To the one I was so in love with in 4th grade that I got a bowl cut and perm so we could have the same hairstyle. To the one who (I pray) still reads every word I write, even though she no longer walks the earth. To the one who taught me how to [...]
I made the piece above two years ago. But I never shared it. I didn't know it at the time, but it wasn't finished. Today, I added the text. Around the same time I made this, Sean and I were grappling with whether or not to buy our first house. I was a nervous wreck. [...]
Yesterday I spoke too sharply and unkindly to Ella after repeated efforts to keep her from climbing all over my office chair and desk while I was doing work. Her climbing was one thing. Her ignoring my requests to stop was another. After my outburst, she immediately wilted like a flower on a scorching, sunburnt [...]
My boy. I realized recently that I talk and write a lot about Ella, but not so much Ethan. I think that’s partly because having Ella is what made me a mother, but it’s also because I know what’s it like to be a little girl and then a big girl and then a woman, [...]
I learned recently that Friday the 13th was once known as The Day of the Goddess - before patriarchal times, before a woman’s menstrual cycle and bleeding became culturally shameful. Before the day was ‘unlucky’, it was a day to worship the Divine Feminine in all of us - men and women alike. Friday is [...]
Kissing boo boos, changing poo poos. // Dance parties, digging dirt // Making art and make believing // Unhurried, handmade, heart // Messy hands and tangled hair // Belly laughs and juicy pears // Singing, songing, all belonging // Simply, slowly, Gently growing // Inside, outside // All our own // Welcome, welcome to our [...]
A few months ago I sat down on a Saturday afternoon with a rare couple of hours to myself - no baby, no client, no housework. For the first time in about five years, I pulled out my watercolors and dusted off my brushes. I didn't know what I was going to paint at first, [...]
Ten years ago, I made a decision that would change the rest of my life: I decided to live. That choice didn’t come easy. I had to descend to the deepest, darkest place I’ve ever been in order to see light.
Does this sound like you? Today’s question comes from Molly, who is struggling with creative block. In Molly’s case, her core message for her business is eluding her. But the actual message is secondary to the real problem: stagnation caused by fear. And if you’re like me, Molly’s struggle resonates deeply. I’m talking about that … Read More
First-time parenthood is a rush -- a flood of emotions, mistakes, tears and laughter. Too often, we focus on the needs of mama and baby and forget that new dads need love and support too. For many, they are the glue bonding new families together, carrying out silent acts of tenderness between the seams. I [...]
Before I begin, I’d like to give credit where credit is due: the following recommendations are a curated list of strategies first proposed by Marie Forleo in B-School and Derek Halpern in his fantastic program, Blog That Converts. These are tips that I’ve found most effective for myself and my clients. It’s not exhaustive by … Read More
Recently, my husband and I were visiting with a few friends who had come to meet our daughter, then two months old. After sharing a few requisite stories about getting intimate with our daughter's poop, the conversation inevitably turned to a more sobering discussion on parenthood. One of them half-jokingly referred to having children as [...]
Hi Friends, I made this for you today. Another gentle reminder that, while difficult at times, change is natural and good. Download the hi-res version here and if you get it printed and hang it, please take a photo and post in the comments for everyone to see (especially me). And as always, it’s free, … Read More
Happy Wednesday, Friends. To get us through hump day, I’m sharing one of my favorite quotes from the master of flow, Bruce Lee. I made this print for you – you can download your hi-res version here, print it out, hang it up – and then kindly share this link with others, so they can … Read More
I am a list-maker. I like to makes lists at the beginning of the day and mark things off as I go. It’s exceptionally satisfying to see the progress I’m making throughout the day. When I became a new mother, this didn’t change – I still made lists. What changed was my waning capacity to … Read More
I’m going to keep this short and sweet: How you treat your customers matters more than anything else when it comes to creating a brand. More than your name, more than your logo, more than your website. That’s because how you treat people says more about your mission, values and vision – both as a … Read More
Since starting my own business in 2008, I’ve struggled with pinning down a name. At first I used my own name. Then I used ‘Artz Collective’, thinking that it sounded more legit. Then I slowly started going back to using my own name because I didn’t feel authentic calling myself a collective. Who is the … Read More
Recently, I was needing to make a critical decision that would change my business (and life) significantly. It was one of those decisions that caused a persistent queasiness in my gut, but I wasn't sure if the queasiness was my healthy intuition or my fearful ego. So I did what I'm sure a lot of [...]
I loved my holiday cards from Pinhole Press so much that I splurged and ordered over $200 worth of their Ultrathick print sets. Getting them printed was the easy part… finding 25 photos decent enough to be printed from the thousands that we took while we lived abroad… no.
My husband’s wonderful family lives in Charleston, which means we get there about twice a year. Errrr…not nearly enough in my opinion! (As I sit here looking longingly out the window covered in frost).
