Showing posts with label Nerd Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nerd Church. Show all posts

Sunday 17 March 2024

Nerd Church - Should We Judge Older Books By Modern Standards?

 


Warning: this post discusses racism, ableism, and general prejudice, including reference to dehumanising language and slurs


Title: Should We Judge Older Books By Modern Standards?



I've been re-reading* The Princess Diaries for a while now.

For those not aware: this was a massively popular YA series by Meg Cabot from the early 00s where a New York teenager named Mia Thermopolis finds out she's actually the Princess of Genovia. (As you do.)

There also 2 films starring Anne Hathaway, which are fun, but don't really match the tone of the books.


*Well, re-reading the first couple and reading the rest for the first time ðŸ˜…


Wednesday 13 March 2024

Month In Review(s) - February 2024

 

February for yours truly wasn't too bad.

...It wasn't great either, tbh. But it's still one of the better months I've had lately, so I'll take it!



Title: February - Chwefror. Background: desk, hearts, notebook and pen - it's all very artsy


Sunday 10 March 2024

Nerd Church - Short Story: Everyone Is Born With A Void


This story was originally published on the Promptly Written publication on Medium, in response to the following prompt from Ravyne Hawke:


Write a story around the following:

— a bottomless pit
— a moment of despair
— a hopeful or hopeless outcome




Warning: this story contains injury imagery, including acid burns, and also centres on mental health issues (depression,) and hopelessness.


Everyone Is Born With A Void

This is Emmeline's.



Title: Everyone Is Born With A Void. Background: solar eclipse



Sunday 3 March 2024

Nerd Church - Practice Runs and Prototypes


We're so used to seeing our media as the finished product that we rarely think about the component parts...

...the drafts. The demos. The practice runs and prototypes. 



Title: Practice Runs and Prototypes. Background: converse shoes and emo skull stickers



Sunday 25 February 2024

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Writing vs *Writing*

 


In my head, there's a difference between writing and *Writing.*

Like, I'm one of those people who thinks that all writing is writing, and I will take that to whatever bank and/or government authority you want me to.

I mean it - I will back you up 100%. All writing is writing.



Title: Writing vs *Writing*. Background: paper and fancy dried flowers



All writing is writing.

Writing this blogpost is writing. Writing a tweet is writing. Writing a to-do list is writing.

It's all physically (or digitally in some cases, I guess,) writing. 

And all of it works on your skills with words - don't ever let anyone tell you different, m'k? Gatekeepers can get all the way in the bin. *nods sagely*

Wednesday 21 February 2024

Month In Review(s) - December 2023 + January 2024

 

And 2023 is OUT OF HERE!!!!

And thank whoever's listening for that.

Because, in case you weren't aware, my 2023 effing sucked.



December 2023 & January 2024: Rhagfyr 2023 & Ionawr 2024


Sunday 18 February 2024

Nerd Church - I Seem To Be Watching More True Crime...


Warning: This post references true crime and murder, and discusses mental health problems - especially Anxiety.

Disclaimer time: I am not any type of psychological, medical, or scientific expert. I'm a chick with a blog, nothing more, nothing less.



Title: I Seem To Be Watching More True Crime...



Wild-child that I am, of an evening I like to get myself a snack, and a glass of diet coke, and watch TV for a while.

Lately that's meant, more often than not, true crime.

Because there's nothing more calming than some grisly murder before bed.

Sunday 28 January 2024

Nerd Church - Genocide Is Bad, Actually



Warning: this post talks about sensitive topics, including the current conflict in the Middle East, genocide, and the Holocaust


candle





It was Holocaust Memorial Day yesterday (27th January) and one thing needs to be said to honour that: genocide is bad.

No matter who the intended victims are, no matter who the perpetrators are, genocide is bad.

Sunday 21 January 2024

Nerd Church - Beautiful Failure


Warning: some discussion of Anxiety and Depression, brief ref. to abusive friendship


I'm not a fan of failing.

And I know, I know, all the dude-bros and productivity coaches and all that will be like, 'failure is a stepping stone to success!' or some sh**, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't like failing.



Title: Beautiful Failure. Image: fancy flowers strewn artfully over an open book


I mean, no-one likes failing, if we're being perfectly honest.

I, especially, don't like being Wrong (yes, with the capital W,) - my Anxiety and Depression (more of those capital letters,) tend to latch onto being Wrong and run with it.


Sunday 14 January 2024

Nerd Church - Putting Self-Care At The Top Of My To-Do List



I've had to remind myself so many times, over the years, that it's best to take things one step at a time.

