Hollis Can't Communicate - Newsletter #1

Jumping Ship from Social Media

Author

Hollis Beck
May 11, 2023

Image by Cameron Toy

Hey all, let’s try something different together.

I’ve never been great at engaging online as a creative professional. I get overwhelmed easily. I get depressed easily. I get VERY caught up in worrying about whether I’m being seen and understood, instead of focusing on actually working on my craft - this often leads to a horrible mode of existence where neither of these important things gets done.

Soooo, as a social media platform I used to enjoy becomes more and more unusable, I’m picking up my bag and going elsewhere.

I want to use this space not only to update y’all on what I’m up to, but to explore how to connect with friends and peers in my field. I don’t like being a hermit! I truly don’t. But social media trends scrape up against the part of my being that strives for authenticity. Instead of chasing after the next Twitter, I hope to build a space that uses one of my strengths - long-form writing.

Upcoming Events

I do improv! Come and see me be funny with my friends!

Spotlight: Miss B’s Very Silly Playland Zirkus!

Conceived and directed by the amazing Leslie Marie Collins, "Miss B's Very Silly Playland Zirkus" is an interactive musical comedy experience like no other. Through puppetry, polka, improvised piano, and a whole carnival's worth of song and dance, Miss B and her merry players (including myself) show their audience how to access their inner child. This play is in early development and will benefit hugely from an engaged, curious audience.

(This play can get raunchy at times so littles should stay home, but there's lots for adult attendees to do before and during the show!)

Recent Gigs

This month so far, I had the privilege of providing additional vocals for the following episodes of simulcast anime, available on Crunchyroll:

  • Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage, Episode 1

  • The Aristocrat’s Otherworldy Adventure, Episode 3

  • Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, Episode 4

  • Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Episode 2

I’m mostly present in snippets in these episodes, but in Sacrificial Princess I threw some shade as this snooty horse lady (left) alongside Rachel Glass (right). Huge thanks to Jonathan Rigg, Jordan Dash Cruz, and Jeremy Woods for having me, and a shout-out to our walla-mates Jacob Eiseman and Ashley Thereon!

Consume!

Last month I read six books, and there’s a clear stand-out among them.

“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” was almost tailor-made for me to enjoy. Childhood friends-turned-collaborators, video games as art, a meditation on the nature of creation and who gets the credit for paradigm-changing ideas…it’s an incredible read and will likely be on my shelf for a long time.

Performance of the Week

I honestly wasn’t sure if I would get into Hell’s Paradise when I first started watching, but as of episode 3, I am fully invested. A HUGE part of that is due to Marisa Duran’s take on Saigiri Asaemon Yamada - this is a character with a lot going on beneath the surface and Marisa does a fantastic job of capturing the simmering tension just beneath Saigiri’s stoic veneer.

Promises

This newsletter will be free and publically available.

This newsletter is not my diary, and my subscribers are not my therapists.

This newsletter is not just about me, and I will search for ways to connect with others as much as I can.

This newsletter is just the start.

Let’s all try hard together, everyone.