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calliefm · 5 years ago

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( sydney sweeney, cisfemale ) hey ! have you seen CALLIOPE ‘ CALLIE ’ MACDERMOT around ? SHE works at the HOT COCOA STAND at big bear resort, but they must be off their shift by now. well, if you do see them can you let me know ? they’re 22 years old & they’ve been working here for ONE YEAR. they tend to be +CREATIVE & +SELFESS, but can also be -LAZY & -IRRESPONSIBLE. the other employees have labeled them THE MALINGERER. thanks a lot ! ( oversize hoodies, first sip of coffee , cold side of the pillow , high ponytail , winterfresh gum, & smell of paint )

hey folks ! i’m very excited to get this group going, i’m a big sucker for simple plots and it’s my favorite season ! i apologize in advance for callie though ! i’m 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑟𝑎𝑛 by the way ! i’m 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 years old and i go by the 𝑠ℎ𝑒/ℎ𝑒𝑟 pronouns ! i can’t wait to meet everyone and get this lil group going !

i formally introduce to you — 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘵, big bear’s 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚝 !

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝘽 𝘼 𝘾 𝙆 𝙂 𝙍 𝙊 𝙐 𝙉 𝘿

callie macdermot was born in boulder, co to jennifer baker and james o’connell. here’s the catch... jennifer was a freshmen in university when she became pregnant with callie. jennifer took the year off when she found out, not telling her mother and working many side jobs to keep her small flat with her boyfriend ( james ). they thought they were going to keep the baby and live this happy life, but jennifer began to wonder if they were able to even take care of the child. this was what caused problems in their relationship and it honestly became pretty toxic. by her third trimester, jennifer and james were on and off a lot. it was off when callie was born. by that time, james wasn’t there to convince jennifer to keep the child so the papers were signed and callie was put up for adoption !

it was only a month until callie was adopted by a loving family in big bear. her parents were officially emma and benjamin macdermot. emma and benjamin had been struggling to conceive, and officially made the decision to adopt a baby around the time callie was born ( kinda perfect right ? ). her parents were pretty well known around town. they were also high school sweethearts, went to college together, and graduated together. her mother works as a primary teacher and her dad is a head chef at a restaurant on the outskirts of town.

it was a pretty picture perfect life for callie. she loved her parents and they loved her, even through her being a complete terror growing up. callie was a ball of energy when she was young. she was constantly bouncing off the walls, asking questions, getting into slight trouble, and all that ! as annoying as she got... she was adorable and she had an ebullient smile that was irresistible.

she wasn’t used to change. everyone was always just there for her. she lived in the same house her whole life. she walked the same streets everyday. she saw the same faces on the street. she hung out with the same group of friends since kindergarten. but stuff started to change when the beginning of year 9 when her friend sat her down and decided to let her know that they don’t want to hang out with callie anymore. there was no explanation for it, it was just petty teenage drama, but it oddly broke callie for the time being.

her friend group had been with her for such a long time, it sort of shaped her personality. but, by the end of year 9, she realized who she was with them wasn’t her. she didn’t want to wear skirts to school, she didn’t like to gossip or constantly talk about boys, she didn’t want to wear an insane amount of bronzer on her face. so ! after the break, callie 2.0 made her very first appearance — with a big sweater, comfortable jeans, glasses snugged on her nose, and a bright face ready to just do her.

with her new persona, you’ll easily learn she’s pretty lazy. she will fall asleep on the stairs if she’s too tired to climb up the stairs to go to bed. she’s fallen asleep on the easel while she began to take up a new hobby ( art ! ) but callie is also insanely bright ! she has pulled straight a’s throughout high school career and had taken an interest in the brain. she’s literally taken all the brain cells yall... blame callie

when it came to choosing an university, she knew she didn’t want to go too far from big bear because she definitely would have separation anxiety from her parents. the decision came down to picking the best financial route and big bear community college was it ! she decided to go with a biology major her first year, but after taking a psychology course, she quickly switched over to a psychology major after her first year.

