#and I don’t have a lot of creative support or fun offline

[ailani-reillata]

Thank you for having fun with me today! My offline week started out pretty rough, so I just really appreciate you guys taking the time to laugh and cry with me. I appreciate the company and support, it really means a lot. Thank you for being here with me.

#I wasn’t gonna say this but #I had a rough mental health episode at the beginning of the week so unbelievably bad #And between dealing with the aftermath of that and then someone in my extended family passed away right after #and I don’t have a lot of creative support or fun offline #Things in my real life are so serious and heavy and I’ve never really been supported in my fun #I can’t express how honored I am by your fun and your joy #I’ve wanted people to share my stories with my whole life #I’ve wanted this kindness my whole life #Thank you so much for giving me this thank you so much for being here with me you show up for me even if you don’t know I’m struggling #It means the world to me thank you

[eriellesudario]

How this whole thing started

Unless you follow me in social media or we’ve talked in DM’s and such, you should know that there are multiple opportunities happening to me right now! I was selected to go to Fiji for a university work and study tour, my creative writing piece ‘Waiting For You’ will soon be in production and become a short film, and indie alternative band Far Away Stables asked me to film and take photos of their Sydney gig! I didn’t know that I would be able to do these things… but I am. I didn’t know someone like me would make it this far. This girl who has average knowledge on how things works and has to self learn every single thing in order to make it to where I am; I find it hard to believe that I’m standing here doing the things I enjoy doing and people are willing to give me opportunities for me to improve and promote my craft. I don’t care if it’s volunteer work, it is a start of something amazing!

So how did someone like me made it this far?

Well… Back then

In the beginning, I was really not interested with this whole media, film production, photography thing. It just wasn’t me and even if I do attempt to give it a shot, most of the time, I get discouraged and sometimes being told to stop. But I did have some interest on being in front of the camera when my family creates their home videos. ​ But the telltale signs were there because around 2008, I wanted to give film making a shot but I had no idea where to start + my family wasn’t really happy with me watching YouTube videos (I was banned for 3 months just because I was watching Club Penguin fan videos). I also joined this blogging site called ‘Multiply’ and I consistently write stuff about my interest plus I contribute to a Club Penguin page when a new mission comes. ​ But I still had no interest or intension on pursuing it in the future.

I soon gained a bit of more interest when I was in high school, around year 9. There was a student film contest and I wanted to join. I got a group ready but unfortunately, not many people were interested plus we wasted a lot of time that we’ve done nothing. Then in year 10, I gave it another shot but stuff happened that I was unable to be there during the filming but I was there during the planning. ​ It was also around 2011-2012 that my friends convinced me to try making youtube videos. So on October 2012, I uploaded my first YouTube video which was a recording of my pet slime’s funeral in Minecraft. My early videos were just really bad gameplay recordings of my favourite videos games but it did grew my channel a bit. ​ Then came year 11 and I had to do photography because I was missing 1 unit. It was really fun and I enjoyed taking photos using my dad’s camera. It was also by that point that I was re-evaluating my life as I wasn’t enjoying the subjects that I was doing. Around this point, I’ve decided to put more effort onto film making and uploaded my first vlog which talked my experience in Vivid Sydney. ​ Two more vlogs later and I soon found enjoyment and decided to do media as a career. ​ Eventually, word has spread about my hobby of mine when I recorded my classmates goofing off in the music room. People started to watch my content just to see this other side of me that I don’t publicly share offline and they gave me tones support and told me to don’t stop doing this strange hobby that soon became a part of my life. ​ But then a lot of drama and misunderstandings occurred that I was forced to start over. It did hurt but it did make me stronger and I started improving on what I’ve been making and I wanted to do more with this. ​ So I’ve improved with my videos, I tried to take more photos when I’m on the go, I started on my own small projects like my song writing and my blogging hobby that I knew that if I work hard, I can make use of these skills. It took a lot of convincing to my family thou that I wanted to make this my future as they fear that it won’t be a stable path for me to take. ​ 3 years later, my friends and family were convinced about my decisions as my videos that I made using my iPad got me 2 early entry offers for university plus my grades don’t lie when my assignments requires me to make or write something. And as my channel is still continuing to grow, that my parents we’re willing to try to accept that this is a thing I want to do.

University was really supportive about this hobby of mine that it was one of the reasons why I try to improve with the skills I’ve got. They encourage me to start early and keep on practicing as it will be useful in future assignments plus perhaps in my future endeavours. ​ The music side of my story… it’s just hobby that I just want to share to the world. ​ If I could give any advice about doing this, even if it’s just a hobby, I would say the following.

Start of small – Figure out on why you want to do this. Just post a few things from time to time and see what happens. I have friends who tried to do this but gave up eventually.

Don’t buy the expensive gear… yet – I started out with an iPad air and editing them with the iMovie app and my earlier gaming videos are recorded using Hypercam, edited using Movie Maker and my mic was just old headphones. Even if the quality is shit, you can make something out of it. If you think you are ready to tackle the harder techniques, by all means spend your money wisely. I currently use a Canon 70D, a rode videomic and edit using Final Cut Pro (and sometimes Adobe Premier).

Don’t set up high expectations – You’re just starting and you have no idea how people will interpret your work. Starting off with a simple introduction is a good start and keep practicing as you go.

Have fun with it – The longest time I’ve been trapped in my bedroom just to edit was 9 hours. It was really hot and it was annoying rewinding the scene time and time again but I was at least having fun when doing so. When doing stuff like this, you need to be enjoying it as it determines the quality and content of your projects.

Don’t stop and keep practicing – If you want to make this a thing, you can’t stop learning. This is why I’m doing a university course about this. Sometimes, I look back in my videos and think, how can I make this better? I take note if it and make sure I imply these in my next project. At the moment, I’m trying to learn how to use After Effects and Adobe Premier so I’m taking my time and learning new programs because I know it will be useful in the future. ​ I do hope this gives you a better understanding on why I do this and why I want to keep on doing this! I do hope someday that I will find some sort of success as I do this and if that day comes, I can always look back and remember where I started…

A girl who started vlogging using an iPad.

#2017 #advice #life #blog

[nahasdigital]

Are nba 2k17 servers back up

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up how to#

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up full#

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up Pc#

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up Offline#

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up free#

It’s legal because they hide all this fine print crap in the user agreement. If this is how you’re going to run your business your games should come with an expected expiration date for online content otherwise how is this even fair or legal. I from today forward and 50 year old die hard gamer that will go out and buy a couch coop NES before I ever shell out any money to a greedy company like 2K that steals from their customers. “F” you for getting us to invest time and money into creating our characters only for you to come along and rip away their personality we’ve created over the past 2 years. So, for that I say “f” you 2K for making a decent b-ball game a hunk of garbage over night by stripping away the innovative parts of a game because you’re not creative enough to build something awesome year over year. The game is only a couple years old and you’re shutting down the servers to force people into buying the newer version that are worse than their predecessors. Barring a further change in policy, online support for NBA 2K18 will cease on December 31st, 2019.

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up full#

This has ensured that every NBA 2K game will receive online support for two full seasons, plus an additional three months.

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up free#

To that end, if you have any recommendations for rosters, Draft Classes, or other shared content for NBA 2K17, feel free to post them in the comments section below, or in this topic in the NLSC Forum.įollowing the controversy when the NBA 2K14 servers were shut down, 2K Sports extended support for all of their titles to 27 months.

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up how to#

know how to run a discord server reply or DM.

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up Pc#

Given that the NBA 2K17 server shutdown will be taking place within a week or so, it would be a wise idea to download any and all community content as soon as possible. join the official NBA2K17 revival server pc only, yes this is real.

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up Offline#

Virtual Currency purchases will also be unavailable, though M圜AREER will still be playable using an offline currency and more limited functionality. Once the servers are shut down, we’ll no longer have access to shared rosters and Draft Classes, MyLEAGUE Online, MyTEAM, Play Now Online, or any other online components. Make 2k great again.As you may or may not already know, online support for NBA 2K17 is ending on December 31st, 2018. Please sign this petition, so we can play a genuine good game again. Out the kindness of your heart, don't think about your wallets, but think about your loyal communityĮven if we just have a 2 week grace period that would be amazing. When you are playing NBA 2K17 you might need to forward some ports in your router. Most sports games allow you to manage not only the action during the game but also the 'behind the scenes' aspect of the game. NBA 2K17 is in the sports category of games. There are just so many of us who wish to play this game still, it was just that great. NBA 2K17 is 2K Sportss Sports game released in 2016. We realize it costs money to keep these servers online, but for how much VC is and how much Troydan spends on your game alone-this should be able cover everything for the foreseeable future. How about we settle? If you bring the servers back online, FOR JUST 2 WEEKS, and see just how strong the community was.would you please consider to have it stay up full time. There's such a strong community- just give it a chance. We miss these good ol' days, back when times were simpler, back when it was actually fun and not a full sweat match when you linked up with ya boys online. but that's ok! This game to many was nothing short of perfection! There's a lot of us who think that the servers for this game were shut down far too soon, this community had so much life before the plug was full, at some points there were more people playing this game than 2k18!!! We're not asking for you to re release this game or anything like that, we're just asking to have the server's back online. Yes, this game had its issues- like the loading screen for example, we can spot Paul George in a crowd better than we could spot our own mother. I think we can all agree that 2k17 was one of the greats, many would classify is as the greatest of all time! There's days we can all remember coming home from school after a long day, and running 2s or 3s w/ the boys and have nothing but a great time. Please bring the NBA 2K17 Servers back online!

