

Hello, yes. It’s me.

Tell me more about the frat boy Bob college AU!

this is one of my favorite AUs I have bubbling in my brain because frat boy Bob? he’s a sexy sweetheart 🤤 also this is like 80% @withahappyrefrain’s fault because she’s the one I originally word vomited this onto

it all started sometime last January when Rainey posted that photo of him on his birthday and his keys were in the photo, a gym membership tag on the chain. (and it’s a crime I can’t find it rn omg) but it really cemented my favorite thing about Lewis. which is how he’s so “just a guy” all the time. famous dad? just some guy with a gym membership tag on his keys. second tier character in 2022’s biggest movie? just some guy who does theater in his spare time. he has two hats, and three shirts, and one pair of boots. I like him so much because he’s Just Some Guy™ - just a simple man. I adore that about him. having said all that: I present my frat boy college!Bob AU

Bob feels like someone you would have gone to college with, had a huge crush on for all four years, then forget about after graduation. But not without a lot of work to stop those feelings and pining, but eventually, a few years later he floats away. Except for those few times he appears on a mutual friend’s social media. And every time you see him on social media, the crush reignites. Just a little tiny bit.

One day you run into him randomly and find out he’s moved to your city. He doesn’t know anyone else and you exchange numbers, you learn he actually did you know in school. He actually had a crush but didn’t do anything about it and would you like to go out now?

Because Bob was the cool nerd in school. Like he’s quiet and shy, so studious and freaking brilliant. But he’s also in a frat somehow and on the baseball team at a school that doesn’t care about baseball. So he’s absolutely in shape and at the gym in his free time but no one ever notices how big his biceps and how handsome and funny is his because they’re staring at the football players.

But our leading lady notices him.

She likes the quiet guy from her creative writing class (an elective for both of them) who has the same backwards baseball cap on every time she sees him at the gym. Bob also notices her at the gym when he goes in the evenings for him team workout. His morning workout is rowing in the river in town, and if the dock where he likes to start his mornings happens to go by the apartment building where his pretty classmate likes to do homework on her balcony while the sunrises? Well that’s just a bonus.

She’s part of the school’s dance ensemble club (a relaxed, just for fun, non-performance version of the dance team) and he loves the glimpses he gets of her through the studio door. Her smile is always so wide and bright as she moves to the music in the little studio. The studio which is conveniently next to the weight section he always ends his workouts in. They frequently end up leaving the gym at the same time and always give each other polite smiles. He eventually gets brave enough to open the door for her and it becomes a little tradition that he quick walks ahead to grab it for her. Eventually they get up to exchanging “thank you” and “have a good night” and smiles but they never talk more than that.

Cue graduation and real world starting. And bam then they’re running into each other at a gym. As he’s finishing his last cool down stuff he notices a familiar head and watches as she walks out of a barre class. He scrambles to open the door for her - his established way of flirting!!! - and our story begins. There’s nothing sexier than a courteous man. Especially one that has sweaty little curls poking out the sides of his hat!! And once they tumble into bed she finds out how much sexier those sweaty curls are when she’s the cause of them.

[mahuhumaling]

jorge made the right decision to have The Underworld Saga be the end of Act I.

i would just like to disagree with people who think he should've ended Act I with either the Circe Saga or the Thunder Saga.

the only credentials i have with storytelling is graduating summa cum laude in BA in Creative Writing, so i totally understand where jay is coming from when he made Monster as the closer.

in stories, we're taught that whether that genre would be fiction of short stories or novels, playwriting, screenwriting, or even prose poetry, there always needs to be a character change at the end of a section/part/act. that is what determines the writer's direction of the plot and setting and everything else. below are photos of outlines i was tasked by my adviser to do when i was in college working on my thesis, just to emphasize how it is needed. the protagonist is the one who goes through this change, and even if the story only has one act, then that protagonist will change at the end of it entirely. they will always be not the same person from the beginning.

it's why, for instance, Legally Blonde the Musical's Act I finale is "So Much Better" because Elle's character change from the start of Act I is that she embraces and prioritizes law over love and how her mindset going into Act II is what the audience anticipates for. or how in Wicked's Act I finale "Defying Gravity," Elphaba's character change is that she embraces her wickedness and therefore also her power because that's all everyone is going to think of her, when throughout Act I she's been trying to lie low and "be good."

Odysseus' character change in "Monster" is that he learns to accept and fully embrace his ruthlessness without any hesitance anymore.

i think you guys only see Act I finales as this grand show-stopping song when that's not at all what musicals give you. you don't see that character change in "There Are Other Ways" for the Circe Saga, nor do you see that in "Thunder Bringer" for the Thunder Saga. Act I Odysseus would have at least either: talked to his crew about the Scylla situation, look for other alternatives, or ask for volunteers, but since before that he has already chosen to be a monster, then he just sacrifices the men without so much as blinking.

you guys think that just because he loses his crew and ends up alone, then the structure of the two acts should be split there, (as in Act I is his journey with his crew and Act II is his journey alone) but no. Odysseus' point of no return isn't in the Thunder Saga, because if you'll remember, it wasn't that hard for him to make the choice. but in Monster, it's all he could think about: the pondering is all in there before coming to a conclusion.

[ag-updates-and-archives]

L.S. Dunes’ Anthony Green and Travis Stever Talk “Magick” For New Sophomore Album ‘Violet’ [Q&A] | THE NOISE

photos: Moe Horta

Since their captivating debut at Chicago's Riot Fest in 2022 and the release of their exhilarating first album, Past Lives, L.S. Dunes has evolved into something truly magical. Born during COVID chaos and shaped by challenging time constraints, they have consistently defied the odds, expanding their fanbase with each new breathtaking track. They have become not just an exciting but an essential supergroup – featuring members of My Chemical Romance, Thursday, Coheed And Cambria and more – a journey we've all been a part of and can take pride in.

By any measure, the band's latest album, Violet, once again helmed by Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip, lives up to the legacy they continue to build. In many ways, it opens up an opportunity to rediscover L.S. Dunes in a different light. Where Past Lives takes its oxygen from the thrill of frenzy and impulsiveness, Violet breathes deeper with a more open and expansive palette. Whether it lives in the confident and steady pulse of a song like "Machines," in the rousing lyrical empowerment of "Paper Tigers," or in the way that "Forgiveness" forges itself as an anthem for love and unconditional acceptance in the face of our personal failures, this is a body of work that not only offers hindsight but also instills hope and a sense of magic. And isn't that what the world needs more of?

The Noise had the opportunity to chat further with frontman Anthony Green and guitarist Travis Stever about the magic of the album as well as maintaining a healthy work-life-balance shredding alongside fellow self-proclaimed “workaholics,” guitarist Frank Iero, drummer Tucker Rule, and bassist Tim Payne. 

Violet feels like a shift from Past Lives in terms of sound in some aspects. How would you describe the musical progression between these two albums?

ANTHONY GREEN: My perspective of it is so narrow from my vantage point, and I see a growth relative to our personal relationship growth. When we were writing and putting together Past Lives, we were figuring out how we operated creatively, and you got to hear that in real-time on Violet. With this album, I can't really speak to what other people would have experienced while listening to the first one, but I know that on this record, it feels like we know each other better, and I hope that comes across.

TRAVIS STEVER: I absolutely agree with everything he said. We also got to be around each other.

Anthony: Oh yeah. 

Travis: I mean, it's like a whole different language you speak when we're together. I have video footage that I was going through to kind of remember some of the stuff that we did, also to try and remember parts. But just looking at it, we had this one part that we were working on in Violet – okay, and I'm working on it, Frank's across, you can't even see him, but you see Anthony behind, and he's doing this smile. He's doing this smile and dancing, but then I hit this bum note, and he's all of a sudden, like, [makes cringe face].

Anthony: Haha, yeah, I remember. [laughing]

Travis: But you didn't mean it! The best part is that you did not even mean it! It's just the natural language of music that when something happens, it's inevitable, and I died laughing because I was like, "I would have done the same thing." We were like-

Anthony: You were just trying stuff out. 

