Hello, my dearest of humans,

After my hike this past Sunday morning, I picked up a copy of The Artist’s Way at a used bookstore over on Sunset Boulevard while waiting for my brunch reservation.

The book suggests that you sit down every morning and stream-of-consciousness write three pages, dumping all the critical, negative nonsense out of your head and onto the page. And I have to say, I am not a fan of morning pages. As someone who is an avid journaler, I have learned the hard way that wallowing in my thoughts in this way is actually detrimental to my mental state.

Ie. I wrote three pages this morning and ended up three times more anxious than when I started my day. The lesson here is that not everything is for you. Not everything will have the same effect on you as it did for the person suggesting it, so experiment till you find what works. For me, negative thought dumping is a path to a downward spiral that I can easily get stuck in. H

owever, the premise of writing regularly to get thoughts out of your head is useful. I love a good brain dump to-do list. Not to use as a list I work from, but rather as a capture system so my 41-year-old brain doesn’t forget anything. Putting all the tasks on the page and out of my head ensures I can see it all and nothing gets left behind.
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But for the negative thoughts - I have enough of those. Writing about them more often just feeds their fire. The easy shift here is to lean into the positive. Lean into noticing all of the wonderful bits in life. My almost daily morning walks do just that. I took at least 20 photos of plants the other day, noticing all the beautiful bits of nature the world had to offer up that morning. It is a practice of noticing awe, of taking the time to pause and appreciate the world’s beauty. We are often so go-go-go and rarely stop to celebrate our wins, progress, and little moments of joy.

So this morning, after three pages of nonsense drama that made me feel worse, I shifted the tune. I took a moment to appreciate the sun glinting off my dog’s golden fur as he stood, his nose pointing toward the open window, catching the morning news on the breeze as it floated in. And I smiled, grateful that I get to share my life with this beautiful animal.

And then I continued to reflect on my day and the little bits I was grateful for - my flavorful breakfast, watching one of my favorite YouTubers’ relaxing artist vlogs filled with jazz, plants, and vibes. I appreciated the quick sketch I did of my coffee mug and water jar, acknowledging that I do, in fact, have some skill I can be proud of. The sketch felt free and loose yet still portrayed the scene on my desk as I saw it - water droplets sweating from the jar and clouds in my coffee.

And now, as I write this, I’m reminded of the song lyrics from “You’re so vain” by Carly Simon, “I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.”

Anyway, this is a reminder to lean into the beautiful. pause. Take a deep breath and be so very grateful for this “one wild and precious life.” (As Mary Oliver says)

Until next time,

Morgan E. Shepherd

P.S. Tis a season of change on my end, so things are shifting. The road is uncertain, but the path is clear. Onward!