If you feel as though you’ve lost your way, try connecting with the past. It can inspire the present and empower the future - yours and other people’s.

bsky.app/profile/fion...

#art #history #society

150 years ago, Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry was drawing inspiration from Islamic art. More recently, it played a significant part in the discovery of a geometric pattern on the surface of Mars.

Here’s my exploration of this fascinating connection:

fionakonca.wordpress.com/2025/01/05/g...

“The Collapse Is Coming”

But there are also cat videos to be watched on TikTok.

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-collapse...

And yet, at 57, I downshifted from f/t business technology sales to p/t cargo operations (male dominated and physically demanding), with no experience.

I now have a work-life balance and improved mental and physical health.

Be the exception to the rule.

www.totaljobs.com/media-centre...

#ageism

What better way to round off #IndependentVenueWeek than an evening with Tom Hingley (ex Inspiral Carpets) and Andy Gower (open.spotify.com/artist/37i7Q...) at Stoke-on-Trent’s Artisan Tap?

www.seetickets.com/event/tom-hi...

#independentmusicvenue #independentmusicvenues
#Stoke-on-Trent

And I can’t mention digital ID U-turns without adding good friend (and creative collaborator) Andy Gower’s two pennyworth to the mix (listen out for his brilliant new album, coming soon):

www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

#digitalID #newmusic

After announcing digital ID roll-out plans in the same week (last autumn) that cyber attacks were dominating the news headlines, 3,000,000 petition signatures and a government U-turn is hardly surprising.

fionakonca.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/a...

#cybersecurity #digitalID

If you’d like to try or be reacquainted with ballet, Patricia Zhou’s free online ‘Beginner Ballet Series’ is excellent.

As well as improving strength, balance, flexibility and spatial awareness, ballet’s rich mind-body connection also leads to better mental health.

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

A little bit about me, my website, and my inspiration. (And nothing at all about losing my head)

fionakonca.wordpress.com/about/

#arthistory #builtenvironment #community #humans #music #nature #photography #poetry #socialdocumentary #Stoke-on-Trent #technology #travel #virtuality #visualart

“Don’t be discouraged when you find that the process of self-discovery takes a long, long time,” she said. “Don’t even be surprised if at 50 you are still wondering what you are going to be when you grow up.” 🗃️

RIP Barbara Aronstein Black

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/u...

#BackwardIsTheNewForward

Unedited extracts from an article I wrote in 2014, highlighting the early stages of my love-hate relationship with technology:

fionakonca.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/b...

#ai #aiapocalypse #digitaldystopia #singularity #technologicalsingularity #techsingularity