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This weekend, I started to write my next essay.
It's on a topic I've been thinking about and taking notes around since before I finished writing "Being Alone"
But today, I started the fresh doc where I actually write the words.
And goodness it is daunting. https://twitter.com/ankitshah/status/1264706200832106496
It's on a topic I've been thinking about and taking notes around since before I finished writing "Being Alone"
But today, I started the fresh doc where I actually write the words.
And goodness it is daunting. https://twitter.com/ankitshah/status/1264706200832106496
Just while trying to outline the range of ideas I want to cover, figuring out what ideas connect to what, what the point of the essay even is, I started to remember:
Writing and publishing "Being Alone" literally took me 5 months.
It was unbelievably hard and exhausting.
Writing and publishing "Being Alone" literally took me 5 months.
It was unbelievably hard and exhausting.
I sort of forgot how much work it was to produce it because, to be honest, I haven't read this essay once since the day I published it.
Most of my relationship to the essay since then has actually been to the reflections that others have had to it—not the writing itself.
Most of my relationship to the essay since then has actually been to the reflections that others have had to it—not the writing itself.
The reason this is weird is because I sort of forgot how to write an essay in the midst of all the tweeting and emailing with people who read the essay that I spent 5 months writing.
So now, faced with a blank page and a blinking cursor, I need to re-learn how to even start.
So now, faced with a blank page and a blinking cursor, I need to re-learn how to even start.
The working title of my next essay is: "A person on the internet"
I'm sure the message will evolve as I write, but atm, I plan to talk about...
- how we show up in digital spaces
- what social media is, how to make it work for you
- the difference btwn a person and a creator
I'm sure the message will evolve as I write, but atm, I plan to talk about...
- how we show up in digital spaces
- what social media is, how to make it work for you
- the difference btwn a person and a creator
To me, this is the second most important thing I could write about (after the relationship we form with ourselves, obviously)
As more of our lives move to screens, text boxes, AirPods, we no longer use the internet to just express ourselves.
We use the internet to be ourselves.
As more of our lives move to screens, text boxes, AirPods, we no longer use the internet to just express ourselves.
We use the internet to be ourselves.
But we often forget what we came to the internet for.
We lose a sense of the person we bring to the screen in exchange for the summation of persons we brought prior.
For most, this happens without realizing it, and so we become unrecognizable to ourselves.
We lose a sense of the person we bring to the screen in exchange for the summation of persons we brought prior.
For most, this happens without realizing it, and so we become unrecognizable to ourselves.
How we connect, what we say, who we see ourselves to be, what we choose to listen to, how our minds are molded and formed, the many lives we lead
These are all, to a meaningful extent, matters that we have great control, influence and say over.
But first, we have to see it.
These are all, to a meaningful extent, matters that we have great control, influence and say over.
But first, we have to see it.
I'm really excited about this, and I'll try to tweet some updates as I make progress—especially to tease out some of the finer ideas I'm trying to get at here.
There are a lot of people around here that I know will have amazing perspectives that I'd love to mindmeld with.
There are a lot of people around here that I know will have amazing perspectives that I'd love to mindmeld with.
Also disclaimer: this essay is *not* coming out anytime soon.
It'll probably take me til the end of 2020 to publish.
I only have time for this 1 or 2 early mornings a week and one solid 4-8 hour stretch a weekend. As I'm quickly remembering, writing an essay like this is slow
It'll probably take me til the end of 2020 to publish.
I only have time for this 1 or 2 early mornings a week and one solid 4-8 hour stretch a weekend. As I'm quickly remembering, writing an essay like this is slow
