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Colin Cheney
Professional Background
Colin Cheney is a multifaceted creative who has made significant contributions to the fields of writing, composition, documentary filmmaking, and education. His diverse skill set includes poetry, essays, and film production, making him a prominent figure in contemporary artistic expressions. Colin’s notable work, HERE BE MONSTERS, was chosen for the esteemed National Poetry Series by celebrated poet David Wojahn, marking a high point in his literary career. Furthermore, Colin is the creator and co-host of the podcast POET IN BANGKOK, which provides a platform for discussions on self-expression and art-making in Thailand's unique sociopolitical context. This podcast serves as a vital resource, exploring creativity during turbulent times and spotlighting the juxtaposition of artistic endeavors alongside narratives as vast as missions to Mars.
Colin's work has garnered attention and respect in various literary circles, with his poems and essays published in prestigious journals such as Poetry, American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, Gulf Coast, Kenyon Review, Notre Dame Review, Guernica, Slate, and many more. His accomplishments in literature are complemented by his recognized achievements in filmmaking, as he co-produced the Emmy-nominated film The City Dark, which delves into the impact of urbanization on our nightly landscapes.
As an educator, Colin has shared his knowledge and passion for storytelling and creative writing in various esteemed institutions including New York University and the City University of Hong Kong. His teaching roles have inspired countless students and fostered a supportive environment for aspiring writers.
Education and Achievements
Colin Cheney pursued his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Poetry at New York University, where he honed his craft and engaged deeply with literary theory and practice. Additionally, he holds an AB in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing from Brown University. This diverse educational background reflects his commitment to understanding the world through both a creative and analytical lens.
His accolades include a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, awarded by the Poetry Foundation to recognize the most promising young poets, as well as a Pushcart Prize, which honors the best poetry, fiction, and essays published in small presses. These awards not only highlight Colin's literary prowess but also signify his contributions to the artistic community and his ability to resonate with readers across different formats.
Community Engagement and Professional Affiliations
Colin has engaged extensively with educational and community-building initiatives throughout his career. He served as the Interim Chair at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at Maine College of Art, where he facilitated an environment for students to explore documentary storytelling. Furthermore, in his role as Outreach Coordinator and Instructor at the same institution, Colin broadened the reach of documentary education.
His teaching tenure at Maine College of Art as a Visiting Assistant Professor and as Associate Faculty in the MFA program at the City University of Hong Kong demonstrates his global impact on education. Colin's commitment to fostering a love of writing and the arts is also evidenced in his previous roles, including Course Director for Reading the World at Shrewsbury International School and Lecturer positions at top-tier universities.
Colin's creative ventures also extend into podcasting, as he passionately articulates the artistic landscape of Bangkok through POET IN BANGKOK. His previous experience as a Host for the Bangkok Poetry readings and his editorial role at Tongue: A Journal of Writing & Art further showcase his dedication to promoting literary arts and introducing diverse voices to the forefront.
In addition to his literary endeavors, Colin's work at Wicked Delicate Films LLC as a Co-Producer, Composer, and Sound Designer highlights his multifaceted talent in film and sound production. He also curated the Chin Music Reading Series, a platform for writers to share their work and connect with audiences, underscoring his belief in the power of storytelling.
Conclusion
Colin Cheney's passion for writing, composition, and education is palpable in every facet of his work. With an impressive portfolio of published poetry, essays, and film, along with a robust commitment to mentoring the next generation of creatives, Colin stands out as a pivotal figure in contemporary literature and arts. His dynamic approach to creativity—whether through the written word, sound, or film—continually inspires others to explore their voices and make meaningful contributions to the world around them. Colin's work reaffirms the belief that art transcends boundaries and serves as a crucial medium for expressing the human experience, making him a true advocate for the arts in today's world.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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