An Ongoing List on How to Stay Creative and Optimistic
Hi Friends,
We hope this finds you calm and healthy and if possible, at your homes. In these uncertain times, it’s important to remember that community can still exist, even when feeling isolated.
We want to continue to be an outlet for relief and creativity, to connect one another even when we have to be physically distant. We’ve been in touch with the members of our community to see what they’re up to; how they are staying calm, optimistic and channeling creative energy while at home. We compiled a list that we will be updating every day for the time being. We hope this serves as a daily resource for you to come back to and refresh. If you’d like to add to this list feel free to email us at wassup@pond-mag.com.
Stay in touch
Monday, May 4th, 2020
Eve Owens, Musician
Watching Shutter Island for the first time.
Revisiting songs I loved from my childhood.
Checking in with the people I’m isolated with.
Dillon Gray, Artist & Writer
Accept the things you cannot change!!!
Get your hands in some dirt and repot your houseplants. It will help you feel connected to the earth and remind you that things are still growing.
Home improvement projects such as changing all of your cabinet hardware or installing a backsplash will make you feel strong and capable of literally anything.
Bring levity into your life by communicating in meows with your cat.
Eat more veggies.
Drink more tea, drink less coffee, but most of all, drink more water! It will make you feel less groggy.
Remove the TV from your common space and foster communal time around records and writing.
Play Catan with your roommates.
Limit your face time on apps like Twitter and Instagram to 20 minutes twice a day.
Exercise critical thinking, dark humor, and snarky retort with Red Scare Podcast and season 2 of Netflix's The Degenerates.
Listen to tunes from, artist, Willie Stewart's 21 hour Story Playlist. Alternately, the High Fidelity Soundtrack rocks.
Transcribe all of your iPhone Notes poetry into a word doc and print it out.
Submit a photo to Pete Voelker's Pix 011 or Shelter and Place zines.
Dress for the occasion. I wore a chainlink top while working from home yesterday.
If you're short on cash, negotiate an art trade with a friend. If you have the resources, consider purchasing something from another artist and from small dealers like approx.blue.
Reconsider religion through prayer and meditation.
Last but not least, I'd like to remind you of the obvious: your apartment looks like shit and, girl, you ain't going nowhere. Reallocate your fashion spending to vintage home goods.
Monday, April 27th, 2020
It is strange to think that so many young people have been told, on numerous occasions, that they are in fact living in a certain societal, or economic event is a once in a generation-like moment. It is interesting to think about the why, or the what that has put these obstacles in front of us, but I don’t believe the answer is one specific thing or another.
Not to use buzzwords when they are unwarranted, but we are indeed living in an unprecedented time. And, the feelings of fear and uncertainty can be felt like a shockwave, all while happening on a global scale like never before. And for that reason, it may come as no surprise that the places where we congregate on an immense and/or massive level: sporting events, concerts, and things of that nature, were among the first industry-level gathering types to be uprooted by COVID-19.
I remember going to see the band PONY, at PJ’s Lager House here in Detroit, the night the virus had escalated to the call of a global pandemic. We had a tour planned for the summertime with this group, and my bandmates and I wanted to meet the people we were going to be sharing the road with, while they were on a short run of the midwest.
I found myself at the bar, ordered a drink, and I recall that the Dallas Mavericks’ game was on the television above me. The ESPN newsflash banner waived across the bottom of the screen, stating that the virus was now at this heightened level. Shortly after, Mark Cuban caught the attention of the cameras after he had heard that the NBA season was now going to be postponed.
We didn’t really think much of it at the time, privy to what would come next.
I have been home now for about a month. I’ve managed to keep myself occupied by writing and recording, but the intrusive thought of if things will ever reach normalcy again, does linger. The majority of the stuff I have been working on lately reflects this weary feeling. A lot of artists, I have to think, share this same sense with me. Sure, my writer's block may be gone for the time being, but, being who or what we are as artists and musicians, we rely on an entertainment business that really needs to be viewed as a luxury instead of a right in this current climate. Many people in this industry are suffering at the moment, and the economic aspect is just one of several facets bringing on this pain.
