Other Useful Feelings
Current location:
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Reading:
Klara and the Sun
by Kazou Ishiguro
Listening:
Monument
by Molchat Doma
(if you have a moment, reply with your own 3-item status)
Other Useful Feelings
Happiness is good—I like feeling happy.
But much of the time my internal state is more complex than one word can contain.
Maybe I'm happy with a hint of malaise or whiff of chagrin or the subtle tang of disquiet.
I may be in the midst of an ineffable unease, and though I can sometimes recount my day and trace such sensations to insufficient sleep or a missed meal or an inharmonious interaction, there are times when I find it's useful to check in on other, oft under-appreciated dispositions and remind myself of the interwoven elements informing many of the surface-level mood-metrics I tend to more casually consider.
For instance: do I feel strong? Physically and cognitively? Psychologically?
Do I feel capable of doing things, making things, achieving things?
Do I feel healthy?
Does my body generally seem to be working, and does it feel like it's being well-maintained, nurtured, exposed to valuable, growth-oriented frictions?
Do I feel inspired, in awe, full of wonder? Am I baring myself to stirring stimuli and provocative perspectives?
Am I pushing myself and experiencing a satisfying strain?
Am I grateful for the the advantages I've had, the things I've been fortunate to do and people I've been lucky to know?
How am I feeling about my relationships? My things? The space I occupy?
Am I free? Am I liberated? Am I empowered?
Is there reason for hope? Optimism? Relief?
Do I have love for myself, for friends and family, for strangers?
Does it seem like I'm generally moving toward fulfillment and accomplishment? Am I sometimes able to achieve calm and comfort and serenity? Am I capable of sparking and maintaining and pursuing and cultivating interests and enthusiasms and passions?
Are there aspects of my life I enjoy?
Are there aspects of my life I don't enjoy but find gratifying?
Are there things I want to improve in my life and in the world? Do I feel equal to the task of improving these things?
And how do I feel now, after a more exhaustive, higher resolution assessment?
If you found some value in this essay, consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee :)
——
——
Projects
Select, recent works from across my project portfolio.
Aspiring Generalist: Learning Dynamos
Brain Lenses: Deep Breathing
I Will Read To You: Serenity
Let’s Know Things: Winter 2021 COVID Update
Curiosity Weekly: Nov 30, 2021
One Sentence News: Dec 1, 2021 (podcast version)
——
Interesting & Useful
Some things to click (I curate & share similar links weekly via Curiosity Weekly and daily on Twitter):
2021 Nature Conservancy Global Photo Contest
The Nature Conservancy is proud to announce the winners by category of our 2021 contest.
How to Build a Low-tech Solar Panel George Cove, a forgotten solar power pioneer, may have built a highly efficient photovoltaic panel 40 years before Bell Labs engineers invented silicon cells. If proven to work, his design could lead to less complex and more sustainable solar panels.
The 25 Most Iconic Book Covers in History
First things first. What makes a book cover iconic? There are no hard and fast rules, of course—like anything else, you know it when you see it.
——
——
Outro
I'm feeling a satisfying assortment of feelings today: it doesn't hurt that the weather has been nice and frosty for weeks (to the dismay of most but to my utter delight).
What's going on in your world at the moment? Consider sending me a quick hello and telling me something about yourself. I respond to every message I receive and would love to hear from you :)
You can reach me by replying directly to this newsletter, or at colin@exilelifestyle.com.
You can also communicate via the typical methods: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or machine-aided sketch.
If you’re finding some value in what I’m doing here, consider supporting my work via one of these methods: Become an Understandary member / Buy me a coffee / Buy me a monthly coffee