BRACY
ESSAY
Philosophy
Cold Months, Quality, and The Future of My Work
As I take a break from the hustle and bustle of the winter months of American consumerism, I am taking refuge in a cozy coffee shop with my music blocking out the sounds of my surroundings. Soon, I will pick myself back up and join the fray, but for now, I take a moment to collect my thoughts with pen and paper. In the past two months, I’ve been drawn towards higher quality commodities and hobbies. Commodities and hobbies that grant my life higher refinement. It is becoming increasingly obvious I will be unable to get by with the same habits and knowledge I did in earlier parts of my life. These newer habits and items, I believe, will have much greater longevity and personal importance than to the ones I have been previously accustomed. Ultimately, they will serve me and inspire my work well into the future.
This year I’ve taken much time for myself to earnestly learn about the world in ways neglected by the American education system. With the deteriorating state of the nation, I have little choice about it. Nothing is guaranteed, even in safe haven locations, and I need to clear a path for myself. Reading non-fiction is my method for discovery, and not the dime-a-dozen self-help and career aspiration sort. No offense to those who consume it, but they only narrate a small and shrinking realm of the world we live in — it isn't applicable in this current state of exception. The story of the particular 'what' can be compelling, but what is needed more urgently are the stories of both universal and particular 'how' and 'why'. If this is difficult to understand, I urge you to read Hegel, the German philosopher from the 19th century. I have his Phenomenology of Spirit on my desk at the moment and have been itching to delve into it. I hope you join me in this experience.
Reading is not the only duty to which I've dedicated my free time. For my gender binary readers, the clothes make the man, and women be shopping. It has been difficult not to notice the hyper consumerist culture of Americans. Influencers, fast fashion, and 1-day shipping have been a slow poison on society and the planet. Ashamedly, I admit that I too have been swept up by this current in the past. But after following and reading articles from the likes of Gracia Ventus and Bernadette Banner, my mindset on my own apparel consumption has changed for the better. Well-made garments are more comfortable and durable than the ceaseless tidal wave of polyester and artificial dyes. In addition, timeless capsule wardrobe pieces cut down on precious decision-making time and saves money in the long run. If you have fallen for fast fashion, I invite you to re-evaluate your habits and join me for a more sustainable future.
Lately I find myself stuck when thinking about the future of my career. Coming from a graphic design background, I did not expect my interests to take such a wild turn, nor did I foresee such and impossibly barren landscape of job opportunities. Every day I'm faced with the growing possibility of assimilating with full-on proletarianization. And while I am learning to see the collective strength of such a class, my liberal American societal conditioning refuses to allow me to let go of my aspirations of a successful, upper-middle class American life. Yet I must continue on, chipping away at the work at hand. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
The paths available to me vary, and I have to admit I am grateful to have options. Carrying on with web design and entrepreneurial work offers much success through struggle. UX research and study will give me insight to the human mind and prestigious job opportunities in tech, but each project is complex and requires a large amount of discipline. I have humored the possibility of performing activist work to allow me to completely cast out my ego live out my principles. Perhaps a mixture of these paths is the correct answer; writing about my discoveries in short digestible essays not unlike this one. Maybe my ego will be satiated with a path as humble as this. Maybe you and I will learn something. Maybe it will even change the world in some capacity.