#art jobs sydney | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yannaryartside · 6 months

Text

SydCarmy vs Lucus

AMBITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES ON ART

This is a long one. Is about the series's themes on pursuing the arts, and the reasons that this ships work as symbolism for it.

When thinking about the reasons Marcus and Sydney were not going to work out (as far as we can see), I read a comment saying: "they are not on the same level" and the more I thought about it, I realized it not only meant they are not equal in culinary expertise, but they also have different ways to "live" their path in the culinary arts, almost opposite philosophies about it. And all of it is explained in their conversations with their (possible) romantic interest.

WHAT IS AN ART PHILOSOPHY?

When you enter a path in the arts, any part, at some point, you will have to make decisions about how you are going to transit this path because there are very different ways to live a creative life, to make money out of it, and how feel fulfilled about it. Many people will enter their path with an idea of what success looks like, probably modeled after an artist that you admired, the desire for your art to be recognized as good, or as "the best," or even to disrupt what came before you. Shortly, art philosophy is how you value your path in the arts: What makes it good art? What point of your career is gonna bring you satisfaction? What guides you to it?

CARMY AND SIDNEY : "LET'S BE THE BEST AND REACH LOST OF PEOPLE"

They both want to be "the best," their definition of it equals stars, reviews, magazine interviews, and restaurant numbers. The creative impulse is only as valuable as is booming, and a chef is only as good as the size of their kitchen.

They both want exterior recognition and aspire to a big audience, and their satisfaction in their craft depends on that; what makes their unbearable jobs worth it somehow is if "people loved the food." They both have wounds and bonds formed around food and love making people happy with the food, but they have selected a perspective of what "the best" is and is an ambition they run almost blindly to. You can think the burger place on your block has the best food in the world. There are cooks utterly content with that, but the Michelling stars are telling otherwise.

Of course, this is the most tangible way to measure success in arts, the singer with the most loved songs, the book with the most readers. Quality is supposed to be evident by popularity, and they want it, decorated with the prize of succeding in such a competitive industry. They have tried to win the culinary rat race and have regrets about it.

Carmy (motivated by the rejection and abandonment from his brother) worked his ass to unhealthy levels to climb the culinary ladder, living to best everybody around him and run the best restaurant on the planet (which, if we believe his monologue, only took two fucking years). Sydney is presented to us as somebody with equal creative powers, intelligence, and instincts as Carmy, which is particularly obvious in their brainstorming sessions. But she hasn't been offered the same opportunities. Her previous bosses described her as "incredibly talented, impatient, and green." and one friend told her as "always trying to be the best." There is much to say about how her impatience may sabotage her ambitions. Still, it may be because she fears getting stuck, labeled, or never recognized by her talents.

These two have 3 things they prioritize in their art paths:

Creative expression+people love the food

Exterior recognition based on the industry standards (stars and big kitchens)

A rat race (sense of urgency) and your ability to play on it.

What makes your food the "best" is comparing it to everyone else and "winning" in a particular category.

Not to mention, they are both deeply aware of the logistics and money sides of the restaurant life. It is not like they don't value inspiration, but their ambition is the defining force behind said inspiration.

MARCUS AND LUCA: "LET'S BE INSPIRED AND EVOLVE"

Luca was introduced to us as someone who was "trying to keep up with Carmy, who was much better than him," the same way the audience feels Marcus is someone trying to impress and keep up with Syd. Luca knows the culinary world, has traveled, and has a privileged position making high-end desserts (possibly in a place with stars). He is the Carmy to Marcus's Sydney.

Btw, there are some crazy parallels here too:

Marcus and Sydney have a wound/fear related to their mothers.

Luca and Carmy have strained relationships with their siblings (Luca has a sister he cannot find).

Both Carmy and Sydney got into it because of early childhood passion

Marcus and Luca got into it by "chance," discovering a passion that they never expected to love this much or be good at.

Mentor x student relationship.

Back to Marcus and Lucas's perspective of art. Notice how Carmy was trapped in a sense of urgency environment, with many people working for him, in NYC, a chaotic city; while Luca seems to work entirely by himself, in a pretty chill environment, in a rather peaceful city. Luca and Marcus thrive on this environment, which is about thought and delicacy, unlike the "efficient, fast run kitchen" Carmy and Sydney established.

Marcus had no philosophy about his craft because he was barely starting. Still, he adopts Luca's philosophy, which has 3 parts:

You may never be the best. Some artists have to let go of the idea of being "the best." There is a lot to say about this. But I want to express this using an example of the craft that I aspire to get into: writing. A friend once told me that some books are not meant to reach millions because they have a very specific audience, and what makes them good is how "memorable they are." More of it, some artists are never recognized in their times. The industry may not be made for them, or it may be just luck. Limiting the value of art by the industry standard is depriving the world of art that needs to be more exploratory, spontaneous, or just free.

Since industry validation may not be available to you, instead of "being the best" against others, you can decide, "My only competition is me from yesterday." This perspective is super important because it gives you something to aspire to, ensures your creative growth, and allows reinvention.

It is not about skill but being open to the world, yourself, and other people. It is not about fancy techniques or recognition but about being inspired.

