The Death of Slim Shady

Buckle up, ‘cause I’m finally going into it! I’d been puzzled about it and drawn to this concept album since it was first announced. Horror, crime, antiheroes? Count me in! I couldn’t give it the attention it merited before (too angry, too sad, too ‘can hardly give a f**k’). Now I can, though.

It is not a secret that this is actually my all-time favorite side of Eminem. The darker stuff, shining a light on it. And how, even while being quite hands-on, raw and explicit, it gets quite psychological too. Talk about thrillers. I love him for it (understatement).

This came as a shock to me, however. Killing Slim Shady? Look, I disagreed plenty with the guy, er, character, and believed he’d be my high school bully if both were put in the same setting, but killing him? Really? I can’t kill my own OCs that nobody’s heard of, how can anybody permanently kill a figure as great as Slim Shady? This had to be some sort of joke. But anyhow, I was clueless about where all this was coming from and where it was headed, so I tried to suspend my judgments until later.

Today is Friday the 13th, and digging into The Death of Slim Shady seems oddly fitting for the occasion.

CURRENT, UPCOMING, and PREVIOUS Events

The week to open this can of worms has started. Excuse me while I try to deal with it amidst the state of the world and my own instability... 

I decided I wouldn't be putting it off for too long after all. Though I do hope and pray, and am doing my best, so that I'll be free enough for all of it by the time the dates come. This is truly some historic stuff!

(More of the previous events are to be listed later on...)

Joining an Event? Here are Pointers!

‘Joining’, at least so far, basically means that you will be tuning in to the selected media (brought here) and the posts, mine or others’, around it. As a fun exercise in appreciation, potentially also reflection, or merely to catch a break (unlikely that that’s all there will be to it if you have an artistic brain, though). You might also walk away from it inspired and motivated to do more of your own thing.

It is your choice!
If a selected media does not appeal to you, you are under no obligation to tune into it. At worst, you’ll just miss out on what it has to offer and the references that are later made around it. Which could be a bummer, yet certainly not the end of the world. However, if it’s worth it to you, and you can make the space for it, then you’re in for what could be a delightfully enriching ride!

Remember the 3 R’s!
Tuning in won’t do, however, if you’re not in optimal (or close enough) conditions for it. To be so, you must be Rested, Relaxed, and Ready. If you’re Rested, you are able to pick up and process more. If you’re Relaxed, you will be able to focus and immerse more. If you’re Ready, you will be able to have an enhanced experience. Being Ready can consist of something as simple as sitting back comfortably to something as elaborate as a full-blown celebration complete with drinks and snacks that fit the theme. Don’t complain about not having a good time if you were lacking in the aforementioned! (That’s a You problem.)

There are countless ways to interpret!
You can take it at face value and be done with and over it without any issue. But some of us not only like, but are PHYSICALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY unable to not go further with it. We may ponder the worldbuilding, the plots, the characters, the dialogues, and any and every perceivable element or symbol at play. It is good practice to keep in mind, however, that your interpretation may be only that: your interpretation.

That said, a few hints:
• Relating can go from 0% to 100%.
• Ressemblance can be literal, as a metaphor, and “maybe in an alternate timeline or parallel universe”.
• Resonance can occur regardless of gender, race, age, and other traits. May even happen with abstract phenomena and inanimate objects.
• When ‘Based on Real Life’, generally, there’s an emphasis on ‘Based on’. They are not reenacted with the utmost precision and accuracy. Real Life will always be much more detailed and complex than what fits within a piece of media. Media often is tailored to suit something else.
• Fictional stories are fantastic. It is both fortunate and unfortunate that only a portion of them is experienced for real.
Ultimately, you do you and find how to make the most and best of it.

And if your calendar allows it, you can save a date!
It is probable that I will say, upfront, when, exactly, I will be dedicating myself to it. But matching my schedule is definitely not required (though a few pals do it for the extra joy of it). You can go before me and wait for me to catch up and bring my input or after me and dig into all the input I already brought. Or something like that.

I do recommend participating…
Yet, again, even if you’re closely and religiously keeping up with the “Unbridling and Sustaining Artistic Abilities” program, these Events are complementary, not mandatory! There’s a chance I’ll summarize, too, so no one’s totally clueless regardless.

Events? It’s Official!

You may be late to the party, but still early enough to join!

Taking some time to enjoy media is something I enjoy doing (that then allows me to appreciate it). And every once in a while, there’s a piece of media that I look forward to indulging in. During these times, I may be casually or formally posting about it. And this is the section where many of those posts will go.

In the past, it was something I did more personally, scattered around, but I noticed (shockers) that just as I love taking part in this sort of activity, others do too. It is quite related to the whole being an artist. Gotta love art to make art.

So what was taken as a ‘guilty pleasure’, some undisciplined oversharing I did, is now officially part of my content. And I’ll try to make it special, but not so much that I’m crippled by perfectionism!

In my case, there are a few genres, topics, and artists that I’m particularly interested in and/or entertained by. So rather than attempting (and failing) to check every great cultural hit, my scope will be somewhat limited by my personal preferences. If they happen to overlap yours, then awesome! We can both be in awe of what comes up/out!

The Artist's RPG / Colors

UNDERSTANDING THE PALETTE

Within this game, and its entire system, colors are essential. The lack thereof, notable too. Intriguing and fascinating properties and relationships are inherent to them. Studying them closely can lead to a profound understanding of what makes the world come “alive”.

COMPLEXITY

Among the chromatic colors, there are primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

Primary colors can be considered the simplest, most straightforward, and therefore direct. Secondary colors can be considered somewhere in between, carrying two colors, and hold a balance. Tertiary colors can be considered the most complex, a mix of much of this and some of that, and therefore elaborate.

