finding a new home

    Hello, everyone!

    Just wanted to hop on here and let you know I've switched blogs!

    Below is the link to my new home on the internet. Hope to see you there!

https://withjoyforthework.blogspot.com

Come Find His Rest | A song review

   

"Come Find His Rest" 

Favorite line:

"I came to Jesus as I was so weary, worn, and sad / I found in Him a resting place and He has made me glad."

    This song has such a peaceful feeling to it. Especially when they sing the line: "Take His yoke upon thee / for He is gentle and lowly in heart". Ugh, it's just so good!! 

    Along with this song being for worship purposes, I also think it's good for writing as well. Perhaps for a scene where a lone voice rises to encourage the masses to trust in Christ despite whatever great darkness they are facing. And then the encouragement ripples out to more and more people!🤍

 

    What do you think of this song? And have you ever heard it before today? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! (Also, the choir, conductor, etc. info is in the YouTube description box!)

A re-introduction to the storyteller's citadel + launching my artist newsletter

You can listen to this playlist while you read, if you'd like. It's the one of the ones I was listening to while I edited this post

Musings

    
    I want to have a purpose behind what I'm doing with this blog. Not in an anxiety-inducing way of everything I say has got to be incredible and profound. I just mean I want to provide some kind of benefit to anyone who takes the time out of their day to read what I have written here.

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    And as I've been thinking about this, I've also been listening to anime instrumental playlists on YouTube, and I'd like my blog and my online spaces to give off the feeling I get when I listen to that music or watch slice of life anime films. 

    Homey and full of pretty things. Peaceful and slower. 

    I said in my 2024 goals post that I'd love to be able to post frequently on this blog, and while I still hold that wish, I hold it a tad more loosely now. I don't want to be speaking when I have nothing to say. I know algorithms and social media growth experts stress the importance of regular posting, but... I'm just not interested in following that advice at the cost of peace for myself and at the cost of overflowing peoples' feeds and email inboxes with information and updates that are unnecessary or worthless.

    I've been thinking a lot about Anne of Green Gables recently, and I think what's endearing me to it right now is the daily rhythms of life. How people just greeted and fully lived in each day and season of life that came. There were big goals, yes: Gilbert was studying to be a doctor, Anne desired to get her bachelor's. But each book was a season of life and days were lived in the present. I want to live my life more like the ways they did back then. 

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    And the world wasn't perfect in the late 1800s, I'm not romanticizing the bad parts of those times. I'm just acknowledging that I think we've lost something in the age of short form content. Blogs posts and YouTube videos have to be posted weekly, and for other platforms, like TikTok or Instagram, every few days or daily. And I am not looking down on anyone who posts that much, I just think for me, it's too much information to keep up with as a consumer. And as a creator, I wonder how do you come up with something fresh and new to say so often? And most importantly, how do you come up with something to say so often that matters? 

    I've been reading books a lot more recently, and I have found more true, more genuine wisdom and insights within these books than on online platforms. Whether the books are fiction or non-fiction. And I think the reason is that books and other long form content has to be sat with, poured over for months and, more often than not, years. Writers spend time combing through the prose of their work, spend time analyzing the philosophy and message behind what they're saying. I just don't think the same care is being put into our online platforms because what we produce has to be out faster. And, yes, there are some exceptions to what I've just said. You may have come across some people online who truly have something worthwhile to say each week that impacts, intrigues, or encourages you. And there are also those who write books on deadline and have to get the project out within a matter of months and therefore must rush matters and the work comes out a tad sloppy. There's nuance to many things. 

     I'd also like to note that with slice of life anime and Anne of Green Gables, the beauty isn't only in the lessons we're to take from the stories. It's also in the aesthetic of the stories. The mere featuring of nature, good food, and simple living. So to take this into the online realm, I really like watching Korean YouTubers simply prepare food! They often have nature sounds or quiet music playing and I just find it really calming. I also love pictures on Pinterest because I get story ideas from them. So there is definitely wriggle room to decide what is worthwhile to you to consume online. And what is worthwhile to you to post.

