#you know that quote ‘art disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed’

[sapphymayeyeplease]

if I had a nickel for every time I found a song and went “YIKES! these lyrics are super violent!!! I don’t think this is for me” and then picked it up again maybe months later listening to it on repeat—i’d have two nickels!

[1lenii]

FAOTP, FaceTime!

E42!Miles x F!Reader

Basically what the title says

Falling asleep on the phone with Miles(works for both miles, I’m not picky 🥰

PLEASE TELL ME YA SEE WHAT I DID WITH THE PICTURE 🙏🏽 and maybe in the fic itself;)

I present the inspiration for this fic!!

Enjoy loves⭐️

****************************************************

“Cmon Ma, I promise it’ll be fun”

(Y/N) listens to Miles beg for the one chance opportunity as well as hearing the aggressive pressing of buttons on the controller he was holding.

Falling asleep on call.

(Y/N) isn’t opposed to the idea, if anything she’s all for it. Except for one factor.. Miles snores and more often then not when he’s over it disturbs (Y/N) beauty sleep.

“Miles..no”

Still considering the idea (Y/N) responds nonetheless

“Why~?”

“Cause you snore.. like really loud”

“Nuh uh, do not”

“Do too, I’ll tell you what. You get what you want if we make a deal”

Miles eyes her through his screen skeptical. Now twisting his off his headset and untangling the wire from from one of his twin braids shaking it loose, taking the phone which was propped up on the console.

“‘Nd that would be?”

“Cant flake out on our study dates”

“Pero ma eso no—”

“No buts. We’ve been over this” (Y/N) cuts him off with a click of her tongue

“Fine princesa, You have a deal” he smirks at the screen already getting ready to head to his bed

(Y/N) doing the same.

****************************************************

(Y/N) was dosing off as Miles passionately expresses about his art, and graphite and how he almost got caught cause his dad wasn’t in duty, instead was at a trip with his mom to San Juan. (🇵🇷)

Miles noticed this

“Hey mami”

(Y/N) takes a few seconds to process with her tired mind and responds with a faint ‘mhm’

“You tired?”

“No no not At all keep going, I enjoy your rambling”

(Y/N) tries to open her eyes completely, even with her futile attempt they go back to the siren shape from when she tired. Miles took a quick screen shot, one where (Y/N) did not notice.

Miles stopped for second to take in the sight of his lover. Shoulder cover in a thick warm comforter, the squeezed peluche under her hold peaking out from between her phone and the herself. And the faint light of her skin glowing in oppose to the light the is emiting

Right when Miles is about to continue his story he hears soft snores. Softly smiling to himself as he watches you sleep.

(I would assume due to Spiderman/prowler duties he doesn’t get much sleep so he’s able to stay up late)

Miles enjoys the moment as an idea pops into his head. He slowly shuffles to grab his phone pressing the + volume and turn off button and starts spamming screenshots of (Y/N) sleeping face to later set as a his Lock Screen.

Sooner or later Miles dozes off muting himself for the upcoming alarm in the morning set for 8:00 am (hate the am like not even tryna quote hobie anymore in really hate waking up early)

****************************************************

Miles wakes up gets ready to head out, and do his Mile errands while also stopping by (Y/N) dorm delivering her groceries as she usually forgets leaving her to crash at his due to the lack of snacks and food.

He inserts the keycard to enter, now leaving the groceries on the counter as well as his phone and keys to find (Y/N) now exiting her room.

“Goodmorning princess”

“Morning” (Y/N) strutted over to the counter sliding Miles phone from it previous spout while Miles puts away the groceries he got earlier.

“Miles. Que diablo is this.”

“What? You want me to leave my girl starving?”

Miles looks over his shoulder knowing that’s not what his lover meant, just to see (Y/N) on his phone.

Opening the phone with her Face ID, she’s stares wide eyed at the phone, a picture taken back when she was barely awake last night

“Last time falling asleep on the phone with you Morales”

(Y/N) hops outta her seat at the counter heading back to her room, mumbling a bunch of i hate you’s and never again’a

Miles closes the cabinet laughing while trailing after his girlfriend

The phone all forgotten about.

****************************************************

[arecaceae175]

For Want Of Rest: Ch. 6

FAN JOY JULY!

Fic Summary: Five times Sky falls asleep somewhere that isn’t a bed plus one time they all do. Or, Sky struggles to manage his disabilities, then the chain has a conversation about accessibility and accommodations.

Fan Joy July! Each chapter is inspired a few amazing art pieces of Sleepy Sky <3. There are plenty more chapters and art inspirations to come :D

Chapter Summary: They eep. They also have a conversation about accommodations. 2.5k, fluff and hurt/comfort.

Happy July 35th everybody :/ Here it is :D. THIS IS HEADCANON GALOOOOORE hehehe. I gave everyone a Thing. Also featuring they/them wind so she/her legend isn’t lonely

Art pieces (Look at the arts before you read, it will enhance the experience hehe):

Facedown on the floor by @raycatzdraws Rest by @alis-art-stuff

I am so in love with both of these arts. Raycatzdraws is so so SO funny. Every position is hilarious and also SO in character. And alis-art-stuff's piece is a perfect fluffy companion. Looking at this art feels like a warm hug. Everyone is so comfy and happy!

