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yuzurujenn · 1 year ago

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[2023.07.27] ANA Captain Yuzuru Hanyu’s Journey – Special Interview

(Filmed: 27 July 2023, Archive released: 27 Sept- 17 Dec 2023)

Ladies and gentlemen, Star Alliance members, thank you for boarding ANA’s special flight to Sendai. I am Yuzuru Hanyu, the captain of this flight, and your flight will be departing shortly. Please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. Today's flight time is scheduled to be about 1 hour. Well then, let's go on a special journey with me.

-Thank you for having me. How are you spending this hot summer?

-Summer huh... I don't go out much, but I feel like I'm busy every day doing creative work, training, and taking on various offers. Actually, the condition of the ice at the skating rink has gotten quite bad, so in that sense, I'm getting anxious because it's taking a long time to get to the right conditions. It's a restless season for me.

Is the skating rink also affected by the season?

-Yes, as the indoor temperature inevitably rises, the ice will melt, it will become loose, the strength will weaken, and so on, so I spend the summer thinking that it's going to be a challenge.

It’s been 1 year since you turned professional. How do you feel now?

-When I had the press conference, I was very nervous. I remember that scene very well. After the press conference was over, it was on this very day that I approached MIKIKO-sensei to direct the show, it was also the day that I met MIKIKO-sensei for the first time. In a way, it was a day that determined my "GIFT", and then "Notte Stellata", "Fantasy on Ice", and various ice shows. I think it was the day that Yuzuru Hanyu's future was decided.

Has the past year been long?

-I think that this one year was quite short. So many things happened. There were a lot of things going on and I didn’t really have time to catch my breath, so the year seemed too short. But when I say 365 days, if I look at each one of them, each day carries its own weight, I think I’ve spent fulfilling time every day.

Yuzuru Hanyu's new journey begins with "Prologue" (2022.11)

"Prologue" (2022.11) Yuzuru Hanyu's first solo ice show after turning professional

When I made "Prologue", the first thing I thought about was that there was something called "GIFT" that was like the main story, and I wanted this to be a prelude to it. I thought it would be nice by looking back on my life, it will remind them of this when they see “GIFT”, so I created ‘Prologue’ to serve as an introduction to explain the story. In fact, when I finally finished "GIFT" to the end, I really thought that it was like a prologue to my current life now. I feel once again that I want to do my best so that I can continue to produce various chapters of the main story, like the first chapter, the second chapter, the third chapter, and so on.

It was also the prologue of your life, right?

-In fact, initially I just had "GIFT" in mind when I was creating it. However, the story changed in many ways as I progressed and started to skate, and I also received various thoughts from fans. As I went along with the story and the programs, various values emerged in my mind. Through this process I felt like my life as a professional skater had gradually started all over again.

Tokyo Dome performance “GIFT” (2023.2.26)

The first solo Tokyo Dome performance by a skater, Yuzuru Hanyu's life and future on the ice

-It feels like it happened a long time ago, right? But it’s only been half a year, it's strange honestly. If someone says that two or three years have passed, I would believe that indeed that much time has passed. To that extent, I feel that I have done something where I left my soul in the work.

What kind of "GIFT" did you receive from fans?

-Well, I'm a pessimistic person, I think negatively about a lot of things, and I have various constraints within myself, but I realised my existence can also be of use to someone. I think this realisation is the gift that I’ve received from everyone. During the show, there were various effects, lighting, and the light from the wristbands that everyone was wearing. Whenever I saw these, among the 35,000 lights, even if it was just one person, if it makes them feel some colour or emotion for a moment in this world, then it makes me think that my existence is a good thing.

[There were many things that I couldn't do, but little by little, I could do more. Each time, the world became warmer. I loved that world. That’s why I wanted to become warmer and warmer, by learning to do more - Quote from [GIFT] narration]

-When I looked back on my life so far, I had this image of being involved in skating and have been living with skating, but when I dug deeper into why I chose skating, I realised that I liked that world when skating went well. I wondered how I could convey this feeling to everyone, regardless of age or gender, in an abstract way. If the whole world could be like the warm world that I am talking about, then maybe everyone could be kinder. I chose those words with this in mind.

Did you enjoy directing?

-It's fun, but at the same time I feel like I have to dig into a lot of things within myself, and in the process, I found that I've been carrying all kinds of walls within me or I've neglected some issues. So that is tough, but I'm sure by reflecting on myself deeper in this way, I can purify my thoughts. The various suffering you may be carrying, such as pain or loneliness, I hope that if I show you my own heart, it can be an opportunity for everyone to re-examine their hearts a little more closely. This is what I think about most now that I am involved in production and direction.

YUZURU HANYU x [TRAVEL]

-Physically, traveling to different countries or other places was only for competitions or expeditions. In that sense, I may not have ‘travelled’, but I often went abroad, and even went to many places in Japan for competitions. Even now, I go to many places to perform in ice shows.

What do you bring on board a plane?

-Earphones, audio player, battery, a game console, what else, supplements, I think. It's heavy every time. There were batteries and various cables, and there were about 5 earphones in the case, so every time the inspectors from overseas would ask, "What are these?” I will be stopped.

5 earphones are too much, isn’t it?

-Maybe there are too many cables.

How do you spend your time on board?

-For example, when it comes to traveling before a competition or a show, I would spend most of my time thinking about the time difference, stretching, jet lag, and so on. I would calculate these things, considering how much sleep I could get and also making adjustments to make sure that I could get the right amount of sleep. But on the way back, I would be completely free. Since I could spend my time as I wanted, I would play games of course, but I also liked to look back on my performances during the expedition, or look at the clouds outside the window, the sun above the clouds, and the way the light reflects off the clouds.

Do you prefer the aisle seat or the window seat?

-I like the seat next to the window. I think it's great that airplanes can go above the clouds, even if it's cloudy or rainy. Of course, there are times thick clouds will make it difficult to reach above, and there may be a turbulence, but you know that there is always a sun above the clouds during the day, and there is the moon at night, I really think that is a unique sight on the plane. The rays of the sun, or the light of the moon reflecting through the gaps or the uneven surface of the clouds really look like a scenery out of this world. No two sceneries are ever the same, they change every 0.1 second. I think there must be some meaning in having encountered such a scenery. I like spending my time on the plane like this.

What are your memories of your travel time?

-When I was a student, I spent a lot of time on airplanes doing reports or research. When I had to travel from Canada to Japan or other countries, I had a lot of time, so during those times I tried to finish my assignments on the plane so that I could concentrate on my performance. Of course there were people around me, but when it was dark and I only had my book and reading lamp on, I felt as if I was in my own space, so I was able to concentrate and relax while doing my assignments.

What's your routine for the day you depart on a trip?

-When I go on a travel, usually there must be a competition scheduled, so I try to clean my room as much as possible before I leave, not to make a wish, but to prepare myself for the performance. After all, tidying up the room is like a time for me to put my thoughts and feelings in order. Especially when I pack, things tend to get messy, so I try to keep it as clean as possible. Yes, I try to tidy up every time before leaving.

