This past month, I’ve been thinking a lot about this what Pope Leo XIV said in his speech about cinema:
The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what “works,” but art opens up what is possible. Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks and difference when evocative. Beauty is not just a means of escape; it is above all an invocation. When cinema is authentic, it does not merely console, but challenges. It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we did not know we needed to express.
Source: Encounter with the World of Cinema (15 November 2025)
Usually, we associate being slow, not creating anything, or making things happen as a deficiency, something we should avoid. But especially after the rise in popularity of generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc. you name it), content creation becomes cheap. It doesn’t require a lot of effort to produce, say, a 500-word essay or an illustration or a piece of music. Just say what you want to your nearest AI chatbot, and your wish is granted. In fact, precisely because of this, we are now expected to do more… with less. We are demanded to do more things faster than ever before. And for me, at some point, this becomes unbearable.
I now think that truly privileged people have the option to free themselves from constantly create or produce stuff (physical or digital). If they want to, they can just not do anything, not even exposing themselves on social media. They can leave the business of creating stuff to people really have something to say instead of those who have to say something. Being constantly wired is not always cool; being chronically offline might be the new cool.
This year for me has been marked with slowness. I don’t set big targets, just an yearly theme (forget resolutions, set yearly themes for yourself; see my blogpost on yearly planning). And externally, economic slowdowns combined with my new job conditions forced me to change my plans. Everything becomes delayed. But precisely because of the delay I can free myself from worrying about the destination and start enjoying the road I’m taking.
I’ve also tried to practice slowness physically. Instead of taking out my phone whenever I’m waiting for something or standing in line, I try to observe my surroundings at any opportunity. More often than not, I’ve been able to find things that tickle my mind. Yes, it’s boring. But you know what? We actually need to be bored.
Speaking of cinema, Chainsaw Man Reze Arc is pretty damn cool. You should watch it. And read Tatsuki Fujimoto’s works as well. He composes art in a way that feels… cinematic.
That’s all I want to put in on my blog this year. See you in 2026! 🙋♂️
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