𝙍 𝙄 𝙂 𝙃 𝙏 𝙉 𝙊 𝙒

she’s currently a junior and still a psych major ! she lives in an apartment near the resort and also the community college ! her parents don’t live too far, and since she adores them you know she’ll be making constant visits ! she definitely cooks for every hang out because she picked up a few things from papa chef ! and atm she’s thinking about picking up an art major since she’s been really into it lately !

she works at the hot cocoa stand in the snow bowl ! she’s constantly making new flavors and such so feel free to stop by the stand to try her concoction !

𝙋 𝙀 𝙍 𝙎 𝙊 𝙉 𝘼 𝙇 𝙄 𝙏 𝙔

let me start off by saying that she’s probably the sleepiest person you’ll ever meet ! if you don’t know where she is, you’ll figure that she’s in her room catching some zs. callie is also very lazy and will ask you to give her the remote even though it’s two feet away. when she’s down for it, callie definitely knows how to have a good time, you just gotta drag her out of her room to get that slakfjds

and even though she’s insanely book smart, i can assure you she’s one of the biggest idiots you’ll ever meet. she’s do the dumbest shit like almost burn down the kitchen bc she forgot to put water in her mac n cheese n left the stove on

is weed allowed to be a personality trait too ? because that’s a thing with callie ! she is almost constantly high it’s kinda bad, but she’s not annoying about it ! some people probably doesn’t even know she smokes weed because even without it she’s just ... like that

𝙍 𝘼 𝙉 𝘿 𝙊 𝙈 𝙁 𝘼 𝘾 𝙏 𝙎

callie works at the big bear resort at the hot cocoa stand ! she does a lot of dumb shit there so enjoy her stories and often leaves the stand unattended when it’s not too busy ! if your chara works on the slopes, i can assure you she’ll throw at least one snowball at them a day

she tends to make those really tiny paintings and gives them to her friends and random people on the street

someone tell her to buy a new pair of converse because she’s had the same pair since year 10

she’s addicted to getting small pointless, but cute tattoos

she has never opened a wine bottle normally. she has a little game with herself where each time she opens a bottle, she has to try opening it with a new object ( a key, knife, spoon, lighter, shoe, etc )

she’s REALLY good at procrastinating. her best works comes out with 5 cups of coffee and at 5 am the morning it’s due

callie has never lost a game of rock paper scissors and she literally bought herself a trophy for it

she makes an insanely good alcoholic hot chocolate and will only make it for someone if it’s their birthday or they practically beg her

she had no idea how to put on makeup, she always has a friend do it for her when they’re going out oR she’ll have a ugly eyeliner and unblended foundation

stays up allllll night listening to true crime podcasts or watching paranormal youtube videos! and she really believes in aliens

she’s broken her glasses at least 5 times in the past year but she doesnt like contacts because she’s too scared to try to touch her eye, so when u see her without her glasses you’ll know she definitely cant see

she visits her parents every other week or so because (1) she misses them and (2) she needs to do laundry and her mom or dad will 10/10 do it for her because she’s baby ! but she really does miss them often and will randomly go to her home to just sit with them

i think that’s all i can say for now folks ! if you made it to the end, i love you so much ! here’s coupons for michael’s craft store in return !

#bigbearintro #weed tw

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moandkatelive · 8 years ago

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Ok so you all knew it was coming. Yes Campwolfe Fandom Nan™ just has to weigh in on the shenanigans and current angst-fest unfolding on Holby City for our Goddess Serena Campbell oh her anguish someone hold me intrepid couple Serena and Bernie. Many things I will say have likely already been said. Some perhaps not. As per usual, I shall pop it under a read more because I am wordy as shit to save y’all’s dash.

Buckle up

Now that I have had some time and distance from yesterday’s episode I feel as though I may be able to talk about it with a) some objectivity and b) without collapsing on the carpet in a heap of tears.

