Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator

About a month ago, I decided to get rid of my Facebook newsfeed. I was inspired by a friend who had done so by "unsubscribing" to each one of his friends manually. I looked at my list of 990 "friends" and realized that it was an impossible process. Instead, I decided to google "how to get rid of facebook newsfeed" and this chrome extension came up called Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator. Not only does it wipe out the newsfeed, it also gives you a productivity quote to keep you going! It looks like this; 

Why did I decide to get rid of my Facebook newsfeed? Well, I realized that all I was doing was wasting time and experiencing a ridiculous amount of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Facebook is for socializing, but all I was doing was looking at other people's lives, a placebo for real connections that I could maintain through technology.

Stephen Fry once said that "Technology is a mirror." for the skills and interests you have in real life and that only the intelligent can actually use technology to enhance their lives. For the rest of us, it actually has a negative impact on our ability to develop. I see this as mostly true, and I literally don't have the ability to not scroll through my newsfeed when it is offered to me. Subconsciously, I just fall into it and waste a lot of time. Now that I don't have it, I can focus on real communication on Facebook such as messaging or wall posts - I still get notifications that pertain to me, but don't have to look at things that have nothing to do with me at all.

I feel like there is a slight tradeoff because sometimes you don't know when a friend is in town, or miss a good opportunity to join an organization, but this literally happens so infrequently that it the time I save from not mindlessly scrolling through pictures completely outweighs, at least so far.

Getting rid of Facebook Newsfeed is I guess a "radical decision" nowadays, but it one that has really worked out for me. Now when I realize something is bothering me or making me waste time, instead of curbing the habit, it is better for me to completely eradicate it instead.

College Majors

I still haven't chosen my college major yet, but I keep reading articles that basically discourage anything that I have interest in majoring in...which is anything related to the arts and humanities.

I originally went in to college thinking I'd to an International Politics and Economics major with Studio Art as a minor, but now I'm considering Philosophy, Sociology and Architecture.

And then I see this...

Like, how are you supposed to randomly be able to switch over from being good at/enjoying photographic arts to accounting? I would think that there may be a small portion of the population equally happy in both, so they should probably default to perhaps a more lucrative major, but for the most part, all these articles keep recommending is like either Computer Science or Accounting and I hate those things.

I feel like I'm frustrated by these articles because I feel a bit stressed out about deciding what I want to do. I always keep wondering if I actually have an inherent interest in what I am considering (Philosophy, Architecture, etc.) or I simply like an isolated class that I have taken. It also seems like if I take any of these majors, I won't have a job or something, which, rationally is untrue. But even if it were, I would rather do something that I like than do something in pursuit of a job.

At least that's what my naive, yet to join the workforce, and idealistic brain thinks.

Turn Off Pageview Stats!

I've finally found a perfect place in my life for blogging. It is for those moments in between what belongs in my personal journal (which I write by hand every few days) and formal essay writing. It documents experiences and things to remember, but doesn't include the clutter of specific names and ongoing internal struggles. The ideas here are more complete than my journal, but less formally written than essays.

That being said, I would like to develop an intrinsically motivated blogging habit, and I find my stats of pageviews very distracting! I realized that many bloggers become successful not because they wanted to become famous as a goal, but because they simply enjoyed the act of blogging. I find that this constant pageview stat blocks me from enjoying the act of blogging in itself and I should at least have the option to not look at it if I don't want to. I blog for myself, not for pageviews or others.

Like, obviously, people can say, "Just don't pay attention to it." "Stop looking at it." But it's always this huge image of it every time I try to write a new post on my blog! How am I supposed to not look at it at all? Feed into my counterproductive interests, present in human nature?

So, I have asked a question on Google Product Forums about a way to turn pageviews off and you can find the link here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/how-do-i/c1Wt4RHQ_2A

I would really appreciate your support if you can help make turning off these stats possible in any way!

Triton Night at the Museum

Yesterday, I went to Santa Clara's Triton Museum's event, Night at the Museum. There were pieces by local artists, live drawing/painting, as well as slam poetry readings. I had a really good time at the event because I felt like it really exhibited the best of the community. Artists had a time to show their pieces while residents had an opportunity to appreciate the talent all around us! This event really inspired me to pick up art again.

