I’ve concluded that I must be from outer space. I don’t hate January, it’s a break after Christmas and first semester teaching. The wind blows the cobwebs from my addled brain and the rain washes them away. But I do develop a peculiar habit of sitting in my corner, staring at the hills around me, dreaming.
That is until I encounter something I disagree with on social media that makes me foam at the mouth rabidly, like V who shall not be named, or some f*ing trite about Portugal, or someone justifying ICE thugs.
I will sign up for your crayon and cake cult just to escape…
You could launch a cryptocurrency and become a crypto gal cult leader. In the meantime, keep painting (with brushes) and then hold a show and we will all come and buy your pieces to hang on the wall (seriously). And, so long as you remain painfully and hysterically honest we will continue to read everything you write.
"... and definitely no sexy time with the cult leader (that’s me)." I laughed myself into a serious coughing fit, and the hernia in my abdomen nearly popped out. Thanks for that!
Presumably, O Lucy, our Great Leader, effective use of bathos, humorous self-deprecation and a bit of drum-playing on unusual objects during daylight will be allowed. Not saucepans, obvs.
I got a bit of work yesterday from a colleague (I work with him on projects he gets). He said, regarding the complicated* BS that is AI's effect on freelance professionals who have spent years honing their craft, that one of his amazing disappearing clients has amazingly reappeared with handfuls of marketing texts (that's what he called them) and that it seems said client has now realised that HUMAN work is, after all, far superior to the complications spat out of the rear end of some AI platform or other. The client - and their target audience(s) *do* want good quality work. Yeah, yeah. We know. Give us the brief, cough up, and we'll do the work. Ker-ching!
This is not verbatim reporting of the latest goss, but rather my very free interpretation of our exchange in Portuguese.
I see many parallels between language-based and graphics-based work. AI in these areas is *unsustainable* on so many levels; its implosion is being forecast as imminent (whatever that means) in 57 different ways every day. Splat!
I cannot train myself to write on only one subject either. Life is too enormously interesting for that. Carpe diem!
I wish travel writers would write like you...with pepper and zing and…oh, wait, no, I don’t want them to because this is what makes you *you*. Keep writing whatever you want to write about, Lucy gyal.
Maybe you could write a Hallmark type of story with pepper and zing and so on…? Haha.
My worry, because I am good at worrying is that February won't be much better. So you better keep writing and drawing here so we'll have something to look forward to.
Ey Lucy, your fog feeling is perfect for January, especially this wet and stormy one. Even though January is mostly semi-cold and perma-gray due to fog cover in the Swiss lowlands, I think I am glad to not be in Portugal this January. Keep writing whatever you want and I will keep reading it; your writing about regular life is worth a thousand travelogues. If your cult includes sobremesas, sign me up.
I don't really know what to say. I have become a bit of a hermit. I can't stand going out because nowadays anyone Portuguese (except close friends) I bump into talk to me in English despite - well, everything. Never in my 35 years of living here have I felt so kind of - awkward. How can I project a person when I don't know how to channel who I am and what my life is? I like reading you because at least you know how I feel and you're mostly funny and your drawings are brilliant :-)
I love your January fog-scape image, Lucy. Perfectly encapsulates the month. ‘Ingrid is being difficult’! Love that, too. We’ve got the tail end of ‘Chandra’. Who’s called Chandra?!
Starting a cult with coloured pencils and sounds delightful.
PLEASE keep on doing what you're doing! I have so many friends here who love your writing and your humour and your straight-up honesty about the good, the bad, and the completely ludicrous about life - here in Portugal, of course, with cross-ref to the UK (a treat here on Substack when the US is so often the counterpoint for 'immigrant' life) but so much of it is also just about you, making your way through increasingly unfathomable times which resonates for many of us. It's January - we all feel a bit 'off' in January. Keep on doing what you're doing, say I 😊
You had me at pencils, sign me up for the cult...
You’re already in it hahah
I’ve concluded that I must be from outer space. I don’t hate January, it’s a break after Christmas and first semester teaching. The wind blows the cobwebs from my addled brain and the rain washes them away. But I do develop a peculiar habit of sitting in my corner, staring at the hills around me, dreaming.
That is until I encounter something I disagree with on social media that makes me foam at the mouth rabidly, like V who shall not be named, or some f*ing trite about Portugal, or someone justifying ICE thugs.
I will sign up for your crayon and cake cult just to escape…
Coincidentally, I just started writing something about being from outer space (about things other than January).
Oh, if I had a corner with some hills to look at, I’d be doing the same. I’m hoping the inevitably lucrative cult will help me do this 😬
I will join your cult if there is cake.
