Cycles of Cultivation — mnchrm vol. lxvi
Hey there, friends!
We’ve gotten to peak Summer in Chicago, where the temperature fluctuates about 30 degrees Fahrenheit daily, from around 70 at dawn, to nearly 100 degrees in the middle of the day. Not that I’m leaving the house these days all that much…
If you’ve forgotten, I’m Ian Battaglia, a writer and photographer based out of Chicago; and this is my newsletter. You can always update your subscription preferences at the bottom of this email, and if you’ve really enjoyed this dispatch, please consider sharing it with a friend.
I’ve got some cool content coming on my Patreon. I just recorded a video of my process in editing a few photos I shot in a forest preserve from this weekend, from start to finish. From import to export, I talk through my editing. I think it’s especially interesting for photographers, but also just kind of cool as a craft perspective. You can get that, my photo wallpapers, as well as writing on photography and anime here. More to come!
I’ve noticed something of a rough cycle developing as the pandemic goes on. There are weeks where I will only go out to walk, run, or ride my bike, and go to the grocery store; but otherwise just sit in my apartment, reading and thinking and doing my thing. Then, there are other weeks where I still stay home, but make a conscious effort to reach out to friends I haven’t heard from in a while, take online courses, or plan for things I want to do. In miniature, these cycles are like cultivation, and reaching out. (Sorry for the mixed metaphor!)
This past week was a week of reaching out. I took an online course on making lofi hip hop, which was really interesting (more on this in a bit!) I also reached out to a local Buddhist group about joining their meditation practice, and was allowed to sit with them (which I hope to continue to do.) I also started taking individual lessons in Japanese for the first time in a year. But even beyond this, I reached out to some friends I hadn’t heard from in a bit, called my grandmother, talked to my family a bit more than usual. The week coming up, I intend to just spend at home, writing and reading.
I’m not totally sure what “triggers” the switch, so to speak. It’s not so cut and dry as feeling overly lonely, or something like that. In fact, it’s not so much something I feel at all; just every once and a while I find I’ve got reasons to fill out my calendar.
I’ve spoken before about the cycles of input and output I go through. Lately, these have been manifesting all at once: I won’t write or read for a week or more, and then suddenly smash out five thousand words or alternatively churn through four books.
I like the idea of a depth year, proposed by David Cain, but I know I don’t have the patience for it, not yet. I need to be constantly striving, pushing in new directions. But just as much, I like to balance by leaning into my routine. This balance feels natural to me, but just the same it’s interesting to become aware of it.
I’ve long billed myself as a philomath—someone who loves learning—and that’s a title I try and live up to as much as possible. I unapologetically love lofi hip hop; it’s not just background music to me. The aesthetics are all near and dear to my heart, and I love the interplay between hip hop and jazz, two of my favorite genres. As a former drummer and jazz vibraphonist myself, I’d wanted to get back into music somehow, and music production, specifically lofi, seemed like a great option. The course was over five days, for about an hour and a half every night. It was taught by the producer Bad Snacks, who makes really excellent electronic music, that veers into lofi at times.
I learned a lot during the course, and intend to watch the course videos a few more times to truly internalize the process she outlined, but during the course, I felt that my biggest roadblock was simply my understanding of Ableton as a tool. I often knew what I wanted to achieve, but didn’t know how to create what I envisioned in the program.
This feeling is not unfamiliar; I’ve taught myself multiple photo editors, and video editing softwares over the years. But it’s not something I’ve run into for a while. Easy to take for-granted when you’ve already internalized the process!
I’ve got some thoughts on taking Japanese lessons again, but I think I’ll save those for next time.
Please consider signing up for my Patreon to get that photo editing video, and all to come.
Stay strong, fight on.
From Chicago with love.
Your faithful commander,
— I