Aki Celeste

I can't imagine what it must be like for most public figures right now, or over the past couple of years really. Not only must they be going through their own s**t, they also must feel an extra weight of responsibility toward their fans and patrons (at least the ones who care, anyhow). I really appreciate Mika's brand of authenticity that I've seen so far on social media and in the press, where he's not afraid to show the cracks and the mistakes in what he's going through, although he always seems to have a bit of grace or humor to sprinkle in. But yes, I suppose it could be frustrating for him to see how even with so much potential in the world, it isn't always as forward-moving or accepting as he'd like it to be. I love hearing from him, but I think social media posts can only do so much for creating that feeling of community, even while it can be satisfying in the short-term. Maybe that's why he wants to hand it over to a dedicated content roadie for his upcoming tour? To make his fans/audience feel more included somehow? But you know, that could just be my melancholy side talking back. The world feels like a melancholy place these days, and I'm just realizing now that my playlist I posted is chock full of melancholy songs - funny how that works! (I also totally love the idea of him and Andy having a V Day getaway together. Although with how many plates Mika has spinning right now, I'm not sure that's the case!)

I figured he would probably be much bigger there, given the French connection, among other things! It'll be interesting to see the contrast between a concert in the US vs Quebec, hence my wanting to go to both shows. Looking forward to meeting you and other fans, if it works out that way.

Definitely a flower crown for me, possibly something glowing and some bright colors to go along with it. I went a bit overboard and bought a long-sleeve shirt with one of my favorite Mika songs printed on it, but it sounds like I might want to convert it into a t-shirt or vest, as I tend to get VERY sweaty when the mood is right. Is anyone who's going to the Boston concert also going to Montreal the following weekend, or is it mostly a Boston-NYC deal for you guys? The Montreal thread seems pretty quiet, so I'm not quite sure what to expect there. Plus the venue is a lot bigger, with assigned seating. Hoping I get to make it to both concerts, in any case - that way I can have more than one opportunity to make an utter fool of myself in front of Mika.

Thank you @TinyLove_CJ and everyone who's shared so far, I look forward to listening! I've created my own Soundtrack of Empathy on YouTube, but I'm still in the pruning process, as right now it's at a whopping 33 songs (even though I've limited myself to under 5 min per song and did not include any Mika)! Here's the link if anyone wants to take a look or have a listen. I've arranged the songs roughly in chronological order, according to when each song came into my life, although there's also meant to be a flow to the energy of the music, in mix-tape style. Most are audio, with just a few music videos sprinkled in for fun...enjoy!

Yes, I love this! Also love that there are so many songs on his list that we don't know yet (although I've certainly heard of at least half of the artists). I tend to enjoy it more when I learn about unfamiliar songs from my friends and co-workers, just as I enjoy introducing them to my favorite songs (like, say... ones by Mika? ). It's nice when we share similar taste too, but the real thrill for me is in discovering and sharing something new, just as it helps me to see a side of them I might not have seen before. Spotify is being shirty with me and won't let me log in or play anything, so it might be a little while before I get to Mika's latest, but it'll make it all the sweeter once I finally listen to it. <3 UPDATE: I just watched/listened to Tongue for the first time, on Youtube. Should I be worried that some of the other songs might not be entirely suitable for work? It's a great song, and I'm tickled that Mika included it on BOTH playlists, but the innuendo is...well.

Oh wow, even Mika's horror stories are awesome! I've gone to music camps and retreats, but never for songwriting specifically. This one sounds like it left something to be desired, but I love the song, so I guess having that kind of external pressure worked? AGREED.

This makes my heart ache... in a good way, I think? Or maybe it's more accurate to say that I feel empathy for the self-protection part, because I don't think many artists are more romantic or truthful than Mika when it comes to music, no matter what he says. I'm so glad he was able to have that experience with his fans in 2020 - best V Day gift ever!

I will have to think it over... Boston will be my first live Mika experience, but it sounds like the setting could be quite different in Italy, depending on the venue. Time to crunch some numbers (and vacation days)!

Damn, I missed the plane icon! Thanks for busting it out for me. It's been many years since I've been to Italy but I have always wanted to return someday...

