You've likely heard it mentioned, but I'm raising funds for me and the fam to head to NYC this November.
In a wild turn of events, this remarkably undereducated podcast creator was invited to come speak to a fiction podcasting class at a college. They're going to host an event for their students one day, AND I'm going to host a DS event one evening that week and it's open to the public. So I'm raising funds! There's a few ways you can help me get there. I'm selling scripts used in the production of the show, personalized messages, and I created a Ko-Fi if you're in a position to toss a few dimes and nickels in. Fundraising is going well. Almost halfway there! Anything you can do contribute is significant to me. Just make sure you're feeding yourself first and keeping the electricity on. Oh! and if you're in the area, I'd love to see you at Desert Skies: Dead But Still LIVE on Nov 16th. Tickets can be purchased here.
There’s a friend I talk to every two weeks. Been over six years since he suggested it, and it’s now one of the only regular parts of my life. An hour long zoom call together from opposite sides of the country (I finally get to see him when our family goes to New York this Fall.
I…have some abandonment issues. Because of reasons. Reasons I won’t share here.
About one year after we started meeting, we said our goodbye at the end of the call as we always do, and he said “Before you go. I want you to know something. I’m loyal. I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to worry that I’m going to stop being your friend.”
And I chuckled uncomfortably. Holy shit. Why did he say that? How did he know that was a fear of mine? I felt too seen. I became instantly uncomfortable. I don’t trust people. I’ve been burned before.
And I guess he picked up on that because he said, “I’m serious. I don’t ever want you to have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere. Okay?”
And I said okay. And then I said thank you. And we ended the call.
I’m very very hard on myself. Self-deprecating to an uncomfortable degree. And then braggadocios because I crave external validation.
I always expect to be hurt by someone. Always. I wish I could say I was intensely loyal. I’m not. I got survival instincts and they make me hide away when someone tries to hurt me.
It’s been five years since then. He hasn’t missed a call. He’s never tried to hurt me. Not once.
I don’t know that I’d ever have written a show about friends who were intensely loyal to each other if he’d never said that to me. If he’d never backed it up with his actions and shown me it was something that was actually possible.
Some of you are loyal friends.
Thank you.
Those who don’t have that in their lives need it.
And maybe you have a friend you think may worry about that, a friend who’s always unreasonably hard on themselves. You know they’re on edge. Ready to go MIA at the first sign of danger. You might laugh it off. You love them. They’re lovable. How could they not know that?
Please consider having an awkward conversation in which you tell them that you’re not going anywhere.
They may chuckle uncomfortably. They may not reciprocate. It doesn’t matter. You’re gonna show them. It may take a while. But you’re gonna show them.
And they’re going to think about it every time they feel that they’re not worth sticking around for, which is every goddamn day for the rest of their lives. That’s what we do.
But, my friend? He’s not going anywhere. He told me that.
I’m really glad he told me that.
I needed that.
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For reasons, I am needing all the audio dramas that have the word STAR in their name
So far I have:
- Starfall
- Where the Stars Fell
- Starcalled
- Among the Stars & Bones
- Second Star to the Left
- StarTripper!!
- The Strange Case of the Starship Iris
- Under the Electric Stars
- The One Stars
Are there any I’m missing?
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Time for another zine!!
What other podcasts have made you cry?
