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artificialqueens · 3 years

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Whenever I’m Alone With You (Tia/Veronica) - Juno

Summary: Tia and Veronica take an eventful day trip to the seaside. They start the day as friends. Will that be the case by the end of the day?

(A/N: It’s taken me a little while but I’m finally happy with this so here is some Greentia for anyone who wants DRUK stuff. No CWs it’s mostly fluffy with some h/c. I hope you enjoy.)

Brighton was supposed to be well-known for having the best beaches in the UK. Student city? Sure. Queer-friendly? Yes. But the beach? Mostly stones. Stones as far as the eye could see along the coastline.

Disappointing, Tia thought to herself as she leaned against the intricate Victorian iron fence surrounding the beach. I expected white sand and palm trees from the way the uni welcome pack hyped it up. I’ll give it a four out of ten.

Still, the seaside was alright. It almost felt like being back in Clacton. The usual fairground rides, a Ferris wheel, the pier out over the sea littered with people, and seagulls brave enough to steal your wallet let alone your chips.

It was October and for some reason it was sunny and warm this Saturday, and Tia had come to the seaside to relish what would probably be the last warm-ish day of the year. What seemed to be the entire population of East Sussex had also taken that view, and the beach was crowded with people chasing the last strands of summer sun.

Tia preferred to be here on the pavement above the beach, breathing in the salty sea air, and listening to the waves, wondering how something so forceful sounded so peaceful.

“Nice day.”

Veronica’s soft voice behind her served as a reminder that Tia wasn’t alone.

Out of her three new housemates, Veronica hadn’t been Tia’s first choice in wanting someone to spend the day at the seaside with, but Aurora and Ellie had already gone out. They’d only lived in their halls for just over a month, but Aurora and Ellie were already almost joined at the hip, spending all day together when they weren’t in lectures.

There were four of them on their floor of the halls, all women. Tia had instantly bonded with Ellie, who bubbled with fun and was most content when she was making people laugh. It had taken a little longer to get to know Aurora, who was hard as nails but whose loyalty to her friends was endless. And then there was Veronica. Veronica had avoided most of the freshers’ social activities, barely leaving her room, and in doing so, became something of a loner.

She’d asked Veronica to go with her out of politeness, but also out of some vague fascination with her. Tia knew they were friends - if the last month had shown them anything, they were definitely friends - but she didn’t know enough about Veronica to know if it would be a fleeting friendship or a lasting one.

After all, Tia thought to herself as she watched Veronica getting black lipstick all over the cone, we don’t really have much in common on the surface.

“Yeah, it’s a really nice day,” Tia nodded at her finally, taking another lick of the ice cream Veronica had bought her.

The quiet resumed between them; not an uncomfortable sound, Tia noticed, but one that simply didn’t need to be filled with noise. It made a change from Ellie, always game for a laugh, and Aurora, who had an opinion to give on everything. But Tia liked the quiet time they shared. The only sound was the rush of the sea, and Veronica humming some tune that Tia recognised vaguely, but not enough to know.

There was a clatter as Veronica’s parasol dropped to the ground beside her. Veronica smiled apologetically as she leaned to pick it up. Tia knew some people with some - interesting fashion choices, but Veronica was the only person she knew with an actual parasol, black like the rest of her outfit.

“Do you always wear black?” Tia asked.

Veronica’s huff and rehearsed reply said it all. “Yes, I always wear black, I sleep in a coffin, and it’s Halloween every bloody day.”

“I mean - don’t you get really warm in summer?”

Veronica seemed to consider the question. “Not really. The skirt is quite thin material, and -“

“But it’s all black.”

“So?”

“Well, it traps heat,” Tia said.

Veronica looked down at herself, cocking an eyebrow, turning back to look at Tia. “Yeah, I suppose so. At least I look, you know, hot.”

Tia blinked at Veronica, who held her gaze expectantly.

“No, sorry, Vee, that was just crap. That was such a bad dad joke.” Tia shook her head in exasperation. “Honestly! I thought goths were meant to be funnier than that.”

Veronica sighed. “Yeah, well, me too.”

Her contemplative stare out to the sea was evidently meant to be intense, but no one, not even someone as goth as Veronica, could ever look too intense while eating an ice cream.

“Is that why you bought me an ice cream in the first place?” Tia asked, still teasing, trying to coax Veronica to open up a little more. “Were you trying to make up for your dad jokes in advance?”

Veronica managed a smile. “Partly. And - partly to say thanks for sticking up for me last night.”

Last night. Tia cringed internally.

“Yeah, well,” Tia muttered, shuffling uncomfortably. “You were homesick. You didn’t need that.”

Veronica’s stare was fixed on the horizon as she continued. “I … don’t think I realised how homesick I would be.”

“It’s normal, Vee. You’re not - you don’t have to put on a hard front just because you like wearing black; you’re allowed to be emotional too. It’s not like the rest of us haven’t been homesick as well.” Tia gave her a nudge in the shoulder. “You saw me bawling about it, didn’t you?”

——

All it had taken for Tia to get homesick was for that Doja Cat song to come on Tia’s shuffle while she was waiting for the kettle to boil.

It was Thursday morning, the week after lectures started, and Tia was already feeling like shit. The reality that she was here to study had kicked in, and she’d spent half the night awake worrying about her first assignment. But when the song had come on, Tia had been instantly flooded with the memory of her mum attempting that TikTok dance with her, falling about in laughter when she’d failed. That had been enough for Tia to break down, sobbing so hard that she didn’t have the energy to finish making her cup of tea.

Aurora hadn’t come home the previous night, spending the night at Tayce’s halls after Wicked Wednesdays at the union bar, and Ellie’s 8.15 lecture had already started; so Tia knew that when she heard a creaking of the door in the hallway that it would be Veronica.

“What’s up, love?” She’d whispered cautiously, but Tia had just cried harder at her words, so she’d simply rubbed her back and shoulders and made her a brew as Tia had tried to stop crying.

“D’you miss your mum?” Veronica had asked, peering up at her in concern, Tia’s free hand clasped tenderly in both of hers.

“I’m sorry, I’m being stupid,” Tia had managed to mumble through her tears.

“Don’t say that, you’re not being stupid at all,” Veronica had soothed, looping her hand into the crook of Tia’s elbow. “Tell you what, come into my room and we’ll put on a film, eh?”

“I - I have a lecture at 11 -“

“You’re not going anywhere, someone will get you the notes.”

Tia was surprised at how determined Veronica was to take care of her, pulling her into her immaculately tidy room and setting the tablet up with Netflix. She hadn’t expected Veronica’s first choice in a comfort film to be Finding Nemo, or for Veronica to toss the blankets over both of them and curl up next to Tia, handing her tea and the pack of Hobnobs that she’d only bought the day before.

They didn’t really speak at all.

Tia felt herself calm down gradually, laughing and tearing up at the film, passing biscuits back and forth with Veronica, sharing the progression of emotions with her as they came and went.

It was a depth of care that Tia felt to her bones.

Not that the other two girls on their floor would have been bad company. She knew that Aurora would have given her a hug and a peck on the cheek, told her she was amazing and she was smashing it and how much she herself was feeling the pressure of being away from home too. She knew that Ellie would have cracked a few jokes and tried to make her laugh, maybe telling her a funny story of something she’d seen Aurora do, or one of the scores of new friends she’d already made.

They both would have tried to be helpful in the best and most loving way they knew how.

But Tia wouldn’t have been able to take in encouragement from Aurora, and she didn’t want to laugh even if Ellie had succeeded in making her.

Somehow Veronica knew that Tia didn’t need someone to make noise for the sake of noise. She didn’t need hugs. She just needed … company. She just needed someone there to be with her.

“Thanks, Vee,” Tia had said finally, unable to meet Veronica’s eyes. “I - I feel a lot better now.”

“It’s alright,” Veronica had murmured, threading her fingers into Tia’s and squeezing. “Come back any time.”

——

“What made you want to come to Brighton?” Veronica asked, breaking into Tia’s memories.

They had moved to a free spot on the beach itself, sitting on a towel under Veronica’s parasol - seriously, why did she have a parasol? - the heat now starting to break as the evening drew in. Tia was taking a swig from her bottle of water, while Veronica was digging into the sand with her hands, pulling up handfuls and letting the grains slip through her fingers.

Tia shrugged in response. “The course. Being by the coast. Lesbians. The usual.”

“Oh.” Veronica stifled a laugh. “Like me then. The usual.”

The forced nonchalance of her tone made Tia snort with laughter.

“Where are you from again?” Tia asked her.

“Lancashire. Took five hours for my dad to drive me down here last month. Five bloody hours.” Veronica held up five fingers as if she hadn’t given enough emphasis already. “I wanted to come here for a bit of a fresh start, I suppose. No one I know from school went this far south. I thought maybe I’d have - I don’t know. A reinvention. A renaissance, fitting on my History course, eh?”

“Yeah,” Tia nodded.

“But you can’t shake off the old habits,” Veronica muttered darkly.

“What do you mean?”

“People - just thinking I’m stuck-up.” Veronica sighed, digging back into the sand. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

——

The previous night had been tense. Aurora’s friend Tayce had asked about the roommate who never seemed to leave her room, and Aurora had groaned an exaggerated groan, running her hands through her hair.

“I’m so sick of Veronica’s martyr act,” Aurora had declared at the sound of Veronica’s name, her voice ringing in the kitchen and through the open doorway to the hall.

“Don’t be stupid,” Tia had said, nudging Aurora in the ribs. “She’s not a martyr.”

“She is. She’s playing the martyr. I mean, she’s nice when you speak to her,” Aurora had shrugged, “but she doesn’t really want to talk to us, does she? She doesn’t make an effort, it’s always us making the effort with her. Like she’s too good for us. We’re just normal and she’s special just because she likes some bloody moody bands from the eighties.”

Tayce had raised her eyebrows, grinning her usual wolfish grin and sniggering silently behind her hand.

“She doesn’t think she’s special,” Tia had retorted, but Aurora had just rolled her eyes.

“It annoys me. People like her want to be different but they are all the same as each other. They want to conform to show that they don’t conform. How does that make sense? She just wants the attention.”

That was when they’d all heard the door slam.

“Good going, Aurora,” Tia had hissed. “She must have heard you.”

Aurora had chewed her tongue nervously, a flush creeping up her neck, but she stood her ground. “Whatever. I’m not wrong, am I?”

“You are wrong, actually,” Tia had replied, her voice suddenly louder than Aurora’s, “because you just don’t give her the chance. She’s not playing anything. She’s just - I don’t know, shy. And missing her home. And I bet you’re not making it any easier for her to feel like she can come talk to you. Leave her alone.”

Tayce’s sniggers had become too loud to cover up, and she turned to bury her face into Aurora’s shoulder. Aurora, her face now red as a tomato, had chewed her lips and shaken her head in exasperation.

“Whatever.”

With that, she’d swept away to her own room, Tayce on her heels. Tia had hung back, remembering Veronica’s kindness towards her, knowing that she was probably going through it as well. Ellie and Aurora had both had tough days, too. They all had.

Tia had stopped outside Veronica’s room and knocked gently at her door.

“Vee?”

But Veronica didn’t answer initially. Tia knew it was wrong to barge in, but she’d found the door unlocked.

“I’m opening the door - tell me to go - or I’m coming in -“

But Veronica had called “Come in” in the smallest voice, and Tia pushed the door open.

Veronica was curled on her side on the bed, staring at the wall, tracing the paint on it with her finger. When Tia had pushed the door closed and sat on the bed next to Veronica, she could see that her face was red and patchy and her eyes bloodshot.

“Is that really what they all think? That I’m an attention-seeker?”

Her voice had broken as she spoke. She rolled onto her back to face Tia, searching her eyes for honesty, and Tia thought she seemed as angry as she was upset at the way she had been spoken about.

Tia had shaken her head. “I don’t think that. I think -”

I think you’re really lovely.

The words wouldn’t come out, and Tia realised that they went deeper than she’d previously thought. But Veronica’s eyes had softened, and she’d laid her hand on Tia’s, almost as if she’d heard her thoughts. “Thank you.”

——

“They’re nice, you know, Aurora and Tayce are,” Tia replied, and Veronica looked up at her. “Just - I don’t know - don’t be scared of them.”

