This space is dedicated to the magic of poetry. A collaboration between two inspired writers, wanting to dive into the art of writing poetry.

Every month, around the full moon, Carla and will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Rewriting The Rules

“I am the creator of my life”

As July’s Buck Moon rises golden and low in the summer sky, we pause in the heat of the season to reflect on what’s growing in us. Named for the time when young bucks begin to grow new antlers, this moon in Aquarius invites us to step into emerging strength, trust the process of becoming, and release what’s holding us back as summer reaches its peak. Two poets explore what it means to examine the rules we live by—and claim the power to change them...

Danielle’s Poem: I Change The Rules

I change the rules
I don’t follow them
I seek them
I learn them
And then I change the rules
I ruled the change
As everything shifted in my life
Like learning to float on a surf board
With new foundation under me
I try not to topple over
And if I do fall into the glistening waters
I change the rules
To keep afloat
I create the boundaries
I make the money
So that I can build the dreams
So that my nervous system is protected
I am free
I am good
I am here to live out my dreams
Beyond the chains
Outside of the rules
I am changed

Carla’s Poem: RIP Dorothy

Change the rules
Said no one ever
Follow the rules
This is how it has to be
This is how it’s supposed to be
This is how everything stays neat and tidy
Neat and tidy
Neat and tidy?
Have you looked around?
Life is anything but neat and tidy
There’s 7, 642, 324 shades of green
My coffee cup is still in the sink from yesterday
The pup won’t eat the same food today he ate yesterday
Every woman I meet is a complete paradox in the best kind of way
Maybe it’s time to change the rules
At least change our own rules
Do you even know what your rules are?
The ones you live by
The ones you’ll die by if you’re not careful
The ones that weave themselves through
Every thought
Every story
Every moment
Like threads on a loom
What if you went on a rule seeking scavenger hunt?
Rented out an excavator?
Grab your shovel and your pick
Wade through your brain with your wellies and a headlamp
What are my rules?
What am I living by?
What silently dictates every move in my life?
Maybe it’s “It’s hard to make money”
Maybe it’s “adults don’t get to play”
What are your rules?
I dare you to look at them
Are they even yours or
Were they passed down from great grandmother, Dorothy
RIP Dorothy
Let’s look at them
Lovingly
You don’t have to fight them
Or make them bad
They got you here, babe
Here is good
You simply have to see them
Maybe it’ll spark a change
Maybe it won’t
But now you know
And when you know
You can decide
Are they coming with me?
Or am I changing the rules?

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own experience with the rules you live by and the power to change them. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

Missed our previous collaborations? Catch up here:

• June: “I fall in love a little everywhere I go”

• May: “I’ve got glitter in my hair”

• April: “I love myself more”

• March: “I’m dreaming about a world...”

• February: “I often say...”

• January: “subtly arriving...”

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think”

• November: “I’ve been throwing rocks at my glass house”

• October: “I forgot...”

• September: “Pieces of Myself”

• August: “Everything that I’m not...”

Have you ever noticed the trees?
I mean, really, noticed the trees
There are the ones that seem to grow perfectly symmetrical
Grab your measuring tape, and measure it
She would be exactly the same on all sides
She’s a type A perfectionist bitch without even trying for sure
Then there’s the ones that refuse to let any obstacles stop them
Rocks?
Other trees?
Power Lines?
Buildings?
They just keep going
Over, under, around, or through
Obstacles mean nothing when you’re a tree
How about the ones with BTE?
Big Tree Energy, that is
You know those ones who stand tall and strong
Safe, protective, masculine energy oozing out of every pore
You just know they’ve got you
Then there’s the mama trees
They’ve got their curves and their strength
Wisdom and knowledge etched into every vein
She flows around you
Pulls you in for the best hug of your entire life
Then smacks you on the ass and flicks you on the forehead with wisdom
that moves you to your core
If you’re willing to listen
I love the trees that grow sideways out of the side of a cliff or bank
You know there’s nothing surface level about those roots
There’s the skinny ones, like ultra skinny jeans, they just go straight up no matter what
There’s thick ones, the ones you can’t even begin to wrap your arms all the way around
The wavy ones
The ones that twist and turn
The ones that stand alone
Or the ones that cluster together
Some have knobs and knots and jagged edges
Ones that have been struck by lightning or survived wildfires
How about the ones that look like a teenage boy trying to convince you he can grow a beard?
What about the ones that shelter us, provide us shade?
That keep us dry from the rain or provide us fuel
The ones that hold entire worlds with their their arms and their leaves
and their roots
There’s the trees that have seen more life, more shit, more of everything than you can possibly even imagine without so much as a quiver
They hold it all and stand strong
The unshakeable trees
The ones at the end of their years
The ones that are almost ugly, but still undeniably beautiful
The thing about the trees is that
I’m not really sure they decide to be any which way
They simply exist
They simply grow
They find their twists and turns as they need to
They go over, under, around or through as they need to
They stand strong
They flourish
No matter how they look
Whether thick or thick, twisted or straight
They live
Have you ever noticed the trees?

I’m a summer girl. Through and through. I thrive running around in a bathing suit all day with sweat and salt coating my skin. When the sun makes me feel like my skin needs a cool drink of water. It has always been my favorite, my happy zone.

And here I am, on the porch of a cutie little cabin at a campground in Northeast New York. It’s a Wednesday at 1pm. I’m wearing a bikini top and shorts. It’s like 80some degrees with a light breeze and sunny. Not humid at all. It’s honestly perfect.

I’ve got my laptop out and I’m working. Some would say that sounds like a drag. You’re in this beautiful spot and you’re working. Ugh.

Sure, it would be great, to spend the whole day in the river that’s about 200 yards away.

But the thing is, I could be all cooped up inside an office working right now.

The fact that I get to work outside in a bathing suit is such a blessing and a privilege I’m well aware of.

I can remember on more than one occasion where I’ve dreamed of the idea of getting to spend my days running around in a bathing suit or a sundress feeling the sun soak into my soul as my whole life. Not just a vacation or a random good day. MY WHOLE LIFE.

As I’ve grown, while my love for summer hasn’t changed, I’ve learned to love experiencing all the seasons. Summer should still be the longest.

I kind of did it though. Not exactly the way I thought it would be. At least not yet.

But I really do get to spend 90% of my days outside. Living and working, working and living.

It’s an interesting thing though. I feel like when we think about our dreams, we don’t always think about every facet of them.

or maybe you do. I don’t think I have.

Maybe some part of it is that it’s all changed and evolved as I’ve grown, and yet maybe it’s always been the same.

The freedom to live the life I choose to live and create with the people that I love.

That seems to be the underlying thread. A thread that ran through my brain when I had that lightbulb moment my junior year of college of “Ohhhhh, I can do whatever I want with my life.”

As I’ve spiraled upwards over the last 14 years, I can’t say I thought I would end up here, but I know without a doubt that here is where I’m supposed to be.

It’s a weird place to be. Not bad weird. Good weird. But messy. Unknown. A little oozy.

I’m an artist and a creator.

I’m a writer and a poet. I like painting, drawing, and cooking. I’m learning about homesteading. I’d like to get better at those.

