Ancient Egypt, potato paradox, Bernadette Mayer, and more
Ancient Egypt, potato paradox, Bernadette Mayer, and more
Seven links to worthwhile thin(g/k)s
Hello dear reader,
This week was sort of a bleh week. I think I’ve hit travel exhaustion and all I want to do is lazily enjoy my couch at home, but the thought of all the organization projects and spring cleaning I’ve assigned to myself sorta prevents me from relaxing, so I’ve been wandering the ‘open 24/7’ online aisles of home improvement supplies and kitchen gadgets, because what better way to put off actually doing things? One such trip resulted in me spending I kid you not 2.5 hours in search of just the right mason jar for my pantry. With this kind of funk there also comes a reading slump, which has made me that much more desperate for the couch. The couch, a good book (in my case way too many ‘current reads’), and some soothing music. Hoping this coming week allows for that, because lately I’ve been noticing how easily hours slip off into distraction. Daylight savings time today absolutely did not help. Samuel Johnson said, “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” I’ve always found the concept of a hard stop for one’s time to be pretentious (especially when said socially), but maybe having a hard stop for things in the creative world is a good kind of focus? I want to be a bit more protective of my creative time, and would love to hear how you’re managing.
In the meantime, though, here are this week’s seven links to bits of the world I have been exploring, shared with the hope that you will find them to be an inspiring springboard for deeper thinking.
The social recession: Technology, even social media, can be incredibly enriching. Just this month I had the pleasure of meeting not one but three Instagram friends in real life for the first time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel the nagging, irritating pit in my throat of having swallowed empty calories. For all its potential, technology is also incredibly isolating. I’m curious to know how people add social liveliness to their lives. On Instagram the other day I saw a group of friends in Denmark hanging out for the day, and it made me realize how difficult it has gotten to plan things with friends in a place like Los Angeles, where the thought of traffic alone freaks me out into paralysis.
On a similar note: Social media is a major cause of mental illness epidemic in teen girls.
Bernadette Mayer’s list of journal ideas: These are such a delight and so tenderly shared and encouraging. And here’s a bit more about Mayer herself.
quick updates:
watching: Daisy Jones & the Six. Was I initially confused thinking there was an actual band by that name? Yes. Has this been a fun watch? Yes.
listening: Laurel Canyon playlist. I grew up in the Valley a few blocks from Laurel Canyon Boulevard, but only now am coming around to learning about the musical culture from decades ago that enriched the scene around there.
eating: made date paste from medjool dates (soak in hot water for 10min) blended with cinnamon and walnut. Very healthy and a lovely addition to evening yogurt snacks. I recently discovered the connection between nutrition and hormones, and this has been a great resource on this journey.
using: Opinel peeler (French!) I was eyeing and finally grabbed at the Farmer’s Market at the Grove in LA last week.
affiliate links: sometimes, I include links to my Amazon storefront (often for books or other recommendations around the home/self I’ve found useful and hope you will, too). This means I make a few pennies whenever someone makes a purchase using the link. It doesn’t detract from my recommendations coming from a place of a genuine desire to share with you. It just helps provide a few tangible tokens for my effort.
support: I love writing these newsletters and creating deeper threads of connection to you in this absurd world of ours, but in any case, it is a time-consuming endeavor. If you are enjoying my journey, and if able, please consider supporting it by way of interaction (follow along on Instagram, YouTube, or leave a comment/like here!), subscribing to my paid-tier here on Substack, or by buying me a coffee here! It is hugely appreciated, and my gratitude is with you.
Until next week, friends.
Warmly,
Ani