#exercises in observation

[sisterdivinium]

It’s tempting to think of Jillian as an atheist given her connexion to science, her confrontation with the church in s1 and simply as a counterpoint to all the religious characters around her. I’ve used the word for her myself in fic before, but I did it fully knowing that Jillian is perhaps the character who most wants to believe.

There’s an implication that she speaks from experience when she tells Kristian one doesn’t ever really leave the church…

… And her firm principle of proving faith and science can coexist shows she has no intention of dismantling faith in itself or the value people find in spirituality.

When Luther supposedly nailed his objections to that fateful church door, he didn't intend to shake the core of what faith actually is—quite the contrary, one could argue.

Neither is Jillian trying to destabilise faith in itself... The difference is that she just decided to build her own door instead.

The church might stand in her way, yes, but one could could make a case about how it is more due to their keeping of divinium than to the criticism she directs at Vincent on the subject of Hell and the subjugation of women. She might well believe it—or any part of her performance during most of season one, really—but her conflict with the institution lies less in the way of ideology than in matters of practical consequences.

Were it not so, wouldn’t she have been a little more resistant to her son’s visions of an angel? Why believe in a child’s prophetic drawings otherwise? Even if she by any chance didn’t consider the giver of those visions an angel, the very fact of taking a vision seriously would suggest some degree of fidelity to the very idea of there being something more, something else than the life we know in this plane of existence.

If she doesn’t admit the existence of a god outright, she at least lends credence to the idea that there is something. We might not be able to take her fully at her word in the scenes where she’s playing her part as a seeker of knowledge maligned by the Vatican, but there is some amount of truth to what she says. She might not have truly found Heaven, she might not be able to prove her portal actually leads there...

… But she most certainly wants to be right. For Michael’s sake, there must be something else, even if not precisely what has been foreseen by scripture.

And, even so, she finds worth in that very scripture she doubts.

Perhaps she’s being honest when she tells Vincent she likes the stories—there’s a lot of knowledge to be found in even the simplest of them to she who knows how to seek it.

Perhaps there’s an underlying attachment of hers to the Bible, a past she cannot really abandon. It’s not all that common for people with absolutely no ties to Catholicism to have something like the image of a saint as decoration hanging in the background.

Sure, there are other religious elements scattered in her workplace including a Buddha, but it’s a man who used to be an archivist at the Vatican she hires, not a defected monk or rabbi.

Yes, she will work with anyone who is equally willing to work with her. It’s not from the goodness of her heart as there is a component of selfishness in such cooperation—one to which she admits herself—but her attitude is also a testament to the openness she has concerning the results she might obtain. Maybe the OCS is right, maybe there’s a God and saints and Heaven and Hell…

It doesn’t really matter as long as there is something, something to work towards, something to seek.

Or it didn’t matter—while Michael was alive.

She has had her proof of there being more... And she has paid a high price for learning of it.

It’s a pity we don’t know what she would have done with this information. How do we react when what we believe is confirmed to be true but not in the way we expected or desired?

Whatever shock the nuns have experienced to their faith in this business with Adriel, the perversion of the power of prayer and all else they've survived during season two, Jillian is likely to have felt the very same blow right alongside them.

#warrior nun #jillian salvius #exercises in observation #i don't recall what prompted this actually. the fic i'm writing i guess? #i never write anything directly on the computer and this was a little exception so sorry for that as it tends to weaken my texts #me cackling as i DO have saints decorating my house despite believing in fuck all. they're family heirlooms okay? #actually it's saints AND buddhas AND other little images of god knows what lol

[inkwingart]

Three skills you need to make beautiful art, in order of importance:

observation/perception

taste/creativity

coordination

Note that these are skills. They’re not gifts bestowed by some divine entity. And skills can be improved through practice.

Note, also, that I rank observational skills highest, even above creativity, because without strong observational skills, you won’t be able to identify your own mistakes. It’s also not intuitive to train.

Here’s a simple exercise to get you started:

Pick an aesthetically pleasing photo or artwork that doesn’t have obvious lineart. Turn up the contrast a bit if the colors are muddy. Print it out or import it to your choice of drawing software.

Put some tracing paper over it or turn down the opacity and make a new layer. Don’t use tracing paper that is *too* transparent.

Trace out the areas of light and shadow. Don’t get hung up on details, just the broad strokes. Fill in the shadows, try to stick to just 2-3 values of shadow. Try hard NOT to outline “objects” in the image. Try not to erase.

Now view your trace without the original image. Can you still recognize the original subject? Can you see where you messed up/want to make changes?

Now do it while looking *at* the image rather than tracing directly from it.

Compare your referenced drawing to the traced one.

Repeat steps 1-6 with new photos/images.

