Everything is Art

aka, how I'm explaining my deep dives into other things

Hi friend,

As of late there has been a shocking lack of actual pen or paint to paper, so I wanted to share some of the other things I’ve been doing that are making me happy.

The Art of Tatreez

I was lucky enough to snag one of the coveted Palestinian embroidery workshop spots at the library with Tatreez Artist Amanne Sharif. It was wonderful to learn about the historical and political significance of tatreez and get an introduction to the fundamental stitches. I started with one star of Bethlehem and have just kept on going! I love the symmetry of these individual stars grouped together and how it’s starting to look like a ceramic tile, and I’m so drawn to the vibrant colors Amanne incorporates into her designs. See more of her wonderful patterns and kits on her website.

Some progress on my first attempt at tatreez, Palestinian embroidery

The Art of Resistance

Balancing action and rest is an art form unto itself, and that is very clear when it comes to acts of resistance and political engagement. I’m paying attention to what feels inspiring, rather than draining. Here are some that fall into that camp:

• Mainandvine on IG - thoughtful information and calls to action

• Amanda’s Mild Takes on Substack or IG - great mix of humor and historical context on current events

• Traumatized & Thriving on IG - dig deep into decolonized tools and resources

• 5 Calls - an easy app to make calls to your representatives, with scripts for each issue

• Postcards to Voters - grassroots outreach to send handwritten postcards to voters (find my vote postcard, available for download at no cost here).

The Art of Chill

Mo TV series on Netflix - Starring Mo Amer, the series is loosely based on his own life as a Palestinian refugee descendant living in Houston, Texas. I just can’t tell you enough good things about this series. It is so layered - funny, intelligent, deep, and in some ways heartbreaking, and absolutely lovely.

North of North TV series on Netflix - Siaja is a young Inuk mother who dreams of reinventing herself in her tiny Arctic community of Ice Cove. I devoured this show in one weekend and have already started watching it again. It’s funny and meaningful, includes a delightful soundtrack (Inuktitut versions of Dua Lipa’s Levitating and Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time? Yes, please!). Add a Bridgerton-esque sequence, gorgeous costumes and beaded earrings, and it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.

Anna Lambe as Siaja in North of North

Do you have any resources or recommendations to share? Would love to hear from you!

Thank you to everyone who took my last poll and commented. More to come on that soon. Hope you’re having a lovely day.

xo

Tanya