Packing up and moving on...

A blog from Clay... from his Official posting place at the OFC...

Packing up and moving on. 01/25/15 at 3:19 PM By: Clay Aiken

Hey folks!!!
Long time!! ;-)
Really long time.
Really really long time.
You wouldnt even recognize me now!

It hardly seems possible to pick up here after such an unbelievable year. But thats the great thing about true friends. No matter how long you are away, when you come back it seems like you were just together yesterday.

The other night I watched the Presidents State of the Union speech, as did many of you. Regardless of where you fall with regard to your political and policy positions, we all can certainly agree that our federal government needs to get its act together! Mercy!

Watching made me think of the need for a bit of a State of the Clay speech that I think it might be time for here. Ha ha

So many times when we see friends after so long, so much has changed. Lord knows thats the case here. Im certainly even more driven. I wanna think Im smarter (though the bar was never really that high!). And I recognize so many opportunities for growth and change.
Some of those are going to need to start very close to home.

As a matter of fact, one of those changes is going to hit very close to home for me.
After almost nine years of living exclusively in NC, Im in the process of moving to NYC part time. Ill be splitting time between NC and NYC, but splitting 12 years worth of furniture and stuff into two much smaller homes selling a lot of it and giving a lot away is making me pull my hair out!!!
The entertainment and media worlds are in NYC, so thats where I likely need to be for a year or so. Ill still be incredibly present in NC, as it is always where I call home and its where I want to continue to try to do whatever I can to make positive change.
Change and growth are necessary, no doubt. Its time to grow and change and embrace new opportunities.

Its time to make a few changes here too.

Now everyone take a deep breath.
I know yall love to read hidden messages into things (even when they arent there), and I dont want you getting all in a tizzy!
Were going to make making some pretty drastic changes to the website here.

Firstly, we are going to stick with clayonline.com until at least after the Chinns documentary has aired. That way people who may watch that who want to see positions and stuff from the campaign can still access that through clayaiken.com. After that well likely shut down the campaign site and merge the two names.

Secondly, its time to part ways with our current system and infrastructure we currently have in place.
Lets be honest, it seems both unnecessary and selfish to ask for you all to pay to join a fan club when there is very little on offer at this time to make it that exclusive. So we are removing the pay wall and no longer charging for anything on the official site. That said we will also be taking down some of the heavier features.
The current company charges an assload (thats a scientific term ) for everything and the amount they charge for some of the features seems unrealistic, especially considering so many of you are dual members of boards both here and elsewhere. Most things underneath the fan club tab will go away.
We are still going to make sure there is a blog section so I can communicate with you every nine months or so like I have been . (that was a joke!! I will do it more often!). Hopefully we will be able to use a system more easy to use and i will do my utmost best to use it more often. But theres no need to ask you to pay for access to that.

Also, as you know we are still working on finding the best way, from a logistical and technological standpoint, to perform the web concert that you were promised during the campaign. Once we know how best to do that, we will likely try to use that same method to do some web chats here and there. But theres certainly no reason for us to ask you to pay for that either. Youve paid plenty!

And, as I mentioned, the message boards here at the OFC will be shutting down.

Now, I know that many of you use only this message board. And more importantly, I know that so many of you have formed families of friends here within this message board. TRUST me! It was an incredibly painful decision to make, for that very purpose. Even writing this I realize there are some folks who rely on and love this particular message board, and it hurts me to give this news. The good news is there are lots of other message boards who are ready and willing to welcome you into the fold.

Ive been in conversations with the folks over at Clayversity (www.clayversity.net) Not only are they excited about welcoming all OFC members into their community, they have been INCREDIBLY GRACIOUS and have agreed to set up your own separate section within their system an entirely exclusive temporary thread section just for refugees from the OFC that will be yours for just a couple of weeks to allow you to get your bearings and learn the new system and tie up conversations from here. Of course, I know that youll be welcomed over there and they are looking forward to bringing you into the fold of their community, so youll probably only be segregated for a few weeks while you dip your toes into the waters around the rest of their message board.

This is important: They have a private and members-only set up over there and they are very exclusive about who they allow to join, so if you choose to use this option it is very important that you use the same email to sign up over there that you used to sign up here at the OFC. They will clear those emails with my folks and make sure no stalkers or haters are infiltrating our happy family. If you choose not to use the Clayversity option, there are lots of other groups that are full of awesome folks.
And you cant go wrong the bottom line is the members of this fan community are the MOST INCREDIBLE in the WORLD.
I know all artists say that, because all artists appreciate that their fans support them. But you guys support EACH OTHER and I am sorry folks no one else has fans that are that awesome. Period!

When this site goes away, it will probably be replaced by a temporary page. Dont let it throw you off and get you depressed. We probably wont fill out the new one until I have lost some campaign weight and can take new pictures without needing 30lbs photoshopped off of me! ha ha ha! Good grief!
Im not exactly sure when the change over will be.. but it will be relatively soon (and not Clay soon normal people soon ha ha) so take a bit of time to save the things you want to save and start making your transition over.
I reiterate. this is not a change based on career plans! This is a purely business driven decision. And for that reason, I can not be exactly sure when the site will switch over. Go ahead and make preparations.

Change is a PAIN trust me. Going through and getting rid of furniture and knick-knacks Ive had for years is killing me!!! Ha! (NYC apartments are tiny! Im probably even gonna have to sell my bed because it wont fit in either new house!! And my mom is losing her mind over me selling the dining room table and the trophy display case. Never mind that it never had any trophies in it! ) That said change can bring with it some INCREDIBLE new opportunities. And I am hoping to be in a position to tell you about some of them very soon after the documentary airs. Regardless 2015 will certainly have some very exciting things happening for all of us. And many of them will be exciting things that I expect you will like. If I were retiring, Id be doing it in NC, not NYC let that be a bit of comfort for you. (read: I'm not retiring! I have a kid to put through college!)

Now you may not want to hear this, but you need to. Recording and touring are not on the forefront of the priority list for the year. I must strike while the iron is hot to take advantage of some opportunities I have in the wake of last year. And those will be the priority. Recording and touring are not in the cards for the time being.
But.. I AM NOT STOPPING SINGING and I AM NOT DISAPPEARING.. and I am NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE AGAIN right now!!!
Dont read and re-read into things I say in the press as an indication that Im never going to sing again.
The web concert will happen. Ill be singing at the NIP gala for sure.
I will be around just like I have been around in years past and youll see and hear from me plenty. That I will PROMISE.

Seriously!! Calm down!

You also need to hear this. I could never stop singing. Singing WILL happen, just likely through different avenues than we may have been spoiled by in years past. I just need to find different ways to use my voice too while I still have it.

SERIOUSLY!! CALM DOWN!!! Im not quitting performing!

Truth: Weve spent an incredible amount of time over the past twelve months working so hard on some very important things. I will never] be able to say enough how incredible it makes me feel to know that I have the MOST loyal and supporting group of friends in you. That you have supported not only me, but everything that has been important to me over the past (almost 12 years) now is well humbling isnt a big enough word.
And, if for no other reason than that, I am never going to leave you! Calm down!! ha ha ha ha

I love you ALL with a STRENGTH that you may never believe nor understand.
I look forward to whatever is coming for us all in 2015.
As scary as change can be, I am so glad we have each other to hold hands with through it.

I love you. see you soon

YMC