Diary
This series is a small window into the people whose work, rituals, and everyday details quietly inspire Easthope. I’ve always been more interested in the personal than the polished, what someone is reading, listening to, making, wearing, thinking about on an ordinary Tuesday. These conversations are less interviews and more gentle snapshots a moment in someone’s week, the objects they return to, and the small habits that shape their days.
Each feature highlights an artist, maker, or creative whose work I admire, a friend of Easthope offering a glimpse into their studio, office or day to day life, the pieces they’re wearing, and the things currently bringing them joy.
Diary
WHAT EASTHOPE PIECES DO YOU REACH FOR?
I’m feeling a lot these days. As I run alongside my feelings, I find it nice to delve into sentimentality. What a privilege it is to feel so much. How a color can connect us to our childhood or create calm for us in our day to day lives. My mind drifts to one of my most prized possessions…a glass bunny charm on a silver chain a very dear person gave me in my early childhood. I wear it and feel instantly like I’m back in her robin’s egg blue sitting room. I seem to attach a lot of feelings to many things but especially my jewellery.
The Easthope pieces I have get worn often and are so versatile ~ they also sit on my shelves and hang from my window to catch the bright winter light. Even when my earrings and charms are off duty from matching a mood or outfit they’re decorating my life. I’m so inspired by handmade items ~ so on my day off I’ve taken some time after a morning of volunteering to write and sketch while wearing the first thing I ever got from Easthope ~ a lovely clear but colorful Minimal Waste Glass Ring with specks of orange and purple and pink.
I look around at my work table and see other sentimental items…an old pink and green crochet coaster from Nashville, a crystal necklace from Aberystwyth, a handmade charcoal pencil from an artist locally, pieces of pottery from the Severn I found and cleaned and are ready to be collaged with. I ponder and appreciate all I see. With so much to process and feel outside of my jewellery collection, I think on the various things, old and new from near and far, and how these handmade items have molded, motivated, and held my hand as I make new art and write out poems
Diary
a little about what you do, create, and spend your days thinking about
My writing is influenced by all sorts. My Appalachian background and youth in the States, my early 20s in Beijing, my 30s now in Wales. I’ve called many places home and treasure all the things I’ve picked up on my journeys so far and deeply long to see peace and unity, love and acceptance. I write to find inner peace and because I’ve always enjoyed words and how books, blogs, and the like bring art and life together seamlessly. Whether you’ve been reading a classic piece of literature or Charlie XCX’s substack, words can bring us understanding of ourselves and each other.
I’ve had many jobs over the years but currently work at the Oriel Davies Gallery, a place I love being at! Outside of work, I love to listen to music, learning Welsh, baking cookies, lil trips by train to the nearest city, reading, writing, and rest. I’ve been leaning into physical and digital collage, photography, and poetry this year more than ever. I’ve always been imagining and daydreaming and making art. I like to make with everyday things, using found and recycled materials as much as possible. As a hobby, I’ve been enjoying embossing soft tin and making ribbon banners with those tin pieces. I enjoy watching reruns of old shows, YouTube deep dive videos, and love exploring new places and foods, going to museums, the cinema, and on a nature walk to find flowers and interesting little bugs in the park
Diary
READING
Bending the Arc, a thrutopian magazine, has been a fascinating substack read lately. It’s released as editions and focuses on the idea of Thrutopia, not a future through despair into dystopia or through fantasy into utopia. Thrutopia is the idea of the world we might build by reaching, writing, and planning through to a better world and future! Full of thoughtful pieces and poems, it was recommended to me by the fantastic Emma, who leads the local creative writing group I go to bimonthly.
I have too many books going at once - I’m reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (but it’s going terribly slow if I’m being honest) I’m almost done with the book Seeing Ourselves by Frances Borzello and I’ve just finished my second read through of a beautiful book called An Indigo Summer by Ellie Evelyn Orrell. Each of these books is art!
MUSIC
Been using my record player to listen to ABBA’s beautiful song When All Is Said And Done from their album The Visitors lots recently! An artist I come back to for inspiration and contemplation time and time again is Connie Converse. I particularly love her song There is a Vine and her album How Sad, How Lovely. If you enjoy Vashti Bunyan, Mitski, Kate Bush, quinnie, Florist, or Adrianne Lenker, Connie Converse is worth a listen! Albums like LUX by Rosalía (the song Reliquia) and West End Girl by Lily Allen have also been on repeat forever. The songs Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying by Labi Siffre, I Love Being Wrong by Tessa Violet, Gentle on my Mind by Glen Campbell, Fame is a Gun covered by Rebecca Black, and Do I Ever Cross Your Mindalongside most of Dolly Parton’s discography play on loop for me. I always have music on and cannot pick only one of anything…but I will stop listing music now or we’ll be here all day
COFFEE/ CORNER SHOP / PUB ORDER
Ooooo! Iced oatmilk lavender latte is my one true coffee order. I enjoy a matcha during the winter or a lovely flat white. An iced dirty chai latte might be a close second for me.
Currently my corner shop snack is some double stuffed Oreos and a very icy Cherry Coke
At t he pub, it's a cider…but if I’m feeling fancy I love a margarita or a dirty martini
Thanks so much for reading about how being creative looks in my life at the moment! You can find me on Instagram at @dangerleigh…I hope to be writing a Substack or making more things soon and always enjoy chatting music, coffee, and art so find me and join me there
Until then!
Victoria
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