It's amazing how you can tidy up when you have the least time.

-It’s really hectic, but on the contrary, I will feel uneasy if it is not organised. Sometimes I’d think about ‘I didn’t tidy up here, will I make a mistake in my performance?’. I’ll get caught up in the thought. So, every time I’ll point my finger to confirm and say, ‘Ah, this is sorted, that is sorted’. It is always like this.

FLIGHT LOG: What does "journey" mean to Yuzuru Hanyu?

A mirror to know yourself

Finding a mirror in the middle of life

-For example, it's really difficult to feel your own existence in the dark. If you were to stand somewhere with all five senses gone, and stay there for hours, you would lose track of who you are, you couldn't touch anything, you couldn't feel anything. After such an experience, when you go outside and feel various things, you can really feel that you are alive, can't you? That's an extreme example, but I think that maybe we’re experiencing the same thing in life. As we live our lives feeling all kinds of things, I'm sure that at some point we’d feel lonely and become isolated, and there must be something that can only be felt because we’ve been in the darkness once. I think that it's because we're able to feel such things that we come to understand our own existence. Those stories and events are like mirrors, and we live our lives searching for where that "mirror" is. I think that this is the so-called journey of life.

- (Wearing the captain’s uniform) It's embarrassing, it's embarrassing. I don't get a chance to wear this often, so I'm very nervous. It's so embarrassing.

What is the key point to distinguish a captain’s uniform?

-Line?

Yes, the captain's uniform has 4 lines, and the co-pilot's uniform has 3 lines.

-It definitely has a weight to it. It makes me nervous, and excited at the same time.

With Hanyu dressed as the captain, let’s move to the next scene!

(Virtual Tour)

-Wow, awesome. This is fantastic. It’s so dreamy. Wow, I can feel the Earth.

How many countries have you been to so far?

-About 16. I went to many places in Europe in my junior years, like Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia, and more recently Sweden. I guess a lot of European countries. Of course, I also went to Canada, the U.S., and Russia. There were people who I competed with and improved together in these places.

Where was your first international competition?

-The first time I participated in a competition was in Finland. Tampere, Finland. Ah, I found it, it’s so big (points to the map).

[Tampere, Finland. Finland's second largest city. Since it can be accessed from the capital Helsinki in as little as one and a half hours, it is a popular city for day trips. You can enjoy nature while cruising the lakes and rivers.]

-I was 9 years old, and I celebrated my birthday in the airplane. I turned 10.

On the plane?

-Yes. I'm not sure if it was on the way there or on the way back, but I was told that I could see the Northern Lights. I wanted to see it, but I was on the aisle side so I couldn't see it at all. I really wanted to see it.

Was there any celebration on the plane?

-No, not at all. At that time, even though it was before my birthday, I already had my birthday present in my hands. I thought it was a great event. My birthday was on December 7th, and I left on the 6th, but I was really happy to have the birthday present already. I was feeling like “Not until the 7th, it's not my birthday yet, so I shouldn't open it yet”.

What were your memories of your first international competition?

-It was my first international competition and I was very confident, but in fact, I was competing in a category higher than usual. Generally speaking, it would have been impossible to win, but I won somehow. It was the ‘Santa Claus Cup’, so all the judges were dressed up as Santas. That was very memorable.

So Santa Claus gave you the score?

-Yes. Back then, the scoring system was different from now. They were holding up scoreboards with a score of 4.3. It was a great competition like this.

Were you nervous about competing abroad for the first time?

-No, I was an overconfident person at that time so I thought I could win no matter what. On the way there in the plane, I was listening to "Eikou no Kakehashi" (Bridge of Glory) thinking, "I've finally come this far", and I was feeling emotional. It felt like I was finally embarking on a journey out to the world.

Did you have time for sightseeing in Finland?

-Since it was my first competition, I wanted to do some sightseeing, and I had a little bit of time, so I went to a place called the Moomin Museum. You can look it up. I’m curious to see what it's like now.

(searching) It may not come up. Maybe I'll search for Tampere Moomin or something. Where is it. Ah found it.

Is this it? Wow, that brings back memories. I don't remember it being this big. It looks quite spacious. I didn't know it was this big. I went there at night at the time, I didn't remember it being that big at all. But I remembered the interior very well. There was a corner where you could experience all kinds of things, and there was an information section about the person who made it. Tampere is like the birthplace of Moomins, and I even bought a Moomin souvenir. It’s really nostalgic.

[Moomin Museum. Approximately 2,000 items are on display, including the original drawings of Tove Jansson, the creator of Moomin. Various interactive exhibits are also popular.]

-Wow, this is the first time I've seen it since then, it brings back memories. I think we went by car, but I don't remember how we got there. But it was December in Finland at the time, so there was very little sunlight. It was mostly dark. I think the sun was up for only about an hour or two at that time.

Memories of Europe?

-The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. (searching) From Denmark. Maybe this one.

[13 years old, a brief sightseeing in Copenhagen, Denmark]

-Ah, I went there. Ah, it was around there. I remember this place quite well. You can see the park from the street here. I passed through it to get there.

When did this happen?

-I think this was at the end of my first year of junior high school, around March. It’s quite nostalgic. This was the last time I was able to do any sightseeing during the competition. But I didn't have much time for sightseeing other than here and Tampere, so it’s a very memorable place for me. I think this was my last competition before entering the junior level. I was about 12 years old.

[Little Mermaid Statue (Copenhagen, Denmark). A bronze statue based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid". It stands quietly by the sea as a symbol of fairy tale land.]

[Hanyu Yuzuru’s training ground. Canada] - (searching) As expected, cricket club may not be searchable, if I don’t type ‘Toronto’... Ah found it.

Yes. I often come here. Wow, Wilson Avenue. How long I’ve been here. Yes. This is my practice place, how nostalgic.

[Cricket Club (Toronto, Canada). The skating rink where Yuzuru Hanyu was based for about 10 years]

- I had been practicing at this rink for almost 10 years. Amazing. It was about three years before the Sochi Olympics.

Looking back now, what was your time in Canada like?

-Well, at first I didn't know right from left and I couldn't speak English, so I was full of anxiety, but I gradually started doing things like self-checkout and tried to stay away from English as much as possible in my daily life, and I gradually started to feel more comfortable.

[A Place of Growth: Hong Kong]

-I went to Hong Kong twice. I don't really have good memories of either since I couldn't win. In the first competition, I simply didn't have enough skill to win. And in the second competition, I was in an unusual situation where I couldn't even advance to the free skate, so I was really frustrated and I cried a lot. But then, for the first time, I landed the triple toe loop really cleanly. It was at a skating centre in a shopping mall and there were a lot of people watching, and they were cheering excitedly and saying how amazing (that kid) was, so I was really fired up at that moment.

