#but I'm really just rambling

[checanty]

The other week both my ancient (10 years!) winter coat and my beloved creepy tote bag (7 years) decided it was a good time to break. I have to admit I have been toying with the idea of getting a new coat already, especially as it’s growing pretty threadbare in general, but I also feel very strongly about making the things I already own last and let’s face it: I can get another 3 years or more out of that coat. And I do still like it. It’s just old and worn and looks like it. (But I’ll keep an eye open when I go thrifting from now on...) By tote bag has a special place in my heart as well because I ordered it from my own Society6 shop back in the days when I was new to being a pro illustrator and seeing your own work on a physical (and useful!) object is always very exciting! At the time I would have loved to order a bag for each of my artworks, but thankfully I did not, even though it was more money constrains than awareness for environmental issues that held me at bay. Nowadays I think a lot more about how our actions impact our planet, both because I love the natural world (which we imo mistakenly separate from our human ‘civilization’) and everything living in it (apart from ticks), but also because I’m worried about our--let’s face it: my own--future. I know that especially over here in the wealthy west we’re consuming we’re consuming far more than is sustainable. Thusly, whenever I’m promoting my print (and merch) shop, I’m a little bit torn. I of course want people to buy my art so I can make a living, but I also want to promote making conscious consumer choices aka not buying stuff on a whim or to make yourself temporarily feel better only to regret your purchase later, but being sure you actually want and will treasure something or really need something before clicking ’buy’. Anyhow, I’ll be using my tote bag until it fully disintegrates (and then I’ll probably use it to stuff a pillow :D). Some years ago I stumbled upon the concept of ‘visible mending’, which was primarily appealing to me because I’m pretty bad at sewing and not being able to make something look ‘as good as new’ kept me from pro-longing my clothes’ lives. However, most of the cute ‘visible mending’ examples feature nice embroidery and let me tell you: I also cannot embroider at all and ‘the mending has to look stylish’ is putting just as much pressure on myself as ‘it has to look new’. My takeaway, however, was that it’s okay if people can see that my clothes had holes once (and now very amateurish stiches). Caring for my belongings and making them last, reducing the amount of resources I use and not supporting fast fashion is part of my value system and I’m ok if people notice.

So now when something tears my measurement of mending success is whether or not I can use it again. Yes, I could have gone the extra step of at least buying some darker yarn to match my bag, but that extra step would have taken me weeks (not kidding. this stuff ends up on my ‘to do’ and will just never be done) to accomplish and my bag would have started to accumulate dust. Now it’s fixed and can go back to carrying groceries for me. I also sewed my coat button back on and the entire procedure took less than an hour and both items are back in use, hooray! Anyhow--I guess here’s a link to my Society6 shop. Please only buy when you’re willing to keep the purchase forever and ever!

#am I a lifestyle influencer now #visible mending #when I imagined writing this I thought it would be very meaningful and have a point #but I'm really just rambling #still figuring out how to make 'please buy my things but also don't buy things' work #as a marketing strategy

[unforth]

Gentle reminder that very little fandom labor is automated, because I think people forget that a lot.

That blog with a tagging system you love? A person curates those tags by hand.

That rec blog with a great organization scheme and pretty graphics? Someone designed and implemented that organization scheme and made those graphics.

That network that posts a cool variety of stuff? People track down all that variety and queue it by hand, and other people made all the individual pieces.

That post with umpteen links to helpful resources, and information about them? Someone gathered those links, researched the sources, wrote up the information about them.

That graphic about fandom statistics? Someone compiled those statistics, analyzed them, organized them, figured out a useful way to convey the information to others, and made the post.

That event that you think looks neat? Someone wrote the rules, created the blogs and Discords, designed the graphics, did their best to promo the event so it'd succeed.

None of this was done automatically. None of it just appears whole out of the internet ether.

I think everyone realizes that fic writing and fanart creation are work, and at least some folks have got it through their heads that gif creation and graphics and moodboards take effort, and meta is usually respected for the effort that goes into it, at least as far as I've seen, but I feel like a lot of people don't really get how much labor goes into curation, too.

If people are creating resources, curating content, organizing the creations of others, gathering information, and doing other fandom activities that aren't necessarily the direct action of creation, they're doing a lot of fandom labor, and it's often largely unrecognized.

Celebrate fan work!

To folks doing this kind of labor: I see you, and I thank you. You are the backbones of our fandoms and I love you.

