The monotony of work and apprehension to start something/anything(!) new, is taking its cyclic toll. I've been feeling so lethargic. I've spent my days off in bed looking at the back of Luigi's ears in between taking naps. My partner and I have kiddingly said Luigi [the little guy pictured below] puts us in a sleepy spell, because when see him all comfy and resting, we can't help but fall asleep too. I imagine that's how my mom felt with my sister and I when we were small, which adds to the emotional warmth. [Luigi is in fact a senior boy and not a baby boy, but that doesn't stop us from seeing him as one. ;v;] Off to rest ~ decompress ~ be back soon.

tiny offerings

Today, I've been thinking about what insistently draws me back here. It's not just the aesthetics or the nostalgia, though those things certainly play a part. There's something deeply fulfilling in tending to this space. It's reconnecting me with memories I haven't thought about in a while.

My sister and I used to make little Scholastic-style ads for each other. We'd create the ad first, and once either of us chose a book from eachother's selection, we'd draw it up. Conceptualizing a story in short form was an excitement of its own. Sometimes when I'm dreaming of what to create in the little corners of this site, I feel how I did then.

Another memory: we used to make Lisa Frank jewelry with a kit we blasted through. My mom would play along and choose from the earrings we made even though she couldn't wear them because they were made of plastic (and her ears are sensitive), she still took the time to look through every pair and choose her favorites. I don't know how this relates. I just remember it so cozily; how earnestly Mom met our imagination in one form or another.

Maybe that's why this all feels so familiar. It isn't just nostalgia, but remembering how naturally creativity once fit into everyday life.

Webkeeping feels like I'm recreating that safe space I knew as a child: playing, self-expression, connection, gift-giving, and, in the digital sphere, a sense of community and reciprocity. In this space, it feels like the things do not have to be productive to be worthwhile. Strangely enough, that freedom often leads to its own kind of productivity.

Keep making things that don't need a reason to exist <3

unbeknown

I uploaded a partial timelapse of a past drawing I did. I felt like the canvas was too small, so I increased the size and expanded off of it with explorative uncertainty. A lot of trial and error (especially with adding hands and things). Click the image above to play video :)

*waves*

These last few days ~surfing~ Neocities, has reinvigorated a hobby/interest I never thought I'd return to. I lost touch with this part of the web until now. Such an active and creative community still exists, untethererd to social media's grasp!? My heart and inspo meter are full.