A key fact of dark forests: they don’t want to be seen. Dark forests are spaces hidden from public view where outside eyes are not welcome.

Why is this the case? And what can we observe about spaces like this?

In this week’s episode of New Creative Era, we connect the idea of “antimemetics” — ideas that are intentionally hard to share and see — with dark forests.

This week on New Creative Era, Josh and Yancey explore the lifecycles of Dark Forest spaces. How do they start? How do they mature? How do they die? Do they die? Listen in to hear how our micro personal experiences and macro group dynamics collide.

This week on New Creative Era we dive deeper into the world of dark forests and the underlying philosophies and belief systems behind their existence.

How should we feel about dark forests? Are they places of threat or respite? Are they spaces of retreat or infrastructure for dissent? Are they inherently revolutionary and counter-hegemonic or are they potential tools for oppression, too?

Listen in as we touch on the many ideas and beliefs that shape dark forests and why we gather in them.

This week in New Creative Era we dive into how exactly Dark Forest spaces support themselves, what it costs to run one, and all the implications of online-native proto-institutions that can create their own economics, currencies, and even tax systems. Why is this happening and where will it lead? After the usual s**t-talking, Josh and Yancey dig in.

This season on New Creative Era, we’re diving into the world of Dark Forests. But what exactly is a Dark Forest? What’s the origin of the term, and what does it describe?

In this episode, Josh and Yancey walk through what a Dark Forest is and why they’re increasingly central to not just our digital lives, but society at large.

You thought it was over. But we’re so back.

Welcome to a new season and focus for New Creative Era.

This year we’re diving deep into the world of dark forests: private online spaces hidden from outside view. Why do Dark Forests exist? What goes on in them? What are their economics? What are their philosophies?

We’ll be exploring all of this, and much more.

But first, we have a lot to catch up on.

And we're back, with Season 2 of New Creative Era. In these episodes we're diving deep into the world of Dark Forests, online communities, and the economics, politics, and philosophies of the private internets. But first, we have a lot to catch you and each other up on.

Last week our TED Talk introduced Artist Corporations (A-Corps) — a legal and economic structure for creative work. So far there have been:

* 200k+ views of the TED video

* 600+ artists and creators joining the waitlist

Listen

On a special episode of New Creative Era (embedded above), Josh Citarella grills me on the nuts and bolts:

* How A-Corps would work

* What doesn’t work about the status quo

* What solo practitioners would gain on day one

Play the episode above.

Help us shape the law

Your challenges and desires will help shape the law we take to legislators. Support this work by sharing more about your own practices here:

Squads paving the way

While we work towards manifesting Artist Corporations, it’s important to recognize the squads, groups, and artists out there doing the work right now.

Just in our universe there is:

* Concept — An ironic network state collective that released a sold out zine earlier this year.

* Do Not Research — A collective Discord that drops work and publishes material together.

* Elysian Collective — Writers pooling reach and profit around themed anthologies.

* Future Commerce Press — A new media publishing empire releasing work across formats.

* Hard Art — A collective of artists across disciplines led by Brian Eno.

* Network Archives — Dozens of musicians come together to share their experiences releasing work online.

* Other Internet — One of the most influential web-based collectives of the past decade.

* Play — An award-winning food-themed, LGBTQ+ zine and collective.

* Serving the People — A global creative network.

* The Dark Forest Collective — Sixteen internet writers who collectively publish work and share profits together.

* TIAT — An SF-based new media + tech collective.

* Underground Art and Design — An art + tech collective in Brooklyn.

* Wondaland — A creative collective led by Janelle Monae.

* Worst Generation — A hip-hop and digital collective out of South Carolina.

These are all collections of people releasing work under a shared umbrella, using splits and shared economics to distribute the rewards.

This path is available to any creative person right now.

Artist Corporations will let those groups go even farther together.

Join the waitlist

Want the A badge the moment filings open?

Your early interest will help us make the case to lawmakers:

Questions?

What do you want to know?

Thoughts? Questions?

Leave a comment and let’s chat.

This week marks the final episode of the first season of New Creative Era, as well as the release of a new book that collects all our conversations into printed form: On the Creative Life: Conversations Towards a New Creative Era.

In this episode, Josh and Yancey discuss why even have conversations like ours? What is this moment in our collective creative journey?

Though this is the last episode of this season, we’re interested in continuing these conversations. Want more New Creative Era? Let us know by picking up a copy of the book, or by reaching out: [email protected].

Peace and love, y’all.

In the penultimate episode of the first season of New Creative Era, Josh and Yancey each come to the table with their list of seven things they most want in a new status quo.

These are our answers. What about yours? What do you want in a New Creative Era?