#also when i say 'kid' i usually mean someone who's a noteworthy amount younger than me

[thetriggeredhappy]

i dont wanna exaggerate and use terms like "personal responsibility" and "doing the right thing", implying that there's any amount of like, homework that you need to do, any kind of requirement in your day to day life - but i do think that sometimes you gotta do a nice thing for a kid, y'know? don't you remember how nice it was, being a kid, when someone older than you or cooler than you or more talented or capable than you said something or did something that showed that you, like, existed as a non-negative and non-detrimental entity? it's so hard, being a kid. tell them they're doing a good job. encourage them to go be human beings. do nice things for kids. c'mon. it's always worth it

[therachelperspective]

BOOK ⎟ A Work in Progress by Connor Franta

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know who Connor Franta is. I openly admit that I didn’t have a clue who this 24-year-old YouTube sensation was until I decided to pick up his memoir, A Work in Progress, at Target. It seems silly, doesn’t it? Reading a memoir written by someone who doesn’t seem nearly of age to do so, and is a few years younger than me at that. But this is one of those times when you should not judge a book by its author, nor an author by his age. Connor Franta is more – much more – than he seems. 

Published in 2015, A Work in Progress is described by Franta himself as an elaboration of what he discusses in his vlogs (blogs in video form; his channel found here). Its content, as such, covers a variety of topics that include the usual growing up, family, school, friendships, relationships, sexuality, and beyond. What I really discovered, though, was that it is more accurately a self-help book masquerading as a memoir. My copious notes made up almost entirely of quotes show that Mr. Franta is wise beyond his years. Although he is a relatively privileged white boy with very little struggle under his belt (being chubby as a child and coming to terms with his sexuality being the two major high points), Franta does well to remind readers of what’s important in life: discovering who you are, following your dreams and passions, living your life in the present, and accepting your flaws as part of your uniqueness. He has a lot to say and gives incredible amounts of advice as he discusses his life, but these concepts are generally the major takeaways throughout AWIP. 

As much as I appreciated what Franta shared in his novel – and trust me, so many good things – the only truly special aspect about the book is that he makes a “healthy living” making YouTube videos (thanks to advertising revenue) and he was, at the time of publishing, only 22 years old. Franta has made a name for himself online and has the large fanbase currently sitting at just over 5.5 million people to show for it, but his story at its core isn’t much different than my own. Part of the reason I chose to read A Work in Progress was because of the fact that he, too, is from Minnesota (try to find La Crescent on a map, I dare ya); I’m always drawn to tales of those who also hail from the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” and how they made their way in the world... But he’s no Bob Dylan or anything. It’s refreshing to know that fame is achievable in such a way that Franta achieved it, I will give him that. But it is, at times, hard to wrap your head around how he did it. I absolutely enjoy his videos, so don’t think I’m just slamming the hell out of this kid; he’s funny and incredibly relatable as a person. YouTube fame is just weird.  

Something I became increasingly aware of as I was reading was the particular vernacular and mannerisms Franta used – one might say, the type of communication specific to millennials of today’s society, especially in textual form. It is all the more apparent if you watch his videos and witness his traits in action. Franta is, by definition/for all intents and purposes, a “hipster,” made all the more clearer as he uses pages of AWIP to document his love for vintage record players and Polaroid cameras, how he considers coffee to be a full-body experience, and he even dedicates a page to talk about looking at the moon. I understand this though because, hey, I myself am on the older end of the spectrum for the millennial generation and also a part-time hipster. I, too, enjoy a good specialty coffee from Starbucks, often enjoy staring at that bright circle in the night sky, and use some of the same language Connor Franta does. But being the older millennial that I am (i.e. I’m just enough of a millennial to be engulfed in technology on a regular basis, but also know how to *gasp* go without it), I sense that gap in the forms of communication. Read an older novel from Hemingway, for example, and then read Franta’s AWIP; you’ll see what I mean. Fortunately, it’s safe to say the majority of his readership comes from his viewers that are his own age. As such, AWIP doesn’t have the opportunity to get lost in that translation with any older age groups, nor does it get slammed as for it’s incredibly conversational qualities. As a reader stuck in the middle of old school vs. new school communication, it can just, at times, distract from the story. 

