-- Authors Note –
It should
be noted that the word “he” in the context of this Manifesto is merely an
all-encompassing pronoun used to denote a member of mankind; a member of the
human race.
The Purist Manifesto
INTRODUCTION
In an effort to combat and deter the
dehumanization of society and its traditions and morals by the ever-increasing
advance in Technologies and “time-and-effort saving devices”,
I offer this Purist Manifesto as a clear-cut guideline to
adhere to and to live by in the face of overwhelmingly Technologically-Driven
societies and the resultant “Machine Mentality” within human beings of the 21st
Century.
Its working
title is: “The PURIST MANIFESTO”
It includes
maneuvers and stunts for evaporating the external Environment and its adverse
effects upon your own personal imagination and your innate abilities to seize
the moment and win the day.
There’s
a new School emerging and defining itself in the 21st century. This
is the Purist Manifesto.
Purist Manifesto
- PREFACE –
Independent self-sufficiency is the watchword:
“As technology advances and goes up through the roof, Humanity
and Spirituality and the innate sense of wonder and the Spirit of Mystery and
possibilities goes out through the bottom” –Unknown
So, in
a technologically dominated age,
To do a disconnect from: News, scientific advance, popular
culture, time-and-effort saving devices, trends, fads, iPhones, smartphones, SmartApps,
PDAs….
To do a disconnect from all these modern “Accoutrements”,
and to rely on oneself and one’s wits, and to rely on one’s own sense of
creative device and to rely on one’s own mocked-up adventures and explorations,
is the watchword.
* A New Path*
Whoever said you couldn’t go back is a fool.
Whoever said that you cannot return to the way things were
is mistaken.
Whoever said “life’s a Journey and there’s no “going back”
or “making things the way they once were”, has admitted his defeat.
You do not have to swim along with the overwhelming “Current”,
the modern trends and fads of decay and decadence
You can forge your own Path, and create a new path for
others to follow in your wake.
* * *
The Purist Manifesto
I. “On the grid”
You’re only “on-the-grid” if you choose to be.
It’s not a matter of location on the Planet.
It’s a matter of whether you choose to play by the rules of
the Social Norm and use:
“Their” Credit Card Systems
Use “Their” banks
Drive “Their” cars
Go to “Their” Movie Theaters
Watch “Their” TV Shows
Abide by “Their” pace in the workaday world.
One can live in a modern metropolis
and yet still be so out of touch with “their” common methods of operation, that
one can be “off-the-grid” or “on-the-grid” by one’s own choice.
These codes, outlined in the Purist Manifesto are basic
rules to live by in taking back your life.
They require vigorous day-to-day, hour-to-hour, week-to-week
discipline and strength of Mind and Character to master; Zen in the art of
Self-Sufficiency.
But, it can be done.
This is not a Cult or a religion or another Puritan/Quaker
Sect.
It is merely a lifestyle choice and a form of silent,
non-cooperation with the Social Anxieties of modern living.
- I –
The Purist Manifesto
II. “Basic outline”
-
To never play video games beyond Atari, the
Original Gameboy or other 8-Bit Wonders.
-
To always choose going to the Cinemas over staying
home and watching DVD.
-
To simply refuse to Patronage such big Name
franchise as Starbucks, but to always support local, homegrown, organic,
mom-and-pop establishments ahead of such Franchise.
-
To always choose Books, Graphic Novels,
audio-readings over such Media as television, Movies, videogames.
-
To prefer to do things the Manual, DIY way, over
using some automatic, “time-saving”, “do-it-for-you” device.
-
To ever dilute my thinking with extraneous amenities
and frivolous vernacular which is overwrought with excessive pomp and
syllogism.
-
To go to Flea Markets and purchase record
Players, Cassette Players and CD Discman ahead of any Digital IPODS, MP3s or Computer
Music Devices. Always.
-
To spend my free time playing instruments,
acting, creating characters, drawing/painting…instead of watching others’
movies and recorded music and creations.
-
Create, instead, MY OWN universe of Characters,
Art and Music.
- II -
Purist Manifesto NO.1
“Organic Inclination”
To never
follow the set, standard, outlined “rules” of study, Inpection and “go-about”…
But to ALWAYS follow my own
instincts and interests, whatever that path may be—in the order that I feel is
proper.
i.e by
virtue of organic inclination.
