Lazy people get the finger wagged at them in fairy tales and in life, so few people have ever thought that there is money to be made from laziness. But it turns out that it is entirely possible. Twenty-four-year-old Kaunas-based Danielius Goriunovas, better known as Debesyla, traded his civil engineering degree for a career as a blogger, writing a book about laziness and finding new challenges. The mistakes he makes turn into detailed advice for others on how to avoid them. Daniel shares his recipe for a productive lazy life.
- Everything starts with something. How did your blog start?
- Our Universe began around 13 billion years ago. And then one day I went to a web server order form and entered my details and clicked order. And so Debesyla was born. The blog that changed the future of the Universe. Well, okay, really, everything we do changes the future - it's inevitable. But it sounds interesting when I introduce myself like that, doesn't it? Actually, my story didn't start out so interesting. In November 2013, I had nothing to do after seeing The White Linen for the third time. So I decided that I needed to put my creations (my origami designs, my drawn science fiction maps) online.
- You named your blog "Debesyla". What meaning does this name have for you now, or can you find yourself in it?
- After asking a friend what to call my new blog (because I wanted to call it "Daniel's Blog"), I heard the suggestion "Debesyla". I remember shaking my head and saying that I needed a better one! A few days later, I registered a blog under the name "Cloud", because I couldn't think of anything better. And ever since then I have been asked what the meaning of the name is, even though I didn't even come up with it. Perhaps I should create a more interesting story.
- One of your slogans is "so you don't have to make mistakes". What are the biggest mistakes you try to protect your readers from?
- Oh, and gradually the blog where I was supposed to talk about my work has turned into a website where I try to answer readers' questions. I kept surfing the internet and trying to answer questions like "How do I deal with anxiety?", "What do I do when I find it hard to create?", "How do I find time for hobbies?" But what is the value of advice from the internet if no one ever puts it into practice? I started to try. Writing every day, not using the internet for a month, getting up at 4 a.m. for a month, making friends with 100 Czechs in a month without speaking Czech, writing and publishing a book in a month... Naturally, at the same time, I saw for myself what was getting in the way of these things every time. Indeed, perhaps the most common mistake is not trying. I still regret not trying to ask a girl out when I was in 8th grade. Now I try everything because I can try. I'm 24 years old, so if I make a mistake - no big deal, I have plenty of time before I die (probably around 55 years) to make it up! - Does Kaunas, its culture and lifestyle influence your personality and writing style? - Yes, a little bit. Three or two years ago, I was very conscious of being Kaunas and living in Kaunas, because most of the other authors and cool personalities live in Vilnius. When I started to create a community of creative and courageous people myself, I saw that there were not less courageous and tough Kaunas people than Vilnius people. Laziness 1TP1For you, laziness means opening a book you've been reading for a long time, playing with your children, going to the theatre or travelling around the world. (Photo by V. Kontrimaitė) I am now a bitter Kaunas resident, because I like my city better. It's comfortable, full of culture, intertwined with green parks and forests. - What does it mean to be a blogger today? Share what remains on the margins of the blog. - It's probably similar to programming 20 years ago. Someone comes along and says: "What the hell are you doing here? Who needs you?" Then you feel like some godforsaken piece of garbage, lost in the chaos of social networks, media portals, television and all the information that surrounds us. But it's really not that bad. I like that blogging is like writing your own little book, but not through a serious publishing house telling you what to do, but through your own experiences and life. Piece by piece, your insights are going on the internet. People appreciate and read it. You communicate, you get criticism, you learn. After 5 years, you have a blog full of articles and hundreds of readers every day. And you've grown them by accident! Blogging is really for brave people, because you have to be insanely open and not be afraid to throw a little bit of yourself out on the Internet. Just like oak trees and other seed-bearing plants throw a bit of themselves on the web. Those seeds eventually grow up. And look - the fruit is delicious. You can give an interview to "Savaitraščis Kaunui" and enjoy it. - Is the Debesyla blog a job or a hobby for you? Is it possible to earn money from blogging in Lithuania? I work from 2 to 16 hours a day every day of the week. How many hours depends on inspiration and activity. Sometimes I work for just a few hours, then I read books, sometimes I work all day long. And yes, I earn. I'm going to write a book about it, because when I mention that I earn around EUR 400-500 a month, everyone's eyes glaze over. And that's what I earn. It's not a lot, but since I don't have children yet, it's enough. - Is your book "The Sloth Manifesto" a kind of provocation or a set of principles for a good life? - It's a little bible for a positive and productive life. In it, I talk about all the tools I have to live a lazy life and why being lazy is the best thing we can do. We can be workaholics or we can be choosy about what matters most. The rest of the time, we can relax and be lazy. Laziness is healthy for the body and mind. I have proved this with extensive scientific research, some of which has been carried out by the Rector of the Lithuanian University of Sport, Albertas Skurvydas. Laziness makes you happy because you can open a book you have been reading for a long time, play with your children, go to the theatre or travel around the world. - Would you call yourself lazy? - 100 per cent.
- You studied civil engineering, but now you identify yourself as a writer rather than an engineer. Is it necessary for a young person to study?
- Necessary? Please, put all the people who say that studies are necessary on a bridge - I will gladly push them all into the river with my own hands. No kidding, studies are not necessary. Such statements only cripple our self-sufficiency by crushing another true path. But we need to study on our own. Don't go and study because your parents told you to (I made this mistake myself), it is better to do what you like. I only started writing after graduating. Four years for nothing. No need for studies. You need to live.
- What do you do when you are not writing?
- I read. I meet readers. I fall in love with another girl. I eat caramel ice cream and watch cartoons. I help my colleagues with their work and their goals - it's not interesting when I do it and others don't. I also sometimes count the night stars and poke my mother's cats in the side until they let their claws out on my fingers. I enjoy life. Because life is meaningless and I'm going to die anyway. So why can't I enjoy being here and spend my time in a way that is most useful to me and others? That is why I enjoy the little things and help my fellow Christians.
- If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would it be called?
- "As if from a tree". Because that's what they used to call me at school. And anyway, it's true - I fell out of the apple tree in my backyard more than once as a child.