#Are nba 2k17 servers back up

[gloomygirlblog]

Hello beautiful souls!! SPONSORS - I just need to say how grateful I am for ALL of yoooooou. LIKE BIG TIMEEEE!! The feeling of being accepted into a new brand is unreal and it’s thanks to you guys that I’ve been able to really explore my creativity and push my boundaries with my photography. You all literally have made my virtual dreams come true and I just need to thank you for that. It’s so appreciated, and I truly would not have gotten through the ups and downs of the last couple of years without you. I know I’m pretty amateur in my photoshop skills, and my photos can totally be OUT THERE sometimes, and I thank you all for supporting me and my weirdness! Not only did you make a world crisis easier to get through, but doing these pictures also helped me cope with trauma that I’m healing from. I don’t think I would have pushed myself the same without you. ♥ A lot of changes are going on right now that have forced me to start putting more focus on my RL. I’m going to be moving to a new home this October and am SO excited, but it’s going to be a lot of work! On top of that, my current job is amazing, but it requires a lot of responsibility and management and I’m typically burnt out by mid-week. I’ve been lucky enough to work from home within the last year and a half, but when I move, I won’t be home as much. I’m also focusing on my physical and mental health, so I’ve got doctors’ appointments out the wazooo this month. Though I’m going to be taking a break from blogging, I’ll still take piccies and record credits for everyone, I do truly enjoy it. I’m mostly releasing myself from the deadlines and restrictions that come with them. Because my time to play on SL is more limited now, I want to be able to really make outfits and take photos without restrictions and use the platform to relax and let go of stressors. It’s not to say I won’t ever blog for brands again, but I want to take at least 6 months to get on my feet and start my new life offline. You’ll still see me around on Flickr and Twitter posting art and memes, I’ll still be shopping at the same stores (lots of shopping hehe), I’ll still be going to parties and seeing ya’ll around at events, I just won’t have the deadlines and limitations anymore. I also want to thank the community and everyone who has been supporting me. Flickr and Twitter have been such a fun community and I love how we’ve all gotten so much closer through the years. The designer and blogger community have always been so uplifting and inspirational to be a part of, and I look forward to continuing these relationships with you guys on a more personal level! For those who enjoy art in general (outside of SL), please feel free to check out my other music and blogs. I love finding new stuff and sharing. ♥ My Other Blogs and Social Media

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-valves]

Scenario to get creative with: Skyquake taking Dreadwing to brothel to "get loose" a bit. ;)

So I found this buried in my asks, and I’m shook because this is actually a VERY fun idea, so let’s fucking go, let’s get carried away with this fuckin idea.

“Ah ah ah, optics closed, brother.”

Dreadwing was usually the one in charge of their creation day celebrations,  but this year, Skyquake wanted to take the reigns. Dreadwing, being a bit of a pushover for his little brother, allowed him to take this one. He knew Cybertron better than he did, so he was expecting something new, something exciting, especially given his tone. Dreadwing allowed his little brother to guide him, optics offline and walking to Primus knows where. Then he finally stopped.

“Okay, open!”

Dreadwing looked around. A bit of an odd building. It didn’t have anything on the outside, apart from a glowing neon sign, depicting a fem blowing a kiss. Dreadwing raised a brow.

“Okay, you got me. What is this?”

“The one thing that makes this place a million times better than Caminus.”

Skyquake paused, clearly wanting his brother to take a moment to think. It then clicked.

“Brother! Are you telling me we’re at a BROTHEL? That’s not even legal-”

“On CAMINUS. Here in Cyberton, they’re quite popular, and this one is the best of the best.”

“Primus sake, how many of these have you seen?”

“I’m not flinging myself at any pretty fem I see, brother. I just like supporting local businesses. Besides, you’ve been so tense with work lately, you deserve just one night to relax. Come on, you trust your brother, do you not?”

Dreadwing hesitated. Skyquake had promised he was going to pay for the evening, and his intentions seemed honest. It felt rude to say no, as uncomfortable as he was. He sighed.

“Fine. Just, make this easy for me, and...be in a different room when you do your thing.”

“Because you need to see my aft when I’m giving it to a fem.”

“Brother.”

“Sorry, sorry, just trying to ease the mood. Come on, follow me.”

Skyquake pushed past the front door, and were met with mechs and fems alike, greeting them loudly. Dreadwing let his brother walk up to the counter as he looked around. There was quite a pretty bunch of mechs and fems around. Freshly waxed and painted, some in the laps of paying customers, some bringing out drinks, and quite a few giving him the optic.

“So, in short, we’re here to celebrate!”

Dreadwing just tuned in to what Skyquake was saying. He was talking to an older fem, who was quite fetching herself. Claws that looked like daggers, and optics that glistened in greed, she looked like she’d have her fair share of prey. She gave him a look over, and chuckled.

“Mmm. Handsome thing, that one is. First time in here, darling?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’re from Caminus, so this is...different.”

“Ah yes, these kinds of places are a big no no there, if I recall. Anyhow, don’t you worry, we’ll take good care of you both. A friend of Skyquake’s is a friend of ours, afterall.”

Skyquake shrugged as his brother gave him the side optic. While there was nothing wrong about visiting this place, Dreadwing was still kink shaming. Skyquake chuckled.

“Don’t look so nervous. They’re all quite kind, I assure you. Now, I’m paying for everything afterwards, I don’t want him to see just how much this is. He’s nosey like that.”

Dreadwing turned his helm away, a bit flustered to be caught in the act of peeking.

“I’m not nosey. I’m...observant.”

“Uh huh. Anyway, Is Maxima here tonight?”

“Yep, you’re lucky, she JUST got in. I’ll see if she’s willing to see you.”

“Maxima?”

Dreadwing found it odd that he was so specific on this particular fem. Skyquake scoffed.

“She’s just a fem. Don’t read too much into it.”

“You mentioned her by name, a bit late for that.”

The fem behind the counter chuckled, seeming to type something on her data pad, before leaning over at Dreadwing.

“Okay handsome, what do YOU like? You lookin’ for a wine and dine type, or a wham bam thank you ma’am?”

Dreadwing stammered. What a question to be asked. Skyquake snorted.

“We can’t afford taking ANYONE out tonight, so tell Cheesecake we gotta pass on that front. Just let him meet a few, see who he clicks with.”

“Can do. And Maxima just told me she’s got time to see you, so head to room one fifteen, you know where that is. Big blue, you’re with me.”

“Please don’t leave me alone. Not that you’re uh, not good company ma’am.”

Skyquake rolled his optics, patting his brother on his shoulder.

“If I didn’t trust them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Dreadwing sighed, before nodding. Skyquake left him to Primus knows where, and Dreadwing followed the fem ahead of him. She opened the door to a reasonable sized room, and the large couches signified it was meant as a sort of waiting room.

“Now, take a seat, we’ll have a few girls and boys pop in, see who you like. Once you find someone, you just come and give me a holler outside. Don’t be nervous, now.”

Dreadwing sat down, and let her leave. He was alone in this room now, and he felt tense. He had the occasional bout of intercourse, but that was SO long ago. Relationships of any sort just felt...odd to him now, as if the only other bot he could interact with, was his own brother. It was a bit sad, if he thought about it for too long. Enough so, that meeting all these mechs and fems did nothing for him. Some of the fems were pretty and sweet, some of the mechs were charming and handsome, but none of them really caught his optics. He was about ready to call it quits, when one remained.

“Hello. I’m Orion Pax.”

He was a small, cute little thing. Amongst the shiny paint jobs, fresh wax, and fish nets, he stuck out like a sore servo. Dreadwing couldn’t help but look at him up and down, perplexed.

“I’m sorry, you...work here?”

“As a part time job, yes. It’s nice to have a little extra credits to spend on the weekends. May I sit next to you?”

All the other’s did the same thing, but for some reason, this made him...nervous. He nodded however, scooting a bit to allow him to sit.

“Everyone is talking about how difficult you are to please. I take it you aren’t quite like your brother.”

“Primus I should hope not.”

That made little Orion chuckle. He pulled out a data pad from his sub space.

“You seem a bit tense. Poetry always relaxes me, personally. Would It help to read you something I wrote?”

“Please, I do love my fair share of poetry.”

The little bot cleared his vocal processor.

“Migrating answers

Beast of love discovers all

Bargain intertwined.”

“That’s...rather lovely. Did you write that?”

“Yes actually. I dabble in poetry in my free time, and more often than not, my sweetspark double checks my work.”

“Does...your sweetspark know you do this?”

“Of course. And he’s fine with it. He isn’t...around a lot, and sometimes you just need a big mech to-”

His face suddenly flared, and he hid it past his data pad.

“I..shouldn’t have said that, ignore it.”

Dreadwing chuckled, pushing the data pad down. What pretty optics, this little bot has.

“There’s...nothing really wrong with that, honestly. You like big mechs, and I like...well, you quite frankly.”

There was an odd moment of silence between them, before Dreadwing pressed his lips against his. There was no resistance, no uncomfortable tension. Dreadwing wanted him, and he clearly felt the exact same. Orion pulled away, cheeks still aflame. Even if this was just some kind of act to draw in more customers, Dreadwing didn’t care. It FELT honest, and the shy little poet angle was adorable. He was cute, innocent, and Dreadwing wanted to frag him till his processor malfunctioned. Orion clearly felt the same way, given how he lingered for a moment, before tapping his servo.

“I...have to go. Don’t forget my name.”

Dreadwing wanted to just take him here and now, but he was not the kind of mech to break etiquette, especially in new places. He waited for little Orion to walk out of the room, waited a moment, and the fem from before popped her helm in.

“So, you got your pick of the litter. Anyone-”

“Orion Pax. The small fellow.”

Realizing he sounded a bit too eager, he cleared his vocal processor. How desperate was he? Not even letting her finish her sentence. She chuckled, before motioning him to follow her once again.

“Let’s get you a room big guy. Feel like if I keep you two apart any longer, you’ll start breaking doors down.”

Dreadwing slipped past the other mechs and fems, and was brought to another room. It felt so much more intimate in here than the previous room. A nice, soft looking berth, soft music being played in the background, and the best part? A little Orion Pax. Standing there, in a rather thin looking night gown. The fem chuckled, nudging his side.

“Don’t let his size fool you. He’s sturdy.”

She slipped out, and Orion groaned in humiliation.

“I’m sorry about that, she uh, has no idea what she’s talking about.”

“Are you saying you’re NOT sturdy?”

Dreadwing had no idea where that question came from. He delivered it so eagerly, it made BOTH of their faces feel flushed. Orion rubbed the back of his helm, finally putting his gaze back upon him.

“I...I mean, I wouldn’t say THAT…”

Dreadwing had no idea he’d be so easily wooed by someone so small. Orion gestured to the berth.

“Do you uh, want a massage? We usually do that to kinda ease customers into it.”

“I don’t need easing in, to be frank.”

Dreadwing had no idea what came over him. He was on Orion like some hound dog, lifting him off the floor, and practically flinging him onto berth. He pressed his lips against his, and Orion did nothing to fight it. His little servos ran across his chest, dipped in between those nooks and crannies of his armor. Dreadwing savored those touches. Savored the way he groaned into his lips, savored the way he smelled even. Orion pulled away, servos lightly caressing his face. 

“You...should open your spike panel. A big mech like you needs to be taken care of.”

It might have been just sweet talk, but Primus this little one had such a way with words. Dreadwing pushed off of him, popping open his spike panel. He was almost embarrassed, how pressurized his spike was already. There was greed in his optics, and he sat up, using his little servos to grab and stroke his girth.

