The plan is to share a “cozy portal fantasy” with you all that uses a simple magic system and tugs on your heart strings (I’m talking about my character Henry here!) but the truth is, I don’t have it all done yet; the outline, yes, but the actual pages, no. So, you’ll have to bear with me as I navigate being a fantasy fiction writer and share each piece of this story as it is born.

So, what’s it about?

I’m currently calling this story “Project Walden” because I don’t have a better working title for it as a whole, so there’s that. It’s the story of an older female main character named Eryn who is just a loveable loser and fails at her dream job. Her professional failure brings her to Walden where she stumbles upon a bookstore that she later finds to be somewhat magical.

Throughout the journey Eryn will drift between the real world and liminal space via a handwritten tome she gets from the bookshop and eventually Eryn will discover that the world she keeps visiting is falling apart and that she has to figure out how to keep this magical space alive.

I hope that readers that find this story enjoy the color theory and symbolism baked into the characters as well as some of the historical touchpoints I’ve used as inspiration to help set the time and place of this cozy tale.

How to read it!

I plan to share it here, in a serialized format. If I can pull it off, I would also love to develop some character artwork to accompany each piece of the story I publish.

And so, that’s it for now! Let’s see where this goes!

— Rainey Daze (writer!)

Hi 👋 I’m Rainy Daze, welcome to my little Internet Cafe.

Not too long ago, I traded a 6ft x 6ft cubicle at a big, big fancy engineering firm for an espresso machine and its the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

Corporate life never quite fit. I always felt like the oddball in the office, and after a few years of 12+ hour days, clocking back in for late-night catch-up sessions, working weekends, and a lingering feeling of is this really it? I decided that it, in fact, was not it.

So, I chose to “reverse retire” at 43 instead of waiting for my someday; I stepped away from the illusion of security and into something slower and a little more magical.

Whats on the ‘menu’!

☕ coffee talk
📚 my favorite book yaps
🖊 my creative writing
🎨 bts of my sketchbook stuff
🪲 bts of my bug-inspired tarot deck
🛍 maybe even some thrifting content

This space is kind of like a junk journal, where I document my life for the living of it, not the aesthetic. It’s a place to capture my creative reawakening at 40+, it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to start again.

If you’re here, maybe you’re looking for that too.

♡R

Links & Things!

• Read with me on the Story Graph!

Two weeks ago I made a drastic career shift. I left my 6ft x 6ft cubicle at a fancy engineering firm where I worked 12+ hours a day and traded it in for making lattes and cold foam, here’s what I noticed.

At my old job, I struggled to get to sleep each night, dreading my 4:30 am alarm. I did all the performative routines to get myself ready for the day, though I was in a constant state of exhaustion and constipation. Everyday blended together because I left my house in the dark wee hours and rushed home in the bumper to bumper ones to scrape together some semblance of “life” after my 12+ hour day of looking at a screen.

While in my cage, I mean, cubicle, I pressed buttons on a keyboard and did emails and meetings, sometimes I did just meetings all day, sometimes just emails. My job was to make sure everyone else did their job. So you can imagine how fulfilling that was.

Now though, my feet ache (though that is starting to regulate) and my workday is surprisingly fewer hours. I leave the house at 6:45am so I can brew a cup of coffee for myself and ease into opening the cafe by 7:30am (did I mention my commute is 35 minutes less now too?), while the milk steams, I am planning out new flavor combinations and watching latte art tutorials. All this new form creativity has been a lot of fun to absorb.

The weekend away from work though, wow, I think that’s the most shocking change. Before being a barista, I would stress out on Sunday mid morning and spiral into that clammy space of professional dread. I thought longingly about ‘having more time’ and dreamed about having my brain to myself and not wasting my thinking on a day that hadn’t even started yet.

Now, my hands get dirty from the garden or the studio. My feeling of tired comes from doing real, actual work and the weekend feels like a restful pause between weeks. I do my job, I make the coffee and serve it, then it’s done. The weekend time is now my own and my brain is pulsing with lots of creative ideas and schemes that I cannot wait to dive into.

