[[Feedback Thoughts]]

Think, think think-Tumblr

I have had plenty of experience giving feedback in my other classes. Having had the majority of my college education online it has made me give and receive both negative and positive feedback. The strategies I recommend when giving feedback to others is to always be honest. Just not so honest where you destroy any ability for that person to continue their creative process. I have had that happen and it's heartbreaking. Being honest without being cruel is something that you must do in a creative course. Most importantly realize that it's a learning process for everybody. Not everyone is going to be as good in grammar or as strong in plots that you may be.

Pooh is a thinker!-Feryof

That's why you lend a helping hand not slapping them. It's perfectly natural to be shaken up by negative feedback. It's whether you can take that negative feedback and turn it into something positive that really matters. I have been utterly destroyed by negative feedback. It was so intense and so harsh, that there was no way to turn it around. When you have spent your entire life writing creatively and dreaming of being an author it hurts when a professor tells you, you will never be published. That negative feedback is not helpful, it's harmful and that's the feedback you have to be mindful of, because it helps no one.

Story: [[The Damnation of Goddesses]]

Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche Rework

“…Psyche, do not fret, my dear child.”

“We are here for you, Psyche.”

“We will help you and we will protect you.”

“Even if it costs our own happiness,” they said all at once.

Juno(Hera)-Pinterest

They were each so lovely when they formed in front of me. I did not expect to get three. I only prayed for one, but I suppose when you pray to Juno you get Ceres and Minerva. One had hair as blonde as the sun, one had the sweet face of angel and the last had a confidence and fearlessness about her that could incite fear and justice. Little did I know they were exactly what I had needed. I was abused and broken, and contemplated ending my suffering. I had been pricked by an arrow and fell in love with the man who used it. Cupid was the man in my life and the insufferable mother made it her very mission to destroy me out of fear, out of jealousy, out of so much hatred. A goddess had been betrayed by her very people, Venus had been made of anger and lust. All her love going into the blessed child Cupid.

Ceres(Demeter)-Pinterest

I had been travelling for days doing tasks that Venus would deem impossible for me without the help and sympathy of others. I had all but given up hope of reuniting with my husband, the one that I could not stop thinking about. The man (man to me, God to most) who made me blissfully happy and miserable all at once. I was crawling on the ground, trudging through mud and grass. I was battered and broken, lost and tired. With one single push off the ground, I let out a gasp of air and fell to my side. What I did not see was the dark and dangerous woods, but a statue of Juno, Jupiter’s wife. I then began to pray in my hazy state…

“My goddess, the one I praise and break bread to. The one that I worship in my mind, my heart and my words. Help me… Help me by bringing my love to me, the one I cannot live without.”

Athena(Minerva)-Pinterest

As if in answer to my prayer the air began to pick up, blowing my hair over my once pink lips, now cracked from thirst. I see the most beautiful creature. With long flowing blonde hair and the face of an angel. It was Juno appearing before me. I could scarcely believe my eyes as a tree grew from the ground and I saw Ceres form herself out of nature, forming herself into a tree, her sweet compassionate face showing sorrow for my predicament. Before I could exclaim my gratitude, a loud crack of thunder sounded overhead and a roll of parchment paper that read "PRO DEA, IUSTITIA OMNIBUS" (By the Goddess, Justice for all) fell from the sky and before it could hit the ground it formed into the mighty Minerva. She had stern, strong features, confident in the task at hand.

Juno, who was previously facing me, spun her body and had ridden me of my negative thoughts. Ceres blew flower petals from her hand and soothed my thirst and lastly Minerva pointed her finger outwards and caused an owl to fly forward, its teardrops soothing my broken body.

"Now, child, rise up and tell me what torments your soul so, that it calls on three of us at once," said Minerva.

“Goddess of the Heavens, I have been lost. Lost in this hell Venus has forced me into. Lost in my broken heart. She keeps me from my dear Cupid and her jealousy has no end. I have been given the most undesirable tasks and I cannot do it no more. I just want my love...”

Minerva looked at Ceres and Juno and spoke matter-of-factly. “By the decree of the justice set by 

The Ruins of Ta Prohm-BBC

me, Minerva, you will endure no more suffering."

“You will be happy at our expense,” said Ceres.

“Your love will be yours forever. Do not fret my dear child.” Juno, the mighty Juno, smiled the most beautiful smile and my heart was lifted.

“We will help you and we will protect you,” Minerva said, calling back her owl. She began to spin alongside Juno and Ceres and suddenly I was in the very room of Cupid. His love for me in his eyes, he wept for joy and wept for my suffering. We embraced. 
  -Aftermath of Saving Psyche: As told by Minerva-
It was not long after reuniting Psyche and Cupid that Juno decided that Venus needed punishment for attempting to steal a powerful medallion from Jupiter. Unbeknownst to me Venus was watching from her point of banishment that Juno gave her (she was to live out her days in the Ruins of Ta Prohm in Angkor).Even though sweet naive Psyche lived in happiness we did not. Juno, Ceres and I reaped the many vengeance's of Venus.

Vulcan World on His Shoulder-AlayGorker

With the help of a magical Angkor seer she called forth Venus's jealousy and sent it to Juno causing friction and heartbreak between her and her beloved Jupiter, more so than before. It is with the jealousy that Juno felt that she blamed Jupiter for Vulcan's disfigurement. If he was faithful they would have never been smited in such a way. This ultimately led to her only son Vulcan to be sent down from heaven to prove not only his worthiness to his father, but to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. His pain and suffering furthered her own immensely.

