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Yep, I have finally started studying Dutch to prepare for the plans to hopefully move to the Netherlands. The brain damage from CFS/ME makes it very difficult to learn new things, but I can still learn stuff if it's based on something I already know (which has enabled me to study medicine, as well). The fact that I studied German for two years a very long time ago helps tremendously - even before my studies I could read Dutch and understand most of it, even without a dictionary. The Dutch grammar is very similar to German, but much less insane, because they deliberately simplified it. Thanks, Dutch. :-> Now, if I could learn to understand spoken Dutch and speak it myself...
I turn 25 today. I'm trying to make it into a bigger deal than it really is. I'm happy that I don't have to spend my birthday alone and sick in bed, as I've spent most of my last ten birthdays, but it could be better. I was supposed to go to a psy party today, but unfortunately my adrenal insufficiency flared up badly last weekend. The smallest stress (including exertion and heat) could kill me. Adrenal insufficiency really sucks. It makes me hungry all the time and when my cortisol goes too low, I feel depressed, anxious and like crying about the smallest things. Those of you who have PMS know how it feels (in fact PMS symptoms are most likely also caused by low cortisol).
It's like I can never get on top of my illness(es). At the beginning of the year I got a new companion called myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). I went out not wearing enough clothes and froze my back (it wasn't frostbite or anything, I was only slightly underclothed). This resulted in extreme back and stomach pain for several weeks. At times the pain was so bad I couldn't do anything but cry. No, painkillers don't help. I tried acupuncture, which is pretty much the only effective treatment for MPS, and it didn't help much. The muscle relaxant I use, baclofen, helps a bit, but it still takes up to a week for the pain to clear up if I get cold. No matter how many clothes I wear, I can no longer go out if it's below -0C (even that requires five layers of warm clothing), except for extremely short periods, a few minutes at most. We have a bus stop in the front of the house so I've been able to gamble a bit, but mostly I've been "grounded" for the past three months. I can tell you that it sucks.
So, staying in Finland would mean, besides all the other nightmareish aspects of which there are loads, that I may be "grounded" for up to five months of the year. It's already bad enough to live here, now it's a real hell. I really hope we can move to the Netherlands before next winter. If not, I'll have to come up with other plans, like staying abroad on my own. As I only make about 200-400 euros a month, there's no way I can pay rent anywhere in Europe. So, any takers for a temporary housemate next winter? I am a very good cook. ;-P My boyfriend (who works for Nokia Siemens) was actually asked to move to China. My first thought was "Why not?" but unfortunately it wouldn't solve the climate problem and it would be extremely polluted there. I'd also be worried about getting all my meds and supplements. So sadly, no moving to China.
So, there's been a lot of suckiness, as living with a disability (and living in Finland) and of course life in general often entails, but at least on the work front I'm still going upwards. I posted my resume on my website in February and didn't think much would come out of it, but I've in fact got several great job offers thanks to it. For a while I've been moving towards more and more copywriting. The media is doing poorly, but copywriting is still thriving. Medical copywriting might just be my own "niche" - I won't be dropping scientific writing any time soon, but have to think about money as well. The music magazine I work for is also presenting some cool opportunities. Last year I got to interview Front 242 and this year I'll probably get to talk to Ismo Alanko and CMX. If you're not a Finn you probably don't know those names, but they're very well-known in Finland and CMX is also my favorite band.
As for my other writing, I've pretty much finished my fifth novel manuscript Meioosi (Meiosis) which I originally wrote for NaNoWriMo last year. It will be sent to publishers next week (we don't use agents in Finlands and we actually send full manuscripts straight to publishers). It's a story about life extension, living to your full potential and living many different lives during one lifetime. I've grown very fond of it and its characters and obviously I'm hoping it will find a publisher. If not, well, that sucks, but then I'll just have to devote my energy to my next novel, which I'm already planning. If it goes according to my plans, it will have a heavy focus on disability.
