#and i knew i wanted a creative career where i can still have fun and code
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oh and i've decided i really wanna be a game designer
#the last two years have been just OK I WANNA BE A TECH PERSON BUT i HAVE NO IDEA WHAT *KIND* OF TECH PERSON I WANNA BE#and i knew i wanted a creative career where i can still have fun and code#and then it just HIT ME#I wanna make games#it's everything i want!#creativity? check#CODE!!!! check#still something my parents would be cool with me doing? check!#also it helps that i literally grew up on gaming and being so fascinated by games in every way#like it's embarrassing that it took me this long to figure out that i want to do game design#the only problem is the ungodly long hours and crunching#but like that would've happened regardless of what tech related career i wanted#so might as well have creative fulfillment after a long week of working
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As with tradition with any show I like, I do make OC's every now and again, especially if I'm strangely fascinated and obsessed with a character from the show *cough*Alastor*cough.
So this is my Hazbin Hotel OC. Named Lady Cecilia, real name Marcella when she was alive. I drew her in both my style and the show's style (well as much as I can try to copy the style).
Backstory as a Human:
Marcella was a poor girl living in a rural area near where Alastor was when he was alive. She was constantly abused by her father and escaped her harsh life by working as a pianist in a club and walking in the woods in her free time. She met Alastor when she stumbled upon him trying to murder someone. He was about to kill her as well, but was surprised when she helped him catch the person he was trying to murder. Afterwards, Alastor allowed her presence, but reluctantly at times and told her to go home every time she was around.
She was a constant witness to his crimes but never sold him out, as she enjoyed his company while he continuously covered his murders. Alastor found it strange that she never questioned his killings, but she simply thought that he was killing all the "bad guys". Alastor even found himself caring for the girl, as he knew about her difficult situation, even offering her to come along when he wanted to move elsewhere to continue his radio career. However, she refused and simply wished him luck, and stated that she was too scared to leave her father.
Sadly, she was assaulted and brutally hurt by several men after angering her father one day, including him as well, and they left her to die at a swamp. Despite her injuries, she was still alive. But she lost her mind and was filled with rage, and that rage was enough to fuel her energy. She went to her town and set everything on fire, whilst killing random people with a knife in her hands, as she wanted to see everything destroyed. Some officers managed to attack and hurt her even more, which prompted her to ran off to the swamp once again. She fell down into the waters, and slowly gave in to death, as the alligators came to tear her apart and eat her flesh and bones. In her death, she was sent to hell for her actions against the townsfolk.
Story as a Hell Dweller:
In hell, she was reincarnated as a humanoid, reptilian type of creature. She renamed herself as Cecilia. She decided to not repeat her mistake and gain as much power as she could to survive in this new world. She rose to power and became a silent Overlord, a powerful demon that stayed in the shadows and keeping a low profile while increasing her strength by sucking the souls of dwellers who posed a threat to her, using an instrument given to her by a mysterious entitiy when she first arrived in hell. Her actions went by without many Overlords knowing about her, with the exception of one or two who deemed her not dangerous, but still need to be kept watched from time to time.
Cecilia had no interest in occupying territories or dominating other inhabitants of Hell, and would rather be left alone at her place while fending off threatening demons who would harm her with her abilities. However, she was feeling as something was missing inside and heard about the Hazbin Hotel. She made a choice to go there and see whether she could find that missing piece in her, not knowing about Alastor's presence at the hotel or his identity from when she was alive. He also, would have no idea who she was when she came over, until he did more investigation due to his suspicions over her appearance at the hotel.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little OC introduction. I had fun coming up with a story and getting a little spark of creativity every now and again, especially during this time where I'm just demotivated all the time.
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[TRANSLATION] Art and Piece Issue 16 - Alan Chan about Leslie Cheung
“He climbed out of the pool and asked me, 'Don't you just think my shorts look so gorgeous and sexy today?'”
A BEAUTIFUL TUNE IN THE MIDST OF EMPTINESS
Alan Chan - Renowned Hong Kong designer
I am Alan Chan. I am a designer, and designed multiple album covers for Leslie Cheung.
In the 80s and 90s, I designed album covers for several big names and superstars. Some people even called me Leslie's "go-to designer" because of that, and I also witnessed a lot of high points in Leslie's music career. As I work in graphic design as well as advertising, I don't use a very personal angle in creating an album cover. Rather, I use the artist as a starting point, to accentuate the public image the artist had at that point in time.
The first time I helped Leslie create an album cover was in 1984. Capital Artists was beginning to realise that they needed to "package" or "dress up" their artists and came to me for help. And like that, I worked with Leslie for the first time on his album Craziness. Leslie was a gentleman - once he even invited me to have dinner at his then-home in Taikoo Shing after the album was done. To be honest, Leslie and I weren't very close, but we were both very emotional people. We didn't need to say much to understand each other. It was quite fun working on Craziness though. At the time Capital Artists was still quite new and our budget was quite small. The waistcoat, shirt and bowtie that Leslie wore during the photoshoot were actually mine, I just lent them to him. Fortunately, they fit.
I still remember when Florence Chan, Alex Chan and I waited outside the recording studio from noon until late night. When we heard the finished product of Sleepless Night, I really couldn't help but let out a "WOW" in my heart. We knew that this song would make him a superstar. Later when we went to Japan for the Summer Romance photoshoot, I had my eye on a pair of shoes while shopping there. When I went to pay, I found out that gor-gor had already kindly bought them for me. It's an unforgettable memory of mine. Those pair of shoes are almost completely worn out but I still keep them.
I don't really know a lot of artists, but Leslie is definitely the most artistic one. You can see this even in the details of his everyday life. When he moved from Repulse Bay to Kadoorie Hill, he did all of the interior design himself. The furnishing was very tasteful - he just knew how to pick and arrange elegant furniture. He was also a really easy person to communicate with about creating. We both trusted each other a lot in the design process. I knew very well that at some point, o matter if it's singing, acting, or any other sort of artistic approach, an artist should be able to think for themselves and not just follow the crowd.
Just like for the later Leslie '89, Leslie himself took the album cover photo, while I added some finishing touches and colour with aerosol paint. Or take For Your Heart Only. He knew what he wanted to do from the start and even prepared his own outfit. When he arrived, he put on the ring his lover gave him for the photoshoot, so in the end we used a more soft way to handle the cover in order to show Leslie's pure, loving side. Rather than expressing it to the fans, I feel like the concept of the album was for Leslie's own heart. Virgin Snow's aesthetic and typography doesn't look outdated even today. Final Encounter is also really worth remembering - I constructed a ten-or-so feet tall podium and used a vertical ladder to climb up there and take photos, it actually wasn't very stable or safe.
Mirages exist in all of entertainment business. All performances will have parts where we are "pretending" and this is called showmanship. The personality of an artist shows through your showmanship. I felt that the natural, creative energy that Leslie had was unique. No other artist had it. Leslie's beauty came with a sort of feminine sexiness, it was soft-spoken, and he wasn't afraid to show off his attractiveness. I remember during the photoshoot for the Leslie album cover, he climbed out of the pool and asked me, "Don't you just think my shorts look so gorgeous and sexy today?"
Not everyone can be him.
Translated by me (aka @dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr), do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi!
For the formatted PDF version of the article, click here.
#art and piece issue 16#dailylesliec translations#leslie cheung#張國榮#hongkong#cantopop#hk cinema#art and piece
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Hi, Jen! I just wanted to tell you how much I love your Bakery& Spooky Store, especially the apartment above the bakery. It's such a lovely apartment! I don't even own GTW expansion pack, I knew I wouldn't be able to play as the owner, so I planned to place this lot and redecorate it to fit the requirements for a café or something, but as soon as I saw the apartment and the little garden, I wanted to keep it. I ended up making this lot a residential, where my sims live upstairs and have a pretend "business" on the ground floor. It's been so many things over the years: there was a bakery (selling cupcakes through the base game cupcake machine and "sell to the local bakery" option), a flower shop, a hipsterish furniture store (bakery's kitchen became a workshop and my sim got to exhibit the chairs he made in a pretentious interior), an abandoned arcade (my criminal sim had the best parties there). It became my sim's personal office every time they chose a career that allowed working from home.
