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mulderspice · 5 years

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have you ever watched an episode of the Emmy award winning sci-fi drama, The X Files? Maybe you’ve read my original post and yet you’re still wondering where the hell Fox Mulder got all those strands of hair on his jumbo gigantic head. I am back and here to help you find the answers to some of your burning questions; as we celebrate the hard work and triumphs of the hair and makeup department on the Fox Lot and team up with my big huge brain and my New York State Cosmetology license to give the people what they want once again: another top ten guide to Mulder’s fucking hair..

upon making this post a second time (rip 😔), I realized that just about every episode (yes, every. single. one. even the ones without Mulder and the latest season where he has to share headspace with [redacted]) has its own important and iconic hair looks... You may recognize that some of these are slightly repeated from the last post but that’s ok! What I'm here to do is enforce! So lets get started..

#10 s6:e21 Field Trip: Here again we begin our journey into cosmetic superstardom with a personal favorite of mine. Mulder rolling with the times by getting a haircut fresh off the FTF wave left our nation in fucking shambles. Can’t imagine going to see a major motion picture in theatres jam packed with Mulder’s most supreme hair looks only to come back to my tv screen to see it all gone away. For students reading this post for educational purposes, this caused a worldwide walkout on popular salon franchise Supercuts in the year 1998. However, a haircut didn’t necessarily mean Mulder forgot how to take care of his hair. The precision and placement as each strand of hair perfectly outlines his jumbo head is revolutionary and inspiring. Mushroom induced drug high? K. Lemme still grab my teasing comb and my hairspray and make sure I look presentable for when my partner walks into my apartment screaming abt “where's Mulder” and wanting “answers”. The answer is this: this look is about giving people like myself with big heads rights and looking fuckable while doing so. 10/10 for inspiring hope.

#9 s1:e9 Space: Imagine you’re a few episodes into a show, the core plot is developing right before your eyes and you’re beginning to get to know The X Files three main characters; Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and Mulder Hair Strands #1-3. All is well except, you still have no clue how crucial, and critical Mulder Hair Strands 1-3 will become to the show and to your life and I am here to tell you that you are in for a very rude and bold awakening. This message goes out to all the haters and all the people who didn’t believe Mulder’s hair was valid prior to season 4. He is here to tell you he DID know how to use dry shampoo and even the occasional blow dry oil and you can suck a dick abt it. Bold of you to assume he wouldn’t pull the round brush and the biosilk out the drawer to impress a visit to fucking NASA. 10/10 for involving science.

#8 s4:e6 Sanguinarium: I sit here writing to you today as the song ‘Handmade Heaven’ comes on shuffle; strikingly fitting for this raw and ethereal image of straight up beauty and wonder and magic and heaven in hair. This special, freshly washed and air dried smells like strawberries and sandalwood and fuckability. The look reaches through your TV and wraps its hands around your neck and sucks the life right out of you. Are you gonna let it happen? You sure are. Lucky for you, I just so happened to be there when the angels hand sewed each strand of hair onto his head and here’s what they had to say about it: this is everything and more and the way Mulder has just washed his hair with fresh mountain water droplets hand collected like nothing else mattered. Put his clothes back on and went on his merry way. Can’t imagine being in Scully’s shoes ready to walk on in her partners room unannounced to go over serious case related matters and theories. Woulda went bonkers. This truly is a handmade heaven. Hand crafted by Mulder for Scully and for the good viewers of the globe. 10/10 for embracing me in its arms.

#7 s4:e3 Home: A look from one of primetime TV’s most notorious banned episodes. Viewer discretion IS advised not only for the horrifying and cringeworthy content displayed in this episode, but for also making it painfully blunt to the viewer that Mulder’s hair follicles are happier and healthier than anybody else's will ever be in their lifetime. In fact, I can feel my own hair falling out and being respawned onto HIS head as I type this and I’m sure you can too. The way the sun glistens off his golden brown strands makes me want to walk into oncoming traffic. You might also notice how effortless this look was, as it probably only took a quick run thru with his fingers, and Mulder’s passion and need to look sexy at any time of the day at all times. It’s obvious that this kind of thing comes naturally to him, which just comes off as insulting to men everywhere. 11/10 for striking fear into men’s hearts.

#6 s4:e20 Small Potatoes: Genuinely took every bone and nerve ending in my body to not put this look in the top 5 even though it so clearly deserves it. Here at mulderspice we believe in diversity, meaning it wouldn’t be right to make my top five greatest hairstyles ever produced on The X Files just of Mulder’s iconic and revolutionizing middle part (though really who is stopping me..). This screenshot in general has me up in arms at how perfectly the blue background matches his eyes, and how it accentuates his hydrated skin and lips. But you’re not here for that. It’s the hair particularly that really pulls the shot together, as Mulder took the time that morning to spray it with some tinted dry shampoo that most defiantly and absolutely smells like chocolate. This look feels like a warm hug on a frigid winter day. I feel EMBRACED and I feel CARED FOR thanks to the wonderful staff and team @ Mulder’s head and hair follicles. What the fuck could be better than this. 16/10 for making me feel some type of way.

#5 s4:e8 Tunguska: Currently you may not think anything of Krycek to the left of this image though ill have you know he plays an extremely vital part of this look and all the words I’m about to speak to you directly. So listen up: Krycek may have heroically slayed Mulder’s father in cold blooded and justifiable murder, but we thank him for this, as it caused Mulder to lash out in the best way possible: through looks. “Un-shun: Krycek do you think I’m good to bring my Redkin Rewind 6 styling paste with me or will the Russian TSA think of that as contraband? :Re-shun”. A sweaty, manly and highly illegal treck through a Russian testing facility and a stint in a violent foreign PRISON surely was not going to stop Mulder from keeping his hair properly hydrated, styled and parted. That’ll really ruffle Krycek’s feathers and make him feel sorry for what he did��. The sexiest way to avenge the death of your deadbeat father. 24/10 for you know why.

#4 s1:e6 Shadows: In the year 1993, Mulder steps onto the scene, young, fresh faced, bright eyed and ready to give men around the globe what they (so desperately) needed: the encouragement to care about their hair. Any backstreet boy you may know have this scene to thank directly, as this is what encouraged them to reproduce Mulder’s hair onto their own heads time and time again. What I would give to see with my own eyes Mulder length times width times height his head to equal this perfectly proportionate look of volume and sexy. And who can I write a warrant out to for allowing this shot to take place. Oh to be the various and expensive hair care products in Mulder’s bathroom …… 899/10 for starting a movement (-1 for making us do equations).

#3: s1:e10 Fallen Angel: The biggest regret I’ve ever had in my short little life was not adding this moment to the last post. And tumblr deleted it in order to give me this opportunity to present this to you today. By the way, that absolutely is in fact a choir of angels singing as you view this image. Go ahead and try to think of something on this earth that could be better than this tossled bed headed im-stressed-becos-my-partner-of-2-weeks-isn’t-seeing-the-big-picture-about-how-we’re-all-key-pawns-in-an-ongoing-government-conspiracy hairstyle hand crafted by Mulder all while holding his head in his hands hard at work trying to break through to the truth. Scully [insert photo of Scully with her eyes popping out of her head here] and I both wanna rip our own hair out and throw it in the garbage. 2000/10 for making our hearts ache..

#2: s4:e10 Paper Hearts: Behold- the image I’m slamming down on the desk at full force when I finally get myself a therapist. I need a licensed professional doctor to help me understand the various angles that this purposeful shot affects my life health and well being. In a paranoia induced out of body experience Mulder took his pinky finger and parted his hair down the middle, took a protractor to perfectly round the tendrils falling ever so gracefully on his forehead and ran out of his apartment and through the woods of DC. Doesn’t matter if he’s crazy? Doesn’t matter if its fuck all 4am? Who knows if the discoveries of this night is finally going to answer the heartbreaking questions regarding Mulder’s baby sister? Fuck it we’re just gonna make sure Scully has something to look forward to after being awoken yet again in the middle of the night and asked to come wrangle and control this stupid idiot. This just makes me unhinged. 50000/10 for waking up in the middle of the night and doing the most for us all.

#1 s4:e3 Teliko: This one will remain number one for as long as I shall live. I’ve dedicated my life to this cause and I’m ready to make you painfully aware of it. Grab a pen and paper and get ready to do some heavy math with me because this look right in front of your eyes is the equation to happiness and sexiness. Can barely find the words to describe to you how this picture makes me feel. Each strand of hair is personally reaching down and wrapping his head in one big giant hug of protection and solitude. Unbelievable that Scully didn’t head back to her hotel room and scream at the top of her lungs right after this. There’s no way she went about her day as normal without wanting to kick the shit out of him and then put him back together with soft feathery kisses. What you are witnessing here is the very turning point of the show where Scully looked into into the very center point of that part and said “guess I have no choice but to fall in love with him 🚶🏽‍♂️”. Chris Carter’s idealistic version of Mulder and the one we actually ended ups seeing as viewers were so drastically different that it’s blatantly clear that he had absolutely no idea the cultural implications that were about to rock the world to its core and tip it on its axis when David Duchovny showed up on set looking like this. I could write a thesis about this. I could conduct research and studies about this. I got kicked out of college because I cared more about this than I did actual schoolwork. I feel like I’m in a very sexy chokehold. Wish I could live forever in one little square pixel of this image. Nothing means more to me than this. 1000000/10 no further comments.

and the honorable mentions go to....

s8:e16 Three Words: Dead? Did you die? Did you die and miraculously defy god by rising from the dead and coming back to life? Just got home from the morgue? Think nothing is the same? Left guessing if you’re a soon to be 5 minute father? Did you just fucking die? He’s lost his family and his job and the world just went on without him like it was nobody’s business. Walked out of the morgue right to his apartment and what did he have left? His expensive array of hair styling and finishing products that’s what the fuck he had left. Being an all around reject from society didn’t at all stop him from taking his fingers and dipping it into that Big Sexy styling pomade and fluffing his head to high heavens. As a personal fuck you to god and to John Doggett too. He’ll never let you know the emotional hellstorm going on in his life in that moment but he WILL make it known to you that despite being 8 feet under ground for 6 months he’ll never give up on his hair. For the PEOPLE. Try and go through the nightmare of death and then rejected fatherhood and see if you come out of it with any hair at ALL. An itty bitty glimpse into what would have been Untitled Mulder Abduction Story (2001)....

I Want To Believe (2008): Here you will see the sluttiest moment in major motion picture history. Shh im not using this opportunity to show you this screenshot for the 800th time I’m trying to keep you educated. BREAKING NEWS; Man hiding in home office for 6 years fully off the grid has FULL head of hair and is getting regular sex *not clickbait*. So what if Mulder has gone fully unhinged and off the walls bonkers he’s also gone FULL slut and it shows in that sexy thick voluminous head of slut hair. If you ever for a second thought prior to seeing this movie for the first time that Mulder would show up a full on son-less wreck and a half think the fuck again babes. He’s managed to hold on to every single little strand ever grown on his head even well into his middle aged madness and its about time we give him the credit he deserves. (PS. Please know I wrote this entire spiel without even viewing the shot shown here. Its just permanently etched on the inside of my forehead so its there when my eyes roll back into my head.) For this we say…..; Whore rights.

s11:e3 Plus One: Incase you were unaware, I have been going through a very slow and painful process of erasing Season 11 from my brain completely. Its been a long road but its achievable and the end result will save me from a lot of future heartache and trauma. This however, is a moment I will cherish forever and though you may think its for the hot sex (which is like maybe 30% the case) its actually because it puts together everything I’ve ever loved and believed about the show in only a few thousand pixels. How old is Mulder here? 30? 31? Still has hair and still has an unbelievable amount of love to shower Scully in for as long as they both shall live (which lets face it, she deserves one million times over.) What this has taught me was to hang up my “Mulder deserved…” hat for good and just be thankful for what I’ve got. I ended up with no son or happy dreamy ending where Mulder gets to die with a family he’s never had in his life, but here we are left with the little things.. Like Mulder and Scully’s unconditional love and most importantly .. The hair on Mulder’s head. Its called growth and acceptance and I am learning it. Also I just wanted to show you what it would look like if you were like 57 and sexy and still had all ur hair. That’s it :-)

#and this one i SAVED!!!!! enjoy #here at mulderspice

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blackkudos · 4 years

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Betty Carter

Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 19, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. Vocalist Carmen McRae once remarked: "There's really only one jazz singer—only one: Betty Carter."

Early life

Carter was born in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in Detroit, where her father, James Jones, was the musical director of a Detroit church and her mother, Bessie, was a housewife. As a child, Carter was raised to be extremely independent and to not expect nurturing from her family. Even 30 years after leaving home, Carter was still very aware of and affected by the home life she was raised in, and was quoted saying:

I have been far removed from my immediate family. There's been no real contact or phone calls home every week to find out how everybody is…As far as family is concerned, it's been a lonesome trek…It's probably just as much my fault as it is theirs, and I can't blame anybody for it. But there was…no real closeness, where the family urged me on, or said…'We're proud'…and all that. No, no…none of that happened.

While the lack of support from Carter's family caused her to feel isolated, it may also have instilled self-reliance and determination to succeed. She studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory at the age of 15, but only attained a modest level of expertise.

At the age of 16, Carter began singing. As her parents were not big proponents of her pursuing a singing career, she would sneak out at night to audition for amateur shows. After winning first place at her first amateur competition, Carter felt as though she were being accepted into the music world and decided that she must pursue it tirelessly. When she began performing live, she was too young to be admitted into bars, so she obtained a forged birth certificate to gain entry in order to perform.

