asakiyume: (the source)
asakiyume ([personal profile] asakiyume) wrote2025-04-09 10:11 am

An Art of Noticing

Over on Mastodon I was made aware of the existence of this beautiful little zine, done in the traditional way (all printed on a single sheet of paper), Meditations with Insects: An Art of Noticing, so I decided to order it.

It came in a brown envelope with drawings of a beetle, small bird, and owl on it, and the sender was "Unfolding Connections."

cover of "Meditation with Insects: An Art of Noticing

It was everything I hoped for and more. The main text directs readers to quiet, curious attention to creatures often ignored or disliked:

drawing of an ant and a moth, with text

And then, wonder of wonders, there's text on the reverse side, too: quotes about recognizing and appreciating the presence and wisdom of other beings--unfolding connections to make ;-)

a quote from Dingo Makes Us Human by Deborah Bird Rose

That quote has a typo, but it's the one that got me choked up reading it aloud to Wakanomori.

I really loved this one, too:

"the world is full of persons
only some of them human
and life is always lived in
relationship with others"

--Graham Harvey, Animism: Respecting the Living World

The creator, Kristian Brevik, has a Patreon, and he also makes lanterns of sea creatures that when lit up show the creatures' skeletons. Seems like a very cool guy.

And here's a photo from a week or so ago of some bright yellow coltsfoot pushing up through the leaf litter.

yellow coltsfoot (look something like dandelions) poking up from brown leaves.

... I offer these as necessary nourishment in the harrowing landscape we're navigating right now.
minoanmiss: Minoan lady holding a bright white star (Lady With Star)

[personal profile] minoanmiss 2025-04-09 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)

Thank you so much for so much beauty!

sartorias: (Default)

[personal profile] sartorias 2025-04-09 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
What a treasure!
cmcmck: (Default)

[personal profile] cmcmck 2025-04-09 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Lovely little book.

We do get coltsfoot here too- so pretty!
light_of_summer: (California poppy)

[personal profile] light_of_summer 2025-04-09 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Lovely!—the zine, the thoughts in the zine, the coltsfoot emerging, and your thoughts and intention in posting. Thank you!

Your post made me think of insects I've seen and photographed in the past. Here are links to a couple of my past photos that are old enough I don't think you'll have seen them previously—one starring a beautiful insect, and one with a striking-looking insect in a beautiful flower. These are posted over on LiveJournal, which is now served from Russia, so expect slower-than-usual response times:

Green Bee (Taken 08/24/11. Heavily cropped, background slightly retouched. Possibly female Agapostemon texanus. If I recall correctly, she was about half to two-thirds the size of a honeybee. The flower is an unidentified weed—it looks very similar to a dandelion, but it may well have been something else.)

Spotted Cucumber Beetle on Strawflower (Taken 11/03/13. Heavily cropped. I believe this beetle to be Diabrotica undecimpunctata. The strawflower is a garden cultivar of Xerochrysum bracteatum.)

Enjoy!
light_of_summer: (California poppy)

[personal profile] light_of_summer 2025-04-10 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay for beauty and wonder—I'm glad you enjoyed them!
😊/\😊
sovay: (Silver: against blue)

[personal profile] sovay 2025-04-10 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
It came in a brown envelope with drawings of a beetle, small bird, and owl on it, and the sender was "Unfolding Connections."

That is an absolutely lovely zine: thank you for sharing. Illuminated sea-creature skeleton lamps sound amazing.

*hugs*
zdenka: A bird made of flowers. (cheerful)

[personal profile] zdenka 2025-04-10 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"the world is full of persons / only some of them human I like that! My pet birds feel like "people," as do many other pets I know. They definitely have a lot of personality!

I like the flowers--very bright and cheerful!
Knowing people like this exist and put beauty out into the world is a healing salve.
queenoftheskies: queenoftheskies (Default)

[personal profile] queenoftheskies 2025-04-12 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
What a wonderful zine!

The flowers are beautiful!
osprey_archer: (Default)

[personal profile] osprey_archer 2025-04-12 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
What a beautiful zine and what beautiful flowers.