Author: Steph Hartmann

Exploring every art form just to become the best writer that I can :)

My Own Time Capsule (Steph’s Spotify Account)

I’ve had my Spotify Account since 2019. I celebrated its 5th birthday this past April, while I also celebrated my 10-year anniversary of living in America. It’s so strange to look through my Spotify app because I haven’t deleted anything. There’s 5 years worth of data just sitting there, completely untouched. That’s probably why I don’t have any storage on my phone, but I’m a very sentimental person so I have to keep those awful playlists.

My “Liked Songs” playlist is a literal time capsule. I can scroll through all 1,337 songs and remember the exact time when I added each to the playlist. In a few months from now, I’ll scroll through and remember all the Fiona Apple songs I’ve added recently. Or I’ll find all of the Chappell Roan and flowerovlove that I added over the summer. 2020-2022 is definitely a dark period so I just close my eyes while I scroll through that section. Those songs don’t get mentioned. Ever.

Recently, I’ve gotten to a point where I organize my playlists extremely specifically. I’ve already touched on that (and my Pinterest boards!) in a past blog so I won’t dwell. I make playlists for almost every scenario imaginable. When I was moving into MSA, I made 3 separate playlists for packing, driving, and unpacking. I haven’t bothered to listen to those since then, but I know when I do, I’ll feel like I’m moving in all over again. 

“Steph’s Current Tunes” is my number one playlist and also the oldest playlist that I still listen to. The only reason that’s possible is because it’s constantly changing. It’s always alternating to whatever my favorite songs are at the time. The songs don’t even have to fit in together at all, I just need a place where I can find whatever song I want to listen to as fast as possible. Right now, it’s about 3 hours long because I haven’t taken out any songs since summer, but usually it’s around 1 hour.

My most recent playlist is titled “Up In Steph’s Room” just like my RISE article. It’s just supposed to capture my experience of being a teenage girl, just like many of my other playlists. This one is a little more refined than the others and it’s still a work in progress. My top 3 songs from this playlist are “Don’t Let the Good Life Pass You By” by Cass Elliot, “Teenage Girl” by Cherry Glazerr (of course), and “Real Love Baby” by Father John Misty.

The playlist that sits closest to my heart is titled “your new life will cost you your old one.” That’s also one of my favorite quotes and it’s by Brianna Weist. I found it towards the beginning of the year and it still resonates with me so deeply. I made that playlist near the end of my sophomore year at my old school when I knew I would be leaving for MSA. My number one song from that playlist is “Don’t Delete the Kisses” by Wolf Alice.

As I’m making my 216th playlist, I feel proud that I have so much on my Spotify account. Even if all of my downloaded songs are taking up most of my storage, I’m glad that I haven’t deleted the account or anything. I think I’ll try to keep it up for years to come.

“It’ll Get Better.”

Content warning: loss of a loved one and heavy emotions.

It’s been four weeks since I received the worst news of my life. That’s a month since my great aunt passed away. It’s still a soft subject for me, I don’t know why I talk about it this much. I’m constantly upset because I’m thinking about her, and then I do things that make me think about her even more.

My life was nearly perfect before. I was attending my dream highschool, making new friends, finding out about myself and my personality. I was even losing weight and my acne was clearing up. I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. Then, my only mother figure was ripped away from me.

It was all so sudden. She was 84 and I understand that, but she was so healthy. She did everything she could to make sure of it. To most people, she looked nowhere near her actual age. I had seen her a day prior to her death and everything was perfect. It was Sunday and we went to church together, like we always did. We didn’t do much that day, just enjoyed each other’s company. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

During the first week, my mind was quiet while my heart felt like it had been physically pulled out and ripped apart. If I wasn’t crying, I was asleep and if I wasn’t asleep, I was crying. It was a vicious cycle that I’m glad I was able to get out of. I was waiting to come back to MSA, I knew I would be happier there. I hate that quiet, empty house where everything reminds me of her, but I love my dad and my dog with all my heart and I’d do anything for them.

“It’ll get better” is something that I used to tell myself all the time. A few years ago, I hit rock bottom. I lost a lot of my friends, failed half of my classes, and hated everything. I promised myself that things would be better and, with time, they did. I found new friends that showed me real friendship and love, my grades excelled, and (for the first time) I loved myself. After a year, I hit rock bottom again. I lost some friends and got caught in highschool drama and I was miserable. This time was different, though. I remembered how I pulled myself up out of the lowest point in my life and I didn’t have to promise myself anything anymore because I knew it would get better. And it did. I came to MSA and I was happier than ever for just 2 weeks.

I keep telling myself that it’ll get better. When I think it does, it all comes crashing down again. The first week back at MSA was great and I thought things were looking up. Then the second week was just awful. The third week started to look better, and now, I’m back in the dumps.

