Celebrating 19 years of Abduzeedo. Disconnecting to reconnect and finding inspiration on a road trip along California's Highway 1.

In the coming weeks, Abduzeedo will celebrate its 19th anniversary. Yes, you heard that right. I started this blog in 2006 after my former design studio was robbed and I lost all my digital backups. Back then, I ran a studio called Zee with my business partner Fabiano Meneghetti. Since that moment, I’ve been obsessed with digital inspiration, connecting with people, testing new products, and staying up to date with the pulse of the industry.

A lot has changed since then. We went from the naive possibilities of user-generated content, fueled by the idea that we would all learn from one another (which we did, for a short time) to the mobile revolution, where everyone has a camera in their pocket and the ability to be a content creator.

One thing is certain: humans are extremely adaptable. We learn to leverage tools quickly; after all, creating and using tools is what took us to the top of the food chain. However, we often focus on the upside of these advancements and seldom look at the downside. With social media, for example, we created an incredible opportunity to connect, but we also opened the door for bad actors. We are only just beginning to see the impact, from the loss of privacy to children facing depression earlier in life because the scale of social comparison is now global, rather than just their local circle of friends.

I remain an optimist at heart. I truly believe our ingenuity in creating these tools also gives us the means to solve the problems they cause, hopefully, in time.

That said, I’ve been trying to rethink what "getting inspiration" looks like. Instead of scrolling through sites, I am going outside. I’m trying to spend more time with my own thoughts, asking myself questions I can't immediately ask AI for the answers to. I'm focusing on spending time with my family and watching my son grow and learn new things—concepts that I often have absolutely no clue about (also known as 6-7).

This is what inspiration looks like for me now. It helps me be a better designer, keeping me motivated and energized. I recently heard the phrase "you have to disconnect to reconnect," and that is exactly what I am trying to do.

Here are some photos from a recent camping trip to Pescadero Beach, California. You can see more on unsplash.com/@abduzeedo