“Aurora’s got some preconceived idea about me because of how I look.”

“Okay, but you do too,” Tia sighed. “You think Aurora and Tayce won’t want to talk to you because they’re the coolcrowd. I get it, I feel like that too sometimes. But Aurora just takes a bit of time to get to know, and trust me, she’s just tough for show; she’s really sweet and caring underneath it all. Like you,” Tia added.

“I guess.” Veronica muttered.

“I mean - you’re right, things don’t just change when you move away, you have to make them change.”

Veronica huffed.

“You know I’m right,” Tia said.

“Yeah, I do. Sorry.” She shrugged dismissively. “Dad always tells me off for being stubborn. Maybe Aurora had a point.”

A seagull landed dangerously near to Veronica, and she kicked out at it. When it didn’t immediately fly away, Tia sat up on her knees and waved a hand, until it scurried away to a safe distance.

“This place is giving me lots of Clacton vibes.” Tia stretched out her legs again. “My mum used to take me there every summer, and it’s the same as here! Some sand, some chips in a cone, seagulls shitting everywhere, a few rides, you get the idea.”

“Rides?” Veronica spun to Tia at that word, her eyes lighting up suddenly. “I didn’t know if you liked rides! Do you want to go on a ride on the pier? Or the Ferris wheel or something? Is there a waltzer? I love the waltzers, oh my God -“

“I don’t know, do I! I’ve only lived here for as long as you have!”

But Tia couldn’t have resisted the spark of joy that came to Veronica’s face if she’d tried, holding back laughter at Veronica’s sudden burst of enthusiasm. She got up and pulled Veronica to her feet, and Veronica hooked a hand through Tia’s arm in what was becoming a wonderfully familiar gesture, to pull her along the seafront towards the pavilion and the amusement arcade.

“Waltzers!” Veronica cried, squeezing Tia’s arm and pointing at the waltzers fifty yards away. She dragged Tia towards them with surprising strength for such a tiny woman.

But Tia was worried. Is this the time to mention I’ve never been on them? That I hate spinning round and round?

“Am I gonna vom?” Tia asked nervously. “I don’t want to vom. Do they spin you?”

“Yeah, they do, but you won’t puke, promise.”

“You sure?” Tia eyed the waltzer, but Veronica nodded earnestly.

“Yeah, I’m sure. My brother gets car sick and he loves the waltzers too, come on, you’ll be fine.”

Partly, Tia was watching the other people in the booths shrieking with delight as they spun in their booths, but mostly, she saw a happy side to Veronica that she hadn’t seen a great deal of, and found she wanted to experience it with her.

Things don’t just change when you move away, you have to make them change.

“Alright, I’m coming on.”

The next three minutes were a blur. A fast, dizzying blur. Tia just remembered screaming until her throat hurt and clinging onto the bar for dear life as she leaned into Veronica, who screeched loud enough to wake the actual dead, the g-force sticking them to each other and the back of the booth like glue.

But it was so fun that Tia wanted to go again.

“Vee,” Tia muttered, as they stepped back off, “I’m covered in your nail marks, hun.” She showed Veronica her forearm, where her nails had dug in, leaving tiny crescent-moon indents in her skin.

Veronica grimaced. “Sorry. Can I make it up to you?”

“Another ice cream?”

“I was thinking of Spoons.” Veronica pointed to the pub on the seafront. “It’s getting too cold here now for ice cream.”

——

The sun had set and the seafront had a definite chill in the air as Tia and Veronica sat together on the terrace outside Spoons. They watched the people around them as they passed, the ride operators for the kids rides as they packed away, and the daytime folk, as a handful of teenagers started to appear, getting on the rides themselves.

The rush of the waves as the tide crept in, and Veronica’s persistent humming, filled the space between them. Veronica had shuffled her chair right next to Tia’s, and the song was irritatingly familiar, but Tia couldn’t quite remember it.

“What is that song you keep humming?” Tia asked Veronica finally.

“Oh - nothing.” Veronica swallowed hard.

“Really?” Tia grinned at her. “Is it The Cure or something?”

“Yeah - yeah, it’s The Cure.” Veronica said quickly. “Disintegration. Great album.”

“It sounds like it,” Tia nodded, secretly hoping she’d never have to be subjected to it. Veronica fell completely silent after that, a little self-conscious, and Tia felt a little uncomfortable for the first time that day.

“That woman’s the fortune teller at the Pavillion,” Tia motioned as she passed, trying to ease the tension. “Tayce got her palm read by her at freshers’ week. She thought Tayce was from Yorkshire! She couldn’t even read her mind and see she’s Welsh!”

“Fortune telling?” Veronica shook her head. “Just a cheap trick, cold reading more like.”

“I can do it! Give me your hand and I’ll show you.”

Tia took Veronica’s nearest hand that lay on the table, and pulled it towards her. Veronica shuffled in even closer, leaning into Tia’s arm. She was much shorter than Tia, her chin only just resting on Tia’s shoulder, and Tia found her warm weight more distracting than she thought she would.

“So,” Tia mused, stroking her thumb slowly down Veronica’s palm, “this line here, that’s your life line, this long one here in the middle of your palm. See it?”

Veronica didn’t speak, but she gave a hum of agreement, her lips perking at the corners into a dreamy smile. Tia caught a hint of the surprisingly light floral perfume she wore, a vague scent of apple from her hair.

“This line here,” Tia mumbled, rapidly losing her train of thought, running a thumb along the palm of Veronica’s hand. “This line, it’s - your life line. I said that already. Erm. It means that you … spend your life … in lines. All sorts of lines. Lines for rides, lines at the shop, Tube lines -“

“Give over.” Veronica sounded almost a little disappointed. She took another swig of her drink, almost draining the glass.

“Your love of lines has been exposed now, Vee. You can’t hide it any longer.”

To her surprise, Veronica was laughing.

“I like that you’ve given me a nickname. No one else does. It’s nice. Feels like …” Her eyes were pensive, and she shrugged, unable to think of a word. “I don’t know. But I like it.”

Veronica’s tone was light and airy, but Tia felt goosebumps spread on her neck and arms at the sound of her voice, and her chest fluttered, filled with sudden butterflies.

This moment felt pivotal, like a turning point.

Are we - catching feelings?

Sure, Veronica was interesting enough, and kind - if a little stubborn - and every time they had been alone together, they seemed to have an instinctual connection that Tia couldn’t explain. But it felt quite fast, and still, Tia wasn’t quite sure what Veronica was feeling for her.

After all, Tia thought to herself, I’m just a maths nerd who makes crap jokes sometimes.

“And this line …” Tia moved her thumb up over Veronica’s palm, “this is the … the Bakerloo line and it means … there is maintenance over the weekend so plan your journey well in advance.”

Veronica nearly choked on the mouthful of her drink, instantly breaking the spell. “That makes no sense at all! Anyway, I’m more interested in this one,” Veronica added, putting down her glass and pointing, “that’s the love line. I know that much. What does that one say?”

“I was just getting to that one. Save the best for last and all.” Tia feigned exasperation as Veronica’s face grew more and more red even under her makeup.

“Your love line is here,” Tia began, looking back at Veronica, staring enraptured at her hand in Tia’s, her smile a mile wide. “And it says that … you … I don’t know, you’re going to meet a tall, beautiful stranger.”

Tia meant that to be casual, but Veronica curled her fingers around the thumb that was still stroking her palm, and gave it a squeeze.

“Alright,” she said softly, “maybe palm reading isn’t all bollocks.”

——

Tia found that she hadn’t wanted Veronica to let go of her hand.

Luckily, Veronica didn’t seem to want to let go, either.

Tia wasn’t the biggest fan of physical contact, and she hadn’t thought Veronica was either, until this evening, as they walked home, hand in hand this time, after the wine was drained. One glass of wine each wasn’t enough to make either of them drunk, but both of them were light and happy, even as they got back to the halls.

“Thanks for asking me to come with you,” Veronica said, her smile lighting up the rest of her face.

“Vee, you don’t have to thank me. You’re … I don’t know.” Tia sighed. “It was a fun day.”

The hallway was quiet and dark. Ellie and Aurora were still out evidently, and in the half-light, Tia was conscious that Veronica still had her hand, a gesture that felt so familiar and so exposed for them both.

Tia cleared her throat. “Alright. Night then.”

Veronica nodded. “Night, Tia.”

Neither of them moved.

Tia hadn’t really noticed before how intense Veronica’s stare was, or how bright blue her eyes were underneath the layers of black eyeliner; but she felt it now even though it was getting dark; and it felt like Veronica was trying to tell her something, drawing her into her eyes.

Wait. This is uni. There’s no going home after a day out. We live here together. We can do what we want.

“I mean -“ Tia shifted from one foot to another. “We don’t have lectures tomorrow, it’s Sunday isn’t it? Or are you tired, do you want to get to sleep?”

“No, I’m not tired - what - what did you have in mind?”

“Finding Dory this time?”

“Can do,” Veronica tilted her head as if pondering the idea. “Yeah. You set up, I’ll take my makeup off.”

Within fifteen minutes they were both in their pyjamas, curled up together in Tia’s bed this time, passing Veronica’s Hobnobs between them. The tablet played Finding Dory, balanced on Tia’s knees. The night had turned colder and Tia had insisted on Veronica bundling under the covers with her.

Tia left her hand out of the covers, in full view, and Veronica took the cue, grabbing her hand and interlacing their fingers. The film didn’t last long before Tia became distracted by Veronica running her thumb over Tia’s knuckles, as if in a dream, not even looking at the screen any more.

As the film came to an end, Tia realised she barely remembered the plot at all. She and Veronica had curled into one another, Tia’s head resting on Veronica’s, still clasping her hand. They didn’t move, Tia feeling their breathing fall into rhythm, until she felt Veronica’s deepening and realised it was pretty late.

“Are you tired, Vee?” Tia whispered.

Veronica hummed, stretching out her legs and yawning. “Yeah, a bit. I should go to bed.”

Tia missed the warmth of Veronica from the bed, the steady weight of her hand, from the moment she’d slipped from under the covers; but she followed her out, getting up to go to the door and lock it.

“Well. Night, Tia.”

Veronica reached to hug Tia, who had to bend to reach her, being a good eight or nine inches taller than Veronica. But when the hug lasted much longer than expected, Tia didn’t complain.

Nor did she find it strange when she felt Veronica’s lips softly graze her cheek, right by her ear. It wasn’t a familiar, friendly kiss. It was curious, testing the waters, wondering if this was really happening.

Tia’s heart fluttered when she returned the kiss, again on Veronica’s cheek, as if to answer the question.

But when Veronica pulled away, her eyes were fearful all of a sudden, and she seemed to lose her nerve, spinning round to make a quick exit, slipping away without another word.

Tia locked the door, now humming the tune that Veronica had been humming all day to herself.

It isn’t The Cure. I know it too. God, what is it?

Tia had to hum a few more bars to herself before she finally recognised it, and started singing the chorus to herself.

‘I wanna ruin our friendship, we should be lovers instead.’

God, Tia thought to herself, not just me then.

#rpdr fanfiction #rpdr uk #tia kofi #veronica green #tia x veronica #a'whora #tayce #uk2 #lesbian au #college au #fluff #hurt/comfort #juno

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dmsden · 5 years

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Take It from the Top – Andy’s advice for new DMs

Hello, my dear readers. I love this week’s Question from a Denizen, which comes to us from manqoz. They ask, “hi!! So I’ve been playing D&D for a little over a year now but my campaign only meets once a month and I haven’t been able to find another one to join on our off weeks. This has led me to consider trying out DMing my own campaign, you know, “be the change you want to see in the world” and all of that, but I’m worried that I don’t have enough experience to do a good job. Do you have any advice for a beginner DM in my shoes? I love your blog & I’m very grateful for the content you share with us ♡”

Manqoz, first off, do it! Be that change, and try being a DM! It’s not for everyone, but I think more people should try it and see whether it’s for them.

As far as advice goes, I’ve actually written many articles about advice for new DMs, and you can probably find those articles if you look back in the blog. I know that kind of advice can always use repeating, however, so I’m going to give you some things I hope will help.

