Categories
Blog Textiles Writing Zines

Zine Ambitions

I’ve not made a zine in a couple months now and I’m keen to get back to it with a slightly larger project (or two!)

I’ve been thinking about making one about radical fashion for a while, textiles is something I’m fairly skilled with and I care a lot about the massive amounts of textile waste, the harmful practices of the industry, and in reclaiming agency around the clothes that we wear. I make a lot of my own clothes and I upcycle a lot of fabric, so I think I’ve got plenty to say about it! Just have to crack on I guess haha

Categories
music

Science Hippy

I’ve been working on some songs recently, how long they’ll take to finish is anyone’s guess but I have hope that I’ll get them ready to release on here – hopefully there’ll be enough (eventually) to compile them into an album, which I’ll name “science hippy”. individual songs will be £1 each for per download, then you have a copy that you actually own! The most likely to be finished first are Copacetic, Sharmanic Anarchist, and The Cave Artist. There’ll be no set genre – that’s really not how I work as it turns out, so each song will have it’s own vibe. I hate pigeon holing myself into one type of creativity so the album will end up representing a lot of my personality, I’m a little worried about criticism about how “the album doesn’t know what it is” or there being a lack coherent vision, but I think that’s just another manifestation of capitalistic mass production, where everything has to meet a cookie cutter mould for mass appeal and maximum profit. personal expression shouldn’t relegate people into tiny pockets of existence.

Anyway, if you don’t like one song hold out for the others – they might be more up your street! if it all goes well I’ll sell the album here as a download or CD – maybe other formats if there’s call for it.

Categories
Shop

Mail Schedule

I’ll be checking my emails on tuesdays and fridays for sales, with postage happening within the following 2 days. I know this is is slower than people have come to expect when shopping online (at least it used to be) but I have to work with my disabilities and neurodivergency and not against them. Packages will be first class through the royal mail. Thanks for your understanding and compassion folks x

Categories
Blog Textiles

Alpha Patterns

I’ve been making friendship bracelets for a couple months now and I’ve recently got my head around alpha patterns – sort of. Instead of practicing them, rewatching the tutorial videos, or doing anything that could be called “sensible” I instead made my own pattern based on my Homonin skull designs, basically immediately (because of course I did.)

It uhhh…. Looks. Might try rotating it 90 degrees. Not sure I like making alpha patterns as much as normal ones, but it’s much easier to create patterns haha

Categories
Blog

Unpaused!

My break from website stuff lasted longer than I planned due to preparing for my mothers funeral. It went ok (mostly…) but the process has been taxing AF. Hoping to round off my “If Death Were The End” zine trilogy soon and move forward with life – I’ve got a few exciting things coming in the future, which I’m grateful for because I need to embrace some more positive emotions.

One of them is that I’m applying for a scholarship from the OU to get a free degree with their carers program, although I’m no longer caring for my mother I still have a low risk opportunity to do something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’m applying for an open degree with a foundation in culture with some side modules in practical skills, and I’ll put together a portfolio to go for an MA in experimental archaeology or palaeoanthropology whenever the time comes (3-6 years haha)

Categories
Blog Shop

Posting Pause

I’ll be away from the 8th-18th, I doubt there’ll be any sales in that time but if there are I’ll post your order when I’m back!

Categories
Blog

Grief

After 40 years of multiple sclerosis, 20 years of me being a carer, 6 months of palliative care, and weeks of intense decline, my mother has passed away.

This is a weird time for us. There’s been a sombre mood over the house while we come to terms with everything we’ve been through and what the new “normal” is. I’ve been working on a couple per-zines to help me process (which I’ll be making available on my shop) and I’ve been offered some work leading workshops on processing grief through that format – not that I’m an expert, but the friend who offered me the opportunity clearly thinks I have something to offer with the grief work that she does.

I don’t want to drag people down about it so I’ve been self editing when I speak about it, and the zines offer me a more raw outlet for things I wouldn’t usually talk about. Maybe they’ll help other people going through similar things, or maybe they’ll just help people understand me more. It’s important to hold non judgemental spaces, as much for ourselves as other people, and there’s really no wrong way to feel or to express yourself about intense, and intensely complicated, life events. Radical self acceptance, and all that.

During times of intense trauma I obsess over a creative endeavour, and this time it’s zines, which is good for me. I think we’re all ok enough, all things considered.

Categories
Blog Shop

Shop Shop

I’ve decided to have a crack at selling the stuff I make, and taking it seriously while also not pushing myself beyond my limits as a person with serious challenges. That means that whatever random things I happen to make will be up for grabs – some one offs, some repeatables, but I won’t be restricting myself to any one type of creativity. It’s just not how I thrive.

Because of my challenges with my health (both physical and mental), I ask for patience and kindness when it comes to responses and speed of shipping. You’ll get it as fast as I can get it to you, promise :3

Almost all my stock is made by hand (card decks I get professionally printed, although the packaging is then made by hand) and so they may have the foibles of handmade products – perfection is for heartless mass production. I have multiple repetitive strain injuries that don’t ever seem to heal, so things take me a longer time to make and I’m likely to have some difficulties making them, but all things are of worth! Some thing may be sold as “seconds” if they’ve come out particularly wonky, but are still fine, so if you’re on a tight budget check back in occasionally for a bargain!

Bests,
The NotSoWittyWriter
(Andrew, He/they/Em)

Categories
Blog

Personal Algorithm

I’ve seen a lot of shit takes lately about curating your own algorithm, mainly that it should be either a collection of your own work on your own website (babes I’ve seen all this before, I can’t look at it a thousand more times and pretend to be entertained) or that you should only look at content creators/topics that you already know you like, which sucks all the whimsy out of it. I DO want to go on a strange tangent about koi farming and learn new things, actually.

So far as the takes I’ve seen totally miss the point that the only good thing about algorithms was discovering new things.

I’m not claiming to have a solution to this – ideally I’d like a place to go where I can see updates (for the love of fuck, decent ones) from people I like and articles about things I am or may be interested in. I don’t want clickbait. I don’t want shitty personality tests or rage bait or nazi bs, I don’t want to be watched by the ever present surveillance.

I just want to connect and discover.

I largely stay off social media (ad) platforms now cause they have nothing of worth to offer me, although I dip my toes in now and then. Feel a bit caught between “if I want people to see my stuff I have to be present” and “this isn’t working and the environment fucking sucks”.

Tough one, innit?

Categories
Art Blog Journaling stickers Writing

Inspire new worlds with stickers

While inspiration isn’t hard to find, having a stock of visual prompts can be really useful – using my creative journal I’ve worked dozens of new stickers over the last year, many of which I’ve continued to use to create new work and ideas.

If you could do with a fresh burst of inspiration (or just want to decorate the world you already live in!) consider becoming a Patreon supporter or buying a pack (or three, or five!) from my web shop ✨