Monthly Archives: December 2022

Upgrades, People! Upgrades!

Notice anything different? And no, I didn’t get a haircut (although I desperately need one). Okay, fine, I’ll tell you… Look how accessible it is in here! I have dedicated some of my time to make sure that I Wear Your Grandad’s Clothes is a website for everyone, and that no group or individual is left unable to consume the content that I am putting out. To some of my readers who do not require any additional assistance when scrolling the web, it might look like much, but I hope that those who do are pleased with the changes I have implemented into the site! Let’s take a look at what’s new:

  • Accessibility Toolbar: 

Thanks to a handy dandy plug-in called One Click Accessibility, you can now find a pretty, orange button on the left hand side of the site which opens the accessibility toolbar. I got the inspiration to add this feature way back when I did my first peer review on Midnight Stories, who had the same toolbar on their site. Some of the toolbar’s features include: the ability to increase or decrease text size, underline links, change text into an easier-to-read font, and options to change the site’s colours to grayscale, high contrast, negative contrast, and light background.

  • Alt Text:

Although it is not written out immediately under the image, I have written out alt text for every image that is displayed on iwearyourgrandadsclothes.com. The alt text can be accessed by either using a screen reader through your browser, or if you right-click while hovering your cursor over the image then select “inspect,” you can find the description within the HTML after the tag “alt=”. This was my first time writing alt text for images, so hopefully I did alright!

  • Text-To-Speech:

Even though many who depend on text-to-speech features likely have one already installed onto their computer, I have also provided a button on my blog posts that will provide text-to-speech that can be found at the bottom left-hand side of the post.. I used the plug-in called ResponsiveVoice, which is a little bit slow and has a janky Australian accent, but it definitely does the job. I’m sure there are better text-to-speech Chrome extensions or something like that, but I figured I’d offer one just in case.

  • WP Accessibility Plug-In:

I installed the plug-in called WP Accessibility, which searches over my entire domain and corrects/suggests corrections to my site to make it more accessible. Some of the services that it provides for me are: pointing out images that need alt text, preventing links from opening in new windows, and adding outlines to elements in keyboard focus. 

I am definitely still learning and working to better my site and become as accessible and inclusive as I can be, so please feel free to comment below any suggestions you have to make iwearyourgrandadsclothes.com even more easily usable.

Raspberry Beret(s): The Prequel

You might have seen my recent blog post titled “Raspberry Beret(s),” which is an article that recommends some of the best songs to queue up in your headphones on your next thrifting haul. If you haven’t read it yet, which I would definitely recommend giving it a leaf through, it features a collage of remixed portraits of women wearing raspberry berets (yes, like the song by Prince) in the iconic pop art style of Andy Warhol. Now, I definitely did not draw this detailed group of figures by hand, instead I used a relatively new technology known as an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator.

To create these images I used Picsart’s free text to image AI generator, which is extremely similar to the more well-known DALL-E system. I had heard a lot of buzz going around regarding this new-fangled AI image generator programs – how cool they are, how easy they are to use, how they might be infringing on copyright or people’s privacy, etc… – so when the chance to test drive one of these babies was thrown in my face I knew I just had to take it. 

Andy Warhol pop art style portrait of a woman wearing a beret with unintelligible writing on it.
Andy Warhol pop art style portrait of a woman wearing a beret and big strawberry-shaped earrings.
Andy Warhol pop art style portrait of a woman with dimples wearing a beret.

Picsart, which is usually my go-to free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, is really quite intuitive and pretty straightforward with all of its features, and there was no exception for its AI generator. To get an image, all I had to do was type in a prompt or phrase into the search bar and in a click of a button, its AI engine took care of the rest, however, much like  DALL-E, the images’ “success rate can depend on how the caption is phrased (https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/). It did request for me to provide a moderate amount of detail in my prompt, and it was also recommended that I select a handful of key words from a cache of various adjectives. I suppose the more information you give to the AI, the more precise and personalized it can get with its images, which I was a bit surprised by because I had assumed that too much information might overwhelm its systems and result in a sloppy mashup of digital goop. I settled on the prompt “woman wearing a raspberry beret in pop art style” along with the key words: Andy Warhol, illustration, portrait, and vibrant colours. The results were really quite impressive – if you had shown me those images and told me that Andy Warhol created an entire raspberry beret series of pop art works I would have absolutely believed you. 

