iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

If you’re a freelancer/creative/run a non-profit/small business and find it hard to manage your socials, I’ve only gone and started a monthly email offering tips, hacks & resources to try and help make things a bit easier (it’s my day job!) Sign up here: eepurl.com/jfADZk

A smashed iPhone laying on a concrete floor. The screen is white and black and yellow hols text ‘I hate social media’

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

A very cute site visit ahead of Camp Kindred, a non-profit, brand-free queer gathering I’m involved in coming up this July, somewhere in East Sussex. It can’t happen without you, so book a camping ticket now if you want to be part of the inaugural event! campkindred.uk

A woodland nook in a sunny field. Looking out over a wooden fence, there is a small treehouse stage in the distance amongst the trees.

A small nuclear standing stone in an expanse of grass. To the right two people are walking across the grass and smiling

Two people stand on the steps of a small wooden stage in a woodland clearing.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Fun with stone and glass textures in Blender

An abstract, composite digital shape on a bright yellow background. The shape consists of 4 merged jagged objects with jagged edges, one of stone, 2 are almost like glass. They are earthy tones, blues, greys and dusty pink

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

A little reminder that I send out a monthly substack feat. upcoming projects, ideas & research plus news from my biome (friends + connections!) If youre into my work but, like me, trying to limit social media usage, sign up here: kateshields.substack.com

A bright greenish yellow background with black digital meshes of stones forming a section of a stone circle

A portrait of me, an artist with dark short hair wearing a black vest top and red lipstick, standing infront of a projection of my work ‘organsongs’. A pink hazy organic shape is projected across my face and body as I turn my head slightly to the right of the scene.

A selection of experimental life drawings on brown paper. 3 large figures drawn with charcoal and pale skin-toned chalk. The lines are smudged and smeared giving the appearance of movement.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

A cool workshop yesterday: we played TTRPG worldbuilding game A Quiet Year, then some speculative writing about the worlds we’d created at the Art Research Garden organised by Hildegard’s Garden Society (hildegardsgardeningcompanions.cargo.site)

A piece of paper featuring brightly coloured hand drawn maps laying on a dark green blanket. There are legs of 2 people just visible around it.

The cover of the TTRPG ‘a quiet year’ held in my hand, with green grass, wildflowers and bushes in the background

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Saw this edited chalk board at a gallery and now all I can think about is what it’s like to be hugged by eels.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Slowly getting over my 2nd covid infection, which means I finally put the finishing touches to my May substack about my Fabrica residency and sent it out into the world. Do have a read! This was such a joyful project: kateshields.substack.com/p/future-sto...

An image of a yellow sand circle full of small stones in a large empty church space. Text overlaid reads: ‘FUTURE STONES
a look back at my week-long residency at Fabrica Gallery + other stuff’

Part 1 of a wide digital artwork. A bright yellow/green background with a selection of stones seen as black meshes.

Part 2 of the image, showing the other side of the image.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Spent most of my 2nd time with COVID playing #DiscoElysium I’m just really sad I couldn’t get Lieutenant Kim to trust me.

Screenshot from Disco Elysium. A run down street with ‘UN JOUR JE SERAI DE RETOUR PRÈS DE TOI’ painted in red letters.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Fab time at PlayOffice in Portsmouth this weekend learning projection mapping in TouchDesigner alongside a fun & diverse group of creatives. PlayOffice is an accessible creative tech studio. Love to see places like this!: www.play-office.com

A laptop showing a bright orange and pink pattern sits on a white desk surrounded by cables and projectors. Projections cover the walls from different sources.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

In Portsmouth for a workshop, and I stumbled across the ‘Pique stone’, which apparently saved a ship from sinking in 1835 by plugging a hole following damage when it ran ashore? @stoneclub.bsky.social

A plague on a brick wall reads ‘This stone was found wedges in a hole in the bottom of the Frigate HMS PiQUE C. Captain the Hon H.J Rous R.ND when the ship was docked in Portsmouth in Oct 1835. The PIQUE had run ashore in the Belle Isle Straits, Labrador, in Sept of that year. After refloating herself she sailed across the Atlantic without a rudder & with pumps continuously manned to control her leaks. But for this stone, acting as a plug to one of the larger holes, she would certainly have foundered.
A splendid feat of seamanship.’

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

‘Drawing with stones’- an experimental life drawing session ran as a collaboration with the brilliant Jane Fordham as part of my Making Space residency at fabrica gallery last week. Stones! Drawing!

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

….caught the stone circle in this gorgeous morning light at Fabrica on the final day of my residency here. The stones are on their way back to their owners, the sand swept away with a big broom. This residency has been such a joy!

A large church hall, with soft morning light through tall windows illuminating a circle of stones on the wooden floor.

