I enjoy trying new drinks at social events with my family and friends. As something slight for me to do the weekend after my birthday at the last minute, attending a wine festival fills the void I have to go outside with “my ass ratchet friends” when needed. I went to the 2ndAnnualReisterstown Beer and Wine Festival with my sister to fill that need to leave my house after being inside most of 2023 with an infant. The event’s crowd was good, and with a purchased unlimited taste testers ticket, I felt good amidst the crowd.
There were a total of 8 to 10 vendor booths for wine connoisseurs to venture into. I’m highlighting two that were my favorite to visit. But overall, it was a good amount of vendors to spend a good Saturday afternoon getting tipsy.
Tipsy Teacher
Tipsy Teacher is a group of teachers who love wine and created a brand to help provide resources for teachers in need. Proceeds from purchases of wines from anything in their collection went to buying supplies for classrooms.
Misfit Winery Coconut Wine
Misfit Winery is a company a person who frequently attends festivals in Maryland might see often as a vendor. They’re a famous winery that I found packs their event calendar on their site with dates of where their wine is featured. I enjoyed their Coconut Wine. I decided to purchase this one to take home.
Overall my experience could have been longer. We spent 2 and half hours at a wine festival, and I thought we’d be there a little longer. I just didn’t feel the need to continue visiting the same 10 booths after I did a round of seconds. Maybe there were so few selections of spirits because this was only their 2nd annual beer and wine festival. But the lack of variety caused us to make our exit early.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many Beer and Wine Festivals for people to attend throughout Maryland. Baltimore recently hosted its first Wine Village in the middle of the Inner Harbor. I also attended The Secret Garden Weekend Wine Fest in Westminster, MD. It’s just that my experience warranted me to say we need more because this one, in particular, wasn’t too great.
Watch We Need More Wine Festivals in Baltimore via Doc’s Castle Media YouTube Channel.
Labor Day weekend Basement Rap Artist Butch Dawson celebrated the release of the album Stardust. The Stardust Music Festival took place at the YNot Lot. However, the celebration was short-lived as protesters put a halt to the event speaking out against Karlos Locke, alleged sexual abuser of 20 women within the Baltimore arts community.
A video surfaced on Twitter and retweeted over 120 times, of performers demanding protestors leave the music festival for the disturbance. Protestors are seen in the video holding a white sign with red lettering that says “1 Man + 20 Victims.” Protestors called to bring awareness to sexual assault in the Baltimore arts community. Karlos Locke, former manager for Butch Dawson and numerous other artists under the Basement Rap label, is the alleged rapist in over 20 Baltimore women accusations.
guns being shown signs being ripped encouragement from the artist on the mic to insight more violence towards the peaceful protesters 1 man 20 + victims this needs to end now pic.twitter.com/b0GvB5HiQg
Numerous other videos surfaced on social media displaying disorderly conduct and commotion amongst the crowd. In one video, Butch Dawson is seen provoking violence towards demonstrators saying “I ain’t got nothing to do with no motherfucking rape….Y’all doing all this performative stupid ass bullshit…. If y’all don’t want to support me, don’t support me. Anybody say something negative, pop one of these motherfucker, yo.” A supporter of the protests yells “stop gaslighting,” as a response. Another video raised concerns of safety as one individual on the stage was seen flashing a weapon towards the crowd. The event ended early due to the disruption.
Butch Dawson also released a statement further apologizing for how he handled events that occurred that evening, disassociating his affiliation with Karlos Locke and the CMND Group, and apologizing to all the women in his life. He, later in the week, deleted the video along with remaining photos on his Instagram page.
Source: Butch Dawson’s Instagram
DMV Artists affiliated with the free festival apologize for the position they played during the protest. Miss Kam and Detranada published video apologies to their social media channels while artist Kelow Latesha and numerous other performers personally reached out to supporters of the event regarding how they responded to the protest during the show. Journalist and creator of A Ride Down 95 Kosso is spotted in a video shoving one of the protestors on stage. He also released an apology video. Later in the week, he deleted the video from his Instagram profile.
Source: comment under a supporter’s Instagram post.
