It's Friday the 13th, I'm in love

A brief, due to the latest round of seasonal lurgy, yet joy-filled Issue 13

Life lessons from V&A Dundee

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1. Celebrating progress. This week I did two push ups in a row. Which may not sound like much, but this time two years ago both of my shoulders had destabilised. Which felt like having two jellyfish as arms.

Here’s the back story…

Consider this your end of year reminder to look back and see how far you have come.

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2. Thinking about place. I had 40 minutes to spare before catching the train home from Dundee on Wednesday. Rather than endure any more of the sensory-tastic seasonal overload blaring from the speakers of chainstores, I popped into the V&A where I was so immersed in: (a) the cafe view of atomic tangerine clouds over the river Tay; (b) tapestries chronicling the cultural evolution of the city; and (c) Japanese photographer Sohei Nishino’s Diorama Maps series*, that I made the executive decision to push back my return to rural Fife.

Despite its proximity, and immediate impact upon my mood, I hardly ever visit the V&A. This will change in 2025 as I have decided it is my place of the year. Something new to experiment with. I’ll write more on this in a future post.

V&A views - The Royal Research Ship Discovery is berthed alongside Scotland’s design museum

*It was fascinating to see the way he immerses himself in a city for a month, getting to know different communities, people and perspectives, before bringing thousands of photos together in a collage.

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3. Favourite Substack read of the week - Chromatic shift by Ruth Allen (who, full disclosure, is a wonderful friend of mine). I love thinking about colour and its impact on us, and this exquisite essay takes a dive into Ruth’s evolving relationship with red. Well worth the paid subscription you’ll need to read it.

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A novel that made me feel warm inside - Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. Featuring a late-discovered autistic protagonist plus Greek mythology, what’s not to love?

The book I’m currently reading - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Recommendations were popping up everywhere and this Alaskan-set tale based on a Slavic folkstory ticks the seasonal read box beautifully. Fun fact - Eowyn Ivey’s mum named her after a character from Lord of the Rings.

Number of Christmas films watched - Four-and-a-half. I’m currently mid way through The Holiday. And yes, I have watched Hot Frosty. Somewhere I saw this described as like a porn film, if the sex was removed and the dodgy plot line expanded. Which is pretty accurate.

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Any places, colours or reads filling you with winter warmth this month? I’d love to hear all about them in the comments.

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And taking us into the weekend is The Cure, whose new album Songs Of A Lost World is an epic blast of awe and wonder. I listened to it in its entirety on the train to Edinburgh last week and felt my nervous system fizz with all the good things.