★ — your life is your own !

As a former music teacher, I can also say that "learn the fundamentals first" is the death knell for a vast percentage of beginners, especially adult learners.

I've run into this with drawing several times, where some well-meaning artist has lectured me on needing to study anatomy properly or not use shortcuts like CSP brushes. And oh, believe me, I know. I know exactly how to learn an artistic discipline in a structured way. I just...don't want to!

The thing is, I'm not aiming to be a professional artist. I want to draw my gay little anime guys. I would undoubtedly improve at art much faster if I approached every gay little anime guy drawing as a study exercise. But I would also have quit drawing a decade ago if I couldn't just let myself enjoy drawing imperfect fucked-up little guys with whatever shortcuts I needed to body myself across the finish line.

With my adult piano students, my approach was always "What's your goal?" If their goal was to learn exactly one Elton John songbook to play at parties, then...that's what we did. We'd put tape on the keys to label the notes, and just fuckin go for it. Learning exactly one Elton John songbook is a good and noble musical goal, full stop.

Some of my students needed and enjoyed a more structured approach to learning; if they wanted to be able to play classical music, then yes, scales were going to have to enter the equation at some point. And yet others would learn the Elton John songbook, catch their white whale, and realize they wanted to explore more of the ocean. The scales were still there for them to learn!

Often the choice isn't between "learn art well" and "learn art imperfectly" - the choice is between "learn art imperfectly" and "don't do art at all." To which I say, learn imperfectly! Or, what the hell, don't 'learn' art. Just do, and enjoy the doing of it.

My name is Saja, I’m 20 years old and I live in Gaza City. I’m married and a mother to a two-year-old child.

Previously, I launched a fundraising campaign with my brother **@jaafar-gaza04**, and we used to share the donations we received to support our family during difficult times😔💔.However, due to the distance between us now, I’ve decided to create my own campaign to help my husband and child, and to provide for our basic needs during these extremely hard days.

After the recent ceasefire was announced, we truly believed the war was finally over and that things would start to get better. Sadly, the war returned with even more force — bringing more destruction, more death, and now, a real **famine**😔😭.We currently have **no food at all** for my baby — not even flour.

My husband is struggling to find any kind of work, but with the current conditions, it's nearly impossible. We have no source of income and no way to provide for our basic needs💔😭.

If you're able to help, please consider donating to my campaign.

Even a small donation can make a **huge difference** in our lives. It can help us buy food for my child and family and bring us a little light in this overwhelming darkness.

These whalecat figurines were inspired by combining two of my friend @nesmamomen's favorite animals. I'm selling them for 25 USD each to raise money for her family's fundraiser. I am covering all shipping costs, so unfortunately to make sure I can afford it, I will only be selling in the U.S. unless you are able to cover at least half of the shipping cost yourself.

To claim, you can reblog stating your interest and I'll DM you (make sure your DMs are open if you do this!) or email me at [email protected]. Please wait until I have confirmed I have received your claim before donating. Nesma's campaign is vetted, learn more here.

Information on materials and individual turnarounds under the cut!

I am begging you from the bottom of my heart—if there is compassion in your heart, please don't leave us to face this alone. Help us get my mother the treatment she desperately needs before it is too late.

Even the smallest donation can make a real difference, and even sharing this appeal could reach someone who is able to save my mother's life. Please, don't scroll past our plea in silence.

Donate Here - Vetted#658

Donation Rewars

Art and other rewards being offered for those who have proof of donation (such as a screenshot of receipt, probably with personal information blacked out) to the well-known vetting lists and a few other. I have collected an up-to-date list here. There is also links to other lists: for such as flowerpawarts's spreadsheet, you should make sure they accept the vetting list or are not just funding for a specific family

she has long been working hard for her family despite her health. please help!

The FDA has upgraded an egg recall issued last month to “Class I,” its highest risk level, as it warns the public that consuming the products could cause “serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The recall of 1,589,577 dozen white-shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs was initially issued by Midwest Poultry Services in late July, which warned they might be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

According to the company, the eggs were produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6 and July 3 and have sell-by or best-by dates between July 20 and August 17. The recalled egg cartons have either the code P-1950 or 0840962 and Julian Dates between 157-184.

One year ago or so, someone asked me if I had a traditional clothing map. At the time I didn't really, but I decided it was in fact a good project for the next years.

So, this is it, my traditional clothing map as of right now :

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1CbCLoUhuwkEvniOLLa24Y4fLqs7Ip4Y&usp=sharing

I'm sharing it here so you can have a look at my work so far. As you can see, it's not complete at all, far from it. For some region I took the time to do a lot of research, a lot others, I didn't got the time yet.

I'm sharing it for two purposes :

1) If you have any suggestions with high quality contemporary pictures for a specific geographical place, don't hesitate to send by DM's or under this post, I'll gladly add it in the map

2) If you see any corrections to be made, please tell me, as I struggle a lot with the different languages and differences between photoshoot places and where the clothings actually originate from, which is what interest me with making this map.