Bring Back the Home Computer
The internet used to live in one room. Maybe it should again? Plus, a personality quiz, printable word search, and a spring phone wallpaper.
Happy Monday, and welcome to Feeling! Magazine’s Monday Letter! This is a once-weekly letter made to feel like a magazine flip-through, purposefully designed to help you feel joy. This edition is free because Squarespace picked up the bill! Thanks, Squarespace!
Let’s start this edition with a riveting, scientifically-backed quiz that determines which classic Windows XP icon you would be. The accuracy and depth of the questions below will astound you as you reminisce on what it was like to build your account on the family desktop. An important choice was the wallpaper, yes, but even more so the icon that sat next to your name, identifying you for years to come in your family of origin.
The Results Are In:
Share your results in the comments!
I was interviewed by Business Insider recently about whimsy. Here’s a fun clip of the article:
Jenna O’Brien, the 27-year-old designer behind the Substack Feeling Magazine, has written at length about whimsy. She has also worked as both a middle school teacher and the owner of a stationery store, which means she spent her days either painstakingly designing playful paper products or bringing smiles to the lives of 12-year-olds. She pretty much nailed the mental image I had of a whimsical person.
“Whimsy is what happens when you’re on the pursuit of joy,” O’Brien told me. “To me, whimsy is getting back into touch with the things you were excited about when you were a kid.”
As we discussed the rise in the trending word, my strong stance on “whimsy isn’t something you buy,” and explored the writer’s own journey infusing her lifestyle with creativity, another trending word came up: “analogue.”
Samantha asked if I believed technology prevents us from more creative living — basically, if I believed the “analogue” trend was a valid solution to a screen time crisis. Will hard restrictions on device usage and journals instead of laptops allow us to create freely once more?
I paused and thought a bit.
“Well, no,” I said, “I don’t think so.”
In fact, most of my creative work is done on the computer, and it’s been my favorite art tool since I was a kid. For me, like many growing up in the 2000s, a computer is synonymous with creativity (Substack, for example).
I was building websites in third grade for fun after school and making a Word Art magazine to print and pass around. Then came middle school iMovie music videos, which my friends and I meticulously directed like our lives were at stake. In high school, I learned Adobe programs as the Yearbook Editor, and when I found myself wanting to stay at school for extra hours, I realized this might be a career path I wanted to pursue. I went to college and studied Communications, taking as many Graphic Design courses as I could, and eventually started a design business from my dorm room.
Technology has been the tool that lets me develop what is in my brain and bring it to life, merging words and graphics. The same feeling I get when knitting, cooking, and drawing reverberates through me when I choose fonts and margins for a website. I believe they call that flow state. And boy, in fourth grade, I was in complete flow state, building a pink website with fireworks that went off when you clicked a button.
But why does it feel like that creative spark has faded for us? Why did the computer seem so fun for so long, and then one day it felt like an existential threat? When did everything go grey?
While it’s perhaps hard to pinpoint a single moment, as technology has developed so rapidly and doggedly, we’ve never taken a collective breath — I think a major turning point was when the computer stopped living on a shared family desk at home.
There, it sat peacefully, not ingrained in our social lives; it didn’t know our location or shopping preferences, it was just a tool to type, to design, to print, to communicate, and work. Your whole family used the same computer, and there were times we gathered around it to watch something together or play a Disney Channel game. It was just a tool.
In response to Samantha’s question, no, I don’t think complete avoidance of technology makes me more creative — but I do advocate bringing back the “home computer” as a solution for the pit in our stomachs we feel grow as screen time increases.
I think we can re-imagine a routine where our devices are once again just creative work tools, not appendages. It will take some friends and a like-minded community, but I’m curious and even optimistic about what would happen if we tried.
I've seen some incredible ways to reclaim the joy of creating digitally, recently. Here are ideas that sparked my creativity:
Carolyn Yoo writes about renovating her “digital home,” or personal website, and breaks down her tremendous creative process in a way that has me EAGER to build out my new site too.
Marisa, of Mesh Times, makes incredible digital creations for the FUN of it! She coded a digital advent calendar you can customize and a voice note app you have to wind up to keep it playing.