It sure brings back a lot of memories.

-It does.

Did seeing the world lead to growth?

-For me I experienced a lot of growth in competitions, like when I first landed a triple jump, it was during a competition in Hong Kong. It was the first time I felt like I had landed a clean triple jump, but when I was training in Japan, I couldn't land it at all. As I thought, if I had a rival, someone to aspire to, or a good image right next to me, I felt like I could do it too. It seems like I had grown without even realising it.

[Yuzuru Hanyu’s hometown: Sendai]

-Sendai. Sendai has its urban areas, but there's also an abundance of greenery which is really nice. Also, the climate is very pleasant. It doesn't rain a lot, and it's not unbearably hot in the summer, and although it's cold in winter, it doesn't snow like it does on the Sea of Japan. I think it's really comfortable to live there.

As it is the town where I was born and raised, whenever I recall the various sceneries and think of the people who have helped me, I am filled with gratitude, and I often think about how much support I have received in order to get to this point. As such, I hope to give back in some way for the time, energy, and money that was spent on me, whether through my performances, donations or any other ways to express my gratitude.

[FLIGHT LOG: What does “the world” mean to Yuzuru Hanyu?]

Hope and anxiety, brought together by gravity

-It’s a combination of hope and anxiety brought together by gravity. The world, through my experience in all the competitions and travels I have been on, is that it is full of hope, it gives me hope, it teaches me things, it makes me happy, and when I come back to Japan, I can come back with that hope in my heart. But there is also a sense of anxiety when I travel, a culture that I don't understand, or a language I don't understand, or other things that are different, and these things are also part of the world, which is brought together by the gravitational force of the earth and the connection between people and the community. I think it’s a collection of various things.

What is the charm of travel?

-I think just making a lot of plans for a trip and thinking, ``I want to go here'' or ``I want to go there'' is already like a journey of thought. But when you actually go and try things, you'll experience many things up close, or you'll feel scared when you're there, or maybe not everything will go smoothly. That's why there’s a sense of thrill, and that thrill will turn into excitement and joy. I think that's what makes traveling fun.

A message to everyone who challenges the world.

-I think it would be more difficult to find something that doesn't make you anxious when you start out in a new environment. Honestly, at that time, I was excited every day taking on new challenges, and if it was something I liked, I would be thrilled to move forward to the next step, and proceed with much curiosity and excitement. But if I take a step back and think about it calmly, I’m sure that at the same time there is anxiety attached to it too. I think that hope exists not only because things go well, but also because there are things that do not go well. So it is definitely okay to feel the fear of taking on a challenge. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you succeed after trying is surely multiplied many times because of that fear. I believe it turns into joy.

I am sure that everyone is challenging themselves every day, not because they have a goal in mind, but just by living life, you keep challenging yourself. Even if you are never praised for doing things that others think are normal or taken for granted, I think for some people that life will be happy, and for others that life may be boring. So, I believe that by just thinking that you are challenging yourself every day and moving forward, your value of happiness will surely change too.

After becoming a professional, for me, improving my skills and acquiring various ways of expression are my daily gifts. I challenge myself every day, encounter failures, but there are fewer instances that lead to success, so I think I'm accumulating failures every day. But that may be skating for me, for you that may be housework, or that may be your daily work. But I've come to value those small daily failures and joys, and I want to cherish that happiness too.

(end of Virtual Tour)

The second journey in my life

-Talking about it, I now feel like I’m on the second journey in my life. For me, the first journey was up to the Pyeongchang Olympics. When I started that journey, my goal was to win the Olympic Games back-to-back. At that moment, I think that my first journey had already ended. Four years passed from there that led to Beijing, but I don't really think of the time leading up to Beijing was much of a journey.

It’s Pyeongchang, not Beijing?

-Well, I think that for everyone, it’s probably Beijing, or till the day before the press conference. But for me, Pyeongchang was the moment when my dream came true. I think that the first journey ended there, and looking back now, I think after that it was the preparation period for my next journey.

[What was Yuzuru Hanyu’s “First journey of life?”]

-In my mind, travel is a kind of journey to look at oneself, to touch on various things, to gain various insights, to find out what one wants to do, etc. I think it's like a journey of self-discovery, but in a way, my first journey was not like that. It was pretty much like a predetermined destination, and I was being taken there on an airplane. The route was already decided, there were probably various layovers along the way, and amongst those stops, I'm sure there were things like this stop was good, or the next option was better, or that this plane was better, etc. But looking back now, I didn't feel like I was navigating it myself.

[And now, to the “Second Journey of Life”]

-To be honest, I don't really know where my destination is. Maybe as I gain more and more experience and re-examine myself physically, my thoughts, and various other aspects, I may come up with a destination that I want to aim to. But for now, I'm just flying until I run out of fuel, and when I feel like I need to refuel at a certain point, I’ll make a stopover, refuel and fly again.

I’m curious, what kind of fuel does Yuzuru Hanyu use for his airplane?

-I wonder. It's really difficult, but it runs out of fuel all the time. I wasn't the captain on the first trip, there were maintenance crew, assistant staff, I had a lot of supportive people around my seat and I spent my time being very dependent on that support. Now I'm more like the captain and also the control tower. Of course, I’m in charge of the approach of the plane that I'm flying, but I also have to detect the radars of the planes flying around me, thinking about what to do, so in a way it's a bit chaotic.

So, it feels like my fuel runs out very easily. If you ask me what fuels me, well, I guess it's the impressions and the reactions on everyone's faces when I perform. After all, I’d like to know how everyone felt about my performance, the thoughts I put into it, the various techniques and expressions I put into it, how those things were conveyed to the audience, what they liked about it, what they were interested in, and so on. I think that maybe that’s the fuel for me.

[The many "walls" I've encountered in my life's journey]

-The "wall" is there every day. I think about various things every day, and every day there are moments when I feel like “I want to do this”, or “I can't do what I want to do”. I wonder how to overcome that, how to face it, should I just give up today. I think there is some kind of wall that exists every day. The thickness of the wall varies from day to day, and there are days when I have to put a door on the wall, or climb over it, or kick it down. I feel like I spend my time every day looking at and colliding with the walls within myself and my heart in some way.

How did you overcome the obstacles?

- I don't actively try to overcome them much. For example, there was the injury I got when I collided with someone in China, also I've had a lot of injuries myself and I remember how I felt when I got injured at the Pyeongchang Olympics, and in Beijing Olympics I got stuck in a hole and made a mistake in the short program, such are the various obstacles in competition. And I still feel the towering wall that stands in the way of my quadruple axel dream, but more than that, I think that there are ‘walls’ in just living each day. I'm sure there are many different routes out there, and I have to make choices every day, and when making those choices, I wonder if there will be an obstacle in the way or not, or if there will be obstacles later on. I think that's the biggest ‘wall’ for me.

FLIGHT LOG: What are the words that Yuzuru Hanyu value?

