lend me your eyes #105

the first dispatch of 2025

Jan 12, 2025

i’ve been wifi-less for the past few weeks, since moving house. my data ran down quickly so i had no choice but to get used to being off grid. i thought it was going to be a terrible withdrawal but it was weirdly easy to just not be online. gasp! the worst part was when i went back to my mum’s for christmas and downloaded a phone game for offline entertainment on returning home, only to find out that it couldn’t be played without internet access.

the other bad bit is that my new place doesn’t have a bath so what else was i meant to do with my spare time? well, i went back to reading, if you can imagine such a wild idea. in the past few weeks, i’ve read braised pork by an yu, death on ice by r.o. thorpe, all fours by miranda july and i’m currently in the midst of butter by asako yuzuki (translated by polly barton). i think all fours might be the best thing i’ve read in a very long time.

so, i am slightly scared of being wifi-ed up again because the temptation to endlessly scroll instagram is strong, as is the concern for my posture and activity levels while doing aforementioned scrolling, lol.

i’ve been connected since wednesday and i’m enjoying the phone game i can now play again thanks to having the internet, and a bit of instagram, and i’m enjoying looking at the expansive view through my windows. i’m enjoying not documenting everything ever – a habit that’s quite hard to break as a photographer but it has made seeing this week’s pastel-hued sunrises feel extra special. i’m enjoying the continued desire to pick up a book. i’m enjoying starting the year without the feeling that it has to be all or nothing.

things i’ve enjoyed reading (and watching) lately

you don’t need to document everything.

‘if i know one thing it’s that if you’re experiencing a genuinely moving moment, if you’re really in it, the absolute last thing you want or think about doing is taking out your phone.’

trent reznor and atticus ross have a plan to soundtrack everything.

‘we identified something i think we’re good at and we figured out how to apply it to something else. what if we take that theory and try it on some other things? and that’s led us into: we’re not beaten down completely yet. and it feels exciting.’

todd oldham on andré leon talley.

there is so much generosity of spirit in this video, it’s such a cheering watch.