[Mad Hatter] Respawn #436-#438

[Elastigirl]

So glad you are able to meet with friends and even do climbing!

[WhiteGhost]

On 5/27/2020 at 3:59 AM, Mad Hatter said:

With more hugs! 

All the hugs!

 

On 5/27/2020 at 3:59 AM, Mad Hatter said:

Well it turns out, there's plenty more levels below that

If you get any lower you are going to end up on my level  

 

Great to see you feeling better again!

[raptron]

Ahhh, climbing AND hugs?!? I'm so excited for you. 

[Mad Hatter]

On 5/27/2020 at 6:08 PM, Harriet said:

Oof. Grip DOMS? WIll you be going regularly from now on?

Yup! It's not toooo bad, except for the one muscle that is used when clicking a mechanical pencil. 😂

 

That's the plan! Since I have no motivation to train on my own, I might as well have an excuse to see people and get some movement in.

 

On 5/27/2020 at 6:30 PM, Elastigirl said:

So glad you are able to meet with friends and even do climbing!

ME TOO!

 

12 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

All the hugs!

 

If you get any lower you are going to end up on my level  

 

Great to see you feeling better again!

Wait, so are you saying that if I keep not moving and keep eating cookies, I'll get beastly strong? 🤔 I like the sound of that! 😄

 

26 minutes ago, raptron said:

Ahhh, climbing AND hugs?!? I'm so excited for you. 

THANK YOU!

[Mad Hatter]

We had a meeting at work about the company plans - there's about a million new projects starting and lots of things happening and I.just.don't.care. We're going to have 1-1 talks with the boss and I'm dreading it because I don't know what to say and there's no way I'll be able to even fake enthusiasm... I was really hoping to plod along quietly for a little while longer, saving money and waiting out the pandemic, but I feel like I'm getting close to my career breaking point and I'm super stressed out about it.

 

So after the meeting I stopped working and drew pictures instead.

 

@Harriet and I have both been studying heads this month, and while we both took the same course, our approach has been wildly different, so I thought maybe it'd be interesting to show what I've been doing. (Since I started with the noob level exercises and she started with the Boss level ones!). 

 

One of the things I’ve been doing is rotating cartoon heads (mostly Mr Incredible so far). I also started the 100 50 head challenge. (Reference pics are here https://www.pinterest.se/aaldoori/portrait/) I have not been focusing on likeness at all, instead I’ve been trying out different approaches each session in order to learn to see the heads in different ways. I also haven’t been erasing any mistakes and instead I've been taking notes of where I went wrong to spot repeating errors.

 

Some things I played with: using construction lines, focusing on contours, starting with shadow areas. I tried to copy one artist’s style and on the last ones I was only looking at planes not caring about shading at all so that they barely look human. The longest sketch was probably 20 minutes in the beginning while I was getting my bearings and the shortest ones are about 5 minutes.

 

 

Today I also made a concept sketch for a thing which was way more fun than work.

 

 

[Harriet]

 

Quote

 

@Harriet and I have both been studying heads this month, and while we both took the same course, our approach has been wildly different, so I thought maybe it'd be interesting to show what I've been doing. (Since I started with the noob level exercises and she started with the Boss level ones!). 

 

Haha. I was thinking we were more level 3 beginner and level 6 beginner, myself. But thanks for the flattery  

 

Quote

One of the things I’ve been doing is rotating cartoon heads (mostly Mr Incredible so far). I also started the 100 50 head challenge. (Reference pics are here https://www.pinterest.se/aaldoori/portrait/) I have not been focusing on likeness at all, instead I’ve been trying out different approaches each session in order to learn to see the heads in different ways. I also haven’t been erasing any mistakes and instead I've been taking notes of where I went wrong to spot repeating errors.

 

Some things I played with: using construction lines, focusing on contours, starting with shadow areas. I tried to copy one artist’s style and on the last ones I was only looking at planes not caring about shading at all so that they barely look human. The longest sketch was probably 20 minutes in the beginning while I was getting my bearings and the shortest ones are about 5 minutes.

 

These look like very valuable exercises. And I really like some of them. My favourite is the old greek statue-looking dude with a wreath. I love kräftig noses for some reason.

 

Quote

Today I also made a concept sketch for a thing which was way more fun than work.

 

That's super cool colour/rendering! She looks like she's made of opal!

ETA was going to use the 'that's metal' react, but it's stone.

[PaulG]

On 5/28/2020 at 9:41 AM, Mad Hatter said:

So after the meeting I stopped working and drew pictures instead.

I feel you. There’s nothing like a good pandemic to make work seem 100% pointless.

