tender seasonal shifts

six ways I take gentle care

Everywhere I go lately - the pottery studio, the farmers market, the coffee shop, the yoga studio - I hear conversations of how - suddenly! - its fall, how it seems to have snuck up on us even when it unfolds more or less the same, season after season, year after year. Seasonal shifts can be an intense time, especially this fade into fall that apparently feels more like an abrupt tumble. So I’m gently wading myself in. Staying aware of the slow build of smaller shifts to let the hunker down of winter descend as soft as the first snow. Practicing taking sweet gentle care for myself and giving the harder days with extra tender attention make everything softer.

Here are six things I do to take gentle care, on good days and bad:

1. Take a walk. I am lucky enough to have a dog that needs four walks every day and they ground me more than anything else in my life. You don’t need a dog to go for walks, but they’re a good reminder of when you’ve been inside too long. Daily walks can fill you up and ground you, with or without a dog.

2. Get dressed, but embrace comfort. It feels really good to feel put together, even if I’m headed to get dirty at the studio. I tend to wear vintage black jumpsuits for clay play and live in babaa sweaters, linen dresses, and what I deem ‘fancy sweats’ (from MATE and Uniqlo) the rest of the time. I also got myself this beige ‘big shirt’ after spotting someone rocking it in bright bold color at a recent market. It’s oversized and comfy but makes me feel pulled together.

3. Feed myself and drink water. Somehow I completely forget to do these things that are necessary for living when I’m feeling overwhelmed with life things. Tea helps, too - calming and hydrating!

4. Do the hard things, a little at a time. Those life things that feel so overwhelming that I tend to shut down when I think about them usually end up not being as hard as I anticipate. This past week, I went to a new primary care physician, which I have not done since before the pandemic hit AND I called the tax department to get a penalty waived. Both experiences ended up being…delightful? But delightful in the way that I was expecting torture and they went smoothly. It felt so wonderful to know I was caring for myself in an important way.

5. Inexpensive art treats that make an impact. There are so many small artists out there that sell reasonably priced art for your home (like me!!!!), and when you buy from them directly, your money is going straight to their pups, their rent, their food, their life and work. I recently bought a bandana by artist Rani Ban for Coop’s fall wardrobe and a teeshirt for myself from ceramicist Rachel Saunders - both bring my little house so much joy.

6. Do something very human. We recently finished watching the show 1883 and there’s something about that old timey plains lifestyle that fills me with the need to do very innately human things, like cook potato stew and mend holes in my linen sheets with a needle and thread, both of which I did this week and it brought me a lot of peace.

• My wave collection is live on my site! Inspired to give daily reminders that the low tides will pass and to soak deep in gratitude when you’re on the high swells. Shop everything dishes and vases/cups for all your small sips and florals.

• For anyone local to Hoboken, I’ll be set up with my pots under the 14th st viaduct today! Details right this way.

• And my messy studio photo this week is me pinching a special commission in a sunny spot on the floor of my living room. If you have something special and specific in mind for the holidays respond to this email and lmk before busy season creeps up (despite my best efforts to peacefully wade into this season :))

The personal peace toolkit is your own catalog of accessible mindfulness techniques to fold into your life in 30 seconds, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes, bringing a little more calm to your days.

This week our practice is focused on leaning into gratitude of the shifting seasons with a gentle poem and actionable spontaneity.

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I hope you consider joining and building some peace and reflection into your life with me <3