Warnings: detailed descriptions of chronic pain, references to past ableism (with direct ableist quotes), subsequent internalized ableism. They discuss medical issues in this one but they don’t have many of the correct terms or understanding of health conditions, so obligatory please do not take this as medical advice :)

The last bokoblin crumbled to dust at his feet. Sky stumbled to the side, caught in the momentum of the swing of his sword.

"That's the last of them," Warriors said.

"Good fight. Any injuries?” Time asked, just as he did after every battle. No one spoke up, so he nodded in approval. “We should find somewhere nearby to rest.”

Very, very slowly, Sky lowered himself to the ground. His knees, hips, and back popped painfully, so stiff he could barely move them. Sky didn't bother holding back a grimace. Sky pushed his legs out behind him, laid his arms by his side, and collapsed face first in the grass. His entire body throbbed. Sky tried to breathe evenly through the wave of pain.

"Uh, Sky?"

"Here. Rest," Sky mumbled into the dirt. Grass got in his mouth. Removing it seemed like an insurmountable task. It wasn't like it tasted that bad, anyway.

A pause. "Anyone catch that?"

Sky groaned loudly as he turned his head to the side just enough to free his mouth. "Rest. Here." 

Hyrule frowned, glancing around from the top of the hill they were on. The grassy fields continued for miles. "Isn't this a little exposed?"

"Rest here."

Four shrugged. "We did just clear the monsters."

"See? Rest now." Sky wouldn't have been able to get up if he tried. Everything hurt and he was so tired he might cry.

"I'm so on it," Wind said. "I'm so with you." They dropped to their knees—Sky flinched, knowing how his knees would feel if he did that—then sat back on their heels. Wind's arms flopped backwards as they curled forward and shoved their face in the ground. Their forehead touched the ground, leaving their mouth free for complaining. Sky respected the commitment.

"We have been walking and fighting and walking and fighting and running all week. No more," Wind said.

Sky grunted his agreement. The heroes within his line of sigh all looked at him with a wince, eyebrows drawn together and eyes wide with concern. Sky belatedly realized his sound might have been more pitiful than he intended it to be.

"Yeah, that about does it." Legend put her last item away in her bag then flopped onto the grass next to Sky.

"You mind?" Legend asked. Sky made a noise he hoped was significantly less disturbing than before. It must have worked, because Legend laid down with her head on Sky's backside. Sky made a noise of surprise.

"What?" Legend said. "It's soft."

Any reply Sky would have made was cut off by Warriors dramatic sigh as he collapsed on the ground. His legs were bent underneath his body and he haphazardly threw his arms over his face, resulting in his scarf billowing over his head and covering his face completely.

"This is fine," Warriors said, muffled by the scarf.

Twilight laid down next to him and collected the end of Warriors' scarf to use as a pillow. Wild draped himself over Twilight's legs and dragged Hyrule down with him. Hyrule yelped in surprise but relented quickly enough. He stuck one foot into Legend's side as he got comfortable. Four laid on the grass in the most awkward position physically possible. Sky's joints throbbed in pain just looking at it. Sky couldn't see Time from his angle, but going by the loud thump, Time was now also on the ground.

Sky hummed happily and put his face back in the dirt. There was a nice little indentation right where his nose was, so he wasn't even suffocating. How convenient, he thought.

Sky's muscles were still tense from the battle adrenaline. As hard as he tried, he couldn't quite drift off to sleep. His body ached, every joint and every muscle throbbing in time with his heart. The longer he laid on his stomach, the more the fire-like pain in his back spread. He knew he would regret laying like this later, but he really, really didn’t want to move. 

"This is boring," Wind said.

The heroes burst into laughter. Sky chuckled quietly, with as much energy as he could muster.

“Let’s find shapes in the clouds!” Wild suggested. 

“Ooh! Yes! Everyone play!” Wind cheered. 

Sky sighed and tried to will his body to relax. The level of effort he was putting would have been comical—he couldn’t force himself to relax, that defeated the purpose—if he wasn’t so utterly worn down. Everything hurt and he really, really wanted to be asleep. Sharp pressure stung behind his eyes. Sky flopped an arm over them and breathed deeply, desperately trying not to cry. 

The voices of the other heroes sounded like they were underwater. Or, maybe Sky was underwater and they were above. That made more sense, he thought. He certainly felt like he was underwater, drowning as he was pulled down by invisible forces. And how could he fight an enemy he couldn’t see?

A hand touched his boot. Sky flinched, eyes flying open with a gasp. Legend was sitting up beside him; Sky hadn’t noticed the change in pressure when she moved. Legend flashed him an apologetic smile. 

“The sailor wants you to look at the clouds,” Legend said. “You’ve got about ten seconds before they drag you over there themself. Just a warning.”

“Over where?” Sky asked. His neck ached from the strain of looking sideways at Legend. 

In response, Legend tilted her head over her shoulders. The other heroes were gathered in a circle, laying on their backs with their heads together. Legend carefully pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. Beneath her braces, her joints popped. She shook them out then went to the circle. 

Instead of taking the closest open spot, she deliberately stepped on Warriors’ chest. Her step was light enough that it wouldn’t hurt, and more than enough for Warriors to yelp and swat her away. Legend laughed as she let herself be tackled onto the ground. 

Just as Legend predicted, it was no more than ten seconds before Wind was hopping up from the circle and bounding over to Sky. They knelt next to Sky’s head with a wide smile. “Sky, come look at clouds with us!” 

Sky forced a smile even as tears gathered in his eyes. As soon as they started, he couldn’t stop. Tears flowed down his face as Sky choked on a sob, burying his face in his arms in shame. 

