On balancing your "creative" brain and your "business" brain.
Plus some of January's best recs.
Good morning! You may not be reading this in the morning, but I always write to you in the morning, so it felt like the right thing to say.
Today, a little chit-chat and check in, interesting reads and discoveries that have been on my mind, for paid subscribers only. Free subs get a free preview, and as always— I’d love to have you if you’re open to… taking our relationship to the next level…
Some questions I have for *you* that I’d love feedback on in the comments:
To those who have read the Throne of Glass series and survived— what the hell do I read afterwards? I sense this will be the worst book hangover of all time and nothing will measure up… I’m halfway through Assassin’s Blade and about to start the tandem read.
For Christmas, my boyfriend got me a ticket to visit my best friend in London at the end of this month (so sweet) and then I will be doing 2 days solo in Edinburgh. I’d love Edinburgh recommendations! I don’t usually love traveling alone, but this will be so short I think it’ll be fine— that said, I like to stay busy, so your ideas are very much welcomed. (Also, my phone doesn’t work abroad, so e-SIM recommendations would be awesome.)
Like everyone else, my heart is breaking for LA.
wrote beautifully about a really hard thing. Subscribing to a Substack on the yearly plan is a great way to support LA-based creators in real time, Stripe is really quick about getting that money into a creator’s pocket.I’ve signed up to do some local volunteering (bringing hot meals to the elderly!) and I am so happy about it that I’m not sure what took me so long to get involved. If you’ve been contemplating the same, this is your sign! I signed up over three months ago and it took this long to get on the schedule, so don’t give up if it doesn’t all come together as you imagined right away. 😊
One of my 2025 goals is to work out (pretty much) every day. I’ve been doing pretty good so far, I’m at 5-6 days a week which is about where I’d like to be, and I found a great studio with pilates, yoga and strength classes right by my house. Having less than a 10 minute walk to class is 90% of the battle for me.
One thing that’s also helping? I premade all my breakfasts for the week— Dave’s Killer Bread English Muffins (the best), a little cranberry dijon mustard I made, fluffy baked eggs with spinach, turkey bacon, and a tiny square of A2 raw cheddar. I wrap them individually and store in the fridge or freezer before heating up in my beloved toaster oven. I feel like a wellness god and it’s really nice to know a hot breakfast is in my future each morning, especially after a FRIGID dog walk.
I got this sweatshirt in grey and though I wasn’t sure about a mockneck, I’ve been loving it. I must not be the only one, because most colors have sold out and what’s left is on clearance (lucky you!). Love this with my leggings and coziest wool socks. If you are looking for a different color, Madewell seems to be doing something identical, I love the cherry red. Admittedly, I’m really jonesing for this striped one, which feels a little more polished.
This author’s letters are food for thought to me— 100% of the time. I am wondering what my readers think and would love to discuss with someone.
Getting a Dyson AirWrap (for long hair!) has made me a new person. The timing couldn’t be better, since I feel helplessly indoor bound and honestly pretty lonely without much human contact (famously no coworkers as a Substack writer and consultant!), so it’d be easy to descend into what I’d call a Pajama Despair. Instead, I’m doing my hair, I’m putting on a little bit of makeup (my concealer, this fantastic blush, and a few swipes of my best beauty purchase of December, this amazing mascara) and trying to at least make my arctic tundra bound athleisure look a little cuter. It’s honestly helping.
ICYMI, I did a huge review of all of the different goal setting, manifestation and intentionality practices for 2025.
PSA, my beloved winter coat (I have it in black) that is my only savior this time of year is on super sale. This strikes me as a great deal for something very quality that should last a decade or more. It’s like the best version of a sleeping bag coat.
I wonder if any other freelancers or semi-creatives (I am just beginning to feel comfortable calling myself that, which feels silly!) feel this way, but too many options paralyze me and give way to the battle that is never not raging in my brain— the war between my “creative” brain and my “business brain.”
Here’s a bit more context about my current career situation, ICYMI. I feel some days as though I’m living the dream, though less so now that January has descended and I have months and months of empty time on the horizon.
For those of us with a true career break who are passionate about lots of different things— sometimes the eight million possible paths are so overwhelming that you become frozen, paralyzed, even, with the weight of said indecision. What’s a Type A creative to do!?
On any given day, my two sides of the brain are slamming the below “next chapter” options around like a hockey puck: