Breaking Up with My Phone & Gluing My Way Out of Overwhelm

Happy last week of February! Hope this newsletter sparks some creativity—on and off the page.

I’ll be real with you: the past two weeks, I’ve been in creative overwhelm. I keep finding cool shit online that I need to make, so I start a project… then another… and another. Now I’ve got so many that I don’t even know where to begin—so I don’t. And then, of course, I start another one. You know the drill.

But here’s the thing: the problem isn’t having a million projects. I love having different creative outlets. The real problem? I’m getting sucked into the black hole of my phone. And I know this because, back in January, I ditched it completely—no social media, no Pinterest, nothing. My anxiety was low, my creativity was flowing, and I felt amazing. Then I came back online, got overwhelmed by the state of the world, switched platforms (hello, Bluesky, YouTube, and Substack), thinking they’d be different. And yeah, I found like-minded people, which was great—but my relationship with my phone? Still toxic.

Without giving you the long BS version, I am addicted to my phone, it doesn’t matter the platform. I TOTALLY NUMB myself out on my device. I want to be clear, I don’t use my phone, my phone uses me. There I said it. So now what?

I jump back on the horse. I delete the apps on my phone and do what works best for me. I only use the apps when I’m on my computer. Why does the computer work for me? Because it’s in one place and stays there. It doesn’t come with me. I am not tethered to it.

So I am breaking up with my phone (have you heard the new Michael Franti’s Song, Break Up With Everything? It really speaks to me). I am reclaiming my creativity, I am reclaiming analog living.

Any suggestions or feelings about the subject? I would love to hear!

INSPIRATION: STOP OVERTHINKING AND JUST GLUE THE SHIT ON PAPER.

There’s something ridiculously therapeutic about gluing paper to things. But when overwhelm hits, you can freeze—total “gluing block” (see what I did there?). So what do you do when you hit any kind of block? You just start doing.

This past week, I grabbed my stash and started gluing whatever was on top of the pile into a notebook. No plan, no thinking, just glue. My brain resisted at first, but eventually, it relaxed—and damn, it felt good.

If you are interested in the Junk Journal Starter kit, the link is here.

EVENTS

🔥 SCRAP – Live Journal With Me! 🔥
I’m kicking off SCRAP on the WhatNot App—a live “journal with me” session happening Wednesday mornings at 9:15 AM PST. It’s part journaling hangout, part vintage supply sale, and totally unscripted. You can snag unique vintage journal supplies if you want, or just chill, create, and chat with me.

This week we talk about journaling and how to overcome “gluing block”! No need to buy a thing 😆

🔥 February Product Drop & Website Launch 🔥
It’s finally happening—I’m launching my new website this month! I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think. I just restocked the Creative Junk Journal Starter Kit. Thank you for your enthusiasm for these kits. I enjoy making them and enjoy even more seeing what you do with them!

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME

This year, I’m being more intentional about what I consume—both in food and content. Some platforms feel better for my mental space than others, so I’m shifting my focus to where I can create without the noise.

🔸 My website
🔸 This newsletter (because real connection > algorithms)
🔸 YouTube (long-form, creative, no BS)

I’ll still pop up occasionally on Instagram, TikTok, and BlueSky, (@inkandtreasure),but if you want to keep up with what’s happening, this newsletter and my website are the best spots.

Let’s make cool shit. 🔥✂️📖

Thanks for journaling with me!

Xoxo

Alyson