Yo wussup streettogs this is ERIC KIM — some thoughts for you:
“We on Bezos trips to Lagos” – Kanye
The first random thought on my mind when I woke up was some random thoughts on Kanye West and Jeff Bezos. Especially, the new Jeff Bezos book, Invent and wander.
First of all, why is Jeff Bezos so hated or seen with disdain? My thought is that it is because people want some sort of Christ to crucify; they themselves feel some sort of lack of direction and purpose in their lives, and they are partly envious of the success of Amazon and Jeff Bezos. Therefore, as a way to allay their own personal dissatisfaction of themselves, they need to find somebody to throw rocks at, namely Jeff Bezos, and maybe the Google bus.
Creating jobs, or losing jobs?
I find it very bizarre how it is often people from affluent backgrounds who talk the most about inequality and the “poor“ working class. Why is this? I believe this comes from a strange Judeo Christian notion of having to “atone“ for your privilege.
Anyways, back to Jeff Bezos. I find it insanely phenomenal that back in 1997, when I was only nine years old, Jeff Bezos had such a crisp vision for the future. He is probably one of the most forward thinking and intelligent people out there, with the greatest balls.
Also hilarious to think about back in 1997, even the notion of “Wall Street“, which is essentially a non-concept nowadays. People have replaced the notion of “Wall Street with “venture capital” and “Silicon Valley”, which I also believe is on the way out. Why? Like my friend Alexander Morgan said, there are no more new ideas in Silicon Valley.
We all need optimism
The reason why I am still bullish on bitcoin is that it is insanely motivational and optimistic. Even if it is a poor technology and perhaps a non-viable form of future currency, I think everyone needs some sort of thing to aspire to. All of capitalism is predicated on the notion of optimism, of a more beautiful and prosperous future.
Making versus working
Another thought, about the notion of “work”. What is work, and why does it matter?
The first thought I had was the notion of the news, which is essentially a made up word of the word “new” + “s”. Also when you think about the concept of a newsletter, it is a bunch of letters you’re sending as news.
Then I thought about my workshops, the notion of a workshop is made up of two words, work + shop. We all know what a shop is, but what is work?
The best definition that I got from studying wiktionary.org was that work comes from the ancient Greek of “Ergon,” which also means battle. Hilariously enough, if you think about the modern notion of ergonomically, kinesis keyboards, etc, you could think of an ergonomic keyboard as like going into modern day battle. The funny notion of being a “keyboard warrior“, seems to be apt here.
But more precisely, “werg”— in Proto Indo European means to make.
Therefore, if you think of a workshop, it is literally a place where somebody makes stuff. For example, a carpenter’s workshop is literally a place where they make furniture.
If you think about jobs, it seems that what most people do nowadays is send emails for a living. To send emails, respond to emails, make PowerPoint presentations, sit in boring zoom call meetings, etc. This is what we think of modern day “work”.
However, perhaps we should be a little bit more focused on the notion of making. That in order to create new value, we just have to make new stuff.
What do you want to make?
I believe in the notion of being a solo entrepreneur, which is, you don’t have to rely on anybody else to make stuff. That, you are a full stack solution, a full stack creator.
The insanely optimistic thought is that if it is all on you, you have 100% freedom. 100% creative freedom, especially if you own your own website and do not rely on social media.
A funny thought experiment about social media, if I promised you that you could get 100 million followers, and 100 million likes, and make $10 million a year and brand endorsements, but you would have to chop off your balls, or your penis, would you do it? Probably not. Would you do it for $1 billion? $10 billion? $100 billion? $1 trillion? Probably not.
How to make more
Digital is the way. I think analog is for suckers. What does that mean? That means a lot of people who are so stuck on having to do everything analog is a sign of lack of self-confidence. Why are photographers so insistent on shooting film? Besides the fact that film photos look more beautiful, I think the real main reason is that people desire some sort of self legitimacy for themselves, or a way to flex. For example, nobody takes photographers seriously, but, if you tell people you shot on film, people will automatically think you are more legitimate. Why? Everyone can make a photo on their iPhones, but not everyone can make a photo on film. Film is more mysterious and complicated and confusing, which gives it its mystique and allure.
Whenever I go hiking, and I see some sort of lame looking guy with some sort of mustache, dad cap, flannel shirt, and a film camera, it just reeks of lack of self-confidence.
We must become the new creative barbarians. What we do is delight in destroying the old, and becoming more fanatical about the new. In fact, there are a lot of things superior about analog approaches, we all know this already. I think it actually takes more courage and is more interesting to rather innovate new digital tools methods and creations. For example, 3-D modeling (Nomad sculpt), iPad, procreate, etc.
Just make it
Just make it and share it on arsbeta.com — your new creative playground.
Also just share to your own website and blog, or directly message the videos photos and artistic things to your friends and family. I just recommend sending it to them via iMessage, which syncs well with the iPhone and iPad. In fact, something that I’ve been doing more recently is Reviewing and flagging and favoriting all my favorite photos on the iPad, with the built-in photos app, and then when I like certain photos, I will directly send it to my family in our iMessage group chat.
Shout out to the Photos team, and the iPad team at Apple. You guys rock.
ERIC
Other random thoughts
- If you have about $130,000 to spare, better to buy a used Rolls-Royce than a Tesla model S or model X plaid. Applied is great but boring. The greater flex to pull up in a used Rolls-Royce, playing peekaboo with the emblem (Pusha T) than be another drone in a Tesla. Are also funny enough, even though I have a kid and I’d like to do road trips and go to the mountains, I actually prefer sedans. Over SUVs. Why? Closer to the ground. Just go on craigslist and look for used Rolls-Royce is in the auto in cars section, you would be surprised how cheap they are.
- Hypelifting is the way. Just watch my videos on YouTube (Search ERIC KIM HYPELIFTING).
Next steps
- Read Invent and Wander — Jeff Bezos — Walter Isaacson
- Zero to one by Peter thiel
Live bold.
Life only happens once. ERIC KIM WORK SHOP in HADONG SOUTH KOREA.
Tentative Dates: June 19-23rd, 2023 (Monday to Friday).
Ask your manager, your wife, your partner, your family members whether these dates work for you. I would request trying to takeoff at least one or two weeks, spend some time both in Hadong South Korea, as well as Seoul South Korea. If you are really gutsy, do you like my friend Stan Hudecki who bought a one-way ticket to Incheon international airport, ICN, and then spent about a month in Bangkok Thailand.
What is the workshop going to be? Essentially imagine a Zen creative retreat, for you to get away from the nonsense of work and other distracting duties, and for you to send out, and focus on your own creative and artistic thriving. Also, something about the mountain elevation I think stimulates creation of extra red blood cells like my friend Anton said.
Even if you’re 1% interested, register intent on this Google form here, and I will update you as details firm up.
How to go bold?
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Other spirited thoughts
- I’ve been going to Barnes & Noble a lot with Seneca more recently, just for fun Z’s and taking the escalator up and down. Yet, after looking at all these books, none of them are good. Even the philosophy books are bad. Instead, it looks like the only really useful books are the DK illustrated picture books for kids. Good to stir the imagination.
- It looks like Silicon Valley is imploding. Perhaps it is no longer a good idea to study computer science. Instead, study sociology.
Start here
Every day is day one. Start here.