Before I placed this lot, I thought I was a type of a simmer who mainly plays with families, but since the apartment had one bedroom and was only fit for a single sim or a couple, I've learned to have fun with that too! Never before this lot had my sims made so many connections! The annoying visitors that come to your lot randomly and knock on the door weren't annoying anymore, they somehow became relevant to the story surrounding the "business" that I currently had on the lot. My holiday decorations got much more creative with having to decorate both the apartment and the commercial space, my sim's parties became much more fun too. The most beautiful wedding I've ever had with my sims was on this lot, in their very own bakery. Anyway, you probably got the idea already, this is my favourite lot of all time, I can go on about it for ages..
Thank you so much for sharing your builds! They are truly inspiring! This build alone reinvented the game for me, I have a great time with it to this day. Thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Hi Anon!! This was so sweet! It actually made me a little emotional. I'm so glad you enjoyed my bakery build and got so much use out of it. I loved reading about all of the creative ways you used it! Who would have thought it would be a good place for an abandoned arcade where a criminal Sim throws great parties? LOL. I love it!
Thank you so much for this lovely long note! It totally made my week. I don't build much anymore but it's cool to know that people are still having fun with my builds. Hope you continue to have fun with your game, dear Anon! Happy Simming! ❤️
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This tumblrina/dumbass accidentally deleted an ask sent by @peonierose, but it took me a while to create these, so I'm posting anyway 😅
What is something you love about your MC / OC? You can create and share anything you’d like 😍 HC‘s, moodboards, edits or drabbles. Have fun and gush about your MC / OC 🥰
Also what made you create your MC /OC what was your inspiration?
Daphne is super creative and I love that she adds an artistic touch to everything she does. Her mother was artist as well, so she was raised in a environment where she was constantly influenced by her mother's career in music theatre and developed her skills on music, dancing and visual arts.
Her artistic side shows on how she expresses herself (from the many paintings of inspired by her loved ones to her clothing style), to how she hosts parties for friends and family (e.g. choosing dishes with the nicest presentation and folding napkins). Her passion to make everything more aesthetic pleasing knows no bounds and her partner, grandmother and even her mother-in-law wholeheartedly approve it.
Daphne was inspired by canon D&D MC. Back then I was insecure about writing period pieces and writing in British English (I mostly learned US English, so every now and then an US American slang still slips 😅), but I really wanted to write Prince Hamid. So I chose to bring them to the 21st century and make Daphne an English/Chinese descendant that lived in US most of her life.
I love Jade's boldness. This is something that already exists in TRR MC and I chose to keep it as part of Jade's personality. She is a woman with a tragic past, many losses, mental illness. She had to grow up faster, learn how to be tough faster. And even she becomes happily married and mother of three, she knows life isn't a fairytale and she isn't afraid to speak her mind and to fight for what she believes in and for her loved ones.
Jade is also based on canon TRR MC, but not quite. I understand why TRR MC is written without a backstory, but when I decided to write TRR fanfiction, I wanted to her to have her own story and give her real motivation to leave her life behind to pursue a man she barely knew.
The whole complexity of her character came after I had written a few chapters and have planned a few things for the series. MC suffered a sexual assault attempt, she has her reputation and loyalty to Liam constantly questioned by Cordonian tabloids, she endured a series of life threats... It wouldn't make sense to me if this girl, who went through all this shit and already had a heavy of baggage before, still had the "yay, I'm royalty! Bring me my fancy big hat" vibe canon MC has.
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Shells Info
OC asks from this post except I omitted some for whatever reasons I felt like!
does your oc have any motifs?
Red and glowing! Her hair was dark red as a kid and had a habit of almost "glowing" and when she was well into her teen years it just randomly turned bright red and glowed consistently with mood. She also blushes bright red when in love specifically.
describe your character's voice. do they have a voice claim?
Peyton List is I think a good comparison for how I'm thinking of her voice currently.
is your character an indoor or outdoor person?
Outdoors, incredibly. She'll do anything she can as long as it's outdoors.
what was your character's dream job as a kid? is it different than what their career ended up being?
She was very indecisive as a kid but her biggest bout was something in art. She ended up losing interest in this when she was a teen and is an accountant now! Very different.
what is the thing your oc likes the least about themselves?
How easily her emotions show themselves. She feels like she can't hide anything from anyone and hates that feeling of loss of control.
what is the thing your oc likes the most about themselves?
Her hair, probably!
what book genre is their favorite?
Romance, horror. Better if they're combined.
what book genre is their least favorite?
Anything funny but not in the mostly because she reads before bed and she will not fall asleep if she's giggling.
what kind of music do they enjoy?
She doesn't listen to much music but when she does it’s only listens on the radio and it’s gotta be rock.
has your OC ever fallen in love and with whom?
She falls in love very easily but I think the one that matters here is that she fell in love with P. It’s been hard but she tries her damned-est.
how well does your OC do in school?
She did well! She’s very smart, especially in the area of math.
where would your OC like to go on a honeymoon?
She’d probably love to just go somewhere in the middle of nature, maybe the sea.
who is your OC’s best friend?
P, Paulie, Pipsqueak XD
how does your OC feel about their parents? (Answer from an ask)
Shells is really close with her parents! Mentioned in another post a while ago saying P moved in with a friend in his teen years; Shells was that friend. They’re eccentric people with so much love in their hearts and Shells has pretty much always been close to them. She had no need for rebellion at any point, though she did tend to sneak out, they would always be waiting because they knew she knew how to stay safe.
how does your OC feel about their siblings?
She’s got one older sibling. Much older, though, like in their 40’s as of present. She was kind of a miracle after them, to be honest.
a memory that still makes your OC angry?
Any memory of P being picked on. And people messing up her name. It’s not as prevalent now as it was when she was a kid but it still happens on occasion.
a nostalgic memory from your OC’s childhood?
Going fishing and playing sports with her dad. He’s not as young as he used to be, after all, but they still do things together.
hobbies your OC enjoys? (Answer from an ask)
She’s not a very creative person. I think she might also do boxing/martial arts or any sport for fun, really, especially after sitting all day. She does math for fun, too, even though it’s part of her job.
what is holding your OC back to achieve their goals?
She’s pretty much achieved all goals except living closer to P but that’s because he moved away from their hometown and she doesn’t want to leave </3
how does your OC handle death of someone they know?
Poorly. She holes herself into one space and refuses to leave or focuses all her attention on work.
favorite food and color for your OC?
Pizza and silver.
least favorite food and color?
Cherries and green.
your OC’s zodiac sign?
Aquarius. January 25th.
is your OC a dog or cat person?
Both, neither. She cares for animals very much, to the point she doesn’t trust herself with them.
when was their first kiss?
A sleepover when she was 17 in a closet.
does your OC wish to be married someday?
Absolutely!
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steins;gate hogwarts AU (because i can’t come up with anything creative)
He sat there, shocked, as the hat was taken off his head. He wasn’t quite sure if the voice was still echoing around the seemingly endless hall (what with the roof being the sky itself?) or maybe it was just how loud the shout was so it was still ringing in his ears... or maybe his head just wanted to burn it in, just to make him suffer.
“HUFFLEPUFF!”
He had dreaded it. Of course, Rintarou Okabe knew nothing about hogwarts houses. He simply heard some rumours in the crowd on the way in and he figured it all out. He was a slytherin, no doubt about it. So when the house shouted the last house he’d want to be in... Well.
He tried not to meet anyones gaze, they were clapping. They didn’t know how horribly things had fallen apart for him. What kind of evil man ends up in the house for the goody kiddies? An absolute disgrace. A failure to his kind.
He took his seat in the Hufflepuff table and let out a sigh, was this the end of his saga then? He knew things would fall apart the moment he knew that he had to live away from Mayuri, knowing that even if she did have “magic blood”, she wouldn’t be coming to Hogwarts till he was in third year. So what was he supposed to do here now that his entire life was ruined because of the stupid hat?
the next day
After an uneasy night, Okabe lazily sat down at his first class. Potions. What did he care? His life was over. The students around him sure seemed enthusiastic though. The class started, he was barely listening. A bit of the disappointment of his career as an aspiring evil dark overlord being ruined but also a bit of missing Mayuri. What might she be up to now? Not that he got much time to think about it.
The class was noisy, for most of the first week actually. It’s like most of them were still at awe now that they were finally at Hogwarts. Okabe was shocked at first when he saw the castles towers from the boats and it IS a little hard to not be shocked by bits of magic here and there and realising the extent of the potential of it, but he had better things to worry about.
So far, he hadn’t made a single friend. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he was observing. Biding his time. So far, not many people had stuck out. There had been that one girl sitting besides him on the first day for a lecture, she kept answering every question, even ones that weren’t asked. He sure knew who NOT to sit next to again from that, but other than that, things were going just fine.
