#plus i keep seeing videos on tiktok of a scene they were filming for the show so i need to watch it szszzsdfgtyhjkl

[leslieseveride]

i'm saying "fuck it" and i'm starting chicago fire, and i'm gonna start it from the very beginning so i can get the full story on kelly severide and stella kidd's relationship and their full story as individual characters. ✨ cheers!! ✨

[harrysfolklore]

lando norris being down bad for his girlfriend: a compilation

summary: lando norris can’t help but talk about his girlfriend whenever he cans, fans make compilation videos about it

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

Lando Norris could be described as someone who's not scared of saying whatever crossed his mind.

And that's why he never, ever, missed the opportunity to talk about his girlfriend whenever he had the chance.

He mentioned her during interviews, press conferences, social media post and even fan interactions. To the point where fans started making compilation videos with all the moments he publicly obsessed over his girlfriend.

The most popular one gathered millions of views on YouTube, showing multiple occasions Lando couldn't help but be down bad for her.

The video started with a clip from Q&A with fans, someone asked him about his favorite way to relax after a race. Without missing a beat, Lando replied, "Cuddling up with my girlfriend, of course. Nothing beats that."

"You're really whipped man, It's embarrassing," Oscar, his teammate, teased beside him, making the audience laugh.

"It's not, really." Lando shrugged proudly.

The next clip was taken from McLaren's Tiktok account, their content creator tried to do the "Can you watch my ___ for a second" prank on Lando.

"Oh my girlfriend already did this prank to me," Lando said, laughing at the camera, "Baby, If you're watching this, I miss you. Your pranks are way better than McLaren's"

The video moved to show Lando during a post-qualifying interview, his suit hanging by his waist and his fireproofs showing, when asked about his strategy for the race, he cheekily replied, "Well, first I'm going to call my girlfriend for some good luck wishes. Then, I'll focus on getting to the front."

"Zak Brown should hire your girlfriend as your strategist then," the interviewer joked.

"That would be great but I don't think we would be getting any job done. You know what they say about mixing business with pleasure."

The next clip showed Lando with his friend and fellow driver Max Fewtrell, playing a trivia game about how well did they knew each other. Max had to answer what was Lando's worst habit.

"I'm going to say leaving dirty plates around the house," he said, showing his board, "You do mate, admit it."

"My girlfriend would agree on that," he admitted, "She's always complaining about it."

"I don't know how she's still living with you."

"Because she loves me, and I would die if she leaves me."

On the same note, a video of Oscar teasing Lando followed right after.

"Who's most likely to snore?" Lando read the question, and Oscar quickly put ut the cutout with Lando's face, "How are you so sure? You didn't even hesitate."

"Mate, I've heard you, plus your girlfriend literally complained about not being able to sleep properly last night because you kept snoring."

"I did keep her up last night, but it wasn't just because of the snoring," Lando said, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Put the not safe for work disclaimer at the beginning of this video please."

The next segment was from Lando's own Youtube channel, he was doing a little vlog in Miami before the race weekend.

"Hi everyone," he said, filming himself in the mirror with his camera, "Today I'm back with another LandoLog, I'm going to be filming some behind the scenes of this Miami weekend, so without further ado, let's go," he moved the camera around, focusing on his girlfriend who was putting some mascara on her eyelashes, "Here's my beautiful girl, who takes ages to get ready. Say hi baby."

"Hi everyone," his girlfriend waved, laughing, "I'm not taking ages, I'm just making sure I look good."

"You always look good for me," Lando said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning the camera back to himself, "See, I told you she's the best."

The next clip showed Lando and Oscar together once again, this time they were giving a tour around the McLaren hub.

"This is my driver's room," Lando said as he opened the door, "It's cleaner than Oscar's, clearly, and looks like I have a bed."

Lando moved to put together the small bed that was behind the door, "This is an upgrade from last year, we didn't have this. I'll be definitely giving it some good use, to nap or with my girlfriend."

"Can we have a video where you're not a horndog please?" Oscar said, putting his hands on his hips.

"You're the horndog, I never said what we were going to use it for, we're just going to cuddle."

The video moved to show one of Lando's post race interviews after winning the Miami GP, he had been asked ho would be the most excited person about this win besides him.

"My girlfriend, definitely. I couldn't have done it without her," Lando said, his voice filled with emotion, "She's been my biggest supporter, my inspiration, and my motivation. This win is as much hers as it is mine."

The video then cut to a scene from Lando's gaming stream with Max Verstappen. The two drivers were deep into a game of Call of Duty, their banter and laughter filling the screen. Lando was focused, his eyes glued to the monitor as he coordinated with Max.

Just then, Lando's phone buzzed on the table beside him. He glanced at the screen and his expression softened, the comment section noticing, "Hey, mate, I need to go. My girl needs me for something," he said, setting down his controller.

"Lando! Are you serious right now?" Max said, his eyes still glued to the screen.

"I am, see ya," he turned to the camera, smiling not so apologetically "Sorry, guys, duty calls. See you next time."

The last scene was a snippet from an interview, Lando had been asked what he saw in his future.

He paused, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Honestly? I see a lot of racing, hopefully some championships," he laughed, "but most importantly, I see her. I can't imagine my life without her."

The screen faded to black, showing a text that read: Get you a man who is as down for you as Lando Norris is for his girlfriend.

[plussizeappreciationfics]

One shot: Falling in love

Requested ? : yes by @queenoftheworldisdead

Request: Can you do Pedro pascal and plus reader? Maybe he falls for a costume designer on the set of one of his films?

Warning(s): nope

A/N: I changed it to the makeup artist if you don't mind! @queenoftheworldisdead

Image(s) found on Google/Pintersest

"He should be here any minute", Sarah, your assistant spoke as she watched you let out a long yawn before continuing to put the brushes, blushes, small bowl of fake blood and hair clips onto the table.

"He better, or else he won't need my makeup at all, I could beat his face with my bare hands" you joked while putting up your fists and pretending to punch an imaginary person. Your assistant chuckled and made a mental note to ask Pedro's assistant if they could make a tiktok video with that concept.

Before she could voice her thoughts, the door to the trailer opened and a loud "Buenas dias!" erupted through the small room, Pedro entering the trailer and quickly closing the door behind him and greeting the two of you with hugs and kisses on the cheeks.

At your turn, you couldn't help but inhale the fresh scent of his body wash and perfume. That man always smelled like he was blessed by the Gods themselves. The Chilean actor grinned at you before whispering another "Good morning, beautiful" to you, making sure that Sarah wouldn't hear his special greeting for you.

"Good morning, you're five minutes late. My time is money, Pascal" you playfully scolded while patting his back, making him give you a quick kiss on the cheeks. "I am sorry, I will be on time tomorrow", he promised and finally released you from the tight hug, not that you wanted it but it was time to get to work.

"Okay, today you're shooting a lot of fight scenes, so your face is gonna look pretty beaten and bloody", you informed to which Pedro sighed and nodded his head, knowing that today would be a physical exhausting day. Nonetheless, he loved his job and loved that he got to spend the following hour in peace and with you.

"Okay, I'll see if Denzel is ready, if he is then I'll start his makeup too" Sarah informed you. You hummed in response while focusing your eyes on the makeup you had set up, ready to be used. She nodded her head at your vocal response and quickly left the trailer, knowing that you and Pedro needed all the concentration in the world.

Once Sarah had closed the door behind her, Pedro sat down in his designated chair and removed his glasses, placing them on the table and letting out a tired sigh before focusing his gaze on you. You were standing next to him, leaning over to open the SFX makeup jar while thinking about how long and deep the first fake scar would need to look like.

"I'm really Sorry, mi amor. I overslept" Pedro's gentle voice pulled you out of your rhythm, to which you chuckled and faced him while silently admiring his beautiful face. His eyes stared deeply into your and he had this genuine look of regret on his face, his brown eyes begging you for forgiveness.

"You have nothing to worry about Pedro, I was half joking" you chuckled and patted him on his shoulder, not realizing that goosebumps had made their way across his skin at your touch, his stomach churned in delight nervousness while his heart fluttered in his chest. That man was long gone for you.

"When are we going to address this" Pedro responded, his question making you furrow your eyebrows in confusion and surprise, your heart skipping a beat as you felt like you had been caught doing something you weren't supposed to do.

"Address what?" you asked and let out a nervous chuckle, the actor's piercing and loving gaze keeping you on your toes. The tension shifted in the trailer and a part of you knew that you needed to start doing your job or else the director would get annoyed at the delay.

"How we both are hopelessly in love with one another. How I can feel your increased heartbeat whenever I hug you, how you're the first and last thing on my mind. How I know that you're not gonna allow yourself to voice your deepest thoughts about your feelings towards me because you know that falling in love with an actor is not the most convenient thing on this planet".

Pedro gave you a wide smile, his eyes sparkling while you sat there awestruck. He had read you like an open book and you felt somehow exposed but at the same time relieved because he had indeed voiced your deepest thoughts.

A shaky sigh left your lips as you broke the intense eye contact for a few seconds, needing to gather your thoughts.

"Pedro..." you sighed and looked back at him again, seeing how he leaned forwards and gently placed his hands on your thick waist, pulling you closed to him so that now you were standing in front of him.