-What I value, yes. “Never forget your original intention”.

This is a phrase that I have always treasured ever since I was in junior high school, and it is also my motto. Whenever think about various things and work hard towards something, there will be times that I feel like my footing is unsteady. It is common to gradually forget the feelings you had when you first set out to achieve it, so if I can live without forgetting those initial feelings, I think I can overcome most things. When you start something, you’re probably having fun or enjoying it. You begin with that feeling, being curious and wanting to move forward, but gradually that feeling fades away, it becomes monotonous, and you lose the joy of it. Such things happen. I think it would be nice to always feel something like that initial joy or sense of accomplishment you get as you grow.

How have you taken care of yourself?

-I think I'm probably strongest when I'm thinking about skating, so in a way, those moments may be a situation where I’m taking care of myself. When I move away from skating, my existence… in a way, I think that my skating, the people who watch me skate and my programs are like a mirror of my existence, so I think those moments are the most comforting for me. However, the most difficult moment is when all the effort and preparation I've made, all the things that I've carefully imagined, doesn't translate into results or reflected in my skating, and it's not just my fault, but all sorts of factors pile up which prevents me from doing it the way I wanted. That’s most painful for me.

When you hit a wall, what should you do? Do you have any advice for everyone?

-I think it's good to feel a lot of walls. There are times when you can overcome them if you try, but there are also times when you think you can't overcome them. And before you know it, someone may become your ally and open a door for you, or someone may also tell you that there is another way without breaking down the wall, and I think it's okay for various ways depending on the circumstances around you and how you feel at that time. So, experience many obstacles, think about what you have now, or return to your original intention and think, ‘Why did I come up against this wall?’, or look back in retrospect at the various obstacles you have faced and reflect what you have done repeatedly to get here. I think it is good to have such an opportunity.

[FLIGHT LOG: Captain Yuzuru Hanyu’s journey. Where are you heading to?]

-Uncertain future. I don't think that the person I will be in a second from now has everything decided, and looking at the person a second later, the current self is already in the past, and that is the path in front that I have already walked. All this while, when I was chasing various goals and dreams, I didn't know how the journey would turn out, but I could see the goal, and even though I didn’t know if it was certain or definite, but I have always lived my days trying to make it certain. To be honest, I don't know where the destination is now, but I think that the present is possible because the future is not decided, and the future is visible because it is not certain. I think that is the purpose and goal of my journey from now on.

Are you enjoying the journey now?

-It's not fun, to be honest. It's funny that it’s not fun. But I think I'm having a fulfilling life every day, thinking about various things, absorbing many things, learning various things, and then from there it would be great if I could find a mirror each day in which I can re-examine my existence.

[A message from Captain Yuzuru Hanyu to everyone]

-Thank you for watching. I look forward to seeing you again soon on your journey through life.

Source: Own video audio transcript

Online video: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5046894632566792

#羽生結弦 #hanyu yuzuru #yuzuru hanyu #figure skater #interview #machine #translation #ANA

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abigail · 13 hours ago

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hii i think this is first time i send in an ask? hi!!!! id be sooo interested in a video about saw cause ur like The Saw person in my mind. i actually watched all the saw movies this past weekend and they kind of changed my life like i've been thinking about the first movie nonstop ever since i watched it but none of the reaction videos or video essays that i see on youtube talk about the stuff im thinking about ? i don't know but i feel like a video from u would actually be super interesting<3

hello angel !!! ♡ the fact i’m The Saw Person in your mind is honestly such an honour omg :3 but yes !!!! i feel you so much with that like.. i could talk about the entire franchise so much, it does make me sad how for soooo many years and even now it’s just seen as basically torture porn when there is an actual plot there and it’s (in my opinion) so interesting, and the first one alone i love so so much . i’m so happy you have watched them and you’re a fan though !! whenever i find out someone’s watched saw for the first time i get so !!!!! like. idk. it’s so beloved to me i always wanna know if people like it and what they think hehe :3 but yes yes you’re so sweet thank you waaa ♡ if i do end up making a video on saw (the first film or the franchise as a whole) it probably wouldn’t be until next year as i wanna finish my 365 (+1 as its a leap year) challenge but it’s nice to know i’ll get at least one view on it hehe ♡ mwah !! ♡

#also. if u wanna share ur thoughts on it feel free to dm me hehe ♡#i

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eretzyisrael · 10 months ago

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Good evening. Three months into the war. This evening I want to explain the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the challenges of the war, and its duration. One of the war's goals is to dismantle Hamas. This means dismantling the military capabilities Hamas built over the years and used to carry out the barbaric massacre on October 7th. To understand the military operation in Gaza Strip, one must understand the enemy Hamas and how it operates.

Hamas is structured in battalions. Hamas battalions use a complex underground system with infrastructure to manufacture weapons, war rooms, command and control centers, and the capability to launch rockets from above and below ground. The terrorists move between different areas in the Gaza Strip using this infrastructure, allowing them to do so covertly. The enemy's strongholds are located under and near sensitive civilian sites like the Indonesian Hospital, which you see here in the film and next to it a school, used by Hamas as a human shield. Hamas terrorists move unarmed, dressed in civilian clothes, planting explosives for IDF forces in the streets and at the entrance to tunnel shafts. What does this fight look like in the field? This is the Gaza Strip. It covers 365 square kilometers, and its population is over two million people. This is the northern Gaza Strip, where we began our ground operation and have been fighting for the past three months. In the northern Gaza Strip, Hamas had two military brigades with 12 battalions in total, consisting of about 14,000 terrorists total. From Jabaliya, for example, hundreds of terrorists committed the murderous massacre in the communities of Sderot, Nir Am, Erez, Kfar Aza, and Netiv HaAsara on October 7th. They slaughtered civilians and abducted others to Jabaliya. Jabaliya is a densely populated area, as you can see in the film, with about 25,000 buildings. One in every ten such buildings is multi-story. Before entering such a dense area for combat, we evacuate the population, aiming to prevent harm and protect the civilians while allowing military action, as it deprives Hamas of protection under the guise of the population and allows us to distinguish between the population and Hamas terrorists and target them. This protects IDF forces and the uninvolved civilian population. After evacuating most of the residents, before IDF ground forces enter, the Israeli Air Force strikes threats to IDF forces. We struck underground infrastructure, terrorists, lookout posts, and explosive rigged houses. Just in Jabaliya alone, we struck about 670 air targets before the entry of the ground forces. We struck precisely, intelligence-based, and according to international law. All this allowed optimal entry conditions for IDF forces.