To Luca and now Marcus, the creative process is as good as is honest, and a chef is as good as the effort he puts into it. The "self-exploration" and the recognition of the people surrounding him allowed Marcus to create his desserts: The Copenhagen sundae, for his ultimate school (and Luca), "Mum's" honey bun, Sidney's donut (the first one in believing in him and when he recognized his dreams), and "The Michael" the one that put him to make bread, and the tribute that needs to be made.

#sorry I just love stories about making art #the bear is a love story #carmy berzatto #sydcarmy #carmy the bear #the bear meta #carmen berzatto #sydney x carmy #carmy x sydney #luca the bear #marcus the bear #lucus #chef kiss

136 notes · View notes

squid-seraph · 8 months

Note

What's Sydney's story, and how'd she end up with so many kidneys?

(rubbing my hands evilly...)

Sydney is an octoling from the domes who moved to the splatlands!

She was supposed to join the military along with her sister after finishing up with school, but dropped out of basic training pretty early on due to health issues.

Sydney wasn't interested in any of the other job positions offered to her either, which her mom hated. They argued a lot; Sydney wanted to take her time to figure things out, and her mother seemed to always be in a rush to get her to do something with herself. Work. contribute. This was a very prominent mindset to have for dome octarians, if you weren't working then you weren't being helpful. When Sydney met her partner, Rihya, (affectionately nicknamed Riot by her fellow elites) she basically cut contact with her mother and their relationship has been rocky ever since. But who cares here look at the lesbians

Now I'm going to crush you.

Riot is never seen with Sydney or the kids in current art because she went missing for about 2 and a half years. Search parties were sent in the metro, looking for missing octolings, but it was too late in most cases. All santitized octolings are prohibited from returning to their housing units or moving to the surface until a cure can be found and they are deemed ready to re-enter society. For the first time in years Sydney got to see her partner again, only to be told she's basically a zombie and will probably never return to normal.

She moved to the splatlands pretty soon after that, home just didn't feel like home anymore. With splatsville becoming pretty popular, a lot of inkfish were looking to move there, and Sydney was hired by a family friend of some housing company and has been working for them as of now.

And to answer the second question.. Completely by chance. Octolings from the domes tend to not have as many as they would on the surface, most of the time just one or maybe two eggs that are actually going to hatch. Sydney and Riot just got lucky. Or unlucky, depending on who you ask.

#ask #splatoon ocs #seraphim doodles #xeno inkfish #xeno octoling #literally goals until i ruined im sorry #sydney(oc)#sorry i took so long to answer this ive been busy #this is why i have only like one sanitized oc bc the lore is gonna be SAD no matter what

151 notes · View notes

lialacleaf · 10 months

Text

The Chief And The Intern

Chief x Reader

Was Waiting All Along

It had been months since you had heard from John. Life hadn’t been the same since you’d gone back to finish your last semester of your master degree. University used to excite you, but after having run around the galaxy with the UNSC, being in actual danger, you felt bored.

Your friends noticed the difference when suddenly you were unavailable to go to the mall, and more interested in visiting the firing range.

Your mother almost fainted when she learned you’d taken up a martial arts class in your spare time. Your grades weren’t suffering, so you didn’t exactly see the problem.

Your father had pestered you every day to submit your application to his company, but the only place you’d sent your application was the UNSC’s board of communications.

You were going to find John, and the rest of Blue Team. You couldn’t just submit to the life your parents wanted for you, even if you’d be monumentally disappointing them.

You were scrolling through your laptop in your little dormitory when you saw it. You’d been scrolling through emails for hours, each rejection letter making your heart sink further and further when you saw it.

“We would like to receive your application for our recently opened clerical assistant position.”

It wasn’t exactly what you wanted to be doing but there was one little phrase that caught your eye.

“Reporting to Spartan Lieutenant 104”

There was no way. Fred had found you? How in the world had he managed that? You took a quick glance over the email before following the provided link to submit your application and cover letter.

“You did what?” your father asked as you silently cut into your steak.

“I applied to the UNSC, and I got in. I’m leaving after the graduation ceremony,” you stated firmly.

“But what about the job your father lined up for you at his company! You’re just going to throw that away? I can’t imagine the UNSC is going to pay someone very much for communications work,” your mother rambled frantically as she set her fork down.

Family diners in your parent’s penthouse were always tense, but this was another ball park entirely.

“It’s clerical work actually,” you muttered.

“Yn! What are you thinking!” your mother asked.

I’m thinking there’s a very handsome space soldier up there waiting for me. I’m thinking I’m tired of being coddled at thirty two years old.

“It’s a good opportunity. Free travel, important connections-“

“It’s unsafe!”

“Nowhere is safe Mom!” You said, slamming your knife on the table. “I’m tired of pretending that Sydney is safe just because it makes you feel better to have me at arm's length,” you said, standing from your place at the table.

“You’re not going to survive out there, yn,” your father scoffed.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have before, but things are different now. I’m not changing my mind on this.”

Your parents didn’t come to your graduation ceremony. You noticed that their chairs were empty as you lined up to walk across the stage.

It left a bitter taste in your mouth. You were being punished for not doing what you were told. Despite having argued with them, you’d at least wanted them to attend.

