I love reading this, especially at this point in my own career where I am going through the exact same existential questions, your words are a poignant echo. Thanks for being open and vulnerable and look forward to more thoughts.
So glad you're letting yourself explore in these directions, Vinamrata!
I've also been on the journey of making tech jobs not the focus of my life, and instead leaning into being creative. One thing I'd share: at least for me, it's less important what you do, and more important how you do it. Specifically, let go of the paradigms of reality that govern the Tech world: control, exploitation, manipulation, glorification of speed & "productivity", pre-defined outcomes, money as a proxy for success.
It sounds like you're already very aware of how that mentality stifled your earlier creative endeavors.
I like to ask myself
1. What would you make if it never reached anyone?
2. What would you make if it wouldn't blossom for 20 years?
Those questions shift my thinking in several ways:
1. the focus can no longer be outcomces, but rather becomes about the experience of creating
2. Tech has a near absolute bias toward things that can produce within 2-4 years, which itself enables us to do work that would be unsustainable for any longer period of time. I like looking at work that is as life giving as it is meaningful, and that takes a long time because it aims to grow something new & deep.
Not sure if you ever ran into her in school, but you might really like Michelle Jia's substack, it's really helps deconstruct the modern/Tech world view, and offers a more life giving alternative. It's also an inspiring quality of writing.
such a good first post - love when people just put out what they are trying to do...excited to read more
I love reading this, especially at this point in my own career where I am going through the exact same existential questions, your words are a poignant echo. Thanks for being open and vulnerable and look forward to more thoughts.
So glad you're letting yourself explore in these directions, Vinamrata!
I've also been on the journey of making tech jobs not the focus of my life, and instead leaning into being creative. One thing I'd share: at least for me, it's less important what you do, and more important how you do it. Specifically, let go of the paradigms of reality that govern the Tech world: control, exploitation, manipulation, glorification of speed & "productivity", pre-defined outcomes, money as a proxy for success.
It sounds like you're already very aware of how that mentality stifled your earlier creative endeavors.
I like to ask myself
1. What would you make if it never reached anyone?
2. What would you make if it wouldn't blossom for 20 years?
Those questions shift my thinking in several ways:
1. the focus can no longer be outcomces, but rather becomes about the experience of creating
2. Tech has a near absolute bias toward things that can produce within 2-4 years, which itself enables us to do work that would be unsustainable for any longer period of time. I like looking at work that is as life giving as it is meaningful, and that takes a long time because it aims to grow something new & deep.
Not sure if you ever ran into her in school, but you might really like Michelle Jia's substack, it's really helps deconstruct the modern/Tech world view, and offers a more life giving alternative. It's also an inspiring quality of writing.
In particular I'd recommend:
https://sundogg.substack.com/p/who-gets-to-be-innovative
https://sundogg.substack.com/p/nausea-california