First of all:

Slow-clapping it out plus a raising a glass of the finest single malt to both Catherine Russell and Jemma Redgrave who killed it knocked it OUT OF THE PARK last night. What those women are able to do with every fibre of their being is incredible and just watching them is a master-class in acting. Like I said in a previous post, Serena’s anguished moan on her out-breath as she collapsed, against Bernie and then her restrained keening will haunt me to my grave. I had nightmares about it last night -that’s how deeply I was affected send help.

Right off the bat can we please quell the fearful speculation that this intense, dramatic tragedy is going to be the downfall of Campwolfe? I mean I suppose if you want to worry about that on top of worrying about how Serena is going to get through the next few weeks fly at it but personally I don’t feel the need to spend energy on something that is 100% not going to happen. Couples on Holby are ALL given difficulty or tragedy to work with. It is thrown at them. Instead of the writers creating drama and angst between Serena and Bernie in an endless cycle of ‘will they or won’t they’ or having them break up and get back together - this couple is on the receiving end of something catastrophic that will highlight bringing them closer. There may be some bumps in the road - I can’t imagine that Serena won’t get through this without falling into depression and pushing the people in her life that she loves the most away for a bit. Why? Because that is what happens in these types of situations and for that NOT to happen would not allow the show to highlight a very real and true to life consequence of the loss of a child. But this is a goldmine opportunity for the writers to show not tell in terms of giving Bernie Wolfe a growth arc. Bernie the emotional dumpster fire that she has been queen of the ‘let’s do a runner’ - let’s be honest sticking around and comfort and care, especially physical comfort and care are not her wheelhouse. To watch her last night, a symphony of restrained agony, helplessness and aching love for Serena was one of the most beautiful and moving things I have seen on television in a long time. She didn’t just hold it together in Theatre (which is her wheelhouse) but she was there for Serena every step of the way - very much the tender partner, very much physically there. I believe that we are going to see incredible amounts of emotional growth as she hangs in and loves on Serena, despite even perhaps being pushed away, instead of just packing it in and heading for the hills because things are rough. I’ve have longed to see this in her and I am very excited to see more - even if it is in small doses. At the end of this arc I believe that Serena and Bernie will come through this stronger than ever.

Is it a horrible, awful, terrible plot twist that Elinor, Serena’s only daughter is brain dead? Yes. It’s utterly devestating - but from the bottom of my heart I don’t think it falls anywhere close to the ‘lesbian death trope’. Serena and Bernie are being for the most part treated exactly the same way that any straight couple/characters would be on Holby City. They’re getting their fair share of a truckload of tragedy. None of the characters escape that. None. Do I wish Elinor wasn’t dead? Yes. I do because I adore Serena Campbell with every fibre of my being I was awake last worrying about her and then had to slap myself upside the head and remind myself that Serena is a British pretend bi-doctor and not a real person and that I was being a giant twit and I don’t want her to suffer. But that isn’t how life works. Tragedy does befall us and this just happens to be what is coming at Serena. Just because she identifies as wlw or lesbian or bi or as Jason says just plain complicated does that mean that she and Bernie should be swaddled gently in bubble wrap and nothing awful ever befalls them? There has to be skin in the game to make things interesting and what a gorgeous way for us, and for the broader audience to see a non-traditional couple working through these issues and supporting one another with unconditional love.

By the same token people could be furious that Dom is saddled with Issac the manipulative, abusive sociopath - why cant he have nice things I’m actually on a mission to push Issac off the roof but that’s another story, but in the harsh reality of life domestic abuse happens within gay relationships too and by highlighting this hopefully it will actually help someone who is gay or lesbian to make positive changes in their lives as Dom struggles to do this. They can look to him and say “if he can do it I can do it.”

