In today’s hyper-visual world, a brand’s design is more important than ever. It’s the first impression you make, the silent salesperson that tells your story and connects with your audience. But a weak design can do more harm than good, confusing customers and undermining your brand identity.
At PixsMagic, we’re passionate about helping businesses create strong, impactful brands. Here, we’ll unveil five common design mistakes that could be killing your brand, along with solutions to get you back on track:
Mistake #1: Lack of Cohesiveness
Imagine walking into a restaurant with mismatched furniture, clashing colors, and a menu written in five different fonts. Confusing, right? That’s the effect an inconsistent design has on your brand. Brands need a cohesive visual language, a set of design elements that work together seamlessly across all platforms, from your website and social media to packaging and marketing materials.
The PixsMagic Fix: We develop comprehensive brand style guides that define your brand’s colors, fonts, logos, imagery, and even voice. This ensures consistency across all touchpoints, creating a clear and recognizable brand identity.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Your Target Audience
Great design is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about connecting with your ideal customer. If your design is trendy but fails to resonate with your target audience, it’s missing the mark. Consider the age, interests, and values of your ideal customer. What kind of visuals will resonate with them?
The PixsMagic Fix: Through market research and audience analysis, we gain a deep understanding of your target demographic. We translate this knowledge into designs that speak directly to their needs and preferences, fostering trust and brand loyalty.
Mistake #3: The “DIY Disaster”
In today’s digital age, it’s tempting to rely on free design tools and templates. However, these often lack the professional polish and strategic thinking needed to create a truly impactful brand. Amateurish design can cheapen your brand image and deter potential customers.
The PixsMagic Fix: Our team of experienced graphic designers is skilled in crafting unique, high-quality visuals that elevate your brand. We go beyond the generic, developing visuals that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also strategically aligned with your brand goals.
Mistake #4: Design Trends Over Brand Identity
While keeping an eye on design trends can be inspiring, blindly following them can be a recipe for disaster. Trends are fleeting, and your brand should have lasting power. A design focused solely on trends can quickly become outdated, leaving your brand looking irrelevant.
The PixsMagic Fix: We understand the importance of creating a timeless brand identity that transcends passing fads. We incorporate relevant design elements without sacrificing your brand’s unique personality. Our designs are built to endure, ensuring your brand stays fresh and relevant for years to come.
Mistake #5: Neglecting User Experience (UX)
Design isn’t just about how things look; it’s also about how they function. A website or app with poor user experience (UX) can be frustrating and alienate potential customers. Confusing navigation, slow loading times, and unclear calls to action can all contribute to a negative user experience.
The PixsMagic Fix: We consider UX from the very beginning of the design process. We create clear layouts, intuitive navigation, and user-friendly interactions. Our goal is to make interacting with your brand a smooth and enjoyable experience, fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty.At PixsMagic, we believe strong design is a powerful tool for building successful brands. We don’t just create beautiful visuals; we craft strategic design solutions that connect with your audience and drive results. If you’re ready to revitalize your brand and leave these design mistakes behind, contact PixsMagic today. Let’s work together to create a brand identity that truly shines.

https://voca.ro/1ShbPHVjjoF9 - Voice clip
I've been a nerd since I can remember and never felt like I quite fit in. I played sports, I watched anime, I played computer games, table top games and I still do. I struggled with my mental health growing up and am happy to say I'm in a good place now. I live in a beautiful city and I don't have any toxic people in my life. Turns out when you do that you're not left with many people, including a family which I am at peace with. I struggle to connect with people who haven't had to overcome their own demons, or I have nothing in common with.
I have a good career and I think I'm about to shake it up with the experience I now have under my belt. Moving out of Canada might be in the cards. I have too many hobbies/interests. some I've already alluded to, but others include boxing (doing), mma (watching), singing, building/painting models (Something I've gotten back into lately) and competitive card games (I just got back from tournaments in LA, Ottawa and Vancouver). My PC games of choice lately are League, TFT and Pokemon Showdown if that counts.
What are we supposed to write in these posts? I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface of who I am. I try to stay relatively active with a personal trainer I see 2-3 times a week but my chaotic mind and inner fat kid keep me with what I can only describe as a "healthy" dadbod with muscles. Food is my vice and I love going out to eat or pounding back dairy-free ice cream. l wear glasses, don't have wrinkles and rock a ghostly pale skin tone. I have a minor sun allergy so I tend to avoid it. I embrace the vampire meming people in my life throw at me, many Twilight references have been made at my expense.

