<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Skewed North by Jolene Dames: Skewed North Method]]></title><description><![CDATA[Skewed North is a story about navigation.
The Aesthetic of Awareness is how you learn to see.

This is where perception takes form.

Artwork, images, and objects that hold something beneath the surface—moments where what you see shifts how you feel. Not full stories, not raw notes, but the space in between.

The way a color changes a mood.
The way an object holds a memory.
The way a space reveals something you couldn’t name before.

This is where awareness becomes visible.]]></description><link>https://www.skewednorth.com/s/the-aesthetics-of-awareness</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BzWL!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc409e321-9325-4d8f-a263-67c954d6da9e_256x256.png</url><title>Skewed North by Jolene Dames: Skewed North Method</title><link>https://www.skewednorth.com/s/the-aesthetics-of-awareness</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:43:28 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.skewednorth.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[skewednorth@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[skewednorth@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[skewednorth@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[skewednorth@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Bring Me What Feels Unclear]]></title><description><![CDATA[Feeling off course? A 90-minute intuitive orientation session to see what's pulling you off track and what deserves your attention next.]]></description><link>https://www.skewednorth.com/p/the-aesthetics-of-awareness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.skewednorth.com/p/the-aesthetics-of-awareness</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:03:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I read people and the spaces they live and work in, and I tell them what I see.</p><p>For twenty-five years I built environments for film, television, and theater &#8212; rooms an audience had to believe before a word was spoken. I know how a space tells you who you are before you&#8217;ve noticed it. I&#8217;m also certified in life coaching, feng shui, neuroaesthetics, and energy anatomy.</p><p>Thirty-plus countries. Widowed at forty. A life rebuilt from the ground up with a badly broken compass. I don&#8217;t guess at what off course feels like.</p><p>Most people already know something is wrong. What they don&#8217;t have is language for it, or a sense of which thing to deal with first. That&#8217;s the part I&#8217;m good at.</p><p>Bring me what feels unclear. In ninety minutes you&#8217;ll know where you are, what&#8217;s pulling you off course, and what to do next.</p><p><strong>Signature Orientation Session: INNER COMPASS </strong><br><em>90 minutes. Virtual or in person by request.</em></p><p>For when something in your life, work, or creative direction feels unclear. Maybe you&#8217;re scattered, stuck, in transition, or you keep circling the same question without getting anywhere. Maybe something no longer fits and you can&#8217;t see what needs your attention first.</p><p>I read patterns &#8212; in people, in spaces, in the way the two shape each other. In 90 minutes we look at where you are, what&#8217;s pulling you off course, and what matters most right now. You leave with the three to five things asking for your attention, a short written recap, and a clear next step.</p><p>It isn&#8217;t therapy or traditional coaching. It&#8217;s intuitive work grounded in twenty-five years of building environments and training in life coaching, feng shui, yoga, and neuroaesthetics.</p><p><strong><a href="http://linkhttps://www.madebydames.com/">Book an Inner Compass session</a></strong></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Not quite what you need?</strong></p><p>Some sessions focus on you. Some focus on your space. Some explore the relationship between the two.</p><p><strong>Read the Room</strong> &#8212; You send photos, a short walkthrough video, and a questionnaire. I read what&#8217;s happening in the space and send back what to shift first. Good when a room feels heavy and you&#8217;d rather not schedule anything. </p><p><strong>Room Recalibration</strong> &#8212; We walk the space together, live or in person, and sort it out in real time. You leave with an action plan. </p><p><strong>Studio Sessions</strong> &#8212; Guided creative time in my studio, your home, or on site. Private project support, paint throwdowns, small groups, date nights, school visits. For getting out of your head and back into making. </p><p><strong><a href="http://linkhttps://www.madebydames.com/">See all sessions and book</a></strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png" width="1456" height="1456" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1456,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:209366,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.skewednorth.com/i/192128939?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y_RX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82e67ae2-372e-4325-9c5e-832cd0f941ec_2000x2000.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Land Speaks ]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Ritual for Releasing, Returning, and Rebuilding]]></description><link>https://www.skewednorth.com/p/when-the-land-speaks</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.skewednorth.com/p/when-the-land-speaks</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jolene Dames]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 15:11:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some places don't just stay on the map.<br>They stay in your bones.<br>They show up in your dreams.<br>They call you back&#8212;again and again&#8212;until you finally realize: it&#8217;s not just a location. It&#8217;s a direction.</p><p>For me, the Yucat&#225;n was never just a destination. It was a turning point. A recalibration. A creative and spiritual breadcrumb trail that I didn&#8217;t even realize I was following.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.skewednorth.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Skewed North by Jolene Dames is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I returned more than once&#8212;drawn by something invisible, something intuitive. A pull in the bones. A whisper in the sand. A sense that the land itself had something to say. And maybe it did.</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t loud, but it was persistent. <strong>Create. Clear. Play. Rebuild.</strong></p><p>It started with long, salty beach walks that turned into art hunts&#8212;gathering the discarded and weathered remains of life: tangled wire, broken shells, bleached coral, rusted scraps. What began as beach cleaning became beach listening. We were creating with what had been left behind. Transforming it. Reimagining it.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1092,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4450173,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.skewednorth.com/i/161246870?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JGmG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1a110187-addc-4ff0-a130-f5783d91ab98_4320x3240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I didn&#8217;t know it at the time, but that was <em>feng shui in motion</em>. Clearing the old. Honoring the forgotten. Making space for the new. It&#8217;s the current of alchemy, the exchange of transformation.</p><p>That season became a creative sanctuary. We drifted through cenotes like dream creatures, shot underwater portraits, built strange and beautiful assemblages, and started a collaborative painting series we called <em>Retro GoGo</em>. Born from instinct, humor, heat, and play. There was no pressure to be profound&#8212;just a deep permission to be weird and free.</p><p>And maybe that&#8217;s why the Yucat&#225;n called me back. Not to revisit the past, but to reclaim the pieces of myself I&#8217;d left scattered like shells on a shoreline.</p>
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