if you’re feeling totally worn the fuck out, you’re not alone! I am too! idk what to tell you but keep doing what you need to keep going, and stay safe bbs.
idk what is working for you but for me there’s been a lot of Henson Company deep dives. here is an important video of the Sesame Street crew looking at art (and solving a creepy mystery) for an hour:
of course Cookie loves the Dutch Golden Age! and his song about it slaps! is Cookie the funkiest Sesame Street Muppet? I think so!
resource roundup!
if you didn’t already love Adafruit, they’ve been hauling butt on using their facilities to produce protective face shields for use by medical professionals, and have been thoroughly documenting the process.
if you’re feeling inspired by that and have some skills or resources to share, Hackaday has created a spreadsheet of resources and open calls for help. this feels a good bit more inclusive/comprehensive than some of the initiatives I’ve seen going around, and is worth a look. ex., this 3d-printer-free tutorial for face shields is something I can easily produce a version of in my own studio, with limited tools and materials, and it’s even in Spanish!
as someone who regularly injures themself doing dumb sports stuff, I have a pile of kinesiology tape in my gear crate that would maybe be better served by this technique to turn it into a wearable sensor for motion and transformation. this looks like some pretty approachable kitchen counter chemistry that I’m eager to try once supply lines get a bit easier. bookmarking for the future!
want to roll your own chat app to use with your friends? this tutorial shows a pretty simple way to do it with Node.js and Socket.io. give it a try! I’d love to see more people playing with novel ways to communicate amongst ourselves, outside of the big platforms.
Everest Pipkin recently shared this megalist of resources for game dev, that I’m sure can be applied to a number of creative projects. there is so much stuff! blessed be Everest, maker of excellent lists.
opportunities!
as some of these apply to festivals/events taking place this year, keep an eye out for cancellations and program changes before applying.
Gray Area has moved the spring session of their Creative Code Immersive Program online, and applications are still open! they also have a diversity scholarship for partial tuition available to students from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in higher education and the fields of art, design, and technology. if the cost of transplanting to SF has ever been a barrier to considering this program, this is your year to apply! you can learn more here. p.s. Gray Area is an events-driven organization, and is currently fundraising to cover a significant loss of revenue due to COVID-19. check out their post about the issue here, and consider donating if you can and their program speaks to you.
Poetry Slash is a recital of computational literature that will take place on Saturday, April 25, within the program of publishing fair Libros Mutantes. they have an open call for participants to read texts produced through code with the intention of exploring unconventional forms of literary creation and doing wonderful and crazy things with computers. you can submit here by April 1.
the ZKM | Hertz-Lab has a new artist-in-residence program, with 3 submission clusters seeking open project proposals. applications are due by April 12. you can learn more here.
arebyte has an open call for young artists (under 28) based in the UK (tho outside of London). you can learn more and apply here by April 16.
VR Arles Festival is seeking submissions for the 2020 edition of the festival that meet their 3 curation themes. you can learn more and apply here by April 15.
applications are also open for VRHAM! in Hamburg, Germany. there are opportunities for both residencies (submit a project to be supported and developed) and the VRHAM! Academy (apply for free entrance to the festival program as well as networking events and guided tours). you can learn more and apply here by April 12.
📅 upcoming events!
everyone should chill out and stay home! but I will continue to feature virtual events here in the coming weeks.
Tues Mar 24! Nina Zakharenko will be giving a workshop on Twitch on coding with hardware for kids! they’ll be using Adafuit’s Circuit Playground to emulate the hardware, so you don’t need to own any materials besides a computer with an internet connection. the stream starts here at 11am pacific.
Mar 22-26! the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces is now, well, virtual. streams will happen on Twitch and in VR! you can learn more here.
Mon Mar 30! Tech Learning Collective are hosting a free crash course in cybersecurity fundamentals at this social virtual happy hour featuring clips from Mr. Robot! this will be a great way to spice up your roster of virtual hangouts with a brief look at some of the tools and concepts featured in the show, followed by an open q&a. learn more (and donate to support TLC’s programming if you can) here.
Thurs Apr 9! The Live Coders will be hosting a virtual conference on Twitch next month, with a lineup of talks ranging from practical tools to self care. sign up for more info here or follow the team on Twitch here.
recommendations!
in lieu of events, here’s a new section of stuff to keep you occupied, inspired, and sane in the coming weeks. if you have a project you’d like to share, especially if you find yourself losing out on income from events, please send it in!
do you miss MTV’s Next? are you struggling with the wait for the next block of Terrace House episodes (omg April 7 is far too far)? Lindsay Gilbert created this button-of-doom as the centerpiece/host to an online dating show from The Cut. the button makes use of MQTT/web sockets with p5.js, a couple of arduinos, an IP power switch, and a bunch of LEDs to help torture/motivate the date-ees. who needs nosy aunties when a robot overlord can put the pressure on you! dig in on some episodes here to feel the squirm.
ok so Pornhub is not something I would usually link out to from this newsletter, but one of my favorite documentaries from last year was Leilah Weinraub’s Shakedown, and it’s screening this month for free with live q&a chats each Saturday. there’s definitely some nudity, but it’s a hilarious and heartwarming look at a subculture, with a captivating cast of characters. you will be hooked! you can check it out here.
if ur as big of a nerd as me, u will dig this crossword puzzle made up of museum trivia clues from Akron Art Museum. the solution will be released this Thursday so get on it!
if the cabin fever is getting you down, maybe these Google Street View captures of iconic cultural locations will help. who is gonna hack this together with Qua*run*tine so that I can go on a virtual jog around the Statue of Liberty??
just for lulz
it me (h/t to friend-of-the-newsletter Jenna)
(ok but why DOES Blathers hate bugs???)
*~housekeeping~*
if you have anything in the works that you are excited about (an event, a workshop, a new project), please send me all the details. the next newsletter will cover the week of March 30 – April 5, but I’m happy to promote events further in the future as well and keep them on the calendar.