Ceres's Water Cave-ILTWMT

Precious, sweet Ceres was held another fate, with the water summoned from her very ocean. Minerva, brought forth wave after epic wave on Ceres's land, causing famine and disease. Her world in ruins she hid herself in caves trying to counteract what Venus had done. It was a fruitless endeavor, because the water kept coming.

Minerva's War/Death-Shmoop

As for me, Minerva, I suffered the cruelest of fates. Perhaps it was because I was so swift in my banishment of Venus alongside Juno, or my part in her ridicule at a young age. She had started a war between me and Medusa, inciting that evil word jealousy in her already murderous heart. Even though I cut off Medusa's head in battle it wasn’t till her venomous snakes, attacked me without mercy that I met my fate. It was a quick death, no time to react, but I know that Zeus will avenge my death.

It’s only a matter of time…

Author's Note:

Ceres(Demeter), Jupiter (Zeus), Minerva (Athena), Juno (Hera),Vulcan (Hephaestus) I worked with the story of Cupid and Psyche, by focusing more on not only Psyche's despair, but the actions of three goddesses. In the story only Demeter and Juno make an appearance, but I felt that Athena is such a strong and relevant goddess I wanted to include her in it. I felt that to give Psyche her happiness there had to be three different ways of approaching it and I thought it would show a little bit of the goddesses range. I wanted to also stay true to Psyche's ending (somewhat), but give punishment to Venus, because let's face it she's really awful.With her being a goddess herself, though, I knew she would not go down quietly. That was the reasoning behind the story. I wanted to see them actually help her, but I wanted to also stay true to the original. I the first part of the story Psyche is the narrator, so to put emphasis on emotion, desperation, and an outsiders view of the Goddesses. --- The second half of my story is of my own creation. With the story of Cupid and Psyche there is no real repercussion of the Gods and Goddesses. That's why I created a whole Epilogue of what happened to the three Goddesses. Basically, to showcase that your actions can change your future. Also, it the second half of the story Minerva (Athena) takes center role in narrating the story. I always saw Minerva as a stronger more bold character than Juno (Hera) and I think her telling the story gives it a stronger voice.

The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius and translated into English by Tony Kline.
Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche

Reading Notes: [[Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche, Part B]]

[SOME SPOILERS]

V Punishing P-Lib-Art.com

1. Cinderella and her evil stepsisters inspiration. Tie the fairy-tale more into the story of Cupid and Psyche. Brainstorm ways to do so. Possibly making Venus a central figure in causing her sisters to turn her against her.
2. Psyche´s attempt to seek help from various goddesses is fulfilled. They all ban together too rid everyone of the hatred Venus harbors toward Psyche. For the sake of love, in turn their betrayal curses them all in some way (brief showing of each curse of the three central goddesses in the story). Maybe the death of an eldest son (bring in Juno's loss of Hercules), the loss of a true love and the eternal youth of another. Their sacrifices lead to the happy ending of Cupid and Psyche.

Psyche at the Temples-WadsworthAtheneum

3. Magical tasks completed by Psyche, maybe create more of a story connecting to these tasks. Which could be changed from being vindictive in nature to proving her love to Venus's son. Place the seed of distrust in Venus, from the appearance of Cupid's brother (make up this character).

Psyche During A Task-MHBlogspot

4. It's hard to believe, that after everything, Venus would allow Cupid and Psyche would let them be together. Even after the blessing Jupiter gave them. So, what if she didn't? What if she continued her hatred/jealousy fueled ways and was destroyed by Jupiter. Maybe possibly even killing the very son she loved more than anything? In other words, changing the ending by switching everything around. No happy ending.

Gibbs, L. (2014, July 19).Myth-Folklore Unit: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-apuleiuss-cupid-and.html

Reading Notes: [[Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche, Part A]]

[SOME SPOILERS]

Cupid & Psyche-Wikipedia

1. Give a different reasoning behind the kidnapping of the girl. For instance, they kidnapped her to get money too feed their children. The women does not know this and consequently acts out (runs away). She is again found and after her screaming the men finally calm her down and tell her the story of their downfall. From Cupid and Psyche's protector to the men who watched cupid die. Give reason why they were helpless. Basically, connect the story more to the beginning of the book. 

The Jealousy of Venus-Rutgers

2. Play on Venus's jealous nature make it so unbearable she resides herself to completely destroy Psyche, down to her future children. Make the young girl at the beginning be the child of Cupid and Psyche. Venus's vengeance caused her suffering. With the help of the older woman she is thrown in purgatory for her actions. The young girl then becomes a goddess and the older woman becomes a powerful mage (may  change, or may give her some sort of ability during story).

(I love this statue)-HannaFairytales

3. Psyche falls in love with Cupid by seeing a rare act of kindness on his part. Make her grief become very intense. Basically, have a slow progression of sadness, to hatred, to then acceptance. Really look at Beauty and the Beast for further inspiration. Maybe make cupid something otherworldly and frightening to look at. Really, play into the fact that she did not want to get married to Cupid that her hands were tied by the power of his mother (Venus) make Venus the Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) type character. 

Gibbs, L. (2014, July 19).Myth-Folklore Unit: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-apuleiuss-cupid-and.html