Purist manifesto No.2
“No Vias”
Always study
source material –never Vias.
Study direct
words and text from the Original Artist/Creator.
That means:
-
Book, in place of TV/Films.
-
Original Recordings from Musicians, in place of “radio
Music”, pop Albums, Music Videos, etc.
-
Read sheet music—direct & unchanged, from Original
Composer.
-
Choose Artist-created Auterist Universe always,
-
-OVER-
-
Franchised Paraphernalia, Corporate “cartoons”, TV
Cartoon Shows, Screen Adaptations, etc.
Purist Manifesto No. 3
“Diet”
To never use
drugs, stimulants, caffeine, Meth-amphetamines or any other artificial “uppers”
for a “quick Boost”,
-BUT
RATHER-
To use a
proper diet and regimen of vitamins, proteins and meals, contra-balanced (w/exercise
and sleep). Plus using New Age techniques and processes to increase “Chi” and recharge
Energy, in place of any artificial means.
To always use
active ingredients in Ancient remedies (I.E.—herbs, spices, teas, garlics,
ancient medicinal preparations) –over-
Any quickfix
use of any Pharmaceutical Drugs, in order to cure, handled or alleviate any
pain or Symptoms of any kind.
Purist Manifesto No. 4
“Physical
VS. Digital”
To never
supplant the physical object for its digital counterpart, in matters of
passport, monies, Certificate of Achievement, Data Files, etc.—
But to
always insist on retaining the object itself, not only for posterity, but for
the “havingness” of said keepsake (if it’s not tangible, it’s not “Purist”).
The Purist Motto is:
ANALOG 1st
DIGITAL 2nd
Purist Manifesto No.5
“DIY stuff”
To always sew, mend, fix, repair, Solder,
weld, re-string my own possessions IN LIEU OF--taking to an expert to do it for
me….
And in that way, learn how to
maintain, troubleshoot, solve, repair and correct MY OWN problems…DIY style,
and constantly be challenged, learning, becoming more skilled and creating more
thereby.
. . .
To use duct tape, Gorilla Glue and a
hand-threaded sewing needle for personal repairs and mending on a regular basis
always –IN LIEU OF,
Paying a repairman;
Going to the tailors.
Purist Manifesto No.6
“on Recreation”
To always
play the card game (Pokemon, Yugi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, Dice games, D&D)
IN PLACE OF handheld Video Games such as Gameboy, PSP, XBOX, Nintendo DS, Etc. –
To strictly
adhere to engaging oneself in the use of one’s imagination in these Analog
/Roleplaying/Fantasy Games and never settle for the “easy-out” by using digital
technology as entertainment, rather than imagination.
Purist Manifeto No.7
“Life Hacks”
To take the
time out to learn life-hacks, DIY projects and home and body maintenance from
Youtube tutorials (or books).
And to
employ these techniques when needed, rather than “time-saving”, Repairman-for-hire,
janitors/Custodians’ assistance or hiring someone else to do a personal job you
could learn (and should learn), as a strict adherent to the Purist way of life.
Purist Manifesto No. 8
“Enhancement”
To regularly
advance my knowledge of and ability to apply the truths inherent in the study
of, and education in, the basic principles underlying Life, the mind, the
Spirit, the soul
…as well as…
The principles
of Scientific methodology, and their application.
Purist Manifesto No. 9
“Journal”
To keep a running
tally and record of my gains made in advancing towards a simple, Purist life-style…and
the benefits these have had in my day-to-day routine and my mocking-up of my future (for posterity).
Purist Manifesto No. 10
“Photography”
Photos=Light
+
Graphein= to write
To use an Analog camera for taking photographs
always, instead of a digital camera,
And to expose any film to be
captured onto actual 35 mm (or 8mm) film and not a digital IPhone, PDA, Camera
App…
for quality,
consistency, texture, grain and to take out any “vias” and pixels which get entered
into THE DIRECT METHOD OF INSCRIBING LIGHT ONTO FILM –i.e. the pure process of
light-writing (Photography).
. . .
In photography, the Purist swears
off all Digital/Pixelated photographic method –and in its place uses only film and
basic Photographic Capture, development and darkroom procedures, and in this
way utilizes Photography in its pure form – “writing with light” as an Artform.