I’ll be the first to say I’m shocked when confessing that Connor Franta’s A Work in Progress was surprisingly helpful to me. A Work in Progress is merely some youngster’s story about his 22-year life; who knew it would be so damn relevant to me... maybe to everyone willing to read it. Thanks once again, Universe, for having me read a book that is incredibly pertinent to the exact situation(s) I’m going through *shakes fists*. I picked it up because this book is so aesthetically pleasing I about died – understandable considering the design nerd Franta is (his words, not mine) and as much as I equally am. The personal photographs provided and taken by Franta himself are so beautiful, you could spend just as much time leafing through the pages just to admire them. But add to the fact that this young man is far more enlightened than you could ever imagine makes this book worth reading at least once in your life. Sure, he talks about everyday stuff that is hardly exceptional (bonus: his parents and his family are SO SUPPORTIVE), but the way he touches on the difficult topics with grace and awareness bring back the slightest ounce of faith in humanity. 

FAVORITE EXCERPTS

“Friends are not a number. You can’t collect connections.”

“Girls can be athletic. Guys can have feelings. Girls can be smart. Guys can be creative... Gender is only specific to your reproductive organs (and sometimes not even those), not your interests, likes, dislikes, goals, and ambitions.” 

“Guys need feminine energy as much as girls need masculine energy to get by in this world.” 

“Not all attention is created equal.”

“Sometimes we lose sight of why we’re doing what we’re doing. We get sick of certain aspects of our lives and forget the end goal. But everything has a purpose. There is a reason behind every struggle.” 

“We live in a world where the importance of stability is drilled into use from an early age. If it’s not explicitly stated, then it is seen in the way most of our parents, other elders, or authority figures live their lives: cautiously, pragmatically, and sensibly... The potential risk of failure scream its warning from far away, which is why those with experience feel it is necessary to tell us to find ‘proper jobs’ – the kind that pay well and guarantee long-term security.” 

“Failure is your teacher, not your judge.” 

“All you have to know is why you’ve done something and like it, without seeking the validation or approval of others... Create first and foremost for yourself, no one else.”

“If you like you, that’s all that matters.” – Connor’s mom

“Own every aspect of who you are and present it to the world with the utmost pride.” 

“It’s okay to be liked. It’s okay to seek likes. But it’s not okay if you allow those likes to become the foundation of your sense of self-worth.” 

“Who are you? Answer: You are who you are in this given moment. Label-less. Limitless. Remember that from this day forward.” 

“Destination and destiny share a root word for a good reason.” 

“The only thing holding you back from experiencing [opportunities] is yourself and the false limitations you’ve imposed on yourself.”

“A thought is only as strong as you allow it to be. We either fuel it or release it.” 

“Life waits for no one.”

“It’s not okay to just get by existing day to day. Where will that get you? Aren’t we here to live? To squeeze the maximum amount of juice and at the end of the day, say to ourselves ‘Wow I’m so grateful to have what I have and do what I do.’”

“The hardest part was allowing myself to want something other than what was socially acceptable...”

ABOUT CONNOR FRANTA (from the inside back cover)

Connor Franta is an internet sensation and global trendsetter with millions of followers on YouTube and many other social media platforms. He is the founder of Common Culture Coffee and works closely with The Thirst Project, a charity that provides clean drinking water in Africa, for which he raised more than $230,000 in thirty days. He also curates music from up-and-coming bands for his Common Culture compilation albums. This is his first book. To learn more, visit: youtube.com/ConnorFranta and twitter.com/ConnorFranta

A Work in Progress: A Memoir by Connor Franta Atria/Keywords Press (Simon & Schuster) | April 2015 | 212 pages

MY RATING: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ There are some pretty deep praises of this book in my review and you’re probably wondering about its lower rating. Don’t get me wrong, this book was wonderful and provided a multitude of amazing advice... but I personally felt there wasn’t a lot of substance. He was able to give said advice because he lived it, but all of those things are honestly what every kid has gone through (give or take some personal details). That makes it very relatable, for sure. But his unconventional fame and the age at which he wrote his first memoir really feel like the only noteworthy details. Change some details and this could be my story. Also, I know he meant well by them, but his words of encouragement that often concluded each chapter were a bit much for my tastes. Which makes me believe that his coaxing words are better geared towards his younger readers just getting to know themselves, not a near-30-year-old who has a pretty good grasp of who she is. 

