John Harper
@john_harper
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He/They | 🏳️🌈 | Agon, Blades in the Dark, Lasers & Feelings | | |
Seattle, WA
Joined June 2009
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Pinned Tweet
Get my games in PDF at my storefront here:
Get hardcopy versions of Blades in the Dark and AGON from Evil Hat Productions (which include a free PDF!):
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Blades in the Dark is being developed for television! I'm thrilled to finally share this news with you all. The people at
@WarpFilms
are amazing -- I'm so excited to work with them to bring the world of Blades to life on screen.
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Welcome to Doskvol. No, we don't know where that bright light in the sky is coming from, either. It should pass.
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Lots of new people coming in to RPGs now, which is sooooo great. I've played 246 different ones, so allow me to recommend a bunch in a thread here. (I'll do little sets of three periodically until I run out.)
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"WHEN YOU RUN AN RPG, DON'T CALL FOR A ROLL JUST TO ROLL! CHARACTERS CAN ACCOMPLISH ACTIONS WITHOUT ROLLING! ROLLS NEED STAKES! ADDRESS DANGERS, NOT TASKS, BRO! MOST 'PERCEPTION CHECKS' ARE ESPECIALLY BULLSHIT BECAUSE OF THIS! FOR EXAMPLE,"
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Paraphrasing
@skinnyghost
's excellent advice: "Don't create your character as a final statement. Play to answer the question of who they might be. And don't make your answers so loud that you can't hear anybody else at the table."
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I haven't curated my Twitter space well enough, apparently, because some asshats are retweeting transphobic bullshit onto my feed. Time to prune.
Trans rights are human rights. The end.
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Scene-framing GM tech: Start w/ color palette. When you describe the rest of the scene, the players will paint w/ those colors in the mind's eye.
"The snow palace. The colors are white, pale blue, and silver."
"The foundry. The colors here are inky darkness and fiery red light."
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90% of my DMs: "Hello! I want to use your IP for my project. That's ok, right?"
lol
No. WTF?
Can you use Marvel? Star Wars? D&D? Come on.
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Put "Liz Lemon," in front of Kanye's tweets and he becomes Tracy Jordan. "Liz Lemon, I wonder what happened to my antique aquarium."
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I've updated Lasers & Feelings to a simple CC-BY license. This means you can sell your L&F hacks! Thanks to everyone for supporting the game over the years and making cool hacks. Grab the updated PDF over here:
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Hello, new followers! If you like Blades in the Dark, you might also enjoy AGON -- a fast-paced game of epic heroic action, good for new players and GMs alike. (links below)
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Hey y'all, working game designer here: I don't feel like making stuff right now! The world is a nightmare.
I say this not to freak you out, but to say that your feelings are valid. We all go through hard stuff. We'll overcome and get back to it. But take care of yourselves.
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Once again daydreaming about an Alien: Isolation style game where the xenomorph role is played by Batman and you play as henchmen and villains of Gotham's rogues gallery.
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also: the cops are the bad guys
blades in the dark is very realistic to real life. for example, planning ahead costs a significant amount of stress,
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Fuck the police.
#BlackLivesMatter
All profits from my games from last week and this week are going directly to orgs supporting protesters (see my previous RTs) as well as Black creatives.
Donate if you can. Amplify Black voices.
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In case Blades didn't make it perfectly clear already:
*The fucking pigs are your enemies.*
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I like how a non-zero amount of cool creative stuff happens because someone makes a sort-of joke about it and then everyone goes YES WE ACTUALLY WANT THAT
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I'm a full time tabletop rpg designer. That's my entire job. In case you didn't know. I'm very lucky and I love it.
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I'm pleased to announce that the Paragon System (from AGON 2nd edition) is now available for use in your own full standalone games via a Creative Commons license. For details, go to and download the SRD package. Can't wait to see what you make!
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Game designers, lets resolve to abolish these rules example situations:
- Jumping over a fence
- Moving a heavy object
- Looking around a room
When you write an example, ask yourself, "What's one of the very cool things that characters do in my game -- and what are the stakes?"
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Here's my plan: When I play a game from the massive itch bundle and I really like it, I'll buy a copy as a gift for someone who I think will enjoy it.
