Summary
This month, I started seriously considering that my field was letters. Although I still see my work as an exploration of how to think, feel, and live better, I do these in the context of using beautiful words. I think this was affected by my recent achievements in writing.
Despite being busy with client work, I would consider this month as a month of writing. I wrote five poems, mostly in their final forms. I read The Elements of Style, finally, and immediately felt its effect on how I write. I have also started reading On Writing Well, which is a powerful complement to it. But the biggest gift I received was the advice I got from Sir Rofel Brion, Froi, and Taks on how to approach the ANWW20. Their ideas were enough to make me feel relaxed and more confident in reading the works of my co-fellows.
Froi read my essay and liked it: he said I would go far in walking and writing. He advised me to tweak the essay and send it to Palanca just to try. This I did, which became a very instructive experience. More than the skills I learned while doing this project, I am grateful for the realization that I have to confront my past life as a Jehovah’s Witness more intentionally. I started doing this by journaling, walking, and watching the film Apostasy. This month, I was also able to send my first TLW email after 6 months.
Still in writing, I contended with some difficult feelings about my family not showing interest in what I do. I was reminded by Keri Smith’s words: I shouldn’t expect my family to cheer me on in my art, especially now that we have grown far apart.
This month, I was sustained by the money I received from Candent and Ili. I learned how to work with clients and deliver what I promised. I also migrated Pathfinder’s Commune to a free hosting provider and realized I want to commune with Rem through this blog soon.
Although not as vibrant as last month, I still spent good times with friends and family. I particularly enjoyed cooking with friends in front of Freedom Park, spending time at Candent with Benjie and Joji, buying clothes with Lea at SM Calamba, and bonding with Dan and Kris Ann.
Studies
Wrote the following notes:
- The artist’s achilles heel
- A life in letters
- Articulate your purpose as self-transformation
- When your family does not cheer your art
- The poet’s state of mind
- Writing prose as a poet
- the very first memory
Studied Barry Lopez’s work briefly.
Really enjoyed this quote: The daily routine of a Danish aristocrat - Dillard
Writing
Poetry
Translation
Did a writing experiment by Bernadette Mayer involving listing familiar phrases that has stuck on me for years.
Photography
Walking
- I discovered a new trail, the other branch of the NLAI walks that led me back to Rambutan Road.
- Experienced walking in UPLB at pitch dark (Walking UPLB in pitch dark).
- Walked to Tuntungin-Putho
Wrote:
Projects
Candent Website
- Created and sent the proposal, which they approved.
- Created and sent a contract.
- Created a project dashboard + a Loom video and a welcome email.
- Compiled an inventory of services for Candent.
- Read how to do market research for Candent.
- Learned how to do a SWOT analysis.
- Held first video call meeting with Candent.
- Continued working on Candent’s Marketing Strategy. I prepared for the second meeting.
- I did some basic market research for Candent.
ANWW20 Preparation
- Read The Elements of Style.
- Watched a YouTube video about if workshops are worth it.
- I asked for advice from Taks and Sir Rofel and received very useful responses.
- Read “Ang Sugilon ng Huling Pangayaw at Tampuda ng mga Agusanon Manobo” by Ryan Cezar O. Alacarde.
- Re-read my manuscript at ANWW20 pdf to check on layout and mistakes.
- Read “Isang Fictokritikal na Pagsipat sa Representasyon ng Kalikasan sa Panitikan” by DJ Ellamil
Ili’s Website
- I migrated the website from Shopify to WordPress.
- Created and sent a contract.
- Created a project dashboard + a Loom video and a welcome email.
- Migrated the website to Hostinger.
- Signed the contract.
- Dinner at Elbi Commons while discussing brand strategy plan with Lea.
- Prepared Ili social media packages and sent them to Maui.
TLW
- Fixed my MailerLite account to transfer to the new version.
- I imported my Substack and Mailchimp subscribers into MailerLite.
- I chose a unicode character to be the logo of TLW.
- Sent my first newsletter in 6 months.
- Embedded the MailerLite signup form back to my website then set up and automated Welcome email.
- I researched how to create an online archive for my campaigns in MailerLite.
Palanca
- Froi encouraged me to send my work to Palanca.
- Looked at Palanca winners for inspiration.
- Read the instructions for the Palanca contest.
- Started tweaking the essay to read more like a personal essay.
- I decided to put a epitaph before the essay about the forty-year wilderness wandering of Israelites.
- Sent my Palanca entry.
Pathfinder’s Commune
- Created a Google Sheet detailing the status of Rem’s sites, costs, and expiration dates.
- Talked to Ton about the possibility of migrating Rem’s sites into his hosting account.
- Tried again to migrate Pathfinder’s commune from WordPress to Hugo.
- Tried to install WordPress in Google Cloud.
- I played with using a free hosting by x10hosting to host Pathfinder’s commune. I used this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKqjRz9zoog
- Reconnecting with Rem’s work and feeling like I want to honor what he left the right way.
- Sent updates on Rem’s websites.
Others
- Had dinner with Lea at Ensalada.
- Had Chadiz pizza for dinner to end May with a bang.
Life Areas
Overseeing
Restoring
- Bought a dining table at Shopee.
Connecting
- My sister invited me to her wedding.
- Met Claire at Elbi Commons and helped her to open a MailChimp account.
- Join Pagdiriwang and experienced cooking in front of Freedom Park with friends. We ate vegetarian pancit and tinuktok na tokwa. I read Ang Bahay by Rolando Tinio.
- Spent an afternoon and a morning with Benjie and Joji at Candent. There, we also met Gabriel, Ate Irene, and Kuya Ronnie. We bonded with our friends over coffee and chips then had dinner at Altrove, where I got approval of the propsal from Benjie and Joji. We then had dessert at Dylan’s Patisserie. The following morning, we had vegetarian breakfast before watching GSW vs LAL and having a short meeting after. We then had lunch before saying good bye.
- Attended EJ’s dedication and bonded with friends after at Icebergs.
- Diwa encouraged me to celebrate getting in ANWW20 and we did so at Siento.
- Had to deal with some tough emotions about my family not celebrating my wins with me, but faced it using humor.
- I attended a two-hour meeting with co-facis at Ilihan.
- Went to SM Calamba to buy a pair of sandals and some clothes with Lea. Buying clothes with her was a different experience. Also had lunch at Pizza Hut and merienda at Siento.
- Helped Claire have a custom email through her domain name.
- Lea and I met Dan and Kris Ann for lunch at Selina’s then merienda at Taza Mia. We then walked to UP, first at Kris Ann’s college, then to Sining Makiling, and then to OTOP.
- Lea and I watched two Korean series episodes.
- Had dinner with Lea at Rocks and Salt. Went to UP and talked with Lea while sitting.
Sustaining
- I worked on the last pubmats for the Ilihan workshops.
- I did SEP 264.
- I did SEP 265.
- Received my downpayment from Benjie.
- Received downpayment from Maui.
- I did SEP 266.
- I did SEP 267.
Creating
Media Consumption
Books
- Night Sky With Exit Wounds
- On Writing Well
- Bought Mabuhay
Articles
- Nightingalingale
- Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo 2
- “Buhay Pa Kami” by Jeff Canoy
- Vincenz Serrano: The artist in the academe
- The Last Days by Ali Millar review – a rebellious Jehovah’s Witness memoir
Podcasts/Audio
Films
- Respeto
- Chef
- The Wonder
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
- Promising Young Woman
TV Series
- Ted Lasso
- Peaky Blinders
- Transatlantic
- Sweet Tooth
- Community
- Grace and Frankie