BLOG POST: GENERAL: WELCOME TO MY TWISTED MIND!!

They're preying on insecurities to do it. Yes, you can write an essay - but can you write a good essay, they ask you. Do you not want to improve your output? Do you not want people to think of you as competent and very clever? Why go through the mortifying process of failing and failing and failing until you succeed if you can just skip the "learning" part of doing, and simply generate a ready-made product?

I'm preaching to the choir here obviously but it's a concerning thing to witness nonetheless. My kid is 6 next week and I've been teaching her that failing at things is morally neutral and in fact necessary even before the advent of AI, but it's becoming ever more important that we teach the kids that criticism and failure and discomfort aren't necessarily bad things, but just a part of the growth process.

not only is it transphobic

not only is it just straight up wrong

its also ableist as FUCK to imply somebody is only worth anything if they are able to do something substantial for others.

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

China, Song Dynasty Mural Painting — “Female Attendant Donor”中国 宋代 壁画 ——《女供养人》

Northern Song Dynasty, China Mogao Cave 256.

北宋 莫高窟第256窟

Makeup Reference

Donor Figures (II), East Wall, Cave 61, Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, China

Five Dynasties Period (907–960)

The female donor wears a phoenix crown adorned with horn-shaped combs and buyao (swaying hair ornaments), along with multiple jade necklaces. Faint traces of floral facial makeup are still visible. She is dressed in a floral ceremonial robe decorated with folded-branch floral motifs from head to toe. This style of ceremonial attire, inherited from the Tang dynasty, was worn by women of the aristocracy during the Song dynasty. The donor is richly adorned in luxurious brocade garments, presenting an elegant and dignified appearance.

The television drama faithfully recreates this historical aesthetic. Its makeup design is inspired by the bold and opulent cosmetic styles characteristic of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period through the early Song dynasty, featuring with different shape of HuaYe/花靥(decorative facial ornaments) painted across the face.

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📸Photo：©China Historical Drama—

《Swords Into Plowshares / 太平年》

♦ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝐙𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐘𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠/周雨彤

plays as Sun Tai Zhen（孙太真）

Ask yourself, how does this piece make you feel? (No wrong answers)

Look for an artist statement nearby. What does it say about the artist and their relationship to their work? What does the artist say that they are trying to convey with their art? What contextual clues can you pick up from what they say about their background, or what they omit?

Look at the title of the piece. What is the artist saying about their work by naming it that, either explicitly or implicitly?

Look at the medium. Is there anything about the piece that stands out to you, knowing what it's made of?

Look at the year it was made. What cultural events might have been happening around this time? Was this piece part of a particular art movement? What was the purpose of that art movement, and what was it trying to say?