It wasn’t until one fine Defence against the dark arts lectures that he would make his first friend.
It was their first practical lecture, they weren’t supposed to cast any spells at each other just yet, just pick a partner for the upcoming lectures and practice basic dueling etiquette. He got paired up with seemingly the only other person who didn’t have any friends, although he did find it surprising, considering her… interesting personality.
“Hey, you’re the guy that no one talks to!” She said, walking towards him as they were assigned together. Okabe wasn’t sure how to react to that but he was already not so sure if he wanted to do this.
“It’s…” said Okabe, trying to think of how to reply to her, “I just don’t want to talk to anyone.” It wasn’t a lie, either, better than nothing.
“Ah, well, no bother! We can be friends.” She looked so confident in herself, with that smile on her face and her shining like she knew exactly how things were going to go. Where did she get that from? ”Well, I’m not entirely sure about that but whatever.” He said, taking a breath and deciding he just had to power through this like the rest of his school life.
“Don’t be a killjoy now, this’ll be fun!”
“Sure, sure, whatever.”
The lecture went by fairly quick after that. They weren’t really supposed to do anything so everyone was just kinda hanging out and “getting to know each other” wasn’t going so well for the girl because he refused to talk to her. It was only when they were supposed to leave that the girl jumped all of a sudden, which shocked okabe, “Huh?! What is it?”
“DUDE WHAT’S YOUR NAME? I FORGOT???” She said, making Okabe wince due to her tone. She didn’t have to scream it out.
“Okabe.” He said, walking away without caring about what she thought about his name. Not that she cared of course, it’s like she didn’t notice how unbothered he was, she just didn’t let up.
“Oooo that’s a cool name! I’m Suzuha,” she said, turning towards him with her braids looking like helicopter wings around her head, “Let’s get going then?”
He wasn’t sure what she meant. He just kept walking, but it did somewhat bug him that she was right behind him. He decided to take a left into a corridor that didn’t lead where they were supposed to be. Yep, still behind him.
“Is this a shortcut? Don’t tell me you’ve explored the corridors enough to know shortcuts now!” She said, completely oblivious to what he was trying to do here.
“Yeah, definitely, this one leads to a cliff which we can jump off of!” He said, wondering if she’ll pick up on the disinterest in his tone.
“HAH! Yeah, hope so!”
She didn’t.
He sighed, turning back and walking towards his next class, this was hopeless. He just had to hope she got bored and left him alone soon enough. If only he knew.
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AN
alrighttt finally. i made myself sit down and write something again and this turned out a bit better than i expected. A bit. And my expectatinos were low.
this is the second thing im writing though! the first was a one shot of hardly 400 words i think so i’m happy with this. as i wrote it, it snowballed so i might write more in this universe of sorts.
as i said i’m really new so any constructive criticism is heavily appreciated. or maybe you just want to say that you enjoyed it or something. or maybe you have some ideas for this. or maybe you want to call okabe a little meow meow. whatever i appreciate anything you have to say just knowing someone read this is good enough LOL
ALSO THIS IS ON AO3 NOW IT’S SO COOL SEEING MYOWN WORK THERE OMG IM https://archiveofourown.org/works/43190751/chapters/108553488
#harry potter#steins;gate#hogwarts#writers on tumblr#writeblr#fanfiction#au#okabe rintarou#amane suzuha
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sp – term reflection.
I'm proud of what I've achieved this term, with firstly getting it done because I felt I was pretty behind a couple weeks ago, but I managed to pull through and create something I'm happy with. Secondly, the outcome is really rewarding with an editorial piece as you get to finally flick through it physically, rather than digitally. Actually having it in your hands makes it feel worth it. Which is why I love doing editorials so much, I definitely think this is my specialist practice, and I hope I get to work on in my career.
Choosing ISTD wasn't a hard decision as I knew I immediately wanted to jump back into an editorial, but picking the brief was quite difficult as they all had so much creative freedom that I felt a little taunting at first. I chose The Line because at the time it was the one I was most confident to pick and there was so many paths I could've gone down. I didn't struggle too much with my initial idea, because I wanted to keep an open mind in the beginning. So looking into multiple ideas and then choose once I'd explored a little more than just a mind map confirmed that only one of the three ideas I was drawn to. Doing this was definitely a good idea as I remember last year I tried to define my idea too quickly without thinking of the important things that go into it.
My idea went through quite a few changes, from attachment, to family heirlooms, to family lineage. My original idea of my interpretation of the red string of fate can still be found within my underlying meaning for my outcome as I related the theory to more than just a romantic relationship, a family relationship/lineage. And, of course, family lineage or a timeline is visualised as a line, so I knew it still worked with the brief too.
I'd say what I struggled the most with was my narrative, I went through a lot of ideas for my narrative that I never felt worked so I never ended up taking it anywhere. So for my initial design it was a rough photo book because the only thing I knew I had was the timeline from my great great grandma to me. Having that last tutorial really helped me, and made me realise that my exploration of my lineage needs to be the narrative.
So the book starts with my discovery of my great great grandmas writings she had in the 1920s that she would recite to women's groups. This then lead me to want to learn more about her, then leading me to find out about the lace factory that her husband was running because he was from a lace manufacturing family. Then what pieced it together was the fact some of the lace that's been passed down has appeared in the wedding dresses of my great grandma, my grandma and my mum. Creating 'The Lace That Threads Us Together' as my title.
What I would do differently is instead of putting the writings in the main book, I would create a separate smaller book for inside the main book to create the idea that it's a notebook like my great great grandma's. This would've then added more dimension to the piece and it would've been a fun way to bring some colour into it. I'd have placed it between where I introduce the writings in the main book. Then just the timeline of my female lineage would've been in the main book. I think next term, before possibly submitting to ISTD, I may actually do this, so I'd re-print and bind the whole thing to have this instead.
Finally, I'm still super glad with how it came out, it became something so fulfilling since it was personal to me and will be a special thing to my mum and grandma. Overall, this term was a challenge, as it almost always is, but I finished with an outcome I’m extremely proud of which makes up for a lot of the struggles I dealt with this term.
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How does a high charter song become cringe 20 years or sometimes less? Whether its a gimmick, bad all along, overplayed and overhyped, the artists personal life took a nose dive, they had legal troubles or turned to drugs, someone passed away, bad memories, or their songs remind you of places people youe rather forget. Whatever the reason
Music is so powerful.
Sometimes lyrics speak the words on the tip of your tongue. For a moment you can revisit a period in your life for better or for worse. When your own words fail you some lyrics are etched in your brain and are significant to you and make you feel things. It's the reason some artists are heralded to be the best or your favorite and you can attach or find symbolism or feel seen and and feel the very emotions in the music and lyrics. Reading in between the lines and sometimes it can save your life or
Sometimes finding songs, at least in my personal experience, that you loved years ago is like getting in touch with an old friend. An old friend who saw and knew you then and rheres nothing but love now. You get back on contact with them and it's as if no time had passed. It's like being the age you were when you were inseparable. Organically, and simultaneously you reignite the bonds that brought you together instantly with the meanings or lack thereof of songs that defined in that time.
Yeah I'm guilty of this, my Spotify playlist I'll skip. I have premium and I have endless skips and sometimes none of the songs or lyrics or tone or even artist don't fit my mood. I shuffle from playlist to playlist and it's a truly beautiful moment when you find the lyrics you that describe what you feel. I always keep my playlists or the pregenerated ones.
I pay close attention. Music is endlessly
I have my tastes. I like mildly obscure or forgotten bops and my most listened artist is Britney Spears and before you question me about this affinity I have for her and her artistry despite the world kicking her while she's down she still even now when she feigns this tough girl persona she's been burned badly by the very people who were supposed to protect her from these situations and
Then there's the whole lack of decision making creative control and ugh like she lost her twenties, most of her thirties and now she can't even heal or cope without conspiracies, controversies she's not stranger to, but everyone pointing fingers her career being misunderstood and her legacy being questioned? When can she seriously be taken seriously for one, or why no matter what she can't please anyone even fans or the conspiracy theorist variety of tiktok investigations about everything from 2006 to about the present day and between since about last year. People make fun of her Instagram onlijenprescuse and pass judgement on how she processes her grief and trauma.
All the while gaslighting her, ratting to tmz who are totally on the other side and it's all about the dirtiest thing in the world that everyone wants more of, if your rich you want more of and when you poor you always want more of and if you don't you're lying and that thing is money. It also could be jealousy envy pride greed
Some of the ever iconic 7 deadly sins is where I'm going with that. It's not all of the sins but they are complicit in everything and don't deserve to have literally nothing recouppance. They stole over a decade and millions from their own family. Blood doesn't have your best interest at heart. I know people who are fine though having no relationship with family. Abuse doesn't always equate physical. It's mental, it's emotional, and just as traumatic. They were oh so concerned about leeches such as a scapegoat.
