#yes these are my skills what about it

[inkskinned]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

MDZS Disco Elysium AU part 2 - Psyche Skills

Part 1 - Part 3

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #disco elysium #MDZS disco elysium au #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #yu ziyuan #While it's more in vogue to draw a character's skill roster tailored to them - #One of the more subtle details I love in DE is how some of the skill portraits parallel character portraits of people hbd associates with. #Theres somethine rather poetic to be said about how other people shape out thoughts and sometimes act as a 'voice' in our head. #How we are in part a collection of impressions other people left behind on us. #I am a huge Skillhead (Those are my friends! My party members! They love me! They have their own agendas and alliances!) #so of course a healthy portion of this AU is dedicated to them <3 #the Int skills go basically unchanged from DE. Psy as well (with changes to a few quirks in voice). #Fys skills though...well...wwx is in a different body! Those voices belong to Someone Else. #Esp electrochem (MXY in this AU also partied to near death. WWX is withdrawing and craving substances he's never even heard of before) #While I personally don't fully subscribe to Volition Jean I *do* see Volition Jiang Cheng. The voice of your Not Brother keeping you afloat #All three of these parallels make me unbelievably sad. They are also both purple. Art is like that sometimes. #Empathy Jiang Yanli...oh man do I have a lot of thoughts about her. Disco fans Who Know....you can probably see what I'm cooking. #Authority is a really interesting skill in DE because *yes* its about power and intimidation - but it's also about finesse and respect #Titus Hardie and YZY both abuse *and* finesse how they establish their authority - in a way that leaves quite an impression. #2 more mdzs disco posts that I *need* to create and then I'm off to working on raffles <3

[tswwwit]

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but i recently reread the entire familiar au (its as amazing as always!) and its so impressive to see how far you have come as a writer especially compared to the new cult au its honestly pretty inspiring

Thank you! It's truly nice to hear that I've made progress. I mean, obviously - hopefully - I would have after all this time, but sometimes the improvement is hard to see when you're so close to it.

#answers #I've been tempted at times to just take down some of my really old stuff #Because I am very 😬 when I reread it #But I think it stands as a nice relic/testament to how I've grown as a writer #In that I only roll around in agony about 90% of the time reading current writing now as opposed 575% with the old stuff #It feels like I don't know what I'm doing at any given time #But presumably I've learned SOMETHING #And my writing is not The Worst™ #Funny how the baseline changes as skill changes because it's hard to remember sometimes that yes #Skill has improved!! #I say as I stare at this document with severe doubts and worry and agony #Nothing like looking at a 5k doc and going 'yeah this is only halfway to the end at BEST' #There is so much more yet to complete #Also super nice to hear that the cult thing is good to read #It's got a lot more visuals than my usual so I'm pushing my comfort zone #I am Not A Visual Person so that takes some Effort #All of these tags have been very navelgazing so here's a fun fact #If *I* can get better at writing by doing it for a long time #YOU can do it TOO and BETTER #It just takes - again - a lot of writing to get there

[goobygnarp]

.

#good grief im gettin a lil tired of seeing 'DONT DO THIS' kinda art videos #i very much understand its a youtube thing and that clickbait names and thumbs get the views and attention needed #but it doesnt mean it doesnt annoy me or that I cant be annoyed by it #sometimes i just see it in tutorial pictures too #but the large DONTS with red Xs near the supposed ''wrong'' way of drawing is so demotivating #people start and draw in many ways than one #its what makes art their own #but when videos or tutorial posts are made and show the ''WRONG'' way to go about it #its like scolding the new artist or long time artist with that style that they're doing it wrong and that its bad #no matter the intention its not the way to go about helping artists learn to draw #and in my personal opinion #the click bait ''DONT DO THIS WHEN DRAWING'' thing is what keeps me from actually watching the vids #i get theyre probably helpful but i don't like that I have to feel some NEED or DESIRE to click on a vid cause I feel like I did a thing #wrong or that i never should have done it at all #i wish i could see more 'here are some tips that helped me #kinda vids cause yes i would love to learn what helped you rather than being or feeling wronged for drawing in a way that isn't theirs #im rambling but i have been seeing a lot of 'DONT DO THIS' NEVER DO THIS' 'IF YOURE DOING THIS STOP NOW' kinda art vids #im speakin for myself here #but im an artist sifting through art youtube or spaces always willing to learn new ways of improving my art #i dont need to feel click baited like the next 3am don't this kid to learn how to improve my inking skills #if it was more a 'this is my personal preference and I wanna share it with my audience and maybe teach some things' kinda vid #id watch that too #but im just so tired of seeing art youtube going down this need to tell folks 'YOURE DOING IT ALL WRONG. THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY"

[bride-and-bride]

Saw a neat Fourcheanult post about the ways in which he sucks but tragically I cannot reblog without at least SOME analysis on how the loss of Louisoix would impact his choices and views on his children's actions

#im telling you like #your dad might even KNOW the end is coming one day but he goes to help Eorzea because it's the right thing to do #and you don't agree that it's a priority (the world will end!!) but your father is smart and he's skilled and you say goodbye when he leaves #and then he dies. he dies and no one knows what happened he is simply gone in a flash. his plan to save eorzea? #it worked in that Eorzea exists but the land is DEVESTATED and will never be the same and he IS GONE #and YES when your kids want to visit the land he saved you let them go (but they better write their mother) #and they are doing amazing things but they are your BABIES and my god! what is happening to them??? #do you think he knew about Shadowbringers? do you think he knew his children were in a coma IN YOUR CARE? #and then he tries to disown his kids because maybe this will keep them from trying to save the world #and keep them from throwing their lives away #because all he wants is for them to live. even if they hate him #even if they never look at him again. they'll be alive.

