Dancing with Systems


Hi Friends-

I've been immersed in getting Radiate up and running, which is why this newsletter has been a little intermittent of late!

But I'm finally back in action, and I have some very juicy long reads on the all-too-common trend of the female artist who's anointed at age 80, digital colonialism, dancing with systems, and more.

If you're wondering about the podcast, I'll be back with a new episode of Hurry Slowly in early August. I'll be talking with gathering guru Priya Parker about how we can emerge into community with intention. After that, the pod will get back into a regular monthly rhythm.

Sending good vibes,
Jocelyn
 
LINK ABOUT IT

The best way to succeed as a female artist is to be old. This essay by Jillian Steinhauer in The Believer slayed me. It's my favorite read this issue, though the news is rather grim: "The artist Pat Steir explains this dynamic in Veronica Gonzalez Peña's documentary about her life and work, Pat Steir: Artist, which came out in 2020, the year she turned eighty. She's now 'an honorary man,' she says, because of her age. 'The art world, it's easier on older women because they feel like, you have the artwork they've never seen — because they've ignored it,' Steir said. The camera takes in the opening of her solo show at an Upper East Side gallery, a who's who of the New York art scene. 'So it's like finding hidden treasure and then also bargain prices… they can get high-quality for less money than if you were a guy and had been famous for thirty years.'"

Dancing with systems. A friend recently forwarded me this incredible essay about systems thinking by environmental scientist Donella Meadows. It's a long read but extremely worth it: "If something is ugly, say so. If it is tacky, inappropriate, out of proportion, unsustainable, morally degrading, ecologically impoverishing, or humanly demeaning, don't let it pass. Don't be stopped by the "if you can't define it and measure it, I don't have to pay attention to it" ploy. No one can precisely define or measure justice, democracy, security, freedom, truth, or love. No one can precisely define or measure any value. But if no one speaks up for them, if systems aren't designed to produce them, if we don't speak about them and point toward their presence or absence, they will cease to exist."

Digital colonialism. This is an eye-opening essay on the concept of digital colonialism, which was new to me but probably shouldn't be: "In 2020, billionaires made out like bandits. Jeff Bezos's personal holdings surged from $113 to $184 billion. Elon Musk briefly eclipsed Bezos, with a net worth rise from $27 billion to over $185 billion. For the bourgeoisie presiding over "Big Tech" corporations, life is grand. Yet, while the expanded dominance of these corporations in their domestic markets is the subject of numerous critical analyses, their global reach is a fact seldom discussed, especially by dominant intellectuals in the American empire. In fact, once we investigate the mechanics and numbers, it becomes apparent that Big Tech is not only global in scope, it is fundamentally colonial in character and dominated by the United States."

Relocate your darlings. I resonated with this essay from Austin Kleon that goes against the common "kill your darlings" writing advice: "One of my favorite writers, Elisa Gabbert, has built a whole revision strategy around this idea, which she summarizes as: 'Keep your best line (or image or idea) and trash the rest.' She calls this the opposite of the murder your darlings advice, and suggests starting a whole new piece around your darling."

+ In a divided country, communal living redefines togetherness.

+ I really enjoyed Debbie Millman's interview with Ethan Hawke.

+ Guess what? Working remotely made workdays longer.

+ The Egg: A short video about life & karma.
 
SHOUT-OUTS:

Link appreciation to: Alex Anderson, Ann Friedman, Exponential View, and Dense Discovery.

The artwork is from: Voyager Illustration, who operate out of Colombia.

You can support this newsletter by: Tweeting about it or leaving a review for Hurry Slowly on iTunes.
 

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Hi, I'm Jocelyn, the human behind this newsletter. I created the online course RESET, a cosmic tune-up for your workday, and I host Hurry Slowly — a podcast about how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient by slowing down.
Copyright © 2021 Hurry Slowly LLC, All rights reserved.

 Mailing address:
Hurry Slowly LLC
PO Box #832
Woodstock, NY 12498

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