Career

Even at a young age, Carter was able to bring a new vocal style to jazz. The breathiness of her voice was a characteristic seldom heard before her appearance on the music scene. She also was well known for her passion for scat singing and her strong belief that the throwaway attitude that most jazz musicians approached it with was inappropriate and wasteful due to its spontaneity and basic inventiveness, seldom seen elsewhere.

Detroit, where Carter grew up, was a hotbed of jazz growth. After signing with a talent agent after her win at amateur night, Carter had opportunities to perform with famous jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, who visited Detroit for an extensive amount of time. Gillespie is often considered responsible for her strong passion for scatting. In earlier recordings, it is apparent that her scatting had similarities to the qualities of Gillespie's.

At the time of Gillespie's visit, Charlie Parker was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital, delaying her encounter with him. However, Carter eventually performed with Parker, as well as with his band consisting of Tommy Potter, Max Roach, and Miles Davis. After receiving praise from both Gillespie and Parker for her vocal prowess, Carter felt an upsurge in confidence and knew that she could make it in the business with perseverance.

Carter's confidence was well founded. In 1948, she was asked by Lionel Hampton to join his band. She finally had her big break. Working with Hampton's group gave her the chance to be bandmates with artists such as Charles Mingus and Wes Montgomery, as well as with Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey, who had recently vacated Gillespie's band and Albert Thornton "Al" Grey who would later go on to join Gillespie's band. Hampton obviously had an ear for talent and a love for bebop. Carter too had a deep love for bebop as well as a talent for it. Hampton's wife Gladys gave her the nickname "Betty Bebop", a nickname she reportedly detested. Despite her good ear and charming personality, Carter was fiercely independent and had a tendency to attempt to resist Hampton's direction, while Hampton had a temper and was quick to anger. Hampton expected a lot from his players and did not want them to forget that he was the band's leader. She openly hated his swing style, refused to sing in a swinging way, and she was far too outspoken for his tastes. Carter honed her scat singing ability while on tour, which was not well received by Hampton as he did not enjoy her penchant for improvisation. Over the course of two and a half years, Hampton fired Carter a total of seven times.

Carter was part of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra that played at the famed Cavalcade of Jazz in Los Angeles at Wrigley Field which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on July 10, 1949. They did a second concert at Lane Field in San Diego on September 3, 1949. They also performed at the sixth famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert on June 25, 1950. Also featured on the same day were Roy Milton & His Solid Senders, Pee Wee Crayton's Orchestra, Dinah Washington, Tiny Davis & Her Hell Divers, and other artists. 16,000 people were reported to be in attendance and the concert ended early because of a fracas while Hampton's band played "Flying High".

Being a part of Hampton's band provided a few things for "The Kid" (a nickname bestowed upon Carter that stuck for the rest of her life): connections, and a new approach to music, making it so that all future musical attitudes that came from Carter bore the mark of Hampton's guidance. Because of Hampton's hiring of Carter, she also goes down in history as one of the last big band era jazz singers in history. However, by 1951, Carter left the band. After a short recuperation back home, Carter was in New York, working all over the city for the better part of the early 1950s, as well as participating in an extensive tour of the south, playing for "camp shows". This work made little to no money, but Carter believed it was necessary in order to develop as an artist, and was a way to "pay her dues".

Very soon after Carter's arrival in New York City, she was given the opportunity to record with King Pleasure and the Ray Bryant Trio, becoming more recognizable and well-known and subsequently being granted the chance to sing at the Apollo Theatre. This theatre was known for giving up-and-coming artists the final shove into becoming household names. Carter was propelled into prominence, recording with Epic label by 1955 and was a well-known artist by the late 1950s. Her first solo LP, Out There, was released on the Peacock label in 1958.

Miles Davis can be credited for Carter's bump in popularity, as he was the person who recommended to Ray Charles that he take Carter under his wing. Carter began touring with Charles in 1960, then making a recording of duets with him in 1961 (Ray Charles and Betty Carter), including the R&B-chart-topping "Baby, It's Cold Outside", which brought her a measure of popular recognition. In 1963 she toured in Japan with Sonny Rollins. She recorded for various labels during this period, including ABC-Paramount, Atco and United Artists, but was rarely satisfied with the resulting product. After three years of touring with Charles and a total of two recordings together, Carter took a hiatus from recording to marry. She and her husband had two children. However, she continued performing, not wanting to be dependent upon her husband for financial support.

The 1960s became an increasingly difficult time for Carter as she began to slip in fame, refusing to sing contemporary pop music, and her youth fading. Carter was nearly forty years old, which at the time was not conducive to a career in the public eye. Rock and roll, like pop, was steadily becoming more popular and provided cash flow for labels and recording companies. Carter had to work extremely hard to continue to book gigs because of the jazz decline. Her marriage also was beginning to crumble. By 1971, Carter was single and mainly performing live with a small group consisting of merely a piano, drums, and a bass. The Betty Carter trio was one of very few jazz groups to continue to book gigs in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Carter created her own record label, Bet-Car Records, in 1969, the sole recording source of Carter's music for the next eighteen years:

....in fact, I think I was probably the first independent label out there in '69. People thought I was crazy when I did it. 'How are you gonna get any distribution?' I mean, 'How are you gonna take care of business and do that yourself?' 'Don't you need somebody else?' I said, 'Listen. Nobody was comin' this way and I wanted the records out there, so I found out that I could do it myself.' So, that's what I did. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. You know. We're talking about '69!

Some of her most famous recordings were originally issued on Bet-Car, including the double album The Audience with Betty Carter (1980). In 1980 she was the subject of a documentary film by Michelle Parkerson, But Then, She's Betty Carter. Carter's approach to music did not concern solely her method of recording and distribution, but also her choice in venues. Carter began performing at colleges and universities, starting in 1972 at Goddard College in Vermont. Carter was excited at this opportunity, as it was since the mid-1960s that Carter had been wanting to visit schools and provide some sort of education for students. She began lecturing along with her musical performances, informing students of the history of jazz and its roots.

By 1975, Carter's life and work prospects began to improve, and Carter was beginning to be able to pick her own jobs once again, touring in Europe, South America, and the United States. In 1976, Carter was a guest live performer on Saturday Night Live′s first season on the air, and was also a performer at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1977 and 1978, carving out a permanent place for herself in the music business as well as in the world of jazz.

In 1977, Carter enjoyed a new peak in critical and popular estimation, and taught a master class with her past mentor, Dizzy Gillespie, at Harvard. In the last decade of her life, Carter began to receive even wider acclaim and recognition. In 1987 she signed with Verve Records, who reissued most of her Bet-Car albums on CD for the first time and made them available to wider audiences. In 1988 she won a Grammy for her album Look What I Got! and sang in a guest appearance on The Cosby Show (episode "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"). In 1994 she performed at the White House and was a headliner at Verve's 50th anniversary celebration in Carnegie Hall. She was the subject of a 1994 short film by Dick Fontaine, Betty Carter: New All the Time.

In 1997 she was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton. This award was one of thousands, but Carter considered this medal to be her most important that she received in her lifetime.

Death

Carter continued to perform, tour, and record, as well as search for new talent until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 1998. She died on September 26, 1998, at the age of 69, and was later cremated. She was survived by her two sons.

Legacy

Carter often recruited young accompanists for performances and recordings, insisting that she "learned a lot from these young players, because they're raw and they come up with things that I would never think about doing."

1993 was Carter's biggest year of innovation, creating a program called Jazz Ahead, which took 20 students who were given the opportunity to spend an entire week training and composing with Carter, a program that still exists to this day and is hosted in The Kennedy Center.

Betty Carter is considered responsible for discovering great jazz talent, her discoveries including John Hicks, Curtis Lundy, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Dave Holland, Stephen Scott, Kenny Washington, Benny Green and more.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Betty Carter among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Discography

CD compilations

1990: Compact Jazz – (Polygram) – Bet-Car and Verve recordings from 1976 to 1987

1992: I Can't Help It – (Impulse!/GRP) – the Out There and The Modern Sound albums on one compact disc

1999: Priceless Jazz – (GRP) – Peacock and ABC-Paramount recordings from 1958 and 1960

2003: Betty Carter's Finest Hour – (Verve) – recordings from 1958 to 1992

On multi-artist compilations

1988: "I'm Wishing" on Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films

1997: "Lonely House" on September Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill

#05/19 #09/26

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small-reptile-cake · 5 years

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Vigilante AU (updated/fixed)

Concept:

We live in a world of injustice, where powerful people get to overshadow and overrule others basic human rights, and those with true power conceal themselves under the shadows at the risk of being killed or outcasted from society. However, in a city where hate and panic flood the streets, a select team of special people are willing to put themselves out there and defend those who can no longer fight for themselves. Virgil Sinclaire(18)

Powers:

Telepathy

Can read and invade the minds of other people with unsettling, fear inducing thoughts.

His range of hearing is of up to three blocks.

His powers caused him to be mildly agoraphobic; he spent a great part of his life hearing the sick thoughts of strangers on the street and the thousands of times he could simply tell when he was about to get mugged, making him afraid of leaving the safety of his apartment.

Now he wears headphones most of the time to muffle the voices.

Always lived in the same tall building, the higher he is the less he has to hear.

Born and raised in New York.

Studies/Interests:

Highschool dropout. In between his phobia and the terrible influence from his peers, he decided the education system wasn't for him.

Wanted to be an english major.

Enjoys writing scary/realistic novels.

Affiliations

Lives with his aunt and cousin.

Was lured into a group of thieves disguised as anarchists/protesters who claimed to fight for “True justice”, and that they would protect him. Truly, they were just hiding their true intentions and using Virgil’s powers to cause harm out of pure self gratification.

When their motives were unveiled, he still rejected becoming a part of the Alliance

Now, he belongs to his own neutral alignment in which he will not condone giving aid to those who he feels don't deserve it and will absolutely turn to revenge if necessary, even through unconventional means.

Is still willing to help the Alliance, or the “Light Ones” as he calls them.

Patton Kane (22)

Powers:

Healing

His healing can range from treating people (whether it be physically or emotionally) to fixing broken objects (Only if they’re visibly torn, like a broken key or a broken cup).

The risk of healing people’s emotions is that it’s only temporary, and Patton will absorb both positive and negative emotions from the individual.

He can’t fix something that’s been set on fire (A book or clothes) because it’s simply beyond his reach to reconstruct something that's been turned to dust.

Studies/Interests:

A gastronomy student.

Often attends to baking courses/seminars during the week.

Teaches kids with disabilities how to bake on the weekends.

Part of his tuition was paid by working as a babysitter and a store clerk. The rest was obtained from his parents

Was an animal hoarder back in college even though he didn’t have the space or time at the moment. There were stray cats, dogs, even a rat that lived in the same building and got caught in a trap one day. He healed it and brought it home because he didn’t want the owner to find it and kill it.

His family had to talk him out of it and he even went to therapy to deal with the guilt of having to give his babies up for adoption.

Now he only adopts people as his children.

Affiliations

Virgil activates his fatherly senses the most and constantly getting invited to eat at Patton’s

He’s always encouraging the vigilante to go out, then ultimately visiting whenever Virgil just doesn’t feel safe enough to go out.

He also loves playing video games together as long as they aren’t horror themed.

Went to highschool with Logan, he was a few years older but since their parents knew each other and Logan didn’t bother socializing with people in his grade, they became close.

They would both occasionally help their peers though small gestures, such as easing someone before a test, or getting someone out of a fever. It was when they met Roman that he dragged them onto greater things and eventually led to forming the alliance.

Logan Altman (20)

Powers:

Super speed

Is ironically always worried about wasting time

The best thing about his power is having more time to appreciate each moment and scene as it happens before his eyes, analyze it, then carry on.

Will stutter whenever he tries to speak at a normal pace. Roman had to help him practice his speech so it wouldn’t give away his identity during superhero duty.

Needs extra calories, and therefore is often found snacking on protein bars, fruit (and obviously Patton’s famous oatmeal-chocolate cookies)

Can be very hot headed and impatient at times.

Studies/Interests

Majors in chemical engineering, takes up astronomy in his spare time, as well as philosophy and english.

Wants to learn german and spanish.

Uses his super speed to be able to take all of his classes during the week, complete his chores in time and always have some spare minutes.

Keeps a schedule that he’s very loyal to or else he might take up more than he can handle and stress himself out (Again).

Despite being so diligent of his work, he always falls asleep in time, makes sure to have a healthy diet and gives himself some time to relax and contemplate.

Affiliations

Has been friends with Patton since elementary, their parents know each other. Their relationship was very stiff at first as the sensitive hero used to infuriate him by taking too long to do things and getting carried away all the time. This led to some outbursts that were always forgiven as long as Logan apologized afterwards.

One day he went too far while Patton was particularly sensitive, causing him to cry. He’s learnt to control himself since then.

He and Roman were classmates in fight grade when Roman moved in, by then he wasn’t friends with anybody else from his generation.

They started to hang out after a few very intense debates regarding the historical accuracy of a few medieval TV shows, and if it was acceptable to deviate from the obscure reality of those times.

Genuinely loves watching Roman perform classics on stage. The first time he saw him was during english class when they were to bring presentations to class, he performed a paragraph from one of Chèjov's tales.

Despite often treating him like an idiot, he recognizes Roman to be brilliant in his own field. And having him in class was always an amusing experience.

Thinks of Virgil’s occasional presence as comforting, but ultimately disagrees with his views on society.

Is constantly trying to convince Virgil to retake his studies, expressing concern for his future.

