Not Just Another Starving Artist

Help Do Something to Change the Ratio!

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:56:16 -0400

Learning how to program computers isn’t easy. For some, it comes somewhat naturally. However, those that make it look easy likely had someone motivating and fostering their education. Too often this is a career path only chosen by men. So why don’t more women pursue a career in programming?

karnythia: tyndall-blue: riskycuriosity: artemisiumabsinthia: ...

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:28:13 -0400

karnythia:

tyndall-blue:

riskycuriosity:

artemisiumabsinthia:

Josephine Baker, later known as ‘Bronze Venus’, ‘Black Pearl’ and ‘Créole Goddess’ was born in America in 1906 and later moved to France to become a singer, dancer, and actress. She was the first African-American woman to star in a major motion picture, and became famous worldwide.

Though she grew up as a maid in wealthy white households she eventually became an exotic dancer in France, famously appearing in next to no clothing, and became a French citizen in 1937.

Ernest Hemingway referred to Baker as ‘the most sensational woman anyone ever saw’ and she received approximately 1500 marriage proposals in her life time. She became a muse for Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, and Christian Dior. She had a variety of exotic pets including a cheetah named Chiquita, a chimpanzee named Ethel, a pig named Albert, a snake named Kiki, a goat, a parrot, parakeets, fish, three cats, and seven dogs.

When WWII broke out, Baker became a volunteer spy for France, and assisted the French Resistance by smuggling messages written in invisible ink on sheet music. She made great efforts to aid those in danger of enemy attack, sent Christmas presents to French soldiers, and smuggled information she gathered in Spain back to France by pinning notes containing the information on the inside of her underwear. She was awarded the Medal of Resistance with Rosette and later named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

Baker also aided many civil rights movements by refusing to perform to segregated audiences and storming out of a club in Manhattan with actress Grace Kelly after she was refused service. She worked with the NAACP and spoke at a Washington march alongside Martin Luther King Jr. as the only official female speaker. Baker was actually asked by Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow to take his place as leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, but Baker declined on the grounds her twelve adopted children ‘were too young to lose their mother’.

Baker died in 1975, four days after her final show, attended by such names as Mick Jagger, Shirley Bassey, and Liza Minnelli.

Oh and she was queer and had a relationship with Frida Kahlo. All around badass.

Still waiting for her movie. And appearances in period dramas.

secondlina: One of my favorite fairy tale figures is Baba Yaga,...

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:48:07 -0400

secondlina:

One of my favorite fairy tale figures is Baba Yaga, an old witch who lives in an enchanted forest, rides a mortar instead of a broom, lives in a house with chicken legs and usually has three magical sons. I have an obsession with witches in general, but something about this old Russian spell caster really captures my imagination.

I think one day i’d like to write about the adventures of her youth. How she became powerful and delightfully evil (although she is good in a couple of tales). So, here you go, young Baba Yaga (who would have a different name, since Baba means old woman. Maybe just Yaga?).

Janelle MonÃ¡e and Erykah Baduâs âQ.U.E.E.N.â Video Absolutely Rules

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:15:59 -0400

Janelle MonÃ¡e and Erykah Baduâs âQ.U.E.E.N.â Video Absolutely Rules:

Impossibly awesome.

Fieeerrrce!

Best Writing Advice Ever Given to Me

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:17:08 -0400

1. Write as if your reader is smarter than you. Writers must trust the reader’s ability to read between the lines. I really can’t stand it when I read a piece that seems like I’m being forcefully spoonfed.

2.It lies in the execution and not the idea. You have this brilliant idea, but what’s the point if you don’t know how to effectively communicate this to your reader?

3. Writing is about rewriting. It’s pretty presumptuous to think that first or second draft is pure gold…

4. Get Critiques. Don’t just get your family and friends to look at your work. Hearing “That’s good” or “That sucks” doesn’t really help you to become a better writer. You need to know specifically why something doesn’t quite work. It might also be worth noting that you don’t always have to do what someone suggests. Sometimes these suggestions are out of left field.

