Micro Nostalgia
Maybe some things are meant to be forgotten
As someone who documents her life and hoards trinkets and trash in hopes of preserving a moment, I think about the topics of memory, time, and nostalgia quite a bit. A few months ago, I came across a TikTok (go check it out—I truly love that app) that was discussing how technology and over documenting has changed and manipulated our relationship with nostalgia.
The video explains that because our phones have made it so easy to not only take photos whenever, but also look back at photos whenever, we have become nostalgic for anything and everything. For the average person, photos were really only taken at big events and celebrations, making those the special memories we would feel nostalgic for. Now, we are taking photos of our food before (and sometimes after) we eat it, the progress of our plants, as well as many daily sunsets (so so many sunsets). This habit has caused us to become nostalgic for life’s little in between moments.
I, as well as the video, recognize that this type of constant photo taking can be a form of journaling. However, that doesn’t make it necessarily healthy. Because we have begun to feel nostalgic for practically everything, we have almost become desensitized to the real feeling. This desensitization has caused us to, subconsciously, crave and chase the way we used to (and are supposed to) feel nostalgia – creating a never-ending cycle of craving, chasing, and over-documenting.
As an artist who finds inspiration in everyday life and through documenting, I have struggled with this a lot. I have gone through unhealthy phases of over-documenting, under-documenting (I also believe this can be possible, but that’s more of a personal problem), and have since been trying to find a healthy balance for myself that meets all my needs — both mentally and creatively. Needless to say, it’s been difficult. And to be honest, this video has only created more questions for myself about when I should document something — which risks truly enjoying the moment— and when I should just sit back and live in the moment — which risks forgetting it later. I have yet to find an answer. However, learning to sit with this uncertainty has been valuable for me.
However, the video ends with a quote from writer Sarah Manguso that has really stuck with me and has started to make some things clearer: “the forgotten moments are the price of continued participation in life; a forced indifference to time.”
So, maybe some things are meant to be forgotten. I’m starting to think maybe that’s okay.
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