Fired

I’m delighted by how this turned out.

Made a medicine pouch at craft n chat this evening!

If you have any interest in thinking about and/or making art and/or ai: maybe give this article by Robin Sloan a gander:

https://www.robinsloan.com/winter-garden/magic-circle/

I find his takes (here and elsewhere) expand my thinking in a way that makes me feel extra curious and optimistic. Hopeful for possible futures and skeptical of present assumptions and predictions.

Synapses firing. It feels good.

Arcane Fibre Works made my day! I heard about this Canadian indie dyer on a subreddit and decided to check them. They’re a wee bit pricier than my go-to (Lichen and Lace – also awesome), but great looking colours, so I ordered two skeins. I picked it up at the post office today and was absolutely delighted to find a free gift skein included! Yarn love 🥰

I’m really pleased with how these are turning out

After a short walk and a shower, I’m spending the rest of the day in my Saturday Suit (flannel pjs).

I habitually start my day with NYT Games

Glazed

Today is Imbolc, about halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, and the full moon (snow moon) ❄️

Inspired by a newsletter I’ve recently subscribed to, I am trying out a new ritual this month: light a candle each evening at sunset.

What a great start to this book

One of my daily goals is to dance to a song I like (no one is watching). Today was Golden Regalia by Morgan Toney. It’s so good ❤️

I am absolutely motivated by cute things:

This app is exactly what I needed to keep my spirits up this time of year!

The coldest day of the year started with a 2-hour power outage 🥶 brr! Great excuse to stay in bed.

And we just found out the library will be closed tomorrow (snow day!) which just means more excuses to stay home and be cozy!

I’m more than a bit crochety about A.I.

I don’t want it in my visual arts, video, literature, music, relationships, spirituality, or creativity.

Science? Medicine? Physics, mathematics, research and testing? Sure! But I would prefer if it left my humanities alone.

I don’t want my whole life automated, optimized, predicted or controlled. I just want to be in it and do things. I’ll use my human intelligence (standing in the shoulders of giants, obviously) for the most part, thank you.

Not to mention the massive amounts of power being consumed by the machines – yikes!

A friend introduced me to this today and it’s super cute and wholesome. The last thing I need is another reason to Be on my phone, but I justified it because it’s winter time.

I picked a micropet just for you!

(Let me know if you want an invite w/micropet)

Hydration ritual. A lovely vessel makes drinking water that much more of a pleasure.

Book Recommendation: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, either the text only or graphic edition. Check your local library!

I have been guilty of “not caring” about history, and not considering how it has impacted my life, especially when I was younger. I see so much relevance now, and why it’s so important. And even though as I read I often found myself thinking, “I already do that, this is already important to me,” there was still plenty to ponder, and to consider (and reconsider) some of my own actions. We live in interesting times. Sometimes we need a reminder of what is beneficial, and what to be wary of. What to work toward, and what to fight against. What is suffering, and what is merely discomfort.

It might be an “eat your veggies” kind of read, but that’s just doing something that’s good for you – you deserve it.

Some of these may not be what you assume at first glance. The list is nothing without the descriptions. I hope this encourages you to give it a read.

From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder:

1. Do not obey in advance
2. Defend institutions
3. Beware the one-party state
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world
5. Remember professional ethics
6. Be wary of paramilitaries
7. Be reflective if you must be armed
8. stand out
9. Be kind to our language
10. Believe in truth
11. Investigate
12. Make eye contact and small talk
13. Practice coporeal politics
14. Establish a private life
15. Contribute to good causes
16. Learn from peers in other countries
17. Listen for dangerous words
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives
19. Be a patriot
20. Be as courageous as you can

On this day, ten years ago

Snow day today, but it doesn’t make much difference to me as I already have Mondays off.

My friend wrote some song lyrics and gave them to me to come up with some music for them. This is what I ended up with:

Title: Melancholy Cocktail

Written by: Wade Kelly

Music by: Marsha Amanova