#i don't plan to have so many of them just a few curated pieces that i really really love | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

helianskies · 5 months

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reflecting on my 2023 in this fandom, i wanted to share some observations, reflections and projections for 2024. it's a little mix of positive and negative stuff so, and as this will be something mostly only mutuals will read (if at all), i just wanted to give you that heads up. i have some bits to get off my chest.

so, to start with, some little observations about myself as a writer:

i tag it 'nationverse' because i don't tend to write nationverse (the odd bit of historical, but not consistently), and i think it's useful to signpost to my readers 'oh btw they are actually nations in this one, in case that's not what you want to read today'. that is okay.

i will always call it 'engspa' to distinguish it from 'spuk' because i have a preferred dynamic for them and i grew up in a fandom space that tagged things as such to help readers know what they were getting into. that is okay.

i prefer having a ficlet collection to posting small works separately because it helps me manage my fics, see what i have and haven't done, navigate my profile, keep the request fics in one place, and maintain my drive to write small things compared to posting them all separately. that is okay.

i block people in order to curate my online enviroment, to avoid topics or content i'm not interested in or that i don't want to be in my happy space, and to manage my own emotions - and i am allowed to do so. that is okay.

i don't like every ship under the sun and so won't fulfil every request or suggestion i receive into my inbox, no matter how many times i am asked to. that is okay.

i just feel a need to address these things that have cropped up in my year. at a few points i've felt like a 'bad writer' for doing certain things or have been made to feel like a 'bad writer' for... essentially having preferences. at various points i lost confidence and contemplated throwing the towel.

thing is, we all do things differently, and we all have our own systems, preferences, and needs. i wish we'd stop putting each other down for that.

while i don't doubt my insecurities won't shift much next year, in 2024, i'll be in my eighth year writing. that feels like an achievement i ought to be celebrating. and it reminds me how important writing is in my life - because that's a third of my lifetime i will have been writing for. and mostly for this fandom, haha...

.°˖✧

looking on the fics i've written and finished this year, if i had to pick my favourite three, they'd probably be...

'Let Me Go' - i'm still patting myself on the back for this one. it's my favourite piece of nationverse i've written to date, and i could do so much with it...

'Want' - begging myself to write a sequel that i probably won't, but i can dream!

'Smokescreen' - ...it felt good to be bad, just for a little bit!

if i then think about my favourite aus in general from this year, then it's got to be:

the zoo au, from 'Lovebirds' because it's just CUTE, okay?

the RNLI au, from 'Swell', in which Arthur and Antonio are lifeboat volunteers (10/10 would write more)

the dragons au, from 'Scales' because worldbuilding is fun but also,, Rhys, my boy! :D

the school au, from 'The Note', for the memories it brings back and the reminder that i can write fluff, dammit!

and if only you guys knew the aus happening in my messages with maiva,, we are so smart we are so cool we are constantly drowning in cats :)

to conclude these little reflections on my year in fandom, things i'm a bit sad about:

i've given up on 'Bound' as a series - i just haven't been able to get anywhere with the plans or drafts i have, and i've lost my love for it, so it's officially parked.

'Hopeful Waters' will also definitely not continue - i will, however, not delete it as i have stopped myself from doing a million times this year. i may write snippets of 'what would have been' but my relationship with the fic is... largely negative, so i make no promise.

hetaween fics slipped through my darn fingers this year and i didn't write as much as i wanted. next year, i will return with vengeance... ùwú

and things i'm happy about or proud of from this year:

romespa ✨everything✨

i've written now well over a million words on ao3 which feels,, just surreal, honestly. 16 year old helia would never

i finally cleared out my ao3 inbox and stopped hoarding comments for months and i'm keeping on top of it!

i've continued to write dialogue prompt lists! it always makes me happy when i see others using them as well <3

.°˖✧

and so, looking at 2024...

next year, what i'm hoping above all else is that 'For Me?' reaches its conclusion. it's been slow-going this year with updates, and it's nearly two years old (ouch), but i'm now finally getting the plot back on track and i know my direction. i hope the wait will be worth it! i'm excited about what's to come for Antonio, Arthur, and the others :)

i also hope 'Bitter Teeth' keeps going strong. i hope i let myself take breaks without feeling so guilty. i hope i get more into historical hetalia again. i really want to explore the implications of the events of 'Let Me Go'. i hope i learn to love my unfinished works or abandoned wips. i hope i start sharing more of my ideas. i hope i learn it's okay to not always want to write the same characters over and over, even if they are my favourites.

really, i just want to keep moving forward. i want to keep writing. i want to keep loving writing. i want to keep exploring. i want to not succumb to negativity as much. i want to indulge even more in what i want and what i feel like.

oh, and i want more cat aus. sorry maiva. we're not finished.

.°˖✧

to finish, i just wanted to leave a little thanks to the friends i have here who read my stuff, who encourage me, and who give me the confidence to continue forwards. i treasure you. i hope you know who you are. and i offer you cookies, hugs, and well wishes for the year ahead 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂

thank you guys for everything <3

#helia's stuff

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murdoc · 10 months

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this is a weird post to make, but i dont really have many places to say it and i wanna share my thoughts Somewhere lol

so i found my dad after more than a decade of being out of contact with him (probably since 2010? at latest, very early 2011). or rather, after every few years of searching for a little while and coming up fruitless, he made a new facebook less than three weeks ago and i just happened to get Really lucky timing.

just before him i had also found my (former) step sister + mom, as well as my half sister (all sisters younger than me and previously i couldnt find), and.. its a strange experience to finally see people who used to be so close to you in your life show uo again, visibly older and doing their own thing.

its hard to explain.. its almost like youve woken up from a coma. you have memories and have had dreams of these people for years and years and during that time you never really realized that the image you have of them was one trapped in amber; even when youre cognizant of the passage of time, your mind just can't take into consideration the individualized process of aging, both physically and where the passage of time will take them and their relationships. you realize these people are now essentially strangers to you.

my (former) step mom has remarried again and has her own set of children (again), one of my step uncles ended up passing away, my step sister is no longer how i remembered her in 2007 from one of the few photos i have of her in my possession and is posting hippie white woman stuff on her feed, my half sister doesnt share my last name (paternal) anymore, nor her mother or new husband's, whom she is having a child with. i was able to figure out it was her because of the name and how she looks strikingly like her mom and has photos with my dad in them.

my dad himself has aged significantly since he's last shared a photo of himself anywhere. he used to always wear hats, but in a new photo he's got solid white hair despite being in his early 40s and is balding (HE did this to me..) and finally learned what glasses suit his face better LMAO. honestly, he looks better now than he ever did when i've seen him. which i think was one of the biggest shockers because god he looked so lame. this also gives me hope for myself B)

the thing i noticed the most though is how "normal" him and my half sisters turned out. granted, he was always so much more put together than my mother-- i'm sure thats why they didnt really like each other lmao. but, while im not sad about my life, even if it's definitely different than i assumed for my age, i can't help but wonder where i'd be if i had allowed myself to overcome the fear of my mother and went to go live with my dad like we had planned in 2008 or 2009.

however, just from how hard it has been to piece together the state of that side of my family, i don't think any speculation could even be remotely accurate. ive also never really been one to dwell on what could be anyway. at the end of the day i cant undo how horrific my childhood was, but i can make steps to grow from it and learn to love who i am and where i am now.. for how cheesy that sounds 😭

i am glad i finally got a bit of closure on this though. i knew my dad was still around somewhere, but not knowing anything beyond "he's alive" for so long left me with a lot of questions, now mostly answered. it's nice to know he seems to be doing good and that he's there for my younger sisters (not sure about my step sister, but i have an additional half sibling that i never met beyond a few times as a toddler and it seems she's fine too). i know that social media doesn't tell all and is usually finely curated to share the best moments, but i'm saying this in comparison to my mother who would never in a million years do what he seems to be doing.. down to having custody of his kids LMAO.

i don't think i'll ever reach out to any of them though. i know my dad still thinks of me once in a blue moon, as he's dedicated a birthday post to me some years ago on a now deleted profile, but if you can imagine.. i think my change in the last 13 years or so is a bit more drastic than just growing up. not to mention they have their own lives going on and it all seems just fine.

i guess if he ever does try to find me, he'll find out that my former step uncle (different one who is still alive) who teased him about only having girls was wrong LMAO. but i dont think he could ever find me unless he got in contact with my older sister who isn't doing too hot rn, or my mother.... and if it's my mom he goes through, i sure as hell hope he thinks finding his now son was worth it. i sure as hell wouldnt go through talking with my mom if i was him.

i dont think i ever made a post so long and detailed about my life on here??? if someone fsr actually read this... hi :) why did you do that? you are silly

#diary #very long and personal post. you can read it idc but its primarily about finding my father and there is a quick death mention Unrelated

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awkwarddystopianwarlord · 5 months

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My Closet is Full But My Brain Doesn't See That

You know that stereotype of girls being like “I don’t have anything to wear!” whilst their room is drowning in articles of clothing? Even though I’m not always a girl, I’m very much like that. As are my friends. It’s a funny little battle every Friday night where we individually fight with our closets regarding what to wear on our sacred Saturday Gathering Day.

I have about three small closets worth of clothing. Because of how my apartment is layed out, I have two closets that form a corner and I also have an IKEA four cube by four cube shelf situation. All of that space is occupied by clothing. One closet has all my jackets and coats, the other has all my dresses, flannels, sweaters, and socks. My cubes hold all my shirts, skirts, sweatshirts, shorts, trousers, and cardigans. But come the end of the week, I don’t bloody know what to wear to participate in weekend shenanigans! I own nothing and everything all at once. This is made worse by the fact that I only really have one day to get decked out with clothes, shoes, and makeup so it’s a stressful time. How do I present myself this Saturday? What is worthy of the planned activities? What items of clothing have I neglected of late and what do I repeat more often? I should just keep an extensive inventory, a Dewey Decimal System but for closet items.

