Shortlist 005: Midsummer reflections

A recent social media trend of “rebranding” yourself for 2026 made me pause. Like most corporate rebrands, I think it’s just a skin-deep^[1] change. Rebranding is a projected image of how one wants to be perceived externally, rather than how one truly intends to evolve through behaviour.

For me, the end-of-year holiday break was time to reflect on the year past and make rough plans for the next. I’ve never been comfortable with the notion where at the tick of midnight, we resolve to start or eliminate a habit, as if the only time for revival or renewal is at the start of a new calendar year.

In retrospect, I’ve been thinking of my time in seasons, as behaviour changes across the cooling and warming cycles of the earth. Especially in Canberra where the seasons are so extreme I find myself missing the opposite of whatever is here, moreso due to needing contrast after overexposure than an actual icy winter day.

Still, find opportunities than setbacks, I tell myself on 37ºC days. Summer heat reminds me to take advantage of the light to take evening walks, reclaim all the clay sitting in buckets, and start my day early. It makes me savour walking out in a t-shirt and skirt or shorts, and revel in the cool change that comes after a hot day.

Here’s how summer has been going for me. I hope it’s good where you are.

How good is eating cold and/or fried food outside? I repeat, how good is it?

It wouldn’t be a post without an Ari mention of some sort. She’s going well, still very beautiful and incredibly needy.

Last week I attended a summer workshop on making your own pottery glazes. It was super fun, a bit technical on the inorganic chemistry bits (which I enjoyed), and highly satisfying to test and fire glazes. I took home a few glaze samples and can’t wait to keep testing and firing more of my own pieces.