Books

Piranesi - A moonlit labyrinth filled with statues, tides, and an unsettling mystery. A story that exists outside of any recognizable time or place. Hopeful and haunting in equal measure, Piranesi explores influence, trauma, and the ways our memories shape our identity. To go into this book blindly is to find yourself on a profound and deeply existential quest.

Murder on the Orient Express - A luxurious train trapped by snow. A passenger found murdered behind a locked door. With every interview, every alibi, and every clue, the mystery deepens. Clever, tightly plotted, and endlessly suspenseful, it's the kind of mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

The Count of Monte Cristo - Castles perched above the sea, hidden treasure, secret identities, and daring escapes. The Count of Monte Cristo is an epic of adventure and transformation, exploring justice, vengeance, hope, and the question of whether becoming the instrument of fate comes at the cost of one's humanity. I’m currently reading it in its entirety for the first time (after always loving the movie and abridged version from English class) and it’s immediately becoming one of my favorite classics.

Circe - An island of wild herbs, whispered spells, and crashing waves. Gods, monsters, nymphs, and mortals weave through this luminous reimagining of an overlooked heroine from Greek mythology. With Madeline Miller's gorgeous prose, Circe becomes a meditation on solitude, transformation, mortality, and the soft strength that changes the world without ever seeking to rule it. I revisit this book often and also adore it on audiobook.

Films

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Stanley Kubrick remains one of my favorite directors, so I'm amazed it took me this long to watch 2001. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story feels astonishingly ahead of its time in every way. A surreal sci-fi masterpiece. It's both fascinating and eerie to watch a film from 1968 warn of the future while living in a time when many of those warnings feel increasingly familiar.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) - A world of glowing cityscapes, Catholic imagery, fast cars, “swords” and Shakespearean language collide in Baz Luhrmann's unforgettable vision of Verona. With extraordinary creativity, he carries a centuries-old story into the modern world without losing its soul, revealing that beneath every era's changing costumes and technologies lie the same timeless human impulses: love, pride, violence, and longing. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I watch it at least twice per year.

Bladerunner (1982) - A dystopian dreamscape of neon lights, endless rain, and artificial beings searching for meaning in a world that has forgotten how to be human. Ridley Scott's masterpiece transforms science fiction into something deeply philosophical, asking where the line between creation and creator truly begins. I am going to see this at a local theater this week and I am so excited!

Food

Summer isn’t for spending long hours in the kitchen, in my opinion. It’s for effortlessly making the most of fruits and vegetables that are bursting with flavor and dining al fresco. Picnics in the park, patio sunsets, taking a coffee with your journal en terrasse. Here’s what I’ve been eating:

stone fruits - cherries, nectaries, peaches, etc

radishes and butter on toast

greek salads

lightly toasted salami - it gets deliciously crisp on the edges

snack plates with olives and pepperoncinis

almond croissants

oysters and sardines

burgers at our favorite local spot

proper neopolitan pizza - the pesto pistachio is my favorite

martha stewart’s extra lemony lemonade

Jeni’s brown butter almond brittle ice cream

Van Leeuwan’s honeycomb ice cream

frozen raspberries with dark chocolate drizzled over them

matcha marshmallows

melon and prosciutto

steak <3

roasted chicken, steamed cabbage, and pan-fried potatoes

vegetable soup

pho (on rotation year round)

Rituals

Language learning - I love languages and etymology. I’ve been learning French since I was in middle school and that practice has ebbed and flowed over the years. This year I decided that I wanted to push myself and get as close to a B2 level as I can (I’m currently around an A2). I’ve been completing a duolingo lesson each day, working my way through a grammar book, watching youtube videos (I love Français avec Nelly and Adeline Talks), and trying to think, write, and speak in French when I can.

Poetry night - The last time my partner and I watched Dead Poets Society, we decided we needed to bring poetry night into our own home. One evening this past week, we each prepared by selecting pieces to share. I chose a few poems by Mary Oliver, while he chose selections from Sea Songs and Ballads from the early 1900s. We turned off the lights, lit candles, and took turns reciting them to each other.

Movement - I’m returning to some regularity with my movement practice and it feels so great. Lately I’ve been rebounding on my mini-trampoline, doing some light weight lifting, going for long walks in my neighborhood, and hiking nature trails on the weekends.

Essays

nobody believes in later anymore

Rapunzel - An Alchemical Woman's Tale

I hope you’re having a great summer :)

-Mary Beth

Daydreaming is one of the most metabolically active states your brain enters — a quiet space where the real work of being human happens. In these precious moments, we may alter how we see the world, loosen the grip of a past trauma, be struck by inspiration, or imagine a version of ourselves we haven't yet had the courage to become. The mind isn’t buffering, it’s world-building.

The imaginary world is first built in childhood, and we have systematically dismantled it. Phones and high-dopamine entertainment have not just distracted us, they have eroded the architecture of imagination. We grew up in a world soft enough to hold complexity. Quiet and dreamy pastels, rich landscapes, and beautiful scores have been flattened into something loud, neon, and overly simplified. Paradoxically, the softer world could hold very profound and difficult themes. Children were once introduced, in movies and literature, to concepts like loss, grief, cruelty, the sublime — and this world was aesthetically beautiful enough to hold it without breaking. The same way a daydream can metabolize what a busy mind cannot. The modern world is overstimulating, yet emotionally shallow. It assaults the senses while avoiding depth.

Sleeping Beauty, 1959

Cocomelon, circa 2020

I think a lot of people feel the loss of something culturally, but struggle to name it. While we rewired our brains for constant stimulation, we surrendered our sense of enchantment and emotional depth. It’s worth paying attention to what arises when the mind stills. The memory of a loved one that resurfaces while gazing out of a window. The serenity we feel while admiring blue hydrangeas on a morning walk. The ache for a different pace of life when we look deep into a forest. Entertainment often mirrors the state of the collective psyche. A culture uncomfortable with stillness will produce endless stimulation. A society disconnected from grief, awe, and mystery will flatten its art into something fast, consumable, and emotionally obvious.

I started thinking about this more deeply over the last year when I revisited many of the films and books I loved as a child. I was surprised to find them more emotionally textured, visually intentional, and spiritually alive than much of the mainstream media currently marketed toward adults. In the past few years, I also began consuming significantly less social media, and noticed my mind slowly wandering back toward what it once loved. Fiction. Poetry. Philosophy. Daydreams. Old memories surfacing unexpectedly in the liminal moments of my day. These things gradually began filling the spaces that had once been occupied by an endless stream of content.

Inviting enchantment back into our lives

It’s not about optimization and consuming more information. It’s about letting your days breathe. Taking long meandering walks through a garden. Starting your day with open windows instead of open tabs. Filling the empty moments of your day with intention. Reading fiction instead of self-help. Letting your mind wander and seeing where it goes. Here’s a list of things that have helped me feel enchanted again.

Books

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

  A cold mansion, a lonely girl, and a hidden key. It’s about the exact moment your inner world starts waking up, and what happens when you finally let something bloom.

• Devotions by Mary Oliver

  A collection of poems that feel like a long morning walk in the damp grass before anyone else is awake.

• Fairy Tales from Around the World by Andrew Lang

  The original, textured folklore we used to tell each other by the fire. It’s a map of a much older world that is both incredibly beautiful and deeply dangerous, where the magic is a little dark and actions actually have consequences.

• The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

  A dusty attic, a set of rings, and a silent forest where every pool leads to a completely different universe. It’s a book about the staggering weight of stillness, and what it feels like to witness a world being created from nothing at all.

Movies

• A Little Princess (1995)

  Green-tinted attics, candelabra, and snow falling outside a cold London window. It’s about the fierce, stubborn survival of a child’s imagination, and using the stories inside your head to push back against a harsh reality.

• Labyrinth (1986)

  Dusty mirrors, glitter in the dark, and a shifting maze made of stone and moss. It’s a beautifully strange, tactile dive into the messy transition out of childhood—about what we lose when we grow up, and the wild, chaotic corners of our own subconscious.

• Sleeping Beauty (1959)

  Hand-painted tapestries, soft lavender woods, and a lush, operatic score. It is less like watching a modern cartoon and more like sitting inside an enchanted forest.

• Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) A cozy seaside town, a teenage witch, a black cat, and the particular loneliness of outgrowing your own magic and hoping to find it again.