Baltimore Curators Speaking Against Sexual Assault in Baltimore
Following the commotion, at the Ynot Lot Saturday evening, event curators and small businesses in Baltimore Station North Arts District postponed shows and made public stances on their social media accounts to stand in solidarity with those silenced and to find solutions that’ll resolve conflicts inflicted upon underrepresented communities.
Mia is the co-founder of Invisible Majority, a “Baltimore-based creative community incubator providing space, services, and support to Baltimore’s independent creative business community.” She often shares her opinions via her social media channels. In her video shared on her business Instagram profile, she shares her support with those who were silenced at the Stardust event. Mia talks about supporting the women in the movement brave enough to stand against sexual abuse, the importance of holding people accountable when wrong is being done, and why this is such a vital time to ensure that we stop injustices brewing in the art scene.
City Beach, a group of artists and event curators known for the Pretty Beach and Heathen Beach Drag Shows, postponed the Strange Family Variety Show to use as a time of reflection. Curators will use the time to send surveys to supporters in the Baltimore Arts community for feedback in order “to hold themselves accountable as event curators, space holders, and humans in this city to ensure that moving forward [they] can be a safe and secure space for everyone to feel heard and welcomed.”
PreviousDoc’s Thumbs Up feature Kotic Couture publicly announced their break, as well, deciding to pause performances and withdraw from the majority of their upcoming bookings.
How unfortunate it is to write about a #MeToo moment in my very own neck of the woods. It’s unfortunate, but not surprising because the majority of women face sexual assault, especially in the professional environment. There’s no exception to the Baltimore arts community. There is no right or wrong way, or time, for exploiting intolerable and inappropriate behavior such as sexual abuse. Silencing someone’s choice to speak out against it does more detriment to an individual’s mental health than finding a resolution. Seeing the protestors brutally treated as if their words are falling on deaf ears is an outrage!
As a woman myself, I can speak as a victim of sexual abuse throughout my working career. I stand with the women silenced during the Stardust Music Festival. I understand that I have a platform I can bring awareness to this injustice that these 20 victims and many other women face. This is why I chose to document the demonstration using Doc’s Castle Media. It’s important that women, AND MEN, speak up and use available resources to spread the word about sexual assault to stop biases and corruption within the arts community.
I am not associated with the protest that took place during Stardust, but I am a listening ear to those ignored. Sexual assault is unacceptable. It is intolerable. All in all, abusers must be held accountable.
What do you think? How can we make sure that the Baltimore Arts Community has the resources for victims of sexual abuse? Leave your thoughts below.
Spotify’s Frequency Playlist highlights the music of artists from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia regions. Some of the DMV’s well-known hip-hop artists Rico Nasty, Pusha T, and Ari Lennox come together on Spotify’s Frequency Sunday Dinner podcast to discuss the Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist. I had the time to listen in and wanted to further give a Doc’s Thumbs Up to the artists in the DMV who made this dope hip-hop playlist. So I list five artists to listen to on Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist who do not live in Baltimore city.
The DMV is finally getting its well-deserved flowers from major folks in the music industry. I always knew our region had a spark about it. Too many of my talented friends were going unnoticed in the last decade. But I believe major industry folks are seeing how DMV artists are able to hold their own without traditional media backing. In the new area of social media, everyone has a platform and most of these artists have a loyal following that they work hard for.
Spotify’s Frequency consists of 4 playlists that were ”created in response to a climate in which Black voices in music, fashion, business, and more continue to be left out of the narrative, their contributions left underappreciated and underrepresented.” The Ripple Effect playlists’ mission is to uplift artists who are unknown, unsigned, and from underserved genres. So this playlist was specifically tailored to serve our people!
As savvy underground listeners, we have uplifted these artists through online streaming services. We added their songs to our playlists on services like Spotify and YouTube Music. Supporters followed their Soundclouds. Fans attended their local shows. I’m so proud to see Spotify highlighting dope artists from the DMV, and it’s because of the buzz that’s created by supporters of these talented individuals. It’s a great thing to see, especially coming from where we come from. When we work hard, we elevate to new levels. Some of the Baltimore artists to make the lists, I watched constantly at work for years. Now they’re getting recognition past the borders of the city.
