Dr Caitlin Noakes
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cernoakes.bsky.social
Dr Caitlin Noakes
@cernoakes.bsky.social
1.6K followers 3.2K following 380 posts
Creative Writing | History | Futures | Higher Ed
Views are my own 🦘

⛈️ 🏚️ 🐈‍⬛ 📖 🪦 🪢 😶‍🌫️ 🌊 🌀 💌
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cernoakes.bsky.social
Spooky weather = spooky book 👻
November 24, 2025 at 6:59 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
A poem! He visits my town once a year, by Amir Khusro He visits my town once a year. He fills my mouth with kisses and nectar. I spend all my money on him. ‘Who, girl, your man?’ No, a mango.
November 22, 2025 at 5:52 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
How that first mango of the season got me feeling 💛🥭
An absolutely demolished mango on a white, ceramic plate on white countertop. The mango skin and seed are arranged like a smiley face with the seed as the nose, a strip of skin as the smile, and two big yellow cups of skin as the eyes.
November 22, 2025 at 5:44 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

12. From Scivias, Hildegard von Bingen (c 1165)
von Bingen’s egg-shaped model of the universe. Inside layered frames (red, blue, and yellow, the second-most outer frame decorated with a pattern that looks like the serrated edge of a seashell), is a shape like an egg bisected. The shell of the egg is yellow, red-tipped fire. At the peak of the shell is a red flower, presumably the sun. The next layer is black, with clusters of white dots erupting into red tendrils. They look a bit like red sea anemones. The next layer is a blue sky with red and yellow stars, with a red crescent moon at the top. Then rolling, green hills; brown, streaky sand dunes; and rolling blue waves. Then egg’s centre has a blue tongue shape licking what looks like green scales, like a wave licking rows and rows of hills.
November 20, 2025 at 10:07 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
We talked water #futures: rights, transnational governance, water governance led by artists, & what to do for water governance when volcanoes erupt. We imagined underground oceans, artificial glaciers, & rivers as universities & teachers. Our dreams were disrupted in fantastically generative ways! 🌊
A woman sits in contemplation before a PowerPoint slide that reads, ‘Every step towards it is a continuation of a longer story’. A messy table too mid-game. A game sheet is surrounded by playing cards and Freddo frogs.
November 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
We launched the Sunshine Coast Futures Hub with guest Sherman Cruz, CEO of the Center for Engaged Foresight and UNESCO Chair on Anticipatory Governance and Regenerative Cites! He guided small groups through playing his game Dreams and Disruptions. 🔮
Sherman Cruz stands next to a PowerPoint slide that reads ‘Rivers of Tomorrow: A Dreams and Disruptions Game’. He holds up a red box, the aforementioned game, smiling. Seated in front of him, a player writes notes. The top half of my noggin snapped in front of a PowerPoint slide that reads, ‘Rivers of Tomorrow: A Dreams and Disruptions Foresight Game’.
November 19, 2025 at 10:09 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

11. Implement blue, Margaret Preston (1927)
Three white cups on three white saucers are queued on a white surface. Behind them is a glass of water containing half a lemon, a glass of white cubes (perhaps ice or sugar), and a silver pitcher reflecting distorted light. Behind the glasses and pitcher there are two sets of black and white parallel lines, which meet at a right angle in the upper right corner, suggesting a window sill or the edge of a table. Sunlight shines from behind the crockery and each piece casts a defined, dark, circular shadow. The colours are desaturated, and the shadows sharp and deep, suggesting bright light and emphasising form.
November 2, 2025 at 10:10 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
My #cats enthralled!! by my first trick-or-treater 🎃
October 31, 2025 at 7:44 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

10. The red model, René Magritte (1935)
Against a backdrop of wooden slats, on rocky ground, a pair of bare feet transform at the arch into a pair of black ankle boots.
October 27, 2025 at 10:11 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

9. Crab canon, MC Escher (1963)
A tessellation of orange and blue crabs with interlocking legs. Each crab is created by the negative space of surrounding crabs.
October 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
When asked to draw what a world with doughnut economics might look like, this was my response. I was wondering what Earth might look like if all of its beings had a seat at the table 🌏
Beings gather at a meeting of the United Gnosians (because everything on Earth has its own intelligence). Seated at a semi-circular table are a tree, a mountain, a bird, an amoeba, a human, and a worm. A speech bubble with indecipherable (to us) symbols in it indicates the amoeba is speaking. Each being at the table wears an earpiece to translate the speech (a question: how might Earth’s beings meaningfully communicate?). Below the table is a quote from William Blake’s The Book of Thel: ‘If thou art food for the worms, how great thy use! How great thy purpose! Everything lives not alone, nor for itself’.
October 19, 2025 at 1:45 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