So, since I went to all this difficult and tiresome work to type this all out to create the images, do you think that it is fair to consider myself the artist of these pop art portraits? I honestly don’t think so. At the end of the day, I think that images generated by AI systems such as DALL-E and Picsart aren’t really art – the AI image generator is more of a tool to help us humans conceptualize and visualize different and perhaps abstract ideas. The AI makes images out of other images, rather than using images to pull reference from or inspire new images or works like organic artists do. So, please don’t start thinking I’m some visionary digital artist with a whole bunch of Andy Warhol flare – I’m just capable of pressing some keys on my laptop to form a sentence to get some magical robot to draw me things.

Digital Goldilockses

I’m sure you’ve heard of the children’s story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears; a little blonde girl wanders into a house in the middle of the woods belonging to a family of bears who are out for the day, and she makes herself right at home by going through and using their things. First she rummages through the bears’ kitchen, sneaking a taste of each of their porridges to decide which one is just the right temperature for her to devour, then she jumps in and out of each of the bears’ beds to decide which one is the comfiest before snuggling up for a nap. As Goldilocks snoozes away, the family of bears come home to find a trail of half-eaten porridge and chaos that leads them right to the bedroom where they find the cheeky little intruder. Why on earth am I telling you children’s fairy tales? Well, perhaps it’s because you and I are more like little Goldilocks than you’d think…

Even though you may not try to or be aware of it, everything that you do has an in-erasable digital footprint, like you’re Hansel and Gretel dropping digital breadcrumbs as you scroll through the online world. These data trails can provide a lot of information on what you’re doing and where you are in the world; as explained in a podcast titled Digital Breadcrumbs with Dr. Elisa Oreglia, this information can be collected through enabled location services or analytics engines within social apps, your online banking card when making a purchase, or even just a simple Google search. If you use the internet, which I know you do because you’re reading this right now, this fact affects you in one way or another, and you too have your own trail of digital footprints. It really makes you think: what kind of trail am I leaving behind? Thinking about that deeper, I made a little infographic that illustrates my personal online self, which consists of different aspects of me: the filmmaker, the networker, the writer, and the stalker. I feel that these four kinds of categories sum up who I am online, which isn’t too scary, I guess, but I still feel like the internet knows more about me than I remember telling it. With that in mind, how would you sum up your online identity in four categories? Are they something you can be proud of? One way that I like to check up on my digital footprint is by punching my name into the Google search bar and seeing what comes up (this works well for me because I have a fairly unique name, I can’t promise this will work for everyone). Last time I checked, searching “Makena Leyh” on Google will pull up my portfolio of written articles for Simon Fraser University’s newspaper, The Peak, along with my Facebook account, some film screenings that my work has been a part of, and some scholarships that I have been awarded. Honestly, Google is kind of making me look good by highlighting my achievements and showcasing my art, so I don’t mind the breadcrumbs that I’ve dropped at all!

Inforgraphic decorated with abstract shapes. An illustration of a desktop computer sits at the top with its screen reading "My Online Self." Under the computer there is an illustration of a person looking at a film camera, next to text that reads "! The Filmmaker. Actively pursuing a career in the film industry, I have worked on a multitude of short film projects that can be found on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram." Beneath that is an illustration of a woman talking while holding a sheet of paper beside text that reads "2 the networker. I use Facebook for the sole purpose of networking within Vancouver's film and media industry by belonging to a variety of groups." Beneath that is an illustration of a woman talking while holding a sheet of paper beside text that reads "My written works for Simon Fraser University's school newspaper, The Peak, are published online - and I guess I run a blog, iwearyourgrandadsclothes.com, now too!" Beneath that is an illustration of someone in an pversized hoodie looking off into the distance beside text that reads "4 the stalker. am a relatively quiet entity on social media platforms - I rarely post, but I follow hundreds of other creators and silently consume their content." Beneath is more abstract shapes and text that reads "Makena Leyh iwearyourgrandadsclothes.com Simon Fraser University Infographic created using Canva"

Thinking deeper about the concept of being digitally tracked at almost all times in our modern society, does that make you uncomfortable or do you care at all? Personally, I can see both sides of the coin: it’s nearly impossible to achieve any real privacy in today’s day and age, but if no one has privacy anyways, then does it matter? I don’t know. I’m a Gen Z baby born in 2003, and I think growing up in such a technologically driven time has really conditioned me and the rest of my generation to be fine with having little to no privacy; being watched or tracked has just been kind of normalized. I definitely can’t speak for everyone my age, but I do know that’s not an uncommon feeling among young people. At the end of the day, we’re all just a bunch of silly little creatures running around on a floating rock in outer space anyways, so why does it matter? 

