Calligraphy and camouflage: Learning Log, Jan 2018

• I went to beyond tellerrand Munich to give a workshop and a lunchtime presentation on CSS Grid. Though I spent most of the conference talking to folks at the Microsoft Edge booth (always awesome to meet a new community of designers/devs), I did catch Aoi Yamaguchi’s fascinating presentation. Aoi is classically-trained in Japanese calligraphy, and has extended that practice to conceptually reinterpret characters and incorporate calligraphy into performance art. Really compelling and worth a watch.
• ~Honesty time~ One of my intentions for the year was to be more patient with myself. I’ve realized this month that, for myself, I’ve created a false binary: “person who makes mistakes” vs “good / talented / kind / knowledgeable / capable person”. Being more aware of that mental trap seems like a good thing.
• New-to-me organization: American Indian College Fund

Nice bits of internet

• The Love to Sew podcast is making me want to sew all the things! I’ve also been enjoying Helen’s Closet, a blog written by one of the cohosts. Helen does a weekly round-up of others’ projects, and always seems to include great diversity of style, body types, and backgrounds.
• This Hurry Slowly episode on nature
• Camouflage knitting

Very Garden State. Knitwear by Nina Dodd, photo by Joseph Ford

Interesting reads

• Are you a maker or an excuse maker? Not excited about the title of this one, but this article has great advice for cultivating a creative practice.
• Ignored By Big Telecom, Detroit's Marginalized Communities Are Building Their Own Internet
• Tea if by sea, cha if by land: Why the world only has two words for tea
• Under Neoliberalism, You Can Be Your Own Tyrannical Boss
• We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads
• Meet The Fearless Cook Who Secretly Fed—And Funded—The Civil Rights Movement
• Perfectionism, anxiety and learning to be kind to yourself
• Go Deeper, Not Wider