Haven’t been a subscriber for long, but my dads been sending me your work for a few months now and I can’t express how much I look forward to reading each and every new post. You inspire and educate, but more importantly you openly share and communicate your unique perspective with others, something I feel the world needs more of.
On a separate note, what for the ‘cans on the shelves of society’; “your telling bit of imagery” at the end of this weeks post? I’d love to hear your interpretation. Personally I feel as though the cans represent ideas which people resort to when there aren’t better ones available- I.e in formally being a low-income individual, I remember the days where all I could afford to eat were cans of beans and big bags of rice. Not that the other, much fresher and nutritious food wasn’t “available”, it just wasn't to me.
Well, as the author of the line, I can tell you what it means for me. But, don't let then constrict your interpretation!
I see is as what a lot of people do: instead of buying quality ingredients and learning to cook, they just grab a can off the shelves and eat.
Equally, instead of putting in the work, and working up the courage necessary to build character, they just grab a convenient identity wholesale and adopt it uncritically, with as much thought put in as in a ready-to-eat meal.
First of all, tell your Dad hi and that I send my regards.
Second, thanks for the kind words. And yes providing my perspective and viewpoint is my aim. I find description more enjoyable than explanation and I work on the assumption that my audience are smart, capable and curious enough to want to figure out their own conclusion even (or especially) if they differ from what I think the piece maybe about.
Third, the can image comes from one of the members of our premium discord so I suppose I would have to ask him. My interpretation is that it refers to something that is labelled, prepackaged, off the shelf. A poor version of fresh and nutritious fare but if it’s all the supermarket has you’ll take it. And of course the can as an image has Warholian overtones of art as mass produced business, which is not a bad description of the kind of ‘content’ I am always moaning about.
The idea of finding "your craft" has always been of utmost importance for me. I think I've already found mine, thanks to your work. Yes, I mentioned it many times but I'm will to mention it once again, because it's true. Plus, it was interesting to learn about your experience and how you get into writing yourself.
My journey started when I got bored with my 9-5 with the understanding that it's not what I really want to do. I felt that the generic question 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' wasn't that dumb as it seemed at first. The previous 5-10 years were exciting, I had certain goals, most of which I achieved, some of them accidentally; and some of them became goals retrospectively (funny, yes). But the upcoming 5-10 years didn't seem clear. The mundane and things I was doing every day seemed transient and I couldn't answer this question. Then I rediscovered writing (it was my hobby when I was a kid, maybe it tells something, you know?). It became a huge part of my life but I wasn't sure it's really THE thing. But then I discovered your newsletter, 'The Soaring Twenties', catacombs, Art vs Content, the cult, and all of these things that gave hope and help to find the answers to questions I couldn't answer on my own. Now I have 11 essays published, 2 drafts, a lot of stuff planned and the 5-10 years are clear.
> Every day is a blank page to write upon, a new block of marble to chip away at, a fresh silent space waiting to be filled with your music. The prospect of tomorrow elicits hope and not dread. Possibility and not apathy.
This is how I feel it now. This is something I needed to read and will read again when I will need it. Because this is something I was telling myself but couldn't be completely convinced I was doing the right thing.
And, again, I like looking for patterns and themes that weave throughout your work and this "Possibility not apathy" perfectly wraps up what 'The Soaring Twenties' are.
So, thank you, Tom, for a brilliant piece. This piece will be on my list of favourites. It would be my first recommendation when I share your newsletter with a friend. And, what's important as well, It will be an amazing opener for The Commonplace vol.2 😉
That’s very astute, John, this piece was explicitly written to be a strong opener for volume 2.
Now I just need to release volume 1!
And it’s interesting how you notice these links and motifs between pieces. I suppose they are there but they aren’t consciously planner, or at least not in any real methodical way. I just say what I feel, but I guess my beliefs fall into a set collection of brackets or themes. That’s what makes writing (and conversation) interesting- you learn what you think in the process of saying it.
