It’s a year later, and I’m a guest feature on someone else’s “blog,” again. This time around I blessed the screens of TJDaDJ’s Quick Bites Food Review.
I first featured TJDaDJ last year during what Black Restaurant Challenge month when I shared the top 3 Baltimore black owned restaurants he reviewed on his YouTube Channel. This year we together reviewed a black owned restaurant in Baltimore named Creole Soul Restaurant while he also interviewed me about Doc’s Castle Media.
Creole Soul Restaurant is located in an industrial food hall and community space in Baltimore called R. House. Owner and chef Shunquita “Chef Que” Neal brings her Atlanta roots and ventures in the Bayous of New Orleans straight to the city of Baltimore to create the perfect fusion between the deep south and rich creole authentic dishes.
I really enjoyed the meal with TJ. I ordered the Oyster Po Boy while he ordered the Shrimp and Grits special. The food was phenomenally tasty and reminded me of the New Orleans vibes I experienced not too long ago on my 30th birthday.
TJDaDJ not only took me on a trip on reviewing this black owned southern goldmine of a restaurant, but he also introduced me to his subscribers with an interview with Doc’s Castle Media. We talked #Thirsty30Body, my latest art collection Tipsy Decor, and a little history of the Doc’s Castle Media brand. I had a good time with TJDaDJ and hope that we can collaborate more in future because I also enjoy trying new cuisine.
Watch TJDaDJ Interview with Doc:
What are your favorite Black owned restaurants in Baltimore that you like to eat? Share them in the comments below.
The Doc’s Castle Media Halloween 2021 costume is a spinoff from a previous costume from 2019 when I wanted to be “triggered” for Halloween. So it’s considered part two. It’s what happens after a group of people take heed to a “triggered” person’s opinion and make it into a fact; the reaction. After someone is triggered, things get canceled.
I am Cancel Culture for Halloween 2021. It does feel a little redundant to do this again, but this year I decided to make my costume an interactive experience. Take the fake gun out of the picture, decorate my black shirt with a few quotes from a few canceled celebrities, and BOOM! I’m now an interactive game for people to play at my best friend’s Halloween game night.
I didn’t know what to do this year. Unlike previous years where there is a common theme that occurs in pop culture that’s easy to point out as a potential idea, this year was tough coming up with a costume. I don’t know whether it’s because Donald Trump isn’t president anymore, so the news seems quieter than the last 4 years he was in office, or if it’s just slow because the world is still coping with living in a Covid-19 era. News and current events in pop culture are a little dull. So it took some time to get the ideas flowing.
Cancel Culture is Alive and Thriving
There’s nothing that stood out more than the continued and non-stop outrage that people have on Twitter. It’s recurring and well alive online. People get angry over everything and anything. Everyone has a platform to share their anger. Those people who have an influence on these sites have more power than we think. Online angry mobs form having the say-so in killing multiple people’s careers. What once felt like it started with just the #MeToo movement is now a show stopper for everything wrong in society. Cancel Culture sweeps in sabotaging many people’s lives. We’re just living here like it’s okay.
It concerns me to think we’re living in a society that is sensitive to hearing opinions. How can we learn to live in a world where people think it’s better to cut ties with someone because their opinions differ, rather than to learn to accept to disagree and live peacefully and respectfully amongst each other? It’s now where someone could even cancel themselves if they aren’t too careful with the things they say or have said in the past.
There are many cases where celebrities can make comebacks from being canceled. Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, and the list grows with every celebrity who powers through. Therefore it is possible to make it out of the storm of online shaming.
My Cancel Culture costume took part in highlighting 7 celebrities who are still canceled in 2021. I wrote the actions and quotes of these celebrities that caused them to be canceled on note cards and stuck them to my shirt to turn my costume into an interactive game for a Halloween Game Night.
Gamers capable of guessing who the quotes of these canceled celebrities belonged won candy because, of course, it’s Halloween night.
7 Celebrities and the Quotes that Got Them Cancelled in 2021
I briefly covered some of this in What’s Up Doc: Where Have I Been and Hair Diary Vlog. I gave you the basics of the past, present, and what to expect in the future for Doc’s Castle Media. One of those things is the introduction to the Doc’s Castle Tipsy Decor & Art Store. Doc’s Castle, LLC now sells alcohol lamps as part of my Tipsy Decor Collection and Tequila Tasting Art Experience.
I’m highlighting myself today, duh!
I was not lying when I said you will see more of ME on Doc’s Castle Media. I’ve spent the last year revamping and rebranding the website to share more of what I’ve been up to offline – not just sharing current events or talking about what’s happening around me.
In my absence from blogging in 2018, I submerged myself in rediscovering an old passion of mine. Painting, drawing, and many other forms of art became my calling during the depression. DCM Readers from 2018 could probably see a shift in topics covered at that time from being the majority about underground hip-hop in Baltimore swiftly changing to highlighting art exhibitions and museums. This was slightly before the craziness of my website crashing.
