I Really Do Think An Important Component Of Activism Is To Make Sure Your Motivation Is Based On A Desire

Since joining RedNote I have connected with a Mongolian rancher, a knitter in Shanghai, a bunch of musicians who are playing traditional Chinese songs on guitars and harps and other musicians playing rock and roll on pipas and zithers. I have had my brain rocked by what some people can do with water colors, and I have met a woman who, though she is on the opposite side of the world from me, has chosen to plant the same flowers in her garden as I have.

I have engaged in discussions on what foods we want to try from each other’s cultures, and even seen very respectful conversations on what foods make each side wary to try even though they believe the other side when they say it is good.

But most of all I have seen English speakers go out of their way to include Mandarin translations with their English comments, and I have seen Chinese people be so touched by that.

THIS IS WHAT THE INTERNET IS FOR YOU GUYS!

We had a glimpse of this very briefly in the earliest days of the internet (I’m talking mid 90s), but we did not have translation software back then, so the exchange wasn’t nearly on this level.

I am having so much fun. The world may be awful but also it is beautiful.

Let me correct that. Our governments may be making the world fucking awful, but when is commoners get together and hang out we find we are more alike than we are different and the world is fucking beautiful actually.

I was talking with my dad recently & we got on the topic of People Thinking They Can't Do Things, and like, he is at his core a well-intentioned person who genuinely wants the best for others, but he has definitely internalized some harmful ideas a la "anyone can do anything, the only thing stopping them is their own attitude". so I was like. I see where you're coming from, but let me tell you a story.

last year, I worked with 10 year olds- many of whom had never really spent time outdoors- in an outdoor education program where they came to spend a whole week doing shit outside in nature. the top two scariest experiences for these kids were 1) very tall metal tower, and 2) walking outside at night in the dark with no flashlights.

I tried a lot of different things to persuade them all to join me for each experience: I presented it with enthusiasm and passion, I did physical demonstrations and scientific explanations to help them understands how safe it was, I voiced my absolute commitment to their safety, I invited them to brainstorm ways to help each other and themselves feel safe, etc.

generally I always had at least 2-3 kids out of about 10 who opted out, or if they did join me, would spend the entire experience crying and freaking out. when it was over, they would conclude that even though they did not die- or even get hurt- it was so scary that it wasn't worth it and they never wanted to do it again.

then I changed the question I asked. instead of asking them to tell me whether they could do it or couldn't do it, I asked them to raise their hand for one of three options:

You can definitely do this.

It will be hard or scary or uncomfortable, but you can try to do this.

It will definitely be too hard, scary, or uncomfortable, and you cannot or should not try to do this.

suddenly, almost nobody was opting out of these experiences.

they would try, even if they were scared, because they know that being scared didn't necessarily mean that they couldn't do it at all. and more importantly, they knew that if they needed to stop, that was an option; they weren't trapped in their decision to try.

and the real takeaway here, for me, is in the nuance: people need to be able to challenge themselves and to be uncomfortable in order to grow, and people need to be able to opt out in order for opting in to be a safe option.

they need to make a pocket dimension you can hide in where time doesn't pass and everything is soft

Credit

Be your own friend, have your own back, encourage yourself, motivate yourself, discipline yourself, make yourself laugh, comfort yourself when you cry, enjoy your own company, discover yourself, ask yourself the deep questions, feed yourself good food, watch stuff that makes you feel good, hug yourself, smile at yourself just because, compliment yourself, extend yourself endless grace… you are the greatest thing you can offer yourself.

treat yo’self

Updated as of 12/18/2022

I genuinely love promoting other writers’ works, because they’re freaking awesome, but today? Today I’m gonna hype myself. Because I can.

It’s a long holiday weekend for those of us in the US. Maybe you want to indulge. Maybe you have family you want to avoid. Maybe you have no plans and are looking for a way to fill the time. Maybe you’re on retail or restaurant duty and need a pocket of escape. Maybe you’re not in the US and just want some standard weekend fun.

Let me present to you ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*My Fic*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Marvel Fic

The only way I can reconcile Steve’s choice in Endgame. Bucky POV set just after CATWS.

