#advice to work on yourself

[alyjojo]

Advice to Work on Yourself 🤷🏽‍♀️ in October 2023: Gemini

3 Pentacles - 4 Cups - 4 Swords

Regarding: 7 Cups

You need time alone more than anything, you could have up to seven different people giving you perspectives on how to do this or you should do that, regarding taking the next step in a relationship with someone. This includes finances, that’s the whole point of the reading, I don’t know if you two are looking to buy a house, move in together, maybe get engaged, something like that. You could be quietly keeping your options open and they’re not aware of that, and expect commitment instead. Financial conversations are not happening, and need to, because they’re important. Most of all, it’s like you just hand the reins over to someone else when it comes to decision making, and this person is reversed, Owl is reversed, they are not capable of making the *best* decision for YOU. You are.

For some, it’s family, for others, it’s a lover, and for most it’s everyone with a mouth right, they love to tell you how they do things, assuming you’ll just agree and do it too. You probably go along to get along most of the time, if you don’t really care about the subject matter it’s like sure we’ll buy this one kind of mustard (cuz I really don’t even care). But with some decision you’re making now, you’re needing to block out all outside voices. Even me, wtf do I know? I don’t 💯

You’re working together with someone, or they are with you, but it’s for the wrong reasons. If you’re seeing someone, they’re thinking about getting a place together, and you’re over here entertaining like 6 other people…suuure let’s do that (so not doing that). Doesn’t have to be that story but it’s for someone. For others, there are just a lot of options, houses, directions, choices in life. Especially if this person is financially dodgy, the topic needs to come up, what do you expect financially from your partner if you’re getting involved with them on a lease? For example. Better to figure that out first right?

You don’t care to make a decision, because you don’t care about any one thing, and don’t want to cut off one by one to commit fully to anything. A house, a lover, a shade of blue, whatever this is. You weren’t that invested in the first place. But you could be stuck with the outcome of it. 4 Swords is you needing a break, time out, time to think your own thoughts and come up with your own truths, that you do need to share eventually. Some of you could be breaking up. Others are telling family or whoever to back off. If you’re being pressured to do anything, it’s probably not in your best interest, and Spirit is saying you know what’s best for yourself, or will, so do that.

A side story, if you’re sick or dealing with some kind of illness, it can be others refuse to give you the space and time you need to rest and get better. They need to be told to fuck all the way off 💯 And you go to bed, get better ❤️‍🩹 You will gain all of the clarity you need when you’re alone, outside of others’ demands, desires, suggestions, etc. I do get most people having good intentions, trying to be helpful. There is one in particular I’m seeing a problem with, but you’ll know - High Priestess, your intuition has already fired off about this one.

Animal Oracle: Condor 🦅

“You’re too enmeshed in this situation, so step back and see the bigger picture before making any decisions or taking action.”

You’ve lost perspective here because you either believe there’s something you absolutely need to have happen or else you’re simply being too stubborn to let go, step back, and take a fresh look at your circumstances. It’s the forest vs the trees dilemma. You’re too close to clearly discern the reality of what’s actually taking place. So make practice of detachment. Most people think of this as a cold, sterile way of responding, but nothing is further from the truth. It’s worse to remain so utterly involved and entangled that you lose perspective - and sometimes even yourself. This familiar pattern stems from the guilty feeling that somehow you’re not doing enough unless you’re completely immersed in a person or situation, continually trying to fix the problem, person or situation or rescue people. While this gives a temporary sense of satisfaction, it also creates unhealthy dependencies.

True detachment is objective compassion, where you still care very much but are distanced enough so you’re not under the illusion you can control the situation or person through your intervention or participation. 1st, be present and attentive. 2nd, speak your truth or remain silent. 3rd, keep the focus on what really matters. Lastly, let go of any attachment to an outcome. This is how you keep perspective. You can state your preference without insisting you get your own way. Express yourself, while honoring & respecting others, and see what happens.

Artist Oracle: ALIGHIERO BOETTI

- Know who you aren’t.

- Find clarity in clutter.

- There’s more than one way to read a map.

Advice:

- Achieve a Financial Goal

- Plan a Family Reunion

- Vote Someone Off the Island

Charms:

Cupid 💘 on The Lovers shows genuine love, you could feel like someone is your soulmate, or that’s what you’re looking for anyway. Or they feel that way about you. You are confused about taking something to the next level, the responsibility part of a relationship, after the fun has been had. It’s like this person isn’t very good at that part, or you aren’t that serious once you get to this part. You could be keeping someone quiet that wants to go public and you’re not sure you want that after all. Or more than one person is involved here.

Owl rev 🦉 on Queen of Pentacles rev is not wise, not financially astute, not someone who is gifted in the financial realm. They can barely take care of themselves much less make your financial decisions, and yet at least once, you’ve handed over your choices to be decided by this person, for the sake of getting along. That needs to stop, you decide for you 💯

Key 🔑 on Achieve a Financial Goal is the whole point, the main message that’s coming through no matter the story. You take charge of your finances. You make it, save it, spend it, in the way you feel is best and focus on the things you value and desire for your life. Stop handing over your paycheck to someone else. If you’re caring for someone sure, but the conversation needs to be had, if they’re irresponsible (and they are) then you’re in charge, and you expect xyz from them in a financial sense. I don’t see Devils keeping you stuck, you allow it. If this is family it’s just “butt out my business”, respectfully.

