zfaust
This is a visual experiment.
For the last few years I teetered with the idea of starting a blog. But a blog felt weighted. I’d need to think of a subject or a niche to focus on. Brainstorm several posts, draft them, create an account on Instagram or TikTok to promote it, and then eventually sell ad space on it to afford the web hosting fees.
I didn’t want to focus on branding or writing editorial thought pieces claiming to know more than my peers. I didn’t want to write listacles, faux brand deals, or portray a lifestyle I didn’t authentically live.
But in the same breath, I didn’t want to be forgotten.
If we’re not online then do we even exist?
I mean, if I Google a restaurant and they don’t have a website with a full menu (and prices), then I’m sure as shit not eating there. That’s bogus.
Even more bogus is my mind has been conditioned to think that though process is normal.
I know on a surface level that having no digital presence is more than okay. But a little deeper down I know it’s precarious. Not being online means being out of the zeitgeist. It can be severely detrimental to life down the road.
Not having an Instagram while dating is a red flag. If your presence can’t be verified within a few clicks (and a few photos) then your chances of meeting someone dwindle. Similarly, the same thing happens if you’re not on LinkedIn and you’re desperate for a job. Not being online can have serious consequences in the real world.
But being online is a dangerous slope. The algorithm, the formulas that determine whether our stuff gets shown to those who do and don’t follow us, plays with our minds.
If we don’t get enough engagement within a certain time period our chances of being seen go down. The same thing happens if we don’t use a specific keyword, song, trend, remix, or whatever. The cesspool becomes a constant regurgitation of the same stuff just produced by different people.
And the fact of it all is most of it isn’t good. The desire to be seen is far greater than the desire to be good at something. The lookmaxxers don’t care about their health, they care about being hot. The muscle bros don’t love the mental benefits from working out, they love how big their muscles get while doping up. And the logo designers don’t care about creating memorable marks, they care about brand deals with Espresso.
This limits our ability to be different. This affects our freedom to create within the moment. Even if we’re not chasing followers the algorithm will still prevent our stuff from being seen by our families and friends.
I don’t want to worry about that anymore. I despise perfection. It’s overated. It’s stupid. Sure, it has it’s place and purpose in certain contexts, but me sharing a quick thought or creation shouldn’t be scrutinized under those standards.
I miss the age of social media when we could experiment. I could be struck with inspiration, quicky slap something together, and share it. We could do as we pleased. I miss the time where 15 likes on a sketch felt amazing. Getting a comment felt like a pat on the back.
Now every single thing must be perfect. It must be likable. It must be diesrable.
If not, then it’s not even worth posting.
But is that reality? Jess Henderson writes, “Ad-hoc creation is more intuitive, truthful, and alive than the outputs of the traditional process.” In response to the perfection of content, it’s just not a realistic standard for eveyone. But in a world of influencers and brand deals, it’s understandable why that kind of content perseveres.
Unforuntately, being bound to the algorithm restricts the freedom that can be reached through experimentation.
In response to the shackles of these platforms, I’ve created this space to serve as a personal incubator to house my own thoughts, ideas, and visual experiments as they come to me.
This is a space free from perfection. Free from trends. And free from the algorithm. Rife with spelling errors, luke-warm takes, and uncentered graphics, I just don’t care about prioritizing the finished product here.
This is a test to see how an ecosystem like this grows. How it responds and reacts to the daily changes I face. It is a space where speculation can be planted, and allows for the digital environment to let it thrive, or remain frozen in place. With no pressure to survive or grow beyond existence, this is a personal Eden secluded from the tribulations of the algorithm.