17 Comments
User's avatar
Jim Toole's avatar

Lovely in every sense of the word...

gray's avatar

so special to see your work scattered throughout the city. i love seeing you do what you do :)

Aadil's avatar

love

surya yalamanchili's avatar

i love this so much. youre an inspiration! 🙏🏾

Kenneth Sun's avatar

this is really beautiful + i too realized the importance of living in the moment and watching people while walking around in san francisco + asking good questions is actually pretty easy with the right mindset

Ron's avatar

Your work is beautiful and I love your intention for it!

Jamie's avatar

I’m rooting for you from NYC <3

Erl Happ's avatar

Google Trent Dalton, Love Stories that came about when the author set himself up with a card table, a typewriter, a couple of deck chairs and an umbrella on a city street and invited strangers to share their love stories. You are two of a kind. You thrive on the magic of beauty of connection and appreciation. It's a rare gift. A generosity.

Handle's avatar

"This moment in time calls for a different kind of cultural record." So true, in no time after reading it, this line keeps repeating itself inside my head over and over. The picture of the coffee counter is a stealth masterwork, consider building on that and exploring that potential further, more variation on that theme. What I mean is the layered presentation of "meta-object juxtaposition". The counter itself, both the real thing in itself and also as if background wallpaper on a digital desktop mat. The coffee that rests upon it, invoking senses of aroma, taste, warmth, cozy companionship. The handwritten notes of the story of the counter, the illustration of it, the photo of the whole arranged scene, and finally its precise placement for precise effect within the body of the substack piece. Brilliant.

Lee Sef Moran's avatar

Such an exquisite way to capture that which connects us still - curiosity, kindness, being hopeful, and going after your dreams - grand or unpretentious as they are. Congrats Shani!

Zelda's avatar

Love this so much 🤍

Kathryn Lambert's avatar

The quote where you mention people asking thoughtful questions … I stopped breathing. Then I felt like I might cry. Amazing.

Bita's avatar

What a stunning human you are, Shani. I am sure the people that you interview get to feel more seen, get to see that their life itself is worthy of a work of art as beautiful as what you do. I’m excited to see what this project brings for you and where you are going next.

Amy's avatar

Your sketches are so beautiful and colorful!

funplings's avatar

This is such a cool and inspiring project! Bit of a shameless plug but I wrote a post myself about wanting to make creating art feel like less of an isolated experience (https://glasshalftrue.substack.com/p/drawing-alone), and this seems like such a great way to do exactly that.

Matty Reed's avatar

I went on an African safari when I was 13 and sketched EVERYTHING in a big blue sketchbook. Then I left the book in the hotel room and it was tossed. Hundreds of sketches —gone. I was so upset I never bought another sketchbook. Big regret.