Hey, guys. It's been a minute.
I told you I would be back in June, didn't I? And here I am, decidedly not back in June. Sorry about that. But...I think I have some good reasons.
This is a weird one to write. It's weird because I've been thinking about it for like two and a half months now, and I've finally decided to do it. It's weird because I've never done this before. It's weird because I could take this lots of different ways and say lots of different things, but I've decided to keep this short. It's weird because...it kinda feels like quitting, and making the decision even when I tell myself I'm sure of it is a bit of stressful one.
HOLD ON HOLD ON I CAN SEE THE PANIC IN YOUR EYES DON'T PANIC IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
It's time for this blog to come to an end.
There. I've just said it, so now we can all let the shock pass through our systems and take a deep breath (@me) and go from here.
I've had this blog since late 2014. Weird, right? I was 14 years old and didn't know what I was doing, and it was a crazy journey. Now it's 2017 and I'm the Dancing Queen and I have 177 GFC followers and who knows how many else on email and bloglovin and all that good stuff. There are people who read and look forward to the things I say. I just released a sci-fi fiction podcast and I'm getting amazing responses, all because I built a following from this little blog and the people who wanted to read my words.
But.
(that's a scary but. bear with me, y'all.)
It's not me anymore.
I don't have any regrets with this blog. I don't regret a single post, even the awkward ones I wouldn't write or post today. They're a road-map of Past Aimee, and it's kinda adorable, isn't it? It's four years of my thought processes and struggles and growth. I can see myself grow up and do exciting new things in these posts. Even if you don't see all of that, it's familiar to me, which is just...pretty strange, if we're being honest. But I'm not Past Aimee anymore. I'm Now Aimee, and that's a whole different scary demon.
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see i still love my gifs tho |
SO. (Are you still panicking? Pull yourself together.)
This does not mean the end of Aimee's Opinions. Not at all. If anything, this is... A BEGINNING. *the dramatic sci-fi music swells.) Because, you see...
This blog is coming to an end, but I'm starting up somewhere new!
I won't be giving up blogging! As you read this I am in the process of creating a brand-new blog, a fresh start, one that will better show you the Aimee who is now and allow me to share my thoughts. It'll be a little bit different, but that's okay, I think. (And if you're not into that you can unfollow me and it's cool and no hard feelings, you probably are here for a specific thing and I'm sorry I can't give that anymore.) This brand new blogspace will be more life-y, more introspective, more controversial, still snarky, less gif-y, probably. I'll be talking about words and stories and the insides of my brain, which is terrifying, I know, but I think you'll enjoy it. I want a place for deeper and more serious thoughts.
As of now, there won't be a posting schedule. I'll post posts when I have posts to post. Which is scary, but I actually think it'll result in me posting more, since I won't have the #pressure. So that's cool. As we speak I'm drafting up posts and ideas and I think you're going to like them.
Again: if you're really attached to this blog, to the thing I had going here, I'm sorry to leave you hanging. And I'm so, so glad you came on this journey with me. All of you, actually! Since I started this blog I've been given more faithful readers than I deserve and it's encouraged me always. I've read every single one of your comments. Probably not replied to them, because I'm trash at that. But I've read them. I've met good, great, best friends through this blog. Every single one of you mean so much to me, and I'm so, so glad you decided to read these words, for some reason.
I'm really hoping you'll stick with me for this next step. (Did I mention that I'll also have a professional website too? Because I'll have a professional website too.) The website, the blog, everything will go live on Tuesday, August 1st, and I'll post everything about that on here then. Until then, if you want to stalk this podcast thing I made...that's right here.
Love you guys.
I know what you're thinking.
"She hasn't even been blogging lately! She's been posting every once in a while and missing more days than not and apologizing for it and then doing the same thing! She keeps promising that she's going to post more and then not doing the thing. What's wrong with her?"
This goes back to me falling out of line with the blogging community. Falling out of touch with this blog. I don't know what it is anymore, I don't know what it's about, I don't know what I'm doing. But I want to figure it out, and I want to get back to this.
I think some things are going to majorly change. Maybe it'll involve a new look for the blog, maybe a fresh start in other ways. I'm working on that right now. But there are going to be some major shifts over this summer...and that's okay. I'm going to turn this into the thing I want it to be, something that better reflects who I am now and the thoughts I want to broadcast to the world. (I don't want to be boxed in by the things that I used to do and feeling like I need to keep that up.) We're going to restart and keep going, and maybe I'll lose some people along the way...but I want this to be a part of my journey and my process and who I am, and right now it's just not what I want it to be.