(please don’t share i’m also sorry for such a long post)
i love my boyfriend. so much, but his family drive me fucking insane and make me cry so much and i don’t know if it’s pregnancy hormones or what but
me and my boyfriend have been together for a year i’m currently pregnant (unplanned) were young parents who need a lot of support mainly just finically since homes are expensive, i have to worry about college savings, and i won’t be able to work for a while (even while pregnant my dad refuses to help he wouldn’t let me get my license now i have to wait i’m getting closer to getting it though before the baby is here), boyfriend works but doesn’t make enough to provide for us (which is okay he’s had the job for a few years and is trying hard to find something at least a little better i’m proud of him) so not living with them or my father isn’t really an option my mother isn’t really in the picture and doesn’t take care of her home (smokes inside, and a bunch of other issues i won’t get into just not suitable for a little one) the issues living with my dad is a lot so i won’t get into that either
basically the issues with my in laws are

• since i am young and struggle with a ton of physical health issues i was considering abortion when i first found out, obviously no woman wants to have an abortion its devastating i always wanted kids but i wanted to be able to fully support and spoil my baby. she was super against this literally yelling at me at times for even bringing up the idea and guilt tripped me horribly told me she was physically sick at the thought of me having one, sent my boyfriend a photo of a baby in the womb stating it has a heartbeat and “we did an adult thing by having sex so we need to be adults”, etc just very very out of taste and hurtful. i was using protection, i was being cautious it just happened to me. which sucks. but i’m trying to embrace it. she also kept telling me false medical facts to coerce me into having the baby obviously i made the choice to keep my little one and i know it’s bad to say but sometimes i wish i didn’t especially if it was going to end up like this. (my dad also smears in my face how i should’ve gotten an abortion lol) i know i probably sound like a horrible mother i’m ready to take care of her and hold her and admire her i just wish so bad i could’ve predicted how awful the situation would be. i know it could always be worse, some girls don’t even have family support but mine is very forced i guess. i’m happy i get to have her, i don’t know. i’m just conflicted. i refuse to adopt our baby out so please no one comment saying i should i’ve already been through this multiple times. i respect everyone’s political views and social views but please don’t cram the down my throat. i feel guilty for even considering the latter to begin with even though i’m not finished with high school.
  
• his grandma gave us a talk about how she’s disappointed we had pre material sex (i was saving myself for marriage before i met him? i lost my virginity to HIM) but she’s happy we didn’t abort because that’s just “wrong”
  
• they’ve told everyone i’m pregnant without confiding in me first even the babies gender. we got the gender we were hoping for and i was sooo excited but everyone already knew.. i wouldn’t be upset about this really if they had just asked me first :/ and when i got upset about someone finding out who me and bf were going to tell they literally just said “i think everyone should know anyways but that’s my opinion”
  
• his mom made a comment about me not wearing a bra (i had a baggy shirt on that went off the shoulder a little) i understand that this is a social norm but she added in that i would get preyed on for not wearing one as a victim of SA that part was super hurtful.
  
• this one is kinda a minor rant i guess. his family is super large which is a good and bad thing, im glad they’re family is so close but it kinda sucks when i’m trying to spend time with my boyfriend before we have our kid and i’m forced to watch everyone else’s kids (his grandma literally asks this of me basically demands it, i’m pretty pregnant right now i’ve gained 20 pounds it’s not easily for me to carry a bunch of babies) the other day she told me to get down on the ground take the babies shoes off, then pick them up take them to the sink and wash their hands for them i use to be super fit but i have had such a hard time even GETTING UP when sitting down my boyfriend was helping out in the house while she TELLS ME to go outside and play with the kids. i’m so fucking tired i can barely sleep because my baby keeps me up all night kicking and no position is comfortable. anyways then the kids parents complain when i give any type of pda to my boyfriend (hugging, a quick kiss, or even just laying on his arm) if you don’t want me doing these things don’t force me to watch your children?? also notice how these little kids have NEVER hurt themselves when i’m around why because i chase after them whenever they do something remotely dangerous??? (they left the kids with the younger cousin and the baby hit its fucking head) i didn’t ask to babysit? ( keep in mind my boyfriend is not super close to where i currently live i drive a pretty good distance SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING MIGHT I ADD. ) i’d like some alone time with HIM. i’m cherishing every moment with him before our baby is here.
  
• his brother literally told me to shut up today when i asked him to stop yelling at my boyfriend over a dumbass video game controller. & then yelled at me for laying on my boyfriends shoulder 💀 that’s how i even found out the kids parents complain about me BECAUSE THEY NEVER SAY ANYTHING UPFRONT TO ME it’s always behind my back in the most judgmental way, um guys hello? i’m right here if you have an issue with something i’m doing please address it with me and we can talk about it compromise, or i’ll just stop overall i’m not one to fight i really really hate fucking fighting. and that’s why i haven’t spoken up for myself at all this entire time.
  
• this one makes me sound like i’m spoiled probably so don’t take it like that, it’s just kinda a punch in the face i guess i’m very grateful for all that they do for my baby: they haven’t gotten my baby anything yet besides the stuff i politely asked them if i could get (her clothes) since i’m super picky and want her to dress really girly while she’s young i’m super into fashion and clothes so it’s just something i’d like to do. anyways they buy my baby second hand clothes that are gender neutral (when i was sorting them out btw mil stopped me put them in a bag and told me to do it later. i had two piles already made that’s just annoying but whatever whenever we mention about sorting them she acts like we need to keep them all) a swing that’s fucking blue and they got a free car seat that’s blue and goddamn orange •_• (if ur a parent you know ur not supposed to receive second hand car seats) but then here’s the fucking KICKER right? they complain about how much money they’ve given other members of the family but then TAKE THAT EXACT family member on a shopping spree. while the baby they begged me to keep is getting second hand clothes mommy didnt even get to pick out or see LMFAO listen buying second hand shit is fine babies are going to outgrow it fast but this is my first and only child i plan to have id like it to be a tiny bit special for me and her. they also bought bath toys for the other little kids then told me to use them for my daughter (if y’all don’t know bath toys need to be replaced often, they can grow a shit ton of mold if you don’t she’s also going to be you know a FUCKING NEWBORN so she’s super fragile to sickness just not a good idea to share things like that)
  
