Wow, Tania, this was especially good. I LOVE that tweet at the end -- amazing.
The idea that a person who seeks discomfort would be more motivated is very interesting. All I have is the anecdotal evidence of my own experience, but I have certainly felt I've grown more (and more quickly) when I've said yes to opportunities that make me just a little bit uncomfortable (in a positive way). It's kind of like a bullet train for growth -- you can get there, or close by, on the regular train, but it's a much slower journey with more detours, whereas stepping into discomfort seems to speed things up and push you forward faster. So intriguing!
This piece really chimes with me...there is something about the honesty and being completely yourself and not afraid to show it nature of Gonzo that has always really appealed to me (if not necessarily the drugs and rock and roll lifestyle that people always assume it entails from the outside). I would have also loved to have seen Holly ask the PM the questions she really wanted to, not what the tv establishment told her to...that would have been truly subversive and also probably better for our democracy. I also have been thinking a lot lately about improv and looking into local classes...maybe this was the motivational push I needed!
I want to learn more about gonzo journalism--as a journalist, I've been taught to strive for balance and fairness and to extract myself from stories, so it's a big leap.
So tempted! I associate Gonzo with a time and place that I don’t know whether we can get back to in our polarised 24/7 rolling news cycle. I find it honestly subjective - a complete oxymoron! I read a lot of Hunter S. Thompson as an adolescent which I enjoyed (his original piece on the Kentucky Derby and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail stand out in my memory along with the obvious F&L in Las Vegas) but as I grew older I think I appreciated other authors/journalists who were unafraid to be a conscious part of the piece - Joan Didion, Truman Capote and Kurt Vonnegut are probably my favs.
As someone slowly approaching their 40s, it’s comforting (by that tweet) to know that it can be a decade of joy :D
Let's share notes in a few years ^_^
Wow, Tania, this was especially good. I LOVE that tweet at the end -- amazing.
The idea that a person who seeks discomfort would be more motivated is very interesting. All I have is the anecdotal evidence of my own experience, but I have certainly felt I've grown more (and more quickly) when I've said yes to opportunities that make me just a little bit uncomfortable (in a positive way). It's kind of like a bullet train for growth -- you can get there, or close by, on the regular train, but it's a much slower journey with more detours, whereas stepping into discomfort seems to speed things up and push you forward faster. So intriguing!
I love this response, too: https://twitter.com/davemcclure/status/1519729663802716161
And yes, I don't want to normalise/glorify suffering too much but there's definitely something to be said for discomfort.
This piece really chimes with me...there is something about the honesty and being completely yourself and not afraid to show it nature of Gonzo that has always really appealed to me (if not necessarily the drugs and rock and roll lifestyle that people always assume it entails from the outside). I would have also loved to have seen Holly ask the PM the questions she really wanted to, not what the tv establishment told her to...that would have been truly subversive and also probably better for our democracy. I also have been thinking a lot lately about improv and looking into local classes...maybe this was the motivational push I needed!
Do it!! And tell me about your experience :)
I want to learn more about gonzo journalism--as a journalist, I've been taught to strive for balance and fairness and to extract myself from stories, so it's a big leap.
So tempted! I associate Gonzo with a time and place that I don’t know whether we can get back to in our polarised 24/7 rolling news cycle. I find it honestly subjective - a complete oxymoron! I read a lot of Hunter S. Thompson as an adolescent which I enjoyed (his original piece on the Kentucky Derby and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail stand out in my memory along with the obvious F&L in Las Vegas) but as I grew older I think I appreciated other authors/journalists who were unafraid to be a conscious part of the piece - Joan Didion, Truman Capote and Kurt Vonnegut are probably my favs.