introduction / friending meme

[redstringraven]

here's an intro-meme i filled out from the newcomers community! thought i'd share it over here, too. for the lads.

about section will be out of a cut, but i'll put the other sections in cuts! original template can be found in this entry!

ABOUT YOU:
username: redstringraven
your other online venues: tumblr and ao3
your approximate location: USA (lurking in silent hill)
any other important personal details you want to share:
i am in the USA but obviously not silent hill; placing myself there is more for privacy and also keeping a general aesthetic/theme for my online spaces.

YOUR INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
what languages do you speak?

english (1st language/fluent), trying to teach myself irish (very much beginner), and also in the trenches of conlanging a celtic-based language for liáfsini.

what are some of your favorite hobbies?

drawing, writing, reading, storytelling, character creation/development, watching animals do their weird lil animal things, researching celtic history and folklore.

what television shows and movies do you like?

tmnt (2003), teen titans (animated 2003), buffy the vampire slayer, jurassic park, NOPE (2022), the ring (2002), john wick 1-4, cowboy bebop, spider-man: into the spiderverse, spirited away, kiki's delivery service, your name, avatar: the last air-bender, batman: the animated series, alien (1979), aliens (1986), gone girl, the ritual, and a handful of godzilla movies.

i'll include video games in this section, too: silent hill 1-4, hollow knight & silksong, the uncharted series, horizon: zero dawn/forbidden west, the last of us (1st game), GRIS, nancy drew pc games, CONTROL, the evil within 2, wingspan, god of war (2018), and va-11 hall-a.

what books or other written fandoms are you into?

a long way to a small angry planet, jurassic park, the raven cycle series, nancy drew, the folk of the air series, the noumena series, the house in the cerulean sea, and various dc comics (before the new52).

i'm also currently in a "rat book club" where we read one book trending on booktok a month alongside a shorter 'good read'. this is less including myself in those associated fandoms and more: if you see anything of questionable quality in my 'currently reading' pile on storygraph/fable, this is why, lmao.

what kinds of music do you enjoy? listening, playing, or both?

i dunno if i have a specific type/genre i gravitate toward, i more just... like what i like? my range is pretty wide. i'm a big lover of soundtracks (from christopher larkin's work on hollow knight and silksong to akira yamaoka's library for silent hill and the medium), i love more atmospheric artists like hammock and city girl, enjoy pop that i grew up with, folk artists like crane wives and the oh hellos, but also music from artists like 30 seconds to mars, starset, and old gods of asgard.

i used to play the flute in high school, and i'd like to start experimenting with sound design in terms of creature noises.

do you have a transformative works statement / blanket statement?

i think so? it's on my ao3 profile, but i should probably move it over here as well.

what are some worthy causes you support?

i volunteered at my local zoo for seven years to learn and help teach about conservation (have since grown out of the age range), volunteered at an equine therapy center for three or four years, have contributed to two charity zines (shark & sea turtle conservation), and for the past two years was a volunteer/contributer for the tmnt4p project (now concluded), which i believe i made eight pieces for!

do you have pets or livestock, and if so, what kinds? do you watch wildlife?

i have two birds! a blue-fronted amazon parrot named dell and a cockatiel named keagen (keeg). both are rescued/adopted, and they're basically my children.

i love watching wildlife. catch me sat in the park, dissociating while i watch pigeons scuttle around. when i volunteered at my local zoo, and wasn't "on the clock", i'd spend long periods of time rooted to one of the exhibits just... watchin'.

do you enjoy gardening or houseplants, and if so, what kinds?

my living situation doesn't really allow for much gardening nor does the usual climate, but i've managed to keep a pothos and peace lily alive for a few years. i had lavender that didn't survive the summer, but i'd like to try again at some point.

what does your average day look like?

i get up around 4:30am, brew coffee, and either draw or write until i leave for work. typical eight-hour workday, and i listen to an hour or two of an audiobook at the start. head home, draw or write some more if i have the energy OR wind down with an hour or two of gaming. usually in bed between 9 and 9:30pm. on weekends, the audiobook is replaced with a different read (sometimes a fiction story, sometimes a non-fiction/research source).

