Physical Media is SO Back!

2026 is the year physical media makes a comeback and why I'm doing it

30,000 pictures in my camera roll. Tens of thousands more saved onto external hard drives lost in some drawer because I needed to clear storage up on my phone, which I have never looked back on since. All of these memories scattered across folders, feeds, and clouds. All for one reason- I love to document, and have somewhat of a fear of “forgetting” all of these special memories and moments that occur throughout my life. But how often am I really looking back on these photos, when my vacation photos are scattered in between the clutter of random screenshots, pictures of where I parked my car at the airport but forgot to delete, and other randomness?

I’ve loved the ease of it — the way using my phone to document became second nature.

But somewhere along the way, it also became forgettable.

So this year, I’m intentionally bringing physical media back into my life — not in a maximalist, scrapbook-everything way, but in an intentional, curated way. A way that asks me to slow down just enough to decide what’s worth keeping.

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1. The Photo Bowl

This is the simplest project, and maybe my favorite.

I’m keeping a bowl out in the open — and throughout the year, I’ll print small, Polaroid-style photos and drop them in. Serves as unique decor and a cool conversation starter, too!

Moments like:

• a beach I swam at

• a coffee shop I loved

• a party with friends

• a new dish I made at home

• many sunrises and sunsets

At the end of the year, the bowl becomes a physical archive of moments that would’ve otherwise disappeared into my phone, and then you can place them into a physical photo album dedicated to that year and begin the process all over again! (:

2. A Commonplace Journal

I’ve also started a commonplace journal for 2026 — a place to simply collect inspiration. No rules for what goes in it- simply just a place where things go when they don’t belong anywhere else yet:

• writing notes from different YouTube videos and podcasts

• words I’m drawn to

• places I’d like to visit

• ideas

• all sorts of lists

• recipes

• quotes and phrases that I don’t want to forget

• fragments of thought that feel important but unfinished

Little did I know that I had a commonplace journal when I first started college- I just didn’t know that’s what it was called. I would scroll Pinterest and lifestyle/travel websites, writing down random things I loved.

3. Photo Albums

I take thousands of photos a year and print none of them. This year, that’s changing. There’s something special about flipping through a photo album and reminiscing. It’s a feeling of nostalgia I get that’s far different from looking at them on my phone.

I plan on buying a mini photo printer so I can print high-quality photos at home. In the meantime, getting them printed at an office store works, too!

4. The 2026 Wrapped Magazine

I saw this idea on TikTok a while ago and thought it would be such a fun project. Throughout the year, I’ll design pages on Canva, and at the end of the year, find an online service that can print it into a magazine.

This magazine can really be anything you want it to be, but for me, I plan on making it a visual reflection of the year I lived.

• places I traveled

• what I was interested in

• the music I was listening to

• any hyper-fixations

• special moments

• what mattered to me at the time

• what I learned and what I loved

This is just a playful way to say: this is what my life looked like this year! It’s also a creative outlet where you can design it however you want- your choice of fonts, graphics, etc.. You can make it very organized and aesthetic, or more like a junk journal/scrapbook- no rules ;p

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Why I’m Doing It

I guess all of these projects share the same intention:

To hold onto memories.

To document, reflect, and cherish.

Digital media can be unorganized, cluttered and overwhelming. Since it moves so fast, it can also be forgotten easily. I feel like physical media forces you to be more intentional and asks you to stay with the moment a little longer.

If you’ve been feeling the same pull towards creative projects and slower documentation, I’d love for you to join me on this!

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