    

Moving Forward

    I'm thinking I'm going to be using this blog to post just art reviews from now on, with occasional cover reveals and other promotion for projects that are being done in the Christian artist community.

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    And you'll hear from me every time I have something new to talk about with you!

    Along with that, I'm also going to try and make each post pretty! As slice of life anime, Anne of Green Gables vibes as I can make them, lol!

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Launching my Artist Newsletter

    Remember last year when I announced I was going to begin publishing short stories online? Well, I'm going to be using that same publication I started on Substack and turning it into my artist newsletter! The three part short story that I finished will remain up in my Substack archives. 

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    So while over here I'll be posting art reviews, on my newsletter I'll be sending out more introspective posts like this one. I may discuss my thoughts on different aspects of the creative process, and also share updates on where I am in my artist journey. And the same philosophy of posting when I have something worthwhile to say (even if it's just hi!), and making it Anne of Green Gables, slice of life anime vibes applies to my newsletter, too!

    Here's the link to it if that sounds like something you'd like to sign up for! It's private as of the publishing of this blog post, but just input your email and I'll approve you be signed up! You'll also have access to that three part short story! It's about a former child warrior during the first few days/weeks after a great war has ended.

My Artist Newsletter!

Why I Chose to Write About This

    I chose to write about my current thoughts on blogging and platforms just in case anyone else has been thinking along the same lines recently, and was wondering what others were doing in the wake of those thoughts. This post is for the someone who perhaps genuinely likes blogging or YouTube because it's fun or because they're trying to make connections, but they don't fancy burn out or contributing to the chaotic clamor of voices talking about nothing, as Lecrae said in one of his older songs. 😉

    If similar thoughts have been swirling around in your noggin, I'd love to chat with you in the comments below. You can also use the contact form on my homepage as well!

 

Fin.

      

 

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    Well, that's all for today's post! I hope you have a blessed day and are able to make time to focus on the moments happening right now. You are SO loved!!

 

-the hopeful pen. 

 

   

    "The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace." 

Numbers 6:24-26

 

Photo attribution:

1. Photo by John-Mark Strange on Unsplash

2. Photo by Achim Ruhnau on Unsplash

3. Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

4. Photo by Ranurte on Unsplash

5. Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash 

6. Photo by Jessica Fadel on Unsplash

WINTER FAVORITES 2024 (December-February) | books, films, and music

    Hey, everyone! Today I'm going to be sharing a collection of art I've enjoyed this past winter. Without further ado, let's begin!

📚Books 📖

 Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

 

    🌿The chapters were a tad disorganized, but I still really enjoyed a lot of what he had to say here. It's definitely more akin to him sitting across from you and having a chat over coffee, than fully structured essays on the writing craft. Different than what I expected, but not necessarily bad because of that.
  

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George

 

Picture by me

✉️This one was really good! Admittedly, I wasn't obsessed with it, but it was still a genuine work of art. I have a review elsewhere on the blog with a bit more of my thoughts, which you can read here.

 

Of Fire and Ash and Of Sea and Smoke by Gillian Bronte Adams

 

                                              

 

    🐎Eagerly, eagerly awaiting the final book in this series!!! I already have a review for the first book "here", (the link color is malfunctioning, apologies!) so in speaking about the second one, I'll just say I have much the same thoughts. Which was that this series was EXCELLENT!!!! Characters: vivid. Prose: gorgeous. World building: imaginative. Plot: riveting. Can't say enough good things, please read these two books!!!

🎬Films and Shows🎥

 Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV show)

 

    🖊️🗡️I think the fandom is divided on whether or not they liked the new Disney plus series. I know I really loved it! I loved the soundtrack, Walker Scobell's acting in the last couple of episodes, and that they allowed him to be a Main Character. And I don't mean the the definition of a MC I've seen online over the past handful of years, or even the technical definition. But what it used to mean before that, in many of the action and adventure stories of the early 2010s and 2000s. A person who grows to be kind and wise and strong and confident, but is still human through it all. A genuine, selfless hero who not only characters within the show or film can look up to, but also us, as the audience. A leader who looks after his or her group and ensures to the best of their ability that no one is left behind, and if someone is, it's going to be them. 

