#20 What we love and what we pay attention to
#20 What we love and what we pay attention to
Find your way
Hey there! I'm glad to have you here.
If you’re new, this is The Substacker, the best of the indie side of Substack, hand-picked every week. It encompasses art, science, history, books, movies, and all other forms of inspiring ramblings common to Substack. Click the link to learn more:
After some shaky weeks, Notes seems to be working incredibly well now. I've compiled some excellent reads for this week's 20th edition. We start with a trip to Seattle that reminds us that a library is a place full of love. From there, I found some insightful connected readings on how what we pay attention to and work toward are also acts of love. From our favorite singers to little actions to rebel against capitalism.
The green dragon in Seattle
And all the love there and everywhere
All of those millions of writers who spent years of their lives on topics they loved and/or cared deeply about. All of those millions of publishers, printers, book binders, illustrators etc who gave years of their lives to support the projects that they too loved and cared about. Plus all of the groups of ordinary people, educators, librarians, book conservationists and document restorers who have worked throughout time to save, protect and preserve the books they loved and cared for. That's a lot of love and care over a huge swath of human history. So for me books (and art) are the tactile, tangible, evidence of love.
The artist of my life
Adele
I’m wearing my boyfriend’s black H&M hoodie. It’s pulled up over my face to hide my tears. He is away in Australia having ‘life experiences’. I miss him and his smell and his skin so much it’s a constant background hum. My tummy and organs ache in swirled-up confusion and sadness. This is grief, my first real experience of it. Not that anyone at home has used that sort of word or really spoken about what’s happened.
One person really is here for me right now. She is adept at helping me feel what I need to feel. She is right here in my ears. Her name is Adele.
Who do you think of when you think of community?
3 mascots (or metaphors?) to inspire people-centeredness
It wasn’t until years later that I would experience the beauty of a person who could hold space with a group of people so organically, so quietly, and so collaboratively that it felt like magic. The kind of person who listened more than they spoke and listened very deeply at all times. Who could alchemize all that listening into a perfect echo of the sentiment of a room at any moment, and then shape divergent perspectives into something everyone could get behind...because it was the group’s idea all along, just framed in a way that broke through to us.
The Year of Touch
Dispatch #22: The Paradox of the Type A Artist
I think of The Year of Touch as the willingness to move & be moved. The forms – the fruits, the truth, experience, whatever arises from engaging – will come, pleasing or strange. Isn’t that truly living? A collaboration with change, a refusal of stasis, no matter how comfortable. To allow oneself to be cast straight forth into the elements, be they gorgeous or scary, because then at least you get to feel the sea on your skin, you get to see the cliffs up close, you get to breathe in that data strictly for the living: the air?
Ice coffee without the existential crisis
Plus being recognized by John Mannion's staff member
As I shook hands to greet Senator Mannion, he said he recognized me, which is unlikely. My newsletter isn’t that famous. I then talked to him about the bill and he was tepidly supportive, and as I was thanking him and his staff member for their time, the staff member said she definitely knew who I was. She said, “You’ve called our office about the bill, right?” And I had. About three or four times. But only three or four times! If they remembered me, then not enough people who care about plastic pollution are calling him. If we all called, he wouldn’t dare be tepidly supportive. He would co-sponsor the legislation and be proud about it!
100 Ways To Thrive Outside Of Capitalism
There is always another way, another choice.
This letter is a continuation from my last publication. It’s a very small scroll that makes me think : what if we all wrote a list like this? It's really necessary, really fun, and it's really all within our reach. We just need to write it and share it and live it together.
Before you go…
Paid subscriptions and donations help me keep this newsletter going. If you find The Substacker useful, you can also consider tipping a virtual coffee.
If money is short, don't worry! Sharing it with friends is also pretty helpful!
See you next time! :)
Wow!! Thank you!!! I'm honored to have my A.M. Sketching included in your cool round up!!!! 💚💚💚
What a cool round up! Thank you for including COOL IT!