Category: AI

40 days

First of all, I’m a delight. Second, “Allt virðist vera breytt” (hat tip to Sigur Ros)

photo of the view from a canopy tree walk 75 feet above the forest floor which is located in an area that reaches around 900 feet above sea level

“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.

The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”
― Ram Dass

Here’s the moment of truth that the 4 people that like my posts have been looking forward to – I joke, because the amount of followers/likes/shares/comments/whatever we think makes us more real online, doesn’t really matter. None of this is real anyway, which means I’m just out here having fun and collecting data. Also, I’m literally a hillbilly/redneck Snow White that doesn’t wear shoes, feeds literally any human or animal that comes my way, and I don’t take kindly to folks picking on others.

For 40 days I’ve been out here, as the young’uns say, “wilding.” The main goal was consistency, because let’s be honest due to circumstances beyond my control my life looked a bit wonky to those who were only peeking at it via social media. But I digress…

So, yeah, along with posting on one, or more, social media platforms consistently I’ve learned way more than anticipated. Here are some bullet points.

  • Substack has a nickname around the other sites that sounds like the letter S, then saying that letter again. At first I wasn’t really sure what folks were talking about, as all I could see was tons (and I mean tons) of AI generated content. And it isn’t even good content, which is sad. There is also a wave of folks monetizing their exclusive content there while screaming from a burning building about how no one makes real content anymore (oh, and that whole double letter thing under the guise of people who care). -300/10
  • Bluesky is fun if you want to talk about how bad X/Twitter is. It’s fun to see a lot of re-posts and bots share the hard work of others and get a ton of replies while the original creator gets none. 2/10
  • Medium is just that, medium. I’ve found some really great long form authors there, but it kind of lacks the “social” aspect that I miss about the old days of LiveJournal. The plus is that the monthly fee is pretty reasonable, and you don’t have to have 622 different subscription plans to read folks you follow. 5/10
  • Meta is, y’all – it’s a thing that gets talked about more than anything else online. People really do love to hate on Zuck while using his platform for free where all users are content. It’s kind of a wasteland that I visit from time to time, then I realize I’m clinging to the wrong lifeboat. 0/10 (but y’all know none of us can really leave – it’s the Hotel California of social media)
  • YouTube is winning so far with the content and ability to find cool things to learn. It’s kind of always been that way, which is nice. I’ve heard rumblings and complaints from a few content creators, but as we all know there’s not a lot of money in that particular career. 7/10
  • TikTok, which may or may not be banned or whatever, has not really changed since it came out. Lots of folks trying to hit it big with their stories – which I so understand because here I am working on some of the same things. Not a huge fan of the way they do their algorithms to foment discontent, but with some work you can see all the cute animal videos and none of the “rage bait” stuff. 6/10
  • The lesser knowns such as Mastodon, the various pixelfed stuffs, Tumblr, and so on have been really fun to check out. Well, not so much Tumblr because it’s kind of like one big ad now (as all sites like are doing). Through those sites I’ve “met” (you know, virtually) quite a few really awesome people doing some freaking amazing creative work. Also, their take on spirituality has been less about “if this comes across your feed,” and more about “how can we all not be huge douche canoes to each other.” Also, those creators are pretty tight in their research, and you’ll not see a whole lot of “this is what *they* don’t want you to know” content. 8/10
  • WordPress – well, I gotta say for all the grumblings about it out in the greater cyber-verse, it’s been the most solid and robust platform I’ve used. And while it may seem as if I’m saying this for some kind of cred, please know that this is also posted on Medium, so…yeah. 8/10
  • Ko-fi is just mid. Not even gonna get into the details, because it’s just, I don’t know, hard to use and understand. 2/10
  • Patreon looks to be pretty awesome, and it’s pretty user friendly for me. 8/10
  • Real life is the most enjoyable experience. Yesterday I talked to some trees and met a giant tin man. There were others doing the same, and we had friendly conversations with each other. I took photos, and then had some snacks while watching a lake move slowly. Later some family members and I visited this place that sells all kinds of things, luring you to buy more than what you need, but we successfully navigated the siren song of consumerism. While there we also talked to others like us, humans, and delighted in the beautiful day. 100/10

While this is a little tongue in cheek, my reviews are spot on. But what’s really important to know in all of this is something that wasn’t anticipated – and y’all it’s huge.

In all that I realized that the ability to be truly authentic was harder than it looks.

Lemme say that again, but in a different way. None of us are immune to the call of being popular.

I’ll let Nothing But Thieves say it for me:
“And now we’re breeding a feeling of animosity
Our thoughts are tribal, go viral and now it’s deafening
Oh how we’re loving the comfort of pack mentality
The internet has teeth and
It eats and eats and eats ya”
– Can You Afford To Be An Individual
(side note – you might this song is about everyone else, but it’s about all of us)

Tomorrow, 9/10/25, I’m starting yet another personal challenge to post short form video content. There might be some longer stuff, too, and of course I’ll still be writing/creating in the analog world as well. Of course my findings will be shared here, as well as other places, so we can all learn something new together.

