Here is something I’m finding to be a growing trend for people who consider technology to be such a huge part of their life — for one day a week, you shut everything off. Do you think you could do it? Some people take one day, usually a Saturday or Sunday, and decide to:

• Not turn on their computer.
• Turn their cellphone off and put it away.
• Not turn on their TV.
• Give the gaming systems a day off.
• Put the iPod away.

As I’m reading blog posts of people who have already implemented this, I tell myself I can (and should) do this without a problem. Then all of a sudden, the excuses come pouring in!

What if I need to check email for important work information before Monday morning? What if a family member gets into an accident and can’t call me? What if I’m dying to listen to my iPod while I’m lounging around; is that a crime? What about weekend movie nights? What if I suddenly get inspired to draft a client’s (or as luck would have it, my own) layout?

As you may or may not have realized — these are paper thin excuses I’ve come to rely on. That email will be there Monday morning before work. My house phone works just fine for emergencies. I won’t die having to hum my favorite songs for one day. Movie night can be moved. And since when can’t designs be sketched on paper? It’s so strange that I belong to a generation who grew up without much of this technology, but now we struggle to remember life without it.

I’m going to give it a try this weekend, and see how I do. I’ll keep you guys updated, and I implore you to try it too! While I may be pressured to actually type up my assignments on Friday and get other technology related work done beforehand, on the weekend I’ll be able to finally:

• Write a handful of letters to some lovely people, which I’ve been meaning to do for quite a while.
• Read a book without exhaustively collapsing after the first page.
• Do my unruly nails.
• Go to the park with Max.
• Relax outside in this beautiful fall weather with my family.
• Start writing in my journal again.
• Continue to experiment with traditional art.
• Bake! (Don’t laugh. Practice makes perfect!)

Right now I am doing full internship at an elementary school two days a week. The rest of the week I am in class for four hours per day. Whenever I’m home, I spend 99% of my time on the computer. I do assignments, write lesson plans for teaching, work on client designs and behind the scenes of Eventide Designs, email, social network, and blog — which I have been putting a lot of time and effort into lately. (I’ll go ahead and mention that blogging regularly and successfully is hard work. I admire those who can make a living doing this!)

With the focus of everything I do being my laptop (I told you my Macbook is my life), I am definitely curious to see myself go one day without it. I can live without my cellphone and my TV, but this will truly be a challenge! Anyone else jumping on the bandwagon? Let me know!

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