It’s embarrassing to act as though I don’t have anything good or decent or fun to wear when practically all that dwells in my closets are pieces that I enjoy and use. The nerve of me to strut about my room-house muttering how there’s nothing able to become an outfit. Meanwhile I just ordered a few clothes last week and they’re arriving tomorrow. I’ve ordered many a clothes before, because I like them, and now they sit in my closet and I am blind to their existence the moment I try to curate an appearance.

Wintertime is the best time for me to dress as I please since I can layer and accessorize far more than I can in the warmer months, though it leaves more room for decision making and therefore brain blanking. I try to wear everything I own once before repeating anything. Like parents with multiple children, I’m assuming as I don’t personally have any, I don’t want to neglect any closet dweller. I want to show them all equal love and appreciation and incorporate them into something. That said, not everything is flexible and not everything fits into the current mood of the day I’m dressing for. Some clothes aren’t forgiving in stormy weather, others aren’t forgiving when my uterus is releasing its monthly contents. Some aren’t forgiving of a hearty meal, others aren’t forgiving of much walking, or much sitting. I may have an outfit idea but the morning of can easily snatch those plans away moments after I rise.

Saying “I don’t have anything to wear” has more than just the literal translation. When we say it, we mean it to say something more like “I don’t have anything to wear because of the weather” or “I don’t have anything to wear because I’m bloated and feel gross and need something that’s easy to take off so I can deal with my menstrual cup with little chance of disaster”. My current dilemma is “I don't have anything to wear that I feel matches the mood of the punk market I’m going to tomorrow”. Granted, that is likely to change once I stare at each closet for several minutes, ponder, stare at everything again, take some items out, try them on, decide against them, mix and match other things with some decided staples, wander around grumbling, ponder again, stare, fold the discarded options, find inspiration, try on the inspiration, fiddle around with other things that work better together, create a look, eat dinner feeling victorious. I simply need to go through the process first. Then, come tomorrow, I will curate a makeup look that will likely not match at all with what I’m wearing and I will be complete.

#writing #blog #friday post #biweeklyblog #struggles #thoughts

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angellesword · 3 years

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MAGIC SHOP | JJK (08)

Description: You and Jungkook were best friends who were in love with each other. What would happen when Soojin, your half sister who you’re trying to impress, told you she’s in love with Jungkook too?

Alternatively:

“Would you believe me if I said that I was scared of everything too?”

Genre: childhood best friends to lovers, family drama, angst, fluff, idiots to lovers, pining, slice of life au.

Pairing: Architect!Jungkook x Architect!Reader (side pairings: Reader x roommate!Jimin | Taehyung x Yoongi)

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: none

Series: CHAPTER 7 | CHAPTER 9

Chapter’s OST: Talk by Kodaline

"Where is he?" Yoongi didn't sound annoyed when he asked this. He knew he should be but then he realized he was more worried than angry.

"In my room," you responded. Yoongi gave you a quick nod before rushing inside your bedroom.

You were left standing in front of your apartment door, waiting for Jimin who you guessed was parking his car.

You wondered if your roommate was upset too. You couldn't blame him if it was the case. You knew it was cruel of you and Taehyung to bail on your double date with him and Yoongi tonight.

However, if you were given a chance to redo this night, you would probably still choose to go home with your brother.

Pretending was becoming taxing on your part. You were sure Taehyung felt the same way as well. He was done acting like he could walk inside a fine-dining restaurant and pay for his meal. Yoongi said Taehyung didn't need to worry about things like bills—that he got it, but your brother was too proud to allow that to happen.

Taehyung and Yoongi had been dating for almost two years now, yet the former still felt abashed when money was involved.

He was so opposed to the idea of Yoongi treating him well. Taehyung didn't like the idea of him leeching off of Yoongi for money. You, on the other hand, were done acting as though you weren't hurt every time you see your brother struggling because of this.

Taehyung burnt himself out by keeping his promise to pay back Taemin. As far as you knew, he still owed your father an estimate of eight hundred thousand dollars. Taehyung had no idea how to pay off his debt, considering that his bank account had zero balance now.

He couldn't even afford to pay rent that's why he usually stayed in your shared apartment with Jimin. Taehyung's excuse was that he didn't like staying alone in his place so he'd rather sleep on your couch.

Yoongi asked your brother to move in with him but the Taehyung refused, saying he wasn't ready to take their relationship into another level. You and Yoongi knew it was a lie. It broke your heart every time Taehyung made lame excuses like this.

You wanted him to be able to freely express his life struggles to you. You would never judge him. It was okay to admit that he turned down Yoongi's offer because he didn't want to be dependent on him, that he didn't want to feel like he was 'useless.'

There should be no shame in admitting that you were having a hard time. It was a normal thing. Many people experienced it, but even if only the minority experienced it, we should still be understanding since not everyone was privileged, some people were struggling just to survive—this was Taehyung's case as of the moment.

He was a freelance model and he's still working as a curator, not at his mother's company though. Taehyung hadn't spoken to his parents, not even to his siblings. You were the only family member he talked to.

Sometimes you felt guilty thinking that one of the reasons why Taehyung turned his back on the Kims was because he wanted to help you forget.

"Come to New York with me," your brother offered this to you a week after you broke up with Jungkook.

You were miserable. You were having a hard time pushing Jungkook away. He was so persistent, begging you to take him back, saying things like he would do whatever you asked him too.

But you couldn't. Everyone knew he and Soojin were getting married. You couldn't afford to shame and hurt your sister like that.

"I could hook you up with this company. They're looking for a graphic designer. You're perfect for the job..."

You had to admit that you were skeptical about Taehyung's preposition. Sure, you wanted to get away from Jungkook, but not to the point of leaving Seoul.

It felt too rushed. New York was a foreign place, you hadn't been there before. You didn't know if you could survive there.

"I don't know, oppa..." You expressed your doubt, fortunately Taehyung knew exactly what to say to successfully coax you.

He said you had nothing to worry about since he would be there for you. Taehyung also promised to introduce you to Park Jimin, his best friend since high school.

Apparently, Jimin was the sweetest person in the world and you needed someone like him in your life. Taehyung thought that the universe wanted you to be close to Jimin since it so happened that the latter was also looking for a roommate.

Originally, Taehyung planned to move in with his best friend to save more money, but he figured it would be best if you took the opportunity instead. As said, your brother wanted you to hit it off with Jimin. Apart from this, Taehyung believed he was better off alone.

He was wrong though. Few months after moving back to New York, Taehyung realized he couldn't handle his expenses.

He needed a roommate too. Sometimes he hated himself for turning down Yoongi's offer, considering that the sole reason why Yoongi decided to go to New York was to be with Taehyung.

Your brother wasn't stupid. He was certain Yoongi was in love with him. The long distance type of relationship wasn't working anymore. They both crave each other's touches and kisses.

A few months after you and your brother left Seoul, Yoongi called to say he had been offered a job in New York too. He said he accepted it despite Taehyung's opposition.

It wasn't like Taehyung didn't want to be with Yoongi. Your brother was just upset that his boyfriend was making all these sacrifices for him. Yoongi was a well-known fashion designer in Korea. Why would he want to be an assistant of a fashion designer here in the United States?

It was absurd. But Yoongi didn't complain. He never did. Many months later, his patience and hard-work paid off.

Yoongi was able to close deals with different clients using his own name. He wasn't hiding in the shadow of his boss. He wasn't an assistant anymore. This was also the reason why Yoongi wanted to go out on a double date with you, his boyfriend, and Jimin tonight.

He wanted to celebrate his success with the people he loved, but Taehyung's 'mood' ruined Yoongi's night.

"Hey," while you ruined Jimin's.

"Hey you." Your roommate's voice was laced with exhaustion upon seeing you waiting for him at the door.

Your heart recoiled at the sight of his tired face. You were aware that his job as a professor was exhausting, it didn't help that he and Yoongi waited for two hours in that restaurant only to end up leaving and not grabbing something to eat.

"I'm really sorry about tonight," you smiled apologetically. You hated disappointing him.

"At least I saved some money." He laughed and this was when you came to know that he was holding a box of pizza.

A smile bloomed on your face.

"Is that garlic and shrimp?" You couldn't contain your excitement. Jimin chuckled and nodded at you, pleased that you appreciated the food he brought.

"Yay!" You grabbed the pizza box, rushing towards the kitchen so you could open it.

Your stomach grumbled, your eyes turning into the shape of a heart as you grabbed a piece of pizza.

"So good!" You moaned, relishing the taste of your food for tonight. Jimin grinned, handing you a can of beer.

You gladly took it. Jimin knew you so well. Pizza and beer were your favorite food combination.

"Corndog’s sold out," your roommate mentioned as he grabbed a slice of pizza for himself.

Your smile faltered. Yeah, right. How could you say that pizza and beer were your favorite when nothing could ever top corndogs, your favorite brand of probiotic drink, some chocolate bars, and Jungkook's smile?

"Is everything alright?" Jimin asked softly when he noticed your frown.

"Yeah."

Should he believe you?

"How's Tae?"

"Better, I guess? Yoongi's with him right now." You wanted to give them some slices of pizza. Taehyung's probably hungry, but then you didn't want to disturb him and Yoongi. Maybe they're still in the middle of a serious conversation.

Your brother's most likely explaining to his boyfriend why his mood suddenly turned sour. Yoongi asked you to tell him the truth, sadly you felt like you're not in the position to tell him anything.

You didn't even understand what's running inside your brother's head, and so you simply texted Yoongi and Jimin this: have to take a rain check for dinner tonight. sorry. Tae oppa's not feeling well.

"What about you?"

Your head snapped up to meet your roommate's thoughtful gaze. "What about me?"

"Are you okay?" Jimin sounded so sweet that your heart was filled up with so much warmth. Taehyung's right. You needed someone like Jimin in your life.

"I'm fine," you lied. You're not. Lately all you could think about was him and what could've been. "Wanna watch Breaking Bad and hate on Walter White?"

The worry painting his face vanished when you mentioned his favorite T.V series.

"I still don't get why you hate Mr. White when a whole Skyler White exists." He gasped dramatically, shaking his head before making his way to the living room.

