Howdy fellow human!
This week’s notes:
1.
2.
I went back to the library for the first time in a year. I don’t think I fell out of love with the library, so much as I was picking the wrong books. I always wanted to be the kind of person who read literary fiction and complex fantasy novels, but now I know I’m aphantasic I’m letting go of that quest - I need minimal description, lots of dialogue, and a quick plot or in-depth concepts (whether emotional or otherwise). With this new list of criteria I took out three books from the library, including Weyward by Emilia Hart. I find it kind of spooky how I am drawn to books about neurodivergence - Weyward was the first I picked up (without seeing the reference to ‘witch’ on the front).
“Though she wonders now if ‘friends’ was ever the right word for the women she met at University. She never managed to match her speech to the cadence of theirs, never quite correctly timed a joke or a laugh. It’s a feeling she’s had since childhood: that she is somehow separate, closed off from everyone else.”
3.
I enjoyed this “don’t tell me to smile” pin so much I had to add it to my collection.
4.
Building this new desk in my studio turned out to be quite a feat. I got to the last stage thinking I’d aced the instructions only to see the screws from the legs poked through the table top! Whilst I maintain the instructions were not consistent nor clear enough, it was in fact also a classic case of ADHD tax - I’d used the wrong screws. After the tears of frustration passed it made me chuckle because one of the questions in my ADHD assessment was all about following instruction manuals - yep, it still stands, I’m not too fond of them. Luckily we could buy a separate replacement table top on its own and with my husband’s oversight I got it right second time around!
5.
I’ve been diving into an overdue conversation about the women who are left out of the feminist movement. My first port-of-call has been Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall.
“We rarely talk about basic needs as a feminist issue. Food insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighbourhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. Instead of a framework that focuses on helping women get basic needs met, all too often the focus is not on survival but on increasing privilege. For a movement that is mean to represent all women, it often centres on those who already have most of their needs met.”
6.
In last week’s notes I mentioned my love of doing puzzles whilst watching TV. This week I want to share another option I’m trying - colouring books! I held off buying one because I wanted to make my own - whilst I’m cautiously optimistic it’ll happen at some point I decided to buy this one in the meantime.
7.
I love crime dramas, especially foreign crime dramas, so for our weekly pizza and movie night this week Andrew and I opted for Decision To Leave - a murder mystery come forbidden romance. I always bang on about cinematography but seriously the cinematographer Kim Ji-yong is so creative, managing to combine what was an emotionally-charged story with playful cinematography. There’s a shot taken from the perspective of a dead man’s eye, and even the eye of a fish! I was captivated and days later continue to think about the plot and themes of the movie.
8.
Diary entry - 4th March
"Mainly it is the aphantasia on my mind. It’s explaining so much, especially around picturing faces and places, keeping/recalling memories, and in my art practice. I feel confined about where to go with this knowledge creatively - do I give up on art and focus on writing? My gut says no. I would love to lean in to the opportunity that realising the ‘constraints’ of my aphantasic brain present me with.”
This diary entry led me to think more deeply about how this ‘constraint’ could challenge me creatively, in a positive way, if I let it. In my search for similar discussions, I stumbled across this quote from Lionardo Da Vinci:
“Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom.”
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Looking forward to catching up in the comments, and I’m sending you love until next time!
Charlie
xoxo
Your desk space looks so lovely 😍
I loved Weyward! It was one of my favourite reads from last year.