This is SO true!! I love the idea of filling your life with worthwhile pursuits so there’s no time left for Instagram. It’s not about taking something away, it’s adding more high quality pursuits :) love this as always!
Omg this is a gold mine. Thank you for all of these ideas! They remind me of tasks that could fall under Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's definition of Flow. I'm hoping to read it soon (once I get a copy in my hands), but he writes about how having a goal that balances between challenge and ease, gives clear feedback on if you're doing it well, and gives you a sense of power and accomplishment can make you feel fulfilled. Happy. Not pleasure, a temporary feeling like you get from scrolling. A longer lasting, impactful happy.
you're so welcome🩷 I'm glad you find this post useful, and I definitely need to read that book! finding something with the right amount of challenge is definitely important, I like those ideas!
I just did a research on the book, found it on a website with delivery to where I live in Europe. The first suggestion of a book was White Nights by Dostoyevsky.. 🫣 am I missing some connection between the two? Or was it a glitch in the Matrix? I am spiralling down
Love love love this! I teach high school, and I frequently find that my kids have no idea how to entertain themselves without the phone. Their curiosity is non-existent. I think I'll add a plan for the begining of the year to have the kids do what you've done in this post... Thanks for sharing.
wow that would be absolutely incredible. I often think about how difficult it must be for kids and teens nowadays, I just could not imagine being that age right now. this truly makes me really happy and i think you're doing a wonderful job to care about them so much and try to make a difference in your own way. thank you for reading kim 🩷🩷
omg are we the same person? a couple months ago i ran across a fiber artist who embroidered her entire website and it felt like an actually creative website from the early 2000s rather than the cookie cutter web design that everyone uses for their art portfolios. i suddenly realized i always hated (and eventually abandoned) my portfolio websites because they looked like a wash of white splattered with minimalist bullshit instead of something raw and authentic to my art. yes to creating a personal website that's aggressively pink!
hehe hi twin but yes omg i was so bored of the minimalist crap!! everything looks the same!! also that embroidery website sounds absolutely incredible i love that idea so much. i just love seeing the depths of people's creativity and the amount of time that went into creating something so unique!
This is such a simple but brilliant concept! It's not about cutting things out of our life, it's about adding new things to take up the space of the bad habits. I love this so much!
I love this candiceeee!!! Also thinking lots about *projects for the sake of projects* and *research for the sake of research* and how we are conditioned to think these projects need to have an end goal rather than just being a way to enjoy our little lives
I really enjoyed this piece it made me think (and I've thought for a while) how easily I just scroll. I'm intrigued to know if you use social media to 'push' people to your YouTube channel...sorry if you may have mentioned this before I am a new reader :-)
thank you! and happy to answer your questions dw, i don't have any social media or use anything to send people to my youtube apart from the odd hyperlink in my essays here and pinterest! i just always pray the youtube seo gods are working in my favour lol
oh perhaps I'll give little updates on how it's coming along in the subscriber chat :') also would recommend looking through other personal websites and see what styles you're drawn to and starting there! and then once you get into the swing of things you can tweak and make it even more personal 🩷
Well I’m only 12 chapters in but I rather enjoy the slow pace, the descriptive passages and the world that is built. It feels like I’m watching a Guibli movie sometimes.
I think what resonates with me most here is the reminder that life becomes bigger the moment your phone becomes smaller.
There’s this strange grief that comes with noticing how often we trade our own lives for someone else’s highlight reel. That tiny reflex, checking, scrolling, reaching for a hit of something, it steals the first honest moments of the day, the quiet ones where you remember you’re human before you’re “reachable.”
I love how your projects aren’t “productivity hacks,” they’re just ways of being alive again. Reading slowly. Thinking deeply. Making something with your hands. Paying attention long enough for meaning to take shape. It feels almost rebellious to build a life that doesn’t revolve around a device.
Your list made me realize how much of my attention I’ve been giving away for free. And how much I want it back.
There’s something sacred about filling your days with things that can’t be measured by likes, rereading a book, organizing a digital garden, building a website just because it delights you, writing for people who actually want to be here.
It makes me want to start choosing the kind of projects that refill my mind instead of draining it. Things that make me forget the “pull” because the present is finally interesting again.
Thank you for the reminder that there is so much life offline and that we can choose it, again and again, one small project at a time.
this was a really thoughtful comment, thank you :') you're absolutely spot on with everything you said too. attention really is currency now and we need to be more aware of what we give it to. hope you have a lovely weekend <3
This is SO true!! I love the idea of filling your life with worthwhile pursuits so there’s no time left for Instagram. It’s not about taking something away, it’s adding more high quality pursuits :) love this as always!
yes that's a great way to put it, high quality pursuits! thank you for reading🩷
Omg this is a gold mine. Thank you for all of these ideas! They remind me of tasks that could fall under Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's definition of Flow. I'm hoping to read it soon (once I get a copy in my hands), but he writes about how having a goal that balances between challenge and ease, gives clear feedback on if you're doing it well, and gives you a sense of power and accomplishment can make you feel fulfilled. Happy. Not pleasure, a temporary feeling like you get from scrolling. A longer lasting, impactful happy.
you're so welcome🩷 I'm glad you find this post useful, and I definitely need to read that book! finding something with the right amount of challenge is definitely important, I like those ideas!