Process Post 12

This week, I would like to discuss how community guidelines may impact someone’s site and the guidelines that I would like to incorporate into my site.

The first community guideline that I would like to include on my site is the acknowledgement of copyright regulations, I would like my site to be a place where people can share content, however, I would like the word of others to be credited and acknowledged.

Another guideline that I would like to include is that this website is a space where people can safely share content without fear of judgment.

Understanding and respect of people’s boundaries and privacy

The protection of people’s personal information for the means of safety

In the future, I will be adding more guidelines, but here, is the start of the community I am starting to build with my site within travel content sharing.

Online community guidelines are put in place in order to protect others. Hate comments may have serious implications on one’s mental health, the article, The Psychology of Online Comments, written by Maria Konnikova (2013), establishes just how impactful the words that people say online may be. The online world can have many problems:

“One of the most common critiques of online comments cites a disconnect between the commenter’s identity and what he is saying, a phenomenon that psychologist John Suler memorably termed the “online disinhibition effect.” The theory is that the moment you shed your identity the usual constraints on your behaviour go, too” (2013).

This anonymous persona that many hateful commentators take on can be very harmful to one’s mental health and these guidelines may not encourage the reduction of anonymous comments but the guidelines may influence a more positive comment stream.

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-psychology-of-online-comments

Process Post 11

This week I will be addressing and working on media integration. While working on my site I would also Like to add a social media page that can be integrated and incorporated into the site as well, this way I will be able to reach a larger audience.  

I plan on making an Instagram account where I can share short content which can lead my followers and viewers to visit my site and consume my longer and more in-depth content.  Here, I will be sharing pictures, videos, and links as well as covering with other creators who share similar interests in order to build a community. On this Instagram account, I will be encouraging Transmedia by building multiple audiences on different platforms in order to introduce and curate an audience that can interact with my content in different ways and allow for engagement that is possibly consistent and longer lasting.

The article, POKEMON AS TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING, written by Kevinbrittenylauren (2013) discusses how despite that Pokémon started many years ago, Pokémon content is still extremely relevant today.  

Transmedia Storytelling can be defined by Henry Jenkins, “Transmedia storytelling is a process. Elements of fiction get dispersed across multiple media for the purpose of creating a coordinated entertainment experience” and additionally, “A transmedia text does not simply disperse information: it provides a set of roles and goals which readers can assume as they enact aspects of the story through their everyday life.” (2007, as cited by Kevinbrittenylauren, 2013). 

In summary, the use of Transmedia has the opportunity to curate audiences that can view media from different perspectives in order to create ideas and audiences, for example, Pokémon.

Pokemon as Transmedia Storytelling

Process Post #9: Targeted

For this week’s process post, we will be talking about the implications of analytics and cookies everywhere you go on the internet.

No matter where you go, you are being followed on the internet through something called cookies. Whenever you visit a website, cookies are most likely being added to your browser to track you and recognize the next time you visit the website. 

These cookies and other trackers are how it seems like the internet is always spying on you. For example, if you went shopping looking for a hockey helmet on Amazon, Google’s AdSense would most likely start serving you ads for hockey helmets at other stores that have paid them to advertise. 

One example that I remembered is when Target was able to find out a girl was pregnant before her father did. According to Forbes, a man received coupons for baby clothes and cribs which were addressed to her daughter. He then yelled at the manager, and then found out that she was indeed pregnant and called to offer the manager an apology (2012). The way this worked is “Target … sent coupons for baby items to customers according to their pregnancy scores,” which were based on their past shopping purchases (Hill, 2012).

This one was particularly scary because it worked even better than a pregnancy test, simply based on your purchase history or what you searched for. Even scarier, this article was created 10 years ago, imagine what they could do now with the technology. 

Therefore, it poses the question that presented itself in the Digital Breadcrumbs podcast, “Are we all blissfully unaware like Amanda?  And should we be worried?” (Pod Academy, 2016). 

To answer this question, I think that we need to be blissfully unaware, as currently there are not too many detractors other than some privacy breaches. When we decided that we wanted to live in a world where everything is powered by the internet, this is the price we must pay. Everything will fall apart once everything becomes aware as it would add to many layers of complexity to rework everything. 

The GDPR, which is one of those policies, has made some companies leave as it was too complicated to rework it to be up to standard. 

