Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Sam was tired of being tired. Life was just too much. There was the stuff with their dad, the neverending dating nightmare, and the everyday challenges of just adulting. Sam wanted something that was just theirs. Something that they could actually do. Something they could actually make. It could be something small, they thought. Just something they could manage that didn't require a ton of investment. They looked around their dingy and untidied apartment and tried to figure out what they could do with what they had. They had some basic art supplies and a stack of recycling. Then Sam remembered something they used to do as a kid: collage. It would be easy enough to start, Sam thought. They had scissors, notebooks, markets, glue, and a stack of junk mail that had pictures and text. The first collage Sam made was cluttered with too many words--perhaps reflecting the too many thoughts running through their head. One was enough for the first night of collaging, thought Sam. And so they ...

Please vote, my fellow Chicagoans. Also, I got a lot of this information from the "Girl, I Guess" voter guide . These are in no particular order. Johnson has CTU on his side whereas Vallas has failed public schools everywhere he's gone Vallas has said he was more of a republican whereas Johnson is a progressive Johnson has been endorsed by progressives like Sanders and Warren Johnson actually has a plan for disability justice Unlike Vallas, Johnson has not spoken at events with FOP President John Catanzara, who is a Q-Anon conspiracy theorist and a bigot. Vallas later “welcomed” the endorsement of Catanzara and the FOP "Vallas regularly hangs out with right-wing bigots" . Johnson does not Along that line, Vallas claims to be "A Champion for the LGBTQ Community" but this is clearly false:  "Vallas was a featured speaker at an Awake Illinois fundraiser. This group leads the mostly suburban, homophobic and transphobic movement to censor books in sc...

Not sure what it's time for as they only gave us a "later on this season" in the last episode. I love it when reality shows rewind in time Mahmoud, I think that was a genuine question This glamping looks awesome. Well done, Kris This is all admittedly very cute, but I'm still not behind Jeymi and Kris as a couple Omg Daniele is leaving in two days and she is not packed! Oh I really want Gabe and Isabel to work out Yes, Debbie, wave that peacock fan Yes, Oussama, this will take more than a painting I also have trouble buying this Another thing to look into, Jen and Rishi, is traveling somewhere together YES! DANIELE! YOUR LIFE WON'T BE LIKE VACATION ALL THE TIME That's a big old plate of meat, Kris Oop Jeymi isn't out Omg Jeymi's dog is so cute "I claim this beach for Debbie" Debbie...you might get looks cause you have a camera crew and you were literally screaming on a camel My god, I'm not over Yohan and Daniele's height difference O...

Original prompt: Do you ever tell yourself you can't do something? What is it and why?  Lose weight Change my relationship with food Move through depression Dance Sing Act Find a loving romantic relationship Be pretty Work somewhere I love Love my body Do makeup flatteringly Figure out how to take better care of my hair Maintain my apartment better Publish a book Have the life I want (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Sadness - Tristesse" by Yannick - L'oeil du nord

Time for the makeovers! Oop Salina was a bit salty Oop Mistress admits her answer was a pageant answer Norvina looks fabulous Norvina needs to work on her delivery of these lines Aw I like Mistress and her teacher bonding Of course there is an extra component The dancing is the part I would hate of this Oh yay Luxx did get to bond with her teacher I love, love, love Ru's look Yay for teacher appreciation Wow Sasha and Ferocity look great Loosey and Lala look good Mistress and Madam are fabulous So Asia looks great, but I don't see the family resemblance to Luxx Anetra's daughter Electra is itty bitty! But they are gorgeous Oop disagreeing with Michelle These educators are doing so much better than I would I enjoyed the Gay As joke I thought Sasha was going to win Yeah I thought Loosey and Luxx would be in the bottom Lol to Luxx stretching I think Luxx is doing better in the lip sync, but I think Loosey did better in the challenge Luxx stays! Oop Loosey's wave to Luxx se...

