POLYOPIC
Poly (many) Opic (sights)
I started a substack before just by my name and recently made it private (I think/hope). I thought too deeply about it and set out to write these long think pieces that I hated writing and were also disingenuous. I had three subscribers, myself, my sister and someone called Isla. (although you had a dodgy email and a link on your profile to a casino site, you will always be in my heart (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡ )
Polyopic was originally to be called Polyopia, - a rare eye disease when a patient can see multiple images of one thing. However, calling a newsletter after an eye disease is definitely questionable and probably misleading, no matter how “poetic” the ability to see multiple images of one thing is.
Therefore Polyopic was born. (it still may have a medical meaning, I don’t know anymore - the medical world is a mystery to me) Anyways… to me Polyopic is the idea of exploring, documenting and growing. I hope it inspires, encourages, provokes, humours, brightens, comforts, contradicts, grows and changes.
THE ARTIST’S WAY WEEK 4
I started doing the artist’s way 4 weeks ago, hence just completing week 4. This week is called Recovering a Sense of Integrity, and the overarching task is to complete a reading deprivation - it was difficult. Along with avoiding reading (as well as I can) I decided to also include social media and the telly. After reading the chapter, I promptly deleted all the apps off my phone and was looking forward to the break. I have done screenless periods before (well as screenless as you can be in the modern world) that have usually failed, crashing out and redownloading all the apps the next morning. Although I don’t consider myself addicted to my phone (the first step to recovery is acceptance). I know I need to get off my phone. However it has always felt like the advice you take but never use, the nagging you tolerate from loved ones but will never put into motion in the name of rebellion or the comfort of just being misunderstood. So honestly, I felt glad that due to my commitment to the Artist Way, I could do it on my own terms. Although I have had like 3 scrolls here and there. I pretty much stayed off my phone. On Monday and Tuesday, I just felt the fear of unattachment. That the world was moving without me and it was a strange feeling. I don't know what I missed this week online, maybe all my friends got engaged and announced it on their Instagrams and with the Instagram timeline that is impossible to see your friends' posts. I had no idea, I didn't congratulate them and now they will think I am a love cynic forever. Or maybe this was the week that everyone I ever knew suddenly decided that they all hated me and it was time to create a raging internet campaign calling for my demise. Or maybe social media went to chaos and broke, regardless I am glad it is fixed now. I was more present, to the point where I became frustrated. I would feel particular frustration in the waiting moments, such as waiting for water to boil. I just sat there, me and my thoughts. As the week went by it got easier, my dopamine levels must have plateaued out. But is this what Julia wanted? Was the frustration the point? Am I actually addicted to my phone? Is this normal? - It just left me with the realisation that I should make an effort to do a reading deprivation more often, but maybe not for as long.
DOG WALKS
Apart from my descent into dopamine-less hell, with no social media, no reading and no telly. I was lucky, the sun was out this week (a rare sight for cloudy, rainy England) so I was outside a fair bit. My family has two dogs, Bruno and Monty. They are 9 year old and poodle mixes that force me to walk with them. My preferred time to walk is after dinner, known to few as a fart walk - but I am a lady after all so no farting for me. My favourite thing about an after-dinner walk is that the sun is low, but not yet a sunset and everything has a golden hue to it. It’s quiet enough that the animals are out so like a modern-day snow white I can skip and sing to them without being judged. My walks usually consist of searching for the local deer. Which determines the vibe of the day, it is a good day if I see the deer and a bad day if I don’t. Even though I probably shouldn’t determine my days based on deer grazing pattern alignments to my walking route, the vibes always seem to coincide.
LOGO DESIGN
I studied Graphic Communication and Illustration at university, the course allowed me to explore interests that I liked and customise projects to those interests. This meant that I hadn’t really been forced to create many logos. (To future employers, I promise I have a lot of knowledge about logos, though). However, this is the first version of Polyopic’s logo - warning this logo is going to change a lot.
Also, does anyone know how you make the word mark bigger on the homepage?
- ailish cara