#gemini #gemini tarot reading #advice to work on yourself #advice #October 2023 #tarot #tarotblr #Spotify

[lgbtlunaverse]

There's a version of the "don't go grocery shopping while hungry" rule specifically for writers where you should never under any circumstances be allowed to touch your draft within 3 hours of reading a really good story. Because sometimes when you read something great your head goes "fuck this is so much better than my stuff I should make that more like THIS instead!" Look at me. That's the devil talking and you should close the document NOW.

#you will make superficial edits that do not gell well with the rest of your work #and won't actually capture what you thought was so good about that story #close the doc. sit down. think about it for a while. inspiration is fine. getting a 'eureka' moment from another story is fine #but if you find yourself comparing your work one to one with someone else's and taking any differences to be flaws on your part then STOP #you will never write good stuff by trying to make it look less like you wrote it #writing #writing advice #guess who just had to go into her google doc history and undo a bunch of panic-induced edits #because she read a fic about the same characters she's writing for? #meeee. they aged badly within just a few hours of hindsight. learn from my mistakes #self-hatred is not a good motivation for creation #fic writing

[inkskinned]

there are a lot of posts out there that are positive and healthy coping mechanisms for handling the holidays. this is not one of them :)

i think there's like. going to be times in your life you will be stuck in a social situation that you cannot escape from gracefully. i do not know why the internet doesn't believe these times exist. it's not always just that your physical safety is at risk - sometimes it's legit like "i just don't currently have the energy or time to put in the effort of responding to this." sometimes it's a coworker you hate so much. sometimes it's just like, fine, you know? like you know you can handle your aunt when she's cheerily horrible, but if you actually set a boundary around her, it's going to be weeks of fallout with your father.

i don't know why people think the answer is always just "cut them out!" or "don't let them get away with that!" because ... the real world is tricky and complicated. i think kind of a lot of us have an internal "radiation poisoning" meter for certain people. like - i'm talking about the ones who are absolutely giving you gradual ick damage. like, you can handle them, but you'll be exhausted.

and yes. you absolutely should listen to your therapist and the good posts about handling others and set good boundaries and take care of yourself. prioritize peace.

HOWEVER :) ...... since im often in a situation with a Gradual Sense of Ick person i cannot just "cut out" of my life (without losing someone else precious to me) - i have sort of developed the most. maladaptive form of mischief possible. because like, if i'm going to have to listen to this shit again, i like to have a little bit of private fun with it.

now! again, i am physically safe, just mentally drained by this man. you should only do this with people you are not in danger with. which leads me to my suggestions for when your Unfortunate Acquaintance shows up and says oh everyone pay attention to me.

my favorite word is "maybe!" said as brightly and happily as possible. whenever the Horrible Person starts in on a topic you do not want to go further with, particularly if they make a claim that you know to be inaccurate, do not respond to it. you and i have both tried to actually argue with this person, and it hasn't gone well, because this person just wants the drama of an argument. however, "maybe!" gives them literally nothing to go on. it is incredibly disarming. they are used to people having some response. they know they can't prove what they're saying, and maybe! treats them like the child they are. it dismisses them in the politest way possible.

i like to say maybe! and then, in their stunned silence, immediately change the subject. this is because i have adhd and i will have something unrelated to talk about, but if you can't think of topics fast enough, i recommend just pointing to something and saying, "isn't that lovely?" because fuck you let's bring in some positivity.

by the way. that second trick - of pointing to something and stating an opinion about it? - that just works on its own, like, 70% of the time. i picked it up from teaching preschoolers. it's an intentional "redirect". it stops children crying and it also stops grown adults from finishing their explanation on why women belong in kitchens. dual wielding!

keep it silly for yourself. i absolutely do not care if people think i'm fucking stupid (it's more fun if they do) and as a result i will purposefully misunderstand things just to see how long it takes them to realize i've completely removed them from the subject at hand. when they say "women aren't funny" i get to be like. "which women." "all women." "all women in america?" "no in the world." "like the mole people? the people in the world?" "what? no. like, alive." "oh are we not counting the mole people?" "what the fuck are you talking about." "you don't believe in the mole people?"

similarly, i play a personal game called "one up me." my Evil Acquaintance literally knows this game exists (my family & friends caught onto it and now also play it) and it always fucking gets him. i don't know why. you have to be willing to be a little free-spirited on this one, though. the trick is that when they make one of those horrible little bigoted or annoying comments they are always making, you need to go one unit weirder. not more intense, mind you - just more weird. "you don't look good in that dress." "yeah, actually, my other dress was covered in squid ink due to a mishap at the soup store." "you shouldn't wear such revealing clothes." "wait, what? oh shit. sorry, your son tears off strips when no one is looking and eats them. i swear it was longer before we left the building."

the point of "one up me" is to completely upend this person's narrative. we both know this person likes setting up situations where you cannot "win" and then they really like telling other people how badly you handled it. in a usual situation, if you respond "please don't say something that rude", you're a bitch. but if you let it happen, you're letting yourself be debased. they are not usually expecting door number three: unflappably odd. because what are they going to say when they're telling everyone how badly you behaved? "she said my son eats her dresses" ".... okay?"

if you can, form an allyship with someone whomst you can tagteam with. where they can pick up on your weird "soup store" story and run with it.

the following phrase is amazing and can be deployed for any situation: "oh, be nice :) it's the holidays!" i do not know why this works as often as it does. i'll say it for the most random shit. i think this is bc most of the time these people know they're being impolite, they just like to fight.

godbless. when in doubt, remember that you could always start stealing their pens.

the whole point of this is - if you can't escape. maybe see how long you can just be. like. a horrible little menace.

