stargazingjellyfish

[stargazingjellyfish]

joy in drawing aquarium livestream cams

#reblog #art

[stargazingjellyfish]

flying

#reblog #art

[stargazingjellyfish]

Jan De Vliegher (Belgian, b. 1964), Garden 6, 2014. Oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm.

#reblog #art

[stargazingjellyfish]

froggo in a cup

[stargazingjellyfish]

For reference: colors produced using dyes available in the Middle Ages. [source]

[stargazingjellyfish]

hi everybody! during my freshman year of college, i experienced burnout countless times, and you likely will, too. thankfully, burnout is usually avoidable! here are my tips on avoiding it!! xx

1. go to bed at a decent time! i can’t express enough how important sleep is. if you are physically or mentally exhausted, you’re going to burn out way more quickly. having a steady sleep schedule is the most important thing to do to avoid burnout!!

2. make time for yourself! don’t study all the time- spend time practicing self-care and doing things you enjoy. it’ll pay off in the long run!

3. space everything out! don’t schedule all of your meetings and responsibilities in one or two days. tackle just a couple of things a day! this one may seem a little obvious, but i constantly see students over working themselves because they try to procrastinate doing everything until the last minute and have to do it all in one day.

4. divide and conquer! this sort of goes along with #3, but don’t cram everything you need to study into one night! divide up the topics covered on the exam/quiz and study one or two groups of topics a night!

5. give yourself a day off! this may be difficult to maintain, but do your best to work your schedule to give yourself one day off a week. for me, over the school year, my scheduled weekly day off was sunday. i did my best to do all my weekend homework on friday and saturday so that i could relax on sunday without a stack of responsibilities on my mind!

6. seek help if you need it! most (if not every) colleges have an on-campus psychologist. if you’re having a lot of trouble balancing all your responsibilities and managing your stress, seeing a psychologist may help! on-campus psychologists are experienced trained specifically to help students, so they will undoubtedly have tips to deal with everything. there is no shame in seeking help! if you’re in high school or middle school, you could see your guidance counselor!

7. love the work you do! find value in all of your assignments and notes. this will make them look less like assignments and more like learning experiences!

thanks for reading! if you have any questions or need someone to talk to, feel free to message me! xx

#reblog #study advice #studyblr #study #study tips #study motivation #burnout

[stargazingjellyfish]

a reminder this Pride that there is no shame in being closeted. there is no shame in not wanting to come out or to being stealth. your relationship with your gender or sexuality belongs to you alone

#reblog #pride #lgbtq

[stargazingjellyfish]

hello, How do you go about studying art and philosophy in your free time?

hi! i watch a lot of art assignment videos, and then i independently look up the artists mentioned. or i go to google arts & culture and flip through whatever art they’re recommending and try to get everything about it. for philosophy i end up on the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy or inpho and read through whatever i’m feeling like for the day. i like reading maria popova’s website. sometimes i watch yale’s open courses too. it’s not any organised plan because the whole thing is supposed to be me learning in highly whimsical ways, so i don’t even try to add some structure to it. 

#reblog #study #studyblr #art #ask #answered

[stargazingjellyfish]

23 Emotions people feel, but can’t explain

Sonder: The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.

Opia: The ambiguous intensity of Looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.

Monachopsis: The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

Énouement: The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self.

Vellichor: The strange wistfulness of used bookshops.

Rubatosis: The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat.

Kenopsia: The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

Mauerbauertraurigkeit: The inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends who you really like.

Jouska: A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head.

Chrysalism: The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.

Vemödalen: The frustration of photographic something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist.

Anecdoche: A conversation in which everyone is talking, but nobody is listening

Ellipsism: A sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out.

Kuebiko: A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence.

Lachesism: The desire to be struck by disaster – to survive a plane crash, or to lose everything in a fire.

Exulansis: The tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it.

Adronitis: Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone.

Rückkehrunruhe: The feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness.

Nodus Tollens: The realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore.

Onism: The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time.

Liberosis: The desire to care less about things.

Altschmerz: Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years.

Occhiolism: The awareness of the smallness of your perspective.

Source article. Where words came from.

#reblog #writing prompt #writing advice #writing prompts #writing #writing help #words

[stargazingjellyfish]

little ways to change your life:

learn how to write a new style of handwriting. try wearing your hair or makeup differently. find a new perfume you like.

do things for yourself, not for the validation of others. resist the temptation to post everything online.

start doing something you usually can't be bothered to do. like making your bed, folding everything neatly, stretching every hour, going on jogs, making a healthy meal from scratch or sleeping earlier.

make your surroundings as cozy and as pleasing for you to look at as possible.

bake delicious but sometimes deformed pastries. write things that no one "gets". wear clothes and hairstyles that make u happy. crotchet a sock badly. draw a picture that won't be aesthetic on instagram. let go of the perfect image of who you need to be. do things for yourself.

be messy. self-expression isn't always pretty. scribble messily in a notebook. draw messily an idea for a character. write a messy draft for a story.

learn your thing from scratch, whether it's astronomy, greek mythology, flower species, piano, japanese, making jam, drawing comics, or something completely different.

