Catherine Clase @cmclase@qoto.org

@cmclase welcome!

As a kid, I often heard that if you weren’t automatically amazing at something like art, you didn’t have any chance of succeeding in that field and you shouldn’t try. Trying to get better at art (or writing, or dance, etc) was an embarrassing waste of time in the eyes of many of the adults around me. So despite a strong desire to make art, I just . . . didn’t. I barely even used coloring books.

Cut to my 30s, and I’m finally learning to draw and sketch. I’ve spent the last year working mostly on my hand-eye coordination and really basic art skills. I work in Procreate on an iPad because it allows me to try things and easily undo or fix them without feeling like I’m wasting physical supplies, and it avoids the sensation of touching art paper, which is a sensory experience I really dislike. I’m definitely making improvements, and I’m really satisfied most of the time with the process!

All of which to say that I’ll be sharing art here that looks like I don’t know what I’m doing, or looks like I haven’t had any formal art instruction, and those things are true! I’m gradually learning actual art technique, but it’s early days still.

This image is from a few months ago and I was just as surprised as my new friend here about how well the mushroom turned out on my first attempt. I’d do some things differently now, but it’s a great progress snapshot!

#art #artist #learning #DigitalArt #procreate

In a way Mastodon is a great place for a 🍁 Now If I could only migrate my 1k followers from that other place

Here is the link to Aaron Collins's (MaskNerd) mask-testing spreadsheets. Note that he tested kids' masks as well as adult masks. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eE2BERAvRzs28kG87ft3a27FS9-gHvdC

#introduction I am nonbinary (they, them) and a published #poet, with two books to my name and another in my dreams. I came to creative writing late, and mostly in the US where I lived for 10 years. I've been back in the UK since 2021 but not settled. I have a PhD in English and have taught / edited all kinds of #writing. Open to freelance work! Also into #SocialJustice #humanism #theater #cats #dogs #CrimeFiction. A Scot by birth, but rootless.

Last.call for the City Center Mall ##Hamont. Slowly failing for years. Closed by New Years and they start tearing it down for Condos in the Spring.

My #introduction : I'm a university professor in #Biology interested in how people learn. I do research in #SOTL . I'm interested in #urbanism and #CityPlanning to transform #quebeccity into a #HappyCity. I'm the VP of the Québec #bike coalition (La table de concertation vélo des conseils de quartier de la ville de Québec) and VP of the St-Louis neighbourhood council. I have been #traveling, #cycling, playing outside and enjoying life with my husband for 22 yrs and with our son for 17.

Adding some hashtags since my interests are all over the place. I'll add more when I think of them. #Ethnomusicology, #Afrofuturism

I’ve written up some tips on How to Switch to Mastodon from Twitter:

How to leave Twitter: https://bit.ly/howtoscrubtwitter

How to find your Twitter people on Mastodon: https://bit.ly/howtofindtwitterpeopleonmastodon

How to cross-post #Mastodon to #Twitter: https://bit.ly/posttweetstomastodon

#TwitterMigration #social #xodus

Twitter appears to have stopped third party Twitter apps from accessing Twitter, without any warning or explanation. The reason Twitter can do this is because they control twitter.com and there are no other servers to choose from.

This kind of instant shutdown cannot happen on Mastodon or the Fediverse, because there are thousands of independent servers running on free open software standards.

This is why third party apps are so much more widely used on Mastodon and the Fediverse.

I gave up 15 years on Twitter and 22,000 followers. I used my anniversary to invite others to follow me to Mastodon, and I pointed out that every tweet is a donation to Musk. We know what he is and what he's doing. He gave Michael Flynn his account back on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

I started my #Twitter exodus as a boycott against Musk. Now, I'm thrilled to be here. I miss a few things, but Mastodon is just built better. I feel like it makes me (and you) better, too.

Never forget, a 13-year study of a dozen cities found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users.

ALL ROAD USERS.

And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all. As for sharrows, it’s safer to NOT have them.

Via @Streetsblog, read article linked below.

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/05/29/protect-yourself-separated-bike-lanes-means-safer-streets-study-says/

#bikelanes #bikes #cities #sharrows #infrastructure #urbanism #cars