Time: 8:27 am

Location: my couch

Weather outside: glacial, but the sun is out.

Atmosphere: the fridge is humming, my dog is sleeping soundly on the couch beside me, and I’ve wrapped myself in a blanket. I’m sipping my first cup of coffee of the day in my favorite yellow mug.

Best part: i have the whole day ahead to draw, read, watch shows, write emails to friends, journal, and take photos on walks with the doggo.

Photos: morning light from my bedroom

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It's dark and wet out and a perfect morning to put on some Nina Simone.

For the past few days, I've been thinking about an old friend that I hitchhiked across Canada with, and wouldn't you know it, I get a message from him yesterday.

Isn't it weird and wonderful how that always seems to happen? You think of someone from a million years ago...and poof, they message you out of nowhere?

I miss Vancouver, with its greenery, oceanside trails, and mountain peaks everywhere you look.

Taking a break from family calls/drama has been a boon for my mental health this week. I needed this time to decompress and focus on other things.

I've been trying to find a simple blogging platform without a lot of bells that can provide infinite scrolling capabilities. Whyyy can't Bearblog provide this??? (btw, other than this one tiny thing…Bearblog is close to perfection)

I tried looking at WordPress again, but their themes are awful. The other contenders are so expensive I can't justify paying that much, esp for a tiny blog like this one. We shall see, I guess.

Sigh.

Last night, I googled: Zines vs blogs. This is something I think about quite often. If you blog, why make zines and vice-versa.

I realize the fundamental differences between the two, but my zines tend to be personal diary-like versions of the blog I've been keeping, so I'm constantly assessing the pull between the two.

I came across an article from a blogger/zinester (I can't remember where I should have saved it) that explained her process in a simple manner:

My blog is a record, life-keeper document of the now, whereas my zines are past ideas, moments, and memories I've internalized and can now write about from a new perspective.

I like that.

Zines are a chance for me to get off the computer and make stuff, with supplies sprawled out across my kitchen table, with tunes playing and a cup of coffee at hand. Pasting, gluing, cutting...making things fit like a puzzle.

Getting lost in the process of making.

I don't need to analyze things to death; making stuff because it feels good is good enough.

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I received such pretty zines from Ellen Viola last week. Look at those juicy colors! They’re such a visual treat, and the paper she chose feels so good in the hand.

The zines I buy are usually kind of text heavy so these were a nice change-up. I now need every single zine she’s ever made.

Also, the way she packaged them so carefully and beautifully made the whole experience akin to Xmas morning.

I love zines and the people who make them. 💌

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