#this is objectively bad advice #don't listen to it protect yourself and do real work on yourself find one of the good posts i've made about this #but also. u know. if u want to have fun while u do the work of setting boundaries #.... it IS fun #i will say that my fear of him went SO down after i just started. fucking with him. #bc i used to get SO fucking upset #i'd spend WEEKS arguing with him. tearing my hair out. sick with anxiety and dread and anger about all of it #and now i just LITERALLY do not engage #instead i'm like '' haha :) mole people" and get the HELL out of any tense conversation #i kind of think some of these people are literally addicted to drama as a form of connection #they like the rush they get from arguing #but those arguments are incredibly damaging for me #so like..... i am in the process of literally rehabilitating this person to figure out how to find connection thru #NORMAL CONVERSATION #he doesn't get it yet #i also do talk to them like they're preschool kids lmafo . ''are you using a safe and kind voice right now?'' #'' do you need a snackie? you sound a little upset. let's have some hummus and come back to playtime when we feel ready''

[reasonsforhope]

Btw, if you really just Need A Job (tm)

I'd really recommend looking into care work

Care work here is specifically being a home care aid, a care aid or assistant at any kind of residential home.

This for usually for elderly or disabled adults - and those are the ones that tend to be most entry level, from what I've seen, but also for mental health, addiction recovery etc. (With the obvious caveat that some of these jobs will be more emotionally intense than others)

I'm so serious about this guys. I was applying to jobs in care work for just three weeks, starting a couple days before Christmas, and in that time I got three interviews, two jobs offers, and five additional interview requests

Care work needs people CONSTANTLY

because it's a huge sector but very hard for them to keep staff long-term. Partly because it can be high burn-out, and there's definitely toxic places out there you should watch out for. And partly because a lot of people think care work is beneath them

AND they ACTUALLY MEAN IT when they say they're entry level. Because it's so hard for them to get staff that a lot of them will advertise super aggressively that they will train you themselves. A lot of them will straight up pay for your CPR and First Aid certifications, once they hire you, too (and you can get a leg up on applications by getting a CPR/First Aid certification for like. $30 to $80, at least in the US). They also accept experience taking care of elderly/disabled/etc. family members as real experience

Like, obviously don't do it if you hate taking care of people, but if you're open to it, it's probably by far your best shot of getting hired rn, statistically

(eta: Genuinely disclaimer that it can be super taxing emotionally and large portions of the industry are indeed fucked, and def don't take a job in this field if you're gonna be an asshole to the people you're caring for, but sometimes you just need whatever job you can get.)

Seriously, though, the first time I applied for a care work job (in October 2023, yes short timeline, like I said there's some toxic workplaces etc. out there), I applied to like ten or fifteen jobs over the course of a week or so. Within three weeks, I was working.

(And they did provide all of the training, fwiw)

If you need a job and no one is hiring, seriously consider looking into it

#not news #advice #adulting #jobs #job search #layoffs #me #care workers #care work #insert legal disclaimer about I can promise no results here lol but I wanted to share the tip #admittedly your chances are a lot higher if you're comfortable doing stuff like changing an adult's diaper #a thing which very many people get really unnecessarily snobby about #you don't have to be comfortable doing so yourself if you just aren't #that's fair enough considering some of the things involved #but don't be an ableist jerk about it to people who wear one #but yeah there are jobs where nothing like that is necessary so don't rule it out if you're not comfortable #job loss #jobsearch #unemployed #career advice #jobseekers #employment #fuck capitalism #cost of living crisis

[arctic-bookclub]

in my opinion, qphil isolating and exiling himself is only going to make things worse or delay the inevitable: as shown yesterday the enderking wants qphil to isolate, to not tell anyone, and luckily for our evil demigod that is exactly how qphil operates. he holds secrets in hopes of not hurting others, not getting them involved. and we just saw what happens when he has a support network helping him, he broke free from enderking’s grasp even for a moment. but that bit is not the only reason why his isolation is playing straight into enderking’s hands: it’s his insecurities as well. ”i’m a shit dad” ”i need to prove myself worthy of protecting” ”i need to provide better for the family” ”i need to be stronger” - all insecurities that are qphil’s downfall. enderking has already played into his need to provide for the kids as well as the want to be stronger (the buffs in the dungeon), what’s stopping him from digging his claws further to qphil’s core, his insecurities and weaknesses now that he has no one to break him out of his self-deprecating loop? when all he has are his thoughts, the caws of a crow and the voice of him? if no one finds him in exile, i think he will lose himself again, betrayed by his own mind

