i think that being doomed "viral" is such a draning and repettive process that is also so limiting. people expect you to stay in the same lane that got you viral and maybe that's not your nature and i think that's why we are seeing the same posts written by different people on here, everybody is trying to write something to go "viral" and they just end up being stuck and doing less job in getting out good pieces and essays. i also think it's great that you're on your own lane that is so fresh and unique. great stuff as alawys!
the worst thing too is a lot of people get addicted to that moment of their fame and spend years trying to build a career off of it when in the end all it does is evaporate the nuances off of their lives
i’m reading this at the beach but i had to click on this because of the title. i went viral on substack a couple of months ago and i think it did more hurt than good to me because now people expect me to write only one specific type of piece and that’s just not who i am. yes gaining subscribers is good and all but i want it to be because people genuinely vibe with my content not just because they like one viral piece. btw i love your writing style and your movie choices, xx
Agreee!! Same thing happened to me, and now people want me to write life advice all the time and I'm like uh well I'm only 30, I only have so much advice haha
some of these people online don’t know anything at 70 imo, but also at the end of the day knowing things and having life advice is nothing compared to actually living life in and for itself
first of all - hello fellow chicagoan. if your band West Wash has an instagram i can't find it.
anyway, i would say that the dilution of what it means to be "famous" thanks to the internet has also, in turn, diluted the content we consume so frequently. it has to be quick and digestible, with a sort of "benefit" at the end, whether that be convincing us to buy something or recommending us the BEST!!!<3<3 birria tacos in chicagoland, or enraging us on what is going on in the world (and not in the good way).
this is a tired argument at this point but something i think about a lot as i try to turn away from my years-long psychosis of scrolling through tik tok/instagram reels and back into reading books, watching movies, listening to albums all the way through. the purpose of engaging in creation, whether it be through writing, acting, fine arts, video-making, etc. etc., with the goal of being "famous" has never /really/ worked but has been bastardized even more so now when people are ravenous to monetize their content, as you said.
A hard thing to explain to people is that there's a difference between Notoriety and Significance; + only a very few people are lucky enough to be given both.
Of all the musicians I know and work with, almost none hope for notoriety; but every one (including me) hopes to become significant.
Sadly, that seems more out of reach than ever, tho'.
I was literally just having a conversation with my partner last night about how inhumane MJ's level of fame was. It gets to a point where you find yourself in a diamond-encrusted prison. It's more difficult to sustain genuine community that way. I'd love to be able to cover my necessities with the art that I make, and that requires a good amount of people being familiar with my work, but being unable to run errands without being swarmed by people sounds like a nightmare to me.
So good! I like the meaningful changes in this essay’s writing style and literary form, the way your top notch writing has different chapters to allow readers to be immersed in small vignettes of feeling alive in this world. Sorry about that sense of being trapped in the mundane machinery of the daily grind at work. I love how your wonderful stories balance an unbridled post modernist critique of the capitalist status quo while also showing glimpses of what it feels like to be alive, living in a world full of hopes and dreams and striving for creativity in the arts with one’s whole heart and soul. I remember your essay on Twitter virility a year back, god damn that one was brutal. Anyhow I love this essay. brilliant and beautiful writing as always. So wonderful to meet you, Griffin G-iffin. In fact I took out my pens to fix the typo on the print paper. Drew a few running horses too. Seriously once in a lifetime kinda moment there, meeting a group full of devoted and loving writer people. Congrats on publishing! <3
i think that being doomed "viral" is such a draning and repettive process that is also so limiting. people expect you to stay in the same lane that got you viral and maybe that's not your nature and i think that's why we are seeing the same posts written by different people on here, everybody is trying to write something to go "viral" and they just end up being stuck and doing less job in getting out good pieces and essays. i also think it's great that you're on your own lane that is so fresh and unique. great stuff as alawys!