Leaving my corporate life for this more grounded version of self has been absolutely amazing and I feel like all of the frustrations, frazzles, burnt out vibes I was embracing before wasn’t ‘getting older’ or ‘perimenopause’ it was that I worked a fake job doing work that really didn’t feed me and now, the work I do soothes me. I get the best version of everyone I interact with. I get to be around coffee and smell like vanilla and caramel on my way home from work. I get to use my arms and legs and work my muscles doing a blue collar job that makes be feel like a best friend, a therapist, a help line, a philosopher, an artist… you get the idea. I get to make a cup of joy for everyone that comes to my counter and they leave me smiling. I love that. I absolutely frickin’ love that!

I guess I am writing all of this to say, if you think that working in service or a trade is something that you are interested in, do it!

Leave that cubicle and join me!

You would think that the endorphins would be firing on all cylinders, and they are (ish), but that still doesn’t change the fact that I have three more days to navigate in my corporate role. Granted, I don’t have any new projects, and my work is ramping down, but my heart and my mind are still telling me things like, “stay in bed all day and maybe Monday won’t come,” or “scroll some more, this is a good distraction from tomorrow’s reality.” In both cases, I am the loser.

So, how did I get moving today? Honestly, it was really hard and in full transparency, I did sleep in until 1 pm, but let's blame that on a fun Saturday night of playing D&D and the time change, yeah? But I honestly just forced myself to crawl out from under the safety of my comforter and thrifted granny quilt. I brewed a pour-over coffee, dressed it up with caramel, then sat down at my ‘big screen’, aka my laptop, and got a few things crossed off my list.

Now, I kind of have some momentum behind me, and I am about to jump into doing as many chores as I can so that when Thursday rolls around, and I am officially no longer employed at the corporate cube, I have the mental and emotional freedom to enjoy a day of creativity.

My plan for my long weekend before starting my new gig is, first and foremost, to relax! I've been spinning plates and running on high-stress empty for so long that just having a gentle day or two sounds like such a treat. I want to paint my nails, get a fast-food breakfast, make some coffee and read a book of my choice for at least half of a day.

I want to hit the thrift store, browse the racks, hunt for odd treasures, and bring home something that brings me whimsy.

I want to spend a day in my studio again, just making silly art and preparing for a class project for my Children in Literature course, as well as do some planning alongside Lassie, of ,for our little creative side gig.

I know it sounds simple and maybe even silly, but that’s really all I need to feel like me. I am so excited for this next step because I think I will finally have so much more of myself back.

I know my jump is probably wild to a lot a people, but I can’t help but be curious, how are you feeling on the Sunday before the work week?

So the dream has always been to build the coffee shop, but boy, did I get lucky, because this coffee shop already exists, its closed on the weekends due to its location AND in comparision to my cubicle gig (consisting of 11-hour days) I’ll “feel” like I am only working part-time since my typical work day will soon be just about 8 hours.

At the end of each day, I’ll be out the door early enough to enjoy some sunshine, and with it being just a jump away from home, the commute to work will be shaved down from 40 minutes to just about 6 minutes! Not to mention that it’s equally super close to the art studio, so I see lots of artsy stuff happening in my future (finally!).

I think I am dreaming, right? All of that seems way too good to be true.

Now, I’m not solely looking at this with rose-colored glasses; I know that my feet are going to HURT and that coffee money isn’t exactly the same as mega-corp cubicle money, but life is way too short. Life is meant to be lived, and lately, I feel like my cubicle job has consistently kept me from the best parts of being alive.

For me, this decision comes from a need for a balance that makes more sense to me and, honestly, happiness. That's really the kicker, happiness.

Right now, I feel zapped at the end of each day. I no longer make time for my hobbies, and my days in the studio have longer and longer stretches in between them. That’s just not for me. I am the type who needs a ‘real’ job, doing real things. Helping and serving real people. I need a job that gives me the mental space, away from screens, to be inspired. The next chapter looks so exciting to me. I can’t wait to jump in and start brewing!