My previous novel The Atlas Moth will be available in English in May. obenson has helped me edit and polish it. As the back cover puts it, "Infused with black humor, The Atlas Moth is an unsurvival story about death, Chinese checkers and butterfly collections and how they all tie together." The book will have its own website some time very soon, where you will find more information about it. I will also be posting a news article.
P.S. One thing that has kept me out of DA recently is the quality (or the lack of it) of DDs. Sure, there are still some amazing masterpieces featured, but also a lot of mediocre pieces, junk, blatant rips and stuff that's featured for very wrong reasons. E.g. some months ago there was a mediocre stamp featured simply because of its disgusting anti-human right message. I wouldn't be surprised if the same bigoted admin featured a stamp saying "I don't support gays and lesbians". Recently the joke of a Text Art GD who doesn't know what ASCII art is featured a piece (probably more than just one) from the ASCII gallery which had nothing to do with ASCII art. It's really sad that the DA admins have turned this beautiful form of fine art into a joke. The only requirement for becoming a GD for Text Art seems to be breathing (and approval of the DA core admins' policy of being anti human rights but pro lies, abuse and libel). I'm getting more and more sure there'll soon be a Photography GD who has never taken a photo in his/her life and who'll feature webcam snapshots and drawings of stickmen miscategorized to the photography gallery?
Works in progress
Yep, I have finally started studying Dutch to prepare for the plans to hopefully move to the Netherlands. The brain damage from CFS/ME makes it very difficult to learn new things, but I can still learn stuff if it's based on something I already know (which has enabled me to study medicine, as well). The fact that I studied German for two years a very long time ago helps tremendously - even before my studies I could read Dutch and understand most of it, even without a dictionary. The Dutch grammar is very similar to German, but much less insane, because they deliberately simplified it. Thanks, Dutch. :-> Now, if I could learn to understand spoken Dutch and speak it myself...
I turn 25 today. I'm trying to make it into a bigger deal than it really is. I'm happy that I don't have to spend my birthday alone and sick in bed, as I've spent most of my last ten birthdays, but it could be better. I was supposed to go to a psy party today, but unfortunately my adrenal insufficiency flared up badly last weekend. The smallest stress (including exertion and heat) could kill me. Adrenal insufficiency really sucks. It makes me hungry all the time and when my cortisol goes too low, I feel depressed, anxious and like crying about the smallest things. Those of you who have PMS know how it feels (in fact PMS symptoms are most likely also caused by low cortisol).
It's like I can never get on top of my illness(es). At the beginning of the year I got a new companion called myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). I went out not wearing enough clothes and froze my back (it wasn't frostbite or anything, I was only slightly underclothed). This resulted in extreme back and stomach pain for several weeks. At times the pain was so bad I couldn't do anything but cry. No, painkillers don't help. I tried acupuncture, which is pretty much the only effective treatment for MPS, and it didn't help much. The muscle relaxant I use, baclofen, helps a bit, but it still takes up to a week for the pain to clear up if I get cold. No matter how many clothes I wear, I can no longer go out if it's below -0C (even that requires five layers of warm clothing), except for extremely short periods, a few minutes at most. We have a bus stop in the front of the house so I've been able to gamble a bit, but mostly I've been "grounded" for the past three months. I can tell you that it sucks.
So, staying in Finland would mean, besides all the other nightmareish aspects of which there are loads, that I may be "grounded" for up to five months of the year. It's already bad enough to live here, now it's a real hell. I really hope we can move to the Netherlands before next winter. If not, I'll have to come up with other plans, like staying abroad on my own. As I only make about 200-400 euros a month, there's no way I can pay rent anywhere in Europe. So, any takers for a temporary housemate next winter? I am a very good cook. ;-P My boyfriend (who works for Nokia Siemens) was actually asked to move to China. My first thought was "Why not?" but unfortunately it wouldn't solve the climate problem and it would be extremely polluted there. I'd also be worried about getting all my meds and supplements. So sadly, no moving to China.