You tried to smile for the pictures as you walked across the stage, but it didn’t feel real. After the ceremony you packed your suitcases and left your dorm for the shuttles.

What if John wasn’t waiting for you anymore? What if you got up there and he’d moved on entirely?

You felt your throat tighten as you neared the pickup and your legs began to shake.

Were you making a mistake? Could you still turn around? Your parents would never respect you if you did.

You shook your head, silencing these thoughts as you loaded onto the shuttle. This wasn’t just about John. You were doing this for yourself as well.

“Wasn’t she supposed to be here already?”

Fred didn’t bother answering the question, knowing full well that if he told John the cargo ship was running late he’d probably grab a rifle and a ship and go out looking for you himself.

Six months wasn’t a long time, but it was long enough to make the Master Chief miss you so much he could hardly breathe.

“She’ll get here when she gets here,” Fred said with a shrug as they waited in the cargo hold.

“She’ll probably be hungry, we should take her to the mess. She’s probably forgotten how to get there,” Kelly said, admittedly excited to see you again.

When the intercom finally announced the arrival of your ship, Blue Team sprung into action. John searched the faces of deboarding passengers for you, feeling a sense of panic until your smaller figure appeared, hauling two large suitcases.

He froze all of a sudden, willing his feet to move but unable to do so. He’d never felt this way before. Never had to hesitate, and yet he felt as if his stomach was doing summersaults.

Your eyes finally settled on him, and your feet halted.

Six months. Had anything changed?

You moved first, your hands abandoning their grip on your bags as you ran to him. Time seemed to catch up with the Spartan all of a sudden, and he barely registered that you had flung yourself towards him in time to bend forward and wrap his arms around your waist, hauling you in for a tight hug that squeezed the breath right out of you.

You buried your face in the Chief’s shoulder and sighed, the smell of gunpowder and cinnamon a sure sign that you were home.

“How’d you find me?” You murmured into his shoulder.

“Wasn’t that hard. Had some connections keeping an eye out for you. Ready to get back to work?”

He asked, setting you down as Fred and Kelly retrieved your bags. Linda gave you a firm pay on the shoulder in greeting.

This was exactly what you needed. Blue Team’s support, the promise of adventure on the horizon, and the Chief’s arms around you.

“As I’ll ever be,” you declared with a grin and the Spartan smiled softly at you. He had you back, and this time he wasn’t letting you go anywhere.

Tag List: @discowizard88 @laurenstacy610 @amaraohara @starchaser-the-prophet @embarrassedauthornerd @117s-girl

#master chief #master chief x you #the master chief x reader #john 117 #john117 #john117 x reader #spartan 117 #halo fanfiction #master chief x reader

220 notes · View notes

dollya-robinprotector · 7 months

Note

Lya and Lyah's lore sounds incredibly interesting (Especially with the potential angst and tragedy on Lya's part) I am most definitely invested, extremely so~ Something about your art simply hooks the reader at first sight, and even I am unable to resist my own curiosity.

If I may ask, do you plan on doing an essay on their stories? Or are you planning to make short stories and have the readers piece them together like a puzzle and form our own interpretations until we come to the correct conclusion, similar to the Sydney and the nymphs inspired comic?

I'm looking forward to your next works~ xoxo

To be honest I don't really know ;P My schedule is incredibly full and messy and I have a job working 8 to 6 all week. Every piece of art I posted here is my brief sketchy between works or break time, so yeah I kinda don't really plan anything ahead.

If I have time and I feel like it, I might continue the "Other's Stories" Series cuz that was meant for me to express my headcanons and scatter my PCs lore here and there in them too. But as I see it now, the chance that I have time to continue writing the script and draw that series is EXTREMELY SLIM.

So moral of the story: I don't want to work. I need a SUGAR DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY

#dol pc #dollya ask #dollya art

64 notes · View notes

calipsan · 1 year

Text

Schon! Interview

"Maybe it’s because I’m quite a shy and reserved person. I think when you’re drawn to art and expression, it’s nice to do things that are the polar opposite of yourself. It’s a real challenge. It’s to try and work out how to tap into the side of you that you don’t know. I think with acting, it’s always sort of good to be terrified of it."

"You start work at about 4 pm and you finish at 7 am. You need to make sure you try and see that sort of hour of sunlight somehow a day, so you really try and trick your body into thinking day is night and sleeping during the day."

"Then, as we get into the 30s and the 40s later on in the show, the clothes became a little bit more outlandish because Lestat was kind of having more fun I suppose. He wasn’t trying to hide as much. I think he enjoys that period a bit more. There was sort of like a vintage Hollywood glamour style that he sort of appreciated. "

"I like to do real things. I spend a lot of time in my imagination. It’s beneficial to do something real like getting out into nature or gardening. I grew up on a farm, I like to go out and do bush walks or get into nature. I’m just gardening basically in my house in Sydney. I just bought a house and I’m really getting into planting trees and plants and playing with my dog and just doing real things. Trying not to get caught up the in your head because your job is so much pretending."

