“Style, friend, style.”
– Douglas Adams
No biggie. Just Deborah Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, feeding her chickens. (C. wrote, wearing baggy jeans and a well loved but slightly ratty t-shirt.)
“Stay is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.”
― Amos Bronson Alcott
Another big week wrap up, and best of all my friend Lauren is coming into town! Lauren and I met at a summer Young Global Leaders program when we were 15 and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. She’s currently conquering the world of media and is flying to London from Hong Kong for work because fabulous is her middle name. I’ve got lots of food and wandering planned for us. How are you guys spending the weekend? Let me know in the comments and add any links that you think the minion coterie has to know about.
Let’s get a new look at some of the world’s old favorites, shall we?
WARNING. Do not read if you’re caught up on Game of Thrones, there are spoilers and I cannot stress that enough. Seriously. Don’t click through if you don’t want secret knowledge you’ll be angry to have. ‘K? Alright. If the modern media reported on “that thing that happened” on GoT.
Gorgeous find. What else is hiding under plaster elsewhere, I wonder?
Twitter friend and entrepreneurial girl crush Bethany of Love Grows Design wrote a really good piece on the fundamentally edited nature of online writing and social media that’s really worth the read. Something to think about both creating and ingesting content.
Behold, the thing that made Jeff burst into the loudest, most hysterical laughter I’ve heard all week. Do make sure the sound is on.
Channeling love for the old Batman TV series, now for the low, low price of $2200.
Huh, does this guy do house calls? Across the Atlantic? I’m pretty chronically sleep deprived these days…
The British Museum recently opened one of the biggest new exhibition in years, Vikings. We haven’t seen it yet (and we’re BM members, the shame!) but I’m enjoying the heck out of the many campaigns and bonuses the museum is running. Here – Viking yourself! (I kid you not, I got “Cadence the Little.”)
Friend and Friend of the Blog Caitlin Kelly writes about her recent experience in Nicaragua, and the lessons learned while working with WaterAid for Rewire Me.
“All the world’s a stage.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It
The other weekend, after I emerged from a project based fog and Jeff finished up a major bout of studying, we were in need of a treat. We counted the coins in our spare change jar and to our delight it added up to two concretes from Shake Shake so off we went to Covent Garden. When we got there we noticed it was unusually crowded, even for a weekend, but it turns out that they were filming live events for the Olivier Awards and several West End actors and and troupes were putting on live performances which were being broadcast to the main stage and events elsewhere.
Not just any performances, mind you. Whole numbers and sections of shows you otherwise have to pay a decent amount of money to see. It was a wonderfully unexpected way to enjoy the evening!
The live stage was sent up in front of the famous St. Paul’s church, where Eliza Doolittle met professor Higgins in My Fair Lady and today is known as the Actor’s Church for its long history connected to the theatre world and community of the West End
Performers, puppet and human from the award winning Avenue Q.
No biggie, just Javert communing with the cosmos and swearing his unique brand of justice upon parole-breakers.
Do you hear the people sing? As it happens, yes!
“God for Harry, England, and St George!”
– Shakespeare, Henry V
It’s St George’s Day, celebrated with bunting and pub crawls (like an awful lot of British feast days). What’s not to like? I love a good borderline mythological figure as much as the next medievalist, but truthfully it’s the dragon that gets me. I’ve had a thing for them ever since childhood.
My first ever published short story was composed at the tender age of about 13 and was titled, “The Guide to Saving Princesses,” an instruction manual for prospective heroes about choosing suitable princesses, negotiating with dragons to make sure the climatic fights look real, and general career tips for knight-errantry. It was terribly clever, she said without a hint of bias.
In university I conducted a bit of research into how St. George’s victim in the middle ages is often portrayed with female genitalia as his legend shifted to include ideas about romanticized chastity and virginity. Since in the middle ages it was the female sex that was considered particularly susceptible to lust rather than the male. Hm…
Tolkien’s Smaug is one of my favorite characters ever, but my favorite dragon-slaying story of all time has to be his historically satirical and incredibly clever, Farmer Giles of Ham. The vintage copy still in my mother’s possession was illustrated with medieval style drawings and she read it to me as a child and animated the dog Garm’s hysterical “Help, help!” cries in a way that still makes me laugh today. I might have to reread it in honor of the day. Anyone else celebrating?
“Friendship,” said Christopher Robin, “is a very comforting thing to have.”
― A.A. Milne
In a typical work environment you’re thrown in together and meeting new people all the time. You’re making friends (or not making friends, as it happens) with all sorts, tackling projects, exchanging information and swapping ideas. When you work from home, that rapport simply doesn’t work the same way and if that sort of connection is important to you, it’s largely up to you to find ways of creating it.
