Lots of little bits to share this week, and hopefully things to make you think too – let me know if you have anything you want to share next Sunday!
A few weeks ago, Caroline Calloway, and Instagram influencer, hit headlines for a ‘scam’ tour to $165 workshops on how to be a creative. She was first called out by a journalist on Twitter who detailed further here, and then journalists went to her workshop, and then this think piece appeared. The influencer economy is relatively unregulated, allowing ‘cancel culture’ to flourish and bullying to escalate. Importantly though, conversations are happening about not just authenticity and influencers copying others’ work, but also on how we sell creativity. Instagram has long been a platform for selling messages, particular in the self-help genre. Whatever you think of Calloway, it’s important to note where the money supposedly supporting individualism goes (the 1%), and how authenticity becomes fake when consumed en masse – everything becomes homogenous and everyone is selling the same messages (creative fulfillment). What happens when creativity becomes commodity? Has it always been this way? Using a personal brand to be relatable to make money is certainly not new. But Instagram allows a vacuum in which a personal brand can be scaled for influence. It’s a shame, because I do consider myself a creative person. I’m not out to make money. I’m out to share stories. And when I think of influence, I like to think of servant leadership, not Instagram personalities. It frustrates me when words are taken out of context, but that’s what the internet does so well. I know this is a long opening. But this is important for me to share. I hope it makes you think about the impact social media is having on our lives.
Also, I read this argument for having a hobby without the side hustle (it does ignore the fact that some people literally have to side hustle to survive) last year and thought of it again when writing this first bit.
Maria Popova is a delight in every way, and her new book Figuring is now out (preordered and on its way). This profile is a great intro, and this podcast ep with Krista Tippett from the On Being project I mentioned last week is a gem. What Popova discusses in relation to the internet and how it has stifled our willingness and patience to digest knowledge is one that inspires me endlessly.
I’ve been thinking about the publishing industry over the past year and how power and politics plays out in this particular arena. This exposé on A. J. Finn is a fascinating one for its sense of inevitability.
I love Gobe’s blog posts almost as much as their mission to sell camera lens filters and plant trees. This one on the power of photography, well, it’s powerful indeed.
Here’s an album I happened upon for you to enjoy.
The Marie Kondo phenomenon of decluttering seems at first glance a good idea, but two things have made me feel uncomfortable. Firstly, the lack of context; for instance, Kondo’s home country is renowned for its small living spaces. Secondly, the way Kondo is treated with a kind of condescension. I’ve watched every TV show interview she’s done, and I can’t help but feel conscious of the way it feels like people are laughing at her. This Bustle article goes into this feeling way better than I can articulate.
I have noticed a lot of recent discontent on Instagram regarding original content, so this New Yorker article caught my attention immediately. The question of authorship is age old, and this is just another take on it.
I love Sézane, the most quintessential French brand of the past few years. Their newest jewellery lookbook has me putting a few things on my wishlist.
And on a more inspirational note, here’s a Victoria Erickson quote I’m loving right now: “When connections are real, they simply never die. They can be buried, or ignored or walked away from, but never broken. If you deeply resonated with another person or place, the connection remains despite any distance, time, situation, lack of presence, or circumstance. If you’re doubtful then just try it – go and visit a person or place and see if there’s any sense at all of the space between now and then. If it was truly real, you’ll be instantly swept back into the moment it was before it left – during the same year and place with the same wonder and hope, comfort and heartbeat. Real connections live on forever.”
Til next week -nat 🥀♥️