My next introduction is Kim AKA Liveoffthewallco on instagram, a 30 year old content creator, curator, music enthusiast and entrepreneur from Florida, who wants to honour not only Michael but, his fans as well. Kim has curated a strong feed of Michael content, that introduces Michael's art to new and old fans alike. I got to ask her some questions about her Journey, How curating has brought her closer to Michael, her favourite MJ memory and more!
F: Let us know, when did your Journey as a MJ fan begin?
K: It started during the end of my 8th grade year of middle school going into my freshman year of high school. A close friend and I were on a high school team together and we became close because of MJ, that was one of our major similarities. We would always dance & listen to Michael when we would take breaks from practice, on our way to a competition or just hanging out in general. During that time is also when I really started to deep dive on my own into everything & anything Michael related. Like everyone else out there I already knew of the 3 big hits Billie Jean, Beat it and Thriller. So I wanted to know more, I studied every era and looked up every album that had Michael’s name attached to it.
F: Did you feel inspired by Michael immediately?
K: Yes, most definitely, but I felt more inspired as I entered my late 20’s. When I was younger, I always knew he was a nice person & a very talented singer/dancer. However, as I became older & dug into his history even deeper I really learned a lot about Michael’s personality, work ethic and so much more. I mean the amount of effort that MJ put into his craft and finding the time to do humanitarian efforts outside of his career is amazing. He was a very strong individual for still continuing on with being himself no matter what people or the world said about him. I really respect that!
F:You have what I would think is one of the longest running MJ archives currently on instagram, what made you start it and how has your page changed or inspired you over the years?
K: Thank you so much I really appreciate you saying that! I do feel like there have been a few other pages that have been online longer than me. So, I have to give my homage to them first. I’ve only been doing this for almost 2 ½ years now. I got the idea one day early in 2021. One afternoon I was at home watching all of Michael Jackson’s music videos. And let me tell you that it took from the afternoon all the way till 10pm to finish if I might add. The next day I thought to myself I would really love to start something Michael focused like a page or be part of a community. Now going forward to April 15 2022 the day after my birthday I said that’s it, no more procrastinating & being fearful. If I don't try I will never know, let me just do it and see where it takes me. That’s when I posted my first picture of Michael on stage in a tuxedo from the Triumph Tour in 1981. And the rest is HIStory! My page has changed here & there the more I have learned about the MJ fandom online. I’ve learned what kind of things people like to see about Micheal, whether its footage from his tours, music videos or just funny moments that were caught on tape from his personal life. Beside my love for Michael Jackson the motivation and inspiration comes from the feedback of Michael’s fans. Having them tell me that they enjoy my page and what it stands for when I post. I think one of the best things any fan loves to find are those really rare clips that nobody has ever seen before. It's exciting!
F: Has the inspiration you’ve gotten from Michael impacted your creativity outside of your page?
K: I would say so, in how I’m trying to expand to other platforms. Get into more things revolving around the mj community,as well as creating my own MJ merch shop that’s inspired by what the fans want. Michael I felt has given me inspirations even in my own life beside the creative realm of things. Anytime I need motivation i listen to one of his songs. My favorite thing to do is hear Michael speak. I've watched so many interviews of him talking about his life or just the projects that he was doing at that moment. It’s just so aspiring. You think if Michael can do it I can too! If he can stay up late, work hard and rehearse all day. So can I! Michael Jackson’s success did not get to where it is if he didn’t continue with that formula of greatness and sacrifice. I want to be like that. I want to do something that’s going to make me feel free and make me feel powerful inside to give me my own version of what success is in my eyes.
F: Would you say posting daily about Michael has brought you closer to or caused you to learn more about him that you wouldn’t have otherwise?
K: 100% I have definitely learned so much more about MJ now especially through the eras that I cover on my fanpage. Like Michael has always said, “Study the greats and become greater.” Sometimes it amazes me how well I know what year or location a video or photo is from. I post a pretty good amount of content on him weekly so I have learned and remembered so many details constantly since it’s always on my radar. And trust me you need to know your facts and what you're talking about. If you don't, those hardcore Michael Jackson fans will drill you on that fact checking, especially the ones that have been following him since the very beginning.
F: You’ve mentioned your favorite eras being Thriller and OTW, what draws you to those two specifically? Are these the eras that inspired you to start highlighting Michael?
