So last night I paid Tumblr to license https://inspiredlessonplans.com/
And I love it! Smooth scrolling, fast loading, and the archive is so easy to access this way! Definitely worth $12.
This inspired me to touch up the design on the blog. Still a little tacky on purpose, but it's at least more presentable. The banner is my initial concept art of the Progressive Ally flag (as sketched with my index finger using Google Keep's limited color palette).
Anyway, I suddenly decided to do all of this because
We're going to be in San Francisco in August to visit a good friend, and hopefully spend at least one day at Pokemon XP together.
Tickets are limited, so I applied for a content creator's pass.
Here is a link to apply, if you're interested.
They say that applicants will be evaluated based on:
Engagement levels on content
Reason for wanting to attend
Maintains a family-friendly tone and follows The Pokémon Company International’s brand guidelines and Creator Code of Conduct
Inclusive of different Pokémon communities, backgrounds, regions, and perspectives
Helps Pokémon reach broader or underserved communities
Current and past engagement with The Pokémon Company International and our products
I do believe that I do all of these things. Here's the brief essay I submitted in my application.
I will write entertaining, classroom-ready educational materials across all academic subjects (math, science, social studies, language arts, visual arts, foreign language, and possibly also physical education & performing arts) for all grade levels (elementary, Middle School, High School, and maybe also undergraduate). All of it will feature Pokemon in some way, and I will be sure to incorporate whatever I can from this event.
I know my audience and they love to learn. According to a recent poll, 90% of my audience have at least some undergraduate education, and there are as many PhD candidates as high school students. Some of them are teachers and parents who may put this content into real world use. But most of my 100-200 readers per day (or more for trending content) come for the edutainment value.
Re: 1
As far as engagement levels go, Tumblr posts can never match the sheer volume of other social media. My most viral post ever only got 4 digits of engagement. But Tumblr users engage much more closely with their dashboards. My audience in particular is one that stuck with me through a series of ten essays about a single flawed academic paper criticizing the literacy levels of Midwestern US college students. So I think it's fair to say that my content has a rather substantial engagement level.
Re: 2
I do also think I have a good reason for wanting to attend. Pokemon has been an inspiration for me since it first came to the US. I'm serious about writing all those activities. It sounds like a fun challenge, like when I designed that card game around confirmation bias. I can certainly write 20+ high quality standards-based, classroom-ready learning activities. It may take a little while, but one thing I know about myself is that the more I invest my mind the more creative I become.
Re: 3
I read the brand guidelines for TPCi and will maintain a family friendly tone. I am aware that I have minors in my audience. I have posted some content that is intended for high schoolers and readers of a mature mindset. And since I'm serious about this, I'm considering going back through the archive (which is much easier to access now) and removing anything objectionable.
Re: 4
The followers of this blog are very diverse and international.
Re: 5
What better way to reach broader and underserved communities than fun, free educational resources?
Re: 6
Like I said, I've always loved Pokemon. @artstardoodles and I created epic role-playing campaigns set in a Pokemon world, full of way too many details to even begin talking about. My first Python project was a Fakedex stat generator with a lot of nerdy statistical analysis and is very poorly coded do not hire me to code anything. I have used the games to practice my Spanish, too. The dialogue in Gen 1 is so easy and familiar that it really helped me get a sense of natural language, whereas Gen 9 was very challenging like reading an 8th grade novel. And I plan to keep it up for as long as they keep making new games.
So if someone from Pokemon XP 2026 is reading this, I really do hope you will consider my application seriously. I'm going to be there either way, and I'm going to make at least some content this summer, too. But if I get a Content Creator's pass, then I promise I will make 20 or more individual educational activities, all Pokémon themed and created with love, that will be free to use and disperse for everyone.
:) thank you for reading












