new every morning
on this trip i was just on, which lasted 10 days, i tried something again: i created an instagram account as an "album" for trip photos. i called it "laurel in amsterdam and copenhagen" although shortened to @lrl_in_cph_and_ams.
(the other time i did this, i titled the account @lrl_in_osaka_and_seoul" which was for my summer 2019 trip in japan and korea.)
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i hear this inspiring phrase every once in a while, "new every morning." the idea that you can wake up and be a new version of yourself. i like that. yes.
however, we often meet with people from the past, or have to introduce ourselves and need to use words to talk about who we are and what we do. i don't particularly feel new each morning when i have to show my past work, for instance. half the time i'm so tired by my past work, i just want to start from the beginning again.
somehow all of this was a lot easier when i was new to this field, and part of me thinks that's the beauty of school or programs ... to become new again. but is there a way to become new without a program?
i've been part of a residency this summer. i've been trying to call myself a writer.
i like thinking of myself as a different version of myself when i'm on an expansive trip like the one i was just on.
i'm thinking, maybe i can also be different versions of myself in everyday life too. maybe this is the summer/fall 2023 version of laurel. does it mean i need a new instagram account for this time?
***
of course, what's nice about this specific instagram-for-new-trip thing is feeling a bit more free to post and archive photos in the traditional instagram grid, and to see photos and things accumulate gradually.
but one other thing that's nice — i follow everyone i met on the trip. it's almost a little time capsule of relations from that slice of time. when i explore the current stories, it's much more useful to see just people i'm interacting with now. sometimes i also follow brands or stores that i'm interested in in the area, and it provides a holistic contextual sort of vibe to the whole experience, which is much different than my normal instagram account, which feels quite fragmented.