Hello, and welcome to Volume 46 of the Underground Binder Clip Society.
It’s a sad thing. Our desire for digital confectionary over spiritual sustenance. Dopamine more than knowledge. A quick laugh more than long peace. I am a guilty consumer. And a perpetual perpetrator.
In one hand I wield a flip phone. A signposting of digital abstinence. A practical solution to addiction.
In the other, I wield an ultra-portable super-computer. The iPhone. A tool. But also, a crack pipe.
My dear friends,
don’t we all know this?
It’s hard to tell which direction is up while being thrashed by a wave of this size. But I have found ways to come up for air. Life vests. Life boats even.
I have finished songs, and albums. Poems and Essays. Made friends with neighbors. All the while keeping the algorithm mostly out of my mind. Yet, I have been bred to live in a never ending assessment of my life’s potential for monetization. In my research I have come to find many hard truths. One of which being that art being good does not mean that it will be consumed. This is old truth. But I feel it reigning ever-more-true as I see my quite talented friends lose their spots in line to folks who have simply become greater “players of the game.” I feel, and have been told — without asking — that my work is easily consumable and likely even enjoyable at times. Yet, without continual content creation, I lose my spot in line. If i’m not willing to show up, there are plenty of people who are. Their music might not be half as good. But they’re showing up to try and sell it.
Let me try and put it another way.
Have you ever heard of “yellow meat” watermelon? Probably not. But if you had, you’d know that it tastes a lot like the watermelon you know and love. You’ve just never given it a chance. Not because you’re prejudice towards it. Just because you’ve never heard of it. But say it was offered to you by a trusted friend, and they said to you “try this, it’s quite good.”
You’d probably try it, enjoy it, and pass on the recommendation.
Social media is the one big party that everyones gonna be at for the rest of all time.
I’ve been trying to bring my funny little watermelon to this party for years now. And I still feel a little weird about it. It’s my thing. And some people are down with it. But a lot of people have never even heard of it.
Nowadays, I know better than to stay at the party for too long. It drains me. Starts to make me question who I am, and what i’m worth, and who my friends are. Besides, this was meant to be a drop-in sort of thing anyways. I was just coming to show my face, and I did. So I can leave now. Right? But wait. It seems like there are some pretty interesting people here. I bet there are some folks here who might really “get me.” At least some people who’d be willing to taste this weird little watermelon i’ve brought along.
I mean, I did drive all the way out here,
so I guess I should stay awhile.
Has anybody got a knife? Time to cut this bad boy open.
Yours Truly,
Jake Smith
Here are this week’s “Quick Clips”:
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