A contrast within me (A vegan loving violence and gore)

(The following are personal opinions and thoughts not based on sources. They are also not meant to insult anyone.)

A fact about me is that I am a vegan. How do people picture vegans? Peace loving, kind people, hungry for justice against speciesism and potatoes (and vegan ice-cream). I am that kind of person, indeed. It was heartbreaking for me to watch documentaries and videos showing animal abuse, back when I decided to change my ways. Yet my favorite manga of all time is Berserk (picture above). Berserk is a seinen manga (manga targeted for adult men). It features violence, gore and mature themes and I absolutely love it. My series contains a lot of violence and mature themes and I would have it no other way.

So what is going on here? Why is there such a contrast within me? I am definitely not the only person in this position, but I would like to express my personal thoughts on the matter. Why do some of us get excited with violence and gore, but know damn well that we wouldn’t harm an ant? Well the key word is… it’s fake! That is the beauty of fantasy! That is the beauty of imagination! I would never pick up a sword and kill demons (well we don’t even have those), but I sure love seeing Guts do so! Fantasy is a gateway for the mind to experience everything. The problem lies with every single human and how they chose to express their psyche to the outer world.

C.T.K.

Burning out

I do not claim to be an extremely experienced writer. Yet I have been through ups and downs in my few years of writing. During these years I have experienced burn out at least three times. It has halted my work from a few days up to a few months. Burn out happens at some point during everyone’s career and it could be connected either with the job itself or other aspects of life that overstress the individual and cause lack of motivation.

During my burn out phases I felt devastated. I couldn’t work, was unable to write more than a couple lines each day and had no motivation to read or watch any other stories. Yet what I managed to notice was that the main reasons of my burn out were stress during my teacher job or struggles with my mental issues or personal life. It was rare for the burn out to source from my actual writing.

Burn out can be destructive for any passion. But the important thing to remember is that it will pass and you will rebound. A few tricks that worked for me were:

1)      Take a step back. Stop pressuring yourself to write and clear your head by choosing a new story or fandom to dive into.

2)      Actually address the stressors in your life, whether they are related to relationships or work. Get a pen and paper and write down what actually causes your struggles (Toxic friendships or relationships? Toxic work environment? Health issues?). Get your ass down and try to figure out these issues and give your brain a breather.

3)      Travel, even for a weekend, or visit new places in your town if you are on a low budget. Experiencing new things with all your senses can freshen you up and inspire you to hop back in your passion.

4)      Meditate and if possible, have some amazing lovemaking. The first one was suggested to me by a dear friend (fellow vegan) who insisted it might help me with my own struggles. I try to religiously meditate every day, even for five minutes, and it really grounds you down. The second one might be controversial and single people might scoff at me for mentioning it, but truth is that being intimate and blowing off some steam can really boost confidence, relieve stress and help you get back to your life with a better mood. Bonus points if your partner is a fan of your work and wants to discuss your recent burn out.

Let’s not forget that the point is to enjoy our work and be proud of the product we put out. No matter the ups and downs, the important part is to move forward!

(The above text is based on personal opinions and thoughts and is not meant to offend anyone.)

C.T.K.