KQED's Forum The Mundane and the Meaningful Moments Found in the Notes App of Your Phone
Aug 21, 2025
Join writer and artist Rel Robinson, along with authors Rita Bullwinkel and Brontez Purnell, as they explore the rich tapestry of thoughts stored in our phone's Notes app. They discuss how these seemingly mundane notes can reveal deep personal insights and creativity. From capturing fleeting ideas and bad dreams to the emotional weight of daily reminders, the conversation highlights the intimacy of digital journaling. Be prepared to reflect on your own hidden moments and inspirations held within the notes on your device.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Notes As Democratic Archive
- The Notes app collects mundane fragments that can become beautiful or haunting when recontextualized.
- Rel Robinson argues phone notes form a democratic archive of living language and thought.
Grocery Lists And Vows In One Place
- Rel Robinson mixes grocery lists and wedding vows in the same Notes app, showing its breadth.
- He called himself an inadvertent archivist who traces creative origins through notes.
Tension Between Private Archive And Exposure
- The Notes app holds tension: a place where ideas 'go to die' and where creative origins are traced.
- Robinson describes an erotic/exhibitionist thrill in seeing others' private note spaces hypothetically.
