Revel under crimson moonlight.
$59.50
This post was originally shared in our email newsletter on March 31, 2025.
We only make candles. Despite frequent requests for other fragranced products, we've made this deliberate choice not just for business reasons, but because candles possess a singular magic.
I'm captivated by scent in all its dimensions—the artistry, chemistry, botany, psychology, sociology, anthropology... Each thread I pull leads me into unexpected realms of knowledge I couldn't have anticipated. But there's something uniquely compelling about candles specifically.
Candles possess a certain life force that distinguishes them from other scent vehicles
Candles are "alive." They are companions to us in a way that other scent vessels are not. When we light a candle, we are ushered into a moment of intention. The sound of the match, the emerging glow of the flame, and the unfurling of a new scent signal our minds to set aside what came before and turn our attention to what comes now.
When I light a candle to focus on creating something, it becomes my accountability partner. When my attention starts to drift, my eyes catch a glimpse of its flickering light, gently reminding me of my intention.
These living qualities of the candle stand in stark contrast to social media algorithms, which are engineered for precisely the opposite effect. Digital social networks could share more in common with candles. In fact, there are interesting experiments happening right now in that direction. More on that below.
Candles are magical. I'm grateful you see that too, and I'm proud that we've built this community around what these humble objects represent.
What moments do you mark with your candles? I'd love to hear how they serve as companions in your daily rituals.
Have a great week everyone!
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner
A New Cohort of Digital Social Projects That Seem Worthwhile
Through recent conversations, I've come across a whole cohort of interesting projects that seem to have potential to take us to a completely different paradigm of social relations and sense making.
I have no affiliation with any of these, nor do I have much experience using them—but I intend on giving them a try. I encourage you to check these out if you are looking for new ways to connect with people online.
BlueSky (and friends)
This is the one you're most likely to have heard of, as the app has accumulated over 30 million micro-blogging "refugees" fleeing Twitter. I was personally never that into micro-blogging—but Bluesky is actually an open platform on which anyone can build any kind of digital social network. It is hard to explain concisely, but I found this talk by its founder (A woman! Sadly this jumped out to me as notable) inspiring and eye-opening for the possibilities this opens up.
As an example of an app already built on BlueSky infrastructure: Flashes is a more "candle-like" version of Instagram that has been gaining a lot of traction in recent weeks.
A review highlighting the different experience of Flashes vs. its attention-mining cousin
Mozi
Mozi is a new app for people who just want an easy way to stay in touch with friends who don't live nearby, and make sure they are aware of when they are in the same place, so they can meet up in person. Social networking 101!
Sez Us
Sez Us is a micro-blogging platform that starts with the idea that in order to preserve democracy, we need online public squares that encourage respectful dialog rather than rage-baiting.
Front Porch Forum
I have spoken about FPF before and still wish we had something similar in the Hudson Valley. It's incredible the extent to which this very simple system has created strong community bonds in localities across Vermont.
Are.na
The "post-modern" take on Pinterest, Are.na is an Internet oddity in the best way, fostering creativity through idiosyncratic mood boards and exploratory thoughts.
The Concept of the "Fediverse"
While not a panacea, the concept of the Fediverse indirectly solves many of the perverse incentives facing social media companies. The linked article gives a good overview and shares a long list of existing companies creating new social networks on this shared open network, allowing for more democratic and fluid forms of networks to emerge. Mastodon is one of the more established players in this universe, though may not appeal to everyone.
I've come across many other interesting threads but this is a good start. Let me know if you have other emerging social apps you think would be interest to our community!