#historically isolating yourself has always worked and been a great idea /j #literally the only way i can see him making it out of this is if a deity finds him #qsmp #qsmp philza #qsmp phil #philza #shey rambles #literally every piece if mental health advice i’ve ever heard and read started screaming in my head the moment he decided to leave #of* #like you’re doing the exact thing that you’re told NOT TO DO IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE #my god #when he said in a zombie apocalypse qphil would hide being bitten and just leave quietly to die he was not kidding #also melting point of wax… ​’throw caution and myself into the wind’ #you sure are!!!! #’i hear the voice of reason screaming after me’ YOU SURE AS HELL DO #THAT’S ME. I’M THE ONE SCREAMING AT YOU #FUCKKKKKK

[pollenallergie]

“do the hardest task first”

no. just… no.

hot take: this doesn’t work for people with adhd (in my experience/from what i’ve heard from other people with adhd in my life). i recommend doing the easy/moderately difficult stuff first, that way you can convince yourself that it’s all going to be this easy and undemanding. then hyper-focus will kick in because your brain is like, “yeah, we can do this, we’ve got this.” then, before you know it, you’ve completed both the easy tasks and the hard tasks while hyperfocusing.

like, on a serious note, it’s always been easier for me to convince myself to get the most difficult tasks done when i’m already working/in the working frame of mind, not when i’m laying in bed or sitting on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through stuff on my phone, and struggling to start at all.

if the choice comes down to you not starting at all or starting with the easiest task first (which, for me, it often does), always, always pick starting with the easiest task first. sometimes you need a small victory, a little bit of an accomplishment, to give you the courage to take on bigger challenges.

#adhd #audhd #in my experience… ‘study tips’ or ‘time management tips’ from neurotypical people will almost never work for us #they don’t conceptualize time the same way we do #they don’t look at challenges the same way we do #it’s okay to take bits and pieces of their advice #ya know… whatever parts of it work for you #but don’t think that you have to use all the strategies and programs that they do to be successful #because you don’t #all that fake business soft skills/mental health guru/grind mindset stuff is total bullshit #pick strategies that speak to/work for you #it’s okay to fail at things and to have to try again #it’s okay to make mistakes and not get shit done sometimes #sometimes you need a fucking break #it’s okay to start with the easy stuff first and just ease your way into being productive #it’s okay to hyperfocus and work for hours on end sometimes #if it’s hard for you to take breaks when you’re studying and you feel like you learn better if you stay in that hyperfocused zone #than just go until the hyperfocus wears off #then take a break… eat… nourish your body… take care of yourself… and come back later #maybe later is later on that day #maybe later is tomorrow #either way is completely fine #do what works best for you #work with your neurodivergent brain… no against it #pol’s diary <3

[yugiohz]

do you have any advice for us Uni students Miss Yugiohz CEO of Bakudeku

SINCE WHEN AM I A BAKUDEKU REPRESENTATIVE STOP THE COUNT ❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️

#My advice is to be kind and socialize and connect and help each other out :) #uni is a group effort in my experience esp undergrad #you’re not supposed to do all of that by yourself #reach out to others and try to help ppl #esp if you know they’re working or have kids etc they need the support #also don’t be shy to talk to profs and connect if you’re interested in their field of study #it’s good to have one prof who’s like a mom/das to you LMAOOO you will need that support one way or another #asks

[not-poignant]

Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing? with the understanding that no advice is universal of course

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

So I have a ton of stuff in the Pia on Writing tag that goes into a lot of detail but (with the caveat to ignore anything that doesn't work for you):

Learn to love your mistakes, because you must make a lot of them to get good at writing, so if you hold back because you're worried about your writing being bad, your shooting yourself in the foot. Your writing HAS to be bad for it to get better. Or: You need manure/shit (bad writing) to grow a really good garden (good writing). You want a good garden? Start shoveling the shit in, lol.

Clever marketing won't solve not putting the hours in to hone your craft.

In fanfiction, make sure it's fun. That doesn't mean it can't be hard sometimes, that you can't dread editing sometimes or drafting, that you can't have sadder times, but make sure that the overall net is always positive. Otherwise, take a break.

In professional writing, learn how to stop waiting for inspiration to strike, and learn to turn up on that dance floor on your own. Inspiration is a fickle dance partner, it often won't turn up unless you develop the discipline to turn up first.

Sometimes the writing you absolutely slog through that feels stilted and bad is some of your best writing. Just because it feels clunky when you're writing, doesn't mean it reads clunky. Just because it feels smooth when you're writing, doesn't mean it reads smooth. Your emotional state at the time of writing does not determine the quality of writing. Feeling good while you're writing =/= good writing. Likewise feeling bad while writing =/= bad writing.

You do not need a daily habit to be good at writing. Develop one if you want one, but personally I don't have one and I'm super happy that way. Take your weekends, have your leisure time, goddamn it, don't be a terrible boss to yourself.

Writing can be both lonely and exhausting - make some non-douchey writer friends (or artist or creative friends), and make sure you take breaks. Because writing is so cerebral, you'd be surprised how much physical activity can help with recovery, like stretching, gentle walks, workouts, etc.

Eat brain food. Snacking during writing is actually normal. I have nuts on hand for protein boosts, but I'll also eat chocolate or snack on quick energy boosts.

Stay hydrated.

