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    1. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      5 votes
    2. The Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo) 2021 Reflection Thread

      The Showcase has now been live for a week, and I'm thrilled with all the incredible projects that got completed this year! Congratulations to all participants! While the experience is fresh, I...

      The Showcase has now been live for a week, and I'm thrilled with all the incredible projects that got completed this year! Congratulations to all participants!

      While the experience is fresh, I want to gather some feedback for next year's Timasomo. Use this thread to identify:

      • Positives
      • Negatives
      • Tweaks
      • Suggestions

      Basically, what should we keep the same for next year, and what should we change? Feedback is welcome from anyone, but in particular I'm interested in hearing from Timasomo participants.

      Also, I put this out there last year and I'll put it out again this year: if anyone is interested in running Timasomo for 2022, please let me know! While I'm happy to run it and can certainly do it again next year, I do think it's important for events like this to have community ownership and not be dependent on one particular user. I think it is more sustainable for the community if there is a sense of distributed/shared responsibility. Thus, if you have any interest in managing the event, please let me know either here or by PM.

      11 votes
    3. The Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo) 2021 Showcase Thread

      Timasomo is Tildes' Make Something Month: a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November, where participants from our community self-select creative goals to achieve....

      Timasomo is Tildes' Make Something Month: a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November, where participants from our community self-select creative goals to achieve.

      Timasomo 2021 is now officially complete! Participants will be posting their creations and efforts in this thread as a showcase! Comments and feedback from the wider community are both welcome and encouraged! Let these creators know what an awesome job they've done!


      Creators: In posting your showcase:

      • Give your project a title, and use the # markdown to make it stand out in the showcase thread!
      • Link to your project in whatever way works best for your project.
      • Give a "creator statement" that contextualizes what your project is.
      • Add anything else you consider relevant! The showcase is yours!

      Community:

      • Treat this thread like a walk through an art gallery or a museum where you get to see different works on display.
      • Comments do NOT have to be in-depth -- it is okay to just affirm that you like/love/appreciate something! (In other threads these might be considered noise, but here they are directly validating the sustained creative efforts of another community member!).
      • Make sure any feedback you give is constructive.
      27 votes
    4. Cryptographic Digital Art Tokens, a concept

      Hi folks. I'm posting this in ~creative because I want to see what other artists think of it; the technical side is important too, but artists and art are the focus of this project. Cryptographic...

      Hi folks. I'm posting this in ~creative because I want to see what other artists think of it; the technical side is important too, but artists and art are the focus of this project.


      Cryptographic Digital Art Tokens are a concept I've been working on for a while, to provide some of the benefits of crypto tokens without perpetuating the harm they create.

      CDATs are not NFTs. They are not designed to facilitate investment, but rather collection. They do not use a blockchain and do not rely on distributed consensus at all. Instead, they use traditional cryptography to validate the ownership of art.

      How CDATs Work

      Let's say an artist Adam creates a piece of art called One. He decides he wants to sell a CDAT of One, so he creates a CDAT key and publishes his public key on his website, adam.art.

      A collector, Beth, decides she wants to buy One. She e-mails Adam and they agree on a price, and exchange keys; once she has paid, Adam sends Beth a CDAT, which he has signed. Beth then cross-signs the CDAT and sends it back to Adam. It ends up looking like this:

      === CDAT DATA ===
      Artist: Adam <adam@adam.art>
      Collector: Beth <beth@betawork.codes>
      Date of Sale: 2021-12-08T19:50:56Z
      Title: One, a Digital Story
      Work ID: art.adam.one
      Cover Hash: e82c294938320bf4fab56970f52e1ddf
      Work Hash: 3179c999f1d4fab4bcc8a57bca1c9d8c
      Artist Key Fingerprint: c634d0420f825b91
      Collector Key Fingerprint: 3b2e3bbf91ec96c2
      === CDAT SIGN ===
      Artist Signature: YTtsc2tkamY7bHNramY7bGtqZDtsa2pmYTtsZGt...
      Collector Signature: cXdpZXVwcXdpeXR1djtsbmFvdWNuZWN2cHdl...
      === CDAT META ===
      Cover URL: https://adam.art/images/one-cover.jpg
      Work URL: https://adam.art/art/one.zip
      Artist Key URL: https://adam.art/static/cdat.key
      Collector Key URL: https://betawork.codes/
      === CDAT OVER ===
      

      In an ideal world, with all the software enablement I want to do, Beth would be able to take this token and put it in a digital gallery or on her website, where the art piece, and her ownership of it, would be proudly displayed for all to see in a user-friendly, beautiful format.

