everything has meaning

The collective was originally named Desiderata, which is Latin for "desired things" (it is the plural form of desideratum). I first discovered this word when I came across a prose-poem of the same name, written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann. After reading this amazing work of art and discovering what the name meant, I realized that it was perfect for the christening of my collective.

(Click here to read the poem.)

However, I soon discovered a fanlistings collective by the same name. My need to at least seem original sent me on a search to discover something I could call my own. Admittedly, the name was inspired by the ever-amazing Advent Children (Final Fantasy VII). But I feel it fits - and in all my quests I've yet to find another collective thus called. And so it is.

ad·vent (n.)

1. The coming or arrival, especially of something important.

everything used and abused

This is { version three } of Advent and very possibly the first layout I've made in months that I'm truly happy with. Nevermind the fact that I spent 12 hours straight putting it together when I should have been studying for finals that are only two days away. :3 My muse returned and after what seemed like an eternity of designer's block, I simply couldn't deny the inspiration. For once, perhaps for the first time ever, I got an idea in my head and I managed to make it a reality. I spent at least two hours searching for the right image - and when I found this one, I knew it was meant to be. Pandora...the most widely known version of her story paints her as mankind's poisoned gift. In a classic tale of "curiosity killed the cat," Pandora (whose name can be translated as "all gifts") opened a box that released all the misfortunes of mankind - closing it in time to keep only one thing inside: Hope. The world was extremely bleak until Pandora "chanced" to revisit the box again, at which point Hope fluttered out. Thus, mankind always has hope in times of evil and sorrow. I suppose my own misfortunes are the reason this idea caught me, the most recent of which is probably the reason I zoned out and poured so much of my attention and time into this layout. No sob stories, I promise. But life is a strange thing...full of trials and mysteries that may never be revealed. Hope is all I have left. And I'm not sure how much of that remains.

This layout features artwork by the talented fantasy artist Cynthia (!) and brushes from Papercuts and One. Inspired in part by Circa Survive, it also features lyrics from the songs "The Great Golden Baby" and "We're All Thieves".
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everything is nothing

I am silence. I am hope. I am emotion. I am a piece of art. And I never imagined myself having a single fanlisting, much less a collective made specifically for them. I applied and was approved for my first fanlisting in the summer of 2005; glow-in-the-dark objects. I told myself it was the first and last...but months later I discovered that it's true what they say: fanlistings are an obsession. I like to think I'm not so involved as most others in the business (cult?) but what can I say when I'm haunting the updates page every 10 minutes? Ok, maybe it's not that bad. Anyway, it's something that really makes no sense unless you're chest-deep in it. But back to me. I started designing in June of 2004 and I'd already been coding for two years before that. One of my online friends, Sanne, was the one who introduced me to the world of listings (fan, hate, name, etc.). She convinced me to find a subject I was passionate about and apply for it. And the rest, as they say, is history. If you'd really like to know more about me, you can visit my personal domain, Until Midnight.