I was scrolling through Reddit to ignore feeling sorry for myself—critiques about Golden Globes fashion, eczema treatment debates, and analyses of pairing Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner together—when I noticed a new post in the Portland, Oregon group: “Where can I go to drink tea, draw, and be sad?”
I saw someone embroidering at the coffee shop a couple of weeks ago and thought, “why shouldn’t I bring my knitting out and work on making something with my hands instead of scrolling?” I think now I’m going to make it my goal this year to try that. It sounds way more enjoyable than doing it at home in front of the tv.
I love this and echo many of your thoughts! I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on an analog hobby and it drew me in so much that I forgot to check my phone. At the end of the day, I looked at my phone again and it immediately gave me so much anxiety from all the notifications and news to catch up on lol. At the end of the day though... how much do all of those things on our phones matter? Maybe it would do us all some good just to step away from the digital world for a couple of hours on a regular basis (I say as I type this comment on my computer 🤣)
Melody, what a lovely, thoughtful post! I, too, can't help but notice when I see someone "out in the world," seemingly perfectly content with their analog activity. Recently, I noticed sketching and painting with watercolors. I bring a physical piece of reading material (book/magazine/newspaper) wherever I go, and when I am writing on my laptop I make sure to give my eyes a screen break which is when I'll pull out my reading. Please continue to share your experiences with us. You painted these scenes so vividly!
I'm convinced '26 is the year of big things. Or maybe small things. But certainly things nonetheless. Thanks for showing up in my inbox today.
Grateful for ya! Big things happening for you this year.
I saw someone embroidering at the coffee shop a couple of weeks ago and thought, “why shouldn’t I bring my knitting out and work on making something with my hands instead of scrolling?” I think now I’m going to make it my goal this year to try that. It sounds way more enjoyable than doing it at home in front of the tv.
We can do it together :) Although knitting is not for me haha—I'm clumsy with crafts!
You should try it! It’s all about the effort over the final product.
Such a wonderful piece, Melody!
And when you draw that horse, let me see :)
I will!!
I love this and echo many of your thoughts! I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on an analog hobby and it drew me in so much that I forgot to check my phone. At the end of the day, I looked at my phone again and it immediately gave me so much anxiety from all the notifications and news to catch up on lol. At the end of the day though... how much do all of those things on our phones matter? Maybe it would do us all some good just to step away from the digital world for a couple of hours on a regular basis (I say as I type this comment on my computer 🤣)
This^^ It's easier said than done haha
Melody, what a lovely, thoughtful post! I, too, can't help but notice when I see someone "out in the world," seemingly perfectly content with their analog activity. Recently, I noticed sketching and painting with watercolors. I bring a physical piece of reading material (book/magazine/newspaper) wherever I go, and when I am writing on my laptop I make sure to give my eyes a screen break which is when I'll pull out my reading. Please continue to share your experiences with us. You painted these scenes so vividly!
I love that idea of bringing a physical book! Thank you so much for your kind words, too :)