Tag Archives: joy

My Digital Minimalism Journey

July 28, 2019

Culture and Society

Most people who know me understand that I have quite a lot of interests. I love to read books and play music (with three completely different instruments no less). I also enjoy writing (poetry, songs, short stories, screenplays, and blog posts), photography, and design. Currently, I am in college getting an undergraduate degree in Video and Film Production.

I also love cuddling with my cat, going on long walks, and riding my bicycle. As much as I can, I keep up with friends and other creative folks with whom I make lots of art. My life is full and filled with joyful geekery.

However, over the last couple of years, I’ve felt a drain on my system.

I noticed that I’ve been spending a lot of time on my phone and on my computer looking at Instagram, Youtube, and Netflix. I’ve spent so much time on these platforms that other parts of my life have been affected. I do not exercise as much or actually engage in conversations and hang-outs with the people I love as often as I used to.

Before all of this gets out of control, I have decided to do something about it.

Here, with bullet points (because I LOVE bullet points), are the steps I am taking:

  • Remove all social media and any useless apps from my cell phone (except Instagram which is only fully accessible on a smart phone, but I have moved its icon to a distant folder where it is harder to access and not visible).
  • Reducing my social media engagement by only publishing posts related to this blog and my weekly updates/reviews/reflections at my personal site www.roqueinbloom.com.
  • Reserve only 20 minutes each morning to catch up with a select number of friends on Instagram and Facebook.
  • Set up all of my IG and FB posts in advance as much as possible.
  • Cancel my Netflix subscription. Yup, this is a tough one, but since school starts back up in a month, this is an addiction I can truly do without. (I’m gonna watch a couple of movies soon before I do this as a small farewell.)
  • Remove all of my original art and content from Instagram. As long as I am decluttering, why should I let a massive, Facebook-owned, algorithm benefit from displaying my work. The app has not delivered any of the exposure that I would have liked, so no thanks. (You might notice that my photos are mysteriously disappearing lately. Enjoy them while they last.) I am focusing all of my art, films, and music on my own websites. (Facebook is a different matter altogether. I’m still figuring that out.)

What do I hope to get out of this for myself? Bullet points please . . .

  • More time to doing activities that bring me joy such as playing music, long walks by myself, and conversations with loved ones.
  • Less time watching other people living their best lives. When I scroll through Instagram, I see lots of filtered images full of people doing amazing things. They travel and eat delicious food. Smile blissfully and wear fantastic clothes. I am happy for them, but if I spend hours consuming so much of that fun, then my life evolves into being a zombie spectator. Seriously, no thanks. I have to actively live my own best life.
  • I will be more engaged with people in actual, face-to-face interactions. Pressing a “Like” button can only say so much. I often have far more to say.
  • As an artist, I want to create. Aimlessly thumbing through a feed for hours does not a creator make.

Do not get me wrong. Digital devices and social media platforms are not necessarily evil in and of themselves (sort of). I do believe that they are incredibly sophisticated in the ways that they absorb a user’s attention and become easily addictive. As such, it is my responsibility to be hyper-vigilant and massively discerning about how I traverse through our inescapable digital landscape.

I understand that cell phones and computers are part of a modern way of living now, but I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT let them control my life and call the shots.

No. Just no.

I have been gifted with this one life I have, and I will not be a slave to the nefarious corporations of the world. (I’m looking at you Facebook.)

I’m going to play my ukulele now on my front deck and hope my cat is nearby.

I will take in each moment as the gift that it is. Fully mine for the taking, free of digital distractions and free to live my own life.

-Roqué

BLOG BONUS: If you are interested in Digital Minimalism, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by one of my favorite writers Cal Newport. Click HERE to check it out.

Surround Yourself with Nature

July 14, 2019

Culture and Society

Over the years, I have come across several people who enjoyed being outside and surrounded by nature. Whether this involved hiking through hills and mountains, lying on a towel on a beach, taking a walk in a park, having a picnic or barbeque in a backyard, or just sitting on a park bench, there was something about the experience that gave them some degree of joy and comfort.

I have always wondered why this is.

Personally, I love being outdoors. I live in a hollow deep in the woods of middle Tennessee. The distance between my house and an actual road is half of a mile. I am surrounded by possibly millions of green leaves everywhere. For me, nature has a calming and grounding effect. It does not matter if I stand in a green wilderness or a rugged bluff overlooking the ocean. I feel differently than I do in my bedroom or out in a bustling, concrete city.