8. Altarpiece, no. 1, Hilma af Klint (1915)
On a black canvas, a pyramid with steps of scarlet, tangerine, golden yellow, dark blue, green, and purple ascends towards a black point with a golden circle. Behind the pyramid’s apex is a golden sun with yellow, blue, and orange rays, haloed with a forest green circle with a lavender outer ring.
October 19, 2025 at 1:35 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
What do doughnuts have to do with economies? 🍩 💰

I had a sweet day at the University of the Sunshine Coast talking doughnut economics for better futures at a Global Doughnut Day organised by Camila Mozzini-Alister, Cassiana Buosi & Evelyn de Moraes, with speakers Theresa Ashford & Marcus Bussey 🍭
Dr Ashford addresses the audience. She stands in front of a whiteboard full of colourful post-it notes from a brainstorm we did. Her PowerPoint slide has images of doughnuts and reads ‘Recipe for Success’. An audience member at the forefront of the photo listens attentively. Dr Ashford speaking in front of a whiteboard full of colourful post-it notes and a slide that reads ‘Research’ and has Kate Raworth’s doughnut model on it.
October 17, 2025 at 7:57 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

7. WAAAF cook (Corporal Joan Whipp), Nora Heysen (1945)
Heysen's portrait of Corporal Joan Beatrice Whipp, depicts her as an immovable tower of strength as she stands, arms folded, in her mess kitchen. Whipp was a cook from the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force. Whipp is preparing bully beef. (Description from the Australian War Memorial)
October 12, 2025 at 4:07 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

6. I am half-sick of shadows, said the Lady of Shalott, John William Waterhouse (1915)
This painting depicts an earlier point in the tale of the Lady of Shalott than those depicted by Waterhouse in his previous two works of 1888 and 1894; the Lady is still confined in her tower, weaving a tapestry, viewing the world outside only through the reflection in the large mirror in the background. In the painting, the mirror reveals a bridge over a river leading to the walls and towers of Camelot; also visible nearby are a man and a woman, perhaps the "two young lovers lately wed" referred to in Tennyson's poem. The scene is set shortly before an image of Lancelot appears in the mirror, enticing the Lady out of her tower to her death. The painting shows the Lady of Shalott resting from her weaving. The lady wears a red dress, in a room with Romanesque columns holding up the arches of the window reflected in the mirror. The frame of the loom and the geometric tiles of the floor lead the viewer into the room, where reds, yellows and blues echo the more vivid colours outside. A single poppy can be seen reflected in the mirror. The shuttles of the loom resemble boats, foreshadowing the Lady's death. (Description from Wikipedia)
October 6, 2025 at 7:26 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

5. Infinity nets, Yayoi Kusama (2000)
Yayoi Kusama first began to paint ‘Infinity nets’ after watching waves ripple below her while on a flight from Japan to the United States. Infinity nets evokes many fluid forms: foam on a wave, soap bubbles, or the ebb and flow of a river. The painting comprises tiny crescent shapes repeated in ever-expanding arches. Kusama’s gestures build up into a network of interlocking forms; at some points the paint is thick and sculptural, while at others it is fine and translucent. Like cells nested together, competing for space, the circles appear to vibrate and undulate across the canvas.​ (Description from QAGOMA)
October 2, 2025 at 7:33 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

4. Gaugin’s chair, Vincent van Gogh (1888)
This painting of Paul Gauguin's chair is a 'portrait' of Van Gogh's friend and fellow artist. The modern novels and burning candle on the green seat cushion symbolize the character of the absent painter. Using mainly red and green hues, Van Gogh tried to suggest the mood of night. He also painted a pendant of this work with a daytime atmosphere: his own simple peasant chair in bright yellow and blue. The two paintings represent the different personalities of the two artists, who quarrelled and went their separate ways soon afterwards. Van Gogh skilfully captured the bluish shadows and reflected light on the polished wood of the chair. These were created by the gas lighting (a gas lamp can be seen in the background). (Description from Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam)
September 30, 2025 at 9:56 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

3. Yanghul Yaala Ngiyanghiguna, Birrunga Wiradyuri (2023)
Wiradyuri Men’s Diamond Lore is at the centre of the piece, representing [the artist] in the present moment in Yindyamarra depicted by the diamonds themselves and by there being five [nested purple] diamonds representing each facet of … Wiradyuri Central Lore. [Wiradyuri] draw from 9 generations gone and punch forward 9 generations so that what [they] do today is informed by the wisdom and experience of the previous 9 generations and will land to benefit the 9 generations yet to come. The 9 generations gone are depicted by the lower 9 dark blue bands below the diamonds. The 9 generations yet to come are depicted by the 9 light blue bands above the diamonds. To the left and right of the diamonds are two [purple and yellow] parrying shields. The one on the left is for the cultural lives of those passed whose footsteps [Wiradyuri] walk in and on whose shoulders [they] are carried. The one on the right is the constant reminder that … cultural responsibilities and how [they] carry [themselves] will underpin and inform the quality of the lives of generations yet to come. (Description by Birrunga Wiradyuri, Birrunga Art Gallery, with changes/additions by me indicated by square brackets).
September 29, 2025 at 12:36 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

