This Month – January

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Like last year, I started my year by filling in The Year Compas. On the website you can find a printable booklet with questions that can help you close off the previous year and start the next one off on the right foot. It was interesting to look back on 2017 and make a list of all the things that felt good, went well and/or could use some improvement. I then wrote down all my goals, wishes and dreams, even the ones that made me go “Naaah, never happening!”, because I have realised that even those completely unrealistic dreams give me information about myself and what I REALLY want: is it attention, peace and quiet, a cat? All of this? I really enjoyed reading what I had written in 2016 about 2017, and I am thus very curious to see how I will look back on this year in December.

For the booklovers, I have a Goodreads profile where I keep track of all the books I read, will read and have read. On this blog I will keep track of all the things I’ve seen and listened to each month, that I want to share:

Listened to – Music

“Just for Us” – Francis and the Lights. Where the last album “Farewell, Starlite!” felt like he wrote it for me (as in: me the listener, I am not bffs with Francis. Which I’m super bummed about by the way.), this album felt like he wrote it for somebody in particular, a friend, a lover, an ex-friend or an ex-lover. Strangely enough this made the album less of a BAM!-straight to the soul experience than his previous album, but it’s a wonderful album nonetheless. And not just because Francis’ voice sounds like a perfect amalgamation of Peter Gabriel and Patrick Stump.

“Rainbow” – Kesha. I don’t think I can add anything to all the things that have already been written about this album, maybe except for that it is an album that really grew on me after many listens.

“Nada” – Daan. Because of not following Daan’s output as closely as in the mid-2000s, I had completely missed his 2016 release “Nada”. Contrary to its title, it’s absolutely something. Especially recommended for fans of “Dead Man Ray”-Daan and “Profools”-Daan. And for everybody else ever.

Listened to – Podcasts

Bob. Sadly enough, non-Dutch speakers will have to miss out on this wonderful detective-like podcast series about an elderly lady, her childhood boyfriend who may or may not have existed, the search for that boyfriend and the important questions: what is true? What is not? And does it matter? Worth learning Dutch for.

Soul Music. As stated on the website: “Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.” Every episode discusses a track/piece of music in any genre from classical to reggae. The “soul” in the title should be interpreted as “for the soul”, not as in “soul-the-genre”. (This podcast was recommended to me by Kouw.)

You Must Remember This. Old Hollywood. Secrets. Forgotten histories. And all of this contextualised in its social/societal context. And on top of that, Karina Longworth has one of those “you could read me the phonebook”-voices.

The Zine Collector Podcast. A podcast about zines. On YouTube, so with visuals. What more could you want? Nothing. Even if you have no idea what a zine is.

Watched – Films and documentaries

Le sens de la fête, released in some countries under the completely meaningless title “C’est la vie”, is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while. It’s about a catering business that is specialised in weddings, and you best believe anything that can go wrong, will. Extra extra funny if you happen to speak French.

Instant Dreams. A dreamy, slightly philosophical documentary about Polaroid photography and the people who love it. I dusted mine off immediately after the documentary and ordered some film.

Watched – TV and YouTube

Ink Master season 10. My biggest “guilty pleasure” that I don’t feel any guilt about, is watching trashy tattoo (reality) series. It started a long time ago with Miami Ink, then LA Ink (the one with Kat von D), Best Ink, Ink Master, that one series about a tattoo parlour in Venice Beach, Tattoo Nightmares, Tattoo Fixers… I’ll watch absolutely anything with “Ink” or “Tattoo” in its title, no matter how crappy. I am of course well aware of how problematic these series are, if only for the fact that apparently customers now refer to themselves as “canvas”, and believe that a full sleeve is drawn up in 20 minutes and tattooed on in 30. Why I watch it anyway? For the relaxing “zzzzzz”-sound of the tattoo machines.

All Bullet Journal videos by CreaChick, because I apparently enjoy sticking things onto other things in my diary twice as much if I watch somebody doing the same thing.

Next week there’ll be a new post up here on Featured Mag! See you on Wednesday!

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