Hey, I’m back and experimenting with a shorter format. Less polished, more stream of consciousness. Maybe we’re all making an effort to sound less like AI? Catherine Shannon started publishing fragments written on a type-writer. Nice.
I spent August breathing fresh mountain air, playing games with teenagers, eating food I haven’t cooked, and nurturing family bonds. It was lush. Mostly. Navigating big social groups is not my strength. But as we’re all getting sucked deeper into work, our digital silos and a chilling news cycle, I feel my capacity for dealing with the messiness of real human connection is growing (or I actively make sure it’s not contracting). The joy of being together is worth all the arguments and irritations that may arise. In a world that is becoming more inconceivably violent, regressive, numb and consumerist, I am more committed to nurturing this sense of joy. Not in a selfish, dissociating kind of way, but in a world-building kind of way. As resistance. Joy is radical.
Last week I watched a couple of talks from the World Design Congress. One of the more inspiring sessions was a conversation between Brian Eno and climate activist Tori Tsui. Eno mentioned a book by Andrew Boyd which explores how to live in a collapsing world. He, too, has accepted the catastrophic circumstances in which we find ourselves. But rather than thinking about it as a problem to be solved (or ignored), we can face that reality and still make a better mess. I like that sentiment a lot.
He also emphasised the importance of knowing what we truly want. This sounds like a trivial question. But if we’re allowing others (brands, algorithms, big tech) to tell us what to think, what to like, how to feel about things and where to spend our money, knowing what we really want becomes a real effort. If you take away all the noise, do we even remember?
For me it’s a constant battle. What is it actually that I want to achieve? Let’s not allow the distraction industry to prevent us from making a better mess.
Peace & love
🕊️
Here are some shots I took in early summer in London and Copenhagen, looking for what grows in between.
© all photos shot on film by me
Love this, thank you!
These photos are amazing, Karen!