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despazito · 4 years

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Complete list of all problems known so far in Pokemon Sword and Shield with data and/or proof for each problem

[I am copying this post from the pokemon subreddit from u/Terotu]

Seeing as there's a lot of people that don't quite know the extent of the issues and that there's no real compilation of the problems, I feel like everyone needs a list with info and sources of each and every current problem with the games, it's a long list but I've tried to put it all together, it's not just dexit people. I will post everything that is 100% confirmed and known so far, there's potentially other problems, but this is made as a somewhat "quick" digest with info that has been 100% proven, for anyone out of the loop that wants to know exactly what's happening with these games.

1. The number of usable Pokemon has been cut, only less than half are now usable, known as Dexit, it means that you won't be able to use these pokemon in the new games, you won't be able to transfer them in, and you won't be able to do anything with them sans sticking them in home for the foreseeable future (Home will probably be a paid only subscription based service just like its predecessor), for all intents and purposes, these Pokemon are basically removed from the main games franchise and they will take probably years to come back, if ever. An image with the cut/not cut pokemon can be found here, pokemon in green are confirmed to be in, pokemon in purple have galar forms, pokemon in yellow are in the data, but there's nothing for them, they could be leftover data like the items and other things, could be giveaway/event only, could only come from other games, etc, there's no way to know what's the plans for them at the moment, if any, pokemon in red are cut. The excuse GF used for this culling was that it let's them work on delivering better animations and a more carefully crafted game, since they don't have to put more time and effort into redoing the models. This is complete BS as the game polish is worse than ever, and the models seem to just be somewhat edited XY models.

2. Just like the Pokemon cut, about 144 moves were removed, 99 moves excluding the let's go and other outlier moves, this includes extremely important and used mainstay moves like Hidden Power, return/frustration and Pursuit, on top of extremely old moves that have been there since gen 1, some of these moves were important for the viability of several Pokemon, which may cause them to be way less effective if not way worse when it comes to battles, on top of this, it also removed some SIGNATURE MOVES of certain Pokemon. The full list for deleted mainstay pokemon moves can be found here Attempts at transferring Pokemon with these moves will apparently get this message: "This move can’t be used. It’s recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can’t be remembered."

3. Short game, the first streamer beat the champion at around the 14 hour mark, while he did this by skipping a fair amount of trainer battles, other streamers are clocking in about 16-20 hours, seems like the average will be about 18 hours to beat the game. Here's one of the many streamers, he's right before champion and clocking in at 14:34.

4. The graphics are extremely mediocre, it constantly looks worse and less polished than LGPE, the textures are often inexcusable. Examples of the bad graphics seen here 1 2 3 4 5 6 A comparison with LGPE can be seen here and here Here's a game recently released for switch, another picture found here, the difference is unreal.

5. There's constant graphical issues, not just low quality graphics, pop in is present at all points of the game due to bad coding, trainer models will also disappear mid battle when an attack with a high number of particles is used, this also happened in SM, however, SM moved the camera away to avoid people seeing it, they didn't even try this time. This means it's either a carry over from SM and they just copy pasted most of the code, or they somehow have to remove the trainers to avoid a switch from somehow getting fps drops. The pop-ins can be evidenced here and here. Trainers dissapearing mid battle can be evidenced here

6. Animations, one of the main reasons why GF cut pokemon, at least in the interviews, are as shoddy as ever. There's extremely lazy animation all over the game, from normal attacks to key moments in the game, such as the encounter with the box legendaries. Most of the animations are also completely copy pasted from older games, one example seen here with Hau(the entire character of hop is basically a copy paste of hau.) Most of the animations for the camp are also copy pasted from xy amie, evidenced here. Pokemon battle animations are just as bad as before, if not worse, pictured here is a pokemon headbutting with its feet. Another example found here, THE MAIN BOX ART POKEMON CINEMATIC, THIS IS THE GAME CLIMAX, another example on the other version found here In fact, it could be considered way worse if compared to the last gen, example of upscaled USUM cutscenes. (Notice the graphical change isn't that big, the only difference here is increasing the resolution)

7. Cutscenes and restrictions, like previous Pokemon games the cutscene and story forcing and restrictions are insane this time around, seems to be even more intrusive and in your face than before at times, while keeping the same level of cutscene intrusion than past gen. The video for this point was taken down, but if you wish to see this you should be able to find it by searching the gameplay clips/streams online

8. The difficulty, just like the cut scene problem, this carries over from earlier games and it's even worse.There were constant heals, to the point where in the first routes you're not able to go beyond 3 trainer fights without getting a full heal. The first streamer avoided fights and didn't train at all, it still was one shotting gym leader dynamaxed ace pokemon.This can be seen here.

9. Post-Game is almost non-existant, as usual since masuda-Ohmori started directing, there's no frontier, there's also no frontier like facility. The post game consists of battle tower and a very short sequence of missions where you beat some dynamax pokemon for your rival to catch the other legendary. Not only this, but the battle tower is also an inferior version of past towers, it doesn't have super single nor super double battles, it has no triple battles and there's no "tower bosses", it's just random trainer npcs after another.

10. Problems with game design and behavior, beyond difficulty and progression, there's other problems in the overall game design. Examples of this is not being able to catch Pokemon in the wild areas until you got a badge allowing you to do so, which usually covers your current level. Meaning if you find a level 31 shiny or a level 31 pokemon you really want, you won't be able to catch it until you go and beat the next gym. For shiny hunters, this one is gonna be really important, you cannot see if your Pokemon is gonna be shiny or not in the overworld, this means that on top of the badge limit, you also got this potential problem. Evidenced here.

11. Removed past features with virtually no new additions, seems like this is a mainstay in Pokemon, removing older features so they become one of a time gimmicks, but unlike earlier titles this new game doesn't adds anything new except dynamaxing, which is limited to gyms only. This particular gen removes Mega Evolutions and Z moves, mega evolutions in particular were a huge deal and seeing them suddenly removed means that there's little reason to get involved with any new addition, no matter how mainstay or how much GF forces it when it will very soon be gone. A list of these removed features can be found here.

12. No scaling whatsoever, models are the same sizes of XY (giving more plausibility to them not really redoing the models).Any argument against this is thrown out of the window when dynamaxing exists, since the models seem to be edited XY models then the problem remains. Here's the non scaled model in sword and shield. Here's an scaled model, released in a game that came out 15 years ago for a the Nintendo Gamecube, something way less powerful than the switch.

13. No GTS, retera thread on the discovery found here, the only strings that refer to the GTS are leftovers from Let's Go code, as seen here and here. This is most likely due to Home(this means that you will have to pay for switch online+home for services older games already included) Thanks to /u/c_will for pointing this one out and gathering the info.

14. A 20 dollar price increase for less content than earlier 3DS games, with subpar graphics and removal of features, an overall shoddy release for a higher price point.

15. Performance, game is locked to 30 fps, and while that's not a big issue by itself, this is coupled with slowdown at certain moments such as dynamaxing, it can drop fps to the floor and turn the game into a slideshow for a while. Evidenced here. Still gathering more info on this one, as it's a relatively new occurrence that hasn't happened to all users, take this one with a grain of salt

16. The overall lack of quality, polish and effort put into the game, this is all the minor/somewhat minor but still very telling problems with the game. This is apparent in many ways all throughout the game, things like the wrong backgrounds or just voids for pokemon battles. Two example of the wrong backgrounds seen here and [here] (https://clips.twitch.tv/FriendlyCleanOstrichArsonNoSexy) One example of the void background seen here (these happen on indoor fights and some non indoor but scripted battles)Examples of backgrounds on indoor and everywhere else in both LGPE and colosseum, seen here and here. Then there's complete lack of music in the game story most important moments, seen here. Starters are also shiny locked. The entire world freezes when using certain objects, as seen here. To this, you add up the emptiness of the wild area and the badly implemented weather changes that don't make much sense, both seen here No animation for flying, no elite 4, no victory road, etc, this is added to all the other problems that show the lack of effort put into them.

This franchise deserves better.

You deserve better.

These games are not only a huge step down from earlier titles, but it goes beyond what used to be already barely tolerable standards to way below standards, keep in mind this is the biggest, most profitable franchise on earth.

This is the first time a pokemon main game is released on console, people were excited for game freak to finally do whatever they wanted and it's been done with the most minimal of efforts, all the money you've spent on Pokemon didn't went on making this a better game, it went straight into the pockets of the people in charge, those that made sure this was made with the most minimum effort and those that cut corners.

Companies that made games decades ago on hardware less powerful than the switch shouldn't be doing a better job than game freak, and companies doing work in the switch have completely obliterated game freak when it comes to developing a video game.

Keep in mind that your purchase of these games causes this:

Continue the yearly release cycle that makes the games rushed and forces the devs to insane crunch time, creating the low morale problem

Tells them that you're ok with these problems, and they will keep lowering the bar and cutting corners on development

Your money will continue going into the pockets of those responsible for these problems

I implore you to be a smart consumer, I've played Pokemon since I red, ever since I was a child, I can no longer support this franchise, I probably won't buy a Pokemon product ever again if this is gonna be how they're gonna treat the games and its fans.

#pokemon #pokemon swsh #pokemon spoilers

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just-like-playing-tag · 3 years

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A totally self indulgent compilation of my favorite works on this blog of the year June 13, 2020 - June 13, 2021

2019-2020

The following lists are all in chronological order according to the date each post was first published.

Top 10 panel edits:

#1: It's our first morning

Date: Aug 20th, 2020 Time: ~ 2:18 h I really like how this one turned out!!! The 2020 Emma b-day edit has a lot of major panel redraws, but this is probably my favorite. I I really enjoy how I made the shadows work!! And the ear banfage looks pretty neat. Nice!!! Immagine

#2: Norman birthday edit 2021

Date: Mar 20th, 2021 Time: ~ 2:21 h Awww, soft Norman :') There was a bit to redraw, but I think everything turned out pretty neat!!! I believe everything works out fine. Though looking back at it, the part of the ID I added is definitely top small :')

#3: Manga dub: Yuugo gets knocked out

Date: Mar 27th, 2021 Time: ~ 5:05 h Here start the Manga Dub redraws to which I gave my everything ahah. This one turned out nice! I think the shoes turned out particularly good eheh. I like how Yuugo's clothing lineart- for the texture, I wanted to go for something heterogeneous, but I'm not fully confident in the final result. Gilda looks very rushed but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#4: Manga dub: Yuugo makes his dramatic entrance

Date: Apr 5th, 2021 Time: ~ 4:02 h This is pretty cool!!!! The coat took ages to redraw, but sis it turned out perfect!!! I'm very proud of this.

#5: Manga dub: RayGildEmma hug!!!

Date: Apr 9th, 2021 Time: ~ 1:31 h Awww, a beautiful panel I was really happy to have the chance to redraw. Taking into account what there was to redraw, I'm actually surprised with how little this took! Ray's backpack was a pain to make, but I think it turned out fine. I'm very happy with Emma and Ray's heads!!

#6: Manga dub: Formalities

Date: Apr 12th, 2021 Time: ~ 5:31 h It is not always easy to give sense to Demizu's perspective, but I do my best!!! In this I am *so* happy with how Don and Ray turned out, they look neat! The background on the other hand... It took hours to make ahah. I'm not fully confident in the perspective, but I'm happy with the details I've added- I really did my best to make it look like athe other manga panels and I think it paid off!!!

#7: Manga dub: We may be weaklings, but we're still alive

Date: Apr 30th, 2021 Time: ~ 1:37 h This little Emma is so cute!!!!!! I think the redraw turned out pretty perfect. I'm really satisfied with how this one turned out, and it's such a cute little Emma!!!! She's so brave and optimistic, I love her. It's a shame this panel didn't make it to the episode :')

#8: Manga dub: Goldy Pond Gang

Date: May 7th, 2021 Time: ~ 8:44 h lmao This is probably the panel redraw I'm the most proud of ever :') Just think everyone turned out very nice!! The ceiling is not exactly perfect, but it still works somehow. I'm very happy with how Gillian's back turned out!! I don't really like the fading effect on the right, but 8h in I got pretty tired of working on this ahah

#9: Manga dub: This is Goldy Pond

Date: May 21st, 2021 Time: ~ 1:29 h I'm very glad for how the Manga dub has been challenging me to learn to redraw backgrounds, something I had quite literally never tried before. It can be a little frustrating, but it's so satisfying to see the final cleaned piece!! With this panel, I also learnt to use copy and paste, which is something I had never done before beyond texture

#10: Manga dub: Good morning doctor

Date: May 21st, 2021 Time: ~ 3:42 h This is another background that turned out pretty good!! That one Norman is one I knew I would have had to fully redraw sooner or lager- the background was a bonus ahah. I'm very happy with the final result!!

Top 5 edits as whole:

#1: The Promised Neverland manga ending edit

Date: Jun 14th 2020 Time: ~ 12h 41min (5h 45min of cleaning panels in the edit + 5h 37min of cleaning panels that didn't make it to the edit + 1h 19min of resizing) + time spent cleaning panels I've deleted the file of so I can't see lmao This is overall very nice!!! The concept of an Emma evolution through her back is cool, and I think overall the edit turned out very aesthetically pleasing. The concept idea came to me while I was working on the 2019 Emma's birthday edit, a long time before the manga ending announcement- back then I wouldn't have imagined using it in occasion of the manga ending, but I think it ended up making a nice tribute. The colors add a nice touch, since so far my edits had always been black and white- it makes a sweet closure. To make that edit I selected 76 panels of Emma framed from her back; I plan to make other versions of that edit using the discarded panels eventually!

#2: Emma - Chapter 181: Beyond Destiny

Date: Jul 12th 2020 Time: 2h 57min My last edit for the manga 🥺🥺 I think this one is my very "manga ending edit" because to me it really signed the ending of weekly chapters and their weekly chapter edits. It makes me a little sad to look at it, but it's also, I don't know, kinda sweet to see how I grew both in my panel cleaning and as a person since I first started my blog. I'm glad I got into TPN!

#3: Emma birthday edit 2020

Date: Aug 22nd 2020 Time: 8h 54min This one turned out so well!!! Though I used the same concept for all the trio edits, I think this one is the best one. The two panels on the left / two panels on the right alternation combo never fails ahah. The colors are nice (shout-out to my sister for making me a palette), despite the fact that it was hard for the lighter ones to make them work with the images without having those disappear. I'm very satisfied with the panels I chose for this, I think they work really good together! Also, it got me very happy to read everyone's comments saying they liked the fading effect in the last panel :)

#4: Emma + Eyes Close Ups [1/?]

Date: Jan 24th 2021 Time: 5h 55min This one was really nice!! Another idea I got when working on the 2019 Emma birthday edit I was glad to finally execute. Started the edit in September, finished it in December. I'm overall very happy with how it turned out... I hope I will be able to make more in the future!

#5: The Promised Neverland Parallels → (9/?) » 114 // 122

Date: Feb 23th 2021 Time: 5h 7min (panel cleaning only) Aaaaahh I really like this one!!!! A parallel I love very much, and I'm really happy with how the edit turned out. All the hair redrawing looks neat!!!! The gif is maybe a little excessive, but I think overall it's a nice edit. I like it!!! Fun fact, I completed it on August 26th 2020, but I couldn't find the right moment to post it ahah.

Honorable mention: The Promised Neverland Parallels → (5/?) » 08 // 16

Date: Aug 30th 2020 Time: 2h 52min (Second picture cleaning only; I deleted the first picture art file so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) I don't have much to say about this one except!! It turned out very nice!!!!! Love the pen lmao.

Top 10 analysis:

Too many analysis,,

#1: Post chapter 181 Emma analysis

Date: Jul 9th 2020 Mmmh a nice analysis. I think it was important for me to put down in words what I think of Emma's characterization and the manga ending, so I'm happy I did it!

#2: A long Oliver analysis because I love him very much

Date: Dec 6th 2020 What can I say I just love Oliver tons 😔😔💕💕 This was very fun to make!!!

#3: TPN s2 previsions

Date: Jan 14th 2021 Really love the effort that went into this + me proving that 11 episodes GP could have possibly worked + it's just a lot of fun to read again after s2 ended pffft

#4: More s2 delusional previsions lmao

Date: Jan 27th 2021 I think the points and previsions I made where pretty neat!! In my defense, it was pretty impossible to predict the anime would have ended with this season. I always feel honoured when friends and Anon ask for my opinion, I'm like "you wanna know what I think? Wow. I'm flattered (◍•ᴗ•◍) " Thank you to anyone who ever sent me an ask!!

#5: Why Emma not wearing pants is 𝕨𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘

Date: Jan 29th 2021 Really proud of this!!! Pants Emma is important!!!!!

