When good ideas merge into super on-fire ideas

I’ve had some random passions simmering for the last decade or so, and they’ve suddenly and slowly converged: Bookmaking, collage, vintage graphics, writing, layout, found materials, sustainable living, slow communication, vintage ephemera, little free libraries, commonplace books, subversive teaching, social justice, evolving aspiration, and community building.

ZINES! I’ve found my people.

Yesterday I went to my first zine event, the Zine Machine in Durham, NC. I filled my Holly Hobbie lunchbox with zines of all kinds. I met some fun and interesting people. This is my new thing. I’ve got a zine jam date with my friend Cyndy this Thursday, and I’m so in love with this new thing that I’ve been doing all along and now have a name for.

It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to do any extended writing or even submit anything to publish. Zero interest lately in that kind of stuff. Personal branding. Social media presence. Write every day. NaNoWriMo. Contests. Submissions. Rejections. Not my current cup of tea. I’m writing in the slow lane these days.

 

(Peace) Party like it’s 1968

I’ve been digging into the backstory of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and I have a new appreciation for Lady Elaine Fairchilde.

image courtesy of Neighborhood Archive

She comes from Planet Purple–who knew? And in Episode 0008, the neighborhood friends throw a Peace Party.

Lady Elaine arrives dressed as a dove of peace and suggests that the party be about peace and noise, not peace and quiet.

from The Neighborhood Archive–All Things Mr. Rogers

This speaks to me. Creating peace is noisy and messy and active. Promoting peace isn’t an act of avoiding conflict, but rather heading straight into the heart of it. Lady Elaine is totally on point.

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Just a few thoughts for today, sparked by a couple of stickers I put on my fresh bullet journal. I’ve about wrapped up my fancy blue one and have tweaked to add more function and less fancy. Details to come.

Now I’m off to do some planning.

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Quote for today’s work

“Coffee falls into the stomach . . . ideas begin to move, things remembered arrive at full gallop . . . the shafts of wit start up like sharp-shooters, similes arise, the paper is covered with ink . . .”

~ Honoré de Balzac

Photo credit: Kartlkay Sahay. No changes have been made.