I truly believe the same can be said for this storyline with Serena and by extension, Bernie. I’ve seen some opinions in this tag that somehow this story is simply a riff on the “Lesbians as Tragedy” story because it is highlighted that neither Serena nor Bernie are good mothers. I am all for people having their own opinions and fly at it. For me - that is not the read I get at all from the way these characters have been written and what they are portraying. How I see these characters positioned as parents, especially Serena in this case, is that they have loving and difficult and wondorous and challenging relationships with their early adult children. In the same was as the straight parents on this show are often portrayed. Serena and Bernie are shown as flawed mothers, as human mothers. Because that is what it IS to be a parent. Parenting whether you are an at-home parent full time or a surgeon or co-parenting or demonstrative or more reserved is the most fucking difficult job on the planet. There is no manual, no rulebook and despite the best of intentions parents and children often end up at odds. That’s simply a fact. Just because Elinor called her father, which she is want to do when she’s in trouble with the law because she’s learned from experience that her father will bail her out and her mother is going to call her on the carpet - who is the better parent there you have to ask - again a topic for a different meta, ended up reaching Liberty and asked Liberty to come be with her in no way negates Serena’s parenting abilities. Liberty is legitimately a part of Elinor’s life. She functioned, in some ways, as a step-parent. She would have had a way in to talk to Elinor that Serena wouldn’t have had precisely because she was NOT Elinor’s mother. This is the beauty of a step-parent. We don’t have to like Liberty but she did come when she was asked. She did sit with Elinor. She does love her in her own way and even if she’s a bit daft I believe her when she said that she was not trying to replace Serena. And she left when she was asked to leave without kicking up a fuss. There is a certain kind of class in that and you can’t convince me otherwise.

Fletch is a straight man the Flaf shippers notwithstanding and he has been shown time and again to be a good father, a struggling father, a father who falls short, a father who wins, a human father. Jac Naylor. Does anyone really believe that she has been nor will continue to be painted ‘mother of the year’ because she is straight? No. She’s the head of Darwin who is utterly problematic and has difficulty allowing people in or showing her feelings. This will affect her parenting. But she’s struggling through. Trying. She’s a human mother. Serena is a human mother. Bernie is a human mother and I just can’t see the Holby writers slanting it in the direction that they’re anything but human women trying to figure out how to get through the day, save lives and love their families.

I think, lastly, it’s been difficult for some of us to stomach the full throttle tragedy storyline for Bernie and Serena because there were so few touches of them as they were blossoming into and settling into being a romantic couple. Honestly - I wish we’d had a bit more fluff and happiness maybe a scene or two in the Peace Garden or drinks at Albies, bantering over a patient, wrangling about diagnoses before they were handed a dumptruck’s worth of angst but that is not how it played out. For a number of reasons, potentially, Jemma’s vacation time, the fact that Catherine hasn’t had a real holiday in, well, forever, the way that Holby tends to gloss over the happiness of its characters and focus on drama and/or angst. This trifecta of reasons after The Kill List and let’s face it the hiatus where we all almost expired from lack of Bernie/Campwolfe has made it more difficult, I believe, to sit easily, without worry, through this storyline. As I have said before, we are not going to love every last piece of minutiae on how the writers keep crafting Bernie and Serena’s melody line within the symphony. But the one thing I think that we can come back to is that they, and Simon and Catherine and Jemma are committed to creating, as best they know how, as best they are able all their unconscious missteps about wlw relationships notwithstanding a beautiful, complicated, human story that encompasses two women in a relationship dealing with the slings and arrows that life throws at them.

Like the fact that life isn’t perfect, no human is perfect, no mother is perfect - I believe there is some kind of middle ground. Melanie Klein said that there was no such thing as the ‘perfect mother/mothering’ but that for optimum psychological health a child doesn’t need ‘perfect mothering’ she needs ‘good enough mothering’. I think that applies here. I don’t need Serena and Bernie to be the ‘perfect’ representation of wlw relationship. I don’t need their story to be perfect or one made from fanfiction. What I need is it to be ‘good enough’. I need it to be raw, to surprise me, to shake me up. I need their story to make me laugh and to make my cry. I need it to pierce me to my core.

