#kickstarter
11 days to go, and the Wild MagicKickstarter has already passed the 3 stretch goals I had planned! Wow!!
Since there’s still time to back and pick up a calendar (or an original art piece), I have one final stretch goal that will add a postcard print to all physical rewards.
Here’s a small preview of the Ginkgo Druid painting process, the whole video of which will be available to all backers <3
Big news, friends - the Wild MagicKickstarter is now live!
Wild Magic is a 2019 calendar made up of all of my Inktober drawings from this year. Each month features a different plant and D&D class, so if you like fantasy, nature, and pretty art, consider backing this project, or sharing it with a friend!
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Welcome to Handpicked Happening, where Kickstarter creators share their recommendations for things to read, watch, and listen to. Wantto get Happening delivered right to your inbox? Sign up here.
Animation by Tin Kadoic
“It’s okay to have some help,” says FemsplainfounderAmber Discko. That’s why she created Aloe, an online community focused on self-care. She’s launched a Kickstarter project to turn Aloe into an app that will send “gentle self-care reminders from yourself.” Below, Amber recommends some soul-soothing books, videos, and Twitter bots, and shares her own self-care strategies.
What does “self-care” mean to you?
Self-care is taking steps to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. For me, self-care is disconnecting from the internet and doing activities that don’t stress me out — things that are soul-fulfilling or relaxing, like cooking soup or taking a bath in the morning.
What is the Aloe community? How does the app build on it?
The Aloe community exists on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. We share daily self-care reminders with our followers, things like remembering to have a sip of water or to have a snack around lunchtime. The Aloe app will do the same thing by sending these gentle reminders to your phone, making it easier for you to stay on top of your self-care tasks.
What is Internet Self-Care Day, and how can people get involved?
International Self-Care Day was on July 24, but we’re proposing a separate holiday on August 21 that takes the spirit of self-care online. Join us in celebrating Internet Self-Care Day by sharing your self-care routines and tips using the hashtag #ISCD17.
You can also tune into Aloe’s Internet Self-Care Day live stream on August 21 at 8 pm EDT for a lesson from a self-care specialist, a group meditation session, and more.
Five projects I’m into
Helloplant
Critical Chips, Volume 2
Since 1984: Modular Furniture System
Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction
Livesglass: Hourglass-Inspired Miniature Greenhouse
Page from Carta Monir’s RIPMOMin Critical Chips, Volume 2
Three books I’m reading now
Hungerby Roxane Gay
As a fat woman, reading this book feels like self-care. Roxane’s writing has always inspired me to keep learning about experiences beyond my own.
The Whole World Is Meditatingby Mu-Tae Seo
I found this in a pile of books at my therapist’s office. It has helped me find clarity and calm on so many occasions.
Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
This book is adorable and relatable, and so many of the characters feel familiar. For example, there’s a bee who doesn’t actually want to sting anyone, he just loves his family and wants to protect them.
Four Twitter bots to brighten your timeline
Tiny Care Bot
Emoji Meadow
Emoji Aquarium
Tiny Star Fields
FromTiny Star Fields
Three things to watch
Jenn Schiffer’s talk at XOXO
This presentation on how to talk to people on the internet, imposter syndrome, and trolling back as an art form has inspired me to continue putting things out online.
How to Paint Your Mind by Amelia Halls
Amelia uses art as a way of coping with her mental health and spreading hope to others struggling with mental illness. Her story shows that it’s possible to create something positive out of the bad days.
Pokémon Go (to Sleep) by ALB in Whisperland
One of my favorite ASMR videos. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and it can help people relax or fall asleep at night. It also helps people like me calm their anxiety.
Etc.
Animation by Sasha Katz
Welcome to Handpicked Happening, where we talk to some of our favorite Kickstarter creators and get their recommendations for things to read, watch, and listen to. Wantto get Happening delivered right to your inbox? Sign up here.
“Kill your darlings.” “Sweat the details.” And: “If playing [the game] feels like you’re taking a math exam, it’s probably too complicated.” These are the unwritten creative mantras of Sensible Object, the studio behind the hybrid digital-tabletop game Beasts of Balance. (You can back the new expansion right here.) Below, they share a few projects they love, and some indie games you should be playing.
Four projects on Sensible Object’s radar
Eggy
We love these weird little egg dudes — especially the fact that they have belly buttons.
RetroBall
Four-player Pong on a slick DIY console. What’s not to like?
Spire RPG
Grant Howitt’s games are always great. (Check out Honey Heist, a one-page RPG in which you play a criminal bear.)
CodeSpeak Books
This project is designed to teach kids the fundamentals of coding without having them sit in front of a glowing rectangle. Ingenious!
Beasts of Balance
Five predictions for the future of tabletop games
1. Games that change with time.
Legacy opened this particular Pandora’s box. Let’s see what else is inside.
2. Small-batch physical games using interesting materials.
We have enough boxes full of plastic zombies and orcs. Give us something different to hold in our hands.
3. Narrative maturity.
More games with the potential to make us feel. Give us a tabletop game that makes us cry and we’ll be happy (once we stop crying).
