Archive • Motion and Rest • Buttondown

Motion and Rest 10

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Hi all,

I took a couple of weeks off, but we’re back this week with the tenth Motion and Rest newsletter! Thanks for reading!

I took the past couple of weeks off because I was tired of the weekly grind and traveling to Chicago. The CTA or Chicago Transit Authority has always been one of my favorite things about the city. People are quick these days to talk about how it’s deteriorated and it certainly has, but I still really enjoyed navigating the city using the system all week.

#10

April 2, 2023

Motion and Rest 9

Motion and Rest Logo

Hi all,

This week's content is subscriber exclusive and a preview of my IPRC Comics Portfolio Thesis Project this weekend. Our project is to create a twelve page minimum, self-published comic and is due at the end of our third term in June 2023.

The image below is a preview from my work on this project. I've been struggling to find the time to work on the project so I'm not spending a ton of time this week (and likely the next few weeks) on creating additional newsletter/blog content.

#9

March 12, 2023

Motion and Rest 8

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Hi all,

I've switched over from Tiny Letter to to the one-person operation, Buttondown, so hopefully this makes it into your inboxes! Gmail kept flagging my emails from Tiny Letter as suspicious so I decided to find a better tool.

This week's (US-based) e-newsletter subscriber exclusive is a raffle for notebooks with the Motion and Rest logo screen printed on them! I'll be drawing randomly from subscribers on Sunday, March 12th, 2023.

#8

March 5, 2023

Motion and Rest 7

Hi all,

I was distracted this past week. You can read more about it in this week's post where I write about treadmill running, the podcasts I listen to on the treadmill, and share a few images I created this week for a screen printing workshop I'm taking at the IPRC including a new Motion and Rest logo:

This week's bonus is a photo from the treadmill where I spent a few hours this week:

Click here for this week's full post.

Thanks for reading!

Dan

#1

February 26, 2023

Motion and Rest 6

Hi all,

I don't think there were any new subscribers last week so we'll just jump right into things. If you're enjoying this weekly newsletter, please consider sharing it with a friend or two.

This week's newsletter exclusive is a short review of "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I might be late to the game a bit on this 2015 plait of multidisciplinary thoughts for healing our relationship with the earth and each other, but that doesn't make it any less of a valuable or interesting read. The hardcover, 2020 second edition, is a beautiful book with textured paper and some really wonderful prints between sections of the book. From time to time Kimmerer's essays grasp for straws when idealizing the teachings of plants, but the many gifts I've received from her blend of science and indigenous wisdom far outweigh any of its flaws. In particular, I appreciate Kimmerer's exhortation to treat the grief and gratitude over the gifts we've taken from the earth as inspiration to meet our responsibilities of sharing our gifts.

In this week's comic, I'm considering "super shoes" and accepting help. Click on the image below to read.

Thanks for reading!

Dan

#2

February 17, 2023

Motion and Rest 5

Hi all,

If you're new, thanks for subscribing to Motion and Rest. As a thank you for subscribers, I'll share an exclusive bonus workout, review, or some other tidbit each week!

This week, I'd like to talk about a book called, "Peace is a Chain Reaction" by Tanya Lee Stone. Stone tells the unlikely and nuanced story of "how World War II Japanese balloon bombs brought people of two nations together." It's a fascinating story and a quick read as it is written for young adults. I am inspired by the way my Great Uncle John used his hard-won familiarity with Japan and the United States to help facilitate this reconciliation. I will say the ebook wasn't a comfortable reading experience so would recommend a hard copy.

My comic this week is about partying. Click on the panel below to read!

Thanks!

Dan

#3

February 10, 2023

Motion and Rest 4

Hi all,

If you're new, thanks for subscribing to Motion and Rest! As a bonus for subscribers, I'll share a workout, album review, or some other tidbit exclusive to these e-newsletters. This week I was reminded of the short, one-page story, "Borges and I" by Luis Jorge Borges. The story examines the phenomenon of how sharing yourself with the world creates branching selves. I felt this story was particularly relevant in the social media era.

Hourly Comic Day is February 1st! I have vague memories of trying to participate in the past, but I don't think I made it past noon in those prior practices. February 1st, 2023 was an atypically busy day for me so I'm happy I made it well past noon. I feel a little funny working on this instead of my thesis project, but I am justifying it as comics practice which will inform my project. Click on the image below to read the full comic.

Thanks for reading!

Dan

#4

February 2, 2023

Motion and Rest 3

Hi all,

If you're new, thanks for subscribing to Motion and Rest! As a bonus for subscribers, I'll share a workout, album review, or some other tidbit exclusive to these e-newsletters. This week I'm sharing a study of Tetsuya Nomura's drawing of the character Aerith from Final Fantasy VII. I've been drawing some favorite characters of mine in preparation for my final project for the IPRC Comics Portfolio Program I'm enrolled in this year.

This week's main content is a new comic which won't be posted in full anywhere else and some tips for long-ish layovers. Click on the image below to read.

Thanks for reading!

Dan

#5

January 27, 2023

Motion and Rest 2

Hi all,

If you're new, thanks for subscribing to Motion and Rest! As a bonus for subscribers, I'll share a workout, album review, or some other tidbit exclusive to these e-newsletters. This week, we're having a family reunion with my mom's side and I'm sharing a photo of the cousins. The last time we were all together was for our grandfather's memorial service in 2019 so these times are very special and far between!

Left to Right: Marina, Rachel, Ben, Ryan, Kyle, and me

This week I'm sharing a new comic which won't be posted in full anywhere else. I hope you enjoy it! Click on the image below to read.

Best,

Dan

#6

January 19, 2023

Motion and Rest 1

Hi all,

It's your friend, Dan Kittaka. I am going to be sharing new thoughts, comics, and poems about running, identity, and other topics weekly on Thursdays on my blog and via this e-newsletter. I'm calling this reboot Motion and Rest. There's a lot I'd like to share about the title, but I am running short on time this week so it'll have to wait. If you're here for it, great! If not, feel free to unsubscribe using the link below - no hard feelings!

As a bonus for subscribers, I'll share a workout, album, or some other tidbit exclusive to these e-newsletters. This week, it's the 2017 album "I See You" by The xx. I enjoy how the artists explore typical pop themes of longing, love, and loss using melodic vocal duets. As an added bonus, unlike a lot of music I enjoy, I've been able to listen to this album while lifting!

For this week's core content, I'm sharing a couple comics which I drew last week and won't be posted in full anywhere else. Click on the image below to read. I hope you enjoy them!

Best,

Dan

#7

January 12, 2023