Social Media Vs Actually Living
Should every moment be recorded?
Hey friends,
Greetings from Idukki, India!
After spending just a day in Bangalore, I hopped on a bus to head straight to the cardamom plantations and rainforests of Munnar, Kerala. I only get a month of holidays from University; I’m not going to squander it.
Roaming this landscape full of trees feels so different from the arid fields of Haryana (where my University is located). I know for certain that I belong in the jungle.
As I walked under these trees and over these hills, I struggled with an internal debate.
Social Media Vs Actually Living
A few months ago, when I was in Delhi, I grabbed dinner with my friend Cam Houser, who is a big-time entrepreneur from Austin, Texas. He had come over to India for work but was keen on meeting me (the feeling was likewise). This was because we’re both writers and members of the online writing community—Write of Passage.
Both Cam and I are trying to build an audience online. Obviously, Cam is far ahead of me. Not only is he more experienced, but he is also adept at recording videos, which he uses to promote his content. He actually teaches a course about the subject, which you can check out here (I recorded a testimonial for him, which you’ll see on the page!)
Naturally, I was badgering Cam for advice on how I could grow my audience. He said to double down on filming videos, especially when I’m in the field. So, I spent all those remaining months in Delhi planning what I would do once I was back in the jungle.
But now that I am actually back here, I just don’t have the heart to record at the pace I had earlier planned. And I don’t know why; maybe because I’m just too burnt out from this semester and from writing the book.
To be honest, I am against social media and much of what it stands for. But it is genuinely one of the best ways (if not the only way) to grow an audience online. That’s why I have an Instagram account in the first place. If it weren’t for this, I’d have no reason to be on the app. The whole point of creating an account is to showcase my work online.
So this is my debate. Should I “make the most of this opportunity” by recording as much content as possible, or should I prioritise my mental health and savour this landscape that I’ve been separated from for so long(almost four months!)
Anyway, this newsletter has grown into a public journal, so here I am sharing my thoughts! Hope it got you thinking…
Book Update
Lately, I have been feeling a little burnt out because of the book. I mean, I’ve been doing this for so long.
But deep down, I am very happy with where we are. I can genuinely see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I can see the book in its entirety.
I am at the end of the last major developmental edit (where you look for material to add/cull), and I know what more needs to be added. After this, I will just be fine-tuning and finishing up the illustrations while thinking about the cover, design, etc.
One thing I am still struggling with is the title. I’ve found one—The Light of Wilder Things—that I am happy with, but I want to explore some smaller options. Maybe just a word or two.
If you look at other memoirs, like “Becoming” by Michelle Obama or “Educated” by Tara Westover, they all just have one word as their title. I’m trying to see if I can do something similar and pair it with the subtitle “A Teenager’s Search for Nature and Wildlife.”
Postcard
This is the view from a local hill that I climb every now and then. It is truly a magnificent landscape.
Favourite Quote
Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings.—JOSEPH CONRAD
Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!
If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.
Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.
I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)