      Structure

      The CDAT has three sections - DATA, which is signed, META, which is not, and SIGN, which contains the CDAT's cryptographic signatures. Hashes and key fingerprints are in the DATA section, but URLs are in the META section, which means they can be changed later; artists and collectors can re-host their art and keys, so long as the files' hashes or fingerprints remain exactly the same.

      Semantics

      Because the CDAT is cross-signed, anyone can see that both Adam and Beth have agreed to the sale. Assuming the signatures and keys all check out, Beth can now prove to people that Adam sold her his art, and Adam can prove that Beth bought it.

      Implementation

      In order for this interaction to work, we technically need only existing technology: you can validate such things with GPG and some manual reordering. Ideally, though, we'd have a few tools:

      • A CDAT validation program. This should include a command line program and a GUI (maybe even a mobile app?), and would validate the following information:
        • The given signatures are valid and correct for the given CDAT.
        • The keys used to sign the CDAT match both the given fingerprints and identities.
        • The linked key URLs, if any, in fact point to the indicated keys.
        • The linked art and cover URLs, if any, in fact point to files with the given hashes.
      • A CDAT creation program. This should include a command line program and a GUI. It would take as input the relevant keys and names, provide a way to set the date, and ensure that everything relevant is online at the given URLs.
        • This program would be used by both artists (to create CDATs) and collectors (to cross-sign CDATs).
      • A CDAT hosting service. Obviously there could be more than one of these, and people could host their CDATs and art on their own machines - that's decentralization, baby! - but it would be very nice to be able to host CDATs, art, and keys for free or a nominal fee.

      This would be a great start, but in order to really kick-start the ecosystem, it would be nice to provide some additional enablement software, such as:

      • A drop-in HTML embed that uses client-side JavaScript to display and validate CDATs on a website.
      • A browser extension which validates CDATs found on arbitrary websites, on the user's request.
      • A self-hostable CDAT gallery for artists and collectors which displays who owns what, and which art pieces are still for sale.

      Please let me know if this idea is interesting to you, and ask any questions/leave comments!

      9 votes
    5. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      5 votes
    6. Timasomo 2021 Thread #5: Final Update Thread

      IMPORTANT INFORMATION Deadlines The creative portion for Timasomo ends at 11:59:59 PM on November 30, 2020, relative to wherever you are. The showcase will be next Monday, December 6th. Next Steps...

      IMPORTANT INFORMATION

      Deadlines

      The creative portion for Timasomo ends at 11:59:59 PM on November 30, 2020, relative to wherever you are.

      The showcase will be next Monday, December 6th.

      Next Steps

      Finish up your project in the next two days. You have the rest of the week to prepare your showcase. This means you can edit, add polish, find hosting, etc. It's your time to get your project ready for however you're wishing to present it! And if you have to cram in a little creativity too, well, I won't say anything. :)


      Showcase Logistics

      You can see previous Timasomo showcases for 2020 and 2019. This year's showcase will look similar to 2020's and will be hosted in ~talk.

      Preparing Your Showcase

      • Give your project a title, and use the # markdown to make it stand out in the showcase thread!
      • Link to your project in whatever way works best for your project.
      • Give a "creator statement" that contextualizes what your project is.

      Showcase FAQ

      Do I have to share my whole project?

      Nope! Only share what you're comfortable with! Snippets, excerpts, screenshots, or even just a summary from you are all fine. Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and that extends to Timasomo! :)

      What if I have more than one project to showcase?

      Awesome! Make more than one entry in the showcase!

      What if I didn't meet my goal?

      It's up to you if you want to participate in the showcase. Even if you didn't meet your goal but still feel you want to share what you did accomplish, that's fine! If not, no worries!

      What if I need hosting for files/images?

      Please ask here! There are plenty of people here who can help with that.

      What if I have a question not covered here?

      Please ask here or by PM!


      Timasomo FAQ

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

      13 votes
    7. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      6 votes
    8. Timasomo 2021 Thread #4: Update Thread 3

      It's the last full week to work on your projects! I'll post the final weekly update next Monday, and then you'll have Tuesday the 30th to finish up with the creation part or Timasomo. Do NOT worry...

      It's the last full week to work on your projects! I'll post the final weekly update next Monday, and then you'll have Tuesday the 30th to finish up with the creation part or Timasomo. Do NOT worry about having everything perfect by the 30th -- a rough cut is enough! You will have the first week of December to polish, edit, configure, tweak, etc. and get your piece(s) ready for the Showcase, which will go up on Monday, December 6th.

      Weekly Task

      Update us on your progress so far. What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share?

