on avoiding being overwhelmed
and embracing chaos
When I first started this newsletter, I had big, ambitious plans to send out writerly thoughts, musings on the craft of writing, and updates on my WIPs and art projects at least once a month… if not weekly. I’m laughing at myself for the wildly ambitious “weekly” goal. After the third newsletter I realized that writing and keeping up with a regularly scheduled newsletter is a LOT of work, particularly for someone who obsesses over every word. And it isn’t that I don’t have ideas on topics I want to write about! I have an ongoing list of things I'm excited to geek out over and share with all of you.
The problem isn't content: The problem is time. It refuses to stand still long enough for me to do everything I want to get done. And in this case, write what needs to be written.
With time hurtling past me, work piling up, and the guilt of missing self-set deadlines for sending update posts ballooning, I quickly became overwhelmed. So, to avoid curling in on myself and admitting defeat, I took a step back and reconsidered my newsletter-related goals, asking myself the important question of what I want this space to be. In doing so, I found some clarity.
Rather than following a schedule and beating myself up whenever I miss posting an update on a specific day of the month, I’m going to place zero expectations on myself and celebrate the times I *do* post—be it erratically, on every third Tuesday but never during a month with a Y in it, when the full moon rises and there are no clouds in the sky, or on the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month… Whenever it happens, it happens! I’ll take it as a win.
So! I’ll be sending these letters to you when there’s something burning at my mind and I absolutely must share it right now, immediately… or when there’s exciting news to screech about. Which, heads up, there might be, soon ;)
In short, I’m embracing chaos.
update - works in progress!
On the topic of chaos, right now I'm working on five different writing-related things. On the gaming side, I have two solo RPGs in the works. For the curious, solo RPGs are single player role-playing games that can usually be played in one sitting. These solo games are often journaling games which invite players to write responses to prompts (determined by card pulls, dice rolls, or other methods of random draw) to chronicle the adventures their character embarks on. Some excellent solo RPG games include: Thousand Year Old Vampire, Artefact, A Visit to San Sibilia, and Alone Among the Stars.
My first solo RPG project is complete and needs minor adjustments to the layout before I send it to play-testers. The other RPG I’m working on is a far more ambitious project and will need about seventy billion hours dedicated to drafting, revisions, and solo-testing before I send it out for feedback. Okay, maybe it will need a bit less than seventy billion hours, but I like to have a buffer.
The other three projects in the works are books, each in a different genre. The first is an Adult cozy fantasy, which has been a beast of a book and I'm convinced it is a shapeshifter with how much it has changed over these last few months. The second project is a companion book to my Underworld MG and is in the early stages of planning. This one is going to be painful to write for many reasons, but it’s a story which needs to be written (I said the same thing about my Underworld MG and that worked out well for me, so this time should be easier, right?!). I’ll be digging deep into my heart for this story and will need to approach it with care—I’ll share more about it in the future. The third project is a sweet, escapist chapter book series I'm absolutely wiggling to start writing, but it will have to wait its turn.
update - art stuff!
I’ve finished several more stamps/lino carvings in the Ghibli series I’ve been working on. Here’s one of my recent favorites, an ink bottle with soot sprites! I wanted to carve a custom stamp of an ink bottle to use for ink swatches and immediately thought the soot sprites would make perfect companions. I’m really happy with how this stamp turned out.
Look at that high-sheening ink in the final photo! I adore Organics Studio inks for their incredible sheen. Their “Walden Pond” ink is in my top five of favorite inks <3
These ink swatches were done in a Leuchtturm 1917 120G Special Edition notebook. The thicker paper is lovely and smooth, and fountain pen inks don’t bleed through at all.
Haku of the month
I know y’all are really here for the Haku content.
You’re welcome <3
questions?
I’m always open to answering questions on writing craft, costuming/sewing techniques, or offering advice on what tea to drink on a Saturday night. If you have any burning questions, let me know! I’m happy to answer them in the next (chaotic) newsletter.
Thanks for reading!
EMBRACE THE CHAOS! :)
I'm so excited for your RPG projects! And hello Haku <3