I’ve always been a bit obsessed with the things we don’t see, the weird “glitches” that happen when we aren’t looking closely. I finally sat down to record the first episode of my podcast, Glitch in the Gallery, and I had my classmate Princess join me. She’s an international student here at Griffith, and honestly, we could probably talk about conspiracy theories for hours.
We stayed away from the usual “it’s just a computer simulation” talk. Instead, we looked at the world like an art gallery. It’s a bit of a trippy way to think about it, that the trees, the sky, and even our friends are just layers of paint on a canvas. But what happens when the frame cracks?
Princess brought up something that happens to me at least once a week: losing my keys
You look everywhere, give up, and then boom, they’re sitting right there on the table where you already checked five times. Most people just say, “Oh, I’m getting forgetful,” but Princess had a much more interesting take. What if the object just failed to “render” for a second? Like a digital painting that didn’t load properly.
We got into some pretty deep territory when we started talking about who the “artist” is. Is it some higher intelligence, or is it more like a dream we’re all having together?
One thing she said really stuck with me. She mentioned that when you start noticing these glitches, like seeing the same person walk past your window three times in the same jacket, you stop being just “paint on the wall”. You become an observer.
That’s a powerful thought. The moment you realize the rules of the world aren’t as solid as they seem, you stop worrying so much. You start looking for the brushstrokes instead of just staring at the picture. So, next time you see a shadow that looks a little “off” or you find your keys in a spot you already checked, don’t just brush it off. Take a second look. You might just see the wall behind the paint.
Stay curious, stay observant, and try not to trip over the glitches.
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