Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Challenge prejudices in yourself and others. Start a gratitude practice. Express your gratitude towards others.

Answer: If you can become more empathetic, you’ll be able to better understand other people. You can strengthen your character by being able to relate to others and helping them. Try to imagine what someone else is going through. For example, maybe your friend recently lost a sibling. Think about how that might feel and how you would react. Try to think about what you could do to make your friend feel better. You can also take this further and actually experience what the other person is dealing with. For example, maybe your partner is frustrated because they do all of the cooking. Try taking over dinner duty for the week so that you can understand why they feel stress. Most people have assumptions or even prejudices against others. These might be conscious or unconscious. For example, maybe you think that people who haven’t graduated from college are not intelligent. Try to train your brain to be more open minded and accepting of others.  Take note of your prejudices. When you find yourself making assumptions, make a mental note. Being aware of bias is the first part in addressing it. Next time you have these thoughts, work to actively change your mindset. Instead of thinking, “That person must not be smart,” think, “Wow, they managed to get a good job despite not have a college degree. That’s pretty impressive.” Gratitude is an important part of character strength because it demonstrates an awareness of the people and things around you. You can develop gratitude by intentionally making it part of your everyday life. For example, you can end each day by thinking of 3 things that you are grateful for.  You can also try keeping a gratitude journal where you write down things that you are grateful for. You could make notes throughout the day or devote 10 minutes each evening to journaling. You could write, “Today I was given an opportunity to volunteer at the animal shelter. I’m grateful that I was able to do something constructive on this Saturday morning.” You can also turn your gratitude outwards. Make it a point to say “thank you” every time someone does something for you. You can also make it a point to show appreciation for things that don’t directly affect you.  For example, you could say to a co-worker, “Thank you for landing that new client. An increase in business is good for all of us.” You can make your comments specific. You could try, “I really appreciate that you brought me some chicken soup when I was sick. You’re really thoughtful.”


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Create a comic on paper if you want an original piece of work to photocopy. Work from a template or blank comic to make things easy. Use an online program to create simple digital comics. Work entirely in Illustrator for a professional-looking comic book.

Answer: If you want to keep it old school, feel free to create your comic on paper by hand. While you can use standard printer paper, there are sketchbooks designed for comic books where each page is larger to make it easier to draw details. Some of them are designed to be folded in half for easy photocopying.  If you make an original comic on paper, you can photocopy it to reproduce it. You can even get it bound into a book at the printer. If you’re using paper that folds in half, each single sheet will have 2 separate pages on it. For example, if your comic is 32 pages, your first page will have page 1 on the left side and page 32 on the right. The next sheet will have page 2 on the left, and page 31 on the right. This is why the thumbnails are so important! Each sheet will be 4 pages if you’re using the front and back of the paper. When you bind the book, you’ll place your sheets on top of one another and staple them in the center so the pages are in sequential order. There are plenty of online templates that can be printed out and draw directly on. This method will ensure that you don’t need to worry about sizing your panels. Like creating a comic book from scratch, this method will make it easy to reproduce your comic since you’ll simply need to get your pages photocopied at a printer. You can find a ton of free templates online at http://comicbookpaper.com/. There are several free resources available online to make rudimentary comics, although most of them don’t offer the kind of creative control that most illustrators want. If you’re making a short comic or working on a school project though, they can make comic creation quite easy. Pixton, Strip Generator, and Make Beliefs can all be used to render simple comics in your online browser.  An excellent program for making shorter digital comics can be found at https://www.pixton.com/. Pixton uses pre-rendered characters that you can place yourself to give them original dialogue. Make Beliefs is an easy-to-use site that can be found at https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/. It also uses pre-rendered characters though, and you can only have a total of 18 panels. You can find Strip Generator at http://stripgenerator.com/. You can import images and draw your own characters in Strip Generator, but the customization options can be kind of tough to make the most out of if you aren’t great at digital illustration. Most professional comic illustrators work entirely in a digital program like Adobe Illustrator, ArtRage, Affinity, or Procreate. Using this strategy, you can draw each panel individually and then import the images and resize them to fit the panels in a new project. This method is much more time-consuming, but it ensures total creative control and you’ll be able to undo mistakes, rearrange panels digitally, and make major changes without running the risk of ruining your original art.  If you’re interested in self-publishing, you can import your templates into Blurb and pay to get your comics printed professionally. Visit Blurb at https://www.blurb.com/comic-books. Most professional illustrators use a drawing pad that plugs into your computer. These look like big screens that you draw on with a stylus. This is the most efficient way to draw digitally.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Choose the material for your blinds. Consider the color of the room. Determine the size of blinds you’ll need. Choose the style of blinds.

Answer: There is a range of woods and wood finishes that you can select, including bamboo, basswood, faux wood and others. Different types of wood blinds may provide better insulation or may block light more effectively. They may also have better quality finishes. Find blinds with complementary colors or finishes. Bring home samples of colors and textures to test with your current décor. Some blinds also have ladder tapes, which are coverings made of cloth (or other material) that can be tailored to your room with different colors and textures. Consider the type and size of window when selecting blinds. Some windows are very shallow and therefore need thinner blinds. Slats are typically available in 1”, 2” and 2.5” widths. Prices for blinds can range widely, from $70-$120 for an average window size of 36” wide by 60” tall. Custom blinds will be more expensive but may be the best solution for windows with odd measurements or irregularly shaped windows. Many blinds are adjusted using a cord that you pull to swivel the slats open and closed. There are also cordless lift blinds, which do not have cords. These are safer options if you have small children who might pull on cords. You can also choose blinds that resemble shutters from the outside of the window. Some blinds have rounded corners while others have square corners.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Spread baking soda on your mattress. Let it sit for 24 hours. Vacuum up the baking soda.

Answer:
To deodorize your mattress completely after you've washed it, spread baking soda across the whole mattress. This could take up to a whole box of baking soda. That much baking soda won't hurt your mattress in any way. You should make arrangements to sleep elsewhere – another room in your home, or away somewhere. The baking soda needs time to penetrate any stains or odors in your mattress. You should close the door to your bedroom so children and small pets can't get into the baking soda. Using the upholstery attachment to your vacuum, suck up the baking soda after 24 hours have passed. You might have to go over the mattress more than once to be sure you get all of the baking soda up.