Ignore any writing advice that goes 'you must do this in order to be a writer' or 'you have to do this one thing to be successful.' They're wrong. There is no one-true-path in writing with the exception that you do have to write in order to like...be a writer, imho.

You are going to want to compare yourself to others, but be very aware of who you're comparing yourself to. If you're new, why are you comparing yourself to someone with 10-20 years of experience? If you're disabled and fatigued, why are you comparing yourself to able-bodied writers? Stop competing with people outside of your metaphorical weight class, they're not your competition. I'm not going to tell you not to compare yourself to others, but be very careful of how you compare yourself to others. I've had new writers be like 'I could never do your wordcounts (so I'm not as good of a writer)' and like, no friend, neither could I 10 years ago. This is literally a decade of hard work and practice. Some skills really just come with time. (Also most writers are more successful after writing less words than me so y'know lol).

If you get shitty comments/critiques, remind yourself that if you wouldn't take personal advice from a complete stranger like this (and you wouldn't), then their shitty comments/critiques aren't worth your time either.

On AO3, the delete, block, moderate comments function and mute buttons are all free. USE THEM. Don't bother giving haters airtime on your fics. Elsewhere on the internet, as much as you can, try and ignore review sites. Like seriously.

Learn your writing style. Practice planning, plantsing and pantsing! Practice writing one thing or more than one thing at a time. Practice different genres. You might be surprised at what fits you as a person! Think of it like being a musician, you're not trying to be a band that already exists, you're trying to be your band and you're trying to find your sound.

You're probably very good at noticing your weaknesses, get good at noticing your strengths, and use those to shore up the places where you're still building skills.

Do writing prompts. I cannot stress this enough, but learn how to write settings. Describe the dialogue of a friend. Write a character dossier on a television character. Practice worldbuilding, practice character building.

Fill the well. Read broadly across many genres. Watch many different types of media. Listen to many audiobooks. The best way to not sound derivative of a particular order is to saturate yourself with inspiration from hundreds of different places.

That's probably enough! dklsjfdas

~

From this meme!

#asks and answers #pia on writing #memey goodness #idk advice is hard honestly #learn about good story structure #write down the things you love and don't love in your favourite novels and fics #do the same for your own works #be compassionate to yourself #don't be an asshole boss to yourself #administrator gwyn wants this in the queue

[miodiodavinci]

I made a Vocaloid channel but I'm having trouble getting views. I like making covers for fun but I wish I could get more than a handful of views, especially since I haven't even gotten 5 on my latest ones. I use Vocaloid 6, which may be the problem since not many people talk much about it as much as the older versions

Would you have any advice as to what I can do?

m m m m m , , , , , , i feel like it's hard to say—back in the day when i was doing UTAU work, most of the interaction i got with my work was from my friends from UTAForum. we all sort of just shared our work with each other and supported one another doing our fun little hobby. though the sort of forum culture that spawned that sort of friend circle has kind of disappeared by this point , , , , ,

but honestly, even still—find folks whose work you like and get involved!! share your work on other sites and shout out people you like!! support the folks around you and establish yourself as part of a community

(of course like. don't treat it as a transactional thing. if there's one way to ensure No One interacts with your work it's to. comment on people's things or shout people out and then get passive aggressive expecting a response back. doesn't work like that. you support people because you love them and their work—not because you want something in return.)

but even more than that, honestly just keep doing what you do and the love in your work will come across in heaps and bounds, and someone will be bound to listen. people also tend to get interested the more you put your own spin on something, whether it's creating your own PVs, adding your own harmonies, sharing some of your files, or linking multiple covers together as part of a kind of overarching story. if you make it yours, it'll be yours for good.

like, at the end of the day we can all agree that views are just a number on a screen and are kind of meaningless and no one should base their worth on them, but also yeah it kind of wears you down after a while to keep sharing things you've put a lot of love and effort into with no response.

i'd just like to encourage you not to lose your passion for it—views or not, there's a lot to be gain by pursuing something you love. your VOCALOID endeavors are only just beginning, and who knows where you'll end up ! ! ! ! take the journey as far as it'll take you, and have fun all the while ! ! ! ! ! ! !

also send me your work i want to listen 👁 👁

#mio answers things #anon #is. what i think i mean to say sjdhflkgjhjdfg #forgive me i am bad with advice like this #but i think the long and short of it is I Feel You Deeply Anon #you awakened visceral memories of posting cover after cover onto deviantART and UTAU forum and getting like. 1 view. #and the feeling suuuuucckkkks so bad #but like. very much what kept me going was just. sharing with friends instead #like. if i am being wholly and completely honest?? #even now i usually make my covers with maybe 5 people in mind. 10 max. #i work on my covers and i have fun and i think about like 4 or 5 of my friends i know will go nuts over it when i post it #and really that's what matters to me most skjhdflgjh #NOT THAT I DON'T SUPER APPRECIATE ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT I GET FROM EVERYONE . . . . . #but like. when i was working on my wanderlast cover i was literally just sitting there thinking 'ohhhhhhhh myst is going to love this w' #you really do just make for yourself and your friends and you will be so so happy forever #but also again. i feel you on the views w #fight the urge to base your worth on it #but also know that YEAH if you've got people you like and they like your work back #the views will get better and they won't matter so much anymore w

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

What do you struggle with the most when it comes to making an OC?

