Glittercore Watercolor Painting: My Whimsical New Art Style

This post is submitted by our very own Shyartist

Glittercore Watercolor Painting: My Whimsical New Art Style

I’ve been experimenting with a new art style that I’ve decided to call Glittercore. It isn’t quite the same as the versions you might see online—it’s my Glittercore, and it’s inspired by how I see the world around me. It’s whimsical, luminous, and joyful, capturing the way sunlight sparkles on flowers, leaves, and water.

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What My Glittercore Means

Glittercore, as I practice it, is about finding the magical shimmer in everyday nature. It’s not just about glitter—it’s about light itself.

• 🌿 The glow of sunlit leaves in a tree
• 🌸 Blossoms that seem to sparkle in full bloom
• 💧 Water catching light with a soft shine

My art is whimsical even without metallic paints, but with mica shimmer, it feels enchanted—like nature glowing from within.

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Glittercore vs. Other “Cores”

Many modern aesthetics end with -core, so here’s how mine compares:

• Sparklecore – Dreamy, whimsical, and ethereal art with glitter, glowing light, and fantasy scenes.
• Glowcore – Focused on neon, artificial lights, and futuristic vibes.
• Dreamcore – Surreal and hazy, with nostalgic or unsettling dreamlike imagery.
• Glittercore (common use) – Often just means covering everything with chunky glitter.

✨ My Glittercore is different. It’s inspired by nature’s shimmer—the luminous way sunlight transforms ordinary things.

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Why I Make My Own Mica Watercolors

Metallic watercolor paints are beautiful but often expensive. To make Glittercore more accessible for me, I decided to create my own mica watercolors.

Instead of buying a full eco-friendly binder kit, I used Winsor & Newton Gum Arabic—it’s reliable, easy to find, and simple to work with. My pigments came from Natural Earth Paint, which are non-toxic, archival, and sustainably sourced. All of my supplies came from Amazon since I live in the country and don’t have access to art stores.

Making my own paints not only saved money but also gave me a deeper connection to my work.

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Supplies I Used

• Pigments: Natural Earth Paint Pigment Sample Pack (20 colors)
• Binder: Winsor & Newton Gum Arabic solution
• Tools: Nuanchu Watercolor Paint Muller Set (glass muller, slab, knives, and half pans)
• Optional: Pipette or ⅛ teaspoon for measuring, paper towels for cleanup

The kit was listed for oil and acrylic, but it works perfectly for watercolor. I didn’t bother with the magnetic strips or glue dots—instead, I filled empty half pans from an old watercolor set.

Aside: I purchase my watercolor supplies and tools from Amazon.com. I am not an affiliate and make no money from sharing this information. I include it only to help readers find a place to purchase these items if they wish.

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Step-by-Step: Making Glittercore Mica Watercolor

1. Measure the pigment
   Place about ½ teaspoon of mica pigment on the glass slab.
   For my first batch, I chose gold.
2. Add binder
   Use a pipette or ⅛ teaspoon to add just enough gum arabic to dampen the pigment.
   The mixture should be like thick cream cheese—never watery.
3. Grind and mix
   With the glass muller, grind the pigment and binder together.
   Keep pressing and swirling until smooth and creamy, about 5–10 minutes.
4. Test consistency
   Swatch the mixture on watercolor paper.
   If it looks streaky or chalky, add a drop more gum arabic.
5. Fill half pans
   Use the palette knife to place the mixture into empty half pans.
   Tap lightly on the table to remove bubbles and settle the paint.
6. Dry completely
   Leave the pans uncovered for 24–48 hours until hardened.
   Once dry, they rewet easily with a damp brush.

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My Experience So Far

I began with gold mica watercolor paint, and the results were magical: a soft shimmer that brought warmth and glow to my painting. My next step is to make silver mica, and eventually, I’ll build a whole palette of handmade Glittercore paints.

Painting with colors I created myself feels extra special. It’s not just about the shimmer—it’s about pouring more of myself into my art.

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What’s Next

Below you’ll find a video of my first animated Glittercore watercolor painting made with metallic paint. This is only the beginning of my Glittercore journey.

In my next post, I’ll show you how to make your own metallic mica watercolor paints step by step—starting with silver! I’ll also share more of my whimsical art inspired by nature’s glow.

✨ Stay tuned—there’s a lot more shimmer and sparkle to come.

