The Analog Aesthetic: 8 Nostalgic Habits Making A Comeback This Fall

I am, by nature, a sentimental creature. Our house is decorated with dried flowers from almost every bouquet I’ve been given over the last ten years or so. Boxes in our closets could tell you every tiny detail of our two boys’ early baby-hoods, from baby shower cards to hospital bracelets. Our fridge, walls, and shelves are full of Polaroid pictures of all of our family’s special moments together, and as a singer/songwriter, I memorialize the deepest movements of my heart in song.

There’s something about our increasingly digital age that pushes me, and many others, nostalgically toward analog activities, suggesting our deep longing for what feels like simpler times. When my husband offered to record my first album for me while we were dating, we decided to use his Tascam 4 track tape recorder. This meant every song would truly be a performance, with my voice and my guitar recorded simultaneously onto cassettes. Eventually we digitized the cassettes to be able to mix, master, and release the music online, but the process of screen-less recording, without punching-in or overdubbing, was incredibly fulfilling, and terrifying, as a singer/songwriter. I remember getting particularly emotional when I couldn’t get a good take of a song within a few tries because the process of aiming for “the one” all the way through, with lyrics, melody, and complex guitar accompaniment all going just right all at once, asked me to be at the top of my game as an artist.

If you don’t know much about how music is recorded, most of the music you hear nowadays was recorded digitally, with each instrument layered on one at a time. Individual notes or musical phrases are recorded and re-recorded as much as needed to get them just right, and even then there’s almost unlimited editing and auto-tuning that can be done in postproduction to make the performances sound as perfect as possible. While many of us are used to this polished sound, even to the point that we’re sometimes unable to distinguish real music from music created by artificial intelligence, it’s a far cry from the organic music-making that often moves us most: a live set of improvised music, a mother singing a lullaby to her newborn, a solemn choir at a funeral.

Analog recording goes much further in capturing the human-ness of music. Mistakes might have to remain and often lend charm. Voices sound like real people with real vulnerability and emotion. Performances are truly unique and unrepeatable. These are some of the reasons I chose analog for my first two full-length albums.

Of course, like anyone else, I too do more than dip my toes in the digital realm. I’m on my phone way more than I should be. I teach music lessons virtually, and I’m writing these words on a screen. I even recently recorded my third album on a laptop to have the flexibility to record on my own during stolen moments away from my toddler and baby. Analog recording had required both me and my husband to be present with two free hands and a quiet house and let’s face it, that just doesn’t happen often these days.

If, however, you’re craving something that feels a little more nostalgic, a little more raw, a little more human, here are a few easy places to start. While at least one of these things does, admittedly, “plug in,” they are, each in their own right, little rebellions against a world where you could just as easily let AI smooth out the beautiful rough edges of a more analog experience. Like recording music to tape, sometimes the challenges that come with analog technology give us the opportunity to cultivate our craft, to nurture our courage and patience, to romanticize our lives, and to connect more deeply with ourselves and others.

1. Analog Watches

A few years ago, my mother-in-law, who had just gotten a newer model, generously offered me her old Apple Watch. Although I wouldn’t have bought one for myself, I thought I’d give it a try. However, as someone who already checks her phone too much, I realized that the constant bids for my attention that were now almost part of my own body were just a step too far for me. I liked being able to see the time without pulling out my phone during my music lessons, but that was about the extent of the smart watch’s healthy appeal for me.

Enter the analog watch that I asked for at my next birthday. It’s a very special piece to me because I picked it to remind me of my grandmother’s green and gold watch that is one of the only possessions she brought to the US with her as a war refugee from Yugoslavia. Not only does it have sentimental value, but it feels much more like an accessory and part of my outfit than a piece of tech on my arm. I’m honing my clock-reading skills (there are no number markings) and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it, too. I highly recommend you peruse the many beautiful analog watches that are out there and find one that fits your personal style. 

2. Paper Planners and Calendars

Paper planners or calendars are another wonderful way to move some of your daily life offscreen. I’ve tried it all—bound art calendars, hanging wall calendars, paper planners, and notebooks that I’ve made into planners myself—and I love it all. Right now, I keep my Metropolitan Museum of Art Impressionism planner open to the current week where my husband can also see the various activities we have scheduled. 

If you’re one to put everything in your phone’s calendar and that works for you, I won’t discourage you. But I would encourage you to give pen and paper a chance. For one thing, studies show that we remember things better if we write them down. For another, let’s face it, it’s just more aesthetically pleasing. You can use colored pens or highlighters, doodle in the margins, or pick out a gorgeous planner, minimalist or maximalist, depending on what suits you.

3. Record (or Cassette or CD) Players

As an artist, there’s a lot I could say that’s not so glowing about streaming services. But setting aside the meager amount they pay the artists whose creative output they rely on, streaming platforms really can curate playlists you’ll enjoy, and yes, they also allow you to find new or old music quicker and easier than ever. Personally, though, I’ve noticed that I listen to music less because the options in streaming services are just too overwhelming. Rather than trying to figure out what music might fit my exact mood, or bother trying to mentally scroll through records in my mind, I often end up listening to a podcast instead. 

