INKS & PIXELS | AN ODE TO ANALOHUE CHOICES

I am a bit of an old soul. I love things that are vintage, aged, retro, all of those things. And I especially love things that help you slow down - and there’s just something about the digital age we live in  that does not provide that for me. There's a certain magic in reverting to simpler, dated practices, a gentle escape from the constant buzz of notifications that threaten to pull me into the vortex.

Over the past few weeks I found myself wanting to revert to said simpler, dated practices to help stay off of my phone. I wouldn’t say I’m “addicted” to social media, but the struggle to resist its grasp is real. Opening my phone with a purpose, only to find myself lost in the depths of my Instagram feed minutes later became an all too familiar scenario.

I wanted to break this pattern. I wanted to have my phone for simply one purpose - connectivity, and nothing more. My business is online so I have to be active on my social media, but that does not mean I have to be distracted by it.

Here are the few steps ive been taking to help me use my phone less.

Maybe you could try them out too :) 

The first few changes came with how my phone itself is set up. I deleted all my morning alarms and invested in a physical alarm clock. I had been waiting to purchase this exact design for months, but it was way too expensive. Eventually I kind of forgot I even wanted to get myself one. But as my luck would have it, just as I decided to make these simple lifestyle changes, this alarm clock went on Amazon for LITERALLY 60% off??? It felt like a sign.

Now, this is what wakes me up in the morning, and I have pretty much rid myself of hitting the snooze button, or scrolling on Instagram first thing in the morning. But, being completely honest, even though this does wake me up at 6 am, without drawing me in like my phone does, I still struggle to begin my day early. But that’s a topic for another day. Baby steps.

I also started to wear this vintage wrist watch which I look at for the time instaead of my phone. Frankly, ive been reading time digitally for the last 15 years of my life so its a bit of a re-learning curve, but having this wrist watch that isn’t a smart watch or even digital helps me “look” at the time more mindfully. If I were to check the time on my phone, I would get distracted by the notifications and sounds and the colours and everything else. 

I’m sure you’ve heard of the “quiet mode” on Instagram, that’s another change ive adopted recently.  I scheduled periods of respite from notifications, allowing me to navigate through my day without being incessantly pulled into the digital realm. I have enabled that on all my accounts from 12 am to 9 am till I start work, and from 6 pm when I get off of work till 12 am the next day. 

Taking it a step further, I stripped down my phone's user interface to a minimalist design with the help of (yet another, whoops) app called Minimalist Phone. Icons, wallpapers, and flashy distractions were replaced with a simple, name-based layout. The deliberate lack of visual noise became a powerful barrier against mindless scrolling. Now, if I need to look for an app, I search for its name, not its “visually appealing” icon. This does not affect how the app itself works, but it does create an effective barrier to aid my attention.

My brain is constantly spewing out ideas, thoughts, worries, song lyrics, and tv show dialogues. My process was to use the notes app on my phone as a brain dump for these things that came to my mind, and then transfer the ideas over to my Notion to refine them further. But I realised something - I would almost always get involuntarily distracted by other apps while trying to make note of my ideas. I never really got to think so deeply about the ideas that came to my head, other than in my head. 

I pondered over this for a few days, until I came across a video on YouTube by ParkNotes. That video was about something called a pocket notebook. Its silly, it felt like a Eureka! moment. I immediately stifled through my large stack of notebooks to search for a small a6 sized buddy I could carry around with me everywhere. And boy, what a wave of change it’s been. 

I carry this thing with me literally everywhere. I barely take notes on phone now, or even look at it when I get an idea, except for when I need to take note of a web link. Some of my best ideas have come out of this little pocket book in the past week.

I thought of some reels and content I could make for Instagram, some shot ideas for YouTube, I made notes about how I want to edit pictures for my Instagram, organisation I need to get to at home, things I need to buy, measurements, books, gift ideas for family, chores around the house, important events coming up, my thoughts throughout the day, literally everything.

This notebook became a catalyst for newfound clarity and appreciation of my thoughts. Ideas flowed effortlessly, untouched by the allure of other apps. It almost feels surreal - how can a little teeny tiny notebook bring out this side of me?

Everything you read going forward is an idea that originated from the pages of this book.

Including this very blog.

One of those ideas was  to give this pocket notebook a little companion - which is of course, the pocket sketchbook. This sketchbook is handmade by my friend @colouritlisa, and it is literally my new best friend. Like the pocket book, I carry it around with me everywhere. 

