HELLO!

Thank you to so many of you who got in touch after receiving my first ever newsletter. And an extra big thank you to those who attended the first ever Salon. Have a read here if you're interested to find out what eventuated in our discussion.

Ok so I know the very title of this email suggests that you should be receiving one monthly (duh) but between our epic trip and our farmhouse renovation, I've been a little slow getting this out. Regardless, I hope you all find something of interest amongst the 3 months worth of musings below. Let me know if you come across something that should be shared.

Feel free to forward this on to anyone you think might be keen to receive this on a (hopefully) monthly basis, or who would be a good addition to our Salon discussions. I've got a particularly juicy topic coming up in the new year...

Best wishes for a glorious festive season. xx

PRESENTS V PRESENCE

It is the festive season. And the last minute present shopping frenzy got me thinking about what it is all for, and what I need most out of a Christmas break. I'll give you a clue, it isn't more stuff. (Seasonal grinchy-ness not intended.) Read more >

WORDS

Tullia Jack and Michael Leunig on being attractive versus being vulnerable. | Given how much of a fan I am of empathy, I found this perspective on it quite intriguing. | In the interests of simplicity, the thought of having of a uniform is really growing on me. | The push for a shorter working week isn't new, but it has been cropping up in unexpected quarters of late. | I'm a fan of anything that allows us to better understand our own humanity, and I love this perspective on parkour as a tool for just that. | This beautiful profile of Hannah Arendt reminds us of her formidable intellect. | The career choice nobody tells you about. | Read this piece about Tavi Gevinson on the occasion of her 18th birthday and feel both old, and youthfully optimistic about the future. | This gorgeous visual poem called "How to be alone" is perfectly complemented by this piece on the intimacy of solitude. | Andrew P Street's final 10 Things column on The Vine was a reminder of just why we should be hopeful despite the mess.

PICTURES

These gorgeous photos of Cuba had me very excited prior to our visit. | Matt Crump's gorgeous #candyminimal photos have been a source of endless fascination lately. | These photos of old Melbourne buildings and the modern ones that replaced them are intriguing and disappointing. | Not to be too morbid, but I've been thinking quite a bit about how we think about death, and I found these gorgeous portraits of people facing death peacefully very beautiful. | Photographer Nick Hedges photographed people in British tenements in the 60s and 70s, and the resulting photos seem simultaneously so familiar, and eerily ancient. | I finally saw the stunning Charlie's Country which has been selected as Australia's entry for a foreign language Oscar. Beautiful and heartbreaking. Go see it. | My wonderful friend Rachel Service features in this new short film about women who ride fixed by Melbourne filmmaker Raechel Harding. Beautiful shots of ladies cruising the city. Perfectly articulates everything I love about riding.

CONVERSATIONS

My friends at Aphra Mag published their first print edition in October. Editor Lucy Macdonald's letter to Creativity sounds like a chat I've had before. | Melbourne philosopher Damon Young spoke to BBC6 about embracing exercise as a physical, mental and emotional pursuit. | I love how the Unfuckers are changing the conversation around behaviour change for sustainability. | I had some wonderful conversations with Laura and Ben from Grosz Co. Lab which prompted me to revisit this piece about the links between scent and memory. | I really enjoyed this discussion about the maker of Wonder Woman, which led me to this article about Wonder Woman as a feminist, and learning about Alberto Vargas.

NEW YEAR

I've been really enjoying reading the many "Year in Review" posts popping up in my feed. Here are a few favourites and a few ideas if you'd like to do one of your own. Hoping to spend some time thinking about mine over the break. Do you do an annual review? | Garance Dore on things she learned in 2014. | Seth Godin's list of things to read/listen to for the year. | Chris Guillbeau's personal review + his guide on how to do an annual review if you are so inclined. | Thoughts on decluttering from Uncluttered White Spaces and their advice to Slow Down to Go Faster.

"Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?" - Danielle LaPorte