The health of the eye seems to demand the horizon.

did you feel as unsatisfied as me when you found out that there's no Might Gai in The Will of Fire movie? Then this short comic is for you, too lol but first it's for me

set just after Kakashi fell under Hiruko's genjutsu, the scene is the one where he's leaving the village. Instead of Naruto, I've imagined Gai as the one who tries to stop him - and just briefly, he's somehow able to do so. Ahh the power of love.

made for kkgi month 2025 by @kkgiweek! <3

pt. 2 (hopefully) in a few days!!

(also do i know that chidori can be used only with the sharingan? yes i do. did i draw kakashi with two eyes? no i didn't)

Thank you all for participating in our recent challenge!

It’s time to announce our next event, and it’s our biggest one yet!

Get ready for KAKAGAI MONTH!

We know our community can show up and show out, so we’re hosting a WHOLE MONTH dedicated to our favorite ship!

THEMES & PROMPTS

Each week will have an overall theme, along with prompts to further spur your creativity! You can create fanworks that align with the theme only, the prompts only, or both! They can be literal or loose, long or short, whatever you want, however you want, as long as it’s in celebration of our favorite lil guys. 🥰

Please make sure you use the below tags on your works to get captured in this event:

#kkgimonth25

#kkg(theme)week (example: #kkgthroughtheagesweek or #kkgpassionweek)

Standard guidelines/rules apply from our previous events, but of course we will post them here on the blog in the days to come!

As always, please feel free to message us with any questions, and get excited for even more KakaGai!!!

Here are THREE THINGS you need to do today.

1️⃣ YOUR SERVER

Go into server settings -> roles -> Default permissions

Search for "external apps" and disable it

2️⃣ YOUR FEEDBACK

Access Discord support -> https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Go into Help & Support > Feedback/New Feature Request

Denounce generative AI and request the feature be removed. Bring up privacy concerns for yourself, your data, and for minors.

You will get an automatic reply to this request- PLEASE REPLY TO THE EMAIL TO PUSH IT TO THE TEAM or else it will get discarded.

3️⃣ ON MOBILE

Access your app store

Leave a 1 star review and publicly denounce generative AI and Discord's use of it

You can also individually report the apps discord is using for this by their app pages on discord itself, by clicking the three dots and report ; here are the links to all apps ;

https://discord.com/discovery/applications/1153984868804468756

https://discord.com/discovery/applications/1288638725869535283

https://discord.com/discovery/applications/1090660574196674713

https://discord.com/discovery/applications/1104973139257081909

I personally stated that it violates copyright of my work and I’d cease to use discord if at the very least, a proper opt out is not implemented. I also cited moderation concerns.

You can also add input here and here (discord’s feedback forums, already created - even just upvoting says something)

Make sure to cancel your nitro or say so if you were planning to get nitro but now no longer considering, because money talks.

In terms of a discord alternative, I’ve heard of Revolt (app.revolt.chat)

edit as of recent - you can ban the DomoAI bot by its user id (1153984868804468756) and the /ban command.

here’s all four bot ids ;

1153984868804468756

1288638725869535283

1090660574196674713

Gai helping Kakashi live in the present and look to the future instead of falling into his old, life-long bad habit of dwelling on things in the past that he’ll never be able to change and letting that stop him from ever even acknowledging a future.

It’s what makes Kakashi and Gai the perfect supporting cast for Mirai, who’s having to learn the same lesson herself.

Mirai learns it partly from Gai and Kakashi, who she learns to stop seeing just as living legends from a grand, exciting past she’ll never get to see. 

And also from Tatsumi, the same way Kakashi and Gai learned it from each other.

For those of you not aware Mercury Stardust, Point of Pride, and friends are raising funds for Trans Healthcare.

Unfortunately, some TikTok peeps are being complete transphobic bastards and are reporting the lives and getting the accounts banned. The appeals are being rejected.

This hinders getting the word out on this fundraiser.

