#i see james more as art but like...i could b persuaded

[siriuslygay1981]

I'm sure it's been said ...challengers kiss Barty/James with Regulus as tashi

James as art and Barty as Patrick!

Do you see my vision?

Like you just know their enemies to lovers arc went crazy. Their fruity friendship at the start...mmm

[sweet-self-indulgence]

The Incubi and Femboy! Mika

Femboy! Mika

Is pretty exclusively into males, much to his father’s disappointment.

Father would be the kind of guy to try to punish the gay and the feminine out of his son

Taekwondo stems from a demand to become bigger and stronger. Mika tones and can’t bulk, but loves the art form

Cross-dresses for fun sometimes but prefers boymode for daily stuff.

The exception is panties. Mika loathes traditional male underwear and wears panties every day.

Is super into praise, both giving and receiving, and being teased in basically any sense.

Bottom preference

Thinks it’s hot. Loves the feeling. Simply floats his boat.

Capable of topping but in such a subordinate way. This boy cannot be dominant to save his life.

James

Doesn’t have much romantic or sexual experience with males. Was groomed to provide heirs to the throne so his sexual education and expectations were very procreation focused.

Gets off on using his height to intimidate and fluster Mika.

He says “That’s a good little boy”, Mika gets all flustered and suddenly they’re both rock hard

Has a bit of an ‘oh shit I might be into guys’ crisis because it had never really crossed his mind before.

Cue way too much research to compensate

He’s a top.

Definitely never bottomed in the demon world. Could be persuaded to try it, but it doesn’t really do it for him the same way. He likes being in control too much.

Erik

Equally experienced with lots of genders. His mother would have taught him to get energy from all kinds of demons.

But she viewed energy as something you take from someone else, so being penetrated as a male incubus was taboo.

He thinks gender bending clothing is super hot. Especially lacy and silky panties. He loves giving lingerie to Mika and seeing him wear it.

Slight top preference

Is much more comfortable with the social scripts he knows, and toping is no exception.

100% down to try it in the human world. He likes it a lot, but finds it very vulnerable. He would be so overstimulated. It takes a while for him to get comfortable bottoming regularly.

So yeah, bottoming comes with a lot of baggage for Erik so he defaults to top.

Sam

He definitely went through a bit of a slut phase in the demon world and would have some experience with male demons and bottoming for them.

Thinks Mika is super cute. Really bonds with him when he learns about his father’s pressures to be ‘man enough’

Sam is a big ‘ol sap for a sad story

But he is really into people who stand up for themselves.

Top preference

He’s honestly just not that into bottoming. He’s tried it, it’s fine, but is meh on the concept.

And let’s be real, Mika has a tiny frame, he’s not exactly packing the (literal!) monster schlong that Sam is used to.

If Sam’s going to bottom he wants to go hard and it’s going to require an order from Bad Dragon ; )

Matthew

He wouldn’t have had a ton of sexual experience in the demon world. The experience he has would be low commitment flings with a variety of partners.

He wasn’t of age for very long before he became invested in the human world.

Has more experience with humans

He likes being barely larger than Mika. It’s a pleasant hit to his ego.

Mika’s acceptance of his more feminine traits is super endearing and opens up a world for exploration for Matthew

Thinks gender bending is incredibly fun and trys out some GNC stuff.

He learned how to adjust his glamor to look female. Likes having breasts for the express purpose of having them played with during sex and then they go away again lol

He identifies as 100% male but gains a ton of confidence in seeing that male doesn’t have to be one specific thing

True vers

It really just depends on his and his partner’s mood. He’s down for whatever. Likes switching during sex a lot.

Damien

Didn’t really get to experience consensual sexual encounters in the demon world

His relationship with his own sexually it pretty fucked from it

That’s a separate post if y’all want some whump

Has had some experience with humans, but they’ve been pretty awkward for him.

He’s really into people who are into him. Mika’s hot guy radar is very loud in his head and Damien is super into the accidental flattery and how flustered Mika gets about it

Bottom.

One of the ways his sexuality is fucked up is that topping can be triggering for him

Also people’s minds tend to focus more on him when he’s bottoming

He basically gets off to the thought praise

[therecordchanger62279]

THE WISH LIST

I was reading Record Collector this morning, perusing a column called The Vinyl List, and I noticed that a lot of the forthcoming releases on vinyl are expensive boxed sets with multiple LP's by particular artists - and not any of them especially interesting. That's because these boxes are not "art." They're "product." It's something to throw at the market to see what sticks. How much thought goes into a vinyl boxed set of an artist's first, say, eight albums. You repress those first eight titles, and put them in a box, and slap a $250- $300 price tag on it, and collectors reach for their wallets. No thanks.

How about being a little more inventive? For instance, I was wondering if there was a vinyl boxed set I could be persuaded to buy that contained records I already owned? Turns out, there is. And that's why this piece is titled The Wish List.

Chuck Berry, as far as I'm concerned, invented Rock & Roll. He's one of the genre's true greats. His best records are foundation pieces for any serious collection. Chuck made a lot of records. But his is a history, and a catalog that can be distilled into a 10 record, boxed set edition that would be the best first purchase you could make if you decided to build a collection of Rock 'n' Roll vinyl records.

If I owned a record company, I would license, and press the following Chuck Berry records for my box:

Chuck Berry's Golden Decade - a superb 2 record collection of Chuck's early hit singles.

Chuck Berry's Golden Decade Vol. 2 - a deeper dive into Chuck's multitude of hit singles. That's also a 2 record set.

Chuck Berry's Golden Decade Vol. 3 - a final 2 record collection that rounds up the rest of the best of Chuck's 45 rpm radio fare.

Chuck Berry's London Sessions. The 1972 comeback record, half studio, half live, and featuring the #1 hit, My Ding-A-Ling.

Rock It. A 1979 return to recording after a four year break. One of Chuck's overlooked gems. Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide graded it a B+.

Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. The 1987 soundtrack album of a live concert filmed as a finale for the documentary on Chuck's life. Lots of special guests including Etta James, Linda Ronstadt and Keith Richards. And Chuck is in fine form.

Chuck. Berry's final album released in 2017, six months after his death. It's a terrific last will and testament to his enduring legacy.

I own all 7 of these titles (10 records) already on vinyl. Why would I shell out for new pressings of records I already own? Because the first four titles above were all on Chess Records, and the editions I own were pressed after owner Leonard Chess died, and the label was sold to GRT. GRT used low grade vinyl to press their records, and consequently, all of the Chuck Berry records I own under the GRT imprint could use a 21st century upgrade. I would happily pay for new pressings. And even though the remaining three titles (released on Atco, MCA, and Dualtone respectively) sound just fine, I like the idea of having a definitive, career-spanning Chuck Berry collection all in one place in a nice looking box with a well written, nicely illustrated 12X12 booklet to go with it. That's number one on my wish list. If there's an enterprising record label owner out there reading this, please get on it right away. If you do, I can have it before my next birthday.

[captain-josslett]

Broken Melody - Part One

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven,

Summary: Grammy Award winning Emma Danvers is the first to say she has a pretty good life. But what happens when it implodes around her and it looks like things will never be the same again?

Words: 10k+

Warnings: None... yet...

Pairings: Emma Danvers x Lena Luthor (Eventual)

Right! I wrote the beginning of this fic months ago. It’s going to get angsty so be ready. But the purpose of the first part is to introduce this version of B!D, a well known singer in a grammy award winning band. I honestly had a great time writing this first part!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you wanna be tagged or any general feedback will be greatly appreciated.

For @thewitchandtheassassin​, @natasha-danvers​, @life-is-hella-unfair​, @finleyfray​, @supergirl-writingz​,

The screeching of Emma Danver’s alarm makes her hazel green eyes shoot open. Normally on a Saturday she wouldn’t have her alarm set and would laze in bed. Especially when she is home from her latest world tour. However, today was going to be a day filled with the Superfriends, and she can’t wait!

Emma had mentioned at the latest game night that she wanted to check out a beach over an hour away from the city and how they could make a day of it. Kara, her Supergirl sister, instantly accepted the idea while bouncing up and down with excitement. Mostly everyone else agreed, happy to know the summer sun would be in full force that day.

Well they still had to persuade a few people, mainly Lena and Alex. But when Emma and Kara both knelt in front of the women with their identical Danvers pouts they were forcibly won over.

Emma smiles as she stretches and runs her hands through her wavy blonde hair. She quickly gets out of bed and opens her curtains. Sighing happily and just enjoying the sunshine blazing into her penthouse bedroom. Emma can totally see how Kara gets her Supergirl powers from the sun, how it recharges her and makes her the Woman of Steel.

After a few more minutes Emma turns and grabs her phone. While making her way to her ensuite she messages the group chat.

Emma: Gooooooodd Mmmoooorrrrnnnniiiinnnngggg!!! How’s everyone? Seriously can’t wait for today!

After having a quick shower Emma wanders back into her room and decides what to wear. She puts on her turquoise surf bikini with her tight black surfing shorts. She wears her blue jean shorts over the top, and a white tank top. She finishes her outfit off with her many bracelets, her apple watch and a layered necklace that has a star, sun and swan pendant. Symbolising each of the Danvers sisters. Alex is the star, Kara is the sun and Emma is the swan.

Swan became one of Emma’s nicknames in school due to there being a lot of Emma’s in the class. Her friends joked she was a swan princess due to doing ballet when she had asked them to come to a recital. Which they did and were in awe, but you know. Emma happily accepted the nickname, taking it as a compliment. Emma smiles as she looks at her ballet shoes strung over her mirror. ‘Another thing I need to get back into.’ Emma thinks wistfully. She still loves dancing, especially the latin styles like samba and tango. But she doesn’t have the time.

As she draws her attention to her reflection she definitely looks like a surfer chick, lean, toned and sun kissed. Which she was happily going for. She’s been dying to surf for ages but just hasn’t had the time. Her band had recently returned from a sell out world tour. And sadly most of the places they played at didn’t have beaches or the right surf. She felt sorry for her neglected surfboard in the back of the tour bus.

Her phone pings drawing her attention away from her musings. Emma laughs when she sees a few messages have already been sent.

Kara: Good morning sunshine! I’m sssoooooo excited too! Did you need me to bring anything else? I got all the food ready!

Kelly: Of course you’d have the food Kara!

Kelly: And good morning Emma! Shall I bring my swimsuit? Anyone going for a swim?

Kara: Ooo I am! And I think Emma is going to surf?

James: Why are you guys texting this early? I could have had at least another hour or more of sleep.

Alex: I agree with James… Emma, I hate you.

Emma chuckles at Alex’s message while she gets a bag ready with a change of clothes.

Emma: Love you too Alex!

Kara: Ahem… What about me?!

Emma: Love you too Kara!

Alex: You love me more though right?

Emma: No I love you both the same!

Kara: *Wink Wink*

Alex: Hey!

Nia: What am I just decoration?

Emma: No of course not Nia! I love you too!

James: What about me?

Kelly: And me!

Emma: Yes James and Kelly I love you both too.

Lena: Do you love me?

Emma pauses before she responds to Lena’s text. Honestly, she’s had a crush on her since the moment they met. But Lena is way out of Emma’s league. A CEO dating a musician and artist like Emma wouldn’t work. She’s not clever or brave like Kara or Alex.

Once when Lena had met her for lunch, Lena had explained what being a CEO entailed. Emma’s mind melted; it was so complex. Lena just laughed at her exasperated expression trying to figure it all out. “And that, my darling, is why you are an artist and I am a CEO.” Emma practically melted at Lena’s smile from across the table.

But that’s one of the things she loves about Lena, her passion for her work and drive for making the world a better place. And her smile. To Emma, Lena’s smile lights up the whole room.

Sighing Emma looks back down at her phone.

Emma: I love you the most… *Delete*

Emma: Yea I love you too. :)

‘Somewhat truthful…’ Emma thinks as she puts her phone in her pocket, grabbings her backpack, guitar case and placing it by the door. Kneeling on her sofa she pulls her surfboard up from behind, giving it a quick hug. Excitement surges through her veins at the thought of surfing the waves.

‘Rao I hope the waves are good today!’ Emma wishes as she swings the board around and accidentally knocks her recent Grammy on the floor. “Shoot!” Emma yelps and quickly drops her surfboard to pick up the award. Emma sighs in relief when she turns it over in her hands, seeing it wasn’t broken. Out of all her awards, this year's Grammy meant the most to her. The album had been a real breakthrough moment for her and the band, Axis, and they swept away the competition. Emma remembers the feeling of pride and honour when their name was called. How she and the rest of the band rushed to the stage in unison and linked arms as each said a thank you.

Emma carefully places the Grammy down and picks up her surfboard. Grabbing the rest of her stuff she locks the door behind her and takes the elevator down to her beloved yellow VW beetle. Which she affectionately calls the ‘bug’. Emma puts her stuff in the car and carefully straps the board onto the roof rack before getting into the driver's seat.

Taking her phone out she sends Lena and Kara a quick message to say she’s on her way to pick them up. Alex and Kelly are picking up Sam. Who did try and persuade Ruby to come but now as a teenager, Ruby has better things to do then hang out with her Mom and her Mom’s friends. James is giving J'onn, Nia and Brainy a ride.

Emma quickly plugs in her phone and chooses to blare out her playlist of her favourite songs. As she pulls out of the underground parking garage she starts singing and making dramatic hand movements as she dances along. Not caring if people see her.

Soon she’s outside Lena’s apartment building and as she turns the music down Lena Luthor herself was exiting the building. Emma’s mouth drops open with how beautiful Lena looks. And how different she looks too! Gone were the suits and smart wear of a CEO. Instead Lena was wearing a thigh length red patterned skirt that matched her red lips with a black crop top. To finish the look off she wore a black bowler hat.

When Lena opens the passenger door Emma quickly closes her mouth.

“Hi Em!” Lena smiles brightly at the blonde and leans over to place a kiss on Emma’s cheek. Making the blonde blush and causing her brain short circuits.

“Hi Lee!” Emma says more high pitched than normal.

Lena grins at her in amusement. ‘Rao I could get lost in those green eyes.’

“Er, Em… We gonna go?” Lena teases causing Emma to jump and pull away from the pavement. “So, how has your week been?”

“Fine. Got a commission to complete before Thursday but I’m almost done. I actually have to thank you, it's the lovely couple we met at the recent gala we went to.”

Whenever Emma is back in the city Lena always invites her to the gala’s. Surprisingly Emma finds she enjoys them, especially when it's one of Lena’s charity events. Lena and Emma are both thrilled to find Emma has a talent in being able to persuade the rich attendees to donate their money. Even from those who have never donated before. “It’s the Danvers charms!” Emma would laugh and wink at Lena when the raven haired women would be dumbfounded at the cheque in her hand from a rival.

“Mr and Mrs Green?” Lena asks, remembering how the couple were enthralled with Emma’s work as an artist and musician. Their donation had been one of the biggest of that night. ‘No surprise there.’ Lena smirks.

“Yea them.” Emma nods while concentrating on driving. She does love the city life but driving through it can be such a pain.

“What did they ask for?” Lena inquires while picking at a loose thread in her skirt.

“Mainly a seascape of a view they had back in the UK. Thatchers rock… I think.” To be honest Emma had been surprised by the Green’s enthusiasm when she showed them her portfolio. How they were willing to wait for Emma’s tour to finish before getting their commission. It had been made easier that there was a reference to work on. Even though she has never been to that part of the UK. Mainly the cities dotting around the island. And even though Emma doesn’t need the money she enjoys doing something different. Her art gives her another escape.

“What style are you doing it in?” Lena asks as she bobs her head along with Emma to the music. Something she’s never done before until getting rides with Emma. Something about the blonde’s carefree attitude rubbing off on her.

“I’m using oil this time. I think it works better with the layering and it can really make the sea look like it’s moving you know? Well… If I get it right.” Emma realises she started to ramble and quickly cuts herself off. Certain Lena wouldn’t want to hear the techniques Emma has been using. “If all goes to plan the painting should look different with the different lighting of the day.”

