The Red Thread

Slow Burn - A Christmas Reflection

For anyone arriving here tired - halfway through the day, behind on tasks, with nothing left to prove. A Christmas reflection on light, stillness, and…

Dec 25 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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Floating Heads

Growing Up Under Surveillance and Shame in 90s Romania

Dec 18 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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The Anthropology of Ovens

An ode to December, ovens, and the women who carried warmth across generations. From Transylvania to Gabriel Chaile’s clay ancestors, a lineage of care…

Dec 11 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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The Hidden Cost of Christmas

Explore the hidden cost of Christmas in this personal essay reflecting on childhood, money, and the financial stresses of the holiday season. A…

Dec 4 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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November 2025

The Season of Objects: On Still-Life Traditions and the Ritual of Shared Meals

A meditation on still-life traditions, holiday dinners, and the objects we photograph. How shared meals and everyday things become carriers of memory…

Nov 27 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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A monster, certainly, but normal.

A visit to NOCA’s opening exhibition became a journey into identity and the beauty of the mixed, monstrous, ever-changing self. A personal reflection on…

Nov 20 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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The Quiet Refusals That Shape Love

What breaks love isn’t always violence — sometimes it’s the quiet refusal to give. A reflection on Claire Keegan, Romania, and the power of generosity.

Nov 13 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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What a 15th-Century Painting Can Teach Us About Motherhood

How a small Renaissance portrait made me rethink choice, responsibility, and awareness.

Nov 6 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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October 2025

Living Curiously: Lessons from Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act

A reflection on Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and how art isn’t what you make — it’s how you live.

Oct 30 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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November 2023

The Red Thread: Where Art Meets the Everyday

A space for creativity, attention, and the art of everyday life

Nov 5, 2023 • Romina Popa | Art & Essays

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