No newsletter next week; I'm taking a wee break. Wanna catch up on some back issues?

Synchronicity

So I'm sitting at the bar at The Outback (didn't you know? I'm a classy lady) enjoying my glass of generic red, zoning out to the Friday dinner rush and some professional sports game I don't care about. A new song comes on over the sound system. I think to myself, "That's a beautiful voice, is that Janet Jackson? It's been a hot second since I heard her." We get to the chorus of the song, and I hear a melody that's familiar, but out of place.

It's a sample of Gymnopedie No. 1, composed in the 1880s by Erik Satie. You probably recognize it. It's one of those tunes I heard many times before I knew what it was. Click here for a classical version, and here for an electronically infused version that I like.

The term gymnopaedia comes from an ancient Spartan festival, which you can read about here.

I'd recently heard Gymnopedie No. 1 when the Spotify algorithm decided I should, and here it was again, sampled in Janet Jackson's Someone to Call My Lover.

I love synchronicities like this, that hover tantalizingly close to patternhood. To quote Austin Kleon quoting Lawrence Weschler, "The world keeps showing me these pictures." (Or sounds, in this case.)

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

I get asked this a lot. The short answer is: anywhere and everywhere. I'm in the habit of noticing things, looking for patterns. Below are some examples from the 3 years I spent living near downtown OKC. I loved the entropic character of an environment that had been through several cycles of building, crumbling, and rebuilding.

(Into this aesthetic? Check out my Pinterest board Urban Entropy.)

I'm changing how I use social media. Let's connect. You can find me on my website, Bluesky, Mastodon, Pixelfed, and Cara.

Some of these images became fodder for my first artist residency in 2017. The main piece I created during that residency, Just Around The Corner, is available at Cerulean Gallery. (If you've been reading The Fold for awhile, you may recognize it.)

Just Around the Corner, detail view
Deconstructed garments and other fabrics, machine pieced and quilted using quilt-as-you-go techniques. 80 x 60 inches, 2017. Wall-hanging quilt. $3,200. Call 214-564-1199 or email caroline@theceruleangallery.com to purchase.

In Other News: Pods & Tacos

My episode of the Ongoing Mastery podcast with speaking coach Kirsten Rourke is out! Click here for more details and links to where you can listen. (If you have a minute, rate and review Kirsten's podcast! It really makes a difference.)

I finally joined the Taco Bell Drawing Club. (Wanna join? Go to a Taco Bell and draw. You're in.)

A GIF For Those Who Read This Far

What patterns have you noticed lately? Let me know! Next week I'm taking a break from The Fold, but my doors are always open. Talk atcha again soon.

xoxo Sarah