#6: Post episode 5 manga Emma analysis

Date: Feb 4th 2021 A depressed analysis, but a necessary one 😔

#7: Norman analysis

Date: Feb 12th 2021 I love him!!!! And I'm happy I eventually got to put down in words what I love about his character. The day I posted this ww3.readneverland was in maintenance so I couldn't use the volume scans for it- the thought of that post having fan edited and fan translated scans still haunts me

#8: RayDon rambles

Date: May 12th 2021 I had a blast writing this and like. It's likely the post of mine I reread more often of them all. I love this ship tons!!!!! I'm satisfied with how I put down in words what I like about them. I LOVE THIS SHIP

#9: Chapter 58 analysis

Date: May 23th 2021 I've wanted to express this concept since like the first time reading the manga- I'm so happy I finally did!!!! This concept is one of my absolute favorite things about tpn- the feelings that people are good. The concept that kids who got to live in an healthy and supportive environment will always be inclined to kindness and altruism, because humans are just inherently good. From the Three Character Classic: “people at birth are inherently good”. I want to have faith and courage to hold on the goodness in myself, and to hold on the goodness in the world, no matter how difficult it to do that (Chloé Zhao).

#10: Norman and Lambda squad relationship analysis

Date: May 24th 2021 I think this was a pretty sharp analysis and I like what I did with it!!

Other stuff:

#1: Krone birthday edit

Date: Jul 15th 2020 This edit is so good ;; Like not perfect since it was my first attempt at coloring gifs but still I believe it turned out so good ;;;;;; The time and effort that went unto this is crazy, but... Maybe I'm happy to have dedicated time to something I like for a satisfying result.

#2: Get to know my ship- Wolfpack Trio

Date: Aug 24th 2020 Uuuh a good post. A good ship.

#3: Gilda + blank glasses

Date: Aug 27th 2020 This is such a cute nice compilation!!! I love looking at it. A few panels are missing but still :')

#4: Apollo Ray AU

Date: Sep 7th 2020 (Though it was written Sep 2nd 2019 lmao) I'm so happy I finally gathered the courage to post this 😭😭 I really enjoy what I did with this AU, so this one and its other installments are all posts I have a lot of fun rereading. More than everything, I was astounded and overjoyed by the positive response it got: that gave me tons of confidence to put my ideas out there, no matter how unique they sound!!! Here's to hoping I will be able to post my RayEmma Hadestown AU, by other big AU from late summer 2019 :')

#5: TPN timeline project

Date: Dec 2nd 2020 This is like. I don't know it's a lot ahah. Arguably the project I'm the most proud of ever making. I'm just so happy of all the months long hard work and of the final result!! The post didn't receive much response (though the ones I got were extremely kind and sweethearted so that totally makes up for it), but in the end I don't really mind? I'm just so proud I accomplished that idea :')

#6: TPN calendar

Date: Jan 4th 2021 A nice sum of the tpn timeline + everyone's birth dates!!! I really like how it turned out visually. It's a cute little tpn calendar!!!

#7: Ray smiles compilation

Date: Jan 17th 2021 Ray's smile. That's it that's the post :')

#8: Trans Oliver headcanons

Date: Jan 24th 2021 MMMH really like this headcanon I think about it a lot

#9: Thoma and Lani theory

Date: Jan 28th 2021 I really don't want to brag but this is the best joke I've ever made :')

#10: My TPN AUs

Date: May 10th 2021 Ok you gotta admit those are very good AUs, I'm glad to have made a list out of them!!!

#11: Ranking Emma promotional art outfits

Date: May 16th 2021 This is one people seem to have liked a lot which makes me happy ahah. I'm glad to know we can all agree Emma deserves more pants outfits!! Please stop it with the gendered clothing :') This is the post I want to be remembered for

#12: TPN musicals AU part 2

Date: May 20th 2021 A GREAT POST I can't stretch enough how happy I am with those character-song associations. I hope I have time to make a part 3 in the future!!

#13: TPN Drive folder

Date: May 30th 2021 This was born as a way for me to have all the tpn extra contents easily accessible, but I'm happy to have shared it with people- I hope it will turn out to be useful to others too!

#14: TPN s2 recolorings

Date: Jun 12th 2021 A more diverse children cast is good for the soul :')

That's it, this year was really fun!! Thank you to everyone who supported me through it, I can't express how grateful I am for all the kindness and validation I received. Here's to many more months in the fandom!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

#mine #tpn #the promised neverland #tpn manga spoilers #Tumblr: *literally refuses to let me open the post*#Me: *Turns on my computer* B*TCH YOU THOUGHT I'M POSTING THIS TODAY AND NOTHING IS GOING TO STOP ME #Been working on this for four hours now.. I'm literally dead...#Also thank you Tutu for deleting the other post you're the sweetest :')#Once again this is just a personal report you don't have to read all (or any) of it unless you want to :)#Ok to reblog btw #I'll click the post button now I don't want to hear anyrhing else

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onestowatch · 5 years

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Marco McKinnis Illustrates Love, Growth, and the Beginning of an Artistic Evolution in ‘E’Merse’ [Q&A]

The resurgence of R&B over the past few years is undeniable. Fusing traditional elements of the genre with new textures, artists operating in this surging space have brought life back into a sound that was arguably dormant. Compiling a list of the heavy-hitters emerging in the genre would be incomplete without the talents of Marco McKinnis. The Virginia-based artist may be relatively new but has already generated a cult-like following that heralds his music as the genre’s best-kept secret. Apologies to the McKinnis fandom, we’re about to spill the beans.

Marco McKinnis first gained traction on SoundCloud in 2016 after uploading several original records that highlighted his natural talents. One of his songs, “Beautiful Demo,” generated over 400 thousand plays and ten thousand likes on the streaming platform–safe to say listeners swooned. Partnering with Republic Records a year after the song’s release, McKinnis began showing up on major streaming platforms, effectively delivering two singles, “How I Feel” and “Middle Of The Party.” Both records continued building the mysteriously-sultry persona of the then fairly unknown vocalist.

A year after his signing with Republic, McKinnis delivered a moving body of work in the form of his six-track EP, Underground. The 18-minute exhibition resonated an energy that is lightyears ahead of its time. Despite this being his first official multi-track debut, McKinnis brandished a self-awareness that transcended his “newcomer” status. Standout tracks like, “CPR” and “Stillness” solidified his ability to not only cater to the bedroom but to the brokenhearted as well.

youtube

With consistency in mind, McKinnis wasted no time in sharing his next body of work, a six-track EP titled E’Merse. The 20-minute offering, released on June 14, floods your senses with varying themes of intimacy and romanticism. Built atop a combination of live instrumentation and trap-soul production, E’Merse makes a compelling case for McKinnis’ untapped musicality. Still in the process of discovering his own abilities as an artist leaves us excited to witness his artistic evolution.

E’Merse wastes no times on pleasantries, throwing you into the thick of things with its bass-driven, saxophone-assisted introduction “Energy.” The consoling opener is a shining example of the content and production to be expected on later tracks. Whether pleading to his former love on “Give It Up,” questioning commitment on “Deep” or confidently departing an unhealthy relationship in “On The Market,” McKinnis spotlights his growing self-awareness and natural ability to occupy multiple spaces while remaining concise.

We had the privilege of catching up with Marco McKinnis about his love for live instrumentation, opening up more, future plans, and dance moves that would make Omarion’s character in You Got Served quake.

OTW: First off thank you for taking the time, how are you doing?

McKinnis: I’m doing good man, just had my hair braided up, making me a grilled cheese right now. I got a performance tonight, I’m feeling good!

OTW: It sounds like you are living the life. What does this moment feel like? Your second EP?

McKinnis: It feels good man! I feel like I’m moving along, I’m getting the ball rolling. People are starting to really recognize me for my talent and my gift. It just feels good to just get expressions off–getting it out there in the open–it’s like I got those things off my chest so now I can keep going, keep expressing and keep showing what I’m made of.

OTW: It’s been about three years since you first released music on SoundCloud, when did you make the decision to pursue music full time?

McKinnis: It was around 2015 when I dropped this song called “Clouds” on SoundCloud. Once people started really rockin’ with that joint, I was like, ‘alright, I’m finna keep doing this’ because I was getting looks from certain people and they’re people that wouldn’t say my music is just good for the fun of it. So, I saw people checking for me, people listening to the music and people started hitting me up telling me how my music made them feel and knew I had to keep going.

OTW: Who were your first introductions into music?

McKinnis: I listened to a lot of Gospel, a lot of Chris Brown, I was listening to a lot of Anthony Hamilton without even me really knowing I was listening to him (laughter). He was doing a lot of synchs, so a lot of his songs were in movies and stuff like that, so I would watch the movies just to hear the songs he was singing. Other than that it was a lot of Gospel though, but then I started getting hip to the music that was taking off, so like Ne-Yo, Lloyd, Lil Wayne–that early 2000’s era of music. I was kind of late to it though ‘cause I was raised on gospel. My parents would play it throughout the crib. I had to find my own way, there’s still a lot of music out that I don’t know about that people think I know about, which is kind of funny, but I was rockin’ with all of them but rockin’ with Chris Brown heavy.

OTW: What was your move from Virginia to Los Angeles like? Does location play a factor in your creative process?

McKinnis: It was cool, it wasn’t anything crazy for me honestly. I see LA as a place to give me space, you know? I’m a guy who loves his space, just like everybody else, but it [moving] did give me the platform to think about things, have my own time, to not be rushed to do certain things. As time went on, I’m like ‘man I need to go back to New York, I need to get back on the East Coast.’ The East Coast is very stimulating for me and it’s just different. Both coasts are definitely needed for me, I love both coasts, but each coast has its purpose.

OTW: You released your first EP, Underground, not even a year ago, is there a connection between that project and this one?

McKinnis: The connection between the projects is really just me showing my musicality. I was very, very involved in the musicality of the second project. Trying to get a little bit more personal, in terms of my love life and stuff like that. My second project isn’t too specific, but it updated people on what is going on in my life right now as opposed to the first project where I felt I was a little vague on certain details. Like on “Deep,” I mention a gap in age and little details that I didn’t mention on the first project, but it was definitely a growth musically; lyric wise, writing wise and I think it just serves as my process and my expression and everything I am going through at the moment.

OTW: I think that is definitely apparent when comparing the projects side by side. There is also a maturity to your music and not just content-wise, but sonically it sounds polished, what’s your work ethic like when approaching a new project?

McKinnis: Honestly, I just love music man. I want to hear music the way I want to hear it and I’m getting hip to my gift and my ear for music. So, when I hear certain things, it has to be a certain level – I don’t know how to explain it – I’m just learning more about my gift so going forward it has to be very strategic with the music. I can have an open mind about things, but I have to be very specific with what I want. It’s all about how I feel, if it doesn’t resonate with my spirit, I don’t like to partake in it.

OTW: That’s a great place to be working from. What were you listening to while working on E’Merse?

McKinnis: I was listening to Omarion, jamming to Toni Braxton, a little bit of Carl Thomas. A lot of R&B that was out in the early 2000’s. I just wanted to tap into that and get that off my chest because I feel like a lot of people think that is what I’m going to sound like for the rest of my life, but really I won’t. I’m going to always have those elements of R&B and those old school elements or whatever you want to call them nowadays, but that’s just something I had to tap into so I can move forward and get to that next level of my artistry.

OTW: You’ve spoken about learning new instruments and your connection to live instrumentation, did you play anything on the EP?

McKinnis: I didn’t play any instruments on this album, but I was very vocal about a lot of things. I haven’t made my instrument-playing debut just yet but very, very soon I will.

OTW: Staying on the production side of things, there is a nice balance sonically, like the solo saxophone on “Energy,” was the goal to show a combination of live instrumentation and more trap-soul style of beats?

McKinnis: It was definitely a priority, like when we were making “Energy,” I had it as a demo, and I could hear a saxophone on the joint and I love live instruments. I’ve been playing around with instruments almost my whole life, I haven’t mastered one just yet but I’m in the process of doing that now. I just wanted to stamp that I’m very in love with live instrumentation, so I had to get that sax in there. I had to do a little A&R work (laughter) and find that right one. His name is Kailin Joshua, my homie introduced me to him, and he did that joint in one take, I sent him a little reference of a couple tracks that have sax on it and he sent it back to me, I chopped it up a little bit, did my thing and there it was. I am so glad I put it in there. I love the sax bro when I start playing the sax, when I get a hold of a sax bro, it’s over, it's over!

OTW: Do you have a favorite song off the EP?

McKinnis: It fluctuates honestly, so it goes off the vibe, so right now, I don’t know, I’d say “Energy” because that saxophone hits, it may change tomorrow though or the day after, it fluctuates.

OTW: What do you envision for a live performance?

McKinnis: We’ve been putting together my band and stuff like that for the shows and touring. That is going to be a big, big part of my show. That’s the thing a lot of people have been wanting to see from me, the chemistry I have with live instruments and a band, that’s something that I’m definitely going to be taking with me on stage.

OTW: You showed off some moves on your Instagram leading up to the release of the EP, is that something we can see carried over into your shows?

McKinnis: Definitely! I’m just finding that pocket haha I’ve always danced, I’ve always been a dancer, I was a dancer before everything so that’s second nature to me. I’m just finding that pocket to infuse it with what I have going on. Just trying to introduce people, upload it, show people what I can do.

View this post on Instagram

Me when E’Merse drops tonight. 🕺🏾

A post shared by Marco McKinnis (@marcomckinnis) on Jun 13, 2019 at 5:41pm PDT

OTW: There’s no denying a resurgence in R&B over the past few years, how does it feel to be making this kind of music right now?

McKinnis: It feels great to be honest. I’ve been getting a lot of feedback like, “oh he’s bringing back the R&B, blah blah blah,” which is dope, it’s fire, it’s amazing to see it going down like that because I’m just doing me. I haven’t told myself, “oh I’m going to bring back real R&B” or anything like that, I’m just expressing myself, so the feedback is amazing. I’m just excited to see the feedback as my career progresses because like I said earlier there are going to be more elements that I infuse. As the days go by, I just get more and more expressive, more and more creative.

OTW: What’s next for you?

McKinnis: Shoot, I’m going to drop more music, got to stay consistent, more performances and just getting more in the public eye. Showing my face some more because it’s about that time to be out there and we got tour ideas and all that stuff getting situated too. Visuals as well!

#marco mckinnis #interview #R&B #soul #e'merse

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atiny-one-blog · 5 years

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3-3-3: Kyle's very own Spring Awakening

Blog Entry: April 19 2019 (Urdaneta, Pangasinan)

This blog contains a compilation of short stories of my life in March, the month which initiaties the spring season in other countries, along with the lessons that I understood in the SocSci modules discussed in the weeks of the said month. Give it a go!

The ghosts of the past keep on haunting me

It was March 23, two days after my mother came home from Qatar. She was an overseas worker, a nurse in a big hospital in the Middle East country. The night was still young, and everybody was doing their own thing. And then it happened.

My mother called everyone downstairs, I had no clue on what was going on for I was doing my assignment in the room — locked myself up so I wouldn’t be disturbed.

My younger brother knocked on the door.

“Kuya, baba daw lahat,” Kit asked me.

I hastily went down to see what’s up. All of my siblings were sitting on the sofa, and my mother was on a chair in front of the television. She wore a mad face. I was a bit frightened but still wore a smile to give a little bit of liveliness in the room. Everyone was quiet and staring at the floor.

“Alam niyo, dalawang araw pa lang ako rito, pero sobrang disappointed na ko sa inyo,” my mother said. She was expecting the house to be squeaky clean and tidy.

The debate about the neatness of the house was acceptable. However, things turned hell when my mother started pointing at people, asking them what had they done to the house and to their family. When it was my turn, I was calm, I wasn’t guilty of anything because I had done my job the other day, I helped her clean the whole living room and storage room for Christ’s sake. But still, she was angry.

The situation turned worse. Everyone was shouting, everyone was crying, everyone was mad and was out of their minds. My siblings and I tried to explain to her that we did everything that we could, it was just that we were busy at the time. That it hurt us, that the way she looked at us was that we were irresponsible sons and daughter for her.

“Ang masakit kasi, ‘Ma, is ‘yung ginagawa naman namin lahat, pero pakiramdam namin hindi yun enough para sa’yo,” my sister spoke, after I argued that there was something wrong with my mother’s proposition on our deeds.

But she didn’t believe it, and went to tell her story in the past.

On how her parents made her do all the work in the house. On how while she was very young, everything that the family needs to do, she did it all. On how she went to the farmlands immediately after studying in school. On how her father would punish her if she had time for herself and rest. On how she fed the pigs, cleaned their pen, cleaned herself, and then her house afterward. The hell of her life. It was definitely a circle of hell.

I tried to explain it to her, that maybe that was something that affected how she treated us on that day — but to no avail. It was obvious. It was the truth. I was crying, my siblings were crying, she was crying. She told us that she was hurt because we told her these lies, it was disgusting. It wasn’t a lie though. It was true.

In my perspective, with how she grew up, she was fixated in almost all of the stages of development. It was sad. She was my mother. But she wouldn’t listen, simply because, mother knows best and that the parents would always be right.

I went upstairs, crying, knowing that the debate wouldn’t stop unless she tried to put her ego down. I went to bed, everything seemed quiet, and fell asleep.

Intergenerational patterns

I walked in the Office of Guidance and Counselling, alone, waiting for four (4) other people in the Genogram Session. I was excited, elated, nervous, and scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen.

