Use your DAMN HEAD! But also your Heart

Oversimplifying the overly complex but, hopefully, you get what I mean.

There's often such pointless fighting over whether or not one was logical or emotional, then going all the way to one side or the other. Guys. You're fighting the wrong enemy here. At least when it comes to building community and the like, you ought to use your head along with your heart. How many awful and even horrible things occur because people were too freakin' set on sending logic out the window? You need it to build solid, firm, and durable structures. You need this structure to sustain your well-being.

It's parasites you should be worried about. And, ultimately, disempower.

"I'm Fine."

May you heal from things you’d rather not speak about.

It can be challenging, and a particular type of struggle, to recover when you’re stuck between needing to open up but not wanting to, needing to be seen but not wanting to, and needing to be helped but not wanting to. I’ve been there and, with certain matters, still am.

Whether you’ve been horribly wronged, associated with somebody who’s terribly wrong, or anything that’s causing you any form of pain and suffering that you did not deserve, that is a heavy burden to carry.

So, for what it’s worth, and while trying to expose you the least, I’ll only remind you that not everybody is a monster, that you are not completely surrounded by monsters, and that there are still people around with a genuine sense of justice and fairness. They would be appalled, disgusted, and probably even enraged by what you are going through or had to go through.

Many of us are in situations that force us to rush and be stingy, without much room to think and feel for others, occupied with ourselves and our own matters. But even when circumstances make us selfish or merely self-serving, many of us are not vile and cruel to the point of going out of our way to harm others. We’re simply too busy to show all the care that you should rightfully receive.

None of this is to guard from blame and skip both shame and guilt, as we all should aspire to be the best human beings that we can be (and create and maintain environments that allow us to be so), but to try to keep darkness from engulfing you when it might seem as though goodness doesn’t and won’t exist.

Go at it at your pace, how it suits you, and may you find all the support you require to get well...

More Hustling? No, Tea Time!

It is wild that despite everything, all the troubles and the horrors of the world, I was expecting to have another busy day today, tending to chores, errands, and other tasks. Well, no. I refuse. And you should, too, if you're due for a break.

Move and/or remove work from your schedule. Take it easier today. Or even take the whole day off. Have some calming tea. Slow down. Regain some peace. Come back to your body and breathe. Things can wait.

Take care of yourself today. Find some relaxation and, if you can also manage, some joy. Whether that's alone or in company. You deserve it. 

Get back to work later on.

Valentine Month

February is here!
It’s Valentine time.
You can expect an emphasis on care-related content.

Artists Amidst Political Crises

Art is political. It is. Especially when it is being suffocated to death by a regime that cares more about image and control than they do about truth and freedom. Suddenly, you’re painting outside the lines because you can barely breathe while painting within them. And what you do starts and/or joins movements. Or not.

Yet, quite understandably, not every artist can be all in with politics. Some artists build their platforms and audiences for it, and are overall more prepared to confront issues and handle controversy, while others… not so much. And in numerous ways, they may be valid and even indispensable too.

However, there comes a point when acting as though nothing is going on and you can simply continue to do as you normally do doesn’t work. It doesn’t land well. Rightfully so, you’d be called tone-deaf and asked to read the room. And failure or refusal to do so speaks of your stance or lack thereof. Proceeding as regular would backfire, and you would be viewed as selfish, cruel, or just irritating. So you must find what degree of acknowledgement and participation suits you to be able to do what you best do as an artist.

You can think of it in levels. From the least to the most that an artist can do to stand for the right causes (and be on the right side of history). Maybe you can only do level 1 or 2, but that’s still better than zero. Aim for level 3 and higher, though. 5 and beyond put you in the hardcore ally category. 10 can be risky but legendary, stay safe!
0 - Proceed as normal, as though nothing is going on.
1 - Secretly contribute to the affected and/or those tending to them. (This can come to light later.)
2 - Sneakily/subtly create and perform art that addresses problems or pain areas.
3 - Make a clear statement declaring your support and sympathies before moving on to your art.
4 - Focus exclusively on bringing forth artworks that are of significant assistance. (Illuminating, empowering, etc.)
5 - Share guides and references as needed.
6 - Rock the boat with news and more every now and then.
7 - Promote initiatives to accelerate progress.
8 - Embark on projects specifically to gather resources and other forms of aid for it.
9 - Be outspoken about your views and opinions on stage, during interviews, and more.
10 - Be personally active in protests and the like.