And now it’s time to get some work done. I hope all y’all have the most beautifully wonderful day ever. Keep shining your weird light so other weirdos can find you. Or, just shine your light – don’t let the Greek chorus get ya down.

Much love,
~ KEU

This post was written with the help of friendly cats and typo fairies. Please excuse all grammar errors as flights of fancy. If you would like to help appease my editors, you can drop a few coins into my coffee jar. (opens to Patreon – you can join for free) As previously mentioned, quite often, I’m coming back to this creative life after a long period away. If you’ve read this far, know that your time is greatly appreciated.

Currently listening to: The Tales of KE Upton (Spotify playlist – which I know everyone is leaving, but it’s the best I can do with the resources I have at this time)

cult of personality (part 3)

First of all, I am a delight. Second, “I’m every person you need to be…”

watercolor painting with hooves on a hill and part of a tree

“Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish.”
― Hermann Hesse

As you can see in the photo, there are some hooves standing on what appears to be a knoll – or a mound, if you will. The design and colors give the impression that it is covered in grass, or some type of herbaceous goodness enjoyed by ruminates. The next part/installment about this painting will show the whole piece. After a little bit of research I learned that the artist’s name is often picked up by Al’s Gorithms, which solves a few mysteries, but also makes it difficult to share too much info with y’all if I plan to keep my content up and running.

Part 2 stopped with my dear husband mentioning how the artist has a connection to certain historical events in the United States (1960s). For many the answers provided didn’t match up, so groups were formed to study all the particulars. As I’ve mentioned previously, my words are very vague due to past experiences with sharing this story. While no one in my family is particularly dedicated to spending our life going down rabbit holes, talking about them can be tricky these days.

Him: “If you start seeing things in your feed about (the event), you will know why.”
Me: “Okay, but how weird can it get from just a simple painting?”

Here’s your answer – it got kinda weird…but in a good way. I’ll get to all those parts in future writings, but for now let’s travel back in time to the last century – in particular 1996.

Before moving to the area where I met my husband, my life was a little bit eclectic. On the door of my apartment was a sign that said: “If you are not all the way there, then you are halfway here.” Haunting coffee shops, learning from the elders at health food stores, and skulking around used book/music stores was the marrow of my life. At the same time I was trying out a new degree program (English Literature/Secondary Education) – maybe the 3rd or 4th one at this point, while tiptoeing into comparative religions/religious studies.

However, what’s important to know, is that I was enjoying the fruits of learning how to be a Wiccan Shaman Druid (hyperlinked for your enjoyment) with a group of folks who were doing the same. We would read Edgar Cayce like Shakespeare and talk about soul families. Nothing like being in your 20s, ‘eh? My closet had a mix of items similar to Daria and Stevie Nicks, with a jarring lack of color. My shelves were full of tomes on metaphysics, dreams, quantum physics, and grand writers of old. Pretty much I just shined my weird light for other weird people to find. And by “weird,” it was more like wyrd – but also cool, maybe?

Here’s something you should also know…I was also enamored with unicorns.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the painting on his wall the first time visiting his apartment. Like a magical beacon, a most signier sign, was a beautiful unicorn standing on a grassy knoll with a blood red Sun in the sky. It was kismet…and we were married just 3 months later.

Him: “You really need to look up this artist, and give me your feeling on everything.”
Me: “I mean, if it’s going to help sell it, then I’ll dig in. Lemme get some photos of it and see if anything comes back.”

Narrator voice: “In fact, something did come back.”

The internet is a great place to search for things you don’t want to know. AI was just starting to get interesting, so I uploaded the photo with this question: “Could you take a deep look into the symbolism knowing about (artist’s) highly contested connection with (historical figure)?”

My hopes were not very high for a decent reply, but you know…sometimes the Universe conspires to shower you with blessings. Along with that I knew the high error rates of AI at the time, so my expectations were pretty low.

This was one of the replies given:
“The Unattainable Truth and a Quest: The pursuit of the unicorn in traditional folklore often signifies a quest for something rare, elusive, or highly valuable. This resonates with (artist’s name) ongoing efforts to uncover what (this person) believes is the complete truth about the (historical event) and to achieve justice for (person of note), a truth that (this person) perceives as deliberately hidden and suppressed. The unicorn could symbolize this elusive truth, the ultimate prize in (their) lifelong quest.”

Uh….