So, there's been a lot of suckiness, as living with a disability (and living in Finland) and of course life in general often entails, but at least on the work front I'm still going upwards. I posted my resume on my website in February and didn't think much would come out of it, but I've in fact got several great job offers thanks to it. For a while I've been moving towards more and more copywriting. The media is doing poorly, but copywriting is still thriving. Medical copywriting might just be my own "niche" - I won't be dropping scientific writing any time soon, but have to think about money as well. The music magazine I work for is also presenting some cool opportunities. Last year I got to interview Front 242 and this year I'll probably get to talk to Ismo Alanko and CMX. If you're not a Finn you probably don't know those names, but they're very well-known in Finland and CMX is also my favorite band.
As for my other writing, I've pretty much finished my fifth novel manuscript Meioosi (Meiosis) which I originally wrote for NaNoWriMo last year. It will be sent to publishers next week (we don't use agents in Finlands and we actually send full manuscripts straight to publishers). It's a story about life extension, living to your full potential and living many different lives during one lifetime. I've grown very fond of it and its characters and obviously I'm hoping it will find a publisher. If not, well, that sucks, but then I'll just have to devote my energy to my next novel, which I'm already planning. If it goes according to my plans, it will have a heavy focus on disability.
My previous novel The Atlas Moth will be available in English in May. obenson has helped me edit and polish it. As the back cover puts it, "Infused with black humor, The Atlas Moth is an unsurvival story about death, Chinese checkers and butterfly collections and how they all tie together." The book will have its own website some time very soon, where you will find more information about it. I will also be posting a news article.
P.S. One thing that has kept me out of DA recently is the quality (or the lack of it) of DDs. Sure, there are still some amazing masterpieces featured, but also a lot of mediocre pieces, junk, blatant rips and stuff that's featured for very wrong reasons. E.g. some months ago there was a mediocre stamp featured simply because of its disgusting anti-human right message. I wouldn't be surprised if the same bigoted admin featured a stamp saying "I don't support gays and lesbians". Recently the joke of a Text Art GD who doesn't know what ASCII art is featured a piece (probably more than just one) from the ASCII gallery which had nothing to do with ASCII art. It's really sad that the DA admins have turned this beautiful form of fine art into a joke. The only requirement for becoming a GD for Text Art seems to be breathing (and approval of the DA core admins' policy of being anti human rights but pro lies, abuse and libel). I'm getting more and more sure there'll soon be a Photography GD who has never taken a photo in his/her life and who'll feature webcam snapshots and drawings of stickmen miscategorized to the photography gallery?
Works in progress
- content for CFS/ME awareness day
- a digital painting
the English translation of my novel #4editing novel #5- a short story
- my sociomedical essay series
- editing some old poems
- a few poems
Works finished but not yet submitted- a typographic picture
- 55-word fiction
- four ASCII pictures
- some fractals
- an acrylic painting
- a digital painting
- two pixel pictures
- a whole bunch of photos
Works I wish to start in the near future- two short stories
- plans for novel #6
- henna tattooing
- molding clay sculpture
Non-art/DA TODO (inconclusive)movie translation- the website for my novel
- several translation/copywriting gigs
- a SEO gig
an article for a decoration magazine- studying Dutch
- a medical paper
- some query letters
music reviews- articles for several different websites and online publications
- content for my Finnish CFS site
- some stuff for my website
- some Wikipedia articles
My preliminary schedule for the following months20th March psy party
24th March work deadline
27th March dinner party
31st March work deadline
1st April work deadline
3rd April my birthday
3rd April work deadline
3rd April psy party
21st April interview for an article
23rd April work deadline
27th April work deadline
30th April Mayday party
9th May IRC meeting
12th May CFS/ME awareness day
16th May Twitter meeting
18th May publication date of The Atlas Moth (tentative)
I was interviewed by
, read the interview in <a href="radicalpuppy4.deviantart.com/j…">his journal.
wrote a poem dedicated to my ASCII art. It's quite good too!
