The most important work is antimemetic

In this week's episode of New Creative Era, Josh and Yancey talk career development. Tune in for a conversation on the creative long game here.

This is the third and final dispatch in our DOOM series — and it’s about what doesn’t spread.

Look around: feeds sparkle and scream with people dancing for the algorithm. “Look at me!” the most important motivator. Virality is victory. Visibility the goal. This thirst — for attention, for approval — the engine of our DOOM.

But is that really where value comes from?

The upcoming book Antimemetics explores the opposite: ideas that matter deeply but don’t spread easily. Antimemes.

In creative work, memes = success. Memes go big, gain followers. They make the numbers rise. Because of that, culture celebrates them.

But the work that most matters is often the opposite. Invisible. Quiet. Full of painful lessons, failed attempts, and quiet breakthroughs. Actions that don’t scream algorithmic approval, and because of that are missed.

The imbalance between what spreads and what matters warps how we define success. We’ve reconfigured creative life into one long viral dance video where if you stop moving, you disappear.

Yay?

When the world is so blind to what’s real and what’s fake, what are we to do? 

We can’t just change the channel or close the tab. We have to change the way we dream and see.

From chasing memes to building antimemetic power.

From begging for virality to creating our own value.

From their DOOM to a world of our BLOOM.

April 30.