But we can trust what’s outside

We used to laugh at conspiracy theorists — I did anyway, but now… who even knows what’s real anymore?

We scroll past fake news, AI-cloned presenters and deepfake “breaking stories” that look more real than the real thing.

Familiar faces saying weird things they never said, celebs doing new tricks from beyond the grave, politicians showing up in videos they never made and something that’s made me feel quite uncomfortable dead comedians cracking jokes written by some algorithm that’s never even smiled…. Did you watch Robin Williams daughter on the news recently?? Terrible…

All in all, the truth feels stretchy now.

At best it seems elastic. Like it’s been pulled too far, edited, filtered, chopped and glued until it fits the story someone wants us to believe. I find myself questioning what I’m watching more and more, likewise what I read. I’m now thinking far too muich about what someone is trying to get me to think, rather than the content of what I’m being asked to digest.

I struggle to even trust, ‘trusted news sources’, – they all fall short of my expectations.

Do you still believe the news like you used to? – I’m not sure I do.

AI is clever, breathtakingly intelligent and it’s contributed to my bills significantly in recent years, but it’s already done enough to make me question everything, and this is just the beginning.

I can’t trust what’s on a screen, and it feels like the world has gone very artificial, very quickly.

And so it’s time for me to spend much, much more time – ‘getting real’.

The Tidy Garden feels so right, and now is the right time. I know I can trust the outdoors, the customer feedback, (good or bad) and the honesty of the nature and what’s in front of me.

I don’t like AI and the way it’s going.

But I LOVE my small attempt at being real, and honest, and it feels like an actual act of rebellion!

Surely we’d all rather swap a fake Robin Williams sketch from the grave for the sight of a real Robin digging around in freshly turned soil 3 foot from our hand?

Well,…. I can, and I am.

I’ve been staring into the Black Mirror future for years, and sure it was entertaining for a while, but I’ve taken a look in the actual mirror, and I’m starting there.

I’m getting out more, literally.

Much, much less of the smoke, mirrors and fakery – much more me.

Paul – The Tidy Garden.com