Night Sky

Twilight Sparkles at Twilight, pen and ink on paper, 8x10" March - April, 2025 This is my second piece of hand drawn FIM fan art. I make no claims of being such a great artist, my one single hope for these pieces is that they will somehow communicate my sincerity. I slaved over this with tiny brushes like a jeweler or a watch maker for several hours to get it colored as best as I could, be that what it may. I don't like to draw or paint or sit at GIMP GNU without music playing, and if a piece of art is important to me, it will typically have one track, usually non-vocal, that...animates it. Here is that song, listening to it while looking at the drawing can yield insights into my motivations and how I see the Ponies of Equestria; https://youtu.be/mId0g2Td43M?si=OhbW7L9Ezc0BBZHj Would you sit out in a field with Princess Twilight Sparkle at dusk? As the dusk wans and night time gently descends, there is far less terror of what the darkness might bring. Ponies know that the benevolent magic of Princess Luna is watching from above. Can you smell the sweetness of the grass? Can you hear the frogs chirping in the distance? Don't the last rays of the sun create a nocturnal rainbow in an unusual frequency of light? Can you notice the play of texture and foam, as the marshmallows melt into her hot chocolate? What is the source of light coming from within the lantern? What secrets of magic does the tome reveal? What about the artifact? Surely she would not let you get so close to something like that, unless there were a good reason. Equestria is a land of magic, and that magic has a great deal to do with how close Ponies are to the natural world. By being so naturally and yet so joyously alive, the transcendent dimensions of life are more easily perceived and made manifest in Equestria. This has never ceased to fascinate me, and illustrating that is always a high priority when I make my own fan art.

While still far from perfect I have updated this offering with a slightly improved photo of the drawing.

I feel that my posts DO matter a great deal. At least here on this site, but don't take my word for it. I get replies. Both the group of people I am close to, and total strangers frequently at least react to my posts and I try to reciprocate when I can. But don't take my word for it, look at my little green numbers, I have almost as many reactions as I have posts, I'd say that's pretty good. Now, it seems all my comments on somewhere like YouTube are just TL:DR anymore, no surprise, right? I'm older. I must say though, I don't feel the same way about my threads. I recently started a thread with a poll attached to it. When I look at how many people viewed the thread, but how few people voted or commented, it's kind of depressing. I put a lot of effort into that thread and it seems that many people saw it, but very few people engaged at all. That's never a GOOD feeling. But even then, that doesn't necessarily mean the thread doesn't matter. It is preserved here on this site. I don't expect standing ovations as I add my commentary to the FIM section as I continue my rewatch. It is enough for me to say my piece about each episode and get that on the record.

The meaning of life is the same for everyone. How we conceive and conceptualize it for ourselves is a matter of preference and personality. There are no actual contradictions, only seeming contradictions. Every single idea of the meaning of life is a manifestation, that is to say, an effect. It is not that every effect has a cause, it is that there is no difference between a cause and an effect, they are merely two ways of looking at the same process. As a process, cause and effect is an attribute, if you must, a law of the material creation. All causes and effects are sustained by That which underlies them. That is the meaning of life. Your mode, your point of view and your desires give rise to causes and effects, and these are the sources of your conception of the meaning of your life. The point is, you have a meaning of life. The meaning of your life could even be to deny that life has a meaning, if such is your inclination. But you are compelled by both the laws governing the material creation and the Transcendent Will to have a meaning and to have your work. That IS the meaning, and everything you might go and do, or desire to do is included in that. The possibilities for manifestation in the world are endless. There's room for everybody. There is literally no end to what you might seek to do. So, what is MY meaning of life, after all wasn't that the question? Again, my meaning is your meaning, is everyone's meaning. My manifestation isn't so grandiose. I make art. I have a couple hobbies. I try to play a positive role. There's some traveling I want to do, and some studies I take very seriously. If I accomplish a decent amount of all that, then this life will not have been wasted, as far as I'm concerned.

I would be okayish at history, philosophy and what used to be called social studies. I'd make a great art teacher. I could get kids interested in science while teaching them very little useful information. I'd be worse than nothing as a math teacher.

Thank you.

Lazy, upper middle class intellectuals. Highly educated, highly neurotic and too close for anyone's well being, then again, maybe not close enough. As you'll hear on certain...lifestyle websites, it's complicated.

I grew up with a petting zoo, and I love animals, so hugging sheep would come most naturally to me.

Ten minutes ago I was trying to separate myself from the computer. I was also watching a video about the possibility of nuclear war in Asia, yay.

Fine until 2am, been up since then.

I'm feeling happy that I completed two pieces of art today, tired since my sleep schedule is messed up, I feel blessed by a gift I've received, abd totally overwhelmed by my professional and financial situations. So, all over the map.

No way. I can barely fall asleep. I can't even fall asleep while my brain is free associating hardly. To sleep, I need it pitch black, the temperature has to be perfect, and beyond the steady currents of air produced by my fan it need to be QUIET. If I'm thinking or fretting or anything else, I ain't sleeping.

Absolutely, but only a few stray verses off handedly, I don't put on performances.

I'm thinking that I majorly need to chill out today.

C, it is the 3rd letter, and 3 is a most auspicious number.

I would certainly still have signed up if I had to do it all over again, in a heartbeat, and I can't imagine doing it with any other username. Nor will I ever be any Pony other than Night Sky. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Pensive, I have a big decision arriving tomorrow, hopefully. If I have to wait till Wednesday or Friday just to get bad news, that's gonna just make the whole week be lame. I really try to not run my life like this, but it is kind of out of my hands this month. I have been keeping busy, reading, making art, staring at screens, talking to people, but the nail biting is getting to me. Hopefully the wait will all be over tomorrow, for better or for worse.