All in all, the internet tracks everything you do anyways, and unless all 7B people decide that’s not something they want, it will continue. 

References:

Hill, K. (2022, October 12). How target figured out a teen girl was pregnant before her father did. Forbes. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/?sh=1a2f46db6668

Pod Academy. 2016. “Digital breadcrumbs: The data trail we leave behind us.” http://podacademy.org/podcasts/digital-breadcrumbs-our-data-trail/

Process Post 10

This week in class, I learned how to grow your audience through analytics, and though I may not be fully aware of all the techniques needed to encourage the increase of rankings of my website, I am eager to learn.  

In the length of this post, I would like to discuss how impactful some of these techniques may be beneficial to my site.  

The first idea that I would like to discuss is google analytics, this plug-in will allow me to receive insights about my sites and how my audience is specifically interreacting with my content. With the addition of the Google Analytics, I will then be able to draw conclusions about the best way to engage with my audience.  

The article, State of Mobile (2022) by Data.ai. discusses the activity on phones, in today’s online metropolitan economic system, that is theoretically built on the capitalistic uses of many digital creators and owners. The article shares data of the uses of specific uses of “The Mobile Landscape”, and the way which user data can be beneficial to many major companies such as, Google, Snapchat, Visa and many other successful companies. Without the help of user data, these companies may have a very challenging time understanding their audiences and may struggle to push out content that their audience may likely interact with.  

The State of Mobile article also contains studies about “Macro Mobile Trends” which can be beneficial for gaming companies. The “partnership with data.ai has helped us better navigate the gaming market, providing us insight and assistance in the decision-making process”, thus allowing for more insightful choices made for the benefit of the company. 

In summary, the use of data tracking can be invasive, however, it can be extremely beneficial for companies when attempting to study the audiences that they are trying to attract and engage with. Though this can be attributed to the desire of capital gain of society, this is a particularly useful tool, especially for non-profit or start-up companies trying to build an audience or client base.  

Process Post #10: SeOHno!

For this week’s process post, I will be talking about the various data that we have collected so far to date and trying to make sense of it. 

Upon opening Google Analytics, we are greeted with our home page, and what has occurred within the past 7 days. I quickly changed it to the past 90 days to get an accurate sense of what occurred during the whole semester. 

Home Page

According to the analytics software, 102 users including myself have visited my website. What this means is that everyone in the class has possibly visited my website at least once in this class. 

The average engagement time, which means the time that they spend on the website is at a whopping low of 34 seconds, but I think these results may be skewed since I frequently visit and leave my own website.

Furthermore, the plugins I am running could be responsible for this low average engagement time. The reason why I suspect this is because of what I noticed when I looked at the demographic by country. 

Going to the reports snapshot we find that 80 of the users are from the United States, while only 20 are from Canada, and 2 from India. If all the visits were from our classmates, then it would be more skewed towards Canada rather than the United States. This is accounting even for the fact that there are international students who may be from the United States and are using a US phone plan.

Country Statstics

Another thing that was interesting was that most of the sessions were driven by directly clicking on the link, which means that it was most likely spread through word of mouth. 

Where are they being directed from?

My website seemed to have surged in traffic from when it was made, and then declined before keeping a decent plateau.

Active Users Trending Chart

All in all, I think that analytics are a great way to inform content creators like me about potential trends and audiences. This can inform how you optimize your SEO (Search Engine Optimization), as “SEO is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter” (Hollingsworth, 2018). If a business is trying to make money, understanding your audience, and optimizing your SEO so your website is at the top of search results can mean the difference between making money and making lots of money. However, as we have found out here, they can be inaccurate to some degree, and you should not take the information given as 100% truth. 

References:

Hollingsworth, Sam. April 13, 2018. “12 Reasons Why You Business Absolutely Needs SEO.” https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close

Process Post 11: Alan’s Radio Station

For this week’s post we will be looking at a plan to incorporate more transmedia into my online publication.  Transmedia is basically other forms of media that can integrate into your current online publications. For example, the “Pokemon as transmedia storytelling” says it the best, where you can “watch… it on TV, playing the games on your Gameboy Color, collecting hundreds of trading cards, and decorating your room with Pokemon toys and bedspreads” (Kevinbrittenylauren, 2013). Basically, transmedia refers to multiple different types of mediums, such as being able to exist on both the radio and television. 

For me personally, if I were to ever do blogging as something I would take seriously, I would explore integrating transmedia in the form of a podcast. The reason why I would choose a podcast is because I think my content best translates to this form of media. It also does not compromise the integrity or ideas of my posts in any way.