Fifteen minutes passed. Came Sam and Nikka. We entered Ms. Borje’s Office, everything was quiet.

“If wala pa sila by ten minutes, I’ll close the door and then let’s start,” Ms. Borje exclaimed.

Nikka hurriedly opened her phone, asked two of our remaining blockmates to walk faster.

Past ten minutes and still there were no signs of the two. Borje closed the door and started gleefully.

And then there was Renz and Carla in front of the door.

“Okay,” Ms Borje said, opening the door.

The genogram session started with everyone being kind of closed, I bet we were all scared to share a part of our family with five other people in the room. It is by the near end, though, that we realized it was definitely okay, that we’d actually benefit more in doing so rather than keeping quiet.

We learned a lot in the session, and one of these, basically, are some intergenerational traits that seem to be inherited from the treetop down to the roots of our family (us, lol, sorry for the wth metaphor).

For my family, there are three (3) traits that I seem to recognize. Three that I see is similar to each and everyone of the family: generosity, hospitality, and lack of time management.

Out of these three, obviously, one is odd one out: lack of time management. In our family, time is really - really very much neglected. Being tardy for school (and even for work) is normal. Even for dates, time is inessential. When we go out, and planned to, say go in 5pm, everyone would cram, preparing at 4:59 and leaving at 7 (???). A very negative habit which we acquired from our parents, grandparents, grand grandparents, grand grand grandparents. Recently, we try to manage time. As far as even adjusting the clock 30 minutes in advance so that we have that gap to avoid being late. It’s working, and I hope, continue to do so in the future.

The other two, on the other hand, are some of the best intergenerational traits that I have inherited. Generosity and hospitality are some of the things that I am proud to practice and have. With these trait, I believe, I am more generous and more caring to other people. It teaches me to be selfless in this world of selfish people. I just want to make libre everyday, I want guests and friends that enter my house to be full before going home. My dad and mom taught me that. They always told me “huwag mo na tanungin ang bisita kung gutom sila, magbigay ka lang ng pagkain kasi nahihiya sila”. And I think, that’s very beautiful.

There’s one solution in keeping the good traits, and removing the bad ones: PRACTICE.

To keep the good traits, generosity and hospitality, I should practice doing them frequently. And to avoid the negative one, lack of time management, I should practice being early, as well as, managing my time in bits such as having a planner, being cautious of time, et cetera, et cetera.

kayLONG: My Evolution

I remember when my family and I were eating at Mall of Asia in Tempura, just having a good time, my Mama, talking casually about me and my siblings, suddenly highlighted my childhood, “Yan si Kyle ‘pag iniiwan namin dati, iyak nang iyak.”

(‘Til now though, iyakin pa rin ako)

At that time, we just finished the module regarding Psychososcial Theory by Erik Erikson, and oof my brain started to relate my Mama’s story as to what I have learned.

According to Erik Erikson’s theory, as seen in the Figure above, in the infancy years (about 0-2 years old), children try to develop the virtue of hope, with the crisis of trust and mistrust.

Considering the story that Mama told me, I’ve probably gone crumbling down to the wrong side of the scale, ‘causing me to be distrustful even until today.

Distrustful to friends and even to family. What’s even funnier though is that my perspective with hope changes from time-to-time. I help people to go through their problems, give them “hope”. I tell my groupmates and friends, “kaya pa ‘yan”, all the time, but when it comes to myself, I quit and fall in a negative spiral when sh*t actually goes down in my life.

Moving on, which is saddening, in the next four stages, I’ve been on the wrong side of the scale, too. I have shame and doubt, I have guilt, inferiority, and I am confused to what I am and what I will be in life.

Today, I’m trying to rebuild the core values intertwined with each of those stages. It’s a struggle, but I’ll power through.

My life’s melancholic, but I’ll continue to be happy!

I’ll try my best to turn things around when I get to the next three stages.

Lezzgo!

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doomedandstoned · 6 years

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Swedish Doomers VOKONIS Share New Single Ahead of RippleFest Sweden!

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

What a way to start the week, with brand new music from VOKONIS! It's hardly a secret that we're fans of the band. After all, they're making their first appearance in North America at Doomed & Stoned Festival in October. One month before that, they'll be joining a damned impressive bill for RippleFest Sweden II. Ahead of the big event, which takes place September 7th and 8th at Copperfield's in Stockholm, we're debuting a new single by each of the bands featured on the bill, starting with the progressive doomers from Borås. You'll be able to download each single the day after we premiere it here.

"It's a somewhat transitional song for us," singer/guitarist Simon Ohlsson says of the massive seven-minute-plus single before us. "We're showcasing our best doom while offering up a varied and progressive feel. I also believe I've done some of my best solos yet on this track!"

Vokonis are about to make a leap forward in their evolution as a band and we dispatched executive editor Melissa Marie to ask Simon all about it, so be sure and check out the interview below and turn up the volume loud as Simon, Jonte, and Emil bring us the roaring "Celestial Embrace."

Give ear...

RippleFest Sweden II

It's coming!

Last year's RippleFest Sweden inaugural Festival was so successful, that it had to come back again...and expand to 2 nights! Invading Copperfield's Stockholm, Sept 7 and 8: Six Ripple bands, two nights, new merch, exclusive shirts, music, beer and fun at RippleFest Sweden II!

To celebrate this event, Ripple Music will be releasing a series of free digital singles showcasing each of the performing bands, one per week, leading up to the event. First up this week, the brand new song "Celestial Embrace" by Vokonis. Taken from the vinyl-only Skull Mountain, a four label compilation from the heavy underground. This particular single has all new artwork by Kyrre Bjurling.

Next up, look for new singles from Kingnomad, Witchers Creed, Craneium, Nekromant and Ozone Mama. All digital singles can be found on Ripple Music's Bandcamp page for free downloading. And check out Doomed and Stoned who will exclusively premiere each single the day before they're released!

Hosted once again by Magnus of Into the Void radio and promoted by Sweet Leaf, RippleFest Sweden II will be one of the must-see events for fans of stoner/doom.

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8, from 9 pm to 1 am

WHO: Kingnomad, Ozone Mama, Nekromant (Friday) and Vokonis, Craneium, Witchers Creed (Saturday)

WHERE: Copperfields, Sankt Eriksgatan 36, 112 34 Stockholm, Sweden

*Admission is free! For more information visit www.copperfields.se.

Interview with Vokonis Frontman Simon Ohlsson

By Melissa Marie

Photographs by Robert Hellström

Hey, Simon, thanks again for visiting with us. I’d like to first talk about 'The Sunken Djinn' (2017). This album is certainly more dynamic and far more transparent than your debut 'Olde One Ascending' (2016). Did you guys really set out to prioritize and improve your production quality on this album?

Hey Melissa! Thanks for having me. A pleasure as always! Personally, I think our first record Olde One Ascending is very raw. We had only been playing for a few months when we recorded it. So it’s a special record in that sense. I think that’s a good way to keep progressing, write a bunch of songs, record them and let them go and focus on the next thing.

So when we set out to write The Sunken Djinn we knew what we wanted to do differently. I think it’s more focused and direct in terms of songwriting. As you say, it’s also more of a hi-fi experience. That was our first collaboration recording new material with Joona at Studio Underjord. So we kind of developed this bond and for every recording we did with Joona, the better it sounded. He’s just got an ear for what we want out of a record.

Olde One Ascending by Vokonis

You released 'Olde One Ascending' on Ozium Records and at some point, ended up signed with my all-time favorite underground label, Ripple Music. How did you end up with Todd Severin and company?

Yes! Todd really is the man. We actually got linked together by one of the best podcasters that deals in heavy music here in Sweden, Magnus Tannergren of Into The Void Radio. He knows Todd from a while back and he’s always on the lookout for bands. So when he saw us he gave us a great recommendation that landed us a spot over at Ripple. We are very honored to be part of the family, that’s for sure.

The Sunken Djinn (Single) by Vokonis

How important is artwork to you, as a band? Both the artwork on 'Olde One Ascending' and 'The Sunken Djinn' is very interesting and not something you always see in doom metal territory. Even the artwork for “The Sunken Djinn” and “Blood Vortex” singles are something that looks like they might come from a band like Entombed, which I think it very cool. I love Entombed by the way. Now that you’ve released the new track for “The Derelict Eyes” I can also say that I find the artwork is so unique.

I do love death metal and graphic art! That style is something that has spoken to me since way before I started playing doom. I guess it carries over well stylistically.

Tessa Najjar handles the art for our albums. For us it’s very important to paint a picture. It’s so important I think for a lot of bands in the scene. And I believe that Tessa’s style works very well with our music. We generally present to her a concept and just let her do her thing. If she comes to a crossroad with the piece, we’ll discuss in what direction we should go together. It’s a great partnership.

Kyrre Bjurling have handled art for us too. He’s a very special person to us since we found a fan-made picture for when we had released "The Sunken Djinn" as a single. We reached out to him and he helped us make that piece of fan-art as the cover art for the Ripple Music 7” single. That’s why our community is so cool!

Doomed & Stoned in Sweden by Doomed & Stoned

Speaking of “The Derelict Eyes,” I believe this is likely your fastest song to date. Do you feel putting this track on the 'Doomed & Stoned in Sweden' compilation was a bold move? You know people are bound to complain when bands take new directions, although sometimes I wonder if this occurs mainly in America. Do you feel that Swedes are more musically open minded than Americans? How has the general response been to this track?

Yes this is our fastest song. We wrote it in a period of us not really knowing where to go next. So we wrote something entirely different. Because I’m a big prog-lover. I don’t really care what style I’m listening to as long as it’s good. So that song was very important in our progression. Elements of “The Derelict Eyes” will definitely be used going forward. We have had great reception on the song. Our new label, The Sign Records, was so surprised when we sent it to them, they were like “Have you been sitting on this song for over a year? It’s killer! We gotta get it out now!” So that made me laugh a lot haha! Seeing their initial reaction gave me confidence in the song as well. I’m my own worst critic.

I don’t know if swedes are more open minded as a lot of my favorite bands that I am continuously inspired by are American. My thoughts are that if you dig a band such as Monolord, you probably like Entombed, right? And I’d love for Monolord to do a fast song. They’d pull that off with grace, I’m sure.

We’re now past the halfway mark in 2018. Any favorite albums of the year so far?

I have a few yes! Weedpecker came out with a great album right after the New Year. I’ve listened to that a lot. I know that SVVAMP released a great follow-up to their first album just now. My friends in Fungus Hill released what’s to me one of the best albums this year, Cosmic Construction on Proxima B. Also, we have Spiral Skies that delivered an album that sounds like I wish Ghost would sound. I always love to listen to new music. And I mainly pick up inspiration from bands doing something else than heavy fuzz-stuff.

I understand you are quite the gear junkie. Tell us about your setup. Favorite guitar? Preferred strings? The pedal you refuse to live without? Your amp setup?

Is it that evident? We are huge gear nerds and we’re always looking for ways to reach that tone that you have in your mind. I haven’t been using them live but my favorite guitar is the Jazzmaster. They’re kind of odd birds in heavy music but I can make it fit and I plan on using them extensively going forward. I usually use Elixir 0.13-0.52 in a C standard tuning. I like how it feels crisp and tight. Not to floppy and boomy. If that makes sense.

I refuse to perform without my Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh. That’s just the best fuzz pedal I know. It can do basically everything you want in the realm of muff-style fuzz. So it goes very well with our music. Regarding amps I have two of them. And they’re actually my dream amps. Ever since I started out playing guitar, I wanted a Marshall JMP 2203. I got hold of one last year and I love it so much. It’s got that grind that I’ve been searching for. I also got an Orange OR100, the other dream amp for me. It’s thick and perfect for playing with single coils as it’s always beefy and never shrill sounding. These two are gonna do the bulk of the work on our new album.

I follow Vokonis constantly on Facebook and see that you have a signature guitar with Boult guitars. How did all that come to be?

Yes! Chris reached out to me after he noticed me using another Boult guitar. I always had this thing for Yamaha SGs and I still do. So he did a Yama style guitar which carries the name The Djinn. Pretty cool, huh?

The heavy metal scene in Sweden is overwhelming, just to say the least. Who are your favorite Swedish metal gods?

That’s gotta be Opeth. I love them with a passion and they got me into heavy music. I can listen to their discography over and over and not get tired of it. The way they’ve transformed themselves time and time again is beyond me. I always get a kick out of listening to them. Then there’s Skraeckoedlan. They’re probably my favorite band in the realm of stoner/doom/sludge.

Let’s talk about the invitation you received to be a part of the Planet of Doom movie. Did you write an entirely new song for it? That must be a massive honor!

That was so insane. I had been aware of the project for a few years before we got an invitation, so when David messaged me asking if we could put together a song we jumped on it. Feels kind of insane even now when it’s out there. Tim helped me with the lyrics just to get the story across. It was certainly the first time I wrote lyrics with someone from the other side of the planet. So yes, to sum it up, we are very honored to be part of it. It’s like a love letter to the whole genre. To be part of that select few is a special feeling.

Speaking of collaborations with Ripple Music, you have a new track titled “Celestial Embrace” on 'Skull Mountain' (2018). Did you write this specifically for this vinyl release?

Todd of Ripple Music asked us if we wanted to be on a compilation. So we became linked at an early stage. More than a year ago. And we had been started writing two songs after we had recorded The Sunken Djinn. We wanted to do something different and try to convey that we’re going to do some different stuff. I think that we got to showcase some of that in “Celestial Embrace” Very proud of that song.

The Sunken Djinn by Vokonis

I hear we can expect a new full-length Vokonis record in the not so distant future. What can you tell us about it?

We are headed into Studio Underjord in August, actually, so it looks like there’ll be at least a single out this fall. Then we’re going to release that album sometime in 2019 on The Sign Records. It’s too early to say dates and such but it’s coming for sure. It’s very different from our previous material. We have more clean passages and Jonte is singing almost half of the record. We had a different approach while writing it, previous albums was mostly my writing. Now I came up with a riff/idea and we did a lot more work on it. So it’s not nearly the same as it was when it was just an idea. In my mind, it’s the most Vokonis-sounding thing from us yet. As we put ourselves into this album more than ever before.

Of course, I must mention that, in addition to Ripple Fest in September, you'll be headlining at this year’s Doomed & Stoned Festival in October. As you recall, we tried to get you guys to come out last year, but the stars just didn’t align the way we wanted. Patience always pays off and 2018 is the year!

We couldn’t be happier! Finally we’ll be able to come to the US and play! Seriously, though, this is what makes the scene so special. It feels kind of close-knit and small even though you’re from the US and I’m from Sweden. I can’t wait!

Thanks for chatting with us once again. We’ll see you on stage!

Thank you! Always a pleasure.

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#D&S Debuts #Vokonis #Borås #Sweden #Doom #Progressive Doom #Metal #Celestial Embrace #Ripple Music #Ripplefest #D&S Interviews #Doomed & Stoned

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mononoke-no-ko · 6 years

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[MISC] Official texts on Lelouch & C.C.'s relationship

A compilation of excerpts from old magazines and illustration books (released somewhere around 2007-2008) that depict relationship of Lelouch and C.C. in character’s description, poem, monologue, etc. Source.

■ Graphics Zero Illustration Book

A contract between a witch and a devil.

The witch gives power to the devil, and is on the side of the devil. The devil fulfills the witch’s wish, and is on the side of the witch. People don't know the devil's anguish, only the witch knows. People don't know the witch's loneliness, only the devil knows.

When the horizon is stained with blood and everything is changed The contract between the devil and the witch does not change.

The devil is on the side of the witch, the witch is on the side of the devil.

■ Graphic Zero Illustration Book

The supernatural that grant the power of king GEASS. An immortal who will resuscitate even if her head is shot by a bullet - that is C.C..

Lelouch doesn’t know who C.C. is and where she comes from. Even though she has an appearance of a human, it’s uncertain whether she is part of mankind. While keeping a human appearance, she uses magical power upon others. In medieval Europe such being was called “witch”, and being feared of. The fear of unknown existence soon converted into aversion. It’s not hard to imagine that in the past years she has been exposed to people’s hatred and persecution.

That’s why she is happy. The unexpected word of gratitude from Lelouch. Even though it’s clumsy, but that’s precisely why his sincere feelings are conveyed. She wants Lelouch to call her “true name”. “C.C” is just a code name. “Witch” is also not C.C.’s name. “Only a human”, at the time when her tears are able to flow just like an ordinary girl, her “true name” is...

■ Lelouch’s monologue from Graphics Ashford Illustration Book

What’s with that woman! I thought her head was shot with a gun, but she was actually still alive. Rudely turned up at someone’s house and lived there. Saying unnecessary things to Nunnally... When did we ‘promise to share the future’? We met only once, didn’t we? She’s selfish, doesn’t listen to what other has to say, untidy, changes clothes in front of people, wanders around the school as she please. Why does she always eat pizza anyway? And she pays for them with my card! I'm reaching my limit!!! Also at the school festival some times ago, because the world's biggest pizza ended in a failure, she was in bad mood and haughtily said "Do it all over again!" Who does she think she is?! Sigh, there is no end talking about her bad points. Let's stop...

