How The Bold Type made me consider my creative future.

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In 2013, I listened to a few of my college friends talking about this show called Game of Thrones during a break. You might have heard of it. They said it was medieval and was about kings and queens and all that jazz. Right up my alley.

I remember going back home that very same day, signing up for a service that had that show available for watching here in Israel and binging the whole two-three seasons it had at the time in about two days.

Fast forward to 2021, and it happened to me again-this time with a show called The Bold Type. But instead of binging it for the magic and medieval and fantasy — I binged it because I was jealous. So far, I’m into the second episode of the third season on Netflix. Let me tell you why I think you might want to watch it.

The Bold Type is set in New York City

I love NYC so much. I’ve been to the city no more than three times in my entire life, and each time was like a dream. And I know what you’re probably thinking — here’s another tourist who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But NYC was never about the sights for me.

Sure, it’s fun to visit the Empire State Building’s balcony, take a photo of the UN building, or even take a selfie with Lady Liberty. I get it. But when I got to NYC, the first thing I looked at was the coffee shops and the meetups. I was craving a connection that a handful of days could not fulfill for me. So I dealt with what I had.

The Bold Type exposes being a part of the city in such a natural way. The characters engage in real-life struggles, emotions, relationships, and urban city life.

It’s probably very cringe-y to admit, but in 2021 TikTok replaced a lot of time I could have devoted to my friends if not for the pandemic. Netflix’s TikTok account introduced me to The Bold Type with a one-minute video about racism. I didn’t know anything about the show besides that one scene, and I felt I had to watch it. So I did.

It was much more than what I expected it to be.

Working as Writers and Content Creators

I’m always fascinated by Jane’s journey to discovering her following writing pieces. Kat’s a social media director with millions of followers. The show glimpses what it’s like to write the next big blog post in the NY bubble. Could you imagine getting an award for a piece of writing you produced for a magazine?

I’ve always loved writing. I found it more than therapeutic. Pouring words on paper or a digital document has a way of magically making you feel better.

The Bold Type made me realize I crave such a work environment that encourages writing the next big thing. I imagine it could be more stressful than the show portrays it. In some episodes, we see Jane writing her pieces late into the night when she needs to submit them the following day. That would never feel natural for me.

The show did a great job portraying Scarlet — the magazine — in a bit of a Vogue vibe. Disclaimer: I never read Vogue. Fashion is not really my thing — it’s more video games and technology. And yet, it was never about the content of the magazine. It was about the role the magazine plays in people’s lives. I also took Anna Wintour’s MasterClass. She feels like the hardened motherly figure that Jacqueline Carlyle plays for her employees.

Working in a place that elevates meaningful conversations appeals to me emotionally and not just rationally.

This Show Makes Me Feel Powerful Feelings

The storylines weave beautifully together. So much has happened to each of the show’s stars throughout the two seasons I watched.

I teared up multiple times, and not just because I’m a sucker for a good romance. Probably also because my BS detector did not buzz on the challenging scenes. As an HSP, it’s pretty rough for me to feel powerful scenes if they’re not well executed. My BS detector would rise, and I’d tell myself something like, “Oh, that actor wasn’t really into it, right?”

But that didn’t happen with The Bold Type. Not only did I not doubt the authenticity, but I did shed a few tears. And I’m so grateful for that.

The Show Peppers Us With Writing Advice

I loved that we got to see actual pitch meetings in the show. The closest I saw to that was CollegeHumor’s pitch meetings for their sketch comedy.

But there’s a big difference here. While CollegeHumor would have met to discuss video ideas, magazine pitch meetings deal with written stories. While we never learned about word counts and style guides, we did learn a few valuable lessons:

1. Write for Your Reader — don’t make it about you.
2. Your Article should Answer a question — what is it?
3. Where are you in the piece? Where is your voice?
4. The most challenging articles to write will have the writer’s most significant reward and growth.

These are only a handful from so many other nuggets the show throws here and there.

Conclusion

If you’re a content creator, you’ll want to watch this show, especially if you’re a writer.

The show demonstrates the challenges that three stars go through in their daily lives in NYC. The life of a writer, the head of social media, and the climbing fashion designer.

And above all, the way they lean on each other when they need support.

This show touched a sacred place in my heart that was previously only reserved for GoT — the seasons before season 8.

I’m here, in Tel Aviv, Israel, writing these words, dreaming that one day, maybe my words would reach higher places and impact more people.

Until then, I’ll keep writing and reaching whoever I can and pray that the next two seasons I have to watch will not be a huge letdown.

No spoilers for seasons Three and Four!
Thank you for reading.