From-the-choirgirl-hotel-blog - Untitled

What is up y’all; Happy New Year! I would like to make this message towards all the people in the OC/SI (self-insert) x Canon communities who are just starting out and/or still young, and spread some positivity and words of welcome.

Now I know y’all have been hearing stuff like ‘how you gotta not make a Mary Sue and make sure run your OC through the Mary Sue Litmus Test’ and let me tell you right now? Those Litmus Tests are straight-up garbage and the scoring system on them is so jittery that if you mention your OC is intended to be a romantic interest, it gives you a massive amount of points against you. So don’t even bother with those tests since all they do is cow you into making a really bland character.

Also, the term ‘Mary Sue’ was coined by a woman named Paula Smith who didn’t like the idea of women having power fantasies and was also responsible for that 1970s fanfic ‘A Trekkie’s Tale’, which was a parody of a self-insert fic. Nowadays it seems to mean ‘literally any female OC put into a canon setting and/or is the romantic interest of a canon character’, even if they’re more on the ‘ordinary’ side. (Heck, look at Bella Swan— she’s intended to be really plain yet people still treat her as a Mary Sue.) Speaking of which…

If your OC has any special abilities, or has an unusual hair or eye color (such as pink or purple), that does not make them a Mary Sue. If your OC has knowledge of other languages, is good with animals, or excels in a particular subject (which are both things humans are capable of as well), that does not make them a Mary Sue. If your OC has a really dark backstory or has had tragedy happen to them, that does not make them a Mary Sue. If your OC does something awesome such as save a life or defeat a villain, that does not make them a Mary Sue. Do not let people make you think any of these things qualify your OC as a Mary Sue. All OCs, regardless of appearance, ability, or backstory, are valid.

Now then, shifting the gears a bit, if people try to argue the existence of ‘Gary Stu/Marty Stu’ and try to hold male OCs to those same standards? You might as well be calling hundreds of male canon characters ‘Gary Stus’ because there’s quite a lot of them that fit the above criteria. So in the end it’s pointless to try and spin that.

Finally, a reminder to people who think it’s ‘acceptable’ to pick on OCs they decide are ‘Mary Sues’… you are wasting your time, you’re bad people, and you need to reevaluate your life. The days of ‘Mary Sue Witch Hunts’ are LONG over— though, such things shouldn’t even have had to exist. Remember those days; when content creators were terrified of making ANYTHING because people were so obsessed with snuffing out Mary Sues? Do you really want to bring those days back? (And if anybody thinks ‘yes’, thank you for letting me know the type of people who should really be pushed out of fandom.) And if you think that sending hate messages, making hate art, and even going so far as doxxing people who do this stuff is acceptable? (Yes, that last thing has happened at least once.) Please, do the entire community a favor and unplug your router, cancel your internet plan, and never show your face again.

Not to mention, a lot of the people making these ‘Mary Sues’ are tween-to-mid-teen girls who just innocently make fun stuff for a fandom, have a favorite character they fell in love with, and want to fit in. If you really think Mary Sue witch hunts should be brought back, you’re basically supporting the idea of driving people nearly half your age away. If anything, young fans who make OC/SI x Canon content should be welcomed in, given a safe space they can spread their content, and encouraged to make more. They deserve recognition just as much as older, more experienced content creators do.

Now with all that in mind, let’s make the OC/SI x Canon community a safe, welcoming place for content creators of all ages, call out the Mary Sue witch hunters, and just generally have fun!

Attention all Fictosexuals/Romantics

You are loved.

You are valid.

“that character has a canon partner/death/ending/etc u have to respect that :/”

me:

I love this quote so much. I’m not sure who said this, so I’m not sure who to give credit too. While I wish, and have wished this, it make so much sense. I don’t want them here in this world I would rather be in theirs with them.

“A star can never die. It just turns into a smile and melts back into the cosmic music, the dance of life.”-Michael Jackson | August 29, 1958-∞

Today, June 25th, marks nine years since our King was taken away. Although you’re gone, you will never be forgotten. May your love, your legacy, and your music live on forever. We love you, Applehead. 

Wholesome Content

Can yall…stop antagonizing people for not being hyperaware of literally everything bad that’s happening in the world.