First, and utterly the most important advice I can give any DM is to talk to your players frequently and to really listen to what they tell you. Communication is key in any relationship, and a D&D game is a relationship. Talk to them about what they enjoy, things they’d love to see in a game, monsters they’ve always wanted to fight, and more. Obviously you can do this during a Session Zero (and you really should run a Session Zero), but I think you can start even before this.

When you have someone you want to play with, tell them, “I’m thinking about running a D&D game, and, if I do, I’d like you to play.” In my experience, this usually leads to an outpouring of enthusiasm that will lead you to want to run a game even more than you did. Ask for advice, or ideas, or just what they think. Would they want to play? Players are a pretty important thing to have for your game to be successful after all.

Second, don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel. This is your first time, and there are resources out there. Has your group ever played through the adventurers from the Starter Kit or the Essentials Kit? If not, why not grab these? They’re pretty cheap on D&D Beyond if you don’t want to buy the physical boxed sets. The adventures in both are some of the best written for new DMs and players, and you can mix and match the bits you like if you don’t want to just run the adventure as written. If your groups have run these, consider some of the other campaigns that’ve been released for 5E. Storm King’s Thunder, Curse of Strahd, and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist are all excellent campaigns that’ve done lots of the work for you so that you can concentrate on running the actual game.

If you’d rather not run these, and you want some advice on putting your own campaign setting together, go back and read through my Worldbuilding articles. I’ve been writing a series of articles since January 2018 about putting together a campaign setting, and you can feel free to use the setting and the advice within as you like.

Third, recognize that you don’t have to be some kind of expert to run a great game. Not everyone who runs a game has an encyclopedic knowledge of the rules, and the only real rule you need is to make sure everyone has a good time. You can ask your players for help, too. Ask them to keep track of initiative for you, to look up rules, to control music choices, or even to run some allied NPCs in combat. Most players are happy to help out with tasks like these. When we play Star Wars, I usually run the music, since I set up the playlists, and it’s one more thing our GM doesn’t have to deal with.

Fourth, recognize that you’re a player, too. That means you’re supposed to have fun, too. You want to run the game that your players want to play, but you also need to run the game that you want to run. This sometimes takes some experience to balance, but you’ll find your way.

I hope this helps, manqoz. I encourage you to run a game, and come back and tell us about it!

#d&d #D&D #d&d 5e #d&d 5th edition #dnd #DnD stuff #DnD 5e #dnd 5th edition #dnd 5e campaign #dnd 5e homebrew #dungeons & dragons #Dungeons and Dragons #dungeon master #dungeonmaster #DM advice #GM Advice

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sophieakatz · 4 years

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Thursday Thoughts: Writing Advice (Part 3 of 3)

And here is the final part!

I recently stumbled across this writer ask meme about pieces of writing advice, and I was having so much fun thinking about it that I decided to just respond to them all!

33. Embrace structure

Yes, yes, yes. Embrace structure. This is not the same thing as being limited by structure. It’s easy to mistake the two.

I spoke before about the importance of familiarity. People enjoy and respond to familiar structures. “Once upon a time” and “happily ever after” are still common phrases for a reason. They work. They’re familiar. People like them. Structure means that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

I also spoke before about leaning into the limitations of a medium. Having a structure to follow gives you something to lean on, while at the same time it forces you to be creative! Structure is yet another example of rules to learn so that you can know when to break them.

34. Dialogue should be purposeful

I like this rule, but I think it’s easily misunderstood.

When people hear “purposeful,” they think “plot important.” So, they end up writing something in which everyone says exactly what they mean all the time, with perfect bluntness.

But people don’t always talk like that. People beat around the bush. People make jokes. People run out of things to say and point out funny-shaped cracks in the sidewalk.

A line of dialogue can have purpose other than furthering the plot. It can set the mood. It can establish a character as a bit scatterbrained. It can demonstrate that two characters are not comfortable or open with each other. (“How are you?” “Fine. You?” “Fine.” “Right.”) It can give your audience a break from the tension.

Write with purpose, yes, but don’t feel obligated for every word to be “purposeful.”

35. Be empathetic

Empathy is at the heart of storytelling. Through writing, you can create an experience for your readers which did not actually happen to them, but it means as much to them as if it had. This can be an immensely powerful exercise in empathy.

Creating a character is another great exercise in empathy. Have you created a person for your readers to connect with, or a stereotype to drive marginalized readers away?

Your readers are people. Your fellow writers are people. Your characters are also people. Treat them all with empathy.

36. Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to tag dialogue

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Again, all words are tools, and all words have a purpose. “Said” is a perfectly nice word; don’t be afraid to use it. But other words can convey different things to the scene.

“What did you do?” she said. (Neutral – we know she’s curious, but that’s it.)

“What did you do?” she shouted. (Wow, okay, this person is upset about whatever happened.)

“What did you do?” she whispered. (Ooh, it must be a secret!)

“What did you do?” she muttered. (She may be asking reluctantly – probably rolling her eyes, too.)

Use whatever word conveys what you need the moment to convey.

37. Do not start a sentence with a conjunction

Conjunctions are tools. Use them wisely.

Consider the medium, the audience, and the pacing. And then decide whether to start a sentence with a conjunction.

See, I just did so there – “and” is a conjunction. It works very well for the kind of train of thought writing I use in these blog posts. In more formal writing, you will want to avoid starting sentences with conjunctions.

But starting with a conjunction (oops, I did it again) is a good way to put your readers right into a character’s mind, to speed things up and make things feel urgent.

Learn the rules of grammar, and then you will know how and when you can break them.

38. A new speaker always gets a new paragraph

According to most structures, yes. Are there contexts in which you might break this rule? Sure.

But keep in mind that people expect new paragraphs for clarity. If you’re going to break a rule, break it with purpose, not just ‘cause you wanna.

39. If there’s a story you want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, you must write it

“Must,” huh? I don’t like the word “must,” as much as I like the general sentiment here.

A lot of what I write are stories which I wish I had had when I was little. This is especially true when I write about asexuality. I wish it hadn’t taken me until college to learn that it was an option. All I needed was one explicitly ace character.

Practically speaking, though, I’m not only writing these stories for my past self. I’m writing for other people.

When I write fanfiction about characters figuring out that they are asexual, readers leave comments thanking me for it – because they needed the story as much as my past self did.

I don’t see the point of telling people that they “must” write the stories they want to read, because not everyone is a writer. More people are readers than writers. And these readers absolutely have a right to get up and say, “I want more stories about people like me!”

40. The ending is just the place where you stop your story

Yes and no. The ending is where things resolve. You might have multiple options, but one will be better than the others, depending on the experience you want your readers to have.

41. The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read

No, I don’t think so.

I mean, if it helps you to pretend like you’re never going to show someone your writing, then you might feel freer to be honest in your writing.

But writing is meant to be read, and true things are meant to be heard.

42. Write your first draft by hand

Dictating what kind of writing utensils people should use, and when, is the road to ableism paved with good intentions. I consider a computer keyboard a writing utensil.

Use the tool that works for you. If it isn’t working, change it up. Sometimes switching between pen and pencil, or between pencil and keyboard, can shake yourself out of a writing block.

43. Challenge yourself

If you want to improve? Yes.

44. Everyone has a book in them

I think everyone has a story worth telling. I don’t think that literally everyone will write a book. But everyone has a story and a way to tell it.

45. Dialogue should be rhythmic and 46. Dialogue should be natural

I’m gonna answer these two together because, once again, we’re using absolutes where there are two perfectly valid options with different purposes.

What kind of effect are you trying to create? Are you going for realism or poetry? Do what fits the work! Do what fits the scene!

There are rules to writing, yes, but they are rarely cut and dry. That’s the note I want to end on here – different writing advice is valuable for different moments of writing. It’s okay to pick and choose which rules you listen to, and to change your mind later.

And sometimes two pieces of advice that sound like they conflict – like this distinction between rhythmic and natural dialogue – are actually not that different. Rhythmic dialogue and natural dialogue can be one and the same.

If you take a class on Shakespeare plays, the most common rhythm you’ll talk about is iambic pentameter. “Pentameter” just means that there are five beats in a line. “Iambic” is what kinds of beats we’re talking about. An iambic beat has a soft syllable and a hard syllable – it’s all in where we put emphasis in our words.

My name – Sophie – is not an iambic word, because you put the hard syllable first: SO-phie. But the sentence “My name is Sophie Katz” is iambic – “my NAME is SO-phie KATZ.”

For the sake of the screen readers, I won’t keep typing like that. Here are a couple more examples of iambic sentences:

In Romeo and Juliet: “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?”

In an acting warmup I learned once: “Around the rock the ragged rascal ran.”

These sentences are rhythmic. But they are also natural, and that’s why we like to hear them. Now, where do you find a rhythm like this in nature?

Put your hand on your chest and wait a bit.

What could be more natural than your own heartbeat?

#writing advice #writing #advice #shakespeare #iambic #endings #truth #first drafts #thursday thoughts #listicles #conjunctions #said #word choice #empathy #dialogue #structure

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wariofranchisefanblog · 6 years

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A little delayed, due to my awkward vacation timing, but I have been playing WarioWare Gold a ton since coming home, so it's time for an impressions post.

Just gonna say right off the bat that I will be talking about the final stage and while spoilers really aren't a big deal in WarioWare, I do think that the stage is much cooler if you don't know anything about it, beforehand.

Let's go by bullet points, for the sake of organization:

Story

At it's core the individual characters' stories are still simple, but fun affairs, however I do think that the voice acting does a lot to add a ton of energy and personality to it, with the characters being more lively then ever and able to express more, well...character then ever before, I mean who in the world saw 18-Volt's story being so rap-tastic coming? I also enjoy how the remix stages actually have the characters get together and interact a bit, that's something I always wanted to see and here it is.

Amazingly enough the main story is actually a little more developed this time around, with Wario becoming increasingly more agitated by the player progressing in the Wario Bowl. This reaches it's peak during the Wario Deluxe stage, when Wario actively opposes the player and the entire presentation of the stage is not only surprisingly climactic, but it really does give you the impression that you are fighting against someone, especially when Wario starts to take away your ability to know which controls to use for the next microgame, only for Lulu to come in and go against him. Story progression mid-stage, a first for WarioWare.

I did not expect it, but Gold really did go further to do more with the Ware cast and world, which is something I greatly appreciate and I think the team behind WWGold knew what they were doing, when considering the sheer amount of positive buzz that the cutscenes, voice acting and general presentation are generating online.

Visuals

The new designs are understandably divisive and I did raise an eyebrow myself once or twice (looking at you, Dr. Crygor), but honestly, the new style as a whole, along with the designs I used to be iffy on, have grown on me while playing the game, I just appreciate that Ware is getting more of it's own visual identity again, instead of it just copying Rhythm Heaven's artstyle (which I do enjoy, I should clarify), like Game & Wario did.

The microgames themselves naturally got a lot of graphical updates, some more major then others, but it is the usual zany WarioWare fare and in some cases the visual changes can help to make a returning game feel just a touch more different.

One downside to the visuals is that the added production values in the form of full voice acting make the very flash-esque nature of the cutscene animations a lot more appearent. It's not a huge deal, since WarioWare has always been simplistic in it's animation style (though it did start to look surprisingly nice in Game & Wario) and in a way that's part of the charm, but it can be distracting at times and it's really blatant when a character just has their base artwork plastered into a scene, rather then a unique drawing.

Music

The game is full with catchy beats as always and I was bobbing my head along a lot while playing, but I want to adress two particular highlights:

-First are the unlockable records, which include all previous vocal themes, but not in their in-game versions, but rather their uncompressed original forms! Sure the instrumentations for several of the tracks are a bit simplistic, but clearer sound quality is really nice, even if I liked the original GBA/DS versions all the same.

-The Final Stage theme, which adds to the surprisingly climactic nature of it all, especially since it is essentially a dark reprise of Gold's main theme:

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Voice Acting

A major addition to the game and there were bound to be a lot of voice changes, so this is where opinions are going to split a lot, but I found the acting quality as a whole to be a pleasent surprise. Nobody sounds bad, I got used to the voice changes rather quickly, the voices fit the characters, with Ashley and 18-Volt being particularly perfectly cast and Charles Martinet continues to be brilliant as Wario, to the surprise of nobody ever.

