First of all: thank you for the beautiful response I got on my previous letter. Moving this little community to Substack absolutely feels like the right decision, and an extra thank you to you who wrote me the very first comments there. I appreciate that so much. 🙏🏻
Hello Louise, I just recently discovered you on YouTube and I’ve been watching your videos and reading all your newsletters since. I find everything you publish very interesting and soothing. I can relate to what you say a lot, especially regarding hyper sensitivity and burnout. I wanted to ask: have you published the course on abstract watercolors you were talking about in this post? I’m really interested in it but cannot find it anywhere. If you haven’t, would you mind sharing the resources (books/courses/videos) you used when you started practicing abstract watercolor? I’d really need something like that. Thanks a lot and sending you my gratitude and appreciation from Italy!
Valentina, hi! Welcome. 👋🏻 And thank you so much. 🖤
No, I haven't made that course yet. 😅 It pleases me to hear that at least one person really wants it, so I might get to it at some point. In the meanwhile, I'll give you another artist to check out. Flora Bowley. She's not a watercolorist, but she's the one who originally made me want to paint abstracts, and she has a lot of good resources to inspire you.
Hello, Louise, such a joy to read your a new email from you.
First of all, I am screaming my lungs out that you read Amanda Palmer now. This book is essential to my life, I am not kidding. I have a huge memory piece stored forever in my memory how I went to the US in 2014 for the book launch. And met Amanda. And my book is signed. And I preach this book to every one.
Also I started reading Cal Newport yesterday, Digital minimalism one. I had it on my list for ages. But finally decided to give it a go. Speaking about being on digital drugs, many people in my country are on news drugs now. Likes are not that much of a thing now, but news are. And I swear it does even worse things with one’s mind. Because likes at least pretend to make you feel good, news don’t. I hope this book will help me with narrowing my digital world intake. Even though I absolutely love my connections with real people via digital instruments.
So sad about the podcast, but I hope you will get back to it some time soon. And yeah, doing duo shows with conversations is easier as I have heard then solo ones.
How are birds in your parts?
I woke up early today and I am supposed to be picked by my friend and we will go to a field in a city where we are supposed to find a lot of birds and dirt. My binoculars are ready! Coffee is also the imbibed:)
Thank you so much. 🖤 And I've been loving your emails as well!
Haha, wow! I've known about her work for many years but just haven't gotten to reading her book. I love it so much, both for the beautifully told stories and the useful insights. She's a remarkable person.
Yaaay, I'm curious to know what you think about his work. Highly recommend his podcast Deep Questions too. He's a constant source of calm and a voice of sanity in my life.
Ugh, it must be such a surreal and frustrating time there right now. I can't imagine. Always hard to find a balance between staying up to date with the gist of what's going on, without getting too emotionally triggered and depressed. I've mostly stopped reading about what's going on now. Not because I don't care, but because I can't do anything about it. Awareness is good. But too much awareness and no way to channel all that rage and grief is not productive.
The birds are doing great here! The choir is growing louder each day. 😌 Aaaah that sounds like so much fun. I actually didn't realize you were such a bird nerd before getting your emails. Am currently looking into those book recommendations you gave. 🙏🏻🖤
Thank you for your kind words about my emails, Louise. I really appreciate it!
I am quite new bird nerd to be honest, I didn't really paid attention to the birds before. Of course, I saw some of them, but I cannot distinguish the voices and I only know basic birds. But learning about them lessens the anxiety and body tension that I feel. So I guess, it is my new therapeutic way of dealing with reality:)
I totally agree that at some point too much awareness becomes destructive. And I was hitting the low point during last 10 days or so. But it seems that I am building myself back a bit. I really don't want to break and develop severe mental condition. Because it makes no sense.
I watched your Q&A, thank you for gaming answer, you counted so many of my fav titles. Sooooo so so good. I don't really have much time for big games now, but we play Heroes of the Storm with friends, or I fancy some Genshin Impact. I also want to finally play Zelda Breath of the wild. I started 2 times, but both times my son snatched Nintendo from me and started his chaos-like playing, fighting all the monsters and breaking all the weaponry. We actually bought him Warriors of Heryle for this slash smash fun type of gaming. And I need to start Zelda again.
My fav games from my teen years which were formative for me I think are Age of Empires, Baldur's gate, Arcanum, Majesty, Settlers, Dune strategy game. And Mortal Combat:) I loved playing Dishonored 1 and 2 and Horizon as a grownup person <3
I am of the opinion that in an increasingly superficial world on the internet that people would rather feel a connection to a couple things than 100 things that are fleeting and cheap (I am also 42 and have a flip phone...so I'm becoming a minority). I'd like to have a watercolor bird eventually here in Vermont and am happy to be part of your audience until you don't want one. I'm also working at the computer all day and happy to find flickers of connections with others...have a great weekend. - Cavan
Hello Louise, I just recently discovered you on YouTube and I’ve been watching your videos and reading all your newsletters since. I find everything you publish very interesting and soothing. I can relate to what you say a lot, especially regarding hyper sensitivity and burnout. I wanted to ask: have you published the course on abstract watercolors you were talking about in this post? I’m really interested in it but cannot find it anywhere. If you haven’t, would you mind sharing the resources (books/courses/videos) you used when you started practicing abstract watercolor? I’d really need something like that. Thanks a lot and sending you my gratitude and appreciation from Italy!