Last night’s episode certainly did that. It pierced me to my very soul. It chewed me up and it spit me back out again. It made me think. It made me ache. In it I saw humanity - the humanity of pain, of fear, of love and loss. That is what we face every day in life. And I for one am so beyond thrilled I can watch these emotions and this turmoil played out between two characters that in some way resemble who I am.

As Serena Campbell says “Life isn’t fair. You don’t get second chances. One knock and all that potential is just gone, wasted.” That is the hard bone truth of it. Sometimes there isn’t a second chance. Somehow we have to figure out how to keep putting one foot in front of the other through loss and grief and a pain so utter it feels as though our entire being is an immolation.

And the other side of that are the people who come and stand next to us and walk with us and hold us up during those times, and into the calm times after. I’m thinking specifically of Essie’s line “Home isn’t about the past. It’s simply a place you’re needed the most.”

I’m thinking about that hug that Bernie showers on Serena. How they both sink into it, breathe one another in. Bury their faces in one another. However this goes I believe that the strength of their home, that they are one another’s true home, will shine through, will be the beautiful gift from this trial by fire.

This love, this fire, this pain, this ultimate home - these are the reasons that I am spellbound and will continue to watch. These are the reasons this episode, this story, is good.

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t-shrt · 4 years ago

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100 q tag

no one wud read it but ima do it anyways cos fun tag by @dubblebubble

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? more cereal than milk cos i love tht crunchy crunch

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? LOVE

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? receipts, pen lol

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? coffee=basic latte/hot tea, no sugar

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? sometimes, not too often tho

6: do you keep plants? no but i want to but ill be terrible at it so no

7: do you name your plants?

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? digital art

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? yes very it keeps me sane

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? side/back, back esp nowadays

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? lots lol

12: what’s your favorite planet? earth? hahahah it used to be jupiter cos i loved sailor jupiter as a child

13: what’s something that made you smile today? friend + nct + fics

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? two separate bedrooms, a balcony, good amount of plants, separate fridge for alcohol, sizeable kitchen

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! it rains diamonds in jupiter and saturn $$$$

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? bolognese hahahaha im boring

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? i just dyed my hair a darker ash brown n i quite like it ive been light for awhile

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. one came 2 mind cos we both recently talked ab it, a longtime close friend of mine n i used to have the biggest fight where he threw me a pair of scissors n i threw him a basketball in retaliation lmfaooo it still became a running joke more than a decade later...

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? not really...prolly shud

20: what’s your favorite eye color? i actually like brown hahah, maybe a slightly lighter shade of brown

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. it was a gift from my parents, a simple small messenger bag with a lot of slots, brought it with me literally everywhere, during my hookups, my night outs, been stained with questionable things (its been cleaned lol!).... almost lost it in a club only to be found by a friend... it has foundation stains tho lol

22: are you a morning person? n o

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? sleep, listen to music, watch stuff, not reply to messages

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? no

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? nothing rly comes to mind but im p sure ive been somewhere like tht lol

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? LOL my adidas superstars

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? ermm the red colored ones?

28: sunrise or sunset? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm very good question

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? hmm what comes to mind is the way both of us sometimes exchange goodnight msgs w nct farm emojis heheeh

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? lol ofc....

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. unfortunately im rly basic on socks, u wud most likely find me wearing black ankle socks or black ballet(?) socks nothing more nothing less.......

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. a lot has happened usually during that time lol. duno which story to pick honestly hahahah. i think a memorable one might be when we were drinking n played games and we talked and talked and joked n nek min one by one we fell asleep in the same room hahah... im sure there are other stories tht might be more eventful but fr the life of me my memorys fuzzy rn lol

33: what’s your fave pastry? i love strawberry shortcakes! or mille crepes

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? i kept a LOT hahah. prolly named a few, but nothing was too special. i think it rly reflected how i managed my relationships then, n evn yrs aftwds, like i ws always lonely n my instincts were to gain quantity cos deep down i cudnt trust ppl n cudnt get too committed lololol

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? i wish i was cos sometimes ppl wud make pretty colorful notes, but i usually just buy ones tht i wud use cos practicality.