The interesting thought I have is that standing among trees in the middle of the woods is no less frenetic and bustling than standing in Times Square in New York City. It all just happens on a much smaller, and even microscopic, scale.

Leaves, blades of grass, and flowers all strain themselves reaching out for the sun. Birds, bees, and butterflies flutter about handling their business. Snails, lizards, and snakes slither and slink around hunting for food and places to linger. Lichen on trees and mushrooms absorb particles and nutrients all around to grow and sustain themselves. Sap oozes out of tree barks while squirrels leap and scurry about. Underground, hundreds of tunnels burrowed by worms and ants crisscross among every size of growing root imaginable.

I could go on endlessly. The point is that energy abounds in its own way in a natural habitat. I wonder then if this kind of energy resonates differently within our bodies, senses, and brains. Perhaps this kind of movement within a slower and miniscule capacity is a subtle reverberation that calms us down and connects to us somewhere deep in our core.

If this reads like I am venturing into high-falootin, new-agey, gobley-goop pontificating, then so be it. It is the only answer that I can come up with as to why nature creates a sense of serenity among so many people.

One other reason could be the sheer beauty and grandeur that nature presents.

Jagged mountain peaks that touch the sky.

The sparkling blue ocean on a warm sunny day

Wild flowers of every color in endless fields of wispy grass,

Lush green foliage glistening after a spring rain.

The magical dance of a thousand fireflies as the dark of night descends upon us.

With all the richness that nature has to offer freely, it may be impossible not to be swept up into its comforting arms and beguiling, alluring gaze.

If you have never enjoyed the outdoors, perhaps it is only because you have not found your own natural habitat yet–a place that gives you a sense of wonder and peace. It’s worth the time to put on some good shoes. Head out into the world, and explore.

Surround yourself with nature. The way you feel on the inside and out may get a gentle and much needed boost.

Life is already full of complications. Find a quiet place out in the natural world and just be.

-Roqué

BONUS: If you are an outdoor enthusiast of any kind, there is a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, also called forest bathing, that might suit you well. Click HERE to learn more.

Who Are We When We Hide

July 7, 2019

Culture and Society

All of last month (June 2019) was Pride month here in the US. It was a time for LGBTQ communities to outwardly celebrate their uniqueness and the richness they bring to the world. It was a time to be seen.

This got me thinking about the ways that we hide who we are. This does not only apply to LGBTQ people. It is possible that we all hide some part of ourselves most, if not all, of the time. Of course, I get that it is not always appropriate to share various parts of who we are, and we often have to pick and choose our battles for our own protection and well being. Nonetheless, all of us hide something by varying degrees.

There are, first of all, aspects of our lives we hide because of shame.

I personally know people who are sex addicts and thrive on this obsession sight unseen. Robin Williams, one of the funniest and charismatic comedians of all time, struggled with bouts of depression until they led to his self-inflicted demise. Many people, whether with alcohol, drugs, prescription medication, or any other substance, hide their addictions.

Alternately, we also hide some things because we hold a sacred and private space that the rest of the world has no business being involved in.

I know someone who secretly does good deeds for random strangers. A friend of mine has one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard, but she only sings when no one is around, if at all. (I was given a rare moment to hear her once.) She does not care for the world to know. There are people out in the world who anonymously donate vast amounts of their personal wealth to charities, and no one knows who they are. These are all instances in which people hide a special part of themselves that gives them personal joy and satisfaction.

Regardless of the reason, whether it is shame, fear of persecution, or personal joy, it is important to acknowledge for ourselves what we are hiding and why. If shame or fear are the underlying motivations, it may be helpful to find someone you trust to talk about it and help you find the safety you need and deserve.

If joy is the dastardly culprit, then good on you.

Ultimately, what we hide is part of how we cultivate our most authentic selves and the respect we hold for our own lives.

Wherever you go when you hide, I hope it is a meaningful place, or at the very least, it is a path leading you to the most wholesome, safe, and happy version of who you are.

-Roqué

BONUS: Here is a song I wrote about someone I fell in love with a long time ago. The person for whom this song was written has no idea that it exists and the extent of my feelings. I am okay with that. This is called Pale Sunshine . . .