We Started a Startup in Lockdown
Lockdown was weird. We’re all in agreement.
Pre-lockdown, I was happily living in London, writing magic tricks for TV magicians. It’s an odd job, I know. Since the age of nineteen, I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world and work on some of the best magic television series — like Netflix’s Magic For Humans.
By accident, I happened to be in Devon when lockdown began. On my own, with only five pairs of boxers and no raincoat.
And so, in Devon, I spent the entirety of my lockdown. I found an umbrella at the house, and after a few weeks of relentlessly rewashing those five boxers, I did order some more.
Lots happened during this strange and lonesome experience.
I went on a lot of big walks. I bought a paddle-board. I binged all of Mad Men and became obsessed with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I did far too many zoom quiz nights. And I began keeping a voice journal.
That’s right — a voice journal. You see, even though I was hardly doing much at all, I never felt more of an urge to keep a journal. I’d tried and failed to do this many times before. I never had the perfect pen*. Finding the right journal itself was always impossible, and when I did, I’d forget to take it with me. If by some miracle, I found myself with both the perfect pen and the right journal, I’d worry about my spelling, paragraphs, terrible handwriting, and that I’d potentially forget to end my sentences and just go on and on like a mad man.
These tremendous obstacles held me back from successfully keeping the journal I longed to write. Not this time, this time was different, lockdown made me crave the proven benefits of journaling, so much so, I found a loophole.
I began using my phone to record a voice journal. It was easy enough. Before bed, I’d hit record and Sound Off about my day. I immediately felt the benefits. It was freeing. I began holding myself accountable. Voicing my thoughts seem to trick my mind into processing everything, even the thoughts and feelings I’d been putting off.
When I ran out of things to think out loud about, my mind felt clear. My first recording was on the 8th of April, 2020, and it was only two minutes and twenty seconds long.
A few months later, I asked my close friend Paavan, product design genius, and my step-sister Elly, psychology wiz, to join me in bringing the benefits of voice journalling to everyone, even you, reading this right now. Together, we’re building an app. And here I am, asking you to come along for the ride.
*The perfect pen is a Muji pen.
What helped you get through your lockdown?
Journaling, Pasta Making, Bread Baking — let me know in the comments.
We’re building a voice journal app, follow us: co-founders Elly, Paavan, & Rory post on the Sound Off publication every week.
