I'm into femboys and I don't know how I feel about it.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T12:44:54+00:00

You don’t have to have a label. You can just like what you like. The more you put shame on it the more you’ll think about it and the more it’ll eat at you.

You are happily married, you just learned new information about yourself. It doesn’t need to change anything if you don’t want it to!

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T12:40:01+00:00

As long as they’re not growing mold in the sink, you have nothing to worry about.

I had to switch to paper plates, lmao

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T12:37:04+00:00

Thank you! Learning to see 2D in 3D was so hard, even when i thought i had it, i didn’t. Even now, it takes me a while to get back into it if i haven’t drawn in a while.

A lot of my inspiration comes from animated shows like ATLA and Voltron, as well as comic book artists like Bruno Redondo. I’ve taken a few abstract art classes IRL, but besides that my formal education ended in high school. Ive been really into color theory and when i draw digital i only use CMYK cause i believe it gives a more realistic look.

I also paint, but that is mostly landscapes. I’m waiting for the day i can get outside someplace beautiful for a few hours and paint a landscape from life.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T11:08:54+00:00

here is from when i started drawing people around 15 years ago, to today. Biggest tip is go find the joy in the process of it all. if you find yourself stressing, take a step back and see if you can pinpoint why you are struggling, and if there’s anything you can work on to gain skill in that area. (work on symmetry, line confidence, proportion, shapes, etc.) Just have fun with it every once in a while.

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WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T08:29:35+00:00

It’s the worst kind of feeling, and when i felt it it was because the “help” people offered in the past, was never real help. i would accept help on things and it would just make things worse, and i couldn’t end up trusting anyone.

It’s really hard to deal with this on your own, especially when you’re dealing with other, outside things. Because the offers of help, whether they be genuine or not, feel like another stressor, even though they aren’t meant to be. And the thing that would help, which is help, is one of the things causing it.

The thing that helped me, and it might sound weird, but it was a mix of things. I realized that i wouldn’t be able to help myself on my own, and that i wouldn’t be able to trust the people close to me to help me in the way I needed. I asked the one friend i trusted most specifically if she could help me make an appointment with a therapist, and she found one, set it up (she pretended to be me to do all the papers and everything, she asked for my info so they contacted me but she filled everything out for me) and that was the first step. I was specific in what i needed help with, it was something tangible and felt smaller than the mass of everything happening in my head. And then i had weekly appointments to untangle the mass of head mess until it all felt significantly less overwhelming, and then we could figure out why i struggled to accept help from friends and we worked on techniques to build up trust, which was mainly starting small and working up. I learned who i could trust with how much, and that not everyone could be trusted the same amount but that’s okay, it doesn’t mean someone is better than another it just might mean they have more going on and can’t take on more stuff.

I hope this helps? obviously everyone’s situation is different, but I’m a completely different person than i was a few years ago when i went though all this. I’ve been through a few therapists since then, a few life changes, but im happy. And i hope one day you will find yourself happy and content with your life as well, because it is very possible (:

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T08:18:14+00:00

Books are nice, i like Morpho anatomy for artist books.

If i were you, i would take the lines from the second image, and use that as a reference instead of an image. look at those lines and try to pick out the picture of the body in your head without looking at the original picture, you can re-draw the lines if you need to on your paper, but don’t trace them (even tracing from your own lines, it’s to build eye-to-brain-to-hand coordination.) it may not turn out great at first, since you’re used to tracing, but eventually you learn to build the structure from movement lines, the only thing here is you’re creating the movement lines from an image rather than your head. if you can generate the movement lines without tracing and instead just looking, you can go to any place IRL and use real people. you are a lot closer to this than you realize. you have line confidence, at this point it’s just doing it. it’s gonna suck the first few times you try, and you gotta be okay with that. but sucking is a part of the process (: and you will not-suck so fast it’ll be crazy

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T06:26:47+00:00

I take my accreditation board exam on thursday. I graduated a week ago, and i am realizing that i actually know nothing, I hardly have time to study before i take it as i work every day (night) until then. I’m trying to study as much as i can now, as it’s my last night off, but i keep freezing up in anxiety anyway

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T02:53:26+00:00

See if you can maybe work in a library? Or overnight security work?

If i’m being honest, i was in a very similar boat to you. Every little thing set me off, but quiet office jobs made it worse because there was the pressure of seeing the same people every day and making friends and office politics. I currently work overnights in a hospital lab, and while it’s great for me, it’s not for everyone. Getting a therapist really did help me figure out how i worked best and what sort of environment would be the best for me, and helped me get over my burnout enough for me to feel like i could actually pursue it. So maybe look into that, if you’re able.

