#i am researching alts but would love help choosing

[heywriters]

do any of you use an alternative to itunes that you would recommend? i have an old ipod i still use, but am loathe to download itunes onto my new PC

#tech question #advice pls #i am researching alts but would love help choosing #alternatively help me jailbreak my ipod lol #music

[shinobuscanonwife]

HIHII!! Kikuo Anon is backk!! And i am now awake xD

Thank you for doing my other request! I love all the demon slayer characters really, so that wont be nothing to worry about (^^) i also had a hard time choosing a character but now i have one!

Could i request The Hashiras & maybe Zenitsu Agatsuma and Enmu (execpt Gyomei) With a S/O who has a Elysia Personality from Honkai Impact 3rd

(So… I’m not good at explaining her personality as well as the others so i would highly suggest researching her personality for a litgle before writing this but i’ll show some pictures of what she looks like)

Thank you so much and have a amazing day!! (Here are the pictures as well!! Please dont mind this blog😭 this is my alt im still renovating)

shes so prettyyy omg im so happy i have her in the game ^^

AAAAAA I LOVE HER SM HER AND APONIA R MY FAV CHARACTERS

Zenitsu

He dies every time he talks to you but like in a good way. You always tell him how handsome he is and for the first time, he feels genuinely loved. He can sometimes be quite negative about things so your cheerful and positive personality is really helpful for him. He gets kind of jealous sometimes because you seem to compliment/praise everyone you run into. One time Tanjiro was with you and Zenitsu and you started telling Tanjiro that you liked his earrings and how you thought he was very strong. Zenitsu looked at you with a disappointed frown on his face. Don't worry though you assured him that you didn't have any feelings for Tanjiro and only loved him.

Enmu

The way you constantly encourage and praise him does something to this man like his face is bright red every time you say something slightly encouraging to him. Most of the demons he spends his time with aren't very cheerful so it's nice to talk to someone as cheerful as you. He gets jealous a lot too. Not like Zenitsu but he still wishes you wouldn't be so friendly with everyone.

Mitsuri

Bro every time you compliment her she dies. You and her kind of have a similar personality so it makes sense that you two started dating. Sometimes she brings you to training sessions with her and you'll just be cheering her on the whole time and she can't focus on her training because she's so flustered. She loves your compliments so much omg. She's a bit insecure about how she looks but you reassuring her that she looks gorgeous is literally all she needs.

Shinobu

Loves your cheerful personality. After a long day of missions and dealing with the other Hashira coming home to you is all she needs. Your personality is so comforting to her. You praise her constantly whether it be you praising her during a training session or you praising her for making a new medicine it doesn't matter she adores it all.

Sanemi

He gets so flustered whenever you compliment him. "Sanemi is that a new scar? Wow, it makes you look so handsome dear" You told him one night when he got back from a mission. His face immediately turned red. "Yeah, whatever go to sleep it's late >:(" Gets really jealous really easily. He hates when you compliment another Hashira. He knows it's just how you are but he still can't help but get angry whenever you compliment another Hashira. Especially if it's another man. Like he saw you praising Giyuu after a training session he had. Giyuu was getting visibly flustered and when Sanemi saw that he took it the wrong way and just glared at him. Giyuu saw Sanemi and as soon as he did Giyuu interrupted your praises and said "I'm sorry Y/n. I must go"

Giyuu

You and him were complete opposites. You were extremely cheerful and you complimented everyone. You did kind of have a secretive side to you but that's the only flaw you had. And Giyuu was quiet and kind of negative. Surprisingly he liked your personality but whenever you complimented him his face immediately turns red. "Hey Giyuu has anyone ever told you that they like your eyes? I think you have the most beautiful eyes in the world.. " Giyuu wasn't used to people complimenting him he blushed and responded. "Um.. No nobody has ever told me that"

Obanai

Bro he's just gonna die on the spot. Every time you complimented him his whole face went red. "Obanai!! Your eyes are so pretty and your hair is so soft!! You're so pretty :D!!" You said while you were sitting on his lap one day. "Y/n..stop.." He couldn't even make eye contact with you his face was so flushed. He has never really had anyone encourage him or compliment him at all so it's nice to have you even if he does get flustered easily.

Tengen

Tengen thinks you are very flashy!! He doesn't really get flustered when you compliment him he already knows he's amazing so he just responds with "Thank you y/n!! You're very flashy as well!! >:D" He thinks it's very admirable how you try to be nice to everyone even if you don't really care for that person he struggles to do that himself so he asks you how you stay so calm around people you don't like.

Rengoku

Omg he loves you so much. You complementing and encouraging him makes him so happy. He thinks you're the cutest thing ever you get along great with Senjuro too. "Don't worry Senjuro, I think you'll become a fine swordsman. You just need to train a little harder you'll get it soon!!" You told Senjuro when he was feeling a bit down about his sword still not changing color. Rengoku gets flustered sometimes when you compliment him but it's not often. Normally he just gets happy when you compliment him.

Muichiro

He never had someone encourage him so much. Sometimes he gets frustrated about his memory problems and you are always there to encourage him. "Don't worry Mui it's not your fault everyone forgets things" Even if they were simple words they meant a lot to him. He didn't understand how you stayed so cheerful all the time but he loved it. It gave him hope whenever he was upset or frustrated.

Thank you for your request! Have a nice day/night

#kny x reader #kny fluff #kny headcanons #mitsuri x reader #sanemi x reader #shinobu x reader #muichiro x reader #zenitsu x reader #enmu x reader #rengoku x reader #giyuu x reader #tengen x reader #obanai fluff #obanai x reader #muichiro x y/n #giyuu fluff

[optimistpax]

@onewingedsparrow I hope you have fun designing some OCs! I love seeing ppls tf OCs they’re always so fun and cool!

 I’m no expert, but I do love character design so I hope you don’t mind if I over share just a little bit about my design process ahaha

TLDR: I like to think about personality, choose what shapes I want to use to convey said personality, and then mold the alt mode design to that rather than starting with the alt mode.

A small essay on tf and general design thoughts is under the cut though if you want examples and entirely too much detail

This is all entirely overkill u do not have to do this to have fun designing a cool character. This is just me dissecting how i micromanage my own design process bc I’m a massive nerd.

For a character design I usually start out by ironing out some of their key personality traits so that I can make sure to keep them in mind when I’m designing! 

For this example I’m looking at Diode (seen above and below), she’s stubborn, loyal, and holds a grudge. A very steadfast, hard to move character. Because of this I want to make her feel very square and bulky. I want her to look like it would be hard to move her physically as well as mentally/emotionally. This also informs details that might be added later (ex. using a visor rather than eyes to indicate her standoffish nature). 

This is the most important part of character design imo! You want the design to really showcase their personality so make sure their personality is solid!

I was mostly noodling for fun here, so I skipped a bunch of steps but I’ll just touch on them briefly here:

Research:

Normally if I was designing a comic character (a design I’d be drawing hundreds of times and want to be solid so i won’t want to change it half way thru the comic) I’d start out with research.

In the case of transformers OCs research would probably entail compiling a folder full of transformers designs. If you want your design to look functional, make sure to check out images of transforming toys in addition to designs from your favourite tf media. By doing this you’ll be able to take notes on what you do and don’t like about these designs, what ideas you might be able to incorporate to your own designs, and decide on what kind of style you might like to use or steal, how complex you want your design to be etc. Some people suggest making moodboards as well but I personally don’t love making moodboards so usually skip that step and just leave my refs in a folder i can refer to for personal projects ahaha

I did a little analysis of why all circle of light bots look the same (imo they should try harder to look different)

And here’s some doodles exploring how they can be shaken up to look different based on that research:

Depending on how familiar you are with human anatomy, research might also include looking up the human skeleton and musculature. I find thinking about how muscles and bones look and work (and then exaggerating them) extremely helpful for designing robots!

There was another post about designing robots i saw a bit ago by a person much smarter than me comparing mechanical joints to anatomical joints (and how those shapes might translate to a robot) so definitely check that out!

Sketches:

After your research, in theory it’s best to do some really quick low fidelity concept sketches to iron out what basic shapes and proportions you want to use for your character. I skipped that with Diode bc I just wanted to turn my brain off and figured I’d come back and do this step later. Most of the time i end up doing this step on paper just bc it’s easier to do wherever. Unfortunately it also means it’s easier to lose so I don’t have any examples.

The one sketch I did do is maybe a tad cleaner than I usually aim for? It’s important to be able to tell what the shapes are trying to do but you also want to be able to do a whole bunch of them really fast. Speed before quality in this case.

I usually do between 3 and 10 because I’m lazy and am drawing for fun but between 15 and 25 thumbnail sketches is closer to what I do for designs I want to be more polished and solid (like for comics). Sometimes it takes more than that to get it right tho. I designed a table for my grandma for Christmas last year and I did over 90 sketches before I landed on a design I was happy with (yikes!). Of course, this step isn’t necessary if you don’t mind your design evolving each time you draw your character but. you know. It’s an option!

Silhouettes are also a lot of fun to do if you’re making a cast of characters tho! I find them useful regardless, but they can be a really fun way to make your characters stand out from canon characters and from each other!

Here’s some silhouettes I did when @autothotsrollout just got me into tfp and we were tossing around the idea of rewriting exodus/exiles:

And here’s some silhouettes I did analyzing the drift mini series bc all the circle of light dudes look the same and I wanted them all to have different body types lol:

Details and Colour Studies

After getting the general shapes, adding the details is a lot easier! I usually make a base “doll” that I can “dress up” with different clothing or different iterations of mechanical details in the case of transformers.

Finding a real life car/boat/plane etc to steal details off wholesale makes life 1000x easier I highly reccomend it. You could even frankenstein a couple different types of cars together to get a cool alt mode and a cool robot design! This is also where a lot of the research from eariler comes in handy. If you’re designing with a TFP lean, most robots tend to have their wheels in their feet/legs and either as a joint (shoulder or elbow) or rescue bots all have their cabs/windshields as their chests etc! Steal solutions shamelessly.

@autothotsrollout​ said it really well: “If you can figure out where the front of the car is, where the wheels go, and if they have wings where their wings go then you can usually just fudge it from there!”

Digitally that can be done by just copying and pasting a lower opacity sketch layer, but it can also be done traditionally by making your own lightbox!

If you draw your doll on a piece of paper, you can put your phone flashlight (or other bright light) under a glass casserole dish or large see-through tupperware container, and use the light to see your doll drawing while drawing on a seperate piece of paper. or if your shapes are really distinct you can just redraw them each time. But the lightbox is pretty nifty and can definitely save you some time!

once you’ve got a design or two that you like you can test out colours to see what you like and voila! You have a polished and finished character design!

Here’s two of the colour studies I managed to salvage (I am a fool and destructively edit/save things all the time) of my OC Wish!:

And here’s the colours I did for Diode!

I probably won’t stick with these colours, but I haven’t done a lot of transformer design before so i just colour grabbed from the reference it this was a lot of fun! 

#optimist.txt #my art #long post. #character design is my passion ✨ #thank u for enabling me to ramble about design slkdjfhg #for some reason tumblr is being finicky abt what @s will and wont add links so?????

[owlpip]

hey sorry to bother you but i wanted to ask what you use to draw digitally? i’m looking to get a drawing tablet but i don’t know where to start and i’ve seen you draw on live and i have no idea what kind of tablet you’re using, thank u in advance if u choose to respond <33 ily

hi! absolutely no problem at all, I love these kinds of questions. this is pretty lengthy as I am unnecessarily verbose when it comes to answering questions like these...