I am cobuilding an outdoorsy brand, podcast, and community. I help host and plan events.

I’m building my own brand as an artist.

I want to inspire other people to follow their curiosities and really live their lives while ideally getting outside as much as possible.

I want to stumble through every facet of being alive and squeeze every ounce of juice out of it.

I want to unearth and bring light to every single inch, crevice, and pore of myself.

I want to fund my life so I can create more art, follow more ideas, and help people do the same.

And yet I’m not quite sure where they all meet.

Do I want to be an outdoor creator or an artist who creates outdoors?

Do I want to apply to opportunities that open doors or do I want to create my own doors?

I lean towards the latter on both, but then do I have to only do both? Does one fund the other?

Is it two sides of the same thing?

Finding opportunities that pay me to travel or be outside could allow me to travel and be outside like I want to while I work on the things I want to create.

But then some days I just want to travel and explore while I create whatever I want to create. Or do the same in my own backyard.

I want to sit outside at a cabin or in a hammock while I write my book without having to think about creating anything else but whatever I want.

Does it make sense to spend time creating for others or if I pour all that time and energy into creating something for myself, does that create the life I desire?

And when I try to create something to be a specific thing it often feels weird, but when I just show up and share my life and my thoughts and my chaotic weirdo self it seems to work better.

So why do I try to make anything be anything and let it just be what it is?

What if the only thing I’m creating is my life. The only thing , right? That’s a big fucking deal.

I consistently feel like when I try to create FOR others, it feels sticky. Like syrup all over my hands, sticky.

When I just focus on creating for me, creating what feels fun, creating my own life and then simply sharing it. It’s like I inserted the magic key and every single gear shifted into place. The secret door opens up like Abracadabra!

I feel like I make it so hard on myself because I love collaborating with people. I love creating with people. I love helping people. I want to have an impact on people, but maybe my version of that is creating for ME and the byproduct of that is then other people are inspired to follow their own curiosities and desires and juicy aliveness.

And why haven’t I figured this out yet? Like I know this about myself. I know when I show up this way it feels like everything FLOWS. But I keep finding myself in the same pattern.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t figured out how I fully fund my life that way. Maybe that’s because I don’t let myself show up in the way that feels good long enough for it to work.

Maybe it’s because I subconsciously don’t believe it’s going to work. Maybe some other bullshit that someone on the internet told me about why it’s not working for me.

What if I stop subscribing to those rules? What if I simply decide that everything I do works for me. Every move I make is right for me. I get paid to be myself.

Maybe I need to stop making it so hard and just let it be easy.

I thought this was going to provide more answers. Be more of a thought provoking essay. It mostly feels like the rambling nonsense of my brain. Maybe that’s what it needed to be.

When shoulds and doubt sink in, when I try to form something into a box or shape, it’s like all the possibilities are pulled back immediately. Like a rubber band or bungee cord that snaps back. and breaks.

Maybe the door is my life, and my nonsense is the key. When I let myself be it feels like I’m floating. It feels like I can do 10 things at once. It feels like possibility and opportunity and expansion and sunshine.

I prefer to follow the sunshine. ☀️

Percy said : “I’m not a hero. I’m a loser. I have dyslexia, ADHD.”

Grover said: “Those are your greatest gifts.”

And it’s funny because I feel like when messages show up, they come from every direction.

In @kikishiple’s mind mastery container this month she talked about how our minds are always looking at ways that we are wrong or doing it wrong, but what if that’s just a story? What if we’re doing it right?

And then there’s @iam_jennabrown who is consistently talking about how our sensitivity is a superpower. Sensitivity in the way of noticing. It’s a gift.

It was like all the pieces aligned today.

It’s not about always being right. Or not reflecting and learning and growing as we take action and make choices.

It’s about not making ourselves wrong for the way we are or the way we do things.

From my own desires to create the life I want to live and I’m sure a heavy dose of societal pressure, I often ask myself questions or make comments like

How can I do this better?

Is this the best way?

Ugh why do I do it like this?

But what if instead of fighting the way I do things and trying to make them better, I just embrace them.

I decide they are right because they are me.

And the more I embrace them, the more I do things my way, maybe just maybe…the more they work.

I don’t think I knew exactly what I was doing, but if I look back now I was definitely starting down some kind of path.

It started with simply feeling like I had something to say and sharing it.

I didn’t think too hard about it.

I didn’t try to make it seem one way.

I didn’t really edit it.

I wasn’t trying to sell something.

All I did was share my thoughts.

And while from time to time they flow in the same way, I feel like over time as I realized I was creating something. Or as I’ve tried to figure out what I was creating, or what I was offering, I feel like I stopped sharing in the same way I used too.

I often think about how something comes across.

What’s the message I am trying to convey?

How do I want to say this?

I consistently have something I want to say, but lately have been struggling to find the flow to simply say it.

Often times I feel like when I want to move beyond the wall, I have to address it.

I wanted to write some completely different today but it just wasn’t working. This wanted to come through instead.

So here’s to naming it, and finding the flow of words again. Maybe this will help.

This space is dedicated to the magic of poetry. A collaboration between two inspired writers, wanting to dive into the art of writing poetry.

Every month, around the full moon, and will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Open Hearts

“I fall in love a little everywhere I go”

As June’s Strawberry Moon rises with a golden-amber glow—the first full moon after the summer solstice—we pause to savor the sweetness of what’s ripening around us. This ancient Honey Moon invites us to slow down, celebrate the fruits of our labor, and gather with those who feel like home. Balancing Sagittarius’s adventurous spirit with Capricorn’s grounded structure, it offers a powerful checkpoint: honor what’s beginning to sprout, and intentionally release what no longer serves as summer’s heat arrives. Two poets explore the quiet, everyday magic that opens our hearts a little more everywhere we go...

Danielle’s Poem: Rose Petals On The Ground

I fall in love a little everywhere I go
My steps feel like a love letter
Each foot placed intentionally on the ground
Like putting rose petals on the bed of a hotel room
In the shape of a heart
I can’t help myself when I
Listen to a story about an old house
Visit well-known paintings in a museum
Wander down a trail to find a magical river
Cross paths with a famous statue
I burst with joy learning another story
Making another memory
Feeling a deeper connection with this world
I fall in love with
All of it
Each piece
And I leave a piece of
Myself there too
In my footsteps
Symbolic of my love for this world

Carla’s Poem: That One Song On The Radio

I fall in love a little everywhere I go
With places
And people
That tree that curves a little to the right
That one song that comes on the radio at the exact right moment
The one you forgot existed
You find yourself singing all the words before you even remember what the name is
That feeling you get when you watch a stranger pick up the toy that the mom who needs a week of sleep didn’t notice her child threw
I fall in love a little everywhere I go
Because you never know when you’ll find yourself underneath your favorite small town
On a random tuesday
Getting a tour full of dreams and possibilities
I fall in love a little everywhere I go
Because I cannot help
But pour my heart out for the magic
In everywhere I go

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own experience with [theme related to prompt]. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

Missed our previous collaborations? Catch up here:

• May: “I’ve got glitter in my hair”

• April: “I love myself more”

• March: I’m dreaming about a world where…

• February: “I often say...”

