ARCA PERSPECTIVES
WITH ONYI

What is your favorite Arca Portal currently?

My favourite Arca Portal is called So You Want To Know More About The World. Whenever I’m dealing with writer’s block or feeling unmotivated, I know one of those sources will have something in store for me.

What is a piece of content that’s recently inspired you, and why?

So recently, I’ve been doing some researching and writing about linguistic relativity, aka the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.

There’s a line in the film Past Lives that neatly explains my initial thoughts about it: “you dream in a language that I can’t understand.” This quote ended up becoming the title of my essay and lead me to reflections on how language can both restrict and liberate, as well as the validity of the hypothesis.

I’m fascinated by the idea that different languages might cause subtle variations in perception, so this was a perfect find.

How do you balance the act of curating and creating in your day-to-day?

To be honest, I’m not sure there’s much of a balance—I find the two deeply intertwined.

I see curation as a form of creation, where I cultivate a cohesive collection—whether it’s music, articles, or other pieces—and build something meaningful from separate parts. Practically, I do more curating during the day, adding pieces I come across to my Arca throughout. It’s easier that way, between meetings or during breaks.

Most of my creating, editing, and writing happens at night. Eventually, I’ll be inspired by something I’ve ‘collected,’ and that’s when the creation begins. In that sense, maybe the balance happens naturally.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to refine their taste?

One piece of advice I’d give to someone looking to refine their taste is to consume as much as possible, and go straight to the source.

It can be tempting to adopt others' opinions or tastes—take YouTube commentary, for example. I love commentary channels (Mina Le and D'Angelo Wallace are my favourites), but the more you rely on your own judgment, the easier and faster it is to develop your own unique style and taste.