13 October - Magazine News
This past week was, in a word, a marathon.
The theme was simple: get shit done. It was the culmination of weeks of rehearsal, with tech week leading directly into five performances of Alice in Wonderland in just four days. The week was a blur of costume changes, sound engineering, prop management, and acting in two different roles. My energy was drained, my sleep was mediocre, and my focus was entirely on the finish line.
The chaos peaked on Saturday. I had to bake a batch of gluten-free, vegan pumpkin cupcakes in the morning, perform a matinee, race home to bake another batch, and get back to the theatre just in time for the cast potluck. It was stressful, but like everything else this week, it worked out.
And in the middle of all that exhaustion and craziness, something incredible happened.
After our first show, as I saw all the other actors surrounded by their families and friends, I felt a pang of sadness. I didn’t have anyone there for me. But that feeling was immediately replaced by a powerful realization: I'm not doing this for anyone else.
I made the choice to change my major. I made the choice to audition. I did well enough to get cast. And in that moment, I was so incredibly proud of myself. It’s a feeling I don’t experience often, but it was undeniable. I’m doing things I never would have imagined, putting myself out there and pushing myself to take every opportunity, purely for me.
That feeling is the real takeaway from this week. It’s the fuel. Watching the play come together was immensely satisfying, and now it’s time to take that "work hard, play hard" energy and pour it into the magazine.
This week, the focus is productivity. I'm taking advantage of the lull before rehearsals for the next play, Almost, Maine, ramp up. My top priority is to make as much progress as possible on the next issue, channeling that feeling of watching something come together into the writing and design. Alongside that, I’ll be memorizing my new lines and focusing on my health—solidifying a morning routine that sets the tone for a productive day. The goal is to use this time effectively and build on the momentum from the show.
It’s a powerful place to be.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
This past week was, in a word, a marathon.
The theme was simple: get shit done. It was the culmination of weeks of rehearsal, with tech week leading directly into five performances of Alice in Wonderland in just four days. The week was a blur of costume changes, sound engineering, prop management, and acting in two different roles. My energy was drained, my sleep was mediocre, and my focus was entirely on the finish line.
The chaos peaked on Saturday. I had to bake a batch of gluten-free, vegan pumpkin cupcakes in the morning, perform a matinee, race home to bake another batch, and get back to the theatre just in time for the cast potluck. It was stressful, but like everything else this week, it worked out.
And in the middle of all that exhaustion and craziness, something incredible happened.
After our first show, as I saw all the other actors surrounded by their families and friends, I felt a pang of sadness. I didn’t have anyone there for me. But that feeling was immediately replaced by a powerful realization: I'm not doing this for anyone else.
I made the choice to change my major. I made the choice to audition. I did well enough to get cast. And in that moment, I was so incredibly proud of myself. It’s a feeling I don’t experience often, but it was undeniable. I’m doing things I never would have imagined, putting myself out there and pushing myself to take every opportunity, purely for me.
That feeling is the real takeaway from this week. It’s the fuel. Watching the play come together was immensely satisfying, and now it’s time to take that "work hard, play hard" energy and pour it into the magazine.
This week, the focus is productivity. I'm taking advantage of the lull before rehearsals for the next play, Almost, Maine, ramp up. My top priority is to make as much progress as possible on the next issue, channeling that feeling of watching something come together into the writing and design. Alongside that, I’ll be memorizing my new lines and focusing on my health—solidifying a morning routine that sets the tone for a productive day. The goal is to use this time effectively and build on the momentum from the show.
It’s a powerful place to be.
Best,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
07 October - Magazine News
So, I’ll be honest, I’ve been dreading writing this post all week.
It’s not because of anything specific, just that I've been so incredibly busy. This is show week for Alice in Wonderland, and my focus has been squarely on the stage. The past few days have been a blur of painting sets, finishing my costume—shoutout to the Fish Footman’s flippers—and getting ready for our first performance on Thursday.
Last week, I found myself in a sort of "fuck it" mindset—just getting done what needs to be done, when I have the time, without overthinking it. And it worked. I made great progress on the Founder's Note and the Myriad article, and somehow also volunteered to run social media for the theatre department. When you’re in motion, you stay in motion.
This week is all about the play, but I’ve found that the creative energy is spilling over. The magazine is making steady progress because I’ve stopped separating the tasks. I’m working on writing and design hand-in-hand, and it feels so much more fluid. It’s a good reminder that the process doesn’t have to be linear. I love being able to hop from one task to another, flowing with my creativity as it comes and goes.
This update is short and sweet because that’s the season I’m in. I’m opening myself up to the opportunities that arise and embracing the chaos of a creative life. Right now, that life is happening on a stage.
Thanks for being here for it.
Best,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity... You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”
So, I’ll be honest, I’ve been dreading writing this post all week.