So...no more posts until I feel good about what I'm posting, until I feel like I'm going in the right direction.
The blog shall re-launch in June. I promise you that.
#aimeeout
Some thoughts and frustrations I've had lately. (Spoiler alert: there's many of them.)
So...a lot of the time, I'm not the biggest fan of the author/creative community.
Scratch that. Almost always, I'm not the biggest fan of the author/creative/writing community.
Almost always, it makes me deeply frustrated. There's a tiny part of me that just wishes everyone would shut up and write already.
I know that sounds kind of harsh, but hey, I'm a harsh person, so I guess everybody is just going to deal with it. And it's true. I just want us to shut up and do our jobs already.
Here's the thing: We spend a lot of time portraying ourselves as the saviors of the world. As the people who shape everything. As these prophets who bring wisdom to the un-intellectual and un-artistic and un-enlightened. We put ourselves and our job (yes, writing is a job) on a pedastal where we're important, and crucial, and we have a duty to reveal the truth to the people, when... we're just ordinary people, and it's not all that glamorous.
We spend an awful lot of time patting ourselves and our ~craft~ on the back on Twitter when maybe we should just be writing.
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i have no context for this gif of nathan fillion, but it is a gif of nathan fillion and that earns it some credit. |
To make something perfectly clear: I believe in the value and importance of art/stories. I believe that stories have power, and that art shapes society in a very significant way. I'll be the first person to scream that at you and throw a book at your face, probably, if you're talking smack about stories. But I also hate the pretentious -- yeah, pretentious -- attitude that the creative community tends to have right now, this whole idea that we have a responsibility to "tell the stories that matter" when really...
maybe we should just write good stories.
You don't need to write a story that will change somebody's attitude on something. You don't need to write a story that makes a political point. (Please, please, please for the love of all things holy don't do that.) You don't need to take on the responsibility to #represent, or write something that matters. Your views and opinions and worldview is going to find a home in whatever you write, of course, and there's going to be a message and a theme in every story no matter what, but people can tell when you're pushing it. People can tell when you're writing something to prove a point versus when the point comes through.
All. You. Need. To. Do. Is. Write. A. Good. Story.
An enjoyable story. A story with compelling characters and a good plot. And, of course...good stories are true stories, aren't they? They're stories that are honest about the way things are, not the way we want them to be. Good stories are genuine, even when that's not the ideal. (And yes, you can do this in fantasy and all that, too. Human nature is human nature.) Twisting that to make the point you want to make or present an ideal world isn't meaningful or bettering anybody, it's just trying too hard to do something that's not a reflection of reality, and it rings false. It's like slapping somebody in the face with a piece of wet cardboard so they get the point when you'd be better off subtly stabbing them and running away before they even notice there's still a knife there.
(Bad analogy, I know. #itried)
Stop trying to write stories that matter.
Please, please, please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop trying to write stories that matter.
Start writing good stories. Fun stories, even. There's no harm in that. Write good characters, write well, write compelling plots and interesting twists. Write stories that ring true. Write stories that are just...stories, that aren't trying to say anything. It's scary, because we know what we want to tell people, what we want them to get out of it. Oftentimes the theme or the message in the story unveils it to us as we right it and we want to be sure that people are going to notice it. So we push it, and people do notice it, but less in the good way and more in the "they're trying too hard and I don't like being slapped in the face with wet cardboard" way.
Shut up and let your story do the talking.
Something is going to come out of it. I promise.
You, the writer, have a job to do. And your job is to write. To write stories that resonate with people, that entertain them. (Especially if you're going to be putting these stories out into the world.) And it works well for everyone involved if you shut up and just do that job, and let the quality of your work speak for you, because truth is in good stories, and while it's difficult for us to accept the truth when it's not necessarily the way we'd like it...that's what matters. That's what resonates.
Shut up.
Please.
I don't want you to write stories that matter. I don't want you to make Important Art. I want you to get out of your own way and just write good stories.
(And I kind of want myself to get better at doing that, too.)
AKA "Aimee's life is a trainwreck that she will now present for your amusement."
