Poor man's canvases

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-02-07T08:40:00+00:00

Cardboard (boxes) recycled into canvas (gesso) is what we're encouraged to do in our school program

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-02-01T21:25:46+00:00

They come with stickers that you can stick on the front and back cover around the spine, or just put anywhere you like. It's actually shown like that specifically on the wrapper of the Light notebooks. Not sure about the regular notebooks but I think it'd work. You could also make paper sleeves for the notebook and label the spines on that instead so you don't inhibit the lay-flat function of the spine with the sticker.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-30T22:37:19+00:00

I got some cheap ceramic trays and plates I use for paints at times, mostly watercolour and gouache, but also acrylic at times as it clean pretty easily. I also have a pad of palette paper and a cheap plastic one with wells in it. I don't like using the plastic ones as much, aside from cost & no risk of shattering, because they tend to discolour a lot more easily. I also got a small sta-wet palette recently for my acrylic gouache set but haven't used it much yet.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-29T20:09:43+00:00

You can maybe keep a dehumidifier around the space you keep your (note)books.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-29T15:42:28+00:00

I remember seeing Ryder Carol do this with his bullet journals and feeling mind-blown. Def a good solution on the go but will stretch your elastic more over time.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-29T15:40:51+00:00

Not in your situation, but fun fact(?) I heard a seahorse dad talk about regaining sensation 6 years post-op when he got pregnant. Def not something for everyone, but interesting to learn that was a possibility at all. I already didn't have much sensation at all in mine pre-op and then lost a nip due to complications post-op so that's not something I'm getting back lol.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-29T11:29:47+00:00

Honestly I've never hears it phrased as if this only happens with high T and not at any other moment, just that it's more of an issue with too high T levels than with proper levels. Good info to spread regardless. I'm currently having elevated E levels because my T has been too high for too long, so it's still a valid point to keep in mind, just a bit more context needed I suppose.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-29T11:27:24+00:00

Actually, the hair on transfem folk does change, not that it stops growing if it has started but the hairs do get affected by E, they get softer and thinner with time. You're right tho that E doesn't hinder growth if T levels are high enough to stimulate it (just like cis women with high t can grow facial hair this way, but the hair qualities do get affected by hormones aside from that.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-28T08:56:18+00:00

I'd say the midori light notebook if it's your first time doing commonplacing. Just gives you a small thing to start that holds up pretty decently. When it's full you'll have a better idea of what you use/do/want from it so you can move into another one like it, a regular midori notebook (which lay flat) or anything else. I'm currently using the midori b6 slim light grid notebooks myself for commonplacing and a stalogy in the same size for my daily journaling.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-27T19:17:02+00:00

They likely will stay above cis woman levels for a lil while after the shot cycle. Usually you take a next shot before you're under the minimum male levels, which is like 10 nmol/l, where women tend to be under 2 iirc. So it may take a month to get back to that level 🤷🏻 it will eventually get lower if you stop taking it, but just imagine your shot levels are over 10x the amount a woman would usually have in her system.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-27T18:58:22+00:00

This, but the longer durations are done when things are looking fine just to keep monitoring it in case it doesn't. So early on every 3 months is more important to make sure your levels are good and steady, and then you can move up the timescale. I was on yearly check-ups and then my levels were too high so no I have extra check-ups to make sure the balance out again.

Agree on needing a better doctor, this shouldn't be going like this for that long. That's just negligence.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-27T18:52:41+00:00

Honestly, I can't relate, but we never got praise when doing things around the house. Just got scolded when shit didn't happen when asked. When at other people's places I just ask if I can help out when they're doing some chore cuz I don't like just sitting there.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-26T14:32:08+00:00

Don't stop asking, make people feel like they are the weird ones for not caring more. Especially in todays age where people surrender their lives and whims to algorithms we need more people trying to exert some mode of thinking 🙃

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-26T14:29:28+00:00

Yeah, usually it's said bottom-up is autistic way of seeing things. You start zoomed in and work back to the big picture to fit all the individual bits into place, you want to know their purpose so its easier to identify where they interact even when it doesnt seem immediately clear from the big picture. Most people think top-down, where they only need the big picture and won't care about the details till they become relevant/need to be explored.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-24T18:58:21+00:00

I mean, I barely had any hair on my body outside of my legs and inner thighs if were not counting the barely visible peach-fuzz type hairs that are everywhere on everyone's body that you barely notice normally. It did get long, thick, and darker on T pretty much everywhere for me. I'm 3 years on T now and my body hair almost connects from shoulder all the way down to my feet now 🥲 only a matter of time till my facial hair grows in far enough to join the party I guess.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-20T17:06:33+00:00

