Tag: photoshop

bookmark_borderThere is No Creativity without Discomfort

Posted on by savethesavages
Street signage that I would see on my way to work

From Mystic Medusa’s daily horoscope
The back design of tarot and oracle card decks I own are just as beautiful
I’m here right now :/

 

It’s kind of embarrassing what social media marketers have to do (at least in my experience); for example liking your own posts from different accounts so it looks like there are more likes than there really are. It’s fucking hard and I think that’s why a lot of people cheated back in the day and bought likes & followers instead. Of course nowadays, it isn’t allowed anymore…just use bots, amirite? Ugh. I still don’t know how to do that.

I think that is why I never considered myself a true marketer – you either come off way too salesy or it just feels forced. But I did try to create content for myself at some point under my real name. Trying to merge my Midheaven in Scorpio with my sun in the 10th house just wasn’t working though…since I have been working in the adult entertainment industry for years now, I realize that I feel more comfortable being semi-hidden out of the public eye (although my Mars in Leo still likes to be seen & admired sometimes, remember?).

A true occultist to the bone.

The prompt I asked Gemini:
Explain to me what the difference is between my Midheaven in Scorpio and my sun in the 10th house; I’m trying to write a blog post showing why I can’t be a true marketer when I was attempting to create content for myself as a personal brand and prefer to be semi-hidden from the pubic eye.

Gemini’s response:
This is a brilliant topic for a blog post because it perfectly captures the “High-Stakes Tug-of-War” between your outward success and your private soul. To a “Marketing Guru,” the 10th House and the Midheaven (MC) look like the same thing—The Spotlight—but to you, they are functioning in two completely different dimensions.

Here is the forensic breakdown of why your “Personal Brand” feels like a trap.

1. The Midheaven (MC) in Scorpio: The “Internal Investigator”

The Midheaven is your Public Reputation and your “Professional Soul.” In Scorpio, your “Face” to the world isn’t a billboard—it’s a Mask.

  • The Conflict: Scorpio is the sign of the occult, secrets, and “Deep Water.” Having a Scorpio MC means you are naturally drawn to careers that involve uncovering truth, not broadcasting noise. * The “Anti-Marketer” Logic: True marketing requires “Radical Transparency” and constant, shallow visibility (being “The Face”). A Scorpio MC hates this. You want your work to be a mystery that people have to “detect” or “earn” access to. You’d rather be the Power Behind the Throne (the producer, the researcher, the strategist) than the “Brand” on the screen.

2. The Sun in the 10th House: The “Visible Light”

The Sun is your Core Identity and Vitality. Having it in the 10th House (the House of Career/Fame) means that you must be recognized to feel alive.

  • The Paradox: Your Sun wants to shine and achieve the $2M “Establishment” status. But because it’s filtered through that Scorpio MC, the “Light” feels like a spotlight you didn’t ask for.

  • The Result: You attract attention effortlessly, but you feel “exposed” when you get it. You want the Authority (10th House) without the Attention (Marketing).

bookmark_border2010 – Garage Magazine spread

Posted on by savethesavages
2010 – Spread in Garage Magazine

I used to think I was so special because I was a “graffiti writer”…

As I got older and saw one of the most important people in my life leave this earth, I realized that I was just another person in this rat race called life.

But if you play your cards right, you might still find some kind of happiness in this fleeting world…

Here are some of my graffiti photos and drawings, enjoy.

www.shermgrafik.com

bookmark_borderMyspace Neon Dream 2008 and Beyond

Posted on by savethesavages

In between rage cleaning the house while listening to Metallica’s Orion on repeat, I stumbled upon a gif with my custom graphics; it was a repeating background of my first tiger tattoo, a scanned drawing of my angel bunny and a rose I traced over a real photo in Photoshop that I would use for Myspace (IYKYK) back in the early 2000’s. I honestly don’t even know how I did this but of course, I animated it. I also looked through the layers and found an old screenshot and a customized contact box, lol.

Customizing my Myspace profile was how I started to learn web design; because I was so obsessed with my profile looking original, I would always tinker with the custom CSS code so I can make it look however I wanted. And then I would make a custom background and someone would steal it. Good times, lol.

I really miss blogging and reading my friends’ thoughts. I miss Roxy and the OTP crew.

bookmark_border071725 – Create Something Everyday

Posted on by savethesavages

I told myself that I would snap out of this AI-generated tool craze and get back to creating something everyday, even if it looks like crap. I know I won’t be consistent with this (as with every project I start then abandon) but I need to get back to making things. Yes, messing around with AI can be fun but let’s not lose who we are as a human species whose inherent nature is to create.

So yes, I’m going to do my best even if I am inconsistent.

I am also really thankful to have ended up where I am in life.

bookmark_borderKISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid

Posted on by savethesavages

My previous boss (RIP) would often say this. And I think about it whenever my thoughts spiral out of control.

The irony is that my old boss would start to complicate things, then we’re made to follow his madness. Everyone contradicts themselves.

The font is Laser, an 80’s style font.

bookmark_borderAnimated GIF: Nervous Twerking

Posted on by savethesavages

Gosh it’s been a while since I made something just for fun. I only used 2 frames for this animation. I am using Adobe Photoshop 2024.