Gameplay

It's WarioWare, but for the first time since Smooth Moves it's a new title where control is really the only major gimmick to the game, which is nice to have again. We get four stage dedicated to the Mash, Tilt and Touch controls, two remix stages and Wario Deluxe, which mix those, along with Fronk microgames and Mic games, several Challenge modes and missions.

The Fronk and Mic games have a more downplayed presence then I expected, especially the Mic games, which there's only 5 of, along with a few Wario Deluxe games that also involve the mic and I honestly think that's alright, I didn't mind the Mic games in Touched as many others did, but the control scheme makes many of the games feel very alike in how you play, so it's not really suitable for a whole stage in my opinion.

The basic gameplay is classic WarioWare, without any major tweaks to the formula, though some stages will have you switch between the different control schemes, which thankfully works better then I initially worried it would, with the transition being pretty smooth and giving you time to adjust, without breaking the pace.

The microgames are an interesting case, most are returning ones, but a number of them have seen some tweaks to make them feel a little more fresh, such as Smooth Moves' games being repurposed to work with Tilt or Touch controls or how Loot Scoot from the first game is now a boss game or how some games while largely the same have slightly altered objectives, such as the Mario Clash microgame requiring you to hit an enemy twice, on Level 3. With that said, even with those changes the feeling of familiarity with the old games is still quite appearent, the combination of new visuals, gameplay tweaks, new games in between and having them all mixed together does a good job of not presenting the game like a rehash, but rather a ''best off'', but if learning and memorizing whole sets of brand new microgames was one of you favorite parts in previous games, then this one won't deliver as well in that regard.

The challenge modes range from the usual Tower modes, to the welcomed return of WarioWatch and Gamer, as well as four new ones, like my personal favorite of the new modes ''Split Screen'', which has you alternate between the 3DS' screens, essentially playing the games back to back, with no transition and very little time to prepare. After Game & Wario I got interested in the idea of trying to mix the WarioWare gameplay with some major gimmicks like Gamer did, so I was naturally happy about this.

Souvenirs

This is one part that's a bit disappointing, there's some good ones here, such as the music records, the ability to voice cutscenes yourself or extra minigames, but many of them feel like filler, such as alarm clocks of every single character or phone numbers, which are only there to be used on the phone souvenirs and aren't interesting on their own. This is one aspect of the game that feels like it got the short end of the stick, the souvenirs were always just toys to play around with, but you got a lot of creative stuff out of it, there isn't a whole lot of that here, unfortunately.

Wario Land References

I am fine with Ware doing it's own thing, but I always appreciate nods to Wario's other major series as well and Gold is really generous in that regard.

-The entire plot of the game is kicked off by Wario stealing a treasure.

-Loot Scoot which was blatantly Land inspired has been promoted to a boss minigame.

-The new version of Driver's Ed from Smooth Moves has Wario drive in his car from Land 4.

-18-Volt's set includes a Land 3 microgame.

-The new version of Fly ' n' Fall from DIY features Tiny Warios.

So yeah, you have listened to me gush over the game for long enough. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's the first Ware game in a long time and the first non-experimental Ware game in an even longer time and it does a lot of things that I like and/or wanted to see, so yeah, of course I'm going to be happy.

Good game, that's the sweet and short version right there.

#WarioWare #WarioWare Gold

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felicityb-reviews · 6 years

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Lee Taemin - Feature Spotlight

Um... Surprise?!?!!?

So... While developing my playlists for my SHINee FSLs, I ran into a few problems (I guess). SHINee has such a wide and varied discography, I feel like it'd be a dishonor to them to just throw songs from completely different eras together like it wouldn't be an incredibly jarring experience. I also couldn't decide on a set number of tracks from each album to put in each playlist; I feel like doing more than three songs per album when pulling from four and five albums would just muddy up the playlist and make it unfocused.

So.

Do enjoy this Taemin FSL (I was planning on doing one on him March, anyway), while I work on my SHINee FSL series.

And yes, that does mean the SHINee tribute is going to extend into February; I'll keep you all updated as best as I can.

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Wicked (ACE)

Oh Wicked... You swerved my ass big time when I first listened to you. Idk how, but to be fair - hindsight *is* 20/20.

Wicked starts out with a very calm trumpet line over smooth chords, but it doesn't stay that way for long. Quite like it's hard to keep Taemin in his clothes, the sassy Funk elements just couldn't stay tamed. But that's okay. That's why we like Wicked.

This is a song that I'd really love to see Taemin perform with a live band. Maybe a little choreo. But mostly just Taemin having fun with his backing band. That'd be so cool.

I'm Crying (Flame of Love)

When Taemin announced that he was debuting in Japan with Sayonara Hitori, I was... Intrigued™. I mostly didn't know what to expect (especially with Taeminnie serving Elvin Royalty/Fantasy Prince realness with the teasers), but I was real interested in what the music would sound like. Cause that's what I'm here for, sis.

I'm Crying is J-Pop af. It's also the closest thing to a ballad that I'd enjoy from Taemin. Idk why I don't like his ballads, they just feel bland and so unlike him to me. But I'm Crying is perfect, because it's got that Japanese Winter Ballad™ (all my J-pop fam knows exactly what I'm talking about) feel, but with his signature drama mixed in.

My favorite aspect of the song is how soft and bittersweet the opening melody is. It's such a simple piano melody, but I'm such a sucker for them. And when the strings kicked in?!?!!? I was gone, b.

One by One (Press It)

If ACE showed us Taemin's potential as a soloist, then Press It is Taemin realizing that potential, and showing us Lee Taemin, the artist. ACE remains my favorite body of work by Taemin, but Press It has some of my favorite songs by him.

Like, Top five favorite, sis.

Remember when I mentioned Taemin's signature drama?!?! One by One is a great example of that. Jonghyun is King of the Drama Gays, but Taemin is the Crown Prince. Every time I listen to One by One, I imagine Taemin dancing in the rain to it. Yes honey, full on '90s drama. And it fits, because One by One (hell, the best songs from Press It) all have a '90s flare to them.

Crazy 4 u (MOVE)

Crazy 4 u is one that might have fooled me if I hadn't peeped ha from the jump. See, you don't spring a song like Wicked on a bitch, and expect to surprise ha again with a song that starts out just the same. No ma'am!!

Crazy 4 u, to its credit, stays in the midtempo range for the first verse and prechorus (quite a bit longer than Wicked). Then the beat gets really going, and finally explodes into an RnB influsrd Future Bass style drop. Crazy 4 u never quite pops like Wicked does, but this is another song I'd like to see Taemin perform with a live band. But this time, I definitely wanna see him doin' it big with the choreo.

Door (Flame of Love)

Door is a song I'm surprised I haven't seen on a Korean release from Taem. It's very Jpop-esque, but if anyone could sell J-Pop style music to a Korean audience, it'd be these SHINee boys.

Door is a song that fits right in with the rest of Taemin's repertoire; midtempo with lots of drama. But damn if this man doesn't have me hooked to this type of song from him. He just does them so well, and I just really appreciate that.

Heart Stop (featuring Kang Seulgi of Red Velvet) (MOVE)

Heart Stop was a song that was H I G H L Y anticipated, because of one Miss Kang Seulgi. If we're not counting Drip Drop (which features unctredited background vocals from Miss LiVii/Alice Vicious), Heart Stop was Taemin's first official collaboration as a soloist.

And what a collaboration it is, sis.

Heart Stop is pretty upbeat for a Taemin b-side, but idk if I'd call her an uptempo. She's got groove, but this isn't "dance at the club music"; this is "seduce your mans into giving you $500k" music. Whatever you want to call her, I need Taemin and Seulgi to carve out some choreo to this, and scalp me. They're both awkward as hell around the opposite binary gender (cause they're both so fucking gay), but with some preparation, we could avoid the awkward (but still iconic) mess that was Taemin's collab stage with Sunmi.

Or Seulgi's dance stage with Taeyong. God, that was so fucking bad.

As far as collaborations go, Seulgi is present on the song just as much as Taemin is, and that is really appreciated. They even go as far to sing some sections together, and that was way more than I was expecting. Typically, collabs like this have the featured artist sing/rap one part in the song (typically the bridge) and then they're done. So it's nice to see them make this a Seulgi song as much as they made it a Taemin song. Cause idk if I'd like this as much as I do if it was just Taemin.

Soldier (Press It)

Can we give it up for Press It one good time, y'all?!!?! This album is top heavy with midtempos, but Taemin delivers every single one of them effortlessly. The album is a masterpiece, and I fall in love with it again every time I give it a listen.

Soldier is the quintessential Taemin midtempo. It's what comes to mind whenever I think of his style, sis. Soldier become a timeless classic within Taemin's repertoire, because a) he loves to perform the motherfucker and b) it's first song of his that we hear that *sounds* like Taemin, if that makes sense. I love it.

Play Me (ACE)

Play Me is the song I was expecting when I heard Wicked for the first time. But I'm glad Wicked turned into a funky uptempo, cause it sho' woulda' been awkward to have two sexy, smoldering midtempos so close to each other on an album as short as ACE. Play Me plays out (heh heh heh) the way you'd expect it, but there's nothing wrong with that. She doesn't reinvent the wheel, but she does her job well and that's what matters in my book.

Do It Baby (Flame of Love)

Do It Baby is Taemin givin' us an east meets west affair. The song features a hip hop beat, accented by a Far East sounding riff. I would probably hate this if it didn't work out so well, but God does it work.

if Taemin ever had the urge to film a video for this, I'd wanna see him doing a lot of martial arts inspired posing (similar to what 2NE1 did in I Love You) to the verses and breakdown, and then pull out some break dancing to the beat switch in the latter half of the song. It'd be so fucking cool.

Sexuality (Press It)

Can we give it up again for Press It, you guys?!?! Cause not only are all the midtempos strong as fuck all, but the uptempos are bloody amazing, girl!!

Sexuality is a very different song than what we're used to seeing from an SMe act. Not to say that SM is unfamiliar with a little controversy in their music (BoA's Kiss My Lips, anyone?!?!?!?!), but sis... The song is titled Sexuality.

Lee Taemin is bold as fuck, ladies and gentlemen.

Sexuality is Taemin's drama translated to an '80s template, with a heaping dollop of sex added for good measure. I can't listen to this song in public (as expected for a song titled Sexuality), but it's just so fucking good.

I never knew I needed '80s Taem till Sexuality and MOVE snatched my wig and blasted her into the sun, but now I need every album of his moving forward to include a song like this.

Ace (ACE)

Ace is another song I can't listen to in public. Mostly cause I'm too busy body rolling and giving JRE levels of stankitude in the face. But also because it feels like Taem is trying to fuck you through the music.

This is not a drill, folks - Lee Taemin is trying to sex your body with his Ace. And fuck if I'd ever stop that demon from ruining my life like that.

Ace is what us niggas Negroes of American Nationality like to call a sex jam. A classy sex jam, to be specific. This is not the song to jump zaddy to. Taemin has been generous enough to provide Sexuality for that. No baby, Ace is for lighting some scented candles, putting on your sexiest lingerie, and romancing your mans (or woman, because you know my gay ass doesn't discriminate) into bed with you. Ace is for those nights when you wanna take it nice and slow.

Ace is a rarity within the K-Pop landscape. You don't really hear songs like this. Most love songs are PG as fuck all, and there's not a damn thing wrong with that. I love to be all soft and giggly. But sometimes I want something more sensual.

Tiger (Sayonara Hitori)

So, remember how I said Taem could bring some of his Japanese songs over to Korea, and make it work?!?!

Tiger is not one of those songs.

Tiger is J-Pop as fuck all. Tiger is the type of song the Final Battle™ of an anime/video game would be animated against. Tiger is the opening theme to a dark fantasy anime. Tiger is, simply put, everything I wanted from a Japanese Taemin release. This song fits him so well, and I fucking love it.

Yes, I even love the breakdowns that are all wub wub'd out, because a) it fits the song so well (Tiger could be described as an experiment in how to do extreme sonic shifts without alienating your listener) and b) it's not some Skrillex style bullshit. If Taemin had decided not go with Sayonara Hitori as the feature track for his debut, I'd have loved to see him do Tiger. Especially with those Elvin Royalty/Fantasy Prince Lewks™ he was serving with that silver weave.