I woke up to expressive Instagram posts from Baltimore artist and last month’s Doc’s Thumb’s Up feature Miss Kam and Baltimore MC Deetranada excited about being featured on Spotify’s Frequency Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist. Rico Nasty also gave shoutouts on The Frequency Sunday Dinner podcast released on July 29th to Miss Kam and Baby Kahlo. Such awesome talent emerging from the DMV area. Other Baltimore artists to grace the ears of listeners of the playlist are DDm, Kotic Couture, CalvoMusic, YG Teck, Ernest Third, and Mighty Mark.
Artists of Baltimore definitely get the top pick of the litter here on Doc’s Castle Media when it comes to highlighting talent. It’s because of my Bmore pride, I want to give my hometown its well-deserved recognition. There’s over 40% of our views coming from Baltimore readers. So I give people what they’re used to seeing and what they like to see represented in the city. But today, I decided to check out a few more artists from The Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist because everyone on it deserves a good listen.
I’m pointing out five artists whose songs feature on the Ripple Effect playlist that I heard for the first time thanks to Spotify. Take note of these artists’ names and tracks as we may hear more from them in the years to come.
Five artists to listen to in the Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist who don’t live in Baltimore:
Soul Belongs 2 U is a cool love song by Dreamcastmoe that puts you in a new atmosphere. It might sound a little creepy, but I can Digg it. Just think of speaking to the love of your life than telling them that their soul is now yours. That’s the type of effect I want on my man. “You’re mine,” said like Shang Tsung from Mortal Kombat. Yeeeeeeeah, that’s the vibe I got when I heard it. Haha! Dreamcastmoe got a dope song there.
Broken reminds me of songs by Juice World and what’s funny is in Leeto’s YouTube bio, it’s said that’s who he grasps musical inspiration from. He’s only 16 years old and I can already pick up on musical influences in his tracks. That’s a skill that many artists at that age aren’t able to hown. Good job! You’ve got my attention, young grasshopper.
Let’s add some girl power to this list. Charizard made the Ripple Effect Playlist and it came on with a punch. Let me tell you I did not put this list on any particular shuffle so I wasn’t expecting Charizard to come on after hearing IDK and Young Thug’s PradadaBang. This is something fast-paced that I’ll consider adding to my workout playlist while I’m getting this Thirsty 30 Body right. Kelow is also one of the two female rap artists to make the playlist that does not live in Baltimore. Rico Nasty is the other.
It’s very rare that I find an r&b/hip-hop artist that I like. So it feels good to come across Heavy Heart on the playlist. It gives off an R&B/alternative kind of vibe. Very calming to my ear after hearing so much rap at the start of the playlist. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not the entire list. Shaolinn is one of those soothing voices to subscribe to because we aren’t all hard here in the DMV area. There are some dope vocalists here, too.
Shy Lennox is another smooth-sounding alternative R&B artist coming with his song Poolside. He’s an actual vocalist who studied vocal performance at Virginia Commonwealth University. But his song Poolside projects for me “audiovisuals,” similar to if I closed my eyes and started seeing what is being sung vibrantly. It’s relaxing.
There are 58 tracks on the Ripple Effect: DMV Playlist. Nearly three hours of original content from unsign and unheard-of talent from the Washington metropolitan area. These five artists shared today are only a snippet of the full list.
Thank you to the many Pen Pal friends I met in early 2021 from across the world. Today is the day I’m sharing more “free game” for inquiring minds who want to know about what I do. How to Start A Blog as a Hobby is easy. So I narrowed it down to six essential steps for helping someone figure out the basics of creating a blog.
Slowly is a geosocial networking app and Pen Pal generator. It’s an app for “people who yearn for meaningful conversations in the era of instant messaging.” Users send letters, photos, and audio clips to their matches based on language & commonly interesting topics. What makes Slowly authentic to the Pen Pal theme is the time taken by a message to be delivered. Messages deliver depending on the distance between the sender and the recipient. So if someone who lives in Baltimore, MD expects a letter from Egypt, they’d prepare to receive it within 26 hours.
I made over 25 pen pals from around the globe using Slowly. But I remain connected to a core group of 5 people from Ghana, Brazil, India, Malaysia, and Egypt. I downloaded Slowly to meet new people from other countries and gain personal pandemic survival stories from people during Covid. I intentionally sought for the differences and similarities of how we all cope with implementing social distancing into our daily lives. See, I’m interested in how others handle living in a global shutdown. All in all, we were doing fine.
