April 2023 — Curiosity Chronicles
Round and round we go!
👋 Well, howdy!
April has been an odd month. I have been busier at work than has been the norm over the past couple of months. It seems everyone has kicked into gear now that the new year has settled and Easter is out of the way. The weather has changed, and things have gone by faster than I would like them to. For me, this month has also been the beginning of a new quarter with a slightly different focus. My explorations in slow living have made me think deeply and make changes, which is excellent!
At the end of each quarter, I look back and see how I’ve been growing — what went well, what could be improved on — and then adjust course if need be for the next quarter to make sure I am still pointed in the direction I would like to go for the year. Minor corrections each quarter are far more manageable than having a panic at the end of the year when I realise I am not where I want to be in life. Of course, life throws us curve balls and sends us barrelling off in a different direction for a time, but it would be boring if everything went to plan, wouldn’t it?
😸 Curiouser and Curiouser!
I thought I’d try something different this month and record a tutorial video to show you how I use spiral drawings as a form of meditation. A method that honours my artistic and tactile self and helps me focus or let go without being distracted. Enjoy!
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, especially if you try it.
✒ Things I hit publish on this month
🎥 I recorded a video tutorial showing how I finished my urban sketching spread with photos and journalling when I got home from the sketch walk. You, my lovely subscribers, are the first to see it!
💤 In the second post in my series about this year’s theme word, SLOW, I ask, “Does slow equal lazy?”
🎨 My favourite creation this month
I have started a dedicated sketchbook for nature journalling with grey paper in it, and I love how the light colours pop off it! And I love birds. I was pleased with how this little robin turned out.
👀 Curious things that caught my attention this month
📸 Canberra Photographer Amanda Thorson recently published a book called There Is No Normal that showcases the bodies of 75 women who volunteered to be photographed to see how different we all look. It is a stunning and profoundly moving piece of work. I keep my copy on the coffee table. Please check it out. (Local paper review)
🪚 This Taiwanese artist creates the most amazing wooden sculptures that look like people trapped inside objects. Remarkable!
✍️ These amazingly detailed ink and watercolour illustrations made me wonder how on earth they did it!
🇺🇦 For the past 14 months, artist Nina Kashchina has been documenting the war through portraits of her parents when they do video chats.
🪡 This lady kept a daily visual journal with needle and thread, and the result blows my mind!
🧐 What if...we had a chat?
Did you try the spiral meditation method? What did you think?
Thank you. I had never seen that type of journal, I can see how it would keep me focused while mediating. I also love how the spiral itself allows a focus or a let go.