Make sure you donate if you can or at least share the link in your circles so people are aware and hopefully the message can reach a wider audience

“The era of peace and growth”

I am sick and tired of people saying, “Kakashi was the weakest Hokage”, “Kakashi was the most useless Hokage” “Kakashi was the laziest Hokage” because it’s JUST NOT TRUE.

To counter these claims, I present to you: The Hokage Kakashi Era.

(This timeline does not respect the anime's timeline as the anime did not respect the novel's timeline. Links to said novels are included below.)

1.

A year had passed since the Fourth not-so-great Great Shinobi War, and Kakashi kept delaying his inauguration because he didn't feel confident in his ability to protect the village at that specific time.

(Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky)

I'm not going to go into what happened in the novel, but we know that Kakashi's girlfriend Kahyō was recommended by Kakashi as the new warden for the Blood Prison. This was officially his first job (and accomplishment) as the Hokage.

(Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky)

2.

A few months later (as it has been exactly two years since the war), Kakashi's investigating why so many shinobi have been deflecting from their respective villages. He believed that the Land of Silence was the reason for this, so he sent Sai and a bunch of ANBU to further investigate the matter. When Sai never came back, Kakashi started discussing things with Shikamaru. Sensing the inevitability of war, he sent Shikamaru to assassinate the village's leader.

(Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness)

Kakashi wanted to go himself. Even Shikamaru sensed the darkness in his eyes. But, with him being Hokage, he couldn't risk it.

Okay, I know an assassination mission isn't exactly peaceful, but I'll get to that.

3.

Kakashi called for a 5 Kage Summit to warn the other nations about the impending doom of the moon crashing into the earth. The man was ahead of the times (no pun intended, as they were given timers that counted down to d-day).

(The Last: Naruto the Movie)

All I'm saying is if Kakashi didn't call for this summit, there would be less time on those timers...

4.

After that whole debacle (again literally a few months later), we are told that there had been a steady decline in crime, and peace among the nations was evident as ever. In fact, it was so peaceful that Kakashi decreased the funding for the Military and the ANBU.

(Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze)

"we have priorities" YES, KING. YOU TELL EM Now, what were those priorities? Well, the Children's Mental Health Clinic.

(Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze)

Kakashi was the one that approached Suna with Sakura's proposal for a Mental Health Clinic. This wasn't just beneficial for the children but for Konoha as well, seeing as this would create a stronger bond between the two nations.

We can't forget that in this novel, Kakashi had to deal with the whole Fake-suke a.k.a. Wannabe-Uchiha Clan Restorer issue. Hence the creation of InoSakuSai (I miss them already, mom).

5.

This beautiful day filled with love, joy, and friendship... woudln't have been as joyfull and filled with friendship without Kakashi.

Kakashi made sure that Naruto and Hinata had the most amazing day possible by pulling some strings. Now, this was a Hokage learning curve for Kakashi. Tsunade had to tell him that it was possible for him not to respect the old rules about shinobi weddings, and that he could do things the way he felt seemed right (we'll get to this again later).

Strings pulled, and all suited up, Kakashi was able to give the couple the perfect wedding they deserved.

6.

Now, this is the part where I talk about Industrialization, innovation... and politics.

Kakashi said BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, BABY!

A lot of people like to associate the expansion and modernization of Konoha to Naruto but that's not entirely true.

Do you see that in the corner of the screen during Naruto's inauguration? Yeah, those are modern buildings. Kakashi already mobilized his build, build, build project way before Naruto was inaugurated.

And if we're talking politics here, this would mean that Naruto continued Kakashi's projects. As Kakashi (the outgoing administration) turned over his inventory of policies and his pending and ongoing projects to Naruto (the Hokage-elect).

7.

To further defend my client against these allegations counter the claims of others, I present to you, Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy.

(Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy)

This is why I said Naruto and Hinata's wedding was a Hokage learning curve. Kakashi ignored traditions, just as he decided to ignore the law about shinobi weddings. Kakashi wanted peace, and he wanted it to last forever. (LIKE, COME ON, MAN!!) He didn't just want peace in his era or even Naruto's era; he wanted peace to continue even if the world won't need a Hokage anymore.

Even Naruto acknowledges Kakashi's work as the sixth Hokage.

(Naruto Retsuden: Naruto Uzumaki and the Spiral Destiny)

During Kakashi's era as Hokage he strengthened Konoha not through winning wars, but through peace treaties, through global partnerships, through innovation. He's literally the dream politician of any war-torn, or developing nation (which Konoha was at the time he stepped up).

So no, Kakashi wasn't a "weak Hokage" or a "useless Hokage" or a "lazy Hokage". He was one of the best Hokages Konoha ever had.

Links to the Naruto Hiden series.

Link to Itachi Shinden and Sasuke Shinden

Link to Kakashi Retsuden

I, unfortunately, do not have the link to Naruto Retsuden, but here's a link to an explanation on The Five Pillars of Konoha.

(I just want to state that idk how the transition period between presidents works in other countries. I'm using what I know as a standard an example.)

Naruto Explained inspired me to make this video. They understand me and my pain.

TW // UNCENSORED MENTIONS OF S//CIDE, M//RDER, AND D//EATH.

Before we start, just a preface. this is NOT A DISCOURSE POST. I don’t care if you think someone else’s personal belief is stupid. If someone believing they were a fictional character in a past life just makes you THAT angry, maybe you should idk. talk to an anger management counselor? 

I DO NOT CONDONE THE PEOPLE THAT STEAL DID TERMS AND CALL THEM KIN TERMS. IF ANY TERM I USE IN THIS POST IS A DID TERM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN CORRECT MY ERROR AND USE THE CORRECT TERMS!

I am personally fiction-kin. This means that i believe that I was a fictional character in a past life. That’s it! That’s really all there is to it. There are infinite possibilities for people to believe in, as we genuinely have no clue what happens before or after death. Its like any other belief someone may have, it’s just been designated as cringe and stupid. 

TERMS TO KNOW:

ID: Stands for identity! This is a word for the kins you identify as the most, whether you believe them to be more recent lives, or whether you just feel much more connected to them, this is the term to use! USE THIS OR PERMASHIFT INSTEAD OF “SELFHOOD,” AS THAT TERM IS USUALLY USED FOR DID.

Kin: People who are kin come in two forms: Spiritual, and Psychological. Spiritual kin believe in reincarnation, and that they were one of their kintypes in a past life. Psychological kins however, believe that they really are that character. This type of kin encapsulates everything that is NOT a spiritual belief, whatever that may be, they fall under this category.

Kin-Shift: a kinshift is simply defined as when you feel much more connected to that particular kintype than usual! Psychological shifts are the most common, in which you begin to think and act a little bit more like the kintype you are shifted as at the moment. Phantom shifts are when you feel as if you are missing a body part/limb that one of your kintypes has. These are called astral limbs! Not to be confused with phantom limbs, which is a term used for amputees. PHANTOM LIMBS CAN BE SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLAINED, ASTRAL LIMBS CANNOT. This is kind of a no-brainer, but anyone who claims to be able to “physically shift” is duping you. The physical strain that would put on the body would quite literally kill you.

Kintype: Someones kintype is the character, animal, or mythological creature they are kin with! This is the correct terminology in the sentence “My kintype is Nagito Komaeda!” or “One of my kintypes is a cat.” 

Permashift: Similar to ID, this is a kintype that you tend to be in shift as for more than just a couple hours. This could be for days, weeks, or even months. AS STATED FOR ID, PLEASE USE THIS TERM IN PLACE OF SELFHOOD. 

Co-Shift: A co-shift is basically what it sounds like, it is when you experience more than one kinshift at once. Not much more to it! DO NOT CONFUSE THIS TERM WITH THE DID TERM CO-CON. THE TERM IS NOT INTENDED TO MIMIC, MOCK, OR STEAL THIS TERM.