Roman Garcia(20)

Powers:

Morphing objects as he touches them

He can only change the shape of an object, not the material it’s made of (if he touches a metal chair and shapes it into a sword, it’ll still be made of metal)

It used to be very difficult for him to create things as he couldn’t focus hard enough on a single shape at the time and the images in his brain would get jumbled.

Later on he was diagnosed with ADHD. His family refused to medicate him and for many years he was forced to deal with it without knowing what it was and what to do about it. That, until he met a teacher that dealt with the same thing who was willing to educate him on he matter. From then on, he’s been learning to surpass it and perfect his technique.

Studies/Interests:

Drama school, also forms part of a few independent acting groups dedicated to performing musicals in small theatres.

Writes fantasy novels, as well as scripts for both theatre and film. He loves how different both formats are and the different things he can achieve with both

Can also write and listen in spanish, but is pronunciation is still too stiff to talk back.

Affiiliations:

Went to highschool with Logan, Patton was their senior.

Moved in to New York from Albuquerque with his little brother. Their entire family is from Venezuela.

Comes from divorced parents, had an abusive father growing up.

Doesn’t necessarily hate his brother, but is extremely weary of him growing into a villain since his powers are rarely ever used for anything other than chaos.

Has a strong attachment to Patton due to the hero’s overbearing, fatherly attitude. Often rings him up at random times to just hang out and watch “Brooklyn 99″ together or learn new recipes. Whether they are in a bad mood or not, it’s always heartwarming to spend time with each other. He really hated Virgil at first for stealing Patton’s attention.

Is currently really fond of Virgil as he can understand the struggles of being forced to move apart from your family. He also really appreciates the vigilante’s willingness to listen

Devin C. Pierce (20)

Powers:

Shapeshifting

Uses his powers to his own advantage and to help those he cares about.

Doesn’t care about fighting evil or turning evil because good and bad are constructs and totally subjective.

Studies/Interests

Drama school

Takes up law as his second major, mostly influenced by watching fake trials on TV and watching legal dramas.

Totally didn’t show Remus “How to get away with murder”.

Affiliations

Met Roman on an improv night at a bar, they got a few good laughs by being absurd and original.

Roman doesnt know about his powers but they're still good friends. Is often asked to babysit Remus when Roman is out fighting crime.

Is constantly teasing Virgil because, in Devin’s words; he’s a “Hypocrite who thinks of himself morally superior to everyone”

Tells everyone the C in his name is for classy.

Remus Garcia (14)

Power:

Morphing objects as he touches them

His creations are always a lot more gruesome than Roman’s

They range from weapons, dick shaped statues, inedible food shaped objects to prank people and tiny versions of torture devices he saw in some horror game about the dark ages. They all decorate his room

Studies/Interests:

He also sculpts manually and enjoys painting. Most of his art is abstract. Only draws explicitly gorey scenes when he’s angry.

He learnt French in secret for years just to one day start pretending he didn’t know spanish anymore and piss everyone off.

Enjoys reading horror stories on the internet a lot. He even found Virgil’s blog while deep diving once, but he doesn’t know that.

Affiliations

Moved in with Roman because his parents were busy with work and couldn’t tend to his “needs” all the time

Constantly trying to get Roman to take him on his missions. Since Roman doesn't trust him not to kill anyone, it never happened.

Is old enough not to need a babysitter, is chaotic enough to need one and only Deceit can handle him.

Patton is greatly unsettled by him, but Remus loves when he comes over to cook for them. He tried to show him his sculptures once when he was younger and it didn’t go well at all.

He is constantly trolling Virgil whenever they’re around, thinking about disturbing things the moment he walks through the door.

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joie-university-rp · 5 years

Text

Dear, OLLIE MENDOZA,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, CHARLEY! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklistand send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Charley / she&her

Age, Timezone: 25 / EST

Activity, short explanation: 7/10 / I’m usually able to get on at least once a day!

Ships: Ollie/Chemistry

Anti-Ships: Ollie/No chemistry

Triggers: RFP

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): https://66.media.tumblr.com/eb1028b3739dca4e0f6949d1389d5c3a/tumblr_pqhonxQUn51wz3biw_1280.jpg

Anything else: N/A

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Oliver “Ollie” James Mendoza

FC: George Salazar

Age/Year at University (Freshman [1st Year], Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student): 24 / Senior

Birth date: October 7, 1994

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Columbus, Ohio

Gender/Pronouns: Male / he&him

Sexuality: Asexual & Queer

Major(s): Musical Theatre

Minor(s) [optional]: N/A

Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Single apartment

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Filipino Student Association (President), Drama Club (Vice President), Glee Club (Vice President), & LGBT+ Association.

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): N/A

CHARACTER PROFILE:

[At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

Ollie was born to his doting Mothers, Evelyn and Margaret, on the 7th of October as their first and only child. Family always comes first for Ollie, as well as his culture. He is proud to be half Filipino as well as half Ecuadorian. He embraces both parts of his DNA; he is even fluent in both Tagalog and Spanish. He grew up speaking his mother’s language, and once he started his high school career he began to delve into learning Spanish.

Ollie was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, after he had repeated kindergarten per his teacher’s request for remaining too immature to continue on as well as rambunctious. He was put on a medication to treat his disorder, however as Ollie got older he began to detest them due to the numbing nature of them. He didn’t feel like his naturally bubbly and energetic self. After convincing his moms to come off of it, as well as proving to them he would put in the work to learn to adjust without them, Ollie was weened off toward the end of his high school career. He has his difficult days still, sensory overloads and meltdowns never easier to cope with when they hit hard, but at the end of the day Ollie’s positivity always comes out stronger.

Being the energetic and charismatic person he is, it’s no surprise that the stage called to Ollie at a very young age. As a toddler, Ollie was exposed to his mothers’ favorite musicals, including Donny Osmond’s portrayal in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A defining moment that inspired him that he wanted to captivate audiences the way he had been from watching the VHS tape daily. He performed in his first show at 5 years old, playing Sebastian in a stage production of The Little Mermaid. From there, he continued to act whenever he had the opportunity. He was a theatre kid throughout his entire school career, even becoming the president of his Thespian Troupe in high school.

Once the curtains on high school closed, though, Ollie needed a break from the structured schedule that school had him on. It was difficult to buckle down his last couple of years of high school and learn to adjust to controlling his energy and attention deficit issues. He decided to take a gap year, not because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study but because he needed time to mentally relax before going back to school. He traveled around with his Mothers for a while, then decided to apply to Joie University to pursue his performing dreams. He is a Senior now, and will be 25 in the Fall. He is one of the oldest among his peers, given the fact he was held back early in his school career and the extra year he took as a break. Regardless, he feels accepted by his peers.

Ollie has an easy time making friends, because of his fearlessness in approaching strangers to brighten their day. He makes friends wherever he goes, and he surrounds himself with different groups of people at school by staying involved. He is the President of the Filipino Student Association, loving the fact that he has a platform to share his culture with fellow students, the Vice President of the Drama and Glee Club for his good friend Mercedes who sits as President, and he is also part of the LGBT+ Association. He will be sad when he eventually does graduate, but he plans on his Senior year being the best yet. He also knows it will prepare him for his future, in which he hopes he will make that move to New York to make his dream of being on Broadway come true.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? It’s close to my home so I know a lot of my pals go there! I’ve heard amazing things about the theatre department too and it will help me gain more experience as I prepare to make my move to New York to pursue Broadway. Plus I like that Joie sounds like Joy cause it makes it sound like a really happy place and I’m really happy so!

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? I am kindhearted, excitable and goofy. I don’t like sayin’ ‘negative’, but I think some not-so-nice things about me that I can work on are that I tend to be distracted, naive, and oblivious.

Which of your traits do you value most? I love being excitable and a jokester and all that, but I think the most important thing anybody can be is kind.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? It usually doesn’t take a lot to brighten someone’s day, just complimenting their hair or outfit or just letting them know that you appreciate them can totally shift their mood. I love to help bring out the best in people and ultimately it helps to bring out the best in me! Being kind is free so you should give that away like it’s going out of style! Kindness will never go out of style though, they ain’t jelly shoes. I shouldn’t say that, jelly shoes are actually making a comeback. POINT IS- it’s cool to be kind! Always.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? I hope to make friends, memories, and wonderful art on stage. And if it’s build your own taco day in the cafeteria I will most likely make a mess too. Not on purpose, though. I promise to clean up any contents spilled out of my taco.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” - Michael Jackson

#accepted

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klaudiaspiechowicz · 5 years

Text

Model Making Companies

Asylum Models

https://asylumsfx.com

I find that some of the models they make are quite interesting and very unique, for example I never seen a car like this in my life and I didn’t even recognise it was models after a pea until I looked at the board that said it. It’s such a smart design you wouldn’t be able to see everyday and looks great when its already made and finished. I don’t really know if this car is as functional as it is interesting but it’s definitely very pleasing to look at.

Meanwhile some other models they make are painfully average and uninteresting. Like anybody that played around with a modelling tool for a while could make the building one from the picture above, and the thing is the model itself is ok but the texturing on it looks from a bad game that can’t render detailed things otherwise it will lag. For a company I believe they should try a little harder to make their works stand out instead of making them into a badly textured generic building or object.

DB Props

https://www.dbprops.co.uk

Most of their creations look like obnoxious things you would find in the middle of a town for no apparent reason, I think its an interesting way to handle model making with basically taking anything and sizing it up to human height or double that, but you can’t really use these models for anything else because they are too big for anything.

I guess their other models could be used for theatre like the food models, I feel they could be reused for multiple scenes but wouldn’t really cut it if it was put into any movie. I also really like the model of the globe theatre I feel it could be used if somebody was making a little model of London or either at a school for example for educational purposes. A lot of students have to research buildings like this and it would be nice to see them in perspective and I feel their models are perfect for this purpose.

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stevenstephens · 5 years

Text

Pleased to meet you || Eleven

TAGGING: Ellie Berry & Steven Stephens

WHERE: Lima, OH & Columbus, OH

WHEN: Late Friday Night, January 11th

NOTES: Steven (finally) gets in contact with Ellie and they end up texting till late in the night.

Steven

Steve: Hi there, someone gave me this number when I asked if they happen to have the number of Ellie Berry. Are you her? If this is not you, than I'm sorry for disturbing your evening.

Ellie

Ellie: Hmm. I'll only tell you if you tell me who gave you this number and what you want to do to Ellie Berry

Ellie: I'm kidding. You've texted the right number. Who's this?

Steven

Steve: Unfortunately for you, I can't reveal my source. As for the reason why I'm texting... We're arranged to be married.

Steve: So hi, I'm your future husband... Steven Stephens

Ellie

Ellie: Crap. Maybe I should have just typed wrong number.

Ellie: I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You just caught me by surprise and a little off-guard.

Ellie: You've been MIA so long that I started referring to you as a phantom.

Steven

Steve: Ha, I wouldn't blame you if you had. I've been looking at my phone for about an hour before I worked up enough courage to hit send

Steve: No worries, totally understandable.

Steve: Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I tend to lose track of time when I'm working on a project and then a day turns into a week, that turns into a month... but I'm here now.

Ellie

Ellie: No. I maybe sarcastic, but I'm not rude

Ellie: Okay now I have to ask - why were you so hesitant to contact me? I'm not expecting anything. I actually find the whole lottery system reprehensible

Ellie: I see. So you're a workaholic? Good to know. What exactly do you do for a living? My parents gave me absolutely no information other than your name. Didn't help since prior to my summons, I had little to no contact with Lima.

Steven

Steve: My parents will love it when they hear that. They always claim they would have done a better job with it.

Steve: As to the why so hesitant, it's a mixture of a few things, but mostly a family feud I tried to distance myself from by moving to Columbus, and this will drag me right back into it - and the other, well, I wanted to safe you from being tied down in a marriage that's just a piece of paper... it's hard to explain through text, but have you heard of the term demisexual.

Steve: A huge workaholic. I develop apps for both mobile phones as for computers.

Ellie

Ellie: Thanks? Think my politeness will outweigh the fact I dropped out of college and went on tour with my band?

Ellie: Okay. Wow. Quite a bit to unpack there. Sounds like your life is a telenovela. Who is the feud with?

Ellie: Again. I didn't expect anything. To be honest, I figured the marriage would simply be on paper.

Ellie: You can't force love. It has to happen organically, by choice.

Ellie: I - just googled it. So, basically no sex without an emotional bond? Like not even just for a release?

Ellie: That's cool. I love my phone and it's apps. I'm a studio drummer and starting next week part time student

Steven

Steve: You've got a band? That's so cool! And yes, I think it will outweigh it. They believe in good education, but they also believe that being happy with what you do for a living is essential.

Steve: Hmm, you're not far off with that description. You aren't from Lima, are you? It's with the Jones'.

Steve: Exactly, love has to grow. This whole Marriage Law... well, it's not fair on anyone.

Steve: Not necessarily. If we manage to build a strong enough deep connection, there might come a time where sex is an option. But there is no say in how long it will take for me to get to that point. I'm so sorry.

Steve: A studio drummer? Do you work for a studio and any artist can hire you, is that how it works. Are you going back to school? Exciting! What are you going to study?

Ellie

Ellie: Well we're on hiatus at the moment. I'm going to be playing on a few new albums.

Ellie: I'm a quick study. Why is there so much drama in your life? I avoid my parents, so they won't be an issue. I am. I just left when I was 17. I went to Yale, dropped out right before graduation and never came back.

Ellie: Yes. I know them. Don't tell anyone, but Mercedes was matched with my ex-boyfriend.

Ellie: I see. There's no reason to be sorry. I mean, I like sex, but it'll be fine. Probably better anyway. Lately I've had issues compartmentalizing sex and feelings.