Also, when looking for a group check to see if their agenda and goals match what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re not satisfied with what you’re seeing, you can always start one.

5. Hang around the right people. This should apply to everyone, You want to be around people that lift you up, not pull you down.

6. It’s okay to let a story go. Sometimes it’s hard, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t recycle the characters…

7. Leave your apartment. You have to experience life to write something. Don’t be that stereotypical writer sitting away at the computer and brooding.

8. Get an Editor. Whether you choose to self-publish or go the traditional route, you do need to have it professionally edited. You’re too close to the work to sometimes catch glaring grammatical errors, etc.

9. Treat your writing like a job (that you like!). If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, act like it. Set aside time—whether it’s fifteen minutes, an hour, or a page a day. Some of it most certainly will be crap, but you can always go back and correct it.

10. Read the good and bad stuff. Enough said.

11. You can’t please everyone. Everyone’s not going to like what you write. Who cares.

karnythia: popelizbet: sweetsweetsweetdivinething: searchingfo...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:42:38 -0400

karnythia:

popelizbet:

sweetsweetsweetdivinething:

searchingforknowledge:

attilarrific:

dollychops:

Dorothy and Alice

“It was all sort of odd, you know,” Alice says pensively, balancing the teacup on her saucer. Picnics are all well and good until you’re forced to walk all the way back to school with a rapidly cooling wet patch on the front of your skirt.

“That is, I believe,” Dorothy says, “rather a prerequisite for journeys to other worlds. Of course, I could be wrong.”

Alice sighs heavily. “Must you always be so literal? I didn’t mean the going there, or the being there, or even Wonderland itself. It was only that I felt so queer once I got back.”

Dorothy hums thoughtfully, reaching over to scratch at the top of Toto’s head. (Technically, of course, pets aren’t allowed at school, but they’d hardly let something as little as a rule stop them.) “Like everything was somehow…less, here?” she says. “That’s how I felt, sort of.”

“No,” Alice says, a little surprised. She brushes a stray bit of hair out of her eyes, tucking it back behind her headband and thinking hard. “Not at all, actually. It was like I was somehow more.”

Dorothy reaches over to steal a sip of tea, lifting the cup out of Alice’s hands and setting it down again after making a face. “That’s gone cold, you know,” she says. “You really ought to drink it faster.”

Alice rolls her eyes. “If I did, I wouldn’t have any left for you to take.”

“That’s true,” Dorothy says easily. “Anyway, isn’t it all sort of the same thing?” When Alice frowns at her, she adds, “The world being less or you being more, I mean. I think you sort of end up in the same place either way.”

“Maybe,” Alice says, taking her own sip of—stone cold, it’s true—tea. “But I think there’s something to be said for perspective, don’t you?”

“Probably,” Dorothy admits. “Though I will say, if one more teacher sits me down to have a gentle talk about glasses being half full or empty, I shall scream.”

“And I would support you in that,” Alice says loyally. “I should scream with you, if you wanted me to.”

Dorothy laughs. “Only if you feel a truly desperate urge,” she says. “And I hope you know I would do the same for you.” She sighs. “Still, it’s not my fault if they think I have a bad attitude. I can’t help it if I’m always wondering whether the teachers actually know anything about the things they’re telling us.”

“Well, it’s not as if you can tell them that you’ve been to a country where the man in charge is lying about his qualifications,” Alice says, and giggles. “Only think of the looks on their faces.”

Dorothy laughs too, but she sobers up quickly when they hear a bell ringing in the distance. “Ugh,” she says with feeling. “We’ve History next, and that always makes me feel as if someone’s stuffed wool between my ears.”

“Perhaps they have,” Alice says, finishing off her tea and packing it away. “Come along, Chester,” she coos, picking up her cat while Dorothy grabs the basket.

“I don’t see why you didn’t just call him Cheshire,” Dorothy says as they start off back to the school.

