What's Feeding Me 🐛 vol. 4
What's Feeding Me 🐛 vol. 4
a monthly buffet of creative fodder
The Webs We Weave is a free weekly-ish newsletter on staying connected to ourselves, making connections in our creative work, and feeling more connected in the world.
Each month I share a little buffet of things that have been keeping me fed: intellectually, creatively, and emotionally. I invite you to share in the comments what's been feeding you, too! Both with me, and with each other.
Let’s jump on in!
📔 Great Writing
📚 Cactus Country by Zoë Bossiere
I’ve been lucky enough to experience Zoë’s generous teaching style in a few writing workshops, and when I heard they were coming out with their debut memoir earlier this year, I knew I had to pre-order.
Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir tells the story of Zoë’s coming of age after her family moved to Cactus Country RV Park in Tuscon, Arizona. It’s a gorgeous memoir that explores genderfluidity, class, and masculinity set against the harsh backdrop of the American Southwest. I’m about midway through and loving it so far.
📜 What We See, What We Capture
In my Monday writing group, we’ve talked about the power of paying attention to everyday intimacies. One particular discussion unfolded after a member read a truly-stunning piece about getting her teeth cleaned, of all things. I’ve been thinking about this idea of dialing up my attention and appreciation to everyday details ever since.
In that spirit, I really connected with ’ essay about her experience viewing and capturing the aurora borealis last month. I especially love way she grapples with questions about awe, and our commodification of it:
“What happens when we’re so used to our screens that the world around us, the real world, begins to feel flat? What happens when we’re so used to a capture of something that we forget to pay attention to the real, the tangible, the sensorial?”
Read the full piece below.
📜 The herbs of a poem
While I have plenty of gripes with Instagram, I’m deeply grateful to the platform for introducing me to new artists and poets, whose work I now look forward to seeing in my feed.
One such poet, (@theguelphpoet on Instagram) recently shared this wonderful piece on how to turn a poem (or really, any piece of creative writing) into an experience for the reader.
“A reader should feel as though the poem is an exploration, never quite knowing what will take place in the next line. What stanzas will pepper your throat, which lines remind you of the taste of your own blood? Which words sting like vinegar?”
🪶 Tea Kettle
And speaking of Maria! I just love this poem of hers, Tea Kettle. That turn at the end… *chef’s kiss*
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🎙️ + 📺 Great Listens and Watches
🎙️ Song Exploder: Don’t Dream It’s Over
I’ve loved the Song Exploder podcast for a while now—though I find the episodes that feature a song I know and love are extra satisfying.
I can’t quite put my finger on why I love Crowded House’s 80s hit Don’t Dream It’s Over as much as I do (ok, apart from the fact that it’s featured prominently in my all-time favorite show) but this episode was wall-to-wall nostalgia for me. Listen to hear the artist dissect the song layer by layer, and then play it back all together at the end.
🎙️ Wiser Than Me: Julia Gets Wise with Ann Lamott
Speaking of podcast episodes that made me gasp-squeal upon seeing them in my feed: Julia Louis Dreyfus and Anne Lamott might actually be in the running for the pairing of my dreams. I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: listening to the rich conversation between these two women, or texting with my mom throughout the episode about all our favorite bits.
📺 Somebody, Somewhere (on MAX)
After months of my mom gently encouraging me to please just give it a try, I finally sat down to watch the first episode of Somebody, Somewhere last weekend and immediately understood the draw.
Set in Kansas, the series follows Sam (played by the brilliant Bridget Everett) as she navigates midlife and complicated family dynamics back in her hometown after the death of her sister. I can virtually guarantee: you will belly laugh and you will clutch your chest, probably in equal measure, in basically every episode.
(I love you mom, thank you for reading my silly little emails and being patient with me until I finally got around to starting this show! You were right, it’s so good.)
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🙇🏼♀️ Current Project or Micro Obsession
Creating a Seasonal Capsule Wardrobe
In last week’s discussion thread about projects (psst, it’s not too late to chime in!) I mentioned my ambitions to pull together a seasonal capsule wardrobe.
My closet has felt bloated with unwearable, uninspiring pieces for a while and I find myself craving a distilled collection of easily-remixable pieces—items I feel great in, with a healthy mix of trusted staples and splashes of personality. But… how?
After sifting through mounds of articles and videos about capsule wardrobes that left me wanting for next steps I could sink my teeth into, here are a few resources I’ve found especially helpful in getting started:
A fantastically thorough guide that breaks down how to visualize and assemble individual ‘modules’ that are versatile, play well together, and suit your actual life
A list of 7 practical steps from to assess what you have, and identify a tried-and-true formula with ideas for how to tweak and reuse it for each season
A bit of encouragement from to document your outfits (!!) including 3 tips for how to do it
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🌻 A Human Whose Work I’m Devouring
Ev Chapman (YouTube)
I’ve been in Ev’s orbit for a while and have purchased several of her courses, though I tend to dip in and out of consuming her content.
Her specialty is sharing straightforward tips and videos on how to set up systems for note-taking and what I’d call ‘idea management.’ Her don’t-sweat-it, you-can-always-change-it-later-so-you-might-as-well-just-start approach is a welcome antidote to my own inclinations toward perfecting and over-planning.
She also introduced me to Tana, which has become my writing tool of choice over the past year. I feel my writing system wanting to evolve lately to better support my current process + priorities, so I’ve been revisiting some of her tutorials and infusing her ideas into my own system.
If you’re curious about Ev and/or Tana, this video serves as a great introduction to both!
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🤣 A Meme, Just Because.
(I have absolutely been this person.)
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Your turn!
What’s feeding you lately?
If you’re game, share something that’s been feeding you lately in the comments. A podcast, a book, a habit, a new favorite thing, a project that’s lighting you up, a thing that made you laugh… anything! Let’s crowdsource some good creative fodder. 👇
Until next time,
Michelle
We should call this post a Michelle's Mom Appreciation Post! Super sweet to see moments with your mom sprinkled throughout this very fun roundup! I already have all of the capsule wardrobe tabs open in my browser—especially excited about the "modules" piece. Also that tea kettle turn...brilliant.
What a great list! I LOVVVVED Somebody Somewhere, and also that episode of Wiser Than Me!