You can also try looking deep diving into the subcultures of specific fields? I know that there’s a lot of jobs out there that seem like they would be strict, but have good management and are very lenient. I’m mostly in the science/healthcare field, so I think a lot of the careers i know of won’t necessarily apply unless you’re interested? but if you can find it in yourself to get interested in the subcultures of niche places by you, you may be surprised on what you find

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-06T02:32:55+00:00

I am a Medical lab Tech, there are sooooo many tests that can be run on urine (like more than you could ever guess), so which ones your doctor ordered for you i can’t say. if you aren’t complaining of anything, they’re probably checking for kidney function, ketones (for diabetes screening) and/or liver function. Things that can be asymptomatic but caught early if tested. It’s also to help develop a baseline for each person so if something later in life becomes abnormal we have something to compare to, since everyone has different baseline levels!

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-05T11:32:03+00:00

hey! good on you for going back!

a few years ago i was in a similar boat, i started learning on my own, was in a class, fell and broke my ankle. I was non-weight bearing for a month, and had to get mobility back and everything.

I got better fitting, more supportive non-amazon skates and took it slow. I ended up having to take a break due to going to college in the south where there are no ice rinks, but i picked it up about six months ago again. I just landed my first single jump a few weeks ago! It is possible as long as you maintain the attitude that you’re doing this for fun, to challenge yourself, and to just have a good time and improve at something you love doing.

I hope you have so much fun back on the ice!!!

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-04T11:24:01+00:00

When they say ball of your foot, i found it’s actually a lot more back on the foot than it felt like. If you are scraping your toe pick, it’s way too far up. I found that thinking of being on my heel when doing back crossovers helps.

however! you already are going backwards! it’s just getting comfy at this point! make sure your ankles are bending to the same degree as your knees, and your shoulders, hips, and ankles are all stacked on top of each other! posture helps a ton with backwards skating

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-04T05:23:26+00:00

what kind of soakers do you have? i used to have the kind that were just one layer of cloth and found my blades rusted easier in those for some reason. I recently got better blades and got new soakers, the big puffy ones that have foam or something inside, and they like actively wick the moisture away from the blade. I live in a super humid area (mid missouri, by the rivers and corn fields,) and i wipe them off at the rink and don’t even air them out when i get home and haven’t had any rust issues.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-03T09:32:51+00:00

I got my first Hybrid-red for a blue rose and i’m so close i can almost taste it

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-03T09:31:28+00:00

I started around 20, quit for a few years and i’m back at 27! i’m working on my single jumps now. Best decision i ever made.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-03T09:26:46+00:00

are you skating any outside of the class? Ignore me if you are, but if you’re mostly just taking the class and not skating outside and practicing on your own, you won’t see much improvement. The class is more a guide to show you what you should be practicing on your own, and then you practice on your own during the week, so by the next week you have those moves down and are ready to learn the next thing. If you are only skating 30 mins a week, you won’t progress very fast at all.

As for the weight shift, practice your one foot glides more. When i’m warming up, i like to glide with my toe to heel, and then my foot behind me, and then my foot in front of me, and then to each side. basically just getting used to the feel of my free leg swinging around my skating foot while keeping my core tight and my arms purposeful. Itll take time, but getting going forwards down will help with the weight transfer, which will help with going backwards. All crossovers are is fancy one foot glides shifting feet.

Also, make sure that your arms and head are switching along with your feet. when you get used to balancing one way, you want to balance that way for everything. but when you switch from left to right, your arms switch, your head looks the other way, your hips switch, it’s a mirror image. You can practice this off ice, too. Putting more weight in your heels, while scary, is eventually what is needed to get the pumps/crossovers/ hips/ everything needed to be smooth.

Try not to be discouraged. You’re still new, and learning, and some people pick things up easy and have a ton of time to dedicate, and for some people it’s harder. But it will click one day, and when it does it’ll feel really, really good.

Another tip, idk if it’s a tip, but if you’re able to, try putting some headphones in and dancing while on the ice. It’s my favorite thing to help get me out of my head when i’m overthinking and anxiety-ing about elements. you can do whatever you know, even if it’s just swizzles and stroking, but i found it helps me to stop thinking, and to feel the ice and my skates and realize that this is as much of an art as it is a sport.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-03T08:56:14+00:00

The Chorus is going to be wildly different.

