Tools and Tribulations

Once upon a time, many years ago, a clever monkey smashed a stone into pieces and, discovering one edge was quite sharp, used it to cut some meat. With this small act, that monkey created the very first tool.

The universe just hasn’t been the same since.
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I like making things. I’m sure you do, too. And just like loads of artists and writers, I’ve spent years enjoying social media, but (as you may have noticed) these avenues have become increasingly fractured and distracted, with no clear path to replace them. Social media was once a tool but, lately, I fear it’s evolved into something more akin to a weapon. I’m rankled by the idea that the fundamental human need for connection and community has been reduced to a commodity by large-scale industrial complexes, bereft of humanity and genuine interaction.

Consequently, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out the best way to continue to interact with groups that have, in years gone by, made me very happy. Community pages, digital meeting places, tweets and updates and daily reels and snaps and good-natured pokes aimed at friends… it’s all too much. I can’t tell my blue apps from my green apps anymore. My message threads are tangled up. I’m thinking, maybe it’s time to streamline.

You know what I DO love? I love meeting people in bookstores, libraries, book clubs, markets, etc etc etc… so maybe I should continue to grow that? I want to meet every single person who reads one of my books, face-to-face. Is that even possible? I think I might make it my personal mission for 2025.

I also want you to know that I don’t use AI when writing novels or artwork. I try my hardest to avoid AI in research, even when Google insists on throwing up AI-generated results at the top of my searches (some of which are laughably wrong).

I get it — for some people, AI is a tool that helps them get through a laborious chore, but I’ve never thought of writing like that. Yes, writing can be a struggle, but it’s also a joy. It’s a blissful challenge that sharpens my mind and engages my spirit. Even at its worst, the act of writing is wonderful, and I’d never wish to relinquish a single second of my time, inspiration, or creativity to AI. Why would I? If I didn’t passionately love to write, I’d find something else to do.

This is all to say: I am a real person on the other side of the keyboard, and I believe that you’re a real person, too, on the other side of the page. We’re both physical and fallible creatures navigating an uncertain universe, and when we share a moment’s connection through art and word, together we make something beautiful. Storytelling is a sacred pact, so let’s strip the meddlesome gaze of Big Brother out of that equation.

In a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content, we can be real genuine human creatures connecting with each other, and I love how much that feels like a radical act.

So here’s my promise: I’ll keep this newsletter going, and I’ll also post the same content on a blog on my website — that’s not going to change. I’ll try to post twice a month, but let’s be honest: a monthly update is much more likely. I’m going to taper off my involvement on big social media behemoths. Less time doomscrolling, and more time writing stories, meeting people, and supporting the art/poems/weaving/pottery/stories/jokes/music/stone tools that — in rapturous joy and awe of the universe — we remarkable human beings love to create with our own powerful hands.

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The latest news:

  • On my quixotic quest to meet every single reader out there, I’ve already signed up for a few markets this year. I’ll be at the River City Spring Market on April 5th at the Campbell River Community Center, between 10 am and 4 pm. Mark your calendar and come say hello!

  • Sometimes, “labour-saving device” sounds a bit like “remove the human so the corporation saves money”, and if that makes me a Luddite? Okay! I’ve started weaving, and holy moly, it’s given me a huge respect for weavers and people who craft items by hand. I wouldn’t mind reading Brian Merchant’s book, ‘Blood in the Machine’, but until I do, here’s a link to the New Yorker’s article.

  • Yeah, yeah, yeah, I complain about leaving social media, but I’m also on Bluesky at kimberbannerman.bsky.social. Come join me (for now).
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