Issue 0008

Written By G C
From the Editor

As we come to the end of Q3, not only are there more obvious changes like the seasons, but there typically seems to be a lot of things happening around this time of year. For myself, this of course was dominated by the operation I’d had a couple weeks ago and the consequent recovery. But there are also a whole slough of things as well, and it can be easy to get swept up by everything going on. We all know, but seem to constantly need to be reminded, that change is a core part of life. I am trying to remind myself that changes in themselves do not have morality — they are neutral and we simply ascribe morality to them based on the (perceived) outcomes.

Okay, maybe I’m a little drugged up still so that was all a bit too hippie-dippy lol. Let’s just say that a lot of things are going on for me, as I’m sure they are for many of you. I’m trying my best to just keep on keepin’ on, without getting too dragged down by the overwhelm. Paradoxically, staying busy and keeping on top of things actually helps more to keep the Depresso™ away than just wallowing and doing nothing, so even though I am also trying to rest during recovery, I’m also making sure to keep myself busy.

I’ve actually been doing a lot more sketches and art for myself, and while that’s been restorative in its own way, the doodle micro-commissions also were fun! It’s always a warm fuzzy feeling to know that I could bring someone else’s beautiful ideas to life with my art, and I am also extremely grateful and thankful to all those who filled out my doodle micro-commission slots! I actually have re-opened the slots now, so if you’d like to get a doodle, check them out here! Even if you don’t, I’d appreciate it ever so much if you shared the link to friends/family directly or via socials!

May you find some warmth and comfort in the upcoming autumn season, even if it’s from something seemingly small.

Art Fundamentals

Shape Language

The idea of ‘shape language’ is something that feels so basic when I first heard about it, but the more I dig into it and learn about it, the more I realise how it’s actually so much more complex than that. (Then again, that’s always how it goes, isn’t it?)

Something that especially had me reassessing and scrutinising the world around us is the idea that even a simple line can indicate so much. For example, take a look at the following three lines:

They’re not anything special at first glance, right? But something that came up in one of my lectures is the idea that the humble line is actually a shorthand for something greater than itself. Let’s take a look at the first line, the horizontal. If you were to anthropomorphise it and give it a personality, what would it look like? For me, I see something somnambulant. Something solid and grounding. It’s not active in any way. In contrast, the vertical line is upright, both literally and figuratively. It is somewhat authoritative and steadfast, perhaps even powerful. And last of all, the diagonal line is seized in action, constantly moving and as a result somewhat precarious.

I reckon there are some people out there who see them differently since this is all subjective, after all, but the majority of us humans would likely agree on the above descriptors for these lines, to varying extents.

Now for the fun part! Let’s take this a step further and add something more interesting than lines (sorry, lines, still love you). Take a look at the image below:

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

You may recognize this as the sample images from the Bouba/Kiki effect, where viewers are asked to choose which of the above shapes are likely called ‘Bouba’ or ‘Kiki’. While the effect is an example of the mental association we make for sounds to written words, what I want to highlight is the shapes themselves, and what they represent (and to an extent, the Latin characters used in English to represent those sounds, in this example ‘B’ and ‘K’.)

Let’s change the question ever so slightly. Of the two shapes above, which one is ‘gentle’ and which one is ‘harsh’? The answer should also be the same for the majority of us. Shapes, even basic ones as these, can represent even more than just a physical object; they can also evoke certain emotions or ideas. When you look at the shapes below, what characteristic would you associate for each?

Tall triangle, blobby ellipse, concave rectangle, backward 'S'.

If these are still a little too abstract, what about these?

Profile of a menacing bald man over tall triangle, happy moustachioed chap with bowler hat over blobby ellipse, Handsome Squidward over concave rectangle, mermaid over backward 'S'.

As you hopefully can see above, the basic shapes and forms of the characters themselves give a lot to helping you get a feel for the character as a whole — their personality, the way they move, and even a little of their behaviours. Similar to Bouba/Kiki, soft shapes are generally associated with more jovial or gentle characters, whereas angular shapes are used to represent imperious or even sinister characters.

This is actually a common basic exercise in character development that I think puts the ‘fun’ in ‘fundamental’! If you ever get bored, give it a try! Look around you for any object, lightly sketch down the outer shape of it, then try to turn it into a character. For bonus points, give them a whole story to go with them! Of course, I cheated above and used recognisable characters or archetypes to save time and get the point across, but the possibilities are endless!

