Image: Picture of the MFAH Parking Garage (D3OL 2023)

On the 6th of April, I went to my first concert. MIKE, Sideshow, and Slauson Malone all performed at the concert. Btw, concerts are more enjoyable when you know every song played. Before the show, I continued making conversations with people in the audience. Making sure to show genuine interest in them and asking more about themselves. I continued this until I spoke with one of the workers selling merch. 

The show had not started yet so I struck up a conversation with him. He turned out to be responsible for some of the visualizers for MIKE. I admired his work so naturally, I got excited. I asked him how he began working with him and he said that “he just dm’d him on Instagram.” That was all. When he said this, it further emphasised the notion of “showing your work.” Not only does it validate that person’s legitimacy, it also passively creates opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be available to him. 

I see it happen to me so often. I will be talking passionately about a certain topic, almost at the level of a subject matter expert, the person will ask to see if I have been working on anything and that is how I have to say “no… bUt It’S cOmInG thOugH.” I will say, since starting this blog, I have been finding it easier to generate more and more creative ideas. Everyone goes at their own pace, but I am learning to be patient with myself. 

Maybe it is time to turn up the volume by restarting my podcast. I have all the equipment, so the only thing stopping me is myself, but I am digressing. Enjoyed myself during the concert of course but it was what occurred after the concert that moved me. So, I was able to speak to all three of the performing artists. I think it takes having an actual conversation with artists for one to really see that they are just regular individuals. 

This notion does sound bizarre, but it can help for those who have put public figures onto a pedestal. If you can see them as a regular person, then it removes the mental pedestal you created for that person. Each of the artists had varying sounds but there were still portions of the audience that enjoyed their work. Just like there are communities that enable you to be yourself, so too are there people who do the same thing.

When driving to Plano, I had a passenger that was riding with me. We were talking for most of the 4-hour drive. Naturally, the topic of music taste came up. I said I listen to everything that sounds good. She said she prefers RnB music but likes house music as well. We then took turns sharing our music taste with one another. It went pretty well. Then we decided to just listen to my library on shuffle. All 1,346 songs. It was then that an electronic song was about to play and as a reflex, I motioned to skip the song. However, I stopped myself because I remembered the passenger likes this kind of music. In a way, it kind of felt freeing, that I do not have to hide that part of myself.

Finally, I want to touch on this trend that social media has started. The whole notion that one should “be delusional” with their aspirations. It is something that has never made sense to me. What’s worse is that this kind of thing happens all the time. Another notable instance is when some communities begun using the term “platonic partners” to describe a friend. The root cause stems from people being chronically online.

For those who do not know, I define being “chronically online” as referring to one having ideologies, beliefs, and opinions that can only be recognized within an online community. This phenomenon has been around since the birth of the internet but I have only begun to see it when the pandemic occurred and TikTok was growing in popularity. This most likely occurs because there is a community for everyone online and when one finds that community for them, it becomes an echo chamber. Another thing that contributes to “chronically online” takes is that algorithms within any social media application will show more polarising content because of the engagement it gets compared to more balanced content. 

Using politics as an example, on the far-right, you have hardcore Republicans and on the far left, you have left-wing “Marxists” who read the Communist Manifesto once. You are less likely to see moderate political content because that type of content doesn’t get as much engagement as the one’s from the far-left and right. I am not a social commentator though so let me stay in my own lane.

As for me, I am still working on creating my first animation with Blender. It is meant to resemble one of those TikTok memes where the cat is dancing on the left side of the screen and a person is just standing there, watching the cat. I’m at the stage where the colours are being added, just working to complete that and rig the character. Over the weekend, I came across the concept of “constrictive creativity.” 

The idea is that one can see more creative progress when they must work with some sort of constraint. Whether it is a financial one, or a technological one. Hearing about this really fascinated me, so I am hoping to emulate that. Maybe I can start by conducting an entire shoot within 24 hours without scouting. That would mean I could only use Google Maps and the weather to pick where the shoot will be and I have to either choose from the clothes I have in the closet or brainstorm a fit. 

After all that, the shoot will have to be done alone and uploaded. Sounds like a pretty doable project, if you ask me, but you didn’t so… We shall see. The song for today’s blog post is Ipari Park by Mike and Klein. Additionally, I will also link to a creator I have been watching recently. Their work is pretty bizarre, but I like it.