Observables #67
on observing one's life, Triangle of Sadness and podcast merch
My mom who said she appreciates Observables because it trains her to be observant about her own life. It was an “ahha” moment for me because I realized that’s a bit of what writing Observables does for me! Thanks Mom, for pointing me out to myself :)
Elizabeth Gilbert on the Kate Bowler podcast talking about our obsession as a North American culture with productivity and leaving a legacy. We are a society that turns everything into a grind. It’s true for me anyway. I love forward motion, especially when it feels like we worked through something arduous to get there. Oh dear :)
Over the holidays I have plans to disentangle myself and my family from these productive inclinations. How? A series of free-play-art-making sessions where we don’t comment on each other’s work. Everyone does it. No one says whose is good or bad. We just engage in purposeless creativity with no goal to hang it, perform it or publish it at the end. My fear is that it will only be me sitting there after 30 minutes with my Hygge Reindeer embroidery. But at least I tried something.
Triangle of Sadness at the recommendation of my dear friend Felicity, whose taste I can count on. The movie is written and director by Ruben Östland, who also did Force Majeure with its strange and bizarrely funny sensibility. There’s never a lack of sad men in his work. Hehe.
Testimonials
“In a world where we so often feel bombarded, Observables is a balm. It always arrives in my inbox at just the moment I need a smile, a tender observation, a kind word, and someone to say - oh, it hurts here, doesn't it? Plus I can always use a little fashion advice.” - Jessica.
“Observables is one part educational, one part entertainment, and one part naked soul. My favourite thing about it is all the secondary characters - the daughters, partners, pets, and even moments that have a life of their own. I get to observe them first through the writer’s eyes and then through my own.” - Tamara