#unforth rambles #this wasn't really prompted by anything #I'm just sick and tired and distractable #or i should say it wasn't prompted by anything recent or that happened now #like no one has disrespected me #but as i hit the point that it's regularly taking me an hour plus every single day to queue things for the danmei art blogs #i just think of all the times people go WAIT YOU RUN ALL OF THOSE??? BY YOURSELF??? #like i just don't think a lot of people realize how much work it is to really do background fandom labor long term #and i appreciate places like rec blogs and networks and events and just everyone #y'all are awesome #thank you so much

[somnimagus]

My page for @sheikahzine; about Impaz's duty to her village, empty of people and full of memories.

[id in alt text]

#legend of zelda #loz #twilight princess #loz tp #i'm still reeling that someone sent me an ask about this one.. that they took the time to find my tumblr and tell me they liked it #it really meant a lot; thank you to anyone that stops to leave comments like that. they make me happy #but yeah! here's the usual symbolism ramble: #i thought it'd be cool to have the 'spirits' flowing one way and the cats walking through them the other way #to kinda show the difference in life inhabiting the village in the past and present #link's face is covered because impaz was just waiting for 'the hero' so his clothes are what matters; not his face #and it (hopefully) gives a surreal and intangible sense to 'the hero' she could only hope would actually show up #you can feel free to interpret the glowy blue sheikah as ghosts or just as memories of the past! i couldn't decide either way #the one on the bottom left is oot impa since she's implied to be the village founder. so i guess she would be a ghost actually? #fan art #my art #project stuff #and ahhh the book-- everyone's stuff is so beautiful!! #especially the writing. some of the fics made me really tear up and some were so fun and clever. i really love them #a lot of them captured the sheer burden of the role of the sheikah; all of the time and grief and doubt #i know i always say this stuff about every project but. the people i get to work with in these are truly so skilled every time

[journey-to-the-attic]

one thing about ik is that she will always reach out

#obey me #art #i had the idea for this and managed to bulldoze through drawing it all without losing motivation halfway through #but Do Not expect me to post art this frequently in future #idk how to do panels so if the middle bit with the text might be laid out weird #i added the stars and feathers and stuff because there was a bunch of empty space around the boxes #obey me satan #jtta ik #(btw the crumbling symbol next to the exploding feather is the wrath symbol from in-game) #(with the pride symbol attached upside down at the bottom) #(not so much symbolism as it is just me whacking you over the head with the point but it looks cool) #i had a lot of fun doing satan's more monstrous design so i might try my hand at some of the other demons later? #i do have some ideas for levi (deep sea creatures are just really fun) #also happy nightbringer release day!! it showed up on my homescreen like half an hour ago and i was like “wait what” #for some reason i thought it wasn't releasing til next week?? #the new genshin patch is today as well so looks like i'll have plenty to do with the rest of my free time for the easter hols #(i promise i'm also working on the next chapter of jtta but i am so stuck on how to get lucifer actually Talking) #anyway. here's a gold star for making it through all my rambling in the tags for anyone who did so: ⭐

[petscoboba]

I know this AU has since died down, but recently it's really been helping me look on the bright, fun side of college, so I decided to draw @spectacledraws's (go check her out!!!) Deltarune college au as if it were a fake manga (heavily inspired by the Yotsuba comics)!

For those curious what the title means (which I hope I didn't royally mess up the Japanese on):

別の伝説 (betsu no densetsu) - Another Legend

DELTARUNEの二次創作 (Deltarune no nijisousaku) - A DELTARUNE side-story

#deltarune #college au #gaster #asriel dreemurr #chara dreemurr #wooo! finally done! #i'm a bit hesitant to tag sprout #i realize sometimes when people's aus get popular they can sometimes get pressured into only doing that #but i hope it wont be taken that way! i just really. really adore this au #it helps to romanticize the mundane but goofy nature of college #and it helps me calm my nerves juuussstt a little bit for when i move out to finish my degree #anyways! enough rambling about me!! i want to add that i changed azzy's design ever so slightly to match the hidden sprite found in #the deltarune files (i added glasses. i added glasses.) #and i mayhaps made him hold certain things to imply there's something more going on with the golden boy....? #who knows! only he does. hopefully. maybe not.

[itachanta]

Highly specific gifset of Vash's angry face because we all love when our sweet blorbo goes 😠

#trigun stampede #trigun #vash the stampede #angry vash #it's probably that him being so calm and sweet 99% of the time #makes the scenes when he gets angry #more impactful #i'm used to shonen protags shouting all the time #and when they get angry i dont bat an eye #but him? #everytime he goes 😠 #i get goosebumps #when he puts on the frown you know he means business #though i think we havent seen him really angry YET in stampede #the only scene when i felt a glimpse of real rage was the “thats enough” of the first gif #the fight with knives was more desesperation annoyance and anguish #probably their next encounter is gonna be raising hell #idk just rambling #my gifs: itachanta

[piko-power]

"I never knew you were a hugger..."

"No body protects nature better than you, sweet Amy."

