I have a complicated relationship with the one second a day app. You've probably heard about it by now, but, in case you haven't, I'll outline the basic premise for you.
1.) Download app
2.) Take a video every single day
3.) Edit that video down to one second with the app
4.) Compile into longer videos that encompass a month/year/more
The idea is that by filming one second of footage every day you can create a comprehensive memory of your whole entire life.
Last year, about a year ago, I gave this a whirl. However, there's something about this little project that makes it different from the other photo/video apps out there. When you're posting stuff on instagram, it's easy to come and go, uploading only the images that represent the ideal life that you want everyone to see. It's a lot easier to pretend that you're perfect and amazing when you only post once a week. Or once a month. When you have to contribute one second of video every single day it can get a little.... mundane? Yes. Mundane. Because too many of my days look like this:
1.) Wake up and check out massive bed-head
2.) Stumble through morning routine in a half-awake daze
3.) Go to work
4.) Work
5.) Do laundry
6.) Make dinner
7.) Play Mario Kart
8.) Feel bad for not writing or dancing
9.) Sleep
Repeat.
This does not make for enthralling video. Even when I only need one second. And, though it's normal not to have firecrackers and cake every single day, when you're faced with finding something interesting.... it can get challenging. I can get a bit down.
But it isn't bad that every single day isn't amazing. As an introvert, I don't think I could handle it. Portions of those days are amazing, but it's all stuff inside my head, which doesn't translate well into video. Sometimes I need to be boring so there's room for the ideas to sprout.
Last time I just quietly stopped using the app. Because maybe it isn't for me.
But, now I'm doing it again. Because maybe I don't need this to be the instagram version of my life. Maybe this can be the actual version of my life. Warts and all. Laundry and all. I have enough idealized, glossy images that show me being amazing. I have the things that I create, which are filled with color and excitement. This time I can loosen up a bit. Show the truth. My experience. It isn't always exciting. And that's okay.
1.) Download app
2.) Take a video every single day
3.) Edit that video down to one second with the app
4.) Compile into longer videos that encompass a month/year/more
The idea is that by filming one second of footage every day you can create a comprehensive memory of your whole entire life.
Last year, about a year ago, I gave this a whirl. However, there's something about this little project that makes it different from the other photo/video apps out there. When you're posting stuff on instagram, it's easy to come and go, uploading only the images that represent the ideal life that you want everyone to see. It's a lot easier to pretend that you're perfect and amazing when you only post once a week. Or once a month. When you have to contribute one second of video every single day it can get a little.... mundane? Yes. Mundane. Because too many of my days look like this:
1.) Wake up and check out massive bed-head
2.) Stumble through morning routine in a half-awake daze
3.) Go to work
4.) Work
5.) Do laundry
6.) Make dinner
7.) Play Mario Kart
8.) Feel bad for not writing or dancing
9.) Sleep
Repeat.
This does not make for enthralling video. Even when I only need one second. And, though it's normal not to have firecrackers and cake every single day, when you're faced with finding something interesting.... it can get challenging. I can get a bit down.
But it isn't bad that every single day isn't amazing. As an introvert, I don't think I could handle it. Portions of those days are amazing, but it's all stuff inside my head, which doesn't translate well into video. Sometimes I need to be boring so there's room for the ideas to sprout.
Last time I just quietly stopped using the app. Because maybe it isn't for me.
But, now I'm doing it again. Because maybe I don't need this to be the instagram version of my life. Maybe this can be the actual version of my life. Warts and all. Laundry and all. I have enough idealized, glossy images that show me being amazing. I have the things that I create, which are filled with color and excitement. This time I can loosen up a bit. Show the truth. My experience. It isn't always exciting. And that's okay.
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