007 · Things that made me think of you
assorted recommendations for fellow internet magicians
OPENING
Hello friends. Life has been hectic lately and in lieu of a full-length article (or whatever it is I typically write) I'm providing an extended list of things that made me think of you. These things have all found their way into my life somewhat recently and it brings me great pleasure to pass them on. ~Enjoy!
TO READ
✳️ WEB DESIGN AS ARCHITECTURE - A lovely 10 point list on properties of websites, encouraging deeper & more critical thought on what a website can be and how we relate to them & them to us.
✳️ ASCII art + permadeath: The history of roguelike games - I have a fascination with 1980 game Rogue, its contemporaries, and its more modern successors. It was born in & of computers, taking full advantage of text-based ASCII graphics and basic keyboard controls. It feels as akin to software or digital user experience as it does a game, and is replete with internet magic. This article serves as an excellent primer to & history of the genre.
✳️ Perfume Genius / Creative Independent - A particularly resonant interview with musician Perfume Genius on the necessity of just doing it in any creative practice. By dialing in on something, trusting in self, and acting on said thing, you can just do it, too.
TO ENGAGE
✳️ Nonogram Life - I'm a big fan of simple, engaging, pressure-free puzzle games. Sudoku, Mahjong, crosswords, and now nonograms. In this beautiful app you pixel-paint pictures of various living things, and it is equal parts relaxing and cognitively stimulating.
✳️ saturn return - A poetic website created by
that feels especially poignant as I enter my Saturn Return. A soothing gradient & layout hand-hold you through a short yet impactful read.✳️ Anytype - A promising new platform that claims to be "the everything app for those who celebrate trust & autonomy". It is a local-first, peer-to-peer synced, all-in-one notes & task manager tool. While the functional concept is nothing new, this is the first application of its kind to prioritize on-device encryption & serverless syncing. Worth keeping an eye on for sure, or diving in head first if you've been looking for an app like this.
✳️ Threads? - As a believer in a digital media sort of Pascal's wager, I am one to quickly adopt anything new & (scarcely) promising, spending as little time & effort as possible to integrate myself until I figure out what is happening. By this logic, I think Threads is worth looking at and signing up for, especially if you have an Instagram to port your profile from. That data's not gonna be any less yours. Find me on Threads.
TO EXPERIENCE
✳️ the two records I picked up last weekend (one, two) - Some simple music recs, two albums I purchased from a local shop recently and have been listening to frequently. Hopefully one (or both) of these are for you.
✳️ reestablishing connection - An earth-shattering return from my hands-down favorite digital creator, Rachel Ngyuen. Her videos are always a multi-sensory experience, and this one is no exception. They make me feel uncomfortable in the best possible way. If you're unfamiliar, I strongly suggest diving in and seeing where it takes you. You are the vibe, enhance it.
✳️ Toro y Moi - MAHAL (Live from Big Sur) - Toro y Moi is a creative dynamo, and this live set only serves to prove that further. Half concert, half movie, half art piece, please indulge in the slightly-over-one-hour affair.
CLOSING
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you found something within that enriched you in any way. I appreciate the patience & interest, as I shape-shift and figure things out. I am working on something I would like to have out this coming Friday. Until then.