Welcome to the eighth edition of Ephemerata, a weekly-ish digest of links, ideas, learnings, and sounds that I think are worth sharing.

I’m doing this to stimulate discussion around what I find interesting, and also to share things before they disappear into the void of my journal.

Thanks to an anonymous donor and Miguel for contributing to my Open Collective this week.

RECALIBRATE

I’m not sure what happened to me in the last week but my brain seems to be disconnected and I have been feeling unable able to move forward on much. Hoping it’s just fatigue and that I need to pause and recover.

Potentially related is a questioning of whether I’m on the right path or fitting myself into a mold that needs to be shed. I want to better understand how others perceive what I’m doing, and so I invite you to send me any feedback about what I do (it could be about this project or anything else). How does it make you feel? Do you find that there’s too much or too little of anything?

ADULT FRIENDSHIPS

Kai Cheng Thom shares some advice for cultivating close friends as an adult. After repeatedly moving to new homes over the course of my life, I struggle with this. Sometimes I envy people who have their squads. Nice to know that there are some advantages to starting later in life (via Danica).

When we are younger, we are often thrown together for long periods of time in high-intensity settings. It’s a recipe for fast emotional bonding. However, it’s also a recipe for co-dependence and relational instability—just think how many high school and college friendships turn sour and fall apart or explode over drama and toxicity. In this way, friendships formed in adulthood often have an advantage, because we tend to come into them more fully formed, knowing our boundaries and our values.

SURROUNDED BY MAGICIANS

How to categorize such a beautiful piece of writing? This quote jumped out at me in this moment, but it’s not really the subject of the text, nor is it the best part:

You can’t keep your gaze tightly fixed on the outcome you want because it will lock your mind onto the strategies you currently have for meeting them, which by definition probably don’t work (otherwise you would have succeeded already and you wouldn’t need to use the strategy).

VULNERABILITY

I generally don’t look to mainstream celebrities as a measure of culture or humanity, but it was moving to witness Stephen Colbert and comedian John Mulaney share a deep moment about anxiety. (via Catherine Woodiwiss)

ANOTHER JOYCE

Astronauta (Canções de Elis) (1998) by Joyce (featured in #005) is filled with jazz tributes to Brazilian singer Elis Regina. Solos by Joe Lovano, Mulgrew Miller, and Renne Rosnes.

❤️

If you’re enjoying this, consider contributing to my Open Collective. Virtually everything I create is public, accessible for free, and open-source. Your support helps me keep adding to the commons and making it available for everyone.