Understanding Attention

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The concept of "analog hobbies" continues to gain traction. Here is how you can get started exploring them.

Being open-minded about activities that cultivate attention can help you identify an analog hobby.

By not rigidly defining the concept, we can be creative in starting an analog hobby.

Recently, I wrote about the new trend of “analog” hobbies that seems to be a response to the fast-paced, scroll-dependent world in which we currently live. Little did I know how much interest that article would generate—it’s been viewed more than 10,000 times, I have received many responses about it, and I have even recorded a podcast interview on the topic, with the general sentiment being that no only does the concept resonate with many individuals, but also many are either actively engaging in an analog hobby, or seriously considering taking one up. It made sense to me, then, to write a companion piece that delves into how one might start an analog hobby in such a digitized, automated world.

Think about what slows you down

My immediate thought when I first heard of this analog trend was of my considerable vinyl record collection, which is most certainly an analog in an age of digital, streaming music. I thought about what had gotten me started in wanting to hear my music in such a format. And I think, more than anything else, it was because the vinyl format lends itself to slowing down and hearing the music. In fact, you........

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