Every November I prepare myself to partake in National Novel Writing Month, and nearly every year I make some small progress but end up engulfed in other tasks that make reaching my writing goals impossible. This year I decided to participate in Preptober, the process of setting the path for my November undertaking during the … Continue reading I Won National Novel Writing Month!

October is always my favorite month of the year. Thick fog blanketing the valley, the scent of magic on the air, and for me, the influx of macabre inspiration and bittersweet nostalgia. Like the rest of 2023, October came and went in a blur, and somehow I felt like I missed it in a sense. … Continue reading Preptober and Halloween Festivities

September has always been a month of hope-- for cooler weather and the nostalgic scent of new school supplies, the upcoming crunch of leaves underfoot and finger-warming mugs of tea. It is a sigh after a long, hot summer, and a breath before the fullness of Autumn. Midway through the month I received some less … Continue reading A Breath of Autumn & Shifting Tides

August is truly a month out of time. It is a heavy month, gaudy in its heat and shades of gold. It is the waning farewell to Summer and the slow-burn welcome of Autumn. While I'm never quite sad to see Summer end, I did want to spend some time this month enjoying the end … Continue reading A Farewell To Summer & Creating En Plein Air

It's raining as I write this, a unexpected reprieve from the sunny summer days of the usual July. The air is crisp, the leaves of the trees are dripping with rainfall, and the tomatoes in the garden are swollen and green. There is bread in the oven and a hearty soup on the stove, and … Continue reading Gratitude Stew & A Favorite Podcast

June is a month of magic and celebration for me. It is the month in which we celebrate the half point of the year, the coming of Summer, Juneteenth, and the LGBTQIA+ community. It is also the month of my birthday, and while I am an autumn child at heart, I do find a certain … Continue reading The Zenith of the Year: Goal Progress & A Note Regarding My Favorite Reading App

May was full of flowers, sunny afternoons, and creative energy. Any time I go through an intense transition I worry about maintaining my desire and ability to remain actively creative. I have been fortunate enough to have a month brimming with creativity, despite the rough patches. I have found myself writing, drawing, and cooking more … Continue reading What Does It Mean To Call Yourself An Artist?

I arrived back home in Germany during the last week of April, exhausted after 24 hours of travel and ready for the cool weather and wild flowers so common for our region. Every time I leave Hawaii it feels like waking from some sort of fever dream, one that takes longer to dissipate than the … Continue reading Homeward and Onward

This month has been a series of delicious meals shared with family, outings with my nephew, celebrations of little lives, enthusiastic book recommendations made to friends, and the beginning of new but melancholy adventures for loved ones. There is a continuous sense of living on the cusp of an ending, as I will soon be … Continue reading Gratitude, Ending the Dry Spell, & Upcoming NaPoWriMo Fun

The year has already set itself apart, with weeks of rain and pleasant surprises. Rain has always grounded me, offered me a sense of calm and an opportunity to remember that all of us deserve moments of respite. Last month began with such haste, dreams for the new year swelling into obligations and frantic glances … Continue reading My Personal Triumphs & Resources for Those Submitting Their Work