Alice shrugs. “I think it would have made me feel sad, knowing that he wasn’t,” she says, and Dorothy nods in understanding.

“By the way,” she says, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you met the new girl?”

Alice frowns. “You mean what’s-her-name? Susan something?”

“Pevensie,” Dorothy says eagerly, nodding. “I think we ought to ask her to lunch with us.”

“Really?” Alice says, surprised. “I wouldn’t have thought it of her.”

“I can’t be sure, of course,” Dorothy says. “But I got a sort of funny feeling off of her. She’s certainly worth a look, at any rate.”

“Well, then,” Alice says, delightedly. “Look we shall.”

YES

That is a fantastic story but, um, why is Dorothy using English grammatical structures when she’s from Kansas?

True! Unless she’s picked it up from her (presumably) boarding school with Alice.

I could get behind a series about Girls Who Have Adventures And Life After

2damnfeisty: cleophatrajones: 4evaretro: Bernie Mac was...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:31:51 -0400

2damnfeisty:

cleophatrajones:

4evaretro:

Bernie Mac was always able to bring the truth

The motto.

words to live by.

meghantonjes: this, tho.

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:10:46 -0400

meghantonjes:

this, tho.

Photo

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:28:59 -0400

deliciouskaek: eshusplayground: ai-yo: anniilaugh: raideo: d...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:48:04 -0500

deliciouskaek:

eshusplayground:

ai-yo:

anniilaugh:

raideo:

doctorsassysteinbutt:

catbountry:

cineraria:

The Amazing Happy Birthday Candle - YouTube

SHIT.

i want this for my birthday.

WHAA

holy shit, who invents these things, seriously

We got this candle for my niece’s 1st birthday party and as soon as it opened up and started playing the music she started crying hard it was soo cute and funny.

It’s like a £1.50 over here.

I want this. This year. For my 25th birthday (for 8 years and running).

i want. 40th pls. you have one year.

karnythia: WANT!

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:27:15 -0500

karnythia:

WANT!

The Age of Stupidity?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:47:01 -0500

For some reason in my daily musings, this question has always rolled around in my head as I watch people do things that doesn’t make any sense.I had this discussion with a friend a few weeks ago in which he stated that “Being smart in today’s society is irrelevant.” When one looks at the t.v. shows and hears what comes out of the mouths of some of our elected officials, it’s hard not to think so. Just for fun and perhaps if you’re willing to let your blood pressure boil slightly, look at some of the comments regarding any Yahoo! article.

I don’t think we are getting dumber—if you look throughout history, there’s always been people doing something stupid. Lazier, less considerate, and perhaps more egocentric (mememefirstandlast!), maybe. On a daily basis I see people walking down the street with their heads buried in their gadgets texting away, oblivious to others. I’ve even see people walk directly into traffic. I would think common sense would dictate to stand aside or better yet—pay attention!

Also, I get weary of the belief that people think being “highly educated” means an automatic end all. One can be highly educated and unaware of the world around them. Currently, I happen to live in a U.S. city that’s ranked its citizens as being the most educated (*cough, Seattle). In my opinion, that doesn’t mean anything when on occasion I’ve witnessed some of these highly educated people do stupid things, i.e. riding bikes into incoming traffic or report muggings on Facebook rather than to the police.

I’d also like to think that we’re not slowly inching slightly towards becoming like the people in the underrated film Idiocracy. If so then perhaps humanity will go within one hundred years—though I’m not sure if I can completely agree with the latter, but that’s another topic.

brandnewjones: happyninjabunny: Churro Waffles!!!! CHURRO...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:17:32 -0500

brandnewjones:

happyninjabunny:

Churro Waffles!!!! CHURRO FREAKIN WAFFLES!!!

kurtielizabeth: you know what sucks about being a writer?having so many fucking ideas but not...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:17:24 -0500

kurtielizabeth:

you know what sucks about being a writer?

