It's been a while

[sleeplesspotato]

I'm not sure if I can post regularly, but anyway it's good to be back, at least for now. ^^;;

Some things I've been doing:

- Revived my sketching habit: mostly figure drawing practice and studies, occasionally trying to relearn watercolors. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this even if I repeatedly run into the limitations of my current level of skill.

- Got back to the Castlevania OT3 fanfic: I got stuck around halfway through chapter 3 and was blocked for a long time; recently I was able to pick it up again and filled out a beat sheet with most of the plot. I've signed up for Camp NaNo and will try my best not to fixate on scenes (which is why I usually get stuck) and hit my word count. Fingers crossed that I've prepared enough material to finally get me through this first draft. (The full plot might exceed the word count I set for Camp NaNo, but either way I'd just be happy to hit that word count.)

- Started growing some vegetables: I've been meaning to do this for a while; I finally got around to it, though most of the time I don't really know what I'm doing apart from following whatever guides I can find online. ^^;; Currently I have a tiny village of seedlings (and a weathered but ruggedly determined green onion grown from a root end) in pots.

- Got into Tarot: I wasn't a big fan of Tarot in the past; I've just always been aware of it thanks to my mother, who has been doing readings for years. Recently I found a couple of decks that I liked (one featuring watercolor cats, another inspired by Santa Muerte) and was able to get them relatively cheaply, so I started doing simple 3-card readings. So far it's been quite helpful -- my readings tend to surface what's on my mind, or what I'm aware of but am not paying enough attention to (or ignoring because of various reasons). I'm glad I got both decks. <3

Comments

[mistressofmuses]

Welcome back! :D

Congrats on the sketching. That's something I've been thinking about trying to do at some point. I haven't done much visual art in years, but sometimes I miss it.

Hooray for the Castlevania OT3 fic!

Also hooray for veggie growing! That's something I hope to do at some point, too. The studio apartment isn't very conducive to it, but someday!

I have a couple tarot decks, but haven't ever done readings. I've just collected them for the art, ha.

[sleeplesspotato]

Thanks! Glad to be back, too. :)

I've learned to lower my expectations for my sketches; sometimes I have an hour to spare, sometimes 10-15 minutes. Just being able to start at all is enough on some days, since I can finish it on another day. ^^;; If you want to get started, having a small sketchbook or notebook and a pen or pencil with you at all times would help. Or maybe an app on a phone or tablet? I've yet to try digital art, it seems somewhat daunting to get into.

Yeah, vegetables require so much sunlight. I'm just lucky to be in a place that gets enough sunlight per day (I think). Maybe you could try succulents or something that requires less care?

Can I ask which decks you have? I'm always happy to see different designs -- there are so many, and I don't always recognize which cards are which because of how different they look. ^^;; There are definitely beautiful ones that make for great collector's items.

[mistressofmuses]

Digital art seems super daunting to me, haha. Every time I see a tutorial for digital art stuff that starts talking about layers and brush settings and stuff I understand even less, my brain just bluescreens.

I do try to keep a notebook (mostly for writing notes) with me all the time - I should use it for some doodling and stuff as well. I miss visual art, but tend to come up completely blank when I try to think of something to draw.

I've bee thinking about trying a small herb garden in my kitchen, though it would require a UV light. Sadly our windows are both north-facing, so we don't get much direct sun. (My houseplants wish they got a bit more, haha.)

For tarot decks, I've only got a couple:

I bought the gold edition of the "Normal Tarot" which is really more of an oracle deck - not the traditional cards. I've been thinking about trying to use that one for idea generation for storytelling, maybe. It seems like it could be interesting to use it that way. I really like the art for this deck. The artist for the gold version goes by "charminglyantiquated" on tumblr and has had some pretty popular short comics and things.

I recently got "The Alleyman's Tarot", which was a kickstarter that just reached fulfillment. The deck is made up of mismatched cards from a bunch of different decks, including some traditional, some by recent artists, some that were commissioned specifically for this deck. There are also some "extra" cards as well.

(I also supported The Literary Tarot on kickstarter, though that won't ship for a while. That one has each card paired to a classic literary work, chosen by a different modern author. I'm looking forward to seeing it in person!)

[sleeplesspotato]

Yeah, same re digital art. I do have an old Wacom tablet, though, so... I feel really bad about not using it enough. ^^;;

Having a notebook around all the time definitely helps! Even if it's just doodling whatever you see or simple shapes or just making marks on the paper -- whatever gets you started. I got through a lot of meetings doodling in my notebook (and my teammates didn't really mind, lucky for me).

What kind of houseplants do you have? :)

Ooh, the artist of Elsewhere University! The art for that deck must be so good. <3 I'm not that familiar with oracle decks; I've read about them, but I don't really understand how to use them. ^^;; Story generation using a deck sounds like a great idea, though maybe it would work better if you don't know what the cards mean? I don't think I can do that with a Tarot deck since I already have a different mental model for their meanings.

I looked up the Alleyman's Tarot and the Literary Tarot and they look gorgeous :D I love the ideas behind them, especially the Alleyman's; it reminds me a little of the handmade Tarot deck in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I cringed a little at the reward tier for the Alleyman's that said the creator would mess up the cards somewhat to make them more used, though; I take extra care of my decks, and the thought of them getting damaged scares me. ^^;;

[mistressofmuses]

I always sort of wanted a drawing tablet, though I never got one... and it'd be kind of a waste with how little I know about doing digital art!