It’s not because of anything specific, just that I've been so incredibly busy. This is show week for Alice in Wonderland, and my focus has been squarely on the stage. The past few days have been a blur of painting sets, finishing my costume—shoutout to the Fish Footman’s flippers—and getting ready for our first performance on Thursday.
Last week, I found myself in a sort of "fuck it" mindset—just getting done what needs to be done, when I have the time, without overthinking it. And it worked. I made great progress on the Founder's Note and the Myriad article, and somehow also volunteered to run social media for the theatre department. When you’re in motion, you stay in motion.
This week is all about the play, but I’ve found that the creative energy is spilling over. The magazine is making steady progress because I’ve stopped separating the tasks. I’m working on writing and design hand-in-hand, and it feels so much more fluid. It’s a good reminder that the process doesn’t have to be linear. I love being able to hop from one task to another, flowing with my creativity as it comes and goes.
This update is short and sweet because that’s the season I’m in. I’m opening myself up to the opportunities that arise and embracing the chaos of a creative life. Right now, that life is happening on a stage.
Thanks for being here for it.
Best,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
29 September - Magazine News
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
This past week felt very fluid.
Brandon here, with an update that’s part weekly check-in, part monthly review. The blog post last week went out a day late, which makes it feel like this one came around in a flash.
Life has been busy, as usual. School and rehearsals for Alice in Wonderland took up a good portion of the week. My classes are going smoothly, but I’ve been struggling with my sleep schedule, often grabbing an extra hour or two in the morning. That’s likely why I was one workout short of my goal, though I’m still happy I got three in. Saturday was a marathon—running the Farmer’s Market booth in the morning and then heading straight to a long rehearsal.
Progress on the magazine was not what I’d hoped. My goal of finishing the drafts for the Myriad and Founder’s Note articles didn’t happen. Setting a target of 4-5 paragraphs was, in retrospect, a bit high for a week this packed.
Looking back, September as a whole felt like an extremely long month that somehow flew by. And if I'm being completely honest, it genuinely hurts to look at how little progress I feel I've made on the magazine. I wanted to have all the writing done by now, but life made that difficult. Getting cast in Alice at the end of August set a new kind of chaos in motion, and my schedule has been a moving target ever since.
But when I look at the whole picture, a different story emerges. This month has been one of my best for working out in a long time. I’ve kept up a decent diet. All my schoolwork is on track. I got cast in a second play. I started this blog.
For some reason, it brings to mind one of those polar scatter plot graphs, with different points out in every direction. While I wanted the 'magazine' point on that graph to have shot the farthest forward, I think I’m quite happy with the progress I made in every other direction. I may have been burnt out on writing, but I made good progress in almost every other part of my life.
And now, we’re in October. The chaos continues—our first show for Alice is on the 9th, and the week leading up to it will be intense. But as long as I keep making steady progress, I’m happy. The only way out is through.
Here are my goals for the month and the week ahead:
October Goals:
The Magazine: Finish it. All of it. Writing, proofreading, editing, and layout. It’s time to get this issue out into the world.
Health: Keep up the workouts, aiming for 4+ times a week consistently by the end of the month.
Learning: Keep up with school and my Arabic studies, with the goal of having the alphabet memorized.
Creative: Start rehearsing for Almost, Maine and finish the poster series I've been working on.
This Week’s Goals:
Roll over the goal of finishing the Myriad and Founder’s Note articles.
Get in four workouts.
Post 2-3 intentional pieces of content on social media. I often get stuck in analysis paralysis, trying to make things perfect. The goal this week is to just create, put myself out there, and be happy with it.
It’s a lot, but seeing it all laid out feels good. Thank you for being part of this process.
Best,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
23 September - Magazine News
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Gosh, it feels like this last week just flew by.
Brandon here. I’m getting a late start on this week’s update—it’s Tuesday already—but I’m committed to this weekly practice of reflection and planning. It’s the best way to hold myself accountable and to keep you all in the loop on the real, day-to-day process of bringing Shoot the Breeze Magazine to life.
The week started off rough. The bug bites I got over the weekend really took hold, and I spent a lot of my time itchy and not sleeping well. But you push through. My class load is manageable, homework-wise, which is fortunate because a lot of my energy is going into rehearsals for Alice in Wonderland. On top of that, I learned I was also cast in another play, Almost, Maine, which I’m incredibly excited about. It’s funny, you find yourself in these moments, like writing a cast bio in the third person, and it all feels a bit surreal.
I’ve been making a conscious effort to get out of the apartment more. I’ve noticed that when I’m home too much, I get distracted and don’t work on the things I need to. The school library has become a refuge. I’ll sit and read for a bit—I’m currently hooked on Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune, a really comforting and interesting perspective on death—and I’ve found that reading first really helps put me in the right mindset to write. The goal has been a paragraph or two a day. It’s a small goal, but it’s been mostly effective.