having so many fucking ideas but not enough time to write it or not having enough motivation to write it or feeling like your writing isn’t good enough to write it

5 Tips to Keep You Being a Starving and Mediocre Writer

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:40:25 -0500

How many times have you heard the played out starving artist bit? Sadly, there are some individuals that believe that one must be a “starving artist” to create a masterpiece. And to these people who think this, you’ll stay starving. In my experience, I’ve had some misguided individuals tell me that I’m selling out for using my skills to make a living (copy editing, copywriting, and ghostwriting). I guess these type of “starving artists” don’t have to worry about trivial luxuries such as eating, living, and paying bills. Why is it that these “starving artist” are always arrogant?

1. Have a big ego. How else are people going to know that you are an artiste if you don’t talk about your work in a condescending manner? Make sure you tell everyone that you’ve cleverly written every sentence in your piece as a story within itself. You’ll also want to make sure that they know that you’re more than a writer— you’re a “word artist”!

2. Never have your work professionally critiqued. You know your work is excellent. You also know that The New York Times will pen you as the next Hemingway. Your friends and family have all confirmed this.

3. Never make revisions. You’ve spent months carefully crafting your novel. It’s perfect as is. Who cares about grammar?

4. Believe using your skills and talents for money is selling out. Copywriters and Ghostwriters are so mainstream! They’ve become soulless droids like everyone else in society. You won’t ever become like them.

5. Avoid discipline. Isn’t that pretty much like having a job? Besides, writing is so easy!

If you follow through with all or any of these, you’re sure to become the starving and mediocre writer that you’ve always dreamed of becoming!

Submit your work to Random House's New Digital Imprints

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:52:29 -0500

Submit your work to Random House's New Digital Imprints

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:18:02 -0500

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”:

I find this to be so true! If you’re sitting around waiting for “inspiration” to come or the perfect writing mood, it won’t get done.

gothiccharmschool: Yep, still love all of...

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:55:45 -0500

gothiccharmschool:

Yep, still love all of these.

emrysofbakerstreet:

fairywingsandarmyboots:

daemon2:

OMG THERE’S MORE

so is this what happens when neil gaiman, tim burton, and the dark lord satan take over disney or

Esoterica: just-call-me-vendetta: 102 Resources for Fiction...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:20:05 -0500

Esoterica: just-call-me-vendetta: 102 Resources for Fiction...:

just-call-me-vendetta:

102 Resources for Fiction Writers

amazinglyartisticadvice:

abbigspooky:

crimsong19:

yourgoodfriendraichel:

moriette:

goddessofcheese:

vulpesinculta:

Are you still stuck for ideas for National Novel Writing Month? Or are…

Photo

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:34:48 -0500

Not Just Another Starving Artist

Help Do Something to Change the Ratio!

karnythia: tyndall-blue: riskycuriosity: artemisiumabsinthia: ...

secondlina: One of my favorite fairy tale figures is Baba Yaga,...

Janelle MonÃ¡e and Erykah Baduâs âQ.U.E.E.N.â Video Absolutely Rules

Best Writing Advice Ever Given to Me

karnythia: popelizbet: sweetsweetsweetdivinething: searchingfo...

2damnfeisty: cleophatrajones: 4evaretro: Bernie Mac was...

meghantonjes: this, tho.

Photo

deliciouskaek: eshusplayground: ai-yo: anniilaugh: raideo: d...

karnythia: WANT!

The Age of Stupidity?

brandnewjones: happyninjabunny: Churro Waffles!!!! CHURRO...

kurtielizabeth: you know what sucks about being a writer?having so many fucking ideas but not...

5 Tips to Keep You Being a Starving and Mediocre Writer

Submit your work to Random House's New Digital Imprints

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

gothiccharmschool: Yep, still love all of...

Esoterica: just-call-me-vendetta: 102 Resources for Fiction...

Photo

Janelle MonÃ¡e and Erykah Baduâs âQ.U.E.E.N.â Video Absolutely Rules