He gently wrapped his strong arms around your waist and placed his chin on your big stomach, smiling up at you and looking so damn adorable and handsome that it made your heart skip a beat while a delicate shiver ran its way down your spine.

"I know what you're thinking. I am asking you for one date, an afternoon or evening where it's just the two of us and nobody else. No work, no coworkers just us. If you decide to not pursue your feelings and keep things professional, I will do the same", Pedro's suggestion sounded heavenly.

"Okay, one date. And then a few days time to gather my thoughts and then I'll let you know my decision" you repeated with a quick head nod, loosing the inner battle of not touching the actor and gently letting your soft hand brush through his still damp curls. The motion made the actor let out a soft sigh, already loving your touch and yearning for only more.

"Thank you. I will set everything up, all I need from you is to show up".

"Don't tell me that, I will show up in sweats and a baggy shirt" you chuckled and shook your head.

Pedro surprised you by quickly standing up, still holding you in close while a wide grin took over his face.

"I don't give a fuck how you'll dress up, I'm already blessed to know that I'll spend a few hours with you", his romantic confession made you bite back a shit-eating grin as you felt your knees weaken.

"We gotta get back to work now, or both of our asses will be served on a silver platter" you spoke and let out a sigh, wishing that this moment would never stop. You had finally gotten the confession you had been secretly been hoping and wishing for. A deep sense of peace and glee settled in your soul as you couldn't wait for the special date.

"Then let's get back to work, but not before this-" Pedro surprised you by leaning forward and stealing a soft, gentle kiss from your lips. The delicateness of his motion making your head spin while your lips tingled with glee. You gasped at the sensations and pushed the actor back in his seat, making him let out a chuckle while you shook your head and finally got to work on his face.

[littlelalu]

FaceTime | Milo Manheim (Slight Smut)

WARNING: Some cussing ... some sexual words....

NOTE: Y/N = Your name

------------------------------------------------------------

FaceTime

The silence in the apartment felt heavier than usual tonight. I am used to hearing Milo’s laughter echo through the place. He has been gone for a little over a month to film season 2 of School Spirits in Vancouver. I couldn’t go with him due to my job and school. This has been the longest time without seeing each other. We do Facetime, call, and text every day but it’s not the same. I want him here, with me. I knew what I was getting myself into when I began dating him, but I didn’t expect to miss him this much. This week was the worst too. I have been wanting “him”. I keep having flashbacks from the last time we had sex. His hands are all over my body, His m, his plus eyes. I have been doing everything to keep my mind off it by watching shows, going on a walk with Louie, and doing homework. NOTHING HELPS.

From the corner of my eye, I saw my phone screen lit up. I grabbed my phone and checked who it was. It was Milo.

“Hey Babe. Just got done filming and I am heading to the hotel now. Are you still up?” he said when I answered.

We have a 2-hour time difference. “Hiii babe! Yeah, it’s only 8 here haha. How was filming?” I texted back. I saw the little text bubble pop up again.

 ‘It was fucking amazing. We filmed a crazy scene that I will tell you more about later, but that shit was scary as hell.”

‘Scaredy cat” I joked.

 “Mean,” he said with a giggle.

“ Anyways do you have plans tonight with the cast again?” I asked curiously. I want to try something new.

“Nope. Why? Want to Facetime?”

“Yes!” I said too quickly, making him laugh.

“Give me like an hour. I am like 25 minutes away from the hotel and I want to shower. “

“Same here. See you soon babe.” I said before we hung up.

