On The Creative Process

How creators deal with the world, from OnlyFans to veteran actor Dustin Hoffman.

A. The New Yorker’s Jennifer Wilson investigates OnlyFans creators who many she reports feel “unseen.” This is a problem with being a content creator for a digital platform. It certainly was part of my experience when editing and writing for the former Disinformation website in its later period (I was involved with the website and the company in 1998-2008). You are constantly under pressure to create new content. Your relationships are mostly parasocial. And like a heroin or a methamphetamine (transient) drug addiction, the initial period of heightened peak experience or flow from the creative process fades into being a daily grind over time.

B. At the OCIS 2023 conference, I heard about some anthropological research on Asia’s cyberscam centres. Now, very credible allegations of gender-based violence are emerging. This builds on the recent risk advisory about how these cyberscam centres are involved in ‘pig butchering’ romance cons and cross-border investment fraud.

C. I’ve posted lists compiled from Google for my research program of defence contractors and geopolitical risk firms in Australia and internationally. The latter includes bespoke / boutique firms, as well as law, trade, investment, risk & audit, corporate governance, and other sectors.

D. Actor Dustin Hoffman reflects on the creative process for the recent, excellent film Tuner.

Here is Mark Kermode’s review.

E. Why Iran will probably still get nuclear weapons, notes the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

F. Man Group’s Ed Cole on Bloomberg about how to best structure your diversified portfolio in equities.