Route Venus


Creations

I would consider myself quite a creative personality, despite not being exceptionally talented or anything; I suppose I simply love creating something to scratch the itch—out of sheer boredom and, most importantly, if the muse wants.

My personal creations encompass both traditional and digital works. However, only the latter persists. I have largely neglected traditional art due to time constraints and shifting priorities. That being said, my genuine interest in traditional art has not faded at all—I'm always down to visit art galleries of any kind!

Graphic Design

As mentioned above, digital artwork has essentially surpassed traditional work [these days] and is now considered rather mundane. This, of course, applies to me as well. Back in my early web days, I was extraordinarily keen on graphic design and everything it entailed, but over time, my passion shifted into more of a chore. I still work on graphics from time to time, though definitely not as much as I used to. That said, if I dedicate time to graphic design, it will most likely be for Minako's Sailor Moon Page, Route Venus, and occasionally Discord/Twitter.

Oh, I'm also still making plenty of GIFs, even if it's just for personal purposes these days.

Examples

These are some examples of graphics I created in the past. I can’t pinpoint exactly when they were made, but some of them were specifically created for Galaxy Cauldron Forums xx. I use Adobe Photoshop CC for all of my graphics.

Video Editing

I started getting into video editing in late 2018, when it gained popularity on the internet (mostly on Instagram, though). While video edits existed way before that, I believe a fully developed "editing" community—one that focused solely on video editing and all its intricacies—didn't really emerge until the late 2010s, thanks to the increasing popularity of social media.

But what is this new thing?!

Video editing is essentially about creating creative clip transitions while incorporating various (graphical) resources such as renders (PNGs), textures, overlays, etc. In that sense, there's quite a bit of overlap between graphic design and video editing, if I may put it that way.

I've grown incredibly fond of making video edits, especially since it involves music! Whenever I listen to a catchy song, I already envision the edit in my head, which is hella cool, haha! Plus, you can edit literally anything—your favorite character, location, TV show, etc.—so there are no limits when it comes to creativity.

On a personal note, video editing has become my sanctuary—a way to express my emotions and even my flaws. Additionally, it’s an amazing way to calm an anxious mind ♥.

All that rambling aside, I currently post all of my video edits on my Instagram account, which is basically 98% Addison at this point—aka my biggest comfort character. I use Adobe After Effects CC for all my video creations.

My "editing style" is quite inconsistent, as I don't stick to a particular pattern and just edit based on feeling. However, I do love using tons of sparkly and bokeh overlays!! xx.

Finishing an edit usually takes me up to two days unless it's a quick scrap that I typically don't post on Instagram but rather on Twitter (where everything else lives!).

I'm certainly not a professional video editor in any capacity, but if you have any burning questions about After Effects, feel free to hit me up on Discord, Twitter or via email! That said, if you're genuinely interested in getting into video editing, I highly recommend checking out this Introductory Course on After Effects Basics.

Examples

Below you'll find a few examples of edits especially dear to me ♥ (Hover for a glimpse into the emotional spirals these edits sent me on — yes, tears were involved).


Some tidbits (and mildly unhinged thoughts) on edits I wanna make:

Additional (shameless) note: I've probably started a bunch of edits in the past… only to shamelessly draft them and never touch them again — edit and forget it, am I right? It's probably even more than I'm admitting, to be honest. Might dig them back up someday… or will I?. I tend to drop my scraps and one-hour edits over on Twitter — so if you’re into chaos and half-finished ideas, that's your spot.

Writing

As previously mentioned in the About section, my writing [skills] are strictly limited to academic papers—I don't write fanfiction. That said, during my time as a teacher trainee, I had to submit papers almost daily, so strong writing skills were absolutely essential. However, that doesn’t mean I’m an exceptional writer; I'd say I'm above average at best!

Back then, I was pursuing a teaching degree, majoring in German and English. "Why did you do this to yourself?" is a valid question, considering that both subjects involved an overwhelming amount of paper writing, exam corrections, lesson planning, and evaluations. But I always had a deep love for both languages—especially in the context of Medieval linguistics. Additionally, one of my biggest childhood dreams was to become a high school teacher. However, my career interests eventually shifted in a completely different direction, leading me to leave the teaching path behind.

To give you a brief example of a paper I've written, here’s a heartwarming anecdote:

Back in the summer term of 2022, I enrolled in a class called "Witches, Wizards, and World Building" and submitted a paper analyzing the Coming-of-Age leitmotif in Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Even though it wasn’t a crucial part of my degree, I absolutely loved writing it! The movie itself is one of my most treasured childhood favorites, so getting to write an actual paper about it was a dream come true. (Plus, my lecturer happened to be a huge fan of the movie as well… which might explain why I got a 1.0 on it? (4.0 GPA)).

All babbling aside, I also recently started journaling, and it's been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It gives me a tangible way to preserve my lingering thoughts and revisit them whenever I flick through the inked pages. More importantly, it has helped me reflect on my actions and emotions, acting as both a creative outlet and a form of relief.

Reading

I mentioned earlier that fic-writing just isn't for me. However, I love reading fanfiction! Indulging in well-written fics that match my favorite themes is one of my absolute favorite things to do. ♥ (Especially when canon isn’t enough—which, let’s be honest, is always the case).