(Mine is giving them a name. Like..... I would create a cool looking character with some personality but then, I don't know what to name them. I'm even struggling with that as we speak.)

design, absolutely design. a lot of the time i have a name / personality / role / backstory for them Before knowing what they look like. coming up with a physical look to go with the character is a bitch & a half lol

#name is tough tho! i feel your struggles! #if i may offer some advice - coming from someone who has crafted literally hundreds of brain guys #ask yourself what their vibe is #like... do you think their name is short? do they seem like someone with a long name? an abbreviated name like A.J? #maybe they look like someone whose name starts with 'h' #look up h names and go from there #or another method is a bit tougher but hey it kinda works #clear your mind and look at the character #the first name that pops into your head is often the best choice #or yk... just sit there thinkin about them! maybe they're like. idk a bird #bird > birdie > birdly > billie #billie the bird! #ALSO LOOK UP BABY NAMES #there are sooooo many lists #you can look up lists with specific amount of letters. starting with [insert letter of your choice]. names with nicknames. #male. female. unisex. myth-based. animal based. plant based. #THERE'S A LIST OF NAMES FOR EVERYTHING I PROMISE #rambles from the bog #for example w/ my puppet sundown summer #i chose her name bc her color palette reminds me of a sunset & she has western inspiration & she's from a kid's show #so her name would be alliterative & sound cowboy-ish. sundown is more western than sunset #and then throw on the summer for the alliteration & friendly feel - kids automatically have positive associations with summer #see what i mean? #or take my murder man Aces - he's named after the diamond patterns on his body #(i associate the word ace with the ace of diamonds playing card) #or uhhhh i have a talking cat character named bartholomew #named so because i think it would be funny for this little talking cat to have a long & 'haughty' name that's also a cat pun. 'mew' #see there's no one way to go about it!!! #there's lots of methods and none of them are wrong!! #good luck and have fun my guy!

[navree]

the one thing i always hate about that line about daemon whinging on at viserys for not making him the hand is that the hand of the king is a political position that requires political skill in order to function well and get the job done and daemon has spent the entire series showing us that he has the political instincts of a lobotomized tuna fish

#personal #house of the dragon #the reason why otto worked so well as hand of the king was because he knew how to do the fucking politics #like him trying to get himself in rhaenyra's good graces in ep 2 once she was made heir #by giving her advice on how to talk to knights she was picking for the kingsguard #that was smart politics #getting on the good side of the future ruler and trying to make yourself invaluable from the getgo is a smart political decision #daemon pissing off everyone and their mother every five minutes and not trying to do anything to curry favor #is bad politics #daemon refusing to try and play nice with otto and get on his good side is bad politics!!! #maybe you'd have been heir if otto wasn't determined to campaign against you for it because you're an idiot daemon!!! #like this is a core element of the literal main series #cersei had a daemon style mindset of fuck you got mine and eschewed politics in the favor of her own gripes about things #and it ends badly for her! trying to do the hand's job without the skill required really fucks her over! #it's why tywin worked as a politician and she didn't!! #this fucking country would have fallen apart if daemon had been the hand #i also blame viserys for somehow failing to point out that daemon would be a profoundly shitty hand #and that the choice to have it be otto isn't a slight against him like he's crying on about #but a tactical and political choice that is made to keep the politics running smoothly so the country doesn't collapse into the sea

[alyjojo]

Advice to Work on Yourself 💳 in May 2023: Aquarius

4 Swords - The Fool - Ace of Wands

Regarding: 5 Cups

You could be feeling sentimental this month, you have regrets, guilty feelings, things that are weighing on you in a negative way. You’ve clearly been hurt before, Frida saying “convalescence lasts a lifetime” and 4 Swords here…these situations may not be related, and there may be several, because this is a very vague reading. You’ve been hurt who knows how many times, so with 9 Wands, you’ve constructed a whole WALL to keep others out. And in doing that, you’ve kept out the good with the bad, everything is out. Which isn’t good either. You’re afraid to cooperate with others, make connections, involve anyone with anything…ever. Spirit is validating your experience, while at the same time telling you to move away from this low vibrational regret/sadness kind of energy. People didn’t work with you, or stick around, you’ve taken hits to your confidence…maybe repeatedly. What I’m seeing is the equivalent of “fuck ‘em”, and needing to move away from this. Don’t feel bad, they aren’t, heal yourself, worry about yourself.

These may be friends, or people you did work well with until you didn’t, because conflict is here too. This is saying give it a rest. Don’t argue, don’t fight, don’t get nasty about anything. Because you don’t want to, you’re not interested in a fight. What’s the point of it anyway? Just “fuck ‘em.” I’m getting it’s not you. But because of this, you’ve kept yourself tied up and not allowed yourself fun, freedom, impulsive action, because of something one or two people did. Maybe ten, idk, but it’s over. Spirit probably doesn’t cuss, but I do and that’s what I see 😆

Your advice is to rush towards a new beginning, impulsively even. The Fool is ruled by Uranus and though it describes Aries energy on the daily, it rules you too. Stop caring, move away from this crap. It’s even saying don’t walk, RUN. Bye. The faster you move away from this heavy emotional ick, the faster you’ll be inspired to try something new, do something new, BE someone new. Grow, change, evolve out of this skin. 7 Cups, you have options, you just can’t see them yet, Ace of Swords just shows this being true, listen, notice, get clear on the potential in front of you. Cut away the funk in literally any direction that’s not this. If it makes you feel icky, leave it. If it makes you feel good, do it. That’s the key to healing yourself.