#I hadn't read the article before #i love him #interview with the vampire #sam reid #lestat de lioncourt

250 notes · View notes

persephonyed · 1 month

Text

hiiiii cuties and happy friday! woohoo !! ♡

okay, it's that time again where i caught up on all of my drafts, and i'm finally allowing myself to get some new threads going. below the cut are muses that i really, really want to write with lately ( as well as a couple test muses ) + little descriptions of each of them. give this post a like if you're interested in writing / plotting / etc. with any of them and i'll come to you! you can even just treat this as a like for a starter even if u wanna. i'm really excited to write some new things and potentially find some new people to write with. ☺️

*** if u like the post, when i message u, i can and will ramble on and on about character descriptions and what everyone is like. i just didn't want to put it here because the post is already so long!

arden henderson — olivia cooke fc. late 20s, bisexual, forensic criminologist.

blair bennett — katie douglas fc. early 20s, bisexual, university student.

camille st. clair — jessica alexander fc. early 20s, bisexual, aspiring actress.

cora devlin — daisy edgar jones fc. mid 20s, bisexual, hair stylist.

darby davies — hailee steinfeld fc. mid 20s, lesbian, film & tv actress.

erin nichols — jessica chastain fc. mid 40s, bisexual, housewife.

eve lawson — willa fitzgerald fc. early 30s, bisexual, historian.

jillian "jill" walsh — alva bratt fc. mid 20s, bisexual, freelance photographer.

laia aguilar — fiona palomo fc. early 20s, bisexual, university student.

malia dixon — greta onieogou fc. early 30s, bisexual, indie film director.

margot jensen — sydney sweeney fc. mid 20s, bisexual, diner waitress and cult escapee / survivor.

maude morgan — ella purnell fc. mid 20s, bisexual, unemployed rich girl and secret drug dealer.

nora giuliani — victoria pedretti fc. late 20s, lesbian, true crime journalist and podcaster.

preston fox — rudy pankow fc. mid 20s, bisexual, university student, fraternity president, and lead singer / guitarist of his band.

palmer mckenzie — erana james fc. mid 20s, lesbian, professional athlete.

piper novak — samara weaving fc. early 30s, pansexual, coffee shop owner.

ramona "romy" park — adeline rudolph fc. late 20s, bisexual, professional concert photographer.

ruby brodsky — gideon adlon fc. late 20s, bisexual, arts grad student.

siena norwood — florence pugh fc. late 20s but is really centuries old, bisexual, vampire.

( the ones below this are all test muses ! )

bellamy caldeira — alba baptista fc. mid 20s, bisexual, will take any job that pays the bills.

katia garcia — camila mendes fc. late 20s, bisexual, competitive cheerleading coach.

penelope "penny" sosa — camila morrone fc. mid 20s, bisexual, team usa professional soccer player and secret onlyfans / cam girl.

valeria "val" quintero — rachel zegler fc. early 20s, bisexual, musical theatre university student.

#indie rp #indie bi rp #indie lesbian rp #indie smut rp #indie horror rp #idk what to tag things but open to mutuals and non mutuals!!!!!! <3 #excited to do new things i will write u starters pls #sorry there are so many here i have a lot of muse for them and they don't get enough attention okay

14 notes · View notes

goldendoodlerlockerlove · 5 months

Text

Are y'all ready to see my updated wall of art??

But Doodler, won't you have to take all of that down when you have to move out of your dorm for the summer??

Hush. Let me have this. I worked too hard for this beautiful art wall, and I don't want to think about when I'll have to take it down yet.

I'm going to go from the top left all the way to the bottom right, tag every artist who made all the art you see here, and give a little backstory to the art!!

--Starting at the top left, we have Gene as Cat Stevens, which is an adorable sketch that @koko-raccoon made for me for Halloween when I invaded their inbox for trick-or-treating.

--This is a mini-comic I just Commissioned from @drawthethingdoppelganger of Gene and my Bob's Burgers OC, Alexis. I gave her the roughest and most rushed reference sketch to work with, and she did an incredible job. I'm never getting over the fact that she put a Mickey Mouse on Alexis' shirt and a music note on Gene's overalls. It's so beautiful and perfect and adorable and precious and--

--Here's a sketch I requested from @jae-is-drawing of Bob and Linda in the rain and Linda giving Bob a lil' kiss on his cheek 🥺 They seriously went above and beyond for this sketch, it's so freaking gorgeous and sweet. I can't believe they laid down colors, and did some shading, and lighting too!! They're so talented.

--Then, below the Cat Stevens drawing, is another piece from @koko-raccoon that they surprised me with. They made an adorable piece of my Gravity Falls, OC, Maggie, and her younger, triplet siblings, Dipper and Mabel!! It's the cutest thing ever, I'm so obsessed.

--Then we've got a sketch request that I got from @devilh0rnsinc, and it's so freaking adorable!! I asked them to draw Gene and Alexis sharing a milkshake, and they delivered. I can't stop thinking about them going on a milkshake date now.

--Then, below the Mystery Triplets piece, we've got a Commission I got from @alyssaerin of my sister's and my Animal Crossing characters, who is an extremely sweet and talented artist. I have to thank her once again for being so patient with me throughout the process of when I Commissioned her because I had to cancel my first request, and then when I actually got a request moving, I was a bit picky about the details, pfffft. But it turned out amazing and wonderful.