  

  A Little Princess, 1995

Music

To invite enchantment back is to become a keeper of quiet, forgotten magic. To allow yourself to be moved, to be still, to let the invisible things back in. To believe anything can be a portal. To invite complexity. Enchantment is not merely aesthetic. It is a relationship with the depth of your own inner life. And it has been waiting for you, patient and unhurried, in all the spaces you forgot to leave empty.

I hope you’re daydreaming.

Mary Beth

Just under two years ago, I was living in a state of high-cortisol exhaustion. I was at a stressful job that didn’t align with my passion, and I lacked any creative goals outside of my career. Listless and disenchanted, I would spend my evenings scrolling LinkedIn, searching for a new job title that I hoped would act as an exit ramp for my burnout.

Years prior, I had abandoned my artistic projects, like playing music, to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to work. I had the naive hope that my efforts would have a great return on investment.

Spoiler alert: The ROI was low. I learned the hard way that who we are in our careers is deeply reflected by the satisfaction we cultivate outside of them.

From Passive Consumer to Intentional Curator

Fast forward through two rounds of The Artist’s Way, and my life feels unrecognizable. I enjoy my morning cup of coffee while writing by candlelight in my journal before the rest of the world is awake. My evenings are spent reading fiction that feels profound and shapes my world-view. I found a job that I love where I witness my best skills being utilized, but the biggest shift happened internally.

I moved from being a passive consumer to an intentional curator.

I realized that agency is the bridge between the life you have and the life you want. You don’t have to wait for a promotion to feel inspired. You shouldn’t let an influencer tell you what to wear or how to decorate your life. You have to decide that you are the Creative Director of your own existence.

1. Consult Your Inner Child

To lead a creative life, you have to look backward. What hobbies did you love as a child? What color was your childhood bedroom? What songs did you love to dance around to? As it turns out, the most creative person you know probably isn’t a fine arts graduate. It’s a five-year-old. Remove all judgement and check back in with that part of yourself. I’ve learned a lot of creative recovery is actually inner child healing in disguise.

2. Learn Crafts to Elevate the Everyday

Instead of buying mass-produced items, learn the crafts that allow you to create your own world!

• Try calligraphy to make home menus, write letters to friends, or just practice your penmanship so that you enjoy writing by hand more.

• Learn pottery to fill your kitchen and home with your own ceramics.

• Try sewing, crocheting, or embroidery to take your style into your own hands.

• Learn to paint to boost your circadian rhythm by watching a sunset and recreating it with watercolor.

• Make flower arrangements! I had so much fun doing this for my job over the past holiday season. Each week I would go to trader joes and pick a bunch of flowers. I would come home and use floral foam to arrange them to my liking and was shocked at how simple it was to make something that looked stunning.

3. Have the Audacity to Call Yourself an Artist

I used to think that claiming “artist” as a title felt uncomfortable and was reserved for only those who studied art formally or made it their full-time career. A creative life isn’t something we graduate into, it’s something that happens when we remove all the blocks society has put in our way. If you aren’t ready to call yourself a writer, a musician, a sculptor, a poet, or a designer, start by just trying to identify as a creative. Exercise your creativity at every chance! Say yes to things that stretch you and get you out of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to submit your work, recite your poetry at an open mic, show your most supportive friend the painting you started. With each rep, your confidence in yourself will get stronger.

4. Build a Home for the Art to Happen

Since your home is where you make your art, treat it like a studio.

• The Vibe: Have signature scents and specific playlists that signal to your brain: we are in creative mode now. I used to have a spray that I called “muse juice” that was ylang ylang, grapefruit, and a drop of basil essential oil.

• The Decor: Don’t look to influencers or white-washed Pinterest boards. Go thrifting. Think outside the box. Bring fun, keepsakes, and color back into your space.

• The Space: Build a space that your artist would want to show up to. In order to sustain a long session of creativity, consider the tactile elements. How comfortable is your work space? Do you have a cozy chair? Consider a special tea that you make when you are writing. A luxurious candle. One change that made a huge difference for me was buying a fountain pen. A good pen to a writer is what a great shoe is to a runner. I increased my endurance tenfold with the right equipment.

5. Curate a Wardrobe for the Person You Want to Be

Your clothes are how you present yourself to the world. This shouldn’t scare you, it should be exciting! It’s a way to state who you are without having to say anything. It’s completely worth investing time into understanding how to dress yourself in a way that makes you feel good. Figure out what colors make you happy. What textures soothe you. What outfits give you energy.

6. Consume Art Instead of Doomscrolling

We are what we ingest. Swap the mindless scroll for:

• Reading fiction and poetry.

• Watching a film that truly moves you.

• Going to the ballet or taking a dance class (even if you’re nervous!).

“When you realize that routines are actually rituals of devotion to yourself and your dreams, they become much easier to follow.” (quote in my collage - all images wildcrafted from pinterest)

It’s in the tiny, daily choices: selecting a beautiful ceramic mug, skipping an intense workout for a stroll at golden hour, or saying “yes” to an acting project for a friend.

That is agency. That is how you direct a life worth living.

I hope you’re creating something,

<3

Mary Beth

1. Have a picnic. Go to a specialty grocery store and buy some good bread, some cheese, some fruit, a good crunchy seasonal vegetable (I love radishes and cucumbers) a crisp drink of choice, and pack a basket with your snacks and a good book or a sketchbook. Go to a park and turn your phone off and enjoy the beautiful day. Cloudgaze. People watch. Recharge.

   

2. Go to an independent book store and meander the aisles with no particular goal in mind. Go to your favorite sections and maybe one you normally wouldn’t. It’s great to get out of your comfort zone with books.

3. Go on an artist date!

4. Write someone a letter. I love picking out stationary and being a little extra about it. I adore writing with my fountain pen, adding cute stickers, and sometimes even a spritz of my favorite perfume. We need to bring back analog communication <3

   

5. Watercolor. If there was a season for watercolor, it would most certainly be spring. I actually have watercolor pencils that I found at a used art supply store and I am obsessed with them because they are less messy than using paint. I love a good messy art project, but I can use these when inspiration strikes with less prep and clean up time and they travel more easily too. You can essentially just draw with them and then follow up with a paintbrush dipped in water to blend the colors. There are a few different techniques but that one is my favorite because it’s so easy! Here is a tutorial.

   

6. Go to an independent record store. In the age of spotify, please please please keep supporting your local music stores. The people that work there can give you amazing recommendations far better than any dumb algorithm that somehow gives you the same songs even with different inputs. I grew up going to the record store with my dad and am still extremely fond of CD’s and vinyl. It’s a sacred experience for me.

   

7. Research a subject that you are interested in. Are you interested in how to make kimchi? The roman empire? Astronomy? Greek mythology? Learning a new language? Music theory? Color theory? Cake decorating? How to make perfume? How to sew? Female protagonists in classical literature? Spend a few hours at the library or online learning about something that interests you!

8. Play a board game! I love chess, battleship, and even solitare! I want to get into scrabble this year too.

   

9. Start a garden. Last year I successfully kept an herb garden that stayed alive all summer and I loved it so much. It was so relaxing to start my day out in the sun watering my plants. And I loved the old world simplicity of cooking and being able to go grab a little basil or thyme out of cute little ceramic pots on my front porch.

10. Look up workshops and clubs in your area to attend. Take a pottery class. Go foraging. I got a telescope last year so I really want to go to one of the free astronomy events hosted by local colleges in my area. I also have been looking at going to a french club that happens at a local brewery to work on my conversation skills! I want to get to fluency or as close as possible this year (I’ve been studying on an off for years).

11. Have a movie night. Pick a really good movie to watch. Turn off your phone, dim the lights, make some high quality snacks, and get completely lost in the world of film.

    

    

12. Do some spring cleaning. Tackle that closet that’s been needing your attention for a while. Swap out your winter clothes for your spring/summer wardrobe. Deep clean something. Wash your delicates by hand. I love to listen to a great audiobook while cleaning. I like Root and Ritual by Becca Piastrelli for inspiration on building an intentional home. Or Circe by Madeline Miller if I want to get lost in a world of herbs, crafts, and ancient mythology.