• i could go on and on and on but the biggest issue i have is: it’s causing a rift between me and my boyfriend. fuck we’ve never argued but i’ve been so angry at him recently i know it’s not his fault and my own father warned me “if i don’t like the persons parents i’m not being with them” i always said not me because my boyfriend is an amazing human being i love him so dearly and i’ve truly never have met someone like him even my dad adores him and asks me when he’s coming over because he misses him. he can’t help who his family is i just hate that sometimes he’s too nice to see how fucked up this all is or doesn’t try hard enough to defend us or me but maybe i’m overreacting i don’t know. i could never leave him but sometimes i get intrusive thoughts about it i’m so desperate to have a normal life i just wish this never happened to us. he’s my first boyfriend and i’m his first girlfriend down to the first kiss and everything. i just don’t want to deal with them anymore i constantly cry and i’m so fucking stressed which isn’t good for our baby. but his comfort and the love we have for each other is just so much. i can’t. i don’t blame him for any of this and i’m so scared of ever losing him. i hate that i’m becoming so bitter because so this.
  

so reddit, feel free to give me advice or your opinions am i being overdramatic? i just need someone anyone to talk to about this. i don’t really have any friends to lean on or family.
tldr: i love my boyfriend but his family is super snarky and rude sometimes i can’t really sum all of this up

Long story short, I was out at dinner tonight with family and out of nowhere, my biological dad gets pissed off, gets in my face and punches me. This isn't the first he's done something like this, he's been abusive, to not only me, but others for basically his entire life. Note: My grandparents adopted me. My grandpa passed away back in February and my dads behavior has gotten progressively worse.
Me, him and my grandma are currently on a trip to Reno, he came to my house to pick me up and when I was finishing packing up yesterday, he invites himself into my house as soon as I open the door and immediately starts grabbing my things off my couch without asking me first. I asked him politely not to do that again and then he tells me "Well, I'm ready to go. You didn't pack fast enough." and I tried to talk to my grandma about it and she defended his actions. I had most of what I need packed the night before and I was finishing up putting my hygiene stuff in my ruck.
We out to dinner tonight and he started on a tangent about people on the Autism Spectrum and he called me a retard a handful of times and I asked him politely to not use that word. This is when he got pissed off, got in my face, yelled at me and punched me. I almost maced him because he became very hostile.
The restaurant staff come over to me and ask if I'd like to call the police and I said no. I didn't want anymore chaos. Also, note, that even on our drive to Reno, he was getting progressively agitated by small and irrelevant things, such as, the way I packed my ruck, the clothes that I brought to wear and how I wear my issued boots everywhere I go, blah, blah, blah.
My grandma defended his actions at the restaurant and told me that I shouldn't have "antagonized" him and he wouldn't have done that. I didn't antagonize him or anyone, I just simply asked him to stop calling me retarded and to stop objectifying women around me. He also objectifies women around me and persistently tries to talk to me about my sex life and such. I've expressed to him that I'm uncomfortable with him doing that and I've asked him to stop far too many times.
Does anybody have any advice on how I can appropriately handle this situation??

So with the new album being out I tought it would be fun to rate each song. I haven’t really done this since YITS was released. Also this are my personal opinions, its ok if you don’t agree with mine. Also feel free to leave your own rating from each sing and what you thought if all of them in the comments!
Solar Power:6.6/10
Yall can come from me idc but I didn’t really like with the song. I admit it sounded way better than I initially thought it would but I honestly don’t vibe with it as much as the other songs from the album, but Solar Power isn’t a bad song don’t get me wrong! Honestly happy that Gunwook was finally able to rap since he expressed interest on rapping for a while now.
Feel The Pop:9.2/10
I honest really liked Feel The Pop a lot, I thoughts it was pretty cute and fun! Each member stood out to me in a good way which I absolutely loved and the line distribution was a bit more fair the Sweat’s line distribution. I am a sucker for bright and cute concepts and for me I personally think zb1 as a group fit brighter concept(I am not saying they don’t fit a mature concept, because they do but I would say a brighter concepts fit them more). They are some questionable lines like the zippy zippy line in Gunwook’s rap but overall its an amazing song. I really want to see an encore for this song on music shows!
Dear Eclipse:8.7/10
Ricky wasn’t lying when he said this song is good, this song literally makes me want to go downtown and drive through Chicago city while I listen to this song. I really like each of the members vocals in it and I can’t wait to see them perform this song live on their tour.
Sweat:9.7/10
Sweat is an amazing song. Literally everything about sweat is amazing, the intro, the chorus, the bridge, literally everything about the song is amazing. I also really liked how each member had their own shining part in the song and plus the dance is amazing. Honestly I also ratee it this high because really want to release this song for us to enjoy. I love sweat and I know this song will be on repeat this summer for me.
Sunday Ride:8.2/10
When I listened to the album sampler I was most excited for this song. While its my second to last favorite song from the album I really enjoyed it.
Hello:10/10
Were do I start with hello…. This song is just wonderful. The vocals and emotions on this song from the members is amazing. While I listened to this song it made me remember their journey from boys planet and zb1 and how much they been through and seeing them get closer and closer as not only members, but family in a way. I know I am saying this a lot but the vocals?! AMAZING! Seeing the members perform this song live and the emotion put into this was honestly emotional, im happy I was able to join their journey since literally the signal song was released and I can’t wait with whats yet to come. I am ready to support all 9 of them, even after they go their own paths. Sorry kinda went off topic but this is how emotional the song got me😭. This song literally makes me want to go to each if the members individual company and beg them to extent their contracts and if they decline then burn them all to the ground which I know I will get arrested and put in life sentence but atleast the members will be able to stay as a group(IM JOKING BY THE WAY DON‘T TAKE THIS SERIOUSL! ARSON IS A HORRIBLE CRIME).
Overall:8.7/10
You Had Me At Hello is truly an amazing album, everything about the album is perfect. I liked how the raps segments weren’t that heavy and were pretty fun. The vocals in this album were amazing like O can’t even explain how much I loved them. This album was really good and if you haven’t listened to it as a full than do it!