I passed some time by going on TikTok and scrolling through videos. After half an hour, I got up from the couch and began getting my things ready so I could shower.

~~~After shower. ~~~

I quickly changed into a crop top and shorts since I took a little longer in the shower than I thought I would. I walked into my room and grabbed my laptop. As my Macbook turned on, I texted Milo.

Hey babe. Are you good to go?

Yes ma’am! Start the call!

I started the Facetime call on my laptop. Milo answered instantly

“Hey, cutie!” He said as he answered. His hair looked messy and slightly wet from his shower. He could see his bare skin. Oh God. He’s shirtless.

“Miloooo!” I said excitedly. “How was your day love?”

“Besides having fun filming, it was pretty chill. We had to reshoot some scenes because we kept getting out of character.”

We talked a bit more about his time on set, telling me that ‘scary’ scene he had to film. I was doing my best to pay attention, but he looked so fine. All I could think about was what I could do to him if he were here.

“You seem a bit off. Everything okay?” Milo said, bringing me back to reality.

“Yeah..” I said shyly, slightly blushing.

“What’s wrong, “Y/N”?” He asked sternly.

“I– I just miss ‘you’” I said.

“I miss you too, babe. No need to be upset right now. We will see each other soon” He said with a reassuring smile.

“No, Milo.” I sighed looking down slightly embarrassed. “I miss “you”’”

Milo looked confused at first. “What? What do you me-” He got quiet and his eyes widened. “Oh…”

“I-i’m sorry. I s-should go. I made this awkward.”

“Babe, no. Just caught me off guard. I never imagined you having these thoughts. You’re so innocent.” He said with a smirk.

“I’m not sure why I need you this way. I just do. This whole week has been crazy.”

“Well… “ He said “If it makes you feel any better… I miss “you” too.” He said using his hands to air a quote on ‘you”

I felt my cheeks get hot. “Really?”

“You have no idea. You left your mark on me before I left. Remember? I couldn’t stop thinking how wild you were” He said.

We did go crazy before he left—the best one for sure. 

I giggled. “Sorry about that. But no regrets” 

“Why don’t you show me how much you missed me?” He asked. 

I looked at him in shock. “H-how?”

“ Rub yourself.” He demanded.

Me being a good girl and started to do so. I took off my shorts and underwear and began to back my laptop. The angle of the camera can see my whole body now. I laid my back against the bedboard and spread my legs open. I grabbed a little bit of lotion and began rubbing myself. 

Slight moans came out of my mouth.

“Fuck babe” Milo groaned. “I want to fuck you so bad right now.”

“Do the same, Milo,” I demanded him.

He set his phone down against something and started pulling down his joggers. He sat up on his bed. His dick is so hard. His tip throbbing. 

“You’re happy to see me,” I said and winked at him.

“I-I always am” as he began to stroke himself. “I want to f-feel you, babe. Me pinning you d-down bed. Pounding you from behind.” 

I rubbed myself a bit faster and started to let out some moans. “M-Milo. I-I need you in me. I want to r-ride you so b-bad.” 

He bit his lip trying not to moan loudly. “Take your shirt off.” He demanded again.

I raised my shirt. I wasn’t wearing my bra, so my breasts were exposed to him. 

“O-oh G-god, Y/N” he moaned. “I remember how much they bounced when I was pounding you.”

“I w-wish y-o-o-u were sucking on them r-right now.”

I saw him roll his head back.“F-fuck, Y/N” He moaned. “Finger yourself and Moan my name for me. Think of me fucking you right now.” He kept stroking himself.

I inserted two fingers like he would and moaned his name louder each time I pumped them in and out. I kept thinking of how he would fuck me so hard right now. He moaned slightly louder this time.

“I-I-I’m close, baby” He whimpered out and picked up his pace. 

“Me too” I groaned. I rubbed myself in the right spot and finished in my hand. I was panting.

I noticed Milo finished and was out of breath too. 

“That was something: he said slightly laughing. I giggled at his comment.

“Yeah. It really was.” 

“Hold on… I … ummm… gotta clean my mess” He said. 

I nodded. “Me too” We left the call open but went to clean ourselves up quickly. Once we were done we returned to our call.

“I miss you even more now…” He said.

“Almost time babe. Just three more weeks.” I said.

“We might have to do that again sometime soon. You look so beautiful moaning my name like that.”

“Milo!” I said, slightly blushing.

“Oh I’m sorry,” He said in a playful voice “Is the girl who mentioned she missed me fucking her acting innocent now?”

I rolled my eyes at him “Haha, very funny”

“Well…. Just know your dreams will become true very soon” He said and winked at the camera.

I have been counting down the days for that anyway. “I hope so. If not, I will just have to do it myself” I smirked at him.

He acted offended.”Don’t you dare.” 

“I’m just saying.” I giggled.

He yawned. “I’m tired now babe. Ima head to bed. I have to wake up early to film some more. I’ll text ya in the morning.”

“That’s fine love. Get some rest.”

“Goodnight babe. I love you so much, beautiful.” He said as he blew a kiss at me and waved at the camera.

I blew a kiss at him “Good night! I love you too, handsome.”

We ended the call.

I went to bed that night feeling relaxed and happy after that exciting call. Now, I have to wait for the real thing soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: I am posting this at midnight. I started working this Friday afternoon but was too busy to finish it. It's not my best as I have not written anything smut. But I'll see how it goes.

Time for bed for me.... Goodnight yall! :)

[herejusttosufferalong]

I’m trying to make sense of the pap photo situation. Let’s take a journey together, shall we?

Post season 3 filming, we know the situation: feelings, confusion, let’s take some time.

Both date other people for a bit.

Then we have December reshoots, then January/February press/interviews.

They start the world tour, they get back into the rhythm. Lots of chemistry, flirting.

They see the video edits of themselves (birds of a feather). They see the heart eyes towards each other. Everyone wants them together. Lukola surpasses Polin as the focus of the tour.

Feelings are there, but they still aren’t ready to act on them (or maybe they’ve never acknowledged them)

Nicola is single now towards end of press tour. Luke has a lady in his life; he wants to keep it casual but she (A) has been getting upset by the focus on L&N and is threatened by their undeniable bond.

L&N were told to play it up for PR because everyone knew they had great chemistry and yet they got criticized for not having it by some people before S3 filmed. But they enjoyed it too much and it got out of hand.

L and N secretly love people shipping them because they secretly like to fantasize about it anyway. It gets them a little hot, tbh.

However, it puts a lot of pressure on them to figure out their confounding feelings, which they know they need to wait until after the tour is over to explore. Plus A is pissed.

Plus, how will they handle the optics of going from heavy flirting to seemingly (to us, because we don’t see the behind the scenes) nothing. People will feel (rightfully, IMO) manipulated because this whole thing has gotten blown out of proportion. A giant snowball.

So, both PR teams try to take some pressure off. L will be photographed with a “possible” girlfriend. He basically ignores her, but they are going to the same place. They think it will create speculation and hint to the fans that L and N are “just friends”. He always claimed he was single; L&N said they were great friends, so it doesn’t look like anyone’s cheating or anything. Plus L can still claim he’s single, because he refused to touch A.

They remain supportive, but professional on SM (actually professional, not whatever way they usually act and claim it’s just all professional). And maybe the SATC TikTok was planned ahead of time as a is-this-about-Luke-or-not fun thing but it backfired because Luke is the one getting the blame for everything. Something that was supposed to look innocent for him a lot of hate.

I will admit I’m not 100% sold on this theory but I don’t know if I believe A is the mastermind who orchestrated this. Its inspired by a PR anon from another blog (not MPOV) that I keep thinking about.

.

[alxawesome]

How I Committed (and Failed) a 30-Day Instagram Reels Challenge

Introduction: Setting the Stage

With Instagram pushing Reels as its main content feature, I decided to go all in on a 30-day Reels challenge. The plan was simple: post one Reel every day, complete with a behind-the-scenes follow-up for each video. I aimed for a mix of creative tricks, transitions, and humorous moments, all designed to tap into trending content and (hopefully) reel in some major engagement.

I have a pretty old Instagram account with 1185 followers. Most of them are “dead”. 8 years ago I used this account for mass following in the entrepreneurial niche. At that time I was thinking about starting a website development company. I had been killing my Instagram account for years, posting almost nothing.

I’ve always been passionate about making videos, both recording and editing.

I have made several videos at different times of my life. It seemed very time-consuming. I have a job (I’m a programmer), and I thought I wouldn’t have enough time for videography.  I found this short video format reels-tiktok the perfect way to reignite my passion. You still need a strong idea and beautiful visuals for these videos, but you don’t have to create 20-minute films like a YouTuber.

Starting out, I had 1,185 followers, and my videos averaged around 400 views each — not exactly viral, but it was a steady base to build on. My realistic goal was to hit at least 2,000 followers by the end of the month, with a big, optimistic dream of breaking the 10,000-follower mark. Given the success stories I’d read from others, it seemed possible… or at least worth the try.

The second goal was to understand whether I liked videography enough to do it full-time as a part-time job.

Section 1: Why the Challenge Seemed Like a Good Idea

Instagram’s push for Reels was impossible to ignore. With the platform prioritizing short-form video to compete with TikTok, Reels had become the most visible and engaging format on Instagram. People were saying Reels could be the golden ticket to increased reach, with even smaller accounts suddenly landing thousands of new followers. I’d read success stories of creators gaining traction by posting consistently and creating content that played to Instagram’s strengths. Watching others succeed by riding the algorithm’s wave made me think: why not give it a try?

I found tips from Meta on how to grow your Instagram here https://creators.instagram.com/grow . The cornerstone was consistent posting. What could be more consistent than posting every day? Posting twice a day. I planned to post a Reel every day, plus a behind-the-scenes clip, in hopes of capturing both engagement and reach.

On a personal level, the challenge was exciting. It felt like a chance to not only grow my account but to experiment and level up my editing skills. I’ve always enjoyed getting creative with video, and I knew the challenge would push me out of my comfort zone. Plus, the thrill of potential growth was a huge motivator. If all went well, I could finally expand my audience, boost my engagement, and maybe even start doing partnership videos and making money.

Armed with optimism, I launched myself into the 30-day Reels challenge, eager to see where it would take me.

Section 2: The Plan and Execution

The plan was clear: one main Reel each day, followed by a quick behind-the-scenes (BTS) post to keep engagement rolling and give followers a glimpse into the process.  I have selected over 30 ideas from Instagram that are somehow related to video editing.

To achieve this, I created a workflow that balanced filming, editing, and daily publishing.

A friend of mine has a YouTube blog and he sets aside Sundays for it. It’s a good approach.

