🌍 I don't care where are you from
Ubi bene, ibi patria
Hello,
Actually, I still don’t understand how it works. I have a lot of experience working with public attention—from lectures to interviews. In general, the communication was of high quality. But there’s one simple fact: sometimes magic happens, and sometimes it doesn’t.
A nicely written, partly interesting article in The Atlantic didn’t tell me anything new. I still don’t understand. Sorry.
Anyway.
Global and private affairs
Elon Musk (sic!) at the AeD party stated, “people take pride in Germany and being German.”
Nationality and my relationship with it is a very personal topic. First, it’s not my choice. Second, it’s not my achievement. Third, it doesn’t say anything about who I am.
Why is it personal? I can share a lot about my family. It starts with the last Byzantine emperors—the Palaiologos dynasty. I have many notable figures among my ancestors: from Ivan IV “The Terrible,” Prince of Moscow and all Russia, to the philosopher and mystic George Gurdjieff.
I was born in Moscow, as were my parents. So, formally, I’m Russian. But my great-grandmother was Jewish, and I have roots in Armenia and Estonia. All of this is documented. For instance, the former president of Armenia once promised me a passport.
If you travel to Italy, the first question you’ll hear is, “Where are you from?” (Your name comes second.) This question can be annoying at times because your birthplace isn’t a defining characteristic. It’s simply a matter of luck.
If you ask me about myself, my answer will be, “I’m an artist and an art dealer.” If we talk a bit longer, I can share countless stories from my various professional lives. I’ve been a photographer, an IT professional in diverse fields, and a TV host. Et cetera, et cetera.
I take pride in my work—whatever it is. It defines me far better than the place I was born or my family heritage. And while I understand what it means to be proud of your nationality, the truth is: you didn’t do anything to earn it.
Of course, I understand the natural desire to belong to something larger than yourself.
But I want to create something larger than myself.
I suppose that’s a far more interesting challenge.
I still can’t share anything personal. Nothing has changed in my life since I started this newsletter, but I have a little story about my art experience.
It’s curious, but visually, my digital art hasn’t changed in a year. For about nine months, I lived without an iPad, where I originally started working. When I finally had the opportunity to use it again, I easily restored all my previous ideas. I’m happy with it but still wonder how I can improve.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying experimenting with AR in different forms. If you want to try something similar, give Adobe Aero a shot—but make sure to have a o charger nearby, as it naturally eats up the battery.
I think it's enough for today.
Stay tuned!
❤️
P.S.
Unbelievable—it happened!
Alcohol consumption among millennials is dramatically down compared to previous generations. Sorry, I don’t have proof on hand—I read about it in the Financial Times recently.
Next bad news for alcohol manufacturers: fresh research about its connection to oncology has tanked their stocks (haven’t checked personally, just read it—too lazy to verify).
Latest trends :
• London is switching to mushrooms.
• Women are the primary audience for recreational products—from drugs and medicine to alcohol and fitness.
My humble opinion: microdosing psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, or THC is the key to happiness during the week.
And wine (or any alcohol) should be reserved just for Friday dinners.
🤷🏼♂️