You sighed, smiling albeit the pain in your chest. You couldn't help but compare the two men who had a huge impact in your life. The first one never forced you to share, he was very easy to reassure that you're okay, the other man, on the contrary, wouldn't stop until he's sure you're really feeling better. He liked prying into your personal life, acting like he could stop your despair.

Your chest ached because between the two men, you didn't know who you preferred.

Yoongi and your brother couldn't be bothered and you were certain it was because they're busy fucking. It was Taehyung's way of making it up to his boyfriend.

"He's getting so worked up over a fly! Gosh, he's so annoying!" And your way to make it up to Jimin was trying to keep your dislike of Walter White to yourself. Keyword here? Try. It was so hard not to talk shit about Jimin's favorite fictional character.

You tried. But you couldn't anymore.

"oh gosh," you pouted when you noticed your roommate's being too quiet. "I'm not supposed to rant because I know you're mad at me."

That broke his silence.

"I'm mad at you?" He looked at you as if you're crazy. "Why would I be mad?"

"Uh..." You winced. "Because I bailed on our date?"

Jimin laughed. He actually laughed! The corner of his mouth twisting upwards.

"I guess I haven't made myself clear about that, huh," he rubbed his chin, realizing that he didn't explicitly tell you it was okay, that you didn't owe him anything.

"I like you..." He confessed, uttering your name. "You know that, right? I'm glad you even agreed to go on a date with me."

You bit your bottom lip.

"But liking me doesn't mean you're not allowed to get mad at me."

Jimin chuckled again, amusement was dancing in his eyes. He lowered the volume of television before turning to face you.

"But I'm not mad. I know what I was getting myself into when I told you how I feel about you. Liking someone means you should also accept the risk of getting hurt, you know?"

You shuddered, heart thumping. You felt like your head was spinning.

As usual, Jimin simply giggled at your reaction.

"You're acting as if liking someone is such a scary thing..."

"It is." You replied, voice still mixed with slight fear. "Love too. Imagine waking up one day only to realize that someone has the power to hurt you."

You made that mistake once. You're still paying for it now. Love...be it romantic familial, or platonic, it still hurt the same. You made sacrifices for them, making yourself your last priority when it should be the top one.

"Imagine waking up every day realizing you have the power to make someone's life a little bit better, and doing it." Jimin retorted and for the first time, you couldn't answer.

You simply rested your head on his shoulders, grabbing the remote to increase the volume of whatever episode of Breaking Bad you were watching.

At the end of the episode, you saw Walter White closing his eyes, finally dozing off, a yawn escaped from your lips and before you knew it, you fell asleep too.

You jolted to consciousness when you heard your phone rang.

Grunting, you immediately answered the call even though an unknown number was ringing you. Jimin was sound asleep beside you. You couldn't risk waking him up.

"Hello?" You squinted, sleepiness still staining your eyes. "Who's this? Why're you calling me in the middle of the night?"

There was a pregnant pause on the other line, making you huff and yawn in annoyance. Was this a prank call?

"I'm gonna end this call if you don't speak." You yawned again when the caller still didn't say anything. "Goodnight—"

"Wait!" The stranger said before you could hang up.

Your heart suddenly skipped a beat. The voice of this caller sounded familiar—too familiar to the point that you could feel your stomach stirring.

"It's Jungkook," he mumbled. "Jeon Jungkook..."

He said his name as if you'd ever forget that. Your stomach continued to protest.

"I'm sorry for calling you so late..."

You were holding your breath, unable to speak.

"But it's an emergency."

"Emergency?" You startled, very awake now. Jimin stirred in his sleep because of your abrupt alerted movement. "Where are you right now, Kook? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

You stood up, pacing back and forth. Jungkook was silent once again. You felt tears filling your eyes. Why was he taking this slow when he said it was an emergency?

"Y-Yeah," his voice was shaky, as though he was having a hard time. Your heartbeat doubled as he said this:

"You and Taehyungie-hyung have to go back here in Seoul. The whole family needs you."

#jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #ficswithluv #jungkook x reader #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x you #jungkook best friends to lovers #jungkook best friend #armywriterssupport #jungkook x female reader

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bookwyrminspiration · 2 years

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HELLO MY FRIEND sorry for sending so many asks I just,,..,,thin k your c o ,ol,.,,,.,,!..,,’

Uh idk what I really have to say

Oh I started making kotlc Spotify playlists because we don’t have enough and the ones we do have arent specific and my neurodivergent brain doesn’t like the vague titles so uh ya I have my Spotify linked in my account but I’ll put the link at the end of this if you want to check it out

Alright let’s do a cursed ship

AJDVEHRJRKJR

Kenric x Bo

I use a random wheel chooser and I hate this sm 💀

https://open.spotify.com/user/yy8ft6tg56v1thny0jn7dxyr4?si=5RLBmdHmQJ29e8-o1tFtFg

There’s my Spotify I only have a couple playlists rn but I’m planning on making playlists for all the characters (or at least the mains)

hello! you don't need to apologize for the amount of asks you send, all I ask if that you be patient with me because as much as I wish I could dedicate entire days to answering asks, I am a full time student and do have to divide my time! And despite it being winter break time, I'm actually taking a class over the break so. I can't go all out over the winter like I might have otherwise.

but thank you!! I don't know what constitutes cool in this context but I appreciate it! Cool can mean a lot of things, but generally it's used positively so I'll go with that for now.

I'm very impressed by your ability to make playlists. I'm so picky with them and the vibes of the songs that it takes me so long to curate them that I usually just...don't. I think the one time I went all out and made a playlist it was a 2 hour long one for my partner because they'd made one for me and I went!! well now I have to do it back!!!

I've looked through some of the playlists (listening to new music very quickly gets overwhelming for me so listening to them will take me a long time) and they look interesting! the titles are very direct as you said. There seem to be a lot of them about Keefe!! I wish you luck on curating all the characters, as that certainly sounds like a lot of work. Like I said, super picky about the vibes of songs and how they fit characters so...

and then a cursed ship on top of it all! what a day!

I think the Kenric and Bo ship reminds me a lot of the Sandor x Kenric one, because I have similar questions.

Though this one would definitely have to be a Bo x Ghost Kenric ship because Bo wasn't even in the lost cities until long after Kenric expired. Do ghosts exist in the kotlc universe? Could Bo fall in love with a ghost or...is he in love with a tree. Maybe he went along with the Ruewens and Sophie when they went to the wanderling woods and he saw Kenric's tree and it was love at first site.

He started visiting the wanderling woods on his own, leaving gifts at kenric's wanderling because it was so beautiful. Now depending on whether or not ghosts are real in this world this is either an incredibly one sided romance of Bo's obsession with a tree, or maybe Kenric's being is tied to this tree and he's anchored to that location so when Bo goes that's when he gets to see Kenric.

What if only Bo could see Kenric's ghost so to everyone else, when they found out, would just think he was loving this really specific tree. In a cemetery. Nothing concerning about that at all!!

Wait. What if Bo took like a flower or leaves from the tree and kept them with him like in a locket in his pocket that way there's a piece of Kenric's anchor with him and Kenric's ghost can travel around with him and tag along--hidden of course. He wouldn't want to distract his lover from doing his job.

There is. wow. I got a little more invested in that than I expected to. certainly wasn't what I was expecting!

I hope your playlists go well!! I may try and listen to a few later depending on what I have going on (my sister has a band concert tonight!) but I will be driving across the country on wednesday and am not great with podcasts, so maybe I'll download a few to listen to on the road!

#my partner is literal in a podcast and writes for another and I have. listened to none of them. well I listened to the first episode of one #!!#idk what it is about podcasts but they don't mesh great with my brain #I have to be doing something mindless like cross stitching or cleaning or drawing #and I don't exactly have a lot of time for that normally #where am I going with this?#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc playlists #kotlc ships #councilor kenric #kotlc bo #quil's queries #mossy nonsie #I think this is you!#as the spotify is mossy anon #but! if not my apologies #tw caps

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dearartdirector · 4 years

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I realize this is a forum for ADs to give advice to illustrators, but maybe you might know the answer to this question: How do artists get portfolio advice for the gallery world/fine art world? Currently I work as an illustrator, but I've always wanted to be a fine artist, and I'm trying to evolve my style in that direction. Especially, how does one do this if they don't live in a major city? Thank you!

Great question, as the advice for approaching galleries and curators is much the same as approaching ADs:

—Make a wish list of clients (in this case galleries), remembering to research what smaller clients are the stepping stones to getting there. In other words, look at the artists that show at your dream galleries, go to their sites, see where they started out, add those galleries to your list

—Follow that list on social media and sign up for their newsletters, so you don’t miss any group shows or open calls (Cafe Call for Entries is also a great resource) - a gallery is not going to offer you your own show right off the bat, they are going to let you in a group show first and see how you perform

—If the gallery is local then go to all their openings/events. If they are not local, consider planning an annual trip to the area and email in advance and see if the gallery owner or curator will meet you when you go. If they can’t, then bring a physical promo piece/small pack of postcards or something to leave for them

—All areas have galleries, no matter how small. If you are truly starting from scratch then find the teeny galleries in your area and work on going to those openings, meeting folks, getting in group shows, and maybe having your own shows locally — it’s all good practice, and you can put it on your fine art CV.

—Once you have 5+ pieces of fine art, make a new section on your portfolio website. If you don’t have a direct-to-fan newsletter then start one now.

—As far as getting feedback, that’s tough just like it is with art directors: we’re busy folks and you’re asking us to work for free to give you help. Many of us are happy to do it when we can, but there’s only so much time in the day to do that and still do our jobs. The best advice for ADs still applies to galleries: follow us on social media, see where we’re going to physically be, introduce yourself, have a conversation. Sometimes we’ll do reviews online, but it’s sporadic. If you’re visiting our town then email a a month ahead and see if we can meet you for a few minutes.