Well, I’m grateful. Thanks to this power she gave, Geass, my plan has been greatly ahead of schedule. She also saved my life. An indispensable existence... though her sense of clothes is the worst. This is no good... I’m not making any sense. At times like this should I order pizza to feel better?

■ Megami Magazine April 2007 Issue

A witch in a human body that hides loneliness.

'C.C.' is not a human-like name. It might be like a curse for her. No matter how deep her wounds are she would not die, an eternally young girl who cannot live in the same time as human. Every time her name is called, she’s reminded of how different she’s from human. Sometimes there are parts of C.C. that frowns upon her likeness to human. And yet she also tinkers with the kiss shared between Shirley and Lelouch. Such act is far from being ‘humane’. Perhaps the real C.C. is the one who drops tears of delight when Lelouch called her real name. Perhaps that’s why she embraces Lelouch who killed Euphemia and comforts him.

From now on, it’s unknown what fate awaits Lelouch and C.C. However, there is no doubt that C.C. is near Lelouch. And rather than the contract, it would be because of her heart...

■ Newtype September 2007 Issue

When he signed a contract with the girl, the boy did not know anything. The girl's loneliness. The fate he should live. Every time he exercises the King's power, GEASS, that’s given by the girl. His sins piled up, his dreams lost, his future closed. Still, the boy burns to ambition. He can not turn back. Only the girl knows everything. Lelouch and C.C... Only two people in the world... When they’re only one step further from achieving their goal What hindered their path was his only best friend. And so the boy and the girl became accomplices of the past and solitude. Both the contract and the power of the king are different, each with its own intention. Even if that feeling is a transient one...

■ Lelouch’s monologue from Code Geass Novel: R2 TURN-3. 1-Evolution, reinterpretation of their scene in Turn 15 (gif related).

I’m ‘too kind’? What stupid words!

Who's the one being ‘too kind’ here?

C.C., when you first made contract with me, you didn’t reveal anything. I was afraid that I was nothing more than a tool to end your eternal life. But now I know your weakness that differs you from the nun, the Code bearer from your past; you are too kind. No matter where you go, even when your body is immortal, your heart is still that of human. Whenever you make a contract, at first you have no feelings for your contractor. However after spending some time together with them, you change. As your heart longs for love the most, the girl longing for love would appear. You become confused, and finally come to conclusion: as long as the contractor grows to hate you*, they would leave you on their own. This way, you wouldn’t have to assign the same pain to them as the nun did to you. How stupid. You are really an idiot. Then why make contract? Wouldn’t it be meaningless? How could you have feelings for the person you intended to use?

Here’s one thing I can tell you clearly.

"Don’t underestimate me, C.C.! Do you think I didn’t know your weakness? Do you think I fell for your cheap ploys? For being manipulated by you, do you think I would hate you?”

(then followed by "Don’t die while looking like that!” just like in the TV version.)

■ Lelouch’s monologue from Megami Magazine August 2008 Issue

Deprived of the power of immortality and returned to be an ordinary woman.... Even though we made a contract that says we’ll be together forever, are you leaving me alone, C.C.? Though it certainly doesn’t feel bad to be called ‘Master’, but thinking about it now, folding the clothes you tossed wherever, paying for pizzas you ordered without permission, it actually never feels bad at all. Is that C.C. no longer coming back?

■ Excerpt from Code Geass Novel: R2 TURN-4. 2-Truth, continuation of their conversation in Lelouch’s room in Turn 23.

‘I do not want to lose this man.’ Thought C.C. without any hesitancy. There’s a way for her not to lose him. However, he wouldn’t want to use this method, and even she... did not want to. Then what should she do? C.C. hadn’t come to understand the way of the world, even when she had lived for who knows how many years she still didn’t understand, had no way of knowing what is right and what is wrong, but she was sure of one thing. That he, the man named Lelouch Lamperouge, would not stop running toward death. He chose this path on his own will. He’s like a horse that couldn’t be stopped. She wanted to blame him, but couldn’t... She wanted to cry, but couldn’t. So... "Lelouch." He said "Hm," in response. "Do you remember, that time in Narita?" C.C. asked a bit out of the blue, that Lelouch felt a little confused. "Why suddenly..." She leaned on his back, then continued, "Why snow is white?" There’s an instant blank, before Lelouch immediately answered, "Because it forgot its original color." "Then do you remember, Lelouch? Your original color." "Stupid question," he replied, finally back to his conceited tone. "I am me, I would never forget." "Is that so..." "What about you, C.C.? Do you remember your original color?" "Who knows, but -" "But?" "At least right now, my color is your color, Lelouch." Silence came. Then Lelouch laughed softly. "You selfish." "Of course," she wanted to cry a little - but instead, her face revealed a smile from the bottom of her heart, "it’s because I’m C.C."

■ C.C.’s character description from guidebook Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 The Complete

When C.C. found Lelouch in Shinjuku, she gave him Geass to save him from a dire situation. To Lelouch who's devoted to fight for his desire and got intoxicated by the mighty power of Geass, C.C. declared, "You and I are accomplices." It is a self-defense measure born from her experience with Mao. Surprisingly, Lelouch kept respecting the position of an accomplice. C.C. was asked to act as his substitute or negotiator, but not even once she’s asked to act as his mother or lover. With Lelouch, C.C. learned the position of equal "partner" for the first time.

Lelouch who promised to make her wish comes true despite the unfair conditions, became a special existence for C.C. When C.C. was trying to protect him in exchange for her life, Lelouch hoped for her to live and repeatedly said "I will surely make you smile!". To answer his feelings, C.C. sealed her code and resisted Charles. She simply believed in Lelouch.

Her trust wasn’t betrayed. Even when she lost her memory, Lelouch's kindness to her didn’t change. Even when he was prepared to kill his beloved younger sister, he didn’t hold a grudge to her. Perhaps that is why C.C. is prepared to live for a long time. "Go quick, and then come back. You’re going to make me smile, right?" These are C.C.’s words to a partner she finally met after hundreds years, a powerful “promise”.

■ C.C.’s message for Lelouch from COMPLETE BEST: My Elegant Flower of Evil

At the beginning of everything, I should have warned you. That the power of the king would isolate you. You will lose your friends, differ from your childhood friend, and get betrayed by your subordinates. Your parents will disappear from your sight, your siblings will disappear along with dew.

Oh, what a terrible toil. How pitiful. And now, this solitude is your only companion. Nobody would want to embrace you who’s smeared in blood. Many people have casted stones at you, and as a retaliation, would you trample over them? No one noticed the wailing you secretly let out in your heart at the time. Oh, how pitiful you are. To the sight of you, my wound throbbed gently. Now, you’re dear to me because you’re too pitiful. Every time the piercing wounds on your tender heart increase, why does my solitude get healed little by little? The whole world is casting you with stones, showering you with insults. That is something I have experienced from this world. Without realizing, you take share of my solitude. Without knowing, you feel hurt as you think of me, and shoulder my sins. It’s as if you are a poisonous lycoris flower blooming from the graveyard. Only I know of its elegance.

Note:

(*) In the novel, it’s explained that one of the reasons C.C. sent Lelouch into her memory (and not just him, but many of her past contractors) is to make them hate her by showing them that she would ultimately betray them just like the nun did her. That is, if they haven’t hated her yet for ruining their life by giving them Geass.

Visit Index for other translations of Code Geass materials.

#lelouch x c.c.#cluclu #code geass #c.c.#lelouch vi britannia #translation

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shitstrawhatssay · 6 years

Text

Andi

Commissioned fic for @inktostories

Kofi

Wealth, fame, power: for all these reasons and more, people were leaving home and in search of the One Piece. Was it a myth? Was it a reality? With Gold Roger skewered, it was hard to estimate what was more likely so there was only one way to truly find out. That is what triggered the Great Pirate Era: an era of hopes and dreams, of blood and violence, of stories that would become great bellowing songs in taverns or distance memories nearly forgotten.

In all sorts of logical ongoings, the output of pirates into the world is utterly unprecedented. It is astounding any work can be done on the mainland with the influx of pirates going out to sea. Such a curious phenomenon has Andi’s interest piqued. Ever since they were a child, they have had a fascination with all the ongoings around them and this has been an interest that was lovingly fostered by their parents. Perhaps, that was why the illogical evolution was for Andi to join the influx of those going out to sea in this era of hopes and dreams.

Or something like that anyway.

Having set out at age eighteen, it has been a long haul to where Andi had gotten to now. They’ve seen the bounties escalate in real time and read the newspapers on the deaths of Whitebeard and Fire Fist Ace. It’s been unreal to see so much history unfold just beyond their reach but still in front of their eyes. It was fortunate that many people were recording it: journalists are busy in this age.

And then there’s Andi whose dreams push just beyond the ordinary. They had big dreams and big plans. Yes, it would be nice to get hose first page articles in the newspaper but that wasn’t satisfying enough. Andi had something far grander in mind: a book to call their own.

Books are immortal and beautiful. They are wreathed in soft leather and scented of vintage parchment, it is hard not to love a book. In contrast, newspapers are flimsy and delicate. They yellow and tear easily. They are not remembered the way in which a book is remembered. Andi may not necessarily want to be remembered but this was a grand era in time which had to be immortalised in every way possible especially since this era had fostered an unusual cast of characters.

Pirates. There were so many weird and wonderful pirates. Yes, some were terrible and some would be remembered but there were just so many and each had a tale to spin. They deserved some recognition so Andi has set their sights on each and everyone of them. They wanted to compile a book with information on every single pirate to have taken arms upon the sea and set sail in this Great Pirate Era.

Their parents have been supportive of this goal, after all, Andi is talented enough to get out of any trouble they bumble into. Having set out at eighteen, much has changed in the four years Andi had been sailing. Part of their book had been put together but there was so much more to see and question especially with changing ideals and the Supernovas and the War. It all seemed to miraculous to watch this unfold in real time and to be able to pen the details as Andi saw them with their own eyes.

It was within that four years that Andi had realised something invaluable. Chaos can be trusted. Entropy is weird and wild and can usually be taken advantage of in some form or another. It was peacefulness and serenity and tranquility: all pretty ideas which had to be stayed the hell away from. Those long stretches of ocean without any sort of hazard are deceptive. At least chaos is upfront about its dangers which Andi can appreciate.

And, now, as they drop anchor for the night as a preventative of any useless wanderings, Andi realises something quite daunting. It’s been quiet for some time now. That, Andi decides, is very much not good and having led the life they have led, Andi knows from experience that such peace can only lead to disaster. The life, Andi has led, being one rife with chronic bad luck.

A disgustingly naive thought crosses Andi’s mind as they yawn. Surely, in the middle of nowhere with nothing but miles of blue, they would be safe from the arbitrary here. Even though it was in direct contradiction to everything Andi had learned over the years about bad luck, Andi trusted the falling night and the beautiful, starlit illumination of an empty sea that it brought. Goodness, it really was gorgeous out here.

Andi went below deck and rugged up in blankets on their bed. It was likely going to be a nice and normal, ordinary night. Andi quickly fell asleep despite a strange, nagging worry that something was going to go wrong because Andi was Andi and things always go wrong for Andi.

However, that strange, nagging feeling was validating not too much longer. Andi had probably gone to sleep about ten, maybe a bit before or maybe a bit after. Andi was woken up quite rudely two hours later, maybe a bit less or a bit more but for all intents and purposes, Andi had gotten to sleep and had gone a little bit of restorative shut eye before being woken up.

Andi had been tossed out of bed with a great start and hit their head on the floor. Which was very, very wet and with concern - rather than frustration - flooding their veins, Andi skipped the part where they were confused. They glanced around panickedly and saw that their hull had taken a lot of damage and they were quickly sinking.

They were sinking.

Andi’s mind went blank as they decided they needed to get into gear. Andi quickly shimmied up the ladder to the top deck and was awed by the large ship that had battered into their own, smaller one. Andi recognised the figurehead but wasn’t certain. Was it a flower or was it something else?

It was difficult to discern in the night’s minimal light. Andi squinted around the side and hoped to try and catch a name. Again, it was difficult.

“Oi!” a voice cried out.

Andi’s ship continued to sink.

“You alright?!” the voice continued.

Andi looked around and scrambled to a higher point on their ship. Their heart was slowly breaking.

“No?!” Andi yelled back.

“Okay.”

There was a dull thunk and a screech. A new voice in a hushed tone spoke.

“Hey, do something, that person probably needs help.”

“Oh? Oh! Okay.”

What happened next, Andi could barely believe but as frigid seawater lapped at their ankles, panic flooded them and their hair stod up on an end. In the darkness, something swung out at them and some snaked around their waist and hoisted them back. It sounded like the reel of a rubber hose but felt fleshy. If it wasn’t the lesser of two fears, Andi would likely be far more scared.

Andi screamed as they were whipped back and brought onto the deck of the large ship. Andi squirmed and was released. They ran to the edge of the ship and clutched onto the railing. As their ship sank, so did their heart and all the past years of research. Tears slipped down their face.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, that ain’t cool? What’s the matter, you need help to get somethin’ else off that ship? Don’t tell me, there’re others on there.”

Andi sobbed. “N-No, thankfully not. B-But my...my life’s work.”

“Uh-oh, Franky, can you see if you can do anything. I can’t imagine how soul crushing it would be to have my life’s work ruined. See if you can fish it out.” a woman - the second voice, actually - spoke.

“Gotcha.”

Andi turned away just as the last of their ship went underneath the black waters. They pawed at their face and tried to look presentable. Their eyes widened as they were able to see with the lights scattered about on the top deck.

“No way….” they gasped. They stared.

Their rescuers glanced about each other, as though sensing some sort of brewing confusion but it was quite the opposite. Andi already knew as much as there was known about these so-called “rescuers”. It was with these familiar faces, Andi was able to decide that this ship’s figurehead was not a flower but rather a lion.

“You… You’re Cyborg Franky. Cat Burglar Nami. Devil Child Robin. Pirate Hunter Zoro. Cotton Candy Lover Chopper. God Usopp. Black Leg Sanji. And, of course, Strawhat Monkey D. Luffy.”

“Fan...person?” Usopp said, raising an eyebrow.

“Sort of.”

“Ah, sane person.” Zoro corrected with a shark-like grin.

“Sort of.”

“Fun person!” Luffy decided with a grandiose beam.

He became visibly excited which made Andi all the more nervous.

“If academic history is your thing, most certainly but that’s not to say I don’t mind a good joke… just like my freaking life.”

“Franky, hurry up!” Nami roused.

“Yikes, I know!”

Franky bustled off and the group closed the gap of where he had been.

“So, what’s all this about, eh?” Usopp asked.

“I’m a freelance scribe.” Andi began. “My life’s work is an encyclopedia on every pirate I’ve met so far… Dammit, and… and now it’s gone forever!”

Andi’s fists balled by their side. They choked back a sob but they had snot hanging out their nose and tears on their cheeks regardless.

“Well, it’s lucky you ran into us then, right?” Luffy said with a shrug. “I mean, we’re pretty famous right?”

“Yeah, only captained by the man with the biggest debut bounty ever.” Andi huffed.

“And we know a thing or two about a few different pirates. Maybe we could help whilst Franky fishes out the wreckage of your boat.” Nami said.

“Sounds wonderful, and I shall make us all some midnight snacks, what do you say… my lady?” Sanji said.

“I mean, I am hungry but I am not your lady. Or a lady at all… at least not right now. I’m havin’ bit of a masculine kinda day but…” Andi trailed off.

“What do you say, my gentlemen?” Sanji corrected himself.

“A li’l bit better.” Andi murmured.

“How about we set you up in the office then, and we can work out sleeping arrangements, oh my, it seems we haven’t caught your name even though you know ours.” Robin said.

“Ah! How rude of me! I was so caught up in my drama that I forgot. I’m Andi. Just Andi.”

“Short, snappy, I like it.” Zoro nodded to himself before yawning. He chucked a glance at Sanji. “Oi, curly cook, count me out in the portions. I’m headin’ back to bed.”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Duly noted.”

Andi was terrified at first. They had met pirates of all sorts of calibre - usually low but still, they were bloodthirsty and scary regardless - and was ready to fight or flee at a moment’s notice, and yet… Andi was made to feel welcome upon this ship: the Thousand Sunny Go.

The office Andi was given permission to use until further notice was homey. The food Sanji prepared for them was beyond belief. Andi had never tasted more divine cuisine and Sanji was talking about this was just something simple to whip up and yet, Andi couldn’t devise a simple way in which such intricate treats could be made so quickly. Nami, Robin, and Chopper were helpful. They hovered, yes, but they made interesting comments about what Andi should add to their new notes. Luffy, however, was annoying and far too happy to chalk many things up to a mystery but he was funny. It was endearing.

Overall, it was all dreamy and beyond belief. Andi had never been treated this way except by their own family. They felt more than an acquaintance to these easygoing, happy-go-lucky pirates despite the way they had met and the fact that it had only been mere hours since meeting and they felt more kindred to them than merely a friend. It was bizarre.