Travis: Yeah, I was trying stuff out, but we had gotten somewhere where we were all excited with the melody, and he had already done some vocal melodies; it was just this exciting moment. And it was like, “That's how you work.” There are things, such as body language and everything that goes together in the studio. I mean, I love Past Lives, I love how it came about. There's some beauty to creating art like that, which was something new for all of us. It was like painting a wall from a distance. But this was doing it together.

Anthony, the lyrics on Past Lives were profoundly personal. As you know, many of the lyrics on all of the projects you have worked on together and individually feel like lyricism is a crucial aspect of the music. How do the themes of Violet compare to those on the debut album? Are you exploring new emotional territories or continuing from where you left off?

Anthony: Well, thanks for saying that stuff about the lyrics. I think that when I was writing Past Lives, I was sort of just kind of, you know, you're like “I can't help making things sort of autobiographical.��� And I try really hard even when I intend to write a song where I'm like, "Okay, this is from someone else's vantage point, or this is about this story.” Or even there's been songs where I'm like, "This is inspired by a movie or something, and it still ends up becoming autobiographical.” There's my narcissistic nature or something, and how it just goes that way. But I feel like this stuff that came out for Past Lives, I was running and gunning in my life at that time, and it all kind of came out like that. There was stuff that even after it got written, I was like, "Whoa." I was desperate for connection at that point in my life, and when we were writing Violet, I really wanted to make sure that there was intention behind the songs and that there weren't these cliffs that you drop off of, you know?

I feel like this antenna when I'm working, and after a while, when you're tuned to a certain frequency that's very negative, you find yourself in this loop. So this record for me was a lot of trying to break out of that loop and find silver linings in the worst, most destructive aspects of the things I've created in my life to keep moving forward.

Let’s circle back for a second about band chemistry, working through the pandemic, and now working together post-pandemic, which feels silly to say because I feel like the world is still kind of burning. But anyway, with Past Lives being your debut, how has chemistry within the band evolved since then? You went from working on an album during a global pandemic to now having free reign once restrictions were lifted. How has the way you've worked together changed, and in what ways have you all bonded as a band to create this stronger cohesion in Violet? 

Travis: I don't know if this answers your question, but it was very clear from the moment that we were all in the same room that no matter what, if we started playing any melody, then we were all off to the races. It's very hard to find that in a group of people where everybody's not afraid to jump in and start creating together, and that's what we have. That's the one [thing] I've never experienced with this band where there's no hesitation in starting to create when we're around each other. You know what I mean? We can lean on each other if one person's pretty burnt out.

For instance, I remember coming back from Australia and meeting up on the last Dunes tour, and everybody was working on something in sound check. I just felt so burnt out, and I didn't know if I could do it, and they all comforted me and made me feel like I was safe to hold out, wait for it, and then they worked on it. And when I came in to work on it, it was like, "Oh, wow, I could just jump right in. It'll be okay. I'm okay here. I'm not like failing everyone, right?” When we give each other that, probably because of what we've been through before it, not throwing shade at any of the other bands we're part of or anything like that. It's just we grew up playing music. We have a maturity that hopefully, or I assume, we all bring to this, that I don't know, it's just it makes a different kind of scenario coming into it that perhaps it's hard to even bring to the other things we're part of because we're so used to the roles. But we can come here and say, “Oh, this is how we started this, and this is what we do for each other,” the trust thing, you know, we do that for each other. So, how has that differed? It's gotten better, consistently better, and even in the distance, like from the long-distance writing, it's constantly happening. We've already been doing that, and I know [Anthony] already has millions of melodies, everything that we send, and that's what we do.

That's great to hear.

Travis: That's my take on growing, you know?

Anthony: Maturity was a cool word that stood out to me. We were saying that whatever our intentions were in building this – it was like how people get together to have a club, how people will play sports, or like a group of dads getting together to play music. Most of the challenges have come from, like, "Okay, how do we share this with the world? How do we make this more than just like, what it is for us and allow other people in and do it like a band,” you know, maybe like a real band. And getting to know each other, getting to have each other's back in situations where it's like, "Yeah, we're gonna do a tour. We're gonna do things." Ultimately, I think that, at the core, we want each other to be happy. Because we know if we're happy or taken care of, we're gonna make something really fun together. Having that be the nucleus, everything's built around it, and it makes it very challenging, and again, this doesn't bring anything that other projects are lacking. I just think that this is a new thing that exists outside of certain pressures that we all have, you know?

Travis: Well said, that's it.

There's a lot of instability in the industry right now, where artistic expression feels more like a survival tool than a form of catharsis. So many artists seem pressured to release music just to get by. What do you think about this shift?

Anthony: I think with this project, we all cross-pollinate with whatever else we're working on, you know? I know that as soon as I'm done writing a Dunes song, it keeps your creative muscles strong and to have something where you can always just express yourself and know that there's a bunch of people that are gonna be like, "Fuck yeah, that's sick."

Travis: It's interesting, and watching him answer that and say it like that, I just can't wait to work on new stuff. 

Yeah?!

Travis: Already! That's what's hilarious. It's like, we get together and work on stuff in the room together, but also, like, work on all the things that we have already, you know, like, there's --

Anthony: There's a bit of enabled workaholism in this group. 

Travis: Oh yes, totally.

Anthony: All of us, I think, are like dealing with different, you know – I've definitely had my experiences with, like, compulsion and addiction and all that stuff. And I think a lot of it for me has been finding things you can put that same energy into that aren't as destructive. And, like, there's a little bit of workaholism in us that probably isn’t healthy. But we’re wrangling it in together as a group. When you like what you do, it can be very challenging to know when to stop.

What did you learn from making Past Lives that influenced the creation of Violet? Were there things you wanted to do differently this time around?

Travis: I don't think we had – we weren't like, “We have to do it this way.” There were intentions just to be together, and we were able to do that. I know that Anthony shares this, too. The goal was that eventually, hopefully, we could be in a room for a few days and have some fresh, brand-new ideas. There were road maps for songs already there and some ideas that were more spur of the moment.

Anthony: Not all the structural changes, though. The dropout in “Violet.”

Travis: Yeah! 

Anthony: Us all in the room talking about that and then trying it out at different lengths. Like, where does it feel? And I remember at first I was like, "It just doesn't feel right there," yeah. We had to listen to it and, like, settle into it.

Travis: Absolutely. So I kind of am going to go against what I'm like, I'm going to agree with Anthony. I mean, even the beginning of the album, the song, “Like Magick,” that's a song that Anthony had sitting around. He was just plucking and singing that melody over and over, and it just got in our heads, and we were like, "We need to use that," and it became a band song. And that happened with our 2022 record. But you know I kind of contradict myself by saying that that can happen from a distance, but there's like this, this beauty of it happening in person.

Right. 

Travis: That we hadn't experienced yet together. 

Anthony: We also hadn't written where we knew each other creatively, but we're just sending files back and forth, and before writing Violet we got to experience playing all of the songs live and seeing how that evolved, and adding parts. There were times when sitting in practice, where you would jam on something, and Tuck would start playing, and we could all tell our creative sense, our navigational sense as a group towards whatever we like creatively, is very strong. It's weird, you go to capture that, and it's like you can capture that so many different ways, but it's almost like grabbing this flow state that's so great, and trying to then limit it, putting in a structure, putting in a boundary, and just kind of kill everything but the littlest spark about it. Then you get all these little sparks together, and it's like, it represents something that represents the song. But like, I don't know, I'm like, not trying to talk shit on any of our other projects, but even just in playing the songs that we recorded for this record live now, I'm like, "Oh, I could have done this. I could have done that…”

Travis: Yeah, we can do it! Like, that's the cool thing.

Anthony: Playing “Machines” live, I was like, "Oh my god." And we're still evolving and growing. I feel like this is just the foundation of what we're able to experiment and do together. Everybody sort of trusts each other to bring their own freakiness too. I don't ever have to worry, "Okay, we need to work on this." Like, I'll think of something I need to work on or want to write something, and I want to push myself. I know Travis is doing the same thing with everything he plays. Everybody brings that energy to push themselves.

It sounds like that evolution just happened very naturally. 

Anthony: Yeah, definitely. It's like when you're like, I just need a haircut. I don't know exactly what I gotta do, but it's gotta just-

Gotta be different.

Anthony and Travis: Gotta be different!