Ellie: I'm working with Blaine Anderson right now, but yes, in theory any artist can hire me through the label to drum for them. It's pretty much a dream come true.

Ellie: I was studying theatre and economics. My parents wanted me to go into the family business. They're theatre owners.

Ellie: Online and part time. Yale has an interdisciplinary major. Kind of like a general studies degree. Not ideal but at least my credits are still good.

Steven

Steve: It sounds like you can be as busy with work at times as I am, we'll make quite the pair of workaholics, ha.

Steve: Beats me, I tried to stay out of the whole feud but when your parents want to check everyone you hang out with to make sure they aren't friends with the Jones'... well it doesn't make for a happy childhood. So I choose to settle down in Columbus after graduating from MIT.

Steve: My lips are sealed. From what I remember from back in the days she can be quite bossy at times, so I wish him luck.

Steve: I'm alright with making it an open marriage if you feel the need you're free to look outside our marriage for sex. We just have to make sure you won't get caught while doing so.

Steve: Hmm-mm, love, and sex are hard to separate at times. So yes, perhaps this whole thing will give you some time to learn to distinguish the two.

Steve: Blaine Anderson, the name sounds familiar... from what I heard very talented. So you could end up working with some huge names? That must be so exciting.

Steve: Oh that's good, that way you don't have to start all over. When will you graduate?

Ellie

Ellie: I suppose so. :) Do you plan on staying in Columbus?

Ellie: Ugh. That actually sounds pretty miserable. Rather isolating.

Ellie: MIT? So you must be pretty smart. Any chance you could make an app to rig the lottery system so it crashes?

Ellie: She and I are in decent terms. Friendly I guess. Thanks for the discretion. Literally no one else knows. Not even my sisters.

Ellie: Usually I'm pretty good about keeping my emotions at bay. However lately things have gotten complicated. It kind of sucks.

Ellie: No sex might turn out to be a positive thing for me.

Ellie: He is incredibly talented and sweet too. I've been friends with him forever. And yes! My roommate actually is a recording artist. He's on the down low right now though.

Ellie: If I play my cards right, about a year.

Ellie: And not to sound superficial, but can you send me a picture of yourself? It's be nice to put a face to the texts

Steven

Steve: I honestly do not know what the future brings when it comes to living here or in Columbus, depends on how well my father's going to react to his treatments. But I do love the freedom that living in Columbus brings.

Steve: It was. But it's something I got used to.

Steve: Ha, I might give it a try? First I'd have to break into their server, not my strong suit but I'd be willing to give it a try.

Steve: Keep your fingers crossed that Liv lady doesn't catch wind of it else the whole town will know all about it. But if you guys been super discreet I doubt she ever will.

Steve: I'm sorry. Was it with someone who's forced into the Marriage law as well? Know what, I don't have to know. Only if you feel like sharing.

Steve: Ah, so not only do you work with big names you also live with one. Very intrigued at the moment, not going to lie.

Steve: A year, that's doable... you'll be done before you know it.

Steve: Is that a good enough picture for you? :wink:

Ellie

Ellie: It's not a huge deal one way or the other. I guess it's just something we'd have to figure out if we actually abide by the rules and go forward. I honestly can't believe I'm so calm about it. I just assumed I'd be hyperventilating or fleeing Lima.

Ellie: No kid should have to go through that. I was adopted by my dads. I had my fair share of dealing with cruel kids and some adults

Ellie: You should! Just make sure you cover your tracks. Like in one of those hacker movies

Ellie: We've only hung out a couple of times and in private. Nothing happened that would be considered suspect ot tawdry.

Ellie: He is, but that's not really the issue. He made his intentions clear. I got caught up in the what if. It's fine though. He hasn't texted me in a while.

Ellie: Ha I do! He's become one of my best friends. We're kindred spirits and platonic soul mates. If you stick around, you'll find out soon enough.

Ellie: That's what I keep telling myself. I'm actually excited, nervous and proud of myself.

Ellie: Umm... Seriously? That's you?

Ellie: I know you didn't ask, but I thought it only fair.

Steven

Steve: We can talk living arrangements along planning all other things. Columbus is only an hour and a half away from Lima, it's a long commute but always an option. Plus we'd be away from the prying eyes of that Higher Counsel, and I doubt they'll drop by for surprise checks if they have to travel far.

Steve: Kids can be so cruel to each other, can't they? I'm sorry you had to deal with that.

Steve: I'm very proud of the firewall I coded for myself, they won't be able to track anything, trust me.

Steve: That's good, that way she doesn't have dirt on you. I'm not fond of that gossip blog. I doubt anybody is anyway.

Steve: Wow, that's rather a cruel thing to do. At least have the decency to text someone back.

Steve: I'll be on my best behavior, ha. Good to hear you guys hit it of so well, especially since he's your roommate.

Steve: As you should be. It's a huge step to take. I'm proud of you for taking it.

Steve: Seriously, that is me.

Steve: And thank you for sending a few of yours, you look lovely. And I got a face to go with the texts.

Ellie

Ellie: Yeah, of course. There's plenty of time to plan. My girl best friend is getting married soon. I think maybe that's why this whole thing sounds less crazy. The guy she was matched with actually turned out to be a good guy.

Ellie: And I hadn't thought about the privacy aspect. You make a good point. I'd just hate to leave my housemates without warning

Ellie: It's ok. I mean, don't get me wrong, it sucked at the time. But it also made me stronger.

Ellie: Thanks. That's very sweet of you to say. I have absolutely no coding experience, so I'm going to take your word for that. Let me know if your attempt works, ok?

Ellie: Everyone has their own issues and priorities. I'll get over it

Ellie: He's a blast so no need to be on your best behavior. We go dancing and have pretty much every take out menu in Lima memorized.

Ellie: Do you wake up looking like that?

Ellie: Thanks. And yes, yes you do

Steven

Steve: Who's your girl best friend? I'm asking because one of my friends is getting married soon as well, he got his name drawn in the Marriage lottery.

Steve: We have time to figure it all out, and if we decide on Columbus there will be plenty of time to warn your housemates about it. Who knows, I might actually like being back in Lima 24/7/365 and be the one moving to another town.

Steve: That is true, it build character and strength, but it's still bad people get like that toward people just because they're different from what's considered the norm.

Steve: I'll keep you posted.

Steve: If you want for his phone to get infected with a virus let me know :wink:

Steve: Oh, perhaps one day I can join you guys when you go dancing? It's been years since I last seen the inside of a club.

Steve: No, my hair's a mess when I wake up. According to many it is a look that suits me rather well.

Steve: You're welcome. It's a pleasure to finally have a face with the name.

Ellie

Ellie: Her name is Laura. She's one of the most amazing people I know.

Ellie: I suppose that true. When I first returned to Lima I had absolutely no intention of staying. However, now I'm not sure if I could live anywhere else.

Ellie: Although I would like to go back on tour at some point.

Ellie: Ha. No. He's a good guy. I just need to move forward and no dwell.

Ellie: New year right?

Ellie: Yeah, of course. We're actually trying to make our outings a weekly event.

Ellie: I'm sure it is.

Ellie: Oh and it's actually my "real" name is Elizabeth. No one calls me though.

Steven

Steve: No shit?! My friend whose name got drawn is Alex!

Steve: As I mentioned before at the moment I'll be in Lima most of the time. That's the beauty about my line of work, as long as I've got a connection to the internet I don't even have to leave the house.

Steve: ^^^^ I can work from anywhere in the world, so if you want to tour and this Marriage Law needs for us to be around each other I can tag along.

Steve: New Year, new you.

Steve: Oh, perhaps one day I can join you guys when you go dancing? It's been years since I last seen the inside of a club.

Steve: One day you can judge for yourself if it does or doesn't.

Steve: Ah, so Ellie is your nickname so to speak? How did they end up calling you Ellie instead of something like Liz?

Steve: Any siblings I'll have to meet one day?

Ellie

Ellie: Ha. Really? Small world!

Ellie: Sounds like a pretty awesome field. One thing I love about touring is seeing places I never would have thought of visiting.

Ellie: You'd do that? Are you always so agreeable and amenable?

Ellie: That's what I'm going for.

Ellie: Yeah. Just let me know when you'd like to join us.

Ellie: Oddly enough, your comment

made me blush.

Ellie: My parents hated Ellie and/or any other variation? I guess the never saw me as a Liz.

Steven

Steve: Very small world indeed.

Steve: For a nerd like me it is, yes. That's sounds pretty damn awesome. What places have you been to so far?

Steve: Yeah, I would. Hmmm, not all the time. Don't ask me things before I had at least 2 cups of coffee and some breakfast, else the answer will be no for sure.

Steve: I'll keep it in mind. If, two months from now I still haven't asked about joining you guys, hmu. I'd probably forgot all about.

Steve: Did it really?

Steve: So it was to rile up your parents? Nice! And come on, you could so be a Liz.

Steve: Talking about parents... do you have any siblings?

Ellie

Ellie: Certainly is

Ellie: I think most people would enjoy having that flexibility. I've actually been coast to coast. My favorite states are probably New York City and Oregon. Very different, but equally beautiful in their own way.

Ellie: Haha. A fellow caffeine addict. I live on coffee. I also love to eat.

Ellie: Will do!

Ellie: Yep. Something that's relatively difficult to do, so take it as a compliment.

Ellie: Sort of? A friend called me Ellie and it kind of stuck.

Ellie: I don't know. Never saw myself as Liz.

Ellie: My dads' names are Hiram and Leroy. I also have two older sisters (twins) Rachel and Amelia.

Steven

Steve: Yeah, I guess you can say that. Wow, I did a lot of traveling in my life but never been coast to coast. Boston is lovely, Columbus is great and one of my favorite cities to visit is Barcelona, oh and Venice, though tourism is killing the fun. It's so full of tourists these days. Any place or country you really want to visit one day?

Steve: Note to self, make sure to stock up on coffee just in case El comes to visit.

Steve: Alright, score one for me, ha.

Steve: That settles it, I'm going to start calling you Liz every now and then, just to show you that it fits you perfectly.

Steve: I've got one sister, Emily. She's 6 years younger.

Steve: God, look at us talking the night away here, I like it.

Steve: I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?

Ellie

Ellie: I do! Yes, Boston is gorgeous. My dream has always been to travel through Europe. I was hoping to get a European band tour set up, but I doubt that will happen at this point. Elliott (my housemate) and I discussed getting a group together and taking a trip.

Ellie: Haha yes. And I am not one of those fancy coffee drinkers other. I like it strong and crappy. Liquid black gold

Ellie: Oh boy. Did I create a monster in one text? Or did you always have this competitive side?

Ellie: Sigh. Okay. Can we meet in the middle with Elizabeth?

Ellie: Oh. I never asked how old you were. I'm 26. Are you and your sister close?

Ellie: Yeah. It's been really easy. Next time we should try talking. I'd like to hear what your voice sounds like.

Ellie: No. I need to go into the studio at some point and have a photo shoot in the afternoon, but nothing right now. That's what coffee and cold showers are for. :)

Steven

Steve: Never say never, if you guys are able to get together that band then go for it! Life's too short to not enjoy every minute of it.

Steve: Okay, okay, noted... the stronger the better.

Steve: I've always been kind of competitive, so yeah, not all your doing but it did help resurface that side of me.

Steve: That's such a mouth full tho... we'll see.

Steve: Yeah, even though we haven't lived in the same town for a while now we are close. We talk/text all the time. Are you close to your sisters?

Steve: We can do that, or we can meet up in person?

Steve: I've got an appointment with a realtor later today, I need to find a place to rent for the time being. The hotel suite I'm currently am in is fine, but not suitable to stay long periods of time and I rather not move into my parents pool house. I'm fond of my privacy.

Ellie

Ellie: No definitely. I agree there. It's just there's a lot of logisitcal stuff that goes into a tour. Not to mention financing.

Ellie: I need to see how this new job pans out. It has a lot of potential.

Ellie: If it doesn't grow hair on your chest, it isn't coffee. ;)

Ellie: That's why I can braid mine. Kidding. My chest is hair free.

Ellie: Well good because so am I. I'm always up for a challenge and adventure.

Ellie: You could also call me El. A lot of people do.

Ellie: Are the two mutually exclusive? When will you be in Lima?

Ellie: Oh really? Like as in today?

Ellie: Yeah that's why I found my own place. I was living in motels for a while, but it was getting too expensive.

Steven

Steve: How does that work, the financing part? Through sponsors or you make sure you have bookings all over Europe that bring in the money?

Steve: It's always nice to have a steady income, to know that at the end of the month there's a paycheck waiting for you.

Steve: OMG! You almost got me asking for photographic evidence. of that, ha.

Steve: Perfect! That will keep things interesting and fun.

Steve: Hmm, how about tomorrow afternoon? I'll be in Lima by then.

Steve: That, plus hotels never feel like home to me. The only plus side... housekeeping and room service, ha

Ellie

Ellie: Usually there's sponsorship or a band hooks up with another (with more name recognition). I just don't have that right now. I may end up going on tour with my housemate. Probably not Europe though.

Ellie: Yes exactly. My parents cut me off when I dropped out of school and while I did get some cash from them when I came back, I just couldn't continue I don't like being dependent on them. It always comes with strings attached.

Ellie: Ha. Gotcha. I would have totally scoured the internet for a woman with a braided chest.

Ellie: Only way to live

Ellie: Umm sure? Where and when?

Ellie: I know what you mean. I actually started cooking again. It's been an adventure.