Once you feel confident, try drawing from a reference without tracing.

This exercise will help you learn how to use light and shadow to define 3D forms as 2D shapes. Questions you should ask yourself during this exercise:

Can you tell where the light is coming from?

Is it a strong or weak light source?

Is there more than one light source?

What kind of materials are you observing?

How does light interact with shiny surfaces versus matte ones? Soft versus hard? Round versus angular?

Where are the edges of light and shadow? Are they soft or hard edges? Is the transition gradual or abrupt?

How would you use these observations to depict something from your imagination?

#taste stems directly from observation #and coordination comes from physically going through the motions #imo coordination is the easiest thing to train #observation and perception are much harder #tracing is a valuable exercise for study #and shouldn’t be used to pass off something as your own work

[sorry-but-no-sorry]

Maybe part 1 of the poses freely given by major_pectoralis

I needed the observation exercise

#major pectoralis tiktok #drawing #sketches #observation exercise

[nonbinary-octopus]

I understand rock/metal music now.

my previous experiences with them mostly amounted to "driver of this long car trip likes this band and is playing a lot of it too loud and I have a headache", so I was not much a fan.

But

I have just listened to a heavy metal cover of a song I like

And guys

It was so good

you could not have prevented me from moving enthusiastically to the beat if you tried.

just dancing happily, a mixture of stompy feet, hip swinging, head bobbing, and like. it's not exactly fist pumping but it is similar

these were the motions that were spontaneously evoked by this song

and I get it now

I really do

I understand the headbanging and the yelling along and all of it

fabulous.

#original #gonna go listen to it again I think #after a little break #listening to metal music is exercise lol #I was also thinking as I was listening that this could make a fun humans are weird story lol #esp since I was wearing headphones so the observing alien would not even hear the beat their human is incomprehensibly moving to #humans are weird #story spark #... also yes I did have to look up what flavor of band the cover artists were #they are heavy metal #I do not know the differences between rock and metal and heavy metal #maybe I will look that up also sometime

[whatbigotspost]

Damn, y'all. This is very, very bad news:

I have an unshakable belief that "democracy" is a joke in any place where a free media cannot exist. As I've eluded to many times, I'm a big believer in more progressive leaning sources like NPR, the Texas Tribune (the source link in that^ story), and formerly, the Texas Observer. Things are NOT in a good place right now, financially, for any of those entities.

This trend is something that anyone who cares about the threat of the rising Christofascist right wing extremists should be paying a LOT OF FUCKING ATTENTION TO. If you can, you should be donating to any entity you depend on, like this. It's why I'm a member of my local NPR station. I mean, I can't help but feel like we are about 2 seconds away from just accepting that algorithms like TikTok are going to drive all of the "information" we have, and I hopefully don't need to explain why we'll all be thoroughly fucked if that happens. Here's an Austin local writer/journalist I trust, with more behind-the-scenes input about what happened w/ the Texas Observer.

#The Texas Observer #living in texas is an exercise in frustration #free media #NPR #access to information #free speech #free press

[thescienceofdeductionn]

Daily Protocols

Mostly, we are talking about mindset, observation, logic etc. These are all good and important parts but we need to talk about our daily habits and protocols which either enhance or limit our skills. For this post, I will speak of caffeine, cold shower and exercise. 1-Caffeine

Caffeine has immense effects on us. I won't go deep into the neurology of it but basically, it increases the number of dopamine receptors which increase our motivation, drive and pursuit of goals. It is also very effective in improving our memory. Most consumed caffeine sources are coffee, tea, yerba mate and caffeine pills. It's all good to know what it does but protocols for achieving those effects are more important so let's see how we can use that: Before Learning

If you ingest caffeine before studying or working out, it will increase your focus, motivation and memory. Peak effects of caffeine start 30-60 min later but it is better if you ingest it in 10 min. (Don't sip it for 1 hour because the effects will be lower.)

After Learning

If you ingest caffeine after studying it will enhance your memory capacities more because memories get encoded with 3 molecules: Acetylcholine, dopamine and epinephrine(adrenaline). Caffeine will increase the effects of these molecules and you will remember what you studied before.