• January: “subtly arriving...”

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think.”

• November: I’ve been throwing rocks at my glasshouse

• October: I forgot

• September: Pieces of Myself

• August: Everything that I’m not…

• July: “A drop of honey does wonders for the heart”

• June: “When I was a kid...”

• May: “Hop onto the insanity train with me...”

• April: “I’m sitting at the airport...”

• March: “Write about what it feels like as you drop into your heart space.”

To support these poets, you can find and on Substack sharing their honest words with readers who are looking for some depth in the work that they read. Consider subscribing to their individual Substacks to follow their complete creative journeys.

In some ways, my expression feels like it always does. And in many ways, it feels new. More vulnerable. Scary.

Maybe it's because it's in a different way. Maybe it's because it's on a different level.

Then you add in holding the workshops for the first time.

Creating challenges for myself and being visible while I do it, plus challenging others.

Then holding big events unlike anything I've held before.

It's a year of new. And with new things, the doubt tends to creep in.

The imposter syndrome. Who the hell am I to do this?

Can I lead?

What direction am I going in?

And today, I was listening to a voice note in a challenge with Jenna Brown, and she was talking about finding your edge.

She said, "You know you're at your edge when the doubt and imposter syndrome creep in."

What a reframe.

Because what I've learned about your edge is that it's where you want to be.

Your edge is where you learn from. Your edge is where you expand. Your edge is where the creation flows. The edge is where we lead. The edge is where we step into the new versions of ourselves.

So instead of looking at the self-doubt showing up as a reason to pull back — or wondering what's wrong, or how to move past it —

What if we look at it as oh, I've arrived. Oh, here it is. Thank God I'm here. It's the exact right place to be.

And that's when the imposter syndrome starts to melt away.

This space is dedicated to the magic of poetry. A collaboration between two inspired writers, wanting to dive into the art of writing poetry.

Every month, around the full moon, Carla and Danielle will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Growing Self-Love

“I love myself more.”

As April’s Pink Moon blooms with spring’s first wildflowers, we stand at the threshold of rebirth and renewal. This Paschal Moon, shining in Libra, illuminates the delicate balance between self and other, independence and interdependence. It calls us to address old imbalances, find harmony in our relationships, and honor both our own needs and our commitments to those we love. Two poets explore what it means to love yourself more—not less of others, but fuller in yourself...

Danielle’s Poem: Love Already In Existence

I love myself more
Was the goal
To dive in deeply
Yearning for my own love again
And I arrived at loving myself
More Deeply
Fully Hand on my heart
Expanded heart space
That kind of love, I love myself more
Through the tears, in the anger
With the grief beside me, I love my whole self
More and more
Every day
When the sun shines
When the moon glistens
I love myself more
And more and more
More on the bad days
More on the good days
More on the rainy days
More on the happy days
I love myself more
Than ever before
Because love is something
Natural Intuitive
Already in existence
I don’t need to earn it
I need to use it every day

Carla’s Poem: That Dress

I love myself when I look in the mirror and smile
When I’m wearing that dress
You know, that dress I love myself more when my feet are covered in dirt,
Toes wiggling into the moss
Giggling as the water comes seeping through, I love myself more than I did before
More when I let it all be here
The anger
The frustrated
The bad hair days
The bad mirror days
The joy too
The awe
The giggles
The desires
The needs
I love myself more when I remember to love myself more

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own experience with loving yourself more. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

• March: I’m dreaming about a world where…

• February: “I often say...”

• January: “subtly arriving...”

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think.”

• November: I’ve been throwing rocks at my glasshouse

• October: I forgot

• September: Pieces of Myself

• August: Everything that I’m not…

• July: “A drop of honey does wonders for the heart”

• June: “When I was a kid...”

• May: “Hop onto the insanity train with me...”

• April: “I’m sitting at the airport...”

• March: “Write about what it feels like as you drop into your heart space.”

Every month, around the full moon, Carla and Danielle will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Reimagining Reality

“I’m dreaming about a world...”

As March’s Worm Moon rises with the power of a total lunar eclipse, we witness the moon illuminating spring’s first stirrings. Earth thaws, earthworms emerge, and life awakens from winter’s dormancy. This eclipse amplifies transformation—urging us to release old patterns, plant intentions for rebirth, and embrace the practical magic of growth. Two poets explore the worlds they’re dreaming into being—visions of peace, magic, and authentic existence...

Danielle’s Poem: Golden Laughter

I’m dreaming about a world
That I don’t have to take so seriously
A world that is filled with golden laughter
Waterfall magic
Silly hills
Goofy rose petals
A world where I can lay my head down in peace
And find laughter in all my conversations
Knowing the depth of my every breath
I’m dreaming about the day that this world will be okay
Because I haven’t been okay for several years
And it’s all that I am dreaming about these days

Carla’s Poem: A World That Dreams of Me Too

I am dreaming about a world where dragons fly overhead
Where I walk out my back door, and crows bring me trinkets
Where we are all encouraged to be our fully expressed selves
No shame or guilt needed
A world where my hair stays wild and curly
Where I never have to think about checking my bank account
Before I give and give and give
Where I walk through my garden barefoot, popping tomatoes into my mouth straight from the vine
I am dreaming about a world where we’re addicted to eating real food
And we remember we’re supposed to walk and create and create and walk all day
A world where we are taught to let our emotions move through us from the moment we are born
A world filled with magic, wonder, and a little pixie dust because it’s real.
You have to remember where to look.
I am dreaming of a world where we grow up outside
Nature is the default, and home is where we sleep
Where my prettiest pens never run out of ink, my jar of honey is always full, and I smile every time I look in the mirror.
I’m dreaming of a world that dreams of me too.

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own vision of the world you’re dreaming into being. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

Missed our previous collaborations? Catch up here:

• February: “I often say...”

• January: “subtly arriving...”

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think.”

• November: I’ve been throwing rocks at my glasshouse

• October: I forgot

• September: Pieces of Myself

• August: Everything that I’m not…

• July: “A drop of honey does wonders for the heart”

• June: “When I was a kid...”

• May: “Hop onto the insanity train with me...”

• April: “I’m sitting at the airport...”

• March: “Write about what it feels like as you drop into your heart space.”

I never thought I would be here. Living a life centered around art, creation, community, and getting outside.

Claiming titles like artist, creative strategist, or guide.

Spending my days flowing from dancing in the kitchen, to town council meetings, to letting words flow from my finger tips to the screen, fires on the river in the middle of the day to connecting with other creatives and businesses.

Trusting that my insight is more valuable than my little kid self could have ever realized.

While I could never have predicted that I would find myself back to creating a life centered around art, play, and getting outside, and helping others to do the same, I know it’s right.

Honestly, I’m still figuring it out.

But I do what I do now, because I can’t not to do it.

It’s a part of me. Even when I had no idea and thought I was searching for something else, it all led me right here.

And now I get to work with amazing people who want their own version of that.

Who are creating worlds and communities that light our souls on fire. Who see a different version. Who see possibilities and potential in the tiniest of places.

I get to spend my days building connections that bridge gaps and bring ideas to life.

