Eating: Brown rice pasta with Trader Joe’s vegan pesto and sautéed cherry tomatoes.
Working On: My first piece for Substack. I debated the paid subscription model for a long time. I didn’t think anyone cared enough about what I had to say to pay even $4/month for exclusive stuff. But many mirror pep talks, pangs of creative heartache, and chats with an inspiring writer friend later, I know in my soul that I should be earning income from this thing I nurture so carefully. Even if one person subscribes.
Feeling: Excellent. Andrew and I have started a routine of waking up a little earlier to walk for 30 minutes together each morning. Yes, we hold hands the whole time and yes, my sentimental ass cherishes every second. Plus, like, endorphins or whatevuh.
Wanting: To shoot my next roll of film (!!!). I recently picked up an Olympus OM-2 from WebCamm and I’m so giddy about the entire process. I’d been obsessed with 35mm forever, but couldn’t stomach another learning curve after a disenchanting stint with a DSLR. Bad relationships are just learning experiences for good ones, though, and I know my heart has found that in film. Thinking about getting into film? Here are my quick notes:
1. The cameras are cheap. We’re so bombarded with expensive devices that it’s hard to believe something exists for under $100. Each roll of film I purchased was around $8, and I paid $15 for development and scans at Indie Photo in Fishtown. They send you them digitally via Dropbox.
2. If you live in Philly, I definitely recommend WebCamm. Ben was a joy to work with. Call first and chat about what you’re looking for.
3. When you’re learning how to use the camera, ask if you can film the person teaching you. This was incredibly helpful when it came time to do it myself.
Just Watched: Abstract on Netflix. It’s a docuseries about different types of design and how they shape our world. On each episode, they feature one of the world’s top designers in that particular discipline. It’s a stunning compilation of artistic inspiration.
Just Attended: A panel discussion on the Black Lives Matter movement hosted by Caldera Magazine at Bok Bar. Three panelists and Caldera founder & creative director, Zoë Rayn engaged in a powerful dialogue around activism/community engagement, how to confront your racist loved ones, keeping the momentum, and much more. It was really invigorating for me to physically be in a space beyond protests to hear Black voices on the movement. The way I see it is if we are “safe” to go have brunch in public, then we should certainly feel compelled to attend civic engagement opportunities. Poke around social media and you will surely find more.
Loving: Pinterest. I’ve shared my love for this cream cheese/crock pot-adjacent search engine before, but I realize lately how limited my use has been. I really only maintained a board for fashion inspiration, but just created a new one for all the creative juices. Follow along for aesthetic brain dumps.