So, Filming sessions would take up part of my Sundays. I would pick 7 videos from my list and set out to shoot them. Some of them were outdoors and I would shoot them first.

Some of the videos I edited on Sundays and some during next week in the evening.

I tried using trending audio for the video, but sometimes added sound effects such as ‘whoosh’ or keyboard ‘tapping’.

Producing daily content wasn’t as smooth as planned, though. Some days, creative blocks slowed me down; other days, technical issues — like lighting or editing glitches — added unexpected hurdles. There were also days when time was short, and producing a high-quality, trend-worthy Reel felt like an impossible task. But I kept at it, juggling my process and refining each step as I adapted to the reality of daily posting. It wasn’t always seamless, but I committed to hitting “post” every day.

Section 3: The Metrics and Reality Check

With 30 days of daily Reels and BTS posts under my belt, I was excited to see the results: follower growth, higher engagement, and a bump in video views. However, reality didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

After 30 days of non-stop posting, the results were underwhelming, to say the least. I stayed consistent, hitting “post” daily without fail, but instead of growth, I saw barely any traction. In the end, I gained just 20–30 new followers, and only a few videos saw any uptick in views beyond my usual numbers.

This challenge might technically be complete, but with such minimal impact, I can’t help but consider it a “fail” — though, as with all failures, there was plenty to learn along the way. Here’s what happened and why this challenge didn’t turn out quite as planned

My follower count is a far cry from my realistic goal of 2,000 or the ambitious dream of 10,000. Engagement didn’t soar as hoped either — while a few Reels did see slightly higher views than my usual numbers, the average engagement stayed about the same. Instead of exponential growth, I was looking at incremental increases that felt more like trickles than waves.

However, neither saw the reach I’d hoped to achieve through daily posting.

It’s tough to say why the challenge fell flat, but I suspect a few things might have contributed:

Weak first seconds of the video. It is too important to have a strong hook. Some of my videos lack it.

Algorithm unpredictability: Instagram’s algorithm is notoriously inconsistent, and despite daily posting and following trends, the platform didn’t seem to reward my account with any extra visibility.

Content saturation: With so many people creating Reels, especially around trending topics, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Even unique ideas struggled to stand out.

Audience interest: It’s possible my existing followers weren’t as drawn to the daily Reels format or found the BTS updates less engaging than I anticipated.

In the end, the metrics were a reality check that consistent posting doesn’t always lead to big numbers, even when following algorithmic advice and platform trends.

While the hard data showed a lack of growth, the challenge still provided a new perspective on the unpredictable nature of social media, reinforcing that while consistency is important, it’s often only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Section 4: Lessons Learned and Unexpected Outcomes

Although this 30-day challenge didn’t result in the follower growth I’d hoped for, it was far from a total loss. In fact, diving into daily content creation taught me more about social media — and myself — than I could have anticipated.

Probably the main thing I’ve learned is that I want to keep making videos. I should choose a niche and make my videos more meaningful and valuable.

Consistency Isn’t a Magic Bullet One of the biggest takeaways was that consistency alone doesn’t guarantee results. While consistent posting helps build a routine, it’s not necessarily rewarded with instant growth, especially when the algorithm remains unpredictable. In the future, I’d balance consistency with more in-depth planning for content that aligns closely with what my audience wants to see.

The Power of Experimentation Posting daily meant I had the freedom to experiment with different content formats, styles, and editing tricks. Some of these experiments, like https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBqZ3juI8X-/ , had better-than-average engagement and may serve as a base for future content ideas.

Managing Creative Burnout The grind of producing daily content brought me face-to-face with creative burnout. I quickly realized that creativity can’t always be forced on a strict schedule. This experience taught me to pace myself and respect my creative process, balancing fresh ideas with realistic production timelines to avoid burnout.

Taking Pressure Off the Algorithm Finally, I realized the importance of creating content for my own enjoyment and improvement, rather than constantly trying to hack the algorithm. Instagram’s algorithm changes frequently, and trying to keep up can easily overshadow creativity. Now, I’m more focused on creating content that feels authentic rather than stressing about instant growth.

Section 5: Final Thoughts and Advice

After 30 days of pouring time and effort into daily Reels, my takeaway is this: growth on social media is anything but straightforward. Despite doing everything “by the book” — posting consistently, following trends, and keeping up with the latest algorithm tips — the results didn’t match my initial expectations. But in the end, this experience highlighted the fact that the journey itself holds its own value, even if the outcome isn’t what we envision.

If you’re thinking of diving into a similar challenge, here are a few things I’d suggest:

#1 Focus on Quality Over Quantity

While it’s tempting to think daily posting will boost growth, your audience will remember the quality of your content more than your posting frequency. Aim to create Reels that you’re genuinely excited to share, even if that means posting a bit less often.

The Meta article says you should post 10 reels a month to have a better chance of being recommended. That’s about 3 videos a week. That’s not a lot. But there are a lot of very popular accounts that post less frequently.

#2 Experiment and Take Risks

A challenge like this is the perfect opportunity to experiment with styles, topics, or editing techniques. Don’t be afraid to take creative risks; you might stumble upon something that resonates strongly with your audience — or that you personally enjoy making.

#3 Expect the Unexpected with the Algorithm

Remember that the Instagram algorithm is unpredictable, and growth isn’t guaranteed even with consistent posting. Focusing on what you can control — like connecting with your audience or producing unique content — will help you get more satisfaction from your efforts, algorithm or not.

#4 Don’t Let the Numbers Define Success

Followers, views, and likes are just one measure of success. A low view count doesn’t negate the creative growth, new skills, or connections you might gain along the way. Consider what success means to you beyond metrics.

#5 Be Kind to Your Creative Process

Conclusion: Why This “Failed” Challenge Wasn’t a Total Loss

Although I didn’t hit the ambitious follower goals I set for myself, this 30-day Instagram Reels challenge turned out to be anything but a failure. In fact, the experience taught me valuable lessons that numbers alone could never capture.

Through daily content creation, I gained a clearer sense of what the audience enjoys, honed my editing and creative skills. While I may not have achieved viral fame, I did gain a sense of satisfaction from pushing myself, trying new things, and seeing just how far my ideas could go.

Perhaps most importantly, this challenge reshaped my approach to social media. I’m now less fixated on quick follower counts and more focused on sustainable, quality content that aligns with what I genuinely enjoy creating.  Now I have a plan and next steps. I will choose a niche, I will publish videos less often, but I will make more meaningful and qualified videos.

By embracing the process over the outcome, I learned that “failure” in terms of follower count doesn’t mean the journey was a waste. On the contrary, it revealed strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth that I wouldn’t have found any other way.

Ultimately, this “failed” challenge reminded me that numbers are only part of the story. The real reward lies in the skills I developed, the resilience I built, and the perspective I gained.

Follow me for the further journey https://www.instagram.com/shogentle

[rnebbie]

Make It Work (request)

Chris evans x teen!reader, Chris evans x daughter!reader, Chris evans x costar!reader

Request description: hey <3 would you be able to write maybe a Chris evans x teen!reader where Chris is like a father figure to them. Maybe in an interview he calls them his daughter and he’s kinda nervous when he realises what he said and after they’re talking and they’re both okay with it and ends with cuddles? Thank you:)

Requested by: @idontlikeagoldrush

Warnings: parental issues, slight insecurity?

(A/n) ok so this is my second fic and I feel like my writing is already going downhill 😭😭 idk I just didn’t like this one as much as the last one. Thank u for all the notes on the last one tho omg i didn’t expect that much!!!!! Love u all :) plz keep sending!!! And lmk what u think of this, plus if u wanna be added to my taglist :D

You met Chris a year and a half ago, when the two of you were cast in a movie together. You were scared to meet him at first, because of what a big and incredible actor he was. But upon meeting him, you’d automatically figured out that he was just a massive ball of love and kindness, and you had nothing to be afraid of.

You started to look forward to arriving on set everyday, and you suddenly started to long for Monday mornings when you’d finally see Chris after the weekend, so you could update him on all the new little things you haven’t gotten the chance to, Instead of how much you dreaded Monday’s before, simply because of work.

But acting doesn’t feel like much work anymore. You played Chris’s daughter in the movie the two of you were in, and it wasn’t far off your actual relationship. A lot of the scenes the fans loved so much were actually just real, improvised conversations between the two of you. You were really close.

And since you had grown up without a father, you’d started to seek that role from him. One day when the two of you were gonna sneak off set for ice cream in between takes, you went running back to your trailer to change quickly, then you had realized it. “Hold on, dad!” You’d yelled behind your shoulder, to Chris. You stopped dead in your tracks, shook your head, and turned around quickly. Chris was standing there with a massive, goofy smile on his face. You rolled your eyes as you felt your stomach drop, before turning to run back to your trailer. This was the first of many incidents.

“Stop, dad!” You laughed, as Chris was tickling you, trying to get you to drop his phone that you’d stolen from his pocket. But even though he hadn’t stopped tickling you, your smile fell. “Shit, I didn’t mean to-“ you tried to revert your words, but Chris didn’t care. “Y/n, it’s fine! Just surrender my phone and I’ll forget about it. Otherwise I’m gonna leave your trailer and tell all the crew you just accidentally called me ‘dad!” He said.

It put a strain on your relationship, in your eyes. You had to be more careful. Everytime you found a father figure, they’d end up disappointing you. Your old teachers who you’d try to confide in, and your moms friends, your friends dads, they’d never fulfilled you the way you needed to be. So you knew you had to end your relationship with Chris, because it would only hurt more in the end.

It’d been a while since you finished filming, and the movie was released a few months earlier. Now the two of you are on a press tour. Your interviews were finished for the day about an hour ago, so you’d gone back to your hotel to get ready to just chill in bed.

