Moonlight floods the whole sky from horizon to horizon...
...How much it can fill your room depends on its windows.
November 16th, 2018
Hi friends,
Here's my list of things that I want to share with you this week:
1) Something pretty to look at: Klaush.com is the website of London-based Finnish designer Klaus Haapaniemi. Inspired by nature, Finnish folklore, decorative arts, ballet, music and stories - what's not to love. His instagram is one of my favourites, full of colour, lush patterns and infinite variety.
2) Something to think about: I have two girls who strive for (or at least feel a need for) perfection in their different ways, and from where I stand I can see where it can get in the way of curiosity, happiness and possibilities. I have been reading Mindset - by Carol Dweck. Embracing failure as part of a process, and not letting it stop you from exploring, learning and developing new paths and ideas is such a key part of finding what truly makes your heart sing. Mindset is enlightening. "In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong."
The TED Talk Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection is all about this. Totally worth checking out if you are a parent of girls - or are even just a girl yourself. Or even just a human. Humans should watch this.
3) Something interesting for lovers of the Moomins: The Gay Love Stories of Moomin and the Queer Radicality of Tove Jansson. (H/T Anna Dorfman)
4) Something to read: These excerpts from the newly released graphic novel I Am Young in the Paris Review look intriguing. They remind me a little of Julie Doucet's Dirty Plotte, which is one of my all-time favourites. I am totally excited to see that Drawn & Quarterly has released a boxed set of Julie Doucet's work - which now takes up prime position on my Christmas list.
5) Something to listen to: I have a dear friend who is more like a sister who lives with a new-born baby in a little house in Cornwall. Everything about this sentence feels magical - and to match that magic she has recommended Poppy Ackroyd's album Resolve. (H/T Claire H & Baby Sophie).
Thanks for reading. Sorry I missed you last week. Life sometimes gets in the way of best intentions. I am practising a new growth mindset, which says that moments of failure are ok, right? Here's a bonus: something lovely for your tree. One-of-a-kind Loobylu Pixie Elf Ornaments (made by me!) are now available to buy online at Twang & Pearl.
See you next week!
Claire Robertson,
The Small Batch List
xo
p.s. 100 points for guessing the quote in the subject line! The week before last was Lester Bangs from Almost Famous.