I know that my choice to jump ship on a “normal” life may be jarring for some, but if you are ever feeling off about your day-to-day life, consider that the prescripted version of life isn’t the only option.

Find your bliss! Define your version of success! Curate your life! We all know that we only get so many days on this floating rock, please go out and live them to the best of your ability.

The new semester at my local community college started recently, and I am in that phase of life when I’m back in school, learning more about the topics I love. This term, I am taking a class called ‘Literature for Children’, and our big class project is writing and illustrating a children’s book and having it printed/self-published. I’m so excited!

Other exciting news is that the studio is working on a Valentine’s Day charitable/protest project (I’ll share more about that soon!), and we have officially started work on Good Neighbor, our local community-focused zine.

Check out my February Mood board:

Last Month’s Link Round Up:

Bookworm | Fangirling Over Marcus Kliewer

Bookworm | My 2025 Reading Wrap

Handmade Tarot Project | #17 The Star

Studio Stuff | Field Notes from the Studio: Amanita verna

Studio Stuff | Chatting about my favorite watercolor butterfly and daydreaming about making art for fun again

Studio Stuff | Schnailnannigans

Hey, Have You Met My Friend?

Lassie is the author of Hello. From the Lunar Library and a cartoonist in KC. She is also a co-founder of Freehand Collective and a huge inspiration and motivation for me, both personally and for my artsy things! Cheers to one of my best pals, go check out her Substack and subscribe, wouldja!?

Thanks for hanging out with me this month! I’m excited to share what unravels next. Until then, friends, smell ya later!

— R

Sharing a whimsical illustration of a poisonous plant is such a little vibe; I really love the juxtaposition of making this killer appear ‘cute’.

It’s so hard to talk about my art because, I will be totally honest, it isn’t that deep. I just like things and want to draw them. For example, in this case, I really like the colors that I am seeing, and I love nature and all of her little babies, so as I was looking for something to draw one day, I stumbled upon this type of mushroom in a textbook and was inspired to do a quick, field studies-type of drawing of it.

I’m not trying to get philosophical or metaphorical here, I’m just drawing for the sake of fun and practice. When I studied drawing, the person I was learning from was very skilled, and I learned so much about “looking with a different eye,” and while that sounds very weird and ominous, it’s such a game-changer in how I observe objects when I draw. I don't really know how to explain it — it's kind of like looking at the object, but also looking past it too, like imagining the back and side that can’t be seen from the current view. It’s also about imagining how the object would feel and its texture, and incorporating that observation into the drawing. It's definitely a skill that helped me improve my work, but now that I am not drawing for a living, I can just draw a heap of wonky mushrooms. I kind of like that.

Thanks for hanging out with me today. Do you have a favorite mushroom?

— R

When I first got into watercolor about 20 years ago, I found a muse that still inspires me to this day and seems to give me endless resources and references. I just love bugs, guys, I love them. Butterflies, moths, spiders, beetles… all of them are exceptionally beautiful and offer so much to the observer’s eye. I’ve been painting bugs (and their cousins) for so long, and I have yet to find boredom in their form.

This particular butterfly is the Cymothoe beckeri, also known as the Creamy Glider Butterfly. It’s also one of my all-time favorite pieces that I have created over the years. It’s a perfect example of the flow state, and I made it during a time when I was discovering, I wasn’t yet a professional artist and selling work, I was just making art to make it, to learn, to enjoy it and play and let whatever happen, well, happen. I feel like you can see that in this one.

I am actively seeking that feeling, chasing the state of joy, flow, and play. I want my work to regress to this moment again and create a joyful space for me to just create without intention. As a retired commercial artist, art was work for so long that it became grinding and grueling, and it just wasn’t the same. It’s been about 5 or 6 years since I left that space, and now, I’m starting to dip my paintbrush in dirty paint water again, and the feeling is, dare I say it, magical.

If you are trying to get into the biz, please know I am not knocking it; I am just sharing that this way, for me, is so much better. I applaud those who enjoy the grind and who chase the work, and I truly hope that you land that deal, baby! This, however, is my little slice of the internet, where I can reflect on the time I spent doing all that hard work that made me hate making art. This space is my little recovery zone, my soft pillow, my ease back into making art for the sake of joy. I hope you enjoy seeing what I created in my past life and what I uncover about this version of myself along the way.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this little guy, this particular piece and moth are one of my favorites.

