Tips to Boost Creativity

When it comes to writing, making music, painting, or sketching we all sometimes run into artist's block. Our minds struggle as it searches for inspiration, but usually by this point the cause is lost. However after years of making art I have found that it is easy to over come this by practicing some easy guidelines.

Three things that help

• Come into your artwork focused, well fed, and rested
• Be comfortable in your work place
• Stay in the room!

Focus is key

Art is almost all mental, it's about taking your visions, emotions, and thoughts and turning them into a physical masterpiece. your mind and body should be focused on your art, not trying to tell you that you need sleep, water, or food.

Have a comfortable workplace

Make sure your workplace is a comfortable environment for you to work in. This place should be both physically as well as physiologically welcoming. Try to get it to the right temperature, the right lighting, etc... Many artists prefer to work alone, so if that's the case try to find a time when you can do that. You should feel free to turn on your favorite music which can help invoke rhythm and emotion.

(Stay in the room!)

Stay in the room!

When sitting down to start your work you should try to have as many things that you will need as possible around you. I like to bring all my brushes, paints, colors, pencils, computer, food, water, papers, and other materials with me into my crafts room before even starting. If you tell yourself “I'm not leaving till I come up with an idea” your mind is more likely to scramble for one. If you plan to look outside of the internet, your mind, or your room for inspiration that is fine. All I'm trying to say is that a little motivation is good for your imagination!

There are exceptions

No two artists are the same. We all have different styles, techniques, and systems for out unique art. For instance I'm an artist that thrives off of rebellion, so if I read an article telling me how to capture inspiration I would probably try the opposite. However artists like my friend Dustin thrive off of structure. As your artistic journey continues so will your knowledge for your own preferences. Good luck!

Guest Blog with Us

I am always interested in allowing people the opportunity to write posts for the Teen Survival Blog. It's a great way for you to reach a new audience and we always appreciate the extra content. If you have something interesting to write about and you believe it would fit into our content focus than please submit your article to us!

Guest post submissions can be sent either to Batnbug@gmail.com or Domayneblogs@gmail.com

I will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible, please include your information and a link to your site so I can include it in your post
Thanks!
-Teen Survival Blog

Teens Hike the Long Trail!

Our group descending the Green Mountains as we push
 towards Canada

From Massachusetts to the Canadian border the Long trail spans 272 miles of marked and maintained hikeable wilderness. Created by the Green Mountain Club between 1910 to 1930, the Long Trail was the first long distance hiking trail in the United States. The trail follows the Green Mountains of Vermont and passes over the states highest peaks. The Long Trail in fact inspired the creation of the Appalachian trail, the worlds longest hiking trail which spans an impressive 2,180 miles, the two trails even merge for a hundred miles in Vermont. The Long Trail is still in the care of the Green Mountain Club and home to hundreds of hikers every year.

After a challenging morning of climbing
 we near the top of Camels Hump (elevation 4,083 feet) 

We made the Long Trail our home for 36 days with two resupply drops, one every 12 days. Our group 

was made up of eight campers ages 15-17 and two guides. The trip was organized by Farm and Wilderness a collected group of Quaker based summer camps in Vermont. Many of us had a little hiking experience but I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say we were thrown outside of our comfort zones and all learned skills and life lessons we will never forget. Hiking the Long trail is a beautiful and truly breathtaking experience and I would suggest looking into making the trek if hiking if something you enjoy. It’s a long hike but it’s a great hike to start with if you’re interested in long hiking adventures. 

 An impressively crafted stairway built into the side of the
 mountain

Enjoying a Vermont sunset before heading to to bed

Our group reluctantly stops for a group picture as we
 try and stay warm

Thought provoking trail note found in one of the
 trails many shelters

I’m a young adult blessed with very unique life experiences,

and the passion to write about them. I grew up on a 

Volkswagen microbus and sailboat traveling North America,

and spent from age 11-16 living in an Intentional community

called Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. I enjoy working on my 

blogs and various passion projects and hope the creativity 

doesn’t fade. Thank you for taking the time out to read my

article I hope you enjoyed!