Slowly App Logo
Turns out, everyone’s finding new things to learn and hobbies to take on to keep ourselves busy. While getting to know these people, I learned about the privilege I have compared to people living outside of the United States, too. Upon finding out I’m a blogger hosting my own website, I quickly realized I possess certain technology and knowledge that many people around the world do not have. When asked to share what I knew about blogging so they could take on starting a blog as a hobby, I thought ‘why not share this mini luxury of mine. So as another “free game” post, in which I give free advice for something that doesn’t require much to figure out with time and patience, I’m spilling the tea on how to start your own blog.
How Doc’s Castle Media came to be is from years of trial and error, and genuinely wanting to understand publishing my own content. It’s easy and done for free if you know where to find the correct resources. Aside from what I’m sharing here, YouTube is a great resource for further information. Ten years into blogging, it is still my go-to for new ideas on ways to improve Doc’s Castle Media.
Here are Six Steps to Starting A Blog As A Hobby for my Slowly App friends
What motivates you to start a blog
Start by thinking of your reason. There’s a reason people want to create a blog. One pen pal from Slowly tells me they want to share information about their culture. Another pal wants to use it as an outlet for their poetry. I also have a friend from Brazil who wants to create an anonymous online diary. Anything can be the spark to get someone started on the path towards blogging. Mine was for a good grade in school. Figure out your why for your site.
Choosing a blog name
A lot of bloggers choose whatever they’re writing about to also be included in the title of their blog’s name. People mainly do this to appear easily in Google’s search engine. But your blog’s name can be anything. I named my blog Doc’s Castle Media because I didn’t have a specified genre to write about, just wanted to write about what I enjoy. It took a while to figure out what I enjoyed exploring. So I kept my blog’s name simply by using my nickname because my commentary is the common theme on the site.
Choosing your blog’s hosting platform
Deciding where your blog is hosted is one of the most important steps in the process. This is where you’ll think about what you’re truly investing in, whether this is something for fun or if you have an extra income coming your way. If this is a hobby, finding free websites, like Blogger or WordPress.com, are great free tools that provide easy-to-use templates to start. The interface for some of the administrative dashboards on free hosting sites can be more user-friendly and targeted to beginner bloggers. So use these tools to your benefit when creating a website tailored to your passions.
Use free templates and plugins
Explore and experiment using your blog site as the playground. There aren’t any rules to what you create. Researching free templates and plugins gives your blog personality. This is where you build upon your original content and how you’ll structure how you want to physically appear to your readers. Colors, pictures, or plain text format, you learn through using free tools how your finished product should look like.
Myspace in 2008 was where I originally learned how to edit a webpage using basic Html. Basic Html skills are easy to learn online these days because the information is free. Using free resources, like W3Schools and Html5 Editor, teaches me how to build a page by showing me the coding language that communicates with the backend of my website. A combination of using free templates, plugins, and HTML coding editors can help you build the best website for your blog.
Share your content in an online community.
Sharing your original content on social media gets it in front of an audience that supports what you put into the world. You can subscribe to the big social media sites, but the cool thing about the Internet is you can find even smaller communities within bigger social networks that are more geared to your specific content. It places your material in front of people who genuinely enjoy the same things as you.
Join groups that are specific for the topic or genre of blogging you participate in. Places like Reddit, Meet-Up, or Facebook friend groups are great places to start to find your niche support group for your blog. You aren’t limited to these websites. These are just a few to name.
Don’t be discouraged in the process of starting your blog
Your blog is your voice. Remember you have complete control over what you post when you’re the creator. You have that ability to constantly recreate yourself. So even if you feel stuck or reached a block, change it up and explore something new. Change the topic of what you write about. Do what you need to do to keep your voice. You could even start a new blog. But don’t give up if it’s something you love.
Let me help you:
This was a fun video to record for my Slowly friends. I’m intrigued with what other questions any of you may have about blogging. Remember, Doc’s Castle Media started as a hobby and is still a hobby, but I do make a little money from what I enjoy. I make it work for me. Leave in the comments below questions that you have about blogging.