“I am sure you will darling.” Lena smiles widely at her.

Emma smiles back. Feeling butterflies zoom round her stomach at the term of endearment.

“Thanks Lee.” Emma taps her thumbs to the beat while they wait for a light to turn green.

“How-”

“How’d-”

They both stop when they realise they both started talking.

“You go.” Emma motions Lena to continue.

“How’s everything going with the band?”

“It’s going really, really well! We are already writing songs for the next album. But we’ve also really benefited having this time off too.” Emma grins thinking of the other band members. 

In some ways they’ve become another little family to her. The four other guys were already formed and were looking for a female influence. Emma saw the flyer and thought ‘why not!’ before calling them and doing an audition. The guys were blown away by her voice and talent. Unanimously they agreed she can become a member of the band and ultimately making her the lead singer. That was over eight years ago when Emma was eighteen and Axis were well known in certain areas of America but when Emma joined their popularity skyrocketed. 

However fame didn’t matter to Emma, but she loves performing and writing music. Especially when she gets fan messages about how her songs have helped someone get through a difficult time and gave them hope. She always makes sure to save those messages.

“Sounds exciting.” Lena agrees, nodding her head.

“Speaking of deals.” Emma pauses to concentrate on the traffic. “How’d the deal with the Japanese go?”

Even though Emma wasn’t looking at Lena she could feel the big eye roll the raven haired beauty did.

“That good huh?” Emma jokes but feels for the CEO.

“Honestly it was a nightmare. They kept going around in circles and I’m just getting over the migraine!” Lena dramatically rubs her forehead. Which Emma misses from looking at the road.

“Ah no.” Emma frowns as she quickly looks at Lena. “Are you sure you’re okay to come to the beach?”

“Yes I’m fine.” Lena smirks at Emma’s concern.

“Okay, I am glad you’re coming.” Emma smiles brightly back.

Lena raises an eyebrow. “Did I have a choice?” Lena teases.

“Yes! But it would have made me very sad if you hadn’t.” Emma pouts dramatically and pulls off her best puppy dog eyes.

“And that’s why I said yes.” Lena chuckles at how adorable Emma looks.

Soon they pull up to Kara’s building and she’s already waiting outside. Piles of bags by her feet. Both Lena and Emma laugh at the sight. “Joys of being Supergirl I guess!” Emma jokes about Kara’s metabolism.

As she parks Emma can’t help but remember the day Kara became a part of the Danvers family.

Emma had taken to the alien quicker then Alex, especially as there was only a year age difference between the two blondes. She also found she became the bridge between Alex and Kara. Over time the three learned how to live with the new dynamic and would soon enjoy each other's company. Kara and Alex would laugh when little Emma would cheerfully yell that they were the three musketeers as they played with wooden swords or practically any activity that involved the three of them. Even making hot chocolate together.

When Kara became Supergirl Emma almost had a fit. She’d been in New York for a sold out week of gigs when she had seen the news in the early hours of the morning. Frantically she called Kara to see if she was okay and getting even more frantic when she realised Alex had been on the plane too. The two sisters were eventually able to calm her down after a lot of sobbing and panic from her end. When Emma returned to National City she held onto her sisters a lot tighter that day. Eventually the three ended up falling asleep together on the sofa. Emma in the middle of the two as they wrapped their arms around each other.

Emma’s musings were interrupted when Kara slammed the car boot down hard. Causing the car to bounce.

“Careful Kara!” Emma yells, knowing full well her sister would hear her.

“Sorry little one! I’m just so excited!” Kara squeals as she opens the backseat door before leaping in.

“Hey I’m only a year younger than you!” Emma frowns into the rear view mirror to glare at her sister. Who just sticks her tongue back at her while clicking in her seat belt.

They continue the hour long drive to the beach, chatting and singing along to Emma’s playlist. Lena watches on in amazement as Kara sings the melody and Emma does some beautiful harmonies around her. They all laugh and cheer when Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ comes on.

“Come on Lena! Join in!” Emma yells while she puts the volume right up. So Lena does. When the rock part of the song comes on all three of them dance and headbang along. Lena laughs as she feels so carefree. She pauses when Emma starts singing passionately to the next verse.

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye So you think you can love me and leave me to die Oh, baby, can’t do this to me, baby Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here

Honestly she could listen to Emma’s voice for hours. Which is probably why she secretly went to as many of Emma’s gigs as possible. But every time she would go to reveal herself to Emma she would back peddle and leave. Knowing that someone as talented as Emma was way out of her league. Her pride for her friend as she watched with the Superfriends at Kara’s apartment as Axis won Grammy after Grammy, award after award. How they screamed with joy and hugged each other after each announcement. Plus Lena thought someone as pure and happy as Emma wouldn’t do well with someone broken like Lena. So she keeps her feelings to herself and tries to be content with being Emma’s friend.

Lena’s heart warms as she remembers meeting Emma for the first time over 3 years ago. She had been at one of her first game nights with the Superfriends when a knock sounded on Kara’s door. Everyone had looked at each other in surprise as no one was missing. Lena watched Kara bounce towards the door and as she opened it a continuous scream of surprise and happiness escaped Kara’s mouth. This caused Alex to rush over in response and suddenly scream as well. The two sisters practically tackled the blonde beauty out into the hallway where they fell into a laughing heap. Kara kissed the blonde’s head over and over while Alex held onto her like a koala bear and kissed her cheek over and over.

Finally they untangled and Kara dragged the other blonde into her apartment. Excitedly introducing everyone to her little sister, Emma. The Superfriends each individually greeted the newcomer and when it came to Lena’s turn Emma had stepped forward and gave her an affectionate hug. Laughing that Kara has told Emma so much about her that she feels she already knows Lena well. When Emma stepped away from the hug they both ignored the warm feelings racing around their bodies. Lena had to agree as both the Danvers sister’s spoke of Emma fondly and how proud they were of Emma’s success. Lena hadn’t told anyone this but she bought all of Emma's music to listen to it after Kara gushed about her sister. She instantly fell in love with the voice coming through the speakers.

Kara soon asked why Emma was in National City and Emma excitedly revealed that Axis was moving to National City. Lena again ignored the feeling of excitement that shot through her. And again Emma was tackled to the floor as both Alex and Kara leapt towards her in celebration.

“Lena?” Kara’s voice breaks through her thinking and Lena turns to look back at her best friend. Listening intently as Kara excitedly explains a new prototype Brainy is designing to help Kara not be so affected by Kryptonite.

“Maybe I can help with it?” Lena offers kindly.

Kara’s smile brightens up even more. “That would be swell!”

Lena gives Kara a small smile before turning back to the front. To be honest it still stings that Kara didn’t tell her Supergirl secret to the CEO. It had been two years after Emma had moved back to National City when Lena and Kara were having lunch but Kara was being called away. Again. Lena couldn’t stop herself and blurted out she knew Kara’s secret. She will never forget how Kara’s face fell and the promise of talking about it after she’s finished. Lena’s face grew cold as her walls shot up. She told Kara not to bother and stormed out of the restaurant to her penthouse apartment. She refused to see anyone or answer her phone. Allowing her past hurts and hatred to simmer and boil.

That was until a knock sounded on her door. She chose to ignore it but the knocking persisted.

“Come on Lena, please open the door. Let’s talk about this.” Emma’s muffled voice sounded through the door.

“Why should I?” Lena spits out as she draws closer, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

“Because you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Lena scoffs. “And why not?”

“Because you’ll allow your demons to lie to you and it will eat you up.” Emma had experience with this herself.

Tears fill Lena’s eyes and against the screaming in her head she reaches out and opens the door.

“Hey you.” Emma gives Lena a small smile before stepping into the apartment. Placing the takeout bags on the floor and pulling Lena into a tight hug. Allowing Lena to break down as she sobs into Emma’s shoulder. All her past hurts rushing forward and spewing out.

After she was spent Emma gently led her to the sofa and reheated the food. Making sure Lena ate. They talked long into the night and when Lena started rubbing her eyes from exhaustion Emma helped her get ready for bed. As Lena slid between the sheets Emma leaned down to give her a goodnight hug. But stopped when Lena wouldn't let her go. “Stay.” Lena whispered. So Emma grabbed a pair of her spare clothes she left for times like this and got in next to her. Lena shifted over to her and rested her head on Emma’s shoulder. Emma wrapped her arms around Lena and held her close. They don’t say anything more but drift into a peaceful sleep.

“We’re here!” Emma sings out, causing Lena to jump slightly. They pull into a car park right next to the beach.

“Oh wow!! Look at the sea! It’s so beautiful!” Kara gasps as she presses herself against the window and like an excited child she unbuckles and races towards the beach. Having already spotted Alex, Kelly and Sam setting up.

Emma snorts at her sister’s behaviour while she unbuckles her seatbelt.

“Er… She will help us with the food? Right?” Lena looks back at the overflow of food bags in the back of the bug.

“Yea as soon as she realises she will shoot back up here.” Emma chuckles while getting out of the car. And Kara did just that as Emma went to pay for a parking ticket she watched Kara race back up to them, in human speed. “Glad to see you helping.” Emma raises an eyebrow at her sister as Kara reaches the bug.

“Sorry! I just got really excited! It’s so beautiful here!” Kara bounces like a puppy.

“Now you understand why I dragged you here instead of going to the beach at NC?” Emma says while carefully unstrapping her board before lowering it and leaning it up against the bug.

“Yes, yes.” Kara keeps her eyes on the beach.

“Hey.” Emma smirks at her distracted sister.

“Yea?” Kara tears her eyes away to look at Emma. Smiling when Emma opens are arms and they hug. “Haven’t been able to give you one yet.” Emma says in her ear. Kara buries her face into Emma’s neck, enjoying the warmth and feeling of home whenever she hugs her sisters.

The car door closing makes them break apart. “Okay I think that’s everything.” Lena says while looking at the small mountain of bags.

“Thanks Lena!” Kara sings as she grabs half of the bags before Emma can tell her to only take a few. Hopefully no one will question how a slim woman can carry that much weight. Lena catches Emma’s eye and they both roll their eyes at each other.

“Jink!” Emma yells causing Lena to do another eye roll. Before Emma can reach down for her stuff Lena steps forward.

“Can I have a hug too?”

“Sure you can Lee.” Emma opens her arms wide and Lena almost tackles her with her enthusiasm. They both sigh happily as they hold onto each other a bit longer than necessary. Emma breaks the hug and steps back, grabbing her backpack, placing a few food bags on her shoulders picking up her guitar, and securing her surfboard under her arm. “Oh Lee don’t take that many, Kara will come up and get the last few.”

“Okay.” Lena nods while swinging a food bag on each of her shoulders and they start walking towards the beach. “Kara is right though, it’s really beautiful here.”

Emma smiles at her, happy Lena approves. The sand was a beautiful white which made the sea clear and looked like a gorgeous turquoise and teal. The richness of the colours makes Emma want to weep with happiness. They could pretend like they were in the Caribbean or on the Hawaiian islands.

“Hey Peanut!” Alex yells as Emma approaches her.

Peanut has always been Alex’s nickname for Emma since their parents told three year old Alex she was going to be a big sister. Alex had been fascinated about it all and when her Mom had told her the baby was the size of a peanut the name stuck. Even when Emma grew and was the size of tennis ball Alex would still refer to the baby as Peanut.

“Hey sis!” Emma yells back, dumping her stuff on one of the picnic blankets. Alex comes over and pulls Emma into a tight hug, quickly followed by Kelly and Sam. “Been a long time Sam, how are you?”

“I know I’m sorry!” Sam says as she takes a step back. “Life’s been hectic!”

“Oh don’t I know it.” Emma laughs. “Maybe you can ask your boss to allow you to have a life?” Emma teases while giving Lena a pointed look.

“Not my problem she wants to work longer hours then she is contracted!” Lena places her hands on her hips.

“Maybe she’s following her boss's example? And maybe the boss needs to cut down too? Maybe relax a bit?” Emma stalks towards her crush.

“Maybe-” Lena stops what she was going to say and tilts her head as she watches Emma approach. A smirk on her face. “What are you doing?”

Suddenly Emma reaches out and starts tickling Lena who laughs loudly and tries to swat the blonde away.

“Lena! She’s ticklish too!” Alex snickers as she goes through the food bags.

“Traitor!” Emma yells as Lena starts her own assault. The two women fall to the sand in fits of giggles as they wrestle. Before Emma can gain the upper hand Lena straddles her and continues tickling her. “No! Lena!” Emma kicks out trying to shift the woman on top of her. But Lena was not budging. “Argh! I surrender! Please!” Emma wheezes.

“I win?" Lena stops and gazes down at Emma triumphantly.

“You win.” Emma coughs and when Lena moves off her she instantly misses the feeling of Lena’s weight on top of her.

“Are you ladies done or are you going to help?” Alex raises her eyebrow at them as they catch their breath.

“Yes ma'am.” Emma salutes before getting up, rubbing the sand off herself and reaching out to help Lena up. They smirk at each other and set to work getting the rest of the blankets and chairs out for the Superfriends.

Soon the other group arrives and they all sit chatting and relaxing. The men start setting the BBQ up, insisting they can do it, much to the amusement of the women as they try to do it without looking at the instructions.

Alex, Kara and Emma smile at each other as they share a look before giggling. The Danvers sisters have barbecuing in the great outdoors down to an art. But if it keeps the men happy they stay quiet. Sighing Emma turns away from the entertainment and looks out to sea, watching the waves and the surfers riding them.

Alex shuffles up to her, resting her head on Emma’s shoulder. “You can go if you want.”

Emma rests the side of her head on her sister’s. “I know, but the waves aren’t quite right yet.”

“Okay.” Alex wraps her arms around Emma, who returns the gesture and holds onto Alex. Emma moves her head and kisses Alex’s head before resting her own on Alex’s again.

Alex smiles and kisses Emma’s hand that's holding her close. At first Alex wasn’t too keen on the idea of coming to the beach, too much work to do at the DEO and an hour travelling seems like an eternity. But Alex is glad she came. They sit content.

“How can you tell if the waves are not right?” Brainy asks, having left J'onn and James to sort out the BBQ.

Emma looks up at him. “I don’t know, you just can. It’s a feeling.” Emma runs a hand through her hair trying to think of a better way to explain it. “Like when you are out there you know a big wave is coming, the wave. You just got to be patient and take the moment when it comes.”

Brainy tilts his head at her. “I think I understand.”

“Well I’m glad you did.” Alex snorts and yelps when Emma playfully slaps her bare arm.

“Oh come on I didn’t slap you that hard!” Emma laughs but rubs her sister’s arm.

“Anyone wanna play rounders?” Lena asks the group as she picks up one of her bags. She pulls out a rounders bat, which is shorter than a baseball bat, and ball.

“Rounders?” Kara asks, confused. “Don’t you mean baseball?”

“No, I mean rounders, it’s what we played at my boarding school. It’s the game that baseball came from. The first known account of it was in 1744 with the Tudors.” Half of the group look at Lena blankly, while the other half look interested and know who the Tudors are. “Basically you still have four bases, home runs etc. The bowler must do underarm, though we can do overarm…” Lena pauses. “It’s just different okay?”

“Sounds good to me!” Sam leaps to her feet and starts setting the four bases up. Everyone else follows suit and splits into teams, Lena and Sam being the captains of each team. On Lena’s team is Kara, James, Alex and Emma versus Sam’s team which has Kelly, J'onn, Brainy and Nia.

After a coin toss Lena’s team bats first with Sam being the bowler, or pitcher, as Alex yells out.

“And can we make a rule of no powers? We don’t want the ball getting batted into space!” Sam jokes as she jogs to bowler base.

“Sounds fair.” Kara says looking at J'onn who nods in agreement. She gets into position to bat. She hits the ball no problem and starts to run, but she hits the ball too high and Brainy is already waiting to catch it.

