Here’s a bunch of free tools I’ve used in the making of @sidequestingpod and other audio dramas!
If you ever find yourself thinking "oh, I can't write this Cool But Impractical thing into my story, it's just not realistic", here are a few perfectly realistic reasons why people and even whole cultures would rather do something in an impractical way rather than the sensible one:
weird flex
religious reasons
religious weird flex (someone decided that they are So Religious that they consider the practical method Sinful, and people got competitive about it)
tax reasons (some ruler put a tax on doing something the sensible way and people started doing the impractical alternative as a legal loophole)
someone wildly powerful and popular preferred doing it that way, and everyone adapted to it in order to look cool
someone wildly unpopular suggested doing the practical thing, and everyone went out of their way to avoid doing that in order to not look uncool
it just genuinely never occurred to them that there is a better alternative, and their current method has been honed to perfection/adapted to the infrastructure so deeply that at this point altering it wouldn't be sensible
This is O-Z of some common herbs and their uses
*longer read*
Fidelity
Marriage
Peace
Money
Assures fidelity in love and is used to attract a marriage partner. Inspires fruitfulness and security in love, family, and business.
Prosperity
Stability
Endurance
Protection
Burn onion flowers to banish bad habits and negative influences. Cut onions in half and place in the corners of a room to absorb illness, then bury or burn the onion halves in the morning. Sacred to the moon.
Attracts abundance and happiness through love and marriage.
Concentrate on a yes/no question while eating an orange, then count the seeds -- an even number of seeds means the answer is no, an odd number of seeds means yes. Use the leaves and flowers in love rituals to bring on a marriage proposal. Add an infusion of orange to the bath to increase attractiveness and beauty.
Love
Divination
Luck
Money
House & business blessing
Add to love sachets to help someone make up their mind. Use in sachets & amulets to bring luck to business negotiations.
Concentration
Strengthening memory
Focus
Will power
Joy
Strength
Vitality
Added energy
Use to add energy to any spell or mixture. Throw in someone's yard to cause them problems.
Calms and protects the home
Draws prosperity
Financial increase
Luck
Restores a sense of well-being
Use in spells to increase strength & vitality after surgery or illness. Use in amulets or other magickal workings to help yourself out of a rut. Eat to provoke lust and promote fertility. Place on plates of food to guard against contamination. Useful for bath magick to purify and end misfortune. Mix with jasmine and carry in your shoe to make you more attractive to the opposite sex.
Male sex magick
Lust
Love
Eating pears induces love. Use dried fruit in amulets and sachets for love and lust.
Money
Love
Use to increase the vibrations of a space or in spells and incense for healing & purification. Place in sleep pillow to ensure peaceful sleep and bring about prophetic dreams. Use to anoint furnishings and household objects. Burn in a new home to clear out sickness and negative energy. Use in magickal workings to provide the push needed to bring change to one's life. Carry with other herbs to boost love & abundance wishes.
Promotes clean breaks, new beginnings, prosperity, success, strength, grounding, and growth; Also used for cleansing, purification, and repelling negativity. Great for house and business blessing.
Luck
Money
Chastity
Add an infusion of pineapple to the bath to attract luck.
Healing
Peace
Love
Fertility
Prosperity
Love
Abundance
Image magick
Money
Luck
Healing
Lunar magick
Protection
Lust
Fidelity
Protection
Divine love
Close friendships
Domestic peace/happiness
Lasting relationships
Great for use in incense, potpourri or bath magick. Place around sprains and dark bruises to help them heal faster.
Carried and used in healing poppets for good health, used in love/lust spells, worn to improve memory, used in dream pillows to prevent nightmares, burned as incense for purification and removing negativity. Wear or carry while reading or completing tasks to improve memory of the material and aid clear thinking (great for students!). Use an infusion of rosemary to wash hands before any healing magick. Use in bath magick for purification. Associated with faeries.
Aphrodisiac
Love
Healing
Happiness
Wind raising
Lust
Strength
Burn, wear, or carry for healing and strengthening psychic awareness. Commonly used in love magick, healing spells, and to control the weather. Wash hands with water and saffron or keep saffron sachets in your home to bring happiness.
