Day 13: 30 Day Nature Challenge

This pretty baby 🌸 stopped me in my tracks this afternoon. While it might be Friday the 13th, and were expecting a full moon tonight, I feel like there are brighter days ahead and for that, I’m grateful.

Day 12: 30 Day Nature Challenge

I guess it’s not too early for pumpkins 🎃 ? Seen on this morning’s walk. I didn’t hear a thing last night because I slept hard but I heard this morning that we had some terrible storms? I wish I could have heard the rain because I do love the sound of rain at night. Today marks day 12 of #30daynaturechallenge. Still going strong!

Day 8: 30 Days of Nature

My morning walk greeted me with these beautiful sunflowers 🌻 along the route. #30DayNatureChallenge

Day 1: 30 Days of Nature

Trees are my favorite plants. Day 1 of 30. #30DayNatureChallenge

No one will argue the meditative effect time spent in nature has on our psyche. As I welcome September and, soon, the autumnal equinox on September 23, I can’t help but feel sadness that my lush garden will go away and the beautiful trees will lose their leaves and go into hibernation for the winter.

I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors this year, in my urban garden harvesting pounds of delicious tomatoes from my nine tomato plants, hiking the trails in Portland, Oregon, and taking my dog Scout on really long walks. I’ve continued to journal every single day since my birthday last year in August, taking time to reflect on my days and what matters most to me.

I’m going to miss the warmer weather and as much as love my sweaters and boots, or my hands wrapped around a hot cup of coffee as I cozy up with a good book and warm blanket, I’m trying to figure out how to bring as much of the outdoors inside this winter season. I realize how much nature nurtures my soul and I need it.

So this month, I’ve decided to try a 30-day challenge by posting a nature photo each day on my blog. I’m not sure if I can do it for 30 straight days, but here goes. Maybe the images will bring me joy when we’re in the heart of winter and I start plotting my escape from the cold clutches of Chicago’s unforgiving cold days and nights. It’s worth a shot (pun intended). ☺️

Pausing To Notice The Beauty In Front Of Us - Week 5

My artist date streak continued this week, week 5, with an exploration of the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Chicago’s west side. I’m in this neighborhood every week but I never venture too far from where I need to be. This week, though, I decided to take a detour. As I wandered down 1000 N. California, I stumbled upon this large-scale mural on the side of a building. Turns out it’s by a Chicago visual artist named Jason Brammer. His storefront studio is in this building.

If you follow my Instagram account, you may notice that I love any type of art, but especially public art. One of the reasons I love Chicago is because there is so much art around this city, from large sculptures in parks to murals beneath viaducts. Sometimes we just need to take a moment to let us see what’s in front of us rather than constantly rushing or allowing ourselves to be distracted.

Thank you, Jason, for making our city a bit more beautiful for us.

Appreciating Art In All Its Forms - Week 4

This week I took a little detour as part of my artist date. I tacked it onto a client meeting I had in the Loop and decided to go a bit earlier so I could stop and really enjoy the Marc Chagall mosaic located in Chase Tower Plaza. The piece is called Four Seasons and since I come to it from the east side since that’s where I get off the subway, I rarely ever have the chance to walk around the entire thing and just take it in. I intentionally gave myself extra time so I could enjoy all four seasons, like we have in Chicago. It was such a lovely experience, just to sit and look at the piece on the west side as well as the north and side sections. It helped that it was a gorgeous day so many people were out and enjoying the weather and their company.

Marc Chagall’s Four Seasons in Chase Tower Plaza in Chicago.

After my meeting, as I rushed to grab the train back since I had plans that afternoon, I decided to pause and walk into St Peter’s Church on Madison. In all the years I’ve lived in Chicago and worked downtown and trekked into the Loop for client meetings and passed this church, I’ve never once walked inside. Granted, I’m not Catholic so that may be one reason since it’s a Catholic church. Still, I craved the solace and my daily morning meditation has helped to remind me of the importance of slowing down so I figured, why not…I’m going to walk inside.

I guess I wasn’t the only one who needed the solace and quiet from the busy-ness of life. While I wouldn’t say it was packed, for a Thursday afternoon, there had to be at least a good 30 people in the pews. The church is massive and beautiful. Marble statues, rows of wooden pews, candles lit, it really felt so calming. I left feeling not as rushed or anxious and it was a lovely feeling.

St Peter’s Church on Madison Street in Chicago.

CALM and Embracing my 2019 Word Of The Year

CALM: My 2019 word of the year. Photo courtesy of Gaelle Marcel for Unsplash.

December holds special meaning to me, as I think it does for most of you. It’s the end of the year and regardless of how it shaped it, we’re ready to start anew with refreshed hopes and dreams as this month comes to a close. Until then, many of us are also celebrating the holidays or spending more time with family and friends. It’s also the month I reflect on how the year has treated me and what I hope to bring more of in the coming year. A part of that is considering my word of the year: a word I’d like to help guide me and help me focus. My 2019 Word of the Year is CALM. 

The Year of Calm

I started my word of the year three years ago and I can honestly say whenever I was struggling with making a decision (do I take this assignment or client, even though the work isn’t paying me the rate I deserve?) or needed a reminder of what I was focusing on, my word of the year helped me.  

These last couple of years have also felt non-stop. Work has been (gratefully) very busy. The kids have gotten to an age where there is an increase in school workload and their afterschool activities and friends are keeping them on the go. This year, after taking classes at a local rock climbing gym, they both made the youth team which means more and longer visits to the gym as well as traveling out of state to compete.

