Day 1- Starting Something Meaningful

I have evolved from an academic content writer to a technical content writer and strategist. The thought of achieving this goal post still feels unreal. So much has changed, for the worse or the better? Well, I am still trying to figure that part out.

The evolution of AI, or artificial intelligence, has ushered in huge change in the way people think, perceive, and work. The window of creativity and learning is so compressed in the name of efficiency that it hurts. It is marketed as a tool of convenience. You can offload your cognitive pressure in the form of prompts, and it will serve you a ready-made outcome, with a sprinkle of generic flavor.

No one wants to edit content manually now. No one wants to give time to write on their own. I used to think this tool was a wonder, only to realize that it blunts your critical, analytical, and imaginative skills.

As someone born before the AI hype, I felt that this technology would lead to a world of ideal eutopia. That, sadly, is just wishful thinking. Having the sweet time to think, reflect, and put your thoughts on paper feels like a privilege these days. No obligation to be present within the four walls of your employer's vain yet stingy concrete accomplishments. No pressure to conform to the vanity of HRs in the name of office policies and norms. At times, even the rantings want to rant. Such is the case.

So, this is me. A millennial kid who turns out to be a Gen Z at heart, trying to navigate the mazes of life and survive the grind. 

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World1- A Book Review

 

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak is a poignant read. 

However, just like beauty, a book also falls under the knife of subjective scrutiny. I have read multiple reviews before proceeding to express my own. Some opined the book became preachy towards the end. Some thought it lacked catharsis, though the praise for Elif Shafak’s storytelling and her love for Istanbul overpowers these criticisms to a great extent.

Coming back to myself, I found Shafak’s story of a Turkish woman reminiscing about her life’s events before her subconscious mind shuts down completely to be compelling. Outside, she is a dead prostitute thrown in a large public dustbin somewhere in the city’s outskirts. But on the inside, even after her heart stops beating, her mind continues to wander through the alleyways of memories for her to see and feel them for one last time, both heartwarming and heartbreaking. 

Set against the backdrop of 1940s-1990s Istanbul, Turkey, the novel tells the story of Tequila Leila and her journey from innocence to survival as a sex worker. Abused by her uncle and let down by her father and then her mother/aunt Binnaz, she was forced to understood the precarious position of women in her society at a young age. Yet, her earnest zest for life and her compassionate nature led her to forge strong connections with her five friends whom she regards as her precious water family–Sabotage Sinan, Nostalgia Nalan, Zaynab, Jameelah, and Hollywood Humeyra. 

Through Leila’s friends, Shafak lends voice to the underdogs, immigrants, transgender individuals, and the outcasts. Each friendship allows us to understand Leila more intimately, in layers. Along with Leila, one of the most impressive characters is Nostalgia Nalan. She owns her sexuality and difference despite being scorned by society and passersby. She is practical yet tender, harsh yet considerate of her friends, especially for her beloved Leila.

Leila has been a rebellion and her stubborn attempt to follow her heart threatened the toxic patriarchal system. Her naivete and free nature made her the victim of repeated abuse and an embodiment of walking shame. She came with a dream to do something big in Istanbul, the city of joy and hope. Only to find that it is broken and is in flux– always “struggling, competing, clashing”. 

Leila’s journey of struggle, defiance, love, and friendship with her five companions is a story of trauma, resilience, and everything in between. 

The Process of Dreary Ol’ from ‘What to Write’ to ‘Just Let it Be’

 The Process of Dreary Ol’ from ‘What to Write’ to ‘Just Let it Be’

The struggle of ‘what to write, how to start’ is an eternal headache. You build up your intent with a cup of strong black coffee. Prep the mind and hunt for any speck of creativity. The favourite playlist, check. The current perfect track on loop, check. You take the first sip of caffeine from the cup’s rim, waiting to get the infamous ‘hit’ of positive creativity. Suddenly, the power of conquering the world, or changing the routine does not seem so overwhelming. 

You take the notebook and the pen or a blank Microsoft document (something I am sure most of us do) and start scribbling. Words, big and small, simple or compound, sentences flying all around you. 

The full idea of ‘what to write’ is yet to bloom. But you know in your heart that you can overcome this creative block. You can and you have to. So you straighten yourself up, reposition your posture in the chair where you have been sitting for the last two hours. You look around, fidget with the phone again for no special reason. By now, you realize once again that the backspace key has become your best friend. And then all of a sudden, you take a deep breath and tell yourself ‘Oh what the heck!’ And you start ‘writing’...