Time to talk
Stirring the pot and embracing the unexpected: a warm welcome.
I initially wrote this weeks ago, at my desk, after hours of drafting, editing, drifting off and returning to it. The afternoon went by, and I made a pact with myself to polish it sooner rather than later.
I reread it all today, the day before my self-imposed deadline, but it seemed a bit flat. Maybe I tried too hard? It read like someone else’s. I said, hey, this is MY newsletter. What other chances do I have to be true to my voice?
On the subject of voice, at lunchtime, I had an idea. I dropped enough spaghetti for a portion in the boiling water, and opened the Voice Memos app – something I had almost forgotten existed. I recorded a voice memo, and it was 8 minutes long. After dinner, I somehow turned it into text. So, what you’re reading is essentially things I whispered into my phone while the pasta was cooking. Talk about multitasking!
Enough preambles.
Welcome
I started this publication/newsletter as a means of piecing together pockets of life and the things I care about. Odd and Wonderful is where you’ll hear about how I navigate the world and explore subjects I feel are worth talking about.
I'm afraid I can't easily sum up the contents of this newsletter in a PR-ready pitch. I mean, I could try something like "the ultimate guide to slowing down until you can count how many sheep are grazing in that field while riding the fast train to the city.", but that's just not me. All you need to know is that this is my safe space, and what you get in exchange for subscribing might just be a complimentary puzzle with no predetermined shape.
Some of the regular content you can expect to see featured:
Music to listen to while working, driving, thinking about your childhood bedroom, or doing chores.
Words about creative burnout, being an “expat”, the lie of productivity culture, being open to learning, and navigating the process of myself.
Things I think about while walking or doing mundane tasks like boiling the kettle.
Books and art that I think are worth sharing.
And occasionally:
Resources for would-be designers and artists.
Interviews with people who make my life enjoyable (or at least bearable).
Time to talk
By pure chance, by the time this email lands in your inbox, it will be Time to Talk Day. It’s a campaign run by a couple of British charities and one major grocery retailer, and they describe it as “a day for friends, families, communities, and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives”.
It would seem like a very fitting day to launch a personal newsletter. Truth is, I only learned about it after I had already set a launch date for this and told everyone.
Still, in the spirit of this national day of togetherness and open conversations about mental health, I want to share a bit about what I’m going through. Confession: my mental and emotional health has been all over the place the last few weeks. I haven’t been able to show up online or to my friends in meaningful ways.
I wish I was ready to be more vulnerable here. You know, tell you more, spread the word about living in this chaos, and maybe make some people feel less alone. But for now, I think what I shared will have to do. It’s already a huge personal achievement that I’ve written this.
I will tell you, though, that the lady at the Jobcentre seized my passport and ID this morning because they got ‘flagged by the system’. It’s nothing to worry about, she said. And she also said I’d get them back next week. I think she lied, and her scanner is broken or something, and she could not admit it. I really wanted my documents back, but I have no energy to fight these petty battles. I’ll survive a week without my ID.
I’ve left some links and pictures below to tie this up nicely.
🤍 Have a safe and happy February.
Francesco
1. Music to cook spaghetti to
Listen to this playlist while boiling pasta. Bit of a reminder that I recorded all this while I was cooking spaghetti in tomato sauce.
2. For £1 I will hold my breath for one minute
Take my breath away. I mean it, now you can. I will email you the time I start inhaling and again the time I exhale. I started this project last year and have already held my breath for a total of 4 minutes. Not consecutively – please don’t pay more than a £1 or I might struggle.
3. Two memes worth two seconds each
4. A photo book I got obsessed with last month
A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers (At Full Speed)
Ever wished you could name the wildflowers you see while zooming down the highway? This PDF guide is here to help. Turn your car ride into a high-speed botanical adventure, all without slowing down.
5. A picture I took on a recent walk in Folkestone
Who’s behind this
My name is Francesco. I’m a queer man in my late 20s. I live by the coast in Kent, South East England. My speciality? Absolutely none — I'd rather be malleable. You can find me building bridges across the murky waters of cultural production, marketing, design, events and communications.
If you’d like to keep updated with what’s happening in my world, you can follow me on Posts. I’m on it. Or Are.na. I’m on there too.