magpiefngrl · 4 months ago
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mid-year book tag
Thanks for tagging me, @bloody-wonder! It's become a fun tradition to do this every year and I've been eagerly anticipating it :)
This hasn't been as prolific a year for me as the last several years have been. I've read 34 books by end of June, so about 10-20 less than I used to, and a lot of these have been rereads. The past couple of months have been super busy and I read a lot of fic, but struggled to finish novels. Fingers crossed for a better reading summer.
1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024?  I haven't read a book that blew me away so far. I've mentioned some of my faves here. I did enjoy most of my reads this year, but there isn't one book that stands out. (a fic, does, though. More on that later)
2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2024? Dark Heir by Pacat. I was very invested, went back to read it again a week later, and it's made me very excited about the last novel.
3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo is definitely on my list (this will wait for 2025). There's also a new fantasy novel called Foul Days by a Bulgarian author that I'm curious about. Finally, Rebecca Roanhorse's Mirrored Heavens comes out soon but I still haven't read the second one in the series, so it'll also have to wait.
4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2024? Like you, KJ Charles's The Duke at Hazard is the one I'm most eagerly waiting.
5. Biggest Disappointment? I've been reading The Master and Margarita for two months now, forcibly stopping myself from DNFing it these days, because I don't actually hate it, it's just I can't bring myself to read it. But I also want to have read it, to be done with it. Idk why I'm struggling so much. Perhaps I'm not in the mood for it and would appreciate it at a later date. Based on the title and the positive reviews, I expected something more fascinating.
6. Biggest Surprise? The above, I guess.
7. Favourite New Author? Somehow, the only new authors I've read this year are Aliette de Bodard and Lois McMaster Bujold, and Bujold is the better one of the two. (The rest of the authors were people I've read before and I knew what their writing was like.)
8. Newest Favourite Character? Miles Vorkosigan, for his cleverness and his ability to always get in trouble and then to get creatively out of it.
9. Newest Fictional Crush? Not quite a crush, but my latest obsession is Bucky Barnes, entirely because of the fic I mentioned above (Out of the Dead Land, orphaned) which gave me the worst fic hangover. It's a stucky fic, a ship that never interested me, and it gave me feral feels about Bucky; it made me go back and rewatch a few Marvel films (and I had to torrent them since I'd ended my disney subscription; in other words, I had to go to some trouble); and it was a fic I kept thinking for days after I finished it. I'm actively stopping myself from rewatching Winter Soldier again today. And yes, not a book character, but the obsession is based on a fic and he's fictional so I say he counts :)
💕Best Ship💕 I loved Asmodeus and Thuan in de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series. Asmodeus is a Fallen Angel who likes stabbing and torture, Thuan is a dragon prince who tries to temper down his stabby husband. Will and James from Dark Rise are also a ship I enjoyed, though I'm more interested in their past selves.
10. Book That Made You Cry? There hasn't been one this year so far. And I cry easily, and I consider books that make me cry Superior. This tells you how mid the year has been.
12. Favourite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? I really liked Dune II but haven't read the book yet so don't know if it was a good adaptation. It was definitely a great film.
13. Favourite Review You’ve Written This Year? Have written a couple of longer reviews on GR but nothing that stands out as more creative or unique. I've been thinking about posting reviews on my website and I'd like to figure out a unique or unusual or at least a me way to do them.
14. Most Beautiful Cover? I read almost exclusively on my Kobo and pay scant attention to covers.
15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? Many!
The Master and Margarita! hahah sobs :((
Finish a Lymond reread
reread tgcf now that I got all the novels
Harrow the Ninth
Some more Vorkosigan novels
Vita Nostra, which I've just begun
a couple of novels I bought YEARS ago and still haven't finished
and if I can read at least one of my 60-odd unread physical books I'll consider it a triumph
Tagging anyone who wants to do this! Perhaps @skeptiquex @hoko-onchi-writes @wolfpants @lettersbyelise and @gracerene might want to get the ball rolling?
2022 mid year post
2023 mid year post
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butch-reidentified · 4 months ago
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*NOTE* This reply is admittedly more just my thoughts and meant to share said thoughts with my own community on here rather than being intended as a direct response specifically to anon. I just think a lot of this can be applicable in a lot of situations, and so it's maybe worth saying. A lot of it comes down to a certain mentality that seeks drama constantly, especially on social media, which I frankly believe to be the most typical explanation for the reaction to my post yesterday; I suspect that the people who have been sending those anons are likely reading through the lens of a social schema wherein that sort of constant, petty drama is normalized. I'll elaborate a bit on this below.
I feel very strongly that I didn't make "wild accusations" when I referenced previous (documented) incidents. And as I alluded to in the post, I didn't make it to call her out/incite negativity against her; I made it with the intention of interacting with my followers/mutuals about my frustration at dealing with yet another instance in a pattern of behavior - especially when I had JUST logged on for practically the first time all week and that screenshot was the first thing I saw despite having no knowledge of any drama (idek what happened still lmao). I made it to get shit off my chest & engage with my tumblr pals about my experience with it, bc it was a whole shock, esp given I didn't even know there was any drama.
It seems like yall are not able to read and understand the purpose of the post. It wasn't for you, it wasn't intended to have some kind of #[url]isOverParty vibe, and wasn't even primarily about the specific things she's said and/or spread but rather a discussion of the type of behavior in general. I don't have any need to demonize her or convince ppl to "side" w me bc I don't have a side in this besides the I've Been Busy Touching Grass WTF Leave Me Alone side. Which, again, is why I don't care if yall believe me or don't, if yall search my blog or not, if yall are her best friend on earth or not.
Plus, I have a thing about not being super psyched to go to extra unnecessary effort to do a task for people who are actively doing me wrong or just engaging in behavior I find morally reprehensible regardless of context - and I especially don't feel particularly obligated to anyone who's been obnoxious/harassed me, especially on anon which I am extremely vocal about never ever using (except for like, deeply personal advice request type shit and the like) bc I think it's inherently devoid of integrity to rely on anonymity to engage in any negative social interaction. I have zero desire to put even the smallest amount of time and effort into doing a task I don't enjoy (as opposed to writing these, which I do enjoy in a sort of diary type of way) that the previously described sort of person is demanding of me but could do themselves, particularly when I did not at any point have any intention or desire to interact with said person or associates.
One of the earlier anons was rly focused on the fact that H "only" posted a side eyes emoji (this one: 👀) (anon wrote it "EYES" in all caps) in response to an anon containing fucked up lies ab me, and said I was "acting like H had been the one to make it all up." While she very much has done so in the past, you'll find that I have been using the term "spreading" rumors/lies, which does not mean inventing them yourself. She is doing that. If I got that anon ab any woman on here, never in a trillion years would I react that way. I find it gross to be seemingly jumping at any chance to start drama with someone, honesty and integrity (and often feminism, lbr) be damned. I'm far from the only one who feels this way about her behavior.
*Final Notes*
[1] I have never had sex with a man and have made this clear more than once before & never said otherwise. So the only reasons I can think of rn that any gyn on radblr could possibly have to accuse me of being into men (assuming it's not purely to instigate drama or try to upset me or something) would either be bc of a belief that real lesbians all agree with 100% of her takes OR bc of my trafficking history/porn of me existing online. I included this one for a couple reasons, one of which is that I've straight up seen it done here on radblr, I've seen a self-proclaimed radfem tell a lesbian trafficking survivor that she was "ruined" & other horrific shit; it was quite some time ago, but certainly stuck with me.
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nyctophobia-au · 1 year ago
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Where I've Been
Okay, so, 'sup babygrills. This is going to be a bit of a lengthy post, but I feel like I should update followers on here as to where I've been because I haven't been active for, like, months.
If you don't care to read all of the stuff under the cut, that's fine. Here's my TL;DR: I've been having issues with mental illness, trauma, motivation, gender dysphoria (?), and have been busy with college and YouTube/social media stuff. However, luckily my HK special interest has returned and I plan on posting more often hopefully. (Mild cw for mental health mentions ig.)
Okay, so, to begin, I've been gone a lot due to responsibilities outside of making Nyctophobia content. So, up until recently, I've been working on graduating from college. I've been finishing up my final class this Summer, but last quarter in the Spring was really difficult for me time-wise and mental health-wise. I've had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety throughout my life, and being at college was torturous and sapped all of my energy. It did not help that, last quarter, I had to be there at the college for six hours of my day five days a week. It was not easy to make art for myself and my channel, much less for this blog.
Outside of college, and I've mentioned this before in passing, but I also make YouTube videos and, at the moment, YT is my income (alongside comms as well). I've been pretty focused on keeping my my schedule at least a little bit consistent, and that alone has been draining and tiring. It also affects the kind of art that I can create, as I have to draw certain things for certain videos. I've been really weary when it comes to making content as of late, and I really need to take a small break so that I can work on stuff I actually want to work on rather than being stuck drawing certain things for the sake of videos I'm not inspired to make.