Keep in mind that, depending on how you have established yourself, people will be expecting more or less from you. E.g. You’ve positioned yourself as caring about this or that and then turn your back on it when it is under attack/in danger? THE HYPOCRISY. Not cool. Furthermore, your solidarity will be measured based on your ability to be solidary.

Let’s say that you sincerely wish to be a force of good but you, quite frankly, barely have a clue or are confused about how to go about it. What is appropriate and what is inappropriate? What is right and what is wrong? What is correct and what is incorrect? In such a case, the best that you can do is invest in getting properly informed and educated. And if that is going to take a while, consider announcing, in your words, that you’re looking into it and hope to soon know how to proceed, so that you won’t be mistaken as indifferent.

Perhaps you can’t shake off the fear, anxiety, worries, and whatnot. But you really don’t want to be paralyzed. Look for other artists who are already getting involved. They can show you that you are not alone or even how it could be done. The more you find that have already taken the first steps, the easier it will be for you to take yours. Nevertheless, you would benefit from eventually emboldening yourself to be less reluctant to make a difference.

Practice makes perfect and done is better than perfect. Don’t let perfectionism cripple you. Putting in the effort matters, whether it is appreciated or not. And if you make a mistake, you can go back on it, apologize for it, correct it, and compensate for it if you must. Don’t stagnate in a corner; get out there, even if you have to begin with baby steps.

The Atrocious Trump Administration

If you’ve known me for a while, or even look back at my history, you’d see that… No, I do not have an out-of-control hatred for Donald Trump and, no, my speaking out against him and what he is doing (or enabling or allowing) is not a “mental illness”. As he’d like to claim for anyone who opposes him. In fact, I would much rather stay out of politics and just relax at home, remain pretty, and do cosplays. But here I am. Stressing out, losing sleep, and writing this. Because this is serious. And it is going to heavily affect everyone if it is not stopped.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Trusting politicians in general is… ehh. I get that. I’m with you on that. That field is messy and can get all sorts of twisted. However, this is NOT the time to be “neutral” and “detached” and “objective” because “they’re all the same and cannot be trusted”. There’s such a thing as a lesser evil and simply choosing the better option. And right now, the better option is NOT WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

Other sources handle documenting and communicating everything that has happened ever since he sat in power more adeptly than I do. And I recommend you look them up. Still, I'll facilitate a bit. Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve gathered:
- Grand promises made to get votes from those in pain not fulfilled. (Even going the opposite route.)
- Frequent ego-based decisions and actions.
- Numerous tantrums thrown over unreasonable demands.
- Irresponsible and greedy management of money.
- Countless lies and gaslighting. (“Truth” Social. LOL.)
- Avoidance, erasure, and banning of important information/topics/discussion.
- Apathy and indifference in the face of needless harm and suffering.
- Obvious cognitive decline and disability. (He went hard on Biden for this, but he’s looking worse.)
- Inability, perhaps unwillingness, to lead in the direction of progress and prosperity.
- Baseless accusations toward anything and anyone that makes him look bad.
(You might want to reflect them back to him because most are likely projections, a.k.a. confessions. “Agitator”,”Terrorist”,”Radical”,“Fraud”,”Criminal”, etc.)
Plus, more...

Now, this doesn’t sound sooooo bad. You’d think. Except, it is. If you take a moment to consider the extent, reach, and impact of each point, you’d be able to better grasp the severity of them within this context. What it implies, what it entails, and the damage that has done, is doing, and will do if it continues to go unchecked. So rather than having them as complete sentences to take at face value, have them as expandables holding magnitudes beyond words. You can do your own research and see for yourself.

