“I love the feeling of making something with my hands, but with a computer you could go so much faster. Well, I don’t want to go faster. If anything, I should go slower.”
David McCollough – The Paris Review
From a young age, the first tools we use are analog. At some point, we replace analog tools with digital ones and never question this decision. If you’re not careful, you could spend your entire life using tools that may not be right for the job. It’s as if society agreed on certain things. Computers replaced typewriters. Phones replaced books. Social media replaced informal chats with friends. As I write this article, ChatGPT is threatening to replace everything else. But what if we’re wrong? What if the impulse to replace a perfect analog tool with a shiny digital one won’t help us create something better?
I’m speaking from personal experience here, but some of my favorite moments involve being alone with analog tools, such as a guitar, a notebook and a pen, or a book. There are faster ways to do what I’m doing, but faster doesn’t mean better. Analog tools give you a degree of imperfection that digital tools can’t replicate. Your handwriting isn’t perfect. Neither is your fingerpicking when you’re playing guitar. I’m sure you can’t highlight passages from a book in a perfectly straight line. But is that so bad? In a world where everyone curates their Instagram feed to give the illusion that their life is perfect, is imperfect that much of a problem? Using analog tools puts you in a vulnerable position. While most people will judge you for it, this is also a sign of authenticity.
To be fair, I’m not advocating replacing all your digital tools with analog ones and moving to a remote cabin. What we should do instead is question if replacing an analog tool with a digital one is the best decision. Manipulating something with your hands, molding it however you want, and creating a somewhat imperfect piece of art may be just what your audience wants. More importantly, it could be what you need. Whenever I think about my favorite art, I can’t describe it as perfect, yet it resonates deeply.
Most people I know use the same tools. They have the same laptops, smartwatches, and phones. They are working faster, but they never stopped to think if they’re working on the right thing. Most of the time, the “why” is more important than any “how”. Modern technology convinced us that we want to go faster, but some processes you can’t speed up. Why would you want to read your favorite books faster? Why would you want to journal faster? If anything, the best things in life should be done more slowly. Going faster shouldn’t be a badge of honor. That’s why you’ve never heard someone brag about how fast they’ve had sex.
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