Hello everyone…
I hope you’re staying safe and healthy during these tumultuous, bizarre and challenging times.
Before I dive in, just a quick heads up, I am in the process of transitioning and trying out this new newsletter site called Substack. Please bear with me as I give this platform a try. I have multiple mailing lists for yoga, music and my podcast so if you don’t want to be on this monthly newsletter, feel free to unsubscribe. Of course, I hope you join in and stay with me as I use this platform to delve a little deeper into the impact of tech on our culture, share thoughts on what I’m observing and learning through my podcast and what I’m up to in my own creative pursuits.
I doubt there’s anything that I can possibly write that will make the pain or confusion go away. I’m certainly no miracle worker nor am I immune from the emotional rollercoaster that’s been created by the world. Some moments, I’m filled with fear and anxiety and yet I constantly try to remind myself I still have much to be thankful for. Often times I wonder if our world will ever look the same? Is that world that existed pre Covid-19 gone for good? Will our culture collectively feel at ease being around one another? Are hugs a thing of the past or since we often have the tendency to forget and move on, will we be back to “normal” in no time at all. And then of course I wonder if the media is driving much of this narrative to create more fear and give us the impression that the world is a much more toxic playground than it actually is.
It’s incredibly complicated and despite the anxiety and confusion, I constantly remind myself the value of doing whatever I can to remain hopeful and find joy in the little things. It’s been a troublesome space in time. Sometimes I can’t even watch. The hatred, violence, fear and pain feels so rampant but maybe it was always there and society consciously or subconsciously picks and chooses when to take notice.
I can understand why people often turn away. Life is already challenging enough even when the world doesn't feel like it’s about to cave in. We all deserve happiness as much as humanly possible. Life is fleeting and fragile. Everyone deserves a life devoid of pain and suffering yet circumstances and the strange trajectory of life gets in the way for many of us. It’s pretty much a guarantee that life at some point won’t proceed the way we hope.
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around that undeniable truth for most of my adult life. How to make sense of something that often makes no sense at all? Is life this strange combination of love, pain, luck, circumstance and often completely out of our control? I’m relatively cheerful and happy yet I’ve been quite reflective about my own mortality the last few months during the pandemic. What brings me the most meaning? Who and what do I value the most? Will the world even remember me or care when I’m gone? What is my legacy?
In a world where everything seems to be moving exponentially faster and less seems to make sense, I’m trying to slow down, enjoy more quiet time, appreciate what I do have and create art as often as I can. The voices inside my head often have the hardest time turning off especially during times of crisis. They ask questions and try to make sense of what sometimes feels like a senseless world. I wonder if human beings are complicated creatures by nature who have good and bad sides and that’s challenging to reconcile especially in a world where cameras are always rolling.
I think my curiosity and attempt to add a deeper understanding of very complicated issues is a primary reason why I created a podcast. I became tired of a world where people aren’t listening or talking. Where the people who scream the loudest or know how to manipulate the “system” are often the ones whom society pays the most attention to. Maybe I’m a romantic or “old school,” but I crave a world that values quiet, nuance and subtlety and heartfelt connection. I want a world where thinking before you speak still matters.
I think social media is the greatest disruptor of our lifetime and ironically thanks to Covid-19, people are becoming even more dependent on their technological devices. I pride myself on being objective and being able to think clearly without being manipulated or controlled by the media’s narrative. We have to work harder than ever to seek out factual and topical information that isn’t slanted or merely “click-bait.” And now with social media, we have to be extra discerning to find truth, good intentions and meaning behind the content we choose to digest.
I just finished reading a book by Ezra Klein entitled, Why We’re Polarized. Ezra has become sort of a fan favorite of mine in the podcast world. He’s intelligent, thoughtful and despite working in the media for years, even he realizes the media controls the narrative much more than we want to give them credit for. He writes,
The news is supposed to be a mirror held up in the world, but the world is too far vast to fit in our mirror. The fundamental thing the media does all day, every day, is decide what to cover - decide, that is, what is newsworthy. Heres the dilemma, to decide what to cover is to become the shaper of the news rather than a mirror held up to the news. It makes journalists actors rather than observers.