13. Volunteer. Go to the soup kitchen, join a highway clean up crew, donate items to the homeless shelter or read to kids at the library. It’s easy in our egocentric technology-based world to get absorbed in your own identity and problems. The world would be a better place if we took everyone chanting “self care” replaced it with “community care” instead. This is something I want to be better about doing this year.

14. Write a short story. I will occasionally start writing poetry or a children’s story in my morning pages journal. It’s such a great exercise for focus and creativity. You don’t have to finish it or publish it. It can just be for you. World-building is so much fun.

15. Play an instrument. I grew up in a very musical household. I started playing piano when I was nine and have dabbled with a few other instruments in my lifetime so far. Music is such an amazing way to express our emotions and get out of our logical brain for a little while.

16. Get some physical media! Buy yourself a magazine and flip through it. I have my eyes on this bundle.

17. Bake something from scratch. Get an old cookbook, put on some music, and cook something new. Or an old family favorite. Get lost in the tactile sensations of kneading dough, the sounds of chopping vegetables and bubbling broth, the scent of crushed herbs. The way olive oil catches the sunlight in your kitchen. Life hack: removing as much plastic as you can from your kitchen will elevate the way you feel every time you walk in and invite you to stay longer. Transfer your plastic dish soap into a beautiful ceramic dispenser. Take store-bought herbs out of their container and place them in a jar on your countertop. Remove stickers from your fruit and put it in a large wooden bowl. Stock pantry items in glass jars. Even when it’s messy, it will still feel beautiful.

18. Have tea, intentionally. Make an herbal blend of your own or buy a good quality green or black tea and prepare it. Pay attention to how long it says to steep, how hot the water should be. Make a tea tray with some fresh fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate. Sit by a window and enjoy your tea while reading or daydreaming. When it rains, I love to have tea on the porch and listen.

    

I hope you have a great weekend.

-Mary Beth

Every time I see someone’s morning routine of pilates, red light therapy, IV drip, supplement stack (all done in complete isolation but for an online audience) I get comical flashbacks from the iconic performance by Christian Bale as the best fictional narcissist serial killer of all time in American Psycho. (Spoiler alert - he is not well)

“I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet, and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I’ll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial masque which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.” -American Psycho, 2000

To me, Patrick Bateman represents the world of supposed “optimization.” Healthy, wealthy, rehearsed socialization that creates the ideal outcomes - a relationship, a steady job, a social circle… but inside he is soulless. He is simply a veneer. This is where most people in the modern wellness industry are headed and they do not even realize it.

I think it’s time we all ask ourselves, what is an optimal life? Is it a perfect diet, a “snatched” face (whatever that means), socializing because our health will suffer if we don’t… or is it a felt experience and taking ourselves less seriously? Maybe even having a little fun?

When I think of wellness, I tend to think of sensuality when others think of optimization. Not taking a walk because you are trying to hit a number of steps, but because the flowers are blooming and they deserve your attention. Going to bed early — not because you “should” but because you worked really hard and it feels great to give your body the rest it deserves. At the same rate, I think it’s important to not do the healthy thing occasionally because living life means testing our resilience in the name of a good time. I usually prefer eight hours of sleep, but one of the best nights of my entire life was spent dancing in Montpellier with my sister and one of my best friends at her wedding until 5:00a, sleeping three hours, and then waking back up to eat chocolate croissants and drink coffee under an olive tree and catch a train back to Paris.

One of my favorite teachers who I reference a lot, Kasia Urbaniak, said that a virtue can be a vice if you cling to it too tightly and that we’d be better off moving through life asking what feels dead and what feels alive. It might make you feel alive 95% of the time to get adequate sleep, but giving yourself no flexibility could mean missing out on a last minute trip out to the countryside to stargaze under the full moon with your lover. It may usually make you feel alive to eat healthy, but occasionally having a slice of your grandma’s pound cake and indulging with all of your senses present for the experience makes you happy to be alive. The difficulty with this is that we have to create a heightened sense of self-awareness and be willing to make ourselves the absolute authority of our decisions. Everyone wants a black and white list of what is good and bad, until they look back on their life and see that the vast majority of opportunities they missed out on were grey.

While an influencer is rigidly counting her calories and abstaining from imperfection, there is a woman in Paris eating brie on baguette, making love to her partner, having a glass of wine, and smoking a cigarette — all on her lunch break. Later she’s going to a real party.

I feel like true health lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Too little discipline creates physical health issues, but too much can can cause mental breakdown. The pendulum will always swing back and forth from extremes, so maybe the healthiest of us are walking the path somewhere in the middle.

I wanted to include 10 more ideas for all of us affected by the winter storm that’s rolling in. Honestly a weekend spent indoors is the perfect time to have some hobbies that are more entertaining than just an endless Netflix binge (though a good binge can be nice sometimes too).

10 Bonus Artist Dates that can be done without leaving home:

1. Collage. Pull out some old magazines and make a collage! Low on material? Get on Canva or Pinterest and make a digital collage.

2. Reorganize your bookshelf. Put some love into your home library. Dust the shelves. Rearrange them however you see fit. By section, by author, or by color.

3. Make some homemade body care products. If you lived through the explosion of the essential oil MLM era, you probably have a handful of essential oil bottles floating around in your bathroom somewhere. Make some scented bath salts, a perfume oil, a bedtime linen spray, or whatever feels fun!

4. Make a still life. Take some of your favorite objects from around your home and organize them on a tray or table. Sketch, paint, or photograph them.

5. Rearrange your bedroom or living room. I don’t know if your mom was anything like mine, but I could come home from school on any given day and our living room would be completely rearranged. It’s like a breath of fresh air having a new perspective on everything. And a very cheap way to give yourself something “new” by simple moving and editing what you already own.

6. Host a cooking challenge for yourself. Rummage deep in your pantry to find a few items that are collecting dust - a can of garbanzo beans, some risotto, dried fruit, etc… challenge yourself to come up with a great meal that includes some of the ingredients you have been neglecting. I recently opened a bag of risotto I had for a while and cooked it. I decided to throw a tablespoon of miso paste in it and the result was absolutely delicious. I’ve been making it and topping it with some kind of fish (tuna or salmon) and some pickled veggies, avocado, and nori.

7. Curate a playlist. Pretend your life is a movie. Or pretend your writing a movie. Make a soundtrack for that film. Get specific about it - what plays during the opening credits, the heartbreak, the uplifting moment, the end credits?

8. Draw while listening to a favorite album. Let the feelings that come up dictate the movements of your pencil.

9. Write a letter to your future self. Put it somewhere special like a time capsule. Maybe open it when you’ve had a hard day for a little encouragement.

10. Prepare a beverage like it’s a sacred ritual. Turn on music that makes your kitchen feel like your favorite cafe. Make a cup of tea or coffee for yourself like you would for a very special guest. Sit in the most comfortable chair in your house and really enjoy it mindfully. Focus on the flavors and textures.

…and a bonus one:

11. Take a YouTube dance class! You don’t even have to be embarrassed if you suck at it! Nobody can see you. Try something you never have before like belly dance, salsa, or (if you’re feeling really brave) samba.

That’s all for today <3

Mary Beth

Whether or not you are currently doing The Artist’s Way with me right now (we are on week one—you can still come along for the ride), it is always a good time for an Artist Date.  An Artist Date is a solo excursion designed to nourish your inner creator.  It is simply a small amount of time you set aside for yourself each week to meet your muse somewhere.  To be softly fascinated by the colors, textures, and feelings of life. 

What feels especially significant about artist dates in our current era is that this is a time to turn your focus back toward your own perception of life.  We live in a time when so much of what people do is shaped by external validation and perception.  Most people’s behaviors and lifestyle choices have been outsourced as capital for a brand.  Our lives have been turned into a constant performance for the ongoing engagement of big tech companies, in a way that comically reminds me of one of those retro cymbal-banging monkey toys. 

Like real dates, artist dates can be as simple or as grandiose as you want them to be.  They can be free, or they can be positively indulgent.  I dabbled in a little of each category the last time I did The Artist’s Way.  Two of my favorite examples were: 1) a particularly lovely trip to a rose garden to read poetry, and 2) letting myself go on a small shopping spree with the intention of buying a couple of items that made me feel more like an artist.  I ended up realizing my inner artist loves blues and greens, and I left with a shimmering light blue button-down shirt that makes me feel like Cinderella, and a gorgeous, silky chartreuse green blouse.  Again, I did not buy these items because an influencer told me to or because they were trending that season.  I listened to my inner muse and felt drawn to them because they felt good to me.  Months later, I ended up wearing one to the premier of a song I helped write and the other to a project where I did a little bit of acting (a first for me)!  It is one of my core beliefs that style can actually help us step into the version of ourselves that we want to be.  

