Skillshare : Mini Class Reviews

One of my favorite creative resources is Skillshare, the online learning platform that offers classes on a wide range of subjects from photography to marketing to design to cooking. I've mentioned my love for the site before, but since I last mentioned it, I've participated in several more of their classes, which I wanted to review today. This is totally not sponsored—I just enjoy the site. Learning and Creativity are two of my eight core values, so when I find a site that combines the two, I'm basically destined to love it. I think Skillshare is an awesome way for beginners to get a basic introduction to new topics and for more experienced creative people to learn new tricks and techniques (and if you are someone with kick-ass creative skills already, you could teach a class on the site and earn a little side income!).

There are usually around 6-12 video lessons in each course, as well as a class assignment where the teacher asks you to apply the principles of the class to a project that you share on a course message board. An example of an assignment for the "Ins & Outs of Illustrator" class is shown below, where we practiced Illustrator techniques by replicating an existing advertisement (note: original poster is not my own and was used for non-commercial, personal education purposes only).

I love that Skillshare membership is now structured so you pay for monthly access, much like Netflix streaming, instead of paying per class. I think it's definitely worth the cost, particularly if you binge on classes like I tend to do, or if you select one of the Skillshare learning tracks like "Build Your Brand" or "Unlocking Your Creativity." Since most classes tend to be only about an hour in total length, I wouldn't say that you'll come away with a staggering amount of new knowledge, but I'm consistently surprised by the tips and tricks I pick up on through the courses. I love that the short videos allow you to squeeze in a lesson whenever you have a free few minutes.

Here are the classes I've taken, along with some mini-reviews. I've divided them into two lists; the first section is the classes I'd highly recommend, and the second is ones that I got a little bit less value from, though I'd still check them out if you are interested in the topics. For a preview of the class contents, just click on the title of the course and you should be able to watch the first video for each class. If you're interesting in taking a few classes and getting your first month free, please feel free to use my referral link here!

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CLASSES I ENJOYED

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Mobile Post Production: Editing Your Photos by Dan Rubin - This was a quick, awesome class on iPhone photography taught by one of Instagram's original beta testers. It mostly focused on the editing of photos, and I learned how to better use many apps I already had on my phone (like Snapseed and VSCO). I feel my iPhone photos have gotten a lot better and more clear since going through this class.

Crafting a Brand Identity by Courtney Eliseo - This class is all about expanding a brand logo into a full brand identity including color palettes, fonts, and supporting graphics/patterns. I think this class would be invaluable to any blogger who desires a consistent identity or "look" for their blog without having to hire a designer. I found this class more in depth than many others I've taken on Skillshare. I think it would be best to take this class with a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop—which, if you don't have, you can get through another Skillshare class! :)

The First Steps of Hand Lettering by Mary Kate McDevitt - Mary Kate's hand lettering is everywhere, and I was so excited to sign up for a class from her. The most valuable part of the class for me wasn't necessarily her teachings on hand-lettering but seeing how her process worked. It's easy for me to assume artists get it right straight out of the pencil/brush, but Mary Kate made it feel normal to sketch things out and erase/redraw/erase/redraw. My class project still isn't finished, but I feel so much better about the quote I lettered I expected to when I started the class. She also offers a follow-up to this class that deals with adding color and texture to complete your illustrated quote.

Ins and Outs of Illustrator by Brad Woodward - This was my very first Skillshare class, which I signed up for because Illustrator is my weak spot of the Adobe programs. Brad didn't always seem like the most confident teacher and the video quality was sometimes lacking, but his lessons were good. The above image (on the right) is my version of the class assignment, and although it's not done yet, it was a good exercise for me to learn some new techniques. I need to go back over the final lessons on texture and patterns. He also offers lots of advanced Illustrator classes.

Pattern Design: Creating Inspiring Repeats by Elizabeth Olwen - This class is about creating repeating surface pattern designs that you might find on fabric or products like phone cases. I've always wondered how to create a repeating design, and this class definitely helped me see how it worked. It was also cool to see how Elizabeth took a hand-drawn design and digitized it. You'd definitely need a working knowledge of Illustrator for this class. The video quality and instruction is very good, though Elizabeth's voice/inflection grated on my nerves a little (I know that's a petty complaint).

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CLASSES I DIDN'T ENJOY AS MUCH

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Lifestyle Photography: Capturing Food, Flavors, Conversation by Marte Marie Forsberg - I took this one because I like Marte's IG feed, but I didn't find much value in the course. It was interesting to see her in action setting up her shots though.

Food Photography: Capturing a Morning Worth Eating by Adam Goldberg - This class showed me that some serious Instagrammers art direct the shit out of their friends, and I just found that so ridiculous and annoying. But, there were a few good tips to be found, particularly about lighting. But I draw the line at making my friends act as models.

