mulifandomer

A sketch commission for the wonderful @logan-exe. Thank you for the commission!

like??? what the heck i never even considered the concept that an entirely separate side we haven’t met could be impersonating one of the others, much less that it’s happened before we even know of any other sides

My fourth grade teacher thought it was wrong for my dad to be teaching me complex math because it fascinated me.

My elementary school music teacher hated the way my piano teacher taught me, and how I was more advanced than many of her students, and so told me, in front of my peers and my mother, that I was not good enough to participate in the state solo festival. She would not give me the form. We had to procure it from the district instead. She also hated how I excelled at reading and playing music for the recorder, and so she refused to give me my “belts” (colored beads to signify our level) and humiliated me in front of the class repeatedly.

My eighth grade algebra teacher used to fail me on take home tests because I didn’t solve problems exactly the way she showed us in class; I used methods that we had learned for other types of problems that also applied to these. She took points off my tests because I didn’t bring a calculator even though I got 100% without it, because I was able to do it by hand. I had to call my father, who is an engineer, down to the school to shout her down and give me back my A in the class.

My 10th grade Spanish teacher yelled at me in front of the class numerous times because she didn’t like the way I took notes; she thought that since I didn’t write every word off the slide, I wasn’t getting it all down. I had to explain to her that people who have taken advanced courses, like AP or IB classes, know that in a fast-paced learning environment you need to take quick shorthand notes that contain the necessary information rather than wasting time writing every word. She almost gave me detention.

My 11th grade English teacher gave me a poor mark on my first short essay because she believed that I was looking up unnecessarily complex words in a thesaurus to try and get better marks. The phrases in question: “laced with expletives” and “bombarded”. She wouldn’t hear any defense from me.

My 11th grade history teacher failed me on an essay about the 1950s because I misread the prompt. Except the prompt wasn’t words; it was a political cartoon. One of the figures was clearly president Eisenhower, but the other I couldn’t place. My teacher would not tell us who it was. I labelled him as the governor of Little Rock Arkansas during the integration period, and wrote an essay about that subject. My teacher said that no, it was Joseph McCarthy, and that there was a small picture of the man in our textbook and therefore I should have recognized him instantly. Half the class, apparently, did not.

In second grade, I had a teacher named Ms. Mobley who believed all children should be average. She flat out told my father that all children should make C’s, and should never strive for more than that.

Not only was she insane, she also would routinely spell things wrong for us to copy for our spelling tests. Later, when we spelled those words wrong on the test, she would mark us off. Yes, our own teacher was sabotaging us.

I should have been tested for gifted classes, but I was not. Why? Ms. Mobley didn’t believe in “gifted” children.

This teacher had tenure and could not be fired.

Never forget.

inktober day 10 - flowing

Hello internet. 

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day and as a cause very close to my heart I am releasing a new range of merch where all proceeds will go to the charity I represent - Young Minds, to help fight for young people’s mental health.

In 2014 I made the video ’Existential Crisis’ where I dropped the surprisingly profound quote ‘Embrace the void and have the courage to exist’. This was a message that in a universe that won’t give you the answers, it’s up to you give your life meaning in whatever way makes you happy. 

In the years since uploading this video, I’ve spoken to many people who have told me how those words resonated with them and inspired actions, art (and even a few tattoos) so I thought this would be the perfect way to put some goodness back into the world and give you courage when you need it.

As of now the quote is available as both a simple black (of course) t-shirt:

And a flag for you to pin up on a wall like a poster, raise on a pole ..or just wear like a cape if you feel like it:

shop.danielhowell.com

When it comes to mental health I know all too well how difficult it can be just to exist, but days like this where people come together to show support for each other and raise awareness show that none of us are alone. A year on since I posted ‘Daniel and Depression’, where I was open about my struggles with mental health, I feel so much support from people around the world and pride that what I did may have helped others. I encourage anyone reading this who sympathises not to struggle in silence and otherwise to reach out to the ones you love and tell them you are there, it could make all the difference.

I hope that you like the sentiment and please get involved to support a wonderful charity, and as I said in a recent live show - if I can make it through life to this point, so can you.

It is world mental health day. It is also mid-term season for a lot of us. It’s a transitional season period. And I know–I know–I am not the only one that has been having a rough go of things lately. 

So this is a mid-week reminder that you got this. Maybe it doesn’t feel that way, but I’m proud of ya for hanging in there as best you can. Remember to seek help when you need it. Remember to lean on others, and to be there as much as you reasonably can to be there for those who may need to lean on you too. Drink some water. Take your medication. Get some sleep. 

*pats your head, offers a hug, or just a really enthusiastic high-five depending on your comfort level and need*