Jottings for Your Weekend
Entry No. 65 [Inside: A Soul-Care Question to Ask Yourself, Advice for Writing About Hard Things, Prompts for Finding Your Story's Thread, Art Bringing Me Joy, Books on My Radar, and more]
Hi there —
Welcome to Entry No. 65 from my Jotter’s Corner. As I write this, I’m recovering from COVID (remember that little cold I thought I was getting?). Thankfully, I’m feeling much better and more like myself today. I haven’t been able to create much due to all the rest my body has needed, but I have collected some good stuff to share with you.
These Jottings for Your Weekend offer you a curated selection of new and noteworthy resources and ideas that spread the love of writing and creativity as sources of healing and hope. I source the good stuff from other writers, artists, and creatives, offering thoughtful perspectives and adding beauty and healing to this brutal world. I also like to include a recap of my latest work to make sure you’re not missing out on anything.
As always, I hope you find this weekend’s curated collection of jottings meaningful and helpful as you create a meaningful life for yourself.
Please note: This post may include Amazon affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links.
Entry No. 65
1 - A soul-care question to borrow:
This week, writer and spiritual director Charlotte Donlon posed this question on Threads: “How are you putting yourself in the way of art to nourish your heart, soul, and mind?”1 I love the intentionality behind it and how she frames it as “putting yourself in the way.” I’m currently navigating a situation that has caused me a bit of unease this week. As a result, I’ve been seeking centering practices and reflecting on what offers my soul refuge. For me, it’s not only prayer and journaling, but it’s nature, it’s art, it’s a book of poetry. Art is nourishing. I needed this little nudge and reminder to put myself in its way and wanted to pass it along to you. Feel free to share how you’re putting yourself in the way of art in the comments.
2 - Advice for writing about hard things:
I jotted down a piece of advice for writing about hard things in my notebook while virtually attending an event called We Can Write About Hard Things, featuring a panel of authors (
, , Dr. Zoe Shaw, and ). I’ve learned, practiced, and coached other writers on this topic, but I’d never heard it articulated as succinctly as Kristen LaValley did. When we’re writing about hard things (especially that involve other people—which they often do—write once for catharsis and once for craft.2 I’ve also heard it said this way: write first for yourself and then for your reader. But there is something about the words (and their wonderful alliteration) catharsis and craft that clearly articulate how to approach writing about hard things beyond the scope of our journal pages.3 - Advice and 4 prompts for finding the thread in your writing:
For those who are writing a book or dream of writing a book, read this new, brilliant piece by author and senior editor at HarperOne
called “On Excavating Your Work’s Aboutness.”“Ultimately, not knowing your book’s aboutness as you begin to write is not a problem, but a prompt.”
—Stephanie Duncan Smith
4 - Beautiful art bringing me joy:
The Instagram algorithm served me well this week, showing me a reel of adorable miniature art of Edinburgh (a place I visited and fell in love with a couple of years ago) by artist Laura K. Sayers. I’ve since gone down an artist rabbit hole, delighting in Laura’s art and illustrations—or rather, putting myself in art’s way here. Please go enjoy some of her beautiful work.
5 - A quick note on books—ones I’ve finished, am currently reading, are newly arriving, and are forthcoming:
I finally finished Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead, which I started months ago. The first third of the book hooked me, but then my interest and attention faded. I admittedly skimmed a portion of Demon’s life in that middle third but found myself drawn back into his story toward the end. I’m still reading St. Teresa of Avila’s book The Interior Castle.
’s new book of poetry, A Bit Much, arrived on my doorstep this week. And my friend just announced her new book deal for Art is How God Loves Us, coming in 2026—I cannot wait to read it. Put some of these titles on your TBR list and share what you’re reading in the comments.Momentos from My Week
I’m still here and showing up as best I can—and I’m leaning into the power of those words. It’s sort of a big deal for us to say that about ourselves. COVID, of course, thrust me into a bit of a funk. While I focused on rest, I still managed to add a creative presence on Etsy, opening a second storefront for my work. I also added postcard prints of 3 more of my paintings and some of my favorite prose pieces. I’d love for you to pop over to my main shop on my website or visit me over on Etsy. Or take a peek at the bottom of this entry. But the event making my good list this week was my son’s cross country meet. The weather was perfect, the sky was beautiful, and watching my son grow, try new things, and work hard was full on joy. In the midst of some “down days” this week, I’m grateful to be holding on to some goodness, too. (P.S. Plug: Did you know that Rise: A Journal for Perseverance has a section to help you hold onto goodness, too? Check it out here.)
Thanks for reading!
I hope your weekend and week ahead are filled with inspiration, healing, and a little extra hope.
Keep jotting down the good stuff.
Let me know if something here inspired you!
New in My Creative Shop — Postcard Prints of My Pastels + Prose
I went to link back to the original post on Threads, but it looks like it’s been removed.
This is my imperfect paraphrase and what I jotted down. KL probably articulated this more brilliantly, but you get the idea.
I love Charlotte Donlon's idea about "putting yourself in art's way." I went out to my garden to pick some veggies and was entranced by a little white butterfly flitting around my lettuce bed. My dog was ready to go in but I wasn't and usually it's the other way around! As for books, I am reading Danielle Coke Balfour's A Heart On Fire, Chante Griffin's Loving Your Black Neighbor As Yourself and The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. I am also listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass to celebrate the Equinox.