Introduction to the Art of Modern Calligraphy by Molly Jacques - Molly's calligraphy style is pretty iconic, and I'd really been excited to take her class. However, her videos were the worst out of all the Skillshare classes I've taken in terms of video quality, production and camera angles. I didn't get much out of this class at all. Disappointing.

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CLASSES I PLAN TO TAKE NEXT

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Creative Self Portraits: Going Beyond The Selfie by Lindsay Crandall - I really enjoy faceless portraits, so this class seems perfect for me.

Interior Styling: Style Your Space Like a Pro by Justina Blackeney - I love love love interior design, and I've been sort of obsessed with finding my signature style lately.

Intro to Surface Pattern Design by Bonnie Christine -  The content looks similar to Elizabeth Olwen's class above, but I've followed Bonnie's blog Going Home To Roost for a long time and would love to take her class. It's also one of the longer Skillshare classes I've seen at over 3.5 hours in course content—I bet it's a good bang for your buck!

Creative Non-Fiction by Susan Orlean - I've yet to take a writing class through Skillshare, and starting with one taught by a notable author seems like a great opportunity!

If you have any questions about Skillshare, let me know! Have you taken any other online classes? I'd love to hear about ones you've enjoyed!

Link Love : February

♥ I'm so, so excited about Heidi Swanson's new cookbook! Her cookbooks are among my absolute favorites, mainly because they are a joy to read through and the design is always beautiful.

♥ Two pieces from On Being: The Quiet Lives that Enoble Us All and To Instruct Myself Over and Over in Joy.

♥ Grechen's Closet takes a look at American-made denim. This is something I've been interested in (and intimidated by, because HELLA EXPENSIVE); it's nice to have a list of places to start with.

♥ Opinions on graffiti can be mixed, but I'm of the belief that specific designated public spaces can be a beautiful outlet for creative expression for these artists. Hope Outdoor Gallery in Austin, Texas, is proof of that.

♥ Zadie Smith on not keeping a journal. I'm always trying to sort out my mixed feelings on journaling, so I appreciated this perspective.

♥ In the spirit of Cheryl Strayed's Wild, here are eight stories of women changed by their trail adventures.

♥ Though I'd been rooting for Jessica Williams to take over the Daily Show (because I freakin' ADORE her), I was angered by people unfairly accusing her of Impostor Syndrome when she announced she would not be taking the spot. "There is quite a difference between encouraging and supporting women as they pursue their goals and calling out and shaming women when their goals don’t match your expectations." YES.

♥ For my fellow Parenthood fans, if you're missing your weekly crying session, here is a compilation of 19 perfectly emotional moments on the show. *Cue the tears.*

♥ And for the Park & Rec fans: 8 Life Lessons from Leslie Knope. I'm having trouble coping with another favorite show being over...

♥ The Japanese concept of kaizen, and how small, incremental changes can be one of the best ways to achieve your goals.

♥ 37 Books Every Creative Person Should Read. I've either read or own probably half of this list.

♥ We have officially hit the point in the winter where I compulsively listen to sunny pop music to cheer myself up. Lately, it's been Runaway by Mr Little Jeans:


and Riptide by Vance Joy:


and Sunshine by Matisyahu:


♥ The handwritten text above is from Cocorrina's free 2015 calendar printable.

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Did this post resonate with you? Email me at rootswingswanderings {at} gmail {dot} com or join me on Twitter @cait_lindsey_ to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you!

Coffee Chat // February 24, 2015

1. This is probably super boring to share, but one of my projects for this year is to take care of my home a little bit better. While I am a person who keeps things mostly tidy and enjoys simple surroundings, I am pretty terrible at deep cleaning... and that makes me suuuuuch a Monet.

One thing that is helping me is my Inkwell Press planner* (pictured above), which has a section for "Home" on each day, so it's easy for me to schedule in my cleaning tasks for the day. I'm also following a version of this zone cleaning system (except daily instead of weekly). It is convenient that I have five rooms in my condo, so Monday is the kitchen, Tuesday is the bathroom, and so on, going clockwise around my very squarish condo. I dedicate about 15-20 minutes and do whatever I can in that time—change out sheets/towels, scrub surfaces, vacuum, etc. I'm finding that each week it gets easier as I have less to do overall. I'm also purging stuff like a mad woman and only keeping items I really love, which was my main takeaway from this (otherwise ridiculous) book. And the cleaning and purging is paying off; there has definitely been a positive shift in the energy of these cleaner spaces.

*I'm in love with my planner and will probably talk about it more in the future. If you're interested in the Inkwell planner and would like a code for 20% off, let me know and I can share my link with you! They also run sales through their Instagram quite often.

