Dear friend,
I’m getting pretty fed up with the internet. In a previous iteration of this postcard, I ranted a lot about everything wrong with being online, but to be honest I think there’s enough of that. We all know the hazards of the online world; that isn’t what keeps us here. The reason why many of us are still here (or, at least why I am) is because it is difficult to imagine any alternative. I am so used to the comforts and conveniences of internet existence that it feels quite daunting to consider that there may be more fulfilling ways to live that I do not know about.
So with that in mind, here are some things I am reintroducing this year, in an effort to move offline and encourage a sense of mindfulness.
Making better use of my library! It gives me the freedom to choose a wider range of books, because I’m not weighing up whether I should spend 10-15 quid on it or not. I’m also trying to get over my desire for ownership in general and to think of myself rather as a custodian of things, and that means getting more comfy with borrowing books rather than having an extensive personal library. Plus, supporting libraries is a way to remind councils the importance of libraries to our communities!
Actively aiming to read more nonfiction. I’m currently reading No is Not Enough by Naomi Klein which is absolutely brilliant, but I have to consciously add non-fic reading to my to-do list to actually set aside time for it (I do 30 mins), because it’s not necessarily relaxing. I put it on my to-do earlier this week for example, and it ended up with me sitting by the canal in the lovely spring sun while I read. I am aiming to do this as an alternative to Substack/online info-dumps.
Actively thinking about how I can contribute to the different communities I am in. Whether this is the warehouse I live in, the writing group I’m in, or the Palestine collective I help to organise, I am trying to ask myself as much as possible what does this situation require? and spend time during the week dedicated towards community-building. These things do not run by themselves!
Writing things down physically, rather than online/in my Notes app. I’ve got a new notebook setup that accommodates for a bit more depth, as well as a plant care & recipe book duo that I received as a birthday gift, as well as a gifted mini notebook for my daily bag.
Making a physical archive of my digicam photos! I’m currently designing a book for my photos from my Croatia trip last year as a little experimentation.
Listening to quiet more. I’ll put my headphones on if I’m going somewhere noisy like the tube, but if I’m just walking down a street I can listen to the quiet. This has had a noticeable difference in my life; I feel more engaged in my environment and connected to the people around me.
And here are some things I am curious to try in the future:
Pre-saving map routes or drawing them out so that I can get better acquainted with London.
Moving away from Spotify and towards buying albums again (how I do this I’m not entirely sure yet).
In a subset to this, going to record stores more to listen to music, and going to gigs around London
A class for improving my Japanese (probably not anytime soon!)
Consulting community groups and/or books for help rather than solely online. There’s a mending club in Walthamstow that I really want to try out, the gardening group in my local park, and I want to try a weekend Parkrun at some point. There’s even a cycle-buddy scheme in London that I might try, where cycling newbies get paired with veteran cyclists to learn their work route, get comfortable on the roads etc!
Finding a good place where I can do martial arts classes again
I also want to say two things that highlighted to me why we need to think about our online selves in relation to our personal and collective health. The first is this quote from Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, saying that competitors such as HBO and Amazon are “two drops of water in the ocean of both time and spending for people,” and that “we actually complete with sleep … and we’re winning!” The second is Spotify founder Daniel Ek saying that the company’s “only competitor is silence.” When I discovered these I realised just how consciously I needed to question how my online behaviour is affecting my health, and to creatively imagine some alternatives that feel healthier to me.
Dear friend, the key to all of this really is encouraging a sense of mindful attention to various things in my life, rather than passive consumption. Most of the time when I am online, I could instead be
letting myself be bored or quiet, like when I’m on the toilet or the bus
engaging more deeply in something, like picking up a book or watching a film
engaging in conversation with someone, like a phone call or catching up with a flatmate.
doing something I find actually fun, like playing cello or doing something arts‘n’craftsy.
I will also say what perhaps many of you are thinking: isn’t it hypocritical, to talk about all these things in a post online? I know. It’s something I am also thinking about and will have some updates in the future. I think the internet can be a beautiful place for people, it’s more just that I’m not sure if it’s a more beautiful place to me than the real world.
Bit of a mess of a post, but I’d be interested to hear any of your own thoughts on this wild place we call the internet!
Lots of love,
Vee
Terrifying quotes!!!! Love the articulation of actual ideas of what to do about it ❤️❤️❤️