WHAT DOES CREATIVE AUTONOMY LOOK LIKE IN 2025?

The game of metrics has officially whooped my ass this year.

And I mean that on a deep psychological level.

Over the past decade, my relationship with the internet has gone through every phase imaginable: healthy, unhealthy, toxic, dangerous, enlightening, nostalgic, inspiring… basically a full-on cathartic merry-go-round.

It’s been such a ride that now, having finally hopped off, I can admit it got in my head. It started to define whether I’d even want to create again. Now, excuse the dramatics but to paint a better picture: have you ever lost your appetite?

That's basically what sharing on platforms has felt

like to me lately.

I could list a dozen things that irk me about the internet.

I could state the obvious: that most platforms are metric-obsessed. I could rant about how technology is evolving at a rate that feels a bit unhealthy. Or spiral about the relentless loop between consumption and production. Meanwhile, the ironic fight to maintain visibility; from an audience we don’t even have equity in continues.

During the past few months, I ignored the idea of posting altogether. Because every time I hit post, it came with a set of grievances. Reminding me: you’ve got to get back to creating for the sake of creating.

So I had to ask myself:

How do I reclaim full creative autonomy?

How do I show up online without being tethered to a value system?How the fuck do I get back to working on my ideas?

Instead of quitting or deactivating, I took a page from the early 2000's and brought back the vibes of when websites were playgrounds; digital cubbies for silly notes, ideas, and scraps of inspiration (baby yes, a blog of sorts.)

Only this time, I’m expanding.

I’m building a space that lets me stay connected in ways that feel right. A space that lives because I need to exist outside of any perpetual cycle. A space that challenges me to show up fully.

So if you’re reading this, you’ve opted in early.

And that tells me you believe in what I’m building, that despite some loose screws, you still believe I'm talented and you think there's something to observe here and that’s necessary.

In return, I think you're creatively curious, open minded and eager to explore new things. For someone like me, that's important and it makes me feel like I finally found a belonging, one that is filled with people like yourself who want to lean more into full creative expression.I am so happy that you're here!

This little cubby I carved out will house design videos, interviews, a candid behind-the-scenes look at past projects,

blog posts, and even a chatroom where we’ll swap ideas, stories, and works-in-progress.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this little space on the internet.

<3 D'ana