I don’t know if he is so far-gone delusional that he believes he is doing great and will go down in history as a great president for Making America Great Again or if he just doesn’t care at all and is just doing whatever the f**k he wants, no matter what breaks, before he dies (because he soon will). Regardless of what it is, we’re paying for it. Literally.

I am witnessing all of this and it doesn’t cease to baffle me that this is who you (well, we) have IN CHARGE. There have been plenty of lousy and phony presidents, indeed, but really? How is this even remotely justifiable? And he’s not alone in this. He also surrounded himself with people of very low caliber who shouldn’t be there either.

The changes he is implementing are taking us back to less evolved times. It is not that somewhere down the road democrats screwed up by people-pleasing and lacking a backbone, or whatever hidden agenda they had, so he’s rolling back to get back on track toward better, toward what’s right. Instead, it is as though he’s reshaping reality to fit his deranged fantasy, where he gets to be “superior” and have it how he likes it. AND AT WHAT COST? No, for real, answer that. Honestly.

Maybe it is worse than this, and he is merely a puppet, or a piece to move in and let be, for unimaginable evil and/or cruelty. But I won’t go there. Either way, he’s driving us down a path of ruin, destruction, and extinction of all things genuine and meaningful. Without truth, without freedom. Am I exaggerating? I WISH. The more he gets to push this stuff without significant repercussions, the more normalized it gets and the more it spreads until it is all we know and we are absolutely powerless. I WOULD LOVE TO BE PROVED WRONG ON THIS. GO AHEAD AND DO IT. Put a stop to this madness so he can be dismissed as merely a bad episode in history.

I normally keep my suspicions to myself, when I don’t have concrete evidence, but I’ll add that I am not fully convinced he won the elections fair and square. You are telling me that this person, who shows over and over again that he is anything but ethical, left it to democracy and fate? Yet, even if that was the case, I don’t know what is more depressing, that he stole the election or that that many people chose him. And so many still do. Which reveals a lot about where people are at in terms of principles, values, culture, and… humanity.

I keep thinking back to how much Kamala Harris warned about all of this during her campaign. I saw her as someone undeniably intelligent and intuitive, someone who did her reading, and perhaps did care that strongly about our destiny, enough to be willing to look hysterical in front of everyone and be mocked for it as she went on and on about it like a lunatic. But after all that’s transpired… Damn, it’s like THE ALIENS THEMSELVES CAME DOWN TO SHOW HER. So she didn’t just worry about it, SHE KNEW. Anyway, biggest “I told you so” in history. She should get an award for that. And not give it to Trump when he gets envious of it.

I am bothering with all of this as someone who is not directly affected. Because it IS that bad. USA has become the breeding ground for very, very, VERY dangerous beliefs. It is testing how awful they can be without being overthrown. Pushing boundaries, setting the tone, paving the way, and making the unacceptable acceptable. Whether it is instinctively or strategically, it doesn’t matter; the result is the same. I’m talking the most depraved scenario as the standard. Don’t take it from me, do the math yourself, factoring in everything that is happening.

It is not lawlessness to be morally correct, but to be morally bankrupt. The systems that allowed this in the first place OUGHT to be revised. But most importantly, and as soon as possible, all these degenerates must be removed from these critical positions. Get competent and trustworthy people to take their place.

Authoritarianism Does NOT Go With Art

Alright, folks, we’ve reached the point of emergency (are past due, actually). What is happening in the world, as the United States of America (possibly the most influential country, whether or not it is “the best”) is under the current administration, with Trump, can no longer be ignored. So I figured I’d put together a few key points for my fellow artists and anyone else, fighting the good fight, that this might benefit.

• The Atrocious Trump Administration
• Artists Amidst Political Crises

This said, if you’re helping, don’t forget to bring your own knowledge, skill, and expertise. Do the best you can with what you have, not only what you see others do - maybe you can do more.