I don't usually post about my life here, for the simple reason that...who even knows what my life is right now, and it's usually not #creativepersonaesthetic worthy. (I know I use hashtags in blog posts all the time, only sort of jokingly. I don't know why. We'll just deal with it together, I guess.)
This doesn't need a lot of explanation, honestly. Every so often someone asks me about my life, or wants to see some snippets of what goes down in a day in the life of Aimee, so I'm going to do ONE BETTER THAN THAT and give you an entire week of my life. Obviously the specifics vary by the week and they're not always consistent, because that's how life works, but this is the general flow of my week and all the creative/not-so-creative things within.
Take this how you will. This is, more or less, how a week in the life of Aimee goes:
Good morning and happy Monday, Aimee! I've always loved Mondays, contrary to what everyone seems to say. There's just something about a fresh start, a whole week ahead, and being refreshed by the weekend that gets me excited about jumping back in. I'm up at 8, like usual (I've had...a semi normal and healthy sleep schedule for the past few months???) and reluctantly ready to go. Some people start mornings with jumping up and getting in a workout or a devotion or a nice breakfast. I usually lay around in bed and catch up on all the social medias before I'm able to roll out of bed. Sure, this takes less than an hour. I force myself to work on writing/podcast nonsense for about an hour if it's a good day, pour some coffee into my Punisher mug, and at 10:30 I'm almost always out the door for a late morning/early afternoon full of taking orders and making pasta and serving pasta and doing dishes. (That work life tho. In all reality, Monday shifts are my favorite shifts, with some of my favorite crew, and it tends to be a good time with not a lot of business. we totally don't have dance parties at work when it's slow. definitely not.)
On Mondays I get home from work, crash for a little while, theoretically do some schoolwork or lowkey writing, and then I'm out the door again for karate, where I get beat up and punch a few people in the face and get all my inner aggression out. Not a lot of writing happens on Mondays -- it's late by the time I get home and usually I just force myself to drag out some words and do a lot of reading/plotting before I chill for the night.
(Most of my nights end with watching an episode of something probably Marvel-related with the little bro. We've worked our way through Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in the past two months or so. It's a great end-of-night tradition.)
AKA my favorite day of ever and usually my most productive day.
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channelin my inner fabulous hawkeye. |
The girl gives up and shoves her little brother in the car and drives him to his class, after which she immediately goes to meet up with a fren at Starbucks. Theoretically they study. In reality they drink sugary coffee and talk about superheroes and/or books or morality or criminal justice.
The Aimee goes to the library, where she jumps her read books onto the desk and immediately returns with a bajillion new books and a handful of new comics to add to her increasingly-huge pile. The girl is #suffering. The girl has no cares. She returns home and spends the rest of the day doing school and writing all the things and then working out to the sounds of a Ben Shapiro political podcast, which is surprisingly fiery. She goes to sleep.
The girl probably accomplished nothing but superhero talk today, let's be real.
Arguably my least favorite day, but whatever.
"This week is going great, I'm so productive, I'll get everything done this week!" I say, as I burst out the door on my way to work in the morning. I am happy. Paramore is blasting in the distance. I am unstoppable and everything is GREAT.
Four or five hours later I come home from work and nap for sixteen hours and watch another twenty hours of Netflix and lose myself in the void of technically-writing but probably just scrolling through Twitter getting involved in story-talk or drama. Sad violin music is playing in the distance. I don't seem to notice.
This is fine everything is fine what fun! Cute Instagram posts and definitely no messy hair and too-loud music. THIS IS FINE
Here is what we're going to say about Thursdays.
On Thursdays I most definitely put on my Captain America shirt and go to the gym, where I beat the crap out of a punching bag and mess around with some weights and other hardcore things like that. (But mostly the punching bag. Dang, I love that punching bag.)
On Thursdays I finish up my school for the week. I take a walk to the library closer to my house. Maybe I get some coffee on the way back. I have books, I have caffeine, I've worked out, I have music, everything is great. Schoolwork is getting done. Huzzah! Hurray!
Did I mention schoolwork definitely getting done? I really buckle down on it on Thursdays.
On Thursdays I also 100% definitely yup yup yup do a lot of writing. I write allll the words. I finish the week out strong with some solid story stuff instead of staring at Pinterest again. Wednesday is over and we're back to the grind.
This is my Thursday and it involves absolutely zero lying on the floor.