Animal Oracle: Manatee 🦛

Accept the situation as it is rather than fighting to change it.

There are times to fight for what you believe in and times to lay down your sword and surrender. If you or your family were in danger, it would be quite natural to defend yourself by either fleeing or fighting, whether through actions or words. Extreme situations may even require extreme measures. There are definitely wrongs to make right and situations where the spiritual warrior in you must take the lead. However, it’s not the case here. What will work best for all concerned is for you to surrender and accept things as they are. Yield to overcome. Lay down your sword, not in defeat or self-sacrifice, but from a realization that this isn’t the fight you want or need to engage in. As the saying goes, choose your battles. This is definitely not one to waste your time and energy on. Let go of your righteousness and your ego’s need for control, and find that peace of mind that you so cherish and have available simply by choosing it. The Serenity Prayer may help you greatly.

Artist Oracle: FRIDA KAHLO

- Convalescence lasts a lifetime. You don’t spell painting without pain.

- Art is your most loyal companion.

- Externalize your internal world.

Advice:

- Practice Daily Gratitude

- Make Smiles Contagious

Charms:

Hidden Mermaid 🧜🏽‍♀️ on Frida shows magic inside of you that isn’t seen by anyone else, because you don’t show it. You shut them out. People can’t love you if they can’t see you. And if they don’t, well…you know. Fuck em 😁

Fractal Eye 👁 on The Sun rev is the equivalent of an evil eye, with an array of colors showing many different details or experiences, not just one thing. It’s showing you’re protected, even through pain, and what is sent your way in a negative sense is sent right back where it came from in some other way, karma, you don’t have to worry about it. Release. You don’t need a wall, Spirit is your wall 💯

Frog 🐸 on The Fool is literally “jump”. That’s it. You find something you like, it excites you, you want to do it, don’t overthink it. Just do it. Allow yourself to be surprised when it works, instead of just assuming it won’t.

Opal 💗 on Practice Daily Gratitude is Libra’s birthstone and with it brings a message of balance. Writing your thoughts and feelings helps you to throw out the negative thoughts (and keep them away, once you recognize patterns in your thinking), and be more grateful for the positive things in your life. Everyone has negative days & experiences, but you don’t have to soak in it, feel it, let it out privately & then let it go. Some of you could have that in your chart, or the House where Libra sits could need some extra attention.

Stallion 🐎 on 8 Cups is the sooner the better, don’t walk - run. Leave this behind. Not that you’re in a race, you’re not, it’s just moot. It’s all moot. When you can’t fix it - moot. When other people suck - moot. Why stay there? You could have been having fun yesterday 🎉

#aquarius tarot reading #advice to work on yourself #may 2023 #Aquarius #tarot #free reading #tarotblr

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

🌟

I reblogged this ask game and then failed to finish the answers to any of the asks i got. whoopsie. better late than never.

Anyway let's try the director's commentary of the train king scene from pez dispenser debris.

I love the train king intro. it's so fun and goofy. it's just got some really fun humor to it in my mind. I had so much fun writing it.

it is a completely pointless scene.

It has no plot relevance. Train king is not the chekov's gun hanging bravely on the wall of that fic. It will have no overarching effect on the plot. So why the fuck is it there?

Well, because it was fun.

Pez dispenser debris has lived in my head for at least two or three years now. Not in the exact form it is now, but it's a very old and much-adored story of mine. I was incredibly fond of it. I tried to write it years ago, and got as far as the first scene, which was originally Izuku and Mirio walking along the street and running into the bus hijacking, which led to the rogue quirk.

It was a good starting point. It's where the action actually started. But it just didn't feel right to me.

So it sat in my drafts for a long time, collected dust, and I spun my wheels on other projects for a while. I went back to it, and tried again, and the new first scene was Izuku rushing in late for the meeting with the realtor. It still didn't feel right. it gave more development to Izuku and Mirio's relationship before we hit action, but something just wasn't right.

Train King was just a silly reason i made up for why he was late. The scene originally wasn't shown, only mentioned in a single sentence. And then I decided--fuck it, it would make for a fun scene. just do it for shits and giggles.

And I had fun writing it. Which means it's probably the only reason why i hit publish on pez dispenser debris to begin with instead of leaving it in my drafts. Because I was in a state of extreme burn out when i started writing that fic, and the train king scene led me to realize what that fic needed to be for me: just something fun and silly to write.

Technically speaking, pez dispenser debris is very sloppy. There's a huge amount of pointless asides and flashbacks that don't contribute to the plot in any way. the entirety of chapter four could be deleted and it would be the exact same fic if i just slightly edited the conversation between aizawa and izuku in chapter six. I legitmately wrote chapter four, said "wow, that was pointless," and hit publish

because I liked it anyway. Like, what the fuck is the point of the backflip treaty? Dabi's extremely reluctant semi-redemption? Absolutely nothing. I just had a good time writing it and thought other people would have a good time reading it.

it wasn't meant to be """"good"""" art. it was meant to be fun, and that's what it was. I had so much fun writing my silly little flashbacks and asides. All of my fics have those kinds of background stories and scenes that exist in their "universe," and most of them never make it into the fics because it wouldn't be plot relevant and it wouldn't make for """"good""" art. With pez dispenser debris, I wanted to just give myself permission to write something fun and silly with as many pointless scenes as i wanted. And train king started that.