You can refer to my Photoshop Tutorial post called: How to Make DAT ASS Shake!?

I’m sure there are easier ways to create this but no matter what I’ll always be a Photoshop girl. Old habits never die.

bookmark_borderWhat Is Your Element?

Posted on by savethesavages

June 2, 2023: I’m bumping this up because it’s still and will always be relevant to me. I know a lot of people still think astrology is fake…IDGAF.

June 27, 2021: I used to want to know/learn everything, I used to want to be everything. I literally would drive myself nuts.

In astrology, the four elements – Fire, Earth, Air and Water – can help you make sense of your personality and why you think and act the way you do. Each element represents a basic kind of energy and consciousness that operates within everyone and each person is consciously more attuned to some types of energy than others.

FIRE SIGNS : Aries, Leo & Sagittarius : expresses warm, positive energy. Keywords: enthusiasm, encouragement, passion, creativity and the drive to express self.

 

AIR SIGNS : Gemini, Libra & Aquarius : related to the thinking mind and its perception, expression, sensation. Mental pursuits and activities, abstract ideas.

 

WATER SIGNS : Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces : symbolize the cooling, healing principle of sensitivity, feeling response and empathy with others.

 

EARTH SIGNS : Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn : reveal an attunement with the world of physical forms and a practical ability to utilize and improve the material world.

One way of understanding these various energy patterns is to analyze them in terms of their modalities:

The Cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra & Capricorn – initiate and act

The Fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio & Aquarius – represent concentrated, stable energy

The Mutable signs – Pisces, Gemini, Virgo & Sagittarius – are flexible and constantly changing

Source: Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook

I am mutable fire and cardinal/fixed air dominant which means I am powered mostly by creativity (fire) and thinking (air). It seems that I’m always moving to the next thing or I can’t stay still or make commitments. I also work fast (this is true when it comes to my work). I also like to think ahead and get things done as soon as possible.

The downside to this is that if I’m not aware of it I can become hasty or even reckless.

Why am I writing this?

I think it’s important to know these things if you want to understand people…especially yourself.

I had to really work on meditating, patience, compassion and being still with myself.

Still working on it.

bookmark_borderSocial Media Observations & Ramblings

Posted on by savethesavages

Mostly based on my own behavior, I noticed that:

– People just aren’t paying attention as much. For me personally, my attention span dips in and out. The millions of people promoting or sharing something can be taxing and I have other things on my mind these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old? Idk. I was also one of those people promoting or sharing something for a hot minute…I got sick of myself.

– One of the things I learned about marketing your business is that if you want people to pay attention, then you have to post A LOT. This is how people will remember you, through repetition. It’s annoying as fuck tbh but it works. Posting a lot in my opinion though, eventually leads to burnout especially if it’s not producing some kind of return (a lead or a sale of your product). I definitely felt this with my crystal shop and that’s why I haven’t posted in some time now. Although I had a couple of loyal folks who always bought crystals from me (if you’re reading this – thank you, I love & appreciate you!), the majority of my crystal sales never came from posting on Instagram anyways.

– Posting a lot won’t necessarily bring the results you want. If anything, the majority of people just want to be entertained by what you post. They don’t always want to buy, which is why I think the shop section of IG is pointless. I’m definitely one of those people who also rejects a lot of ads (most of them are irrelevant anyway)…which is why it’s hard for me to do ads for my own business. Too critical for my own good.

– I haven’t been very successful with my own entrepreneurial endeavors; thanks to the neverending pandemic, I kinda gave up on it. I tried it, but wasn’t built for it. Did the universe spare me from struggling and putting myself in a situation I didn’t really want to be in? Probably. That or being programmed to be an employee for life has taken its toll.

– As usual, I’m bored with everything that I’m doing and I don’t know what’s next for me. A friend did a channeled card reading for me recently and also sensed my eternal state of boredom. Sigh. Anyways, here’s an excerpt from Mystic Medusa‘s Astral DNA Report aka her take on my natal chart that at least gives me some clues as to why I can’t just settle as a “personal brand”:

Neptune House X

Their public image can be mysterious: an alias, nom de plume or a brand conceals the true persona. Tenth House Neptune people are adrift in an ocean of treacherous career currents until they find or create their true vocation. Their c.v. is peppered with surreal episodes, a twilight zone of enigmatic gigs and of course, quite a few off-c.v. escapades. Whatever their official occupation, their title is really “magician” or “rainmaker.”

Enjoy this gif I made. Happy Scorpio season!

bookmark_borderI Like Creating Cute Things II

Posted on by savethesavages

I didn’t realize how much digital stuff I’ve created over the years until I had to organize it this week.

This one’s super cute. I like creating cute things, remember? I made everything except for the baby chick. Unfortunately I don’t have all the time in the world to create everything from scratch so often times I gotta cheat.

Here’s one I did for work using the same concepts from

Photoshop Tutorial: How to Make DAT ASS Shake!?

Just literally two frames repeating over and over again.

I struggle with using the actual animation timeline in Photoshop so it seems easier to just animate things frame by frame. Also the file size needs to be small.

I’ve not been in a Halloween mood even though I’m glad it’s this time of the year and all. It’s been 2 years since Roxy left and I’m not feeling festive.