Is there a specific concept or theme you focused on for Violet that differs from Past Lives? How did you build on the foundation of your debut album?

Anthony: Lyrically, I think magic was something I thought about a lot, magic and light and the idea of what magic is and what feels like magic and how the concept of mysticism in music gets strangled out. Where putting a record out and making a recording even – like, back in the day, there were people that when they started recording music, people were like, “Fuck, no, you can't do that to the listening experience.” And we experience that now with every kind of thing that comes up, I don't know. I just think that the music alchemizing your pain and suffering into something tangible and giving hope is something that I wanted to think about when we were writing this album. The idea is that it can be therapeutic. 

Are there any tracks on Violet that stand out to you personally? I loved the intro track "Like Magick," midway point "Machines," and "Holograms."

Travis: Oh, so many songs on the record right now are my favorite! I can’t pick.

What about you, Anthony?

Anthony: I've been listening to "Violet" so much, and I started trying to play it on acoustic; it's such a good song; it's so good. We also were practicing it, and you know, I sing the majority of the stuff on the record live or on the record, but like, Frank will sing with me, and like, he sings with me on that live, and I'm excited to play that. I don't know, I can't pick a favorite, honestly. This sounds so stupid, but for every one of these songs, I had this experience writing and crafting with this group, where I was so personally invested in every little part of it that it was such a joy to be a part of all the steps, watching everything get created, even from the sidelines, when they were working out musical stuff. I was like, "Okay, cool. I could fill something in, cool here. I can give this space here." I can't pick a favorite, you know?

And that's okay. They're all your favorites!

Travis: Oh yeah, it's always subject to change.

Anthony: "Like Magick" is cool, just because it gives me this charge where whenever I'm with the group where I have something and where they're like, "Hey, I want to work on this. It's an idea that I was messing with,” and they take it and make it cool, that always makes me feel really good.

How do you hope Violet will be received by your fans, especially those who followed you since Past Lives and throughout your separate work? Is there a particular message or feeling you want them to take away from this album?

Anthony: I've honestly divorced myself from the outcome.

Yeah? 

Anthony: Yeah. 

That's probably the healthiest thing to do.

Travis: I think that's the healthiest thing you can do. It's the healthiest thing any of us can do. Are we gonna look? Yeah, we're gonna see what people say.

Anthony: I have this faith that the people who have been so supportive up until now truly want you to have harmony within what you're doing. So I know that that's there, and I have faith in that, but for the better of myself, I find all my victory in just having the record be something the whole band could put our hands in a circle and go, "Woooo!" And then sharing it with the world is, like, it's like, a big bonus, you know?

Travis: Yeah. I agree.

Anthony: I hope, I always hope, like, if I'm cooking something for somebody, like, I hope they enjoy it. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do. But this is kind of a different scenario, I guess. It's hard to say.

How do you plan to bring the album's energy to the stage? What can fans expect from your live shows this time around? Are there any songs that you're super excited to perform live for people?

Travis: Yeah, we already started working on a couple of them that we'll be doing out on tour with Rise Against in Europe, and we have some headlining shows out there in the UK and Europe. I imagine once we're out there, I'd say that we already have five or six of the ten songs ready to play live, and then we'll work on the other four. Frank was writing us all yesterday about "You Deserve To Be Haunted" and even trying to mess with that, which would be a seventh that we would already have ready.

Anthony: We started playing that "Fatal Deluxe" song on the Rise Against tour, too, and that song, oh my gosh, is my favorite. It was my favorite song to play in the set; we closed the set with it, and that song was transformative for me. It takes me someplace else; I feel confident when I play that. Something about that, everything about that song, it just is so fun to play. The same thing happened when we started playing "Machines," and I got lost in it every time; you know, it took me somewhere. Yeah, it's cool.

Travis: "Fatal Deluxe" is something Anthony mentioned before; that's a good example of us taking a song and adding a whole new ending. Something that maybe we'd be like, "Oh, we wish we did this in the studio," but that's what's cool, as a band, we'll take things like that, and we'll add it to the live set. So that's what's cool about once we're all together and we're on tour, we'll start working out these little nuances, and people that come to our shows will start to see them evolve as they come to the show.

How do you see the future of L.S. Dunes? Are there specific directions you're excited to explore next? Is there something that you feel the need to just accomplish with this project other than just make fucking great music?

Travis: I mean, I think that's just it. To continue to make music with them.

Anthony: Yeah, that's it. I mean, like I said, everybody gets to kind of witness our club of dads who don't get together to play music together, you know what I mean? As long as we can maintain the nucleus of how much fun it is just to be together, make music together, let each other explore, and keep it growing. I hate looking into the future with anything too much, you know?

The future should be a surprise.

Anthony: Yeah, and I feel really lucky to be a part of this. Like really lucky, like, every day of my life, even when the shit is happening with it, where there is the hardest shit that we go through with it. I'm still just so grateful to be participating. I know that music is healing, and there's this other aspect to it, so just throwing it out there, you're just participating. No outcome is needed to keep us apart from caring about each other and nurturing each other's strengths personally and professionally; that's my goal. We can make another ten records. We can make one record, whatever there is, just as long as we stay loving and supportive as a unit; who knows?

Author: Alessandra Rincon January 30, 2025

[thescienceofdeductionn]

Intuition 101

Hello. It has been a while. Today's topic is intuition.(which is interesting because some people think Sherlock Holmes doesn't use intuition) We will cover what it is, what it has to do with deduction and more. So, let's get started.

What is Intuition?

It is definitely not a magical power. It is not about psychics. It is not about having a gift. It has a psychical basis and can be explained with neurology and psychology.

Intuition is the message your subconscious sends you. It takes every information it can from your senses(such as seeing, hearing, touching, etc.)and also from your memory. It is easy to explain but how does it do that?

First, it has no filter, so it takes literally everything from your environment. For example, you are walking and you pass a coffee shop. If you don't pay attention you won't see it but your subconscious will take the information, process it and send you information like: I want to drink coffee. Then 5 minutes later, you will think: I want to drink coffee. You won't even realize it is because of the coffee shop.

Secondly, it has an amazing capacity to create links and connections. Most insights of scientists and artists are coming to them because of the subconscious. For example, Thomas Edison(and dozens of other people)

Basically, the aim is: Use your subconscious. But how?

1-Meditation

When you meditate, you don't think about anything specifically. You just focus on your breath and refocus whenever you get distracted.

But here is the important part: You have to study deeply on something before you start to meditate. Read, listen, observe whatever information is in front of you and then meditate. That way, your subconscious will work behind the scenes. It will link information and data without even you realizing it and sometimes you will suddenly think of an idea. That is your subconscious sending you a message.

2-Do something automatic for you

Sherlock plays violin, boxing, goes for a walk etc. These are the automatic habits for him. You can find what is yours and do that because in those moments, your brain is in diffused mode, not on focused mode. So, information is being processed behind.

Here are the things you can try:

-Drawing, painting

-Playing an instrument

-Exercise, walking, running

-Observing art

The important thing to keep in mind is: Don't think about the information while you are engaging with your habit. It will interrupt the process.

3-Use Cues

Research suggests that if there is a light bulb in the room, people become more creative because we associate light bulb with creativity. You can change your environment to become more creative: Put art on your wall, put things that remind you of Sherlock Holmes on your desk etc.

4-Be Receptive to Changes

If you are stuck on a routine and you don't even change the route you walk or drive to places, you should. Your brain has to be in rich environments. You should show it different ways to solve a problem, ways to go etc. If you find a solution to your problem: Don't stop. Think about other solutions. Eventually, your brain will adapt to that and will be more creative.

Lay on the table, do a handstand when looking at a photo, stop listening to the same musics over and over again and listen you have never listened to before.

These are great ways to activate your intuition BUT if you forget one thing, none of these will matter. One thing is: YOUR INTUITION IS JUST AN INTUITION. It is not a certainty. Never forget that and act accordingly. Check your intuition and gather more data to support or eliminate it.

That is all for today. Probably I will do a series on Intuition because one post is never enough. Until then, keep observing and deducing. See you later.

