Why the Hell am I Starting a Blog?

Is there room on the internet for another Blog? Unfortunately, yes.

I’ve always seen Blogs as rather self-serving and masturbatory. I also realize that this crass snobbery is preventing me from a more meaningful avenue of audience engagement. (And even typing that sentence made me shiver a little bit, all the way from my spine to my perineum.) However, in the grand kaleidoscope of unpleasantness on the Internet, this medium at least seems like it has something akin to honestly and integrity left. (I guess we’ll see how quickly I’ll be proven wrong on that one.)

So who the fuck am I? I’m Ross Hammond - a Canadian with a Theatre Degree and a subconscious need to entertain audiences. I have a day job, and I’m an aspiring Stand Up Comedian, aspiring Filmmaker, aspiring Playwright, aspiring Writer… Basically there are a lot of things that I’m already doing, but I have yet to feel comfortable calling myself any of these things at dinner parties. I’m also full to the brim of self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

I’m also bad at Social Media, so posting images on Instagram or quips on Twitter (or X or whatever the hell it’s called now) has never held much appeal for me. I make maybe two posts a month that aren’t about shows I’m on, projects I’m making, or thirst traps. (And male thirst traps have to be done subtly. Can’t ever be too proud of yourself - you might accidentally say the quiet part loud. In my case, the quiet part is “I am so insecure - and yet, narcissistic? Please validate me, I’m too shy to ask people to like me.”)

I’m not the kind of person who engages in pictures of lunch - a trend we’ve made fun of since its very inception, and yet people are still doing it. So evidently society has collectively decided that this is just something we do, now.

A quick aside; Ancient Civilizations - Sumeria, Mesopotamia, the Egyptians; we’re so desperate for information on how these people in these civilizations lived their lives. Every time a new pot or piece of art is discovered it truly is amazing. Archeologists and Anthropologists in 1000 years will have scores of pictures of latte art and dogs being dogs - and they’re probably going to resent our whole era.

“This is what they thought should be preserved? What a disappointing society.”

(Who am I kidding, there will probably be Art Museums that host exhibitions on “The Evolving Medium of Selfies”, some day. Probably sooner than I’m ready for.)

So why am I making a Blog? Well; because of the advice of authors, comedians, and creators of all forms who I respect, honestly. There’s a need for artists to keep themselves “in the conversation [1]” in the modern world, and Blogging is still a major way of doing that even in today’s online landscape so… I guess I’ll write some of my thoughts and opinions down! In the hopes that someone gets something out of it. Or, is at the very least, entertained.

What are my goals for Blogging? I think it will vary. I like the idea of letting people read about what I’m working on, what obsessions I’m harbouring, and what thoughts I’m thinking. I want to let people follow along on this journey of trying to make my Art into my Career, so I’ll talk about what it’s like to be an unknown Stand Up Comedian, writer, filmmaker - whatever creative endeavour I’m on at the time. And just how painful it is to share things that are important to you with a largely apathetic mass of people.

And as a warning against potential pretentiousness; I read a great deal about Philosophy. And while I’m no capital-P Philosopher (since I didn’t get a four year degree in Philosophy, I imagine those who did would object to me calling myself one) I am articulate enough to get a point across. And who said you have to have a degree in anything to do it?[2] The vast majority of “Classical Thinkers” were just the people off their age who had ideas, wrote them down, and then shared them - no Bachelor’s Degree required.

So I’ll share my ideas, and what I’ve been thinking about sometimes - but this is an official disclaimer that I don’t imagine for a second that my ideas have any more importance than anyone else’s. If you happen to like some of the ways I think about things, feel free to add these ideas to your own philosophical musings. (And I highly encourage everyone to have a good philosophical muse once or twice a week. You get to feel really important in an objectively meaningless way.)

Further to my disclaimer, I’m not a “great thinker”. In my mind, “Great Thinkers” in the 2020s are those guys who make YouTube Channels about Pop Psychology and Philosophy. Or on the lower, even worse end of that spectrum, they talk unendingly about “Grindsets”. They put a strange emphasis on cleaning their rooms, and if they’re an Alpha, Beta, or Charlie Male [4]. An unending pipeline of people selling you on Stoic Philosophy as a means of supporting the nightmarish dreams of “work til you die” Capitalism. [5]

“Why Blog,” he asked himself, as much as the reader? Something to do. A way to process the world. A means of generating honest, meaningful content that will still serve the career I am building for myself. A place to complain. Really it’s just going to be a public journal - a way of sharing this world with all of you. Or, with none of you! Who knows what this experiment will result in - all I know is I’m here and I’m doing it now.

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[1] This advice most clearly rings in Austin Kleon’s spectacular (and light) trilogy of books, Steal Like and Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going. Essentials for anyone creating anything in the age of the Internet and Social Media.

[2] Other than Heart Surgery, I suppose. I’ll give Doctors that one.

[3] The Verb muse. Although if you find yourself a Noun Muse, don’t let go of them! They’re wonderful to have in your life if you’re lucky enough to find one.

[4] Incidentally a “Charlie Male” is a man who embraces his inner Charlie Brown. This is my official submission for a rebrand, because currently - that whole “Manosphere” world is just out of control and viscerally disgusting.

[5] Oh another disclaimer - I’m also one of those filthy fucking LEFTIES. The folks who care about people over profit. Disgusting. I will add though that I don’t dislike ALL Stoic Philosophy - just the ones that have that underlying implication of “The Stoics hated themselves enough to die for the state, AND SO CAN YOU!”