Ep37 - I Did Exactly What I Said I Wouldn't Do

After a five-month hiatus and a move to Abu Dhabi to take up the role of Head of Creative at the AI university MBZUAI, I've finally worked out why I got stuck with the Salon, and what it should become.A conversation with Richard Tseng reframed Gossage's relevance for me. He drew a connection between the post-war age of propaganda, when Howard fell into advertising as a new medium, and the birth of technologies like the Gutenberg press, where early mass production eventually gives way to something more transformative and human.We are at a similar inflection point: audiences will grow jaded by mass-produced, uncanny content, and creators will be pushed back toward compelling storytelling and genuinely novel experiences. AI and capitalism will threaten many creative roles. But I remain an optimist.Which is why I'm repositioning the Salon around the conversations I find most alive right now: curious, tediophobic people finding ways to make a positive creative dent in the world.00:00 Back After Hiatus00:46 Richard Sparks A Breakthrough02:08 Advertising As Propaganda02:54 Gossage And New Media04:19 AI Echoes The Revolution05:50 Why Howard Matters Now07:49 Threats To Everyday Creatives09:33 The New Firehouse Mission