My friend Melody is a genius developer and started hosting “vibe-coding” workshops in her studio apartment to teach anyone who wants to learn how to develop a web app in 2.5 hours. It is incredible because she is using her knowledge to welcome others in an incredibly social and encouraging environment.
Of course, I frequently visit ilovecreatives for web design inspiration. I am constantly blown away by the creativity behind so many of the sites they curate in their “internet gems” section. I also took their Squarespace and Graphic Design courses years ago and highly reccomend.
Ideas for making your digital space more thoughtful, interesting, challenging, and creative:
Leave your devices in the same place as often as you can. Let them live there.
Be intentional about things like desktop wallpapers, icons, and computer design elements. Design it like you would a physical space. I think it’s good to make any space we occupy feel beautiful.
Many of my readers love using the color codes I share to decorate their Google Calendar seasonally. Here is a tutorial!
Pick up a new skill: take a class on graphic design, learn to code, build a website, make a little app, and creatively challenge yourself. Devices are for more than scrolling. Stretch your brain.
Build inspiration museums, digitally. Sari Azout is building an app called Sublime, which is perfect for finding and organizing inspiration for your creative projects. You can meticulously organize a digital space that inspires your writing and keeps you original.
Use technology to be social, rather than being social by using technology. Get innovative! Make a summer bucket list for your friends on a calendar, and send lots of invites. Occasionally, my friends gather for PowerPoint nights where one of us teaches the rest a new skill while streaming to the TV.
When’s the last time you played a computer game?
The crux of all online creativity, to me, is building your digital home. It’s really nice to have a place online that is not owned by anyone but you, and completely open to your creative ideas with no limitations. I have used Squarespace for my personal website for years, because the visuals are so straightforwardly stunning. Specifically, the ability to update the colors and type all in one swoop using the “brand kit” tool is a gift to the person who rebrands frequently (me). Squarespace also offered to take 10% off your website project, just for readers of Feeling! You can click here for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use code “FEELING” to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. So now you can get started right away on your first creative website project!
*If you have built something digitally that you are proud of — like a cool app or website, or something lovely, PLEASE share in the comments. We would all love to see!
The thing about creative people is that they are going to create despite it all. Which is why I love knowing them; it’s constantly inspiring. I hope one idea sparked a new creative project for you. I’d love to know!
The beauty of the home computer is that it is stationary. It lives on a desk, where we can enjoy it when we’d like. Away from the desk is when the beautiful analogue moments of life do happen — full dinner tables, park picnics, scenic routes, and paper and pen.
I sent the group chat: “Settle this for me. What is the best, most life-giving, dance scene in a movie ever?!” And you really answered! I’ve rounded up some of your thoughts:
✸ Gabriella Owen voted for a classic number from White Christmas:
✸ Among many wonderful suggestions Zoë Kaperonis shared, “Isn’t It a Lovely Day?”
✸ “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” came up many times, of course!
✸ andrea brought up “Dancing Queen” in Mamma Mia, which was a very good thing to bring up.
✸ Something that seems cheerful until you actually watch the whole movie and feel like you are being punched in your gut is the final scene in Jojo Rabbit, suggested by Dnader.
✸ I’m quickly going to throw in one of the best, in my opinion, “Roxanne” from Moulin Rouge.
✸ Bonnie DiLo referenced the classic gym scene in West Side Story.
✸ Melanie suggested the finale of “Little Miss Sunshine” when the family rallies around Olive.
✸ “Singing in the Rain” was mentioned many times for a reason:
✸ Abhiti Anand shared a Bollywood spectacular, “Bunty Aur Babli:"
✸ Teresa Vine shared the iconic prom dance-off scene in “She’s All That.”
✸ RRR’s dance battle scene, for your consideration:
✸ Okay, Corbin Bleu in “A Night to Remember,” right? Kenny Ortega was doing overtime on this one.