Pivoting more into specifics about my mental health, I have been needing to see a therapist for a long while, but I haven't had the motivation or the funds to pursue that option up until recently. Hopefully, I will be attending therapy soon. Last year in, uhm, September I had a particularly bad mental health episode and I've come to realise that some events that happened during that time have left me with trauma that I'm still currently working past and healing from. I've had issues with self-harm, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-perception for a long time, but in the Spring they were stifling and impossible to ignore. Lately, they have been better, though. So, that's nice. There hasn't been just the usual stuff lately (oh no, that's be too easy), but I've gotten jumpscared with gender issues (hooray, my favourite /s) during this time, and am struggling with my self-perception regarding my gender up to current day. (Hi, I currently go by Rot or Sexy Fictional Bug Enthusiast and my pronouns are they/them, but they may very well be they/he soon). Also, I had a bad identity crisis a couple of months ago and had to do this whole rebrand thing that was a lot of work and it kinda sucked away a lot of energy and time.
On top of all of that, ya boy's special interest metre has been focused primarily on OC stuff and other things outside of HK. It's pretty well-known that I have autism and Hollow Knight is one of my special interests. I'm unsure how it works for most people, but my fixations tend to come in waves and fluctuate (though super special meaningful ones stick for a long time). So, like, I had this whole issue with my mind always being fixated more on things outside of HK. It's been my OCs for a few months, but alongside that, I also suddenly became enraptured by The Owl House and my Digimon special interest sleeper agent returned for a hot second there. As of recently, I've been interested in HK again, but have been afraid to start/work on projects related to my AU because of me having to work on OC content for my channel and also for my friends who are invested.
As of right now, I have some more time on my hands to make the content I want to make, and my HK fixation is back (thank fuck). I've generally been doing a bit better in the mental health arena, but I will also be taking some time off of YT and posting videos regularly in favour of focusing on making stuff I want to make. So, like, expect me to be more active here for some time. I might be finishing a fic in the next month (hopefully) as well, and I have some general comic and art ideas. I just want to draw Auric again, god dammit. My beloved. <3
Anyways, thanks for reading if you did. Just figured I'd make a post about this for people who thought I died or something (and for the people who were once interested in my projects on here and are starving for content, lmao).
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parentingtheoryandpractice · 11 months ago
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Almost 3 weeks of Violet (and everyone)
I think this is the latest I've put out an update from the newborn period, which is maybe fitting. Things have been great, but busy. The gap between Violet and Xander is the smallest we've had yet, and he definitely still needs a lot of active, hands-on care. For the first week, I was mostly only focused on Violet, with Will doing pretty much everything else, including taking care of the rest of the kids, but since then I've been doing what I can. And my physical recovery has been the smoothest yet, for which I am very grateful.
I don't expect this to be a very organized update, but I have a bunch of notes that I wanted to record before they become blurrier.
Nursing has been good. If anything, I think I'm trending more towards oversupply. There have only been a couple of times (once my milk came in, which was pretty fast) where it seemed like Violet might have wanted there to be more milk, and bunch more times where she pulled off as I let down. There was also one night the first week where Violet seemed pretty frustrated about latching at all, and I wrapped her and kept her away from breast some, but it basically hasn't happened since. I think partly because I figured out a way of holding my breast to help her latch better when she seemed frustrated, but I'm guessing more because she figured out some better latching skills. She nurses a ton when she's awake, and sometimes a bunch when she's asleep too. I haven't been timing how long she tends to nurse on each side, but whatever she's doing intuitively seems normal to me for my babies. We had one night so far where she nursed nonstop for about an hour a half, which was notably long. 
I think the time where she nursed so much was an instance of "witching hour", or what we tend to call "evening fussy time". But unless I count that one early night where she had an issue latching, we mostly haven't had difficult witching hour nights yet. But it's not even three weeks yet, so I assume they are coming. I don't have a strong prediction of how those will go with her. Something about how the long nursing session was reminded me of Zeke as a baby, and I remember him, compared to the others, as being easier to soothe by nursing, or nursing while rocking, or nursing in the wrap while rocking, and not needing us to endlessly walk around as much to be okay. And as much as I don't especially enjoy the thing where the babies get more upset in the evening, I take it as a sign that they are getting more of a circadian rhythm, since it seems like whenever that period is over for the night they tend to have a pretty solid block of sleep.
Night sleep has been okay, but not super restful. Early on, it kept happening that either she'd be up for a while in the middle of the night, or she'd go back to sleep, but I'd be up for an hour and a half or so in the middle of the night. That hasn't been happening as much the last week and a half (according to my memory), but in that time it's been common for her to have her longest awake period of the day from around 9pm-midnight, which is usually just around when I'm wanting to go to sleep myself. But the past few days it's been somewhat earlier than that. And regardless of whether she's especially awake, I open the curtains when I get up in the morning, and she seems to be on track to have more standard days and nights. She nurses what I think of as a normal amount at night, which is maybe a few times? And she was originally peeing a few times at night too, either in the potty or in her diaper depending on how much I was pottying her, but lately she has been peeing fewer times at night than seems normal to me for a tiny baby, including I think two nights where she didn't pee at all until the morning. She was pooping throughout the night at first, but now she often doesn't poop at night. I'm pretty good at napping with her sometimes, and I haven't been especially tired overall. The increase in my deep sleep once she came out hasn't been as dramatic (according to my Oura ring) as it was last time, but overall I feel better rested than I did at the end of pregnancy.
In general, EC has been pretty easy with her, and I think she's only going through a few diapers a day. Who knows if it'll last, but for the last few babies I've been in quite a groove with baby EC. Once they start moving, becoming toddlers, having their own opinions, or at least being independent enough that I'm not focused on them almost all the time it's a different story, but we so far so good. And with newborns in some ways it feels extra easy because they sleep a lot and then pee and poop when they wake up. I've almost entirely been using the top hat potty for her, which I find a lot more convenient than the sink. A random thing I (think I) remember from Lydia being a baby was wondering how I could when she had peed in the top hat potty. But with Violet I can always hear it very clearly, which makes me wonder if I was especially oblivious to the sound then, am relatively sensitive to it now, or whether some babies pee much more loudly than other babies. I'd always heard it was possible for newborns to get a mini period thing, because of my hormones, but I'd never had it happen before. Violet had some of that going on, but it's been over for a while.
Overall, so far Violet has been the most stable sleeping on the bed that I remember my newborns being at this age, though I'm sure my memory is highly imperfect. This is also the first time I've had a video monitor, which I think helps me quite a bit in terms of feeling connected to her when she's on the bed and I'm not next to her. She has frequently had a period of at least an hour or so in the morning where she goes back to sleep and stays stable after I get up, which has been very convenient for doing some of the many things that are harder for me to do with her wrapped on. I have no idea whether this will last, and I tend to assume it won't.
One nice thing is that after doing a deep dive around when I had Xander into constructional aggression and constructional affection (dog training techniques), I think I'm much more attuned to small behaviors that mean Violet wants a little bit of distance, especially from nursing. My very not confident impression is that temperamentally Violet is pretty similar to Xander in her relationship to frustration, or maybe a little more frustration prone, but I think I've been managing it a little better on my end this time.
She's getting stronger by the day, with slightly more seconds where she's holding up her head some, and getting better at putting weight on her legs when I stand her up that way. I'd have to check videos and dates, but my memory is that Xander was a little more effective at squirming around on the ground than she is, but she's usually pretty happy to try, and tends to like tummy time. She also seems fine with being on her back, which I think all my babies have been except Lydia, who really didn't like it.
One fun different thing is that Violet seems to have lighter eyes than her siblings. Lydia, and maybe some of the other ones, had somewhat lighter eyes at first when she came out, but I'm pretty sure they had already turned brown by the time she was almost three weeks old. And Violet's eyes could turn brown too, but we think they might end up being hazel. Originally I thought her hair was as dark as Zeke's, but I think I was insufficiently accounting for how newborn hair can look darker at first. Now I think it's more like Maya's color. I think we collectively think that she looks the most like Zeke in terms of features, and I especially think her nose looks a lot like his. There's something about her body shape that reminds me more of Maya though.
Will and I both independently said that if we had to pick, her personality seems the most similar to Xander's, and like him (and unlike the rest of our kids), I would say that her cry isn't very loud. She has her own personality for sure though, and I wish I had a better articulation of what I can see so far. She's still very sleepy, and there seems to be something sort of settled about her to me. She doesn't strike me as super people focused, but she also doesn't seem especially not people focused. I predict that she'll be pretty gross motor focused the way all of our babies have been, and will do all the gross motor milestones pretty early. 
As I said, I've been feeling pretty recovered physically, even though there's more to go on that front, and one big exception is that I have some diastis recti. I've had that before, and I think it has always resolved on its own, though I don't think I ever confirmed that it did with a professional, since it wasn't always fully gone by my six week appointment. This time I got Katy Bowman's book about it, which seems good. It's weird and a little sad to think that I will almost certainly never be pregnant again, but it's also a relief to think about it. I'm hungrier than I was during pregnancy, which is probably because breastfeeding a baby is more calorie intensive than growing one on the inside is. I've also been eating carbier food, since I'm not worried about my blood sugars and the baby getting too big. I've also been wanting somewhat more sweet food than I usually eat, as is common for me when nursing a baby, so I've been going with that too. 
