Taking Stock: April 2020

The aftermath of me & my kids doing a splendid art e-course together!

Dearests,

Meet Me @ Mike‘s does a monthly “Taking Stock” exercise. I loved it so much I’m joining in!

Before you start reading, can I tempt you with a wee podcast recording of this blog?

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All about what I’m thinking, making, creating…

• Making: All the illustrated workbooks for Sales Star – I ended up doing over 150 custom illustrations and I am fukking STOKKKKED with how it turned out
• Getting: thoroughly comfortable with a social media-free life
• Cooking: I’ve kind of fallen off the cooking wagon of late – probably because school started back and threw me out of rhythm and I’m mostly just overstimulated by the end of the day. Still, I make freaking deliciouuuus enchiladas once a week because it’s the ultimate comfort food.
• Sipping: I’ve kind of gotten addicted to Frantelle’s Sparkling Water with Lime & Lemon essence. No sugar and tops for coping with the summer sweats.
• Reading: I’m still MARINATING in “Digital Minimalism” and “Deep Work” – both by Cal Newport. Everytime I read it, I highlight the absolute bejeezus out of it and then have to tell Chris about it all the next morning. They are most excellent, and I think I’ll be thinking of them for years to come.
• Waiting: I’m not really waiting for anything at the moment. Just going as slowly as I can during a busy season. Last night, I had my two girls beside us in bed, my arms wrapped around each one, as one read to me and the other just cuddled in. And my kids are growing, and I can sense the teen years are coming, and impending adulthood, and I just want to soak soak soak in the little moments where everything and everyone is calm and close.
• Looking: at the world with brighter, clearer eyes since quitting social media. Everything seems more beautiful, more tender, more meaningful.
• Listening: to 90s pop/rock classics on my new Bose noise cancelling headphones. I bought them to try and help reduce auditory overstimulation (by using them as expensive earmuffs!) but it turns out they are reaaaaaaally excellent at listening to Lisa Loeb and Jann Arden and Natalie Imbruglia and Natalie Merchant too. HA!
• Wishing: for some solid reading-in-bed time this weekend.
• Enjoying: reading blogs on Bloglovin every morning with chai tea and a Larabar. Honestly, BLOGS, guyz! They are LIIIIIFE! So inspiring! So creative! Makes me ITCH to make things. Makes me smarter. I NEVER felt this way after reading some social media!
• Appreciating: These 21 days challenges. I can’t even talk about how utterly life changing they have been.
• Eating: I just had some freaking deeeelicious Thai – especially one mystically named “Noodle Peanut Sauce” which does what it says on the box. Noodles… with peanut sauce… and vegetables. OM. NOM. and also NOM.
• Liking: Getting to talk to some of my favourite faces each Friday for our Sales Star Q&A calls. I love that most of my students end up taking ALL my courses, and I get to see their faces super regularly on calls. I love that closeness and connection. I love getting to know their lives, and businesses, and brilliance. And I love that now it’s finished, we’ll get to do our monthly Q&A calls now
• Loving: that we have stopped watching TV at night. Instead, we retire to our bedroom with our kids, and just hang out there for hours on end. We talk a lot – all four of us, and we read and draw and write, and the kids play. It’s just lovely.
• Buying: Not much currently – I’m on internet shopping ban at the moment!
• Managing: Burnout and autistic overstimulation. I’m keeping it at bay currently, but know I’m at risk with my busier-than-usual calendar and creative deadlines. It’s a daily process to try and manage it currently, and make sure I replenish through weighted blankets, solitude, quiet and sleep.
• Watching: Alone Season 5. FUCK I LOVE ALONE SO MUCH. SO SO SO SO SO MUCH. It’s my ultimate relaxing watch.
• Hoping: To continue deepening my journey into creativity, blossoming my relationships and living a tech-decluttered life.
• Wearing: A whole lot of bamboo clothes. Bamboo Body is my favourite. I wear them around the house and to bed. They are really lovely on the sensory front – breathable yet cosy with a nice weight to them. When leaving the house, I have a different uniform of kinds. This summer I also fell back in love with cut off jean shorts. Wearing them with a graphic tee and long cotton duster jacket is my new STYLE STATEMENT.
• Following: RaychPonyGold‘s daily drawing adventures on her Patreon. One of my kids was a bit sad this morning, so we curled up together and looked at Raych’s drawings and it really cheered us.
• Noticing: How different my brain is since getting tech sober. Gosh it’s better. #fucksocialmedia
• Sorting: Out all these blog posts drafts and ideas written and polished and getting them ready to publish this month.
• Getting: Excited for all the students I’m welcoming in before prices double at the end of the month!
• Bookmarking: ALL THE THINGS.
• Coveting: Nothing much really. I’m in a lovely season of life.
• Feeling: A L I V E.
• Hearing: The rain fall on our verandah roof. We are nestled up outside together on the couches. Kids drawing together, me typing, the doggy asleep, my husband husband-ing. All is well right here in this little space, right here right now.

Big love & writering,