It has been a while since the last time I wrote a journal on here.
We are currently in the middle of the 2nd season and things are flowing well. The teams have gotten into our flow and the content is rolling out.
Our new writers (Pat, Isabella, Avia, and Jocelyn) have been introducing us to a lot of cool new creatives who I personally had no clue existed and I've learned a lot. It's been really cool to see. We've even been getting some interactions from the creatives we've been writing about. It's awesome to see that the content gets to them.
The season 1 team (Me, Ricky, Carissa, and Mia) have been working on projects that are a bit outside of our comfort zone that we've been meaning to do, but just haven't done.
But, that's not what this post is about.
We'll see all the amazing content in the coming weeks, no doubt.
BUT
It just feels like this is another turning point in Simplex Minds. We are building this vast library of features of different creatives. From music, to photography, to graphic design, to writing. We have learned countless things from creatives within different mediums.
and this is all from an outside view. We haven't contacted anyone... yet. That was the plan tho.
BUT
How can we contact these amazing creatives with vast portfolios without a portfolio ourselves? hmmmmmm.....
I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
There's still a lot that needs to be done before we get to that point.
First we need to apply as an LLC.
Then we need to set up business emails for the team for legitimacy purposes.
BUT we need a way to pay for the emails.
(Business emails need to be paid for.... apparently)
So we need to set up a business account.
Then that means we need some way to make money for money to come back into the newly formed "company".
A lot needs to be done, but the route is there. I have a lot of ideas cooking up for Simplex Minds.
I have ideas for this next year. Ideas for in 5 years. Ideas for 10-15 years. Just need to work our way to get those spots.
Legit, if done correctly I don't think there's a ceiling for this project. If all goes well, you'll be seeing a Simplex Minds motion graphic before some of your favorite films in the future. You'll be seeing Simplex Minds collectables on resale markets. You'll be seeing people casually wearing Simplex Minds clothing on the streets.
It's a huge and probably unrealistic dream, but I want Simplex Minds to be what Disney could have been if it focused on creativity instead of profits. Pretty bold statement lmaoooo. A statement anybody will roll their eyes too.
But who knows.
It probably won't happen, but Imma work towards it. Am I gonna be disappointed if we don't get there? Absolutely not.
Am I going to be disappointed if we don't ever get to these crazy, unrealistic dreams I am putting down right here? Hell nah.
I'm already proud that we're getting to this point. I will gladly ride this ship until it can't go anymore as long as the people who are on this ship get to the destination they want to get to. Simplex Minds is supposed to be a vehicle to learn and develop. To take chances and be real with the process. Whatever we are able to achieve in the coming years is going to be a blessing.
There's going to be so many hurdles in my way. So many that I can't see or have any clue are in front of me. Everything that we're doing is foreign ground for me, but it's where I want to be. I want to learn the soil and build upon it. I want to see what happens when you give people the chance to make work with the goal of experimenting and learning instead of achieving.
This is what I want to do with my life and it's crazy that I have that clarity. I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life. I've always dove into so many different things. I've enjoyed being creative with many different mediums, but I've never really been passionate about any. I love seeing amazing work in any medium. I love learning about little quirks in each medium that allows me to appreciate that work just a little bit more.
I want to shine light on those little things that creatives do for others to really appreciate their work. I want others to learn from that and be able to add that to their work. I want this to be a community that just promotes growth.
Simplex Minds has so much potential. I'm not going to compromise it. I promise to you that I will never change it simply to chase a bag. I'm writing this to you as a 26 year old, 2nd gen filipino-american who still lives at home with his parents. I have a full-time job while building this. Not a well-paying one at that. The money I make is being reinvested into this.
This is where I believe my future is. I could be delusional. I don't care. I just want to see where this ends up.
The Known about Unknown Vlogs
With creativity seen on a daily basis, this week I wanted to focus on the fashion side. Often when people think of creativity they may not directly think of clothing. However, I wanted to showcase the ingenuity, uniqueness and self-expression that it represents as evident by one of my favorite fashion YouTuber's, Unknown Vlogs. While this is the name of his channel, he actually goes by the name of Kofi McCalla. He is a fashion content creator on YouTube and owns his own brand called,
Kofi started off as a law student in London, but always was interested in fashion as a different outlet. Around 2016, he got more into fashion and started to film his own videos that he would watch for his own pleasure at home. In getting more into fashion, he became interested in brand names such as Rick Owens and Supreme when it was more popular a few years back. He is in a sense considered a Hypebeast, and some of his content is surrounded by that". What a Hypebeast is basically is, is a person who is interested in collecting and gathering fashionable clothing and shoes. Oftentimes, his content surrounds different high fashion clothing and attending different upscale fashion shows. While he does focus on the up-scale fashion, his content surrounding everyday people in London for example, is what I enjoy watching most.
The content on Kofi's YouTube page where he interacts with different people in terms of asking them questions about their outfits, are some of my favorite content that he produced.
How much is your outfit?
