January: Love What You Love
Arthur Ashe Boulevard highway exit, 2017
Hello and happy new year, if we haven't spoken since 2022. I, for one, would like a medal for writing a newsletter about a given month before the month is out. Keeping it short today because today is a day to get out and enjoy the world. (I am procrastinating from doing that by writing this letter.)
This month, my self-appointed job has been to think more clearly about what I love and why, and allowing myself to love them even more deeply. This does apply to things like video games, but also, I've made a real effort to read more this month.
I have also embodied a little discipline: I have been doing a 30-day yoga challenge, I started seeing a personal trainer, and I've started to look at things like diet and exercise less from the perspective of "I'm in my 20s, I do what I want" and more through the lens of "I only get one body, and it would be nice to still have all my faculties at 50 or 60." I'm working with a mentor I trust on queerness, identity, and getting what I want.
Here's just shy of 2,000 words I submitted to a freelance writing job at Ranker this morning. They asked for niche interests, and so I delivered.
Mario Wings to the Sky... Or Does He?
I'm hoping to fill out elliemusgrave.com/blog with more posts, but in the meantime, feel free to read back on older posts.
A couple of asks: if anyone has advice about how to "break into" the world of freelancing (laughing wryly at myself here), feel free to reach out. Also, if anyone has a reason why I should not adopt this tiny kitten I met recently who's named after August Wilson, please tell me now.
In other N64 news I just remembered the "purposeful little grey cat" theme song.
More stuff:
Two friends, Nikhil and Zoë, launched new newsletters over the past month! Nikhil writes reflecting pool and Zoë writes tiny report card. Go give them your emails.
Ben Seretan, champion of ambient music and the weekly newsletter, put together all of the songs from his weekly newsletters between 2020-2022. They're available for purchase here! Go give Ben your money.
If you're a subscriber you likely already know that boygenius recently put out some singles in anticipation of a new album. If you haven't read the Rolling Stone interview, I recommend it. Go give them your eyeballs.
Hearing Japanese Breakfast cover Head Over Heels made me realize I have been mishearing the second verse for as long as I've loved Tears For Fears (a long time).
I'm going to go do the yoga I put off doing last night.
x E