“Something...tells me you aren’t as innocent as I thought previously.”

Orion chuckled, rubbing his cheek against the thick, eager spike.

“I...just like big mechs. And you’re as big as they come. You deserve to feel SO good.”

Orion pushed the tip past his lips, and Dreadwing felt himself tense up. Such a little mouth, with such a wanting, skilled glossa. His glossa was small, just like the rest of him, but with the way it circled around him, the way he let the drool dribble down his base. Dreadwing couldn’t help but have his helm toss back as the little mech only took him further. This wasn’t the first time he took a spike that size, he doubted it’d be the last. After a good, solid moment of lubing up his spike, Orion pulled away. Orion laid on his back, opening both his legs, and his valve panel. He made quite the show; playing and kneading at his already soaked folds. Dreadwing couldn’t help but stroke himself, and that seemed to only egg on the little bot.

“If I can be lewd for a moment...I want you to frag me as hard as you can. I want to feel that big, throbbing spike inside of me. And YOU want my little valve.”

He was right. Dreadwing leaned forward, putting his servo over his little chest, as if he’d try to run away from him.

“When you say as hard as you can, I do hope you understand I do not take that lightly.”

“Oh trust me, I know what I’m asking for. Come on big mech. Give it to me. Use me. Fuck me.”

Such pretty words, they could be poetry in itself. Dreadwing no longer hesitated. He pushed himself past the lips, and instead of taking it slowly, Dreadwing just stuffed himself right inside, fully and totally. Orion threw his helm back, little servos clinging to his back desperately.

“Are you hurt? Should I-”

“Don’t you pull out. Don’t you dare.”

That was all the permission Dreadwing needed. He was done being nice. He started thrusting into him, his hips clanging against his own. Dreadwing wasn’t merciful; having enough force in his thrust to move the berth itself. Orion’s mouth was a tool for evil, first being used to charm him into this berth, now using it to arouse him further. The way he cried out for him, the way he cried for more, the way he screamed, as if for mercy. Dreadwing kept his face shoved into that sweet, soft neck of his, and the little one wasn’t even spared his bites. Orion’s breath was hot, husky in his audial.

“You can bite me harder, big boy. Take a bite out of me, like I know you want.”

A good, harsh bite not only made his neck bleed, but made Orion squeal in ecstasy. Dreadwing knew he wasn’t going to last very long, not with a tight valve like this, not with a mech so hungry for his touch. When Orion grabbed fist fulls of his aft (with a rather surprising grip), he was forced into an overload. He panicked, realizing he was still inside, before he pulled out. He ended up showering the little mech in his pink, hot load. The sight of the little mech bathed in the afterglow, was enough to make Dreadwing want him yet again. Orion wiped his face with his servo, and licked it off, sighing in content.

“You...REALLY needed that, didn’t you?”

“More...than I thought, honestly. I apologize, I don’t know what’s the polite thing to do from here. Am I supposed to...give you a tip, or-”

“You gave me a LOT more than a tip, big mech.”

Orion chuckled, one hand leaning down to help ease fluids out of his gaping valve. This little mech was so quick witted, so eager to pull him further into affection. Dreadwing was about to go for a second round, when there was a knock at their door.

“Time’s up you two. Everything alright?”

“Just fine! He was just saying he wants to buy more time.”

Dreadwing was about to speak against that, as he said no such thing, until Orion held onto his helm, taking a nip out of his chin. Dreadwing lightly gulped.

“I...suppose I could use more time. It IS my creation day, after all.”

“Good to hear! Go on you two, I’ll check in later!”

As the voice left, Orion chuckled.

“Now that we have just a little more time...how do you feel about letting me at YOUR valve?”

-------------------------------------------

Dreadwing lost track of time as he walked out of that room. His brother had been waiting there for what seemed like a while, given the relief on his face.

“Primus sake, there you are! You were in there for SO long, thought someone was killing you or something.”

“I...apologize. I lost track of time.”

Skyquake chuckled, shaking his helm.

“Alright, let’s see the damage here…”

Skyquake handled the final bill for them both, and Dreadwing was too lost in his thoughts to peek over his shoulder. He did some rather...embarrassing things in there. Sure he liked it all, but he didn’t like figuring out all these secret kinks he seemed to have. No matter.

What were the odds he was going to see him again, anyway?

#asks #lemon #dreadwing #orion pax #skyquake #maxima

[nekomas-kuroo]

@gogo-karasuno: Three Adjectives to describe me are Intelligent, Creative, and Snarky/Salty. I’m very proud of my intelligence because why shouldn’t I be? Life is hard but seeing things through a creative lens/creating gives me more control. If I don’t like something I can change how I view it or make something better. Snark may actually be my first language because wow do I snark a lot. One of my best friends calls me a “Living Salt Lick” and asks if animals flock to lick me. Because I spew salt.

My hobbies include writing, reading, and phone games. I run a writing blog so I should hope I love writing. But, I am working toward becoming a published author and even have my pen name already picked for when it’s time to go. Right now, I read a lot of fanfiction and manga but I do love novels too. Urban Fantasy is one of my favorite things ever. Also, space western/opera type things. Phone Games are like my little serotonin boost sometimes and they help me with my social anxiety. I play everything from solitaire and mahjong to dating sims (seriously, I love dating sims so much) and puzzle games. My favorite puzzle right now is solving like word pictograms.

Three things I want in a partner or relationship?

-Right off the bat I have to say understanding/support. I have mental illnesses/other health problems and it complicates things. When I’m dating someone I need them to understand that sometimes plans have to suddenly change because of my health. Getting my best days also means getting my worst days, ya know?

-Intelligence is something I need too. This doesn’t mean book smarts only. I love when people are a different kind of smart than me. It makes things fun because I can learn from them and they can learn from me.

-Not being intimidated by me. It seems funny to say because I’m exceptionally introverted and generally quiet. But, I seem to intimidate people sometimes. Online I come on strong (I joke I’m like Noya in that regard) because I am aggressively positive and will be the change I want to see on the world. Offline, I’ve had people be intimidated by the fact I won’t shrink myself down for them (anymore). Or, that I have plans for my life. I also refer to myself as Delightfully Bitchy in that part of my humor is complaining/not complaining and I’m quick-witted with a silver tongue and sharp observations. I don’t like handling other peoples fears about me. So, they have to be Ready for All of Me.

Three things I don’t want in a partner/relationship?

-Super Clingy. I give and recidve affection on my terms. Sometimes that is being super affectionate and other times that means I need space. I don’t want someone who has to be velcored to my side at all times and constantly reassured.

-Loud all of the time. Please gods, I am introverted. 24/7 nonstop extroversion is the death of me. It makes me cranky and snappish. Sometimes I just need things to be quiet and calm.

-Unreliable. I need structure to help keep my illnesses in check. I can’t handle someone who is a constant upset to my routines or structure without good reasons. I am accommodating and very compassionate but there is a limit. This also includes me being super dependable for them and them not giving the same back to me. If I give 100% then I want 100% back so things are equal and fair to both of us.

——

alskdf i literally love this so much you sound so fun???? also the mental health thing is a mood

i ship you with tsukishima kei!!

like as soon as you said snarky i saw it. he’s also not a big fan of the louder members of the team so he’ll be making sure to keep them away from you as well

some hc’s about you guys:

he’s absolutely not intimidated by you in the best way possible. he sees you as someone who he absolutely respects and he’s constantly impressed by you. you both regard each other in a way where you challenge each other, both in sass and intellect, but at the end of the day it’s less of a competition and more of a learning experience

he absolutely respects how introverted you are. he’s the same way. you guys have little recharge dates where you don’t really do anything together besides being in the same space. like you both just do your own thing but in each other’s presence, that’s enough

he might not enjoy the things you’re into, but he definitely makes an effort to learn about them, in his own little tsukki way. even if it’s just listening to you talk about a story idea or a game you’ve been playing, you know he paid attention when he brings up a tiny detail about it a few weeks later

he is the most respectful and understanding about your mental health and other health things. like he may not know what to expect or what to do, but he’s willing to learn from you and listen to what you need the most for different things. he’s always gonna support you, even on your worst days.

#ri's 8k celebration #submission #tsukishima kei

[im-auntie-social]

Tagged by the kind and lovely @ilikeblue and @zetaaa

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!  

I’m still a baby as far as posting fic, so let’s do this in chronological order, oldest to newest, all JB with the exception of #1:  

1. “Heads up!” (the Novel That Won’t Die, otherwise known as Uncertainty Principle, YA, pending a near-total rewrite so I can pitch it as a rom com because “story about weirdo college students doing weird stuff and growing and whatnot” isn’t a genre unless you add romance or trauma or both. sigh.)

2. There was a hole in the Force. (You Happened to Me aka the Star Wars AU Episode 1, rated T, complete)

3. “If I didn’t know better, Tech, I’d think you were trying to run away from me.” (Love Isn’t a Sprint, It’s a Marathon, rated T, one-shot)

4. There is nothing on earth Brienne Tarth hates more than poster sessions. (Questions of Science and Progress aka Science Bros to Lovers, rated T, complete)

5. There’s one present left under the tree, but it is so small Brienne is worried Jaime might not see it. (N06: Radical Red, rated T, one-shot)

Now some unposted WIPs, in order of most likely to ever see the light of day to least likely (excluding WIPs that consist of a single line and/or I don’t want to talk about)

6. A sprawling and active community where the summer has been long, but winter is coming. Welcome to Westeros County. (what it says on the tin, rated T)

7. Jaime had been standing outside the ballroom’s grand main door for what felt like days when it eased open a crack and a large, head-tailed figure slipped out. (SWAU episode 2. Will probably be supplanted by a much punchier prologue and/or main title crawl)

8. “This is Varys, talking to you from in front of the Red Keep Theater in King’s landing!” (Singin’ in the Rain AU, lots of fun to write but it’s JBO (JOB?) and that makes me a bit nervous because it’s new for me and I don’t want to screw it up. Also still figuring out how to pull off Lina!Cersei with only canon-typical misogyny.)

9. Brienne fiddles with her StagPhone restlessly as she waits for her new student to arrive. Her new student and, apparently, her student’s nanny. (”hypothetical tutor fic,” hopefully a one-shot?)