FINAL DRAGON (Sayonara Hitori)

If you I were to judge the whole of Final Dragon by just the first thirty seconds, it'd have gone on the trash on first listen. I don't know what's up with that weird Gregorian chant. But it gets better. After Taemin sets the atmosphere (I guess) with his little spoken word, we get thrown into a half time section with the most dramatic horn n violin duet I've ever heard.

And that's when the real fun starts.

Final Dragon is another song that would absolutely not work in Korea. This style of hard rock mixed with symphonic instrumentation sounds very Japanese in texture. But once again, this why we were intrigued by a Japanese Taemin debut. Not only did it make sense financially (Taemin is very popular in Japan), it makes sense musically and thematically.

Final Dragon shows off Taemin's title as the Crown Prince very effectively. This is another song I need to see Taemin perform with a live backing band. I put Final Dragon right after Tiger in this list, because it feels like the aftermath of that Final Battle™. It's the ending theme to Tiger's opening theme. Yes, the two songs were side by side in their original track listing, but sis...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Rise (MOVE)

Firstly, if you're listening to the playlist as you read, I'm so sorry for that whiplash, baby. I took you from one end of the spectrum to the other, but there's a method to my madness. I promise!!

Rise feels like closure. You just endured this epic battle (and the aftermath of it), and now you're approaching reality again. Rise feels like life after crisis. Rise feels like healing. Like, you don't how you survived, but you're just lucky to be alive.

Rise is a big, rousing power ballad (like most of Taemin's midtempos) that feels like it lives and breathes. I like to think of it more of an experience than a song. Of all the songs I've mentioned I wanted to hear live, this is the one I wanna hear the most.

Thirsty (OFF SICK Concert Remix) (SM STATION)

Thirsty feels like a call out, guys. Thirsty is Taemin tellin' us he knows the way we look at him, and he fuckin loves that shit like the chaotic demon he is. Thirsty is Taemin challenging us to give it to him as good as he gives it us. Possibly.

Thirsty is, simply put, Taemin feelin his oats, babies. It's a loud and bombastic declaration of his sexuality (as if he doesn't wear that shit like a designer feaux fur coat), and it's really cool to watch since Taemin isn't your typical idol soloist.

Alright my loves, that's it for this Feature Spotlight!! Did we enjoy the surprise?!?!? Be sure to tune in next week for part one of the SHINee tribute in honor of Jonghyun at 6pm EST (I promise!!). And speaking of Jonghyun, be sure to check out his Feature Spotlight here. And while you're here, there's no harm in checking out my debut Review Roundup. In case you missed it. Love you, guys!!

#Felicity B #Taemin #Feature Spotlight #SHINee

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batclevercandystudent · 5 years

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Think what you want about motivational quotes, but sometimes, a few simple words hit hard.

The right words at the right time can change your mindset and become a catalyst for change in your life.

But here’s the thing:

The best hustle quotes and motivation quotes aren’t always from self-help gurus and motivational speakers – artists, athletes, and even rock ‘n’ rollers often say exactly what we need to hear.

Here is the quote that did it for me:

”On the day I die, I'll say at least I fucking tried. That's the only eulogy I need.' - Frank Turner, EulogyClick To Tweet My life is now dictated by this sentiment. I refuse to not take action – on my passions, online business ideas, and everything I want out of life.

Do I succeed 100 percent of the time? Nope, not even close.

In fact, doing some quick math – and switching to a basketball analogy – I sink about two out of every ten shots I take. But, you know what?

I take shots every day. Every. Day.

I refuse to not try. I refuse to not fail. I refuse to sit on the sidelines.

This is who I have become. And this is how I play the game. Life is short, so you might as well play as hard as you can.

It can look easy from the outside, but I haven’t always been like this. I spent years spinning my wheels and getting no traction. For a long time, I failed to make the changes that would allow me and my family to live a better life.

But no more.

Perhaps it’s age or perhaps it’s that I’ve learned to stop caring if something will work or not.

Do you know what absolutely will not work?

All the stuff you are too scared to try.

Guaranteed.

If you are looking for a change in your life, these 101 motivation quotes are for YOU.

1. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Jack Reacher has the best one-liners. This quote is a reminder that plans aren’t always enough. You also have to be able to take a hit and get back up.

'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.' – Jack ReacherClick To Tweet

2. No one gets remembered for the things they didn’t do.

Quit talking and start taking action. Frank Turner basically lives by this creed, as a relentlessly touring musician and songwriter. He even finds time to write books!

3. No such thing as spare time, no such thing as free time, no such thing as down time. All you got is life time. Go.

Henry Rollins doesn’t believe in spare time — every second life is passing by. It’s up to you to make the most of it.

4. No one is you, and that is your power.

Dave Grohl, professional rocker, wants you to embrace individuality. Whatever kind of weird you are, stop hiding it and use it as a superpower.

'No one is you, and that is your power.' – Dave GrohlClick To Tweet

5. Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all.

This mindset quote from Dale Carnegie is a light in the tunnel. When it feels like it can’t get any harder, you just might be about to achieve something great. Don’t give up.

6. Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.

We should listen to Samuel Johnson on the subject of perseverance. After all, he did single-handedly write A Dictionary of the English Language — before the existence of typewriters.

7. Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now.

In other words, keep your eyes on the prize. Short-term thinking can keep you from achieving big goals.

8. It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

Every journey must be taken one step at a time. It’s amazing how much progress you can make when you keep taking those steps. Use this goal setting worksheet to break down a big goal into tiny steps.

9. You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.

Perseverance and grit — these are qualities Margaret Thatcher had in spades. Failing on your first try is no reason to quit.

10. Dreams don’t work unless you do.

Positive thinking won’t get you far without positive action. Leadership expert John C. Maxwell is right — you have to put in the work.

11. Don’t play the game. Be the game changer.

12. Success is not given. It is earned.

13. Take a moment and realize how blessed you are.

14. A positive mindset is one of the attributes of successful people.

Focus on what’s possible, what’s good, and what you can do. Author Sandra León writes that a positive mindset for entrepreneurs and leaders is the way to live an abundant life.

15. If you live for the weekends and vacations, your shit is broken.

Gary Vaynerchuk says your work should not be something to escape. If you’re not excited to go to work, it’s time to make a change. Whether you start a side hustle or explore a new career, do something that excites you.

'If you live for the weekends and vacations, your shit is broken.' – Gary VaynerchukClick To Tweet

16. Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.

This is one of the best growth mindset quotes because nobody wants to fail, but it’s necessary for success. Fail more, learn more, and do better next time.

17. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.

Like so many mindset quotes, this one reminds you to keep trying, despite the risk of failure.

18. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

Scientists like Albert Einstein understand making mistakes isn’t something to fear — it’s fundamental to making progress.

19. Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

What makes a meaningful life? Only you can decide. But for most, it requires occasionally getting uncomfortable and facing challenges.

20. Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, what do I want to do every day for the rest of my life…do that.

If your work makes it hard to look yourself in the mirror, why not start something new? Gary Vee writes about why now, more than ever, it’s possible to make a living with your passion.

You can learn how to start a blog, build an audience, and create a business around just about anything.

21. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

George Bernard Shaw embodied the growth mindset. If you believe growth and change are possible, you have the power to reinvent yourself.

22. Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.

Oscar Wilde reminds us to support our friends, whether they’re winning or losing. Rising above jealousy is part of developing a positive mindset.

23. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.

Learning throughout your life helps you succeed in business. But it also maintains the energy, curiosity, and excitement of youth.

24. When you want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe. Then you will be successful.

Eric Thomas is a master of motivational quotes — with enough passion and desire, you can achieve anything.

'When you want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe. Then you will be successful.' – Eric ThomasClick To Tweet

25. Most people never run far enough on the first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got, and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.

Philosopher William James is a surprisingly good source of hustle quotes. When you start to feel tired, you’re just getting warmed up!

26. Don’t tell me how talented you are. Tell me how hard you work.

As a musical prodigy, Artur Rubenstein had a huge supply of talent. But he knew talent can only take you so far — hard work is the key.

27. Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.

If you do one thing to change your mindset, get comfortable taking risks. There’s not much to be gained by holding back.

28. What got you here, won’t get you where you want to be.

Continued success requires continued growth. That means even as you enjoy your achievements, you should look for new ways to move forward.

29. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

By constantly learning and improving, you can enjoy the present without the risk of being unprepared for the future.

30. The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.

Most of us will never be martial arts masters like Bruce Lee, but this motivational quote provides hope. Average people can do extraordinary things when they focus and do the work.

31. When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

The trick to achieving any big goal is to break down the steps and adjust course as needed. Whether you want to make money online or build a house, the right action steps will get you there.

32. The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.

Don’t waste your life waiting for permission, especially if you have visionary ideas like novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand.

33. It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.

A playful approach to tackling impossible challenges is fun, and as Walt Disney proved, you can build an entertainment empire with it.

34. The best revenge is massive success.

Of course, there are lots of ways to get revenge, but most of them leave you worse off than before. Instead of letting negativity win, Frank Sinatra focussed on achieving massive success.

35. Great things never came from comfort zones.

Neil Strauss is a writer who knows you have to get uncomfortable to uncover great stories and accomplish anything remarkable.

36. To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable.

Death is inevitable, but living a fully realized life can ease the bitterness.

37. Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is.

Another of the brilliant motivational quotes from psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, reminding you to never give up discovering and becoming who you are meant to be.

38. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

Being decisive is a key characteristic for entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to accomplish big things. Decide, then take decisive action.

39. Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, is one of the top 10 best-selling self-help books of all time. I consider it one of the best business books you can read to shift your mindset in a positive direction.

40. How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.

The prolific G. K. Chesterton said losing is inevitable, but you can change how you think about it. The more quickly you bounce back and try again, the more successful you will ultimately become.

41. You can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to dream it, the intelligence to make a realistic plan, and the will to see that plan through to the end.

Sometimes lucky breaks help you get there faster, but achieving big goals is almost always a result of courage, planning, and determination.

42. Security is not the meaning of my life. Great opportunities are worth the risk.

As a powerful member of the judiciary at a time when women were almost non-existent in the profession, Shirley Hufstedler took risks that paved the way for many to follow.

43. The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make a mistake.

This is such a great mindset hack — recognizing that failing to act is often worse than taking the wrong action.

44. Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could … Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

It’s so easy to get caught up in regrets and “old nonsense.” Instead, treat each day as a fresh slate and a new opportunity to find happiness.

45. Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Failure is such a major theme in mindset quotes because it has the power to torpedo ambitions or fuel success, depending almost entirely on how you look at it.

46. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did.

Avoid regrets by doing those things you dream about. Sure, things won’t always work out how you planned, but at least you’ll have tried!

'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did.' – Mark TwainClick To Tweet

47. The problem human beings face is not that we aim too high and fail, but that we aim too low and succeed.

Michelangelo set his sights higher than any artist of his time, and his legacy is a testament to the power of imagination. Whatever you set out to create, reach beyond mediocrity.

48. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.

Another characteristic of a successful mindset is brutal honesty — especially when it comes to yourself. Knowing your flaws means you can work on improving them.

49. What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.

Despite struggling more than most will ever have to, Viktor E. Frankl maintained his faith in humanity. He wrote that meaning is not found in complacency and comfort.

50. Whenever an individual or business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.

Entrepreneurs like Thomas J. Watson don’t stop to congratulate themselves for too long. They set the next goal and get back to work.

51. Improve by 1% a day, and in just 70 days, you’re twice as good.

Incremental changes add up to massive transformations. This quote is motivating on those days when you only have a tiny amount of effort to give.

52. We find comfort among those who agree with us and growth among those who don’t.

Seek out those who have different opinions, knowledge, and experience than you. There’s no growth to be found in an echo chamber.

53. The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it’s the same problem you had last year.

Thanks to John Foster Dulles, you can be sure tough problems don’t disappear when you are successful. As you move forward, you will face new problems with more knowledge and experience.

54. No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.

This mindset quote is so important in this time of continual distraction. It’s up to you to set aside the time for sustained thinking and creativity.

55. Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible.

The artists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs in the world have a mindset of possibility — that’s what enables them to do what’s never been done before.

56. Luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.

Luck is not a mysterious force that appears randomly. You can make your own luck by doing the work to prepare yourself for opportunities.

