Current location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Reading: Drunk On All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson
Listening: FIZZ by High In Brighton(if you have a moment, reply with your own 3-item status via email or in the comments)
Video Essays
Alrighty, so today I have something a bit different for you: a couple of video essays, rather than the standard written fare.
My intention is to start posting regular (weekly), original work to YouTube (and eventually other video-centric platforms, as well), alongside the podcasts that’ve been the primary focus of my channel for several years.
To kick things off I’ve got an introduction/reintroduction video about me and my work and what to expect from my video essays, and then another about desire paths and how I use the concept as a metaphor for self-exploration.
I don’t currently know much about YouTube’s modern algorithms, but I suspect likes and shares and subscribes and comments still help—so if you click through and enjoy what you see, please consider doing one or more of those things.
Also: if you have ideas for future videos, questions you’d like me to answer, or suggestions as to how I might upgrade my channel/YouTube presence, I’d love to hear your thoughts :)
Interesting & Useful
Fungi-Focused Macro Photography
““I’m not the first person to say it, and I’m not going to be the last, but when you find out how integral fungi are to our existence, it makes everything else feel insignificant,” says Max Mudie, whose foraging expeditions reveal the otherworldly elegance, diversity, and minutiae of the myriad denizens of the “wood wide web.””
Visualizing 1 Billion Square Feet of Empty Office Space
“At the end of the first quarter of 2023, a record 963 million square feet of office space was unoccupied in America. An estimated five to 10 office towers are at risk of defaulting each month.”
““When I grow up I want to be a pilot” has long been a childhood dream of many around the world and, according to our search data analysis, the profession has lost none of its fascination. With close to a million annual searches around the world each year for ‘how to be a pilot’ and its translations, it topped our list of dream jobs as well as the work wishlists of 25 countries around the world, including countries like the USA, England and Australia. Our lust for travel shows no bounds following the pandemic and, with excellent pay, benefits and truly unique views on offer as you fly around the world, it’s easy to see why the thought of becoming a pilot continues to enthrall many of us.”
Consider Reading
Outro
While I had several people tell me they thought the classifieds concept I mentioned in the last newsletter was interesting and fun, on a practical level it landed with a resounding thud: I didn’t have a single person take me up on the offer.
Which is okay! It seemed like a neat idea to me, but you can never really know about these sorts of things until you try them out in real life, and it would seem that the concept is probably not a good fit for this publication (this is what learning looks like, thanks for bearing with me!).
So that’s off the table for the time being, and I’ll be refocusing on other options.
That said, if you’re finding value in what I’m doing here and are in the position to do so, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter or buying me a coffee :)
Have a favorite YouTube channel you can recommend? What are you working on at the moment? Reply directly to this newsletter or send a fresh email to colin@exilelifestyle.com. I respond to every message I receive and would love to hear from you!
Prefer tangible missives? Send me a letter, postcard, or some other physical communication at: Colin Wright, PO Box 11442, Milwaukee, WI 53211
Or hit me up via the usual methods: Instagram/Threads, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or list of stews.
Things I make: Aspiring Generalist / Brain Lenses (podcast) / Climate Happenings / Let’s Know Things (podcast) / Never Not Curious / Notes On the News / One Sentence News (podcast) / You Probably Don’t Need