--Next to that, we've got another @drawthethingdoppelganger piece, and this piece she completely surprised me with. She drew up this fantastic, gorgeous, and colorful piece of Gene (inspired by AJR) and dedicated it to me!! I'm still not over it. Look at his wonderful, flowy hair and his outfit!!

--Then, we've got a Gravity Falls piece I Commissioned from @itscalliebeanie (she's only on Instagram, she doesn't have a Tumblr), of my OCs Maggie and Sydney being adorable dorks together. It came out so sweet and it makes me so happy looking at it. I adore Sydney's guitar. She also did such a good job drawing the shoes!!

--Then we've got the first piece I Commissioned from DT, which yes, I am still not over. It's Bob and Linda based on my "Linda is deaf" AU, and takes place during the episode Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters For You, which explains the super cute outfits. But if you've seen my Tumblr at all, you already know all of this, as I've rambled about this piece way too much. But she just did the greatest job on it. Their expressions?? The way you can see Bob signing "yes" with his hand?? Perfect. No notes.

--Next to that, we've got a Boblin piece that DT sketched up and dedicated to me and it makes me so 🥺 Look at them being so happy together. I swear, I am so unwell about Boblin.

--And finally, at the very bottom, we've got a piece I Commissioned from @carnivaldemon of Gene and Alexis. It came out so cute I actually squealed, giggled, and kicked my legs when she sent it to me. The way Alexis is holding an ice cream cone and has a heart on their shirt?? The way Gene is wearing overalls and holding his keyboard and leaning over to kiss Alexis on the cheek?? I can't. Yes, all of those things are things I specifically requested, but still--

#art wall #i'm sure there are even more pieces i could've printed out and put on here but i'm going to run out of space--#i just want to give a HUGE thank you and shoutout to all of these incredibly talented artists who drew/dedicated art pieces to me #it genuinely means so much to have so many amazing artists put their all into making art for me #this probably won't be the last you'll be seeing of me artists because i'll probably be invading your dms and asking for another piece #also if you can afford it PLEASE commission all of these artists because they're amazing. especially dt

21 notes · View notes

faithfromanewperspective · 6 months

Text

the western sydney work ethic, mental health, burnout, inequality and ableism

inspired by ashton irwin on artist friendly with joel madden and 17902 sustainable urban development at the university of technology sydney

I’ve teased the idea of writing this post for a while now, and now I’m sitting in my borrowed bed in Sydney with the graphs and maps from my course still at the back of my eyelids and still processing the Vibes of catching up with my childhood friends and wondering if it’s too early to go to bed if the sun’s still up—it’s time to let it out. Because I found a bunch of seemingly unrelated things and put them together in a way that helped me process my upbringing and the way it’s positioned me as I go through life even now.

For background of this post, the Greater Sydney metropolis has a very stark rich/poor divide, where a large strip from the west going to the south of the city have been left behind in a variety of ways. In my uni course I see the maps on income, education level, job overqualification, crime, violence… they’re nice and set out, and they validate what I already intuitively knew—just like everyone who grew up in the area I’m going to refer to vaguely as Western Sydney. These graphs put words to something I’ve lived when I was too young to process it, something I hear the impacts of in 5 seconds of summer’s songs like I’ve never seen in any other art ever.

I know many people relate too and I don’t want to say you have to be from Western Sydney to get it. There are plenty of other places with similar trends, but this strip of suburbs, half a city, is where I grew up and the case study I’m going to use for the phenomenon I’m going to describe in this post.

Having spent the last decade and a bit in a more conservative, more sheltered area of suburban Brisbane, where people take it slow and at least attempt to have fun without getting completely wasted; where people have high expectations for their lives and livelihoods they never quite meet and where they’re the kind of emotionally aware that you hear all about how stressful that experience is: this was the backdrop of my teens and young adult years to this point. It’s where I learned about mental health and neurodivergence and ableism and where I really explored what faith and spirituality is to me. It’s where I never quite felt comfortable when people were too polite, where I poured all the belief they had in me as a gifted kid plonked into that environment I wasn’t native to into the delusion that I could deconstruct the unequal education system of their own creation if I only worked harder than anyone had ever worked before. Then they would finally listen. It’s where I tried and tried to get help for my mental health and wasn’t listened to either, not when I presented so well and was simply unable to unmask until I was unable to mask at all. Where the slightest bit of hope caused me to forget everything that was hurting me, making it a struggle to work through even to this day. where I wondered if I was some superhuman for the fact that I can work my ass off without even realising it’s hard work, a smile on my face and arms open for connection as always (the mark of health they say) while being desperately unwell, hurting, thinking I had it good compared to some of the people I’d see crumple under the pressure, I should be kind to them (not understanding why I found them so, so relatable).