—Agent KillFee

#dearad #dearartdirector #agentkillfee #gallery #artgallery #galleryworld #fineart #groupshows #curators

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goodwriterwithbadhabits · 5 years

Text

Midnight Muse

I hope I managed to capture the angst correctly. I really like this.

Masterlist (And don’t forget, requests are still open)

Ever since you were young, only two things had ever been consistent, your art, and the beautiful man in your dreams. Well, he hadn't always been so beautiful and neither had your art, but they both grew with you. Ever since you were a little kid another person had always been in your dreams. You had never heard his voice, but you had watched him grow, watched as he dyed his hair different colors, and tried different styles. During the day, you were simply an art student, but at night the two of you played out strange and beautiful dreams. Sometimes you were a prince and a princess dancing at a ball with unfamiliar music playing in the back, other times you were saving him from a storm in the ocean, but you were always together, whether it be in dream or nightmare.

In the mornings when your alarm broke you from your beautiful revelry, you'd grab the nearest sketchbook and draw whatever he had looked like that night. Your sketchbooks were your life, and in them, the man of your dreams, but somehow, today you had managed to forget one of them in another class.

You ran across the college campus, trying to get back to the pottery classroom before the teacher started questioning your drawings. When you threw open the door, it wasn't the professor that held your book, but your classmate Xu Minghao.

“Excuse me, that's mine.” He looked up from your work, peering at you over the rim of his wire spectacles.

“You drew these?” He inquired, gesturing to the book.

“Yes, can I have it back please, I'm running late.” He obliged, closing the book and setting it in your hand.

“Do you know what you're putting in for the end of the year gallery for your evaluation?” He asked just as you had managed to get one foot outside. You turned back to him where he was nonchalantly examining his nails.

“Not yet, why?”

“Well, we don't have many pieces in the photo-realistic section. You should submit some pieces, I'm sure they'll end up with wall space.” Wall space was coveted, and the photo-realism section was where only top students presented their pieces. You had initially planned to submit one of your landscapes or maybe even an abstract piece but Xu Minghao, literally one of the top artists and co-coordinator of the gallery, was complimenting your photo-realism.

“I- I wouldn't even know which piece.” You stuttered finally, coming back into the room. He motioned for your book, casually flipping through it once you handed it to him. How long had he been looking at your art? He paused at one of the pages.

“This one I like, It has potential. Most of them do.” He offered, handing the book back to you. It was your dream boy, leaning on the ledge of a bridge overlooking the ocean as the sun set behind him. It wasn't done. You hadn't added nearly any color, save for his eyes, and the bridge was completely plain. “Here.” Minghao handed you a piece of paper with his number scrawled on it. “Finish a few of these and send me pictures, I'll see which one's you should submit.”

“Are you sure?” You tucked the number into your sketchbook and hugged it close to your chest. “Why do you care?”

“How do you know the man in your drawings?” He answered your question with one of his own.

“I-I don't” You mumbled.

“You don't? Then how can you draw him so well? The human mind can't make up faces, you must have seen him somewhere.” You looked everywhere but him, not seeing the smirk firmly planted on his lips.

“Its- its weird.” You really didn't want to tell this complete stranger about the dream boy.

“I won't tell anyone, I promise.” He assured you.

“He's from my dreams.” You said after a moment of silence. “I've seen him since we were kids.”

“Ah, okay. Well, text me soon so I can have your number. See you, Y/n” He left you alone in the room, staring after him as he so casually disappeared out the door.

“What, the fuck?” You questioned yourself. ~~

Jeonghan really didn't want to come to Minghao's gallery. All the pieces Hao had submitted he made all the members vote on so he would know their favorites, but for some reason, he was still forcing Jeonghan to go.

“Why am I here again?” He asked the younger man.

“There's something I need to show you,” Hao replied, dragging Han past most of the art towards a specific section.

“I'm not even getting a chance to look at the art,” Han complained.

“Hyung, you don't care about the art, but you'll care about this.” Hao pulled him in front of a series of paintings hanging on the wall.

“Its art.” Han shrugged.

“Hyung, look,” Hao stressed. “Really look at them.” Han huffed, pushing his hair back before looking at the works. He actually gasped out loud when he finally realized what was before him. It was him. He was in every painting, and every painting was one of the dreams. There was one of him on the black horse from when he was only a teenager, there was one of him as a soldier and a prince.

“That’s, that’s me.” He gasped again, pointing at the canvasses.

“Yeah, it is.” Hao nodded excitedly.

“How are they drawing me?” He turned back to the paintings. “And with such detail.”

“She says she's seen you in her dreams. Its destiny. She must be your soul mate.” Hao shook Han's arm with enough force Han thought it might pop out of its socket.

“But what if she isn't the girl from my dreams? That happens sometimes, I'd hate to be one of the exceptions.” Han reasoned.

“If everyone thought that way no one would ever find their soulmates.” Hao practically whined.

“I'm not going to look for her. And you aren't going to do anything about it, understood? Don't tell her you know me, I don't want to know her.” Hao stared up at his older friend in shock.

“You don't want to meet the love of your life?”

“Who said she's the love of my life? I'll decide who the love of my life is, thank you very much.” Han pulled away from Hao, clenching his fists so the younger man couldn't see his hands shake. “Have fun at the after-party Hao, and make sure you call one of us for a ride home. I'll see you later.” Han stormed away, leaving Hao speechless for the first time in a long time.

On the other side of a large vase of flowers, Y/n stood, having seen Jeonghan the moment he had walked in the gallery, and having heard everything. Her soulmate wanted nothing to do with her. Blinking up at the ceiling, Y/n forced back her tears, and with a shaking breath, she plastered on a fake smile and bounded over to Minghao.

“Hao!” She called, tapping him on the shoulder. He automatically beamed.

“Y/n, you look great.” He commented, eyes trailing down the sleek white and silver dress she wore.

“Thank you, and you were so right, I've been getting scouted by art galleries all over, who would have thought a 19-year-old would have been even looked at by the curator of the Louvre.” You gushed, pretending not to have even known Hao had come with a friend.

“The Louvre?” Hao gasped, “That’s amazing.”

“I know, I've actually been offered a place at an art school in Paris.” You seemed so excited, Hao couldn't help but be excited with you.

“Are you going to accept?”

“An all expenses paid, extended vacation in Paris? Why wouldn't I? Maybe my soulmate will be there?” It felt wrong to lie to the person who had quickly become one of your closest friends and little did you know, Minghao felt the same way.

“Maybe! When do you leave?”

“Oh I still have to finalize things, but I'll keep you updated.” You promised.

As you promised, you kept Minghao updated. You met up only a few more times before you moved away, the last time being the day before you flew out. You both tried to remain friends as long as possible, but with his band picking up and your schooling becoming more and more inundating, the friendship seemed to fade away, save for encouraging comments on Instagrams and the obligatory happy birthday wishes.

Five years passed quickly for both of you, you continued to see Jeonghan in your dreams, but you both became distant. Neither of you spoke about your dreams to others, instead pretending as if you simply didn't have soulmates, which wasn't unheard of.

Minghao was almost certain he was never going to see you again, until, one day as he was repacking his bag for the European leg of their tour, he received a text message. A real one, not a message on Instagram like usual.

From: Y/n L/n

Minghao, I know its been a very long time, but I saw that your coming tour dates correspond with the opening of my gallery. Would you and your bandmates like to come to the opening? I can reserve tickets for all of you.

To: Y/n L/n

I'd love to, but let me speak to my brothers and our managers, and I'll let you know for certain.

When the day of the gallery opening arrived, the boys and their managers found themselves outside of a gorgeous building, being prevented from entering.

“We're friends of Y/n's, she said she reserved tickets for us,” Minghao explained as best he could, but the French guard wouldn't budge, instead muttering into his walkie talkie. A moment later, a woman in a crisp suit stepped out from the building and made her way to them. Her dark hair was pulled up into a tight bun, she carried a clipboard, and gave the group a bright red smile as she approached.

“Madame Roxanna, these men claim to know Madame Y/n.”

“Qui, they do. These are her favored guests. Our apologies for the delay, please, this way.”

“Minghao, who is this woman you know?” Seungcheol asked. Minghao just smiled.

The inside of the building was just as beautiful as the outside. The group was led into a room with a large angel statue facing away from them in the center.

“Minghao! You made it.” A woman, draped in a flowing silver dress excused herself from the conversation she was having with some old socialite and floated over to them.

“Y/n?” Minghao gasped. “The pictures don't do you justice.” He complimented.

“You've only gotten more handsome as well.” She clasped his hand, kissing his cheeks in classic French fashion. “And these must be your bandmates, its a pleasure to meet you. I must say I've become quite a fan.” She smiled warmly, making Jeonghan's heart twist as he remembered the last gallery of hers he went to and all the things he had declared. “Please, enjoy the party, have some fun.” She locked eyes with Jeonghan for a split second before returning to Minghao. “Come, I have so much to show you.”

As they walked away the others began to disperse, taking in the paintings, and plates and sculptures that adorned the many rooms of the gallery.

Jeonghan moved slowly through the pieces, admiring the way her brush strokes were evident on her acrylic paintings. Making his way back to the first room, the angel room, he maneuvered around the large statue to see its face, finally understanding why so many people had been staring.

The angel was him.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, but he was sure people were taking pictures.

“This is my favorite piece, “Cupid, the Killer Angel” it took nearly five years to complete.” Jeonghan recognized your voice but continued to look at the statue.

“Why such a heartbreaking name?”

“Because the muse broke my heart.” Jeonghan's heart twisted, and he wondered if she had noticed how distant he had become in their dreams.

“How did he do that?”

“I heard you all those years ago, Jeonghan.” His name sounded so right in her voice, but his heart sank to his stomach at her words. “When you declared you didn't want to know me. When you forced someone as sweet as Minghao to lie to his friend, when you turned your cheek towards fate and became a coward.” Her words dripped both venom and sadness. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what. She sighed heavily, “And yet, I cannot hate you.” He finally turned to her, finding her staring up her statue, “Had you not said all that, I would never have run away to Paris, and all this,” She gestured to the expanse of the building. “This would have never happened.”