2. Le Chat blanc, Pierre Bonnard (1894)
Bonnard uses distortion to create a humorous image of this cat arching its back. A strange animal, exaggeratedly arched on its paws, with its head drawn down into its shoulders, eyes like slits and a cunning expression. It seems both tame and wild … The decorative style of the painting – the prominence of the sinuous lines, the absence of any depth in the figure placed flat on the background – places this work from 1894 in the Nabi tradition. There is a Japanese inspiration in the bold, asymmetric composition as well as in the choice of subject. (Description from the Musée d'Orsay)
September 28, 2025 at 2:57 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
This week I officially graduated with the Dean of Graduate Research Award for an Outstanding #PhD Thesis. 🎓🎉

My research placed creative writing research theses in postmodern literary tradition & revealed how creative writing research troubles assumptions about identity, knowledge, and reality.
Caitlin stands in front of the university’s racing track (I’m not sure what this is called officially - I wasn’t a sport and exercise science student) on a bright, blue morning. She wears PhD regalia including a black gown and hood with red trim, and a black velvet Tudor bonnet with a red tassel. Caitlin’s award and the university’s graduation pamphlet. The pamphlet reads: ‘University of the Sunshine Coast. Australia. Graduation.’ The award reads: ‘In recognition of an Outstanding Contribution to Research, Caitlin Ellen Noakes is hereby awarded the Dean, Graduate Research Award for Outstanding Thesis, given under the Seal of the University of the Sunshine Coast on the twenty-fourth day of September 2024 by the authority of the Council.’
September 27, 2025 at 7:35 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Choose 20 paintings that have stayed with you or influenced you — one painting per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just paintings.

1. David with the head of Goliath, Johan Joseph Zoffany (1756)
David is portrayed as a youthful shepherd wearing a white loincloth hitched up by a leather belt, to which a bag made partly of sheepskin is attached at the rear. His sheepskin shepherd’s cap sits at a raffish angle, resembling a beret, while his cloak, also of sheepskin, but lined, passes over his left shoulder and billows in an imaginary wind behind him. He is in an attitude of contemplation, his right hand supporting his chin, and his elbow resting on the severed head of Goliath. The giant’s bearded head, positioned to show a profile, is supported by a flat piece of rock. David’s left forearm rests on the head, and his hand presents to the viewer a rounded stone, obviously the projectile that struck Goliath. A sling hangs down from David’s right thumb and rests against the giant’s face, filling the space between the head and the young man’s body. The staff is seen behind, propped up against David’s left arm. Both David and Goliath engage the viewer with their eyes. (Description from Michael Watson’s ‘Zoffany as punster and prankster: some comments on his David with the head of Goliath’ in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Art Journal, vol. 36, 2014).
September 27, 2025 at 7:09 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
#Caturday drop
A black cat with a white patch on her chest mid-yawn. Her eyes are squinted shut and her pink mouth gapes behind blurred fangs. It’s an action shot!! She looks like she is roaring!! And not at all snuggled up on my chest (which she is), adding to the weight of the 7kg grey weighted blanket I’m snuggled under.
August 9, 2025 at 9:54 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Visited the beautiful Maiwar this week - and she was green, not brown! 💚
Maiwar (AKA the Brisbane River) is an olive green cushion between the trees on the bank of Kangaroo Point and the Eagle Street Pier. A City Cat churns away from the Riverside Ferry Terminal. The Kangaroo Point Bridge spans the river under a pale blue morning sky.
August 9, 2025 at 5:32 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Today I attended a wonderful meeting of the Futures Collaborative Brisbane hosted by Dr Anne Kovachevich and Dr Elissa Farrow with a workshop on the futures senses by Dr Marcus Bussey 🥰

We think about the future a lot, but have you ever thought about feeling it? 🐝
Dr Marcus Bussey presenting. Marcus wears a white t-shirt and jeans with glasses perched on his cropped grey hair. He points at a PowerPoint slide showing a bee hovering over a purple flower. The slide reads: Futures Feeling: Anticipation and the Futures Senses.
August 5, 2025 at 8:40 AM
cernoakes.bsky.social
Quote with what you’re currently reading, here’s mine! #booksky

Songlines: The Power and Promise by Margo Neale & Lynne Kelly 🖤💛❤️
FIRST KNOWLEDGES Edited by MARGO NEALE SONGLINES The Power and Promise MARGO NEALE & LYNINE KELLY
July 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM