I am 33 today. An adult, according to hobbits. All we have is time. And choices in them. So I’m choosing my time today. To dance. To grieve. To live.
Writing
Make New: Exhibits
Physical and digital, I love (library and archival) exhibits. I’m curating quite a handful at my job, using data to back decisions. If you want to browse a digital exhibit I designed in a team, check out https://pclha.cvlcollections.org/exhibits/show/rural_education_park_county_co. My main role was the data visualization. I’m currently drafting a submission for an academic journal all…
Staying Committed: Ryoko
Ryoko’s spirit shines. Her smile radiates, encouraging positivity. Yet she is incredibly grounded, helping me advocate for my abilities. We’re on a seemingly small committee together, helping with food for SGI’s new center. Thanks to her, I feel confident and capable. So appreciate how she supports women. #womensupportwomen #womxnsupportwomxn
Open-Hearted: Reveal and Revel
When I’m open-hearted to the universe, love reveals itself. Joy intensifies, then lingers into contentment. I have nothing to hide. Instead, I’ve reveled in life. Changes like jobs, a new place soon, and a new car are transitions that may have frightened me in the past, “it’s too much”. Especially to my relationships. Instead, my…
Make New: Drum Circle
All year, I’m experimenting with different mediums. My friends Darin and Chad helped me form a drum Circle! We used Djembe, a West African drum. Fruit-shaped and egg-shaped shakers, a couple Cajon (music boxes), tamberime, and more were all played. Sometimes, Chad led, but often the music was improvised. Since we hosted it at a…
Staying Committed: Tracy K. Smith
After cutting most social media out, I’ve found a return to the joy scroll, not unlike the ol’ days o’ the 2000s-Internet. Such careful curation has led to some pretty kick-butt (content) creators. Namely, I’ve been finding poets sprinkled through suggested posts, like Tracy K. Smith. One of Smith’s pinned posts on social media is…
Open-Hearted: Actions and Allyship
Welcome back to my series on open-hearted living. “Open-hearted” is my word for 2025, and every month, I dive into a different letter of the compound word. How do I stay open-hearted while also being courageous to make change? When so many (queer, Black, brown, disabled, home-insecure) people are suffering, how can I show up?…
Make New: Songwriting
July’s been full of creativity. By making space in the in-betweens, adding an extra few minutes at the store of the day by meditating, and meeting up with fellow creatives, I’m exploring new things. And that, my dear friends, includes songwriting. Let me be clear: While my partner, best friend, brother, mom, and many more…
Staying Committed: Carolyn Burkhart
Now that I’ve graduated from my library program, I’m regularly reading, often 1-2 books in a week! While I love a thriller, sci-fi, or historical fiction, I’ve been on a memoir kick. I just plowed through Wild, about Cheryl Strayed’s solo journey through the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). An author and reader herself, Strayed shares…
Open-Hearted: Easy Energy
I considered many Es for this post, enoughness, essentialism, and enthusiasm, among others. Fortunately, there’s one last E at the end of this open-hearted series. In a sea of transitions, I’ve pondered many questions, opening my heart and home to new possibilities. Such a process of intentional asking and opening my heart to the universe…