I am a programmer. My daily life is spent mostly in front of a large screen. I work from my own office, at my home. This means I spend upwards of 8 hours per day in front of my computer.
Photo by adam_g2000
I’m lucky if I leave my home during the week. This is bad. It’s not healthy and it’s not good for the soul.
Any programmer will tell you, the job is two-fold. The first half is creative. Coming up with new ideas, interesting ways of doing things. The second half (or should I really say two-thirds) is problem solving.
Imagine spending every day of your life in a maze, working out methods of getting out. It’s mentally exhausting.
At the end of the day your mind needs a rest, so you sit in front of the television. Or some choose computer games.
Not mine, but congrats, what fun!
Last year, lomography gave me a reason to get out of the house at the weekends. I thought long and hard about where to go, locally, to take pictures. Towards the end of the year, as work got harder, other commitments appeared this became harder and harder.
I must break this cycle, I must escape this digital grind.
My analogue resolutions for this year are thus:
1. Cook more. I am a keen cook, I have got lazy, I must find new recipes, new foods, new methods. I will buy no more pre-made food of any kind. I will bake, I will make chocolates, I will choose a nation and practice their style!
I’ve never made chocolates…
2. Read more. Less TV in the week, less mobile phone, more paper books. I have a huge list of books I’ve always wanted to read but never have and a stack of a hundred books, given to me in my garage. Time to pick them up.
Read. More. Lots.
3. Travel further. I must go further afield to shoot my pictures. Local attractions, my kids, are not enough. I will pick a topic and travel to fulfill it.
I won’t be going on this plane…
4. Use all of my film cameras and hone my skills with them. I will excel with the Lubitel, I will have flair with my Belair, I will… what rhymes with Holga?
Not my collection, but not far off!
5. Brew my own beer. I have done this before, but stopped after 2 disastrous batches in a row. I will start again and get it right.
I’m sorry, I know what you want to do now…
6. Take photos of things I think do not merit it — in an interesting way, and let go more. After all, it’s only film. I will follow the rules and I will break them.
Broken piano? Minimalism?
I hope you’re inspired to do less on your desk, computer, mobile and come with me for the ride.
5 comments
neanderthalis
I have been tempted to brew my own beer, but never had courage to actually do it. I agree with reading books and home cooking. Two things I have been trying to increase in my life and hope to do with more enthusiasm this year. Good luck in all these endeavors
adam_g2000
@neanderthalis funnily enough it's quite easy, but you have to be able to give it a steady temperature to make it taste nice.
neanderthalis
Wish I could stop by for a bottle of your finished brew. What is your best style?
adam_g2000
@neanderthalis LOL! The best brew I've made was an English style bitter. It was virtually perfect, just needed to be a bit more hoppy. The most dangerous was a turbo-cider, made from a mix of real apples but mostly cheap apple juice from the supermarket and a champagne yeast. That one screwed with your eyes. I forgot to test it before bottling it so had no idea of the alcohol in it but if I had to guess I would say at least %15 ABV.
neanderthalis
Wow, that sounds like it had some kick and it makes me wish I was your neighbor. I love to try new beers. I would like it if you shared some pictures of your next batch. Good luck!