Once you’d showered and changed into pajamas, you’d go to lay in bed. You answered texts, spent an average amount of time checking your social media, reposting things on Instagram, and liking things on tiktok. Then you checked Twitter and saw a video you were tagged in.

Once you clicked on it, you saw that it was from an interview that Chris did at the premier of the movie. You weren’t anywhere in sight, you’d probably slipped off to the restroom or something. “How was it working with a co-star that was so young?” The woman who was interviewing Chris asked. He took a couple of seconds to think before answering, pretty quickly. “Oh well, it was incredible! I mean, y/n is such a talented kid who’s gonna go so far, I mean, so far! And, you know I’m just so proud of her. Y’know? She’s like my daughter! She’s amazing!” Chris says, but you've known him long enough to notice the look of regret in his eyes after he says the last part.

You have to pause the video to take in what he said. You already feel emotional and you put your hand over your mouth to cover your smile, even though you’re alone. But then you go over what he said in your head and think about what his reaction was when he called you his daughter.

You look back to your phone and replay it five times. Everytime you see the way his face drops, like he’s never made a bigger mistake. You sigh, feeling hurt.

You feel like an absolute idiot. All the times you’d slipped up and ratted yourself out for the fact that you’d thought of him as a father, he’d assured you it was alright. But he was an actor, after all. And he was probably weirded out every time. And now he just slipped up like you always had, but this time, he didn’t mean it subconsciously.

You shut your phone off, and rub your eyes, as if preparing them for the tears that inevitably come pouring out right after. You’re so hurt. You can't tell if you’re being dramatic, because you sometimes can be. But he looked like he didn’t mean it whatsoever. And you know Chris pretty well.

Your phone screen lights up. “Wanna go roller skating?” Chris texts you. “No” you simply answered, as you didn’t have the energy to say anything else. But he knew you too well to just let that go. From his hotel room, his smile dropped. He was immediately worried for you, and so he walked to your hotel room, and used the key-card that you had decided to give to him a while ago, since you had two.

He saw you on your bed with your legs tucked to your chest. His stomach immediately fell and he knew something was wrong. “Y/n, what’s wrong, honey?” He asked, as he ran to sit down next to you.

Once you’d heard him speak, you immediately started wiping the tears off of your face, and untucking your face from their place in between your knees. “Chris, please leave.” You said with a shaky voice.

He looked confused. “Why, did I do something?” He asked with genuine worry on his face. This only hurts you more. “No, Chris you-you did nothing. It’s just too much to explain. Please just go.”

Chris wouldn’t give up that easily. “Tell me what happened, y/n. I can't leave knowing there’s something up with you. You tell me everything, so what happened?” He pries. You keep crying.

“That’s the problem, Chris. We finish the press tour in two weeks. And then what? Then I go back to having no one. I have to end this routine now, or else it’s gonna hurt worse later.” You stand up from the bed and cry.

You cover your face in embarrassment and anger, as you sob. Chris feels terrible, remembering what he said last week on the red carpet that he tried to block out of his memory. Chris puts a hand on your shoulder, “Y/n, you mean too much to me to just give up on our relationship. You’re important to me. You’re like…” Chris starts, but trails off, looking away from you.

“Your daughter?” You look at him, with tears running down your face. He smiles sadly, but genuinely. “Well, yeah. And we can make it work after the press tour is over. We can still see each other.” He assured you.

You sighed, and wiped your tears away, sitting back on your hotel bed, and Chris sat closer to the foot of the bed. “Did you mean to call me your daughter in that interview last week?” You ask, playing with your hands. Chris sighs, “not really, if I’m being honest. It just came out, and I was too embarrassed to talk about it. Now I understand how it felt all those times you accidentally called me your dad.” Chris laughs.

You try to hide your frown, and look up at Chris. “So then, you don’t really feel that way?” You whisper. Chris shakes his head, “I do! I honestly do, y/n. Just because I didn’t mean to say it doesn’t mean I don’t feel it. You’re very important to me, and I’ve never gotten to have any kids, so I consider you my own,” He says, “If you’ll have me, of course.”

You smile and sniffle. “Yeah.” You say, leaning into Chris’s arms. He hugs you tightly and you hug him back. You don’t end up going roller skating like he’d wanted to, but the two of you sit in your hotel room and watch movies on your laptop. You and Chris sit next to each other, and eventually you fall asleep with your head on his shoulder.

He decides to shut your laptop down, and turn your lights off. He pulls your blanket up over you, and kisses you on the forehead. You shift slightly while being half asleep. “Goodnight, y/n.” Chris says, as he starts to walk towards the door to leave. “Goodnight, dad.” You say groggily, before immediately falling back asleep. Chris turns around and smiles, but you’re asleep and can’t regret what you just said.

And the two of you do make it work.

…

Taglist: @ohworm-writes

[praphit]

Shang-Chi! and the Rings of Daddy Murder Death!

When the trailer for this movie first came out, I was hyped! From the cast, to the bad ass bus scene, to Wong vs The Abomination,

 I was sold! 

Of course you had the people who came out saying "This is Marvel trying to be woke again. Hate crimes against Asian people on the rise, and here comes Marvel with Shang-Chi" We know this to be crazy, because Marvel already had this in the works, but certain people still reacted that way. But, even if that notion were true, would that be so bad?

It wouldn't absolve the ignorance, hatred, violence, and toxicity. But, if someone in Hollywood said "We've screwed over Asian people in films for like... ever. What if this time we choose a popular Asian character to base a movie on, and we DON'T do that?"

Now, (being that this movie supposedly leans on Chinese culture, with Shang-Chi being Chinese) China might argue that they still did them wrong (valid racist historical ptsd, cultural splicing, the whole martial arts thing, plus the main character is actually Canadian). It's not my place to weigh-in. But, I will say that making Shang-Chi Canadian, NOT a martial artist, but instead a hockey player, who loves Drake, and co-starring another Canadian, like Micheal Cera or someone 

probably wouldn't have worked as well for the MCU. Then, maybe Canada would have a problem with Marvel. I don’t envy movie-makers in this context. 

When I was a kid I was big into Black Belt Theater, Bruce Lee movies, 

Bruce Leroy, 

and within my love for martial arts and fighting entertainment was 

Shang-Frickin-Chi. 

I liked it, though I remember it being a lil racist. It's weird going back in time to see your fav childhood shows and books that wouldn't fly today:

I mean we've certainly been a lot more sensitive these days:

Regardless, Shang-Chi is here! (played by Canada's main man Simu Liu) He goes by the name of Shaun! 

Don't let that name fool you. Shaun will whup that ass! He says "Bleep all those super powers, and serums, a suits, and magic, and the rubber bones of Widow! That's some ol bullshit! All I need is my Wu-Tang style!" A style fueled by his daddy issues. And he's got some serious daddy issues. To be fair, his dad is the villain of the story. If your father was the active villain of your story, you'd also have issues.

Awkwafina is his sidekick

(much better than Michael Cera would be), she plays as Katy. That's fun. Every Katy I've ever known has been fun... and a heavy drinker:) This Katy is here to drive fast and crack jokes.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your new Marvel duo!

It's not just daddy issues for Shang-Chi, but mommy issues (she dead), avoidance issues, his sister kicks him in the balls. He didn't even seem shocked. I mean, his balls were shocked, for sure, but it seemed like she just did that all of the time. I'm imagining Christmas when they were kids. "Here's your gift, bro. KNEE TO THE NUTS Merry Christmas" What kind of relationship is that? And why?! - well, he did abandon her for like 10 years, but... you know, that's plenty of time for her to get over it, right?? So, we'll say sister issues, his daddy training him to be an assassin issues, and his friends have issues with him! - AND KATY! They don't respect Marvel's new duo. They think Shaun and Katy should be doing more with their lives.

They are both valets during the day, and at night they rock drunken karaoke. That seems like the perfect life to me.

But, Daddy and his power rings couldn't allow them to keep living the dream. I haven't mentioned the ten rings yet. 

They give him super-duper-magical martial arts powers, and make him eternal. AND made him an asshole.

To be fair, he was probably already an asshole before the powers. He's been killing a lot of people. You figure he's been around for 1000+ years. His wife is dead, and he has no hobbies. It's not like he kills a few people and then goes home to read a book, or play video games, or make TikTok videos. It's sunrise to sunset killing all day, every day for generations. Then, he forms an evil terrorist group called "Ten Rings" to amplify his killing.

"Murder Death Rings" are what they should be called.

"Daddy Death Punchy Time"

""Dead Doomy Rangs of Killer Dad"

"The Legendary Killer Rings of Deadly Death Death Murder Pops"

"The... " sorry, I've been drankin a lil bit while I write... I lost my place.

I like "Daddy Death" Where was I?

Right! He can't have Shaun being happy! We've gotta get this plot going, so he sends the only white dude he can find in this movie to start some trouble for them. I guess, there might have been a couple of more white people in the film, but they all got the snot beat out of them in that bus scene. This white dude's name is "Razor Fist", yep... "Razor Fist!". 

At least they didn't stick to the original design. 

Ridiculous. How does he use the bathroom?

He's played by Florian Munteanu, who is a former heavy weight boxer. Yeah! Was also in "Creed" his nickname is "The Big Nasty". Isn't that a drink? A bartender once offered me to sample a drink called "The Big Nasty". I chose to go with a drink that doesn't have "nasty" in its title. ... I think he was offering me a drink.

???

"Daddy Murder Death" and "Sharp Fisty Man" spark this thang. And Shaun becomes Shang-Chi, beater of ass!

The visuals in this movie are the best Marvel has done to date. The action is so good. I just got finished raving about the action in "Black Widow"; this surpasses that. I dug the cast. I know some people don't like Awkwafina, but... get over it. She was great in this; everybody was!

I loved the soundtrack! I'm not normally the "I loved the soundtrack guy" , but it was perfect. It begs to be mentioned.

No issues with the story. And the emotions that they're stirring in you. Whew!

One moment I'm enjoying the beater of ass, then Katy is making me laugh, then the slew of issues got me in my feelings, then the visuals wow me, then more swelling issues, back to ass beating - all the way through.

And the ending! True, Marvel has a formula (and this sticks to it), but if it ain't broken, why bleep with it?? The ending was Game of Thrones-ish, but with light so a brotha can see, and all the colors of the rainbow - like a Skittles commercial with martial arts.  Fun! - so not like GOT at all, I guess. The only fun they had was when there was torture or prostitution going on.

I don't have anything bad to say about the movie. They could have shaved 5-10 mins off, but I won't take off for that; there's just too much to love about this!

Grade: A+

Fun for the whole family! I can see the fam working through some issues after the watch.

Daughter: "You know, Dad. That asshole dad of Shang-Chi kinda reminds me of you."