Whoa, he's bisexual! I didn't know that!

#piko rambles #sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #shadow the hedgehog #sonamy #sonadow #sonamyshad #sonic prime #sonic prime spoilers #Look. I love sonadow so goddamn much. But ALSO. #sonamy was something I was OBSESSED with as a kid. I don't love it as much as I used to but I still find it adorable like sonadow. #We got good food from these hedgehogs. #This was in my drafts since when Season 3 came out and I was so nervous to post this because everyone has OPINIONS about sonamy. #<--- Which I don't blame them for. Some sonamy fans are not really... nice. Let's just put it at that. #Plus everyone has different opinions on sonamy and that's okay! I'm just happy that there are fans with opinions that differ from mine- #-but are also fantastic people I look up to! Makes me feel like I'm not alone 😊

[hajihiko]

Picking people for his gang like rotten apples off the ground

#Fuyuhiko kuzuryu #Peko pekoyama #ryoma hoshi #izuru kamukura #chihiro fujisaki #Ultimate Impostor #An art #They're not rotten apples they're just traumatized and a bit damaged but the caption was funnier #Anyway these are all characters that Fuyuhiko either invites to join him or offer protection to #Points again to my 'people on the fringe of society' ramble #If I had limitless time and patience and mobility I'd make a comic series about the funky antics of a really ragtag Yakuza group #I'm seeing it in my brain ok #Impostor is different they turned him down and are remarkably good at handling their own shit #But maybe they can be convinced to lend a hand on occasion..... #Chihiro was not offered a job just protection. Why? Fuyuhiko just picks favourites like that #Izuru and Ryoma both got the 'hey if you got nowhere else to go...' #Ok I'll stop

[screwpinecaprice]

Just a silly guy, with silly silly thoughts.

@glowweek Day 2

Casual | Surprise

A casual surprise?😬😬😬

#Hooooo boiii this lad is about to get funky. #He was internally screaming the whole time. #It's in my core memory as a connverse fan. I'm never truly going to let this up I believe. haha #Our boy really one day went out there wanting to get married as a teen like a true classic Disney princess. 😭 #It was honestly endearing but sad and also pretty embarrassing. 😔 #Secondhand embarrassment aside. Steven is pretty much lucky in the romance department. Which. Deserved by the way. With all the other #crap he had to deal with. #connverse #Steven Quartz Universe #Connie Maheswaran #SU #my shiz #comic #SU comic #glowweek #connverse week #I have no idea if whatever Connie is spouting are actuallt true in real life. Good thing this can be chalked off as just a thing in their #fictional world. #Also I'm glad part of that was covered by Connie's body because I had to take a few notes from chat GPT to add in her enumerated rambling. #I had to make the glow bracelet float like that because I couldn't draw his hand holding it quiet right in that angle. #And yea that size difference is no error. That's how small Connie's wrist is compared to his hands. Or at least something like that. #teal

[lazylittledragon]

blueberry cinnamon rolls with the recipe because people on the bird app wanted it <33

#ramble #baking #this is not tried and tested i just made it up today based on things i've made before #i was worried it wouldn't work but they're really good #they're not very pretty but they're delicious #i tried to separate out the text bc i know it's hard for Me to read it when it's all lumped together #i've never done a double rise before this (usually only once with the rolls in the pan) and it WORKS they're super fluffy #@ any pro bakers. am i doing ok #ratios are hard but i'm trying

[occudo]

I don't want to complain, but these kind of asks really get on my nerves. Sorry it takes a long time for me to make a comic. I will announce it if I decide to be finished with GiSA.

#sorry for being an overdramatic bird #sometimes it's just the last straw #but I'm really fortunate #I get so much positive response to my art #my ramblings

[dittobooty]

Thinking a lot about how in One Piece there's a continuing theme of self sacrifice that often doesn't meet its end (I won't say always because there are some characters who have eaten shit for a cause). But I just think about how easy it would be to just accept their sacrifice but the narrative won't allow that. Robin, Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, they've all tried to give their life for the sake of others but they can't because they really don't have to. I think about Robin's "I want to live" regularly. It's so easy to die for someone but it's so much harder to live for them. And living for them gives back so much more than dying for them does. Dying is just a moment but living lets you have more moments and more time to show how much you care and lets you do so much for others. I feel like a lot of other shonen show dying as one of the bravest things you can do but One Piece is so different because it shows you that living is actually the bravest thing.