Otherkin: People are under the otherkin umbrella are people who are kin with animals, fictional characters, mythological creatures, or anything else. Some distinctions that can be found under this are; Fictionkin, Plantkin, Godkin, Lionkin, Catkin, etc. 

Kin mem/memory: A kin memory is a phenomena in which people who are spiritually kin will experience memories from one of their past lives. This can come thru a distinct feeling of deja vu, a flashback type moment, or a vivid dream that seems to coherent and fits into your canon too well to be just an ordinary dream. Psychological kins may experience kin mems as well, however i am not as versed in that so i am not the person to ask on that matter.

Kinsider: When you are determining whether a character, creature, being, or etc. is a kintype or not.

Synpath: A synpath is what most “new wave kinnies” mistake for being genuinely kin.This is a character that you sympathize with on a heavy level, and feel like you identify WITH them. You heavily relate to this character, and can see yourself in them. THIS IS NOT KIN. Having a synpath is perfectly fine. ITS FINE NOT TO BE KIN.

Linktypes: A ‘link is the voluntary way to be kin. People who ‘link identify as the entity they’re ‘linking with for fun, coping, or any other reason. ‘linkers can experience mems, shifts, and everything else. The major distinction is that ‘links are voluntary for whatever reason, while being kin IS NOT.

Fictionhearted/Hearttypes/Kithtypes/Fictionkith: Being fictionhearted is very often confused with being fictionkin to the untrained eye, however there are some fundamental differences. The two communities developed separately, and therefore have separate core ideas that categorize you as one or the other. Otherhearted means that you have a strong connection to the species specified, in the way that you feel as if they are your friends or family WITHOUT identifying spiritually or psychologically as these species. Hearttypes are characters/species that you identify WITH, but not AS. For example, someone that has Mikan Tsumiki as a hearttype would identify WITH her. When looking at her, there would be a distinct feeling of, “this is me,” or “this is what I’m supposed to be.” Fictionkith is just another word for the same thing! (Please correct me if I’m wrong, there aren’t many sources about the topic. If any fictionkith/fictionhearted people want to talk about their experience in the replies, please go for it! I’d love to hear more.)

Fictionflicker: Flickers are basically what the name implies, kintypes that aren’t permanent. Your kintype may be a flicker if, once you start to distance yourself from the source, it starts to “fade away.” Fictionflicker has a nearly identical dichotomy to being kin, but they eventually fade away. Kin mems, kin-shifts, and everything else occurs for them too! 

Factkin: Despite what people may tell you, people who are factkin are crossing a line that should not be crossed. It is identity theft to identify as a real living person, and disrespectful to identify as people who have passed. If you are factkin, I recommend looking into identity theft, talking to a therapist, and re-evaluating your beliefs. People who are factkin are genuinely harmful.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

DO NOT SAY “SWITCHING” OR “FRONTING” WHEN REFERRING TO A KINSHIFT. THIS IS ACTIVELY STEALING DID TERMS, AND RE-PURPOSING TERMS FROM A REAL MENTAL DISORDER AND MAKING THEM A PART OF YOUR BELIEF. 

“KINNING” IS NOT THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY. THIS WAS CREATED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE ANTI-KIN TO DEMEAN THE MEANING OF BEING KIN, AND THE IDENTITY THAT COMES WITH IT.

WHILE “KINNIE” IS AN INSULT, IT IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE A SLUR. STOP TREATING IT LIKE IT IS ONE. DON’T SAY IT IF THE RECEIVING PARTY ISN’T COMFORTABLE WITH IT, BUT ITS LIKE EVERY OTHER PLAY INSULT. STOP IT.

STOP TELLING FICTIVES OR PEOPLE THAT HAVE GENUINE DELUSIONS THAT THEY ARE JUST KIN, OR ARE LESS VALID THAN YOU. THAT IS GENUINELY ABLEIST JUST FUCKING STOP.