And it's even better it's unintentional. I like how 'The Soaring Twenties' philosophy is naturally evolving over time. Such things cannot be planned. I'll dare to touch it in my upcoming essay! I hope it'll make a decent contribution :D
And, definitely, there's a lot of learning during the process. Sometimes you can learn even the opposite of your initial premise. Sometimes there's no premise and it just flows.
Thank you. I’m quite pleased with home it turns out. Although this weeks piece is turning into another moan about the reductive nature of ‘content’. Hahaha.
Really dug this piece. I've struggled with this as a writer, since my day job is copywriting for a PR agency. I enjoy aspects of my job, some of it is genuinely soul-sucking. I think starting on Substack has given me a creative outlet to give myself a sense of fulfillment. I think over time, you just start to appreciate the good things and learn to make the soul-sucking a little less draining. I wrote some similar sentiments if you're interested.
I agree with the appreciation of the good things that you mentioned. And on balance I think having a dayjob alongside some creative pursuit can be good. The artistry gives you something to look forward to and the dayjob offers a financial cushion so you don’t have to be a hack and ‘create content’ because you need the money.
The problem with the cheffing gig mentioned in today’s piece is that it took up all of my time and energy. Nothing left for me. That’s the situation to be avoided. With the balance fulfilment is perfectly possible, I believe.
I don’t. But of course that would be an essay in itself wouldn’t it? What lies beyond? I haven’t a clue. It’ll be something I’ll find out though. We all will.
Wow, thanks for the hommage Thomas ! Really appreciate it.
I really loved this piece. It talked to the soul, because I felt just the same as you fir years. I never worked in a kitchen, but I did a few of these paper-shuffling jobs. I remember myself bent over my computer in a cold building in the outskirts of Paris. And then again a few years later in the south of France. The setting was different, the weather was nicer and I could always walk by the sea in the evening, but the feeling was the same; my days were a logical sequence of data crunching tasks, excel sheets and braindead smalltalk with my fellow inmates. As it is often the case with big companies, there was no clear correlation between my work and the end result. I could have been working for nothing and I'd never realize it. In there, your manager's word is everything, and if he said I was doing great, I'd have to believe him, eventhough I had no idea what I was concretely working towards or if my work carried any real meaning. A cog should never start thinking about its place in the grand mechanism; that's when it starts to jam.
So naturally, I started scribbling little things. Littles notes, little ideas for a novel on the cheap notebook provided by the company in which I was writing during every meeting, less because I needed to than because I wanted people to think I was a serious young man, focused on his work. Little ideas I was ashamed of, because how ridiculous and pretentious of me to think I was made for this; I had read the lives of Hemingway, Camus, Céline and these guys were clearly cut from a different cloth that me. Nevermind, I kept writing my little stuff, I even wrote some dialogues and descriptions in the "new email" section of my corporate outlook maibox- easier to conceal if a nosy coworker passed by. And I kinda got hooked by it. When I was home for the week-ends, I'd give it a more serious go, and I realized something strange; it made me happier. I appreciated the evenings with my friends a little more, my bullshit job became less tiring and when I felt down, I thought about the words I'd get to write once home, and it gave me the energy spike I needed to finish the day. I even began to read differently, the novels were showing different layers now and I could see the blueprints of the structure and the intentions of the author. It felt a little like Neo seeing the green code of the Matrix for the first time. Of course I wasnt thinking I was creating the chef-d'oeuvre of the 21st century, but at least, I was creating something. Something that came from inside, something I had control over, and something I was clearly becoming better at month after month.
I guess I discovered my craft. And the funny thing is, everytime I let it down (because too much work, not enough energy, etc.), I felt again like when I was hunched over my laptop. That's when I realized that whether I liked it or not, the craft found me as much as I found it, and it wouldn't let me go. The path is clear, but we must be willing to see it and walk it, despite the rainy days, the mud and the brambles that always come with it.
Anyway. I begin to sound like a selfhelp guru, I guess it's time to stop. Thanks again Thomas for this inspiring piece, and welcome back to the Twitter realm !
‘ As it is often the case with big companies, there was no clear correlation between my work and the end result.’