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Hey @desertskiespodcast —get star wars’d >:)
Nonny, Tendy, Mac, and Cash^
The Long Paws (Drystan and the bears)^
This is maybe what Desert Skies has always been. Seriously fantastic work @this-cult-of-dionysus
desertskiespodcast reblogged
Mental illness does not care about your creative endeavors. It doesn't care about...well, anything. It just is. And what "it" is, is sometimes (most often) not conducive to a consistently productive artistic life. And damn. It sucks. Because all I wanna do is make and make and make. Create and create and build and craft and..yeah. And sometimes I can't make and make because of depression. You might know what that feels like. My particular brand of neurodivergancy means I'll spend seasons incredibly over the top productive in my creative pursuits (though those seasons have become fewer since I began pursuing mental health recovery) and other seasons when I'm too low to be productive (and those seasons are fewer too, but maybe not as infrequent as I'd like). And maybe you too are sometimes inhibited by the sudden worsening of your symptoms. You draw less, you write less, you act less, you...get the picture. The thing I wish I'd known when I was younger is this; the inability to produce art as consistently as I'd like is a really shitty reason to not make the art I love when I'm able to. I do not think that living with a mental illness automatically means a person is more creative. I do believe that I like the art a person suffering from a mental illness makes more than I would otherwise. I think the reason is this. Those who live with depression, anxiety, OCD and the like, they're more likely to embody the human condition in its extremes than those who live relatively symptom free (I'm so thankful that some of you live symptom free). It can be difficult to communicate emotions in art, it's always comes across just a little bit muted. That's not to say art isn't emotionally powerful. We know it can be! But what's in the head almost never gets completely out. What with all that bone and everything. But the person who feels the real big feelings is going to make something that, though slightly muted as it may be, will nevertheless come across extremely human. And as a human, I enjoy stuff that feels very human. Most people do. Human people that is. So, if you suffer as many do, with the symptoms of a mental illness, please make your art as your symptoms allow. There's no rush. We need what you make because it's going to make us feel what you feel because what you feel is amplified human emotion. It speaks to us. I feel the need to add this: Do not avoid the pursuit of mental health because you think being free of, or experiencing less of, your symptoms will ruin your art. It can't. You never forget the big feelings. Even when they're not there anymore. You never forget them. So do something with them.
Absolutely love this post and agree 100%, just wanted to add my own thought,,,
Don’t put pressure on yourself to channel your hardest experiences and put it into everything you do. Sometimes I forget, although my experience is valid, tough, and needs to be talked about, I can also make silly things, and enjoy a carefree creative process that doesn’t have all my rawest and deepest feelings on display. You’re allowed to take your time and do the fun thing. Having a mental health challenge as a creative does not mean all of your creativity has to focus on that.
Take care, creative kids, you’ve got this.
Mental illness does not care about your creative endeavors. It doesn't care about...well, anything. It just is. And what "it" is, is sometimes (most often) not conducive to a consistently productive artistic life. And damn. It sucks. Because all I wanna do is make and make and make. Create and create and build and craft and..yeah. And sometimes I can't make and make because of depression. You might know what that feels like. My particular brand of neurodivergancy means I'll spend seasons incredibly over the top productive in my creative pursuits (though those seasons have become fewer since I began pursuing mental health recovery) and other seasons when I'm too low to be productive (and those seasons are fewer too, but maybe not as infrequent as I'd like). And maybe you too are sometimes inhibited by the sudden worsening of your symptoms. You draw less, you write less, you act less, you...get the picture. The thing I wish I'd known when I was younger is this; the inability to produce art as consistently as I'd like is a really shitty reason to not make the art I love when I'm able to. I do not think that living with a mental illness automatically means a person is more creative. I do believe that I like the art a person suffering from a mental illness makes more than I would otherwise. I think the reason is this. Those who live with depression, anxiety, OCD and the like, they're more likely to embody the human condition in its extremes than those who live relatively symptom free (I'm so thankful that some of you live symptom free). It can be difficult to communicate emotions in art, it's always comes across just a little bit muted. That's not to say art isn't emotionally powerful. We know it can be! But what's in the head almost never gets completely out. What with all that bone and everything. But the person who feels the real big feelings is going to make something that, though slightly muted as it may be, will nevertheless come across extremely human. And as a human, I enjoy stuff that feels very human. Most people do. Human people that is. So, if you suffer as many do, with the symptoms of a mental illness, please make your art as your symptoms allow. There's no rush. We need what you make because it's going to make us feel what you feel because what you feel is amplified human emotion. It speaks to us. I feel the need to add this: Do not avoid the pursuit of mental health because you think being free of, or experiencing less of, your symptoms will ruin your art. It can't. You never forget the big feelings. Even when they're not there anymore. You never forget them. So do something with them.
desertskiespodcast reblogged
Desert Skies. Desert Skies!! DESERT SKIES!!!!!!!!!