And given the stories they were spurning about Alabasta and the Fishman Island and more, Andi was beginning to think that this was not a lone incident. Andi was beginning to think that the Strawhat Pirates simply had this affect on anyone who crossed their path without instigating too much of a fight. How peculiar. But Andi liked it.

Loved it even.

By morning come, Andi truly felt like one of the gang. More importntly, by morning come, Franky had returned with remnants of their ship and their belongings. What could be savalged was minimal but Andi cherished the effort.

That being said, there was one among the Strawhats who didn’t seem all that taken with them. Andi supposed that not everyone would find them a novelty but they didn’t expect that among such a lackadaisical bunch, there would be one who seemed outwardly hostile to them. That person was Usopp.

The rumours of Usopp were… odd to say the least, or so Andi had come across in their journeys. Some reports recorded him as a brae warriror of the sea. Others, wrote him in speech as a bard or minstrel or similar with a voice that could ensnare all minds, no matter how rational, and make them believe in nonsensical lies. Andi wasn’t sure what to believe. Usopp was complex.

Sometimes he was of bravdo and humour, other times he cowered in fear and was arguably slothful. But none of it explained his hostility towards Andi. A hostility that continued well after two days of having settled in.

Slowly becoming uset by the outward aggression, Andi decided that it was time to do something about it. The other Strawhat Pirates had welcomed them with open arms and Andi wanted the whole set so speak. So, they set to a task by themselves: to convince Usopp they weren’t untrustworthy or unfriendly.

Andi really wanted to befriend Usopp. They felt as though they and Usopp could be kindred souls as they were both story-tellers. Surely, someone of Usopp’s calibre of scribe would be willing to cooperate so it was imperative that Andi befriend him.

Andi’s plan was simple. All they wanted was to get to the root cause of Usopp’s animosity and see if it could be resolved from there. This meant that all Andi had to do was somehow corner Usopp and force them to talk. Despite it being a forced meeting, surely discourse of a civil manner could be born.

However, Andi being Andi, things could not naturally be so simple.

Andi had been observing Usopp for the past hour. He had been flicking between reading and fishing to idle his time on the calm seas. He was set in a loose pattern but one Andi could take advantage of nonetheless as lunch came nearer still on the clock and Usopp had to be getting hungry as he was out of snacks and hadn’t visited the kitchen in a while. More importantly, Sanji had visited earlier to let him know there’d be a place at the table for him soon too and this gave Andi an excellent opportunity.

Andi hid themselves behind a wall and watched as Usopp began to walk past. With a one and a two, Andi sprung out from their hiding spot. They crash tackled into Usopp and Usopp’s back his the deck. Together, they skidded off. Andi screamed. Usopp yelped.

Soon enough, Usopp was pinned beneath Andi.

“Get off me!” Usopp yelled.

Andi would have liked to pause to think but this was not a time for thinking.

“No! We need to talk!” Andi shouted back; going red in the cheeks.

“Why do we need to talk?” Usopp asked.

“I know you don’t like me and I want to know why.” Andi replied.

Usopp propped himself up and Andi slid down his legs; he was still effectively anchored and trapped though. He frowned as he played with his hair.

“I don’t trust like that.” Usopp replied, hesitantly.

“What do you mean?” Andi asked.

“I just don’t like that you know so much. It’s… disconcerting.” Usopp replied.

“…Huh?” Andi replied. They didn’t see the logic in that at al.

Upon seeing the confusion on Andi’s face, Usopp erred. His brows twitched and Andi laughed.

“I still don’t get it.”

“It’s just, nothing good has ever come from someone knowing too much. Especially since we’re not exactly the type to be of thorough thought ‘round here.” Usopp explained.

“I’ve noticed.” Andi joked.

Usopp ruffled at the back of his hair, pinned up in a ponytail. He smiled awkwardly.

“Do you wanna get off me yet?” he asked, cheeks tinging pink.

Andi’s nerves jolted. They got off him and now their cheeks were pink to match. Laughing nervously, Andi offered a hand to Usopp. With a yank, he anchored himself and Andi helped him.

Now Andi was nervous for a different reason. They realised they had been straddling Usopp – more or less. How embarrassing! For them both, too. Not to mention, now that Andi had been up close and personal with Usopp, they could tell that Usopp was a rather remarkable looking fellow with his long hair and toned body. It could attract anyone. Even someone like Andi. Friendship had been the desired outcome of this incident but now infatuation was beginning to bud in Andi’s heart.

At least, for now, Andi could cherish Usopp’s companionship. With him won over, things were far different. They had a lot in common. Perhaps it was that which had led to a barrier in the first place as opposites attracts and likes tended to repel each other, like magnets. Though, that can’t be the case now. Now, they were thick as thieves. Everyone in the ranks of the Strawhat Pirates were joking and teasing about it; seemingly unable to bring up one without the other. It was strangely flattering.

Both were scribes of the sea with tongues for telling tall tales. Usopp had a beautiful mind. He had a blunt way of putting things: simplistic and stylised though but a linear narrative nonetheless and yet the stories he conveyed were comedic and entertaining. He had quite a talent. Though, to begin with, Andi did struggle to discern truth and lies but they were beginning to get a grasp on his ticks now.

It was because of this budding friendship and gift of the gab of his, that Andi was able to restock their damaged notes and add more. The Strawhats had been on so many amazing and nearly unbelievable adventures but the truths of them were worth their weight in gold. Andi was now part of part of an exclusive and privileged party to get their account first hand. From Buggy the Pirate Clown to the Warlords of the Sea to the Four Emperors: the connections the Strawhats held were astounding.

Eventually, Andi was told to pick absolutely anyone who was on their good side. Anyone who they wanted to interview, anyone at all and the Strawhats assured them that Andi would be able to strike an interview with that person because of their friendship with the Strawhats.

It was an enticing offer. It was one Andi was even quick to accept until other ideas began to float through their head. They had some time to consider who they wanted to track down so Nami can navigate the appropriate course, but Andi knew they weren’t going to use the two days they had docked to think about that. No, Andi was going to use this time to consider their feelings. The interview can be an impulse but this other ting playing on Andi’s mind was something that deserved thorough thought.

The feelings regarding Usopp were complicated, Andi found. It was far too soon to decide upon the true extent of romantic implications, but Andi was enamoured with Usopp’s company; far beyond that of friendship. They wanted to at the very least verbalise this confusing, fluttery feelings that cause their heart to skip a beat, their cheeks to redden, and their palms to sweat.

Time was limited between them. It was foolish and ephemeral, but Andi wanted to give these feelings a chance regardless. So, whilst their ship was being built – not rebuilt, built from scratch by Franky’s designs – Andi made plans based on these strange feelings and faint thoughts.

Andi watched idly as their new ship went from being sketches on paper to a wooden skeleton to an almost complete ship. It was soothing to watch the construction and helping Franky helped filled the time. Andi had heard once that menial labour can facilitate the higher thinking part of the brain and with all these murky thoughts, helping screw small together or adding a slap of paint was a comfort that made things strangely clearer.

Upon the completion of Andi’s new ship, Luffy decided it was good cause for a farewell party and being pirates, none of his crewmates could resist the idea. Sanji made enough food to feed a few dozen armies and Brook played gorgeous melodies upon his violin. Jokes and stories were told; some danced. It was great fun.

Andi really enjoyed themselves. A party on the docks, listening to music and the ocean lap at the shores. Lights in houses behind them sparkled and there was a coolness in the air that was soft and romantic even. And yet, despite all the gorgeous ambience, Andi found themselves in utter denial of all the thinking and resolving they had done. They also fond themselves in utter denial of Usopp. Consciously avoided hi despite his confusion but he kept distance to be courteous, just in case.

Andi kept reasoning with themselves that this was the most reasonable thing to do.

But the end of the night was drawing nearer. The fun around Andi was inescapable and contagious and though they were enjoying themselves on the surface, their memories were slowly becoming tinged by regret from inaction. From that regret, a new resolve was born though faint, Andi wanted to trust their heart, so they were the one to scoot in next to Usopp.

He looked a little bit weary. Who wasn’t? It was past midnight, after all.

Andi sat next to him and he sat in closer to Andi. Their shoulders brushed together and hands fumbled. Usopp chuckled awkwardly. He spoke first.

“Hey Andi. So, uh, is it me or, um, are you – were you – avoiding me?”

Andi laughed back and averted their gaze. “Uh, yeah… I was, kinda.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No! Not at all! I just needed… space.”

“Yeah, I know that feel. It’s a big ship but it’s easy to get overcrowded.”

“That’s not… it.” Andi hesitantly replied.

Usopp’s eyes widened as he turned his head slightly, “It’s not?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then what is it then?”

Andi turned their body towards Usopp and took a breath. Usopp’s body language became surprised before steadying. He could tell that Andi had a lot to say and he intended to listen carefully. He knew what was about to happen wasn’t going to be some happy-go-lucky story or the like. This was serious. And, he would respectfully meet the matter with his own sternness.

“Usopp, um, I…” Andi faltered with their words. They took another breath and their eyes gleamed with a newfound confidence and resolve. “We haven’t known each other for very long but I feel like we have a connection. Am I wrong in thinking that?”

“What? Not at all. I feel the same. We get along great. I mean, we’re a bit different to each other but we make each other laugh and stuff. It’s very easy to get caught up in, well, friendship, I think, and I think we’ve got a connection too.” Usopp explained honestly.

Andi blushed and their heart hammered. There was an underlying bait in what Usopp had said. He hadn’t intended as such, but it encouraged Andi to keep pushing at these feelings; at this conversation.

“It’s just…” Andi hesitated again.

They could barely hear their thoughts of their heart but maybe that was a good thing because it allowed them to feel intuitively what they needed to say rather than overcomplicate it. “It’s just I think I like you.”

“Like me? Well, I’m glad. I like you too, Andi.” Usopp replied.

Andi frowned, huffed. “No, I like you like you. Like-like you.”

Usopp’s eyes widened and his jaw slackened. He murmured, repeatedly: “Oh… O-Oh… Oh…”

It would have been endearing had it not been excruciating to listen to. It was like he was attempting to record the information in his brain, but it was just getting continually rejected and thus, needed to process again and again. It was horrible.

At least it was, until, Usopp shut himself up with a big breath and he turned slightly ajar from Andi. Andi felt as though their hopes had been dashed. Had they been wrong?

“I’m… I feel the same way.” Usopp murmured, almost beneath his breath.

Andi lifted their head. Now it was them whose eyes were widening. Their heart fluttered in their chest. It was a sweet, twinkling feeling devoid of fear or anguish. It was pure and chaste.

“Y-You do?” they manage stutter out over their rapid heartbeats.

Usopp scratched at the back of his head, shy, then affirmed Andi simply: “Yeah.”

A moment of sweetness blossomed between them where they fumbled with the ramifications of their confessions. A sweetness soon tainted by bitterness. It was such terrible timing. Both led temporary lives on the sea, battered by the winds and going with the waves. It was hard to coordinate meetings and Andi, though a brave rapscallion of a person, was a civilian and Usopp a pirate. It was such unfortunate circumstance.

But that didn’t mean it had to be hopeless.

Andi looked towards Usopp. “We might only have tonight but perhaps, it could be worth it.” they said.

“Yeah, maybe.” Usopp replied.

Andi yawned but leaned in. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be just tonight. Perhaps it was just going to be now: a bittersweet and ephemeral moment on an everchanging clock.

Reading their cues, Usopp leaned in also and he put his hand over Andi’s. Andi’s hands were writer’s hands. They were soft and unworked by strenuous labour, like that of carpentry or paving, but they were ink-stained and callouses rose from odd places upon their fingers. Small and squishy-feeling, Usopp liked Andi’s hands.

Andi puckered their lips and met Usopp’s. Usopp’s lips were chapped by hours spent at sea, in the razor wind. His nose, awkwardly long, bumped against Andi’s face. It was strange but not necessarily unpleasant. It was a good, chaste kiss that seemed to slow the world. It seemed to extent the ephemeral moment their feelings were taking place within but it wasn’t enough to completely stop the flow of time.

They needed breath eventually, so they pulled away. Disjointed and awkward, worried about how they had performed. Strangely sheepish, even, because of their kiss.

“How… was it?” Usopp asked.

“Good, good, great – excellent even!” Andi yipped before going red. “Not that I have a frame of reference or anything… That was my, my um, first kiss.”

“Oh. Oh…” Usopp muttered.

“You’ve had past experiences?” Andi asked, not intending to pry but the journalistic sense within them was trying to demand otherwise.

“Uh, yeah, my childhood friend. Kaya. She was my first kiss and crush. But you’re really different to her. Apples and oranges, I guess you’d say.” Usopp rambled.

“It’s fine.” Andi almost panickily stated.

There was a lull in conversation and awkwardness permeated them both as they were left to dwell upon the fact all they had was a moment and now the moment was gone. There was little else to say and do besides ponder the missed connection. If they had met sooner, if they had later: a lot could have been different. But it hadn’t. It had been this.

Soon, tiredness set it and the party came to a faded and dwindled conclusion. If, it truly ended at all. Perhaps it merely moved to another moment in time, much like what would happen to the feelings Andi had harboured.

They didn’t regret it. That had been the best course of action. It was better to have lost and loved than to never have loved at all; fumbling with loose-ends and potential possibilities. As bittersweet as it was, it was better than the regret of what if?

The following mid-morning, it was time for Andi to set sail onto their next adventure. With Dracule Mihawk in their sights, that was the adventure and knowledge Andi wanted to chase; with a recommendation from Mihawk’s ex-pupil Zoro, of course. Still, it was bittersweet to go.

“I’ll miss all of you.” Andi called out from atop their newly varnished deck.

“We’ll miss you to!” Luffy called out.

“Some of us more than others.” Sanji teased; he nudged Usopp who sheepishly blushed.

“Don’t worry ‘bout Mihawk, he’s all bark an’ no bite; he’ll love you!” Zoro added, thankfully salvaging the conversation from an embarrassing turn.

“Thanks.” Andi added.

They were intimidated. Mihawk was a warlord after all. He was a fearsome, fearsome man and, yet Zoro spoke of him softly, gently, despite their scuffled meeting in the East Blue. Andi supposed cohabitation would train things, even when under the guise of an enemies-like relationship.

Andi firmly believed now, having met the Pirate Hunter, that he would one day achieve his dream and take Mihawk’s claim from him. Andi looked forward to meeting him then subsequently interviewing. Based on Zoro’s tales, he sounded like a cool and honourable man who has seen much and would, therefore, benefit Andi’s notes.

“Thank you for having me and thank you for building my ship after you destroyed it. Thank you for sharing your stories with me.” Andi gushed as they fidgeted with ropes.

Their boat was designed to be able to keep guests whilst only being staffed by a lone person. There were all sorts of kooky contraptions and mechanics to allow for Andi to do the work of multiple workers. They appreciated Franky for all the countermeasures they were slowly familiarising themselves with.

“My heart would break if any of these dweebs destroyed my work – and they have in the past. You have my sympathies. I hope nothing like this happens again in the future, Andi!” Nami called out.

Andi reeled back the anchor and their ship began to move out. Luffy threw his hands in the air upon noticing. He waved them ferociously through the air with a silly grin on his face. All the faces of all the Strawhats seemed both happy and sorrowful: parting continues to ring true as such a sweet sorrow.

“Bye, bye, Andi: I hope we meet again!” Luffy called.

“Yes, I do too!” Andi called back. “And you, young man, had better be King of the Pirates by then!”

“Hell’s yeah I will be!” Luffy laughed.

Andi slipped away from the railing. Their smile shortened upon their face and their heart grew heavy but that’s just goodbyes were like. They didn’t want to, but they turned their back on the Strawhat Pirates. They were probably doing the same. They didn’t have all day, after all. This was a busy port. They needed to go just as much as Andi, lest Marines decide they’re easy prey or rival pirates. Anything could happen.

Andi visited the figurehead of the ship. Franky had asked what their favourite animal was so Andi had replied and now they had an adorable elephant to lead them through their voyages. It wasn’t particularly fearsome-looking, no, not all, but Andi cherished it as they ran their hand over the wood of it. It was so sleek. It was nice to the touch. Andi could understand better now why the figurehead doubled as Luffy’s favourite seat on a ship. It had a lovely view too.

The voyage to Kuraigana Island was long and hard but it was journey Andi was able to make just fine. They missed the bustling company of the Strawhat Pirates and it made them yearn for friends once more. But they were a somewhat introverted person, so they appreciated the peace. It was hard to strike balance between being overcrowded and not being crowded enough.

As they drew nearer to Kuraigana Island, they wondered if Mihawk had that problem too. Mentally, it was hard to realise Mihawk was just as human as anyone else, but his eyes were so avian and his reputation so fearsome, it was hard to categorise him anything human at all.

Kuraigana Island was every bit as creepy as Andi had been warned it would be. It was swathed with a thick mist that seemed almost teal as it clung to the frigid air. It was mossy moors and swamps. It was eerie and quiet except for the cacophonic singing of a young woman: Perona, if Andi was correct by what Zoro had told them.

