I totally get what you mean, and I want to offer another route to the same end: remember that your things don’t have to define you. How much of today’s commerce runs on our desire to signal parts of our personalities to other people through our stuff? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a piece of tech is just a piece of tech, and sometimes a water bottle is just a water bottle (says the girl with stickers all over hers).
(Also please be careful painting your plates—seems like it might be safer to just thrift cute ones than accidentally eating paint ok bye 😘)
I did think this too while writing! we don't want to solely rely on material things to tell us who we are or give into any idea that "this product will finally make me happy" but it's about finding a happy balance, as with everything! it's more about finding things that genuinely connect with us and will serve a purpose rather than mindless shopping for the sake of it. also yes don't chuck random paint on your plates guys haha
Companies have started making the most mundane products to appeal to the widest audiences possible. We need to seek out the authentic beyond what a corporation provides us.
omg my best friend and i were this 🤏🏾 close to getting that exact one!! honestly i support it hehe. it's been a couple days using my f22 pro and i am LOVING the physical buttons and old school feel
I think a big part of this is remembering that we live our lives. Like, I can just copy someone else's, but it's not the same. I will enjoy my life more if I lean into it being mine and do the things that make me happy.
Love this. It brings to mind that feeling of the early web era: Geocities, MySpace etc - all delightfully customisable as garish as it would look by modern design standards, yet at the time it was like visiting a friend's room where it felt like getting a real sense of who they are.
i've spend a while without entering substack because a couldn't find anything that really interested me, decided to search a bit and boom: i've find "finding quiet" and now i'm obsessed. for real. i loooove your writing and your thoughts and ideas match so hard with my own, and i love how brilliant and simple and gentle is your content.
as a creative person myself and someone who is super sick of social media and the consumerism and non-whimsical world, i've felt this article so bad. just printed some cute stickers and decorated my kindle case. bought a pink sketchbook instead of the same black ones. felt the need to be me in all aspects of life.
this newsletter really sticked in my brain. loveed thisss.
it's getting mighty plain around here. i saw someone compare a marvel movie or something to one a few years ago and the ones today might as well be in black and white how depressing
There is nothing like the feeling of having your items feel like YOU, whether it's because of the colour or the stickers or the little mods to help them work best for YOU.
I haven't used a phone in about 9 years. When topics like digital technology and the internet come up, most people are surprised when I tell them I don't use a phone. But it goes more like this; Do you use Instagram? No... Facebook? No... WhatsApp? No... Okay? I love those confused faces when I say I don't use a phone. :) Google and YouTube are always indispensable, of course, on my old computer. I only had a Twitter account. I recently closed that one. Of course, technology is wonderful, but as long as we are the "means," the "purpose" only focuses on the "other." And unconsciously... I loved it here; it's a calmer, more serene, more intimate place where we add something of ourselves.
this post made me so happy. it’s like i NEEDED to read something like that and i didn’t know. i did all of those when i was kid but then everything turned black and white, and i want it to be pink!!!
i’ve definitely noticed the homogenization and it makes me nervous/sad! i try to follow my own style and thrifting definitely helps. the mention of language reminds me of this video i watched recently. it’s an interesting piece about a US island with its own dialect that’s slowly going extinct. https://youtu.be/lFvzPWiTCS4?si=BbGZwZMOPlr9ezH2
sometimes i think i'm just part of a generation getting older and doing the typical complaining thing but you see it too right??😅 also that video was really interesting! i can hear british vowel sounds how wild!
I totally get what you mean, and I want to offer another route to the same end: remember that your things don’t have to define you. How much of today’s commerce runs on our desire to signal parts of our personalities to other people through our stuff? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a piece of tech is just a piece of tech, and sometimes a water bottle is just a water bottle (says the girl with stickers all over hers).