I use a 2016 Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 and I love it! it took me nearly a year of research, comparing tablets, searching where to purchase, and saving up for me to decide on the MobileStudio and, after two and a half years of using it  nearly every day, I have certainly discovered some pros and cons to it. I’ll list those for you after which I’ll list what I looked for in a tablet while I was searching.

pros:

- I don’t need a computer. the driver is built into the tablet itself so it’s technically considered a computer. this means I don’t need to attach it to a computer for it to function like you would a graphic tablet or a computer drawing tablet.

- carrying it around is relatively easy. because of the point above, travelling with it is pretty easy due to the fact that I don’t have to lug around a computer with it as well. which means I can also use it in small spaces or while I’m travelling like on a bus, airplane, car, etc. plus, the mobilestudio I bought is 13 inches long, so it fits in most computer sized bags. 

- display/screen. the display is beautiful. the colors are vibrant and crisp. the pen pressure is super amazing and since that was one of the most important things I was looking for in a tablet, I couldn’t be happier with it. 

- the pen. the pen that comes with the tablet is fantastic. you don’t need to charge it like you do with the Apple Pen which, in my mind, sounds like hell. the pen also comes with interchangeable nibs: felt and plastic. the felt nibs are god’s gift to artists... i love them. they make you feel like you’re drawing on paper and they can’t scratch your screen like the plastic ones are capable of if you use them too much. also, if you flip the pen like you would a pencil, it has an eraser that also uses pen pressure like the nib side!

- buttons. both the pen and the tablet come with built-in customizable buttons called ExpressKeys. the pen has two and the 13 inch tablet has six. 16 inch tablet has more. these buttons are easily programable to specific keystrokes (ctrl-z to undo, ctrl-alt-z to redo, etc) or clicks (right click, double click) which are helpful with it comes to specific commonly used commands in art programs. my pen’s buttons are set to ‘b’ for brushes -- so I can easily switch back to the brush I’m using -- and ‘i’ for the eyedropper tool -- so I can get specific colors from my illustrations. my tablets ones are set to paste, copy, deselect, undo, transform, and redo. there is also a remote with 17 extra buttons you can buy (which my dad got me for christmas in 2019, can you tell he’s the art supportive parent? i love him). I don’t use the remote often due to the fact that I haven’t configured all the buttons in a way I like but I’ve set a few of them to new layer, undo, redo, and increase and decrease brush size. there’s also the radial menu but I don’t use it.

- accessories. you can purchase a lot of cool things through Wacom’s website for your tablet! I’ve had to use this when I lost my charger but there are certainly more interesting things there than a charger. 

- made for artists. this tablet -- unlike the iPad, other tablets, or certain touchscreen computers -- was made by a company specifically making tablets for artists.

cons:

- expensive. I saved up money for a tablet for quite a bit and my dad promised to match whatever I saved up in order to purchase whatever tablet I chose but in the end he surprised me for my bday with the tablet fully purchased. I believe he bought it secondhand or refurbished which is a bit cheaper, but I’m not entirely certain! either way, it comes up to about 2,000 USD depending on where and how you purchase it. 

- sometimes the pen stops working :( what I mean by this is randomly the tablet will stop recognizing the pen so I have to use my finger in order to fix it. while most people restart the whole tablet I don’t recommend doing this. there’s a much easier way! just go to ‘Services’ and restart the ‘Wacom GSensor Service’ or the ‘Wacom Professional Service’ and it’s all fixed! it’s just annoying :(

- display/screen 2.0. this is probably my most hated thing about this tablet. though, it’s not something completely unique to this specific one. the colors on my tablet don’t match the colors on other computers or phones. they tend to be brighter, warmer, and more contrasted on my tablet so when I send an illustration to my phone the colors are completely different.

- weight. while the mobilestudio is certainly lighter than most it’s not light. I don’t really care that much about this as it’s not crazy heavy but when I was lugging it back and forth to school everyday the weight was noticeable.

my number one recommendation to do when researching tablet is to watch videos of artists comparing and review tablets they’ve used and to write a pro and con list of the ones you’re interested in. also for which videos you watch, I recommend actual artists, artists that you think make art similar to the kind you want to make or art that you admire, and to watch both sponsored and unsponsored videos. 

as for what to research, keep these things in mind: 

- what are you planning on using this tablet for? (professional commissions, complicated art, sketches, art but also for school/work , etc)? 

- what specific things are you looking for? (pen pressure, light weight, durable, etc.) (for instance when I was researching, I wanted a tablet made specifically for art that didn’t need a computer to work, could run Clip Studio, had amazing pen pressure, and was relatively light weight and could be carried around.)

- where are you going to use this tablet? what size tablet would fit comfortably there? 

- what art program are you wanting/going to use?

- how much storage do you need?

- how of a physical canvas are you used to working on and do you want to go bigger or smaller?

- are you going to be traveling with it often? if so are you going to use it while travelling?

- do you want to use it with or without a computer? 

- what is your budget? how much are the specific things you’re looking for worth to you? what are you willing to compromise on?

I haven’t done any research into what is currently available so I can’t tell you what on the market I would choose today but I have heard great things about the iPad Pro. that would definitely be one of the top ones I would look into if I was searching for a tablet now that it has Clip Studio Paint.

there are probably a million things I could’ve added that I’ll remember hours from now so if you have any more questions or you want me to go into further detail about something, please let me know! I can also go through all the tablets and/or art programs I have used for digital art if that is something you are interested in :-)

#mailbox #anon #faq #art tablet #long post

[thisbisexualbrainrot]

I need to do this for theraputic reasons.

I literally am just sitting around thinking about all the depth and growth of characters that was completely lost in the finale. We could have had a cool final fight with the empty(where Dean also could die but at least it would have purpose) but I also am a sucker for a soft epilogue. And let's be real, they really deserve one.

So, here are my ideas for the soft epilogue the Winchesters deserve:

- They stop hunting monsters. The boys hang it up and retire but they still give advice to young hunters(kind of like moving into a Bobby role in the hunting world. Sam also helps them with any cases involving witchcraft.) They make the bunker a safe haven and research center for travelling hunters.

-Sam reunites with Eileen, full on tackle hug and Sam can't stop smiling. Dean is very happy for him.

- Dean saves up working odd jobs and opens his own bar for hunters in memory of the Roadhouse. Because he's always wanted to do that and now he gets to write his own story. We see Miracle hanging out at the bar and their friends coming to visit. Jody, Claire, Donna, Alt Bobby, Alt Charlie, etc. Maybe Claire even works at the bar, that would be nice. Sam helps out but it's not really his thing, he's very supportive though.

-Dean and Sam have a small scene where they talk about Cas. Dean says he wishes he could see him again and that he was too afraid to ask Jack for anything else after he already did so much. We see a scene of Dean praying to Cas telling him he loves him too and he misses him.

-Cas waking up in heaven, Jack saved him from the empty and asks if he wants to help him rebuild heaven. We see some of that process and Cas is upgraded to an archangel. He is free to do as he chooses and can visit earth whenever he wants. (The alternate to this is Cas becoming human which would be good too. You pick.)

-Dean and Cas reunite. Cas explains to Dean what happened and said he heard his prayers. Cas knows Dean loves him. Cas pops in to visit from time to time and the relationship between them is left "open to interpretation"(or they kiss and it's explicit. You pick).

- The episode ends with Dean and Sam walking out of the bar late at night. They lean on the impala sipping beers, looking up at the sky and reminisce about their lives. They chat about a lot of things, how crazy it all was and how they sometimes can't believe it's over and they aren't on edge all the time. Things finally feel like they are going to be okay. They set things right with the world and they can finally just enjoy their lives. It was all worth it.

The End

#castiel #dean winchester #destiel #supernatural #supernatural s15 #destiel canon #canon destiel #deancas #supernatural 15x20 #sam winchester #saileen

[notjanine]

2020 in books!

the only kind of new year’s resolution i made as a naive baby last january was to try to read 40 books for the year. (i read 37 in 2019, for context.) well, with all of my commuting time eliminated and an increased need for immersive escapism, i ended up surpassing that goal three times over lmao (thanks library ebooks!)

idk how to summarize my year in books in a way that makes sense but

(f) = fiction, (nf) = nonfiction, (p) = poetry.

books that rewired my fucking brain:

braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer (nf)- GOD?!?!?! good. dr. k is right. ostensibly a book about plants, but actually a book about shut up and go outside. consumerism and capitalism are doing their damnedest to fuck you up, but you can just choose to value different things. take care of yourself by taking care of your environment. etc etc.

wasp by richard jones (nf)- lissen. when i got this book, my wasp-phobia was so severe that i had to put it away face down on a high shelf because there are wasps on the cover and i couldn’t bear to RISK even GLIMPSING them. now i am like... a wasp evangelist. (also due to the bugs 101 course on coursera it’s so good.)

wag by zazie todd (nf)- i have a dog, but i am NOT a Dog Person (i.e. i love my dog, but please keep yours away from me, thanks.) this book helped me understand my little guy better, plus it gives actionable tasks and activities to do with and for your pup! plus, y’know, learning about things you’re scared of helps to lessen that fear. i’d recommend this to anyone who has, wants, or regularly interacts with a dog.

a closed and common orbit by becky chambers (f)- is this series complete fluff? absolutely. am i fundamentally different after reading this one? maybe.

the best we could do by thi bui (nf)- this is so far outside of my personal experience but somehow still made me come to peace with my relationship with my mom?? and it’s barely even about that?? idk. this is probably objectively the best book i’ve read this year.

books that were just fun as hell:

mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia (f)- this book made me YELL out loud

death on the nile by agatha christie (f)- i grew up on agatha christie shows, but never actually read her before this year! she really was That Bitch. read this before the movie comes out

cosmoknights by hannah templer (f)- i read this in one sitting through the worst headache i’ve had in years. it is a goddamn DELIGHT. this book has everything: spaceships. mech suits. fighting the patriarchy. a perfect otp. fun art in bright colors with clean lines. onomatopoetic WAPs from before the song gave that hilarious context. 800 lesbians. this is an antidepressant in graphic novel form.

stiff by mary roach (nf)- ms. roach is like the 4th most represented author on my bookshelf because she 1. stays writing about shit i’m interested in and 2. manages to talk about gross and ridiculous things without resorting to sensationalism. it takes skill to write a hilarious book about corpses.

black sun by rebecca roanhorse (f)- excellent sexual tension between a horny siren pirate and a hot doomed... monk, kinda? set in the pre-columbian gulf of mexico with magic and shit.

cuisine chinoise by zao dao (? n/f)- this graphic novel about chinese food history/mythology is BEAUTIFUL.

the color of magic by terry pratchett (f)- you’d think a hardcore douglas adams stan would have gotten to this sooner, but no, i had to date a nerdy white boy to get here. it’s fun though! i’m not gonna read them all, but this one was good. bonus: contains one (1) great himbo.

gideon the ninth by tamsyn muir (f)- like 500 pages of action and mystery and jokes and space necromancy. harrow the ninth gets a special mention bc it has a meme reference that took me out so hard i had to close the book, lie down, and groan for an entire minute before continuing.

other minds by peter godfrey-smith (nf)- i love octopuses. on one tma bonus ep, jonny sims says that if a creature can choose to do evil, then it’s a Person. octopuses are People. but anyway frfr this has an explanation of the evolution of consciousness that is cool af. (this one is much better than the other recent popsci octo book which i will not name out of politeness.)

