y-ddraig-arian
Luke's main (for @llyfrenfys) | The blog formerly known as llyfrau-enfys / lledr-neidr-lleidr | he/him fe/ei
88 posts
Latest Posts by y-ddraig-arian
better pictures of my papier mache cat i made when i was 17 (its cat-sized)
lledr-neidr-lleidr -> y-ddraig-arian
Uk peeps!! Let’s get this going! 🏳️⚧️🇬🇧
We cannot keep telling disabled and mentally ill people that "maybe someday, if you work really hard, you can become a valuable person." We're valuable NOW. Even if we can't work. Even if we can't study. Even if we need help. Even if we can't provide for ourselves. Even if we struggle. Even if we fail. Our worth is inherent because we're here and we're human and we cannot live a happy life on the hope that maybe someday we can become good enough for society. We're already worthy and valuable as we are and we need y'all to acknowledge that.
Fabric painting tests
New stock is finally here and I'm expanding international shipping!
I have 2 new print designs out today, based on my artworks for the Tir Cwiar exhibition! One is based on "Yr Haul" - a piece which celebrates the queerness of the land through the interblending of the mountains of Wales with the chevron on the progress pride flag. And the other is based on sketches I did for "Y Daith" - featuring the earliest reference to intersex people in Welsh as the ring on the intersex flag (the reference comes from the Laws of Hywel Dda and dates to around the 14th Century).
I have also restocked some of my most popular prints, such as the bilingual Gilbert Baker flag print (pictured) and the bilingual LGBT+ terminology print. You can find my prints here.
I am also expanding international shipping! I can now ship to any places covered by Royal Mail - including the US, Canada, EU, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Australia and elsewhere in the world. International shipping prices have gone up so you will be charged a flat rate of £2.70 for shipping if you are located outside of the UK. Existing international orders will also be posted tomorrow (all things going well).
For those of you in the UK - I will be selling badges soon as well. If you've bought from me in-person you will have had a sneak-peek at some of them already, but soon I will have pronoun badges, collage badges and original art badges up for sale on my online shop. Shipping of badges will be UK only due to costs for now.
I'm still completely reliant on proceeds from my online shop in order to pay bills, pay rent and buy food - so I am hugely appreciative of every order. Diolch o galon i chi!
Sumae! It's finally April at long last
I'm recovering well from my leg injury and I was able to send off a few outstanding orders today. If you're still waiting for an order to be shipped, I will be shipping them asap after I've gotten some new stamps (the ones on these orders were my last ones left over from Christmas!)
I also have my new print designs based on my work for the Tir Cwiar exhibition to upload to my shop - so keep an eye out for those when I finally get them up 😅 ('tis a process indeed! But they will be up soon I promise).
art block is kicking my ass so. im trying to play around with some more low stakes experimental stuff
bathroom sink
i love you
Very cool to discover our 'left-wing' government cutting billions from disability support while at the same time trying to add 'Feeling like a burden' to the list of reasons people should be allowed euthanasia.
These ghouls in suits are trying to kill me and my friends.
Do it with your bare hands Starmer you fucking coward.
Okay - real talk : Update and how I've been
So I've felt very overwhelmed these past few months - mainly due to being preoccupied with keeping a roof over my head, putting food on the table and bills paid. I'm still very much preoccupied with all of these things. But slowly, good things are happening amongst the bad and I want to focus on those things.
Firstly, in early February three of my queer art pieces (pictured) were unveiled along with the works of 9 other artists in the Tir Cwiar exhibition in Elysium Gallery in Swansea, in collaboration with On Your Face Collective. It's something I'm immensely proud of and happy about - so many people came to the opening of the exhibition on the 7th and I met so many wonderful people on the night.
Secondly, I have been buoyed by connecting with other queer people in Ceredigion - especially at events like Friday's Aberration Cymru event and I've been buoyed by the support of my friends here in Aberystwyth. You know who you are reading this!
