“The best time to establish alternative, non-algorithmic networks of communication & affinity was five years ago.
The second best time is today!
Over the years, I’ve distributed many zines through the mail. Those have been one-off productions, which is to say, pageants of minor chaos, always with the sense, as the last zine went out the door, of skidding into home plate.
The best time to establish alternative, non-algorithmic networks of communication — to forge durable links in physical space — to insist upon the democratic necessity of a muscular, universal postal service — was five years ago.
The second best time is today.”
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I’ve always wanted one of those living willow houses. I finally realized it was beyond me and ordered this gazebo greenhouse kit – assembled it without the plastic exterior and grow vines on it.
Last year I didn’t put down enough seeds, but this year we planted many more and I bought a clematis (the green vine you see here.)
It may take some trial and error to get the right effect.
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A Very Merry Unbirthday 🎶
Read more: A Very Merry Unbirthday 🎶I’m still celebrating!
Last week, on my actual birthday, one of my favorite chapters from the Wheel of Time was adapted to screen. So I am having a great month.
As my gift to you, anyone who joins the zine subscription this month, will get a bonus Wheel of Time mini zine. 🥰
If you want to print any of these zines to hype the show you can download them here.
The “I’m Fine” Zine
This month I wrote about creating safe spaces and regulating nervous systems in “unprecedented times.”
You can read the digitized version here.
The work on the cover has been exhibited in several different galleries and is part of the My Brain on Motherhood collection as part of my ARIM.
Sculpture
I’ve also spent a substantial amount of time this month working on a sculpture called Bloom Where You’re Planted from a dead cherry tree.
You can read about the process here.
Here I am cleaning mud off the root.
Time Blind Supports
I’m making a concerted effort to spend more time creating and less time on admin this year. One of the tools I’m using for this is logging my time with spreadsheets and charts.
As someone with time blindness I can very easily sink time into something without realizing.
Seeing time visually has made a huge difference for me!
If you’re curious about this process you can click here to read more about what I’m doing and what impact it’s having.
time spent on admin vs. creating in jan, feb & march (so far)
The LOST podcast episode.
Last month, in all my excitement about The Wheel of Time, I completely forgot to tell you I published a ramble podcast. I’ll be doing these on an ad hoc basis moving forward. (If you enjoy listening let me know!)
I haven’t managed to migrated podcast episodes off Substack yet.
Listen here for now.
This is essentially a brain dump I recorded in January reflecting on my creative ecosystem, closing loops, and my intentions for moving into a new year.
When I migrate off Substack I’m thinking of calling this a “Brain Dump Podcast” to remind myself it’s okay to be messy. Here’s some possible podcast art. Not my normal color palette, but maybe my kid’s love of all things rainbow is rubbing off on me.
Wait, there’s more!
Of everything I’m sharing I spent the most time and energy on this.
If you’ve struggled to learn a second language later in life – it may not be for the reasons you think. I’d love to know what neurodivergent folks think of this post.
I also wrote some thoughts about From Where You Dream. A book about storytelling from your unconscious.
Just two posts in the TARDIS time hop this month.
If you have time to check out my 360 VR work I’d love to know what you think.
This Time in 2023
While I was at it I also created a landing page for free resources and printables.
The Compost Heap is handmade without the use of AI. 🐝
Support doing things the old fashioned way by joining my Patrons ($5) and I’ll send paper copies of my zines with the coolest postage stamps I can find.
Test PRINTS FOR MARCH’S “I’m Fine” ZINE Not into snail mail?
Here are other ways you can support.
- Share my blog with a friend. (It’s free!)
- Buy a book or zine from my (new!) shop.
- Link to me in your newsletter.
- Art swap! Let me know if you’d like to swap your art for a zine.
- Send me an email and let me know what resonates.
If you’re reading this in your email inbox you can just hit reply to message me directly. I’d love to hear what you think. It makes it worth the time I put in.
Thanks for being here.
I appreciate you.
P.S. One downside to emailing each month instead of weekly is that there is SO MUCH to cover. I’ve almost given up on sharing links because I have too many to narrow down. But the 15 hours a month I’ve recovered to spend on other projects seems worth the trade off.
If you want a suggestion… Watch the Wheel of Time. 😉
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Seeing Time ⏳
Read more: Seeing Time ⏳As someone with time blindness I can very easily sink time into something without realizing.
This year I’m experimenting with spreadsheets and time charts as tools to visualize time. Here is how 2025 has been looking (as of March 24.)
January
I had a lot of loops to close in January and it felt like a ton of admin. This was my first month tracking my time. The pie chart was a game changer. I started it mid month and the wedges for web & self publishing dominated the chart. It took conscious effort to put more time into personal projects to balance the chart out.
