Do you remember December 2019? The new decade was on the horizon, and the old one in the rear view mirror. The internet was reflecting on ten years of culture and art. There were enough think pieces and ‘Best of the Decade’ lists to make you dizzy.
I read them all. I was obsessed.
It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the decade that saw my early 30s and 40s. These were the years of momentous break ups, grad school doldrums, creative milestones and artistic risks.
Life never stops for long to let you process it. But in December 2019, I just wanted to pause a moment and remember the decade one last time before the New Year. The audio producer in me thought:
What does a decade sound like?
I sent an email to around 50 friends and family members and I asked them to join me in a weird ten year audio experiment: an audio self-portrait in the format of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood."
Every December for ten years, they’d call and leave a long voicemail. They’d tell me about the memorable stories and events and feelings and jokes and smells and sorrows from the past year. And they’d imagine boldly about the future. I’d archive their message in my Dropbox vault.
In ten years, I’ll compile the messages into one long Decade Voicemail.
I have no idea what this audio experiment might illuminate. In 2030, will these feel like irrelevant dispatches from a naive past? Will the messages reveal an embarrassing pattern of behavior or character flaw? What is the point of remembering anyways?
I made this video ☝️ to get my friends excited to call in again this year. A few participants let me dip into their Message archive to make it. In the first year, people were excited for 2020 and what was to come. Some friends were hoping to start dating again, and mom and dad were even considering a trip to Europe.
“We’re thinking of going to England. I could do France… or Italy,” my mom said on her message.
These first messages are the control group of the experiment, before the decade found its defining global experiences with the COVID pandemic. The following years of messages may tell the story of its lasting impact.
For these first participants, they’re leaving their fourth message this year.
Next year, they’ll be half way done.
In December 2021, I started an additional group of Message to the Futurians - the Class of 2032 - and this year, I’m opening up ten spots for the Class of 2033.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of the Class of 2032, please sign up on Patreon by Dec 15 in order to receive the phone number and have your message stored.
Join Message to 2033 for $2 a month.
Tell a friend!
As a Patron, you will receive:
Access to the annual phone number and continued message storage.
Emails with prompts for your call and deadline reminders.
Safe storage of your message until the end of the project.
All your messages in one personal podcast by the end of the project.
Tips and ideas throughout the year to help prepare for your annual message.
What will your decade sound like?
Happy Reflecting!
Evan