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? mmmmm is it cheating if i say nct cos they cover a range of genres lmao. but their ballads i guess yeah.

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? i mean i prefer to keep it clean, but its always really messy HAHAHA ;_;

38: tell us about your pet peeves! 1. someone rude 2. someone who doesnt know how to respect others’ boundaries 3. someone self-entitled n takes themselves 2 seriously

39: what color do you wear the most? black on black on black on black baby

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? an evangelion ring, its the black (lilith) moon with lcl gem in it, to me i guess symbolizes my struggle with human relations, n how eva as an anime illustrated tht n the fantasy of having everyone’s consciousness merged into one--n the fact that lilith in itself (in astrology) signifies the darker side of a human being? i guess n the fact that evn if u acknowledge ur darker side u cud still use it to further urself

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? hmmmm i guess last was a self help book, unfuck your boundaries, helped me support my need to strengthen my boundaries

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! little rogue :) its in a small alleyway, a little quaint shop, easy to miss... small potted plants, with an amaaazing matcha latte

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? siiigh a guy i was involved with lmfao i cut him off tho

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? hmmmmm good question i guess lately ive been very thankful tht i could feel comfortable taking my own time and space, n accepting the positive energy others wn give 2 me. being single really, really does help evn tho id feel lonely sometimes, bc the only weight i carry is the weight of my own soul n i wn learn how to nourish that

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? very i think

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. i have a lot HAHAHA if u were a friend of mine ud prolly get tired of them. a genuinely bad one wud be haha youre so punny lmfao

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? nothing rly lmao if theyre healthy n someone derives happiness frm it i wudnt want it to be banned

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? probably not lol, i mean i think i retained similar fears since i ws a kid but now obviously my biggest fear(s) would be more...specific to me

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? its the digital age baby spotify ftw (in all srsness i wish i collected vinyls tho hh)

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? i used to collect ramune bottles lmaoooo

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? hmmmm nah lets not do this right now lol

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? LOL too many but i love shitpost quality memes tbh

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? pulp fiction. i actually loved it, i think i still do, its entertainment value is kickass, havent taken the time to dissect it in any other way

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? oh man i think it ws the dude i ws seeing lmao fk him

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? a lot, n most of them im not proud of, cos some involves self harm

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? kindness n genuineness, someone’s courage in being vulnerable

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? dont feel like it rn but everytime i do 10/10 will dramatically reenact the lyrics right to the guitar riffs

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? im definitely the wine (aunt) lmfaooo im already one tbh

59: what’s your favorite myth? Eros + Psyche, Icarus and the sun

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? i love poetry hahah...cant think of any rn

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? id love any gift given 2 me as long as they wont harm me or anything lmao n i dont think ive evr given anything too stupid. well.. idk if this is stupid tho like i sent flowers thanking my ex for ‘helping me live’ well aft we’ve blocked each other off cos the end to the relo was js daaamn toxic lmao

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? nope

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? music i do spotify n im pretty particular ab organizing my playlists i guess. my books im alright with as long as theyre just stacked properly no problem

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? prolly rly dark blue cos its 12 am

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? a lot tbh cos ive rly been focusing on stuff internally

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? daisies, sunflowers, n baby breath here n there

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? somber i guess maybe a tad bit nostalgic?

68: what’s winter like where you live? heeella cold not cos of the temperature itself but the winds thooo, if it drizzles evn in the slightest it feels like needles piercing through ur bones literally

69: what are your favorite board games? i like the game of life, ummm cards against humanity?

70: have you ever used a ouija board? no n never will lol

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? the fruity kinds

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? yea def lol

73: what are some of your worst habits? disappearing from people when i feel strong emotions

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. they’re small but they’re so full of love, full of life, full of strength, and full of care for others, they’re the type of person who will seek their goals till the end despite obstacles and still be able to not lose their warm heart on the way. they put so much thought and care to every aspect of their life even when in the past they have been handed some bad things, and i adore them for that.