So whether you need some ideas because you are joining me for this creativity course, or because you need a little less screen time and a little more whimsy in your life, here are 10 ideas for Artist Dates to take yourself on.

1.  Play dress up.  If you are immediately thinking "play? ...are you serious??" that is certainly a sign of someone that needs to be doing this.  Yes, go into your closet and play.  Find three new outfits you have not worn.  My advice is to start with one that is for a completely made up occasion.  A fairy disco.  A safari.  Think outside of the box - the whole point is to be a little uncivilized about it.  Take a picture of this outfit and maybe just look at it on days when the adulting hits too hard and you need a little laugh.  Okay, now that your creative juices are going and we're being less serious, come up with two more outfits that you've never worn and actually would wear somewhere!  I'm currently devouring Allison Bornstein's book "Wear it Well" (which I've tagged below) which has so many inspired tips for putting together new outfits and seeing my wardrobe through new eyes!

- author of “Wear it Well”

2.  Use coloring books.  We are early in the game.  If sitting down with a blank sketchbook feels too frightening, buy yourself an adult coloring book!  This will help strengthen the muscles of creativity that we will rely on for the rest of this course.  Coloring is extremely soothing and a nice way to get off your phone for an hour or so.  You can have a movie on in the background or listen to one of your favorite albums.  I have a few that I really love.  One is a color book of mandalas, when I want to feel productive I have one of medicinal plants that is helping me learn to identify them in nature, and I also have one that was gifted to me by a best friend that is full of cute pictures of matcha, cozy fireplaces, and other serene self care scenes.

3.  Go to the library.  Do you have a library card?  I hope so!  Take yourself to the library for an hour or two and just wander.  Go to the sections you love, go to sections you usually neglect.  Do some research on a topic that really excites you!  There are also so many incredible resources including the people that work there.  They love helping you connect the dots in your intellectual investigations.  

4.  Turn your living room into a jazz club for a night.  You don't have to listen to jazz (but if you are I recommend Stan Getz, Bill Evans, and Grant Green).  The idea is to think of your living room as a sensory experience.  Put incandescent lights on for a warm amber glow, put your drink in a fancy cocktail glass (even if it's just sparkling water - what up my fellow sober girlies), put on an outfit that's a little sexy, and put on an album that you love and really listen to it.  Light a little palo santo to put some smoke in the air.  Put a tiny lamp on your table.


5.  Go for a walk (weather permitting).  Bundle up and go outside.  Music is okay, but only if it's adding a sensory layer to the outdoors and not distracting you from it.  No podcasts, even no music is really ideal.  Practice the art of paying attention.  Look at the color of the sky, the colors of leaves, feel the invigorating chill of air on your skin, listen to the wind chimes, the birds.  Watch the clouds.  

6.  Write a short story.  Just for fun.  You're not publishing it (unless you want to).  Write a children's story, or a sad story, or a mystery.  Write a poem.  When I'm feeling stuck with my writing I'll pull three tarot cards.  One for background, one for the conflict, and one for the resolution.  Let the symbols and images inspire you.  Fill in the gaps with your imagination.

7.  Try a new hobby.  Calligraphy.  Tango.  Knitting.  Watercolor.  Fencing.  Improv.  Tennis.  Pottery.  Embroidery.  Eco-printing and natural dying.  Baking.  Learn chess.  Learn a language.  The world is your oyster.

8.  Make a photo album or a scrapbook.  Take your phone to a drugstore of your choice and print a bunch of pictures!  It is so fun to have a real physical photo album to flip through.  Or if you already have a bunch of pictures you haven't visited in a while, go through them.  What memories come up for you?  Who do you miss that is in some of those pictures?  Write a letter to them (even if they've passed on).  

9.  Take a daytrip.  Go hiking or to a small town nearby you have never visited.  Walk through an antique shop.  Treat yourself to a really delicious cup of coffee and sit down to drink it in a real mug while you do some of your writing exercises from this week.  Talk to the locals.  Ask them where their favorite place to grab lunch is.  Order something you've never tried before.  Flirt with life a little.

10.  Take yourself to a museum, a ballet, or a concert.  Not to take pictures of the experience, but to be amazed by it.

Have you done your artist date yet this week?
Let me know what you're doing!


XO,
Mary Beth

P.S.  I'm working on a fun little giveaway for one of my subscribers that includes a print magazine, a few little perfume samples, and maybe a book or something!   More info coming soon.  <3

(images from Pinterest)

Yesterday a dear friend messaged me about her current spiritual ennui asking me for advice on a book, a podcast, or whatever I may offer her.  Without hesitation I said (apologizing for sounding like a broken record) if you have not done The Artist’s Way program yet, this is your sign to do it.  I think a lot of us are feeling a little lost right now.  The world feels to be crumbling beneath us and the news is pretty grim.  We often feel limited about what we can do at times like this.  Aside from activism, helping your community, being a kinder human every day, and aiding the world however you feel called to, art is one of the most underrated tools for moving our heaviest feelings.  Art is alchemy.  Creativity is how we take the lead of life and turn it to gold.  You don’t need a studio to be an artist.  All you need is a little time each day to devote yourself to whatever creative process you feel called to.

It just so happened that this friend texted me right after I had a delicious cappuccino. We all know what happens with caffeine meets inspiration. I immediately decided we were doing The Artist’s Way. Together. And I’m inviting my Substack followers to join us too. Am I giving you ample time to prepare? No. We start next week. Because there is no better time to do something than when you are feeling 10/10 ready for it.

I did The Artist’s Way for the first time in 2024. I bought it a couple of years prior and knew the time would come when it felt like the perfect thing to do. I was currently working at a job that left me feeling stressed and borderline miserable most of the time. My spark was fading, and as a gemini manifesting generator that is a major fucking red flag to do something about it. Every day I would march down to my favorite coffee shop on my lunch break, order something yummy, and read TAW. It quickly became my favorite moment of the day and a spiritual relief from what the rest of adulting felt like at that moment. What followed is hard to describe in words. Within the next six months I took a pottery class and made (what is now) my favorite coffee mug, I helped record a song that I wrote with a friend ten years prior, I did a little acting, and I even pitched an idea for an article to War Kitchen that ended up being published in print! My brittle exterior started to melt and the spiritual alignment that only comes with creativity was making me really happy again. I started manifesting things without putting much effort into them. I was just following my inspiration and removing blocks to my highest self. I started having “spa nights” at home with my favorite relaxing music, herbal epsom salt baths, red light therapy, etc… and within a short time a friend messaged me saying “hey there is a job at this wellness studio that I think you’d really love”. Within a couple of months I was working there and I’m currently happier at work than I have been in many years. I couldn’t Indeed and LinkedIn my way there (trust me, I tried). I had to be lead to it from my own desire and daily communing with God.

So here’s your invitation.

Next week we are starting Week 1 of The Artist’s Way. I will be trying my best to write about it each week and sharing some of my favorite takeaways.

Here is all you need to do to join:

1. Get your copy of The Artist's Way Not Kindle, not Audible - trust me, you want the real thing in your hands. This one delivers the fastest and has the journal included.

2. Get at least one journal (you’ll start these next week). Hear me out: I love a beautiful journal. And I like to have one at all times that I use for consciously writing out my more coherent thoughts and feelings. Your morning pages are not that. They are a stream-of-conciousness which the author of TAW doesn’t even recommending going back to read. It’s getting the junk out of your mind to see what follows after you are clear. I recommend getting cheap journals for the morning pages and a pretty journal for other types of writing/journaling.

3. Read pages 1-24 and sign the contract. This is an agreement you are making with yourself to embark on a life-changing journey. Life will happen. I have so many friends that say “oh I started TAW but I couldn’t get past week 4…” So let me go ahead and tell you my advice. Do not expect to do it perfectly, but promise yourself to do it until the end, week by week, no matter how that looks. It’s just 12 weeks. Light reading, daily journaling, and one weekly commitment to meet with your muse. That could be a walk in the park or an hour of doodling on a piece of paper. This is a party for your inner child, not a bootcamp. You have done harder things.

