Tags: #dough #quest-for-aesthetic-resonance idk what I feel like writing about today I had a really great time with mom this weekend. I brought her to the Vessel because she hadn't seen it before, then started at the top of the High Line and walked down to the Little Island. Hanging out on the High Line again evoked plenty of thoughts. ![[high line_07312021_1.jpg]] ![[high line_07312021_2.jpg]] ![[high line_07312021_3.jpg]] * high line solarpunk * subway culture and urban spaces that force ppl to interact (vs car centric suburbs, for example) When I was a kid I wanted to be an architect. I'm not entirely sure why. I think back then I liked the idea of building something out of nothing. When I romanticize it looking back, I like to think that I always wanted to create spaces that make me people feel something. But I was always pragmatic too. If I think deeper about what I wanted to do back then, I wanted to write. I don't know about what. Anything, I guess. But I never thought I could make it doing that. I thought architecture would be a more practical choice (lol) I had a thought about solarpunk, and the tension between projecting an aesthetic vs being that aesthetic. When you think of the solarpunk "aesthetic", you think of the Art Nouveau style with the gentle organic lines blending seamlessly with the greenery. Actually, I think of the Legend of Korra. I know Republic City was more steampunk in nature, and not at all solarpunk in ideology, but the spirit world blending with Republic City makes me think solarpunk, at least in aesthetic. Ignore the fact that Republic City spends most of the series at odds with the spirit vines. ![[republic city hall.jpg]] Zaofu and the Metal Clan give me solarpunk vibes as well. ![[zaofu.jpg]] Anyway, you think of that "style" or aesthetic when you think of solarpunk. And I think the High Line fits...sort of. But if you dig into solarpunk, what is it about? It's about sustainability...and optimism. What does a sustainable world look like? How do we get there? Now, is the High Line actually solarpunk? Is it the type of sustainable space that we want more of in our renewable optimistic future? It's a repurposed train track. It's got lush greenery. It brings the community together. It has that going for it. But the surrounding luxury high rises? The touristic draw? I'm not sure. It looks solarpunk, but is it? It's not a question I necessarily have answers to at the moment. The past year I've been on this path, using a term I'm stealing from Visa, of figuring out "aesthetic resonance". https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1203917207673044993 http://www.visakanv.com/blog/aesthetics/ Determining who I am and who I want to be. And bringing my look, and surroundings, and approach to life, and overall vibe, my ***soul*** in line with that story. I get kind of stuck in this analysis sometimes, because when I observe myself and my behavior, I'm suspicious because I don't just want to have the ***look***, I also want to ***be***. It's too easy to get caught up in the look, and not be. They can feed each other, of course, but it's much easier to fall in the trap of looking and not being. (could get into Clock of the Long Now pace layering when discussing aesthetic resonance) I wrote this in a notebook somewhere and I can find the picture at some point; ***"I want to create software that is art"*** What does that mean really? Well, partially it speaks to vanity, and my attraction to aesthetics. I want the web to be more beautiful than it currently is. I work in UX/product and I'm all to familiar with the tendency to reach for what you know, build from existing systems, reuse reuse reuse to minimize effort. This doesn't leave a lot of room for creativity, or expression, or beauty. I want to add more beauty to our world, and my skills are digital. Hence, I want to create software that is art. But drilling deeper, I think our software is often devoid of soul. Of meaning. We spend countless hours of our lives with these screens, these magical applications that connect you to millions of others across time and space. They are magic, to me. They should have soul. They should make you feel something. stuff like https://www.are.na/block/10857322 https://www.are.na/block/12692002 https://www.are.na/block/12725440 Now, with that mission in mind, it's too easy to create the look. Drape myself in the "aesthetic". I can profess my intentions here. I can collect and share inspiration. I can dive in to the new wave of interesting web3 and consumer social apps. But I am not ***being***, if I never create software that is art. And to do that I need to work on both my UI design skills and development skills. Work, of course, is the hard part. ---- Created: August 02, 2021 Last Modified: August 02, 2021