ABOUT YOUR BLOG
what is your dreamwidth blog like?

honestly, i'm still figuring out what i wanna do with it! being the kind of person i am, i get a little twitchy about how my online spaces allow me to organize things, and that will sometimes dictate what i end up using the space for. but i imagine it'll become somewhere i share my artwork, my writing, and my process as i worldbuild for liáfsini. might be a few ramblings scattered between if i'm feeling chatty and lonely.

what is your blog metaphor?

kind of a small studio space/bedroom with an open door. it's a closed off area where i can be left to quietly work on my projects and think to myself and just kind of goof around or vibe when i need to. but the door's open; if you happen to pass by, you're more than welcome to spark a conversation or look at my stuff!

how active is it?

determinant for the time being? i wouldn't say daily, but i'd like to post more often than once a month. it'll become more regular once i get a better handle on how the space works and, as said, what i wanna use it for!

what are your most common topics?

i've only got three entries so far, but i imagine my most common topics will surround my art, writing, and whatever else i'm working on. fandom and original works.

how do you feel about crossposting?

if i understand correctly what it is: i don't think i have any strong opinions on it? seems fine! so long as you're not spamming all the spaces you're in. like... a twitter-like blog where you drop random thoughts as they come, verses you finished a piece of art and now share it across all your communities. the latter's fine and whatever.

is your blog more text-heavy or image-heavy?

a bit of a balance, maybe? i plan on sharing my artwork, and i might find a clean way to share process along with final pieces. i also plan on sharing writing (original & fanfic) and the process as i worldbuild for liáfsini, which i intend to make concept art for just as much as... write things out.

do you paste in or link to a lot of audio or video content?

nah. definitely won't be embedding video or audio. might link to audio if/when it has relevance to art or writing i've posted, but for the most part i like my space quiet and wouldn't wanna interrupt your peace, either.

do you use recurring posts, and if so, what topics?

at the moment, no, but i'm sure i will as i find a posting rhythm! especially when it comes to sharing worldbuilding process and maybe a weekly or monthly sketchbook share.

is your blog more personal, professional, topical, or a mix?

will probably be a blend of personal/professional! i'd like to keep it tidy and pleasant to navigate, while also keeping it casual enough that i don't perfectionist myself outta posting at all in fear i'll "ruin it".

is it all open, all friendslocked, or somewhere in between?

probably open for the most part with a few friendslocked things speckled here and there. the latter will most likely consist of more personal ramblings OR "first draft" sorts of things, where i'd rather share it with trusted eyes first before i do anything else with it.

do you use filters, and if so, what kinds?

presently, no? i guess this could be subject to change as i become more familiar with the site, but as of right now: nah.

what kinds of friends would you like to attract to your blog?

chill folks who share fandoms i'm into, creatives with a love for storytelling and character creation, or other artists and writers!

do you participate in creative bingo, fests, challenges, memes, holiday festivities, or other blogging events? if so, what are some of your favorite ones?

not yet! still feeling the site out. c: it might be a while until i get around to exploring 'social events' just because i'm slow-moving and prefer to be thorough in my reading/understanding.

what are your policies on friending and granting access, if any?

i'd say less policies and more... i'll likely be very slow with this and/or give it to folks i feel i really have befriended on a more genuine level. since the stuff i'll be "friendslocking" will be along the lines of "first draft" sorts of things, or random streams of conscious 'throwing mud at the wall', access to that will go to folks i trust and have come to value their input.

YOUR BLOG-READING HABITS
how often do you check your friends feed?

it's pretty slow right now, so, daily?

about how much time do you spend reading blogs?

currently, not a lot. i've been in a bit of a self-imposed crunch-time for a project, so most of my free time has been focused on that. once it's done, i plan on restructuring my time-blocks to include time for dreamwidth exploration and discovery.

how active do you like a blog to be?

no opinion as of right now! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i'll skip the last three questions since i'm still settling in and finding blogs i'd like to read from!

CURRENTLY...
reading: "the dream thieves" by maggie stiefvater (reread) & "celtic mythology" by proinsias mac cana
watching: the x-files
playing games: the room 2 & hollow knight
wondering about: if i should re-arrange my weekday time-blocks for creative stuff outside of work
planning for: what comes after finishing my current project
proud of: what i've put together so far for liáfsini