I don’t know all of the ways this looks like yet But I do know that if I can find myself here unintentionally, the magic I can create with intention is truly limitless. ✨

hey winter
i need to make a confession
i think I’m falling in love
don’t tell summer
maybe it can be our little secret
we can pull the covers over our heads
and giggle like little kids
there’s just something different about you this year
the way you showed up unexpectedly
you didn’t have the greatest timing
i wanted to be mad
i wanted to be frustrated
but you were just so pretty, how could I be?
you brought this sense of peace
this sense of calm
i could feel it in my bones
reminding me to turn on the wonder and awe
that I love so much
hell, you even pelted me in the face while i ran,
and yet I could only smile
like, of course, you showed up again
timing isn’t exactly your strong suit
maybe it is
because I woke up to the best surprise
slowly opening my eyes
all cozy in my bed
and it felt like christmas morning
i could just see out my window
there you were!
clinging to every curve of the trees
damn, you know how to make me smile
i spent the whole morning with my head in the clouds
this goofy smile on my face
thinking of you
until I could wander outside to meet you
feeling your crisp air meet my cheeks
running straight into the snow
letting my body fully sink into you
i can feel you pulling me in closer
like you wrapped me in a bear hug
and said, “I’ve got you.”
i should feel cold,
but all I feel is alive
normally i can’t wait for summer
but right now, I want to immerse myself
in every experience of yours
like a craving that can’t be satisfied
i can’t get enough of you
will you hold my hand, winter?
i want to feel your snowflake kisses on my face
i want to feel your chill run from head to toes like a lightning strike
let your beauty remind me to wander in the world just a little more
i know
eventually
summer will come
and warm me through
but until then
let’s hide under the covers
and giggle just a little more.

One of my favorite opportunities is how the internet is able to connect you to so many different people, people that you may have never had the pleasure of being in their space without it.

It’s funny because, outside of my family and a long-time best friend, all of the people that I’m closest to are people I met through the internet.

A while back, my friend, Abby, shared this feature that she was able to be a part of on her social media. She sat down with a woman named Talie and did a fairly deep interview for YouTube as well as a photoshoot. From my understanding, Talie created a space for each person to be seen, to vocalize parts of their story, and share it with the world.

It was called the Art of Being Seen. If you know me, you know stories are my jam. My thing. Whether my own or others, they completely light me up.

I immediately fell in love with this project. Talie was taking applications. I applied. After some time, she decided to pivot. Understandably so.

It turned into what she calls the Hot Seat. It’s a fun, lighter version of the original project where each person gets to sit (physically or virtually 😉) in her oversized, comfy leather chair and go through a series of questions.

Ever since Abby shared her experience and feature, I’ve followed along with Talie’s journey. At the moment, she’s one of my favorite people to watch in my social media feed. I liked her energy from the beginning, but watching how she’s evolved, and started to show up in this even more vibrant, unapologetic, playful, give no fucks version of herself has been really cool to witness. I admire her. It’s an energy that I feel like I have struggled with in the past, and I’m working on embodying more of that in my life. Every time she shares, it makes me feel like I can do that too. I knew that I wanted to connect or collaborate with her in some way, at some point, but I didn’t know how yet.

So naturally, a few weeks ago, when she shared that she was looking for guests for the hot seat, I immediately volunteered.

It worked out perfectly because she’s not too far from me, so we were able to meet in person.

Up until this point, we had only had a few exchanges back and forth via DM’s. While I was a little nervous for my interview, I wasn’t nervous to meet her at all. From the moment she opened her door, I felt completely welcome.

There’s something about Talie that makes you feel welcome, safe, and at home, almost immediately.

When you arrive, the mic and an envelope full of questions with your name on it are waiting for you in the chair. It’s super cute. I sat down, and there was zero awkwardness. We just started talking and getting to know each other.

After maybe 20 minutes, she checked the audio and camera, let me know how it was going to work, and asked me if I was ready to get started.

I had a few nerves, but I was surprisingly ready. I told her that while I had watched a few clips from her previous Hot Seats, I hadn’t watched any full interviews on purpose. I wanted to let this experience truly be my own, and not let other interviews influence mine, even if it wasn’t intentional.

So we went for it…

In essence, I was interviewing myself, and Talie was the guide who provided the space, the questions, the energy, the safety, the comfiest chair, and the platform to be seen.

I don’t want to say I’m new to being on camera. I’ve had my share of experience, mostly on my own social media, with my hand holding my phone camera in front of me. I’ve been a guest on my best friend’s podcast twice now, and the cameos are fairly consistent throughout Campfire Convos and Meander More. While this has been going on for over a year now, I’m still finding my confidence on camera.

That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to work with Talie. I’ve always had a hard time seeing myself. Seeing who I am and the gifts I have to share with the world. Yet, I know when people see me, or make me feel seen, it makes me feel fulfilled. Like I’m living the life I’m supposed to. Yet, being seen historically has been one of the scariest things for me. Especially being seen for all that I am - sharing my favorite parts about myself (more about this in the interview).

In the last few months of 2025, I showed up and used my voice more than I ever have before. It’s a priority of mine. To continue writing, but more so than that, speak my stories, my experiences, and my truth out loud. I’ve learned that I find so much clarity through hearing myself speak. I will often call the people in my life just to ramble things out loud until I hear myself say whatever I need to figure out.

Something else I mentioned in the interview is that I tend to hide. Behind fear, behind people, behind projects, and this year I want to say fuck all that. I’m tired of hiding because I know that’s not only not serving me, but also not allowing me to serve people the way I want to.

I know that, for me, to fully live up to being the artist, storyteller, and community builder I know I am, I have to show up and share my voice with people.

AND as I show up and share my voice, I know I will sink further and further into who I am. The awkwards will melt away. I feel like the more I use my voice, the more I come home to myself.

In my playful, weirdo, yet wildly deep self.

It’s so important to have a safe space where we can show up and share our voices. Share our stories. Not only seen by others, but I think showing up to be seen, especially on camera, allows us to see ourselves in a deeper, more true way.

I tend to watch myself on video and immediately critique myself. Look at all the ways I “did it wrong” or “Could be better.” I tend to process in real time, and that real time isn’t always fast. I answer a question or share something, then later on, a different response, or something I wanted to add, comes up. I was worried that I would take too long to respond, or my response wouldn’t be fully formed and come out in a way that I didn’t really mean it to be.

But with Talie? That didn’t happen. I’m not sure if it’s to show all the growth I’ve had over the last few months, or how comfortable Talie made me feel, maybe a combination of both, but this time was different.

I started to actually see the version of myself I have become over the last year, especially the last few months. Maybe it was just the green vest I was wearing, but it felt like I was brighter during this interview. Like you could see more of my spark coming back. I recently wrote this poem, with the prompt, “I often say I’m not, but I am…” and I find it to be relatable here, because I tend to look at myself, and see all that I’m not yet, or see where I still want to be. Yet, missing who I’ve become. Who I am. This interview gave me a new mirror to look at, and has slowly started reflecting back to me, me. The version I am now. It feels like it’s bridging the gap between where I thought I was, and where I thought I wanted to be.