An entire month has passed and I don’t know how to feel. I’ll be completely honest, I’ve never been more disappointed in myself. History is repeating. I think I’ve already lost a few friends, I feel like my grades are dropping, and I don’t feel the same love I had for myself anymore. I tell myself it’ll get better, I know it’ll get better, but right now, it’s so hard to believe.

When I came back to MSA, I was swarmed with love and support and I couldn’t be more grateful. My friends helped me stay distracted from the heavy feelings and my teachers gave me grace while I struggled with motivation and fought to stay focused during class. Dr. Blauw helped in so many different ways, I can’t thank her enough. With this amount of love around me, I’m hopeful for the future and thankful for everyone in my life. This wound will heal with time and I know it’ll get better.

Steph Loves Tomodachi Life

I’ve loved Nintendo games ever since I could remember, but I’m not as cool as most people who loved Nintendo as a kid, I had a 2DS instead of a 3DS because my dad thought they were cooler. Also, I was just an average enjoyer who didn’t understand half of the games I played because I was too young (and wasn’t conscious yet). 

One game has consistently stuck with me for years, though, and that’s Tomodachi Life. It was released in 2013 in Japan, then a year later in North America. Unfortunately, I was late to the party and found out about it through DanTDM’s series on YouTube. By that time, I had moved to America and in the process, somehow lost half of my stuff (including my 2DS that I lowkey hated). So, I bought a brand new 3DS off of Amazon and Tomodachi Life, as well as Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I don’t think I could ever recreate that excitement that little 8-year-old me had for that Amazon package. When it finally came, I tore that box open and got to work.

Tomodachi Life is a simulation game where you make little characters then feed them, give them gifts, play games with them, and watch them creepily through their windows. Little 8-year-old me loved that apparently because slightly bigger 16-year-old me still loves it. I made all my best friends, family members, and whoever else I could possibly think of, and I took care of all of them like a loving mother.

When you first start the game, you get the chance to make a “lookalike” of yourself on an island you get to name. I have such distinct memories of making my lookalike and moving the mole feature to the bottom right side of my mouth and making it huge so I could see it. I would always set my height as short as it could be and make my shirt pink. When I think back on it, I miss those days like crazy, but I left my 3DS (which is the same 3DS I ordered when I was 8) at home.

One thing about Tomodachi Life that I have to talk about is the music! I spent so many hours playing that game that I have almost every song’s melody memorized. The second I hear the night theme, my mind goes back to all those times I played my 3DS past my bedtime under the covers. When I hear the apartment theme, I remember every time I would show my friends the character I made for them, and they would usually react with mixed emotions because I probably made them look really ugly.

One thing that I’ve been silently hoping for is a version of Tomodachi Life for the Nintendo Switch. I don’t know how they would adapt it because the 3DS and the Switch are really different, but a girl can dream! I know a lot of people talk about how great it would be if Tomodachi Life came to the Switch and I’ve been tricked a couple of times thinking it finally happened, which is so embarrassing.

I’m about to tell you a secret I haven’t told anyone, but I guess I just spill all my secrets on this blog. Whenever I’m feeling unmotivated to do a task, like laundry or cleaning, I just play Tomodachi Life music and pretend that I’m a little islander doing my chores with my lookalike watching after me. It doesn’t even have to be Tomodachi Life, sometimes I pretend to be a Sim from the Sims 4. I just realized I play pretend a lot for a 16-year-old… But try it and thank me later!

Thank you for reading my silly blog about the game that’s been festering in my mind recently. I think I’m more obsessed with it now than I have been because I forgot my 3DS at home and I can’t get it for another week. Also, I haven’t even thought about DanTDM in years until I started writing this so that was a crazy throwback. 

Steph’s (Insane) Guide to Spotify and Pinterest

Everyone knows that Spotify is the number one music platform and Pinterest is the number one lifestyle app, but only cool people know about the amazing Pinterest + Spotify combo. I’ve been pretty much addicted to both apps for years and I’ve always had a very specific way of organizing my playlists and boards. I never knew my secret to ultimate organization was so strange until my friend pointed it out and now, I’m deciding to share my little secret. Everyone has their own ways to make playlists and boards but if you’re struggling with the way you organize, maybe consider my method that’s taken over a year to perfect.

I’d honestly say I’m an obsessive person, so when I find a new show, movie, or game that I love, I have to do something (other than consume more media about it). That includes making fan art, Pinterest boards, and Spotify playlists.

So, the first step in Steph’s guide is getting inspired! Find something you really like because after all of this, you’ll probably be sick of it. Maybe a show that you just finished (or started!) and you can’t watch anymore episodes right now. Or a movie that you just watched and loved but there’s not much fanbase or media about it online. You could even use that game that you’ve been obsessed with for years but never told anyone because they probably wouldn’t care as much as you do. Finding a celebrity or aesthetic you really like also works! If you want to become super focused on a big, upcoming project, you can choose that too!

Next is making a Spotify playlist! This is important because you can listen to it while you make the Pinterest board. I’m a very physical planner so I usually get a piece of paper and plan out what music I associate with whatever media I’m making a playlist about. If you’re stuck, the website Spotalike helps me a ton. It creates a whole playlist based off of one song you enter. 