Mom: "Daughter! You do NOT talk to your father that way!"

Daughter: “Just sayin...”

Dad: "That's interesting, cuz his ungrateful, bitch of a daughter reminds me of YOU!"

Mother and Daughter: *gasp

Son: *laughs

Dad: "All I want you to do is take your school work seriously and maybe date a guy who doesn't smell like weed!"

Daughter: "I'll have you know that's his natural smell! And maybe I'd focus more on school, if I didn't have to focus on YOU being such a BLEEPING ASSHOLE, DAD!"

See, that's healthy dialogue, right there. Maybe the family that watches this movie buys mommy a bunch of guns for protection, so she doesn't end up dead like the mommy in this movie. Like a ridiculous amount of guns!

And I could see brother and sister kicking each other in the crotch to resolve their differences. BUT, if they're close-by, fighting each other, then there's no time to abandon one another.

Marvel does it again!

Whichever of the Marvel films is your favorite, this one will probably be up there as well.

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian one-shot - “Carolina in My Mind” (Rated PG)

Summary: Things get a little spicy when Sebastian decides that Kurt and Blaine are going to start doing TikTok challenges... in part to exact revenge on his boyfriend for covering him in glitter and posting photos on Instagram. (1845 words)

Notes: It's not as lurid as the summary makes it sound XD Makes a reference to an earlier quarantine one-shot 'All The Glitters'.

Part 67 of Outside Edge

Read on AO3.

"We're doing TikTok challenges now!?" Kurt groans, sliding to a halt in front of his boyfriend, arms crossed over his chest before he comes to a stop.

Sebastian beams, flashing Kurt his iPhone screen with the app already open. "Ah. I see you got my message." 

"Aren't we already living through hell? Do we have to add humiliation to the mix?"

"You're one to talk! If you get to cover us in makeup and glitter and post photos on Instagram, I get to do this!"

"But that performance makeup contest was hosted by the ISI," Blaine points out. "What merit does a TikTok challenge have?"

Sebastian watches Blaine glide to a stop beside his boyfriend and pulls a face. "Well, Doubty McDoubterson, tons of people join TikTok every day, including figure skaters. You two were worried about staying in the public eye during the pandemic. This will be great visibility for us within the skating community."

"A-ha." Kurt shares a skeptical side glance with Blaine. "Now, why don't you tell us why we're really doing this."

Sebastian gasps, stumbling back as if punched in the face. "Kurt! I'm wounded! Deeply wounded! I'm being completely honest here! I'm only thinking of you guys, working hard to keep your names in the mouths of... "

"Before you say another word," Kurt interrupts with a finger raised, "may I remind you that you have a five o'clock sesh riding on this answer."

Sebastian's mouth hangs open, caught around the next word. But a beat later, he snaps it shut. "Fine. We're doing this because we've been on lockdown for about ten years and I'm bored to tears!"

"Nice," Kurt says, "seeing as you've spent all of quarantine with us."

"Will you be partaking?" Blaine rushes in before Sebastian can shove his foot any further down his throat. He's not being entirely selfless, but he'd rather not admit out loud that Sebastian's plan is a decent one, ulterior motives aside. Blaine has a TikTok account and has wasted plenty of precious training time scrolling through clips. Sebastian is right - a lot of figure skaters post on there, even some big names in their sport. It's a better platform for it than Instagram. If they pull this off, they could become TikTok famous, and that wouldn't exactly hurt when they make their comebacks.

"I am." Sebastian wiggles his camera in front of their faces. "I'm the cameraman."

"Of course," Kurt mutters under his breath. "So what's the challenge?" he asks, eager to get this over with, hoping he doesn't regret it too much later. "It is a skating challenge, right?"

"Of course it's a skating challenge! In fact, you guys get to perform your routines... " Kurt stares at his grinning boyfriend, waiting for the shoe to drop. And it does when Sebastian picks up a small paper bag off the boards and holds it out to them "... after you've eaten this pepper. There's one in there for each of you."

"I guess it's too much to hope it's a bell pepper," Kurt remarks as Blaine takes the bag and opens the top. He reaches a hand in and pulls out a bright reddish-orange vegetable the size of his thumb. Kurt recognizes it right away, his eyes going wide at the Carolina Reaper pinched between Blaine's fingertips.

"A little bit, yeah," Blaine says.

"What th---? Aren't those things illegal?" Kurt asks, on the brink of turning and running, leaving his friend behind to suffer the consequences.

"Nope. They're perfectly legal," Sebastian says. "And they won't cause any permanent damage. I checked."

"That's so nice of you."

"Come on! This'll be fun!"

"For you! You're running the camera!"

"I've got you guys. Look! I brought you some milk for after," he says, producing the smallest, middle-school carton of two percent in existence. How he expects the both of them to share that, Kurt doesn't know. It's probably part of the schtick, Kurt thinks, to cap off the hilarity - the two of them fighting over seven ounces of milk with their mouths on fire. "Also... " Sebastian deliberates when he feels himself losing ground, running through options in his head he hopes Kurt might jump at so he can get his TikTok "... I'll let you pick the next challenge. Then you can be the cameraman."

A malicious grin spreads across Kurt's face, but Sebastian squashes it with the stipulation: "But remember - whatever you make me do, Blaine has to do, too."

"Don't I get any say in this?" Blaine asks.

"No," Sebastian answers without looking at him.

"Well, do I get a turn at choosing?"

"Maybe... provided Kurt agrees to my conditions."

Kurt glares at his manipulative ass of a boyfriend, putting him on the spot in the name of social media currency. But what the heck? This could be fun. Plus, turnabout is fair play. He'll get Sebastian back. 

Oh yes. He'll get him back.

Besides, Kurt isn't a stranger to spicy foods. His dad has put plenty of red and green gremlins, each residing on different ends of the Scoville scale, in that disastrous chili he makes every fourth of July. How much worse could eating this one raw be?

"Fine." Kurt snatches the pepper out of Blaine's hand but doesn't bring it anywhere near his mouth.

Blaine, on the other hand, goes all in, grabbing his pepper out of the bag, popping it into his mouth, chewing like crazy, and then swallowing, probably in the hopes that it would hurt less if he did it fast, like pulling off a Bandaid. Then he skates off.

His plan doesn't work too well though. Thirty seconds into his backward crossovers, his face scrunches. He puts a hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut, cheeks flushing beet red before Kurt's eyes. "Jesus Christ! I can't see!"

Kurt fixes steely eyes on his boyfriend, filming and giggling like a fiend as Blaine attempts a triple Axel and singles it, arms flailing when he tries to fan his mouth at the same time. 

"I'm picturing a Speedo," Kurt says as he prepares to drop the Reaper into his mouth. "An embarrassingly tight Speedo, seven gallons of honey, an angry beehive... " He carefully places the pepper on his tongue. His salivary glands kick into overdrive when its waxy exterior makes contact, but he can't persuade his teeth to bite.

"Ooo," Sebastian coos, provoking him. "Blaine covered in bees? That's going to be hilarious! And I can't wait to see his face when he finds out it was your idea. But what are you going to make me do?"

That does it. 

Kurt's teeth clench inadvertently, catching the pepper as it rolls off his tongue and pummeling it to bits between his pearly whites. The burn washes through his mouth, spreading in an instant with the obliterated pepper sitting for too long on his tongue.

"Shit!" he yelps, swallowing what remains whole. He coughs violently, almost puking up his lunch. "Shit shit shit!" 

"Don't die," Sebastian teases. "Not for TikTok."

"Nice to see you have priorities," Kurt growls, overcome by a sudden urge to get as far away from his insufferable boyfriend as his skates can take him. 

Now he has to pull this off so he can rub it in Sebastian's face.

Remembering that Blaine has a head start on him, he forces his feet to move. A swiftly blossoming headache completely erases his new routine from his brain so he begins improvising, starting with the opening of his last Regionals piece. He opens with a pancake spin.

Big mistake.

Crouching low over his bent leg as he spins forces his mouth closed, everything from his gums to his cheeks aflame. 

"Nope!" he sputters. "Nope nope nope!" He ends his spin prematurely, hacking as he settles into backward crossovers. 

These are worse. 

Since he's pushing into the air with his back, none of it hits his face, depriving him of relief. He catches sight of Blaine skating as fast as he can with his mouth wide open, preparing to enter another jump. He performs a double toe loop, then another, then another. Kurt doesn't understand. Blaine doesn't perform doubles in his routine. He's beyond that. 

Then it hits him.

Blaine can do a row of doubles faster than he can perform consecutive triples. He's using rotational inertia to cool his face.

It's genius.

Kurt launches into the air, stringing together three of the most lopsided double Salchows he's ever landed. And he barely lands them at that, overestimating his edge and nicking his toepick. He gives up on his choreography altogether, performing whatever move he has to to shove ice-cold air into his mouth. Element by element, Kurt's routine devolves until his goal becomes keeping his mouth from bursting into flames. 

He can't remember the last time he flubbed up this badly. He and Blaine probably look like drooling dogs doing the most, but his throat burns so badly, he couldn't care less. Kurt's nose runs like a faucet, but nowhere near as much as his eyes, which he has the hardest time prying open. 

He decides to skate blind, praying he doesn't collide with Blaine, whose blades he can no longer identify on the ice. By the time Kurt strikes his final pose, he's puffy-eyed, sweating like no one's business, with his lower jaw hanging to his chest, wheezing as he sucks in mouthfuls of cold air. He can't hear much for the ringing in his ears, but he suspects Sebastian may be laughing his ass off. 

Why did he agree to this again? 

"How did I do?" he asks, skating back to his boyfriend, trying not to touch his tongue to his lips, or his lips to each other.

"Meh. You've done better," Sebastian replies, replaying the video over and over, snickering at choice scenes.

"Thanks, coach," Kurt seethes, wondering how well Sebastian would skate if Kurt shoved one of those peppers up his nose.

"At least you fared better than Blaine."

"Why?" Kurt pants, scanning the rink through the narrow slits of his swollen eyelids. "What happened to him?"

Sebastian jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "Took himself out of the running before his second Axel attempt, the poor schlub."

Kurt peeks over Sebastian's shoulder and spots Blaine, lying on his stomach, tongue pressed flat to the ice.

Kurt makes a face. He doesn't blame the guy, but still. 

Yuck. 

"Blaine? Honey? That's not a good idea."

"Yeah, weirdo. We have milk."

"I 'as saving da 'ilk for 'urt," Blaine explains, not moving his tongue while he does.

"Oh!" Kurt sighs, pressing a hand over his heart, overdoing the swoon because he knows how much it will irk Sebastian. The jerk deserves it. "That's so sweet!"

Blaine smiles. At least it looks like he does.

Sebastian grimaces. Great. Upstaged by a boy who looks like he just Frenched a patch of poison ivy. "Yeah, yeah. Cavity inducing. Get your ass up, Anderson. You're just making it worse. Besides, you're burning a hole through my ice."

[holytheoristtastemaker]