[sysig]

Didn’t know you had it in you, did you (Patreon)

#Doodles #Adventure Time #Fionna and Cake #Simon Petrikov #Winter King #Winterkov #What? Me? Enjoying a self/ ship ft. two dorks wearing glasses? Haha couldn't be me that doesn't sound like me at all #Trading one Tom Kenny brainworms for another sheesh - Tom Kenny stop voicing queer scientists challenge (impossible) #I hadn't drawn Simon before but I have known he's a massive cute for a heck while now lol #And yeah confirmed - he's Really fun to draw especially this iteration #His crows feet and hair streak ugh <3 #Plus I've just missed this style of eye more than I realized haha #And Winter just flows off my pencil like water like woah #I blame Spamton at least partially for that lol although he's easier to draw than Spamton :0 #Spamton is very fun! Winter's just easier for some reason :0 #Maybe 'cause he's so soft-faced haha ♥ And I don't use my colours on him lol #Honestly I only count this as self-slash on a technicality - yes they're both Simon bodily but that's not really Simon in Winter anymore huh #Maybe to some extent - he's still a scientist and all but honestly there's a comment I can't stop thinking about since I saw it #About how really that's The Crown using Simon as a host just without the madness - and his skills aid in keeping him lucid #So it's like a ghost puppeting your clone's still-living corpse more so than kissing yourself :) In my opinion lol #And I don't say that to get away from self-shipping! I love that stuff!! That's just genuinely how I read Winter now haha #Not that he wouldn't play into it lol #I've seen a ''I am like this so you are also like this :) Right Simon? :) You're like this'' and I enjoy that very much #Manipulative so and so <3

[a-lonely-dunedain]

hi sorry I'm still only thinking about them

(I saw this gifset a while back and and it was So Soft so I decided I was going to go insane crazy if I didn't draw Celeair and Margim referencing it)

#honestly I'm still not 100% happy with how the glittery veil turned out #but this is what I was talking about when I said I was attempting something far over my skill level lmao #this is just something I'm gonna have to try to redraw years on down the line I think #oh well. I still like what I have for now at least #anyway yes Look at Them #lotro #lotro oc #Celeair #Margim

[moe-broey]

One thing they don't tell you about the Senshi tulpa that WILL inevitably manifest in your mind to tell you to eat better is that. Every time I make myself a coffee via kuerig instantly, I can hear him. Lamenting the fact that I have become so accustomed to convenience and ease that even a standard coffee machine has become foreign to me. I am thinking about how to make coffee without use of a machine in the first place, I am wondering where my french press went, I can see him. In my mind. Showing me how to make coffee in The Dungeon. Dungeon Coffee.

#dungeon meshi #i'll allow this one to be set free into the wild. i think the world needs to know. #i really love senshi's character too how like. it's easy to feel guilty too if you aren't doing something 'the right way' #and despite him being very set in his ways he manages to alleviate that specific guilt #just by being senshi about it. i have never wanted to learn how to cook. too much work/too many steps #i like instant/ease bc that means i can devote myself completely to the things i AM passionate about #but senshi will manifest in your mind to tell you. you need nourishment to do that #he is just as passionate and detailed about it as i am my art. all i ever want to do is art. esp traditional art #which i think almost feels similar. to magic (digital) vs non-magic (traditional mediums) #each takes a very specific set of skills. one 'feels' easier than the other but a lot Does go into it (digital) #and there is an ease of access esp sharing wise. but i am autistic about the medium itself #yes sometimes i have to wait a day to even share my stuff cause the sun went down #yes there's less ways you can take shortcuts. you have to do Everything by hand #but that's what i love about it. espppp blending my pencils. #but going back i do not have that same level of interest (not even NEARLY) for anything that Isn't related to art #it's like. i really don't WANT to .... but senshi ...... makes me think about it. #senshi

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

what if You wanted to "post on kofi", but Kofi said "log in"

