If you didn’t read this week’s post “The Heart and the Hawk” (and it’s understandable, that thing was LONG) I will read it to you, dramatically and enthusiastically, below. 👇
Reading commences as soon as you hit play. Get at it!
I’ve also made this episode available the Field of Streams podcasts if you’d prefer a walking listen.
Notes from the Captain
Crew. Self-indulgence is indulgent. It’s says it right there on the tin. It can take me some time to convince myself that I deserve to dive right on into that pool, but once I dive, look out—cannonball! Yes, that’s how I dive.
“I may never come back here.”
That’s the kind of bullshit thing I say to myself when in another country and deciding whether I should a.) go to that great breakfast joint again that’s a 1.5 mile walk away and order another poached egg that just explodes when you tickle it, or b.) grab a bowl of dry cereal from the hotel breakfast bar like a sensible person.
Feelin’ yolky, I walk.
Dive! Dive!
THEM: “What did you love most about Scotland?”
ME: ‘They sure know how to poach an egg!”
That’s a joke—sort of—but the poached eggs in Scotland were a thing. I’m still thinking about them. My friend, Jon, after seeing me gush about them in an instagram story, sent me a video about how to do the perfect poach and I think that’ll be my cooking mastery goal this year.
It seems very tedious and fiddly. I’m in.
And now I’m rambling. What a shock. This is avoidance behavior. I’m trying to avoid revealing to you my tender and open heart this morning. I fear it’s a little too open.
The self indulgence thing. It feels naughty.
This year’s Art Safari was definitely self-indulgent. I mean, last year’s was too, but flying all the way to Glasgow just to watch a show is next level for me. A week has passed and the embarrassment at having done that—about what an act like that looks like to outsiders who don’t know me—has been creeping up behind me. I fear it is about to throw a bag over my head and drag me off to a mildewy location.
Why embarrassed?
Because it’s obvious I’m looking for something and I seem to want to do it publicly.
What am I searching for? Why am I so dramatic? Why can’t I paint? Or sing? Or be funny in front of people? Why is my map always caught in a restless wind? Why did I share?
This coffee is not strong enough. I need a gooey egg. I want to go back to Scotland.
Experiences over things. I keep saying this. And yet. I am dutifully drawing my map as I go along and getting mad at the smudges.
Time. I am very conscious of running out of paper.
“Fill in the empty bits, Janeen. Just keep filling them in.”
It’s obvious that I consider Art Safari 2024 a success. (Apart from the final leg of my journey—thanks Delta, you are 100% not a perfectly poached egg.) I know this because I came back feeling absolutely fulfilled and enriched and excited about getting back to work. Glasgow and Justin Hawkins and The Smile and sideways rain and daffodils on a hill in a cemetery outside Stirling Castle. All these things are noted and filed away inside the heart door. They will, and have, become something else.
But now?
Looks at map. Pulls out sketching implement.
Onward.
There can only be onward. Hands to the oars, crew.
I received one solitary piece of mail while away.
It informs me that my rent is going up.
Everything pays a tithe. Even the pursuit of poached eggs.
And that, to continue on a theme, is not a euphemism. It would’ve been a weak one anyway.
Make something great this week. Earn some dollars to pay the poached-egg tithe. Fill your heart door with love and light and all the messiness of life.
And if you can’t make something great, do a little work on yourself.
Be the great.
Your Captain, Janeen 🫡
Thangs from this episode…
👩✈️ JHRA
If you’re unfamiliar with Justin Hawkins’ YouTube channel (which spawned the tour) he analyses music and songs and does an occasional long-form podcast which digs into music industry schtuffs. It’s on a bit of a hiatus while he’s touring, but there’s plenty to binge on. It has evolved to be one of my favorite channels. Love the podcasts when he does them - sometimes with a guest - but often just to talk about pitfalls of the trade with his produces, Jenny May Finn. Here’s a selection of two long forms (one with a guest, one talking about a pitfall) and an analysis of Corey Feldman’s schtick.
Ok. That’s enough. I shall never speak of him again. (Or will I?)
👩✈️ Thom Yorke Dancing = Lotus Flower Memes.
I didn’t get any footage of Thom dancing at the gig because I allowed myself to just revel in it. Heart door open. Get it!
Lotus Flower got Thom meme-ified for his sweet moves.
Know your meme has a whole entry on it. I mean, you’ve made it if you’re a meme, right? Big time.
I do love the dancing this dancing bear gif.
And this, from 2008, is Thom dancing to Idioteque, a ‘closed-eye’ style that hasn’t changed much since from 2003 when he goes off to this particular song. He has definitely evolved from this to Lotus Flower, lol.
👩✈️ What is the Loch Ness monster (apart from awesome)?
While on a tour out to Stirling Castle, an American tourist couple were telling the driver that they’d also done the tour out to Loch Ness.
“It’s an eel,” she told him.
“They’re not supposed to tell you that!”
I laughed.
Side note: Cultural cliches are the best.
While not my favorite episode of The Goodies (hello, OK Tea Rooms), the Loch Ness episode is bursting with bountiful tropes.
👩✈️ Art Safari, 2024: The music Edition”
Let’s wrap this up.
I had it in my head that this Art Safari was going to be music based, and that was before I found out that Glasgow was the perfect place for it.
According to the ever reliable internet, Glasgow is “a world-renowned UNESCO City of Music,” and is regarded as the musical capital of Scotland. It’s the largest music economy in the UK after London, so it’s got some chops.
With Justin Hawkins on the Thursday night and The Smile on the Wednesday, I had some nights to play with and explore this fact. Unfortunately, the only night where the Barrowlands wasn’t sold out, I didn’t like the band so didn’t go.
King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut? Similar issue. Just not my kinda music. I read that Monday nights at The Clutha bar were traditional Scottish music jam nights, but I’d been slogging around Edinburgh that day—castling and gallerying—so was a little tired. I didn’t make it. I used the fact that it was raining to talk myself out of walking the 2 miles or so over.
Fail.
But, I did do some record store explorations, saving what I was told would be my favorite store (by the helpful young Scot in the CitizenM bar area) for my last day. My goal—to bring back three Scottish artists on vinyl. Sort of a one-way cultural exchange.
The store was called Assai, and they had a section specifically for Scottish bands, so it was an easy peruse for a lost tourist like me.
I picked up the new Young Fathers (I didn’t even know they were Scottish), Arab Strap (I’d listened to one song on Spotify and took the plunge) and then I grabbed a Paulo Nutini record, having never heard any of his music. Life is risk. Take chances.
After chatting with the two Scots behind the counter about how great The Smile concert had been, they guided me away from the older Paulo Nutini record I had in my hand (“It has a kazoo on it.”) and pulled one they thought I’d like better.
All-in-all, a successful haul and a great trip. Here is a playlist of the three albums I snagged, and I’ve thrown The Smile in there too. One day I will stop raving about that new album. Today is not that day.
Oh, and here are my merch hauls.
👩✈️ Just because: The Darkness from a few months back in Tasmania
👩✈️ Some snaps
Heres a castle.
And a different castle
Here’s a room full of paintings.
Here’s two eggs.
Thanks for listening/watching and sharing this week. If you want to chat about any of the concepts in this week’s post—or just in general—feel free to leave a comment for the Captain (it me.)
Do. Make. Be.
I’ll see you out there.
🫡
Shameless Podcast Plug
Listen to audio versions of early issues of The Stream on my podcast, Field of Streams, available on 👉 all major podcasting platforms 👈
Here’s Apple
Behind the Streams, Ep. 48: "Heart Hawk"