I love making music. I love playing live, and having my best friends around me in doing so. Right now, I feel thankful for those moments especially. Live streams, and all the things I have seen musicians do in this time, have been a breath of fresh air. It shows that, no matter what, people want to bring art, as an articulation of unrest, to the forefront. No matter what the vernacular may be. I think the take-away is that music simply helps, and it provides a voice for many. In some way, this could be looked at as a test of our craft, as well as a test for what symbolism music provides for us in life’s most uncertain times.
My roommate Jack and I, have been sending demos to each other back and forth. He is currently with his family, while I am at our home that we share, about an hour away in driving time. It is kind of beautiful how this barrier, in a way, has been broken, where we want to share even the littlest idea we have, or any music that stands out to us. Right now, anything can sound good. And, for those who are creative, I must tell you that this is the time to make something special. Our current limitations will give way to our future craft and creation. For, art is a medium, which can never be silenced; it can be loud, poignant, or be the manifestation of our most deepest feelings.
In closing, I would like to ask you to put yourself on a creative pedestal, even if it feels unnatural. And, even if you know just three chords on guitar, write a song with those three chords. Even if you only have five types of acrylic paint in your house, try to paint something beautiful; do it for yourself first and foremost. It is fair to say that creativity inspires others, even if they do not find themselves to be creative in a certain sense. If you are inspired, share it. It may inspire somebody else to make something they might have never thought they could before.
Stay safe, peace & love
Hala, Musician
Monday, April 10th, 2020
Blu DeTiger, Bassist, Singer, DJ
Journal! Sit down undistracted and free write about anything you want. Just start writing and don't think too hard about it. I've also been following these journal prompts some days. You just put in your email and they send you a prompt to write about everyday!
Turn your phone off! It's important to stay connected of course but I feel like I've been getting dizzy from scrolling so much these days... Now I like to put my phone away and just sit and drink coffee :)
Drawing/ painting!
Put on a record you like and color! It takes my mind off things and makes me focus on a simple specific goal. It's very calming and therapeutic and gets the mind flowing a bit.
Megan Loveless, Co-founder, To-Go Records + Marketing & Events, Third Man Records
Watching the band Fat White Family's daily "Shawshank Redemption" Instagram story reenactments.
Learning all my favorite Big Star songs on guitar.
Making very unhealthy casseroles.
Kaitlin Heins, Writer, Film Assistant
Put on clothes that cross between pajamas and daywear. Think Grey Gardens Chic - heels, faux furs, bathrobes, jeans.
Read Fleabag and cry.
Read Howard Stern Comes Again and feel normal.
Watch body HIIT workouts on instagram live. Attempt workout and give up. Lie on the floor and realize there is a reason no one knew what a HIIT workout was before quarantine.
Watch The Wire, so I can be one of those snobby TV people who says "Oh my god you've never seen The Wire."
Send out fake company wide emails to all my friends where I pretend they all work for me and plan fake Zoom meetings with them where we discuss company progress.
Film still from Grey Gardens
Rex DeTiger, Drummer, DJ
Return to artworks that have inspired you in the past.
Dress differently every day.
Talk on the phone to someone (no FaceTime). This is more about hearing yourself talk.
Read something. Doesn’t have to be for long. So simple — and always makes me process things linearly (maybe because reading literally makes my eyes move across a page). I find it then makes it easier to connect old ideas or think of new ones.
Send postcards/letters to friends.
Mamalarky, Band
Animal Crossing :-)
Maintaining as many of our pre-COVID routines as possible like a coffee outside in the morning, daily walks, talking to friends on the phone and recording demos.
Harry Potter marathons (plural).
Tagging ourselves as Lord of the Rings characters in our Mamalarky group chat (Livvy is Galadriel, Michael is Gandalf, Dylan is Samwise and Noor is Legolas).
