28.
An exploration of lived experiences, current curiosities, and the documentation of my Saturn Return.
I’m Kenzie. Saint Paul, MN resident you’ve probably seen standing on the sidewalk taking a picture of a nearby bird.
Writing and storytelling has been a constant in my life.
Writing stories, scripts, code, and music. Many mediums to communicate my jumbled thoughts.
I started writing stories about the fairies that lived in our families backyard in 3rd grade. Nestled in Downsville, WI, our yard had islands of thick forest, with pockets of wildflowers (where the fairies lived) and a grass-lined pond in the springtime. Breathtakingly beautiful at sunset. My brother and I would run through the woods playing super heros, or sped through cleared paths on the fourwheeler. The space allowed imaginations to run wild, and instilled a deep connection to nature at a young age. These stories inspired by my time outside were lighthearted and sweet.
In 7th grade, I wrote songs about the people that broke my heart and compiled them on albums. I received my first guitar at my 13th birthday, and wrote my first song within the week. I was inspired by the fierce competition between my brother and I while playing Guitar Hero 3. He was exceptional, and a great teacher. My songs were usually melancholic and full of yearning, with an occasional joyous recollection of a friendship or family outing. With age, my music developed a concurring folk sound reflected from an upbringing in Western Wisconsin. I released three albums before the age of 18.
At UW-River Falls I wrote essays about opera and jazz and avant garde composers in Music History and 20th Century. My curriculum included vocal, piano, and guitar lessons, vocal diction, multiple choirs, and enjoyable general classes. I learned about Hildegard Von Bingen and the feminist legends that were vindicated in life, but celebrated since. I loved learning and writing about passionate musicians and the stories behind the songs we listen to today. These subjects at school led to a path of self-learning in the areas of music and theater history, philosophy, feminist and queer studies, physics, and mathematics. I wanted to understand the spectrum of music creation from the thought process of the composer to the physics of sound waves.
During the pandemic, I learned to write code and communicate with computers. I found many connections between music theory and eloquent code. Both involve an understanding of mathematics, and a liberal use of creativity. This skill has unlocked so many creative and professional possibilities. Lately, I have been exploring the art of creative code. Melodies can be composed through code editors and played on a browser, and designs can be coded and rendered as generative art. It is inspiring to know that my technical and creative skills can amalgamate for another form of self expression through code. I enjoy learning the foundations of computer history and the fundamentals of data science and algorithms. My experience with coding has been short compared to music, and I am excited to share my learnings as I continue working with new technologies.
My fiancée Josée and I have two cats.
Ms. Martha,
and Mr. Pooky.
They have reignited a sense of play I had grown estranged to. Despite my mild allergies, it is absolutely wonderful.
Life has been busy lately, but I am grounded through writing.
I am excited to use this platform to share:
Current interests
Historical deep dives
Philosophical thought points
Environmental appreciation
Short stories
Scientific discoveries by femmes in stem
Original music
Coding techniques
Film and Music reviews
Cooking, crafting, and creation of goods
Maybe more??
We shall see.
If you resonate with anything I’ve shared, please comment why. Sharing what I’ve learned often ripples to further paths of learning and knowledge sharing - which is the goal! I appreciate that everything is an opportunity to learn. I was not raised to question much, I found that on my own. My parents encouraged creativity, which I am grateful for, but instilled a fear of hard things through their own personal experiences. So in my adulthood, I embrace a growth mindset, and work towards doing the hard things.
You either win, or you learn.
Till next time,
Mackenzie Newkirk