Steven

Steve: Staying in the States for now? It's a huge market to start. Who knows, it might result in you finding a few sponsors. Hell, for all you know all you have to do is a couple of performances in Lima to showcase your band. Plenty of people there who got the cash to sponsor a band. Pretty sure some might even see it as a great investment that will give them some tax refunds.

Steve: Au, sounds like the parental unit is hard to please? I'm sorry. Mine are way easier. I still get a monthly allowance. Not that I touched a dime of it ever since I graduated from MIT. So that makes for a nice cushion whenever time gets rough, ha.

Steve: NVM, I just saw those pictures your friend? took from you and you posted on your Instagram.... I couldn't spot a single chest hair.

Steve: Also.... very lovely pictures!

Steve: Lu Lu's Diner over at Spencerville Rd, say around 2pm?

Steve: This is going to sounds so spoiled but I've got a Chef who cooks for me. Not that I can't cook, or that I'm too lazy to do it, but if Craig wouldn't be there on a daily basis I probably forget to eat. I tend to zone out while working, and forget all about having a meal.

Ellie

Ellie: I believe so. We haven't really discussed the details. More of comments in passing. Well, my band is scattered at the moment. None of them were from Lima. Honestly they'd never heard of it before they met me. I'm hoping my housemate will pick them up as backup

Ellie: My parents are impossible today please. They think they know what's best regardless of the situation. It's a huge point of contention between us.

Ellie: That's a good plan. I had a cushion until I moved back and burned through my savings

Ellie: Ha. You saw them? Thank you. I still can't believe that's me. Don't get me wrong, I'm confident about my appearance, but she took it to a whole new level

Ellie: Alright. Lu Lu's at 2, it is

Ellie: Oh wow. My parents had a chef. I can't see myself with one though

Steven

Steve: Why do I get the feeling that most of your friends are in some way into music?

Steve: In that case, I'll be on my best behavior the first time I meet with them. Or we could set a date, invite your parents and mine to dinner and be done with it. Might take away some of the scrutinies on the both of us, lolol

Steve: Wow, that must have been one costly move back to town.

Steve: I did. I'm sure she did an excellent job to make you look extremely beautiful and hot at the same time, but she couldn't have done that if you weren't gorgeous already.

Steve: It's a date. I'll see you there.

Steve: My bubbe insisted I take one when she noticed that I forgot to eat the brisket she made me. Plus the guy is fun company, he keeps me entertained, ha.

Ellie

Ellie: Not all, but most. Laura isn't a musician and we make the whole bestie thing work :)

Ellie: Meh. I'd respect you more if you weren't. I mean, just be yourself when you meet them. Oh wow, this got very real really fast. Didn't expect it to creep up on me like that

Ellie: Whew. Need to breathe through that one. I don't like having dinner with my parents. I'd hate to subject you to them as well

Elle: How about they just get together? They're going to end up taking over anyway.

Ellie: Thank you for saying that. I appreciate the compliment.

Ellie: Perfect

Ellie: Wait. Are you Jewish?

Steven

Steve: Ah, so one of my best friends is going to marry your best friend... does that make us best friends in law? :P

Steve: Oh, I'm sorry... I feel like a jerk right now thinking I said something wrong. We can fully postpone the whole meeting the parents moment till later, much much later.

Steve: Ha, yes.. I think you're correct when you say that. In fact, knowing my mother, we probably only have to show up and say I do at some point in the ceremony. I'm about 99.9% sure she has the whole day planned already... for years now.

Steve: No prob, you're welcome.

Steve: Yes I am. I thought you knew!? I've known for quite some time now that you are, mom wouldn't shut up that I was lucky enough to be matched up with a Jewish girl.

Ellie

Ellie: Ha. I dig it. What about you?

Ellie: Solid foundation for a relationship.

Ellie: No, no. Please don't. My parents just suck. I don't even know if my sisters talk to them anymore.

Ellie: LOL. At least it'll be low stress?

Ellie: How intense are your parents?

Ellie: No. Like I said they literally told me nothing. Just a name. Yikes. No pressure there. I'm not super religious. I celebrate the major holidays.

Steven

Steve: Same! It's the best foundation for one if you ask me.

Steve: Can I suggest asking them if they do or not? It would save you a panic attack or two... cause what is the use for me to getting to know them if none of their kids even want to talk to them.

Steve: Mine, although they are still very vocal about the whole "It would have been far better for this town and the Marriage Law if we were the ones to set it," are surprisingly laid back.

Steve: Yeah, as low stress a wedding could be. But also very un-personal and not us. And I don't know if that's something I want for us.

Steve: That's very little to go by and once again, I'm sorry for waiting this long before I got in contact with you. Oh, the last time I've been to a synagogue has been a while. I'm more of a major holidays guy myself. So you're good!

Steve: Not to be a jerk or anything as such, but it is getting late and I got an early drive to Lima ahead of me in the morning, so can we wrap this up?

Ellie

Ellie: I'm sorry! Yes. We can just continue talking in person. Get some sleep and I guess I'll see you tomorrow

Steven

Steve: It's alright, we're both to blame here :smiley: Looking forward to meeting you in person. Sweet dreams!

#[ texts ]#text:ellie

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decodingellipses · 7 years

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Trans in Theatre: Adversarial and Jubilant Ultimatums

After one of our late night dress rehearsals for Footloose, I felt a friend to my right grip my arm during our notes. She said, “Denny, are you okay?” and I realized tears were falling down my cheeks without my notice at all. At that point, everybody fixated their eyes on me and for the first time (of soon-to-be many), I felt seen but so unseen. This was my junior year in high school, and I was cast as the male lead, Ren McCormack. Despite the crisp dance moves and singing, the director kept telling me that something was still not right about my performance. She then sat with me until midnight, where we were the only ones left on stage. Through the shakiness in my voice and my hands burying my face, I said, “It’s just hard playing something you know you’re not.”

She looked at me, and for the first time, I think she really saw me.

My senior year I was cast as The Leading Player in Pippin, a gender neutral character with a presence so demanding you can’t take your eyes off the charm, wit, and agility. Around this time I was sneaking out late at night, dressing up with my friends and going out. Liberating myself from gender roles and rebelling against their normalizations kept me stable emotionally and mentally. I was in a place where I had to dissect gender to its core in order to sort myself, and experimenting with winged eyeliner paired with a staple dark red lips and too many striped dresses allowed me to come to terms with myself at my own pace. I took advantage of the ambiguity of gender within my role in the show through androgyny.

Femininity turned from secretive repression into a hobby.

My first theatrical experience in college was an identity play reading for The Laramie Project, a collection of reactions to the homophobic murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998. I auditioned for two women in the room, one who was an upperclassman directing the play, the other an older white woman who accompanied the student director. She had a sweet and nurturing voice, and a full head of gray and white hair that complimented her soft smile. I felt an odd sense of comfort for a strange white lady I barely knew. She still recognizes me now and wishes me well whenever we bump into each other. I read a monologue they provided and was contacted the next day to play Romaine Patterson, the lesbian best friend of Matthew. It was my first time reading a part that was inherently for a woman. I don’t recall my exact emotion that given moment, but I know I was happy. Telling my friends about it felt radical and transformative. To be seen as a genderqueer person of color beyond that identity and only for talent was a big deal for me. Previous auditions for The Voice and X-Factor never went well because like my high school director, the producers could tell something was off.

I started to, too.

The following semester, I took an acting class. The second I walked into the first day of class and saw twelve fraternity boys was the second my own ideas of theatre spaces being safe from potentially harmful masculinities were proven wrong. My professor was a mother with a smile as big as her frames, face framed by the middle part of her dark curls as beautiful as her name—Carmela. Her fingers were crowded with unique rings, her outfits casual yet bold with statement pieces—I could tell this person was comfortable with who she was, while remaining to be somewhat reserved. I envied her. I wanted her womanhood, although confusion overshadowed my lack of vocabulary to express this specific desire. All I knew to do was to wake up two hours prior to classes for the sole reason of feminizing myself. But the hesitation on femininity started the moment she referred to me with “she, her” pronouns, which led the entire class, including the fraternity boys, to do as well. At the time I reserved to gender neutral pronouns because I knew I wanted to detach myself from anything innately considered ‘male’, and unlike the most heard trans narratives, growing up without exposure to trans folks (a conscious one, that is) left me thinking my gender was concrete, and Carmela was another person to see me beyond what I knew was possible, and that is woman. Her de-solidifying my possibilities as a person gave me space to let my gender identity move and rebuild, even with words as scary as “her” and “girl”.

Not once did I ever correct anybody in that class.

Transitioning started the summer after that. I officially came out as a woman, and coming back to school was surprisingly easy. I never thought much about what it must have been like for everyone else, which led me to sleep comfortably every night thinking everyone around me must be on board as well—the theatre department included. I wish people spoke to me about concerns, or vocalized their questions, in which I would have been much slower and more patient moving forward. Instead I felt immortal and unbeatable, and receiving my first female lead in a show the same day I started my medical transition were only further signs that I was going in the right direction. I was misgendered throughout the show but I disregarded that. I recognized the ways in which I could have been critical in the moment but I disregarded that. I refused to admit that people were not seeing me as a woman because I accepted and made effort to uphold how progressive everyone involved in the production must have been to include me in the first place. Although I wore an exquisite wedding gown, I also wore three noses but I disregarded that. I felt beautiful in the midst of knowing the audience saw me otherwise—I played the freak but I disregarded that. I kept quiet because a part of me felt that staying silent as the team player would access me to more opportunities. I was right. A few months after, I was cast for the following semester’s show, where not only did I play a woman, but a woman of my race. I thought the recognition as a woman of color meant that I was perceived twice—for my gender, and for my racial background. But I was still misgendered throughout, therefore disregard became a way to navigate spaces where successes and failures were happening simultaneously.

Earning my first female role as an openly trans woman should have been the starting point to education beyond inclusion, because what is the point of inclusion if we are unaware of its purposes? What is the point of adding flowers to the living room if there are no given benefits to the overall goal of aesthetic aside from sole decoration? My personal purpose was to prove people’s inherent assumptions about trans talent wrong—not to be tokenized. It still is. But being in my position and getting two leads in a row, I had a responsibility to fulfill. The fulfillment of my responsibilities became highly prioritized because I know opportunities like these do not always work in the favor of girls like me. Taking it for granted was never an option. So when I found out I was the only woman of Asian descent to even audition I kept pretending that I played these roles because I could, not because I was needed; because I have talent, not because of profitable aspects about myself that could satisfy their agendas.

For the next few months I shared my story, making sure I expressed that it was never just a role I earned, but that I was transitioning under a microscope for the majority of campus to watch. Therefore, people knew who I was and could comprehend how big of an accomplishment this must have been for me. I bounced from one interview to the next ranging from friends’ articles to local newspaper journalism, giving them the heroic story I knew they wanted. Here I was, a nineteen year old Southeast Asian trans woman spilling my story of the adversity of transitioning at school, whilst spilling my story of triumph and attainment of playing main female characters in the theater department, knowing that there were gaps in between one story of challenge and the other of execution. I did not tell them that many people were struggling to see me beyond a man, that these roles were not the only thing I was “acting” in. I did not tell them that I felt the pressure to act woman on the daily—for the sake of being understood— and add on my character on top of that to act for. I did not tell them that I felt exhausted, stripped of my own personhood. But most of all, I did not tell them these feelings because I was warped in my own thought that the things I accomplished were courageous, and nothing else.

I was happy, though.

At least happy enough to come back my junior year believing I was going to be seen no different from the rest of the girls during auditions. Especially because none of the roles required the women to be a specific kind of woman, and therefore I sought after them as my perfect chance to really prove people that I was capable and deserving of a female role with no strings attached. For the first audition, I studied the script months prior to the audition day and created two monologues on my own from pieces in it. Oddly enough, the night of auditions, there were two female monologues provided, in which they were almost identical to the one I put together. Instantly I felt at an advantage because it was clear that the visions I had for these women were very close to the director’s. For the first time, I did not have to use vulnerable parts of me as a source of reliability, only creativity and deep understanding of the script. The second audition was for the only female role in the show. Her character development was built off of the desire and dream to be a forefront leader despite—or maybe even because—of her gender, a desire and dream I hold closely.

The following day I searched hard for my name on the callback list before realizing that I was not called back for either shows. I felt the people behind me looking over my shoulders to see the cast list, and in their exhales I heard “Sorry, maybe next time,” “Yikes,” “I feel bad for you,” “What happened?”

What happened?

I felt myself in shock, but worked painfully hard to prevent any showings of defeat or weakness. I came into my junior year with content and pride in the conquering of my endeavors, and within those five seconds of glance I started to question everything I might have done wrong. Straight away I put the responsibility on me, because the professors I have worked with know what they are doing, right? They are the ones whose judgments should be trusted, no? During a callback, the people who auditioned are asked to come back because the directors or anybody else involved were interested in what they had to offer during their auditions. This can either solidify the decision to cast these people, or make them change their minds. To be stopped before the second process confused me in all angles. I saw myself back in sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school where producers never passed me through the first rounds of The Voice and X-Factor auditions because they knew something felt misaligned. But this time, I was whole, with the strongest sense of identity out of all twenty years of my life, so therefore, my identity could not have been the reason, no? I don’t want to believe my transness is the reason I was not granted the opportunity to prove myself past auditions, and it took me strength to slowly admit to myself that my experiences in previous shows were never perfect. Some days they were barely validating or comfortable. It was a difficult process having to prove my own gender before the characters I played.

