I love this openness. Don't we all struggle with attention and living our life way too much in the digital part? I try to avoid social media as much as possible and it gets better every week now I see what that regained time can bring. Also turned off all notifications so the Pavlov reaction is slipping away slowly. We will get there!
This is why: “I’m not trying to escape reality. I’m trying to meet it with enough presence to do something useful”
That’s such a challenge, I think even with a structure to pay attention it’s difficult. Bravo to you for keeping it in mind.
I have several things, one is 20 minutes of sitting quietly every morning. Another is noting the one thing I want to address today. Not necessarily complete, just address. Something positive, which in my imagination equates to useful. There are other supporting structures but I’d call those the “Big Two”
Great tactics Wesley. For me, just my email inbox was taking away precious time and I realized I have way “over-subscribed” and many times I’d follow a product or news email down a rabbit hole. So I decided to unsubscribe from any not relevant to current needs and use the inbox filters to prioritize and now spend way less time on it while not feeling anxious I missed something important. What you mentioned about breaks is so important as well, they are needed to clear the mind and return fresh to creative mode.
I did a tweak of the inbox and have a separate folder in my inbox where anything I've signed up for goes (like newsletters, products/services, receipts) so I can decide when I have time to look at those and they don't clutter my actual inbox. Quite nice!
Congrats on your solo show! And also to you for finding a routine that is working for you.
There are those for whom a structure is fairly essential — for whatever reason. It seems to me like your routine gives you a lot more space, actually, to have all those different moments in a day: productivity, rest, learning, sleeping, etc. And not getting sucked down a rabbit hole. Seems practical to me.
Your shots are lovely. I especially like those of the female subject.
Beautiful images, Wesley! I started meditation again after several years of a hiatus. Although prior to that, I tried "e-diets" and modern, minimalist approaches, none of them lasted long. There is much more tenure and historical success in ancient Eastern wisdom to leverage and for me, it's working. I instinctively respond to my self-imposed limitations now. No need to set up rules or reconfigure. I try to write often about my failures and successes in the hopes of working it out publicly and inspiring others as well. In the end, to me, it's less about simplifying and minimizing and more about pure awareness practice. Choices will continue to proliferate but the change must come from within. As an aside, I have the Kentmere 35mm on the way to me and excited to test it!
We’re in the same fight - interesting to what weapons other people are using. I’m doing many of the same things. Mostly I just try to simplify everything in my life and reduce the number of choices available, there’s too much too choice everywhere
Beautiful work Wes!!! And you're speaking right to my heart when it comes to finding balance in the digital world and saving our attention spans. Not using internet/phone in the morning and evening has been a struggle for me, but it has helped that I have incorporated a twice daily meditation practice! I honestly don't know how I'd cope without it at this point. I think as the digital world continues to speed up, we will really be seeing a cultural shift of people who are really leaning the opposite direction from AI and digital noise to instead find the peace and calm! I know I am :) It's a practice every day to find the balance.
This scattering of attention has been something I struggle with. Trying to carve out time for things I need and want to do, vs the endless distraction of the devices, has been a constant challenge. It gets worse during crunch times at work, too. Turning off notifications on all but he most important apps, disabling them entirely during later evening/overnight, and having my work-related apps go silent (and the bare minimum of them installed on what is my personal device, after all) has helped. Putting rules in place where I put the phone elsewhere in the evening when I'm spending time with my wife should also help. In the end we have to fight against the distractions. It can be exhausting sometimes when being distracted seems to be the societal norm now, but seems worth it to me.
I have never successfully conquered the distraction of the internet, but at least I force myself to subscribe to English content to practice my language skills, so I can convince myself it's not a total waste of time. HAHA
I tried a lot of stuff and nothing sticks. I feel sometimes powerless towards this and have to just not see the phone to be able to focus. But it is a sad reminder that they are paying millions to get our attention and our society forces connectivity everywhere more and more… :(
I am using Opal to make sure I don’t do social media between 9pm and 9am. It helps for sure but I some times feel bad for using it because it shows how little willpower I have 🫣
I have come to realize we may not have any willpower at all when dealing with these geniuses who work day in and day out to break down that will power. So I am trying to focus on these systems I build for myself so willpower doesn't even come into it haha. I am too weak with will power, that has been proven over and over! I will download Opal and give it a try! Thanks for the tip, Sharon!
As with many of your recent posts, this one is so close to my own experience lately trying to reclaim my time and attention — and realizing how much my inability or reluctance to disconnect is at the root of the struggle. And that New Yorker piece? It is brutally on point for how the content creation culture pushes us into pure, mindless consumption and away from any kind of mindful decisions about how (and even whether) we want to engage.
I love using readwise! It's one of the few tools I pay a subscription fee for.
Totally know what you mean with doomscrolling. The internet is such a double edge sword. Fantastic for education and inspiration, but easily become a time suck. I try to "schedule" my social media/consumption time to certain blocks of the. Day. And at night I read fiction (sometime non fiction) books before sleep to avoid picking up my phone.
I love this openness. Don't we all struggle with attention and living our life way too much in the digital part? I try to avoid social media as much as possible and it gets better every week now I see what that regained time can bring. Also turned off all notifications so the Pavlov reaction is slipping away slowly. We will get there!
Thanks for sharing Marcel! We can all help each other with this openess I think!
