ARCA PERSPECTIVES
WITH maria

My favorite Arca Portal of mine at the moment is Attention Capitalism. It is about taking back ownership of our attention in the digital landscape.

As I saw the state of the world a few weeks ago, I found myself seeking some sort of sense of control, a sense of having power over the insanity that I feel is constantly surrounding us. That drove me to reflect on what I, as an individual, can do about it. I concluded that attention is the new currency, and where we decide to put it really matters.

Being informed, prioritizing media literacy, and sharing what we find to be important are our most powerful tools.

‍Recently, I listened to a podcast episode of Clearpilled by Sigh Swoon titled “I <3 AGING AND DYING,” in which she delves into themes of healing, slowness, illness, and the ego based on the book Still Here by Ram Dass. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I got it immediately after listening. Here are a few realizations that were sparked by the podcast, furthered by the book, and consolidated through my experiences.

Learning Through Living: I have noticed that I have been conditioned to be hyper-efficient, to make every second of my day productive, to watch TikToks at 2x speed, to condense and compress myself and the media I consume into a suffocatingly short period of time.

Recently, I sat near a group of older women having a book club session at a cafe. They were discussing A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, a book about the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As I heard their perspectives and life stories that led them towards anti-Zionism, from movements they have lived through and people they have met, from books they have read and talks they’ve attended, I realized there are no shortcuts to wisdom.

No matter how hard I try to cram my life, true understanding comes from living presently and intentionally, talking to people, and experiencing the world. Learning through living is, paradoxically, the most efficient route to wisdom.

Mindful Consumption: Statistically, older people spend the least amount of money. They do not seek novelty and usually attach themselves to what they have found to be reliable over the years. Old people exist in a capitalist limbo, as they can no longer work, and they are no longer a product for the workforce. This made me question the value of our lifespan in today’s systems and how we can fight against it.

An example that comes to mind is the “eclectic grandpa aesthetic” that was trending a few months ago. The reason the style of these older people was so appealing to many is because it is rooted in lived experiences and a deep understanding of one's real values and preferences, outside of the fast-cycling micro-trends that have our generation in a chokehold.

It is a reminder that valuable consumption is rooted in experiences, not an algorithm. Understanding this is essential to navigating and defining the role we want to play under the existing regime, choosing what will hold lasting value.

The Value of Being: Finally, I would like to share a passage from the book that has stuck with me.

"Before we are parents, executives, or neighborhood activists, and after we have ceased to be those things; before the ego begins its work of attaching meaning to itself, clothing itself in identity, we simply are, full stop. Behind the machinations of our brilliant, undependable minds is an essence that is not conditional, a being that aging does not alter, to which nothing can be added, from which nothing is taken away."

We all seem to put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish things, to be in a state of constant strain, to strive for more, forgetting that at our core, we must surrender and accept that the mere fact of our existence is enough.

Curating and creating must be understood as a dynamic activity in which one does not exist without the other. It is a state of flow in which the movement of input is transmuted into output.

When I curate, I tend to gravitate towards themes that, in one way or another, make me confront something that makes me uncomfortable, whether within myself or the world around me. I always seek out something that will strike a chord. I see this process of curation and creation as a tool for expansion, expansion of my knowledge, my values, my communities, and ultimately, my identity.

In the first step of the process, I am absorbing and filtering information. In the past, I used to hyper-fixate on retaining 100% of whatever it was that I was consuming, whether a book, a movie, an article, a painting, etc. I had this urge to hoard knowledge because perhaps future me would need to pull this information out at a later moment. Or maybe it would make me smarter. Or maybe it would make other people think I’m smarter.

Whatever the reasoning, it was not realistic, and it ultimately dissuaded me from keeping the habit of curating. I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of information.

Especially in today’s digital world, where there is so much to watch, so much to read, and so much to listen to, it can be tricky to know what we actually want to consume. It is of utmost importance to resist the urge to stockpile information because, in turn, the genuine benefits of understanding and consolidating personal growth will be lost. These benefits are evidenced by how the media we consume shapes our identity and our sensibility. This is the source from which our ideas will later flow.

Consuming information must be a present-moment activity where something within us is sparked. However, naturally, not everything will create this spark, and the things that are important to us will inherently stick.

When facing the discomfort I inevitably encounter during this process of curation, there is plenty of agitation. Recently, I went to a talk with the author Colum McCann about the concept of being, and he discussed the importance of retelling stories and how this is an extremely powerful tool, especially now that we are heading into such uncertain times.

Towards the end of the talk, he put my exact feelings into words as he said, “Turbulence is where the poetry lies.” This agitation I have been referring to ultimately allows space for movement, and this is exactly where creations are born. This is where the poetry lies.

I firmly believe that stagnancy is the killer of creativity, and so that is why the flow of information is so important when balancing this process. The constant movement of information is where the most fruitful ideas will reveal themselves.

Do not be afraid of getting it wrong. And go outside! I used to obsess over finding the perfect film, the best-rated restaurant, the ideal skincare routine. Social media had me trapped in an echo chamber, where everyone is referencing each other, and you end up seeing the same things over and over again.

I had to lose the fear of getting things wrong because, in order to know what I like, I need to know what I don’t like. Of course, getting references from others is a good starting point. However, in order to refine your taste, you need to go through the experience of trial and error yourself.

Especially now that we live in such a digitalized world, where we can find reviews for absolutely everything, sometimes the best thing you can do is go in blind. Step out of the digital bubble. True personal taste isn’t curated overnight.

As much as we want to curate it instantaneously, as if we were customizing a Sim, it is achieved by slowly collecting knowledge and understanding what resonates with your personal experience.

So get the book that piques your interest, even if you have never heard of it. Walk into a movie theater on a whim. Try a new restaurant without checking the reviews. And most importantly, don't be afraid of getting it wrong.