Gracenotes

Australian writer and producer based in Scotland. Amateur rock climber, slackliner and photographer. Love for mountains, orchestras, second-hand literature and doubles of single malts.

[gracesneddon]

Sensory Deprivation Tank

Iceland Moss - The Sudan Archives

Tangerine (Channel Tres Remix) - Aaron Childs, Channel Tres

Are You Even Real? - James Blake

Who To Love? - Romare

Time - Pink Floyd

Humble Pie - Instrumental - Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn

Cayendo (Side A - Acoustic) - Frank Ocean

715 - CRΣΣKS - Bon Iver

Wolves - Kanye West

White Lines - Danny Brown

Metamorphosis Suite - Philip Glass

Up With The Birdies - extremely bad man

[gracesneddon]

Moving in the Right Circles: a few thoughts.

Hello, hi, good afternoon (or a very early good morning if you’re reading from home, I hope O Week is treating you well and you’re remembering to rehydrate). Last night, I went to the first in a series of seminars hosted by the Edinburgh Political Union and Common Weal at a cute little student bar down in the Old Town. Common Weal is a policy “think and do tank” based in Glasgow. Their Policy Head, Craig Dalzell, took us through the Resources and Trade chapter of their fully-costed Green New Deal for Scotland. I recently finished reading Novacene and have finally come to grips with the Gaia Theory... I think. In light of all this new info that I’m processing, and news that Bezos is injecting $10bn into the climate effort, I wanted to share a few thoughts...

A Circular Economy

Common Weal’s Green New Deal is so low-bullshit it’s made me run circles around my own brain trying to come up with a joke about lowering methane emissions (to no avail).  It reads that “...waste is really just a way of describing failures in resource use” in reference to the current linear economic model.

Met this dude in Sligachan!

The linear model can be described as such: procure resource ---> use it between 0 and 2 times ---> dispose of resource ---> repeat for infinite economic growth.The goal of a circular economy is to keep goods in circulation at the highest value possible. To do so, we need to considering redesigning, reusing, repairing and remanufacturing goods before we recycle them. If we could do that, we wouldn’t have to procure as many resources in the first place, nor waste as much in the end. Craig put recycling to the test last night too, discussing whether down-cycling (i.e. putting your Amazon cardboard box in the correct bin) should even be considered a success (it shouldn’t IMO). Side-cycling and up-cycling are still crucial to a circular economy, though.

***Cue thirst trap that also shows off thrifted jeans***

Ooh, and I found out that Edinburgh has tool libraries, which gives me the means to cause devastation in a public space as I make and fix things, as per my 2020 goal to learn more practical skills, but with less waste!

Not the tool library, but close enough...making fingerboards in Granda’s shed over Christmas.

Debating in Circles

When we talk about the climate action effort, we often split society into those who see the need for climate action and those who choose to oppose it. Last night’s discussion highlighted another important group: climate delayers.

What is a climate delayer?

Those who acknowledge climate emergency but declare that they/we as a society are doing enough

Those who acknowledge climate change but oppose declaration of an emergency

Those who acknowledge climate change and/or emergency on a public level but benefit heavily from/contribute heavily to the industries that continue to emit fossil fuels 

Those who acknowledge the climate emergency but propose only lofty goals with no substantive plan to achieve them

Any other person whose behaviours slow down the climate action effort without necessarily denying its validity.

It’s interesting to consider that, perhaps even more so than deniers, the behaviours of climate delayers work to preserve the status quo by focussing on how hard it might be to structure a society in a way that places less stress on the earth’s systems. They may also choose to support weaker policy reactions to emerging climate science. 

I know what you’re thinking. Of course, anybody (sane) would tell you that they’d rather do nothing than do something that might take effort. Even if a proposed policy has noble goals such as emissions reduction, people won’t give up their time to act unless it has a realistic plan behind it. The cool thing about Common Weal’s GND is that it’s actually costed, it’s clear (even to somebody without a science or economics background like me) and it actually feels like something that might work... No wonder major parties are starting to jump at it. 

There will always be a threat from climate delayers though. Especially when they are people with excessive power or influence. I guess this is the source of worry that some are harbouring when it comes to the enormous amount of money Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO, tax escape artist, richest person in the world) has committed to set up his Earth Fund this week. 

Attempting to Square the Circle

A Guardian article I digested with my morning coffee collates the opinions of a few leading scientists on how he could best spend this money. Some of these included setting up opposition to oil and gas lobby in the US, forest protection, indigenous land rights and practice programs, supporting emerging tech, carbon pricing research and implementation and solutions with no financial market e.g. removing carbon dioxide from the air, restoring and re-wilding habitats or research into how we can overcome the sociopolitical obstacles to achieving low-emissions (and hopefully zero-emissions) societies. 

Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

A quick survey of people in my Twitter bubble, including nell, didn’t give me a lot of hope. We, for good reason, are quick to distrust billionaires who run unfathomably large corporations that underpay and overwork employees, don’t pay taxes and do contribute heavily to waste and carbon emissions. You can’t really fault Bezos’ critics for being pessimistic when it comes to this donation. Billionaires donating billions of dollars cannot be expected to completely set aside their self-interest. 

We can’t ignore the fact that $10bn (US) could fucking change the movement. Bezos said on Instagram that the money will be given out as grants, so theoretically he could contribute to all of the efforts mentioned above. We exist in a web of systems that is reaching a tipping point: one that could easily set off a bunch more, even ones yet unconsidered. Without cooperation on a large-scale, we mightn’t be able to prevent the worst from happening. This money could allow this type of collaborative effort.

Unfortunately, I have to live in reality. It’s probable that this money won’t be used to disrupt the balance of power in the US that has always tipped in the favour of fossil fuels industries. It is unlikely to be invested into solutions that won’t reap significant financial return. 

Waters of Leith, Stockbridge.

Whilst it is vitally important that this investment doesn’t work to delay climate action by preserving the status quo, it’s a real possibility. 

My guess is that it will be invested into new tech that obviously has the potential to make people excited about responding to climate change but that Cornell refers to as “putting a bandaid on a an open fire”. It could delay real action, as funding for new ideas might outweigh support for the solutions that are ready right now.  I only hope that stakeholders consider that we are running out of time for research and pilot studies and shit needs to start changing now. 

To sum up and get on with the chores I see stacking up around me: a $10bn investment into the climate movement can’t be a wholly good or wholly bad thing. Activists, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice and other organisations have already convinced the richest man in the world to pledge 7% of his net worth to the planet, so maybe we can help to keep him accountable for the way he spends it too!? 

That’ll do for now, 

GS xx

P.S. buttons are still falling off, but I really am making slow progress with learning to sew! I will post some photos when there’s anything exciting to photograph.

[gracesneddon]

Bone Caves, Elphin.

[gracesneddon]

Leith, Edinburgh.

[gracesneddon]

IN LIMINE: Cairngorms National Park, somewhere near Pitlochry, December 2019.

For some, liminality is ambiguous and disorienting. I’ve never found this to be so. There is precious time between what was and what could be next. I am the purest version of myself between milestones, without waypoints. I feel most at home in liminal space. In transit. On transport. In the minute before I sleep or wake completely. Like the few seconds of silence between the end of one track and the start of the next. 

A steadying breath before a performance. 

GS.

[gracesneddon]

I came across this car skeleton in a park in Edinburgh, out on a walk meant purely for clearing my head. It meant a lot of things to me, for a lot of reasons. I found myself pining for my home, worried about the bushfires ravaging my favourite national park and teasing the borders of the city I used to call home. I thought about a friend taken too soon. 

I sat, lost in loss.

I walked home feeling eerily empty, but also renewed. Sometimes, you get hit so hard by reality it jolts your determination to do better into overdrive. 

The project I’ve been working on in collaboration with a local publisher will be released soon, and I’ve been really excited about it. I will be donating all of the profits to bushfire relief back home. Stay tuned for a release date. 

[gracesneddon]

Work with me!

Interested in my poetry, essays or other fictional work? 

Please feel free to contact me @gisneddon on social media or via my email address ([email protected]). 

Services:

In the past, I have worked with retail brands, charities and venues to reach target demographics with menus, advertising campaigns and events planning.

I have an extensive copywriting and editing background that spans university publications, journal articles, advertising campaigns, poetry anthologies and a handful of novels. 

I have experience as a creative director and events organiser, and am dedicated to providing holistic, sustainable events and exhibitions with a clear and effective message behind them.

I work in collaboration with singers, rappers and other musicians as a producer, songwriter and creative. I’m always on the lookout for other inspired people to make music with!

Please contact me as above if you think I could help with your project!

Lots of love, Grace

[gracesneddon]

Hills and Valleys #2 

Where: ‘Marsco’, Sligachan, Isle of Skye. October 19, 2019.

Travelling through the Highlands in October requires you to be ready for any possible weather event. Sometimes, all in one day. The day we walked up Marsco certainly put our bodies and minds to the test. 

Before the walk:

After a few days of solid rain, we had watched every Netflix special and Ted Talk we had downloaded. No matter the weather, we were hell-bent on a day-long walk before we headed back to the mainland. We sat at Seamus’ Bar and spoke to a couple of locals who suggested the Marsco walk for its relative ease in wet conditions and high view-to-effort ratio. After a few pints and a quick look at some maps, we decided to set out the next morning at 9am. 