One more thing of note is that I personally enjoy talking, so I think I am able to tell captivating stories that are better than reading text on a screen.

Podcasts can be then uploaded to various digital platforms, such as Spotify or the Podcasts app on all Apple devices. This increases the reach of my content as I can spread it to platforms other than my website. Furthermore, podcasts are very low intensity, and allow me to create engaging content without too much additional work.

It also has other benefits, such as engaging all audiences, whether they can read my content or not. For example, if you can read and see, you would be able to listen to my podcast and get my perspective with all my expressions, something that cannot be easily expressed through text. However, if you cannot see, then you can hear what the writer intended, as it is coming straight from them. Basically, while it provides an accessibility component, it can also be used for adding another layer even for audiences that can read and comprehend the blogs.

All in all, podcasts are a very convenient way to increase my reach, while adding another dimension to all readers while keeping the integrity of the content that I originally posted. 

References:

Kevinbrittenylauren.wordpress.com. 2013. “Pokemon as transmedia storytelling“

Process Post #12: Community Guidelines

For process post #12 we will be looking at developing community guidelines that are suitable for my site. Community guidelines are very important to protecting all users of the internet no matter who you are. This is especially important on the internet as there is no way to verify if a person is who they really say they are on the internet. For example, I could make a Twitter profile saying that I am Mr. Beast, a famous Youtuber and some might believe it. As a site owner I have the responsibility to protect all users that may comment or interact with my website, or else I could be held accountable legally. This ranges from “Internet trolls … [which] … are doing it for the “lulz,” or laughs” to “harassment … [and] violent threats” (Stein, 2016). 

As this is process post #12, I will hash out 12 rules that all users will have to follow in which I believe protect them the best.

  1. All users must register with an account before posting
  2. Prevents random spammers and bots, especially with reCAPTCHA
  3. No files may be uploaded
  4. Prevents viruses from being spread
  5. All posts must be verified by a moderator before posting
  6. Ensures that nothing slips through the cracks
  7. Word limit will be imposed
  8. Ensures that trolls cannot spam
  9. Suspicious activity will be flagged with a plugin, then reviewed.
  10. Ensures that there is always a watchful eye
  11. Users must be respectful
  12. Ensures that everyone is respectful
  13. Users must not use inappropriate or offensive language
  14. Makes it appropriate for all audiences.
  15. Out of control discussions will result in a mute/ban
  16. Ensures that no conversations cause too much controversy
  17. No copyrighted content may be posted
  18. Protects me legally and ensures that I cannot be legally responsible.
  19. All conversations must be lawful
  20. Same as point #9
  21. False or misleading information will result in a fact check and/or removal from the comments if it is fake.
  22. Ensures that my website is not a source of misinformation
  23. Have fun, this is a place for constructive criticism and discussion, please do not take everything seriously. 
  24. Keeps everything casual and fun

All these rules are designed to ensure that everyone can participate without being bombarded with misinformation or trolls. The Guardian’s article also influenced some of these rules, as they found that “The vast majority of blocked comments, therefore, were blocked because they were considered abusive to some degree, or were otherwise disruptive to the conversation (they were off-topic, for example)” (Gardiner et al., 2016). This is why I included things like the out-of-control discussion clause, because if someone is actively trying to pull people away from the conversation, how can people properly create constructive criticism? Coming up with these community guidelines has taught me that running a platform which involves social discussion is a lot more complicated than originally thought. People are just complicated creatures, and especially when social manners are involved, as you cannot guess most people’s next actions. 

References:

Adventure #12: Walking The Edge Of Glory

Summary / Quick Breakdown 🏃‍♂️ :

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 

Location 📌:  290 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9

Good 👍 : Truly breathtaking views on one of the tallest buildings in the world

Bad 👎 : Very expensive

Price 💰 : $$$$

For my final adventure I would like to talk about one of the most recognizable buildings in the Toronto skyline. It is 356M tall and frequently pierces through the clouds above the city. 

It is called CN Tower and is home to many different tourist attractions with breathtaking and stunning views. 

Wide shot of CN Tower looking up
CN Tower

Personally, I visited the tower to try out their EdgeWalk, which is an experience where you walk around the outside of CN on a harness. For the $200 it includes your EdgeWalk, some photos, and tickets to go back up CN Tower on the inside.

The process to do your EdgeWalk is signing a waiver, going to get dressed, get metal detected to make sure you have nothing that might fall out, and then double check again before getting attached to the system. 

