Hello hello, welcome to the final Sunday Chillin' of 2024! It's been a wild year, hope everyone is relaxing and recuperating during this holiday season.
This year felt strangely both very fast and quite slow for me. I feel like there was a lot of stuff packed into the year, but it all happened so rapidly that I didn't have much time or bandwidth to process it all.
As I reflect on the past year, I've come to some realizations about how I want to spend my time moving forward and what I want to prioritize. A repeating theme in my life that has reared its head every year since I graduated from college is the tug-of-war between creating and consuming. This past year was one of great consumption for me, and I can indeed confirm that it was deeply unsatisfying in all the ways that I have suspected it would be.
When I was but a young potato, I used to scoff at the entertainment consumption habits of older members of society. Why would people waste their one (1) precious life by coming home after work and then vegetating in front of the TV watching House Hunters until they fell asleep? A Fool and His Time Are Soon Parted 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
And then I became an Adult working a job that actually required me to focus for ~8 hours per day and found myself melting my brain after work with hours of YouTube. A single tear rolled down my cheek when I caught myself committing the very same Error that I had lamented in others for years. But I suppose it makes sense, after expending most of my energy during the day, I didn't really want to do any more taxing activities after dinner. [1]
But mindless scrolling through YouTube and Instagram unfortunately does not Satisfy the Great Spirit Within. Therefore, I am turning my focus and energy towards creating as much as I possibly can in 2025. Here's how I'm planning on going about it:
This year felt strangely both very fast and quite slow for me. I feel like there was a lot of stuff packed into the year, but it all happened so rapidly that I didn't have much time or bandwidth to process it all.
As I reflect on the past year, I've come to some realizations about how I want to spend my time moving forward and what I want to prioritize. A repeating theme in my life that has reared its head every year since I graduated from college is the tug-of-war between creating and consuming. This past year was one of great consumption for me, and I can indeed confirm that it was deeply unsatisfying in all the ways that I have suspected it would be.
When I was but a young potato, I used to scoff at the entertainment consumption habits of older members of society. Why would people waste their one (1) precious life by coming home after work and then vegetating in front of the TV watching House Hunters until they fell asleep? A Fool and His Time Are Soon Parted 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
And then I became an Adult working a job that actually required me to focus for ~8 hours per day and found myself melting my brain after work with hours of YouTube. A single tear rolled down my cheek when I caught myself committing the very same Error that I had lamented in others for years. But I suppose it makes sense, after expending most of my energy during the day, I didn't really want to do any more taxing activities after dinner. [1]
But mindless scrolling through YouTube and Instagram unfortunately does not Satisfy the Great Spirit Within. Therefore, I am turning my focus and energy towards creating as much as I possibly can in 2025. Here's how I'm planning on going about it:
- I have obtained a guitar and intend on practicing for 30 minutes per day (at least!). Growing up, I had the great pleasure of playing violin in an orchestra for ~11 years, and I really miss the deep fulfillment that comes with improving at a musical instrument. I may not actually manage 30 minutes every day, but any amount will be more than I currently emit into the world. [2]
- In the last 8 months since moving back to NY, I've taken literally one dance class from a friend, and I haven't danced at all by myself. My plan is to incentivize myself to do it by buying a 10-class pass to a studio near my work. The classes will expire in 3 months, so on average I will need to go to 3 classes per month to not lose my $225. [3] Although learning choreography is still consuming in some sense, I think putting movement out into the world through my body is a good start, and it may get the creative concoctions brewing within my body.
- Over the last 10 years, I've compiled quite the collection of recipes. The friction of saving recipes is so low, but the motivation to make most of them has largely evaded me thus far. But owing to a very generous corporate meal reimbursement policy from my current employer, I've eaten out enough in the last 8 months to last a lifetime (or at least a year). With this in mind, I'm going to get back to trying new recipes every weekend, ideally one new one per week if I can help it. I know what you're thinking. "Suhaas, that'll probably cost you 5x as much money and time as going out to eat an equivalent meal, and will result in some unimaginably vile products more often than not. Michelin meals are a fool's delusion." Yes, that's correct. But what great fun it will be regardless :) And after all, isn't cooking one of the the original forms of
Sincreation? - I haven't taken many photos in the past few years, but I'm hoping to do many more photo walks and photography experiments in 2025. I recently tried shooting portraits in a studio with some friends and although most of my final photos looked like they were taken by a confused kangaroo, it was still nice to try something new. More photos (sans Kangaroo) to come.
To aid me in feeling a sense of progress from all of these, I also intend on documenting all of these activities more than I ever have before. There's a tangible joy that comes from being able to see the product of hard work, and I think recording these various attempts will induce me to continue trying, even if most of what I do is not "high quality." Most of these recordings will probably never see the light of day, but even dwelling in my own archives will be enough. [4]
The last type of creation that I hope to resume is this newsletter! Maybe you've noticed, but I haven't actually been writing Sunday Chillin' every week. I'm sure this has caused immeasurable distress to all of you, but I am here to assuage you that this will Change in 2025. To be clear, I still won't write this newsletter every week, but I'd like to do at least one per month. That gives me enough time to collect some thoughts to disperse to the masses, and also keeps the spark going. One per week is not sustainable or fun for me, but once every four months is too infrequent to enrich your musical collections. And after all, you all actually listen to the songs I recommend, right?
Speaking of which, here are the songs for this week! A few extra since it's been so long.
Diamonds and Pearls - THEY.
Spotify | YouTube
MARSEILLE - Ashley Iman
Spotify | YouTube
KEEP UP - Odetari
Spotify | YouTube
worst behavior - kwn
Spotify | YouTube
Sneaky - Duckwrth, Juls
Spotify | YouTube
Time & Space - CONTINENTAL, King Perryy, Yarden, Alpha P
Spotify | YouTube
Thanks to everyone for reading this year and for being real chums. Looking forward to connecting with you all again in the new year, hopefully in person whenever possible.
See you all in 2025!
suhaas
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Here are Spotify and YouTube playlists with all the songs so far.
[1] The real foolishness was assuming that I was somehow immune to an affliction that affects millions of adults around the world. But perhaps the very thing that defines Youth is hopeful delusion. And I am nothing if not delusional 😎
[2] I apologize in advance to my neighbors and the fellow occupants of my apartment building. There may be moments of musical brilliance, but that will take 12-16 business months and countless curses in the meantime. And they will be the briefest of moments...
[3] The fear of financial ruin has driven many a man to drastic action. In my case, I just have to go do something I find fun lmao. Quite the price to pay.
[4] It would probably be irresponsible to subject the public to these early creations. Maybe after a few years if I see a clear path to making billions of dollars off of my Talents, I'll release the hounds.