Sights & Sounds: Annika Hansteen-Izora

Common Discourse is a project designed to help others (and ourselves) think through creativity, focus, and intentional work—from Alex Tan & Alice Otieno.

Every Tuesday we share words from a few ideas, a quote from somebody else, and links worth sharing. On Fridays we invite a guest to share images from their camera roll and a sound that resonates with them. Words from the Journal come on the first of each month.

The weeks are speeding by. Spring has finally come, but it still feels like the weather has yet to catch up to that reality. Nonetheless, we’re embracing the lightness and bloom that this season has to offer.

For this week’s Sights and Sounds, we reached out to Annika Hansteen-Izora — a queer artist, writer and designer who’s currently creating at Somewhere Good, Black Feast and Creative Ecosystems.

Alex and I first came across Annika and her work through her newsletter project,

Annika is Dreaming

. Two of my favourite pieces of hers, that I find myself going back to often, are Time is Water and My Creativity is Magic, Not a Brand. I greatly admire how she’s able to challenge and articulate the ways that we can navigate this industry through alternative means, by carving out paths less travelled and resisting the pressures of being confined to a singular thing.

Here’s what she shared with us.

— Alice

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Sights—

The first day of Spring is approaching. For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, we enter the new season on March 20, 2023. Setting the Gregorian calendar aside, I like to think of Spring as the true start of the new year. This winter has been preparing me for its entrance by gifting me ample room to: hibernate, make soups, be quiet, humble, get clarity, root.

My family got kittens. They are full of lessons. Most importantly: when the opportunity strikes, always take the time to nap in sun pools.

Deep and profound love for blurry moon pics and its refusal to be captured by our little hand computers.

A homie and I went to the farmers market. Later that night from our respective apartments, we texted each other pictures of the meals we made from the produce we purchased. Real ones know

“‘I didn’t care about what people thought of me and I didn’t care what I thought of myself.” except from Akwaeke Emezi’s “Dear Senthuran.”

Artist, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo

I just want us to collectively take a moment to gag over this anna’s hummingbird. w h a t. WHAT.

Sounds —

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