“I'm sure it would have, you're an amazing artist.” She finally looked him in the eyes, eyes she had seen every night for most of her life, and yet they somehow still seemed so foreign.

“But I would have only ever painted you, I wouldn't have created this, or any of the paintings here, because I would have been too busy chasing after the idea that you might have loved me.”

“Y/n.” Jeonghan began.

“Don't, there's no need to lie to me now. After all these years, I know you too well.” She closed her eyes, holding up a hand to stop him. “Enjoy the gallery Jeonghan, then please leave, don't break my heart further.” She dropped her hand, walking away before he had the chance to say anything.

As he watched her make her way to the other end of the room a sudden burst of courage washed over him. He leaped up onto the pedestal that “Cupid” stood on and cleared his throat, wanting to figure out his words.

“Jeonghan, what the hell? Get down from there.” Seungcheol ordered.

“You're right. I was a coward, I am a coward. I was too scared of accidentally breaking your heart, I didn't want to give you a chance.” You spun to face him, as did everyone else in the room. “I never wanted to hurt you and yet I did just that. I made Minghao lie to you, but worst of all, I made you lie to yourself. I made you try to convince yourself that fate was wrong, that I wasn't meant for you, that you aren't meant for me.” He felt a weight lifting off his shoulders even as security officers made their way into the room. “But I was a fool. I am a fool. I am your fool. I will always be your fool, even if you decide never to speak to me again, if you decide to cut all ties, to never sleep again in order to never see me again, I will still be your fool, I will still be in love with you. I tried to pretend I didn't want you, I tried to pretend I wasn't in love with you but I am. Every time I perform a love song, I'm thinking of you, every time I see a happy couple in the street or see soulmates find each other, I wish it was us.” Jeonghan blew out a breath. “What I'm trying to say is, I am so sorry, for breaking your heart, for being a dick, for ruining yours and Hao's friendship. I know saying sorry isn't enough, and it probably doesn't help that I'm standing on a statue of myself. I know this seems like a publicity stunt or a ploy to get you to fall for me, but I swear, on every god out there, that I mean every word I have said.” The room was silent for a few moments as you simply stared at him, making his heart race faster with every passing second. “Please say something, anything, even if its just ordering those officers to arrest me.”

“Jeonghan, I can't just forgive you for five years of utter suffering.” You started, looking off to the side as you thought, “Not in one moment, but if you mean it, you truly mean everything you just said, well.” You finally locked eyes with him, a smile dancing across your lips. “Then I suppose, its a start.”

“I mean it, I do, I would do anything to earn your forgiveness.” He gushed, making you cross your arms over your chest and stare at him.

“Anything?”

“Anything.” He nodded.

“Then get off my damn statue, pabo.”

#yoon jeonghan #Seventeen Jeonghan #jeonghan imagines #Seventeen #soulmates #goodwriterwithbadhabits #request

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sophiaede · 2 years

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Website, Social Media and Online Presence Planning

I was planning to set up a website for my art practice following my degree. I have now decided against it and I explain why further ahead but first I did some research into website builders.

I have looked up some of the most popular website builders and their costs. I don’t need anything too complicated to start with but it would be useful to have a website I can build upon if needed in the future. I heard from some other artists that Squarespace is easy to use and has a very professional look. I was going to choose the personal plan for £10 but before committing I used a comparison website called Webcreate to compare deals. Wix seems to offer similar features at a cheaper rate than Squarespace. I want my website to be set up for the time of the hand-in and Final Degree Show but as it's a monthly fee, I can hold off for a couple more months. This means I won't be spending money unnecessarily.

Since conducting that research, I have decided against building a website for now. I've been thinking whether or not I have a use for a website at this early stage in my career. Although it would look great to be able to put a website on my business cards for the final exhibition, I would struggle to fill it. I am still building my portfolio of work and would want more professionally documented artworks and exhibitions than I current have. Instead, I think a well considered and active Instagram account is the better choice.

With this in mind, I have been keeping an eye out for Instagram accounts I like for inspiration. For Initiis Exhibition, the curators created an Instagram account in the lead up to the opening. This introduced each artist involved and built up hype for the show.

I like how well considered the layout is in a grid format. Each artist or subject is posted about in factors of 3. This ensures they always line up and have a line each. I also like the way coloured borders are used as visual queues for collections. I do have to think how each post will look when it enters the feed page though. Posts with just text or a name is unlikely to get interest from followers. I doubt many followers look at their account's page as opposed to viewing posts as they enter the feed. I think in the form of an exhibition page this polished look works well. It becomes an additional online exhibition in itself.

For me and what I want to achieve as a career, I think I need content that both looks professional if viewed search for as well as when it enters a followers' feeds. This will become my online portfolio of work and I hope people will use it to find me and view my work but I also hope to use this to interact with other artists and have fun. I think social media can easily become high maintenance if too complicated in editing and strategies. I don't want to give myself too much additional work that may take focus from my practice so the simpler the better. Saying that photographing good high quality images on your phone is so easy now, especially with a clean background and cheap soft-box light.

I took some time to curate the posts I already have. This meant removing posts that I feel are either no longer relevant to my current practice or aren't to the quality I would like them to be. I'm looking at my page as if it is my online portfolio and someone who wished to work with me or hire me is viewing it for the first time. Professional photographs of final pieces and exhibitions are great but I also like the inclusion of work in progress too. That is as long as it is photographed well. These give the account more personality, after all I want people to get to know me as an artist as well as my artwork and feel comfortable to approach me.

I've also considered Facebook. I have had a Facebook account for years but really don't use it. I realise though that quite a few people do still use it and whilst talking with other artists they will mention Facebook pages or groups for projects and opportunities. The advice from White Pube is to strip away any personal information and photos not related to my art practice. That's easy enough for me as I don't currently have anything on there. I have no real interest in having to maintain a Facebook account but I've found an easy way to post regularly with little effort. I've linked my Facebook with my Instagram so every time I post with Instagram, it automatically duplicates on Facebook. This means I am producing content and am prompting audience engagement on both platforms with half the effort.

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withnive · 3 years

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210804 니브(NIve)_'bollywoodhungama' Interview

EXCLUSIVE: Korean singer-songwriter NIve on piecing together debut EP Broken Kaleidoscope, navigating through tough times and producing for biggest artists In a crowded space of Korean music, every year you come across new musicians trying to leave a mark with their artistry. This year, more artists have taken the plunge to unveil music and one of them is multi-hyphenate NIve. Known primarily for his emotional and sentimental sound in his music and vocals, the musician has challenged himself with a rougher approach to both, laying down the foundation for a new sonic identity and ensuring that he presents a record that is resonating. After releasing his debut international single ‘Getaway’ in 2018, NIve received much global attention spurring his Korean debut with ‘Like a Fool’ featuring R&B singer-songwriter Sam Kim in 2020. NIve capped off 2020 with the smooth and emotional single ‘2easy’, which featured Korean R&B star Heize and marked the beginning of NIve’s full-fledged Korean promotional activities. In addition, NIve marked his debut as a producer and songwriter after composing ‘Beautiful Goodbye’ for EXO member Chen’s solo debut. NIve also has producing and songwriting credits with some of K-Pop’s brightest stars, including NCT U, Super Junior, SF9, CRAVITY, BTS’ V, and more. After a long 7 months since his last single ‘2easy’ feat. Heize in November 2020, NIve is determined to navigate through turbulent times through his debut EP Broken Kaleidoscope and build a soundscape that presents his story. "With this album, I really want people to listen to this album. This album is for people who are feeling things, but not sure if it's only them who are feeling it or if others are feeling the same thing. This is the album that talks about 'Hey, you're not alone!' Some people are feeling similar things’," NIve tells Bollywood Hungama. Befitting of his title as a rising artist and producer, NIve plays with multiple genres in the album including UK hybrid pop-rock, pop-rock, and adds a human element to the storytelling. The raw emotions of the EP bring a sense of relatability. Post the release of the album, NIve sits down with Bollywood Hungama on a beautiful afternoon to talk about it. Dressed in casuals and zooming from his office in South Korea, a happy NIve discusses at length about his EP, what made him pour his heart into it, how he battled some of the most challenging moments in life and how writing music has been his biggest escape. Congratulations on Broken Kaleidoscope. What's the response like from the fans? Well, thank you first. So far, I'm getting a lot of like, support, and love from all the fans, who was the video they think is very different from what I've been doing. But then they liked it, which I was kind of like scared for, like, scared and worried about if my friends were going to be able to kind of get used to my new image, and the style. But it seems like it's playing along pretty well. So I'd say things are going pretty fine. There is this presumption that you make sentimental music. This debut EP Broken Kaleidoscope is a complete genre jump in that perspective. What was the process like to curate this album? As you mentioned, I think of my five tracks in the album. And each song except for track number one ‘Escape’, track number three, they share like all songs are different, like genre-wise and message-wise, but then they play along the top bar. But most important importantly, when I started working on this album, I didn't think about making an album so it was kind of intuitive. ‘Escape’ was the very first song that I wrote for this album, but when I was writing it, I wasn't thinking about the album. I was writing it just to express myself. So, we had no plan to work on the album. I had a lot going on in my mind and heart. I just had the feeling that I needed to express myself. I got like nine to 11 songs and then I selected a few that spoke about my heart the best. So that's how the song list for this album was selected because I was like I wanted the songs that express my heart at best.

