The Art of Building Something That Doesn’t Exist Yet

I’ve been wrestling with my career lately—this gnawing sense that I’m not moving forward, even though I know what I want to be doing. The problem isn’t a lack of vision. If anything, it’s the opposite: I’ve got this sprawling, unconventional creative dream, but I don’t know how to articulate it yet. I want to be something I’m not even sure exists.

It’s not like I’m lacking inspiration. I’m fascinated by hidden surrealist artists—people who embed their wacky, subversive visions into mainstream culture. I think about the media prankster and satarist Joey Skaggs who ran the "Campaign Against Animal Nudity" and how he used his advertising chops to pull off these absurd public stunts that feel rich with meaning, even decades later. Or the artist collective behind In the Name of the Place —the set designers who transformed the soap opera set of Melrose Place into a surreal wonderland by sneaking avant-garde art into the backgrounds of the show.

That’s what I want to do: plant strange, magical seeds in plain sight, creating work that challenges people’s sense of what’s possible.

Subverting the Pointlessness

Here’s the thing: I’ve spent years in advertising, and I’m so bored with it. The whole industry is drowning in its own malaise. Every celebrity endorsement and surprise cameo feels hollow. It’s this weird, pointless dance where the content of the content doesn’t matter as long as it meets the targeted projection of impressions. Even if those impressions are generated by bots, it really dosen’t matter, because what companies are selling is confidence and attention, and robot attention still is attention, because it is market share.

But here’s the kicker: because it doesn’t matter, it’s ripe for subversion. If the bar is so low that people are churning out second-screen-friendly scripts no one cares about, why not make something genuinely weird and fun? The weirdest, most surprising ideas come out when you’re forced to think about how to fit interesting ideas into . That’s the sweet spot.

A Vision for Spectacle

I think a lot about how to make real political or cultural change, and I always come back to the power of spectacle. Some people argue that the only way to disrupt systems is through violence, but that’s such a lack of imagination. Killing someone you don’t like is idea one on the list. What’s really transformative is doing something so unexpected, so strange, that it forces people to rethink the boundaries of what’s possible.

We have the internet—a tool so powerful and so poorly understood that it’s like riding a bucking bronco. A teenager in their bedroom has the same ability to harness its magic (or be crushed by it) as a Fortune 500 CEO. That’s incredible. The problem is, we don’t know how to use it yet. We’re still figuring out how this interconnected digital world amplifies creativity and connection—or destroys it. That’s Internet Magic.

Breaking Down Silos

Every organization right now is obsessed with “breaking down silos.” It’s the corporate buzzword of the century, and yet no one seems to know how to do it. People can’t think interdisciplinarily; they don’t see how one part of the world flows into another.

Intersectionality is the key. We all hold multiple, conflicting identities at once—it’s part of the human experience. Learning to integrate the identities we choose with the ones thrust upon us by birth or circumstance? That’s the work of a lifetime. And it’s not just a personal journey; it’s a societal one. It’s how we start to visualize the bigger picture, how we understand the ways information and culture flow into and through each other.

My vision is to apply this thinking to any industry—to fashion, film, music, advertising, whatever—and help subject-matter experts deploy their knowledge more effectively. The challenge is, you’re not often allowed to move between these domains unless you’re already at the top of the ladder. Kanye was right when he said that certain people—white pop stars, white male directors—get welcomed into every room with a blank check, while the rest of us have to start at the bottom and grind for credibility in each field.

Building Internet Magic

So, how do I get there? Right now, I’m focused on writing—getting these ideas out of my head and onto internetismagic.com. I want to find other people who believe in Internet Magic, who feel it the way I do. But I’m cautious. I know how Internet Magic works, and if my ideas pop off before I’m ready, before I’ve articulated them clearly, they could be misunderstood.

The definition of Internet Magic is still forming, but here’s where I’ve landed for now:

Internet Magic is the phenomenon that arises when the interconnected digital world amplifies creativity, connection, and unexpected human expression. It’s a form of alchemy where ideas, people, and cultures collide, resulting in moments of surprise, joy, and collective imagination. It allows for new, boundary-pushing creativity and views the internet as a space that amplifies human potential, enabling the unthinkable to become possible.

Even with that definition, I know the magic lies in the mess. I believe that pouring my guts out—sharing the raw, rambling journey of how I arrived at these ideas—is what will resonate with people. It’s more authentic than trying to wrap everything up in neat, esoteric philosophical language. That’s what Internet Magic is all about: breaking the rules, embracing the chaos, and finding beauty in it.

Moving Forward

I’m trying to take small, actionable steps. Organizing my thoughts, building a content calendar, and dedicating time to this project is crucial. It’s hard, though. I’m battling physical pain, financial stress, and the pressure of not being self-sufficient yet. But every time I work on this, I feel more energized. It feels more real.

This is a transitional period, and I’m learning to see it as an investment in the future. Internet Magic is worth building, and I’m worth betting on. If you’re reading this and feel a spark, maybe you are too. Let’s see what we can make.