2. Mark and I hosted a little Oscar viewing party this weekend with some of his college friends, and we had a lot of fun filling out our ballots and playing Oscar Bingo. We all made a few fancy appetizers, and ours came out really well, so I thought I'd share the links to the recipes: butternut squash ricotta crostini with fried sage, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, phyllo-wrapped asparagus (with lemon aioli instead of the sauce in the recipe) and sugar cookie fruit pizzas for dessert. The phyllo-wrapped asparagus and the fruit pizzas were the crowd favorites, but everything was awesome (everything is cool when you're part of a team! ♫♪♫).

3. I've noticed as I'm getting older that I have a harder time interacting with people who outwardly express close-minded viewpoints, especially pertaining to social issues. And I'm curious to hear from other sensitive souls out there—do any of you have advice for how to respond when people say things that make you bristle? I can ignore random comments from strangers, but when it comes to friends and family making underhandedly racist, sexist, or otherwise ignorant comments, I find myself reacting very emotionally on the inside and never knowing exactly what to say in response. I guess I don't know how to balance accepting people's flaws/avoiding unproductive arguments and knowing when it'd be beneficial to speak up. It doesn't help that I'm not a particularly eloquent speaker, especially in the heat of the moment.

4. I don't know what's the deal with me lately, but I feel like my creativity is dead. I can still do things—the occasional blog post/video, journal writing—but I miss the days when creativity felt like a compulsion, something I had to do to feel like myself. Right now, it takes a mixture of intention and force for my creativity to show up. Many of the things I used to do like crafts, DIYs, and art journaling hold absolutely no appeal and seem almost pointless in both action and the end product. I'd always identified as a creative person and a maker, so I'm currently left feeling a little bit out of sorts. I'm hoping it's just a case of the winter blahs, but in the meantime I'm finding myself spending extra time on Pinterest, so I can feel like I'm being creative when I'm actually doing jack squat.

5. I watched the series finale of Parenthood a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about the it since then. I'm so grateful that show existed. There have been many series I've loved over the years (e.g. Breaking Bad, one of the most flawlessly executed stories ever) but Parenthood felt special to me in a real, personal way. Aside from the show's ability to make viewers cry every week, I really loved how Parenthood dealt with family relationships and love in such an honest way, and I can't recall many other shows that have made me feel the way it did. While not all of the storylines were perfect (*cough*Max harassing Dylan and being praised for it*cough*), I commend the writers for creating such a compassionate and emotional look at what it means to be a part of a family.

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Did this post resonate with you? Email me at rootswingswanderings {at} gmail {dot} com or join me on Twitter @cait_lindsey_ to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you!

That Time I Ruined Our First Valentine’s Day

At the time of our first Valentine’s Day together, Mark and I had been dating exactly six months and one week, which was basically a relationship record for both of us. I think we knew by that point we had something special, and with youthful, starry eyes we let ourselves get swept into the expectations of the day, roses and fancy dinners and all.

But, it turns out, we each had a different idea of what a romantic Valentine’s Day would entail. Mark made reservations for us at a little wine bistro in my Missouri college town that I’d never been to. Sure, I thought that sounded nice, but a part of me selfishly wanted something bigger and more extravagant—I blame that on my youthful naivete.

So on the evening of Valentine’s Day, after Mark had driven four hours from his college to come visit me, I convinced him that it’d be an even better idea to cancel our bistro reservations, drive another hour and a half to the Ozarks, and go to dinner at a beautiful steak and seafood restaurant on a bluff overlooking the lake.

Sans reservations. On Valentine’s Day.

For some reason, I had it in my head that this part of the Ozarks was a summer spot and this beautiful restaurant would magically be devoid of people, even on a major holiday.

Unsurprising plot twist: The restaurant was packed.

I slunk back to the car, metaphorical tail between my legs. I felt ridiculous the entire drive, and must have apologized two dozen times. By the time we got back to Columbia around 9pm, the hangries were beginning to set in, and I was panicking about where we could eat. In the previous four hours, I’d gone from believing that I could walk into a fine dining restaurant and get seated on Valentine’s Day to wondering if you needed reservations at McDonald’s on Valentine’s Day. 

The day ended with us eating Chinese takeout straight from the styrofoam cartons, and falling asleep on the floor while watching O Brother Where Art Thou?, a movie I still have yet to see all the way through.

And in that ridiculous day, a tradition was born. No, not of me being incredibly high-maintenance and short-sighted. Now, each Valentine’s Day we celebrate with takeout and spending time together at home. It’s not unique, and it’s certainly not grand. In fact, we probably do the exact same thing at least once a month.

But on Valentine’s Day, when so many other couples are fancied up and doing their best to create a romantic evening, our takeout tradition is a perfect reminder—especially after 11 years together—that love is not about the grand gestures, but in the everyday moments.

In the Post-It love notes Mark leaves on my computer. The back and head rubs. The way we put up with what the other wants to watch on TV. The Dutch Baby pancake we make together each Sunday morning. How Mark always wants to hold my hand, even when they’re sweaty. How he texts me pictures anytime he meets other people’s cats. When he tells me he thinks I’m a good writer. This home that we're creating together. How grateful we both are that we have someone whom we enjoy doing absolutely nothing with.

