INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL APPS.

So before hitting the road for my October cross country trip,  I felt I ought to utilize my phone to its greatest extent by loading up a bunch of applications deemed good to have. However, I found myself less than impressed with the actual use of them. I grew impatient with waiting for the network to keep up to speed and by the time I received the information I needed, it was too late or I was unimpressed with the results. Besides, spending so much time looking down at devices and trying to figure out external applications, meant less time looking around and paying attention to the view outside. Maybe I’m too impatient. Maybe I’m just not that tech savvy. Maybe I’m old-fashioned. Or perhaps I find it much more interesting, adventurous, and reliable to use some of my internal apps: intuition, imagination, inspiration, and ingenuity.

Tech companies can herald the arrival of the next great thing and sell us on all getting all those external application we ought to have to make our life easier, but I still find the greatest joys in life either come free from Mother Nature or can be found within. We can easily hone and be happy with the internal apps we already have access to.

But no, I’m not against the use of new technology– it's how we use it that defines our culture and times. Some contemporary art utilizes the latest advances in technology to some really remarkable results, but we have to find a healthy balance that works for each of us. For me, I like being open to utilizing my internal apps, even if it means I’ll miss a few shortcuts or conveniences the external ones provide. And while I’ll use an external device like a camera to snap some pictures that I can share with others, there is simply nothing better than the internal pictures of my mind’s eye. The images I absorbed in while on the road will embed themselves into my psyche in some mysterious manner and just how they’ll manifest in the future remains to be seen, but one to look forward to.

So use what devices you will, but don't stop downloading some downtime with your internal apps!