Dismantling Hamas consists of five objectives – the first and most important, eliminating Hamas commanders, thus impacting its command and control. In these strikes, in the Jabaliya area we eliminated the battalion commander, the deputy brigade commanders, and 11 company commanders leading the terrorists in the field. The senior terrorist we eliminated in the area is Ahmad Randor; you can see him here in the picture, sitting with his command echelon in his underground bunker, 40 meters underground. We precisely struck and eliminated all the people with him. Eliminating the commanders made it difficult for the terrorists to fight organized and led to many of them surrendering. The second objective is ground combat against the terrorists. IDF forces encircled and cleared the Jabaliya area, meaning the combination of Armored forces, about 200 tanks, Combat Engineering forces, Infantry forces, and special forces encircled the Jabaliya area from several directions simultaneously. All this with intelligence and air support from dozens of aircraft that strike any threat quickly. IDF ground forces directed the fighter jets that struck about 300 targets. This collaboration between the Israeli Air Force and the ground forces has not been seen in any war to date. Even at this moment as I speak with you here, Israeli Air Force jets continue to accompany ground forces and strike any threat to IDF forces. IDF soldiers on the ground are fighting bravely. They eliminate terrorist cells firing from within houses, tunnel openings, and alleyways; IDF forces fight close-quarter battles with terrorists. This footage, from the Go-Pro of a soldier wounded by a terrorist, shows the soldier rising, charging, and eliminating a terrorist. There are dozens of such operations in the field. Fighting terror is complex and costly. Sadly, it also costs the lives of IDF forces. We announced this evening the death of the late LTC Roee Yohay Yosef Mordechay, may his memory be a blessing. He was killed in an encounter with terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip. Roee was an outstanding commander and soldier. Before his death, it was agreed that he would be appointed Commanding Officer of the 50th Battalion of the Nahal Brigade. We embrace his family and all bereaved families and will continue to accompany them.

We learn from every event and improve in order to reduce the number of casualties. In every event where there are casualties in the field, IDF forces provide life-saving medical treatment and conduct rescue operations under fire and life-threatening conditions, with the help of medical teams and the 669 Airborne Rescue and Evacuation Unit of the Israeli Air Force. We have rescued hundreds of injured, saving their lives.

The third objective is to gather intelligence in the field. We have located computers, maps, communication devices, and found hard drives from which we downloaded about 70 million intelligence files, which are now being studied and analyzed by the Intelligence Directorate (J2) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA). We interrogated many terrorists in the field, in collaboration with the ISA, working shoulder to shoulder, a practice that yields remarkable achievements in the war. In Jabaliya, many terrorists have surrendered, whom we are questioning. As a result of this, we have gathered intelligence about senior Hamas operatives, including documentation, as you can see in this picture, of Muhammad Deif, which we retrieved from a hard drive. This drive also contained information about senior Hamas operatives outside of Gaza. All of this provides us with vital intelligence for the continuation of the war.

The fourth objective is to locate and destroy rockets, weapons, and the sites where they are manufactured. We located and destroyed about 40,000 weapons across the Gaza Strip, some of which were found in schools, hospitals, mosques, and under the beds of children.

The fifth objective for dismantling Hamas is to destroy its underground infrastructure. In Jabaliya alone, we found 8 km of underground tunnels and more than 40 tunnel shafts. Inside the tunnels, we located Hamas’ northern headquarters near there, we retrieved the bodies of five hostages and brought them back to be buried in Israel. To combat the underground infrastructure, we deployed classified technological means, followed by special forces trained for the mission, and ultimately, as you can see, we also eliminated terrorists and destroyed the infrastructure inside the tunnels. We also operated in bases that Hamas had established in hospitals. These are bases Hamas thought we would avoid operating in, but they were mistaken. In two hospitals in the area, Kamal Adwan as you see in the picture, and the Indonesian Hospital, underground infrastructure, weapons, and military equipment were established. In both, we carried out special operations to dismantle the terror infrastructure, without harming doctors, medical teams, or patients. IDF forces were prepared with intelligence information in advance regarding locations where hostages were suspected to be and therefore did not strike them. We learned many lessons from the tragic event in which three hostages were killed, and we are training IDF forces for such encounters. The return of the hostages is a main goal of the war and a supreme national mission.

At the end of a stubborn and determined battle, we dismantled Hamas' military framework in Jabaliya. Hamas no longer operates in an organized manner in this area. We have deprived it of its main terror capabilities in the region. It is important for me to say to the public – there are still terrorists in Jabaliya. However, they now operate without a framework and without commanders. We have encountered and will continue to encounter sporadic rocket fire from this area. We have struck it and will continue to strike, deepening our achievements in these areas. This takes time. There are no shortcuts in fighting terror. Now think about what I showed you, about what we did in Jabaliya, and multiply it by eight areas that cover the entire northern part of the Gaza Strip, each with different terrain and challenges. This is why the task required three months. We have completed the dismantling of Hamas' military framework in the northern Gaza Strip and will continue to deepen the achievement, strengthening the barrier and the defense components along the security fence. Now, we are focusing on dismantling Hamas in the central and southern Gaza Strip. We will do this differently, thoroughly, based on the lessons we have learned from the fighting so far. The central camps area is dense and contains a lot of terrorists, and in Khan Yunis, there is an underground city of sprawling tunnels. We are applying the lessons we learned and continue to develop more creative ways to fight in the area, to eliminate terrorists, to destroy terror infrastructure and weapons above and below ground. This will take time. The fighting will continue throughout 2024, as we work according to a plan to achieve the war's objectives. To dismantle Hamas in the center and south and to continue with every intelligence, operational effort, and military pressure to return the hostages. Meanwhile, we are building defended areas to safely return our residents home.

I also want to refer to the last day in the north. Hezbollah, in its role, or the role it has taken upon itself as the protector of Hamas, fired today towards IDF bases in the north, with no casualties to IDF forces. We eliminated the terrorist cells that carried out the shooting and struck a series of targets including significant military compounds of the organization. We continue to be prepared with very high readiness in the north, in defense and offense.

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#press briefing #idf spokesperson #press briefing by idf spokesperson #hamas #gaza #idf #dismantle hamas #Youtube

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chailoserr · 2 years ago

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BLEACH HEADCANONS

just a bunch of silly little headcanons

characters included: shinji, rukia, urahara, kenpachi, uryuu, yoruichi, and aizen

warnings: a few sex jokes, but that’s pretty standard content from me

SHINJI

• eats peanut butter and jelly with goldfish on them probably

• he’ll stir macaroni aggressively to recreate bad sex noises

• this man watches spongebob squarepants religiously

• i think that if he were to try on clothes he’d be the kind of guy to say “do these yoga leggings make my ass look fat? please please please tell me my ass looks fat”

• i feel like he’s really bad at flirting

• the kind of guy to say “hey girl are you an elevator cuz you look like you could raise a child”

• someone has probably forced him to recreate the iconic evangelion shinji chair pose

• his blood stream is probably like, 89% mcdonald’s sprite

• i think he’d get really dramatic when listening to music and ichigo and rukia would just walk in on him and start bullying him

RUKIA

• probably has worn platform heels to grow taller than ichigo out of spite

• her favorite disney movie is probably brother bear, which is a top tier film

• if she were to have a full ass bedroom she probably get a bunch of cute stuff for it and organize everything

• when swimming she probably gets on renji’s shoulders while ichigo’s on chad’s shoulders and they play wrestle

• loves shopping with orihime probably, it’s like a whole new experience for her and she’s probably really amazed by everything

• definitely takes more than one sample from the samples table on accident

• when at the mall with orihime she wants to know this victoria and her secret

• orihime would probably have to drag her out of the place with a hand clapped over her eyes and the other holding rukia’s leg

• probably likes wearing rings

• she’ll try bonding with byakuya by reading about normal sibling things and be all like “brother! to bond we should try wearing a get along shirt together for 24 hours!”

