#6: Craftsmanship & Avatars
FIRST, AN ODE TO THE WRITTEN WORD
Here I am, sitting in your little mind.
Grabbing something neat, grabbing my notes.
Is it me or you talking?
You would know better than me.
I'm not talking to you, because idk who you are.
but if you're like me, then it might feel otherwise.
I think the written word is the coolest form of technology humans have ever invented. Think about it. I’m literally inside your brain right now as you read genuine thoughts of mine I might have had months ago. It's time travel and teleportation combined. It's honestly such an intimate relationship between reader and writer, between me and you. It's the closest thing we have to magic. Yes, the iPhone is cool too. Fire as well, I know.. :l
But if writing has proved anything, it's that humans will always, for the rest of eternity, look for more efficient and intimate ways to express themselves and connect with one another. There's too much shit going on in our heads and we'll always need outlets.
I think the key to writing is unlearning what you've learned so you can allow yourself to learn what needs to be learned (which honestly is a skill that applies to other things more important than writing). Don't write what you were taught, write what you feel. It's unfortunate we were all raised to think there was a standard way to write, but the key is finding how to express your own uniqueness that we all have.
The dark side of writing though is learning when to shut the fuck up. Like right now.
But I'm a glass deep and have some more thoughts.
CRAFTSMANSHIP IS EVERYTHING
Our entire lives, every single second, are devoted to crafting ourselves. Our thoughts, which lead to decisions, which lead to actions, which then lead to some type of result, which over time builds our identity, is all a 24/7 non stop beautifully continuous craft. And we're the subject, the one doing the action, and the object, the one receiving the action. We're both. And we do that dance all day, all life.
I've been so stuck on this idea of creation. Of progress. Innovation. Humans can't exist without it, but at the same time it's almost like we don't have a say in it. Inventing gives us a fucking high. That's no accident..
Raising a child is creation. Buying a car is creation. Coloring flowers in a book is creation. Taking the cheese off your sandwich is creation. The clothes you choose to wear is creation. Thinking is creating. It's a constant self-editing process. You're creating your life. We either create or die.
We're constantly trying to shape our current reality to conform to some nonexistent desired reality we have in our heads (asking yourself where that desired reality comes from is for another day). Sometimes that reality can be intangible, like a blurry object in the distance, and a feeling alone drives our need for that undefined reality. Regardless though, we're all striving to create some type of desired reality whether we're fully aware of it or not, even if that desired reality is to not desire anything 🧘♂️
This is why the tech industry is funny to me, because everyone talks about creation and innovation as if it's some unique path they've chosen and they hold the keys to "good creation." Everyone talks about "creating the future" as if it was some divine task bestowed upon them by the gods above. As if progress isn't the unavoidable beating heart of the entire human race. In reality, every single of us is creating the future, even if it's just personal to us. Innovation is just that, at scale.
AVATARS
So the reason I'm genuinely obsessed with avatars is because, if designed with this intent in mind, they can essentially give you the ability to create a version of yourself based on how you've always envisioned yourself. We're constantly tweaking our physical selves, why not have a digital self you can practice on? One where you can risk it a little more? Where your reputation and identity are not on the line? Imagine you just got stranded on an island with 20 people you've never met. Been shy for the last 20 years? Hell, now's your time to try being confident. It's a chance to start over. Go have fun, change your name, cut your hair, see what you discover about yourself. That's the feeling I want people to have when they play with an avatar.
There's this principle in psychology (forgot what it was called) that basically outlines how we carry emotions over from one interaction to the next. Imagine you go in for a job interview, you nail it, then you go grab lunch with your friend. The confidence you felt during your job interview is going to carry over to lunch.
This also happens from the digital to physical world. Imagine you're in a bad mood, you go on TikTok for half n hour, laugh a bit, then go eat dinner. You might be in a "feel good" mood. Alternatively, you might go on Instagram for a bit, get massive FOMO, then go try to enjoy dinner with your dog alone on the couch..
So with avatars, this same type of emotional transference can happen. If you have been "using" your avatar for let's say 30 minutes, and that avatar was designed to enable you to express new and experimental aspects of yourself, then it could cause you to feel more comfortable expressing those parts of yourself in the physical world. It could help you discover authentic aspects of yourself that would have otherwise been hidden.
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Food for thought. Happy Holidays. Befriend your mind. Put your phone/computer away for a few days. Take a walk. Alright I'm done. Cya next year 😛