I've been through a lot - so much. So much I can't even begin to describe or explain. I've had losses, I've jumped through hoop after hoop. But I keep going. There's been setbacks aplenty - but I have no intention of putting down pen or paintbrush any time soon.
So, with that in mind - since November I officially became self-employed and declared myself as such to HMRC. Right now, Llyfr Enfys is my sole source of income. Which means, I'll be ramping up selling my prints, poetry and dissertation to help support myself as well as taking on freelance work where I am able.
I've been overwhelmed with the love and warmth of the response to my last post and can confirm as of today I have paid the last looming bill (for now). Thank you so, so much to everyone who has helped support me monetarily - I will be buying more stamps ASAP and then sending everything off to you all 💜
But from here on in - expect a lot more from Llyfr Enfys - solidarity forever and much love 💗
EMERGENCY COST OF LIVING FUND
Prynhawn da - I hate to have to do this again, but as I mentioned in my last post, I'm at serious risk of going into debt because of the cost of living crisis.
I have £35 in combined overdraft and upcoming bills to pay before the 7th of March or I will get into debt with my bank. Which is something I want to avoid at all costs.
If you see something on my gumroad (link in bio) you'd like, please email me at llyfrenfys@gmail.com and we can sort out payment through PayPal (same email).
I wouldn't ask unless it was a crisis - if you cannot buy something, please share. I currently have no money for food - I'm having to prioritise my bills so I don't get into debt. So anything you can spare will make a world of difference to me.
I wish it wasn't this way - that artists and writers like me weren't constantly stifled by living costs. But if you don't support small artists - we will go under. Queer art and writing is needed in the world and I hate that those of us who are most marginalised are the most vulnerable to these problems.
Please share and donate if you are able. Thank you
£0/35 raised
I have made some Welsh LGBTQ+ Prints!
P'nawn da! Today is the day I'm finally launching my Welsh LGBTQ+ prints for sale (find them here). Like with my dissertation, they're pay as you feel (min. £2 plus postage) and I can post them to the UK, US, EU and Canada! Designs include the 2017 Gilbert Baker flag with the stripe meanings in Welsh and English, the map of Wales featuring my pride redesigns of the historic county flags of Wales, lesbian redesign of the Cardiff flag and a brand new design featuring 12 pride flags with the names of each in Welsh and English. I have 5 of each print in stock!
If you're new here or didn't know, unfortunately I experienced several major life changes this year which have really affected my finances (hospitalisation, long term relationship ended, emergency house move, job loss due to employer discrimination and a family member diagnosed with a terminal illness. For more details see this post). In order to help support myself I'm offering these prints for sale while I search for a new part time job. At the time of writing, I only have enough money in savings to cover 2 more months of rent and bills (not including food), so anything you can spare will help me afford food and keep doing what I love. I also have a patreon if you want to support me there.
I have also got my 47-page undergraduate dissertation on the development of Welsh-language terminology between 1972 and 2022 available here as pay as you feel (even £1!). Any support is hugely, hugely appreciated.
i wish i was a cishet guy so that i could start a podcast and go to the gym and allow that to fulfill me spiritually. but instead i have these visions
I'm publishing my first poetry chapbook, Poems for Justice!
I've been writing poetry in the English langauge since I was in high school. As of late, I have begun writing my first Welsh langauge poetry as well. This bilingual chapbook is the result!
Available in my online shop for £2.50 (link in bio)
There are four poems in this small chapbook, which is published on white paper (eight pages, two Welsh poems and two English poems)
Every sale helps me to live and create - thank you to anyone who buys my art, poems and academic work!
Dw i'n cyhoeddi fy nghydymaith barddoniaeth gyntaf, Cerddi Cyfiawnder!
Dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu barddoniaeth yn yr iaith Saesneg ers ysgol uwchradd. Yn ddiweddar, dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu fy marddoniaeth gyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg hefyd. Y cydymaith dwyieithog hwn yw'r canlyniad!