In high school, I did art very intensively, especially the last two years under the IB Art program. I feel like that really burnt me out for a while because it was so high pressure to just keep dishing out pieces in shorter and shorter amounts of time. Now, I think I'm ready to do some work just for pleasure. I'm also really getting into art that serves a greater purpose such as poster designing and architecture with a fine arts inspiration.

Some really detailed charcoal work

Portrait Drawing

Free expression wall! (Look bottom left for my geometric design!)

Live metalworking - They gave the cutest metal fortune cookies as business cards! Didn't take one - gotta be a good aspiring minimalist (: 

Me! Doing a dramatic reading of an excerpt from "The Land" by Mildred D. Taylor - I was a bit nervous but the audience seemed to enjoy it at the end. I did the same piece for a competition a year earlier, so I was able to practice a little beforehand. 

 

My watercolor quick sketch - complementary colors? My fave!

I would like to get to know these artists more. How did they decide to pick fine arts as a career? Why do they choose ____ style? 

It also opened up more philosophical questions about my art - whether sticking to one style is better than trying to break out of your shell and trying very different things...or if the message behind the art is more important or the aesthetic quality of it...what makes art significant...among other thoughts...

Approaching Minimalism

Throughout high school, I was obsessed with fashion blogs. I was constantly scrolling through websites such as Lookbook.nu and watching JuicyStar07 shopping hauls, which fostered me with an appreciation for diverse styles and an update on current fashion. However, internally, they also gave me a sense of overwhelming inferiority. I thought the only way I could elevate myself like these Hyped Lookbookers was to keep acquiring cool shit and show it off. Yet, even when I got new clothes or jewelry, I felt like I never had enough. The Lookbookers always got something that was cooler, newer, more expensive. On blogs, their lives seemed so exciting and fresh, complete with DSLR-quality photographic evidence. 

Struggling with my deep-rooted discontentment, I started to wonder how I could mold my life into something that I loved. What did it take for me to be happy? I noticed that I liked interacting with my friends in the absence of technology, such as in instances of shopping. I liked trying new foods and reading for leisure. I couldn't quite put these preferences into words. They stayed in the subconscious levels of my mind. 

In a more philosophical exploration of the internet, I finally found Minimalism. It really curbed my desire for more things, as I realized that all the little gadgets, cute accessories, and clothes that I had accumulated brought little value into my life. Instead, experiences and people took the center stage. These were the times in which I truly felt happy and more fulfilled. Moreover, it made me realize that life really isn't about making money and that you don't have to sacrifice your passions in order to live happily. 

I now often toot the horn of Minimalism as my ideal lifestyle. I know that my habits are far from perfect (and I do still buy the useless, cheap, but cute crap from time to time), but, I do it much less. I have less of a desire to acquire. I have trained myself to appreciate cute things that aren't in my possession. I've become okay with not owning everything that I like, because I happen to actually like a lot of things. Such as Hello Kitty toasters. Such as dinosaur onesies. More importantly, I've stopped feeling sorry for myself, just because I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on brand named "cool clothes". I am more than the things that I own. 

In college, I've tried my best to live Minimalist-ly. I keep my dorm room relatively clutter free, and try to only keep what I really need. Of course, things often accumulate, while I'm in the stress of finals and less aware of being mindful about my possessions. I find time to exercise and embrace new experiences. Yet, I often still find myself overextended beyond my means by participating in too many activities, forcing me to focus on getting my grades as high as possible instead of the learning experience. I think what I've learned through this constant struggle of balancing minimalist philosophy and the bustle of college life is that I don't need to be hard on myself, and that it's okay when my actions don't align perfectly with my beliefs. I used to feel terrible for days after I bought a new dress because I felt like it went against my Minimalist ideals. Yet, this is all a process, and I don't need to be the perfect Minimalist and only own like one shirt in my entire wardrobe or something right away, but only be mindful of my actions and be critical of what truly enriches my life and what I can do without.

For more on Minimalism, please visit these amazing blogs; 

www.theminimalists.com

www.becomingminimalist.com

www.exilelifestyle.com

www.zenhabits.net