The Studio Edit 09: Embracing The Unexpected Gift of Time

Why do I feel uncomfortable with stillness and slowness when those are the things I crave most?

Welcome to The Studio Edit, a digest with favorite things and thoughts that I hope add levity to the latter half of your week and help inspire the weekend ahead 🤍

Happy Friday –

Is it just me, or has January already felt like a year in and of itself?

These last two post-holiday weeks have felt like a bit of a fumble, with two studio projects getting pushed back to a later start due to clients needing extra time to make space in their own schedules to articulate their design needs.

Suddenly, my full January work schedule has thinned and I find myself at odds with this newfound spaciousness and ease.

I’ve had to have honest conversations with myself, asking myself repeatedly why I often don’t allow myself the slowness, softness and stillness that I so desperately crave.

Asking myself what it is – or what feeling it is – that I’m running from and masking with design deliverables and deadlines, client calls and consultations.

I felt very seen and understood reading this recent post from

Susie | Talking Since Tuesday

, which touches on the notion that we can choose to embody values of slowness while still honoring our ambitions and desires to create, achieve and flourish.

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So, a mantra and reminder –

Allow me to soften to the stillness that’s presented itself; the gift of time to just be, if only for this moment.

Let me embrace this season of slowness, which is fleeting at best.

Show me how to savor these sweet slivers of unoccupied time, which are so few and far between in this season of balancing adulthood, motherhood, business and writing from the heart.

Earlier this week I shared the items that I plan to exclusively thrift for for the foreseeable future. Check out the full post to catch a glimpse of my favorite secondhand finds as well – from a $500 luxury sweater that I found for $7 (yes, really!) to the sweet, tiny pieces that I’ve curated for my toddler’s closet.

Capturing more images on an actual camera…
I’m calling it: this will be the year that I return to my love of photography in a real, consistent way. I’ve really enjoyed bringing out the Fujifilm over these last few weeks to capture vignettes of our days at home – like this one of Margot peering out of our window while Paul shoveled snow. These sweet, everyday moments are exactly what I hope to share with her as cherished memories when she’s older.

Curating creative direction for an exciting client…
I’m entering a busy Q1 in my design studio, with three large-scale projects lined up back-to-back. Although I’ve grappled with some intense anxiety and burnout over dazzling clients and attaining their design vision, I feel proud of everything that I’ve designed so far – including this creative direction for a past client and talented interior designer seeking a brand and website design refresh.

The Listening Corner is now The Consuming Corner to encompass a more broad array of delights! Here’s what I’ve been enjoying and savoring lately…

• Song: “Daisy Wildflower” by Christian Sparacio
I’ve been beginning and ending my days with this song as of late, and it still hasn’t gotten old. It’s a wistful, soulful tune that reminds me of lazy summer afternoons sitting on the back porch – complete with wildflowers, of course.

• Show: “Girls” on HBO
Every couple of years I wake up and think, “Hm, it feels like I should rewatch ‘Girls,’” and the time has come yet again that I relive the series that defined my college years. I was freshly 21 when the show debuted in 2012, and I remember thinking that all of the characters were the epitome of New York City-20s-cool. I’ve had a completely different experience watching this time around in my 30s, but still appreciate the writing, the music and the cheeky aspects of the show.

• Food: hearts of palm “pasta” from ALDI
I’m an ALDI lover through and through (so many budget-friendly organic options!), and have recently enjoyed replacing my typical fettuccine with “pasta” made from hearts of palm for a reset. In learning more about hearts of palm, it’s packed with protein, fiber and potassium – plus, I love that it has a bit more bite to it than typical semolina-based noodles.

How are you finding slivers of stillness and allowing spaciousness to enter your schedule? I’d love to hear about the start of your year and how things are going so far 🤍

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