#im. Im Already Logged In. what more do you want from me #i click log in. it tells me im logged in. i click to my page. it tells me to log in #HUH???? #i act like this is new! this has been going on! for A While! #but i've just now decided to publicly bitch about because im. well i want to! who am i if not a Complainer! #LET ME POST. MY ART. THERE. #YA LIL FUCKER! #let me innnnn LET ME INNNN #absolutely unprompted #it also Bugged The Fuck Out when i tried to sign in #and it was like 'ouuuuughhhhhh your password is wronnggggg reset it' #ok. Ok. i'll reset it #and then kofi showed me my 'old' password and it was THE EXACT SAME THING I HAD BEEN TYPING IN. TIME AND TIME AGAIN. #who do i have to maim! huh! WHO! #point me at a jugular i can rip out with my teeth! #kofi: this is what you can do. log in or tip yourself #EXCEPT!!! i cant log in. bc im already logged in. but no im not #i ask kofi Am I Logged In and it says 'well yes. but actually no' #you know! this goes right in line with how my life has gone so far! this is very On Brand! #i dont know how i do it #but i manage to fuck things up in new never before seen ways! i genuinely consider it a Skill!

[angelhummel]

half of the hate for kurt literally just boils down to "a gay kid who loves musical theater?? in MY 'kids who love musical theater' show??? stereotype!!!"

#glee #kurt hummel #my thoughts #that i had while watching hsmtmts and imagining what bad things people said about carlos or seb alsjfslkdf #i dont wanna know #but fr like #yes lots of gay people love musical theater and we're doing a show about musical theater and you dont wanna see any gay characters? #or any gay characters who like musical theater? in the musical theater show? that you chose to watch? #sounds like a skill issue to me #watch a different show #or stop being homophobic #anyway all kurt hate is either that or people insulting chris which also earns you a one way ticket to hell alksjflkdsfd

[midnightsslut]

when you’ve been listening to an album for four (4) years and you just understand it differently all of a sudden

#yes this is about folklore #I haven’t looked at the album as a whole in a long time and I was too focused on the potential storylines in it when it came out #I also haven’t thought about evermore as a body of work like at all #like why are the songs in that order what story is she trying to tell #anyway #will do💀 #my media analysis skills were unfortunately poor in 2020

[baku2017]

@f1blrcreatorsfest week 3: horror They Live (1988) written and directed by John Carpenter EXT. BAHRAIN GP 2022 We open on the paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit where Lewis Hamilton is back from winter break. He's wearing an odd pair of sunglasses.

#f1blrcreatorsfest23 #AT LAST i can make stuff for the fest !! #lewis hamilton #f1edit #they live #i love john carpenter visual universe and i had this idea to replace all the sponsors with the posters from they live for a while #i'm happy i could do this for the fest #when i thought about what pics to get to make it i wanted a street circuit in a city to have that LA feel but it's hard to have pics with #the cars and the city and some sponsor walls that i can edit with my little skills #anyway it had to be lewis after the 2021 season because it's a silly edit but also a critisism of f1 business #yes i am hypocritical i contain multitude etc #it's domenicali in the last pic fuck that guy all my homies hate domenicali #i put the link to the movie in the description as a little treat #well i'm off to BED !

[ravs6709]

The urge to make those fake Tumblr posts but it's random civilians in orv live reacting apocalypse vs I have exam tomorrow

#ideas in head: someone who is a die-hard fan of sssss infinite regressor #many people being elated about werewolves being a thing. argument over cannibalism #'so i chose [famous sponsor known for being horrendous but person chose sponsor because they were Down Bad]' #immediately followed by lots of screaming #OH i need several people going wtf at the eden archangels 'what the FUCK is joongdok and why does my constellation keep talking about it' #'oh my god my constellation wont shut up either' ← both these people live in like the opposite side of the world from korea #orv #YES ik most of them dont have internet. but internet skill. ill pretend its common #people not in the apocalypse seeing these posts: ????????

[wejustvibing]

respect to mike elliott though for bringing this up and putting the team and performance above himself AND massive respect to james allison for agreeing to return lol he just wanted to retire but is now going to have to clean up this mess 🥲

#idk what toto had to do to get him back but this is the best decision he's made in 3 years. #and i'm aware technically he just swapped for a more senior position and james now has to report to him but it's about skills #at the end of the day so yes merc y'all have my attention #mike elliott #james allison #f1

[tastymarbar]

teddie is the world to me so naturally I projected that onto Yu. as one does.

#mar draws things #persona 4 #yu narukami #teddie #teddie persona 4 #I gave ted lil chompers bc he is a bear #and also because i can #he looks cuter with it #originally the last panel was gonna be teddie hugging yu #but alas my skills are not that good yet 😔 #I still like the last panel but ye #anyways hi I like teddie did you know that #the specialest of boys #the goodest of good boys #(no I'm not biased idk what you are on about) #if you read all of this hi I hope you had a nice day :>

[gabisart]

Yeah you may have all you want, baby, but I got somethin' you need  ⚡⚡⚡

#ok i know #i vanish for months and come back out of the blue with... cartoon network fanart #i like to keep you never sure of what's coming next hehehe #valhallen #yes ive been re-watching #dexter's laboratory #on hbo+ and the sight of him again... with my current drawing skills... i couldnt resist #i love drawing characters from my childhood and what about it! #hahaha i miss you guys #⚡