Surf the Chaos is the practice of staying upright while everything shifts. Not fighting the current, not drowning in it — riding it with intention, documenting what survives the churn, and making things that might outlast it.

"The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places." — Ernest Hemingway

Thomas James is a Melbourne-based photographer, writer and AI engineer navigating the space between what's accelerating and what endures. His work moves across street photography, film, essay writing and emerging technology — drawn to the textures that resist the pace of progress: cobblestones, charity shop finds, film grain, honest conversation.

Reflections Thomas James Reflections Thomas James

Artificially intelligent.

Lost between worlds.

Sat 23rd Nov 2024

Staring yet again at a screen, avoiding most social interaction in the pursuit of knowledge, attempting a reshaping of the inner workings of my mind.
I ebb and flow between states of dreaming and focus. The real battle between good and evil.

I dream of having 48 hour days, 24 hours for myself and 24 hours for the world.

Recent readings include The Cosmic Puppets, by no means the best book in the world - it mostly has the ending to blame for that - but it managed to open up a gateway into another world. I quickly inhaled this short novel within two days. Phillip K. Dick never disappoints.

They my current selection seems relevant in these times. Although I guess someone is always trying to kill off aspects of this world they don’t agree with or understand.

I have barely taken a photo since.. I am unsure when. My musical well has all but dried up, Shrivelled in the screen glow of my University studies.
Closure is ever so close - 5 years - Yet I contemplate Honours? I shouldn’t.

I want to do it all and will try my hardest.
If only I had 48 hours in a day.

bye 👋🏻 - Tj

Read More