10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #136

The joys and sorrows of being highly sensitive; mythical chameleons; dinosaur puppets; the key to self-esteem; cognitive distortions; sea angels and much more. edition 136 #ContentCatnip #Interesting Things

---

Sew Beautiful’s wondrous nemophilic embroidery

The embodies the sublime feeling of looking up into a sky filled with swaying tree canopies, beautiful! Via Women’s Art on Twitter.

Stayin Alive by Tropical Fuck Storm

Thanks to my long time blogger friend Wiliam who first introduced me to this awesome Aussie band Tropical Fuck Storm. This is an epic cover of the same song Stayin Alive. William’s blog is amazing if you love alternative music.

---

Mythical chameleon headdress from Burkina Faso

“The chameleon is abundantly represented in the art of Burkina Faso peoples (Bwa, Bobo, Lobi, Nuna). It’s considered one of the original primordial creatures created by God. They are considered magical & powerful because of their ability to change color when aroused or frightened. Its deliberate manner of walking also makes it an animal to fear.”

Via Art History Animals on Mastodon

---

12 Common Cognitive Distortions

---

Peaceful new age ambient music ripped from cassette: Jean-Pierre Labrèche ~ Yi King (1986)

I love this, it’s totally my jam, pan flutes, waterfalls, harps, so beautiful!

---

Highly sensitive person: Not your typical gift

If you inherited your heightened sensitivity, you have one or more variants of three types of genes. All involve your body’s neurotransmitters—specifically serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine—which are chemical messengers that affect your nervous system and health.

Serotonin most notably affects your mood and digestion. An HSP has a variant of the typical serotonin transporter gene that causes low serotonin levels, which increases sensitivity.

Dopamine gives you the desire to do something that makes you feel good, like deciding that a single serving of ice cream means consuming the whole pint or checking your cell phone constantly. The HSP brain responds differently to dopamine. You’ll be more thoughtful and observant rather than reward-centric. You might even leave the house without your cell phone on purpose.

Norepinephrine, the fight or flight chemical, helps you deal with stress. The HSP’s variant causes you to perceive the world more intensely.

Self-care recommended

The highly sensitive often need to measure their steps and spend limited time with, or totally avoid, people and places that leave them exhausted or anxious. Including social media, which Lyon has observed to be a key cause, along with the trauma of the pandemic, of anxiety in the world.

Via AZ Daily Sun

---

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: the most prolific and ambitious band of all time?

Not many bands drop 25 albums in one decade and have them all sounding unique, interesting, well produced and deep in meaning. This band from Melbourne has gone from an obscure garage band to being one of the most loved cult band in the world in the space of a decade.

Their cult-like following and at times unapproachable sound reminds me a bit of Frank Zappa. This video explains their various albums and just how different they all sound.

---

Insanely talented drummer Jess Bowen hears and plays Rage Against the Machine for the first time

She plays by ear and manages to be completely synced and on the beat and showcasing her incredible drumming abilities. A lot of the commenters seemed astonished that she had never heard the song ‘Bulls on Parade’ before, but as she is young it is possible.

---

Laura Mathews’ exquisitely beautiful bird and flying dinosaur puppets

🐦 Dive into the captivating world of Laura Mathews’ Flying Puppets! Laura’s fascination with biological mechanics is beautifully portrayed through her intricate creations.

---

A 4000 year old carving of a Cave Lion from Germany

This remarkable mammoth ivory figurine of a cave lion (about 40,000 years old), from Vogelherd Cave, Germany. One of the earliest known works of figurative art, it was crafted when hunter-gatherers and cave lions shared the Ice Age landscape. Via Archeohistories on Mastodon.

---

A medieval fair in Levin, New Zealand

Love myself a medieval shin-dig I wish I could have gone…

---

To build self-esteem, focus on effort rather than results

When self-esteem is threatened, those with unstable self-esteem may feel worthless and give up to protect themselves from feelings of failure, or they may blindly persist to try to reaffirm their self-worth through success (even if their approach isn’t working, takes longer or takes more work).

Both strategies are unproductive. The more effective approach would be to reassess the problem and approach it from a different angle.

In short, self-esteem doesn’t boost good grades, good grades boost self-esteem. Similarly, high self-esteem doesn’t make someone a better leader, better romantic partner, or more liked.

People with high self-esteem may think they are more popular and well-liked, but those with contingent high self-esteem, are usually perceived as unsupportive and unlikable (which makes sense if they consider relationships a means to bolster their self-esteem). Just as with grades, social acceptance seems to boost self-esteem, not the opposite.

In other words, self-esteem isn’t a cure-all. Even the most confident, attractive, intelligent people experience relationship breakups, job loss and anxiety.

So, how do we develop healthy, stable self-esteem? By focusing on effort.

It’s impossible for us all to be exceptional and outperform our peers. By assuming those things, we set ourselves up for constant blows to our self-esteem. Instead, we can try to base self-esteem on doing better, not being better. Behaving in ways that align with our goals, and giving ourselves something to be proud of, will develop self-esteem that isn’t contingent on results or others’ opinions.

For example, if your self-esteem is currently contingent on relationships, try focusing on how kind or helpful your actions are, rather than how liked you are. If your self-esteem is contingent on productivity, try focusing less on how much you get done and more on the impact of what you get done.

When building self-esteem in others, this means complimenting their efforts, not their results. For example, telling your child “Wow, you worked so hard on this!” or “Wow, you’re learning so much!” instead of “Wow, you’re so smart!” Kids can’t control how smart they are, and they’ll never excel at every subject, so those things shouldn’t define their self-worth. The same goes for adults.

Encouraging kids to work hard, be curious and appreciate the results of their efforts helps them build self-competence and belonging. This gives them a realistic sense of their abilities and an appreciation for their relationship to others.

Research via The Conversation

---

A mysterious and ethereal sea angel

This isn't CGI, it's a real-life creature known as a sea angel (Clione limacina) found in the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.

📽: Alexander Semenov pic.twitter.com/hAXTfqjIPj

— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) April 8, 2024

---

The alluring storytelling of negative space by Tang Yau Hoong

Tang Yau Hoong is a highly imaginative Malaysian artist and illustrator, renowned for his ingenious conceptual illustrations that playfully harness negative space to craft optical illusions. His artwork captivates and puzzles viewers, drawing them into a world of visual wonder.

Tang’s creations are characterized by their simplicity and clever composition, using negative space to unveil hidden images and meanings. His work has gained international acclaim, gracing numerous publications globally. He also runs an online store, offering fine art prints of his enchanting pieces.

The allure of Tang’s art lies in its storytelling power, conveying emotions and narratives without a single word. His mastery of negative space enables him to produce visuals that are not only aesthetically appealing but also stimulate the mind, offering a unique blend of visual artistry and intellectual engagement. Via Inspiration Grid on Mastodon.

---

The uplift of a fearless heart will help us over barriers. No one ever overcomes difficulties by going at them in a hesitant, doubtful way.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

---

Did you enjoy this collection? let me know what you think of it below. Thank you for reading my dear friends!