Q&A: Why your thoughts aren’t becoming things

Q: Everyone says “thoughts become things” and I’ve been thinking about only what I want. Focusing on what I want instead of what I don’t want. But nothing is changing or happening? Why? I’m really frustrated, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Also, every time I see people having what I want or are living the life I wish I could have, I get jealous and wonder why I don’t have that and therefore feel bad. And it happens so often too. How can I change that? A: This is one of the most honest questions I have ever been asked. So thank YOU for the opportunity to discuss this. The truth is your thoughts are becoming things, but the missing link is to understand your feelings become things much faster. Here’s how to master both: 1. The first thing is to make a list of your desires, and rank them from the smallest to the biggest goal. And now, make it a point to go after the biggest one. The smaller goals will be fulfilled with very little effort. This is because in focusing on a “big” goal, you are raising your energy past number 5, 4, 3, and 2 to get to 1!  2. When you think of what you want, you are no closer to achieving it. This is not the law of attraction. (I was as shocked as you are right now!) When you think of a goal, the Universe thinks “he/she wants to keep wanting it”  and so you stay in that state. The day you begin to imagine you have already fulfilled the goal, then the creative magic begins. Think of it as a 100m sprint: instead of standing at the Start Line imagining the end, put yourself 1st place on the podium accepting the gold medal around your neck! When you shift time in your imagination like this, let yourself start to feel that it could be true, it could be you.  3. What you resist, you attract too. We all have things we don’t want so we try not to think of them. But be honest about your inner mental conversations. Is there something you still feel resentment towards? A situation or a person? What are you scared of, illness or poverty? These are all types of resistance. And resistance is a powerful energy that will keep you stuck in an unhappy cycle unless and until you decide you’ve had enough. Begin today to write the following affirmation out 10 times a day, morning and night: “I release every one to their highest good and me to mine.” If it feels uncomfortable or you make excuses for delaying it, you know that is your resistance speaking! 4. Understand how your life is right now is only a product of how you used to think. You did the best with what you had. The best news is that this is a new moment of creation. You’ve asked the question because you’re ready to take responsibility for your life. Whatever you’re not happy with right now, just let it be for a while. Create one hour a day (minimum) where you write out affirmations, see your “biggest” goal in your imagination, see who you want to be in your imagination, meditate a little, and have positive/calming music playing the entire hour. The music will create a new Neuro-Linguistic Programming in your brain to get you to feel as good about your desires as you do about the songs!  5. Frustration: This one word deserves a paragraph in itself. Decide now that you will no longer let yourself feel frustration. That F word is burning your dreams and birthing jealousy towards people you otherwise love, and is making you judge yourself. Your heart and soul have waited until today for you to be kinder to yourself. Enough is enough. Frustration is a fire. When you feel it creeping back into your mind, pause and try to see who is feeling the frustration? Is it a voice in your mind? Who is listening to it? Realize you are the one that listens to your inner dialogue, you are NOT your thoughts themselves.  6. When you see others have what you want there are a few ways to go about it. You could realize that there is no end to how much you can have, and how much they can have! You can see that the Universe is showing you desires that match yours to show you its listening to you. You can realize how amazing it is that we are all here to be, do and have anything we want. When you feel any envy, just be aware of it and talk to it as you would a child. It is only your ego feeling left out and scared. The ancient ego within us all operates with a fight or flight mentality, and believes if it doesn’t get what it needs to survive then it will die. It’s as simple as that. However, this is a lie and deep down you know it. Somewhere within your feelings, your gut, you know that life is about to get very good for you, and every single person you have the honour of knowing.  Conclusion: There’s work to be done to live the life you want, as you can see. Read over this a few times, and begin to take the action listed. And each day, imagine you’re at Day One and try again. The action is easy once you start. Also, try to cut out every negative book, song, TV show, film and piece of news in your life for 30 days. This negativity detox is essential as you begin to change your thinking. Also try to read The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, he will be a good friend to you right now.  Note: If anyone at all has any questions then please feel free to inbox me. I shall answer in this anonymous format so we may all benefit. 

Please share this post, you never know who might need to see it. 

Inhale & Exhale

Here’s a list of resources I’ve discovered while on my own meditation journey. Take some time to tune out while tuning in to your heart, soul, & deepest desires. Experiment, find what you like, breathe, & simple BE!

Meditation 101

How to Meditate

Ten Important Tips

This is Your Body on Meditation

How Meditation Changes your Brain Frequency 

8 Excuses For Not Meditating That You Should Ditch Immediately

Different Types of Meditation

Breath Meditation

Proper Breathing in Meditation

How to Meditate Daily

How Meditation, Mindfulness help ease Chronic Illness

Guided Meditations

Fragrant Heart *One of my favorite websites, filled with numerous free guided meditations covering a range of topics/intentions such as “stress-relief” & “self-esteem”.

Channeling the Universal Love

You are Enough

Deep Relaxation

New Beginnings + Into the Ocean

Free Guided Meditations

Audio Dharma - Guided Meditations

How to Meditate in One Minute

A One-Minute Meditation to Silence your Mind & Calm your Energy

Deepak Chopra & Oprah 21-Day Meditation Challenge

Meditation Apps for iPhone 

Headspace.com - Meditation & Mindfulness 

Take a Break! - Guided Meditations for Stress Relief

Silva Meditate

Buddhify

Smiling Mind

Calm - Meditate, Sleep, Relax 

Meditation Apps for Android

Buddhist Meditation Trainer 

Calm - Meditate, Sleep, Relax 

Headspace.com - Meditation & Mindfulness 

Mental Workout 

Dharma Meditation Trainer 

Simply Being Guided Meditation

Meditation Tunes

8tracks

Healing Sounds - Tibetan Bowls for Meditation, Relaxation, Calming, Healing

Meditation Playlist

Relax & Sleep Meditation

Meditating not your thing? That’s cool, try these alternatives instead! 

Mandalas

Mandala Coloring Sheets - Click, Save, Print, Meditate

Yoga Video Masterpost

How to Meditate Without Meditating

6 Alternative Forms of Meditation

Namaste and happy meditating :) x 

“don’t reduce this female character down to a love interest” does not translate into “this female character shouldn’t have a love interest.”

preventing female characters with strong, compelling narratives from experiencing love, intimacy, and affection is just as regressive as reducing them down to sexual accessories for male characters. it assumes that women must choose between a romantic interest and depth of character and ignores a far more productive message: that women are capable of possessing both.