“Sky?” Wind’s voice was panicked. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

Sky sniffled and shook his head, ignoring the pinpricks of pain throughout his neck and shoulders. “No, I— I’m— it’s fine. I’m fine.”

“What’s wrong?” Wind asked again. 

“I don- I don’t know,” Sky cried. “I’m just…”

Wind’s hand landed on his back and they started rubbing comforting circles. Another sob forced its way out of Sky’s chest. 

“You should turn over,” Twilight said. Sky sniffed and looked up in surprise. Twilight was right next to him. They all were, Sky realized; the others had moved their circle over to Sky and were all trying very hard not to stare at him in concern. 

“Your back always hurts when you lay like that,” Twilight continued. 

A fresh wave of emotion forced more tears out of Sky’s eyes. “You— how?”

Twilight smiled sadly at him. “I noticed. You never said anything about it, though, so…” Twilight shrugged. 

“Here,” Wind said, voice determined. “Can I help?” 

Sky nodded and wiped his nose miserably. Wind put one hand beneath his shoulder and the other beneath his hip.

“Ready? Set, go!” 

With Wind’s added momentum, Sky turned over on the first try with minimal difficulty. As soon as he landed on his back, the pain intensified and the sound of blood rushing filled his ears. Sky’s breath hitched, then he forced himself to calm down and breathe through the pain as his joints released their tension. 

“Are you having regrets?” Legend asked in a teasing tone. Sky knew that was how she showed her concern, and the words warmed his heart. 

“Mmhmm,” Sky mumbled in reply. His voice wavered far more than he expected. 

The sharp pain receded, and Sky finally was able to take a full breath. He let his arms flop on the grass above his head. Sky let himself breathe and relax. 

“Sky?” Twilight asked, voice uncharacteristically hesitant. 

Sky’s eyes felt like sandpaper under his eyelids as he dragged them open. 

“We wanted to talk to you about… this,” Twilight continued. 

Sky’s face burned with shame. His ears pinned themselves against his head. He glanced at the other heroes, all clearly staring, then shoved his eyes closed again. 

This was it. They were going to tell him he was being too slow and he needed to be better. He needed to try harder . Somewhere in the logical part of his mind, Sky knew he was being unfair to them, but a lifetime of being told to just suck it up and do better and being far, far too slow clouded his judgment.

“I’m sorry. I can do better,” Sky said. 

“What?” Legend interjected harshly. “What are you on about?”

Sky sniffled and wiped his eyes to keep his tears at bay. He drew in a shaky breath before he continued. “I know I’ve been slow lately, but I’ll do better. We don’t have to talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“No, Sky, that’s not what’s happening here,” Warriors said quickly. “We want to help.”

Sky’s thoughts stuttered to a halt. “You… what do you mean?”

“Back in your era, after you passed out, we talked to Zelda about it. We weren’t hiding this from you, but we haven’t had a chance to bring it up since.”

“...Oh. Um…”

Wind’s hand slipped into his and squeezed. Sky squeezed back, at a loss for words. 

“That was scary,” Wind said quietly. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

Sky’s stomach flipped. “I’m sorry.”

Wind squeezed his hand again. “It’s not your fault! The only thing you should be sorry about is not telling us that could happen! How were we supposed to know you’d be okay?”

“Sailor,” Warriors admonished quietly. “Sky, there’s nothing wrong with needing extra help. We all do, sometimes. I… I may not have said it out loud before, but I have battlesickness. You know that, and I know any of you will help me calm down when I can’t remember where I am. Do you blame me for that?”

“Of course not!” Sky said. 

“You’ve helped me apply my scar gel before! And you always make tea when me or Twilight have cramps,” Wild said. 

“I have a blind side. I can’t see attacks,” Time said.

“My shoulder won’t grow right after a monster flung me around. I can’t move it all the way and it hurts, sometimes,” Wind said. 

“This isn’t like that,” Sky interrupted, clenching his free hand in frustration. “This isn’t from my adventure. It comes and goes with how bad it is, but I’ve always been this way.”

“You know my joints are terrible. That’s something you and I have in common,” Legend added. “The braces help, but I’m not always up for moving. You’ve never blamed me for that.”

“I’ve had migraines all my life,” Four said. “More after my adventures, just like you.”

“I have food allergies,” Hyrule said. “Those aren’t my fault and they’ve been here forever.”

“It… it doesn’t get better. I have to deal with this every day.” Sky’s voice had a hint of a whine to it, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Everything hurts all the time. I’m so tired. I can’t even stand up without my body collapsing. It’s— it’s really, really hard,” Sky finished in a small voice. 

Wind squeezed his hand. The group was silent for a moment, only the sounds of crickets jumping through the grass. 

“Zelda told us some things she and Groose do to help,” Warriors said. “I’d like to hear what you do day to day to manage it, if you’re comfortable sharing.”

Sky blinked up at the clouds through teary eyes. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

“I always watch food being prepared, that helps my anxiety. I don’t like my face or neck being touched. When I’m panicking, breathing exercises and asking me to describe my surroundings are what help,” Warriors offered. 

After a beat, enough time for Sky to speak up if he wanted, Legend continued. “I stretch every morning and night. I have pain relief tea if I need it. Movement helps the inflammation stay down, but too much running or jumping makes things worse.”

“Oh,” Sky realized. “That’s— my knees are the same. If they stay straight or bent for too long they get hard to move.”