One thing I remember very fondly from Maya's birth was that shortly after she came out, I experienced a bunch of shaking that was a lot like shivering but wasn't really about being cold. It's a pretty common phenomenon, and my guess is that that sort of shaking is protective against trauma. I didn't have anything like that happen after Violet's birth, but maybe two nights in, I did have a bunch of shaking around when my milk came in, and it seemed similar to me. Hard for me to confidently know whether it was functionally similar or not, but it felt important to me to record that it happened.
(It's been almost a week since I started writing this, so I'm going to post it now, even though there's more I think I wanted to say.)
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bad-mixed-lib-dyke · 1 year ago
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Small Update on the "Marriage" Thing
This is an update to this post
I've been busy and this week is finals so I can't get into as much as I wish but did wanna make an update while I'm fairly close to things. Not a super horny update, that will likely cum later~
Everything went/is going really well.
Better than I ever could have imagined.
The courtship week went pretty well. There was one night where things were pushed a little too far. But it was ok.
There was one night where I found out something really upsetting that was being actively hidden from me and it triggered a bunch of flashbacks and I thought he was in on it but I guess he really didn't know. That actually lead to a lot of good things for us. Though it's fucked up both of our trust in the friend I took the trip with here, forever in my case.
But that lead to him giving me the passcode to his phone and computer to try to establish trust. Also discussions about radical honesty (which my autistic ass already does, but it's nice to have it reciprocated)
We also went over some times from our past where I held trauma which was super healing and has made us closer than ever :3
We were able to find everything we were looking for thrifting. A dress and veil for me, the perfect champagne flutes, I got stuff to make a flower crown. The perfect ring for me.
The ceremony was just us, I put candles all over and we read our vows to each other. These are the ones I wrote if anyone cares.
I was worried I wouldn't be able to hold up my end of the "free use" deal, but we had a lot of conversation about boundaries and stuff (my ring position would imply different levels of consent :3) But I wound up not having to worry. I've had no issues in submitting whatsoever.
Some people seem to have the impression I'm gold star? I'm not. This wasn't my first time sleeping with a man. This wasn't even my first time sleeping with this man (though I have had my first time being sober/remembering it XD)
I'm sure I'll write more on that later :3
I started cleaning around his room while he's at work and after the first day, where I was super careful not to move things too far or make any major adjustments, he sat me down and told me to do whatever I wanted. He really emphasized that he trusts me and wants me to feel comfortable in the space too. It was really sweet.
I wound up spending 2 and a half weeks at his place, and the drop we both had when I came home was intense.
I was only supposed to be there for a week, but the night I was supposed to come home I got a fever. He took care of me and caught it from me(we're pretty sure I got it from his roommate), I cared for him while also dying cause I got my period right as I was recovering XDD
I'm so glad I'm doing this with someone I know so well and can have so much trust and love with. Honestly, for a fake relationship, it's probably the best one I've ever been in.
It was supposed to be a scene we did sometimes, but we sort of just slipped into it being 24/7
Our Song is House of Asmodeus from HelluvaBoss
His nickname for me is "My Little Imp Wife"
The things I get in trouble for are for thinking and saying "sorry" (He will let me know if I need to apologize and otherwise I'm thinking for myself again)
I made the account @mrsroswell for him so a lot of my more housewifey submissive stuff might wind up over there for those who like that kind of thing.
Alright, this is long enough and I have homework. Thanks to anyone who read this far XD
If anyone has any questions about the arrangement, feel free to ask them~
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fantasticcloudcreation · 25 days ago
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October 6
Today is the chillest day I've ever seen on a main stage and I wish I brought my book bc we don't have shit to do!!! Our 2nd headliner literally has zero gear like it's just a guy with a microphone not even a riser or anything, and the main headliner is super minimal with like 2 risers and some lights, so we're probably getting out early :)
Last night I was planning on going to bed early but ended up smoking and chitchatting with work friends until like midnight, I've been running on 5-6 hours of sleep every night for the past week so I'm glad today is chill, I would be napping rn but I loaded up on caffeine this morning thinking today was gonna be busy like the past 2 days...
Yesterday was exhausting, I was grumpy all day and it was hot af and we barely had any breaks between bands, felt super blah in general but then I rallied loading out the headliner, pushing cases up the long slippery ramp, you gotta run with it to keep momentum or else you can't make it all the way lol so I did a bunch of cases by myself like that and felt rejuvenated afterwards, funny how exercise makes you feel better!! Honestly that was the funnest part of the day lmfao, my body feels kinda sore today, feels like it was a good workout. Also lifting a bunch of lights in and out of cases, taking things to front of house, etc, random things all day.
Today is a long slow day and I'm probably gonna keep rambling about it below the cut
Kinda wish today had more activity bc we're about to have 4 days off before show again next weekend but maybe I'll go hiking or something on one of the off days (in the Texas heat??? Not likely lmfao I'm gonna go find a river and camp in the woods and Relax) but next weekend will be more work and then a couple days loading out the stages etc so I guess I can relax before working hard again :) I'm feeling so strong lately and I love it! Also feeling kinda skinny most days, I think I just need to learn how to dress better and not just like, "dad working in the yard" clothes.
Ran into D at lunch, chatted for a minute, we have a weird relationship like I love him when we're just camping/hanging out by ourselves but something about Work makes me feel weird around him?? More to unpack there. He asked if he could kiss me and I'm like, my coworkers are like high schoolers and they would gossip sooooo hard if they saw so maybe later!!! Also bc they think I'm dating R and I haven't corrected any of them, need to have a conversation with him but idk how to do it over the phone so idk?? But like I'm not gonna go into the whole poly/single conversation with every random coworker who asks me about R so I've just been vague about it until we can talk about it lol. It's so silly how much this place is like high school though, just listening to the girls chatting about all their drama last night, it's so silly but also entertaining and fun :)
Now it's 3pm, just tried to go see Petey on another stage but I underestimated the power of sunlight, it's hot af out there and the crowd isn't the best vibes so I'm back in my hammock under my stage and it's breezy and the vibes are better with the homies around :) I actually am in love with that man though like I'm not usually the type to have crushes on random strangers but the first time I heard one of his songs my first thought was "wow I would let that man be mean to me" idk what that even means honestly I just love his voice so much, I'll go see him at a regular concert one day
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milliee2badd · 1 year ago
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I'm Baccc Bitchesss...
Oh how I missed tumblr soooo much I see a lot has changed which sucks but still the community & amount of wonderful information/content your able to obtain on here is top tier so I don't think they'll ever get to completely ruin it for us here hoes/304s, plus you all should be use to having to be censored (if not better get use to it cause regular semgular ppl just hate to see us shine hoewell tho) anyways the lack of community I see on here for us here hoes/304s is crazy ridiculous I literally just went thru my following page of ppl I follow & literally deleted anyone that I see hasn't been active in the past 2 years or more & there was so many that was way longer then the 2 year mark. So with that observation noted I decided to commit myself to start posting content & becoming active on this here wonderful site if not every single day of the week then at least 5x a week but really pushing for more then that to get my following up. I've been wanting to start some type of mentor/helper blog for females that are just starting out or considering starting this type of work that particularly aren't interested in having a pimp or having to deal with any type of ism (pimps, escorting businesses, boyfriend pimp, etc.) when I first started doing this at unfortunately the very young age of 15 I had wished & longed for some type of FEMALE mentor or somewhere I could have personally had access to information on this lovely lifestyle instead of having to go thru all the many trials, tribulations, & so much wasted money dealing with the horrible ppl/situations (you will hear about all of those specific incidents in future posts) I had to go thru to learn everything I know now as a 31 (honestly!! which I'm never honest about btw especially to tricks/potential clients but it's important to mention here) still active hoe, 304, escort, lady of the night, webcam model, online girlfriend, & anything else some random man would love to pay me to be. So please come join this amazing family/community I am trying to create.
***btw please please utilize the "ask me anything" suggestion thingy with questions of course and or suggestions on what exactly you would like me to create content about specifically please it would help me so much!!
Remember My Loveies..
SAFE TRAPPING SUPER STACKING!!! See y'all on tomorrow's post going to do my makeup see a trick or two preferably more if possible then research something to talk about on tomorrow's update!! Until then babes 🙃
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free--therapy · 1 year ago
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Also, I just wanna say I'm really sorry for bothering you so much. You are always so kind  to me and over the long long time I've been following your blog, you've helped me countless times without ever making me feel judged. I'm just so grateful. And I keep feeling like I can never say that enough tbh 💗
Even this time, I'm sort of experiencing a setback or relapse of anxiety of sorts and I've asked for your advice so many times the past few weeks but you've never turned me away. I'm really really thankful.
This period is scary to me. Especially because until now, I've only ever experienced small setbacks of anxiety when I had long vacations or something like that. But when I resumed going out, it used to go away and I would move on by remembering to practice healthy patterns and focusing on my life instead of overthinking the worries.
