Author: Macey Wilson

This will be my last blog, so in order to (kind of) celebrate I’m going to be writing about my current hyper fixation: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’m going to have fun and rank my favorite ninja turtles. I won’t be looking at any specific shows or renditions, instead I’ll be judging them by their over character.

Mikey

Mikey is a fun-loving dude. He’s the team goof ball and general party guy. I like him due to his silliness. He always breaks the tension and chooses to have fun rather than try to remain serious like his brothers. Despite his silliness he is the most naturally gifted in fighting out of his brothers.

Donnie

Donnie is the genius of the group. His inventions often aid him and his brothers, although sometimes they wind up getting the team into trouble. He usually is very nerdy and displays the calmest personality of the four brothers. I enjoy how much of a nerd he can be, as well as how he uses his intelligence rather than simply his strength to win a fight.

Leo

Leo is the leader of the team. Often times he is the most mature and most serious out of his brothers. Leo is a character that I will either love or hate. In some renditions, I find his character quite compelling and interesting, while in others I find him to be annoying. I find that I most like him when he is having trouble with the responsibility of his leadership role. He is a kid after all, and his need to look after his brothers conflicting with him only being a teenager is very interesting to me. However, in some renditions being “the leader” is his entire personality and he can become whiny and controlling.

Raph

Raph is the tough, hotheaded brute of the team. I feel bad for putting him at the bottom of the list, but it’s only because he usually is the one to cause conflict. Raph is notorious for having some sort of rival with Leo due to him hating authority and having to listen to his brother. I like seeing Leo and Raph have their rivalry as long as it is written well, but sometimes seeing them fight can be annoying. Same goes for Raph’s anger. His anger is a large part of his character and I like to see it explored; however, his angry outburst can seem random and unjustified.

Summer is coming up. I only have about three weeks of school left and then three months of free time before starting all over again in college. So, I’ve been thinking lately, what exactly am I going to do with this free time?

Personal work

First of all, I want to focus on doing my own artwork. School often makes it feel like I have to keep pumping out different work constantly. It can really become draining at some points. Usually, I feel very restricted in what I can or cannot create. So, over the summer, I’m going to create whatever I want.

new projects

Without the stress of school, I will have plenty of time to try new things. So I’m going to try some new things, specifically things that have to do with crafting by hand. I’ve always liked sewing, but I want to practice more with it. I really want to create items like stuffed animals and blankets. I want to make quilts, which is such a grandma activity to do, but I think it’s so charming. I also want to crochet, but I don’t think I’ll have the patience to learn how.

Summer trips

Above anything else, I want to have fun with my hometown friends. I’m leaving to go out of state for college and I know that I probably won’t be able to see them again for a while, so I’m going to spend as much time with them as I can. Right now, we’re planning to have a senior trip together. What exactly we’re going to do is still being planned, but either way, we’re going to have fun. Me and my mom are also planning a little kayaking trip. We haven’t been kayaking together since last summer and it’s finally warm enough to go again.

Like everyone else, I stopped going to see movies in the theaters back when the pandemic hit. After I stopped going, I lost the excitement for going to see movies at all. With streaming services so widely available, I just watched things from the comfort of my own home. However, this past school year I have started going to the movies theaters again and I really enjoy it. It’s fun going out to see a movie with your friends and family. This year, there are several movies that I want to go see. Here are a few that I plan to go see with my friends.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Since the beginning of this year, I’ve gotten into all things TMNT related. Coincidentally, around the same time that I got into it, a trailer for a brand-new movie dropped. This movie has a unique art style that closely resembles the same style that Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse has. I find the character designs to be very unique and quite cute. It seems as though they are pushing the fact that these are teenagers as we see they are very childish acting in the trailer. This movie hits theater August 4^th and I know I plan on being there opening night.

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

Speaking of Spiderverse, I watched the first Spiderverse movie when it came out in theaters, and I love it. From the art style to the writing, it was wonderful. Now, the second movie is coming out June 2^nd, and from what the trailers have shown, it’s going to be just as good as the first. From what I can tell, this story will take place a few years after the events of the first movie, focusing on Miles trying to balance his hero and normal life. The movie seems to have a much darker tone with higher stakes than the first.

