Weekly REPORT 3/24
I went to Inhaler on St. Patrick’s Day (they’re Irish for anyone who doesn’t know them), which was so fun! They have great stage presence, and I wasn’t as irritated by their young and annoying fanbase as I thought I’d be. I made a friend in line, which is always a plus when going to a concert solo. I also went to The Rodeo on Thursday with Theiija, and it made me so proud to be a Houstonian. Theiija and I got emotional during mutton bustin, which is where little kids ride sheep in football helmets, and it slightly melted my anti-child heart. However, I think my favorite event to watch was the bareback riding, where cowboys from all over (predominantly the South) tried to stay on the bucking horses for up to 10 seconds while also maintaining a certain form to within the grading criteria. We had such a fun time trying to guess their scores before they were revealed and got sad when our new favorite cowboys got outscored from the top 4. It was so cute seeing families out together, playing siblings or dating with duos we saw walking around and seeing everyone lean into the country energy. I kept joking about the saying “My culture is not your costume”, but truly, no one does country better than a Texan.
I started last week with the idea that I needed to create a portfolio encompassing all of my creative endeavors, which very quickly became an all-consuming task. I’m aiming to have the portfolio finished early this week, so I can focus on other important objectives. I’m entering this week feeling creatively excited and motivated to make shit shake!
READING
The science behind prayer: This is a very cool article about the science behind prayer, the advantages between praying over just speaking aloud, and studies discussing how prayer is said to relieve stress and problem solve in ways akin to therapeutic practice.
AW size inclusivity report from Vogue: It’s looking bleak y’all. Across the four main fashion weeks for the FW25 season, plus size inclusivity was 0.3% and mid-size inclusivity was around 2%. London was the most plus size inclusive, and Milan the least. Very important that Vogue continues to publish articles like these to keep a pulse on beauty trends as conservatism takes hold of the nation.
Bro podcast culture & Democrats quest to find a “Joe Rogan of the left”: Article talking about Hasan Piker and how he’s built the platform he currently has. Absolutely insane that in 2020, he apparently spent 42% of all the hours in the year streaming on camera. It also talks about the wider niche of comedic political podcasts, how the most popular of these podcasts (Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Andrew Schulz etc.) have aligned with Trump despite more “liberal” upbringings or feelings around policy and the parasocial relationship that exists between listeners of these podcasts and the hosts. Very long, but interesting read.
How Swedish snus led to the Zyn renaissance in America: Article discussing how Zyns made their way to America and how they’ve unintentionally become intertwined into modern definitions of “masculinity” because of its male dominated usage. The Swedes have been obsessed with finding more direct ways of getting their fix of nicotine since the mid-seventeenth century, and the industry has evolved to create snus. Like Zyns, snus are small little pouches that deliver nicotine to the bloodstream orally, and it’s led to a thriving multi-million-dollar industry, especially within young men in the US.
EATING
Seaside Poke: I’ve been really loving the EaDo area in Houston the past few weeks! I tried out this poke place before I went to see Inhaler on St. Patty’s and it was very yummy. My stomach was temporarily in shambles while waiting for Inhaler after the opener, but I think it was the combination of the poke, whiskey sour, lemon drop shot (both from Rodeo Goat) and the lack of water.
Kettle corn from The Rodeo: There are few things better than fresh kettle corn!
PLAYING
Paris vlog: Sweet vlog in Paris that made me smile. Plotting on my return…
Chloe Felopulos St. Patty’s Day vlog: Loving Chloe’s vlog in Chicago for St. Patty’s! Her vlogs are so enjoyable, and it was fun to get a peek into her first time in the city.
Role Model’s ‘No Place like Tour’ diaries episode 2: Oh, to be an artist on tour having nerf gun wars in the venue before hundreds of people show up to cheer for you… What a fun life to live. Tucker’s crew shooting at him during his sound check and him intermittently saying “Someone get my gun” between “Superglue” lyrics is so funny. Miss his concert quite a bit to be honest. The girls in shock at the end of the video- their faces are KILLING me.
Ariella Starkman on The New Garde: I found a new podcast, and it’s fashion focused, yippee! I don’t remember how this got recommended to me, and I’ve only listened to this episode, but I’m really loving it. The host Alyssa Vingan asks great questions and just seems really sweet. Ariella has started her own creative production which focuses on events, such as fashion shows, dinners etc. and campaigns! She is essentially doing everything I want to do in the industry, so it was a really fun listen to hear about her journey from Toronto into now having her own company Starkman Associates.
OBSESSING
Readymag: I went on a deep dive of platforms I could use when building my portfolio. In order to fulfill my creative whims and fantasies of my dream portfolio, I’d have to get the paid version of Readymag. I think later on it’s a great investment, but for now, I just need to get something up and running so I’m using Canva and Figma together. However, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of other people’s portfolios and wow. People are so insanely talented, not only in the animations, but creating full interactive worlds within their sites. I’ve linked a couple of my favorites below.
https://lukeabby.us/ Photographer and director’s portfolio. He’s worked with brands I’d dream to work with.
https://coffeereceiptstories.com/explore/ An artist’s collection of receipts they’ve drawn on over the years. Obsessed with the drawing style and how literally everything is interactive.
https://vladislove.space/ Minimalistic portfolio modeled like an old computer desktop, with a bee that buzzes around and occasionally “bugs” the page.
https://clarakirkpatrick.com/ Freelance illustrator’s portfolio where her designs are animated to provide this really cool worldbuilding.
RECOMMENDING
Stanley Tucci ‘Cards on the Table’ dinner: I absolutely loved this video. This is such a fun group with Stanley Tucci leading the charge and Carlos Sainz, Tan France and Mel C as guests. I obviously watched this for Carlos, who is so animated and a great listener when people are speaking. It was also really nice to hear stories from Tan, Stanley and Melanie and different aspects of their life that have really shaped them, and it was just a really enjoyable watch.
Fisher Cow Palace set: Fantastic set to listen to while I slaved over building my portfolio and working on an article draft for my internship. By far one of my favorite sets I’ve ever heard. Seeing Fisher live has officially been added to my bucket list.
Houston Rodeo is the Super Bowl of Country Culture: For anyone confused on what The Rodeo is, or wanting to learn more, article by the New York Times gives a great overview! The Rodeo makes me so proud to be a Houstonian and I highly recommend people to go if the opportunity arises.
TREATING
Lollapalooza tickets: Last week, I decided on impulse to buy Lollapalooza tickets for this summer. My bi-weekly check from Anthropologie had just hit (bi-weekly pay is the worst thing to ever be invented, just fyi) and it felt kismet that Lolla tickets were coming out the next day. After the panic of how much money I dropped wore off, I’ve been left with a great buzz in anticipation of seeing some of my favorite artists ever in the great city of Chicago!
