Volume 15

Welcome back to the Isolation Diaries, our weekly round-up of the things that bring us joy, keep us creatively motivated and help us unwind. What have you been up to?

This week’s reads are all about perseverance and inspiration: Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void, and the Hemingway classic The Old Man and The Sea. Both explore the determination and motivation required to keep going in challenging times, a message we can all relate to. We’ve also been looking to artist James Geurts and enjoying his work in Floodplain, which traces back the history of Melbourne’s iconic river through a photographic series. For some pocket-sized creative inspo, check out these three volumes of interviews with some of Australia’s most talented female creatives.

It’s a film about the film industry… And this one is actually pretty ground-breaking. While not exactly a feel-good story, we’re loving The Assistant this week. We also adored The Great on Stan, a hilarious, thrilling period drama that’s (sometimes) based on a true story about Catherine The Great. We’ve started a Batman marathon, making our way through all the films, kicking off with Tim Burton’s 1989 release. We love Nolan and The Dark Knight trilogy, though we can’t help but feel this was peak Burton in his element. However, as a disclaimer: we can’t speak quite so highly of the sequel.

We’re cooking up a feast, starting with the much-loved Indian classic, Dal Makhani, the delicious lentil dish that keeps on giving. Served with yellow rice and some sautéed cabbage and peas, this one is a perfect meat-free Monday option. You can also make it entirely plant-based with a couple of quick substitutions. For dessert, we’re making the gluten-free chocolate brownies from Broadsheet Melbourne’s cookbook. And when not filling up on hearty meals, we’ve been getting stuck into some good old-fashioned board games, like Rummikub—one for the whole household to enjoy.

We’ve gone local with our latest playlist, which is a bit of a mixed bag from some of our favourite Melbourne artists. All of a sudden you miss everyone? Yeah, us too. But we’re travelling away in our minds and feeling nostalgic when we listen to this beautiful album by Explosions in the Sky. With stores reverting to online-only due to Melbourne’s stage three restrictions, now’s the time to put in an order with your local record store (not-so-subtle vote here for T-Recs). Support our local businesses, all while improving your at-home music experience. We love a Spotify mix, but nothing will ever compare to the sound of vinyl.