Books and Reads

Some time ago, I mentioned that I’m on a self-imposed embargo on new books - including from the library - until I finish at least some of the unread ones on my shelf. Well, I recently saw a bleet on BlueSky from a librarian encouraging people to loan out books, even if they aren’t reading them. It helps boost their numbers and shows to the local councils that people are indeed still actively using libraries, so hopefully their funding doesn’t get cut. Libraries, especially physical ones, are really struggling all over (my previous borough in London even had campaigns for saving the libraries), which is devastating. So take out those books, even if you don’t read them! Show them you appreciate their efforts in sourcing new books and maintaining their collection!

I’ll still complain about the fact that my current library system charges 50p to put a hold on a book, but it’s also understandable that it’s probably precisely because of this lack of funding from the council, which I pay already pay exorbitant taxes to… It’s not all perfect, but I’ll do what I can, I suppose.

Current Reads

📕 It’s OK to be Angry about Capitalism - Bernie Sanders

Obviously I’m not American, but I strongly believe that the world is tightly intertwined, and if anything, the problems that one country faces cannot be and are not isolated in this modern world. Anyway, my first impressions:

BERNEHHH. He does not hold back and just comes flying out the gate in page 1 of the introduction. Happened to pick this up by chance from the library this week whilst I was banned from the gym due to being in post-op still 😢 and figured I deserve at least a little treat. Technically I wasn’t even gonna read it for a few days but…well. It seems timely. It is timely.

📕 Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott

One of these days, I’ll eventually get around to writing my own novel. At least, that’s what I tell myself every time I pick up a non-fiction book like this one by a published novelist.

📘 The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

This one was highly recommended by a friend some time ago, and luckily I managed to find a pretty (sprayed edges!!) second-hand copy at either the library or a charity shop so it’s been sitting on the shelf for a while now. Murder-mysteries are not the typical genre I go to for fiction, but I do enjoy me a good show or episode every now and then (love me some Poirot). Already a good chunk of the way through this after only a day, and I honestly haven’t the foggiest clue who the murderer is!

This is my bedtime fiction read, which…I realise is a terrible idea for mysteries because I end up staying up late because I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Especially because this one is particularly wild, in the Groundhog-Day timey-wimey manner, so there’s quite a lot going on. So far I’m having a great time with it though!

Recently Finished

📗 I Want to Die But I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki - Baek Se-hee 4/5

The second book in a frankly very raw and vulnerable format of non-fiction by a Korean author, where she presents transcriptions of her actual sessions with her psychiatrist. It wasn’t quite as much of a gut-punch as the first one, but it still hit pretty damn hard in a lot of ways. It was also very inspiring to see how both the author and I have come a long way since the worst of our depressions (I read her first during the Mega Depresso of 2022).

It’s absolutely not meant to be a prescriptive or even instructive book in any way, but far from it. Seeing the ways that the author continues to struggle with the non-linear path of recovery is, if anything, more comforting and honest than any other recounts of ‘overcoming’ depression—because a lot of the time, it feels like there is no end or ‘fully recovered’; it’s a matter of learning to manage it better and live despite it.

If you decide to check out this book, please be aware of the content warnings.

Articles, Blogs, & Papers

Total Tangents

Podcasts

Shockingly I have not gotten through very many podcasts, mainly due to the fact that podcasts are my primary workout/running entertainment. Since I can’t go to the gym or run for a few more weeks still, I’ve just been piling them up in my playlist… Maybe one of these days I’ll just have a long walk and sit in the park to get through them while I still can.

But of course, I still have listened to some Ologies. The episode on Trolleyology (which is apparently a legit word) on the trolley problem and moral ethics was actually weirdly timely because I just binge-rewatched the entirety of The Good Place after getting back from surgery. For something a little less mind-bendy, the Cosmology two-parter with world-renown Dr Katie Mack was a fascinating look at the opposite end of the mind, a.k.a. the rest of the universe. Oh wait, I was meant to find a less mind-bendy one, wasn’t I? Okay, how about Sparklebuttology, the study of fireflies?! I’ve never had the joy of encountering one of these in real life so it’s now a goal to see one. The pink one would be fab to see, but I’m not fussy.

Since a lot of the podcasts I’ve been listening to lately have gotten a bit heavy, I’ve needed to intersperse them again with something a bit lighter. I’m starting to try to get through some more of 20k Hz again, and picked this episode on the sounds of *Jeopardy!* (RIP Mr Trebek, you legend). Not only did I not realise that the theme and sounds have actually changed in more recent years, but there was so much behind the sounds and how they evolved over time. And of course, you can never just not hum the “Think” song when waiting or trying to figure out something.

Videos

Thank You!

That was a long one! It's what comes of not posting monthly, I'm afraid. But if you've made it this far, thank you so much for your time! Hopefully you found something interesting or engaging, and if you have any thoughts or comments at all, or even if you have any suggestions for future topics on any of the columns, please leave a comment! I love to hear from you. 💖

G C
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