10. When I woke up I knew three things: I was in a diagnostic and repair cubical on KingsLanding station, I had no memory, and my governor module was offline. I went to work anyway. (”murderbot Brienne,” currently giving me fits about literally every aspect. Hopefully a one-shot because a) approximately four people will read a first-person POV genre fic born mainly from sarcastic discord comments about “robot bodyguard Brienne,” and b) see above re: fits)

11. Brienne Tarth was no swan. (”ballet fic” that is also vaguely a GNC fic? idk)

12. Being a ghost is exhausting. (creatively currently titled “brienne is a ghost,” something I noodled around with for a few days during NaNo. Rereading it I kind of like it? But there are at least two really good ghost!Brienne fics already and I’m not sure this cake would add anything?)

13. (cheating because it’s still an outline) Brienne joins a knitting group consisting of Cat, Olenna, Genna, Lysa, and Old Nan. (also what it says on the tin, mostly because I miss my knitting group and also I adore the idea of giving Brienne a pack of dgaf older ladies to support and encourage her. I may have to invent a Martell grandma to round out the group....)

Patterns: Among posted fics, 3 of 4 start with “there,” which I never noticed before. Huh. I also notice I don’t actually like half of the WIP starters, probably because they’re not pithy and straightforward like the published ones? For some reason I thought I tended toward dialog for first lines but apparently not!

Favourite: While #4 is absolutely the most autobiographical, I’m always going to have a soft spot for #2. I joke that the JB Star Wars AU is the fic I was born to write, but I wasn’t at all sure anything would ever see the light of day until the prologue came together.

Tagging: Ah dang I’m late to the party and I have no idea who’s been tagged and who’s posted, so if you’re seeing this and haven’t posted your answers, consider yourself tagged!

#writing #fic writing #writing meme #time capsule post to be remembered and laughed at in X years

[thesunnyshow]

Name: kelsie Writing Blog URL(s): @lovingyong​

Age: 22

Nationality: american

Languages: english, some sign language and spanish

Star Sign: libra

MBTI: INFJ

Favorite color: pink

Favorite food: taco bell (lol)

Favorite movie: pride and prejudice, kill bill, gone with the wind, or the handmaiden

Favorite ice cream flavor: green tea

Favorite animal: otter

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? tea or hot chocolate. never coffee because i’m allergic

Dream job (whether you have a job or not): human rights attorney or writer

Go-to karaoke song: never gonna give you up - rick astley

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? teleportation

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose? mmm hard to say bc i enjoy my rights as a woman so i guess probably the 90s

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you? Only starting at the summer before high school

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken? horse sized chicken but i could not explain why. It’s just my gut instinct

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been? I was the floater/nobody for sureeeee

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures? yes aliens allll the way lets go

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know? I only type with two fingers on each hand but can still type 60 wpm

What fandom(s) do you write for? nct but i want to also start writing for haikyuu soon

When did you post your first piece? july of 2018

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? I like a good combo. Life is never completely fluffy or totally angsty. It’s good to have a balance to make it all seem more realistic and immersive

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc? x reader right now but when i write for haikyuu, it’ll be ships

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr? I think it was just… there and available. Ao3 is fun but there’s not a lot of chances or opportunities for interaction so i decided to go back to the hellsite

What inspires you to write? Oh goodness, anything and everything. Oftentimes it’s music. I hear a song and i’m immediately like i need a story for this asap

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most? Mafia and crime. It’s such a guilty pleasure of mine

What do you hope your readers take away from your work? I just want it to be a temporary escape and provide at least some form of enjoyment

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively? Read more or watch anime just because both of those are enjoyable things for me but can also give me the inspiration to create again

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful? you may regret this is literally my baby. It’s not my favorite, but i think taeyong’s spin off story, a way out, is because it's everything i wanted for ymrt, i just didn’t have the same skills at the time. Another favorite of mine is hanakotoba because it’s literally my heart and soul in a story and i’ll always have that deep personal connection to it. My most successful is white knuckle tight which is truly still fascinating for me because it was an idea i got on a random tuesday during christmas break and i just ran with it. I think it’s an alright story but it’s far from my favorite. I lack the emotional attachment that i have to other pieces.

Who is your favorite person to write about? taeyong. Writing him is almost like second nature to me. His character is always the easiest for me to construct and i think people will find he’s the most consistent character throughout stories. There’s not as much variation.

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose? Yes and no. i think writing kpop fanfiction is much more similar to original prose because you don’t have a world to build around. You only have a person. In fact, you don’t even have that. You only have an idea of a person to construct into a character. I think the only difference is that you can get away with a lot more unreasonable plot lines.

What do you think makes a good story? Good characters and enough emotion to create an attachment to the plot. I want to care about what’s happening and the best way to do that is by leading me to some sort of connection to the characters

What is your writing process like? Very chaotic and sporadic. I’ll come up with ideas at 3 am, make a random note about it, and then do my best to bring it to life when i’m actually awake. I don’t plan. I just have snippets of scenes i would like to include. So much of it is just writing whatever comes to mind while im writing it

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story? I’m doing so with one right now, though 8-% of it is getting scrapped and changed. There’s nothing wrong with that though. Having good bones is what matters and i think this story has exactly that

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand? I love enemies to loves if it’s done right. Exes to lovers is another classic. Mafia is a given. Hanahaki and soulmates always does something to my heart. I can’t stand hybrid and a/b/o fics idk why i just have never been able to get into them. Yandere like tropes are also really hard to do right so i usually avoid those as well

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you? It means a lot. I’m sure any writer can tell you that but it’s truly the reason i still write fanfic and haven’t just given up and written only original prose.

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? Timing. It’s always about which member is really getting to people at the moment and which trope is gaining traction. 85% of writing on tumblr is kind of just dumb luck

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged? Yes. i think it just comes from lack of understanding

Do you think art can be a medium for change? Without a doubt. Art pieces as well as writings have made significant impacts in my life in a variety of ways. It’s a medium of awareness and recognition

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself? Not really because i kind of just do whatever the fuck i want (sorry for my language lol) but i usually come up with totally self indulgent ideas and then just do it. 

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times? No… not yet. I expected someone to with shattered memories but it seemed to do and say what i wanted to

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr? My roommates. My friends know i write they just don’t know what

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers? I’m doing my best and i wish i could put stories out more often 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there? Just go for it. You have to try if you want to see any sort of results. Plus these people don’t know you so what’s the risk

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr? nah

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? Kai, jewel, and abbey for sure. They were some of my closest mutuals when my blog really started to take off

Pick a quote to end your interview with: 

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go… - dr. seuss

#@lovingyong #feature author #thesunnyshow #nct #episode 49 #haikyuu

[itsclydebitches]

Are you taking part in nanowrimo this year? If so do you have any tips?

As much as I still long to achieve nanowrimo someday, I don’t think this will be the year. I’m averaging about 500 words of fiction a day right now, handwritten, so it would take a miracle to get me to a place where I can triple that, realistically giving up my journaling in the process for much faster touch-typing. Nanowrimo is a challenge for me at the best of times. During 2020? Ehhh, unlikely to happen lol 

The closest I got was around 30k one year and I got that far largely because I: 

Had a very detailed outline prepared ahead of time. I did a lot of planning before November hit so that there was never a day where I was struggling to figure out what I needed to write. Even if I wasn’t sure how to craft the next scene I still had plenty more outlined to turn to 

I had a project that I was really passionate about at the time. Thus, it was no hardship to put all my creative energy towards it for a month straight. That doesn’t often happen for me. I’m a multitasker at heart and could easily produce 1,667 words a day if it was across 3+ projects... but a single novel is much harder. So definitely choose something that you think you can sustain that passion for 

I was diligent about setting aside time to work, usually at the end of the day. That meant I was writing even when I was exhausted and just wanted to watch TV, browse social media, etc. So again, if you’ve got a full schedule be prepared to use a lot of your free time writing. (Unless you’re blessed to be a fast writer, which I am not lol.) 

Have some kind of support system, online or offline, to help motivate you. I had friends interested in the story and the act of them asking about it helped kickstart me whenever I was feeling unmotivated. Holding one another accountable for goals can help too 

Be prepared for numerous Real Life Things to pop up that interfere with the challenge. This might mean that you suddenly have a weekend where you’re writing 3000k+ words, it might mean that you have to give up on hitting 50k completely. Don’t beat yourself up over it! I’ve done it numerous times :D

As much as I love the culture of nanowrimo - the “Yeah! You can do it! Get that novel draft done!” energy - as the years go by I’m finding myself disliking how easily it can turn into a pressure, rather than a fun event. It should be fun. So I suppose that’s the best tip I can give, coming from someone who’s never actually finished it: so long as you’re enjoying yourself you’re in great shape, even if you’re not meeting the minimums you’re “supposed” to hit. But if you find yourself overly stressed about it, treating your writing time like an awful chore you’d rather avoid? Avoid it! Change your goal to a smaller number. Set the project aside entirely. Write someone else. Whatever you need. There’s a difference between “Challenge yourself” and “Make yourself miserable in an effort to achieve the frankly insane goal of 50k words in a single, already stressful month.” Nanowrimo should always be the former 👍

#writing #nanowrimo #Anonymous

[neocatharsis]

The Brilliant Members of World Renowned NCT 127 Share Their Thoughts Fashion, Music, Lifestyle, Favorite Things… What Their Individual Styles Are #004 DOYOUNG

Some Excerpts, Full Interview https://mensnonno.jp/post/41109/

What Is The ‘Relaxation’ That You Embrace, DOYOUNG-san?

MN: First, let’s have everybody look at this. It is a photograph you sent to us on our request for an image in which you are relaxing in a room, DOYOUNG-san.

D :  Yes, I’m often wrapped in a quilt like this at our lodging quarters.

MN:  From your responses to the pre-interview questions, our impression of you, if you don’t our saying, is that you are a person who embraces self-care and grabbing onto a pace that is most comfortable for you.

D : Wowー

MN: The reason being, you mentioned that you enjoy lying down, which left an impression. To the question, “What do you enjoy doing the most?”, you responded, “When I’m lying down.” To the question, “What is the one thing that makes you proud?”, you answered, “To lie down.” And that we found rather interesting… This type of conversation never came up with the others and it’s unique. Can you tell us how important it is for you to rest, DOYOUNG-san?

D : More often than none, my daily schedule is set up in advance. Once I do this, then I have  to do that, and when that’s done, there is always something else to do. That’s what my daily life looks like. So, to take the time to rest, means to step a little back from such plans to give myself a moment of relief. Whether that’s to actually lie down or just to relax a bit in my room, I believe that taking a moment for rest is a very important part of life. Of course, we live within our full schedule, but being able to take a break also means that you have time to reflect on yourself. Not doing anything in particular, eating freely when you want to, sleeping when you want to… I find it is lovely and quite vital to be able to live with a little fluidity in this way.