They docked by a rickety pier and dropped anchor. They looked around. Their heart pounded as they swallowed muddy breaths. Andi was well aware of the dangers hidden in the mists, but it was a clear path from this beach to the castle. Andi could see it through shadows and mystique. It excited them. They clutched excitedly onto their stationery as they clambered down.

This would be their next adventure. The next knowledge found and recorded. Surely nothing could go wrong.

#mod stuff #not a quote #inktostories #commissioned fic #one piece #opfanfic #i will only be posting it here #hoo boy this is huge #commissions will be closed for a bit unless you want fortune telling btw #this has left me drained tbh #but i love andi and i hope i have done them justice

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pruuneconsultingltd · 5 years

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Why Procurement Matters

By Megan Schrader

Managing a company is an incredible feat. If you are currently in the process of establishing or managing a business, you will certainly have come to realize complexity of maintaining this dynamic, imposing organism. It demands your flexibility and focus, as well as a good part of your day. In an ideal world, you would be able to analyze every facet of this business from the ground up. But this is not always an ideal world. You must take great care to determine your priorities throughout the course of your career. What is the best use of your limited time? Where do you focus your attention?

Perhaps you have already given some thought to your procurement process. Perhaps you have not. Perhaps you have considered dedicating more time to managing procurement, but are unsure if the benefits will ultimately outweigh the costs. Is it worthwhile to invest your time and resources into an assessment of your business’s procurement policies?

What is procurement?

For anyone who might be unfamiliar, procurement is the process of attaining goods and services. In regards to business management, procurement is the method in which a company receives the goods it requires to run. This process is about more than the purchasing of goods—procurement is a long-term plan that a business uses to attain the resources it requires in a sustainable and affordable way. Purchasing goods is an immediate, unconsidered action; procuring goods is a continuous, planned out strategy.

Because procurement is expected to be an ongoing process, an agreement (i.e. a contract) with a third party that defines the terms of the exchange is often designed. This contract is the epitome of what differentiates procurement from purchasing, as its creation demonstrates both parties concern for the minute details of the exchange both in the present and in the future. The contract can detail the logistics of the exchange, such its size, cost, and regularity, but should also serve as a protection for those involved. The contract should be worded such that company liability is mitigated as much as possible. Additionally, it should offer protection in the case that one party faces hardships, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure.

If a business invests the time into streamlining their procurement system, they may be able to reach more favorable agreements with these third parties, resulting in improved profitability, ethicality, and product/service reliability. Alternatively, if a business has chosen to not make this investment, the opposite is also true. Overpaying for low quality resources will leave a company in the red. It will be limited in the number and reliability of its goods, to the point that customers and employees alike take notice. A third parties declaration of bankruptcy could leave the business in a tumultuous state. A poor procurement plan can become the difference between a business’s success or failure.

So yes, it probably is worthwhile to consider procurement in your place of work.

How do you improve your process?

As with most things, before you can plan for the future, you must know where you currently stand. Compile your most recent procurement data. Are you satisfied with where most of your spending is going and with the quality of the products/services you are getting in return? If you think you may be overspending on a specific resource, a supplier has proven to be less than reliable, or if you are altogether unsure of what to think, then it is time to conduct some research.

There are a number of avenues that you can rely upon as you research. For starters, you can ask friends and colleagues for recommendations; perhaps someone can offer the name of a third party that they’ve had great experiences with in the past, or maybe they will have suggestions for suppliers to avoid. You can also turn to the internet to learn about potential third-party suppliers, though you should remain discerning in regards to the sources you trust. Contacting promising third parties directly once you’ve narrowed your list can give you a better understanding of specific services this partner could offer your business, further contributing to your ultimate decision.

Improving procurement is not an easy process, and it can take a fair bit of time to consider how different suppliers would ultimately impact your business. Fortunately, there are professional consultants that you can turn to if you wish to restructure your procurement strategies. These professionals have first-hand experience in streamlining procurement, and will be able to address your businesses most concerning areas. They can offer a new, oftentimes innovative perspective on how your company manages procurement and spending, and can provide improved solutions utilizing spending and performance analysis tools and an extensive network of third parties already in place. Best of all, enlisting outside help means that you can continue to manage other areas of your business throughout this revision process.

How can procurement add value to your business?

Did you know that up to 70% of business spending is dedicated to procurement costs? The chances are that procurement takes up the largest portion of your budget. Therefore, streamlining this process, even just a little, can result in major reductions in your business spending. For example:

Imagine you run a company that produces bottled water. While considering your procurement process, you find that you are spending more than you would like on plastic. After some research, you find a new plastics supplier that will save you, on average, about 5 cents per water bottle. While 5 cents is not a large sum in itself, how will that savings look over time?

Now imagine that you have also found suppliers that will provide paper for 5 cents less per label and printing for 2 cents less per label. Again, these are small saving by themselves, but as you can see, they have quite the drastic impact on our chart.

Over time, the most finite changes to your procurement plan will grow to be significant savings for your business.

But the value of managing procurement extends beyond lower manufacturing costs. Perhaps you will chose to invest that money once spent on procurement into sales. Increased marketing could spread awareness of your business. Increased staff size or training could lead to more sales. The ability to produce/provide more goods for the same price could allow your company to offer more to each consumer, or to reach a larger number of consumers at a time. And if new procurement methods are increasingly more ethical and reliable, consumers are more likely to want to use your product/receive your service. This approach will in turn increase the profitability and longevity of your business.

Alternatively, the money saved on procurement systems could also be invested into innovative research. Your budget could now accommodate experimentation with new services or product designs. New employees will bring with them unique ideas and experiences, each contributing new potential avenues for the future of your company. Improving employee morale through additional benefits and new office resources will lead to a flurry of innovation.

How important is procurement for SMEs?

Procurement is an important aspect of any businesses success, regardless of the company size. In the midst of the countless investments that an SME must make throughout its establishment and management, it is easy to simply lose track of spending. Human beings are prone to estimation errors, and all the more so when stress and money are involved. A procurement plan, with its focus on long-term structure, challenges you to account for your spending over time, helping you to manage your budget moving forward.

Again, procurement is a time investment. Many business owners won’t have the time to focus on their procurement plan as regularly as they should, and may be skeptical to hire an employee to specialize in procurement. If you manage an SME and have no one on your team to attend to procurement—please reconsider. Try to rearrange the roles of current employees, hire a new staff member, or research local consultancy firms that can manage the process of procurement and logistics. One of the most common reasons that an SME fails is that cash flow is poorly managed. Don’t become a statistic.

When does procurement end?

Procurement ends once you have attained the resources you need. However, the process of assessing and improving your procurement plan should never be complete. If you are at the point that your company is sustainable, and you are satisfied with the work your business is doing, then congratulations! You should be! Once again, managing a company is no easy task, and getting your company where you want it to be is an achievement worth celebrating. You might choose to step back from your procurement plan for a while, and that is okay.

Just don’t step back forever. Globalization and technological advancement leave the world in a state of constant flux, as I am confident you already know. Consumers change, too, and changing values could pose an additional threat to your business. Make sure to revisit this process of procurement from time to time, and check that your system is up to date with new regulations and standards. Allow your processes to adapt with the world.

What is procurement, revisited

Procurement is the process of attaining goods and services. It is one of the foundations of a business, and is likely the largest regular expenditure your company will face. Taking the time to reassess your procurement plan has the potential to improve every facet of your business, and can help establish your company as a permanent fixture of the market. Well thought out procurement strategies promote efficiency, ethicality, and reliability in your company; but this can only endure if they are open to adaptation and evolution as the state of the world continues to change.

You only have so much time in the day. Be sure to dedicate at least some of that time to your procurement plan.

Sources

The 2014 IBM Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) Study. IBM Institute for Business Value at https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/GNAVZAXK

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) at https://www.cips.org/en/cips-for-individuals/what-is-procurement/

The Deloitte Global CPO Survey (2016). Procurement: at a digital tipping point? Odgers Berndtson at https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/nl/Documents/operations/deloitte-nl-operations-global-cpo-survey-print-pdf.pdf

FIKUSZ ’15 Symposium for Young Researchers (2015). The Reasons for SME’s Failure, Comparative Analysis and Research. Obuda University.

The Power of Procurement. A global survey of Procurement functions. KPMG at https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2012/07/the-power-of-procurement-a-global-survey-of-procurement-functions.pdf

Pruune Consulting Ltd. at https://pruune.com/

About the Author

Megan Schrader is a writer and content creator for Pruune. She graduated with honours from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, receiving her BSc in Psychology in 2018. Megan has since emigrated to Ireland and settled in Dublin, where she enjoys discovering the local culture. She is passionate about writing, art, coffee and all things psychology.

#Procurement #supplychain #Purchasing #SME #startups #entrepreneur #businessprocess #PruuneConsultingLtd #PineHub

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connorrenwick · 6 years

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Where I Work: Sarah Yarborough of Raleigh Denim Workshop

When Raleigh Denim launched in 2007, their goal was simply to make a great pair of jeans. They made every pair by hand out of their apartment, initially selling to friends and family and then expanding out-of-town when they received an order for Barney’s. Over time the brand organically grew and with growth, their need for additional sewing machines sent them down the rabbit hole of North Carolina’s prominent textile industry. Today, each pair of jeans is made on their old textile machines they’ve restored by expertly trained jeansmiths, each of which are taught to make the jeans from raw fabric to finished pair. The brand hasn’t stopped at jeans though – they’ve been collaborating with Bernhardt Design for the last few years on textiles and a recently unveiled work table and seating collection. The co-founders behind the Raleigh Denim Workshop brand, Sarah Yarborough and Victor Lytvinenko, are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and today, Sarah is graciously giving us a look behind the scenes at their workshop, home studio, and her work style, in this month’s Where I Work.

What is your typical work style?

My work style is a mash-up of regimented and haphazard. I block time off on my calendar for different parts of the job – I schedule design time separate from time for more admin/operational work; paperwork and spreadsheets can put a real damper on my creativity. Within those blocks of time, especially the creative, I’m not very regimented. I do make tons of lists, though! They’re all over the place…on Post-its, notebooks, Google docs, and the back of my hand. I have trouble remembering everything I want to remember without some help.

I work both on-site and out of office, again, depending on the kind of work I need to do. I love when I can work from home in the mornings, knock out a bunch of emails and get my head right for the day. Then I head to the shop where my work is much more team, machine, and materials oriented. Our production team works on an earlier schedule. When the workshop is quiet, late-afternoon/evening is my most productive time. I’ve got a pretty sweet gig, having access to so many different ways of working.

A repurposed machine in the workshop

What’s your studio/work environment like?

Our workshop environment is pretty wild! It’s a good kind of chaos, I would say. When you walk into the workshop the first thing you’ll see is our retail store called The Curatory (Editor’s note: The Curatory is featured in our Raleigh/Durham travel guide!). We carry our collections there, as well as other lines we love. When you walk into the shop, the first thing you’ll hear is the sound of machines sewing and cutting fabric (if it’s during the week). We cut and sew most of our line on the other side of The Curatory wall. Our workshop is full of old, salvaged and restored sewing machines, most from the 1930’s-1960’s era. There are jeans being sewn at different stages, with parts and pieces everywhere. We also have two huge cutting tables on the workshop floor; that is where everything starts and ends when it comes to design. It is where we make our markers and lay materials for cutting. It’s where we pack massive orders. We basically do everything in this space – make patterns, store material, cut, sew, finish, inspect, pack and ship, etc. At first, it might look chaotic or messy, but there is a flow within the space and a method to the madness.

Sarah’s sewing corner in the workshop

I have a little corner on the main floor that we call the “sample corner.” This is where I stash all of the bits of materials I want to hang on to and the end of fabric roles that I love. I have two machines in there and a tiny table so I can prototype samples before they go to production floor for more development. Then in the very back of the workshop is a cozy open office where we have our pin-up boards and desks. That area is where planning, finance, logistics, production organization, etc., happens.

Studio at home

Sarah working at home

As for my personal studio space in our new home, we’ve designated one “studio” room in the back of the house. Our house is a very traditional house built in 1919. Victor and I have been busy remodeling it and we’re getting close to finishing; I can’t wait. I just finished painting it black and it feels really cozy. I have inspirational material, things I’ve collected, reference books (design, fashion, drawing, art), art supplies, and a clear space for sketching. In a perfect world, my personal space is a little more quiet and orderly than the workshop, basically the opposite environment.

Another repurposed machine in the workshop

How long have you been in this space? Where did you work before that?

Raleigh Denim is actually celebrating our ten-year anniversary this year, which we are incredibly excited about. Victor and I started in a tiny apartment in downtown Raleigh, where we made our first jeans on machines we set up in our living room, before moving into the back of a friend’s warehouse on the edge of town. We posted up in that old warehouse and built a tiny workshop there for about two years. Eventually, we outgrew it and moved into our current space, in the Warehouse District, seven or eight years ago.

When we moved in there wasn’t much going on in the neighborhood. There were a few great art galleries and a really good restaurant, but that was about it. The area has grown a ton over the years; it’s been awesome to be a part of that evolution. We’re neighbors with the CAM Raleigh (the Contemporary Art Museum, of which I’m proud to be a board member), Videri Chocolate, creative agencies, a flower shop, a brand new train station and (soon) a grocery store. It has been really interesting to see it all evolve.

If you could change something about your workspace, what would it be?

Haha, hands down it would be the need for more storage space. It is hard to keep things clean and neat with everything going on in the workshop. We are bursting at the seams. Storing raw materials for production is tricky; we work with everything from tiny needles and rivets to 400 lb rolls of fabric, and all sorts of things in-between. And things are always moving. All the physical parts move through a line to become a physical product, and that line ebbs and flows depending on how big a batch we’re making. I’m happiest when everything has a home and for space to be orderly, so that would definitely be my wish.

Is there an office pet?

No, sadly, we don’t. But we do have the best cat on the planet, Magneto, who enjoys being involved in whatever I’m working on at home.

Do you require music in the background? If so, who are some favorites?

Oh yes, music is a big source of inspiration and motivation for us. Early on, when we were bootstrapping the company, we listened to a lot of Outkast and Kanye (and still do today). Both artists are great to listen to when we want to crank work out. Our entire workshop loves listening to Sylvan Esso, especially if we stay late for a big order or a project. We’ll turn it way up and sing along.

I have really big JBL Everest headphones that I wear a lot, with or without music on. They say “don’t interrupt me; I’m in the zone.” When I am listening to music personally, it’s all over the place. Anything from ridiculous pop music to classical. My recently played list on Spotify reads: Daniel Caesar, Big Thief, Aldous Harding, Glasser, Solange, and Vince Staples.

How do you record ideas?

I have to write things down. That is how I learn best, so even if I never see the paper again, I have a better chance of remembering the idea if I actually wrote it. And I do a lot of really crappy sketching. I keep at least one notebook with me all the time, but I usually have two: one for productive/work lists and notes and one for personal/inspiration. Rollbahn makes the best notebook I’ve ever used, but I sometimes strike out and try a new one because I love good notebooks and smooth paper and sharp pencils and pretty pens.

Do you have an inspiration board? What’s on it right now?

Yes, I definitely have some inspiration boards. In the office I have two boards in the corner. One is straight inspiration that is always evolving and the collection growing. Photos, notes, old drawings, packaging inspirations, etc. that I pin to the wall. The other board is more organized with material and swatch inspirations that are lined in a row. I really like to touch fabrics as much as possible, so I have to feel the materials while developing the samples.

A “superstar” repurposed machine in the workshop

What is your creative process and/or creative workflow like? Does it change every project or do you keep it the same?

I think I keep the broad strokes of my creative process pretty much the same from project to project.

I begin by taking in as much as possible. I need to touch and see things, spread them out and soak them in. I’ll pull out stockpiled ideas and artifacts – things I found on a hike, materials I’ve collected, old garments with important details, photographs, clippings, and drawings. I’ll compile new material selections and recent inspiration, and see how all things get along. Initially, it helps me to talk things out a little. Brainstorming helps me get familiar with the parameters of a particular project. I (usually) think designing within limits and according to rules is much of the fun.

Once I have swatches and artifacts and drawings and stimulation and collaborative input and lots of information, I work solo, processing what I’ve absorbed. I’ll test and sample, compare iterations, respond to how things are working together (or not). Nothing beats actually working with the real materials, so I start making prototypes as soon as I can. At some point, a few things – either ideas or materials or silhouettes – start to stand out and a bigger picture takes shape. I love that moment when all the bits and pieces that used to be a jumble become clear.

After development, comes refining – lots of fittings, culling the line, dialing in the details and trims – and then we field test the final pieces and get feedback. This last step – feedback about how our pieces exist in the world – is one of the most important to us because we generally design things that get better over time.

What kind of art/design/objects might you have scattered about the space?

I think my favorite piece is one my grandmother had hanging in her office for as long as I can remember. It’s a series of butterfly wing photographs, taken at such close range that the pattern in each wing looks like a letter of the alphabet. The images spell the sentence “All finite things reveal infinitude.” There’s tenderness to having this message, from my grandmother, in my space now.