Britney deserves freedom, respect, love, no judgment. If you walked a mile in her shoes of she wasn't censored she's using her voice and words now.
For haters who believe brifney is washed up talentless and crazy wouldn't you be given what she went through in her life?
It's likely why they hire additonal or other witers. They'd rather there be a collaboration than her to have a sole writing credit. Even the producers or record execs seem to not back or believe in her roughly 90 percent of the time.
So she went from having an era of massive and mass success and full creative control or pretty close to that within reason I'm the in the zone era and though blackout era and she always pushed boundaries and such at that time.
Conpared to flash forward to 2008 and 2009 to being treated like being reduced to 10 a child being controlled by others and simultaneously stunting her growth as an artist a human an adult. That's before stripping her of fundamental civil rights and body automty she didn't have choices a woman her age should've had. I'm not even sure how that was legal. It was pretty sneaky and under handed.
There's so many artists with fifteen minutes of famr and one hit wonders and forgotten bops and bangersand everything in between andbveyond .eberydya a new skng is creative. Ballads tell stories no matter what genre
. There has got to be a reason, though some artists stand the test time aside from being lucrative and money.
We know Britney dominated for a long time. The fact after her successful single and album, she trailblazed the tranisition from boy girl bands to solo arists and every relevent competetor labels like rca or colombia had thier own version of Britney or in the same vein of artist on their roster such Jessica and
Real ones remember Britney Mania that time in 1999 and the new millennium, y2kera, and 2000ish such as the early 2000s trl era when everyone wanted to be a fan, or be her friend, or something more. Possibly now it seems like everyone is against Britney Spears and everything she stood for and her lyrics iconic choreography delivery, creative decisions she spearheaded and think she isn't talented or deserving of good things and choices and thinking. Her upcoming memior is slated to be a great read no matter what it was. It was high time she was able to finally address, comment, and potentially shed light on some places in her life she was silenced.
I can't relate to the whole camp of people who say or choose to dwell on the negative. I have the utmost respect got Britney Spears and what she has contributed to music in her combined 30ish years inbthe music industry singing dancing and entertaining, and I as typically do completely deviated so far from my initial reason topic for this post.
What I'm saying is granted. I guess maybe I don't have the best taste in music, but it's so important to me to express how I feel emotionally or otherwise. Here goes.
i am musically open-minded. i love getting song recs or discovering redescovering new and old music, and it's not for anyone to judge or make assumptions. I may say or find me saying newer mysic isn't good, but with any era of time trends come in and out of favor. Music helps me. It's calming for me to listen to music no matter my mood or how hectic life gets. Music bridges the gap between hopelessness and a lot of it can generate hope, and most listeners feel at ease. It boosts my mood productivity , feels, and fills the silence with beauty. Britney has achieved so much in 25+ years.
These leeches, not people, didn't see their daughter or in Jamie Lynn's case own sister. They saw dollar signs. I don't have very nice things to say about her sister. I don't feel so sorry or bad for her and her sob story. Without your sister, you wouldn't have a home, a career to speak of relevancy, and that is how her so-called family sees it and some general public fans.
Certain songs I admit made me realize these feelings or concerns Britney had as early as Britney in 2001 in regards to public opinion and fighting for control. Songs such as let me be, overprotected, not a girl not yet a woman, and lonely and in later years and eras, why should I be sad, piece of me in blackout from 2007 , alien, passenger from Britney Jean in 2013 and even earlier songs such as lucky and everytime are haunting to hear today for similar reasons. For that very control, it all to be taken from her in her most vulnerable of times. I am interested in what the memoir would say about such things or these times in her career and lifetime. Bottom line, she has something that sets her apart like longevity. There is demand, she still has fans, she will always have haters or people who want to see her fail and I guess I love a good underdog story I never would count her out or doubt her talent, or attack her.
She's in a class all her own in terms of accomplishments and artistry. Sometimes you hear a song by Britney Spears, for example, the voice is unmistakably hers, and there's loads of artists that have that the same or ecognition or nortiety and accolades. There's just something about Britney, specifically something I can't really put my finger on.
Can you be for a little over a decade being in her shoes? I have so much empathy for her and what she ernt through. I doubt even the strongest or even myself. I could never handle something such as that happening to me. I don't have all the answers, but I knew something was wrong or off, and something sinister or wicked was going in behind the scenes in 2008. We all know some light was shed in court, and we have audio and some other evidence, and I'm sure there will be things to come out in the memoir when it's released.
Trends are cyclical in music and more. Things come in and out of favor. Like fashion and beauty trends come back around every ten or fifteen years, give or take.
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I got the question the other day.
You know the one.
How did you know?
As in How did you know she was The One?
How did you know she was your Forever Person?
How did you know this was a 'Til death do us part thing?
Well... let's get something straight. Because if ever there was a low bar for a proposal... that's what I cleared. I proposed in my car in the parking lot of that Fred Meyer in Greenwood. I didn't have a ring. I didn't have a plan. There was no down on one knee. And the discussion was more about dates we could get married as if Yes had already been said out loud.
When Kimmer tells the story, by the way, she likes to say I knew that was as close to a proposal as I was gonna get so I agreed to a date. The whole thing was so profoundly underwhelming that, after a while, we weren't even sure if we were engaged. Seriously. Later, we asked our youth pastor about it who basically declared a do-over.
So I took a knee and proposed the old fashioned way.
And then she laughed.
Definitely not how I saw that going even though, once again, I didn't have a ring. And I didn't have a plan.
And she didn't seem like she'd stop laughing anytime soon.
So that happened.
She wasn't not gonna marry me, of course. We just got lost in the weeds of my non-proposal proposal. And so when I'm asked How did you know? my first response is to pull back the curtain on what that "knowing" looked like.
It was not brilliant.
The thing about the How did you know? question is that it betrays a coupla things we believe about love:
The first is that there's something magical about The One. The second is that we know it's gonna be forever.
Know what's gonna be forever?
Why, our lives together.
I actually knew neither of those things, by the way. I didn't know she was The One and I didn't know it was gonna be forever.
Then why did you ask?
Hmmmmm. Good question.
Stop stalling. Why did you ask in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer, for God's sake.
Okay fine. Because our lives were already fully intertwined and we got a pretty good look at what was ahead of us both good and challenging. And I could see that life with her. The parking lot of that Fred Meyer just happens to be where and when I realized that.
Oh dear God.
Not kidding. We were already living life together, complete with friends, careers, photography, parties, planning, road trips, music, an insane amount of chemistry, and a bunch of twenty something adulting challenges. We were already us. We were already doing our lives together... together. And I could see the rest of it. The future, you know?
Not literally, of course. But I had no fear of it. In fact, just the opposite. Whatever that future was, whatever was out there, that's now what I wanted with her. Right up until then I was pretty much living in the present so the thought about the rest of my life really never occurred.
Until her.
I chose her, is what happened. Because of the life we already had. Just as she chose me. And we chose to lead a Life together after we'd already been leading a life together. As I said, we got a good look at what was in front of us. And ultimately, we were also good as a team. We definitely knew that.
The good, the fun, the funny, the excitement, the adventure, the passion, the creativity, the laughter, the joy... those are things that made and continue to make our life together this thing we didn't even know was on the table. But we're thankful for it. You can be sure about that.
However.
Good and fun and funny aren't what give our lives scale. They're not proof that we, in fact, are forever. No. What gives our lives scale are the challenges we faced together that encompasses a metric ton of things we would never have chosen as life experiences. Please just keep the good and fun and funny coming, thank you very much.
In many ways, the sustainability of our forever is built on the challenges we navigated as a couple. The things that showed us how far we could actually bend and still not break. We had a lot of help along the way, thank God. We had support in our worst moments. We learned from our experiences. We gained maturity. We rolled with a lot of things. And our pursuit of knowledge definitely made us more capable adults. All of which tips the scales in favor of Forever. I won't lie.
In the end, you've gotta put a lot of work into being someone else's The One.
One more time.
You.
Have got to put a lot of work.
Into being someone else's.
The One.
None of us are magically perfect. We are each on a unique path of growing up that's messy as hell. And feelings definitely don't tell us everything we need to or should know. Feelings tell us about the present. They don't tell us about the future. For that...
