It Seemed Like Someone Else's Life

Why personal branding is wrong, limiting and can even make you sick

On one of the first mild spring afternoons, I was riding my bike through our old Berlin neighborhood, listening to my favorite hip-hop album of last year, billy woods’ Church.

The second track “Artichoke” came on, and woods rapped:

“I used to use a toothbrush to keep my kicks white /
It mattered that much /
In hindsight, it seemed like someone else’s life”

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