#0 —> Welcome
Welcome to the anchor issue of “On the side”. In this post, i will cover the naming convention, reason behind starting one more newsletter and the end goal with this pursuit.
Naming Convention
“On the side” is a phrase i picked out of a TV show, 'The Newsroom'. It happens to be one of my favourite shows. It is a modern rendition of Don Quixote (I didn't read the book) in the media domain. A bunch of elite people filled with nobelity and benevolence pursue to make the world a better place.
I watched this show at a time when i was lost, young and frustrated. The lead protagonist is a journalist who refers to himself as 'journalist on the side'.
Since then, I have been drawn to this phrasing. Maybe it is what i want out of my life, awareness to not equate my identity with any one thing. Making the thing you are good as something you enjoy and have fun rather than treat it like a career with a ladder.
Reason
Written medium is my achilles heal for communicating coherently. Going the newsletter route to build consistency in my production and your consumption.
I have been fortunate to lead a slightly interesting life thanks to writing to strangers and benefiting tremendously out of it.
So, when the time came to share the ongoing intellectual, emtional and experiental journey of yours truly. I decided to write and publish to friendly strangers.
Goal
In honesty, there is no end goal. I have been big proponent of writing ones learnings, experiences and thoughts. Instead of keeping all of them private, I decided to change it up and post a few as a newsletter.
The need to learn drives me to be curious about the world and the people. Through this newsletter, i am attempting to share my journey navigating the career, life and intellectual rigour needed to have an interesting journey.
Writing is thinking in some sense and indulging in this publicly is my attempt to build a body of work that is deep, cross-disciplinary and engaging for you as a reader.
That’s it from me, see you in the next one.
Vivek