I’m a little weirdo and a sweet girl who’s into music festivals and love almost all music but especially love emo and EDM. I can nerd-out about aliens, true crime (deep interest in serial killers), the paranormal, film, fashion, music, Disney, space and animals (especially cats 😽). I’m a night owl and I love going to film festivals, music festivals/raves, concerts, traveling, fine dining and the beach. I am an extroverted introvert and have a little bit of social anxiety 🥺. But if I seem to vibe with someone and they feel trustworthy I warm up quickly. I’m currently employed as a phlebotomist. I have a car as well. I guess I’m decent looking? (pretty hard on myself about my looks 🥺)
I want to get to know someone that lives in California (or seriously willing to relocate to California), in their late 20s/30s/early 40s and have a genuine wholesome connection, no nsa, no couples, no poly- a monogamous relationship only, BE SINGLE, no cheaters, don’t have a wife/gf/partner and/or children, Someone kind, attractive, giving , intelligent (intellectual-types a big plus), makes me laugh/similar humor (Superbad, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Borat, Bruno-that kind of humor) has a job and a car, stable job/career, has their own place or is living with roommates, likes animals especially cats, a night owl, someone who wants to get married in the near future and have a family, similar interests/tastes especially in the arts, decent sense of fashion/style and taste, talkative but also has good back and forth banter and can have long deep convos, expressive emotionally, similar values and societal/political views (towards the liberal side), not afraid to be vulnerable/open with their feelings, cultured/worldly, honest from the start, humble, trustworthy, open to other povs and ideas, emotionally intelligent, understanding of mental health and can handle someone with mental health issues, has some mental health issues of their own so we can relate to each other, makes their partneSO/whoever they are dating their priority, knows what they want, mentally strong, likes taking care of others and compatible in intimacy. I am only interested in someone who wants to jump with both feet in. I want a risk taker and is ready to fall in love- not someone who is super cautious and calculated when looking for their potential partner in life. Life is short. I am looking for someone who longs for that passionate fiery love.
Would love someone that is into EDM, film/TV, the arts, a little bit of gaming, cats or animals in general, film festivals, a reader, loves traveling or wants to travel, enjoys fine dining or just good food and the loves the beach. Emo, goths, ravers, tats/piercings or just has a cool/edgy aesthetic is a huge plus! Feel free to hit me up on chat (not DM) and send a pic (I’ll send one back if I’m interested) so I can put a face to who I am talking to :) (Physical attraction is important in building a connection so If you can’t send a photo showing your face in the beginning please don’t respond to this post)

Hey everyone!
I'm an artist passionate about creating heartfelt and visually captivating stories through comics, and I'm currently on the lookout for a talented writer to collaborate with on a new romance comic project, "Love Cookie”.
**About Me:**
I've been drawing and illustrating for as long as I can remember, and comics have always been my ultimate passion. From superheroes to slice-of-life dramas, I love exploring various genres and storytelling techniques through art.
**Project Overview:**
The project aims to blend elements of romance, fantasy, and introspection to create a compelling narrative that resonates with audiences. It utilizes rich character development, engaging dialogue, and evocative storytelling to immerse viewers in Asami's journey of love and self-discovery. Additionally, the project explores the balance between fate and personal agency, inviting audiences to ponder the nature of love and the choices that shape our lives.
**What I'm Looking For:**
I'm seeking a writer who shares my enthusiasm for storytelling and has a knack for crafting engaging characters and dialogue. Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, as long as you're passionate about romance and comics, I'd love to hear from you!
**Collaboration Details:**
This will be a collaborative effort from start to finish. We'll work closely together to develop the plot, characters, and overall direction of the comic. I'm open to bouncing ideas off each other, brainstorming, and refining the story until we're both satisfied with the end result.
**What You'll Gain:**
While this project is currently unpaid, it offers a fantastic opportunity for both of us to showcase our talents and creativity. We'll be able to build a portfolio piece that demonstrates our skills to potential clients or publishers. Plus, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing our work come to life in the form of a beautifully crafted comic.
**Interested?**
If you're interested in joining me on this exciting journey or have any questions about the project, feel free to shoot me a message or leave a comment below. Please include any relevant writing samples or portfolio links so I can get a sense of your style and storytelling ability.
Let's create something truly special together!

