What’s True for Me This Week
The weekly column here that's a little chatty and personal so you can get to know me and my creative weird sometimes silly sometimes mundane little brain ...
I always invite you to come share what’s true for you in my chat where I make these little updates daily-ish. Sometimes just taking a moment to sit and say “what’s true for me” really makes a lot of things clearer. And I hope what people find there is a safe space for sharing their personal truths.
What’s Been True For Me This Week …
Sunday, January 14th
What's true for me today is that I entered yesterday's "true for me" twice and it said it posted but it never did so hopefully this one works today. I'm working on reframing my mindset around time/spaciousness. I have a lot on the calendar in the coming weeks and instead of looking at when things are due and when my commitments are, I'm looking at my calendar with an eye towards when nothing is planned. In other words, I am looking for the open spaces and celebrating those and focusing on those. The hours I have with nothing planned that I'm going to put nothing planned. And even though I'll spend plenty of those hours doing work and errands and stuff that supports the busy days, it truly is helpful to look at it this way and see the space. Also true: went to Harlem Globetrotters yesterday as a surprise outing for my partner and we had a blast.
January 15th
What's true for me today is that I have been up for a little while reading a book and then doing a little bit of writing and I just took a pause to breathe and take in this moment because it's my favorite part of the day: when I am awake and writing and inspired and the drain of the day hasn't sapped my energy yet and the dogs are still asleep and the excitement of a new day hasn't made them wild yet and we are all in this bed together breathing and being and touching and warm and snuggled and filled with easy love.
January 16th
What’s true for me today is that I started back to school and it’s mostly good even though the amount of work and time in class this semester feels really daunting. I was happy to see people I knew and happy to meet new people and that part is really what it’s all about because everyone is doing and thinking about such inspiring things. I’m tired. Sitting at the bar at a local restaurant for some hot soup on this ready day before I go back to snuggle pups.
January 18th
What’s true for me today is that I woke up in the middle of the night and emailed the chair of my department to ask if I really need to take one of the required courses this semester. I think there are other courses that would be of more value to me and why I share this is because sometimes it doesn’t occur to me to even ask for what I need and this time it did. Maybe it’ll work out or maybe not and either way I’ll make the most of what I’m involved with but it felt really good to remember in the moment “I’m an adult, I know what I need here, I can at least ask” ... as opposed to times in my life where I didn’t know what I needed or how to ask or only realized it much later when little could be done.
January 20th
What’s true for me today is that I just finished re-reading fairyland. I rarely reread books but I have a craving to do so lately for whatever reason and am listening to that craving. In trying to look up something about the book I discovered it was recently made into a movie which I would love the watch but can’t find how to do so. I spent yesterday almost entirely on bed playing Tiles on Zen mode on my phone while not-really-watching an entire season of criminal minds.
Although I rarely reread books, I regularly rewatch tv. I got up some to play with the dogs and make some snacks but mostly just there in bed and I kept thinking I’d do something else because it can’t be good for the body or brain to just do that all day. And yet I must have needed that pure zone out experience because I kept returning to it all day long. And I woke up today feeling ready to do something else.
January 21st
What's true for me today is that I'm working on a new model/plan/idea for Substack in terms of the financial part of it. I realize that I'm not going to be able to sustain it as it is for very much longer so I need to find a way to increase paid subscriptions. I don't want to paywall everything. I don't want to create courses or "merch". So I'm toying with a new idea but not ready to decide anything just yet. I am just feeling that pressure of wholly believing in the work and wanting to keep it going and also recognizing that doing so much writing "for free" isn't really something my career can handle right now. So, playing with that, but also really appreciating the community and connection here and recognizing that this has a certain value too that can't be quantified. So no big changes, yet, just mulling this over.
What's also true for me today is that I spent way too much time on my phone the other day and it caused my shoulders and back to tense up and now I'm in quite a bit of pain. I spent yesterday out more walking with my partner in the drizzle in the Presidio and being present in the fresh air which was really nice. But then my body crashed. And it's still in pain today so I'm going to focus on gentle stretches and staying warm and being off the phone!
What's true for you today?
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Thank you for sharing!
Hope your shoulders and back feel better soon!