I have to say, this is all sounding a lot like my first Mika dream that I posted about a few weeks ago on the dream thread. Does this mean I should be impulsive and fly off to Italy this fall? What are the dream gods trying to tell me??

Maybe I'm getting things mixed up, but is this one of Andy's projects? Or did Mika just happen to be involved because of Star Academy and The Voice? Sounds like they have a few things in common, in any case!

Yeah, I noticed that a while ago. I even to took it upon myself to email Roadrunner about it, but no change. Ai yi yi... Maybe if enough of us try the same thing? Or are there better methods?

Perhaps a topic for another thread, but what do people think the origin of The Magic Piano for a tour name is? My mind immediately went to Mozart's The Magic Flute, but I'm curious to hear other theories/stories that I might have missed out on. Most of his previous tour names seem pretty relevant to his life journey/career in one way or another - maybe it's a continued homage to his roots in classical/opera?

Ah, thank you! I was wondering if there was such a thread elsewhere, and now we have one. This is definitely one of the sticking points that I've heard brought up as an argument against surrogacy, about how it can harm disadvantaged people and cost an insane amount of money for the would-be parents. I can't help but see a parallel to the arguments for and against making sex work legal, which is another one of those thorny issues that doesn't have an easy answer. Regulation seems to be a key point for arguments in favor of legalizing, but it's not always easy to do, particularly in countries that already suffer from a high level of oversight or unrest. What I'm most interested in understanding (for the moment, anyhow) is the gradual shift away from adoptions, which may have led to an increase in demand for surrogacy. My research is still limited at this point, but it seems to me that as economic conditions improve, particularly for people with unplanned pregnancies, they are less likely to want to give their child up for adoption. Has anyone else noticed this general trend, or am I completely off-base here?

I'm not very knowledgeable myself on this topic - I didn't even know that it was illegal in most parts of Europe! - but it's one that's interested me over the years. I'm actually trying to address the topic somewhat in one of my current writing projects, so it's super interesting to me that Mika is shining a spotlight on his friend at this time. I feel like this topic is still considered somewhat taboo, or at least is not often discussed, even while it's legal here in the US. Does anyone remember that show The New Normal (helmed by Ryan Murphy, the show-runner for Glee)? That's pretty much the only "mainstream" media depiction of surrogacy, specifically for gay couples, that I can recall seeing over the past 10 years, and I'm not sure how well it landed with its viewers. It's encouraging to hear that Marc-Olivier and François are raising further awareness around this highly fraught issue, and I hope it continues to open up conversations that don't devolve into hate or misguided judgment on people who already have enough obstacles to parenthood set up for them as it is.

Third take is the best, for sure. That shower head had better come with microphone features, because he is ON FIRE.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this. Good thing we have an icon that combines them both!

I can't tell if he's laughing because he thinks it's awesome that they decal-ed his shower door in honor of the occasion, or if he thinks it's a bit cheesy. Maybe both. The hotel certainly looks flashy though!

I think this is my favorite out of the series. All the other ones make him look like a punk rocker or somehow out of character (at least for my general image of him), but in this one he looks caught off guard, like "Is my hair alright?" Love those candid little moments.

Thank you @TinyLove_CJ for starting this thread. I'm an aspiring writer, currently going through a bout of writer's block, at least as far as fiction is concerned. One thing I always try to remind myself is how even when I'm not typing or putting words to paper, I can still observe the world and my thoughts with a writer's mind, and continue to read other people's writing, published or not. Simply the act of writing a letter to someone, or an online post or comment, is a step in the "write" direction (couldn't help the pun, I'm sorry!). That way I can eventually loosen up enough to circle back around to the screen, or my notebook, and write what I've actually been meaning to write all along. Does anyone else find themselves staring into space sometimes and realizing that you've been thinking about your story for the past several minutes without paying attention to what's going on around you? I was especially guilty of this at times last year, when I was in the thick of writing. Sometimes the characters almost felt more real than reality, which then made me feel bad about unintentionally ignoring friends, family, etc. But I suppose that's just the nature of having an active imagination - hopefully they're used to it by now! Last thought, because I'm curious too - how DID you get registered at the National Library, and what does that mean? Asking as an American who doesn't understand everything about European culture, although I did work and study there for a little bit.