This everyday love means more to me and makes me feel more special than any sparkly, expensive, extravagant display-of-affection possibly could.

I'm glad I ruined Valentine's Day.

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EAT // Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last week I got a craving for chicken tortilla soup, and I knew I used to use a recipe that was made in the slow cooker. Which is the best way to make anything, because slow cookers are so easy and helpful and almost like having a chef to do the work for you. Well, I searched high and low and scoured my Pinterest food boards, which are the source of 90% of the recipes I use lately, and yet I could not find this particular recipe anywhere. I remember liking it because it wasn't too heavy or cheesy like so many other chicken tortilla soup recipes out there. 

It turns out that I thought the recipe was my perfect version of this soup because I MADE IT UP. Like the genius I am, I was looking all over the internet for my own recipe. Nice. I found a copy of the recipe on my old blog, now shuttered, so I decided to re-post it here so that I won't lose track of it again :)

It's a pretty flexible recipe in terms of the vegetables; sometimes we use beans, sometimes not, and I've made it without the red pepper. But I would not skip out on the green chiles, salsa verde/tomatillo salsa (easily found at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods), nor the spices. The chiles and salsa give it a bright lime-y flavor without adding actual lime, which can turn very bitter in a slow cooker—I can tell you that from experience. I personally think it's a pretty mild in terms of overall heat-level, but if you avoid spicy foods, just cut back on the cayenne pepper. And don't forget the toppings—my favorites are diced avocado and homemade corn tortilla strips.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about .75 lb)
Salt and pepper
1 cup diced onion
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 (14 oz) can of pinto beans or black beans, drained
1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chiles
1 cup frozen corn (I used the fire roasted corn from Trader Joe's)
1 (14 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 (16 oz) jar of green tomatillo salsa
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable/"Not Chicken" brand broth)
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4-1/2 t. cayenne pepper
3/4 t. chili powder

To add 1 hour before serving:
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Options for Garnishes:
Homemade tortilla strips (slice corn or flour tortillas into strips and pan-fry in oil until brown and lightly crisped)
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Cilantro
Diced avocado
Tortilla chips

Instructions
Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Place chicken in the bottom of a crock pot. Pour diced onion, pinto beans, green chiles, frozen corn and tomatoes over chicken (note: if you prefer a thicker consistency to your soups, you can choose to puree some of the beans and some chicken broth in a blender prior to adding them to the slow cooker). Add all spices. Pour chicken broth and green tomatillo salsa over the top of the chicken, vegetables and spices.

Cook on the Low setting for 4-5 hours*, until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a plate. Once cooled, shred the chicken with two forks. Return meat to crockpot and add yogurt/sour cream and cheese, stirring to incorporate. Cook for an additional hour. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve. Garnish each bowl of soup with any of your favorite garnishes or toppings.

*Note: My slow cooker runs hot, so chicken cooks fairly fast. You may need to adjust the cooking time according to your own slow cooker, using your instruction manual as a guide.

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What I Read in January.

My reading year started out incredibly strong, and made me very excited for all the books I will get to experience in the upcoming months! I'm happy to have finished five books this month, along with another two books that I started but haven't finished yet. If you're interesting in hearing me talk about these books instead, you can head over to my booktube channel for my monthly wrap-up. Also! I keep forgetting to mention it, but I started a separate Instagram account for my bookish postings, so feel free to follow me there if you like pretty pictures of books.

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Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

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Everything I Never Told You is one of those books that I picked up with little knowledge of the story and few expectations, and it BLEW. ME. AWAY. This story is set in 1970’s Ohio, and focuses on the Lee family, an Asian American mixed-race family who discover that their middle and favorite daughter, Lydia, is dead. Through an omniscient narrator, the book follows the family as they come to terms with Lydia’s death, as well as flashing back in time to discover what led the family to this point. The book summary makes it sound a bit like a mystery or crime novel, but it truly was a subtle and heart-wrenching family drama dealing with themes of loss, grief, racism, expectations, family dynamics, gender roles and more. It was basically everything I enjoy in a book perfectly woven together and composed. It was an immediate addition onto my favorites shelf.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

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I'd heard several people talking about Brown Girl Dreaming last year, but I was sort of hesitant to pick it up because it is categorized as a middle grade memoir written in verse. Then it won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature (and a bunch of other awards since then), and I also happened to read some articles about the importance of diversity in books—especially for young readers—and was really touched by how some people were connecting with the story in Brown Girl Dreaming. I purchased it and read it quickly, and I am so glad I did! It details Jacqueline Woodson's childhood years and what it was like to grow up in both the South and New York City during the Civil Rights Movement. While I'd been nervous about the verse, the writing is simple, beautiful, and very readable. I also love how it incorporates Jacqueline's love of reading and writing, and depicts how she gained confidence as a writer throughout her early years.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