This is the worst part and their are vanishingly few roles where this isn’t the case. And I suspect it nags away at people for years- why am I doing this? What’s the point?
(I’ve heard Graebers Bullshit Jobs is a must-read. I really must prioritise getting round to reading it)
It’s funny how your writerly ‘origin story’ is pretty much identical to mine, especially as it feels when viewed from the inside. The green code in the matrix line is dead on.
I have a feeling you are going to be firmly clinging on to the newly minted comment of the week crown for a while. The man to beat. Great stuff as always. A pleasure to read your insights each week.
No better words could describe today's essay than "possibility and not apathy". At least for me.
Lately I have been at the same rut, the same dreamless nights and anxious mornings, waiting for the weekend to come so I could be alone in my thoughts without "job" being in the back of my mind.
But the distinction you made was brilliant: work is what will keep you together during hard times, job is what may tear you apart before them. To carryover between the two is a triumph of wiseness, intuition and persistence.
Great read, as always, thank you Thom.
PS: I have the exact same thoughts on cuisine. It seems like the only work that can not be made futile because people will always want well served food on their table.
Well said. Lots of people climb a ladder of more and more high earning and prestigious jobs without ever finding their work. This keeps a lot of therapists in clients I imagine.
And yes, cheffing is an interesting job. One of the few where you can enter at the bottom with zero qualifications or experience and learn through on the job apprenticeship. More jobs should be like this. With work you can literally go from being a kid washing dishes to 3 Michelin stars and hobnobbing with the great and good. Fantastic, if it’s your passion, your true work. It just never was for me. You live and learn.
Haven’t been a subscriber for long, but my dads been sending me your work for a few months now and I can’t express how much I look forward to reading each and every new post. You inspire and educate, but more importantly you openly share and communicate your unique perspective with others, something I feel the world needs more of.
On a separate note, what for the ‘cans on the shelves of society’; “your telling bit of imagery” at the end of this weeks post? I’d love to hear your interpretation. Personally I feel as though the cans represent ideas which people resort to when there aren’t better ones available- I.e in formally being a low-income individual, I remember the days where all I could afford to eat were cans of beans and big bags of rice. Not that the other, much fresher and nutritious food wasn’t “available”, it just wasn't to me.
Thanks Thomas!
Well, as the author of the line, I can tell you what it means for me. But, don't let then constrict your interpretation!
I see is as what a lot of people do: instead of buying quality ingredients and learning to cook, they just grab a can off the shelves and eat.
Equally, instead of putting in the work, and working up the courage necessary to build character, they just grab a convenient identity wholesale and adopt it uncritically, with as much thought put in as in a ready-to-eat meal.
Yeah, the difference between off-the-shelf and bespoke/custom/home cooked applies to an awful lot of things in life, I would say.
First of all, tell your Dad hi and that I send my regards.
Second, thanks for the kind words. And yes providing my perspective and viewpoint is my aim. I find description more enjoyable than explanation and I work on the assumption that my audience are smart, capable and curious enough to want to figure out their own conclusion even (or especially) if they differ from what I think the piece maybe about.
Third, the can image comes from one of the members of our premium discord so I suppose I would have to ask him. My interpretation is that it refers to something that is labelled, prepackaged, off the shelf. A poor version of fresh and nutritious fare but if it’s all the supermarket has you’ll take it. And of course the can as an image has Warholian overtones of art as mass produced business, which is not a bad description of the kind of ‘content’ I am always moaning about.
Great comment, Markus.
The idea of finding "your craft" has always been of utmost importance for me. I think I've already found mine, thanks to your work. Yes, I mentioned it many times but I'm will to mention it once again, because it's true. Plus, it was interesting to learn about your experience and how you get into writing yourself.