[thoughtsforsoob]

hi! can i request a txt matchup please?

i'm a 4'11 female with long black hair and dark brown eyes. being comfortable in my body has been a journey tbh but i'm really liking my smile recently: i have a smattering of dimples on my cheeks which i feel makes me stand out! i have horrible eyesight so i wear thick glasses (this year it's been round purple ones). my style is usually pretty casual (comfy over any other aesthetic haha) but occasionally i'll put on a cuter outfit if i'm going out with a friend or have another more formal event.

i'd consider myself an ambivert because i love making friends, but am often the quietest person in the group. i try my best to be kind and empathetic towards everyone (which can lead to me becoming more of a doormat than i'd like haha). i can be a sensitive soul and really appreciate the people in my life that take the time to listen to me and talk through things that make me emotional.

i'm a huge writer and reader and am looking at ways to pursue that in the professional world. i listen to a lot of music all the time (kpop, western singer-songwriters, and indie/alt pop are my go-tos!). i got into scrapbooking and bracelet-making last year so i have a lot of those materials lying around. i love connecting with people online and in person: sometimes not the best at responding but i think of so many people fondly anyway :)

hopefully that's enough info to be helpful. congrats on 200 followers and thanks for doing this! <3

a/n: thank you for sending in a request, anon! hopefully this will be up to your expectations! I also want to apologize for this taking me so long to release. I have no no creativity lately and have kind been forcing myself to post but hopefully the writers block goes away soon! anyways, please enjoy and feel free to request anything you'd like in the future :D

I match you with...taehyun!!

hehe I know the photos are not a matching set or anything but I love these pics of him :(

I feel like your personalities are both similar but different enough for you two to not get bored of one another.

I think one of his favorite things about you would be your creativity. He loves that you enjoy things like writing and reading and just overall, having creative hobbies and interest.

He finds it really sweet when you create anything for him (he would be hinting at you making a bracelet for him and when you finally do it, he feels like crying but holds back)

he loves hand made gifts because to him, they have more meaning than anything that could be bought because you put time and effort into it.

besides that, I also think he finds it so cute that you're as small as you are

he also thinks your glasses are quite cute, even if they are thick

I feel like he's really good are reading your emotions so since he knows your an obvert, he will immediately be able to tell if you're excited to be in a social setting or if you're forcing yourself

he, in my opinion, is the same way. He likes to be around other but not for extended periods of time.

I feel like he is someone that doesn't show his emotions often but when he does, chances are it's going to be with you around

you make him feel safe but he would never express that out loud

he's just so happy he has someone to tease and send silly selfies to

I think he would also be empowered by your ambition to pursue anything create and have your own occupation

he needs someone that can be depended but also not too dependent to where they detach and he finds that in you

he loves hearing about your hobbies and your most recent work

he makes sure you're taking care of yourself and shows you all of the reasons that he loves you

he can be quite the romantic so prepare for baths, fancy dinners (or take out at home with a movie), picnics, etc...

(I hope you enjoyed this, anon!)

[foxes-that-run]

Kiwi

Kiwi has similarities to Blank Space in that it considers if something hurtful in a tabloid was true. Harry said Kiwi was one of the first songs written for the album after a rest post-1d, he described it as releasing a lot of pent up creative energy in the Behind the Music (at 15:50). To Radio 1 Harry said it 'started as a joke but now is one of his favorite songs' (at 13:43). Mine too Harry.

Kiwi music video

The girl in the flower suit in a hallway is Harry. A blonde boy at 1:05 (on the Cactus line) represents Bleachella Taylor on April 29, 2016.

The other kids start flinging words then food and eventually the Harry/TS kids get drawn in. Harry himself shows up to release dogs, remind us of Dunkirk by crawling in the food fight.

Possibly my favourite is that it ends on a class photo that the Taylor child is not in, like every time they are together. it's genius.

When was it written

MMIH, Kiwi and Sweet Creature were the first songs written for the album, in LA between February and May 2016. MMIH and Kiwi are in this photo of the album taking shape from before Harry cut his hair for Dunkirk.

There is also a video of Harry singing it with long hair in Behind the Album

Lyrics

[Verse 1] She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes Hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect And all the boys, they were saying they were into it Such a pretty face on a pretty neck

Harry introduces his muse as a smart, pretty woman who smokes and drinks. He has a similar character in Daylight who does cocaine in the kitchen. Harry definitively said on Howard Stern he hates smoking, so while not literal shows Harry's muse is flawed.

[Pre-Chorus] She's driving me crazy, but I'm into it (Oh) But I'm into it (Oh), I'm kinda into it It's getting crazy, I think I'm losing it (Hey!) I think I'm losing it, oh, I think she said

Stockholm Syndrome, has similar messages of enjoying being driven crazy by a paramor.

[Chorus] "I'm having your baby" "It's none of your business"

The way Harry sings this chorus like a tabloid headline. The ‘it’s none of your business’ is directed to the media & listener. Taylor also spoke about serious impacts of these in Miss Americana and sold a parody TS tabloid version of Reputation. The parody tabloid connects that Ready for it? also refers to these, To be so lonely has the line 'I wasn't ready'.

[Verse 2] It's New York, baby, always jacked up (Hey) Holland Tunnel for a nose, it's always backed up When she's alone, she goes home to a cactus (Uh) In a black dress, she's such an actress

The start of Verse 2 links back to Harry's feelings of pent up frustration and creative energy from the year before.

Cactus is a play on words, cactus/prick/CH, however it’s also sung in a way to sound like Cat(us). In the 2015 Grammys red carpet interview Taylor says she’s "going home to the cats".

Taylor was alone, Harry was touring in Australia, the next time they were seen in the same place was the 2015 BBMAs Taylor was with a cactus.

Gorgeous also includes a line about stumbling on home to her cats alone. In May 2018, long after Kiwi was released, Toe confirmed their relationship with matching cactus photos.

[Verse 3] She sits beside me like a silhouette Hard candy drippin' on me till my feet are wet And now she's all over me, it's like I paid for it (Cha-ching!) It's like I paid for it, I'm gonna pay for this (Oh!)

In the final verse is in the aftermath, his connection with his muse is empty, like a silhouette, a reference to Two Ghosts. Ready for it? also refers to them as ghosts.

'Like I paid for it' / 'I'm gonna pay for this' are about a casual hook up with chemistry. This is a Pay for it is a theme in Harry and Taylors songs about each other (like he paid for it), but he still loves them so will emotionally pay for it. Harry uses similar language in other songs, in Grapejuice "I pay for it more than I did back then."

[artsoundzsblog]

Elevate Your Sound: Professional Mixing and Mastering Services by Lunam

In today’s hyper-competitive music industry, raw talent alone isn’t enough. The difference between a demo and a chart-topping hit often comes down to one critical detail—professional mixing and mastering. That’s where Lunam steps in.

Whether you're an independent artist recording in your bedroom or a band polishing your debut EP, Lunam’s professional mixing and mastering services can give your music the clarity, depth, and punch it needs to truly stand out. But what exactly goes into the process—and why should you trust Lunam with your sound?

Let’s break it all down.

What Is Mixing and Mastering?

Before we dive into Lunam’s services, it’s important to understand the difference between mixing and mastering. While they’re often bundled together, they serve distinct roles in the music production pipeline.

Mixing is the art of balancing individual tracks—vocals, drums, guitars, synths, etc.—into a cohesive whole. It involves EQ (equalization), compression, panning, reverb, and other techniques to ensure everything sits perfectly in the sonic space.

Mastering is the final polish. It enhances the mixed track’s overall loudness, clarity, and compatibility across all playback systems (streaming platforms, radios, headphones, clubs). This stage ensures your song sounds great everywhere.

Think of mixing as assembling a beautiful painting—and mastering as framing and lighting it to perfection.

Why Professional Mixing and Mastering Matter

Sure, DIY tools exist. But just like you wouldn’t trust a selfie stick for your wedding photos, you shouldn't cut corners with your music’s final sound.

Here’s what professional services like Lunam bring to the table:

1. Industry-Standard Quality

Top-tier gear, years of experience, and a trained ear can take your track from good to jaw-dropping. A well-mixed and mastered song commands attention on Spotify playlists, radio stations, and live gigs.