57. The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.

Motivational quotes like this one from Seth Godin are constantly telling you that to risk being wrong in order to accomplish anything.

'The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.' – Seth GodinClick To Tweet

58. Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.

The world needs your outrageous ideas, crazy dreams, and unrealistic hope. If you believe it’s possible and you want it bad enough, make it happen.

59. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.

Always risk breaking your heart, because what you gain is priceless. Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic is an inspiring book about creativity, that I recommend for anyone who is afraid to create — whether it’s a novel, a business, or a whole new life.

60. A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.

The mindset quotes that speak to us about making mistakes are priceless. When you make a mistake, it’s only a failure if you don’t learn something.

61. The only true failure lies in the failure to start.

Being frozen at the start line is a familiar anxiety to many. With a mindset that embraces making mistakes, we can confidently take that first step and let go of the outcome.

62. Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must also step up the stairs.

Vaclav Havel had a vision, but it only resulted in positive change because he took the necessary steps — despite great personal risk — to make it a reality.

63. By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom. By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.

Humility is foundational to a productive mindset. And as the philosophy of Hui Neng states in this powerful quote, making mistakes is fine as long as you’re honest about your faults.

64. When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?

Influential figures like John Maynard Keynes didn’t accomplish anything by ignoring facts. If everyone could get comfortable saying, “I was wrong. I change my mind,” the world would be a better place.

65. The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.

Self-improvement is more than a selfish quest for success and fulfillment. It’s also a way to improve the world around you by contributing your best work.

66. It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.

Brilliant scientists like Albert Einstein have a mindset that fosters creative problem-solving. That means spending as much time as it takes to find a solution, and not giving up until you do.

67. Don’t worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people.

This is an incredible shift in mindset, suggested by an expert in business innovation, Clayton Christensen. Instead of measuring success based on personal accolades, consider how many people you have helped. For example, to sell courses online, think about how you can help your audience.

68. To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

69. Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.

Keeping a positive mindset when bad things happen is not easy. This motivational quote from Samuel Johnson helps — getting broken down is part of becoming who you were meant to be.

70. Failure is success if we learn from it.

Turning failure into success is as easy as changing your mindset. When you see them as valuable learning opportunities, failures can’t stop you.

71. A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

Whether you call them haters, naysayers, or simply the status quo, there will always be people trying to keep you from going after your dreams. Enjoy the rush of proving them wrong.

72. History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.

It’s true that the most stunning victories often happen after the hardest struggle. If you get discouraged and give up, there’s zero chance of winning.

73. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

This motivational mindset quote can get you through those moments when you feel like giving up. It could be your very next attempt that works.

74. It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.

Looking at people who have “made it,” you can’t always see the work they put in behind the scenes. Success is rarely due to a single lucky break — put in the effort, and be ready for opportunities.

75. Unless you’re willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another go, success won’t happen.

There’s no way to avoid failure, so you had best get comfortable with it. Take a closer look at any successful person and you will see a string of failed attempts in their past.

76. Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.

Are you really living, or just going through the motions?

77. There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy.

These three things get right to the heart of how to think like an entrepreneur. If you can shed these “musts,” you gain resilience, humility, and determination in the face of challenge.

78. It is never too late to be what you might have been.

This quote is an inspiration to stop wishing for a different past. Instead, create a different future.

79. There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

This is not like most quotes about motivation — it’s about avoiding pain rather than chasing success. Maya Angelou is giving you a directive to create: write, paint, sing, sculpt, and avoid the pain of staying silent.

80. It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

At first glance, this quote seems contradictory. How can you become who you already are? The answer is to stop living according to the expectations of others.

81. Knowing what is, and knowing what can be, are not the same thing.

Psychologist and mindfulness researcher Ellen Langer has written much on the subject of possibility. Her research proves that shifting awareness towards possibilities (and away from limitations) is transformative.

82. We should open ourselves to the impossible and embrace a psychology of possibility.

These mindset quotes from Ellen Langer reinforce the idea that changing your thoughts changes your reality. If you blindly accept that something can’t be done, you will never try.

83. Certainty is a cruel mindset. It hardens our minds against possibility.

If you are certain your circumstances can’t change, you will never try to improve them.

84. There is always a step small enough from where we are to get us to where we want to be. If we take that small step, there’s always another we can take, and eventually, a goal thought to be too far to reach becomes achievable.

Don’t worry if it seems too far away right now — it’s not impossible! Use a goal setting worksheet to help you break down your goals into achievable pieces.

85. Failure is not fatal, but failing to change might be.

This growth mindset quote from Coach John Wooden forces you to look at where you refusing to change. You have to change something to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.

86. Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of being.

This takes a minute to sink in, but doesn’t it take the pressure off? Success isn’t about winning. It comes as a result of always working to improve yourself.

87. There isn’t a person anywhere who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can.

Your thoughts have so much power. Don’t put limitations on yourself before you truly know what’s possible.

88. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

The science of grit reveals that perseverance and sustained effort are more important than most other factors in achieving a goal. That means not giving up.

89. The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.

Enid Blyton talks about treating obstacles with a playful and positive mindset.

90. Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.

Roger Crawford had more challenges than most athletes, but that didn’t stop him. He believed challenges would keep coming, and his job was to get past them.

91. The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.

To change your mindset away from negativity, focus on looking for the opportunity in any situation.

92. Today I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered.

Each day is part of our life story, whether we think about it or not. So why not make each one memorable in some way?

93. We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.

Maya Angelou writes about resilience in this inspiring mindset quote. You should never let failures and losses define you, or defeat you. Keep going.

94. Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.

Og Mandino, Greatest Salesman in the World, is all about the hustle quotes. When you’re determined to succeed, you can fail, shake it off, and try again as many times as it takes.

95. What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.

This mindset quote goes beyond the advice to face our fears. Ralph Waldo Emerson digs deeper and tells us to follow our fears. The things we avoid based on fear, are often the most necessary.

96. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

The beautiful image in this quote from Anais Nin is powerful because it inspires such hope. We don’t have to be stuck forever — there is potential for growth when we are ready.

97. Sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by doing the things you are not supposed to do.

There is wisdom in following curiosity. Instead of following the expectations of others, you can choose to do what excites you. That’s how you can find out who you really are.

98. Being a true badass has no weight or gender requirement — just 100% commitment to greatness.

It’s easy to focus on what other people have — talent, wealth, good genes — and get discouraged. What you can’t always see is the commitment and hard work behind the scenes.

99. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

Eminem is not typically known for his motivational quotes, but this one hits me every time I hear it on the radio.

Life really is just a one-shot deal. Since you can’t do it over, all you have is right now to jump on every opportunity.

100. Create a vision and never let the environment, other people’s beliefs, or the limits of what has been done in the past shape your decisions.

Tony Robbins is not only an expert in motivation — he’s a master of belief. He teaches people to harness the power of thoughts and beliefs to transform their lives.

101. Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.

The time is now. Each day you put off taking action on your dreams, you risk losing the chance. Want to start a business? Choose one of these online business models and start today.

Use these motivation quotes for more than just motivation – take action!

As fun as a list of motivational quotes is to read, they are meant to inspire you to take action.

The goals you have for your career, business, and life – none of these can happen without you taking the action necessary to turn them into a reality.

So take just one of these quotes and use it – print it out, get it tattooed on your arm, whatever it takes. But use it to do work that matters to you.

You got this.

The post 101 Motivational Quotes: Simple Words to Change Your Life appeared first on Hack the Entrepreneur.

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thejustinmarshall · 6 years

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Interview: Judas Priest Has the “Firepower” to Rock

Interview by Danny Coleman

“I think all artists want to do new material and I say that including myself we always want to come up with new things or just play different grooves or new beats or whatever you can do. I mean nobody is gonna reinvent the wheel drum wise or I’m certainly not but it’s fun to do different stuff and new stuff but the creative side for all of us, again, all musicians want to keep creating and come up with new stuff and in our world when this tour kicks off it’ll be almost three years since we played live. So in other words, that’s a big gap and you’ve gotta do something in that time and as a working band you’re either going to be touring in that gap or make a record and in our case it was obviously the latter,” says Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis as he spoke about the band’s new release and upcoming tour.

“Firepower” (Epic Records) is the new CD, their first studio material in nearly four years and it lives up to its name from start to finish. “I think people will like it, it’s 14 tracks and people have the leisure to listen to it if they want to and in what capacity they want to. They should live with this one for a while because it’s a lot to take in at first but there is a lot of good, different stuff on there. Richie (Guitarist Faulkner) hasn’t done 15 or 18 Priest records like the other guys, so he obviously has a lot of ideas and input. We re-employed Tom Allum and he produced some of the most respectable and successful Priest records, “Scream For Vengeance” and “British Steel,” namely those two so he’s rejoined us and is back on board and then Andy Sneap who is more of a modern producer so it is the best of both worlds and everything came together.”

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“Firepower” hits the masses March 9 and is part of a busy couple of weeks for the band who also released a lyric video for, “Never The Heroes” on March 2 and will be kicking off a tour on March 13 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. as well as hosting a meet and greet album signing on March 19 at 6 p.m. in NYC at Sony Square. “There was a big gap between the last time we toured or released a record so it’s natural for people to say; hey where ya’ been? We’re not exactly social media stars so people wonder; hey what has the band been up to? Obviously we made a record and with this new album I can definitely say that with Richie, Glenn (Guitarist Tipton) and Rob (Vocalist Halford); it’s the songwriting. We didn’t specifically set out to do it any one way, I think it’s the process. Making a record has stages, the songwriting and then there’s the performance part of it and then the combination of the guys behind the mixes coming up with ideas of their own and helping us produce it. It is definitely a collaborative effort. So if we as a band achieve what we’d hoped, then that’s what we wanted to do. A lot of bands can say they want to do something; how many actually can pull it off? The listener has to hear what we as a band tried to accomplish and it’s up to them to say if it was great or it sucked but we as a band can’t say what the listener should feel, think or hear; that’s on them. This time around we went back to a more organic recording state. We went in a room with a guy with the guitar plugged in and a bass player plugged in and Rob in the booth doing some scratch vocals or something but we actually were playing with the guys that we were making the record with and we had gotten away from that a bit but we brought it all back with fury. There’s going to be ebbs and flows with the timing and/or togetherness but rather than correct everything on a computer with “Pro Tools” where you’re,”Mixing with your eyes,” which is a phrase that I’d never heard. It means that you make sure everything is lined up perfectly but then it sounds like it was done by a robot. We mixed with our ears and there’s nuances in there but we’re gonna leave them because that’s how it came across when we recorded it.”

Travis grew up in a somewhat musical environment, his mother went to Julliard and performed often in New Jersey and his brother who is 10 years older exposed him to The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and Elvis through an extensive record collection. However, he bristles a bit when asked about his influences as he feels, for rock drummers they are all much the same.“I was always around music growing up and I vaguely remember some things but I remember seeing a drum set and I liked the look of it, the metal and the chrome and thinking yeah that’s kinda cool and then you see the actual movement of a drummer whether it be Ringo or anybody else and you see it first hand and yeah. Influences? I’m gonna answer that but I find it, well I guess everybody wants to know but it’s always the same guys if you’re a rock drummer. We all love Bonham and Neil Peart and Alex Van Halen, Tommy Aldridge, Ian Pace; it’s always the same guys and of course Ringo. Ringo was the first commercial rock drummer, long before Tommy Lee or any of those guys. I mean that is the rock drummer who you look at and say, wow that looks like a cool gig.”

With the start of the tour looming just days away, Travis is chomping at the proverbial bit to get back out on the road; something he very much enjoys. “I can’t speak for the other guys but I can’t wait to get back on the road,” he said with enthusiasm. “I don’t know if you’ll get this emphatic answer from the rest of the band but nobody’s getting younger in any capacity and it’s almost three years since we’ve toured and touring is where it is. I like the travel, like seeing the fans reaction and that’s what we live for. That’s why you started playing drums at the age of 13 for nothing! It wasn’t for chicks or money or whatever or you were thinking you’re going to buy a boat or something; it was because you liked to play. Then the next natural progression is to play in front of people, whether its three people or 10 people at a keg party, I’ve done that a hundred times (Laughs) or a high school talent show, I did that too and everything in between and you do it because that’s what you do. My first gig was a middle aged women’s fashion show; she was my neighbor, this was bizarre. My neighbor would hear me practice so she knew I played the drums, I was 14 years old. This was not a Victoria’s Secret fashion show with 20 year old models, this was a middle aged woman’s fashion show at a country club and she asked me to play the intermission to liven the event up so she knew it was going to be boring. So she literally had me on stage, on a piece of carpet just to do a little drum solo. They opened those big red velvet curtains and here I just started playing and I played for four or five minutes and that was it. I literally played to wake people up at a women’s fashion show; didn’t get paid, didn’t care. So, yeah, me personally; I like being on the road.”