(Also please be careful painting your plates—seems like it might be safer to just thrift cute ones than accidentally eating paint ok bye 😘)
I did think this too while writing! we don't want to solely rely on material things to tell us who we are or give into any idea that "this product will finally make me happy" but it's about finding a happy balance, as with everything! it's more about finding things that genuinely connect with us and will serve a purpose rather than mindless shopping for the sake of it. also yes don't chuck random paint on your plates guys haha
personalizing the stuff that really matters to you, like your Switch, is a lovely idea 😊
Companies have started making the most mundane products to appeal to the widest audiences possible. We need to seek out the authentic beyond what a corporation provides us.
i have been seriously considering about getting the barbie themed tracphone and using it in place of my iphone for most things!
omg my best friend and i were this 🤏🏾 close to getting that exact one!! honestly i support it hehe. it's been a couple days using my f22 pro and i am LOVING the physical buttons and old school feel
omg this friday im going to see play a violinist for the very first time !! will doing thinking about you girl, loved the read <3
omg yay! i hope you had a fabulous time!! :')
What a beautifully nostalgic post
thank you🥺
I think a big part of this is remembering that we live our lives. Like, I can just copy someone else's, but it's not the same. I will enjoy my life more if I lean into it being mine and do the things that make me happy.
Love this. It brings to mind that feeling of the early web era: Geocities, MySpace etc - all delightfully customisable as garish as it would look by modern design standards, yet at the time it was like visiting a friend's room where it felt like getting a real sense of who they are.
thank you! and exactly, bring back garish stuff tbh
i've spend a while without entering substack because a couldn't find anything that really interested me, decided to search a bit and boom: i've find "finding quiet" and now i'm obsessed. for real. i loooove your writing and your thoughts and ideas match so hard with my own, and i love how brilliant and simple and gentle is your content.
as a creative person myself and someone who is super sick of social media and the consumerism and non-whimsical world, i've felt this article so bad. just printed some cute stickers and decorated my kindle case. bought a pink sketchbook instead of the same black ones. felt the need to be me in all aspects of life.
this newsletter really sticked in my brain. loveed thisss.
wow this is so kind thank you!!🥹🥹 also love the kindle decor! make everything your own!
One reason I’ve gotten into 3d printing recently. Making your own things is just one step past personalizing existing things!
love this!! personalization makes everything more fun. i’ll forever put stickers, charms, and trinkets on my favorite things :)
right?? minimalism made me miss out on so much actual fun, i can't stop looking at my belongings now!
this was really lovely — thanks!!
thank you for reading !!
Standardization is making our world measurably less colorful over time! https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/color-design-branding-science-museum.html
it's getting mighty plain around here. i saw someone compare a marvel movie or something to one a few years ago and the ones today might as well be in black and white how depressing
There is nothing like the feeling of having your items feel like YOU, whether it's because of the colour or the stickers or the little mods to help them work best for YOU.
exactly!!
I haven't used a phone in about 9 years. When topics like digital technology and the internet come up, most people are surprised when I tell them I don't use a phone. But it goes more like this; Do you use Instagram? No... Facebook? No... WhatsApp? No... Okay? I love those confused faces when I say I don't use a phone. :) Google and YouTube are always indispensable, of course, on my old computer. I only had a Twitter account. I recently closed that one. Of course, technology is wonderful, but as long as we are the "means," the "purpose" only focuses on the "other." And unconsciously... I loved it here; it's a calmer, more serene, more intimate place where we add something of ourselves.
this post made me so happy. it’s like i NEEDED to read something like that and i didn’t know. i did all of those when i was kid but then everything turned black and white, and i want it to be pink!!!
make! everything! pink! again! 🩷🌸🌷🎀
i’ve definitely noticed the homogenization and it makes me nervous/sad! i try to follow my own style and thrifting definitely helps. the mention of language reminds me of this video i watched recently. it’s an interesting piece about a US island with its own dialect that’s slowly going extinct. https://youtu.be/lFvzPWiTCS4?si=BbGZwZMOPlr9ezH2
sometimes i think i'm just part of a generation getting older and doing the typical complaining thing but you see it too right??😅 also that video was really interesting! i can hear british vowel sounds how wild!