Freelancing for me, based on the nature of the majority of the sort of tasks I do, is largely a one-person show. I don’t mind this exactly, I’m a nice mix of introvert and extrovert who is perfectly capable of amusing and entertaining herself, or going out and enjoying the crowds. But I’ve found that long term, the solitary nature of my work affects me in interesting ways that I have to be proactive about noticing and correcting.
One of the reasons I decided to seek some volunteer work, apart from experience in a field I love and hope to support in some capacity in one way or another for the rest of my life, was that I was realized I was becoming emotionally and verbally out of touch. Six months into living in London, I was working from home six days a week and doing the bulk of my communicating via email. 99% of my conversations were happening with my husband – who is a great person to talk to, I stress lest you think otherwise – and I was noticing that in a very real way, I was losing the skill of being able to meet and connect with new people. In short I was becoming awkward. Not awkward in they shy and retiring way, awkward in, “Oh hi, so nice to meet you, let’s be friends immediately!” hyper way that instantly throws many off. With some people, such enthusiasm can be cute. I am not one of them…
Luckily, working at the museum is staggeringly fun. Not only am I feeling re-socialized, I’ve also been introduced to a number of publications I’m considering pitching. Most importantly, I’ve made some lovely new friends (like Georgina – another up and coming novelist and all around whip smart girl who I genuinely adore. We bonded over classics and Roman history, which is always a stable foundation for buddy-hood). Having friends, whom I not married to an interact with in places other than my flat, has been tremendously important in keeping my life happy and balanced.
Speaking of, another thing that’s been interesting to recognize is how much inspiration comes from other people. “Duh, C., you idiot,” I hear you say. But I’m not just talking about big ideas and big inspiration, I’m talking about the often small things that jumpstart you and keep you motivated as a person.
I met Alanna at a networking event a couple of months ago and I instantly thought she was one of the neatest people I’ve come across in a long time. She runs a consulting service that specifically works with social innovation, women’s development, and international development. We’ve started co-working together about once a month, and I always look forward to it because it’s easily one of my most productive days in that week. Just being around another person engaged in solid, innovative work is inspiring in and of itself and having another person in the room helps keep me accountable and not goofing off. Not only that, we’re able to swap ideas. Last time we worked together I helped her develop possible pitches to different publications about one of her upcoming projects and she introduced me to a number of sites and online tools that have made her life as a freelancer easier and more productive. Oh, and that swanky new blog logo I’m enjoying? She whipped that up in five minutes just for fun, without my even asking, just because she said she needed something creative to do as a break!
Simply being around people who succeed at freelancing, entrepreneurship, writing, blogging, design work, or just learning new skills personally gives me a tremendous boost of confidence. Seeing others succeed encourages me to think that I can too, in a way that I don’t always feel slumped over my desk grudgingly at one in the morning.
Another example. The other week Andrea and I finally got the chance to meet up (she’s been in Morocco, I’ve been in Paris – I know, our lives are such a trial, right?) for a long overdue hangout. We took in a free photographer’s gallery and then spent a couple of hours sipping tea and swapping stories and our experiences with freelancing and expat life. It’s amazingly relieving to hear that, even though your work might be solitary, your personal problems definitely aren’t unique! Not only that, about every ten minutes one of us said to the other, “That’s a really interesting story, you should pitch that.” Just by chatting and enjoying one others company we were coming up with really great ideas left and right, I came home and scribbled down half a dozen. I can’t wait to go on another girl date with her, not just because she is everything hilarious, delightful and interesting, but seeing her work ethic really gave a boost to my own.
I always believed that people are important to me, personally and professionally. I just never realized how much until this first year of freelancing.
Sharing time! Who are your people, and how do they inspire you? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Have you had to get proactive to change unforeseen emotional adjustments due to self-employment? I’m nosy and want to know!
“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”
― Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
On Friday after work, Jeff met me halfway home from the museum at Waterloo Bridge to grab some quick food before I dashed home and threw myself onto a pile of unexploded projects. The London Street Food Festival was on, meaning we could find some of the best food trucks in the city corralled into one area and offering up their wares for cheap. Also, that we could avoid cooking.
To hear is to obey.
The trucks and stalls were a wonderful hodgepodge of clever and creative, and boring but practical, but they all were hawking delicious wares. We combed through the offerings like the street food pros we are in record time.
Jeff plumped for a Meatball and Chips from Cheeky Italian, which he inhaled as I dragged him back to the tube station so I could go home and get to work. He was a good sport about it, though, partly because we’d also snagged some truly impressive eats.
I took home this pulled pork flirt from Dixie Union Soul Food. And it was magnificent.
“The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
More from the heron posse in Regent’s Park.
“Freelancing…is an on-spec life and it is full of what can only be described as insane serendipity (or serendipitous insanity).”
