Artwork by Bea Lu
Going analog is trending, giving rise to analog bags filled with creative tools for small, hands-on side quests away from screens. In a conversation with Vogue Philippines, Ciara Gan talks about how carrying an analog bag can fuel creativity and encourage more intentional moments in everyday life.
Talking about analog bags as if it were her creative lifeline, artist and content creator Ciara Gan keeps it simple: her focus this year is to create more than consume. As her job demands her to be present online, all the more she craves spending time away from her phone, or just as the trend says, “go analog.”
This year saw the continuous rise in going analog as people looked for ways to spend less time on screens. Activities like junk journaling, paint-by-numbers, crocheting, and tarot cards are still being constantly talked about by creatives and curious people alike. These so-called “creative side quests” are small hobbies meant to help people step away from doomscrolling and reconnect with hands-on creativity. Around this time, the idea of analog bags also emerged. These are bags designed to hold creative tools that help sustain creativity and encourage time away from your phone.
Analog bags gained popularity after creator Sierra Campbell shared the idea on TikTok, drawing inspiration from concepts in The Power of Habit. She shared about stepping away from digital overload by filling her bags with creative, tactile tools such as books, journals, knitting supplies, and Polaroid cameras.
In a study in the National Library of Medicine’s PMC, their database notes that heavy screen exposure is associated with fatigue and psychological strain. This common phenomenon then prompts people to embrace the analog trend as a way to slow down, an activity also recognized in the study’s practical strategies to combat fatigue. One of them is Ciara Gan, who balances being a content creator with a focus on passion projects. She does this by carrying her analog bag everywhere so she can reconnect with hands-on creativity any time of the day.
“Everyone is so fatigued with too much content online. And sometimes I even make stuff and I don’t post it because it’s just for me. It’s kind of just how I reset my nervous system,” she says.
In her tiny portable bag, she always makes sure to pack three essentials: a journal, a sketchbook, and a Kindle. Using these, she has joined a snail mail club where she sends mail and postcards to people all around the world. Gan also encourages people to start creating, believing that the process is more fulfilling than the final product. For her, making something tangible is enough, even if you don’t get a traditional reward from it.
“Making stuff for yourself and being a witness to your own life through the works that you make is so important. I feel like everyone has something to say,” Gan adds.
While the analog bag trend is still ongoing, finding creative side quests that suit you may help improve mental well-being and give you a break from the busyness of the digital world.
