2022 has arrived, it’s cold, case numbers are through the roof, so we’re getting used to frequent self-testing again, stretching our nostrils to escape the unpleasant sensation. Everything comes and goes in waves – the hope that finally everything is getting better, that the coastline of stability is within reach alternates with the chilly realization that the uncertainty of everyday life might just be the normality now. The only stability it seems, is change. However, the only steadiness we can create lies in our own rituals – which brings us to opening this week’s Crate of Curios.

1. “One of the reasons I paint is to catch life as it goes by, hot off the griddle.” “Painting,” Neel said, “keeps me alive.” Alice Neel’s nudes are difficult to pin down and their stories more than skin deep.

2. How long does chocolate keep? As it shows, up to 120 years.

3. We usually map habitation. What if we turned it around and mapped emptiness instead?

4. Van Gogh rarely had money to pay a model. However, he had a mirror.

5. Mason Currey has spent several years collecting the habits and routines of famous creative people. His first book “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” is a great read. His second book “Daily Rituals: Women At Work” is a great AND relatable read. I do recommend both.

6. And to finish off for this week, a little task management comic by Worry Lines.

And that’s it for this time. Happy reading and until next week!
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