Category Archives: Daniel

Curtis Bostic with Horse

My Dad was Arrested and I’m So Proud of Him

Daniel, Musings, , , , , , ,

Hello friends!

No doubt you have seen the news over the past few days regarding my father’s arrest during a horse rescue operation in Kentucky. I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the support we have received. I won’t dive too much into the details here but I want you all to take a look at this video. I think it will clear up any questions you may have.

 

 

Curtis Bostic Addresses Wrongful Arrest

For those of you that have asked (or just wondered) about my recent arrest, I wanted to share this video. As you may know, the story of my arrest was carried by Fox, AP, CBS, and numerous local media outlets. If you are willing to share the rest of the story with others, I would appreciate your help. Thanks to the many who have expressed their support, prayers, and trust.

Posted by Curtis Bostic on Saturday, January 7, 2017

 

Well there you have it. Hopefully my marginal recording abilities don’t detract too much from the actual situation you can see in this video. The scenario is really quite heartbreaking. Regardless of if you’re an “animal person” or not, there is something tragic about seeing such majestic animals being turned loose to fend for themselves in the winter. It was really surprising to me just how friendly these creatures were. One horse in particular followed me around while I was filming, wanting nothing more than some affection. We’ve decided we may have to bring her home.

 

 

Curtis Bostic with Horse
Our new friend!

 

 

Sadly, the national media has largely ignored the ending of this story. While the Associated Press deemed it worthy to speak of the arrest, they have ignored the fact that this entire situation has been worked together for good. Myself and many others are now aware of the plight of these animals and we are working to do something about it. The power of social media continues to blow my mind. In such a short period of time, the video has accumulated 250,000 views from all over the world and over 5,000 shares. This is a good reminder that the media does not control us, and it is up to each one of us to spread the truth using every tool available to us.

 

While (like any father and son) dad and I do not agree on everything, I continue to be immensely proud of him and amazed at his sacrificial spirit. The media has no doubt damaged his reputation, but we know the truth and are thankful he is a man of character.

 

 

Keep fighting for what is right,

Daniel

Win Friends and Influence People with @Twitter

Daniel, Social Media, Things I love,

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE Twitter Fanatic. Seriously, it’s a borderline addiction.

 

It all began when I started tweeting back in 2009 to my audience of zero. They were blown away by my first profound and life-changing message.

 

Take a look:

 

Ah, high-school drama.

 

Moving along….

 

Things have changed a little bit since then. The girl is long gone, but I can honestly say that Twitter has in many ways changed my life. I have made new friends entirely off Twitter, had news stories written about what I’ve said or who I’ve fought with (seriously, be careful), I have booked projects solely from valued contacts on the site, and I now have around 168,000 followers. This social experiment has provided me with an incredible way to connect to people all over the world.

 

It’s impossible to address all aspects of Twitter in one article but for now, we will focus on 3 key areas to supercharge your Twitter game.

 

Have a Strong Profile

It’s easy to skimp on social media profiles. The fact is, we live in 2015. For better or worse, people will frequently base their initial impression of you on what your little self-written blurb says. For starters – keep it brief and use only the highlights. Don’t try and cram every single achievement in your bio. If your bio reads like this then you may have a problem:

 

 

“Famous on Social Media, Over 45k Instagram Followers, Award Winning Blogger Published once on Huffington Post, I own a Maserati”

 
 
OK, they aren’t USUALLY that bad, but seriously, be humble and keep it brief.  You want to leave people with the desire to learn more about what you have to say. Nothing is more unattractive than arrogance.

 

Political tweeter/power player @Ali has an example of a great profile.

Ali Akbar's Twitter Profile

 

Take notice – he says what he does, what organizations he is associated with, and isn’t afraid to use humor and poke fun at himself. His profile gives him credibility but doesn’t come off as arrogant.