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andy from parks and rec is the LEAST RELATABLE CHARACTER IN MY LIFE. |
I probably went to work but I probably also Gave Up so there's that
"This was totally a practice week. Next week is a do-over. I'm gonna write ten thousand words, go to the coffee shop, and get things done."
*sleeps in*
*goes to the coffee shop, talks about Wolverine with the barista for half the time I'm there because it's slow and Wolverine, come on, how can you not talk about Wolverine with the attractive barista*
*watches a movie*
*goes to work for the rare "Aimee works the night shift" shift, doesn't come back till almost midnight, eats ice cream and falls asleep immediately*
The rare pressure-free reset day of peace. I regroup, go to church, probably hang with some people or at the very least eat out, come home, lay around in gym shorts and read books or watch shows. This is the one day where I refuse to feel bad for being lazy. I reset my bullet journal, plan the upcoming week, and pull myself together.
Because this week is definitely gonna be a good one.
Rinse and repeat. It's a weird week, but it's a good one.
christian
replacing a popular piece of art with something that doesn't cuss doesn't make it "christian".
7:00 AMA while ago I wrote a post. A...slightly aggressive and passionate post. Lots of people interacted with that post, both to agree with it and to very much disagree with it, which was cool and interesting and fun.
So I'm back for more, because I have a lot of thoughts on this.
Here is the number one thing a good story is: honest. It reflects the world, it reflects human nature, it shows you who you are (even when you don't want to see it), it hits you hard because it contains truth. Sometimes that means diving into heavy topics, sometimes it doesn't. But art tells us something that's true, and it makes us think about it.
Which is just one of the many, many reasons why "Christian" as a genre/mainstream of its own frustrates me. More often than not, somehow it rings false.
"But a lot of secular media is awful too, Aimee!"
Yes. And as people who believe in the Ultimate Truth, as people who should have a better grasp on this...we need to have some higher standards. We need to get our act together. We need to stop being content with the mediocre, and we need to tell true stories, not ones that push a message.
I'm sick of message-pushing. I really, really am. I'm sick of watching a ~Christian~ movie and hearing them repeat the same message and watching the characters shuffle into a little line that fits them into that message. I'm sick of watching stories built around one little life lesson to take away, all wrapped up in a package of emotional manipulation and feel-good Newsboys songs.
It's just insult to injury that most of these stories aren't even original. They're remastered secular favorites with the "Christian" label slapped on the box and no cuss words and the message changed around a little.
Guys. Let's just. Not do that.
Christian media has its good bits, of course. It has its artists and songs and maybe even books (though I have yet to find one) that are genuine and truthful and powerful. There are some that I personally enjoy a lot, because they have value. But Christian media as a whole makes me angry, because it's a meaningless name. More often than not it stands for "replacements for secular things so you don't feel guilty or sinful while you're watching it" and that is not how it should be, it's not right, and if anything it's more insulting than anything else. When the big scary secular culture is into war movies, we add some more Bible verses and take out all the really gory parts and water everything down until it focuses around some moral lesson. When romance novels are popular we write books where the heroine has *gasp* fallen prey to a sensationalized sin and has to make her way back with the help of a stunningly attractive man but don't worry, the endless descriptions of him aren't lust, they're just the heroine appreciating God's creation, right? Christian media exists as its own niche because the secular media is bad, because blah blah bad messages, because "clean", because we want things that focus on Jesus, so the solution to that is to pull away from the culture entirely and create our own little bubble of things that create the same thrills without using quite as many F-bombs.
I really, really think we're missing the point here.
And I really think we've given up.
Christian media has become, I think, a way to escape from a culture and a media that's gotten out of our hands. The world has taken control of the loudest voices in the arts, and the arts shape the culture, and yes, what we end up with is a lot of sin-glorifying trash with no actual value to it. So, as good Christians, our response to those loud voices is...
To create our own little fun things and hide in the Christian corner instead of contributing our own voices, I guess?
