Another Unsolicited List of Cool Things

If you're bored, curious or looking for inspiration + music recs

Hello! Another list of these because my thinking is that they’re easy to digest, might make you laugh and/or point you in the direction of something you hadn’t considered before.

Unsolicited List of Cool Things

• New socks. The most attainable form of winter dopamine possible

• Arriving perfectly on time via public transport

• A top that fits

• Losing track of time

• An instant reply to a completely out of context message to a friend

• Waking up not tired

• (Yum) packed lunch

• Making social commitments later in the week, that day arriving, and actually wanting to go

• Being driven on the back of a motorbike/scooter by someone who makes you feel equal parts safe and alive

• Being on the receiving end of the phrase ‘no notes!’

• Not being on the apps. As per a meme I saw the other week, “it feels like living in a forest”

• Making out (with someone hot or cool or at least one of them), late at night, in public

• Doing something you used to be good at when you were younger and realising you still have a bit of that talent (for me, this is drawing very basic things)

• Unearthing an album you listened to at a very pivotal time in your life, but had completely forgotten about

• Leaving any messages that aren’t about the immediate present or emergent future for the weekend, like the chic, busy, enigmatic person you want to be

• Trains

• Talking to strangers and not hating it/them being delightful

• Packing perfectly for the trip

• Thinking something’s going to be annoying but actually enjoying it

• Waking up before your alarm

• Going to the supermarket and there’s no one there that looks super depressed in a way that feels both infectious and dystopian

• Friends calling you to tell you they’ve fallen in love

• Wanting to book something, and there being the exact availability

• Peanut M&Ms straight from the fridge

• Whiskey on the rocks as a nightcap. But thinking about it, I think we should bring drinking straight spirits like that. It’s very cowboy. It’s very ‘we didn’t know any better’

• The book ‘Deep Cuts’ by Holly Brickley, which I haven’t started yet, but plan to, and hope it comes into contention with Curtis Sittenfeld’s ‘Romantic Comedy’ as my new favourite rom com book

• Getting positive feedback on your work like wow this happens and was worth it thrilling thank you

• Packing your winter jacket away like thank you but no — see you at the end of the year when I’m withery and tired

• Reading something on Substack that makes you feel seen that restores your faith in humanity for approximately 3 minutes straight. A modern miracle

Plus, some hot things to listen to

• I’m going to see Tinariwen live soon and I can’t wait. They’re one of my favourite bands. I heard them first when I was travelling along the coast of Morocco in my peak gypsy c’est la vie cream linen jumpsuit days and I would not have it any other way. My friend and I do this thing where we create mystery dates for each other to emulate romance, and it fills a void in my life wonderfully.

• If you love music by sad/sad-adjacent men like me, you might also love Dean Blunt.

• This kinda meandering playlist I made that I can’t remember if I’ve shared with you before? Designed for periods of time that feel like you’re waiting for something to happen

• This is the last song I Shazamed

• I’ve been thinking about listening to Shania Twain a lot

• Next time our studio has Friday drinks, I’ll be insisting we play Kylie Minogue’s entire Impossible Princess album

J’adore you - thanks for being here <3

Bel
Xo