October 9th, some scribbling and a thought

our simplest signs from another day

Dear October,

It’s the ninth already. We’re moving so quickly! Yesterday, I got together with Tar, Rim, and one of our classmates, and we pretended to be 6 year olds, drawing and making posters for an imaginary lemonade stand as an ad campaign exercise for psychology class. It was surprisingly relaxing. I think it would be so therapeutic to have a six year old drawing session every week, just to de-stress and get out of our graphic design (and other college-major-imposed) mindsets. Even when we were just starting on our posters (our group was a mix of graphic design and illustration majors), we really had to tamp down the urge to sketch out the composition… Two of us immediately took out pencils and sketched for a few seconds until we remembered that we were supposed to be six year olds—unimpeded by hesitation! Maybe. So we went in with our sharpies and crayons and chisel-tipped markers, and it was such a relief to just let go.

I had a random thought today, while I was absentmindedly tearing a few layers of paper scraps on my desk in studio. I’d cut pages of my book draft out of the center of several sheets of paper, and all that was left were white floppy frames. I kind of absentmindedly tore these frames into segments as I talked to friends in studio, and there was this strange tactile quality to the slow and steady ripping that made me wonder what it would be like if I spent a whole year ripping this one segment of paper. When I finally pulled the two pieces apart completely, would I feel some sort of relief? Would it feel surreal, to suddenly have ended something that I’d been working on for so long? I don't know why I was wondering this, because it seems like there's no point in wondering about it, but I just couldn't let go of that thought.

song of the day: Tell Me What You Want From Me by Good Old War - a good, upbeat song from the Kodaline concert (Good Old War played too) I went to, and super fun to sing out loud in a crowd

Indigo

October 4th, it's not so busy

the view up from our 'secret' spot

Dear October,

I liked the weather today. You weren’t very cold, or overly windy, so I didn’t really need my scarf, but I also appreciate that every fall you remind me how soft my winter clothes are. I’m proud of myself today because I left studio earlier than usual, and all my friends and I are going to get a lot of sleep tonight. Part of it is because I’m working as part of a group for this project, so things get done more quickly, and brainstorming is so fun and snappy. Sometimes I forget how helpful it is to bounce ideas off people.

I’m slowly finding myself missing the feeling of reading a book in my bed in the evening. I can’t remember the last time a book made me stay up late at night!

Things have been a bit low-energy since last week… Yesterday I even watched movies with friends while we worked in their lounge. One of the movies was Perks of Being a Wallflower, which I’d put off watching for a long time because I wanted to finish the book first (I’m 60% through it?), but I just never did. I didn’t have very high expectations for the movie, but it was actually really good! I hope I’ll read the book sometime.

song of the day: Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift - Jam is obsessed with this song.

See you tomorrow,

Indigo

October 3rd, it was cold and there was food

looking for interesting sites with a friend

Dear October,

It’s really nice to see you again! It’s getting cold a little too quickly for everyone, I think, but sometimes when I’m dressed just right for the weather, it feels perfect. Like today, when Tar and I hiked along the canal to an open field that seems to have no purpose. It’s especially windy right by the canal, and it was so cold that we only did 2 sketches before our hands were too frozen for us to continue. 

Tonight is Waterfire too… I can hear the music through my window, and sometimes it’s this strange, ominous music, which is VERY characteristic of Waterfire, but later in the night, like right now, at 10:33pm, sometimes they’ll play surprisingly beautiful music, with high tones and just a slight eeriness. It’s always instrumental music or opera. The fire is dwindling down at the canal, but there are still some people walking by around all the stalls.. the assorted nuts stall, the pastries stall, all the vendors with their art and ceramics and jewelry… kettle corn and clam chowder, which always runs out early… the occasional accordion player and shadow performance, and the parade of blue paper star lanterns that glow in the shady park by the water… I see it all now from my window and hope it doesn’t end soon.

Later, I went up to a friend's room to work but then got distracted by the random movies they were playing, and we ended up watching Mean Girls. Jam was making creme brulee in small ceramic cups, and I got to try some of it today. According to her and her roommate, Rin, it has the texture of flan and isn't crispy enough on top. "It's supposed to be like an egg," said Jam, pretending to hit the top of the creme brulee with an invisible spoon, "it should crack." To me it was just slightly too sweet, and Rin and Jam laughed about how Jam had accidentally discovered how to make flan without gelatin. "Oh well... creme brulee test number one," said Jam. She has said the same thing when she tried to make the lavender latte I kept talking about but could not find here. 

Everyone was cooking today! I think we all just happen to be in a lull with work. It's really not very common usually, but this year seems to be a little different. Earlier today, I arrived back in my dorm to find that my roommates, Eggs and Mint, were already cooking soup and vegetables. I just boiled corn. It's really nice, cooking with people and being with people who are cooking. 

song of the day: Unclear by Kodaline - because I went to their concert last Monday with Jam and Lays, and it was amazing.

See you tomorrow,

Indigo

P.S. I know I skipped two days... I have them and will perhaps post those in the near future.