#inspired by all my amazing mutuals who make instagrams for their readers

[ickyrafe]

some of camtwin!reader’s posts…

[cherrycheridarling]

'someday maybe' | t.h.

tom holland x singer!reader

warnings: one swear? fluff and angst? kisses

summary: you're so close to finishing your second album when your manager pushes the deadline, your ex tom helps you write the final track.

{listen to someday by michael bublè and meghan trainor (if you want)}

wc: 2.1k

"Someday maybe when we're old and grey,"

"Yes, yes. I know. You are not being a very helpful manager right now, Noelle." you spoke to your phone as you paced around the living room, "Okay. I'll get working on it. Bye." you huffed and threw your phone against the couch.

Your album was due to be released in two months and you needed one more song to tie it all together. Your manager, Noelle, was pushing you to finish the song so she could start the promo of the album.

You were incredibly grateful for your career, but the pressure weighed down on you everyday. Never ending.

With a final groan you picked up your acoustic guitar and sat on the couch. Picking at the strings, trying to find a melody. You hit record on your voice memo app before strumming away.

"Someday maybe when we're old and grey, we can be in love once more. 'Till then I won't give my love away. Darling, I'm forever only yours." you sang softly.

You and Tom had a joyous relationship. A love that only ever existed in movies and fairytales. The type of love story that gets told for generations and onwards. But alas, all good things must come to an end.

Your breakup was calm, serene and clean. A mutual agreement as if your whole relationship had been a business deal. There were no loose ends or jealous passive aggressive remarks made. Just maturity and respect for one another.

Your pinky still held the promise ring he gave you. A token of appreciation. A reassurance that he'd always be there for you. And he lived up to his word.

Tom walked in and sat across from you, startling you, "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Whatcha writing?"

"Need a final song for the album. Sorry for showing up unannounced. I just get better inspiration here, with all the memories, you know?" you timidly looked back down at the guitar.

Tom nodded, "No need to apologize. We gave you a spare key for a reason."

You couldn't stop yourself from spilling the words from your lips, "That was when we were together."

You could hear the awkward silence start to fill the room before he spoke again, "Still our best friend, Y/L/N."

The pain that crossed your features was instant. Being addressed by your last name felt like a stab to the gut. Especially by Tom.

You nodded before playing again, "Can I help you write it?" Tom asked as he sat next to you.

"Dancer, gymnast, actor and now songwriter. How many hidden talents have you got, Holland?" you teased making him laugh.

He shrugged with a smile, "It's kind of like writing a poem, right?"

You pondered on his analogy before slowly nodding, "Yeah, it kind of is. Give it a go."

You began playing the melody and he listened intently for a few moments before singing, "I love seeing you happy. I miss seeing that smile. It's been such a long time. A– Nope. Nope. Nuh-uh. I can't do it." he shook his head aggressively with a loud laugh as you stopped playing.

"No!" you quickly protested, "That was amazing! Don't leave me hanging, c'mon." you nudged him with your shoulder before strumming again.

"Alright, alright." he ran his hands down his face, "And although I don't have you, I know now that I need to?" he paused and gave you a skeptical look before you nodded again, "Somehow make you mine. Mmm."

"Oh, okay. He's giving ad-libs and all. Get it." you nodded as he laughed.

You were so engrossed on Tom actually writing a song with you that you didn't focus on the lyrics he was singing.

"And I won't lie, it's hard seeing you with him 'cause I know he can't hold you like I can." his mood seemed to drop by a thousand as the words left his lips.

"When can we meet this boyfriend of yours?" Harrison flicked your forehead from across the booth.

You, Harrison, Tom and Tuwaine were all sat in the local pub. Pints of beer in front of each of you as loud music and chatting filled your ears.

You shrugged, "He's picking me up, so possibly tonight."

Tuwaine's eyes lit up, "Fina-fucking-lly. I swear you've kept him hidden for years."

"We've only been together for three months, T." you laughed lightly with the group of boys.

And they met him. It wasn't the smoothest of introductions, but an introduction nonetheless.

"Boys, this is Kai. Kai this is Tom, Harrison and Tuwaine." you gestured to the parties as they all shook hands and gave polite greetings.

"So," Harrison started, "What do you do for a living, Kai?"

Kai cleared his throat, "I'm a Senior Resident at Kingston Hospital. Working towards being Head of Pediatrics."

Tuwaine and Harrison both nodded, impressed by his profession. Tom's face remained expressionless as he stared at Kai with cold eyes.

"Do you have any siblings, Kai? Any psycho ex-girlfriends? Any wacky cousins?" Tuwaine joked making everyone laugh. "'Cause Y/N has a lot of wacky cousins."

"We could be in love once more,"

"Hey!" you gasped with a laugh.

Kai pulled you closer to him as he laughed, "No, no wacky cousins or psycho exes, but I do have an older sister and a younger brother."

This game of ask and answer continued on for a few more minutes. Tom didn't say a word, just sipped his beer and burned holes into Kai with his eyes. If looks could kill, Kai would be six feet under.

Kai was a sweetheart, but you two ended ages ago. His work got too much for him and your job had you touring and travelling every second.

You picked up after him with the chorus before diving into your own verse, "I remember that love song. I sang every word wrong, but you didn't mind, no, no."

"I love the things you do. It's how you do the things you love. Well it's not a love song, not a love song. I love the way you get me, but correct me if I'm wrong. This is not a love song, not a love song!" Tom belted the 'Austin & Ally' song from the top of his lungs.

"Your turn!" he pointed the pretend mic in your direction.

You laughed, not knowing any of the lyrics, but still wanting to participate, "I love that you not a licket! And you own a watch and chicken! We got a car!" you sang with full confidence, making Tom burst with laughter.

"Yes! Sing it, darling!" he cheered you on, "Absolutely butchering the lyrics, but sing it!"

"Being stuck inside a car. If it's not a doe, don't kiss it! I can't hear a missing, when there's a shoe inside the ceiling! If you really need to fart, you can lunch on a pig farm! Love song! Love song!" you couldn't even hear the song in the background, your voice overpowering it.

Tom was hunched over from laughing before he came back up and planted a soft kiss on your lips, "You are one hundred percent ridiculous and I love it."

You brought yourself back to reality and sang again, "And I'll admit that I miss you, but only if you do. 'Cause you know that I'm shy. And I can't lie, it's hard seeing you with her. 'Cause I know she can't love you like I can."

Tom's eyes met yours as the words fell from your gentle lips. His mouth was slightly agape as you continued to strum.

"You are absolute rubbish. Imagine coming in eighth. Embarassing." you laughed as you crushed Harrison in a game of Mario Kart.

He shoved you with his shoulder, "You're such a try ha—"

"—It's always the same, Tom! How can I trust you? You follow gorgeous models on Instagram and expect me to trust you?" Nadia's voice cut Harrison's words off.

You looked at him with wide eyes, his expression matching yours.

"Those women that I follow have been my friends for ages. Who I follow on a stupid app shouldn't effect how much you trust me."

You paused the game, cutting off the theme song, "How long have they been fighting like this?"

Harrison sighed, a long groan following, "A few weeks. I think it started when she saw that he liked your Instagram picture?"

You stammered, "M-my post? She got mad about my post?"

Harrison nodded before opening his mouth to speak, but Nadia cut him off again, "And she practically lives here! How do you think it makes me feel seeing my boyfriend play house with a superstar?!"

"Aw, a superstar? I'm flattered." you joked making Harrison stifle a laugh.

"I've been friends with Y/N since we were in nappies!"

"I can't be with you if you're going to be friends with her."

Your laughter abruptly died at her words. Harrison stiffened beside you.

"Y-you can't be serious. You can't make me choose between you and her."

"Why? Because you're gonna choose her?" you could hear her voice crack.

"I-" Tom couldn't make out a sentence for a few moments, "Yeah. I'm gonna choose her."

Your heart fell from it's place, stopping at your feet. Harrison brought a hand to his mouth, "H-he chose you. He chose you!" he whisper shouted before you shushed him.

"Of course. I don't know why I expected anything different. I think I'll be going now." Nadia's footsteps approached the living room.

You and Harrison scrambled to look as if you weren't eavesdropping on their argument/breakup.

Tom followed close behind her, "I'm sorry. I really am."

She nodded, hand on the doorknob, "I know. Goodbye." she stepped out of the house, slamming the front door shut in the process.

Tom let out a breath of relief before turning to you and Harrison who were staring at the Mario Kart home screen with the infamous tune playing.

"You guys are terrible actors."

"'Till then I won't give my love away,"

"I'm forever only yours." the both of you finished the song in unison.

There was a moment of silence before you reached over and ended the voice recording.

"T-that was really good. You can change what I wrote, I know it isn't as good as anything you would've written, but I tried. And it was actually pretty fun and I never knew how difficult songwriting was un—"

"—Kiss me." you cut Tom's rambling off.

His eyes grew wide, "W-wha—"

"—Kiss me, Holland."

He swallowed, a small smile stretching on his lips, "Thank God."

And with that, he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. Interlocking like missing puzzle pieces. Moving in sync like waves in the ocean. Soft and sweet, but filled with passion. You could feel his smile against your lips causing you to grin.

His hand came up to pull your face closer into his. Caressing your jaw, fingertips playing with the hairs on the back of your neck. His other hand holding your hip in a tight grip. Pressing the pads of his digits into your flesh, scared that you might slip through his fingers again.

One of your hands was pressed flat against his chest. Steadying yourself, the heat of the kiss threatening to throw you off of your axis. Your other hand tangled itself into Tom's curls. Pulling and tugging lightly causing small groans to fall from Tom's lips. Your fingernails scratching his scalp. Pulling him impossibly closer to you.

"I want my ten pounds." Harrison's voice snapped you and Tom out of your make out session.

Him and Tuwaine stood in the doorway, shit eating grins on their faces.

Tuwaine laughed before placing a ten pound note in Harrison's palm, "You guys couldn't have waited until next month to get back together?"

"You two were betting on us?" Tom laughed at his mates who nodded.

You shook your head with a smile, "Absolute idiots, all of you."

Harrison let out a happy sigh and pocketed the money, "Today was a good day. Had a sick ass shoot. Got ten pounds. And my best friends are finally together again." he waltzed into the kitchen with Tuwaine, leaving you and Tom alone again.

Tom's shy expression met your gleeful one before he spoke, "Someday came a lot sooner than expected, huh?" he chuckled.

You nodded with a laugh, "It certainly did and I am not complaining."

He sent you a wide grin before cupping your face and connecting your lips to his again.

"Darling, I'm forever only yours."

[mrs-i-have-too-many-biases]

Stray Kids as your Secret Admirer

Scenario: They are your secret admirer. Genre: Fluff/ Humour AU Prompts: College AU/ Office AU/ Idol AU/ Fan AU/ High School AU/ Non-Idol AU/ Bakery AU Pairing: Stray Kids Members X Female Reader Word count: 7,4K Warnings: None really, maybe some swear words.

Chan: (College au)

“Just talk to her already!” Minho whined at the music major next to him. Chan, one of the biggest heartthrobs of the campus and known for his confidence, his kind nature and his amazing songs, was right now trembling in his boots because his crush walked by and almost caught him in his tracks.

Minho sighed as he spoke up again. “And how long do you think you’ll be able to keep this up?” “As long as I need to.” Chan murmured back, his face seemed to have heated up as his eyes followed her figure. Minho shook his head in disbelief at his smitten friend. It was time for another step and both of them knew it.

Chan continued his secret admirer act, writing Y/n love letters and notes of adoration.

‘You looked ethereal today, I’ve learned about this word the other day and I couldn’t help but think of you. ‘Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world.’’

Y/n blushed under the tree she was sitting under as she read the note over and over again. The little notes of adoration were the highlight of her day. She couldn’t believe that there was someone this good with words and this sweet who was possibly interested in her.

And Minho on the other hand couldn’t believe that Chan still was keeping up the same act like he has been for the past 4 months. But today things were going to change, Minho made sure of it. Especially since Chan didn’t notice Y/n sitting behind the tree.

“Is that another letter of affection mister Bang?” Minho teased as he noticed the familiar envelope in his friend’s hands. “Yeah.”  Chan simply giggled. The younger lad would playfully roll his eyes at him as he continued his not-so thought through strategy to make Chan confess. “When are you going to give this to Y/n?” “She has a free period right now, so I have no idea when I can sneak this into her bag or locker.” “Why don’t you just do it right now.” Minho said as they abruptly stopped walking, Minho’s hands on Chan’s shoulders to turn him around.

Causing him to finally face his crush who looked at him with a surprised expression. “Good luck buddy.” Minho simply said, patting his frozen friend before he walked off.

“So, it was you all along?” Y/n asked him as she got up on her feet to face the shy boy. “Y-you sound disappointed.” Chan mutters softly under his breath, feeling like he was going to be rejected any second now. She noticed his trembling hands and his sad eyes under his hair that was hanging over his face. She rushed to him and took his face in her hands. “I’m not disappointed, not at all! I love these notes! I cherish them dearly. They are the highlight of my day. It’s just I can’t believe that it’s you.” She giggled shyly as she made him look at her, this time her eyes filled with adoration as she looked at her admirer.

“So, your feelings are mutual?” “I fell in love with the words you’ve left me, now it’s time for me to fall with the man who’s written them.”

Minho: (Office au)

“Sometimes I really wonder why you’re my co-worker.” Y/n whined as Minho took the small stuffed animal from her hands that she was trying to hide from him. For the past few weeks Y/n had been receiving notes and small gifts almost every day from her ‘secret admirer’. And her best friend Minho, who happened to be her colleague as well, couldn’t miss a second of teasing the living hell out of her for it.

“Seems like this guy really is whipped for you huh? Did you blackmail someone to make it seem like you’re loved by somebody- ouch!” Minho whined as he rubbed his punched arm that was hurting because of his friend. She quickly took the stuffed animal from him and placed it back on her desk.

“Shut up and no, I didn’t blackmail someone or bribed them before you even start asking.” Y/n mutters, huffing as she sat back on her seat. Minho only laughed and secretly stole a glance as he saw her look at the small soft toy in adoration.

When Minho sat across from her he had a hard time to not stare at his crush, especially with a big monitor dividing them both. He would have often have to tease Y/n and annoy her just a little bit, only to gain her attention. Her rolling eyes would be enough for him, not the best kind of attention, but it worked for him. Besides, he couldn’t make it obvious that he was the one gifting Y/n all of this or that he was her secret admirer. He wouldn’t hear the end of it if she found out that it was him.

Minho was done with his tasks and had nothing better to do, so he went to search online if there would be anything cute or anything his friend and crush would like that he could give her. If he could, he would’ve given her the world. It was a natural thing for him to admirer her. She was excellent at her job and she shined independently, so he often wondered if she even thought of him as more than a friend.

Y/n had wondered the same, she knows her best friend is eye-candy. And sadly the other colleagues of the department saw that too. Many people were all over him during breaks or would find any reason to talk to him. And all the teasing and bickering she and Minho had going on between one another, didn’t really make it look like he was interested in her like she was in him. So, this secret admirer came almost at a perfect timing as Y/n was slowly giving up on Minho and her feelings towards him. “Psst!” She heard him whisper not so subtly. ‘Dinner?’ The blue note said that Minho held up. She chuckled to herself and gave her friend a thumbs up as confirmation.

Hours passed and the two of them were now seated in their favourite restaurant. Minho was grilling the meat in between you as the two of you complained together about work.

“Let’s talk about something else.” Minho eventually proposes. “About what? You probably just want to tease me for having a secret admirer.” Y/n pouted as she munched on her food. “I mean, you’re asking for it. You have that thing on the table as we speak.” Minho laughed in disbelief. “Hey, it’s a highlight of my day, shut it.” She pointed her chopsticks at her friend as a threat, causing him to burst into laughter once again and throwing his hands up in the air. “Am I not enough for you?” Minho joked, but not receiving an answer from her cracked his heartstrings.

He looked back up after sighing softly, seeing her being too busy munching on her food. He wanted the kind of attention that she was giving everything else but him. “Maybe I should gift you a filled lunchbox next time.” Minho muttered under his breath. But Y/n’s gasp and the sound of her choking on her food made him panic and realise what he just said.

“I-it’s you who’s been gifting me things?” “Uhm-“ “You are my secret admirer?” She asked with wide eyes. “This wasn’t part of the plan.” Minho sighed as he put down his chopsticks, knowing he had to get this over one day. “I-“ “So, you are my secret admirer? Yet, you make fun of ‘him’, which turns out to be yourself?” “I’m not going to hear the end of this, am I?” “Yup.”

Minho groaned, but was sooner enough stopped by the sudden touch of her hands on his. “You’re pretty stupid you know.” “I know, but you like me. Or well, at least the gifts I gave you.” He chuckled before taking another bite of his food to avoid any kind of awkward tension. “You know that I like you better, right?” Minho breath was caught in his throat and he almost spat out his food in surprise by her confession. “Really?” “Yes, you dummy. You better get me that lunchbox you were mumbling about! Thank you baby!” She shot him a smile and pinched his cheeks playfully. Making him shake his head before he fed her some food this time. He knew better to let her make fun of him.

Changbin: (Idol AU)

“Changbin-“ Chan was cut off by his younger friend jump up in his seat. “Why?” Changbin sighed as he tried to calm his heart, his phone clutched in his other hand. “Our manager is now even asking me, to ask you to stop.” Chan simply puts out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Changbin lied as he tried to focus again on his phone. “Mate, I literally saw the email you were writing. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” His older friend sighed. “Chan, I really just want to work together with her.” Changbin whined as his phone was taken from him by his leader. “I get that. She’s incredibly talented and your favourite rapper, but she’s also your crush and that’s why you’re acting like this.”

“Don’t you have any dignity?” Chan asked as he read parts of the mail. “Nope, she’s taken it. My sanity as well.” Changbin stated with a sheepish smile. “Well, I’ve noticed that, but you need to tone it down a little. Her manager might even think you’re a saesang or tell Y/n about all of this and you might never be able to work with her.” “I know, but she’s such an inspiration and so great. I just can’t wait.” “Time will come around, just tone it down for now.”

And time did pass. The boys started to work on their new album and it was time for them again to start promoting. Changbin had kept his promise and toned the emails down. He had hopped on the Instagram DM-train. He would compliment her on his fan-account, so that his identity would stay safe and that his members won’t tease him as much like they used to do. Changbin even hopped onto the trend of making fan-edits, to make his account seem legit okay, nothing else… 

That’s what he’s trying to tell himself.

He has so many pictures of her on her phone. Lots of ones where the concept of the pictures were ‘girlfriend material’. Binnie is an absolute sucker for those. He even found a couple edits where Y/n and Changbin himself were edited together, his fans knew about Changbin’s adoration for Y/n and some couldn’t help but ship the two. He would gush at the edits and whine to himself in wish for it to be reality. The buff rapper received weird but commons looks from his team as he was orientated on the pictures on his phone.

“Do you think he knows that Y/n is here tonight?” Hyunjin asked his leader in a whisper. “I don’t think he does. He’s a super fan, but he’s too busy crushing on her to be able to know when and where she’s actually promoting her stuff.” Chan laughed in responds.

The two teammates then had a ‘brilliant’ idea and told the others that they would be back in just a second, before they left the waiting room. Changbin was in the meantime too busy to notice them leaving as he was scrolling through his fan-account and others that posted things about Y/n.

“Changbin-“ Chan once again was cut off by Changbin who jumped up in his seat in surprise. “Again. Why?” Changbin whined as he clutched his chest. “We’ve got someone waiting for you who you’ve been wanting to meet.” Chan states as he dragged his friend with him. “Wait what-“ “Changbin meet Y/n! Y/n meet Changbin!” Hyunjin chirped as he pushed his friend closer to his crush. “Wait-“ “Welp, we got to go for now, it was lovely to meet you Y/n and I bet that we will meet each other again!” Chan grinned before he dragged Hyunjin with him back into the waiting room.

“I didn’t know you were here.” Changbin stuttered shyly, not being able to look her in the eye. “That’s an honest surprise, since my manager has told me a lot about you.” She teased as she shot him a smile. “Of course, he did.” Changbin was able to mutter out, his words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

His hands were clammy and he felt like he was sweating all over the place. He hoped he looked reasonable and that he didn’t gave her a weird impression. “I’ve heard that you wanted to do a collaboration with me?” “Yes! I mean, yes I would love to. I think that we would be able to work together greatly and that our music would go well together.” Changbin could mentally slap himself for not being able to pull himself together. “Could I give you my number then? I’ll be up in twenty minutes. So, sadly I don’t have too much time on my hands right now.”