While I was working on this album, I kind of figured out that I was always talking about the big messages like the messages that heal people. But I thought to myself except for that, I haven't really shared what's going on with me at a certain point. So this album is really about me at a certain point in my life. So it's very kind of like an intuitive album. What is the significance of this album title in your life right now? Well, the title for this album Broken Kaleidoscope actually, the concept of the idea started back in 2020, March, end of March. I started a series to express myself; I kind of started writing diaries. I named it to be my Broken Kaleidoscope. From day-to-day, I have tried my best to keep up with my feeling since 2020 March, and I've been writing stuff that I wanted to hear daily. I've been uploading that stuff on Instagram stories. I wasn't going to continue with the idea. But then I got lots of messages via DMs, telling me that they can relate to what I was saying. Since then I felt kind of like some more responsibility. I felt responsible for not keeping up with expressing myself. So I kept going. When I wrote those five songs, and then my team and I decided ‘Hey, we're going to put this into an album’, we had to come up with the title right. Naturally, my team suggested and I thought too that we like the concept that I've been doing since 2020 – Broken Kaleidoscope to my broken kaleidoscope. So we were like ‘Why don't we name our album Broken Kaleidoscope because these are the songs that really talked about myself.’ So that's how the title came to be. I started the concept because I felt that it described me and expressed me in the best way, in my opinion. We felt that naming the album Broken Kaleidoscope will resonate with what I've been doing so far, which is expressing me to the fullest. In the opening credits of the, ‘I'm Alive’ music video, you hold a gun to your head waiting to pull the trigger. The tagline reads “It was only after getting a taste of death that I could feel alive.” The concluding credits end with you pulling the trigger but we never see if you did that or not. Cut to the last scene, you see a cake with ‘I'm Alive’ written on it. What was the idea behind the music video concept - do you reflect on your dark past and see a light and not pull the trigger? What does the storyline signify? Well, you pick the right point because, in the music video, I get the gun in my head, and then you guys can never tell if I pull the trigger on that, well, whether I pull the trigger or not, I wanted to give out the concept that it's the way I am trying to express liberation. What does it mean to be alive? What if, you are not able to embrace yourself, and live your daily life? I thought that, is it being alive? Is it like staying alive without embracing yourself? Can you really tell you're alive? I felt we need some kind of liberation. So the gun in the music video is just like one of the tools that indicate death. Apart from the gun, I run, I drive, I sing in the hotel, I can express a lot, right? Like my anger, or like stress, and all those gestures. The fact that there are emotions that we have to go through to carry on with our lives, and to stay, and truly be alive, I felt that we are dismissing all those negative thoughts and negative feelings on purpose because we think it's just not like good to feel in a certain way - in a negative way. While you're alive, it's inevitable for you to feel the uncertainty and chaotic feelings. I felt that you have to go through those emotions and then be able to embrace those for you to be alive and liberated. So I purposely made sure that you guys cannot tell if I pulled a trigger or not. When do you feel alive? Well, I mean, I can give you the cliche answer. I feel alive when I'm writing. And when I'm driving, recently, I got into the habit of driving. So you can tell from the music video that I did for I'm alive. Your track ‘Escape’ has a hybrid rock vibe but the music video has a lot of angst and rage. What are, were or are you escaping

from? From myself. When I was working on the song ‘Escape’, I was in a position mentally that I felt like I couldn't feel anything whether it was positive or negative. I felt I was at my limit; feeling anything was just too much for me. I felt like I need to escape from myself thinking in this way. The only way for me to be able to pull that off was to write about it. So, to simply answer your question, I'm trying to escape from myself, my feelings. Since you worked on many songs for the EP, how did you put together these five tracks that only showcase your singing skills but also shone a light on producing and writing skills as well? For this album, especially when I was selecting songs, as I mentioned before, I was really just trying to select messages more so than the song itself. I can write a song about basically anything, but then, for me to make sure the album is the album I set out to make, I had to set a good theme. I was just doing my best to select songs that fit the bigger theme that I set. So while I was trying, and doing that, I think the songs just came to be. I felt that when I selected the songs, for example, when I selected ‘Escape’, I thought it's perfect for the beginning of the album because I started the idea with the feeling of escaping – the feeling like wanting to escape from myself. The second track, ‘Maybe I Will Die’ – it’s really not about death itself. But then, felt that you really have to go through those kinds of thoughts in order for you to really learn and know about how precious it is for you to want to live. With ‘I’m Alive’; I felt this song is perfect for this album because it talks about staying alive. I think this song has the most straightforward message out of all the songs on the album. ‘Perfect Dancer’ – I think one of them is the brightest song out of the album. I also talk about how I am preparing myself to treat the world with my own attitude because even if I'm imperfect, I will carry through. That is how I felt and ‘Perfect Dancer’ is a song that talked about it the best. Lastly, ‘To My Dear Friend’, is a song that punctuates this album. It really is a song that talks about the final thoughts of my agony, magnetized thoughts, and like the journey of my emotional elevator like an emotional rollercoaster, I think it’s a song that really puts an end to all the emotions that I was feeling. The songs had stories, and I felt I can align those five songs and put them into a story, then I had confidence that people will be able to walk through my thought process with me. When did you start working on this EP? Did the pandemic change the way you shaped it? I think it was around mid-February that we decided that we were going to make this into an album. This year, mid-February, and I've been writing about those songs since I think, maybe last year, December. A lot was going on in my life. At that time, career-wise, my personal life, all my relationships, personal relationships, and everything just jumbled together and led me to kinda explode. I just felt like, I don't know if I can continue, and the only way again, for me was to write. So I guess, since then I just started writing to really literally survive spiritually, and mentally. You mentioned you weren't in a good space, mentally. So, what helped you in terms of your mental health? To write about it? I mean, what did I feel and I tried to keep up with my thoughts, and the only way for me to keep myself safe is to write about it, express it. I'm not best at cooking or dancing; so I think I'm better at music than most of the things that I can express myself. I picked music to be my tool to deliver and write about my thoughts. So that's how I kept my mind and spirit safe. Is it difficult to pen your thoughts that are, basically, your diaries in a way? Now that it is out in the open, people are listening to your diary, does it get overwhelming? Oh, yeah! It's scary. It's a scary experience because you are emotionally getting naked and now it is out in the world. It's a diary, it is supposed to be your thoughts like written

in the book. You don't normally share your diary with anyone unless it's your lover, but even if it's your lover, it's very rare for somebody to share their diary with anyone, even with their parents. For me, I'm literally doing it with the world. So it's a very scary experience. I don't know how people are gonna react to it. In some way, it's pretty liberating. But then, that feeling didn't really last for too long for me as the album release date got closer. I felt like 'Should I do this? I don't know if I can do this.' Like, I felt very scared. While making this album, did you learn something about yourself? Yeah, I learned about myself, way more. I learned that I'm not perfect. I learned that I'm not that strong. While I was writing songs about this album, especially because I had to reveal my weakness, I felt like 'Wow, I had this side in me, and I was vulnerable.' I'm not as strong as I know, how I thought that I'd be. It's just, it was fascinating. But now I learned that I'm not perfect. So I write this album that's what I learned. After releasing this album, I also learned that I'm not alone. So that's also what I've been learning that you're not alone in this - it's like a journey. You grew up in many places, not just in South Korea. So who were your musical influences growing up? Well, all the countries that I've been around, it's not too many. However, I've indeed been living a nomad lifestyle. I was born in Korea, went to elementary school in Korea, and then I moved to Australia, went to middle school there. I moved to New Jersey, United States, and then I went to college in New York City. All while I was doing that, I got personal musical experiences from everyone in the country, so I cannot pinpoint who influenced me or what influenced me. I think all those countries, all my life experiences, I think everything was just like mixed, together. By the time that I decided - 'Hey, maybe I should start writing a song' - all those experiences became my inspiration. Now, to that inspiration, I'm adding my heart to it. So everything is mixed. I think that's how the music that you guys are hearing from me came to be. Was 'Beautiful Goodbye' by Chen of EXO, a turning point in your career? Well, definitely! It's the song that started my career as a producer and songwriter. It indeed helped me in the artist aspect and career as well. Thankfully, the company themselves contacted my company, but I think, really working with different artists gave me not only the recognition, but it gave the experience that not many artists can have. It's very hard. I know that people may think that artists have this, like, huge community, and then they talk to themselves, like from day to day, it really doesn't happen that way. It's just the same as our society, if we don't have a connection together, workwise or conversation-wise, the connections don't happen. But for me, it happened through my songwriting, so I had to learn and experience fairly different things from what a lot of it was like which artists may not encounter. Is it true that before you started becoming a songwriter and producer, you were about to become a clarinet player? I majored in classical clarinet in my college, I went there for a year. So yeah, it is true that I tried my career to be a scientist, or, or a professor, teacher, like to be exact. And then I went to college for a year, and I decided, maybe I want to take a year off from college. Because if I continued going to college, I felt like I would end up, I will not have my way out from clarinet. And I wouldn't be able to have more opportunities to do different things. So I felt like at least let's take a year off from college, and then do whatever I want to do, musically. And since then I'm here. Well, life happens. How long did it take for you to reach where you are today? I think it took me 10 years to be where I am right now - a little more than 10 years to be exact, like 13 years, but then I'll exclude those three years because I was young and didn't know what I was doing. Professionally, I think

10 years for me to reach where I am right now. I cannot say that I like fully succeeded as a musician. To become where I am right now mentally and spiritually. I think it really just took me 10 years to get here. Is it difficult to produce and write for yourself compared to produce and write for other artists? It is equally hard because there are two different things. When I am writing for myself. I listen to myself, my story and that takes effort. When I'm writing for others, I'm listening to them and try to figure out their stories in the right for them. So that's like a different style of writing from the other. So those are equally hard. Those are very, not easy. Broken Kaleidoscope EP is out now. What is next for you? What kind of journey would you like to take now? Well, I take my journey to another broken kaleidoscope. Yeah, another Broken Kaleidoscope, which means I will not know, actually, to correct myself. I will keep up with my writing my heart out daily, what I feel the emotions. They're very different from not too different than they're slightly different. And so I will be writing my diaries about what I'm feeling like these days and the next album will be another broken class. Go with a different theme. So I'll be working on that. You said that it's a 10-year journey, anything looking at the day when you started writing versus now? How do you see your journey? Where do you think in the next 10 years, you would be? If I'm still alive, in 10 years, I think I'm gonna be doing the exact same thing that I'm doing right now. With all their face. Same thing, same thing, just no work on my craft to be a good producer, myself, and for the others, and just continue to express and I will never stop with the music. Maybe I tried to do different things from here to there. But then music within myself will not change. So which means that I myself won't change. So I'll be doing the same thing. Do you have any set goals for yourself? I don't think I will ever reach a point where I'm satisfied, but at the same time, which means my only dream is to continue with what I'm doing. And right now I'm doing it. So I guess I'm living my dream out.