You can get to know a color by itself and by what other colors it produces or is produced from.

TEMPERATURE

Among the chromatic colors, there are also warm and cool colors.

Warm colors can be considered comparatively active and aggressive. While cool colors can be considered comparatively passive and receptive. Hot&Cold colors… both.

However, they are all teachers and scholars in their own realms.

COMPANIONSHIP

Furthermore, there is the concept of complementary colors, which work well together in different settings, taking off the other’s excesses and covering for their lacks. Paired, they can be a team for a specific purpose.

• Discovery & Insight: “Charters.”

• Management & Distribution: “Providers.”

• Execution & Formulas: “Solvers.”

• Striving & Optimization: “Enterprisers.”

• Mobilization & Cooperation: “Revolutionaries.”

• Tending & Restoration: “Cultivators.”

Yet, other sorts of teams can certainly also be formed.

LUMINOSITY

Alternatively, when it comes to achromatic colors, there is white, black, and gray between them.

Quite consistently, white and black affect how light or dark it gets, and can be associated with figurative highs or lows. But something else happens with gray, as a blend of both, pulling in opposite directions, remaining surface-level, muting instead.

COMBOS

Last but not least, something peculiar manifests in this universe. We have what we call combo colors. Basically.

They are centered on a lighter or darker version of the colors sitting at the center of the warm or cold regions, and can, to an extent, draw from and lean on colors around them. They represent earth, sand, caves, and skies. And fundamentally become a maze of depth and/or breadth.

Being inner and outer, above and below, some would say that there’s a mythical quality to them, as they transcend and withstand the test of time…

You Do Get A Lot Done Over Time, Though

Take a deep breath and let it out. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Rome wasn’t built in a day. I oughta remind myself of all of this every once in a while. If your dreams are big, if they are for the long term, frantically fretting won’t do. Gotta keep it steady and stay persistent. Compounding on previous and upcoming efforts.

Just the thought of it can be overwhelming and exhausting. There’s just so much that has to be addressed and tackled. It may seem impossible. Something you are not cut out for. Completely out of reach. But if you look around and really pay attention, you will see that, if you are committed and able to push through and stick with it, you will make significant progress. Soon proving yourself that it was within your scope after all. That's how I can manage.

Stress can certainly get to you, too. But it is a matter of time and how you use it. Most likely. Can you pace yourself? Can you break apart big tasks into smaller ones as well as put them in order? Can you delay gratification or, better yet, find gratification in the process? Ironically, sometimes slowing down gets you where you’re going faster. May even better guarantee that you’ll actually get there, rather than merely wearing yourself out.

At the end of the day, you are only a person. There is only so much you can do by yourself within a short time frame. But within a week, a month, a year, a decade? Now we’re talking. How far ahead do you look? Are you even allowing yourself to be far-sighted? I know that being stuck in or barely coming out of survival mode can mess with your ability to aim beyond the day-to-day. Been there. But if we lost it, we must regain it.

More than just survive, let’s thrive. Let’s look at our circumstances and decide that they could be improved. Then work persistently toward that. Guard your health, guard your sanity, guard your vitality. So that the span you have to work within will expand rather than shrink. This should be your priority to outlast adversity.

How many skills have you already developed? How much knowledge have you already gathered? How many accomplishments have you already achieved? How much have you already grown, matured, and evolved? You’ve done it before. You can do it again.

Cycling Pisces

Pisces is arguably the most intriguing and fascinating sign in the Zodiac, while also being the most understated. It represents the epitome of spirituality, although how you define that can still be debated.

In the case of Pisces, it is about possessing an unmatched combination of sensitivity, empathy, and imagination. All qualities that allow diving into what the abstract realm is made of, as much as possible.

It is said that, as the 12th and last sign on the wheel, before the cycle restarts again with Aries, it has absorbed the lessons that came before, having done a full journey. You would assume that this would automatically make it the most powerful and, in some ways, it is. However, the reality of it is much more complex.

Because we primarily exist not in the spiritual plane but in the physical (and one not even close to ideal), Pisces can be especially pushed and challenged. Particularly struggling with themes of imprisonment and escapism ("I've seen it and it is terrible! Get me out of here!"). Yet, at the same time, able to be acutely aware of what moves, visible or not to others, subtle as it may be. And if moments of reflection can be afforded, mysteries of the universe and beyond can be accessed.

Beware of falling into delusions and/or of being deteriorated by harsh realities.
Then you can eternally play within the soothing and nourishing sea of mysticism.

For context and more of relevance, please read about The Zodiac.

So Creative!

Artists be making Art and you’re like, “Haha, that’s so Random/Spontaneous! You’re so Creative!”
And then you’re like, “Oh, oh…”

The Artist's RPG / Art's Universe

If you’ve made it to this point, congratulations (or condolences). Artistry has led you to acknowledge that there is something much grander, mysteriously at play.

It is matter and spirit. But what is matter without spirit? Not great art or art at all.

Through the vast and endless space, filled with countless stars and constellations, meticulously involving all that composes this cosmic reality, the bright and the brightest illuminate the way. Come along if you dare to be a part of it and perhaps find your divine role as an artist.

On this expedition, you may be both inspired and motivated, but also challenged to meet your potential, pushing for excellence beyond worldly standards, overcoming obstacles and defeating opponents.

Explore, experience, express, experiment, expand.

The Artist's RPG, And So, It Formally Begins...

The Artist's RPG has been in the oven for quite a while, vaguely and subtly introduced during draftings, but we now begin to formally get into it, periodically releasing bits of it to later on officially put together - with even more around it! If you're a geek for it, you're likely to enjoy this ride, keeping up with every post (on Sunday afternoons and then some), learning what it's all about.

Are you a fellow Artist RPGer in Spirit?

Welcome aboard!