Yes, the culture is against a lot of our values. And it's loud and trashy and screaming. But listen: why isn't our response to that to fight back? Why isn't our response to wade into the darkness and fight back, to bring the light, to refuse to bow to this? You're an artist. (I'm assuming. This an open letter to all my Christian artist friends, I guess.) Artists, no matter what kind of art you create, are supposed to be rebels. Bold. Revolutionary. The things you do are powerful and they can shape things. There's a reason God created art, there's a reason why he made words so powerful, why he let stories touch us so deeply, why there's so much beauty in a good song or a well-done painting. If your response to the artistic gift God gave you is to reserve it only for things that are "Christian", only for things that are comfortable and fit into the Christian Mainstream box we've designed for ourselves, if your version of being an artist is to hide with the things that make your group of people feel comfortable rather than charging into the fight and using your voice to fight against the voices in art and media that are wrong... I don't know, man, I'm just not totally sold on this whole Christian thing and the idea that that's what we should be doing and consuming.
Why are we content with mediocrity?
Listen, I know it feels like truth is being smothered. And it is. I know it's easy to say that there's just not a market for it, or that there's just not enough money to make good Christian films (that's a stupid excuse, by the way) or whatever else you want to throw out there. I know. And it's a hard, uphill battle. But I think if we took the focus away from things not cussing and using as many Bible verses as we can...we'd start looking a little more toward actual truth.
I don't want us to write "Christian" things.
I want us to write true things.
I know you've found a story that rings true for you. I know you've read or watched or heard something that you could #relate to. It tore at you and it made you see the world in a different light and maybe it made you cry, because you saw yourself in it, because it was true. There are good and true things in this world that are constant, and the very best stories are those that find that truth.
Because God is truth. And if what you're creating is honest and true, it doesn't matter if there's a Bible verse in it. It doesn't matter if it's labeled under "Christian fiction". Listen, it doesn't even matter if it has some bad words in it or some scenes that are a bit more gory. Good stories are true stories and God is truth and so, in the end, shouldn't our focus be to make something good?
Most Christian media, most things given the "Christian" label at the bookstore, are trash. I'm gonna say it again: they're trash. In a way, they're no better than secular pop, because they're empty. They're catchy and soulless and they're meant to spread a message, not talk about something true and higher. Again, not every story or song has to be C.S. Lewis. But even the lightest of stories can be true and honest and noble. And the best and most effective stories, the most Christian stories, don't spread a message.
They tell the truth. And the truth speaks for itself.
Please, please let's stop pushing things. Let's stop being afraid that people aren't going to know that it's Christian enough if we don't talk about it constantly. Let's stop worrying that there's a problem with some ~mature content~ in a story, as if that inherently makes it bad. (More on that next week.) Let's stop worrying about pushing something, and let's worry more about creating good things. Stop worrying about particular labels, and just make art.
Be a voice to the world instead of hiding from it.
Just shut up and be honest already.
some examples/recommended reading, if you will*:
[read] les miserables // red rising // a series of unfortunate events // bruiser
[watch] daredevil // LOST // rogue one: a star wars story
[listen to] twenty one pilots // typhoon // jon bellion // relient k
*the listed things are not "clean". they are not labeled as Christian. in some cases, the creators themselves aren't Christian. but they're good stories that tell the truth and, as a result, point to something greater and higher, without message getting in the way. some of them have swearing and violence and sex in them. that doesn't take away from the meaning. one of them is star wars. i have no regrets.
Musicccc! Yayyyy!
If you're just coming into this, you should probably read this post first. The long story short of it: I decided that for the month of April I would listen to one new album every day, one I'd never heard before.
I actually stuck to it all the way through. I still don't know how. I do, however, know that I came out the other side with 30 new albums and some new musical interests/favorites to show for it, so I consider that a huge win. So, as you do...I'm going to recap the albums I heard because YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ALL OF THEM.
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it's always the appropriate time for a jefferson dance |
For Easter! I haven't listened to a proper worship/hymn album in way too long (something I need to fix) and this really got me in the right mindset that afternoon. It was nice to sit outside and reflect on Easter with this on in the background. A+ very soothing.
17. This Is Our Science (Astronautalis)
A THING I HAVE TO LISTEN TO AGAIN. I've always been fascinated with the potential in rap, and I've always felt like it would be a favorite genre if most of it wasn't absolute trash. This exceeded ALL EXPECTATIONS. (I first heard one of his songs in a Night Vale episode and I've been curious ever since.) Deep, thoughtful, meaningful, and ohmygosh I'm in love with his voice. Definitely need to listen again and think about it more intensely.
18. The Hazards of Love (The Decemberists)
??? ??? ??? I'm not sure what I just listened to, other than the fact that it's beautiful and story-inspiring and dark and weird. It makes me want to write all the dark fantasy. *evil villain chuckle*
19. You Can't Kill Us (Icon For Hire)
Icon. For. Hire.
