You Have to See It!

Atypical forms of Resistance

Someone has said this to you. Probably many times.

You have to see it!!

But… you don’t.

Sure, maybe you don’t actually want to see whatever it is that was suggested.

Another possibility is that it’s not the kind of thing you enjoy/value exposing yourself to.

Maybe you already engage in enough of the same.

The concern I’m focusing on, here, is diversification of media consumption.

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Why you need a diverse media diet.

So, you’re not like everyone else.

I was about to write that we all live in “the same reality” though that feels increasingly not the case. Even still, we are exposed to a wide variety of the same culture.

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Atypical media consumption is especially essential for artist types.

For writer/artist types, I’d argue it’s important that you are not fully engaged with all things mainstream.

I’m not saying you can’t know enough to be good at pop culture trivia— it’s more about your level of consumption across the board. If we all have the same touchstones, then we’re more likely to think and create similarly. After all, we all live in the zeitgeist and this results in a kind of cultural osmosis.

By limiting our exposure to certain common media and everyday experiences, and instead focusing on niche interests, we’re curating a selfhood that is both more authentic and particular. We can then bring this to our art.