I am not a freak of nature, or superhuman, though I am neurodivergent and twice-exceptional. I am the product of my upbringing and my ancestors. I carry generations of culture from hectares of foreign lands my ancestors made their homes on (ethically questionably in some cases I do acknowledge) and became part of the ecosystem of. It is, like most difference, a gift and a curse. Something that makes certain measures of ableism not apply to me, but creates others in their place. I’ll get into this more later.

in the strip of suburbs united by demographics we call Western Sydney, farmers from the notoriously difficult land of the Murray-Darling and immigrants from everywhere on the planet, some Indigenous but few Indigenous to Australia, make up classrooms, neighbourhoods, workplaces. Think I Am Australian by The Seekers, but just the verses, as a snapshot of some of the stories representative of the people. Interwoven in the landscape. We celebrated Harmony Day on the 21st of March in my primary school. Everyone had a different cultural background. We heard different languages spoken on the street. There were stereotypes. There were scared people trying to find their tribe, build a life in Australia, away from the larger scale farms, get their kids a good education to do a trade or go to university. Fear and angst and hurt coexisting with an appreciation of the juxtaposition of others you’d never head admitted out loud. But the second verse of the Australian national anthem was written just for us, or might as well have been. Beneath our radiant southern cross, we’ll toil with hearts and hands… google the lyrics, you’ll get it, you’ll see why I wish the rest of Australia did too: for those who’ve come across the seas, we’ve boundless plains to share, with courage let us all combine to advance Australia fair…

No one with the power to acknowledge this I interact with these days remembers the second verse. Except 5 Seconds Of Summer, in their ridiculous little promo videos, who I’d bet the rubble that’s left of my parents’ old house as the new owners turn it into a mansion because Gentrification, have no idea of what a meaningful gesture that is.

I can feel the wounds of being torn from the good parts of that experience closing over. And so it’s time to give the often forgotten stories on an often forgotten piece of land that made me and also these four wonderful humans who we are today, the credit it deserves. Start by telling our stories.

One thing I love about Artist Friendly is it cuts straight to it. Joel Madden is just incredible like that—in a world coming out of the 2010s pop decade of dancing while the room is on fire (bloodhound, 5sos) put your rose coloured glasses on and party on (Katy Perry’s chained to the rhythm) (these I would consider more analytical quotes of the era, one whose vibe was ‘forget all the pain in the world, let’s party and sing about how horny we are’ which for all my cynicism I did find fun)—he kept up his punk edge, kept investing in new musicians, searching for and investing in what’s real. He also really loves Australia, and when you put our underdog-supporting attitude next to Good Charlotte’s songs you understand why. Anyway, the episode pretty much opens by him asking Ashton about his background, and relating from the perspective of working-class-emotionally-unavailable/immature-parents-who-showed-their-love-through-provision-and-really-did-try-to-be-there-but-had-none-of-the-resources. I like the positive take. It’s high time we stop being classist and ableist towards the people who’ve met our needs as much as they were able, but it still wasn’t enough. Who taught us how to take opportunities, work to prove our worth, and through it all couldn’t even afford therapy.

I used to think my family was rich because we lived in Australia and my parents had gone to university. Never mind the fact that I was born when they were barely older than I am now. Never mind the mould in the walls or sneaky Tuesday night washing of the school uniforms in the summer when we got sweaty and there weren’t any spares or the mismatched bargain bin clothes we wore or the bedroom I shared with my sisters. I knew the people I compared us to. And now I do really believe if I’d grown up a bit less frugal or even a few k’s out of the area I did I wouldn’t be who I am. I wouldn’t have the perspectives I have, nor would this podcast episode have me feeling so seen. Like, yes I lived a bit further into the city than these guys, close to the train line without any farmland where the house values shot up seemingly overnight and meant the area I grew up in is experiencing a very weird disparity as two cities collide within it today. But we grew up in the same era in western sydney, we grew up loved and knowing that was a privilege and we grew up knowing from a very young age we had to spend our whole lives working hard if we wanted life to be manageable and we better be polite and better not ask for too much.

yet we also grew up with hurt. From the trauma we inherited from our caregivers as we encountered the attitudes and fears with which they faces the world. From what we saw our peers go through much too young to be able to draw boundaries with the empathy we felt too much of and understood nothing of. From broken family relationships that were all too common. From religion that hurting people used to cause or at least stagnate hurt instead of healing.

when I was burning out and struggling as an unrecognised neurodivergent I used to wonder why my father would place such value on the Protestant work ethic when Jesus died exactly so we wouldn’t have to strive. And I acknowledge that the PWE is harmful to many disabled folk or literally anyone who has experienced the demands of life and had their stress invalidated for it. Including myself. But never having the expectation of a life of ease and luxury? I do appreciate that. It’s given me a whole different metric for how I view life, one none of my friends except those who are from those years of my life understand. No one in Brisbane or my online international friends seem to get it. But I’m sure when you see yourself in this post, that some of you will (we might be the largely unheard minority but I’m sure we exist. Joel Madden is proof of that). It’s given me a differently calibrated emotional pain scale in many ways. Different standards for when the warning lights come on (and I’m very perceptive of angst and disappointment and always see them in others to be worse than they are because of it). And when I look at everything this band has accomplished, I know it’s the same for them.