Ar gael yn fy siop ar-lein am £2.50 (dolen yn fy mhio)
Mae pedair cerdd yn y cydymaith bach hwn, a gyhoeddir ar bapur gwyn (wyth tudalen, dwy gerdd Cymraeg a dwy gerdd Saesneg)
Mae pob gwerthiant yn fy helpu i fyw a chreu - diolch i unrhyw un sy'n prynu fy nghelf, cerddi a gwaith academaidd!
I'm publishing my first poetry chapbook, Poems for Justice!
I've been writing poetry in the English langauge since I was in high school. As of late, I have begun writing my first Welsh langauge poetry as well. This bilingual chapbook is the result!
Available in my online shop for £2.50 (link in bio)
There are four poems in this small chapbook, which is published on white paper (eight pages, two Welsh poems and two English poems)
Every sale helps me to live and create - thank you to anyone who buys my art, poems and academic work!
Dw i'n cyhoeddi fy nghydymaith barddoniaeth gyntaf, Cerddi Cyfiawnder!
Dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu barddoniaeth yn yr iaith Saesneg ers ysgol uwchradd. Yn ddiweddar, dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu fy marddoniaeth gyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg hefyd. Y cydymaith dwyieithog hwn yw'r canlyniad!
Ar gael yn fy siop ar-lein am £2.50 (dolen yn fy mhio)
Mae pedair cerdd yn y cydymaith bach hwn, a gyhoeddir ar bapur gwyn (wyth tudalen, dwy gerdd Cymraeg a dwy gerdd Saesneg)
Mae pob gwerthiant yn fy helpu i fyw a chreu - diolch i unrhyw un sy'n prynu fy nghelf, cerddi a gwaith academaidd!
I'm publishing my first poetry chapbook, Poems for Justice!
I've been writing poetry in the English langauge since I was in high school. As of late, I have begun writing my first Welsh langauge poetry as well. This bilingual chapbook is the result!
Available in my online shop for £2.50 (link in bio)
There are four poems in this small chapbook, which is published on white paper (eight pages, two Welsh poems and two English poems)
Every sale helps me to live and create - thank you to anyone who buys my art, poems and academic work!
Dw i'n cyhoeddi fy nghydymaith barddoniaeth gyntaf, Cerddi Cyfiawnder!
Dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu barddoniaeth yn yr iaith Saesneg ers ysgol uwchradd. Yn ddiweddar, dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu fy marddoniaeth gyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg hefyd. Y cydymaith dwyieithog hwn yw'r canlyniad!
Ar gael yn fy siop ar-lein am £2.50 (dolen yn fy mhio)
Mae pedair cerdd yn y cydymaith bach hwn, a gyhoeddir ar bapur gwyn (wyth tudalen, dwy gerdd Cymraeg a dwy gerdd Saesneg)
Mae pob gwerthiant yn fy helpu i fyw a chreu - diolch i unrhyw un sy'n prynu fy nghelf, cerddi a gwaith academaidd!
I'm publishing my first poetry chapbook, Poems for Justice!
I've been writing poetry in the English langauge since I was in high school. As of late, I have begun writing my first Welsh langauge poetry as well. This bilingual chapbook is the result!
Available in my online shop for £2.50 (link in bio)
There are four poems in this small chapbook, which is published on white paper (eight pages, two Welsh poems and two English poems)
Every sale helps me to live and create - thank you to anyone who buys my art, poems and academic work!
Dw i'n cyhoeddi fy nghydymaith barddoniaeth gyntaf, Cerddi Cyfiawnder!
Dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu barddoniaeth yn yr iaith Saesneg ers ysgol uwchradd. Yn ddiweddar, dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu fy marddoniaeth gyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg hefyd. Y cydymaith dwyieithog hwn yw'r canlyniad!
