https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7 A few bits and pieces of where I fit in. en-us 2022-07-02 23:15:25 UTC 2022-07-04 23:26:33 UTC hello@padlet.com msmit825 https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235680172 I have never experienced sexual attraction and thus identify with the culture of being on the asexual spectrum. As it is a spectrum, there are many different ways of being asexual and experiencing asexuality rather than it just being a matter of not experiencing sexual attraction or experiencing sexual attraction. Some individuals experience sexual attraction only some of the time. Others may experience sexual attraction, but only after they have come to know someone very well. As of now, I have never experienced any kind of sexual (or romantic, but that's a different discussion) attraction. Part of asexual culture is seeing the world through a different lens than allosexual people, and often seeing how pervasive the idea of sexual interaction is, at least in the parts of America I have been in. Another part of asexual culture is being the 'invisible sexuality.' Since aces are identified by a lack of sexual attraction, this can be difficult to pinpoint, especially in America, where many people with differing sexualities keep their mouth shut anyway, and many people do not believe that a lack of sexual attraction exists.]]> 2022-07-02 23:37:04 UTC https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235680172 msmit825 https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235707293 I learned to love writing at a young age outside of school, and still love to write my own pieces and ideas down. While a mostly independent activity, it still has its own community and culture and affects how I see the world and how others see me. A lot of how I interact with others as a writer is via the sharing of ideas or reading over one another's work, and often complimenting one another, since it can be hard to find the confidence to put something as personal as words out in the open, and usually that alone is worthy of praise and respect. It's a lot of fun to sit down and put ideas to paper and to think of ways to translate my own past feelings and experiences into a character, or sometimes I'll be walking down the road and think about how I would describe the specific way the grass is swaying or the odd scent of petrol mixed with soft drinks at a gas station.]]> 2022-07-03 02:27:47 UTC https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235707293 msmit825 https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235708346 I love video games. I love the ability to experience other worlds or lives that are so very different from our own. I love feeling like I can accomplish something even on days when it's hard. Sometimes thinking about breaking tasks down the same way sidequests are broken down makes them easier to tackle, and other times it's the simple thought of some of my favorite characters in games and the hardship they've endured (and I, as the player, endured alongside them to some extent). 

As personal as my experience with video games can be, I have also found a majority of my friends over common games we all love. While I can be fairly secluded, I do know that games affect the way I look at things, and have inspired a dream to work in the industry in some way. I like to think about the ways that mechanics interact with story, specifically (probably because I love writing as well, one of many areas where cultures intersect in my life).]]> 2022-07-03 02:34:04 UTC https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235708346 msmit825 https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235708677 Vocaloid is a software that allows users to put in a voicebank and make it sing songs. Real people made the samples for the voicebank, but the way it's arranged and tuned depends on the producer using the software. The same voicebank is able to sound very different depending on who is using it. For marketability and ease of referring to what voicebank you're talking about, many voicebanks have a character design and name attached to them separate from their voice provider. The best-known of these is inarguably Hatsune Miku, as she has become a well-known icon of this culture even outside of it.

Many Vocaloid songs are produced in Japan (although English producers do exist), and discuss a variety of subjects. As someone who was raised in the West, I have always loved the sound of the songs as well as the different meanings, and the cute characters have also attracted me to it. Due to having to watch most of the songs subtitled, I have learned some of the sound of Japanese, even if it is spoken in a robotic manner, and it has partially inspired me to try to learn the language.

These songs and creators have given me courage and shown me some of my own issues and how we can shine a different light on them. Hearing these songs sung in English has also helped me to love singing along and sharing my voice with my family. ]]> 2022-07-03 02:36:16 UTC https://padlet.com/msmit825/z9n9w8rjuavy0pj7/wish/2235708677