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Written and Illustrated by The Shy Artist 🎨✨

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Big Changes Coming to “Serenity of the Mind” in 2026 — What You Should Know

Big Changes Coming to “Serenity of the Mind” in 2026 — 

What You Should Know

The YouTube platform is about to undergo significant changes in 2026, and these adjustments will affect how the Serenity of the Mind channel creates and shares content. The purpose of this post is to explain what’s happening on YouTube, why these updates matter, and how the channel will adapt while continuing to bring viewers calming, creative, and entertaining videos.

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What YouTube Is Changing (2025 → 2026)

YouTube recently updated its monetization and community guidelines, focusing heavily on what it calls “inauthentic content.” This is the updated term replacing “repetitious content.”

The platform now treats duplicate or mass-produced videos, including compilations with little transformation, as spam. Here are the key points:

• Duplicate or repeated content will be flagged as spam. Long compilations or repeated “best of” styles are now considered low-value.

• Compilations and reactions are still allowed but only when the creator adds clear, unique commentary or significant editing.

• AI tools are not banned, but every video must show clear human input and originality.

In practice, YouTube will push down or even block distribution of videos it considers duplicative or non-unique. Even small channels that are not monetized are affected, because flagged videos may get limited reach.

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What This Means for Serenity of the Mind

1. No More “Best of the Best” Compilations

In the past, the channel created longer videos by combining multiple shorts into a single compilation. With the new rules, repeating or recycling that style would risk being labeled spam.

Going forward, compilations will be replaced with announcement shorts and community posts directing viewers to blog posts that feature video lists ranked from “best to least best.” That way, audiences can still see curated content — but in a format that respects YouTube’s new policies.

2. Added Uniqueness for Cat Shorts

Cat shorts are a cornerstone of the channel, and they will stay — but with enhancements. Future uploads will feature:

• Tiny licensed or custom animations (for example, a small cat running across the bottom of the video)

• More use of static and animated elements for uniqueness

• Text overlays, sound effects, and human voiceovers by the channel creator and spouse

These adjustments ensure that cat shorts stay compliant while remaining fun and original. Cat Candy already follows these guidelines, so that series should continue without changes.

3. Rethinking Calm / Sleep / Meditation Videos

This area is more challenging. The channel used to use free video clips from sources like Pixabay, combined with filters, color adjustments, and music. But with many creators doing the same, those uploads now risk being flagged as low-value.

To avoid this:

• Only unique animated watercolor art from the channel’s artist, who prefers to be called “Shy Artist,” will be used going forward.

• To increase distinctiveness, additional features like on-screen text, gentle voiceovers, and custom animations will be layered in.

• Plans are underway to design a signature icon (perhaps a rotating leaf or drifting flower petal) to glide across the bottom of shorts, giving each video a recognizable identity.

This way, calm and meditation videos will remain truly original and valuable to viewers.

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Why These Changes Matter

YouTube’s stricter rules are meant to raise the bar on quality. Content that looks repeated or copied will not be promoted, even if the creator is not monetized. For Serenity of the Mind, that means leaning even more into authenticity, creativity, and uniqueness.

Viewer support is more important than ever. Every like, comment, and share shows YouTube that the videos bring real value, which helps them reach more people.

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In Closing
The channel is committed to adapting to YouTube’s evolving standards while keeping its focus on relaxation, creativity, and joy. Though best of the best compilations are going away, new forms of engagement, added originality in cat shorts, and unique hand-created artwork in calm videos will carry the channel forward.

Thank you for following along on this journey and for supporting Serenity of the Mind as it grows in a new era.

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Super Fast Looping Shorts: How YouTube’s New View Count Created Our Cat Candy Super Shorts

 

 Super Fast Looping Shorts: How YouTube’s New View Count Created 

Our Cat Candy Super Shorts

On March 31, 2025, YouTube changed how views would be counted on Shorts. From that day forward, a view was counted as soon as a Short started playing or was replayed — no minimum watch-time needed.

Many content creators didn’t know what to do with this new method of counting views, or how it would affect their channel. Some wondered if Shorts needed to loop over and over to be recognized, while others worried that looping might be seen as spam and hurt their channel.

When YouTube first made the change, my 60-second Shorts didn’t do very well. So I decided to try something new — something short and eye-catching that might put us back in YouTube’s good graces.

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Creating Super Shorts

I thought maybe a fast Super Short, no longer than 10 to 20 seconds, would work better. The first step was figuring out how to stop the fast-moving thumb — to make people pause scrolling and take a look.