Purist manifesto No. 11
“Abandoning Pop Culture”
To separate oneself from all Pop
Culture and al; products and by-products of Media-influenced trends…
get back to what it means to be a self-sufficient, creative being—and to
be delighted in one’s own influences he has on himself, his environment and his
peers.
This is the Purist way
Purist Manifesto No. 12
“Consumerism –-multiple Constituents”
To refuse to purchase and use Processed
hygiene products with multiple ingredients, propagandized in National Level
Advertisements, and which have Mass Marketing Appeal:
Shampoos
Soaps
Creams
Shaving
Lotions
Sprays
Fragrances
Etc.
The Rule of Thumb is:
Look on the back (ingredients).
If the sum
total of all the constituents used to make up the product is more than a couple
items;
DONT BUY IT.
DON’T USE
IT.
The more ingredients,
the more additives, the more complex…
the less
Organic, the less Pure.
Purist Manifesto No. 13
“IN vs. OUT”
During time s of low money
(broke) or a lull in the Economy, to refuse to settle for such lackluster forms
of passive entertainment—such as TV—
--but to
figure out a way to get out of the house and engage oneself with challenging
and rewarding activities at no/low cost: hiking, tennis, jogging, etc.
The key-word here is to get OUT—of
one’s house, Apt, bored condition—and engage oneself and create one’s own
interest and Activity…in LIEU OF staying IN and being force-fed Mass Media
Entertainment on the excuse that one does not have $ and therefore cannot go
OUT and create, but must stay IN and receive propaganda, Pop Culture,
Advertising, preachy human Melo-drama filled with “Moral Compass” –i.e. every
show on television and most big-budget Studio-released Hollywood films.
Purist Manifesto No. 14
“Classifications and Sub-Genres”
The purist
does not go in for all manner of genres and subgenres and
classification-upon-classification—
For example:
it’s not “Existentialism”, Meta-theory”, “Dialectic materialism”…it’s just PHILIOSOPHY
It’s not
Rock’n’Roll, Rap, Trap, Dub, Synth, Pop, New-Wave…it’s just MUSIC.
The Purist,
in NOT recognizing this chaotic, endless series of Classifications in various fields,
merely employs this mantra:
-ACT ON WHAT
I FFEEL-
In MUSIC for
example, THE Purist acts on what matches his energy –that’s the MUSIC FLOW, not
“genre”, that he partakes of.
In defining
himself, as well, he does not recognize a group, a “style” a category –he merely
goes on what is right for him.
He’s not “Punk” or “preppy” or Hip-Hop or
Yuppie or Indie or Hipster or Nerd, etc….he’s merely FASHION AUTERE.
For the
Purist, this applies to any endeavor in:
The Arts -
Social
Sciences-
Philosophy-
Music-
Dress-
Interests-
Occupational-
Recreation-
The purist does not indulge himself in any
emotional trappings related to any and all of these “BASICS”…these… “STAPLES”of
life.
He merely goes with his own flow.
Purist Manifesto No. 15
“The Classicists”
To abandon the celebration and
adoration of the celebrities, actors, musicians, currently “in vogue” in
Popular Culture…IN FAVOR OF, the Classicists—
The true, timeless, game-changers
whom themselves abandoned fame, success and popular public opinion in favor of
Personal/Artistic Integrity. Those who chose to ignore the “Big Deal” in favor of
getting their original Intention and Native Goodwill across as their Message,
even if it meant PR suicide and Social Ostracism – Leo Da Vinci, Poe, Van Gogh,
etc.
Purist Manifesto No. 16
“a return to Nature”
Be one
with nature in your foodstuffs, cookery and utensils as well as your food
consumption.
Assimilate
oneself back into nature.
I.E.-use
wooden chopsticks in lieu of plastic/metal, mass-produced utensils.
Carve your own utensils, bowls, plates
and eating and cooking implements out of natural, fresh oakwood.
Drink fresh-brewed
Herbal tea—not Starbucks Coffee.
Do not purchase
and consume mass-produced food items which are sugar-laden and Gluten-laden—instead
use fresh ground corn-bread baked by yourself.
Use
rice, rice-flour and Corn as Alternative to wheat, and use fruits to sweeten
things up –try Agave syrup in place of sugar, Stevia, aspartame, etc.
