Hi friends.
Happy 2022. I hope your year is off to a good start, whatever that looks like for you. I took some time away from professional writing in December to recharge, reflect, plan, and be with family. I also adopted a puppy, Kona, who has been the greatest bundle of joy and cuddles. I’m feeling more ready to face the blank calendar, but I’m also feeling a little bit cautious and contemplative. I spent a lot of time during my break thinking about adaptation and transformation in my own craft, what I want from my work and play, and how to separate my identity from how I make money. I figured I’d use this inaugural journal post (more on those posts later) to unravel some of those thoughts.
It seems like every four months, I get some revelation about how to make Honing Her Craft more beneficial for you, my subscribers. This newsletter started in September 2020 to spotlight the behind-the-scenes efforts of female artists I admired across all sorts of fields, and I’ve stayed true to that direction. Thirty generous and talented women have shared their time and wisdom with me so that I may share bits and pieces of their stories with you through this platform. We have learned so much from each of them about time management, self-acceptance, work ethic, finances, creativity, resources, and so on. Alongside those conversations, I’ve tried rolling out other complementary ideas—the side dishes to the main course, if you will—that have since been scrapped. A website? Discussion threads? Office tours? Reflection prompts? Sure, I’ll try them. But for whatever reason, they just haven’t fit or lasted. I used to feel embarrassed, even stressed out, for not following through, for falling short, for tiring out.
Simply put, the extra ideas weren’t serving me. While I’m completely dedicated to interviewing 12 more creative women in 2022 (woo!), I’ve neglected to view this space as an outlet to develop my own voice as a writer. Sometimes work assignments challenge me to explore, like this piece about unraveling trauma or when I have time to pitch reported stories. But mostly, I take on paid projects to pay my bills, to make a living. What if I made space for myself to experiment a little bit more with first person in a place that can hold me accountable? And what if it wasn’t just unorganized scribble, but fully thought-out ideas? I think that’s what I need. So if it’s OK with you, I’d like to share more from my own heart about various topics—freelancing, creativity, my dog, journalism, sewing, other hobbies, and whatever else comes up—through monthly journal entries. I’ll also include weird photos from my camera roll, since I’m off Instagram for the time being. At the bottom of each send, like at the bottom of this one, I’ll also list out some of my obsessions from the month. Podcasts, products, articles, videos, etc. Because I want to share what I discover and love with you. After all, “[Curating is] an act of generosity—you’re sharing what you love and what has inspired you,” Martin Scorsese said last year (in a quote found via Ann Friedman’s newsletter).
Running my own business, being my own boss for the last two years, and approaching 30 has lead to meaningful lessons that I’d like to offer up. Public journaling will also give me a chance to be vulnerable and process through writing. To be messy. To just write and see what comes up. To practice first-person. To hone my craft. I’d love to hear from you in the comments about what you’d like to read from me and who you’d like to see interviewed in 2022.
See you again in a couple weeks for Vol. 31!
With love,
Amelia
Monthly Favorites
Listening: This Seamwork Radio episode about escaping the cult of efficiency
Using: One of these Dingbats notebooks per year for bullet journaling
Reading: Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford
Smelling: This adorable set of vanilla-scented macaron erasers
Making: The Bo Top pattern from Seamwork
Drinking: Delicious mocktails out of non-alcoholic spirits
Curating: My vintage Etsy shop is open again for business