“Out!” Sam yells as Brainy holds the ball in his hand, causing Kara to skid to a halt. She turns and walks back to the team, kicking the sand as she goes.

“Hard luck sis.” Alex rubs Kara’s back when she comes back to the line up. Pouting all the way. Emma gives her a hug and kisses her cheek.

“You’ll do it next time.” Emma reassures her.

They watch James get into position and hit quite a good ball. He manages to get to third base before having to stop when Nia catches the ball while on 4th base.

Lena is the next to go and Emma can’t help but watch as she sways her hips getting ready to strike. Her ball goes low and far. She sprints off and her team screams and cheers when she manages to do a home run.

“Nicely done Lee!” Emma holds her hand out to high five the out of breath CEO.

“Thanks.” Lena smiles brightly at the blonde while holding onto her hand longer than necessary.

Alex is up next, feeling the pressure of going after Lena’s home run.

“You got this babe!” Kelly smiles from the 2nd base. Alex smiles back at her before readying herself. She misses the first ball.

“Strike 1!”

Huffing Alex gets back into position again. And misses.

“Strike two!”

“You got this Al!” Emma claps and encourages her sister.

Taking a deep breath Alex readies herself and watches the ball. She manages to hit it and sprints to 2nd base.

“Nice to see you Alex!” Kelly teases the red head causing Alex to gently shove her girlfriend.

“Right you’re up Emma!” Sam calls as she catches the ball.

Emma picks the bat up, wiping the sand off it and stands in position. Noticing the opponents are standing mainly to the left, Emma decides to trick them. When Sam throws the ball she quickly turns her body and whacks the ball to the right side of the field far away from the group. She runs half the way and seeing Brainy is still running to the ball she walks the rest of the way, dancing and blowing kisses. She starts sprinting the last few feet as the ball is being thrown towards Nia. The team celebrates her home run and they play a few more rounds, having a few collisions and lots of laughter. They have two more goes each and swap over. Lena takes over as the bowler. “Pitcher!” Alex yells as she runs to man 2nd base.

The new batting team does just as well and Sam’s team are one point behind. J’onn is up as the last batter, it’s all on him. If he gets a home run Sam’s team has won the game. Emma watches the ball carefully as Lena throws it and in a split second it's coming right at her. She reaches out her hand and catches it. Everyone stares dumbfoundead before yelling in surprise and either excitement from winning or groans for losing.

Emma’s team crowd her and she laughs at the attention.

“Emma?” A voice says behind her.

Emma’s head shoots round and she smiles when she sees her bandmates standing there.

“Guys?” She rushes towards them. Emma had told them of her plans and had invited them to join. They had said they were busy so it's a huge surprise to Emma that they stood in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

“We are… Wanted to talk to you.” Jack, the guitarist and other singer, says before he looks at the Superfriends behind Emma, watching them intently. “Alone.”

“Sure.” Emma shrugs, she turns back to Lena and throws her the ball. Emma walks with her bandmates along the beach until they are far enough away. Though Emma is sure Kara can still hear them. “So, whats up? Everything okay?”

“Er… So about that-” Danny, the drummer, starts but rubs his neck. Feeling very awkward. Frankie, the keyboardist, doesn’t make eye contact with Emma and shuffles his feet in the sand.

Mick interrupts. “We want to leave the band.”

Emma’s mind screeches to a halt. “Leave? All of you?”

“Yea Em. Just with Jack getting engaged, Frankie’s Dad being ill and Danny’s baby is due. We just don’t have the same drive like you do.” Mick looks sadly at her. “We are a great team, but it’s just not the same. After moving to National City we realised we want to settle, have families, the whole white picket fence thing.”

Emma places her hands on her hips, biting her lips to stop the tears threatening to fall. “What about the new album? We’ve already written most of the songs.”

“You don’t need us Em. You are the front runner and can do this with anyone.” Jack tries to reassure her.

“But they won’t be you.” Emma’s heart starts to break when she looks at the finality in each of their eyes. “And… And nothing I can say will change your minds?”

Her four bandmates shake their heads.

“Okay.” Emma looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath before looking back at the men in front of her. “Well, can we do a farewell tour?”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Danny smiles sadly at her and the other three nod.

“Can we give you a hug?” Jack asks quietly, hating seeing Emma so defeated.

Emma nods and they go in for a long group hug. But as the tears start to spill Emma breaks the hug and rushes back to the Superfriends. Ignoring any questions, she throws off her clothes and jewellery and grabs her board. Sprinting to the surf and diving into the sea.

She paddles quickly, still hearing voices, most likely Kara and Alex, calling after her. But she drowns it out by duck diving under a wave as it rolls over her and she resurfaces. Emma continues further out past the swell where she can stop and just lie there. Letting the board bob as she gazes at the horizon. Emma allows her tears to fall. Her face distorts with her disappointment and hurt.

‘What am I going to do?’ Emma thinks. She gets why the guys want to leave. Knowing this would happen one day. Or at least a break, but it still hurts. ‘Since when did it change for them?’ Emma stays like this for a while, lost in her own thoughts.

Some time later splashing behind her makes her turn her head and she sits up. A wet laugh breaks through her lips when she sees Kara and Alex balancing on a paddle board trying to reach her. Alex particularly looks like how a cat would look in this situation. On her knees and very tense having come to a very deep part of the beach. Alex doesn’t like not being able to touch the bottom, or see it. Kara is using the paddle, obviously using a bit of her super strength with how quickly they are going.

“What you laughing at?” Alex snaps.

“Nothing.” Emma smiles sadly at her while wiping the tears from her face. She swings her legs around and places them either side of the board. When the paddle board comes alongside Emma’s, Kara moves to sit down. Causing Alex to shriek as the board rocks dangerously. Emma reaches out and steadies it while trying not to laugh.

“Sorry Alex!” Kara apologises before turning her attention to Emma. “You okay?”

Immediately Emma’s smile drops and her eyes fill with tears again. She furiously rubs her eyes to stop them. “Yea fine.”

“No you’re not.” Alex sighs, hating seeing her sister look so unhappy.

“Guessing you heard?” Emma looks at Kara who nods sadly. Crinkle on her forehead evident of her concern. Emma looks down at her hands, not able to look at her sisters anymore. “I just… I get why…” Emma exhales deeply. “It just hurts you know. We are so in sync with each other and I honestly can’t imagine having to restart all that again.”

“But you will.” Alex reaches out and touches Emma’s linked hands. “Because your voice, your music needs to be heard Em.”

“Yea it's one of my favourite sounds, like ever.” Kara agrees. “But you know you will always have us, right?”

Emma nods, allowing a few more tears to fall.

Alex reaches out and wipes the tears from Emma’s cheeks. “And yes it sucks right in this moment but you will get through this. We will both help you through this.”

“Totally.” Kara agrees.

“Thanks.” Somehow Alex manages to hug Emma without falling in and Kara joins them.

Right on queue Kara’s stomach rumbles. “Oh and lunch is ready.”

“Uh oh the monsters coming.” Emma smirks as she looks at her alien sister.

“Race ya?!” Kara jumps to her feet making the board rock dangerously and had Emma not been holding Alex the red head would have fallen in. After making sure her sisters were okay Emma waves them off.

“Nah, you go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”

Emma watches her sisters go, hoping Kara has enough control not to cause Alex to fall in too far from the beach. She keeps her eyes fixed on them, slowly following in case Alex needed her. But when they reach the shore Emma lets out the breath she didn’t realise she was holding. Emma chuckles when Kara returns the paddle board they borrowed to get to her.

Shaking her head Emma starts slowly paddling into the swell and waits, her board moving with the ocean. Suddenly she feels a shift. Emma lies on her stomach and starts paddling hard. She smiles as her board gets picked up by the huge wave. Whooping as her board flies through the tube, she reaches out and skims her hand along the break. She comes out the other end and using the momentum turns her board, shooting her closer to the beach. Until finally her board slows down and she jumps off, wading the short distance to the shore.

“Hey!” A surfer approaches her, smiling flirtatiously. His brunette hair slicked back from the sea.

“Hi.” Emma responds while picking up her board.

“That was a sweet wave you just did!” His enthusiasm makes Emma smile.

“Thanks, kind of wish it went on forever.” She admits, cause really there was nothing like going through the tube of a wave. The colours and sounds were breathtaking.

“Ah man I know right?!” He laughs. “So, I was wondering if I could have your number?”

“EMMA!” She turns to look at Kara who is waving her arms about wildly. Most likely due to Alex saying she can’t eat until Emma joins them.

“Thank you but I’m kind of not available. Sorry.”

“No worries at all.” He looks slightly disappointed but still smiles.

“EMMAAAAAA!!!”

Emma laughs at how Kara’s yells got even louder. “Well I better go, don’t want my sister getting any more hangry.” Emma starts to walk back to the group.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Emma.” He calls after her.

Emma swings round but continues walking backwards. “You too.” She turns back around, smiling and shaking her head.

As soon as Emma gets near, Kara is loading her plate up at top, human, speed. Emma chuckles at the sight and digs the end of her board into the sand before taking the leash off and flopping onto the picnic blanket.

“Who was that?” Kelly asked across from her. Lena pretends she isn’t listening in as she gets some food.

“Oh just some guy congratulating me on my sweet wave.” Emma imitates the guy's accent which makes them laugh.

“And he wanted her number!” Kara teases while she sits next to Emma.

Whistles and ooo’s sound around the group. Alex watches bemused as Lena purses her lips before going back to a neutral expression.

“So where’s the number?” Sam asks excitedly, not missing Lena’s rigid posture.

“Meh, not my type.” Emma tries to play it off cooly while she grabs her top and shorts to change into again. Not minding that they will get a bit damp as the sun is out in full blaze. She also applies her suncream handing it around and reminding everyone to keep it topped up.

“Since when has hunky surfer boy not been your type?” Kara asks confused as she focuses on the surfer. “Honestly I could grate cheese on his abs!”

“Kara!” Emma laughs loudly while she dishes up a plate of food.

“You also said you weren’t available,” Kara presses on, missing the looks Alex was giving her. “Who's the lucky guy or gal?” Emma had come out as bisexual when she was a young teenager. Her Mom and sister’s supported her and Emma was glad she could do the same for Alex when she came out to her. Alex had even flown out specially to where Emma was gigging to tell her. At first Emma was really worried when Alex avoided eye contact and was nervously fidgeting in her seat. When Alex finally blurted it out Emma held her sister close. Saying how proud she was of her and her love for her sister hadn’t changed.

“No one, I just wanted to get him off my back.” Emma says nonchalantly but inside she was freaking out. She’d said it because yes she wasn’t available because her heart belonged to Lena.

Kelly gives Alex a look and watches as Emma settles in-between Lena and Kara under the umbrella they were sitting under. Alex doesn’t miss how much closer Emma sits to Lena than her sister.

The Superfriends continue talking and when everyone has finished eating they split off to do their own thing. Alex and Kelly go for a walk, mainly to come up with a plan to get Emma and Lena together. While Kara, J'onn, Sam, Nia, Brainy and James play volleyball. Girls and against boys. “Original.” Emma mutters causing Lena to snort.

Lena and Emma opt to stay with everyones stuff. Lena is happy to sit back against the pile and read a book she’s been wanting to read for months but never had the chance.

Emma sighs as she looks at her guitar case. Twiddling her thumbs for a moment she draws her knees to her chest and watches the waves. But not feeling quite ready to get back in.

After half an hour Lena puts her book down and focuses on Emma. “Something on your mind?” Lena asks, nudging her shoulder into Emma, causing the blonde to sway.

“Guessing Kara told you?” Emma keeps her eyes fixed in front of her.

“Yes, she was relaying what was being said.” Lena says apologetically.

“It’s okay. Makes it easier in a way.” Sighing heavily Emma turns to look at Lena. Who is watching her with concern. “I just don’t know what to do. I need to look for new bandmates, but that just seems so daunting. Can I really go through that all again?” Emma runs her hands through her hair. Huffing she looks back into emerald eyes. “Okay if we don’t talk about it? Just enjoy what we have right now?”

“And what do we have?”

“Great company, good food and a wonderful view.” Emma motions to the beach around them.

“Yea, I can do that.” Lena keeps her eyes on Emma.

“Go back to your book Lee. I’ll be fine.” Emma tries to smile reassuringly.

Lena doesn’t buy it but starts reading again. She watches Emma from the corner of her eye as she shuffles over to her guitar case, opening it and pulling the guitar out, making sure it is in tune.

Emma gets her songbook out of her case, opening the page to a song she had started writing. Making sure she doesn’t hit Lena with her guitar Emma settles back down. Grabbing her phone she hits record and starts plucking. Softly singing to herself.

Tell me somethin', girl Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?

Emma pauses as she remembers a chorus of a song she’s been working on. She quickly flips to that page and moves her fingers to find the chords. She continues to play. Not realising her soft singing has steadily got louder.

I'm falling

Emma sees Lena in her mind as she sings. Her pain at falling for her friend and not having the courage to take it deeper.

In all the good times I find myself Longin' for change And in the bad times I fear myself

Sighing Emma looks at the sea before turning her head slightly to look at the raven haired beauty. Whose focus is on the book in front of her. Returning her attention to her notebook Emma keeps playing and singing.

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

Lifting her head she focuses on the sea again.

In the shallow, shallow

In the shallow, shallow In the shallow, shallow We're far from the shallow now.

Emma pauses and stops the recording. Running a hand through her hair which starts getting more wavy from getting wet.

“Wow Em.” Lena breathes out.

Emma turns to Lena who put the book next to her. “You like that?”

“Yes, seriously… I don’t have the words.”

“Thanks, it’s not really finished. It needs another verse…” Emma goes through her notebook but comes up empty. Replaying the first verse Emma closes her eyes to figure out the words for the second verse.

Tell me something, boy

“What rhymes with boy?” Emma mutters to herself. “Toy? No… Void?”

Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?

Emma sighs as she remembers friends she has lost due to depression and addiction. Knowing how hard it is to feel whole and get out of the pit.

Or do you need more? Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?

She sings through the bridge and the chorus again, making sure it all fits. But to her horror she realises she stopped the recording.

“Crap!” Looking down her phone wasn’t where she left it. Instead it's in Lena’s hand.

“I could see you didn’t press record so I did it for you.” Lena answers Emma’s questioning gaze as she presses the button to stop the recording.

“Thanks Lee.” Emma takes her phone and grabs her pen, listening to the recording and writing the song out in full with the chords.

Lena watches Emma. “Do you usually write songs that quickly?” Lena asks, fascinated.

Emma laughs in response. “No, not usually. I guess I was more inspired.” She shrugs, placing her guitar back in the case with her notebook. She shuffles back over to Lena. “Can I?”

Lena looks up and nods, letting Emma lean down, resting her head in Lena’s lap. They do this quite often and it always makes Lena’s heart skip a beat. Slowly she puts her book down beside her and runs a hand through Emma’s hair. Looking at the view and doing what Emma said, enjoying the moment.

Time passes on and Emma watches the group playing volleyball. Kelly and Alex have joined them, Kelly staying with the girls while Alex went over to the boys side. Emma smirks when Kara would not so sneakily use her powers to gain an advantage.

But Emma’s attention diverted back to the sea, the tide was coming in and the swell had gotten bigger. Turning her head to look up at Lena Emma pauses. Her eyes linger on Lena’s chest before taking in her profile. ‘Rao she’s so beautiful.’

“Okay if I catch a few more waves?” Emma asks, finding her voice.

Looking down Lena smiles. “Sure.”

“Thanks Lee.” Emma sits up and presses a kiss to Lena’s cheek. As Emma takes her clothes off she grabs her board and runs to the surf. Lena touches her flushed cheek and smiles softly.

Soon the volleyball group end their game, the boys team winning by a few points. They head back to their set up, laughing at how both J'onn and Kara leapt for the ball, only to miss it completely.

“Hi Lena!” Kara says while sitting next to her best friend. “How's the book?”