let yourself fully enjoy everyday things like food, commute, and your morning routines. slow down and notice every single thing that makes you feel nice.

appreciate nature, like the sunlight streaming through in the morning, the sound of rain, and the colors of sunsets.

notice the deeper meanings and emotions in songs, poetry and paintings.

let people in. give new loves and friendships a chance. initiate conversations when you want.

read as much as you can. read different genres, popular and unpopular books, classics and new releases. give every book that catches your eye a chance.

enjoy your solitude like you're a character in a movie. if you can, go out for walks alone. visit the park to look at dogs, a café to people-watch, or a library to spend the afternoon buried in a book. bring a journal everywhere with you, and write poetry and quotes and doodles.

collect little things, like vinyls, pretty rocks and shells, stuffed animals, whatever makes you happy.

find a sport you like. pretend you're a superhero. dance like no one's watching. swim like you're a mermaid. exercise is supposed to be fun, so find one that you like.

make self care a priority. this includes taking your meds on time, starting to study for a test after procrastinating for weeks, deleting things that trigger negative emotions, and knowing when to let go and ask for help.

distance yourself from sources of negativity. learn to be ok on your own. know your worth and boundaries.

let go of the past. forgive yourself for the things you regret and start again.

let go of old relationships. there's a difference between missing someone and wanting them back in your life.

let go of your need to be perfect. it does more harm than good.

never compare yourself. it will always feel like a losing battle, no matter how amazing you really are.

keep in touch with people you don't speak to much. even a message can brighten someone's day.

be kind to everyone you meet, even strangers. if someone makes you happy, make them happier. compliment often, and be less judgemental. give someone a smile, you never know how much it means to them.

wake up earlier in the morning. wake up with the sun and fall asleep with the moon.

if you want to be calmer and more productive, remove things on your phone and social media apps that you don't need. (which is most of them).

make a list of qualities in the person you dream of becoming. write about your ideal life with what you have. make goals to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.

don't suppress your emotions, but don't overthink them either. have a kinder relationship with your body and your thoughts.

don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's a teacher, therapist, friend, doctor or parent.

remember that healing and loving yourself is just starting over and over. it's not too late. you're still young and you can move and grow at your own pace. your peak is yet to come.

#reblog #advice #lifestyle #life advice #ideas

[stargazingjellyfish]

advice from a friend in recovery

no matter what is wrong, there’s a pretty good chance that just getting some sleep will fix it (or at least make it not as bad). it’s the biological equivalent of “turn it off and then back on again”

take advantage of your local library. it’s got free water, bathrooms, heating, and (hopefully) air conditioning, and if you’re lucky, it might have free wifi, computers to use, tutoring, and more.

there’s always that one bookstore or coffee shop that you love to spend time at, but can never remember just how good it is when you’re not there. put a note in your phone or on your wall. go there when you’re having a bad day. remind yourself that there are safe places in this world.

there will be people in your life who are there for you when nobody else is. reach out to them.  they might not be your best friends, but they are good people, and talking to them will make you happy.

find time to meditate. as little as three minutes a day will make a tremendous difference in your stress and burnout.

make a playlist for songs that mean a lot to you, and keep it at the top of your list for a few months or years. when you need to feel something, scroll back as far as you can. think about the past, and how far you’ve come, and how much further you will go.

fill your life with little things that bring you joy. listen to classical music in the morning. paint your nails sparkly pink. have a cup of herbal tea during a study break. write down the little things you can do for yourself, so when it feels like there’s nothing left to live for, you have proof otherwise.

make art. it doesn’t have to be good, and it doesn’t need to mean anything. doodle something just because it’s pretty. knit a shapeless hat for your best friend. decorate an old pair of jeans with sharpies. mix paint into pretty colors. do something that makes you feel like a child again.

#reblog #advice #helpful

[stargazingjellyfish]

If you’re reading this please be nice to yourself today because you do matter

#reblog #mental health

[stargazingjellyfish]

Things to bring back in books:

Chapter titles

Actually having a synopsis on the back instead of reviews no one will read

#reblog #writing prompts #writing advice #writing #writeblr

[stargazingjellyfish]

I believe in free education, one that’s available to everyone; no matter their race, gender, age, wealth, etc… This masterpost was created for every knowledge hungry individual out there. I hope it will serve you well. Enjoy!

FREE ONLINE COURSES (here are listed websites that provide huge variety of courses)

Alison 

Coursera

FutureLearn

open2study

Khan Academy

edX

P2P U

Academic Earth

iversity

Stanford Online

MIT Open Courseware

Open Yale Courses

BBC Learning

OpenLearn

Carnegie Mellon University OLI

University of Reddit

Saylor

IDEAS, INSPIRATION & NEWS (websites which deliver educational content meant to entertain you and stimulate your brain)

TED

FORA

Big Think 

99u

BBC Future

Seriously Amazing

How Stuff Works

Discovery News

National Geographic

Science News

Popular Science

IFLScience

YouTube Edu

NewScientist

DIY & HOW-TO’S (Don’t know how to do that? Want to learn how to do it yourself? Here are some great websites.)