Sure, there are a few things I would like to improve on as I continue to show up. There were moments I could tell I was nervous. And moments where I know that as I grow, I will relax even deeper into who I am.

But overall, I watched this interview, and I’m really fucking proud of myself for not hesitating to participate. To do this really cool collaboration with Talie. Something else I want to do more of this year.

One of the things that Talie and I talked about off-camera is following our intuition. When we get those nudges or those little ideas, even if they don’t make sense, follow them. And as we follow them, it gets easier and easier to follow them until we must follow them.

I’m so thankful that Talie followed her intuition with The Art of Being Seen and its evolution into the Hot Seat and whatever it will be next. It’s given me a space to get more comfortable being seen and sharing my voice, and I have zero doubts it’s doing the same for others. Now that I have done my interview, I’m excited to watch the rest of the participants too.

I mean, guys, she had this idea a little over 3 weeks ago, and as of the 6th, I was her 19th interview, and I know she’s done more since then.

This project is going to have an incredible impact. It already has. For me, for so many people, and I would imagine, Talie herself.

I intended this essay to be a space for me to share my experience with getting more visible this year, but as I started typing, I had to share more about the project and Talie herself.

You can watch my interview above, and check out Talie on Instagram and YouTube to not only witness the other participants, but Talie herself.

What if you let yourself be a little more seen this year? In whatever capacity feels right to you. I think each of us is put here to be seen, by the right people, of course, but we have to show up in order to find them.

Love reading stories about creativity, visibility, and saying fuck it to hiding? Buy me a matcha to support more of this work. Every cup helps me keep showing up and sharing my voice.

Every month, around the full moon, Carla and Danielle will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Reframing Our Worth

“I often say...”

As February’s Snow Moon rises in the depths of winter’s coldest embrace, we honor the endurance required to weather the storm. This moon illuminates the quiet strength found in scarcity, the hidden nurturing beneath frozen ground, and the resilience of survival when the world feels barren. Two poets explore the stories we tell ourselves about not being enough—and the truth that emerges when we look again...

Danielle’s Poem: But I Have Direction

I often say that
I’m not there yet
That I’m not worth it
That I have much more to learn
But I have direction
I am finding home
I am living a life full of joy
I am serving the world

Carla’s Poem: A New Mirror

I often say
I’m not where I want to be,
Or who I want to be.
But maybe I need a new mirror.
Because
I am.
I am.
I am.
I only need to open my eyes and let myself be her.

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own experience with recognizing your own worth and where you already are. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

Missed our previous collaborations? Catch up here:

• January: “subtly arriving...”

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think.”

• November: I’ve been throwing rocks at my glasshouse

• October: I forgot

• September: Pieces of Myself

• August: Everything that I’m not…

• July: “A drop of honey does wonders for the heart”

• June: “When I was a kid...”

• May: “Hop onto the insanity train with me...”

• April: “I’m sitting at the airport...”

• March: “Write about what it feels like as you drop into your heart space.”

To support these poets, you can find Danielle and Carla on Substack sharing their honest words with readers who are looking for some depth in the work that they read. Consider subscribing to their individual Substacks to follow their complete creative journeys.

I’ve been jotting down a few ideas over the last two weeks, but my roommate and I officially sat down on Wednesday and created our cards.

I knew I had a lot of ideas, but damn, I have a lot of ideas.

So much desire to explore, create, expand, and learn this year. While building community.

I have three main intentions this year.

To spend as much of my time as possible creating and being outside, ideally at the same time.

To take life a little less seriously, and find joy and play throughout my days, not just my years.

To build a community of people who love spending their time outside, creating, and growing.

I’d love to say that I intentionally filtered all my ideas through these statements, but that’s not the case. 😂 However, I’m pretty confident that everything on my bingo card falls under the categories anyway.

This year, instead of going from idea directly to bingo card, I made a list of everything I could think of on a piece of paper. Quickly realizing I had way more than 25 items.

It’s going to be a full year of growth, play, creation, exploration, and collaboration.

I kind of love it, though. Last year, I had 22 squares come through when I sat down to create it initially, then added the last three a few months later.

This year, I have 38 items on my list, and it’s growing… I’m pretty confident I could create two entire cards just for myself. One is officially done. Looking at the list gets me excited, and makes me want to create a second…

My roommate made a good point, though. Historically, I tend to get excited and overcommit myself. Then I get overwhelmed and can burn out. All things I’m no longer subscribing to this year.

So for the moment, I am going to focus on my first card and leave the rest as a list. I’ll see how it all starts to evolve and flow, and I can make another card at any time. Because I get to make my own rules.

Here it is, my 2026 Bingo card:

1. Take an improv class

2. See Amanda somewhere cool

3. Work with a mentor

4. Collab with 10 people (2 done)

5. Hike 100 Miles (total, not all at once)

6. Be on, or record 6 podcast or YouTube episodes (1 done)

7. Buy my dream comforter (guys, it’s so pretty!)

8. Do something ridiculous for my birthday…Accepting ideas!

9. Full Spa Day

10. Go backpacking 2x

11. Make art with Kirsten

12. Host 6 dinners

13. Publish 1st book

14. Beat Mitch at Chess

15. Make a biz official

16. Full send an idea

17. Meet Raya

18. 1st sewing machine project

19. Make an amount of money that doesn’t make any sense

20. Read 6 books

21. Renew my passport

22. Learn to shoot

23. Go on a solo trip

24. Help or plan an epic Meander More event

25. Go fishing

No free space!

Here are my extras…

1. Take a Jiu-Jitsu class

2. Take myself shopping

3. Buy a new car

4. Get a Tattoo

5. Make Sourdough bread

6. Can something on my own for the first time (I’m thinking cowboy candy)

7. Propagate a plant successfully

8. Buy my dream trip for someone in my life

9. Go to a new state

10. Take a day with Mitch to learn more about cameras/shooting

11. Help 100 people create bingo cards

12. Take a drawing course/class

13. Study Sales

14. Befriend a raven 🐦‍⬛

15. Make my own beaded wire earrings

I’m not going to lie, I feel so much better now that my bingo card is done. Partially because I feel like I have somewhat of a container back in my life to hold what I am working on. Mostly because, as I have been helping people create their bingo cards, I want my own to talk about it. I want to share my experience as we all work towards our bingo cards together. I want to be in it with everyone else, and I felt like I wasn’t.

In my last post, I talked about feeling a bit lost this last month. You can read it all about it here.

While I can’t say that I feel like I have complete direction, I can feel it coming back to me. Like the vision is slowly forming again.

I may not be able to see the whole thing, but I’m feeling like I can see the next steps.

And that’s where I’ll start.

If you're sitting on a pile of ideas (or feeling like you have none at all), let's create your bingo card together. I have virtual workshops coming up, 1:1 sessions available, and a full DIY kit if you want to work through it on your own. Drop a comment or send me a message - I'd love to help you sort through what you actually want this year to hold.

In case you missed the origin story of this whole bingo thing, check it out here…

Loved this? Buy me a matcha. It's basically the fuel behind every workshop I run, essay I write, and square I cross off my bingo card. (Okay, maybe not the fishing one. But definitely the writing ones.

The challenge was to finish my entire bingo card, 19 more squares to be exact, in 67 days.