IF YOU GENUINELY BELIEVE YOU CAN EVENTUALLY BE, OR ARE PHYSICALLY THE CHARACTER/ANIMAL, PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL HELP. THESE MAY BE SYMPTOMS OF CLINICAL LYCANTHROPY. ALTER-HUMAN/KIN COMMUNITIES CANNOT HELP YOU WITH THESE SYMPTOMS.

BEING KIN IS NOT ALWAYS SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS/TALKING ABOUT THE DOWNSIDES, AND DEBUNKING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS:

Despite what new wave kins want you to believe, being kin isn’t always fun. For people that are genuinely kin, people will insult them, they’ll get horrendous kin mems, and no one will believe what they’re saying just because they’re kin. People spread misinformation constantly, saying that we believe we’re “trans-species,” and making us out to be like the “trans-racial” or “trans-disabled communities. This notion has been so popularized by anti-kin that it’s even made its way onto the official Wiktionary page, in which it states that kin believe they’re “trans-species.” This is not true, and was originally popularized here on tumblr by anti-kin/satire blogs trying to make us all look like transphobic idiots. People who are kin do not believe that they are, or can be, the character/animal they identify as. People who do SHOULD NOT be classified as kin, as that is usually delusions. CALLING PEOPLE WITH DELUSIONS KIN IS ABLEIST, AND BUILDS MORE OF A STIGMA AROUND PEOPLE WITH DELUSIONS. Insults can include calling us annoying or stupid, “kinnies,” comparing us to people with genuine delusions (which is more spreading disinformation and insulting to people with delusions,) saying that we’re lying or invalid because they don’t personally hold the belief, etc. Anti-kin like to generalize as well, and lump in harmless kin that just want to have fun with factkin, people who steal DID terms, and people who harass others over kin drama. Kin just want to be let be, and be allowed to have fun in peace. STOP DERAILING POSITIVITY POSTS JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK ITS STUPID, OR YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN IT. THE POST ISN’T WELCOMING DISCOURSE, AND YOU’RE JUST BEING AN ASSHOLE. On to kin mems, these can be awful and extremely hard to deal with. People who are kin from Danganronpa could get mems of their own executions or murders, people who are otherkin could get kin mems of being hunted or poached, and people who are kin from DDLC could get kin mems of their suicides. Whether you think they’re fake or not, these people are genuinely feeling like they are reliving their own death. Please, just stop making fun of peoples kin mems when they’re doing nothing wrong.

Some pages I used as refrence, which are just general good resources: Toko.Mango on Instagram, the otherkin fandom wiki, miviele.kins on Instagram, and some personal experience as well as experiences from fictionkin friends.

Human fictionkin would not be considered otherkin because they are human but would still be labeled as fictionkin

Another thing is that some people do use the term trans species but don’t mean it in a way to claim they’re transgender when they aren’t or to claim they are oppressed for feeling like a different species. And there are a few people who are trans gender and trans species at the same time. If I’m not mistaken people used the term trans species way before Tumblr existed.

“The era of peace and growth”

I am sick and tired of people saying, “Kakashi was the weakest Hokage”, “Kakashi was the most useless Hokage” “Kakashi was the laziest Hokage” because it’s JUST NOT TRUE.

To counter these claims, I present to you: The Hokage Kakashi Era.

(This timeline does not respect the anime's timeline as the anime did not respect the novel's timeline. Links to said novels are included below.)

1.

A year had passed since the Fourth not-so-great Great Shinobi War, and Kakashi kept delaying his inauguration because he didn't feel confident in his ability to protect the village at that specific time.

(Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky)

I'm not going to go into what happened in the novel, but we know that Kakashi's girlfriend Kahyō was recommended by Kakashi as the new warden for the Blood Prison. This was officially his first job (and accomplishment) as the Hokage.

(Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky)

2.

