Beyond the Surface: A Conversation Behind the Book

(Exclusive for readers who completed the experience)

A Personal Note Before We Begin

Before we dive into this conversation, I just want to say thank you.
Beyond the Surface was never meant to be an easy experience — and yet, you stayed curious.
You chose patience over assumption, reflection over reaction.
This Q&A pulls back a few layers: about how this book was made, what I was feeling behind it, and why sometimes silence says more than words ever could.
I hope you find something here that adds even more to your experience.

Part 1: The Beginning

RoMarius:
Hey David, first — congratulations on Beyond the Surface. It’s out in the world now. How are you feeling today, really?

David:
Honestly? It’s a mix. I'm incredibly grateful... but also extremely nervous.
The moment the first orders came in, I felt this wave of fear I wasn’t expecting.
I started thinking — What if people believe I'm a fraud?
What if they think I scammed them out of money for a blank book?
That fear sat with me heavy for days.
Even though I believed in the purpose behind the project, putting it out there — without being able to explain it in person — was terrifying.

RoMarius:
You’ve called this book an "art piece disguised as a book." Was that always the plan, or did the idea evolve while you were working on it?

David:
It definitely evolved.
At first, the original book was going to be called Question Everything.
It was more of a guided tour — not so many blank pages — because honestly, I thought the real idea was too weird.
I was afraid people wouldn’t understand it, or they would think it was pointless.
But then a friend convinced me:
He said, "You have to do what you really believe in — whether people like it or not."
That pushed me to trust my first instinct — to leave space, to let the book be uncomfortable.
And once I committed, everything about the project started to feel more honest.

The one thing that pushed me was,
I remember reading Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act: A Way of Being — and there’s this one line that stopped me cold.
He said:
“If you have an idea you’re excited about and don’t bring it to life, it’s not uncommon for the idea to find its voice through another maker… not because they stole it, but because the idea’s time has come.”
When I read that, I thought about all the ideas I’ve had — really good ones — that I never moved on, only to watch someone else follow through and bring something amazing to life.
And I said to myself,
Not this time.
If this idea’s time had come, then I was going to be the one to give it a voice.

Part 2: The Risk

RoMarius:
There’s something bold — and honestly risky — about releasing a book where 99% of it is blank.
Did you ever have a moment where you doubted yourself and thought, "Maybe this is too much"?

David:
Absolutely.
There were moments when I thought:
"Nobody’s going to get this. They’re going to think I’m lazy, or that I’m scamming them."
And the truth is, it took me almost a year to make this book.
I know people see blank pages and think it must’ve been easy — but it wasn’t.
The number of pages, the few words that are there, the structure of how the book flows — I struggled with all of it.
It was hard figuring out how to build an emotional journey without giving too much or too little.
There were nights I doubted every decision.

RoMarius:
You’re asking readers to trust that something is coming, even when they can't see it.
Was that trust something you struggled with personally while creating it?

David:
Yeah, honestly, I struggle with that in my life too.
The first spark of this whole idea actually goes back to when I was dealing with my Crohn’s disease.
I created a photo book back then called “Not the End” — and in that book, every other page was blank.
It was meant to represent the experience of living with Crohn’s:
Days where there’s no clear pain, no clear relief — just blankness.
I wanted readers to feel that — the weight of days that don’t make sense, that just pass without answers.

And when I put that book out, something surprising happened.
I got a lot of feedback — especially from people living with Crohn’s, or from people caring for someone with a chronic illness.
They understood those blank pages instantly.
They knew exactly what I was talking about.
That experience stayed with me.
It taught me that even when you think your story is too strange, too silent, too empty — someone out there already knows it.
Beyond the Surface came from wanting to recreate that feeling again — just in a different, even broader way.

Trusting that readers would stay with the emptiness long enough to find their own meaning wasn't easy for me, because it's not easy in life either.

Part 3: The Reader’s Journey

RoMarius:
Some people might pick it up, flip a few pages, and feel confused — even frustrated.
Was provoking that discomfort part of the design, or just an inevitable side effect?

David:
It was intentional.
Frustration tells you a lot about yourself.
If you feel frustrated by the book, maybe it’s worth asking: Why do I expect meaning to be handed to me instantly?
Why do I judge so quickly?
I wanted the book to be a mirror, not a megaphone.

RoMarius:
Is this book more about what’s missing or what eventually appears?

David:
It’s about both.
The blankness is just as important as the final message.
It’s easy to dismiss what you don't immediately understand.
But if you stay patient, if you keep going, something shifts — and that’s the real reward.

RoMarius:
If you could sit next to a reader while they move through the blank pages, what would you hope they feel?

David:
Honestly, any emotion — confusion, curiosity, even frustration.
But mostly, I'd hope they feel seen.
If they realize that their own expectations are part of the experience, that's powerful.

Part 4: Facing the Skeptics

RoMarius:
Some might say, "Isn't this just a gimmick?" How would you respond?

David:
I'd say:
It only feels like a gimmick if you expect art to entertain you instead of challenge you.
Not every art piece is supposed to hand you meaning on a silver platter.
Some books are meant to hold up a mirror — and sometimes what you see isn’t comfortable.
I’m okay with that discomfort. It means the book is alive.

RoMarius:
Did you ever feel pressure to make the final message in the book more dramatic or profound?

David:
Oh, 100%.
There’s this temptation to end with something epic — like a quote that’s supposed to blow minds or change lives.
But my first book taught me that sometimes, less is more.

When I made Not the End, I wanted every page to carry weight — and I learned that trying to impress people can actually drown out the message.
So with this book, I fought that urge.
I wanted the last line to feel like a moment of stillness — like when someone finally exhales after holding their breath for too long.
Nothing flashy. Just earned.

Part 5: Beyond the Pages

RoMarius:
Now that Beyond the Surface is in the world, has your own understanding of it changed?

David:
Definitely.
I realize now it’s not just about what I created — it’s about what people bring to it.
Their patience. Their impatience. Their own reflection.

RoMarius:
If someone finishes the book and feels unsure — like they didn’t “get it” — what would you want to tell them?

David:
I’d tell them:
That’s okay. Welcome to the club.
Half the time, I don’t "get" life either.
There’s no quiz at the end of this book.
If you felt something — even confusion, even boredom — that’s real.
You were in it. That’s what matters.
And if you didn't feel anything? Maybe that is the feeling.
(laughs)

RoMarius:
Alright, last thing — anything you want to say to the people who actually made it through all those blank pages... and then all these questions?

David:
Yeah.
You’re built different.
(laughs)
Seriously though — thank you.
You didn’t just flip pages. You stayed curious. You stuck around.
That tells me something about you:
You're either incredibly patient...
or incredibly nosy.
Either way, I respect it.

And if you're still here after all that?
You're basically family now.
P.S.
I promise the next book will be a “normal” photography book — and if you made it this far, it’ll be free to you.

One last thing:
Whether you’re upset, inspired, or somewhere in between, I’d love if you left a review.
Honest thoughts only — I can take it.

And if you truly feel like this wasn’t for you and want your money back, just let me know. No hard feelings at all.
This project wasn’t about profit — it was about pushing an idea.

Thanks for giving it a chance.