Original prompt: What 3 people in your life do you eny professionally? Why and do you notice any patterns?  They've known what they wanted to do for a while They make a difference in their community Their jobs fulfill them They make more money They're more educated They have made true friends at work They share knowledge They learn They publish They help people They are proud of their work They have cool work events They are full remote They have great perks They are creatively fulfilled (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Lego Doctors" by Mike Godwin

Eric could do this. He could. His mom believed in him. His friends believed in him. His work mentor even believed in him. Or so he said. Maybe he was lying.  But no, Eric could do this. He was assigned his monster role a few months ago: under the bed. He had smiled and then growled, as was the custom. But there was a small--teeny really--problem that Eric had not disclosed on his monster application form: he was scared of the dark. Under the bed was such a coveted role that Eric didn't think he'd even have a chance of getting it. Who would pick him? Other monsters surely had pointier fangs, more clashing scale and fur combinations, and so many more eyes. But under the bed he had been selected as so under the bed he would be. Eric was glad that work didn't start right away. There was training of course. Eric was terrified that his terror would come up, but all of the trainings were in lit fake rooms. Sure, under the bed was a little dim, but there was light everywhere so Eri...

Original prompt: What work do you enjoy so much that makes you lose track of time? Composing stories Writing letters Watching TV Chatting with friends on the phone IMing with friends Walking my dog (though there is a limit) Taking a bath Having my head scratched Eating (I'm working on this) Online shopping Reading (depends on the book though, I suppose) Swiping on apps (though I suppose this depends a bit too) Planning D&D campaigns Leveling my D&D characters Getting a massage (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Girl reading book" by World's Direction

"Great, just great," Haley commented to only herself. She had come into the office today because, everyone was supposed to come into the office three days a week and she had only been in two so far. Somehow though, people all mysteriously were out on Friday. Not everyone came into the office on Friday, but a good third of the office was supposed to and yet, she had ended up working at her cubicle alone on a freezing day with the chance of heavy snow.  And now the snow had come. And not only had it come, but it had arrived in abundance. This was beyond the predictions and Haley was snowed in. In her office. Alone. Although, she supposed alone wasn't the worst. It could've been very awkward to be in the office with her boss or with the guy she suspected had a crush on her. Though it could've been the start of a romance novel if she'd been snowed in with the guy she had a crush on. But still, romance novels weren't real life so it was best that she was alone....

Original prompt: What's one action you could take today that would make your work life easier? Write up action items at the end of each meeting and email them out Keep my outlook calendar up-to-date Write emails to confirm in-person conversations (this will provide a record and lessen confusion) Schedule more coffee meetings to get to know people and their roles Express my concerns earlier Offer to do some things others say they'll do Follow-up earlier Share more of my life with my coworkers Post on Slack more Write up detailed plans as well as concerns Eat lunch with people more often Update my status on Slack more Write up ideas for staff bonding activities (even as simple as donut day) Suggest creating surveys to improve the employee experience Write up ideas to improve training (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Hands Typing on Notebook Computer" by Image Catalog

Time for some leaving talk. Gabe and Isabel are so cute Oh good, Gabe has friends here Lol Gabe hasn't bought a ring Idk a year isn't that crazy Huh Rishi and Jen are being pretty reasonable Rishi...Jen has given you plenty of time...literal years I can't wait to see what Oussama's parents think of Debbie Wow Debbie is actually asking what Oussama expects (though it should've happened earlier) The riad looks to have electronic ways of welcoming guests The riad is gorgeous Maybe let's not say exotic Do candies mean medicine, Jeymi? Aw that food looks good Mahmoud, you're not the right man for Nicole, but she's also the wrong woman for you God this room is so pink I wonder how common divorce is in Egypt Uh oh Isabel seems a bit jealous Wait Jen has to leave? Jen...this is research you should've done earlier Does Jen not have a paper copy of her visa? Ah yes...lawyers being therapists again Jen didn't even know her visa was single entry??? Jen this ...

Original prompt: Write about the best job you've ever had. Good work-life balance Intellectually stimulating Great coworkers Fair pay Fun perks Used my brain in multiple ways Creative outlets Supportive boss Free coffee Flexibility with work from home Workplace traditions Easy commute Lack of dress code Passion for what I was doing Chance for advancement (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Survey Office Annual Report card punch and verifier, Ms D Simmons and Ms C Duncan - Brisbane" by Queensland State Archives

Time for the Rusical! Okay I don't think Marcia went home late So I don't know Footloose  at all But ouch this hits hard considering drag has been banned in Tennessee Oop this is an awkward fight I always forget Loosey has so many tattoos Luxx is doing great Lol to the security tag being on Luxx's coat This episode is, unfortunately, so timely Ru looks delicious Bumtuck cracks me up I kinda hope no one goes home for this Rusical cause it's great and so heartfelt I hope someone is just a giant glove Loosey looks great and I love the inspiration Anetra is just gorgeous, but the lasers are a bit lost in the lights Mistress's look is just WOW Luxx's look is super cool Salina's look is so fun Sasha's look is so smart Okay I disagree with Ross's critique of Salina's look Ah the classic "Who should go home?" I think Loosey is going to be voted a lot Oof Luxx is being very specific This is really a face lip sync Was this filmed after Stranger T...

