The stars do not regret you! I do not regret you. You’re so talented! Thank you for sharing. I love your art and how you connect it to music. Hang in there—I do also believe that the only way out is through and there is a glorious spot for you on the other side. 🙏
I so appreciate your encouragement and your kind words. My fiance always reminds me that life is made of peaks and valleys, swings and roundabouts. There is a sure rhythm, a dance almost. There is beauty and art in the procession.
Wow - these collage pieces are stunning! I especially love the first two (i'm okay and you'd think by now). But all of them are such a visual feast. I enjoyed clicking through to songs I don't know.... lyrics pulled out.... Enjoying the Kate Rusby right now.
Thank you so much! So glad you're enjoying it! "i'm okay" and "you'd think by now" are interesting in that they each of sit at the opposite ends of my creative spectrum; inctricate digital layered work and extremely stripped down gritty minimalism, lol.
One of the things I really love about doing the playlist is discovering new music, especially through readers' requests. Kate Rusby is a prime example. I wasn't familiar with her prior to receiving the recommendation from a subscriber, what a wonderful discovery she is!
Thanks again for reading! If there's ever anything you'd like to see on the playlist, feel free to let me know.
Hope you're doing alright, and that the art is helping you pull through!! Sucks to hear that the week was tough, but as usual you managed to make some beautiful pieces in spite of it.
Loving the colours used in these ones, especially that splash of red for "Worlds on Fire" and everything in "Pulling Teeth." And yet, the other two are just are maybe even better?!
This newsletter is slowly becoming my way of finding new music that sits a little outside my usual genres. Big fan of "pulling teeth." Was awesome to see Touche Amore in here too, I just watched the live a few weeks ago!!
I didn't know whether to recommend a song that would match the shitty week, or one that would cheer you up, so I've gone for something a little inbetween. Try Life in Slow Motion by Trophy Eyes. One of my favourite songs to come out of last year. Hoping you enjoy :)
Glad you enjoyed it! It makes me really happy to hear that this newsletter is becoming a source of music discomfort for you. That's one of my main reasons for doing it. There are people that I follow that always point me in the direction of great books and articles that give me so much inspiration and food for thought, I wanted to try to do the same thing in some way.
You have Mark Luetke to thank for the Touche Amore. I discovered them through his suggestion and I'm glad I did. I highly recommend his substack as well.
Music is always welcomed and always helps no matter what. Looking forward to checking this one out! Thanks so much!
It's one of the only newsletters that I HAVE to read the second it comes out, to be honest, even if I don't get around to commenting until a day or two after.
Awesome, I'll check Mark out!
I really hope you enjoy the song. The whole album is beautiful, but something about the lyrics and the pace of Life in Slow Motion always seems to get me
Duane, I found the original poem that your song 'Underneath the Stars' was chosen to accompany. I'll share it here if of interest. It feels like a long time ago.
You quoted Cormac McCarthy, 'books are made from books' Art is rich inspiration for more art. My stuff is an aside to the lovely music and cool depictions.
Susan Cain writes so beautifully about the space we can have for both joy and melancholy in 'Bittersweet', and does interesting podcast interviews on same.
I loved her book Quiet, and Bittersweet has been on my shelf staring at me waiting to be read for some time now, I'll have to move it up on my reading list. And I'll need to check out that podcast! Thanks for the recommendation!
Hang in there and keep making collages, Duane. Art gives you that breathing space and it shows from your iterations. Keep going and hope things get better soon. Thanks for sharing!
My counselor says, "You're okay, because you're okay." In the windowsill above her seat is a canvas of these words her son painted for her. It took me so long to understand. I'm still learning. I'm okay, because I'm okay. I am here. I am alive. That's enough. Regardless of anything external to me, regardless of anything internal for me. Hope you find this is true in the coming week.
Once again, I love the colors. In your art this week, there is much tenderness which bespeaks hope. Makes it tangible, to the eye which cannot often see it. Thank you.
This is such a a beautiful sentiment! I'm not what you'd call a person if faith. I often say that I am religious but not spiritual in that I tend to view the ritual, routine, and discipline of daily living to be a kind of sacred liturgy all it's own. With that said I relish the writings of mystics, who seems to so deeply understand the deep and necessary connections between sorrow and joy, between suffering and ecstatic experience. Your story reminds me of a prayer written by Julian of Norwich that always resonates with me: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well".
Yes—love that prayer. I am a practicing Christian?—I don’t know what I would actually label myself as, but this seems most direct. As I’ve matured, my faith has wandered toward contemplative practices for some of the reasons you’ve stated. I love seeing it in your work, maybe especially because you do not consider yourself religious! There’s this deeper element of life of which we are all part, whether we recognize it or not. Art, stories, music—these have the power to connect us with that Other we can never fully comprehend. Most often, this occurs at the intersection of pain and joy. Thank you for sharing.
