Note: I’ve decided I want to use this space to create a digital garden (more on this later). For now, I just want to put it out there that I’m reclaiming this space for that purpose, which means there will be some design changes happening over the coming days and weeks. The work I’m doing will continue, it’s just that I want to reclaim the power of this space and take back control from the insidious forces of conformity who have convinced us that all blogs need to look and function the same, which actually takes away the potential power of having your own public learning space where ideas can grow over time into true knowledge and wisdom. This space should be a fortress of solicitude away from the chaos streams of social media on the one hand and the cultivated performance of classic blog posts, articles, and books on the other hand. This is my space, which I’ve opened up to the public, but ultimately it’s for me. I don’t have the bandwidth right now to hand code a digital garden free from the constraints of the reverse chronological hell that Moveable Type unleashed on us all those years ago when blogging broke the Web. But I’ll do the best I can using Elementor.

Yesterday, I woke up with a powerful realisation: I have the power to create anything I want. My imagination is the only limit, and even that can only restrict me if I allow it. My focus is shifting now, inward, towards building and creating myself for myself.

Rick Rubin’s advice to artists resonates with me here: create for yourself, for your future self. Write for the courage it gives you, not for an audience. The goal is to make work with soul, impact, and meaning—not to fit into someone else’s mould or expectations.

My creative process is shaped by three distinct characters within me. Sometimes, I find myself trying to force my way into one lane, but the truth is, these three characters are uniquely me, and they all deserve space to breathe and express.

First, there’s the soulcruzer, the one who embodies the spirit of Dao, just going with the flow. He’s the guy walking the path with an ease that comes from deep alignment with the natural order of things.

Then there’s the guerrilla poet, who made a strong reappearance yesterday. This character has been with me from the beginning—my love for poetry is as intense as ever. I’m drawn to avant-garde, experiential poetry, the kind that shakes people up, makes them think, and delivers powerful ideas in a non-standard form. Poetry, in its brevity, has always held a special place in my heart.

The third character is the Barefoot Philosopher, a figure who’s been central to my substack newsletter. He’s all about philosophy, but in a way that’s grounded, organic—not tied to the academic rigours of formal logic or theory. He’s a seeker of life’s big questions, exploring existence with a curiosity that’s free from the need to categorise or explain everything.

I’m slowly realising there’s no need to compartmentalise these characters. I can let them coexist, integrating their insights and energies.

I resonate deeply with the guerrilla poet’s mentality of disruption and non-conformity. The idea of being online excites me because it offers a way to reach a global audience, but I’m also drawn to creating physical art—posters, postcards, little pieces of thought left for people to discover in the wild.

The Barefoot Philosopher, on the other hand, is a voracious reader and writer, and his curiosity always leads him to new frontiers. This intellectually curious explorer in me isn’t content with staying in one place too long. I read broadly, often skimming the surface in search of something elusive, a concept or idea I can’t quite pin down.

Not every search needs an answer; some journeys are meant to be experienced, not solved.