See you next week,

XO,

MB

Our brains have been on overdrive for (likely) our entire adult lives. Notifications and emails come at us faster than snail mail could have ever hoped. Maybe what we need more of isn’t cerebral, it’s somatic. Maybe the world would be a better place if we remembered how to feel again. Maybe the remedy to overstimulation is quieting our minds and regulating our nervous systems.

What we need is more practiced embodiment. Not running on a treadmill while you run through your to-do list in your head. I mean a daily practice that allows you to reorient your attention from your mind (which is probably stuck on overdrive thinking about the past or the future) and into your body. The goal should be a gravity that is felt when the speed of the mind slows and sensations feel much stronger. Instead of listening to another tech bro podcast as you speed walk down your street, turning off all external inputs and slowly walking while you pay attention the colors of the leaves, the sound of the birds, the way your mood lifts when the sunlight hits your face in the middle of the colder months.

Some examples of embodiment practices are:

-dance!!! (I am not a trained dancer by any means, but I love to dance and over the years have sporadically taken ballet, pole dance, belly dance just for fun)

-yoga or bowspring: bonus points if you can regularly work in a yin class, which will challenge your mind way more than a vinyasa could ever

-martial arts: (aikido, judo, karate, capoeira, etc) (I love this picture of fka twigs doing kendo. this is a woman that understands the value of embodiment practices)

-myofascial release: either performed by a therapist or at home with a program like Functional Patterns - I’m doing their 10 week course now and the way I feel after a session is unbelievable!

-tai chi and qigong (I’ve never officially taken a class but I have tried some on youtube that are really nice)

-primal movement/animal flow - very curious about these, I have seen some awesome videos and they look like they’d be great for anyone with joint problems.

-walking meditation

-regular meditation (I loooove the free app Insight Timer)

-trail running - okay I am no runner (lol) but I can see how if you like running, being in fresh air on a nature trail would be amazing. cardio + shinrinyoku (forest bathing) which is actually prescribed by doctors in Japan

-mindful weight lifting - again, I think any type of exercise could be an embodiment practice when you add the necessary ingredient of mindfulness

-being in nature - jumping into a cool river, sunbathing on the beach, hiking, walking in the snow - nature really is the easiest way to ground ourselves in the present moment

-playing an instrument - even though you aren’t moving your whole body, you’re moving, articulating, feeling. the noise of the world falls away and the only thing that exists is your expression

-a “spa night” - it could be an everything shower or an epsom salt bath. but either way it’s a ritual. warm lighting, lavender or rose or sandalwood essential oil, a body scrub, anything that makes you feel utterly pampered

-massage - either self-massage, with a partner, or a great massage therapist. a regular practice of sensory awareness increases proprioception

The most important distinction is that this is something that is deeply felt, not performative. If you grew up dancing or playing music, this is how it felt to dance or play in your room all by yourself and not for applause. If you are a professional athlete, this may be how it feels to let go of numbers and go for a walk instead of hitting a PR. It should be qualitative, not quantitative. Enough of our lives have been measured, capitalized, and monetized for us. This is a return to animal of your body. Swimming in a present moment so that you actually feel yourself in it. Letting your mind slow down.

Here’s to feeling at home in your body again,

MB

This year I finally got my life together and prepared for the holiday season by getting all my shopping completed by the first couple days of December and, as a result, I’ve been able to slow down enough to really enjoy it.

My last article was more thought-provoking and I’d like to keep this simple and fun. A few updates and a list of things I’ve really been loving lately. First of all, I made two very simple changes that have actually been really effective for naturally improving my ADHD. I started taking L-tyrosine in the mornings which is known to naturally increase dopamine (which those of us with ADHD are lower in). And I also started using my Filofax (snagged mine on Ebay!) as my main place of organizing my thoughts and lists. I’ve always used my phone for it’s obvious convenience using Google Keep and various notes/calendars etc. However, I can not understate the fact that, for myself, a phone or a computer is the worst place for me to keep my to-do list or organize my thoughts because the incessant sources of distraction do anything but make me feel organized. I need an analog place to keep my to-do list, my scribbles of notes, favorite quotes, and ideas of things I want to create. I know it seems archaic and inefficient, but neuroscience now shows that when we write by hand we have significantly more brain activity than when we type on a computer or phone. It also serves as an alternative of what to pull out when you’re bored in public and I can take a moment to write a few thoughts or read some things I’ve tucked away for future reading. So anyway, I would say since starting just these two things I’ve noticed a surge of productivity and while it’s just anecdotal evidence I think it’s worth sharing.

One of the things I used my Filofax for this year was keeping a list of my loved ones and scribbling ideas for their Christmas presents all year. I literally started Christmas shopping in September and finished on December 2nd, which allowed for this whole month to be filled with watching movies, making hot cocoa, crafting, learning new songs on piano (an older hobby of mine that I’ve recently picked back up), and just taking it easy! So here is a list of all the things I’ve been enjoying lately:

Flower Arrangements - I got tasked with making flower arrangements for my job this holiday season, and I actually found out that I enjoy it so much! Floral foam is an absolute game changer. I’ve always enjoyed just throwing flowers in a vase, but being able to change the shape/composition of it is so easy and really elevates the finished product. For reference, with a little creativity this only costs about $35 for flowers from Trader Joe’s (plus a little extra for whatever container you want and the foam) and only takes about 10 minutes of cutting stems and arranging. I would love to give these to people for special occasions as a present! I just looked at a few different ones on Pinterest for inspiration. I’m proud of how this one turned out!

A.M. French Lesson + P.M. Piano Practice - A fun fact about me is I love creativity and picking up new hobbies, and don’t always end up sticking with all of them but enjoy them for whatever time I am doing them. Well, one of my goals for 2026 is to put some daily effort into two hobbies/interests I’ve build a solid foundation of so that I can continue to progress with those things specifically. I have already starting building this practice so that it’s already a routine when January gets here. I started learning French in middle school and have studied on and off for years. I’ve been to France twice and each time was excited to see my conversational skills getting better, but fluency is a goal of mine for 2026. As for piano, I played consistently from age 9-18 and then just kind of left it behind for other instruments in my 20’s (ukulele and guitar mainly) and really haven’t been playing music in my 30’s which is such a shame! So I’ve started playing a little bit every single day and I am really excited how quickly I’m picking it back up, even reading sheet music which I haven’t done in well over a decade. My boyfriend bought me sheet music for the Vince Guaraldi (from the Peanut’s) Christmas Album which I listen to over and over every Christmas and now I’m finally learning it on piano!!! I’m trained in classical music but I love jazz and want to focus on learning that genre. Also, you know what’s even more romantic than using blue light blockers at night? Playing piano by the light of a beeswax candle.

Painting Beeswax Candles - This turned out to be a fun creative project and a fun little extra to throw in a gift for loved ones :)

The Secret Garden - Took a break from my Christmas movie marathon to revisit this absolute favorite from my childhood. Somehow it’s even more magical to revisit as an adult. And somehow still felt on brand for the Holidays? Perhaps a reminder that what we tend in the winter will bloom in the spring <3

Reading Dostoevsky + The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - I love balance. Reading The Brothers Karamazov for the first time as a Winter project. Perfect for mornings with coffee. Then the magical children’s story by CS Lewis for devouring while in a magnesium bath at night.

Christmas Cards - Getting my shit together this year (thanks again Filofax) allowed me to have more time to do things in December other than frantically run around shopping for presents. I loved handwriting Christmas cards while watching movies.

Vegetable + Beef Soup - Nothing hits the spot on a cold night like following my grandmother’s recipe for the most delicious and nourishing bowl of soup with beef, carrots, potatoes, and green beans, okra, corn, and cabbage. I’ve been eating it for breakfast too.

The Nutcracker - I’ve been wanting to go for the past few years and finally freed up enough time to be able to make it this year. Absolutely enchanting.

Sauna - Big fan of sauna year round, but there’s nothing quite like getting in the sauna when it’s cold outside.

Hot Cocoa - with lots of marshmallows. We’re gelatin-maxxing and nurturing our inner child, okay?

Okay, so that’s an update on what I’ve been up to, lastly I want to leave you with some random youtube videos to enjoy. I hope you’re all having a cozy holiday season, however you celebrate. If you love your family, I hope you get to hug them all. If you prefer a minimal + intimate holiday at home, I hope that happens for you too.

