Leg on the Stool and How I Should Release My Work
I think quite a bit about how I should release my work. I’m not sure if I could call this thinking analyzing though, because I doubt there’s a systematic approach that would qualify it for that category. The truth is that it cozies up closer to obsession, but if this is an obsession then I’m not sure what word I should use to explain the thoughts that actually take up the majority of my mental energy. The topics that seem to constantly caffeinate my brain until I fall asleep at four in the morning. (I have a hard time waking up early for some reason.) How I should present my work is really just a subset to what causes my manic thinking rather than it being the root. Whatever the case, I give it quite a bit of consideration. The following is a reluctant tip of the iceberg. Not because it’s not worth going into in depth about, but because I’m not a writer. It takes me too much time to formulate a good expression of what I really mean and that doesn’t even take into account whether or not I succeed. I will take advice from Chesterton though when he said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” This embodies my resolve to act more than I like to admit.
As I’m sure many are, I’m tired of social media, but maybe not for the reasons most seem to be. Censorship on Instagram and Facebook doesn’t bother me all that much to be honest. The double standards are obnoxious and are reminiscent of a grade school clique rather than a pervasive slight against me as a person. Though I get the postmodern outrage within this topic I’m still skeptical of the rationale. I know I am the product when it comes to these platforms and the platform doesn’t need me in the way I want to contribute. I’m willing to go elsewhere, because of this. The obvious next question then is where? In short, I don’t know. But, I don’t know if I care.
I like talking to people one on one. It’s why I made a podcast. I enjoy how information unfolds in dialog. When I talk like I am in this writing I feel like I’m just pontificating. I can still see the benefit though, because it challenges me to clarify my thoughts, which brings me back to the initial idea of why I started writing this post in the first place. Where do I give people my work? On top of that how do I sustain my work, but that’s a question for another time.
My conclusion, as of now, is that I just focus on offering it here. I know that most people don’t care about what I do and I’m genuinely good with that. In fact, I’d rather have depth of engagement rather than the volume, because what I offer isn’t fast food (or at least I hope it’s not). Why then would I present it on a platform that rewards split second metabolization? This can be harnessed no doubt, but I don’t know how to do it in a way that makes good use of my time. Part of my responsibility as an artist is that I give my work a chance. I doubt it has that much of one on social media. Because of this I’d rather let it live in my little corner of the world then fit my round peg into a square screen. Maybe one day I’ll figure out a productive way to accommodate it that is mutually beneficial for both Zuckerberg and me. In the meantime, I’ll only make noise as it makes sense to me.
Photo of Hannah from earlier this month.