I don't know, I notice.

Hello guys, sorry for long time no art but I’ve been busy on my other platforms sharing resources and news for the Black Lives Matter movement, so art is currently on pause.

Either way, this is a guide I illustrated for user chivrik on Instagram on how to properly blur and de-trace protest photos. Many protesters have gone missing or turned up dead because they were traced through images they appeared on. Don’t help pigs and protect one another. ACAB and Black lives always matter.

forgive yourself : it’s okay if you didn’t wake up early, go for a run, or finish that assignment. you’re only human

start slow : don’t set your expectations too high when you’re just starting off

keep learning : getting to where you want to be is a process. don’t expect perfection overnight

HERBS AND CRYSTALS ARE NOT ALTERNATIVES FOR MEDICINE. 

THEY CAN HELP IN YOUR HEALING PROCESS BUT THEY CANNOT BE USED AS A REPLACEMENT FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT!

The injury: How severe are we talking here? Yeah, I make jewel weed balms to use on bee stings, bug bites, scrapes, and poison ivy. I chew on peppermint leaves from my garden for indigestion. I use chamomile and lavender to treat stress and anxiety. But these are all (when I treat them) minor things. If any of these were severe (bee allergies, deer ticks bits with risk of lyme disease, clinical depression.anxiety disorder), I would advice seeking genuine medical attention! Every time!! Broken bones don’t even MAKE my list, because while yes people have been treating broken bones forever with this stuff, there are now BETTER, more effective, safer methods!

The herb: Not all herbs are made equal. Some are more effective than modern medicine, others not so much. Peppermint leaves tend to help my indigestion better than tums, legal medical weed seems a LOT healthier for people with anxiety than addictive medications like xanax, and I much prefer a hot lavender bath with chamomile tea over sleeping medications.

But, uh, no. There aren’t herbs out there more effective in treating cancer, serious infections, broken bones, etc. Do not use herbs for this!

Your knowledge: Some herbs are dangerous in high doses but ineffective in low doses. Some are fine alone in whatever dose but dangerous when mixed with other popular herbs. Some are dangerous to kids, some to pregnant women, some mix terribly with medicine you ARE taking (St. John’s Wort can mess up antidepressants, allergy meds, meds that treat HIV, birth control, and more).

I’ve been on hikes with people saying “I’ve always wanted to make a tea with that herb!” And I’ve had to tell them the plant they’re talking about is used as birth control, or as a diuretic (you’ll pee a LOT).

I’ve seen people think they’re about to pick Queen Anne’s Lace (has a history o being used as birth control), but they’re actually looking at VERY deadly poison hemlock (fun fact, it killed Socrates).

Many herbs have deadly cousins that are nearly twins. People die every year misidentifying wild medical and medicinal plants and fungi. You don’t want to be one of them.

All of this means you really need to know what the hell you’re talking about beyond googling “what herbs make nice teas,” or you could really fuck yourself u, or worse, someone who thought you knew what you were doing.

Poverty: I’m not familiar with many other regions in the US, but I know herbal remedies are still used a lot here in Appalachia, especially by older folks. I’m sure it’s like this in other places in the US, and in other countries. The reason being is that these people don’t have affordable, accessible modern medicine where they live. Which you know, is awful. If you’re living in destitution, and there’s a granny in your town who knows how to use wild medicinal plants, far be it from me to preach at you!

But this usually isn’t the case, is it? Most people online turning to herbal remedies are young people who haven’t grown up learning herbal traditions.

And that’s not always a bad thing. Like I said, I rely on herbs for more than a few remedies. But if you’ve not been taught, there is a lot of room for error. And what’s more, herbs often AREN’T better simply because they’re traditional.

If you have access and funds for modern medicine, it’s almost always the better choice. Almost.

Alright, that’s all I really have to say without writing a whole book. Please use your best judgement, always err on the side of doubt, be careful, and for the love of every god unless you’re genuinely trained, don’t perform herbal medicine on someone who isn’t you!!!!

Cursing in english vs. in español.