Friday, April 3rd, 2020
Nikki Sisti, Musician, THICK
Keep a "normal" schedule: wake up and get ready, have breakfast, lunch and dinner with my partner.
Do yoga/ go for a walk/ just go outside!
My new challenge is to write a 1 minute song every night for fun.
Jess Howard, Musician, Mind Shrine
Roller skating.
Practicing the art of Feng shui.
Sending and receiving books from my friends.
Working on various music projects.
Violet Teegardin, Photographer
Listening to Mapache.
Watching the Tweedy family livestream every night @ 930 CT.
Painting everyday!
Watching WAY too much 90 Day Fiancé.
Shari Page, Musician, THICK
I've been doing a lot of cooking/food shopping with my partner and listening to Bowie records.
Trying to stay active and go on jogs, walks, and play drums.
Reading Watchmen.
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020
Jake Stolz, Musician, Discus
Building cassette loops.
Reading Scrapbook of the Sixties by Jonas Mekas.
Breaking out old 35mm photo slides for a wall slideshow.
Cooking some nice Crock-Pot meals.
Anna Theroux Ling, Set Designer + Creative Director, Pink Essay
Rearranging my room. Finding objects and photos with memories and putting them on display.
Painting rocks. If you don’t have any, go find some on your walk!
Simon Burstall’s ‘93: Punching the Light
Rae Isla, Musician
Rekindling old flames...
Watching foreign films with people on FaceTime.
Cooking big batches of dinners for people who lost their jobs to come pick up - s/o to photographer Remy Holwick!
Writing & demoing new songs - sharing them each week to get over "perfection" in music.
Calling my loved ones constantly.
Zach Capitti Fenton, Drummer, Momma
Learning Death Cab for Cutie covers.
Video Games.
Kate Black, Musician, THICK
Lots of crafts projects. I started a cross-stitch project and am designing a pattern for a mini purse!
Reading a ton. I'm already in one book club, but started a second one with Nikki and our friend Arcadia just for fun.
Trying out new recipes since we're eating all our meals at home.
Wednesday, April 1st, 2020
Allegra Weingarten, Guitarist/ Songwriter, Momma
Reading a Biography on Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon called Girls Like Us.
Working on a 500 piece puzzle (more on the way).
Making short films with my roommates.
John Bergin, Photographer + Musician, Sasha and the Valentines
The Berlin Philharmonic is offering their entire digital concert hall for free, so I've been revisiting ~the world of classical music~
Working on a series of self portraits that I've been ruminating on for months.
Walking outside every day even if it's just around the block. Trying not to take my phone on those walks.
Trying to ask myself, "what do I want to do with myself right now?" And then taking the action to do it. I hardly ever have the time in a day to do both parts of that process.
Isaiah Vivero, Photographer + Filmmaker
Riding my bike taking pictures of some empty areas.
Writing some poetry and short stories.
Finding a bunch of new music.
Playing basketball by myself at the park.
Magnus Thompson, Owner, PaperCup Music
Learning to bake bread.
Running.
Wrangling my two young daughters and keeping them entertained.
Immersing in new music.
Allie Berman, Musician
Writing music.
Making hazmat playlists for friends.
Painting.
Seeing how many white claw/ beer cans can fit in recycling.
Getting Nat drunk.
Tuesday, March 31st, 2020
Ryan Costigan, Marketing Manager, Bowery Ballroom + Mercury Lounge
Have been trying to take down my reading list. I just finished Closer You Are, the Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices biography- definitely a good read.
My roommate and I just subscribed to Mubi and are trying to take down a new movie each night. They update it every couple days and have a great selection. We watched Buoyancy last night, very heavy but really enjoyed it.
Trying to find artists I’m not as familiar with as I’d like to be and doing deep dives on their catalog.
Have also gone further down the Rubik’s Cube rabbit hole.
Wrenne Evans, Photographer
Workouts from favorite studios in NY and LA! HealHaus is offering amazing yoga and meditation live-streams too (a favorite black owned business).
Chad Moore’s new book A Climate of Possibility.
Facetime.