This books’s use is, however, slightly different than the pocket notebook. I apply to this book something called the “15 minute rule”. Ive given myself this ongoing assignment that everyday, for at least 15 minutes I will sit with this sketchbook and draw whatever comes to mind.

A dedicated fraction of my day to unbridled creativity — passing no judgements, no doubts on quality with no pressure on quantity. Just 15 minutes a day. This ritual not only honed my artistic skills but became a therapeutic exercise, offering moments of reflection and inspiration.

I even took it out with me to a date with my mum and sketched her while we waited for our snacks to arrive.  

This book has helped me come up with ideas for future paintings, practice daily drawing, reflect on things that moved and inspired me through the day. One of those sketches actually turned into a painting for the big(ger) sketchbook. I randomly drew a picnic basket, and it really spoke to me. So, I turned that doodle into a sketchbook spread. It might just be my favourite yet???

The pocket notebook also nudged me to look into getting a small digicam I could carry around with me everywhere. If you know me, you know I love taking pictures. I take pictures of everything. Literally everything. i love capturing moments, people, my loved ones, things that look pretty, my everyday life. Im a big sucker for it all. But with that passion comes pulling out my phone while im out and about to take a photo and getting distracted by the screen. I wish I could tell you I had the strength and will power to not look at those, or not have FOMO anymore, or just. not. check. things.  I do try. But it feels like an inevitable trap. 

The desire to capture fleeting moments without succumbing to this digital conundrum felt like a Venn diagram with no overlapping areas. Until I had my second eureka moment - a digicam. On a random Saturday I thought of putting a humble message in my apartment group asking if anyone had one of these to sell or give away. After looking at their prices online I ws about to get sulky, but I thought hey, let’s give it a shot.

2 hours later, I had a digicam in my hands. And I paid nothing for it. It literally felt unreal.

I am so grateful to have this with me now. It makes me really appreciate single-use devices a lot more. This device is only meant for capturing moments. And provides me with a sense of delayed gratification, since I have to wait to transfer the images, upload them, and then do what I wish with them - share them on social media, or with my friends and family, or just admire them on my own. 

some pictures taken on the digicam

But there’s that word here - delayed gratification. Ive been learning a lot about that lately. In today’s world everything has become so instant and convenient that we’ve lost touch of what life is really

about - slowing down. We have access to the entire world at the tip of our fingers and we forget that our shiny rectangles are not a part of us, but merely a tool. What are we without our phones? Anxious bodies worrying about their next post? About that reply? About taking that picture? 

Hopefully, the depths of social media will eventually awaken the collective consciousness to the importance of slowing down and reinforce the art of patience in a world obsessed with instantaneity… 

but until then, I hope this blog does that for you. 

lots of love,

ness

MORNING PAGES & MEDIA FREE DAYS | THE ARTIST'S WAY WEEK FOUR

Hi! welcome back to the series of blogposts i' m making to capture my journey with The Artist's Way! If you haven't caught up with the journey so far, i'll leave some links for you to check out on how week 1, 2 and 3 went. Take a quick peek, and then hop right back here for a delightful scoop on week 4! i will wait 4 u :)

I will be honest, i was not excited for this week, even though i pretty much knew how much i actually needed it. The biggest activity for week 4 in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is the task of media deprivation for the whole week. Originally, Julia Cameron called it "reading deprivation," but as we waltz into the digital age, it's more like "media" deprivation. Can you imagine a whole week without media? No social media scrolling, no Netflix binges, no reels... nada!

Now, let's talk about "morning pages." If you're not familiar, these are the secret sauce of creativity in The Artist's Way. It's like your daily brain dump, a chance to clear out the cobwebs and make room for some fresh, innovative thoughts. Morning pages are like your morning coffee for your soul, and they've been my trusty sidekick throughout this journey.

Okay, but back to Week 4. It feels like a teeny-tiny milestone, right? I mean, we're already a month into this incredible creative adventure (not in real life, im actually on week 6 at the time of writing this. whoops.), and I can't wait to share my experiences and insights with you all. Welcome to the tour of my media-free week, where i spill the beans on how my media deprivation week went, how morning pages have been changing my life, and give you a sneak peek into the magic that "The Artist's Way" has been weaving for me so far.