But it's almost been two weeks since my vacations this time ended and I've joined a course for the next few months before looking for jobs. I've been going out everyday for the past two weeks and these worries are still strong as ever which is scary to me. Because having so many worries and being so anxious despite being busy and having other things to do is new and unfamiliar to me. Until now I used to think vacations = overthinking and college/going out = moving on and focusing on life. But I haven't been focusing on things as much despite starting to go out recently.
I've been spending so much time in my head throughout the day despite having things to do. This is scary because it makes me feel like if this keeps going on then what if my everyday life ends up always being like this? Unlike before where I mostly had worries coming back in long vacations, what if this ends up being a permanent thing?
The last one week has been especially hard because new worries which feel like they'll never go away have been popping up out of nowhere especially the intrusive thoughts and related worries and I have few times where I wonder will I ever even recover from this and move on? Will there ever be good times again? Because the past few weeks, when I wake up, for a few seconds it feels good then immediately after, I remember that "oh I've been having these worries and thoughts" and it drowns my mood immediately after.
Honestly I haven't felt this negative since 2021 when I opted for therapy but right now, it's not possible for me. That is why, I'm super grateful for your blog! I've been trying to learn a lot through the resources here and with all your help too.
This new problem with the intrusive thoughts is definitely very very unwanted for me right now especially with the way it's progressing and getting complex.
I know that with anxiety, every worry tends to feel exaggerated and more negative. I also know how when one worry goes away, the mind tries to come up with another one which might be even worse than the earlier one. And so far, this worry related to the realistic intrusive thoughts is one of the hardest I've ever dealt with. But if there's something I've realised it's that it feels worse the more I repeat it in my head. The more I think about it or actively imagine it, the worse it feels and the more complex it gets with more and more scary thoughts related to it emerging.
To make things worse, I've been remembering the things I read on those OCD forums/pages and been feeling what if I end up developing those disorders and behaviours too. Especially since I've read some people talking about how it's not really possible to completely recover from certain disorders like OCD or PTSD or some other anxiety disorders. Of course, I don't have any official diagnosis since I worry about very random things of all kinds most of which I've somehow borrowed by reading negative things about them.
I've mentioned this to you before but I have a tendency to mimic or somehow "take" other's worries for myself when it comes to anxiety. Whenever I read someone say something really negative about any certain disorder or illness or symptom, it sticks in my mind. Especially when it's a chronic problem of any sort- I'm really scared of those. Because it makes me feel like if something really long term painful or chronic happens to me, I won't be able to deal with it after a while and will get really depressed or something.
My therapist from two years ago told me that I underestimated my own ability to cope and I believe she's right. Before I can start, when a new big worry comes up (related to anxiety), I immediately start thinking "omg will this go away? what if it doesn't? what will happen to me then?" Basically just overthinking and trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenario.
So if I read someone say something really negative about any illness especially about any mental health issues or disorders, I'll start worrying what if I get that too? Then I'll start purposely thinking about it. As in, I remember I never worried about intrusive thoughts until I read about it two years ago. Then I started worrying what if I have those too many times and it turns into a problem for me too?
Around that time, I was feeling guilty about mistakes things and about the content that I had watched. So I ended up attaching the two somehow. Recently too, when my mind was scrambling to find more things to worry about, I somehow remembered intrusive thoughts and while literally all images that my mind popped in my head were unbothering to me since they were just in my head but then suddenly few days ago, it made me think of this new realistic ones as if they're there in real life in my house or in any place I'm at. As if I can literally imagine them in real life and these intrusive thoughts did bother me.
Until now, all the worries I've had related to any topics- all those topics are ones that I read people struggling with. Almost all of them, I read about two years ago when I used to read forums. I take the topic and think about it then decide that it doesn't affect me and leave it but subconsciously I'll start thinking about it every now and then until somehow I start comparing my everyday habits or thoughts to those of the people I read about. I'll try to make my thoughts or habits or behaviours to turn into sounding somehow similar to theirs. As if forcefully trying to make connections that don't actually exist.
This is also why I really regret reading those back then because it makes me think how good it would've been if I didn't have these thoughts to worry about. But I also know it's not useful regretting the past.
I read some posts about radical acceptance on your blog that really helped me with this! 💗
Honestly, I haven't been feeling like myself the past few weeks because of this. I mean after such a long happy period, suddenly having to feel and think like this when I thought I had gotten over this for good is so hard and disappointing. Especially since when I did have a few setback in the last year and a half, they were very very minor and about the same worries more or less.
But this time, it's a completely new thing which is very uncomfortable and scary and more anxiety triggering definitely. And not feeling like myself + these intrusive thoughts which feel like they'll never go away all makes me feel so less hopeful.
But I also feel like it's because I spend all my free time or idle time constantly trying to rationalise but eventually getting caught up in my head all the time. I mean, unlike before when in my free time, I used to think about what should I do today, what shall I have for dinner, what new things can I do or thinking about my favourite anime/manga/songs, going out , etc. now I spend almost ALL my free time trying to find ways to fix this or fix myself and worrying and trying to solve my worries and that sort of cycle.
So despite having things to do, I haven't been focusing on them at all. Instead, spending all my time worrying and thinking how this is unfair, how no one around me seems to have these troubles, about why I have to go through this, pitying myself, etc. I want to get out of this and just get to living my life again.
But still, I wanna believe that it'll be okay. I hope I can learn and grow and move on happily from this soon 🍀
I've been wondering, do you think I can get over this period of anxiety relapse? Will I ever get over these new realistic intrusive thoughts and all related what ifs and habits? Can I learn to be okay and move on from this? Can I really heal and be okay and happy again regardless of what problems or  thoughts or worries I have? Is it okay to believe in that and be hopeful?
Have you had relapses too? Or this kind of negative thinking after long happy periods? How did you deal with it? How did you manage to keep believing in the hopeful side?
Also, thank you for being here. I really really mean it. I don't know what I would've done without all your help. I've been considering to share this problem regarding intrusive thoughts with my sister but since she has her problems going on, I don't know if I should even though she said I should tell her because she only has few months until she leaves. But I feel weird as if she won't understand these worries or she'll think it's silly or something. She's not the type of person who gets anxious easily so I don't know if she will understand. What if I end up bothering her more?
So because of that, I'm really thankful that I have your blog as a safe space to share my worries! That said, if I ever ever start feeling annoying or bothersome to you or you start feeling drained because of me, please let me know! I don't ever mean to do any of that. And if you've been feeling that way, then I'm really sorry and please don't hesitate to let me know!
Also, I know I share a lot of random details of my life or my day sometimes while explaining my problems. Sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable or if it's bothersome in any way. Please let me know if you don't want me to as well!
You've helped me learn to believe that I deserve happiness and love regardless of my mistakes or different opinions. Of course I have days when I doubt that but I always remind myself of things you told me which makes me eventually again believe that I in fact, do. I'm so grateful for all your help with every worry and I thought I should let you know 💗
Hey Anon,
I think because you're now in another state of anxiety, it's starting to bleed into your every day life. You've allowed your mind to occupy your every day life, which is now starting to affect you in ways you probably don't want it to and it's likely because you've been giving these thoughts way too much power over you than you used to. This won't be a permanent thing though because you're in the midst of figuring out your mind and how to deal with it. I can understand though how it might feel like you're taking a step backward, but perhaps your mind can't handle the attempts to distract itself with work/life and there are things that need to be addressed instead of repressed.
You will also need to understand how your body works in terms of activating fight-or-flight mode. This is something that we're not supposed to be in 100% of the time, but because your body has been operating in this mode for years now, any time you settle a threat, it's going to always be looking for new ones, which is probably why a whole bunch of new things are popping up rightt now. In a way, this is good because it means that you were handling the old thoughts and threats so well that now it wants you to focus on new things. As defeating as it can feel to have to deal with new things, you already know what to do to conquer them! It sucks when you're already so exhausted from dealing with the other thoughts that now you have to deal with more, but I know you can do this. Just remember that your mind is just looking for reasons to be anxious and that a lot of anxiety or anxious thoughts are irrational. Your mind is stuck in a negativity bias and that's why it's so easy to be drawn to the negative even from other people. It doesn't mean that only the negative exists though. There is just as much positivity as there is negativity and it's your goal to search for that :)
Have you had relapses too? Or this kind of negative thinking after long happy periods? How did you deal with it? How did you manage to keep believing in the hopeful side?
Yes, I've definitely had times where I feel like I've gone backwards, even now. Probably last month was the most recent time, but it gets so much easier to deal with as you go along because you realize that it doesn't matter what kinds of thoughts you're having, you recognize that it's something similar to what has happened in the past and that you can overcome it, just like you have before. Sometimes I get so used to thinking I'm healed, but life always finds ways to remind me of the parts that still need some work, and honestly I'm glad for that. It keeps me humble and in check. I hang onto knowing that I've made it through all of my hard times before so I can do it this time too. I find that certain moments don't last as long as they used to and I'm able to be comfortable enough to sit with myself and tackle these hard times without fear of them taking control of my life.