✸ Rebecca Demi threw “White Knights” tap scene into the chat:
There were SO many other fantastic suggestions in the chat, I wish I could fit them all in one newsletter. You can see the rest of the suggestions here:
I’ll leave you with this:
Sarah Cereal Eye Liner: I will confess to you that I wore black eyeliner nearly every day of high school. In college, I had some sort of eyeliner whiplash and stopped wearing it altogether. Sarah Cereal came out with a rose gold eyeliner that is a perfect solution. I get giddy when make-up works, you know? It’s a natural faded brown look, with a smidge of sparkle. Glides on beautifully in silver pencil packaging. I feel it would complement anyone’s eye color, but it certainly makes blue pop!
Fellow To-Go Mug: Since making it my mission to make my favorite coffee shop my own kitchen, I needed a to-go capability. The Fellow thermos is the answer. It keeps my drink hot or cold for hours, and has made it long distances in my purse without spilling. Plus, the color selection is the best.
Mini Alex Mill Tote: I’ve long had the Alex Mill initial tote on my wishlist, and just discovered they make a wonderful mini version. Just feels like a timeless gift. If you have someone’s birthday coming up soon and need a gift, I think it would be lovely.
Loafer of the Summer: Sézane sent me loafers, which is always risky because online shoe buying without trying on often doesn’t work well. BUT! I am here to report that not only were they true to size, but they are also lovely. The nicest pair I’ve ever had in terms of silhouette and quality. Plus, they have that wonderful leather smell when they arrive. Ready to wear them everywhere this spring.
Leather-bound notebook cover: If you are into the Louise Carmen style notebook cover, but not into the price point, you will be delighted to know I found a leather notebook cover in Paper Source. I snagged a cobalt blue one, and it fits my MD paper notebook perfectly. I like that it has a spot for my favorite pen, too.
Ruffle socks: I spotted these red ruffle socks on Bombas, and I think they would pair well with the black loafers.
Shave glaze: Okay, imagine Graza olive oil but in the shower. I tried Billie’s shave glaze, which is in a drizzle bottle, and it is miraculous. Starts oily, turns into foam, and comes in coconut or lavender scents. Works like a charm with my glitter Billie razor.
✸ I wrote a piece over the weekend filled with practical tips for turning your house into a home. I dig into step-by-step guides about intentionally designing spaces to feel warm, and recount a very interesting summer I spent on a trailer park renovation team.
✸ As part of the “Turning My Kitchen into My Favorite Restaurant” series, I made a recipe guide for homemade granola. The guide includes: citurs matcha granols, earl grey créme, coffee shop granola, and lavender honey almond granola.
✸ A reminder to make more lists as a creative practice.
✸ I made a helpful list of things to do when you don’t feel good.
✸ Here is a definitive guide for planning a birthday party without crying.
Puzzle Time
Back by popular demand — enjoy!
March Wallpapers:
Sharing a lovely March phone wallpaper with you all, but to get the whole collection of desktop and phone wallpapers for spring, you can become a paid subscriber of Feeling! Magazine and join our subscriber chat.
˖⁺‧₊˚✦ Final, exciting Note: I am hosting my first in-person event in New York! I am co-hosting a block-printing party in the West Village with Joyn, where you will leave with handmade greeting cards and new friends. I would love to see you there, and I am excited to meet the Feeling! Magazine community in real life. We have very limited spaces available, and you can grab a ticket here!
I made a little video to show the addictively fun block-printing process:
*My husband and I met in Journalism class in high school, where he and I were assigned to make videos advertising the school paper. We grew up, and he became a documentary filmmaker, and I became a writer. And in our little apartment, we still play with cameras, lights, and every single video you will see me post looks like a little movie because he is behind it, making it fabulous. He has always believed in my dreams more than I even do, and he’s never let me give up.
The videos are only seconds long sometimes, but they represent an ongoing collaboration between two people who love to be together, creating. We are currently scheming some Substack-exclusive films to be in upcoming publications, and I am really excited to share more soon. Especially with the launch of the greeting card business, we see short films as a way to build an exceptional brand. Creativity abounds! Thanks for being here!
Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!
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GROUP PROJECT:
1. Quiz results: Which Windows icon did you get? And which icon did you used to use?
2. Seeking your thoughts on going analogue. Where does it work well for you? Do you use the computer for creativity still?
3. Looking to bond over your memories of the best computer games ever.
This is one of the most fun pieces I've ever stumbled on! Such a stroll down memory lane 🥹 Do you remember the game Poptropica?!