You've gotta put a lot of work into being someone else's The One.
Can't emphasize that enough.
And this:
You make forever happen together. It's not magically bestowed upon you. It doesn't happen because you've got the feels. It doesn't even happen 'cause you had the wedding and said "I do".
You work on forever every day. That's how it's done.
I got the question the other day.
You know the one.
How did you know?
#the one#love#friendship#dating#adulting#how did you know#forever#proposal#wedding ring#wedding#laughter#imperfection#togetherness#teamwork#the future#challenges#choosing each other#growing up#maturity#experience#learning#trust#hope#joy#peace#patience#self-control#love does not envy#love does not boast#love is not proud
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Taylen
It Starts With Hello
Taylen’s point of view on how she met this person.
Normally here in the interviews I will conduct, I would begin by saying how I met this person. Although I feel that “of course I’ve known myself for my entire life”, I feel as though I still have some growing to do with learning different parts about myself and hobbies that I still have yet to discover. Instead, I want to share an excerpt from my diary in 2019, where I visualized different aspects of myself in the form of various ghost-like figures.
Taylen that Everyone Knows: Wants to be everyone’s friend, gives you the biggest smile.
Coach Taylen: The cool coach on the pool deck that can’t be bothered when wearing sunglasses.
Studious Taylen: Always in the zone and pushes up her imaginary glasses (cause she doesn’t have any glasses).
Hipster Taylen: Really loves music and has an interesting sense of style.
Friendly Taylen: Kind of rare, but if you break her shell then she shines.
Taylen that Only Taylen Knows: Quiet, shy and quite introverted actually.
This or That
You can only choose one…
Salty or Sweet
Winter or Summer
Air Guitar or Air Drums
Coffee or Tea
Dogs or Cats // I love dogs, but cats have been pretty special to me lately
Sleeping or Eating
Five Facts of Fun
What are 5 facts about yourself?
I am a former competitive swimmer and water polo player. This past summer I won a gold medal at our regional championship! I also coach and teach younger swimmers about the sport!
I know how to play about 7 different instruments and I’ve played piano for 12 years before I stopped to pursue other passions. Slowly I am trying to get back into music with posting more covers on social media.
Crocs are my go-to shoes for the past few years and I highly recommend on the pool deck. I’ve slipped and had some pretty bad falls from other shoes, but I have not slipped once with crocs #sportsmode
If there’s a hobby has any creative elements, I’m willing to try it!
In my opinion, pineapple does belong on pizza.
Drop a Bop
Pick a song that is the theme song to your life and discuss why.
I think I found this song on the radio and I was like, “Yes. This is it. This is my theme song.” This song is always my pick-me-up when I need a mood booster and I think it’s also quite catchy. With the lyrics, I like to interpret it as that sometimes people always see what you are capable of until you shine in that spotlight. It’s then people can see how much skill or “power” you hold and that yeah… maybe you are dangerous…
Debate Time
What is your perspective on the following question: Is the ocean soup?
Yes the ocean is soup. It’s got the veggies of seaweed, it’s got the protein of the fish and other species. It’s in a body of water. Mmmm, soup.
Some Deeper Small Talk
Chosen from a group of questions, the person answered the following question: What have I accomplished recently that would have shocked me a year ago?
I’m going to change this question to “What would have shocked me 5 years ago?”. 5 years ago, I was wrapping up high school and getting ready to start university. At the time, I quit my coaching job with competitive swimming and thought that I would just think about finding my way with pursuing something within my career after that and I would not really return back to sports again after quitting my personal journey a couple years prior. It wasn’t really until my time with reconnections with people I knew within the sports I played that they talked me back into coaching with teams based in other cities from my hometown. At the time I was hesitant, but I knew that with the qualifications that I already had from the past that I knew I was already more than capable to take on the job. Flash forward to 5 years later, I’m still coaching and just wrapped up a busy competitive summer season. Though in taking these jobs and switching to a couple of new teams, these experiences helped me grow as a person and as a coach; largely from the people I’ve met and the opportunities that I’ve now experienced. Sometimes it’s worth taking the chance and I think if I told myself in the past where I am now, she would be incredibly shocked at how far we have come so far.
The Final Spotlight
If you had the final opportunity to say anything to the world, what would you say?
Things can change very quickly and can happen unexpectedly, so live in the moment, appreciate what you currently have and enjoy it while you can.
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Get to know the Artists: Q&A With Canadian rising talent METAFLOOR on his latest EP ‘KRUMP JUKE’ OUT NOW on Elastic Rhythms ->
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: METAFLOOR - Taking the global Footwork/Jungle & Bass Music scenes by storm is Calgary bread DJ and renown Producer: METAFLOOR. He's given us the gift that keeps on giving this Holiday Season with his latest EP 'Krump Juke', delivering a body of work of some bouncy, experimental and squeaky clean 160bpm+ club anthems that we've been waiting patiently to release on our Catalog since the late pandemic. Featuring a Stunning Remix from the highly esteemed Canadian duo GREAZUS (Owners & Operators of Aufect Recordings & Triple A Talent Agency) , this 4 Track EP has a bit of every flavor for everyone and so much more. We decided to ask him a few questions to get to know the man behind the music, and here’s what he had to say: _______________________________________________________________
Elastic Rhythms Artist Q&A:
1. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
I enjoy many different types of music. There's always a new type of sound that I want to explore, this always keeps things fresh and interesting myself and the listener. Usually, I'll see someone play or even hear a clip of something online and it energizes me to get into the studio.
2. What is the best advice that you have been given?
In my personal life and business, there's been a common phrase that's been coming up a lot lately that can be phrased in a few different ways. Some may know it as "giving is better than receiving, or Gray V would say "jab, jab, right hook", but the concept is the same, see what you can offer others instead of constantly asking for something, whether you're promoting your music, product or catching up with a friend, operate from a place of curiosity and this creates space for expansion.
3. What advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago?
(wise rave lizard appears in a misty haze from a whippet canister) " "Even though you're not in school anymore and it doesn't seem relevant, you still suffer from clinical ADHD and you should learn about how it affects your life now both creatively and in your personal life."
4. What is your favorite late-night studio snack?
candy, soda, nicotine.
5. What in your personal life has influenced you to choose your music career?
I remember very consciously choosing to be an artist, I can actually vivdly remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking. It was a very conscious decision. I was 21 years old and I knew I wasn't very good in school nor did I enjoy it, always had a hard time holding down a 9-5 and decided music was the way to go. It's honestly been a struggle but I know it's what I'm supposed to be doing.
6. How harshly do you critique your own work?
Not very much. Tracks are never really "finished", you can always do more and it's important to know when to put it down and walk away before you overwork it. Usually, your first idea was the best one, I find when I overwork a track, maybe spending over 2 weeks to flush it out I move on to something else and that track is 100 times better than what was struggling with prior. Having said that, recently I've had a few tracks that were hard to get over a 16-bar loop and I know the idea is great so I spend almost a month working on it and grinding away until it finished and when it's done its a really good feeling seeing it come together not by mysterious inspiration from the gods, (which I think can be a trap many artists fall into) but by just working hard and putting in the hours even if its not "fun".
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Trash rat-making beats behind the grocery store.
8. How would you like to be remembered?
I've been hosting events now with my crew Sub Chakra, as well recently with my own weekly called "Pull Up", so it's a big part of my life when you include my own musical projects. It can get a little mundane sometimes being in a dark club every week, years down the road. Sometimes i question if i still wanna keep doing this but I try to remember all the people who express their appreciation at my nights and hope that at the end of the day i can look back i remember that i made a lot of people happy with the power of music, the lifelong friendships and memories that created,
9. if you had to live in a different country, which one would you choose?
I'd love to live somewhere else for a while but I'll always call Canada home, i love it here.
10. If you were our President, what would be the first thing you’d do?
love this question because I've brought it up many times it before to my peers. I WOULD MAKE ASMR VIDEOS ON TIKTOK PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.
11. Analog or Digital? and why?
IMO, It's when they both merge that the real magic happens.
12. If you could sit in on any production session, who would it be with? And why?
Alix Perez, man is quite low-key these days on his production techniques and I'd love to see him work. I admire his ability to make simple, yet effective tracks.