Don't feel discouraged, Anon. This is just part of the journey. You'll feel like you're making moves and then all the sudden you're taking a few steps back--this is normal. Healing is not linear, so you will be faced with moments that feel like defeat, but all you need to do is get back up and keep fighting forward. You've got this! Please don't feel like you're a burden to me at all. I know how to set boundaries with myself to make sure I'm prepared to read and answer them all in a way that I would want to be approached if I were in your shoes (and I mean, I have been there :)) I'm happy to know that I can make an impact on someone's life in this way, so thank you for taking that leap of faith and trusting me with your worries.
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umichenginabroad · 2 years ago
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Czech Things in Praha and Karlovy Vary
Dobry vecer,
Found out this week that there's tons to do just around the city! I felt like between all my classes and planning travel around Europe that I hadn't really gotten to know Prague, but the past couple of days has changed that.
Wednesday night, my roommates and I decided to check out a jazz music club. I haven't really been to many live music settings besides the occasional concert, so I wasn't sure what to expect but it surpassed my expectations by far. The musicians played a variety of Czech and international songs, and I could feel the music in my bones as it played: honestly, so relaxing.
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Jazz Republic -- free live music, and you get a poster
Later in the week, our program's Activities Coordinator planned a trip to the farmer's market, so I got to experience interacting with local businesses as well. Back on campus, I've gone to the Kerrytown farmer's market periodically, so I had an idea of what it'd entail. This one, however, had so many more freshly made dishes and baked goods. Maybe it was because I didn't recognize most things, but I was really impressed by the selection. Poppy seed goods are a big thing in the Czech Republic apparently; the one I had did not disappoint.
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Would recommend the banana walnut bread and this spicy sausage soup. The stands change every day, but those two would definitely be worth the search
Over the weekend, I was glad to get to relax in Prague since my lack of sleep from the past couple of weeks has definitely started to catch up. One of my friends who's studying abroad came to visit, and we took the opportunity to go see Pražský Hrad (Prague Castle). If you don't know by now, Prague is super hilly, and the trek up to the castle was no different. The stairs seemed endlesssss. I didn't feel it as much in the moment, but it was really nice to see someone I knew from home. Plus, being a fake tour guide is also pretty entertaining.
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Last but not least, I wrapped up my weekend with a day trip to Karlovy Vary yesterday. This is a popular trip from Prague, and the town is known for its mineral hot springs and spas. As I was planning the itinerary, I figured my friends and I could hike to a lookout first and end our day with relaxing in the spa. And so we set off to the Diana Observation Tower. The hike was manageable, but I was panting by the time we got up there lol. 360 views were for sure worth it though!
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Wandering through the trees, landscape view, and a slightly lower lookout point where we could marvel at the architecture
One thing you must do in Karlovy Vary is try the hot springs. They have spigots for each, and every one is at a different temperature. It tasted pretty gross, like highly mineralized water, to be frank, but hey its supposed to improve your health... and I don't think anyone has died from it considering the number of people filling up water bottles worth.
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Two of the hot springs featuring my souvenir cup!
I'm glad I had this weekend in Prague, considering I have travel booked every week until the end of April. Seeing my friend really inspired me to do more touristy things in Prague, and help me appreciate the city even more.
Stay tuned for my weekend travels and any new Prague insights!
Catherine Jiang Computer Science Tech Career Accelerator in Prague
Czech Words
Dobry vecer - good evening
Pražský Hrad - Prague Castle
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qodemaker07 · 2 years ago
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What are the Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2023?
In addition to consumers becoming more picky about the goods and services they purchase, firms will need to prepare for the global cost of living problem in 2023.
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So, in the upcoming year, it will be increasingly crucial for businesses to be honest, consider their messaging, conduct research, and adjust their strategies. Additionally, it means that marketers must be aware of future trends in order to plan ahead and capitalise on any innovations.
In order to help you start digital marketing company Mohali off well, we spoke to industry insiders for our podcast to determine the key trends. Watch our Trends webinar for more important things to pay attention to in 2023 if you'd like. Discover the trends for 2023 by reading on.
We examine TikTok and business, the ascent of artists, and SuperApps within the context of social media and influencer marketing.
We frequently hear in B2B marketing about the importance of video content, social selling strategies, and curated content.
More collaborations, creator-brand partnerships, and the constant requirement to provide excellent content all seem to be trends in content marketing.
In 2023, marketing automation will be a hot topic, not least because of the readily available tools and the eagerly awaited GPT-4.
CRO will continue to take the lead, which is also expected to expand. Moreover, the metaverse won't vanish. 1. MARKETING TRENDS INVOLVING SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFLUENCERS
There will be some extremely fascinating social media trends in 2023. In fact, it's a facet of marketing that will undergo a major change, and businesses must adapt if they are to maintain a presence and make effective use of the platforms. TikTok keeps developing and dominating.
TikTok has grown to be a significant participant in the field of social media marketing. In 2023, nothing is expected to alter that. The Business of Apps claimed that TikTok made $4.6 billion in 2021, a 142% rise year over year, with 1.8 billion monthly active users expected by the end of 2022.
TikTok is becoming more popular among those other than customers and artists. By putting more of an emphasis on business usability and enhancing targeting possibilities for advertising, the platform will grow and improve for companies by 2023.
"The simplicity of commercial tools is something we're going to see from TikTok next year," said a source. They have already made strides in enhancing the usability of their advertisements dashboard for businesses. I've been checking out some of the new, great targeting tools they've introduced for their advertisements," says Alison Battisby, an Avocado Social social media expert.
Using social media to develop a "super app" by decentralizing it
The alterations at Twitter have highlighted the fragility of social media sites. Consumers are desiring more control over their content and data rather than engaging with platforms run by billionaires.
According to Battisby, "the necessity for the decentralisation of social networks is approaching. Mastodon, which has had a significant increase in downloads over the past few weeks, is one of the innovative and fascinating platforms that we are currently seeing. It's also a fascinating tool because it was created by many people.
Other applications, including BlueSky, which is being created by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, are in the works. The company refers to it as "a new basis for social networking which allows creators independence from platforms, developers the flexibility to build, and users a choice in their experience" and describes it as more of an infrastructure than a platform.
The "creator economy" will advance and develop.
Marketers must seek out producers with a voice and a following as brand recognition shifts away from pure lead generation on social media (small or otherwise).
In a world when people are time-pressed, it can be difficult for marketers to produce content that engages consumers. That's where content creators—who don't always imply high-level influencers—come in. It could refer to coworkers, clients, or even specialists in a particular field.
With COVID, a new social media culture has emerged that places more emphasis on the content itself rather than the quantity of followers in this age of so-called'recommended media. This encourages brands even more, in my opinion, to collaborate with influencers and content producers, says author and social media expert Neal Schaffer.
There is now an incentive for producers to invest time in producing content that a business may use thanks to the introduction of content creator funds on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch.
2. Trends in B2B marketing
When compared to B2C marketing, B2B can be perceived as dull or at the very least, less engaging. But it's not necessary that way. As a B2B company, it's critical to leverage innovative marketing strategies and the channels and technologies at your disposal to stand out.
More video, more video, more video
As marketers, we are all aware of the effectiveness of a strong video strategy for connecting and informing. After all, 92 percent of organisations view video as a key component of their strategy and 86 percent of businesses use it as a marketing tool (according to Wyzowl research).
The same study demonstrated the range of business uses for video, with explainers coming out on top, followed by social media videos and presentations. The top three channels used by businesses are Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Wrap-up of 2023 Marketing Trends
The year 2023 will be both thrilling and difficult for marketers! Due to external factors, brands must carefully consider their messaging in order to engage their audiences and work with influencers and artists that share their values.
These developments demonstrate how marketing is constantly evolving in terms of both strategies and technology. To discover what we projected for this year, visit our blog post, "The Next Major Digital Marketing Trends in 2022." Choose best digital marketing company Mohali. 
You have time to consider the important trends and those that you may use to your advantage in 2023. Enjoy your planning!
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earthtechlmptyltd · 2 years ago
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Digital marketing trends 2023
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Let's keep up with the world of digital marketing. Do you own a small business and would like to market it nationally/internationally?
Contact Earth Tech LM (Pty) Ltd on: 071 836 1372
OUR CORE SERVICES:
Digital Marketing
SEO(Search Engine Optimization
Website Design.
Company objectives are to put your small business on the top pages of google and be noticed. Turn your potential clients into paying customers through Earth Tech LM (Pty) ltd.
Let this be a prosperous new year for all business owners.
WHAT ARE THE TOP DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2023?
In addition to consumers becoming pickier about the goods and services they purchase, firms will need to prepare for the global cost of living problem in 2023.
Therefore, in the upcoming year, it will be increasingly crucial for businesses to be honest, consider their messaging, conduct research, and adjust their strategies. Additionally, it means that marketers must be aware of future trends in order to plan ahead and capitalize on any innovations.
Read on to find out the 2023 trends
- We examine TikTok and business, the ascent of artists, and SuperApps within the context of social media and influencer marketing.
- We frequently hear in B2B marketing about the importance of video content, social selling strategies, and curated content.
- More collaborations, creator-brand partnerships, and the constant requirement to provide excellent content all seem to be trends in content marketing.
- In 2023, marketing automation will be a hot topic, not least because of the readily available tools and the eagerly awaited GPT-4.