the perfect predator by steffanie strathdee and thomas patterson (nf)- i read this bc my microbiology prof recommended it and it’s cool as heck! it’s got adventure, drama, mystery, Science-with-a-capital-S. i’m biased bc i’m a bit of a microbes nerd, but i had a blast with this. (but only bc we know going in that everything works out okay; if i hadn’t known that, i would have been TOO stressed!)

books that were a little less fun but still very readable:

my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite (f)- i couldn’t find this as funny as other people bc i, too, have a beautiful sister who’s an insufferable narcissist, so it hits a little too close to home, but. it is a wild ride.

piranesi by susanna clarke (f)- idek what to say! i went into this one blind just bc it had a cool cover and title, so i guess i’d recommend that for other people too.

the sixth world series by rebecca roanhorse (f)- monster hunting! a post-apocalyptic take that doesn’t feel tired.

the shades of magic trilogy by v.e. schwab (f)- easy escapism. some ideas feel a little first draft-y, but idk, it’s also a pretty simple premise (which isn’t a bad thing). it’s a decent urban fantasy set in ~georgian?-era london. very actiony. suffers from a bit of i’m-not-like-other-girls disease, but i didn’t even notice until book two or three, so.

the only good indians by stephen graham jones (f)- starts off a little ??? (and reeks of being Written By A Man) but picks up. the pacing’s great and there’s just a super fucking cool monster.

robopocalypse by daniel h. wilson (f)- this reads like a tv miniseries so much that i can’t believe it isn’t one yet.

confessions of the fox by jordy rosenberg (f)- not my usual cup of tea, fiction-wise, but still compelling. a fresh take on the white-male-english-professor-self-insert? but not insufferable. gets weird!

spinning silver by naomi novik (f)- rumplestilstkin, but make it interesting! a great, richly-told fairy tale, but like, large scale. good to read on a cold day while you’re wrapped up in a blanket with some hot tea.

interior chinatown by charles yu (f)- compulsively readable. a couple things bugged me, but not enough to make me dislike it. a fun companion piece to how to live safely in a science fictional universe. i like this guy’s style.

cannibalism by bill schutt (nf)- COOL. mostly covers the animal kingdom (fun), spends too much time on the donner party (less fun), ends with a SPICY take on prions that i cannot get out of my head!!!

buzz, sting, bite by anne sverdrup-thygeson (nf)- BUGS! broad but not overwhelming, neither dumbed down nor overly scientific, short enough to finish in a day or two. recommend this to literally everyone.

books that made me want to read everything else in the author’s ouevre:

the time invariance of snow by e. lily yu (f)- this FUCKS but it’s too short!!!

an unkindness of ghosts by rivers solomon (f)- okay this book is SO good and so well-written and interesting and blah blah blah all the good things, but... the whole time, i was just like?? why???? why is this what you’re choosing to write about??? (i did also read the deep and blood is another word for hunger after this one, and i did like them both, especially the latter, but i think they can do better! like i think they could write a perfect book and i am gonna be *eyes emoji* until then.)

the space between worlds by micaiah johnson (f)- a fine debut novel, but i want to see her do something a little more... idk, refined? i think she overreaches here, like it’s a little... idk looper? this is how you lose the time war? there’s a better comparison, but i can’t think of it, but you get the idea. and then halfway through it shifts gears to mad max. there’s something weird about one of the central relationships, like it’s not complex enough to take as long to resolve as it does. idk idk. there are just a lot of little nitpicky things. it’s not bad! but i think she can do better and i look forward to finding out.

postcolonial love poem by natalie diaz (p)- thinky! like i tried to read this before bed, but it’s not the sort of thing to parse out while you’re falling asleep, it requires more attention than that.

books that Learned Me Somethin:

smoke gets in your eyes by caitlin doughty (nf)- i am a self-professed death obsessed weirdo, fascinated by death and mourning, but i didn’t know all that much about what happens to a body between the dying and the funeral! this book isn’t big, but it covers a lot and doughty’s writing style is engaging and honest. it’s very memorable.

queer by meg-john barker and julia scheele (nf)- i’m gonna be totally honest and say Queer Theory is above my intellectual pay grade, but this book takes you by the hand and explains the basics.

vitamania by catherine price (nf)- LMAO my fellow americans, never take a supplement. this book is great and well-researched, but normal folks don’t need to read it, just listen to season two of the dream podcast, which definitely cribbed from this.

vegetable kingdom by bryant terry (nf)- this is a fine cookbook, my favorite of his that i’ve read so far. gets a special mention bc i had a religious experience just reading one of his kohlrabi recipes. absolutely gutted that i didn’t have an opportunity to try it this year, since the pandemic put the kibosh on all family bbqs.

the best american food writing 2020 edited by j. kenji lopez-alt (nf)- this really is just a great collection.

are prisons obsolete? by angela y. davis (nf)- yes.

i moved to los angeles to work in animation by natalie nourigat (nf)- before reading this, i had basically zero knowledge of how the animation industry works. now i know like three things.

the secret lives of bats by merlin tuttle (nf)- BATS! okay this book is more about the adventures of being a bat scientist than it actually is about bats, but there are bats in there. insectivorous bats basically shit glitter, you should know this.

books from valuable perspectives:

hood feminism by mikki kendall (nf)- a breakdown of who’s getting left out of feminist spaces, why that’s happening, and why it shouldn’t be happening.

all you can ever know by nicole chung (nf)- a (transracial) adoptee’s take on adoption and learning more about her birth family. the personal storytelling of this one really stuck with me.

motherhood so white by nefertiti austin (nf)- a single-mom-by-choice’s take on the foster system/adoption process. walks you through some things i always wondered about and some things i wouldn’t even have thought about.

this place by kateri akiwenzie-damm et al (? n/f)- i, like a lot of non- native americans, only know that history in broad strokes. getting this many highly specific stories in one dense and beautiful book felt like a lucky find. and taking that perspective into the future in the context of that history is v good.

empty by susan burton (nf)- eating disorder stories are important to me bc i care about food so much. this one is so relatable- not in its specificity, but rather its generality. it’s easy to empathize with her perspective because it’s like, Oh, i don’t have that exact problem, but i struggle with different problems in a very similar way. (feels like the opposite of roxane gay’s hunger, in a way.)

obit by victoria chang (p)- this exploration of grief is... woof.

short story collections are hard to evaluate bc you’ll never read one where every single story hits but i generally enjoyed these:

a thousand beginnings and endings edited by ellen oh and elsie chapman (f)

how long til black future month? by n.k. jemisin (f)

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado (f)

books i revisited:

the broken earth trilogy by n.k. jemisin (f)- i read the series backwards this time and like... i can’t really find any faults in these books, man. they’re just the best.

everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too by jomny sun (f... but is it really?)- half of this book’s sales are from me buying it for other people bc it’s the only way i know how to say i love you. i reread it every time just to make sure it still feels right and it always does.

other honorable mentions:

white is for witching by helen oyeyemi (f)- not to pit two bad bitches against each other, but this book does what akwaeke emezi’s freshwater was trying to do. it’s a little weird, a little haunted, a little of a lot of things. read this only in the dead of winter. (and with stephen rennicks’ score for the little stranger playing in the background.)

homie by danez smith (p)- there’s a lot going on here, but this just made me crack a smile a couple times in a way that no other book of poetry has ever done.

the murder of roger ackroyd and murder in mesopotamia by agatha christie (f)- That Bitch!

blues by nikki giovanni (p)- she sure has some Things To Say

the three-body problem by cixin liu (f)- interesting concepts, but... idk something’s missing? felt weirdly soulless to me. i’m probably not gonna read the sequels. but it did make some points!

the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner (f)- i’m a slut for shapeshifting, okay. but this is a good fairy tale, it works!

parable of the sower by octavia butler (f)- i read this in march, when the pandemic was just kicking off and boy that was not the right time. def my least favorite of hers so far, but an octavia butler i don’t love is still better than a hell of a lot of other books. no idea when or if i’ll get to a good enough headspace for the sequel.

faves:

saturnino herrán by adriana zapett tapia (nf)- i got to learn new things about my mans and see some of his paintings i’ve never even seen online! GOSH.

on food and cooking by harold mcgee (nf)- yeah yeah, i’ve already mentioned this book half a dozen times on here this year, but i don’t care. this book lives off the shelf in my home bc i reference it like every other fucking day. this book is a part of me now.

#long post #final total for the year will be 120 by the end of the day! #and i had a pretty good hit rate. would probably recommend at least half #and only outright hated four

[cooltrainererika]

Alt-talia: It’s Starting to Feel Like Christmas

Hello, hello everyone! Joy to the world!

For some reason I thought this event began today, not yesterday, until pretty recently… but fortunately, while it’s a day late, I got to write this! I did plan on others, but I’m releasing this now so I can get it out just in case, especially since the two others could also fit on another day. This is mainly for 12/16: Presents, but it can also fit under Decorations and Traditions, so three in a row! Woot!

This time, I want to write more about characters I may have missed during Hetaween, since my character pool ended up narrower than intended. ...And saying that, I’m writing about two characters I’ve written twice in that event! Yay!

I debated whether to write about this topic in general or about it specific this year, but chose the latter. I hope I’ll get to release a more in-depth fic about it in general some other time. So yeah, I’m using some really fresh material again this time.

Oh yeah, BTW, most of my fics take place in my “Alt-talia” semi-AU where I aim to capture history and culture more faithfully and most importantly overhaul the many characters who make no sense drastically. This will especially be noticeable for England. So yeah, you have been warned. Though maybe he’s a bit OOC here compared to how I usually write him? Also, it should be noted that I use country names when talking about the characters as countries, and with human names when referring to them as individuals; while in Alt-talia the difference can be more hazy than canon, I mean more talking purely about their personal interactions and the like. 

Also, this is not intended to be shipping! 

This was supposed to be like a few lines with no real arc, but whelp. At least I still kept it short. Also there’s a deleted scene I didn’t know how to end as a bonus at the end. 

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(Oh, and those who read my fics; please comment or reblog? I work hard on these, and they would be highly appreciated.)

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It’s Christmastime Again, Lukas Haraldsen

Every year since 1947, Norway had a tradition of sending special Jul presents to a certain nation very dear to him. 

His Norwegian Spruce trees were prized by all; he regularly got bidders from all over Europe, and had witnessed many a fight over them get ugly. But the best of the best were only reserved for a certain United Kingdom; and the best among these, the Queen of the Forest, nurtured by the songs, voices, and arms of some of the world’s best, most loving foresters, for England. Specifically his capital, London.

After all, nothing could make up for the debt he had for him. In the dark days of Nazi occupation, London for him was hope; it was where England protected his royal family as they awaited the Nazis’ demise, from where the radio blared and urged him to fight on, where the skies have become a proving ground to show that the Nazis could be vanquished. 

He knew this year had been a mess for his friend, and his recent election, the second one that year, had done nothing to mitigate it; and while even Norway knew only he himself and his uncharacteristically impulsive decision really was to blame for his current situation, hopefully, this would improve his mood for the uncertain road ahead. 

Norway was a quiet, unassuming man, but he took his presents seriously. And he also took Jul seriously. 

And this year was no different. While he sent many trees every year to different cities in the kingdom, including to some of Scotland’s, the most important was of course the one sent to the City of Hope itself. 

And now, in the heart of Trafalgar Square, wearing a traditional sweater which may as well have been a T-shirt compared to the attire of the Londoners passing by as they started their day, whistling En stjerne skinner i natt and Vårres Jul to himself. 