“There, see? Stuff like that,” Warriors encouraged. “What else do you know?”

“Um. When I passed out, that was from standing too quickly. Well, the portal makes everything feel worse, and I don’t usually fully pass out. When I sit up or stand up I have to move really slow or I feel bad for a while. I lean or sit as often as I can. I sleep as much as I can, but I’m still tired all the time, no matter how much I rest. Is that— is that okay?”

“You’re doing great, Sky. That’s exactly what we mean,” Twilight said. 

“Zelda mentioned the exhaustion too,” Warriors said. “She said stamina fruit helps…”

The Links stayed on the hill, resting and talking for the rest of the day. Time tired of talking quickly, but he listened with a smile on his face. Wind, Wild, and Hyrule pointed out exciting clouds during lapses in the conversation. The other heroes offered things about themselves they had learned and things that helped them, too, so Sky wasn’t the only one. They made sure he didn’t feel like a burden, and they made sure he felt loved. 

For once, Sky was not the first to fall asleep. Time and Wild hadn’t responded in a while, and Legend hadn’t opened her eyes for her last three comments. Sky could feel the fatigue tugging on his eyelids as he struggled to keep up with the conversation. After his third yawn in as many sentences, Warriors reached over Wind and ruffled Sky’s hair. 

“Get some sleep,” Warriors said with a fond chuckle. “I’ll wake everyone up in time to make camp before dusk.”

“Okay,” Sky said around another yawn. He sighed contentedly and drifted off more easily than he had in weeks. He felt light, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The problems with his body may not be able to be solved, but Sky was confident they could be managed, especially with his family by his side. 

[gorkaya-trava]

I feel like I'm gonna lit someone's ass with this (god have mercy on me I don't wanna start a discourse haha) but I honestly don't understand what's the problem with being "proshipper" or something lmao. like. ofc the fiction has its impact on reality and romanticizing Bad Things™ is never okay but it's still art!!!!! and the art is a reflection of reality and sometimes reality is just full of shit. there should be a place for everything in art because it's just the life as it is and real problems won't go anywhere if you try to stop writing and drawing about them. I personally think that as long as you don't hurt anyone in real world you can create anything you want even if it's "problematic". I used to write about sexual assaults (yes, even about childhood ones) because you know what? I'm a csa survivor and I'm severely traumatized and it was a way for me to cope with it!!!! art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, and it's one of my favorite quotes ever. so yeah. I don't see a problem in "problematic" content as long as it doesn't hurt anyone irl. it's just that simple. and wishing people death bc they drew an art with a "wrong" ship is never okay bc you know. it hurts real people :)

[pare1dolia]

[Scarlet Hollow] Reese Kelly and his Paintings

I’ve been thinking a lot about Reese lately.

Potential spoilers under the cut. Also this post is just long, because I like to ramble, especially about art.

Admittedly when I did my first few runs of Scarlet Hollow, I didn’t give much mind to Reese’s room. It’s a space he’s filled with art. Pointedly disturbing artwork, at the very least in the narration of the game, but I’d interpret it in part as him taking this frankly dingy space and making it his. Since it’s basement level, the windows are all narrow and up high. The walls are obviously cinderblock foundation, and I can almost guarantee that the floor’s concrete.

But more recently, I decided to take a closer look at the contents of his paintings. I’m no stranger to horror art personally-- it’s one of my favorite types of artwork, especially when done in a way that isn’t for shock value.

Now I’ll claim I may have some bias here in interpretation when I say these paintings feel inspired by Francisco Goya, specifically the works that became known as the Black Paintings. They were painted around the walls of his current home, in muted and yellowed colors. Their depictions were disturbing and mysterious in equal measure, especially given the placement of certain pieces in the estate.

I hope you can see the resemblance, especially with the figures appearing to be sleeping near where his bed is placed. Which leads me to my next tidbit: It’s more than likely that Reese utilized the contents of his work as a coping mechanism, or some way to find comfort.

This is nothing new, sure. Art has been used as a coping mechanism for ages, and given what we know of Reese’s upbringing, it feels only natural that this would be the mechanism he’s drawn to. To quote a comment I’d seen on a series of horror paintings: “He’s fine. This is how he’s healing.”

Also, in Episode 4, when the paintings come to life they seem to act in a protective measure. It’s another layer of coping-- a protective system, a way for him to have control over an uncontrollable situation.

But maybe I’m reading too much into this. I just think his art is neat.

(As an aside, this piece feels particularly noteworthy, given what we’ve seen of Wayne...)

[leastdepressedomorifan]

yk every time i think about the quote "art should disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed" my mind eventually comes back to sewerslvt her music so filled with just pure emotion both haunting and hopeful like kawaii razor blades sounds so sad but at the same time hopeful like its saying that tomorrow is another day it will be a fight but you will make it every single song sounds like she poured a bit of her self into them and with her final album it feels like she poured all of her emotion into it she went through hell and used it to create music that truly gets people or it may have been simply a way to cope but it doesnt matter as i know it has helped comfort the disturbed

[txna-blxckthorn]

Hey!! Can you please answer these questions from the “Get to know me, send me a symbol.” Ask game?

🏫 Are you in school, what grade

📖 Fave book

📝 Fave quote

🎁 Best gift you ever received and why

🌎 What country do you live in

omg hi thank you for the ask !!!