2. Objectivity

After hours (or weeks) of working on a track, you lose perspective. An expert like Lunam listens with fresh ears, bringing out the best in your mix without emotional bias.

3. Platform Optimization

Every streaming platform compresses audio differently. Lunam’s engineers know how to prepare your track for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and more—ensuring your sound remains consistent across all mediums.

4. Genre-Specific Expertise

Rock, hip-hop, EDM, indie—each genre has unique mixing/mastering styles. Lunam matches the sonic signature your style demands while maintaining your individuality as an artist.

Why Artists Trust Lunam

Now that we’ve covered the what and the why, let’s talk about why artists around the globe choose Lunam for mixing and mastering.

Tailored Sound, Not Templates

At Lunam, there’s no cookie-cutter approach. Each project is treated as a unique creative vision. Their team dives deep into your sound, working closely with you to preserve your artistic identity while enhancing your track’s sonic impact.

Meticulous Attention to Detail

Mixing isn’t just about volume and EQ—it’s about emotion, energy, and storytelling. Lunam’s engineers focus on the micro-details: the breath before a chorus, the swell of a reverb tail, the glue between drum and bass.

Cutting-Edge Tools and Software

Lunam uses industry-standard DAWs (like Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live) and premium plugins from Waves, FabFilter, UAD, and more. This means your tracks are polished using the same tools behind Grammy-winning records.

Fast Turnaround and Revisions

Tight on time? Lunam offers quick turnarounds without sacrificing quality. Plus, they believe in collaboration—so you’ll receive multiple revisions until it sounds exactly how you envisioned.

The Lunam Mixing & Mastering Process

Let’s walk you through the step-by-step process when you book a service with Lunam:

1. Project Consultation

You’ll kick things off with a short form or call to discuss your genre, reference tracks, goals, and overall vibe. Communication is key to tailoring the process to your needs.

2. File Submission

You’ll upload your stems (for mixing) or stereo file (for mastering) via a secure link. Guidelines are provided to make sure you export everything correctly.

3. Mixing Magic

Lunam’s engineers dive in—balancing levels, shaping tones, adding effects, and sculpting your sound into a well-defined, emotional mix that translates on every system.

4. Mastering the Vibe

Once the mix is locked, it’s time to master. Your track is boosted for clarity, loudness, width, and depth while remaining true to your artistic identity. No over-compression, no artificial hype—just pure sonic integrity.

5. Feedback & Revisions

Lunam provides your first version for feedback. Have notes? Want to tweak something? No problem. The team makes revisions quickly and efficiently.

6. Final Delivery

You receive the final track in multiple formats: WAV, MP3, and streaming-optimized versions. You’re ready to upload, release, and impress.

Who Should Use Lunam?

Lunam’s services are ideal for:

Independent Artists looking for professional-grade sound without major label prices.

Bands wanting their live energy captured in polished studio form.

Producers & Beatmakers needing final mastering on their compositions.

Podcasters, Filmmakers, and YouTubers who care about crisp, balanced audio.

Basically, anyone who values their sound quality and wants to make a powerful first impression.

Real Results, Real Impact

Professional mixing and mastering Services can make or break your track. It’s what makes your bass punch without overpowering your vocals. It’s the clarity that makes your lyrics understood, the sparkle that makes people hit repeat.

When fans hear a Lunam-mastered song, they hear the difference. It’s not louder for the sake of being loud. It’s emotionally resonant, technically flawless, and platform-ready.

How to Get Started with Lunam

Booking your first project is easy:

Visit Lunam’s official website.

Choose between Mixing, Mastering, or a Bundle Package.

Submit your files and vision.

Sit back, relax, and let the professionals take over.

The best part? Lunam offers competitive rates with premium quality—meaning you get the sound of a top studio without draining your budget.

Conclusion: Your Sound Deserves the Spotlight

In a world where new tracks are uploaded every second, quality is your competitive edge. Don’t let a rough mix or poor mastering bury your brilliance. With Lunam, you’re not just hiring audio engineers—you’re gaining creative partners who care about your success as much as you do.

Your voice. Your music. Your story—perfectly amplified.

Ready to take your sound to the next level? Trust Lunam. Let your music speak volumes.

[the-resting-grounds]

huzzah, we can ask questions now! first question is a bit basic, since i’m not familiar with all of your ocs, but! i would like to learn! so- what do your primary ocs look like? hair length, thickness/texture, and color, eyes, height (and does it change much as they get older?), preferred clothing style, other standout features, the like. what’s their favorite feature about themselves, and what’s their least favorite?

I have lots of OCs since I tend to make a new one for every fandom I get into, but I'll stick to the ones I've been consistently working with (which is about 3-4). This is kinda (very) long, so I'll put underneath a read more after my first one

1. Elise Wing (Beast Speaker, Monster Tamer, BNHA x Pokemon OC)

Appearance: Mid-back length straight brown hair and eyes. She's average height (around 5'2, though she'll gain a few inches as she grows). She has prominent scars on her right arm and a wide scar stretching across the front of her throat. She's usually dressed in brighter colors, leaning toward more cutesy/animal-themed stuff. In her hero outfit, she wears mostly black, with teal accents and a yellow belt alongside a blue visor. Likes: Fried rice, nature/spending time outside, helping others/Pokemons, her friends, brother, uncle, animals. Dislikes: Her parents, the media, entitled/close-minded people. Hobbies: She's very creative/crafty and makes her own stuffed animals! It's something she likes to make as gifts for friends. Least/Most favorite features: She's very self-conscious of her scars since they're a more recent development that comes with pain. I don't think she has a favorite feature, but if asked, she'd probably say smile. Extras: She's one of the strongest in her class, but is very humble/unassuming. Her quirk lets her transform into Pokemons and she spends a lot of time with them so sometimes she has the faintest smell of wet dog. She tries very hard not to let anybody notice, though Bakugou & Shoji (her best friends) do. BNHA has a rating feature so hers goes as follow: Power: A+ Speed: B Technique: A Wits: A Wrangling: A+

2. Kyogen Wind (Let Down Your Crystal Walls, JJBA OC)

Appearance: Brown hair always tied up into a low, loose ponytail. Heterochromia that arose with the arrival of her Stand: one brown eye and one crystalline peach-rose tinted one. Most of her outfits in-story are blouses and long-skirts, but she always has some soft of bow at her collar. Likes: Tea, mangoes, music, her Stand, the Stardust Crusaders. Dislikes: Silence, vehicles, her mother. Hobbies: She's musically inclined! A singer, songwriter, and a guitar player! If she had the chance, she probably would've picked up more instruments. She also likes to take the occasional photo :) Least/Most favorite features: With a very low self-esteem (probably the lowest), she's very conflicted with her features, especially her eyes since they've brought so much negative attention to her. Something she likes about herself, though not physical, is her musical talent. Extras: When Sharpnote gets hurt, it cracks and shatters and results in the same pattern of injury on her. However, those scars heal and turn silver/iridescent. Nobody knows why. She was going to be a teahouse owner and a music producer on the side when she grew up. And I had plans of featuring her and [spoiler] in Part 4 all grown up to help with everything. Who knows, maybe if I ever find the spark again I might do it... She has a very deep sense of martyrdom/self-sacrifice, perhaps stemming from how she grown up. Kyogen is one of my more complex characters! I want to explore more of this and hope to one day see in written in LDYCW.

3. Mayuri Chibana [Name pending] (Vicious Flowers Bloom in Blood, Unpublished, BNHA x KNY OC)

Appearance: Long, slightly wavy bright lavender hair and black eyes that turn red when using her quirk. Her hair is shaved on the underside for easier management (it's very thick and heavy) and tied up into a high ponytail when she's in action with two long strands framing her face. She is very pale, with lots of scars and on the shorter side, and sports a patterned birthmark running from the right side of her face down to her arm. Usually in stuff similar to traditional Japanese swordsman attire (navy hakama pants and a Demon-Slayer uniform top) with a pale haori with purple accents and wisteria patterns over it. Likes: Freedom, ochazuke, the sky, learning. Dislikes: Dark/enclosed spaces, technology, demons, doctors/medical stuff. Hobbies: Learning new things. Practicing her combat abilities. Least/most favorite features: Her hands are both her least and most favorite. She's not a person who cares much about her appearance, but she views her hands as tools/weapons because of what they could/were forced to do. Extras: Her design was the first design where I implemented a specific color into the design (purple) and went wild with the details. She wields 2 (maybe 3 depending on how you look at it) weapons: a katana, and then a pair of sickles than can be assembled into a double-ended polearm.

