guide.notes 29 | why build a world
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.