Looking Back + Looking Forward
An Origin Story + What's Coming Soon
Like many fellow creatives, when I'm uncertain about my next project, I turn to the modern-day equivalent of a Magic 8 Ball: ChatGPT.
While I usually have plenty of ideas, the chatbot often provides suggestions that can make them better. Not always, of courseāresults may varyābut it can be a fun game.
First thing this morning, I asked ChatGPT (it really needs a better name!) for writing prompts and received a list of suggestions. I immediately gravitated toward this one:
Behind the Scenes at Collide Press: Share insights into the world of publishing and what it's like to run Collide Press. Discuss upcoming projects, challenges, and triumphs, giving readers a peek into the creative process.
This suggestion stood out because I happened to be reading through āoriginā stories on SmallStack before bed last night.
Many of the stories I read (a small fraction of the nearly 1000!) resonated with me, so I thought itād be a fun exercise to write my own origin story:
Publication Name = Collide Press
Name Explanation = CP is the name of the creative collective I founded in 2022 with some fellow LGBTQ+ creative friends. While the others have moved on to other projects, I continue to create and curate under the banner. Collide Press now includes a Shop, a Substack, a YouTube channel (or Too), and a few social media accounts (that Iām not always great about updating). Collide is my last name. And I chose Press because I wanted to create work that imPRESSed. Yes, Iām THAT guy. Press also sounds artisanal and bespoke, so even better imo.
Link That Best Embodies Name Choice = Since the focus of the collective has evolved from the group creating original art and design collaboratively to me curating art and photos and making videos independently, I think this post best embodies the subjects Iām most passionate about working on: LGBTQ+ Creativity and Queer History.
I hope that makes sense to someone besides me.
As for ChatGPTās other suggestions:
World Of Publishing? While I consider myself a ācontent creator,ā Iām definitely not a traditional publisher. As for digital, online publishing, I think anyone with a social media account is (or can be) a publisher these days.
Upcoming Projects? Iāve got a running list that grows by the day. The project Iām currently working on (and most excited about!) is a video about H. Lynn Womack, who owned and published these three vintage beefcake magazines from the 1950s through the 1970s. What a colorful character this guy was!
While Iām still in the research (and image search) stage, Mr. Womackās little-known, catch-me-if-you-can story deserves some love and affection.
As for what itās like to run Collide Press (and all that other mess), Iāll leave that to your imaginationā¦for now.
A little mystery is good for the soul. RIght?
Thanks for reading!
Clint
P.S. While YouTube continues to take its sweet time on my appeal, I canāt post on the Main Channel. So I plan to post new works here on Substack. Starting tomorrowā¦if not later today.
P.P.S. In case it wasnāt obvious, YouTube is working my last good nerve. Between its bot police, its policies designed to censor and punish LGBTQ+ creators, and other miscellaneous fuckery, Iām seriously considering posting here on Substack first and sometimes exclusively going forward. Sounds like a good solution, but I need some time to noodle on it more.
NEW + FEATURED
MORE FROM COLLIDE PRESS
Bluesky + Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop
+ Storefront + Threadless + YouTube