I just did a research on the book, found it on a website with delivery to where I live in Europe. The first suggestion of a book was White Nights by Dostoyevsky.. 🫣 am I missing some connection between the two? Or was it a glitch in the Matrix? I am spiralling down
That's another one on my TBR! What connections are you finding?
Love love love this! I teach high school, and I frequently find that my kids have no idea how to entertain themselves without the phone. Their curiosity is non-existent. I think I'll add a plan for the begining of the year to have the kids do what you've done in this post... Thanks for sharing.
wow that would be absolutely incredible. I often think about how difficult it must be for kids and teens nowadays, I just could not imagine being that age right now. this truly makes me really happy and i think you're doing a wonderful job to care about them so much and try to make a difference in your own way. thank you for reading kim 🩷🩷
omg are we the same person? a couple months ago i ran across a fiber artist who embroidered her entire website and it felt like an actually creative website from the early 2000s rather than the cookie cutter web design that everyone uses for their art portfolios. i suddenly realized i always hated (and eventually abandoned) my portfolio websites because they looked like a wash of white splattered with minimalist bullshit instead of something raw and authentic to my art. yes to creating a personal website that's aggressively pink!
hehe hi twin but yes omg i was so bored of the minimalist crap!! everything looks the same!! also that embroidery website sounds absolutely incredible i love that idea so much. i just love seeing the depths of people's creativity and the amount of time that went into creating something so unique!
This is such a simple but brilliant concept! It's not about cutting things out of our life, it's about adding new things to take up the space of the bad habits. I love this so much!
it's always the simplest ideas :’)
It really is!
Well now i have the perfect summer bucket list thanks to this post
🥰🥰
I love this candiceeee!!! Also thinking lots about *projects for the sake of projects* and *research for the sake of research* and how we are conditioned to think these projects need to have an end goal rather than just being a way to enjoy our little lives
ly cutie pie
thank you taylor <33 i love that you always get it, love your mind always
This! currently working on my biggest crochet blanket yet with a podcast about the titanic ✨
b l i s s
I really enjoyed this piece it made me think (and I've thought for a while) how easily I just scroll. I'm intrigued to know if you use social media to 'push' people to your YouTube channel...sorry if you may have mentioned this before I am a new reader :-)
thank you! and happy to answer your questions dw, i don't have any social media or use anything to send people to my youtube apart from the odd hyperlink in my essays here and pinterest! i just always pray the youtube seo gods are working in my favour lol
Love this!
thank you🥰
I love this. 💞 There are so many beautiful ways to live without our phones, thank you for keeping that conversation going!!
thank you for saying that :') i feel like it's a v important conversation so i won't be stopping anytime soon!
this is such a neat idea for a post and I see you with the various open projects 🫡
hehe thank you girl, this is very kind <3
Would love some updates on the personal website 👀 it’s something i’ve been meaning to explore without really having an idea of where to start
oh perhaps I'll give little updates on how it's coming along in the subscriber chat :') also would recommend looking through other personal websites and see what styles you're drawn to and starting there! and then once you get into the swing of things you can tweak and make it even more personal 🩷
I am currently reading Murakami’s book and I recently read white nights so I feel like talking with my book club mate right now
omg hi book bestie, i hope you enjoy the murakami! thoughts so far?
Well I’m only 12 chapters in but I rather enjoy the slow pace, the descriptive passages and the world that is built. It feels like I’m watching a Guibli movie sometimes.
Thank you for this! I enjoyed the reminder to do things outside of my phone and start projects or doing things I enjoy.
this makes me really happy :') I'm glad you enjoyed🩷
I think what resonates with me most here is the reminder that life becomes bigger the moment your phone becomes smaller.
There’s this strange grief that comes with noticing how often we trade our own lives for someone else’s highlight reel. That tiny reflex, checking, scrolling, reaching for a hit of something, it steals the first honest moments of the day, the quiet ones where you remember you’re human before you’re “reachable.”
I love how your projects aren’t “productivity hacks,” they’re just ways of being alive again. Reading slowly. Thinking deeply. Making something with your hands. Paying attention long enough for meaning to take shape. It feels almost rebellious to build a life that doesn’t revolve around a device.
Your list made me realize how much of my attention I’ve been giving away for free. And how much I want it back.
There’s something sacred about filling your days with things that can’t be measured by likes, rereading a book, organizing a digital garden, building a website just because it delights you, writing for people who actually want to be here.
It makes me want to start choosing the kind of projects that refill my mind instead of draining it. Things that make me forget the “pull” because the present is finally interesting again.
Thank you for the reminder that there is so much life offline and that we can choose it, again and again, one small project at a time.
— just ronie
this was a really thoughtful comment, thank you :') you're absolutely spot on with everything you said too. attention really is currency now and we need to be more aware of what we give it to. hope you have a lovely weekend <3