Harrison Lipton, Musician
Watch old NBA games from the 90s and 2000s, especially the one where Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 33 seconds in a comeback.
Finish up new songs.
Read Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami.
Learn to use Adobe Premiere (they're running a discount on all their products so it’s free for the next two months).
Etta Friedman, Guitarist/ Songwriter, Momma
Drawing without erasing anything (no inhibitions!).
Rediscovering Tumblr.
Learning & cooking new meals while listening to the album This Afternoon's Malady by Jejune.
Julia Bardo, Musician
Cook vegan versions of Italian recipes (pizza, oven-baked pasta, ice-cream, tiramisù, frittata, etc).
Sudoku.
Write, everything and about everything.
Think, sometimes overthink.
Listen to the sound of the sea on my speakers.
Cut my boyfriend’s hair (and tried to cut mine and it was a disaster so I decided to just leave it).
Face masks.
Listen to music (I did a playlist on Spotify called “Staying In”).
Read a Penguin modern— at the moment I am on Create Dangerously by Albert Camus, next in line is Lance by Nabokov.
Water and repot plants.
Play cards with my boyfriend after lunch on the balcony while having coffee and a cig.
Drink prosecco in bed.
Cry.
Play guitar and bass (I am currently learning to play "Cruel" by St. Vincent).
Films, films, films.
Yoga in the living room.
Alex Kim, Manager & Violinist
Watched the remaining Oscar nominated Best Pictures that I haven't seen. Parasite, Jojo Rabbit and Ford V. Ferrari are my favorites out of all of them so far.
Perfecting my marinara sauce.
Practicing the violin.
Writing letters to my lover.
Monday, March 30th, 2020
Robert Tilden, Musician, BOYO
Sometimes, escaping with some good, old fashioned reality-TV heightened drama makes you feel like everything is a-okay in your little solitude space. Choose your weapon: Jersey Shore or Love & Hip Hop.
Being locked down in Los Angeles, I find myself wanting to travel to the opposite coast— to a different era. Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzie Goodman is a read that will transport you to the dingy clubs of early-2000's New York...and may inspire a shower post-read.
This is sort of a weird one, associated with my OCD but I promise it can work: if you find yourself mindlessly playing video-games— put on a podcast pertaining to something you're interested in simultaneously, where you can learn. Not to sound like a parent but this is a real brain cleanser.
Dominic Apa, Musician, IS TROPICAL, Barrie
Reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid. Amazing, surreal book about the nature of consciousness. In the spirit of Prometheus Rising.
Filming. IS TROPICAL was due to play a kind of reunion/comeback show after 4 years in London early next month. Instead we’ve decided to film a DIY quarantine music video for this track. More is coming out this year.
Watching Lawrence Krauss on ‘A Universe from Nothing’, an inspiring lecture on why we might be living in a crucial time for asking questions and having them answered by the cosmos.
Elena Childers, Writer + Host, BTR Today
Dress up! Wear that gown/tux you only wore once and put on that drag queen makeup you've been too afraid to try, why not?
Write/ draw/ paint/ etc. The only people who are going to see it are archeologists who have dug your poetry/ short stories/ plays/ whatever up after we've all gone extinct from the apocalypse and it will end up in a museum even if they only find one word from you, you ancient celestial being.
I've been doing this thing where I just look at a spot in my home or outside the window that I've looked at a million times, but I try to see it in a different light. Maybe create a story surrounding the object and/ or scene. Turn it into something that has meaning to you. The more specific you focus on a thing/ area the more detailed you can get!
Forrest Durell, Content + Editorial, TIDAL
Watching The Sopranos for the first time.
Listening to this Sam Cooke live album that always brings me happiness.
Mauricio Martinez, Musician + Producer, Native Sun, Facing Pages
Just finished reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the creator of Nike. I have two other books I want to read so definitely planning on getting on those.
Practicing or writing music minimum for 30 min to an hour ~ bass or guitar and record if you able to. You gotta practice your scales!