Social media platforms are excellent places to showcase your best work and promote yourself as a creative. Your online presence could help you to secure a new job, gain freelance clients or creative collaborators, as well as build your professional reputation.

But with so many social media platforms to choose from, how do you know which ones to use? To find out, we listened to the advice of a range of creative professionals including artists, photographers, designers and filmmakers. We learned what they like about each social media platform and why you might find each one useful for displaying elements of your portfolio (for more portfolio inspo, see our graphic design portfolio post), or maybe something else.

We used their answers to list the most useful social media platforms for artists and designers right now. (Note that we haven't included video sharing app TikTok, but you can read all you need to know about it in our guide to the TikTok app.)

01. Dayflash

Greg McMillan's work on Dayflash

Never heard of Dayflash? You're not alone. But right now, it's rapidly gaining popularity amongst creatives. And that's because the iOS app, launched last year, basically works like Instagram used to. In its own words, there's "no algorithm and no more missing posts from your friends".

Co-founder Rupali Renjen tells us that, in her view, "Photo sharing platforms unfairly use algorithms to dictate which followers get to see a user's posts. And as they push users to spend more time on stories from friends, long-form videos and shopping, all so they can make more money on ads and business accounts, less and less time is being spent on creators, which is taking away visibility and opportunity".

You can post full resolution photos, no algorithms, always genuine engagement, no bots

David Castillo

And creatives do indeed seem to be responding well to the new platform. "I love using Dayflash," says New York photographer David Castilllo. "You can post full resolution photos, no algorithms, always genuine engagement, no bots. And I love the aesthetics of the interface."

Scott Terry, a Chicago-based creator and ambassador for brands, agrees. "It’s pretty great because you can post full frame and high resolution, unlike Instagram," he points out. And there's video, too.

"For me personally, I love being able to show my work as I’ve made it, rather than being compressed like on Twitter or Instagram," says filmmaker Tyler Palmer. "And even with little following, my work still gets seen."

LA-based photographer Torenzo Perry is also a fan. "I personally love the app because it focuses more on the content, and less on the likes and views," he says. While Greg McMillan, an iPhoneographer and co-host of the Tiny Shutter podcast, admires both the app and the philosophy of its makers. "They have it figured out as to what a social platform should be and how it should work," he enthuses. 

And it's not just photographers who are fans. Take Brazilian character artist Danielle Pioli, who uses it to share her illustrations and comic strips. "I really like Dayflash," she says. "Since I began using it, it has improved a lot. Not only the usability of the app but also the quality of the content inside it. I see this app as a new trend for visual artists of all kinds. It's easy to use, pretty straightforward, and fun.

02. ArtStation

ArtStation is a must for 2D and 3D artists

Launched in 2014, ArtStation may not have changed a great deal over the years. But it remains the place to post your profile for professional 2D and 3D artists, especially those working in the games, film, media and entertainment industries, or those aspiring to do so.

As we reported in our article how to get a job as a video games artist, recruiters nowadays don't just encourage you to post your work on ArtStation; they expect it. Some artists still hold back from doing so, because they don’t want to engage in what they see as a popularity contest. But by and large, recruiters don’t really care how many likes or followers you have; it's purely about whether or not they like your art, and if it fits what they're looking for. 

“We’re interested in artists who produce the sort of work that we can use; that’s it," says Kevin McDowell, art director for Creative Assembly's Total War series. "So make sure it’s visible to us, and don’t worry about the numbers.”

03. DeviantArt

Katy L Wood's work on DeviantArt

Launched in 2000, DeviantArt has more of an amateur, hobbyist feel to it than ArtStation. And so while you're less likely to get commissions directly through it, it's a better platform for putting your art in front of your peers and getting feedback.

People tend to come and go from DeviantArt over time, and author and illustrator Katy L Wood is no exception. "DeviantArt was the first social media site I joined, about 13 years ago, when I was a teenager," she recalls. "It was a huge part of my growth as an artist, due to all the amazing free resources it had, from tutorials to brushes to stock. Plus, back then, DeviantArt had a great community. People really talked and interacted and had fun."

Eventually, though, she felt the community had started to wane and turned her attentions elsewhere. "However, in the last year I've been working my way back into using DeviantArt, especially with its delightful rebrand," she says. "I came back primarily because DeviantArt is straightforward. There are no algorithms to game, it's well organised, and it's supportive of every type of art and writing I do."

04. The Dots

Work by Joanna Kosinska on The Dots

Launched in 2014, The Dots is an online professional network that aims to be "LinkedIn for creatives". And it's had a fair amount of success in doing so, attracting companies such as Google, Burberry, Sony Pictures, Viacom, M&C Saatchi, Warner Music, Tate, Discovery Networks and VICE to use it as a recruiting tool.

There are lot of other things you can do on the platform besides just waiting to be offered a job, though. These include connecting with other creatives in your field, checking out people's side hustles, responding to requests for collaborations, keeping up to the latest events and more. 

It's very much a case, then, of what getting out what you put in. And unlike LinkedIn, every page you interact with is beautifully designed.

Currently, most creatives seem to use The Dots as part of a self-promo mix, rather than focusing on it exclusively. Yorkshire-based freelancer Joanna Kosinska, for example, says: "I will post my work pretty much anywhere where I can gain traction, including The Dots, Behance, Dribbble, and Creativepool. 

"As a graphic designer and photographer, I have to put my name out there. So any platform that makes it easier to find my work is my friend, and I'll gladly invest time to create a profile and share projects."

05. Dribbble

Work by Laundry on Dribbble

Launched in 2009 by Dan Cederholm and Rich Thornett, Dribbble was never intended to be a straightforward portfolio site like Behance. Its specific angle was about teasing out small glimpses of what you were working on, when you were unable to share the whole project.

Dribbble has since evolved beyond web and mobile app design to take in icon design, branding, animations, prototypes, illustrations, graphic art and other disciplines. But there's still a focus on informally sharing small screengrabs (known as 'Shots'), rather than setting out big and detailed images in an organised and carefully annotated way. As Albuquerque-based web designer Jack Harner puts it: "Dribbble feels more like a community than a portfolio site."

That doesn't mean it's just designers talking to designers, though. The platform now actively helps companies such as Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, Dropbox and Slack to hire designers, and many clients use it to find people to commission.

"Dribbble has been a great platform for us to generate new business especially within the tech industry," says PJ Richardson, partner at Los Angeles design studio Laundry. "Very graphic and illustrated work seems to play the best, but we've also gotten new clients because of what we post there as well."

For others like Nicola Jones, aka Hello I'm Nik Design, Dribbble is a place for posting work that doesn't fit in your main portfolio. "This is where I put my personal project illustrations, which is something I’d like to do more, so if I ever get any illustration enquiries I point them there. Illustration is more of a side thing for me, as I do brand and marketing design before all that for clients."

06. Behance

Work by George Kofi Prah on Behance

Behance is the closest thing on this list to a pure portfolio platform, but with a social aspect plugged in. Founded by Matias Corea and Scott Belsky in November 2005, the company was acquired by Adobe in 2012, and its reach has since become enormous.

Unlike, say, Dribbble or Instagram, Behance offers a way to show more of your work than just a single, eye-grabbing image. As motion designer and 3D generalist Jesus Suarez explains: "Behance is great for sharing the making of and behind the scenes aspects. It allows for more complete look at the project."

Of course, you could do all that on your own website, but the social aspects of Behance means that it's worth posting stuff there too, if even you're just duplicating the same content. 

It is an ideal place for us to share the behind-the-scenes and case study aspects of our projects

PJ Richardson

And that's exactly the approach Laundry takes, says Richardson. "Our Behance basically mirrors our company site," he explains, "but because it is so shareable and other creatives go to Behance for creative inspiration, it is an ideal place for us to share the behind-the-scenes and case study aspects of our projects."

London-based illustrator, designer & photographer Tim Easley takes a similar view. "I use Behance for full projects alongside my website, because there’s a decent chance of being featured there, which brings in a lot of views," he says. While Cliff Nowicki, a web designer based in Michigan, USA says. "I use Behance because it's super easy to just put something up online."  

07. Instagram

Tim Easley's work on Instagram

The rise of Dayflash (number one on our list) is a sign that a few people's love affair with Instagram is waning. But overall, Instagram remains far and away the most popular visuals-based social media platform today, and for most creatives, a presence of some sort on the image sharing platform remains a must.

"While, Behance is great for sharing and getting your work in front of professional eyes, I tend to use Instagram mostly," says George Kofi Prah, designer at New York and LA branding agency loyalkaspar. "It's the perfect tool for creatives in the way that Spotify is for musicians. 

"It provides access to a much wider audience than any other platform and allows me to engage with literally anyone. Using hashtags makes being discovered and finding new and interesting things a lot easier."

Ease of use is also an important factor for many. "I use Instagram, followed by The Dots, because these platforms are easier and more accessible in terms of commitment per post," says Welsh/Sri Lankan artist Murugiah. "Behance has too many fields to fill in per post!"

We need to promote our work where our audience lives

Amy Kilner

For Amy Kilner, freelance designer and founder of inspiration blog The Design Fix, using Instagram is a no-brainer. "You have to remember we're designing for our clients' objectives, not other creatives," she points out. "So we need to promote our work where our audience lives. Don’t get me wrong, I love creative sites – I run my own, after all - but it’s not where my clients are!"

Laundry follows the same logic, says Richardson. "Artists and clients alike all seem to go to Instagram for design and animation inspiration, which is why we use it," he reasons. "We've even landed projects from it and clients increasingly ask to track our work there. It's also the easiest to share and always has been. Additionally, it is easy to schedule posts without formatting problems."

How to change the font in your Instagram bio

