The most important step is finding and understanding your cause and knowing what ribbon matches it. Of course, if you are reading this article you probably already know what you are wearing a ribbon for. It is always good to understand the cause you represent deeply, as you may be asked about it. Often, ribbons are worn in honor of someone you know. For instance, a relative that passed from a type of cancer. Ribbons are also worn to demonstrate solidarity with a particular group, for instance Black Lives Matter or the LGBT community. Check your sources carefully. Some organizations, such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Autism Speaks, are strongly disliked by the people they claim to be helping. Be careful about what type of group you are supporting. Single-color ribbons are simple enough, but ribbons with multiple colors or different designs can be more complicated. Often, a particular cause may have a specific "official" design, but you don't necessarily need to be bound by that. You can customize a ribbon by writing the name of a person who is meaningful to you on the ribbon's tail, or trimming in their favorite color. The "Eye" of the ribbon is also an area that people like to customize with designs or symbols. If you want to follow a particular design exactly, you'll want to seek out the website representing the cause and find their exact specifications. For smaller ribbons, especially those that will be worn, you'll want to use ribbon or fabric as your material. These materials are generally soft, wearable, and tolerate stress and weather reasonably well. If you are making a larger ribbon to be displayed on a door or in a window, you may want to consider paper or card stock. Since the ribbon won't be worn and won't be moving much, paper and card stock are both cheaper and easier to make large ribbons out of. Paper or card stock reasons are also easy to add additional colors to - just use a marker or paint.

Summary: Find a cause you care about. Choose your ribbon design. Choose premade ribbon or fabric for most smaller jobs. Choose paper or card stock for most larger jobs.

Even if you don't have an agent and haven't heard from a studio yet, you can still begin to attend auditions by going to open calls. An open call is an audition that anyone can attend. Be prepared for there to be many people at open calls and to be seen for only a short amount of time. Even if it isn't very likely to book a role at an open call, it is still great practice and will help you get used to auditioning and start getting yourself seen by casting directors. To find open calls in your area, you can look at a website like backstage.com for listings. Since voice acting can be done simply with a microphone, you can even audition from home. There are different job listings online, such as the ones at voices.com. The online marketplace is changing the way casting occurs, and auditioning online is a great option when you don't live in a major acting city. Some say that the real work of an actor is auditioning. This is because acting is highly competitive. You will likely need to go on many auditions to book just one gig, and then as soon as you complete your job, you have to start auditioning all over again. Therefore, you must learn to embrace the audition process and go to as many as possible. This will keep you sharp and your voice in shape for when you do land a job. The more auditions you attend, the higher chance you have of being hired. Audition even for roles that you aren't sure you're right for. You never know what a casting director is looking for. Make sure your voice is warmed up and you are hydrated. Make sure you have prepared the script and know how you will read it. Some auditions consist of only saying one line, so it is important to know that you can nail it ahead of time. This will also help to ease your nerves in a stressful audition environment. Have other dialogue prepared besides the script in case casting directors want to see what else you can do. Try to get inside the character's head and to go beyond the words on the page. Who is this character? What is important to them? Why are they saying these words? It might help you to write down your ideas about a character to work through the important aspects of them. This will help you to bring the character to life. When attending an audition, punctuality is key. To ensure being on time, plan to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time. This will give you a chance to get settled and even go over your script. Even though looks aren't relevant for voice acting, your overall impression says a lot. Make sure to dress appropriately. Don't wear an old, raggedy t-shirt. You should look professional and keep in mind what character you are auditioning for. For example, if you're auditioning for a ninja, you don't need to wear a costume, but wearing a black button-down shirt would be a good way to interpret that role with professional clothing.

Summary: Attend an open call. Audition online. Audition as much as possible. Prepare ahead of time. Show up on time. Dress appropriately.

Run the sand under water in a pillowcase or ultra-fine mesh container until the water comes out clean. Pour the sand gently into the bottom of the aquarium so it creates a medium-thick layer at the bottom. The sand will filter water, provide nutrients to plants, and create a place for bottom feeding animals to dig and bury themselves. Avoid using gravel, as it contains no nutrients needed for live plants. Gravel is a common choice for aquariums that don't have live plants as it is easy to clean and easy to handle. However, for live plants, gravel provides no nutrition and colored gravel can actually make the water more acidic. If you must use gravel, opt for fine gravel over chunks of gravel, as you can mix it with sand or another substrate to provide some level of nutrition. This is not advised if you plan on having more than a few plants in the aquarium. There are a variety of substrates available at all pet and aquarium stores, and it doesn't really matter which brand you choose as long as it contains no gravel. Look for products that are clay-based to mix with the sand and look for products that are advertised as being live-plant-friendly. Clay-based substrate will make it easier to anchor and root your plants, while other substrates may provide additional nutrition. Look for substrates that contain plant fertilizer, or mix the substrate with plant fertilizer before you add any plants to the aquarium. The sheet should cover the majority of the substrate layer as you fill the aquarium so you don't disturb it. Use a long piece of plastic wrap, a plastic tub cover, or a pot lid for spherical aquariums. The water should be anywhere from 7080F (2127C) to create the right conditions for most underwater vegetation. Slowly and carefully fill the tank with water, being sure to avoid disturbing the substrate layer too much. Your plastic cover or lid will help spread out the impact from having water poured over the base layer. Check the temperature requirements for both your aquatic animal and your live plants. 7080F (2127C) is recommended for most fauna and fish, but if your plants require it to be higher or lower, use whichever temperature is recommended.
Summary: Clean and lay sand 3cm (1.2in) thick on the tank's bottom. Pour a 3cm (1.2in) layer of plant substrate over the sand carefully. Cover the substrate layer with a plastic sheet or an easily removable cover. Fill the tank with room temperature water slowly and carefully.