‘And per se and’

Apr 30

Dear reader,

You may wonder why you find this letter dropped on your digital doorstep out of the blue. Well, at some point since 2018, you signed up to hear from me. A lot has happened since then, a lifetime ago. Let's bid adieu if you've understandably moved on by now. Otherwise, continue on for a list of creative things worth sharing.

My nerdy passion for typography has been reignited after teaching type at a local university this winter. Do you know the one about the lovely 'and per se and'?
You troubleshoot, you're in conversation with yourself, & you keep going.
Over the last decade, I've developed my freelance process as a designer. Time dedicated to my art has been abbreviated, challenging me to tweak my process — trying out Anne Lamott's scattered index cards system. Intrigued by Austin Kleon's system of sharing, as I realize I don't have a sequence for distilling information, and maybe his approach can help my daily writing practice. When I begin to overthink it all, Steven Pressfield's no bullshit approach brings me back to just. do. the. damn. thing. already.
I'll have a bed dressed in bright blankets
and embellished quilts to spark your sweat
and set it spilling until it chases
the chill that you've been given.
A few lines from the greatest poem in 18th century Ireland sewn seamlessly into my new-old interest in quilting.
Ēostre, goddess of the growing light of Spring. Celebrating these early days of the Spring Equinox in simple ways; painting boiled eggs, fresh tulips for a wee bunny's birthday, and holding space for multiple creation stories. She has risen, indeed.
Is it really that bad if we don't cater to our two-year-olds every whim?
If members of Gen X can blame their high rates of depression and anxiety on latchkey parenting, and if millennials can blame their high rates of depression and anxiety on helicopter parenting, then perhaps a new generation can anticipate blaming their high rates of depression and anxiety on the overvalidation and undercorrection native to gentle parenting. — The Harsh Realm of Gentle Parenting
This summer, I'll be at my favorite coffee shop near the harbor a few days each week. Sign up for a conversation over coffee with me if you're in town. Bring what you're working on, reading, or ideas with your art, and I'll share mine.