    I could genuinely just be watching the wrong films, but I haven't seen a character allowed to be this kind of hero and leader in almost anything that's come out within the last several years. Probably no one on the big screen since some of the original Marvel superhero characters, e.g., Cap and Spider-Man. (If you know of a character, feel free to mention them below) 

    I also really loved getting to look forward to each new episode dropping every Tuesday. I loved the anticipation!

The King's Daughter (Film)

 

    🌊I first watched this a year or two ago when it came out, but re-watched it this winter. It has an interesting backstory which is that it was actually filmed in 2014, but released in 2022. As a result, the cinematography and score have that gentle, early 2010s, fairy-tale movie vibe. So just very sweet and dreamy.

🎧Music🎵

   "𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | can't take my eyes off you (classical, dreamy strings, Piero Piccioni) [reupload]"  uploaded by buu

    🎻I just love the instrumentals in this playlist from YouTube! 😍😍🥰🥰 My favorite song starts at 32: 12.

"a light academia calming piano playlist to study to" uploaded by sky

    🎹This is a collection of gentle piano pieces, lovely to have in the background while you work. My favorite song is the first song!

"M83 & STAR WARS | My Tears Are Becoming A Sarlacc Pit (mashup)" uploaded by Anything Vintage

    🎧(You're gonna want headphones for this one!) Oddly enough, I found this song on a funny video that it looked like two adult sons filmed with their dad. While I did find the video hilarious, I spent the next 10-15 minutes trying to track down this song!! Finally, I had M83 and Samuel Kim's separate songs, but I couldn't find THIS. A search or two later, and I finally found the actual edit. This mashup is just incredible and I don't have any worthwhile commentary to actually add. It's just awesome!

     

    Fin.

 

    Well, that's all for today's post! Have you read, watched, or listened to anything I talked about here before? What were your thoughts? Or was any of the art new to you? Also, let me know what art you enjoyed this past winter!

    Thanks so much for reading!

    With love,

    the hopeful pen.

HAPPY EASTER!! + sharing one of my all-time favorite easter worship songs

     Good morning, everyone, and happy Easter! I hope you all have a lovely time today celebrating Jesus Christ's resurrection with family and friends. Really quickly, I just wanted to pop on here and share one of my favorite Easter worship songs with you, "Arise, my love" by Newsong. I got to here the band perform it live Winter Jam 2017, and it was the first time I can remember ever hearing it. Once again, have an awesome, rejoicing-filled day, guys. HE IS RISEN!

 

Here's a link to the song on YouTube

 

And for Spotify

GIVEAWAY | THE BLACK ROSE COLLECTION

 A group of authors are doing a giveaway for their newly released collection of short stories, The black Rose Collection.

Click the link below to visit one of the authors' blog to learn more about the collection and enter the giveaway!

Black Rose Collection Swag and Giveaway

  

Happy Book Release Day to Aliferous by Alissa J. Zavalianos!!

Title: Aliferous

Subtitle: A Collection of Fairy Tales, Adventure, Romance & Whimsy

 I’m so excited to announce that today is the release day for Aliferous by Alissa J. Zavalianos!! This book is a collection of short stories and poems, all relating to birds and nature. Perfect for cozy fantasy lovers and those who just love a good adventure story. 

 

 

 You can purchase the book through the links here: linktr.ee/alissajzavalianos. It's available in paperback, hardback, ebook, and on Kindle Unlimited. And if you'd like additional information about the author, you can visit her website here.

This looks like it's going to be a really sweet and comforting read, so definitely adding to my own TBR!

 

Talk to you soon!

 

 

With love,

The Hopeful Pen.