My inspiration came from comic books. Comics always used eye-catching splashes of color with bold words written inside. The words were drawn in bright colors and huge fonts, often with movement lines that added emotion. These comic-style splashes gave the Short a burst of energy — exactly the kind of thing that stops thumbs mid-scroll.

That’s when I came up with my new type of fast looping Super Short — Cat Brain Candy.

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What Is Cat Brain Candy?

To make Cat Brain Candy, I start with a very short cat clip — something unusual, funny, or chaotic that sparks an idea. For example, one time I found a clip of a cat in a front-facing dress, and her paws made it look like she was carrying a bat. The first thing that came to my mind was the classic cartoon of an angry wife chasing her husband with a rolling pin or frying pan. (Of course, these are silly cartoon tropes only — no one should ever go after anyone with anything dangerous!) From that idea, “Wrath of the Cat Wife” was born.

These Cat Brain Candy clips did very well and kept our channel alive while YouTube’s new rules were settling down. Eventually, I was able to go back to making longer 60-second Shorts too.

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Why I Still Make Cat Brain Candy

I didn’t stop creating Cat Brain Candy even after my 60-second Shorts recovered. I just balanced both. The longer Shorts let me use humor, add my own sound effects, and include licensed music from TunePocket. But Cat Brain Candy is super fun to create, and people love them.

Of course, I can’t always find the perfect clip to turn into Cat Brain Candy. But when I do, I add a funny caption, give it that comic-book flair, and make sure it loops smoothly. Before viewers realize it, they’ve watched the same cat attacking a toy bird or knocking ceiling tiles down from inside the ceiling — over and over. Cats don’t need much help from us to get into chaos; that’s just cat nature!

Please check out the videos and playlist below by clicking the link.
We even combined all our Cat Brain Candy Shorts into one longer video, and people really enjoyed it. Click the link below so you can watch it too!

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 Funniest Tiny 5 Second Cat Clips — Best of the Best #shorts

How a Funny Cat Video Went Viral Around the World

 

How a Funny Cat Video Went Viral Around the World

Normally when I upload a video it only gets at best 1000 views and maybe 20 likes if I am lucky. I try to upload at least a couple of times a week. If possible, I upload a Funny Cat Compilation and what we call a Funny Cat Brain Candy a short about 5 to 10 seconds long. If our artist gets something ready for us or I dare to edit something we get a calm video of some kind.

On September 1 I uploaded a short that did so well. It did way better than I had ever hoped it would. I just did what I always do. I look at whatever short cat videos I might have and if they touch me just right I make a funny comment. Let the cats talk like how I think they would if they could speak for real.

I got this humor from me and my brother telling jokes. My brother is now deceased so I can not play the jokes game any more. We played the jokes game ever since we were children, but I never forgot how to make jokes to make people smile and that is exactly what I do in my Funny Cat Compilations. I try my best to make people smile.

So on September 1, doing as I had aways have done, I upload a short I finished called, ”Cat Joy: Funny Cat Compilation” and at first I thought it would be a dud, because at first that evening when I made it public and hour later when I took a look at it, it only had something like 40 views and no likes. So I went to sleep feeling heavy that I had worked so hard to create a dud and wondering what I could do to make the Funny Cat Compilations better.

So after I woke up and had breakfast, I looked at the dashboard on YouTube, and oh my, what a happy surprise. The Funny Cat Compilation called “Cat Joy: Funny Cat Compilation" did better than I could ever hope! People are still viewing the video from time to time and as of today it has 8795 views and 725 likes and 113 subscribers. I had heard on YouTube that people can get a viral video and I never believed it before now. I believed that it can take years just to get a few good videos of 1000 views and maybe if you are lucky 15 or a little more likes and if lucky at the most 2 subscribers.

The thing that really touched my heart and encouraged me to continue to do my channels, cat videos and calm videos was that this video actually went around the world. Here's the list of countries that saw our cat compilation, United States, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Germany, Japan, Türkiye (known as Turkey in English), Vietnam, Ukraine, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Canada, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Poland, Iran, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Romania, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Belarus, Greece, Chile, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia.

That is 39 wonderful countries in this great big beautiful Earth of ours. I thank all of you for supporting me, (Serenity of the Mind, YouTube Channel) from the bottom of my heart. You mean, well, the world to me. And I pledge to do my best to continue creating and publishing videos to the best of my ability to make you laugh, say awww, and to help you stay calm and to sleep. Thank you each and every one of you!