________________________________________________________________
THANK YOU METAFLOOR! 'KRUMP JUKE’ (EP) is available NOW on all streaming platforms worldwide here on Elastic Rhythms.
https://er.streamlink.to/KrumpJuke
Metafloor LINKS:
@metafloor
www.facebook.com/metafloor/
www.instagram.com/metafloor/?hl=en
metafloor.bandcamp.com/music
open.spotify.com/artist/5Q2x5IMMvZvFCldmNjWKro
music.apple.com/us/artist/metafloor/900238060
ra.co/promoters/80843
#METAFLOOR#ELASTIC RHYTHMS#KRUMP JUKE#FOOTWORK#160bpm#BASS MUSIC#JUNGLE#D&B#HALFTIME#170bpm#LOS ANGELES#CALGARY#GREAZUS#JUKE MUSIC#GHETTOTECH#JIT#DETROIT#CHICAGO#RAVE#DANCE#EDM#BREAKBEAT
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How this whole thing started
Unless you follow me in social media or we’ve talked in DM’s and such, you should know that there are multiple opportunities happening to me right now! I was selected to go to Fiji for a university work and study tour, my creative writing piece ‘Waiting For You’ will soon be in production and become a short film, and indie alternative band Far Away Stables asked me to film and take photos of their Sydney gig! I didn’t know that I would be able to do these things… but I am. I didn’t know someone like me would make it this far. This girl who has average knowledge on how things works and has to self learn every single thing in order to make it to where I am; I find it hard to believe that I’m standing here doing the things I enjoy doing and people are willing to give me opportunities for me to improve and promote my craft. I don’t care if it’s volunteer work, it is a start of something amazing!
So how did someone like me made it this far?
Well… Back then
In the beginning, I was really not interested with this whole media, film production, photography thing. It just wasn’t me and even if I do attempt to give it a shot, most of the time, I get discouraged and sometimes being told to stop. But I did have some interest on being in front of the camera when my family creates their home videos.
But the telltale signs were there because around 2008, I wanted to give film making a shot but I had no idea where to start + my family wasn’t really happy with me watching YouTube videos (I was banned for 3 months just because I was watching Club Penguin fan videos). I also joined this blogging site called ‘Multiply’ and I consistently write stuff about my interest plus I contribute to a Club Penguin page when a new mission comes.
But I still had no interest or intension on pursuing it in the future.
I soon gained a bit of more interest when I was in high school, around year 9. There was a student film contest and I wanted to join. I got a group ready but unfortunately, not many people were interested plus we wasted a lot of time that we’ve done nothing. Then in year 10, I gave it another shot but stuff happened that I was unable to be there during the filming but I was there during the planning.
It was also around 2011-2012 that my friends convinced me to try making youtube videos. So on October 2012, I uploaded my first YouTube video which was a recording of my pet slime’s funeral in Minecraft. My early videos were just really bad gameplay recordings of my favourite videos games but it did grew my channel a bit.
Then came year 11 and I had to do photography because I was missing 1 unit. It was really fun and I enjoyed taking photos using my dad’s camera. It was also by that point that I was re-evaluating my life as I wasn’t enjoying the subjects that I was doing. Around this point, I’ve decided to put more effort onto film making and uploaded my first vlog which talked my experience in Vivid Sydney.
Two more vlogs later and I soon found enjoyment and decided to do media as a career.
Eventually, word has spread about my hobby of mine when I recorded my classmates goofing off in the music room. People started to watch my content just to see this other side of me that I don’t publicly share offline and they gave me tones support and told me to don’t stop doing this strange hobby that soon became a part of my life.
But then a lot of drama and misunderstandings occurred that I was forced to start over. It did hurt but it did make me stronger and I started improving on what I’ve been making and I wanted to do more with this.
So I’ve improved with my videos, I tried to take more photos when I’m on the go, I started on my own small projects like my song writing and my blogging hobby that I knew that if I work hard, I can make use of these skills. It took a lot of convincing to my family thou that I wanted to make this my future as they fear that it won’t be a stable path for me to take.
3 years later, my friends and family were convinced about my decisions as my videos that I made using my iPad got me 2 early entry offers for university plus my grades don’t lie when my assignments requires me to make or write something. And as my channel is still continuing to grow, that my parents we’re willing to try to accept that this is a thing I want to do.
University was really supportive about this hobby of mine that it was one of the reasons why I try to improve with the skills I’ve got. They encourage me to start early and keep on practicing as it will be useful in future assignments plus perhaps in my future endeavours.
The music side of my story… it’s just hobby that I just want to share to the world.
If I could give any advice about doing this, even if it’s just a hobby, I would say the following.
Start of small – Figure out on why you want to do this. Just post a few things from time to time and see what happens. I have friends who tried to do this but gave up eventually.
Don’t buy the expensive gear… yet – I started out with an iPad air and editing them with the iMovie app and my earlier gaming videos are recorded using Hypercam, edited using Movie Maker and my mic was just old headphones. Even if the quality is shit, you can make something out of it. If you think you are ready to tackle the harder techniques, by all means spend your money wisely. I currently use a Canon 70D, a rode videomic and edit using Final Cut Pro (and sometimes Adobe Premier).
Don’t set up high expectations – You’re just starting and you have no idea how people will interpret your work. Starting off with a simple introduction is a good start and keep practicing as you go.
Have fun with it – The longest time I’ve been trapped in my bedroom just to edit was 9 hours. It was really hot and it was annoying rewinding the scene time and time again but I was at least having fun when doing so. When doing stuff like this, you need to be enjoying it as it determines the quality and content of your projects.
Don’t stop and keep practicing – If you want to make this a thing, you can’t stop learning. This is why I’m doing a university course about this. Sometimes, I look back in my videos and think, how can I make this better? I take note if it and make sure I imply these in my next project. At the moment, I’m trying to learn how to use After Effects and Adobe Premier so I’m taking my time and learning new programs because I know it will be useful in the future.
I do hope this gives you a better understanding on why I do this and why I want to keep on doing this! I do hope someday that I will find some sort of success as I do this and if that day comes, I can always look back and remember where I started…
A girl who started vlogging using an iPad.
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This weeks guest is one of the brightest talents on the Adelaide music scene. His new song is so catchy it will make you want to “Shake a leg like Elvis” Here is Dino Jag.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m just an ordinary guy with an extraordinary appetite for writing, recording and performing music. Ultimately, I guess my mission is to contribute something of value to others, to hopefully uplift and awaken the good stuff that sits beneath the surface. It feels like I’m on a never-ending journey of discovery, peeling back layer after layer - one song at a time!
How did you get into music?
I grew up in a culture surrounded by music with many of my friends and relatives also playing instruments. If there was a band playing somewhere, I was that kid that would be upfront watching in awe. It always felt like I was witnessing some kind of magic taking place. I don’t know why, but I was always attracted to that mysterious force that gets generated by musicians playing together. It still feels like magic to me today.
Your new single “Shake a Leg Like Elvis” is out now and is very good. Can you tell what this song is about and how you came up with it?
It was a wonderful coincidence that the Elvis movie got released after I had written this song. I’m sure people think that I was just trying to ride that wave. But in reality, I wrote this song about 5 years ago and it just felt like the right time to release it.
The song is more of an ode to my parents. I actually pinched the line “shake a leg like Elvis” from my dad. He would often say that to me to try and get me to snap out of being so stiff on stage when I first started playing in bands as a kid. I had no problems rocking out with my guitar at home in my bedroom but on a stage in front of people I would freeze up. I was quite shy.
Over the years the phrase “shake a leg like Elvis” took on a new meaning for me and evolved into a metaphor for ‘not holding yourself back’ and freeing that thing inside of you that wants to be released. The rest of the song is also inspired by my journey growing up as a musician. The first verse mentions my dad asking me the big question, in a roundabout way, what are you gonna do with your life? My mother steps in on the second verse wanting to know why I have to leave home (I was 17 when I left to go touring interstate with bands and she didn’t want me to go). In the third verse I acknowledge that I didn’t have the answers, all I knew was that it felt good when I played the guitar and sang. In the bridge, I tell them that I'm gonna bring their love with me wherever I go. I lost my dad when I was 19 and my mother is not around anymore either so this song puts a smile on my face as it plugs into all that.
Musically I wanted to tap into a feel-good upbeat retro Las Vegas pop vibe. So much fun!
What is your career highlight so far?
Heading over to Los Angeles to record an album at the iconic Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood with an incredible lineup of international musicians sits very high on the list for me.
What is your impression of the Adelaide music scene?
I think Adelaide is such a great place to live and nurture your craft but it’s a tough place to survive in the music industry. There’s no shortage of world class musicians and creatives here but unfortunately many of them don’t get to shine here. I think it’s a tough call for anyone to make a living out of writing and releasing their own music no matter where they are. And, if performing live is a big part of your business model for survival, then Adelaide presents the added challenge of a smaller population to have access to. I think there’s so much more that’s possible from Adelaide that we haven’t tapped into yet somehow.
