The Art of Everyday Life
which is not, at times, perfect
Dear Lazies,
As we enter into the New Year, along comes the everlasting baggage of being one's supposed, imagined ‘best self’ – whether that be fitness goals, career dreams, or a balanced life. The new year brings with it the old spiral into a vortex of perfectionism and routine. While the aforementioned are hardly negative, they have a certain depressing connotation – that we, as we are, are not enough (and may never be). So this year, start off on a note of self-love and acceptance and by romanticising what you have, whilst making improvements, gradually. This edition includes works on the idea of the art of everyday life and how mundaneness and easy rituals give our lives meaning and structure. Similarly, we draw comparisons between the two Oscar-nominated and sensational films – Nosferatu and Babygirl, both centred around the emotion of desire and self-love. So as we dive into the newsletter, remember to listen to the flow of the natural ease of living, and start the year on a gentle note.
This issue features illustrations from Dorottya Bőhm and Isabelle Toutounji! We also thank authors who submitted their pieces: Clare Diston and Villő Geszler. Make sure to check out their works!
Your Lazies
We decided to try something new this month, so we created an open call from our community. After receiving many creative essays and illustrations, we finally selected the ones below. Other submissions will be published on our website soon. Enjoy!
A normal day (by Clare Diston)
2004
Wake up feeling like I could sleep forever. Bleary breakfast. Bus stop, bus, fret about the scars on my knees. School, six hours. Bus stop, bus, fret about what she said, what he thought of me. Home, MSN, did u c her hair lol. Simpsons, dinner, TV, bed. Wonder what life will be like when I’m older.
2010
Don’t get up until the time starts with 11. Wait for the bathroom. Dress, pack, walk to campus. Lecture, mocha, lecture. Library, read, remember why I love this. Walk home, housemates already there. Talk about doing our essays, plan tomorrow night, don’t go to bed until the time starts with 1.
2017
Wake when he gets out of bed, milky coffee, read. Hear the others leaving. Commute to the living room, work. Think about writing, don’t. When he’s home, cook dinner. Gather each housemate as they arrive. What shall we do this weekend?
2021
Wake, I guess. Breakfast, work, Zoom. Lunch, work, Zoom. Move to the sofa next to the desk. Listen to the telly, swipe yay or nay. Think about cooking, don’t. Remember what it felt like to touch. A text: Fancy a chat? Zoom, bed, dream about Zoom.
2024
Wake, black coffee, read. Feed the cat, answer emails, work. Think about writing, do. Wash up, feed the cat, cook. A text: Harbour loop? Coat on, down the hill, walk hand-in-hand in darkness. Yours for a tea? Yes, always. Wonder what life will be like when we’re older.
“I Swear, I Really Wanted to...” Write a Short Essay This Time,
But the Words Keep Forming a Poem
(by Villő)
Among the saved open calls, there’s also this one.
I thought maybe I’m done with applications for a while,
no external validation, this shall be the season of quiet reflections and letting ideas swim up to the surface at their own pace...
Such declarations...
as if I could be that still.
every morning and night
the floorboards creak too loud
back and forth steps
indicating I’m anything but
at peace
January, the month of order?
today’s weather report said “light cloud and a gentle breeze”
where is that place?
signaling these 31 days were meant for contemplations...
I prefer my compulsions
the world will end
but if I just move this shelf
and run one more errand
on the floor, I’m still left with strands of hair...
With my friend, who’s brilliant, we’ve seen the warmest light of the year up in the attic.
(24.01.2025)
Babygirl (by Zsofi)
We watched Babygirl with some of the Lazies last weekend. Coming out of the cinema, I didn’t expect to feel this way. Amused. Turned on (how will I ever drink milk again?!), but also, not quite. Confused.
To me, what Babygirl does best is depicting the contrast between the extent to which we have ‘civilised’ ourselves (see: hypermodern workplace, corporate-speak, AI, botox, being on ‘top’ in all of our roles as women) with the animalistic, pure, sexual urges within all of us (in this case, see: not being on ‘top’).
The polished life Romy (played by Nicole Kidman) has constructed a life admirable in many respects, but is thriving for the kind of perfection that you know can’t end well. I think humans need at least a tiny bit of chaos to live well. Otherwise, all that is left is resentment, the pain that grows within - especially in the case of women.
Director Halina Reijn, who drew inspiration from her own life, refers to Romy’s sexual fantasies as the ‘beast’ inside us, but I’m not sure it’s the right choice of words. To me, Romy’s daily reality - aka ‘Lean In’ on steroids - seems more foreign, more dystopian, more dangerous than her desires to be vulnerable, to let go of control, to be seen as someone’s - even if that’s the intern’s - ‘babygirl’.