We rolled out of bed (as was the only way to get out of the cramped space in our van) an hour early, packed some lunch and a few extra layers and made ourselves some coffee. Then we spent three hours waiting for the rain to pass. When it finally did, we set out from the Sligachan campgrounds.

The walk begins in the centre of Sligachan and the path deviates to the foot of Marsco.

Setting out:

The first part of our journey (now starting at 11am) alternated between spitting rain and glaring sunshine, culminating in this awesome rainbow.

Right after I snapped that shot, things got more difficult. We battled icy wind and unprecedented boggy ground (which we should have expected, but we’re Australians and still used to ground that dries instantly). On three separate occasions, I completely lost my boot in the mud and had to wash it in the mountain stream pictured below.

Thank god for Gore-Tex.

Ascent:

After a windy lunch break, we crossed the river to the right of the path and arrived at the foot of the mountain. It wasn’t until that moment that we realised just how difficult this ascent was going to be in the conditions. I felt Determination and Apprehension fighting like a devil and angel on my shoulders until my determination executed a perfect choke-hold and we proceeded. 

The route is easy to find, marked by star-pickets all the way to the summit. However, it is not so easy to climb in the conditions. It is chossy, therefore dangerously slippery when wet. 

It took us a good 2 hours to ascend the mountain with caution. We met another climber en route who was covered from her head to toes in mud. Apprehension reared its head again but we were determined to take in the views we had been promised the night before. Little did we know that we would be returning to the van in the same state as the passing climber, perhaps worse, as the sun set 3 hours later. 

The Summit:

Remember when I told you that we had been recommended this walk for the view-to-effort ratio? Well, here’s what we saw from the summit initially:

ah,yes...the summit of Marsco

I was heartbroken to say the least. We had walked for a combined 3.5 hours to see nothing but mist and unable to stand straight on the summit for fear of being whisked down the mountain by the unbearable winds.

But then...

The mist began to clear and took my breath with it! I could hardly compute the vistas being revealed before us. 

Heading back:

Climbing down Marsco was more difficult than other descents I’ve made in Scotland. Both of us slipped multiple times and I came away with a minor knee injury from overcorrecting after a fall. 

It didn’t take us so long to get back, but I would recommend allowing 7-8 hours for the entire walk. We really had to pick up the pace on the flat walk back to town, as we were chasing sundown. 

Overall:

Please allow yourself an entire day for this walk. Not only is it long, but it is tiring and the views from the summit warrant a picnic in the right conditions. 

Most of the walk has phone service, but make sure that somebody knows that you will be ascending the mountain and when to expect you home. 

Bring enough food and water, spare socks and a few extra layers. Make sure you have a light with you whenever you undertake a walk. Better to be safe than sorry. 

Expect everything, Sligachan often experiences every season in a day. 

Pop in to Seamus’ after your walk for a delicious meal and a pint or several. They have a lot of great vegetarian and vegan options and most of their whiskies and beers on offer are locally made.

Tread lightly.

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Where are your favourite places to walk in Scotland? Where would you like to see me write about next? 

Please send me any ideas or questions you may have, I really appreciate the feedback!

Enjoy your adventures,

GS x

[gracesneddon]

Hills and Valleys #1

A collection of walks I liked and where to find them. Most of these will be on the Isle of Skye for, uh...reasons. 

Where we were: Camustianavaig, Isle of Skye.

We ‘accidentally’ hiked to the top of Ben Tianavaig on a quick digression from the journey to Portree. This is something that happens to us a lot. We decide to take a brief reconnaissance trip and end up completing a hike without water or supplies.The ‘Hill Path’ led us amongst grazing sheep, up the side of the hill and eventually flattened out to reveal this breathtaking view of the Sound of Raasay. Not bad for my first taste of the Island.

Notes:

The whole walk took us just over an hour and was not difficult.

Bring a jacket even in warm weather. It is very exposed at the top of the hill and you’ll want to stay up there for a while!

Leave your van at the top of the hill. I wouldn’t recommend trying to get a large vehicle along the ring road through the township. There IS parking, but it’s not super accessible. You can walk down easily from the main road.

Make sure to say hello to the seals!

Where are your favourite places in the Highlands?

