← but some part is blaring and perfect →



i'm ian, i've got music in my pores—but i love reading, tinkering, and experimenting pretty holistically: a mile across, but only a few inches deep in places. you probably have got an adequate intuition for that if you're here



@ıI||||||Iı#ıI||||||Iı@ıI||||||Iı#ıI||||||Iı@ıI||||||Iı



(abridged) list of current projects:

🎼final revisions, electronica LP
🀄svg timeline, china's dynastic history
mixed media video essay, chess history


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learning chinese⇒ 🀄 ⇒@cidian
〃to be a person⇒ 🦒 ⇒@aquamanile


✨X≡¤≈∶∓⹀)⁄⁏;-ɐ±‥≁ɚ×—≡¤≈∶⹀⁏|∣-♯‥≁ɚ×✨



🧿🏡🧿https://ianremsen.nand.sh
🎶🎼🎛https://audio.com/ia.remsen
🔡🗨🔡@​iar:matrix.org
🐘⚗🐘@ian@​cathode.church
🐘🎹🐘@ian@​musicians.today


last.fm listening



nomnomnami
@nomnomnami

am i doing it this way/making it like this because:

  • i like it
  • it's fun for me
  • it makes sense/satisfies my goals

vs

am i doing it this way/making it like this because:

  • it's how i've seen other people do it
  • it's what you're supposed to do (right???)
  • it will have farther reach/be more profitable

if you're motivated by the latter and your output is lower or stress is higher because of it... just take a step back. you'll have a better time and be more sustainable in the long run if you get yourself out of that grindset.

if you chose to do something because it was fun, and the final product falls short of your expectations, you're going to be way more ok with that than if you chose to do something because you thought it would get more attention and then just doesn't. because in the first case, at least you had fun.

idk, embrace intrinsic motivation for a better shot at extrinsic success.


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in reply to @nomnomnami's post:

This is really good advice. I've struggled with this several times in the past and I'm trying to focus more on not worrying about others' future perception of my work while I'm still doing it

Preach it! lol, it took me forever to learn this lesson but I think it’s finally sinking in :D

I would also throw in: Don’t do it because you think it will make friends or family happy either. I mean, I don’t personally suggest pissing your family off on purpose (though ymmv), but spending time trying to impress your family and friends has much of the same effect as trying to “please the crowd” to be profitable.

At least that’s been my experience.