On a side note, if you’re into poetry at all, you may appreciate the anthology simply titled, “Joy,” edited by Christian Wiman. It is a treasure-trove of joy in the midst.
Yes! Exactly, art, stories, music, these have always been my sources of inspiration, my religion, my salvation my redemption in precisely the ways you explain.
I love poetry. Poetry makes a collage of language. One of my favorite ongoing collaborations is making collages to accompany poems by Carolyn Jones on her substack Words in Bloom. I'd like to start writing a bit more of it myself as well.
Thanks for recommending that anthology it sounds amazing!
Hope you turn a corner soon. Depression is one of those things that does everything to keep you in it. I find getting outside and going for walk is good even if it's usually the very last thing I actually want to do. Sometimes it's just forcing myself to do the exact opposite of what depression tells me I want - do the dishes, call a friend, make art, go for a walk. Stay safe friend!
Thanks so much my friend! Depression is good at telling lies that seem easy to believe. But it's taught me to be a person of ritual and monotonous discipline. I follow my routines of daily living, my standard operating procedures of being here, regardless of how I feel. Get up, meditate, read, create, go to work, go to the gym, make art, make dinner, read sleep, repeat. Regardless of the weather, whether overcast, storming, or clear. The sun always shines again. Spring always follows winter. The work is always there.
The stars do not regret you! I do not regret you. You’re so talented! Thank you for sharing. I love your art and how you connect it to music. Hang in there—I do also believe that the only way out is through and there is a glorious spot for you on the other side. 🙏
I so appreciate your encouragement and your kind words. My fiance always reminds me that life is made of peaks and valleys, swings and roundabouts. There is a sure rhythm, a dance almost. There is beauty and art in the procession.
Wow - these collage pieces are stunning! I especially love the first two (i'm okay and you'd think by now). But all of them are such a visual feast. I enjoyed clicking through to songs I don't know.... lyrics pulled out.... Enjoying the Kate Rusby right now.
Thank you so much! So glad you're enjoying it! "i'm okay" and "you'd think by now" are interesting in that they each of sit at the opposite ends of my creative spectrum; inctricate digital layered work and extremely stripped down gritty minimalism, lol.
One of the things I really love about doing the playlist is discovering new music, especially through readers' requests. Kate Rusby is a prime example. I wasn't familiar with her prior to receiving the recommendation from a subscriber, what a wonderful discovery she is!
Thanks again for reading! If there's ever anything you'd like to see on the playlist, feel free to let me know.
So interesting to see this explanation of the spectrum.....and yet such a strong continuity of voice in the layering that they share. Love them both!
Love the added color. "Pulling teeth" is a banger!
Thanks so much! I know, right?! That song is so great! As soon as I came across it, I knew I wanted it on the playlist!
Hope you're doing alright, and that the art is helping you pull through!! Sucks to hear that the week was tough, but as usual you managed to make some beautiful pieces in spite of it.
Loving the colours used in these ones, especially that splash of red for "Worlds on Fire" and everything in "Pulling Teeth." And yet, the other two are just are maybe even better?!
This newsletter is slowly becoming my way of finding new music that sits a little outside my usual genres. Big fan of "pulling teeth." Was awesome to see Touche Amore in here too, I just watched the live a few weeks ago!!
I didn't know whether to recommend a song that would match the shitty week, or one that would cheer you up, so I've gone for something a little inbetween. Try Life in Slow Motion by Trophy Eyes. One of my favourite songs to come out of last year. Hoping you enjoy :)
Glad you enjoyed it! It makes me really happy to hear that this newsletter is becoming a source of music discomfort for you. That's one of my main reasons for doing it. There are people that I follow that always point me in the direction of great books and articles that give me so much inspiration and food for thought, I wanted to try to do the same thing in some way.
You have Mark Luetke to thank for the Touche Amore. I discovered them through his suggestion and I'm glad I did. I highly recommend his substack as well.
Music is always welcomed and always helps no matter what. Looking forward to checking this one out! Thanks so much!
It's one of the only newsletters that I HAVE to read the second it comes out, to be honest, even if I don't get around to commenting until a day or two after.
Awesome, I'll check Mark out!
I really hope you enjoy the song. The whole album is beautiful, but something about the lyrics and the pace of Life in Slow Motion always seems to get me
Thanks again man! That's really high praise. That reall does mean a lot to me. Hoping to dig into the album today!
