Dear Reader,
I am so fucking tired of everything.
I am tired of the US government. I am tired of old people who are actively dying in front of our eyes, refusing to step aside and let the next generation lead. I am tired of how long it is taking all of them to die, which I know is a terrible thing to say, but that is the only way they are ever going to relinquish control.
I am tired of how fucking hot it still is in October and how scientists in the 60s and 70s warned us about climate change and the previous generations did nothing. They ignored the problem in favor of profits and comfort, and now those of us who will be around in 30+ years are left to deal with the consequences.
I am tired of having to work and be a cog in the machine of capitalism. I am tired of the rising prices, the corporate greed, the wars for resources, and the arguments about whether or not people have the right to clean drinking water and nutritious food. I am tired of every single fucking thing being a godsdamned advertisement. The inundation is overwhelming! I am tired of the constant recalls. Soap isn't even safe anymore!
I am tired of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia.
I am tired of book bans.
I am tired of ICE and police brutality.
I am tired of the literacy crisis and bean soup theory.
I am tired of being a villager with no village.
And I am tired of AI and AI slop, which is actually what prompted me to even begin this rant in the first place.
I have been writing this blog since 2014, and since ChatGPT and other AI programs have taken off, I have found it harder and harder to compete as a creator. I used to love surfing Pinterest, seeing what other bloggers were doing, hoping to find new and interesting perspectives and ideas, but now it is all the same rehashed AI nonsense. The articles are AI-generated, the pictures are AI-generated, and half the comments are fucking bots in an infinite cycle. Dead internet theory, anyone? I can't even fucking trust Canva images anymore because they started allowing AI in without labeling it!
The craziest part of all this? Those witchcraft blogs are raking in clicks, views, and engagement, while I am over here looking at my numbers, wondering what the fuck I am doing wrong. And it isn't just new blogs that popped up recently either. Blogs I have been reading for years...who I trusted have turned to AI for everything. It's infuriating!!!
I know deep down it shouldn't bother me as much as it does, and yet here we are.
I did not start writing to become rich and famous. I started Flying the Hedge to fill an informational void and to act as a creative outlet. It's just so disheartening when I am putting in hours upon hours of research, writing, editing, photographing, and designing while others are slapping everything into AI and doing better than I am...
I am so committed to doing everything myself that there are recipes I have written that have never made it on the blog because I couldn't figure out how to take good enough photographs of the food or drinks. This is especially true for my more recent blogging endeavor, Plots & Potions. I just haven't the knack for food photography and I may never, so alas they will remain in my drafts. I am unwilling to compromise our planet, our future, and my integrity for AI-generated images and text, even if it means more views, more clicks, more comments.
To add to all this, I cannot wrap my head around how people who claim to be witches, pagans, Wiccans, and other earth-centered spiritualists can willingly use generative AI. The planet is crying out in agony; you are stabbing Her in the back while telling Her you love Her! How can you not see that? How can you not hear Her death wails?!
ARRRHHHH!!!!
I.
am.
so.
tired.
But I am going to keep moving forward. I am going to keep being politically active. I am going to keep advocating for a better future for us and our children. I am going to keep creating real art. I am going to keep posting and sharing my thoughts. I am going to keep advertisements down on my blog, even when Google keeps trying to push more and more ads. I am going to keep everything free and accessible. I am going to keep believing that things can get better...that things will change.
One day we will look back on this time in history and be thankful we kept moving forward. I am going to keep holding this small dream I have alive, because fascism wins when hope dies.
Thanks for reading.
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You are not alone, Willow. Many of us in the Witchcraft and Pagan community feel the way you do. Keep moving forward! I look at your blog almost every day to see if there is anything new and I share it with my group of like-minded individuals.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good fight. Just so you know, I shared your recent rethinking abundance post and it inspired a few to give to their local food banks. You are making a difference, even if it is just in little ways.
I am in tears right now. Thank you so much for sharing this with me.
DeleteI feel exactly the same way. It's exhausting and overwhelming and infuriating, all at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI know this is by design. If "they" keep us overworked and overwhelmed, we are less likely to do anything. Crazy will stop being crazy and they get get away with even more terrible acts. It just suuuuuuuucks.
DeleteThank you for not selling out and for all you do! I am an old person, but not one of THOSE old people. I agree with every word you said. I have been fighting and resisting this kind of shit my whole life. I don’t think I make a difference, but I can die with a clear conscience. I worry for my children and grandchildren, so I keep fighting the good fight!
ReplyDeleteYou are making a difference and please know I appreciate everything our true elders are doing to help. I have been watching a group of retired people in my community protesting multiple times a week. They get together and call and write our reps, volunteer, and show up to every local and state meeting they can. They are doing what those of us who are required to work 40+ hours a week are struggling to find time to do. We couldn't do this with out people like you. <3
DeleteIt's frustrating and infuriating, I have blogged for many a year across different blogs as I evolved but now it seems that this is a dying art that gets buried by AI. Even sadder is when you can put together a coherent post or article and get accused of using AI simply because you can write reasonably well. It's bleeding everywhere in occult spaces, the quick fixes, the shortcuts - I do psychic fairs as a vendor and the amount of Temu items being peddled for spiritual work is truly sad. The genuine gets buried and the AI pushed nowadays and some days it truly feels not worth the effort to do the work.
ReplyDeleteI know, right! I am constantly in fear of being accused as using AI to write my posts, especially as I have evolved as a writer. The more I read, the more new words I pick up, and sometimes I latch on to a topic or word pretty hard. Right now that is "reciprocity."
DeleteDon't even get me started on local fairs and festivals. Half the stuff is AI slop, and the other half is 3D-printed garbage the maker didn't even have the decency to sand, prime, and paint. Two weekends ago, we went to a local fall festival, and 80% of the food vendors had AI-generated signs...that sent me packing the other direction. I won't spend my money at a place that isn't willing to hire and pay real artists for their work. Screw that!
Despite my frustrations, I am going to stick this out. I keep hoping this will be a fad that fades away...
Hi Willow, I understand you perfectly. I also write a humble weekly blog (descubriendo-tesoros.blogspot.com), and I don't use AI. I write down reflections or things I’ve learned from the books I read. It isn't perfect, but it is real and human—and that is what matters most. I believe we still have influence (remember Indra's Net), and our blog is our legacy. These are difficult times, I know. But let’s stay true to our personal truth. Our writing will guide and help someone. We can't save the world; we can only focus our attention on what we want to see grow. Stay grounded and let go! Sending you lots of encouragement and blessings—your reader, Karin.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your words of encouragement, Karin. I also followed your blog. <3
DeleteHey, honestly; I am on the same boat as you on all the AI stuff. I have been following your blog for a long time and I am glad that someone is open about this. Sometimes we got to be patient. Do what we are able to do first. Keep going with what we are doing even if others oppose it. Don't give up Willow. Stick to your truth and belief. ~J
ReplyDeleteThank you! Its so frustrating for sure.
DeleteI follow your blog; and I love the information you post every time. I love the descriptions and the daily facts, practices, and ritual ideas. So I suggest you don't give up on what you are doing. Keep your head up and keep trying. I have a blog of my own, it's a little different, but I'm no fan of AI either. What matters is knowing you can do what you do, and keep on doing it regardlesss of opinion that others say.
ReplyDelete