I can't wait to visit again. These are in no particular order. My friends Writing more intentionally as well as in general The desire to explore Being able to walk to city center Storytelling sessions The gorgeous countryside Learning Being close to visit other places in Europe (though I admittedly did not take enough advantage of this) The connection to history Great buskers Ability to easily get around the city as well as country Being inspired by my surroundings Taking Pop Vinyl pictures (yes, I know I could start this up again) Cheap medicine prices sans insurance The cafés (Prompt by me)

Time for some fights. Love your elf I think Jen might look good with short hair Yeah I mean 3 days is a lot of 9 days, Kris Oy that's rough, Kris Wait, if I recall correctly, Jeymi "broke" Kris's trust by talking to someone after Kris ghosted her...I don't think that's breaking trust "You're my strange beautiful"--Debbie Daniele...you called him toxic That's a super pretty flower, Yohan I'm sorry, Gabe $3,000 sounds so cheap to me, but I guess I don't have a good frame of reference Well, Jen, Rishi's friend surprised you with that fact Oop Jen and Rishi didn't talk about life after marriage Oop Mahmoud was swearing...I honestly didn't expect that I hope Gabe is okay with all of these details being on TV (I just worry that he thought maybe he was just shooting the breeze with the producers though it seems like later he knew this was all for the show) This translator is rough, but luckily they're having fun with it Jen...

Original prompt: Which of your talents can you trace back to growing up? Organization Planning Socializing Reading (had to work at it though) Writing (had to work at it though) Public speaking Cooking (not sure this is a talent of mine, but I definitely learned to cook as a kid) Staying in touch with friends Photography Curiosity Storytelling Animal appreciation Political awareness (though I could certainly be better at this) Willingness to broaden my view of the world Academic appreciation (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Gooseberry 3rd Grade Ed Program_ET5A6911" by Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photography

Time for a standup challenge! Luxx, I don't think you're the winner of this season, though you are lovely Oop this pregnancy talk is uncomfy Is this going to be a partnered challenge? (yes) So I've heard that this is a very inaccurate representation of voguing I love how Marcia's skirt moves Okay so Sasha is winning this mini-challenge, right? Or maybe, Anetra? (yes) Asaf from AYTO is back! Gotta love that prodcut placement Yes, these teams are production making plans Oop Anetra is keeping it close to the chest Poor Anetra Sasha is onto something, but I need more of it I'm not sure Luxx was intentionally psyching Marcia out Poor Mistress Ru's outfit is cute Okay that was a good "you are what you eat," joke Okay I didn't get Ali Wong's joke (though I do generally like Ali Wong) Marcia looks beautiful Okay I didn't think Marcia was doing that badly, Salina Luxx and Loosey have some good chemistry I don't get Sasha's Demi Levato joke M...

Original prompt: If all jobs paid the same, what would you choose to do? Writer Event planner Photographer Archaeologist TV reviewer Food reviewer Movie reviewer Podcaster D&D campaign consultant (is this a job?) Literary agent Acquisitions editor Cruciverbalist Historian Museum exhibitor Social media manager (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Photographer" posted by Midnight Believer

"Okay, ready." "Is it an animal?" "Yes." "Is it an alligator?" "That's not fair." "What? That I know you?" "It's supposed to be 20 questions, not two." "Well, pick something less obvious." "How is it obvious?" "A) it's your favorite animal and B) we just passed a sign for an alligator adventure or whatever." "I suppose we really are in Florida now." "Other states have alligators, to be fair. Wasn't it you who told me they sneak into NASA?" "They do! It's a problem." "Okay, well it's my turn now. Let me show you how it's done." "Okay, fine. Ready?" "Ready." "Is it an animal?" "Boring, no." "Rude." "Sorry." "Is it a plant?" "No." "Is it something I'd find in our house?" "Yes." "Is it something I'd find in our ki...