Used for self purification and dealing with grief and loss. Carried to improve mental ability and bring wisdom. Used in healing sachets & incense. Promotes spiritual, mental, emotional & physical health and longevity. Removes negative energy. Place near a personal object of a person who is ailing when performing healing spells or rituals. Write a wish on a sage leaf and place it under your pillow for 3 nights -- if you dream of your wish, it will come true; if not, bury the leaf in the ground so that no bad will come to you.
Uses include cleansing crystals, purification, grounding, protection magick and ritual. Used on the altar to represent the Earth. Used with water for asperging, sea spells, consecration and casting circles. Used with garlic and rosemary to banish evil.
Add an infusion of shallots to the bath for luck.
Worn to prevent colds & fevers. Placed under pillow to induce prophetic, romantic dreams. Protects against all forms of baneful witchcraft. Place in a jar in a window or burn in a fireplace to protect from lightning, fire and evil spirits. Used for banishing, protection & blessing. Carry to strengthen courage and convictions or when confronting nasty situations. Burn to banish spirits and demons. Used in divination for the care of crystals. Note: Can be poisonous, use with caution.
Burned as incense to increase psychic awareness & abilities. Placed on the altar to increase the power generated. Carried to bring luck.
Attracts success, good fortune, and favorable circumstances. Served as a love food. Leaves are carried for luck. Pregnant women carry a packet of the leaves to ease the pain of pregnancy and childbirth.
Love spells
Sex magick
Energy
Protection
Power
Wisdom
Wishes
Attracts friends and allies; Draws the loyalty and affection of others.
Image magick
Promotes energy
Strength
Vitality
Awakens joy and dissolves negativity
Use in talismans for courage or strength. Use as a base for lust drinks. Burn leaves to ensure future riches.
Eliminating confusion
Increasing harmony
Attracts loyalty
Affection
The good opinion of others
Wear a sprig to ward off unbearable grief or provide strength and courage when needed. Burn or hang in the home for banishing, purification, and to attract good health for all occupants. Use in cleansing baths prior to working candle magick. Use in dream pillows to ward off nightmares and ensure restful sleep. Add a thyme infusion to the bath regularly to ensure a constant flow of money. Place in a jar and keep in the home or at work for good luck.
Promotes peace
Confidence
Personal strength
Banishing
Mix with salt and burn with a black candle to win a court case.
Love spells
Ending relationships
Banishing
Binding
Averting evil
Access to divine energy
Bringing the blessing of the Gods
Wishes
Lunar magick
Sex magick
Chastity
Protection
Carry to ease grief over a lost love. Use in a sachet to reduce passions. Use in love spells and spells to ward off evil.
And as always, merry meet <3
Atti <3
(photo - attichaos)
The fact that Microsoft Word has to be a subscription is upsetting. I already paid for it why do I have to pay again
I love making these oh my gosh.
Why?
It's really fun
It's been a while since my last one
I get an excuse to try yummy recipes
You all are way too good at what you do
It's fun x2
🍊 Orange Peel Tea 🍊
Violet Lemonade
Coconut Summer Drink
Dandelion Honey
The Best Hot Spiced Cider recipe you’ll ever try
Apple Cider is basically a homesteading spell
Rose Lemonade Syrup
100-Year Garlic (Garlic Honey)
Fire Cider Spell for Winter Protection
Blackberry & Apple Jam
Witchy Recipes - Blackberry Lemonade
Prosperity Bread
Lavender Earl Grey Cookies
Easy Rosemary Focaccia Loaf for Love and Protection
Heavenly Lavender Scones
Honey Vanilla Peach Butter 🍑
Pumpkin Pie Dip 🎃
Vanilla-Pumpkin Cupcakes
Super simple secret potato soup
Forest Porridge
Heartwarming potato soup
Perfect Homemade Garlic Bread
Creamy vegetable soup
Springtime Soup
Stuffed Maple dijon glazed roasted butternut squash
Summertime stir fry
Litha Orange Honey Cake
Litha Thyme Chicken
Stuffed Apples for Mabon
Mabon Mug
Imbolc Pretzel wreath
Oatmeal Bread for Lughnasadh
Samhain Mulled Cider
Samhain Irish Apple Cake
(my favorite recipe posts I've made over the years, plus backstories that sound like your grandmother's reminiscing over the past.)
LATE WINTER BUTTER ROLLS
My first post I ever made. I was pretty new to the tumblr community at the time. I loved kitchen witchcraft, and I'm the type of person who will ramble on about how much I love cooking and baking. This blog gave me an outlet to express my love of cooking, baking, paganism, and witcraft. And these rolls are very tasty, I make them to this day!