The question, "How much is your outfit? " , is a question that Kofi asks different people on his YouTube channel. Sometimes he asks questions to celebrities or other people walking down the street or collaborations. For example, in one of his videos, he did a collaboration with Drake while hanging out with him backstage during one of Drake's O2 tours in 2019. In this video, it shows off the million dollar fit that Drake was slightly flexing as well as his crew. While Drake isn't the only celebrity that he has captured in his vlogs like A$AP Ferg and Gunna. Below you can click the click to witness the drip yourself. :)
What are you wearing today?
"What are you wearing today?". However, my favorite YouTube question that he asks is, "What are you wearing today?". In this video he walks down the streets of London (or wherever he is traveling at the time) and asks random people what they are wearing. In an interview by The Red Bulletin (2021), he mentioned that his inspiration behind this video concept was due to the coronavirus lockdown. He wanted to create a way that engaged others in terms of different interactions by checking in on others as well as looking at the different outfits.
What I enjoy is the difference people have in their personal style and what stands out the most is something that is unique and what I haven't seen before. I always enjoy seeing the new fits that everyone is wearing, as it gives me inspiration for my wardrobe and editing in a way that fits my own personal style. To get fit inspiration from different parts of the globe, click below. :)
How he makes the complex look simple
Throughout the process of filming these videos the Youtuber struggles with finding people that want to be filmed. What I and the rest of his viewers see is all the people saying yes to the interviews. He is expressed in a few of his videos the process behind even getting people to want to be in the videos is a lot more difficult than it looks because, us as the audience get to just see a compilation of different individuals and their lovely outfits, and not those that turn down wanting to be in the videos. I also admire his confidence and willingness to get out of his comfort zone, as it takes a lot to just approach random people about their outfits. In addition, being open to the fact that he might be rejected.
While I love seeing everyone's outfits, I also love seeing how he is able to interact with different people and also hold conversations just to get to know them better. I remember in one of his videos he was asking someone about what question they want to ask to tell the next set of people that he approaches. I think that this offers a unique part of his videos and also sparks different conversations. That even though he captures the differences in styles, but as well as different conversations.
Personal Experience
I came across Unknown Vlogs’ channel over the beginning of quarantine. That was a time that I was trying to find my own personal style, that was functional, timeless and not trendy but my own. I started with always going with the basic neutral colors, such as black white and brown because that was the ”trend”. Don’t get me wrong, basics do help pull outfits together, but I realized for me it was too boring, that it was too much like everyone else. What his channel taught me curating a wardrobe to fit your own body, style and overall vibe. I like to wear pieces that stand out, such as colorful shoes, pants, jackets or accessories, but making the whole fit cohesive. Also, I realized it doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as you are confident in it and you feel good. Below are some fits that I've created based on inspiration from Kofi's videos and being able to reuse pieces to create fits.
Clos(th)ing Thoughts (See what I did there ;))
Overall, I enjoy watching Kofi's videos. I think that they are unique in terms of the content that he produces, and I haven't seen a channel that does the same thing, unless it is emulating some of the content he has already produced. I am excited to see the work that he comes up with years from now, and the diversities or changes that come with fashion and style. I think that his content will always remain relevant, as the world continues to develop and innovate new ways to personalize styles.
Joe Greer (@ioestreet)
Joe Greer is one of my favorite modern-day photographers and has inspired me to be a street photographer throughout the year. Joe's passion for documenting life and the slight nuance of life is beautiful. In addition, his ability to showcase the beauty of film and iPhone photography is unmatched. So now, who is Joe Greer? Well, Joe is a Leica Ambassador and is a film photographer who uses the legendary Leica M6 camera.
Joe Greer is one of the photographers who revitalized film photography in the modern-day. His choice of film is Portra 400 film or HP5 for black and white. Portra 400 film stock has a unique look compared to other film stock due to the warm, solid colors and beautiful contrast, which lends well to his street photography. Portra 400 film is a mainstream film stock and is widely used by many photographers. For Joe, portra 400 is considered a signature look because of the way he's been able to fully utilize the warm colors in the stock. HP5 black and white stock is another popular film that provides a grainy high, contrast look. This is great for photographers looking into having that classic black and white photo. The film offers such a fresh look, and during the processing, it can also add additional layers of looks. According to Joe's "The Beauty of Imperfection."
Joe Greer's style of street photography is daily life captured on the streets. His known work is his street photography in New York City, mainly focusing on the life of New Yorkers. The photos consist of eye contact with the camera capturing the person slightly removed from the moment. This type of street photography is different because it generally leaves the subject undisturbed, but Joe he approaches with the intent that his presence is somewhat felt. The 28mm focal length that Joe uses also lends to that approach, as with the 28mm, you'll need to get very close to your subject to have clean photos. 28mm is considered a wide-angle lens, and if you're not careful, too far will add unnecessary issues that may not help the picture. Joe's usage of this lens gets close to his subjects to tell a story about what's happening to the subject. The facial expressions that Joe can capture draw the audience into his photos. It provides context to what is happening around the subject and raw emotion.
I enjoy Joe Greer's work so much. The ability to bring out emotion in his photos while still being candid makes his street photography unique. Thanks for the inspiration, Joe.