While I did not, in fact, finish my bingo card. So much more came out of this challenge. All of that is for another day and another essay.

After people reached out to me asking about the bingo cards, expressing interest, and feeling inspired, the idea sparked.

What if I created bingo card workshops? Where I lead people through creating their own bingo cards!

I could also create a one-on-one to help them turn their bingo card from desire into action. We would map out a plan to start crossing items off their bingo card, but in a way that makes it fun.

I loved it. I would get to work with people and help them actually get excited for what they wanted to do in 2025. Then take their ideas from idea to fruition. One of my absolute favorite things to do. It lights me up like no other.

See, the thing is, for the last two years, I have been trying to figure out what’s next. What direction am I going in?

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I have spent the last 4 years of my life camping, exploring, and getting outside as much as possible, while mostly working to support it. I absolutely love it.

I have slowly been drawn back to my own creativity and helping other people with theirs. And preferably doing it while outside.

From writing to painting to sewing to canning to creating content, getting behind the scenes of podcasts, and marketing brands.

It’s been weird, passionate, frustrating, and all over the place.

But I love it.

Life has shown me that I want to spend most of my time outside, exploring and existing, while creating. Some combination of creating for myself and helping others create.

But I haven’t really known exactly what that looks like.

And until June of last year, outside of a few other financial commitments, I was spending a good amount of my time delivering through Uber, DoorDash, and Walmart.

When I say a good amount of time, if I were home and I didn’t have another time commitment, there would be days I was gone for 12 hours.

It had its perks, for sure, and I am very grateful for it because it paid for many expenses in my life for a long time, while giving me the flexibility to be away for more than just a weekend, too.

I was beyond exhausted. I was frustrated, and I knew I could do better. I knew I had more talent and passion for so many other things.

It was a crutch. One that I was a little addicted to. I could make decent money whenever I wanted to. I was comfortable even if I was miserable.

Life had some plans for me, though. In February of 2024, I thought my car had died. I mean, she was just shy of 300,000 miles, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

After a second opinion, she pulled through. To then have a series of different issues until May. When it seemed like everything was finally good. She was good to go.

Throughout that time, I started writing more. I started exploring other options. But as soon as she was fixed, I was right back to delivering.

So come May, the universe was like “I’ve had enough of this shit.” In the middle of June, about 24 hours after I crossed over that 300k mark, I was involved in a car accident, and it was very likely that my car was totaled.

I’m still dealing with issues from the accident, but I physically walked away unharmed.

Now what?

What do I do?

That was my main source of income.

I pivoted and tried different things.

I survived.

I’ve been surviving.

Searching for the bridge between what I want more of and how to offer it to people.

I was not finding it. I couldn’t see it. I had ideas, but none of them were truly calling to me. I kept saying, “oh this is it.” “I’m going to work on this.” I don’t know if it was self-sabotage or not the right path, but I was struggling, and I was stressed.

Big time.

In October, I was sitting at my desk, frustrated. Catching a glimpse of my bingo card as I spun around in my chair, a thought crossed my mind.

Looking closer, everything on my bingo card fell in the realm of creativity, physical, and outdoorsy. All things that I was already doing or wanted to do. Pretty much everything I was working on fell into those categories.

“What if I challenge myself to finish everything on this card?”

I sent the idea to two trusted friends to talk it out. Because that’s what I do. I talk it out and hear myself say it. That’s how I usually find my clarity.

To me, it seemed like a way to put all my feminine creative chaos into a fun container to be held.

For once, I didn’t overthink it too much.

I just followed the idea. I briefly mentioned it on social media, then a few days later, I went for it.

Looking at what needed to be done, I started planning what I could, and then talked about it on every platform I could.

I figured that no matter what happened in these 67 days, I would come out the other side different from the way I went in.

Connections would be made. Opportunities would present themselves. Fun would be had. New experiences and memories made. Growth realized.

All true. More so than I even imagined. Bonus: I was happier and felt more confident.

I could see myself in the changes.

About halfway through, as opportunities and ideas for things like the workshops and 1-1s came through, I felt like I finally had direction. My own direction. Not someone else’s.

Mine. It felt fucking good. I thought that as I finished the challenge and held all these workshops, the next steps would naturally evolve from there.

But it didn’t.

Holding these bingo card workshops has been absolutely incredible. I know I am going to continue holding them.

And yet, I feel like I’m back in the woods.

Looking around, going where do I go now?

I have ideas, some involving Bingo Cards, some involving creative workshops, some involving community and accountability.

In December and January, for the first time in YEARS, no exaggeration, I feel like I have direction.

Don’t get me wrong, I still do. I know more of what I want to do in a broad sense than I ever have before.

BUT WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

I don’t know what the answer is.

When January first hit, I knew I wasn’t ready to create my bingo card for 2026 yet. I was still in 2025.

And over the last month, I have helped over 50 people create their cards.

Mine is still blank. It’s not for the lack of ideas. This last week, it’s simply been timing. I had plans to create mine with the original group of friends that I made my first one with, and they were derailed by a snowstorm, then a sickness, then travel plans.

February is here, and I am itching to create mine. What feels interesting to me is that I’ve felt very lost for most of January. I’ve held incredible workshops. Made some great new connections. Had new opportunities come in. Checked some things off my list that needed to be done, and now I never have to think about them again.

But the underlying feeling of January for me has been wobbly and unsure. The same happiness from these previous months feels harder.

I’m wondering if it’s because I don’t have the container I had before. My bingo card isn’t done. Workshops are new.

I’m not being held in the way that all my ideas were before.

Maybe that’s what I need? Maybe that’s the step?

I took a masterclass last week and listened to a numerology forecast for 2026, and I’m realizing how important it is for my creative chaos to have a container to be held in.

I don’t even have an ending for this right now, other than I don’t know what the answers are.

I’m curious if you’ve been here too. That space between having direction and knowing the next step. Where you can see the broad strokes but not the details. Where the container that held you before doesn’t quite fit anymore.

I will say that I held my last planned workshop on Friday. I don’t have any major plans this week. I have a few meetings, I definitely have things I get to do, but I have space.

Space that feels really good. Space that feels like opportunity. Space that feels like rest. Space that feels like creative flow and playtime.

Maybe the answers will come in the pockets of time. Maybe they’ll come when I finally sit down to create my card. Maybe they’re already here, waiting in the space.

Resonated? Consider Buying Me A Coffee. Your support literally helps me live and create - to keep writing essays like this and hosting workshops. I very much appreciate your support!

This space is dedicated to the magic of poetry. A collaboration between two inspired writers, wanting to dive into the art of writing poetry.

Every month, around the full moon, Carla and will each share a poem inspired by the same prompt for that month. Prompts are written and chosen by Danielle and Carla as well.

This Month’s Prompt: Gentle Beginnings

“Subtly arriving.

As January’s Wolf Moon rises in the depths of winter, we hear the howl calling us to new beginnings. This ancient moon invites us to honor our wild instincts, find our voice, and trust the strength of our pack as we set intentions for the year ahead. Two poets explore the quiet ways change enters our lives—and the powerful realization that some of us are simply not meant to arrive softly...

