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- I lost power (analog creativity)
I’m visiting family, and my area lost power from a big storm.
That meant no lights and no internet. It was a forced reset. A moment to pause.
And it forced some analog creativity out of me. It’s made me think — maybe I should detox from technology more often.
I’m not anti (far from it), but I didn’t fully realize how reliant and automate my technology habits were.
I’ve come to just expect my creative apps and software to always work and always be connected. But what happens when they’re not?
I’m left with a dwindling computer battery and only apps or plugins that don’t require a connection. It’s enough, but it still felt restricted.
I used to only need my guitar. We used to be analog.
I love the digitalization of creativity — it’s expanded opportunities and solved bottlenecks. But I still love ‘old school’ methods.
A canvas and a paintbrush. An acoustic guitar. Candles and a flashlight if you got ‘em.
Here’s my point.
I don’t want to forget or abandon art’s analog roots.
I love to play around with AI, new tools and software that streamline parts of the creative process I find boring or I’m just not good at.
But I don’t want to completely rely on those things for creative fulfillment either.
So I’m left asking myself a question: if electricity and internet went away, who would I be as a creative?
Who am I (as an artist, a human) without the technology?
Without your apps, software and automations, who are you as an artist?
What is your creative analog identity?
For me, it’s my guitar and a sketchpad. Raw projects (like mini songs or charcoal drawings) that look unfinished, but don’t need more.
My digital creative identity is different. They’re more frustrated and experience more learning curves. They rely on technological infrastructure to fulfill a vision.
That’s fine. That’s amazing. But I need to remember not to forget my simple, minimalist, analog Self.
But luckily, the power is back on.
Later ✌️
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