On using social media as art platforms
i've tried but the social media format like twitter, cara, bsky, mastodon, cohost (rip), etc. just does not work for me. it doesn't motivate me to post, archiving is abysmal, and it feels too focussed on engagement when i'm simply too busy to be on there enough to be "rewarded" by the algorithm. it took a while for me to realize and to be able to let go of this specific format, just because of habit. but i feel like it has been a complete waste of my time and energy without anything in return, and i feel almost relieved that i'm making the decision to close most of my social media accounts. i implore everyone to critically evaluate their social media presence. is it intentional or just 'out of habit', or even just for lack of a better alternative? for me both of these were the case. over the past half year i built my own website and it has been infinitely more rewarding. besides the satisfaction of building it myself, i have already had so many meaningful interactions with other indieweb creators, that continuing to spend effort on maintaining social media accounts that take all my time and energy without anything in return is starting to feel like a serious waste of resources.
i only wish i'd been able to convince myself of this sooner. i spent many years fumbling around different platforms to find a good 'fit', and each time was a disappointment. t*mblr is the only one that stuck and where i still truly enjoy posting and spending time. i think one of the reasons it's so hard to let go is the promise of 'exposure'. new platforms feel relevant for a while, and especially for artists (and at least for me) that is an incentive to engage. but it's an empty promise. algorithms are way too opaque to truly optimize your output and besides, the whole focus on 'output' makes me cringe, as if i were some sort of art machine with a production quota. it has sucked out all the joy of creating for me without even realizing it. initially, the bursts of engagement can feel rewarding, but that's not the reason i create. in my opinion, the coupling of creativity to engagement is a death sentence, and it happens very covertly. creativity is like a fire and social media is like a swamp, it's basically impossible to keep it alive in there. actually, let's not insult that beautiful ecosystem. it's more like a dirty, damp alley. i refuse to let that kill my creative spirit, and i'm glad i was able to realize that before it was fully too late. it took discovering that there are truly alternatives that can be a nurturing space to creativity and connection in more ways than one, without the fear of becoming irrelevant the second life gets busy.
i create because it helps me to express myself, and i simply enjoy it. for no other reason. to me, drawing feels like second nature, like breathing. i don't have to think about it, in fact, it's something i can only do when i'm at ease in life and my head is at rest. social media has put a figurative (or maybe even literal, who knows) pricetag on my hobby, and i fully reject that. i hope that this way, my creativity can become entirely mine again and that it will continue to bring me happiness, as it has for the past 20 years.
thank you all for reading this far, for sticking by me through platforms and through time, and for spending time on my internet home. and thank you Molly for putting Neocities back on my radar and making me consider it a viable alternative.
Isopods research
January 2026
Yes I skipped december, because I was just too busy with moving and it wouldn't be an interesting read anyway. I'm still not really settled. I got most of the stuff out of boxes, and where I want it to be. But I still have to get a table (eating from a picnick table is fun, when you're picnicking) and my bookcase which is still at my ex's house. In due time...
I finished Jane Eyre, really enjoyed it, didn't love it as much as Wuthering Heights. Why was the end rushed like that? Glossing over a firstborn, hello? What did I read 300 pages about St. John for?! Jokes aside I really liked it despite my frustrations with it.
I watched Frankenstein (2025). Well... I liked it at first, but I soon learned lots of things were changed from the original. If you are going to make an adaptation of a masterpiece, why would you change any important plotpoints? Other than the ones that won't fit in the medium, you can't improve it even if you wanted to... my message to filmmakers out there who want to adapt a work such as Frankenstein or Wuthering Heights: consider yourself an amplifier, and stop making arrogant changes to a story that is already perfect the way it is because the result will almost certainly be worse! Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Anyway the isopods! I am going to study isopods inside and outside of the city. It should be interesting because they are generalists, so I actually don't expect a big difference in fitness...