An empty church hall with a wooden floor and tall stained glass windows at one end

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

The final day of my Making Space residency culminated with a closing ritual, featuring a spoken word piece created from the words, memories and feelings gathered in stone sharing workshops. ✨

A close up of a hand anointing a stone with oil.

A hand holds a slip of paper that reads “the symbolic aspect of lots of special stones making their way to another point of connection.”

A long table covered with cut outs of words on white paper being organised into a different order

A ceremonial metal bowl in the centre of a yellow circle of sand filled with water and yellow rose petals. Next to it is a paper scroll tied with a yellow ribbon. Smoke drifts in from the top right of the image.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Each stone was washed, anointed and finally 3D scanned before being adding to the circle. Loved the autistic synchronicity of late night stone circle scan editing whilst listening to the latest @blindboyboatclub.bsky.social- stone circles/Irish mythology/fairy forts & anthrax in the soil. ☢️

A digital 3D scan of a selection of stones, viewed as black mesh files over a bright nuclear yellow/green background

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Day 3 of my residency FUTURE STONES at Fabrica. Ran 2 stone & story sharing group workshops today, where we talked, drew and listened, before building a collaborative stone circle within the space. Such a lovely day of community warmth & creativity (& a love of stones!)✨ @stoneclub.bsky.social

A group of people within an old church engaged in a series of tasks. Some are around a square table covered in paper and materials. Some are standing near a large yellow circle made of sand.

A close up of a miniature standing stone, black and white patterned, stands on a wooden floor covered in yellow sand. In the background is a line of other stones, just out of focus.

A person wearing a black skirt and top bends over placing a stone within a large yellow circle on a wooden floor.

A sketch of a hagstone with a poem written around it by someone named Jem Verse.
01/04/25

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

A brilliant day drawings with stones with Jane Fordham and her experimental life drawing group at Fabrica gallery. I’ve modelled for Jane’s sessions myself for over 10 years now, and so as part of my residency I invited Jane to collaborate on this session. Such a great day drawing & talking STONES

An old wooden floor, illuminated by a strip of sunlight. There are markings on the floor made using bright yellow sand.

Hands holding out a large flat piece of quartz stone, which glistens in the light

A piece of paper with a list of words written in charcoal:
‘heart earth smooth closed secret black back’ The name ‘Jane’ appears at the top.

A continuous line drawing on white paper of two intertwined figures walking

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Peaceful first day of my Making Space residency at Fabrica: ‘Future Stones’. Making circles, scanning stones and setting up for workshops. (And a tarot reading to start ofc)

A Celtic tarot spread on a wooden church floor

An old church with a grey concrete floor: in the centre of the floor is a stone circle made of yellow and silver paper stones, bright yellow sand, and flowers.

A long wooden table up against a white wall. On the table is a selection of books. Hanging on the wall is a ordnance survey map of Brighton.

A screen shot from a phone showing a 3D digital scan of a rainbow-tinged stone.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

If you’re headed to Ed Fringe, Emma will be doing a solo version of this show there this year. I might be a bit biased but it’s a beautiful, moving, funny show about identity, 90s nostalgia, queerness, transness…and ofc Nirvana. More here: www.emmafrankland.co.uk/work/no-apol...

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

It’s been a shitty few days. Choosing to remember we performed a full-length theatre show about Kurt Cobain being trans with a full live trans+nb band on the day the UK reached peak trans-panic. 🎶“What else can I say? Everyone is gay!”#TransRightsAreHumanRights

A theatre stage lit in dim blue lighting, showing a replica of the Nirvana Unplugged in NY stage set. A chandelier hovers high above, before the musicians walk on stage.

The finale of NO APOLOGIES, a brightly lit yellow stage full of musicians surrounding a performer standing on flight cases dressed as Kurt Cobain in a yellow gown that represents the sun. She is singing to the gathered audience.

Six musicians stand in a final curtain call, smiling with their arms around eachother.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

In our final rehearsals for this amazing show I’m part of happening on Weds eve at ACCA in #Brighton So excited/nervous to get back onstage on guitar, but couldn’t imagine a better way to do it! www.attenboroughcentre.com/events/5362/...

A pile of pink black and white punk flyers, with an image of Emma Frankland in a gown, snarling whilst holding a guitar. Text on the flyer reads ‘Emma Frankland’s NO APOLOGIES performed with a live band, 8pm 16/4/25, Attenborough centre for the creative arts.’

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

This weekend my body firmly and viscerally rejected the new meds I’ve been put on, resulting in a Sunday a&e visit (and yet more drugs). So…here’s a pic of my weird little film installation ‘a stone circle for the future’ on show at ‘FOLKLORE’ for one more weekend in #Newhaven. Worth a visit!

