Hello, friend. This is an episode of Note to Self, but from when we used to be called New Text City.

Same good content, just the old name. Enjoy.

From WNYC, this is New Text City, where digital gets personal.

I'm Manouche Zamorodi, and this is the board and brilliant project, a campaign to rethink our relationship with our phone,

to reclaim the lost art of spacing out and to be more creative.

Earlier this week, you accepted challenges, to put your phone in your pocket, to take a break from photos.

You maybe even deleted an app. In other words, you were purposeful about when you used your phone.

Then we sort of transitioned into challenges that hopefully got you to space out to think more.

And here's what's happened so far.

I found myself inspired to pull out a notebook and start writing a poem on the train yesterday.

I don't think I've ever been inspired to write a poem in my light, let alone on my commute.

I've taken your challenge to heart and deleted a whole bunch of apps for my phone,

but I haven't gotten over the amount of time that I usually spend with my phone.

So now I just sort of turn it on and look at it.

It's been a challenge to resist the call of my phone, but I'm enjoying it a little more each day.

And I haven't checked Twitter in about six and a half hours, I think.

And it reminded me of standing at the refrigerator door, having opened it for the millions time,

wondering if perhaps some new food had materialized.

Okay, so something is happening here.

And now for your final challenge.

A very specific exercise in creativity, and a chance to get to know yourself a little better.

All courtesy of the artist Nina Cachidorian.

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