01 | heating up

June 3, 2021

Summer is arriving here in the Sonoran Desert. We are out at dawn and dusk with the other animals - rabbits, coyotes, javelinas, and so many birds, waiting for them to pass through without expending too much energy in the process. I hike with my friend a couple of mornings a week. We talk about water and saunas, and heat. I lived in New Mexico for 7 years, but I have never experienced this kind of brightness. We are particles of light, and light is passing through us. A certain acceptance of transparency + translucency is required. Here are a few things to inspire.

Reading | The Blue Zones of Happiness by Dan Buettner. A companion piece to the Blue Zones book about longevity, this book contains research and suggestions for “nudging” or setting up your environment and lifestyle for easy choices for enjoyment and daily happiness. A simple example is moving your body everyday.

https://www.bluezones.com/blue-zones-of-happiness/

Listening | I’ve been listening to Valerie June on repeat this month, and loved hearing about her evolution as a singer-songwriter.

https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/episode-94-valerie-june

Looking | I have been immersing myself in architecture, from how to site a house, to what makes a volume work. My grandparents + their generation built many of their own homes and outbuildings. I aspire to design and build my house. Here are 2 projects. The modest scale, the lightness on the land, the truth to materials makes this dream feel much more within my reach.

https://www.amazingarchitecture.com/houses/desert-nomad-house-in-tucson-arizona-by-studio-rick-joy

https://www.remodelista.com/posts/soot-house-anthony-esteves-spruce-head-maine/

The studio work is also heating up. I hope the work contains an organic intelligence that is mysterious and enhances your daily experience.