Changbin could feel his stomach do flips in his body and his heart skip a beat. He unlocked his phone mindlessly and handed it to her as he stuttered out a ‘sure’. And then it hit him. Especially when he saw her surprised expression: his fan-account. “Wait!” Changbin stressed as he quickly took the phone from her, but she saw it already. The damage was done.

She must think that he’s a weirdo now. “You’re that sweet fan who’s been sending me all those nice messages?” Or not?

“Wait, you’ve read those?” “I’ve seen the account pop up in my DM’s quite a lot and I once accidently clicked on it and read the messages you wrote. I thought you would be able to see when I read a message you send, but I guess not. They really motivated me and they were truly the sweetest thing. My manager even teased me for having a secret admirer. Turns out that those nice emails and the sweet DM’s had a connection to each other.” Y/n said with endearing eyes to the guy in front of her.

“I guess you could say that I’m very fond of you.” Changbin shyly admits. “I’d say I’ve become quite fond of you too, but I still would like to know you better and maybe in the future work together one some music. You could say that I’m also a pretty big Stray Kids fan.” “Oh yeah, who’s your favourite then?” “Let me think, his name starts with a C and ends with an N.” “Chan?” Changbin blurts out sadly. “No silly, you Changbin.” She giggled.

Hyunjin: (Fan AU)

“You know you will never meet her, right.” Jeongin, Hyunjin’s best friend, teased. “Shut up! You don’t need to rub it in my face you know.” He sighed as he tried to push his younger friend in the bushes next to them. “I know that it’s a hard pill to swallow, but she’s an idol. We’re not from that world, it’s not likely for our roads to cross.” “But not impossible.” Hyunjin states as a matter of a fact, causing his younger friend to sigh.

“You’re impossible.” “I’m just living my life man, just let me be.” Hyunjin cried out dramatically as he tried to continue drawing during their break. They were seated outside of the campus grounds under a nice tree, sheltered from the sun as it shined brightly.

“I get that she’s a great artist-“ “The greatest artist of all time.” Hyunjin bummed in to correct. “We’ll see about that-“ “I’ll fight you baby bread-“ “Anyway! How’s your artwork going? I still can’t believe that you build a fanbase within Y/n’s fanbase based of your art.” “I know, I’m just so inspired by her and her music, her beauty. It’s all so overwhelming I just feel like she’s unreal sometimes.” Hyunjin sighed as he stared of into the distance. “And I feel like you are unreal sometimes.” Jeongin mumbles as he stared at his ridiculous friend.

“Got anything new planned to make?” “No, I only have this one drawing that I want to finish and post.” Hyunjin answered as they continued to enjoy the warmth of the sun. “Maybe you should find an actual job that pays you money, besides trying to sell your sketches or artwork that you make off miss Y/n.” Jeongin teased. “You’re starting to sounds like my mom. At least she’s supportive of me.” He cried out dramatically, before receiving a punch from his friend. “I’m just saying, you need to do something else besides dedicating your life and all of your time to her.” “I’m perfectly fine, honestly. Sleep is just a little-“ “Dude.” “I’m kidding.” Hyunjin assured. “Well, I hope you’re not lying, because I rather not find you in a hospital due exhaustion and I got to go now, I don’t have a free period like you.” “Actually, I’m already done for the day.” Hyunjin smiled as he started to pack up as well. “What the hell are you still doing here then?” Jeongin exclaimed. “Bothering you, got to go now! Good luck on your lecture!” Hyunjin chirped before walking off.

Hyunjin had gone home and started to work on his assignment and homework. Not necessarily because he was a great student. No, he really wanted to finish of the drawing he was talking about with Jeongin earlier that day.

And he did, but then he received a notification. His breath was caught in his throat. Y/n had posted an announcement that she was holding a special concert in Seoul, where he was living and breathing. Well, not so sure about breathing. Jeongin neither.

“Hyunjin breath!”  He yelled over the phone as Hyunjin had called him to rant. “I want to go so bad! But you know what the ticket sales are like!” Hyunjin cried out late at night. “Dude, just post your art for now and go to sleep. I have a test to study for-“ “But-“ “Goodnight!” Hyunjin groaned as he put his phone away and grabbed his laptop to post the artwork he had finished.

Hyunjin sighed and contemplated on sleeping in early tonight, or at least what he dares to call early at it was one o’clock already. But he decided to spam his group chat instead.

HJ: HAVE YOU SEEN HER ANNOUNCEMENT FL: IKR YJ: FELIX DON’T ENCOURAGE HIM HJ: HE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO TRULY UNDERSTANDS (⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯) HJ: *sends a picture of one of the promo photo’s* YJ: Wait a minute FL: Jinnie I also saw your new art post! I loved it HJ: Thank youuu~ YJ: Are you two really going to ignore the fact that Y/n’s promo photo’s look a lot like Hyunjin’s art style? YJ: or….? HJ: ┌╏ º □ º ╏┐ FL: ┌╏ º □ º ╏┐ HJ: No it doesn’t YJ: DON’T YOU DARE START THIS BOII FL: BRUH HJ: YOU’RE SEEING THINGS MAN MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET SOME SLEEP YJ: YOU’RE THE ONE TO TALK FANBOY FL: BURRRRN HJ: DUDE DON’T GET ME STARTED ON YOU AND YOUR BINGE GAMING- FL: ...･ヾ(。￣□￣)ﾂ

A couple weeks had passed and Hyunjin got was in his room as usual as he checked his Instagram. He never bothered checking his notifications, but he wished he did. ‘Y/n_Official’ The account read.

‘It couldn’t be.’ Hyunjin muttered to himself. He checked the message and the account multiple times to see if it was legit. The young artist tried to calm himself as he read the message one last time:

‘Hi! I just want to say that I love the art that you make and I feel very humbled and flattered by it! I would love to meet you at one of the concerts that I’m holding soon. Please send your personal information to this email if you’re interested! If not, I totally understand. In that case I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate it! Thank you for supporting me!

With much love,

Y/n’

Hyunjin’s heart was about to malfunction or jump out of his chest he didn’t know. All he knew was that within the next two weeks he was now finally standing in front of his celebrity crush. Jeongin and Felix couldn’t believe how lucky their friend had gotten and even called it a fanfiction moment.

After the concert Hyunjin was taken backstage to where he’d be meeting Y/n. She had changed into a big hoodie and looked cute and comfortable. “So, you are the amazing artist behind these?” Y/n asked after they greeted each other. Hyunjin simply nodded due to his nervousness, causing his crush to giggle. “I can’t believe you’re hiding behind your own art when you yourself are stunning!” Y/n exclaimed as she shamelessly stared at the boy in front of her. “You’re the stunning one here.” Hyunjin mumbled to himself, but loud enough for her to hear. “Why don’t you give me your number I think we look stunning together, but I’d like to get to know you a little better. I would like to hear more about you instead of reading those sweet and supportive words you left for me under your artwork my pretty admirer.”

Hyunjin knew her confidence was unattainable, but that’s what he liked about her.

Jisung: (High School AU)

Jisung sprinted through the hallways after slipping a note in her locker. He caught his breath in the hopes that she hadn’t seen him. ‘You need to be careful, otherwise you’re going to get caught.’ He scolded himself.

This is the result of falling in love with your best friend. One day they’re hanging out together, cosy on their couch and Jisung stared at her.

‘Her lips are pretty when she pouts like that.’ ‘Has her eyes always been this sparkly?’ ‘Gosh she just looks so cute and cosy I want to hug her to death.’ ‘Her cheeks look very kissable- wait what.’

Right there and then, two months ago to be exact, he realized that he had the biggest crush on his very own best friend. Suddenly she shined brighter than the sun and the stars at night. She was the only one he could see in a not-too big crowd, Jisung doesn’t really like crowds that were too big. She’s so comforting and sweet, always there for him, as a friend.

Jisung sighed once again as he made his way to class where he’d be waiting for her to join her as they were desk-mates after all.

“Sungie~” She sang whilst walking towards her own seat next to him. “You look happy today, Y/n.” Jisung states as he wiggles his eyebrows. “Another note.” She sang once again as she waved the paper in his face. “Your secret admirer?” He teased, receiving a hum in responds.

“I wonder who it could be.” “I think I might have an idea who it could be.” Y/n mutters, causing Jisung’s heart to stop. “Who?” He managed to stutter out. “I hope it’s Hyunjin to be honest.”

The answer was like a dagger to Jisung’s heart. Never she had mentioned to have feelings for Hyunjin and why didn’t he know? He could feel his heart break little by little as seconds passed by. He wanted to run away and go home to hide in his bed, but he had an entire day of school to survive. Running wasn’t an option.

Y/n on the other hand, wasn’t being honest. She was well aware that her best friend has been crushing on her. He hasn’t been very subtle about it. He was always staring at her, hearts in his eyes as he did. Y/n had to contain herself into spilling her own love for her best friend to him as she was enjoying his tactics a little too much.

She caught him putting notes in her locker, she’d wait on the corner of the hallway so he won’t notice her, but he wasn’t fast enough.

Now, days later. Jisung was at home, he hadn’t gone to school ever since Y/n’s ‘confession’. He hadn’t been feeling well, physically and mentally. He felt drained and like no hope was left for his feelings. Y/n had missed him at school and decided to surprise him. And surprised he was as he jolted in his bed when he saw his best friend stand in the doorframe of his bedroom one afternoon.

“Why haven’t you been at school?” She asked blatantly. “I’ve been sick.” “You don’t look sick to me. You don’t feel hot either, your cheeks are glowing though.” She states as she cups his face, knowing exactly what she was doing. She knew why he was home, but she wanted to hear it from him and she was growing impatient. “I just haven’t been feeling well, okay?” Jisung mumbles as he shook his head a little to try and get her hands off his now-burning face.

“Because I said I hoped that the letters came from Hyunjin instead of you?” The words made Jisung spin. “What?” He stuttered, shocked at her blunt words once again. “Sungie, c’mon just say what I want to hear.” She whined as she dropped her hands on his shoulders. Looking at him in desperation. “What?” He stuttered once again, this time confused. “Sungie, I know you like me, but I want to hear it from you! I’m literally begging you at this point to confess to me.” Y/n chuckled in madness, she was losing her mind over her dense best friend who she has falling deeply for.

“You know? How-“ “You’re not very subtle mister so-called secret admirer.” She laughed, caressing his cheeks to calm him down. She could feel him shaking after all.

“But you…” He mutters whilst his voice trailed off. “Do you want me to say it?” His silent was his answer as he didn’t know what to expect. “Han Jisung, I like you. I like you more than a friend. I want to stay best friends, because you are my best friend. But I’ve fallen deeply for you and I have started to love you.” Y/n states in a soft tone, causing Jisung’s heart to skip a beat. “I love you too.” Was all he could say before he sat up and pressed his lips onto hers.

Lee Felix: (Idol AU)

As a foreigner and an idol in South Korea, Felix was still working on his Korean every day. He’d still learn and try to improve himself every day in order to ‘survive’ in Korea and to communicate with the locals.

And as he was doing that he tried to perfect his handwriting, which his members found cute. He didn’t know why, but he just had a certain way of writing that his member’s adored.

Felix might be an idol, but that doesn’t stop him from fanboying over his own favourite idols, which was Y/n. He had discovered her through a livestream that he was watching of a gamer that he really likes and he was surprised to see and Idol do stuff like this, she seemed to be free in whatever she wanted to do.

The freckled Aussie really liked that and he became curious about her. He wanted to know her name, but ends up falling into a pit that’s called her and now he’s pretty much stuck and whipped for her. He didn’t know how to approach her, he knew he could. He’s a public figure and so is she, but that made it tricky. He wanted to love and appreciate her, without her knowing who he was. What if she knew who he was and that she could possibly think that it could be a publicity stunt of some sort?

He had been overthinking the situation before it even had started. That’s when he started to send her flowers and handwritten letters or notes to her with words of adoration and praise. Y/n had received them all, today as well in her very own dressing room. She wondered who it could be and if the mysterious person ever wanted to show their face to her, she was curious to know who this romanticist could be. “Flowers once more?” Her stylist teases as Y/n had been busy reading the sweet letter over and over again, whilst the flowers had been resting in her arms. “It’s just so sweet and thoughtful, no one has ever done this for me. In a romantic way at least.” Y/n sighed, putting the gift away so her stylist could get to work. “I know you would like to meet your secret admirer badly, but on the brighter side your favourite group is here.” Her stylist chirps in hopes to cheer Y/n up just a little.

“Suzy stop, the girl isn’t going to let us hear the end of it once she starts about those 8.” Y/n’s makeup artist jokes. “You shh and make her even prettier, she has to meet her favourite people very soon.”

In the meantime Felix ‘only just now’ heard the news about Y/n being in the same building as they are for their promotion. “You already knew, didn’t you?” Chan simply asks after he didn’t get the reaction he hoped to receive. Felix simply nodded and hummed in responds, looking at his best friend with big and happy eyes.

The younger Aussie couldn’t sit still, he was all smiley and was very excited to hopefully meet Y/n today. He hadn’t stopped gushing about her and the boys all knew by now that Felix was hopelessly in love with this girl he’s never met before.

“Are you ready to MC with your favourite girl?” Chan teased as he shook his friend playfully. “I’m shaking,” was all Felix could say, causing his friend to laugh. “You’ll be fine. Plus, we better put on a memorable performance for her and the fans of course. Make sure she’ll never forget you.” Chan chuckled before letting his younger friend rehears his lines.

Felix ran through his notes once more as he was led to where they would be filming. His breath was caught in his throat when he spotted Y/n from the corner of his eye. Chan and his manager were across of him, sending him a thumbs up whilst staying to support him.

“Hello.” Y/n greeted cheerfully before bowing politely to Felix, whose knees were buckling. He bowed as well as he greeted her, receiving a smile from her. ‘Contain yourself Lix,’ he thought to himself before going through his notes once more. Y/n was trying to find the confidence to talk to Felix, but she couldn’t help but notice the small notes that he was busy reading and she recognised the handwriting.

“Did you write the notes?” The question made Felix freeze, but he quickly realised that she must meant the ones he’s holding, right? “Yes-“ “We need to talk- We’ll be right back! Felix needs to help me out with something!” Y/n said to the staff before dragging the freckled boy behind her.

“What wrong-“ “You’re the one who’s sending me love letters and flowers right?” Y/n asked bluntly. “What-“ “I recognise that handwriting anywhere, I’ve read this note already fifteen times and I only received it today.” Y/n states as she showed Felix the note she’s kept with her the entire time. “I… I don’t know what you’re-“ “Please don’t lie to me. It would make so much sense! You’re an idol! Your manager can get information on where I am when it comes to promotions! Not even fans know all of this! Besides, the handwriting is spot on!” Y/n stresses, wanting to know desperately if it is him or not.

“Lix?” The nickname. That was it. That was his breaking point. “Are you disappointed?” He asked carefully, not daring to look at her. Also for the reason hat his face was burning up from shyness and the adrenaline that was rushing through his body. “Of course I’m not disappointed, if anything I’m flattered and happy that you’re behind all these thoughtful and sweet gifts. They’re something that always made my day and if I felt down I’d just remember that there’s someone out there who’s so loving and caring that they would go all the way to do this for me. What if we talked more about this after promoting? I’d love to treat you for all the generosity you’ve given me.” Y/n proposed holding his hand, hopeful that he’d say yes.

And he accepted the offer within a heartbeat, knowing that today was definitely something that he won’t forget and that that performance wouldn’t have to swoop Y/n off her feet. He’s got her already.

Seungmin: (Non-idol AU/ Bakery AU)

There she was again.

Y/n, the girl who’s been coming by on a regular basis and Seungmin had lost it all for her, because of her. All her. He blamer her for losing his sanity.

Ever since the day she’s walked in for the first time, he started losing control. Everything seemed to go wrong whenever she was around him. It was like she has put a spell on him. He always became noticeably clumsier whenever she was around, his colleagues have discovered the pattern as well and they couldn’t help but tease Seungmin for it whenever she walked into the bakery.

“Could you not drop the cakes mister Seungmin.” His boss laughed, which was Chan, a good friend of him as well. “Stop it, I don’t know why this keeps happening as well, okay?” Seungmin mutters, slightly frustrated as he picked up the now-ruined cake off the floor that he had dropped. “When are you going to confess to her? She must have noticed the small things you’ve done for her to show that you like her? You know, giving her a free drink or giving her extra things with her order?” Chan sang playfully.

“What? I don’t do that.” Seungmin scoffed in denial. “Yeah sure, that’s why you never give other customers extras.” Chan laughed, before patting the youngster, who could only sigh.

He took a quick glance of Y/n, who was sitting in her usual booth. She was hidden behind her laptop and was writing down things in her notebook. ‘Probably studying’, he thought to himself as he tried to continue working.

What he didn’t notice was that Y/n was peeking from behind her laptop to look if Seungmin was still there. She sighed and sat back. She’s been coming here regularly and not only because of the amazing pastries and drinks the bakery sold, but also cause there’s a cute employee who works here: Seungmin.

She’s been ranting to her friends about this cute boy for ages, but never had she the confidence to actually talk to him or to ask him out. She has been noticing odd behaviour coming from Seungmin’s side. He’s been stumbling over his words whenever she was in front of him, whenever other people didn’t seem to have the same experience as her.

Y/n also couldn’t help but notice the small extras he’s been giving her. ‘Keep him.’ Is what her best friend had said as soon as she mentioned the extra and free goodies from the bakery. ‘How come you never bring me stuff if you’re going to get it for free?’ ‘I’m not getting all of it for free, just something. And if you want to taste it, come see it for yourself.’ So that was it, she was not nervously waiting for her best friend to arrive as she tried not to burn holes into Seungmin’s head as she secretly stared at him.

Lucky for her, he didn’t notice. He might be just as dense as her for not noticing the mutual pining. When Y/n best friend Minho walked in and sat beside her, he noticed it within the heartbeat. “Just tell him!” Minho yelled in a whisper after hearing her rant on how cute Seungmin looks today.

In the meantime Chan was listening to his younger friend on how he might’ve lost his chance as he saw his crush sitting with another guy in her usual booth. “Just tell her!” Chan whined, taking matters in his own hand as he pushed Seungmin towards her.

Minho was doing just the same to his best friend, causing the two crushes to fall into each other. “Well, we’re going to leave you be.” Minho states, before walking off with Chan, in hopes that the two of them would finally confess so everyone could go on with their lives.

“Hi.” Y/n mutters shyly as she stood across from him. “I like you.” He blurted out, causing both of their eyes widen in shock at his forward confession. “I’m sorry-“ “I like you too!” She squeaked, not being able to look him in the eye. “Thank God, I’m not very good at being a secret admirer. I’d rather be your boyfriend.” He blurted out with newfound confidence. “Take me on a date first.” Y/n grinned, happy that he felt the same, applies for Chan and Minho as well. They wouldn’t have to hear about their rants of the other hopefully liking them, instead they now must deal with a lovey-dovey couple. But, that seemed manageable.

Jeongin: (High School AU)

“You even received a muffin this time Y/n!” One of her classmates yelled through the classroom as soon as Y/n walked into the room.

Y/n had been receiving cartons of milk every morning with either a cute sticker on it or a sticky note with encouraging words. At first she found it very sweet, but after a while the notes became more emotional and more loving.

The class as well as Y/n had realised that she had a secret admirer. She’d say that it’s pretty exciting and flattering, but with the entire class and her own schoolyear watching her, it’s a little overwhelming to get all the curious eyes pointed at her.

Y/n put down her stuff and went to sit down before she read the note that was attached to the carton of banana milk. ‘You look lovely today! Even though I haven’t seen you yet, you’re always the one who embodies beauty. You’re doing great! Have a nice day <3’

Y/n sighed in adoration, the notes were so sweet and she kept all of them in a little box at home where no one could touch them.

Eventually, class had started and she caught someone staring at her. It was Jeongin. He was pretty quiet compared to the rest of the class. He was usually to himself as most of his friends were in a different class and since his older friend had already graduated. Jeongin didn’t notice the fact that she had caught him red-handed and it caused him to blush harshly as he quickly shot his gaze away from her.