If they do, maybe they'll buy a copy as a gift for someone else, and pass it on.
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I'm donating all profits from my game sales in February to RAINN as a concrete act of solidarity with victims of abuse. If you'd like to donate, visit:
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The fucking pigs think they're righteous warriors while they shoot peaceful protestors in the head, shoot medics in the back, deploy chemical weapons, and blast sonic attacks on civilians. What a bunch of cowardly fools. Quit the force or be a bootlicking toadie. Your choice.
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The hot takes... they're so bad, y'all. I cant... I mean. Please. People have thought about that shit before. Read a book. Google it. Just... try. ffs
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Forged in the Dark designers:
Post a shot of your game's playbook sheet (a single one is fine) in this thread -- if you're willing to let me use it in a future video. I plan to use them in a quick sequence to show how many different takes on "playbook" there are.
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Hey, creative friends. No matter what you feel inside, go ahead and tell everyone that you love your work and you're excited to share it. Lie if you have to. Your enthusiasm will shine though and others will pick it up. Don't do the bs self-effacing shit. It's kind of awful.
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If you organized for the strike, shoot me a DM and I'll send you all my games. ✊
Captains and coordinators don’t pay for a single drink for the rest of the year. I don’t make the rules.
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It's very cool to see this iteration of Forged in the Dark design from the team at Darrington -- Candela Obscura looks great!
The Illuminated Worlds System/Candela Obscura was inspired by SO MUCH exciting tech from all over the roleplaying game space, most notably
@john_harper
’s Blades In The Dark and
@FreeLeaguePub
’s Vaesen! It’s built on the shoulders of giants, and I can’t wait for people to try it.
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I updated the Blades in the Dark core sheets to v3 today, on DTRPG and . If you weren't notified, you can grab the file here (the first link on the page):
The video companion for the newest sheet is here:
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I'm curating a collection of Forged in the Dark games on itch. Respond in this thread if I missed yours!
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Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
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Thread. Ready Player One sucks for specific reasons. This is part of it.
@MOOMANiBE
There's a phenomenon I've been trying to codify for a while, and I don't think I've got it quite yet but it sort of goes like this: There's a strong human tendency to try to ascribe all values we see as either positive or negative, to things which we see that way. (1/?)
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Happy 3rd anniversary to us. 💙😍💙
This year we're celebrating at home.
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I make *a lot* of stuff. Some people think that the stuff I release is all I make. Not even close. The stuff I release as products represents about 5% of what I make. Being a creative means making lots and lots of stuff, with no guarantee of return. You have to love doing it.
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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
Fuck these assholes and their vile cruelty.
And just like that, the Trump administration defines sex as defined by biology and wipes out health care discrimination protections for all trans people in the US.
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If you're a GM or player curious about how action rolls work in Blades in the Dark (or Candela Obscura), I have a tips and techniques video for you here:
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TTRPG Designers -- Be mindful of these two states in players:
1) Using what's provided.
2) Creating stuff for themselves.
Play oscillates between these states, and part of your design work affects this oscillation.
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... speaking of a Dark Souls RPG ...
I have the beginnings of a Paragon playset in that vein that's shaping up nicely so far. (Watching the new Macbeth really made it click in my brain.)
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Just felt like doing a bit of art. (Might be a game thing in there? No time for that now, though.) :)
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Found this in a 10 year old post of mine, thought it might be useful still. "The Four Cs of Characters":
1. Connected: The character has relationships (positive and negative) with other significant characters in the situation.
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This is an historic project in RPGs, and wow does it look amazing!
I am incredibly proud to announce that I have conceived and co-led the first book written entirely by PoCs in
@Wizards_DnD
’s 49-year history: Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel!
16 Black and brown writers made this amazing book!
#RadiantCitadel
#DnD
#TTRPG
#DesiDnD
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AGON is text and art complete! In final edits now. If you missed the KS, we'll have pre-orders available in March. I'm so happy with how this game has come together. Can't wait for y'all to get it into play.
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I've learned *so much* from AP shows as a game designer. Not just my games, but the whole spectrum. I'm working on systems directly informed by what I see gamers doing on stream.
@deepestvalleys
It's so vital to our hobby. Designers should be all over it. There's no better space to learn how the rubber meets the road.
