*through Gritted Teeth And Weepy Eyes*

*through gritted teeth and weepy eyes*

It's fine, I'm fine.

I don't need a heart.

Toooootally fine

“Future you would be so proud on how far you’ve come.” …. “We all make mistakes, but that’s what makes you person.”

“You learn and develop over time, don’t be TOO hard on yourself okay??”

I can’t tell you the genuine squeak of pure glee that came out of me as I watched this because they WOULD and I am HERE FOR IT. 🙌🏼🤌🏼✨🧡

Like this was really well done, super impressed OP

I’ll say right away that I’m not an animator, so I don’t really know how to make storyboards yet

BUT I REALLY WANTED TO DO THIS.

I just remembered that other gifs are a thing and I was like “wait one gosh diddly darn second, I CAN give hugs!”

So heres my favorite hugging gif because you is one of the favs. Thank you for the lovely response. It makes me very happy to talk to other creators. I wanna be like you when I grow up 🧡✨🫂

Hey. No. Girl please don’t ever apologize for being the biggest fangirl over your own art. I’ve hemmed and hawed over the past couples days wanting to send a message, but not sure on what exactly to say. So I’ll say it like this: you are so delightfully unapologetically yourself that you genuine make me want to cry *affectionately* and give you a hug. Like have you ever heard the word Meraki? It’s one of my most FAVORITE words ever. It’s a Greek word that best English translation roughly translates to “to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself in your work. To love what you do, is to do it well.” And well honey…you are literally oozing with Meraki, like it just pours out of you and it’s honestly something beautiful. I’m the only one in my family who constitutes as a fangirl and I have received so much slack over the years because of it, especially considering it’s the fact that it’s TMNT and whatever. In fact, I once showed my mom a piece that I was SUPER proud of, like I legitimately thought I had done a good job, and I wanted so much to share it with her because I was so happy with it. I felt like a 5 year old wanting approval “Hey look! I’m growing! I did a cool thing!” And she straight up looked at my piece, saw it was TMNT related and said, “So when are you going to use your skills for something actually useful?” Nevermind my hobbies make me happy. Nevermind that at all. It’s to the point that I have had to make the decision not to talk about ANY of my creative endeavors with pretty much my entire family. I can’t show my art, any of my writing, get excited about character or world building. Nothing. Nada. In essence, despite belonging to an incredibly family who I love dearly, I am basically “Meraki Blocked” around them.

*holds up a hand* Now I don’t share this to garner sympathy or whatever, but to use as an example on why I think you are so incredible. Because you don’t let people get in the way of your Meraki. Like at all. You love, love again and keep on loving no matter what people say. And the best part? Is that you’re a bit older than me and you STILL haven’t lost your Meraki. It’s still bursting from you in the most stunning rainbow of color I have ever seen. Like, I’m so sad to a degree that I only know you digitally because I very much want to just wrap you up in a big ole bear hug, so I can squeeze all my love and appreciation back into you.

Simply put, you INSPIRE me, give me the courage to be myself, and give me hope that maybe one day I could create something so full of love and Meraki just like you. So please, please, PLEASE, don’t ever apologize for loving your character. Please don’t ever try to hide that. It’s beautiful.

You and your soul are beautiful, and I am so honored to be able to exist at the same time as such a delightful individual as yourself ✨🧡🫂

Oh man dude thank you so much??? 🥺💓💓💓 This is such an incredibly sweet thing to say. I draw all my personal art out of love and want very much to encourage others to do the same, so to hear that at least one person feels that way from it is like mind-blowingly awesome. Meraki is such a lovely word!

Also, as a fellow only “nerd” in my immediate family, I so get you. It’s tough when you want to share with loved ones but don’t feel like the things you do are appreciated or understood. It’s part of why I love being able to come here and share my August stuff with like-minded goobers. I realize it was just an example story but I’m sorry your fam doesn’t support your just-for-fun joys more. I hope you can build a network of cool people to “play” with your creative interests elsewhere though! I’ve found that with my online buddies and it’s beyond amazing. They encourage me every day and engage with me as I bubble about AUs for hours and I’m delighted when they bubble about their stuff too. I think that’s a large part of why I’m able to share so much of August so eagerly. Every little happy comment in a tag or like or silly gif response to August or Papatello or anything I share is a GIFT that I so appreciate. I’d keep posting even without the engagement but it certainly helps encourage me haha.

Creating is fun on its own, but it’s SUCH a blessing to be able to encourage others in turn. So I extra appreciate hearing how my silly ninja turtle OC has brought you even a little spark of hope or happiness. 🥹💜💜💜 The cool thing about getting older is that your interests don’t always change and you have more experience to pull on when making things for yourself. I hope your creative light keeps on glowing too!! Thank you for bringing extra light to me as well. 💖💖💖

Random Turtle Thunks: Fall Guy

If anybody is struggling to write a Leo and Raph dynamic, then y'all should watch Fall Guy.

Colt and Dan’s relationship just I so inherently ROTTMNT brother coded to me.

Also, trying hard not to imagine Future Leo as Colt Seavers…

Its not working cuz it FiTs ToO gOoD!

Philia

Love isn’t always some big grandiose moment or occasion

Sometimes…

Sometimes love is just your best friend buying you cake with whip cream because she knows you don’t care for frosting and then “sneaking” the package into your room because she’s a devious little gremlin like that.

Sometimes love is the feeling of cake tasting sweeter because it was given by someone who cares 🧡🍰

I see you, you little buttnugget @anobodyinabog