“Does “I feel okay”mean I feel resigned, accepting, comfortable, detached, numb,

tolerant, pleased, or satisfied? What does it mean?”

a refresher on how they're making me feel so far

i think morning pages will stay with me forever. much after i finish the artists way too. i have always been the kind of person to journal and write. so this is something i truly enjoy doing. getting my head clear first thing in the morning, and just letting all that gunk out - no better feeling than that.

im quite prone to letting things build up in my head and stay there and rot. so using this stream of consciousness writing as a tool to let all that out on paper is a precious thing.

just incase you're curious, ive recently started to journal in 2 places - my physical "morning pages journal" where i do stream of consciousness writing and reflection, and the the journal entries like a day summary in the Day One app. Yup, I've also hopped on the digital journaling train.

Now, I used to be all about the physical journals, but this app has won me over big time. Templates, tagging, media features, multiple journals – it's like a journaling wonderland. I can organize my thoughts into different digital realms, add photos and videos directly from my phone (how cool is that?), and even do weekly and monthly reviews.

i know this isn't really related to morning pages, but its just another journaling tit-bit i wanted to share with you. Day One has become my "night pages"- where i summarize my day and have a way to remember it.

anyways, back to morning pages. i do genuinely notice how being able to do morning pages or not affects my mood. if i dont get to write them in the morning time or dont get to write them at all during the day, i begin to feel annoyed. i can actually feel my thoughts building up inside me and eating me up from within. i know that the days that i sit down with my journal will regardless of the circumstances be a slightly bit better than if i didnt write them at all. even though some of my entries in the morning are rambly and complainy and incoherent and angry and annoyed (,,,very annoyed,,,), once i have it down on paper it brings in a sense of calm. its like, ive put this odd feeling out into the universe and a weight is now off of my shoulders.

As the book suggested, whenever i do miss a day or curse the morning pages when i wake up (which is quite a rare occasion for me), i like to remind myself that "i didn't write them, so I am crabby.” is a much more accurate thing than “i was too crabby to write them.” .

Alright, here's the part I wasn't exactly thrilled about. And it's not because I thought it was unfair to be separated from my phone or because I'm secretly admitting I might have a teensy addiction (which, okay, maybe I do, but that's beside the point). It wasn't even about being mad at the book for "taking" my phone away. No, what had me hesitating was the fact that the week leading up to this activity had been a stress-filled rollercoaster. Work had piled up so high that I felt like I was drowning in to-dos. Every week, I'd check off a couple of tasks, only to add a whole bunch more. I kept telling myself I could delay this media detox for a week and tackle my mountain of work first. But then it hit me – a break was exactly what I needed. ya' girl could actually really use this.

When you're feeling burnt out, taking a breather is one thing, but diving back into the same old routine just doesn't cut it. You need a change when you return to it, right?

So, I made a conscious decision to make the most of this opportunity. I was ready to lighten my workload, cut back on the social media scroll-a-thons, reduce my research and "inspiration hunting" (which, let's face it, can turn into hours of overstimulation). And trust me, that list was quite long.

I sat down and wrote out what was absolutely essential for me to keep doing this week, like my current client projects that I had already committed to. And then, I jotted down the big "no-no" list – the things I couldn't touch, like Pinterest or Instagram.

how media deprivation made me feel

the first day was incredible. genuinely. i felt like i was on top of the world and i was extremely productive. it felt like i had more hours within my day. Now, I won't deny that the urge to check Instagram did pop up every now and then.

I mean, it's crazy how ingrained that habit can become, right? but the important thing is i recalibrated every time i had this urge. i closed instagram and moved on with my day. so proud of myself.

the media deprivation week actually turned out to be such an experience. it was hard, i wont lie, but it was also so freeing. i was afraid that if i didn't look at Pinterest for inspiration, I COULD NOT POSSIBLY CREATE ART. like it was my fuel or something. but that is untrue. pinterest does provide inspiration, but the source for this inspiration is within me always. I'm making it a practice now to remember that every day going forward.

One of the most remarkable changes I noticed was during mealtime. I used to be the type who needed something on the screen or in my ears while eating. But not anymore. Well, okay, I won't pretend to be perfect – as I'm writing this (once again, I'm in Week 6 now), i do occasionally watch a show or a YouTube video while eating. But the amount of it has dramatically reduced.

It wasn't a walk in the park, I'll admit, but it was liberating.