The strength of the film lies in exactly what caused my discomfort. It makes us face the hard truth that in today’s society, kinks and desire still too often cannot coexist with a ‘normal’ life of a woman, especially not a middle-aged one. It must be something experienced behind closed doors, jeopardising family, love, and even career.
Babygirl not only brings the pervasive stigma to the spotlight surrounding female sexuality, but it also shows how it isolates women. Just like Romy, many of us are made to believe that we are alone with our ‘dirty’ thoughts. That we do not deserve real pleasure, or if we do, we must feel ashamed about it, and aspiring to make it part of a healthy relationship is too much to ask for.
And while I’m not exactly sure that Babygirl did a good job of convincing us otherwise (ambiguous ending—wdyt?), it does raise questions that have been considered taboo for too long.
All in all, it’s a fresh take on some of the most confusing sentiments that humans can experience in this messy little life, and for that alone, I recommend you go watch it.
What did you think about Babygirl? Share your thoughts about it in the comments section below!
Nosferatu: A Tale on Gaslighting (by Julie)
While the Lazies were watching Babygirl in one cinema hall, I was in another one watching something a bit different. As a longtime fan of horror movies and thrillers, I just could not miss the trend of the season - Nosferatu starring Lily-Rose Depp. The gloomy Parisian weather these days made the experience feel even more fitting.
Nosferatu is a remake of a 1922 silent horror classic. Normally, I’m skeptical about remakes, but this one exceeded my expectations. Beyond its haunting visuals, star casting, and the impeccable work of the costume designer, the story felt strangely relevant to 2025. And not to sound like that friend…
Ellen, the protagonist haunted by Nosferatu, is also being gaslighted by nearly everyone around her. Dr. Sievers suggests treating her with ether and a family friend doesn’t mind tying her to bed ‘to help’ with her seizures. It’s just ‘female hysteria’, after all. Even Ellen’s well-meaning friend, Anna, doesn’t truly understand her plight. ‘That’s God!’ - she smiles, when Ellen shares her feelings with her. Ellen is only truly seen by her husband Thomas - a young, naive yet loving chap, who isn’t repulsed by her and her ‘dirtiness’ - pure and doomed soulmate connection.
To complicate matters, Ellen is still tethered to her abuser - Nosferatu - who assaulted her as a teenager. Even while happily married, she harbours a strange, involuntary yearning for the monster. Their dynamic is unsettling but painfully relatable in a modern context. Imagine surviving a SA as a teenager, living with the PTSD and guilt, only to find out your tormentor is still out there, fixated on you. Like any abuser, Nosferatu doesn’t love her — he’s obsessed with her physical body. (‘Master likes beautiful things.’)
I do not quite see the movie using Depp for sex appeal, I think she did a good job. The accent, the manic behaviour, the seizures…they all looked fitting. Also she’s got THE Victorian child face, don’t you think?
One detail that struck me as odd, though, was how even the ‘good’ Professor von Franz perpetuates the idea that Ellen is complicit in her own suffering. At one point, he declares, ‘But she wills it!’ thus proving the point that Ellen is not seen as a victim, even by the good and smart ones. Her purpose is to save the living world, whether she consents to it or not. But does she really will any of THIS? Yeah, no one bothers to ask (or properly explain the whole reasoning behind why Ellen is the chosen - or, rather, doomed one).
There were moments where I pulled out my phone to make notes during the film. For instance, Cyrillics being used as a ‘mysterious’ witchy language was quite amusing. Count Orlok being given the Eastern European look - nice touch. The whole ‘dinner’ scene at Nosferatu’s castle gave me chills - I also think it was a nice bow to folklore and beliefs that one should never eat or drink when being ‘on the other side’. Friedrich Harding ‘not being able to resist’ his wife even when she’s DEAD - hello?
Overall, I’d rank this film as 7/10, which is a really high score for a horror. Neque mittatis margaretus vestra anti porcos, am I right?
This month, the Lazy Women team was in Brussels for an event organised by the Sphera Network x European Lab — The Independent Effect, commemorating the spirit of free media and independent culture in Europe today. The platform brought together media actors from across the continent — to discuss the need for a free press for the survival of democracy. Frosso, Julie, and Zsofi represented LW at the conference and participated in several workshops and talks. Julie even had the honour of interviewing Asal Abasian, an Iranian dissident journalist, as part of the programme — Voices in Exile. For more information, click here!
We’re thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to future events and collabs! :)
In other news, our Lazy Newsletter is now open for paid subscribers! We thank you and appreciate the donations we have already received. If you like what we do and want to see more of it, consider this option to support us :)
p.s. Our newsletter team is fully volunteer-based. We work on every issue throughout the whole month—picking a topic, collecting submissions and illustrations, writing, and editing.
If you like what we do, you can support our work here 👇
Thank you for your work <3 I always enjoy seeing this newsletter in my inbox as an aspiring lazy woman
Loved this newsletter!