Julia Gray

* Made-up songs almost always break the ice
* All emotions are ok, even the big ones, even the sad ones
* Don't force someone to be happy, just hang with them

* Say hi to everyone when u enter a room
* When you meet someone new, make sure they're ok b4 u start to play w/ them
* Being ridiculous can go a long way
* When someone takes over & you don't want them to, best to walk away

Having spent 100s of hours studying how therapeutic clowns work, this is what I'm taking with me into 2026 (in no particular order):

Maybe controversial: Making creativity/art-making your job isn't necessarily going to solve all your problems. We could build a world that is humanity/creativity focused, where decision-making, processes happens w/relations, care, humanity at the centre.

I hear many folks looking to make creativity their job, but my sense is folks are looking for more human connection, less transaction, less burnout, more relations.

Ever have a project that's clear in your head - but impossible to explain to others?

Oh dude. It can all feel overwhelming.

That's coz it's not just editing...

It's reframing.

It's untangling.

It's seeing the big picture.

I know I'm not the only one here... (right? RIGHT??)

And let me also say, poor sleep for days/weeks is no fun... I'm sorry. And I'm sending good vibes!!

Here's a potentially annoying question and risks me being your "helpy-helpy" friend... Are you getting outside everyday and/or exercising? I was having sleep issues & made this small/huge adjustment & it made a difference!!

You forgot to tag him! 😉 @mark-carney.bsky.social

Dancing for Healing
Donell Taylor ~ Anishininew
2019

Beautiful...

A writing nerd's gotta keep learning, right?
#writing #learning

It's a cybertruck and it looks like shit. Or, more politely: A futuristic-looking, angular stainless (maybe) steel electric truck is parked in the driveway of a suburban house with red-orange trim. The truck has a matte metallic finish and large, geometric black wheels. A gas station is visible in the background to the left, and several garbage bins line the edge of the driveway. Trees and leafless bushes border the scene, suggesting it’s early spring or late fall.

Imagine being this person. Deeply cringe. Embarrassing.

You know what you can do when feeling useless & despondent?

Create. Respond artistically. For the sake of it, and to connect with others.

Seriously my dudes.

#creative #makeart #create

Does this make you a grown-up???

Full Moon Over Rundle
Jason Carter ~ Cree
2024

"Today is the day it all begins..."
#OnThisDay 45 years ago -- April 12, 1980 -- Terry Fox dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, NL, to begin his Marathon of Hope.
The 45th annual #TerryFoxRun run is on September 14. terryfox.org via @terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social #cancer

Happy Trans Day of Visibility

Visiting Greenland, Vance Finds the Weather and the Reception Chilly The trip was both a reconnaissance mission and a passive-aggressive reminder of President Trump’s determination to fulfill his territorial ambitions, no matter the obstacles.

#cdnpoli “Of the four territories Mr. Trump has discussed acquiring — Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada and Gaza — it is Greenland that he seems most determined to get.” You’d think a senior NYTimes reporter wd know better than to describe Canada as a “territory.” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/u...

I recently quoted a job, based on what they wanted done, and they replied that they only have about a third of the funds. To which I responded "For that, I could do this (much) smaller amount of work" - and they happily accepted. For now, it works, & I didn't compromise myself.

Glitch-like print artifact with decayed typography in ochre and cyan, evoking print failure and machine obsolescence.

print-death aesthetics
a languishing ink
from a forgotten machine

Column | Pelvic pain isn’t normal. Many women have this illness but don’t know it. Endometriosis affects about 1 in 10 women. But women see seven physicians on average before they get diagnosed.

Pelvic pain isn’t normal. Many women have this illness but don’t know it. #Endometriosis affects about 1 in 10 women. But women see seven physicians on average before being correctly diagnosed, by Trisha Pasricha www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202... via @washingtonpost.com

Help me get the word out about this, #PhDSky #AcademicSky! Looking for experienced PhD supervisors from Canadian institutions, across fields. The work itself would happen in April.

HOW IS THIS AN ACTUAL NEWS HEADLINE #livingintheupsidedown

Julie holding a clothing tag with standard icons telling you it cannot be ironed or put in the dryer. But it also shows an X through an image of a car driving towards someone who's running away.

Every time I wear this skirt, I am baffled by the tag.

Is it telling me it's not reflective material? Is it telling me not to run in traffic? Is it telling me not to hit someone with my car? Is it telling me there is no escape from the endless hell we live in?

No, the meeting did not go badly for Ukraine. It exposed in the most undeniable, unequivocal way possible the pro-Putin commitments of the president and vice president. That was information Americans and allies needed to have clear before them.

A white woman with short silver hair, wearing glasses, a purple toque & a grey winter jacket, stands in front of a small grocery store with a green sign and boxes of produce in front of the store window

Today in #ShopLocal, my local green grocery. They had also labelled the origins of produce, US, Mex, CDN, Peru, etc, which was eternally helpful
#Cdnpoli #boycott

Her boyfriend is charged with killing her. Her family wants her death to lead to change | CBC News At a celebration of life for Paiyton Pick, her family told CBC News they want her to be remembered as more than a victim, and as they grieve they want to push for change to prevent intimate partner vi...

One of the reasons why the "51st State" 💩 bothers me so much is that whether it's all talk or not, it's pulling attention and energy away from big, important Canadian issues - such as the epidemic of femicide.

Women are being killed at alarming rates and it's not getting the attention it deserves.

Heritage Minister proposes almost doubling public CBC funding, ending advertising and subscriptions Pascale St-Onge calls for new mandate for the public broadcaster to legally enshrine funding on a per capita basis

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge proposes almost doubling public CBC funding, ending advertising and subscriptions. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art... via @theglobeandmail.com #cdnmedia #journalism

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