 

Engage Strangers

Too many people assume Twitter is Facebookok with shorter posts and fewer FarmVille invites. This is partially true, but Twitter is designed around meeting people and getting their take on life. Don’t be afraid follow and interact with complete strangers! It may be deemed “creepy” on other platforms, but if someone has a public Twitter account I consider it an open door to communicate. Example: If you’re into cooking – run a quick search for cooking, scroll through the articles, and if you find a fabulous recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu then let the author know you loved it and give them a follow! Another example: if you get a new follower, shoot them a message (preferably publicly) and say thanks. As your account grows it will become harder to keep up with each one, but it is important to realize that Twitter is a two-way street. Above all, do not fake interest. Automatic DM services are the worst. They say, “I don’t really care that much about us making a connection, but I want to pretend like I do.” They’re a nuisance, fodder for hackers, and they do not help you form relationships in any way.  Reaching out with authenticity is how you build connections, learn new ideas, and form new friendships.

 

Inject Yourself into the Conversation

People often ask me something along the lines of “How can I get more followers?” While there isn’t an easy answer to that question, there is one surefire way to connect with a larger audience. Go with the Trending Topic flow. Notice a magnifying glass in the upper left-hand corner of your app? Hit it. This is a list about what Twitter is talking about and it can sometimes be a fairly reliable indicator of what is buzzing in the digital world. Use trending topics to your advantage. You shouldn’t tweet about every single topic, but if you have an opinion on something that you are interested in, use the appropriate hashtag and speak up!

 

In the instance below the American Music Awards were trending and the internet was consumed with what celebrities were wearing, who arrived with who, and the winners reactions. In this instance, I didn’t even watch the AMAs but I did tie in my love of all things Adele to what was happening. Live-tweeting current events and trending topics is a great way to establish yourself on Twitter. You will find that many people who like what you have to say will follow you, like your posts, and re-tweet you.

 

It is important to remember that you should only comment on a current news topic if it is something you are interested in or have an opinion on. The key to this is authenticity.

 

Well that’s all for now. I hope this helps!  Please feel free to hit me up with any questions, comments, critiques, or gas station gift cards.

xo,

Daniel

 

The Elusive Niche

Daniel, Housekeeping, Uncategorized

Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines the word niche with the following:

Noun: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted <finally found her niche>

Photo credit: www.kellysauer.com
Photo credit: www.kellysauer.com

This idea is why I’ve never been a consistent blogger. Over the past couple of years, most well-meaning people have told me the same thing: “You need to find your niche!” You see, therein lies the problem, my life is anything but specific. Trying to make myself fit in one box is about as productive as trying to guess what will come out of Donald Trump’s mouth next. It simply cannot and will not happen. My life is a glorious mess of the many things I am passionate about: faith, fashion, politics, modeling, friends, pop-culture, technology, acting, and relationships. The problem is this: society tells me that I am not allowed to be involved in all of these areas at the same time.

I need to pick just one passion and be content.

I need to find my niche. 

 

Take the following examples, all of which have been loudly proclaimed to be in one form or another:

“You cannot be publicly opinionated in politics when you’re in entertainment! You might offend the next casting director who is considering you for a role! Tone it down. “

“Isn’t being a Christian about being humble? Being a model and getting paid to let people plaster your face everywhere is anything but Christian!”

“People who are passionate about technology often are introverted and struggle with forming meaningful relationships, right?”

 

I could go on. The point is that I really frustrate a lot of people because my life doesn’t make sense to them, it doesn’t fit in their box.

But I’ve finally arrived at the conclusion that I will no longer try to fit into those singular boxes. I will be sharing what God is teaching me, what He has given me. I will push the boundaries. And this blog will serve as a place where I can share my ideas, what I’m learning, and the things that I love with the world . . . be it a political endorsement, a movie review or photo shoot, or just a post about how much the people in my life mean to me. And if I find something else that I love, I’ll post about that too. Because this is my life, crazy as it may seem.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m horrible with grammar (sorry Mrs. Thompson), I don’t consider myself a great writer, and I’m totally scatterbrained.

Here’s the thing, though: I’m so excited about God’s gift of life to us. I just want to explore every possible avenue and share my experiences with the world. Will it be a complete train-wreck? Maybe, but I refuse to spend my life chasing the elusive “niche”.