Hm... Hestia, Hades, Hepahistos, and Apollon, please.
Hades: Do you think you are strict? How easily do you make exceptions?
Err… No. I’m like one big walking exception and sometimes I wonder if that’s not going to hinder my kids from learning how to uh… deal with life in the scary craptastic ‘real world’. Much of my real life struggles are trying to find that balance and figure out a workaround for it. Ultimately though, I’m so proud of the people my kids are, how they’re growing up. Individual thinkers. Able to see the big picture and punch holes through bullshit (even when that makes one unpopular with the majority). I don’t shove my beliefs or ideals down their throats, or anything of that sort. I just live what I preach (try to, always there are exceptions and ways to fall short) and they see it, and I like to think that they will pick up some of my influence as they figure out their own beliefs and ideals.
Hephaistos: How much would you stick up for those you like?
All the way. If I claim you as mine, or if you show up and slither into my heart, even if we don’t see eye-to-eye on things, I’ll stick up for your right to self-express. (the exception here comes down to when a thing can harm others or if the expression leans toward hate or shame. I will not tolerate that shit.)
Apollon: What is an art-related thing you can do really well/enjoy?
ahem… let’s see. I don’t know if I can choose only one, so I’ll list them. I’m better at some than others (because of length of time developing skills) but all of these are art-related things I have thrown myself in with, mostly as an escape from the mundane world.
Acting, Poetry, Original fiction (short stories), Voice acting (audiobooks), Writing (articles, fanfiction, philosophy), and this year Art (drawing/painting). I’ve dabbled with art all my life and was discouraged every single time to the point I stopped. This year, after watching awesome teen artists grow their skills in a single year on Tumblr, I was inspired to challenge myself to turn off my discouragement receptors and just to do a little scribble or something on a daily basis… ‘cause the only way to get good at something is to do it a lot and frequently.