灯籠書道、奏功？

Pilot attempts at lanterns. Got out all my materials; very happy to see my brushes again. First attempt 魂; everything about them off, proportions of the top and bottom (since I'm trying the stacked form), elbows in the strokes from hanging around too long on too-absorbent material (in this case, practice napkins); tried again but on larger drawing paper, rolled, and set into the beaker of a French press; that didn't hold the paper form well; dropped-in tea candle went out, so used tongs and felt ridiculous, but whatever; overall effect in the dark OK but need for improvement obvious. Next: write nearer center of paper, to avoid ugly edge overlap; write better; probably not that brush, because I don't see those bristles giving my a decent 厶; use a Shabbos candle for greater illumination; use tape or rubber band to affix paper to outside of glass structure. (I've lined up a rocks glass and a scrubbed salsa jar.) Concern: given the narrowness of these vessels, I'll have to write pretty small to keep the proportions on one side. Options: I also have a rectangular vase or two the might work; or, I could form the paper into a rectangle or square and house the candle in something protective but smaller in diameter.

Anyway, JLPT. Refreshed the screen all morning until I succeeded in registering for N3, 9AM 太平洋 Time. (I'm sure that's not the word for the time zone, but I'm going to allow myself the satisfaction of knowing how to say the ocean.) I have until December to execute some study strategy. After all these years and books, and an endless streak at the top of the diamond league in Duolingo, I still feel like I can't actually say anything in Japanese, outside the parameters of an exercise. I can't get through half a thought without tearing it all down as wrong. (I can't even settle on the best kanji for "lantern"; I might go with 灯籠, as a basket, but I'm not 流しing them anywhere. I had to read a page on the difference between 成功 and 奏功.) Anxious paralysis. But, hey, it's the journey. Right? 練習道のマスターになっているね。