The "show off your Avatar" thread

[crikkett]

.
You know, if Jack and psynapz are going to feature cartoons and closeups of genitalia in their avatars, then I can have a crayon drawing of scissors.

[JackRiddler]

I don't even know what psynapz's avatar depicts.

[Hammer of Los]

...

I really need another eye on mine.

In the forehead.

Yeah.

They got me right between the eyes.

...

[crikkett]

I don't even know what psynapz's avatar depicts.

It's cropped from a photograph of an anomalous vagina, taken as a medical specimen. The image was originally posted on like page 8 of Willow's happy clit thread. I asked for a NSFW label on posts containing graphic depictions of genitals (which was ironic and funny because she was in the middle of complaining about others' lack of consideration towards herself) whereupon psynapz adopted the image as his avatar. I don't know if he's changed it since, because I blocked him after I wrote a message to Jeff about it that went either ignored or unreceived. Sorry, psynapz.

FWIW I changed my avatar back to the pensive surfer after talking to Jack and deciding that I should avert my eyes for a while longer, in support of Willow's art project. I forgot to delete my comment to this thread.

It's not that I don't support the depiction of human organs in caricature to educate people about anatomy. I do. It's great. I'm not singling out Willow's clits, either, because just like cartoons of peckers and chocolate dongs, they're cute, and they have their place, which in my opinion is not in my face all day, and that's not too much to ask.

My triggers - these triggers - aren't so important, as I can cope, most of the time. My problem yesterday was that I was on a strange computer and my coping mechanisms weren't in place.* Thanks Jack, for your ear last night.



---------
*ask me how to block ugly avatars

[JackRiddler]

Maybe I've been in denial about psynapz's avatar.

Willow, what do you think?

As I wrote to crikkett last night, the addition of the clitoris cartoon to my avatar

was a gift from psynapz as a way of honoring Project Willow's "discovery" and campaign, which I promptly accepted and it seems to have pleased her. She wants to get the image out as an educational project, and I'm in solidarity. Plus, it's a schematic of an organ, not a literal thing, and furthermore a schematic that 90 percent or more of people don't recognize, which is the point. The spirit is of promoting until-now hidden knowledge. It never occurred to me to think of it as a brag... [b]ut if that was the case, it would have to be seen as very ridiculous and embarrassing for me.

I don't want to be upsetting people and will go with consensus on this.

[Perelandra]

I think the clitoris on your shoulder (nearly to scale!) is awesome and happy. I do wish the star didn't distract from it a bit. JMO.

[Simulist]

Maybe I've been in denial about psynapz's avatar.

Willow, what do you think?

As I wrote to crikkett last night, the addition of the clitoris cartoon to my avatar

was a gift from psynapz as a way of honoring Project Willow's "discovery" and campaign, which I promptly accepted and it seems to have pleased her. She wants to get the image out as an educational project, and I'm in solidarity. Plus, it's a schematic of an organ, not a literal thing, and furthermore a schematic that 90 percent or more of people don't recognize, which is the point. The spirit is of promoting until-now hidden knowledge. It never occurred to me to think of it as a brag... [b]ut if that was the case, it would have to be seen as very ridiculous and embarrassing for me.

I don't want to be upsetting people and will go with consensus on this.

I just thought it was one of those pink flower decals from the Sixties, come to life.

(Seriously. )

[Project Willow]

This conversation is an inevitable and expected product of my project and while this is the most public so far, it is not the fist.

In response Crikkett, I want to start with how I define a trigger, so you know where I'm coming from. For me a trigger is an image or word or phrase that is commonly used in mind control programming, or is a part of cult symbolism or lab paraphernalia commonly present in environments within which captive adults and children are raped and tortured. It is something that either intentionally or unintentionally sends people into a state of trauma. It also can refer to the effect of the description or depiction of violence or trauma.

My drawing of the internal clitoris is wholly new, does not depict familiar external genitalia, so it simply can't function as a trigger in those terms. It can only function as a trigger if a person has willingly transferred onto it meaning from another source or association. It is not inherently part of the paraphernalia of abuse, nor is it an emblem of violence, it can't be.

However, if the very mention of sexual anatomy causes you discomfort, I am truly sorry. While it is not my intention to cause anyone harm, I do expect that challenges to social norms will cause discomfort. I feel it is part of my job as an artist to challenge certain social norms, especially if I feel those norms contribute to a system that fosters abuse.

