Nicola Black
@nicolablack.bsky.social
Design, history, knitting, genealogy, gardening, hiking, self-employment, cooking, baking, outdoors.
👩🏻💻Ethical Creative Director & Design Strategist: https://nicolablack.com
🚀Community: https://joinwip.com
👩🏻💻Ethical Creative Director & Design Strategist: https://nicolablack.com
🚀Community: https://joinwip.com
Pinned
Nicola Black
@nicolablack.bsky.social
· Feb 18
Work in Progress applications are OPEN! 🥳 If you're running a one-person business and are looking for your people, this is for you! Apply today at www.joinwip.com
I was a server back in the day. The day before Thanksgiving is always one I remember as being one of the busiest and full of interesting situations. But, pretty good money if you can survive! With that, be nice to your restaurant staff when you go out tonight, friends. Treat them well.
November 26, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I was a server back in the day. The day before Thanksgiving is always one I remember as being one of the busiest and full of interesting situations. But, pretty good money if you can survive! With that, be nice to your restaurant staff when you go out tonight, friends. Treat them well.
If you're a solo biz owner who's seen my WIP posts and thought, "oh, that sounds like a fun community!" I've got good news! We're running a Small Biz Saturday sale through 12/12/25. Save 25% on your membership with an approved application. 🥳 www.joinwip.com
Work In Progress - Community support for freelancers & creative solopreneurs
An online community of freelancers and creative solopreneurs/small business owners providing support, camaraderie, and accountability!
www.joinwip.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
If you're a solo biz owner who's seen my WIP posts and thought, "oh, that sounds like a fun community!" I've got good news! We're running a Small Biz Saturday sale through 12/12/25. Save 25% on your membership with an approved application. 🥳 www.joinwip.com
Reposted by Nicola Black
Slop Evader is a tool from artist and researcher Tega Brain that lets you search the web for results exclusively before November 30, 2022—the day that ChatGPT was released to the public.
'Slop Evader' Lets You Surf the Web Like It’s 2022
Artist Tega Brain is fighting the internet’s enshittification by turning back the clock to before ChatGPT existed.
www.404media.co
November 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Slop Evader is a tool from artist and researcher Tega Brain that lets you search the web for results exclusively before November 30, 2022—the day that ChatGPT was released to the public.
Butternut squash is roasting in the oven for tomorrow's soup! 😋 I'll also be making a fresh baked boule for dipping and an apple crumble for dessert! Yummmm!
November 26, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Butternut squash is roasting in the oven for tomorrow's soup! 😋 I'll also be making a fresh baked boule for dipping and an apple crumble for dessert! Yummmm!
Reposted by Nicola Black
the vinyl edition of the dolly parton/emmylou harris/linda ronstadt album comea with a really incredible inner sleeve
November 25, 2025 at 2:37 AM
the vinyl edition of the dolly parton/emmylou harris/linda ronstadt album comea with a really incredible inner sleeve
Reposted by Nicola Black
Tapping the sign again
November 25, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Tapping the sign again
I'm a big fan of these Magic of I planners. Adding my just delivered 2026 book to my stack. Loving the velvety blue! The design & quality of these books is beautiful. They're great for pausing, reflecting, and getting very intentional about my goals. Highly recommend if that's your thing.
November 25, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I'm a big fan of these Magic of I planners. Adding my just delivered 2026 book to my stack. Loving the velvety blue! The design & quality of these books is beautiful. They're great for pausing, reflecting, and getting very intentional about my goals. Highly recommend if that's your thing.
One of my favorite parts about working from home is taking a mid-day/lunch break to cook something delicious. When the mood strikes, I enjoy taking the time. I have a big pot of mushroom barley soup on right now and it's coming together beautifully! 🍲😋
November 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
One of my favorite parts about working from home is taking a mid-day/lunch break to cook something delicious. When the mood strikes, I enjoy taking the time. I have a big pot of mushroom barley soup on right now and it's coming together beautifully! 🍲😋
Reposted by Nicola Black
Crappy Thanksgiving
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Crappy Thanksgiving
I've had the honor of not only playtesting Bolted, but also watching the absolute care to detail @davidmalki.com has put into this project via WIP. It's INCREDIBLE. So much fun to play – @makinaro.com & I laughed A LOT! I just backed it and you should too! 🥳🙌 www.kickstarter.com/projects/mal...
Bolted! A Frankenstein-Style Game of Creative Necromancy
A 2–4 player, puzzly card game about "making friends"—out of body parts! From the creator of the comic strip Wondermark.
www.kickstarter.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I've had the honor of not only playtesting Bolted, but also watching the absolute care to detail @davidmalki.com has put into this project via WIP. It's INCREDIBLE. So much fun to play – @makinaro.com & I laughed A LOT! I just backed it and you should too! 🥳🙌 www.kickstarter.com/projects/mal...
Reposted by Nicola Black
We should have listened when the modems screamed at us.
July 22, 2025 at 2:30 PM
We should have listened when the modems screamed at us.