Running everyday for 45 min and looking for new routes to keep it fun.
TJ Freda, Designer + Musician, GIFT
Playing around with synthesizers.
Making playlists to share with friends.
Burning palo santo.
Listening to Grateful Dead live sets.
Friday, March 27th, 2020
Kayla Monetta, Creative Sync + A&R, The Greater Goods Co.
Ramen delivery while watching Tampopo.
Binge watching Tiger King on Netflix (it is batshit insane).
Moonlighting as a soup chef, this one is especially delicious
Jake Pflum, Musician, Native Sun, BLOOM, GIFT
Carving out practice time each day, and keeping track of time on a band practice log.
Focusing on learning new songs.
Home improvement projects. I just built a little closet system in my closet-less bedroom.
Recording the BLOOM LP and first Sex Hiatus single in my bedroom. Bathrooms have great vocal acoustics!
Spending extended periods of time with my cat and studying her lifestyle. She likes to sleep for the majority of the day, but has been enjoying waking up in the mornings with me to stare out the kitchen window while I make coffee, and gets up to go wild every night around 1AM.
Journaling and meditating.
FaceTiming with Mauricio ("Tone Talks").
Still from “Possibly in Michigan” by Cecelia Condit
Sebastian Sommer, Filmmaker + Writer
Watching “Possibly in Michigan” by Cecelia Condit on Vimeo.
Eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Getting back into meditation.
Listening to the audiobook of The Beach by Alex Garland.
Working on my next film project.
Jovana Savic, Tour Manager
Making all the really involved recipes I never had time to do before, like mole!
Finally making moves on an interview series I’ve been dreaming about doing for years now. Wahoo!
Watching “The Sopranos” for the first time with my roomie Elly, so far so good!
Yoh, Musician
3MA, beautiful world music album comprised of 3 string players from various parts of Africa.
Fabiano Do Nascimento, multi-string guitar composer from Brazil.
Deep breathing exercises and FaceTime workouts with friends for a few minutes every couple of hours (pushups, squats, calf raises etc).
Watercoloring.
Serena Ferrari, Writer + Filmmaker
Leo and I have been listening to vinyls. Townes van Zandt Live at The Old Quarter, Like A Ship by Pastor T.L Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir.
Getting high/ drunk on cups of coffee— gotta get that buzz to keep the day exciting...
Forgetting to bathe.
Practicing piano/ Leo on his guitar. Music is clearly healing.
We actually made a Coronavirus list of what we wanted to achieve to encourage us to still feel purposeful i.e. have a short story FINISHED, have new songs.
We also have been making craggy little videos. Really mad things but funny. Lifts the spirits.
But seriously do set goals! Makes you feel good when one achieves even just a little thing during this weird time.
I also made Smørkage (danish butter cake). It's quite intense to make and decadent as fuck so you'll be prepping/ baking for a few hours!
Thursday, March 26th, 2020
Ryan Filchak, Writer
Listening; Environments 4 (1974) - right now I am partial to "Gentle Rain in a Pine Forest."
Reading; Essays by Wendell Berry, specifically "The Unforeseen Wilderness" which chronicles the author's relationship with Kentucky's Red River Gorge.
Drinking; Toña, a chill Nicaraguan lager that is a 5 o' clock constant during shaky times.
Danny Gomez, Musician, Native Sun
Listening to The Kinks.
Existential rants to my cat.
Alternating strictly between overalls & turtlenecks for no reason.
WRITE WRITE WRITE (repeat process).
Virtual j's with Rachel.
Nic Perea, Musician, Camp Howard
Cooking a lot.
Listening to The Cure (and hoping for one).
Working on demos in my room.
Rachel Stewart, Musician, Sedona
Fried bologna.
“Miranda” by Slowdive.
Elise Wunderlich, Artist
Making Julia Child's "Beef Bourguignon."
Embroidering.
Realizing there has always been a farmers market two streets away from my apartment, but I never knew until now!
Tanner Bednar, Musician, Hollyy
Having cooking contests with my roommates (I’m losing horribly).
