Friday Reflections #11: Publishing updates and drawing through discomfort
I drew and dressed myself!
Welcome to Friday Reflections! A weekly newsletter sharing 3 thoughts and things I loved and learned from the week as I navigate learning how to create a life I’m nourished by, and thriving in, without my mom (or caregiving for her).
Hey there!
First of all, how was your week?
Mine’s been pretty good!
Had another therapy appointment this week, and it went so well. I keep learning things about myself and just perspectives I’ve never even thought of and it’s blowing my mind, it’s validating… I’m extremely grateful.
I also have a little update for ya. It’s explained on my updated about page, but I have a publishing schedule for now!
I’ve been doing Friday Reflections Fridays at 12pm EST.
On Wednesdays at 8am EST, I’m posting a piece. It’ll be anything from a poem, to a personal essay, to something that channeled through me and I felt excited to share with you (like that jerk smashed potato recipe I promised to share… I didn’t forget! Just need to buy new potatoes).
Whatever the case, I’ll always keep you in mind when I write and want to do so intentionally so that you’re engaged and have something you can take away from whatever I share (I hope!).
And Mondays at 12pm EST (and it might turn into a bi-weekly thing, we’ll see), I’m playing with a new idea of writing about my experience playing a game called Stardew Valley!
I wrote an introduction post about it already, but I plan to let it be a lighthearted, entertaining read filled with memes and laughs. It’s a very open “farming” game (there’s more to it than farming) where you could either get really strategic about it and try to speedrun it1, be strategic and not try to speedrun it, or you could just take your time and explore the town, activities, events, and people.
I’m not speedrunning it, but I’m sharing my first impressions since realizing it would indeed be a game I’d get sucked into.
Think of this like the fun gossipy chat you’d have around a friend’s coffee table on their couch, except this will be game-focused.
See if you like it! I plan to make it fun for anyone, whether you play or not. I also made sure to separate it from my other writings so you can opt-out of getting those specific emails in case you’re not digging ‘em, but still wanna continue getting my other emails.
Thing One: Shopping at home!
This was such a cute idea!
I watch a lot of YouTube. Have it playing in the background in the afternoons and evenings (I have three playlists I add to every day: daytime watches, nighttime watches, and worktime watches)... and good thing I do watch so much YouTube!
You may have never seen this video where the cozy and sweet Kennedy “shops” at home!
She starts the video immediately talking about how she’ll have a rough week at work, then tell herself “I deserve a treat!” And instead of going home to use one of her dozens of face masks, she’ll go to Target to buy more!
So… She found a cute way to “shop” at home for a cozy weekend.
Definitely check it out for a clever and cozy inspiring video!
Thing Two: Baby’s First Outfit!
One thing I’ve been struggling with as I come back to life after the death of my mom is not only learning how to take care of myself, but learning how to want to take care of myself again.
I’ve been rotating the same two to three outfits for months. Seasons. And even so, I’ve been proud of the baby steps I do make from time to time, like putting on an eyebrow pencil when I remember to, or remembering my hat when I go out when I don’t wanna deal with my hair!
But this week, I decided to wear something different.2
I actually thought out an outfit, and wore my cozy super-long knitted cardigan to make me feel… I dunno, safe? Is that the right word?
If possible, I want to always feel like I have a cozy blanket with me out in public… But make it ✨fashion✨.
Point is, I actually cared about what I was putting together. A first in a long, long, time.
And it felt good!
Thing Three: I’m drawing! I’m drawing!
Lots of exclamation points this week, I know(!).
But, I’m drawing! The more I draw, the more I refine the things I do and don’t like about the character I’m designing for myself.
Still working on proportions, especially for multi-paneled comics. And I’m stumped on clothing and poses, so I’ll have to log onto Pinterest for that.
Skillshare has been serving me well this week when it comes to navigating this process! I’ll link to the classes I’ve been really fond of this time around, and in an order that made sense to my brain:
First this class on storytelling with portraits (especially her cheatsheets!).
From sketches to comics (only half, so I could revisit the above to get more detail for designing my character).
Up next, color theory, more character design classes, and a class on copying art to better your own.
This was the first week where I found myself continuing to draw even “after hours.” Just really have been enjoying the process this week!
Welp that’s it for the week.
I wanna thank my community and the whole of Substack for being so supportive and loving and kind and patient as I continue to write on this platform! You really brighten my day and help me continue as I see where this journey takes me!
See you next week. :)
Speedrunning is when gamers race through a game to complete it as fast as they can.
Yes, I wore TONS of different things during the cruise last month! But it felt more like a practical thing than an enjoyable one. I tired quickly when looking for swimsuits and shorts, and was making sure to find things so I could go to the lounge or the beach or find a plastic-y shoe for the sand. Things like that.