Without Convention
What it is
I miss when the internet felt like a playground.
When you could build the world you wanted to see out of HTML and instinct. It was probably bad at first, but then it wasn’t. The internet was our mirror, our escape, our connector.
We weren’t optimizing. We were exploring.
We made things because we could, breaking rules, making new ones, then breaking those too. We shifted culture and created a new one.
Now, it’s been monetized and flattened.
It’s depressing.
But I’m not here to be depressing.
I’m here to get that feeling back, like Blogger just launched and Lil B dropped Wonton Soup.
w/o convention is my contribution to the rebirth, reimagining, and renaissance of creativity in the 21st century.
Because let’s keep it real, we’re all tired as f#ck of our ideas being sh#t on by algorithms, our briefs being manhandled by clients, and just feeling creatively constipated and discouraged. (Sorry for the potty mouth)
So here I am, middle finger, a smile, and a lot of ideas to get off.
This is a reminder that we can create without needing permission.
That we can build ecosystems that feel alive, connected, and real.
I want this space to be process, not polish.
Notes from forgotten folders. The moodboard before the brief. The scattered fragments before they turn into form.
I’ll be sharing some of the projects I’ve been working on in secret. That’s a terrifying thought, but I’m doing it. This will be my motivation to finish them. Keep me honest.
If you’ve ever felt tired of performing but still want to make, this is for you.
We’re just beginning again, together, without convention.
Process Notes
Mapping the w/o convention ecosystem across Substack, Are.na, Instagram, and the quiet spaces in between
Studying the early internet as a form of folk art
Relearning how to make without performing and how to share without chasing approval
Collecting ideas for a new creative infrastructure that feels human and expansive
Building a new rhythm for work that actually feels alive
HERE FOR IT
I love it. We need more creative thinkers who are willing to share their gifts in more innovative forms than the typical "how to" format that has taken over the world.