I have spent a lot of time these last years advocating for neurodivergent acceptance. I’ve done so in a way that made sense of the decade previous, of existing in a world of inequality I’ve always been so sensitive to and of expectations that I took on as opportunities (because what else have I been trained to do)? And yet so much of it is about funding and resources. And when there isn’t that? You make room for my favourite thing ever: grassroots, unofficial but beautifully organic loving neurodivergent affirmation. Plenty of rural folks, my grandparents included, hate labels, prefer focusing on strengths and equipping young people based on those than accommodating difficulties. They’re often seen as conservative, bigoted, ableist, and some of them are. But they bring with them an important lesson about how to live with the realities of the economy that they struggle in too, too much to support someone else. They don’t have the same impossible expectations of their neurodivergent progeny and protegees and community members that many who hold in their heads an idea of perfection they hope to bring to their families do (the kind of things sometimes only a diagnosis can free someone from, and nothing from the memory and shame of) and that—that is an important attitude for all of us to have.

Some people are unconventionally neurodivergent affirming while knowing none of the terms, or maybe trying to hold off using them because of the same economic and confidence reasons I’ve tried to unpack. Some rely on simple kindnesses and explanations that centre around possibility, and go nowhere near deficit. Some people know intuitively or through hard life lessons themselves (usually the latter) the value of stripping all but essentials from the functionality of everyday life. Not making it any harder than it is.

Of course you can drum on the tables in math class. My son is a musician, I get how it is.

Liz Hemmings is the only valid neurodivergence parent—I’ll say no more, it is how it is

Sometimes when we advocate for things we have to be aware that the way the dominant in-power often wealthy culture has figured it out isn’t always the best way to do things. Environmentalism is a prime example of this. This is why we need brown environmentalism and to decolonise and listen to our Indigenous stewards and share power.

You can take a lot of lessons from a place that’s as culturally diverse as Western Sydney. And you can see how a work ethic is facilitated, rather than gatekept. You can see why Ash, when asked by Joel if he’s scared of every getting back to that life (ref to poverty) his attitude is actually one of gratitude and almost reverence for the place that shaped him, that brought the band together and everything that came from that point forwards. That shaped their attitude and birthed the grit that got them through being on tour with one direction and I don’t think he said it but in Ash’s case I bet the empathy he has for the fans and the way he just wants to connect and create a fun experience but also one where we’re deeply seen by moving songs is because he knows what it’s like for so many people. You can’t not if you grew up like we did. You can see why Luke at any chance will say ‘we’re from Sydney Australia’. It has a way of sticking to you, the rich culture that’s a patchwork of orphaned cultures, the way everyday life is like one of those adventures you emerge from with strong bonds usually only found in fantasy novels. You can see that the band is proof that those bonds exist in real life.

after a decade and a bit pretending I know what leisure is and how to have fun without Bad Angst I’m glad that this proof is still in my life. I’ve still got close friends from primary school and few can boast that (we might not quite be Calum and Michael in that regard, but they still have other friends from primary who they’ve kept in touch with despite geographical separation as I have).

Now I’ve acknowledged this and traced the strings that are much easier to see when my own life is mirrored in a podcast episode, maybe I can find the good among the cultural dysphoria in the circles I do have in Brisbane, and do value still for what they are even if they’re not quite the same. Now that I can see how a world of too many opportunities and not enough freedom can burn someone out who came from this background, with the type of brain that flourishes on being a latchkey kid and sketchy hangouts with deep conversations and questionable substances but crumples under expectation and too much choice and politeness, I can put my life back together in a way that validates who I am and where I come from, rather than what those around me tell me should be good for me.

as, I can tell by this interview, these guys have. I want to be able to talk about suffering without people acting like it shouldn’t be something we can comfortably say out loud, as Ashton does here and through music. My art isn’t quite the same, but the purpose behind it is so, so similar. I relate a lot to the importance he places on spirituality, even if I’ve tried to do something with Christianity that it, in the mainstream at least, isn’t built for and probably can only partially do on its own. Maybe the epitome of humility is being able to learn from other religions and see them as gifts from God even as, and I include Christianity here as well, anything can be dangerous if used in a way that it wasn’t meant for: anything with power to heal has power or hurt too. I’ve got so much respect for how Ash does it. I think this episode really cemented for me that, and I feel like it’s something we as a fandom don’t talk about enough because of their characterisation (and fair enough, if you’re famous you don’t want people dissecting every part of you, and I’m not going to do that just give a generalised compliment): these guys are so incredibly resilient and intelligent and invested in creating healing and they’re really fucking good at it. They might present themselves as goofs with one braincell that create bops and fan over other celebrities as if they themselves aren’t famous too, but so much of that is humility and them baring themselves in ways that are sustainable and really emotionally mature (for the most part) to be relatable to us as fans and invest in making that connection genuine. They’re not pretending, because they understand how it is to be human.

and you don’t get there by being some sort of Untouchable Philosophical Genius Figure. you get there because you’ve lived in community and you’ve survived hard things because of other people who’ve done similar and created authentic art too. You get there often because you have to: because putting on a fake show and doing stuff for likes and popularity was never going to work and will only screw you up in the long run and you’re worldly enough to see that from a young age and learn from your own intuition and empathy and experiences. You get there because you lived your whole life being resourceful and being street smart and doing what it takes to make good decisions and invest in yourself (who else do you have who’s worth more than that) and your future. Doing what it takes to make sure you’re alive to learn how to do better at things you’re behind in that might keep food on the table in the future, because there’s none of that oh-it-won’t-happen-to-me attitude. That part is very sustainable which I love. I also really really relate to it and have found it something I would get complimented on when I was younger, too young to be so mature. But I never attributed it to myself. I knew somehow, abstractly, I was disabled and nearing my limit and everything I do I did so I could survive. It’s the western Sydney work ethic.