Purist Manifesto No. 17
“Plastics”
The purist abhors an overuse of
plastic on a Local use and a Global
Scale.
He
can imagine in his mind a gigantic landfill—massive, mastodonic, mounds-upon-rotting-
mounds of plastics, nylons, polymers, Formicas—in a huge, massive Vat,
literally the size of Texas, just filled and overflowing with bubbling, boiling
, spewing, melted plastics…which, like a ginormous landfill of rotting,
melting, decaying flesh, evaporates and is being released up into the
atmosphere regularly and poisoning the Ozone and going back into out clouds and
streams and lakes and soil in the form of Rainfall.
For
this reason the Purist abhors a temporary Plastic use.
The purist always uses
paper bags over plastic.
He doesn’t purchase 8 oz.
can drinks held together with plastic “six-pack rings” (nor does he drink the processed,
carbonated syrups in the cans for that matter).
The
Purist will use canvas, paper, cardboard, rope, thread, flax, burlap…
ANYTHING, PLEASE,
BUT PLASTIC!
Purist manifesto No. 18
“Music’s Inherent Worth”
The
Purist listens to Classical Music—because it’s not about WHO made the music—it’s
not about “Michael Jackson” or “U2” or any “brand”—it’s not about bolstering
and relating to a famous personality.
The
Purist listens to Classical Music because IT’S ABOUT THE MUSIC!
The
music in its pure, unadulterated form…doesn’t matter who recorded it—
Doesn’t matter if it was “Madonna”
or “Coldplay”…or Bill Jones down the street…or little Jenny Robbins from school—
It
doesn’t mater who played/recorded the music—because it’s not about the “WHO”—
It’s
about the Aesthetic.
It’s about the Beauty.
Ait’s
about the Art.
The Purist does not participate in feeding the Ego of
famous megastars because they’re “In Vogue”—
The
Purist participates in music solely for its inherent Aesthetic qualities.
Purist Manifesto No. 19
“On Purchase”
Always
choose to spend one’s money on something that increases, enhances and empowers ONE’S OWN ABILITY TO CREATE.
I.E. –at
a thrift store, choose the ukulele you see, and a D.I.Y. plush Monster sewing Kit (both of which give one
hours and hours of endless activities in creating and crafting art/beauty/music),
over another pair of shoes, a cool vintage “thingamabob”, more old CDs, etc.
The
watchword is to spend your money on empowering
yourself to be a Creator- IN LIEU OF-
Spending your money on amassing things and stuff that
SOMEBODY ELSE CREATED and sold to you.
Purist Manifesto No. 20
“the Source”
Always take
the product or consumable FROM ITS SOURCE, in preference to any processed
version—
For
e.g. –when buying coconut water in the store, bypass the tendency to simply
purchase a can of coconut water, and instead simply buy a coconut, puncture a
hole in the top and drink the coconut water straight from the source.
This goes
for any and all products, virtually eliminating the consumption of processed Supermarket
products.
The Purist
takes directly from the Source, and in exchange gives back, directly, to the
Source
Purist Manifesto No. 21
“No Pre-Fab”
The Purist does not do Pre-Fab.
In matters
of dealing with construction and carpentry materials, a return to Nature is the
essence of what to use in creating.
The closer one
is to using raw, natural, unprocessed materials (lumber, Ore, Metals, Ropes),
the better.
. . .
This same basis of “No Pre-Fab”
can be applied to the Purists Spiritual Plane as well—
In matters
of what the Purist “feeds” himself and uses and consumes for hi Spiritual,
emotional, mental and Psychological well-being—the Purist goes to SOURCE
material.
No over-processed Music
No over-processed Literature
No Over-Processed Art
No over-processed spiritual
proceedings.
Purist Manifesto No. 22
“FM Radio &
Manipulated Emotions”
“The Purist stays away from FM
Radio as a rule” – M. Fisher
The purist
does not participate in any “Games” which render him the effect of having his
emotions manipulated –this includes, but is not limited to:
(1st column)
<p>Homo</p>Sapiens:
Movies
Music
Video games
Rom-coms
Sitcoms
Sappy books
FM Radio
(2nd column)
Pop
Culture:
Magazines
Trends
News
Celebrity
Culture
…Anything on
TV
Purist Manifesto No. 23
“Extorting Pop
Culture”
The Purist uses the chaos, mixed messages and false
information perpetrated by Popular Media and Pop Culture to his advantage—
The Purist
keeps up in current pop culture for the sole purpose of examples of how NOT
to live one’s life…
What NOT
to be like--
What NOT
to spend one’s time, energies and efforts towards attaining.