A few months later (as it has been exactly two years since the war), Kakashi's investigating why so many shinobi have been deflecting from their respective villages. He believed that the Land of Silence was the reason for this, so he sent Sai and a bunch of ANBU to further investigate the matter. When Sai never came back, Kakashi started discussing things with Shikamaru. Sensing the inevitability of war, he sent Shikamaru to assassinate the village's leader.

(Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness)

Kakashi wanted to go himself. Even Shikamaru sensed the darkness in his eyes. But, with him being Hokage, he couldn't risk it.

Okay, I know an assassination mission isn't exactly peaceful, but I'll get to that.

3.

Kakashi called for a 5 Kage Summit to warn the other nations about the impending doom of the moon crashing into the earth. The man was ahead of the times (no pun intended, as they were given timers that counted down to d-day).

(The Last: Naruto the Movie)

All I'm saying is if Kakashi didn't call for this summit, there would be less time on those timers...

4.

After that whole debacle (again literally a few months later), we are told that there had been a steady decline in crime, and peace among the nations was evident as ever. In fact, it was so peaceful that Kakashi decreased the funding for the Military and the ANBU.

(Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze)

"we have priorities" YES, KING. YOU TELL EM Now, what were those priorities? Well, the Children's Mental Health Clinic.

(Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze)

Kakashi was the one that approached Suna with Sakura's proposal for a Mental Health Clinic. This wasn't just beneficial for the children but for Konoha as well, seeing as this would create a stronger bond between the two nations.

We can't forget that in this novel, Kakashi had to deal with the whole Fake-suke a.k.a. Wannabe-Uchiha Clan Restorer issue. Hence the creation of InoSakuSai (I miss them already, mom).

5.

This beautiful day filled with love, joy, and friendship... woudln't have been as joyfull and filled with friendship without Kakashi.

Kakashi made sure that Naruto and Hinata had the most amazing day possible by pulling some strings. Now, this was a Hokage learning curve for Kakashi. Tsunade had to tell him that it was possible for him not to respect the old rules about shinobi weddings, and that he could do things the way he felt seemed right (we'll get to this again later).

Strings pulled, and all suited up, Kakashi was able to give the couple the perfect wedding they deserved.

6.

Now, this is the part where I talk about Industrialization, innovation... and politics.

Kakashi said BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, BABY!

A lot of people like to associate the expansion and modernization of Konoha to Naruto but that's not entirely true.

Do you see that in the corner of the screen during Naruto's inauguration? Yeah, those are modern buildings. Kakashi already mobilized his build, build, build project way before Naruto was inaugurated.

And if we're talking politics here, this would mean that Naruto continued Kakashi's projects. As Kakashi (the outgoing administration) turned over his inventory of policies and his pending and ongoing projects to Naruto (the Hokage-elect).

7.

To further defend my client against these allegations counter the claims of others, I present to you, Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy.

(Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy)

This is why I said Naruto and Hinata's wedding was a Hokage learning curve. Kakashi ignored traditions, just as he decided to ignore the law about shinobi weddings. Kakashi wanted peace, and he wanted it to last forever. (LIKE, COME ON, MAN!!) He didn't just want peace in his era or even Naruto's era; he wanted peace to continue even if the world won't need a Hokage anymore.

Even Naruto acknowledges Kakashi's work as the sixth Hokage.

(Naruto Retsuden: Naruto Uzumaki and the Spiral Destiny)

During Kakashi's era as Hokage he strengthened Konoha not through winning wars, but through peace treaties, through global partnerships, through innovation. He's literally the dream politician of any war-torn, or developing nation (which Konoha was at the time he stepped up).

So no, Kakashi wasn't a "weak Hokage" or a "useless Hokage" or a "lazy Hokage". He was one of the best Hokages Konoha ever had.

Links to the Naruto Hiden series.

Link to Itachi Shinden and Sasuke Shinden

Link to Kakashi Retsuden

I, unfortunately, do not have the link to Naruto Retsuden, but here's a link to an explanation on The Five Pillars of Konoha.