Valentina, hi! Welcome. 👋🏻 And thank you so much. 🖤
No, I haven't made that course yet. 😅 It pleases me to hear that at least one person really wants it, so I might get to it at some point. In the meanwhile, I'll give you another artist to check out. Flora Bowley. She's not a watercolorist, but she's the one who originally made me want to paint abstracts, and she has a lot of good resources to inspire you.
Her's her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8d7k2_72o5oJqPsUT9cIkQ
And here are some books she's written: https://florabowley.com/books/ (I read "Creative Revolution and was really inspired by it.)
Wishing you the best in your practice! 🙏🏻
Hello, Louise, such a joy to read your a new email from you.
First of all, I am screaming my lungs out that you read Amanda Palmer now. This book is essential to my life, I am not kidding. I have a huge memory piece stored forever in my memory how I went to the US in 2014 for the book launch. And met Amanda. And my book is signed. And I preach this book to every one.
Also I started reading Cal Newport yesterday, Digital minimalism one. I had it on my list for ages. But finally decided to give it a go. Speaking about being on digital drugs, many people in my country are on news drugs now. Likes are not that much of a thing now, but news are. And I swear it does even worse things with one’s mind. Because likes at least pretend to make you feel good, news don’t. I hope this book will help me with narrowing my digital world intake. Even though I absolutely love my connections with real people via digital instruments.
So sad about the podcast, but I hope you will get back to it some time soon. And yeah, doing duo shows with conversations is easier as I have heard then solo ones.
How are birds in your parts?
I woke up early today and I am supposed to be picked by my friend and we will go to a field in a city where we are supposed to find a lot of birds and dirt. My binoculars are ready! Coffee is also the imbibed:)
Thank you so much. 🖤 And I've been loving your emails as well!
Haha, wow! I've known about her work for many years but just haven't gotten to reading her book. I love it so much, both for the beautifully told stories and the useful insights. She's a remarkable person.
Yaaay, I'm curious to know what you think about his work. Highly recommend his podcast Deep Questions too. He's a constant source of calm and a voice of sanity in my life.
Ugh, it must be such a surreal and frustrating time there right now. I can't imagine. Always hard to find a balance between staying up to date with the gist of what's going on, without getting too emotionally triggered and depressed. I've mostly stopped reading about what's going on now. Not because I don't care, but because I can't do anything about it. Awareness is good. But too much awareness and no way to channel all that rage and grief is not productive.
The birds are doing great here! The choir is growing louder each day. 😌 Aaaah that sounds like so much fun. I actually didn't realize you were such a bird nerd before getting your emails. Am currently looking into those book recommendations you gave. 🙏🏻🖤
Thank you for your kind words about my emails, Louise. I really appreciate it!
I am quite new bird nerd to be honest, I didn't really paid attention to the birds before. Of course, I saw some of them, but I cannot distinguish the voices and I only know basic birds. But learning about them lessens the anxiety and body tension that I feel. So I guess, it is my new therapeutic way of dealing with reality:)
I totally agree that at some point too much awareness becomes destructive. And I was hitting the low point during last 10 days or so. But it seems that I am building myself back a bit. I really don't want to break and develop severe mental condition. Because it makes no sense.
I watched your Q&A, thank you for gaming answer, you counted so many of my fav titles. Sooooo so so good. I don't really have much time for big games now, but we play Heroes of the Storm with friends, or I fancy some Genshin Impact. I also want to finally play Zelda Breath of the wild. I started 2 times, but both times my son snatched Nintendo from me and started his chaos-like playing, fighting all the monsters and breaking all the weaponry. We actually bought him Warriors of Heryle for this slash smash fun type of gaming. And I need to start Zelda again.
My fav games from my teen years which were formative for me I think are Age of Empires, Baldur's gate, Arcanum, Majesty, Settlers, Dune strategy game. And Mortal Combat:) I loved playing Dishonored 1 and 2 and Horizon as a grownup person <3
Hope you will like these books I recommended!
I am of the opinion that in an increasingly superficial world on the internet that people would rather feel a connection to a couple things than 100 things that are fleeting and cheap (I am also 42 and have a flip phone...so I'm becoming a minority). I'd like to have a watercolor bird eventually here in Vermont and am happy to be part of your audience until you don't want one. I'm also working at the computer all day and happy to find flickers of connections with others...have a great weekend. - Cavan
So true. 😊
Haha, I've played with the idea of getting a flip phone many times. Don't think I could do it but I often miss those old school phones.
Thank you for those kind words. 🖤
So grateful that you are. 🙏🏻 And how great that we have the piano in common. 😊