It feels like ages since my last update, though it’s only been a few weeks. But don’t worry! I haven’t been lounging around twiddling my thumbs. Here’s a few of the things I’ve been up to lately:

Creative Recharge:

Let’s kick things off with a big dose of self-love and creativity. Lately, I’ve been all about recharging my creative batteries. Think fun little designs, some chill paint-by-numbers—basically, anything that makes my heart sing without the pressure.

Diving into Service:

Guess what? I summoned the courage to reach out to my local animal shelter and offer my creative services. Yep, you read that right! Content creation, marketing, web development—you name it. It’s wild to think how far I’ve come in my mental health journey. Even just a year or two ago I was too burnt out and too downtrodden to even consider putting myself out there like this. Grant you, they haven’t taken me up on the offer yet, but this is still more than I’ve been able to do before.

And, of course, I think that getting properly diagnosed and taking steps to integrate who I am into my life rather than trying to change myself have a lot to do with this. I wish I could show this to every care practitioner who ever tried to tell me that diagnosis wasn’t “that important” or that they didn’t like “putting labels on things.”

Literally, getting diagnosed has changed my life.

Freelance Opportunities:

Oh, and speaking of courage, I’m working on building up some more of it to reach out to other local businesses. I’ve had my pitch prepped for months; now I just need to figure out how to hit send and make some magic happen.

Ancestry Adventures:

My ancestry research has become a full-blown obsession, and I can’t get enough. Seriously, someone needs to pry me away from the archives. It’s becoming a bit problematic how distracted I get when I should be focusing on other things.

In fact, I’ve been trying to write up this blog post for the better part of two weeks, but just keep getting distracted by ancestry research every time I open my laptop.

Creative Fusion:

That’s not to say, though, that the ancestry research is entirely without merit. In fact, I’m scheming to blend it with some creative projects. I’m thinking I’ll take all of the information I’m amassing and build it out into family ancestry books.

I can’t wait to start building out the scrapbook aesthetic!

Arts Grant:

Here’s some of the harder work I’ve been attempting.

I’m trying to get my shit together to apply for an arts grant so I can hire an editor for my WIP, Wilder Lands. As far as I can tell, I qualify for one of the Creative Individuals grants through the State of Minnesota; I just need to find a way to benefit the wider Minnesotan community directly. For other grants I’ve looked into, this always means some sort of public appearance, which has seen many a grant application to an early grave. So to say that this had me trepidacious would be an understatement.

In an effort to keep myself from abandoning the application due to nerves, I reached out to the program coordinators for the grant and asked for some clarification on what “directly benefiting Minnesotans” might look like. They gave the example of running a public class in writing, which sounds awfully overwhelming and scary to me.

At the same time, if it means I can get my book professionally edited and feel more like a “real” writer, maybe it would be worth it?

Maybe if I can find the right venue? Like my local, tiny library where the audience couldn’t be that big? Maybe if my close friends could help support me on it? My sister-in-law does art classes and likes talking to people.

Honestly, I don’t know. It makes my heart pound just thinking about holding a public class of any sort.

Side note: I am still working on my first round developmental edits of Wilder Lands and it’s coming along. Just very slowly. I’ve got probably 10-ish chapters left to edit, and then I’ll need to do another read through.

Medication Mayhem:

And last but not least, as a nice little cherry on top (if cherries made everything more difficult and also made you feel slightly sick), I’ve been transitioning ADHD medications and trying to find the right dosage of the new one. Let’s just say it’s been a wild ride—from feeling like a zombie to finally finding my groove.

Who knew a little pill could make such a big difference? Probably a lot of people.

As the sun peeks out from behind the clouds and my energy levels out, I’m feeling more inspired which is good news for this blog. However, I’m not jumping in with both feet right away. Instead of sticking to a rigid posting schedule, I’m leaning into the flow and opting for two posts a month. And if the mood strikes and I have more to say, you all will just get some bonus content.

Switching ADHD medications has been a rollercoaster experience, from adjusting dosage to finding the right balance. Despite the challenges, I’m beginning to see positive changes in my productivity and focus.

As the sun returns and I feel a surge of energy, I may resume posting more frequently. However, I’m considering a less rigid schedule, opting for two posts a month with the possibility of bonus content. This approach feels more manageable and less stressful, allowing me to focus on quality over quantity.

Stay tuned for more updates on my creative journey!