Reflections of a new author (thank you, community!)
+ Invitation to virtual Cozy Cafe next Wednesday at 5 EST
My new book: Finding Your Authentic Self: An Illustrated Journey to Well-being
Thank you to everyone who’s ordered a copy and left a review. Your support means a lot to me and helps the book reach even more people.
Hello friends,
My YearCompass theme of 2024 is “nurture” and one of my intentions is to cultivate my writing practice. I have been bogged down by my old friend perfectionism and I miss the days where I could create with ease and lightness. I aim to write a little every day (without pressure to post) and I hope to feel more comfortable sharing things I’ve been thinking about and learning. Writing has helped me make sense of my experiences and connect with amazing people (including many of you). I’m feeling my heart tugging to do more of it this year.
New post: Reflections of a new author (thank you, community!)
As a first step, I’ve written my first post since last fall (yay!). It’s a reflection on my journey of becoming a new author - how it began, the incredible community support I’ve received, and the experience of finally sharing my book with the world. I’ve included many photos of my favourite moments.
Sidenote: My book is now available on Indigo.ca! If you’re in Canada, the best price for hardcover is on Indigo.
Invitation to join me at virtual Cozy Cafe next Wednesday (Feb 7)
In the spirit of nurturing creativity and connection, I’ll be hosting a virtual Cozy Cafe next Wed Feb 7, 5-6 pm EST. Drop by to say hi or hunker down on a creative project you’ve been meaning to get to. I’m happy to have casual chats about book writing, philosophy, or anything else that naturally comes up. I plan to make progress on my next blog post while I’m there.
Here’s the zoom link. I look forward to seeing some of you!
Substack
After wrestling with Mailchimp as my newsletter tool for several years, I’m giving Substack a try. Let’s see how this goes. So far, I’m liking its user-friendly writing experience, comment feature, and archive.
Treasures I’ve found recently:
[Podcast] Creative Pep Talk with Meera Lee Patel - “If you learn to tend to the fire inside you, that will always guide you in life and in your creative work.” A personal interview where illustrator-authors Meera Lee Patel and Andy J. Pizza talk about nurturing creativity while being parents and following your passions even when it’s scary. I find the both of them honest and inspiring, and I look forward to listening to more of this podcast.
[Article] Have You Made This Common Multipotentialite Mistake? - How to be a multi-potentialite in a specialist-oriented world. Some helpful reminders to prevent overwhelm and practice self-compassion.
[Theatre] Six the Musical - This was one of the most entertaining and uplifting shows I’ve seen in a while. My friend and I could not stop dancing in our seats. If you enjoy Hamilton, history, women’s empowerment, super catchy tunes, and incredible singing chops, you’ll love this show. Currently playing in Toronto until March 31. Rush tickets and lottery available.
Creative inspiration
Watercolour of Peyto Lake on a trip with my dad last October (Instagram post).
Questions for reflection
What’s your theme or intention for 2024?
What would you like to nurture this year?
Feel free to share in the comments.