Going Analogue: Why We’re Craving a Slower, More Meaningful Life
There’s a quiet shift happening right now—and it doesn’t feel like a trend as much as a return – the ‘going analogue’ trend.
It’s a part of a growing slow living movement, where people are choosing to unplug from social media and reconnect with real-life experiences through food, music, and meaningful moments.
People are stepping away from the constant scroll, the noise, the pressure to keep up. They’re choosing slower moments. Smaller circles. Real conversations. Tangible things you can hold in your hands.
Film cameras. Handwritten notes. Scrapbooks. Polaroids. Vinyl records. Cooking meals instead of ordering them. Sitting around a table instead of a screen.
It’s the pull of nostalgia and meaningful moments – IRL again.
And honestly? I get it.
The Rise of Going Analogue
There’s something grounding about slowing down enough to actually feel your life as it’s happening.
Not documenting it for content.
Not optimizing it for engagement.
Just… living it.
The analog revival isn’t about rejecting technology entirely—it’s about reclaiming presence.
It’s choosing:
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- depth over speed
- memory over metrics
- connection over consumption
As Carl Honoré, a leading voice in the slow living movement, has said:
“When you slow down, you get more out of life.”
And that’s exactly what this moment is about.
Why Slow Living Matters Now
If I’m being honest, this is the heart behind Groovy Eats.
It’s not just a retro cooking series.
It’s a time machine.
It’s my way of holding onto the feeling of growing up in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s – when life felt a little slower, a little simpler, and a lot more together.
Family road trips.
Music playing in the background.
Meals that brought everyone to the table.
Those moments shaped me—and they’re the reason I create what I create today.
As Maya Angelou once said:
“People will forget what you said… but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Groovy Eats is about that feeling.
Food, Music & Memory
There’s a reason a song can take you back instantly.
You hear it—and suddenly you’re somewhere else.
Another time.
Another version of yourself.
That’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.
That’s memory encoded through experience.
Food works the same way.
A dish isn’t just a recipe—it’s a story.
A place.
A person.
That’s why in Groovy Eats, every episode connects:
Because when you layer those things together,
something powerful happens.
You don’t just watch or listen.
You remember.
The Inspiration Behind Groovy Eats
Across everything I create, this theme shows up again and again:
Every podcast episode, every blog post, every Substack essay, every YouTube video in this series is me chasing that feeling and inviting you to chase it with me. It’s retro recipes made with fresh, elevated ingredients — comfort food that honors the past while feeling relevant right now.
✺ Blog (TheArtfulGourmet.com)
A space where recipes meet storytelling—
where dishes aren’t just instructions,
but snapshots of time.
January 1978 wasn’t flashy or loud — it was warm, comforting, and full of everyday magic. The radio played soft rock on repeat, dinner was often a casserole bubbling in the oven, and family time happened around the table, not a screen.
The series is built around a simple but deeply felt premise:
food and music are the original time machines.
Play the right song while you’re making the right dish, and you’re not in your kitchen anymore — you’re somewhere else entirely. You’re nineteen again, or twelve, or thirty-two, in a place and a moment that mattered.
More personal. More reflective.
This is where I go deeper into the why —
behind the food, the memories, and the moments that shaped me.
✺ Groovy Eats Podcast
Stories you can hear and feel—
layered with music, culture, and
the emotional thread that ties it all together.
✺ YouTube Cooking Series
Where it all comes to life visually—food, music, mood, and storytelling all in one place.
A Return to What Actually Matters
Here’s what I keep coming back to, and what I think the analogue trend is really telling us: social isn’t dying. It’s evolving.
The future isn’t offline or online. It’s both, held together by intention.
And the creators and communities that will matter most going forward are the ones who understand that — the ones who bring real texture, real warmth, real humanity to what they share.
The ones who make you feel like a regular somewhere, not just a follower.
It’s about choosing:
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- to call a friend instead of texting
- to cook instead of scroll
- to sit and listen instead of multitask
- to create memories instead of just capturing them
Writer Susan Sontag once observed:
“To collect photographs is to collect the world.”
But maybe now, we’re craving something deeper than collecting. We want to experience the world again.
That’s what Groovy Eats is for me. It’s my version of the scrapbook aesthetic — layered, personal, imperfect in the best way. It’s my vinyl record, my vintage film photo, my phone-free dinner table. It’s the place where food and music and memory get to exist together, without apology, on their own unhurried terms.
Groovy Eats is my way of preserving those moments—and creating new ones.
It’s a reminder that:
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- a simple meal can become a memory
- a song can become a time capsule
- a weekend with friends can become a story you carry forever
And maybe, in a world that’s constantly pulling us online…
this is our way back to each other.
If you’ve been feeling the pull toward something slower, something more real, something that actually fills you up instead of just filling your feed — pull up a chair. Put on a good song. Make something beautiful to eat.
That’s the whole vibe. That’s Groovy Eats.
✨ Follow More Nostalgia on Groovy Eats Series
If you’ve been feeling that pull too—to slow down, reconnect, and bring a little more meaning into your everyday life—
I’d love for you to join me:
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- Watch the latest Groovy Eats episode →
- Listen to Groovy Eats on The Artful Gourmet podcast →
- Read the full stories on the blog or Substack →
And maybe tonight…
put on a favorite song, cook something simple, and invite someone over.
No phones.
No pressure.
Just good food, good music, and good company.
That’s where the magic lives.
Stay tuned for Groovy Eats Episode 4 – Coming Soon!
Disco Night | Retro Cocktails & Late Night Bites 💃 🪩 🍹 🍤
Get ready to dance, eat, drink and party like it’s 1978 at the disco in West Hollywood and Studio54. Be prepared to cook, sing, dance , drink and eat some retro late night bites and cocktails from the era, to the music of Donna Summer, Our #1 Disco Queen. Coming Soon.
Explore the Series:
- 🎙️ Groovy Eats on The Artful Gourmet Podcast
- 📺 Groovy Eats on YouTube
- 📝 Groovy Eats on the Blog
- 💌 Groovy Eats on Substack
- 📲 Groovy Eats on Social
Kristen Hess is a Food Stylist, Photographer, Writer, and the creator of The Artful Gourmet — a food and lifestyle media brand rooted in fresh comfort food, visual artistry, and the stories we tell around the table. Find her on Substack, The Artful Gourmet Podcast and YouTube Channel and her
food blog at theartfulgourmet.com.
