Alt+H Prompt of the Month

It's a New Year, and that brings with it both the chance to reflect and look back, and the chance to shed what's old and bring positive change into yourself. It's a time to declare new resolutions and set intentions for the incoming year that we look to with hope. So to wish everyone a Happy New Year, we present you with the January 2018 Prompt of the Month.

"Fate and Choice" 

When you think about Fate and Choice with regards to your alterhuman experience, what does that make you think of or feel? What role do each play in your life and perspective? Do you believe in one more than the other? Whatever your thoughts, we encourage you to share them however you can -- drawing, writing, video, interpretive dance, yodeling, parkour, it's a big new world full of ways to express yourself!

You can answer on Tumblr or Twitter; or you can link us to something on your own site via any of our social medias by @ing us or tagging #althprompt, or link it to us on the new #potm channel on the Discord server.

You can also send your submissions to althstaff@gmail.com with an optional alias to have them published on the site, and you can submit anonymously through the Tumblr as well (though be warned Tumblr may eat your submissions)! 

As always, we look forward to seeing what people have to share, and look forward to a bright and hopeful 2018!

Alt+H Prompt of the Month

Happy November! New seasons bring new things, and that includes a new take on the previously-named Question of the Month! As we posted here, we're making some changes to be more inclusive and inspire more creativity and sharing within our communities by formally introducing the Alt+H Prompt of the Month!
Now, at the beginning of each new month, there will be a short one- or two-word prompt with the goal of sharing what that word means to each of us in terms of our alterhumanity, and the prompt for this month and to kick things off is:

"Beginnings"

What do beginnings mean to you as an alterhuman? Could it be the beginning of your journey of self-discovery? Your entrance into the community? Something else entirely? Share your feelings on alterhuman beginnings through writing, art, selfies, videos, slam poetry, postmodernist meme art, even interpretive dance! Live your dreams!

You can answer on Tumblr, Twitter, or the Facebook page; or you can link us to something on your own site via any of our social medias by @ing us or tagging #althprompt, or link it to us on the new #potm channel on the Discord server.

You can also send your submissions to althstaff@gmail.com with an optional alias to have them published on the site, and you can submit anonymously through the Tumblr as well (though be warned Tumblr may eat your submissions)! So many options!

We look forward to seeing what these new changes bring and what folks have to share this month!

We're hearkening in the autumn once more at Alt+H. Lùnastal math (happy Lammas!) to those who celebrate it, and to those who don't, happy... August QOTM day? Either way, observe the festivities by answering this month's question:

Is your identity literal or symbolic? Voluntary or involuntary? As or with? Why do you think that is, what is it like, and what do you imagine the opposite would be like?

You can answer on tumblr, twitter, or the facebook page; or you can link us to something on your own site via any of our social medias or the #qotm channel on the Discord server.

You can also send your submissions to althstaff@gmail.com with an optional alias to have them published on the site, and you can submit anonymously through the tumblr as well! So many options!

You can submit whatever you like! It doesn't have to be a whole essay. We're seeing an uptick in art-based submissions which is really exciting, and any other medium you can think of is cool too. You want to do some slam poetry about being alterhuman? Go wild. Live your dream.

Of course, there's also the QOTM Roundtable to look forward to. This month, it's on Friday 4th at 8pm EST. See that in your local time here and then join the server so you can participate! The change in time from 5pm EST previously was well received, so 8pm is now the time you can expect all future roundtables to be at.

And just like last time, at the end of the month, we'll round up our favourite thoughts and show them off here. If your answer is particularly thoughtful, entertaining, or inspiring, that could be you!

We're looking forward to seeing what you've got to show us this month!

If you already have an idea for next month's question, let us hear it!

June has arrived, and hopefully for most of you the sun has come with it. If not, there's always this month's QOTM to keep your brain warm:

Do you experience shifts? 

What are they like for you? How would you personally define or explain shifts? If you have multiple identities that cause shifting, are some shifts different from others?

You can answer on tumblr, twitter, or the new facebook page; or you can link us to something on your own site via any of our social medias or the #qotm channel on the Discord server.