So...I might have cried a little bit during this one. It's so rare to find anything that addresses mental illness and all the complex anger and hurt that comes along with it in a way that's honest and hopeful at the same time, in a way that doesn't try to have all the answers, that just sits with you and shouts and screams with you and gets it all out. It feels like a therapy session and I love it. I love it all.
20. A/B (Kaleo)
Such. An interesting. Sound. I wasn't paying much attention when I listened to this one, so I'd love to hear it again, because his voice gives me chills and I was picking up some serious story vibes. #plotbunnieseverywhere
21. Native (OneRepublic)
A bit of a cheat because technically I've heard a bunch of OneRepublic songs before, but I've never heard this album other than like two or three songs, so I finally just did it.
OneRepublic is as mainstream as it gets. I will still cry over every OneRepublic song I hear. WHAT JAMS.
22. Ascension (NinjaTracks)
Yayyyy for sci-fi soundtrack-y music! Yayyyy for writing inspiration! Fun times for all!
23. Ocean by Ocean (The Boxer Rebellion)
I...don't have much of an opinion on this one? It was okay. *shrug*
24. Revolution Radio (Green Day)
The real question is, why has Aimee never heard a Green Day album before? BECAUSE GREEN DAY IS AIMEE'S PUNK ROCK AESTHETIC minus the sin because i'm a good person
25. Hozier (Hozier)
Homeboy has some questionable morals but also the voice of a Greek god so I can forgive him for it because dang.
26. Other Rivers (Matthew and the Atlas)
Pretty, but...kinda unremarkable to me.
if you love me let me GOOOOooooOOOOOooOOOO
(I decidedly am not a fan but Brendon Urie's hair is nice so there's that)
28. Limbs and Branches (Jon Foreman)
For someone who's heard every Switchfoot thing in the history of ever... I've never heard Jon Foreman's solo work before.
Again, I cried. Jon Foreman is actual goals and everything I love and I am never going to recover from the miracle that is his voice and faith and words.
Neon Trees is a JAM every time even through the angst. 12/10 would recommend if you like songs that feel, in fact, neon.
Soothing folk tunes! Interesting lyrics! Pretty guitar! <3 <3 <3
There's not much else to say, is there? I learned a lot. I found new music. I made myself branch out and try all genres, all sounds, things I wouldn't have heard otherwise. And now I'm motivated to find allll the new music and keep expanding.
Basically: it's a win.
I'm still alive, fam.
Yes, yes, I know, there hasn't been a wrap-up in forever. There haven't been a lot of posts in forever, either. I am hoping to fix that in May. Maybe. Hopefully. Have faith in me, if you haven't left already. I love youuuu. (This'll be a short wrap-up, but that's okay.)
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my response to everything lately let's be real |
So here's a little bit of what went down, more or less:
Yahhhh you know how this went down. There were some posts. There were mostly no posts. No explanation there, just gonna be real with you. I'm still trying to re-find the spark that makes me want to blog, and I'm still trying to get back into the habit of posting regularly and thinking of things to post. There's a lot on my plate and I'm working on juggling it. I posted about Lemony Snicket, however, so that's the most important thing you'll need from me for the rest of my blogging career.
I did actually read books! Yay! I've been working myself back into the habit of reading all the books and going/walking to the library regularly, something that's easier now that the weather is nice and I can drive more. Right now my TBR is towering, and it's a great feeling.
I re-read a good chunk of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Because I can, and because Lemony Snicket is my jam, and because I own them all now. SUE ME.

I read graphic novels that weren't Marvel comics! A medal for me.
I read some Star Wars books. I loved me some Star Wars books. Star Wars is my jam. I'm never going to recover from Star Wars. (Did I mention that Star Wars makes me endlessly happy.)
Somehow between podcast things and work and books and life and Netflix, I actually managed to pound out 50k vaguely-dieselpunk words just in time to finish Camp NaNoWriMo. It was a hard one. It was a horrible, wrist-hurting, headache-inducing, late-night-filled month of writing. Most of the time sitting down to drag out some sentences felt like pulling teeth, or gouging my eyes out with a spoon, or just watching Netflix instead of doing anything at all because that was much easier. I missed a lot of days, and caught up, and got behind again, and missed more days, and wrote 6k on the last day of the month to pull out a win an hour and a half before midnight. That's how you're supposed to do it, right?