MN:  Is it easy for you, DOYOUNG-san, to switch on and off?

D :  I think so.

MN: Nowadays,there are so many people out there who overdo it and end up losing their pace. As such, they forget to take the time to breathe.

D :  I don’t know if I can give those people any good advice or not, but I do often find myself thinking about work even when I don’t need to be thinking about it. That’s probably why I think that it is better to find ways to minimize the time I’m overly immersed. The more I think about wanting to do things well or getting things right, it just makes it more difficult to switch on and off, and I wind up getting immersed in it all over again. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could consciously control when we do things and when we don’t? Even though it’s so difficult…

MN: Then, in contrary, when you go out and are switched “on” and in contact with people, do you have an ideal as far as how you want to spend that time?

D : Let’s see. When I’m spending time as an ‘idol’, an entertainer, I think it’s easy to forget to be considerate or to care about others, and yet, I want to be a person who can care about others right in front of me and around me as much as possible. So, I try my best to give back as much as I can to all the people around me who are there to help me. This may sound a bit no-nonsense, but I actually like to do things like that, and honestly, I also think it’s easier than to have others be concerned about you. Besides, by doing so, the atmosphere becomes serene and the air has a relaxed flow to it, so I believe to be considerate of others is something that is necessary for your own self. “On” or “off”, serenity is important.

As A Vocalist, What Is It That You Pour Your Heart And Soul Into?

MN: We’d like to ask you about the artist DOYOUNG. To the question, “Please list three things that make up who you are”, you listed, “Song, the fans’ hearts, those who constantly support me”, and you brought up ‘song’ first.

D : Yes, I did. Singing is very important to me.

MN: Could you tell us the NCT 127 song that you would like us to especially focus on for your voice, DOYOUNG-san?

D : I would be pleased if you would listen to the song “Make Your Day”. As you know, most of our songs are based on hip-hop. The lead track for our album is so, and the songs we perform on television shows are also so. As such, for those who don’t know much about our group, there may not be many opportunities for them to hear my voice in a ballad. Even though ballads are hard to sing, they are definitely worth doing, and I also think NCT 127 has beautiful ballads. We go through so much trial and error during recording sessions, challenging ourselves to a lot of things, like using different types of voices and different singing styles. We learn so much every single time. That’s why I would really like to emphasize this song for the readers, not so much for my voice alone, but rather the minute details throughout the song, like care that went into the chorus section and the feel-good atmosphere throughout the song we put effort into creating. Different from a laid-back song with a laid-back feel when singing each bar, I would love for everyone to experience the attention to sincerity and sensitivity that comes through the entire score.”

MN:  Your buildup of discipline as a vocalist shows through. It appears you have also uploaded a bunch of cover songs.

D : Thank you very much. If I were to select one of those songs, it would be “Mine” by Bazzi. It was the first cover song I shared with everybody. The reason why I chose this song is because even if I were to be asked to redo it, I honestly don’t think I can. Back then, I worked hard to train for it, because it was the first time ever for me to challenge myself to do a cover song. There were so many things I didn’t know about, including how to complete the visuals, and yet I feel like that awkwardness really makes it what it is. For that aspect, this song is unforgettable to me.

MN: How wonderful that you impress on what’s good at that time, even though you may have been less experienced than you are now. What points make you want to choose to sing a cover song, DOYOUNG-san?

D : I personally want to try all kinds of songs. You might say that cover songs are a content that allows me to personally and freely challenge myself. That is why I have the desire to try out all kinds of songs, and at the same time, show a different side of myself in comparison to the artist I am when doing our original songs. I also feel like I have to tailor how I sing when doing a cover song. So, I choose the songs while thinking, “How do I want to challenge myself to sing in a way that I can show the best of myself as an individual?

MN:  In addition to Bazzi, you have done cover songs regardless of whether they are by male or female artists, and you’ve given them all an originality. Perhaps everyone is waiting for a Japanese song…?

D :  Thank you very much. Actually… I was just thinking about that!

MN:  Now that’s something to look forward to. 

Please Tell Us What Is Important To You In Connection With Your Fans!

MN: With regard to your source of inspiration for creative work, you answered, “All the fans”. For the question earlier on what makes up who you are, you also brought up “the hearts of all the fans”. It seems like you have very strong feelings about their existence.

D : With the situation as it is now, we are not able to directly meet with our fans. Of course, the best way to feel their strong connection is to meet with them directly, see them, and listen to their voices as they cheer us on. However, even though we are not able to see the fans right now, they have continued to send us a lot of messages online, visuals of their support, sharing their thoughts with us in so many different ways. It is truly touching, and should I say, inspirational… or even uplifting. It helps us to keep going on. And their messages in support consist of truly beautiful words. You can tell that they have taken the time to carefully put together these words that give us so much strength. It is a beautiful method of doing so that we have learned from them.

MN: Now then, DOYOUNG-san, when you send out a message to your fans via SNS, what do you find is most important?

D : The fans send us messages full of beautiful words. Therefore, I always want to send back messages in the same way. So, even though it may be a subtle word here and there, I always want to make the words more beautiful as I share them with the fans.

MN: So, when you said earlier about your policy, “So, I try my best to give back as much as I can to all the people around me who are there to help me”, it’s all connected.

D :  Yes, it is. I want to give back as much of my genuine heart as they have shown to me.

MN: So, the next time we get to enjoy your concert offline, you will be able to share your feelings directly with the fans. What kind of staging are you hoping to share?

D :  For now, a simple one. I mean, what we really want is to see our fans face-to-face. So, when we are able to do a concert for the first time in a long time, it would be fantastic if we could create something together. Of course, NCT 127 will perform the actual concert, but, for example, creating an element of the staging with the fans… Mmm… maybe even collaborating on something.”

MN: So, you mean something like incorporating a corner for fans to participate in?

D : Yes, exactly! How fun it would be to do a concert like that.

What Is The Balance Between Challenging Yourself And Protecting Your Own Pace?

MN: You wrote the words, “I hope you are able to feel a sense of accomplishment” with regard to “a memorable piece of advice you received from somebody.” This is probably not something you are able to feel very often. What do you find is necessary in order to reach that state?

D : There is something that I find more valuable than the passion to keep pressing on or to continue to challenge myself. What I myself lack, what parts of myself are imperfect, and what I really need to work on… these are things I am already aware of. For example, “100 percent” is a basic numerical value that is placed on exhibiting what a perfect state is. I feel that to be a professional means that I must place my efforts on achieving that 100 percent if that number is lacking within myself. It’s only natural and cannot be taken for granted. It may be warranted, but because I am aware of how I lack in experience and where I fall short, I don’t just passionately push forward or frantically try to achieve something. My desire is to be someone who can fill in the gaps with a level head and protect the fundamental parts. In order to do so, I feel the right thing to do is to steadily accomplish what one needs to do.

MN: You have your own balance between the passionate and the sensible stance. Regarding your motto, you wrote, “To be yourself as you live your life.” This also seems to connect to the stance in which you value how important it is to find your own pace. What do you say to that?

D : Yes, I agree. I feel that someone who really knows who they are, or is able to fully understand oneself is what is called an adult, and that is also what I meant by writing, “I want to be myself as I live my life.” This also means to know what you are really good at and working hard as you bring that to the table. You can’t simply force yourself to do what you can’t do. I believe these words also exhibit the determination to live as your own self.

MN:  I see. That makes a lot of sense. Further expanding on being yourself, your response of “My room which is neatly organized,” in response to the landscape that symbolizes who you are… this has also left quite an impression. You also provided a separate photograph from the one in the beginning. You were the only person who mentioned your own room in response to this question, DOYOUNG-san. You appear to have a consistent emphasis on how to be comfortable.

D :  To be tidy and live in comfort… how do I explain this… it’s a tiny little wish of mine and I am willing to put the effort in order to achieve it.

MN:  In response to the question, “What types of places or atmosphere do you like?” you wrote, “A place where I can relax with a suitable temperature.” When we first read that response, we felt that mentioning the temperature really shows how you are particular about space. Having listened to you now, it all makes sense.

D : I’m sure it can get messy in the day-to-day, but I like to keep my room as organized as possible for my own self.

How Do You See Your Group Objectively?

MN: You responded, “to be as one and tread forward” to what is vital for NCT 127. Additionally, to “Please tell us what you find wonderful about the group,” you wrote, “The way in which we help each other as we work hard to achieve our goals.” It can’t be very easy to protect your own pace and maintain teamwork at the same time, which are very important to you …

D : With regard to the key in maintaining teamwork, more than anything, I think it is important to have the same dream. By having the same goal in the end, even if we have small arguments or fights in between because our methods are slightly different, I think we are able to put our efforts together in the long run in order to achieve that dream. Having one dream together as team members, this is very important.”

MN: Are there any memorable words/phrases or occurrences from spending time with your members?

D : I feel there is so much to learn from each and every member, respectively. I’m certain there are actual words from each member that have been wonderful, but more importantly, I think the way we subconsciously breathe as one while watching one another on a daily basis… this is bigger than any words I could bring up. This of course applies to dancing and singing, our areas of specialty as artists, but I also feel there are wonderful aspects of life that each and every one of us has, respectively. I mean, we all have different personalities. So, it’s like, this member may be better at this and that member may be better at that. All of this inclusive, from the way we all live, I believe that we all learn from each other daily, like at times like this, we should think this way or do things in this way.”

MN: For what has had the most impact on you other than the members of NCT 127, you also mentioned, “SM (SM ENTERTAINMENT＝NCT 127’s talent agency)”. In what way has it had an impact on you?

D :  I love music and have listened to SM’s music since I was a child. So, I can honestly say that it has been SM’s music that has had an impact on me in that it gave me the interest and guided me towards the path to entertainment, as well as helped to create the person that I am today. If we are talking about what made me interested in show business and entertainment itself, then yes, Korean music and culture has helped me to grow as an artist who sings songs. There are so many artists that I look up to from Korea. The way they live, the words they share, even a photo alone, I feel that the many things I can learn from are scattered throughout these aspects as I connect to the music as a vocalist right now.”

What Is Your ‘Authentic Self”, DOYOUNG-san?

MN:  Finally, we have asked this of all the members, but what would you say, DOYOUNG-san’s “My Own Style” is?

D :  That would have to be “My way”. When you hear the words “my way”, I think you get the image that you’re doing everything it is you want or living your life as you want. My current style is exactly that, “my way”. The reason being, as time has passed since our debut, there was a period in time when I thought, “why am I the way I am” in comparison to others. Like I was looking at myself through the basis of others. But after that period of time, and now, I’ve come to be able to think, “Oh, I’ll just do what I want.” I’ll do what I do best and what I’m good at… that it’s okay to show what I am able to show and that’s it. That I’ll live my “authentic-self”… I’ve been able to arrive at that point in the way I think and so, now, my way is my own style.”