All of this has been good, but also exhausting. This summer I started up my kickboxing after a long hiatus due to lower back pain. It felt great and then I ended up with back pain again because of the time I spent sitting in front of my computer working. Sitting for long stretches is really stupid, I knew it, and I paid the price (again). I invested in a standing computer desk, started slowly going back to the gym (no kickboxing for now) and working to get my back stronger again.  

A Reminder of What’s At Stake

Another reason for choosing CALM as my word of the year is because so much has happened and was so busy throughout these last few years I sometimes lost track of what was important or at stake. I don’t want to be busy. I want to be more mindful of the kind of work I’m doing, producing and delivering. I want to do more work that matters. Who doesn’t, right? This month I want to put my plan in place so I can go after those kinds of projects and clients. 

My 2019 Client, Writing and Project Wish List

Art, architecture and design; food, especially cheese; Chicago, Cyprus, food justice; global issues; homelessness, LGBTQ youth, mental health; non-profits (including foundations); refugees and immigrants; social justice; science, sustainability and the environment (including nature and the outdoors); teaching; travel; women’s rights; writing. In alphabetical order, these are the topics and issues that matter to me. It’s a pretty intense list but it’s also exhaustive. 

Going through this exercise, of really identifying the work you want to be doing, or the kinds of things that are important to you, helps you focus on achieving it. Several of my friends and I have been having these kinds of discussions because we’re all in positions where we learn of opportunities that may not be right for us, or don’t have the time to take on, but can recommend someone in our circle of friends. 

Can you share your list with others to help you meet your goals in the new year? What can you begin doing this month to help you jump-start the process? 

Goodbye, 2018

This year has brought so many opportunities my way. Some good, some interesting, some that didn’t turn out the way I thought they would. The great thing about using December as a year-in-review is that I can take stock of it all and re-consider what things to keep in my life, which I need to pitch or pursue, and what I need to let go so I can free up my time and mental space. Writing this blog post has helped me realize I’ve come to a decision about a project that has been taking up way more of my work time for the benefit I’m receiving, both financially and professionally. 

With four more weeks to go, I intend to soak up every last minute of 2018. The final projects of the year are on my calendar and I’m checking them off my check-list with glee. I’ve already filed some stories and completed projects with payments scheduled to hit in January and February, so that makes me happy. New journals and pens have arrived last week and I intend to put them to good use this month as I plot out my business and marketing plans. 

There are still plenty of unknowns as I enter 2019, my 12th year of my consulting practice and 25th year as a communications professional. Some clients have changed directions. Media outlets have shut down or changed editors. My byline will appear in a national consumer print magazine that has been on my wish list for years this April. 

CALM.

Invite calm. Calm down. Be calm. If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that things can change by the minute, literally and figuratively. Sometimes those changes are good. Sometimes not good. Regardless, changes will happen and it’s up to us to determine how to handle them and move forward. I’m ready to welcome 2019. First, let’s do this, December. 

Fall Reflection and Operation 2019

As I’m writing this post on a Sunday morning, the trees are doing a little dance outside since it’s so windy. The last of the leaves that haven’t fallen yet are barely holding on. Do we bother to rake today or wait one more week until all the trees are bare?

Fall in Chicago is my second favorite season (spring is my first love) because it represents hibernation and reflection for me. The frenetic pace of summer comes to a still. The colder weather invites warm blankets, hot tea and cuddling with a warm book. Or more intimate gatherings with friends around hot cocoa or going together to hear author readings.

It’s also a time for me to review what went well through the year, what kind of work I really enjoyed doing, what I didn’t, and what I need to do before the end of this fiscal year since I still have seven weeks. It’s also an opportunity to set up the kind of work I want to be doing in 2019.

Operation 2019

What I’ve realized through this introspection is that I really enjoy working in the environment, sustainability and social justice space. I also love all things food and culture, including everything from architecture, design and history to museums and cultural events. Finally, I also really enjoy teaching. As this latest course I’m teaching at Johns Hopkins University nears the end, I’m reminded at how much my students are really working their butts off to complete the material in the class in addition to working full time or raising families. Next month, I’ll be teaching a new class at University of Chicago’s Graham School on how to prepare and deliver strong visual presentations.

Now my goal is to find clients and editors in those spaces. Operation 2019 has begun! Got any ideas of who to reach? Let me know. Sometimes we forget the obvious.

Podcasts I’m Enjoying Right Now

I’m a bit of a podcast junkie. I edit my podcast library pretty regularly because I want to have a tight and curated list. In addition to #AmWriting, HowSound, and GrottoPod, three podcasts I’ve been listening to for over a year, I’ve added the following to my rotation these last couple of months:

·      Hurry Slowly: a podcast on the importance of thinking through what you’re doing rather than just reacting or doing something for the sake of doing it.

·      WTF Just Happened: thanks for the recommendation, Shannan! If you don’t want to be sucked into the black hole that is online news, this podcast is a nice and quick overview of what’s happening around the world.

·      On Background: similar to WTF Just Happened, this one is focused on the backstory of what’s making headline news in the Chicagoland area. I’d call it beyond the news behind the soundbite…

·      The City by USA Today: and similar to On Background, The City is an investigative podcast on what’s behind the six stories of rubble on Chicago’s west side. Although it’s not really about the rubble. The story is about corruption, environmental racism and incompetence when it comes to our so-called elected leaders. 

·      Last Scene: a riveting series talking about the most valuable and puzzling art heist in history: 13 artworks stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and 28 years later, the mystery of who stole the pieces has not been solved.

·      The Dream: have someone who is part of the multi-level marketing world? This podcast digs into the model and why it works for the top few at the expense of the thousands of others who almost always lose money. What’s the attraction and why do so many people fall prey, knowing the odds are stacked against them?