Y/n never really paid attention to Jeongin as they weren’t close, but she had to say he’s very good-looking.

Days went by and the cartons with milk and adoration notes continued. One day, Y/n decided to go to school early so she could study for the test they were having that day. When she was about to enter her classroom, she saw Jeongin standing at her desk, with a familiar carton in his hand.

“Jeongin?” She asked, causing the boy to jump up in surprise. “Hi! Good morning Y/n.” He stuttered as he placed the carton back on her desk. “What are you doing at my desk?” “I… I was curious on what was on the note from your secret admirer. I’m sorry I shouldn’t go through your stuff. I’ll go for now.” Before Y/n could tell him that it was alright, he had already ran out of the room.

Y/n didn’t think too much of it and sat down to study, but before she did that she was curious as well to see what her secret admirer had to say to her today. ‘It’s like you’re becoming more beautiful every day, more talented, more loving. It’s almost unfair. Also, I know you’ll do your best on your test today! I’ll be rooting for you! <3’

The message of the note had been on her mind the entire time before class started, she only jolted out of her train of thoughts when the teacher asked her to hand out the tests. After she did that the test soon enough started and ended just as fast.

She was worried if she had done well or not, she’d have to wait until the results. “Y/n, could you please collect the tests and place them on my desk?” The teacher asked her, before she got up and did as she was asked to.

Her mind was still worried about the test that had just taken place as she went by every student’s desk, but her eyes caught something familiar when she picked up Jeongin’s test. The handwriting, why was it so familiar? Could it be… him?

She would’ve never thought that Jeongin would like her, or that he was capable of saying so many thoughtful, encouraging and flattering words, as he usually wasn’t the one to talk that much during class. Or to her.

Class soon ended and she went out to find Jeongin. He has been avoiding her since this morning when she caught him at her desk. It made sense to Y/n the more he thought about it. He had the same carton of milk on his desk every morning. It might be a popular brand, but still it couldn’t be a coincidence.

She found Jeongin outside with his friends and she took a deep breath before tapping him on his shoulder. Jeongin froze at the sudden touch and turned around slowly, only for him to widen his eyes in shock as soon as he saw her.

“Y/n?” “Can I talk to you for a moment?” She asked. Jeongin agreed and soon followed her to somewhere more retreated. “Is everything okay?” He asked slightly worried, feeling his heart pound in his chest as he was standing, for the first time, across his crush.

“Are you the one who gives me the milk cartons every morning with the notes?” Y/n blurted out after minutes of awkward silence. “I…” “I’m not sure if it’s actually you, but it makes sense to me. You always drink the same brand as the milk carton I receive every morning. Besides, I caught you at staring at me the other day. Plus, I caught you at my desk this morning way before school actually started.” “Uhm…” Jeongin didn’t know what to say, there was a big lump stuck in his throat, because he knew he was caught.

Again.

“If it’s not you then I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m really wondering at this point who this person is. I wanted to thank them for everything, from the beverages to the lovely notes-“ “They are from me.” Jeongin blurted out, causing him to smack his hands over his mouth in shock by his own confession. “They are?” Y/n asked surprised. The boy in front of her only nodded shyly, hoping that he wasn’t going to be rejected too harshly.

“Please don’t reject me too harsh.” He asked as he bowed politely, surprising Y/n once more. “Who said I was going to reject you?” She giggled. “You aren’t?” He asked. Him being the surprised one this time. “Of course not! I would love to get to know you, maybe we could hang out after school some more and see where this goes?” Y/n proposed with a smile. “I would love that.” “Good, I’ll get to thank you for these thoughtful gifts after all this time.”

Gifs aren’t mine.

[your-world-with-nct]

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 — 𝐥𝐦𝐤

➵ pairing: mark x female reader

➵ genre: angst, suggestive, underground rapper au

➵ warnings: cursing, alcohol consumption, unhealthy relationship themes

➵ word count: 6.1k 

➵ summary: you didn’t know what you and Mark were; you weren’t enemies nor friends, you weren’t exes nor lovers. but what you did know was that you still loved Mark, and you never stopped loving him.

➵ a/n: happy belated birthday mark !! this is a part two to this blurb, and is inspired by the lyrics to billie eilish’s ‘party favor’. this is my first full fic, so i hope you all enjoy it and feel free to leave some feedback too!

August 2 - the significance of the date was written in the scars of your heart, forever known as, one: Mark’s birthday, and, two: what would’ve been yours and Mark’s two year anniversary. Ahh, Mark Lee.

The boy that became all of your firsts, kisses and the like; the boy that harnessed the musical talent of a professional or a prodigy, despite his small, underground career; the boy that was just a shy bean beneath his tough, street-wise exterior; the boy that knew your darkest secrets and told you his; the boy that promised you happiness till the end. But he was also that same boy that took advantage of you and lied to you; the boy who stole your heart, and never gave it back; the boy who was better at lyrics than love. He was such a mystery to you, like a code you couldn’t quite seem to decipher.

Even after the abrupt ending of your relationship, Mark was always there, with you, as if nothing had happened between you two. From the evenings where he was out cold after a long night at the bar, calling you to pick him up, to the early hours of the morning where he needed some feedback for his newly produced tracks, he somehow managed to keep you in his life, relying on him the way you relied on oxygen. Mark had you wrapped around his little finger - you would do anything just to get close to him again - and you both knew it.

There was one slight issue, though, which was the fact that you didn’t exactly know what you two were to each other. Yes, there may have been some occasions where Mark was drunk out of his mind, and you would both end up naked in his bed the next morning, like lovers.

But there were also times where he would ignore you for weeks on end, the only updates you received from him were Instagram posts with his rapper friends, paired with cryptic captions that were clearly targeting you, like exes.

However, no matter what Mark did, you would always come crawling back to him and his addictive love, because you were trapped in his trance, and didn’t want to be released from it either.

Once again, you were stuck in that limbo of Mark not acknowledging your existence for another month - or so you thought.

As you mindlessly shoved spoonfuls of Cheerios (your failed attempt at a healthy breakfast) into your mouth, you stared at the cursed date on your lockscreen, when, all of a sudden, your phone began ringing, the default tone echoing throughout your empty apartment. The name that flashed on the screen touched a nerve deep within you, as if your senses had been awakened; one of those senses being your infatuation with Mark, which was rekindling and creating sparks in your stomach as you hesitantly answered the call and put it on speakerphone.

“H-hello?” You hated the way your throat closed up and your voice dwindled into nothing whenever you spoke to him after eternities of no contact whatsoever.

“Oh, hey, Y/N! How’ve you been? I’ve not spoken to you in, like, what, I don’t know, it’s been, like, ages now, hasn’t it?” Mark leaped right into the conversation, starting it off strangely welcoming, too comfortable for your liking. You nodded slightly in response to his question, before quickly realising that he couldn’t see you right now.

“Uhh, yeah, it’s definitely been a while now,” you let out a timid squeak, which was originally meant to be a polite laugh, except the mere thought of Mark clouded your thoughts and refrained you from thinking straight, or acting normal.

Trying to distract yourself from your awkwardness, you absentmindedly started playing with your spoon, stirring it in the bowl- which now only contained some milk and tiny specks of Cheerios - while listening intently to the boy’s next words.

“So, you know how it’s my birthday today, right?” he paused to let you answer, to which you hummed a small ‘happy birthday’ in response, “Ahh, thanks, well, if you’re free tonight, I managed to privately this really cool nightclub from 9pm onwards and I was wondering if you wanted to join us?”

You’d be lying if you said that Mark’s invitation didn’t cause you to almost have a heart attack, so it took you awhile to process the information he had just thrown at you and come up with a decent reply, “Okay, first, of course I can come, I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Who do you think I am - it’s summer, I have no friends, and I think I’ve watched ‘Love, Simon’ one too many times this summer,” you joked.

Before you could continue, the Canadian boy’s bubbly giggles cut you off, as he sighed, saying, “Wow, you really haven’t changed that habit, I see.” The steady beat of your heart suddenly accelerated, the fact that your ex remembered your only hobby, an unusual one at that, which he found out about almost two years ago, sent shockwaves through your entire body.

“Mhm, yeah, that movie never gets old,” you joined in with his laughter, then carried on with what you were going to say once you heard the contagious chuckles quieten, “Also, where’s the nightclub? And who do you mean by ‘us’? I’m just curious, you know?”

You tried your best to not sound intimidated by the potential answers to your questions, but, with your knowledge of who Mark liked to surround himself with now, you couldn’t help but feel out of place around them.

“The nightclub is called ‘Sun and Moon’, it’s owned by one of my older friends, Taeil, and, it’s near the, uhhh, I think it’s close to that one shopping centre? But I can send you directions later, even if you can’t find it, you won’t miss it, it’s covered in neon lights and it’s massive! And, did I mention that Taeil hyung makes the best cocktails? I can’t wait for tonight!”

The boy seemed ultimately fascinated with the place from the way he spoke about it, and your lips curved into a small smile at his excitement. ‘Damn it,’ you thought to yourself, ‘why is he so cute? About things like this? Ughhh, I love him.’

Mark’s endless chatter continued while you pondered over how adorable he probably looked right now, “And, as for who’s coming, it’s only a small group of friends - the Dream boys, my best mate Yukhei and his Chinese buddies from uni, oh, and Chaeyoung and her non-celeb friends are coming too!”

The first few guests he listed were absolutely fine - Yukhei was your best friend, also a mutual friend of yours, and was the one that introduced you to Mark; his friends were strange, but bearable though; while the Dream boys were a group of young artists Mark had the opportunity to join, who were soon going to debut as rappers with him - however, your brows furrowed at the unfamiliar name, confusion written all over your face.

You weren’t jealous, no, just… curious as to who exactly this ‘Chaeyoung’ was, “Oh! Okay, that’s great! But, uhhh, who’s Chaeyoung? I’ve never heard that name before?” The boy let out a dreamy sigh, as if he was enchanted by the mere thought of this person, “Son Chaeyoung is a senior from our record label, better known as Beastie Babe, that’s her stage name.”

Despite his explanation, you were still baffled since you had no idea who she was. The weird, subconscious ‘huh?’ you let out told Mark that you still didn’t understand, so he elaborated on the matter, “I shit you not, she is the most talented, influential rapper of our generation! Her debut single ‘BDZ’ literally dominated both national and Western music charts and her recent collaboration with Cardi B helped skyrocket her to fame, and I’m under the same company as her? Like, I still can’t believe that that’s what we have the potential to become. She’s just so amazing-”

A greedy feeling engulfed your chest and your heart began thumping uncontrollably as Mark’s words of admiration filled your ears. Somehow, out of anger or whatnot, you had managed to throw your spoon across the kitchen, grunting quietly as he failed to stop rubbing in your face the fact that he was talking to other girls now.

“-the moment I walked into her recording studio instead of the Dreamies’ was the best moment of my entire life! We’ve actually been spending a lot of time with each other since then, and, you know what, Y/N? I used to have a huge fanboy crush on her but, uhhh, now that I actually know her, I think that I-I like her? Do you think I should say something tonight? Drunk Mark is definitely better with the ladies than Sober Mark,” he joked, stopping right after he heard silence on the other end of the phone.

You almost screamed at his last statement - “Drunk Mark is definitely better with the ladies than Sober Mark” - well, of fucking course he would say that, that’s exactly how he ended up asking you out on his birthday two years ago, while he was drunk.

‘How insensitive can that shitbag be! That’s our story, not yours and Chaeyoung’s!’ you internally yelled at him, as you refrained from hanging up without another word. Luckily, your self-control got the better of you and you said through gritted teeth, “Haha, defo, I’ll see you tonight then, Mark, good luck with that.”

And with that, you slammed your finger on the red button, aggressively hurling your phone at the couch and cursing Mark under your breath. “Just fuck around with my feelings then, why don’t you? While you’re at it, you may as well shove your successful love life into my face and ruin the smallest fragments of our relationship that we have left,” you mumbled, trudging over to your sofa to collect your phone.

Once you unlocked it, you went straight to Youtube, searching the name ‘Beastie Babe’ and playing her discography as you washed your limited amount of dishes. It crushed your already low self-esteem as you listened to the girl’s unique music, and you realised why Mark looked up to her so much and wanted to date her, she was so much better than you, more gorgeous, more gifted, she was the ultimate upgrade from you.

Those thoughts resurfaced once again as you stood in front of your full body mirror hours later, Chaeyoung’s catchy songs playing in the background, as you couldn’t help but binge all of her music videos to try and gage the chance you had against her when it came to Mark. Turns out you had zero chance.

That girl was literally world-famous, her albums were sold out everywhere, and she had designer brands chasing after her, desperate for celebrity endorsement. Her self-produced music was mesmerising, something you had never heard of before, and her rapping was rhythmic and fluid, while her vocals were beautifully melodic.

Not to mention, Chaeyoung was stunning - like her stage name suggested, she did have the facial structure of a ‘baby beast’ as her fans say, and her hair looked gorgeous no matter what style it was in, her chiseled cheekbones were always the main point of her look, along with her infamous, enticing caramel eyes.

Then, there was you. A college dropout who was surviving solely off of your parents’ riches until they could find a job for you in their expanding business, you were the ‘rich kid’ that everybody shamed.

You didn’t have anything like music in your blood, and you weren’t particularly talented at anything, unless pessimism was considered a talent. And you definitely weren’t gorgeous, you weren’t anything close to it, which was justified as you scrutinised your outfit in the mirror, that made you look even worse than usual.

Initially, what you had chosen for yourself and laid out on your bed looked ideal, the black and white checkered skirt complemented the tight, white off-the-shoulder top and the black, knee-length high heeled boots, while the baby pink leather jacket tied the whole thing together, adding a splash of colour to it.

Now that it was on you, you appeared like you were trying way too hard - your exaggerated makeup looked disgustingly dark, the top showed off all of your curves and rolls, the skirt was a little too short for your liking and portrayed a slutty image that you weren’t going for, and the boots were chunky and big, and didn’t seem to match the rest of the outfit as well as it did prior to when you put it on.

You looked horrendous and you knew it, but this was the only thing in your closet that was even close to what those other girls would be wearing, the only thing that made you at least look like you could fit in with them.

Before you could change anything about it, you glanced at the alarm clock perched on your bedside table, showing exactly ‘21:00’, which you decided was the perfect time to leave.

Usually, with events, you would either plan way ahead of time, and arrive punctual and prepared, or you’d turn up almost an hour late, with a half-assed outfit and an empty stomach.

This time, however, you didn’t know where you were headed, so you should’ve left early, but you got too paranoid, thinking up random instances where you would end up getting there before anyone else was, which would make you look like you were trying harder than ever to get Mark’s attention.

The car ride to Sun and Moon was a daunting one - not only because you were twisting and turning down unfamiliar roads, relying solely on Google Maps, but, because you were jittery with nerves and anxiety.

Just thinking of walking all alone into the club to see a clique of popular musicians and their wealthy friends made you shiver in your seat, and the fact that you were extremely anti-social and very much intimidated by most of the party’s attendees made it even worse.

Lights of almost every colour of the spectrum struck you as you parked your car by Sun and Moon, which was one of the most appealing and exciting clubs you had ever seen, not that you had been to many anyways. You braced yourself as you entered the place, breathing quickly and heavily, before pushing the door open to the booming, electrifying atmosphere.

You were immediately drawn to Mark’s alluring figure on the dance floor, jokingly grinding against one of his group members, Donghyuck, and you assumed that the both of them had some pre-party drinks already.

Mark’s black, patterned dress-shirt flowed down his upper body, the loose fabric of it accentuating the shape of his chest.

His wrists and neck were adorned in expensive brands of jewellery, his fingers laden with various silver rings, the golden glints of his watch twinkling under the bright, fluorescent lights - and his ebony locks were styled to exaggerate his forehead.

The matching black skinny jeans he wore made his legs look heavenly, it made it so hard for you to look away from him.

You shook your head, trying to rid yourself of the amorous thoughts flooding your mind, directing your eyes away from the attractive birthday boy to the rest of the room.

It seemed as if you were the last one to turn up, despite your worries, since you spotted Yukhei and his friends attacking the bar, and who you managed to identify as Chaeyoung and her friends surrounding and blatantly flirting with the Dreamies.

She was even more breathtaking in person - her platinum blonde bob framed her effortless makeup, which consisted of fuschia lips, long, luscious lashes, shimmery eyeshadow, and sparkling highlight, and her striking outfit, a lime green and black patterned tube top and matching bootleg pants, made her look magnificent.

If she wasn’t your ex-boyfriend’s current crush, she would’ve been yours, because, damn, she was hot.

You were broken from your daze when one of Yukhei’s best friends, Hendery, hollered your name and gestured for you to join them, after he noticed you standing blank and confused by the entrance of the club.

“Yoooo, Y/N!! It’s been ages since I last saw you and you look great, boo! Come here, you gorgeous little bitch,” Yukhei’s obnoxiously deafening voice reached you from the opposite side of the room, calling for you even though Hendery had already grasped your attention in the first place, causing you to shyly scurry towards his friend group, the heavy stares of almost everyone in the room following you.

As you made your way over to them, your best friend engulfed you into a bone-crushing hug, his long limbs entangling themselves around you, not letting you get a word in first. When he finally pulled away, it was then that you caught a full look at him.

“Thanks, Yukhei, I really wasn’t sure about this but I’m glad you like it. Also, you look absolutely amazing!! Like, it’s only been 3 months but I feel like you’ve gotten even taller,” you exclaimed, proceeding to compliment your friend’s stylish outfit.

The plain black-on-black aesthetic he was going for may have seemed boring, but he pulled it off so well - the tight-fitted, black long sleeve was paired with black leather pants and decorative chains hanging from his belt loops, and his newly dyed navy blue hair was slicked back to reveal his forehead.

He let out a squeaky laugh, one that only you managed to get from him, as he rested his arm on your head, commenting, “Yeah, I think I actually have gotten taller.” You rolled your eyes at his teasing, before interacting with Yukhei’s friends, who were a lot more welcoming than you expected.

You had only ever spoke to Hendery before, but Xiaojun, Yangyang, and Sicheng were all polite to you, contrary to their appearance and their reputation.

Yes, Yukhei and his mates were the typical rich playboys that you had previously assumed only existed in movies, with the designer loafers and belts they were wearing today.

But, they were just playful dumbasses who looked appealing to their classmates, and, to be honest, you enjoyed hanging out with them during the party, instead of lurking around the club, solitary and sombre, pining after Mark.

Oh yeah, Mark - the boys had been distracting you so well that you had forgotten about your ex that stood just four feet away from you, freestyle rapping with Jaemin and Jeno.

Surprisingly, you didn’t really mind your lack of interaction with him throughout the night. It had only been two hours and you thought that you would be so desperate to just talk to him and fix things with him, but, in reality, you were having a blast with Yukhei’s friends, listening to their uni gossip and discussing your favourite music at the moment, they made you feel comfortable and welcome, something that Mark and his friends always failed to do with you.

As you decided to have yet another cocktail, you approached the bartender, but, before you could even open your mouth, you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Although you hadn’t even seen the person, you knew exactly who it was, by the calloused fingers, from countless plucking of guitar strings, that grazed your skin, and the embarrassed clearing of his throat to gain your attention, you just sensed that Mark was stood right behind you.

Tentatively, you turned around to face the boy you dreaded to see, your cheeks flaming with rouge as he scratched his nape and locked eye contact with you. Your pulse quickened and you felt your stomach churning in your stomach, maybe it was just the drinks, or maybe it was his mere presence that excited and aroused you.

The scent of alcohol lingered on his body, and you could tell that it had already took a toll on him, by the wild twinkle in his eyes and the unsteadiness in his voice.

Despite that, Mark looked absolutely ineffable at that exact moment, the beads of sweat on his forehead sparkled underneath the colourful lights, and made him look ethereal and idyllic.

You panicked, creating multiple, unrealistic reasons as to why Mark wanted to talk to you right now, so the first thing your disoriented, intoxicated mind barfed up for you to say was, “Sincerely, happy birthday!”

The god-like creation that stood before you sniggered at your outburst, “Thanks, and thanks for coming too! I just wanted to ask if you could hold my watch for a bit?”