K: Well my fanpage covers little Michael’s beginnings In The Jackson 5 all the way through his career to the bad era which was his very first solo tour. So all of those era’s are my favorite to post about. Nevertheless, my absolute top favorite era and/or album would have to be Off The Wall. Off The Wall just for some reason connects with me the most. It was his first solo project as an adult artist. I really love how much groove and funkiness there is in each song. There’s something about those disco tracks that makes everybody so happy to get up and dance. My fanpage slogan that was inspired from the actual off the wall song is “Having no worries & enjoying life.. livin off the wall.” I really do feel like that’s the key to life. That’s also part of the reason I named my page “LiveOffTheWallco.” I still feel that Off The Wall needs more recognition throughout the music industry and a bit in the Michael fandom as well. We have to remember now if Off the Wall didn’t happen there would be no Thriller. That’s where Michael got the drive and fire lit underneath him to do even better and make his next album the very best ever in history.
F: I know you were working on merch over the past year or so, is there any update on that?
K: Wow, I'm telling you this girl does her research guys! Yes, my plan is to give my MJ followers and the Michael fandom, merch that is specifically designed through my vision of what the fans need and want. I’m still creating and really making sure everything is perfect as far as the quality while trying to be fair with pricing. Trust me it’s a long process but I know everything will be worth it when all is said and done. I guess you can say me and Michael have that in common. We are both perfectionist when it comes to working hard and the quality of our craft. There will be more updates down the road so, be on the lookout!
F: Instagram is always deleting MJ fan pages, do you ever consider creating a fansite or something similar, where you can continue to share Michael without the risk?
K: Yes, it's very scary actually. I don’t know why social media does that instead of going after actual pages that violate the rules and terms. My first scare was a little bit after my page’s 1st anniversary, it got suspended for 2-3 days because they thought I was pretending to be Michael. It clearly says on my profile that I’am a fan page only, so I don’t know what the confusion was about. I had thought one time about creating a blog for Michael but I know that takes a lot of time as well. As I said before I’m already trying to expand my fanpage with other ideas & platforms so I don't want to put too much on my plate.
F: What do you hope people take away or feel when seeing your curation of Michael content?
K: I honestly hope it makes them happy and has them reminiscing about good times in their life. Either when hearing a great Michael song or even giving them another reminder of why they love Michael Jackson so much. A Lot of people always comment or message me about how they remember where they were when they first heard a song of his. As well as seeing him on tv or even going to one of his concerts for the very first time. I’m just one of the many fans that’s still trying to keep his legacy alive.
F:Is there anything else you would want to tell everyone regarding yourself, Michael or MJ fam?
K: Well, one of the reasons I did this interview feature is because I wanted people to get to know the creator behind the fanpage a bit more. I think it’s important to eventually put yourself more out there if you have some type of social media presence even if the page isn't about yourself necessarily. I have always been interested in learning about the people that make it all happen behind the scenes. I’m very glad I got the chance to be a part of this! Thank you so much France. I appreciate you giving me this opportunity to introduce myself personally to the MJ community. I want to thank Michael Jackson for everything of course. If it weren’t for him this page wouldn’t have even existed, I would have never heard such great music and seen such beautiful visuals. He showed me how to be more of a human being with kindness and understanding. Also, thank you to my followers and the MJ fandom for following my journey. I’m so grateful for The support you have given me in these last 2 years. I love you guys and always enjoy reading your comments and messages!
F: And to close out, what is your favourite memory involving MJ?
K: My favorite memory of Michael would have to be when I first saw Michael sing in The Jackson 5 on youtube. I wish it would have been in person but I wasn’t even born yet unfortunately. I mean that powerful voice of his at such a young age, with those amazing dance moves that he would do was nothing I have ever seen before. I envy anybody that really got to experience that up close. Especially those who lived during those eras to be able to tell what it was truly like seeing The Jackson family rise to fame. Little Michael had so much talent and charisma at such a young age that was truly a god given talent. Michael started in the industry so early and had to give up his childhood to start working immediately. So even though he had to put in the hard work and rehearse, he got to do so many amazing things. I really look up to him as an innovator and pioneer. You can come from anywhere and as long as you want it bad enough you can achieve your dreams.
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