Create boldly.

Vincent Boone-Banko

Words Words Words

Categories

  • Here I Am, But Who Are You?
    When I first started this blog, I struggled with how to categorize my posts. I’m a big fan of sorting and organizing—if you’re here to read about topics related to creativity and inspiration, you may not be interested in my rambling about what a Gymnopedist is or the impact of Red Note on global political… Read more: Here I Am, But Who Are You?
  • What is a Gymnopedist?
    You’ve probably heard Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie. While the piece has been around since 1888, I never noticed it until my piano teacher opened to its page in the repertoire book and got my attention by telling me that after Satie died, they entered his apartment to find three grand pianos stacked on… Read more: What is a Gymnopedist?
  • Don’t Forget to Warm Up!
    When I was in high school, there was an ongoing debate about whether or not marching band counts as a sport. Personally, I think it definitely does; walking with proper form while carrying any kind of weight is physically challenging enough, but doing the breath work required for brass and woodwinds WHILE marching and carrying… Read more: Don’t Forget to Warm Up!
  • A Poetry Cheat Code
    Poetry. Everyone loves to hate it. (Unless you’re my old advanced poetry professor who openly, genuinely loved poetry and hated her students.) But it’s a bizarre thing. Somehow random jumbles of words say things more clearly, and with more weight, than if the message was directly laid out for us. Why is that? And what… Read more: A Poetry Cheat Code
  • Why You Should Try Ghost Hunting
    I used to believe in ghosts. Then I stopped. Now, I kind of believe in them again. Emphasis on “kind of.” Have you ever looked for ghosts? I mean really looked for ghosts. Bloody Mary and Ouija boards are fun, sure. But at Waterworld, an abandoned water park located in beautiful eastern Pennsylvania, I saw… Read more: Why You Should Try Ghost Hunting
  • Keep Learning!
    I recently graduated with my bachelors degree, a grueling but rewarding process that spanned three universities, seven years, and countless majors. I graduated just after my 25th birthday, too—my quarter-life crisis has been neatly accompanied by the freedom of no current academic obligation. In elementary school, the last day of school saw us released to… Read more: Keep Learning!
  • Display Your Collections!
    It’s not hoarding if it’s cool. That’s what I’ve told myself as I’ve collected seashells, books, pins, keys…But when the items you’re “collecting” just sit around in buckets or jars, collecting dust on shelves or in a random bowl where they’re left in a cluttered stasis, it gets harder and harder to justify keeping it… Read more: Display Your Collections!
  • The Newest Thing: The Movement from TikTok to Red Note
    Benni is studying communications at Towson University. She works at a movie theater, grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and recently got a cat named Stinky. Her passions include Sonic the Hedgehog and Appalachian storytelling. She is also a #TikTokRefugee—one of many Americans who “left” the social media platform TikTok for the Chinese social media platform… Read more: The Newest Thing: The Movement from TikTok to Red Note