Issue #26: 2023 Had Zero Chill, But We’re Still Friends

​I hope you all had a restful holiday with your loved ones! I finally have a second to breathe after the craziness of the holidays, and I wanted to get in touch before the ball drops in 2024.

Plus let’s face it: my productivity took a precipitous drop this week. 

As we disembark from the absolute rollercoaster that was 2023, I thought I’d reflect on the ups and downs of the past 12 months. 

Challenges: 

• Finding my footing as a copywriter: I left a very established career that I was good at, but it was draining my lifeforce. After walking away from a situation that was causing harm,  I’m now starting over in a new industry, which is difficult in new ways. 
• The balancing act: This was more so in the 1st half of the year, but I juggled a full-time job, parenting/family, taking night classes, and working freelance jobs to build experience, so “me time” has been pretty much non-existent. I’ve learned to savor solo trips to the store. 
• Navigating uncertainty: I’m still figuring out where I’m going, and there’s definitely more pressure to do so quickly with kids, bills, etc. I’ve told people that it’s like being in a forest with no discernable path, leaving me to forge ahead and make one on my own. That can be scary.  
• Networking: Ugh…as an introvert, this is HARD. I may seem gregarious to those who know me well or have seen me being “onstage” as a teacher, but my happy place is in quiet solitude. So having to talk to strangers at an LA work event is difficult, but it’s a skill I need to develop. I try not to “sell myself,” so to speak and just approach each interaction with genuine curiosity about the other person’s story and journey. That helps a lot. 

Highlights: 

• Jon: he’s a true homie and an amazing partner. His support, encouragement, and steadiness through this year has been a cornerstone for our family. He literally deserves all the good things in life because he’s a patient and selfless human being. 
• Learning a ton: I’ve learned SO much this year: about writing, persuasion, marketing, developing my voice, the corporate world, about various people and processes, and about me. This one is pretty rad because I know that learning is always possible, no matter how old we are. 
• Meeting cool people: While I’ve strengthened my relationships with friends who have truly supported me, I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with some awesome, talented, and inspiring people this year. Each person has had an impact on my journey, offering guidance and encouragement, and I’m so grateful for that. 
• Three Bee Honey: I was scared to do a Crowdfundr for TBH because I worried that people wouldn’t care enough to support it. But when we launched (with the help of the awesome Patrick Lugo guiding us along the way), people SHOWED UP and helped us successfully crowdfund our first graphic novel. 

I won’t kid myself by anticipating 2024 will be a smooth ride by any stretch of the imagination. After all, I’m an elder millennial who’s lived through decades of “unprecedented events.” 

But I know we have the tools to survive what comes our way, which reminds me of an old proverb:

“A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.”

Writing Update:
Jon is still inking the TBH pages. Juggling parenting and teaching middle school and life is hard, fam. However, he’s getting the pages done--slowly but surely. 

Jon at the end of the work day—and at the end of 2023.

Recent Read: The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin

A fellow copywriter at work recommended this book a few months ago. Around the same time, Jon bought it and loved it. Once he finished, he passed The Creative Act to me to read for inspiration through some serious writer’s block I was having. This book is 100% deserving of all the hype. I’ve felt grounded by Rick Rubin’s immense wisdom. And I mean so. Much. Wisdom.

Another thing I’ve grown to appreciate in non-fiction books like this one: I love the short chapters. We are always hustling and rushing from one thing to the next, but if I have 10 minutes or so, I can read a chapter, fully digest it, and feel like I learned something instead of stopping halfway and letting the main idea dissipate into thin air.

Pet Pics: 
Lilo turned 2 on Christmas Eve!  Here she is with her little holiday headband. 

​Here are Finn and Amelie working hard at competitive napping. 

Sanity Corner:
I know I’m late to the game, but I finally started using “Do Not Disturb” mode on my phone. 

​And holy moly—what a difference it has made! 

Text messages can be a huge distraction when you’re trying to establish a workflow or focus on other tasks--even if that TikTok video your friend sent IS hilarious. It’s been so effective at blocking notifications, that I’ve set my phone to DND every day, even on weekends. 

If you haven’t tried “Do Not Disturb,” I strongly recommend it if you want to reduce distractions.

That’s it for now. Thank you so much for reading! I’ll be in touch again in 2024. Have a Happy New Year, everyone! :)

Take care,
Desi