Part I - Welcome!
Hello! This is the first of 22 little reflections, thoughts, meditations, check-ins, etc. How you perceive them does not matter so much to me as the fact that they are out of my head and into the “much more real, much more vital digital space.” You will receive one email every Saturday between today, January 15th, and June 11th, the day after I turn 23. Each week I’ll talk about what’s been on my mind, share any new work I’m proud of, and link some art/content that I found inspiring, exciting, or at the very least worth consuming.
I’m trying this format because:
1. Every day Instagram gets less functional and less fulfilling. I have at times genuinely enjoyed the platform as a way to share my life and art, but I no longer find that the convenience outweighs the awful spiral of clicking on one terrible reel and looking up from my phone an hour later, not remembering a single video I had just watched. I’m tired of sighing after every misguided update and trying to ignore the noisy new tabs and features and eventual talk of “how to beat Instagram’s new algorithm.”
This isn’t to say I’m done for good. I haven’t had the app downloaded (except to post) for a while now, but I’ve deleted the app before and always gone back to it eventually. I’ll likely continue popping in on google chrome (much less addicting/user friendly) instead, while I explore other ways to connect with people through the internet. I’ve realized a lot of what I’m craving is a place to ~talk~, think out loud, shout ideas off the edge of a canyon and listen for their echo to decide if I like how they sound. Right now, pictures aren’t enough.
In the last few months I’ve subscribed to a few artists’ newsletters, and have been surprised by how much I not only enjoy, but look forward to reading them. Maybe I’ll enjoy writing my own. Maybe someone else will enjoy reading it.
2. I read a riveting book on tarot cards two months ago and I want to talk about it! Tarot is one of the few hobbies I’ve ever picked up that I continue to feel interested in and challenged by years later, and I want to share more of that passion with whoever wants to listen. If you’re not into it, don’t worry. This won’t be a newsletter about the cards. They just provide a system for me to work with, each week drawing inspiration from one of the 22 major arcana cards. After this 22 card/week commitment, I’ll decide if I want to continue with the newsletter format or not.
3. I need to set arbitrary limitations for myself in order to create literally anything, and this structure felt exciting and motivating and as good as any other.
Part II - Catch Up
Before we really get going, I want to share some context, a little recap of what I’ve been up to the last few months. Below, for your understanding and entertainment, is a line graph charting events and periods of time in relation to how liminal they felt. (they all felt pretty liminal, but august reaaaally adjusted that curve)
Part III - The Card
Although I won’t be going in numerical order, the card I’m starting with is 0, The Fool. Partially because 0 is a sort of non-number - an introduction, and partially because the fool represents a leap away from the known and into new territory. The fool is innocent, a little naive maybe, with a childlike openness, and trust in their environment. This card is both a beginning, and a bridge, with the ability to sequence itself anywhere amongst the 22 major arcana cards. In the last year, its presence has encouraged me to take risks, and lately it’s reminded me that the student, the new person in town, the green knight, is not an embarrassing position to hold, but an important member of the court, with valuable, honest perspective and endless willingness and optimism.
Much like the fool, I don’t know exactly what this will turn into yet. I’ll try to keep each of these fairly short and sweet. Expect some words, some photos, some links, maybe a playlist or two. (I’m not sure, I don’t want to put myself in too much of a box here!) I’m guessing some weeks will be dumb and lighthearted, and others a little dramatic in a way I’m sure I’ll be embarrassed by in 6 months. Oh well.
I’m 22. I’m new in town. I have a lot of time on my hands. I haven’t felt much of a creative “spark” in a few months. Why not try something new.
Happy Saturday,
Jordan
Excited for these!