dear worldly friends,

this week, I've found myself in an sticky, melancholic mood, accompanied by a hum of anxiety. I know that when my mind wants to control and tighten; when it feels isolated and lonely in the world, when it demands reassurance of the future -- that I'm living from a stuck place.

in moments like this, it feels as though I have no fuel for my fire, no water for my garden, no generative powers -- only a dust storm, rattling in my head. I feel like I will never feel inspired again.

of course, I know this is not true.

I remind myself: no feeling is final.

the power of world-building

this last week, I began writing about world-building on the internet -- as one of my core practices and philosophies.

I realized that world-building is an answer to many hard questions I've been asking myself for 8 years -- how to be an artist? how to share my vision? how to grow an audience? how to make money?

world-building is the practice that emerged from my own haphazard journey of being myself, sharing myself -- on the internet.

what is world-building? I distill it down to, simply:

expressing your truth (in all its creative forms) in a digital space you own.

I realized that I built digital worlds -- because I never quite felt like I belonged in any of the physical worlds I was a part of. being an outsider to my family, culture, community, and country -- was always my status quo.

but on the internet, I made infinite space for myself. I created a home for my psyche. I built a world to hold me, and then trusted that the right people -- my people -- will find me.

(thank you for finding me, and for being here <3)

worlds are magnetic

and while I built my world 100% as a creative compulsion, only recently did I realize that when you do it with passion and purpose, it works. it works as a "marketing and sales" strategy. it works in helping you "build an audience." it works in making you money.

why? how?

the premise of world-building is this:

when you express from your whole, complex, creative, infinite self -- you will not only be seen, but you will magnetize the right people and opportunities to you. worlds are magnetic.

do you believe this? I do. and I'm willing to gamble my entire life on this. slash... I am :)

I'll explore this more in future writings, but let me start by sharing these two posts:

build a world, not an audience

something about "build an audience" always sounded off to me. I explore why building a world FOR yourself (and your people) is a more effective strategy.

build a world, not an audience — kening zhu

don’t chase your audience, let them find your world.

8 principles for world-building

in which I distill down what it means to build a world -- in philosophy and practice.

8 principles for digital world-building — kening zhu

a manifesto for digital world-building — in praise of an internet that doesn’t box us in.

what I drew this week

even when I feel uninspired, I try to make myself sit down and work on my istanbul travel cards. here is topkapi palace -- the ottoman imperial palace, built like a labyrinth.

topkapi palace - istanbul travel deck no. 6 — kening zhu

an ottoman palace built like an internested labyrinth

what's inspired me this week

• i wanted to say: nothing much, but that's not true!
• rituals that feel like life-rafts on brainfog days
• square sticky notes on which I write a to-do list, in pencil
• rewatching all harry potter movies
• the idea of starting a running ritual

i'm wishing you a wonderful weekend, and a bountiful thanksgiving, if you're celebrating.

with a digital hug from a rainy night,
kening

this is guide.notes 29, a weekly letter on the process of nurturing your wildest creative selves, on the internet.