Please, for the love of whatever you believe in, wear a mask indoors. Tis the season! It's never stopped being the season for Maki and I, but now that it's the time of year for gathering... Yeah, just please... do what you can to protect yourself and your loved ones. ❤️
November 24, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Please, for the love of whatever you believe in, wear a mask indoors. Tis the season! It's never stopped being the season for Maki and I, but now that it's the time of year for gathering... Yeah, just please... do what you can to protect yourself and your loved ones. ❤️
OMG indeed! I need a subscription immediately. 🤯
I yelled “ohmygod” so loud after opening the mail, my husband had to come investigate. The new @mcsweeneys.net quarterly is unbelievable. Their design team is *chef’s kiss*
November 24, 2025 at 5:11 PM
OMG indeed! I need a subscription immediately. 🤯
The Accountability Group I'm in at WIP usually takes a small break between cycles. But with the holiday/winter lull approaching, as we all work toward our goals, we've decided to press on together. 🥳 It's so nice having this crew to keep my momentum flowing. www.joinwip.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The Accountability Group I'm in at WIP usually takes a small break between cycles. But with the holiday/winter lull approaching, as we all work toward our goals, we've decided to press on together. 🥳 It's so nice having this crew to keep my momentum flowing. www.joinwip.com
Been starting each morning with these "Coffee First" short games. A fun way to ease into the day: coffeefirst.games
CoffeeFirst.games ☕
Espresso-sized puzzles perfect for your daily routine, just like your morning coffee.
coffeefirst.games
November 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Been starting each morning with these "Coffee First" short games. A fun way to ease into the day: coffeefirst.games
Reposted by Nicola Black
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
November 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Reposted by Nicola Black
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨
We don’t often get to cover joyful policy news on this podcast, so this week we’re delighted to be discussing that rare thing: a European country that’s investing serious money in culture.
🇮🇪+💶+🎨+🎭
www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes...
We don’t often get to cover joyful policy news on this podcast, so this week we’re delighted to be discussing that rare thing: a European country that’s investing serious money in culture.
🇮🇪+💶+🎨+🎭
www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes...
How Ireland proved a basic income for artists actually works — The Europeans
We don’t often get to cover joyful policy news on this podcast, so this week we’re delighted to be discussing that rare thing: a European country that’s investing serious money in culture. For three y...
www.europeanspodcast.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:24 AM
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨
We don’t often get to cover joyful policy news on this podcast, so this week we’re delighted to be discussing that rare thing: a European country that’s investing serious money in culture.
🇮🇪+💶+🎨+🎭
www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes...
We don’t often get to cover joyful policy news on this podcast, so this week we’re delighted to be discussing that rare thing: a European country that’s investing serious money in culture.
🇮🇪+💶+🎨+🎭
www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes...
Reposted by Nicola Black
It's the most wonderful time of the year: Scotland's gritter tracker is back! 🏴❄️🧊
www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...
www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...
November 21, 2025 at 11:31 AM
It's the most wonderful time of the year: Scotland's gritter tracker is back! 🏴❄️🧊
www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...
www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...
40 degrees and sunny feels like summer, to me, now that I've lived in CNY for a bit. ☀️
November 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM
40 degrees and sunny feels like summer, to me, now that I've lived in CNY for a bit. ☀️
Reposted by Nicola Black
I’m having my first ever museum solo show at Posterhouse: The Museum of Poster Art. It’s open now until April
posterhouse.org/exhibition/u...
posterhouse.org/exhibition/u...
Utopia in Our Time: The Posters of Molly Crabapple | Poster House
Enchanting, haunting, and poignant, beloved illustrator Molly Crabapple’s posters showcase the resilience of community, the power in solidarity, and the spirit of celebration. Deeply intersectional…
posterhouse.org
November 16, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I’m having my first ever museum solo show at Posterhouse: The Museum of Poster Art. It’s open now until April
posterhouse.org/exhibition/u...
posterhouse.org/exhibition/u...
There are so many butthole logos today. I see buttholes everywhere. Seriously. I realize a lot of it has to do with the fact so many are using aye eye to create their identities (and gross if you do), but OMG. It's just so... bad. Then again, strangely appropriate. 🤷♀️
November 20, 2025 at 3:31 PM
There are so many butthole logos today. I see buttholes everywhere. Seriously. I realize a lot of it has to do with the fact so many are using aye eye to create their identities (and gross if you do), but OMG. It's just so... bad. Then again, strangely appropriate. 🤷♀️
Reposted by Nicola Black
One of the cruelest tricks society played on creative people was planting the idea that being proud of your work is somehow unseemly and egotistical.
You made a thing! You like it! You SHOULD be proud of it. Brag all you want!
You made a thing! You like it! You SHOULD be proud of it. Brag all you want!
November 20, 2025 at 12:54 AM
One of the cruelest tricks society played on creative people was planting the idea that being proud of your work is somehow unseemly and egotistical.
You made a thing! You like it! You SHOULD be proud of it. Brag all you want!
You made a thing! You like it! You SHOULD be proud of it. Brag all you want!
Reposted by Nicola Black
"All the newer guides in the United States are pay-to-play. Yet this fact is not loudly publicized...despite indicating that Michelin’s arrival has more to do with a city’s investment in tourism than its perceived prowess in eating out" slate.com/life/2025/11...
Restaurants in Boston and Philly Have Finally Gotten Some Michelin Stars. The Reason Why Should Give You a Stomach Ache.
This ever-expanding pay-to-play scheme needs to stop.
slate.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:43 PM
"All the newer guides in the United States are pay-to-play. Yet this fact is not loudly publicized...despite indicating that Michelin’s arrival has more to do with a city’s investment in tourism than its perceived prowess in eating out" slate.com/life/2025/11...
This is a delightful book on the magic that is our creativity, tapping into it, and putting it into action. It's honestly everything I need in this moment. 🙌 app.thestorygraph.com/books/f99713...
Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity by Pam Grossman
A magical guide to enhancing your creative processCreativity and magic are one and the same.Creat...
app.thestorygraph.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This is a delightful book on the magic that is our creativity, tapping into it, and putting it into action. It's honestly everything I need in this moment. 🙌 app.thestorygraph.com/books/f99713...