      Next Steps

      Continue creating!


      Timasomo FAQ

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

      9 votes
    9. Timasomo 2021 Thread #3: Update Thread 2

      It was a genuine delight to see everyone post on their progress last week. I'm thrilled with the variety of projects people are attempting! Weekly Task This is the halfway point (ALREADY?!)....

      It was a genuine delight to see everyone post on their progress last week. I'm thrilled with the variety of projects people are attempting!

      Weekly Task

      This is the halfway point (ALREADY?!). Update us on your progress so far! What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share?

      Next Steps

      Continue creating!


      Timasomo FAQ

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

      13 votes
    10. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      4 votes
    11. Timasomo 2021 Thread #2: Update Thread 1

      Weekly Task Update us on your progress so far! What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share? Next Steps...

      Weekly Task

      Update us on your progress so far! What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share?

      Next Steps

      Continue creating!


      Timasomo FAQ

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

      11 votes
    12. October Tildes Writing Club

      My further apologies to anyone who has looked forward to another Writing Club while I was busy running from a cruel summer. Finally stationary, I send this from a bewitched region. I've wandered...

      My further apologies to anyone who has looked forward to another Writing Club while I was busy running from a cruel summer. Finally stationary, I send this from a bewitched region.

      I've wandered into a church of horrors recently, at 10 pm, completely ignorant of the liturgical occasion for it standing open and illuminated at that time of night. An elfin woman in a sweatshirt spotted me and my wife as we took in a St. Sebastian statue.

      "Come take your photos of this!" she said, and drew us toward a glowing pit under the tabernacle. Besides a priest scribbling behind a cracked door we were the only souls stirring. I kept him in view as we climbed the steps to the high altar.

      "Is this OK... are we OK here?" asked my wife, in sparse Castilian.

      "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," replied the churchwoman. I'm learning that such verbal generosity is typical here.

      What she led us to was the sacred center of the church, the relic over which swarmed a hundred angel heads, pewter candelabras, attendant saints and golden aureole. But they were above ground. Beneath the floor it stood, lit extremely: a worn, worn, sea-washed stone, about the size of a cocooned 10-year old child. Coins rested in a depression at its crown. It bore a jumble of an inscription in a font you could count on James Cameron to pick if he had to display an "ancient curse." What or whom the monolith hallowed was beyond our powers to decipher or the churchwoman's to explain. But it seemed older than the cross barely scratched into it. Somehow I knew it had stood apart for millennia. It was the sick feeling it provoked in me, the reflexive reverence it forced from someone. Down the aisle a Mater Dolorosa wept tears like glue beads into her properly black Spanish dress. St. Lucy served her eyeballs on a platter. An underlighted St. Iago trampled moors unlucky enough to have been caught inside the glass case with him and his white charger. The viscera of belief.

      We left without understanding, and the lady promptly shut the doors to us and the night.

      The stone might have moored a ship purported to have carried St. Iago. Its letters might signify a dedication to Neptune. It may have come from a flooded temple.

      Surely these are elements for an eerie tale, but this was merely my birthday on a full-moon night.

      And now I would really like to read some Halloween writing. Please plan on sharing some short, tense, spooky, autumn-scented, decay-touched words with the writing club. Due on October 31.

      10 votes
    13. Timasomo 2021 Thread #1: Roll Call and Beginning!

      Timasomo Has Officially Begun! Weekly Task This is the thread where you commit to your goal. Post what you plan to achieve this month. Posting in this thread is your official entry into Timasomo....

      Timasomo Has Officially Begun!

      Weekly Task

      This is the thread where you commit to your goal. Post what you plan to achieve this month.

      Posting in this thread is your official entry into Timasomo.

      Next Steps

      Get creating! Timasomo is LIVE!


      Timasomo FAQ

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!

      16 votes
    14. Announcing Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo) for 2021!

      What is Timasomo? Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing...

      What is Timasomo?

      Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month": a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. This is Timasomo’s third year running!

      You can see the threads for previous Timasomos using the timasomo tag. Here are the final showcase threads from past years featuring participants' creative works:
      Timasomo 2020 Showcase
      Timasomo 2019 Showcase

      What are the rules?

      Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!

      Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!

      What is the schedule?

      Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. Below are the dates that I will be posting weekly threads:

      Monday, October 25, 2021: Announcement/Planning Thread
      Monday, November 1, 2021: Roll Call Thread
      Monday, November 8, 2021: Update Thread #1
      Monday, November 15, 2021: Update Thread #2
      Monday, November 22, 2021: Update Thread #3
      Monday, November 29, 2021: Final Update Thread
      Monday, December 6, 2021: Timasomo Showcase Thread

      Can I participate?

      Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.

      This announcement is posted in ~tildes.
      All Timasomo process threads will be hosted in ~creative.
      The final Timasomo Showcase thread will be posted in ~talk.

      If you wish to participate or follow the proceedings, please make sure you are subscribed to ~creative.
      If you wish to view the showcase, please make sure you are subscribed to ~talk.

      Do I have to share my creation(s) publicly?

      Tildes is a privacy-respecting site, and you are not obligated to share your creation here if you do not want to. We'd still love to hear about it though, if you're willing to share process and details!

      How do I enter?

      Participants will formally announce their plans to enter into Timasomo on November 1st in the Roll Call thread posted in ~creative.

      What if I have ideas for how to run the event?

      Please share them here! I am facilitating the event, but I am completely open to feedback and suggestions to make this the best event possible. I want this to be Tildes' event, not kfwyre's!


      This Thread: Planning!

      This year I'm rolling the announcement and planning thread into one. Feel free to use this thread to post ideas, give feedback on others' ideas, set up collaborations, and ask any questions you have. Everything in here is non-committal -- you won't be officially entering until the Roll Call thread is posted, so this is just a big community brainstorm.

      Also, please do NOT start work yet! Planning and other preparations are allowed before the first (e.g. acquiring supplies/materials), but save the creative process for the 1st!

      I'm looking forward to another great round of awesome projects!

      28 votes
    15. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      3 votes
    16. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      4 votes
    17. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      7 votes
    18. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      5 votes
    19. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      6 votes
    20. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      8 votes
    21. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      7 votes
    22. Do you have any advice for me to overcome perfectionism as a writer?

      I'm asking specifically about writing fiction. I need to write a lot in a short time. I'm a perfectionist -- a therapist once called me obsessive. Sometimes I spend hours on just a few paragraphs....

      I'm asking specifically about writing fiction.

      I need to write a lot in a short time. I'm a perfectionist -- a therapist once called me obsessive. Sometimes I spend hours on just a few paragraphs. I eventually make good paragraphs but that is not very productive. Deadlines fly by, I become anxious and stressed. I wish to write more, even if it's not as good. Better to have something to edit and correct than nothing at all.

      I reckon that a book is not made of 100% perfect phrases. At some point you gotta lift the house, even it is not as pretty as you want. I want to experiment with writing more freely, finding ways to overcome my self-criticism and impostor syndrome. I see people writing 3000 words a day... maybe I don't need to write that much, but I envy them. I often don't write more than 500 words per day. This is just not working for me as a professional writer.

      Maybe I could try something like stream of consciousness. But I don't know. Looking for advice. Not necessarily on literary techniques, but also on how to put myself in a position to avoid self-recrimination, let things flow a bit more. I'm looking for a better psychological outlook. Right now I edit my stuff so aggressively that I transform pages into tweets.

      7 votes
    23. Writing Club #3—"Madness" (Submissions)

      Shakespeare's birthday is observed today. Thank you, verily, for sharing your writing! Please post your efforts below, with an introduction and/or questions for your readers. Here are the...

      Shakespeare's birthday is observed today. Thank you, verily, for sharing your writing!

      Please post your efforts below, with an introduction and/or questions for your readers.
      Here are the guidelines, again.

      8 votes
    24. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      4 votes
    25. I'm crafting some more!

      I mentioned a small age ago that I'm teaching myself to make a skirt. I finally have progress I'm ready to share! The buttons are just sitting on there, and it needs a waistband, but it's nearly...

      I mentioned a small age ago that I'm teaching myself to make a skirt. I finally have progress I'm ready to share! The buttons are just sitting on there, and it needs a waistband, but it's nearly ready!

      Taking shape!

      14 votes
    26. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      4 votes
    27. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      6 votes
    28. Project: Miniature longsword

      Over the last couple of years my sister has been getting into HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and especially the longsword. She recently had a significant birthday so I thought I'd make...

      Over the last couple of years my sister has been getting into HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and especially the longsword. She recently had a significant birthday so I thought I'd make her a small, but realistic and functional, longsword. It went pretty well, if I do say so myself. I did not, however, take as many photos as I would have liked, but I was doing this thing in very short bursts so I only had a few minutes here or there to get this done.

      To start, I read a bit about longsword proportions, looked at some pictures and sketched a couple of possible designs, before finalising a 1:1 scale drawing to work from. I bought some O1 tool steel (carbon steel so it can be hardened and sharpened properly) and started to cut. Almost immediately I made a mistake, I cut the steel 25% too long. But that was OK, I just went with it.