Yeah but not currently since I’m on summer break, im going to be entering 10th grade

ascendants series !!

favorite quote is on my intro post, “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” by banksy

i already answered this, 2 rabbits for my 10th birthday :]

I can’t answer that sorry 😭

TYSM AGAIN FOR THE ASK!!

[forestshadow-wolf]

Is there's something seemingly random that you have a memory/meaning attached to?

Eg. Everytime you see/hear x you think of y, like everytime I hear the discussing of nude models/nudity in art I think of my art teacher saying "there's a difference between being naked and in the nude. Being naked is like AHH!! GET OUT. And Being in the nude is like. Yeah. I'm here." (Wacky example i know but you get the idea)

ok first, I actually really like that example.

second, anytime I learn something that's supposedly disturbing I always think of the quote by Cesar A. Cruz (had to look that up lol) "art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted.", and I guess I just applied that to just.. a lot of things. like- for example, I learned the Bearded Vultures (sorry I've been obsessed) eat primarily bones/bone marrow, and when I tell other people that they find that disturbing, but I don't. I think of it like it's something special, to have the job of using the thing that's left over. not many animals in general, much less birds, eat bones; so for bones to be the thing that gives you energy, and allow them back into the cycle of life...

[rat-prophetess]

wow. i guess i rly don't get it. i get most other things i can think of except martyrs

oh that is absolutely 100% fair. It’s incredibly specific, and it’s my favorite film but I’ve only ever recommended it to one (1) person irl haha.

I think the thing is that most people who watch it think that it’s just torture porn and, I mean, fair, but I think it’s a love story. Like I think the reason I latched into it so hard is that it’s about human connection even when the world contains nothing but relentless, unbearable suffering. It’s a queer(!) love story about how love doesn’t have to be reciprocated to be real, and the capacity to love someone unconditionally is something to hold onto when there’s nothing else. Even if it can’t save you or stop what’s happening around you, it’s still important.

And I think it’s an exceptionally good representation of trauma and doesn’t shy away from portraying the way certain things can fuck you up irreversibly. Which sounds fatalistic and cruel, but it’s also true, and it’s reassuring for someone to admit that.

Like, whatever that quote is about how horror is there to “disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed” comes down to the fact that a lot of horror movies can be boiled down to “sometimes awful things can happen to people who don’t deserve them for no reason and they can’t be prevented”. And if you’re a person who’s had a pretty ok life so far, that sounds like a threat; but if you’re someone who’s gone through a lot of shit, especially at a young age, that can sound like “it wasn’t your fault, there was nothing you could have done about it, and you’re not responsible for deriving some kind of meaning from it”, you know?

(And I’m not saying that everyone who has trauma loves horror, that everyone who loves horror has trauma, or any related corollaries lol. Two of my best friends have PTSD, one of them watched Martyrs with me and the other one hates anything scary and loves cartoons and those are both 100% valid.)

Also just on a meta level, it’s weirdly reassuring to me that the writer/director was suicidal depressed (shocked pikachu face) and despite/because of that managed to create this extremely beautiful piece of art that made me feel less alone.

Anyway sorry that was more than I meant to write and less coherent bc I just woke up but thank you for coming to my ted talk!! I am actually incapable of shutting up about my special interests so please do not feel obliged to read All That

[mint-chocolate-broccoli]

youre a disturbed individual

pray tell, what compels someone to say such vile words to someone? is it the anonymity granting you safety? do you find it comforting, the shield your screen provides? was this meant to pierce my skin, to ail me? was it meant to hurt? sting, perhaps? you don't know where i came from, kid. you don't know the slum i was raised in, nay, raised myself in. you wouldnt last an hour in the asylum where they raised me, and i bet you wont recognise that quote (i can tell you dont indulge in the fine arts). i hate you and everything you stand for, but make no mistake, my hatred does not come from a place of hurt and self preservation, no, instead, i find your kind disgusting. i hate you like i would hate a long-legged paper wasp entering my room uninvited. be careful, kid. you might get smacked with a really big and heavy book.....

[wanderingmausoleum]

4, 6, 12, 30!

(for the ask game!)

4. favorite underrated band

hmmmm honestly not sure if many of the bands i like are underrated because a lot of my faves are (deservedly) pretty popular, like powerwolf and sabaton, but perhaps my beloved medieval metal band apocalypse orchestra (who've been teasing a new album for a while, btw)...or my favorite deathcore band viscera...

6. favorite food/s and why

cannoli has been my favorite food and favorite dessert since i was very small (good flavor, good textures, can include chocolate, sweet but not overpowering, could shove like 10 of them in my mouth in a row if i was permitted) so you can imagine my anguish at discovering that wheat products are (allegedly) destroying my intestines and that gluten free cannoli shells are very hard to find

12. quotes you like?

a few different vibes of quote, off the top of my head:

"how dull for you to live your life without any hills to die on" from tumblr user ommanyte was very helpful to my younger self

i've always been attached to that quote "art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable" even though i know people think it's corny, but i've just learned that the guy who said it (Dr. César A. Cruz) is an activist who seems extremely cool so i refuse to think it's cringe anymore

my favorite passage from a written work ever is from the poem "skunk hour" by robert lowell: "[...] I hear / my ill-spirit sob in each blood cell, / as if my hand were at its throat. . . . / I myself am hell; / nobody’s here—"

30. favorite animals?