• it’s stupid but byakuya wants to be a cool and nice older bro so they wear the shirt and look really proud while doing it

• rukia probably goes nuts for juice, especially if it was a juice flavored slushie

URAHARA

• this man probably goes dumpster diving for his clothes and there’s absolutely no shame in that game

• he’s definitely found a dumpster baby or two during his search

• looks like he eats subway and jersey mike’s religiously

• i think he’ll play like uno or poker with the kids

• probably stays up late talking to yoruichi about dumb shit like “what if pasta was purple—we should make pasta purple”

• i don’t think this man has cleaned his bucket hat in y e a r s

• he’ll claim that the smell is just his natural musk

• probably watches bad reality tv, stuff like love is blind

• he watched the entire twilight saga and had a blast doing it

• has probably pissed in a pool

• in fact, he probably makes it his mission to piss in every pool he enters

KENPACHI

• probably can’t cook

• idk how yachiru survived with him all those years bc i feel like he would try cutting up stuff to make food but it was cut TOO aggressively and it’s inedible

• probably let’s yachiru play with his hair

• he eats bowls of nails for breakfast…without any milk

• i feel like he’d run into a mannequin at a mall and then try to fight it bc it was “challenging” him

• sleep fights

• like it’s a natural thing for him, he just thrashes around and fights shit in his sleep

• when he gets too aggressive it’ll take a lot of people to hold him down and tell him “NO YOU CAN’T FIGHT THE BEES”

• has probably said “i don’t talk about feelings, i don’t have any, i’ve never seen one, i’m a night stalking, hollow fighting vigilante and a heavy metal rapping machine, i don’t feel anything emotionally except for R A G E, 24/7, 365, at a million percent, and if you think there’s something wrong with that, you’re crazy”

• but then he turns around and dresses up with ikkaku and yumichika for yachiru’s tea parties

URYUU

• i like to think that he enjoys collecting something weird, like garfield themed phones or paper clips

• he probably goes nuts in the office depot store

• he’s kind of awkward so i imagine he’d be the kind of person to just talk about his special interests to people and be like “ha, they should love me by now for knowing so much about this thing”

• canonically good at sewing and such so i think he actually enjoys making clothes for everyone like silly little hats and purses

• i think he does laundry for fun

• he’s probably the designated picture taker/quote book peep and he really enjoys it

• the man probably has organized BINDERS of quotes from the year, month, and d a y they were said

• i think he’d listen to lofi and bedroom pop kind of music while he worked on sewing or something

• has probably memorized the entire dictionary word for word

• i feel like he hates bugs

• like, terrified of them

• probably took up making friendship bracelets with orihime

• i think he’d enjoy aquariums

• he’d probably start giving everyone in the group specific facts about the fish they were seeing

• was definitely a lego kid, i can f e e l it

• if ichigo or someone was to bring a bag of skittles to share with the group, he’d probably stop them from eating, dump the skittles on a clean surface, and start organizing them by color before anyone could even touch them

• probably wasn’t allowed to watch spongebob growing up, twas only veggie tales

• his favorite veggie tales character was definitely archibald

• overall he’s a sweet boy

• his daddy needs to be nice to him

YORUICHI

• she seems like the type who is exclusively awake at night

• probably does dumb shit with urahara while she’s being nocturnal too

• karaoke? yes. shots? yes. talking about that aforementioned dumb shit? absolutely

• i feel like she’d wear dumb shirts like “this fisherman has a fat cock and he’s not afraid to use it as bait”

• they’re definitely gifts from urahara, but she loves em

• she probably likes going out to eat a lot

• i think she’d enjoy hooters, but in a respectful way

• probably enjoys being lazy and just breaking into urahara’s shop to crash there

• definitely enjoys pranks

• “guess who just walked the prank, kisuke, you’ll never guess who” she says as urahara barfs up the kimchi, milk, sprite, and pickle juice mixture that she tricked him into drinking

AIZEN

• staring off strong: he doesn’t know that women can g e t head

• you’d think he’d have big cock energy but that is simply not true, he’s just tryna compensate for his small pp

• sex jokes aside

• probably likes kale salad except kale is the only thing on the salad and it’s not a salad at all it’s just kale

• this man thinks eating ice cubes is fun

• “mmmm scrumptious, frozen water”

• he probably likes taking freezing ass showers

• and when asked how his sleep was he’s like “i don’t sleep, i only dream”

• his hair has enough product in it to put evil oil barons to shame

• they want his h a i r

• has a “natural musk” that’s akin to the smell of a bad danimals drink you spilled on the carpet of your car three months ago

• probably doesn’t actually know real spanish and he thinks that “las noches” means something super emo like “wolf rose full midnight sky kingdom🐺🥀”

• could be easily defeated if only ichigo and rukia had tried to sing CPR by cupcakke while they thought ONLY about the “hey ya” music video while ALSO doing the “hey ya” just dance choreography

• the chaos would surely throw him off his rhythm

#bleach #bleach manga #bleach anime #ichigo kurosaki #rukia kuchiki #bleach rukia #bleach shinji #kenpachi zaraki #bleach aizen #bleach headcanons #bleach uryu #ishida uryuu #orihime inoue #bleach yoruichi #bleach urahara #kisuke urahara #aizen sousuke

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mikaeled · 2 years ago

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I was tagged by @talesfromthecrypts to post ✨ 9 favorite films that i watched (for the first time) in 2022 ✨ I was gonna make a top 10 gifset but those take a long time and I always get annoying messages from people with bad taste, but I still want to share them, so thanks for tagging me! I actually challenged myself to watch over 365 movies last year and you can check my diary out on my letterboxd to see my quick ratings of each! Probably just gonna do a chill 200 movies this year 😅

I’ll tag @anthonysperkins @acecroft @animusrox @wrasslerjedi @jabberwocky1996 @thelvadams @theashenphoenix

#tag game

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365days365movies · 1 year ago

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Romance February: Omnibus

As I prepare for the future of this blog (and there is a future, if anybody's wondering), I find myself looking back at the good times, when I had the time to watch a movie a day and write a blog about it, which...yeah, wasn't even sustainable for me in 2021, so make of that what you will. ANYWAY, I decided that I would bring all of these posts together in an omnibus of sorts, so anybody that wanted to read these posts could find them all easily in one place. This, alongside other archives, are going to be pinned to the top of my page, and will serve as a long index of the films in the appropriate genres. The goal? To extend these archives as I go along, and have this running index for my blog. And again...there will be additions...