Morgan and Peter talk, post-Endgame, pre-FFH

Voicemails from Tony to Peter, from 2018-2023

DC Fic

EVEN MORE self-indulgent Jason and Bruce

Family is messy sometimes, ft. Jason, Tim, and Cass

Something is wrong with Bruce, but no one knows what

Dev has a VERY bad night

Bruce and Tim at two different points in their relationship

Cassandra sickfic, ft. the best dad

The BatFam as seen by Jim Gordon

TFW you watch Tenet for the first time and have SuperBros emotions

VERY self-indulgent Bruce and Jason fluff

Jason has a bad night. Tim is there to help

Tim is sick and not-exactly-friendly Red Hood is kinder than expected

I use Jason Todd to make everyone cry (including myself)

Sadboy Tim Drake takes care of a very sick Jason

Damian is kidnapped. Dick has a bad time.

Dev has a Very Bad Night (good thing he has a Bruce)

Dick and Jason are stranded on a desert island. There’s magic(?) and lots of regret

New butler-dad Alfred has taken a fright

The light of my life is given his due love and affection (aka I nearly kill Dev and the Fam takes it poorly)

Jason Paranormal AU

Filling in the gaps of what might have happened (relationally speaking) immediately after Bruce comes back from the “dead”

Hand holding. Lots of hand holding by Bruce and for Bruce.

Bruce is hurt and Damian is worried and it’s very sweet

Absolutely unjustifiable fluff in which Dick goes to camp

The rules of surviving as a Rogue in Gotham, as explained by Oswald Cobblepot (ft. BAMF Alfred Pennyworth)

Alfred is sick and Bruce is worried and I drown you in fluff.

I fix a gap in the “Bruce Wayne lost in time” storyline. With knuckle kisses.

Bruce gets a call about his kid, has a slight heart attack.

Totally plotless GoodDad!Bruce fluff with cuddles, kisses, and sweet pet names

Tim is afraid of being forgotten.

Dick and Jason try to be brothers. Twice.

Jason gets a cat. Or rather, a cat gets a Jason.

Jason, Bruce, and the stars above.

Dick is a bad patient but so are the rest of the family.

Bruce Wayne adopts each of his children.

Bruce Wayne has depression.

Damian&Dick whump from Damian’s (pt 1) and Tim’s (pt 2) POV.

Jason&Bruce hurt/comfort, centering around Ethiopia and post-reunion.

Pure BatKids fluff from Clark Kent’s POV.

What I call my Sad, Sad Tim Drake fic (for all you middle children out there.)

A Stranger Things/Batman crossover that literally no one expected or asked for

Damian&Jason coming to an understanding as wary siblings

Pre-Robin Tim is a nervous lil bean with bad timing

I spit on the idea of Ric but have the Fam react to the haircut

Jason learns about something that happened while he was dead and it’s traumatic for everyone (including me)

A selection of Jason’s Christmases, from Catherine to post-Ethiopia

Alfred goes on vacation and NewDad!Bruce has a sort-of emergency

New-to-Gotham Damian and Dick start to understand each other

Canonically, Tim’s mom died on Christmas Eve, so here’s a look at that

5+1 of the times Jason saved his siblings and the time they saved him

Bruce Wayne adds one last child to his hoard

Tim, Jason, and Bruce are offered the chance to go back in time and stop Jason’s death from happening. With a catch.

If Bruce had reacted to Jason’s return the way he should have screw you DC

Dick gets the flu and it’s bad but Bruce is there

Time travel shenanigans where Bruce finally gets to hold one of his children as a baby

My ongoing fic where Bruce gets deaged and his children experience him at different points in his life

Damian and Cass go on an unplanned hike

My Whumptober 2019 fic prompts, which include:

Jason&Bruce deal with some of the practical emotional fallout from the fact that Jason is canonically a serial killer

Jason races to save a sibling as a bomb counts down

The sibling’s POV for the above fic, plus a resolution

Bruce really loves his butler dad, okay? Like a lot.