You almost choked at the simple request he had given you, clearly, he had other priorities, ones that didn’t include facing you and everything that had occured between you two since you had last spoken, excluding this morning, “Oh, oh yeah, uhhh, yeah, sure? How come?”

“Ahhh, Dahyun just challenged Jisung to a dance-off and he almost flipped in excitement, he dragged me and the rest of the Dreamies with him to go against Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, and it’s already pretty hardcore, just look.”

Mark vaguely gestured to the dance floor, where Jeno was b-boying and Chenle was screeching to hype him up (even though the younger of the two was sober, he was still as energetic as ever) while Tzuyu was aggressively booing him and Chaeyoung was comically cracking her knuckles in preparation, “this is a Rolex Submariner and I do not wanna ruin it ‘cause of a dance-off, y’know?”

You laughed along with him, admiring the way he delicately removed the watch from his wrist, “Of course, I’ll keep it with me while you, uhhh, do that. By the way, where’d you get this? It looks pretty good quality.”

He tossed a glance at Yukhei, then back at you, “Xuxi got me this, he gave it to me last night so that I could wear it today! Did you think I bought it? I could never afford this on my own, ha!”

His drunken giggles were the only thing you heard and you couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment due to Mark’s casual manner around you.

You never thought that it would cross your mind, but you were beginning to wonder if he was completely and utterly over you this time.

“I’ll be back soon, just give it to me once we’re done,” he added, before making his way back to the dance floor where Renjun was doing some eccentric moves you had never seen before.

Even from afar, Yukhei noticed the dim aura that surrounded you, so he approached you, while you were ordering your new drink.

“What was that about? What did he say to you?” he questioned you, handing you the shot glass that the bartender had just placed on the surface. Accepting it, you took a swift swig of the drink, letting the liquid ease down your throat and settle in your stomach before answering, “He literally just wanted me to hold his watch, that’s it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yup, and I told him ‘happy birthday’, but, besides from that he just kinda, you know, avoided everything that I wanted to talk about, and ran away to them,” you nodded your head towards Mark, who was now freestyling against Chaeyoung, a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

Your best friend wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close to his chest in a comforting way, to which you plainly let him do so, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Y/N, as much as I love Mark, he’s been such a dick to you this entire time. I wish he would’ve listened to me when I told him to choose to either stop stringing you on or to pick up where you two left off.

“But, instead, he’s broken your heart time and time again, making you think that he still wants you, and needs you, when, in reality, Chaeyoung had him under her control the moment he met her, which was literally two weeks after you broke up, by the way. I wish that you’d look past that image Mark had built of himself in your head and heart, and see the real him.”

It was shocking to hear these wise words come from your currently drunk friend, as those weren’t the types of things he would usually say when he was clear-headed.

You wiggled out of his endearing embrace, audibly exhaling in frustration as your head was invaded with sudden realisations and epiphanies, “You’re right, surprisingly, I’ll try and talk to him later, maybe when I hand him his watch back. But, hopefully, this’ll be the last time I have to even look that boy in the eyes, I don’t think I can keep doing this any longer.”

The curves of Yukhei’s lips turned upwards into a proud smile, “That’s my girl! Now, how about you play this one drinking game that Sicheng found with us? Will that make you feel better?”

It did make you feel better, a lot better, and you were enjoying yourself so much that you had missed the fact that the impromptu dance battle had come to an end and its participants were carelessly swaying with one another, too exhausted to move their bodies properly.

You noticed that there were two specific people missing, however; it seemed that Mark and Chaeyoung had slipped out while you were playing with Yukhei, Sicheng, Hendery, Xiaojun, and Yangyang.

Only then did you recall that Mark’s exorbitant watch was still in the pocket of the pink jacket you had removed and left unattended on a chair. You excused yourself from the boys and ran to your jacket, retrieved the Rolex and proceeded to search for Mark to return it to him, and talk to him.

You had examined each and every bit of the club closely, yet Mark was nowhere to be seen, so you decided to explore the exterior, perhaps he needed to get something from his car, or something?

It was difficult to convince yourself that he hadn’t left to get some ‘alone time’ with Chaeyoung, which is what he had told his friends when he had done the same with you two years prior, but the idea of it kept recurring to you as you ventured out into the cold night. 

The similarities of your current situation and the time you had run away from Mark’s underground performance a week after your breakup were disturbingly accurate - except this time you were running towards him, instead of away from him, you were stronger now and wanted to face him, not cower away from him. 

He was making your confrontation pretty hard, though, because, at the moment, you couldn’t even find Mark, so you came to the conclusion of trying to call him. Multiple times. And, yet, he still didn’t answer, and you hadn’t advanced any further with it. You still didn’t give up, as you pressed his name in your phone again, and wandered down the street, glancing side to side every so often, just in case you had missed him.

“Hey, this is Mark, I’m busy at the moment but I’ll be back! Leave a message while you’re at it, I guess, haha,” Mark’s recorded voice echoed from the speakerphone yet again, you had heard it so many times that you had pretty much memorised his awkward little ramble. You sighed as the tone beeped for the sixth time in the past few minutes.

A disgruntled growl left you as you proceeded to search for the unreachable boy, your phone clutched in one hand while his watch was still in the other.

It was extremely tempting to just take it home with you and return it to him the following day - but if you were really going to permanently detach yourself from Mark like you promised yourself you would, you had to avoid anything and everything to do with him, or else you would give up and let yourself be pulled back into his trance.

After seeing the way he acted around Chaeyoung throughout the night, however, it wasn’t very likely that you’d come crawling back to him any time soon.

You pressed the contact name once again, holding your phone up to your ear hopefully, awaiting a response. Turning the corner as you neared your car, you laid eyes on a sight you wish you never had done, and you swore you almost dropped your mobile along with your jaw right there on the sidewalk.

There he was: pinned up against the graffitied wall of the narrow alleyway, arms coiled all over Chaeyoung’s waist, hips, and ass, lips locked with her swollen, red ones.

You couldn’t even gasp at the horrific scene, you were in another state of shock, and your entire body was quivering and recoiling in utter pain and heartbreak.

Tears pricked at your eyes the longer they lingered on the moaning mess that was Mark, but you couldn’t rip them away from him. “Shit, Chae, I think I love you,” he breathed out, as she left open-mouthed kisses from his jaw to his collarbone, her hands threading through his velvety locks.

That used to be you, kissing all down his neck; that used to be you, making his heart race and limbs melt into jelly; that used to be you, the one he said ‘I love you’ to.

“Hey, this is Mark, I’m busy at the moment but I’ll be back! Leave a message while you’re at it, I guess, haha,” the tone played again, making you jump out of your skin, ‘perfect timing, Y/N, what if he heard it, right now, coming from your phone!’ you huffed, dropping Mark’s watch on the ground near the alleyway, bolting away from the couple, towards your car, grabbing the handle and pulling it open as soon as you reached it.

As you slumped into the driver’s seat, you realised that you had accidentally pressed the voicemail button with your shaking finger, instead of the ‘end call’ button.

“Fuck, no, I don’t wanna record a voicemail to Mark,” you thought aloud, until a voice in your head suggested, ‘but won’t this be the last time you’ll ever speak to him?’

It was with that thought that the gears in your head began turning - it was right, this would be your last time talking to him, you could finally tell him all of the things on your mind, the emotions he made you feel, the burdens he put on you, and he didn’t even have to respond.

You could simply block him forever - because he wouldn’t care, right? You didn’t even need a response or an apology, all you wanted was for him to know what he put you through, what you had to suffer through because of him.

And it’s not like that would upset him, he didn’t care about you the way you cared about him, he didn’t need you the way you used to need him, since he had his (possibly) new girlfriend instead of you. So you decided to record your last message to him.

“Uhhh, okay, this is really weird but I’ll just get it over and done with. So, Mark, this is Y/N and by the time you get this, your number’ll probably be blocked, this is the last thing you’ll hear from me.

“I’m guessing you’re kinda confused right now, because you’re probably listening to this while you’re either drunk as fuck or hungover, but, long story short, I’m fucking done with you.

“Let me just remind you of what happened tonight, or last night, depending on when you’re hearing this. You invited me to your little celebration after, what, a month of not contacting me? And then, proceeded to tell me that your crush would be here, even though you knew all too well that we had too many loose ends that we hadn’t tied yet.

“Then, I get here, and suddenly you don’t even greet me, or acknowledge me, just like you had been doing for the past few weeks, while, of course, you’re glued to Chaeyoung’s side.

“Meanwhile, I was there, waiting to see you, since we hadn’t hung out normally since the break-up 3 months ago, and I knew, well, at least I thought I knew, that there was still a connection between us, or something.

“But, instead, I spent the entire night following Yukhei around and talking to his friends, and having the oh-so-great opportunity of watching you eye-fuck Chaeyoung the whole time. And, finally, when you do eventually notice me, you ask me to hold your Rolex? Really, Mark? I didn’t even get the chance to say anything more than ‘happy birthday’ to you.

“Now, I don’t know how you’re feeling about this whole thing, because, apparently, you’re now Chaeyoung’s newest boy toy, but, did you ever stop and think about how this has affected me? How this whole thing has affected me?

“Because, if you really didn’t notice Mark, I was still fucking in love with you - even after you left me - and I never knew why you gave up on us. Personally, I thought we were amazing together, I thought you were my soulmate, you were the only person that made me feel loved, the only person I loved, but, you didn’t seem to think so.

“Maybe it’s because you’re my first love, Mark, but I wasn’t yours; maybe it’s because I thought that nobody else could replace you; maybe it’s because of your web of lies that I got caught in - but I felt like it wasn’t over yet. It couldn’t be, we would find each other after a while and resume what we had, and we’d be together forever, wow, I know that’s cheesy, I think the alcohol’s getting to me now.

“Speaking of alcohol though, there was another reason why I thought that we could pick up where we left off.

“Don’t you remember all of those nights where you needed me to get you from the bar or the club, and drive you home? When you were so incapable of processing our history together that you just gave in, and let me fall in love with you all over again?

“Yeah, those nights gave me hope, hope that it wasn’t the drinks speaking for you the previous nights, it was you, and hope that you would realise what you were missing and come back to me.

“But, hoping is no good. You’ve actually gotta follow through with your hopes and make them come true. Yet, I couldn’t do that, since you always left me. You always disappeared without a trace, and then, suddenly, after three weeks or so, you’d be right back.

“But, you know, I see it now, I see the truth. You never really loved me, you weren’t lying when you said that, you loved the idea of me, the idea of having someone to rely on, the idea of someone else cleaning up your messes, the idea of someone to hook up with whenever you wanted.

“I saw that all throughout today, when you looked into Chaeyoung’s eyes, she pulled you in and you were lost in a swirl of lust, but whenever you looked into my eyes, you were so disconnected from me, and there was never any emotion.

“Mark, I’m not just your property, you can’t do whatever you want with me! I’m not your party favor, a mere birthday gift that gets thrown away after its purpose has been served.

“I’m Y/N and I’m not yours, Mark Lee, and I’m ashamed to say I ever was. If there’s one thing you were right about, though, it’s that ‘happiness is a lie, and it was only found in your trance’, but that’s because you didn’t make me feel true happiness.

“True happiness isn’t being manipulated into thinking that you make someone feel good and that it’s the only thing that makes them feel good, and that they needed you - true happiness is being free from the people that do that to you.

“I’m sorry, that I didn’t do what you wanted me to, I’m not blinded by your fake love anymore so you won’t be using me any time soon. Goodbye, Mark.”

And, with a few swift movements of your finger, Mark was gone from your phone, and from your life. He was nothing to you now, and you were no longer his - and, wow, you never knew that you would feel so proud to be able to say that.

[beatsfortheillperth]

Words with Umys

All photography by @giulio.rose.giannini, find more blessed works by Giulio on instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/giulio.rose.giannini/

Our next words are with a creative that calls the small town Wendell, North Carolina, home. Brimming with good energy and presenting production and sounds genuine to the mood he radiates - UMYS is someone that shows the ever-adapting not to mention soothing road music can take one down.

Whether you be cruising or chilling through the day or night, UMYS has the soul sorted and the mind elevated with his truly diverse array of beats. 

Adding a layer of vibrations and sonic sounds to hip hop classics old and new and experimenting beyond genres, UMYS is one of those musical brains that one really shouldn't miss as his music sets moods not to mention emotions beyond expectations.

Bringing together stress relief in the form of his beat-tapes, chill flips vol.1 and 2, both released last year in July and August. Then add to the mix his new years day phonk blessing - Phonk Nights Vol. 1, a collaborative 7 track beat-tape with sr.sn - fellow North Carolina native, friend, and musical vision, and you just can't go wrong, as UMYS provides a catalog for any situation that requires some bounce or a burst of creativity. 

A true gem of the production world and appreciator of fellow creators, UMYS presents quality, and with that enjoy our words with the North Carolina beat-smith, making moves and shifting boundaries within music.

On a side-note check the beatsfortheill Soundcloud below for UMYS's mix for the online magazine curated and delivered with nothing but goodness.

All songs featured in the mix are by UMYS and his close friends so be prepared for some blessed goodies. 

UMYS & the Homies Beatsfortheill Mix- 

https://soundcloud.com/chofiemay/umys-the-homies-beatsfortheill-mix 

Much Love.

Hey UMYS, thank you for the opportunity to share words, I thought we would start with a few random questions to get things flowing.

Favourite Food: Habachi Steak WITH Fried Rice

Favourite Beverage: Dr. Pepper

Last track you listened to: GETTING FRKYFRKY TONIGHT by LO$ER

A childhood memory in regards to music: Taking guitar lessons when I was about 10 years old.

Must cop Album: Die Lit by Playboi Carti

Favourite track at the moment and why it's a favourite: 12.21 by bsterthegawd. Honestly, everyone go listen to this yourself because words could not explain the beauty of this track.

Views on life beyond Earth: I find it incredibly hard to believe that Earth is the only place with life being such a small place in such a big universe.

Views on mainstream media: I typically stay away from mainstream media and try to formulate all my opinions on my own research.

Your go-to artist when you were 15: A$AP Rocky

Favourite Location: Key West, Florida

Movie or Show recommendation: South Park

What you love about your hometown: The people, all my very best friends are from my hometown and I always love going back home to see everyone.

Thanks for that Warren aka UMYS (pronounced YOU-MISS). I'd like to start by asking, what inspired you to start producing in the first place?

Did you have any help or musical experience before you began producing? When did you start experimenting with beat-making? And also what keeps you producing in the present?

I started producing when I was 16 years old. One of my hometown best friends, linanthem, used to come over to my house during the summers and work on beats in my living room and watching him work was so inspirational. 

Pretty early on in our friendship he helped me learn FL Studio and I started off making shitty trap beats no one would ever rap on hahaha. I took some guitar lessons early on in life but basketball took over my life until I was about 18 and then that’s when I started making beats every day.

My passion for music keeps me sitting at my computer every single day trying to learn and experiment with new sounds.

You're from a small town Wendell in North Carolina, small-town vibes here for me too. How do you feel being from a small town benefits you as a creator?

Does your community effect the music you make at all? What do you feel are some cons to making music in a small town?

Being from a small town as a creator definitely has its pros and cons. Some of the pros being I’m a well-known name in my hometown but some of the cons are the lack of connections that can be made. 

Luckily, Wendell is just outside of Raleigh which is a really big city so that allowed me to dive into that scene as well and make a lot of connections throughout the 919. 

The community around me most definitely inspires me. When I hear something I like, I’m instantly inspired to hop on my computer and make something with a similar vibe to whatever I just heard.

What is the North Carolina music scene like and how do you feel your music fits into the mix? Can you share a few of your favourite artists coming out of North Carolina? 

What do you feel creatives are doing right there and also what places would you recommend our readers check out if they're ever in the area?

Where do I even start hahaha. The music scene in North Carolina seems to be growing every single day and the really cool part about it to me is we all seem to have our own unique sound. 

Some of my favorite artists in NC are, Maasho, Sonny Miles, Dot Wav, Felix Wood and Curtis Waters. 

My favorite producers are the homies of course, GMO, sr.sn., linanthem, primoux, B4 and MFM. I feel like all the creators around here know each other and we are all friends and/or mutual friends. 

All the musicians I’ve met in NC have been nothing but nice and ready to work. If you’re ever in North Carolina, you should definitely check out Raleigh. There are WAY too many amazing places to eat.

Back onto your music, I've raided your Bandcamp, and honestly so much goodness there, I'd like to talk about your three tapes available on Bandcamp separately, but the first one I'd like to have a chat about is your July 4th, 2020, 13 track release "chill flips vol.1"

This is a true gem of a release, thank you for making these beats that just take you to another world of listening, much respect. Chilled and healing samples and flips of the likes of Danny Brown, Playboi Carti, Eazy E, Lil Wanye, Marvin Gaye, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, and more, you take listeners on an elevated journey, much love.

What was "chill flips vol.1" like for you to create and what do you enjoy about this tape overall? Being your first beat-tape, can you share what inspired each track from this release and what you personally enjoyed about each track?

This is definitely one of my personal favorite projects but one of my least known. I never got too into Bandcamp but wanted to put a tape up there which is why I released chill flips as an exclusive on bandcamp.

chill flips vol. 1

a milli (flip) - I love this track so much. I feel like this really sets the tone for the rest of the tape and allows you to relax and get comfortable for what’s ahead.

J0000008.WAV – This was actually the first beat I made using my SP-404sx. It was a little bit of an experiment but turned out so well.

die like a rockstar (flip) – This beat is inspired by the producer stxn.x. The chops in the song were made by him. Definitely one of my personal favorites on this tape.

i was in a really good mood when i made this – This beat is a real feel good beat. I definitely made this in a really good mood hahaha.

a damn shame – Some more inspiration from my man stxn.x with his smooth drums

can't relate bro – This is probably my favorite flip I have ever made hahaha. What’s better than Playboi Carti on a smooth lofi beat.

fast cars, bad b*tches, and designer clothes – Lil Pump but it’s lofi LMAO

i'm not mad – This one was a fun one to make. Extremely simple beat but so chill.

backseat freestyle (flip) – The keys on this track really bring it together. Definitely one of the more chill ones on the tape.

i'm on a diet_ - This was one of my first flips to really pop off on Soundcloud so this one is a special track to me.

tomato salad – I actually made this beat for a Kenny Beat’s Beat Battle and it came in 5th place. I liked it a lot and thought it was a good vibe to add to the tape

thug 4 life – I honestly really just wanted to make a Tupac flip on this tape and this is what came out.

high school – This is another early one to pop off for me. Such a simple yet beautiful flip.

Link to chill flips vol.1 on Bandcamp here - https://umys.bandcamp.com/album/chill-flips-vol-1

You followed up chill flips vol.1 within a couple of months with chill flips vol.2 released on the 8th of August 2020, and for sure this release is another blessing to the ears. Blending old with new, words, samples, and bass-lines like a natural, this release is a solid ode to those you flip much respect.

I've enjoyed chill flips vol. 1 and 2 in various environments and for me vol.2 is perfect for mornings to motivate your day, your plays on tracks by Migos, Playboi Carti, Nas, Barry White, and more is beyond refreshing, thank you for this release.

What inspired you to release chill flips vol.1 and 2 reasonably close together? Also, what did you enjoy about putting this slightly shorter beat tape together? Do you have a favourite from the mix? If so share your favourite and why it appeals to you the most?

Also, have to ask on your track "wow" who did you sample in the beginning? Her vocals add so much to this beautiful Post Malone flip.

You have a gift with that btw, by blending samples to create a unique journey. How do you come up with these little blended treats? Is there some sort of process you follow with these particular tracks?

Link to chill flips vol.2 here - 

https://umys.bandcamp.com/album/chill-flips-vol-2

Honestly Chill Flips Vol.1 and 2 dropped closely together because I was just really excited about them hahaha. My favorite from the two is either Can’t Relate Bro or Cheese in my Pockets. 

Both of those are 2 of my favorites till this day. I liked the facts Chill Flips vol. 2 is shorter making it easy to sit down and listen to from start to finish and I feel there’s never a dull moment on that tape. 

The track wow actually got me a strike on Soundcloud because of the Post Malone vocals hahaha. The vocals at the intro were actually from Splice and it just seemed like the perfect intro. 

Thank you so much for the kind words about my sampling. I honestly just go through a lot of trial and error and stick with what sounds best. I try to not overthink in the process of making music. 

