These days, I find myself saving a lot of curated photos on Instagram: carefully plated dishes on beautiful vintage plates, artfully arranged flowers in handmade ceramic vases, vintage silverware and fine china on linen tablecloths, pops of neon glassware to contrast the stark minimalism — basically, anything that I find aesthetically pleasing, I save for future reference.
On the surface, saving photos for inspiration is harmless. The problem I have with it is by the time I actually want to look at everything I’ve saved to get my creative juices flowing, it feels too overwhelming to assess what I actually thought was inspiring in the first place. Somehow, these images feel lifeless to me, and it’s not just because they’re intangible, but I think it’s also because the details have become difficult to inspect.
When you look at any work of art in person, you stop and think about it because it’s right in front of you. Sure, an image of plated food with crumbs on the table can seem a little less shallow, but you don’t stop at one photo and think about what it took to make it look the way that it does. You don’t think about the dirty dishes, the kitchen drawers left open on the side, or the crumpled paper towel that was used to clean the plate — you just double-tap and keep scrolling, hoping to find another photo to save and try to get inspired by. One might say that this is just the nature of social media, and maybe it’s not that deep! But the thing is, I think there are multiple layers in the way we experience social media, and depending on who you are, you might look at it in a different way.
Personally, I think it’s pretty remarkable how we’ve found a human way to adapt to a digital nature that’s constantly changing, but I feel like we’ve also made it worse. The internet started with the purpose of connecting us with the rest of the world, and we got just that. But with the rapid advancement of technology, I think some people have started to blur the distinction between having a life online and the world outside of it.
Despite seeing my Instagram feed filled with aesthetically pleasing photos of food, art, fashion, music, or travel, I still long to experience them in real life. That’s why it’s exciting when my favourite artist announces a concert in my city or when someone I follow announces that they’re hosting a supper club. I feel like I can’t continue to live vicariously through my favourite YouTubers travelling to Barcelona — I want to go to Barcelona myself.
Recommendations
Stir-fried sayote (or chayote) — Sayote is an underrated vegetable, in my opinion, but I grew up eating a lot of it in my mom’s version of chop suey and tinola. These days, I like to cook it in a stir fry with carrots, napa cabbage, and crispy tofu. If you haven’t cooked with it before, just make sure you peel the skin off because it’s quite tough. It’ll feel a little slimy when you peel it, but don’t be scared! The sliminess goes away once you cook it.
Saving your money — Yes, this is a genuine recommendation. I am in a big saving mode after coming back from vacation and a cottage trip in the past month. Inflation is real, recession panic is looming, and I want to buy a house in the future. I cannot be spending any money on nonsense anymore, and you probably shouldn’t either.
Stranger Things Season 4 — If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it right now. It’s probably the best season of them all.
“Scallop” King Oyster Mushrooms — These are so good! I don’t really do much to the mushrooms other than searing them until golden brown on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper, then garnishing with parsley or chives. Chef’s kiss!
Chateau (Feel Alright) by Djo — This is an old favourite, but I recently discovered that Djo is actually Joe Keery (aka Steve from Stranger Things), so I’ve been listening to it on repeat.