I've set up a discussion thread for my sociomedical essay series on my forum, please read it and contribute if you have any opinions.
CFS Awareness Day 2007
My stock diamondie-stock
Member of critiqueme fi
Supporting photo-class suture onewordatatime Lit-Source poeticks Reporters Activists ArtistsForCharity fotoFRIDAY WordCount LineCount litNEWS DisabilityArt fm-me-club
Website
My CFS/ME/FM book <a href=www.flickr.com/photos/fiikusFlickr YouTube Wishlist Articles on Suite 101
- some stuff for my website
- content for my Finnish CFS site
- articles for several different websites and online publications
- some query letters
- a medical paper
- studying Dutch
- a SEO gig
- several translation/copywriting gigs
- the website for my novel
- henna tattooing
- plans for novel #6
- two pixel pictures
- a digital painting
- an acrylic painting
- some fractals
- four ASCII pictures
- 55-word fiction
- editing some old poems
- my sociomedical essay series
- a short story
- a digital painting
A whirlwind year
It's been many years. And this year has been incredibly weird, and that doesn't even begin to cover it. I won't go into detail about the non-art stuff, but having your personality completely change in an instant, half a dozen times, has been great and fascinating but also disorienting and alienating. Last year I started recording hypnosis and meditation audios and more poetry for my YouTube channel, and those have received great feedback but alas, I got sicker and can't do that much any more. Earlier this year my beloved muse enticed me to start pencil drawing and I turned out to be pretty good at it (I thought I can't draw). I tried my hand at watercolors, which I always saw as an impossible medium, but turns out it's not. Alas, I again got sicker, as things tend to go, and have hardly been able to do any art for over six months. I've written over 250 poems this year, thanks to both my muse and the massive cognitive overhaul I've experienced. It feels like after 30+ years of
Alive-ish
It's been a while. A few years. Quite a few since I essentially stopped using DA because of the extremely abusive admins (my comment average is still 4.2 comments a day!). I'm not sure if anyone I know is still reading this. Lots of stuff has been happening, good and bad. The Netherlands is a wonderful place. When I got away from Finland life was great for a while. I could work 15-hour days despite the CFS/ME, thanks to LDN. I thought my nightmare was finally over. Until November 2011, when my pituitary was destroyed by sabotage. Hypopituitarism is one really shitty illness and has put me close to death more times than I can count. Also very
My novel is _finally_ out - and I got a grant, too
Prose | Poetry | ASCII art | Pixel art | Fractal art | Vector art | Digital paintings | Traditional art | Photography | Artisan crafts | Emoticons | Wallpapers | Contest entries | Seamless textures | Designs |Tutorials | DeviantART Related | The rest
Yep, my debut novel Marian ilmestyskirja (Maria's Book of Revelations) was supposed to come out in the spring, but due to various delays it has only been released now. It's in Finnish, but there is an info page in English, too, and a book trailer which is Finnish only, but very visual, so it's worth watching even if you don't know Finnish. It has gathered many positive, even glowing reviews and
Release of my novel etc
Prose | Poetry | ASCII art | Pixel art | Fractal art | Vector art | Digital paintings | Traditional art | Photography | Artisan crafts | Emoticons | Wallpapers | Contest entries | Seamless textures | Designs |Tutorials | DeviantART Related | The rest
So my first novel Marian ilmestyskirja will be coming out from Muruja next month. The taboo-breaking cripfic has already got about 10 reviews in book blogs, including a few absolutely glowing ones (I couldn't have come up with better ones if I tried!). I made an English info page about the book which includes a sample. Still hoping to find an international publisher for it! Disabled people deser
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I know I don't appear around here at all, but I've always been a fan of your trooping, specially regarding ASCII art. Now I see that in fact you're a real life trooper. Much respect, Happy Birthday and the best of luck with all your plans 