#i just haven't had the time

[black-tie-beanie]

have you checked on tommy recently??

no. i probably should

#i just haven't had the time #with everything that's happened... #i don't even know if i have time now #there's so much to plan #fan mail

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

#writeblr #warm up #this is longer than i wanted i really considered removing that part about myself and what i went thru #but i think it really fucking bothers me that EVERY time i talk about being an artist #ppl assume i just like. had the skill and ability to drop everything and pay for grad school. #like sir i grew up poor. my house wasn't a safe space. i gave up a FREE RIDE TO LAW SCHOOL. for THIS. bc i chose it. #was it fucking hard? was i choosing the hard thing?? yes. #but we need to stop seeing artists as lazy layabouts that can ''afford'' to just ''sit around and create'' #when MANY - if not MOST - of us are NOT like that. we have to work our fucking ASSES off. hard work. long and hard work #part of valuing artists is recognizing the amount we sacrifice to make our art. bc it doesn't just #like HAPPEN to us. also btw it rarely has anything to do with true talent. #speaking as someone with a chronic condition i hate when ppl are like u have it easy. like actively as i'm writing this my hands r #ACTIVELY hurting me. i haven't been posting bc my left hand was curled in a claw for the last week #this isn't fucking luck. after a certain point it's not even TALENT. it's dedication & sacrifice. #''u get to flounce around and do nothing with ur life'' is a narrative that is a direct result of capitalism #imagine if we said that about literally any other profession. #''oh so u give up 10 yrs of ur life to be a doctor? u sacrifice having a social life and u get SUPER in debt? #u need to work countless hours and it will often be thankless? well i wish i was that lucky'' #we should be applying that logic to landlords ONLY #''oh ur mom and dad gave u the money to buy a house? and all u did was paint it white and rent it? huh.''

[titenoute]

They are both intensely relieved but they don't understand why.

I just wondered how the present disaster twins would handle the recent emotional ordeal of the last update.

#cass apocalyptic series #fanart #idk just my take #by the way : to the author of this comic #thank you #I haven't been in an emotional rollercoaster for a TMNT AU in a very long time #also thank you for making it wholesome too #I had a mighty need #not my AU #tmnt #rottmnt #the confusion is real #my art

[dandyshucks]

being in love with a fictional character will make u produce art u didnt know u were capable of

~

[if ur part of the "fiction doesnt affect reality" crowd: please fuck off lol]

#me: oh teehee lets just do this for fun bc im bored and want to try smth i haven't done in a year #the art: hi im gonna turn out far above what u thought u had the skillset for #im convinced this is just beginners luck DBDJDKL or like... #one of those times where u just produce rly good art for a day or two and then it never happens again DBFHDKL #ur graced by the light of some creative spirit entity and then they fuck off into the void randomly and leave u with no abilities SBJDKDL #dandy.cmd

[bakapandy]

ＧＡＡＲＡ

#gaara #sabaku no gaara #naruto #naruto shippuden #pandy draws #been in a rut even though I've had some extra time to draw #but I just haven't had much desire or inspo to draw... #so to get back into it #I draw my comfort character

[raine-world]

When MatPat came on screen I freaked out (in a good way) and got so light headed I missed the entire conversation and almost passed out until he said "But that's just a theory-" which shocked me out of it like a sleeper agent code word

#fnaf #fnaf movie #fnaf spoilers #fnaf movie spoilers #matpat #had a good time! #movie was alright. some parts bad. many plot holes #but the animatronic moments were easily the best part and made it super enjoyable #both the sweet moments and the killing moments #i had to ask my friend afterwards why matpat said “that's just a theory” because i did legit almost black out #i haven't watched matpat in years btw

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

#selfie bee #hello friends!! how are you doing!! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ #I'm very very tired today #I woke up very early today because I took a driving lesson! #I have had my licence for many many years now but I haven't driven in so long #and when I tried I just turned on the windshield wipers again and again #so I'm taking some refreshment lessons! I was really afraid of driving again but my new driving teacher is very nice (❁´‿`❁) #my last one scared me a little because he talked a lot about bathroom renovation #I just drove for an hour or so but I was so concentrated that I'm very tired now #I have another lesson tomorrow because I deleted every information in my brain about how to park a car #all those synapses are currently used to remember Godzilla facts #another big news!! #I saw a PHEASANT last week #we almost hit it with the car but luckly it remembered in time that it was a bird and flew away #I've NEVER seen a pheasant before!! ( ´ ▽ ` ) #I knew that pheasants were real because my favourite cartoon as a child was animals of farthing wood #and there's pheasants in it and then they get murdered and all the other animals are like 'oh well' #but I had never seen one! #I feel like a stronger person now #one that can drive a car #maybe even park one ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ #have a wonderful evening friends #<3

[batshaped]

trick(xie) question

#mlp #twilight sparkle #lyra #lyra heartstrings #trixie #trixie lulamoon #bon bon #mlp:fim #mlpfim #my little pony friendship is magic #boast busters #mlp g4 #i had this one sitting in the backlog forever #i always have 10-20 pieces of art in my backlog i haven't gotten around to posting yet #sometimes like #i will get to a point in halo head where i don't want to disrupt the flow by posting something randomly unrelated between episodes #but that is the nature of the beast #because often times i get struck by a stupid idea and need to make it right now #anyway i made this earlier in 2022 but i can't remember when #so as always just tagging with the post date because i don't keep THAT meticulous of records lol. #01092023 #january 2023 art #2023 art #art