“Mmm… Ah, Arthur!”

He waved and smiled gently as the man in question, dressed very much warmly in a thick duffel coat and wool knit scarf, came into view. 

“Ahem. I’m here too.”

Today beside him was one Peter Bates, or Sealand as he preferred to be called, adorably bundled up in a woolen coat, mittens, knit hat, and light blue scarf, now crossing his arms. 

“Right, right. Sorry.”

“Ello, Norway. Don’t mind him, he said he wanted to see the tree again and ‘His Highness’ Prince Bates told me to take him with me. Bloody cold here today, isn’t it?”

He was shivering a bit, his nose a noticeable red and his breath a white mist. 

“Nothing I’m not used to. I’ve been waiting for you here. I chose one which is much older and taller than usual. See for yourself.”

Norway moved aside so that his gift would be in full view of his friend. It was a product of the forests on the banks of Trollvann lake, raised with love as any tree worthy of Trafalgar Square would be, almost twice as tall and two or three decades older than the first tree to have had the honor to have the honor of being offered on this annual occasion. 

England stared at the tree. 

Silence. 

“Wow, it’s huge!”

Peter was the first one to speak, his eyes sparkling. 

“England? ...England?”

Norway asked, watching his blank expression. 

“Well… I know that I am causing quite a bit of annoyance, but if I remember correctly, you weren’t in the EU, right?”

Norway was now perplexed. 

England looked to him with a with an expression that could only be said to be both a gentle smile and disappointment at the same time. 

“It seems like it needs a drink, does it not? It looks a bit dry and quite thin.”

Norway thought he felt his heart sunk a little. 

Peter sharply elbowed England in the side, making him gag. 

“Sealand, please don’t.”

“It’s a present, you jerk! ...Don’t listen to Scrooge over here, she’s beautiful.”

“Well you do live on a metal platform in the ocean…”

He jabbed him again.

Norway’s face went a bit red. 

“She’s much older and taller than the usual ones. It won’t look just like a smaller one you would have in your living room.”

“Sorry. I’m just saying it looks a bit sparse, is all.”

Norway lifted up one of many boxes of lights. 

“Mmm… Well, will you be too busy to help?”

“Yes, am afraid. More negotiations and all. So I am presuming it will be lit in the cucumber style as per usua- ach!”

Peter this time kicked him in the knee, making the older nation’s legs buckle a bit. 

“I’ll help, Mister.”

The boy said. 

“No, no, you don’t have to.”

————

Norway had to admit; maybe he had gone too much for size this time around. But Peter insisted that it not looking completely picture perfect was what made it look real instead of “Plastic tat”. 

And, as usual, put up the lights his own way, pure white streaks from top to bottom, “cucumber style” as England called it. 

And despite his complaints, on the night of lighting two days later, as the streams of light lit up in the heart of London in the crisp air and Norway listened to Peter cheer loudly with the crowd, the mayor of Oslo give her speech, and children caroling, amongst a sea of Londoners peppered with tourists, England stood beside him. 

“Well, it indeed finally feels like Christmas now.”

Norway looked to his friend, whose eyes were on the star, towering almost 25 meters above. 

“Well… maybe it is not quite up to your usual quality. But stability has been hard to come by nowadays; this tree being here every year, that I can rely on.”

Norway merely gave a quiet “Mmmm.” in response. 

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So that’s that. If anyone desires an explanation, I’ll provide it in a reblog or something, but I’d rather my stories inspire further research.

Also, “Lukas Haraldsen” is the name I’m using for Norway now, since a lot of Norwegians don’t seem to like “Bondivik”. “Haraldsen” because the founding king of the country is said to be King Harald Fairhair, and as Alt-talia nations can choose their surnames I thought it would be fitting if the surname Norway chose was “Son of Harald”. This name isn’t final though. Especially “Lukas”; does baptism change names again? Also Sealand has been renamed to “Peter Bates” instead of Kirkland; I don’t know why Hima chose that surname, since Sealand’s whole shtick is that he wants to be seen as an independent country. Why would he have the same surname? “Bates” is the surname of his owners, BTW, if that wasn’t clear. 

Again, this wasn’t really supposed to be a complete story with a neat conclusion, and not as heartwarming as intended. Kind of a similar case to Keep Calm actually, which also just happened to involve England. It was an opportunity to show England being a d*ck because, believe me, Alt-England can be an absolute d*ck when he wants to be. But despite the fact that he’s one of the characters whose d*ckery I actually kind of enjoy writing in a Love to Hate way, I haven’t had the chance to do that so far in these events... and I guess I got halfway there? I guess just ending it on England passive-aggressively insulting the tree was just a bit too meanspirited for me. 

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Deleted scene

<F%CKYE4H: Wow, it’s like ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ in real life! What, are you gonna break out the aluminum trees now?>

<StillInInferno: Mate, at least you have a real tree, because down here it’s not only hot as hell but if I had any Christmas trees to begin with, they’ve already fucking burned to shit.>

<MooseOfMaple: Dad… With the hassle you’ve been causing everyone you might not have the right to complain about someone showing kindness and holiday spirit to you.>

Arthur huffed as his children ribbed him in the family chat that night. 

<RuleBritannia: Don’t preach to your father, we went over this.>

<F%CKYE4H: Still, giving, not receiving, y’know.>

<MooseOfMaple: Dad, please… As someone who knows spruce trees very well, I do question Norway’s decision, but still. The world doesn’t revolve around you anymore.>

<RuleBritannia: I do not think that. Please stop accusing me of it.>

<BlacKoru: Yeah. It revolves around America. Make of that what you will.>

<F%CKYE4H: Kiwi! I can see that!>

#hetaliaxmasevent #hws enlgand #aph england #hws norway #aph norway #hws sealand #aph sealand #Christmas #platlonic uknor #uknor #noruk #alt-talia

[hoodie-lover]

My Multiverse Part 21

Everyone was quiet, after Error had finished his tale, and Blue gave his opinion on the matter, everyone was silent. Geno and Sci were surprised, Sci less so, and both equally horrified and disgusted. The Dark Sanses were waiting for their guests to speak, as they had already heard Error’s testimony.

“We need to keep the originals out of this. If we drag Classic’s Papyrus, Undyne, Flowey,” Killer shuddered at the name, “Ink might think to do the same and we will all be screwed.” He said, standing up. 

“To not raise suspicion, we need to rescue Classic as soon as possible, that way he can dispel any concerns about what’s going on and keep everyone out of the loop.” Dust said, fiddling with his knife. 

Blue understood their logic, but as the person who might have been kept out of the loop, he wasn’t completely on board with the plan.

“Implying they can’t end the conflict fast enough to where Ink doesn’t have time to call them in. And what about Dream?” Blue asked.

“I’m not sure about him, I did break him pretty bad, maybe he’s too scared to come back? Or maybe he’s just being more subtly controlled.” Error suggested, looking away in shame as he recalled what he did to the guardian.

“You didn’t do that. It wasn’t you. And I don’t think we could risk trying to get Dream on our side, we don’t know what Ink’s done to his code. And leaving him in the anti-void seems like a very bad thing to do to someone with an already fragile mental state.” Killer comforted. 

“I think we need to rescue Classic, get to this alternate multiverse, get rid of the enhancement potion, and while all that’s going down, figure out that anti-mind control potion.” Horror said, glancing around as everyone nodded in agreement.

“But who knows how long that’ll take? We need to rescue Classic first, unless Alt has something important?” Killer said, looking at a blushing Sci.

“He’s fine. But it would be helpful to have an Ink on our side, maybe even someone who could go toe to toe with our Ink. He may be a short, cute, and timid scaredy-cat, but he can put up a fight.” Sci said, blushing even more. 

“And you say you don’t have a crush~.” Blue teased, winking.

“I don’t! He’s just so small, shorter than our Ink by an inch or so, and he just wanted a friend.” Sci explained, and then Dust perked up.

“How do you know you can trust him?” Dust asked, pointing the knife at Sci.

“I saw security footage of him getting tortured while I was sneaking through the alternate Nightmare’s castle. I also took the liberty of watching more tapes, which I can show you, and they proved him trustworthy. He often sacrificed his own freedom for others, aware he was being watched and was going to be punished for it.” Sci said, leaning back into the couch.

“I see. Is that how you found us so easily?” Dust continued and Sci nodded.

“Yes. Though this place is a lot homeyer, and more modern.” Sci said, shrugging.

“Alright, so are we rescuing Classic first it dealing with Sci’s one true love?” Error said, and Sci screeched an inaudible response. 

“I vote the one true love. We need to get that enhancement potion out of here and get Sci and Dust working on that anti potion.” Blue said, and everyone except Sci nodded in agreement 

“I have the prototype chemical equations and ingredients in my lab.” Sci muttered, holding his hand in his hands, “But why is Dust helping me?” Sci asked.

“He’s the only one of us that still has an interest in that stuff. He’s the local mad chemist.” Horror said, and Sci shrugged.

“Go get them. And we need to stall for time, Classic’s Papyrus will get suspicious after a while.” Killer said, and Horror began to smile when he got an idea.

“I can take his place. Only temporarily, and I can help with the research with the help of Classic’s back room.” Dust offered, and everyone was shocked.

“Are you sure Dust? You don’t exactly know how to chill as well as you did before.” Killer said, and Dust scoffed.

“I can chill. I just don’t have to when I’m around any of y’all.” Dust clarified, his nose in the air.

“If we’re doing this, I’ll need to keep an eye on him. Let him know when his cover will be blown.” Geno offered, and Dust reluctantly agreed. 

“Just a wardrobe change and you’ll be all set!” Blue said, giggling maniacally.

“How can you make a change of clothes, cleaner clothes, shorts, and slippers, so scary Blue?” Sci laughed and Blue had a simple response.

“I. Am. Blue!” He cried out with vigor as he grabbed Dust by the hood and dragged him away. 

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Killer cried out, lauging as hard as he could. 

“I’ll find out.” Blue said as he disappeared from view, choosing Horror’s room as the place to unleash his fury. 

“When do you think they’ll be done?” Error asked.

“Knowing Blue, in a few hours. But if he wants to do a good job, days.” Sci said, shuddering at the recollection of a few makeovers himself. 

“I was under the impression it would take weeks.” Geno joked, earning some very confused expressions from Horror, Killer, and Error.

“Just kidding.” Geno said, but the fact that no one seemed to doubt him, said a lot about Blue as a person. 