#pez dispenser debris #this isn't abandoned by the way i just have majors writers block on my everything right now #we are beating chapters with sticks #god pez dispenser debris is so fun #it was never meant to be the sort of story that i'd consider “”good“” writing #i did a lot of things in it that I'd never do in one of my original works for example #because i just wanted to make silly art for a while #and it was just so so fun #i think writing advice for the most part is bullshit but if you take any from me it would be to give yourself permission to make bad art #if i was trying i could probably cut 40k words off that fic and have the exact same plot but it wouldn't be nearly as fun

[amokslime]

About the whole ADHD "finding a way to motivate yourself without using the stress of impending deadlines" thing:

I hate to say it, but learning to be nicer to myself changed a lot of that for me. I really truly hate to say it. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you gotta find a way to be nicer to yourself inside your own head, in whatever way works for you. I know it sucks so bad to hear.

The other thing is, if my brain is really refusing to tackle a task, often times the main thing I'm feeling is confused and understimulated. Which leads to me sitting there with the jeopardy theme song playing in my head, and then I unconsciously gravitate towards something that's more stimulating and therefore easier to wrap my head around. So overstimulating myself in some sensory way helps me be less confused about what I needed to do. Everybody's brain is different, though.

And uhh the other thing that helped is concerta, and listening to my body, and working on not being so ashamed when I failed. Which means you will probably have to fail a little bit unfortunately

#im so so so sorry #it sucks so bad because so much of what i found that works sounds so much like the trite advice we always get #you have to do it while being nice to yourself. if you try it while still motivating yourself through shame it won't workkkkkk #and the path to chipping away at all that learned shame is really individual and difficult #but the shame and stress are buddies that go hand in hand. they come from the same place #i had to make myself physically incapable of tolerating stress before i realized that it just doesn't matter #like you have responsibilities to your neighbors and loved ones and some of them are time sensitive. but HOW you complete them doesnt matte #and you just will mess up. there is nothing you can do about that. you have a disability. ADHD is a disability #''but if i mess up I'll face severe consequences. that's why i motivate myself through stress in the first place'' YEAH I KNOW IM SORRY MAN #it is still good to try and untangle the shame around doing tasks. it's still helpful. #even if it doesn't help you be more productive it will help your relationship with yourself and the world. #which is actually a really worthwhile and not at all selfish thing to prioritize. believe it or not. #anyway. love you!! sorry!! byeeee #personal #brain stuff

[avarkriss]

i dusted today.

the alarm to clean went off, and i got up and dusted until the 20 minute timer went off. turns out in that time, if i'm focused, i can do nearly the whole upstairs.

it's such a little thing, but we have to be kind to ourselves, you know? even if you little thing today is just getting out of bed, or brushing your teeth, or breathing for another day, we should be proud of ourselves.

maybe it really does get better

#love yourself through it - especially if it's hard #genuinely thanking every kind soul that left so much helpful advice for me #therapist and i are working on finding an app next as i find i struggle with breaking big tasks into small pieces #and the overwhelm causes The Stuck so... we're making progress lads #it's been a lot of fake it til you make it but hey.... maybe that's all it takes #just keep saying it'll get better til it does #if you need someone to say they're proud of you /i'm/ proud of you #proud of me too actually.... which is weird #anyways enough rambling i need to go pick up dog food and paint chips

[boatswainscall]

As knowledgeable as I am with Warframe after god knows how many years playing it consistently I am genuinely. So bad at teaching players stuck at the midpoint progression wise. And not because I was carried out of it quickly or anything - I know for a fact I was trapped in the midpoint hell for a very long time due to lacking a carry but my memory of it is just utterly gone due to how long I've comparatively been at the endgame.

So whenever as a MR30 I'm asked for specific advice like what weapons and Warframes to prioritize and how to build stuff I'm just like uhhhh shit. Fuck. Hang on let me open up the goddamn Wiki so I can remember most things' MR levels let alone if you can even obtain specific mods at your point of progression.

#warframe #the main advice i can give with full confidence is to not overextend yourself with your arsenal #find a loadout and Warframe that works both with your own playstyle and with the content you're working through #and do your best to stick with it and not expend too many resources on other shit until you are at a point where you can afford it #make upgrades and replace stuff as you are able to unlock and use them but don't do what I did and start hoarding as youre still learning #you can hoard later once you're powerful enough to comfortably solo most content outside of steel path #and once you're able to handle steel path then you're really off to the races #also try your best to learn how your chosen arsenal works stats wise and make your own builds whenever possible #once you unlock it and have scans of common mid-endgame mobs test everything you build in the simulacrum #and avoid overframe beyond just getting the general Vibe of whats typically used most on specific weapons and warframes #you're not going to get helpful or accessible advice there. trust me. that place is a toxic hellhole #fiver.plays