Yesterday, I (35M) was taking the ferry from Twwassen to Schwartz Bay. I had just spent the weekend with my in-laws and I couldn't get any action. My wife (24F) and I shared a room with our kids, so we couldn't have sex for the two days we were visiting. My wife said I could wait, but we normally have sex once or twice a day, depending on how tired she is after nursing. The line for White Spot was huge, and after eating a Beef Dip I had an overwhelming urge to cum inside my wife. I opted for a quickie in the family change room, but she pointed out that no-one would be watching our kids. At this point, I'm half chub and throbbing. The ferry was 15 minutes away from the terminal and it would only take me another 20 minutes to get home. Yet the urge was too strong and I told my wife I was going to take a "piss". In reality, after I pee'd, I tried to drop off a load into the urinal. The bathroom was empty so I thought I could get it done quick. It was embarrasing as I struggled to "shoot the champaign of victory" as I was not able to use porn seeing as that wouldn't exactly be "subtle". I made sure to glance over my shoulder repeatedly. While I was about to finish the job after 5 minutes, a young man walked in to use the urinal beside me and I was hoping he didnt see what I was doing. I think he was a bit suspicious though as he was giving me a side eye. I pretended to shake imaginary piss from my "dick". I think he bought it.
TLDR: I came in the BCFerry. Hey Reddit, am I the asshole or is this free use?

Can you accept my invitation so that I can get a free gift? Download Temu App and search the code below to accept my invitation! 229924749

I have this friend of 9 months, we’ll call him “F.” We go to the same university and we instantly became best friends when we met. We soon exchanged phone numbers so we could text each other. We did text a lot. Not 24/7 or anything, but a fair amount. Despite my usually shy nature, I’m usually the one who starts the conversations. He doesn’t text me as often because he’s a workaholic who focuses on doing his schoolwork a lot.
I confessed to having a crush on him, and he said he liked me too, but he wanted to stay as friends for now. I was fine with that. Then five months later, when Valentine’s Day rolled around, and when I asked him to be my Valentine, he said he only saw me as a good friend and that he wasn’t ready for a relationship. His rejection made me really upset, but I tried to tough it out. Neither of us addressed it since then, and our friendship continued as normal.
We are on summer break now, and we agreed that we would still contact each other over the break (he lives 2 hours away from me). Two days after break began, I texted him if he’s enjoying his break so far. No response. On Saturday, I texted him if he saw the northern lights. No response. On Monday, I texted him if he got his mom anything for Mother’s Day. No response. (I refrained from texting him on Mother’s Day itself because I know he would be spending a lot of time with his mom) At least while we were in school, he had the excuse of being busy with schoolwork. But we’re on vacation now. He shouldn’t be busy. I mean, yeah, he’s probably spending time with his family or doing other stuff now, but it’s been 6 days since vacation started and he still hasn’t texted me back.
I’m starting to think he secretly hates me and doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore. I wonder if I made him uncomfortable after the Valentine thing and he doesn’t want to be around me anymore. Oh, and the day before we left, I asked him if I could kiss him (on the cheek). He was nonchalant about it, like “yeah sure I guess” I’ve already kissed him (again, just on the cheek) four times before. I wonder if that made him uncomfortable as well. I explicitly asked him if he was sure he was okay with it, and that I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, and he was like “no it’s fine”
Tl;dr - I have a complicated relationship with my best friend and just when he has a lot of free time, he decides to ghost me. I wonder if he hates me now

There have been an increasing number of juniors visiting this sub asking for advice about writing essays. Below are some tips and advice for making your essay stand out as excellent. Feel free to ask questions because I will answer every single question in the comments.
I know from experience that many of you are struggling to identify a good topic for your essay. Conventional wisdom says to start by brainstorming a list of potential topics, and chances are, you have already started a mental list of ideas. You might think you only have a few choices for topics, based on your activities or experiences, or essay examples you read, or the rough draft you already started (or worse, that GPT started...). I advise, however, that you put down your list of topics and back away from it. Forget that exists for a moment. Seriously - thinking about this initial list tethers you to certain ideas that might not actually be your best options.
Now you can begin brainstorming with a clean slate.
Start with thinking about what you want to show in your entire application, not just one essay. Every single component in your app has one purpose – to tell more about YOU. Filling out the rest of the application by rote and focusing solely on the essay is short-sighted and will leave so much potential untapped in your application.