Characters belong to their respective owners

Next

First

[xonismsx]

   so in the newest installment of my unpopular opinions, & after thinking about this for a while, i’m going to take a very controversial stance on a hot topic these days. you’re more welcome to disagree with me, but this is my opinion. that being said, if you would like to start an open dialogue to discuss this topic, i’m more than happy to have a civilized discussion about it.

   this isn’t meant to convince anyone that my opinion is right either, but i do hope it makes you think more critically. this particular topic is something that i’ve seen come up in people’s rules time & time again. some of these are from people that i can tell it’s something they’ve thought through & care about deply & i am not negating their beliefs or feelings. but on the other hand, there are other times where i read these lines & it feels like it’s copy pasted from someone else, where the wording doesn’t seem to fit with the voice of everything else as if they read it somewhere else, & just ran with it rather than stopping to form their own opinion. by all means, allow other people to influence your views on the world, but you shouldn’t take anyone’s opinion at face value & adopt it as your own. absolutely no one. agree or disagree based on your own beliefs & don’t jump on a bandwagon.

     so here’s the opinion:

           genderbent characters are not inherently transphobic.

   if you are trans, nb, questioning, or anything else & it makes you uncomfortable to have muses like this on the dash, then by all means, make tumblr a safe space for yourself & don’t interact with or follow any gb characters.

   that being said, reinterpreting the character with a different gender identity than the canon is not inherently transphobic. being transphobic is negating a canonically trans character’s experiences by saying that they’re not trans. being transphobic is having a prejudice against trans people or characters. transphobic is writing a trans character & recasting an alt fc that is not trans because you think the original fc is not masculine or feminine enough, respectively.

   i am not saying that i’m the authority on these topics, & i don’t claim to be. but the amount of hate muns who write gb characters get is ugly & helps no one. there are so many canon characters that are in huge franchises or series that have been reinterpreted as the opposite gender that i have seen no one complain about. sherlock holmes, doctor who, hell even shakespear has had so many reinterpretations of plays over the years that have been re-imagined in genderswapped roles, not to mention all the other franchises that were re-imagined with leads of the opposite gender that people have loved & supported with all their beings. & you know what? absolutely none of these examples are meant to negate the experiences of the original version of the characters, it’s just meant to be a new take & an au version of those characters & pay homage to the original versions out of love & respect for their backgrounds & stories.

   now i’m gonna take this controversy a step up & i might lose some followers over this but c’est la vie. i am all for representation. if you want to take a canon character, & reimagine them as trans, that’s totally okay & power to you for choosing to take that on & show us a side of that character you want to. but ! you cannot take a canon character & change their gender identity to make them trans, while simultaneously getting mad at someone else for taking a character & changing their gender identity. you may not like to admit it but that is a great example of a double standard. for example if someone to take a male character & write them as mtf that would be well received as being trans representation ( which i’m all for ), but it’s all the same idea.

   assuming that it wasn’t a weird double standard, some might say that if you want to write a character as a gender they aren’t canonically portrayed as, just write them as trans. but that can honestly be so much more hurtful than a genderbent character. i mean, like with anything, it’s so easy to reduce someone’s identity to inaccurate tropes & stereotypes. people want to write things while doing none of the research. they do ( as i’ve seen ) write trans characters into these little boxes. which means that as soon as they see a trans person that doesn’t fit into that box, their validity as a trans person suddenly comes into question.

   but on the other hand, like when it comes to gen rpers, people say just make an oc based off that person if you really want to. but then if someone were to mimic a canonically cisgenered person as a different gender, they could just as easily be called out as transphobic for not just writing that canon character as trans. 

   i’m not exactly sure how to end this but people should not be getting hate for writing genderbent characters. there is nothing inherently wrong with it. they’re still loving & bringing life to that character & that’s something to be celebrated, not criticized.

   if you disagree & think there’s something i’m missing or should think about, by all means please share it with me. if you think i’m wrong, tell me why, challenge my opinion, spark a conversation. just as i want people to think critically about other people’s views, i urge you to think critically about mine as well.

#long post #negativity // #❘❙❚ ┊ ooc ➳ ❛ what a fucking nerd ❜ #there's also the aspect that a lot of these genderbent characters are males being reinterpreted as females #and the amount of hate could be read as another form of misogyny but that's a story for another day

[ricardotomasz]

Such is life! Behold, a new Post published on Greater And Grander about The Dancing Rabbit: Jane Szabo

See into my soul, as a new Post has been published on http://greaterandgrander.com/2019/01/the-dancing-rabbit-jane-szabo/

The Dancing Rabbit: Jane Szabo

As part of Greater And Grander's ongoing focus of great artistry in the 21st century, we are highlighting several artists who are making a splash on the art scene.  Jane Szabo is a Los Angeles based fine art photographer with an MFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Her work investigates issues of self and identity. Using self-portraiture and still life as a vehicle to share stories from her life, her work merges her love for fabrication and materials, with conceptual photography. Szabo brings many facets of visual art into her photographic projects, incorporating sculptural, performance and installation elements into her work. Her imagery is often infused with humor and wonder, ingredients that draw the viewer in, inviting them to linger and to have a dialogue with the work, and themselves. Her background in the film industry, creating prop and miniatures for theme parks, and overseeing set construction for film and television, undoubtedly informs her creative process.

Szabo’s work is in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Art & History (MOAH) and her photography has been exhibited widely, including solo shows at the Museum of Art & History in Lancaster, CA, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Yuma Fine Art Center in Arizona, and Los Angeles Center for Digital Art. Her work has been included in exhibitions at Oceanside Museum of Art, the Griffin Museum of Photography, The Colorado Center for Photographic Arts, San Diego Art Institute, Los Angeles Center for Photography, Tilt Gallery in Arizona, Houston Center for Photography in Texas, Gallery 825 in Los Angeles, the Kaohsiung International Photographer Exhibition in Taiwan and fotofever in Paris, France.

Images from the series Family Matters were featured in a billboard, a community project organized by MOAH - The Museum of Art & History

Her photographs have been featured in many publications and blogs including: The Huffington Post, Lenscratch, Silvershotz, Mono Chroma, Bokeh Bokeh, L’Oeil de la Photographie, F-Stop Magazine, Foto Relevance, Fraction, Your Daily Photo, A Photo Editor, Don't Take Pictures, Art & Cake, Diversions.

Why did you get into the arts?

From a pretty young age, I knew that I didn't want a corporate office type job.  Deciding to become an artist was a choice to not be chained to a nine to five job wearing business attire.

I was in high school when I decided that the arts made sense for me.

Jane Szabo on location near Seattle © Jane Szabo 2018

Why did you choose to go to art school?

 I got an MFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. I picked Art Center because it seemed to be the most structured and demanding program, and I knew I needed to be challenged, and that the formal structure would force me to stay focus and succeed.

I am so happy I got the education I did, when I did. Graduate art school does not teach you how to make art, but teaches you critical thinking. It teaches you how to think about why you are making the work you make, which is exactly what I needed. The critical thinking skills I learned at Art Center have helped me become the artist I am today.

What advice would you give to a prospective student who is applying to art school?

Be willing to learn and think in new ways. Be ready for a lot of hard work. It’s an incredible time to explore and find new ways of working - but don't become a copycat and mimic the work of your instructors.

My biggest mistake was not networking enough. Take advantage of your peer group and stay connected with them after school. I also think art school is the perfect place to experiment. Don’t come into school with a perceived way of working and a rigid mind set. Be open to change!

What difficulties did you encounter?

I was really young when I went to grad school.  That was good for me as I had the energy to do school, and the day job. But, I really didn’t have the depth of knowledge about the art world and contemporary art that is gained through experience. This artistic immaturity made it more difficult for me to comfortably enter the gallery scene after grad school.

What did you do after art school?  Did you have trouble finding work when you first got out?

I actually started working in a job in the film industry the second semester of grad school... and kept working through the entire degree program - it enabled me to pay my rent, insurance and food, which was a huge help. Working during grad school may be too much for some, but it actually helped keep me sane.

What was the first large artistic project you worked on that you were proud of?

One of the first big projects I worked on, shortly after graduate school, was building and painting props for Euro Disney (now called Disneyland Paris). Though this was not my personal fine art, it was a period of intense creativity and learning, as I made things by hand: molding making and sculpting, making objects out of brass using old school sheet metal techniques, and scenic painting detailed props for close up viewing. I am still very proud of this work today.

When I first got out of grad school, the main goal was to earn a living. I was making my personal art at the time as well, but paying the bills meant that my creativity focused on my day job as a prop maker and scenic painter. This work was extremely satisfying, challenging, and fulfilling.

Map Dress #1, from the series Sense of Self, © Jane Szabo 2013 "This image was created at about midnight, in the middle of a weekend intensive workshop with Cig Harvey. This one image became the leaping off point for two series,Sense of Self and Reconstructing Self, two bodies of work that spanned three years."

When did you decide to stop working for free?

Fortunately, other than one short internship with a graphic designer during college (a great way to learn I did NOT want to be a graphic designer!) and a short film I helped a grad school instructor with, I have never had to work for free.

I do not believe in working for free, or on spec. My time is valuable. That said, I do volunteer my time to assist workshops and events for my favorite non-profit organizations.

What are you currently working on, and how did you arrive here?

I am developing a new project, involving custom constructions that I photograph in various interior and exterior environments during my frequent travels. Over the last few years, I have been dealing with elderly parents out of state. We just moved them for a third time in two years.   After selling their home, and the constant struggle to find the right assisted living place to keep them comfortable and safe, I am thinking a lot about place, and where we find ourselves. This new work seeks to address this sense of loss, and the search to find oneself.

Coffee Filters, from the series Reconstructing Self, © Jane Szabo 2015

What’s the biggest thing you depend on, in your studio?

I recently moved to a larger studio, and just having space to breathe is so essential! When I was in a smaller space, I spent too much time moving things around so I would have space to work. Now I can walk in to a clear space, with tables etc. up and ready to go. Of course, my large format printer is critical to my process. In addition to building all my props, making my photographs, I do all my own printing. Having the artistic control over the finished product is essential to me, as well as the ability to generate prints as soon as I need them.

Aunt Rosemary’s Photo Album, from the series Reconstructing Self, © Jane Szabo 2015

Did you ever pay for a program that promised big results to help further your career, but it never delivered?

There are so many “opportunities” that offer big results, for up-front fees – and you really do need to be careful. But that said, sometimes it is essential to invest in your career. I have participated in many workshops and portfolio reviews, and yes, they do come at a cost. Have they all had immediate rewards? Definitely not – but, most of them have indeed been incredibly worthwhile, and have really helped my career development.  Building relationships in the art world takes time. I have had opportunities arise many years after an initial contact at a paid event. I have no regrets about the opportunities I have pursued.

I try to do advance research and learn about the event or venue before jumping on board. This helps me avoid wasting time with questionable opportunities.

If an event isn’t as successful as you had hoped, maybe due to low turnout or no sales, you do the right thing and thank the host for including you. Be polite. This event may have been a dud, but the person who invited you may have a much better opportunity down the road. No need to have a temper tantrum and burn bridges. Behave professionally and treat everyone with respect.

Regret, from the series Family Matters, © Jane Szabo 2018 "This piece was conceived during a still life workshop with Kimberly Witham. Before the day began, I fully saw the image in my head. I did some mock ups during the workshop, and saw what was working, and what wasn’t. I completed the final construction and made the image from my home studio."

Did you ever embarrass yourself in a job interview?

Haven’t we all felt that we wish we had performed better, responded more appropriately to a question, etc.? Now my motto is to just be myself. If they don’t like me the way I am, then we are not a good fit.

What’s been the highest point of your career so far?

Without a doubt, having a work purchased by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) last year for their permanent collection was the high point!

Gridding the Space, from the series Sense of Self, © Jane Szabo 20145 "The series Sense of Self was an exploration of imagery inspired by performance art, not a documentation of a performance."

What kind of networking works best for you?

I don’t think clubs are really where it is at for career development – but I have certainly have had amazing opportunities and sales come through networking and even social media. Advancing your art career is all about building relationships!

I would first start networking by getting involved in your local non-profit arts organizations. Volunteer your time to help out at their events and you will start meeting other artists and people involved in the art world.

If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?

I am not sure I would change a thing! Even though I have some regret that I had to take a long chunk of time off of making art to make a living, I know that time was spent learning practical construction, business management and interpersonal skills that are invaluable to my career as an independent artist today.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, from the series Family Matters, © Jane Szabo 2017

What motto do you try to live your life by? 