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forever mood: tired matt murdock in sweatpants |
Some very exciting news on this podcast coming soon, y'all. I am not alone in the project now and it's COMING SOON. IT'S GONNA BE LIT. Can guarantee. We're hard at work and making it happen over here, with lots of spacey awesomeness to come soon.
Legion. Technically I finished Legion, which I should have done last month, but I procrastinated watching the last one for reasons unknown. Suffice it to say...if you haven't seen Legion, or thought about seeing Legion on FX, you've made a horrible decision. It doesn't matter if you aren't into comics stuff or Marvel stuff normally; no comics knowledge required! It's a breathtaking, horrifying masterpiece of color and music and excellent writing. If you're looking for something that addresses mental illness in a way that's brutally honest and real, look no further. This show means a lot to me -- almost as much as the comics meant to me -- and I'm going to hug it forever and never recover, I'm sure.
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JUST ADMIRE THE PRETTIES AND THE COLORS AND THE SHARPNESS |
Luke Cage again, with the little bro. He's getting a proper education.
Alllll the shows.
As I blogged about this month in one of my few posts... April was the month of new music. I made a decision to listen to one new album every day AND I DID IT. BOOM. 30 NEW ALBUMS I'D NEVER HEARD BEFORE. (I'll be recapping the last 15 albums this week, too. Stay tuned for that fun stuff.)
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LOOK AT HOW PRETTY IT ISSSSS. |
If you want to hear some of the tunes I listened to this month...I picked one from each album and threw them into this 30-song playlist. Have fun with it.
Writing. All the writing. Also all the podcasting. As I said...exciting things happening and going down on that front, so stay tuned, frens. <3
I bought a car! A wonderful car And subsequently found out that the car doesn't work the way I need it to, and am now trying to sell that car. So I'm dealing with that. But that's okay. (Probably.) (*quiet weeping*)
Work work work work workin' hard. Still enjoying my job. Still making all the pasta. #funtimes
It's been a long month, I'm not gonna lie. It's been hard, and intense, and I'm ready to curl up and sleep. It feels like everything I've tried to do to adult has gone wrong lately, and that's discouraging, but I'm trying to keep going.
One step at a time over and over and over and over and over.
How did your month go, guys? What did you do? Update me on your livesssss.
Words of wisdom from me to you so listen up, folks.
Here are some reasons why you shouldn't write a story.
Because it's cool.
Because somebody told you to.
Because it's a hot genre right now.
Because you feel like you have to.
Because it was prophesied in the books of old.
Because it'll sell really well.
Because it needs to be said.
Because it's a topic that someone needs to address.
Because somebody told you you should totally make that into a book.
Because the plot bunny has taken control of your mind and body and forced you to open up that Word Document and you will neither eat nor sleep until the story has been set down in stone.
Because you need to write something better, something literary, something smart.
Because it's good enough to be published.
Because it's good.
Because maybe there's somebody out there who needs to read it.
Because you have to have something to write for Camp NaNo.
Because it's your dream to be a starving artist/drunk writer type.
Because somebody really talented/a friend/an author you admire did something in that style/genre/with that plot line and you should totally do something like that now because clearly it's good and interesting.
Because you have a message to spread,
Because you can't write actual poetry,
Because somebody told you you couldn't write.
Here is a reason why you should write a story:
Because you want to.
Fear not, I haven't abandoned you yet, and today I'm going to talk about something different, because I can.
It's been a while since I've talked specifically about music, which is strange, because that's one of my favorite topics in the whole world and the history of ever forever amen. So that's what's going to happen today, and you can come along for the ride if you'd like.
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i just rly love drums ??? |
So I decided to do something scary.
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*resists urge to rant about legion erry day allll day* |
This is going to be a long post, so I won't blame you if you leave now. But here I'll be documenting the 15 albums I listened to for the first half of this month. They are, in order:
1. Language and Perspective (Bad Suns)
exactly my genre! exactly my kind of music! a very punk and bouncy feel, with thoughtful lyrics. I've listened to a lot of these songs over again this month. A+, a win, etc. (A fave song being Salt)
2. Ghost of a King (the gray havens)
Absolutely lovely and calming. Not my kind of music, though.