Ah, let's talk about Day 2 – a day that didn't quite go as planned, but hey, life throws curveballs, right.

Here's the scoop in a nutshell: I was knee-deep in editing a mammoth 14-hour video when disaster struck. Somehow, I managed to mess up my SD card, and poof! Almost all of my precious footage was gone. Heartbreak city, let me tell you. I had a full-blown meltdown, shed tears for a solid two hours, and tried every trick in the book to recover those files, but nothing worked.

Naturally, panic set in, and I tossed my media deprivation plans out the window. I mean, come on, this was a need, a desperation. I had to figure out how to salvage my work. I resorted to Google and YouTube for help on fixing the SD card, but, alas, it was a futile quest.

Now, here's where I stumbled. I used this incident as an excuse to let myself go and dive headfirst into scrolling and watching stuff online. It felt like my way of numbing the panic that was slowly taking over. I had put so much effort into creating visuals for that video, and now it was all gone.

Tuesday was a tear-soaked marathon of watching random YouTube videos, an attempt to keep the sadness at bay. And then, the inner critic chimed in, asking, "Why am I tying my self-worth to a bunch of camera footage?" Emotions were all over the place, like a rollercoaster ride.

But, as I crawled into bed that Tuesday night, after a somewhat restless sleep, I woke up on Wednesday with a fresh burst of energy. I revisited the media deprivation chapter, dusted off the unfortunate incident, and decided to shift my focus to the present moment. I was reminded of something from the previous chapters – "In this very moment, right here, right now, I'm perfectly okay." And you know what? It was the perfect mantra to get back on track.

Now, let's chat about how things went a little wonky towards the end. i have to admit, I caved in a few hours before my "deadline," and I honestly can't even tell you why. It was like a momentary lapse of judgment, and I regretted it deeply afterward.

So, Tuesday wasn't exactly a shining moment, and neither was the tail end of the week. But you know what? I didn't let those blips overshadow all the moments in between. I picked myself up and soldiered on as best as I could. And even after the Tuesday setback, the rest of the week continued to be a journey of freedom, fulfilment, and a whole lot of fun.

heres a few things i did over the week~

i'm absolutely determined to weave this into my monthly routine – a whole day without social media or any kind of media at all. I've tasted that sweet sense of fulfilment during this week, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can carry this feeling with me into the rest of my life. It's like discovering a hidden treasure, and I want to cherish it forever.

Anyway, that's a wrap for this week. I know im really late with this one, but I genuinely hope this week's blog leaves you with something meaningful to ponder after. Can't wait to catch up with all of you in the Week 5 blog post! Until then, lets keep the positive vibes flowing :)

sending lots of love 🤎

UNEARTHING UNSEEN TREASURES | ARTISTS WAY WEEK TWO & THREE

"Just as a recovering alcoholic must avoid the first drink,

the recovering artist must avoid the first think."

Hello hello! welcome to week 2 & 3 of my journey with The Artist's Way. Please be sure to read how week 1 went for me here :)

These two weeks required a lot more journaling and reading rather than physical activities, so i thought i'd give you a scoop of the events of the two weeks together.

So, here's the deal: I may have planned for these two weeks to be super structured, but life had other ideas and i found myself overshooting the tasks by a day or two. Sometimes, it felt like my week was actually 10 days long – but hey, who's counting?

Now, let's talk about the guilt. Guilt is like that unwanted guest at a party - but if there's anything I've learnt during these past five weeks of morning pages (yes, I'm on week four as I spill the beans) it's that it's all about being kinder to myself. Sure, I might not be a stickler for schedules, but that doesn't mean I'm slacking off. I've got my tasks lined up, and I tackle them with gusto. The twist is, I savour each moment a little longer. I reminded myself that i would rather have my tasks done to completion the correct way, than have them rushed to fit a schedule.

And guess what? I do aim to finish that chapter within a week, but if it stretches a tad long er, it's not the end of the world. i can allow myself that permission - everyone's journey is different, and we're all exploring it in our own, quirky ways.

"In creative recovery, it is not necessary that we change any of our beliefs. It is important that we examine them."

my favourite part from the week 2 chapter was "attention" after reading through this bit i had to close the book and take a moment to myself. Julia Cameron, the author of this book, paints a vivid picture of the importance of living in the now- relishing those tiny magical moments that often pass us by.

Too often i've caught myself living in fear of the past or with anxiety about the future. But Julia, the genius wordsmith that she is, manages to articulate something profound: In this very moment, right here, right now, I'm perfectly okay.