5 Easy Tips for Getting Along With Your Roommates

Part of being a young adult involves getting support from your fellow peers. As much as we might like to live by ourselves, that is not always possible. receiving help is a perfectly acceptable option when looking for housing, but its not always as easy as just finding a roommate. We all know we can't get along with everyone all the time, and that is especially true when you live with the person. I've personally had my fair share of roommates and have found that following some simple guidelines can go a long way for having a strong healthy relationship with your roommates.

 1. Pick the Right Roommate 

Not everyone is going to be a right pick. If you are someone who values quiet and your roommate uses your place for his band to practice at it may not be the best fit for you. When you meet your roommate discuss possible scenarios before and really get a feel if being roommates is a good idea.




2. COMMUNICATE!
I've had my fair share of roommates, and almost always the problems that arise are due to a lack of communication. It's important to have conversations with the people you live with where you can discuss upcoming events that may effect the both of you, catch up on what's been going on for you recently, maybe you need to let them know you won't have rent till the week after its due... Whatever it is, if it effects the both of you you should let your house mates be aware of it.

3. Set Boundaries
It's important to make your roommates aware of things that cross a line for you. Even if something as obvious to you as "I don't want anyone going into my room unannounced" is important to you you should let your roommate be aware of that. When your roommate does something that you don't appreciate just communicate that whatever they did upset you and you'd like if they didn't do it again.
Examples include: Personal food, belongings you don't want others using, personal space or quiet time, etc....




4. Respect Your Roommates Boundaries
When living with someone its too easy to slip up and accidentally make someone feel disrespected, but we can try our bests to not step on anyone's toes. If you roommate has told you they appreciate it when you wash the dishes you use, try and find some time in your day to wash the dishes or clean up any messes you made in the common space. Good Rules include: Knocking before entering a room, cleaning up messes you made in any communal space, letting your roommate know if your having new people over, if you feel like something you do may make your roommate uncomfortable its always good to just ask them.

5. Be a Good Roommate
This is honestly easier said than done, I know for me personally I don't usually clean up after myself till the mess is unbearable  to me, but of course not everyone shares my view on this. Find some time every day to help around the house, take out the trash if its full, unload the dish washer, change the roll of toilet paper when you finish it, etc...


having Roommates is a great way to save money and build strong friendships, but like everyone else worth while it takes work. I guarantee if you follow these tips you and your roommates will be much happier.

Play Pokemon On Your Phone

If you're like me than you have searched the app stores high and low looking for a Pokemon game but had no luck. Well thanks to an old roommate of mine I have found an awesome way around this and now can play Pokemon as well as any other Game Boy game on my phone. Here is the trick, enjoy! If you are using an Iphone CLICK HERE

Find a Game Boy emulator

On the app store search for 'Game Boy Emulator'. Personally I use "My Boy! Free" a GBA (Game Boy Advanced) Emulator. There are several different emulators for different era Gameboys so choose whatever you prefer.

Download your game of choice

Once you have your emulator downloaded you are halfway to playing Pokemon! The next step is to choose you prefered game file or ROM. You can find Game Boy Color & Game Boy Advance ROMS at LOVEROMS.COM. Download whatever game you want to play on your phone.

Run and play!

Now that you have your emulator and your ROM, open your chosen emulator. There it will ask you which file you want to load, choose the file you just downloaded and it will open right into the game! 

The possibilities are ENDLESS

Remember this is not just for Pokemon you can get a ROM for basically any Game Boy game ever created, as well as games on Nintendo and other early gaming platforms! Enjoy.

Please note that the process for this is different for IOS users and you should click here if you are using an iPhone. Thanks for reading!

Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

Be sure to like our Facebook page

Bernie Sanders: Stance on Gun Control, Veteran Care, and Combating Climate Change

Bernie Sanders has launched himself into the 2016 election with a power driven by a wide ranging demographic, and 26.2 million in donations and merch sales. Sen. Bernie Sanders stands on a libertarian socialist platform in the democratic race of 2016. Here are his stances on some key issues.

Gun Control

"In 1988, I lost an election because I said we should not have assault weapons on the streets of America. I don't know that there's any disagreement here."