You’re both in my spreadsheet for early adopters :) in the cake column, obvs
A cake cult! Sign me up!
You could launch a cryptocurrency and become a crypto gal cult leader. In the meantime, keep painting (with brushes) and then hold a show and we will all come and buy your pieces to hang on the wall (seriously). And, so long as you remain painfully and hysterically honest we will continue to read everything you write.
"... and definitely no sexy time with the cult leader (that’s me)." I laughed myself into a serious coughing fit, and the hernia in my abdomen nearly popped out. Thanks for that!
Presumably, O Lucy, our Great Leader, effective use of bathos, humorous self-deprecation and a bit of drum-playing on unusual objects during daylight will be allowed. Not saucepans, obvs.
I got a bit of work yesterday from a colleague (I work with him on projects he gets). He said, regarding the complicated* BS that is AI's effect on freelance professionals who have spent years honing their craft, that one of his amazing disappearing clients has amazingly reappeared with handfuls of marketing texts (that's what he called them) and that it seems said client has now realised that HUMAN work is, after all, far superior to the complications spat out of the rear end of some AI platform or other. The client - and their target audience(s) *do* want good quality work. Yeah, yeah. We know. Give us the brief, cough up, and we'll do the work. Ker-ching!
This is not verbatim reporting of the latest goss, but rather my very free interpretation of our exchange in Portuguese.
I see many parallels between language-based and graphics-based work. AI in these areas is *unsustainable* on so many levels; its implosion is being forecast as imminent (whatever that means) in 57 different ways every day. Splat!
I cannot train myself to write on only one subject either. Life is too enormously interesting for that. Carpe diem!
I wish travel writers would write like you...with pepper and zing and…oh, wait, no, I don’t want them to because this is what makes you *you*. Keep writing whatever you want to write about, Lucy gyal.
Maybe you could write a Hallmark type of story with pepper and zing and so on…? Haha.
Haha I don’t think Hallmark deal in my kind of dark :) thank you neena x
My worry, because I am good at worrying is that February won't be much better. So you better keep writing and drawing here so we'll have something to look forward to.
Competing cults!!
You need to join the cult!! ;)
I want to lead a cult, not be a member 😈
Ey Lucy, your fog feeling is perfect for January, especially this wet and stormy one. Even though January is mostly semi-cold and perma-gray due to fog cover in the Swiss lowlands, I think I am glad to not be in Portugal this January. Keep writing whatever you want and I will keep reading it; your writing about regular life is worth a thousand travelogues. If your cult includes sobremesas, sign me up.
There will definitely be sobremesas! Thank you Caroline
Reading but paused to let you feel gleeeeful:
https://theconversation.com/ai-induced-cultural-stagnation-is-no-longer-speculation-its-already-happening-272488
Weirdly cheering, thanks neena
I don't really know what to say. I have become a bit of a hermit. I can't stand going out because nowadays anyone Portuguese (except close friends) I bump into talk to me in English despite - well, everything. Never in my 35 years of living here have I felt so kind of - awkward. How can I project a person when I don't know how to channel who I am and what my life is? I like reading you because at least you know how I feel and you're mostly funny and your drawings are brilliant :-)
Thanks Bev. I’ll pop over and speak Portuguese with you ;) (getting a car v soon)
It’s so discombobulating, isn’t it?
Maybe we should get badges… or tattoos on our foreheads.
I love your January fog-scape image, Lucy. Perfectly encapsulates the month. ‘Ingrid is being difficult’! Love that, too. We’ve got the tail end of ‘Chandra’. Who’s called Chandra?!
Starting a cult with coloured pencils and sounds delightful.
Thank you Wendy!
Bring back Michael Fish not knowing there was a hurricane on the way!!
PLEASE keep on doing what you're doing! I have so many friends here who love your writing and your humour and your straight-up honesty about the good, the bad, and the completely ludicrous about life - here in Portugal, of course, with cross-ref to the UK (a treat here on Substack when the US is so often the counterpoint for 'immigrant' life) but so much of it is also just about you, making your way through increasingly unfathomable times which resonates for many of us. It's January - we all feel a bit 'off' in January. Keep on doing what you're doing, say I 😊
❤️❤️❤️ thank you, Michelle, it made me very happy to read that. Yes, the UK cross ref is very under represented, too! xxx
We may share a Devon link, too, which makes me extra happy!
Ooh! Which bit?
I lived and worked in Exeter and Plymouth for most of my adult life before moving here, but feel that Dartmoor is my spiritual home 😊
Aw lovely. I adore Dartmoor!!
When I start the cult, there will be a Devon arm!
Sign me up!