Image: @mathewspaceman 11.4% full moon
Yesterday, the moon was 11.4% full (@mathewspaceman).
It was also the equinox. An equinox moon.
No matter if its waxing, waning, full or new, the moon is always beautiful.
what to read next...
Scrummy...the new reading pile :))
amnesiac
Gearing up to write. Trying to reset my brain/mood with some music. First song that came on shuffle—Radiohead's Amazing Sounds of Orgy from their album, Amnesiac (Deluxe version). A fave.
Not quite sure how that tunes into how I'm feeling...I just like Radiohead...
Check it out.
i see you, you see me
Artwork: wall mural by @cyrcle
Love this!
Created by cyrcle (The Dougs, @cyrcle) in Los Angeles, California, USA, (2017):
“I See You I Am You We Are One”
“You See Me You Are Me We Are Free”
Yes.
black balloons
When two becomes one...
Lithuanian artist, Tadao Cern's (Tadas Cerniauskas) Black Balloons in a glass tank (2016).
cool angel
This popped out at me while I was walking around Melbourne's CBD yesterday: @kambeeno's paste-up of a very cool, happy and zoned-out angel.
Not a bad way to be.
your dinosaur
Image: photo by @kambeeno
Some great advice: NEVER LOSE YOUR DINOSAUR!
DO
Image: From the Lewitt Collection via www.brainpickings.org
I've always loved the Nike statement/philosophy, “Just Do It”.
It cuts through the bullshit—the self-doubt, procrastinations, and the endless excuses to “not do” whatever it is that matters to you.
Seems that American artist, Sol Lewitt, was way ahead of Nike. In this fabulous letter written in 1965 to artist, Eva Hesse, who was obviously going through tremendous doubt about her work, and possibly life, he tells her to cut through the crap and “DO”!
After reading it, I've decided to adopt the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle and...DO.
This is my new mantra.
Here's an excerpt:
“Try and tickle something inside you, your ‘weird humor.’ You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you—draw & paint your fear & anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as ‘to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistant [sic] approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end.’ You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to
DO
I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work—the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell—you are not responsible for the world—you are only responsible for your work—so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working—then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to
DO”
live & believe
From @cococapitan: “be living is believing you live what you believe”.
Ummm...kind of never stopped living/believing stories...
open up to infinity
Mood. Love my 5preview t-shirt, been wearing their stuff for ages.
Open up to Infinity.
Totally.
what matters
Every day I'm reminded of what matters. I wear my Lise Vanrycke “Love” bracelet 24/7. It's a bit battered (sorry LVR!), but it's always there on my wrist so I never forget what's important.
The cuff I also wear every day, and for ages I thought the matrixy-glyphs were just a pattern until my friend, Hanna, pointed out they were Chinese characters! She made out “truth”, “love” and “know”, and I was so intrigued, I contacted the jeweller, Camilla Gough, and asked for the full text. She replied that she'd lifted the text from a Chinese newspaper and was simply relieved to know she hadn't inscribed the recipe for two-minute noodles on my bracelet! Huh!
It was a relief for me as well :)
little fang
Occasionally great oddball stuff crops up on IG, so while I was looking for some new street art, I came across this: French band, Dionysos' album cover, Vampire En Pyjama. I burst out laughing (well, it appealed to my twisty sense of humour), and given my love of vamps (at least in books and films), I went in search of the album. Sadly, the music did nothing for me, but the visual of a lone vamp brooding in his abode and wearing his jammies definitely made up for it.
But it did bring to mind a song by Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks—Little Fang. With its vamp-positive message, this wonderfully wonky song is about the journeys of a cat vampire called, Little Fang. It's been a roller-coaster of a week, so I kind of want to end it on a light-hearted note. Enjoy!
unexpected
Artwork: by @phlegm_art
So, I was walking down Chapel Street the other day (probably one of my least favourite streets in Melbourne!), and halfway between the fashionista and the grunge end, I happened to look up and saw this: a pretty remarkable artwork by @phlegm_art.
It made being there worthwhile. Almost.
happy feet
Got my new Chucks! I live in sneakers and jeans—so happy feet, especially as the last pair died a dirty death.
Simple and happy :)
grow new thoughts
Artist Sean Yoro's—aka the hula (@the_hula)—new mural was created in a burnt forest in the US that had recently been devastated by wildfires. He was inspired by, “the need to grow new thoughts on preserving and protecting our lands.”
He wrote this on IG:
“2017 saw 9.8 million acres of land burned in the US alone. While Climate Change does add risks of wildfires, 80-90% are caused by direct human error including unattended campfires, burning of trash, discarded cigarettes, etc.
Please help preserve the healthy lands we do still have and support legislation to protect our recently taken Public Lands.”
le guin
It's Virginia Woolf's birthday today and Ursula Le Guin recently passed away. Such literary greats. Just last week I was thinking about re-reading Le Guin's novel, Lavinia. A retelling of Virgil's Aeneid from the perspective of Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus and Queen Amata, and the future bride of Turnus, who never once speaks in the original tale, but in Le Guin's book, is given her own voice.
Here's Le Guin's view on being called a “science fiction” writer, and about the genre in general from The Paris Review, 'Art of Fiction no. 221':
“I don't think science fiction is a very good name for it, but it's the name that we've got. It is different from other kinds of writing, I suppose, so it deserves a name of its own. But where I can get prickly and combative is if I'm just called a sci-fi writer. I'm not. I'm a novelist and poet. Don't shove me into your damn pigeonhole, where I don't fit, because I'm all over. My tentacles are coming out of the pigeonhole in all directions.”
Love these words, love her writing, and I couldn't agree more about being pigeonholed. And yes, she was an incredible novelist and poet.
angel
Feeling a little dark and moody. Partly due to reading way too much about Trump and his first year in office (God, I can't believe it's only been a year!). The NYT editorial particularly left me feeling like a lead weight had taken residence in my gut.
Not sure whether this is exacerbating my mood or providing an escape (a bit of both!)—Massive Attack's brilliant album, Mezzanine.
Disquieting, shadowy, brutal and beautiful.
Here's one of the standout tracks for me: Angel.
A Yoshitomo Nara Day
Yep, this about sums it up.
channel orange
The alternative 'nostalgia' cover art
It's HOT. If I go outside I pretty much melt into a freaking puddle. So, I've been holed up under the AC (bliss & very grateful for it right now!) to work, occasionally checking out to chill and listen to one of my all-time favourite albums, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange. It was love-at-first-listen and continues to enthral—that voice!—with his compelling lyrical storytelling.
Ocean once said : “[Storytelling’s] the more interesting part about making music for me, or making albums and songs and stuff. So much so that I might not make another album. I might just write a novel next.”
That was before the drop of Blonde and Endless. I love the idea of him writing a novel! And hopefully, more music.
Here's a small taste: Sweet Life.
new moon
Image: photograph by @isaacexplores & featured on @universetoday
New moon. New beginnings. New intentions.
And contemplating the cosmic, some wise words from Carl Sagan:
“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love”'
(@_nitch)