Things take time; hold them lightly.
April / May 2025
April was a month of little wins. I finished a few projects that I'm proud of. I finally got blinds for the big window in my shed. I hung up my guitar, which had been kicking around for months. I bought a camera after at least a year of talking about it.
It's easy for me to look at that list and think, "Wow, I take forever to do things," but that's not necessarily true. The truth is, some things take time. They take time to feel right. It took six months of moving my guitar around, picking it up, and placing it here or there until I was finally ready to commit to a permanent spot for it.
Then, it took more time to finally get the drill from the garage and hang it up. Maybe I procrastinated, overthought it, or was afraid of the change, but ultimately, it just took some time for me to feel good about where I wanted it to go. Things take time!
I've been applying this thinking to other projects I've been working on. I have to remind myself that it takes time to make a house feel like home, develop a style, grow a garden, hone a way of working, foster a friendship, build a portfolio of work, and get used to new things.
It takes time to figure things out, work on them, and get better at them. Sometimes, you go backward or left, or down and around, and it doesn't feel like you're getting anywhere, but we're always going somewhere; we're constantly growing and changing. Sometimes fast, but most of the time slowly and subtly over many months.
I took advantage of the perfect April weather to obsess over all the plants in our yard, move them around, and fill in little empty sections. I spent a lot of time obsessing about my garden, reading about plants, identifying them, and spreading mulch around them. It was so much fun, and then it turned into an obsession.
I ran late to a meeting after literally being in the weeds trimming a shrub in our yard. When I realized that I'd become too attached to gardening, I decided to set it aside; I needed a break. I've been slowly picking it back up and holding it lightly so that it can be a hobby I enjoy sustainably rather than something I get burned out on.
I worked hard in April to complete all the client work I had so that I could focus on my contract work with What Else and take some time off.
Here is a quick list of things I finished:
A poster for a nonprofit trail organization in Montana.
A map of independent bookstores for Powell's Books.
A t-shirt and some stickers for a friend's bachelorette weekend.
A wedding invite, envelope, and details card for a stationery brand.
A cute save-the-date for some friends.
Some magazine ads for a nonprofit kids' organization.
I turned 34 at the end of April, and with it came a whole host of feelings about getting older and wanting to prioritize my health. I quit drinking and have been sober for over a month. I've been diligently sticking to my 9:45 bedtime and not looking at my phone before bed.
I’ve been serious about drinking enough water, avoiding sweets late at night, and eating a real breakfast. I found out I was iron deficient and then went to a series of iron infusions, which were uncomfortable yet calming at the same time.
I finally booked a dermatologist appointment, which has been one of those lingering to-dos forever, and I got a facial for the very first time, which was honestly so nice.
I had a series of doctor appointments and was on strict orders not to get my heart rate up during the month, which meant no running, biking, or big adventures. I wish I could say I used the time to do a bunch of creative work, think deeply about something, or read some good books, but I didn’t.
Health stuff is hard, and most of what I could muster on top of work and dog walks was mid-day naps, lazy evenings, and a lot of movies. I didn't want to overwhelm myself, so I tried to be slightly underwhelmed, and it was the right move. I made it through the month and am feeling much better now.
I'm looking forward to refocusing my energy on my creative work and getting back on my bike before it gets too hot to ride!
I am open to freelance projects and will be spending some time doing outreach over the next few weeks to see what I can drum up.
See you next month – Ariel
Omg the under rated underwhelmed life sounds really good
Your picture is beautiful 🐦