Answered here! :]

[kenthinkofany-blog]

LIFE IS SHORT. #thealchemist #bookstagram #philosophyquotes #coelho #lovequotes #quote #lovequotesandsayings #followyourheart #quotesfrombooks #booklove #fyp #aestheticvideos #bookreelsofinstagram #quotesgram #explorefeed #truelovequotes #deeplovequotes #reels #reelsfb #reelsfypシ #reelsvideo #reelsviral #reels2023 #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspireothers #art #reelitI will be an artist or nothing!

I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone because I am the person I know best.

Being an artist is the same as being a wizard… only instead of a wand, you use a pencil for your magic.

Drawing takes time. A line has time in it.

Art doesn’t have to be pretty. It has to be meaningful.

Artist by nature. Every art is a masterpiece.

Art isn’t a talent. It’s an experience.

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

Art is a line around your thoughts.

Art is freedom. Being able to bend things most people see as a straight line.

Art is the journey of a free soul.

Art is what happens when you dare to be who you really are.

Art is neither a profession nor a hobby. Art is a way of being

Art is the journey of a free soul.

Every child is an artist

Art is an experience not an object.

I dream my painting and I paint my dream

Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.

I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.

Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight

Create with the heart; build with the mind.

Art is the only serious thing in the world. And the artist is the only person who is never serious.

The chief enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense.

Art is either revolution or plagiarism.

I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.

Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.

If I paint something, I don’t want to have to explain what it is.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.

All art, like all love, is rooted in heartache.

Filling a space in a beautiful way

Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.

Art is my life and my life is art

Artsy Instagram Captions

Broken Crayons Still color

Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.

If you’re always trying to be normal you’ll never know how amazing you can be.

Creativity is intelligence having fun.

Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist

Art is therapy

There is peace even in the storm

Art is an experience not an object.

Art is what happens when you dare to be who you really are.

The artist is nothing without the gift but the gift is nothing without the work.

No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist.

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Art is a line around your thoughts.

If you are willing to do something that might not work, you’re closer to being an artist.

I know of nothing with any certainity, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

No great artist ever sees things as they really are, if he did, he would cease to be an artist.

Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence.

Every child is an artist

[valocity95]

death

i love death. i think its fucking beautiful, as well as insanely fucking scary. its a bi-product of the equally as scary unstoppable, slow, disasterous march of time. as time marches like a band slowing for members to throw flowers into the crowd, death follows slowly throwing bombs suit. death is amazing because not only is it scientific, its philosophical and artistic. to the highly taboo yet essential job of morticians and ebalmers to the daily symbolism to death to the fact that any genre of art (music, literature, physical art such as paintings or sculptures) includes it somewhere guaranteed. death keeps the moving as normal, throwing wilted roses and waiting with bombs.

death is one of the most disgusting yet masterful pieces of art ever created. it ties in perfectly with the quote, "art is supposed to disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed." death is inherently a disturbing topic because of what happens to the body during the process and after dying and what happens to those who loved the recently deceased. its disturbing to know someone you love can be ripped away from you at any moment, leaving a gash teared open with jagged edges that no stitches can fix. specifically in western culture, death is shunned and called "taboo" as a topic for this reason. death is ran from in art when it should be ran towards. shoving it in peoples faces not only lessens the taboo but it also shows the beauty so that people are less afraid of it. it could also destigmatize certain mental conditions and suicide, because the suicidal do flirt with the grim reaper. using symbolism and colors and personal motifs can make death into a beautiful art piece, or the disturbing parts could be highlighted to show that yes, its bad, but isnt there always good in bad?

imagine a painting, a sculpture, a cast, a photograph, whatever you must, of a figure recently deceased. the figure is pale for their complexion, with milky glossed over eyes seeing things we could never know. is this figure dressed, covered in blood, missing apendages, or simply lying in nothing like they slipped into the wrong canvas. now imagine roses. imagine deep cuts lining this person. their nose, their eyes, a gigantic gash placed perfectly between the left eye and the corner of bottom lip. beautiful red and black roses grow out of these gashes. isnt that just fucking amazing, huh?

now imagine an art form, painting, sculpture, whatever. its a naked, maimed, scarred, bloody, bruised, whipped and beaten and just overall gorey figure. they could be bloated, they could be so disgustingly thin that the skin seeps between their ribs. there are still gashes all over this person, but this time they reek of despair. you look too closely and you can feel yourself being sucked in and you can hear their final cries and pleas with whatever religious figure or lack there of.

those are the 2 main sides of death, the haunting and the beauty. both sides create an equillibrium which ends only in death coming out as one thing: inevitable.

[imogenleewriter]

10 writer asks

Thanks for tagging me @enchantedlandcoffee

What is your absolute all-time favourite idea you've ever had?

So when I talk about my WIP's, I refer to one of them as 'My big fic' and that's because... um, it's going to be big... that one. But I have two others to finish before that one.

2. Is there a question you've been asked in the past that really stands out to you and you still think about sometimes?

If I'm okay, lol. A commenter once said that I write too well to be mentally stable and then asked me if I was doing okay and if there was anything I wanted to talk about. I still think about it quite often.

I am okay, by the way. Well, as well as I can be.

3. What is your favorite part of being a writer? What parts could you take or leave?

Favourite: - Generally the actual writing. - Creating stories and goals, motivations, and conflicts. - Developing well-rounder, believable characters. - Dialogue. - My readers. I just, can't ever even begin to explain how much I love them and the, well, everything.

My 4-month-old fic is the 17th most commented Larry fic of all time. EVER! Out of 42k fics. It's like 1600th with kudos which just shows how dedicated the readers I have are.

