The Analog Manifesto is for people who appreciate the digital age but crave the analog era.
The Analog Era
The analog era was a time when people were connected to each other through physical interactions and communication.
A time where electronic devices were tools to be used and enjoyed, objects that brought us real joy and satisfaction.
Life felt more simple, slower and more effort was involved making the experience more rewarding or meaningful.
I'm not anti AI (I love my iPhone and Cursor)
Now listen, I'm not anti AI or the digital age. I use an iPhone all day, scroll Twitter way too much and use Cursor to code.
But to balance that out I shoot film, drive a manual transmission car and wear an analog watch. It's all about countering the digital with the analog.
Replace the easy, cheap soulless experience with a slow, deliberate and rewarding one.
Analog devices have soul
Automation and technology has taken the soul out of the objects we use every day.
For a human to connect with a machine there must be effort involved + foibles and imperfections.
As Jeremy Clarkson said:
"Machines need foibles because these imperfections give them a human-like quality that allows people to develop a relationship and emotional bond with them"
When driving my Miata, I don't always get the clutch right, I'm always thinking how I can improve my downshifts and as I get to know the car better my connection to it grows stronger.
The same is with my vintage cameras, it doesn't have a light meter or auto focus, and it took months of practice to get it just right and even now with three years of experience it still surprises me in good and bad ways.
Effort is the prerequisite for happiness
My twitter friend Simon Sarris recently tweeted: "The only way to have more energy is to do more".
I couldn't agree more.
Our brains are wired to reward us for effort and struggle.
This is why we feel so good after a good workout, a long walk or a challenging project.
But now with so much of our lives being automated away and AI models capable of doing a lot of the work for us that effort won't be there anymore.
To counter this we need to be analog maxxing. Doing more stuff that requires effort and struggle.
Join The Analog Movement
The idea of writing this manifesto and creating a movement was inspired by my friend Jason Levin who told me to:
"Go all in on what you're weirdly knowledgeable about"
So here goes:
- Buy something analog and use it every day (for me it's my film camera and watch).
- Write something using pen and paper, not on a computer. (for me it's my journal)
- Meet someone offline every week, and have a conversation with them, go for a walk, do something together. (for me it's usually twitter mutuals)
- Take a walk every day, with no phone or music. (I do this around 3pm every day for 15-30 minutes)
- Instead of asking ChatGPT a question, ask a human instead.
My goal is to create a community of people who are interested in combining the analog era with the digital age and meet-up in NYC sometime in February or March.
If you're interested in joining, please sign up for the newsletter below.
You may not notice a difference right away but I promise you once you start using objects or doing things analogly your life will improve.
Effort will create more meaningful and rewarding experiences in your life.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Heshie Brody
P.S.
It's important to keep in mind that these are just examples of what i'm doing but they may not work for you.
I got into film photography because a friend of mine recommended it and I fell in love with the process.
Find what works for you. You'll know it when you find it.
Read the weekly newsletter here: The Analog Manifesto