Home invasion fic starring audreycritter’s Dr. Dev, plus Bruce

Clark deals with a Bruce emergency and is partially based off that one post that upset people 😁 (also part of SuperBros, below)

Post-Ethiopia Bruce panics over Tim, then panics over panicking because he doesn’t want to father

Follow-up of the above, where Bruce is still panicking

Cass is, as one commenter put it, a BAMF (but also loves her family very much)

Robin!Dick and Uncle Clark have a sleepover but Clark is still a clueless 20-something bachelor who has no idea how to Adult

BatFam Week 2018 prompts, which include:

Dick/Babs whump, open-ended

Jason&Bruce are buried alive and it’s as traumatic as you might think

AU where tiny Jason refuses to stay with Bruce for Reasons

Time travel shenanigans with BrandNew!Batman Bruce

Tim&Dick hurt/comfort set during Bruce’s “death”

100% BatFam family night fluff

My ongoing collection of Bruce&Clark Superbros fic, which include:

Clark is so powerful it freaks Bruce out, set during Robin!Dick years

Clark catches a cold and Bruce is definitively the Dad Friend of the JLA

Clark deals with a Bruce emergency and is partially based off that one post that upset people 😁 (also part of Whumptober, above)

Bruce has a nightmare and Clark appears (and Clark’s POV)

Clark and Bruce are dying, but at least they’re together

Clark has the hiccups then uh-oh, things get serious (plus Bruce’s POV of the same series of events)

My ongoing collection of Tumblr prompt fic, which include (listed by chapter):

Pukey Jason, mama-henning Dick

Dick gives CPR to a sibling

Damian has a flashback, Tim gets the brunt of it

Tim and Jason, post-fear toxin

Jason and Dick work themselves to exhaustion with expected consequences

Tim and Damian get kidnapped

Sniffly Jason, mama-henning Dick

Steph and Duke bond

Tim, Cass, and Damian have a movie day

A brief scene with Robin!Jason and Bruce

Tim and RedHood!Jason have a heart-to-heart

Dick is laid up but he has a nice time with Cass and Tim regardless

Damian is ill but tries to sneak out on patrol anyways

My ongoing collection of headcanon/fic mishmashes, which include (listed by chapter):

Four Dick Grayson headcanons (traveling, sleepwalking, an unshakeable truth, and not a cop)

Four Jason Todd headcanons (self-love, squicks, Dick, kiddos)

Four Cassandra Cain headcanons (crying, singing, family, favorite superhero)

Four Wally&Dick headcanons (Batman, favorite story, sit still, Enrique)

Four Damian Wayne headcanons (hugging, jumpscare, anger, #1 bros)

Four more Jason Todd headcanons (glasses, patrol games, Robin, kitty cat)

Four Tim Drake headcanons (noise, nails, crying, Bruce)

Four Clark Kent headcanons (Kryptonian, scruff, plan, Dick)

Three more Tim Drake headcanons (school, sleep, home)

Four Alfred Pennyworth headcanons (cards, bingo, the end, ripped)

Jason and zombies

Damian’s eyebrow

Can Bruce cook?

Is Damian a vegetarian?

My worst BatFam head canon of all time

BatFam voices

Jason Todd and the local library

Dick and Jason’s relationship as adults

Tim’s role at Wayne Enterprises

Jason’s tattoos

Jason, Damian, and Talia

Damian’s taste in music

Alfred’s initial reaction to Damian

The truth about Jason and Catherine

Steph’s place in the BatFam

Damian’s feelings regarding Selina Kyle

Dick and Tim’s relationship before the other kids arrived

Bruce’s favorite child

How Tim really feels about Jack leaving on so many trips

BatFam weird takes

Bruce sharing memories of his parents with his kids

How the BatFam hugs

A word on Dick and Bruce’s relationship

Mental health medication

Each BatKid’s favorite song from Six: The Musical

Four more Jason Todd headcanons (Cass, the bet, Bruce, naming)

Cassandra’s fears and phobias

What flusters Bruce

Dick, Bruce, and their tickle spots

Tim’s humiliating memories

What makes Dick cry

Alfred’s grudges and vendettas

Dick’s emotional/moral weak spots

A what-if/AU for Dick

Alfred’s vices

Damian’s habits

Things Tim will never admit

Damian’s bad habits

BROTP: Bruce & Clark

BROTP: Cass & Steph

BROTP: Tim & Steph

I’m working on adding Tumblr links to the end of each AO3 story as well.

Reblog to put one of these in your mutuals’ pocket when they’re not looking

Have a restful evening babes! Take a nice bath, read a cozy book, have a sweet treat, this is going to be a difficult road ahead and we need to take care of ourselves.