I find a form of active de-computing is one of the best ways to cope with the current exceeding world pain exhaustion & LLM brain drain around, i.e. doing more things offline, with your hands/body, being more present in your world, getting into crafts/materials, creating/fixing/mending things and sharing your lessons learned with others (in that sense quite in the spirit of open source culture).

To some this is may be just another form of entitled escapism, though I see it as active skill building and learning by doing, connecting with people who're still finding and creating (not just) beauty in the physical world, preserving/expanding older skills, methods & techniques, showing how to actively & creatively navigate, work with and improvise with the hard limitations imposed by chosen materials/resources, processes, situations or environments, and a form of creation which doesn't rely on exabytes of harvested data and other planet-scale resource guzzling infrastructure to realize one's ideas.

(Aside: I also think this is very much part of the appeal of "classic" [non-LLM based] generative/algorithmic design & art approaches, but also #RetroComputing and #FantasyConsoles...)

Anyhow, I think this stunning ceramics project/sculpture/vase is a great example...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6LJzTaQJx4

Of course, my generative artist/designer/programmer mind immediately goes into deconstruction mode, imagining how I'd approach something like this in code form (e.g. via volumetric modeling) and also how to manifest it physically (3d clay printing or maybe paper craft with a cricut[1]). I don't doubt that one day soonish a robot arm will be able to perform or exceed this kind of finesse, but I also think, this kind of automation just like with LLMs, is never the point of making art with your hands, other than making a point that it's now possible to have a machine create such detailed simulacra. It's the same one way road to Uncanny Valley as chasing 3D realism in game dev, with ever more resources required for ever diminishing returns... Maybe that in itself will become a useful measure/marker and status symbol for the trillionaire class.

Building open worlds of endless unspoiled forests made of ultra high-res scans in UE5, whilst the world is burning down though climate change and war. Always be chasing the end of the road, instead of enjoying the journey, the act itself. Only valuing final results without ever appreciating (or even caring about) the process to get there. Pure consumption...

Isn't it interesting, all the thoughts a "simple" ceramics sculpture can trigger?

#WeekendWriting #Craft #Art #ArtMaking #Ceramics #LearningByDoing

How a Ceramic Vase Inspired by Iris Flowers Comes to Life!

YouTube

I'm working & can't go. Sharing for others who may be interested in attending.

RAVEN Trust - Respecting #AboriginalValues and #Environmental Needs #nonprofit based in #VictoriaBC.

Join RAVEN this weekend for another round of Solastalgia: Addressing #Climate Anxiety through #CommunityBuilding and #ArtMaking. This will be our second #zinemaking #workshop. We will come together to discuss our climate anxieties (and potential actions we can take to address them) through community building and art-making. This #handsOn zine-making workshop will offer an opportunity to express some of our fears, ideas, and dreams when it comes to a more just and livable future.

Two awesome facilitators leading this workshop. Aneri Garg, #RAVENTrust Development Coordinator, and Desiree Wallace, a documentary filmmaker, digital campaigner, and organizer with #StandEarth.

https://raventrust.com/event/solastalgia-zine-making-2/

#MakeArt #MakeZines #CommunityEvent #Educational #Learning #YYJ #FernwoodCommunity #LekwungenTerritory #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #IndigenousLaw #CulturalConnections

Solastalgia: Zine Making #2 - Raven Trust

Addressing Climate Anxiety through Community Building and Art-Making. This session we will co-create issue #2...

Raven Trust

Learn how to make a homemade valentine card (or more!) at the SAW Studio with Maria Cruz!

https://buff.ly/BqDAM1J

📅 Friday, February 6, 6PM - 8PM
📍 In-Person 1314 S Main St Gainesville, FL
👥 Anyone into art! Class size limited to 20. Subject to cancellation.

#visualarts #vdaycards #valentinecards #comics #comicart #cartooning #artmaking #crafts #collage

100 Assignments from Nayland Blake:

16. Build a sculpture that produces the ­pleasure of being ignored.
17. Make a hopeful piece.
18. Try again if your piece is about how hope never works out.

https://hyperallergic.com/1040396/100-assignments-from-nayland-blake/ #art #artists #artmaking

100 Assignments From Nayland Blake

While ­these assignments ­will not turn someone ­else into me, they ­will provide the practitioner with a path to the deviations within themselves.