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Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

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Cold Tangerines is a memoir-style short story collection in which Shauna aims to "celebrate the ordinary nature of everyday life." In a quick, digestible style that mimics blog posts, she writes of the simple moments of life that carry much more weight when we pay attention to them, and she weaves together her faith throughout these stories. I am familiar with Shauna's blog and had previously read her book Bittersweet, so I sort of felt like Cold Tangerines didn't provide anything particularly unique, though I did enjoy several passages in the book. I did want to connect to the stories more deeply, but as the reader I felt like I was sort of kept at arm's length in this volume. I personally enjoyed Bittersweet more, which was published after Cold Tangerines; the writing seems to have gotten stronger over time. If you've been considering reading Shauna's books, I'd probably recommend reading them in order of publishing.

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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Station Eleven is a book that is all over the internet. I saw it mentioned a dozen times in various Best of 2014 lists, and many of my booktube friends have read it recently. In this book, a flu pandemic quickly wipes out 99% of the world's population. The story focuses on a group of musicians and thespians who travel on foot between settlements and performs Shakespeare for survivors. A non-linear story and multiple perspectives give insight into life for different characters before, during, and after the apocalypse. I found the writing and story to be closer to literary fiction than science fiction, which is a plus in my book, and I enjoyed the themes the book explored (celebrity, art, artifacts, memory, etc). However, I don't think I loved the book as much as most other people, and I felt let down at the end. Several important characters fell very flat for me. I think I might enjoy it more if I re-read it sometime, and I still would recommend it overall. My rating wavers somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2 - ☆☆☆☆

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

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Another book that has been EVERYWHERE is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I can't seem to go a day on the internet without seeing it mentioned. The book in a nutshell: only keep belongings in your home that truly bring you joy. That's all well and good—though not a unique message to me, as I have read other books on minimalism before—but this book is ridiculous. Why aren't people talking about how ridiculous it is? She anthropomorphizes her belongings and home in a way that, to me, seems bonkers. She describes opening one client's drawer to see a bunch of balled up socks and gasps because she feels the socks are suffocating. To the author, socks must be neatly rolled from toe to top so that they have time to relax after protecting your feet. What? I like the idea of respecting what you own, but I can't get on board with my stuff having feelings. I found many of her methods to be more complicated than necessary (unpacking and storing your purse everyday, putting shampoo away in a cabinet after every shower, etc). I also thought it was problematic that: 1) the environmental cost of throwing stuff away wasn't discussed, and 2) the author didn't address how to examine your purchasing habits to avoid bringing more stuff into your house in the future. However, I did come away from the book inspired to get rid of stuff, and that's the whole point, I guess.

Rating: ☆☆

Did you read anything good in January?

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Did this post resonate with you? Email me at rootswingswanderings {at} gmail {dot} com or join me on Twitter @cait_lindsey_ to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you!

Link Love : January

♥ First of all, the handwritten text above is from Cocorrina's free 2015 calendar printable. I definitely recommend checking it out if you're in need of a calendar for the year!

♥ Take the capsule wardrobe idea and apply it to your kitchen. This is brilliant and reminds me of an old post from Pink of Perfection on template cooking. This is basically the way we cooked the entire time we lived in Ireland, and it was simple and satisfying.

♥ This post on how to extend your yoga practice throughout the day is a great reminder.

♥ 25 practical, humorous writing hacks. 

♥ On being a Leslie Knope in a World Full of Liz Lemons: "But the acceptance of Leslie Knope as a reflection of ourselves is simply not as widespread as the identification as Liz Lemon." This was a thought-provoking piece that brings up some very good points about how the characters are portrayed and how audiences relate to each of them.

♥ My latest podcast obsessions: Dear Sugar, the podcast version of Tiny Beautiful Things with the amazing Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond, and NPR's Invisibia, about the unseen forces that influence human behavior. They're both wonderful and thoughtful.

♥ And on that note, here's an interview with Cheryl Strayed, because I will read/watch/listen anything involving her. I particularly love her approach to advice/self-help: "I do think that whoever you are, that's okay. And, I also think you can do better, and you should."  

♥ A new-to-me blog find is Grechen's Closet. It is a minimalist wardrobe blog, and what I appreciate about her approach is that it feels like a lifestyle rather than just a project, which is the way most bloggers seem to be treating capsule wardrobes these days. She's refreshingly transparent about affiliate links, and I'm super into her focus on American-made products. A great post to start with is "Buy This... Not That | Madewell Transport Tote."

♥ Being "put together" is really about choosing what to care about.

