Collision & Calcification
Open Thoughts
Hi Everyone,
[Just a note: I typed part of this earlier this week, much has changed within the U.S. and within myself but I think sitting down to type this & deepen into community feels necessary right now.]
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I’ve been thinking about my relationship to time and attention more and I’ve been mulling over how I want to spend my life (cause it’s pretty short but long… you know). I started writing this newsletter with the hopes of sharing my weird thoughts & life updates with my friends — to engage in more intimate & stimulating discussions. I hope to stay in touch with people on platforms that are mutually beneficial and cure my low-grade addiction to Instagram. haha.
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Ok, recently I have been really into CALCIUM! More specifically calcification of the body and how calcite builds towers and terraces in volcanic zones. It’s also weird that the most common type of kidney stone is primarily made up of calcium. It’s like a tiny rock that gets pissed out of the body and is offered to the ground (or the sewer system of your locality).
There is also marine biogenic calcification where calcium is used as a key building block for developing underwater skeletal structures. Corals, mollusks, and sea urchins all use this process to build up themselves! Calcium is just rad!
I have been thinking about the hardening of the body as a result of calcification. I find it interesting to think of calcification with ideological systems, too. Like when a certain stance on an issue proliferates and, before you know it, you have completely identified and calcified with your political party’s belief systems. Right now, I am just concerned with the way people have solidified their personhood to the wacko value systems of political & financial leaders of the U.S. Empire …… I’m just gonna take a deep breath.
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I woke up this morning from a pretty bad sleep with a big question about who I want to be moving forward. What values do I want to live by? What do I want to pass on? How do I want to show up? I remember Jack Whitten saying he recommended that everyone write a list of values they want to live by. Today, I am asking my students to write a personal manifesto of who they want to be as people.
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On another note, my friends Caroline and Aaron are organizing a music festival at Elastic Arts this Saturday and Sunday and I will have an installation of shimmering doves as part of it. I think it will be a restorative experience where artists can come together and support each other. If you are in the Chicago area you can purchase the tickets here.
For all of my friends - I love you all deeply. Please take care of yourself and deepen into yourself as we all get rattled around. I am here for you if you need support. I’ll be here through it all.
Loads of love,
Christina Sadovnikov