seems counter-intuitive, i suppose, as I truly aspire to be less online. to know less about the lives of strangers, to be aware of fewer beans dads and chili neighbors, to truly and intimately know the bliss that is ignorance.
but at the same time, i want to create an outlet for myself.
writing thoughts into words, using words to form a shape for the thoughts swirling nebulously in my head, has always been a kind of... catharsis, for me. as far back as high school, i was using writing to give form to feelings, doing stuff like writing poems to try to figure out which girl i liked more. (not that either of them liked me back, but that's beside the point.) the point is that until given form, feelings are nebulous, and don't have definitive edges.
that form can be a conversation, or it can be a blog post.
sometimes the nebulaeity of thought is useful. making deep and insightful connections between nearly but not fully disparate things is how one evaluates the metaphors for real life that are so deeply ingrained in capital-c-culture and capital-a-art. but once those connections are gleaned, once the metaphors are unraveled, one needs a method to communicate those connections to the rest of the world.
i want to be able to more easily analyze and philosophize, to be more thoughtful and critical in my approach to and view of the world, and to be able to form more deeper connections with the media and art and culture that i experience.
and in order to do that, i need to know the language of criticism. i need to absorb the culture. and i need to engage in the practice.
so. 2023. new years resolutions:
- read more (books, lit; theory, crit)
- watch more (films + cinema, but not movies. television, but not shows.)
- post more (thoughts and feelings given form)
- win more (fortnite dubs)
happy new year, internet. see you again soon.