▒ Thread-letter: Finding Joy in February
How can I help you find joy? How can you help me find joy?
February is hard — even in California. Sometimes it’s offerings are as exquisite as tongue-fucking a ripe passionfruit left behind on the counter by one of my landmates. Other times, I am indignantly designing a line of hats and t-shirts in my head that read “I hate small talk”.
Perhaps more than any other month, February requires regular applications of something soothing, like a balm. A few weeks ago, I completely devoured the comment section of Marlee Grace’s Friday Thread : Inspiring art stories. I did not need to add to my already enormous list of books to read and films to see. But something about the safety and belonging regularly evoked by Mar’s newsletter inspired me to scrap my pre-existing list (for now) and go ham on the suggestions left behind by Mar and their readers. My new list starts with Nan Goldin and ends with Ursula K. Le Guin. Crumbs of delight, I’m sure.
I’d love to hear from you more often and I’m thinking about the way I can provide the space for it or a prompt. Alas, here is the first of a series I am going to call thread-letters. We can use them as a way to share and inspire each other. Leave a comment directly, or respond to another reader’s comment and talk to somebody new.
✦ What’s something that brought you joy or made you smile lately?
Please share something with everybody in the comments. Something tells me the comments themselves might even spark joy.
Personally, I’m on day two of my creative sabbatical from Instagram. This break in and of itself is already bringing joy.
On day one, I tackled 17 billion pieces of unopened mail, made a series of simple line drawings, listened to half of Rick Rubin’s new book ‘The Creative Act’ (which I have some hot thoughts about), and came up with a new way to spell “poopy” while playing squabble with my love.
On day two, T. and I woke before sunrise to the sound of Charlie tapping on my bedroom door. “It’s snowing,” he whispered.
The surfboards are frozen, the house sits beautifully, my capacity has nearly runneth over, I’m still alive and so are you.
What brought you joy lately?
Love,
Anna
Repurposing a birth congratulations card as a birthday card for my friend Sonya because who doesn't need a reminder that we are still very new to living.
buying so many stamps so i could hand draw valentines for all my dear friends that live all across the country. I realized we all live in 11 different states now. The snapchat group is as strong as ever. I like to think about the hand-drawn hearts travelling across the country like paper planes to find each of my lovely friends, and to remind them they are loved everyday.