Vocal
Thank You Vocal For Giving Me a Mountain to Climb
Writing is hard work done in solitary aloneness with the hope that others will find your words appealing. Reaching those significant others can be almost impossible without a mountain-like platform from which to speak.
Lynda CokerPublished about 17 hours ago in Motivation
Photo Walks: Utah's Road Island Diner
At some point on Saturday morning, a friend and I decided we wanted to go on a road trip. Only a few hours before we left, we decided to make the drive from Provo, Utah up to Oakley, Utah in order to check out this retro diner we’d seen photos of on Instagram.
Oliver DahlPublished about 20 hours ago in Photography
How To Make an Award-Winning Short Film From Scratch?
The first and probably the most important thing is whether or not you are truly passionate about the film industry. A daredevil trying to get into this industry for profit reasons should consider a different career path.
Death to Denim
My grandmother grew up in a small town in Sonora, Mexico, living with 10 siblings. She was the eldest daughter, so she was in charge of ironing her brothers’ jeans. (Exhibit 478 to answer the call: Unionize Eldest Daughters. I’m getting it tattooed under my left buttcheek. If all you who know the eldest-daughter-experience want to get a matching one, truly, let me know.) The iron was made of iron, heated over coals, to flatten the rough, coarse material of small-town Mexican denim. She hated ironing all those tough jeans. As soon as her own Mexican-American daughters were old enough to iron, and the iron itself was modern enough to not be made of iron, she taught them and left them to iron their father’s clothes.
Ariana GonBonPublished about 23 hours ago in Styled
"How do we be close together while staying physically apart?" The importance of images of connection in COVID
With exhibitions from Istanbul to Italy and in his native Venezuela, Reni Arias first developed his passion for being behind the lens as a 10 year -old boy.
Zoe NaumanPublished a day ago in PhotographyWhy Does My Phone Think I Have ADHD?
My TikTok feed suggested the first signs this past summer. My For You Page, a personalized home feed filled with mysteriously hyper-targeted videos, started showing me dancy videos with women who were diagnosed with ADHD later in life. This diagnosis changed their lives, was the missing piece they were looking for, and now they had to spread the word.
History of Macintosh: a 37 Year Love Affair
The now-famous Macintosh computer turns 37. When Apple President Steve Jobs launched this computer at the Flint Center on De Anza College campus on January 24, 1984, to the theme from Chariots of Fire, he called it “insanely great!”
Bill PetroPublished a day ago in 01I'll Protect You
I heard the crunch of the browned and crusty snow beneath my feet. It was impure, disgusting, and hardened like this damned world. All the people are the nasty little pieces of salt and dirt that clump together, tainting the virgin snow. Every person is poisoned by every other person. Their imperfections, their ugliness. It's revolting. I didn't think anyone was pure to the insanities this world has created. The grey clouds mocked me, keeping the beauty of the blue sky and the sun hidden from me, as I trudged through the slush, watching the chaos of the hideous people skating on the pond, I could smell the exhaust drifting through the one part of the city that was supposed to be celibate from the touch of man's destruction and pollution. People looked away as they passed me, they wished not to see my judgments of them. A small boy ran down the path knocking his arm into my side. My stack of books fell into the slush. I felt my blood boil and a vile taste formed in my mouth as I crouched down to retrieve my goods. That was when you came up behind me and reached your precious hands into the cold mush on the ground, retrieving my lost treasures. Your long dainty fingers wrapped around the broken spines of my favorite novels, your silky skin, the delectable color of milk freshly squeezed from the udder, intertwined with the cream of the old book pages. I turned my head to look at you. Your long flowing mane blocked your face from me, a curtain of golden sunbeams to hide the masterpiece I was awaiting. You turned your face to me wiping away your hair, a youthful glow of happiness and innocence overwhelmed me. Your eyes were two opalescent sapphires to which not even the Hope Diamond could compare. You smiled, crinkling your lightly freckled Grecian nose. Sweet girl, those are not just freckles though, they are angel kisses, or kisses from one angel to another. "Here." Your voice was a melody playing upon my heart strings. Your hand reached towards me holding the books and I nearly fell back into the nasty snow.
My Brother the Soldier.
I have never served in the Military. I am in my early 30's now and looking back, I am glad I didn't. Not everyone has what it takes. For those who do, the Military can be a great career. It can be used to set a foundation as an adult to build the rest of your life on. Skills learned in the Military can be a great asset to a soldiers life.
Andrew DonaldsonPublished a day ago in ServeGood Deeds? Don’t Look Far. It’s Vocal
Dear Vocal, I simply wanted to say "Thank You!" The universe led me to your site, you accepted me and made me freely write my thoughts. Your moderators swiftly check my work, and my stories are live online even before 24 hours.
Olivia MarlenePublished 2 days ago in Journal
So 2020
Share which current fashion trend you can't wait to see go out of style.
$1,000 Grand Prize2 days leftGood Deeds
Tell us about the small acts of selflessness or generosity you've experienced.
$2,500 Grand Prize4 days leftFresh Start
Share your wellness resolutions for this year.
$2,500 Grand Prize9 days left
Creators We’re Loving
Meet the people in your communities creating extraordinary things.
Celebrating One Year of Challenges
When we launched Challenges one year ago today, we could never have anticipated the milestones we’d reach. What started off as a new way to encourage creativity and reward creators to think outside the box and participate in competitions across topics and interests, quickly evolved into so much more—thanks to you.
Laurie WeisbergPublished 3 days ago in Vocal
A Platform’s Responsibility to Act With Purpose
It’s a conversation that my team and I find ourselves coming back to time and time again. When we talk about the future of Vocal, or conceptualize anything from new features to social media campaigns, it’s essential that we can identify exactly why we’re doing what we’re doing, and exactly who we’re doing it for. If we can’t identify the answers to those questions clearly and concisely, or we aren’t satisfied with those answers, then we know we have a lot more work to do. It’s part of how we make sure that we are always putting our creators first in each and every decision we find ourselves making.
Jessica WhartonPublished 4 days ago in Vocal
"We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order to Live"
As we waved goodbye to 2020, we will be very honest: We hoped there would be way more chill in 2021. With news of multiple COVID-19 vaccines being distributed worldwide, we certainly had reason to believe we were turning the page on dark days. And as we waltzed confidently into a new year, we were cruelly reminded that the stroke of midnight on January 1st was not the "magic wand" that a lot of us were hoping that it would be.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 9 days ago in Vocal
Introducing a New Look for Vocal
You may have noticed that things look a bit different around here. Over the last few months, we have been working on a new version of Vocal that sets a strong foundation for the features and goals we want to accomplish in 2021.
Justin MauryPublished 10 days ago in Vocal
Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation: Where Does Vocal Draw the Line?
Section 10, Paragraph A of Vocal's internal Moderation Protocols begins with the following statement: Vocal takes a cautious approach to the moderation of stories related to conspiracy theories, especially those that contain subject matters linked to real-world violence.
Joshua JohnsonPublished 16 days ago in Vocal
Creator Spotlight: Andrew Sotomayor
Andrew Sotomayor is an Emmy winning makeup artist with over 17 years of experience in beauty editorial, red carpet, fashion, film, television, and brand development. Andrew won his first Emmy for Saturday Night Live in 2017, was nominated for an Emmy for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in 2018, and was nominated again for Ryan Murphy's Pose in 2019.
Vocal SpotlightPublished 17 days ago in Vocal