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The 7th stretch goal for Blades in the Dark, Band of Blades, has expanded from a simple re-skin into its own standalone game. This is fantasy military adventure in the vein of The Black Company. KS backers have the files, and non-KS peeps can get it here:
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@mikemearls
Nope. This isn't good enough, Mike -- and you know it. I understand that you have corporate overlords but, seriously. Come on.
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New video! Blades in the Dark: Position and Difficulty.
In this short video, I highlight the importance of the different outcomes for Controlled, Risky, and Desperate action rolls in the Blades in the Dark RPG, and how they affect the difficulty level of obstacles.
(link below)
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Introducing CHAMBER, the 1st playset for the PARAGON system (from the AGON rpg).
CHAMBER is a sci-fi intrigue setting, inspired by SCP Foundation, Control, and The X-Files.
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let's put game design in perspective.
it fucking matters.
dig in and do the work.
we're making a difference.
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Can't wait for this Blades in the Dark series (in a custom setting)!
REMINDER:
#TheZoneCast
Steeplechase begins THIS WEEK! The setup episode for this season, where we talk through the game, introduce our characters, and build our team, will come out on Thursday, and Episode 1 will follow next week!
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'Rubber bullet' is a bullshit propaganda term. They are 40mm grenade shells, fired by cowardly thugs who fully intend the severe harm they inflict.
Fuck the police.
A black 20-year-old student Justin Howell is in critical condition with brain damage after
@Austin_Police
deliberately shot him in the head; then shot the medics helping him.
Resign
@Chief_Manley
&
@MayorAdler
.
#hisnameisjustinhowell
#BlackLivesMatter
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I tend to use "guys", "dude", and "hey man" when my meaning is intended to be non-gendered. Please feel free to point it out when you hear me do that. I want to shift those parts of my speech to other things.
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For the artwork in AGON 2nd edition (coming to KS this month via
@EvilHatOfficial
), I explored a new style, sort of based on ancient pottery. Here's a set of images showing my initial sketch, re-drawn in vectors, then finalized with textures and colors.
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Long ago, some people tried to "define RPGs" in a way to exclude me and my friends who were making games. That situation left a mark on me that I didn't understand until recently. I have a lot of anger about it, and I projected that anger in a shitty way. I will do better.
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Going through my old game notes; found this little introduction to a faerie game called Foxglove. I may have to make this. 🦊
Fur for skin and claw for toe
Catch your prey and slip your foe
Quickly quickly we shall go
To the house of yes and no
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I got to play with this the other day, and let me tell you: it is awesome. The OMM team is knocking it out of the park.
Don't stay here after dark.
Create ghost towns, alleyways, and smog filled cities with the BLADES IN THE DARK asset pack coming to One More Multiverse this fall.
⚔️
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Telling someone else what to do with their creative work is the height of self-centered bullshit. Go on and make your own stuff -- do what you want. Leave other creators alone.
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I'm so happy to be doing graphic design for Girl by Moonlight -- a Forged in the Dark game about magical girls by
@CommutingCrow
. The game is fantastic and I'm super proud of the visual style. Playtest stuff will be updated soon!
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I support the cast in deciding to quit the show for good. That scene was horrifying. Details in the thread(s) here. I hope Adam will apologize for his bizarre and hurtful behavior, and make amends, but for now, I hope the players and audience who were subjected to that are okay.
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Day 1 of
#AprilTTRPGMaker
: I'm John Harper, a tabletop game designer. I was previously a youth counsellor, a combatives instructor, and an art director. I love TV and movies and smoky scotch. I try to make games that build community and provide support for other designers.
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Making my Elden Ring experience as Green Knight as possible.
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If you're in Doskvol and you look into the ghost field and see this...
"City of Shadows". Images made during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the fall of 1991. These are time-lapse pictures of crowds trying to enter Vassilostrovskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg.
Artist: Alexey Titarenko (1962 -)
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BROKEN SPIRE, the Blades in the Dark supplement by
@SeanNittner
not only sets up a crew to assassinate the Immortal Emperor, it also provides a smart framework for a variable-length game series, across tiers of power. Cool design -- hackers take note!
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New Blades in the Dark tips & techniques video! Game Rhythm & Calling for Rolls.
