Channeling is a semi-regular dispatch from Jenna Wortham about creativity, life, everyday mysticism, and coping mechanisms.
Feel free to share excerpts of Channeling on social media or send it to someone who you think might enjoy it. As always, thank you for your time, energy, and presence.
sliced papaya, drenched in fresh lemon
The other day my neighbor friends gave me some lemons from their yard. They look like wrinkled little limes, hard green ovals, but when you cut into them, their precious insides spill out, a bright yellow to balance all the toughness. Halves of a miracle. It’s the simplest thing, but it makes me so happy. I put them in water, in salad dressing, on fruit. I keep a few in a bowl, just to look at until I’m ready for them. They remind me that so much can come from so little, just sun and dirt. There’s not much at scale offering comfort these days, or even joy, so for me, zeroing in on the tiniest bits of beauty and tenderness seems to help.
What are the things that are bringing you delight right now? Keeping your heart, tongue, body afloat? Perhaps it’s an old song, or a new flavor? A silky texture or a dense book? A reassuring ritual or reliable recipe? I look forward to reading and responding to your comments.
title via “What to Eat, What to Drink, and What to Leave for Poison,” by Camille T. Dungy
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Pausing in the morning, after my kid goes off to school and before I enter my 8 hour work day, in my messy front garden with the lemon balm, calendula, and Salvia, always helps.
Joining a ceramics studio and learning how to throw pottery in the past 2 month has brought me immense joy, release, and peace. I love being far away from screens and working with my hands, learning to slow down my creative process and expectations of perfection, and embracing failure to push through and still create beautiful little pieces. I also have been making fresh and spicy ginger and cinnamon tea at home that warms me from the inside this winter!
My books, caring for my plants, a good night’s sleep, having a glass of Prosecco with my daughter, walking in Central Park, yoga, talking to my Mom on the phone every night.
Warm sweaters, long embraces, rainy day strolls, steam gathering from teas and soups and stews, gazing out into the strong winter waves, the soft glows of light from apartments lighting up the mornings and nights.
It pains me to say it, but my lawyer. I do a LOT of mutual aid in my community, and a lot of work with CSA victims, and last year brought unexpected challenges. No attorney would take me as a client. Out of nowhere an Abolitionist attorney found me and is providing easily the best legal representation Ive ever had, ensuring the state won't be able to scare me with prison time unless I "cooperate". We had prepared our kids for the very real possibility Mommy would be in a federal prison for the holiday, so every second I have with them feels like a gift I don't deserve.
Simple meals that leave me feeling nourished and hydrated, the company of loved ones, my own company, ocean, floating, dancing to gnawa with noise cancelling headphones and tuning everything else out. Passion fruit (a new love, never had it before this week🥰) and lychee.
1) blue-blue denim, 2) crawfish étouffée, 3) fried cornbread, 4) this (late…catching up/time travel)
Pausing in the morning, after my kid goes off to school and before I enter my 8 hour work day, in my messy front garden with the lemon balm, calendula, and Salvia, always helps.
Joining a ceramics studio and learning how to throw pottery in the past 2 month has brought me immense joy, release, and peace. I love being far away from screens and working with my hands, learning to slow down my creative process and expectations of perfection, and embracing failure to push through and still create beautiful little pieces. I also have been making fresh and spicy ginger and cinnamon tea at home that warms me from the inside this winter!
My books, caring for my plants, a good night’s sleep, having a glass of Prosecco with my daughter, walking in Central Park, yoga, talking to my Mom on the phone every night.
Warm sweaters, long embraces, rainy day strolls, steam gathering from teas and soups and stews, gazing out into the strong winter waves, the soft glows of light from apartments lighting up the mornings and nights.
It pains me to say it, but my lawyer. I do a LOT of mutual aid in my community, and a lot of work with CSA victims, and last year brought unexpected challenges. No attorney would take me as a client. Out of nowhere an Abolitionist attorney found me and is providing easily the best legal representation Ive ever had, ensuring the state won't be able to scare me with prison time unless I "cooperate". We had prepared our kids for the very real possibility Mommy would be in a federal prison for the holiday, so every second I have with them feels like a gift I don't deserve.
Simple meals that leave me feeling nourished and hydrated, the company of loved ones, my own company, ocean, floating, dancing to gnawa with noise cancelling headphones and tuning everything else out. Passion fruit (a new love, never had it before this week🥰) and lychee.