...That I only have two hands.

...That I actually get more done when I relax.

And yet... it's still so hard to do.



Title: Putting Self-Care At The Top Of My To-Do List


Friday 15 December 2023

Month(s) in Review(s) - October + November 2023

 

Yes, this post covers two months.

No, I have not done that before.


Title: October + November. Sub-title: Hydref + Tachwedd (which has probably made your screen-reader spit out something incomprehensible, sorry) Background: leafies in browns and oranges and sepias and stuff


But I was already pretty busy/lacking in time in October, and then November...

Well, my criteria for a 'good month' in the hellstorm of 2023 is one where no-one I care about (human or animal,) dies, almost dies, or has a life-changing diagnosis.

Sunday 26 November 2023

Nerd Church - Entropy

 

Sometimes you just need to take things a step at a time.

Sometimes it's just about putting that one metaphorical foot in front of the other - not doing too much, not trying too hard. 

Just. Keeping. Steady.



Title: Entropy



Because in a universe that tends towards entropy, stasis is progress.

Entropy, just to letcha know, is a scientific concept/rule...


Sunday 19 November 2023

Nerd Church - Short Story: Mornings Dawn, Whether You Want Them To Or Not

 


Originally published in the Medium publication Promptly Written, for the quote-prompt '“Some people live just looking for someone to die for.”― Dominic Riccitello' set by Ravyne Hawke.


Warning: this story deals with grief a lot, as well as generally discussing death and related topics.





Mornings Dawn, Whether You Want Them To Or Not






watercolour of a woman
Image by Martina Bulková from Pixabay



Sunday 12 November 2023

Nerd Church - With Respect (Remembrance, and The Call For Peace)


Warning: this post discusses war, death, and atrocities


Some people in the media and politics somehow think that's it's disrespectful to protest for peace on this particular weekend. This post is my response to them.



Title: With Respect (Remembrance, and The Call For Peace)

Sunday 5 November 2023

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: The Words Need To Be Out There, Somewhere


Warning: brief references to Depression and Anxiety


A lot of the time, when I write, it's not so much a choice as an exorcism.

(Metaphorically, ofc 😅 )



Don't get me wrong - I love writing.

But sometimes it's the case that, if I don't do it, these words are gonna rattle around my head and drive me to distraction.

Not necessarily in a bad way. It's just... they gotta come out, y'know?



Title: The Words Need To Be Out There, Somewhere


Sunday 29 October 2023

Nerd Church - Short Story: Bex Is On Her Own


Originally published in the Medium publication Promptly Written, for the following prompt set by Ravyne Hawke:



Use any or all of the following concepts for a story:

— ancient runes/ruins
— a ghostly appearance
— danger is afoot!



Content Warning: I’m not sure what happened to this woman, but I don’t think it was anything good — I felt like I should add a warning, but it was kind of difficult to figure out what for exactly. So just be *waves hands* generally careful!



Bex Is On Her Own

A horror-ish short story


streetlight beneath the moon


Sunday 22 October 2023

Nerd Church - The World In A Spin

 

I recently took up spinning my own yarn from wool - because apparently I wasn't doing enough weird old-timey crafts for my brain's liking.

So, yeah, in addition to my previous heritage (i.e. ye olde timey,) crafts - knitting, weaving, embroidery, and cross-stitch - I now also spin wool fibre into yarn.

...Honestly sometimes my brain just, entirely out-of-the-blue, is like, 'we should learn how to abseil while painting stained glass windows!'* and I'm just like, 'yeah, sure, why not?'

(I do some non-heritage crafts too. Because I am like this, apparently. 😅)


*Don't panic, it hasn't actually suggested doing that. Yet.



Title: The World In A Spin. Image: the globe with an overlaid ball of yarn



Anyhow, it got me to thinking - we don't know enough about how stuff gets made, about where stuff comes from.

We in the modern world - especially in the West and the global North - have become so far removed from the means and methods of production that we can't even fathom it any more.

(Can you tell I was raised by South Wales Valleys (i.e. Socialist,) working-class hippies? Yeah? Great. 😅)


Wednesday 18 October 2023

Month In Review(s) - September 2023


September.

(Yes, I know we're halfway through October - I have a lot of metaphorical plates spinning, and sometimes I drop one 😅 )


Iesu Effing Grist, September.

Well, it wasn't the worst month of this year - by a long shot. But it, uh... it crammed a whole lot of stuff in there.

...I am very, very, tired.



Title: September - Medi. Background: artsy autumn leaves