I’d put on headphones in the evening and doodle, write little sentences that felt poignant. I never got out of that habit. I’ve had this approach to life for a very long time. Since I was 18.
To this day, I still try to capture the small moments of life. I then respond to them in my own way, with my own thoughts. That’s how I make them precious. And maybe, someday, someone I love will come across these “little ditties I’ve whittled” and they’ll matter to them too.
This summer, I’ve been trying to do the same thing but with video. It’s playful. Experimental. Awkward.
I don’t often share the videos because I’m a harsh critic of myself, and it still feels unnatural.
Why? Maybe because social media doesn’t feel like it did in 2008.
Back then, social media used to feel like a place to share something real. Now it feels like a place to perform.
When I boil it down, that’s what I’m trying to reclaim. An old spirit, and for me, that’s small moments, honestly noticed, and declared precious without the polish.
That’s my anti-AI stance.
But I still love me some white space.
People have been writing on their walls since the caveman days. Even if the walls are now digital.
Video is harder (for me).
Recording interrupts the natural rhythm of small moments.
Still, with AI on the rise and all the fake writing I see online (which is easy to spot), I’m starting to think video might actually be a more authentic way to communicate. Maybe essential (to remain relevant and up to date with in-demand skills).
So I’ve been “playing around” with CapCut.
Making little videos. Capturing these small, unscripted moments mostly with my son, who’s absolutely hooked on video shorts and edits.
I’ve been talking to him about this, too…
What if you shared the moments that you’ve declared precious? I ask.
Instead of some polished, performative version that’s never going to be good enough, I add.
That’s what I’m trying to do.
And while video is new (to me), I keep returning to the old stuff. Real writing.
The poet Mary Oliver does good with this. I love this “short” of hers…
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
— Mary Oliver
Because I believe learning to write your thoughts and feelings is the same as learning to think. And I worry we’re losing that. Especially our kids.
That’s why I’ve asked mine to keep journals that are handwritten. To stay in touch with their own voice. Not to outsource their minds to a chatbot just to get it “right.”
Writing is life work not desk work and who do you know who’s getting that “right” like a bot? (the answer is no one)
If I’m honest, I sometimes think we should just call it “FapGPT” because of the way it helps people fritter away their time instead of paying attention to the real work.
I’ve been guilty of this and I don’t like its slippery slope.
Anyway, that’s my ramble, delightfully so.
Here’s a video that reflects this idea.