Listening to a healthy balance of political commentators on The Hill TV (go Bernie Sanders) and oldie hits from The Band.
I’ve also watched a weird amount of “Workaholics” seasons now while practicing rolling joints.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Chris Bailoni, Musician, Grapetooth
Taking a tiny puff of pot, listening to Vic Chesnutt and cooking a new meal.
Playing lots of piano, writing some lyric ideas, going on a walk, then a little more piano.
Daisy chaining my synths together and recording them in strange ways.
Going on the roof with my lovely roommates. Then all spending an hour sorting out which film we should watch.
Emma Bowers, Musician, NPR Music
Spinning my long-neglected dollar bin vinyl finds, currently Joni Mitchell’s For The Roses and John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.
Baking with my roommate, on Sunday night we made this chocolate cake.
Reading Me & Other Writing by Marguerite Duras.
Alberto Pazzi, Artist
Listening to music by reclusive artists like William Onyeabor in order to channel their spirits and get inside that mindset.
Gathering new ideas for my next art show with no rush but pure focus and discipline.
Being grateful for the food I share with my roommate and spending time with him talking about the good times.
Madeline Houlihan, Photographer & Videographer
Updating my website with more recent work (which I haven’t done in a minute).
Learning guitar.
Re-downloading all of my expansion packs for Sims 3 and escaping to virtual life.
Listening to new artists and making LOTS of playlists.
Journaling.
Watching a ton of movies.
Jordanne Chant, Graphic Designer + Dinosaur City Records
Make a zine.
Finally finish Super-Hi online coding course.
Take more walks.
Rediscover neglected records from the collection. Play in full, at least twice.
Discover new music on Bandcamp.
Keeping my studio clean + inspiring :)
Alexis Castro, Managing Editor, Jenkem
Checking in with the people I care about who I don’t speak to as often as I’d like. We all have time to spare now lol.
Listening to a new album every day and trying not to skip any songs. So far so good.
I’m still working, so luckily I’m still editing videos, photos, writing, etc. Adobe Creative Suite is free for two months so learn Photoshop, Premiere, anything!
Tuesday, March 24th, 2020
Jared Jones, Co-founder of Winspear
Crosswords. Washington Post has them up for free on their website, and you can share the link with a friend and work it out together in real-time.
Derby Pie. Busted out my Kentuckian grandmother's pie recipe, which fittingly features bourbon-soaked pecans.
Sewing. The pragmatic creativity of fixing missing buttons and mending all the tears in my jeans.
Elizabeth Miranda, Photographer
Walking an hour a day in nature.
Reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie for this month's book club.
Taking photos to remember these times.
Emir Mohseni, Musician, The Muckers
Getting high and writing music.
Been listening to You Are What You Is by Frank Zappa a lot.
I have a playlist on my Spotify called “Let’s get Naked!” It has more than 600 (46h 24m) super groovy, happy sunshine, fucking rock n’ roll songs and I think it’s good to just play that and put it on shuffle especially in these dark times. “All things must pass.”
Brontë Jane, A&R, Third Side Music
Looping Bowery Electric's Beat.
Deep Dive in Safdie Brothers’ films.
Maison Louis Marie candles.
Kim Gordon's Instagram.
Jason Balla, Musician, Dehd
Watching Spike Jonze skate videos.
Finally finishing this George Washington biography by Ron Chernow that I've been reading (thick as hell, 800 pages) so I can get to the stack of fiction books that've been piling up.
Cooking and baking bread (super easy sourdough recipe).
Call your elderly!
Jamming to all the new Deeper trax.
Siena Edwards, Artist + A&R, Danger Collective Records
Practicing guitar— I’ve just picked a few simple songs that I love and recorded them in GarageBand and messed with them, adding fun synthesizer sounds and effect loops.
Reading Poet in New York by Gabriel García Lorca— a hauntingly accurate depiction of New York City from the perspective of a gay, young Spaniard student at Columbia University in the late 1920s.
