Sunday, September 20, 2015

Issue 6: Escaping reality

It is story time, and I see it best to get a little bit personal. So please, grab some tea and have a seat.

Once in a while an escape from daily life, or reality as it is called, is necessary. One must leave the outer workings of society and go to a place that is deemed unhealthy. The place that makes humans scared and forces them to build facilities just to trap those who don't want to return. A place that all humans functioning in a society, a community, fear. The one place that the host human fears itself. The inner workings of the brain.

The brain is a magnificent organ. Processing electric paths to make a being function and is also possibly the house of the soul. Somewhere in that  three pounds of grey matter lies a switch that scientist calls the subconscious. The subconscious learns with the conscious about morals and starts to project positive thoughts. However we learn slowly that dark humor is the only humor the brain knows. It is called the darkness of the void. Sometimes when humans stare into space they unlock the first door to this void. It is called day dreaming. An alternate reality where things appear normal but do not follow the normal construct the host is used to. When humans get to night dreaming, that is when the subconscious voice speaks louder, as if in a whisper trying to influence the dream. It serves as warning on what is to come. REM dreams, or dreams that occur during REM sleep is the closest humans can get to this darkness, before it fully consumes them. It is said that if a person can not back away from the influence of their brain, that they kill themselves. However this is all speculation done by a few psychologist over time. Whether or not humans can escape reality completely without dying, is solely up to the the three pounds of grey matter humans cherish so deeply.

Issue 5: Will technology consume our future?

Please take a moment to watch the video clip above.

In this video clip, Wall-e an out of date robot, sees how technology advancements has consumed human social behaviour and habits. Humans have become so dependent on technology that even though they are right next to each other, they would rather video chat then talk to the person next to them. This clip also shows that propaganda has infected humans so much that it is taught to babies during the learning development. They are super reliant on the machines and do not start to change until Wall-e interacts with them. Dependency is on such a large scale that the humans do not even chew their food or do anything themselves.

While on the tram, Wall-e interrupted a woman on a call, while trying to reach Eva. Due to this interruption, the woman was able to see the world around her. It shows just how lazy humans become as they allow technology to do everything for them. It all starts out as convenience, then humans convince themselves that everything from there on out is convenience. When will humans say no?

Issue 4: Sharks in all their cuteness

When human think of predators of the sea, Sharks are the biggest offender. Humans tend to forget that they project their emotions onto what they see often or don't understand. Since sharks have rows of sharp teeth and eat other creature they must be dangerous. That, however, is a way of survival.
Cutie Patootie
There are many different kinds of sharks, some even without teeth. Yet, humans only fear the ones with teeth. Stories of our sharks are vicious and how they like to eat humans. Several different accounts of scientific research shows that sharks aren't actually fond of humans. Sharks are curious creatures that react to electromagnetic waves in the ocean. They also detect the minute vibrations in the water. If a camera or boat with with a motor or radio is in shark territory, a shark would become curious and investigate. Most carnivorous sharks have a diet for school fish or seals. With long limbs and swim gear, humans tend to confuse sharks. To them, human silhouette looks like the same silhouette for a seal. Seals are the favorite snack of a carnivorous shark. Sharks do not purposely seek out humans.

In several blood test studies, it was shown that when human blood was dropped in a pool of water that contained a well fed shark, that the shark avoided the blood. However, when fish blood was dropped in that same tank, the shark began to be increasingly aggressive.
Unknown credit, if found please tell me
Most times a curious shark would bite a human once, get a taste of their blood, and swim away. The only time a shark would attack twice would be in instances of lack of food or if the shark was provoked. Punching a shark on the nose, does not get it to leave you alone. It actually ruins a shark's navigational system, making it difficult or impossible to find it's way to it's lagoon. When  a shark cannot make it back to their lagoon, they tend to live a short life and are unable to reproduce. Calm sharks are extremely friendly, and if they don't sense any danger, can be tickled as shown in some documentaries on National Geographic.

This cute ocean beast, come in a variety of sizes, types, and live in multiple locations. Recently National Geographic, recorded a video finding that some sharks might actually live in underwater volcanoes.  Thanks to the United States treaty with Cuba, scientist are able to track down and study a much larger variety of sharks. Discovering that Sharks can become a lot larger than we have known, and theoretically discussing the discovery of a megalodon, due to how deep sharks actually live.

Personally I have had a rather interesting experience with Bull Sharks. Bull sharks are said to be even more aggressive than their great white relatives. In my experience, I have swam unsupervised with these sharks and received no harm. Which could only theorize that these aggressive in nature sharks only attack in defense or survival.

Hopefully one day, people could see the good in sharks, and stop the unnecessary killing of sharks. Especially if it is only for their fin. Sharks are friends not food.
Credit goes to http://hayzlenut.tumblr.com/

Issue 3: 3D Printing, The Future of Prosthesis for Animals?

3D PRINTING. One would think, what does that mean? How does it work?  3D printing is the 
process of melting down plastics to print a third dimensional shape. It has taken the medical field by storm with advancements in prosthesis. Now those who have lost limbs due to amputation or other causes have a more affordable way to integrate into what the world calls a normal human routine. Though scientists, veterinarians, and everyday citizens don't stop there. Before 3D printing, if an animal was missing a part they where either euthanize or put in a state of depression that eventually lead to death. This quick video by Dnews shows that 3D printing has helped out non human friends also survive longer with a bit of love, help, and technology.