 

On 5/28/2020 at 1:20 PM, Harriet said:

ETA was going to use the 'that's metal' react, but it's stone.

And what do you use to chisel stone? METAL.

 

@Mad Hatter has shown us that she chisels stone.

 

Ergo, @Mad Hatter is SUPER METAL.

[@mu]

On 5/28/2020 at 6:41 PM, Mad Hatter said:

We had a meeting at work about the company plans - there's about a million new projects starting and lots of things happening and I.just.don't.care. We're going to have 1-1 talks with the boss and I'm dreading it because I don't know what to say and there's no way I'll be able to even fake enthusiasm... I was really hoping to plod along quietly for a little while longer, saving money and waiting out the pandemic, but I feel like I'm getting close to my career breaking point and I'm super stressed out about it.

 

That is stressful but that might be the trigger you were possibly in need of?

 

Awesome heads! Love the variety as well

[Mike Wazowski]

Hugs, friend, that sounds stressful on the career front, but I'm hoping good things come out of it for you!

 

And wow, I'm in awe of your sketching!! I'm always amazed by people who can make art with their hands, even when they claim it's not very good.

[Mad Hatter]

I'll get back to you later, right now I don't have words only sorrow and rage. Hope you're all staying safe. ❤️

 

 

[raptron]

❤️ 

[KB Girl]

❤️ 

[starsapart]

❤️

[Mad Hatter]

Hi! I still don't know what to say. What are goals even? What is fitness even?

 

However I am beginning to feel less paralyzed and less glued to the livestreams, which is not helping anyone. Instead, yesterday I very publicly prodded the CTO of the billion dollar parent company which I work for with a very sharp stick about why he's not said or done anything, and where the donation matching program is. While I have no problem speaking up face to face, I'll admit that it was a bit nerve wracking, despite it being entirely risk free. But I'm happy to say that the donation program is happening now. ✊At least it's something you know, however small.

The reactions in the local office was... interesting. The CEO of the Helsinki company is extremely cautious and would clearly prefer it if I could for once shut up instead of causing trouble. 🤷‍♀️My friends were jokingly saying that obviously I'm bored and haven't had enough arguments throughout lockdown haha. Speaking of, I did get into a fight with Super Bigot and OMG I hate his guts so fucking much. Not that my feelings towards him have changed since earlier, I just got a refresher course on what a bag of dicks he is. 

 

After all the drama I spontaneously went to hang out with a friend. Or rather she forced me to get my eyeballs off the livestreams. We went to a restaurant! And had wine! I felt a little like a country bumpkin who'd never been to a restaurant before haha, it was SUCH a long time ago. It felt amazingly normal to sit on the patio in the sun and chatting and destressing. (And ahemmm getting the bill, it reminded me why saving's hard during normal circumstances) I really needed that. Today I obviously still feel all the feels, but somehow this paralyzing inability to act has disappeared, instead of hitting me straight in the gut I can maybe deflect it to something more productive. Maybe. Hopefully. At least today is the first day in quite a while where I spontaneously extended my walk because I felt like it, rather than walking like a zombie.

[Elastigirl]

A restaurant and wine!!! We drove a couple of hours and were able to eat at a restaurant, and it was wonderful.And hubby paid the bill, so I didn't even have to think how much it cost. The first part of my week was sucked down into the livestream whirlpool too. Glad you are climbing out. It helps me to remember that news  gets viewers by showing the  bad stuff, but the reality is that there are good things happening too.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

However I am beginning to feel less paralyzed and less glued to the livestreams, which is not helping anyone. Instead, yesterday I very publicly prodded the CTO of the billion dollar parent company which I work for with a very sharp stick about why he's not said or done anything, and where the donation matching program is. While I have no problem speaking up face to face, I'll admit that it was a bit nerve wracking, despite it being entirely risk free. But I'm happy to say that the donation program is happening now. ✊At least it's something you know, however small.

 

On behalf of everyone at your company who felt the same way and who were afraid of speaking up, thank you.

[KB Girl]

You are badass  

it’s awesome that you had such a nice slice of normalness. And kudos to your friend for pulling you away from the livestream! 

[WhiteGhost]

Way to go on kicking your CTO into action.  Real life superhero stuff (not being sarcastic here - it really is)

 

Also, yay for a nice time at a real restaurant  

[Harriet]

11 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

The CEO of the Helsinki company is extremely cautious and would clearly prefer it if I could for once shut up instead of causing trouble. 🤷‍♀️

 

It's not good for people to get what they want all the time. I'm sure you're doing him a favour, really.  