Have you got a favourite venue to play?
As much as I love the big concert stages, I’ve actually always really dug the vibe of the smaller intimate venues. The Vanguard in Sydney and the Ding Dong Lounge in Melbourne were super cool to play for that funky vibe.
If you could invite 3 musicians to dinner, who would they be?(dead or alive)
James Brown, Ray Charles and Lenny Kravitz. That would be fun.
What are your short and long term goals?
Short term goal is to get through today! Long term goal is to expand my reach, effectiveness and viability as a music creator in a way that not only supports me and my family but that also supports a network of other musicians and creatives and their families. A utopian dream.
If you stuck on an island with only 1 record, what would you choose?
The ‘Tourist’ album by St Germain is one of those albums I could listen to on repeat for a chill vibe.
Finally, where can people find out more about you?
People can head over to my website DinoJag.com https://dinojag.com/ or find me on all the usual socials but Facebook seems to be where I'm most active at the moment https://www.facebook.com/DinoJag/ . Hit me up, would love to hear from you.
https://twitter.com/dinojag?s=21&t=GrXwCUz1UYb667ihnHH4cA
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“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Marion Mendoza
Simplicity has a story to tell—a beautiful one, with many interpretations. To artist Marion Mendoza, it’s the story of the prairies, the place she calls home and draws inspiration for her jewellery brand, Prairie Poly. Not only does Mendoza see beauty in the landscape’s simplicity, she sees the bright colours, bold patterns, and rich traditions that remind her of her roots—the places and people she loves. But art’s not the only passion that connects her to her surroundings. Community fills her soul, informs her path, and feels like home. This week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Marion Mendoza.
Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and why you make it your home.
I am originally from Winnipeg but moved to Edmonton to complete my Education degree at the U of A. I always thought I’d go back to Winnipeg, but once I found a good community here and realized what an incredible arts and music scene it had, I never wanted to leave! It is also the place where my babies were born and where my closest group of girlfriends are.
How did you get your start as a jewellery designer/maker?
In 2018 my dad became very ill, and I went into a bit of a frozen state, completely thrown off. I knew the best way to take my mind off things and to help de-stress was to create something with my hands. So I started playing with clay, and very quickly this therapeutic form of de-stressing became a bit of an obsession, and that’s when Prairie Poly was born. I definitely never thought this hobby would have turned into what it is today. Although it started during a time of great sadness and loss, I am so glad that I kept going and decided to explore this medium even further. Still, to this day, it serves as therapy for me.
What inspires your design choices and the “story” that your jewellery tells?
All of the bold floral pieces I do are very much influenced by my mom, who has always loved plants and flowers, and by her sister, my Auntie Marge, who was a florist before she passed away years ago. I choose to create bright, unique and one-of-a-kind pieces because that is very much the person she was. She is always on my mind when I am creating, and I wonder what she would think of my work. I also enjoy creating textured, prairie landscape pieces because this land has always been my home, and I think about what it has done for my parents who immigrated from the Philippines. Some may see the prairies as boring, simple, and flat, but I see the complete opposite: this simplicity has such beauty to it and definitely has a lot of stories to tell.
Tell us a bit about the materials you work with and why you’re drawn to them.
I use polymer clay, and I am extremely drawn to it because it is so versatile and fun to work with. I really enjoy colour mixing, playing with textures, and—honestly—the possibilities for what you can do and make are endless! Over the last year, I have started using resin on top of the clay, which I have really fallen in love with because it tends to bring out the brightness in metallic clay and highlights the bold colours that I use.
What’s your favourite part of the creative process?
My favourite part of the process is creating all the small details in the slab (the main pattern on the base piece of clay) because this is the moment when things start really coming together. When I sit down and create, I don’t often have a big plan, so it’s really exciting to go with the flow and just see the details coming together.
What does community mean to you, and where do you find it?
Community to me means to find a sense of belonging or connection within a place, whether it’s a group, a club, with people you know, or don’t know. It’s that feeling where you know you have at least one thing in common, and it fills that small spot in your soul (fills it right up!), and hopefully any sense of loneliness begins to fade. For me, I find a sense of community in many different places—the non-profit immigrant serving sector (where I have worked most of my career), the local arts scene, and really anywhere I can make small talk with someone about anything. Once I feel that connection with someone, I feel right at home.
How did you become active in community advocacy? Does taking action come naturally to you, or is it a skill that emerged from a different strength?
Although I am an elementary school teacher by trade, I knew I always wanted to do something more that was not mainstream and wanted to advocate for students and young people in a different capacity. I started working in newcomer communities in 2009, and this was where I truly saw the complexities and challenges within bigger systems. From there, I knew I wanted to dedicate the rest of my career to helping and advocating for others.
I went on to work solely with newcomer and refugee families within Children’s Services, intervention and family violence cases. Currently, I work in two programs at a local non-profit: one with immigrant women, and the other with immigrant and refugee teen girls. Taking action has always come naturally because of the way I was raised. My parents taught me to speak up when something wasn’t right and to be proactive if I actually wanted to make a change.
Who is someone inspiring you right now, and why?
My biggest inspiration is my sister, Chris, who owns her own pharmacy in Winnipeg. She previously worked for a bigger pharmacy for 15 years before taking the plunge to become independent. Not only do I think she is brave for leaving something so comfortable, I really respect the fact that she focuses on building relationships with her clients. She also combines workshops dealing with self-care, holistic approaches, and other activities in her pharmacy that really bring out the community feel that is so different from your typical pharmacy.
People often give jewellery as gifts. What’s your favourite piece that you’ve been given, and who gave it to you?
I think my favourite piece of jewellery that I own is my engagement ring that my husband got me from a local artist in New York. It has layered metals, so it looks like grainy wood, and I’ve always loved it because it looks so unique.
You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?
My biggest hope is that our houseless folks, especially those who suffer from mental health challenges, will all be in safer places. I also really hope that the arts and music scene in Edmonton not only stays the same, but becomes even bigger and better than it already is!
Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along!
Click here to learn more about Marion Mendoza, Prairie Poly, and where to find her work.
About Marion Mendoza
Marion Mendoza is the sole creator and owner of Prairie Poly, a collection of jewelry and upcycled goods made out of polymer clay. She is a Filipina-Canadian artist who was born and raised in Winnipeg, MB, and has resided in Edmonton for almost 15 years, after completing her education degree at the University of Alberta. Her work is unique, one-of-a-kind, and reflects her personality and the world that surrounds her. Marion believes in the power of community and that art can truly heal your soul.
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Crushing - Harry Styles
a/n: just a little something that was inspired by a tiktok and @pastequeharry !
pairing: Harry X Famous!Reader
word count: 2.2k
masterlist
“Welcome back, I hope has everyone returned from our little break because we are playing a fun little game with Y/N, who by the way won a Grammy award for best new artist this weekend, so congratulations on that!”
Ellen smiles at you widely as she claps along with the audience and you’re just smiling shyly, still not quite used to the sound of it.
“Thank you,” you nod looking around.
“Okay, we are going to play a round of who’d you rather. Are you familiar with the game?” she asks you.
“Yes, I’ve seen others play it before.”
“Great. For those who don’t know the game, two people will show up on the screen and Y/N will have to choose one. Whoever she chooses will come with us to the next round and at the end we’ll know who is her ultimate crush.”
“Ah man,” you huff, feeling a little nervous about who they are gonna show you and the audience laughs at your reaction as your fingers dig into the armrest of the armchair you’re sitting comfortably in.
“Are you ready?” Ellen questions with a smile that tells you just how much she is enjoying this.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be, but let’s get started,” you chuckle nervously.
“Okay, let’s see our first pair,” she starts and two pictures show up on the big screen and on the smaller one at the front of the stage so you don’t have to crane your neck. “So we have Zendaya and Tom Holland. Who are you choosing?”
“You really had to start with two of my biggest Marvel crushes?!” you whine and the audience starts laughing again as you chew on your bottom lip, trying to decide. “I love them both, but I’m gonna have to go with Zendaya, because in height, we would be better. I’m sorry Tom, I still love you!” you declare, looking around all cameras, hoping they all got your confession.
“Alright. So now we’ll keep Zendaya and move on to the next person, who is… Harry Styles. Zendaya or Harry Styles?”
