This is Slow Cooked, a collection of weekly musings, ongoing projects, and the media I’m consuming; delivered every Monday.
What’s cooking
The best work feels effortless. That applies to work that I enjoyed making the most or that has resulted in the best output. I’ve realised that the common thread is finding a pocket of creativity, where nothing else around me matters.
Where my mind is clear of all distractions; thoughts are flowing without the pressure of expectation, and where none of it feels forced. The more often I'm in this pocket, the larger the volume of work I'm producing. And as a result, the more content I am.
There are tools that can help create the circumstances under which you land in that pocket more often, more consistently, and if you do it enough, with greater ease.
For me, this includes getting a good night's sleep, waking up early, meditating (I use Headspace), clearing my workspace of clutter, blocking online distractions (I use Freedom), playing the right music (always instrumental), and staying hydrated. This list is ever-expanding. And I'm always looking for ways to inspire myself to land in that mental space more often.
With the second wave of COVID and the subsequent lock-downs, things have slowed right down to what they were, at this time, last year. I haven't so much as left the apartment in the past month and a half.
In the process, photography has taken a back seat.
This week, I rediscovered Hipstamatic, an app I first used in 2012. Simply put, it's a camera app that applies filters to the photographs you take - the original promise of Instagram.
It lets you pair software lenses, film stocks, and flash heads to arrive at a tailored look.
The UI doesn't leave much to chance and is as simple as can be. The skeuomorphic design comprises a leather-backed film camera, a square ground glass-like viewfinder, and a shutter release. By default, the app makes use of the 2x (or zoom) lens.
No grid, exposure controls (adjusting the shutter speed dial causes the app to crash), just the viewfinder and shutter release (over the years, it's obtained a pro mode that you can turn off from within the settings page; which I have).
All this is to say that it's compelling me to pay closer attention to subjects in an environment I've become all too familiar with over the past year. It's getting me excited about finding a pool of light reflected onto the ceiling or how the throw sits atop the bedding.
It doesn't feel forced. Neither is it with the express purpose of posting photos on Instagram, but rather, purely for the joy of capturing something that's caught my eye.
It has extended to me being more attentive to things I would not otherwise have paid heed to. It also means that I am using my cameras more often, be it the one on the back of my phone or the digital one that sits in my closet.
It's become my vehicle for actively thinking visually again.
Here are a few of the photos I've taken with Hipstamatic in the past week.
Hipstamatic now lives on my home screen and has become another tool in my toolbox.
Download it here.
What I’m reading
‘Permanent Record’ by Edward Snowden
‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear
Here’s a second order effect of the pandemic that I never considered: ‘It’s Not Quite Like Riding a Bike’: Pilots Get Ready to Fly Again
“One returning pilot lost control of an aircraft during landing and skidded off the runway into a ditch. Another just returning from furlough forgot to activate a critical anti-icing system designed to prevent hazards in cold weather. Several others flew at the wrong altitudes, which they attributed to distractions and lapses in communication.”
The Secret History of Angostura Bitters
“Produced since the 19th Century, Angostura Bitters is as important to the bartender as salt is to the chef. Without it, there would be no Manhattan or Old Fashioned or Whisky Sour. The cocktails that require a dash of Angostura Bitters number in the hundreds if not thousands.”
“During the second half of the 19th Century, expositions worldwide introduced attendees to unique and unusual products, and the Siegert brothers quickly capitalised on the opportunity. Preparing for one such exposition, one brother was in charge of creating the bottle for the Bitters and the other the label. In what can only be called the luckiest error in liquor branding history, neither brother consulted with the other.
With time running short, the Siegerts were forced to present their Bitters with its oversized label to the judges. Although they lost the competition, the bottle was forever seared into memory as the most unique in the industry at the time – a distinction it arguably still holds today."
What I’m listening to
Every Kanye song and feature with a sample; organised by release dates:
The week in tweets
Finally..
Which am I, to you?
See you in Italy?
Thank you
As always, if you made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to do so.
I’m always looking for media recommendations, be it books, articles, films, music, podcasts or anything of the like! Feel free to reply to this e-mail or leave a comment with your recommendations, thoughts, and feedback.
Talk soon,
Vihan Shah