I'd Rather Build Bridges Than Burn Them

Profession reveal!! My day job is being an architect.

And as an architect, I know that every project begins before anyone else can see it. It starts as an idea, then a sketch, followed by countless decisions and late nights that eventually become something real. The Hudson Williams Project followed the same path. What began as an idea eventually became a space of its own, created with care, intention, and the hope that people would genuinely enjoy spending time here. It just happens to exist online.

And for once I wasn't building something because capitalism told me to. I was building this out of love and admiration for Hudson, with the hope of creating a place that reflected that.

Honestly, I had no idea if anyone would care. There are already some great fan pages for Hudson that I truly admire. But at some point, I realized I wanted to create something of my own too. I joked that I was probably going to explode if I didn't make something for Hudson soon, and honestly, that's not too far from the truth. In the end, I wasn't expecting anything huge. I just hoped that maybe a few people would find something useful, or simply a place they were happy to visit from time to time.

One month later, seeing the support this project has received has been incredibly special. Every visit, every kind message, every share, and every person who has taken the time to explore the site has meant a lot.

As of the day this post goes live, the Hudson Williams Project has received over 13,000 visits. People from all around the world have accessed the website and taken the time to learn more about Hudson and his work. And honestly, whether someone arrived here already knowing and appreciating him or discovered him for the first time, knowing they left with even a little more love and admiration for Hudson means everything to me. That is the purpose behind this project.

So this post is a thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has sent a kind word my way. Thank you for supporting something I wasn't even sure would work. Every bit of encouragement has meant more than I can properly put into words.

A special thank you goes to the other Hudson fan accounts who took the time to send supportive DMs and share my introduction posts. Shoutout for helping welcome this project into the community. It reminded me of something important: even if people don't always see eye to eye 👀, we are all working toward the same goal: supporting and celebrating Hudson and his career.

While this is a celebration post, I also believe it's important to be honest about some conversations that have happened along the way. So, I'd like to address some concerns that have been shared about me and how I have approached this project.

As we've all come to learn, people have not always had kind things to say about Hudson. Some of those conversations have gone far beyond criticism, and I want to be very clear: I have zero tolerance for any form of racism, bigotry, or discrimination.

I understand that people, myself included, have been genuinely hurt by the things said online about Hudson, and I understand why that can make it difficult to trust new people. At the same time I believe there are more good people than bad in the world, but the negative voices often tend to be loud. We just have to make our voices of love and support even louder. And I also believe people deserve to be seen for their own words and actions.

I have invested a considerable amount of time, effort, and money into this. No one asked me to, and I'm fully aware of that. That being said, I won't allow the intention behind this project or my support for Hudson to be questioned based on assumptions rather than my own words and actions. I choose not to view this community through a lens of division. If you looked at everything I've made for Hudson and still think I'm not here to support him through anything and everything... you might need glasses.

I'll make mistakes. I probably already have. I'm not perfect, you're not perfect. None of us are. We are all human, and I think it's important to remember that when we talk about one another. I also don't want to walk on eggshells or be afraid to lead this space in the way I see fit. If I make a mistake, I'll admit it. I have no problem taking accountability when I'm wrong. But until then, I don't want fear to guide the way I run this site. I also have a sense of humor. It's actually one of the things I connected with most with Hudson. My personality will come through in these blog posts and in the reaction videos I share on twitter.

I don't see the world in black and white. When you do that, you stop seeing all the colors in between. People are complex, situations are complex, and there is almost always more to a story than what we see at first. More than anything, I believe we can all come together, just like we did last December when we got to meet Hudson for the first time.

I know that bridges are not always easy to build, but they are never impossible.

Trust me, I'm an architect. I should know. 😉

……

I've also just opened the Hudson Williams Project Photo Gallery!

A special thank you to Grayson Lang for generously sharing an exclusive photo for the gallery opening. Having this kind of support for this project means a lot!

(Disclaimer: I've never actually built a bridge in my life.)