Just be nice! Be a nice person, help others, share your knowledge, and build community. This way of living gives back in so many ways!

Where’s your favorite place in Los Angeles?

The foothills! Escaping from the city is the only way I can stay here. Though I have a studio space at the Brewery in downtown LA – I find I am making much of my work in my home, nestled in the foothills. I have set up an art table in front of my big living room window where I can watch the birds and other wildlife scamper around in front of me. Being amidst nature is important to my happiness.

What are your future goals?

Now, I have been able to reduce my hours at the day job, and focus almost exclusively on my career as an artist, I am dedicated to pushing my work and my career forward. The primary goal is to make fresh and compelling work. I strive to get this work out into the world, on a national and an international level.

Jane Szabo is represented by: Foto Relevance Gallery, Houston, TX. https://www.artsy.net/foto-relevance/artist/jane-szabo Susan Spiritus Gallery, Irvine, CA  http://susanspiritusgallery.com/artist/jane-szabo/ United Photographic Artists Gallery, Tampa, FL. http://upagallery.com/artist-jane-szabo/

#AbstractPhotography, #Art, #ArtRace, #Artist, #ArtistInspiration, #Artistry, #Artoftheday, #ArtRace, #ArtsProgram, #Artwork, #BuyArtPrints, #Instaart, #IntimatePhotography, #LosAngelesArtist, #MixedMedia, #PortraitPhotography, #Sculptures

#Abstract Photography #art #art race #artist #artist inspiration #artistry #artoftheday #ArtRace #Arts Program #artwork #Buy art prints #instaart #Intimate photography #los angeles artist #Mixed Media #portrait photography #sculptures

[eirikrjs]

What's your writing process like? You're so eloquent (even when answering tumblr asks ... the serious replies, anyway) and it's inspiring me to get to that level.

Awesome, I’m happy and flattered to be an inspiration! Never had my writing described as “eloquent,” so thanks for that! :)

So, I typically write for three different formats, each with its own approach but with some commonalities.

#1: Tumblr posts

Answering Tumblr asks first and foremost always starts with the good intentions to actually delve into the ask backlog. In reality, this almost never happens and I default to the first page in my inbox. It’s not technically writing but choosing asks is key to this whole process. I love ones I can answer in a sentence (or image) or two but many involve taking the time to research or fact-check. I like those too, but if they require too much of an involved effort they are more likely to go unanswered, as I only have so much time. Lately I’ve only been able to do Tumblr stuff after 11PM EST. Though I want to put much of the blame on Tumblr itself because if there was a way to tag or favorite certain asks for later (and save drafts of ask replies), I’d get a lot more done. But hey, it’s a site made mostly for sharing images, so what can you expect?

Ask frequency varies but since this is perceived as a Shin Megami Tensei blog, activity naturally increases around the time of new SMT releases, where I can get 10 or so asks a day, especially if I’m active that particular day. Since we’re in the middle of an SMT drought, activity has really dried up. I still try to answer an average of three per day.

As for my actual writing and style, I personally perceive myself as a slow writer. I believe this is so because in real life I tend towards being a perfectionist with most things I do. I proofread an average length post of 2-3 paragraphs at least three or four times. One of those average length posts will take me about 20-30 minutes to write, more if there are images involved.

Another self-perception is a preference for direct language and communication. That’s why I was surprised you called my writing “eloquent,” as I like to be straightforward and succinct, workmanlike. That said, I also am sometimes frustrated that my English lexicon isn’t grander than it is, so I often use a thesaurus to brush up. But it’s never about interjecting superfluous flair or purple prose but instead the right word that could stand in for three or four others and create better sentence flow.

#2 Long-form articles

Many of the articles I’ve written grew naturally out of Tumblr posts and asks to lengths that would be inappropriate for the Tumblr format, compounded with the problem of Tumblr’s limited (read: single option) image formatting.

When I start work on long articles, I usually go analog and write outlines and other notes in a notebook. Being away from a screen and listening to music helps stimulate my brain. Music is especially important but mostly for #3, below.

After jotting down what I plan to achieve, I often jump right in to Word or Google Docs and start writing the real text for whatever my head wants to spill at that particular moment. However, I burn out quickly here because, more often than not, I like to have properly cited sources to back up my claims and, like the Tumblr asks, researching can take a while! It’s not just about finding sources and pasting in the right quotes but understanding their context and ensuring they are used appropriately in support of an argument. It’s like every college paper I ever did, only I’ve actually cared about these!

Revision is key, as is being willing to trim dead branches. For example, from initial concept to publication, it took me around 10 months to finish all three parts of SMT’s Identity Crisis. Within about three months I had an article that was about 70% "finished,” but it was meandering and amateurish. It had a clear thesis but an inconsistent voice. It was difficult to do but I wrote a new draft that cut out much I previously thought important. It was the right call, the new draft, the current text, was clearer and better delineated. Subsequent articles have logically taken less time to write as I’ve gained experience with the format, all but the Odin one this past summer; it took me almost a year after I kept piling on new ideas, observations, and the silly notion to simultaneously reveal a website and a long-secret project.

All the same vocab and proofreading rules from #1 still apply, though scaled appropriately. I must have read the finalized Identity Crisis a few dozen times before it was published--and I still found typos much later, to my chagrin!

I treat article images as levity providers, something I hope helps retain reader interest throughout what are often lengthy documents. This is influenced by the humorous alt texts often employed by defunct gaming site The GIA, an outfit that probably made the biggest single impact on my games writing. Andrew Vestal’s Vagrant Story review not only convinced me to play the game, likely my favorite ever, for the longest time I considered it the standard for a game review. When I wrote the Vagrant Story piece for Hardcore Gaming 101, I deliberately included images similar to those of the Vestal review and alt texts (which HG101 typically didn’t or doesn’t use) as tribute.

#3 Creative stuff

I rarely talk about my original creations, if ever (I mean, talk about defunct sites--but I promise it won’t always be that way), but they do exist! I’ve been writing creatively since I was 11. Much of it bad, but that’s okay! (You’ll never see that stuff!)

We’re all influenced by the media we consume and I’m no different. For me this most plainly manifests through music, historically mostly video game soundtracks. In the past I would listen separately to soundtracks from games I already knew front and back to absorb the tone and mood of the music, which I’d then turn into various ideas (still mostly in notebooks, though that’s changing). For the longest time I thought listening to instrumental music was the key to promoting pure, imaginative ideas, but since Wisdom Eternal: 1973 is technically a period piece I’ve been listening to classic rock and having just as much luck inspiring the old noggin. It also helps that ‘70s rock influenced most of the game music I like!

The previous point made me realize something: when I criticize modern SMT, for example, I’ve also been unconsciously making the statement “I don’t want this to influence me.” Though, ironically, acknowledging those flaws has been hugely influential on how NOT to approach certain things. “We are what we eat,” and that equally applies to consumed media. Some of my older creative works that I now deem to be bad were the result of a limited pool of influences, mostly JRPGs. Very much akin to light novel-caliber writing and concepts, which are often similarly criticized for their extremely narrow range of influences too often focused on literal conflict and not empathetic, realistic characterization.

This post has been going on for a while, but one last thing I’ll say about my creative writing is just how slow the process can be. It’s slower than writing a research-heavy article, just because the idea or two you need to link certain plot threads can’t always be forced out of your brain. In my case, namely the subject of mythology and religion in a narrative, it’s not just writer’s block, it’s about being well-read enough to know (Y) about a particular culture in order to solve (X) narrative problem. Ya gotta read and you gotta read the right stuff, though what the right stuff is will of course vary depending on your own goals.

This was a fun ask that took me just over 2 hours to write, so I hope it’s helpful for you! Honestly, I could have said more but enough’s enough. That said, in the past I’ve tried adopting other writers’ processes to help my own only to find I couldn’t harmonize with their methods. But it’s something you’ll only find out as you write more and better understand what methods are comfortable for you. I can attest, that can take many years. Good luck!

[mrinafria]

Dil Hi Toh Hai July 20- July 24

Episode 25

Ananya is a sweetheart. I MEAN THAT’S MATURE ALRIGHT, initiating a patch up between these two kids who are too adamant. 

...bachpan se na iska koii dost nai banta tha, kyuki yeh HUMESHA se aisa hai. Itni si baat ko itna bada banane ki iski aadat hai

I love how Ananya never blindly sides with Ritwik just because he’s her friend.

OML. Is Kabir Rohit’s friend? Is Kabir Setu’s ex-husband? WHY is this world so goddamn small in telly shows?? I CANT >.<

Setu’s parents being worried made me realize once again how hard it is for people trying to start afresh. When it comes to women specially, blasts from the past don’t usually bring anything good. Why can’t people just leave us be </3

I’m assuming Ritwik will misunderstand the Vermas and Sharmas now because of what Kabir is telling him. Ugh.

OKAY SERIOUSLY ROHIT. AND ALL OTHERS WHO ARE TOO EXCITED TOO DANCE AT THEIR SHAADI AND READY TO GO TO HONEYMOON-- MARRIAGE IS A VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT EVENT IN ANY GIRL’S LIFE, SO IF YOUR PARTNER IS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING DURING THE FUNCTIONS. PAY ATTENTION. LISTEN WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY EVEN IF YOU THINK IT’S SOMETHING MINOR. PUHLIIIIZ.

Setu. My goodness. I love a woman who can speak up when needed. At least you didn’t keep mum and become a blubbering mess when Kabir was hurling those accusations at you. Respect girl!

Oooh Palak giving it back to Ritwik like a bawws! These girls are on fire in this episode aaaah <3 

Main bataun tumhari problem kya hai? MAIN hu tumhari problem!

...ek din aisa aayega, jab tumhara dil tootega aur AISA tootega ke judd bhi nahi payega. I curse you Ritwik Noon!  

Okay. I’m sure Palak is saying all this out of anger. Their love story won’t really be cursed, right? Given that this is originally an ALT Balaji show, they can’t turn it into some epic love saga shit that goes on and on for an eternity where the leads drown themselves and wallow in self-pity and angst and heartache and never unite? Please, I have been bruised and battered by my OTPs so many times I can’t take it once more. Please okay dont.

The exchange between Palak and Setu hit so close to home man.

sara blame mujh par aaya. Pata hai kyu? Kyuki hum middle-class ladkiyan hai, aur woh rich hai...duniya ko sirf paise ka farak nazar aata hai, andar jo horaha hota hai woh kisi ko nahi dikhta

True Setu. True.

Episode 26

Rohit looks so broken. His voice, his face. Please rok do. Ugh stop my stupid heart. -______-

Setu is so mature. Gurl.

Ritwik’s mom is again screwing with his head, in his dreams. Even he himself realizes that kya ban gaya hai woh because of her. And it’s evident that deep down, he still yearns for his mom, hopes that she’ll be back to meet him, so he can vent and scream and let out all the agony and complaints he’s been holding inside. That Ritwik Noon whose mom left him when he was a kid...he never really grew up.

Seeing Rohit breaks my heart. I know this is getting repetitive. But seriously.

OMLOMLOMLOML ROHIT KNOWS WHAT PALAK DID WITH THAT MONEY! AND I AM TOTALLY DIGGING THIS ANGRY ROHIT BARGING INTO RITWIK’S HOUSE TO CALL HIM OUT ON HIS BS. Yeh mere baare mein kabhi tha hi nahi, yeh sirf aur sirf tere baare mein aur uss Palak ke baare mein tha. YES PLEASE SAMJHAAO IS NADAAN NASAMAJH GADHE KO.

