ZERO PERCENT SUGAR is back 🦋🧋❤️🔥
The newsletter's premise was a promising thought experiment. But it was just that — a thought experiment.
Hey everyone,
It’s Madeleine and I’m back with a refreshed ZERO PERCENT SUGAR!
Before I get into the details of the refreshed newsletter, I want to share a small, personal story with you.
Back in high school, I had my first taste of burnout. I juggled a full academic course load with university-level classes, college applications, and extracurriculars like TEDx and Model UN.
During one Model UN session, my advisor saw that I was at my breaking point after a practice session for an upcoming conference. She sat with me and said:
“In France, we have a saying: réculer pour mieux sauter. To pull back to jump higher.”
The thought of taking a step back felt counterintuitive. If I took a step back — dropped some activities, changed my priorities — then, I’d give up opportunities that could make a difference in my college application. I was so exhausted. I heeded her advice. I dipped out of school and social activities and carved out some me-time every day. Yes, it was lonely, boring, and a little difficult.
You know what? Everything turned out more than okay. I got my college acceptance letter, the grades I wanted, and eight hours of sleep a night.
Recently, I revisited what my teacher told me almost ten years ago.
Putting ZERO PERCENT SUGAR on hiatus seemed counterintuitive. The speed of Internet trends and content cycles right now demands creators to go on hyperdrive and churn out video/reel/article/carousel/post one after another.
ZERO PERCENT SUGAR was at a tipping point. I started the newsletter to critique tech trends using concepts from art theory. The premise was a promising thought experiment. But, it was just that — a thought experiment. So, I put ZERO PERCENT SUGAR on hold last February to reflect on what’s next.
Over the past two months, I focused on becoming a better writer. I wrote about the Manila art scene for Cartellino, covering art fairs and trends. I’m especially proud of this piece about Cartellino’s most recent group show, “Menarche.” I also started a sidequest newsletter, mad melancholy, for more personal musings. During those warm Manila midnights, I dreamed up new ideas for this newsletter.
After two months of journaling, ruminating, and philosophizing, here she is:
New Direction
The newsletter’s original direction was to analyze technology trends through the eyes of an art critic. I explored the relationship between architectural theory and UIUX, the rise of super apps, and AI boyfriends. The thematic flexibility gave me the freedom to pursue my interests and share them with my readers. Although, a few topics stood out more than others. I loved writing about them and, surprise-surprise, you — my dear readers — loved reading about them too!
ZERO PERCENT SUGAR’s refresh will explore how we use the Internet for creative self-expression. This north star (omg corporate jargon) merges the best parts TASTE, IDENTITY, and INTIMACY, three of my most popular themes on here. It also puts the focus more on innovative artistic processes, which is what I specialize in as an art writer, as opposed to the nitty-gritty of app development.
You can expect future articles along the lines of:
I’m also going to add practical takeaways you can implement in your own life. ZERO PERCENT SUGAR’s goal is to be a key resource for artists, creators (writing, film, design), and technologists to develop their practices.
The first article under the new ZERO PERCENT SUGAR will launch next Wednesday, April 11, 2024 (hint: 📷 🎞 🌈) For now, I’ll resume posting a new article every other Wednesday.
I have a few tricks up my sleeves and oodles of ambitious goals for this project. I can’t wait to share them all with you in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I’d be over the moon if you could share ZERO PERCENT SUGAR with a friend or colleague who’s relentlessly creative and/or perpetually online.
Thank you so much for coming on this adventure with me,
Madeleine x