After being attached they check you again before you head out, and because of all these checks I never felt unsafe that anything could break. 

When you head out onto the platform for the first time, you are truly in awe, simply because of how high up you are, and how breathtaking the view is. The guide then guides you around the platform doing simple maneuvers like leaning over Toronto or leaning backwards over Toronto. 

Wide shot of Alan leaning backwards over CN Tower Edge
Leaning Back 🙂

When you come back in and successfully complete the challenge, you get a certificate, some photos, and a pass to come back another time. 

I personally purchased all the photos as I am not sure if I would be able to do this more than once in my lifetime. Although I am pretty sure that the answer is yes, it is still a good memory for not too much extra money. Furthermore, I think just like the ZipLine in one of my past adventures, going back to it too often would make it boring and monotonous. 

All in all, this breathtaking adventure is definitely a site to see at any cost and especially if you are not afraid of heights. It is a one-of-a-kind experience that you will never forget and not available anywhere else in the world. 

Reflection on The Site

This is the last process posts for this class and I think it is a good idea to a quick reflection and the things I have learned along the way.

This site has been on so many ups and downs as a reflection of my semester. With no time, I struggled to find ways in displaying my contents online. I found it hilarious that the site is about me being a design student, and it took me almost until the end of the semester to work on the visual design of the site. My defense is how busy I had been. Currently, I would say that the blog is fairly close to the vision I had at the beginning. With the images and content, they portray who I am as an individual online fairly well. I wish I could have more time to work on the public posts, showing my creativity in podcast and videos. I can work on it after this class.

From this class, I am more thoughtful about the content I posted online and the relationship I have with my audience. Also, I make me think about the potential my posts could make to my audience. I hope I could use this knowledge more on my YouTube channel, since I’m going to start working on it again next year.

Hamilton, The Musical, Victoria Palace Theatre, London, UK- a photo gallery

While many people are great fans of the many versions of Hamilton, London is known to be the home of many excellent, theatres, actors, and overall a very large world of musical theatre. 

Public content: Gluten-free food in London, England

The restaurant, Indigo at the hotel, One Aldwych, serves an elegant and very enjoyable high tea, gluten free and with plenty of variety 

My Final Post

[Original Post Date: 12/6/22]

Well, this will be my final post of the semester. So I wanted to take this time and reflect on how much I’ve grown as a person over the last couple of months.

I originally set out when making this blog site to become more confident when sharing my art pieces out to the public, outside of my immediate circle of friends or family. Looking back now, I never really understood why I was so scared to share my art pieces in the first place. Maybe the process was something unfamiliar to me. Maybe I was afraid that people would judge too harshly. Or maybe it was simply that I didn’t want to. Whatever the case may be, making this blog site and posting my art pieces was definitely something out of my comfort zone and has helped me grown as a person and as an artist. And, miracoulsly, made me realize that sharing my art wasn’t as scary as I intially thought it would be.

So I wanted to give a huge shout out to Suzanne Norman and Lauren Jeanneau, the teaching team behind this course. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and explore something entirely new to me. I’ve always been meaning to share my art pieces out into the world but I’ve been hesitant for unknown reasons. Thinking back at the start of the semester, it’s kinda silly to me that I was so hesitant and unwilling to share my art. But it’s also quite incredible how much I’ve grown in confidence within the span of a couple of months. The people that conducted a peer review on my blog site commented on how all of the art pieces were all really well done. Those small comments gave me a huge confidence boost in my abilities as an artist.

To everyone reading this post, thank you. Even if you stopped by just to view one post, that small act means a lot to me. If I ever make it as a successful illustrator (let’s be honest, probably not. But maybe? Unless?), I will remember this as being a huge stepping stone for me. Perhaps I will continue to post here throughout the coming months. Or perhaps I will just look at this site to remind myself how much I’ve grown during these couple of months, or how much I’ve grown by the time I’m revisitng this site.

And so, a new chapter begins for everyone. And I wish you all good luck on your next ventures, whatever they may be.

Thank you to everyone. Exist in peace.

Goodbye. Now, leave.

Barcelo Maya Palace Gluten-free cuisine, a series

The restaurant, Marenostrum, located in The Barcelo Palace Hotel, within the Maya colonial restaurants, offers fresh and delicious seafood cuisine. 

Despite an often limiting gluten allergy, this restaurant was not only able to accommodate but provide many options. There was even gluten-free bread as an appetizer!