I’ve always collected things like feathers, wings, shells, etc. because they exemplify the relationship between two things that are seemingly at odds. In hanging the butterfly wing picture, I realized: it’s the finite and infinitude coexisting together in one object that I’m drawn to. I’m also fascinated by the relationship between the natural and industrial. I’m continually collecting examples of these things and keep some of them out around the room for inspiration.

In terms of proper art, Shaun Richard’s car crash painting is one of the first pieces we ever purchased and its as powerful now as they day we first hung it. And for Christmas, Victor gave me one of Bill Thelan’s illustrations (of a pickle) because I’ve got pretty serious love of pickles.

Sarah’s quilt

What tools do you most enjoy using in the design process?

My shears are beautiful, and perhaps the most important tool for a clothing maker. I rely heavily on my industrial single needle sewing machine; I’ve sewn almost every prototype and every special project we’ve made with it. And thread. I love picking the perfect color from a rainbow of spools of thread.

Tell us about a current project you’re working on. What was the inspiration behind it?

I’ve been working on this textile piece that has turned into a quilt. It started with two tiny scraps of fabric I loved, sewed together. I’ve been adding to those initial pieces, whenever I have time, using darker material as I go. It’s become a denim blanket with an almost white center, an almost black edge, and beautiful blue gradient in between. I’ve been working on it for about a year now. It almost has become a meditation.

Is there a favorite project/piece you’ve worked on?

Another piece that’s dear to me is my pair of broken-in denim jeans. I’ve been patching and patching, and I will keep patching for as long as humanly possible. Someone recently offered to buy them, but I’ve given them so much time and so many stitches, I don’t think I’ll ever part with them.

Do you feel like you’ve “made it”? What has made you feel like you’ve become successful? At what moment/circumstances? Or what will it take to get there?

I don’t think a whole lot about “making it.” I feel successful when I’m making progress, able to enjoy my work, and when the people I work with are proud of and enjoy their work. I think that’s the case most of the time, so I feel successful to some degree. But I feel success in moments; it isn’t something I dwell on or a mindset I stay in. Sometimes it’s gone almost as soon as I recognize it, and then I focus on what’s next, how to be better. I know I’m in a good spot when I look back and feel proud of what we do and am simultaneously excited about the future.

What’s on your desk right now?

I just cleaned it off, so probably some jeans, a stack of papers, Post-it notes, fabric headers, rulers, scissors, pens and pencils, and two or three tiny things that make me smile.

Do you have anything in your home that you’ve designed/created?

Other than clothing, we have an old school chair upholstered in the material we designed with Bernhardt Design. It’s a pattern that evolved from an old sketch I had from my days in Design School. We also have some pottery I made at Penland, a table Victor made, and so many other small things, it’s kind of hard to keep track.

via http://design-milk.com/

from WordPress https://connorrenwickblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/where-i-work-sarah-yarborough-of-raleigh-denim-workshop/

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usedcarsinchennai-blog1 · 6 years

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See How Actual Diet program Will work Low Carb Cafe (Unique)

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nyklifsondiviiportfolio-blog · 7 years

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Division II Retrospective

Nyk Lifson

Hampshire College 2017

Taking Invertebrate Zoology was a great class. We spent a week studying cephalopods and then I got to dissect two sepia officinalis, common cuttlefish. This was a fantastic learning experience where my interest in my own personal gender exploration is realized in marine life. Dwarf male cuttlefish in many species participate in mating rituals where they flash “female” patterns to appear female to pass by large male cuttlefish to deliver their sperm packets to impressed females. Queering of gender happens more often in invertebrates, which is something that binary science does not teach. In school systems we still label parts of plants as having female and male reproductive organs which makes no sense. There are not even two genders within humans, intersex people exist. But, we are taught that this is unnatural? Slipper-shell snails of New England are hermaphroditic and often both reproduce and send off sperm. This is a very common endemic mollusc, yet these are not common facts that are taught? Instead charismatic megafauna is what conservation focuses on. But, what about transgender organisms?

Homosexuality and the blurring of gender lines are extremely common even within mammals. I was able to continue looking into these studies. I feel like this is important work, not that anyone is going to trust studies anyways because radicals will not even believe in climate change. But I am not studying why people stay willfully ignorant, I am lucky enough to be studying parrotfish with supermales and land snails that change their organs to reproduce whenever a mate crosses their path. Humans are the ones lacking in evolution, stuck in a binary. That is why my Div II is still called getting weird underwater. I leave division two needing two more class requirements and a project to complete The Five College Marine and Coastal Science Certificate.

I did not study enough film in these past two years, and that is one of my bigger regrets. I had tried to get into the claymation class being offered this past spring, but messed up my scheduling. I am imperfect. I am not the most organized person. I also am not the best when it comes to due dates. I work on these skills every day, but can only achieve so much when working a job, playing rugby, being a signer, and a full time student. I took Video 1 with Lucretia Knapp, it was a Queer film class where I learned to make a rotoscope. I filmed in interesting abandoned locations and made a music video for my non-binary friend and invited other trans* friends to come into the woods and make art with me. I got to break some bottles, splatters some queers with blood, and had a great time. The editing process went not as well as I planned due to an unforeseen concussion I got playing rugby my 1st spring semester of Div II. I finished my classes that semester and then went abroad over the summer, so everything worked out. Both videos I made in this class I will have links to in my portfolio.

The more important skills I learned in my time at Hampshire are that I am a survivalist. I can and will flourish. I am capable to continuing on. I have to do more work than others to grow and I try hard every day. I will not let my past or who others think I am stop me from living. I will not let people, places, or unknown languages be barriers to my discovery and thirst for knowledge.

One important part of my growth was that I realized I am an alcoholic. This really stunted me at Hampshire. Many professors told me to take a semester off. I know myself. If I went on medical leave I would not have come back. I would not finish school for years. I wonder what would have happened if I had transferred or left, but I did not. I stuck with my education. I want a degree because no matter what happens to me in this world, no one can take my education from me. I am privileged to have family who can pay for part of my schooling and to have access to a liberal arts college like hampshire. Many of my friends in Kentucky went to state schools and then fell through the cracks. I am grateful to Hampshire. That being said I became the jaded older student I knew I would be. Hampshire is still an institution, so it is inherently racist/sexist/ableist/homophobic/and transphobic. That can be seen in my mostly white professors and being misgendered in evaluations. That is felt on campus. This is all relevant because I withdrew from classes each semester because I had too high of expectations for someone in recovery. I always want to learn more than my workload can truly handle.

Around 4am the night before my Prose Poetry final portfolio was due I realized how little I have done in the last two years. This was startling. It washed over me. But now in the light of day I see that is not true. I can argue why this should not matter due to being a Hampshire student. I have had a job this year while working, being in recovery, taking classes at three colleges, and living in a trump era. It is difficult to write job applications when all I really am interested in academically is queer fish and dragons. Oddly enough, I just want to be a firefighter or first responder, which is not what I am taking classes for.; I want to someday have enough money to house multiple foster kids. I will most likely not have a legal gender in my home state. And my average life span to beat is 26. I know this is supposed to be about my academics, but I don’t want to go to graduate school.

After reading A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway and Embracing true monstrosity, I gave my character, Iphis wings to fly. I wrote in a dragon myth after learning about Queer dragon-based creation stories from Ancient Ghana. I have inspected my everyday colonialism. Sitting in a mostly white class in Massachusetts. Every cryptid is dragged through the dirt. Looking at geographical mountain ranges and local reptiles in the area. Dragons are a powerful myth in mosts cultures around the world. Dragons live among humans. Some humans are dragons. We are constantly trying to build from trauma and hurt others. I took took risks and did research for my upcoming DIV III. I am planning on taking an oceanography class next summer. I also am taking two marine science classes next year. I have to live in the science world to have a say in it. But I have a proposal for my research project. I want to draw a coloring book of queer sea creatures. Ones that science talks circles around to make sense of a gender that does not matter. I could title it “Nemo was a lie” but I won’t. Clownfish always have one that is the largest that can lay eggs. They change systems for this rule. The rest are at a certain age changing to what binary-biased-science deems, female.

A degree is one of the few things in life no one can take away from me once I obtain. I could lose a house, car, children, pets, the clothes off my back, but never the knowledge I cultivate. My life may be taken away but never my schooling. I owe it to those who are not fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to go to a liberal arts school, or college in general. That is the argument I have used to stop myself from dropping out. The animosity I have experienced from students and administrators on this campus has made me want to leave on a multitude of occasions. I live off campus and no matter how many times I am offered to drop out I march on towards an oval diploma. Because learning never ends. Neither does my passion.

I took many classes in preperation for Division III and have been seeking literature for reference in my free time. I have continued to study androgyny in fiction and how race intersects with feminine and masculine imagery.

In my Prose poetry class I did my presentation on Audre Lorde; a black lesbian, poet, and activist. I read speeches and her compilations of poems late at night in the Mount Holyoke Library. My other presentation was on Yusef Komuntakaa and two of his works. He mainly deals with the vietnam war and experiencing cross-generational diaspora.

In Professor Susan Loza’s class I learned about marginalized monstrosity. I read Octavia Butler, Ursula Leguin, and this fantastic article called Punks Bulldaggers and Queers. I wrote about the consumption of bodies and queer people of color. Constructed bodies through diaspora and trauma. I think this needs to be a requirement. Being open minded and respectful of historical oppression that is the elephant in the room in everyday life.

In Dragon Myths--Global Symbols of of Power at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I gave a presentation on Both South African cryptids and Eastern European myths. In addition I researched in my free time each week background information at every myth would read. I strengthened my research skills by looking through an anthropological lense. We asked questions about how the victors of colonization might have changed these stories? How do local religions and systems of power influence oral story-keeping? How can typography and endemic species influence these mythological creatures? How do bias’ come into play? How could translations have changed from the primary source?

Learning for learning’s sake is rewarding but hard to explain why my education isn’t a waste of time. I have hated school passionately since I was in middle school. I went to both private and public learning institutions and both seemed full of bull shit. But maybe that is just life? It is not that I do not want to gain knowledge, but the way that normalized education systems go about it makes me want to rip my hair out. That is why I am so grateful to Hampshire. I have been able to follow my interests with very little push-back and a whole lot of understanding. I am not planning on going to graduate school and I sure as hell did not think I would make it this far at any institutional learning facility. The fact I am finishing my third year of college alive, with my head held high, is a goddamn miracle. I was thinking of how to change my Division two contract to seem professional and like I know what I am doing. But, in the last three years the glimmer of truth has show through to the surface; no one at this damn school knows what is going on. So, instead of lying through my teeth, here is a full account of what I have fought tooth and nail to learn.

Invertebrate Zoology with Stan Rachootin was incredible. I missed plenty of class due to it being at 8:35am at Mount Holyoke twice a week and then 9am on Fridays, but I only missed one lab. We studied molluscs for two weeks and one those consisted of cephalopods. Considering in depth interest in cuttlefish, I was overjoyed. I dove into my studies and made it out with an A- in the class. I got to dissect not one, but two sepia officinalis and a multitude of other inverts including a lugworm and a scallop. Stan lent me reading materials on cephalopods including an anatomical guide for sepias. I gained insight into sequential hermaphroditism and how common it is among marine invertebrates and fish. This has sparked a personal study of mine compiling a list of queer marine organisms. There are so many clear instances in science where the gender binary is a hindrance upon data collection. I hope to unpack and then rearrange that data in my own research on creatures such as parrotfish and moray eels.

I was in over my head in my Conservation Biology class at Amherst College. I made that decision, though. I wanted to be in a 300 level class where I was the only 2nd year compared to the seniors and juniors. My writing was not that great. I was battling my addictions and myself that semester. I missed a presentation and turned in a paper with horribly done citations. I did give two well thought out and researched presentations, one in a group and one by myself. My teacher was not quite impressed with how I presented my work. My final research project was on cuttlefish conservation. No shock there. That class required a post a week on our readings and to read many wordy articles to be discussed in class. I held my own in a room with more experienced Amherst students. Most importantly we all learned how to look for bias and statistical flaws in scientific articles. Which, in turn, helped me in my research.

I am studying video, yes I am including this even though I only took one film class. I still am passionate about film. I have been doing projects on the side and tried to take multiple classes but either they clashed with my schedule or I was unable to get into them. Independently I have made vlog pieces and an animation. I continue to study film outside of class. In Myth’s of America I did a final project based on Emily Dickinson. I went out into the woods in the pioneer valley for my own work and then experimented with found footage. This piece was a discovery in collaborative work and got me through the grieving process over my past self and my grandfather passing away that semester.

I took a Queer Film class with Lucretia Napp. It was a positive experience. I learned how to make a rotoscope animation, which was very exciting. Then I made a music video for my friend with all non-binary representation in the footage. There was a lot of fake blood and a lot of queers, which is the epitome of a fun film shoot. I was recovering from a concussion I received while playing rugby, so my editing was not my best work. But, I overall am happy with the way it turned out and Cass Hoke, the musician and a dear friend, loved the outcome. In addition, I was exposed to a lot of queer documentary and short film work that I had never seen before. Those influences benefitted my end project.

Creative writing, the book that is a little bird trapped in the cage of my soul and has been begging to fly out. I just needed the key, and that key was Nell Arnold. Being in a room with her I felt like a fraud. I am no artist, and as you can see I have no understanding of grammar rules. Yet, I found myself lucky enough to be one of the 16 people chosen to be in her group. I got to explore characters that I would be friends with. But mostly, I got to listen to Nell. I had never been in a room with someone who made me feel like a better writer by sharing the same oxygen. Her diction is on point and she is ever-so-eloquent. I worked my butt off in that room, editing peer work and trying to not be afraid to write from perspectives that I struggled imagining.

Both of my classes with Thom Haxo were for my mental health. He is the same flavor crazy that I am, so we got along smashingly. I found a niche where I produced upcycled artwork based on my creative writing. I was able to create performance pieces where I would read out loud and interact with the art physically while bringing viewers into the story. This helped me with figuring out my process in designing characters. I am not in school for my art because that is more of a coping skill than something I want to study, but I plan on having illustrations as a final part of my DIV III. Thom’s class boosted me in my confidence with my work and to not be afraid to go with what feels right.

In Susanna Loza’s class I kickstarted my research for my division three. I read Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway, Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, and The Left Hand of Darkness, and many other valuable works. My final paper looks into depictions of androgyny in science fiction and fantasy. The saddening part was how little representation I found in both research and actual literature I could read. I was hindered by emotional setbacks, rendering me unable to fulfill the amount of time I needed for research and actually writing my paper. I am not pleased with my end work, but I am so glad I was able to spend time in a theory class looking into what I am most interested in. This was a valuable class that opened my awareness and I worked more on my multicultural perspective. Cyborgs are androgynous, aliens can be, scifi full of asexually reproducing being is trans*.

Why did I withdraw from so many classes? First you must know what add drop looks like for me. I start out being enrolled in as many classes as possible, show up to the first class for all of them, and then withdraw from the ones I do not need/like/or can not make it to. After that I often will stay in a larger class load than I can handle because I am optimistic in my goals at the beginning of the semester. I am paying enough money that I try to get my money’s worth from school. This goes south about midway and I will realize that I have either not gone to a class or am unable to keep up with the demands. I withdrew from RAD because it is a gendered self defense program that is partially taught by a cisgendered male. I never went to a single class because of those two reasons. I withdrew from Oceanography because my seasonal depression made it difficult to get out of bed at the ungodly hour of 7am to catch a bus in the morning. I am disappointed in myself because I needed to take Oceanography to for credit in the Five College Marine and Coastal Science Certificate I am working towards, but hopefully I will take the needed class over the summer.

I regret not being a Teacher’s Assistant for Pat, because she is doing great work at Hampshire. Lemelson is a cis-male dominated space that tries to be inclusive, but like most shops, falls short. She is being payed not enough to do so much. I took glass blowing from her and realized that my hands are amazing tools. Pat has been fighting the patriarchy in shops for years by teaching and creating like a badass. I had wish I had had enough spoons to TA that class, but I really needed to take care of myself. The bond we could have explored is a loss I still am saddened by. This is one of my bigger disappointments.

I am proud of myself for:

Being a Signer of the QCA

Asking for help (writing center/talking to teachers)

Taking classes at all five colleges

(mostly) Navigating the PVTA

I realized that my goals from DIV II were actually just me knowing what I wanted to do during my DIV III. The road to my final projects was confusing and a journey, but I do feel like I cam out the other end with skills for my future. These past two years I have acquired so much self-wisdom, but that is hard to put into an academic context, even though it happened within an academic bubble. So what did I do? I wrote, read, and remained undead. I dreamed and hung out with starfish. I am my biggest critic. But, I have accomplished so much in spite of all of my pitfalls. I am prepared to write a book and make a coloring book my last year. I gained some maturity and learned some valuable life lessons. I figured out my work ethic and found my voice.

