Hello from a fresh new open XP!
It’s summer here now, finally.* Time feels slower and the air is hot and our
view of the river makes me (Emma) want to jump in – which is not a good idea,
this part of the Rotte is pretty gross – but I will cycle up the river later
today for a swim with Jack and Elliott. The front garden is exploding with
wildflowers and peas, and life is pretty good.
*update few days later, it's grey and rainy again – this is still the
Netherlands 🌧️
A few days before The 4 Openings we got a postcard from Gijs’s parents, because
they could not be there in person for the event. On the front it said:
What you focus on, expands. The Saturday of the
openings, my friend Anouk came by the studio to gift us a plant. Attached to it
was a handwritten note that said What you pay attention to,
grows.
I loved reading this double confirmation of a belief I’ve personally felt for a
very long time about Extra Practice, and life in general. And we have
put in a lot of focus on this space and we did
expand! (m2 wise, member wise, newsletter-reader
wise, garden wise, ...)
Expanding in size has also meant paying more rent, painting more walls, getting
more furniture, doing more cleaning. But in return the space now offers so many
more possibilities for events, and can fit more people inside, and gives us
more space to work and play, and that makes it worth it.
