What does a squiggle mean?
monday morning motifs, and a print shop update!
many seasons ago I spent a semester abroad at a design program in Paris, where a quirky english professor named Mr. Hughes (or was it Hugh ‘something’?) left quite an impression. He was a warm, funny, enthusiastic, and intriguing teacher.
his offering of creative insights centred on the idea of serendipity. His vision of serendipity was not a passive, ethereal, external happening, like fate. It was instead an active opening up of self, a practice of staying tuned in and present to what the world has waiting for us. His assertion was that it is upon opening up that we begin noticing the patterns and symbols that exist around us, that we begin “stumbling” upon that which we need next. Eight years later and I still try to practice this, to stay curious as the world reveals these things to and for me.
today my serendipity (and a friend who knows me well), brought me squiggles!
I was quite chuffed that my friend thought of me - not only with a beautiful photo of light play, but also with the notion that I would appreciate the squiggle of it! THEN! A couple of hours later I scrolled past an advertisement on a social media feed, and was struck by the similarity! The gradient, the lit-up squiggle, the warm peach-y tones! The universe is sending my squiggles like this today!
so, what does a squiggle mean? what could it mean?
here is a preliminary brain-dump of what a squiggle means for me:
going with the flow
movement: gentle and fluid and organic
vibrations
fluctuations in life
water, waves (did you know I’m a double water sign?!)
some of these “meanings” are surprising, new associations, even for me!
I was not planning on kicking off the very first of my newsletters with these musings, but I was so struck by the serendipity of squiggles today that I thought I should honour, capture, and share them. I also figure there is value in sharing this idea of serendipity, of encouraging us to open up and notice and name these magical patterns in our lives!
today’s “news” news is that, by request, I have re-opened my online shop with All My Strangers prints! I was delayed in doing so after my move, partly because I wanted to move off of etsy due to their outrageous seller fees.
I’ve decided to go with another platform I am familiar with: bigcartel. The version I have only lets you post 5 listings, so I have put the characters into groupings under which individual characters for prints can be selected. Not as ideal - but still does the trick.
If there is a character who has been inviting you into their world recently, now you can invite them into yours by getting a print of them!
Thank you for reading through the very first of the “everything is a newsletter” letter! I’m so grateful that you are here!
with warmth, katia
serendipity as "active opening up of self" - OOF HUGH!! oh AND: gorgeous newsletter, buddy-o. can't wait for the next dispatch.