Better Sleep Tonight: Finding Peaceful Sleep and What Finally Helped Us

Finding Peaceful Sleep: What Finally Helped Us

Picture credit Pexels

For a long time, sleep was a struggle for us. We’d lie awake, toss and turn, and wake up feeling like we hadn’t rested at all. It took a lot of research, trial and error, and patience before we finally found routines and tools that made a difference. 

We are not doctors — we’re just sharing what has worked for us personally. If you’re struggling with severe or ongoing sleep problems, please see a healthcare professional or sleep specialist. But if you’re looking for some ideas that might help, here’s what we’ve learned.

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What We Learned from Research and What We Used That Worked for Us

Through both research and personal trial-and-error, we discovered that good sleep doesn’t come from one single trick — it comes from building healthy habits and using simple tools that support them. Here are the things that made the biggest difference for us:

• Consistent sleep schedule

Research shows that going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your body’s internal clock. We found this to be true — once we committed to a set bedtime, falling asleep got easier.

• Relaxing bedtime routine

Experts suggest winding down with calming activities before bed. For us, this meant creating and watching our own sleep videos with soothing music, gentle animations, and peaceful scenes. They became part of our signal to the body that it’s time to slow down.
 Explore our full Golden Time of Sleep Video Playlist here: YouTube Playlist

• Minimizing light

Studies show that darkness helps the body produce melatonin, the sleep hormone. We use eye covers to block out any light, and it has made a huge difference in the quality of our rest.

• Quiet, private listening

To avoid waking each other, we use earbuds when watching or listening to our sleep music. That way we can each relax without disturbing the other.
 You can try some of the calming tracks we use here: Sleep Music Playlist

• Sleep-friendly environment

Research emphasizes a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom. Combining this with our personal tools — sleep videos, eye covers, and earbuds — has turned our space into a place where sleep feels natural instead of a struggle.

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If you’ve tried these simple steps and still find sleep out of reach, research suggests it may be time to see a doctor or sleep specialist for deeper guidance.

At the end of the day, it took patience, research, and some experimenting before we finally found what worked for us. And while it’s not perfect every night, now we look forward to bedtime instead of dreading it.

We purchased our tools (like earbuds and eye covers) from Amazon. We are not Amazon affiliates — we don’t earn anything by sharing this. We’re simply hoping to help others find what has worked for us.

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Final Thought

Getting good sleep is personal. What works for us may not work exactly the same for you, but we hope sharing our journey gives you ideas to try. Even small changes — like adding calming sounds, blocking out light, or making your room more restful — can make a big difference over time.

And remember: if your sleep struggles are serious, don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor or sleep specialist.

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References

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Healthy Sleep Habits

• Mayo Clinic. Sleep tips: 7 steps to better sleep

• National Sleep Foundation. Sleep Hygiene

• Harvard Medical School. Blue light has a dark side

• CDC. Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

• Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep

“Emily’s Vet Visit: Urinary Infection in our Older Cat and How We Managed It”

 

“Emily’s Vet Visit: Urinary Infection in our Older Cat and How We Managed It”

Emily doing her Audrey Hepburn pose!

Emily's Vet Visit: Urinary Infection in Our Older Cat and How We Managed It

While taking Daisy to her vet visit, I noticed a poster in the clinic's exam room recommending

routine blood and urine tests for older cats. Since Emily is our oldest cat, I decided it would be a

good idea to have her checked as well.

One of my main concerns was thyroid problems, as these are quite common in older cats.

Fortunately, Emily’s blood test came back perfectly fine! However, her urine test revealed a

urinary infection. The vet prescribed an antibacterial medication for her. Since Emily is very

small, the vet cut the pills into quarters and also provided a large syringe for giving liquid or

creamy medications.

Here’s what worked for us when giving her the medication:

We crushed a quarter of a pill into powder.

We put some of Emily's favorite creamy treat in the syringe, then the powdered medication,

and finally more treat on top.

We gave it to her gently in her mouth. Emily happily ate it all!

What Causes Urinary Infections in Cats

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) happen when bacteria enter the urinary system. We learned that

common causes can include bacterial infections, crystals or bladder stones, and underlying

medical conditions like diabetes. Stress can also weaken the immune system, making cats more

vulnerable.

Why Older Cats Get UTIs More Often

Older cats are more susceptible due to several factors. Their immune systems can be weaker

with age, making it harder to fight off infections. They may also not fully empty their bladders,

and chronic conditions can increase the risk of infection.

How to Help Prevent Urinary Infections

While infections can't always be prevented, you can reduce the risk. Our vet gave us a few tips:

Ensure your cat always has access to fresh water; a cat fountain can encourage drinking.