4. Silver [Name pending] (We Three Kings, BNHA x Gangsta OC)

Appearance: Shorter wavy brown hair with silver streaks and sharp, gold eyes. Her hair is usually up in a high bun with strands framing her face. Has round, wire-framed glasses and gold glasses chains. Dresses very sharply in a dress shirt/pants. Likes: Green grapes, Dislikes: Doctors, heroes (especially arrogant ones), law enforcement, touch from other people. Hobbies: Studying medical texts. Least/most favorite features: She dislikes her eyes for reasons I can not name :] Extras: She struggles a bit with reading & writing but she's very smart. A close-range fighter, and uses knuckle dusters when she fights. She doesn't have a lot of downtime. with her existence hinging on survival I haven't explored her character too much yet, so it's kinda bare-bones!

[feminineenergy2024]

My Journey Through Life

As the semester comes to an end I have experienced deeper emotions along side with Art and all it's beauty. I have been more aware of certain art comes in many forms of expressions, creative skill and imagination. To me art also comes from emotional power it’s a feeling you get when looking at a picture or hearing a song. This semester has taught me really how tough I really am from juggling work full time, school full time and being a new mom full time. None of this was easy but looking at my son made it worth wild Being a new mom means everything changes. From the time you find out you’re pregnant your whole mindset changes. I say embarrassing self love because you have to learn to love yourself all over again while trying to figure out how to be a mother, a wife, a student coming out of postpartum depression.

The assignment where we had to chose a painting that we can relate too. She is me that painting she looked sad but also she is strong enough to still have a positive mind to keep watering herself to become a better version of herself. With the flowers growing on her head it symbolizes that she is finding peace, joy and love again. She is putting herself through the ring to find that once more. As she tries to put herself together it’s not easy it’s draining but the journey is worth it. I say she is me because this art describes a lot about me when really looking at it on a deeper level. That art work was very important and personal to me and let me tell you why. This last year have been the most challenging for me. I say this last year because not only did I become a mother I became a new women. When we go through life being careless and free you have a different outlook on life which was me. I was always so happy, goofy, not really taking things too serious. I went through life so freely not having a care in the world to now being worried, scared, anxious and depressed. Depression was one of my biggest emotion and I didn’t understand why.

After doing many assignments for this class I've learned a great deal of art it made me look at the city I live in differently for insist What I think about the sculpture assignment it says a lot about our community and we as a community are strong and we stand together. For example when we to hit the Hurricane Ian it was a scary time. But at the same time I was so proud of our community and how we help each other restore the community to us our community is important and everyone around volunteered and worked together. Living in Florida I haven’t really got he chance to know it’s history and it’s beautiful art work.

My interests are still history, society and politics and what I mean by that is when we look at our world today it all goes back in time. That I feel as if we are paying for it today. Our history is very important to learn about because as more time goes on more is being exploited. As our society now we are glued to our phones which is a good thing because now everything that’s happening in the world is being recognized through social media and politics are being shown more than ever now. As a society we are very much involved in the political world fighting for rights and freedom.

Learning about having a domestic space is a space were the home is distant and private space now the photos I chose where photos of my mother’s home. I choose my mothers home because the home is a domestic space that I believe it does serve its purpose as a domestic space. These songs I chose have a special meaning and emotional connection. And all while living in that home is where i remember these songs. These songs played at some point in my life that make me reflect on the good times in my life. They bring out my personality, my interests and my mood. I feel like when listening to certain music it bring out a joyous moment. If you noticed the songs I chose have kind of the same rhythm most of it county with a kick and rock. This final song I chose is a song that brought my mother and I closer together we would sing this song together. I also grew up with Dolly always playing in my living room. As well as makes you want to put on your dancing shoes and start dancing.

Seeing how fast the first year went and how much we have both learned from each other. As fast as he has grown I feel like I've grown with him. Capturing them moments we will never get back. I can't believe how big he is and the fact that he is starting to walk It reminds me when I see him trying to find his balance that, that's what life is essentially trying to balance yourself through out life and that is what he will be experiencing trying to figure life out.

Thank you Professor for a great semester!

[kspp]

(3+1) Day Workweek

I have a dream that we all should work four days or less. It isn’t a distant dream; it is coming soon. Just a few changes in the industry, laws, working habits, culture, financial implications, maybe the government, and lastly, more automation so that they do my work and I can relax. Is that even possible??? and my speech at the Procrastinators Association, along with the quiet afternoon nap, evaporated just like that with the call of a colleague.

It’s time we focus on a (3+1) day workweek, where we can work three days in-person and the remaining flexible day to work from home (WFH) as needed. The overall thought of machines helping us automate tasks since the Industrial Revolution 1.0 was to reduce our burden and get more free time. While functions are being automated and the Industrial Revolution is evolving towards 4.0, we are working more than before. Is it because we like to work more? Or, is it because we’ve set such standards? Most public sector and private sector organizations in India officially work in the range of 40-50 hours, while the actual work goes beyond that. In some sectors, it is indistinguishable between work and non-work hours.

Automating and streamlining tasks is a daily task personally and professionally. Some of the gadgets which we use today (to call, text, listen to music, take photos, record videos, see time, and more) are being done by a single device itself. Rather than use it and get more time for our own self, we are self-absorbed by it, where we have devoted more time to it. The same goes for our work. During my short stint at a global finance organization, I streamlined a particular process to save 8+ hours each week for our team, which had a ripple effect on other teams on the same and higher level. Ironically, rather than having these 8+ hours being reflected as “free time”, it was instead consumed by taking another process to streamline.

Maybe it’s the work, and we like to work. Not really. My stay in the U.S. showed me strict boundaries between work and personal life, where no work gets discussed over the weekend. Professors don’t reply to emails, companies don’t answer calls, and work spill over to weekends is unusual, this has changed due to the work from home during the lockdown but is now gradually reverting to the same standards as before March 2020. Some could say I was stretching it but afternoon naps are the norm in some European countries. Although comprehensive research is not yet available, certain studies showed a nap time of fewer than 30 minutes enhanced productivity.

While some may argue that this is possible only in some sectors, we need to make a beginning.

So does fewer workdays also means less pay the answer for that could be ‘laissez faire’ where the market decides it. Also, lesser work time allows people to focus and complete tasks with dedication. As Irma Kurtz said, “givers have to set limits because takers rarely do” If provided, some works can take 3 days or even 30 days to complete. Working for fewer days keeps us in constant time-check to complete tasks on time. Also, not to waste time on meetings which consume the collective and individual time of everyone. 5 minutes wasted in a meeting of 12 people is 1 hour wasted for all.

What do people do with more time? To spend time for themselves, their family, community, passions, hobbies, etc. A luxury that only a few are having right now. Maybe it expands industries like tourism or creates new industries on ways to indulge in a 3-day break. Capitalism is creative and self-motivated to expand in this arena. This would be on the top of the agenda for my next meeting with the Procrastinators Association (if anyone even turns up).

P.S. – Inspired to write by reading the article “People are working longer hours during the pandemic” from The Economist

[margridarnauds]

Alright, so in the name of Research, I went back to my pamphlets from the 2016 and 2018 productions...as one does, and my conclusion:

Both pamphlets are nearly twice the size of the 2025 pamphlet, with the 2016 being slightly thicker than the 2018.

Overall, the stylization was better in both previous pamphlets. There was a cohesive design for both.

The portraits from the 2016 were more dynamic, giving a real sense of motion that highlighted the personalities of the characters while also showing off tiny little details in costume design that often get lost, even in a proshot.

Both previous pamphlets included pictures of the actual production, including in the sections dedicated to listing the scenes and the lyrics, which highlighted some of the stage design. The 2025 does not include this, having darkened backgrounds. There is not a single photo of the actual production in the pamphlet itself.

Both previous pamphlets include little details in the layout of the pages, which are totally absent from the 2025, which generally focuses on a very vibrant, almost rustic style.