Original prompt: Describe a moment you were proud of yourself Receiving my BA Moving to Ireland for my graduate degree Turning in my undergrad thesis Finishing my writing portfolio for my graduate degree Having a photo chosen to display at my high school Seeing my first crossword in my college's newspaper Having photos selected for my college's literary magazine Getting writing pieces published Reflecting on my therapy journey Having my write-up made public on Atlas Obscura Being hired full-time at the bookstore Selling books I'd recommended to a customer Earning my master's degree Being hired at the Press Moving into my first solo apartment (Prompt provided by Amelia Sacco) "Mercedes Bates" by OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons

Arya sat in history class and was bored. She longed to get to geometry, where things made more sense. She liked geometry so much that she had joined the math team to be able to do it more. Okay, there was also the extra time with her friends who loved math as much as she did, but some of the appeal was just the math itself. Finally the bell rang and Arya had four minutes to get to her geometry class. She passed right by the chemistry class next door where her least favorite teacher was conducting experiments. He needed to be more careful, thought Arya. The teacher had once exploded a glass beaker and not on purpose. Arya took her seat and excitedly pulled out her notebook. It was her favorite color: hot pink. She assigned her notebook and folder colors in ways that felt right to her. And since geometry was her favorite subject, she made her notebook and folder for it her favorite color. As the teacher started to go over the most common mistakes from the last quiz, Arya could've swo...

Disclaimer: I've never lived with a partner, so this is my inexperienced opinion. Why do you want to live together? What are your expectations for moving in together? How will you consciously prioritize your relationship after moving in? Whose place will you move into or will you get a new place? How much do your schedules clash? Do any of your habits clash? Have you considered a roommate contract (basically setting up rules for living together)? Who is responsible for what and when (both in terms of chores and bills)? Who will have spare keys to the apartment? What from where you live now is going to come with (for all parties involved)? Have you considered scheduling time to each be alone in the space (alone time is important)? Will you each have space that is just yours? If you break up, who moves out? What is this a step towards (or is it the final step)? Have you considered relationship counseling just to make this adjustment (kind of like pre-marital counseling)? (Prompt by K...

Time for some serious emotions. Nicole is allowed to be sad Oop I've been spelling Oussama wrong Oussama is really about silence Where did Oussama get a laptop? Debbie shouldn't be moving if you're not sure you're going to marry her Jeymi's face is hilarious Did Kris learn any Spanish? I feel like people in stores like this have to have seen weirder than Kris Do you generally use a flat iron to dry hair, Jen? Ah Rishi picked out something good! Jen does look nice Oop Rishi's friend is very honest Yes, Rishi, people don't like being lied to Why do you need help carrying your purse, Daniele? Okay, yes, 5% means it's POSSIBLE, but it's not probable Oop Daniele didn't know that Yohan had gotten women pregnant who had abortions The guy says it's fine, Mahmoud Nicole, this is a cultural thing, but like it's clearly important to you Oof working together seems like a bad choice, Gabe and Isabel Seems like a good deal for fabric Have your sister s...

These are just ones I found, please feel free to edit and/or add to this list. I did a similiar earlier post called "15 ways to support trans youth in Texas." Stay informed of worrying legislation. One easy way to do this is to look at the ACLU page "Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures" . Another way to do this is to sign up for emails from the National Center for Transgender Equality to find out when worrying legislation is coming up in your state Learn about current laws in your state. One easy way to do this is to look at the Map Advancement Project . Here is Illinois's map . Another way is to look at your state bar's website. Here is the Illinois State Bar Association's page on LGBT rights . If you find out that your state is considering anti-trans* legislation, get in touch with your state government. You can find your local state government information here . You can get in touch with your governor here Even if your state is...

Sarah rolled her neck and felt a few cracks. Days of standing and double checking tags on specimen could do a number on your neck and back, but such was intern life. Hey, at least she was paid this time. Besides, she was almost done with this cabinet. After this cabinet, she was going to take her lunch break with the other interns who were patiently waiting for her. She used her gloved—yes gloved—hands to open the final drawer of the cabinet, squatting uncomfortably so as to avoid sitting on the floor. But she soon gave up on that pretense and fell the final few inches to the limestone. Sitting in the drawer was a collection of toys. These were more recently acquired, but if a museum wasn't taking in new specimen, what was it doing? Museums were meant to be a record and the present would some day be fascinating to future scientists. But most of the toys, at least based on their appearance, were from the 1950s or so, but in the drawer sat a teddy bear that Sarah recognized. It was h...

