Introducing The Rest Residency

When was the last time you were chill? I know, right???

Hi friends -

Greetings from Hot Girl Hibernation! Yasssssir, no line at the bar and tipping isn’t optional. So I’ve been napping, a lot, because when I get SUUUPER stressed, like Human Rights Violation Stressed™, I crave - no demand - sleep. C posted a video that said “The body processes what the brain cannot. Honor rest.” Yesterday when I was vid chatting W, they were talking about nourishing your body with non-addictive pleasures and healing anxiety by physically connecting with your body. I’m taking all of this as the universe’s way of pushing me to prioritize a project I was slated to start in the fall, now.

*cute lil trumpet riff* Introducing my first feature-length zine: The Rest Residency!

The Rest Residency will be a collection of strategies, essays, stretches, action plans, scientific breakdowns, artful meditation exercises and more - all celebrating the right to rest, gentle reminder: you don’t have to *earn* it! I’ve been working on this idea for over a year, and am finally ready to share slices of all these great conversations I’ve had with artists on their journey to re-connecting with rest. The zine will be broken up into 5 sections, (or 5 volumes, not sure) here’s the outline I’m working with:

• Is There a Correlation Between Motivation and Rest?

  What is motivation? What is rest? Reviewing clinical definitions, social connotations and my assessment of each. What happens to your spirit if you don’t do either? Explore the myriad of negative health consequences of overworking and grind culture.

• You Have The Right to Rest! No Qualifications Needed!!

  An introduction to owning your right to rest. A hard look at the mental strain caused by the model minority stop-calling-it-a-myth and exploited immigrant labor, when does their rest come? The struggle and journey for first gen kids to own their right to rest. Drawing comparisons between different industries and the varying expectations of how much rest you’re allowed to take.

• To Understand Stress, One Must Learn About Cortisol

  What’s the opposite of both motivation and rest? Stress! Define cortisol and explain in a step-by-step way the workflow of cortisol being released in your body and the physiological effects it has on your mind and body. Dive into Dr. Emma Kavanagh’s explanation of the Default Mode Network, the terrible job it does at forecasting (catastrophizing) and why it’s responsible for imposture syndrome.

• The Different Ways the World Rests

  What is the hedonic treadmill (also known as hedonic adaptation)? How are we able to be happy if we’re too exhausted to acknowledge it when it happens? What is the World Happiness Report? Most of the highest scoring countries have quantified their own recipe for thoughtfulness, equity and rest, resulting in a rich cultural tradition of grounding oneself in the present moment, prioritizing relaxation and ultimately, living a happier life.

• The Rest Residency and How To Apply

  Overview of the residency, including how long it lasts (1 weekend, 1 week or 1 month - repeat as often as needed), where it’s hosted (anywhere) and what the itinerary includes (inspiration for how to spend time resting, journal prompts, the importance of meditation and stretching, etc). Brainstorming how one can separate labor from productivity. The importance of living for the experience, not to mark something complete on a checklist. Reacquaint yourself with self-indulgence without spending a dime.

Basically a collection of everything I find the commodified Self Care Industry is leaving out, because you can’t buy it - it’s already within you.

Last month I launched the Gonzalez Public Art Museum, you can take a virtual tour of my mini mobile museum here.

The sticker on the box is taken of some street art Virgil put up in Chicago years ago </3 I hope to tour this around the city more this summer. I’ll dedicate a blog post to the ideation and creation of it soon, it’s truly a 100% Gonzalez design and build, as my dad fabricated it from upcycled material he had leftover from making a storm window and all the art work on display was either made or photographed by me. My goal is to eventually get GPAM vetted as the world’s smallest museum by Guinness World Records. This design is version 1, there will be more iterations of this, including a weather-proof display case, lighting and the addition of a gift shop. I’ve spent months thinking about getting into public art and I’m super satisfied with my first go at it.

In music news, I dropped a new single on SoundCloud called Sexy Lazer Tag and have yet to let anyone know about it bc I can’t stop practicing. Give it a listen, shake ya ass, watch yaself, show me what ya workin with. I’ve been busy patching my ass off, learning a lot about control voltage and time clock syncing. Check out House of Egregious IG stories, highlight: MicroBlog, if you want to see the demonic faces I make while troubleshooting 3 and 4 instrument integrations. Spoiler alert: I figured it out within 5 minutes of posting my complaint lol

I’ve got another 1 page mini-zine that should be out by the end of the month, called 5 Ways to Overcome Creative Block. In it I share a few tips and tricks I’ve tried recently that have enabled me to write this (hint: a watermelon salad with halved almonds, goat cheese, balsamic vinegar and arugula did a lot heavy lifting).

Summertime Chi adventures have their typical iron fisted hold on all my time, I’d like to tell you about all the road trips in our new car, from here to where the sidewalk truly ends, the tasting menus, or the celebratory liberation I feel working from home full-time, but there’s rosé to drink, charcoochie boards that need my attention and an almost full moon that waits for no one, so I should start setting up my telescope now.

Be well,

Allyson