Comforting Thought: Whistling in the dark

“Art would not be important if life were not important. And life is important. Most of us, no matter what we say, are walking in the dark, whistling in the dark.” James Baldwin #quote #philosophy #art

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #121

Learn about a mysterious #Egyptian goddess, the worst names in history of give to a child, comforting Lo-Fi music, baroque church pulpits in the same of dragons and much more, it’s edition #121 of interesting things.

Comforting Thought: Sunrise by Mary Oliver

“I thought how the sun blazes for everyone just so joyfully as it rises
under the lashes of my own eyes, and I thought I am so many!” – Sunrise by Mary Oliver

Here be the Viking Hoard: The Mystery of the Lewis Chessmen

The Lewis Chessmen are a treasure of Viking and Scottish history and have elicited awe and wonder since they were first discovered. They were likely to have been made in Trondheim in Norway from walrus ivory. This kind of bone was hard to come across at the time (1150-1200 A.D). The craftsmanship of these tinyContinue reading “Here be the Viking Hoard: The Mystery of the Lewis Chessmen”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #120

Did you know that Mars was once coated in a green magma ocean? This week you can read love letters that never reached their destined recipient, learn how to make a Zen waterfall in your loungeroom, Jetson’s-style futuristic bubble cars and much more – it’s edition #120 of interesting things!

Comforting Thought: Describing versus experiencing places

“Describing something is like using it – it destroys; the colours wear off, the corners lose their definition, and in the end what’s been described begins to fade, to disappear. This applies most of all to places. Enormous damage has been done by travel literature – a veritable scourge, an epidemic. Guidebooks have conclusively ruinedContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Describing versus experiencing places”

Travel: Wellington’s Chinese New Year Lantern Festival

#Wellington’s annual #Chinese New Year Festival went ahead in early 2020 despite COVID-19. The waterfront became a sea of dancing colours with luminous koi fish, red dragons dancing, and illuminated Māori wahine and much more #travel #NewZealand

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #119

Join me this week for a hypnotic aural journey into Polish Drum and Bass, debunk some boomer memes, uncover the rudest sounding town names in America, dozens of abandoned mini castles in Turkey and much much more!

Book Review: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

I didn’t expect much from this book and was delightfully surprised by its immense depth and foresight. ‘How to Do Nothing’ is a profound and glittering jewel about the big topics of politics, internet culture, consumerism, capitalism and consciousness. It takes well-worn assumptions about how you spend your time and the tyrannical monopoly of banal “stuff” on your attention – and then rearranges your brain forever!

Book Review: Nature’s Palette by Thames & Hudson

Do you love nature? do you love colour? If you love these two things then this book is a must-have for your collection. A traditional reference guide originally published in 1814, a beautifully bound and illustrated new version is now available.

Nature’s Palette features all of the hues and colours you can possibly imagine in our green and blue verdant planet. Along with exquisite nature drawings and paintings. Opening this book is like being transported to a more earthy and connected era where nature in all of her splendour was all people knew about sourcing colour. This book is perfect for a gift for the artist you know. Or if you’re an artist, designer, nature-lover or aesthete, I think you would also enjoy it.