Noemi’s Notables: September 2023

1. Yesterday I opened up Hidden Systems by Dan Nott and learned how the internet really works! I definitely recommend it. It lays out the systems in a very simple, understandable way, with great comic visuals.

2. If you have been following me on Instagram, you know that I have been diving into two of Austin Kleon’s amazing books, Show Your Work and Keep Going. I keep stumbling across little passages that really, really resonate with me and give me the final push to do things that I have been procrastinating on, like making a list on paper of what I will and will not post on the internet.

“In order to protect your sacred space and time, you have to decline all sorts of invitations from the world. You must learn to say ‘no,'” he writes. And later: “Art and the artist both suffer most when the artist gets too heavy, too focused on results.”

I started a sketchbook daily practice a couple weeks ago and started sharing what I drew and painted. What happened when I posted pictures of my sketchbook art was that I started making art for the algorithm, not for myself, and it made me stressed because everything I drew had to be “good” art, shareable art. I believe that everyone needs a space where they are given permission to make “bad” art, and that space for me is my sketchbook. From now on, what goes into the sketchbook stays in the sketchbook 😉

Remember to reserve a creative space to make for yourself, and not for others.

3. Comment on your favorite podcast! I go through phases. Right now it’s Ologies with Alie Ward, which goes deep into very specific subjects such as sciuridology (the study of squirrels!), curiology (emoji!!) and native melittology (indigenous bees!!!). This week’s episode was all about gustology, the study of taste.

4. The fall colors are creeping in and that chill is in the air. I am looking forward to putting blankets in the living room and bundling up in sweaters.

5. Having plants just makes spaces so much more inviting and beautiful! I have long had houseplants, and I loved seeing which ones Laura Horn had in her studio tour.

6. My family recently got together with some friends who introduced us to the game Ransom Notes. It is a wonderful poetry exercise because you are given a limited number of words to choose from to write a response to a prompt. For this one, the prompt was “Describe how pearls are made.”

7. Just seeing these adorable tres leches cakes made my day.

8. I have been enjoying Maya de Vitry‘s music while I do tasks around the house, as well as some ’80s numbers such as ‘Inspiration’ by Chicago, which is great for belting to (when I’m alone).

Happy Fall!

Noemi