Skool Magazine — Issue 15 By Cristal Vancarson I have a confession. I love Skool communities! Every time I discover a new one, something interesting is happening. Someone teaches a new skill, hosts a LIVE event, shares an experience, or creates something I never even thought about. And before I know it, I've joined another community! Sound familiar? As I approach my first anniversary on Skool, I've discovered that one of my biggest challenges isn't finding communities worth joining. It's finding enough time to participate in all of them! So Many Communities, So Little Time Every community offers something valuable. There are classrooms filled with lessons, LIVE events, challenges, networking opportunities, and wonderful people to meet. But here's where things get interesting. You join a community because something catches your attention. Then you discover another community that teaches something completely different. Before long, your calendar is filling up with LIVE events, your notifications are multiplying, and you're wondering how you're going to keep up with everyone! And that's before you've even worked on your own business! In my case, I'm running my Photography by Cristal community, photographing clients remotely around the world, and sharing my memoir journey LIVE, raw, and unedited. I've also created Memoir School, a place for writers to share their experiences, preserve their memories, and bring their stories to life. And somewhere between all of that, I'm still discovering wonderful Skool communities I want to be part of! Membership vs. Participation Here's something I've been thinking about. Does joining a community mean we're actually participating in it? We can belong to dozens of communities, but realistically, how many can we actively engage with? And does being less active mean we're getting less value? I don't think so. Sometimes we're learning quietly. Sometimes we're busy building our own businesses. And sometimes we simply don't have enough hours in the day.

I have some news to share with you! A while ago, someone posing as a Skool official contacted me. They said my community would be shut down unless I gave them my debit card. It was a scam. I didn’t give them anything, and I warned everyone I could. That story will be in next month’s Skool Magazine! 📰 After that, I made our community private for a while to keep us safe. Photography by Cristal was public for almost a year, and that’s how so many of you found us. So I’m taking us public again, because nobody is going to stop us from being seen for the work we’re building here. 💛 A quick safety reminder: 🔒 Skool will never ask for your card number in a message. 🚩 If anyone pressures you to pay or threatens to close your account, don’t reply. Report it to Skool’s support team, and let me know. Thank you for being here, and for everything we’re building together. 📸 I don’t just take photos — I capture who you’re becoming. Cristal

From modeling and acting in Hollywood and Tokyo to photographing people around the world LIVE from their own homes, what a journey it's been! And this week, I published TWO books! 🎉 ❤️ Someday, I’ll Be a Model! An illustrated true story for tweens and teens (12–16) about a Valley girl who chose her dream of modeling over a brand-new skateboard! 🎬 I Escaped Hollywood, Barely. Five unforgettable true stories from my Hollywood and international modeling adventures in the 1980s! Both Kindle editions are LIVE! One paperback is published, and the other is on its way! 📖 Someday, I’ll Be a Model! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP33J119 📖 I Escaped Hollywood, Barely. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNWBRJQK ❤️ Have you ever reinvented yourself or discovered a new passion later in life?

I’m so excited to share this with you: my first book, I Escaped Hollywood, Barely., is now live on Amazon in paperback and Kindle! It’s a collection of true short stories from my memoir about modeling and acting in Hollywood and Japan in the 1980s: 🎬 My best friend on Sunset Boulevard ✂️ The haircut that took me from tears to a billboard on Sunset ✈️ Leaving home for Tokyo at fifteen 📸 Nine auditions a day 💳 The only Visa card I ever needed 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNWDLF11 If you read it, an Amazon review would mean the world to me. Even one sentence helps. 💛 Cristal

@Michael LeBlanc 🎼 The other day, I accidentally clicked on a LIVE audio show when I saw a DM from @Americo Da Costa . I wasn't planning on being on a show, but somehow, THERE I WAS!!! 🎤🤣 And that's where I met this incredible man, @Michael LeBlanc! Michael is a singer, songwriter, and AI song producer who creates beautiful, heartfelt custom songs for podcasts and life's special moments! 🎶 HOW COOL IS THAT?! Michael, I am absolutely THRILLED that you've joined Photography by Cristal! What a wonderful surprise! Now, I have one little problem... MICHAEL!!! WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT SHOW WE WERE ON?! 😂 Was it Audio Only? Global Social Audio? I've been searching LinkedIn for Keith Keller, trying to solve this mystery! I remember meeting you and everyone. I remember having a wonderful time. I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE I WAS!!! 🤣🎤 But here's what I DO know: sometimes the most wonderful connections happen completely by accident! And now we have a talented musician and creative storyteller joining our community! Michael, I would LOVE for you to tell us more about your music, your creative projects, and what you're working on! EVERYBODY, PLEASE GIVE MICHAEL A HUGE HOLLYWOOD WELCOME!!! 🎬🎉 CLICK! CLICK! BOOM! 📸💥 @Americo Da Costa