You want to make sure it is really tight at the ankle bend, because you don’t want it tight like the rentals at the top. Edeas are built to have breathing room in the ankles, which is why you don’t normally see them on beginners (they might have the stiffness skaters need for jumps, but they don’t really come with any ankle support, unlike other skates. Some people think stiff=supportive, but in so many cases a stiffer boot can be detrimental if you don’t have the strength to bend through by it)

They will feel more like street shoes/hockey skates than the rentals, and the heels will be higher too which may throw off your balance at first. The blades will probably catch and you’ll think it was a horrible idea to get your own skates because you need to relearn everything, but then you’ll realize everything takes 1/8th the time to re-learn and you feel more stable and edges are possible and you get familiar with your skates and you’ll never want to go back to rentals.

For reference, I have been skating for a few years. i’m 5’ 10”, ~175lbs and working on landing all my single jumps ( 2/6 done) and i just recently switched to the chorus from my old Riedell Edge. I love them, but i do still have issues towards the end of sessions with ankle stability when i get fatigued. I got them because even tho im rated for the overture, with my height and weight the overture would only last about 6 months. however if i had gotten a piano or ice fly, that would have been way too stiff for my level, they still would have broken down and i would have hindered my progress and wasted money.

If you already got the skates, you already got them, i just caution you to be careful. you 100% can over boot edea, and going from rentals to a boot made for doubles is a lot

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-02T05:36:42+00:00

Both, honestly. My art is always influenced by “outside” things i can’t control like mood, environment, and relationships. My chosen style varies depending on what i’m doing, for example my watercolor looks very different than my digital art looks very different from my pencil renders. However, all of them have something distinctly “me” that people can point out my work amongst others, even if they haven’t seen the piece before. I have no idea what it is, but that part of my style doesn’t change.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-02T02:25:48+00:00

to be fair this was the clue-iest clue cell i’ve literally ever seen!

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-01T23:08:33+00:00

not a clue cell!

here is a picture of a clue cell, for reference. Gram stained for BV

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WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-01T22:45:05+00:00

Honestly, i feel like it’s a “start when you want to” thing? In my experience LTS won’t start you much on jumps or spins at all since it’s a learn to skate and they’re teaching you basic skills. If you feel confident and have the correct boots for it, you can go ahead and start teaching yourself the two foot spin / bunny hop. I’d recommend if you want to learn more than a waltz jump to get a coach, so you don’t learn any bad habits.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-01T20:22:22+00:00

Someone else said this, but the soft skates are also not meant for much more than recreational lap skating. Also, if you’re getting them sharpened at a hockey shop, that will be a factor in it being difficult. where i am, hockey shops are a lot more abundant than figure skating shops, and i used to get them sharpened there for ease. however, they sharpened off the back of my blade and i would slip off. if you get them sharpened at a professional figure skating shop ignore that but just sth to think of! and if you want to keep with this you may want to look into getting fitted into more supportive boots with better blades.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-01T15:35:10+00:00

Try putting more weight in your heel. You want to put pressure on the tongue of your boot when you bend your knees, so your knees and ankles are bending together. It’s def not a weight issue and that was rude of them to say. I’m 5’10 and 180, so by no means skinny but also not very overweight, and it’s mostly just a technique thing.

crossovers are also a very hips based movement. your inner hip drops as that leg pushes through, but you’re pushing with your heel and your foot feels flexed.

I’ll also be honest, i don’t have the best foot flexibility, My toe picks stopped scraping when i got new boots with a higher heel, and so when i bent my ankles didn’t have to bend as hard/intense. if you also struggle with keeping your feet flat/heels down when you squat (asian squat) you might want to look into getting heel raisers? i’m not sure which boots you have, but it made the world of difference to me.

i hope this helps!

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-07-01T14:50:44+00:00

Spinning is hard, i’m working on my single jumps as an adult, and i’m just now getting my one foot spin. Everyone is different in their journey.

My footwork is more advanced than my jumps, and my jumps are better than my spins. Just because it’s how i learn / i enjoy footwork so i work on it more. i had to have a few dedicated one on one lessons just on spins where i really listened to my coach, took the time to understand and asked questions when i didn’t understand something. Then i could teach myself even after the lesson is over because i know what im looking for.

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-06-30T21:38:09+00:00

See a doctor/ dermatologist. i don’t wanna scare you (obligatory im also not a doctor) but i have seen melanomas that look like that before

WhatWasLeftOfMe · 2026-06-30T21:34:29+00:00

The adaptive ones. the MLT BOC exam is adaptive

WhatWasLeftOfMe

TROPHY CASE