Random Dionysian Fandom Chick

Links for various and sundry peoples:

For my bookish friends: Library Thing (I haven't tried it, but it looked cool.)

For my Firefly and Endless people: icons I found through a friend of a friend.

Journals:

As some of you may or may not be aware, I have four journals (besides this one) and one comm on LJ:
klm_art (graphic and digital art), koren_m (my fic), thingsofstring (needle crafts - knitting, cross-stitch and crochet mostly), _f_a_n_tasies (reviews)

and

through_a_glass which is a writing community

I'm trying to decide what to do with them. I know I want to keep my art journal and my fic journals. It's the easiest way to organize that information, even if it adds another step to posting updates since I need to mention/link from here. I also have to decide whether to post to communities directly from the journals that apply (post fic from the fic journal handle, art from the art journal handle, etc.) or fake cut from this journal. I know several of you have multiple journals - I'd love any kind of feedback or advice on that one.

I'm 85% sure I'm keeping my craft journal, because it's a different mental place than regular journaling. Unless everyone here wants to hear all about my trials and joys with string. Of the not-kinky variety. That's something else. ::eg::

I'm mostly on the fence about _f_a_n_tasies. It's supposed to be a fandom journal, with more formal reviews of books, movies, show eps, and cds. And I've used it, and would like to start doing that again. As a regular habit, even. I guess part of the question becomes is fandom the same kind of box that art, writing, and crafting are in my life. It probably is. So I should probably keep it. And again, link back here.

But speaking of boxes... if I'm boxing everything else (cause it's not like they don't all mush together anyhow, yeesh) would it make sense to have a separate place for religious/spiritual ramblings? In that in particular I'm thinking about wanting/needing a f-locked journal. Which is a *very* valid reason for separating it out. Also, how many of you are interested in reading that here? I mean that as a genuine question.

Finally, regarding through_a_glass - the description of the comm is as follows:

This a community for developing writing skills, finding feedback, and trying to lure others into taking those plot bunnies that won't seem to leave you alone, but that you can't seem to write about. ::veg::

Seriously though, I know there are other writing communities out there, and I don't think that there's a specific something to make this one stand out, except that it's, well, *us*. And I don't mean that in a "we're better than everyone" sort of way, but rather in a "we all know each other" sort of way. I want this to be a place to bounce ideas around, to issue various fandom (and non-fandom) challenges, to post finished and in-progress works, and get feedback on them, and to discuss the actual *process* of writing various kinds of fiction.

It's not done a thing in several years. So, if anyone is interested in forming a writing community or being part of said group, lemme know and I'll think on opening it up. It was started for myself and several off-line friends of mine, but again, I'm willing to expand on that. Would very much *like* to expand on that, actually.

Icon Updates:

Am about to go upload the rest of the icons I've made the last several years to klm_art. Several will be up for grabs, it's a mixed bag of subjects, and I'd love feedback. Post is here. (Updated)

note: zomg am starting to hate the rich text editor and am glad I can (sort of) read html code... the lj user tagging blew up and first had the entire second half of the post as *one* lj user tag and once I fixed that tried to put the little "people" images on *both* sides of the handle, rather than the front end.  WTF?

Leading up to last night I commented several times to several different people about my hopes for the movie both in terms of fandom and personally for me, myself.

Dionysus is one of my patron gods, you see. Theatre was created for his worship. So, it's no surprise that I see shows/movies as somewhat religious experiences. Not all, of course, but many. And anything by Joss Whedon by it's very nature has to be put in a category above and beyond brain-candy. Plus, I'm a fan of Firefly. And this is a huge accomplishment for genre fandom as well - "failed" genre show getting enough press/support to be made into a major motion picture? With nationwide release by a major studio? Yeah. Big Damn Deal.

I've only seen the movie once thus far, so many things aren't yet where I can talk about them - this is just my knee jerk (ok, after I've slept knee-jerk) reaction.

Joss Whedon has always been damn good. In this movie, he's gone beyond that. It was an ecstatic movie in that it is capable of wrapping you up and letting you forget the reality around you (even if they're people you know around you). It was also cathartic all across the map.

I. Have. Never. Cried. So. Damn. Hard. At. A. Movie. In. My. Life.

I laughed at the same time, and felt awful about it, but Joss doesn't give you a choice in the matter. You're going to feel and experience exactly what he wants you to feel and experience whether you want to or not. Period.

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I don't think that this movie could have been done/doable if there hadn't already been a cast familiar with the characters and dedicated to them. The movie couldn't exist w/o the show behind it, and it is my dearest hope that more and more people will rediscover the show now.

I'm sure I'll have more when I'm not a wrung-out, exhausted mess of a maenad/fangirl.

Notes:

The point of theatre in Dionysian worship is ecstasy and catharsis.

From dictionary.com:

Ecstasy:
1. The state of being beside one's self or rapt out of one's self; a state in which the mind is elevated above the reach of ordinary impressions, as when under the influence of overpowering emotion; an extraordinary elevation of the spirit, as when the soul, unconscious of sensible objects, is supposed to contemplate heavenly mysteries.
2. Excessive and overmastering joy or enthusiasm; rapture; enthusiastic delight.
3. Violent distraction of mind; violent emotion; excessive grief of anxiety; insanity; madness. [Obs.]
4. (Med.) A state which consists in total suspension of sensibility, of voluntary motion, and largely of mental power. The body is erect and inflexible; the pulsation and breathing are not affected. --Mayne.

Catharsis:
1. A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.
2. A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit.
Psychology.
3. A technique used to relieve tension and anxiety by bringing repressed feelings and fears to consciousness.
The therapeutic result of this process; abreaction.

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