Mending clothes, hope to make some reusable masks as well— bust out that sewing kit and learn if you don’t already know how!
Drawing comics about what’s going on around me, like a visual log diary.
Listening to heady records, stuff I can just zone out to i.e. Alice Coltrane, Brian Eno, King Tubby, Spacemen 3.
MEAL PREPPING!
Monday, March 23rd, 2020
Caitlin McCann, Photographer
Making bread (this recipe is pretty solid and easy)!
Playing Egyptian Ratscrew (good way to unleash some pent up energy at the end of the day, pairs well with a beer lol).
Jump-roping (brought it on tour last summer, changed my life 4ever).
Yoga with Adriene (this one is nice).
Listening to the new Vundabar and Districts albums because they are fire and I miss those friends. <3
Nina Gofur, Filmmaker
Listening to Minnie Riperton's Come to my Garden.
Modo Yoga is doing free online classes via Instagram live!
14 day free trial on the Criterion Channel, highly recommend for quality viewing content.
Image courtesy of Terri Dieu
Terri Dieu, Fashion Designer
Fire escape picnics with books, wine, candles—anything that suggests comfort.
Cooking... and painting my meals after!
Reading The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.
Evan Welsh, Northern Spy Records, NNA Tapes, and Clandestine Label Services
Re-reading some favorites: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Jester to find some sort of expansive somewhere beyond The Doldrums, and Time Will Clean The Carcass Bones by Lucia Perillo for strength.
Listening to a lot of Laura Stevenson, Joanna Newsom, and Hailu Mergia.
A fairly constant stream of “Bob’s Burgers.”
Crystal Zapata, Graphic Designer and Artist
I've been listening to this playlist I made as a palette cleanser after I've listened to the NYT podcast 'The Daily.' I filled it with songs that help me relax and let go of anxious energy.
Watch Michel Rizzo's 'HIGHER XTN' – this performance is so hypnotizing and is also as close as any of us will get to being in a club for... who knows how long.
Chickpeas are my favorite legume, and one of my absolute favorite foods. Yesterday I combined this Bon Appetit recipe with bean advice that Laila Gohar posted on Instagram. Simple, nurturing, delicious.
Colin Smith, Manager, Writer, and Musician, Pleasures
Finishing all the magazines and books by my bed— there are no excuses now!
Exploring genres I haven't really listened to before. I'm enjoying 70's music from other countries, like Brazil and France, to be calming or just flat-out funky: Arthur Verocai, Azymuth, and Cortex are my current favorites.
Taking walks, even in the rain, and reaching out to a lot of friends <3
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Emily Fender, Filmmaker & Music Journalist
Croquis Cafe on Vimeo.
Water Lilies (2007) dir. Céline Sciamma.
John Provencher, Graphic Designer & Developer
Playing on my Switch.
Reading Capital is Dead: Is This Something Worse? by Mckenzie Wark.
Cooking a new pasta everyday.
Making websites.
Illustration courtesy of @sun.doesnt.set
Tess Mayer, Photographer
Making bread! Focaccia is easy :) Pretzel Focaccia & Saltie’s Focaccia.
Two Brooklyn tattoo artists I love @sun.doesnt.set and @keara_mcgraw made downloadable coloring books.
Another tattoo artist @sklaw_ is doing digital portraits for $10-20.
Andrew Baker, Manager
Listening to Regina Spektor.
Running.
Cooking with apartment mates. <3
Lindsey Gardner, Manager & Booker
Marie Kondo-ing my life.
Baking bread.
Exploring new ways to use the Internet to stay connected in these isolating times.
Jill Verhaeghe, Photographer
Download Dolphin, a Gamecube Emulator and play all Nintendo classics for free on your computer. My favourite, Animal Crossing. You can also unleash your creativity with building a crazy house in Sims 4 after using a money cheat code ;)
Watch Saiki on Netflix, a perfect introduction to the absurd and funny world of coming-of-age anime. Now is the perfect time to shamelessly become a big nerd like me lol.