His sage advice helped me cope with some friendship issues, as well as following my gut, so I will absolutely give him incredible kudos for his novel in that sense. But... I really kind of feel that he is a kid of opportunity. He is definitely a hard working guy, but a lot of his opportunities and achievements are spawned by who he now knows or due to the reach he has across the internet. 

[birdboyofbabylon]

TAGGED BY: @blue-pincushion TAGGING: @cloud-the-bluebird ((Gonna keep it short here since I don’t know most people enough to know if they’d be okay with me tagging them in this kinda stuff yet))

—    BASICS.

▸     IS    YOUR    MUSE    TALL    /    SHORT    /    AVERAGE ? Short. Even by Mobian/Babylonian terms he’s on the short side and relies on his hair/feathers to get the last few inches to be considered on par with the rest of the cast.

▸      ARE    THEY    OKAY    WITH    THEIR    HEIGHT ? For the most part, yes. Jet enjoys taking advantage of his small size for both stealth and agility. He loves outmaneuvering and outwitting larger targets and sees it only as a bonus for riding where his smaller size simply means less weight and less wind resistance.

That being said. There are times he feels intimidated being the shortest member of his team. 

▸      WHAT’S    THEIR    HAIR    LIKE ? A slicked back and spiked mohawk formed of thick clumps of green feathers

▸     DO    THEY    SPEND    A    LOT    OF    TIME    ON    THEIR    HAIR     /    GROOMING ? Absolutely. Jet adores the style, both aesthetically and functionally. He’d first tried the style out when he was still a kid and managed to discover upon a few heavy metal CDs in a fellow Rogue’s quarters. He’d been listening for a while, enamored with how fast and angry and exciting it sounded as he was looking through all the CD manuals and saw a drummer packing a more traditional spiked mohawk with the spikes sticking straight up. So of course he tried the style for himself. Of course, after one ride like this, his feathers were soon slicked back and when he saw it in the mirror, all he could think was “WOOOOW, COOL! THAT LOOKS RAD!” and needless to say, the style stuck. The way it’s spiked back, rebellious and out-of-control, he feels expresses him to a tee, and the fin-like nature of it is aerodynamic enough while providing a fair bit of stability at speeds. 

▸      DOES   YOUR   MUSE   CARE   ABOUT   THEIR   APPEARANCE   /   WHAT    OTHERS    THINK ? AB-SO-LUTE-LY. Sometimes Jet will spend hours in front of a mirror, fine tuning everything about his appearance before any even where he expects cameras to be involved. Most of the effort goes to his hair and the tuft of white feathers on his chest, but he’ll still spend a sizable amount of time making sure every last part of his appearance looks impeccable.

As for what others think? To a degree. Though the hawk lives for praise, he won’t pay too much mind to the jeers and boos of others. Jet can focus on the positive responses he gets far better than most, but if it’s nothing but hate and criticism, then it’ll start to take its toll on his mood...and fairly heavily, for that matter.

That being said, he’s far more sensitive when it comes to those he respects. He sets a high bar for that respect and feels it should be valued greatly, so if someone who falls into that category belittles him, then he’ll take it to heart and have it on mind for days, possibly even weeks at a time.

((PUTTING THE REST BEHIND A READ MORE))

                          \/  \/  \/  \/  \/

—    PREFERENCES.

▸     INDOORS    OR    OUTDOORS ? Outdoors, for sure. Specifically open areas with lots of wind. Being a bird, he needs the feeling of wind flowing through his feathers. Even when he is indoors, he prefers to not be on solid land, opting for the shelter of his airship. If he spends too much time without a nice long ride on his Type-J or returning to his zeppelin, Jet will start to grow antsy, anxious, and jumpy. This usually takes about three or four days to come into effect.

Needless to say, that makes any extended prison stays or other incarceration VERY tough on the hawk. Cramped indoors, no wind and stuffy air, and without the gentle sway of his zeppelin or some other airborne vessel to keep him company? That can be a nasty time.

