#Arts and social skills

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

#writeblr #warm up #this is longer than i wanted i really considered removing that part about myself and what i went thru #but i think it really fucking bothers me that EVERY time i talk about being an artist #ppl assume i just like. had the skill and ability to drop everything and pay for grad school. #like sir i grew up poor. my house wasn't a safe space. i gave up a FREE RIDE TO LAW SCHOOL. for THIS. bc i chose it. #was it fucking hard? was i choosing the hard thing?? yes. #but we need to stop seeing artists as lazy layabouts that can ''afford'' to just ''sit around and create'' #when MANY - if not MOST - of us are NOT like that. we have to work our fucking ASSES off. hard work. long and hard work #part of valuing artists is recognizing the amount we sacrifice to make our art. bc it doesn't just #like HAPPEN to us. also btw it rarely has anything to do with true talent. #speaking as someone with a chronic condition i hate when ppl are like u have it easy. like actively as i'm writing this my hands r #ACTIVELY hurting me. i haven't been posting bc my left hand was curled in a claw for the last week #this isn't fucking luck. after a certain point it's not even TALENT. it's dedication & sacrifice. #''u get to flounce around and do nothing with ur life'' is a narrative that is a direct result of capitalism #imagine if we said that about literally any other profession. #''oh so u give up 10 yrs of ur life to be a doctor? u sacrifice having a social life and u get SUPER in debt? #u need to work countless hours and it will often be thankless? well i wish i was that lucky'' #we should be applying that logic to landlords ONLY #''oh ur mom and dad gave u the money to buy a house? and all u did was paint it white and rent it? huh.''

[thecontentlibrary32]

What are some of the benefits of arts and entertainment?

Arts and entertainment are the lively threads that weave together cultural identity, emotional expression, and intellectual development in the complex tapestry of human existence. These artistic manifestations have the capacity to profoundly enrich our lives and contribute to the wellbeing of both people and society as a whole, in addition to serving as times of relaxation and enjoyment. We set…

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#Arts and community #Arts and creativity #Arts and economics #Arts and education #Arts and mental health #Arts and problem-solving #Arts and social skills #Arts and stress relief #Arts and well-being

[inspisart]

I’m surprised he didn’t start licking the furniture

#tim drake #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #batfam #dc #batman issue 441 #inspi art #'not cause trouble' my ass #tim fanboys so hard he spent actual money and free time reading up on batman's house and decor #his social skills are questionable but his entusiasm and sincerity is not

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Siffrin plays Disco Elysium AU: Featuring backseat gamer Loop.

#in stars and time #ISAT #Siffrin #Loop #disco elysium #digital art #When I first thought of a crossover I went from 1) 'ISAT Disco AU but Loop is all of the skills' #To: 2) 'Loop is in the mindspace alongside the skills #To my magnum opus: 3)'Loop is sitting next to Siffrin backseat gaming him the whole time.' #Loop beat Disco Elysium ages ago and repeated it to the point they know all the vision quests and dialogue variables. #Siffrin just started playing and Loop keeps ruining the fun by using their meta-game knowledge to try and help. #Also let's be real. Siffrin's stats are 100% completely focused into motorics and nothing else. #If we can't Savoir Faire ourselves of this situation - we will explode. Endurance? Call my insurance instead. #Thinking skills? None. Emotional intelligence and morale? A failed social interaction canonically feels like death to them. #I might have bumped Phys up but...Siffrin's Electrochem stat is like -10. And Pain Threshold is emotional durability too. #Unused part of this joke is that I set their signature skill to Drama. #Both these games made my brain melt so now I get to combine them! I have that power! #This joke made me laugh the entire 3 hours I sat down and drew it and that is what creation should be about.

[coleslawr02]

there is a doug 🐕 in your Bib cage 💀

#reverse 1999 #horropedia #horrorpedia #he’s not even my favorite of the green lake cast #i just am cursed to draw men with glasses and poor social skills #my art

[atoriv-art]

surprise!