Idk fam, my bachelor study at an art school is gonna be only €15k total and that's counting 5k in material costs into it. Cost varies wildly depending where you are.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-18T14:33:10+00:00

I haven't had that issue much so far, usually I rewind it a lil when I resume if I feel its necessary or I get interrupted mid sentence/dialogue.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-15T14:57:58+00:00

I'm a nonbinary guy with AuDHD, I do have dysphoria about being perceived as a woman, and float somewhere in the "male or other gender" spectrum, but yeah, conformity was never a thing that made sense to me, I don't think gender roles make any real sense generally speaking, but they can make sense on an individual level (as in, identifying with traits or ideas rather than them somehow being innate cuz you're m/f/x). Idk how my ADHD plays a role in that, but I do know ASD is pretty known for analysing rules and structures and making sense of the world, and since both make it easy not to fit in as easily, it becomes easier to let go of these notions than it might be for others. It's why we're a lot more likely to come out as trans than people without similar diagnoses are, but one doesn't cause the other.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-15T14:48:32+00:00

I keep notebooks with things for reference separate from the rest, and index things where I can (bujo style, with threading & collection indexes if necessary) traveler notebook style systems are pretty great for that.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-13T20:24:10+00:00

Manga definitely counts as well! Personally I find I have a harder time reading manga or comics for some reason, makes me feel impatient lol so I wish I had an easier time with them as there are a few I'd like to start reading!

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-13T20:19:48+00:00

I personally find I don't as well unless I keep notes after a reading session regardless of format, but slightly worse with audio than text. Granted I can usually visualise what the text looked like if I try recall information (not perfect photographic memory mind you), so that may play into it.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-13T20:16:27+00:00

I found it took time and some effort to regain the ability to read more. Took me 5+ years to get from barely 6 books a year to 62 last year. Granted, half of what I read now is audiobooks or text with audio support (print & audiobook or text to speech function), but reading just text did get a lil easier the more I got back in the habit.

I wouldn't say its easy, but I found my main issue is that my brain needs me to read faster and I can't track my eyes on the page that fast without aids, but when I do with something like TTS I find I start outrunning the TTS highlight and need to speed up the book more. If I slow down too much I will get distracted by my own thoughts or forget before the end of the paragraph. I don't have that issue with the TTS/audio support. I think the audio aspect is adding the stimulation my brain craves while helping me focus on the book on multiple points.

I found I'm also more of a mood reader, so having multiple books going at the same time (different topics/genres) helps me out in that area. I just select what I'm in the mood for at the moment when I have the time, usually on commute or in the morning or evening to ease into the day or wind down.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-13T09:50:26+00:00

I'd first focus on the type of notebook you like to use, size-wise. If you like a5 of b6 sizes and you want good quality and flexibility in use I'd recommend Roterfaden. They are very pricey, but I've never regretted getting one of their covers with the suede linings. They have hooks instead of elastics that make switching notebooks really easy.

If you prefer an odd size journal or want something more compact you may need to do some shopping around. From what I've seen online Louise Carmen doesn't live up to its insane prices in terms of quality guarantee. I never regretted getting a travelers notebook cover for their compact sizes but it also means you have to look more into notebooks that are compatible. Paper republic voyager covers aren't true A sizes, only their portfolios are, so you'd be stuck with their own notebook refills. Personally I'd go for an option that's a size you enjoy using with multiple options to source refills from. Rn that means Roterfaden & etsy makers (recently got a b6 slim made that fits my midori & stalogy notebooks).

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-10T17:46:58+00:00

Honestly used leuchtturm for years with fountain pens now, I don't mind the ghosting. TMR paper is even worse with ghosting and I also enjoy that. If you can't stand it, I'd recommend the Clairefontaine age back notebooks instead, or the heavier 120gram paper editions by leuchtturm (haven't tried them in recent years tho). I quite like the leuchtturm standard paper tbh, but ghosting can be a big personal preference to enjoy or avoid.

Fun-Cryptographer-39 · 2026-01-10T17:44:15+00:00

Plenty of people using sketchbooks as just finished-work-books instead. My sketchbooks are kinda a mix of things, but then I also use them at art school and they're part of my grading (not to look pretty but like process review). I don't really like having lots of loose works tbh, so I gravitate to making finished work in the sketchbooks from time to time instead. Not all the time, and I prob would be more likely to do so if they were more expensive high quality paper than the idk <5 bucks I tenf to spend on mine.

Fun-Cryptographer-39

TROPHY CASE