It’s supposed to be fun and I don’t want to ever make it not fun by getting frustrated. If I get stuck, I move on to another beat and come back to it later and try again.

Thanks so much for your insight so far, it's much-respected, your solo releases have a lot to offer, variety, and mood with each play, thanks again for what you're doing creatively.

Something you also showcase through your SoundCloud and Bandcamp is your ability to collab with taste and precision. I'm referring to your January 1st, 2021 collab release "Phonk Nights Vol. 1" that you co-produced with Raleigh, North Carolina producer talent and best friend of yours sr.sn.

"Phonk Nights Vol. 1" has to be one of the best releases of this year and you and sr.sn worked brilliantly together on it. I get the feeling things are really natural when you work together is that true?

How did you two meet and what inspires you to collab with sr.sn often?

You've collaborated before this beat-tape was released, beautiful works as well. What was it like working on a whole tape together compared to single releases? And what made you both want to release a Phonk tape?

Can you share your favourite track from "Phonk Nights Vol. 1"? Also, can you give us a run-through of what inspired each track from the release and what you enjoyed about creating each one?

I am so glad you enjoyed it so much. We had such a good time making it. sr.sn and I met in our early years of high school because we had a class together. It seems like after that we just became best friends. I don’t think either of us could tell you exactly how we became best friends, we just did. Ian is really easy to

work with because we both have our own sounds, but they blend together so nicely. It’s not like that with everyone but Ian and I have a whole folder of beats that are just great. The story behind Phonk Nights is actually really cool. We made the whole entire tape from December 22nd-28th and then released it on New Years so it was an extremely quick process. We play video games together almost every night and on the 22nd we were in discord and we made Wocky Slush. After that, we kept making 1-2 tracks a night and I think the only day we took off was Christmas Day. Then, all of the sudden we had 7 really solid tracks and wanted to just throw them on a tape. So that’s how Phonk Nights happened.

Phonk Nights Vol. 1

Sum Expensive w/ sr.sn – This sample just seemed like the perfect sample to have as an opener. This track really sets the tone with a really smooth and mellow start followed by a hard drop.

Wocky Slush w/ sr.sn – This was the first track we made for Phonk Nights. We also released it as a single and this was around the time that wocky slush Tik Tok went viral and we both thought that video was hilarious.

Ghost Ridin' w/ sr.sn – Probably my personal favorite on this tape, the vocals and the beat just match up so well. This track is a vibe and has a real nice bounce to it.

Pop a Perc w/ sr.sn – This track was one of our first phonk collaborations and definitely a fan favorite from our collabs.

That's How All my Partners Roll w/ sr.sn – This one was such a quick cook up and just resulted in perfection. A very simple melody with some hard 808s, you can’t go wrong with that.

I Get da Bag w/ sr.sn – One of my favorite samples on the tape. Switched the vocals around a few times on this one and finalized it with some Gucci hahaha.

Splashin' w/ sr.sn – We were both so excited about this one. It’s the perfect closer to the tape.

Link to Phonk Nights Vol. 1 here - 

https://umys.bandcamp.com/album/phonk-nights-vol-1

Support sr.sn here - https://soundcloud.com/srsn

I'm honored to mention you've also put together a blessed mix of moods and sounds for the beatsfortheill Soundcloud - "UMYS & the Homies Beatsfortheill Mix"

It is compiled with tracks by yourself and your best friends which makes it that little bit more special. Tracks by the likes of sr.sn, linanthem, sleepdealer, fk linny, GMO, and B4 all talented in their own right but blended together, you get a listening delight and story thanks to your mixing on this favourite for myself, thank you.

Firstly, can you give us a paragraph about what inspired this mix and what you tried to create with it?

How did you feel while you were making it? And finally, what do the people mean to you that you feature in the mix? And how important is it to have good friends around you while you create?

I have been so excited to talk about this mix. I had such a great time making it. The concept behind the mix is it’s only my real-life friends who also produce. 

I take so much pride in how amazing my friends are at making music. They all inspire me every single day. I love these guys and would take a bullet for any of them. I always love having people around when creating. 

It’s really fun to be in an environment doing what you love with people that you love.

Link to UMYS & the Homies Beatsfortheill Mix here -

Here at beatsfortheill, we have a love for various forms of art. 

Can you recommend a few artists from different fields that you think our readers would appreciate? if you can link them even better. What do you enjoy most about their work?

I am a huge fan of Rude Manners and all of his work musically and artistically. His socials are @rudemanners and his art account is @daltonmannerud. 

He’s a super genuine guy and has done some of my artwork for me. Definitely be sure to tune into everything he’s doing.

Also, a really good friend of mine and the best photographer I know, Giulio Giannini. His Instagram is @giulio.rose.giannini and you should definitely go check out his shots. 

He has done a handful of shoots with myself and other upcoming artist and producers out of Raleigh and is a really good guy. Not to mention he’s a great architect with some wicked designs. Please be sure to check my man out!

Musical Recommendations?

Anything by bsterthegawd, Lil Gotit, Wifi Gawd, LO$ER, DJ Yung Vamp, and Swum have been heavy in my personal music rotation lately.

How important do you think downtime is for creatives? When you take a break from music, what do you like to do to recuperate and replenish? Also, do you have any other interests away from music that helps you when it comes to creating a track?

I think that giving yourself some downtime is extremely important. Sometimes when you just lock in and over work yourself, your mixes may start sounding sloppy and just little details you may just skip over them. 

It’s good to do stuff to refresh your brain and give it a break. Personally I use video games, basketball, and quality time with my friends as breaks from that creative mindset. 

I really love movies so I often include iconic movie scenes and quotes in the intros and background in some of my beats.

Do your family know you make music? If not, why? If yes, are they supportive? Has your upbringing influenced the music you make at all?

What about your upbringing (ideas, traditions, etc) have you carried with you through to adulthood?

Yes! My family has been nothing but supportive which is awesome. 

My dad calls me every day and always asks how things with music are going. I wasn’t really raised in a musical household, so I didn’t really have any inside influences when it comes to music. 

But I do share the same values and traditions with my family and spend almost every holiday with them. I remain very close with my family and family is something that has always been important to me.

Back to your music, it must be mentioned, your latest EP release "Changes" which came out via Kindbrew Records on March the 5th of this year. It's got that lazy Sunday kind of vibe, smoothed through with jazzy vibes all round, love this release, much respect.

You've worked with Kindbrew Records in the past with your single City Lights which was officially released later through Changes. It's a soulful retreat by yourself, the single, and the EP, much love.

What's it like to work with Kindbrew and what was it like for you to release an EP with Kindbrew Records?

Also, what did you enjoy about making Changes? What do you enjoy most about exploring and creating music from varying genres? Can you share what sort of feel you were going for with Changes?

I absolutely love Kindbrew Records. Coldbrew is doing a great job with the label and is a good friend of mine. I really enjoyed making Changes. I was going through a bit of a hard time when I made that EP and I wanted to express myself through that tape. 

I told myself a long time ago that I never wanted to limit myself to a single genre and wanted to be known for having a wide range of music. I love experimenting and trying out new sounds.

Link to UMYS Changes EP here - https://open.spotify.com/album/5KaelTe9ZlCrNDFWyWEhAe

Link to Kindbrew Records here - https://www.instagram.com/kindbrewrecords/?hl=en

What keeps you humble as a creative?

When I send a song to one of my friends and they tell me it doesn’t sound good hahaha. 

I appreciate honesty and I typically rather get feedback and criticism when I send an unreleased beat to someone rather than them just telling me it sounds good and that’s it

Umys and linanthem

How do you keep yourself in the right headspace with everything that has been going on this year and last with the various obstacles the world has had to face collectively?

I just try to focus on the positives. I try to remember all the great relationships I have with people and how well music is going, and I always try to always look forward and never back. Living in the world right now is not easy and I encourage anyone that is struggling to reach out to a friend and just talk to them.

What helps keep you positive?

Generally, I am just a really happy person and I believe that’s because of all the amazing people I have in my life to be thankful for. It can be hard to stay positive especially in unprecedent times. But, it’s good to surround yourself with honest and loving people and I am so thankful to have people like that in my life.

B4 and Umys

Musical Influences?

linanthem of course because he’s who got me started and I’d say some of my other biggest influences are Monte Booker, bsd.u and swum.

Any shows or releases coming up that we should keep an eye out for?

Right now I am in the planning phase and trying to figure out who and where to release some projects through. But, I do have a single coming out with Lodge Records on June 11th!

Any Last Words?

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me and for all of the kind words and questions. S/o to beatsfortheill!!!!!

Support UMYS here: 

Bandcamp - https://umys.bandcamp.com/ 

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/umys 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1mb6xWEzSmVN3YiSa4NSC1 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/umysbeats/?hl=en 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/umysbeats

[officialthiamlibrary]

Welcome to another profile on Behind the Screens, giving you personal insight on who your favorite creators are and what they do when they aren’t wowing you with their creative ability.

This week, I’m excited to bring to you our first artist, Dalyane, or Da-Smiley99. Although, in her case, a more appropriate title would be jack-of-all-trades. As our resident fic writer, song-inspired pic spam creator, and incorrect quote aficionado, she shares her inspiration behind incorrect quotes, her writing persona, her meta-author plans to dictate Thiam’s relationship, and much more! Take a look :)

So, Dalyane, let’s ease our way into things. Tell us about yourself. The catch: the word count should be equal to or less than the number of letters in your two favorite Teen Wolf characters’ name. 

Stiles Stilinski + Theodore Raeken = 25 : My name’s Dalyane, I’m a ray of sunshine in human form. What I want the most is to make people happy with what I do.

And, how did you find the Thiam pack? What about Theo x Liam drew you in?

To be honest, I don’t have the slightest idea. It just came smoothly to me. When I saw Theo and Liam interacting, I was just drawn into it. I was drawn by the silent conversations in their eyes, every word that came out of their mouths that sometimes meant something else or something they haven’t said, their mutual violence towards each other. (I absolutely hate violence, but I don’t know why I’m deeply hypnotized by their banter and their complicated Like/Hate relationship). 

I’m like the most oblivious person ever, I wouldn’t even know if somebody is hitting on me, but there’s something romance-worthy (Is that even a word?) about their complicated relationship that drew me in the Thiam fandom. 

Not mentioning Theo’s past, Liam eventually learned to trust him at some point even if he was still a little hostile towards Theo. A little part of himself learned to forgive him, so he could fight alongside him. In the entire sixth season, I felt like they developed a whole new relationship based on building trust. Apart, Liam and Theo are quite strong alone, but together they cooperate, fight and act like they were a “whole”. Liam may not trust Theo yet, but I felt like his body, his own being told the opposite. I was extremely glad to see their relationship grow with their characters. So long story short, I just basically just dived into it. And it’s without a damn shame that I can say that I don’t even regret liking them together. And it’s also not because of the amazing, beautiful and breathtaking gifsets on Tumblr...Not at all.

Yes!! That sums up their relationship perfectly and worded so well. Let’s keep that going for a moment. Say this was a ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ situation and you could alter their relationship, their lives with your writing. How would they live through the following scenarios:

a. Their First Date: 

Oh, they would know for sure they’re on a date, even if it’s not a date. Theo and Liam would hear my annoying voice every five minutes. Like Liam would ask Theo to hang out at his place, it’s just two dudes hanging out, nothing extraordinary really. But I would still break the nice atmosphere by saying random things that comes from their heads. Like -Wow, Theo’s ass looks great in those Jeans, Liam thought- or -Had Liam’s lips always been that pink?- and God, they would be as red as tomatoes. Awkward much.

b. Their child’s first boyfriend/girlfriend

Theo would absolutely refuse to admit or say out loud that he doesn’t like his child’s significant other. It would hurt his pride, but he doesn’t want to hurt his small bean and his husband, Liam. Of course it’s my job! Theo would be outraged, but it would be so worth it.

c. Their first conflict as an official couple

Because of me, their fight would last for 5 minutes maximum. They would be in a situation where Theo would get jealous because he thought some random guy was flirting with Liam, when in fact he was just being super friendly. So Theo was being an asshole out of jealousy. Liam would start getting angry at him, asking what was his problem but Theo wouldn’t respond. I would just whisper in the air: “Hey, he was jealous you dummy.“ Then they would apologize to each other, followed quickly by a make out session. Yeah, you’re welcome Thiam. 

Haha, honestly, they’d be lucky to have you running the show! Piggy-backing off the craziness you’d put them through, sometimes, characters  find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get out of. In your life, is there a time you found yourself in a situation like that and what did you do?

Oh god. Almost nothing happened to me in my life. But I will share this particularly embarrassing moment of me. So one day I was going to my high school, I was inside the school bus. But suddenly the bus stopped at my old middle school, then our chauffeur turned to us saying our high school was closed because of the snow. 

So we went inside the middle school to call our parents so they can pick us up. But that day my mom was working, so she wasn’t available. My grandma didn’t pick up the phone either. So I was like “I can’t stay here anyway, what should I do?” Then my stupid old self just got out of the school, walking all the way to my home. Yeah, I was pretty stupid back then.

 I was freezing and couldn’t see a damn thing in front of me because I was in the middle of a snowstorm. A random guy slowed his car close to me and asked me if I want to get in. Then I remembered what my mom said about getting in a car with a stranger, Oh hell no. I lied saying I was close to home, so he would leave me alone. It worked. 

30 minutes later I think, another car stopped close to me and a woman speaks to me, “Get in, I won’t let you freeze on the road.” I hesitated, obviously. Until I saw my friend in the passenger seat. Finally, I got home safely! I was incredibly embarrassed and horrified; I felt like an idiot. I never thought that I would get home. Holy molly, that was terrifying. When my mom asked why I was home early, I lied to her saying that the chauffeur brought all the students home in the morning. Well, I’ll never ever do that again.

Oh my goodness! Girl, I’m glad you got home ok and didn’t freeze to death! Before we jump into your work, who would be on your ultimate paintball/laser tag team. Any five characters from Teen Wolf. Also, Why?

I would have Stiles on my team, because he’s extremely smart and no doubt he would make up an excellent strategy on the field. I would have Theo, he’s also smart, but he’s a bit reckless and surely takes risks a lot so it can come in handy. I would have Malia, she’s a badass and would dominate the field with some girl power! (You go girl!) I would have Corey, he’s very subtle, doesn’t make a sound and he definitely would blend in the background and that is definitely handy for sure. What a great sneaky sniper. 

For the last member of my team, I would take Mason, he will probably use his charm and his charisma to lure the opposite team’s members. Or just make jokes and references to his favorite Tv shows. That kinda does the job too.

Perfect! And now your work! *Rubbing my hands together in anticipation*

You do a little bit of it all when it comes to creating for Thiam: fanfiction, fanart, edits, incorrect quotes. Which would you say is your favorite art form? And how do you balance creating them all? 

I guess my favorite form of art is writing. I had a talent for writing since I was a kid. I could express myself better on paper than with my voice. Many people had a hard time to believe that everything I wrote came from my mind, because I can’t express myself properly when I talk. For me, writing is an art and fanfics are masterpieces. Writing has been a way for me to escape the real world, my problems and my worries. Writing is a way for me to talk indirectly to readers and expressing my feelings to them through my writing. 

It’s kinda hard to balance my creativity in my posts, because I always do something different. If I see something I like on Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter, I tried to include it in them. I always try to get better. I’m trying to find my own style and keep it. I’m saying it again, I want to make people happy with what I do and when I get positive comments on my works, that makes me want to get  better. A part of me does all of this for my followers, to put a smile on their faces or make them laugh. Seeing them happy makes me happy too.

And, if your process was a person, describe them. What do they do? Wear? Listen to?

Well, she’s pretty thoughtful. She always paces back and forth in her room, trying to find a title to her work. She bases her work mostly on the title, that is most of the time based on a song. She’s always in PJ’s and some good old crocs. She just sit on her bed, listening to her favorite songs, TV shows, movies or her favorite YouTubers. She’s a little lazy girl, I guess. I can’t really blame her, it’s how she is. :)

What would you say is both your (and her) Writing Kryptonite, haha? How do you fight it?

It’s really strange, but I can’t write anything if I don’t listen to some music. Music always has been the source of my imagination, I just didn’t realize it until a few months ago. If I don’t have my phone and headphones on me, I can’t do anything. I need music to write. Depending to the meaning, the lyrics and the beat of the songs I listen to, my works change. If I write something sad, I listen to songs about heartbreak, death, breakups, etc. If I write something fluffy and happy, I will listen to songs about happy endings, falling in love, weddings,etc. 

When I know exactly what to write (theme, feeling expressed in it and other minimal things), I know instantly what song to listen to. Every time there’s music in my ears, I get in my own writing world and my hands just start tapping on my keyboard on their own. This is pretty unique, huh? Music gets me really emotional and I can’t do anything about it. It’s very strange. Since Music is the source of my creativity and imagination, it’s very rare that I have writer’s block.                  

To get rid of my writer’s block, I simply sit back on my couch and close my eyes, listening to some soft music. I take a break, because I can’t write something for a whole day, I would get a huge migraine. I would just relax and let everything come to me.

Your love for writing with music. Is that what inspires your song edits, like this one? What makes a song shout Thiam to you? How do you choose images that embody both the song, their relationship, and your writing for it?

I always choose a song that reflects their complicated relationship and what they’ve been through. I choose songs that are very specific for them, that express their banter, their problems and their backstories. Depending on the songs I choose for my edits, the colors, the pictures and themes are different with each one. For example, for a sad song, the colors and pictures of my edits will be darker, the theme of the edit will likely be sadness, sorrow, breakups,etc. For a more happy-go-lucky song, the colors and pictures will be clearer and brighter, and the theme of the edit will be happiness, calmness, comfort, etc. 

Everything I do in my edits will change with the song I choose. I chose pictures very carefully, they have to call to me (my creative style, I mean). When I find something perfect for my edits, I just know it. It’s hard to explain it, but I can feel it in my gut when I got something good. I’m a weird phenomenon.

And, incorrect quotes. How do those come to you too? Are they inspired by things you see of hear in everyday life? 

Most of them are inspired by my favorite YouTubers: Game Grumps. It’s a gaming channel, where two grown men play some video games while sassing each other, telling semi-bad jokes, swearing 95% of the time and saying perfect incorrect quotes material. Most of them came from the mouth of these awesome guys. Is it the time when I say you should check their channel out? Yeah, go check it, please. :)

Oh wow, one of my roommates watches their channel religiously!! I’ll have to join her sometimes, when I hear them blaring from her room haha. You’ve recently started a new multi-chapter fic, Catch & Release. Can you give us a quick summary, for anyone unfamiliar. 

The story happens one year after the events of season 6. A mysterious girl come knocking on Liam and Theo’s door, seeking their help. Her name is Skye Andrews.She’s a true Alpha who’s fighting against an hostile pack that plans to take Canada. When they saw that she wasn’t a threat and saying the truth, Liam and Theo accepted to help her, also accepting coming to Canada.

And did something inspire the concept?

I don’t even know. It just weirdly came to me just like that, while I was listening to the song “Catch & Release” by Matt Simons.The story made itself when I listened to the lyrics of the song. Now you know where the title came from.

Finally, you know I have to ask. Are there any spoilers you can slip us? 

Eventually you’ll get to know all of my original characters I included in the story. I can’t give any spoilers, because I still don’t know where this story is going. But here’s something I know for sure: Nolan/Alec and Thiam will be canon at some point in the story, I just don’t know when exactly. But if you want some precise informations, my ask box is always open.

Hahaha, fair enough. I guess we’ll have to read along and see. Ooh--perfect question segway. Bonus Question-if you could read only one author/fanfic writer for a whole year, who would you read? And what story of theirs would you horde?

Without hesitation, I say Captainmintyfresh (@Thiamfresh on Tumblr). I just adore her writing so much. It calls to me and her writing style absolutely hypnotized me. She’s incredibly talented and I just can’t stop reading her works. “Airplanes” is by far her best work. I think everyone should read it; it’s a piece of art, a masterpiece. I’m not even exaggerating. Her writing is truly amazing; it gives me the chills. I really wish I could write like that. She can capture the personality and the dynamic of the characters in the Teen Wolf universe. The way she writes their interactions is truly a treat. Seriously, If I could read her works forever, I would. She’s incredibly talented.