- CRO will continue to take the lead in martech, which is also expected to expand. Additionally, the metaverse won't vanish.
1. SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFLUENCER MARKETING TRENDS
There will be some extremely fascinating social media trends in 2023. In fact, it's a facet of marketing that will undergo a major change, and businesses must adapt if they are to maintain a presence and make effective use of the platforms.
TIK TOK CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND DOMINATE
TikTok has grown to be a significant participant in the field of social media marketing. In 2023, nothing is expected to alter that. The Business of Apps claimed that TikTok made $4.6 billion in 2021, a 142% rise year over year, with 1.8 billion monthly active users expected by the end of 2022.
TikTok is becoming more popular among those other than customers and artists. By putting more of an emphasis on business usability and enhancing targeting possibilities for advertising, the platform will grow and improve for companies by 2023.
"The simplicity of commercial tools is something we're going to see from TikTok next year," said a source. They have already made strides in enhancing the usability of their advertising dashboard for businesses. "I've been checking out some of the new, great targeting tools they've introduced for their advertisements," says Alison Battisby, an Avocado Social social media expert.
DECENTRALIZING SOCIAL MEDIA TO CREATE 'SUPER APP'
The alterations at Twitter have highlighted the fragility of social media sites. Customers are desiring more control over their content and data rather than engaging with platforms run by billionaires.
According to Battisby, "the necessity for the decentralization of social networks is approaching." Mastodon, which has had a significant increase in downloads over the past few weeks, is one of the most innovative and fascinating platforms that we are currently seeing. It's also a fascinating tool because it was created by many people.
Other applications, including BlueSky, which is being created by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, are in the works. The company refers to it as "a new basis for social networking which allows creators independence from platforms, developers the flexibility to build, and users a choice in their experience" and describes it as more of an infrastructure than a platform.
THE 'CREATOR ECONOMY' WILL GROW AND CHANGE
Marketers must seek out producers with a voice and a following as brand recognition shifts away from the pure lead generation on social media (small or otherwise).
In a world where people are time-pressed, it can be difficult for marketers to produce content that engages consumers. That's where content creators—who don't always imply high-level influencers—come in. It could refer to coworkers, clients, or even specialists in a particular field.
Since COVID, a new social media culture has emerged that places more emphasis on the content itself rather than the quantity of followers in this age of so-called'recommended media. This encourages brands even more, in my opinion, to collaborate with influencers and content producers, says author and social media expert Neal Schaffer.
There is now an incentive for producers to invest time in producing content that a business may use thanks to the introduction of content creator funds on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch.
“30% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 40% of 25 to 34-year-olds consider themselves content creators ”
2 B2B MARKETING TRENDS
When compared to B2C marketing, B2B can be perceived as dull or at the very least, less engaging. But it's not necessary that way. As a B2B company, it's critical to leverage innovative marketing strategies and the channels and technologies at your disposal to stand out.
VIDEO, VIDEO, AND MORE VIDEO
As marketers, we are all aware of the effectiveness of a strong video strategy for connecting and informing. After all, 92 percent of organizations view video as a key component of their strategy and 86 percent of businesses use it as a marketing tool (according to Wyzowl research).
The same study demonstrated the range of business uses for video, with explainers coming out on top, followed by social media videos and presentations. The top three channels used by businesses are Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Video can be a crucial component of the sales and marketing cycle for B2B businesses. This is especially true on LinkedIn, where video has gained popularity as a means of connecting with and influencing clients.
"LinkedIn has developed into a location where users may easily produce user-generated content. People do it in a variety of sophisticated ways. Your results will vary based on your preferences and price range. However, I believe it has greatly boosted the platform's individuality and increased the shareability of content. According to Stephen Walsh, co-founder of Kineo with Anders Pink, "(video) is a terrific way for you to behave like a maven, like a connection."
EMPOWER TEAMS TO USE SOCIAL SELLING
Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with customers for brands and their sales teams. This is especially true for B2B businesses, which rely on digital platforms to deliver helpful and pertinent information and have lengthier sales cycles.
However, there is a distinction between posting information that promotes a sale and using content to connect and engage. Julie Atherton, a social transformation expert, and the author thinks it will be the key to firms' success in 2023.
“I think there will be a clear demarcation between businesses that empower and support their teams to use social media effectively in relationship-building and those who see social as another channel to push sales messaging through,” says Atherton. “Some organizations are fearful of giving control, or allowing individuals to get their personalities out there.”
AN APPETITE FOR CURATED CONTENT
While businesses place a lot of emphasis on producing original content, sharing curated material can also be successful.
If the content is pertinent, it can spark discussions and show that your business cares more about helping people than just making sales.
“If you're reaching out with something informative and insightful, it doesn’t matter too much whether you've created that content. I think (curated content) can be an efficient way to provide some learning and insight, and show that you're a trusted person who can add value. As a B2B strategy, it can be very powerful,” says Walsh.
Types of useful content you can share include:
Industry news
Third-party research
Press releases or announcements
Interviews (video and blogs)
In-depth features
Podcasts
3 CONTENT MARKETING TRENDS
While 78 percent of marketers use a strategic approach to managing content, the Content Marketing Institute found that little over half have a formalized content strategy in place. In today's content-hungry society, that is a mistake.
USE CONTENT TO DRIVE CONNECTIONS
As marketers, we are aware that content can offer knowledge and answers at every point in the marketing and sales funnel. However, the material is capable of much more.
You should use content in 2023 to create communities and connections. Companies that build and look for relationships will flourish as consumers show increasing interest in the values and ethos of brands.
“While social media and email marketing still have their place, for me, it's communities that are driving the majority of my sales. People are seeking community. They want to reach out and get support from other humans,” says Kate Toon, founder of Stay Tooned.
“And it’s really important that the leader of those communities needs to be on the same page. People want to feel like they are buying from (companies with) similar values that align with their own.”
REFINE AND DEFINE CREATOR/BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Online, there is a lot of noise, which translates to a lot of content. There is some excellent information out there, but a lot of it is either not targeted at the correct demographic or aligned with the wrong influencer. A successful content creator/brand partnership can be useful in this situation.
In 2023, a lot of creators want to advance and develop. This indicates that they are seeking brand collaborations (as opposed to merely sponsorships) that are consistent with their content so that postings appear natural and businesses provide advice and help rather than just leaving them to it.
According to Deloitte research, for many creators, it's not only about the money; other factors are also important.
BALANCE YOUR CONTENT TO OFFER VALUE AND NOT JUST SELL
According to marq's 'Content Effectiveness' research from previous years, more than half of marketers see a significant growth in content demand. But having content that benefits prospects and consumers is more important than simply having more of it.
"In my opinion, you need to develop your own voice and original stuff. But more tailored material than people realize can help you balance your content marketing budget, according to Stephen Walsh.
It demonstrates your global awareness and your commitment to the belief that "our thoughts are the only ones" or "it always needs to be something originating from us. That shows potential customers that you are a member of a community and that it's not just me, concludes Walsh.
4. MARKETING AUTOMATION TRENDS
Automation solutions provide a mechanism to automate ordinary and repetitive processes at scale when businesses collect more data and need to carry out more tasks to launch efficient marketing campaigns.
A SHIFT TO SIGNAL-BASED MARKETING
A mentality change from technical-based marketing to anticipation marketing will occur in 2023. This will allow marketers to foresee what consumers will want and then incorporate that information into automation processes.
This new way of thinking will not only increase productivity but also allow for customization. This holds true for programs like Google Ads, and it also appears to be the direction Facebook and other social media platforms are moving in.
IMPORTANCE OF AUTOMATION TOOLS
According to Gartner, by 2024, companies with IT teams that comprehend consumer needs would exceed rival companies' customer experience KPIs by 20%.
This knowledge will rely on automation techniques to streamline internal operations and improve client experience. These include CRM, social networking, advertising, lead management, and email marketing solutions.
“(One trend for 2023) is the increasing use of tools for automation and personalization at scale. Doing that is difficult unless you understand the data you have, put that data into a tool, and use that to automate your communications to consumers. This could be automating things like ‘the next best action’ based on what customers have done in the past and what they might do next,” says Ken Fitzpatrick, CEO of the Digital Marketing Institute.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE LAUNCH OF GPT-4
GPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4) is a cutting-edge solution that can assist marketers in automating a variety of operations. You may not have heard of it.
It is a text-generation deep learning model created by OpenAI that is trained on online content. It is utilized for conversation AI, text summarization, machine translation, classification, and question-and-answer sessions.
Clark Boyd, a digital strategy consultant, asserts that it might present new opportunities for marketers. We'll soon start noticing certain business uses (with GPT-4). Startups seeking to develop, for instance, social media content production systems are currently receiving a lot of money. Therefore, if you just entered a little bit of information about your brand, these tools would generate 50 ideas for your content, and you could then simply drag and drop the ones that piqued your interest.
5. MARTECH TRENDS 2023
Software called marketing technology, or Martech, is used to plan, carry out, oversee, and assess the effectiveness of campaigns, experiences, and content (both online and offline). It's a practical approach to deploying multichannel marketing campaigns and streamlining consumer journeys.