wikiHow

Wonder How To

instructables

eHow

Howcast

MAKE

Do it yourself

FREE TEXTBOOKS & E-BOOKS

OpenStax CNX

Open Textbooks

Bookboon

Textbook Revolution

E-books Directory

FullBooks

Books Should Be Free

Classic Reader

Read Print

Project Gutenberg

AudioBooks For Free

LibriVox

Poem Hunter

Bartleby

MIT Classics

Many Books

Open Textbooks BCcampus

Open Textbook Library

WikiBooks

SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES & JOURNALS

Directory of Open Access Journals

Scitable

PLOS

Wiley Open Access

Springer Open

Oxford Open

Elsevier Open Access

ArXiv

Open Access Library

LEARN:

1. LANGUAGES

Duolingo

BBC Languages

Learn A Language

101languages

Memrise

Livemocha

Foreign Services Institute

My Languages

Surface Languages

Lingualia

OmniGlot

OpenCulture’s Language links

2. COMPUTER SCIENCE & PROGRAMMING

Codecademy

Programmr

GA Dash

CodeHS

w3schools

Code Avengers

Codelearn

The Code Player

Code School

Code.org

Programming Motherf*?$%#

Bento

Bucky’s room

WiBit

Learn Code the Hard Way

Mozilla Developer Network

Microsoft Virtual Academy

3. YOGA & MEDITATION

Learning Yoga

Learn Meditation

Yome

Free Meditation

Online Meditation

Do Yoga With Me

Yoga Learning Center

4. PHOTOGRAPHY & FILMMAKING

Exposure Guide

The Bastards Book of Photography

Cambridge in Color

Best Photo Lessons

Photography Course

Production Now

nyvs

Learn About Film

Film School Online

5. DRAWING & PAINTING

Enliighten

Ctrl+Paint

ArtGraphica

Google Cultural Institute

Drawspace

DragoArt

WetCanvas

6. INSTRUMENTS & MUSIC THEORY

Music Theory

Teoria

Music Theory Videos

Furmanczyk Academy of Music

Dave Conservatoire

Petrucci Music Library

Justin Guitar

Guitar Lessons

Piano Lessons

Zebra Keys

Play Bass Now

7. OTHER UNCATEGORIZED SKILLS

Investopedia

The Chess Website

Chesscademy

Chess.com

Spreeder

ReadSpeeder

First Aid for Free

First Aid Web

NHS Choices

Wolfram Demonstrations Project

Please feel free to add more learning focused websites. 

*There are a lot more learning websites out there, but I picked the ones that are, as far as I’m aware, completely free and in my opinion the best/ most useful.

#reblog #studyblr #resources #study resources #free #helpful #study motivation #study tips #study advice

[stargazingjellyfish]

get to know the blogger

anonymously (or not) ask me any question you’d like to know about me

[stargazingjellyfish]

What are the best coping strategies you have found for when you experience bad anxiety?

Hi, love. I usually do a few things when I’m anxious. So here’s a list of various coping techniques I use for my anxiety.

- I distract myself - I always have comfort shows I can watch that make me feel safe, usually comedies I’ve seen hundreds of times before and they just feel familiar and grounding.

- use a weighted blanket - my anxiety really effects my sleeping so I got a weighted blanket about a year ago and it has been a game changer.

- sleeping with headphones in - like I said, my anxiety really stops me sleeping so every single night for over a year I put a comedy on my phone and fall asleep listening to it to distract my brain from my anxious thoughts.

- the Calm app - something my therapist recommended to me but I’m sure there are other ones out there. Each day I do the breathing exercises on there as well as the daily journals to help ground me. There’s also loads of mediation practises and sleep stories that I’ve used and are helpful. Especially the emergency calm ones. (I’ve also used the app calm harm)

- breathing exercises - doing this separately. Because I have always thought breathing exercises were dumb. But I’ve gotten better at them. Making sure the inhale is shorter than the exhale is important. It helps to ground me and makes me present.

- writing - it’s my happy place, if I write what I feel then it gets out of my head and I can make sense of it. Doesn’t matter if it’s a poem, prose or diary entry or just a quick note in the notes app.

- Fidget toys - I’ve got loads of fidgets because when I’m anxious I need to do something with my hands (I have several anxiety tics) and my fidgets help to distract me.

- colouring in - just a colouring book because it takes my mind off things.

- music - having a happy playlist that just gives you the feeling that everything will be okay

- having a mantra - I know it’s another of those ‘well that sounds dumb’ things but it can be helpful. I always have ‘everything will be okay’ because i always think that no matter what happens, I’ll get through whatever is hurting me. And also ‘we just keep living until we are alive again’ reminding myself that whatever is happening now, will pass and things will be okay.

I’m probably forgetting loads of other things I’ve used or use but these are my main ones! ✨

#reblog #coping skills #anxiety #resources #helpful

[stargazingjellyfish]

Wishing you all the success in your studies and have a great day!

Thank you so much! Sorry I didn't see this right away! I schedule my classes on Thursday, so I'm super excited! I also wish the same for you.

#ask box #studyblr #my post #study motivation #kindness #thank you