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benhallpart3 · 7 years

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Part 3 Evaluative Statement

My Part 3 project has opened up new avenues in my practice I had not yet considered, and while it looks different from what I laid out in my proposal, I feel this is of no detriment to its quality. My proposal’s title was a Magnus Plessen quote taken from a book of his I own, and this is an example of one of these newfound avenues - library based research during my project. I’ve found reading what artists write about their processes and practice not just fascinating but invaluable in informing my own work. Plessen’s quote captured a vein of my practice that until then I had found ineffable, and I have found the same come true with artists like Uwe Wittwer and Kazuo Ohno. Knowing this as I do now I will assuredly seek artists’ writings in my future projects. Practical, studio-based research has remained vital to me, hardly any of my pieces have ended up the way I would have guessed – I sometimes feel they makes themselves, commanding when to be worked on and when they are finished (the above right piece is an example). My aforementioned contextual references were key to guiding the course of my project from the outset. In the early stages I was given lift by seeing shows by Plessen, Tschabalala Self and Michael Andrews, further compounded by the work of Wittwer, Ohno, Andrea Mantegna, Peter Hujar and more found in the library and online. Ohno’s emotional philosophy in his dance has helped serve for years as a tonal and conceptual backbone for the work I create, and by learning from artists like Wittwer and Hujar I found practical avenues through which to channel this emotional intent. At every stage of my project I have been surrounded by images of artists’ work on the walls of the studio and in my sketchbook - I always work this way and I find using others’ ideas and making them completely my own results in my most proficient work. I took this a step further than usual this time by working directly from another’s photograph of Ohno, but I added a transformative quality to make it decisively my work.

The way my project has developed and my exploration of materials and processes really go hand in hand. The ‘chain’ of idea development in my case has tended to flow from research into subject matter and techniques, which are then refined through practice. From this point my development could be described as ‘thinking through making’ - for example the conjunction of my isolated charcoal drawing with reconstituted foam came about due to working with both in the studio rather than being premeditated. This approach also helped me abandon concepts that weren’t as effective in practice as I had hoped and pursue more fruitful inquiries. For example, through working extensively from my street photography I began to realise its limitations and became exhausted with it, then moving on to new subject matter through further research. This approach has worked well for me, although I found it more effective over a longer period of time during Part 2 as opposed to the more limited timescale of this project. I set out aiming to achieve breadth in my exploration of materials and I feel I have certainly achieved this, and while I feel I have paid due attention to most that I have approached I wish that I had devoted more time to more traditional painting, as I had in Part 2. The influence of Wittwer and Wolfgang Tillmans lead me to exploring photography and digital manipulation, before working from these images in a variety of materials. Drawing, as usual, was key to my exploration throughout my project, informing my use of more unorthodox materials like spray paint, textiles and especially orange reconstituted foam sheet. This foam became the focus of the latter half of my project as it fulfilled an element of my proposal - the desire to work with a more 3D, physical and visceral material that I could still use in a painterly way. I am satisfied with my exploration of this foam and its dialogues with other media, but of course feel there is much more potential than I was able to realise fully in 6 weeks. I look forward to using it again in the future.

The change from reflecting in a physical logbook to reflecting on a Tumblr blog has suited my way of working very well. Being able to dynamically compile my reflective writing alongside images of my work and other supporting references has helped me rationalise and formalise my practice with more depth and consistency than I have managed before. It is quick and easy to see my project develop by scrolling through my Tumblr, and I enjoyed putting care into crafting and presenting the blog thematically. Reflecting on Tumblr has helped me self criticise more immediately and sharply than previously, allowing me to sift through my own work often and map the evolution of my thought process. From now on I will always use Tumblr to aid my reflection. I’ve also been good at managing my time and mapping out the tasks immediately ahead of me, but simultaneously found that at both drafts of my action plan I’ve diverged quickly and significantly from plans more than a few days in advance. I have not felt this as a negative however – I am still happy with what I have achieved and the efficiency with which I have achieved it. I think my process driven approach to my work explains why I couldn’t keep to a long term plan – at every stage my project had new life breathed into it by the stage before. I feel that my initial aspirations were quite ambitious, and this high but vague long-term goal was key in pitching me in a direction. I think for me the ideal structure to plan my project by is a distant but lofty idea in my head and then manage each day afresh as they come. This also explains in my mind why consolidating my extensive explorations into ‘final pieces’ has historically been something I’ve found difficult. I found the most intellectually challenging part of my project was to decide when and how to make an ‘outcome,’ and in terms of this body of work what that word meant. Perhaps next time I would allow longer for transforming my ongoing exploration of process into something more climactic, and maybe pay more attention to using paint, but at the same time I feel to restrict myself in this way would be disingenuous. I feel that the reason I struggle with making and identifying outcomes has a lot to do with my process driven way of working, and this is also the reason why my project has diverged from what I set out in my proposal. I am still very happy with my project, but it certainly has spent more time working with foam and less time working with paint and on floor-based pieces than I had anticipated - to no detriment in my mind, it was just where the work took me.

#proposal

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stellacarrierimaginationbuilders · 7 years

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Two Secrets of Communications From Beyond Freestyle Story by Stella Carrier

Affirmations

I certainly know how to open doors in all areas of my life for myself.

I successfully learn to enjoy my life at all times regardless of whether I am a supporter in the role of life or thrust into the limelight.

I put forth my best efforts in a harm-free manner regardless of how they are judged.

I put forth my most creative and enthusiastic efforts regardless of how many supporters or critics there are of my methods

I successfully transform all challenges into opportunities for greater learning and positive spiritual evolution.

My psychic/intuitive abilities and my wisdom expand each day.

My writing abilities improve even more each day.

I am creating heaven on earth

https://www.orindaben.com/pages/rooms/affirmations_room/

My ability to look at the future with clear vision is increasing.

My value and worth are increased by everything I do.

Everything I do adds beauty, harmony, order, and light to the universe.

Two Secrets of Communications From Beyond Freestyle Story by Stella Carrier- Start time; 400 am

End time 500am

High school counselor Leticia Ali enjoys her job as a school counselor at a popular high school in Los Angeles, California. In her free time, Leticia Ali makes a living as both a model and a psychic career coach. Currently, Leticia Ali is in her 50’s but she is blessed with good looks similar to the physical appearance of one of the models in Austin Mahone’s Mmm Yeah music video feat. Pitbull.

Leticia Ali is able to generate a good living from the prosperous living she has made as both an accomplished school counselor and a psychic career coach specializing with helping older women in their late 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s creating a blueprint of their career goals in alignment with their life purpose. Leticia had a dream similar to the music video of Yeah by Steve Angello that made her realize that her life mission is to help other older women create more prosperous livelihoods. What makes Leticia Ali’s expertise unique in this aspect is that she is able to intuitively see the careers and professional paths that are wide open and have bright futures for the female clients that see her.

Leticia also keeps an open mind to helping other age groups as well. For instance, Leticia has helped her twin daughters aged 18 get into popular colleges in the Washington D.C. area that gave them full ride scholarships. Both Leticia’s friends and even her politician husband named Ronald thought she was crazy to send both her daughters back east until one daughter got a job as a college instructor at George Washington University. The other daughter worked as a housekeeper while going to college also in the Washington D.C. area, transferred to another school as an event planner, and then successfully switched paths to a school administrator at the school she was originally employed as a janitor for.

Both daughters are making a prosperous living with paid for houses. One daughter lives a mile from George Washington University while the other daughter lives a mile from Georgetown University. However, it is three different success stories of three women in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s that Leticia Ali helped that transformed the lives of the both the women seeking her advice and that of Leticia’s.

The first client of Leticia Ali is a 39 year old woman who is a native of San Diego California and looks like one of the female models in David Guetta’s sexy chick music video feat. Akon named Maureen Cooper. Maureen Cooper’s parents Evie and Keith Cooper have been married for 40 years now. Evie Cooper is a retired former store manager turned public relations specialist for Costco Wholesale while Keith Cooper is a retired Event planning manager and former CVS associate. Both parents hired Leticia to advise Maureen on her future life path. A vision of the song Around the World by ATC and a Switzerland sign gave Leticia the idea to advise Maureen to take a 6 month academic program in Switzerland related to getting a certificate for her marketing interests.

Despite the concern about Maureen being 34 years old, she went ahead to Switzerland and she succeeded in getting both a job in Switzerland through her 6 month internship program and making an income that was twice what she made two years earlier. Maureen turned her life around despite the doubts from others and her parents. Maureen figured out to how to transform this doubt both from others and from within herself for important creative energy to succeed in her goals.

The second client Sharon Macdonald was a 47 year old woman who lived in Bethesda Maryland but heard of Leticia through a friend. Sharon Macdonald looked like Jes known for singing the upbeat and haunting Heaven (Myon Remix) and she had been happily married for 27 years to a good man named Paul Thompson who resembles country singer Josh Turner known for such songs as You’re Man. Paul Thompson works as an Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Navy and was concerned about his wife Sharon who made a good living as a middle school teacher but was ready for a change.

Leticia had an intuitive breakthrough in her dream that allowed her to help Sharon via a dream where Madonna was performing the Physical Attraction song up on stage and she was surrounded by other celebrities in the audience also watching the performance such as Taylor Swift and Eddie Sheeran. Sharon overheard Ed Sheeran asking Taylor Swift do you think Madonna would be up for me singing Shape of You during one of her performances.

This realization in the dream made Leticia Adams realize that hearing about this song gave her an important clue that Sharon needed to heal her weight to help her get ahead not just professionally but on a spiritual level. The concert and dialogue she noticed caused Leticia to see another door in the concert to go through.

Leticia waited until the end of the concert to go through the door in this dream. Leticia went through a yellow and red door that had her go through the outdoors where she noticed people camping outside in tents but in a background forest setting similar to what she spotted on a Scando nova cd cover in waking life.

Leticia comes up towards thirty three people holding hands and circling around a large purple and blue tent. Leticia Adams tries to ask at least one of the people dancing around the tent what they are doing. However, she gets no answer just smiles from the thirty three men and women dancing around. Yet, she sees two silhouettes of two people hugging inside of a tent transform into a screen that helps her understand what is going on; Leticia sees that some of the social media links and comments, as well as reviews that Sharon has posted online have affected her life both for the overall good but a few that she posted innocently that are harboring clues on what she needs to go do move forward that are separate from her weight. Less than a few seconds later, she feels a benevolent female and male spirit approaching her but with a sense of mystery when they both gently place a book in front of Leticia that Sharon wrote and submitted for publication.

Leticia glances at the book, which is also a compilation of some of Sharon’s blog posts. She realizes that Sharon has been able to decipher messages from her spirit from some of the songs that pop up in her mind and start to play on local radio andor online less than 5 minutes later or less. Her own spirit has been trying to direct her towards what to write about and Sharon’s book and blog, even though it is about other characters completely different from her own are influencing Sharon to experience the same parallels in her own life. As the two silhouette figures in the tent proceed to come out and join the group, Leticia is awoken by her politician husband who came to innocently wake her up for “quality time”. Leticia tries to decide if she ought to tell her husband the following discoveries she figured out from her recent dream; i.e. the key to greater wisdom is increased focus on gaining that in real life regardless of judgment accrued, even a person living in obscurity has the potential to write stories, blog posts, and even reviews that influence their life outcome but they can positively change/transform it around by aiming for goals close to what has been experience during their high points and the older a person gets/the longer they are alive-a person’s higher self sends them essential yet vital message clues through songs that are randomly played on their favorite radio stations, and last but not least even some of the miniature items related to personal goals that a person comes across are signposts of attention that the higher self/soul is trying to direct a person towards.

Songs For March 25, 2017: Sexy chick by David Guetta feat. Akon, Yeah by Steve Angelo, Your Man by Josh Turner, Heaven (Myon Remix) by Jes, Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, Mmm Yeah by Austin Mahone feat. Pitbull, Physical Attraction by Madonna, Around The World by ATC (A Touch of Class)

Resources

The book Law of Attraction For Business by Rebecca Hanson page 50

I have been blessed to always attract enough money through both good times and challenging times since the time I was at least 18 years old. I have experienced what it is like to make 3,000 a month after taxes (during my time in the military), 2100 a month after taxes (multiple times since residing in the Washington D.C. area legally), and other after tax amounts of income that are too personal for me to discuss, yet were fortunately always at least no less than 772 dollars a month after taxes and an average of at least over 1000-1200 dollars or more after taxes a month. As a result, I have learned to understand how blessed I am yet finding realistic mainstream media articles tailored to the situation of my husband and I are tricky at times. Coming across this article, inspirationally reminds me to count my blessings because the woman sharing her story has succeeded in thriving on a modest income with a family of four.

http://humbleinaheartbeat.com/how-we-lived-on-less-than-1500-a-month/

How We Lived on Less than $1,500 a Month for Over a Year I Saved $5,000 by Renting Everything From Cars to Clothes

By Taylor Milam

https://grow.acorns.com/2016/05/i-saved-5000-by-renting-everything-from-cars-to-clothes/

These Super Savers Are Socking Away at Least 20 Percent (and You Can, Too) by Natasha Burton

https://grow.acorns.com/2016/04/these-super-savers-are-socking-away-at-least-20-percent/

These Super Savers Are Socking Away at Least 20 Percent (and You Can, Too) by Natasha Burton

http://spartantraveler.com/how-i-saved-15000-for-world-travel/

How I saved $15,000 in 15 months on a $29k Salary

https://grow.acorns.com/2016/05/want-to-be-a-millionaire-it-all-about-hitting-your-splits/

15 Simple Ways to Save (Without Being a Social Recluse)

http://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-learn-critical-life-changing-skills-3-2017

18 places to learn critical skills that will change your life

http://www.businessinsider.com/25-websites-that-will-make-you-smarter-2014-11

25 Websites That Will Make You Smarter

http://www.businessinsider.com/strategies-quick-learners-use-to-pick-up-anything-2014-4

10 Strategies Quick Learners Use To Pick Up Anything

http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-greenes-mastery-2012-11

27 Tips For Mastering Anything

https://www.benzinga.com/media/cnbc/17/03/9209087/5-daily-habits-highly-successful-people-cant-live-without?utm_campaign=partner_feed&utm_source=yahooFinance&utm_medium=partner_feed&utm_content=site

Psychic Anne Jirsch’s recent discussion on social media shares

Psychic Lynn Robinson’s guide on my career and long-term residence dreams

Psychic Colette Baron Reid in regards to the positive message she sent that stated When I allow spirit to work through me I am strong enough to move mountains and overcome any obstacle, inside or out

The fun facebook exercise; You’re Meant For Great Things

5 Daily Habits Highly Successful People Can't Live Without

Reviews I decided to incorporate into my story

https://events.musepaintbar.com/welcome/index/gaithersburg?_ga=1.157565369.264374587.1489262204

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cvs-pharmacy-washington-97

I was at this CVS Pharmacy store ( near the Foggy Bottom metro/George Washington University in Washington D.C.)less than 36 hours ago. The pros; there were some unique items that I hadn’t previously seen inside of a CVS store before such as; a 10.2 ounce Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Butter Cream (leave in treatment conditioner with coconut, jojoba, and macadamia oils), Garnier Whole Blends coconut oil and coconut butter leave in hair conditioner, a decent set of affordable earings, nutella cups to go, and some Quaker brand girl scout thin mint granola bars. One of the employees near the hair section came up to me in an enthusiastic manner to see if I needed any help. The self-checkout machine I used worked ok.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/wiseguy-pizza-washington

I had some pizza from Wiseguy Pizza (near the Foggybottom metro/George Washington University in Washington D.C.) less than 36 hours ago. The pros; the employees were nice and easily accommodated my request to have the two pizza slices I requested to go (I had a slice with mushrooms which I think was the mushroom truffle and I saved the Backyard slice-comes with kalamata olives, green pepper, mozzarella etc. for my husband). In addition to the good customer service, the pizza slices were reasonably priced.

Less than 18 hours ago, my husband decided to eat some food inside the Wheaton Mall food court before getting some groceries from Costco that was close by. I decided to eat at Subway inside the mall food court and had a 6 inch spicy Italian sandwich with onions, pickles, tomatoes, black olives, sweet onion sauce, red pepper topping, oregano, some salt on Italian cheese herbs bread. I had a Barq’s rootbeer to drink with 2 of their cookies (chocolate chip and raspberry cheesecake flavored). The food came out tasting good and both the employee making my sandwich and the cashier were friendly.

The latest trip to Costco inside the Wheaton mall (near the Wheaton metro in Wheaton Maryland) occurred less than 17 hours ago. My husband and I decided to get some groceries in bulk such as the following; a pack of hotdogs similar to what they sell in the Costco food court as listed on the package, some El Montrey brand chicken and cheese taquitos, Premio brand sweet Italian sausage, Kirkland brand Italian sausage and beef lasagna, Meal Mart brand beef brisket, Mon Cuisine Natural Rib Eye. Both the cashier who scanned our groceries and the front entrance person who looked over our receipt were friendly. The overall total of what my husband and I got came out to 95 dollars and 52 cents for food supply amounts that are going to easily hold us over for at least 2-3 weeks.

Theme message; song spirit message, people creating realities through the links they share and stories generated

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