It's About You. Tell Your Story - And Be The Protagonist

An admissions officer’s goal is to understand you fully, in the context of your background and the rest of the applicant pool. They will begin this with assessing your academic abilities and potential. Then they will evaluate how you will fit into the student body they’re trying to curate. All of this can be somewhat broad and diverse and touch on several institutional goals. But they will dig deep to find out what each applicant is like, what your core values and motivations are, what kind of student you will be, how you will contribute to the vibrant and intellectual campus community they’re building, etc.
Your goal with essay brainstorming is to ascertain how to powerfully tell your story in a manner that will fit these criteria. The entirety of your application (again, not just one essay) aims to showcase your abilities, qualifications, and uncommon attributes as a person in a positive way. Before you begin outlining or writing your application, you must determine what is unique about you that will stand out to an admissions panel. All students are truly unique. Not one other student has the same combination of life experiences, personality, passions, or goals as you do. Your job in your application is to frame your unique personal attributes in a positive and compelling way. How will you fit on campus? What personal qualities, strengths, core values, talents, or different perspectives do you bring to the table? What stories, deeper motivations/beliefs, or formative experiences can you use to illustrate all of this?
It is always helpful to start with some soul-searching or self-examination. You might not immediately know what you want to share about yourself. It’s not a simple task to decide how to summarize your whole life and being in a powerful and eloquent way on your application. Introspection prior to starting your application takes additional time and effort rather than jumping straight into your first draft. But it is also a valuable method to start writing a winning application that stands out from the stack.
You'll see the advice everywhere that all essay prompts are really about the same thing - you. The goal of each essay then is to showcase who you are, what matters to you, and how you think. I guarantee if you're on this sub enough, you'll hear the advice to "show, don't tell" when writing about yourself. But what does this mean really, and how do you do it well? How do you even get started on an essay that does this?

Introspection Questions

It’s often easiest to start thinking in terms of superlatives, especially those related to personal insights -- what are the most meaningful things about you, and what do you value the most? Here is a list of questions to help you brainstorm broadly before you narrow down your focus for writing:

• What are your interests?
  
• What sparks your curiosity?
  
• About what topics do you enjoy reading?
  
• With whom do you enjoy spending time? Who has impacted your life the most?
  
• Reflect upon “superlatives” in your life. What moments were most memorable, formative, enlightening, enjoyable, or valuable? What physical possessions, experiences, dreams, or lessons could make your superlatives list?
  
• Stop and think about what things, people, or circumstances in your life are really unique, fascinating, or outlandish. Are there any that really have a lot of "cultural flavor" (whatever your culture is)?
  

I have a free introspection worksheet with over 100 questions like this designed to help you find ideas worth exploring in your essays. You can find it on the A2C Discord or download it directly here.

Find Your Story And Arc

Think of a small anecdote or story from your life that you could share that serves as a microcosm of who you are and what is important to you. It will massively help you narrow this down and find a gem of a story if you first start by thinking about your application arc or theme. This is the one-phrase summary of your entire application. It could be "brilliant entrepreneur who started her own successful business" or "talented athlete who wants to study economics and finance as they pertain to sports", or even "avid baker whose hobby sparked an interest in chemistry". It doesn't have to be related to your intended major, but it can help your arc be stronger and clearer if it is.
Once you have an arc determined and a story to share, think about what you want that story to say about you. This is where it can help to think of this as something you would share on a date - what impression does it make about you to the reader? Once you know this, start showing, not telling this attribute of yourself through your story. For example, instead of saying that you're compassionate toward others, you show an example of a time you were compassionate, then elaborate on why, and what it means to you.

Essay Brainstorming Techniques

If you are having trouble finding a story, or simply have writer’s block once you have picked your topic, here are some ideas to get your juices flowing:

• Stream of consciousness writing -- Start writing whatever is in your head, and don’t stop for 30 minutes. You probably won’t use what you just wrote for your essay, but it will help you find a starting point.
  
• Journaling -- Answer the prompt as if you were writing in a journal. This will get you in the habit of writing about yourself and establish comfort with the concept. It will also take you to a new level of introspection and self-awareness.
  
• Twitter X style -- Write several rapid-fire responses to the prompt in 280 characters or less. Choose an idea from these responses to expound upon in your essay.
  
• Read each essay prompt, then go through your introspection worksheet responses and connect the stories and insights to one or more of the prompts. Some students like using color coding to visually see how their different ideas might work together.
  

Why Essays Matter

Here's the thing a lot of people don't realize about college admission: it's not an award for being the smartest, most accomplished, or most impressive. It's an invitation to join a community. Far too many students think that if they can just show that they're smart enough, they'll get in. Yale even says right on their admissions website that 75% of their applicants are academically qualified to succeed at Yale. But only ~4% are getting in. That should tell you that they're looking for more than just top tier test scores and grades. To be perfectly clear, you will need top tier grades and (optionally) test scores to show that you're qualified, and the vast majority of my students come to me with this part already in the bank. But what sets the admits apart? It's personal insight - sharing who you are, how you think, what matters to you, and how you engage community. You can't just say "/IAmVerySmart, please admit me," or even "I did a cool thing guys! Isn't that neat!" You need to go deeper and show them your core values, personal strengths, motivations, aspirations, character traits, foundational beliefs, personality, etc. And you need to do it in a charming, winsome way that makes them like you and want to invite you to join their community.
So how do I get students to do this? All of my students complete that introspection worksheet. We go through it and find the stories, examples, anecdotes, conversations, memories, relationships, and other things from their life that will help us craft a strong and personally insightful narrative. We also make lists of the values, strengths, and key personal qualities we want to showcase. Once we have some topics, outlines, abstracts, or rough drafts, we talk about which stories to tell where, how to tell them well, and what details to include to present the best they have to offer. Then we refine, edit, polish, and enhance over and over until the story sings, but more importantly shows their heart and soul. We also go through all the other application components to ensure consistency, quality, and distinctiveness.
Here's why this works so well: at most highly selective colleges there is a primary reader (or 2-3) who will review everything first and then present it to the admissions committee, who then votes on whether to admit you. That presentation typically goes one of three ways:

1. Total enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. They strongly advocate for admission and paint a clear picture of how you will contribute to their goals and community. Everyone in the room picks up on that energy and is leaning forward in their chairs, looking for reasons to admit you. This is quite rare, generally less than 5 out of every 100 applications, even among those which are "fully qualified." When you do this right, you show depth, meaning, and valuable personal insights so the reviewer is learning about who you are and how you might engage the community they're curating. You come alive off the page as a person, not just another file.
   
2. Business as usual. You're another great applicant in a pile of great applicants. They share a basic review of the facts, your profile, stats, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Maybe someone on the committee finds something they love, and they really push for admission. More likely, not and you get deferred/waitlisted even though there wasn't anything "wrong" with your application. They just didn't love you enough to commit.
   
3. "Here's a stack of 20 applications that I didn't find all that compelling, so we won't present them individually, but you guys are the committee and you make the decisions. So let me know if there are any you want to talk about." In this case, unless there's a letter of endorsement from an athletics coach or your last name matches several buildings on campus, you're probably not getting additional consideration, much less admission. They will regret to inform you.
   

Everything we're doing is designed to help them get to know themselves, present the best they have to offer, and land in that first group. Having top tier essays is the single best way to get there. Get started on brainstorming in the next few weeks so you'll have time to get a few essays completed over the summer.

Hello everyone, this is totally random and delete this if it’s not allowed. My girlfriend brought home a baby yellow eared slider turtle from her work since the family didn’t want it. Im not sure where to go? Does anyone want this turtle? For free!! It comes with a 15 gallon tank, heater, and power filter. Located in Panorama City, CA USA

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Hey guys I'm currently in zoology (22F)and have gone to SIU for a bout a year to almost 2 now. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask for help but I'm not sure where else to ask without getting some type of attitude from someone. I wasn't doing so great in school the past 2 semesters and just recently in January went to work for Walt Disney World at their Disney College Program. Working there has given me a lot of experience but hasn't really done much for me school wise and has actually just distracted me from doing my school work online. I knew I should've taken the semester off but wanted to take classes to make it so that I could graduate. But I realized quickly that I couldn't save myself from the anxiety of piling work every night coming back from work. I also have a fiance (22M) who just graduated with his bachelor's degree and is moving to Utah to work for a company and the salary is very promising. My family and his want me to attain my degree before going off with him. I really do love him and want to be with him and he doesn't want to feel like he's keeping me away from school either. Anyway, I only have 34 credits right now and just want my degree at this point I just want the degree. I was looking into communications which is an online degree and seems to be pretty easy and I also realized I can get a certification to work as a vets assistant I don't need the degree to be specific. My current university is looking pretty promising I don't want to have to Transfer and pay more than what I have to you know? How can I go about this? I know I need 120 credits to graduate and I was looking into CLEP exams to gain a bit more credits on my own for free rather than paying for classes. My family and everyone is just so eager and ready for me to have it and I just want to get it all over with

I don’t post much on reddit so not sure of the ins and outs but just looking for support I guess, and maybe advice. I’m 45 y.o., disfellowshipped since 27, and have not been to any meetings since (baptized at 16 - big mistake!) I’m an only child and my parents have been divorced since I was around 22, when my father disassociated himself. My mother and grandmother are still lifelong JWs who have completely put me out of their lives and not spoken to me all these years, except to ask for a monetary debt to be repaid, which I did once I was able. Then they sent someone to my house to invite me to a Memorial haha.
Tonight I got a call from my mother telling me about some serious health problems her elderly husband and my 99 y.o. grandmother have been having. Without going into details, basically she needs to visit her husband in the nursing home because they haven’t been taking care of him properly or giving him the right dosage of medication. She hopes he’ll be able to come home in a week or two. In the meantime, my grandmother can’t be left home alone, is in diapers and needs help using the restroom. My mother said the elders told her to try to “resolve the issue within the family first.” So she is basically asking me to come over twice a week for a couple hours to care for my grandmother while she visits her husband.
Please make this make sense. The same people who told her to disown me and that god is more important than family are now telling her to ask me for help because they don’t want to be bothered? So I get a guilt trip since she has no other family. If our relationship is to be purely transactional, what do I get out of this? This makes me sound like a horrible, selfish person. Yet how is this fair to ask of me?!
I told her I’m sorry this is happening but that their “policy” doesn’t sit right with me. I told her to tell the congregation I said no and to ask them for help, and that if she couldn’t find anyone, ask me again and we could talk about it. I think this is a really sh*tty position to put me in!