She gently reminds us that life might throw curveballs, and things may not always go as planned. There's a chance of bumps in the road, but in this very instant, we have the power to bask in the beauty of the present. If we miss that, well - that's a regret we don't want to carry with us, no matter how bright the future might seem.

the task that followed the learnings from this chapter was the "life-pie" - imagine a delicious pie chart divided into six scrumptious slices, each representing a different aspect of your life.

Julia's message here? It's okay if your life-pie looks like a tarantula, with uneven slices galore. The key is to sprinkle just a tad of attention to each section to bring that sweet, sweet sense of fulfilment.

that has been my goal ever since reading this chapter. its pushed me to truly nurture different aspects of my life, and i can surely say, there is sense of fulfilment slowly making its way to me.

One of the biggest things that came out of this chapter was my reconnection with my favourite activities. the task was to list out 20 things that make your heart do a happy dance - the things you truly enjoy, note when you last indulged in these activities, and then go and do some of them now. and i did that!

While there were a bunch of old favourites to revisit, there was one that tugged at my heartstrings – baking. i used to bake a lot a few years ago, but the college grind put that passion on the back burner. Well, guess who's back in the kitchen, flour flying and oven timer beeping?

Revisiting that phase of my life has been deeply healing, and i've found

myself a lovely new hobby.

making garlic bread, cinnamon buns, banana cake

this part of chapter 3 was a fascinating one. I've always believed in manifestation and the law of attraction, but as I delved into this chapter, it felt like the universe had cranked up its telepathic hotline just for me.

i've always called these weird instances "signs", or the "universe listening to me", But you know what? I've got a new favourite term for them now – "moments of synchronicity." and its crazy how things just felt like they were lining up, once i decided to pay attention to this synchronicity.

I'd have a brilliant idea pop into my noggin, and before I could even utter a word, someone would suggest it. I'd think about doing something in the coming days, and boom! The opportunity would waltz right into my life. Or I'd dream up an idea, and just like that, I'd stumble upon an online sign that screamed, "Bring this idea to life!" its such a refreshing and fulfilling task to notice these small moments of synchronicity.

"Shaming someone is an attempt to prevent the person from behaving

in a way that embarrasses us."

this was not one of the main tasks for this chapter, but it was a beautiful one nonetheless. Chapter 3 unveiled a little treasure trove of questions that sent me on an adventure back to my childhood, secret wishes, and deepest beliefs. Let me tell you, it was like a rollercoaster for the soul. These questions, some as easy as pie and others that required a little soul searching, led me down a path of reflection that was both exhilarating and, at times, a tad uncomfortable.

literally the first question on this list asked me to list my favourite childhood toy.. this I did not have to think twice. i wrote down 3 names - Rudolf, Chutki, and Jojo.

These weren't just toys; they were my trusty companions, my security blankets. Right after jotting down those names, I felt an almost primal urge to hold them again. So, I did what any intrepid explorer would do – I went on a treasure hunt! Thirty minutes of excavation later, there they were, resting in my hands like old friends reunited after years apart. (And yes, I did eventually return to that list, but not before admiring my favourite childhood treasures.)

now these 3 live alongside Ice Bear on my bed. And every night as I tuck myself in, I do so with a profound sense of calm. It's like I've created a protective fortress for my inner child.

oh i loved this activity. describing and drawing my childhood bedroom was deeply healing. ive always been that artsy kid. During my teen years, I was the DIY master, especially when it came to jazzing up my room with unique decor pieces. It was like sprinkling pieces of my soul all around my space, making it truly my own. i loved using my hands.

as i was drawing out each of the highlights i remembered from my room i had a profound realization - That 13-year-old spark of creativity, the one that made my room a masterpiece, is still very much alive in me. I realized that I'm constantly crafting and creating, just like I did back then.

honestly, whether you are reading The Artist's Way or not, everyone's gotta give this activity a try. Full disclosure, this activity did bring a tear to my eye, but hey, I'm the type to tear up at just about anything. But let me assure you, it's totally worth it.

So, that's where we are in our journey – currently cruising through Week 4 of the course, and it's been an absolute blast. I can't wait to see what exciting paths unfold in the chapters to come, and I'm thrilled to have you right there with me, experiencing it all :)

see you in week 5!

"The reward for attention is always healing."