XO,

MB

“Plato’s Allegory of the Cave describes prisoners chained in a cave, mistaking shadows on a wall for reality, and illustrates the philosopher’s journey from ignorance to enlightenment, representing the transformative power of education and the pursuit of truth beyond sensory perception.”

Is it just me or does this cave sound a lot like an afternoon spent doomscrolling?

Summary of the Allegory of the Cave

In the allegory, the prisoners are immobilized and presented only with shadows projected on a wall. These shadows are not reality itself, but representations shaped by unseen actors and mechanisms. The prisoners, lacking alternative reference points, come to mistake these shadows for reality… which sounds an awful lot like the world we live in today. Social media has made it possible to live in a cave (or an echo chamber). The shadows are the images on a screen that we call the real world. And this is now being amplified because of the exponential growth of AI and deep fake.

We are not observing the world directly, but curated representations of it: images, clips, metrics, and narratives filtered through algorithms. Our perception of the world has been warped like a fun house. What is presented is not false in every instance, but it is manipulated for engagement rather than truth. As with the shadows, the medium rewards what is striking, emotionally charged, or familiar, not what is necessarily accurate or complete. Social media algorithms are not designed to understand truth, meaning, or wisdom. They are designed to maximize attention.

Attention is measured through simple signals: clicks, likes, shares. These signals are strongest where human reactions are fastest and most predictable. As a result, the algorithm converges toward the lowest common neurological denominator. Subtlety divides audiences. By contrast, outrage, fear, erotic suggestion, and humiliation generate rapid reactions. They are, unfortunately, efficient. And one could argue this plays a part in the current erosion of literacy and art. What’s efficient is never beautiful, meaningful, or complex.

The allegory also emphasizes resistance to enlightenment. When a prisoner leaves the cave and returns to report that the shadows are not the real world, he is mocked and rejected. In contemporary terms, individuals who challenge dominant online narratives or disengage from constant feeds are often dismissed, ignored, or treated as elitist. In both cases, the central philosophical danger is the same: mistaking representations for reality, and confusing familiarity with truth.

Once the prisoner understands the sun as the source of truth, he no longer desires to return to the cave. Likewise, someone who has reclaimed their attention away from feeds and metrics often finds direct experience—conversation, sustained thought, physical presence—more rewarding and less fragmented than online interaction.

The final and most severe element is the return. Reduced participation is framed as irrelevance, loss of influence, or social decline. When the cave becomes your whole world, you cannot imagine another reality outside of it.

That’s all for today.

MB

I don’t know about you, but I love many creators’ “favorites of the month” content, whether it’s on Substack or Youtube. It’s really comforting for some reason. However, I have noticed that these lists tend to be really product-focused, which is fine! But I’d love to start doing these and having them be a more balanced array of little moments, films, books, experiences, and a few favorite products possibly. So let’s dive in - here is my list of July favorites:

Playing outside

This was one of my favorite months of the year so far. I spent so much time outdoors. One day I made a playlist inspired by the soundtrack of my life if it was a David Lynch film. Basically, just a list of songs that touch me at my very core. They all strike a deep chord in my soul and psyche. And I just went for a long walk and actively listened to each one. Walking and listening to good music is one of my favorite things to do for free. It inspires my writing and music adds such a nice emotional layer to everything in life. Although I live in the city, I am extremely blessed to live in a very green city and in a neighborhood with lots of beautiful trees, flowers, and meandering streets. On the days where it was too hot or my schedule was too busy during the day, my boyfriend and I went on many moonlit night walks this month. Walking at night is such a different sensory experience. I love to take a shower, put on perfumed lotion (a dear friend gave me this one for my birthday and I am obsessed with it) and a soft linen set and just go for a long, slow stroll. It’s not for exercise, it’s for the experience. Being off a screen and talking about the day and holding hands. I love seeing the moon hang like a lantern in the sky, different nightlife like owls, and the way plants look under the soft glow of a gas lamp. I also got to spend a few days at the pool with my nephew which was so much fun. Being at the pool with a kid is an easy way to remember how simple the joy of summertime actually is. And how we all have access to it - whether you’re at a pool, running through a sprinkler, or eating a popsicle or a fresh peach.

Books + Films

I had a lot of schoolwork to do this month, so my recreational reading was slim but enjoyable when I was able! I’m currently reading Kitchen Confidential (please buy at a local book store if you can, but I include the amazon link for convenience/reference) by Anthony Bourdain. This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re an Anthony Bourdain fan you probably already know what you’re signing up for. It’s crass and ruthlessly honest, but that’s why we love(d) him. RIP to a real one.

I also just finished The Art of Frugal Hedonism which was a refreshing perspective on consumerism and the freedom we get back when we choose to question “why do we buy so much stuff?” and dare to live a little differently. I also have Devotions by Mary Oliver on my Kindle which I read a poem or two out of almost every day, usually right before bed or with coffee in the morning. I also reread parts of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare, both I found at a used book store for under $3 a piece. I loved revisiting favorite lines and annotating them. I particularly loved Romeo and Juliet because I am obsessed with the film by Baz Luhrmann (I watch it at least twice per year) and always love finding hidden references to the original text in the film. For example, in the play Lord Capulet tells Paris to come to his party to view the celestial beauties "Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light" and in the movie they don’t reference this exact line but Paris shows up to the party dressed as an astronaut.

Films I watched this month:
I'm very much having an "inner child" summer and rewatched a lot of favorites from when I was a kid.  A few were Robin Williams movies that were due to be revisited.  A few are just forever classics.

The Sandlot, 1993
Hook, 1991
Aladdin, 1992
The Parent Trap, 1998
Dead Poets Society, 1989
No Country for Old Men, 2007

Two mentions from earlier in the summer - Brazil, 1985 was new to me and became a favorite.  Extremely creative dystopian science fiction/comedy by Terry Gilliam (one of the creators of Monty Python).  And Human Traffic, 1999 which is another british comedy - a coming of age film about nightclub culture in the late 1990's.  

Dead Poets Society, 1989

Misc.

I’m really enjoying long form content only as of lately. I get on and off instagram sporadically but sometimes it’s apparent that my brain needs a long break. Substack, Pinterest, and Youtube are it for me right now. I’ve also been playing chess online over the past few years and I’m trying to play more often and increase my skill level. I finally found someone to play with in real life and it way more intense than playing online (in a good way). The level of focus it requires is exhilarating. To completely lock into something for an hour is hard work but in a way that feels very rewarding. I also went to my first silent book club and it was a lot of fun! I personally hate traditional book clubs because I am very independent and don’t like to be told what/when to read. However, a local brewery in my neighborhood had an event that a friend invited me to where you just go and everyone reads in silence for an hour and then you can mingle afterwards. So I sipped on a French 75 and read Kitchen Confidential and got to see a friend and enjoy their company for a couple of hours.
I haven’t really been spending money on clothes lately but I’ve been enjoying putting some summer outfits together out of what I already have. I started my new job back in March and I feel like it always takes a few months for me to find the perfect overlap of any job’s dress code and my personal style. My favorite outfits lately have been simple, comfortable, with just a hint of elegance. Like a long flowy dress with a silk scarf in my hair for a little fun. Or jeans and a nice teeshirt with espadrilles. It’s been a hot summer here in the Carolinas so I’ve really been enjoying cold showers and even went cold plunging with some co-workers earlier this month. Another random update/July favorite is after a few months of taking a break from coffee, I’m back to drinking it each morning. It was necessary to give my nervous system a reset and fun making lots of creative tea-centric beverages, but I love a cup of coffee in the morning. It may or may not be related to my very productive month of writing, deep cleaning, schoolwork, and having fun.

A few treats…

A couple of years ago I bought this lace top in black and it became one of my favorite pieces. I loved it so much that I treated myself to it in “evening cream” recently because they finally had it in my size again. Last year I worked really hard on editing my wardrobe and investing in pieces to last. I’m happy to say that I really haven’t needed to buy anything in months, but I couldn’t resist this one!

I mentioned this in a previous post, but I also indulged in my second full size bottle of Molecule 01 - my favorite daily perfume and the one I get the most compliments on.

Stickers like these and these last forever and really take journaling and writing letters to another level.