▸     RAIN    OR    SUNSHINE ? Sunshine. Not to say he doesn’t enjoy the rain from time to time, but only when he doesn’t actually have to be in it. Most of the time it’s a burden. It gets in his feathers and leaves him soaking. It disrupts his flight plans and sometimes he’ll have to ground the airship completely when the weather’s bad enough.

That being said, it does make a good veil to escape in, both on foot and for his zeppelin. And he’s found out that a real torrential thunderstorm can make for a very exciting backdrop to ride full speed through. ▸     FOREST    OR    BEACH ?   The beach by far. Just give him a surfboard and he’ll spend all day on the waves. (No not that one get your mind out of the gutter maybe in five years when he’s older JEEZ) Not to mention the sun and coastal winds go hand-in-hand with the hawk. 

Not to mention Jet can fit a Hawaiian shirt pretty nicely, as you can see from the Sonic Channel artwork.

▸     PRECIOUS    METALS    OR    GEMS ?   Precious metals, simply because they’re more practical. Jet often finds him and his Rogues scavenging around for good scrap to bring in and salvage for supplies. After all, keeping an big, metal airship running can be a tall order sometimes. ▸     FLOWERS    OR    PERFUMES ? Neither? If he had to pick one, however, I suppose he’d go with perfume. Mostly because they don’t require any care and won’t just wither up and die. ▸     PERSONALITY    OR    APPEARANCE ?   For now, Jet’s pretty vain and goes mostly for appearance. He’d still need a personality that he could live with, but seeing as he’s of the age where he’d only just recently started to go “Oooooh, girls” he’s still indulging in the appearance more than anything.

He also finds himself accidentally starting to stare at Wave sometimes...just sometimes. ▸     BEING    ALONE    OR    BEING    IN    A    CROWD ?   In a crowd, specifically with all eyes on him. Jet loves being the center of attention, both good and bad. He craves recognition and will hog the spotlight at any chance he can get. ▸     ORDER    OR    ANARCHY ?   Anarchy, hands down. Chaos is Jet’s element. He thrives in the unpredictable. The more maddening he can make any situation, the more he gels with it and can turn the tables on anyone who opposes him. Even in heists, he often finds himself taking the fast and noisy approach, stirring up enough chaos in the process to leave everyone guessing what even happened as he rushes in, takes the goods, and bails. ▸     PAINFUL    TRUTHS    OR    WHITE    LIES ? Painful truths. Jet will tell you to your face exactly what he thinks without a moment’s hesitation. No matter how crude, how mean, and how hurtful it is, he’ll say it and he’ll say it with a smile on his face.

In fact, he’s more likely to lie to hurt someone than lie to make them feel better.

▸     SCIENCE    OR    MAGIC ?   There’s a lean towards “science” here, but overall just magic enhanced by science. Jet uses both on a regular basis. By nature, as his title of “Legendary Wind Master” would imply, Jet is aerokinetic. However his powers are still young and budding, and to do anything noteworthy, he needs his Bashosen or Bashyo Fans to amplify the work for him.

Another good example is the Ark of the Cosmos. This is, in a whole, ancient advanced science, but there were some very, very occult arts required to create them.

But that’s something Jet and his team will discover sometime later. (°<°)

However he still has a heavy tech reliance. His Type-J is an example of that, as well as his goggles which contain a comms device, a HUD (wirelessly connected to his Type-J at all times), and the computing power of a decent smartphone. ▸     PEACE    OR    CONFLICT ?   Conflict. Though neither Jet nor his team want to see the world fall apart, they all find a little shake-ups every now and then to really stimulate their profits.

Of course, they merely aim to profit off the strife that already exists, believing that “Well, it’s happening either way. Might as well make a little cash off of it” and would never even think of artificially inciting a war or something similar on their own just to profit off of it.

▸     NIGHT    OR    DAY ?   Night, by far. Jet feels more at home with the sin and vice that a big city’s nightlife can bring and being a thief by nature, just feels more comfortable under the cover of nightfall. Overall, it’s just more chaotic, the people are more lively, more real.

▸     DUSK    OR    DAWN ? Dusk. This one’s pretty simple as Jet tends to stay up late and sleep in well past noon. He rarely even sees the dawn, but the dusk is like a sign that his day’s about to hit the exciting part.