“It’s…” Lena looks down at the book and realises she’s only got through part of the first chapter. Her attention had mainly been watching Emma surf. “Slow.”

“Ah I hate it when that happens!” Kara hands Lena a drink while they sit and watch Emma. Who had just gone through another tube, much to the excitement of the surfers watching in the shallows. “I don’t know how she makes it look so easy!”

“It’s one of her many talents.” Lena agrees, though there is always a feeling of anxiety whenever anyone she cares for is in any body of water.

“Totally.” Kara says before sighing sadly.

“Kara?” Lena asks concerned for the Super.

“I just… She’s worked so hard. I know she will come back from this, but when Alex and I got to her she… She just looked so broken.” Kara sighs again. Worry filling her eyes as she watches her sister.

“She didn’t want to talk about it. But said how daunting it is to find new bandmates. Which I can understand.” Lena knows how hard it is to make friends in general.

“Yea it’s not the easiest of processes. She needs to click with them, for them to become in sync with each other and then get on with them. How they managed to drive around in that tour bus all over America and later the world is beyond me!” Kara says with wide eyes, she had joined Emma for a few gigs and thankfully the venues weren’t too far from each other. But Kara found the journey long and boring.

“Kara, anything slower then you flying is beyond you!” Lena's teasing causes Kara to laugh loudly.

“True!”

They continue watching Emma who attempts a few aerial tricks. The spray of the sea flying high above her. “She wrote a really beautiful song just now.”

“Really?” Kara perks up and Lena nods. “Think she’ll play it for us?”

“Maybe.” Lena hopes Emma does. She really wants to hear it again.

While Emma still surfs the Superfriends play UNO. Laughing at how competitive Alex is getting and only getting calmed down when Kelly gives her a gentle kiss. 

As the sun starts to slowly descend Emma finally gets out of the sea. Waving goodbye to a group of surfers she had been talking to.

She notices a fire has been built in the centre of the Superfriends circle and a few of them are roasting marshmallows.

Emma’s body is completely shattered but she smiles at the feeling. Making a note to come back here as much as she can. Even if the weather isn’t perfect like today.

The Superfriends greet her while she grabs her stuff to change. Alex stands and uses one of the blankets to block anyone’s view of Emma. Kara joins in and goes to the other side. Emma scoffs knowing full well she can change without showing anything and there has been no paparazzi bothering her.

Finally dry and feeling much warmer Emma sits next to Lena and places her head on her shoulder. She can’t help but yawn and let her eyes drift.

“Tired Em?” Alex teases from across the circle and smiles at Lena whose cheeks are tinged with red.

“Uhmm.” Emma confirms. “Do we have any more food?” She asks, keeping her eyes closed. “Or has Kara eaten it all?”

“Hey!” Kara swats Emma playfully but causes Emma to jump and glare at her. “Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Kara asks, panicked.

“No, I was just surprised.” Emma sighs before resting her head back on Lena’s shoulder.

“Well I did see a pizza place as we drove in. Maybe we can order?” Nia asks.

“Sounds like a good plan to me!” Emma gives a thumbs up. Pizza is one of her favourite foods.

With the joys of technology the friends order and half an hour later a pizza boy with a mountainful of pizza boxes comes towards them. They thank him and dig in. Emma grabs Lena and her pizza, two cans of soda and some salad left over from lunch.

“M’lady.” Emma holds out the cans which Lena takes. “I got some salad too.” Emma places the container in front of Lena.

“Thank you Em.” Lena says touched that Emma thought about her. She opens the lid and wonders how she can eat it. Looking up she sees Emma holding out a knife and fork for her and she smiles.

“You may need this.”

Lena grins back thanking her and takes the cutlery from the blonde.

Emma happily munches away at the pizza, rolling her eyes when the debate about Hawaiian pizza is brought up.

“Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Sam defends laughing at Brainy’s stunned face.

“But to have a fruit on a savoury dish… it just does not compute.”

“Brainy.” Emma gets the alien’s attention. “Have you actually tried it?”

“No I have not.” He looks appalled that Emma would ask that.

“Then how’d you know if it doesn’t work?” Emma tilts her head.

After a moment of thinking Brainy nods. “Fair point.”

“Next game night I will order one and you can try it!” Sam says happily while winking at Emma, who smiles back.

“Just keep it away from me.” Alex says, shivering at the thought.

“Sorry to change the subject, buuutttt, Emma.” Kara says making Emma freeze while her last pizza slice was near her lips. She lowers it slightly while looking at her sister, who is beaming from ear to ear.

“Yea?”

“I saw you working on a song, wanna share it?”

All the Superfriends turn to look at Emma expectantly. Always appreciative of hearing anything Emma is working on. Taking a deep breath she lowers the slice back to the box and wipes her hands on a napkin.

“Peanut, you don’t have too.” Alex says glaring at Kara. Emma would do anything to make her sisters happy, Alex knew this. So did Kara. And yes, they would both exploit it sometimes.

“No, it’s okay. Would be great to get everyone's opinion.” Emma grabs her guitar and notebook. Reminding herself of the chords. “So… This… Well…” Sighing heavily, Emma closes her eyes to control her nerves. “I kind of imagine this as a duet, but with, well, the band breaking up. I may have to rethink it a bit.” Emma focuses on the fire in front of her, feeling too embarrassed to look at anyone.

She starts playing the chords and sings. Allowing the music to wash over and for her voice to carry with the wind. Emma adds the new verse but as she nears the end she feels her emotions take over, her frustration at her situation and the need to release it. She improvises. Closing her eyes and allowing herself to go with it.

Whoa-oh-ah-oh-ahh

Emma belts out, slamming her fingers into the guitar strings as she increases in passion and volume.

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

A smile graces Emma’s face as she lifts her head.

In the shallow, shallow In the shallow, shallow

Emma softens her voice, allowing the natural end of the song to take place.

In the shallow, shallow We're far from the shallow now.

Emma allows the last chord to hold longer than necessary. She keeps her eyes closed and waits.

A huge roar around her causes her to jump and open her eyes. A crowd has gathered round the group and are applauding her. The Superfriends all clap wildly too, Alex wipes tears from her face and Kara beams as brightly as the sun. Emma turns to look at Lena and her smile is as bright, if not brighter then Kara’s. Her green eyes simmering with tears. Emma watches as one falls and she gently reaches out and wipes it away with her thumb.

She then acknowledges the crowd with a small wave and thanks them with a bow of her head. They soon disperse, returning to their own groups and Emma sighs in relief.

“So, was the song okay?” Emma asks while picking at a chipped bit of wood on the base of her guitar.

“Okay?” Alex's voice booms causing Emma to quickly look at her sister. Alex’s eyes are wide. “Okay? Em that song… Wow I don’t have the words!”

“That’s what Lena said.” Emma smiles at the two women.

“Well it’s true.” Lena grins back, nudging her shoulder into the blonde’s.

The other Superfriends nod and agree.

“It really moved me.” Sam says smiling at Emma who blushes in response.

“Yes.” Brainy adds. “Very- touching.” Nia smiles at him. Emma grins too, happy Brainy was able to express himself.

Emma plays a few more well known songs and the Superfriends join in. But as the sun dips slowly into the horizon Emma stops and hands the guitar to James who continues playing. Not as well as Emma but enough.

Emma heads back towards the surf, wading in up to below her knees. Taking deep breaths she watches the colours change, memorising the rich reds, oranges and yellows. Lena comes and stands next to her. They watch in comfortable silence and Lena links her fingers with Emma’s. They smile softly to each other before watching the sun dip under the horizon.

(Part Two)

[katie-dub]

CS Writers' Hub Fic Recs

Happy International Women's Day everyone! What better day than today to celebrate some of my favourite ladies in the world - the girls of the CS writers' hub?

Caesura by @seastarved

Chinx breathes life into every word she writes and this is never more true than in her stunning world war one fic. Her writing is so vivid that I can taste it, smell it, feel it in my bones. It makes me want to pick up a brush and paint, to bring Killian's art to life. Except of course, no picture of no mine could ever live up to a thousand words of this fic. Utterly gorgeous.

A Fixed Point by @mahstatins

Honestly I could just say read Clare's entire back catalogue (you should, it's totally worth it), but in the interests of brevity, check out this utterly incredible tale of time lady Emma and her travels in the tardis with Killian.

Given the Choice by @winterbythesea

I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful season 3 canon divergence. It's got pining pirates (and definitely not saviors, saviours don't pine. Ever. For sure.), the best banter and amazing angst. Read it.

CS 0155 Data Witchcraft by @hencethebravery

Alana's magical modern au is a slice of poetic perfection that apparently makes me want to use excessive alliteration.

The Cuddlist by @the-reason-to-sail-home

A fic that's as cute and sweet as it's lovely author Tessa. Emma needs a little TLC and who better to give it than professional cuddlist, Killian?

I Thee Wed by @justanotherwannabeclassic

Shea's the master of putting a twist on the tropes we know and love. For her contribution to last year's CSBB (don't forget, sign ups are open for this year @captainswanbigbang!) she wrote this intriguing and poetic insight into the political and personal ramifications of the Emma and Killian's elopement. Usually the ending to lieutenant duckling fics, this takes a look at what happens after the happily ever after, and features one of the best OC's I've ever read! I ♥ Leo 5eva!

An Evening Away by @dassala

A witty and mischievous one shot set in the enchanted forest with Princess Emma meeting a very clever pirate. Lots of fun and guaranteed to make you smile.

Serendipitous Melody by @killiancygnus

Musician Killian is such a great trope - and why not make it better with musician Emma too? This cute modern au will keep you guessing and make you laugh, cry and seriously envy Killian's house. (Like, seriously, I want that house!)

Jolly Cafe by @captainswanandclintasha

An adorable coffee featuring Emma, Elsa and the Brothers Jones. A fun, fluffy read.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? by @distant-rose

Eerie and atmospheric Stranger Things au. This story will haunt you in the best possible way.

What We Wouldn't Do by @sambethe

Do you have those fics that you feel like you could read a million times and never get tired of it? This is one of mine - a fantastic friends (with benefits 😘) to lovers story that's smart, witty and steamy as sin.

Take Me to the Church by @optomisticgirl

Speaking of sin, (smooth segway, huh?) can we just talk about this amazing fic by B? We're talking peak priest Killian here people, and it's as hot as hell.

Separate Lives by @lenfaz

A canon divergence that sees Emma and Killian reuniting after leaving Storybrooke separately at the end of season 3. The characterisation is incredible, you'll adore Lena's OCs (the family who "adopted" Killian) and Killian the cop is as hot and sweet as hot chocolate with cinnamon on top.

Flower Crowns by @the-savior-swan

A lovely little future fic about daddy Killian, the prettiest pirate in all the land (😉) spending some time with his daughter.

Anonymous Swan by @swanandapirate

I don't know what I love more here - the fic itself or the story behind the fic. Just kidding, it's definitely Manon's delightfully witty fic with a awesome and unique set up, what if Killian and Emma met when they were bickering in the comments of Dave's Google doc? If you have ever beta'd for anyone, you have to read this.

9 Ways to Eat Radishes by @zengoalie

A funny one shot with some excellent lines telling the tale of how salad-dodging Emma picks up more than vegetables when she is persuaded to get healthy and get fresh produce straight from the farm.

On Sleepless Roads by @euphoric-melancholyy

An angsty season 6 canon divergence with hauntingly beautiful imagery. It'll make you wish this is really how season 6 began.

The One With The Blackout by @imhookedonaswan

Remember that time Chandler got stuck in an atm vestibule with a Victoria's Secret model? Imagine that playing out with Captain Swan and you've got this fun fic! 😊

Bird of Prey by @shoedonym

Oh God this fic has poetry woven into every line stitching together perfect metaphors to produce this beautiful fairytale of shape-shifting swans and the boys who love them.

I only came for the dancing by @ofshipsandswans

I had to single out this cute fic after my own life inspired it (I'm keeping schtum about how). Ruhi is on top form, showing off her wit and her brilliant way with words in this story of maid of honour Emma and "tall, dark, and absent" best man Killian at Regina and Robin's wedding.

The Happily Ever After by @acourtoftruelove (AKA @captainwiley)

Do you need gorgeously sweet fluffy fluff to perk you up on a bad day? Then this is absolutely the fic for you. A canon divergent peek at Valentines Day with Captain Swan to warm your cockles.

A Grande Mocha and a Brand New Life by @phiralovesloki

I reach for this wonderful one shot whenever I'm feeling down. Emma strikes up an unusual friendship with the charming Brit who works the squawkbox at the drive through coffee shop on her way to work. It's bright, breezy and brilliant.

Serious Treble by @businesscasualprincess

A short, sweet and fantastically cute one shot that'll give you heart eyes and the warm fuzzies.

A Wing and a Prayer by @xhookswenchx

Another CSBB fic, this time Cee's magical dragon au. Some of my favourite moments happen later in the fic so suffice it to say that it's got action, adventure, enchanting twists and all the romance your shipper heart could desire.

The Darling Affair by @icecubelotr44

Renée's thrilling story features angst, whump, kisses, bad ass Emma and ex-military Killian that'll make you desperate to see Colin play James Bond (if you weren't already). It's dramatic af and you won't want to put it down.

A Place in Time by @swanslieutenant

This fic is utterly compelling - an intriguing sci fi set up gives way to a fascinating story of a whole host of people out of time - including a certain pirate. The characterisation is incredible and the whole story is a delight.

you are the sea, upon which i float by @thejollypirate

A fantastic one shot that's fluff with a bit of bite. The perfect antidote to a dreary day.

And just to prove that I have earned my spot in a writers hub.. The Masks We Wear

Killian and Emma are colleagues, friends and they’re madly in love with each other. If only they could work out that their feelings are totally requited. But then, if they still haven’t figured out that they work together as superheroes in their spare time, there’s probably no hope for them. Probably.

[filmstruck]

10 Fun Facts About Barbara Steele by Kimberly Lindbergs

Barbara Steele became a cult film icon thanks to her memorable roles in a number of low-budget horror movies, but her filmography also includes critically acclaimed art films and interesting British dramas. FilmStruck and Criterion Channel subscribers can currently stream four of Steele’s best movies and when viewed together they become a wonderful, rowdy and wild introduction to one of my favorite actresses and her small but impressive body of work.

I suggest kick-starting your viewing party with Basil Dearden’s neo-noir crime drama SAPPHIRE (’56), which includes Barbara Steele in one of earliest and briefest screen appearances playing a young college student whose friend has been brutally murdered. Follow that with Mario Bava’s Gothic horror classic BLACK SUNDAY (‘60) starring Steele in the dual role of Asa Vadja, a 200-year-old Moldavian Princess accused of practicing witchcraft and vampirism, and Katia, her much younger and gentle-hearted ancestor. The third film I recommend is Fellini’s autobiographical 8 ½ (’63) where you can see Steele dancing her way into cinema history and last but not least, finish with Volker Schlöndorff’s anti-fascist creed YOUNG TORLESS (’66). In the final film, Steele portrays a seductive prostitute who propositions students at a boy’s boarding school.

Her transgressive filmography isn’t for the timid or easily shocked, but adventurous audiences will find it especially rewarding. Unfortunately, Steele’s roles were often brief, ephemeral moments that haunt her fans, and you’re left wondering why she wasn’t given more screen time or additional opportunities to showcase her talents. 

To accompany Steele’s films, I thought I’d compile a list of fun facts about the actress to spark your interest and spur your imagination. 

Barbara Steele was born on December 29, 1938 and raised in the British seaport town of Birkenhead near Liverpool. Her parents encouraged her artistic pursuits and she studied dance, piano and acting at a young age but she was especially fond of the visual arts and longed to become a professional painter. A few other well-known Birkenhead residents include the Academy Award-winning actress Glenda Jackson (WOMEN IN LOVE [’69], THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN [’73], HOPSCOTCH [’80]) and Targon Egerton, the 28-year-old star of KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (’15) and KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (’18). 