[wasyago]

the brainrot won

#GUY S i know i haven't posted anything in a while and thats because im working on a big cool project that i really want to finish without- #distractions. but uh. as you can see. ive been distracted 😔. still working on it tho!!!! and im very happy with it turns out its just- #super time and energy consuming so ive tried to limit my intake of other media to not make myself want to draw other stuff #i also haven't read the last two (two already?????) chapters of RnS and im very sad about it and i want to read it but you know that if i- #read it ill want to make fanart and then ill never finish my project :( #SO. sorrey for the lack of art itll be coming when im free to draw!!!!!!! #but also. yes ive watched new life because i dont want to go insane with nothing but this project on my mind and umm. had to take a little- #break to do a couple designs for fun... and to switch it up a bit because for real im going insane i think #ALSO. friend got me into zelda botw and i haven't played a whole lot yet (because project) but ive tried to take some inspiration for- #designs from there. at least for joel and scott. everyone else not so much... #WELL ANYWAYS this is getting long. i should really stop rambling in the tags and just make separate posts for all this but i dont want to #umm. tags. #new life smp #smallishbeans #mythical sausage #geminitay #pearlescentmoon #smajor1995 #inthelittlewood #my art #sketch

[sandushengshou]

the untamed + text posts

#theuntamededit #theuntameddaily #mxtxnet #asiandramanet #cdrama #usergege #userkareena #userrenee #cdramsource #cdramedit #mdzs #jiang cheng #the untamed #i feel i haven't giffed for my blog since forever #stuff that isn't xz i mean haha #i think the last time was early jan? just feels like it's been long enough that i can't gif anymore #so i tried #and of course it had to be jc #* #tutp

[monstermonger]

Micro comic Summer is back!

Here's my tiny tale from last year, of some kiddos finding a hurt baby dragon, and taking care of it until the dragons return next spring.

#art #comic #webcomics #dragons #fantasy creatures #microcomicsummer #ty hiveworks for a cool little event #but yeah as i mentioned yesterday: #i didn't make a new comic this year just because I had two other big comic projects #a third (even just 4 pages) would've been too much for me i think #been wanting some time to focus on illustrations #so just celebrating by posting my comic from last year--- which i actually haven't even posted here on tumblr yet #hope u enjoy ty for reading <3 #micro comic summer #dragon #fantasy art #dragon comic

[varilien]

wednesday was the 1000th day since the fateful afternoon my roommate asked to see the space cowboy show i apparently used to talk about a lot and i wanted to do a big illustrated piece to celebrate but my job keeps me from drawing anything at all !!!!!!!

anyways i've been missing vash so so so so so bad u guys can anybody hear me it's so dark in here.

lines also cuz i really like how his hair turned out :3 reminds me of the couple shoujo manga i read as a kid teehee

#trigun #trigun anime #trigun fanart #vash #vash the stampede #this is just extra details over an old doodle i posted before i haven't had time for anything else #i'm losing my mind <3 it is all so bad you guys <3 #okay but really i could NOT remember ever talking about trigun at all but i can even look back through old dms #and see how many times 2018 forward id just randomly bring it up to ppl fhdjdjjd #even with insane memory loss problems apparently trigun keeps its hold on me For Ever lol

[vrsmnya]

Snotlout in the ‘I am Kenough’ hoodie is now cannon in HTTYD universe and you cannot change my mind 💅

lil dragon draws i see your vision. this is my brainrot version of it xoxo

(also shout out to @dominickthemoth who did a full render version of snotlout in a kenough hoodie, i think u might like it :D)

#tysm for the ask! #httyd #taking a break from drawing httyd by drawing httyd #ALKDFJHLKDJHLJ #ken's theme in the back as i draw this #i have to preface i haven't seen barbie #im like assuming this is something that would happen #sorry barbie enjoyers love u i just haven't had time to see it #my art

[trek-tracks]

Sorry, we can't move them

Source

#star trek #star trek tos #leonard mccoy #jim kirk #spock #bones mccoy #captain kirk #star trek aos #the empath #among other episodes #lions #bones won this time #does anyone read the tags down here #it has been a shitty shitty week #my mom had a near-fatal heart attack #she is recovering but there's nothing like your parents waiting 13 hours until you've finished teaching for the day #to tell you that your mom went to the hospital and coded three times on the table before being revived #just in case you wondered why i haven't been around for a week #my brain was and is just. screaming. lots of brainscream #are tags on a mcspirk post the healthiest place to mention this? probably not #hug your loved ones who like hugs ok

[ruporas]

chapter 90 vash

#vash the stampede #trigun #trigun maximum #trimax spoilers #trigun spoilers #i forget how the blacklist stuff works on tumblr again... uncertain whether it matters or not for it to be in the caption itself #anyway my mind was reflecting again on the later chapters of trigun :lying down: i'm not sure how to collect my thoughts #but i think all the time about vash's “if i shoot him now she'll die” line in ch 15 #and considering vash haven't had long at all to grieve after ch 64... aughh... augh.... mourning both of them in ch 91 #vash's emotional state after 64 is really so. It's devastating watching him bc he's still being all smiley around his friends and allies #but when he's alone - charging the bullets and during those first two battles - he's just so quiet #and all of that kept emotion just breaks like a dam in 90... all of that to say.. legato is really incredible dgmks #ruporas art

[snarkspawn]

it's so nice to see my boy again, and to put him back into (more of the same) situations

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #tiefling #bg3 oc #baldur's gate #dnd #warlock #asher #userpharawee #I haven't really had time to play much yet so he's only just off the nautiloid and gathering the lads (gender neutral) #but man I've missed this game and I'm so excited to dive back in!! #I was thinking about making my little dnd monk Nian or a whole new oc instead #but I really had a lot of fun playing warlock in early access #eldritch blasting my way through faerun. failing skill checks #might as well keep doing that #(and then make a new monk for a second playthrough naturally)