I imagine that’s another reason why I created a podcast. I was becoming more and more disheartened by what I was observing and I felt like I had no choice but to speak up and talk about it. I’m not a Luddite. I certainly love all the Apple products I own and I think the casual observer can easily look at tech and social media as these relatively innocuous devices that make most of our lives more convenient. But once I went past the obvious, I began to notice how much tech and social media are now controlling the narrative of society. Social media and tech don’t feel like mirrors and in fact, they feel like the polar opposite. They’re agitators, they’re extremists and amplifiers of whatever information they hope is going to either keep people glued to their platforms or get us to impulsively go back.
Social media is controlling the narrative for the vast majority of our population and I felt compelled to talk about it and try and make sense of what has happened. I strongly believe if more people are less reliant on tech, the world will be a more fulfilling and pleasant place for all of us. We will collectively experience more face-to face conversations, more depth, nuance and context with less screaming, grand-standing and less need to be “right.”
None of this is easy to navigate but in the midst of all of my creative pursuits, I’m trying to bring more awareness to these complex issues. During the last few months, while all this newfound drama and tragedy has been happening around me, I’ve found myself more often than not, alone in front of my computer. HA. Not scrolling. I promise. I’m caught in reflection. I’m thinking, reading, observing and from that space, I’m creating with abundance. I’ve been writing essays regularly and recording new music and I’ve also had some truly insightful and wonderful conversations on my podcast with some amazing guests.
I spoke with my friend and LA based musician and artist Carmen Rizzo about the current state of the music industry, the importance of pivoting and people’s openness to still pay for knowledge.
I had a wonderful talk with actor and writer Chris Webster who’s starring in The Most Dangerous Game on Quibi. We touch on topical events, creativity and the impact of Netflix on the entertainment industry.
I spoke to Jen Wiederstrom who is an author and personal trainer and was one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser and I spoke to David DeSola who wrote a fantastic biography about Alice In Chains called Alice in Chains, The Untold Story. I spoke to Yancey Strickler who was the co-founder of Kickstarter and wrote a fantastic book called, This Could Be Our Future and I also had an emotional and inspiring talk with musician Todd Beeson about the potential effects of 5G and the toxic battlefield found on Facebook.
I also had a wonderfully heartfelt conversation with musician and producer, Pejman Roozbeh about the value of being present, the intimacy of the creative process and why he feels more present and creative when he is less reliant on social media.
These episodes are merely scratching the surface of some of the thought provoking and inspirational shows I’ve had over the last few months. I also sprinkled in quite a few episodes where I touch on some of the complicated events happening in the world. The podcast has been such a welcome addition to my life and it can be found on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. I’m planning on posting Live episodes as well on YouTube so stay tuned for those. I did a little test run episode this past week with my friend Olivier Ozoux and it actually went pretty well. I probably need to add another studio camera but it sounded great and you can check the episode out by clicking HERE.
I also published an article on Medium a couple weeks ago where I talk in depth about Facebook and how they are promulgating the #IDGAF culture. You can check it out by clicking HERE. I suspect I’ll write more essays within the same style over the coming months.
I think I’m most proud of finally finishing my first book. After almost 30 months, the topsy turvy process of writing a book is finally over and I’m currently sending it out to agents looking for representation. I also created a picture book with the same theme. Keeping my fingers crossed but if they all pass, I’ll probably consider self-publishing the book on my own. I can’t imagine working on a book for that long and not sharing it with the world so I’m going to do whatever I can to get it in your hands.
As a side note, a few books I’ve read recently that I enjoyed have been…
The Circle by Dave Eggers
Calypso by David Sedaris
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield - My favorite line from the book…
The amateur tweets. The pro works.
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
I’ve also started writing some new music again. Some of the songs have that typical rock-electronic vibe I’ve created in the past but I’m also working on a meditation album, a project I’ve wanted to explore ever since I started teaching yoga. So stay tuned for info on new music. I hope to write a little more regularly about my podcast and observations on the world so hopefully this newsletter will become a more regular occurrence. Although writing is so freaking hard so I can’t make any promises. Since I’ve started working on my next book, I’m trying to get into the habit of writing every morning. Hopefully it will get a little easier.
Sometimes I feel a little guilty for using this chaotic time to try and abundantly create but I think it’s important to do our best to use the time we’re given to potentially go a little deeper, ask questions and create. As I get older, that’s certainly what I’m trying to cultivate. I’d love to hear from you so if you feel inspired to reach out, you know where to find me.
Much love
Eddie