Her interest in the visual arts and antiques drove Steele to study painting at the Chelsea College of Arts in London and in Paris at the Sorbonne. During this period, she was reportedly befriended and seduced by future film director Donald Cammell (PERFORMANCE [’70], DEMON SEED [’77], WHITE OF THE EYE [’87]). Steele has told interviewers that she “wanted to be Picasso” but fate had other plans for the aspiring artist. 

To make money while she was an art student, Steele sold copper jewelry and antique prints from a pushcart. During weekends, she could be found peddling her wares to passersby on London’s Portobello Road where she supposedly earned a reputation as a “shrewd dealer.” 

Steele was persuaded to become an actress after she was spotted by a director while painting sets for a stage production of Bell, Book and Candle in Glasgow, Scotland. The director was so taken by Steele’s otherworldly beauty that he encouraged her to audition for the role of Gillian the witch after the star of the play fell ill. The character of Gillian was made famous by Kim Novak who appeared in the film adaptation, but Steele would eventually become a star in her own right after playing another witch; the black-hearted Asa Vajda in Mario Bava’s Gothic horror classic BLACK SUNDAY.

After a brief career on stage and some modeling jobs, Barbara Steele was discovered by talent agents from Rank Organisation. They signed her on the spot but the British studio didn’t seem to know what to do with the budding actress so they sold her contract to 20th Century Fox. In Hollywood, Steele was put through a torturous star-making routine that involved dying her dark locks blond and pinning her ears. When it was over she was cast alongside Elvis Presley in FLAMING STAR (’60) but after some heated disagreements with costumers and director Don Siegel, Steele reportedly stormed off the set. Soon afterward the historic 1960 Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America strikes shut Hollywood down and during the interim Steele decided to return to Europe.

According to Steele, Mario Bava first spotted the actress in a photoshoot she did for a 1958 issue of Life and was struck by her saturnine beauty. Later, while pursuing a stack of acting resumes from the William Morris Agency, he decided to cast the saucer-eyed ingénue in BLACK SUNDAY, a role that made her a horror icon and earned her the nickname “Queen of all Screams.” .

Two of Barbara Steele’s most famous paramours were actors Anthony Quinn and Peter O’Toole. Steele’s affair with Quinn is rumored to have lasted for years and occurred while he was married to Katherine DeMille, the daughter of Cecil B. DeMille. Steele’s romantic fling with O’Toole was short-lived but passionate and roused the attention of the paparazzi who relentlessly pursued the couple in Italy. The situation reached a fever pitch in 1964 leading to a violent altercation between O’Toole and a photographer who had momentarily blinded Steele with his camera's flash. Steele and O’Toole were both subsequently arrested and questioned for hours by the Italian police but they were eventually let go. Afterward, the authorities attempted to press assault charges against O’Toole but he managed to avoid arrest with the assistance of his stunt double. 

During the span of her career Steele collaborated with many talented directors besides Mario Bava such as Basil Dearden, Roger Corman, Riccardo Freda, Antonio Margheriti, Michael Reeves, Volker Schlöndorff, Louis Malle, Jonathan Demme and David Cronenberg. Despite the impressive scope of her filmography, Steele regularly singles out her work with Federico Fellini in 8 ½ and talks about the Italian filmmaker in glowing terms. In a forward she wrote for the book Fellini: The Sixties, Steele described what it was like to work with the acclaimed director explaining that: “Everyone who worked with him felt they shared a private secret with him — that he and he alone could mirror their souls like a great, slightly ironic Buddha.” 

Steele’s only marriage has been to the screenwriter James Poe. The couple were together for nearly ten years between 1969-1978 and they had one child. Poe died in 1980 and today he’s best remembered as the man who wrote or co-wrote a number of Academy Award-nominated screenplays including AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (’56), CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (’58), LILIES OF THE FIELD (’63) and THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (’70). 

The actress has often been a reluctant interviewee and is known to frequently tell tall tales, forget facts and spin entertaining yarns. She most likely does so in order to keep herself occupied while having to answer the same questions over and over again from dull-headed reporters or worshipful fans like yours truly. With that mind, any or all of these “fun facts” could be white lies so enjoy them but don’t assume they’re written in stone. Barbara Steele is an enchanter who weaves her own unique kind of magic and she has certainly cast a spell on this writer.

[ally3bd-blog]

*What is Rhetoric to Me? (Then and Now)*

In Comm 380, Rhetorical Traditions, I learned about many theories of rhetoric. This essay highlights how my definition of rhetoric shifted from the beginning to the end of the course. In the beginning of the term, I stated that rhetoric was “speech. That could mean written or verbal communication and word choice, or diction. The way that people go about conveying an idea.” Now I believe that rhetoric in its best, truest, and most ethical form is the way that all forms of communication are crafted by a credible rhetor who uses experiences, facts, emotions, and has considered the audience’s preexisting beliefs and all sides of an issue. It spreads a positive and truthful message to society or creates positive societal change. It will result in three things from the audience: deeper understanding, changed beliefs, or action.

The core theorists who influenced my definition of rhetoric are the following: Booth, Aristotle, Dow, and Tonn.

Booth is the main theorist who influenced my definition of rhetoric. He believes that rhetoric encompasses “all forms of communication...” (Booth 4). This means that smiles, podcasts, interviews, posters, and speeches are all considered forms of rhetoric. He then goes on to explain part of his definition of rhetoric. He says that rhetoric is “the art of removing misunderstanding” (Booth 9) and that it should be used as a “tool [for] genuine reasoning” (Booth 6). When rhetoric is used to reduce misunderstanding, it allows the audience to form a clear understanding about the topic at hand. His contribution to the study of rhetoric was his idea of listening rhetoric. He explained that “when [listening rhetoric] is pushed to its fullest possibilities, opponents in any controversy listen to each other not only to persuade better but also to find the common ground behind the conflict” (Booth 10). Booth wanted people to discover the similarities they had with others, so that they didn’t just focus on what they didn’t agree on. This not only helps reduce understanding and persuade the audience because it provides a more in depth understanding of what the other believes. The rhetor can appeal to the similarities their argument has with the audience’s argument. 

What I have taken from Booth’s idea of rhetoric for my own definition is that any form of communication can be considered rhetoric, not just speech. I also pulled a quote from Booth about how rhetoric should “enlighten the understanding, please the imagination, move the passions, and influence the will” of the rhetor’s audience (Booth 6). I couldn’t change this quote or only address parts of it because rhetoric should expand people’s knowledge, get them thinking, make them passionate about an issue, and get them to act on what they have seen or heard. If rhetoric deepens understanding, then the audience will either have a more solid foundation for their beliefs or they will change them as they see fit. If all of this is accomplished, then the rhetoric has been successful. Furthermore, a rhetor should know how the audience feels about the topic or issue they are concerned with, so that they can speak to what the audience already knows, relate to them, and appeal to the similarities between multiple sides of an issue. 

Aristotle was the second theorist to add to my definition of rhetoric with his ideas of logos, pathos, and ethos. James Herrick explains these three artistic proofs by first defining logos as “arguments and logical reasoning” (Herrick 78). Logos has this definition because it “[implies] both thought and speech” (Herrick 79). Logos can be beneficial in rhetoric because it has the ability to show a speaker’s intelligence to their audience. Having a well thought out argument to support your claim is more effective than just stating an idea. Herrick then goes on to mention pathos, which can be referred to as “the names and causes of various emotions” (78) or “putting the audience in the right frame of mind to make a good decision” (79). To be brief, pathos deals with the wave of emotions that the audience experiences from the moment before a speech is given to after it is over. Pathos is incredibly critical in a speech because “emotions do affect judgment” (Herrick 79). Lastly, Herrick explains ethos, which can be defined as “human character and goodness” (78) or “the speaker’s character or personal credibility” (80). People are much more likely to listen to someone who they consider credible than someone that they don’t trust or believe to be worth listening to. Herrick explains that Aristotle believed that there were three different aspects of ethos: “intelligence, good sense”, “virtue”, and “goodwill” (80-81). According to this, a speaker should present themselves as being knowledgeable, having good character, and speaking to promote the good of the people and not for one’s own personal gain. 

I have added Aristotle’s idea of logos, pathos, and ethos into my definition of rhetoric. These elements improve the audience’s trust in the rhetor, create a deeper understanding of rhetoric, capture the audience’s attention, and allow the rhetor to easily persuade the audience. The rhetor’s use of facts in my definition stems from logos. A well-crafted argument that has facts will persuade an audience more than one without. Furthermore, the rhetor’s use of emotions in my definition is based on pathos. If a rhetor can get the audience to feel a certain way, then they have a higher likelihood of being able to persuade them. Lastly, the rhetor should be credible, which satisfies the requirement of ethos. When an audience believes a rhetor is trustworthy and qualified to be using rhetoric, they become trusting and take what the rhetor is saying into consideration; whereas, if they think a speaker is uneducated, the audience might ignore what the rhetor says.

Lastly, Dow and Tonn’s article about Feminine Style contributed to my definition of rhetoric. They explain that Campbell said feminine style is “discourse that displays a personal tone, uses personal experiences, anecdotes and examples as evidence, exhibits inductive structure, emphasizes audience participation, and encourages identification between speaker and audience” (Dow & Tonn 287). There is a lot to unpack within this definition. A key takeaway is that the feminine style is all about connecting with the audience on a personal level. That is why personal tone, personal experience including anecdotes and examples, audience participation, and identification between the speaker and the audience are so important. This requires the speaker to open up to the audience, so that the audience will feel closer to the speaker and can relate to them on a deeper level. Audience participation keeps the audience involved; therefore, making them more interested in the rhetoric. Lastly, feminine style uses inductive structure based on the way women used to be treated in society. In the past, women’s opinions were not always valued in society. By saving the argument until the end, women made sure to keep the audience’s attention throughout their speeches. If they had stated the purpose of their speech in the beginning, it is likely that people would stop listening afterwards. It is important to note that although the feminine style was based on women’s use of rhetoric, it can be used by either men or women.

The main point that I took from Feminine Style rhetoric is the importance of using experiences to connect with the audience. Personal experiences often are associated with pathos and evoke emotions in the audience. This can help the rhetor persuade the audience for the betterment of society. The article says that this also allows “claims [to be] tested against private experience” (Dow & Tonn 290). This is important because personal experiences reflect someone’s reality. For rhetoric to deepen someone’s understanding, change their beliefs, or urge them to take action in a way that benefits society, the public must know what the current state of society is like and how implementing specific rhetoric will affect society.

In conclusion, the best, truest, and most ethical form of rhetoric can be described as the way that all forms of communication are crafted by a credible rhetor who uses experiences, facts, emotions, and has considered the audience’s preexisting beliefs and all sides of an issue. It spreads a positive and truthful message to society or creates positive societal change. Finally, it will result in three things from the audience: deeper understanding, changed beliefs, or action.

Works Cited:

Booth, W. (2004). How many rhetorics? In The rhetoric of rhetoric (pp. 3-22). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Dow, B. J., & Tonn, M. B. (1993). Feminine style and political judgment in the rhetoric of Ann Richards. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 79(3), 286-302.

Herrick, J. A. (2005). Aristotle on rhetoric. In The history and theory of rhetoric: An Introduction (5th ed.) (pp. 69-81). New York: Routledge. 

[businessguide12-blog]

Being an art director: all you need to know

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Being an art director: all you need to know

Most creative fields have an art director. It& apos; s an impressive chore title that exists in graphic design, advertising, marketing, publishing, cinema and Tv, web design and video games. Many creatives aspire to become one and if you& apos; re just starting out you probably want to know what you have to do to get the top undertaking. If you are already heading down the path to becoming one, you might want to read on to check you haven& apos; t stumbled off the yellow brick road.

There are a number of so-called soft skills and character traits that are essential to the role. Added to that, of course, is a killer portfolio so if this has inspired you to make sure yours is up to scratch, we& apos; ve got loadings of portfolio inspiration to get you started in our rundown of the best portfolio instances.

To get the lowdown on art directing, first we asked art directors from resulting studios to share their thoughts and experiences on what art directors do and what makes a good one. And if you& apos; re persuaded the role& apos; s for you, you can read on for some top tips for how to become an art director( skip to the tips here ), or head over to our shiny new design undertakings board to find your next career challenge.

What is an art director?

So what exactly is an art director? It can entail different things in different organisations. Broadly, this job involves managing a squad of decorators working on a creative project, but the degree of responsibility and autonomy can vary.

“As an art director you must be a leader; someone who inspires and guides the vision of the design team, ” explains Blimp Creative founder James Fenton. “You have to be able to recognise the talent in those around you and learn how best to get the best from them.”

Art director Jenny Theolin comments: “For me, the main difference between working as a graphic designer and as an art director was that I ran more with people than computers. And since I prefer to see the creative industry as a peoples& apos; industry, this collaboration and co-working was key to creating exciting new work.”

Robot Food freshened Mr Kipling’s branding to help it enter a new, international marketplace[ Image: Robot Food]

Ben Brears, strategic design director at Robot Food, points out that 2019 bureau models have become more fluid, and individual roles have become less defined. Indeed, there is a bit of a backlash surrounding job titles in the creative community- after all, accurately summing up someone& apos; s role in one or two words is surprisingly tricky, and in many companies, employees will take on a number of different tasks within their day-to-day structure.

“Designer, art director, creative director- all these titles are necessary to create a structure within bureau departments, for the client& apos; s benefit, and for the recruitment process, ” counters Theolin. “And to add to the confusion, descriptions like& apos; Web Ninja& apos ;,& apos ;P ixel Guru& apos; and& apos; Creative Wizard& apos; infiltrate our world as well. But how relevant is all of this to the job we do? “

What does an art director do?

“We create a culture of exploration and experimentation, but equally one where we are guided by the brand strategy and creative brief, ” sums up Claudia Morris, design director at B& B studio. “We need to make sure our team is empowered and grounded, whilst being excited and inspired to push boundaries. We need to maintain a culture where the team feel nurtured and free to be the best they can.”

We need to make sure our squad is empowered and grounded, whilst being excited and inspired to push boundaries

Claudia Morris, B& B Studio

One key aspect of the art director role is that of management: for example, critiquing people& apos; s work, working to deadlines and budgets, and( on occasion) disciplining any designers who have become lazy. However, according to Fenton, an art director& apos; s primary concern is to inspire and guide their team.

“The role of the art director could be compared to that of a chef, fusing together ingredients to produce a menu of delightful dishes, ” he explains. “All decorators inject their individual personalities, tastes and style into their work. It is the art director& apos; s role to identify and understand the different flavours each member brings to the team, and then carefully infuse them to complement one another.”

The role of an art director is not limited to considering the visual side of things- they need to be able to guide an audience through the information being presented to them, use words as well as images, and creating structure and emphasis through the layout and typography. “An art director must appreciate the written content as much as visual, taking on the role of a storyteller, ” remarks Fenton. “You must be a mediator between writers and designers, understanding both disciplines and working closely with each.”

“& apos; Art director ‘, at the least to us at Robot Food, is less a role and more a skillset, one that we foster in all our creative team, ” says Brears. “We believe in great ideas and bold sentiments, and we encourage them from in all regions of the studio.”

B& B Studio made an eye-catching identity for kombucha brand Fix8[ Image: B& B Studio]

Day to day, he might be designing with the team, providing feedback on different jobs, attending meetings to define the direction of a client& apos; s wider creative strategy. Or he might be helping the team with a tricky bit of Photoshopping or teaching an Illustrator shortcut. But, Brears points out, that doesn& apos; t necessarily equate to a job description for a typical art director.

“How much of this is because of a title, how much of it is because it merely’ feels’ like the right thing to do? Would this title entail a damn thing in a different agency with a different philosophy? ” he says.