Danielle’s Poem: Stretching Syllables

s u b t l y
The syllables stretch inside my mouth
As I think about subtle things in my life, the things that pierce through, gently The conversations
The relationships
The places to travel
They are subtly arriving
The picture of home
A real home too, not just a house
But a place that is all mine
Filled to the brim with friends and laughter
Positioned perfectly near the places I love to visit
Supporting the dreams I am chasing in this life
She’s subtly arriving
The whole me
My truth
Like it’s a new religion to believe in
The whole of myself
A new person to worship
From the depths of my home
The words will stretch inside my mouth,
Making their way into this world “
Subtly arrive

Carla’s Poem: Unannounced

Subtly arriving…
The concept is funny to me
How do you subtly arrive?
My thoughts have been spiraling around the words
How does it feel?
What does it look like?
Who am I when I subtly arrive?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt like
A boa constrictor was wrapping its body around me
Tighter and tighter
Squeezing all the air out
Until I realized that I don’t subtly arrive anywhere
No matter how soft spoken I can be
No matter how much I blend it
How much I “belong.”
It’s not meant to be that way, I’m not meant to be that way
It’s not what I say
Or dress
Or how I move
It’s a feeling
An energy
An energy that precedes me
Where is it coming from?
What do I do with it?
Some will know
Most won’t
But it’s always felt
Subtly arriving is simply something I can never do.

Which poet’s journey resonated with you? Let us know in the comments or share your own experience with the subtle arrivals that transform us—or the realization that you were never meant to arrive softly. Join us next full moon for a new prompt and two new poetic explorations.

Missed our previous collaborations? Catch up here:

• December: “I’m capable of more than I think.”

• November: I’ve been throwing rocks at my glasshouse

• October: I forgot

• September: Pieces of Myself

• August: Everything that I’m not…

• July: “A drop of honey does wonders for the heart”

• June: “When I was a kid...”

• May: “Hop onto the insanity train with me...”

• April: “I’m sitting at the airport...”

• March: “Write about what it feels like as you drop into your heart space.”

To support these poets, you can find and Carla on Substack sharing their honest words with readers who are looking for some depth in the work that they read. Consider subscribing to their individual Substacks to follow their complete creative journeys.

A Kaleidoscope of Emotions and Color - Episode 1

At the beginning of 2025, I saw bingo card goal-setting on TikTok and thought it looked fun. My friends and I created cards filled with creative projects, outdoor adventures, and things we wanted to try.

By mid-October, I looked up at my bingo card hanging behind my desk and realized I’d only crossed off eight squares. Out of 25.

I thought, “I can do better than this.” Everything left on the card was stuff I already wanted to do anyway—it just needed to be more intentional. So I challenged myself to finish as many squares as possible by December 31st.

What I didn’t expect

I’m recording this on New Year’s Eve from a windy beach, about to cross off my last two squares: “create a long-form video” and “be on three podcasts.” I’m pulling double duty by turning this video’s audio into my first Substack podcast episode.

I expected to cross things off a list and have fun. What I didn’t expect was that following things that lit me up would actually change the direction of my life.

My friend Shawna said something around Thanksgiving that stuck: “You’re being intentional about creating your life every day.”

For years I’ve been trying to build a creative, outdoorsy life but stressing about how to do it. The bingo card just gave me permission to start anyway.

I went backpacking solo for 24 miles. Created three new paintings. Ran my first 5K (I’d never run more than a mile before). Wrote 52 poems even though I used to hate poetry. Did a boudoir photo shoot.

One square was “create and share a creative project of myself.” Then I realized on a walk: the bingo challenge is the creative project.

What’s left undone (and why that’s okay)

There are still unfinished squares, and I won’t lie—that stung. But my friend Danielle reminded me to look at what I did do. I trusted myself and my ideas.

That trust led to people telling me they were inspired to make their own cards. It led to creative opportunities I didn’t see coming. And now I’m hosting five bingo card creation workshops in January.

I’m no longer wandering. I’m on a path now—my path. One I created.

The thing I’m most proud of

I’ve had big ideas before, but this is the first one I’ve consistently shown up for every single day. And I’m really fucking proud of that.

I think it’s because it’s fun. It’s silly. It’s a game of bingo.

My grandma got me a bingo ornament for Christmas—bright, classic bingo balls with “BINGO” written across it. I get to put it on my tree every year and remember this moment.

Come play bingo with me

I’m excited to sit down with people in January and help them create their own bingo cards. Not from a place of “what’s wrong and how do I fix it,” but “what do I actually want to do?”

We’ll figure out what lights you up, create a fun card around it, and give you ideas to actually get bingo throughout the year. Being the bingo card girl has maybe become my entire personality, and I’m okay with that.

Bingo Card Creation Workshops - January 2026

Virtual Events:

• January 14th at 6pm EST

• January 18th at 2pm EST

In-Person Events (Western Pennsylvania):

• January 9th at 6pm - The Paper Garden Co, Indiana, PA

• January 11th at 10am - The Creative Cup, Ridgway, PA

• January 30th at 7pm - The Legion, Saltsburg, PA

Register: www.carlabober.com

Happy New Year. Let’s play some bingo.

My highest ever is $10k. That month I worked my ass off—13-hour days nonstop—but I made just over 10k after months of hitting just enough. It changed everything because it allowed me to drive across the country for a much-needed change in my life.

This year has been a year of life giving me pivots I wasn’t ready for, but definitely needed. Slowly nudging or shoving me in a direction that I really had no idea where I was being led, until I had this idea.

This silly, kind of crazy idea to finish my bingo card: 19 squares in 67 days. One of them is receiving $13,000 in 31 days or less.

I chose 13k for a few reasons. 13 is my favorite number. It’s a number that felt like a stretch, but I still didn’t know how.

But it’s also a number that would allow me to start living my life from my creativity. It pays off a few debts, pays my bills, and gives me the space to truly pour my energy, passion, and love into putting my creativity out there in the world with these projects.

There are 12 days left.

I could have easily given up. I could have said there’s no way this is possible. And to some, that may be true.

But over the years, I have seen the seemingly impossible be possible. I’ve seen things happen that don’t really make sense. I’ve had money come in from ways I never saw coming.

Money doesn’t always make sense. At least in my experience. That’s why I’m not giving up.

Anything can change at any time. More opportunities, surprises, and perspective shifts have come through in these last 67 days than I saw coming.

So here’s how you can be part of this:

Ready to design your 2025 with intention? Join me for Curate Your Year in 2026 with a Bingo Card! Virtual workshops start in January, plus 1-1 support to map out your squares and actually cross them off.
January 14th, 2026 at 6pm EST, virtual
January 18th, 2026 at 2pm EST, virtual
Additional 1-1 Bingo Card Support

Love following along here? Become a paid subscriber to A Kaleidoscope of Emotions and Color—monthly, yearly, or as a founding member. Your support helps me keep creating.

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Got a big idea that needs a partner? I help people bring their creative visions to life through brainstorming, content creation, social media, podcasts, writing, and community building. Let’s make it happen.

