join me on a solo date
this season has been kind so far. i’m feeling rested, renewed, and more engaged with the world. juggling university and a small business over the past few months has been a bit hectic. i found myself feeling disconnected from habits that are at the core of my being, such as consistent meditation or morning pages. i’ve come to realize that, no matter the stage i’m in, these habits shape me and will continue to be part of my days for a long time. they’re non-negotiable. i’m craving a slow summer and space to tune back into the lifestyle i’m promoting here. only by being authentically me can i inspire others. i’ve decided to take a break from hosting clay plays — don’t worry, i’ll be back in autumn. it just feels right to allow this summer to not be focused on business and sales. the shop will remain open and i’m still creating with clay (a lot!). but stepping back from hosting clay plays has created free time and opportunity. i can’t remember the last time i was this excited to create content (the Clay Club being a priority, of course). i'm figuring out how to approach my business more like a passion project again — and i’ll be documenting the journey as i go.
although i spend most days in Lisboa, it’s not often that i treat myself to a day full of good food, museums and walks. on june 25th, i found myself with no plans, navigating the strange post-semester feeling of having no obligations, so i took myself on a solo date that i’ll now recommend to you. some highlights include:
reading my daily page of Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie. for years now, i’ve had this book on my bedside table. there’s a small paragraph (meditation) per day, which i read in the morning. it gives me something to think about throughout the day.
Museu Bordalo Pinheiro. it was my first time at this museum and i’d go again. Bordalo is a major reference in ceramics, as well as in the overall portuguese art scene. for 1,50 euro, you get to see his work up close. i left obsessed with: this mug, the mushrooms, and a box featuring his character Maria da Paciência sculpted on the lid (if you visit the museum, you’ll know what i’m talking about).
burrata al pesto at My Mother’s Daughters. yes, this is a photo of an empty bowl. i was so hungry i forgot to photograph it. imagine cashew burrata, pesto and sourdough bread, served in cute ceramics. it was vegan and very delicious.
these red clay sculptures outside CAM. at last, i visited the new Gulbenkian garden and museum. i wrote my morning pages sitting in the garden and checked out Paula Rego and Adriana Varejão’s exhibition, but i’d like to highlight these red clay sculptures outside the museum. i was inexplicably drawn to these, as if they materialized my intuitive approach to the medium. later, i found out that these were shaped by kids as part of the project Lugar Semente.
Time Stands Still by Jeff Wall at MAAT. i love photography exhibitions, and i love perceiving photos as though they were paintings — printed in a large format, without reflections on the frame. i was very pleased with this exhibition. i once read a book that contained a chapter called “Artists Think Big Picture and Fine Detail”. the concept has stuck with me ever since, and to me it represents Jeff Wall’s work: there are many layers in each photo, waiting to be unpeeled.