{💌 this is: my artist digest for April. I also send Friday letters called guide.notes}
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Dear friends,
hello from China. I’m currently in Hainan Island on the South China Sea, visiting family, being steamed alive in the sticky heat, and eating the creamiest, sweetest mangos of my life with a spoon. The weather, the fruit, and the thrashing waves are here to occupy me as I’m processing all the sensations that come with returning to China after 6 years. Before this, I was in my birth city, Hangzhou.
I left China as a child, in the late 90s. Since college, most of my life choices seemed to take me further and further away from my cultural upbringing — such that most of the time, my mind forgets (or denies) that I’m Chinese.
But of course, my body remembers. I was born here. I spoke Mandarin as my mother tongue. After leaving, I inherited a restlessness that won’t sleep. It seems that after all these years of running into my future self, I’ve finally caught up. Now I’m ready to be here, in China; as China will always be in my past, present, and future.
that being said, I haven’t yet made art about China, just a few pencil sketches and rambling notes. maybe, I’ll share those with you in May.
✨ interview feature on SPACIES
I did a deep brain excavation of my creative process and internet world-building visions with SPACIES — “divergent strategies for creative, visionary, non-linear thinkers” — they’re like a vitamin bar of invigorating creative juice.
DIGITAL WORLD-BUILDING WITH ARTIST KENING ZHU
The writer and visual artist schools us on the four "stuck project" categories, and reveals their alchemical art practice basics☁️
🎙️ at home in the world as my artist self
the final chapter of my artist wayfinding story: how I stopped traveling, decided to make a home in Istanbul, and learned to show up as my artist self — in relationship, and in the world.
Listen on Apple Podcast
Listen on Spotify
*I’m taking a small pause on the podcast while traveling, but hope to resume next month!
at home in the world as my artist self — kening zhu
returning to the world with treasures
🙈 overcoming my fear of taxes
an illustrated story of facing my tax & money feelings
overcoming my fear of taxes: a comic — kening zhu
a comic of money & tax feelings
⭕ money as circle, process, practice
a framework that’s emerging from all that inner work around money (which, I expect, will be deeply transformative).
money as a circle, process, & practice — kening zhu
exploring the circular practice of money
🏺 the practice of zooming out: contents vs. container
a mindfulness practice I use when I’m feeling overwhelmed by “thing-ness”
the practice of zooming out: contents vs. container — kening zhu
creating more spaciousness in my mind
🏠 make a version 0.1 to say “hello, world”
one of my favorite tricks for pushing creative projects out the door
make a version 0.1 to say "hello, world" — kening zhu
the bare ingredients for a newborn creative baby
🐦⬛ tree cat chase crow
a moment i watched unfold.
tree cat chases crow — kening zhu
a moment I watched unfold
🔮 tarot work diaries
reflecting on my artist-business life through tarot as an intuitive guide.
tarot work diary no. 9 | ace of swords, wheel of fortune, ten of swords — kening zhu
embracing the cycles of change with a sharp, discerning mind
🏃♀️ the rhythm of processing: daily life vs. travel
on my psyche feeling like over-stuffed luggage — and how to process a little… faster?
the rhythm of processing: daily life vs. travel — kening zhu
or, why my mind feels like overstuffed luggage
🌊 being in china makes me feel like a jellyfish
on floating in a sea of complications. (actually, I always feel like a jellyfish, but now even more so.)
being in china makes me feel like a jellyfish — kening zhu
on floating in a sea of complicated feelings
🌋 the obscurus as a wounded artist child
facing your repressed creative energy — and wounded inner artist child.
the obscurus as a wounded artist child — kening zhu
facing your repressed creative energy
💌 guidenotes: weekly letters on the creative life
on Friday mornings, I write a letter called guide.notes — on the process of building a creative life on the internet wild — with inspirations logs, fresh notes, and curations from 9 years of my archives.
I'd be happy to write you there.
You can sign up here.
🥭 that's all for this month, my friends.
I'm sending you a ripe mango, waves to lull you to sleep, and one of my favorite poems, introduced to me by a dear friend, many years ago…
“I can hear in your voice
you were born in one country
and will die in another…”
❤️ thank you so much for reading. write me back, anytime.
kening
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📮 this is my monthly artist digest for april 2024. get weekly letters here.
🍃 find me on my podcast: botanical studies of internet magic.
🪷 explore working with me: advising, mentorships, creation services.
💧 send me a gift. water my world.
You just read issue #68 of kening's letters. You can also browse the full archives of this newsletter.