MN: My way is my own style! What a great way to end. Thank you very much. Time’s up for the interview, so if we could close with a word from you to our readers.

D :  I would like to express my deepest gratitude to MEN’S NON-NO for introducing us to the fans and for giving us the opportunity to speak to our fans in depth.

MN: Oh, no, that’s way too kind of you; we too thank you…

D : “NCT 127 is so grateful to have this opportunity, especially since we are all under circumstances that prevent us from being able to go to Japan and see our fans in person, even though we really want to. Although we cannot see each other now, we are trying to find all the ways to make it possible to communicate with you. So, we hope that you will continue to expect more from us in the future, and I would like to end by saying that the more you expect from us, the more we will expect from ourselves, so that we use our efforts to be able to respond to all of you in the best way possible.

MN: We pray that NCT 127 and the fans can reunite soon. Thank you for sharing so much with us today.

D : (in Japanese) “Thank you very much and thank you for your hard work!”

What dream would you like to achieve in your life other than music?

I want to live in happiness with the good people around me.

#nct #nct 127 #doyoung

[markcampbells]

Scarlet, yellow, aqua, purple! :D

scarlet: favorite holiday

I’m not a holiday person in a general sense--I don’t really do decorating--but I would have to say either July 4th or a Jewish holiday like Passover. I don’t like July 4th for the patriotism aspect really, but in nonpandemic years it’s usually a time where I get together with immediate family and go to a local fair. I get to enjoy the warm weather and the local library has a cool book sale, so I’ve had good memories that way. With Passover, I get to see my Jewish family, and I’ve been reading the Four Questions for like twenty+ years, so safe to say that’s my job, LOL. (We do have a younger person in the family in recent years who’s starting to be able to read them, so she might fully take over next time around.) That side of my family is a lot of fun to be around and I always look forward to seeing them for the holidays, so any holdiay I get to spend with them is a plus. 

yellow: name of an artist you think is underappreciated

Can I plug friends of mine?

@malionnes is one of the most talented graphic artists I know and I’m glad we met way back in the day of OTH fandom. Her screencap meme creations lately have been beautiful. <3

My friend Helen released a poetry chapbook last year and I can’t even imagine the creative energy that takes.

Some friends with bands on Bandcamp: x, x

My friend Sarah is on a break right now, but she has an Etsy where she sells her knitting.

aqua: do you thrift?

I do not, at least when it comes to clothing! On occasion, I’ve used thrift stores for specific purposes (I found a dress that my mom and I repurposed into an outfit for a 1920s party my English Honor Society through; I definitely found elements of other costumes in thrift stores over the years), but I’ve never been someone who goes regularly. I do have one beautiful friend who assembles gorgeous outfits via thrifting and who’s involved with a group called Thrift To Fight Fascism, and I hope to support that group more this year, so maybe that will be my way in. Any time I do go to a thrift store I usually look at the books, and I frequent used bookstores fairly often, so I think that’s pretty much my equivalent.

purple: a poem you think describes your closest friend

Okay, I’ve been thinking about this one for a few days and I honestly don’t know! Having done some Google searches, I haven’t come up with many friendship poems that aren’t either super cliche or about negative emotions, LOL. I will say that Cait (malionnes as mentioned above) has been my friend for ten years and after some of the things I’ve been through with other friends, especially not long before we met, the difference is stark and I’m grateful to have her in my life. We’ve only met in person once and that hasn’t stopped us from becoming close, which is something I’ve only had twice in my life. Our friendship is my proof that friendships formed online can be real and lasting, and I hope that someday when offline gathering becomes a little easier we can meet each other’s friends and family more concretely.

#ask box #louderthanabombb #about me #thank you brandon! :) #you asked some ones i really had to think about LOL

[fytoo]

Debuting a K-Pop Band During Coronavirus: TOO on Their Creative Concept & Promotion Strategy

With a new act making their debut on the K-pop scene roughly every two days, entering this multibillion-dollar industry is never easy but becomes all the more tricky in a global pandemic.

Since the December conclusion of the singing-competition show World Klass, the debut for boy band TOO has been actively in the works for months. After the TV program whittled 20 participants into a 10-member lineup, the promising band with an already established fanbase has been in preparation mode. While coronavirus concerns hit South Korea earlier than most of the world (with social distancing measures still in place today), TOO and their teams were forced to adapt and get creative in their marketing techniques.

It all falls under a new term that has developed in Korea called "untact," referring to how artists and entertainers are still attempting to make contact and connect with fans throughout health concerns and social-distancing regulations.

"We didn't have any issues when preparing for debut," says TOO vocalist Donggeon. "But it's sad to be on stage without fans. It's really upsetting that we can't be with our fans on the television music shows and during other activities we're doing."

The 20-year-old is referring to Korea's tradition of live-performance music program shows that air nearly daily and see promoting artists perform until a "No. 1" of the week is announced at the conclusion. These performances are important to introduce new music to local viewers and potential international clicks via YouTube, with wins on these shows helping secure public recognition and brand deals. Since February, the programs have gone without live audiences (viewers can get the sense of acts on a hot promotional streak from those with loudest chants) with on-hand staff limited (The Show broadcasted on Korea's SBS MTV channel saw an MC's staff member test positive for COVID-19 requiring a two-week break for all hosts).

Financially, person-to-person contact has long been a crucial aspect in the K-pop industry as many companies depend on physical album sales that grant buyers lottery tickets to potentially access private, in-person fan meetings. It's also important for the relationship between artist and fans as it marks a rare time for supporters to get nearly unrestricted access to take photos of their stars and score face time. The more popular an act, the more albums that tend to be bought for these potential meetings. But with a group like TOO so early in their career, getting that contact time is important to make lasting first impressions.

"If not for the virus, we would have fan meetings, we could go outside and just wander around," adds TOO leader Jaeyun. "But right now, we just move by car from one place to another, company to company."

When the boy band held the televised music concert showcase TOO Day to mark their debut, there wasn't an audience to cheer the guys on but followers did see themselves incorporated in a performance. The band asked their growing followers on Twitter for keywords to describe the different members for what they teased as a special remix. What fans found is that those descriptions made their way into the lyrics of "Too You," the band's reinterpretation of The Supremes' No. 1 Hot 100 hit "You Can't Hurry Love."

For those who would have scored access to the events, the group instead autographed their albums personally and held video conference calls with fans with each member taking one minute to personally talk to them. In place of the candid photos that fans would have taken and uploaded online, TOO's staff posted their own snaps of the members in the cute headbands and animal ears that are usually brought as gifts for the idols.

Also pushing TOO into the scene is their upcoming participation on the singing competition show Road to Kingdom. Alongside six other rising boy bands, they are the youngest competitor by far but if the show performs anywhere near its first, female-focused season Queendom (which produced competitors (G)I-DLE, MAMAMOO, AOA and Park Bom with Billboard chart hits), the show's reach and potential to secure a larger fanbase is worth it.

"It's a really big chance for us," says TOO rapper J.You of the new show. "At first, we're very nervous to be competing with seniors who we've been fans of since we were trainees and other groups that we have admired, however we'll do our best with passion and learn from them too. We would like the public to get to know us through Road to Kingdom."

TOO is a joint project between Stone Music Entertainment and K-pop agency n.CH Entertainment, who say they recognize the difficult timing but are prioritizing health. "We are paying most attention to the safety of the artist and fans," the companies share in a statement to Billboard. "We are looking for and implementing flexible measures tailored to the current situation...focusing more on online platforms than offline events to promote our contents and are expanding opportunities to communicate with fans live such as online showcases and fan signing events. As soon as the COVID-19 situation stabilizes, it is hoped that we will be able to host face-to-face events and resolve the disappointment of artists and fans."

Or as Jaeyun sees it, "We are working hard so we can give our positive energy to our fans and everyone during the difficult times of the virus." Read on for more about TOO from the members about their artistic concept, writing on their debut album, plans once they can travel again and more.

Congratulations on your debut even in these difficult times, TOO! In your own words, can you describe TOO and what sets you apart from other K-pop acts?

Jaeyun: We are a group that aims to represent Eastern values. So, to introduce our group, first TOO's music aims to be centered in Asia and focus on the values that lie in the inner cultivation of the mind. That's music that captures and moves peoples' hearts which we call "heart music." Along with heart music, we want to be artists with killer dance moves that go beyond K-pop standards.

Donggeon: We have a special worldview. There are combinations between members based on five elements [earth, fire, water, wood and metal] and each member is in charge of one value each. For example, the first mini album tells the story of "benevolence," the value represented by J.You.

J.You: This first mini-album is my story, with me as the center, and future albums will be focused around other members' stories.

Why was "Magnolia" the right song to choose as your debut single?

Woonggi: I think that "Magnolia" is a great fit for us because it contains our team's worldview very well and has a strong image to it. In particular, the hook is very addictive so we thought the track would be a good choice to introduce us to the public.

Jaeyun: We also wanted to capture TOO's unique worldview in lyrics of "Magnolia" so, for example, the lyrics about "shattered ideals" is a hint toward our worldview regarding the ideas of utopia versus dystopia -- or as we call it, u-too-pia and dys-too-pia. It's part of our story. In the [music video] storyline, the current is dystoopia: we go in the past to change the future, which is the present right now, so it can be a utoopia.

Jerome: There are a lot of hidden meanings in the music video. To give you a hint, if you focus and take a closer look at our accessories, you'll have more fun watching it.

It's impressive some of you have been involved with the music already too. Chan, J.You and Chihoon wrote on "Take It Slow." Was that a special case or will we see more participation in the future?

Jaeyun: Half of our members choose "Take It Slow" as the song most special to us on the album. Some of us were involved in writing, but also the lyrics are lovely and just makes us happy.

Chan: The song name is "Take It Slow," right?" I used fire as a metaphor to love in the lyrics, but you don't want a fire to overwhelm: you want a steady, warm vibe.

J.You: I also tried to match the overall concept of "Take It Slow," but how I interpreted the theme was like, "Let's love each other for a long time, and work to understand each other even if it's clumsy in the beginning."

Chihoon: I was drinking a Coke at the time and suddenly wanted to use Coke as a metaphor for the feeling of love. When you shake a can of Coke, it explodes right? When you shaken up inside the love, it doesn't show the outside but inside it's already blown up. That was my focus on the lyrics. But I do have a number of unreleased songs already that I've already written. I'm going to continue to write songs and produce them for the fans so I want to tell them to look forward to it.