Lastly I'm feeling a bit disillusioned with how much stuff and junk I have, and humans in general. I wish I could live without it. I feel like, living in the modern world, we aren't really given a choice. Though there are people like Rob Greenfield (if he's even legit) who can do it, but how could I? I would have to change my entire life, and my country is also not really accomodating to wild living. But it would make me happy to reduce even 20%. I have too many of everything (bags, coats, notebooks, clothes, books). I make an exception for books because I consider them a hobby. But clothing is really unacceptable and notebooks that I don't want to write in because I want to keep them precious...? And don't even get me started about the digital hoarding. Is our entire life spent collecting and then reducing stuff? That's not what I want. I'm not a hoarder by any means, but there is always a voice in me that says 'but what if you need it later' or 'what if you regret it'. That has happened a couple of times, and might be the most psychologically painful feeling to me there is, so I try to avoid that at all costs, and that means I have a lot of useless junk. I might just get a big plastic box, walk through my house to see what I use, and throw the rest in there and put it in the attic. If I haven't touched it again in a year, it goes.... Cosmetics is another thing, but those will simply run out, so I'm not too worried about that. I'll at least not buy anything new.
Favourite song
Kate Bush - Lake Tahoe
Life resumed! Genomics kinda boring...
November 2025
Super late with these diaries, but I'm also trying to catch up on an entire month of life missed due to my concussion lol. It's going much better so I started my classes of Evolutionary Genomics.
I find local adaptation and selection very interesting but I have to say genomics so far is not my favourite. I'm looking forward to Scientific Advocacy though, I really like meta analyses.
Below is the haplotype network we made for the garden dormouse populations across Europe using ARTIS population samples and existing sequences.
I watched Bugonia in the theater, absolutely loved it. So far I've seen most of Lanthimos' films, I generally love his style and storytelling. My favourites are probably The Favourite, Bugonia and TKOASD.
I also like The Lobster but I actually really dislike the narration. Poor Things was also amazing but it was so long I feel like I should probably watch it again.
Dogtooth is really too weird and uncomfortable to recommend it to anyone.
I also collected mushrooms for (probably) the last time this year.
We weren't able to find Lepista but we did find Coprinus comatus (really late in the year!!!) and they were in super condition so we used those instead.
I have to say they were super tasty which I didn't expect so I hope to find some next year during the summer.
Favourite song
Enya - Caribbean Blue
Concussion, life paused
October 2025
I got a concussion on the 15th. I banged my head before teaching and it wasn't even that hard, but the day after I got extreme vertigo and it wouldn't go away even after sleeping for 3 hours. I called my love in a panic and he came and we went to the hospital. Scans were fine luckily. But I spent the better half of october in bed or on the couch amd I'm still recovering. So this diary is late and also a bit weird because I don't have much to say.
I hope it will recover soon. currently, I have mostly good days, with a bit of dizziness in the evenings (but no vertigo thankfully). This is also the first time I'm updating my site again which is a good sign, because the thought of doing any sort of coding made my head spin a few weeks ago.
I was the most sad that I couldn't read, even that was too much. so I'm very relieved that I could start reading again a week ago.
Favourite song
Super Mama Djombo - Djugudé Fidalgo
Ecology&evolution
September 2025
I started my msc (Ecology & Evolution), but I have to say I didn't really enjoy the first course so I'm glad september is over. there were a couple of rainy weeks but the weather has been perfect lately which makes my 40 minute bikeride to the university easier.
Favourite song
Mano Negra - Out of Time Man
Summertime jam making
August 2025
Just enjoying the summer break and seeing lots of friends and doing fun stuff.
We had a small heatwave where I stayed inside.
Towards the end of the month I made elderberry jam which was super fun, I have some pots left for throughout the year and I hope to keep this as a yearly tradition! :)
I now know where the best trees are located in the city!
Favourite song
Ti.po.ta, Manu Chao, Klelia Renesi - Moonlight Avenue