Think about the songs’ significance to the media or characters you’re basing your playlist off of. To stay focused, I like to write down why I’m adding the song to the playlist. Maybe the meaning of the song relates to the message of your media, or the song matches the time it takes place or was made.

Now it’s time for the Pinterest board! I’ll be honest, this part takes me about a week at least. I’ve been told I “work overtime” on Pinterest. I physically plan this out on paper as well (because I’m insane). 

First is the board title. I always add the type of media at the beginning. I use “VG” for video games, “TV” for a show and “MV” for a movie, “CELEB” for celebrities, “AES” for any aesthetics, and “MISC” as miscellaneous for things I can’t put into any of the previous categories. I also use other abbreviations for things a little more niche, if necessary, like “YT” for YouTubers or just “LIFE” for lifestyle boards (like dorm or outfit ideas). I usually separate these from the title of the media with little arrows or brackets. Make sure to use the same symbols for each board so everything looks cohesive.

Next up are the sections! I know some people don’t like to use them in their Pinterest boards but for Steph’s (insane) guide, it’s so necessary. For the title of these, you’ll use the same method you did for the board title. I use “CH” for any characters, “DYN” for dynamics or friendships/relationships, “LOC” for locations or any settings, “BTS” for behind-the-scenes stuff, and “MISC” for anything miscellaneous again (I usually put fanart or memes in this section).

Here are some extra notes that might help! If you’re struggling with finding pins to fill your board with, search up whatever media you’re making a board about with the category it’s in. There’s a small chance that someone who’s good at making Pinterest boards already made one that you can take inspiration from or snatch some pins from. I would also recommend using symbols or emojis to decorate your playlist title and description as well as your board and section titles. And if you like to edit pictures, you can make a custom cover for your playlist and boards!

Thank you for reading this strange blog post where I share my little guide for how I obsess over media with organization (and class)! I’m really curious about others who take their playlists and boards very seriously and their method of organization. Let me know if you take one for the team and use my crazy guide.

Chappell Roan is Overrated…

is what I would say if I was a HATER! That little redhead changed my life and I’m going to talk about it. Her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” has taken over everyone’s playlists and I love that. 

I found out about Chappell Roan shortly after she released “Good Luck, Babe!” in April when she had around 4 million monthly listeners. Now, she has almost 40 million. At my old school, I would put on Chappell and people would groan and ask, “who is this?” At MSA, people cheered when “HOT TO GO!” played at the back-to-school dance. Here’s me talking about some of her less popular songs! Minus “School Nights” because I think we can all agree that it was rough…

“Love Me Anyway” was released in 2020 and is one of my favorites! You can even hear the yodel that she puts into her later songs. I love the story she tells in the lyrics about the one-sided relationship where Chappell is singing from the perspective of the person in the wrong.

“Subway” is an unreleased song that she performed at Gov Ball while she was dressed like the Statue of Liberty. I love the vocals, and she sings about missing a girl she met on the subway. Listening to the ending is a full body experience. Minus points though because I have to listen to it in the form of Spotify podcasts and she might not even officially release it.

“After Midnight” is the third track on “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” and it’s so fun! It’s about leaving home, finding her place, and just having fun at the club. It’s just a fun, catchy pop song. Plus points because it’s my great aunt’s favorite.

“Coffee” made me cry the first time I heard it, the piano breaks my heart. It’s about a relationship that ended but they both need closure. They want to talk about it, but they know if they see each other, the cycle will repeat of getting back together then leaving again.

“Picture You” is by far my favorite Chappell Roan song. The lyrics are beautiful, her voice is amazing, and her vocal flips at the end of the song changed my life. Her Tiny Desk performance of this song was honestly better than the original and when she performs it live, she usually has a wig on a mic stand as a partner!

“Kaleidoscope” breaks my heart every time. It’s my most skipped song from her album because I know I’ll get sad if I listen to it. It’s about confessing your crush on your friend, not being reciprocated, and then having to go back like none of it happened.

“California” hits so close to home. I still love it though and I adore the story about leaving her hometown to chase her dreams and make her family proud but becoming extremely homesick. I really relate to this story with moving to MSA and it hurts my heart to listen to. 

“Guilty Pleasure” is my guilty pleasure! The beginning really threw me off the first time I heard it, it’s strangely whimsical but now I think it’s really fun to listen to. Chappell’s vocals are to die for in this song! Her yodeling changed my brain chemistry and I love the way she performs it live, too!

I know everyone and their mom talks about Chappell Roan, but I just wanted to add my two cents. A lot of people have been saying that she is bringing “camp” or tacky music back and I really love that because most of the time, I just really like to listen to fun songs, that’s it. So what if it’s tacky or overrated? Chappell Roan’s music makes me happy, and I haven’t gotten sick of listening to the same album for 4 months straight (yet).