Post, Pimp, Promote

I’m a big fan of being supportive, especially when it comes to my friends and their artistic/creative endeavors. So, whenever I get the chance to give a shout out, I do. Today, I learned about the Post, Pimp, and Promote Party from one of my favorite bloggers, August McLaughlin. Here are her rules:

1. PIMP: Share a link to a blog post, book or other venture you’re stoked about.

2. PROMOTE: Share a link to a pal’s post, book or other work you think ROCKS.

3. MINGLE: Have fun checking out others’ links, while the rest of the partygoers enjoy yours. Feel free to pop by later or over the next few days to catch links of the fashionably late. 

While August and I are not friends personally, I’m going to pimp her out because she’s an amazing blogger and writes about relevant and interesting topics, such as health and wellness, food, and writing, in a completely honest and approachable way.

As for promotions, I have a few. First, I’d like to give a shout out to The Grievers, the new novel from a terrific Philly-area writer, who is also my friend and colleague, Marc Schuster. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you might even apply for a job as a walking dollar sign. Marc also has a very funny and smart blog that everyone should be reading.

Next, if you’re looking for a cool pop culture podcast, there are many. But, The Stack is the only one hosted by the good doctor of geekdom, Dr. Hal Halbert. If you’re interested in  superheroes, sci fi , or Sherlock, check out The Stack podcast on iTunes, or find them on Facebook.

I’d like to promote two cool blogs written by two cool people (I mean, they know me, so of course they’re cool). Check out these new blogs by my friends Bryan Butler and Lisa Nikolidakis for random musings about life, writing, and other such existential issues.

Last but not least, I’d like to promote my amazingly talented cousin Christopher D’Antonio. He’s a rockin’ musician and songwriter. Check out his band The Wayside Shakeup.

Epilogue

American society values work and practicality. It does not value spending hours painting on your canvas, typing poetry at your computer,  or recording music (or podcasts) in your studio. It does not value creating  “untruths” (unless, of course, those untruths are bringing in the Benjamins), nor does it value watching, reading, or discussing “untruths” (unless, of course, those discussions land you a critic job at The New Yorker). However, most of us get a whole lot of satisfaction, in one way or another, from doing these very things. So, when we’re up against a world that only wants us to make money or To-Do lists, it’s important that we have each other’s backs, “like” each other’s posts, and  peddle each other’s wares because sometimes we’re all we’ve got. Take the time to give a shout out to someone you know who’s doing something creative; you may just be the incentive that keeps them doing what they’re doing. Plus, you know…karma, man.