Are.na is:
online software for saving and organizing the content that is important to you
a toolkit for assembling new worlds from the scraps of the old
Students, hobbyists and what we call connected knowledge collectors have been the core of our community for 13 years and 84 days.
People describe Are.na as "playlists, but for ideas" or an "Internet memory palace."
If this speaks to you, try it now:
Long-term vision
Are.na has many co-founders. Currently, a small team is building the platform: four full-time on product, engineering, editorial and operations, and one part-time exploring special projects. The company that builds Are.na is independent and sustained entirely by our members.
Our only business is to make Are.na an experience that is worth paying for. The people who use it are our only customers. 16,277 people support Are.na through their Premium subscriptions.
The Secret
Allow yourself to go down rabbit holes
A rabbit hole is not a distraction. A rabbit hole is your brain trying to tell you to pay attention to something you’re curious about. Ignore algorithmic rabbit holes.
If you see something, save something
Pay attention to what feels resonant to you. Save breadcrumbs and build a path for yourself to walk down later on. The ability to classify information in a personal way is a muscle worth exercising.
“Creativity is just connecting things”
Over time, build contexts for yourself and your ideas. Analyze what happens when you connect those contexts to someone else’s.
Remember
The goal is not self-improvement. The goal is engaging more deeply with the World.