All It Takes Is One
A little recognition can be enough
The previous edition of Just A Thought was Andrew and I’s 50th one. There was no party at a Dimes Square hot spot with an ironic tinsel-covered five and zero. There was no Times puff piece profile in Thursday Styles.
The milestone was commemorated in a Slack thread that went like this:
Me: 50! well done.
Andrew: NICE
And that was more than enough.
When we started Just A Thought, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t let myself daydream about the endeavor getting huge. It’s intoxicating to think that your passion project or something you’re doing for fun can develop into something more and attract an ever-growing audience.
Cultural folklore is full of these tales. The musical artist toiling away at open mic nights or posting videos on YouTube who is in the right place at the right time and ends up becoming ubiquitous on Spotify Unwrapped lists. But while those stories inspire an “anyone can do it” spirit, it’s worth remembering that there are plenty of artists doing what they love who never move past that open mic/YouTube phase.
I don’t write this to be Debbie Downer. Quite the opposite. One of the important things I’ve learned through working on this newsletter is that if you get that sense of validation from just one person, it can be just as valuable as getting it from thousands (although I’m not speaking from experience) and can motivate you to keep going forward.
In the case of Just A Thought, that one person is usually Andrew. If he thinks what I wrote hits, then I’m good. If I receive a note from someone else who read it, that’s a cherry on top. (Let me just state for the record here that I am insanely grateful for everyone who reads Just A Thought.)
I’ve also found someone who serves a similar role in jiu-jitsu. In an activity where you find yourself literally submitting multiple times a day, it’s easy to get discouraged. Luckily I train with the homie Adam, who has a fantastic knack for sending well-timed DMs that highlight positives when you’re feeling negative.
Both situations have taught me that success isn’t always measured by big numbers. But more importantly, they’ve motivated me to try and be “that one person” for others.
If I can do that, then I think I’ll have really made it.
The Story Of China Banks
Yes, this is a thorough history of the legendary San Francisco skate spot filled with insider anecdotes and clips from many of the skaters who made history there, from John Cardiel to Tristan Funkhouser. But it also has Mark Gonzales doing ventriloquism. Both are valid reasons to watch.
—Justin
The Age of Algorithmic Anxiety
Kyle Chayka is probably the person writing the most about how to break free from the stronghold algorithms have on our digital lives. He is writing a book on the topic (out in 2023) that I cannot wait to read. His latest for the New Yorker, about “Algorithmic Anxiety,” does a great job assessing the landscape of an algo-driven internet and might be poignant enough to get you to log off for the night. He also suggests we need to do a better job of cultivating non-algorithmic spaces of consumption… so here’s another plug for Oh Fire! More to share on that soon.
—Andrew
Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney
While I had never read this book until recently, I had plenty of preconceived notions. Most of them were derived from the movie, which I also haven’t seen but was familiar with enough to know that Michael J. Fox plays a fact checker at a New Yorker-like magazine who does a lot of cocaine at Odeon. I found the book to be much less macho and way more endearing than I thought. Also, as one who was around for the sunset of the golden age of magazines, I found the scene-setting at the protagonist’s place of work as a nice wave of nostalgia, although it would probably seem closer to archeology to a younger reader.
—Justin
12th Berlin Biennale
Somehow, Rachel and I are already nearing the end of our third week in Berlin (Brian arrives tomorrow, Rachel leaves Wednesday, Brian and I leave the following Monday.) This AM, we went to Hamburger Bahnhof to catch the biennial. To be honest, we were in pretty dire need of seeing some good art. The artist influence in this city is so strong, but we’ve caught a string of bad luck, visiting a closed museum and seeing a photography exhibition that just didn’t hit. Fortunately, the Biennale at Hamburger Banhof was probably the greatest collection of modern and contemporary I’ve seen under one roof. Visiting Berlin in the summer is a whole different rec, but doing it this summer for this biennial would be a good call.
—Andrew