We went to Marshalls and foraged some candles to bring home. This is one of our favorite rituals that we do each season. My favorite ones are the Paddywax brand because they smell incredible, come in the cutest containers (that I often save and repurpose), have better ingredients, and are made in the US!

I’m getting to the end of my current journal and although I usually get a Moleskin, I’m eyeballing this snoopy journal for my next one.

That’s all for today. I thought about including food but I think I might save that for another post. As we approach the end of summer, I’m always filled with the desire to eat all the fresh produce while it’s still available. And August means fig season. Oh, and I’m going on a family beach trip next week! Coincidentally it’s a break week for school too so I’ll really get a week off from work and school to spend outside soaking up the sunshine and being with family. I can’t wait.

Till next time,

Mary Beth

You didn’t need big bucket list vacations abroad. All you needed was an afternoon playing outside with friends, a book to read under a blanket fort, an ice cream cone, and an evening spent running through the backyard barefoot with fireflies. While summer tends to bring out our most extroverted (and extravagant) selves with endless daylight and invitations and the FOMO that sets in if you scroll everyone’s highlight reels, I believe that summer can feel intimate and magical right at home.

Now, let me be clear: I am not anti-travel. One of my favorite summers of my life included a trip to France to visit a friend from college, the memories of which are preciously tucked in a photo album that I often revisit. Last week, I sat at a cafe in my neighborhood having a pistachio croissant and a cappuccino while writing in my journal about how much I miss Paris. Travelling abroad is an opportunity to expand your horizons and get uncomfortable - both things I highly recommend. The point of travel should be to come home changed. To take note of what you learned from a culture and embody it in your daily life. And yet, platforms like Instagram would have you believe all your life’s deficiencies can be solved by a week in Positano. I would argue something else entirely: what we need, more than ever, is to build lives we do not feel compelled to escape.

With that being said, here are some ways to have a slow, intimate, and enchanting summer:

1. Get off your phone.

   Are you on vacation? Be in the moment. Are you at home? Stop comparing your summer to everyone else’s. Go to the library and find a book with a world you can get lost in. Take a pottery class. Drink wine on the porch with twinkly lights and play board games with your partner or your family. Stop trying to document every single moment with your phone. Take a few pictures and put it away! Journal about the best thing you did that day and how hard you laughed when you were baking a pie with your mom and spilled the filling everywhere. Have a movie night and turn the lights down low and make popcorn and really watch it without distraction. If you’re watching it with someone, talk about it! What made the movie so entertaining? What parts moved you? What jokes did you miss as a child that revealed themselves to you as you got older? (Highly recommend making s’mores and watching The Sandlot around the 4th of July - it feels like the tradition you always needed)

   

2. Enjoy seasonal food.

   Go to the farmer’s market or the grocery store and load up on fresh produce! Come home and spend time in the kitchen really being present with the flavors. Some of my favorites right now:

   cherries, cherries, cherries - I can’t get enough.

   salted watermelon

   warm, juicy tomatoes

   cucumber

   Fishwife tuna & sardines

   homemade granola for making parfait with creamy yogurt and fresh fruit

   mozzarella for making caprese salads with basil fresh from the garden

   lemon in water, lemon squeezed over everything

   any kind of pasta

   sparkling matcha lemonade (just pure matcha, a little honey, squeezed lemon, & sparkling water over ice)

   a good burger with lots of toppings

   ice cream and sorbet

   s’mores with elevated dark chocolate choices

3. Read fiction.

   Summer is the best time of the year to read purely for fun. I used to devour books during summer break. I wanted them to transport me to another world. Rereading favorites from your childhood is always fun or discover something new in order to be surprised. Some ideas:

   Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

   A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

   Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem

   Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

   The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

   Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

   Circe by Madeline Miller

   The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

   Galahad and the Grail by Malcom Guite

   Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

   A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare

   My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme

   

4. Take a daytrip and play outside.

   Do not miss the clarity that can be found in that cold mountain river that is only a two hour drive from your house. Big vacations are fun, but small daytrips are underestimated! Pack a cooler with sandwiches, drinks, and good snacks. Go for a small hike (do be careful and mindful of the heat). Don’t forget bug spray. In the heat of the summer, I like really short hikes in the mountains that lead to rivers and natural swimming pools. Jump in the water, lay out on the rocks, eat snacks, read a book, explore the natural world. Don’t forget how easy it is to be enchanted by the outdoors in the summertime.

Get lost in the magic of summer. It’s in the little moments.

That’s all for today. Talk to you soon.

XO,

MB

1. Cooking in the kitchen with my mom… I learned how to make many delicious things, like my grandma’s chicken and dumpling recipe. She passed 10 years ago. Learning to cook her recipes is a beautiful way to reconnect with her in the kitchen.

2. Getting hydrangeas from my boyfriend delivered to my work on my birthday. I’ve always wanted a guy to get me a nice bouquet of flowers. I asked, he listened. :)

3. Doing “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron for the first time. If you know, you know.

4. (As a result)… making a lot of art! Took a pottery class, made some beaded bracelets, wrote poems, drew with colored pencils. Dopamine has never hit like it does when drinking coffee out of a mug you made.

5. Many mornings spent cuddled up on the couch with a good book or a crosswork puzzle.

6. Went to the spa TWICE this year. *chef’s kiss* In lieu of big birthday extravaganzas me and my best friend bought each other massages. Nothing beats being in a big fluffy robe with your best friend while you sip champagne (and plenty of chilled herb-infused water) and then going to the infrared sauna, a salt room, and getting a massage. I think this is the new standard.

7. Handwriting letters consistently. I even went to Michael’s and bought a bunch of cute stickers to decorate them!

8. Microdosing in a rose garden during a very lovely weeklong staycation- (future core memory). Also reading a lot of Mary Oliver in that same garden.

9. Indoor rock climbing with my other best friend :)

10. Learning to mix music - I felt IMMENSE joy while mixing soul music on Sunday mornings.

11. Recording a song I wrote several years ago! I had only ever played live music, and this felt so special to bring it from the ethers into the concrete realm.

12. Going to Sedona with two friends. Sedona is one of the most naturally breathtaking and sacred places I have ever been. We hiked to a vortex, went to a psychic (duh), ate tons of delicious food, visited a Buddhist temple, stargazed, went to a dog costume parade… it was magnificent.

13. Rewatching Twin Peaks for the third time in my life. What a masterpiece. I love David Lynch.

14. Started reading Substack <3

15. Started writing on Substack <3

16. Continuing to regularly disconnect from social media to indulge in higher forms of leisure (like lounging in your pajamas while daydreaming or playing battleship with your boyfriend)

17. Cherishing time with my family. Welcoming a new nephew into the world.

18. Cuddling with my dogs and singing them silly little songs.

19. Following my heart and making the decision to GO BACK TO SCHOOL. It feels good to be back in the steady, organized rhythm of academia.

20. Jumping on my rebounder while blasting house music (such a high!!!!)

21. Deepening my practice of BOWSPRING yoga with Paris Latka - she is such a fun yoga teacher! Nerding out on all things related to posture, fascia, and functional movement.

22. Reading gothic literature by thunder and candlelight as soon as spooky season started and throughout all of winter. (I know I already mentioned reading, but this needed a spotlight)

23. Smelling all the candles in the store with your partner and deciding which ones to bring home.

24. Putting herbs like lemon balm, lavender, and mugwort in a mortar and pestle, grinding them down and rolling them into literal rose petals to smoke ceremonially

25. Moaning while eating tiramisu from my favorite local italian bakery down the street from my house (can you stay quiet while eating really, really good food?)

26. Keeping a tab of the names of your favorite baristas/waitresses/hosts/etc so that you can refer to them by name. I read this tip on Substack and it changed my life. I am a visual person so I would ask and aaalways forget the names of people who work places where I’m a regular. Also leaving heartfelt reviews and being able to drop a name into it is a form of modern etiquette.

27. Doing 0% Christmas shopping on Amazon. This wasn’t really something I decided, it just organically happened as I had so many awesome local places I wanted to get gifts from. Oh yes and one massive trip to target (for the nieces and nephews gifts that were specifically requested) that I very much enjoyed and helped me get into the Christmas spirit :)

28. Watching Home Alone and It’s a Wonderful Life and Scrooged (and other favorite Christmas movies) while giving it all of my attention and not passively watching while being on my phone. We’ve all done it. You miss too much of the magic when your attention is fractured.