#gaasasu #sasugaa #approximately 1 social skill point between them but they make it count #gaara #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #2024 #art #fanart #naruto

[thwackk]

battinson enjoying a snowday with his newly adopted son :) happy holidays everyoooone

#dc #batman #battinson #bruce wayne #robin #dick grayson #listen i can only see battinson as a good parent. obviously not perfect he’s still a wet rat recluse with zero social skills #but he’d try way harder to be emotionally available to this kid and i will stand by that #my art lol #it is *checks watch* 3 in the morning #this isnt the only christmasy drawing i had but it’s the only nice enough to post one i have :( i’ve been way too busy

[canisalbus]

My headcanon for Modern!Machete before he encounters (re-encounters?) Vasco is that he works in some high-powered but low-profile position for an influential and well-known multinational. Like a corporate lawyer or accountant for Apple or Volkswagon or Shell. He's very, very good at his job, his assistants and staff think he's a good boss, his boss thinks he's great, but half his colleagues can't stand him because they think he got promoted for sucking up to their boss instead of for his skills (it was for his skills). He's got exactly enough interpersonal skills to recognize the problem and not enough to fix it. He gets paid extremely well, well enough to mostly pretend that he's happy and fulfilled (he still ends up happier in the Modern!AU because his job only sucks a little instead of literally destroying him. Also because modern medicine means his medical situation is much better understood and controlled). Yes this is all just the modern equivalent to what canon!Machete's got going on but it's startling how much carries over with no changes.

Oh that's so well thought out actually, I love that.

#man #not to get personal but that autism feeling when you're good at what you do but fail the face to face social affableness test #“enough interpersonal skills to recognize the problem and not enough to fix it” big mood #he thrives in professional settings because formality clear etiquette and solid social hierarchy are easier to navigate #than personal relationships which can be messy and vague and have unwritten rules and inside jokes that he's not privy to #“his job only sucks a little instead of literally destroying him” yeah that's what I've been thinking of as well #as much as I'd like to grant him his dream job in arts history fashion or such he really belongs in that cutthroat corporate hellscape #Vaschete scenarios #modern au #answered #anonymous

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: How To Reduce Social Anxiety To Boost Your Confidence, Make Friends, & Become Magnetic

Some practical tips to reframe your thoughts going into social settings to help you boost your confidence and step into your power. Here's how to hold your own in every conversation, connect with anyone, and use the art of seduction, influence, and charm to become a social magnet to level up in every area of life.

HOW TO MANAGE SOCIAL ANXIETY: 

Everyone Is Self-Conscious: Remember that, like yourself, everyone is more focused on (and critical of) how they’re presenting themselves and their actions, not yours. People care too much about how they look to overanalyze what you do. They often forget most (if not all) of the things you say in a casual conversation by the next day. Realizing that we all are too self-focused to really care about the small things others do or say is freeing. This reminder can help calm your nerves and reframe the situation to ease anxiety when you start to worry about what others are thinking of you in a social setting or during a conversation.  

Prioritize Self-Presentation: Consider how confident you feel with your actions and self-presentation when interacting with others before worrying about their impressions of you. Focus on how you can show up as your best self when engaging in social activities and conversations. People notice when others like and feel comfortable with themselves. This quality is attractive to others and will make them feel more at ease when speaking to you. Interactions flow better when your conversation partner is relaxed, so finding ways to stay calm when speaking makes it easier to manage social anxiety. Allow your self-assurance to speak for itself. This ability to hold your own will radiate through your words, tonality, delivery, and mannerisms during any conversation. Simply put – People like others who already like themselves. Who you attract into your circle reflects the person you've decided to be.

Listen. More than you speak: This tip kills two birds with one stone – it allows you to sit back without worrying about what you need to say while allowing the other person to feel heard. The easiest way to be well-liked is to give people the space to share their thoughts, have them be valued, and feel understood. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Practice active listening to increase your charm. Use the information you uncover to drive the conversation. You don't necessarily need to be chatty or extroverted to be charismatic (more on this point later). 