As we touched on earlier, studios are increasingly developing in such a way that there is a less clear distinction between what different creatives do. “In many companies the traditional team structure has evolved into paired creative polymaths, ” remarks Theolin. “Ask any creative team working today, and you will see that they share a lot of their work undertakings. Copywriters scamp, art directors write, including contributions to blogs, volumes and publications. But does this stimulate them any less an art director? “

What makes a good art director?

So what makes a great art director? Well, you& apos; ll come upstairs and work with people a lot, so one thing& apos; s for sure: it& apos; s not all about creative talent, you& apos; re also going to need to have the right temperament and personality for the job.

“A fundamental facet to the role is having the ability to foster the best possible creative surrounding, ” says Shaun Bowen, creative partner at B& B Studio. “Having the leadership abilities to do this effectively and consistently is one of the most challenging requirements of art director roles- and is not always easy located within a portfolio. Along with the highest creative flair and talent, it involves an emotional intelligence, compassion and the ability to understand overarching business objectives.”

Know when and where to best invest your energy, when you need to get involved and when it’s better to be more hands off

Shaun Bowen, B& B Studio

There are a number of abilities that will help you shine in this role. Brears sums up his views: “Time management. Knowing when and where to best invest your energy, when you need to get involved and when it’s better to be more hands off. When to say yes, and importantly, when to say no.”

“For me, a good art director has to be open to influence, inspiration and the expertise of the people around them, appreciating their talents, strengths and weaknesses, while maintaining a clear vision of delivering a message that speaks immediately to the reader, viewer or user, ” says Fenton.

Ultimately though, the role is often shaped by the person in it. “There is no single formula for what makes a good art director: it& apos; s not a discipline taught in design schools, there are no volumes or guides that define the steps to success, ” adds Fenton.

“Every art director will have forged their own path, have their own definition of what their role is and their own approach to get the job done and done well. Sometimes, this may be learned from their own mentors and passed down in a master-apprentice way, while others may formulate their process utterly independently, through their personal experience and trial and error.”

Top tips for becoming an art director

James Fenton, founder of Blimp Creative, believes you have to abandon the idea of hierarchy[ Image: Blimp Creative]

01. Remember, it& apos; s all about teamwork

A big part of the job of an art director is knowing how and when to use different squad members& apos; talents.

“No person is an island; design and studio life are rarely a solitary attempt. We’re all products and producers of our environments, ” says Brears. “Being able to craft a beautiful illustration or piece of typography yourself is a wonderful skill set to have, but equally, so is having the foresight to recognise when it’s not you or your team’s strength, and then commissioning the right person for the job. The journey is as important as the destination and being able to communicate the whats, the whys, and the pit-stops along the way is crucial.”

That entails, when you& apos; re putting together your portfolio or have applied for the role, you need to be clear on the role you played in each project. It& apos; s not all about you.

02. Put together a murderer portfolio

As with any creative role, your first stop is to make sure your portfolio is up to scratch. “Show a good design portfolio of run that represents the style of art direction you utilize and want to strive for, ” says OneRedEye founder Ed Robinson.

Brears is more succinct with his advice: “I want to see great ideas beautifully executed.”

For more advice, find our post on how to curate a creative portfolio.

03. Don& apos; t focus on hierarchy

While you will be managing people, the job of art director is not about throwing your weight around. “Someone who sees themselves as the design top dog will inevitably be heading for a embarrassing autumn, ” explains Fenton. “You have to be able to recognise the talent in those around you … An art director who considers themselves in a position of hierarchical authority is simply a glorified manager.”

04. Be confident with feedback

To be the best art director you can be, you& apos; ll need to be confident giving feedback, both internally and outside of your studio. “Internally, feedback and criticism is a piece of cake. There’s no egos here at Robot Food. We don’t care if feedback comes from an intern, or an account administrator- if it helps build the work better it’s valid, ” says Brears.

However, feeding back to external specialists- illustrators, photographers, animators and so on- can be trickier. “You have to get past your own impostor syndrome and be prepared to stand up for the studio’s vision, ” advises Brears. “We aim to work with the best talent we can, and it’s easy to default to thinking they know best and your own experience isn’t as valid. But ultimately, you know the brief, the customers, and the result you want to achieve – it’s about working closely and collaboratively to get there.”

For more advice, take a look at our guide to how to give and get more from art criticisms.

05. Make friends

Of course, there is plenty that can be learned from those who have been in the role themselves. “Hound your heroes and ask to meet them. Many love to talk about themselves, so ask to meet them for advice, to pick their brains- and to see their work! ” suggests Theolin. “However, don& apos; t be surprised if your icons actually turn out to be old, grumpy farts.”

06. Gain knowledge of the job

You& apos; ll have a role in shaping the direction of projects and pushing the creative in new directions, so you& apos; re going to need to be aware of industry progressions and trends, and work hard to keep things fresh. “Stay on top of blogs and trend reports, ” advises Theolin. “Keep the momentum up and don& apos; t get stuck in a bubble. Creative exploration is one of the benefits of this industry, so get out there and do different things differently.”

Related articles :P TAGEND 10 on-trend portfolio templates5 essential rules of self-promotionHow to get a career in graphic design: 13 pro tips

Read more: creativebloq.com

[winstonhcomedy]

HDWDLN? 11/8 “Bloody Noses and Kenn Edward’s Glorious Return”

I AM BEHIND. I’ve been a busy bee movie over here. Thursday was a sweet night. Two open mics, and the grand return of one of my oldest comedy friends. 

The first show of the night was The Camel run by Jameson Babbowski. The headliners for the night are Richmond alt-comedy favorites Mike Engle and Patrick Buhse. 

I get to the show and I get a sweet hang going on with two of my best buds Paige Campbell and Kenn Edwards. Paige and Kenn both started around the same time in Waynesboro. I started about a year later, and we became fast friends. 

Kenn has done sets sporadically over the past couple of years, but he had been focusing more on his band Alex Jonestown Massacre for a while. He got out of comedy for a bit when he was going through his separation. I’ve missed this dude a great deal, and was super happy to see him doing a set again. 

There used to be a lot of comedy in Waynesboro/Charlottesville area. About 4 1/2 years ago Kenn Edwards started a room at The Hot Spot. This area was so starved for comedy that apparently every show there was amazing. Super hot/supportive crowds given a bunch of local dudes/weirdos/laydees an opportunity to perform. 

This is where Paige Campbell had his first set. This is where the early scene used to perform. People like Mary Waalkes Jarvis (quit comedy), Loris Jarvis Jr (quit comedy), Winston Smith (passed away in drunk driving accident), Trevor Stewart (quit comedy), David Lingenfelter (performs once a year), Tom Wagoner (quit comedy), Rosy Wagoner (quit comedy), got their earliest sets and confidence. I know I'm leaving a ton of people out. Tj Ferguson and Chris Alan also performed here. It was where Kenn filmed his short film “The Joke”. 

So Kenn gave a lot of people stage time. He gave them really good stage time too. He gave them an opportunity to do something fun and weird in a part of VA where that wasn’t really happening.

I never got to perform here. Maybe that’s why I have such reverence for it. I just always hear about how hot and great the room was. It makes me wish I had started just a little earlier. The Hot Spot closed like a month before I started doing standup. 

Kenn is also someone that I spent a ridiculous amount of time with during my most formative years of comedy. The first 18 months I did standup I didn’t have a full-time job. I substitute taught, but only when I wanted to. What my first 18 months of comedy was driving all over the state of VA doing open mics, staying up til 5 am with Kenn and Paige almost every night, doing Kenn’s amazing podcast (so let’s get to the point), staying over at Paige’s house and vice versa. 

This is legitimately the most fun 18 months of my life. we made lifelong friends (TJ, Chris, Kenn, and Paige), did some of the most fun rooms that no longer exist (Fellini’s, Firefly, Boneyard, Artful Dodger), we did the worst rooms imaginable (Eddy’s. Legitimately the worst comedy room I’ve ever done and I did it every Monday for like 4 months). I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. So it was a bummer when Kenn took time off, and I’m so happy he is back.Rosy Wagoner also shows up. I talk her and Kenn into doing a So Let’s Get To The Point. She is fully intending to go up, but ends up leaving halfway through the show.

The crowd is lighter than usual, but they’re into the show. Paige goes up first and has an ok set. He’s working out some new stuff and get some good pops. I go in the back to hang after his set. While back there Jameson comes and tells me I may have to fill in to be one of the headliners. Apparently Patrick Buhse was bleeding out of his face at an alarming degree. 

I have no idea what happened. Buhse told me that he was just talking and then his face exploded (I'm paraphrasing). Jameson is freaking out. He is running around and looks so nervous. He is definitely trying to run a dope show and I love the dude but Jameson was giving me crazy anxiety. 

I go to the other room and Buhse hasn’t left. He is just nursing his nose wound. He seems fine. I tell him to just shove a paper towel in there, and James Muñoz tells him to perform. He gets his shit together, and I don't have to headline. The good news is I get to go first on the open mic after. 

Buhse has a pretty good set, and the visual of bloody tissue paper falling out of his nose really tickles me. He gets off stage, and I go up. I have a pretty strong set. I am very happy with it. The crowd is kind of light but most of what I do on stage works. I think a few of these jokes are close to being finished. This means I have to start doing some other new stuff, or stretching this material out. I’d give my set a B which isn’t bad for this show. 

A few other people go up. My buddy Rick has a fine set, and so does Bryan. My friend Nick Deez (the boxx) is in town and he goes on stage and struggles a bit trying some stuff. This is definitely a workout room tonight. 

Then Kenn goes up. Kenn has one of the better sets of the night. When Kenn used to do comedy he would basically just do puns, and whatever else he could think of to make the audience not like him. His stage presence never matched his writing. He had jokes that I always thought could do better if he would just try to sell them.

Kenn is one of my best friends in the entire world. I legitimately love this guy to death. Our friendship has such a weird dynamic. There are very few people I can disagree with so vehemently on things and be ok with. I have had the best conversations of my life with the dude, and for that I am ridiculously thankful. I can be stubborn about a lot of shit. In comedy and in life. Kenn is the person who helped persuade me that having a unique perspective can be as important to being a good comic as it is being a great joke writer. He’s socially conscious and never gets offended. I’m thankful I know him. 

I say all that to point out that his comfort level on stage is changed. Since he is in a band now it feels like he doesn’t need comedy as much. Which honestly is good for him. He doesn’t seem as nervous and he seemed like himself on stage. He did some crowd work, and worked some loose premises, It all went pretty well, and it looked like he was a dude who had figured a lot out about himself over the last 6 months. After his set we finish watching the show, and then I give him a ride over to Garden Grove.

On the ride Kenn admits that it didn’t even feel like a high anymore. Rock and roll has polluted him. He had one of the better sets and he said it didn’t even kick in his adrenaline. I hope that eventually changes because I want him to keep doing comedy, and I want him to have a good time while doing it.

I get over to Garden Grove and find out I”m going first. Which is fine. I don’t feel super great and I have a long day at work the next day. I chill and catch up with some friends. Garden Grove is a weird room. Sometimes it is super dope, and other times it is like pulling teeth. James went up first did a few minutes, and tried to get them into the show. 

Noel Goodman a 757 comic comes and grabs me for a selfie. At first I had no idea who this crazy person was. Once I realized he and I caught up and he asked me to take pics for him, and he would do the same for me. I am more than happy to oblige. 

The show was lightly attended, and I was just trying to get them to pay attention. I go up and I get chuckles on most of my new stuff. I definitely am not selling the jokes the way I should. I do fine, and then I do an older joke that I want to bring back about roombas. That gets a really good response, and I get greedy. I try one last joke and get jack shit. Se la vie. All in all it was super productive, but I didn’t feel great about the set. I’d give it a D. If it wasn’t for the Roomba joke It would have been an F for me. 

The worst part is after bombing I have to now sit and take pictures. This is a literal hell. I wanted to leave so bad and just sulk. Unfortunately now I look like a damn tourist at his first open mic ever. 

After the set I talk to Noel again and walk around and say my goodbyes. This was a super fun night. I had two productive sets. I stuck to my material, and I really think I am making progress on it. It feels good to not be stagnant doing the same stuff forever. I get so in my head about it. It gives me anxiety, but it helps me write a lot. I think I have one of the better turnover rates in the scene, and I want to keep it that way. Although bombing feels like shit, the reward of getting a brand new joke to work is so worth it. 

THANKS SWEET BAYBEES AND LAYDEES!!! I am a little behind. I promise I will be caught up by this week. Tomorrow I will talk about my weekend of shows and I might actually get to the wild shitshow that was Monday!!! WHOOO ZADDY!!! XOXOXO

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Saturday, August 4th 2018 – Basildon Park, Berkshire

Headed for an evening at a particularly excellent restaurant in Berkshire (or possibly Wiltshire – I haven’t double checked yet) we were casting around for something to do in the afternoon, to make it into more of a “holiday” than just a trip out for dinner. After casting around for a while, and lighting on a number of possibilities that we then rejected on the grounds that a sunny Saturday in August would be more crowded than we could deal with and hang on to our sanity we realised that Basildon Park was not that far off our route, and neither of us had ever been, or in fact knew anything about the place.

I suppose I knew it was nowhere near Basildon, which is probably just as well, given that a) Basildon is an unremittingly grim sort of place – or at least it was back when one of our friends used to live there – and b) on the wrong side of London given where we wanted to be. Actually it’s close to Reading (which is not that thrilling a place either but nowhere near as bad as Basildon), but we didn’t go there en route anyway, just headed down a series of quite small and lovely country lanes until a final slightly unexpected veer off into the car park, which was full. We were directed to the also pretty full overflow car park. It looked as if the whole world (or at least a large part of the Netherlands) had decided to visit all at once.

However, once we arrived at the ticket office we could see that there was a great deal of space available inside in terms of grounds at least – the house was not visible from there – and so we decided we’d nose around the house first, and then, if it had cooled off at all, we might take a stroll around the grounds should we still have time.

The walk through the woods to get to the house was lovely, and cool, and reminded me somewhat of the path between the car park and the castle at Burg Eltz, though less steep.

It also contains a number of fun benches with carved wooden animal heads for armrests…

And some very Tim Burton-esque trees! I know I kept expecting a hobbit or two to pop out from behind the trees any second.

Anyway, reaching the house it was soon apparent that it’s an interesting structure, very much the picture of Palladian symmetry, which I think is pretty rare. Most houses have had bits added on (or removed), and so they don’t have quite the precise frontage that Basildon Park manages. The estate was bought by Francis Sykes, who had made a fortune in the East India Company, and it was he who demolished the house that was already there and had John Carr, the architect, build him a new one. Most people who know Carr’s work won’t be surprised by the style, but the location is unusual; he didn’t normally work outside Yorkshire and its immediate vicinity. As a Yorkshireman himself, Sykes managed to persuade Carr out of his normal geographical comfort zone, and work began on the house, though it was not completed in Sykes’ lifetime, which presumably didn’t help his political ambitions, given that he’d bought the estate because he required a house suitable for entertaining that would also show off his at this point considerable wealth and that was close to London. He wasn’t alone; many rich returnees from India settled in this part of Berkshire, so much so that it became known as “the English Hindoostan”.

Sykes plans to rise politically and socially met with mixed success and when he died at his London house on 11th January 1804, none of the principal rooms at Basildon Park were completed. They didn’t get much love afterwards either, with the heir, also Francis Sykes, died a few weeks after inheriting the unfinished pile. Next in line was Sykes’ grandson, the five-year-old third baronet. As he grew up he showed no sign of financial sense, and pretty much bankrupted the family fortune by the time he was 14, an association with the Prince Regent not helping at all. In 1829 the estate was placed on the market, but it didn’t sell for a considerable period of time because Sykes would not lower the price below £100,000. As a result the house was often let out over the 9 year period it was on the market, finally being sold to the entrepreneur James Morrison for £3,000 under the £100,000 asking price. He completed work on the house and filled it with treasures, working with architect John Buonarotti Papworth to create what Morrison described as “a casket for my pictorial gems,” which included works by John Constable, J M W Turner and many Italian and Dutch old masters. Morrison died at Basildon on 30th October 1857.

