Artify Diaries: The Day I Battled My Habits, My Friends, and Myself - Video

Artify Diaries: The Day I Battled My Habits, My Friends, and Myself
A raw, real, and relatable ride through a single winter day

The Day Begins... with Technical Glitches
January 9, 2024 – 6:10 PM.
It’s almost evening, and here I am—recording this Artify episode. Why now? Because today was... a ride.
The day started off with purpose. I woke up with one mission: record my gameplay. But, of course, fate had other plans. My computer? Totally uncooperative. Technical errors made me retry over and over. After nearly an hour of frustration, things finally clicked. I got a solid 30-minute recording in—and it turned out better than I’d hoped.
By lunchtime, I’d moved on to encoding and editing. I was in the zone. No delays, just laser focus. I wanted to get that video out fast. Mission accomplished.

Distraction Hits: YouTube, Curiosity, and the Downward Spiral
Then came the unexpected twist.
I ended up scrolling through YouTube Shorts and saw a clip about an OnlyFans model earning a million dollars a month. I was stunned. That curiosity led me to a dark corner of the internet I usually try to avoid. Before I knew it, I gave in to an old habit—one I’ve been trying to fight. It wasn’t even because I was turned on. It was just... intentional. Mechanical. Not great.
I hadn’t masturbated in two days. I was aiming for five. Failed in just twelve hours. The worst part? It ruined the rest of my day. I skipped my workout, my badminton, even the fresh air at the stadium. I just stayed in, took a shower, had some milk, and started recording this instead. That’s why this episode’s coming to you in the evening. Messy, but honest.

When Was Your Last Fight?
Let’s talk conflict.
I don’t really fight. Not physically. I’ve always been good at controlling my anger. Sure, I’ve had arguments—mostly verbal—but nothing serious. The closest thing to a “fight” was with my friend Badal.
A couple of years back, we were heading to a birthday party for Teju’s son. I didn’t want to go—bad mood, frustrated with work, just not in the right headspace. But Badal and the guys convinced me. At the party, they talked about buying cars, land, and their new high-paying jobs. I felt out of place and, honestly, jealous.
Then they decided to visit someone in the hospital afterward. I said no. I just wanted to go home. The next day? They removed me from our WhatsApp group.
I was hurt. Called Badal a few days later, and he said it was a “joke.” We patched things up, but it wasn’t the only time we clashed. Badal’s a good guy with a sharp tongue. He doesn’t always filter what he says. And yeah, that stings sometimes.

$5 Million for a Museum? Here's What I’d Build
Easy. I’d open a Photography and Painting Museum.
Not an AI-generated art space. No, I want a place that honors real, human creativity. High-quality, original prints hung on clean, white walls—images and artworks that make you stop and stare. Unlike exhibitions that vanish in a week, mine would stay open for months, maybe years.
I want people to see the difference between art on a screen and art in person. The textures, the colors, the emotion—you just can’t replicate that digitally.

My Hardest Habit to Break
Masturbation. Hands down.
Every year, I try to cut down. Not because I think it’s evil—but because it gets out of hand. I’ve done my research. It’s natural, but like anything, it becomes a problem when it controls you. My goal? Once a week, tops.
At 30, the drive isn’t what it was in my 20s. But now, it’s just... a habit. Mechanical. And breaking a habit? That’s the real challenge.

What Needs to Be Modernized?
Mindsets. Especially our parents’.
I’m trying to make YouTube a career. But to my parents? It’s just a “time pass.” They can’t see the potential. Creative careers like YouTube are legitimate now, but that’s hard for many Indian parents to accept.
Same goes for sex education. In Western cultures, parents might handle it openly. Here? It’s taboo. We don’t need a crash course. We need slow, generational change. That’s how evolution works.

When Did I Last Sleep Over 9 Hours?
Probably never. Even without an alarm, I wake up after 7–8 hours. It’s like my brain has an internal timer. So, nope—no 9-hour snoozes for me.

Public Speaking—Friend or Foe?
Recording these episodes? No problem. But a real crowd of 100 people? That’s another level.
I’ve avoided the stage most of my life. Once, as a kid, I recited a poem in front of a crowd. Another time, I bailed on a drama because I was terrified of messing up. Now, thanks to Artify, I feel more confident. But I’d still be nervous if all eyes were on me.

Worst Procrastination Moment?
That one time I binged an entire web series—12 one-hour episodes in two days. I had just uploaded a video and thought I’d “take a short break.” That break turned into 20 hours of wasted time. Editing got completely derailed.
Now I stick to short, light shows like Modern Family. Or better yet, movies. Two hours, done and dusted.