#nive #jisoo park #Interview #article #broken kaleidoscope #1st mini album #singer #songwriter #composer #producer #musician #kpop #hybrid pop #global pop #music #multi instrumentalist #multitalented #solo #artist

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late-stagechosen · 4 years

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Ken's Taste in Media

So I have the Star Trek thing, and that he was kept away from all non-educational media the whole time he was Mama and Papa's Cash Cow, Part II: The Neverending Story

And I've also been going "he's a Millennial. He wasn't even around when music I like was being made, and I don't know what he'd listen to or like because I don't listen to a whole lot past about '93 and don't care to."

And just now on break at work, I realised... Ken's been sheltered. He's already not in step with his peers. He's already not listening to what's cool.

Heck, I always thought he might be going to some kind of private Gifted-type school (regardless, he's in a separate school district from the others, but even if he wasn't)

Kids in those types of environments *do* pretty much get pushed to living to study. Polynomials, the English word I always thought sounded like a cereal (the Japanese sounds normal), really IS for breakfast! So the Chosen are probably his only real exposure to going to the arcade or the latest movies or Oricon chart singles.

But at the same time, as he leaves his home as an adult and gets out there, I think he's got the type of mind to walk into some little record store out of curiosity, where the owner is the only worker, and randomly pick up say, Bebu Silvetti, and now he likes European soft instrumental disco or something.

I know precious little about music after 2000, and even if 02 took place in the 80s, I really don't picture Daisuke or Miyako liking music he'd like. They'd like stuff like Van Halen and New Edition, respectively, I think.

Iori...yanno, I've met a few people in my life who just don't care for music all that much, and Iori seems like that type. I have a good friend of years like that. So I don't mean it as a diss.

(I may not "get" it, but there are things I strive to be like my dad in. One of them is that even though his music was Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, he wasn't critical of me liking Chaka Khan or Bruce Springsteen, and even sometimes watched MTV, music videos back then, they had a weekly program on TV Asahi, *with me* He went the extra mile there, but you don't need to "get" everything, just respect it's how the other person is and feels as long as no one's hurting anyone or being hateful)

I think if there was crossover with any of the other Chosen, he might like some of Takeru's records. Hikari seems like she might be into Romantic period pieces and opera, New Age at most modern, which might be a bit *too* much for Ken. Too much like the stuff that's "supposed to make you smart/be for smart people." If she listened to more mainstream stuff, it'd be like Celine Dion, who was everywhere at the time, especially since everyone still listened to terrestrial broadcast radio.

But Ken having been sheltered in so many ways for so long means he's kind of on his own when he finally does get out there.

I think he'd just be extremely self-conscious all over about sharing anything he found and he likes, even if it's not quite Nordic jazz fusion 30 years older than he is. But especially if it is.

He tends toward softer, smoother stuff. More Boz Scaggs and less The Whispers, but I think he might dip into some of the darker stuff, too, even if he doesn't go much further than New Order and definitely not Pink Floyd.

(Of course, I'm using almost all American bands for my examples on the off chance anyone knows these, as the whole world listens to English-language music American record companies had rights to)

I imagine Ken just picks up random stuff out of curiosity, so it's not like his collection is particularly well-curated.

It probably sits on a shelf with a small player, and he definitely doesn't put records on for guests.

I *can* also picture him putting Easy Listening/Beautiful Music on in the background at home when he's not too depressed. This is something people born past about 1940 just didn't ever listen to. It did used to play on store radios until about 2000 in some parts of the US, but it's not *quite* Muzak, which is this whole proprietary special thing. It's not really around anymore, but I actually have an album or two from defunct radio stations that are collections of songs from the genre. I'll upload some at some point.

But the actual Beautiful Music genre (which is really a radio station genre, the boundaries of the genre have fuzzed over, searching it on YouTube will lead you to basically anything instrumental and soft, but it was once better-defined) is *so far removed from"cool."* Even the stuff he runs across that is super-cool, like alternative dance, which was the music of the proto-goths, or classy jazz fusion, which was HUGE in Japan during the 80s econ bubble (well, what of it just isn't too rambunctious and way too super-duper happy for him) he also doesn't expect anyone else to see what he sees in stuff he likes.

But I think if he was coaxed into showing someone something, and they genuinely liked it, I think he'd be really, really happy. As in he'd actually smile. Which is big for him.

I do plan to upload some of my favourites I have on record and tape to the internet, ones that no one else has, but it's kind of a production to do that. One I just don't have time for, especially before it's too late to play records in an apartment building. But when I get around to it,when it's something I think Ken would like,I'll reblog it here under the tag "minidisc collection"

To that end, here's Bebu Silvetti, who several people have uploaded to YouTube. This is what I mean by "soft."

youtube

#digimon rp #about muse #musings #headcanons #digimon roleplay

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nicoleignn · 5 years

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DIGGING DEEPER: Fred Tomaselli

Technological revolution seems like a great and unique advantage of our age, however, it has turned into a disadvantage of disinformation, in other words, promotion of fake news. American artist Fred Tomaselli, who is interested in reality and perception, has created series of images that show how news, just like drugs, modify reality and alter consciousness. The artist does nor appreciate the phenomenon of fake news and believes that it is very, very dangerous. In his artworks, he took the front-pages of New York Times to transform images in newspapers into strange, brilliantly coloured compositions, adding absurd and satirical imagery to real-life photographs of politicians and news events, to create a new narrative behind it, which is the aim of fake news. He used gouache, creating vibrant, psychedelic images that almost look like visuals caused by drugs, because both drugs and fake news create the reality that doesn't exist, however, affected by the aforementioned two, we believe In the narratives they create. The absurdity of the images he created also refers to the absurdity of the information that we are being given. The artist, however, made the absurdity visible and obvious, which is not usually the same with fake news. I decided to dig deeper into Fred’s works since the topic of fake news is related to my project I am currently making as well as my essay, which deals with ways in which modernity has failed us.

3:1 KEY THEMES OF THE ARTWORK

Fake news

Technologies

Media

Politics

3:2 WORD ASSOCIATION

Fake news - disinformation, perception of the reality, lies, fiction, brainwashing, control, humiliation, disrespect

Technologies - technological revolution, communication, social media, mental health, misrepresentation, double standards, spreading bad influence, sexism, racism, fake news platform

Media - news, social media, influence, mental health, inappropriate content

Politics - power, control, disappointment, illusion, disinformation, conspiracy, control, government, creating boundaries, spreading discrimination and hatred.

3:3 RELATED ARTICLES

FRIEZE MAGAZINE: Venice Biennale 2019, Titled ‘May You Live in Interesting Times’, to Tackle the Age of Fake News

This article not only explains the plan and aim of the upcoming art exhibition, but also provides some feedback on brexit, fake news ant its relationship to art and design practices. In a statement, curator Ralph Rugoff explained: ‘At a moment when the digital dissemination of fake news and ‘alternative facts’ is corroding political discourse and the trust on which it depends, it is worth pausing whenever possible to reassess our terms of reference.’

An outstanding part of this article is the one saying that people who voted for Britain to leave the European Union are more likely to avoid the arts: ‘hose who live in 44 pro-Brexit areas including Sandwell, Boston and Blackburn were more likely to have voted Leave than engage with the arts, according to new analysis by Arts Professional. The data was compiled using the most recent Active Lives survey, which reports on whether a person has attended an arts event or activity, and compared it against the results of the 2016 Brexit referendum. The highest engagement with the arts was the City of London at 91.7%, with just 24.7% voting to leave the EU. However, Mark Taylor, a sociologist at the University of Sheffield found that there was a weaker correlation between people actually participating in the arts and voting Remain.’

This research only proves that Brexit has opened a huge platform for all the ignorant, selfish, indifferent and narrow-minded people in the Britain to express their pathetic views. In our times, we must be willing to help and share, open boundaries, not close them. National and racial hatred will not solve any issue, but will only create more.

MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW: A mathematical model captures the political impact of fake news

This article aims to present and explain recent mathematical research that shows how fake news affect people’s decision during voting. Dorje Brody from the University of Surrey and David Meier from Brunel University created a mathematical model, including 3 groups of people. First are those who are unaware of fake news and so treat it like ordinary noise. Being unaware that news could be fake, they are entirely confident in their views. “This category are most vulnerable to exposure to fake news,” say the researchers.

The second group are those who are aware of fake news but do not know how to separate it from noise. This group is less susceptible to fake news but is less confident in its opinions because of the uncertainty that fake news creates. “The people in this category are considerably more aware of the uncertainties in their estimates,” say Brody and Meier.

And finally, there are those voters who can spot fake news and immediately remove it from their calculations. These people are confident in their views because they are unaffected by the bias fake news introduces. However, Brody and Meier think of this group as an idealisation. “After all, it is an almost insurmountable task for any given individual to perfectly identify which items of news are fake and which ones are not,” they point out.

The results make for interesting reading. It turns out, not unexpectedly, that voters in the the first group are easily manipulated by fake news. Similarly, those in the third group are unaffected by fake news.

However, the second group is the most interesting. Voters in this category are aware of the existence of fake news, but do not know the timing of its release. So they tend to overcompensate for the possibility that the information they are receiving may be contaminated. However, once the fake news has been released, those in this group do well at removing its influence.

“One can interpret this as an indication that mere knowledge of the possibility of fake news is already a powerful antidote to its effects,” say Brody and Meier.

Another important issue is the nature of factual reality. Many observers will question whether it is reasonable to assume that an objective factual reality exists, particularly when it comes to political issues and future-gazing.

