wow that was more than a minute! I have been extremely offline for about a month now, outside of meeting my lower levels of the hierarchy of needs, so thank u all for not sending a bunch of messages asking wtf was up, or even just ???s about why I have been neglecting all emails related to the newsletter (if u have emailed me recently about what u’ve been working on, don’t worry, I’ve banked it all and will be reaching out soon).
so what has been up? on one hand, I’ve taken on a new full-time position that is quite demanding, and it took a while to get back to a place where I cared to look at a screen in my down-time besides begrudgingly doing some chores around my Animal Crossing island. it made sense to take the role both in terms of having a bit more stability in these dark times, and also in terms of coming across a corporate gig where I actually do like the product (which is in the ed tech space) and the team (which is here in Mexico and in Colombia). I think it’s kind of a gauche time to post “personal wins” on social, and I also want to separate out day job stuff from what I do here bc u know in my heart I am still a young soul rebel, but that’s why I have not been wanting to look at screens on my nights and weekends.
on the other hand I am also really EXTREMELY over social media, and I increasingly have trouble justifying any time I spend on these platforms, even for the research that fills this newsletter. it takes me longer and longer to sift through my Twitter lists and Facebook filters and Instagram feed for the good shit. it just doesn’t feel worth it! I’m exploring some ways for this newsletter to be less dependent on me spending hours scouring these networks, but the #1 way is for u all to send me stuff directly and to forgive me for the times when I forget or lose track of emails.
I am finally back on some good rhythms again around things like exercise, and eating more than zero vegetables, and sleeping, so this felt like a good time to finally reboot the newsletter and start getting excited about this community again. I have missed you all, but I also just needed to like, decompress a lil. I hope you understand!
anyway I am BACK and in addition to aiming to divorce this project even more from the big social networks, I also am planning on some new outlets, etc. I want to keep sharing your projects as you send them to me, but I also feel like if I want to be curating a regular open call it needs to 1) have a clear framework for what the work should be and 2) be financially incentivized because artists deserve to be paid. so I am working on that and stay tuned (September maybe???)! hint: think small. I will maybe be doing some more streaming again, tho no promises yet for a schedule. also come hang out in the Discord! I wanna see ur [avatars’] faces and not on Twitter!! maybe we can do a virtual meetup too?? idk!!!
resource roundup!
here’s a bunch of APIs that might be fun/inspire a new project! u no I have to shout out PokéAPI, the RESTful Pokémon API as my personal front-runner.
Sam Lavigne recently released p5.vscode, which helps you to create p5.js projects in Visual Studio Code, including a tool for browsing and installing third-party libraries. neat! you can check it out and install it here.
while we’re on the subject, this library makes it easy to record p5.js sketches and convert them to smooth mp4s. this looks especially useful for documenting your work, which u should always be doing!!!!
Hackaday has been running a series on electronics for beginners that is worth a look, if only for the “cool beans” illustration in the first part. I am not kidding, they are some very cool beans.
Winterbloom’s Big Honking Button is very * ~ aesthetic ~ *, but it’s also pretty neat under the hood. this write-up on the hardware design is pretty accessible even for electronics newcomers and an interesting read if you want to dig a bit deeper.
this is just a mix that I think is very good and is a nice thing to play while you work.
open calls!
NEW INC has an open call for mentors that closes August 17! this is a great opportunity for some of us older (more experienced??) farts to give back to a very unique professional development program. you can apply to be either a dedicated (a more 1:1 relationship) or office hour (a more drop-in style) mentor. either way you get to be part of a rad community + get a one-year membership to the New Museum. currently all plans are for online mentorship, so this is another situation where your actual home base needn’t be a barrier to applying. learn more here.
Arduino has an open call for social distancing or touch-free solutions that use an Arduino Nano or MKR board, with a new deadline of August 30. there’s a bunch of prizes, including a lot of $$$ in vouches for hardware from Newark. learn more here.
education opportunities!
CUNA, an interdisciplinary school in Mexico City, will be kicking off some online programming starting this month! courses include “Historia del Arte Biológico,” “Colaboración o Extinción,” “Tecnoética y Bioética,” and “Tecnopolítica: Sistemas Políticos del Futuro.” I’m gonna be signing up for whatever I can wiggle in thru my work schedule, and you should check it out too! you can learn more here. there’s only a few days left to register for “Historia del Arte Biológico!!!”
Gray Area is running another online edition of their Creative Code Immersive this fall, starting September 8. I have heard good things about how the spring edition made the program more accessible in these dark times – it’s worth checking out if you want to push your practice to the next level but being on-site for a program like this has always been a barrier to you. you can learn more here and check out the spring showcase here.
? upcoming events!
Tues Aug 11! 3:30PM UTC-4! Tech Learning Collective will be giving a beginners’ workshop on how to collaborate using the Git version control system. I like that they are pitching Git as a useful tool for all types of creatives, not just software developers. what’s stopping you from writing a collaborative zine with Git??? learn more and register here.
Sat Aug 15! 4PM UTC+2! Code Cuisine is a 2-hour remote workshop where you’ll learn enough coding basics to draw the “dish of the day!” the workshop will be taught by Valerie Fuchs, founder of Cafe Robot, the first non-awkward computer club. this looks like an extremely cute and accessible way to ~whet your appetite~ for creative coding! learn more and register here.
also Sat Aug 15! 8PM UTC-5! Toplap Mexico will be presenting works by Fabiola Larios, Helio Santos, and Moises Sanabria. I’m not sure what the vibe on this one will be, but you can check it out here!
Sun Aug 16! 11AM UTC-7! CODAME is hosting a 2-hour workshop on creating generative art with p5.js, lots of p5.js up in the newsletter this week!! this is open to al levels, and will end with rending your work as a gif for future CODAME gallery shows! you can learn more and register here.
Aug 15 – 16! 11AM – 2PM UTC-7! Gray Area is hosting a two-day online workshop on using Spark AR and Blender to design your own virtual world. this is for people with some basic 3D modeling experience, but it sounds like a good introduction to Spark AR if you’re new to augmented reality. you can learn more and register here.
just for lulz!
*~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. if you wanna share links or chat, there is now a Discord server that you can use here.