Again, Mamta does a brilliant job in giving Ritwik a much-needed reality check.

Ajkhjksdhakjhdkahdjkajk Ritwik realizes he screwed up and goes to the airport to stop Palak from leaving for Mumbai.

Please mat jaao. 

Don’t go.

Please mat jaao.

Look at that guilt-ridden pained hopeless face (ignore his ugh hair). 

Haye. Ishh.

THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME. Well, this is UNDOUBTEDLY the first time he’s sharing his past with somebody outside of his family, and that too A WOMAN. This is such a BIG STEP FORWARD. I’m feeling at least 100 kinds of emotions rn DONT COME NEAR MEE.

PALAK’s VOICEOVER after Ritwik pleads again to stay back and help him fix things. I needed this alright. 

These two uff. Bickering in the middle of the road. Abhi kya bole bhai. But it’s also the beauty of the camaraderie they share nai? Just a while ago they were hating each other’s guts and now everything is back to being how it was before. Haye.

Waise bhi agar sab kuch mujhe hi karna hai, toh tumhe Mumbai jaane se kyu roka maine? Haan toh kyu roka? Khud hi kar lete sab kuch.

I think we all know why he stopped you Palak. Iss nadaan gadhe ko abhi thodi na samajh mein aani hai yeh baat. But audience is chalaak they got it.

Ritwik ACTUALLY WATCHED Hindi films to research and find out what to do in situations like these???? OML I CANT BYE

Episode 27:

Yeh Reeva maar khaayegi mujhse. What are you doing ladki? Ananya is so cool with everything and for the first time ever I’ve found a supporting love interest who doesn’t go all Komolika on any other girl her man gets friendly with. Why are you trying to poison Ananya’s mind with your chudailon wale opinions? 

Yeh Aman ka kya scene hai with Reeva? Usko kya kuch kuch hota hai??Tum nahi sajhogi Reeva hoing??

Ritwik to Aman: wannabe Saif Ali Khan. lol.

Everyone is bashing Ritwik for his ladki-uthaanewala plan xD

Ideas bure hai tumhare dost ke, par dil ka saaf hai.

Ishh.

Ritwik finds out about Palak’s deceased brother from Setu. I didn’t realize it would be brought up so soon, but perhaps it was needed for Ritwik to realize why Palak was so hell-bent upon not approving the medicine: it was personal, but not in the way Ritwik had thought.

Ritwik looking at Palak as she’s walking out of the gym canteen, and keeps looking, while my heart melts into a puddle. My bbz.

Ritwik indirectly asks Mamta for some advice. As always, I absolutely admired Mamta for the way she so realistically talks about choosing between relations and love.

Kabhi kabhi jisse hum pyaar karte hai usey naa chun na hi sahi hota hai...kyuki har ek ke liye uski zindagi ki sacchai kuch aur hoti hai

Mamta is like a rock to Ritwik, a lighthouse, and I feel that a big part of the humane side that Ritwik has comes from Mamta’s upbringing only. Ritwik knows he’s messed up, but out of everyone in his family, it’s Mamta who can bring out that piece of sanity in him, where he is compelled to think beyond his usual binaries of looking at the world.

SO. Ritwik drops by Palak’s house at the middle of the night. This is happening then. *pretending to be calm as a cucumber while insides become all mushy*

Ritwik sharing his genius plan with Palak, and looking at her hopefully, as if to get an approval that he is doing the right thing and his plan made Palak happy, for whom he originally planned everything in the first place. 

Isn’t it strange how this guy went from being I-dont-need-my-medicine’s-approval-from-that-measly-doctor to Aur tum?

Yeh bataane tum yahaan tak aaye? Phone pe bhi bataa sakte they.

Bhai abb phone mein woh baat kahaan rahi xD

#dhth #dil hi toh hai #palak sharma #ritwik noon #yogita bihani #karan kundra #ananya puri #rohit puri #reeva noon #setu verma #asmita sood #poulomi das #ekta kapoor #alt balaji #sony tv #2018 telly shows #indian telly #hindi shows #episode reaction #DHTH episodes #angst #angsty romance #romance #MU track #iss reeva ko dafaa karo koi #that lil kid who seeks approval #tellywood

[the-expert-zone]

What Every Keto-er Needs in Their Cart! –

This post may contain affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer here.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2020? Prime Day kicks off at midnight PT on Tuesday, October 13 and runs through Wednesday, October 14, for Prime members.

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Support Small Businesses! I love supporting small businesses whenever possible and to be able to do that during Prime Day is amazing.Prime members can shop deals featured in the Support Small storefront, Amazon Handmade and Amazon Launchpad.

An interesting fact I learned while researching all the best deals this year is that more than half of the items sold on Amazon are from mostly small and medium-sized businesses, and last Prime Day, these sellers surpassed $2 billion in sales.

And as an added bonus for shopping small, Amazon is offering a $10 credit to use on Prime Day to members who spend $10 on items sold by select small businesses in Amazon’s store. Visit the link here to learn more about it and to start shopping!

My Picks If you have read some of my other posts, you know I am an Amazon addict so I have been scouring the site for the best deals for you guys. I’ve added my favorites below – let me know if I missed out on a good deal in the comments below!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know my obsession with my Nespresso Vertuo machine (and my excess buy of all their pumpkin spice cups). I actually bought my Nespresso machine from Amazon because of the deal I got during last year’s Prime Day – the machine came with an aerator so I can foam up cream to put in my coffee and was 30% off. This year the deal is even better with 41% off the Nespresso machine! ProTip: I bought my machine from Amazon, but it makes more sense to purchase the coffee pods from Nespresso’s website (and it still ships in just a couple of days!).

Get your Nespresso here.

Is it me, or is it easier drinking all your water if you are drinking it out of something pretty? I love these ombre water bottles that are not only gorgeous but keep me honest with my refilling time. I usually refill mine 3 times a day!

Get you ombre water bottle here.

I have been stalking the InstantPot with Airfryer lid price an Amazon waiting for the moment that it would hit a sale price. And boy it has come! This gadget seriously does it all. Now with the air fryer lid, the InstantPot air fries (obviously lol), pressure cooks, sautés, steams, slow cooks, sous vides, warms, roasts, bakes, broil and dehydrates. I mean, come on! I literally just ordered this during the Prime Day sale, and I am so excited for it to arrive – expect A LOT of healthy recipes to be filling the blog very soon!

Get your InstantPot with AirFryer lid here.

I use my blender everyday. I make smoothies, nut butters, juices, and more but I hate when I want one serving of something to dirty up the huge blender. I love this Ninja blender because it comes with small, to go cups that you can blend right in with the full power of the blender! This feature is amazing because I know what I’m blending is one serving and I only have to wash one thing.

Get your Ninja here.

Working out at home has been a total game changer for me. After saving up for a year, I bought a Peloton in March and it has been so incredible! (add me on the leaderboard: robolikes) Recently, Peloton added classes that used resistance bands and these classes are so good! Andy & Hannah teach them and they are so good and leave you feeling sore. These bands are my favorite because they are much more budget friendly and are so easy to use. I use them whenever I need extra strength workouts added to my bike riding!

Get your resistance bands here.

Also recently added on the Peloton app are barre classes! These classes are also with Hannah and OMG let me tell you they are so tough! I love adding Bala weights to my wrists and ankles to make the moves even more challenging. These weights are also great to add an arm workout while walking too! I also love a great product that was also a contestant on SharkTank but that’s just a fun factoid for me ;D

Get your Bala weights here.

I love these workout pants. They are super high waisted & have 3 pockets! They are also super breathable & always stay put during my workouts filled with pilates ab workouts, barre squats, power walks, and spin classes. They also come in a ton of awesome color and lengths and are beyond affordable.

Get your leggings here.

I am an avid meal prepper. I actually really enjoy taking a few hours on a Sunday and cooking up a storm – it’s almost like meditating to me! I love these containers to keep all of my prepped food fresh throughout the week. They are airtight and have never had one of them stain even with soups and sauces.

Get your containers here.

I love walking. I personally feel it has been instrumental in the positive changes in my body and mind. But it’s not always feasible to get in the amount of steps I want daily. Which lead me to research treadmills. Now, I live in a tiny apartment in New York City so the tread needed to be compact and hopefully something I could shove underneath my bed when necessary. Enter this little folding miracle from GoPlus! This treadmill is exactly what I wanted – it’s small and lets me get in all my steps. It should be noted that I only power walk on it and do not run so definitely look into it more if you are a runner!

Get your treadmill here.

I eat lots of salads, but get tired of making them, cutting up all the stuff, etc. Enter my new favorite kitchen tool, OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper & Bowl! With this, I just throw everything in the bowl and in only a few seconds it’s a salad!

Get your salad chopper bowl here.

Unexpected sale alert! Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder is 50% off! definitely stock up on this powder now by clicking here.

Let me know what you get or if you end up getting any of my favorites below!

NEW TO KETO? YOU’LL LOVE THESE KETO RECIPE EBOOKS! Hey! Thinking about trying the Keto diet? I’d love to help! I’ve lost over 65 pounds doing Keto and have kept it off! Take a look at my Ultimate Keto Diet Beginner’s Guide & Food List, take a spin through my Pinterest page or click on an e-book below! Each ebook has 30 recipes with 5 ingredients & are 5 grams of net carbs or fewer! Right now they are on SALE for $9.99 each! Talk about a no-brainer.

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[uprootedandrelentless]

2020 Review  - Miraya

2020 was a year we’ll always remember. At first glance it’s the year of COVID-19, a global pandemic, Trump, BLM, shelter in place, businesses closing and so much loss and sickness. Future textbooks will need many pages to cover the history of this year. Zoomed in (get it?!) at the smaller scale of my little bubble it has also been a year of lots of virtual experiences, career change, working from home, and sweatpants. Obviously there were so much bigger and more monumental issues than my own but for the sake of this year in review I’m just zooming in on my day to day life. There is so much out of our control, that this year was a reminder to be grateful for our relationships. Despite the craziness of the year, there were many joyful and happy moments that I want to remember of 2020, so I’ll focus on those. 

It’s hard to think about this year pre-Pandemic/pre-March, but I am grateful that I squeezed in so much in the beginning of the year. In the first few months before lockdown, I luckily got to see so many friends and travel to all my favorite cities (London, New York and Palm Springs). Matt and I rang in the New Year in London, so we started 2020 there! I celebrated Claire’s Bachelorette party with 20 of her friends in Los Angeles, went to New York for my first Dessert Goals corporate event on Valentine’s Day, spoke at Alt Summit conference, and planned Clarissa’s bachelorette in Palm Springs. These trips feel like distant memories besides scrolling through photos on my phone. I can’t wait until we can travel again.

