Away Message

Not having internet at my new place has been both a blessing & a curse. On the up-side, I get a lot more "real life" stuff done, but on the downside, I've turned into THAT person who sits for hours on end at the same coffee shop every day to catch up on everything I've missed online. Sad, isn't it? Living a dual life between the actual world & the virtual one. It would be concerning if I weren't immersed in an entire generation of addicts who thrive on over-exposure & false senses of connectivity just like I do. But I'm not complaining. No, sir. In fact, I embrace my Google-it culture. Everything is becoming so rapidly digitalized that it won't be long before tangible art forms are going to be glorified in counter-culture the same way that our generation embraces vinyl records and film prints. In 15 years, hipster snobs will brag about how they've thrown their Kindles away, and books & magazines will become collectors' items. 

I say, "Bring it on." 

The integrity of art has already been compromised to the point that anyone with an mp3 player can call themselves a DJ, and anyone with Photoshop & Flickr can pass as a photographer. (Don't even get me started on iPhone's "Hipstamatic" app. UGH.) Technology has eliminated the need for actual talent. So in the same way that printing more money devalues the bills already in circulation, digital art will dilute classic art and having the right skills won't be as important as having the right software. Sounds tragic, doesn't it? It's already happened. But what I hope for more than ever is that those truly visionary folks will find a way to shine again. I mean, to really push the limits, to create new forms of art that haven't yet been attempted and therefore, haven't been imitated. This is a pivotal time in creative culture with more opportunities than ever before. I'm both excited and terrified to witness it; what will be robbed from us, what the resistance will produce, and most importantly: 

How will I shine?