Flor Biga

It’s the lack of suspension of disbelief.

When you see something someone else has drawn or painted, you take in the content faster than you take in the technical aspects. You experience it as pseudo-real, the same way you stop perceiving animated characters as drawn or book characters as written as you get into the story.

On the other hand, when you yourself have made something, all you see is the machine behind the theater, so to speak. You’re probably thinking about lines, shading, coloring in a “does this make sense? Is this the best decision I could have made?”-kind of way.

I think that’s also why sometimes, pictures you haven’t looked at for a long time starts looking nice to you again, à la: “Hey past-me was unto something! Why can’t I replicate it nowadays?”. It’s probably specifically because you’ve forgotten the process of making it that you are now seeing it with fresh eyes.

What we're NOT getting is that 'slow dopamine' that's more sustainable and engaging. That's the kind we get from DOING things that take effort but are ultimately rewarding.

So like, she suggested that writing fic and making fanart are ways to balance the quick dopamine of watching a show/reading fic with the slow dopamine of working at something that takes effort.

FOR SCIENCE!

the Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty - a con woman, djinn, a hidden city, a despotic ruler, a forbidden religion, a prince who’s trying his best, a mythical warrior back from the dead

the Rook and Rose books by M.A. Carrick - another con woman, a city that blends Eastern Europe with Venice, tricky politics, a mysterious vigilante, a living childhood monster, magic based on sigils and on tarot

N.K. Jemisin - have not read her high fantasy, hear that it’s absolutely incredible and goes hard

the Between Earth and Sky series by Rebecca Roanhorse - pre-Columbian inspiration, a determined high priestess, a mermaid-pirate, a man who might be a god, a city torn by clans and religion, a looming eclipse, light on magic but there are giant animals

Robin Hobb - also have not read her, know that her fans are fans and she has read so many books

the Daughter of Smoke and Bone books by Laini Taylor - YA, multiple worlds, a girl pulled into a war of monsters, an enemy angel, themes of morality and trauma, tooth magic and wishes as money

Nnedi Okorafor - Akata Witch

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander - a classic middle grade high fantasy, five books

The Damar duology by Robin McKinley - they can be read as standalones, but they are connected, two books

The Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier - technically it’s historical fantasy since it’s set in ancient Ireland, but it reads like high fantasy, six books

The Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen - part high fantasy and part dystopian, three books

the Septimus Heap series - Angie Sage

the Three Dark Crowns series - Kendare Blake

the Murkmere Hall series - Patricia Elliott

The Obsidian Chronicles by Lawrence Watt Evans: Dragon Weather, The Dragon Society, Dragon Venom.

The Great Library series by Rachel Caine: Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, Ash and Quill, Smoke and Iron, Sword and Pen.

The Princess series by Jim C Hines: The Stepsister Scheme, The Mermaid’s Madness, Red Hood’s Revenge, The Snow Queen’s Shadow.

The Magic Ex Libris series also by Jim C Hines: Libriomancer, Codex Born, Unbound.

Perhaps a little lightweight nowadays, but I still come back to them once in a while after a first read nearly 60 years ago, and I like to think that’s more about the books than about me… ;->

And of course The Young Wizards and Middle Kingdoms / “Tales of the Five” series by Diane Duane,

Okay. there I’m biased, but there are plenty of other people who say the same thing.