Since March my days have been much less glamorous, but there have still been moments I’ll treasure. Matt and I love watching movies, playing games and eating and luckily got to do a lot of these from the safety of our home. Some favorite moments of the year:

Snuggling on the couch with Matt and Rocky, watching movies and eating popcorn with Trader Joe’s ghee spray and truffle salt

Working out while playing Just Dance with Matt, our favorite song is “What Does The Fox Say”

Lots of cooking - using our air fryer, crockpot and Matt becoming a mixologist and creating a 50+ page Google Doc cocktail book

Every time we leave a grocery store with a giant cart full of food and I say “we will not starve”

Supporting small business with fun experiences at home, like Pop Up Mag in a Box and Mama’s Date Night Kit 

Playing Pandemic Legacy co-op game season 1 and 2

Celebrating my 30th birthday at Claire’s house and learning a choreographed dance of Aaron Carter’s I Want Candy with Claire, Evan, Matt

Creative socially distanced activities like picnics with my parents and friends, playing croquet with Matt’s family, renting out a nail salon for Claire’s birthday 

Virtual events like Six Degrees Society, monthly Pizza Party mastermind group, Dreamers & Doers, The Assembly entrepreneur group, my 30th Birthday with friends and family across the country 

Solo workouts and dancing on my rooftop in the middle of the day

Home improvements like painting our bookshelf blue, getting a new coffee table and buffet table 

Sleeping With Other People 5 year anniversary watch party with Rom Com Fest and IFC Zoom with Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis 

Seeing Instagram Story photos of people across the country receiving Dessert of the Month boxes

Spending a week in Los Angeles in an Airbnb with a pool and hottub and going to our favorite restaurants while working from a different desk than our usual at home

Finding our wedding venue and booking a date for March 2022

Sadly the year has also included many not so great moments:

Closing of Eco Goods, my parent’s shop of over 20 years

Closing of The Assembly, my co-working space and slice of heaven in SF

Clearing out my LA storage unit of all my event supplies, many of which I just purchased in November for Dessert Goals and have sat unused since then

Getting Covid in May - luckily it was mild I just had a high fever and was achy and sick for a few days then quarantined for 10 days

Having to let my employee go because I couldn’t keep paying her

Having to cancel all of my festivals

Moments of feeling totally defeated and lost and not sure how to keep my business going

Shock at the country and that there are so many stupid and selfish people

In my little world, the hardest part about this year for me has been my struggle with my identity as an event planner when I can’t plan events. I’ve always felt such an association of what I do with who I am and when I suddenly am forced to stop doing what I love, with no end in sight, it’s been really tough, both for my identity and my business. I had my year all mapped out, three festivals, sponsors, and first I just postponed my events, and now they are cancelled until the foreseeable future. I tried some virtual events, launched a Dessert of the Month club, but nothing was enough. Dessert Goals and Rom Com Fest are so much about the IRL experience and I couldn’t figure out how to translate that at home. 

With a wonderful stroke of luck I was connected with someone in August looking for help with his event hosting software platform, Mixily, and he brought me on to do customer success and marketing. It’s the first “real job” I’ve had since 2014, and first time I’ve worked at a software startup. It’s been like MBA training, sink or swim. We have a small team all across the world and it’s been exciting getting to Slack and Zoom with others all working on the same project together. I’ve transformed a corner of our bedroom into an office (with a desk from The Assembly), bought a laptop stand, keyboard and mouse, and it’s the most official work setup I’ve had in years. Considering this crazy year and not being able to plan events, I am so  grateful I got this opportunity to keep working and flexing my muscles in a new industry. I’ve joined many new communities to connect with others in the software world, such as Indie Hackers, and have learned a lot of new perspectives about startups, that sometimes you’ll work on something for years and then have to call it quits. With Dessert Goals and Rom Com Fest I hope it’s not quits forever, but I’m coming to accept that they can be on the back burner for now. 

This year I turned 30. The biggest milestone the year has had in my mind is the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which I never made it on. Obviously it would have been great, and I can’t say I’m not bummed that I didn’t, but I do know it’s not everything. Besides that, and wishing I could have a big party for my birthday which wasn’t totally possible, 30 hasn’t felt dramatically different yet. I know that I compare myself to others more than it is healthy, it’s hard to prevent it, especially when scrolling through Instagram. I hear from others as you get into your 30s you feel more confident in your skin, I hope this clicks for me and I quit the comparison game soon. I’ve started paying attention to my phone’s screen time and it’s pretty scary how many hours of each day I spend  on Instagram. I’m juggling accounts for my personal, Rom Com Fest, Dessert Goals and Mixily, so it’s a lot. A mix of research, posting, and inspiration, but it’s not a good use of time. Over the holidays I logged out of all my accounts, so if I wanted to check I had to go through the extra step of logging in, and it’s decreasing my scroll time drastically. I know Instagram is not a good use of time and adds to my comparison feelings, so it is something I want to decrease next year.

One of the new communities I joined because of Mixily, Reality Bites, asked me what three things I want more and less of in 2021. Here they are, plus a few more. 

More: travel, exercise, picnics, walks with friends, outdoor time

Less: stress, snacking, guilt, Instagram, comparing myself to others, sweatpants 

Last year I included lists of my favorite books, movies and TV shows of the year and want to keep the tradition. I’ve been tracking books in Goodreads, movies in Letterboxd, and TV shows in Notes. Here are my top picks of the year. 

Books

Last year I read 27 books and set a goal for 30 books this year. I ended up reading 32! My top 5:

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner  

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Not Like The Movies by by Kerry Winfrey

Body Love Every Day: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom by Kelly LeVeque

The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you by Rob Fitzpatrick 

Movies

Matt and I watched A LOT of movies this year! Many older movies, including many from 1999 and a ton of Tom Hanks. Matt always creates his top 10 movie list of new release films. Here’s my top 2020 movies in alphabetical order: 

An American Pickle

Bad Education

How to Build A Girl

On The Rocks

Palm Springs

Save Yourselves!

Soul

The Half Of It

The One and Only Ivan

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

TV

In between movie watching, and while multitasking, I was able to watch quite a lot of TV shows this year, some with Matt and some on my own. Matt and I watched all the seasons of Veronica Mars which started a marathon of all other Rob Thomas (the creator of Veronica Mars) shows including Party Down and iZombie. Of new 2020 shows, here are some of my favorites, in alphabetical order: 

Dash & Lily

Dead To Me season 2

Emily in Paris

Love Life

Never Have I Ever

PEN15 season 2

Queen’s Gambit

The Bold Type season 4

The Home Edit

The Morning Show

Trinkets

At the end of my post last year I wrote of all the things I was looking forward to next year including 4 weddings and 3 festivals, all of which were cancelled. 2020 felt so planned out and yet everything was changed. I have no idea what next year will bring. It could feel exactly the same as this year, working from home and wearing a mask all year. Or we could be able to host events by summer. Every virtual event I’ve attended about the future of events seems like a similar level of uncertainty. It feels impossible to set goals or make plans for 2021. We just have to roll with the punches, be kind to one another, stay safe, wear our masks and ride this out.  

Here’s to a brighter and safer 2021!

-Miraya

#oakland #eventplanner #software startup #2020 #2020 review #virtual events

[pixelatedlenses]

It’s that time of year again to talk about the Elephant in the Room: recontracting. 

I thought that this might give some insight to all new potential ALTs, and might show my process of deciding on my contract status for 2018 – 2019. This is just kind of a bit of my why: there’s a lot more than this, but that’s my personal life, so I’d rather keep it to myself.. Here’s a kind of broad view though that maybe can help.

Anyways, let’s jump in.

Right now, thousands of people are making the choice this month to dedicate at least a year of their lives to living abroad. For some, this experience is mostly about the J: Japan. It’s about a chance to explore a different culture and see the country, for whatever reasons. That might be a return to cultural heritage or for many, a desire and curiosity that can stem from Anime to Sado, island included.

For some, this experience is about the E: Exchange. This is about being a bridge between Home and Japan, between positive difference. Others will find T -Teaching- to be what brings them, will encourage them to learn from a different system, to teach and help cultivate learning environments.

For all, hopefully, they want to sample all three as equally as we can. I’ll admit that I’m in strong favor of the E: I feel that encompasses so much of what makes the J & T of JET come together.

My reason for contracting deals a lot with the E: that’s been really present in my daily life.

Each day, I exchange: Japanese, English, money, papers, actions, kindness. I could say that everything in Japan thus far has been an exchange of ideas and actions that have helped me build the Me I want to be.

That’s not to say this hasn’t been a hard transition.

I would love to tell you that I’m not homesick, that I don’t miss cheese, that I haven’t cried a lot recently, and that it’s just been a party and then some all day, every day, but I’d be lying and misleading you about what life is like here. I live a good life: I have good food, good friends, and I get to travel regularly, even if it’s just in the prefecture. I have good school and feel appreciated, feel like my work is good and has lots of room for positive growth, and I feel like I get helpful feedback that pushes me to keep trying in a healthy way. 

And while yes, I’ve got a lot of happy, it’s also been tough at times too.

Life in Japan can be very humanly lonely at times, even speaking Japanese: I always feel keenly different, and that’s hard for anyone to weather without a support system. I have worries about fitting in because I don’t really like bars or drinking, miss having a car –and hate being limited to not having one for work– and often find myself wishing I maybe lived closer to other ALTS (That’s up in the air because this ALT likes quiet too!) You have to come in knowing what you will and won’t be able to handle, and truly hold onto that to buoy yourself when times turn sour.

Living abroad doesn’t mean living without worry: it just means living in a different country with the same problems you’d’ve had at home.

I’m still happy: I can say that with a honest heart. And I still have a lot let to do in Japan: there’s a lot of growth here for me that I haven’t tapped into. And I can say that I do have a good life: while I’ve shifted from spending so much time with ALTs and did so quickly, I feel connected to my neighborhood and community. I go places by myself more often than with groups, something I feel is important.

(Learn to be alone and enjoy the company of Just You. It is truly a gift.)

Even still, saying yes wasn’t 100% easy. I’m fully for saying yes, and have no hesitation, but that took work.

I had to be critical of my year here and look ahead: what struggles might break me, what might have to change, what might I have to raise my voice for to help me have success here? That’s really hard to think about, but if we don’t, then why stay? Money and travel just simply aren’t enough to sacrifice your health for.

So why am I staying?

Simple: change.

I mentioned earlier this year that I physically felt change, and I’m feeling it again: it’s like someone put a knot in my belly and is tugging, hard. It’s insistent, but I keep resisting, whether from anxiety or fear. But I want to give in and let myself change.

And that change is still here in Japan.

Last year brought a physical world of change: I moved my entire identity to Japan, had to learn how to function with my Blackness and Queerness, had to learn how to find peace in being different and Fat, how to learn how to love myself. I can feel a fresh wave of change (time to fortify!) and this time, I’m gonna ride it: I don’t want to resist it, not with all my growth.

I can’t pinpoint it –and may never be able to– but change is here for me, and it’s here in Japan. Already, I can see what they might be: a revival of my research into Girls and Women’s culture, pressing ahead with achieving N2 in my Japanese, cultivating my teaching skills as a Facilitator, and eventually, hopefully giving a lecture at Mechademia Japan in my 5th year.

In all of that, however, I want my growth to be about living in now.

I have a bad habit of planning: I plan for the future in every contingency, stress myself about what might happen a few days down the line if I chose one action over the other. So often, I treat my life as if it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except I forget that yes, even when things are bad, I can make up for it and turn the pages and have a new storyline and outcome.

Finally, I think I’m at a place of letting that go.

It feels good and cleansing to tuck away the old and bring out the new. I feel like I’m throwing open a window to the sun after a long window: refreshed, revived, and ready for a new season. While this growth and change won’t happen overnight, it will happen, and I look forward to the Me I’ll be in 2018, 2019, 2020, and finally, 2021.

I haven’t gotten my paperwork yet, but I haven’t been reading any indication of not being recontracted. I firmly believe I will: I am on time, I do good work, and I feel I contribute to the workplace environment. But when the time does come…

I’ll say yes.

#work #jet program #alt #jet #recontracting #year two thoughts

[weednvapes]

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