Ar gael yn fy siop ar-lein am £2.50 (dolen yn fy mhio)
Mae pedair cerdd yn y cydymaith bach hwn, a gyhoeddir ar bapur gwyn (wyth tudalen, dwy gerdd Cymraeg a dwy gerdd Saesneg)
Mae pob gwerthiant yn fy helpu i fyw a chreu - diolch i unrhyw un sy'n prynu fy nghelf, cerddi a gwaith academaidd!
You never think it's going to happen to you until it does.
Hi, my name is Luke and I'm 24. As of two days ago, I spent the last of my money on rent and I have precisely £27 to my name. I can't afford food at all any more - let alone rent and bills.
I know the world is so full of despair atm. Especially with what's going in in America. But I beg you to give me a chance, midst it all.
Depressingly, I only ever seem to make sales when I'm in a dire situation. Ideally, I need to make sales before then so I don't end up in the dire situation in the first place, but alas. I'm poor and hungry and can't heat my home. I'm wracked with guilt every time I fail to make progress on the project because I'm so damn focused on survival I have little time for what brings me joy in this world. And that's depressing!
I dislike having to make posts like this - but as I said at the start of this post - no-one ever thinks it's going to happen to them. If you can spare some cash, please consider buying a print or my dissertation to help me buy food (see here for my prints and diss). I have plans to introduce badges to my site as well - but sadly due to new postage laws they'll be UK only. However. I can ship prints to Canada, the US, UK and EU (with a view to shipping to Aus and NZ soon, amongst other places, if Royal Mail'll let me).
I hope one day to be able to make a post saying that I got out of poverty and am no longer surviving but thriving. Until then, your support is quite literally putting bread on the table. I want more than anything right now to be able to get back to doing what I love. But I cannot do so presently.
If you're about in Swansea on the 7th of February at 7pm, please consider coming to Elysium Gallery for the opening of Queer Land, an exhibition which my art is in! In spite of these circumstances I find myself in - I refuse to stop creating. Down, yes - but not out.
So please, please if you can, please reblog and purchase a print if you are able. It will help me wo much and I'm infinitely grateful to those who do.
Diolch
i know solid-state electronics are as opposed to vacuum tubes (big motherfuckers that they are) or electromechanical devices (HDDs, relays) but i want so badly to see the forbidden liquid-state electronics. please let me run my signal processing experiments in the Goop.
Project Update
Bore da! Coming to you today with a little update
As explained in my September Update, I have been focusing on my mental health these past few months due to various life events I've been dealing with, namely;
In mid-March my long-term relationship came to an end and I had to make an emergency move into a new flat due to no longer being able to afford the rent. I was then in hospital due to ketoacidosis (a buildup of ketones in the body which causes the body to be too acidic, which can be life threatening). In April I lost my job due to whistleblowing health and safety concerns (and also experienced direct disability discrimination. I will be taking my former boss to tribunal over this). In July I briefly had a new job, however, due to poor mental health I could not carry on in the role. And in July I was informed that a family member has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Despite all these major life changes, I'm still determined to keep on doing what I love (my research) and sharing it with you all. These events have taken their toll, however, and I'm struggling to make ends meet without a job (I have enough in savings for three months of rent, excluding bills and food). I have applied to many jobs in and around Aberystwyth and I hope to hear from one soon.
August was exhausting, after the events of the past few months. But I'm finally feeling well enough to write and create again. I had struggled for months to format my undergraduate dissertation but as of last week I was finally able to finish making edits. I'm happy to announce that I have made it available on a pay-as-you feel basis (you can pay as little as £1!) to help support me in the interim. The link to get a copy is here:
Researchers are welcome to email me at lub57@aber.ac.uk for a free copy.
In addition to this, I'm going to be launching some Welsh-language/Welsh themed LGBTQ+ prints! If you enjoyed my queer Welsh county pride flags, my Welsh Gilbert Baker flag design or my Cardiff pride flag mashups, I will be making these into physical prints (UK, EU and US shipping available) very soon, so do please keep an eye out for that!