Contrary to current social norms, I don't believe that there is anything inherently offensive about either the human body or consensual adult sexual activity. I think that through religion and other cultural practices, people are trained to feel shame around these aspects of life, and encouraged to project any unresolved feelings from abusive incidents onto benign sexual activity. This is one way that sexual abuse both flourishes in and supports our sexually repressive culture. That's why I believe that challenging the sexually repressive aspects of our culture is absolutely essential to any program attempting to establish women's equality and to end child sexual abuse and rape.

And that's why, Crikkett, as much as I am sorry the image causes you discomfort, I can't agree with censoring it, as I believe in the long run that kind of censorship helps maintain a system that fosters abuse.

.........

As for Psynapz's avatar, that argument is between you two. I will say however, and I hope he doesn't mind, that his somewhat long absence from the board of late prompted more than one private inquiry just recently. Please, send him positive energy and good thoughts.

[crikkett]

Well then we agree that it's my triggers that are unimportant, next to your art, Willow.

That is what I told Jack and it's what I said above. And as I told Jack, and wrote above, I have developed coping mechanisms to deal with the unresolved feelings, the unbidden flashbacks, and the images that trigger them.

Keep flinging it everywhere, girlfriend. Something will stick. I wish you success in your endeavors.

I hope that nothing's wrong with psynapz and that he's okay.

[Project Willow]

Well then we agree that it's my triggers that are unimportant, next to your art, Willow.

Not at all. If I thought your triggers weren't important, I wouldn't have responded. As I tried to explain, I usually think of a trigger as an image or symbol that was present in the environment during the original abuse. I thought you were using the word trigger as a catch-all to include what I thought was your uncomfortable reaction to a concept that is breaking a social norm. I mean again, it can't be the image, it must the concept behind the image.

If my project has the effect of sending abuse survivors into bad memories, well, that's the opposite of what I want, so would you mind please explaining how it works that the drawing can send you into flashbacks?

I apologize for not immediately understanding, I sincerely wish to do so. Here, look, I've changed my avatar back so we can have this conversation. I would swear some of the drawings I've used as avatars would be far more triggering, but what do I know.

Thanks.

[crikkett]

Willow, I answered you in PM.

This part I'd like to post here

The solution is that I just can't read Rigorous Intuition outside of my own desk. I've told Jack several times to keep his avatar. I'm okay. It's blocked.

Now about your art, itself: you're not trying to pull a "Georgia O'keefe" with your artwork and be tastefully suggestive. You are leaving nothing to chance. That's good. And I imagine that you intentionally made your design disarming, cute, and positive, which is how I see it when it's in a different context. I think that our society needs it and I hope it gets so wildly popular that I see it on lapel pins and shower curtains. You're doing the world a service and I thank you.

[Project Willow]

Now about your art, itself: you're not trying to pull a "Georgia O'keefe" with your artwork and be tastefully suggestive. You are leaving nothing to chance. That's good. And I imagine that you intentionally made your design disarming, cute, and positive, which is how I see it when it's in a different context. I think that our society needs it and I hope it gets so wildly popular that I see it on lapel pins and shower curtains. You're doing the world a service and I thank you.

I am very glad to hear that, and sorry again that you've run into some trigger issues. They are never easy to deal with.

Unless I hear otherwise I will take this as an ok to change my avatar since the show opens in two weeks.

[crikkett]

Willow, thanks. Please do.

[Simulist]

I have to say something about this for three very different reasons:

(A) I adore both of you, Crikkett and Willow.

(B) The second reason I have to say something about this is, simply, that I have a big mouth (and therefore rate a 15 on extroversion on Meyers-Briggs).

That being said (it HAD to be!), the third reason I have to say something about this is:

(C) This was actually inspirational: two people with very different points of view, working through a potential (and very personal) conflict between them.

Thank you for this, Willow and Crikkett. Really.

[elfismiles]

Don't wanna keep the zombie avatar for very long so am switching.

[social studies] The Zombie fascination in century 20.1
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30465





... In favor of the 2012 Olympic Monas Hieroglyphica:






Correlation does not imply causation
http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/view ... =8&t=32309