These advances can keep our furry and non furry friends alive to play again. It allows other creatures like the Toucan and Bald Eagle, to eat. A very popular example is the case of the Dolphin. She was such a powerful example of 3D Printing coming to the rescue that Morgan Freeman himself decided to engage in the 2 part movie about her story. Humans create technology only thinking about how it will help them. It is not until their technology spreads past their species that they see the joy in being innovative. Technology not just for humans, but for the world.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Issue 2: Blogs

There are tons of blogs on the internet, from personal to business. Personally I only keep up with one blog, which is a sewing blog. I am not good with the ritual of constantly telling people about my life. Blogs are nice for people with constant consistency in their lives. I tend to be sporadic after a while and need a mix up. I commend those who can take the time to sit down and write a blog. I would rather enjoy having the time to do a blog. Most of the blogs I browse now are either on deviantart or tumblr. Picture blogs as they are called. Picture blogs are great especially if you are an aspiring artist. They give inspiration and enlighten you to persevere through the art world. A nice art blog I really like is actually a part tutorial blog. https://doxiequeen1.wordpress.com/ is a sewing blog by an 18-19 year old girl by the name of Angela in Long Island, Queens.
She shows her passion in pursuing fashion in costume creations. I love the time she takes to properly explain her process as if you could create along with her. She tries her best to take step by step pictures, though sometimes she falls short. Her purpose is not to teach, it is to share, which I think she accomplishes well. Another blog I like is an art blog on deviantart. Before I link it, I would like to explain that this person uses the site mainly as a portfolio, or a means to make side cash. http://maruuki.deviantart.com/ . I am personally envious of her time management. Seeing her updates everyday inspire me to strive for more in my artwork.

As for a blog that I don't personally enjoy, I would have to say I don't like buzzfeed.com. They have grown into a blog where they have become the written embodiment of society. Not a good society either, more of the stereotypical society we all tried to avoid. If you accidentally click on a link of video from them, it doesn't go away. It is like a cockroach, extremely desperate and determined which can be a bad thing. Blogging itself is not bad and if you can do it, just try not to be annoying about it.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Thoughts on Creativity as a business. Issue 1

Often I hear from family and friends, "Oh that is so cool that you can make things." "Why don't you sell, start and etsy?" "I bet you could make a lot of money."

Well it is not like that for everyone. For starters I do the things that I do, to relieve stress. I may not be ready to handle the stress of finances and shipping, not only do you need to have materials, you also need to have enough backing so that you can mail those things out to your consumers. When I think about those things it tends to stress me out. It is something I have not quite grasped the concept of.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to start selling my work and I believe that is part of the reason why I started a patreon* account. I wanted to share myself with the world, and if the world felt like this was something they needed they could help me share myself even more. As a job hunting college student, life is extremely hard. I found that I have less and less time to let creativity flow even though that is exactly what my classes call for.

Every business needs some form of mental stability. When I think of people think of people buying my product, I don't think of how great it is that they enjoy what I made. I get filled with dread, pondering over why did they waste money on me, can they afford their own living? I lack some of the major fundamentals of free lancing. There are five things that every aspiring artist needs:

Confidence
Yes at times you think oh my work is horrible ,but that confidence to still go out and try to sell it is what sets you apart from the rest.

Optimism
You could have that confidenct push to put your product out there but you need that optimism to drag in customers. Make them believe that they should buy it.

Financial Startup
Getting started is always rough. You could sell on commission, that way their payment goes directly to product creation. However, that is not something you should do when you are broke. Sometimes patrons would like to see how it looks before they pay. Don't rely only on commissions because, they don't always happen.

Punctuality
Prioritize your time. If you want to live the hard life of working and doing freelance on the side. Set up your schedule so you have time for both. Plan your supply shopping with your grocery shopping to save time. Keep a calendar for all your deadlines. Always check weather patterns so you can allot for weather changes. This way if you told the consumer that they will receive their product on a certain date they can get it. The only thing you can not avoid is undetermined circumstances. 

Politeness
This is a major one, at times the world around you can be rude. Even when a customer is disrespectful, always act with politeness. In the end they will complain about you to their family and friends, but if you were polite through and through your credibility will still show.

Will I start selling what I make? Time will surely tell.  All I can do right now is sip on some tea and wait for my life to balance out. While I am waiting, are you an artist? I would love to see and share artworks and creative creations with you.

*This is the second time I mentioning my patreon. I decided if I mention something at least twice I will explain it. Patreon, also known as patreon.com, is a site where you can support people fulfill their dreams. There are so many different people doing different things on there. You don't have to support someone if you don't want to. Being a patron is free of choice. If you do support a patron there is things that patron only members would see from the artist as a reward. Most patrons have links on their page to places where they post finished works for free of charge. Never feel compelled or pressured to support a patron.

If you want to see my updates or my art these are places you can see them and if you really want to know my patreon account this is it:

Shampoopoo -deviantart
Shampoo -patreon