the creative minimalist

darren r hill : writer, minstrel and journal keeper

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Focussing on the moment in the digital age

‘Ping!’ A new message. A new email. A friend’s page updated. A phone call. A new series on Netflix. The mobile, the tablet, the laptop, the watch: anything that can be connected is connected.

There is so much noise and distraction.
We move from one thing to the next.
Life is a mix of work, rest and play. All are connected digitally. Lines are blurred.
We are always connected, but not always deeply, it can be superficial and trivial.
But each and every moment is important, we don’t need to miss them as they pass by.
Focus on what you are doing. Minimise the distraction and enjoy the moment.

Continual partial engagement

We are always connected. That connection can be superficial. The more we are connected the less of us there is to share around.

But we can focus.
A little concentration.
Cutting back on the number of apps we have.
Reducing the time we look at the phone.
Being conscious of when we do look, making it an active decision.

We can perceive, enjoy and cherish each moment among the distraction.

We should all try to focus because being unfocused and distracted is so easy in our connected world. It’s a discipline that will enable us to enjoy our lives and make the most of them. It’s not often a discipline can be so positive and enjoyable. So minimise the distractions and enjoy the moments, whether they are connected or not.

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VLC the handy media file player and converter

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VLC, by the VideoLAN Organization, is a media player. It plays audio and video, but what makes it special is the amount of formats that it can cope with. Many times I have tried to play something and the built-in media players have failed to perform, sending me off on often fruitless searches for this or that codec. Apart from broken media files, VLC has always been able to play them.

VLC is also great for converting, those awkward unknown formats, to standard formats. I have used it to convert video files to formats all computers can play, and audio files. With audio files, and with various sites restricting the size of said files, VLC comes into its own. The ability to change bitrate during conversion is really helpful. Put simply, if you need a smaller file, VLC can help.

So if you have a need to play unruly media files, or need to convert them to an alternative format or size, then VLC is the best app I have found. Download the free app from the following link, http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

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My computer is gone, I am beginning to think

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I feel like a penitent at confession. ‘Forgive me, it has been six days since using my MacBook.’ It is getting a new battery, and all the other attached parts – does small have to mean complicated and connected?

The upside? I am looking for one, always seek an opportunity in the midst of adversity (adversity – I am only talking about a computer repair). I have been forced to rethink how I do things. Without my normal writing tools, I have used, after a few tries and teething experiences, what is available. And what is available is what I already have.

This post is being written on the iPhone, using the WordPress app. I have also written plenty of posts using the iPad. I know that I am very fortunate to have these devices, losing my main productivity device isn’t much of a burden. However, it has made me think through what I am doing and how I do it. Just that process has helped me be less busy but more productive.

In addition, I am spending more time with my old favourites pen and paper. This is forcing me to think. Could it be that using the computer every day, seemingly every moment, I have stopped thinking? Am I regaining the use of my brain? I hope it comes back soon, all this thinking is hurting my head.

After writing this post, Darren became self-aware. He was last seen smiling and strumming his guitar.

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I am sans my MacBook for up to a week – distraction free moments

Due to a battery fail and AppleCare I am without my MacBook for up to a week. This gives me a wonderful opportunity to think things through without the distractions of certain pieces of creative software at my fingertips.

It will also highlight how much time I am wasting, not working on projects, but just ‘browsing’ from app to app. I will use the time to be ruthless and relentless and remove apps on the iPad and iPhone. There are far too many that I don’t, or shouldn’t use.

Pen and paper

In addition I’ll have time to meander with a pen and paper. I do this a lot, but my ‘analogue’ journaling gets squeezed between those digital moments. Returning to pen and paper is as important for my creative mind as several hours lost in Logic Pro or Scrivener. I can make connections between ideas with greater fluidity on paper… is that the digital Holy Grail, or, if it ain’t broke…?

Make the most of what at first appears a productive disaster. I may have lost an important tool for the a while, but the workman can still build.

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