The blood rushes out of your face as you see a picture of Harry, memories of the two of you meeting at the award show in the weekend flooding back to your mind. Harry has been a crush of yours since probably forever. You’ve been a fan of his since his One Direction days and your career started to take off sometime around the time he started his solo career, only difference is that it took you a little longer to earn yourself a name in the industry. But this weekend you finally met him for the first time, in real life, without you just watching him on the stage with four other men.
You spotted him at the area that led to the red carpet, he was about to step out when his eyes laid on you and though he was wearing a mask, you still knew he was smiling from the little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Your breath caught in your throat, stopping in your track as you were holding up your gown so you wouldn’t trip and fall with all the cameras around.
“Y/N! Hi!” he greeted you stepping closer, as if the two of you were old friends.
“Hi!” you managed to speak up, feeling completely starstruck.
“Love the gown! You look wonderful!” he complimented you and you could feel your cheeks heating up so fast.
“Oh, thank you, but I think you’re stealing the show with the boas,” you chuckled making him laugh as well.
“Thank you. Congrats on the nomination, I really hope you win by the way.”
“You do?”
“Of course. Listened to the album, it’s really good,” he nodded and your heart skipped a beat. Harry Styles listened to your album and he liked it? This must be Heaven, but when did you die?
“Thank you so much! I hope you win too, though your chances are better with your three nominations,” you joked making him laugh again.
“Yeah, just a little,” he nodded. “Here, let me help you.” He offered you his arm helping you step up the few steps that lead to the area where the red carpet photos were taken and you were thankful for the help, though you could already hear all the camera’s clicking in your way and you knew the photos would be all over the internet by the next day.
You only met one more time during the evening and you could only congratulate to each other on the wins before you both were snatched away, but you still play your conversation with him in your head before you go to bed in the evening.
“Um, Zendaya is everything but I’m gonna play this game honestly so I’ll choose Harry.”
The audience starts cheering and clapping at the decision as Ellen smirks at you, nodding along.
“No need to be shy, we all have a crush on Harry probably,” she jokes making you laugh. “Okay, next up we have… Harry Styles and The Weeknd.”
“I’m gonna stick to Harry,” you answer probably a little too fast, but if you’re being honest, they can’t show you anyone at this point who would beat Harry.
“Harry stays, next we have Harry and… Florence Pugh.”
“You guys made sure to make it hard for me!” you chuckle staring at the screen. “But I’m still gonna stick to Harry, though I love them both.”
“Alright, for the next round we have Harry Styles and Niall Horan.”
“I’m upset, because as a One Direction fan, I should not be forced to choose between them,” you point at Ellen, giving her a hard look which the audience finds quite hilarious.
“I’m sure you had ranked them before, don’t be shy,” she smirks and you sigh rolling your eyes.
“Okay, no offence to anyone but Harry stays. Sorry Niall, I still love you though,” you add with a smile.
“Harry is in a winning streak, it seems. Okay, let’s see his next opponent. Harry against Chris Evans.”
“Harry,” you answer with a sigh, crossing your legs, knowing well you will not choose anyone over Harry.
“Fast answer, great. Harry Styles or Ariana Grande.”
“Love Ariana, she’s a queen, but Harry,” you answer with a smile, the audience enjoying your obsession over Harry Styles and at this point you are not even trying to hide it.
“Harry Styles or Henry Cavill?”
“Harry,” you answer right away.
Henry’s picture disappears and Harry’s moves to the middle as the game comes to its end.
“Seems like we have a winner here. Harry Styles beat everyone!” Ellen chuckles as you glance at the big screen, blushing a little, but you are hoping your makeup is covering it well.
“You said it yourself, everyone has a crush on him,” you shrug, trying to play it cool.
“Yes, but not everyone was helped out by him,” she smirks as a photo of the two of you appears on the screen from last weekend and you cover your face with your hands as the audience goes wild.
“He is a gentleman,” you sigh dreamily.
“He really is and I have to say that the two of you look great together.”
“Oh stop it,” you chuckle, playing it over a little, just to make it less obvious how giddy even the thought makes you.
“Well, now we know that he is your number one choice, hopefully he’ll take the next step,” Ellen chuckles before moving on and asking you a few more questions as part of your appearance on the show.
Weeks go by and you kind of forget about the whole interview. It blows up the next few days, but nothing really happens, people just get excited that you are crushing on Harry just like everyone else, but it dies down pretty quickly.
You barely recovered from your Grammy win and yet you are already marching towards another milestone in your career. None other than Gucci asked you to be part of their new campaign in an amazing photoshoot and you just couldn’t say no, not that you ever even thought about it. After some online meetings and sending emails back and forth the first fitting’s day has finally arrived and you are buzzing!
Heading down to the showroom to go over every outfit they want you to wear for the photos, you can’t wipe the excited grin off your face. Growing up you could only dream about owning anything Gucci, now you are going to be promoting them so it truly is a dream come true.
Arriving you are walked into the showroom that is now filled with racks of clothes and there’s a podium with three mirrors surrounding it for the fitting.
“Y/N! Hi! So nice to finally meet you after all the emails and calls!” Nancy, the creative director of the campaign greets you.
“Nice to meet you too!”
“We are in a little bit of delay, I’m very sorry about that, but we can start in about ten minutes, if that’s alright with you.”
“Oh, no worries. I’m free all day,” you assure her before she thanks your patience and runs off to finish off whatever she was doing before.
Wandering around you take a look at the beautiful clothes on the racks, blown by basically everything you see and you can’t wait to wear the outfits that were meant for you. In the back of the room, a part is closed off for a changing area and you hear the door opening as Nancy walks out first, talking to someone following her behind and when you see the person, you freeze.
Harry Styles walks out, wearing a just a shirt and jeans, looking very casual but still, unbelievably hot. The man could wear a potato sack and still look better than any other men.
“Thank you so much,” he smiles at Nancy before his eyes lay on you, a wide smirk tugging on his lips in realization. “So nice to see a familiar face!” he beams, walking closer before he pulls you in for a short hug that catches you by surprise, but also warms your chest.
“Hi, didn’t expect to see you here, though you are kind of one with the brand at this point,” you tease him making him laugh.
“I am, yeah. I heard that you would be featured in the campaign as well. Amazing choice,” he smirks, glancing over at Nancy who smiles proudly, clearly agreeing with him.
“Y/N, I’ll get the changing room ready for you and we can start in five, alright?” Nancy informs you.
“Yeah, thank you!” You nod in her way and she is already off to do the work, leaving you and Harry alone.
“So, I learned some interesting information the other day,” he hums with a serious face and he got you curious about what it could be.
“Yeah?”
“Mhm, you know, I was watching The Ellen Show and you were on, playing a little game.”
“Oh my God,” you breathe out, already feeling the heat crawling up your neck to your cheeks. Harry smirks down at you, clearly enjoying that he got you so nervous and embarrassed of what happened.
“I wish I knew about your little crush earlier!” he teases you, making your groan.
“And why is that? So you could pull my leg at the Grammy’s when I was already shitting my pants?”
Harry lets out a chuckle shaking his head as he hides his hands in his pockets, his eyes running up and down your figure before they meet with your gaze again.
“No. Because then I wouldn’t have talked myself down from asking for your number.”
You can’t help the stunned reaction that takes over your face at his blunt flirting, your lips part as your eyebrows shoot up while Harry just stares back at you with a sly smirk on his deliciously pink lips.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah, but now that I know that you are crushing on me just like I’m crushing on you, I think it’s time to make the first step. So…” he pulls his phone out and hands it over to you and continues while you type your number in. “I’m not just asking for your number, but I happened to hear that you have nothing else planned for the day, is that true?”
“It is,” you nod, feeling out of breath as you hand him back his phone, your number saved in his contacts.
“Then how about grabbing lunch after your fitting? I happen to have nothing today as well, we should take advantage of it,” he suggests and you can’t push your stunned smile down.
“Sounds good,” you nod, biting into your bottom lip.
“Great. I’ll run some errands while you are here and I’ll be back in about an hour.”
“You could stay here if you want, I don’t mind it,” you tell him, feeling like he is only leaving because he doesn’t want to intrude.
“I would love to, but I really want to see the final outcome of the campaign and not spoil it for myself,” he smirks making you chuckle.
“Alright. Then see you in an hour.”
“Yeah,” he nods with a boyish smirk before turning around and walking out of the showroom.
Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!
#harry#styles#harry styles#harry styles fluff#harry styles blurb#harry styles oneshot#harry styles one shot#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles fanfic#harry styles imagine#harry styles au#harry styles x you#harry styles x reader#harry styles x y/n
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