Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@caragaffney.com

she/her. AriadneArca in some places. Award organiser @SelkieAwards.org. Art, writing, comics! 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

422 followers339 following511 posts

Oh I had such a good month at work (two really interesting projects!) followed by such a good fortnight of holiday, so ofc when I come back I get told that understaffing might be adding a tedious & stressful chore to my plate - "telling people they've filled out time-sensitive forms wrong"

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Replying to @kierongillen.bsky.social

We come back to the idea of Execs who really don't understand art or why people make art, in any way, finding ways to absolutely annihilate those that do, in a death of a thousand cuts and then one big 400-person cut. It's heartbreaking. The western games industry kills a NIntendo every year.

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

so many amazing comics in this list! congrats to everyone nominated!

Selkie Comic Awards@selkieawards.org

🦭 Announcing the shortlist for our 2026 Selkie Awards!🦭 Check out the link below for the details, and for information on how to sign up to our online award ceremony: 🦭 selkieawards.org/2026 🦭

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Scottish comics absolutely kicking ass right now

Selkie Comic Awards@selkieawards.org

BEST SHORT COMIC 🦭 A Duel of Fools 2 by Cat Laird 🦭 I Know the Way Out by Tom Humberstone and Chrissy Williams 🦭 It Flows Down From the Hill by Norrie 🦭 Secret Agent Nessie by Gary Chudleigh & Laura Howell 🦭 Slow Shift by Erin McGrath

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

🦭 Announcing the shortlist for our 2026 Selkie Awards!🦭 Check out the link below for the details, and for information on how to sign up to our online award ceremony: 🦭 selkieawards.org/2026 🦭

Thank you to all the people who were diligently opening Bluesky at 9am to help share the Selkies announcement, I usually like my 12pm award posting but today I am out literally all day so 9AM IT IS (native post scheduling when, Bluesky???)

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

if you're going to hook me with a bloodthirsty revenge story, at least let me revel in the righteous violence for a little bit before you start moralizing. you can't just have a side character wringing their hands dig-two-gravesedly from the very first kill. come on

Just had our Selkies shortlisting meeting and WOW I love discussing comics, I love differences of opinion, I love someone nailing something that I observed and I also love someone pointing out something completely new that I hadn't considered

If you are thinking about starting a comic award: it's stressful, it's a lot of work, it will impact on the time you can give to your own projects (esp if working full time), you will second-guess your decisionmaking in too many ways, you will wonder why you do it to yourself it also rocks actually

The cuts to Scottish Literature UG courses at Edinburgh University make me furious in a way that it's really hard to put words to, especially now, when I'm trying to learn more Scots (and feeling like an imposter in ways that are too complicated for this format). www.thenational.scot/news/2656876...

thenational.scotUniversity of Edinburgh axe to Scots course 'only upholds English language dominance'THE University of Edinburgh's announcement that it plans to cut seven programmes in the Celtic and Scottish Studies department has been slammed…

I did ScotLit at Glasgow in 2nd year undergrad to qualify me for English Language single honours, and it was the best decision. Sunset Song, Lanark, Waverley, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - it made it so so clear how literature is culture, literature is history

The fact that Glasgow now has the only academic unit in the WORLD exclusively dedicated to Scottish Literature makes me want to tear my hair out. We don't know how culturally impoverished we become through not interacting with our own art!!!! Everyone go out and read Sunset Song RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

appearing over the shoulder of a comic artist who's about to fill a panel with an unnecessary background. put the pen down. sometimes clarity and punch of a panel is improved when there is no background. you're cluttering that panel and making it harder to read. where are the bubble tails gonna go.

This has been a crazy year - I was trying to explain it earlier to someone but I got married, then I changed jobs, then I launched Selkies 2026, then I helped manage two academic conferences, then my niece was born, then I started a part-time course and also helped manage another academic conference

AND THAT'S JUST THE LAST 5 MONTHS. But the crazy thing is I really really REALLY keep finding myself wanting to pull more things out of the well!!!!!!!! there are so many cool things I could be doing!!! WHY CAN I NOT SIMPLY HAVE TWICE AS MUCH TIME PER DAY

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Just learned that Category Is Books, a lovely queer bookshop in Glasgow, has been targeted by transphobic violence, & is fundraising to cover the costs of a smashed window & roller shutters. I hate that they have to do this & would love to see them meet their goal.

gofundme.comDonate to Help Category Is Books Get Shutters!, organized by Category Is BooksFor the past eight years, Category Is Books has been able to comfortably oper… Category Is Books needs your support for Help Category Is Books Get Shutters!

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Joy for All is back for 2026! We invite you to apply for a stall at our accessible, LGBT+, autumn makers market, Joy for All. It takes place at 11am – 3.30pm on Saturday 17th October at Portobello Town Hall, 147-149 Portobello High St, Edinburgh EH15 1AF. Apply here: forms.gle/CiMhrgbLEX9e...

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Hello all! Due to a gap in our guidelines, we've had to update our rules relating to anthologies. Full details here: selkieawards.org/news/posts/2... All affected applicants have been offered a chance to resubmit. Thanks for bearing with us, and drop us an email if you have any questions!

I was thinking about this while opening a compostable wrapper the other day. We've still got a long way to go, but I think the next generation is going to be shocked if they're ever faced with just how much unnecessary plastic we used to have on everything. (Not to mention the generation after!)

Ann Leckie@annleckie.com

Sweet bleeding Mithras, almost everything is SO MUCH BETTER than it was 40 years ago. Air travel I grant you (with the exception of SMOKING ON PLANES). But medical technology? The availability of so many foods? Air pollution? It's just so much better now.

This came up in a call with my grandparents who tried Gousto for the first time recently, and their one complaint was how much plastic there was in the box. Fascinating to hear, because I've been getting their boxes for about 10 years, and over that time they have gotten SO. MUCH. BETTER.

The thing that fascinates me about the "AI will give auteurs the power to fully realise their vision without compromise" take is that these people have clearly not paid any attention to what usually happens when someone gets too big to edit or falls out with their collaborators (divorces their wife)

Dave Cook@davecook.bsky.social

The friction is the point. That’s what talentless, lazy AI advocates will never understand about art.

You can't sharpen a knife without friction, and you can't make the best version of your work without anyone else contributing. There's much to be said about storytelling-by-committee, but with the right team the process of getting others' input is revelatory, inspirational, not some unwelcome burden

I love reading about u-turns in the creative process because a collaborator - an actor, an editor, a fellow musician - brought something so compelling and new that the original creator couldn't help but leap at the chance to incorporate it. That's the good stuff!!!

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

Replying to @inremote.bsky.social

it's getting to the point where HMRC is ceasing to provide a service. it does less and less, and the few services it does provide are getting worse and worse. i know nobody likes them but we absolutely need more funding in there because the alternative is notably worse

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

last day of the sale πŸ˜‡ you can meet my awesome freaks for less than the price of most things

gg@ggdg.bsky.social

oh, soulsov is 20% off. let's go crazy together gigidigi.itch.io/soulsov

Cara πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ reposted

🦭 The Selkie Awards are back for 2026! 🦭 If you're based in Scotland and finished a comic in the past year, we want to hear from you! Our applications are now open until 31 July. Check out the details here: selkieawards.org/2026 #scottishcomics #scottishcomicbookday #smallpress