They went with a tricolor theme for 2025, which I don't inherently hate, but it's kind of lazily done, with what looks like stock images of red and blue paint copied and pasted in the same position across every single one of the cast portraits.

The previous two productions had the same painting of the Bastille across the cover, with differing levels of detail. This is absent from 2025, which just went with a vibrant tricolor design in brushstrokes.

The 1789 logo in the front is static, but the previous two included a shadow effect, which is absent in 2025. I don't know if this is because they thought it would clash or if they literally didn't want to bother with the two seconds it would take to implement it, but it's basically a microcosm of my overall problem with the pamphlet.

I feel like the previous two productions BOTH included more behind the scenes content, including information on the costuming, set design, and promotion of the musical, along with interviews with castmembers besides the actors for Ronan and Olympe.

Overall, would I say I regret buying this? No, it's still a pamphlet of my favorite musical. If I was coming out of a theatre and paid the equivalent of $25 USD for it in the hopes of remembering a production that I enjoyed, would I be disappointed? Yes, absolutely. Toho has always tried to bill itself as a cut above other musical production companies, you expect better than a shoddily cobbled together pamphlet that doesn't even bother to include production photos. I was disappointed when the pamphlet I bought at the touring production of Moulin Rouge was for the OG Broadway cast and not the touring cast, but at LEAST I can say, looking at it, that it was an accurate representation of the show.

Part of why I am a bit of a maniac when it comes to collecting pamphlets is that, for some musicals, they are literally all we have of them. They can capture aspects of a given production that even bootlegs can't, giving the chance for them to be remembered long after any hopes for a revival are buried. I consider it a matter of archival work just as much as I consider it to be a matter of personal enjoyment. For touring casts, I always buy a pamphlet, because often, these are the best sources FOR high quality photos of touring casts. More to the point, though, a pamphlet, when it's done well, is a work of art in itself, beautifully capturing the creativity and the passion that goes into making a musical from every single level of the process and enhancing my appreciation for it.

So...I'm happy I have the other two pamphlets for 1789, but what I was looking for from this one was to find out what THIS cast was like, what THIS production was like, the things I CAN'T get from the other two pamphlets (especially since this is an ALL NEW CAST and we didn't get a proshot or an album...for now)...and all I got instead was that Toho saw it as a cheap cash grab. I do feel vaguely insulted, as a longstanding fan of the show, that they thought that they could sell this, at THIS pricepoint (I'm not even factoring in international shipping, because I know this is for a domestic audience, so fine, that's my international fan tax), and that we should just...what? Take it? I'm not going to pretend to read the actors' minds, but if I saw that this was the way my run in the show was being remembered, I would be really disappointed. I'm happy to have some tangible connection to my favorite show, but yeah. I would have liked. A more tangible connection to it. And it's a shame because I KNOW that there were some stellar performances here, I liked the promo videos we got, but I do feel like Toho itself shot their own production in the foot. I don't believe, looking at the overall quality -- from the merchandise as a whole to the pamphlet to the marketing, that this was really something that they wanted to invest a lot of their resources in. Which, again, is sad to me. If it seems like I'm being harsh, it's because I know that Toho can do better, because I've personally seen them do better. The truth is there in living color on my dedicated musical pamphlet shelf. And the thing is...I was critical of the 2023 production of the musical. I was aware of it at the time. I've BEEN critical of the Toho production as a whole (...generally lovingly.) But I STILL saw more general respect for fans in the 2023 merchandise than I saw here. (I can't speak for the pamphlet, but I am getting the Quatre Reves for both Zuka productions soon, but I'm anticipating more respect for the fans there as well.)

I'm speaking harshly because I've spent a lot of time and effort to promote Toho productions as a whole to a western audience, even though I can't attend them in person and my mental health has meant I've had to take a step back, because I feel very passionate about promoting non-Broadway alternatives. This? Isn't it. And it isn't just about the pamphlets, but the fact that they couldn't be bothered to put in more effort speaks to a general trend I've noticed the last few years, and that is PAINFUL for me to admit as a Toho fan. I do not WANT to buy merchandise, ship it internationally, only to go "...this was it? Can I look at the one from close to a decade ago again?" I don't! But that means that when I am disappointed, I'm going to be really blunt about it, especially when I know Toho can and has done better. My love for the musical as a whole doesn't mean that I think Toho should just casually be able to slack off, not when this is being marketed and billed as a premium momento, and especially when I know that to the like, six people on here who are actually interested in this, I generally think that I'm at least semi-trusted to be honest. Being honest, if you want to see Toho 1789 exhibited in high quality, without or in addition to buying the proshot: Get the 2016 pamphlet. You can get it + the 2018 at LESS than this costs independently. Just...get the other pamphlets.

It's lowkey unfair to my Toho 1789 pamphlet that it came in at the same time as my Hadestown Korea and MA pamphlets because...coughing baby VS hydrogen bomb as far as content disparity. (And then you have the 2011 Dracula pamphlet, which *is hardcover*)

[eponymous-v]

honestly i wanted to stay out of the ai art discourse because i don’t feel like dealing with the inevitable influx of brain dead takes defending it, but at the same time, just. holy shit dude.

even before we get into the ‘what is art really though’ discussions, as much as people claim it’s ‘just a tool’, the truth of the reality is that these tools are being abused. ai art IS taking artists jobs. dmca scams are a thing - and now they’re more insidious since people began using ai generated images to make a claim seem more legitimate. ai generator companies charge fees to use their products, making millions in the process, and never pay a single penny to the people whose work they needed to have a functional generator in the first place. online art platforms and art program companies already seen as grifters are trying to cash in and sell their customers’ work without consent. people are already scraping publicly available music and writing to come up with other creative ai. there are completely ai generated influencers. people are working to create ai generated porn, not only creating more avenues for csem, but also adding another difficult hurdle for public figures whose images are being used without their consent to create porn of them, and individuals trying to take down revenge porn that targeted them. hell, ai are scraping confidential medical records and using the photos to train itself without removing the patient identifying information. if reading that stuff still hasn’t changed your mind on why ai art is the latest techbro scam, yeah, fine, i guess the next part is directed to you personally.

the biggest, and most complicated, defense i’ve seen is ‘ai art isn’t any different from artists using reference!’ obviously, artists of all kinds use reference. this is an over simplification, but in the visual artist’s case references are for two things: accuracy, and deliberate inaccuracy. put another way, it’s learning the rules so you can break them.

using a reference is not cheating, or a short-cut: it is used to teach. while you can sit down and draw a horse off the cuff, reference will help immensely if you wanted to portray what a horse looks like accurately, regardless of your stylization. on the other hand, if you want to base a monstrous creature (or part of it) on a horse, you will make a much more convincing monster if you have a reference of the real thing in front of you (the uncanny valley is a thing and it’s a both a blessing and a curse.)

some artists defend will ai art with this, using the generators as the tool they were originally design to be, saying that the ai is more akin to a ‘pre-production assistant’ than a replacement. however, the difference between an artist using an ai to concept vs an ai artist is that ai artists don’t seem to understand is that the work does not stop after the generator spits out an image. and it cannot replicate what comes next: organic creation.

what you see on a page is not the result of just mashing references together like legos until you get something nice. it’s having a concept and then trying to execute it with intentional consideration. only, it never goes like that. art is not linear. it’s extraordinarily intimate, tedious, and frustrating. it is countless hours of trying and trying and trying again until you finally have something that is ‘good enough.’ it is coming up against a roadblock and trying everything you can to get around it - something that’s extra frustrating when its a roadblock you’ve dealt with (or thought you dealt with) before. because of this, rarely does a piece of visual art stay exactly the same as it was originally conceived. the entire process is, as bob ross would say, a series of ‘happy little accidents’, some of which influence entire art movements. thinking about it another way, art is just failure after failure until something good comes out of your creation.

so where am i going with this? apart from the money angle, i argue the real, bone-deep reason why visual artists are pissed is that ai artists ignore the entire point of learning a skill - and the pitfalls that come along with it. what you see in the final product is literally thousands of hours of failure. failing upwards for sure, but failure is failure and it is fucking humiliating, even if what you make never sees the light of day. this is the biggest hurdle people have when first starting out - faced with such bleak prospects, art is intimidating as hell, sometimes making it seem out of reach. and the art community is angry because ai artists have pulled out the bowling lane bumpers so they won’t have to experience what that kind of failure is like. sure code can be altered and eventually perfected, but the ai artist themself learns nothing about the creation of visual art, just their ai. to an ai artist, once the image is generated, nothing else needs to be done, there’s no reason to improve. which is a shame, really, because failure is where creativity truly lives.

