AWOL

Typographic Work In Progress (made by going AWOL)

And so another week of the New Year has passed, and with each passing week the beginning of varsity draws closer... It finally seems that the compulsion to draw, paint and just being creative in general has returned with even more urgency than during the later stages of 2014.. But I've discovered another sense of liberation that seems to have lain dormant in me for many years.

About two weeks ago, my next door neighbour invited me to walk to the park with her and her puppy. Even though I'd driven past the park almost every day during the semester, I'd almost forgotten that people were supposed to actually walk through it. The walk to get there didn't take long, but the pure joy of not having a phone with me was the most liberated I'd felt in a long time.

Without the perpetual distraction of a phone with me, I was able to enjoy the place I was in with all my senses without the persistent online distractions. It was unbelievable just to be outside and not have to worry about a phone. Now I don't mind talking to people on the phone, the instant communication can be quite gratifying... but sometimes it's just plain healthy to disengage. Breathe the fresh air, feel the grass tickling your feet, listening to the sounds of children laughing. There are so many tiny miracles of life that just get ignored and ultimately forgotten because we are so tangled in the world wide web.

I also find that concentration is so difficult when you're constantly checking your phone, your email, or whatever else is pulling away at your attention. So now when I feel like I want to draw, I end up putting my phone on silent and hiding it under a pillow.

So dear readers, you might be offending a few people but choosing to go AWOL, but you might just save your sanity and give your attention the things that really matter.

Until we meet again
Talia