09/21/2026
With the discussion about the safety of AI to humanity, I find myself becoming more aware of all the little ways I have tied myself to technology - all the little habits and addictions that have formed that I’m realizing, are mostly not to my benefit. And on top of that the increasing feeling of being watched and tracked. So I’ve been taking little steps to reclaim sone of what I’ve inadvertently been giving away - for example, giving up my fitness watch that’s been tracking my every move and interrupts me every time I get a text message (cause you know - I don’t really care what my max heart rate was on my run). Changing the settings in my email so it doesn’t read them for me in advance and suggest a reply (I can handle that myself, thank you). And building a new shelf for a record player - where I can sit and listen to an entire album as its own experience, as the artist intended, while looking at the album art. And man, I’d love to give up my phone and social media, but I haven’t gotten that hard core yet or figured out how to replace the marketing it provides. I’ve at least set time limits for myself, and that’s a start. It’s amazing how liberating some ofthese small changes feel! But it got me wondering, what is the actual definition of “Analog”? and I found this: “ A device or system that represents data using continuous, changing physical quantities like voltage or sound waves. Unlike digital technology, which uses binary code, analog uses direct physical representation.” And when I read that, I had a better understanding of that craving for simplicity, because analog technology is rooted in the physical world. It feels “real” because it isn’t abstract. It isn’t coded - it’s in direct physical relationship with the world - a direct reflection. And that’s exactly the kind of feeling I want more of - the kind of feeling I have sitting on the edge of a lake watching the sun go down through a cloudy sky. Yes, more of that, please.
ps - the irony of sharing this musing via social media isn’t lost on me
“Just be Still”, 10 X 20 acrylic on canvas, coming soon to “Already Arrived” a new show at Art etc. in Randolph, VT, October & November 2026