♥ I was really inspired by this business profile of Ali Nelson from Ali Makes Things, who has a criminal justice background and recovered from a traumatic brain injury to start her own social outreach and creative ventures. Quite an incredible life story. 

♥ The Milky Way Rising over Mt. Everest. from Alex Rivest on Vimeo:

Three Little Words: Part II, The Practice

Last week, I met my neighbor friend Renee for breakfast, and at one point in our conversation she asked about my intentions for 2015, which I had written about here. Still not entirely comfortable (or articulate) talking about this kind of thing out loud, I babbled on for a few minutes without saying anything concrete. She went on to talk a little bit about her own intentions and how she was applying them to different areas of her life in a very reasonable, smart way, and it occurred to me that I probably should put a little more thought into how my own intentions were going to be brought to life.

It was one of those moments of clarity—like hello, how will you know you're heading in the direction you want to be for the year unless you turn those words into actions?  My writer brain understands it this way: There can't be any character development if there isn't any plot. Obvious, yes, but I've been away from self-help/personal development for a while now and kind of forgot how things work.

My words—rooted, awake, and unapologetic—represent the way I want to feel. It's more of a centered sense of being that I'm seeking, a mindset, rather than something that can be fulfilled by checking tasks off a list. I think about a lot of people that I admire and how they have a steadiness of character and an inherent confidence that I aspire to. It's an aura, not necessarily what they do.

But don't we demonstrate who we are—to ourselves and others—through our actions, in addition to our state of mind? These words will mean nothing to me if I'm not expressing my values. It now seems silly to me to pick a word like rooted and then to just float around waiting for the word to make its appearance in my life. That sounds like a perfect recipe for failure, and quite the opposite idea to being rooted.

A few days ago, I watched Jess Lively's intention setting miniseries (now unavailable, but she is launching her Life with Intention course, which sounds amazing). The miniseries was a short introduction to her philosophy of values-based intentions. She confesses that she spent a lot of time chasing goals and in the pursuit of "success" but never feeling truly fulfilled, even after achieving her goals. Jess advocates a switch to values-based intentions instead, where our values drive our actions. When we live from our values, we have a deeper sense of meaning and connection to how we are living. And her approach sounded perfect for me, both in terms of my words for the year, and also putting a focus on how these intentions will be integrated into my life through action.

So I took to my journal and started to flesh out my intentions in clearer terms. My approach varies slightly from what Jess demonstrated in the miniseries, but I think this is a good starting point. I've shared my ideas below for three different areas of my life, if you're interested in seeing how I'm breaking the process down.
 
How can I be rooted, awake, and unapologetic in my body?
- Practicing yoga, especially grounding poses and poses for the root and sacral chakras
- Walking, hiking, spending time in nature, stretching, working on core exercises
- Taking periodic mediation breaks or mindfulness check-ins throughout my work day
- Taking breaks for deep breathing and stretching during my work day
- Mindfully eating earthy and nourishing foods, and paying attention to how different foods affect me
- Being aware of negative self-talk towards my body

How can I be rooted, awake, and unapologetic in my mind?
- Being intentional about the media I choose to consume
- Pursuing learning and growth opportunities
- Taking mindfulness and meditation breaks during my work day
- Journaling, bloging, writing, and writing some more
- Reading, and taking the time to reflect on what I'm reading and how it affects and changes me
- Being aware of negative self-talk towards myself and my abilities

How can I be rooted, awake, and unapologetic in my relationships?
- Being the person that shows up
- Reaching out more; expressing when I need support
- Bringing my true self to others: do not shrink, make comparisons, or try to people-please
- Saying what's on my mind
- Saying "no" when necessary, when it means I'm putting self-care first
- Being fully present when I'm with others
- Volunteering for a worthy cause
- Being open in intimate, heart-centered situations
- Asking questions, listening, and starting conversations that matter
- Edited to add: Avoiding backtracking when feeling vulnerable 

Honestly, many of these actions do not vary greatly from my 2015 vision board; I sometimes need to process concepts both visually and verbally before they really sink in, especially since I am making a stronger connection between intentions and action. I'd like to return to the practice of checking in with my progress on a monthly basis, or at least quarterly, which I might share on the blog if it's not too personal.

This is 32.

Yesterday I turned 32 years old. For me, 32 feels like 30 in terms of the social pressures that come with hitting a landmark age. There is a stereotype—and a bazillion thinkpieces—about women approaching 30 with a mix of apprehension and tears, particularly if the pieces of their lives don't seem as clear-cut as they hoped they'd be by that age.

32 feels like that for me.

Approaching my 30th birthday didn't seem like any sort of big deal. Generally speaking, I think getting older is pretty rad, and in the words of my fictional soul partner Nick Miller, "I finally feel like I'm aging into my personality." But when my 30th rolled around, the day's importance shifted entirely when my grandfather passed away. There's nothing like death to make you think about how you are living your life. Then, on my 31st birthday, I struggled with celebrating on what to me felt like a day of remembrance. The words "happy" and "birthday"—however well-intended—seemed so wrong together, and I hated the fake cheer I felt like I had to put on for those wishing me well. 

