there i knew . . .

Here’s the prompt list I’m using in case anyone wants to join me in this challenge:

i picked up the saxophone when i was 11 and played until i was about 17. by the end of it i was first chair in our highest ensemble, a district honor band player, etc. but at the beginning – and this is important – i was bad. for the first year or so, i had no rhythm, i couldn’t make my tongue line up with my fingers, i was consistently sharp, etc. etc. other kids actually made fun of me for my lack of skill.

but 11 year old me didn’t care. 11 year old me practiced, but she also thought that being able to play the pink panther made her incredible (i shudder in retrospect). i mean, i was aware i wasn’t a master, but my skill level didn’t deter me from wailing out those notes in a way that i’m sure had my band director questioning his career decisions.

right now, i’m trying to pick up the guitar. it’s a very different instrument from the saxophone, and i struggle a lot with things like strumming patterns and barre chords. and sometimes i don’t want to play, because i know i’m bad at guitar. and sometimes i beat myself up when stumbling through a poor acoustic rendition of Everybody Wants to Rule the World because it’s not how i want it to sound. and it’s made even more frustrating because i can navigate the saxophone so smoothly.

but after you get good suddenly people start praising you for “being ahead of the curve”

Really short and useful books on good essay-writing: Hazel Hutchison, Essays and Dissertations Made Easy and Strunk/White, The Elements of Style. 

Don’t feel bad, essay-writing is a craft that needs to be developed and can always be improved; it takes time. Remember that there’s an element of subjectivity as to what constitutes a ‘good’ essay. Lecturers at my university often describe the criteria for a first-class essay as ‘being publishable’ so it’s not necessarily just about putting across your research or analysis. Just like well-written prose, an essay should show off your distinctive style/voice with a narrative that makes sense to the reader – a beginning (introduction), middle (argument) and end (conclusion). Choose conciseness and clarity over trying to drag out a point to fill up the word count. 

I’m sure you already know that you should plan or outline your essay before you start writing and lay foundations for your argument in your introduction that you can use to build your essay towards a conclusion. After that it’s just writing. Here is the advice given to me by one of my lecturers, which I think is very clear and might help:

The first principle of good writing is economy. The second is simplicity. Say as much as possible in as few words as possible.

Good writing depends upon the use of strong verbs and nouns. Regard adjectives as necessary nuisances, avoiding them if you can. 

Prefer active to passive constructions unless there is good reason to do otherwise. Active voice: I ate the biscuit. Passive voice: The biscuit was eaten by me. Although in the odd case the second form may be preferable—to emphasize the direct object, for example—the active voice is almost always better.

You must learn what constitutes a proper English sentence. Ignorance of it leads to the error known as the comma splice, avoid this mistake. (The preceding, faulty sentence commits the error it condemns.) In order to keep from committing this error, you need to know what constitutes an independent clause and a dependent clause. 

Vary sentence patterns, alternating among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex forms. Write some short and some long sentences. If possible, break the monotony of the subject-verb-object construction. 

A paragraph is a developed idea. Therefore, avoid the temptation to write one- or two-sentence paragraphs.

Learn the rules for commas, semi-colons, and other punctuation marks.

Know what plagiarism is, what it is not, and how to avoid it. 

Print out your work when you proofread. 

Some brief advice from me: read lots of good essays. It seems obvious but the more essays you read the more you will get an idea of how to write one well. You can even analyse them as you would with prose, try and see how they do what they do and apply it to your own essays. Recommendations below :–)

UPDATE because apparently not everyone has seen this yet the new and improved version of this is a MEGA folder

Nikita Busyak Creates Architectural Drawings That Look Like They’re Illuminated With Real Lights

A simple flick of the switch can transform a home from dark and asleep to bright and full of life. Ukraine-based artist Nikita Busyak captures this effect in his enchanting pen and ink illustrations of cityscapes. In each architectural drawing, he digitally manipulates the windows so that they glow with golden light, making it seem as though someone is home.

*click for better quality* (transcript under the cut)

My other masterposts: • extensions pt.1  • study sounds • dealing with failure • how to gain traction • how to study when you’re struggling

"Our great mistake is to try to exact from each person virtues which he does not possess, and to neglect the cultivation of those which he has."

Are you hydrated?  If not, have a glass of water.

Have you eaten in the past three hours?  If not, get some food — something with protein, not just simple carbs.  Perhaps some nuts or hummus?

Have you showered in the past day?  If not, take a shower right now.

If daytime: are you dressed?  If not, put on clean clothes that aren’t pajamas.  Give yourself permission to wear something special, whether it’s a funny t-shirt or a pretty dress.

If nighttime: are you sleepy and fatigued but resisting going to sleep?  Put on pajamas, make yourself cozy in bed with a teddy bear and the sound of falling rain, and close your eyes for fifteen minutes — no electronic screens allowed.  If you’re still awake after that, you can get up again; no pressure.

Have you stretched your legs in the past day?  If not, do so right now.  If you don’t have the spoons for a run or trip to the gym, just walk around the block, then keep walking as long as you please.  If the weather’s crap, drive to a big box store (e.g. Target) and go on a brisk walk through the aisles you normally skip.

Have you said something nice to someone in the past day?  Do so, whether online or in person.  Make it genuine; wait until you see something really wonderful about someone, and tell them about it.

Have you moved your body to music in the past day?  If not, do so — jog for the length of an EDM song at your favorite BPM, or just dance around the room for the length of an upbeat song.

Have you cuddled a living being in the past two days?  If not, do so.  Don’t be afraid to ask for hugs from friends or friends’ pets.  Most of them will enjoy the cuddles too; you’re not imposing on them.

Do you feel ineffective?  Pause right now and get something small completed, whether it’s responding to an e-mail, loading up the dishwasher, or packing your gym bag for your next trip.  Good job!

Do you feel unattractive?  Take a goddamn selfie.  Your friends will remind you how great you look, and you’ll fight society’s restrictions on what beauty can look like.

Do you feel paralyzed by indecision?  Give yourself ten minutes to sit back and figure out a game plan for the day.  If a particular decision or problem is still being a roadblock, simply set it aside for now, and pick something else that seems doable.  Right now, the important part is to break through that stasis, even if it means doing something trivial.

Have you seen a therapist in the past few days?  If not, hang on until your next therapy visit and talk through things then.

Have you been over-exerting yourself lately — physically, emotionally, socially, or intellectually?  That can take a toll that lingers for days. Give yourself a break in that area, whether it’s physical rest, taking time alone, or relaxing with some silly entertainment.

Have you changed any of your medications in the past couple of weeks, including skipped doses or a change in generic prescription brand?  That may be screwing with your head.  Give things a few days, then talk to your doctor if it doesn’t settle down.

Have you waited a week?  Sometimes our perception of life is skewed, and we can’t even tell that we’re not thinking clearly, and there’s no obvious external cause.  It happens.  Keep yourself going for a full week, whatever it takes, and see if you still feel the same way then.

You’ve made it this far, and you will make it through.  You are stronger than you think.

This post is available as a downloadable one-page PDF here.