I share that sentiment, wholeheartedly. You’re not alone! Before we wrap, I want to ask about advice because I think it’s amazing when we’re given the opportunity to learn from one another. What’s the best writing/drawing/edit-creating advice you’ve ever gotten? Is there any wisdom you could gift us?

I didn’t get any advice in writing, but I would like to give some. If you are struggling with your writing, just take a breath and lean back to look at your work. If nothing comes out, it’s useless to work endlessly and working your brains out. Just take a break and work on it later. There’s no need to be rushed, take the time you need. Writing can be hard and demands a lot of concentration and creativity. Just take the time you need, take breaks and write everything you like. You are the creator of your story.

What’s next for you? Both in life and the creation world?

Well, I’m taking a year off of college. It was becoming too much for my brain to handle so much anxiety every day. In this year, I will eventually think about where I want to go and what I want to do. Maybe it will shorten my time for writing, but I want to do the most I can. I guess there’s nothing next in the creating segment, I’m just going to continue writing and drawing. But there’s nothing huge specifically.  

Any creating is always a perfect amount, so I’m sending you all the luck and inspiration juice in the world! Anything else you’d like to share, in general. The floor is all yours! :)

This concerns anybody reading this. I’m saying this for the third time now, but I’m writing fanfictions, doing edits, drawing fanarts and writing some incorrect quotes for you (all of you). I’m doing this to bring a smile on your faces, make you laugh and make you feel so many different emotions with my work. Seeing you guys happy, makes me incredibly happy. On everything that I do, don’t be shy and comment on my works. If you like my writing style, if you like how I make aesthetics, if you like my incorrect quotes or just quotes in general and if you like my fanarts, go ahead and tell me about those things. I probably won’t respond, because I have a social life outside of Tumblr and I’m actually pretty busy.I want to get better not just for myself, but for all of you. I don’t want to let anybody down and I don’t want to disappoint anybody. I really hope that I meet your expectations. I love each one of you (I’m definitely not crying right now).

Awww! And so with that, BTS presents Dalyane, Da-Smiley99! As always, you can keep the conversation going; respond to any of her thoughts, ask more questions, send a prompt, or simply swing by for a chat with Dalyane anytime. To quote her, she would be “absolutely thrilled” to receive your thoughts! If you’d like to dive into her works, check out both her AO3 and Tumblr.

Tumblr: Da-smiley99

AO3: Dasmiley99

Ask Box: Da-Smiley ask

A huge thank you to her for being so excited about our chat and sharing us piece of her life with us! 

Have a Thiam Creator you fan over, from any platform (AO3, Tumblr, Wattpad, Instagram, FFN, etc). Definitely drop us their names. Bonus points if you include any questions you’re dying to ask them. 

Likewise, if you as the creator, would like to be a part of the Behind the Screens series, give us a shout too! We’d love to get to know you, as well.

Mic drop!

[authorstalker]

The Author Stalker Interview with Sarah Enni

You probably already know Sarah Enni thanks to her podcast, First Draft, where she interviews all your favorite and soon-to-be favorite authors about their major influences, career journeys, and upcoming work. Now the interviewer has become the interviewee! Sarah let me ask all kinds of nosy questions in celebration of Tell Me Everything, her debut novel about art and anonymity in the age of social media.  

You host my favorite bookish podcast, First Draft, where you interview storytellers about how they make their magic happen. In honor of First Draft, I stole your standard first question: where were you born and raised? I’ll add: how did your hometown shape you as a reader and writer?

I’m so happy you enjoy the podcast! Thank you so much for listening, and for turning my own question around on me, ha! Honestly, it’s a complicated answer. I was born in Tacoma, WA, then moved to Tucson, AZ; Arlington, TX; San Jose, CA; back to Seattle, WA; then to Washington, DC; and then to Los Angeles. I’ve never lived anywhere longer than six years (though that streak is likely to end here in LA—I have no plans to move anytime soon!). 

I think moving around shaped me into a reader because, though everything around me kept changing, books were constant. As far as writing, the landscapes of Washington state (particularly the peninsula) and coastal Northern California feel absolutely magical to me, and I’ve returned to them again and again in my books. Tell Me Everything is set in Sudden Cove, California, which is a very thinly veiled, fictional version of Santa Cruz. 

The first line of your author bio can serve as inspiration to anyone toiling away at a less-than-glamorous day job: Sarah Enni has come a long way from her first writing job, a journalism gig covering the radioactive waste industry. Were you always planning to be a writer or did you consider other career paths? When did you feel ready to focus full-time on your personal/freelance creative endeavors (which include writing books, producing a podcast, and moderating publishing panels)?

I went into college knowing that writing was the one natural talent I had. But it never occurred to me to pursue creative writing, because authors felt like magical creatures who lived in clouds—that, and I have a very pragmatic streak. I majored in English and Journalism, and worked for magazines and business publications for years after college. Writing and hosting and producing the podcast are each full-time jobs in their own right, so doing the journalism day job at the same time was burning me out. I was able to quit my day job a year and a half ago, which was amazing. It’s also a privilege that I try not to take for granted.

I love learning about how writers write. Do you write in a specific place or can you write wherever? Do you created a detailed outline or go with the flow? Music while you write: yes or no? Tell me everything (I say this constantly, so the title alone would have convinced me to pick up your book). 

I feel much more creatively energized out in the world, usually at coffee shops. Thankfully there’s a great community of writers in LA, so there’s almost always someone down to meet up and write with me, too.

I outline projects, though I constantly revisit and adjust that outline as I go. For Tell Me Everything I wrote a synopsis and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. For my newest project—which is a rewrite—I also made a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the five main relationships in the novel, so I could see how each chapter was moving all those arcs forward.

I absolutely listen to music while I write. I actually tend to find one song that suits the tone of the project I’m writing, and I’ll listen to that single song on loop for every writing session. My Spotify stats are completely wacked out.

Tell Me Everything is your debut novel. Can you describe its path to publication—how long did it take to write and then to sell? As a first-time author, which moments have been the most thrilling? The most surprising?

Tell Me Everything has had a somewhat unique path to publication. I’ve been writing fiction for 10 years, and at this point have written seven books. I was connected to my editor at Scholastic, Amanda Maciel, by a mutual friend. Amanda had been working on a nugget of an idea for Scholastic, and she thought I might be the right fit to write the book. It was just a paragraph, but I loved the concept for Ivy’s story right away. I wrote a sample chapter and synopsis, and Amanda really enjoyed my take on her idea, so we signed a contract in May 2016. But writing a book after selling it was a wild experience, and drafting Tell Me Everything (all three times) was tough. Thanks to Amanda’s guidance, I found the right way to tell the story and I’m so thrilled with the book.

I’ve been in the publishing world through writing and hosting First Draft for a long time, but it’s thrilling to finally be able to talk about and promote my own work.

Tell Me Everything is a timely book; it focuses on activism and anonymity, artistic control and free speech, all through the lens of a social media app called VEIL, which is a hyperlocal Instagram-Snapchat combo. VEIL is an artistic app with three caveats: 1) you can only see posts by users in a five-mile radius, 2) all posts are anonymous, 3) the content disappears at the end of each week. Lots of VEIL-inspired drama ensues, much of it thanks to Ivy, the novel’s socially anxious, VEIL-obsessed protagonist, who performs a random act of kindness whenever she discovers a poster’s identity. Why is Ivy so adamant about VEIL remaining anonymous when she goes out of her way to not only identify users, but to let them know she’s identified them?

Ivy wants VEIL to remain anonymous because that’s what allows the local artists to be so brave with what they post. But at the same time, she longs to know who the artists are because she’s been personally touched by their work. The inherent contradiction of those two things isn’t immediately apparent to Ivy, who’s also working through her fear of sharing her own art publicly. That’s the crux of the novel: sharing the vulnerable parts of ourselves is scary, but it’s also the key to creating personal connection. Ivy is struggling to grasp and accept that.

There’s a divide in the book between those who think the anonymity makes VEIL problematic and those who think it encourages free expression. Ivy, who I would describe as a Real Deal Artist, absolutely loves the app, though she’s not brave enough to post her own work. She’s a background player surrounded by activists; in a line I found at once patronizing and motivational, Ivy’s best friend tells her, “At some point you have to start participating in your own life.” Was VEIL ultimately good for Ivy or was it holding her back?

Ha, you are so right—Harold says that to Ivy, and he has his own issues. Namely, thinking he knows what’s best for everyone around him. I think VEIL was ultimately good for Ivy, for a number of reasons. One: it showed Ivy that artists are everywhere, around us at all times. Two: it allowed her to make the distinction between being shy and being anonymous. Even though the site was totally anonymous, she couldn’t bring herself to post there! So Ivy had to start thinking about what was really holding her back. And three: by seeking to engage with artists she found on VEIL, Ivy went outside her comfort zone and forged some IRL connections. By the end of the book, VEIL has done its job because Ivy doesn’t truly need it anymore.

Tell Me Everything lightning round! 

Favorite Jeff Goldblum movie?

THIS IS HARD! I’m a 90s kid, so I have to say Jurassic Park. It’s such a classic.

Garden gnomes or Bigfoot?

Bigfoot, hands down!

I have to know: how did you come up with the name Rake Burmkezerg?

Rake Burmkezerg is an anagram of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had naming a character.

Was Teenage Sarah more of a Harold or an Ivy?

In total honesty, I was an Ivy as a young teen, and grew into a Harold by the end. I was definitely pulling from personal experience in writing them both.

Last question! What advice do you have for all the aspiring writers out there?

Honestly? Patience and perseverance. Learn to revise—it’s the key to this art, and it will set you apart from 90 percent of other writers.

You can find Sarah Enni online at her website or on Twitter @SarahEnni. Her podcast is truly one of my favorites, so check out First Draft, too! Tell Me Everything comes out on February 26, 2019. 

[emmackiefer]

How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr

With 471.6 million accounts as of July 2019, the oldest microblogging platform, Tumblr, continues to hold its place in the top quintile of social media across the world. If you have ever used Tumblr, you are probably already well aware of the ‘discover’ section that allows users to search for different posts according to their interests. But did you know you could search for multiple tags on Tumblr? This guide will walk you through Tumblr Tags, what they are, and how to search for them.

What Is A Tumblr Tag?

Much like other platforms that have adopted this trend, each Tumblr post is characterized by tags. Essentially, tags on Tumblr fulfill the same purpose as hashtags on Twitter. For instance, a microblog about current clothing trends will have the tag ‘Fashion’ in its post. So when users search for ‘Fashion’ related posts, they are likely to see results with the tag. With several million users conducting Tumblr tag searches each day, from technological wizards to health-conscious people, using them the right way can provide you mass exposure.

How Do You Hashtag On Tumblr?

Hashtags on Tumblr work the same way as any other format, providing a great way for new users to discover your blog, and re-post your content for more engagement. As people often use the Tumblr search filter for hashtags and keywords, including them in your posts can result in more publicity. However, the key to optimizing hashtags is what makes Tumblr unique. Unlike other leading social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, Tumblr hashtags are not typed with the post content.

Yes, you read that right; Tumblr has a separate section dedicated for hashtags. It appears as a small tag icon at the bottom when you are typing a new post. Unless you choose Tumblr’s dedicated hashtag section, the tags you embed in your content will not result in clickable links.

Also, Tumblr tags can include special characters – a feature that other platforms lack. For example, Tumblr tags can include spaces between words, apostrophes, and many other special symbols. While there is no limitation to the number of tags you use, only the ones used with an original post show up for a search.

Quick Tip: The Tumblr search page has a dedicated Tumblr trending option that shows the highest performing search terms. Using these as your hashtag can allow you to get more exposure, resulting in more likes and re-blogs.

How Can Tags Boost Your Blog?

Tags are Tumblr’s primary tool of discovery, which means that they are the primary tactic to boost your visibility. Remember, with more than 1,427 Tumblr posts being uploaded per second, the microblogging platform hosts thousands of visitors who are looking to discover your blog.

How to Search Tags on Tumblr?

Users who are looking for new people to follow, and blogs to read, usually do so through a tag lookup. So, if I am using Tumblr to look for other sports enthusiasts, I may search for NBA related blogs. This way, I would expect to read what other people have written about basketball. But people don’t always work that way. Either they don’t use tags to identify their blogs, or use a plethora of popular tags, attempting to gain exposure. But what value will a frustrated visitor add to your blog? If I found a digital marketing services microblog tagged in the NBA section, I would scroll past it within a second. Tags are meant to filter interests, so only those users who are actively searching for a niche or a particular topic can see your blog. Accurate tags are the best way to build a loyal following with users who are interested in your content.

Blog Categories and Tags

In addition to tags, you can also utilize categories on Tumblr. Most people tend to confuse the two, but we will lay out the differences for you.

Categories are broad subjects that are somehow related. For example, if I’m running a food blog, my categories can include Asian food, Thai food, or Continental food. These independent categories, although related to food, stand mutually exclusive to each other.

Tags are very specific with regards to the post, but they are not mutually exclusive and can be found across all categories. Continuing the food blog example, tags can be based on best-selling recipes, most famous recipes, etc. Both serve a vital role in allowing the user to understand the direction and topic of the blog.

Steps To Searching Multiple Tags

Multiple tags, as the name implies, is when more than one tag is associated with a post. This allows the business to differentiate and distinguish the content of their post from overlapping tags. But how do you search for multiple tags? Don’t worry. This is an easy hack:

How to Search Multiple Tags on Tumblr Blog?

On the search bar, enter the first tag

Don’t hit enter just yet! Enter a comma after the first tag, leave a space, and enter the second tag you want to look up

Want to add more than 2? Just keep repeating the first two steps. Hit Enter when you finished.

How to Add Multiple Tags On Tumblr?

Since we have discussed how to add multiple tags on your profile, the next question on your mind would be: ‘how do I add multiple tags on my posts?’ The process is quite similar to the one we used for searching. Let me break it down for you: When typing down a post, access the ‘Tag’ section positioned below.   

In the ‘Tag’ section, add your first tag

Like searching for multiple tags, add a comma after the first tag, and type the second tag

 Repeat the process for more than 2 tags

For example, a post targeting a Bugatti Veyron supercar is likely to include all 3 keywords as separate tags (‘Bugatti, Veyron, supercars’) in order to distinguish from other posts about supercars.

Before we talk about multiple tags any further, we need to talk about some important discovery tricks that people often miss out on. These tricks can help you broaden your search perimeter on the microblogging platform:

Search Individual Blogs

Did you know that you can Tumblr search for tags on someone’s profile? Before, discovery options on the platform were limited to Tumblr tag search. However, consumers were vocal about the need for options to search specific blogs for the content they require, and not a site-wide tag search.

Here’s how to do it:

Open a blog, either by its name or by clicking on the avatar on your feed

On the blog, you will see a magnifying glass located at the very top. Click on it.

 In the search field, write the tag that you want to search. And voila, you have your results!

Users can even leverage search filters to modify their searches. For instance, if you are only looking for original posts, you need to click the option from the filter, and it will do the job for you. But what if the content you are looking for was in the post content, and not listed in the tags? Here is what you can do in such a case: Search For Words (And Not Just Tags)

Many Tumblr users complain about reading something amazing, only to miss out on re-blogging it. When they search for it again, they can’t remember the tags that were used. And I always tell them, Tumblr allows users to search for words! And not just individual blogs, you can search for words directly from your dashboard.

Here’s how:

Do you see the search bar on the top of your Tumblr feed? Click on it

Write the word you are looking for

You’ll be presented posts that contain the search term/word

Pro Tip: Remember the multiple tag search trick that I mentioned above? It turns out, you can use the same trick to search for multiple text phrases as well! For instance, if you want to search for iPhone wallpapers – you simply need to type “iPhone, wallpapers” in the Tumblr search filter, and hit enter.

How to Search on Tumblr App?

Locate the magnifying glass at the top of your dashboard and simply type in whatever you want to search. The same rules apply on the mobile format as a desktop; you can search a specific bloggers page, for a subject, or a specific tag or multiple tags. Just follow the same protocol.

How Is Searching Multiple Tags Different Than Single Tag Searches?

There is a difference in how results are presented for multiple tag searches, as opposed to single tag searches. When a user conducts a single Tumblr tag search, the displayed results include every post that has the searched tag. This may also contain posts with multiple tags that have the single tag included. In contrast, when a user searches for multiple tags, the displayed results are automatically limited to posts that include only the specific tags. Continuing the Bugatti Veyron Supercar example, if User A uploaded a post with three tags (Bugatti, Veyron, supercars), and User B searched for the tags’ Bugatti, Veyron’, the search result will not display the post from A. However, if User B had only searched for the tag ‘Bugatti’, then User A’s post will show up in Tumblr search results.

Best Way to Utilize Multiple Tags

Multiple tags allow you to gain increased exposure for your posts. By utilizing multiple tags you can help narrow down the results of a search, and avoid being lost due to a surplus of results for a super popular tag that everyone is using.

Search for Popular Blog Tags

One great tip that can help you, is to go through the Tumblr trending list. By accessing the ‘Explore’ option on Tumblr, you can see the most popular posts and tags, and get some inspiration for the tags to include. This is a great way to see what readers are looking for and how to characterize your blog and get it out there to be found.

Mistakes to Avoid When Using Multiple Tags

Unnecessarily stuffing your post with keywords and tags can do more harm than good. Users should ensure that the tags should not be redundant, or overlapping, as this can confuse readers. Worse, this practice can make you come across as a spam account that is only eager for exposure, and not quality. Ensure that the popular blog tag resonates (if even a little) with your post, or users may brush you off because your post does not align with their search.

The Tag feature is the core of Tumblr’s discovery system, allowing users to connect with other people, and see blogs based on their interests. Additionally, adding tags to your posts can help you amass more views, thus gaining more exposure and engagement. Remember, utilizing multiple tags allows content creators and businesses to reach an even bigger audience. However, users need to be wary of using too many tags, as Tumblr’s search indexes the first 20 tags only.

The post How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr appeared first on Smart Street Media.

How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr published first on https://smartstreet-media.tumblr.com

[brendagprentice]

How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr

  With 471.6 million accounts as of July 2019, the oldest microblogging platform, Tumblr, continues to hold its place in the top quintile of social media across the world. If you have ever used Tumblr, you are probably already well aware of the ‘discover’ section that allows users to search for different posts according to their interests. But did you know you could search for multiple tags on Tumblr? This guide will walk you through Tumblr Tags, what they are, and how to search for them.

What Is A Tumblr Tag?

Much like other platforms that have adopted this trend, each Tumblr post is characterized by tags. Essentially, tags on Tumblr fulfill the same purpose as hashtags on Twitter. For instance, a microblog about current clothing trends will have the tag ‘Fashion’ in its post. So when users search for ‘Fashion’ related posts, they are likely to see results with the tag. With several million users conducting Tumblr tag searches each day, from technological wizards to health-conscious people, using them the right way can provide you mass exposure.

How Do You Hashtag On Tumblr?

Hashtags on Tumblr work the same way as any other format, providing a great way for new users to discover your blog, and re-post your content for more engagement. As people often use the Tumblr search filter for hashtags and keywords, including them in your posts can result in more publicity. However, the key to optimizing hashtags is what makes Tumblr unique. Unlike other leading social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, Tumblr hashtags are not typed with the post content.

Yes, you read that right; Tumblr has a separate section dedicated for hashtags. It appears as a small tag icon at the bottom when you are typing a new post. Unless you choose Tumblr’s dedicated hashtag section, the tags you embed in your content will not result in clickable links.

Also, Tumblr tags can include special characters – a feature that other platforms lack. For example, Tumblr tags can include spaces between words, apostrophes, and many other special symbols. While there is no limitation to the number of tags you use, only the ones used with an original post show up for a search.

Quick Tip: The Tumblr search page has a dedicated Tumblr trending option that shows the highest performing search terms. Using these as your hashtag can allow you to get more exposure, resulting in more likes and re-blogs.

How Can Tags Boost Your Blog?

Tags are Tumblr’s primary tool of discovery, which means that they are the primary tactic to boost your visibility. Remember, with more than 1,427 Tumblr posts being uploaded per second, the microblogging platform hosts thousands of visitors who are looking to discover your blog.

How to Search Tags on Tumblr?

