so, i think . . .
social media isn’t truthful, but it can be honest. we all know there's a level of editing involved. even with that awareness, we struggle to measure how it affects our self-esteem. we shape narratives. we manage how others see our social capital. we leave out what we can’t explain in the moment. we live in an age of public authenticity—striving to appear real. decision and action have replaced anonymity and introspection. calling social media good or bad misses the point. it’s powerful. it’s destructive. it’s freeing. it’s distracting.
these photos and pieces of art aren't chronological. some date back decades. i posted them to a particularly square platform between march 3, 2019, and december 18, 2020. i approached this zine with the intent to be comprehensive . . . more or less. the goal is to archive this one account and delete it forever. it covers a wide stretch of my life compressed into a small and intense period of time. how i saw myself and the systems around changed constantly. i am both more and less than what appears here. none of us are that easily reduced. i redacted a few photos—album covers from music projects, images of friends or family i didn’t have permission to include, thing that might dox someone, and a handful that felt beneath the standard of the zine.
the kind of editing i’ve done here is exactly what social media tends to hide. i want to be transparent about it. growth, learning, and reflection matter. i hope everyone keeps social media in context. i know from experience that we don't.
have fun and fuck shit up, always. never fully know yourself. every day meet yourself anew.
see you around.
it's okay for you to be here.