I learned to prove myself—(cis) womanhood before talent, whiteness before talent, Americanness before talent (unless my race is needed)—twice as hard for half the consideration before somebody else’s name blankets mine. When I do earn a part, I memorize my lines twice as hard for half the recognition compared to someone who might embody surpassing privileges that give them access to opportunities where recognition is a routine experience in their involvements in theater. Over the past couple of months my peers in the department have comforted me with words like “it’s not fair to you,” “your gender is valid regardless,” “this is not a representation of your talents.”

For those who have been my backbone throughout this emotional calculation, I profoundly thank you. However, the problem is that there is more to this. I am not seeking out validation—I know I’m valid. I am not having these conversations to re-stabilize myself as if I’ve lost a sense of identity, but to redirect the conversation and have everybody else acknowledge why they don’t have it as exhaustive, and what integrating privileges they possess that allows them to think this issue is one sided, and therefore lacks a need to hold themselves accountable at any extent. Many of the minoritized students participate in the identity play series, where their theatrical experience lasts for only one to two weeks for rehearsals—the performance production is not as tumultuous as the faculty or student directed shows. The series allows for many unheard narratives to be on the front lines of exposure and the following discussion sessions open up the conversation into further depth. However, many of the participants are only exclusive to identity play readings, and the space to welcome them (with effort) to larger scale shows in the department is limited, thus there is an imbalance between the demographics of the regular members who participate in major production shows versus the ones who are part of the identity series. This leads to the impression that those whose identities are minoritized are utilizable when their otherness is needed—a deep pain I know all too well.

My experience in the department lies at the crux of having enough marginalized identities to truly transcend in identity play series with personal authenticity and having enough past experience to be given roles for the main stage. I aspire the space to roam freely where I can openly talk about what it means to be an Asian transgender woman in the theatre department, but also where I can express myself artistically without my sense of self being the source of muse for whatever it is I do on stage. It is impossible to completely disregard my transness, but to make my work revolved around it is no better.

There is a way for transness to flourish in plays and productions that have the potential to be progressive. Angel from Rent encapsulates the reclamation of femininity (for a person who is inherently not meant to be feminine under the socialization they were enforced into) as her narrative parallels amongst many trans women who internally struggle to claim their own girlhoods. In this I see a theatrical opportunity to have the production not only progress the show, but allow opportunities for trans women of color to showcase talent, even if Angel is traditionally a drag queen of color. A modernized adaptation allows a political play to move along with progressing politics.

There is also a way for transness to not completely diverge from any other plays, because trans narratives are not completely alienated from non-trans narratives—there will always be a bridge in between. In 9th grade, my English class read Romeo and Juliet, and nobody volunteered to read for Juliet. I felt her character on a deep level but hesitated to raise my hand—not only did I lack the language to describe my situation, but so did everybody else. All I knew is that there was more to Juliet than a girl who falls in love with a family foe; there was a young woman who craved to liberate herself from her family’s containment in order to pursue a more novel life. Due to societal pressure to please others before herself, her option was to take her own life—an emboldening statement of redemption and salvation. This is not uncommon in many lives of trans women and trans femmes. In 2014, Cincinnati, Ohio, a 17 year old transgender girl named Leelah Alcorn stepped in front of a tractor trailer on Interstate-71 after posting a suicide note online saying “My death needs to mean something.” In her note, she mentions “When I was 16 I realized that my parents would never come around, and that I would have to wait until I was 18 to start any sort of transitioning treatment, which absolutely broke my heart.” In Leelah’s heartbreak I see the story of Juliet—a suicide not driven from love, but driven from social abuse that prevents the embrace of and ability to love. Adaptability of transgender stories into mainstream stories is possible.

I dream of transness in theatrical spaces to be acknowledged, not as a cause for muse or a reason of dismissal. I dream of this phenomenon of theatre as a safe space for LGBTQ+ people beyond cis, white, gay, flamboyant men. I dream of trans girls and trans femmes of color like me celebrated on stage as much as we do advocacy off stage. I dream of people who hold power in theatre to mobilize their privileges, and hold themselves accountable to take it further to tell stories that matter, stories that marinate in truth, stories that can impact the audience yet provide benefits for those involved, because it is the right thing and it is doable if you care enough.

Make them happen. If the show must go on, do not leave some of us behind.

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robertbassweb · 4 years

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Spiritual Awakening Process – All You Need to Know About

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Spiritual Awakening Process

Exactly what is the spiritual awakening process, as well as exists a method you can inform if you are having one?

It’s an indication of the times that the word “awakened” has actually made it right into the metropolitan thesaurus, where it is specified as “mentally aware of the universe and also [its] straight esoteric link to one’s own being as well as the link it has to all vital force.”

It is so conventional, as a matter of fact, that political candidate Marianne Williamson has actually made part of her system a call for “moral and also spiritual awakening.”

Among the troubles with the idea of a spiritual awakening, nevertheless, is the absence of a clear interpretation. Just what is a spiritual awakening, as well as is there a method you can inform if you are having one?

What Is A Spiritual Awakening?

According to Deepak Chopra, awakening takes place when you are no much longer living in a desire world where you filter whatever with your vanity as well as concentrating on the future and also the past.

Instead, you have a practically simultaneous awareness of your individual self and also the link in between that as well as whatever else.

Take, for instance, the allegory of a wave in the ocean. You are the wave, and also you are the ocean.

The ability to maintain both splitting up and connection seems to suggest a different degree of spiritual advancement.

When you look across faith practices, there is a typical thread that explains this state as nirvana, enlightenment, or awakening. This awareness occurs when you quit being the viewer, and also instead you ask on your own, that is observing?

For example, think about being engrossed in a movie—your emotions and physiology behave as though you are in deep space with Luke Skywalker or with Dorothy when she stands up to the Wicked Witch.

In that moment, the experience of the movie feels real—your heart races, you feel excited, scared, or hopeful.

Then your phone rings or the person behind you coughs loudly, and you are brought back to a different reality: you are sitting in a movie theatre sharing the experience of space travel or yellow brick roads with others.

Examples of Awakened People

When asked to consider awakened individuals, names like Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha, and Jesus come to mind. Or possibly Mommy Teresa or Nelson Mandela.

These inspiring figures might lead you to think that being stired up is comparable to being perfect. If so, attempt to think about even more relatable instances of people who are awake.

It helps to see instances of people that are at the same time flawed but striving to live a good life with a concentrate on the better good.

A couple of that come to mind are:

Russell Brand name, that appears to model an unusual contradiction of continuously wondering about as well as striving for more understanding with shower room humor.

Jim Carrey, whose comical genius aided him to translucent the impression of star and remove from any type of need for fame.

Oprah Winfrey, who brought Eckhart Tolle to the masses as well as that utilizes her SuperSoul Sunday as a method to spread knowledge to her numerous viewers, but likewise has a less enlightened addiction on her weight.

Individuals who design being spiritually awake yet not ideal are what is needed to make being stired up feel feasible.

So now that you have a couple of instances of stired up individuals, let’s concentrate on exactly how you can tell whether you are having an awakening.

The complying with are 10 indications of spiritual awakening.

Spiritual Awakening versus Psychic Awakening

One more common confusion is in between the terms spiritual awakening and also psychic awakening.

Psychic stiring up connects to the activation of the pineal gland. With it, you open up to other measurements of truth past this minimal three-dimensional realm of space and also time.

Spiritual awakening, in comparison, includes opening the heart facility. It’s a process extra carefully related to one’s psychology, the emotional body, and the soul.

What is the Ego and the Spirit?

The vanity, or what the Taoists call the reduced spirit, believes it’s in charge.

This ego is our sense of self or “I.” When you claim things like:

” I am [your name]” “I have a [task, house, cars and truck, mommy, father, partner, kid, frustration]” “I think [put an idea]”.

That’s the vanity. It’s controlling due to the fact that it experiences itself as separate from whatever else.

This reduced heart is driven by base pleasures, negative feelings, and also attempting to meet Maslow’s fundamental human demands. The cravings of the reduced soul is pressing as well as, if left unchecked, it goes on for years.

When Maslow claimed, “Male is a perpetually wanting pet,” he was referring to his ego.

The good news is, there’s also a Spirit, Greater Self, or higher soul. And this divine stimulate isn’t driven by these fundamental needs. Instead, this Spirit is calm, neutral, thoughtful, understanding, as well as intuitive.

While the vanity gathers knowledge via learning, the Spirit intuits fact by virtue of what it is. The vanity believes. The Spirit recognizes.

While the vanity is always doing, the Spirit remains permanently in a state of being.

What Happens During Spiritual Awakening

We have a tendency to recognize exclusively with the ego.

As the procedure of spiritual awakening unfolds, the ego begins to sublimate to the Spirit. In the language of Taoism, the reduced heart gets fine-tuned right into the greater spirit.

Getting to this Spirit, or psychic integrity, was the goal of Jung’s individuation procedure.

However regardless of prominent idea, this does not usually take place in a solitary “minute of awakening.” While we can have “peak experiences” that open us as much as Self-transcendent fact, these experiences often tend to be short lived.

Instead, the developmental literature explains that there are phases of psycho-spiritual development. As well as these permanent phases have a tendency to create in time.

As well as this belongs to the factor many people are perplexed concerning spiritual awakening.

Walking in nature or on a psychedelic substance, they might have a beautiful experience of entirety, for instance, yet this experience is brief.

The individual’s framework of awareness hasn’t changed yet.

Spiritual Traps: False Signs of Spiritual Awakening

So before we go into authentic symptoms of spiritual awakening, let’s review common false signs.

# 1: THINKING YOU’RE “GREAT” AND ALSO OTHERS ARE “WICKEDNESS”.

This belief is deeply rooted in the majority of us as it’s a normal program educated in all Western religions.

To uproot this belief calls for shadow work. You’ll know you have actually reversed this restricting belief when you stop judging others and also rather see yourself in every person you satisfy.

# 2: IDENTIFYING YOURSELF AS A “SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUAL”.

This incorrect recognition is universal in both spiritual as well as brand-new age circles. You are neither spiritual or product. You transcend and include them both.

Identifying yourself as being spiritual suggests a spiritual ego or inflation (reviewed below). Once again, shadow job will assist you see that you’re no various or better than anybody else.

# 3: SEEKING “LOVE AND ALSO LIGHT”.

Pursuing “love and light” or “goodness” is an additional ingrained program in religious and also brand-new age mentors that obstruct genuine spiritual advancement.

Acting “spiritual” creates a character or social mask that provides others the impact that we’re “excellent individuals.” While this identity may elevate our status and also increase our self-worth, it does not advertise emotional or spiritual growth.

Actually, spiritual awakening comes from the opposite instructions where we face the fear, rage, regret, and pain kept in us since childhood years. Coming to terms with these experiences leads the way for genuine spiritual development.

# 4: ACTING NICE.

Acting wonderful as well as being innocent isn’t a spiritual awakening sign but an indicator of psychological immaturity.

We are informed by our moms and dads and also different organizations (college, religion, and so on) to “behave” as well as behave ourselves. And also we follow this demand, to varying degrees, therefore reinforcing the darkness side.

If you’re acting nice, it’s a sure indicator that a person is adjusting you. (The original manipulator or Charlatan is generally a parent, and now it’s in you.)

On the other hand, a fully grown grown-up acts assertively without seeking the authorization of others.

# 5: COVERTLY THINKING YOU’RE BETTER THAN OTHERS.

Probably you see a pattern here: every one of these traps indicate ego rising cost of living. Spiritual awakening premises us in our humankind, and also yet, regularly, spirituality becomes an additional device for disassociation, judgmentalism, and also grandiosity.

This catch typically happens when you:.

Read a great deal of spiritual messages Join a spiritual or religious team Start a spiritual practice Find a spiritual educator.

Specialness is yet an additional vanity video game.

When you think you have actually “located it,” get on high alert. This idea is a symptom of a certain onset of emotional growth, not a spiritual awakening indication.

Every one of these subconscious indicators also indicate emotional vampirism.

The Neuroscience of Awakening

It was 1972 at Penn State College, and Gary Weber, a 29-year old products scientific research PhD student, had an issue with his mind.

It kept creating ideas! He had a constant and overbearing stream of aberrant problems concerning his life, his researches, and whatever else.

While most humans would certainly consider this the same level for the course; the same level for the human condition (or ‘cogito ergo amount’, which can be equated as “I think for that reason I am”), Weber wouldn’t approve it.

He was a researcher, a systematizer, a process man. He liked to identify just how things worked, and just how they could be modified to work more efficiently. As well as at that minute his mind wasn’t extremely reliable.

It expended a whole lot of power going over and also over the very same anxiousness, as well as cravings, and also stories. “Many of these thoughts had no function,” he claimed. “They were not mosting likely to heal cancer.”

It so took place that soon after he acknowledged the trouble, in one of those little life coincidences that some people like to call ‘synchronicities,’ Weber selected up a slim volume of poetry on his escape of the library.

He muffled the green grass in front of the University admin structure, unloaded his lunch and also lazily opened up the publication. He checked out:

All beings are, from the very beginning, Buddhas.– Haikuin Ekaku

This is the very first line of a renowned Zen rhyme– Track of Zazen– written in the 18th century by the Japanese Buddhist educator Hakuin Ekaku. Weber knew nothing of Zen.

Still, within seconds of checking out Ekaku’s words, according to Weber: “the whole world just opened. I indicate it essentially opened up.

Wherefore must have been thirty or forty minutes, I went down into this splendid expansiveness– a substantial empty area with no ideas whatsoever.”

Weber understood one more means was possible. Image: Ashley Batz

Weber had had what in Zen is called a ‘kensho’– an awakening; a glance right into the unconditioned, a mystical sensation explained in various means by numerous texts and plenty of teachers, in numerous customs.