SO! With that, feel free to check out these films in the romance genre, which is somewhat...difficult to define, honestly. Romance overlaps with a bunch of other genres, so even films that put the love story at the center of the narrative have more to them by necessity. So, just figure these as films whose narrative is driven primarily by romantic tension and motivation. Any films you'd like to see in this list? Comment, reblog, message me, whatever! I'm always open to suggestions to add to my ever-building master list of romance films. And check out the other indices to come!

Omnibus: Film Reviews

#user365 #365 days 365 movies #365 movie challenge #365 movies a year #365 movies 365 days #romance movies #historical romance #romance #romance genre #love story #romance films #romance february #movie recap #movie review #post archive #west side story #dirty dancing #brokeback mountain #lgbt films

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watermeloncholycucumbersome · 8 months ago

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Day 78 of Writing Something Everyday

(365 Day Challenge)

(☝️is the spoken word short film I made to go along with my poem and 👇 are the words🩶)

Missing.

There's a gaping hole inside of me,

So large it cannot be packed.

Nothing can fill the abyss of loss,

I mourn the growth the scythe hacked.

Gale's cold voice blows through me,

Shivering at its hollow sound.

I watch as seeds sown,

Uproot themselves from the ground.

The rope has come untethered,

My body's carried among the trees.

Alas I am caught - crudely displayed,

A plastic bag discarded from the breeze.

The echo of the emptiness screams,

It's the utmost deafening of sounds.

Missing you does not define the way I feel, As all words used are stormbound.

It's a deep desire - a wanting,

And my God it hurts.

To be brought back down to reality,

High on the delusion of my disconcert.

My spirit groans within me as I breathe my

final breath.

I love you and I will see you again,

Even if it must be in my death.

~Jenni

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mywifeleftme · 8 months ago

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335: Areski and Fontaine // L'Incendie

L'Incendie Areski and Fontaine 1973, BYG

The late ‘60s and early ‘70s were when the past half-century of avant-garde developments in theatre, literature, film, and art music began to break through into pop. The results of these early flirtations have a sense of discovery and possibility that has continued to captivate generations of new listeners to this day. Brigitte Fontaine and Areski Belkacem’s L’Incendie should absolutely be considered one of the towering classics of the era (and, among the Francophonie, it probably is), but I only came across it for the first time early last year. It reminds me of something from the Velvet Underground / John Cale / Nico universe, simultaneously emblematic of its time and so ahead of it as to sound anachronistic.

On “Les murailles,” tape of Fontaine’s exhalations and what sounds like a kalimba are snipped up and looped to create a tinkling, twitching soundscape that presages the Books or Boards of Canada; the track that follows, “L’engourdie,” layers howling wah-drenched electric guitar behind a pretty acoustic folk pop number that would fit right in on a Brigitte Bardot record; next, the stark “Nous avons tant parlé” could be a theatrical elegy set in a dilapidated seaside church. Every song feels stylistically distinct, but Areski and Fontaine’s creative vision remains consistent; I hear post-punk and Björk and Sonic Youth, and I hear French early music and Berber folk and the ‘50s sound poetry of Henri Chopin in the same measure.

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It’s always a challenge reviewing non-English language records because you’re stuck speaking to its purely sonic characteristics, which increases the likelihood you’ll hilariously misread it—call a song a soothing folk idyll when it’s actually about smashing international Jewry or something. With political, lyric-forward stuff like L’Incendie, it also means failing to engage with its message, flattening it as an artwork. (Unfortunately, there is nothing I as a person of French ancestry living in a majority-French city could do or could have done in the past to better interpret this record.) I asked French-language correspondent and girlfriend of the podcast Mea for one of her classic vibe checks, but she told me the reams of notes she took while listening were too dotty to share, so I can only assume hearing and understanding Fontaine’s words in their original tongue unchains some celestial horror.

Few of the lyrics can be easily found online, which forces me to rely on Le Gendre’s analysis, but critic Kevin Le Gendre’s helpful liner notes paint a portrait of a wide-ranging album that engages with recent post-colonialist bloodshed (Jordan’s Black September civil war with PLO forces on “Le 6 septembre”); the medicalization of psychic distress (“Ragilia”); intimacy and coupledom; and much more besides. What I was able to find of Fontaine’s lyrics online have a spiky surrealist poetry to them. From “Après la guerre” (“After the War”):

“Happiness blows The eyelids lie gently The sexes glow The eyes, by moving, make you cum The men returned from the war And on their heads, the grass grows back.”

335/365

#brigitte fontaine #areski belkacem #areski #avant garde #french music #berber music #berber #north african music #experimental folk #avant folk #'70s music #music review #vinyl record

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notebookmusical · 8 months ago

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got tired of my 365 albums in 365 days challenge because everything started to sound the same and now today's album is a film score </3 beautiful score tho

#post: personal

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thehitchikerdude · 10 months ago

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Tagged by @nickandros! Between my flatmate @bjorkswarmthness challenging themself to watch 365 films in 2023, sci-fi night with them, Nick, @beholdingslut and @zezran, and my work getting me movie vouchers for my birthday, I ended up watching 235 films.

Would you believe that some of them were pretty good and my absolute faves are below (with only a single re-watch in this list!):

Tagging @bjorkswarmthness, @elesssar, @kredensik, and @emuwarum to do this too!

#movies #the insane personal record-breaking 2023 wrapped

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blackexcellence · 2 years ago

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We posted 377 times in 2022

That's 67 more posts than 2021!

91 posts created (24%)

286 posts reblogged (76%)

Blogs we reblogged the most:

@fyblackwomenart

@beautiful-now

@mimi-0007

@dreams-in-blk

We tagged 366 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of our posts had no tags

#blackexcellence365 - 333 posts

#black excellence - 311 posts

#blackexcellence - 310 posts

#black tumblr - 271 posts

#melanin - 222 posts

#black culture - 169 posts

#black girl magic - 133 posts

#black history - 119 posts

#black lives matter - 93 posts

#black excellence 365 - 79 posts

Longest Tag: 38 characters

#anniversary of breonna taylor's murder

My #1 post of 2022

CONFIRMED 🎉👩🏾‍⚖️

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will become the 116th Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court and the FIRST Black woman to sit in the highest court.

image source

33,188 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Our Top Posts in 2022:

Happy Black Joy Month, Tumblr!

It’s February on @blackexcellence, and we’re embarking on the fourth year of BlackExcellence365, where we celebrate Black history 24/7, 365 days of the year. BlackExcellence365 is a community celebration of you, your world, Black achievement of every stripe—from the arts to sports to social justice. Join us in our celebration of Black Joy.

Black Excellence is Revolutionary.

Black Resilience is Revolutionary.