I needed to pick myself up for the Thirsty 30 Body Challenge. So I took to downloading The Outbreak Escape Virtual Run App by FIX Health as motivation to get active.
I’m falling behind on following through with my Thirsty 30 Body Challenge. I haven’t been doing HIIT Training or much of any exercise. So I can’t say I remained disciplined during the earlier months of 2021. I guess quarantine was getting a bit stale with the repetitive routines. So I needed something new to change the pace.
While we were in the midst of a lockdown in Maryland during the “5K Season,” opportunities were readily available. Like many of the art exhibitions that emerge around town during the pandemic, we are fortunate to have plenty of opportunities geared to physical fitness, as well. There are lots of outside meetups for yoga and virtual meetings making up for limited space or closed gyms. It’s easy finding something to remain physically active while social distancing.
In April, my sister came across a game called The Outbreak, a virtual run geared to promoting physical fitness through the use of one of the most popular horrid themes in video game history; escaping a zombie apocalypse.
The people at FIX Health appeal to people that are just like me. People that require a little more than the daily run around the track. Like when you can’t visit the gym or are tired of trying different YouTube Fitness Channels, FIX Health is there with an alternative.
FIX Health was founded on “the belief that all aspects of life are enhanced by a healthy lifestyle.” The company develops interactive games promoting health and daily activity in a fun, socially connected environment. TheOutbreak is one product by the company used in numerous workplaces promoting employee wellness and morale. “…its programs focus on daily movement and an incremental increase in active minutes overtime. Participants are chased by digital zombies in an app that features a storyline along with daily and weekly goals that require teamwork to complete.”
For a month as a new fitness routine to get into while still in a pandemic, I joined my sister in completing Escape Virtual Run hosted by FIX Health.
I downloaded Outbreak with major hopes of outrunning the virtual zombies in the allotted time. The game’s storyline begins with a mission to reach the safehouse which is 60 miles from the starting point. Each day, I logged my daily steps by syncing my fitness watch with the app. My progress is converted to miles and tracked using a map to showcase my distance from the flesh-eating zombie hoard. Zombies close in on my avatar on this escape mission. It’s my duty to continue out walking them using my real steps. It took me 24 days to reach the safehouse; only six days sooner. I am proud to say I completed the mission in less than 30 days.
Watch my review of The Outbreak: Zombie Escape Virtual Run
Join The OutBreak: Escape Virtual Run
If you’re interested in doing this virtual run, you’ll need to purchase your entry ticket before you can have full access to the app. You can sign up by visiting their website: www.outbreakchallenge.com.
Baltimore Artist Miss Kam is a force to be reckoned with creating buzz for herself straight out of BMore. She releases our most recent Doc’s Thumbs Up feature this month. The official video for FTCU featuring Ddm and Kotic Couture dropped in early June, and what can I say? What better song to pick from the Tew Faced album to be this LP’s first visual piece of art, than FTCU?
Miss Kam has been on the Doc’s Castle Media radar for quite some time now. The first time I saw her in action was in a cipher for Beet Trip Episode 60 summer of 2020. A year later, she creates buzz traveling for her musical performances and collaborating with other talented underground artists. Her efforts aren’t going unnoticed. Miss Kam is bursting out from the shadows so much so she mentioned in an interview with The Working Title Podcast that she’s even gained attention from the legendary hip-hop artist Missy Elliott following the debut of her We Are The World featuring Zadia official music video. So this lady is certainly a big deal.
Miss Kam released her LP Tew Faced last December 2020 via Bandcamp. It’s definitely worth blasting in your car, or even maybe in some headphones during your work shift since that’s how I listened. The LP is composed of 14 original tracks and features five other local Baltimore music artists. Awesome is she that the previously featured Doc’s Thumb Up artist for Faded, T.Ali is one of the honor guests. Mentioned in her Bandcamp biography, Miss Kam “sets the tone with her rich, yet gritty contralto voice; all while being paralleled with angelic harmonies and unique production.” While she creates this audio art, she makes it “clear on delivering the audible conceptualization of what it truly means to be a Gemini.”