I have also found this video on YouTube that proves that any audio/video piece can be altered in order to create fake, however convincing content:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoc2RISoLWU&fbclid=IwAR2gPDOIZoMS-xH_iyKFUYWGcbSsUKhRrxEt8BuKSIsrmOBS7aqkZffsGS0

QUARTZ MAGAZINE: The future of fake news

This article underpins my aforementioned statement about fake content and how easy it is to create it. With only a few hours of audio of a person talking, you can synthesize a recording of that person saying just about anything you desire. With only a few hundred images of a person, you can synthesize a video of that person’s face sewn onto another person’s body, facial expressions, head movements, and all. Combine these two technologies, and it is possible to generate a convincing fake video of a world leader saying whatever you want them to: Anything from an official announcement of a nuclear strike to a private recording where they admit to colluding with a foreign government to win a national election. The public won’t know the difference. Finally, plug the fruits of this powerful technology into the speed and reach of social media, and before any professional source can debunk the broadcast, it’s spread too far to convince viewers of its inauthenticity.

Yuval Noah Harari: 21 lessons for the 21st century

Yuval Noah Harari’s latest book explains how modernity keeps failing us in various ways, starting from nuclear war and racism to Donal Trump’s rise and Brexit. ‘The rise of Donald Trump in the United States signified the moment when this tidal wave of disillusionment reached the core liberal states of Western Europe and North America’. Yuval is also comparing a bad headache signifying possible brain tumour to the rise of Donald Trump, signifying the end of civilisation caused by a complete dehumanisation.

FRIEZE MAGAZINE

Frieze Magazine provides an article with various artists’ feedback and thoughts on Brexit and all of them contain negative attitude towards it. ‘It has opened a platform for all the racist, ignorant and selfish people to express their extremist views. We should not be thinking what is the best for us, we should be thinking how to keep a united Europe and help the countries less fortunate than ourselves. The world is in a mess.’ - stated British artist Clare Woods. ‘At this frightening moment in time, we need o open borders, not close them. We need to be cosmopolitan, to stop acting as nit people’s difference threatens our identity. We need to share. I'm so horrified by the talk of us and them, the rise of racism, the growing acceptability of hate speech. I don't want to live on an ugly, homogenised island, little bloody Britain. I want us to take part in something bigger, to be multilingual, to exchange. I'm in, and I'm in for life.

3:4 EXPANDING RESEARCH

What do you think artist would’ve researched when making their artwork?

Since Fred’s artworks I am looking at are front pages of newspaper, related to political, social and technological events, he definitely researched that in order to fully understand the absurdity of fake news about those events. I also think he was researching human psychology and its relationship to colours and shapes, because everything he drew looks very distinctive and triggers various feelings. He might have researched or experienced how drugs, especially psychedelics affect human brain and how they contribute to the perception of the reality.

2) How the artwork relates to current news events? / 3) How the artwork relates to history?

Fred Tomaselli has stopped creating these art pieces, but if he didn’t, he would have loads of material to work on. However, all of his works are related to current political events, because politics, as well as anything else has its past, its history, that contributes to how those events are being changed and accepted now. The aspects he was touching are still relatable, because the phenomenon of fake news and its absurdity still exist nowadays.

4) Books in the library:

Anti-social media?: the Impact on journalism and society

by Mair, John

Politics

by Heywood, Andrew

The economics of Brexit: a cost-benefit analysis of the UK's economic relationship with the EU

by Whyman, Philip B; Petrescu, Alina I

Gender and queer perspectives on Brexit

by Dustin, Moira; Ferreira, Nuno; Millns, Susan

Fake news

by Morton, Brian

3:5 IDENTIFY THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EXPANDED RESEARCH AND THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK.

I believe that there is a strong connection between the advantage of technological revolution that has turned into a disadvantage of spreading disinformation and politics, because fake news are usually related to political events. Fred’s artworks underpin this statement and show how easy it is to convince us in the absurd information we are being given. The way fake news contribute to the perception of the reality is unbelievably frustrating, especially baring in mind that we are living in the 21st century, calling ourselves independent, strong individuals but still depending on the source of information that is giving us fiction.

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dorothydelgadillo · 5 years

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HubSpot Content Strategy Will Soon Be HubSpot SEO & I Don't Think That's a Good Idea

Look, when it comes to the HubSpot Marketing Hub, changes are part of the package deal. In fact, I know I'm not alone in believing that HubSpot is only such a powerful marketing, sales, and service automation platform because of the HubSpot team's agile approach to how the product is developed and updated.

However, I'm not fully onboard with their latest announced change.

TL;DR: HubSpot is renaming the "Content Strategy" tool to "SEO." Absolutely nothing else will change about the pillar content and topic cluster builder and tracker. It's all about the name.

When will this change happen? "Soon."

Why don't I like this change? Two reasons, but first...

Part of Me Understands... I Think?

For those who may not remember, the Content Strategy tool was born from the fire of the demise of the Keywords tool. (Well, technically, it was released a few months in advance to soften the blow of Keywords going away, but whatever.)

Unfortunately, no matter how many times HubSpot explicitly said that Keywords was going away because (a) it was no longer effective or accurate, and (b) Content Strategy was going to deliver more value to HubSpot users, given the way search and content had changed, people freaked out.

(Then, like clockwork, marketers filled the void with endless lists about what tools marketers could replace the Keywords tool-shaped hole in their hearts -- us included. For example, SEMrush.)

That's why part of me understands and is not surprised.

Even though HubSpot explained the seismic shift in how we should be thinking about our SEO and content strategies -- and how the two strategies really should be one in the same -- the disconnect in the minds of many HubSpot users remained.

Not only did a lot of users feel like something was taken away and not effectively replaced, I've witnessed first-hand how many HubSpot users still don't understand the purpose of the Content Strategy tool or how to effectively use it.

So, by changing the name of "Content Strategy" to "SEO," HubSpot makes the connection more explicit and brings more focus to the tool in general.

That's a win-win, right? Well, not so fast.

Now, I Put on My Chicken Little Hat

Maybe I'm worrying over nothing. Maybe I'm overthinking this change to a degree that is completely unnecessary. Maybe my pedantic posturing simply a manifestation of my usual resistance to change, because I hate when things move around after I finally get used to something.

I'm self-aware to admit those as being potential truths.

But I still see two major issues with this change that I can't set to the side without sharing them with you first.

The Concept of Content Strategy Is Deprioritized

First, my gut is twisting into knots over this apparent deprioritization of "content strategy" as a concept via rebranding.

When they first announced the Content Strategy tool, I was beside myself with joy to see HubSpot bringing order, structure, and a set of best practices by making content strategy a banner headline in their suite of marketing automation tools.

"It's not enough to just create content," they were saying. "You need to be strategic."

It opened up an entire discussion around how we solve for one of the biggest challenges we face as inbound marketers -- how do we create content strategies that are actually strategic and search-driven, instead of just a bundle of haphazardly-curated topics that are arbitrarily focused on keywords?

Maybe I'm alone in this, but when the Content Strategy tool came around, my mind was blown. All of a sudden, the disparate puzzle pieces of blog articles, pillar content, topic clusters, long-form content, and keyword strategies came together.

I even based my entire IMPACT Live '18 talk around it:

Now, it feels as if we're taking a step backward.

Content strategy is, once again, taking a backseat -- even of only on a subconscious level -- to a more one-dimensional SEO banner.

I believe this will potentially exacerbate the disconnect people already felt between the concepts of SEO and content strategy at a high level, or how they can more effectively create content strategies that are genuinely strategic.

Also, the heart of the tool is building out and tracking content strategies. SEO and search should be the foundation upon which those strategies are built, but it's not the point.

Will People Even Use It Correctly or Understand It?

Next, let's talk about how many times HubSpot users just go into a tool and tinker with it when they think it's super simple, without understanding how much strategy needs to go into their efforts before they even think about touching HubSpot.

HubSpot workflows are a perfect example.

By a show of hands, how many of you have you gone into the workflows tool without having planned your workflow in advance?

"I'll just figure it out as I go along," you say!

👋 I have.

(If you say you haven't done that at least once, I refuse to believe you.)

This never works, of course. Then, we get frustrated. "My workflows aren't effective," we huff and puff, instead of just admitting that we should have whiteboarded out a workflow strategy and refined it before we powered up HubSpot.

Unfortunately, even though this has gotten better over time with the Content Strategy tool, I cannot tell you how many times I've seen marketers "try to understand the tool" by randomly typing in the keywords and subtopic keywords they think matter, and connecting some HubSpot-suggested content to it.

"Boom, I've got a topic cluster. That wasn't so hard."

No. That's not how any of this works.

This may sound hyperbolic, but while this flawed logic is easy enough to course-correct with a tool like Workflows, Content Strategy requires a pivot in our thinking about content and search in general, as well as a willingness to spend a ton of time tinkering with topic clusters, measuring their efficacy, and then tinkering some more.

(As I shared previously, one of the biggest lessons I've learned in my journey with pillar content is how much time I need to spend tending to my topic clusters like they're plants in a garden.)

Additionally, many don't even realize that pillar content has anything to do with that tool, and I've spent a lot of time this year trying to correct that.

So, if my previous hunch is correct -- that this change will undo some, most, or all of the clarification and prioritization of content strategy, as a global concept -- and we can all admit we're not exactly the best about how we use our HubSpot tools, this change has the potential to create even more confusion.

Because, bottom line, renaming "Content Strategy" as "SEO" is a throwback to the name "Keywords," which was essentially a data entry and tracking tool that runs itself. That is not what this tool is.

"Liz, You're at a 15, & You Need to Be at a 5"

OK, I know I'm one smashed champagne flute and a set of shoulder pads away from being right at home on an episode of Dynasty.

I'm also aware that, for some, this may seem like an inappropriate level of response due to the seemingly small change we're talking about here. Still, I stand by my concerns.

I appreciate that HubSpot is making an effort to help people clearly understand that content strategy development is how they should be thinking about SEO going forward, instead of has a dysfunctional patchwork of unrelated keywords.

However, I can't help but worry we're about to take 10 steps back, in terms of helping people understand of what a content strategy should look like, and how much work is involved in developing one that is effective.

from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/hubspot-content-strategy-change-hubspot-seo

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