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Travis feels that when the band does go on the road, they need to satisfy both old and new tastes; walking that line between the classic hits versus the new material. “On tour it’s a fine line to walk because you should play the classics and of course if you have a new record you want to play some of that; you need to satisfy everyone as much as possible.”

To discover more about Judas Priest, their upcoming release, the tour and/or the album signing, please go to www.judaspriest.com.

Danny Coleman (Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled “Rock On Radio” airing Sunday evenings at 10 p.m. EST on multiple internet radio outlets where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.)

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studio77photouk · 6 years

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Photography Business Tips from Top Ohio Wedding Photographer Ben Hartley

Within the previous few years I’ve made some massive changes in my photography industry and the way I go about doing things. That could be a lie, and that I came up in my with all my thoughts, although I’d love to mention that I am just a genius. I am sure I picked up little nuggets of wisdom and photography business hints here and there, but the majority of the changes may be traced back to one man, Ben Hartley.

I am sure most of you’re like me, and you’re constantly getting bombarded with emails and Facebook advertisements from photographers attempting to sell you something. Today, I’m certain most of these photographers are still wanting to help, but I’ve been burned with bad products sufficient before purchasing anything, to become very leery.

One day I was watching some totally free online webinar with a number of speakers, it was Ben’s turn to speak. I had no idea who he was at that time, so that I came to it. What really stuck out to me was and energetic he was. I’d seen lots of these speakers many of them looked as though they needed to sell me things. Ben seemed to care. That is what caught my attention.

Following that afternoon, I started keeping up with Ben. He shared suggestions and inspiration on daily basis and he had that vitality. I adored it! Finally I purchased two courses from him since I trusted him, Booked 2.0 and Sold, and these two courses really altered my photography enterprise.

I was fortunate enough to get to interview Ben Hartley lately, and I think some of his penetration will truly be a game changer for all of you around.

Photography Business Tips from Top Ohio Wedding Photographer Ben Hartley

Bryan:

Among the things which I believe is enormous regarding any photographer is that their backstory. I understand a great deal of people haven’t, although I’ve heard it before. Why not tell the you have to the photography world and your story?

Ben:

I graduated in 2009 with a degree in oil painting in Bowling Green State University. So I am a city, in Bowling Green, Ohio people 30,000. I did some ministry for a couple of years and then my wife and then went and I have married the week I am looking at that and that she graduated and you sort of add up it. It painting in student loans, the Midwest and debt and paying for a wedding in precisely the same time. So money was tight for people. And so we were attempting to figure out how to do this thing function.

I’d done a fair level using photography. My wife gave me the very notion of it. We were sort of sitting in our bedroom apartment, and she’s like, “What if you were a wedding photographer? You love people and you have always been sort of good at making things look great.” So that is where it started.

I did the thing I think a good deal of people do when there’s a huge life altering event. They have an idea, they reach out to a friend or a family member and connect and they need that validation this is recommendations or tips, or a fantastic idea, anything like that. So you pick up the telephone and you also call your mother and you call your sister, and you also say, “Hey, this is what I am considering doing, what do you believe?”

I reached out to a photographer who was doing great job. I looked him up to get a set of the property and comprehension of the industry. That was actually the launching point since the words the photographer shared with me. He told me. He said, “Ben, do not do it.” Like do not turn into a photographer. Like you can’t and not everybody that has a camera may be a photographer. You’re just going to bring down the industry.

I decided wouldn’t be my fate.I heard and that I put everything into this, and well today here we are. So that is what rather started everything.

Bryan:

I am so grateful you didn’t listen to this photographer. It’s amazing that you took those words that could destroy most folks and flipped it.

Can you do anything besides wedding photography?

Ben:

I didn’t wish to put all of my eggs in 1 basket. And so I got a job. I started using for graphic design projects and I opened a wedding photography studio. I worked for a couple of years in a design studio. I do creation so I learned before I was a photographer, video production, motion graphics, animation to 3d modeling. And video is always had a little bit of my heart. Now to the day we have a single movie customer a year just to keep us going, inspire, you know, do something different every single now. We do some video production too.

Bryan:

When you’re first starting out it’s so hard to be detected and find small business.

What should photographers do to stand out from all the other photographers? What should they do to acquire clients? What has made you so successful?

Ben:

I’ve always seen creative and talent and the skill since the thing. Your job has to be freaking incredible. You’ve got to have gear that is amazing and you’re work has to be incredible and you need to know what you’re doing. Therefore, in the event that you believe that’s likely to be you’re mistaken.

I believe the majority of us also have to be realistic and realize that it’s likely to take more. Because people are fundamental the planet is essential. If it is possible to focus on individuals, focus on relationship that is overall, then you will win. Human and Empathy people in the eye . And getting face to face conversations and actually giving a damn about someone since they are a person, not since they are a customer, not since they are a bride and groom together with the financial institution, not since they are getting married not because of their venues. Nope. Because they are just an individual.

So how do you separate? By heading back to the fundamental human desire you separate and that is to be known, to be noticed, to be known, to be seen, also to give that to folks back and actually to be seen.

Bryan:

I recall when I was beginning from the wedding world. I was just like looking in contrast to others and my , my idea was, Why am I not getting booked ? My photographs are as excellent. I believe you’re so perfect. I mean, people need. They need someone they can associate, they need someone they enjoy being around. If you’re true with people and you’re energetic together, they are likely to need to be about you and should you connect together, and it’s gonna work out in your favor.

What’s the biggest mistake you have ever made?

Ben:

As a photographer, the biggest mistake I’ve ever produced there is double booking an occasion, such as messing up just like that. I believe that is when something like that happens, the reason why it’s just so devastating. Then you’ve got to make that telephone call and you have got to really have a conversation and try to work out a plan.

Bryan:

That is tough. Photographers have it challenging. We have to do things from photographing to reserving. Companies have departments dedicated to each one of these things. We have to learn how to handle each of it.

What do you really believe the best investment that a photographer can make?

Ben:

Being surrounded by really good men and women that are doing better than you. It’s like an investment of time and intentionality and it will cost money sometimes. I recall going in and flying out in Vegas to WPPI and seeking individuals out I knew I needed to learn. I was not doing better than them, they’d encounter me, they neglected and that I could learn from it.

There is no magic bullet in this market, but if there was something that would be near it, it’d be learning from everybody else who is gone. It recognizing like why am I attempting to reinvent the wheel? And someone else has already done it and they’ve done very well and that I can go and I can learn from them.

Bryan:

Can there be anything that photographers generally ought to be doing right now they’re do? Something most individuals are passing up?

Ben:

I see plenty of photographers focusing their attention and their own time on locating the spot, the quick fix to this enormous deep hole. If I could figure out this preset to use or should I just can learn how to price my things the manner he does it, or when I could learn this script, then it’ll get the job done. I’ll be successful.

What happens is we get to the close of the year together with each these different things to do and all these different hints and thoughts and it ends up being sporadically and it ends up falling flat and I think that it falls flat since our core values our core beliefs are not actually like steering the thing properly and your palms and your activities will follow your core beliefs.

I believe we just try to lead too often with like doing an action and tactics. What we need to do is chill out and slow down and think, What am I building? Why am I building this thing? Where do I need this to go? Truly having a heart check about where do I need my heart to lead this enterprise?

Once you figure out your beliefs and as soon as you find out that you are, after you figured out what it is you wish to build, then you thrash. And when I state thrash I mean try and understand and mess up and try again.

Bryan:

I definitely think that. In case you have those core beliefs, then it’s likely to guide the rest of your organization and the way you do everything. If you’re sitting there considering a decision you just need to go back to what you centered off everything of. If you think in treating your clients the way you treat a family member, then than if it’s all about the cash or anything it’s a whole lot simpler to make a decision.

Decision

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed getting to speak to Ben. His energy is contagious, and it had been as much pleasure as watching his videos.

He has so much fun to speak to, but he also has such excellent advice.

1. Figure out what you think and set off your core values for your business. What’s it you take care of and what exactly is it you wish to achieve?

2. Ensure that you have skills and all of of the equipment and your work is excellent you need, but more importantly, focus on individuals. Be kind and care about individuals.

3. Keep going! It’s going to be difficult but do not let others tell you you can’t get it done!

Hopefully these pictures business tips have been useful to you. If you’d like to know more, Ben gets the or you can go to the Web Site to test out his free courses, 7 Day Photography Business Crash Course. You might follow him instagram. Now, in the event that you truly wish to get the full experience, go see Ben Hartley reside in person in the in March!

The post <p>Photography Business Tips from Top Ohio Wedding Photographer Ben Hartley</p> appeared first on Studio 77 Photography Gwent Wedding Photographers.

from Studio 77 Photography Gwent Wedding Photographers http://www.studio77photography.co.uk/photography-business-tips-from-top-ohio-wedding-photographer-ben-hartley/

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thisaintascenereviews · 7 years

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Album Review by Bradley Christensen The Hush Sound – Like Vines Record Label: June 5 2006 Release Date: Fueled By Ramen

The mid-00s gave birth to a lot of female-fronted pop-rock / indie-rock bands, and if I can think of three off the top of my head, Eisley, Rilo Kiley, and The Hush Sound were the most popular. The only one that I didn’t get into when they were around was Rilo Kiley, as I missed the boat on them, despite knowing who they were. Otherwise, though, I was very into Eisley around 2007. They had been around for a couple of years prior, but I hadn’t known about them until I saw them on late night TV. As for The Hush Sound, I don’t know how I came across this band. I might have across them through their Fueled By Ramen connections, as that’s the label they were signed to, and Fall Out Boy frontman, Patrick Stump, produced their second LP, Like Vines. Released in 2006, I got this LP maybe a year after it came out, because I had pretty much gotten into everything FBR had put out. I wasn’t into indie-rock, really, but I enjoyed what The Hush Sound did, ultimately adding a baroque-pop / chamber-pop sound to indie-pop / indie-rock. This band was never one of my favorites, but I remember Like Vines fondly. I picked up the album on CD a few years ago, since it was a favorite album of mine when I was about 13, but I hadn’t really listened to it. I decided to dust it off, thanks to getting into some more nostalgic albums from my youth, just to see how the album’s held up over the last 11 years. Luckily, this LP is only about 36 minutes, so I thought I’d give a quick listen, and you know what? It’s held up pretty well, actually. Like Vines isn’t a perfect album at all, but for what it is, I really enjoy it. Right off the bat, if you’re looking for a quick, brief, and energetic baroque-pop / indie-pop record, this is great for that.

This band is relatively unique, too, because they have a female and male vocalist. Okay, that’s not very new, per se, but you don’t hear that too much anymore. At the time, that was new to me, and this is still one of the few bands that has that in their sound. Both vocalists are really good, too, as well as play off each other quite nicely. Frontman Bob Morris and frontwoman Greta Salpeter have nice chemistry together, and they’re not quite overshadowing one another. They’re not amazing vocalists, unfortunately, but they have an impressive range, either way. Their sound isn’t exactly unique, considering that baroque-pop isn’t new, in the same way that they have a female and male vocalist isn’t new, but it’s done well. Their sound is tight, catchy, and fun, just exactly what it’s supposed to be. I love how diverse it is, too; you have some more piano-pop tracks, indie-pop tracks, and some baroque-pop tracks, so there’s a lot to get into. The hooks on this thing are very tight-knit, too, and that makes sense, because Patrick Stump helped to produce this. Hell, he’s got a brief feature on “Don’t Wake Me Up,” and it comes out of nowhere, but it’s a cool moment. He’s also on “Wine Red,” too, and those are two of the best songs on the record. That’s when the band is at their best, crafting very tight piano-pop / baroque-pop tracks that might not reinvent the wheel, they’re just great for what they are. Back in the mid-00s, when Fall Out Boy was getting bigger, Stump produced a lot of albums from bands on the same label, such as The Cab, The Higher, and The Hush Sound, which is great, because Stump has an ear for great production. His production definitely helps to make this LP great. The Hush Sound aren’t broken up, despite going on hiatus from 2008 – 2012, but I feel as though they’re a very underrated band from the mid-00s alternative scene.