Leave: - How little time there is in the day. Sometimes my head is full of ideas, but I can't get them down fast enough. - I'm not going to say what because then people will go looking for them in everything I write and see them, lol, but I have some definite weaknesses in my writing technique. I would rather just not have them... so if I could just be good at everything, that would be great. - Drafting. I NEED drafts. Can't/shouldn't write without them, but I get so antsy because I just want to publish things.

4. What is your greatest motivation to write/create?

Readers. Honestly. I would struggle to get things done anywhere near as quickly without them. Reading. Often reading other people's stuff makes me want to get up and write my own. Deadlines. I've found that I need deadlines to survive. Without them I just waste time.

5. What is the best piece of advice you've ever read or bee given as a writer?

SO much stuff. I could honestly write out 1k of my favourite writing quotes. Three that stuck with me when I was writing YCHIITS were: - The thing you are most afraid to write - write that. (unknown) - Art should comfort the disturbed and distrub the comfortable. (Banksy) - Write hard and clear about what hurts (Hemingway)

Me: It was never meant to be angsty. Also, me: Those three quotes are what kept me going.

6. What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out writing?

Psssssh, um. Like ever, or publishing? I wish I spent more time editing YCHIITS because there are so many grammatical errors that I STILL go back and fix up issues. It would have been a lot quicker to take a bit more time editing chapters before posting them, rather than going back months later and editing them.

7. What is your favourite story you've written TO COMPLETION? Link it if you'd like and can

Um. I mean, at the moment, you can guess, lol.

8. What is your favourite out-of-the-box quote?

This whole thing is making me sound mentally unstable, lol. But someone sent me this the others day and I posted it. - "You write so beautifully... the inside of your mind must be a terrible place."

9. Which of your characters would you say has the most controversial mindset? Why do you say so, and how do you personally feel about their ideals?

Oooh. I don't know if this means general characters or ones whose POV I've written in. I think by the end, 99% of people said Zayn was their favourite character, but he also got a fair bit of dislike early on. I don't think his character changed so much, as he just started to make sense. If it's just POV characters - Louis by default because it couldn't be Harry.

10. If you, when you first started writing met you now, what would younger you think?

So when I was 18, I put "finishing a book" at the top of my bucket list. I'd say probably five years ago, I was like, "Okay, if I want to write, I should probably... start." That I would be very confused about the fact I was writing One Direction fan fiction because I didn't even like 1D, but would still be so proud. It's never been about getting something published, just writing something that I like and people read.

[autolenaphilia]

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Cloak and Dagger games and published in 2022 by Wadjet Eye Games. It’s a horror game, and one of the few video games that feels true to the genre’s literary origins.

It’s set at an unspecified time in late Victorian England. The Player character is an upper-class woman with the delightfully Victorian name of Thomasina Bateman. She is what we today would call an archaeologist, but she calls herself an antiquarian and “barrow digger”. She arrives from London in the small and remote fictional village of Bewley, which lays isolated by the surrounding moors, to dig up a barrow upon the invitation of one of the residents.

It’s a video game that understands that horror is best built up subtly and slowly. The villagers act in weird and unsettling ways. Yet their actions are not themselves clear evidence of some deep-rooted evil. It’s not obvious in the way some horror stories are. There is an ambiguity to the game’s attempts to scare you that are more scary than outright knowing, because it is fear of the unknown, “the oldest and strongest fear”.

There are alternative explanations for almost anything that happens. When you first meet the local vicar he is ill, pukes and asks you to bloodlet him. It’s strange, it’s disturbing, but it can be explained as just him being ill and believing in bloodletting. Hob’s Barrow has been dubbed folk horror and compared to The Wicker Man and there is merit to the comparison, especially in how it builds a vague sense of unease about its village setting, without fully revealing its hand until the end.

The game’s artstyle really works in tandem with the writing here. The actual gameplay of the game is depicted in retro 90s-style pixel-art. Yet there are brief cutscenes which are mainly close-ups of people’s faces. The cuts are jarring and the artstyle of these cutscenes feels disturbing in a way that is hard to put into words.

The game’s supernatural elements are slowly introduced and with a similar ambiguity. It starts as visions during sleep that can be dismissed as nightmares. And then Thomasina starts to have strange experiences when she is awake, yet it’s isolated incidents that have a similarity to real-life stories of the supernatural. It slowly builds up to a greater supernatural weirdness. And even then there is ambiguity if it is real or not.

Thomasina is the perfect main character for this kind of story. She is a convinced rationalist, sceptic and atheist, taught by her father to dismiss the supernatural as “hogwash”. And Thomasina is a headstrong and determined woman, more comfortable digging out barrows in trousers than in dresses. Her name of course is a feminine version of the male name Thomas, which in turn suggests “tomboy”, as well as being very Victorian British (the variation “Tamsin” has become more common over the years). So being a determined rationalist, she naturally continues ahead with trying to excavate Hob’s Barrow despite the dark portents and the villagers being against her. The signs are ambiguous and subtle, and she of course goes for the rational explanation of them. For the player, she is clearly in a horror story, and headed for a confrontation with dark forces, yet she dismisses any hint of the supernatural as “hogwash”. It builds a sense of dread and impending doom.

