I've taken a liking to architecture recently because, by nature, permanence is a key feature in a building. The world grows and changes around the building rather than consuming and moving on.
This piece calls me to make something not to be consumed, but to be lived and experienced for years to come even as the world around it changes.
the timing of this article was so impactful on me. i'm new to substack, but i've been publishing stories that i've been working on as early as 2022. they are based on interviews, which has been particularly time-intensive as i'm portraying someone else's story and experience. i get in my head because it feels "silly" to invest so much time as if i am working at a publication; it's just my free substack after all. but then i remind myself that it is the successful writers like you and other long-form advocates that have created work that inspires me and sits with me for weeks (not just a fleeting moment). there is no way around time and effort when you are fully immersing yourself in creation that you'll remember forever.
There’s certainly virtue in both, heavy and light, but the heavy things—at their best—are the ones you remember, from my experience. Just a matter of finding the right mix, kudos on searching for yours!
This is surely one of your "heavier" pieces for sure haha. I've been thinking about this abstract concept ever since I started publishing online (circa 2019), and it's kinda relaxing to know that others face this dilemma too. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it resonates! I’ve always been someone who evaluated the weight of objects in real life vis a vis quality and durability and it definitely extends online even without the true mass
This a what makes Substack unique! Here, often deep-long posts do better than short ones. Even LinkedIn (formerly, full of competent and professional individuals) slowly becomes more of a platform were all posts are cheap and alike (light as you say!) full of clickbait (professional clickbait)
Agreed though I think it’s all an evolution. Notes trends away from that, the mix will keep shifting, so it becomes personal responsibility to police your own types of engagement!
love the way you thought about and articulated this concept. i think about this so often but don't think i have the language yet to describe it with the lucidity and narrative you did
if you're open to sharing, what's something heavy you've written that you're proud of?
Great question. In part why I wrote this was the process of thinking through which parts of my work feel light vs heavy. I’m working on more “heavy” things offline for now (hopefully more updates later in the year), though I’m proud of a few long form essays I’ve written and shared or had published before too.
This is a read that will sit with me for a long time. Thank you.
thank you Janet 🙏
Brilliant writing, and hits me right in the soul.
I've taken a liking to architecture recently because, by nature, permanence is a key feature in a building. The world grows and changes around the building rather than consuming and moving on.
This piece calls me to make something not to be consumed, but to be lived and experienced for years to come even as the world around it changes.
Thank you so much for sharing
thank you for reading, architecture is underappreciated, the almost pop culture mention with The Brutalist!
the timing of this article was so impactful on me. i'm new to substack, but i've been publishing stories that i've been working on as early as 2022. they are based on interviews, which has been particularly time-intensive as i'm portraying someone else's story and experience. i get in my head because it feels "silly" to invest so much time as if i am working at a publication; it's just my free substack after all. but then i remind myself that it is the successful writers like you and other long-form advocates that have created work that inspires me and sits with me for weeks (not just a fleeting moment). there is no way around time and effort when you are fully immersing yourself in creation that you'll remember forever.
There’s certainly virtue in both, heavy and light, but the heavy things—at their best—are the ones you remember, from my experience. Just a matter of finding the right mix, kudos on searching for yours!
Utterly brilliant writing. This resonated hugely. Thank you & thanks as ever to @IndiaKnight for leading me here.
💛 thank you for reading
It's very difficult to write something with severity while still remaining tender and humane. I love this :) thank you for writing
severity is descriptor I hold dear 🙏
Modern creators merely muddy the waters to make them seem deep. Heft is the only way out.
Heft is lindy
Pre-Heavy and post-heavy is very useful!
I also think that we will see bubbles of physicality pop up (e.g printed newsletters)
Interesting thought! Do you mean with regards to making newsletter more "weighty" in the way of magazines?
Thank you! I mean sending things in the mail and sidestep the bastard distribution algorithms
True, though that will still be downstream of people signing up to receive them based on engagement online.
I think there are ways around this 🤓
I didn't know I needed to read this. Might even journal about it. Thanks
Love that, if it's public, please share back!
I can't just re-read this, I've got to marinate my brain with this piece. Thank you so much.
🧘♀️🙏
This mindset helps one in prioritizing what they should be focusing on at any given moment.
I had never looked at this concept from this perspective before. Thank you for writing this, Anu.
🙏 Thanks for reading
This is surely one of your "heavier" pieces for sure haha. I've been thinking about this abstract concept ever since I started publishing online (circa 2019), and it's kinda relaxing to know that others face this dilemma too. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it resonates! I’ve always been someone who evaluated the weight of objects in real life vis a vis quality and durability and it definitely extends online even without the true mass
This a what makes Substack unique! Here, often deep-long posts do better than short ones. Even LinkedIn (formerly, full of competent and professional individuals) slowly becomes more of a platform were all posts are cheap and alike (light as you say!) full of clickbait (professional clickbait)
Agreed though I think it’s all an evolution. Notes trends away from that, the mix will keep shifting, so it becomes personal responsibility to police your own types of engagement!
This is one of those types of analogies that I can immediately tell is going to stick with me.
The pre-heavy era is useful for experimenting but it's easy to get trapped there.
Precisely, lightness is a trap because we get some dopamine in exchange for it now, but ultimately very little. Glad it resonated!
love the way you thought about and articulated this concept. i think about this so often but don't think i have the language yet to describe it with the lucidity and narrative you did
if you're open to sharing, what's something heavy you've written that you're proud of?
Great question. In part why I wrote this was the process of thinking through which parts of my work feel light vs heavy. I’m working on more “heavy” things offline for now (hopefully more updates later in the year), though I’m proud of a few long form essays I’ve written and shared or had published before too.
Thanks for writing this , it gave me so much clarity about something i am currently experiencing and feeling.
thanks for reading, glad to hear!