(before you ask, yes i do think coding is an art form. the sciences and the arts are more intertwined than people like to think. but programmers aren’t safe from this either: microsoft is facing a lawsuit because they scraped github and made an ai using the code it read without crediting the original programmers.)

y’all, i don’t know where to go from here. ai generators had the potential to be an amazing tool. but they’re being utilized at large by people who don’t want to put in the work - they’re just in it to make a quick buck off of other people’s backs before moving on to the next overhyped thing they can market.

so i guess this entire rant was just to say, my man, art was never inaccessible to you. you were just afraid of failure.

[sonderastrology]

🌙🌈✨Astrology Notes✨☄️🌟

*Based on things I’ve noticed about different placements as a Leo sun/Virgo moon/Capricorn rising... these notes may not resonate for everyone but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles baby* MADE BY SONDERASTROLOGY

🧿I see the people I’m close with more as their moon sign with a dash of their sun, almost as if the placements were reversed. This is because the moon sign is sort of hidden at first whereas the sun sign is the core energy. When you befriend or love someone, the moon sign (emotions, mental processes) is slowly uncovered and in my opinion, takes over the general energy of the sun. Of course, all signs, houses, and aspects are important... this is just the way I look at it idk.

🧿Everyone needs a best friend with the same rising sign as your moon sign... they just *get* you.

🧿Also having friends with the same mars sign as you is so important! They can hype you up like no other and vice versa.. your vibes just click.

🧿I’ve noticed that people with opposite sun signs but rising signs in the same element take AMAZING pictures together. For example; A Pisces sun w a Leo rising and a Virgo sun w a Sagittarius rising would make eachother look bomb in photos.

🧿Pisces, cancer, Virgo, and libra placements are proned to being stalked and hit on by weird men... I’ve seen it too many times, protect yourselves!!!

🧿People always tell me that they were intimidated by me at first or even “scared”, and that I give off a bitchy vibe. My placements that indicate this?Capricorn rising (Uranus, Neptune, Lilith in 1st house), Leo venus and Virgo moon in my 8th house, Scorpio MC, Scorpio and Pluto in my 11th house. Other placements that can have this effect: Aries, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Earth signs in personal planets/MC/Rising signs. Personal planets aspecting mars, Pluto, saturn, sometimes Neptune, and Lilith. Mars/Aries, Saturn/Capricorn Pluto/Scorpio in the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 10th, 11th house. 8th house placements and Chart Ruler in the 8th, 10th, and maybe 12th house. There’s definitely a whole lot more placements not just these.

🧿Aquarius/Air dominant people (esp mixed with fire) along with an array of other placements I’m sure, have a VERY hard time with forced structure and routine... it brings out their rebellious nature.My best friend from high school is an Aquarius Sun Gemini Moon (with an Aries mars), and she DESPISED going to school for 7 hours a day, she just couldn’t do it. She would skip school all the time and eventually enrolled in night school. Same went for my other friend who was a Sag sun Gemini moon, both of them would act TF out in class. They’d fight with teachers, the principle, other students... and I really believe it was due to the forced schedules and the power dynamic between teachers and students in high school. The Aquarius sun person is my best friend today, and she’s one of the smartest people I know. Just because you weren’t “good” at school does NOT mean you aren’t smart. Fuck the system is an air sign BRAND.

🧿I’ve noticed A LOT of Gemini sun, moon, and rising people have light shades of hair... mostly blonde or dirty blonde.

🧿I’ve met 4 people born on the 28th of the month and all of them are incredibly beautiful... no matter what sign. Same goes for July Leo’s although I’ve noticed that they’re more arrogant and self centered than August Leo’s who are more generous and outgoing

🧿Your Jupiter sign can help you work with law of attraction and manifestation more effectively. If you have Jupiter in an air sign, try manifesting things by; writing it down, saying it out loud, visualization, and meditation. If you have Jupiter in a fire sign; manifest under the sun, write out a plan even if it’s unrealistic. If you want money, hold even a penny or a dollar and act as if it’s the amount you want. Act as if everything you want is already yours. If you have Jupiter in an earth sign; manifest while doing yoga or on a walk. Manifest outside or read/listen to positive affirmations. Jupiter in a water sign; manifest using crystals and rocks with guidance from tarot. Manifest through the arts and hobbies; draw what you want or make a song. Something where you can use your creativity. *All of these methods for manifestation are effective for all of the signs I just think that certain ways can help certain signs more*

🧿Based off of people I’ve met, air risings aren’t as friendly and bubbly as you’d think they’d be when you first meet them. Even their vibe seems nervous and closed off at first; standing with arms crossed, shoulders inward, I dont know just sort of shy. Once they open up a bit more then their weird side comes out and they become more goofy and carefree. I think air signs of all placements struggle deeply with anxiety even though they are often portrayed as outgoing and quirky, which they are but a thin viel covers it. No matter what, air placements keep an open mind and I’ve always felt like I could be myself around them.

🧿Libra placements are known for disliking confrontational disputes but I’ve noticed that these are the same people to whisper nasty things under their breathe when you start to walk away from an argument... they have you whip back around like “do you have something to say?!”

🧿I’ve seen this before and imo it’s true! Signs in the 8th house rule addictions... I saw someone post that having a water sign in the 8th house could indicate addictions to liquid, more specifically; caffeine and alcohol. Being addicted to something is in other words creating a bond with it- water signs are naturally bonded with liquid so it makes sense that their prone to being addicted to them. Water signs occupying the 8th house might always drink water or have water with them. Since the 8th house also rules finances to an extent, most of their money might go to coffee, drinks, beach vacations etc. For fire signs over the 8th house, they could be addicted and/or spend a lot of money on smoking, spicy foods, or anything that gives them a rush; rollercoasters, haunted houses, skydiving or even drugs like esctacy/cocaine... anything that gives them that thrill or lights a match in their stomach. Earth signs in the 8th house may be addicted to physical things; money, work, food, looks,... things that give them value or that call on their senses and ego. They could hoard/collect items such as coins, cars, beauty products, etc., or generational items passed down... due to bonding with things that they can bulid/see/show off overtime. They are very attached to the physical because as an earth sign it feeds their ego and value, like a tree growing in soil. Money could mostly go to eating, gambling, plastic surgery, materialistic stuff. They could be addicted to buying things and selling them for a higher price. Air signs occupying the 8th house could point to spending a lot of money on or being addicted to technology or all things ‘relevant’. These individuals might be addicted to their phones/social media and the attention they get from it. These people are always posting stories throughout the day or online shopping or even just browsing different apps. They’re addicted to getting information via books, the internet, and through talking to other people... oftentimes these individuals are very good at making money through the internet (depending on other placements ofc). They may spend a lot of money on books, new gadgets, music, tattoos and puzzles. These people are addicted to all things new! They have a thirst for knowledge and experiences and will seek it out effectively. 🧿When I look at a person’s birth chart, whatever gender, I especially pay close attention to their Mars sign and house. To me, Mars represents the overall energy and vibe a person gives off and the house placement is where it’s most naturally acted out. For example ; Aries Mars in the 6th house. Aries Mars person would give off a hyper, motivated, impulsive energy. Physically this could manifest as shaking their leg while sitting, quick movements,standing/walking instead of sitting down, gives off a more to the point and carefree attitude (keep in mind all of this is affected by many other aspects and placements in a chart). Being in the 6th house, ruling day to day routine, health, how we act at work, etc., this means that the Aries Mars characteristics are more prominent during work and day to day rituals (quicker to learn, effectively performing daily tasks, gets shit done, or they could get into arguments at work easily, constantly rush around, might be stubborn about seeing a doctor/health professional, might be more prone to getting headaches at work or in general) again, depending on the rest of the chart