- Bernie Sanders

Abolishing the gun show loophole

There are two different gun salesmen, those with a license and those without one. Anyone claiming to have a business, a store, having business cards, running a website pertaining to selling guns must obtain a license to sell. That license requires you to perform a background check on all buyers. However you do not need a license to sell a gun, you can sell a gun to a neighbor, friend, family member, any really almost anyone else assuming they are not a minor. There is no number of how many guns you can sell before you are required to be licensed at the moment allowing people to sell guns at gun shows without conducting a background check on the buyer.

Understanding the gun show loop hole

Instant background checks

Bernie has voted in favor of expanded background checks for all commercial sales with an exemption for sales between family, friends, and neighbors. Bernie has also voted in favor of a national instant background check system. 

Banning of assault weapons 

Bernie Sanders states that gun usage is typically different between rural areas and urban areas. The Vermont Senator has on many occasions stated that there is a widespread support of those wanting to ban assault weapons and supports actions to ban them.

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Veteran Care

“If you can't afford to take care of your veterans, then don't go to war.” 

-Bernie Sanders

Increased aid for veterans and their families

Bernie Sanders has expressed his support of military and their families for a long time, and is a strong advocate of shifting money spent on war to be spent on giving military service members and their families better health care, better benefits, and a one-hundred percent tuition free college education for troops and their family members.

New laws for improved health care

The law Bernie Sanders has written would provide $5 billion to build 27 new medical facilities, hiring new doctors and nurses, as well as strengthening the VA's educational and trauma programs, and offering all veterans free dental care at VA centers.

Restore all cuts to military pensions

In a budget deal in 2013 congress cut the U.S. military pension by one percent. Bernie Sanders wants to repeal this and reconcile veterans who were affected.

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Combating Climate Change 

"The United States must lead the world in reversing climate change. We can do that." 

-Bernie Sanders

Invest in Sustainable Energy

Bernie supports the spending of billions of dollars in sustainable energy, believing solar energy to be America's biggest hope for renewable energy.

 "For every dollar invested in energy efficiency, families and businesses can enjoy up to $4 in energy savings, and for every billion dollars invested in energy efficiency upgrades we can create up to 7,000-8,000 new jobs, roughly ten times as many jobs as we would create from the same investments in coal" - (Berniesanders.com). 

Revolutionize Electric & Transportation Infrastructure

From intercity and interstate railways to the electric car Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to see a change in the carbon footprint our vehicles are producing, nearly 26 percent of America's Carbon Footprint. Bernie Sanders also would like to see the powerline systems to be updated to increase energy efficiency.

Lead the National Community in Solving Climate Change 

If sworn in Senator Bernie Sanders pledges to convene a climate summit with the World's policy makers, scientists, and engineers to lead the largest countries and the rest to shift to a more
sustainable and renewable future.

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Have any thoughts about this article, disagreements, support? Please comment below and thank you for reading! 


Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

Be sure to like our Facebook page

Sources

www.berniesanders.com

www.sanders.senate.gov

www.ontheissues.org

www.feelthebern.org/

How to Make Your Own Cheap/Free Canvas

Do you enjoy making art, but unable to afford premium art supplies? Here is a solution I have found for the high cost of canvas'.

You will need

Cardboard

A large sheet of paper (preferably poster board)

Scissors/Exacto Knife

Tape (glue works just as well)

Step 1: 

Measure out the dimensions you want your canvas to be. In this case the canvas is 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide. Once you have measured out your dimensions and squared your lines proceed to cut your cardboard in the shape of your canvas.

Step 2.

Measure your paper so that it is two inches wider then your cardboard on each side. This allows a two inch overlap which you will need to secure your paper to the cardboard. Example: since my base is 6X10 the paper needs to be 10X14. Once you have your paper measured cut it out.

Step 3.

Center the cardboard on the paper. Then cut along the dotted lines (illustrated above).

Step 4.

Once you have made the cuts, fold the extra paper back on it's self.

Step 5.

Fold the paper around the cardboard and tape it together (you can also glue it together). Make sure the paper is tightly pulled around the cardboard.

The final product

 A very cheap  way to make your own canvas. I have found that the unusually light canvas allows for easy wall mounting, and as long as the paper you are using is durable you can do whatever you like with it.


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Post Written by Rowan Domayne Johnson

Contact me at Domayneblogs@gmail.com

Be sure to like our Facebook page