OK, so I have a few thoughts about this: 1) I'd never even heard of Eurovision until I came across it while I was researching Sanremo for a story I wrote last year. 2) My subsequent exposure to the Eurovision phenomenon was through watching the Will Ferrell / Rachel McAdams movie. Not sure how representative the movie actually is of the ESC, but it was certainly enjoyable to watch, even while it poked fun at the whole thing. 3) Hosting Eurovision seems like kind of a perfect experiment for Mika. Big and theatrical in presentation, but also somewhat homegrown in feel and directed toward a multicultural audience. I'm probably not going to watch it all the way through (definitely not in the right time zone for that!), but I agree that it's a good way for Mika to get more exposure to potential fans. Especially if Graham Norton is involved - I've always enjoyed the celebrity interviews on his show, and I'm sure his commentary is just as engaging.

OMG, this is too cute. He literally looks like he just woke up and walked out into the sunshine to film this. Pre-coffee, methinks? Definitely the way I feel before I've had my morning shot of caffeine.

Yup, that was pretty much what happened to me, although I eventually started taking creative writing classes in my later uni years. There was a good long gap of about 12 years before I started writing again with any consistency. I tell myself that I was just collecting life experience though, so I could have something to write about. Completing stories can be hard, which is why I like to have at least one or two writer friends around who can inspire me to get the dang thing finished. That being said, I have documents and notebooks filled with ideas that I never fleshed out, so maybe it just comes with the territory? I do enjoy the research part of it though, especially when I write about places or time periods that I'm not so familiar with. When all is said and done, I think as long as we're maintaining a curious mind about the world and writing at least SOMETHING down every now and then, no need to beat ourselves up about not finishing every project we start. But maybe I'm setting the bar too low...

I'm on the fanfiction boat myself, although it's gradually winding down (I wrote mostly fanfiction throughout 2021 and it saved me from going completely nuts, NGL). Writing your own stuff is MUCH harder, so no judgement there. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place mentally and emotionally to get your own characters and ideas moving on the page. It's interesting to hear that you write about kidnapping, etc. I feel like a lot of darker material isn't necessarily a reflection of your own experience or mental state, as a way to explore the suffering of others. I find that it develops empathy or more understanding sometimes, although I suppose it could become excessive, like anything can. If you remember which book about writing you had, def post. Some books I've enjoyed in the past are Stephen King's On Writing and Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, but it's been a while since I've read anything about the craft of writing. Didn't Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman also put out books on writing, if you're more interested in the fantasy genre?

I just want to say, all of you are not alone or weird for experiencing this! Even though I'm no longer in my twenties and technically have a full-time "real" job, I can see so much of myself in these comments. I enjoyed my university years to a certain extent but didn't come out of it with a lot of friends or job opportunities in the field I studied (French language and literature with an informal English minor, as I took a ton of literature and creative writing classes). I wouldn't say I felt I had found a "real" job until I got into my late twenties or early thirties even, and it was in a completely different field. I'm pretty content with where I'm at now, COVID challenges notwithstanding, but I can empathize with those of you who are still in the emerging phase and figuring out what direction you want to go in. I hate to say it, but for many of us, the search never ends (or at least it hasn't for me!). Even while I'm working a full-time job, I still have dreams of being a writer myself and am slowly figuring out ways to cultivate the possibility of it becoming a reality. I've been having this issue too. I've tried a few different things - posting and commenting on a fanfiction website, looking for pen pals who also write, and signing up for Zoom writer's workshops, mainly - but there don't seem to be a lot of options for forum-based discussion, like you said. In your ideal scenario, what would suit your needs? Sometimes I find it helps to write that out for myself. Anyway, sorry to jump in on this thread like this, it just happens to touch upon a topic I've been wrestling with for a while myself. The most I've been able to do over the past year are short group writing exercises and writing fanfiction stories, which is not exactly what I want to do long-term, lol. I'm telling myself it's a temporary way to get my writing juices flowing, before I get to the real stuff. @BeccaStardust I'm curious to know what type of writing you enjoy doing? Glad to hear that the tech issues are starting to resolve themselves.