Morrison’s daughter, Ellen, inherited the house and live in it until her death in 1910. It was then inherited by her nephew, James Morrison, who made some improvements initially, including commissioning Edwin Lutyens to design workers’ cottages in the neighbouring villages. He didn;t live in the house though, and in 1914 it was requisitioned by the British Government and used as a convalescent home for injured soldiers. After that period, Morrison’s lavish lifestyle and three marriages meant he had in effect run out of money, and in 1929 he sold the house to property developer, George Ferdinando.

He initially planned to sell the house to an American, marketing it for sale foe $1,000,000, which would include the cost of taking it down and re-erecting it in America. Luckily for us, he changed his mind, and converted the old sawmill at the top of the park into a house for himself and his wife. He also persuaded one of his sons to return from America with his family and to take up residence in the east wing. This son, Eric, did some renovation work, including returning fittings like the stair balustrade. Some of it they could not get back, however.

In World War II Basildon was a billet for troops, and a training ground for tank and ground warfare was set up in the park. Damage was perhaps inevitable, with walls damaged by bridging units used on the river and massive holes left behind. Requisitioned by the Ministry of Works, it suffered further indignities when a caretaker stole the lead from the roofs.

The ministry would not pay for most of the damage, and Ferdinando moved out, leaving Eric to deal with the house. When his father died, between inheritance tax and the repair costs, the house had to be sold. Despite its rather sorry state, the second Lord Iliffe, who lived in the area, bought it under persuasion from his wife, Lady Iliffe. Lord and Lady Iliffe spent 25 years restoring and refurnishing the house, buying fixtures and fittings from similar houses that were schedule for demolition, finding that 18th-century mahogany doors and marble fireplaces fitted in the spaces available perfectly in many instances. Having no children, the Iliffes donated the house and park to the National Trust in 1978, along with a large endowment for its upkeep.

It may not be the most spectacular architectural gem, and it’s not the home of any especially notable art works now, but its sheer survival makes it notable, given the state it had been reduced to when the Iliffes took it on. We actually started outside the house, nosing into the cafe and buying a cold drink each, needing to refresh ourselves after a two hour drive and the woodland walk to the house. Next to the cafe area (which is on the ground floor under the main house) was the original kitchen, in the north pavilion, away from the main house to avoid kitchen smells in the living quarters. Because Palladian buildings need symmetry, there thus had to be a second pavilion, in this instance a laundry. To avoid food having to be transported across an open area in all weathers, when Lady Iliffe was modernising the place she had a new state of the art kitchen installed on the piano nobile, but that was to be seem later in our visit.

Before that we also walked around the rose garden, which apparently looks towards the River Avon (though you can’t actually see it), but sadly the roses were pretty much past their best after the summer we have been having. There are some statues in the garden, several of them headless after being used for target practice by American soldiers billeted in the house in WWII.

After that we headed into the south pavilion, where there was an exhibition of “domestic” paintings, At Home with Art – Treasures of the Ford Collection, most of them the sort of thing that would have covered the walls in houses like this, produced more as a form of wall covering than art of great merit. It was interesting enough, though I doubt anyone apart from historians of the domestic would go out of their way to see it.

The house, thankfully, is more interesting, and the volunteers in particular are very keen to offer any information you might want to make your visit more informative. In addition, it turned out that photography was permitted in the house with a couple of exceptions (the portraits of each of the Iliffes, which I was a bit baffled by, and what is known now as the Sutherland Room, formerly Lady Iliffe’s dressing room, which contains studies for Graham Sutherland’s tapestry “Christ in Glory” which decorates  Coventry Cathedral which I can understand).

The hall contains a lovely ceiling which is actually original, unlike much else to be found in the house. It has of course been renovated. The hall also has its original Spanish mahogany doors, removed in the 1920s, but returned in 1954. It also contains one of a number of white marble fireplaces salvaged from Panton Hall prior to its demolition.

Of the rooms I particularly liked the Octagon Drawing Room, which was used to display the owners’ best art works. It was restired and the walls covered in red felt, and renewed with works from Pompeo Batoni and Giambattista Pittoni. I loved the shape of the room, and the way the three windows provide fabulous views over the park and surrounding countryside.

The Dining Room is a lovely space, decorated in a neoclassical style, and it too has had a somewhat chequered history. In 1845 it was redecorated by the architect David Brandon, who replaced the original paintings with polychrome depictions of Dante’s Divine Comedy. The walls were not much changed though, retaining their 18th-century plasterwork. In 1929, Ferdinando stripped the dining room of its panels, mirrors, fireplace and doors and sold them to Crowther’s, a firm of architectural antique dealers. They were sold to what was until last year the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York where they formed the Basildon Room. Lord and Lady Iliffe opted to redecorate it in a style similar to the original scheme by de Bruyn, using Carr’s surviving plasterwork, and a fireplace and doors salvaged from Panton Hall to return the room to its original neoclassical form.

The second floor, with all the bedrooms, is also interesting with the Shell Room probably the most startling. Apparently, shell collecting was very much a thing for ladies at one stage, and they have been used to odd and slightly alarming effect to decorate pretty much any surface that didn’t need to be flat!

The Bamboo Bedroom is rather fun too, the bed having apparently cost £5 in an auction.

The rest of the room is of course decorated to suit.

Also on display is a spectacular Coromandel screen, which is a 17th century Chinese lacquerware screen, unusually made for the Chinese domestic market not for export, and is one of a handful of such items now left in the UK. It would likely have arrived in the UK along with the newly popular pursuit of tea drinking in the 17th or 18th century,, and depicts a famous gathering of scholars in the garden of the Emperor’s son-in-law in the 1100s. Half of it is apparently missing, with just six panels remaining, but as it was not uncommon to cut down Coromandels to create other pieces of furniture, it’s more remarkable perhaps that half of it has survived. It’s even more remarkable that it’s still intact now, having been bought to hide a toilet door from guests by Lady Iliffe. It had started to deteriorate because of the conditions in the cloakroom, but is now on display and undergoing restoration. It’s really spectacular!

I’d love to know what it would have looked like when complete! It was towards the end of the visit and we finished off by diving into the “new” kitchen I mentioned earlier. It’s very, very 1950s and we had some fund spotting things that were familiar to us. I would have happily made off with the picnic basket, mind. It was very stylish.

We were about ready for some more refreshments, so an ice cream and a sit down were the order of the day (and I was very pleased to find a raspberry Magnum on sale). After that we took a wander into the Garden Room, which Lady Iliffe was in the process of converting to an “Indian” room to reflect the heritage of the house when she died. It’s lovely, but incomplete, and will presumably remain that way now.

And then it was time to retrace our steps through the woods, back to the car, and on to our destination for the evening.

Travel 2018 – Basildon Park, Berkshire Saturday, August 4th 2018 - Basildon Park, Berkshire Headed for an evening at a particularly excellent restaurant in Berkshire (or possibly Wiltshire - I haven't double checked yet) we were casting around for something to do in the afternoon, to make it into more of a "holiday" than just a trip out for dinner.

[itsiotrecords-blog]

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It’s kind of a given that the President of the United States should be pretty smart. Despite what hack comedians will tell you about George W. Bush, an idiot can’t just walk into the White House and run the country. But even by the standards of the office, some of America’s most impressive minds could do some pretty ridiculous things.

#1 Lyndon B. Johnson Could Find Out Everything about a Person At an impressive 6 ft 3 1?2 in (192 cm), Lyndon B. Johnson is the second tallest President in history. The tallest U.S. President was Abraham Lincoln at 6 ft 3 3?4 in (192.4 cm). Johnson was well aware of his height, and often used it to his advantage to intimidate or coerce both political opponents and allies. He used what became colloquially known as “the treatment,” where he would use his massive frame and dominating presence to get all up in someone’s grill before making them spill their guts. What made it so effective was Johnson’s incredible ability to find out exactly what made people tick. Johnson was able to find out basically everything about a person, from how they felt about political issues to their shoe size, and could recall all of it without error and with just the right tone of voice to persuade or bully someone to do whatever he wanted. This allowed Johnson to bring even staunch opponents who totally disagreed with him around to his way of thinking in a matter of minutes by overwhelming them with his intricate knowledge of their politics, ideas and flaws.

#2 JFK Knew How to Shake Hands Perfectly Considering that John F. Kennedy allegedly slept with more beautiful women than a copy of Cosmo, it’s not going to come as a surprise that he was known as a fairly charismatic dude. However, President Kennedy wasn’t just charming and handsome — he was a borderline hypnotist when it came to influencing people. For example, President Kennedy once commissioned an entire study on the art of shaking hands, all so that he could set the tone of a relationship from the instant he met someone. JFK’s handshake was so comforting and warming that it wasn’t uncommon for him to return after a long day of meeting people with a scratched up hand from the sheer amount of people clambering to grasp at his magical palm. When it came to talking to people, JFK was known to be able to sway an entire crowd with nothing more than his smile, as you can see in this video of him killing it in a question and answer session. What makes this more impressive is that JFK could reportedly turn on the charm at will, being able to influence people to his way of thinking even if they didn’t fully agree with it. We guess Magneto was right — JFK really did have a mutant superpower.

#3 Teddy Roosevelt Could Read an Entire Book Before Breakfast There’s little we could say about how awesome Roosevelt was that wouldn’t just be us repeating ourselves, but few people realize that Roosevelt was both an unflinching badass and a huge nerd. It’s estimated that Roosevelt read in excess of 10,000 books, many of which were in foreign languages because even when it came to reading Roosevelt liked to challenge himself. Roosevelt’s inhuman ability to eye-punch knowledge came about as a result of him teaching himself to speed-read, which allowed him to quickly gloss over a book while still retaining about 90% of the information it contained. This meant that Roosevelt could read a book or magazine in a matter of minutes or hours and hold detailed, lengthy conversations about its contents like he’d studied it for years. Roosevelt’s thirst for knowledge was so great that he reportedly read a book before he ate breakfast every single day. Kind of makes you want to finish reading that novel you’ve had sitting around for a month and a half, huh?

#4 Calvin Coolidge Only Lost One Election While Calvin Coolidge may not be the most well-known President, he’s noted as being one of the most electorally successful — in his entire political career he only lost once at the ballet box. When Coolidge applied to be a member of Northampton, Massachusetts City Council in 1898, he won. A year later he was re-nominated but applied to be a City Solicitor instead, and won. This trend continued for the next few decades as Coolidge went from being a member of city council to a State Legislator, to a Mayor, to a Governor, to a Vice President and finally to being the President himself, winning almost every time by a landslide. In fact, when he became President Coolidge won the vote in every State with the sole exception of the home state of the guy running against him. When the time came for Coolidge to run again he politely declined, saying that 10 years in Washington was too much, even though many agree he would have won again. He retired with an almost flawless political record. The only loss Coolidge ever suffered was when he campaigned to be a member of a local School Board, because he didn’t have kids that went to that school.

#5 James Garfield Could Write in Two Languages at the Same Time James Garfield is mostly remember alongside William McKinley as being one of the Presidents who was shot but didn’t have a cool hat or nice eyes. Which is a shame, because James Garfield is possibly the smartest man to ever hold office. Garfield had an exceptionally keen mind, teaching himself to be proficient in a multitude of disciplines and subjects. After just a year at college he was teaching classes on literature and ancient language, when previously he’d worked there as the janitor. Garfield was also known to be ambidextrous, which he would show off to friends and colleagues by asking them to pose him a question before writing down the answer in Latin with one hand and Greek with the other, all while maintaining unflinching eye contact.

#6 John Adams Had a Silver Tongue Even if your knowledge of American history is limited to whatever you managed to glean from Assassin’s Creed 3 in-between stabbing wolves, you can probably tell what happened at the Boston Massacre from the name alone. If you’re still a little fuzzy, the short version is that in 1770 eight British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of people in the middle of Boston, killing five people. When the soldiers walked into the courtroom, almost everyone expected the sentence to be death. But with just a few words the future President was able to convince the entire jury that the men were innocent because they acted in self-defense, resulting in six of them walking free while the other two were given the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. Just let that stew for a moment. John Adams managed to convince a jury to acquit a bunch of British soldiers charged with shooting people in the street at a time when revolutionary fervor was growing. We can’t even convince employees at Subway to give us extra ham.

#7 Lincoln Trumped a 13,000 Word Speech In Two Minutes The Gettysburg Address is one of those speeches that will never be forgotten, mostly because you could write it on the back of a napkin. Clocking in at just 272 words and delivered in a little over two minutes, Lincoln’s speech was barely longer than the previous entry on this list and yet it’s consistently ranked as one of the greatest speeches ever given. A fact that’s often overlooked is that Lincoln’s speech was never supposed to be the Gettysburg Address. That honor originally belonged to the two hour, 13,000 word long speech given by Edward Everett. His speech, which is regarded as a masterpiece of oration given by a man famed for his abilities as a speaker, was trumped by little more than an off the cuff utterance from Lincoln. Immediately after Lincoln gave his speech, Everett, who’d spent weeks crafting his magnum opus, knew that he’d been bested and the next day he penned a letter to Lincoln saying that he was happy to come close with two hours to what Lincoln had accomplished in two minutes.

#8 Andrew Jackson Managed to Pay Off All of America’s Debts Did you know that there’s only ever been one time in America’s history that the country’s been entirely debt free? It was all thanks to Andrew Jackson and how much he hated owing people money. When Jackson took office in 1829, he vowed that he’d eliminate America’s 58 million dollars of debt, the equivalent of paying off about 800 million today. Six years later, America was debt free — Jackson had somehow managed to pay off every cent through careful planning, frugal spending and telling creditors where to stick it. Jackson’s feat has never since been equaled. Even worse is that America was only debt free for a year before it once again needed to borrow money. Still, Jackson accomplished something many thought to be impossible just because he really didn’t like the idea of running a country that owed someone money.

#9 Thomas Jefferson Could Read Five Books at Once When it comes to smart Presidents it’s hard to top Thomas Jefferson. An expert in almost every subject he put his mind to, Jefferson could converse with anyone about anything effortlessly. President Kennedy once famously addressed a room filled with Nobel Prize winners by saying: “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” Nothing sums up Jefferson’s intelligence better than this, an invention personally created by Jefferson so that he could read five books simultaneously. Jefferson was a prolific writer who liked to consult multiple books while penning essays and letters, so to make this easier Jefferson created a revolving book stand that would allow him to read and consult multiple texts. We really think these should still be made so that we can see what happens if we stick 5 iPads to it.

#10 George W. Bush Didn’t Need To Have Meetings Because He Already Knew It All Just to be clear, yes, we’re talking about the same President Bush who once said “Rarely is the question asked: is our children learning?” the same President Bush who coined the term “Misunderestimate” and the same President Bush who once tried to exit a press conference through a locked door. Although pop culture has painted Bush as a buffoon, stupid people don’t get to be President of the United States. Part of the reason Bush is often seen as inept is his strong southern accent, which studies have shown makes someone appear less intelligent regardless of their educational background. In regards to Bush, while he wasn’t an amazing student he was by no means a poor one. According to aides and people who’ve interviewed him George W. Bush is a remarkably smart man, with one interviewer describing him as “60 IQ points smarter in private than he was in public.” During his time as President, many commented on his ability to recall and absorb information with an extraordinary level of speed and comprehension. It’s said that Bush would often hurry people through presentations about complex policies because he’d already read through their notes and didn’t want his time wasted. On one occasion, Bush met with several of his advisers who were all advising him about a “thorny policy.” After three long meetings in which no agreement could be reached, an aide reached out to Bush to arrange a fourth meeting. In response, Bush meticulously listed each adviser’s key talking points along with a full and frank rebuttal before asking if a fourth meeting was really necessary. It wasn’t. Of course this doesn’t mean Bush was a good President or that he made smart choices during his time in office, as people smarter than us have discussed. It just means that he was smarter than most people gave him credit for, which considering how stupid most people think he is makes him pretty much a genius.