29. Re-reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe on one of the days after Christmas when you are awkwardly betwixt one holiday and the next. This was such a cozy read because of the focus on snow, fir trees, Christmas, and cute little scenes like having toast and tea with a family of beavers by a fireplace.

30. Wearing matching pajama sets. I didn’t get it… until I did. Now I have three sets. My favorite is a pink silk set that I thrifted during my trip to Sedona. When I’m in my matching PJ’s (rather than yoga pants and a teeshirt) I feel like I have my life together. I also feel like I need a martini.

It’s easy to get caught up in planning for the year ahead. Don’t forget to reflect on the fun you had.

Xo,

MB

for her ability to be the backdrop

of a story where they are always the main character.

they come to the garden

bombastically

and drink up all her bright nectar.

they come

loud and proud

unaware of the serenity they’ve stolen

and the flowers tolerate it all.

which is more than I can say for myself.

Jordan Peterson said that to write

we must notice what bothers us.

humans make writing so easy.

as I swallow the hard lump of my pretension

I wonder, how many times

have I made it easy for others to write?

I’ve recently started rewatching my favorite TV show of all time. Twin Peaks… have you seen it? If you love autumn, murder mysteries, cinematography, the 90’s, David Lynch, quirky characters, small towns, mountain lodges, the supernatural, and fall fashion, this show may just be for you. Every time I watch it I fall more in love with the realm that Lynch created. This time I am hyper-focused on the color palette and fashion of the show. The time period is impossible to put your finger on. It mixes elements of 50’s and 80’s fashion in a way that is flawless. It almost seems believable in the way that small towns can feel trapped in previous decades and it adds to their charm.

Let’s dive into some of my favorite looks:

The character Josie is perpetually nailing the chic, elegant, minimalist businesswoman style that became popular in the 1980’s. She is often in neutrals like black and white with delicate jewelry and a pop of red lipstick (very Sade). Absolutely timeless. This could take you from a business meeting to a date night or even just looking fabulous while running errands. I love the way she balances more dramatic makeup with short hair and very simple touches of jewelry.

Audrey Horne is a temptress. She brings more of the 1950’s style to the show. Long pleated skirts, oxford shoes, cardigans, and a short curly bob. I would wear any of these looks to a book club or the record store… or while following around an FBI agent I have a crush on.

Here are some great examples of warm autumnal tones and perfect jackets for layering over turtlenecks, blouses, etc.

I love this look. Jean skirt, camisole, delicate lace blouse, red lipstick, and a green velvet headband. I also appreciate the little touches of black here with the skinny belt and the shoe (which I really hope is a loafer)! I would wear this to any holiday party. I used to shy away from red and green together if it wasn’t specifically for Christmas and have completely changed my outlook on this. I’ve been in love with many shades of dark green this fall and a few fun pops of red, from fire engine to cherry or even a deep oxblood.

I love how much plaid/flannel is on this show. It’s like falling headfirst into an LL Bean or Pendleton catalogue. Josie looks stunning but also very comfortable in this look. I would love to sip hot cocoa in a ski lodge while wearing this.

80’s secretary core at its finest. A big sweater, layered over an overly embellished blouse, and a very poofy up-do? What’s not to love. For work, for a party, for life.

One cannot talk about Twin Peaks without bringing up Dale Cooper. Kyle Maclachlan plays everyone’s favorite FBI agent and always looks sleek. He is cool, calm, collected, and known to occasionally rock a trench coat with a polka dot tie. Not only is he always serving up wholesome dialogue and spiritual wisdom, he is usually serving up some dashing men’s attire.

I mean, come on… I need this robe too.

Here we have Billy Zane modeling more of the men’s styles from the show. Nothing beats the cozy academic combo of a nice sweater and a retro frame.

More unique combinations of prints and accessories, always in the show’s color palette so that it isn’t jarring or disruptive and adds great texture and playfulness to the show.

Here is a stunning elegant 80’s look. The hint of shoulder pads with a V-neck, a large brouche, and large statement earrings.

I hope you found some style inspiration in this collage of Twin Peaks stills. If you’ve never watched it, I highly recommend giving it a shot. If you have seen it, maybe it’s time for a revisit. November is the perfect month for watching this show. If you’re reluctant to let go of spooky season like me, it is a perfect way to lean into the darker months post-Halloween. It might inspire you to drink black coffee, eat cherry pie, sit by a fireplace, breathe in the scent of douglas fir, decode your dreams, or maybe just buy another cozy sweater or turtleneck.

Till next time.

-MB

There have always been potions. Floral waters, baths of honey and milk, the nectar of fruits, the pursuit of nourishment in order to have our fullest expression of bellies and breasts. Long before the drug store, beauty was studied by artists. It was mathematical: the golden ratio. It was simply health and hygiene brought into its utmost physical expression. It was something that came from within, not an outer shell that we obsessively alter. We were the altar.

1

It’s quite interesting when you think about it, most beauty trends are a way of artificially mimicking good health. Blush and lipstick create the appearance of bodily tissue turned pink from proper circulation. A french manicure isn’t far from what nails look like on a healthy person with optimal thyroid hormone, mineral status, and ample protein. Additionally, there is an energy that emanates when someone is deeply nourished physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I became even more enthralled in this philosophy when Nadine Artemis wrote in Renegade Beauty about Vitalism: “…a late nineteenth-century philosophy, is garnering renewed support as a bridge between our nature-deprived society and its shallow beauty and a life-affirming, holistic way of being beautiful… Innately linking science, ethics and aesthetics, vitalism is rejuvenating new research in both hard and social sciences, and it may just change the way we think about ourselves and beauty.” Artemis goes on to describe how historically beauty was studied in the fine arts. Think about how many painters practically worshipped the human form, spending decades defining the lines of nature. The industrial revolution divorced us from nature in a big way and, equally, from natural beauty. Artemis states “Beauty no longer was considered an inherent characteristic of things - flowers, fields, people, animals. It lost its place as a cultural ideal or truth and became subjective, an opinion, a passing sensory experience.” As the impacts of this grew over time, we also saw a further rejection of beauty in the fine arts. The pursuit of beauty was almost plebian. It was (and is) considered trite among a large part of the fine art community and left behind to pursue only the strange and deranged. So where has this left us as a society?

When fine art left beauty behind, capitalism saw a ripe opportunity on the table. Beauty, once considered naturally derived and sourced from the divine, was left as a commodity to be bottled, shipped, and sold in a drug store near you. Once sacred, now sales to be made. Beauty used to be something that we felt from within. I feel beautiful when I’m nourishing my body with good food, long walks in the sun, sensual practices like dance and massage, keeping my mind sharp and clever… I do not feel beautiful when I obsess over perfecting my appearance via modern inventions. The age of social media took our superficiality and magnified it. We have become obsessed with our outer shell, neglecting the fact that the golden ratio lives within us (and every other shell on earth) and simply needs to be in touch with nature to activate our most beautiful form(ula).

Studying principles of nourishment have further deepened my appreciation of how the human body is made beautiful by the right nourishment. In the Early 1900’s Weston A price studied indigenous and modern cultures around the world and saw the geometry of the face change dramatically as we switched over to processed food. This goes back to the Fibonacci sequence. The right vitamins and minerals present in nutrient dense foods would make faces wider, leaving enough room for teeth to grow in, eliminating the need for braces and made cavities practically nonexistent. Following bioenergetic nutrition, I’ve also seen women (including myself) shift physically and energetically simply by taking in better quality food and supporting the architecture of their bodies with less time sitting at a computer and more time moving, doing fascia decompression, and practicing bowspring yoga or functional patterns. I don’t think the best practice is to do these things looking for an external reward, but I think that it speaks volumes that the more we care for ourselves—in alignment with our cells—the more we become beautiful from the inside out. And maybe beauty is a feeling after all, more than something to slather on ourselves.

I’d like to think that the divine left behind gentle instructions for how to care for the human body: eat well from the earth, move regularly, get the right amount of sun on your skin, smell flowers, bathe in natural waters, make art that feels good to make (isn’t the point of life itself, to create?) … be in touch with the warm vibrant nature around you. I think this is a better recipe for true beauty than any bottle of goop money can buy. What do you think?

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