A large gallery space filled with bright artworks. In the foreground is a circle of bright yellow/green papier-mâché rocks surrounding a flat tv screen in the centre.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

‘INFLAMED: Deep medicine and the anatomy of injustice’ by Rupa Marya & Raj Patel. Each chapter uses a bodily system as an analogy to describe how our collaborative health is interlinked with systems of oppression and inequality: eg the breakdown in biodiversity and our gut health….

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Enjoying @atomfall.com which is extremely relevant to my interests (Folklore! Nuclear stuff! Druids!) I still find first-person gaming *so* hard. Glad for the accessibility options to help with motion sickness but still find myself getting confused and dying a lot during combat #atomfall

A still from a game showing a view of large standing stones in a forest. There are trees all around as well as colourful bunting, and a blue light emanates from the centre.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Happy world autism day or whatever- in entirely related news today I bought some moss.

A big bowl of lovely moss in a bowl in a kitchen.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

So chuffed to show ‘a stone circle for the future’ as part of this diverse and exciting show in Newhaven: FOLKLORE curated by Toadlickers Collective. Open until 12 April! www.toadlickers.co.uk/folklore-new...

A white wall with the words FOLKLORE written in dark pink lettering. Underneath are the open dates 27.03.25 - 12.04.25

A circle of small bright lime-yellow coloured stone-shaped sculptures around a black flat TV laying on its back showing a film.

A wooden shelf of organic objects, such as clay smiley faces, weaved bags and herbs. Hanging above from pink string are 4 pink hag stones with a series of abstract Polaroids above them on the wall.

A folk-esque sculpture of a black hobby horse wearing a patchwork gown of black, white and pink.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

I’m building a collaborative stone circle inside Fabrica in #Brighton next month as part of a week-long Making Space residency exploring community and connection. I need your stones + stories! Here’s all the details if you want to get involved: kateshields.substack.com/p/future-sto...

An abstract collage image of brightly coloured stones overlayed on a photo of a bright, wooded-floored church hall. White text over the top reads: “future stones: building a collaborative stone circle in brighton join me on the 23 + 24 April at fabrica, brighton”

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Happy Spring equinox. Here’s some pics from a beach fire last night and my cherry tree blossoming 🌸

A close up of 2 yellow roses, held in front of a fire pit on a beach. Sitting around the fire are people, some are hugging.

A close up of a blossoming cherry tree branch in front of a blue spring sky

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Hiding in long grass taking down N*zis is my new favourite hobby. Extremely cathartic, 100% would recommend. #SniperElite

A computer game screenshot showing the outline of a shooter laying in long grass aiming into the distance

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Much excite to be part of this upcoming exhibition: FOLKLORE exploring “why folklore is having a revival and how contemporary artists are using its legends, techniques and aesthetics to describe their experiences” Let’s goooo! www.toadlickers.co.uk/folklore-new... #folklore

A bright green, yellow and orange doctored image of the long man of Wilmington. The word ‘folklore’ is written at the top in hot pink psychedelic lettering, with the exhibition dates at the bottom in white text: ‘27.03-12.04.25 marine workshops, Newhaven bn9’

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

So yeah, the #Covid anniversary: to say my life has changed dramatically is an understatement. As an immune-compromised person I experienced the absolute best and the absolute worst in people, almost no in between. I feel like this image from Jarman’s Last of England sums it up for me. #covid

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Some Sunday art snippets. Dreamy audio visuals in ‘parting clouds’ by Esther McElwee at Lighthouse, and Foster Grant’s ‘Home to my teenage bedroom’ at Phoenix Gallery (loved the spinny pole-paintings!) Also, a solo spring crocus, and an excellent bday card from little Ludo. #brighton

A large gauze-like screen showing colourful glitchy visuals in shades of green, white and pink.

A large canvas fitted onto a vertical metal pole in a light-filled contemporary gallery space. The painting reads ‘circular time’ and ‘sleep’ and is dotted with painted arrows, collage and a large black rock.

A small bunch of purple crocuses sit in the centre of a big patch of brown dirt.

A yellow piece of card with an abstract pen scribble across it

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

when we look through the hag stone we see a glimpse of how our lives could be. the water takes the path of least resistance through the rocks.

A grey watercolour curved hag stone with small lettering around the outside of it.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Back from a glorious 2 days in @kewgardens.bsky.social I go every year on my birthday, with a sketchbook and a specially curated playlist on my headphones and re-regulate my nervous system. It’s a theme park for autistic nature lovers like me ✨

A bright spring day in Kew Gardens, with the sun above the famous victorian glass Palm House. A lake stretches out before it and glistens in the sunlight.

A close up of some pink blossoms on a tree, with long sunlight shadows in the background

A deep green bush with bright pink flowers, with many petals scattered around on the earth below it

A long walkway inside a huge greenhouse, full of green palms and tropical plants.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Found a nice big stone in @kewgardens.bsky.social! Outside the Minka House

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Here’s the beautiful sauna we spent 2 relaxing hours in- perfect spring sunshine to do two of my favourite things: visit stones and sauna

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

A trip to see the #GurdyStone just outside Lewes: a contemporary stone installed in 2023 as part of a ritual by Local Pyscho to ‘encode’ their Hurdy Gurdy Song into the stone & mark the return of the Green Comet ☄️ #WeirdSussex @stoneclub.bsky.social (Followed by an outdoor sauna session in the sun!)

A tall thin standing stone in a sunlit field under a blue sky

A wooden signpost reading ‘orchard and camping’ and ‘to the stone’

A close up image of a large slate stone texture lit by the sun

A dark standing stone in a green field; with the sun shining brightly above it in a blue sky

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Signed up for beta release of Flashes, BlueSky’s answer to Instagram…not too shabby so far! A glimmer of hope in the grand plan of getting Meta out of my life, perhaps. Let’s see.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Some projection mapping tests on a model stone circle, trying out some ideas for larger scale installations… This was done using Dynamapper- still a really good (cheap!) app for testing mapped footage, through just an iPhone or iPad.

A dark space, with 4 illuminated stone-like objects.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

SO excited to finally announce this show! I’m part of the live band for Emma Frankland’s ‘No Apologies’, a show that asks ‘Was Kurt Cobain trans?’, radically mis-remembering Nirvana’s iconic 1993 'MTV Unplugged' concert. www.attenboroughcentre.com/events/5362/...

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Most people’s updates on social media atm are *about* social media…so it’s literally meta now, I guess? I did an installation sort of about this in 2019 ‘LOOP’, with 2 phone screens displaying an endless reflection of themselves. Maybe a 2025 update is due? kateshieldsart.squarespace.com/works/loop

A blue glowing light coming from a phone screen, showing blurry repeated layers of light

Two phones facing one another in a dark room

Two phones facing one another in a glass case, with a projector shining across

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Me: buys bag Instagram: “WHAT ABOUT ANOTHER BAG?” The bag:

A massive green shoulder bag in the shape of a hand

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Big thanks to James who is no longer on socials it seems, for including me in the Mycelium Parish News: an annual compendium of underground counter culture from 2024…packed with stuff! (You can buy a copy here!: www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1...)

A black and white magazine cover showing a beam of white light shining down on a group of people standing amongst a forest of giant mushrooms

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

The projections I made for my 2022 project ‘GUTS (The Enchanted Forest)’ was very much inspired by this strange, dreamlike experience of a colonoscopy whilst half-sedated. That medical separation of body + mind whilst in hospital.

A 3D graphic intestine projected through layers of light fabric

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

My post-sedation tea and bourbon biscuits. Sigmoidoscopies and colonoscopies are unpleasant procedures I have to go through every couple of years with #UlcerativeColitis but was well looked after by NHS staff. Watching the live footage next to you whilst sedated but awake is always VERY strange.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Was at the ‘More Culture, Less Medicine’ conference today (title is provocative but basically it was all about art & health) at The Old Market. Brill Tom Buckley spoke about some of the creative tech projects he’s worked on there, including my ‘organsongs’. I also finally got to try out #Soulpaint!

A young white man in a black top and trousers stands on a stage in front of a projector screen, showing an image of hands playing some unusual electronic instruments next to a description of the project

An interested audience bathed in pink light in a large room: on the wall is a projected quote reading “I really liked the community feeling, the creative space and respect and compassion we showed eachother”

A white woman in a shaded pink dress on stage with a microphone stands infront of a brightly coloured screen showing the words ‘Soul Paint’

Kate, a white person wearing all black stands taking a photo in a dressing room mirror wearing a VR headset.

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Still thinking a lot about this brilliant fish emerging out of the darkness for the first time towards the light to die 😭

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Doing Important Sword Research so I ofc had to watch #Excalibur- what a gloriously camp, visual delight it is! Extremely homoerotic + Merlin’s fabulous shiny hat + Helen Mirren in a dream outfit!

A fantasy underground cave with stalactites and mist in dreamy colours

Helen Mirren as Morgana reaching towards the face of Merlin, wearing a chain mail headpiece and silver breastplate armor.

Lancelot lies naked on the ground, stabbing himself with a sword through the hip. Subtitles on the screen read ‘I fight against myself’

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Rainy Sunday spent so far on the intricate and abstract Cocoon by @carlsengames.bsky.social I think I’m about half way through, and am loving it so far!

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Friday night, time for a new game: Limbo!

A view of a tv screen in a cosy living room, on the screen large white text reads LIMBO

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K Shields @kshields.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

I saw this film last week and I’m still thinking about it A LOT.

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