Feed them a wet food diet, which increases their water intake.

Keep their litter box clean, especially if you have multiple cats.

Get regular vet check-ups to catch any problems early.

Manage their weight and reduce stress to support their immune system.

A note about urine collection: our vet explained that they use an ultrasound and a needle to get

a clean, non-contaminated sample. Some cats may have mild discomfort afterward. Emily did

have some discomfort the day after her visit, but after covering her with a blanket and sitting

with her for a while, she finally relaxed and went to sleep.

We are not vets, so this is just our experience and research to help other cat owners. If your cat

shows any unusual symptoms, always consult your veterinarian.

We were able to find the creamy treats and the syringe tools we used for Emily on Amazon. We

are not Amazon affiliates, just sharing where we found the items that worked for us.

References

PetMD. "Urinary Tract Infection in Cats."

WebMD. "Cat Hyperthyroidism."

ASPCA. "Urinary Health in Cats."

VCA Animal Hospitals. "Cystocentesis (Bladder Tap) in Cats."

Introducing Daisy: Our Youngest Cat in the Old Clowder

 

Introducing Daisy: Our Youngest Cat in the Old Clowder

Watch Daisy’s Video

Daisy is the youngest cat in our “old clowder.” What do we mean by old clowder? Well, when my wife and her son lived in New Mexico, they had three cats: Emily, the oldest; Jessica, the middle-aged cat; and Daisy, the youngest. When my wife and I got married, she and her son moved in with me, bringing all three cats with them.

Daisy may be the youngest, but our Norwegian Forest cat is also the sickest of them all. She has severe arthritis, asthma, and diabetes. But how did my wife get Daisy in the first place? Here’s the story.

How Daisy Came to Us

My wife and her son used to visit a small store across from the library. It was a charming little shop with clothes, earrings, statues, books, and even a tiny restaurant area. Her son loved going there after the library, especially for their Italian sodas and mini pizzas. 

One day, a mother cat and her kittens appeared at the store. The store owner managed to give away all the kittens but not the mother cat. She told my wife she needed to find a home for her.

At that time, my wife and her son had recently lost a cat, Fleur, who had run away. Feeling their house was empty without her, they decided to adopt the store cat. 

The store owner had named the cat Kali, after one of the Hindu goddesses. If you want to learn more about Kali, here’s a link: Kali. My wife and her son preferred the name Daisy, so the store cat became Daisy.

My wife promptly took Daisy to the vet, made sure she had all her vaccines, and had her spayed. Daisy wasn’t the nicest cat at first—in fact, she was quite mean. When my wife asked the store owner about her, she explained that she had found the cat behind the store and felt sorry for her, taking her in along with the cute kittens. Remember, though, that feral cats can be quite challenging. 

A Rough Start

Before my wife and I were married, I visited her, and Daisy bit me. I ended up with cat-scratch disease. Important note: cat-scratch disease can get serious, so you must go to a doctor immediately if bitten or scratched, even if your cat is fully vaccinated. You can learn more here: Cat Scratch Disease.

After the bite, Daisy ran away for a few weeks. Then one day, a cat came to the front door meowing to come in. My wife let her in. Later, when I visited again, I noticed this cat was skinnier and much nicer than Daisy used to be. My wife and I discussed why Daisy seemed so different, and we decided it was because she had been busy running around and jumping over fences.

Enter Daisy Two

Later in the week, Daisy got out again. While my wife was hanging clothes on the line, she noticed two cats approaching: one with two orange-tipped ears and the other with only one. The one with two orange- tipped ears ran away, while the one-eared cat came to my wife. 

We named her Daisy Two. Daisy One never returned, but Daisy Two stayed with my wife and her son. Realizing she didn’t have her original cat, my wife put up posters everywhere—in every store and vet clinic—but no one came to claim Daisy Two. Also, realizing Daisy Two wasn’t her original cat, she took her to the vet for shots, only to find out she was already spayed.

Below the title is a video showing Daisy today and how she’s doing. If you have stories about your cats, we’d love to hear them! Share in the comments below or send them to us by email:

    serenityofthemindyt@gmail.com

Here are some more videos of all our cats:

Cat Video Playlist

For a story about Emily on the blog, click this link:

Meet Emily, Our Beloved Family Cat

Don’t forget to follow us!

Next time, we’ll share tips on how to care for a sick cat like Daisy, so you can help your feline friends stay comfortable and happy.