Phenom Manifesto
In this new world, AI technology has become so sophisticated that we can no longer be certain of what is real. Digital footprints can be erased, altered, or manipulated beyond their original intention. History itself can be rewritten. Mandela Effects leave us collectively questioning our own memories. As a society, we are now conditioned to question everything.
And maybe we should.
Because the only way to truly know something is authentic is to hold it in our hands or to witness it being created in real time, right in front of our eyes.
When we touch something, when we experience it firsthand, it becomes undeniable. It exists. It is real. This is what we must hold onto if we are to preserve our humanity.
Storysharing has always been the most basic and powerful way humans connect. Long before technology, before platforms, before algorithms, there was creative expression. Stories told around fires. Songs sung out loud. Art made by hand. These were the original threads that bound us together.
A therapist once told me that when humans create something from nothing, we are the closest thing to God. I am not religious, but I am spiritual, and I understand the magnitude of that statement. Creation is sacred. Supporting, uplifting, and celebrating artists and creators is not optional. It is essential.
Technology is only as meaningful as the input it receives. It can only amplify what humans feed it. Without authentic human creativity, technology is hollow.
It will be our creatives who help us hold onto our humanity. They will become the new celebrities. Authenticity will be our new currency.
We must hold onto CDs, VHS tapes, records, cassette tapes, original art, books, magazines. These unmanipulated artifacts will become relics of truth. They will carry weight, meaning, and trust. They will become status symbols not because they are rare, but because they are real. Let us encourage CD players, DVD players, tape decks, and record players to make a comeback.
Moving forward, we must create every possible opportunity for humans to experience creativity in real time and in person. Concerts. Plays. Readings. Events. Gatherings. Moments where creation happens live, unfiltered, and unrepeatable.
We must prioritize physical expressions of creativity. Books you can hold. Records you can play. Art you can stand in front of. Objects that require presence. Objects that cannot be quietly altered after the fact. Objects that exist exactly as they were intended at the moment of creation.
If you were born before 1995, you likely remember what analog life felt like. Inauthenticity existed, but it was human. You could sense it. You could suss it out.
Today, inauthenticity has taken on an entirely new meaning.
Phenom exists to cultivate authentic expressions of humanity while being honest about the incorporation of emerging technologies. We celebrate the humans behind the tech. We honor creation as sacred. We reconnect people to their souls for the sake of humanity itself.