75: tell us about your pets! none :( wish i have a cat though

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? hahahhaah

77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink!

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? neither sometimes i think theyre weird sometimes cute sometimes weirdly cute lmao

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? write up 24 things they love about me to stop me from hating myself

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? white. no but if i had to id say white anyways lol cos its a blank canvas

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. i dunno uhhhh her rounded eyes which seemed to at first glance, harbor plenty of wonder seemed to be weighted by many untold secrets, the traces of which could be found when she erupts into laughter where the wonder would manifest itself in the form of small stars in the dark of her eyes.

82: are/were you good in school? meh. i try

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? weirdly i like cigarette after sex’s one cos its so simple yet telling

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? planning on getting an evangelion one, another heart one, a sunflower one, and prolly a ghibli related one

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? manga? naruto 4evr LOL

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? hmmm thinkin of dpr live’s IAOT

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? lord of the rings, harry potter, one of ghibli movies lol

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? i think impressionism is very cool evn tho i dont do it myself

89: are you close to your parents? eeeeee

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Melbourne is a wonderful city where many things could coexist in one--happiness and sadness, camaraderie and loneliness, hot and cold, quiet and full of life, productive and relaxed, bursting with unfocused energy yet incredibly organized, and for many reasons it’s become one of my favorite cities, and definitely my favorite to live in.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? no plans tbh lol maybe home?.......japan? heheheh nahhh

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? it depends lol mostly i guess drowns my pasta in cheese

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? i always wear it down, either straight or wavy

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? a friend of mine

95: what are your plans for this weekend? stay in most likely, do stuff

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? 100% procrastinate lmaoooo

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? ISTG, jkjk INFP, leo sun aquarius moon cancer rising, ravenclaw

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? im alws meh ab hiking tbh lmao

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Long Slow Distance - NCT 127, Four - Sleeping At Last, idontwannabeyouanymore - Billie Eilish, Stop This Train - John Mayer, Digital Lover - Crush

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years into the past so she’d stop focusing her life around anybody else but herself

#tag #tag meme #tags

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dawnajaynes32 · 8 years ago

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Accentuate the Negative: Branding & Identity Design by Christopher Doyle

Australian designer Christopher Doyle often finds the best way to differentiate a brand is by pointing out what it ISN’T.

Designer Christopher Doyle had seen far too many agencies’ bland What We Do pages filled with cliches like “Solve client communications issues,” “Create positive human experiences,” or “Help organizations create lasting impact,” so he focused more of his energies on a What We Don’t list. From “Know how to whistle with two fingers,” to “Enjoy roller coasters,” “Like peas,” and “Watch Homeland,” the clever approach reveals plenty about his personality and his approach to design.

“It’s an idea that came out of my advertising background: You can often say more about what you are by telling people what you’re not,” he says. “Almost every time I sit down with a client, the list becomes a topic of conversation. ‘What do you mean you don’t drink whiskey?’ they’ll ask. “It’s all very lighthearted, but it’s a way of sharing a lot of information that you don’t generally hear.”

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that one of the more engaging portfolio pieces on his site is the branding and identity for New Zealand photographer Natasha Cantwell, which leverages her name for a clever series that focuses on the negative—“Natasha Cant Sleep Well,” “Natasha Cant Knit Well,” and “Natasha Cant Juggle Well”—all of which pair well with her unexpected images of taxidermied sharks, abandoned party favors, and runaway sweaters.

Doyle and his small team are adept at taking a simple theme and giving it just enough of a visual twist to earn a second look:

The identity for Australian Design Radio, a Sydney-based podcast, turns an outline of the country into a digital equalizer—one that changes its shape when an episode is “on air.”

A two-man strategy agency focused on healthcare sounds like a dull assignment, but Doyle’s team dubbed them Elbow—a moniker that “allows them to modulate their disruption—from a gentle nudge to a much needed shove,” paired with a visual pun that reinforces the idea.