Five Nights At Freddy’s

I got into Five Nights At Freddy’s way back in elementary and I have heard so many different rumors of a FNAF film for several years. Now that there is a confirmed movie coming out, it feels surreal. I’m almost expecting for it to actually be fake or for it to be cancelled. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll believe it’s really happening until I see the trailer. Either way, we have a confirmed cast and a few teaser pics, so it looks like this will actually come out. This movie is said to come out October 27th, right in time for Halloween.

This past semester I started my first ever ceramics class. I was very nervous at first because I don’t like being very messy while I work. The fragility of the pieces and the brand new medium scared me, however, ceramics quickly became my all-time favorite class. Every day I wake up, think about how I get to do this class, and it gives me just enough energy to get out of bed. So why do I like this class so much? I’ll tell you.

You can make anything

There is an endless amount of things that you can make. After learning the basics, you can start to make anything you set your mind to. I know that I love to go on Pinterest, look up ceramic ideas, choose a few cute ideas, and then create them with my own twist and creative touch.

Fun and Functional creations

From figurines and pendants to mugs and pots, you can make a variety of everyday items or cute decorations. Personally, I like to make pots or bowls and spice them up with cute details. However, you can just make something for the sake of it being cute. It’s nice to know that you can make your own functional creations.

It’s relaxing

I’m not sure why I find the class so relaxing, but I do. Maybe it’s because I get to have so much creative freedom, or maybe it’s because I don’t have to do any homework. Whenever I start working, I get into a groove and don’t stop until I have to leave. There’s something so methodic and peaceful about going to my little station every day to work on my projects.

Satisfying

Every time one of my pieces gets completely done, I get so happy. After building it up, painting it, and getting it out of the kiln for the last time, I finally get to see what I created in full. I have almost a whole semester of work lined up on my shelf at home now, and they’re all so cute. I’m so happy I got to take this class and have fun creating whatever my little heart desires.

While at school, I don’t have much time to read anymore. However, summer is coming up and I want to jump back into reading again, so I’ve been compiling a very short list of books I want to read. Feel free to suggest any good books you know of.

They Both Die At The End

This is one I’ve heard about for a few years now and I’ve on purposely stayed away from it. Just like the title says, we know both of the main characters will not make it. Knowing this from the start braces you for what’s to come, but also is so incredibly depressing because you know that no matter what, this will end a tragedy. I stayed away from this book because I knew it was going to be sad, but now I’m ready to get my heart broken by it.

The Poison Apple Series

I was reminded of this series when me and my roommate were talking about old, childhood books we read. I remember reading these in fourth or fifth grade and I absolutely loved them at the time. So I decided that I’m going to indulge in my nostalgia and reread all of them over the summer. I know the writing is not going to be anywhere as good as I remember, but I’m reading them for fun, not for quality.

Dracula

This classic most people have read or seen before. I believe I have seen this a few times as either a play or movie adaptation, but I have never read from the original text. A few years back I decided to read some of the commonly known classics because my homeschool program never had me read books that were typically assigned in school. So I read the Great Gatsby and Frankenstein and enjoyed those. Dracula was next on my list, although I never got around to reading it. Now, I want to finally mark it off my list.

My bedroom is the place where I spend most of my time, so it needs to be a comfortable, cozy place for me to relax. I have specific ideas for how I want my room to feel. I don’t know if my room would have an exact “aesthetic”, but to describe it overall, I would say I lean towards a cozy vibe. Anyways, here’s how I would decorate my dream room.

Big Windows

I know this isn’t exactly “decor”, but I would love to have big windows to let in as much natural light as possible. I love to open my curtains or blinds during the morning and keep them open until after dark. There’s something so nice about having the sun brighten your space. Because I also do most of my artwork in my room, I like to have as much light as I can in order to properly see my piece.

Art Space

Even though I would love my own studio, I usually settle on working in my room. I usually have a little set up for all my artistic needs, however, I would love to have a big enough room to be able to have an art corner by a window. That way I can have my art desk, easel, and any other art supplies I need.

Plants

I, of course, need to have all my plants. They would mainly be different types of succulents with a few low light plants in the mix. There would be a plant stand or two around the window along with hanging pots. I can’t promise I can keep them all alive, but I will try my best.

Posters

I’m not a particular fan of bare walls, so I like to cover them with posters. Actually, there are only a few posters, most of them are bits of artwork that I like taped to the wall. Some of it is my own work, others are postcards, playbills, art from magazines, or anything else that I like.