So, when the blues started to roll in over my head a few weeks ago, I first attributed it to the mixed feelings that now seem to be a standard part of every January 21; I'd become accustomed to a certain level of sadness associated with the day.

But no, this was something more—I could tell it from the weight sitting on my chest. The way panic seemed to be waiting on just the other side of my front door, ready to knock. The sudden urge to purge 90% of my belongings and chop off my hair (which, after two glasses of wine, I actually convinced my husband to do for me).

And I know when my hair gets involved, I'm dealing with some shit. Here's the thing: I'm nowhere near where I thought I'd be at 32. I can't think of many people in my life who are 32 and don't have the "big pieces" of life figured out—the career, the home, the 2.5 children. I do have a great husband and a constantly evolving marriage, which I don't want to discount, but I'm a bit of a flailing mess when it comes to the rest. I'm not even sure what I want 98% of the time, and 32 feels too old to not know. On some days I cry over how amazing some of these beautiful little humans are that my friends have created, and on others I literally cannot imagine anything more terrifying. Besides, is a person who recently spent 45 minutes debating whether to buy a koala onesie really qualified to be anyone's parent?! Maybe I just need to get another cat, or eight. And careers, don't even get me started. If I were magically granted one self-improvement wish, it would be career clarity—to be the kind of person that feels that gut sense of knowing their purpose and direction, and to be rooted in that.

*SIGH.* Welcome, readers, to the crazy part of my brain. Can I blame some of this on the new moon and mercury in retrograde, plz?

Getting into a mental tizzy and writing it all out here sort of makes me laugh. These thoughts have been here before, and I know they've surfed in again on the wave of my 32nd birthday. Time markers like birthdays or new years have a way of doing that to me, and that seems especially true now that 32 is The Time for real career progress and babies in my brain/society.

Last night I picked up Shauna Niequist's book Cold Tangerines, and the very first essay describes how we seem to mentally wait around for the big moments to strike us, marking a clear delineation between "Before" and "After." Graduation, wedding, having a baby, getting promoted—and it is after those events that we feel like we can consider ourselves smart, loved, successful. But Shauna reminds us that our life happens in the in between.

"The Big Moment, unfortunately, is an urban myth. [...] Life is a collection of a million, billion moments, tiny little moments and choices, like a handful of luminous, glowing pearls. And strung together, built upon one another, lined up through the days and the years, they make a life, a person. It takes so much time, and so much work, and those beads and moments are so small, and so much less fabulous and dramatic than the movies. 

But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets—this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience."

Picking up this book last night was one of those perfect, serendipitous moments of finding the right words exactly when I needed them. Because when the swells of crazy thoughts ebb away—which they always do—I am left with gratitude and a sweet affection towards this existence. Questions and doubts and all. I do feel like I'm living from my heart and my values, and that counts for a lot; the external stuff is just shiny pennies, as Jess Lively would put it.

I don't have any grand thoughts or lessons to end this post with, so I will leave you with more words from my beloved Nick Miller: "It's a weird life, but it's where I'm at right now."

{Top image via Death to the Stock Photo}

How to Fall in Love with Blogging Again

It's hard to ignore all the ways blogging has changed over the past several years. And it seems like personal blogging in particular is all but dead—though there are a handful of bloggers holding on (and kudos to you all!).

This isn't the first time I've brought these feelings up, and my voice is just one of many echoing similar sentiments. How the internet has become so sparkly, Pinterest-y, Instagrammable. The sponsorships. The sneaky affiliate links hidden behind bit.ly link shorteners. The transition to other platforms like Twitter and Instagram (and YouTube—hi, I'm guilty of that). People who used to blog just to blog but have since turned into brands or coaches of every variety. The lack of stories and reflection and heart. While I don't fault anyone for chasing online opportunities and shifting to the blog-as-a-business model, I miss when blogging felt like catching up with a friend, as opposed to being marketed to. I do think it's possible to meld the personal and professional, but it seems increasingly rare in this online world—I've even had someone end a blog friendship when I didn't immediately switch from "blog friend" to "customer" when they started an online business.

While we often navel-gaze about the changes we are witnessing as bloggers, it seems a bit less common for people to discuss how they are personally planning to deal with the changes moving forward. Because when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter what other bloggers are doing. Really. Or at least it shouldn't. In the personal blogging world, we can still decide what roles blogs play in our online life and how we want our own blogs to be.

Sure, one option is to quit. And I came dangerously close to closing down my blog since I wasn't sure if it was relevant anymore, or if I wanted to keep putting in the effort. But I just surpassed my fifth blogging anniversary on New Year's Eve, and my heart says I can't give up on it just yet. I'm still in a phase of life (married but childless and trying to figure out my creative path) where blogging provides some value to me.

