News/Announcements
by William Ruben Helms

News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons and Creatives Rebuild New York

News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons and Creatives Rebuild New York

I’ve had some very difficult and challenging years in my life. (At this juncture, haven’t we all?) But most of the course of 2023 has been embittering, infuriating and maddening. And as the year closes, I can only think of a handful of years, where I felt as though I limped away from the carnage, feeling angry, frustrated and dejected. Certainly, in this line of work, it’s all too easy to battle and endure feelings of loneliness and failure; to feel and believe that you’re an imposter. It’s a brutal, unforgiving and wildly interesting life that can’t — and won’t — compare to most other jobs.

As y’all are well aware, I started this site over 13 years ago. 13 years of just about anything is a very long time. It’s roughly about a quarter of my life. And in the blogosphere that’s somewhere between 10-139 lifetimes. It hasn’t always been easy and there have been moments, where recently I have wondered how I’ve managed to keep doing this for so long. What I can say is this: I’ve generally felt that I needed to go out on my own because I didn’t believe — or feel — as though I’d get a fair shot to do this work anyplace else.

Personally, I’ve long felt a strong desire — and need — to create something similar to the wildly eclectic, dynamic, global sort of environment I grew up immersed in as a young Black boy in Corona, Queens. Sadly, when I read my favorite music magazines and sites, I didn’t always see that covered or represented. Sometimes, you have to go out there and force the issue about representation, shouting and throwing a fit until someone actually pays attention. Sadly, that sort of yeoman’s work is necessary — and will continue to be so for some time.

Now, when I started JOVM back in 2010, I didn’t — and just couldn’t have — imagined the majority of the things I’ve experienced and covered throughout the site’s history to have happened.

And although 2023 has been so embittering and nasty, there were a handful of very cool things that happened, that I’m quite proud of:

I DJ’d at Clem’s twice. And if you missed those sets, you can check out the playlists:

Caption: My first paid DJ set features an eclectic four+ hour mix of Afrobeat, classic soul, a few cult favorite covers of beloved songs, contemporary purveyors of the classic soul sound, mind-bending cosmic jazz funk and house music. I’m proud to say that I had heads bobbing throughout the night — and to my knowledge, I was one of the rare DJs to have management turn me up almost as loud as the room could take. I’ll always remember that — and the nerve-wracking, exhausting fun it all was.
Caption: My second paid DJ set, playfully titled “Flight 777” features an even more eclectic four+ hour mix of music from all over the world including Bollywood, electronic dance, New Wave, post-punk, soul, funk and Latin soul.

I covered Afropunk for the first time in close to a decade. Although I’ve heard from various sources about various issues with the festival and its organizers, the overall experience was much-needed and lifted my soul. I covered that one for my dear Aussie friends, Musicology.xyz. Photos appear here:

http://gallery.musicology.xyz/afropunk-2023-day-1

http://gallery.musicology.xyz/afropunk-2023-day-2

I finally saw the mighty OSees tear the walls and roof down at Warsaw. I also covered that one for my dear Aussie friends, Musicology.xyz. Photos are available here:

http://gallery.musicology.xyz/osees

While covering acclaimed Aussie JOVM mainstay Genesis Owusu at Elsewhere, I managed to capture what was one fan’s highlight of their life. Ironically, I had been feeling particularly discouraged during that time. But finding that out kept me going. Sometimes it really is the little things, y’all.

IMG_0980
Caption: JOVM mainstay Genesis Owusu signing a bible for a fan, during his October headlining set at Elsewhere in Bushwick.

I caught the mighty Slowdive play a headlining show at Webster Hall. Their work sometimes is a warm, comforting blanket and to be in a room with that enveloping sound was wonderful. https://thejoyofviolentmovement.wpcomstaging.com/live-concert-photography-slowdive-with-drab-majesty-at-webster-hall-9-28-23/

I finally obtained a New York City-issued press card. And with that card, I shot the following:

What will year 14 hold for JOVM? Hell, I don’t really know. Plus, I turn 45 in March. So, it’s also a milestone year. My hope is always for bigger and better for the site and for y’all as readers.

Of course, with your support I can keep this unique space going. Now, I’ve said this ad infinitum through site and on my social media feeds: All work — including creative work — is impossible without money. The old adage is true: Time is money. Effort is money. And it costs money for the thing(s) that you need to actually do the work.

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past handful of years, there are a handful of folks I want to thank once again for their support:  

  • Sash
  • Alice Northover
  • Bella Fox
  • Jenny MacRostie
  • Janene Otten 

All of those folks have been generous Patreon patrons. Every and any amount really helps keeps this sort of journalism, photojournalism, and criticism alive and ongoing. 

So if you’re able and willing, please feel free to check out the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. Whatever you can give is appreciated and will help. Independent journalists and artists are small businesses. And supporting small businesses survive and become sustainable is desperately needed — especially if they’re Black businesses.

Additionally, I have to thank the helpful, hardworking and dedicated folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, gratified and humbled to have been included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. Understandably, being included was also deeply vindicating. Someone out there thought my work — this very work! — was worth supporting financially. Obviously, the funds from it have managed to keep this labor of love going during one of the most uncertain periods in recent human history, while lessening some of the normal financial pressures of being an American artist, creator and journalist.

Frankly, I haven’t been able to thank them enough. But I’ll be grateful for the program for the rest of my life.

There are several other ways that you can support this site and my work. You can also support by checking the JOVM shop. I sell prints in various sizes. I also have bumper stickers. Check it out: https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com/shop 

You can also support my following me on the following platforms:

You can hire me for headshots, portraits and events. Seriously, I’m available for that, too. You can click here: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/ny/new-york/william-h?duration=1?duration=1# or you can contact me directly.

I’m an Eargasm Earplugs Earinflunecer. Buy a pair, protect your hearing and save 10% by clicking on this code: https://lnkd.in/ewX8ezKZ. I do get a percentage of each sale from that discount code.

As the year closes, I hope that you and your loved ones will have a safe, prosperous and healthy 2024. May we all take part in the necessary work to get the world right. War, inequality, strife, poverty and all other exploitive and detrimental human systems can be over, if we want them to.

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