Note: The recommended dosage of caffeine is around 1-3 mg per kg of body weight. If you are going to use caffeine before workout you can take 3-6 mg per kg. Be careful about dosage because everybody has different genetics and adaptations. 2-Exercise

Exercise is the most basic protocol you can do for your overall health. It is especially important for your memory because studies shows that it has the most enhancing effects for memory.(By increasing gray matter and also exercise have beneficial effects on the hippocampus, a brain region particularly sensitive to age-related decay.) You can do your exercise before or after study session and it will has similar effects with caffeine. It will increase your focus and memory capacity. 3-Cold Shower

It is one of the easiest and fastest protocols to improve focus, memory, dopamine etc. It helps us to control our emotions and reactions and enhances our ability to focus even under stressful situations. If you take a cold shower after a study session, it will increase the memory encoding.(Similar mechanism with exercise and caffeine.)The release of adrenaline is going to increase your overall energy and motivation. Key Take Aways 1-If you want to improve memory encoding, apply these protocols after your study session. 2-If you want to increase your focus, apply these protocols before your study session. 3-If you want the best effects you can apply the protocols together. For example, ingesting caffeine before studying and taking a cold shower after. 4-Find the appropriate dosages/timing for you. I would like to talk about those more but it will be a very long post so I encourage you to do your research. It is important to find protocols that will help you to improve your observation and deduction skills. That's all for now. If you have any questions let me know. See you later.

#deduction #sherlock holmes #bbc sherlock #deductive reasoning #sherlock #sherlockbbc #deductionist #observer #awareness #exercise #health and fitness #workout #memory #caffeine #coffee #cold #cold shower

[badolmen]

Wrote out a big long phone call rant to have with my mother later because as much as I hate it she is my closest irl spiritual confidant 👍 here’s hoping her response to ‘hey I’ve been spiritually depressed and disconnected for like 8 months and for some reason these last two weeks advocating for Palestine has me feeling alive and burning with divine passion and love in a way I’ve never felt before in my life’ isn’t like. ‘Talk to your psyche abt your meds hun’

#ra speaks #personal #religion #oh god these tags got out of hand. look away I’m rambly today. #outing myself as deeply spiritual and devout on main oops #‘aren’t you gay and trans and -‘ listen Israel the person received that name after literally wrestling with gd in the desert #I’m allowed to put my faith leaders in a spiritual headlock for past and present crimes while I live my joyful life #maybe a physical headlock too. I’m down to body slam some wueerphobic racist pos who claim to be faithful while never exercising such faith #also lmao of the idea of a queer leftist being deeply spiritual makes you uncomfortable…bro everything about me makes ppl uncomfortable #I’m bi gender I consider myself a trans gay man and a nonbinary dyke at the same time. I’m disabled and ugly and autistic. im not palatable #accept the inherent apparent contradictory nature of the varied human experience and move on. #sorry thought about that post complaining abt observant jews being excluded from the conversations about queer jews like #you don’t have to get it. you don’t have to think it’s real! but it’s real to me! it’s important to me! #so are you gonna be my transphobic uncle and call me sick and deluded the same way he talks about trans people? #or are you gonna keep your mouth shut accept that you don’t have to understand someone to respect them and move on with your life. #anyways uh. here’s hoping I don’t lose my voice or start crying like I did while typing the script up. #vocational woes

[frozen-fountain]

He's antsy because there's a wind storm on the way, I think.

#this month i've been painting the sky every day as an exercise #getting used to the tablet and trying out brushes and observing small details that make each one distinct #and it was pretty dull today so i had to meme #froze art #georgie my love

[semercury]

I understand bc I also would love to put my favorite character in a jar and carry him around with me everywhere. However, seeing characters in jars activates my fight or flight response. You understand, right? Hope this helps 🙏

#stuff sarah says #instead of jar. what about a bottle with a cork that i could make into a necklace? #wear the character on a chain close to my heart? #tho seeing any character behind glass is enough to give me the thousand yard stare #but those bottle necklaces with the sand in them are super cute #anyway. this isnt anything. this is a weird response to a post i saw in my recommended #i dont mean anything other than a joke by it. i would have reblogged and said this all in the tags there #but i must restrain my weirdness sometimes #theres certain types of strangers i can be weird in the tags to. theres some i cannot #and its based purely on community vibes ive observed from a distance #i could be wrong. but my prey animal instinct says i need to exercise caution #anyway. how are you?

[the-kipsabian]

the right side of the head, i realize now, is too straight, but idk if im gonna fix it cause thats a lot of work and otherwise the backside is done now as far as im concerned

#this is a great calming focus exercise tbh idk what im gonna do with myself now #i still need to paint the sleeve but other than that yeah the biggest part is done now #and i am quite happy with it. idk why im nervous about posting this anywhere but here. observe #night is an absolute mess on main

[thebirdandhersong]

On another unrelated note: for those who exercise regularly, what do you do, and how do you do it, and how do you make it enjoyable for yourself?

#i can only run so much before i'm filled with Rage #currently am trying a combination of pilates and jogging (can't do high intensity stuff due to hormone imbalance etc etc) #but i don't know how long it'll last #anything involving other people observing me while i'm exercising automatically makes me not want to do it unfortunately #so team sports and outdoor running are no longer options alas #but i need to be moving my body somehow! i just don't know HOW

[sisterdivinium]

Warrior Nun truly is the most fucked up fucking show in the whole fucking world isn't it

Thecla (Ancient Greek: Θέκλα, Thékla; Greek: Θέκλα; Turkish: Tekla) was a saint of the early Christian Church, and a reported follower of Paul the Apostle. The earliest record of her life comes from the ancient apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla.