MARTECH SPENDING WILL KEEP GROWING
According to eMarketer, martech spending in the U.S. will reach $20 billion for the first time in 2022, rising 15% annually. This spending is the result of businesses putting money into the technology that will allow them to collect and store data, analyze that data to inform decisions and put those decisions into action.
It's interesting to note that B2B businesses account for more than 30% of that expenditure, and this percentage is anticipated to increase gradually over the following few years to $8.5 billion in 2024.
CRO WILL NO LONGER BE ABOUT EXPERIMENTING
Every business strives to increase online conversion rates. This must imply more traffic, sales, and earnings.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) has been the subject of much research and experimentation among numerous marketers up to this point. Chris Coomer, though, thinks that this period of simply watching what happens is coming to an end since it's no longer just about pursuing the outcome.
“I think CRO has been viewed in a silo. It's been how we get from A to B. I think everybody's starting to look more holistically and clients are getting more intelligent with what they want to see,” he says.
“(As an agency) we'll do something, we'll get a better conversion rate, but how does that impact the client’s bottom line? How does that impact user experience? The questions being asked are forcing us to migrate into that larger viewpoint.”
METAVERSE GROWTH IS SLOW BUT BRANDS WILL STILL PAY
The metaverse made waves in 2022 and will do so again in the years to come, but as revenues fall and prices rise, growth has been slower than anticipated.
Despite this, Alison Battisby predicts that in 2023, marketers will begin to consider their strategy for this new era of immersive virtual communication.
“One of the biggest telltale signs (of a new chapter in social technology) is Meta's commitment to the metaverse, and how they are going full guns blazing towards building these virtual domains and existences. It’s gonna take years to change people's behaviors and get used to this new offering but that doesn't mean we're not going to see some interesting innovation in the space.”
2023 MARKETING TRENDS WRAP-UP
The year 2023 will be both thrilling and difficult for marketers! Due to external factors, brands must carefully consider their messaging in order to engage their audiences and work with influencers and artists that share their values.
These developments demonstrate how marketing is constantly evolving in terms of both strategies and technology.
You have time to think about which trends matter to you and what ones you can take advantage of in 2023.
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goldenlaurelleaveswrites · 2 years ago
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How about 2, 6, 10, 11 for Juleka VS?
Hi nonny, thanks for the ask! Sorry it took so long for me to answer, the past week has been super busy!
2. What tropes or fandom headcanons are you involving? Are you challenging any tropes or headcanons?
Honestly, when I started out writing this fic I wasn't really thinking about tropes or headcanons other than the trope of a character fighting destiny (one of my favourite tropes). I was just writing something fun and silly because I had the idea. Of the fandom tropes and headcanons, I use the "Chaos Couffaine's" in pretty much everything I write because I love that trope, and the "idiots in love" trope for Luka and Marinette. But really, when I write this fic, apart from one trope that will play into the second last chapter and the main trope of a character fighting against destiny, I wasn't ever really actively thinking about which tropes I was or wasn't including, I was just having fun and playing within my writing practice.
6. What work of yours is it most similar to?
This fic is quite different from most of my other ones, but I would say it is most similar to Count Me In in terms of the style of humour. If you're looking more in terms of other things I've written from Juleka's POV, The Morning Routine of the Queen of Darkness is mostly written from Juleka's POV. If you're looking for similar Juleka meddling, Chords and Courtship has quite a bit of that.
10. Is your WIP an AU or canon-compliant? Either way, talk about any research you had to do, lore you had to make, or timelines you had to screw with to make it work. Talk about what makes your universe tick!
It's more or less canon compliant until the Miracle Queen arc, from there it completely diverges. I say more or less canon compliant because I haven't actually watched the show in a really long time and I didn't feel like going back to rewatch three seasons while writing this. So there might be little details that aren't quite in line with canon. In terms of timeline, because the show is perpetually in what appears to be spring/summer, the fic starts around March and goes to the end of June.
But honestly, I haven't really done much research for this fic or messed with/created a lot of lore. A lot of that comes down to it being written from Juleka's POV. She doesn't know much about the Miraculous so it didn't make sense for her to know anything about the lore. At one point I had thought about introducing some of the lore by including scenes with Su Han, but I didn't like how they turned out and I felt they detracted from the story so I just didn't include them.
I hope I answered this question to your satisfaction. To be honest, it was kind of hard to think of things to talk about for this one because it was so broad. If there were specific things you wanted mt to talk about, juts let me know!
11. Is this WIP inspired by anything/anyone?
The idea for this fic sprang into my head when I was writing a scene from Chords and Courtship, where Juleka is complaining about Andre. It made me think about Juleka in a modern setting not liking Andre very much, and then that sprang the thought of her not liking him because of the ice cream. And from there, I had the idea she accidentally finds out about Marinette being Ladybug, and I sat down and wrote the first chapter.
I got the idea for the title from Star vs. the Forces of Evil, though I've never actually watched the show (I just saw the name of it online), and I thought that would be a fun title format. I love the trope of characters fighting destiny, and I thought it would be fun to name it something kind of cheeky and fun.
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ratcandy · 2 years ago
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i walk up to the podium . er. i limp up to the podium. i clear my throat and tap the mic. i announce “my ankle hurt” before nodding solemnly and taking my leave
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hunxi-after-hours · 3 years ago
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This isn’t coming from a place of slut shaming or me finding it problematic or anything, but I still find it out of character that Shen Qiao slept with Yan Wushi that night at the inn. I get that they had gone through a lot and that he realized his feelings at that point, but given how for 30 years, abstinence was a huge part of his life, I just feel like it would have taken a few times to get him to go all the way. I guess Yan Wushi is just that good? 😂
anon this ask is halfway to a shitpost and yet I have been thinking about this for like, the past week
so here's the thing for me about Shen Qiao: he is one of the most asexual goddamn characters I've ever read in fiction, and I love him for that
this is, of course, just my personal reading of the book, and you could make very solid cases for deeply-repressed Shen Qiao, or dignified gay Shen Qiao, or subtle disaster gay Shen Qiao, among a whole host of other interpretations, and that's not even getting into the fact that I think we could have a goddamn field day about the merits and pitfalls of applying Western labels/queer identities onto non-Western texts, but like. lowkey. Shen Qiao reads as one of the most ace characters I've ever come across in fiction, which is really fucking cool
(going under a cut because you know me :)
I remember, back in freshman year of college, having an illuminating conversation with my very lovely, very allosexual roommate where she announced "I need to go on the hunt!" and I was like "I'm sorry, what?" and she was like "on the hunt? for a relationship?" and I was like “I’m sorry what”
and for me, that kind of encapsulates a lot of my experience of being ace, which isn't so much of an experience as the lack of one. my roommate would actively take time out of her week to seek out relationships and sexual partners; meanwhile, I don't remotely share that need. in many ways, it feels like being ace frees me up to do a lot more other stuff in my free time, like read, or write, or translate, or generally be a nerd on the internet
so reading Shen Qiao, who is operating in a highly sexual world (from the worldbuilding to the politics to the interpersonal dynamics to the gender dynamics), who has to deal with sexual overtures from various characters and being sexualized by everyone he meets and generally fending off interested partners while he himself is disinclined towards sex, really struck a chord, let's say
(skdjskjshds not in an “I’m also super attractive and half the jianghu wants to sleep with me” kind of way, but in a “gosh the rest of the world spends a lot of time being preoccupied over this sex business, huh” kind of way)
and Shen Qiao's general ace-ness comes from more than just his abstinence, I think--look, Xie Lian from TGCF is in a similar boat of cultivation-motivated abstinence, but a stark difference between Xie Lian and Shen Qiao's narration (or perhaps, MXTX vs. Meng Xishi's writing? I'd have to read more to tell) is the fact that, well--Xie Lian thirsts. oh my god Xie Lian is so thirsty, and he probably doesn't even realize it, but from the moment San Lang appears on the page, there is so much ink devoted to Hua Cheng's long, slender calves, to the point where I buried my face in my hands while reading and was like "we GET IT, the man has NICE CALVES, can we move on" and Xie Lian would be like "yeah we can move on, let's talk about his hands" and I was like "oh my god"
meanwhile with Shen Qiao, he feels much more... detached? I mean, Meng Xishi's narration/writing style feels a little more removed than MXTX's (but also, MXTX's writing style is very immediate and colloquial and holy fuck chapter 190 of TGCF was an Experience), but the most Shen Qiao really comments on anyone's appearance in narration is just... "this person was very beautiful. also dangerous" and moves on. he doesn't particularly linger on anyone's physical features, to the point where I couldn't tell you what most of the characters actually look like, tall or short, curvy or stick-thin, heart-shaped face or almond-eyed--he just cursorily labels people with "hot" and then keeps on keeping on (probably coughing up blood, Shen Qiao is usually having a bad time of it)
abstinence feels like much more of a Thing for Xie Lian (in that he desires, and then suppresses his desires) than it does for Shen Qiao. maybe Shen Qiao's enlightened himself to the point where he can neatly stow away his desires and not even comment on them in his internal narration. or maybe Shen Qiao's super ace, and abstinence isn't really a big deal for him since he doesn't care that much about sex in the first place
and it's precisely this asexual interpretation of his character (Shen Qiao very much reads as sex-indifferent on the spectrum to me) that makes his first night with Yan Wushi Together-together make sense to me? because like...he doesn't particularly care for the act of sex either way; what Shen Qiao's really pursuing in this scene is his desire to communicate with Yan Wushi about, well, getting together properly. it's not like Shen Qiao doesn't have second thoughts during the whole process ("it's still early " "so what you're saying is, you'll be willing when it's dark?"), but like... I don't think the physical act of sex matters to him as much as what that sex signifies--a confirmation and literal consummation of their relationship to each other
even in all the additional fanwai where they are together-together and have been for years, we only ever see Yan Wushi initiating, and Shen Qiao exasperatedly putting up with Yan Wushi's general nonsense. Shen Qiao doesn't appear to really seek out sex, but also doesn't mind when Yan Wushi does (provided they're not in like, the middle of a serious conversation about political affairs sdflksdjfls sao lao Yan please). and regardless of whether Meng Xishi deliberately conceived of the yanshen relationship and Shen Qiao's identity in these words, I do think it's pretty cool that you can interpret the yanshen relationship as a perfectly healthy, loving, and mutually appreciative (if occasionally eyeroll-inducing) relationship between a stupidly powerful distinguished disaster bi (Yan Wushi) and a gently exasperated sex-indifferent asexual (Shen Qiao)
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thebookwormfairy · 4 years ago
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Captain the Retired Police Dog and His Puppies Part 4
The puppies are here!!!!! The puppies are finally coming!