Yeah, a notebook that's easily accessible definitely helps. Sometimes you have an idea that you want to get out right away!

For houseplants... easy ones, lol. A spider plant and a bunch of little spiders in cups of water until I have a chance to plant them. A pothos, which is the one that really wishes it had more light, I think. One that I call a "library plant" because I got a cutting of it from the library I used to work at, but it seems to usually be called a "radiator plant", or peporomia. It's probably the easiest plant I've ever kept! I also have a golden palm that I "adopted" out of the parking lot where it had been dumped, a couple little succulents, and a couple African violets.

Yes, the Elsewhere University artist! The art is really nice. It's fairly similar to a tarot deck, and there's an interpretation book as well. In this deck, the normal suits are replaced with seasons, and the arcana are replaced with other cards. Agreed, though - knowing too much about what the cards mean could actually make it harder. Though you can also interpret some of the meanings and imagery in a few different ways, which could work for character arcs or struggles.

The Alleyman's Tarot is very cool! I did not go for one of the "touched" decks, ha. It's interesting in the meta-plot way, giving you a totally unique deck... but I'm the same way where I tend to want to keep my stuff very pristine! It's a weird contradiction - I try to keep my stuff in excellent condition... but I also like things like used books and old decks of cards that have signs of wear.
I'm really looking forward to the Literary Tarot, too! I've loved the art for it - I'd already been following a couple of the artists for quite a while, so it was cool to see them commissioned by the same project!

[sleeplesspotato]

Gosh, that's a lot of houseplants. I'm a little envious, though if I had other plants that weren't vegetables I might be better off with the low-maintenance ones; I might forget them if they're not as needy as the vegetables. ^^;; I miss spider plants, too; I didn't know you could keep them in water for a while.

Custom decks that riff off of the Tarot or other decks sound really cool; maybe someday I'll get one for myself. ^^ In terms of character arcs and struggles, you could probably go with the usual interpretations of the cards: for example, Aces refer to beginnings, Twos imply a choice, Nines mean you're almost at the end of something, Tens mean you're at the end, and so on. The Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings make for great characters since they each have their own personalities/symbolism -- there's also the option of inverting/reversing the card so you can get their negative aspects. The Major Arcana make for great thematic focal points, as well; The Devil in particular makes for an interesting and rather dark theme for characters since it refers to addictions and hidden selves that you have difficulty breaking away from. I guess the only problem if you want to use them for storytelling is that if you're shuffling the deck and choosing cards randomly, the cards will be talking about you; if you want to use them for a character or something else you'd have to single out particular cards. (Or maybe it's possible to do a reading for a fictional character? Maybe if they're real enough in your head? Haven't tried it yet though.)

Yeah, I also love old books and cards; I guess there's just a difference between natural wear-and-tear and the deliberate kind. I dunno, it just seems disrespectful in a way. ^^;;

[mistressofmuses]

I feel like I don't have all that many plants, but my mom has TONS, so I may have a skewed impression, haha.

Spider plants are wonderfully low-maintenance in my experience. My "library plant" is properly a "peperomia scandans". I don't know that I've ever seen the type for sale, but it is truly the lowest-maintenance/most forgiving plant I've ever had. And spider plants actually do quite well in water! Several of the little ones I've got have been living in cups for a few years at this point. (I keep meaning to get them planted for real, but never remember to buy potting soil!)

I haven't actually tried to do a reading for a fictional character, but I feel like it would be doable. Similar to doing a reading with a particular question in mind, or doing a reading for a friend who isn't able to physically touch the cards... My impression of tarot (which again, I'm FAR from an expert in!) is that it examines things in your subconscious, and that can be part of what interpreting readings is about - finding the things that you already unconsciously know brought to light. I feel like the characters I've created and the stories I've thought about and want to write are a part of my subconscious. It seems like a reading could help to reveal story arcs or character struggles that you haven't consciously considered yet.

[sleeplesspotato]

Come to think of it my mom does, too. I didn't think I'd ever be into it, but here I am. ^^;;

Can you post pictures of your houseplants sometime? Especially the spider plants in water, that sounds really cute for some reason. :D

Yeah, it kinda makes sense that a reading for a fictional character could be possible; maybe you just have to focus on them really hard? When I do a reading while thinking about someone else the cards tune into that other person, so maybe it's possible for fictional people too. I'm not an expert either by any means, I just have a years-long affinity for it I guess. XD

[mistressofmuses]

I'll try to get some good pictures of them! I definitely don't have like... pinterest-ready aesthetic plant setups like some people do, but I love my plants, ha.

I would think you would have to focus pretty hard, or have a somewhat specific aspect in mind when you did the reading in order for your results to be relevant. If I wind up ever actually trying it, I'll tell you how it goes!

[sleeplesspotato]

Yay! I'm just happy to see the plants, aesthetic setups or no. :D

I also encourage you to take photos of the readings if you ever do them. Or even if you don't, as long as the decks are in the photos, hee. Kidding aside, I hope you enjoy using the decks; they seem like the type made to be functional, and I kinda get the feeling that the cards would love to be used, if that makes sense. ^^;;

[mistressofmuses]

Sometime soon, I'll try to get them cleaned up and some nice pictures of them. :)

Haha, will do, if I ever do the readings! (I had a dream that involved me doing a reading for someone, I'm sure because we were talking about it!) I do think the decks would like to be used. I'm also of the "I want to take care of this and keep it in good condition!" mentality, and sometimes that goes so far that I don't even want to use the deck for its intended purpose! But if and when I do, I'll probably share something about it.