and because of that, not only did I get to see some of the most inspiring work and writing from people I followed, but I also got to see people who I thought I kinda had figured out from previous social media show new sides of themselves. When a certain "brand", consistency or type of "content" isn't prioritized for an algorithm, you get to actually see more sides of the interesting humans on these feeds. Give people a form and they're going to print inside the lines carefully, respond appropriately. Give people a blank page and they are gonna fill it up with what they're most passionate about, and make it all fit whatever way they can.
I think that we were lucky to have cohost for long enough to see people really blossom in this way. The saddest thing in its passing would be to see that go away, so wherever you go next, I hope you can treat it more like a blank page than a form. As an artist, I still have to be as many places as possible, so I will be begrudgingly filling out some forms as long as they remain a thing, but my personal website and blog will still be blank pages, and my musical canvas will always be a blank page. That last point brings me to another one--things you own and control ALWAYS feel more like blank pages, so try if you can to find or make somewhere like that online. It would be a shame to see all of you stuffed into forms again.
You never know what things you create will turn into. A lot of the time, it's something for you to enjoy and think about to keep your heart burning while you're working a day job or waiting in line at the DMV. Like yeah, I fucking did that shit. Then, sometimes a Jet Set Radio fan album that started on a whim literally saves your life, lol. cohost started as a small thing, and look how many blank pages it's filled up, pages that are now all riding the wind out to the greater internet to share their inscribed passions. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the coolest things that happen in the next ten years online have some relation to cohost. Thank you all for showing me so much of yourselves, and of what's possible. Keep filling out their forms with knives, and scraping out blank pages wherever you can.
p.s. https://2mello.net is pretty standard right now but I'm gonna really embrace it in the coming year.