#I was just thinking today #I didn't want to go into heavy depth because then I get too lost in what I'm trying to say #it's just really insane how deep the themes of one piece are #I even think about how things would have changed if certain characters who had to sacrifice themselves were actually given a chance #like if Corazon had lived then Law would have learned a lot sooner in life that love isn't conditional #he could have continued to feel love throughout his life instead of just through one act #much to think about #one piece #ditto rambles

[raycatzdraws]

ribbonwood

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu hyrule #(also zelda 1!!! but idk how people would feel about me tagging it since I used Jojo's design?) #(ya'll can always tag my gen loz art as LU (or as any linkverse honestly if it inspires you to think about your favs) and vice versa) #(I want to inspire you to think and create! If you see my gen loz art and want to add that to your headcanons or it changes how you think?? #take it! play with it! invite me to play as well haha!) #(not ocs but like- gen stuff??? ye go for it) #mom walked in and looked at the comic I was working on #so I started rambling about my plans with it and what my peers are working on and how cool it all is and how I want to have more of that #and she said “what a waste of time” #so I got loosey goosey with it :\ #nice exercise to just draw w/o doing guides or being careful #did this in like under 15 minutes! >:D #but anyways #I haven't slept yet so gn! #.. he's holding stuff in the wrong hands!!!! a #look up ribbonwood / redshanks trees! If Hyrule was a tree- this is it #I imagine zelda 1&2's landscape to be california chaparral!!! I'm really passionate about it!!!!! #check out the california chaparral institute's website -> chaparral -> chaparral types #it's Hyrule's Hyrule!

[esmiara]

Love confess-...oh!

Kind of a "sequel" to this, but it's really just about that one scene in fifteen.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bungo stray dogs #soukoku #skk #bsd chuuya #bsd dazai #fanart #teen skk #reference y'know #but not actual teens #i really went “imma do a whole COMIC about this silly attempt n°2” #i missed doing some proper comics anyway #it's great #what is also funny (or scary) is that i drew them so much i don't need to look at refs or do a sketch anymore #there must be something to worry about there... uh... #“it's just a phase!” no it's not it's already been whole months and i'm still as sick about them #damn look at all this rambling

[saltpepperbeard]

gnawing on my arm because i think there's something to be said about how stede not only dreams about himself with a beard, but ed with his full beard back too. like, the dream seems to be riddled with imagery that he thinks ed would want.

and i say this especially because of how stede reacted when ed had to shave his beard. he freaked out on his behalf. he shrieked in horror whereas ed was entirely unbothered. he feared he had ruined him, had dragged him down to some despicable level, when in actuality, ed was completely content to shed that part of his persona.

and then there he is dreaming about ed with that part right on back.

so there's very clearly still a part of his mind that's convinced that's what ed wants. because why wouldn't he? everyone else seems to. and why would he want the softness and femininity stede had been bullied for his entire life?

which in turn plays into his own imagery too. bearded, masculine, fiercesome, rugged...

because how could someone love what everyone has hated him for? how could someone want what everyone has tried to quite literally beat out of him?

#OFMD #OFMD Season 2 #OFMD S2 Spoilers #Gentlebeard #Blackbonnet #Edward Teach #Stede Bonnet #Revenge Rambles #ALSO #I SAY ALL OF THIS TO SAY #I really REALLY hope they have a conversation about it #Because Stede clearly has some issues going on with his self-worth still #He's getting BETTER #But he's definitely still having issues #And I really hope I'm on the money when it comes to that one shot where Ed seems to be looking at him drinking/partying in Spanish Jackie'z #And is looking TROUBLED #I keep envisioning an exchange where Ed is like 'Well this is...different' #And Stede cheerily goes 'Ah yes. Trying something new! Do you like it?' #And Ed looks him dead in the eye and goes 'Do YOU?' #Also it kills me how they're both sort of having the same issues just in different fonts #Ie Ed worrying that he's unlovable how he is #And Stede ALSO worrying that he's unlovable how he is #They both want to change parts of themselves/shy away from parts of themselves #When in reality both of them love each other for who they really are #AND I HOPE THEY HAVE A CONVERSATION CENTERED AROUND JUST THAT #I HOPE THAT'S WHAT AAAALLL OF THIS IS BUILDING TO

[petscoboba]

*Kris, er, does this sometimes.

#deltarune #another one of those pieces where I'm not quite at the point where im able to render it in a way im proud of #will just have to keep practicing! #kris dreemurr #utdr #tw self harm #this scene really stood out to me when I first played it #just the framing of the whole thing felt so #i'm not even sure. but i saw the way the narration pointed out “it's making a lot of noise” #and i knew that this scene. this scene was analogous for something. much heavier. #something heavy that only really applies when you hide in bathrooms and carries knives with you and have red stains on your carpet. #despite the fact that taking out your soul doesn't leave a stain. #it just. it does really strike a chord with me how kris' is written as a character #that if they're anything similar to chara's coping mechanisms :( #it's just sad #okay rambling over!