like!! examine your craft. when you do something, ask yourself, where did i get that? why do i cleanse this way, why do i use this symbol? why this way over another way? what is the larger context this aspect was created from? can i justify its place in my craft? if i find that i can’t, what steps will i take to remove or replace it?
the concept and idea of “you can always start trying to be a better person” is extremely important to me both in media and irl and i continue to be deeply deeply disturbed by the trend on this site pushing that these ideas in media are bad writing or even morally reprehensible
because theyd rather someone stay terrible or just straight up die than become a better person
from a compassionate point of view it’s deeply distressing and from a pragmatic point of view it’s outright frustrating
Sometimes, it’s very tempting to start tearing things down, to disconnect and disengage when you’re upset. Because you feel like you don’t belong somewhere or you feel like no one wants you or you feel like the things you make are pointless and stupid. It’s tempting. It is. I know.
Destruction is so much easier than creation. Even easier now—click a button and an account is gone, a file’s erased. Easy.
Here’s why you shouldn’t—
Someone, somewhere enjoys the things you made. Sometimes they feel like your works speak directly to them. They identify with the struggles and hardships of your characters. Or maybe they just enjoy the softness of the scene. The sweetness of it. Don’t take that away from them. Just because you can’t find value in it doesn’t mean someone else can’t. Let other people enjoy the things you’ve made.
It’s okay to be niche. Like the things you like. Even when it’s ‘weird’ or unusual. Other people occupy that same niche. Even if it’s not their usual thing, even if they only occasionally drop in to take a look around, that doesn’t mean they don’t like what they see.
It doesn’t matter if you’re off in the corner producing the kind of content only a few people enjoy, or if you’re in a creative slump and feel like you aren’t producing anything at all. That’s okay. You are not defined by the quality or quantity of the things you make. Don’t pressure yourself to do or be more than you’re comfortable with. There are no standards to meet, no bar to pass. You’ll get better with practice, but be nice to yourself in the meantime.
You have value as a person, beyond the things you make. You aren’t perfect, but no one expects you to be. There will be people that don’t like you, and there will be people you don’t like. But there will also be people you like and people who like you. Not just your content, but you as a person. You are wanted.
Destruction is easy. Disconnection is easy. Creation is hard. Connecting with other people is hard too. It’s not always fun. It’s not always a good experience. There will be pain. I won’t lie to you about that. But the good will outweigh the bad. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to experience the good things because you’re afraid of the bad.
And remember, it’s okay to step back and retreat for a little while. It’s not all or nothing. You can put a hold on things. You can back away. And you can do that without destroying the things you’ve made and cutting off from the people you care about.
it makes me so sad when ppl apologize for talking so much about their hyperfixations. like no keep going i love you
if you don’t shut up about your own ocs. if you don’t shut up about obscure characters that no one else appreciates as much as you. if you get into deep lore of a series no one else around you likes. I Love You So Fucking Much
and most importantly if you make fun of ppls interests i will absolutely destroy you. make no mistake
You know what fantasy writing needs? Working class wizards.
A crew of enchanters maintaining the perpetual flames that run the turbines that generate electricity, covered in ash and grime and stinking of hot chilies and rare mushrooms used for the enchantments
A wizard specializing in construction, casting feather fall on every worker, and enchanting every hammer to drive nails in straight, animating the living clay that makes up the core of the crane
An elderly wizard and her apprentice who transmute fragile broken objects. From furniture, to rotten wood beams, to delicate jewelry
A battle magician, trained with only a few rudimentary spells to solve a shortage of trained wizards on the front who uses his healing spells to help folks around town
Wizarding shops where cheery little mages enchant wooden blocks to be hammered into the sides of homes. Hammer this into the attic and it will scare off termites, toss this in the fire and clean your chimney, throw this in the air and all dust in the room gets sucked up
Wizard loggers who transmute cut trees into solid, square beams, reducing waste, and casting spells to speed up regrowth. The forest, they know, will not be too harsh on them if the lost tree’s children may grow in its place
Wizard farmers who grow their crops in arcane sigils to increase yield, or produce healthier fruit
Factory wizards who control a dozen little constructs that keep machines cleaned and operational, who cast armor to protect the hands of workers, and who, when the factory strikes for better wages, freeze the machines in place to ensure their bosses can’t bring anyone new in.
Anyway, think about it.
Construction wizards to turn back time to root out wood worm and strengthen old buildings.
A wizard tailors who transmutes cloth into fully made clothes without seems and leaving behind no scraps
A wizard who works in public transit, timing out teleports with detailed schedules, time magic, and enchanted communications, sending dozens of people to far away cities for a day or work or leisure
A team of wizard gardeners tend to trees grown far outside their native range, and ideal climate, encircled with runes and fed potions to grow none the less
A wizard sits in their office in the aqueduct, re-casting the spells that allow its precious water to flow to the city uphill
A wizard fisher casts water repelling spells on the sailors and the stairs, keeps the hoist on the anchor from rusting, casts balls of heat that keep everyone warm below decks. Their real job is to herd fish together so they can be caught in single huge nets, and keep them cold as the boat returns to land.
There are so many possibilities outside of “stodgy academic who wears ugly robes” and “Very good holy man who helps everyone and the fact they’ve never had a job is never brought up” and “evil wizard toiling away on great evils in his evil tower in the evil country.”
Wizards who come out and ward your home for you, like the magical equivalent of a home security system.
teakepp 