Hwyl a diolch yn fawr am darllen,
Luke
Oh I think I know the band - I'm honestly 50/50 on whether I like their music or there's just one or two songs they've done that just so happen to be my holy grail of music
✨ Please reblog the polls to make them reach out to as many people as possible, but KEEP IT SPOILER-FREE to make people listen to the music with an open mind 💖 Artists and titles will be revealed after the poll's conclusion, check the original post for an update! ✨
aderyn-marw -> celtydd-cam
Doctors should snark at each other more, be a bit mean. Not for no reason, mind you. But if five doctors blow me off about symptoms and doctor number six FINALLY runs actual tests and gets a diagnosis, I think it should be Doctor Six's right to call up the other five and tell them they're lazy pieces of shit. That should be socially encouraged. Those first five doctors clearly can't listen to patients, but maybe another doctor might finally get to them.
Thank you so much for all of this! I think being tested to see if I have developed allergies is a good idea. I live in rural Wales so there aren't any dermatologists around, but I could try asking my GP - hopefully I'll luck out and they'll listen!
Hello there - I had a question which I think(?) you might be able to help with. Or at least point me in the direction of more information.
I have a few chronic illnesses and disabilities and as such there's many gremlins I deal with. One thing that crops up a lot are comorbidities between my conditions.
I'm trying to be more vigilant with regards to my health - as a child there were many, many missed opportunities to get my symptoms seen to by a doctor (all squandered due to my parents nor believing me about my symptoms).
Anyway, I wanted to ask about MCAS and if you know it's possible to have it but not realise it?
I've had a few incidents like this, but mostly forgot them or ignored them. But yesterday I ate some basil from my windowsill plant and I had what can only be described as an allergic reaction. I'm not allergic to any foods (as far as I know) but I've eaten from this exact plant before and been fine. I have mint growing next to it which I also ate and it caused the same reaction. Again, I've eaten from this exact plant before. It was like my mouth was burning or stinging and the leaves felt, spicy? In my mouth. I'm not sure how to describe it but I hope you know what I mean. Today I ate from the exact same plants and had no reaction whatsoever.
I've definitely had similar things happen before- but events like yesterday are few and far between. But utterly confounding when they do happen. I have urticaria (diagnosed since age 18) which I suspect is relevant, somehow.
I'm starting to wonder if a lot of my symptoms I've written off have actually been MCAS. But I'm not sure. Do you have any advice around talking to a doctor about this or if I have a leg to stand on so to speak?
Sending my best wishes!
Hey friend, sorry to hear you've been dealing with some neglect.
And considering MCAS was only really recognized as a condition in the last 15 years, it's absolutely possible to have it and not know until symptoms get worse. I was experiencing anaphylactoid reactions my whole childhood, but because I tested negative on IgE tests (I still do), it was dismissed as anxiety right up until I hit my 30s and I experienced my first episode of full-blown idiopathic anaphylaxis.
(Note: anaphylaxis is not a requirement for diagnosis, and not everyone experiences it.)
You should discuss your inconsistent allergies with your doctor or allergist. I would also advise pursuing allergen testing, as new allergens can develop at any time, even if you don't have mast cell instability.
If you suspect some form of mast cell instability may be the root cause of your issues, I'd suggest checking out The Mast Cell Disease Society. (Their website is in the process of being updated, still. But they have good resources there.)
Their signs and symptoms (and triggers) page has recently been updated and is fairly concise:
If any of that rings a bell, it might be worth bringing up with your allergist, but fair warning, not everyone is receptive to the idea of mast cell disorders outside of mastocytosis. (And even then some doctors gaslight their patients to hell and back.)
If you do find yourself in this situation, try joining a couple of support groups to see if there are any MCAS aware doctors in your area, or alternatively, try the TMS physician finder tool:
Sorry if it seems like I'm just throwing a lot of links at you, but they are very useful links and I'm not at my best right now to explain things.
I hope this is helpful and if I missed something, please let me know.
I wish you luck in remedying your chronic health issues <3
tumblr was designed in a lab to be a personal purgatory for ppl with moral ocd i think