4. Games that explore and exploit the huge potential that integrated technologies bring.
And no, we don’t mean more companion apps. Think bigger!
5. Games designed to be enjoyed by multiple ages, and by casual players and hobbyists alike.
Tabletop gaming has the eye of the world right now; let’s make sure everyone feels included.
Kentucky Route Zero
Five indie games you should be playing
Triple Agent! from Tasty Rook
AWerewolf-like game that you play by passing around a mobile phone. Beautiful aesthetics, intuitive UI, and concise ruleset.
Spirit Islandfrom Greater Than Games
We love the way the narrative runs through every single element of this game. Every action taken and every movement made reinforces the feeling that you’re an ancient god doing battle against pesky human invaders.
Diet & Friends from Adventure Planning Service
A cute little social deduction card game we picked up at the Essen Game Fair last year. If you can find it, you should buy it.
Kentucky Route Zero from Cardboard Computer
This episodic point-and-click adventure is a great example of the ability of games to create a truly exceptional narrative.
A Fake Artist Goes to New York from Oink Games
Japan-based Oink Games consistently puts out the most charming, stylish, well-considered games with great narratives.
“Give Up” by Parra x Case Studyo
Six things to read, watch, play with, and listen to
Experimental fiction by Jon Bois
Case Studyo’s vinyl toys for grown-ups
FLEB’s puzzle-themed YouTube channel
Magic: The Gathering’s Mark Rosewater on game design
Odditorium, a fortnightly podcast exploring the fringes of culture
The late Satoru Iwata in conversation with the team behind the original Nintendo Game & Watch
We’ll take you on a journey from the cathedral altar deep into the vaults of the Kremlin itself. Hopefully, this is a journey that you’ll only have to make once in your life.
In 2012, members of the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot were sentenced to prison for staging a protest performance inside a Moscow cathedral. As of this week, you can support their project to share their experience in a visceral, immersive work of political theater.
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Welcome to Handpicked Happening, where we talk to some of our favorite Kickstarter creators and get their recommendations for things to read, watch, and listen to.
Want to get Happening delivered right to your inbox? Sign up here.
Issue 6 cover design by Loveis Wise
Got a Girl Crush is a blog and annual print magazine featuring interviews with women of all ages, races, and backgrounds. “We feature the badass accomplishments of women in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same,” say editors Meg Wachter and Amanda Stosz. Now through July 30, they’re funding their sixth print issue.
Here, Meg and Amanda share what’s on their radar — but first, a quick Q&A.
What should everyone know about Got a Girl Crush?
We met working as photo retouchers and have both worked in the media industry for nearly a decade. After having constant moral issues with contributing to unrealistic body image standards for women, we’ve decided to leave behind what we don’t believe in.
What creative tool or resource has been the most useful to Got a Girl Crush?
This year, our greatest inspiration has been a coalition of all-female independent publishers based here in Brooklyn, currently called Untitled Feminist Media Empire — a.k.a. The Mag Mob. All of us have different strengths to bring to the table, and collectively we have big plans for the future. Stay tuned!
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
Michelle Obama. Björk. Amy Goodman. Kathleen Hanna. Solange.
Hello Mr. magazine
Seven projects picked by Meg and Amanda
Give Mexican women artisans an opportunity to preserve their traditions and take their beautiful embroidery around the world.
Courage Has No Gender
Help bring this large-scale mural to ten cities across the U.S. The project aims to build community and demonstrate how supporting each other’s courage makes us stronger together.
Hello Mr. Magazine Residency
Our brother-in-print, Hello Mr., is launching a magazine residency called “The Issues” that provides mentorship and resources to emerging talent in queer publishing.
Black and Blue: The Yvonne Bechet Story
A group of activists and theater artists are producing a play about the life of Yvonne Bechet, one of the first female officers in the New Orleans Police Department.
Punto Gozadera: Restaurant and Feminist Cultural Space
Two things we love: supporting other women and vegetarian food.
Little Paper Planes: Workshop and After-School Arts Program
The founder of this San Francisco staple is building a workshop in the back of her store to offer art classes for adults and children.
Other Music: The Story of an Iconic Independent Record Store
Record store culture was a huge influence on us growing up. Help fund this documentary chronicling the twenty-year history of Other Music and its influence on music in New York City.
Five indie magazines you should be reading
MATH
A progressive and inclusive print quarterly for adults (NSFW).
Selfish
A digital and print platform featuring memoirs from the “radically evolving.”
Tom Tom
The only magazine in the world dedicated to female drummers and beat-makers. It’s a force looking to shake up the male-dominated music industry.
La Motocyclette
This biannual magazine features stories and images from the new wave of women motorcyclists around the world.
Bushwick Review
Like the Paris Review, BR showcases the work of writers, poets, photographers, graphic designers, and comic artists from New York City and beyond.
A couple links we recommend
2 Dope Queens
If you like listening to podcasts at work and maniacally laughing while wearing headphones, we highly recommend this for your listening pleasure.
The Tallest Woman I Know: An Interview with Aly Stosz
A recent Girl Crush interview between Amanda and her very tall sister, Aly.
Etc.
