Vloggin’ it up!

I realized the only way I am going to be able to commit to blogging everyday is if I can mix it up with some video. I am excited about unleashing my weirdness and sharing it with my family and friends.

My new channel, therealdcap, is going to be an experiment in self-expression and community-building. And as I noted in my bio, it’s also just an excuse for me to bug out. For the last seven years I’ve been creating media as my profession, which has been very rewarding. But I’ve always enjoyed the online/video folk art of others, and I am ready to start doing my own experimenting again. I’m inspiring by video artists like Laurel Nakadate, vloggers like my IRL friend FilmFuturist, and crazy awesome parents like the SHAYTARDS.

The video below from 2009 is probably proof of why my videos should remain private. But you’re here! I’ve got you now! Bwahahaha.

I love to dance in my bedroom and pretend my spoon is a microphone. Why I keep a spoon in my room is fodder for a future blog post, perhaps.

I’ve been creating personal videos and putting them online since 1999, but rarely shared anything I made. The fact that no one was really watching video online at the time might have had something to do with it. Back then, I didn’t know about these guys, which is probably a good thing. I am pretty sure I would have joined their collective and turned into some sort of “Lawnmower Man“-esque crazy robot lady.

I’m kicking off this daily creative experiment with a look back at what used to make me smile, and will be posting new videos next week. Instead of tossing videos randomly all over the Internet, like the one below on Flickr, I’m going to start being organized with my weirdness and keeping it all in one place on therealdcap. We’ll see how that goes.

Enjoy your weekend! I’m not posting again until Monday — weekends shouldn’t count in this daily posting pact, I mean, come on.

On My Radar: Young Girls Kicking Ass

When I was a little girl I secretly wanted these things:
1. to be in a band
2. to do competitive figure skating
3. to direct an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

I spent most of my time daydreaming about those scenarios while jumping up and down on a tiny trampoline in my bedroom and listening to my mixtapes. “One day… I’m gonna… It’s going to happen… I see myself…”

I didn’t turn out to be a rock star, figure skating orator with Superman cred, but I’m quite pleased with the life I’ve carved out for myself. And it pleases me even more to know there are little girls out there living their dreams RIGHT NOW, eff waiting until you’re older. Git it, little ladies.

Starr Andrews: Figure Skater (9)

P-Star: Artist/Actress/Activist (15)

TEDxTeen 2010 – P-Star from We Are Family Foundation on Vimeo.

Elise Tan Roberts: Youngest MENSA Member/Baby Genius with IQ of 156 (3)

Own your power, ladies. A new book on female economic power, Influence, points out, American women are responsible for 83 percent of all consumer purchases; they hold 89 percent of U.S. bank accounts, 51 percent of all personal wealth, and are worth more than $5 trillion in consumer spending power—larger than the entire Japanese economy.

On a global level, women are the biggest emerging market in the history of the planet—more than twice the size of India and China combined. It’s a seismic change, and by all indications it will continue: of the 15 job categories expected to grow the most in the next decade, all but two are filled primarily by women. – Newsweek

Gents, cherish and respect the women in your life, especially the little ones. We’ll all benefit in the long run.

On My Radar: The Shondes & JIVE GRAVE

I’ve been in hiding to focus on my projects, but breaks from hermit-hood are necessary to maintain my sanity. I was only out of the country for a month, but thanks to the rapid cycle of growth and death in NYC, I already have a list of new bands, venues, and restaurants to check out.

Last Thursday (10/28) I went to my  first show since returning from my 30-day shoot in Paris. My BFF invited me to join her on her trek to Bushwick — my old hood — and we ended up at House of Yes for JIVE GRAVE‘s BLACKONE EP release party.

When I exited the train at the Grand L stop, I expected to be overwhelmed by art school kids, but instead found myself surrounded by local families. I enjoyed the site of them carrying armfuls of groceries, teens texting each other on the corner, and dads with their sons returning from karate class. I basked in the warm bustle of early evening street life. As nostalgia momentarily washed over me, my thoughts drifted back to my two years spent in the rapidly gentrifying nabe. It was a time of my life that I’ll always look back on with a mix of fondness and sadness. After being in NYC since 2004, and despite so many youthful distractions, Bushwick was the first place I ever “felt” like an adult.

We arrived at House of Yes pretty late, but the first band hadn’t even finished their soundcheck yet so we had plenty of time. When they finally did go on I wasn’t a fan (frustratingly off-key lead singer), but immediately fell in love with the second band, The Shondes:

Out of nowhere (haven’t thought about those days in years), this band transported me to Ladyfest Bay Area 2002, and all the times I would drive to SF to catch shows by riot grrrl-inspired bands like Le Tigre and Bratmobile. I felt like if I flipped through my old CD case I would find their sleeve in between The Need and The Gossip.

I brought my 7D to the show out of habit, not intending to use it. I didn’t even bring my audio adapter or external mic, but felt like if something went down that pulled my camera to my eyes, I would let it happen.

I haven’t uploaded any photos yet but had to share this quick clip of JIVE GRAVE’s set. Each band member wore the same creepy Eyes Wide Shut-like mask, complete with painted eyebrows. The trembling symbols and matching faces onstage made me feel like I was about to witness a secret ritual reserved for hidden rooms on Ivy league campuses. Geo Wyeth may look like Wolverine’s little brother (in a good way), but his heartbreakingly dark (and uplifting lyrics) reveal a tender side and flare for showmanship:

Geo prefaced one of the songs by announcing “This next one is about colonialism. We all know what that means, right? We all went to college?” What followed were some jams that made me want to simultaneously take notes and pogo. Geo’s voice is nasally, addictive, and his inflections kind of echo around my ears and provide a playful contrast to the artfully arranged melodies.

…I had a closing paragraph here about the connection between my camera, music, Paris, and my identity in NYC, but Dreamhost service crashed in the middle and I don’t feel like retyping. BUT! I will say that I am in the middle of a significant transition in my life and am starting my “dream job” next week.

As a result of all this change, I am going to be open to the idea of creating a personal vlog in December to document what’s to come. Yes, you may see me rambling in front of a camera on a regular basis. Self-indulgent? Yes, fo sho. But I am for anything that helps me to thrive and inspires creativity.