When you have CD’s, tapes, or records on hand, your more tactile and limited options are actually a blessing. You can pick up and touch each record and settle on something without feeling like you’re missing out on that nonexistent perfect song for the moment. You can build a library of music that you truly love, and listen to full albums rather than playlists of artists' most popular songs. Plus, I would argue that analog music listening is often more social, as it doesn’t involve AirPods, earbuds, or headphones of any sort. 

4. Letters, Notes & Cards

For our first son’s first birthday, we didn’t have a large guest list so I drew all of his invitations by hand and mailed them out. For his second birthday, I was pregnant and a little shorter on time, so I made a digital invitation instead. This year I went back to snail mail—I printed my design in black and white and had my son color in the trucks for his construction theme party. Looking back, I regret not taking the extra time to at least print something to send out last year. Who doesn’t love getting something fun in the mail? And what in the world will I save to remember his second birthday party invitation?

My own obsessiveness aside, I really do think there’s something unique about sending and receiving actual mail. Emails come and go, we click them, we delete them, or we leave them unread for weeks at a time (choose your flavor). But rarely do we cherish them, save them, or really remember their content even moments after receiving them. The next time you have something intentional to say to a friend, or an event to invite loved ones to, consider sending it on actual paper, maybe even handwritten, through the mail. 

5. Journals

I’ve been a journal keeper pretty much as long as I could write, although my entries are definitely far and few between these days. While I will admit that my husband probably keeps a better journal than me because he does so digitally, I don’t think he or anyone else could convert me to digi-journaling. Paper and pen feels like a more organic way for me to process my emotions, my dreams, my pains and my prayers than my laptop or my phone, and I’m sticking with them. 

If you aren’t a journaler, or you’re like me and only sometimes get to it, I recommend looking for a beautiful notebook or decorating any simple notebook you have on hand. For my current journal, I had my son color on a piece of construction paper and then taped that onto the cover of a plain blue notebook. Whatever your taste, use a generously inky gel pen to maximize the aesthetic experience of your analog journal. 

6. Real Books (and Magazines)

This might be easy for me to say because I’ve never really tried a Kindle and only had an Audible subscription for a few months, but real paper books really are so much better. They have a feel, a smell, and a visual aspect that you just aren’t getting if you go digital. I love having a sense of how far along in a story I am between the fingers of each of my hands as I hold the book, rather than seeing a little bar that shows time-elapsed on a device. Similarly, the glossy pages of a magazine (like Evie) provide a relaxing moment that may feel like virtual scrolling, but without the negative internal spiral that social media can carry as a side-effect. 

While listening to books certainly can save time, you’re missing out on the tactile and aesthetic experience of real analog books. Find yourself a nice bookmark and decide if you land on the annotating or non-annotating side of things and enjoy your marked-up or your just-like-new pages, knowing you won’t be interrupted by incoming messages, spam calls, or service cutting in and out. 

7. Analog Timers

When we switched our almost 3-year-old to a “big boy bed,” I just knew he was going to stop napping. Sure enough, we soon found ourselves navigating the new world of “quiet time,” with more success on some days than others. I decided to order him a visual timer so that he could see how long he had to stay in his room and start to conceptualize the passage of time. While quiet time still comes with regular interruptions, overall it’s been a very helpful addition to the routine as well as a cute addition to his bedroom. 

There are other analog timers out there as well: hourglass and other sand timers, egg timers, and more. Think about whatever you usually need to set a timer for on your phone, and see if there’s an option to purchase an aesthetic analog timer to use instead. While this might not work for everything we like to time these days, you may be surprised by the simple satisfaction setting that analog timer might bring you. 

8. Film Cameras

Like many moms, one of the main reasons you’ll find me pulling out my phone is to take pictures of my kids. At three and one years old, they’re always doing something new and adorable. I have to admit that at least 95 percent of the pictures I take of them are iPhone photos, but I do also take Polaroid pictures of our most special moments and milestones, and I sometimes take pictures with other film cameras, too. 

What I’ve found is that while it’s intoxicating to scroll back on my phone and see so many videos and images of each of them growing up, it’s usually the film photos that make it into frames, photo albums, or baby books even though there are fewer of them to choose from. In fact, I exclusively use my Instax Mini Polaroid photos for my boys’ baby books. If you’re interested in learning a new craft or brushing up those skills from Photography 101 class in high school, you might want to try taking portraits or snapshots with an old film camera. If you’re looking for something more forgiving that’s as user friendly as your iPhone, try disposable film cameras or new-make Polaroid cameras that let you point and shoot without thinking about settings. You’ll love the unique warmth and charm these film photos add to your home.

While sometimes digital will inevitably be the quicker and easier and more practical route, there is something unique to be gained in cultivating the patience that analog asks of us. You might even be surprised to see that analog technology sometimes saves you time, as you aren’t distracted by notifications and other digital temptations anytime you do something as simple as take a photo or set a timer. But if it does feel slower, there is beauty in slowing down and embracing the goodness that comes from saying no to artificial perfection. Whichever ways you choose to bring the analog aesthetic into your own daily life, I hope you enjoy how it challenges you to be and feel more human.