My Accidental Analogue Bag

Have you heard of the latest trend that is taking social media by storm?? I heard about it on the radio... a thing called "analogue bags".

What the heck is an analogue bag, you ask? Well, it is a bag (tote bag, backpack, shopping bag) filled with "analogue" activities so that when you are "somewhere" and feel tempted to pull out your phone and scroll the latest trends on TikTok, you can stop, reach into your analogue bag and pull out something that entertains you in the real world.

It is not lost on me that millions of viewers are scrolling social media looking for analogue bag ideas... it kind of defeats the purpose. Not to mention trendy influencers are promoting fancy bags and fancy analogue gear.

The truth is... it doesn't take much to make an analogue bag. I have my backpack sitting here next to me in Starbucks and it has several analogue things inside of it.

I have a journal and a pen so that I can write whenever the urge hits me. I've tried digital journals and always come back to a paper journal and a real pen.

I've also got a ziploc bag with a selection of greeting cards, as well as some stamps. Nothing more analogue than putting a letter into a mailbox... spelling mistakes and everything!

I also have a book, a real book, as well as an ebook. I'm not sure if an ebook counts as "analogue". Technically it is digital, but it's not connected to the deep black holes of social media and the news sites sooo... it is kind of a mono-purpose device where I can read a book. I wouldn't count the Kindle or Libby apps on my phone though... too easy to slip over to some other app!

That's already three analogue items so I'm not doing too bad... and I've been doing this for years. Imagine... me... ahead of the trend by years! And I would imagine other people have been carrying analogue bags for years... they just never had a trendy name for them.

Now... some of the other ideas are interesting to consider. Some people include a hobby in their bag - like knitting, crocheting or embroidery. If that floats your boat... go for it. Not my cup of tea. I'm more into photography and if I had a "real" camera, it would definitely count as analogue but... if my phone is my camera... does that count? If I just do the double-click to open the camera app and don't unlock the phone... maybe.

Other people include things like crossword books or search-a-word books or Sudoku. Interesting thought. You could do a crossword with a friend in a coffee shop. I think a deck of cards might be a good idea. Play a game of Solitaire in real life instead of the digital world. Or even UNO which could be played with a friend over dinner.

Or it could be something creative like a mini-watercolour set, an adult colouring book or a sketch pad, along with an assortment of colouring and drawing tools.

Or maybe it's a magazine (do they even exist anymore) or a trade journal. That copy of Time magazine that has been sitting on the couch for days... maybe it needs to go in the bag?

My analogue bag (aka office backpack) isn't pretty or chic. It's definitely not "on-trend" and isn't going to make anyone swoon with envy. But then, it doesn't have to. I like to have these things available to me, and it really doesn't matter if they are fancy or chic... that's not my vibe or style... which is more... use it till it dies a sad and tattered death.

Do you have an Analogue Bag? If so, what does it carry? Curious to know! Does it travel with you? Or is it more an Analogue Basket that sits next to the sofa?

Writing the Blank Page

There are days where I sit down to write this blog and I have zero topics lined up and zero ideas percolating in my brain. I scroll through the news looking for a spark of inspiration and... nothing.

I could really get hard on myself and beat myself up for coming up with nothing. I could also end up worried that people are going to think I'm weird for writing about nothing. And that would then stop me from writing which... is not the purpose of this whole process. The purpose of these blogs is for me to write. Period. With a theme that vaguely centers around "small steps".

Perhaps that is the link. Writing with a theme in mind is relatively easy. But writing without a theme... it means that I have to just start writing, one word, one sentence at a time, and see what comes out of the fingers. It's the small steps in action again. I might not have a whole blog in mind... or even a paragraph, but if I just start, then something will take form.

It's really a gift when I have a topic in mind... it makes it soooo much easier! It's all about parking downhill so things are easier. Obviously, I did not park downhill on this blog! And so I am slogging away uphill, which is hard work. I am hoping that if I get enough momentum going here, it will get easier, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.

Several years ago, I came across a blog post that talked about being a creator rather than a consumer. Those words inspired me. I wanted to become a creator... someone who writes things that other people might read and find helpful. I didn't just want to mindlessly (or intentionally) consume things without giving back.

I chose writing as my creative option, but there are many other different creative outlets out there - costume design, painting, drawing, music, calligraphy, art, gardening, photography... so many different options. And all of them have a secret... you need to do them all the time. In order to get better, in order to create... something needs to happen every day. It's the only way we get better. It's the only way we live up to our dream of being creators rather than just consumers.

And sometimes... we don't feel like it. We aren't inspired. We don't have a topic in mind. We don't feel the music in our blood. And those are the moments where we need to just start... no matter what we are feeling, just sit down (or stand up) and start. Pick up the brush, the pen, the instrument, shovel, whatever... sit down at the keyboard, the easel, the desk... and do what we do.

That small step of starting leads to other small steps which will ultimately produce something. Whether it is good enough to work with and share... only time will tell. But at least we have done what we needed to do. One small step at a time.