Yet another lovely thought provoking post Alanna ~ thank you! Funny you would ask about what brings joy. Fall always brings me joy. I’m pretty sure the wind is my spirit element (if that wasn’t a thing before, it is now!). There is a different sound to the wind in the trees as fall gets into full swing. The music of leaves rustling in the breeze as they change from their summer green to their lovely new colors before their final descent - that brings me joy. 🍂💛
Mmm, I love everything about this! Fall truly is a beautiful season, and it's the little things like this that make it so special. I hope you enjoy many lovely crisp moments listening to the wind in the leaves over the coming months 🧡
Embrace the dabble!!! Yaaaaasssss! I used to feel, I dunno? weird? bad? unambitious? for not wanting to become and "expert" in something, but I love dabbling! At any given point in time, I have at least 1 (from each category) knitting, writing, crafting, cooking, household improvement, etc. project either in progress or percolating in the back of my mind. My execution is less than perfect (lol), but I enjoy the process! Follow the joy!
Same! It was always drilled into me that specialization/focus on one skill was the only way to become "truly great" at something. While it makes sense theoretically, I'm really not sure about that way of thinking anymore. Engaging with lots of different disciplines/creative pursuits can help us bring new perspective to old problems... and also (IMHO) it's just a lot more fun, even if the results aren't perfect. Enjoy your dabbling! (This also reminds me how much I like to knit! Perhaps I'll have to get a new project started) 😊
Oh yes, “truly great” is, I’ve found, truly overrated. There’s always “adequate” “good enough” “not bad” “pretty good!” and “well that was very educational”. They are also valuable and usually FUN!!
this made me smile! love reading your approach to creativity :) a few things bringing me joy: looking at old photos, reading longer novels (as opposed to shorter novels to increase my yearly book count), and pop music hahaha
Thanks Anisha! I love your joyful list. I've also been enjoying a lot of pop music lately (fellow GUTS fan over here!) and can I also say how much I've been LOVING your recent posts on Indian foodways? Haven't gotten a chance to comment yet but they are so well done. So thank YOU for bringing me some joy lately too!
“I want to embrace the dabble! …to make multimedia art, and get together with friends for tea, and cook ambitiously, and sew some things, and sit outside”
This speaks to me! I feel a burst of energy in the fall followed by a long relentless ebb of energy and motivation and optimism that lasts until about… well, now, when the days are starting to lengthen, and I start to feel like I’m beginning to wake up again…. And I want to go back to trying to embrace my own dabbling. ❤️
Whew, I'm right there with you, Dagmar—that seasonal shift is real. I try to go slow and not expect too much of myself in the winter, because for me the spring (March-ish) is the time when my motivation returns and I have lots more energy. Glad that the longer days are lighting a bit of a fire in you! Dabble away!
Yet another lovely thought provoking post Alanna ~ thank you! Funny you would ask about what brings joy. Fall always brings me joy. I’m pretty sure the wind is my spirit element (if that wasn’t a thing before, it is now!). There is a different sound to the wind in the trees as fall gets into full swing. The music of leaves rustling in the breeze as they change from their summer green to their lovely new colors before their final descent - that brings me joy. 🍂💛
Mmm, I love everything about this! Fall truly is a beautiful season, and it's the little things like this that make it so special. I hope you enjoy many lovely crisp moments listening to the wind in the leaves over the coming months 🧡
Embrace the dabble!!! Yaaaaasssss! I used to feel, I dunno? weird? bad? unambitious? for not wanting to become and "expert" in something, but I love dabbling! At any given point in time, I have at least 1 (from each category) knitting, writing, crafting, cooking, household improvement, etc. project either in progress or percolating in the back of my mind. My execution is less than perfect (lol), but I enjoy the process! Follow the joy!
Same! It was always drilled into me that specialization/focus on one skill was the only way to become "truly great" at something. While it makes sense theoretically, I'm really not sure about that way of thinking anymore. Engaging with lots of different disciplines/creative pursuits can help us bring new perspective to old problems... and also (IMHO) it's just a lot more fun, even if the results aren't perfect. Enjoy your dabbling! (This also reminds me how much I like to knit! Perhaps I'll have to get a new project started) 😊
Oh yes, “truly great” is, I’ve found, truly overrated. There’s always “adequate” “good enough” “not bad” “pretty good!” and “well that was very educational”. They are also valuable and usually FUN!!
this made me smile! love reading your approach to creativity :) a few things bringing me joy: looking at old photos, reading longer novels (as opposed to shorter novels to increase my yearly book count), and pop music hahaha
Thanks Anisha! I love your joyful list. I've also been enjoying a lot of pop music lately (fellow GUTS fan over here!) and can I also say how much I've been LOVING your recent posts on Indian foodways? Haven't gotten a chance to comment yet but they are so well done. So thank YOU for bringing me some joy lately too!
You're so kind, thank you!!
Just want to echo Alanna’s sentiments here. I too enjoy your newsletters and think they are well done. Thank you for writing them. 👍
Thank you so much Dagmar :')
“I want to embrace the dabble! …to make multimedia art, and get together with friends for tea, and cook ambitiously, and sew some things, and sit outside”
This speaks to me! I feel a burst of energy in the fall followed by a long relentless ebb of energy and motivation and optimism that lasts until about… well, now, when the days are starting to lengthen, and I start to feel like I’m beginning to wake up again…. And I want to go back to trying to embrace my own dabbling. ❤️
Whew, I'm right there with you, Dagmar—that seasonal shift is real. I try to go slow and not expect too much of myself in the winter, because for me the spring (March-ish) is the time when my motivation returns and I have lots more energy. Glad that the longer days are lighting a bit of a fire in you! Dabble away!