TIPS FOR SOCIALIZING & MAKING FRIENDS: 

Get Curious To Connect: Follow-up questions are your best friend if you get nervous and anticipate a wave of social anxiety. These questions have a dual benefit: You’re allowing others to indulge in subjects or experiences that resonate with them and helping to guide the conversation. Listen to ways that you can branch off into related topics, mutual interests, and shared emotions or experiences. Ask relevant questions to keep the conversation flowing and demonstrates your interest and desire to connect with the other person. There’s no quality more charming than making others feel special and understood. This interpersonal skill allows you to connect with others without feeling like you need to fill up air time or be more vulnerable than you’re comfortable. It can be especially helpful to remember this advice when conversing with a stranger, authority figure, or someone else you want to impress without looking inferior (teacher, boss, industry leader, partner’s parents, etc.).  

Read & Develop Interests/Opinions:  Expanding your knowledge base provides an entry point to more people, engaging conversations, and opportunities. It’s easier to speak to people when you have some understanding of relevant topics others are discussing around the table or are of interest to the person in front of you. Take time to read about and study topics you’re interested in. Stay on top of cultural topics (movies, music, books, TV shows, etc.) and news within your chosen industry (or one you’re hoping to break into), different destinations you’ve been to or want to go to, favorite products, etc. Develop some robust opinions (don’t share those on hot-button topics like politics and religion) on these subjects and current events. Having the ability to listen to others' perspectives on a topic with an understanding of the subject matter and dive further into the topic with a distinct POV makes for an engaging conversation (and a potential new connection). 

Learn The Art of The Follow-Up: If you hit it off with someone, exchange contact information (social media, phone number, email – depending on the context of the situation and level of initial connection). Send them a relevant message at some point over the next few days to stay connected. Try something related to the conversation – like an article on a topic you discussed, or a recommendation for a coffee shop in the area. Or, get more personal if you’re comfortable, and ask how a meeting went, if they ended up liking a certain show, movie, or book, or whether they want to grab lunch at that place they mentioned they love. Remain thoughtful and interested without looking desperate. People want to know others are thinking about them as long you’re not obsessive. 

BEING EXTROVERTED VS. SOCIABLE:

Extroversion vs. introversion is about how you recharge. You can’t change this part of your nature. For some people, being around others for too long makes them feel exhausted no matter how comfortable they feel in the situation or enjoy the company. As an extroverted introvert, I’ve noticed that learning to be sociable is the key to connecting with others – even if you realize mid-conversation that you might need a week of reading a book in bed to bounce back from attending a couple of events. 

Learn how to present yourself with relaxed, open body language. Smile, and make eye contact (but not too much). Speak slowly and carefully with pauses, so your conversation partner latches on to every word and is intrigued to hear more. Use your tone of voice to communicate the emotion behind your words. Ensure the other person is done speaking before responding. Nod your head to acknowledge the person’s talking points and show they’re heard. Laugh at the correct times to bond and share your sense of humor. Shake their hand firmly. Wave and hug goodbye (when appropriate). 

#social skills #divine feminine #femme fatale #it girl #hypergamy #hypergamous #dark femininity #dark feminine energy #high value woman #the feminine urge #female manipulator #girlblogging #life advice #relationship advice #girl advice #career advice #loa #loa success #art of seduction #high value mindset #level up #self respect #self improvement #ideal self #self concept #self confidence #female excellence #female empowerment #femmefatalevibe

[gumi-writes]

commissioned from solla

#touchstarved game #ais touchstarved #art #im ngl these two make me angry to look at tbh #people don't position themselves like that when they're carried ais i hope that helps #tiens main oc development arc being she lacks all social skills #tragically means she's unable to pick up on when ais is being smug and hence annoying #bloodspring

[lavenoon]

Gunmar the Black(light)

Because I cannot resist the purple, and what better way to make this guy more terrifying than making him glow with what kills (other) trolls?