Of Monsters and Men's King and Lionheart

The world, as we know it, may be ending. And everything that is happening in it can be concerning, riddling us with fear. However, if there’s something I’ve already learned well, it is that fear is often a liar (especially when it is intentionally manufactured to cripple) and giving in to it might do no more than lower our chances of making it through. Because of that, and more, this is a song I personally appreciate.

It is not my first time bringing up Of Monsters and Men. I did so, too, in the past, when I went on about Little Talks, which is also a song I hold close, particularly for the parts that go, “‘Cause, though the truth may vary, this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore.” I cannot put into words exactly how much that got to me.

Like many others, I like to stay sane and lucid. A lot depends on that. That we see reality for what it is. However, something counterproductive can happen if we cling too hard to what we can, without a doubt, see: We lose sight of what is or could be beyond it. We lose our optimism, to become realists, but turn into pessimists. We miss out on hope and faith and the very real products of having them. We stop being brave. We resign.

I’m a Lionheart. Maybe you are, too. Or perhaps a King. And while I cannot expect to know with absolute certainty what the future holds, I can tell you in full truth that there hasn’t ever been a time in my life when not believing in myself beyond reason worked in my favor. You ought to believe in your power against ‘evidence’ to the contrary. Because you don’t actually know - you literally fail to gauge - what you’re capable of, really, until you make the most of it. And that won’t happen if you’re cowering, too set on perceived shortcomings or limitations.

Whether you see it or not, this existence is magical in that everything affects everything, and you do too. So next time you look in the mirror, will you see a lionheart or a king or both? How about a team?

Welcome 2026!

I’m SUPER LATE to the party and, given the state of… everything, the irony is strong with this one, but I didn’t want to let the year begin without this routine post.

As usual, things rarely go as planned. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, and some things for the better, some things for the worse. But we oughta keep going, making the most of what does or doesn’t happen. Personally, I’d rather not be too stubborn with my plans, as the universe might pleasantly surprise me with what’s most suitable. So I gracefully allow it, maintaining some flexibility. The real test, then, is whether or not we give up on our highest good when it doesn’t look so promising, remembering to look for opportunities or create them ourselves.

I was hoping this year would be a more easygoing one, a period to return to artsy crafts, without rushing or dangers lurking in the corner. However, as it turned out, it is going to be one keeping me alert and active. I’d make it worse by staying frustrated about it, hanging on to what I didn’t get, but I’ll instead take it as an opportunity to finish building the most solid foundations I can possibly build for what will be the rest of my life. I’ll pay attention, revise, and correct. As well as take notes for what else I could be tackling in the future. In terms of topics and more.

It is also the year when I finally, FINALLY, get to make my space neat & tidy enough to be completely unbothered, at last. I had my messy creative phase, which was much needed (thank you for tolerating it), and soon I’ll instead be operating smoothly. Authentically so. You will see me making many changes, improvements, and enhancements throughout the year, but I promise they’ll be worth it.

About this much, I am excited. So much so that it is difficult to keep myself from sharing all the updates that I already know are coming. But they’re coming, indeed. Just stay tuned!

This year, I wish everyone fighting the good fight: much courage, discernment, cooperation, perseverance, and victory. May you be able to let go of what is holding you back and reach for what will pull you forward. We are all creators and co-creators of reality - and that is a fact.

Let’s all create something amazing!

Featured Posts? You Bet!

Check them out! They are featured for a reason (or several). It is possible that they are particularly relevant to what is currently being discussed and that you’ll find that to be the case too.

Will there regularly be new featured posts? Maybe! But not religiously so. I’ll switch them up as required. Maybe in a month, maybe in 3, or in 6, or in a whole year. Maybe even quicker than that. I’ll post an Update when it happens, so you’re less likely to miss it.

Will it always be 5 featured posts? Doubtful! 5 might be the ideal number, for coverage without overextension. But 3 can happen often, for focus. 8 is not discarded either, for the rare occasions where digging in is a must. Really, it might be any reasonable number, depending. However, the aim is packs of 3, 5, or, if necessary, 8.

You can find them in the column to the left, within the orange-colored module.