The game has been called Lovecraftian, and indeed there is similarity to his stories (I quoted Creepy Howie earlier). Yet the game has a very English rural setting, with a village on the moors frequently drenched in rain and grey skies overhead. The game’s supernatural elements are rooted in English folklore, with stories of the fair folk and hobgoblins living in the hills. It reminds me more of Lovecraft’s English and Welsh inspirations such as Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood and M.R. James.

The theme is one common to such horror stories. Thomasina is an examplar of Victorian belief in science, reason and progress, dismissive of the supernatural and superstition. A modern woman from London, she ignores the superstitions of the rural villagers. Yet those convictions means she is headed to a confrontation with dark and irrational supernatural forces beyond her understanding that can destroy her worldview, and her. It’s the modern rationalist worldview vs a primitive supernatural one. It’s a horror based in the fear of the modern person that the scientific rationalist worldview that our civilization is built upon is false and that a deeper irrational and chaotic reality lies beneath.

The game’s ending is dark, yet it is heavily foreshadowed. Those heavy portents of doom throughout the game come true. What might be interpreted as a dark twist of the story doesn’t even feel like a twist, just a confirmation of the foreshadowing (which is not a bad thing). It’s bleak, but that is typical for the genre. This kind of horror story usually ends this way. Yet it feels daring for a video game, which usually likes to rewards the player’s efforts with a happy ending.

The game has similarities to The Hound of the Baskervilles, but that was a subversion of the gothic. This game upholds those themes. This time the scientific reasoner from London coming to the moors has to actually confront supernatural evil out of local folklore, and it can’t be but destructive.

The ambiguity about the supernatural actually continues into the game’s late stages, yet in a way that is bitterly ironic for Thomasina. She sees things that are clearly supernatural, yet by now there are hints that she is an unreliable narrator and has started to hallucinate. Even if her views about the world are correct, she has still lost the ability to see the world that way. The story retains our fear of the unknown by leaving a lot of things unexplained. And the answers we do get have this kind of ambiguity if they are even true or not.

The gameplay relies on a similar build-up as the game’s story horror elements, and match them in intelligent ways. The puzzles feel relevant to story and theme. The puzzles for the bulk of the game are fairly mundane and are based in the village and its strange characters. A puzzle solution rests upon a debate between two villagers about the merits of the railway connecting the primitive rural village with the modern city of London. To progress, Thomasina has to go on a fetch quest to gather ingredients for a folk remedy. All relevant to the themes of modernity vs the past, scientific reason vs superstition.

The finale of the game features exploring a strange supernatural location, and the puzzles change to match. The character-based puzzles are gone, replaced by having to figure out puzzles in order to progress and explore. It’s things like solving elaborate coded locks and solving puzzles to find keys. It’s unrealistic in a way that adventure games usually are, but here it is justified by the story, which at this point has moved into supernatural strangeness.

It’s a game whose puzzles feel connected and relevant to the story. It’s well-done. The puzzles are on the easier side, I never had to use a guide. Yet I felt appropriately if moderately challenged at times. And not having to resort to a walkthrough for an adventure game is usually better than the alternative.

The game’s presentation is great too, and is a vital part of why the story succeeds so well. The pixel art is impressive, and the cutscene art is appropriately unnerving. And the voice direction, done by Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye Games is excellent, with the actors creating a plausible rural Victorian England ambience. The music and sound effects create a sense of foreboding that fits the tone.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is an excellent adventure game. It’s also one of the most successful attempts to translate literary horror fiction into a video game. It’s the rare horror game that is about slowly building a sense of dread and fear rather than shocking the player or frustrating them with overly tense, difficult gameplay. It makes much of the horror game genre look crude and cheap in comparison.

[linkablewritingadvice]

How do I get started? How do I overcome writer’s block? I feel stuck or overwhelmed by the blank page - where do I start?

The only way out is through. You’ve got to find a way to get the words down, so you have something to work with, edit, or share later. 

Some people like changing their text editor’s font to something silly or unreadable, so they don’t take what they’re writing as seriously. You can also try turning your screen off or making your text the same color as the background so you can’t see what you’re typing. Experiment with voice to text or handwriting.

There is plenty of advice out there that you might find inspiring. Read that, and if you find a quote or piece of advice that inspires you, keep it somewhere you can see.

Sometimes it’s about getting into the right mindset and avoiding distractions. Make sure your setup is as comfortable and ergonomic as possible. Try turning off your internet or setting your device to “do not disturb.” Find music that helps you focus. Some writers like chewing gum or sucking on hard candies while they work. Some wear a specific hat, scarf, pair of gloves, etc. to signal to their body that “it’s time to work.”

Goals and metrics really help some people. You could try setting a timer for fifteen minutes and committing to just not taking your fingers off the keyboard for that entire time. Or set a goal of 300 words to write before getting up. Even if you just start off writing “I don’t know what to write,” letting the words start to flow will get the habit ingrained and get things moving.

It’s as hard, and as easy, as: just start. Just do it. Type a word. Then another one. Give yourself permission to suck. Focus on quantity over quality at first. Find whatever style gets you flowing - first person, third person, pretending to be your character and write a letter to a friend about what happened to them, writing down a basic summary of what you want to write, etc.

Some people like using writing prompts, which can be a story starter, a snippet of dialogue, a photo, etc. Challenge yourself to write something based on a prompt, or with another restriction, and see what happens.

Resources:

Writing prompts from Art Institute of Chicago

Dialogue prompts

Story A Day writing prompt sites

Short Story Ideas

Random Image Generator

What Happens Next prompts