Users who are looking for new people to follow, and blogs to read, usually do so through a tag lookup. So, if I am using Tumblr to look for other sports enthusiasts, I may search for NBA related blogs. This way, I would expect to read what other people have written about basketball. But people don’t always work that way. Either they don’t use tags to identify their blogs, or use a plethora of popular tags, attempting to gain exposure. But what value will a frustrated visitor add to your blog? If I found a digital marketing services microblog tagged in the NBA section, I would scroll past it within a second. Tags are meant to filter interests, so only those users who are actively searching for a niche or a particular topic can see your blog. Accurate tags are the best way to build a loyal following with users who are interested in your content.

Blog Categories and Tags

In addition to tags, you can also utilize categories on Tumblr. Most people tend to confuse the two, but we will lay out the differences for you.

Categories are broad subjects that are somehow related. For example, if I’m running a food blog, my categories can include Asian food, Thai food, or Continental food. These independent categories, although related to food, stand mutually exclusive to each other.

Tags are very specific with regards to the post, but they are not mutually exclusive and can be found across all categories. Continuing the food blog example, tags can be based on best-selling recipes, most famous recipes, etc. Both serve a vital role in allowing the user to understand the direction and topic of the blog.

Steps To Searching Multiple Tags

Multiple tags, as the name implies, is when more than one tag is associated with a post. This allows the business to differentiate and distinguish the content of their post from overlapping tags. But how do you search for multiple tags? Don’t worry. This is an easy hack:

How to Search Multiple Tags on Tumblr Blog?

On the search bar, enter the first tag

Don’t hit enter just yet! Enter a comma after the first tag, leave a space, and enter the second tag you want to look up

Want to add more than 2? Just keep repeating the first two steps. Hit Enter when you finished.

How to Add Multiple Tags On Tumblr?

Since we have discussed how to add multiple tags on your profile, the next question on your mind would be: ‘how do I add multiple tags on my posts?’ The process is quite similar to the one we used for searching. Let me break it down for you: When typing down a post, access the ‘Tag’ section positioned below.   

In the ‘Tag’ section, add your first tag

Like searching for multiple tags, add a comma after the first tag, and type the second tag

 Repeat the process for more than 2 tags

For example, a post targeting a Bugatti Veyron supercar is likely to include all 3 keywords as separate tags (‘Bugatti, Veyron, supercars’) in order to distinguish from other posts about supercars.

Before we talk about multiple tags any further, we need to talk about some important discovery tricks that people often miss out on. These tricks can help you broaden your search perimeter on the microblogging platform:

Search Individual Blogs

Did you know that you can Tumblr search for tags on someone’s profile? Before, discovery options on the platform were limited to Tumblr tag search. However, consumers were vocal about the need for options to search specific blogs for the content they require, and not a site-wide tag search.

Here’s how to do it:

Open a blog, either by its name or by clicking on the avatar on your feed

On the blog, you will see a magnifying glass located at the very top. Click on it.

 In the search field, write the tag that you want to search. And voila, you have your results!

Users can even leverage search filters to modify their searches. For instance, if you are only looking for original posts, you need to click the option from the filter, and it will do the job for you. But what if the content you are looking for was in the post content, and not listed in the tags? Here is what you can do in such a case: Search For Words (And Not Just Tags)

Many Tumblr users complain about reading something amazing, only to miss out on re-blogging it. When they search for it again, they can’t remember the tags that were used. And I always tell them, Tumblr allows users to search for words! And not just individual blogs, you can search for words directly from your dashboard.

Here’s how:

Do you see the search bar on the top of your Tumblr feed? Click on it

Write the word you are looking for

You’ll be presented posts that contain the search term/word

Pro Tip: Remember the multiple tag search trick that I mentioned above? It turns out, you can use the same trick to search for multiple text phrases as well! For instance, if you want to search for iPhone wallpapers – you simply need to type “iPhone, wallpapers” in the Tumblr search filter, and hit enter.

How to Search on Tumblr App?

Locate the magnifying glass at the top of your dashboard and simply type in whatever you want to search. The same rules apply on the mobile format as a desktop; you can search a specific bloggers page, for a subject, or a specific tag or multiple tags. Just follow the same protocol.

How Is Searching Multiple Tags Different Than Single Tag Searches?

There is a difference in how results are presented for multiple tag searches, as opposed to single tag searches. When a user conducts a single Tumblr tag search, the displayed results include every post that has the searched tag. This may also contain posts with multiple tags that have the single tag included. In contrast, when a user searches for multiple tags, the displayed results are automatically limited to posts that include only the specific tags. Continuing the Bugatti Veyron Supercar example, if User A uploaded a post with three tags (Bugatti, Veyron, supercars), and User B searched for the tags’ Bugatti, Veyron’, the search result will not display the post from A. However, if User B had only searched for the tag ‘Bugatti’, then User A’s post will show up in Tumblr search results.

Best Way to Utilize Multiple Tags

Multiple tags allow you to gain increased exposure for your posts. By utilizing multiple tags you can help narrow down the results of a search, and avoid being lost due to a surplus of results for a super popular tag that everyone is using.

Search for Popular Blog Tags

One great tip that can help you, is to go through the Tumblr trending list. By accessing the ‘Explore’ option on Tumblr, you can see the most popular posts and tags, and get some inspiration for the tags to include. This is a great way to see what readers are looking for and how to characterize your blog and get it out there to be found.

Mistakes to Avoid When Using Multiple Tags

Unnecessarily stuffing your post with keywords and tags can do more harm than good. Users should ensure that the tags should not be redundant, or overlapping, as this can confuse readers. Worse, this practice can make you come across as a spam account that is only eager for exposure, and not quality. Ensure that the popular blog tag resonates (if even a little) with your post, or users may brush you off because your post does not align with their search.

The Tag feature is the core of Tumblr’s discovery system, allowing users to connect with other people, and see blogs based on their interests. Additionally, adding tags to your posts can help you amass more views, thus gaining more exposure and engagement. Remember, utilizing multiple tags allows content creators and businesses to reach an even bigger audience. However, users need to be wary of using too many tags, as Tumblr’s search indexes the first 20 tags only.

The post How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr appeared first on Smart Street Media.

How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr published first on https://smartstreetmediasite.wordpress.com

[ickyrafe]

some of maytwin!reader’s posts…

[smartstreet-media]

How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr

  With 471.6 million accounts as of July 2019, the oldest microblogging platform, Tumblr, continues to hold its place in the top quintile of social media across the world. If you have ever used Tumblr, you are probably already well aware of the ‘discover’ section that allows users to search for different posts according to their interests. But did you know you could search for multiple tags on Tumblr? This guide will walk you through Tumblr Tags, what they are, and how to search for them.

What Is A Tumblr Tag?

Much like other platforms that have adopted this trend, each Tumblr post is characterized by tags. Essentially, tags on Tumblr fulfill the same purpose as hashtags on Twitter. For instance, a microblog about current clothing trends will have the tag ‘Fashion’ in its post. So when users search for ‘Fashion’ related posts, they are likely to see results with the tag. With several million users conducting Tumblr tag searches each day, from technological wizards to health-conscious people, using them the right way can provide you mass exposure.

How Do You Hashtag On Tumblr?

Hashtags on Tumblr work the same way as any other format, providing a great way for new users to discover your blog, and re-post your content for more engagement. As people often use the Tumblr search filter for hashtags and keywords, including them in your posts can result in more publicity. However, the key to optimizing hashtags is what makes Tumblr unique. Unlike other leading social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, Tumblr hashtags are not typed with the post content.

Yes, you read that right; Tumblr has a separate section dedicated for hashtags. It appears as a small tag icon at the bottom when you are typing a new post. Unless you choose Tumblr’s dedicated hashtag section, the tags you embed in your content will not result in clickable links.

Also, Tumblr tags can include special characters – a feature that other platforms lack. For example, Tumblr tags can include spaces between words, apostrophes, and many other special symbols. While there is no limitation to the number of tags you use, only the ones used with an original post show up for a search.

Quick Tip: The Tumblr search page has a dedicated Tumblr trending option that shows the highest performing search terms. Using these as your hashtag can allow you to get more exposure, resulting in more likes and re-blogs.

How Can Tags Boost Your Blog?

Tags are Tumblr’s primary tool of discovery, which means that they are the primary tactic to boost your visibility. Remember, with more than 1,427 Tumblr posts being uploaded per second, the microblogging platform hosts thousands of visitors who are looking to discover your blog.

How to Search Tags on Tumblr?

Users who are looking for new people to follow, and blogs to read, usually do so through a tag lookup. So, if I am using Tumblr to look for other sports enthusiasts, I may search for NBA related blogs. This way, I would expect to read what other people have written about basketball. But people don’t always work that way. Either they don’t use tags to identify their blogs, or use a plethora of popular tags, attempting to gain exposure. But what value will a frustrated visitor add to your blog? If I found a digital marketing services microblog tagged in the NBA section, I would scroll past it within a second. Tags are meant to filter interests, so only those users who are actively searching for a niche or a particular topic can see your blog. Accurate tags are the best way to build a loyal following with users who are interested in your content.

Blog Categories and Tags

In addition to tags, you can also utilize categories on Tumblr. Most people tend to confuse the two, but we will lay out the differences for you.

Categories are broad subjects that are somehow related. For example, if I’m running a food blog, my categories can include Asian food, Thai food, or Continental food. These independent categories, although related to food, stand mutually exclusive to each other.

Tags are very specific with regards to the post, but they are not mutually exclusive and can be found across all categories. Continuing the food blog example, tags can be based on best-selling recipes, most famous recipes, etc. Both serve a vital role in allowing the user to understand the direction and topic of the blog.

Steps To Searching Multiple Tags

Multiple tags, as the name implies, is when more than one tag is associated with a post. This allows the business to differentiate and distinguish the content of their post from overlapping tags. But how do you search for multiple tags? Don’t worry. This is an easy hack:

How to Search Multiple Tags on Tumblr Blog?

On the search bar, enter the first tag

Don’t hit enter just yet! Enter a comma after the first tag, leave a space, and enter the second tag you want to look up

Want to add more than 2? Just keep repeating the first two steps. Hit Enter when you finished.

How to Add Multiple Tags On Tumblr?

Since we have discussed how to add multiple tags on your profile, the next question on your mind would be: ‘how do I add multiple tags on my posts?’ The process is quite similar to the one we used for searching. Let me break it down for you: When typing down a post, access the ‘Tag’ section positioned below.   

In the ‘Tag’ section, add your first tag

Like searching for multiple tags, add a comma after the first tag, and type the second tag

 Repeat the process for more than 2 tags

For example, a post targeting a Bugatti Veyron supercar is likely to include all 3 keywords as separate tags (‘Bugatti, Veyron, supercars’) in order to distinguish from other posts about supercars.

Before we talk about multiple tags any further, we need to talk about some important discovery tricks that people often miss out on. These tricks can help you broaden your search perimeter on the microblogging platform:

Search Individual Blogs

Did you know that you can Tumblr search for tags on someone’s profile? Before, discovery options on the platform were limited to Tumblr tag search. However, consumers were vocal about the need for options to search specific blogs for the content they require, and not a site-wide tag search.

Here’s how to do it:

Open a blog, either by its name or by clicking on the avatar on your feed

On the blog, you will see a magnifying glass located at the very top. Click on it.

 In the search field, write the tag that you want to search. And voila, you have your results!

Users can even leverage search filters to modify their searches. For instance, if you are only looking for original posts, you need to click the option from the filter, and it will do the job for you. But what if the content you are looking for was in the post content, and not listed in the tags? Here is what you can do in such a case: Search For Words (And Not Just Tags)

Many Tumblr users complain about reading something amazing, only to miss out on re-blogging it. When they search for it again, they can’t remember the tags that were used. And I always tell them, Tumblr allows users to search for words! And not just individual blogs, you can search for words directly from your dashboard.

Here’s how:

Do you see the search bar on the top of your Tumblr feed? Click on it

Write the word you are looking for

You’ll be presented posts that contain the search term/word

Pro Tip: Remember the multiple tag search trick that I mentioned above? It turns out, you can use the same trick to search for multiple text phrases as well! For instance, if you want to search for iPhone wallpapers – you simply need to type “iPhone, wallpapers” in the Tumblr search filter, and hit enter.

How to Search on Tumblr App?

Locate the magnifying glass at the top of your dashboard and simply type in whatever you want to search. The same rules apply on the mobile format as a desktop; you can search a specific bloggers page, for a subject, or a specific tag or multiple tags. Just follow the same protocol.

How Is Searching Multiple Tags Different Than Single Tag Searches?

There is a difference in how results are presented for multiple tag searches, as opposed to single tag searches. When a user conducts a single Tumblr tag search, the displayed results include every post that has the searched tag. This may also contain posts with multiple tags that have the single tag included. In contrast, when a user searches for multiple tags, the displayed results are automatically limited to posts that include only the specific tags. Continuing the Bugatti Veyron Supercar example, if User A uploaded a post with three tags (Bugatti, Veyron, supercars), and User B searched for the tags’ Bugatti, Veyron’, the search result will not display the post from A. However, if User B had only searched for the tag ‘Bugatti’, then User A’s post will show up in Tumblr search results.

Best Way to Utilize Multiple Tags

Multiple tags allow you to gain increased exposure for your posts. By utilizing multiple tags you can help narrow down the results of a search, and avoid being lost due to a surplus of results for a super popular tag that everyone is using.

Search for Popular Blog Tags

One great tip that can help you, is to go through the Tumblr trending list. By accessing the ‘Explore’ option on Tumblr, you can see the most popular posts and tags, and get some inspiration for the tags to include. This is a great way to see what readers are looking for and how to characterize your blog and get it out there to be found.

Mistakes to Avoid When Using Multiple Tags

Unnecessarily stuffing your post with keywords and tags can do more harm than good. Users should ensure that the tags should not be redundant, or overlapping, as this can confuse readers. Worse, this practice can make you come across as a spam account that is only eager for exposure, and not quality. Ensure that the popular blog tag resonates (if even a little) with your post, or users may brush you off because your post does not align with their search.

The Tag feature is the core of Tumblr’s discovery system, allowing users to connect with other people, and see blogs based on their interests. Additionally, adding tags to your posts can help you amass more views, thus gaining more exposure and engagement. Remember, utilizing multiple tags allows content creators and businesses to reach an even bigger audience. However, users need to be wary of using too many tags, as Tumblr’s search indexes the first 20 tags only.

The post How To Search Multiple Tags On Tumblr – Search For Multiple Tags And Terms On Tumblr appeared first on Smart Street Media.

[dawnajaynes32]

Spanish Language Day: Celebrating Spain

Deadline for entry: October 30, 2017

Did you know that half of the world’s approximately 6,500 languages will disappear by the end of the century? At the current rate, one language is disappearing every two weeks.

In February of 2010, the United Nations launched a new initiative to promote multilingualism. They declared October 12 Spanish Language Day. The decision was made in order to “increase awareness and respect for the history, culture and achievements of each of the six working languages among the UN community” during the same year that UNESCO was celebrating the International Year of Rapprochement of Cultures.

The Director-General, Irina Bokova, made an important statement in regards to the celebration: “Languages are the best vehicles of mutual understanding and tolerance. Respect for all languages is a key factor for ensuring peaceful coexistence, without exclusion, of societies and all of their members.”

Spanish is the official language of 21 countries. And to get a little inspiration from the place where it all began (well, sort of), we’re featuring 11 Hispanic design firms creating work you’re sure to love.

¡Feliz día de la lengua española! 

Toormix; Barcelona, Spain

“We believe that design transcends beyond the mere aesthetic value. We understand it as a transversal tool that helps – from the beginning – boosting businesses, brands and projects to a new level. We believe in the power of design…”

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Toormix created the brand strategy, business design, digital experience, identity & communication, and environmental designs for Bicnic, “local slowfood on wheels.” This self-initiated project was completed in partnership with Betlem, a renowned restaurant run by chef Victor Ferrer.

Tata&Friends; Madrid, Spain

“Tata&Friends is a Design Muscle for positive brands. A collaborative design studio driven by curiosity, observation, thinking, testing, failing… improving.”

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

“Latino is a bar and restaurant in Freistadt, Austria. We developed a new identity and their own newspaper Mambo Libre, it’s on fire!”

Ink Bad Company; Valencia, Spain

“Ink Bad Company is the design studio and alter ego of JC Guerrero, illustrator based in Valencia. Devoted to the study of the mass culture through the dotted halftone; his work maintains a completely unnecessary link with the paper and some immature details to refine. To date, however, the guy have managed to work with many respectable clients across the world, in fields such as the advertising, packaging, editorial or lettering.”

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

“Ray-Ban needed a new poster for their optical glasses line to be put in stores worldwide. The concept invokes that feeling when you put on the best pair of glasses you’ve worn. Everything is illuminated and you can see the world as amazing as it’s meant to be seen.”

Veintidós Grados; Madrid, Spain

“Our goal is to always be proud of what we do. Veintidós Grados was created with the illusion of making things in a different way. Our purpose is to focus all of our efforts in learning, creating and developing innovative projects based on non-conventional designs far from those made by the majority of the industry in Spain.”

Website  |  Twitter

  “Love for Iceland is a project made by and for lovers of this country, for those who have visited and for those who do not. This site pretends to be a tribute, a place to show some of the places of this magical island and a guide to learn more about it.”

Fyero; Santander, Spain

“We are a creative studio specialized in motion graphics and branding. We also develop illustration, infographic and packaging projects, as well as different kinds of audiovisual works (corporate video, promotions, advertising…) We have 8 years of relevant experience in various agencies and studios. We hope to collaborate with you!”

Website  |  Twitter  | Instagram

“Design and Motion for Grafic-Ho 2017 Festival.”

Serial Cut; Madrid, Spain

“We are not designers, nor typographers, neither artists. We are just “image-makers”. We have been creating images since 1999. Both direct clients and ad agencies all over the world count on our team of talented professionals in order to enhance their brands with ad campaigns which are art directed and often produced by our team.”

Website  |  Instagram

“Through the years, the Air Max has always been at the center of creativity and culture. The new Nike Air Vapormax was released in the Air Max Day (March 26th 2017) and we created this 6sec motion piece and key visuals, along other worldwide artists, showcasing the newest innovation in air technology. KISS MY AIRS!”

Estudio Maba; Murcia, Spain

“At Estudio Maba we work to find communicative solutions for companies’ day to day requirements. As designers, we cover everything from a brand or product’s concept, identity and naming right through to its graphics and packaging, adopting a strategic, differentiation-oriented approach to create an effective, compelling, high profile image in the eyes of the customer.”

Website  | Twitter  | Instagram

“The inspiration is a mixture of oriental theater puppets and “old school” tattoos of sailors. Full of symbolism. The treatment finishes with strokes in a third dimension that gives it color and also touch. The thermo ink indicates the optimum point for its consumption in a small illustration in form of a coiled worm. The result is a label that retains its personality but extolled and justified. We already know what the half-smile of La Marimorena was about.”

Redbility; Madrid, Spain

More than 150 clients have already trusted Redbility. With over 1,000 completed projects under their belt, they’ve remained true to their beliefs since day one. “We like to say that we are different, our DNA makes us different, we are nonconformists and we live with passion each project. We always bring the best of ourselves and combine agile strategy, user experience and design without losing sight of business objectives. If you were looking for something different you’ve found it, R-evolution begins.”

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

“Never kill another plant again! You won’t forget to water it thanks to the notifications adapted to the plant you own. It will use your geolocation to know the temperature in your area and give you the best advice for its survival. Your friend’s health comes first!” [edited for translation]

Collectivo Verbena; Granada, Spain

“Collective Verbena is graphic design, photography, video, editorial, packaging, web, ideas. Working hard to make brands grow happy.”

Website  |  Instagram

“Pozoblanco is a municipality in the province of Cordoba with a long-lived library and much loved by its inhabitants. Both the space, as well as the developed identity, seeks to gather the past to build a future.

“The logo had to be a flexible structure, open to change. This idea materialized in a space, the square, in which the protagonists, in this case acronyms, interact, creating, each time, a different result.”

Rifle; Madrid, Spain

“No restrictions, no geographic confines, from local projects to worldwide clients, [Rifle is] open to all possibilities and adopting a model suitable to a new kind of studio: choosing the best team according to the requirements of each challenge, with partners engaged on a project-by-project basis.”

