Good morning you little weary humans.
Back in the day I was in a book club where we read Shakespeare in order. It took us maybe two years to get through his entire oeuvre, but it’s continued to be an experience I’m still learning new things from even all this time later.
I think back on it now because I find myself in the middle of things. My life. My artistic career. Even my own becoming. I remember one of my biggest discoveries from that little book club was getting to witness Shakespeare LEARN. Seeing him in the middle of things - working through a character arc or a conflict in play after play after play before seeing all of his learnings come together in its own artistic wholeness when the right story finally came along to match his evolving skill and craft.
And as I wander a bit around this Midpoint of Mine, what I make myself remember by thinking back to that book club is that it’s all about expectations - both the expectations I say out loud and the expectations I whisper to myself.
Because while I may say out loud that my goal is to learn and get better, deep down there’s a teeny little whisper that adds, “and remember to be perfect and not embarrass yourself!” And it’s that whisper that has a tendency to burden the ensuing attempt with just the right amount of pressure, saturating it in self doubt and fear. Which then, as we all know, creates that cycle of “oh that? I can’t do that. I tried and it didn’t work out” - thus successfully returning me safely back into my little comfort zone, far from the vulnerability that comes with admitting you care, trying something new, and being scared of failing.
But, what if I remembered the lesson of that little book club?
I traveled this past month for the first time this year. I have this mythology about myself that I’m not a good traveler. It’s a theory borne out of the discomfort I feel at being a bit bumbling in high pressure situations. But, this time I decided I was going to try to use that AirFly thing, so I could hook up my Airpods to the In Flight Entertainment. I watched YouTube videos, I took the instructions with me in the pocket of my hoodie. I told myself I was ready (and stressssed.)
The flight there, I actually got it to work and happily watched Fast X in all its glory. I felt so proud of myself. But, on the way back, I couldn’t get it to work. I became convinced that everyone was watching me fumbling with the little AirFly, trying and retrying to pair it with my AirPods in vain. So, I abandoned the AirFly and quickly (SO QUICKLY) defaulted to the set provided by the airline, as I repeated that little whisper’s warnings of “…and remember to be perfect and not embarrass yourself!”
BUT, if my goal was to learn how to use the AirFly, I succeeded. If my goal was to get better at using the AirFly, I succeeded. The only version of this that is considered a failure, is if my goal was to be perfect at it.
So, no. This was not the Hamlet of AirFlys.
But, I did learn something.
Each month, I’ll gather:
🤩stuff to watch, read and listen to
🤝great follows on social media
🌈 music to soothe
🥑 good food and great places to eat and drink
🕯calming things
*****
🤩
Season 2 of one of my favorite shows is back on - but do NOT watch THIS trailer of Annika’s second season trailer if you haven’t watched the first season - there’s a big ole spoiler in it.
The wonderful and talented Rie McClenny has her first cookbook coming out this month, Make it Japanese. Make sure to pick up a copy.
Took a plane this past month (see above) and got to finally watch two movies I just kind of missed. On the flight there I watched Fast X and Jason Momoa is a GD delight. On the way home I watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and I need to watch it at LEAST ten more times to catch all the cool stuff they threaded into it. It’s SO GOOD.
Here’s something you didn’t know you needed - Bastille collabed with Hans Frickin Zimmer on a version of Pompeii. It’s GORGEOUS.
🤝
Follow Dr. Karan Rajan for a fascinating peek into food, science, medicine and everything in between.
Follow Emily Amick for all things political.
Follow Joseph Awuah-Darko for gorgeous art and creative inspiration.
🌈
🥑
I went to Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra this month and it was SO GOOD. You know when you walk into a restaurant and immediately you feel like you’ve been found - I know that sounds weird, but… there’s something magical about a GOOD restaurant. And Yang’s? The food… EVERY dish we had was exquisite. I had a yuzu martini that blew my socks off. Go. Please dear god, GO.
I also ventured out to Tartine over on Sycamore and what a lovely morning I had. They have these morning buns…. ahhhhhh. I mean, just anything and everything there is delicious.
I also tried Nightingale up in Vancouver and it was wonderful. Great small plates, amazing ingredients and you know I had to order the Passionfruit Palmer (a play on the Arnold Palmer, but with passionfruit, lime, and iced tea)
I also finally ventured to Now Serving - a bookstore devoted ENTIRELY to cookbooks. It’s AMAZING. (and there’s a great tea shop right across the way, sooooo.)
🕯
Do you have those items that are just saved in a tab that’s always open, but you just can’t BUY it? That’s THIS for me. I love it. I want it… but dear god, I do NOT need another GD tote bag. So, let me live vicariously through you… someone please buy this.
This was my Christmas splurge - you know how I am POWERLESS against a good advent calendar? Yeah well, I …. I succumbed, okay? I SUCCUMBED.
I went to a writers conference this past month and packed all my fancy pens, but ended up just using my old, beloved stand-by: The Blackwing 602. It’s just an elegant pencil, I tell you what. AN ELEGANT PENCIL I SAID.
Yes, I’m one of those pour over coffee people, but one of the problems I’ve been trying to solve is to find a more sustainable option besides using paper coffee filters. I found THIS and it works great. So happy.
I’m a Card Carrying Leuchtturm Kid. BUT, did you know they make TINY ones? DID YOU KNOW THEY MAKE TINY ONES? I saw someone at that conference I went to with a tiny one and … I mean, look… okay… just… FINE, I MADE IT WEIRD OKAY? I… I’VE JUST NEVER SEEN A TINY ONE.
I wound up attending SiWC virtually because I got sick at the last minute. So disappointed I was unable to hear your contributions because they were only available to in-person attendees. I’m an older person, a newer writer. It would make my life to achieve a personal level of success sharing my writing with others - anyone actually. The last time I learned from you I felt lifted, enlightened, as new understanding always impacts me. Thanks for taking the time to write a newsletter that has the ability to inspire we learners to keep trying.