“To truly feel alive on the planet — to grow and learn — you have to move outside of your comfort zone. You have to be experimental.“ —designers Peter Dunham and Linnea Gits
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WithThe Next World Tarot, Cristy C. Road reimagines the ancient practice of tarot card reading as a vehicle for social justice. The illustrated cards tell stories about “smashing systematic oppression, owning our truth, and being accountable to the people and places that support us.”
Over 500 backers helped bring the project to life in 2015. Recently, Road shared some of the final designs for The Next World Tarot in a project update. Read on to learn more about her process and see some of the final designs.
Greetings from the secret offices of Cristy C. Road, where I live my life as a dinosaur and infrequently use social media. I’m here to share with you some card layouts and a contact sheet of 50 or so finished cards.
Some of these cards have been re-drawn multiple times — over years or days — as some of the original themes have become irrelevant to the deck’s final voice. Despite that, the more I reach for the most complex stars, the longer it takes to create something I’m happy with.
It’s been a long haul and I’m so happy to be edging on the finish line.
“Design with purpose. Each decision, whether design or materials, should be self-evidently justified.” —Bibliotheca designer Adam Lewis Greene
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“Don’t worry about it not being perfect.Perfectionism can easily turn into procrastination. I think it’s better to get an idea out there, and then make improvements based on the needs and wants of the people using it.”—Kelly Angood, creator of the Videre DIY pinhole camera
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“The most valuable asset in the Public Lab community is community itself: our research culture grows out of the diverse range of skills, perspectives, and sensibilities that Public Lab members share with each other.” —Jeffrey Warren and Mathew Lippincott of Public Lab
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A high-five machine, a plinky-plonky piano, and a fire-breathing dragon are just a few of the cool things you can create with Dough Universe, the latest Kickstarter project by the STEM superstars at Technology Will Save Us.
Here, co-founder Bethany Koby shares why she’s dedicated to developing toys that encourage kids to “make, code, craft, and invent.”
You founded Technology Will Save Us in 2012 — how has the world of educational toys changed since then?
Drastically! When we launched, no one was creating toys that allowed kids to explore tech. Today, we’re not the only ones on this mission — our friends at Primo Toys, Kano, and Sphero have created their own remarkable toys to address this need.
It’s also great to see the bigger players starting to take notice: Sphero’s partnership with Disney to create a codable BB-8 for Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought what we’re doing in this sector to an unbelievably wide audience.
What inspired Dough Universe and its complementary app?
Kids and parents love the “eureka moment” of creating circuits with dough. Many parents [worry] that tablets are as much a curse as a benefit, so we created an app that’s both fun and educational.
Why do you think it’s important for children to learn about technology at a young age?
Tech is an increasingly familiar part of our lives. We need to provide [kids] with the skills to customize and work with tech, as opposed to merely consuming it. Using tech at an early age means learning important social and development skills like problem-solving, dexterity, spatial awareness, and scientific vocabulary.
The five best online communities for craft and play (not just for kids!)
The home of inspirational ideas for BBC micro:bit lovers.
A community for knitters and crocheters.
A treasure trove of activities for kids.
Computer science and technology events, workshops, and camps for girls.
This UK-based organization helps women and girls of all ages get into coding.
Check these out
Just watching a minute or two of this video from Fluid Interfaces makes my mind pop with the limitless possibilities for this technology.
This beautifully illustrated magazine for three- to eight-year-olds explains the science of the everyday in a fun and interactive way.
When your kids have grown out of OKIDO, move on to this magazine covering fascinating science and challenging projects on a new topic each issue.
Multiple Arms Interaction Metamorphism
This looks kind of dystopian, but the intersection of the human body and technology is something that inspires a lot of our thinking around product development.
“It was fascinating to see how each photographer worked. Some used digital, some used film. Some preferred to visit multiple sanatoriums in a short space of time, while others preferred to immerse themselves in their surroundings. The creative process for each team member varied greatly — a testament to the many different types of creativity and creative thinking in this world.” —Maryam Omidi
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We are LIVE! http://bit.ly/VampireKickstarter
We will be updating this image so not to spam your news feeds so check back!
UPDATE: All the Enlightened rewards are GONE! There are only 7 Praxis Seizures left!
UPDATE #2: DING! $10,000! You are all amazing!
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MyKDA Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai’Sa Enamel Pins kickstarter is now live! Please consider reblogging to help spread the word. I’d love for these cuties to become reality!
Be on the lookout for buttons, stickers and other collectibles I plan on releasing for these girls.
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Hey everyone! I’ve finally launched my kickstarter of all my best comics, plus some that you’ve never seen before. If you want to support me and get a copy of the book, please click the link to my kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1710528929/robotatertot-volume-i?ref=user_menu
Thank you! <3
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Hey y'all, if you like my comics you should support my other, better looking art! like this postcard I designed for…
✨ COSMIC SUMMER ANTHOLOGY LIVE ON KICKSTARTER ✨
me and the significant bat made a dope gay robot comic for the book, and I’ve designed a bunch of cool merch and there’s ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT TO BACK so check it out!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1961263130/cosmic-summer-a-sci-fi-vacation-anthology
