Marginalia: Learning to love this little life

Journal prompts, pages from my 100 day project, and snippets from things I’ve been reading.

I’ve been knee deep in a number of creative projects, some to be held close while I map them out, others in various stages of ideation and execution. In between these creative projects, I’ve been reading — a lot — articles and poems and books.

I’m slowly making my way though The Mandeville Curse by Callie Langridge, book 4 {and I believe the final book} in the Mandeville Mystery series. It’s a delightful series centered around a rather special house that attracts some very special visitors. They’re a mash-up of historical fiction and time travel/time slip, with a dash of romance and a hint of magical realism, and I’m absolutely here for it!

What’s your favorite time travel/magical realism novel? Share it with me in the comments?

For this week, I’ll leave you with some quotes and snippets from articles I’ve been reading, a poem I’ve been loving, a journal prompt and a few pages from my 100 Day Project. Enjoy!

Plus, our week 3 chat thread is open, so come on over and share your 100 day project with us!

I stumbled upon this absolute gem of an article by

caitlyn

that extols the virtue of a little life, one that isn’t performative, lived on the internet — or should that be for the internet? — or follow society’s definitions of worth and success. Deftly combining personal anecdotes with observations on the influence of social media and weaving in a few different strands of philosophy, this is a gem of a read!

we see the consequences both good and bad of the lives of successful ceo’s, mega influencers, celebrities, etc… but what about the people who live smaller, quieter lives? the people who don’t reach for the summit of our sisyphusean existence, but rather, find meaning in the climb itself? what about the ones who find joy in the mundane—cooking dinner, coming home to a dog who couldn’t be more thrilled to be in your presence after a long day at work, making pancakes on a sunday morning, or starting a garden with your person? a life where your career gives you enough to live comfortably- to live a simple, but significant life offline? are their lives inherently less valuable because they don’t fit society’s definition of mega success? or could it be that they’ve uncovered a kind of contentment the rest of us are too distracted to see? — Caitlyn Richardson

On a completely different note, I read this article by

Charissa Steyn

last week on choices and change and how big we make them in our minds, when really, all it takes to make a change is to follow our curiosity and remain open to possibility.

When we distill our seemingly large predicaments or major worries down to just another step in our adventure, we can finally accept the invitation to wander free. Our life opens up. Our lungs expand with fresh air, our heart leaps with delight, and the path ahead looks less daunting. — Charissa Steyn

If you struggle with creating daily routines, especially if you’re on a sabbatical, retired, freelance, or work from home, this article has some interesting suggestions on how to not get completely paralyzed by unstructured time.

One of the biggest problems with creating a self-imposed daily routine post retirement is keeping track of time. When you work a corporate job, your timing and routines are in-built. You’re following a structure imposed on you by your organization.

But when left to your own devices, how do you ensure you don’t go down rabbit holes that eat up your day? — Shinjini

A poem I’ve been loving

Why Are Your Poems So Dark
Linda Pastan

Isn't the moon dark too,
most of the time?

And doesn't the white page
seem unfinished

without the dark stain
of alphabets?

When God demanded light,
he didn't banish darkness.

Instead he invented
ebony and crows

and that small mole
on your left cheekbone.

Or did you mean to ask
"Why are you sad so often?"

Ask the moon.
Ask what it has witnessed.

A journal prompt for you

Reflect on the lights and darks in your own life. The shadows. The triumphs. The sorrows. The joys. Do you notice the tapestry of light that is woven through your story? How can you focus on the lights while not ignoring the darkness? What if you wrote your reflections as a story, with you as the main character?

Bonus: Art journal prompt: Explore the juxtaposition of dark and light, sorrows and joys in your art journal.

Let’s chat!

I love chatting with you in the comments or via e-mail. Here are a few questions to help us get the conversation rolling:

• Share your favorite time travel/magical realism novel with me. We could always use more book recommendations!

• Tell me if any of these articles/quotes/poem resonated with you?

• Which of these art journal pages was your favorite?

• If you’re doing the 100 day project, how’s your project going?

You can also hit the like button or restack to Substack Notes to let me know you enjoyed this post. xo

And if you want to see all of my finished art journal spreads from the first 10 days of 100 Days of Art Journaling, head over to this post.

Our week 3 chat space is open!

I love the cozy intimacy of our weekly chat space, seeing your wonderful work, and cheering you on your art journeys! I can’t wait to see more of your beautiful creations, and to see some more of you hopping on there!

The week 3 chat thread is now open, so come on over and share your 100 day project with us! The chat is only open to subscribers, making it a cozy, intimate way to connect with fellow artists. I’d love to see you there! xx