Hyperallergic

#SaveTheDate #MarkYourCalendar

Rooted Narratives: Story Circle & Creative Jam
By #IyéCreativeCollective
Join us for a morning of #storytelling , #art , #food, and music as we create a #ChildrensBook about seed, migration, and friendship.

Date/time:
Saturday, September 6 · 10am - 12pm
Doors at 9:50am

Come meet Kofi -- a Collard Green #seed with a beautiful story to tell!

In our children’s book Kofi and the Seed Seekers, Froggie, Toto, and Donkey meet Kofi, who tells them about the journey of #CollardGreens from the West Coast of #Africa to #TurtleIsland , and why this plant is so important for culture and history.

We are inviting you to help us make this story come alive!

What will happen?
Meet Razan the Illustrator of this beautiful book and let's help her to refine the concept. We'll do that with the following activities:

#StoryCircles

Let's read the book together.
Share your memories about food, plants, and cooking.
Talk about what reminds you of home and what your elders or relatives taught you about land and food.

#ArtMaking
Help design Kofi’s friends -- Froggie, Toto, and Donkey.
Create drawings, paintings, and collages inspired by your food stories.
#CulturalCrops Map Wall

Place your food or spice on a big map.
Show where it comes from and how it connects to your life today.

#Food & #Music Sharing
Enjoy snacks together.
Listen to music that celebrates our cultures.
Mini Pop-Up Exhibit
See foods, recipes, and items connected to our stories and history.

Why join us?
Your stories, memories, and art will help shape the Kofi and the Seed Seekers book and our #documentary. Together, we will celebrate food, #migration , and the wisdom of our #cultures.

Language: This event will be delivered in English.
Stroller & wheelchair friendly access. Gymnasium doors will be both left wide open.
Kids must be accompanied & supervised by parent/guardian.

Photos and videos may be taken, if you wouldn't like your photos taken, please let the photographer know. We'll have some processes in place.

Food and Beverage:
Come prepared to indulge in delicious and beautifully presented dishes that evoke the flavors and memories of our homelands. Enjoy complimentary tea and refreshing drinks while you savor the experience.

Funders:
This event is made possible through the support of the Victoria Foundation and the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI).

#FreeEvent - Please #PreRegister to help organizers figure out food & other event supplies may be needed.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rooted-narratives-story-circle-creative-jam-tickets-1593069958129

#FamilyFriendly #BIPOC #AfricanDiaspora #AfricanFood #AfricanSeeds #AfricanFoodSecurity #CulturalConnections #AllAges #Diversity #CommunitySharing #CommunityBuilding #CommunityEvent #BlackKids #AfricanKids #BIPOCFamilies #books4kids #KidsPlay #Storytelling

Is it Selfish to Make Art Whilst the World Burns?

YouTube

‘Now that commerciality no longer equals employment, and with a dystopian future looming, what art should I make? What art do I want to make?’
— Holly Exley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5CI-epXcaY

#HollyExley #watercolor #painting #landscapePainting #landscape #art #artMaking #Islay #gneiss #Rhinns

Finding My Way Back to: 'Artist'

YouTube

My #ArtMaking #Zine ebook is available for free download until 5th July. Grab your copy!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Making-Zine-July-2025-ebook/dp/B0FFT9FJ95

My #ebook 'Art Making Zine' is available for #Free download from Amazon untill 10th June (PDT)! Doodles of inspiration for your art making! Thank you everyone that's downloaded it, please leave a review if you found it handy.

#Art #Artist #Zine #ArtMaking #Cteative

https://amzn.eu/d/4cPgOqY

My 'Art Making Zine' eBook will be available for free from 12am (00:00) 6th June - 10th June 2025! Get doodles of inspiration for your art making!

#ArtMaking #Art #Free #Ebook #Zine #Friday

https://amzn.eu/d/0liLJrT