A list of mentionable posts while Doc’s Castle, LLC was transitioning:
Not only did I start writing about the visual arts, but I also started an art blog via Instagram named @DocsCastlePix where I shared personal pieces to get away from the stresses of writer’s block and depression. I began sharing some of my old graphics and flyers. I didn’t tell people I created an art blog because I only used it as a virtual gallery of what I like to see of my own work. But we all know what Instagram and Facebook do. The power rests in algorithms and friend suggestions. My family and friends started following my page when they discovered I was posting art. Now I have over 220 followers watching me post creations from my art lab.
Tipsy Decor by Doc’s Castle, LLC
Busy Doing Nothing Podcast is my biggest motivator for the Tipsy Decor Collection. I spent many Saturday nights drinking while recording for the BDN podcast numerous brands of wines and spirits. Many of those times I was caught admiring the appeal of the bottles featured on the show. Eventually, I thought to take a bottle home with me to make into a vase for my new home.
Once this was just a personal interior design project for my new home, later it turned into a plethora of bottles to showcase and share with friends I like to drink with. Decorative vases, stress bottles, lamps, and keychains are just to name a few things I’ve stumbled across creating all this alcoholic art during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is so much it’s to the point I don’t know how to share them all. I often try to find ways to get rid of them. Hosting my first tequila tasting was a start to a brand new awakening for Doc’s Castle, LLC. My next goal was to create an Art store to keep everything.
In early 2021 I invested in obtaining a bartender’s servers certificate. Though it’s not required in the state of Maryland, I am now certified under the TiPS Alcohol Certification program to serve at any bar in Maryland. But I probably won’t serve at just any bar here. I have reservations to serve the majority of different variations of tequila; a tequila bar exactly. I’m taking an interest in the alcohol industry but in my own little way.
Merging Tequila Tastings and Tipsy Decor, Doc’s Castle, LLC hopes to bring people that enjoy art and tequila together in celebration of a good time. I created a new art extravaganza giveaway experience and paired it with a cocktail class. I’m your catador serving you tequila while you win custom-made alcoholic decor, and because you’re having fun, I can guarantee you’ll walk away with a memory that’s one of a kind and possibly a new appreciation for this rich spirit.
Juneteenth Doc’s Castle Tipsy Decor & Art Store Appearance
Doc’s Castle, LLC’s official online art store is now open. We offer a mod podge of things Doc loves. Signature party drinks for small gatherings, magnets, keychains, lamps, and more. We’re now ready to take your orders. It’s not a grand opening as I expected. There were a lot of delays and setbacks. Instead of opening in Spring 2021, I tried my best to open before the summer. But still, it’s not a grand opening. Hopefully, I can do Doc’s Castle, LLC that justice later. We’ll do what we can at the moment.
For now, Doc’s Castle, LLC will pop up at the 5th Annual Juneteenth Dovecote Cafe Art Bazaar. This is the second vending event for Doc’s Castle, our first was over 8 years ago at the 2011 Body and Soul Salon & Spa Annual Back to School Drive. This time around, along with 80+ other art vendors, we’ll have a table that showcases custom decor and visual art created by us. I’ll promote Doc’s Castle Media and give everyone who stops by the booth a piece of what’s new that I have to offer. This will be the first of many to come participating in art festivals and pop-up shops.
There’s a lot to look forward to coming from Doc’s Castle Media. We’re evolving into more than just talking about the dope people around town. Doc also has a talent to share. I hope to merge everything that I’m learning about the alcohol industry with everything that I’ve grown to love about Baltimore’s art culture. I hope to use these to create even more opportunities for this art culture in the city.
Are you looking to sponsor vending events or collaborations with Doc’s Castle, LLC? Visit our contact page and send your pitch!
Okay, Player published an article “11 Baltimore Rappers You Need To Know” highlighting a few Baltimore artists creating a buzz on social media amongst some creatives in town. I like and agree with the article for the most part. I don’t know what it is. I think whenever artists get credit for working hard, the spirit of jealousy penetrates the souls of crabs in this city. Then there’s a mob of individuals proclaiming entitlement for attention. It’s a never-ending cycle that brings my attention to sharing Baltimore Artist LA’Matic’s tweet addressing Baltimore artists gaining support.
Clubhouse, the popular audio broadcasting social media app, is home to a number of networking groups, and apparently, the place to be if you want to be anything in life. The app’s popularity has users from every nook of the world flocking to rooms for insight on topics ranging from all sorts. Users find this app beneficial for self-development by participating in networks merged into chat rooms that’ll enhance their personal productivity. One of those topics more recently was about the support for Baltimore Creatives which sparked the video rant in LA’Matic’s tweet.
In the feisty clip from the independent rapper, LA’Matic is his sentiments towards the now decades-old phenomenon. Baltimore is a city of crabs and “Baltimore Creatives should stop worrying about how to support and just do it.” His video was met with over 600 retweets at the time of writing this post. So there are plenty of other people who share the same thoughts about the support of this city. The video even influenced a number of conversations amongst artists about their frustration with the topic on Twitter.