Outside of the creative work, I’m focusing on building a solid routine. I’m proud to say I managed five workouts last week. Getting a good workout in the morning almost always sets the day right. Diet has been dialed in, too—no eating out, lots of chicken and rice, and making sure I’m hydrated. It’s the small, daily disciplines that provide the foundation for everything else.
On the magazine front, progress continues to be slow and steady. I’ve nearly rounded out the Founder’s Note, which is a really personal piece that will lead into this issue’s mental health spotlight. The blurbs for the new Myriad Gardens spread are also coming along well. The next big things to tackle are the updated Factory Obscura article and a new educational piece. I’m leaning away from my initial idea and toward a topic more related to “third spaces” to better fit the welcoming, community-focused theme of this issue.
Since this is a practice in accountability, I want to start laying out my goals for the week ahead.
For the Magazine: My primary goal is to finish the drafts for the Myriad and Founder’s Note articles. The plan is to write another 4-5 paragraphs over the course of the week, which should get those two pieces ready for proofreading.
Personally: I’m aiming for at least four workouts. I also want to continue developing a poster series I’ve been working on for my personal branding. And, of course, keep up with my classes and rehearsals, which includes running through the entire Alice in Wonderland show off-book for the first time on Saturday after a morning at the Farmer’s Market.
It’s a busy season, but it’s a good one. As the writing for this issue starts to wrap up, my mind is already jumping ahead to a potential release in early November, complete with pop-up events and some new merch. There’s a lot to do, but we’re getting it done, one day at a time.
Thanks for following along.
Best,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
15 September - Magazine News
“The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.”
What a week.
I wanted to pull back the curtain again on what's been happening behind the scenes at Shoot the Breeze Magazine. Part of this commitment is holding myself accountable, but it's more about sharing the honest, unpolished reality of building something from the ground up.
This past week was a whirlwind of activity, just not the kind that involves a keyboard. I took a much-needed trip to Bentonville for some intense mountain biking with friends. It was the kind of adventure that pushes you, reminds you you’re alive, and fills the creative tank—even if it ends with over 100 bug bites that sideline you for a day. Sometimes, living the stories we want to tell has to take precedence over writing them.
That said, the writing itself has been slow going. The truth is, the motivation has been hard to find this week. Progress has been measured in notes and brief thoughts rather than paragraphs. It's a frustrating but normal part of the process.
The primary hurdle at present is the founder's note. I know I want this issue to focus on places that care for our community, with a spotlight on organizations like Calm Waters. To do that right, the note needs to be personal, touching on my own connection to mental health. It’s an important piece to get right, and that vulnerability takes time and energy to put on the page.
The plan is still in motion: features on The Floating Bookshop (which will be our cover!), Myriad Botanical Gardens and a new piece on Factory Obscura's latest exhibit are all in the works. However, the reality is that the beautiful layouts can’t come together until the words are in place.
It’s a lot to juggle, but we're still chipping away. Thank you for following along on this journey. Your support makes the slow days worthwhile.
With love,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine
08 September - Magazine News
“Survival is insufficient.”
Hey everyone,
Brandon here. I wanted to give you a candid update on the magazine and life behind the scenes.
Progress on the next issue has been a grind lately. If you're a writer or a creative, you know the feeling: the ideas are there, but you feel burnt out, every sentence is a battle, ugh. Working from home, with the constant distractions of daily life (my cats, it turns out, are terrible editors), has been quite the challenge.
Despite that, we're moving forward. The articles on the Belle Isle Library and Core4 are nearly complete, just waiting for a final polish. It's not as fast as I'd like, but that’s life sometimes. I've been reminded recently how much my environment shapes my creativity. The words flow easier when I’m out in the city, writing from a corner of the Rose State library or sitting in the very places I’m writing about. To do the story justice, you need to feel the space. This week, I’m making it a priority to get over to The Floating Bookshop to soak in the atmosphere and find the right words for their feature.
On a personal level, this season has been one of beautiful chaos. I've recently switched my major to Fine Arts in Theatre, started rehearsals for a new play, and even begun the humbling process of learning the Arabic alphabet. It’s a lot to balance with the full-time school schedule that allows me to keep this project going.
While these things can be seen as distractions from the magazine. They're the experiences that fill the creative well. Shoot the Breeze Magazine is about telling the honest stories of people living full, complex, messy lives in Oklahoma City. To do that, I have to be living one, too.
The goal is to keep chipping away, one paragraph at a time. Thank you for your patience and for being part of this community. We're building this thing together, one story at a time.
With Love,
Brandon Tellez
Founder, Shoot the Breeze Magazine