In this
way he keeps abreast of what is current, what’s popular and what’s trending and
he knows if HE DOES THE EXACT OPPOSITE he’ll turn out just fine.
Purist Manifesto No. 24
“”on Creative
Authorship”
The purist
makes his own rules.
If it’s
May 7th and he decides it’s May 8th, he can and will
label his documents May 8th.
If the
song Lyrics are “Hold me closer Tiny Dancer…” and he decides it says “hold me
down in sheets of linen, count the high-drops on the highway, it’s gonna be a
bright sun-shiney day”, then those are the Lyrics. Nuff said.
Purist Manifesto No. 25
“Time”
The purist discards his watch, clocks, digital timekeeping devices
and any “auto-update forecast” PDAs, and puts his native Time-Sense into full
practice by noting position of the Sun at any given point in the day versus his
innate sense of time and Direction; and thus he achieves a greater ability in
perception and a control factor over his dependency on “Time”.
(The
Purist should also practice “killing time” by engaging himself in upbeat and positive,
creative activities for the sole purpose of learning and putting back into
practice his mastery over the dimension of Time.)
Purist Manifesto No. 26
“Maker”
An important
part of the Purist Code is making things oneself.
One should,
no matter how crudely he renders, or lacking talent he may be, cultivate his
ability to draw things *IRL and from his imagination –mocking things up on paper
is a LARGE part of what the Purist does.
To keep
to the free-flowing Aesthetic wave that is natural to him, the Purist regularly
makes himself set pencil or pen to paper and draw, create and mock things up.
*In Real Life
Purist Manifesto No. 27
“Purist as an Author”
In addition
to drawing, the Purist writes his thoughts, plans, ideas and any creative prose
he has in a journal of his writings, regularly.
He uses
this as a creative outlet to record his ideas, plans, thoughts, decision,
concepts and observations.
The
Purist is the the sole Author of his life.
Purist Manifesto No. 28
“Purist as an Enabler”
The Purist is an enabler.
Through his works of art and
writings and the example he sets, the Purist seeks to enable others to carve
out their own “Purist Niche” in which they too can accomplish a state of self-dependency
and be the sole AUTER of their own life-style and destiny.
Thus the Purist pays it forward.
Purist Manifesto No. 29
“re: Sex”
How the Purist Code relates to the sexual dynamic:
- To not masturbate.
- To engage sexual intercourse with a member of
the opposite sex.
- To engage in the use of foreplay, roleplay,
position-play to achieve orgasm, and not use any electronic toys.
- 4. To go at it (coitus) when the time is right—and
not set up cameras, sex-dates, sex-schedules, etc.
- To NOT engage in all manner of contra-septic
pills & abortion pills, but rather to merely:
A. use protection if one wishes to NOT
impregnate the sexual partner…or…
B. Don’t use protection if one DOES desire to
impregnate the partner.
Purist Manifesto No. 30
“Re: Levity”
The Purist
values Levity above all else.
Without levity all is lost.
Without Levity one might as well
throw out this entire book and burn it. It means nothing.
It is
the attempt of this book to provide the guidelines necessary to follow so that
one may achieve true levity and genuine, uninhibited mirth in his life and engage
in it as much as possible, as many times in the day as possible and in any
situation one finds himself in.
The
Purist seeks out to achieve Levity, for himself and others, above all else.
Purist Manifesto
- END NOTES –
...
From the basic principles outlined
herein will be (and should be) derived techniques and organic technologies to
facilitate the Purist Lifestyle –
It is very likely that this will most
often be represented in a retrogression of
most digital technologies back into their Analog Counterparts and probably will
be most associated with a “steampunk” style
of streamlined, analogous Conscientiousness ---
But it needn’t
fall into the latter category (as referenced in Purist Code No.14 – “Classifications
and Sub-Genres”), the
Purist isn’t a lifestyle or a Trend or a Fashion-conscious effort…it’s a much
larger, more all-encompassing Movement
-- M. Fisher . June 2014