Listen to the new Porches album on repeat while making vegan ramen.
Thursday, March 19th, 2020
Clare Byrne, Artist + Designer
Listen to this perfect “Best Of Joni Mitchell” playlist by my genius brother Chris.
Record an 80’s style relaxation tape with my partner Jake.
Re-listen to Patti Smith’s 2010 Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross in which she teaches listeners how to “walk with our wounds.” Bonus: Part two of the rebroadcast is Springsteen.
Sophie Hur, Photographer + Artist
Reading Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman.
Learning from Richard Turley.
Listening to love songs of the 70s.
Trying to absorb as much love as possible. <3
Andrew Boudreau, Designer + Musician
My Brother, My Brother, and Me Episode 328: The Anxiety Free Cruise (Regardless of the current situation I turn to this episode any time the world is too much. Three very good boys being very good.)
Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans (Full Album) (Maybe start at 8:26 as that's when I feel like it hits peak chill but this new Four Tet is making me much more okay about the world.)
Emily Kempf, Tattoo Artist and Musician, Dehd
Drawing, reading 4 books at once, journaling.
Listening to “Green Arrow” by Yo La Tengo on repeat.
Watching all 3 Bridget Jones Diary movies at night.
Staring out the window.
Cleaning random strange things in the house like baseboards and every book on the shelf etc.
Mia Berrin, Musician, Pom Pom Squad
Rearrange your apartment.
Pick up a hobby that you used to like, ideally one that doesn't make you put any pressure on yourself (mine has been sewing).
Adam Schubert, Musician, Ruins
Putting a song out everyday till we can see each other again on Bandcamp.
Drawing and making a zine.
Watching On Cinema by Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, and Decker by Tim and Gregg.
Wednesday, March 18th, 2020
Wendy Waseige, DJ & Manager
Myself and two Rough Trade coworkers have created a DJ collective, Sunrisa Disco, and just got a website up where we're uploading mixes. Here's the first one.
Hayden Sitomer, Photographer & Tour Manager
Making my way through Joan Didion's entire collection, currently reading Blue Nights.
Embroidering on old clothes to make them feel new again.
Watching every true crime documentary I can find online.
SNNY, Musician
I’ve been cooking a lot of vegan ramen.
Listening to Sam Cooke Radio on Spotify to start every morning.
Reading Save The Cat because I plan on writing a screenplay before the end of summer.
Jim Deluca, Pitch Perfect PR
Learning how to make food that's not pasta (while still eating lots of pasta)
Listening to Woody and Jeremy, Caroline Rose, and Porches with my cat
Playing the video game my roommate made called Outer Wilds.
Sarah Jane Quillin, Songwriter and Musician, Desert Liminal
Molding small things out of polymer clay. Super therapeutic. The best part is making new colors out of combinations from your starting palette. Easy to set the clay by baking at 275 in the oven. Photos of some of mine attached.
Watching my "feel good" movie I've seen a dozen times: The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip Of Bob Weir.
Looping weird synth riffs in my bedroom.
Sam Pirruccello from Dogs At Large, Musician
Reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein.
Recording demos on my Tascam Portastudio with whatever gear I have laying around the house.
Listening to the record Like New by Purr.
Ben Wittkugel, Co-Founder of Winspear
Watching Elite (TV Show).
Dancing to "One Kiss" by Dua Lipa.
Lint Rolling my mousepad and misc. items.
Michael Heinz, Photographer
Group video chatting on Google Hangouts with high school friends/ reaching out to anyone and everyone I think of right in that moment.
Finally doing charcoal and ink drawings of the nude men in my BEEFCAKE book.
Fantasizing and writing fan fiction about how much cooler Call Me By Your Name would have been if it were Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet.
Cerise Zelenetz, Illustrator
Baking experiments everyday (no recipes, no gluten).
Actually watching films without distractions, no phones. I just watched The Souvenir which was beautiful (and free on Amazon Prime).
Practicing my still life drawing with rediscovered art supplies and objects found around the house.