Miss Kam is definitely a “make it happen” queen. She understands the power of social media and uses it to promote original content. Simply check her numbers. She always keeps her social media booming running up retweets and likes while posting weekly freestyles and supporting other artists in Baltimore. My favorite campaign to watch is Freestyle Fridays when she posts new weekly freestyles for social media followers. She’s also a huge supporter of Bandcamp Fridays, a day when listeners can purchase music and an average of 93% of their money reaches the artist/label (after payment processor fees).
Miss Kam often creates campaigns to promote her music and encourage the support of her peers. She collaborates with local business entrepreneurs promoting natural skincare and haircare products. Last summer she launched a campaign selling self-made beanies to raise money for her Tew Faced campaign. Doc’s Castle Media supported by purchasing and we received such a thoughtful note from the queen.
All this greatness said about this goddess, we want to give her her props where it’s due and grant FTCU with a Doc’s Thumbs Up for the hard work she’s putting in.
FTCU features two other Baltimore’s hip-hop artists Ddm and Kotic Couture, both artists and representatives of the LBGTQ community, and also advocates in Baltimore’s Club music culture. They both made appearances in the club culture documentary Dark City Beneath the Beat directed by TT the Artist. Miss Kam couldn’t have chosen a better duo to shut it down for the video. Stylish, poised, and polished, yet still giving us a jab of fierce savagery through their lyrics, they definitely band together to show us how they come to “fuck the check up.” The track truly is giving us Gemini vibes. I’m a Gemini, myself. So I approve this message.
Watch full Video to FTCU featuring Ddm and Kotic Couture
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.
While we deal with living in a state of constant uncertainty, like not knowing when the next time we’ll be able to visit the neighborhood grocery store, we’re also finding it necessary to seek ways of coping with living our newly socially distanced lifestyles. Protecting our mental health during the era of coronavirus is what many of us have had on our minds since early March 2020. But how do we know where to begin to handle this?
Former RT America news anchor and Baltimore Native Ashlee Banks sits down with Medical and Health Expert Brandon Johnson of Black Mental Wellness Lounge via her personal YouTube channel. The two discuss how to handle mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. They share tips on the best ways to handle isolation, depression, unplugging from social media and so much more. I’m sharing this as a YouTube Video Alert for Doc’s Castle Media because it’s my concern that everyone is doing their best to remain sane during these unprecedented times. So I listed a few important takeaways from Ashlee and Brandon’s interview to pay attention to while you watch it.
4 Best Takeaways: Mental Health Help, Tips During Covid-19
Prioritize resting and take a break.
Free yourself from burnout. Understand that everyone is going through changes during this time and it is okay to not have everything in order. So take your time. Drink some tea and exhale the doubt that you mustn’t keep up. You’ll be fine if the train stops for an oil and engine break.
Take a social media break for mental health.
Unplug from social media to avoid depression. It can fool you into thinking you’re at your worse compared to everyone you’re following. People put their best foot forward online and rarely publish their mistakes. No one should compare themselves to anyone because we’re not meant to be the same. So save yourself the stress of mentally attempting to make yourself a carbon copy of your online friend.
Remember you are not alone dealing with the trials of a Pandemic.
We’re all grieving a special kind of depression that has a grip on everyone in this world. There’s solace in knowing that you aren’t alone dealing with the effects of a global pandemic. Be patient with yourselves and give yourself the grace to process what’s happening. As you’re being considerate and kind to others about what’s happening, also show yourself that same kindness.
Practice positive affirmations, self-care exercises, and mindful meditation.
Spend time getting to know yourself and the things that you enjoy. This goes back to unplugging from social media. When you unplug, you free yourself from feeling like you’re missing things that other people that you’re following online may be getting into. We’re in a pandemic. Free your time and mind for what truly matters to you and the things that you place value. Do this and you’ll walk away better fulfilled.
Watch the full interview How to Protect Your Mental Health with Ashlee Banks and Brandon Johnson:
Sit with me as I take the moment to do my infamous braid out and share a little bit of Doc’s Caste Media history.
In 2018, Doc’s Castle Media lost its URL for www.docscastlemedia.com due to some unfortunate events and spam activity that caused the website to crash. I lost access to Doc’s Castle Media for 6 months! Readers caught on to my absence slightly before that 6 month period, and I was frequently asked questions about what I planned to do with my blog.
