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 course—results may vary—but 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 “origin” 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 it’d 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 I’m not always great about updating). Collide is my last name. And I chose Press because I wanted to create work that imPRESSed. Yes, I’m 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 I’m most passionate about working on: LGBTQ+ Creativity and Queer History.
I hope that makes sense to someone besides me.
As for ChatGPT’s other suggestions:
World Of Publishing? While I consider myself a “content creator,” I’m 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? I’ve got a running list that grows by the day. The project I’m 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 I’m still in the research (and image search) stage, Mr. Womack’s little-known, catch-me-if-you-can story deserves some love and affection.
As for what it’s like to run Collide Press (and all that other mess), I’ll leave that to your imagination…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 can’t post on the Main Channel. So I plan to post new works here on Substack. Starting tomorrow…if not later today.
P.P.S. In case it wasn’t 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, I’m 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
Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop + Storefront + YouTube