It was an extensive experience, yet thus numerous such experiences, it didn’t last. Weber’s thoughts returned– as persistent and clamorous as ever before. Today Weber knew one more way was possible. He was established.

5 Warning Signs You Are Having A Spiritual Awakening

Deep space you and also I all reside in is one that is not simply the superficial real world in which we are used to running around in an effort to gain a financial edge.

Equally as the globe is full of all kinds of dualities such as light and dark; up as well as down, left as well as right, the globe we stay in also includes the physical and the spiritual.

Invite to Success Forever, where we help youths sales individuals and also business owners three-way your cause life and company.

I intend to assist you to make all things feasible and produce a life you genuinely enjoy in all areas, not just service and financial.

Therefore there are a range of subjects and points of emphasis that are needed to give your life a gorgeous balance.

Spiritual awakening is something that several people experience and it can transform the method you see the globe around you for life.

Many of the reasons I started Success Forever was due to my very own spiritual awakening and also therefore spirituality is an extremely vital part of my life.

To additionally assist you along your trip I wish to offer you 5 warning indicators you are having a spiritual awakening.

Compassion

Empathy can really be a warning indicator you are having a spiritual awakening as you are now mentally growing as well as have the ability to see that people might be trying their best and also you can gain a much deeper understanding of various other individuals as opposed to considering the simpler go to method of judgement.

This is additionally real of empathy for pets!

Compassion towards pets is an indication you are having a spiritual awakening since you are able to see as well as really feel the living significance living inside that pet and you are able to associate that exact same living significance as the very same as the power living inside of you.

Concern is a powerful ability that connects to compassion and also really spiritual individuals touch right into this ability typically … no human is ideal but typically individuals who have had a spiritual awakening an usually extra compassionate.

Self Awareness

A higher level of self recognition is a vital caution indicator you are having a spiritual recognition as you realize that the activities you place in to something, equals the energy you are putting out into the world and also will certainly mirror in what returns to you.

Self recognition is essential in any pursuit to end up being the very best variation of yourself as many people do not genuinely recognize as well as understand themselves.

You will certainly never ever genuinely obtain a 100% understanding of yourself but the mission to comprehend on your own increasingly more each and every day is a crucial warning indication you are having a spiritual awakening.

The knowledge that comprehending yourself far better is additionally the equivalent of comprehending everyone else better is a crucial knowledge.

Confusion

Confusion can often be a crucial caution sign you are having a spiritual awakening as often you will certainly begin to question what you are truly chasing after all.

You will certainly start to question everything you have ever been instructed and ask yourself if it was all for naught.

This is an effective process and it can be a little scary particularly if you have actually been putting years into something that you have always believed you genuinely preferred.

Do not hesitate of this procedure as it is essential for you to undergo this experience as when you appear of the opposite side you will be entrusted a pure state of clarity.

You may discover that you come back to your initial objective yet with a greater sense of clarity and a new perspective.

New Interests

You might find you have entirely brand-new interests and this can also be an indicator you are having a spiritual awakening as the important things that used to catch your focus now seem insignificant and also boring.

You could locate you have rate of interests in points like occult knowledge, (which does not always mean witchcraft and also evil one prayer for the emotionally terrified it just implies hidden knowledge or straight converted, knowledge in the dark) astrology, “conspiracy theories”.

These new rate of interests that are all of a sudden catching your attention might indicate that you are raising your awareness and familiarizing more that is going on around you and its importance!

New Diet

Changing your diet can also be an essential caution indicator you are having a spiritual awakening as you end up being a lot more knowledgeable about the fact that what you take into your body has a powerful impact on your energy as well as spiritual body.

Knowing that your aura will certainly be enormously affected based upon the type of foods you consume can show you that you are increasing in awareness and that is a stunning sign.

These are simply some of the indication you are having a spiritual awakening as well as there are numerous more but I just wanted to provide you an intro to several of the numerous warning indicators you might experience along your trip to ensure that you can be mindful.

You will begin to feel better as you approve these become your life.

Several of the changes you go through will be terrifying and also you will really feel as though you are having an id.

Do not be frightened of these adjustments they are all-natural and also they require to take area for you to increase your video game to the next level.

Which of these caution signs attracted attention for you the most and also which are you experiencing now if any kind of?

Leave it in the comments!

Resources:

Doenload our free manifestation guide.

Comment & Share

I really hope you enjoyed the article!

If you liked it, I would really appreciate it if you can share it using one of the social sharing icons.

Also, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought – I love talking to the readers, so hopefully will talk to you in the comments below.

The post Spiritual Awakening Process – All You Need to Know About appeared first on Manifestation Matters.

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ltfmerrill779-blog · 5 years

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Easy Recession-Proof Ways To Make Money - 3 Methods To Bring In Cash

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blackkudos · 6 years

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Betty Carter

Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. Vocalist Carmen McRae once remarked, "There's really only one jazz singer—only one: Betty Carter."

Early life

Carter was born in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in Detroit, where her father, James Jones, was the musical director of a Detroit church and her mother, Bessie, was a housewife. As a child, Carter was raised to be extremely independent and to not expect nurturing from her family. Even thirty years after leaving home, Carter was still very aware of and affected by the home life she was raised in, and was quoted saying:

"I have been far removed from my immediate family. There's been no real contact or phone calls home every week to find out how everybody is…As far as family is concerned, it's been a lonesome trek…It's probably just as much my fault as it is theirs, and I can't blame anybody for it. But there was…no real closeness, where the family urged me on, or said…'We're proud'…and all that. No, no…none of that happened."

Despite the isolation from her family that Carter felt due to their lack of support, it is possible to attribute her fighting spirit and determination to make it in the music business to this sense of abandonment, leading her to be the legend that she is today. She studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory at the age of fifteen, but did not exceed a modest level of expertise.

At the age of sixteen, Carter began singing. As her parents were not big proponents of her pursuing a singing career, Carter would sneak out at night to audition for amateur shows. After winning first place at her first amateur competition, Carter felt as though she were being accepted into the music world and decided that she must pursue it tirelessly. When Carter began performing live, she was too young to be admitted into bars, so she obtained a forged birth certificate to gain entry in order to perform.

Career

At the time of Gillespie's visit, Charlie Parker was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital, delaying her encounter with him. However, Carter eventually also received an opportunity to perform with Parker, as well as with his band consisting of Tommy Potter, Max Roach, and Miles Davis. After receiving praise from both Gillespie and Parker for her vocal prowess, Carter felt a strong burst in confidence and knew that she could make it in the business with perseverance.

Carter was right. In 1948, Carter was asked by Lionel Hampton to join his band. Carter finally had her big break. Working with Hampton's group gave her the chance to be band mates with artists such as Charles Mingus and Wes Montgomery as well as with Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey, who had recently vacated Gillespie's band and Albert Thornton "Al" Grey who would later go on to join Gillespie's band. Hampton obviously had an ear for talent and a love for bebop. Carter too had a deep love for bebop as well as a talent for it. Hampton's wife Gladys gave her the nickname "Betty Bebop", a nickname she reportedly detested. Despite her good ear and charming personality, Carter was fiercely independent and had a tendency to attempt to resist Hampton's direction, while Hampton had a temper and was quick to anger. Hampton expected a lot from his players and did not want them to forget that he was the band's leader. She openly hated his swing style, refused to sing in a swinging way, and she was far too outspoken for his tastes. Carter honed her scat singing ability while on tour, which was not well received by Hampton as he did not enjoy her penchant for improvisation. Over the course of two and a half years, Hampton fired Carter a total of seven times.

Very soon after Carter's arrival in New York City, she was given the opportunity to record with King Pleasure and the Ray Bryant Trio, becoming more recognizable and well known and subsequently being granted the chance to sing at the Apollo Theatre. This theatre was notorious for giving up-and-coming artists the final shove into becoming household names. Carter was propelled into notoriety, recording with Epic label by 1955 and was a well-known artist by the late 1950s. Her first solo LP, Out There, was released on the Peacock label in 1958.

Miles Davis can be credited for Carter's bump in popularity, as he was the person who recommended to Ray Charles that he take Carter under his wing. Carter began touring with Charles in 1960, then making a recording of duets with him in 1961, including the R&B-chart-topping "Baby, It's Cold Outside," which brought her a measure of popular recognition. In 1963 she toured in Japan with Sonny Rollins. She recorded for various labels during this period, including ABC-Paramount, Atco and United Artists, but was rarely satisfied with the resulting product. After three years of touring with Charles and a total of two recordings together, Carter took a hiatus from recording to marry. She and her husband had two children. However, she continued performing, not wanting to be dependent upon her husband for financial support.

The 1960s became an increasingly difficult time for Carter as she began to slip in fame, refusing to sing contemporary pop music, and her youth fading. Carter was nearly forty years old, which at the time was not conducive to a career in the public eye. Rock and Roll, like pop, was steadily becoming more popular and provided cash flow for labels and recording companies. Carter had to work extremely hard to continue to book gigs because of the jazz decline. Her marriage also was beginning to crumble. By 1971, Carter was single and mainly performing live with a small group consisting of merely a piano, drums, and a bass. The Betty Carter trio was one of very few jazz groups to continue to book gigs in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Carter created her own record label, Bet-Car Records, in 1969, the sole recording source of Carter's music for the next eighteen years:

In 1977, Carter reached a new high in fame for herself, being lauded by critics, media, and fans for her talent, and even teaching a master class with her past mentor, Dizzy Gillespie, at Harvard. In the last decade of her life, Carter began to receive even wider acclaim and recognition. In 1987 she signed with Verve Records, who reissued most of her Bet-Car albums on CD for the first time and made them available to wider audiences. In 1988 she won a Grammy for her album Look What I Got! and sang in a guest appearance on The Cosby Show (episode "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"). In 1994 she performed at the White House and was a headliner at Verve's 50th anniversary celebration in Carnegie Hall. She was the subject of a 1994 short film by Dick Fontaine, Betty Carter: New All the Time.

Death

Legacy

Betty Carter is considered responsible for discovering great jazz talent, her list including such names as John Hicks, Curtis Lundy, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Dave Holland, Stephen Scott, Kenny Washington, Benny Green and more.

Miscellaneous

Carter is mentioned along with other jazz luminaries in Gang Starr's jazz rap "Jazz Thing."

In 1999 she was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

She is name-checked in Chapter 22 of Saul Williams's The Dead Emcee Scrolls.

Discography

Compilations

1990 Compact Jazz – Polygram – Bet-Car and Verve recordings from 1976 to 1987

1992 I Can't Help It – Impulse!/GRP – the Out There and Modern Sound albums on one compact disc

1999 Priceless Jazz – Verve – ABC-Paramount and Peacock Recordings from 1958 and 1960

2003 Betty Carter's Finest Hour – Verve – recordings from 1958 to 1992

On multi-artist compilations

"I'm Wishing" on Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films (1988).

"Lonely House" on September Songs - The Music of Kurt Weill (1997).

Wikipedia

#Betty Carter #05-16 #09-26

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cunyappliedtheatreblog · 5 years

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Abigail Liddell (‘12) is a theatre teacher in a Brooklyn middle school, the Assistant Director of the CUNY Creative Arts Team Junior Youth Theatre, and a proud mom. She chatted with Michael Wilson (’11) about her journey toward justice and joy in her work with young people.

What are you up to, Abby?

I am a Middle school theatre teacher at a school in Crown heights. This is my second year in the DOE.

What’s a day in the life look like?

It’s so rough. But you know, I’m from Brooklyn, so I can roll with them. But…there’s a lot of stuff they’re going through as children, as kids. They’re living lives I couldn’t imagine living at their age. Even my own age. Shelters and all sorts of things. I always try to keep that in mind when I teach, and when I relate to them. They are probably going through some stuff.

I think that with every teacher, you’re more than a teacher. But I think working in the DOE and in certain areas, you have to be more than a teacher. You have to be a social worker, you have to be a mom, you have to be a caregiver. You have to be all of that. And I am more than willing to take that on.

I want to ask you about that. What gets you up in the morning to face that challenge?

You know, they say teaching is tough but rewarding…just like parenthood: seeing the moments they get it. Seeing them on stage, after weeks of rehearsal and how proud they are of themselves—how proud their parents and community are. And seeing their faces light up. This kind of reward is different than getting an “A” on a math test. This is a whole different type of shine that words can’t express. They feel so proud of themselves. And I love seeing that.

I can feel it from here! And—we’re on the phone, but I can see a big smile on your face.

Laughs. It’s there, it’s there. It’s there.

Tell me a story about a class or a student that took the journey from those weeks of rehearsals to being on stage and having that moment of recognition.

I put on two devised shows last year with my students (but this year I’m taking a different approach). And there’s this one student—we rehearsed for weeks for his role, and the show was the next day, and he didn’t want to do it anymore. He wanted to take a step back, do a different role. And I had a different student, one of my star students: he is a very challenging student, but I love him dearly, he was like, “Ms. Liddell, I can do it,” but I’m, “but he’s been rehearsing for weeks, so we can’t do it.” But he was able to do it. He learned the lines that we had already set, in a day, and even brought his own flare to it. So he really made that show and that production. And I was so happy and so proud of him. The teachers and the rest of the faculty were so happy to see that, too, because he doesn’t, unfortunately, shine as much in the other academic classes, but when he’s on that stage, it’s magical.

Why did you make the change from devising into whatever you’re doing now?