Have you ever had a bit of friction in play when you feel like it's 'time to roll', but you weren't sure how to bring the mechanics in? This short video has the solution.
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I mainly use this platform to boost the signal for other indie creators, and I'm gonna keep on doing that.
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I'm a real indie game designer because I've been asked "but how do you do initiative?" at least 10,000 times.
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Making a Forged in the Dark game? Don't know where to start?
@kindelingboy
has got you covered with this handy guide:
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Watching
@austin_walker
teach Forged in the Dark on the fly with speed and flair. This Mass Effect N7 day stream VOD will be a great tutorial video for people to learn the ropes.
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I had to do my own version of
@AnneMunition
's Rune from
@RollPlay
Blades (she's gonna be in the game book, too!)
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BE ADVISED: Incoming threats detected on long range sensors. ETA 21 hours.
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.
@JRothenbergTV
The 100 is exceptional. 1 of the most engaging shows I've ever seen. (I've cringed in suspense as much as w/ Breaking Bad.)
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Sometimes it hits me how many of you are playing Blades and just... dang. So thrilled. 💙🗡💙
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Don't let people tell you how to make your art in the draft phase. Start with layout, with art, with music -- whatever works for your process. You'll find collaborators, editors, producers who will work with your style. Ignore simplistic "always/never" advice and do your thing .
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Great news, Blades hackers! The official
@roll20app
sheet now has editable Attribute and Action labels so you can customize them for your playtests. Huge thanks to
@cocotheorem
for making them.
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Inspired by
@ThirdFloorWars
recent play and discussion of AGON, I've drafted a new hero sheet design, with even more instructional bits. Let me know what you think! I'll update the PDF versions once this one is ready to go.
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This makes me so happy. Can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it.
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You heard it right, peeps. The first Blades-powered RPG is text complete and headed for publication!
SCUM AND VILLAINY DRAFT 1.7 IS OUT. Yes, that space-faring game Forged in the Dark by
@strasa
and
@worldnamer
is text complete. Want to get and early look:
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This is a very good deep-dive into the systems and techniques of Blades in the Dark (and related rpgs).
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If you use these in play, let me know how they work and if you have any ideas for tweaks.
Presenting new one-page reference sheets for Scoundrels and GMs! Learning Blades takes some reading, playing, and synthesis -- hopefully these simplified sheets will help the process at the table. (link in thread)
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If Dune can manage even 50% of the restraint and artistry of The Green Knight, I'll be happy.
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Super excited for the upcoming Blades in the Dark series on
@TheZoneCast
! Listen to GM
@JustinMcElroy
give a little teaser about it here:
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Seize your glory! AGON is now available at my brand new storefront site.
@SeanNittner
and I are really proud of this game -- it nails the quick-playing, easy to learn, high-action feel that we wanted for it. We hope you love it, too!
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This epic thread on food in Blades in the Dark is... <chef's kiss> 🔥
I have been, in bits and pieces, thinking WAY too much about food in Blades in the Dark. John did a great thing in Blades (which most such fantasy cities skip) of at least acknowledging that food is a thing that must come from somewhere, so there is a space for it.
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I have merch! Go grab your stuff for Blades in the Dark and my other games here:
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The Blades in the Dark website has gotten a whole new look! Also, the entire System Reference Document and CC-licensing info is up now.
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It's official!
@EvilHatOfficial
is publishing SCUM AND VILLAINY, the first standalone "Forged in the Dark" game. So exciting! This game is great.
We're publishing Scum and Villainy with Evil Hat! *PEW* *PEW*
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Thing I learned after releasing Blades
#34
:
Even with Han Solo, Firefly, the friggin' Underground Railroad, and 18 suggestions in the book, a lot of gamers go entirely blank when they try to conceive of exciting smuggling adventures.
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If you're new to online gaming, here's a guide for getting started with Blades in the Dark on
@roll20app
. Feel free to ask your own questions in the thread.
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I've bought game files called "final.pdf"
if you're a person who releases RPGs or any other digital books i'm begging you please name your pdf files sensibly
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I know what I'm doing. I'm an expert in my field. But I have days where I don't hit the mark and things don't go how I want. It's not because I suck. It's totally normal. Don't hate on yourself. You're amazing. Carry on.
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