 

11 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Today I obviously still feel all the feels, but somehow this paralyzing inability to act has disappeared, instead of hitting me straight in the gut I can maybe deflect it to something more productive. Maybe. Hopefully. 

 

Hopefully! 

[Athena]

13 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

My friends were jokingly saying that obviously I'm bored and haven't had enough arguments throughout lockdown haha.

 

Hahaha, well it's good that that's the type of fights you crave 😊 Thanks for being you! 

[Mad Hatter]

On 6/4/2020 at 7:46 PM, Elastigirl said:

A restaurant and wine!!! We drove a couple of hours and were able to eat at a restaurant, and it was wonderful.And hubby paid the bill, so I didn't even have to think how much it cost. The first part of my week was sucked down into the livestream whirlpool too. Glad you are climbing out. It helps me to remember that news gets viewers by showing the  bad stuff, but the reality is that there are good things happening too.

Sounds lovely!

 

Honestly where I'm sitting I'm failing to see it. But I really, really hope that something positive will come out of it.

 

22 hours ago, Scalyfreak said:

On behalf of everyone at your company who felt the same way and who were afraid of speaking up, thank you.

❤️

 

20 hours ago, KB Girl said:

You are badass  

it’s awesome that you had such a nice slice of normalness. And kudos to your friend for pulling you away from the livestream! 

Hardly! There was literally nothing at stake for me. 

 

Yeah she's awesome. And has been doing way too much news reading herself. One of those "easier said than done" things haha.

 

15 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Way to go on kicking your CTO into action.  Real life superhero stuff (not being sarcastic here - it really is)

 

Also, yay for a nice time at a real restaurant  

Thank you but it really, really isn't. As I said, there's absolutely nothing for me to lose and it's a drop in the emotion. But there's a huge amount of amazing superheroes that are fighting day in and day out and it's very inspiring to watch. I just don't understand how they cope with the enormous emotional toll it must take. Not just now, but year after year of endless struggle...

 

13 hours ago, Harriet said:

It's not good for people to get what they want all the time. I'm sure you're doing him a favour, really.  

 

Hopefully! 

Hah, so very true!

 

11 hours ago, analoggirl said:

Hahaha, well it's good that that's the type of fights you crave 😊 Thanks for being you! 

I mean, I'd much rather not have those fights, or even be around those people. But I guess they're good reminders that just because someone might appear ok on the outside, they're full of rot on the inside.

❤️

[Mad Hatter]

Follow up story, in which I got to eat humble pie. 😄 Luckily in secret haha.

So there's one person that I've occasionally worked with who frankly drives me nuts. I've never met her, and while she seems very kind, and possibly even fun to be around, I don't know whether she's simply lousy at her job or plain dumb. She always, always ends up wasting my time and as a result my tolerance for her is extremely low. Anyways, after I posted I got a reply from her saying something along the lines that she believed that most people at the company were good people, together with a story about a gesture she did to mourn George Floyd. Of course, my gut reaction was that she just didn't get what I wrote, that somehow gestures would justify lack of action. So I wrote her a private message, and explained to her, very politely mind, about why I wrote such a sharply worded message and that it'd be cool if she could find a way to take action instead of just showing sympathy.

At which point she serves up the pie. 

I find out a whole bunch of stuff, about her and her family's daily struggles with racism, her separation from other parts of the family because of it, and how she's been actively fighting for years. And then she thanks for me speaking up and says that she almost cried when saw the message and I'm sitting there both gobsmacked and like the biggest tool in the world.😄There's many lessons in here kids. 

(And another one when it turns out she's actually on these forums LOL)

I love pie.

 

[Athena]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

At which point she serves up the pie. 

 

Well, I think you could not have known that she was a activist and her wording did sound a bit soft, to you. 

 

Some people - regardless of what they've been through - appreciate gestures. Indeed. Gestures can have huge impact. International relations are built on it. 

 

Others want more because some public figures like gestures for the lack of commitment they represent. But I get that you feel humbled for maybe being harsh towards her/if your initial inner reaction harsh (even if you politely worded it in the message).

 

Something about, assuming makes an a out of u and me?

[raptron]

My CEO made a post (in support of BLM thankfully) yesterday, which I used as an opportunity to publicly ask if we have a donation matching program on the way. I only got an HR response rather than action, but I definitely made sure to ask and point out that a community service day is not the same thing as financial support. So thank YOU for the reminder/nudge to keep pressing things forward in the work place. ✌️

[Scaly Freak]

Reading about the lack of reaction from these companies is a good reminder that my company is not typical. It should be though, and we all need to work towards that.