Because as a DOE teacher, I have to “Teach Theatre.” At CAT [the CUNY Creative Arts Team Youth Theatre], you know, you meet with the young people, it’s a lot of activities and exercises and they’re building skills that way. But when you’re a teacher, especially in the DOE, you have assessments, you have rubrics, you have a lesson plan, you have learning targets—I have to meet all these marks…so it’s a lot more administrative.

How is that for you?

Yeah…I’m learning it. It’s becoming easier for me. I didn’t like it at first. You know, I didn’t go to school for educational theatre…my goal is to eventually incorporate what it is I really want to do, which is what I learned in the MA, and still apply all these other things as a teacher the principal wants me to apply. And I’m gonna get there. So, this year, we’re not doing devised theatre at all. She wants to put on a musical, and so that’s what my focus is this year.

And it’s great, because as I mentioned before, I received a fellowship. This will help me along the way to meet that goal: to become a better teacher and hit those marks my principal wants me to hit as a theater teacher.

Congratulations on the fellowship!

Thank you! I am so excited, you just don’t know! There are hundreds of theatre teachers in NYC. I don’t know how many they accept each year. It’s a three-year fellowship, the Arthur Miller Theatre Education Program. I get a mentor, I get money for Broadway shows, I get inter-visitation with an arts organization in the city...

I’m really interested in how the Applied Theatre, the CAT experience, translates into everybody’s work. I see that there’s some challenge here about, well, “we want you to do a musical, because it’s really clear about how it’s going to fit into the common core…”

That’s all true, but I think what I got from the program, that’s much more important to me, is theatre and social justice. And just that focus on social justice allows me, as a human being, to connect to other people on a human level. Right? And I have to credit the program for this: one of my strengths as a teacher is to form genuine relationships with the students I teach. And I think it’s because I can see them and connect with them on that human level they’re not just robots or test takers that have to, you know, “achieve success academically,” but they’re people.

When, in the MA in Applied Theatre program, did you notice you had that new ability to connect with students or participants as people?

I felt it initially when we had the chance to work with young people. I was NERVOUS! Oh my goodness, I was so nervous…are these kids gonna like me, do I know what I’m doing? But, just seeing how they responded to me, I was like, “oh, what I’m doing is alright. It’s nothing to be nervous about.”

But it was solidified years later, after I graduated. I saw one of the girls from that Youth Theatre cohort, I was like, “Hey, how are you?” She was like, “I’m so great! I’m so glad to see you. You know, when we did the program, you were my favorite.” I was like, “Really? Oh my goodness, thank you so much!” And I don’t know why, but that for me solidified: well yeah, I can do this. I can connect with young people in an authentic and genuine way. At the time [I facilitated], I was so nervous, but [I said to myself] I’m going to just try to do it the way I would do it, rather than trying to do it like anybody else. And that [conversation with the YT alumna] made me feel like I was being me and it worked.

We were encouraged so much to come and just be ourselves, in the program. And that’s the kind of feeling I want for all my students. I want them to feel like they all belong. Because that’s exactly how I felt in the program.

For me, it’s never been about teaching students how to act and be great actors. But, teaching them about themselves and the people around them, and how to respond and connect with the people around you. Middle school, and especially the one I work at, is very like, you’re just offending each other: you’re THIS and you’re THAT. It’s not about building up, it’s about tearing down. At least in my classroom, it’s about accepting, that’s where I’ll start.

I feel your passion, and I feel your desire, maybe even heartbreak, at how the environment doesn’t deliver on that.

But you know, I want to stay in the DOE. I want to work with these kids. I do. I know it’s tough, but I feel like everyday they can learn something in my classroom. And everyday I can learn something from them. And if it’s not how to perform the perfect pantomime, it’s probably how to be more kind to the next person. They can get something about being a human, or humane, you know, and I think that’s what I want to implement from the [MA in Applied Theatre] program, really.

And you work with the JYT, too, right [the CUNY Creative Arts Team Junior Youth Theatre]?

Yessss. So, another thing that keeps me going with this middle school, too, is that I have the outlet with the JYT, so I am able to do exactly what I went to school for, working with the JYT. Working with, you know, people that I went to school with: working with Joey. Working with Helen. So I’m directly connected back to the program, which I am loving.

What’s your role?

Assistant Director…so even though I’m not able to do it completely yet, in my school, at least I’m doing it in the JYT and learning, you know, skills all over again—practicing these skills. It’s one thing to learn it theoretically and have little practice sessions while you’re in school. But to do it after graduation, I’m loving it. So even though I have to focus more on core standards and all that teacher stuff here [at the DOE], I’m still able to do what it is that I really like to do.

I know that you’re going to make that bridge, Abby, as you master the core standards, that you’re going to—

I will. And I can’t wait Michael. Because I really want to make it happen. And I’m excited about it.

I think this story is about the journey. It’s about the way that justice is far from perfect and far from finished, and even far from clear.

Laughs. Yeah, and I like it. I’m cool with it. I’ve seen stories before that you’ve done [on the profile series] and people are doing some wonderful things. But I’m loving the journey I’m on. And I’m learning so much about myself, constantly. As a parent, too, I’m learning so many things I can implement as a parent as my children are growing. So, I love this journey I’m on. No, I’m not there yet, and I’m so okay with that. Because I’m gonna get there. Just like in applied theatre it’s not always about the product but about the process, I am so into this process right now.

One more thing! My babies! Remember I was pregnant going in the program and pregnant going out? And I also had one already? Well the oldest had the opportunity to join JYT and performed in a show and the one I was pregnant with in the beginning of the program is SO excited he can join JYT soon. Like next year! Can you believe it?

#cunyspsappliedtheatre #nycteacher #theatreteacher #proudmom #blackgirlmagic #brooklyn #creativeartsteam #AbbyLiddell #mainappliedtheatrealum

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joie-university-rp · 5 years

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Dear, CHRISTOPHER HUMMEL,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, ADMIN D! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Daisy (Aka Vice Provost D) and she/her

Age, Timezone: 18 and EST

Activity, short explanation: 9-9.5/10 since I have quite the abundance of free time, yet college and time with family is also a thing.

Ships: Topher/Chemistry

Anti-Ships: Topher/Forced

Triggers: RFP

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): Here’s his face

Anything else: Get ready for angst!

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Christopher ‘Topher’ Joel Hummel

FC: Miles Heizer

Age: 18

Birth date: December 1st

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Lima, Ohio

Gender/Pronouns: Male and he/him

Sexuality: Gay (closeted)

Major(s): Creative Writing

Minor(s) [optional]: Theatre

Housing request (remember only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): No preference. He could live in either Scheuster or Beiste dorms or AXi’s house.

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): Plans to rush Alpha Xi Lambda

CHARACTER PROFILE:

[At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

(Car Crash TW) Topher was in a car crash with a friend of his this past winter. They’d been driving home early in the morning from a party and were tired as hell. So was another driver and next thing everyone knew, they were in the hospital. For the most part, two of the three people involved walked away with minor injuries in comparison to Topher. It would take plenty of corrective medical procedures for his right leg to get back up to full strength and even then, he may never lose the cane that he currently needs to walk.

There are those who will claim that this Hummel is a modern Renaissance man. Topher would beg to differ and just say that he has a few too many random hobbies. He enjoys reading, playing guitar, listening to music, watching movies and TV, writing short stories/scripts, swimming, acting, and archery.

Chances are that if you’ve ever had a conversation with this Creative Writing major, you’ve noticed that his speaking manner can switch between way too refined for an 18 year old and cursing so colorful that would make anybody blush at the drop of a hat. This is the base for many jokes about his 'literary’ manner of speaking one moment then having the mouth of a sailor the next, sometimes even in the same breath.

[Internalized Homophobia TW] If you were to ask for theories about why Topher hasn’t come out yet, there would be two contenders for the top spot: internalized homophobia and feeling as though there is never a right time. More often than not, he feels like there is pressure on his shoulders to marry a great girl and carry on the Hummel name, even if said pressure is self imposed. Then the latter reason is rather self explanatory, but he feels as though others have enough on their minds and more important things to focus on.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? The wide range of opportunities, definitely. When I was researching colleges, I came under the impression that Joie does a lot of things differently and puts unique spins on a whole lot. So I took a chance by sending an application.

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? Bright, devoted, and hopeful for the positive traits. Untrusting, fiery, and sardonic for the negative ones.

Which of your traits do you value most? Brightness, definitely. It can apply to both intelligence as well as general positivity.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? I hope to bring either some carefully monitored positivity or outside the box thinking to the situations that call for them. I’m more than happy to lend advice or kind words whenever needed, so if anybody needs them, then they should hit me up for lack of a better phrase.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? I hope to grow as a person, learn things both inside and outside of the classroom. Real world knowledge has the potential to serve people just as well as what they find in a textbook, if not more so.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? 'The best of us can find happiness, in misery’ from I Don’t Care by Fall Out Boy. Even in the darkest of times, I try to find the bright side in a given situation or at least a reason to keep smiling.

#accepted

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marcusssanderson · 6 years

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50 Teaching Quotes all Educators Need to Hear

Our latest collection of teaching quotes on Everyday Power Blog.

Just like parents, teachers are one of the most important people in our lives. They use their experience to impart knowledge on us and help us grow.

A teacher is the most significant factor in determining the quality of education a child receives. A great teacher can change your life. They can guide you and teach you the qualities that make one successful.

A great teacher is someone who has the patience and understanding to teach you everything, any number of times. They have clear goals and objectives and set high standards for their students. Besides, effective teachers engage their students and get them to look at issues from various perspectives.

A teacher is always within you. Anyone can be a teacher to those around them. There’s nothing more satisfying than influencing and changing lives by sharing your knowledge and experience.

Here are some inspirational teaching quotes to encourage you to be a great teacher by sharing and setting an example for others to follow.

Teaching quotes all educators need to hear

1.) “I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” ― Albert Einstein

2.) “Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.” ― Aristotle

3.) A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. – Brad Henry

4.) It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. – Albert Einstein

5.) Any good teacher knows how important it is to connect with students and understand our culture. – Adora Svitak

6.) Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges. – Joyce Meyer

7.) The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts. – C. S. Lewis

8.) “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” ― Phil Collins

9.) “The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.” ― Elbert Hubbard

10.) A good teacher must know the rules; a good pupil, the exceptions. – Martin H. Fischer

11.) So what does a good teacher do? Create tension – but just the right amount. – Donald Norman

Inspirational teaching quotes

12.) Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops. – Henry Brooks Adams

13.) The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.-William A. Ward

14.) If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. – John Dewey

15.) “The job of an educator is to teach students to see vitality in themselves” ― Joseph Campbell

16.) “You can’t really teach a kid anything: you can only show him the way and motivate him to learn it himself.” ― Dave Cullen

17.) Good teaching must be slow enough so that it is not confusing, and fast enough so that it is not boring.― Sidney J. Harris

18.) “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”frost—Robert Frost

19.) “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”—Japanese proverb

20.) “The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.”—John Lubbock

21.) “To teach is to learn twice over.”joubert—Joseph Joubert

22.) “What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” – George Bernard Shaw

23.) Teaching is an instinctual art, mindful of potential, craving of realizations, a pausing, seamless process.― A. Bartlett Giamatti

24.) Teachers, who educate children, deserve more honor than parents, who merely gave them birth; for the latter provided mere life, while the former ensured a good life.― Aristotle

25.) In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.― Jacques Barzun

26.) “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” – Mark Van Doren

27.) “A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

28.) “The teachers who get “burned out” are not the ones who are constantly learning, which can be exhilarating, but those who feel they must stay in control and ahead of the students at all times.” – Frank Martin

29.) Teaching is the only major occupation…for which we have not developed tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the naturals, the ones who somehow know how to teach.― Peter Drucker

30.) “I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.” – Lily Tomlin

Teaching quotes to appreciate our educators

31.) “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” – Karl Menninger

32.) “When you study great teachers… you will learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style.” ― William Glasser

33.) “Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself.” ― Paulo Coelho

34.) “The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.” ― Anatole France

35.) “But the purpose of a story is to teach and to please at once, and what it teaches is how to recognize the snares of the world.” ― Umberto Eco

36.) “Of all the hard jobs around, one of the hardest is being a good teacher” – Maggie Gallagher

37.) “Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre” – Gail Goldwin

38.) “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think” – Socrates

39.) “Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions” – Unknown

40.) “Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task.”~Haim G. Ginott

Other inspirational teaching quotes

41.) “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.”~Alexander the Great

42.) “Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” ― Scott Hayden

43.) “One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. One of the hardest things for a teacher to learn is not to try and tell them.” ― Alan Bennett

44.) “For the advice in a joke is sometimes more useful than the most serious teaching.” ― Baltasar Gracián

45.) “A teacher is one who helps others and influences lives forever.” – Catherine Pulsifer

46.) “Ask yourself: ‘Do I feel the need to laminate?’ Then teaching is for you.” ― Gordon Korman

47.) “You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” – Clay P. Bedford

48.) “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” – Kahlil Gibran

49.) “I taught you everything you know. But I didn’t teach you everything I know.” ― Orson Scott Card

50.) “Teaching is a little like weaving a piece of fabric. A weaver must have certain equipment and materials in order to create the desired design and color.” – Delia Halverson

Which are your favorite teaching quotes?

Having quality teachers is one of the most important factors in determining your success in life. They can guide you and make things easier by teaching you strong values that make one successful.

A teacher can be anyone. It could be your parents, school teachers, professors, friends, and anyone else who’s shared, taught you and had a positive impact on your life.

Hopefully, these quotes have inspired you to be a great teacher by helping others and influencing lives positively.

Did you enjoy these teaching quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.

The post 50 Teaching Quotes all Educators Need to Hear appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

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