In a new vlog series What’s Up Doc, I’ll share more personal ideas and plans I have for my blog and also share a few personal things going on with Doc. Readers will have more opportunities to hear my voice and get to know me beyond just writing about what’s happening around me. This comes as an idea after two years of starting an art blog on IG. When creating my art blog, I had no idea anyone would follow my page. I did not start with the idea to share art with people that I knew. Instead, I let my art following build organically and I hope to do the same with my vlogging series geared to sharing more about what I take personal interests in.
My 1st episode is a podcast style recording giving a little background insight on Doc’s Castle Media. Readers can find out some history about the Doc’s Castle, LLC brand, what I was up to during my year-long hiatus between 2018 and 2019, and what new things are coming for the blog. I do this all while styling my hair into my go-to hairdo.
If you can leave the correct year Doc’s Castle Media launched in the comments of the video or this blog page, you enter yourself into a drawing for some Tipsy Decòr.The winner will be contacted through direct message. Do you know?
Bullet journals are not literal journals that house bullets.
In #Thirsty30Body: Essential Fitness Tools. Items You May Already Have Lying Around, I mentioned using a tracking system to help hold a person accountable for their weight-loss goals. Trackers, such as Lose It App or utilizing a fitness watch, are two major resources I use to stay accountable for reaching my Thirsty 30 Body. These trackers are easily accessible on my phone so that I mark my progress daily. I like having digital access most times, but I’ll always keep a special place in my heart for analog to-do lists and trackers. It’s just something about manually scratching something off my lists that makes the experience more personal and productive.
Bullet journaling is a method considered as an easy-to-use and basic way of tracking a weight-loss program. It can be achieved through using a simple calendar, planner, or notepad barely in use at home. Anyone with the time or simply the creative energy like me could turn a plain planner into their Thirsty Body Bible.
Filling the pages of a basic notebook is like filling a blank canvas. It’ll showcase all my habits of what makes me who I am. If done properly, I can look back in my notes from days, months, and even years ago and know why I react the way that I did in any situation. I attribute it to taking notes about my habits and activity.
Today I want to share a few Bullet Journal Tips that I utilize to help push me towards Thirsty 30…
Choosing the Best Journal
A medium 5×7 inch journal is the perfect size journal to use for bulleting your methods. This size is super small and easily accessible. I love small journals mostly because they fit into any bag that I carry. Large journals are okay, but I don’t carry them as often if my purses don’t allow the space. I need something small that I know will be able to have in front of me when I need to get it. I also like journals without lines because every so often I like sketching random things on the blank pages. The whiter the page, the more space I have for my imagination.
Use Visual Charts, Pictures, and Lists to Visually Track Progress
Using weekly task lists and graphs help provide a little order in areas of my life I need to have control over. I follow a daily to-do list. I even use tables and charts in my bullet journal to keep track of my bills and expenses. For Thirsty 30 Body, my bullet journals include Meal prep, workout routines, motivational quotes, recipes, and anything that I’ll create into a bulleted list goes into my book.
A common chart I use in my notebook is my 6 to 12-week workout program. I have a Life Planner by Erin Condren that I live by that houses these workout plans. The 6 to 12-week workout plan is a chart that I use whenever I’m ready to go on a workout sprint. I created it to breed commitment. I recognize when it’s needed to call out time to focus on my goal to get healthy. So to train my mind to commit to this goal, I follow through by staying consistent with completing this plan.
I’ll share a few Thirsty Body Bible Pages with you to help you commit to a plan.
Gel and scented pens, sticky notes, highlighters, stickers, and washi tape are all essential items to have whenever I’m meditating in my bullet journal. It makes the process exciting to get through when I’m creating and designing from my imagination. It’s similar to telling a visual story. Many of the elements I put on the pages were placed there to recall times when I filled the journal page. Each page is unique. I could never be confused about where I am in my progress because each page in the journal is of its own design. So getting creative is necessary for building a personality for the journey.
These are just three simple bullet journaling methods I use in my notebooks. There are many more that I have yet to explore. These three steps are good starter methods for analog tracking if digital isn’t working. They’re well worth the try if you’re looking for a better way of organizing your journey.
Do you know of any basic bullet journaling methods that should be added to this list? Leave them in the comments below.
