Am I Back?
They say consistency is the key to most successful endeavors. I believed this advice with my whole being. With the rise of productivity videos and the drive to become more active in life in general, I devoted some time to making good habits in my life.
If I had succeeded, I would not be here writing this post. Yes, dear readers, I have come to a definitive conclusion.
I will not try to be consistent. Or “build” habits consciously. Not to say that you shouldn’t too, it just won’t work with me. In the future I will not make promises to upload a certain number of times a week or force myself to write a fixed amount, I will simply flow and hope for the best. Some days will be slower than others, some will produce better writing than others. I have come to terms with the fact that I, as a being, cannot be fooled by the illusion of structure in my life.
Again, this is not to say that productivity culture and habit-making are inherently bad, they just fit different people, well, differently. If you ask me, I do consider myself a creature of habit, but not in the sense that social media is portraying it to be.
Case in point, I completely forgot that I was writing this post a couple of months ago and now that I need a little warm-up before writing something slightly structured, I'm reminded of this blog. I was also reminded of the original subject matter that brought me back to this site a couple of months ago. Arguably, I never left, I just lurked and never posted anything for, a millennia or so (around 2 years, mayhaps?).
That particular subject matter was this video circulating in Tikt*k of a boyband survival show in China (IQ*yi) which showed the contestant being forced to dance for hours for evaluation purposes.
Now, I am myself Asian (Southeast) and not a stranger to the do-it-till-it-seeps-into-your-soul method but this was frankly brutal. Imagine being under so much pressure to perform well, multiple times in a row, with minimal rest before and probably after the shooting of the episode, and still getting various criticism for it? There ought to be better ways to evaluate a specific skill set.
The internet, as expected, had divided opinions. Some thought it was a violation of human rights, and so on and so forth. Others thought it was a bit mean, yeah, but they can see why the system is like that. Some brought up the "idols sing multiple songs in a concert" argument and said that these trainees are expected to have that spirit of resilience in them.
I needed to disagree on that. But no, I didn't reply to anyone online because I have self-restraint and frankly too tired to pick fights with strangers.
First off, idols have multiple teams working together with them during tours and throughout their careers if their companies are doing things right. At the bare minimum, they have managers, make-up artists, costume coordinators, and security personnel to make sure that they can perform at their best. It's not uncommon for idols and artists to have a team of health professionals or paramedics of sorts on-site too and to have professional mental supports, nutritionists, and personal trainers, not to mention a plethora of specified teachers for their individual needs if they deem it necessary.
Secondly, idols and artists are professionals in their industry, no matter how small of a group they are. They have been trained for this and had prior experiences in managing their workload and crazy demands from the entertainment industry. They are also under contract, yes, and their movements are limited to some extent, yes, but they can advocate for themselves. I'm not going to talk about idols who are underage because that is a whole other ballpark of bouncy messes to uncover, but for the most part, idols are working and gaining revenue from their hard work.
Trainees, on the other hand, are not. They may be getting paid to show up in these shows, but they are in the shows to get a chance at debut, meaning, they're not professionals yet. Sure, some trainees had debuted before, but not all of them, surely? The notion that people can equate a trainee to an idol is baffling to me. Trainees are called as such because they are in the process of training, to well, become an idol, or an artist. Why are we asking them to have the mental strength of a seasoned artist?
On the other hand, I do believe that rigorous training is sometimes the only effective way for some disciplines. Especially when it comes to precise art forms, the basics, and the foundational stages. You can't really churn good paintings and writing pieces by force, but you can drill the base techniques into one's muscles until it becomes second nature to practice good forms and instinctual to use a certain logic when tackling a new problem while creating differing art forms. I'm using this example because this is what I have been exposed to practically my whole life and to this day, I do find myself going back to the basics when I am particularly stumped or uninspired. I'm not sure how it is for idols and artists, but I can assure you, dear readers, that muscle memories do come in handy.
Performing multiple stages, singing, dancing, and acting, are the culmination of repetitive work and a lot of hours of practicing. Not to mention the very human aspect of it all: mistakes. Practice makes progress, and all progress is good, in its own way. If all the practices can lessen a stutter on stage, or give the performer the knee-jerk reaction to improvise on-site, it is a positive outcome, no?
Of course, we should practice and push our limits within reason and through proper channeling. Destroying your body in the name of the arts is never good, even if it produces the best background story for later. This is why mental care and proper mentoring are crucial for aspiring artists of all disciplines. I do hope that those trainees realize that they are basically being played by the system and the internet. I did not follow their progress, frankly, I knew of the situation from the constant churn of videos on that social media platform. I hope the person who decided to speak up was valued for their bravery and honesty, not shamed for demanding a better environment to grow in. But hey, the fact that these conversations are happening online is good, I think, since these kinds of treatment can often spiral into unsavory things. We still have a long way to go folks.
Well, I should close this rambling before I think of anything else to add to it. But, expect these sporadic posts to pop up here and there. Until then, stay alive, I guess.