the start of something new

i read somewhere recently that 38 is officially mid-life. that fact mostly horrified me; i, at 38, am currently undergoing ivf with my husband, and although i’m much older this time around (my daughters are 9 and 12), something about planning for a baby makes me feel surprisingly young. but the realization of “mid-life” also sparked something else in me: the fact that, whether I like it or not, i have (roughly) half of my life left to live - and i want to take ownership of it in a way that i didn’t couldn’t when i was in my 20s and early/mid-30s.

i grew up in the 90s, and - dare i say - it was a magical time to come of age. we had access to the very beginnings of technology in the form of dial-up internet, PC games with poor graphics, and aol instant messenger, but we also passed notes in class, burned mixed cds, wrote to pen pals, and hand wrote in our diaries with gel pens.

maybe it’s the technology, maybe it’s my faulty memory, or maybe it’s just true, but the 2020s haven’t felt quite as magical a time. (granted, we started the decade with a global pandemic, but still.)

as i, apparently, approach the second half of my life, i feel an innate desire to make something new out of my time on this tiny blue dot. that’s where analog and whimsy comes into the chat.

one of my best friends - who also happens to be my next-door-neighbor - is a small business owner. she creates beautiful wood flowers for weddings, sells bouquets at vendor events, and facilitates diy craft classes at various businesses around the area. watching her success has inspired me to think outside the box and re-visit the things that bring me the most joy. what if, i wonder, i, too, facilitated workshops around the region? what if i brought back some of the 90s magic that i feel so nostalgic for, created a community of women who feel the same, and shared with others the things that i love so very much: journaling, letter writing, vision board collaging, crafting, and the prioritization of screen-free time?

i know what i want out of my second half of life. i want to travel. i want to create. i want to read. i want to take in beautiful scenery. i want to breathe fresh air. i want to put pen to paper. and i do not want to spend it staring down at a screen.

analog and whimsy will be a space for people who want to journey through life in a similar way; more doing, less posting; more being, less scrolling.

I hope you’ll join follow along and join me for a workshop sometime soon :)