Captain Masterlist
Part 3
After that Marinette spent the day with Harley, Ivy, and Edwin it seemed they popped up around the Manor more often
Usually it was just to say hi, and in Edwin's case to flirt with Marinette
Not that she paid the flirting any mind she was very happy with Damian and only saw Edwin as a friend
And Edwin was respectful and backed off when Marinette said he had gone to far
And finally it was time!
Ace was having her puppies!
And Marinette was alone!
It was a little past midnight when Marinette woke up to find Damain gone and Ace in labor and Captain freaking out
Marinette jumped out of bed and rush over to the 2 german sheperds
Marinette: Hey it's okay. Calm down
Marinette rubbed Ace's head to comfort her
Captain still freaking out: What should we do Marinette? What should we do?
Ace: Darling you are freaking out more then me. Calm down.
Captain sitting besides Marinette: You're right, you're right. I have to he strong for our children
Captain sunk down and place his head on top of Ace: But what if something happens
Marinette: Dont worry you two I'm sure whatever villian Damian is beating up right now can wait.
Marinette frantically dialed Damian's number
It turns out that the bat fam were in the middle of a taken down one of Penguin's lesser skeems
Robin was literal beating up a henchman when a song about angles blasted from his pocket
It caught everybody so off gaurd that everybody good and bad paused and stared at Robin
Robin: Sorry, I have to take this
Robin pulled his phone out and hit answered
Robin: Hey Ang-
Marinette: ACE IS HAVING HER PUPPIES NOW!!!!
Robin putting his phone on mute: Bathound is having her puppies?!?!
Jason: The puppies are coming?
Marinette: YES! Can you finish what ever Robin business you're doing and come back?
Marinette eyes widen when she realized that she let it slipped that she knew about the Wayne family's nightly activities
Damian's eyes also widen before a now common lovesick grin spread across his face
Robin: Of course you figured it out Angle
Marinette blushing: Sorry I was going to wait until you were ready to tell me.
Robin: It's okay Angle I'll be there soon this really isnt a big deal I've just been playing with this guy anyway. He's completely incompetent
Henchman: Hey that's rude
Robin didn't listen to
Robin: Batman I will be leaving now
Redhood: I'm going with him!
Red Robin: No fair I wanted to sse Bathound give birth too
Batman sighing and turning to Penguin: Any chance we can cut this short?
Penguin: Yeah besides this jewel isn't worth the trouble if we don't
Batman: Thank you sorry about this
Penguin: No problem bats, I do request a picture of the puppies after they're born
Batman: I'm sure the children will make sure everybody they see has pictures of the puppies
When the Waynes got back and changed they rushed to Damian's room to see Ace giving birth to her third puppy
Marinette looked up at the sound of the door opening
Marinette: I'm so glad y'all came back in time. So far we have 3 healthy puppies
Damian rushed over to Ace to do a quick look over of the puppies that were already born making sure they were all okay
Marinette: So far so good they've been coming pretty quickly
Damian grabbing Marinette's face and kissing her: You are truly amazing Angel
The Wayne family and Marinette watch in fascination as 5 more puppies came in to the world in the span of 3 hours
Marinette: I can't believe it 8 puppies!
Captain nuzzling Ace: 8 puppies! Can you believe it my Love 8 puppies!!! You did fantastic! And all our puppies are absolutely beautiful!!!
Ace exhausted: That's wonderful Darling
Captain: Rest now my Love I'll watch over our children
Ace falling asleep: Thank you dear
Captain started sniffing his children nudging them towards their mother so they can stay fed and warm
Tim: They are so tiny! Can we keep them Bruce?
Bruce: Jason we can not keep 9-10 German Sheperds, a Turkey, cat, and cow
Jason: You also shouldn't be able to keep half the kids you adopt yet here we are
Bruce pinching the bridge of his nose: We'll have to see
Marinette: Dont worry Jason even if you don't keep all of them we'll find good homes for them
Harley:We heard the puppies have arrived!
Harley and Ivy burst into the room carrying balloons and plush dog toys for the puppies
Marinette: Harley! Ivy! What are you two doing here?
Harley: Alfred was a doll and called us! Edwin would've been here too but he's hanging out with friends for the week
Damian whispering to Marinette: Thank goodness
Marinette gently elbowed Damian in the ribs: Be nice
Harley: Oh my goodness Iv look at this one!
Harley gently lifts one of the puppies who had brown fur half way up all his legs
Harley: Omg it looks like his paws were dipped in Pudding! Can we keep him?
Ivy: We don't even know if they're up for adoption
Bruce seeing the future if he doesn't find the puppies a home: Please take one
Harley: Awesome! But we'll have to wait 8 week right?
Damian: That's right
The next day after everybody got some rest as the new parents spent more time with their puppies
And Marinette sat down with the Waynes
Damian was sitting besides Marinette as she fidgeted with her fingers
Marinette: So I know you are Batman, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Robin
Tim totally unconcincing: What?! No... That's impossible....Where would you get an idea like that...
Eveybody in the room gave Tim an unimpressed look
Tim: Okay I'm not fooling anybody. You are good Marinette
Marinette: Thank you
Bruce: I trust that you won't be telling anybody about this
Damian: Father!
Marinette: It's okay Damian. You can trust me Mr. Wayne, because I have my own secret. I'm also a super hero called Ladybug
Waynes: What?!
Tikki flew out of Marinette's pocket
Marinette: Let me show you, Tikki?
Tikki: Ready Marinette
Marinette: Okay, Tikki Spots On!
As Marinette transformed the other inhabitants in the room stared as the girl transformed into her hero form
Damian with a love struck smile: Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore Angel
Marinette: Tikki Spots Off
Marinette detransforms, but Tikki stayed out were the Waynes could see her
Tikki: Hi my name's Tikki I'm Marinette's kwami
Kaalki: Does this mean I can finally stop hiding my beautiful self
Kaalki came out of Marinette's other pocket that held her miraculous
Marinette: And this is Kaalki the kwami of teleportation
Bruce: I feel like you have a lot to tell us Marinette
Marinette: That is correct but first. I as one of the heroes of Paris officially request assistance from the Justice league with the situation in Paris
Damian: What situation?
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Permanent taglist
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narumi-gens · 3 years ago
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I just had a long call with my program director (who's like 2 levels above my shitty boss) bc he wanted to check in just 1-on-1 and it went really well. not well enough for me to want to stay, but well enough to give me some confidence back and lift a lot of the dread that's been sitting in my stomach for the past 4 months.
I picked a couple of severe issues I've had with my boss that I knew he would too and raised them to him and he was super concerned about all of them. and he was super welcoming about me getting more involved with the team (which I used to be before my manager started) and hearing my ideas. and he was just very clear on saying that I brought a lot of value to the team and inviting me to start providing more regular input on things, which really just went so far in making me feel like I'm not fucking worthless like I've been feeling for the past few months.
I've always really liked my team and our project and the work I do, but bc of my manager all of that has just gone away and I feel like this call went a long way in reminding me of that. so while I'm still desperately job searching and feeling a lot of dread about my boss specifically, it at least doesn't feel like that dread extends to all of my work like it used to. it feels like I can kinda breathe again and feel more motivated rather than depressed as I keep on my job search.
I think my sadness hiatus might be ready to come to an end soon. I'm starting to feel a little motivated to write and be more active on here again even though things are gonna be busy as I job search.
it's been a really hard week so thank you all for being patient with me while I try to bounce back from all of this mess ❤️
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