Send your submissions to althstaff@gmail.com with an optional alias to have them published on the site. You can submit anonymously through the tumblr as well!

Submit what you like! It doesn't have to be a whole essay. It can be a paragraph, a sentence, a short poem. Hell, it doesn't even have to be writing! Art is welcome too. Interprative dance? Music? Sure! Whatever you have to contribute is valuable and appreciated.

Of course, there's also the QOTM Roundtable to look forward to. This month, it's on Friday 8th at 5pm EST. See that in your local time here and then join the server so you can participate!

And just like last time, at the end of the month, we'll round up our favourite thoughts and show them off here. If your answer is particularly thoughtful, entertaining, or inspiring, that could be you!

We're looking forward to seeing what you've got to show us this month!

If you already have an idea for next month's question, let us hear it!

Now that April Fools is safely over, it's time to get down to the Very Serious Business of answering the monthly question. Here's what you chose this month:

How do you outwardly express your alterhumanity?
If you're an artist, does it come through in your art?

You can answer on tumblr or twitter; or you can link us to your writing on your own site via any of our social medias or the #qotm channel on the Discord server. Speaking of the Discord, we'll be having our round-table discussion of this month's QOTM on April 7th, 5pm Eastern Time (see it in your local time here).

Your answer can be in any format as always, but because of the nature of this month's question it'd be extra nice to see art submissions. Drawing, writing, music - you name it, we want to see it!

And just like last time, at the end of the month, we'll round up our favourite thoughts and show them off here. If your answer is particularly thoughtful, entertaining, or inspiring, that could be you!

We're looking forward to seeing what you've got to show us this month!

And if you already have an idea for next month's question, let us hear it!

February Roundup

As February draws to a close and winter with it, let's have a look at what you've had to say about this month's QOTM:

What is your relationship to humanity?

Do you identify with any part of being human? 

Do you feel like you’re a blend of ‘other’ and human, or fully not human inside? 

Are you human but alterhuman in some other way?

1) "I don’t have to identify as either fully human or fully not"

- Aepaex gives us this great perspective on otherheartedness and existing in contrast to your environment.

2) "I consider myself, as I am now, to be a hybrid being"

- Fractal Boundary explains how humanity and alterity can coexist in the same body.

3) "Anthropophobia"

- Vagabond Sun contemplates otherness in the eyes of other people.

4) "We realized just how much rabbit is in our soul"

- KabitTarah talks about the comfort a deep rooted nonhuman connection can bring in this exploration of her therianthropy over the years.

5) "Pretty damn distant"

- Serpent of Solipsistful tells us that when it comes to feelings of otherness in alterhumans, it's not always your species that's to blame.

6) "Its very own brand of mixed nuts"

- BlueBoxOfSnark sums up some complicated feelings in a short and sweet statement on the weirdness of being human.

There was also tons of conversation throughout the whole month on the discord server's dedicated QOTM channel: together we explored the boundaries of the definition of 'human' and 'person'; body modification's role in identity and the nature of sentience in relation to and around the QOTM subject. It was a great way to get involved for the people who didn't feel up to writing a whole article, and an excellent supplement for the people who did. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Now we've got March to look forward to - what will the next question be? Check back tomorrow to find out!

Source: Alexander Stielau

This month is a month of firsts - it's the first time we're doing a Question of the Month on the new site, and it's the first time we asked you, the community, to pick this month's question. The response has been fantastic! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and voted on them.

This is what you've chosen to be February's Question of the Month:

What is your relationship to humanity? 

Do you identify with any part of being human? Do you feel like you’re a blend of ‘other’ and human, or fully not human inside? Are you human but alterhuman in some other way?

You can answer via tumblr or twitter; you can link us to your writing on your own site; and, for the first time you can join us on our Discord server for a round table discussion on February 3rd, 5pm Eastern Time (see it in your local time here).

At the end of the month, we'll round up our favourite thoughts and show them off here. If your answer is particularly thoughtful, entertaining, or inspiring, that could be you!

And if you've got an idea for next month's question? Now's the time to submit it!

Thank you for your contributions so far, and your contributions yet to come!