In an age where the most important thing is image, the proliferation of said image is just as important. Media is driven by outreach and impressions. If no one sees your stuff, did it really make an impact? You can flood an Instagram comments section with plugs for your brand/fanpage, but if you don’t have an overwhelming presence and posting schedule — will you truly get noticed?

There’s a queer, closeted ten-year-old little boy, dancing to “Lady Marmalade” on repeat in your twin sized bed that you slept in until you were 23. Don’t let him go. Don’t let his light fade. It’s corny, for sure, but remember that’s the person you enjoy being. There’s no need to hide that for so long. Why do we have to feel like our uniqueness and personalities are supposed to be hidden because it doesn’t suit well with “others”?

Five years ago, I was featured in CIRCUS, and I was so bright-eyed, eager, and hungry. I was fighting for scraps but I was determined to prove not only my worth, but my vision. At that time, I had no idea how I was going to bring Off-Kilter to the market, but I knew with my whole heart that it needed to exist, and I wanted to be the one to do it. I’m not sure if it was my prior experience running yearbook in highschool or my curiosity of knowing what everyone was working on. But, the idea of launching a publication made me feel complete in a way that photography did not allow for.

I'm doing a lot more sitting in being with myself and my own reflections. For me, it’s been a year of me working from home. I'm definitely taking that all in and then reflecting on what this means, really reminiscing and being reflective of this moment and what we've lost. It’s given me the opportunity to be a lot more reflective and thoughtful. I'm really thankful to be here and thankful that you asked me to be in conversation. I’m also thankful to be alive.

I'm pleased to let you know you are a do-er.

You won't be trapped in Houston much longer, as you'll finally say “carpe diem” and give up your comfortable desk job to pursue “artistic endeavors” in LA. While this sounds wildly exciting, things won't go exactly as you planned. But, you'll make it through.

Thank you, Briana. Thank you for choosing yourself and finally learning to love and accept yourself completely. Thank you for choosing your own path and not allowing yourself to conform to anyone’s standards. Thank you for your perseverance and determination to make your business not only successful, but impactful.

What I love most about Riley’s philosophy concerning liberation is the humility that rests in its core. As someone who has centered their life around intellectual and emotional freedom, he admits he still has his off days. “I still have so much unlearning to do,” he said, after sharing about his recent battle with razor bumps on his chin. He asserts that the small things are connected to the big things, and that even he, a liberatory-inclined educator, is not exempt from the influences of a culture fueled by self-loathing. He stresses that the ways we think of ourselves and others are heavily dependent on the skeletal framework of our society. “Some people cannot do that self reflection, but without it I think so much of our work is null and void,” Riley says.

Talking to Tom Jackson, co-founder of GAYLETTER magazine, Supergay Spirits and creative director at the advertising agency Mother was an oddly reflective experience. Tom and his creative partner Abi Benitez have progressed leaps and bounds in the last decade, taking GAYLETTER from a NY-based newsletter to the forefront of the publishing industry in a short span of time. Their cover stories with the likes of Frank Ocean, Marc Jacobs, Janelle Monae, and many others are some of the most interesting pieces I’ll read all year.

Elijah McKinnon and Kristen Kaza are the founders of Reunion Chicago. They are forward-thinking individuals that cherish the chosen family they’ve fostered in a space created for those left behind and forgotten in creative enterprises and industries. They engender the feeling of home and belonging, and they work on their relationships as business partners and, in a sense, siblings to each other as they endeavor in a labor of love for the culture. Armed with a red-orange pen, Director of Programming Kristen Kaza let her hand fly across the page when someone’s said something noteworthy. As she does, her medium-sized gold hoops dance from side to side. She is alight with the vision of a world in which people are held accountable and marginalized voices are serviced. Sunlight filters in on her right side, illuminating the golden fire she possesses.

A gray poodle stares at me from a leather armchair. At the far end of the room, among the palm plants and climbing vines, a pixelated man is crouched in the corner, rummaging through a cabinet. He comes back into focus carrying an array of coup glasses. His long, brown hair is pushed back under a blue baseball cap. He holds each glass up and rotates it between his fingers for the camera. His name is Dom Cordilla, and these are a few of his favorite things.