Black Joy is Revolutionary.

Black Joy is Black Excellence.

If you are a Black creative, look out for opportunities to showcase your expressions of Black joy—from art, dance, fashion, writing, music, photography, film, to everything in-between.

Each month, we’ll be coming to you with themes like Black Girl Magic, Black Power, and Black Boy Joy. We’ll be sharing interviews, spotlights, and a collaborative playlist featuring the very best Black talent.

Follow our Today In Black Excellence series to learn about the icons and history-makers our Creatrs love—with artist depictions and fun facts about game-changing athletes, writers, and activists, past and present, who have all changed the world.

However you express joy—join in, follow, and share using the tags #BlackExcellence365, #BlackJoy, and #BlackJoyIsBlackExcellence. The Black experience is too often characterized by struggle, pain and trauma: let’s challenge that by exploring joy, amplifying these voices and stories, and changing the narrative.

Welcome to #BlackExcellence365 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽!

6,301 notes - Posted February 1, 2022

Today in Black Excellence: Shirley Chisholm, the first African American—and the first woman—to seek nomination for President.

“I want history to remember me... not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of The United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself. I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.”

—Shirley Chisholm

Chisholm wanted to be remembered as a “catalyst for change.” What did she do?

Shirley Anita Chisholm was a politician, educator, and writer. There would be no Barack Obama or Kamala Harris without her—she was a trailblazer in every sense of the word.

Citing her “double-handicap” of being a Black woman, Chisholm initially rejected a political career but became increasingly engaged in fighting racial and gender inequality. She eventually joined the Democratic Party in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, winning a seat in the United States Congress in 1968, and becoming the first Black woman to do so.

What did she achieve in politics?

With a seat at the table, “Fighting Shirley” introduced over 50 pieces of legislation on behalf of the poor, protesting racial and gender inequality. She became a fierce critic of the Vietnam War when opposition to the war was considered radical. Her outspoken assault on injustice earned her few friends in the white political establishment.

While campaigning for the 1972 primaries, Chisholm was allowed only one speech in televised debates and was otherwise blocked from participation. Despite this, students, women, and minorities proved loyal supporters: In 12 primaries, she garnered 152 (10%) of delegates’ votes, despite a poorly financed campaign and widespread political hostility.

The 1972 primaries also displayed her remarkable character, when she chose to visit racist and segregationist Governor George Wallace of Alabama in hospital after a failed assassination attempt.

After retiring from Congress in 1983, Chisholm taught at Mount Holyoke College and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women.

Original portrait by Tumblr Creatr @banana-peppers

“It was an honor to create a piece celebrating Shirley Chisholm. She was the first Black woman elected to Congress and to seek a major party nomination for presidency. Her trailblazing career is truly inspiring and I wanted to capture her power, her bravery and her magic. Her motto Unbought and Unbossed implores us to forge our own path no matter what obstacles try to stand in our way."

—@banana-peppers

6,957 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

Today in Black Excellence: Maya Angelou—a literature titan whose 1969 memoir was the first nonfiction bestseller by an African American woman.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” —Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

What was the early life of Maya Angelou?

She became a celebrated writer and Black icon, but it came from a childhood of tragedy. Born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Angelou was quickly exposed to racism as a child. Her parents split when she was young, and while visiting her mother, aged eight, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend: her uncles killed the boyfriend in revenge. These horrors left Angelou mute for five years, as she discussed in an interview with Oprah, a close friend. At age 16, she gave birth and was forced to work grueling jobs to support her son—including fry cook, sex worker, and nightclub performer.

She recounted her traumas to close friend James Baldwin—fellow writer and Black icon. He challenged Angelou to write about her experiences, and she published the wildly successful memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It catapulted Angelou to international stardom and was nominated for a National Book Award in 1970. It remained on The New York Times’ paperback nonfiction bestseller list for two years—the longest record in history.

What made her such a Black icon?

Angelou was a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated on her birthday in 1968. Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday for years afterward. In 1964, Angelou helped another activist friend Malcolm X in founding the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

Spanning over 50 years, she published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, books of poetry, and plays. Her 1971 poetry collection, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’Fore I Die, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Because of her tireless work in literature and political activism, Angelou became widely respected as a spokesperson for the Black experience, particularly of women. You can even find her legacy in your pocket—she recently became the first black woman to appear on a US quarter.

Original portrait by Tumblr Creatr @inuqo

"I was filled with such deep gratitude while working on this illustration of Maya Angelou. Her talent, creativity, strength, power and resilience is inspiring to us all and I wanted to display how beautiful her Universe was. How important her words and life's journey was because it showed us that no matter how hard we fall, still we can rise".”

—@inuqo

7,902 notes - Posted February 23, 2022

Today in Black Excellence: Dapper Dan—the underground fashion icon who made history as the first Black designer to receive CFDA’s lifetime achievement award.

“I don’t give a damn about failure. I was born part of failure. We are the phoenix—all of us here in America, every black man, woman, and child are part of the phoenix, still rising from those ashes. All my life is about getting knocked down and getting back up. I don’t care. It’s fun!”—Dapper Dan.

What’s Dapper Dan’s story?

Born Daniel Day on August 8, 1944, in Harlem, New York City, into a working-class family. By 13, he was making thousands a day after teaching himself gambling. By the 70s, Dan first sold items out of his car, and in 1982, the iconic Dapper Dan’s Boutique had its grand opening —open 24/7.

Dan is self-taught—from his fabrics and leather printing, to his creations of unique textiles featuring Louis Vuitton and Gucci logos. His designs became synonymous with 80s hip-hop—but Dan was neglected by the fashion world, and his illegal use of major label logos led to police raids. Local attention became Global; European luxury fashion companies like Fendi caught wind and promptly took legal action. Dapper Dan’s Boutique was shut down in 1992. Ever the hustler, he continued working underground.

How did he come to win the CFDA award?

Ironically, to say the least, and on his own terms in true Dapper Dan style. Fans were outraged when they noticed Gucci steal one of his classic designs for a major show. The coat was first made for Olympian Diane Dixon, and she posted on Instagram: “Give Dapper Dan his credit. He did it first in 1989!” Incredibly, Gucci accepted its wrongdoing and sparked his career into new life when it offered a partnership.

At age 77, he made history as the first Black fashion designer honored with the CFDA’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the first designer to receive the honor without ever doing a solo fashion show. Truly the epitome of Black excellence.

Original portrait by Tumblr Creatr @patiencelekienart

There’s a quote by Faith Cummings that says, “We still struggle to garner a seat at the table. Even though we’ve oft built the table ourselves.” As a Black Creative, this is a reality many of us face. And Dapper Dan is a modern representation of just that—Black Excellence. He exemplifies how and why our contributions to culture often define culture. It was an honor dedicating this piece to him, as an extension of my gratitude and appreciation for the path he has paved for all Black Creatives. Thank you Dapper Dan.

—@patiencelekienart

8,573 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

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