Why You So Obsessed With Me?

The Top 5 Things Sacred & Lit Are Obsessed With This Week

This week, Sacred & Lit has been deeply immersed in a mix of pop culture, design philosophy, and human creativity—exploring how every little thing in life has a design element, whether it’s a YouTuber’s Vlogmas breakdown or the meticulously crafted world of Sesame Street. Here’s a rundown of the top five things that have caught our attention, and how they all tie back to the notion that everything is design.

1. YouTubers Abandoning Daily Vlogmas: A Study in Digital Fatigue and Aesthetic Boundaries

It’s no secret that Vlogmas—when YouTubers commit to posting a video every day in December—has become a holiday tradition for creators and audiences alike. But this week, we’re seeing more and more YouTubers bail on their Vlogmas commitments, often citing burnout, stress, and the toll of constant content creation. From vloggers who initially jumped in with excitement to those who’ve taken a step back to protect their mental health, we’re watching a shift in how online content creators engage with the ever-demanding algorithmic machine.

This isn’t just about burnout. It’s a study in the design of digital content and how it shapes the lives of creators. The pressure to continuously produce high-quality content can lead to unsustainable practices that clash with personal well-being. This speaks to the design of platforms themselves—their algorithms are designed to prioritize frequency and engagement, but they can often undermine creativity and mental health. The failure to sustain Vlogmas is a testament to the limits of the system.

In a world where content is king, we’re left wondering: What’s the balance between meaningful creation and endless consumption? Is the daily content model a well-designed system, or one that needs a major redesign?

By the way, if you want to follow a creator who did their big one this past Vlogmas, we suggest following WillOnAWhim.

2. Valerie Hart’s House Tour: A Masterclass in Personal Design Aesthetics

On a completely different note, (But not really because we’re still talking about YouTube.) we took a deep dive into Valerie Hart’s House Tour on YouTube. Valerie, an interior designer known for her refined, eclectic style, gives a stunning glimpse into her home, offering more than just decor inspiration. The way she curates space, balances color, and elevates everyday items into design statements is a true testament to the art of living intentionally.

Valerie’s approach to home design is a vivid example of how design infuses our daily lives. The way we organize, style, and personalize our spaces is a direct reflection of our values, aspirations, and sense of self. Her design ethos centers around making spaces that are functional yet beautiful—spaces where you not only live but thrive. Every object, from furniture to lighting, tells a story. It's a reminder that good design isn’t just something to admire from afar—it’s something that impacts us on an emotional and practical level.

What struck us most about Valerie’s tour was her understanding that design is about creating comfort, fostering creativity, and, importantly, reflecting the owner's unique character. It's a holistic approach, where personal expression meets functionality—proof that design, in all its forms, is central to our lives.

3. Buying Clothing in Multiples: Embracing the Art of Repetition in Fashion

Speaking of the space where personal expression meets function… we’ve all been there—finding that one piece of clothing that fits perfectly, looks great, and makes you feel like your best self, then buying it in every color. This week, we’re embracing the design philosophy of buying clothing we love in multiples, and we think you should too.

Repetition isn’t just for minimalist wardrobes—it’s a way of curating a wardrobe with intention. Much like a brand choosing a particular color palette or a designer honing a specific silhouette, buying multiples of a single item streamlines the decision-making process. It’s about efficiency, but also about investing in pieces that align with your personal style, creating a uniform aesthetic that works for you every time. There’s an artistry to repetition: it elevates the mundane into a signature look. Think of the many classic designers who’ve built their brands around repeating their designs season after season (hello, Coco Chanel and Isabel Marant).

Fashion, like all design, is about creating patterns and systems that reflect your identity. By embracing the power of repetition, we focus on refining and perfecting what works, giving us a sense of confidence and stability in what we wear every day.

4. Vocal Stimming: A Coping Mechanism, and the Design of Sound and Communication

In a completely different realm, this week we’re reflecting on the concept of vocal stimming—a practice I adopt often as a form of self-stimulatory behavior. Vocal stimming can include the repetition of sounds, words, or phrases, which can provide comfort, self-regulation, or a way to express emotions in challenging situations. It’s a deeply personal and instinctual act of communication, but one that we strongly feel is also rooted in design.

Vocal stimming is a fascinating example of how the design of sound, speech, and expression can function as both a coping strategy and a form of self-expression. For individuals who engage in vocal stimming, it’s not about making music or creating art in a traditional sense, but about crafting a space for oneself—one where their voice and sound become a tool for emotional regulation, grounding, and comfort. It’s a subtle but profound design of how we use our bodies and voices to navigate the world, especially in moments of stress or overwhelm.

This brings us to a broader conversation about communication: how we design our words, gestures, and sounds to convey meaning. For many, vocal stimming is a way to filter and reshape external stimuli in a manner that provides emotional balance. It’s a reminder that design doesn’t always mean creating for an audience; sometimes, it’s about creating for oneself.

This Winter, we’ve been particularly fond of the wealth of vocal tics from Tyler the Creator, Doechi and, Kendrick Lamar’s latest albums because ish do indeed get spooky every day in October.

Screenshot from “Squabble Up” music video

5. Oscar the Grouch: Redefining Trash, Redesigning Perspectives

Finally, we’re revisiting Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street. Oscar, often misunderstood for his grumpy demeanor, is a character who turns conventional thinking upside down. His love for trash challenges the norm, redefining waste and showing kids—and adults—that things often considered "ugly" or "disposable" can have their own kind of value.

Oscar’s design philosophy is one of subversion: he rejects the polished, pristine world around him, finding beauty in the discarded. It’s a message that transcends beyond children’s television—it's a reminder that design isn’t just about perfection; it’s also about appreciating the imperfect and the discarded, the things that others overlook. In a world of fast fashion, single-use plastics, and cluttered consumerism, Oscar’s world of "trash" is a design lesson in sustainability, reclamation, and seeing beauty in the forgotten.

Everything is Design: A Constant Thread

As we reflect on these five obsessions—Vlogmas burnout, Valerie Hart’s house tour, buying in multiples, vocal stimming as a coping mechanism, and Oscar the Grouch’s trash philosophy—what becomes clear is that design is not just limited to architecture, fashion, or music. It’s in every choice we make, from how we organize our lives to how we choose to present ourselves to the world.

At Sacred & Lit, we believe that everything, from the way we create content to how we experience sound and space, is designed—consciously or unconsciously. The beauty lies in the small decisions we make, the patterns we choose to repeat, and the systems we engage with. Whether it’s a fashion trend or a character from a children’s show, everything is a reflection of the designs we inherit, the ones we challenge, and the new ones we create.

In the end, design is life, and life is design.