Less glowy version below the cut:

#post let luce #tales of arcadia #trollhunters #gunmar #gunmar the black #eyestrain #my art #[organizational tags end. do not copy further. please do not copy “post let luce” or “my art”] #character with the moniker “the black” still glowing had to give me ideas yknow #making this guy make sense keeps me from going insane among the horrors™ #this is not about making sense tho this was magpie brain deciding to draw something beyond my skill level #i'm still not “back”/ ready to be super social on here again but im proud of this and wish to share

[cantagirldrawinpeace]

Mf with academic validation issues who grew up in an emotionally neglectful family gets 1 compliment once

Save my boy Deuce 🩵🩵🩵

#one piece #masked deuce #marco the phoenix #whitebeard pirates #ace novel #one piece fancomic #many ppl (including myself) find it strange how quick Deu was to accept the Whitebeards since it seems very out of character for him #now I still think it is out of character buuut #imagine you’ve been torn down socially by your bother your whole life #and your parents wanted for both of you to be doctors but he was a protogy and you were just okay #so you were torn into by all of them for that #and ran away because of it #and now you’ve been the makeshift doctor on a pirate crew for around a year. you’re having the best time but you still doubt your own skill #and then your captain gets kidnapped and you go after him #but you get kidnapped too. and you are put to work in the infirmary under one of the best doctors in the world #and then he compliments your work and he’s apparently hes a professional older brother and wants to mentor you and and and uhhhhhg #anyway Deuce’s lil sarcasm shell is very fragile and I feel like one genuine compliment could make him break down #one piece fanart #my art #op deuce #one piece deuce #marco one piece #haruta one piece #novel ace #ace novel one piece #one piece comic #digital fanart #digital sketch #art #sketch

[residentfurry]

sherry and jake try to socialize her dad

#resident evil #resident evil 6 #re6 #leon kennedy #sherry birkin #jake muller #piers nivans #sheva alomar #you can only go through so many bioweapon events before your social skills tank #my art

[s4ndg3m]

ohhh yeah loving this guy

#labyposting #this sucker would be completely incapable of making eye contact #freaking out when it happens accidentally #would have to be EXTREMELY close with someone to be comfortable with it. #he's the best and most willing technician the elevator has (employed by the same group as mach parhaps???) so his social skills are #overlooked easily enough by his bosses. #interactions-wise #he'd probably flip between collected and jittery on a dime #not paranoid like bive. but just veerryyy nervous. SUSPICIOUSLY nervous. #but before you could ask he's collected again. #i say collected because he's absolutely never calm. but he can act like it! #labyart #my art #regretevator #regretevator roblox #roblox regretevator #regretevator fanart #regretevator art #roblox #roblox art #roblox fanart #fanart #art #regretevator oc #oc art #oc #sparknician

[surskip]

the #1 rule of posting art on the internet is that there will always be a 14 year old with 50k followers creating things that you can only dream of, and while it's fine to privately feel discouraged or like you're behind, if you make this their problem or take it out on them you need to go outside and identify 4 species of birds before you sit back down at your computer

#mine #i am somebody who used to get really really really hard on myself when comparing mine to other's art #it is the hardest thing in the world to stop and i really. really genuinely do understand the frustration that comes with not #being able to create art at a level you feel you should be creating it at. and how seeing others do it can compound that feeling #but you cannot take it out on other people especially people younger than you who you feel are more advanced #you have all the time in the world to refine your skill and it isnt a competition (even if social media makes it feel that way)

[astrolavas]

y’know?

#again. not full art just a quick sketch but 😭😭 yeah #the owl house #toh #hunter toh #hunter #amity #willow #gus #toh doodles #my art #my sketches #them trying to blend in with humans in s3 is gonna be such a mess and i for one cannot wait to watch and laugh #hunter's gonna be ESPECIALLY disastrous at it and i'll bully him so hard (affectionate) #dude already messed up blending in at HEXSIDE and that was in a realm he grew up in and which he had lots of general knowledge of #so in human realm..... where he lacks both social skills AND knowledge abt the worldAND he's himself? oh it's gonna be 💀💀💀💀