The Analog Bag
Or: how I started creating small ways to feel less consumed by my phone.
At some point I realized I did not want my entire inner life being held together by one glowing rectangle.
Thoughts. Creativity. Attention span. Memory. Routines. Boredom. Inspiration. The ability to sit still for five consecutive minutes without checking something.
It was getting bleak.
A lot of us are overstimulated and burnt out from consuming too much fast content. I think a lot of us are taking in so much content all day long that we barely have space to hear ourselves think anymore.
I’ve built what I lovingly call an analog bag. It’s basically a small collection of objects that help me think better and spend less time disappearing into my phone. So when I catch myself reaching for my phone too much, I can reach for something in my curated bag instead.
I actually love the internet. I love creativity online. I love finding thoughtful people and beautiful content and interesting ideas. But I’ve noticed that when my consumption tips into mindless scrolling, I stop feeling inspired by it and start feeling disconnected from myself. I pick up my phone for one thing and twenty minutes later I’ve forgotten what I originally grabbed it for.
It’s nice to have my analog bag when I catch myself getting stuck in that cycle. To be able to reach for something different instead.
Inside mine you’ll usually find a watercolor workbook, a tiny paint set, a real book, my camera, a little needlepoint project, and always something to write with. This is separate from my everyday journals and analog items. The analog bag is more for when I want to take creativity with me somewhere or work on something different from my usual projects. What’s inside changes sometimes, but I try to keep it simple enough to grab and go with everything else I’m carrying.
The slower I’ve become in certain areas of life, the more clarity I’ve gained. I think we’ve confused constant stimulation with being connected to life, but they’re not the same. Scrolling isn’t noticing. Consuming isn’t creating. Being busy isn’t being connected to yourself.
One thing I’m learning is that thoughtful living requires some resistance. You have to protect your attention on purpose and build a life that can compete with the algorithm.
So if you’re overstimulated or tired of consuming life faster than you’re living it, here are a few ways to start leaning into a more analog life:
Carry one thing that invites you to create.
Write things down by hand more often.
Sometimes leave your headphones out and notice where you are.
Bring a real book with you everywhere.
Sit without pulling out your phone immediately.
Learn how to be bored again.
Stop treating slowness like laziness.
Make your real life interesting enough that you don’t have to escape it.
Do you have a version of an analog bag? If not, will you be creating one? I’d also love to hear any ways you try to live more analog.
I truly love your idea! I think I’m gonna give it a try!
Here’s what I’ll probably put in my bag, inspired by what you put in yours : a book (no1 priority 😊), a notebook to write ideas, or things that inspire me, my Polaroid, and I think I want to give watercolor a try too!
Thanks for the inspo! 🙏🏼
I love what you’ve chosen for your bag. We really do have to be vigilant. I am so tempted to just use my phone most of the time because of how easily entertained I am by it, but I’m only left with guilt. Your bag is so cute!