Website  |  Twitter

“Formed in 2011 and redesigned with the launch of Issue 9 in 2014, Makeshift is a field guide to hidden creativity. From homemade aircrafts in Nigeria to drug smugglers in Mexico, Chinese hackers pushed up against the Great Firewall to Haitian communities pushing back against marginalization, the quarterly magazine uncovers creative solutions from the economic fringe. Makeshift is part of a new breed of magazines passionate about their content, form, and community.”

Pleid; Madrid, Spain

“We are a talented team, ready to achieve excellence on each project. Using design as a communication tool, we create stunning images supported by thinking.”

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

“Past meets present is the main concept of the new Converse collection. Converse has spent a good part of this year updating some of their classics. Our past is constantly catching up to us, but we rarely get to see the relationship between past and present. The sneaker company gave us access to some of the original footwear to create a series of dynamic, thrilling and unexpected motion pieces wherein we watch the old versions turn into the updated models.”

Did you hear? In addition to free Big Tickets to HOW Design Live 2018 for the Reader’s Choice winners of the HOW Logo Design Awards, we’re now offering all 20 winners a $500 discount on any Big Ticket registration! Will we see you there?

Early-Bird Deadline: 11:59 pm EDT on Oct. 2

The post Spanish Language Day: Celebrating Spain appeared first on HOW Design.

Spanish Language Day: Celebrating Spain syndicated post

[books-n-wine]

~**~ Cover Reveal of SOL by Leslie McAdam ~**~

Sol by Leslie McAdam releases on October 15th! CHECK OUT THIS COVER!

Cover Model: Taylor Lotre Cover Designer: Michele Catalano Creative Cover Photographer: Cory Stierley

ADD TO YOUR TBR → http://bit.ly/2eLid2i

The army taught me discipline. Order. Control. None of that matters the day I walk into her classroom. Or her bedroom. What's more important than my grade? Not failing her.

A note from the author about the cover

On July 27, 2016, Cory Stierley sent a group text to me and our mutual friend Erin, a painter, completely ticked off about seeing a guy running. Since I don’t normally get upset about seeing people run—and neither do Cory or Erin—I thought this was odd behavior. Cory: “Ok, this is common from me but I’m kinda pissed off right now!!!” Me: “Let it out” Erin: “…go on” Cory is a professional photographer who has taken the cover photographs for half of my published books, in addition to other New York Times bestsellers. He loves color and celebrating bodies. He has an eye for beauty and a knack for getting amazingly creative shots. Cory's text: “So, I was getting off the highway and I happen to see this dude running, red tank top with white edges, black and white shorts. He was running on a path next to a green field, so of course it stuck out to me. I had to go slow past him cuz the speed limit and the turn I was making. He immediately hit me as your next cover model.” Me: “And why are you pissed about this” Because why would anyone be mad about seeing a guy running in a park? Right? But Cory was so upset because this was the one who got away. A muse, an inspiration. Marching orders from the creative universe to actually make something. And his potential subject was gone. Cory was adamant. “He NEEDS to model. … Leslie, I’m not lying when I say he is your IDEAL dude/model.” He was right. In an attempt to find the guy, Cory placed a “missed connections” ad on Craigslist, but was discouraged because of the slim-to-none chances that someone would see the ad and know the identity of the runner. I tried to reassure him: “Well he’ll find you. And you’ll take his pic. And I’ll buy it. That’s all. Done. … This is the part where I expose to you all what a mystical weirdo I am. But that’s what happens. You’ll find him. .. Or he’ll find you. That’s the way the universe works. … Relax you’ll find him.” (And then Erin and I discussed tattoos for a while. <3 Sigh.) The next day, Cory went back to the same park at about the same time and hung around. No dude. The following day, Cory woke up and got the idea to stop by a local gym. Cory walked in and was relieved to see that there was a younger girl behind the counter. (He was grateful that it was a younger chick, thinking that a story like this wouldn't weird her out so much, and that she would help.) He went up to her and started describing the guy he saw running. She got a knowing look on her face like, I know who you’re talking about. Reinstalling Instagram on her phone, she pulled up a profile. And it was the guy! Named Taylor.</span> So Cory had FOUND THE GUY despite nearly zero odds. Looking at his profile, we were not only struck by handsome Taylor’s looks but also his incredible attitude. Nearly all of his posts were positive quotes and affirmations. There was just an amazing spirit about every single thing he did. We all felt a sense of relief that Cory had found the guy, and both he and I direct messaged him on Instagram. (Cory made me redo my original message because he thought it sounded too stalkery.) And we were relieved when he responded. We found out the following. (1) He’d been wanting to model, and encouraged to do so by family and friends his whole life, but didn’t know how to go about it, and (2) this was his second day doing cardio in three years, since he had gotten out of the Army. But this was the first day, at the last second, he had decided to run a different route. If he would have gone the other way, Cory wouldn't have seen him. You can draw your own conclusions to this story. My conclusion is that some things are meant to be. Taylor was meant to model and Cory was meant to find him. And now, not only did Cory find him, they took the pic, I bought it, and he’s on my cover, but the fact that he served in Afghanistan provided me with a muse for this story.

About the Author Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance, Little Dude, and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two small children. Leslie always encourages her kids to be themselves – even if it means letting her daughter wear leopard print from head to toe. An avid reader from a young age, she will always trade watching TV for reading a book, unless it’s Top Gear. Or football. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men you fantasize about. She’s unapologetically sarcastic and notoriously terrible at comma placement (that’s what editors are for!). Always up for a laugh, Leslie tries to see humor in all things. When she’s not in the writing cave you’ll find her fangirling over Beck, camping with her family, or mixing up oil paints to depict her love of outdoors on canvas. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliemcadamauthor Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LeslieMcAdam Website: http://www.lesliemcadamauthor.com/ Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qj9LL4 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14542197.Leslie_McAdam Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/981750415193781/

[nofomoartworld]

Ziggy Stardust's Daughter Is Alive and Living in Nashville | #50StatesofArt

David Bowie never died. In fact, it's hard to deny his presence in the heart of every artist on our site and in the mind of nearly every reader. One look at Juliana Horner, and it's even harder to deny Ziggy Stardust's resemblance, as if, before evacuating his mortal coil on-stage at the hands of "the infinites"—read Ziggy's entire origin story here—he made a pit-stop in Nashville and conceived a conspicuously human daughter. 

It's hard to talk about Horner's work without talking about Instagram, both because she broadcasts to an enraptured audience of 42,500—ourselves included—and because its four-taps-to-transmission format is unmatched for her brand of anything-goes creative output: designs, drawings, performances, photography, makeup videos, and everything in between. The oldest of seven children, even over the phone the Pratt Institute Fashion Design grad has the vibe of someone for whom total creative transmutation proves no obstacle. A mutual friend described her simply: "She's an angel." 

While I'm not much for canonizing (mythologizing, however, is fine) I am inclined to believe him. Creators spoke to Juliana Horner about art, Instagram, and returning to Nashville from New York City. 

Creators: Your background is in textiles. Tell me about the earliest experience you remember just foolin' around with makeup.

Juliana Horner: I suppose right around the time Avril Lavigne and Evanescence hit the scene when I was in middle school, I developed an interest in having a pair of raccoon eyes of my own. I was very into the… darker side of 5th grade, if you will. I switched schools many times when I was younger and figured if I was going to feel left out I might as well look left out too, so black eyeliner and terribly tweezed eyebrows it was.

You seem like a pretty private person, but much of your practice is extremely public. How do you find a balance? 

My immediate reaction is to say I haven't found a balance and I never will. There is a torturous demon inside of me that is ripping out of my soul and forcing me to create new and exciting things to share, while my shy, weak, early arthritic human body is like "no, please stop."

Do you think you learned more in art school, surrounded by people, or working solo after graduating? And why?

While I prefer working alone, I know very well that I learned an equal amount before and after graduating. Art school, in addition to new skills, gave me something to disagree with. I learned very quickly to stop asking for my peers' and teachers' opinions. You can't go on with your life as an artist agreeing with everything around you and saying "this is fine". You have to find what you dislike, bounce off of that, then kickflip in the air and blossom into the unique and unreproducible thing that you are.

You studied fashion. How did that education (if at all) serve to inform your current work? 

Studying fashion brought a level of refinement to my work. The program was stressful. At the time half of me hated it, but the other half was exhilarated and grateful to have the time, space and resources to create anything I wanted. You have to kill a part of yourself to learn anything- to develop a style that belongs to you.

Can you tell me a bit about your decision to move back to Nashville from New York City? 

At the end of school, I felt a little broken. I am the type of person that once they decide on doing something, they take it as far as their body will let them. I did that with school in New York. All of a sudden, it was over and it was like the wind had been knocked out of me. I had to move far away from it to digest and absorb what had happened. In the meantime, sort of without me realizing it, my truth began to manifest itself and I slowly developed into what I am now, whatever that is.

What's an average day look like for you, if there is such a thing? 

Coffee is pretty much the only consistent thing about my schedule. And staring at my phone. Can we please switch to Google glasses already? My hand and neck are killing me. In the morning I like taking hikes and walking in my neighborhood. During the day I'm either at work at the craft store (my mom's), shipping art ordered from from my website, doing freelance work or working on my own art. Other activities include hula hooping, skip-hopping, playing piano or my midi, singing in strange voices and dancing that doesn't really qualify as dancing, more like therapeutic movement. At night I drink wine and do my makeup.

For someone who's never been to Nashville, how would you describe it? 

Very green and lush and muggy during the summer. While it's the worst place in the world for allergies, somehow 20 days a year of the most blissful, blooming weather in the spring makes up for everything. The fall is also amazing. It's a growing big/small city, and there's things to do when you want them. You can go to a shitty dive bar and have the time of your life drinking a bucket of beer and smoking cigs indoors or put on your platforms and go to a weird 1920s-style "New Nashville" rooftop hotel bar with $20 drinks. And music is always happening everywhere. And if you want to go downtown to the neon lights on Broadway and buy some cowboy boots and sing karaoke with the vague stench of throw up hanging in the air, there's always that too.

Finally, your audience only gets to see the perfected end results. Do you have any 'major makeup fail' stories that you hope readers will immediately forget after reading this?

I can't really think of a particular instance, but there is one thing that is pretty funny to me: I take a lot of singular pictures of either my right or left eye, as we know. To do this, I have to get the camera very close to my face, which distorts the outer corners of the image. I'm sure everyone is pretty familiar with this aspect of their phone camera. What I'm trying to say is, if I didn't crop those pictures, I probably would not be doing this interview with you right now.

Click here to visit Juliana Horner's website, and here to see her work on Instagram. 

All year, we're highlighting 50 States of Art projects around the United States. This month, we're covering Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Tennessee, and Delaware. To learn more, click here.

Related:

How Artists Are Remembering David Bowie, One Year Later

Meet the Woman Behind These Hysterical U-Haul, Purell, and Crocs-Inspired Makeup Tutorials

F*ck Contouring, We Just Want More of This Magical Hogwarts Body Art

from creators http://ift.tt/2p1AGgN via IFTTT

[male-emporium]

Editors’ Picks: Our 10 Favorite HSS Posts of 2016

from He Spoke Style - Men's Style, Fashion, Grooming, Tips and Advice

Our favorite posts aren’t the most popular – does that mean we have bad taste?!

While we enjoy writing each and every post on the site, there are always some posts that are simply more enjoyable to write for one reason or another.

A subject that scratches a creative itch or allows us to dig deeper into a bigger editorial idea. A scope of work that challenges us to go above and beyond in both our written and visual storytelling. Or a newfound passion that reignites the flame of curiosity.

These are the things that keep us energized because we don’t write because we have to, but because we want to.

We don’t write because we have to, but because we want to

If there was ever any doubt about that statement, I would respectfully ask you to take note of the fact that none of the posts included on our “favorites” list appear on our list of most popular posts of 2016. Do we wish some of our favorites would be your favorites too? Sure. But that’s not what it’s all about.

To that end, we’re thankful to have an audience that indulges our more creative and long form side from time to time. You are known by the company you keep. And we’ve got some amazing readers.

So here are our 10 favorite He Spoke Style posts of 2016 – in no particular order – and the stories behind the stories.

1. Speaking Style With Edward Sexton

A huge highlight. It’s not every day that you get to sit down with – and get measured by – a living legend. And Edward Sexton is about as legendary as they come in British tailoring. In addition to hearing all of Edward’s amazing stories and meeting the house’s exceptionally astute Creative Director, Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, this was a big moment for us in terms of content creation.

As a bunch of perfectionists dedicated to producing the highest quality product all the time, we can sometimes paint ourselves into a corner and induce paralysis when it comes to the actual execution of a high-level project.

The fact that we shot this on two cameras in the span of about three hours and produced an immersive, image-rich post along with an insightful video interview that generated a ton of positive feedback, gave us an immense amount of confidence in our ability to be light on our feet, mobile and create exceptional content even when time and resources are less than ideal.

Read the full article here.

2. Some Thoughts On Embracing Luxury

We’ve made very clear our position on transparency when it comes to our brand partnerships. As I know you’ve heard me say before, we are fortunate to be in a position where we can be selective with the brands we choose to partner with. We’ve worked with brands in the very distant past who have been incredibly prescriptive. And we’ve learned from those experiences that those arrangements never turn out positively for anyone – especially for you, our readers.

We want to work with brands who respect our editorial voice and vision, who know that we know our readers and brands that we are honestly very passionate about. In other words, brands who get it.

IWC is one of those brands. As part of a three-part content series centered around the release of a limited edition Portugieser (see below), we were turned loose and allowed the freedom to dig into a bigger cultural idea. I can tell you from experience that being given that sort of latitude by a brand is exceptional and is one of the reasons why we truly love working with IWC.

Read the full article here.

3. A Menswear Meet Up With Fabio Attanasio

Via the medium of Instagram, I’ve been able to discover and connect with like-minded and passionate people all over the world. And also via Instagram, one day in NYC I saw that one of those people, Fabio Attanasio, was in town as well. Though we were members of a mutual admiration society and had engaged online a bit, I’d not met Fabio in person. Until this day.

Our meeting was short – much too short, honestly – as Fabio had to catch a plane back to Italy later in the day after a successful trunk show in the city. But it was great to finally make a real life connection. Most important, however, was learning that Fabio IRL was the same Fabio I “knew” from Instagram. That’s not always the case these days and it was refreshing to know that there are some truly genuine folks out there.

Read the full article here.

4. HSS At Three: The Lost Art of Blogging

This was a big one for me. Did everyone like it? I don’t think so. I ruffled more than a few feathers – which I honestly intended to do in a free advice/teachable moment kind of way – and got called out for swearing. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Why? Because it started a conversation.

In the past I’ve seen some of my favorite websites have some serious head-eating-the-tail moments so being self-reflective – even if it happened to be in a public forum – and honest about the space we work in was important. It allowed me to be up front with all of you and to reinforce to you and ourselves by laying it all out there, why it is that we believe we do it “right”.

Read the full article here.

5. The IWC Portugierser Tourbillon Edition “D.H. Craig USA”

I enjoyed writing and creative directing this post immensely. It was something completely new for us. Styling and shooting watches is not easy. It’s tedious. It requires excellent light. And it’s time consuming – no way around it. You shoot with a macro lens on a tripod and hold your breath while you’re making video files to turn into cinemagraphs. But it’s all worth it when you know you’re delivering a finished product of a quality that few others will actually take the time to produce.

Here’s an extremely interesting tidbit. If you’ve read the post – or just happen to be a watch nerd and/or IWC fanboy – you know that there were only 27 of these $57,000 pieces made. However, what we discovered after the fact was that the particular watch that we had been given to shoot and play around with was actually one-of-a-kind.

When we submitted our post to IWC for review, someone in the company noticed a small, but important, detail on the dial. Recently, IWC updated the font used for “Schaffhausen” from one with a serif to a sans serif font. Our watch, which was actually a prototype, had the serifed font. The watches available to the public used the new font. Don’t believe me? Check out the actual dial on the watches that were sold!

Read the full article here.

6. Remembering Bill Cunningham

When Bill Cunningham passed away on June 25, 2016, Instagram was awash with people posting photos of themselves that had been taken by Mr. Cunningham adorned by captions expressing how “honored” they felt to have been photographed by him.

Within this sea of ambulance chasing narcissism, our own Robin West penned a heartfelt, respectful and very sincere personal remembrance of a man – the progenitor of modern street style photography – who inspired her (and countless others) to express herself through the medium of fashion and to pursue a career in the industry.

This is the kind of relevant and affecting content so in line with our “don’t look at me, listen to me” ethos that we wish was possible to post three times a day.

Read the full article here.

7. A Rare Experience: The Macallan Rare Cask

One of the pillars of advice from our guide to drinking whiskey like a gentleman is “friends first”. So when the opportunity arose to partner with The Macallan to highlight their Rare Cask offering, inviting my buddy (and HSS whiskey editor) Chris Sarangoulis to experience it one afternoon was a no-brainer.

As someone who has pretty much tasted it all, Chris can be something of a skeptic when it comes to trying something new. And since up until that point, scotch hadn’t piqued his interest the same way that bourbon and rye had, he was doubly dubious of this NAS offering. While the food and the company were fantastic that afternoon, my favorite part of the experience was Chris saying, “Wow, that’s really awesome scotch!” And now he’s really into scotch…

Read the full article here.

8. A Guide To Buying Your First Rolex

This was a personal post. But one that turned out to be very useful to more people than I thought. Luxury watches are not cheap. In fact, they’re extremely expensive. And buying one is not an activity to be taken lightly. It’s a big deal. As I note in the post itself, it took me the better part of a year to research and decide which exact Rolex I was going purchase as my first. I thought by sharing my personal journey – both the good and the bad – that others in the same situation could benefit from that experience.

We have a set of three questions written on our white board in the studio designed to guide everything we do and every decision we make. We revisit them constantly. The first of those questions is, “What is truly unique about He Spoke Style?” And one of the answers to that question is the personal connection we’ve created with our readers.

We are not just another mostly voiceless editorial publication that is beholden to advertisers and the perpetual fashion calendar cycle, publishing boilerplate editorial because we have to. Over time we’ve nurtured a relationship with our readers to where you want to know what I – what we – think about this, that or the other thing.

I’m extremely proud that this particular article took nearly an entire year of actual, real-life research to write. I think it shows. And it is what, in my opinion, makes it stand out amongst the many similarly styled pieces – many from larger, “big league” publications – that exist out there on the interwebs. I wrote this because I had something I was passionate about and wanted to share with others who may share that passion, not because we needed this piece of content in our portfolio.

Read the full article here.

9. Italian Prep: Going From Polo To Pellegrino

Amidst a slew of posts focused on higher-level editorial ideas and personal and team achievements, a single outfit post might appear to be something of an interloper. But for a very simple reason, I like this one. A lot. For many guys, especially those just beginning their personal style journey, Italian style can seem a little advanced and very flamboyant. In keeping with our idea of approachability, the aim of this post was to demonstrate that this is not always the case. With a few simple tweaks, we showed you how to transform a classic preppy look into something a little more European – no excessive flair necessary.

Read the full article here.

10. What’s It Like To Drive a Ferrari?

This was a favorite (and absolutely amazing) for obvious reasons. Driving a Ferrari up the PCH on a pristine late-spring day is the type of once-in-a-lifetime experience that will never be forgotten. It was also a whirlwind. In less than 48 hours, I was on the east coast, in Big Sur and then back on the east coast after an overnight flight.

Aside from the apparent, there were two other personal highlights I’d like to note from this trip. First, connecting with a select few on the trip who I deeply respect and admire for their work. Second, having the opportunity to work with the photographer Michael Shaffer.

I rarely – hardly ever, actually – work with anyone other than Rob. In fact, it gives me great anxiety to step in front of someone else’s lens, especially for a high-profile project. Are they going to get it? Do they know how we regularly shoot? It’s scary when you’re required to create something without the person you create with 99.9% of the time.

But on this trip I had Mike. Lucky me. You’ve likely seen his photos gracing the pages of magazines like Motor Trend and for big advertising campaigns by luxury auto manufacturers all over the world. So it should be pretty easy to understand why I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with him.

Read the full article here.

What were some of your favorite HSS articles of 2016? Chime in below!

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian Sacawa He Spoke Style

Photography by Rob McIver Photo

The post Editors’ Picks: Our 10 Favorite HSS Posts of 2016 first appeared on the men's style blog He Spoke Style - Men's Style, Fashion, Grooming, Tips and Advice

First found here: Editors’ Picks: Our 10 Favorite HSS Posts of 2016