[ds4design]

How to Read a Book a Week (52 Books in 52 Weeks)

You're reading How to Read a Book a Week (52 Books in 52 Weeks), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

New year resolutions are something that I don't share publicly. The goals I write down are personal and most of them won't be applicable to others. However, I did identify one resolution that I think can be helpful. For the past few years, I've stacked books on top of books (virtually) based on recommendations I've received from friends, podcast guests, and my personal discoveries. The problem was: I've never made the time (and priority) to set up the right systems to read more books. Now, I'm laying out a public challenge to you and myself called 'The BAW (Book A Week) Challenge'. The goal is simple: read 52 books in one year (one a week; four a month). *Note: Yes, this is published in March so if you want to participate it can be 48 books. If you just want the list of books that I'll be reading, you can scroll down. If you're interested in participating, read on.

How I'm approaching the reading process

1. Picking 1-3 areas of my life that I want to most improve or optimize This year, with the goal to find more balance, I've decided to pick diversified topics most important in my life: Health & Wellness, Wealth & Business, Biographies. You can decide to go deep in one topic, and just read books on business, or just on health. Personally my ADHD will drive me nuts, but whatever floats your boat! 2. Create a list of books you want to read Scour the web, browse through Amazon, take some of my suggestions -- do whatever you need to get as many recommendations as possible. Make sure it's from a diversified circle of people or source, so you can get a diversified group of books. Try to go beyond 52 books if you can. 3. Categorize them into the 1-3 areas 

If you have more than 2+ topics, you can either:

Read 4 books a month on one topic, then 4 books on the next. Or...

Diversify by reading books on each topic every month (this is my approach)

Have a free for all section

This gives you the freedom to either choose a book that is not related to the topics you chose, or read another book around your chosen topic. For me, these are topics around psychology, philosophy, relationships, history, fiction books, and more.

4.  Go through your book list and start adding books in the order that you're interested in  What usually works for me is to select topics that I can immediately apply in my life. Otherwise, you feel forced to read something that's not directly applicable. Another tip to keep in mind is to do some back research on the length of each book. For example, you wouldn't want to cram in multiple 400-page books in the span of a month. Unless you're a reading machine, then all the power to you! And last but not least... 5. Put the rest on your backlog The backlog is there in case you run into a book that you lose interest in (which happens more often than you think). I've found that it's rarely a good idea to finish a book for the sake of finishing a book. If you're not vibing with the author, drop it and move on.  

My last $0.02

Take the time to study the process of reading faster. If you're going to be reading 100,000's of words, taking a few minutes to increase your reading speed can save you a massive amount of time.

Measure how fast you currently read using this free test.

Check out these free resources (or research on your own) on how to read faster:

Blog post on Tim Ferriss, Blog post on Rype, Blog post on Mark Manson

Try repeating the test again, and practice until you see some improvements

Audiobooks can speed up your 'reading' MUCH faster. If you can retain non-fiction books in audio format, then this option is highly recommended. Although for certain books that involve more visual representation (such as bodybuilding or nutrition books), I prefer reading them.

Check out Audible or Audiobooks.com

Even though I've resisted Kindle for awhile (I've always liked the tangible feeling of books), adopting it into my life has been huge. I no longer have to carry around books when I travel, and I can bring one tablet that contains all of my books.

If you slip up and forget to read a book (which will happen), keep going. The real purpose of the challenge is not to read 52 books in 52 weeks, it's to develop the habits, time management, and reading skills to read more books. As long as you end up reading more books than you normally would, you've already won.

Without further ado, here's my book-a-week reading list. Use and share it as freely as you please.

January

Health: Becoming the Iceman by Wim Hof

Wealth: The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies by Chet Holmes

Biography: The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone

Free for all: The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

February

Health: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Wealth: The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million Hardcover by Mark Roberge

Biography: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Paperback by Walter Isaacson

Free for all: Getting Everything You Can Out of Everything You've Got by Jay Abraham

March

Health: The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Tim Ferriss

Wealth: Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene M. Schwartz 

Biography: Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Paperback by Ron Chernow

Free for all: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

April

Health: The Bulletproof Diet: Lose up to a Pound a Day, Reclaim Energy and Focus, Upgrade Your Life Hardcover by Dave Asprey

Wealth: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

Biography: Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

Free for all: Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O'Reilly

May

Health: The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting by Michael Mosley

Wealth: Smart Pricing: How Google, Priceline, and Leading Businesses Use Pricing Innovation for Profitability by Jagmohan Raju

Biography: Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's Mass Market Paperback – August 2, 2016

by Ray Kroc

Free for all: Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Expanded Third Edition Hardcover – 2005 by Charles T. Munger

June

Health: Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime by Aubrey de Grey

Wealth:The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

Biography: Sam Walton: Made in America by Sam Walton

Free for all: Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations by Thomas L. Friedman

July

Health: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama

Wealth: Who by Geoff Smart

Biography: The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Free for all: Lying by Sam Harris

August

Health: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease Reprint Edition by Daniel Lieberman Wealth: When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man by Jerry Weintraub

Biography: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Free for all: The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

September

Health: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt

Wealth: How to Build a Real Estate Empire

Biography: Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird Free for all: Our Country's Presidents: All You Need to Know About the Presidents, From George Washington to Barack Obama by Ann Bausum

October

Health: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Wealth: Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential by John Neffinger

Biography: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

Free for all: Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

November

Health: The Men's Health Big Book of Food & Nutrition by Joel Weber

Wealth: The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business  by Patrick M. Lencioni

Biography: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

Free for all: The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence by Gavin de Becker

December

Health: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 

Wealth: Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff

Biography: Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl Free for all: The Complete Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage, Life of Greece, Caesar and Christ, Age of Faith, Renaissance, Age of Reason Begins, Age of Louis ... Revolution, Age of Napoleon, Reformation by Will Durant

The Backlog

Health & Wellness Mindset by Carol Dweck Siddhartha by Hermann Herse Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz   Business & Money

The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack As a Man Thinketh by James Allen Small Giants by Bo Burlingham Disrupt You by Jay Samit Becoming a Category of One by Joe Calloway   Biographies The Churchill Factor by Boris Johnson Muhammad Ali: His Life And Times by Thomas Hauser Empire State Of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office by Zack O’Malley Greenburg Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert   Other Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson On The Shortness of Life by Seneca Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari  What If? by Randall Monroe

You've read How to Read a Book a Week (52 Books in 52 Weeks), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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Being an art director: all you need to know

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Being an art director: all you need to know

Most creative fields have an art director. It& apos; s an impressive undertaking title that exists in graphic design, advertising, marketing, publishing, cinema and TV, web design and video games. Many creatives aspire to become one and if you& apos; re just starting out you probably want to know what you have to do to get the top undertaking. If you are already heading down the path to becoming one, you might want to read on to check you haven& apos; t stumbled off the yellow brick road.

There are a number of so-called soft skills and character traits that are essential to the role. Added to that, of course, is a killer portfolio so if this has prompted you to make sure yours is up to scratch, we& apos; ve get loads of portfolio inspiration to get you started in our rundown of the best portfolio examples.

To get the lowdown on art directing, first we asked art directors from leading studios to share their thoughts and experiences on what art directors do and what makes a good one. And if you& apos; re persuaded the role& apos; s for you, you can read on for some top tips for how to become an art director( skip to the tips-off here ), or head over to our shiny new design chores board to find your next career challenge.

What is an art director?

So what exactly is an art director? It can entail different things in different organisations. Broadly, this undertaking involves managing a team of designers working on a creative project, but the degree of responsibility and freedom can vary.

“As an art director you must be a leader; someone who inspires and guides the vision of the design team, ” explains Blimp Creative founder James Fenton. “You have to be able to recognise the talent in those around you and learn how best to get the best from them.”

Art director Jenny Theolin comments: “For me, the main difference between working as a graphic designer and as an art director was that I ran more with people than computers. And since I prefer to see the creative industry as a people& apos; industry, this collaboration and co-working was key to creating exciting new work.”

Robot Food freshened Mr Kipling’s branding to help it enter a new, international market[ Image: Robot Food]

Ben Brears, strategic design director at Robot Food, points out that 2019 agency models have become more fluid, and individual roles have become less defined. Indeed, there is a bit of a backlash surrounding undertaking titles in the creative community- after all, accurately summing up someone& apos; s role in one or two words is surprisingly tricky, and in many companies, employees will take on a number of different tasks within their day-to-day structure.

“Designer, art director, creative director- all these titles are necessary to create a structure within bureau departments, for the client& apos; s benefit, and for the recruitment process, ” counters Theolin. “And to add to the confusion, descriptions like& apos; Web Ninja& apos ;,& apos ;P ixel Guru& apos; and& apos; Creative Wizard& apos; infiltrate our world as well. But how relevant is all of this to the job we do? “

What does an art director do?

“We create a culture of exploration and experimentation, but equally one where we are guided by the brand strategy and creative brief, ” sums up Claudia Morris, design director at B& B studio. “We need to make sure our squad is empowered and grounded, whilst being aroused and inspired to push boundaries. We need to maintain a culture where the team feel fostered and free to be the best they can.”

We need to make sure our team is empowered and grounded, whilst being aroused and inspired to push boundaries

Claudia Morris, B& B Studio

One key aspect of the art director role is that of management: for example, critiquing people& apos; s run, is an attempt to deadlines and budgets, and( on occasion) disciplining any designers who have become lazy. However, according to Fenton, an art director& apos; s primary concern is to inspire and guidebook their team.

“The role of the art director could be compared to that of a cook, fusing together ingredients to produce a menu of delightful dishes, ” he explains. “All designers inject their individual personalities, savor and style into their work. It is the art director& apos; s role to identify and understand the different flavors each member brings to the team, and then carefully infuse them to complement one another.”

The role of an art director is not limited to considering the visual side of things- they need to be able to guide an audience through the information being presented to them, employing words as well as images, and creating structure and emphasis through the layout and typography. “An art director must appreciate the written content as much as visual, taking on the role of a storyteller, ” remarks Fenton. “You must be a mediator between writers and decorators, understanding both disciplines and working closely with each.”

“& apos; Art director ‘, at least to us at Robot Food, is less a role and more a skillset, one that we foster in all our creative squad, ” says Brears. “We believe in great ideas and bold sentiments, and we encourage them from in all regions of the studio.”

B& B Studio created an eye-catching identity for kombucha brand Fix8[ Image: B& B Studio]

Day to day, he might be designing with the team, providing feedback on different jobs, attending sessions to define the direction of a client& apos; s wider creative strategy. Or he might be helping the team with a tricky bit of Photoshopping or teaching an Illustrator shortcut. But, Brears points out, that doesn& apos; t inevitably equate to a job description for a typical art director.

“How much of this is because of a title, how much of it is because it just’ feels’ like the right thing to do? Would this title mean a damn thing in a different agency with a different doctrine? ” he says.

As we touched on earlier, studios are increasingly developing in such a way that there is a less clear distinction between what different creatives do. “In many companies the traditional squad structure has evolved into paired creative polymaths, ” remarks Theolin. “Ask any creative team working today, and you will see that they share a lot of their work undertakings. Copywriters scamp, art directors write, including contributions to blogs, volumes and magazines. But does this construct them any less an art director? “

What makes a good art director?

So what makes a great art director? Well, you& apos; ll be working with people a lot, so one thing& apos; s for sure: it& apos; s not all about creative talent, you& apos; re also going to need to have the right temperament and personality for the job.

“A fundamental aspect to the role is having the ability to foster the best possible creative environment, ” says Shaun Bowen, creative partner at B& B Studio. “Having the leadership abilities to do this effectively and consistently is one of the most challenging requirements of art director roles- and is not always easy to find in a portfolio. Along with the highest creative flair and talent, it involves an emotional intelligence, compassion and the ability to understand overarching business objectives.”

Know when and where to best invest your energy, when you need to get involved and when it’s better to be more hands off

Shaun Bowen, B& B Studio

There are a number of abilities that will help you shine in this role. Brears sums up his views: “Time management. Knowing when and where to best invest your energy, when you need to get involved and when it’s better to be more hands off. When to say yes, and importantly, when to say no.”

“For me, a good art director has to be open to influence, inspiration and the expertise of the people around them, appreciating their talents, strengths and weaknesses, while maintaining a clear vision of delivering a message that speaks directly to the reader, viewer or user, ” says Fenton.

Ultimately though, the role is often shaped by the person in it. “There is no single formula for what makes a good art director: it& apos; s not a discipline taught in design schools, there are no books or guides that define the steps to success, ” adds Fenton.

“Every art director will have forged their own path, have their own definition of what their role is and their own approach to getting the job done and done well. Sometimes, this may be learned from their own mentors and passed down in a master-apprentice way, while others may formulate their process utterly independently, through their personal experience and trial and error.”

Top tips for becoming an art director

James Fenton, founder of Blimp Creative, believes you have to abandon the idea of hierarchy[ Image: Blimp Creative]

01. Remember, it& apos; s all about teamwork

A big part of the job of an art director is knowing how and when to use different team members& apos; talents.

“No person is an island; design and studio life are rarely a solitary endeavor. We’re all products and producers of our environments, ” says Brears. “Being able to craft a beautiful illustration or piece of typography yourself is a wonderful skill set to have, but equally, so is having the foresight to recognise when it’s not you or your team’s strength, and then commissioning the right person for the number of jobs. The journey is as important as the destination and being able to communicate the whats, the whys, and the pit-stops along the way is crucial.”

That means, when you& apos; re putting together your portfolio or have applied for the role, you need to be clear on the role you played in each project. It& apos; s not all about you.

02. Put together a killer portfolio

As with any creative role, your first stop is to make sure your portfolio is up to scratch. “Show a good design portfolio of work that represents the style of art direction you hire and want to strive for, ” says OneRedEye founder Ed Robinson.

Brears is more succinct with his advice: “I want to see great ideas beautifully executed.”

For more advice, assure our post on how to curate a creative portfolio.

03. Don& apos; t focus on hierarchy

While you will be managing people, the job of art director is not about hurling your weight around. “Someone who watches themselves as the design top dog will inevitably be heading for a embarrassing fall, ” explains Fenton. “You have to be able to recognise the talent in those around you … An art director who assures themselves in a position of hierarchical authority is simply a glorified manager.”

04. Be confident with feedback

To be the best art director you can be, you& apos; ll need to be confident dedicating feedback, both internally and outside of your studio. “Internally, feedback and criticism is a piece of cake. There’s no egos here at Robot Food. We don’t care if feedback comes from an intern, or an account director- if it helps build the work better it’s valid, ” says Brears.

However, feeding back to external specialists- illustrators, photographers, animators and so on- can be trickier. “You have to get past your own impostor syndrome and be prepared to stand up for the studio’s vision, ” advises Brears. “We aim to work with the best talent we can, and it’s easy to default to thinking they know best and your own experience isn’t as valid. But ultimately, you know the brief, the client, and the result you want to achieve – it’s about working closely and collaboratively to get there.”

For more advice, take a look at our guide to how to give and get more from art critiques.

05. Make friends

Of course, there is plenty that can be learned from those who have been in the role themselves. “Hound your heroes and ask to meet them. Many love to talk about themselves, so ask to meet them for advice, to pick their brains- and to see their work! ” suggests Theolin. “However, don& apos; t be surprised if your icons actually turn out to be old, grumpy farts.”

06. Gain knowledge of the job

You& apos; ll have a role in shaping the direction of projects and pushing the creative in new directions, so you& apos; re going to need to be aware of industry progressions and tendencies, and work hard to keep things fresh. “Stay on top of blogs and trend reports, ” advises Theolin. “Keep the momentum up and don& apos; t get stuck in a bubble. Creative exploration is one of the benefits of this industry, so get out there and do different things differently.”

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Read more: creativebloq.com