You Should Join a Cult
The case for joining a cult or starting your own.
Are you in a cult? Because you should be.
I don’t mean Charles Manson-like stuff. (Although, if you are in something like that, let me know and I will pass your information along to the FBI ASAP)
I’m talking about the kind of cult where everyone shares the same love for something—anything.
Maybe you train for triathlons at 5AM with the same five people.
Maybe you travel all over the country to see the same underground grunge band for the last 8 years.
Maybe you play Dungeons & Dragons with the same group every Thursday night. No exceptions, never breaking character.
Still—it's a cult.
I’ve floated in and out of different cults over time.
The good kind (to be clear).
The kind that quietly changes the way you work, think, and show up.
And I’m convinced: everyone needs to be part of at least one cult.
What is a cult, really?
Technically, a cult is:
“A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.”
But that’s not what I’m talking about.
I mean the cults built on shared obsession.
The ones with jokes, (harmless) rituals, recurring events.
Cults where the only thing being sacrificed is your time.
Cults Are Costly
Real community isn’t convenient. It costs time, energy, and often requires vulnerability.
You have to show up even when you’re tired.
You have to listen. You have to make room for others’ priorities and pace.
But the cost is worth it.
Because one realllll good cult could change your trajectory in life.
There’s that old proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
The cost of being in a cult might slow you down initially, but the cult collective can carry you further than you ever imagined.
Think Cults are Weird? You’re Probably Already in One
You might already be in a cult and not even realize it.
Maybe you’re at a startup where everyone’s obsessed with the mission, burning the midnight oil consistently to deliver a world-changing product.
That’s a cult.
Or you’re part of a friend group that’s shaped who you are for years, shaping your lexicon with inside jokes, sayings, and names that are borderline incomprehensible for anyone outside the group.
Another cult.
Big companies know this too: company culture is just a sanitized term for cult.
Shared rituals, matching branded merch, company lingo, team bonding exercises—they’re trying to make you feel like you belong to something bigger than yourself.
Because when you do, you give more of yourself to the mission.
And in turn, you grow more too.
There’s no shame in being a part of these cults.
Cheers to Being in a Cult
Let me show you two of the cults I’m part of.
They’re not big. They’re not even especially loud.
But they’ve completely shifted how I create, collaborate, and move through the world.
A Writing Cult — Olive Tree Writing Club
This is the one I’m in as I write this newsletter. Literally.
Olive Tree Writing Club is a group of writers in New York City who meet every Sunday to write in silence for two hours.
It started years ago with just a few friends getting together at a coffee shop.
Now, it includes 50+ poets, novelists, screenwriters, newsletter writers like me.
Every Sunday, we meet for a silent two-hour writing session—followed by feedback and encouragement.
That’s the cult ritual.
Before this group, I didn’t always feel like a writer—even when I was writing regularly.
But when I’m here, I sure as hell do.
Being around people who take the craft seriously makes it easier to take yourself seriously too.
It’s osmosis. It’s quiet accountability.
It’s cult magic.
Co-working Cult — Verci
Verci is a co-working community for creatives in New York—a third space for people working on independent projects, whether full-time or alongside a 9-to-5.
I spend most of my week here working 9 to 6 every day and socializing after hours.
It’s a cult by what it demands: showing up, being generous with your time, putting yourself and your ideas out there.
But what you get back is wild.
Through this cult, I’ve met close friends.
I’ve landed freelance opportunities.
I’ve reimagined my career entirely through collaborations I never would’ve found otherwise.
Not through fancy, mostly bullshit networking events or strategy sessions.
Just by being around people who care deeply about what they’re building, being curious in their work, and allowing them to be deeply curious in what I’m building too.
The Cult of the Feed
Powerful online communities exist. But they’re trickier since they’re mediated by algorithms.
You don’t just show up—you have to be seen.
You have to perform. Add value. Be noteworthy.
It’s less about participation and more about self-promotion. More about visibility than vulnerability.
That doesn’t inherently mean they’re bad.
In fact, I’m always pleasantly surprised when I reflect on the few friends I’ve made through Twitter DMs or random email threads.
But it is harder to fall into a true online cult.
You’re not always in the community—you’re orbiting it, hoping the algorithm lets you be seen from time to time or you build enough of a following to have a dedicated cult of your own.
Final Verdict: You Should Join a Cult
Not the dangerous kind. (Again, if you’re in one, please let me know. I just wanna talk)
The good kind.
The kind where people push you to grow.
Where you’re empowered to be serious about your interests.
Where you show up—and keep showing up—until you realize you’re not the same person anymore.
And if it doesn’t exist yet?
Start one.
It only takes two people and a recurring Google Calendar invite to build a life-changing cult.
In a cult you love? Let me know—I’d genuinely love to hear about it :)
What I Did This Week — Making Magic
This past week was a bit of a blur with final touches going into this live show I’ve been working on with a filmmaker and friend. We’re getting ready to demo next week and record to submit for a few festivals.
Aside from that, I’ve consistently been making more art with The Device.
My post actually became the most upvoted post in the Creative Coding Subreddit in the last 5 years!
Feels good to have some of this work validated by the broader creative coding community. All the more reason to keep building and sharing my work 📈
Something Beautiful — Nest Fest
This Sunday, my dad (Nestor) hosted a string quartet concert at our house, playing with a few of his old friends and classmates for our family and neighbors to usher in his 70th birthday (which is today, 5/5).
Deemed Nest Fest, we actually made cups to celebrate the occasion.
Inspiring to see my dad return to music after all this time, and to bring the community together around the event.
Congrats Pops and happy birthday! Love ya :’ )
That writing club looks amazing 🤩
joined a cult, just killed a goat, instructions unclear