This chart visualizes how much time I spent on each creative project. Writing & Research (31.9%)
Most of this was my fantasy novel Mawd.
Web (32.9%)
Mostly Substack – my own newsletter & wrapping up Neurokind.
Entwined & Ember (20.1%)
Admin for self publishing these books.
ARIM (15.1%)
This is time spent on my Artist’s Residency in Motherhood making visual art for My Brain on Motherhood.
February
This month my biggest wedge was redesigning my website. But seeing how big the blue wedge was motivated me to make time for other things.
Web (59.0%)
Redesigning my website and migrating my newsletter to Buttondown.
Zines (21.1%)
Making Not About TETRIS and working on illustrations for a zine about the spectrum of neurodivergence. My scanner died this month and created a lot of headaches.
Other (10.3%)
Designed two self inking stamps (folks with zine subs will see these soon) and sewing patches on a denim jacket.
Mawd (4.4%)
Work on my fiction novel. I’m in an ideation phase.
Picture Book (3.6%)
Admin for self publishing How it Feels to Me.
March
My website wedge is still the largest (although I have a few days to go) based on shop and subscription migration headaches. I hope to continue making this wedge smaller over time.
Web (38.9.0%)
Moving zine subs from Big Cartel to Stripe, redoing various opt ins, migrating Neurokind to Beehiiv, archiving March blog posts, and writing for blog & newsletter.
Zines (21.1%)
Making I’m Fine zine and a few Wheel of Time mini zines.
Mawd (12.9%)
Work on my fiction novel. Still in an ideation phase.
Other (10.1%)
Sewing patches & picture book admin (maybe that should be separated.)
ARIM (9.2%)
Working on Bloom Where You’re Planted.
Gardening (4.8%)
I debated over logging this, but it is important self regulating work and part of my creative ecosystem.
Reducing Admin Time
I also did a bar chart showing the different parts of the process to see that balance.
Here you see Admin & Prep decreasing and time to Create growing from January to March.
I’m 90% sure this shift would not have happened without this visual tool. It’s too easy to get pulled into neverending admin and website tweaks. This makes me more aware.
Top Tip
I found tracking the time itself really hard until I started using the Tap When app. (Not a sponsor.) I tap when I start and tap when I finish. No math!
P.S. My spreadsheets are in no condition to officially share as a resource, but if you’d like to see the imperfect version I’m working with I’m happy to share the template for you to make your own. Just drop me a line or respond to a newsletter.
Image Credit: Prague Astronomical Clock via Wiki Commons
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Rand’s face took on a pained expression. “I don’t know.” He sounded embarrassed. “When I want fire, for a lamp or a fireplace, I just make it, but I do not know how. I don’t really need to think to do things with fire.” That almost stood to reason. Of the Five Powers, Fire and Earth had been strongest in men in the Age of Legends, and Air and Water in women; Spirit had been shared equally. Egwene hardly had to think to use Air or Water, once she had learned to do a thing in the first place. But the thought did not further their purpose.
The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time Book 4)
Rand is pretty much every author trying to explain how they write fiction.
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Rare Roots – a resource to find native perennials by US State.
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Zines may seem simple, but it still takes time and iteration to get them just right. Especially for color. I took extra time this month because March’s zine features one of my exhibiting artworks. This is just a laser print, but with some minor adjustments it’s popping off the page.
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Bloom Where You’re Planted
Read more: Bloom Where You’re PlantedA year or two before David was born my mom gifted me a weeping cherry tree for my birthday. It bloomed happily for a while and then a freeze split its bark and it became diseased and distressed.
I did my best to save the tree, but last year it didn’t come back after winter. After a year of mentally preparing myself for this I decided to use the sinuous wood to make a sculpture and Nathan helped dig up as much of the root as possible.
This month I’ve started stripping the bark.
My title for this work is Bloom Where You’re Planted. As an autistic person this has always rankled because I am not always able to thrive in unsuitable environments.
Here are some process photos.
A time when the tree was happy.
Before
Sad tree half dead and half distressed.
Shoutout to Nathan’s farm boy muscle. I never could have dug this up myself because of my connective tissue disorder.
Progress
After pruning and removing some branches I found it balanced nicely upside down.
Cleaning
David helped me clean the mud off the root. This project has been a family affair.
Stripping Bark
Removing the bark has been a very satisfying (if incredibly slow) process. Because of all the twists and turns in this particular tree I think I’m going to need some finer carving tools soon.
Update: March 2025
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“What does outside mean?”
“Where you can sap the sun’s energy.”
