Surprise Yourself

Sometimes you need a fresh perspective

Sep 18, 2024

Belgian artist Vincent Bal’s shadow work is transfixing. Sure, it’s whimsical and funny, but it’s more than that. It’s what comes from paying attention and looking at the world with new eyes. It takes the ordinary and turns it into something surprising.

Golsa Golchini’s work also delights me. What is it about CONTRAST that brings me such joy? The surprise of two things coming together that don’t really fit. I love it.

A painting on a sponge. Why do I love it so?

I’m no adrenaline junky but I need to shake up my routine every now and then in order to feel energized. Last week I did some business in New York City (which I’ll write about in my next ‘Anatomy of a Novel’) and found myself looking at everything from a new perspective.

Watching all the delivery people whizzing by on their bikes, working so hard to make it in this cut throat city - a place that can make or break you - made me feel… what?

Connected to humanity. I see them. I watch them hustle and I respect that. It makes me want to work hard and do good things.

We had an incredible view from our hotel. Nothing beats a good view.

In big cities, I also see misery and failure on every corner. I don’t typically see that in my day to day life in Key West, where they do a scarily good job hiding the homeless and mentally ill. In the Big Apple, it’s all on display.

Share The Curious Kat

This makes me feel wildly, unbelievably lucky. I am full bodied, I am mentally stable, I have a support system, I have paying work, I have loving family. This recognition feeds into the cycle of my days and infects my work and my outlook in positive ways.

It’s my birthday

I’m going to keep it short today because it’s my birthday and I have plans!

This month’s recommendation for reading is Daniel Mason’s North Woods.

It’s the one book that I continue to think about two months after finishing it. I keep talking about it.

It’s weird, disjointed, imperfect - as well as totally fascinating and, ultimately, absorbing. If you’re looking for something that will make you think about the natural world, human nature, and legacy, check it out. No wonder it was a finalist for the Pulitzer.

When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave—only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

What was the best book you read this summer and why?

A dream come true

One of the things I dreamed of when I was just starting out was having a circle of “real” writer friends and a strong, interesting and supportive writing community. Back then it was hard to imagine: as a young mother, I used to go to book readings in Boston alone. I’d enter a room and not know a single soul (and I’m an introvert).

Now I have a slack community of more than two dozen writer friends - we gossip and share tips and help each other out. Every other month it seems as if another book by a friend is getting published. In Key West I’ve got a super talented writer’s group of authors who are so wildly different that I’m pushed to think outside the box. It’s a rich and satisfying community and keeps me on my toes.

I’m not saying this to show off - I’m saying it to reiterate how powerful community is for artists. Much as I love being on my own, I thrive when supported by other creatives.

Two of my oldest writing friends have new books out this September - Crystal King’s The Garden of Monsters, and Jenny Brown’s The Whisper Sister. Great titles and beautiful covers! Check them out here and here.