▸     WARMTH    OR    COLD  ? Warmth. Not that he minds the cold too much, especially when he’s got a snow-topped mountain to play around on, but too much and the sting of the cold gets to his muscles and holds him back.

▸     MANY   ACQUAINTANCES    OR    A    FEW    CLOSE    FRIENDS ?  A few close friends. Jet rarely feels comfortable opening up to anyone, always expecting the worst of them, and that if he ever shared anything personal, they’d merely use it against him. However, those he does trust, he trusts with anything and values them greatly, easily willing to put his life on the line at their defense.

▸     READING    OR    PLAYING    A    GAME ?   Playing a game, certainly. Preferably something with a lot of action, violence, and a need for quick reaction times.

—    QUESTIONNAIRE.

▸      WHAT    ARE    SOME    OF    YOUR    MUSE’S    BAD    HABITS ? He’s rude, he’s vulgar, he’s loud, he’s obnoxious, he doesn’t care about most people’s feelings or emotions.

He’s a bit on the specist side and thinks Babylonians and birds in general are simply better than humans or mobians.

▸      HAS    YOUR    MUSE    LOST    ANYONE    CLOSE    TO    THEM ?      HOW    HAS    IT    AFFECTED    THEM ? OH BOY HOWDY HE HAS. When Jet was younger, the Babylon Rogues had a member count somewhere in the 20s. They were more or less a large family of loud, disruptive, vulgar sky pirates, led by his father, Ace. They were a carefree bunch, roaming around and taking whatever they could get their hands on. Occasionally, sometimes, one of them just...wouldn’t come back. It was a rare occurrence and at the time, Jet didn’t really understand what had happened, just that he always missed them.

However, one day...none of them came back. It was just Jet, Wave, and Storm on their own. They’d soon found out that the rest of them, Jet’s father included, were set up and slaughtered, no explanation why, and no idea who’d done it.

▸      WHAT    ARE    SOME    FOND    MEMORIES    YOUR    MUSE    HAS ?   His first time ever riding an EX gear. He was barely old enough to talk and his father was holding the board steady while he rode along at a snail’s pace. It was all he could do not to crash even then, but that didn’t matter. It was exciting and new and cool! He just wanted to ride again and again and again after that.

▸     IS    IT    EASY    FOR    YOUR    MUSE    TO    KILL ? Not at all. The very thought of it sickens the Rogues. As Jet often describes it, “There’s no point in taking a life. Treasure, gold, money, and everything else we take from people, it’s all worth something. But what’s there to get from snatching away a life? Just gets their friends to come after you with revenge on their mind. It’s not worth it”

Of course, as tough as he tries to act about it, Jet knows he couldn’t stand to put anyone through what he’s experienced.

▸      WHAT’S    IT    LIKE    WHEN    YOUR    MUSE    BREAKS    DOWN ?  One word. Explosive. With how much pressure he has to lead the Babylon Rogues, Jet always feels as if he has to be the strong one, the figurehead that the others can look up to, no matter what the cost to him. Of course, this leads to feelings, emotions, worries all being bottled up. He’ll often have his breakdowns behind closed doors, being reduced to a stuttering, stammering fool, incoherently blaming himself for everything that’s ever went wrong, breaking whatever he can get his hands on, clawing madly at himself.

But if he can’t get that out of his system, or something shakes him severely enough, that’s when he gets violent. If there’s anyone in the area he’d consider a target, the hawk goes out of his way to make an example of them. Concussions, broken bones, and other injuries are common when Jet enters this state of mind.

▸      IS    YOUR    MUSE    CAPABLE    OF    TRUSTING    SOMEONE    WITH    THEIR    LIFE ? Rarely, but yes. It’s borderline impossible to earn that kind of trust from him, but if someone has, they’ve likely earned it for life.

▸      WHAT’S    YOUR    MUSE    LIKE    WHEN    THEY’RE    IN    LOVE ? Very, very defensive. He’ll always be denying it, sheepishly shying away from the topic and trying to claim that he’s “too tough for that kinda thing” with his face flushing red the entire time. As of right now, he’s not too comfortable with the idea of it. All that kissing and gushy stuff just doesn’t have much interest to him yet.

...Yet.