      I roughly shaped the metal and got it in the forge to heat-treat. Plunged into oil then slammed hard into my newly-built plate quench (aside: the plate quench is two hefty slabs of aluminium, designed to suck heat out of the steel fast, while holding it flat to prevent warping). The plates worked, the metal came out dead flat and not at all warped, which was good because there was very little space to grind out any distortions. I heart plate quenching.

      Next, cutting up some brass to make the crossguard. Cutting a 1.5x3mm slot in that was incredibly frustrating. I broke all four of my remaining 1mm drill bits, eventually had to resort to very fine diamond burrs and going extremely slowly. Luckily there is a bit of overlap from the blade so the slightly messy slot is covered up a bit. Similarly for the pommel, which was cut from brass rod and shaped on my lathe before I totally botched cutting a hole for the tang. If anything I made more of mess of the pommel, during the final fit up I just filled it with glue and wedged it in the right place.

      Inbetween making an awful - albeit recoverable/hideable - mess of the sword hardware I also finished up shaping and finishing the blade itself. This is where I don't have a lot of photos, but I ground a bevel onto the blade and wondered about cutting a fuller (groove down the centre of the blade) before realising that I absolutely did not have the tools to do that and would make a total mess of it. I also thought about sharpening it to scary sharp but given my sister has two reasonably small children I left it fairly blunt. It'll make a good letter opener but not much more. If she wants it sharp I can always put a serious edge on it another time.

      Final pre-glue fit up, as you can see it matches the design drawing pretty well, apart from being to a slightly different scale.

      I had considered making a wooden handle, as is traditional, but I was running short on time and I had plenty of leather so instead I did two layers of wrapping. This is the base layer (I do not remember why I have 1mm orange leather but I do) wrapped and clamped so the glue can dry. Another layer went on top of that and I ran a final polishing disc over everything, put a very light coat of metal lacquer over the metal to keep it shiny and that was it. Sword done.

      I cut a piece of round bar steel, cut and forged it to shape as a support, treated the hot metal with beeswax (gives a lovely black finish which stops rust and looks nice). I set this in some flame-finished oak and gave that a coat of tung oil. Once the various finishes and glues had dried it was good to go.

      The final product, dangling point, handle detail, view from above and in my hand for scale

      I think this is one of the best things I've ever made. I hope my sister likes it. I have some metal left so I might try making another - there's a few things I'd do differently.

      14 votes
    29. I sang her name in words forgotten

      I sang her name in words forgotten Rough bellows of lost yearning A hurt hound without path A sorrow meaning without an end I heard the rain, heard the ocean Lick the sand without defect The...

      I sang her name in words forgotten
      Rough bellows of lost yearning
      A hurt hound without path
      A sorrow meaning without an end

      I heard the rain, heard the ocean
      Lick the sand without defect
      The water, where it falls
      Is always beautiful all the same

      I saw, my God, that you made her
      Carefully crooked, imperfect
      And inside her deep mournful eyes
      The tears that I could never shed

      9 votes
    30. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      3 votes
    31. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      7 votes
    32. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      8 votes
    33. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      6 votes
    34. How do I hire a CG artist to sculpt a 3D model from an old portrait?

      The goal is to bring the subject of a painting to animated life, so I would want the model to be rigged as well as photo-realistic. I don't use Facebook products, and have been searching in all...

      The goal is to bring the subject of a painting to animated life, so I would want the model to be rigged as well as photo-realistic. I don't use Facebook products, and have been searching in all the wrong places so far, so why not here, too?

      15 votes
    35. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      6 votes
    36. Musicians, do you put your stuff up on BandCamp, SoundCloud, both, and/or other?

      I've been working on some music, and while I'm not quite ready to show it to the world, I might be in the near future. I was curious where other musicians are putting their music? I've checked out...

      I've been working on some music, and while I'm not quite ready to show it to the world, I might be in the near future. I was curious where other musicians are putting their music? I've checked out both SoundCloud and BandCamp, and they both seem reasonable. Any pros or cons to using one over the other? Any other places you upload your music for streaming and/or purchase?

      Suggestions from the comments:
      BandCamp : Hosts and shares your music
      SoundCloud : Hosts and shares your music
      DistroKid : Distributes your music to various services†
      TuneCore : Distributes your music to various services†
      OneRPM : Distributes your music to various services†
      AudioMicro : Sells your royalty-free music and sound effects
      Jamendo : Hosts and shares your indie music or royalty free music

      † Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal, Amazon Music, TikTok, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Instagram, etc.

      13 votes
    37. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      13 votes