Duane, I found the original poem that your song 'Underneath the Stars' was chosen to accompany. I'll share it here if of interest. It feels like a long time ago.
https://open.substack.com/pub/theseainme/p/sense-of-simmer?r=46rss&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Love this! It's a amazing how a song can inspire so many different things in so many different ways!
You quoted Cormac McCarthy, 'books are made from books' Art is rich inspiration for more art. My stuff is an aside to the lovely music and cool depictions.
Susan Cain writes so beautifully about the space we can have for both joy and melancholy in 'Bittersweet', and does interesting podcast interviews on same.
I loved her book Quiet, and Bittersweet has been on my shelf staring at me waiting to be read for some time now, I'll have to move it up on my reading list. And I'll need to check out that podcast! Thanks for the recommendation!
Susan Cain talking on Bittersweet. Powerful
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2y2vlxXQpE7pQcNl12nxId?si=c3X7NTJFS_2aI1lKZt5GaQ
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2le8r7Vexy3hu5RMFQa8Mw?si=2ztc7dKZSjitvtcV7wGPsg
Thanks so much saved them both! Looking forward to checking them out! Thanks again!
Hang in there and keep making collages, Duane. Art gives you that breathing space and it shows from your iterations. Keep going and hope things get better soon. Thanks for sharing!
My counselor says, "You're okay, because you're okay." In the windowsill above her seat is a canvas of these words her son painted for her. It took me so long to understand. I'm still learning. I'm okay, because I'm okay. I am here. I am alive. That's enough. Regardless of anything external to me, regardless of anything internal for me. Hope you find this is true in the coming week.
Once again, I love the colors. In your art this week, there is much tenderness which bespeaks hope. Makes it tangible, to the eye which cannot often see it. Thank you.
This is such a a beautiful sentiment! I'm not what you'd call a person if faith. I often say that I am religious but not spiritual in that I tend to view the ritual, routine, and discipline of daily living to be a kind of sacred liturgy all it's own. With that said I relish the writings of mystics, who seems to so deeply understand the deep and necessary connections between sorrow and joy, between suffering and ecstatic experience. Your story reminds me of a prayer written by Julian of Norwich that always resonates with me: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well".
John O'Donoghue writes on this connection with the Divine and of the Celtic Mystics. I connect with all that. Allowing all to be well, just now...
I'm a big fan of his work. I read Eternal Echoes and Anam Cara, both were moving and insightful. I definitely need to read more of him.
I have Anam Cara and Divine Beauty : The Invisible Embrace.
Here's another old one I wrote, 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark'. The track with it serendipitously echoes your quote 'all shall be well'
https://theseainme.substack.com/p/dont-be-afraid-of-the-dark?r=46rss
Love the thoughts on the "dark". That's one of things I really appreciate about O' Donohue's work, his reverence for the dark.
Yes—love that prayer. I am a practicing Christian?—I don’t know what I would actually label myself as, but this seems most direct. As I’ve matured, my faith has wandered toward contemplative practices for some of the reasons you’ve stated. I love seeing it in your work, maybe especially because you do not consider yourself religious! There’s this deeper element of life of which we are all part, whether we recognize it or not. Art, stories, music—these have the power to connect us with that Other we can never fully comprehend. Most often, this occurs at the intersection of pain and joy. Thank you for sharing.
On a side note, if you’re into poetry at all, you may appreciate the anthology simply titled, “Joy,” edited by Christian Wiman. It is a treasure-trove of joy in the midst.
Yes! Exactly, art, stories, music, these have always been my sources of inspiration, my religion, my salvation my redemption in precisely the ways you explain.
I love poetry. Poetry makes a collage of language. One of my favorite ongoing collaborations is making collages to accompany poems by Carolyn Jones on her substack Words in Bloom. I'd like to start writing a bit more of it myself as well.
Thanks for recommending that anthology it sounds amazing!
Hope you turn a corner soon. Depression is one of those things that does everything to keep you in it. I find getting outside and going for walk is good even if it's usually the very last thing I actually want to do. Sometimes it's just forcing myself to do the exact opposite of what depression tells me I want - do the dishes, call a friend, make art, go for a walk. Stay safe friend!
Thanks so much my friend! Depression is good at telling lies that seem easy to believe. But it's taught me to be a person of ritual and monotonous discipline. I follow my routines of daily living, my standard operating procedures of being here, regardless of how I feel. Get up, meditate, read, create, go to work, go to the gym, make art, make dinner, read sleep, repeat. Regardless of the weather, whether overcast, storming, or clear. The sun always shines again. Spring always follows winter. The work is always there.
Love the added color. "Pulling teeth" is a banger!
Exactly! You get it! Thanks so much my friend!