Q&A!
hello everyone! i see that we've got an influx of new patrons after my recent update video discussing the lack of incoming sponsorships (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0pIC9GwMGM ) and so as a way to kick things off, please comment with any questions you have about me, my work, my opinions etc.
thanks to each and every one of you, your donations help so so much!
(as a gift, here is a very old picture of me)
Comments (25)
Not a question but would love to see an interview / collab with Anark and/or Prince Shakur. They both make video essays on anarchism. Actually, Prince Shakur just became known for the term anarchist calisthenics, and would be great to hear your thoughts on that.
How do you like to recharge so you can best continue working towards a better world?
i need "me time" that connects me back with my younger self. sitting with my laptop in bed, letting myself adhd around a little bit. i also like to go for walks, do yoga etc. but the biggest thing is meditating. it really is crucial that people practice mindfulness regularly in order to handle all the shit going on. there's no deluding ourselves out of the intensifying capitalist crisis. we have to sit with ourselves, check in with our feelings and our bodies and all that
Are you able to boost critical mutual aid orgs and vetted fundraisers for individual families/communities in and for Palestine at this time?
i've been trying to do that in particular with two families that i've posted a few times. i'm always on the lookout for mutual aid orgs to share, and always trying to figure out the best time to share them
Will you ever make a video specifically about the PR? I think you've mentioned that you have family from there and in a recent vid (don't remember which) you mentioned the contribution of Puerto Rican anarchists to their revolutionary struggle and it piqued my interest.
i'm actually part-way through a video essay script on puerto rico. if a sponsorship falls into place i hope to have it out by the end of summer.
I'd love to hear more generally about your writing process and how it translates to a script to your videos. Are you reading an outline from a Google doc or are you speaking more off-the-cuff? I'm a writer interested in making the jump to audio/video/some kind of multimedia because Substack is a hard platform to reach audiences.
my most consistent practice is inconsistency. aside from generally setting work hours, i'm always trying new things and working off of inspiration to write stuff. most of the good stuff in my videos comes from ideas that hit me while i'm doing something else, like making breakfast or just meditating. so i write them down on my phone, and then find ways to transfer them into my script. that's the lifeblood of good writing for me. i try to keep myself as a good conduit so that i can catch the ideas and then put them into something. aside from that, i find it really helpful to have a skeletal outline, basically just with section titles, maybe a note or two with each one, and then working from there.
What are a few of your go-to websites when you’re beginning to do research for your videos, if any? Even if it’s just to identify books on the subject that you then read as your primary research material. I’ve always appreciated how thoroughly you research the topics you create long video essays about!
+1 excellent question
Any feelings about Means TV?
i'm torn on it. i don't really know enough to know how to feel, but i'm kinda waiting to see/hear more info slowly over time and determine if it could be a fit for me.
I listen to a lot of podcasts by white creators (In bed With The Right, A Bit Fruity, Power User, Maintenance Phase to name a few) and have noticed that the often have no people of color as guests. Is this something that you have also noticed and what are your opinions on it?
i feel like ever since the initial BLM protest movement, every day i am constantly figuring out new ways that white people sneakily reinforce racism. this is one of those things i've noticed. if you're not steeping your education primarily in Black folks and colonized folks' work, and if you're not surrounding yourself with BIPOC and really connecting with their social reality, you're just not going to have anything to offer in terms of social or political insight. that's where i'm at with it now honestly
Do you have a favorite piece of media that you think was ahead of its time? (Just as an example I think paranoia agent which was meant to be a social satire of Japanese attitudes to shuffle off blame/personal culpability, in light of social media is also a critique of sensationalism)
my partner and i often see our favorite media as being ahead of their time. avatar the last airbender has barely been analyzed to the depth it deserves wrt how it tackles subjects like imperialism. foster's home for imaginary friends was ahead of its time too. adventure time, don't even get me started. nobody gets adventure time yet
The orange hair looked really good! 🧡 What drives you to learn more about global political systems?
thanks! it's just endlessly fascinating and helps me understand all the dark and dreadful things i come across in everyday light. it feels like my main way of doing something about it. when i see homeless folks on the street or starving palestinians, it lights a fire in me to study and to share what i learn
Wide swath opinion, what does the left need the most right now in the current political climate?
there's no one answer, especially not an exciting one. so i'll just say: the left in the US needs black folx at the front. the white left has to shut up and pass the mic. and not just to any black folks, black women, black queer folks, and ones that are really avowed socialists. you can't have a movement that properly represents for the dominated, with dominant groups at the forefront. this sounds like pandering but i actually think this is strategically crucial. if your lefty organizing group is a bunch of white guys you're in trouble
What made you get into music journalism and what inspired you to move on to YouTube?
i was obsessed with music since i was like 11-12, and knowing that i liked to write nonfiction, i decided i'd just study journalism in college. as i got into journalism, it was music/arts journalism that first attracted me, and that i first really tried my hand at. i really wanted to be like craig jenkins lol. i liked music podcasts, music articles, music review channels (deadendhiphop and fantano, mainly). but it became clear that 1. my prose isn't that good and 2. the quality of my writing simply did not matter that much because what mattered would be my connections and financial backing, and neither was sufficient for me to start a career in music journalism in the late 2010s. so i figured out how to DIY it, and the obvious path for that was youtube.
what 3 things never fail to make you happy? :)
1. a beautiful, sunny day with good air 2. animals getting cozy and comfy 3. making my loved ones happy