'The gurus tell you exactly what you would like to believe. They do it in an almost seductive way. You might subconsciously sense there is something wrong but their vision sounds too appealing.'
Jeez.
I'm in the meditation space. Reminds me of the teachers who tell you that meditating for 5 minutes per day is enough. Even heard one say that if you don't have time for 5 minutes, one mindful breath is enough. Is this what the world has come to?! Ridiculous. Of course, he has millions of followers, none of whom I imagine have achieved any kind of meditative depth.
So true. While a good starting point in developing a consistent practice, it’s merely a springboard into the depth required to building a meaningful one.
What I find most interesting here is the paradox: many people enter the creator economy because they want freedom, but then immediately search for a blueprint. They want to stand out, but not stand alone. Maybe the real product being sold is not strategy, but relief from the anxiety of having to build your own path.
This is great, and I truly resonately with this. What you have written is true not just for writing, but for any other forms of art. This read was a good reminder to myself too, that self-doubt is a necessary part of the process.
Agreed, there’s no need to pay an absorbent amount of money for any of it. It tends to be regurgitated stuff anyways. You can just learn by reading the right books and substack articles.
Great article- tension between Eros and agape… that’s a great way of putting it. My feed has been hitting me hard with these ‘get rich on substack’ - I didn’t turn up for that… thank you for honest and profound reflections.
This is an excellent piece. I spent the last 15+ years chasing money and following all the different gurus., ranging from crypto to ecommerce to marketing agencies, etc. I started writing on Substack last month, and I'm treating this as my art and creative pursuit by writing what I care about. It's a great way to develop my voice and articulate my thoughts and ideas. At some point, I'll turn it into a business, but I'm in no rush for that.
Hear! Hear! I fear that most online gurus are nothing but glorified marketeers. That is their true skill. In Dutch, we have a saying for people who have no real depth of understanding. They heard the bell ring, but have no idea where to find the clapper. Meanwhile, I just keep sharpening my saw. Thanks for sharing! I much appreciated reading it.
I have learned you have to care about what you are creating and be ok with the fact that it may never go anywhere! What matters most is knowing it is still something you would do even if nothing ever came out of it! I enjoyed the read!
Loved everything about this essay, I could have restacked multiple quotes, so it was hard to choose just one. We are very much aligned in our philosophy around guru culture, self expression, and creativity 🙏
the hope-despair cycle is the most honest description of what I’ve watched happen to people in healing and wellness spaces too. the guru just changes costume. sometimes it’s a certificate instead of a course. sometimes it’s a lineage instead of a blueprint. but the mechanism is the same — borrowed certainty to avoid the terror of your own path.
twenty years of somatic work taught me that the body knows when you’re performing safety rather than actually finding it. it registers differently. there’s a specific kind of tiredness that comes from following someone else’s map.
what you’re describing as the artist’s path is what I’ve been trying to build toward my whole career. writing from the encounter with the self rather than toward the algorithm. it’s slower. it’s scarier. and occasionally a turtle in the Gobi desert teaches you something about frequency that no course ever could. It may not have the flairs of normal writing but I hope the capacity for love and compassion keeps the reader interested.
'The gurus tell you exactly what you would like to believe. They do it in an almost seductive way. You might subconsciously sense there is something wrong but their vision sounds too appealing.'
Jeez.
I'm in the meditation space. Reminds me of the teachers who tell you that meditating for 5 minutes per day is enough. Even heard one say that if you don't have time for 5 minutes, one mindful breath is enough. Is this what the world has come to?! Ridiculous. Of course, he has millions of followers, none of whom I imagine have achieved any kind of meditative depth.
Ridiculous is the right word. I don’t think that these gurus necessarily have bad intention, but they are not helping in the way they think.
So true. While a good starting point in developing a consistent practice, it’s merely a springboard into the depth required to building a meaningful one.
What I find most interesting here is the paradox: many people enter the creator economy because they want freedom, but then immediately search for a blueprint. They want to stand out, but not stand alone. Maybe the real product being sold is not strategy, but relief from the anxiety of having to build your own path.
You hit the nail on its head.
What a great piece
I M a painter and sculptor at heart distracted by Raindance Film Festival which I started in 1993
Lately I have been giving away my artwork in the hope that one will catch the eye of patron - as Picasso, Matisse et al did a 100 years ago
Meanwhile, I still have the dull and boring day job - meaning I can eat - and I have a precious 2 hours a day to create
Those 2 precious hours might be everything you need. Since your basics are covered your art has room to breathe.
Why thank you ☺️
This is great, and I truly resonately with this. What you have written is true not just for writing, but for any other forms of art. This read was a good reminder to myself too, that self-doubt is a necessary part of the process.
Yes, it is written for art and art is really about life.
“A guru creates a profound sense of hope. Fueled by hope, you consume more of their content.” 💚
Agreed, there’s no need to pay an absorbent amount of money for any of it. It tends to be regurgitated stuff anyways. You can just learn by reading the right books and substack articles.
You can’t stand out without standing alone.
Beautiful way to frame it.
Great article- tension between Eros and agape… that’s a great way of putting it. My feed has been hitting me hard with these ‘get rich on substack’ - I didn’t turn up for that… thank you for honest and profound reflections.
Philip you just spat out the truth and guess what you gave it for free.
I think I am going to make the hardest decision of my life today.
Unfollowing and unsubscribing to these creators.
I think it's time to stand on my own.
This is an excellent piece. I spent the last 15+ years chasing money and following all the different gurus., ranging from crypto to ecommerce to marketing agencies, etc. I started writing on Substack last month, and I'm treating this as my art and creative pursuit by writing what I care about. It's a great way to develop my voice and articulate my thoughts and ideas. At some point, I'll turn it into a business, but I'm in no rush for that.
The minute I got a part-time job to pay the bills, my energy towards Substack got better.
I could suddenly afford the time to comment when I read something slowly and savoured the words,
I didn't need to rush the reading or the response to the author. Relationships started to form and
natural curiosity became the norm.
Writing became easier and more pleasurable. Don't get me wrong there are still days when I spend two hours writing absolute drivel,
but what follows, is generally the gem of a paragraph or two.
Take the side-job or main job and release the pressure of your writing to make your income.
It's a lot less scary that way.
Hear! Hear! I fear that most online gurus are nothing but glorified marketeers. That is their true skill. In Dutch, we have a saying for people who have no real depth of understanding. They heard the bell ring, but have no idea where to find the clapper. Meanwhile, I just keep sharpening my saw. Thanks for sharing! I much appreciated reading it.
I have learned you have to care about what you are creating and be ok with the fact that it may never go anywhere! What matters most is knowing it is still something you would do even if nothing ever came out of it! I enjoyed the read!
Loved everything about this essay, I could have restacked multiple quotes, so it was hard to choose just one. We are very much aligned in our philosophy around guru culture, self expression, and creativity 🙏
the hope-despair cycle is the most honest description of what I’ve watched happen to people in healing and wellness spaces too. the guru just changes costume. sometimes it’s a certificate instead of a course. sometimes it’s a lineage instead of a blueprint. but the mechanism is the same — borrowed certainty to avoid the terror of your own path.
twenty years of somatic work taught me that the body knows when you’re performing safety rather than actually finding it. it registers differently. there’s a specific kind of tiredness that comes from following someone else’s map.
what you’re describing as the artist’s path is what I’ve been trying to build toward my whole career. writing from the encounter with the self rather than toward the algorithm. it’s slower. it’s scarier. and occasionally a turtle in the Gobi desert teaches you something about frequency that no course ever could. It may not have the flairs of normal writing but I hope the capacity for love and compassion keeps the reader interested.