the worst thing too is a lot of people get addicted to that moment of their fame and spend years trying to build a career off of it when in the end all it does is evaporate the nuances off of their lives
i’m reading this at the beach but i had to click on this because of the title. i went viral on substack a couple of months ago and i think it did more hurt than good to me because now people expect me to write only one specific type of piece and that’s just not who i am. yes gaining subscribers is good and all but i want it to be because people genuinely vibe with my content not just because they like one viral piece. btw i love your writing style and your movie choices, xx
Agreee!! Same thing happened to me, and now people want me to write life advice all the time and I'm like uh well I'm only 30, I only have so much advice haha
Really enjoyed this!
you don’t know everything at 30 tbh and people shouldn’t hold you to that standard ugh
some of these people online don’t know anything at 70 imo, but also at the end of the day knowing things and having life advice is nothing compared to actually living life in and for itself
seriously!! Like if you’re looking for advice please follow someone with more wisdom lol
first of all - hello fellow chicagoan. if your band West Wash has an instagram i can't find it.
anyway, i would say that the dilution of what it means to be "famous" thanks to the internet has also, in turn, diluted the content we consume so frequently. it has to be quick and digestible, with a sort of "benefit" at the end, whether that be convincing us to buy something or recommending us the BEST!!!<3<3 birria tacos in chicagoland, or enraging us on what is going on in the world (and not in the good way).
this is a tired argument at this point but something i think about a lot as i try to turn away from my years-long psychosis of scrolling through tik tok/instagram reels and back into reading books, watching movies, listening to albums all the way through. the purpose of engaging in creation, whether it be through writing, acting, fine arts, video-making, etc. etc., with the goal of being "famous" has never /really/ worked but has been bastardized even more so now when people are ravenous to monetize their content, as you said.
it's basically harmful to everybody involved
heck yeah! thank god not everyone here is in new york or london lol
and i agree 1000%
(band insta is https://www.instagram.com/westwash__/ btw)
A hard thing to explain to people is that there's a difference between Notoriety and Significance; + only a very few people are lucky enough to be given both.
Of all the musicians I know and work with, almost none hope for notoriety; but every one (including me) hopes to become significant.
Sadly, that seems more out of reach than ever, tho'.
thank u for writing whatever whenever
I was literally just having a conversation with my partner last night about how inhumane MJ's level of fame was. It gets to a point where you find yourself in a diamond-encrusted prison. It's more difficult to sustain genuine community that way. I'd love to be able to cover my necessities with the art that I make, and that requires a good amount of people being familiar with my work, but being unable to run errands without being swarmed by people sounds like a nightmare to me.
literally. like i can’t imagine how dehumanizing it must have been
I love the idea of this essay, and I love how it's formatted, structured and worded. fantastic stuff man
thank u thank u
So good! I like the meaningful changes in this essay’s writing style and literary form, the way your top notch writing has different chapters to allow readers to be immersed in small vignettes of feeling alive in this world. Sorry about that sense of being trapped in the mundane machinery of the daily grind at work. I love how your wonderful stories balance an unbridled post modernist critique of the capitalist status quo while also showing glimpses of what it feels like to be alive, living in a world full of hopes and dreams and striving for creativity in the arts with one’s whole heart and soul. I remember your essay on Twitter virility a year back, god damn that one was brutal. Anyhow I love this essay. brilliant and beautiful writing as always. So wonderful to meet you, Griffin G-iffin. In fact I took out my pens to fix the typo on the print paper. Drew a few running horses too. Seriously once in a lifetime kinda moment there, meeting a group full of devoted and loving writer people. Congrats on publishing! <3
it was so fun!
I like the new sections about the subway and netflix. It somehow ties in nicely to the writing despite the difference in voice
thank u yeah i was hoping it fit, just a matter of using editing to smooth things out yk
Yes! I appreciate the experimenting! It very much gives more depth to your style
thanks jorjor wel
please.. call me mr wel
very good