art practice or life practice?

February, Cold and Airy

Black History Month, award shows, halftime performances, Valentines Day, family member birthdays. Many events have already happened with many more to come in such a short month.

Although it’s still winter and the snow continues to fall, my energetic battery feels to be at 80% more than enough to take myself off the charger and get back into the social world. Plus my recent hair appointment got me feeling myself, vanity works in mysteriously good ways. Little by little I’ve been accepting social invitations, planning one on one interactions, and attending larger gatherings at a minimum. I’m learning my winters are best spent conserving my energy, engaging in low risk investments, and limiting socials.

Social Scene (or lack thereof)

This month I decided to delete the TikTok app from my phone. To be honest I’m still on other social sites pretty regularly (and every once in a while, I’ll view TikTok on the browser hehe) but the Opal blocks really help to limit the doom scrolling.

“Being off platforms forces you to find your way rather than following someone else's template of what that looks like and what success is . . . . over time, I just gave myself permission to focus my energy and put it where it feeds me and my world the most. And that is not on other people's platforms, inside other people's algorithms. That is on my own website world.”

From botanical studies of internet magic: 11. the joy of missing out on platforms

Listening to Kening Zhu, host of botanical studies of internet magic, has reassured me that life off platforms is possible. Ultimately I’d like to delete other social apps but for right now the focus is to adjust and normalize being “out of the loop”.

Archival Approach

Before the TikTok app deletion, I scrolled to a video by Rue Yi on creating your own self guided study. This wasn’t a new idea for me, previously I had written out lengthy outlines of curriculums on serval topics that felt too overwhelming to even begin. Rue offered a simplistic approach to the task that I’ve snice adjusted for creating archives and trend reports.

Ya girl is putting that obsessive pattern recognition to good use.

My newfound passion for trend reporting has become a favorite pastime. It’s led me to engage with more long form media, expanding my sources beyond my social following. I’ve started reading more blog posts and design publications, routinely listening to my favorite podcasts on the latest hot topics, and watching lectures and interviews on YouTube.

Wishing on a star

As my obsession with stars continues, I’ve taken a great interest in astronomy via the Sky Guide app. Taking the time to unwind and view the night sky after a long day of work instead of binge watching and zoning out is quite refreshing. Charting the sky is a constant reminder to be where my feet are and chin up. We are all apart of something way bigger than imaginable.

This month I spotted an open cluster called Pleiades at the tail end of the Taurus constellation, paid more attention to moon phases, and started listening to a sky tour podcast. I want to believe that celestial navigation will be my contribution to the post-apocalyptic world, who knows? There’s so much to explore and understand. Instead of spending time looking down at a black screen, I want to look out into the world. Look in the eyes of my companions. Look at art. Look at the stars.

The Silversmith Siren: Be Weary, She’s Crafty

I recently started a weekly jewelry design class and I’m off to a great start on my journey into the silversmithing world. Yay to learning new skills! My overflowing star obsession has naturally become the subject matter of my class projects. Not sure how long the star gaze will last but I’m riding the wave till I hit the shore.

I’m also an official ceramic studio member with 24 hour access, so cheers to that! Some of the glaze combinations I tried on my wheel thrown pieces could not take the heat. Damn you dolphin glaze! But hey, all failures are learning lessons in the world of crafts.

Till next time. Ciao!