(I just want to state that idk how the transition period between presidents works in other countries. I'm using what I know as a standard an example.)

Naruto Explained inspired me to make this video. They understand me and my pain.

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Cooking with flavor bootcamp (used what I learned in this a LOT this year)

Beekeeping 101

Learn Interior Design from the British Academy of Interior Design (free to audit course - just choose the free option when you register)

Video on learning to read music that actually helped me??

How to use and sew with a sewing machine

How to ride a bike (listen. some of us never learned, and that's okay.)

How to cornrow-braid hair (I have it on good authority that this video is a godsend for doing your baby niece's black hair)

Making mead at home (I actually did this last summer and it was SO good)

How to garden

Basics of snowboarding (proceed with caution)

How to draw for people who (think they) suck at art (I know this website looks like a 2003 monstrosity, but the tutorials are excellent)

Pixel art for beginners so you can make the next great indie game

Go (back) to school

Introduction to Astronomy (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Principals of Economics (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Introduction to philosophy (free college course)

Computer science basics (full-semester Harvard course free online)

Learn a language

Japanese for Dummies (link fix from 2022)

Ukrainian

Portuguese (Brazil)

American Sign Language (as somebody who works with Deaf people professionally, I also strongly advise you to read up on Deaf/HoH culture and history!)

Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

Beginner-oriented video on how to sail

This guy has so many videos on baking different types of bread. SO very many.

Coding in Python - one of the most flexible and adaptable high-level programming languages out there - explained through projects making video games

Learn to swim! (for adult learners. I don’t care if you live in Kansas or Mali or wherever. LEARN TO SWIM.)

Learn how quantum mechanics works. Then read some more about it

[Learn about quantum mechanics again, but in a more advanced engineering/mathematics class. Then read more about the math and physics of it]

Poetry Handbook, by Mary Oliver

Something I learned this year: how to sew a quilt (Here’s a very easy beginning pattern that looks amazing and can be done with pre-cut fabric!)

How to hit the ball in softball

Tutorial video on what is under the hood of most (gas) cars + weird engine sounds and what they mean

Full beginner mechanics technical training, if you want to go more in depth

Playlist on how car engine physics work if you want to go ultra in depth

Lecture series on architecture design through study of buildings

How (American income) taxes & tax law work (choose “audit course” at checkout for free class)

Pickleball for beginners (so you can finally join your neighbor/friend/distant cousin who is always insisting you join their team)

+ Para-Pickleball for beginners (for mobility aid users!)

School is so much more fun when there’s no tests:

American Law - Contracts

Shakespeare’s Life and Plays

Fairy Tales: Meanings, Messages, and Morals

Modern Poetry

World History [Part 1, Part 2]

Learn a language:

Arabic + Resource Guide compiled from Reddit (includes info on different dialects)

Chinese (Cantonese) (audio)

Urdu (frequently recommended course on Reddit) + Resource Guide

Tired of having your artwork used for AI training but find watermarks dismaying and ineffective?

Well check this out! Software that makes your Art look messed up to training AIs and unusable in a data set but nearly unchanged to human eyes.

I just learned about this. It's in Beta. Please read all the information before using.

https://glaze.cs.uchicago.edu

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The team that created Glaze is from the University of Chicago. Their names are each listed in full on the Glaze download website. (This group of students/professors did this for their SPRING BREAK 😱 so go give them some love lol)

It is free to download. No, they won’t ask for or raise money from/for this project.(stated by one of the lead professors of the project).

Glaze is designed to protect artists’ STYLE--which a bunch of ai people have been deliberately fine-tuning their models to mimic (and specifically of current living artists--small or big).

It currently does not protect against composition/trace-like theft (as seen when run through img-to-img) but that would be protected by copyright anyway while STYLE is not.

