Vin Brocki: Blogging

There’s something seductive about looking back. The past always has better lighting. We remember ourselves with more hair, fewer regrets, and jeans that didn’t require stretch panels.

It’s easy to get lured into nostalgia because looking back is safe. It’s familiar. There are no surprises in the past—just heavily edited memories with the rough parts cropped out. We remember the band playing our favorite song, but not the heartbreak that followed. The job offer, but not the 27 rejection emails that preceded it. Nostalgia is basically your brain’s version of a social media filter: it smooths the wrinkles and brightens the highlights.

But you can’t create art — or a life — by staring into the rearview mirror.

Sure, look back fondly. But then for the love of all that’s sacred and caffeinated, turn your eyes forward. Creation only happens now. Right now. And that’s a maddening truth, because the present doesn’t always feel powerful.

But if you're going to build something—a song, a story, a slightly wobbly IKEA bookcase—you have to do it now. The muse, as it turns out, does not leave voicemails. She shows up unannounced, wearing sweatpants and holding a half-eaten donut, and you'd better be ready.

So yes, honor your past. But you’re not a greatest hits album. The only thing that really matters is what we create today.

Vin Brocki, Erie, PA, USA

June 20, 2025