and yet this often beautiful phenomenon has its ugly side. If you know you’re neurodivergent even without the words—more often than not the only people you see who you relate to are those who didn’t make it, who fell off the horse of functionality and into things like addiction and other things that exacerbate the inability to empower yourself. You figure that when you’re honest with yourself you’ll be dead by 25. Sometimes you give up on trying to prevent that and wonder if it’s even worth it to attempt to keep going: is your life really worth that effort?? What I’ve described is a combination of the experiences of many people I know, aspects of it are mine, and aspects mirror things I know these guys have mentioned about themselves (I’m going to leave it at that vague level of detail). You wonder why people believe in you, is it only because any other option is unmentionable? But what if you let them down like you know (fear) you will? And burnout is the epitome of this: the need to let go of trying. And without a decent amount of privilege it’s impossible to return from.

I’ve been there and scrounged at straws of privilege I do have, pretending I’m doing my job to the level that others expect while letting go of every expectation I have on myself. Still problem solving outside every box on how to get back on my feet because I know nothing else, radically accepting that I might not and whittling down all my needs in life to the most essential, that I might still survive even at my limited and diminishing capacity. While always relating to those our society sees as failures. I’ve borrowed from other cultures that aren’t my own to have a stubborn sense of worth while trying to keep afloat in a society and economy that says it’s conditional. My spirituality comes in here, as do my problem-solving skills: again, maybe this culture fears burnout more than anything, but maybe it has half a toolkit on how to get out of it. Only half. I have to pair it with what I learn from others too.

and even through that, I’m immensely privileged to have savant skills and a generally able body. Just like when you make it big as a musician you’re privileged by that. Against a backdrop of I’m-nothing-special. I’ve always struggled with questions of my felt worth, because I’m so conscious of my privilege and ability that sometimes I get the two muddled (though I know my ability doesn’t define my worth in things I do poorly at, and my persistence technically doesn’t either but I’ll be damned if I don’t try and try and actually find doing badly more validating of how I see myself than when I do well, so I chase it again and again, my dad is the same, it’s what makes us so adventurous). I understand the consciousness of things that are going well not lasting, and pouring creativity for new ventures into things like selling candles. Instead of letting achievements make me believe I’m someone more important than I am, using them as ways of giving myself space to do whatever’s next, dial off the pressure a little bit.

I understand appreciating others’ sensitivity and the social capital they bring everywhere rather than their material wealth or achievement and when Ash praised Calum for that and said it made him look bad I felt that. Both the experience of being that counter-cultural person who doesn’t give a shit about money but values connection so, so much more (and from all I’ve written, you can see why, can’t you) to still never being able to be as good a person as I see the need for in the world.

I understand missing family and constantly grieving that, as I weigh up the city of my childhood with the friends and culture I love versus the city of my youth with my feathered family who are my children and who I hate to miss birthdays of and the like, same goes for my sisters and parents and grandparents, the way Ashton, the only band member with younger siblings, hates missing all their milestones too. I feel privileged that Brisbane and Sydney are so close to each other and nothing in my life is as far as Los Angeles. I understand the nostalgia for Sydney. This whole post is proof of it.

I understand the unbreakable bonds between people who make this kind of art together. I understand putting disagreements on the back burner and realising the connection through writing is so much bigger and the connection can overcome whatever is going wrong. Heck, I feel privileged to understand and relate to how such brilliant brains work (nature: neurodivergence I won’t go any further into as well as nurture) as well as the environment that made them what they are.

all my life I’ve longed for that kind of community and connection I’ve seen largely in fiction, sometimes between people in real life. And I think having written this analysis (it’s taken me til my bedtime or later) I do have all the ingredients there. All the ability to make it, both in the practical way I relate to and am there for my friends and whatever I do in my silver bridges tag. In the neighbourhoods I eventually design that foster communities with all the good parts I’ve described but without the inequality and minimal poverty and hurt and violence. To everyone who’s shown me these things in myself that are so worth working for and I know I’m not savantly immediately good at, I am so so incredibly grateful. the city as a whole. My family and friends. The celebrities I grew up nearby and those who invest in people like them. People like me. May I keep investing in people: people like you. because what is humility but knowing there’s always something to learn, and what will bring all of us forward but learning it and putting it into practice in love and empathy that drives a grit that no amount of striving for striving’s sake can manufacture?

#western sydney #western sydney work ethic #neurodivergence #burnout #personal mental health tag #ashton irwin #artist friendly interview #5 seconds of summer #calum hood #luke hemmings #michael clifford #5sos #community #urban design #growing up poor #I did a big analysis and I will do this again #5sos5 city #silver bridges #neurodivergent liberation

20 notes · View notes