At one point in time, the reason I blogged was largely for the community, but as interactions are more infrequent than they used to be, it doesn't make sense for that to be my primary motivator. Of course, I take the blame for a significant part of this as I haven't exactly kept a regular posting schedule to encourage comments and interactions, nor have I even gotten that personal as of late. I've also moved away from the art and DIY community that I was originally a part of.

Instead of sitting around lost in nostalgia for the blogging days of yore, I'm considering how I can return to a point of enjoying blogging again, in whatever way works for me. With a little reflection and intention, I've come up with the a few action steps.

How to Fall in Love with Blogging Again

1. Clean out my blog feeds.
A common phrase in my house is "Garbage in, garbage out." Mark and I often say this to each other as a reminder to eat healthy food so that our bodies and health thrive, but this sentiment can apply to anything else we consume, including media and blogs. My favorite blogs are personal, reflective, thoughtful, and/or inspiring (NOT aspirational), so I've cleared out any blogs that don't fulfill me in those ways. Gone are the coaching blogs who only speak in the second person or provide reductive lists of life hacks, the numerous lifestyle blogs with their identical white/gold/pink decor, and the blogs where life is depicted exclusively as sunshine and rainbows. Of course, this is an individual choice not meant to knock anyone who does identify with these kinds of blogs. I'll be keeping an eye out for smaller blogs with fresh perspectives, though I don't want to devote too much time to this, as this quest can transform into procrastination if I'm not careful.

2. Manage my feeds.
I've decided to utilize two different feed aggregators, Feedly and Bloglovin. I love the simplicity of Feedly, and this where all my must-read blogs go. It is already a regular part of my morning routine, and I follow few enough blogs on Feedly that I can get to all the posts before I'm halfway through my coffee. But there are some lifestyle blogs that I do enjoy but do not want in my face quite as frequently, so I use Bloglovin as a sort of B-tier. This lets me check in with these blogs only when I feel like it—often on Fridays because I tend to enjoy those "weekend links" types of posts. And I never feel bad about using the "mark all as read" button.

3. Re-examine my own blogging goals.
As I mentioned, I don't think I can safely rely on "community" as my primary reason for blogging since that is something that exists outside myself and my control. So what are my reasons for blogging right now? It's certainly not sponsorship, notoriety, or a full-time blogging career (ha!). The biggest reason is simply this: to write. Sure, I have my journal, which I've been using more frequently this year, but writing of any kind comes most easily to me when I do it frequently and compulsively. In journals, in Word docs, on my blog. It is the habit I most want to cultivate this year, so regular blogging will just be another outlet to do so. My secondary blogging goals have to do with what I choose to write about, and echo the content I enjoy reading: posts that are personal, reflective, thoughtful, inspiring. If I'm able to foster some sort of community/engagement out of this type of content, that's great, but if not, it will still serve the purpose of getting me in the chair to write.

4. Set a schedule.
Creative momentum is a real phenomenon—projects in motion stay in motion and projects at rest stay at rest. I've learned that again and again through my YouTube channel. It is so much easier to keep creating than it is to start creating after a break. With that in mind, I'm planning on sitting down once a month to come up with a rough list of posts, and then trying to post two times per week (typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays). I'll give that schedule a few months to see how it works for me, but it seems like a reasonable amount—consistent, but not overwhelming or distracting from any other parts of my life.

5. Blog for myself. 
If I'm focused on any sort of external metric—page views, comments, how I compare to other bloggers—I'll never be able to feel satisfied. As a personal blog, the only thing that really matters is that I'm sharing what I want to share in the way I want to share it, that I am challenging myself to write, and that am learning about myself and growing along the way. See also: My Blogging Oath.

6. Reach out.
The last piece of the blogging puzzle is to ensure that I am supporting the blogs I love, especially the smaller, more personal blogs. I want other bloggers to know their efforts are appreciated—especially when so many of us are thinking about the fates of our blogs—and the best way for me to do that is to leave comments and to share their posts. I'm too often a lurker—I often feel shy about making that first introductory comment, or I hold off on commenting because I want to give myself time to come up with a more thoughtful comment than "loved this post!!!" and fail to actually do so. So I want to be mindful about actually leaving comments.

***

And that's my plan. While I have branched out into other areas of the internet with slow-and-steady success and could theoretically put all of my attention there, blogging was my first internet love and I can't give up on it just yet. The internet is just a small part of my life and I have no problem cutting out what's not working—*cough*Facebook*cough*—but I do still appreciate my blog as a place to work through my thoughts, and I do enjoy looking back on all that I have blogged. We're going through a rocky patch right now, but I'm hopeful we can fall back in love again this year.

{Image via Death to the Stock Photo, text additions by me.}