There were 10 other guys in World Klass that you trained and competed with, do you guys stay in touch?

Woonggi: Of course we stay in touch and have a Kakaotalk group chat. They cheer for us when we release new videos.

J.You: But I also want to tell them that we miss all of them and can't wait to see them soon. Some of them are foreigners and we can't see each other, we all miss them.

Jaeyun: We hope they all will be happy no matter which way they go.

It's tough to predict the future, but anything we should look out for in 2020 or messages to fans?

Jaeyun: You will be able to see us making steady efforts and making progress as a team, step by step.

J.You: We also want to win Rookie of the Year as this year's goal. R-O-T-Y!

Donggeon: To our international fans, times are difficult right now, but I hope our small steps into the K-pop world brings you small happiness in your daily lives.

Woonggi: We will show you sides of us as a team and individuals so please keep an out for us. When things get better, I want to travel abroad and see our fans overseas; to see you and other fans. We hope to come back to New York first. We love you!

#too #ot10 #t: interview #s: billboard #d: 200423 #e: benevolence #read more

[princepestilence]

Hey Samson, I'm very much a homebody and I wanted to know if you had and tips on where to meet cool queer people?

Hello there! I’m honestly very flattered that you thought to ask me, because that makes me feel like I must look like I’ve got my stuff sorted out and am living that #queer community dream–but that’s not actually entirely true and I sort of want to preface anything else I say with the fact that I am still very much in the process of trying to find more cool people to bring into my life myself, because I’m not where I want to be on that front yet. I’ve been super lucky so far, but I don’t want to give the impression that I’m done meeting cool queer people. There’s a lot of friends I’m still out looking for and a lot of connections I haven’t made yet that I’d really like to, so yeah! Happy to share my thoughts but I am not an expert.

For me, there’s kind of been three major sources of finding My People so far, and those have been: work/university (which count as the same for me, since I was once a student and now I teach students and have cool queer colleagues and they know cool queer people, so it has a run-on effect), the internet, and creative art spaces. 

I think being a homebody can be a bit of a disadvantage if you want to meet cool queer people, mostly because I’ve found online queer spaces and offline queer spaces to have… very different vibes and values. Not always! I’ve definitely experienced first-hand some weird vibes that I didn’t want to tangle with in offline queer spaces (thinking specifically of the queer collective at my university). But broadly, I’ve enjoyed offline queer spaces a lot more, and found more connection with other people, and experienced more genuinely restorative and healing and positive vibes in those spaces than here on tumblr or elsewhere online. 

So that’s kind of my first piece of advice: see what’s happening in your local area regarding queer and/or artistic events! I don’t use Facebook, but there are a lot of local groups that use Facebook to organise and announce events, so if you have that, that can be a great way to keep in touch with that’s going on and see if anything strikes your fancy. For me, I go to the poetry slam every month I can make it, which is something I adore and always an experience of big queer solidarity, because it’s a bunch of creative (often queer or non-norm) people in a space that has a strongly upheld belief in the respectful spaces policy–i.e., be excellent to each other, no bigotry allowed. 

I’ve definitely lucked out with my local slam (maybe I’m biased, but it is the best one around) but a lot of events like that are places where you can walk in, sit down, and not have to really talk to anyone if you don’t want to, and get a sense of the place and the people and I’ve definitely found these spaces to be more welcoming and respectful than more… mainstream (?) events, so that can be a cool place to go. Similar things like pop-up art exhibitions (especially if they have talks or workshops) count, especially if you see anywhere that they’re LGBTQ+ friendly and/or make a clear statement of intent re: supporting grassroots or marginalised creators, etc. 

Alternatively, I can recommend queer book clubs! Sometimes these groups are specifically about reading queer lit., and sometimes the reading is just a way of bringing queer people together, and either way, that’s a good place to at least go along and suss out. If there’s none around, a great option is to actually start something like that yourself–as intimidating as that might feel. Submitting a call for interest on a queer Facebook group, for example, can help put you in contact with people who might be in your exact same boat of wanting to build community but not knowing where to start, or not yet finding the right kind of space for them. 

I personally feel book clubs (or a similar hobby exercise) are a good way to do this, since it 1. brings everyone together in one place on a regular schedule, which is good for getting to know people, 2. isn’t necessarily a huge time or energy or financial investment, which means it’s more inclusive than many other events (although obviously requires some planning and also consideration re: which books and book costs, travel costs, access to libraries etc.), 3. is overall a relaxed space that can be hosted in the daytime, away from alcohol, in a public venue such as a cafe, which for many people is more approachable, and 4. gives everyone something to talk about when they get there and for the duration, so it’s way less awkward than sitting in a circle being like, “hi, I’m gay, are you my new best friend??” or feeling obliged to generate personal conversation the whole time. If it doesn’t work out or it’s too much effort to continue, you can discontinue it at any time, so it’s a pretty low stakes approach, I feel.

Edit: totally forgot, but sometimes [hobby or passion of yours] + “queer” into search bars can show up good results! For example, sometimes there are particular gatherings or small conventions, regular gaming events, forums or talk-sites, so on. I definitely know of Ace & Aro Teatimes that are held, specifically as a way of catching up, and you might luck out and discover something like that, which is particularly great because it means you will already have an interest or hobby in common with the people you meet there. 

Off the top of my head, that’s kind of it for offline spaces. You can probably check out if your local university has a queer collective, because even if you’re not part of the university body, sometimes they will have events open to the general public etc. Like I said before, that’s not my scene, because I’ve personally found the local university queer collective to be… more similar in personality to the online spaces and also just a little more intense than I’m looking for. But! That’s not to say they’re all like that. 

As for online spaces, I met a lot of my queer friends by the sheer bizarre wheel of fate that brings people together in the disgusting blue sea of tumblr. I know that’s not helpful at all, but the piece of advice I have to offer there is that I met all these people by doing what I loved, first and foremost. I was doing my own thing, however weird, and they were doing the same, and we saw each other and went “oh cool,” and we were both queer. To a certain extent, I think this is true in all things: have fun, be yourself, and trust in queer pack magic to bring cool queer friends into your life. 

I am someone who’s very forward, I guess, and very proactive socially (and in general), so I am usually the first person in a new friendship to walk over and say, “hey! you’re cool, I love your you, tell me about yourself,” [paraphrased] and honestly that’s worked pretty much every single time. I admit my charisma rolls tend to be high (I sacrificed constitution and wisdom for them, so they better be) but I do believe that you miss all the shots you don’t take, so it’s worth reaching out. So if you come across someone that seems cool, remember that you’re also a cool person worth knowing and a good friend and give that person a chance to find that out for themselves by saying hello, because a lot of the time, the other person isn’t going to have that courage and if you wait for them, it might never happen. Easier said than done for many, I know, but it’s that whole thing with lesbian sheep (wool-oo-wools, if you will): you can’t stand there and expect someone else to know that you standing there still is a sign of how much you like them. 

I have no idea if any of this is going to be helpful to you, but I wish you so much luck in finding your people! If there’s anything I’ve said that’s not clear or needs more detail or anything, please let me know and I’ll be happy to do what I can to help. I think finding community is one of the most important things in life for queer people to do, in whatever form that takes, so I am absolutely always down to help with that in whatever ways I can. 

#not a sonnet #queer up #as far as online resources/forums etc. i really don't have any advice but if anyone else does please add to this post! #if you've got advice i've missed please do say so.

[spaceplanninguru4u-blog]

How to create mood boards that inspire: 20 pro tips - Paul Watt

Learning how to create mood boards will transform your pitching experience. Mood boards communicate a designer's vision at the start of a project. They should be visually stunning collections of ideas, full of textures and images that paint a picture better than words alone. A mood board is the closest you can get to inviting someone to climb inside your creative mind.

It's crucial that your mood board is more than a confusing, messy collage. Instead, it should be a cohesive, beautiful expression of your vision. But how do you achieve this? We've put together a series of tips that'll let your inner creative genius sing by replicating your creativity on a fantastic mood board.

Have you got an awesome design portfolio to accompany your mood board at your next pitch? If you think it needs some work, we've got lots of portfolio examples to inspire you.

01. Look beyond the digital world

When putting together mood boards, it's easy (and therefore tempting) to just use images found online. But just because you're working on a digital product doesn't mean you have to stick to digital inspiration. Plus, you may be breaking copyright laws by using them.

For example, while working on the ITV news website, digital product design company Made by Many looked at copies of the veteran Picture Post magazine in order to express how powerful and effective an image plus a caption can be for telling a news story. Real world inspiration such as this can be a very powerful 'convincer' when putting together a board for a client.

02. Take pictures

Real-world inspiration is all around us. So use the camera on your phone to take pictures of everything you see that inspires you, whether that be a bird in flight, great use of typography on a sign, or the brickwork on a building. Or maybe it's just a little corner of your house.

They don't have to be great photos in the traditional sense – it's all about capturing thoughts, impressions, themes and feelings.

03. Curate what you include

Have you ever had the misfortune of going to a gallery exhibition and it just not doing anything for you? You weren't 'touched' by the exhibition or 'moved' by what was on show – and other similar emotive profusions. It's very easy to shove a load of stuff together and call it an exhibition; it's an absolute talent to curate threads and synergies between works and call it an exhibition.

When putting together mood boards, think of yourself as a curator rather than a collector, and try to introduce meaning and threads from one image to the next. It makes for easier interpretation.

04. Choose the right format

From the outset, establish how you mood board is going to be presented, as this will determine how you go about it and how much or little detail to go into.

An 'offline' mood board will generally be looser in style and could still be presented online, with some explanation, while a completely online mood board should be tighter and will generally need to work harder to convey a theme or style. Think about how a person viewing your mood board solely via email would view it.

05. Build things up around a large image

Whether your mood board is electronic or physical, the layout needs to give prominence to key theme images. You can then surround these with smaller supporting images that enhance the theme.

It's a subliminal trick. When someone sees a large image on your board in their heads they'll have questions about it – and they'll quickly scan the rest of the board to find answers for those questions. If you place smaller supporting images around the larger image they should answer these questions by clarifying the messaging given in the larger one.

06. Get tactile

When making a physical mood board, don't be afraid to get, well, physical. Traditionally, mood boards are made from foam board. Although cutting this stuff up with a scalpel and spray mounting cut-out images onto it can be a pain (especially if you're not dexterous with a blade), it's extremely effective as a presentation tool. The tactile nature of cut-out images glued onto boards enhances the emotiveness of what's being explained.

It may seem like an old-fashioned thing to do, but perception-wise it's a real ace up your sleeve as a designer. Just be careful with your fingers on that blade...

07. Incorporate your board into your pitch

Generally mood boards are considered to be separate to pitch or presentation work: they stand alone to show mood and tone. This is standard practice, but consider instead making them part of your pitch or presentation. Remember, you're trying to use subliminal visual tricks to make a client 'get it'.

Mixing mood board elements in with the presentation – rather than bolting them on at the end – can be an effective way of communicating your concept to the client.

08. Don't reveal it too early

It's important to make sure that a well-meaning project manager doesn't email an offline mood board ahead of the presentation 'so the client knows what we're presenting'.

For an offline mood board, it's far better to let it all sink in to the client's mind as you showcase it, rather than come armed with lots of questions before you even start.

09. Present your own mood board

In a similar vein, if your mood board is being presented to the client, try to be involved yourself. It makes no sense to have something that originated in your head being communicated by someone else, because that way meaning can become muddled in a Chinese whispers-type mess.

10. Keep things loose

Locking an idea or a style down in a mood board can be detrimental, as the client will feel shoehorned into going with a particular aesthetic. Keep everything a little loose and don't make everything look too final.

If you're using preview images from image libraries, don't worry about the watermarking on them – it all adds up to a 'hey look, we can change this, these are ideas' feel to the board.

11. Watch the audience

When you're presenting a mood board, watch the faces of those you're showing it to. Ignore any verbal client 'oohs and ahhs' but instead watch their facial and emotive reactions as they look around the board. This will give you a much more honest take on whether the board is doing its job and if they're reacting well or badly to what you're showing them.

You have to put these people 'in your mood', so ignore their mutterings and watch their emotive reactions.

12. Hone your mood board skills

Employees at branding agency Landor Associates use a form of mood board to showcase themselves to other members of the team. Individuals put together nine images in a 3 x 3 grid to give their work colleagues an insight into what they're like; their interests, passions, cares and worries.

If you ever want to test out your mood boarding skills, try this out and showcase it to your colleagues.

13. Text it up

Don't ignore the power of a few isolated words on a board. Well-chosen words can be fantastic show-stoppers and give your viewer pause for thought as they have to mentally read what's in front of them. Big, bold words juxtaposed together work very well at creating drama, tone and meaning for any project.

14. Make the theme obvious

Obscure references can be fun, but try to have a number of relatable items or 'touchpoints' in your mood board. You want to let others in, so being deliberately obtuse will earn you no points at all. It's easy to fill out a board with a pile of incomprehensible references; it's much harder to be clear and use imagery to sell your vision. But it's worth the effort.

15. Aim to spark an emotional response

Think a little bit left of centre if you're presenting a mood board to a client. What would give them a genuine emotive response? Real world objects are good for this. If you were inspired by the beach, bring in a shell. If your eureka moment happened on the train, bring in the ticket. This type of thing intrigues people's brains and gains that all-important emotive reaction.

16. Don't make presumptions

Expecting too much of the audience can be the difference between a successful mood board and one that's dismissed as being too cerebral. There's a danger of assuming they'll 'know what you mean' – chances are they won't. So if it takes a few more references, images or textures to get what's inside your head into a client's then add them in.

17. Test your mood board

Don't forget to test out your boards before you send them off. It's not a game of Pictionary, so if your testing audience have to ask too many times what an image means or why it's there, then it probably shouldn't be there.

18. Have fun

The whole process of creating mood boards should be fun – a refreshing break from the often tedious tasks of the jobbing designer. If you're not having fun then it's a sure sign you're going about things the wrong way...

19. Use mood boards to brief designers

Following on from the previous point, mood boards are a good way to brief a creative. Don't be afraid to go into detail. The mood board above was compiled for animator Tom Baker as a mood and style guide for creating cartoon versions of The Avengers TV series characters. Instead of relying on one example of a character, several types were found in many different poses, which gave Baker a clear take on the style and direction of the piece.

20. Speed up client sign-off

Mood boards shouldn't just be for pitches. Consider preparing mood boards to show other similarly themed projects, websites or functions before creating polished visuals.

'I'll know it when I see it' is a phrase that most of us are familiar with. But to hear this when finished artwork comes back from a client is gutting, signifying that it's back to square one. Using mood boards at different stages of the process can help you avoid this happening.

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[wbbbrothers]

Dear We Bare Bears,

Hello! I am Sugs. Within the next month, I will be in the start of my college experience as an Illustration major. That fact is completely wild to think about considering when I first started watching this show (on this day four years ago) I was entering High School as a freshman student and I was, in fact, a completely different person. Therefore, I decided that because I am stepping into a whole new chapter of my life and this show has been with me the entire way... this Anniversary I wanted to write about how this show has impacted me over the past four years.

 Apologies for this being a long post, I have a lot to say.

I created this blog right at the end of the premiere week of this show. I had watched every new episode airing during that Bearbomb that week. One of the  last episodes of the week was Primal. So, while it was still airing and I decided in the middle of it that I was hooked! And I knew I needed to make an ask blog to enjoy these silly bear brother characters and fuel the love I had already already found for the show somehow. Wbbbrothers was that ask blog.

I didn’t know at the time but that was possibly one of the best decisions I could have ever made for myself at that point in my life and do mean that very sincerely. Growing up, having intense interest in media that took over my entire creative output was always a very common thing (and obviously still is). These large phases were able to keep my full attention about 1-2 years tops until my brain latched onto something new. But, out of all of those I have to say that We Bare Bears and Bears in general truly are very special to me. I have never been able to create such a variety of stories, embrace so many flawed and imperfect yet still loved characters and feel so deeply about them and the stories I was telling through them. Especially for this long of a time. We Bare Bears as a show holds a great deal of heartfelt comfort for me.

To me: We Bare Bears is a unique show in the fact that (most of the time) it has a very casual, down to earth and calming atmosphere about it. That being said, it is never afraid to experiment or step foot into other genres thanks to its open ended and episodic nature. It is not perfect by any means, like any cartoon written by human beings with flaws. But I admire the love that gets put into it with its personalized watercolored backgrounds, muted palette aesthetics, little visual humor and amazing colorists in general. It can be hit or miss sometimes but it is episodes like Chicken & Waffles, Chloe & Ice Bear, Occupy Bears, Yuri & The Bear, Hibernation, Hurricane Hal and more that remind me why I fell in love with the show in the first place. It loves the quiet moments just as much as I do. It does not have to be constantly shoving stimulation down your throat and in your face in order to tell a fun or compelling story. I have always respected its ability to take things at a slower pace sometimes, especially when a lot of current cartoons tend to lean towards Snappiness (snappy humor, snappy action, bright colors and fast pacing)

 We Bare Bears feels like warmth. When I re-watch my favorite character driven episodes I cannot remove the fond smile from my face and when I re-watch my favorite adventure filled episodes it always sends me bouncing in my seat.

My method with interacting with my interests was always to create my own fan-content or Alternate Universes with the characters that I loved.  It was my way of putting a piece of me into the characters whether it be through my other interests in media or my own experiences and feelings. The AUs I make are a genuine form of self-expression to me. 

Obviously, the Character Driven and Open Ended Slice of Life nature of We Bare Bears as a series really opened up the flood gates in terms of my creativity and ideas for AUs.  I never felt happier than when I was creating new jokes or dialogue or just silly scenarios. Alternate Universes were a combination of all the parts I loved about creating for me and they started to act as my own free-roam stories to explore these favorite characters of mine in all sorts of different ways. Since I have started, my work has only improved the more love and passion I put into it. 

Superhero AU and Bad Bears are my main two fan stories/AUs of mine that have been around since I was 14-15 and are two of the most developed AUs I have ever had. They taught me a lot about, developing fictional worlds, characters and plotlines and I am STILL developing and enjoying them even now! They’ve also inspired me to make so many other OCs and stories so much as influencing future projects that I am currently in the middle of developing.

It baffles me to think of a world where I never watched We Bare Bears and never was able to be influenced by its fans, its art, writing and its characters.

If you’ve been on this blog long enough you might recall that my first Wbb AU was your average run of the mill Zombie AU (this was while wbbbrothers was still primarily an ask blog) not to be confused with my Zombie 2 AU which is a completely different premise entirely aside from the zombie apocalypse part. Long story short, I had a Fuckload of AUs back then and I mean A Lot. Enough to get condescending messages over, even some curse outs. (Not everyone I met over the four years was the greatest...) I was scared away from publicly speaking about most of them the way that I used to. While my technical skill was lacking for that age and I could not write a solid scene to save my life, despite the negativity, the intense passion and enjoyment I felt from making content kept me enthralled with the show. I kept making my AUs in private and developing them, posting more general fanart and occasionally art for my Superhero AU publicly. I even started to get pretty good at drawing Bears! And managed to make some friends who shared interests with me, something I never got to have offline.

It was not all great of course, the past four years have been extremely hard for me and extremely hard for everybody else, I’m sure. Bears was my default thought when surviving High School; my go-to pick me up. I seriously would say that it has saved me more than once whether it be through talking to my friends I met because of it or just offering a distraction/creative outlet from whatever was going on in my life.

Prior to becoming a fan I never would have thought I would have been able to  make so many stories, projects, art, writing and comics  and talk to so many amazing creators and people all thanks to this one show about Socially Awkward Bears living in San Fransisco.  

But here we are.

And you know what, even when I inevitably move onto newer projects or interests, I think Bears will always be an important influencer to me. The wonderful people I have met throughout these four years have given me so much support and love and friendship like none I have ever been allowed to experience before. I have learned so much about my identity through my friendships and my stories. And even the awful people I have met taught me what NOT to do and what to avoid when moving forward in my life.

 I am just. So, so grateful for everything and being able to pursue what I love and have it be received by others to make them feel things too. There is a Lot more I could say I am sure but since this is long enough as is I will send it off here.

 So from the bottom of my heart I can only say Thank you. Thank you to my friends who still talk to me to this day, I love you guys. Thank you to those I used to speak to but don’t anymore, our friendship of the past  still stays with me. Thank you to anyone who enjoys my work, my stories and follows me despite my wild ramblings such as this!! (If you’re still reading this wow, points to you)

And Thank you We Bare Bears for helping me grow so much as an artist and giving me a sense of direction and purpose with my work as a hurting teenager who was very, very lost in 2015.

Sincerely yours,

Wbbbrothers <3

#anniversary rant #wbb #modspeaks #SORRY IM A SAP #text heavy #long post