The head of Instagram made a post yesterday basically saying that Al is making it almost impossible to differentiate between what's real and not, and that "authenticity is becoming a scarce resource." This is coming from a company (Meta) that has pretty much forced Al tools into everything, promoting Al content and rewarding the quick-fix, short-form, polished reel type consumption. What a wild time.

As we enter 2026 my primary goal is to be a part of the movement protecting and prioritizing human made art and experiences. Choosing to make real stuff and not be sucked in to the pressures of what's on trend and gains the most engagement via Al slop. It's why I want to make a magazine and take photos on my film camera and print them. It's why I like long-form writing and podcasting.

My hope is that the pendulum swings back, and creativity and art returns to realness, away from the fragmented chaos of the current state of the internet. But what do I know.

Here are some photos I took recently, developed in my bathroom and scanned myself. No Al involved. The algorithm probably won't even show this to many of you, as my caption is too long and there's no twitchy reels made for short attention spans. But should we really care about engagement on social media? Is chasing likes and follower counts really the point of art?

Who knows. Happy new year 🫶🏻