GS x

[gracesneddon]

dollhouse, closet.

cw: themes of self-loathing, sexualisation & loneliness)

Ticks: clicks cloaked and searches incognito. She heaves the duvet to breathe, recharges her lips. Quiver at breaking from pillow prison - or is it silicone-dicked Shangri-La? All the same, is it? Too far to go for pleasure when Valhalla vibrates from the very thighs that travel only. To the door of the closet, is a lock affixed. To her image, swathes taunt in reflex, refracting in parts. She wishes to see almost nothing and makes her own dark. Avoidance acumen, coded to cradle the fantasy. Thwarted by shrieks from the kitchen, she goes and returns. As a waft of steam, savoury, thickens the air she wouldn't breathe if she tried it now. Trapped inside. Windows are closed. Over her neck rests stiff hair. A perfect pucker For lips. She fixes on the pink apex between Deflating limbs and slides her hands over softened hips. Painfully astonished, as always by her craftsmanship. Dispirited. A shame that she's only inflated when others are game. She pulls The quilt up: all the same.

Grace Sneddon, February 2020. Edinburgh. 

[gracesneddon]

Cornell at Loch Maree, Achnasheen. Last year.

5 things that ground me when I can’t decide if I’m sinking or floating.

cw: anxiety, depression, eating disorder (not graphic)

I’ve had an... uncertain few weeks, to put it lightly. I’ve battled anxiety fuelled by money, jobs, nervousness about study and coming up against walls musically (and hitting my head against them instead of trying to find the door). This feeling always compels me to be introspective, at times retrospective, and remind myself of the things that are certain, stable and that bring me strength and confidence. So this list is here for me, but I hope you enjoy it too. 

1. My partner’s confidence in the face of anxiety, strength to tell me when he needs help, his adventurous spirit and belief in me continuously inspires me to be better. When I can’t bring myself to do things for myself, I always imagine that I’m doing it for him. His power of open communication and ability to read my moody, sometimes toxically so, mind and help me talk through the mess is a blessing I never knew I needed.

2. The beautiful landscapes that surround the gorgeous city I’ve chosen as my home have always provided me with a sense of wonder. They also help me to put the little anxiety-inducing annoyances in perspective.And I have to work and save if I want to go and live in the mountains forever, right?

3. Music has allowed me to stay connected with one of the most important people in my life in the five months since I left Australia.  My best friend has struggled recently with a relationship breakdown during a period of disenfranchisement with the city, his studies and path into the future. I’ve been really worried about him, but it can be hard to check in as often as I’d like due to the time difference. This being said, I can always check in on his most recent playlist, the way I have since I met him, to know how he’s feeling, what he’s listening to and whether he’s been checking on me too. It takes half the time of a heartfelt message to send a screenshot of a new track we’ve discovered but it keeps us just as connected as the former would. There’s also nothing better than knowing somebody thought of you when they heard a song.

4. Exercise, climbing in particular, has really helped me in my relationship with my body. Having suffered from eating disorders and phobias in the past, the decision to start rock climbing was a huge one for me. My sport is one that does not just require me to be lean like dancing and swimming did, and necessitates eating enough that my body is fuelled to build muscle where I need it. I am 13 kilograms heavier than I was two years ago, and I look and feel significantly stronger, faster and more beautiful for it. Climbing not only brought me closer to my body, but also closer to my people. I have never met more honest, hardworking and kind people than those I’ve met through the sport. Nor people who tread so respectfully and lightly on the earth we walk on. 

5. My relationship with my own writing has improved over the last few years, but not so much as it has since moving to the UK. Solitude (or semi-solitude as is more accurate, I spend all my time alone with one other) has brought me closer to the page and also to my goals. My poetry has attracted interest from a publisher and another editorial publication that, all going well, will support my work this coming year. Every day I write, I feel my old anxieties over sharing melt away. I hope that one day, they will be gone completely.

This has been a very brief and honest look at the things keeping me grounded in a tumultuous period of my life. You’ve probably stopped reading...but if you haven’t, I’d love to hear the things that help you along when you feel this way too. Feel free to send me an email, DM or reply to this post.

Happy Monday,

G.

[gracesneddon]

big enough to eventually settle.

the chandelier is playing

itself - drowning rain’s chase

down that                              

                  glass pane: relieved by

crystal chimes of its suspension.

remains: transluscent, sunset and salty.

a solution soaks the sink, pink and 

pours. itself spilt-over vanity. right -

ring-lit mirror’s memory. left - 

stains water could only push around.

Grace Sneddon, January 2020. Edinburgh.

I wrote this poem whilst reflecting on my childhood experiences on the farm. Water is sacred when you rely on the fruits of land that is mostly desert. I learnt to appreciate water in its varied forms from a young age, and often use my poetry to subvert the canonic treatment of water as relief, a force of good or a solution to problems.

Water is a solution, but not always the solution. In big enough to eventually settle, I endeavoured to present a scene wherein water is a source of suspense and a dark force that is implied to have led a person to doing something to hurt another or themselves. I hope you enjoyed reading what sprung from this exercise.

GS.