My journey started when I got bored with my 9-5 with the understanding that it's not what I really want to do. I felt that the generic question 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' wasn't that dumb as it seemed at first. The previous 5-10 years were exciting, I had certain goals, most of which I achieved, some of them accidentally; and some of them became goals retrospectively (funny, yes). But the upcoming 5-10 years didn't seem clear. The mundane and things I was doing every day seemed transient and I couldn't answer this question. Then I rediscovered writing (it was my hobby when I was a kid, maybe it tells something, you know?). It became a huge part of my life but I wasn't sure it's really THE thing. But then I discovered your newsletter, 'The Soaring Twenties', catacombs, Art vs Content, the cult, and all of these things that gave hope and help to find the answers to questions I couldn't answer on my own. Now I have 11 essays published, 2 drafts, a lot of stuff planned and the 5-10 years are clear.
> Every day is a blank page to write upon, a new block of marble to chip away at, a fresh silent space waiting to be filled with your music. The prospect of tomorrow elicits hope and not dread. Possibility and not apathy.
This is how I feel it now. This is something I needed to read and will read again when I will need it. Because this is something I was telling myself but couldn't be completely convinced I was doing the right thing.
And, again, I like looking for patterns and themes that weave throughout your work and this "Possibility not apathy" perfectly wraps up what 'The Soaring Twenties' are.
So, thank you, Tom, for a brilliant piece. This piece will be on my list of favourites. It would be my first recommendation when I share your newsletter with a friend. And, what's important as well, It will be an amazing opener for The Commonplace vol.2 😉
Cheers!
That’s very astute, John, this piece was explicitly written to be a strong opener for volume 2.
Now I just need to release volume 1!
And it’s interesting how you notice these links and motifs between pieces. I suppose they are there but they aren’t consciously planner, or at least not in any real methodical way. I just say what I feel, but I guess my beliefs fall into a set collection of brackets or themes. That’s what makes writing (and conversation) interesting- you learn what you think in the process of saying it.
Cheers.
And it's even better it's unintentional. I like how 'The Soaring Twenties' philosophy is naturally evolving over time. Such things cannot be planned. I'll dare to touch it in my upcoming essay! I hope it'll make a decent contribution :D
And, definitely, there's a lot of learning during the process. Sometimes you can learn even the opposite of your initial premise. Sometimes there's no premise and it just flows.
P.S. Looking forward for vol. 1 :D
Flow > plot.
You should tweet it :D
I guess...
This was absolutely beautiful!
Thank you. I’m quite pleased with home it turns out. Although this weeks piece is turning into another moan about the reductive nature of ‘content’. Hahaha.
Excellent as always. I need to write a full piece in response to this. I could write about the craft for days.
And you should. Cheers Craig.
Really dug this piece. I've struggled with this as a writer, since my day job is copywriting for a PR agency. I enjoy aspects of my job, some of it is genuinely soul-sucking. I think starting on Substack has given me a creative outlet to give myself a sense of fulfillment. I think over time, you just start to appreciate the good things and learn to make the soul-sucking a little less draining. I wrote some similar sentiments if you're interested.
https://thatguyfromtheinternet.substack.com/p/joy-is-a-tension-between-happiness
I agree with the appreciation of the good things that you mentioned. And on balance I think having a dayjob alongside some creative pursuit can be good. The artistry gives you something to look forward to and the dayjob offers a financial cushion so you don’t have to be a hack and ‘create content’ because you need the money.
The problem with the cheffing gig mentioned in today’s piece is that it took up all of my time and energy. Nothing left for me. That’s the situation to be avoided. With the balance fulfilment is perfectly possible, I believe.
Thanks for the comment, TGFTI
".... until oblivion ...." Really? How do you know?
I don’t. But of course that would be an essay in itself wouldn’t it? What lies beyond? I haven’t a clue. It’ll be something I’ll find out though. We all will.
Wow, thanks for the hommage Thomas ! Really appreciate it.
I really loved this piece. It talked to the soul, because I felt just the same as you fir years. I never worked in a kitchen, but I did a few of these paper-shuffling jobs. I remember myself bent over my computer in a cold building in the outskirts of Paris. And then again a few years later in the south of France. The setting was different, the weather was nicer and I could always walk by the sea in the evening, but the feeling was the same; my days were a logical sequence of data crunching tasks, excel sheets and braindead smalltalk with my fellow inmates. As it is often the case with big companies, there was no clear correlation between my work and the end result. I could have been working for nothing and I'd never realize it. In there, your manager's word is everything, and if he said I was doing great, I'd have to believe him, eventhough I had no idea what I was concretely working towards or if my work carried any real meaning. A cog should never start thinking about its place in the grand mechanism; that's when it starts to jam.