3. White Lighter (Typhoon)
A NEW FAVE A NEW FAVE A NEW FAVE A NEW ALL-TIME FAVE. There aren't really words. Lyrics. Sound. HIS VOICE. I die. It's dark and morbid and tugs at your heart and I cried a few times. (Young Fathers and Dreams of Cannabalism are especially fantastic. Listen to them.)
4. The Human Condition (Jon Bellion)
Bruh. Another new all-time fave. Jon Bellion has something special in him, I'm convinced of it, and he's a bit of a genius. I haven't listened to many rap albums that I've liked at the very least, but I adored this one. It's heartfelt, and human, and raw, and genuine. If you're not a fan of language (pretty strong at times) or some sexual references, probably steer clear, but he's very honest in a way that a lot of people aren't, and at the same time manages to come back to truth and goodness and humanity every single time. (Maybe IDK will make you weep. Promise.)
5. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Weird. Totally and completely weird. Something I would never listen to on my own, if it hadn't come recommended by a fren. And yet, I'm glad I listened to it. It's unique and inspiring and compelling in its own way, and I really like the style. There's a lot to get from the lyrics and the story behind it.
6. Story of an Immigrant (Civil Twilight)
It had me at the cover art and it kept me the whole time. Much more of an indie-rock feel, which was nice after all the weird things I listened to at first. It's a bit like if you smushed Coldplay and Bastille together, excellent lyrics and all, which I'm always here for. 10/10 would listen to again.
7. All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend (Aurora)
Recommended by an excellent fren of mine and approved by me. Her voice makes me so happy, y'all, and I don't know why, because she's intensely morbid. But it's great and inspiring and makes you feel powerful and good about yourself.
8. Vessels (Starset)
WHY HAD I NOT HEARD THIS BEFORE NOW. This is the sci-fi-inspired album you need in your life. Aggressive. SPACE. BATTLES. IN SPACE. If you want music that feels like the new Star Trek movies, look no further than this flawless screamy thing. (Also. That cover. I'm in love.)
9. Sam's Town (The Killers)
Okay, yes, obviously I've heard some Killers songs before. (Come at me, bro, Mr Brightside is a JAM.) But never seriously, so it doesn't count. People said this was their best album and I needed some angsty rock, so I came to this, and I was not disappointed. There's a very specific aesthetic to this that I loved a LOT.
10. Out of the Wasteland (Lifehouse)
It seemed appropriate to actually listen to a Lifehouse album, since, y'know, I just busted my paycheck on TICKETS TO SEE THEM AND SWITCHFOOT THIS JULY. (Switchfoot, y'all. I'm going to another Switchfoot concert. I could cry right now.) I was not disappointed. So much emotion and rock and amazingness.
11. The Interstellar Soundtrack (Hans Zimmer)
I'm one of the few people in this universe who actively disliked Interstellar as a movie, but sci-fi soundtracks are the best for me to write to, and I'd heard enough people scream about the soundtrack that I decided to do something new and listen to a soundtrack that day. The movie disappointed me, but the soundtrack did not! The colorful space vibes are real.
12. Pure Heroine (Lorde)
"How have you never listened to Lorde, Aimee?" I mean, obviously I've heard Royals. BUT NOTHING ELSE DON'T SUE ME. After much pressure, I finally caved and listened to some Lorde. Granted, I wasn't paying a ton of attention that day, but I know it's something I want to hear again, because there's a lot of depth and story inspiration there. AND DANG, SON, HER VOICE.
13. Hey, I'm A Ghost (Sullivan)
Finally, a proper screamy album. With thoughtful lyrics! I didn't hear much -- it was another distracted today -- but I liked what I heard, I think. Not many opinions here.
14. The Golden Age (Woodkid)
Interesting, but not going down as one of my faves. It just didn't grab me. *shrug*
15. Dear Evan Hansen (yes, that musical)
LOOK I DON'T KNOW WHY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG EITHER. This is a tough one to mini-review, because I've only heard it once, and with musicals it generally takes me a few listens to understand what's going on and properly appreciate the characters/lyrics. But this one has something special to it, I think. (It reminds me a bit of Next To Normal, which I will never be over.) It's a message very close to me and I think it's important. Must listen to this a few more times!
That, I guess, is my musical journey so far, and I don't have a convenient way to end this, so yeah. Aimee is listening to lots of music this month. And if you have an album you want me to listen to, PLEASE send it my way! I have a lot of days to go.