Knick knacks

Recently, I’ve been getting into collecting small things. Some of the things I collect are jars, rocks, buttons, and little ceramic figures. I even make little, cute ceramic bowls in my ceramic class. In order to hold all my little knick knacks, I need to have bookshelves and floating shelves along the wall. This way, I’ll be able to have my little collections on display.

Plushies

 I’ve been collecting stuffed animals since I was little, and this habit surprisingly never stopped, even though I’m eighteen now. In my dream room, my plushies would be lined up on my bed, but also hung up in a stuff animal net. It may have to be two nets because I do have a lot.

I’m a visual artist before anything. In fact, I’m just a little visual student disguising themself as a junior literary student. When it comes to being a visual artist, we have a multitude of ways to make our art. Similar to writers being able to make their art through creating poetry, short stories, or novels, artists are able to create their art through different paints and art supplies, or what we call art mediums. Even though I have tried a multitude of mediums, I have yet to try most of them. However, here are my favorite art mediums so far.

Acrylic

Acrylic is the medium I’ve worked the most in. It is a fast drying paint that is very commonly used. Even if you are not a painter, you probably have used acrylic paint at some point in your life. People most commonly see acrylic paint as the Apple Barrel paint that kids use. I like acrylic due to its cheap cost and fast drying time. The fast-drying cuts down on wait time and helps me get my pieces done more quickly. Overall, it’s a very efficient and convenient paint to use.

Gouache

Gouache is a medium that I have only been using for the past few months. I’ve known about this medium for a long time but have only gotten my hands on it this past Christmas. If I had to describe gouache, I’d say it is a mix of acrylic and watercolor. It’s a bright paint that goes down very opaque, similar to acrylic. However, unlike acrylic, you can water down gouache and use them like watercolor. I usually water down the gouache first and use it as a base, then lay down more opaque layers as I go. My favorite thing about this medium would be how you can rewet the paint. With paints like acrylic, once it dries, you can use the paint again, but with paints like watercolor and gouache, you can apply water to the pigment and keep using it.

Oil

I have a love hate relationship with oil paint. On one hand I love the results of the painting, how you can make it as loose or as refined as you need, and how it takes a long time to dry so you can continue to work however long you need. On the other hand, the paint is impossible to get off of any surface, it can be so expensive, and due to it taking so long to dry, the paint is constantly wet and can get everywhere. This past semester I’m learning to love oil. I’ve done a couple of paintings in oil and I feel vastly more confident in my ability to use it. Something about painting with it is so addicting. However, the slow drying time is not a good asset for art school assignments, so I will have to use it for my own personal use.

Recently, instead of finding new shows to watch, I’ve been rewatching some of my favorite shows. I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, which may have something to do with me graduating soon. Or maybe it’s a fear of starting and committing to something new. Either way, I have once again dived back into my list of comfort shows and came back with three to rewatch.

Rise of the TMNT

Even though I just finished this series a month ago, I am already watching it again. I have loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since I was in the third grade, however, I never got into this series until a friend introduced me to it this year. A brand-new rendition of the classic TMNT, this 2018 reboot has two seasons and a movie. I love everything, from the story to the character designs. Each episode is about eleven minutes long, making it easy for me to watch without losing my attention. If you’re a fan of TMNT or if you like to watch kids’ cartoons, then I highly suggest giving this show a watch.

Our Flag Means Death

I remember watching this show last year during class. Usually, I don’t watch live actions show. I typically stick with some nice cartoons or movies; however, I had heard how good this show was and knew I had to give it a try. Directed and staring Taika Waititi, this show follows Stede Bonnet’s (Rhys Darby) attempt of becoming a pirate and his encounters with the dreadful pirate Black Beard (Taika Waititi). The show has a lovely mix of comedy, love, and angst, as well as incredible LGBT character representation.

Good Omens

Surprisingly, I haven’t rewatched this show since it came out. However, I’ve been meaning to watch it again or give the book a read. Six episodes makes this an easy show to binge watch. The main characters, Aziraphale and Crowley, are an angel and a demon trying to do their job. But when they develop fond feelings for humanity, and each other, they decide to try to prevent the apocalypse from destroying the world they love. This show was very lovely to watch, and the main characters’ dynamic with one another made for an enjoyable ride.