So naturally, I started scribbling little things. Littles notes, little ideas for a novel on the cheap notebook provided by the company in which I was writing during every meeting, less because I needed to than because I wanted people to think I was a serious young man, focused on his work. Little ideas I was ashamed of, because how ridiculous and pretentious of me to think I was made for this; I had read the lives of Hemingway, Camus, Céline and these guys were clearly cut from a different cloth that me. Nevermind, I kept writing my little stuff, I even wrote some dialogues and descriptions in the "new email" section of my corporate outlook maibox- easier to conceal if a nosy coworker passed by. And I kinda got hooked by it. When I was home for the week-ends, I'd give it a more serious go, and I realized something strange; it made me happier. I appreciated the evenings with my friends a little more, my bullshit job became less tiring and when I felt down, I thought about the words I'd get to write once home, and it gave me the energy spike I needed to finish the day. I even began to read differently, the novels were showing different layers now and I could see the blueprints of the structure and the intentions of the author. It felt a little like Neo seeing the green code of the Matrix for the first time. Of course I wasnt thinking I was creating the chef-d'oeuvre of the 21st century, but at least, I was creating something. Something that came from inside, something I had control over, and something I was clearly becoming better at month after month.
I guess I discovered my craft. And the funny thing is, everytime I let it down (because too much work, not enough energy, etc.), I felt again like when I was hunched over my laptop. That's when I realized that whether I liked it or not, the craft found me as much as I found it, and it wouldn't let me go. The path is clear, but we must be willing to see it and walk it, despite the rainy days, the mud and the brambles that always come with it.
Anyway. I begin to sound like a selfhelp guru, I guess it's time to stop. Thanks again Thomas for this inspiring piece, and welcome back to the Twitter realm !
‘ As it is often the case with big companies, there was no clear correlation between my work and the end result.’
This is the worst part and their are vanishingly few roles where this isn’t the case. And I suspect it nags away at people for years- why am I doing this? What’s the point?
(I’ve heard Graebers Bullshit Jobs is a must-read. I really must prioritise getting round to reading it)
It’s funny how your writerly ‘origin story’ is pretty much identical to mine, especially as it feels when viewed from the inside. The green code in the matrix line is dead on.
I have a feeling you are going to be firmly clinging on to the newly minted comment of the week crown for a while. The man to beat. Great stuff as always. A pleasure to read your insights each week.
Cheers.
No better words could describe today's essay than "possibility and not apathy". At least for me.
Lately I have been at the same rut, the same dreamless nights and anxious mornings, waiting for the weekend to come so I could be alone in my thoughts without "job" being in the back of my mind.
But the distinction you made was brilliant: work is what will keep you together during hard times, job is what may tear you apart before them. To carryover between the two is a triumph of wiseness, intuition and persistence.
Great read, as always, thank you Thom.
PS: I have the exact same thoughts on cuisine. It seems like the only work that can not be made futile because people will always want well served food on their table.
Well said. Lots of people climb a ladder of more and more high earning and prestigious jobs without ever finding their work. This keeps a lot of therapists in clients I imagine.
And yes, cheffing is an interesting job. One of the few where you can enter at the bottom with zero qualifications or experience and learn through on the job apprenticeship. More jobs should be like this. With work you can literally go from being a kid washing dishes to 3 Michelin stars and hobnobbing with the great and good. Fantastic, if it’s your passion, your true work. It just never was for me. You live and learn.
Thanks for stopping by Mauro, always a pleasure.
All things in nature thus retrace
The paths acknowledged as their own;
They gladly then regain their base.
Assigned to them is this alone,
To seek as end their starting-place,
And make the world a stable zone.
(Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy)
Beautiful. I read The Consolation of Philosophy years and years ago. Must be due for a reread by now. Thanks Charlie.