WITCHY TOMATO BASIL SOUP
Tasty, simple, and a crowd-pleaser. It's perfect for a beginner kitchen witch! It was also the second recipe I ever posted.
SWEET CREAM BUNS
It was a recipe given to me by one of my good friends at the time. Every time I make it, it gets devoured in less than 10 minutes. It was also my first recipe to get over 50 notes. I was shocked but ecstatic that so many people would even give it the time of day lol.
WITCHY THUMBPRINT COOKIES
These ones were just fun to make and delicious lol.
A WITCH’S COZY BUTTERNUT WINTER SOUP
A quick soup that feeds a lot of people during the fall season. Fall is my favorite season, so of course I'm very biased lol.
SAMHAIN PUMPKIN BREAD
I love pumpkin bread and apple cider... So why not combine the two? This one was definitely one of my favorites of all time. Moist pumpkin bread and chocolate chips have to be one of my favorite things on this planet. It also makes for the perfect gift for friends and family. Yummy!
ANGEL’S AWARD-WINNING LEMON POPPY SEED BREAD
I love dessert loaves of any kind, so naturally, this would be on the list lol.
MAPLE BUTTER COOKIES
Super simple comfort food! I love any time of cookie with brown sugar.
BRING ME POSITIVITY PECAN FRENCH TOAST BAKE
I love French toast, and I love positivity~
SAMHAIN SOUL CAKES RECIPE
These are really good! And traditional. If you celebrate Samhain, I recommend you make some soul cakes and have friends and family help decorate. I give the littles a bag of orange frosting and let them go crazy lol.
FEEL BETTER CHICKEN SOUP
One of my most recent is my witchy twist on chicken noodle soup!
I hate when I say things like "oh I want an ipod classic but with bluetooth so I can use wireless headphones" and some peanut comes in and replies with "so a smartphone with spotify?" No. I want a 160GB+ rectangular monstrosity where I can download every version of every song I want to it and it does nothing except play music and I don't need a data connection and don't have to pay a subscription to not have ads and don't have popups suggesting terrible AI playlists all over the menus.
Gimme the clicky wheel and song titles like "My Chemical Romance- The Black Parade- Blood (Bonus Track)- secret track- album rip- high quality"
little ways to change your life:
learn how to write a new style of handwriting. try wearing your hair or makeup differently. find a new perfume you like.
do things for yourself, not for the validation of others. resist the temptation to post everything online.
start doing something you usually can't be bothered to do. like making your bed, folding everything neatly, stretching every hour, going on jogs, making a healthy meal from scratch or sleeping earlier.
make your surroundings as cozy and as pleasing for you to look at as possible.
bake delicious but sometimes deformed pastries. write things that no one "gets". wear clothes and hairstyles that make u happy. crotchet a sock badly. draw a picture that won't be aesthetic on instagram. let go of the perfect image of who you need to be. do things for yourself.
be messy. self-expression isn't always pretty. scribble messily in a notebook. draw messily an idea for a character. write a messy draft for a story.
learn your thing from scratch, whether it's astronomy, greek mythology, flower species, piano, japanese, making jam, drawing comics, or something completely different.
let yourself fully enjoy everyday things like food, commute, and your morning routines. slow down and notice every single thing that makes you feel nice.
appreciate nature, like the sunlight streaming through in the morning, the sound of rain, and the colors of sunsets.
notice the deeper meanings and emotions in songs, poetry and paintings.
let people in. give new loves and friendships a chance. initiate conversations when you want.
read as much as you can. read different genres, popular and unpopular books, classics and new releases. give every book that catches your eye a chance.
enjoy your solitude like you're a character in a movie. if you can, go out for walks alone. visit the park to look at dogs, a café to people-watch, or a library to spend the afternoon buried in a book. bring a journal everywhere with you, and write poetry and quotes and doodles.
collect little things, like vinyls, pretty rocks and shells, stuffed animals, whatever makes you happy.
find a sport you like. pretend you're a superhero. dance like no one's watching. swim like you're a mermaid. exercise is supposed to be fun, so find one that you like.
make self care a priority. this includes taking your meds on time, starting to study for a test after procrastinating for weeks, deleting things that trigger negative emotions, and knowing when to let go and ask for help.
distance yourself from sources of negativity. learn to be ok on your own. know your worth and boundaries.
