I stopped writing in December.

Not by choice, because it hurt.

My friends diagnosed burnout, and that’s definitely how it feels: grey, ashy.

Which is why I was surprised when, on a whim, I decided to watch Heavy Metal, and colors came back. My beloved wife and I had watched other things the past few months, and none of them really struck the same chord.

I kept experimenting, seeking out the sense of what I can only call “trippy wonder”. So far, this is what I’ve found that really brings the colors out, that creates mindscapes, that awes. I would love to find more, if you have recommendations. (And if you have a better word for what these things all share than “trippy wonder,” that would help, too)

If not, enjoy this sampling. It’s trippy. And pretty wonderful.

Music:

Kate Bush (especially her earlier albums, such as Hounds of Love)

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN KATE BUSH.

Pink Floyd (though each era has its own flavor)

Barrett

Waters

Gilmour

Movies:

Istvan Banyai’s Zoom

The Mind’s Eye series

Heavy Metal

Fair warning: Heavy Metal. NSFW.

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

Literature:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poetry

Nezahualcoyotl’s poetry

Things I’ve experimented with and didn’t quite work:

William Blake’s poetry (and illustrations)

The Blade Runner soundtrack

Fantasia

Tori Amos

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