In one scene, female beasts, particularly lionesses, protected her against her male aggressors.

It is also said that Thecla spent the rest of her life in Maaloula, a village in Syria. There, she became a healer and performed many miracles...

...but remained constantly persecuted.

In one instance, as her persecutors were about to get to her, she called out to God, a new passage was opened in the cave she was in, and the stones closed behind her.

Around AD 280, Thecla features as one of the characters in Methodius of Olympus' Symposium, in which she displays considerable knowledge of profane philosophy, various branches of literature, and eloquent yet modest discourse. Methodius states that she received her instruction in divine and evangelical knowledge from Paul, and was eminent for her skill in sacred science ("Logos 8").

According to some scholars, Thecla's story inspired many later stories of women saints who dressed as men

All of these women were empowered by Thecla, a woman who did things that not many women would ever dare to do

In Spanish-speaking countries, she is also facetiously counted as the patron saint of computers and Internet, from the homophony with the Spanish and Catalan word tecla ("key").[citation needed]

(text on Thecla of Iconium taken from Wikipedia)

#jillian salvius #warrior nun #thekla reuten #I'M NOT SAYING THIS MEANS ANYTHING I'M JUST SAYING #[insert i'm not saying it's aliens but it's aliens meme here lol] #the craziest thing about it is that i wasn't looking for it. i was reading on tiepolo #as in yes art history. then a painting about a st thecla showed up in the text and it all snowballed from there #you have to admit that some of these parallels (or quasi-parallels anyway) between jillian and st thecla are... uncanny #funny and or misc #no i am not putting this in my analysis tags because this is for the lols (or is it) #editing this to add in the tags that sylvia de fanti is a leo #so a lioness in her own right so to speak. when lionesses were the ones to protect st thecla #i mean if you really want to fuck it up... thekla is a virgo. jillian as a VIRGIN MARY figure anyone...? #if we're gonna mix up real life and fiction might as well do it in style huh #this fucking show sdkljfghsdkjghkjsg #OKAY FINE I AM PUTTING IT IN MY PERSONAL ANALYSIS TAG #exercises in observation

[avianii]

I am ✨struggling✨ to not post my current piece rn.

#exercise caution #lack of self restraint observed #I WANNA SHARE IT SO BAD

[tokidokifish]

in one of god's funny little jokes, this year lent starts on valentine's day

#not that it'll affect me obviously #anyhow i don't consider myself catholic anymore but i observe lent as kinda a dual exercise in self-restraint #and in honor of my father (who was very catholic) #this year i'll be cutting back on sweets and going for walks outside once a week

[tinogiehd]

are you seeing op on twitter

anon I am losing my MIND over op on twitter like why are you dying on this hill

#see it’s weird because I understand the point they’re getting at like i do #but there’s also a point where “respecting” sexuality #transitions into flat out denying it and we’ve seen that before numerous times actually especially in this fandom #jokes aside I do understand their discomfort with speculation and while the OG tweet that they replied to #that got them into this was funny I understand why it could feel weird to see #<- talking about forcing gn.f into the closet #but I think at a point you need to ask WHY you immediately discount him saying he likes men as a joke #or why all the times he’s expressed attraction to men are unserious and untrue #because that’s where I take an issue #sure there is a level of humor that 5/5 in general have that those could fall under but George has never played much into it #outside of d.nf and like. you can see how that had evolved #to be something different than what it first was #I’m really not a fan of how op acts like he’s having his autonomy taken away by speculation #again he’s a grown man with an observably good grasp on his public image #he’s careful with it and he always has been and he’s stuck up for himself before when we’ve crossed lines #it’s very clear that he knows that many people perceive him as something other than straight #and if he wanted to change that he could double down on saying he’s straight and that would be that #sometimes you can exercise autonomy by not doing anything or by things behind the scenes like consenting to have a picture of you kissing #a man who many people think you’re into #released or consenting to have him post pictures of your ass online or not telling him to stop liking romantic art of the two of you #or calling each other your “cute date“ #you get what I’m trying to get at? #aya asks

[innitmarvellous]

Once summer/any kind of warm weather is over for real I definitely have to do some kind of regular fitness workout again....

#i think i last used my exercise bike around the time of the last uk general election...oops #for people who use this weird measure of time called years: this was in 2019 #(pointless observation but back then my hair was still long enough to put it in a ponytail during sports lol...good old times) #random stuff