Actually, it's usually called a foundry meet, not casters. Getting the terms right helps when you're asking around for advice later. That sand debate is pretty normal after seeing how another shop does things.

Those chaotic scribbles might be the exact creative jumpstart you need. What if you built a whole palette around that purple elephant energy?

Yep, exactly this. My old dog was the same, he'd panic and chew the crate bars. We ditched the tough love approach fast. Started stuffing his meals into frozen Kongs and using a snuffle mat, and it was like a different dog. Sometimes they just need a job to do, lol. A tired brain fixes a lot of problems.

My mom does that at the grocery store every week.

Wow, that garage full of broken parts isn't a workshop, it's a parts museum. My bench is just a display case for all the bolts I stripped trying to fix one stupid carburetor. I've got a whole shelf of 'what was I even trying to do here' projects.