Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism

This is fast becoming a huge problem for many of us who find ourselves staring at screens every day.

2 ways that our devices encourage behavioural addiction. That uncertain rush of reward and being noticed from the online fam.

don’t allow online connection to become a poor substitute for the richness of high-bandwidth conversation!

instead of knee-jerk short-term digital-detoxing he suggests 3 guiding ideas as a way forward. The one on intentionality looks at how Amish communities hack technology to suit enriching ends.

If solitude deprivation is mostly enabled by the smartphone, what effective measures do we have to push back?

He outlines a useful way of getting some distance. 30 days means non-critical things & some careful rule-tweaking (eg Netflix only with others). I ❤️ the exploration step.

whatever leisure you explore… think thru how to ramp up the utter juiciness! May your exchanged activity be a life-transforming delight for you *and* others around you.

Parting challenge from Cal Newport - don’t allow digital tech to dictate what you get up to - resist!

Cal Newport’s most recent book really hit a sweet spot for me. I devoured it from the get-go. All of those tiresome lockdown months sat in front of google classroom left me desperate for some fresh reflective space. Newport certainly provided that for me!

In this (short) 26 minute video I run through the following: 

1. Introduction to the book (0-1:30)

2. Making the infographic (1:30-6m)

3. The Ideas in the book (6m - end)

Here is a quick summary of my process for this one:

• detailed notes on paper

• very early whiteboard composition

• Clip Studio Paint drafting using ‘pencil’

• back to CSP for more detailed inking

• initial shading and tone work using Affinity Designer

• final inking and composition in CSP

• Affinity Designer for colour/shading

---

If you are interested in using my skills then get in touch or take a deeper dive into my infographics material.