It was undoubtedly quiet here in the last couple of months. In fact, I haven’t written a single word for this small newsletter since November 2023. For mainly three reasons.
I. Work
After half-heartedly justifying reducing my workload to 80% to accommodate private projects, I ramped up my degree again to full-time. On the one hand, the financial hit was too big, and on the other, the first half of 2024 was—thankfully—intense and busy at Zeilenwerk. And it doesn’t slow down either.
II. Negative White
While the digital realm always interests me, my true passion—especially regarding writing—remains with music. I have invested a significant portion of my free time (around 8 hours per week) in my music newsletter/blog, Negative White.
After the shutdown in 2020, I found the drive and energy again. Still, most of all, I enjoy experimenting with the so-called «creator economy» again and thinking holistically about the brand, platform, and product.
And it’s always nice to see that the work pays off: Negative White recently achieved the magic number of 1000 subscribers.
III. Reduce & Focus
Lastly, 2024 has been dominated by focus through reduction. After deleting Twitter last year, I finally cut ties with Facebook. I haven’t missed it one bit.
I also drastically reduced my suite of tools and subscriptions (to save money and simplify my productivity system). So, goodbye Spotify, Netflix, Disney+, Adobe, ChatGPT, Midjourney, et al.
This digital decluttering worked wonders—much like deleting LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads from my phone’s home screen. I spend significantly less time mindlessly scrolling through them and just open them with intention and purpose.
While my attention was lying with other things than DigitalMind, I nevertheless felt this nagging in my head that I should write something here again. But what?
Now, working in a new industry and the diametrically different environment of a self-organised company, the topics I wrote about previously aren’t as close to my daily work as before in a large corporate construct. And writing something just for consistency’s sake seems unfair: I’d be stealing your precious time.
But a recent LinkedIn post by my former colleague and friend Vinzenz Greiner about the «Consistency Trap» put my mind a bit at ease:
«The problem with all the consistency in our lives is that we lose sight of the goal. Consistency as a self-serving phenomenon. Routine as an obsessive neurosis. Habit as a burden.»
Amen.
So, no, I won’t announce a new format or frequency of posts here. I have enough consistency obligations with Negative White with weekly formats. If you’re interested in music and regular content, that’s the place you wanna be.
However, there are some things on my mind I plan to explore here in the near future. For example, my growing sense of disillusion or detachment with the web—something I already delved deeper into in relation to culture and music.
Janosch Troehler
And with that, I wish you an inspiring Saturday. Until the next time.