Queen of Empion

FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS WHO NEED IT IT’S AMAZING

Disclaimer: this may or may not work for you, this is just how I make my moodboards and decided to share my process with people who would like try out making aesthetics for their paras/paracosms… and because I’m bored. 

Step 1: Pick the para (or paracosm) you want to make your moodboard for. 

Example 1: I’m going to be using a brand new para as an example. She doesn’t have a name yet so I’m just going to call her Forest Fae for now. 

Step 2: Write down a list of a few things (objects/colours/clothing/themes/etc) that you feel represent, resemble, and/or remind you of your para. 

Example 2: So, because my para is a forest fae, the aesthetics I specifically looked for were: 

forests 

trees 

herbs 

flowers 

magic 

potions 

small cabins 

green dresses 

(Another thing I like to do is have a specific colour theme. My forest fae moodboard is comprised of only green images because I associate the colour green with my Forest Fae. You don’t have to keep a consistent colour if you don’t want, that’s just something I do for mine.) Example picture below: 

Step 3: Once you have your list, the next thing to do is to find the specific pictures you listed. Pinterest and Google Images are the two main sources I use to find my aesthetics. (I would recommend creating a seperate folder in your pictures (or where you plan on saving the images) and call it ‘X’s Moodboard’ or something like that to keep track of where you’re saving the specific aesthetic pictures to.) Example picture below: 

Example 3: I then search Pinterest for the list I created and save every picture that I like. (I’m more than a little picky about how my moodboard looks and how nicely the images go together so I save around fifteen images in total or more of slightly different versions of the forests, flowers, dresses, etc. so I have a multitude of options to choose one if I don’t like the look of another and I could use it for a future moodboard.) 

Step 4: So now this can branch off in two ways: 1) you can stack the images you saved into a tumblr photo post, write a description or just add the name etc, post it and then you’re finished! Example picture below: 

or 2) you can do what I do, which is use Fotojet to create a nice collage with the images. It’s also useful when you have pictures with different lengths and widths allowing you to easily crop them. Example picture below: 

Example 4: With Fotojet, you can edit the pictures themselves to be more saturated or increase/decrease the contrast/brightness, etc, and fiddle with the spacing between the pictures. You can also choose what style of collage you want, a horizontal 2x2, two pictures at the top with three at the bottom, four horizontal pictures, etc. add text, and symbols and change the colour of the spacing between the images. Basically, it gives you more customization options. Example picture below: 

Step 5: So at this point your moodboard should be finished and now you’re ready to add it into a tumblr post (if you plan on posting it that is)! You can add just your para’s name at the bottom of your post (which is what I do cause I’m lazy), write a short or long description of your para, or put anything (or nothing) you want there. And then you’re finished. Have fun! 

Example 5: 

“Crazy isn’t being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified.” - Susanna Kaysen, Girl Interrupted

I had a conversation with my psychologist recently. A lot of it was about MADD, how it had figured in my life, and whether or not it was a bad thing. She asked me what the difference was between MADD and someone reading a really good book, or watching a movie. I explained how it affects me negatively, and I got to wondering: What makes MADD bad for you? And where is the line between adaptive and maladaptive?

MADD is often described as an addiction. We can poke around in that metaphor for a while. MADD, unlike some addictions, is not inherently harmful. If someone were to, for example, only use illegal drugs now and then, we might still be worried about them, because drugs cause physical damage. But daydreaming is something everyone does. So when does it get bad?

The answer my psychologist and I came up with is when it starts to negatively affect your life.

In this way, MADD can be thought of less like addiction and more like anxiety or depression. Worrying is a normal part of life. So is sadness. How do people decide when those things are actually a problem? The answer, unfortunately, is the DSM.

The DSM says basically the same thing as my psych and I - it’s pathological when it become a problem. The thing is, the DSM standardizes and quantifies it. Having DSM criteria is a double-edged sword. It allows psychologists to get a general picture of a psych problem. The difficulty comes when the DSM is treated as gospel. Brains are weird. Everyone is different. The DSM becomes less of a “recommended for ages 6-9” and more of a “you must be this tall to ride” sort of thing.

Inktopber prompts! 

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