don’t let discipline chain you to outdated plans

(2:24) and other lessons from my budding creative career

Hello reader,

Here’s a current view:

And what I’ve been up to lately: work at the cafe, watching too many instagram reels. My mother’s in town and I’ve been driving up to Santa Clarita to see her and my sister. We’re watching every Mission Impossible movie (Tom Cruise).

I mentioned, last time I wrote, that I would try my hand at advertising—to get strangers to come to my yoga class at the farmer’s market (and build a clientele). I paid like $60 for a week of ads on Facebook and don’t see myself doing it again soon. But I’m pretty proud of a big poster/sign I made for the market entrance. And Sunday, two young ladies came to my class because they saw the sign the week before! !!!!! !!!! I meannn! There you go!

I was a little nervous that the sign or that the ad would actually work when I set them up. If strangers come to my class, not just friends who know me, they would expect me to be a serious, professional yoga teacher, wouldn’t they? No giggle giggle hehe about it. But the only way past that anxiety is through it—and it went pretty well, I think! I looked at my class notes and sometimes stumbled for the words I needed, but they did what I cued and they said they enjoyed it! So! I’m pleased. It’s a tiny growth spurt, but it’s one from nothing to something, which I would call pretty meaningful.

On another end of things, I’ve decided to cut short my commitment to holding monthly gatherings for a year, a different activity every time. I first wrote you about the idea—and held my first gathering—last October, and it’s been eight months since. I’ve hosted a story-telling circle, a candle anointing party, an arts and crafts night, a cacao ceremony. But I committed to the idea because I knew I had business in hosting wellness events though wasn’t yet sure what it was. The gatherings gave me experience and data, and 3/4ths into my plan for them, I’ve developed more concrete direction. So, now I have a new plan!

I’m actually returning to my original gathering from back in October—group journal writing sessions. Still once a month, and I’ll be deepening my skill in journal prompt-writing. I’ll attach the ones I wrote for the session I did on the solstice. I have more plans in this very same vein, reader. Excited to share more soon.

Hope to hear from you, my friend. Hope summer is so far warm and sweet.

Yours,

Z