#some of these are just allusions to the pieces bc with comics in particular it's hard to get 'em to fit this sorta thing!

[starflungwaddledee]

wanted to do a "year" in review, though actually i only joined tumblr in october! so instead i just did twelve pieces i'm proud of, in roughly chronological order!

can't believe it's been three months? feels both longer and shorter at the same time! thank you so much for having me, i'm looking forward to creating more art and interacting more with this wonderful community in the new year!

ps. for fun: if you remember what art piece you found me through, or your favourite of mine, i'd love to know in the comments!!

[serpentinegraphite]

A thing that I think is not discussed often enough: the audience is not going to be 100% your Ideal Audience when writing. That should be fucking obvious, and it's true you can't, as a writer, cater to literally every demographic, but listen. Your audience is never going to be your Ideal Audience. They aren't going to come equipped with every assumption and piece of knowledge about social justice, gender, and sexuality that you possess. Academia knows this, and so even for a peer-reviewed journal article that discusses only what is exactly in the title, there's often an entire paragraph or two dedicated to discussing the terminology within the paper, JUST SO IT'S CLEAR that ONLY this particular definition of this particular word is being discussed. And that's certainly too clunky to fit in like, a solid ya novel or a tv show, but it's still worth mentioning that SOME explicit terminology is worth using. Your audience does not recognize every word! Cisgender is not common fucking usage! Why? Because trans isn't! Alloromantic sounds like compete nonsense to your average Joe in the bible belt. Why? Because aromantic is complete nonsense to that person. Gay is barely understood in the Deep South. You gotta fucking clarify. I'm not saying you have to "dear ignorant reader" spell out every fucking event that occurs, but I am trying to say that when a novelist or tv show writer or comic creator says "oh, the audience should be able to pick up the character's definite sexuality from these four 3 second implications in the background," that's not enough. Yes, your well-educated queer audience will pick up on the difference between someone who is gay and someone who is nb. And your very queerphobic outcriers might ban these books. But that still doesn't really help the middle audience. That doesn't really cover your lowest common denominator of people who don't really care to look for those things. Spell that shit out! You'd be amazed at how many people don't even know that multiple genders or bisexuality or intersex people are even a kind of person that exists! Brief allusions to a character's sexuality or very subtle jokes and allegories about the subject aren't enough to stop people who are like "Well, the author doesn't SAY, so I can read the character however I want!" Or the kind of people who insist "I don't see the word bisexual around here anywhere, so I guess this guy just never really loved his first love interest because she's a woman and only REALLY loves this guy he ended up with!" If you're too chickenshit to use a word, then you're not "avoiding having a scene that panders" or "trying to write something ~*natural*~" you're just being a shitty writer. It's not fucking hard. Even for a character who ~*doesn't like labels*~ you should clarify what the fuck that means. "Idk I liked men and now I like women" tells the audience FUCK ALL. Telling the audience "I'm not really sure about 'bisexual' bc I like trans and nb folk also, but I don't really like 'pansexual' because people make jokes about fucking animals if I use that one" is a VERY DIFFERENT characterization from someone who says "I mean I guess it's one of those? I haven't really worked out which one I prefer" or someone who says, "no, I think I just liked opposite gender because it was expected of me, I think I might be gay," or someone who says "you know I used to think I was bi/pan, but now I think that might have been compulsory heterosexuality" or someone who says, "no, goddamn it, I'm bi, it's the word I've been using for ten years, it can mean as many fucking genders as I want it to, it was invented by a str8 who was classifying it as a mental illness and it's commonly understood, simple terminology." ALL OF THESE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON. Does your character do their research? Did they grow up in a rural area?? Do they really care? Is there even a word for this sexuality in your setting?? real obvious shit that you should definitely know: if you're writing a "world without homophobia" then no one should be fucking ashamed to use these words! None of them should be used as insults! Why the fuck do people keep saying "hurr durr no labels bc homophobia is over" and then writing worlds where the queer mcs refuse to use any words to explain what they are? Don't do this! It makes you look like a bad writer and it makes your editor/writing team look bad, also. These questions don't just make you a better writer, they help your middle audience of str8 people who legit don't know shit, but are prepared to argue all characters they like best are also str8 or str8 with an exception, and your audience of people who don't know or have been trying really hard not to think about their sexuality, or don't even know what fucking words to Google safely. This is so fucking important in ya and middle grade books especially, because you KNOW some of those young people are not getting a comprehensive education about all their options at home. This is also so fucking important to do in grown up books and accessible media like tv, because queer people exist and they want to be fucking acknowledged Jesus fucking Christ just use the fucking words. No one can find out if they're trans or ace or nb if they don't know that's a fucking option. This right here is why a lot of people just assume they're broken or disgusting or fucked up! They think they're alone. Stop isolating the queer community. Start using the fucking words.

[frederickwiddowson]

1Corinthians 1:30-31 comments: to glory in the Lord who created you

1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Christ is the centerpiece, the point around which all creation, redemption, resurrection, and eternal life revolves. He was God in the flesh as the Son of God, living and dying as our example, creating all things, sustaining all things as in keeping them going, and He is the end of all things. Here are some interesting verses given in no particular order.

 John 1:1 ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 1John 1:1 ¶  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

 Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 1John 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

 Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

 Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

 Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 There are a number of verses that speak of the importance of glorying in the Lord. For instance;

 Isaiah 45:25  In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

 Some commentators will say that the reason that there is no exact Old Testament quote for Paul’s text in this verse is that he tends to quote freely and changes things to suit the situation. For instance, in quoting Habakkuk he twice deletes the word his.

 Habakkuk 2:4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

 Galatians 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 Hebrews 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

 That is just one example of the Holy Spirit using the wisdom given to Paul giving the reader what they needed rather than a direct quote. An Old Testament verse can be alluded to or quoted directly. Some commentators claim that verse 31 is a loose quote, an allusion, from Jeremiah.

 Jeremiah 9:23 ¶  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

 Well, whatever the case, remember that there are quotes of texts that are not in the Bible. For instance, David said;

 1Samuel 24:13  As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

 In a similar fashion Paul and even the Lord Himself quoted things that were commonly understood sayings of the time that were not quotes from a Bible text.

 Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus, quoting a cultural proverb not found in the Bible but understood in an agricultural society about cattle kicking against an ox goad, a pointed stick with a piece of metal on the end;

Acts 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Paul used a commonly understood saying that may have come down from the comic poet of the 3rd -4th century BC named Menander.

 1Corinthians 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

 He quoted Epimenides, a Greek poet and philosopher, in both Acts and Titus.

 Acts 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 Titus 1:12  One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

 So, don’t be too alarmed when you find a quote that doesn’t appear to be an allusion to a Biblical text. It can be an allusion, summing up a thought, or it can be a quote from something commonly known in the culture but not from the Bible itself. God is not bound by your prejudices.

 An important thing here is about glorying in the Lord. We are so used to having our hands raised in victory after a sporting event as we receive our trophy or ribbon, having our efforts lauded at a retirement dinner, or receiving awards for some famous deed in our business or community, and giving ourselves the credit for our success and good fortune that we typically do not give glory to God.

 Knowing where a thing comes from is not easy in a world that has reduced God to a first cause only and then booted Him out the door completely. But we see His handiwork all around us as grass turns greener in the spring, the sun rises in the morning, and a hard rain falls. We see God’s work in the moment by moment beating of a heart, a baby’s laugh, and the healing touch of a physician but we have been brainwashed with the deceit of Modernism which relegates all these things and the complexity they require to be true to some sort of randomness and luck, totally devoid of meaning or purpose.

 Christians need to relearn in a modern world to glory in the Lord. We did not save ourselves and our very being is a continuous miracle from God.

 Now, let’s review the entire passage.

 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.