On the 31st December 2021 I declared finished a series of short videos I’ve been putting up in the fleeting story format that several social networks offer. Mainly Instagram, but also Facebook, and Twitter when it had Fleets. In general, each video is about 15 seconds of the sea from the beach in Brighton (Hove, actually!), taken each day whenever possible, with some exceptions on days where I wasn’t in the city, or I was not able to go.
A theme that really attracts me is everyday life expressed through repetition. I have done this even with popcorn.
A frequent question is how or why it began. Checking my archives, it’s certainly not the firs time I had recorded videos in that same format. But in 2019 I had a great loss at the same time I moved from London to Brighton. It’s was intense, and traumatic, but no one had died. When I got to Brighton, and I walked a few steps to the beach, I experienced silence. And it was delicious, like saying hi to an old friend. Citing Alfredo de Hoces, you cannot feign silence. It was the silence of the sea (which I know is not exactly silence) what hooked me on, and thus how the series began.
Repetition doesn’t need some big announcement. In the right moment and place, it becomes organic. With these videos, my direct messages started getting messages with people commenting on the video of the day. It became a way to stay in touch, in times where touch was reduced because reasons gestures hand around. I had people who asked when the videos suddenly stopped, as I had ghone out on holiday in March 2020 just as the world suddenly changed. Continuing to show the same sea as the daily situation changed so dramatically kept me grounded. Many thanks to all those who commented, and many thanks to all who were inspired and sent me their own videos when they went to the beach. You made my day several times.
But as with everything in life, I think the series found its purpose, met it, and ran through its course. I feel there’s not much I can add to it. All the videos are in the highlights of my Instagram profile. 2020 is shown in a hour and a half video, and 2021 will have its own video as well. Even though I’m not moving places, I do think I have moved on, and start thinking on what’s next.
This is a talk that Bret Victor gave 7 years ago, and I’ve mentioned this talk in my Spanish-written gamedev blog, but it’s completely worth it to see it again.
“The most dangerous thought that you can have as a creative person is to think that you know what you’re doing. Because once you’re thinking you know what you’re doing, you stop looking around for other ways of doing things. And you stop being able to see other ways of doing things. You become blind.”
Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything in this blog. Sometimes life happens and you just don’t allocate time to write. 2020 is no exception for me, even in the circumstances that we are now in.
Many good things happened to me on 2020, nonetheless. One good thing that came out of lockdown was getting online together on Tuesdays with some fine folks and set one hour to make some musical piece based on a theme decided at the beggining. A jam, for those who don’t need extra words. After many years wishing to learn how to make music on the computer, I got Ableton Live and started making these. There were 37 jams, and I participated in 34 of those jams.
As 2020 closes, I would like to share with you my results. All for good fun and having a hobby, in its most essential meaning. I’ve been also playing some stuff over my Instagram @chiguire, just to reach out to friends, acquaintances and curious folks.
I hope you enjoy this, and that your 2021 will be the best possible.
I’m a bit shocked on how many people think that today’s world is incapable of producing their own icons, given the amount of recent celebrity death news.
I think this may be related to the amount and quality (specifically production values) of the media we’re exposed to. It’s great we have this quality around, but I believe this creates at the same time an implicit message that you may not ever be able to reach that quality, no matter how much you do. And don’t even think about it if you don’t make it your main trade.
However, I believe in the entertainment oriented to the people that are physically and emotionally close to you. From that point of view, we have in our society hundreds of entertainers that with their talent and charisma are able to touch us beyond what a TV celebrity might reach. If you allow it so. Big screen celebrities will keep existing, but they are not able to dictate your immediate environment, nor your future.
In short: don’t justify yourself with crappy music or bad shows as an excuse to say that yesterday’s things were so much better. Don’t age prematurely.
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