Want to feel confident in your skin? I’ve been a skincare and beauty consultant with Mary Kay for 15 years, teaching skincare and makeup that actually works for you. If you currently have a Mary Kay consultant, please stay with her!
www.marykay.com/cbober

Just want to chip in? Buy me a coffee or sponsor a Bingo square through my creative fund. Every bit gets me closer. https://buymeacoffee.com/carlanicole

I’m going for it. Want to come along?

I originally started the Bingo Card Challenge for two reasons.

The first was simple:
I had 19 squares left on my Bingo Card and 67 days to see how many I could possibly finish. I’m not going to lie, I’ve got to be a little bit crazy. There’s A LOT on this card. But I went for it anyway…because why not?

The second reason was quieter, but more important.
I wanted to see who I would become in the process—what opportunities might show up, what connections I might make, and how I would move through resistance and discomfort along the way.

There are 13 days left in the year, and it has already exceeded every expectation I had.

I’ve crossed off six more squares (with more on the way), made unexpected connections, shown up differently than I have before, tried new things, and received new opportunities I didn’t see coming. I’ve felt myself stretch, sometimes in ways that made me want to throw the computer against a wall, but ended up energizing me.

But my favorite part hasn’t just been the growth I can feel in myself.

It’s been watching the ripple effect.

Friends and family have started asking about the Bingo Card. One person has already made their own. I’ve been tagged in posts, sent messages about it, and I’m slowly becoming known as “the bingo card girl.”

And honestly? I kind of love it.

I didn’t set out to inspire anyone. I just wanted a way to motivate myself—to make the things I was already doing feel more fun and less heavy. The fact that it’s resonating with others has been the most unexpected and meaningful bonus.

That’s what inspired what comes next.

What’s Coming Next

I’m turning this experiment into a few ways you can play along too:

The Bingo Card Starter Kit
A self-guided PDF you can use on your own, complete with:

• A fillable Bingo Card

• Prompts to help you create your card

• Tips to help you get your first BINGO and keep going

Create Your Bingo Card Workshops
Live, interactive sessions where we’ll:

• Explore different ways to build your card

• Work on it together as a group

• Get inspired by what others are creating

• Talk about how you want to celebrate your first BINGO and actually get there

• You can find more details about what you get when you click the link!

Virtual workshop dates:
🗓 January 14, 2026 at 6pm EST
🗓 January 18, 2026 at 2pm EST

If you can’t attend live, a replay will be sent to everyone who registers.

In-person events are:

The Paper Garden Co in Indiana, PA at 6pm on January 9th
The Creative Cup in Ridgeway, PA at 10am on January 11th

There will also be optional support after your card is complete, because if you’re anything like me, you might fill it out and then think, okay… now what? I’ve got you.

It might sound silly. It’s just Bingo, right?

But following this idea—letting myself play, commit, and talk about it out loud—has given me more direction than I’ve felt in a long time. And I’m really excited to see where it leads next year, for me and for anyone who decides to join in.

Click the dates above to get more details and grab your spot!
Or send me a message if you have questions. I would love to chat about it!

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There’s this one oracle card I’ve pulled more times than I can count. It says, “You’re already doing it.”

Around Halloween, a friend pulled a tarot card for me. He never showed me the card, but essentially he said, “You’re on the right track. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

Those two moments have been echoing in the background of my life for months.

Because since February, I’ve been trying to figure out what’s next. I knew I was using delivery driving as a crutch, and I knew it was time to shift. Life eventually made the switch for me, but I was still working on the directions and actions to take—still trying to piece together how to fully support myself through my creativity and business.

I’m still working on the details.

But back in October, I started this Bingo Card Challenge—as most of you know by now, and if you haven’t, check it out here! It felt silly, but to me, it was a way to give myself a container to hold all the creativity I was working on and make it so much more fun. A way to turn the pressure of “figuring out my life” into a game. So I went for it.

Since then, I’ve crossed things off my card, tried new things, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and made some surprisingly cool connections.

And the other day I was walking in the woods, working on a video for the challenge and simultaneously thinking about all the squares left to be completed.

“Holy shit!”

Like... clicked clicked. A full-body light bulb moment.

I immediately started voice messaging two of my friends, rambling as I talked out this moment in my head—which is very on brand for me. I was SO lit up!

One of the squares on my card is “create and share a creative project.”

I had, or rather have, an idea of what I was going to do for this. I just hadn’t started on it yet. In some ways, I feel like I was avoiding it—not because I don’t like the idea, but because I think I was scared of it. Not quite sure how to put it out there. In some ways it felt abrupt, like it would come out of nowhere, or that I don’t fully have the expertise for it. Neither of which are true.

It’s funny, some of my best realizations come when I’m focusing on something else. I guess it’s as they say, “The best ideas come in the shower.”

And then the realization dropped:

THIS BINGO PROJECT is my creative project.
I’m already doing it.

Y’all, the way I did not see this at all until this moment is wild.

I was literally searching for “the big project,” the thing that would give me direction—while building it in real time without recognizing it.

Not only is this bingo challenge the creative project, it’s opening doorways, opportunities, and the direction I’ve been searching for since February. Probably longer.

They always say to follow the nudges, follow what feels fun, follow the curiosities. And I’ve tried. I’ve asked myself “What’s the next right thing?” more times than I can count. Some days the answer comes easily. Other days it’s like asking the wind.

But this challenge?
This wasn’t me trying to get guidance.
This wasn’t me strategizing the “next right step.”
It wasn’t me trying to solve anything.

It was me saying, “This looks fun. I want to do this.”
And that was enough.

Intuition can speak in all different ways, can’t it? Sometimes we only understand it in hindsight.

I’m still not exactly sure where this challenge will lead me, but what I do know is I feel like for the first time in a long time I can see a path. I can see a clearing in the woods. I can see the possibilities in the direction I have been searching for.

I have 24 days left in this bingo challenge, and things are clicking together in ways I could not have orchestrated if I tried.

There’s much work to be done, and some things to be figured out. But I’m genuinely excited to see how it all unfolds!

Here’s what’s left on the board:

• Write a book — In progress

• Be on 3 podcasts — 1 done, 1 in the works, 1 to find

• Boudoir shoot — Planned

• Do a handstand — Practicing

• 3 new stamps on my passport — I have a few ideas

• 3 new paintings — Working on them

• Finish sewing all the patches on my backpack — In progress

• $13k recurring monthly income — $2k done, $11k to go

• Support myself fully through creativity + business — In motion

• Get a tattoo — Working on it

I know it seems like so much, but I have a really good feeling.

And honestly, one of the sweetest parts of this whole project has been the support that’s poured in. I’ve had people reach out and wish me luck, offer ideas, ask me questions not only about my squares, but about creating a bingo for themselves, or telling me they want to create one next year.

Community is magic. And this challenge has shown me that in real time.

Which is why, I am officially hosting a few Bingo Card Creation events in January! Two virtual sessions, one in Ridgeway, PA, and potentially one in Indiana, PA.

Details to come this week!

I am so excited to keep this bingo card idea flowing!

If you’d like to support in other ways, becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack, or buying me a matcha truly helps me continue building a life supported by my creativity and business. I appreciate it so much.

Thank you! Now off to work on this bingo card!

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