Artistic Disorder — Learning through making
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Not a thought-leadership blog...

Field Notes

This is a virtual pile of field notes from the wild: curiosities, experiments, and more than a few bad ideas.

I’m hoping to create an ongoing record of experiments, observations, strange resources and educational side quests.

I make no promises, but with luck, you may find the odd instance of accidental insight.

01August 2026The Science of Art / The Art of Science

Butterflies, organised jellyfish, dancing neurons and the rabbit holes that turn into workshops.

02July 2026I Get Nervous About Putting Squid on My Feet

On squid boots, accidental visibility, imperfect objects and making as permission.

03June 2026Set the Garden on Fire

Learning is a risky business. On tiny experiments, survivable failures and proving you can survive incompetence.

04May 2026Mirror, Mirror, on My Screen.

Narcissus, artificial reflection and the increasingly flattering pond that speaks back.

For program planning

A calendar of useful excuses to create.

Browse Australian, Western Australian and international dates spanning literacy, art, history, community, science and sustainability. Marked dates also include our sources, programming inspiration and workshop suggestions.

Click a date, then choose “Request a tentative hold” to send a booking request.

Themed days & dates

September 2026

MTWTFSS
Planning prompt

International Literacy Day

Story, print, book arts and playful literacy.

Workshop suggestions
Date source ↗Request a tentative hold →
A date is held only after Artistic Disorder confirms it.
Alice holding the Drink Me bottle, illustrated by John Tenniel
John Tenniel, The Nursery Alice by Lewis Carroll · public domain source
Alice watching the White Rabbit escape, illustrated by John Tenniel
John Tenniel · public domain source
Alice reading in a shadowy forest, illustrated by Charles Robinson
Charles Robinson, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll · public domain source

Resources we return to

Research rabbit holes — to jump into!

TroveAustralian newspapers, images and archivesState Library of WAWestern Australian stories and collectionsEuropeanaArt and cultural heritage collectionsSmithsonian Learning LabObjects, stories and learning collectionsInternet ArchiveBooks, films, audio, software and wonderfully deep digital rabbit holesMONAOld art, new art and gloriously strange ideas from TasmaniaPowerhouseAustralian design, science, technology and material cultureHistory of SoundAn explorable history of music genres and styles over timeFirst SoundsHumanity’s earliest sound recordings, recovered, preserved and made audibleNational Museum of Australia — Fun at HomeAustralian history-inspired making activities for children and familiesSmithsonian — Fun Stuff for Kids and TeensActivities, games, collections and experiments from across the SmithsonianSouth Australian Museum — STEM Your BoredomAt-home science and making activities from museum educators and researchersDuPage Children’s Museum — STEAM PlayHands-on science, technology, engineering, art and maths activities