That just fired my brain up in ways that are hard to explain without doing an interpretive dance, using lots of charts, or both. In a very weird coincidence, I was facing a similar, although far less conspiratorial, quest of my own. While my life was vastly different than the one this artist has, in my heart that desire to find answers was just as strong. And – which is a very big and – this artist faced their fears to share their story. If they could do it, then so could I…

But isn’t that what art does? It’s a testament to the creator’s personal journey, a way to express something that had a profound impact in their life. The symbolism – rising from fear, finding a voice, searching for an unattainable thing – is not just about this artist; it’s a reflection of the human struggle.

Using visual storytelling to find meaning and connection, the painting takes on something bigger than any of us can understand. It’s no longer about the name of the artist, the price tag, or the controversies, but how creativity moves us. It creates a reflection of our own lives, a knowing that we are not alone in world. Sort of like, “Oh, hey, that person understands,” giving you a feeling of being truly seen…validating that your presence here has meaning.

It also shows me that in the age of digital publishing we have an impact even if only a few read what we write, view what we create, or listen to our stories. While we dream of going viral, or getting rich from our work, I think what we truly desire is to be exactly who we are — and to have that inspire others to do the same.

Much love,
~ KEU

This post was written with the help of friendly cats and typo fairies. Please excuse all grammar errors as flights of fancy. If you would like to help appease my editors, you can drop a few coins into my coffee jar. As previously mentioned, quite often, I’m coming back to this creative life after a long period away. If you’ve read this far, know that your time is greatly appreciated.

Currently listening to: The Tales of KE Upton (Spotify playlist)
Currently reading: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

the fickle nature of bots

Everything I’m about to tell you is true…

First of all, I am a delight. Second, all of us are content.

“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

black and white photo of a candle in the darkness

In the Before Times, around 2005 or so, it was very easy to become popular on the internet without doing much work. All you needed was a site on blogger, some captivating descriptions in your meta data, and an account on MySpace. Or, in my case, an account on LiveJournal…this kind of not-so-underground online cafe of sorts.

In those days folks could read your work for free – zero paywalls, very little ads, and no push for turning your life into a side hustle. If you were lucky enough to get another popular person to green light your work, it helped elevate your stats to get top ranking. The statement, “likes for likes” isn’t new – us elder social media users made liberal use of those words as we frantically clamored to reach the stars.

But now? It seems we are not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

So you know, I’m not about to give a scathing exposition on the nature of how modern humans use the internet. There are a lot of other folks doing a way better job at that than I am.

It’s just, I don’t know, it feels as if we’ve become hybrid humans trying to convince each other we are real.

“Look at me, look at me
Just called to say that it’s good to be
Alive in such a small world
I’m all curled up with a book to read
I can make money, open up a thrift store
I can make a livin’ off a magazine
I can design an engine
Sixty-four miles to a gallon of gasoline”
– Handlebars, Flobots

A few days ago I learned that people will not like your posts because it messes with their carefully tuned algorithm. Back in my day, if we saw a grainy photo of a cat looking out the window, then read a typo-infused manifesto about the beauty of bread dough, we immediately hit the “like” button. Not only that, we left comments that said, “OMG, what an adorable kitten,” or “Bread dough is lyfe.” And friends, I cannot even express the sheer joy of being about to write, “First!” on someone’s post. Or laughing over “All your base are belong to us.” We thought the internet was going to make us happier people, a brave new world of real connection.

Along with the algorithm thing, I learned that there are bot farms ready to jump on content to make it go viral so you can pay the bot farms to make you go viral. On a site that shall not be named, something I shared got a bunch of likes very quickly, which apparently triggered one of these bot farms. Imagine my surprise to see a ton of notifications when I stopped in to look at my feed. And not just that, there were multiple comments with the exact same words: “OMG! Love your content!! Reach out to us for a brand deal!” Did the people working on the bot farms not add in some code that says something like, “if comment says ‘OMG! Love your content’ then post, ‘This is great, can I add you to my list of contacts?’.”

After my morning coffee and quiet time, I had to really think about moving forward in the online world. How can I maintain my voice in a world of fake authenticity? Will I be able to keep myself from diving into waters of the brave new world so that I can move up on the charts? Being honest with all y’all, can I shore up my resolve enough to share the things that speak deeply to my soul?

There were no clear answers, which left me with a decision – will I let the bots curate my life, or will I stand in my fullness?

I guess we will both find out as the days go by.

Just to make sure you know, all my work was created by me. No AI, no bots, no algorithms. I promise to be real – all the time – and to interact with you in the way humans are made to do. The one thing about me is that I’m far from perfect, and there are days that feel so tactile that trying to form a full sentence is like crawling across the desert for a tablespoon of water. It’s my hope to share that realness with you here (and other places) because for far too long I kept it hidden.

Well, it’s lunchtime in these parts, so I’m off to find some snacks. Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate it, and am grateful for the time you spent reading my (typo fairy edited) ramble.

Much love,
~ KEU