let go of the past. forgive yourself for the things you regret and start again.
let go of old relationships. there's a difference between missing someone and wanting them back in your life.
let go of your need to be perfect. it does more harm than good.
never compare yourself. it will always feel like a losing battle, no matter how amazing you really are.
keep in touch with people you don't speak to much. even a message can brighten someone's day.
be kind to everyone you meet, even strangers. if someone makes you happy, make them happier. compliment often, and be less judgemental. give someone a smile, you never know how much it means to them.
wake up earlier in the morning. wake up with the sun and fall asleep with the moon.
if you want to be calmer and more productive, remove things on your phone and social media apps that you don't need. (which is most of them).
make a list of qualities in the person you dream of becoming. write about your ideal life with what you have. make goals to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.
don't suppress your emotions, but don't overthink them either. have a kinder relationship with your body and your thoughts.
don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's a teacher, therapist, friend, doctor or parent.
remember that healing and loving yourself is just starting over and over. it's not too late. you're still young and you can move and grow at your own pace. your peak is yet to come.
As well as countless of others from the AI generator community. Just talking about how "inaccessible art" is, I decided why not show how wrong these guys are while also helping anyone who actually wants to learn.
Here is the first one ART TEACHERS! There are plenty online and in places like youtube.
📺Here is my list:
Proko (Free)
Marc Brunet (Free but he does have other classes for a cheap price. Use to work for Blizzard)
Aaron Rutten (free)
BoroCG (free)
Jesse J. Jones (free, talks about animating)
Jesus Conde (free)
Mohammed Agbadi (free, he gives some advice in some videos and talks about art)
Ross Draws (free, he does have other classes for a good price)
SamDoesArts (free, gives good advice and critiques)
Drawfee Show (free, they do give some good advice and great inspiration)
The Art of Aaron Blaise ( useful tips for digital art and animation. Was an animator for Disney)
Bobby Chiu ( useful tips and interviews with artist who are in the industry or making a living as artist)
Second part BOOKS, I have collected some books that have helped me and might help others.
📚Here is my list:
The "how to draw manga" series produced by Graphic-sha. These are for manga artist but they give great advice and information.
"Creating characters with personality" by Tom Bancroft. A great book that can help not just people who draw cartoons but also realistic ones. As it helps you with facial ques and how to make a character interesting.
"Albinus on anatomy" by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle. Great book to help someone learn basic anatomy.
"Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer and Robert Beverly Hale. A good book if you want to go further in-depth with anatomy.
"Directing the story" by Francis Glebas. A good book if you want to Story board or make comics.
"Animal Anatomy for Artists" by Eliot Goldfinger. A good book for if you want to draw animals or creatures.
"Constructive Anatomy: with almost 500 illustrations" by George B. Bridgman. A great book to help you block out shadows in your figures and see them in a more 3 diamantine way.
"Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and expand" by Burne Hogarth. A book that shows how to block out shapes and easily understand what you are looking out. When it comes to human subjects.
"An Atlas of animal anatomy for artist" by W. Ellenberger and H. Dittrich and H. Baum. This is another good one for people who want to draw animals or creatures.
Etherington Brothers, they make books and have a free blog with art tips.
As for Supplies, I recommend starting out cheap, buying Pencils and art paper at dollar tree or 5 below. For digital art, I recommend not starting with a screen art drawing tablet as they are more expensive.
For the Best art Tablet I recommend either Xp-pen, Bamboo or Huion. Some can range from about 40$ to the thousands.
💻As for art programs here is a list of Free to pay.
Clip Studio paint ( you can choose to pay once or sub and get updates)
Procreate ( pay once for $9.99)
Blender (for 3D modules/sculpting, ect Free)
PaintTool SAI (pay but has a 31 day free trail)
Krita (Free)
mypaint (free)
FireAlpaca (free)
Libresprite (free, for pixel art)
Those are the ones I can recall.
So do with this information as you will but as you can tell there are ways to learn how to become an artist, without breaking the bank. The only thing that might be stopping YOU from using any of these things, is YOU.
I have made time to learn to draw and many artist have too. Either in-between working two jobs or taking care of your family and a job or regular school and chores. YOU just have to take the time or use some time management, it really doesn't take long to practice for like an hour or less. YOU also don't have to do it every day, just once or three times a week is fine.
Hope this was helpful and have a great day.