Luke Manning, creative director of Pencil Studio, is primarily interested in getting work shared amongst the creative community, and for that it’s been Instagram and Twitter that have been the most effective, he says. "Our own posts have been picked up shared by popular design blog sites and we’ve even had direct contact by brand owners via sharing our latest projects," he explains. "I like Behance and how it works, but for us it is yet to be fruitful beyond having a place to store projects." 

And if you're wondering how to be successful on Instagram, we've got a guide packed full of pro tips on how to increase Instagram engagement.

08. LinkedIn

Work by Ben the Illustrator on LinkedIn

Even though it's had a total rebrand, LinkedIn doesn't immediately grab you as being a useful social platform for creatives. But art, design and filmmaking are businesses like any other, and many creative pros say they're making good use of LinkedIn regardless of what it looks like.

Take Frank Suyker, aka Mr Sugar, an art director based in the Netherlands. "I use LinkedIn to get recurring revenue out of my existing clients," he explains. "By posting my blog posts on LinkedIn, I'm kept top of mind. And when they do have work that needs to be done, they come to me."

Laundry has also made a shift to LinkedIn recently, which it has been actively using for the past year. "Facebook used to be a great place to share work but it became cluttered with ads and not design-focused posts," says Richardson. "in contrast, the very work-focused and curated nature of LinkedIn has made it a forum to share design, animation, and behind-the-scenes content, which has garnered a lot of great attention for us."

[bigyack-com]

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman Gamble $1.8 Billion on Quibi

LOS ANGELES — They had to cancel the premiere party. But Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman have stuck with the April 6 start date of Quibi, the short-form video app for smartphones that they hope will attract millions of subscribers.The two veteran executives have led some of the nation’s top companies for decades. But they have spent the last two years in start-up mode, prodding investors to kick in nearly $1.8 billion and courting producers and stars like Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Chance the Rapper, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Steven Spielberg and Chrissy Teigen. Now Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman are ready to unveil their ambitious venture right in the middle of a pandemic.“This is either going to be a massive home run or a massive swing and miss,” said Michael Goodman, a media analyst at Strategy Analytics.Quibi, a portmanteau of “quick bites,” will offer movies, reality shows and news programs made for the smartphone, with no installment clocking in at more than 10 minutes. The offerings fall into three main categories: movies that will be released in chapters; documentaries and unscripted reality shows; and quick-hit news and sports reports from NBC, BBC, ESPN and others. Fifty shows will be available Monday.Before the spread of the coronavirus, whenever Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman made their Quibi pitch, they described it as an on-the-go diversion for anyone standing in line at Starbucks or riding the subway. The pandemic changed the context. With potential customers largely confined to their homes, it will now go up against established platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that can be watched on any screen, including the living room TV. Quibi works only on the phone.Ms. Whitman said she wasn’t concerned about the crisis’s effect on the start-up’s chances. “Think about how often you use your phone when you’re homebound,” she said. “People who are home with their children would really like a 10-minute break.”There is also the question of how much people are willing to spend on streaming at a time when nearly 10 million are out of work. Entertainment options have also expanded while Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman were building their app with 267 employees in an open-floor office in Hollywood. The Walt Disney Company and Apple joined the streaming party in November, with Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, and TikTok, filled with short homemade videos, had a spectacular rise, hypnotizing the young viewers Quibi hopes to attract.Under those circumstances, Quibi (rhymes with “libby”) announced last month that it would be free for its first three months. After that, the cost will be $5 a month with ads and $8 without. Shortly after the announcement of the introductory offer, the company canceled its premiere party, which was expected to draw 150 celebrities among its 1,500 guests, because of the pandemic. But delay the launch? No way.“Given the quality and quantity and convenience of Quibi, we think it comes at a time when people are looking for relief, looking for distraction and looking to escape,” Mr. Katzenberg said. “Those are all the things we are trying to deliver to them.”Mr. Katzenberg, 69, and Ms. Whitman, 63, have dived headlong into a challenging third act, creating a product geared to people half their age at a time when millennials and Gen Z-ers have taken to needling their elders (see “OK Boomer”).The head of Walt Disney Studios at the time of the original version of “The Lion King,” Mr. Katzenberg has often gone against the grain. Passed over for the No. 2 job at Disney in 1994, he built a rival conglomerate, DreamWorks SKG, with Mr. Spielberg and David Geffen. He also waged a legal battle against his former employer, saying he had deserved more compensation. The bitter, headline-generating fight concluded with Disney handing him a settlement estimated at $250 million.DreamWorks faded, but DreamWorks Animation, the spinoff run by Mr. Katzenberg, survived until 2016, when Comcast’s NBCUniversal bought it for $3.8 billion. As part of the deal, Mr. Katzenberg received a $420 million payout — and reluctantly stepped aside.In the back of his mind was a failed initiative similar to Quibi: Pop.com, a side venture he had started in 1999 with Mr. Spielberg, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard as a venue for video shorts. It went bust before it even launched.Quibi’s other leader, one of the country’s most powerful female executives, rose through the ranks of American business at Disney, DreamWorks and Hasbro before she took eBay from a shop with a staff of 30 to a global powerhouse with 15,000 workers and $8 billion in annual revenue. When she left, in 2008, she was a billionaire.She went on to spend more than $100 million of her fortune to run as a Republican for governor of California, only to lose the 2010 election to Jerry Brown. A return to business put her in charge of Hewlett-Packard, which she left in 2017. “I’ve been working straight for 35 years,” she said upon her departure. “I’m going to enjoy some downtime.”But she soon joined Mr. Katzenberg at what was then called New TV, after he had raised $1 billion from Hollywood studios, the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and other investors. “She doesn’t like this, but I keep saying we’re two old dogs who have a new trick,” Mr. Katzenberg said at the time.Ms. Whitman left her home in Northern California for a West Hollywood high-rise. Now she can see Mr. Katzenberg’s house in Beverly Hills from her bedroom window.Start-ups rarely run smoothly, and several prominent executives have left Quibi over the last year, including Janice Min, the former co-president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group; Diane Nelson, a former Warner Bros. executive; and Tim Connolly, a former Hulu executive. Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman are known as exacting managers who keep an eye on the tiniest detail.The company has also had trouble getting the word out. Although Quibi spent millions on commercials that ran during the Super Bowl and the Oscars, 68 percent of participants in a Morning Consult/Hollywood Reporter poll last month said they were not familiar with the brand.“Part of the reason awareness is so low is they are building a new name,” said Ross Benes, a video analyst at eMarketer. “Quibi takes time to explain. It’s not super clear that this will cost you $5 a month and you’ll get a lot of short videos.”Stay-at-home mandates have complicated the rollout, with meetings held via video conference. “Even though Zoom is great, I can’t really read the body language in the room,” Ms. Whitman said. “And that has always been an important part of how I gauge who is doing what to whom and how things are working.”Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman had an easy time making deals partly because of the terms they offer: The company pays for production costs and licensing rights, allowing anyone the creators of Quibi programs to retain copyright, meaning they can sell their work to another platform or network after a set number of years.Nicole Clemens, the president of Paramount Television, received an offer from Quibi for “When the Streetlights Go On,” a script about the aftermath of the murder of a suburban teenager that had once been shot as a Hulu pilot. “It was an incoming call,” Ms. Clemens said, “which is always nice to get.” The Quibi version will be part of the Monday launch.Writers who sign on have to follow a rule of Mr. Katzenberg’s: They must end each installment with a cliffhanger. Nick Santora, the writer of “Most Dangerous Game,” an action film starring Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz, described hitting those marks as “hard but exhilarating.” To pull it off, he refashioned his 48-page pilot script, initially written for NBC, into a 150-page screenplay with a climax every 10 pages.“When you’re writing a regular script, and you need a scene to tell a certain arc in your story, and it takes 12, 13 pages, it’s no big deal,” he said. “You can’t do that in Quibi. Once you get to page 10, you’re done.”Quibi intends to set itself apart from YouTube, the leader in short-form digital video, because of its reliance on an old-fashioned Hollywood hallmark: production values. Quibi films cost up to $100,00 per minute. And Mr. Katzenberg’s long experience has taught him how to handle the talent, even as his reputation as a relentless boss holds firm.“You don’t always hear from the biggest exec at the company,” said Ryan Case, the director of “Flipped,” a comedy starring Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson. “But he called me, the writers and the cast members on a Saturday at our homes to say he was excited. It was both wonderful and classy.”Unlike Disney Plus, which gained subscribers on the strength of its “Star Wars” series, “The Mandalorian,” Quibi hopes to lure viewers with its overall lineup. “I think we have fantastic shows,” Ms. Whitman said, “but I also think it’s the sum total of what we are offering, as opposed to one ‘Mandalorian.’”The companies making a line of Quibi programming called Daily Essentials have faced the toughest challenge. Madeleine Haeringer, an NBC News executive producer, spent months assembling a 50-person team able to produce twice-daily 5- to 7-minute shows. Her job got trickier when employees were forced to work from home. A week before the start date, she delivered test episodes remotely, with anchors on iPads.“It’s incredibly daunting,” Ms. Haeringer said.Quibi’s unscripted shows bring to mind to cable fare and syndicated programs. Ms. Teigen’s “Chrissy’s Court” is the app’s answer to “Judge Judy,” and Ms. Lopez produces a show that follows celebrities as they give $100,000 to someone who meant a lot to them.Will Quibi be the next digital thing or a flop? That is the $1.8 billion question.“On the plus side, Quibi is like nothing else,” said Mr. Goodman, the media analyst. “On the other hand, while we know that there is a tremendous amount of video being consumed on phones, we also know that people don’t want to pay for video on their phones.”Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman say they will beat the odds. Noting Quibi’s debut slate of movies in chapters, Mr. Katzenberg said, “All five of those I think are great. Not good. Great.”Ms. Whitman sounded more circumspect. “This is very different from a movie launch,” she said. “We are building a new consumer product.” Read the full article