Please note that some of this is fictionalized (for instance, my dad is not on hospice at this time). This is also meant as somewhat of a companion piece to my published piece "15 Things You Find When You Clean Out Your Dad’s Apartment" . A large glass vase of his childhood marbles that catches the light just so Ceramics of the Statue of Liberty and your favorite animal that you made and gave to him, gathering dust A puzzle with only the edges complete Empty crossword puzzles, stacked neatly by a hand that wasn't his The Lego version of Apollo 11 that you two put together, now askew A festive calendar of activities that he either won't do or won't remember Two closets filled with clean clothes that no longer fit The problematic Voodoo doll he got when he used to travel, fading in the sunlight A turned down picture frame of someone he's either forgotten or would like to forget Elephant items that you wonder if it'd be weird or bad luck to give to your stepd...

Time for an interview challenge? Was it so easy, Spice? Spice, stop trying to make the dingaling happen Loosey...calm down Huh I didn't expect Mistress to get thrown by this challenge Ah Marcia struggled too Oh I want Malaysia to be doing better Luxx always looks beautiful, but I'm not wowed Mistress's look is hilarious Wait is Salina actually using chia pets? Because that's amazing Sasha always looks great, but, again, I'm not wowed by the outfit Marcia is a vision, but it's not close enough or far enough from the outfit Anetra looks fabulous Malaysia's look is fantastic Loosey needed a bigger bump I want to hug Malaysia Oop Loosey is going to be pissed that Sasha won No I love Salina and Malaysia "Single Ladies" is a great choice Oh I'm sorry to see Malaysia go Next time we get a quick drag mini and a standup challenge (Prompt by me) RuPaul's Drag Race  MTV Promotional image source

Original prompt: write about the found family trope (in general, or about a specific show). I find it accessible in the sense that not everyone has a great relationship with their biological family, but everyone can build a chosen family Misfits finding comfort speaks to the parts of me that felt like a misfit at times in my life I highly value my friends in real life and like to see that reflected in fiction Found families can take so many different forms I often like representations of love that are platonic (though, yes, there are often romances within a found family) It's heartening to see characters find love they haven't found elsewhere I find group dynamics really interesting A solid community is something I aspire to (though, I think I have it) I find a strong ensemble cast more dynamic (though, yes, found family can be just two characters) It happens a lot in genre fiction, which I tend to prefer (though I suppose it could happen in other fiction, but I wouldn't re...

I've never fallen in love. Well, except in dreams.  It's happened twice. Perhaps that's odd. I'm not sure as I've never spoken of these loves to anyone before. Do others have dream loves? Or do they simply deepen or explore the loves they already have? I would be curious to know. The first time I fell in love, the face was familiar, but from years past. We wandered though a grand mansion--perhaps it had even been turned into a museum--holding hands and talking in ways I'd always hoped we would. The walls were scarlet and the trim was white with gold details. I cannot recall what we wore, but it was signature to us and felt perfectly in place though I do not believe it matched the decor. As we walked, I began to realize it wasn't real, that we were inside a fantasy world, and told him so. He told me to just hold on then, and let the dream do what it would. I held fast and we shared a gentle kiss. It was bliss I'd never known and have only known once since...

Original prompt: click on "Random Wikipedia Article" and write about whatever comes up (you can try 3 times and pick your favorite). For the record, I got Alejandro Estivill , Fencing at the 2011 Pan American Games – Women's épée , and Benjamin F. Jonas . I chose Benjamin F. Jonas because it was the longest of the three entries and it had a photo. He was born in Kentucky, moved to Illinois as a kid, and went to college and spent the rest of his life in Louisiana Jonas's father was a merchant and lawyer His father knew Lincoln (like they were real buds) Despite this, Jonas sided with the confederacy Not only did he side with the confederacy, but he joined the Confederate army and rose to the rank of major He went to University of Louisiana (now Tulane) Jonas was Jewish (I didn't know there were Jewish senators who served the Confederacy) He was the second Jewish U.S. Senator from Louisiana and the third Jewish Senator overall Jonas was the first Ashkenazi Jewish US...