Like I said earlier on, this LP isn’t perfect, but I would say it’s a great record, and I personally love it, but I can’t say that the lyrics don’t do anything for me. Even back then, when I first listened to this album, the lyrics didn’t necessarily connect with me. They were very pleasant, and poetic, but that was about it. There are some memorable lines here and there, but that’s about it. The lyrics are definitely the weakest point of the album, but they’re fine. There’s nothing that’s bad on the album, but I can’t say that the lyrics are cleverly written. Like I said, too, the vocals aren’t amazing. Even though both vocalists have a good range, and they sound really nice together, they’re not Patrick Stump. With that said, though, the vocals are very good, and what helps a lot is that you have two vocalists, versus one, so there’s an interesting and somewhat unique dynamic there. They can work off each other, and neither vocalist overshadows one another, which is something I very much appreciate. All in all, I would recommend this. I mean, fans of indie-pop, baroque-pop, and piano-pop will enjoy this. If you were into Something Corporate, Jacks Mannequin, Eisley, The Honorary Title, and bands in that vein during the mid-00s, ones that had that sound, you’ll enjoy this one. I feel as though they’re a bit underrated, especially in the crop of bands signed to Fueled By Ramen and Decaydance back in the day, but they’re worth a listen, nonetheless. I need to revisit their last album, 2008’s Goodbye Blues, just to see how that’s held up, too, but Like Vines is a nice, sweet, and pleasant little album that’s very short, but it packs quite a punch. There’s a lot to enjoy on this thing, and if anything I said sounded even remotely interesting, definitely give it a listen. You won’t regret it at all.

#the hush sound #like vines #patrick stump #fall out boy #infinity on high #from under the cork tree #eisley #pop-rock #piano-pop #jacks mannequin #something corporate #fueled by ramen

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meditationadvise · 7 years

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This Taurus Supermoon Is The Largest Full Moon Of The Century: Here`s How To Make The Most Of It

Plant those feet on solid earth: The November 14 supermoon in earthly Taurus premises us after a psychological rollercoaster of a week.

As a complete moon lights the skies in the sign of the solid and also opinionated Bull, countless people are still grappling from the stunning outcomes of a historic political election that trembled the U.S. to the core. End result aside, we have to hone our expertise of all sides of the issues available, as well as equip ourselves as advocates of what we most rely on.

We can harness the consistent and relentless power of Taurus, choosing not to be quiet about injustice. Change is in the air, and also this basing Taurus power may lastly aid those of us who've been dazed and perplexed return into our bodies as well as sense.

This year's Taurus moon is also a powerful as well as potent supermoon. It's the largest moon given that 1948 and also if you miss it, you'll need to wait until 2034 for the next one. On November 14, the Taurus supermoon will be at its biggest and also brightest when it becomes full within about two hours of 'perigee'-- the point in its elliptical machine orbit when it is roughly 30,000 miles closer to the Earth.

Outside of national politics, this full moon can also catalyze personal goals that you've functioned long as well as hard for over the previous six months. If you've obtained your sights established on a target, this may be the day you pursue it full-throttle, similar to the 'toro, toro' billing at the matador's cape. Sensuous Taurus can likewise help us mimic calm Ferdinand the Bull, that beinged in the area munching clover all day. Get out in nature, delight your earthly appetites with some purchasing or a decadent meal, indulge yourself (who else could utilize a 90-minute massage therapy?). Do not dislike, luxuriate.

The Taurus supermoon is additionally called a Beaver Moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the moon that drops throughout the month of November was named after the beaver by both homesteaders and Algonquin people. The Beaver Moon noted the moment of year for setting beaver traps prior to the swamps adhered make certain a supply of warm furs that would certainly last the winter.

The two weeks adhering to a complete moon are an extension of the 'harvest' period.

Remember that full moons are harvest, where we gain the benefits of the matching new moon that took place six months earlier. Go ahead as well as get those bounties by the er, beaver-- in the most symbolic sense, of course. Inspect your calendar: The seeds you planted back at May's Taurus brand-new moon may be ripe and ready to bear their fruit today. It's like the old Mexican proverb goes: 'They attempted to hide us. They really did not understand we were seeds.' Incentive: Both weeks complying with a moon are an extension of the 'harvest' period, so collaborate with Taurus till completion of November (and past if demand be!) to see exactly what occurs. It's time to roll up our sleeves and also reach work.

Of course, under the headstrong as well as fired-up Taurus moon, we have to guard against also more severe acts, as individuals dig their heels in and defend their positions, lessening the chances of efficient dialogue. Take care, friends-- and also comply with the required of right-minded Taurus to do the best thing.

In accountable Taurus design, allow all of us hold ourselves as well as others answerable for defending everyone's humanity. As well as allow's hold The U.S.A.'s brand-new leadership answerable for maintaining everybody secure, stood for as well as protected.

Here are 8 empowering means to invite Taurus supermoon symptom right into your life:

1. Know the rules.

Taurus is traditional and a pragmatist at heart. As opposed to reinventing the wheel or throwing the system, try a novel technique: do things the way they were designed. Our society is obsessed with anything brand-new, and currently even more compared to ever before there's a worldwide contact us to squash the patriarchy. As an outcome, whatever's gotten annoyingly complicated. The Taurus supermoon reminds us that in some cases, trying also hard can filth up the whole process. At the Taurus moon, you'll prosper in your world-bettering as well as consciousness-raising undertakings with honesty, humility as well as great old-fashioned tough work. Complying with basic, thoughtful actions is the fast course to results now. It's going to take even more than hashtag advocacy: it's going to take genuine nose-to-the-grindstone effort.

2. Practice radical presence.

The concept of "being in the minute" could appear like a platitude, something your yoga instructor claims prior to everyone hurries off post-Savasana to examine their iPhones. The Buddhists recognize that being Zen is attained by finding the rhythm, circulation as well as grace in the mundane-- the notion of "washing your bowl" or "cut wood, lug water." Taurus controls the zodiac's house of daily routines and also is likewise ruled by sensuous Venus. At the Taurus supermoon, locate appeal in monotony, wisdom in waiting, sanctity in the routine as well as the examination within tolerance. We always joke that knowledge isn't determined by the length of time we could practice meditation, yet that it's enduring the crazy without shedding our cool. Attempt to take a breath with something that seems actually dark and also just ordinary bad right currently. Remember: it's always darkest before the dawn.

3. Accept your inner material woman (or individual).

Taurus policies the zodiac's 2nd house of work money, earned income and also material prosperity. It could be considered gauche to show off riches, and also component of the New Age culture is absolutely an unspoken derision for consumerism-- well, outside of approved brands these days (don't get us began). Naturally, capitalist greed is inflicting major havoc on our planet. But we're still "souls having a human experience" ... as well as that indicates we reside in a three-dimensional world, reliant on our 5 detects. At the pleasure-loving Taurus supermoon, investing money is a method of attesting the world's kindness by appreciating its concrete bounty. It sends a message to the cosmos: I trust you to look after me! Reward: We might all probably advantage from enjoying a little window shopping right now.

If you battle with anxiety or scarcity around cash, the Taurus moon is a tip that money is power, and we have to put it back right into the global supply by keeping it in circulation.

Indulging yourself is a must under this lunar spell. "Where is the joy in life without a taste of the finer points?" asks Taurus. Treating yourself like nobility sends an effective message of "I'm deserving" to the psyche. Given that Taurus controls our self-esteem, this luxe boost will be well timed. Nothing fancy or excessive please. Taurus has to do with timeless elegance and also stylish choices.

4. When doubtful, follow your nose!

Sensual Taurus understands the power of subtle hints, like the appearance of luxe textiles, the splendor of gourmet food, as well as the olfactory power of a fine eau de whatever. Taurus energy is particularly tuned into the feeling of odor. You may visit a perfumerie with a blending bar and also create your very own trademark scent. If you're more right into the natural, have fun with essential oils up until you discover the ideal combination. Your skin's pH also makes a difference. Get examples of fragrances you like as well as let them rest on your wrist for a few hours to see how they transform. A spray from the container alone will certainly not suffice to figure out if a scent is right for you. Set up a diffuser in your house so you're bathed in the glorious scents the minute you go through the door. Take a deep breath in and also allow the scents to gently alleviate the tension and also stress and anxiety you are unquestionably experiencing. Ahh-- currently isn't that better?

5. Shout it from the rooftops.

Taurus regulations the throat (and the throat chakra) and this meaningful full moon wants us to utilize our voices. Whether you're advocating a reason, vocal singing karaoke, or ultimately allowing a person know exactly how you ACTUALLY really feel, verbal expression is the name of the game now.

Caveat: moons are extremely psychological times, so if an unfiltered rush of feelings might create a disaster, duct to a neutral 3rd party before storming off on a tirade. Bear in mind that latest thing Bull can do damage after seeing red. A little rage monitoring goes a lengthy method. How can you get your point throughout in a manner that is positive instead of destructive? Contemplate that, then talk your piece.

If your words haven't been obtaining the action you desire, utilize the Taurus supermoon to bring your throat chakra back right into balance. Chanting as well as vocal singing can help with this, as can alcohol consumption whole lots of water to bring more circulation to the throat. This chakra is related to the shade blue. Put on a collar with blue rocks or slip on an azure turtleneck. Make even more of an indicate listen today also (even when you do not concur with exactly what you're hearing), as gathering details from all sides can help you much better shape your words.

Toning, or sound treatment, is likewise a great healing modality. For something really advanced (as well as oh-so Taurus), look into The Integratron, an amazing structure constructed on a geomagnetic vortex in the Mojave Desert, where site visitors experience an hourlong 'sound bath' from quartz crystal vocal singing bowls played at waves to match each chakra. (We visited ourselves on 11-11 in 2014 and also it was like we would certainly been called house to the Mothership).

6. Affirm your values.

What do you believe in as well as represent one of the most? It's time to obtain behind it! Be it gender equal rights, ladies's legal rights, civils rights or constitutionals rights, Taurus regulates self-esteem as well as values. No, you don't have to be favorable regarding your morals (specifically given that the Taurus moon falls hardly a week after Political election Day). But having a leading principle or more could provide your life form as well as instructions. Make certain to practice exactly what you teach-- and also if you're preaching, ensure that you are notified. If you've been loosey-goosey about your worths, ground on your own in a rule or a straightforward set of ideals that provide you some dignity.

7. Figure out what's REALLY going on.

Because the Taurus supermoon moon drops throughout investigatory Scorpio season, individuals could obtain riled up in an effort to reveal just what's really going on behind the scenes. Commonly, the no-bulls *** Bull could remove one of society's 'spiritual cows.' While we love Taurus power for its practical, bottom-lining approach, excessive of this could veer right into bullheadedness or black-and-white reasoning-- or perhaps bullheaded acts of craze that are straight-out frightening and unacceptable.

However, the Taurus supermoon does push us into unpleasant terrain, asking us to look past idealized views. It's time to open our eyes and also to tip outside our bubbles. The Taurus moon, at its greatest vibration, could help us promote integrity without destroying anybody's personality along the way.

8. Be a treehugger.

You don't have to be a patchouli-wearing hippie to obtain with Mother earth today (although that's fine ... if you assure to use a light discuss the body oil). Earthly Taurus is the 2nd sign of the zodiac, and also rules our rootedness, assisting us develop the capacity to develop and manifest from a solid foundation.

Nothing stands for that sort of security far better compared to a hundred-year old tree towering over our heads. If you cannot bring on your own to cover your arms around that trunk, rest beneath it or lean on it awhile. Visualize yourself absorbing its toughness, safety, ability to grow as well as restore. Give thanks to the tree for its lessons, take an image of it to advise you that nature is resistant and plentiful-- as well as so are you. And also hi, if you wish to meet a friend for a matcha and vegan tapas after that, we would not blame you a bit.

#healing #meditation #spiritual #yoga #yoga instructor

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