Branding for Eat Burger is a study in contrasts: Simple, formal type takes the shape of a face, while a whimsical illustration enlivens a black-and-white palette; and, no surprise, in-store signage details a list of things one should NOT do with a burger.

The contrast of serious content with a knowing wink may have come from Doyle’s early years at design school, where he first pursued fine art.

“As I was learning exactly what graphic design was, I saw a platform for humor and cleverness that I didn’t see in abstract painting and fine-art photography,” he says. “Once I was exposed to advertising and the idea of copywriting, it really struck a chord in me—the idea that you can make people smile really attracted me to the work.” When Doyle discovered album covers by designers Peter Saville and Mark Farrow, he learned that there was room to combine fine art and humor in unexpected ways.

Early in his career, he was fortunate enough to create cover art for the Sydney band The Jezabels, whose manager had run the record label that also signed Doyle’s band.

“Every time someone asks me to work on an album cover, I get really excited and immediately say ‘yes,’ then I get into the work, and I really struggle,” he says. “You are essentially creating a piece of art in response to a piece of art, and that often means you’re wandering around in the dark looking for a certain feeling or tone that’s quite abstract, trying to sum up 10 to 12 small stories into one image. I have the benefit of a really long relationship with The Jezabels, which makes it a little easier, and it’s some of the work that I’m most proud of, but it’s still a pretty terrifying process.”

After years of working for well-known clients during his time at Saatchi & Saatchi and Interbrand, Doyle realized it was time to do his own thing. He launched Christopher Doyle & Co. in 2012.

“I had a great agency experience over the course of twelve years, and I was mentored by some amazing creative directors,” he says. “But the more senior you get, the less actual design work you do, because you’re overseeing people and sitting in meetings. I still had a real appetite for hands-on work, so I was attracted to the idea of carving out my own routine and having the freedom and autonomy that come with starting your own agency.”

And that means a whole new world of challenges—one of which is pricing his work.

“We try not to sell our time,” he says. “Instead, we’re trying to sell our thinking and our skill. I have ideas all the time, so a solution to a problem might come in 2 days or in 20 minutes, at the gym or in the shower—it’s all so fluid.” Doyle admits it’s not easy to determine the objective “value” of a logo, a name, or an identity system that might be in use for 10 years or longer. Ultimately, he believes the goal is to earn enough to the best possible job without cutting corners and without going into debt. So far, so good.

[Related: Ferroconcrete: The Branding Agency Founded by a Dreamer | When a Design Student Rebrands SpaceX]

The next big challenge? Overseeing a successful firm without getting too separated from the work itself—the original reason he left agency life.

As an owner, it’s a delicate balance between spending your time directing and helping other people versus doing the work yourself,” he says. “It’s tricky. If the agency doesn’t grow, then you’re limiting the amount of work you can take on, and if you do grow, you have to step away from the work as well.”

Increasingly, he’s trying to step away from the internet, too. Although it’s a rich source of inspiration and connection, Doyle finds that sites like Brand New and others can often pit designers against one another rather than bringing them together.

“The struggle to be new is impossible, and my heart goes out to people who have to hear, ‘Oh, that logo looks like this logo,’” he says. “The idea you’re going to be able to draw a letter of the alphabet in a way that hasn’t been drawn is over. If one logo is for a coffee company in one part of the world and the other one is for a fashion label in a different country, is that really a problem? I’m not talking about straight-up mimicry—that’s not OK—but as we enter an where brands are reverting to bold, economically drawn logo marks that scale down for social media, it’ll be even harder to do something entirely unique. Sure, the logo might be comparable to a mark from another point in time (like the 1988 mark that predates AirBnB’s logo), but if the thinking is new, and the website is new, and the user interaction is new, you’re creating a level of distinction and individuality that never existed before. And that’s all that really matters.”

See more work from Christopher Doyle & Co. here.

How to Become a Branding Expert – Online Workshop

The post Accentuate the Negative: Branding & Identity Design by Christopher Doyle appeared first on HOW Design.

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