Hi all! I am currently looking for something longterm. I will accept people from anywhere in the world as long as they can make distance work. I'm not huge or too picky on what I want someone to be like, so i'll talk about myself and see what bites!
About me:
I have a great voice and accent, and so i like using it by voice calling my partner. Ideally you would like to call too!
I am 6'2 tall and have an athletic build. My hobbies include gaming. I play on pc mainly. My current go-to games are rainbow six siege, warzone, rocket league, lethal company and star wars battlefront 2. Im also into MMA. I would describe myself as easygoing. I am usually very light hearted and i tend to make others laugh. This doesn't mean i cant be serious though, i often can and am. I am also very big on loyalty and communication. I love trying new food and socialising with friends and family.
If you are someone who is good at communicating often, and wants something real and longterm, feel free to message me to find out more! :) i accept any ages above 18!

Hey guys I'm currently in zoology (22F)and have gone to SIU for a bout a year to almost 2 now. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask for help but I'm not sure where else to ask without getting some type of attitude from someone. I wasn't doing so great in school the past 2 semesters and just recently in January went to work for Walt Disney World at their Disney College Program. Working there has given me a lot of experience but hasn't really done much for me school wise and has actually just distracted me from doing my school work online. I knew I should've taken the semester off but wanted to take classes to make it so that I could graduate. But I realized quickly that I couldn't save myself from the anxiety of piling work every night coming back from work. I also have a fiance (22M) who just graduated with his bachelor's degree and is moving to Utah to work for a company and the salary is very promising. My family and his want me to attain my degree before going off with him. I really do love him and want to be with him and he doesn't want to feel like he's keeping me away from school either. Anyway, I only have 34 credits right now and just want my degree at this point I just want the degree. I was looking into communications which is an online degree and seems to be pretty easy and I also realized I can get a certification to work as a vets assistant I don't need the degree to be specific. Siu is looking pretty promising I don't want to have to Transfer and pay more than what I have to you know? How can I go about this? I know I need 120 credits to graduate and I was looking into CLEP exams to gain a bit more credits on my own for free rather than paying for classes. My family and everyone is just so eager and ready for me to have it and I just want to get it all over with

Is TCM a causal or competitive game? We all know the devs want this game to be party fun like F13 and that game was a fun causal game. This game needs to pick a side, you can’t have it both ways unfortunately. We can make the game more causal this way or competitive this way.
The 3v4: 3 against 4 will always be competitive, you have to keep everything balance enough where killers feel strong enough that they can kill and victims need to feel tough enough where they are survivable. One side has to be the stronger side and the happy medium is so much smaller in a 3v4 than a 3v5. The truth is ideally only 1 or 2 victims should be escaping, every escape should be a semi close call where a few seconds could have changed everything. The 3v4 is inherently competitive, I personally think a 3v5 would work better, there are already 5 free victims, you could easily keep the balance of the game due to one side having numbers over the other, having numbers can justify being the weaker side. The more players the weaker you can make victims without it being a problem. Note on the 3v5 queues would be so much better.
Speed of the game: the pace of this game is insane. Some matches LF gets everyone in basement, other matches Johnny picks off everyone in 5 minutes. On the other hand, no victim should be escaping in 45 seconds. There are tons of videos of both happening. The pace of the game must be slowed, family needs to be strong but victims need to be survivable. The family would need a rework, when the game first starts family would be at max “rage” being able to kill one victim then the rage would go down. Once down family can’t just kill victims but could leave them in a freezer or on a hook, maybe leave them in front of grandpa like in the movies but victims can save them. The more progress the victims make on objectives the more rage the family gets, more rage means they can kill another victim. Progress of the match = more family aggression. Every death resets rage but you still can “knock” a victim like the unconscious state the game already has.
Chat: you can’t talk to the other side, you are in two different chats like a ranked match. Proximity chat like in F13 would loosing things up, having everyone able to talk would create a much need causal feel. Yes there will be bad actors but there already are and Gun can handle them as they already do. It would bring both sides together instead of the us Vs them, you’ll be able to see the other person. It would also give everyone a reason to be on comms. Also a ping and a comm wheel would make things feel so nice.
The gameplay loop: for family the loop is so boring it is like being an ai, you can win if you want to be sweaty. Family shouldn’t have to feel like playing like a machine to win, both sides should be able to play like a human without auto losing. The loop is too competitive. Family should be able to remove fuse or valve and put it back, they should be able to relock doors (Idk up to 2 with each lock being weaker). The game is basically over if an objective is complete.
Rushing: no game should be over in seconds. Any non LF character shouldn’t watch the cutscene. Wells should start covered let victims open them and create a escape. Wells are a free fast travel with no downsides, you can easily reset. This will slow the rush meta and fix the pace. Grandpa having to pick only x bc y and z could one before feels so competitive let family vote or a tier system each grandpa levels gives a bit of the ability while level 5 gives the current perk. Now if we slowed everything than grandpa shouldn’t be max in less than 10 minutes. Ideally games now will take 20-30 minutes.
Just some random family mains view, lmk if you disagree or agree, want to add something. I’m open to discussing. Pls be civil.

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