It is a specific group of individuals being addressed who attend these Clubhouse meetings. Folks who genuinely do not know how to gain the support they desire or give the support that they wish to see! The creatives who receive encouragement should be better examples showing these folks how to gain the endorsements. There’s nothing wrong with anyone asking how to change the perspective of support in Baltimore. The only way to change it is to actively talk about it and implement an effective strategy on a consistent basis.
The way to change your environment is to be the change you desire.
Something I heard on a podcast this week.
This is free game to anyone who is genuine to this cause and wouldn’t be ashamed to pass along valuable information. How to show support for independent artists and entrepreneurs is not divine knowledge or an unobtainable holy grail. Often the support we desire is simple things people don’t know they already do to show they’re helping. Instead of leaving someone in their ignorance, it could be more beneficial to just share what’s already free. It’s constructive information that can be found anywhere online.
Doc’s Castle Media has navigated the Baltimore Art Scene and shared opinions about Baltimore’s Crabs in a Barrel mentality since 2014 with blog posts Baltimore is Too “Cliqued” Up to Have Supporters and the Quality vs. Quantity Series, a Baltimore blog series dissecting the reason for the city’s lack of support. I’m always watching and studying the changes in Baltimore’s art culture. So I want to drop a few gems of worthwhile knowledge I’ve gained over the years being a supporter of the arts culture.
Here’s How to Support Independent Artist in Baltimore
Find artists to support and follow them on social media
It begins with having the intention to support Baltimore Creatives. I find new artists in groups I take interest in on social media sites and online art directories. I saturate my social timelines with everything I enjoy from the food I eat to, clothes I wear, and entertainment I watch. I show my support through engagement on the profiles. I invest time in getting involved with what’s being shared, and I only consume what I think is providing me food to my soul and valuable content that makes me feel good. I do not compromise it. It so happens that I do all of this with Baltimore on the brain. A lot of what I see is Baltimore City’s culture. What’s the culture that you see in your social media timelines?
I try my best to not allow social media to control what I see. The powers that be in the algorithm is a major reason why we see what we see. I’m opposed to just being fed information, I’d rather be social with it. I’d rather be social with other creatives like me. Use the tool in your hand to mold your digital environment to take in what you’ll enjoy sponsoring.
The easiest way to find out which Baltimore artist you like is to search for them. Hashtags like #BaltimoreCreatives on Instagram and Twitter are filled with content creations by artists in Baltimore City. #BaltimoreBlogger or #BaltimoreWriters are directories of social influencers from Baltimore sharing content. You can easily pinpoint these hashtags as your starting point for finding new artists. But it begins with taking the initiative to find them and follow them if they pique your interest.
Talk to people about what you love about Baltimore art
Not talking about the art that we love from Baltimore artists might be why so many people claim Baltimore city is the city for crabs. There is a perception that we’re not loud or proud of the artists in the city. But I disagree because I am a walking representation debunking the claim. I attend artists’ exhibitions and listen to local artists’ albums or mixtapes. I’ve used Baltimore photographers, makeup artists, and was even dressed by a local stylist. Guess what, I also write about local artists, too. While I’ve shown my support, I definitely introduced people to excitingly new things they can experience locally. All it takes is forwarding a post or liking a picture when sharing what I love about Baltimore Creatives. Buying a product or service is another way to show and endorse what creatives have to offer. Talking about art from Baltimore opens up new possibilities for Baltimore.
This age-old debate about crabs in Baltimore often feels like it’s shouted over a megaphone by Baltimore artists, only. I want to say to those creatives “crabs are found everywhere.” First, these individuals should break out of the thought it’s because of where they are that people don’t want to endorse them. Creatives who think like this feel entitled just because they live in Baltimore. No. No one knows them. No one knows about their art. But their hand is out.
I am an artist in Baltimore with experience in following and supporting numerous other artists in Baltimore. In return, I gained the same support and love from them. This works the same vise versa. If someone shows support for you, you at least give them the day and time, as well.
Eleven new podcasts reached out to me after reading 8 Baltimore Media to Watch for Baltimore Art News. These podcasts took the time to read, share, and provide feedback. In return, I listened, shared, and gave shoutouts to my readers about their content. I’m sure all of us choosing to circulate and speak about each other’s work brought new attention to the content being shared. But it is because we all took the time to show support for each other that we gained exactly what we were looking for.
Don’t feel pressured into showing support
This might be an unpopular opinion but no one should take you on a guilt trip when showing your support for whatever they do. Whether they are from the same city, younger than the average, blacker than the average, or the underdog shooting their shot at their most difficult venture, if you genuinely do not feel that a creative or entrepreneur succeeded in capturing your attention, it’s not necessary to share what they offer. You do not resonate with it. It doesn’t feel good to give support to something you truly are unsure about. When something goes wrong, the consumer is the one who gets burned. Be genuine about what you like.
If you are a creative who struggles with gaining support, maybe think of the things you are doing or not doing to surround yourself with a better support system. Encouragement from the outside takes time the person giving it must be persuaded with the right amount of potential and drive. The right Baltimore Creatives will have these qualities. But if we start with the initiative to change our environment, we must be the change we also desire.
As a supporter of Baltimore arts are you persuaded to help? Drop your favorite Baltimore Artists in the comments below.