This is why: “I’m not trying to escape reality. I’m trying to meet it with enough presence to do something useful”
That’s such a challenge, I think even with a structure to pay attention it’s difficult. Bravo to you for keeping it in mind.
I have several things, one is 20 minutes of sitting quietly every morning. Another is noting the one thing I want to address today. Not necessarily complete, just address. Something positive, which in my imagination equates to useful. There are other supporting structures but I’d call those the “Big Two”
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for sharing these Donn!
Great tactics Wesley. For me, just my email inbox was taking away precious time and I realized I have way “over-subscribed” and many times I’d follow a product or news email down a rabbit hole. So I decided to unsubscribe from any not relevant to current needs and use the inbox filters to prioritize and now spend way less time on it while not feeling anxious I missed something important. What you mentioned about breaks is so important as well, they are needed to clear the mind and return fresh to creative mode.
I did a tweak of the inbox and have a separate folder in my inbox where anything I've signed up for goes (like newsletters, products/services, receipts) so I can decide when I have time to look at those and they don't clutter my actual inbox. Quite nice!
Great tip!
Congrats on your solo show! And also to you for finding a routine that is working for you.
There are those for whom a structure is fairly essential — for whatever reason. It seems to me like your routine gives you a lot more space, actually, to have all those different moments in a day: productivity, rest, learning, sleeping, etc. And not getting sucked down a rabbit hole. Seems practical to me.
Your shots are lovely. I especially like those of the female subject.
Thank you :) More of those shots coming!
Beautiful images, Wesley! I started meditation again after several years of a hiatus. Although prior to that, I tried "e-diets" and modern, minimalist approaches, none of them lasted long. There is much more tenure and historical success in ancient Eastern wisdom to leverage and for me, it's working. I instinctively respond to my self-imposed limitations now. No need to set up rules or reconfigure. I try to write often about my failures and successes in the hopes of working it out publicly and inspiring others as well. In the end, to me, it's less about simplifying and minimizing and more about pure awareness practice. Choices will continue to proliferate but the change must come from within. As an aside, I have the Kentmere 35mm on the way to me and excited to test it!
Love that approach, Juliette! Thank you for sharing, and for working in public!
We’re in the same fight - interesting to what weapons other people are using. I’m doing many of the same things. Mostly I just try to simplify everything in my life and reduce the number of choices available, there’s too much too choice everywhere
Simplify, simplify, simplify!
Beautiful work Wes!!! And you're speaking right to my heart when it comes to finding balance in the digital world and saving our attention spans. Not using internet/phone in the morning and evening has been a struggle for me, but it has helped that I have incorporated a twice daily meditation practice! I honestly don't know how I'd cope without it at this point. I think as the digital world continues to speed up, we will really be seeing a cultural shift of people who are really leaning the opposite direction from AI and digital noise to instead find the peace and calm! I know I am :) It's a practice every day to find the balance.
Thank you Holly! So glad it resonates with you, bday twin :)
This scattering of attention has been something I struggle with. Trying to carve out time for things I need and want to do, vs the endless distraction of the devices, has been a constant challenge. It gets worse during crunch times at work, too. Turning off notifications on all but he most important apps, disabling them entirely during later evening/overnight, and having my work-related apps go silent (and the bare minimum of them installed on what is my personal device, after all) has helped. Putting rules in place where I put the phone elsewhere in the evening when I'm spending time with my wife should also help. In the end we have to fight against the distractions. It can be exhausting sometimes when being distracted seems to be the societal norm now, but seems worth it to me.
Very much worth it Paul!
I have never successfully conquered the distraction of the internet, but at least I force myself to subscribe to English content to practice my language skills, so I can convince myself it's not a total waste of time. HAHA
I tried a lot of stuff and nothing sticks. I feel sometimes powerless towards this and have to just not see the phone to be able to focus. But it is a sad reminder that they are paying millions to get our attention and our society forces connectivity everywhere more and more… :(
Good luck with your show. Look forward to seeing what emerges!
I am using Opal to make sure I don’t do social media between 9pm and 9am. It helps for sure but I some times feel bad for using it because it shows how little willpower I have 🫣
I have come to realize we may not have any willpower at all when dealing with these geniuses who work day in and day out to break down that will power. So I am trying to focus on these systems I build for myself so willpower doesn't even come into it haha. I am too weak with will power, that has been proven over and over! I will download Opal and give it a try! Thanks for the tip, Sharon!
As with many of your recent posts, this one is so close to my own experience lately trying to reclaim my time and attention — and realizing how much my inability or reluctance to disconnect is at the root of the struggle. And that New Yorker piece? It is brutally on point for how the content creation culture pushes us into pure, mindless consumption and away from any kind of mindful decisions about how (and even whether) we want to engage.
Jia is quite a brilliant writer, I highly recommend seeking out her New Yorker work and her book Trick Mirror.
I love using readwise! It's one of the few tools I pay a subscription fee for.
Totally know what you mean with doomscrolling. The internet is such a double edge sword. Fantastic for education and inspiration, but easily become a time suck. I try to "schedule" my social media/consumption time to certain blocks of the. Day. And at night I read fiction (sometime non fiction) books before sleep to avoid picking up my phone.
Very similar to my own way! :) I find fiction is great before bed, and non-fiction better for my morning.
Actually same here. At night I just want to unwind, but in the morning I much more refreshed to absorb and jot notes
Thank you Steve!