The University Team has stated that they are dedicated to continuing to improve the tool, like fixing bugs (like overheating older computers by taking up lots of energy when Glazing--it currently runs on CPU so they’re trying to change that to GPU, I believe) and expanding the type of protection given to artists (like working against img-to-img theft).

It currently only works directly on your computer (phones not advised due to current overheating issue, no tablets, or iPads, and no website runthrough since that would be insecure to breaches/scraping/hacks)

It currently works best on painterly artwork, but can still be used on other forms (team is working on improving this)

IT WORKS BY calculating the changes each image needs for the best protection against style theft by AI, and adds tiny changes throughout the piece, so that your style will, for example, confuse the ai into seeing van gogh. But the ai thieves will see a regular image in your style, feeding it into their model labeled as your work (thus starting the “data poisoning”).

Do not post the original unGlazed piece of your artwork after posting your Glazed version (obviously)

The Team worked directly with over 1,000 artists that were being impacted by the ai theft. Because the team listened to those artists, Glaze accounts for regular art thieves too (i.e. Glaze can’t be removed/cropped etc. like signatures or watermarks when reposted. It’s just part of the image, so even if it ends up on another site and scraped, the Glazing is still in effect)

When you run your artwork through Glaze, no information is sent back to the Team. (Aka, no scraping on their part. The app receives information from the Team (like updates) but no information from you is given to them through the app. Basically Team servers ---> You and NOT Team servers <--->You) One-way data street.

Brief misunderstanding happened over an open-source license for the front-end part of the app. (Used open-source coding for front-end, not knowing that code’s use-license states it is only for other open-source uses, not closed-source (the back-end code of the app is private to prevent counter-counter measure developments)). The Team took down the app until they replaced the front-end code with code written from scratch by the team. They are now not in violation of that open-source license since they are no longer using it. (you have 30 days to remedy a license breach once informed; they did so in 2)

The Team is currently in touch with Japanese artists to better expand the tool for use to protect their art styles

From what I understand of it, Glaze is an AI tool designed to be anti-AI (Think Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: one Terminator robot vs. all the other Terminators 😂)

you aren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so you don't, but then you're too serious. you're not supposed to be too loud, but then people say you're too quiet. you aren't supposed to get passionate about things, but then you're shy, boring. you aren't supposed to talk too much, but then people are mad when you're not good at replying.

you fold yourself into a prettier paper crane. since you never know what is "selfish" and what is "charity," you give yourself over, fully. you'd rather be empty and over-generous - you'd rather eat your own boundaries than have even one person believe that you're mean. since you don't know what the thing is that will make them hate you, you simply scrub yourself clean of any form of roughness. if you are perfect and smiling and funny, they can love you. if you are always there for them and never admit what's happening and never mention your past and never make them uncomfortable - you can make up for it. you can earn it.

don't fuck up. they're all testing you, always. they're tolerating you. whatever secret club happened, over a summer somewhere - during some activity you didn't get to attend - everyone else just... figured it out. like they got some kind of award or examination that allowed them to know how-to-be-normal. how to fit. and for the rest of your life, you've been playing catch-up. you've been trying to prove that - haha! you get it! that the joke they're telling, the people they are, the manual they got- yeah, you've totally read it.

if you can just divide yourself in two - the lovable one, and the one that is you - you can do this. you can walk the line. they can laugh and accept you. if you are always-balanced, never burdensome, a delight to have in class, champagne and glittering and never gawky or florescent or god-forbid cringe: you can get away with it.

you stare at your therapist, whom you can make jokes with, and who laughs at your jokes, because you are so fucking good at people-pleasing. you smile at her, and she asks you how you're doing, and you automatically say i'm good, thanks, how are you? while the answer swims somewhere in your little lizard brain:

how long have you been doing this now? mastering the art of your body and mind like you're piloting a puppet. has it worked? what do you mean that all you feel is... just exhausted. pick yourself up, the tightrope has no net. after all, you're cheating, somehow, but nobody seems to know you actually flunked the test. it's working!