Hello friends,
On Wednesday I shared the first draft of the comic I am currently working on. I loved putting it out there in its rough, raw state, but since then I have been pondering on it and thinking “it’s just not weird enough.” When working on a piece I like to always consider “Am I taking the path most obvious? What can I do to add a little unexpected joy?” I don’t want it to feel contrived or weird for the sake of weird, but it’s the only way to avoid the ho-hum. When I was writing screen plays I remember reading one of those how-to books (I wish I could remember which one, Save the Cat? Story?) which suggested that it’s always a good idea to ask yourself if the setting you have placed your characters in is the most interesting setting the scene could be. Are your characters having an argument in their lounge room? Yawn. Put them on a dimly lit subway station, a fish market, a petting zoo… immediately everything becomes a little more interesting. So it’s back to the drawing board with “weird” firmly in mind.
And so, for this week, please enjoy my bunch of loosely themed weirdos.
Embracing your inner weirdo for creative success
I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode of Spark & Fire with Domee Shi, writer/director of Pixar Animation’s Turning Red, and Bao.
“It’s a specific story about a filmmaker who brings her entire self to her dream project of directing an animated feature film. But the takeaway is universal: to hone your unique creative voice, embrace your inner weirdo. Your specific quirks may be more universal than you think.”
Weird to be the life of the party
What to take to a dinner party has always been a challenge for me, sometimes overshadowing the joy of the event itself. But recently I have discovered how to bring the most popular of dishes. It’s all about this dip. My friend Melanie from Salt Spring Kitchen Co. developed this recipe, and her candied jalapeño relish is the main star.
Weird and Pleasant
I am reading Nell Zink’s Avalon right now. The exact words I would use to describe it is “pleasant distraction”. The LA Review of Books kind of agrees with in Weird and Pleasant: On Nell Zink’s “Avalon.”. From this article I see Zink’s other books sound pretty fun too: “Her debut novel, The Wallcreeper, was a mad, sex-fueled flirtation with ecofascism around Europe, while Nicotine followed the middle-class daughter of a deceased shamanic leader who falls in with a group of squatting activists united by their interest in smokers’ rights.”
Weird motivation but good outcomes
I am sure we are all exhausted by the January articles about decluttering and new-starts, but this Ann Pratchett piece, How to Practice, is a wonderful read. “I wanted to get rid of my possessions, because possessions stood between me and death.”
Weird dream wardrobe
We are watching Making the Cut Season 2 right now, and I am completely obsessed with the work of Gary Graham. I called this section “Weird dream wardrobe” really just to fit in with my theme. I don’t think Gary Graham is particularly weird, I actually think he’s a fricking genius. I will admit I was moved to tears when his first two looks came down the runway on Making the Cut. Maybe it was the relief that such a show would choose someone so inspired, or maybe it was just the impact of his work. I know it’s my attraction to pattern and texture and the slightly eccentric, but holy moly, if I could move to upstate New York and wander around wearing these outfits all day I would have reached peak-style, imo.
Weird to watch
I did not watch the Golden Globes but I was pleased that Pinocchio won best animated film. I did enjoy this little celebrity red carpet set of interviews and Guillermo Del Toro is on theme here with talking a bit about being weird. For lots of weird, check out the list in the article And the winner should be … the season’s most overlooked movie performances so that you can line up a season of alternative viewing.
Weird Robot Art
There is so much discussion around A.I. art and the ethics of fair use. My opinions around this are sometimes conflicting, ever-changing, and are way too long to go into here (art, culture, humanity, copyright, intellectual property, the essence of being and creation… it’s definitely not news in brief). But there are three accounts I follow on Instagram that I think are kind of doing it the right way. Tell me what you think.
A.I. Musings. The beautiful imagined ceramic vessels of real-life ceramicist Carole Epp from Musing About Mud.
Waxy.fruits takes us back to a childhood that seems so familiar yet never happened.
Aidesign.png explores biomimicry, outdoor fashion & weird design.
Beautiful Weirdo
My most favourite internet weirdo currently is comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. You might know her from the TikTok "drop challenge”, which is for those of you who use TikTok. For those of us who don’t, I found out about the drop challenge from Atsuko’s instagram. I have learnt that my knees don’t like it, and the knees of a 16 year old cope with it just fine. Everything Atsuko does, I adore. And her grandmother is the best.
Beautiful Gruesome Weirdos
When my youngest kid was eight, I gave them the graphic novel Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët for their birthday. I should have looked carefully at the contents before I did this, because this gruesome tale of survival in the woods is not for little children, even if the main characters are tiny elfish creatures and sweet woodland animals. Not for the faint of heart, but delightful for those who enjoy the mysterious, mischievous and the macabre. Here is my photo of the book, styled with our very weird succulent cushion that sits on our couch.
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Thanks for reading, and have a great week weirdos!
xo,
Claire