DESERT SKIES!!!!!!
desertskiespodcast reblogged
Happy Audio Drama Sunday! This week definitely had me feeling some feels...
@hinaypod Episode 45 - Paghahanda (Preparation) Part 1: More Mari and Sauvard bonding time! The music box is interesting, I can only imagine one of those tunes playing creepily in the background of a scene... More vague clues from J, the man cannot just outright say something. Also starting to see some of the consequences of Murphy's decision after dealing with Bolton.
@desertskiespodcast Chapter 17 - The Accident: I said it earlier this week and I'll say it again, phew, that was an episode. I was so frustrated like Nonny and Mac, wondering why Tendy wasn't doing more about this terrible traveller. Tendy's breakdown at the end was so raw and heartbreaking (serious kudos to Jared for the acting on this one). I'm glad Nonny and Mac are there and hopefully they can start helping him out of this hole.
@storiesfromylelmore Episode 202 - Chess: Rion, sweetheart, let someone hug you! I felt this episode to my core; the trying to please everyone all the time, taking on too much, and then Rion also had to deal with that awful secretary's bigotry? I'm glad there was an adult who was able to recognize at least some of what was going on and hopefully make things easier (even of Rion didn't want them to). I can't wait to see how well Keryth's charmed rings work!
Case Study IREC-A59 Episode 3 - So Here's The THING: I really like the little clues we've been getting to give us an image of what humans look like compared to the alien crew (ex: "sit down so you're not towering over it"). Like Ineke, I am also very curious about the initial report about humans and what the reported first contact was.
@midnightburgr - Welcome to the Horizon Part 5 - Trinkett's Trip: Can you feel the vibes? I definitely feel the vibes because Tina and Cat are killing it as Deidre and Verge! I love that Frank is teaching Verge how to be part of the community. But also, Frank? Are...are you gonna be okay? Clementine, what did you do?!
The Department of Variance of @somewhereohio Season 2: I have to stop trying to predict where this story will go because I am never anywhere NEAR what actually happens - and I love that! The world is so rich and complex, the characters are so compelling, and I cannot wait to hear Jasmine and Scarlett kick some ass in season 3.
Glad to know I’m not the only one worried about Tendy
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I started listening to @desertskiespodcast a little while ago, and I cannot put to words how much it makes me feel. The way Mac and Tendy and now Nonny approach their world and the people in it is beautiful (and at times heartbreaking). So here's a piece inspired by their show art:
The amazing things people do that mean so much to me
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i had to go to a meeting after i heard this.
Had a fun time with Amelia, had a bad time with Desert Skies. The duality of being a podcast listener.
I love Tendy so much, he doesn’t deserve to be attacked by a horrid old lady >:(
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AU where Tendy’s captured? kidnapped? by some malevolent being + Mac comes to save the day (avg Mac behavior)
aka I listened to too much tma and now must give all podcast MCs the Jon Sims treatment 💀
Amazing
I don’t care if your show is about a puppet that eats peoples grandmas, sneak a little kindness into the plot. A dash of friendship. A wee bit o’ joy
desertskiespodcast reblogged
my three favourite genders of podcast protag: Can Never Do Anything Wrong Ever™, Oh God They Do So Much Wrong And I Hope They Get Worse™, and Miserable Wet Cat Begrudgingly Discovers Friendship™
james, hampton, madge
Telesphore, Eisen, Colette @kingmakerpod
Luca, Voncid, Pip @ghostwaxpod
John, Yorick, Arthur @malevolentcast
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I'm looking for audio dramas with interesting female protagonists! Could anyone recommend me something?Fair warning, I listen to quite a lot of shows, so I'm looking for something less mainstream 😅🙏