― Richard Morgan
This week I put to bed phase one of a major freelance project, a separate project has seen some setbacks due to travel and family concerns (theirs, not mine) but still progress, and life at the museum has gotten crazy as the Easter holiday descends and tourist season begins in earnest. I’m still recovering from my hedonistic lost weekend with Caitlin, but I also got to have a gorgeous tea with a longtime online friend who happened to be in London, meet up with Andrea from This New View to talk freelance writing, and had another spectacularly productive coworking day with Alanna.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this consistently scheduled in my life as I’ve been since the start of 2014. Sure I’ve had busy work, and stressful periods at my old office, but there is a massive difference between being busy and getting things done, I’ve discovered. And in spite of occasional sleep deprivation, or periods of crunch time, I don’t think I’ve every been this professionally content either. Life is simply very good.
Also, you may have noticed, there’s been a few changes in the Small Dog vicinity. Once again, I’ve learned new skills and am practicing away (heck, I’m even learning about branded images up in here, thanks to Alanna!). Let me know what you think and please do give me your feedback.
Here are your links, tell me what you’re up to this weekend, ducklings.
A bit stretched, but vastly contented, kittens.
Interesting news in publishing summed up on the always brilliant brain pickings.
5 a day? Ha! Up your expectations and health plans accordingly.
Excellent! I am 100% done about people complaining about leggings (also known as the most comfy things ever invented that you will pull from my cold, dead hands, society). Oh! That would make an excellent Incendiary post! Quick minions, to the comments, and let’s have a vigorous debate on the merits of alternative types of leg wear!
I once was able to hear YA author Shannon Hale speak about rejection, she brought a scroll of every single one of her rejection letters, laminated together in a way that stretched across a conference room. Perspective.
You wanted to read an article about the art and history of tapestries, especially as relates to media culture, right? I knew it!
These bracelets are amazing, and I need them desperately to make these beauties in my postcode already!
As an accidental minimalist myself, I find these homes fascinating.
How charming are these photos! From a nature photographer with a touch for the miniature.
Henry VIII was a complete jerk, this is historically well established. His marital troubles reshaped Europe, led to the Civil War, heightened religious mania and persecution and resulted in an astonishing amount of historical fiction on the subject – some good, some bad. But how long was he actually married to each of the women in his life? Twitter to the rescue!
New project, visit and read in all of these spaces?
We’ve been trying to sort out what makes human beings substantially different from other animal species for centuries now, but one of the most interesting theories (debunked, by the way) was that it was primarily based on our capacity for language. Not only has that been disproved but some research is suggesting that not only do many animal species communicate, they do so with self-awareness. Some even seem to have names and the ability to identify and talk about themselves!
Presented without further commentary, the headline of the week: These Backpacks For Cows Collect Their Fart Gas And Store It For Energy.
As if we ever really needed an excuse to look at a retrospective of gorgeous ball gowns.
“Every duke and earl and peer is here,
Everyone who should be here is here…”
– My Fair Lady
So…in continuing adjustment to new business and spousal paradigms, Jeff’s summer social activity for work this year will be at Ascot.
Spouses are not invited.
This might affect my marriage, kittens.
(image via)
“London was so rich, and also so green, and somehow so detailed: full of stuff that had been made, and bought, and placed, and groomed, and shaped, and washed clean, and put on display as if the whole city was for sale.”
― John Lanchester, Capital
Regent’s Park is the brainchild of George the Prince Regent, later George IV, but the land on which it sits had been in royal hands since Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and snapped up the property for himself. As he was wont to do.
George (who it must be said is being hilariously downplayed in the poster campaigns around the city as a number of exhibitions and events celebrate the 300th anniversary of the rise of the house of Hanover) was pretty useless as a regent and monarch. In fact he consistently ranks down among the worst king in British history in the sorts of polls that historians run. Corpulent, lazy, unimpressive, and obnoxious, we nevertheless still need to thank him since a number of his building projects helped create London as we know it today.
That’s not snow on the ground, it’s a natural carpet of daisies. I know, right?!
A flock of herons (which I’ve never seen associating in a group before) flirted with tourists and followed likely looking crumb droppers, looking for the world like a pack of spindly dinosaurs.
Gorgeous.
This garden was cordoned off. But I saw enough people meandering through it anyway that I hopped the barrier and joined them for a close up of a fountain of a frog spitting at a child. Which clearly is a lot more charming than it sounds on paper.
At some point you just get the feeling the park’s showing off.
So, thanks George IV! We’re still iffy enough about you 200 years down the road to awkwardly disregard you on signage, but frankly you helped make London gorgeous. For that, we thank you.
You were still a terrible king, a bad father, and a truly hideous husband.
Small Dog Syndrome 