— R

I discovered Marcus Kliewer via the ‘Available Now’ filter on my ‘TBR’ tag in the Libby App, and oh, what a ride. The book I am talking about is We Used to Live Here. I had just finished There There by Tommy Orange and wanted to dive into something else (because, damn, that book wrecked me).

At first, I wasn't sold on We Used to Live Here. There were parts where I even thought the book was heavily written or edited with AI, but I didn’t give up on it and eventually reached a part of the story written in a completely different style. This is when I realized that Kliewer was writing in a broken, short, punchy sentence structure, which was meant to evoke doubt, confusion, and unease.

I really can't tell you what We Used to Live Here is about because I don't want to give away anything about the story, but it's wild, confusing, makes you question everything that's happening, it’s just really, really damn good.

But this isn't a book review anyway; it’s more of an appreciation post about this author. I opened this post with a copy/paste from his publisher’s author page on the Simon & Schuster site, and it really says it all… This writer, this author, is just like us… writing for the love of writing and sharing those stories in any format that will put eyes on our words. I don't really need to repeat it, but We Used to Live Here was a serialized story on Reddit… damn, if that isn't inspiring, then you just can’t be inspired.

Kliewer’s story really shook me, both his book and his story of getting the book published. It makes me feel like there is a chance to share my own little capsules of creativity with others. Sometimes I feel like I am screaming into the void, with algorithms and feeds fighting against me, while my own busy life snatches up my precious art-making and writing time. However, I guess I just need to remove my focus from that and realize that showing up is all that matters. Giving this little nook of creativity a few minutes each day is all I need to complete the story and eventually post it. It's just a few minutes to draw in my sketchbook and snap a picture of my progress. Just a few minutes to make a list or plan for the sewing project, so I am ready to jump in when I have more time.

I guess I am writing all this just to say: Kliewer struck the match and ignited the flame of possibility again for me. For that, I am so thankful.

If you are a creative, you CAN do it. Kliewer did, and I am sure that there are other, similar stories out there that I am not aware of. So, I suppose this little love letter to the art of making, showing up, and sharing what you’ve got is also me shouting out to anyone reading this — hey, you've got this.

Number seventeen is DONE! I feel like this little baby pink star moth is so whimsygoth, and I absolutely love that for her! I took some liberties with the pattern of the actual moth, pushing them into stars rather than the true, circular shape they are in realit,y and I think it really gave this card a lot of personality.

Here is the actual pink star moth, next to the Rider Waite inspiration for my buggy version.

In the traditional Rider-Waite deck, this card represents balance, renewal, intuition, hope, healing, connection, optimism, calmness, and purpose. There is so much symbolic imagery, too, but that can be said about all of the cards in the Rider Waite deck, really. The water being poured into the lake and the land is balanced, and the five little streams that break off from the water pooling on land represent the five senses, which is why for my stars I went with the five-pointed version. There is also one large star that acts as the north star or the guiding star, as well as a sky filled with stars.

In mine, my moth is still following that guiding star, but instead I incorporated those whimsygoth stars on the wings and threw a few other stars behind my moth to represent the senses and chakras.

I am thrilled with how this one turned out, and for me, my buggy tarot interpretation aligns pretty closely with the traditional one. It’s a pink star moth finding the light of the big north star and just making its little way on its little path. The moth is in tune with her senses, and she knows that whatever is meant for her is already hers. She is following her inner voice and confidence and just keeps gliding in the starlight to where she needs to be.

Some Behind the Scenes of Number Seventeen:

A look at the sketches and planning that went into this card. I take a lot of time to research the cards and their meanings, and try to find a creature that fits that vibe in terms of metaphor or spirituality. Sometimes, I do lean into a bug’s color and pattern or its common name.

A final look at The Star with the other completed cards, as well as a solo view.

Thanks for joining me for the reveal of THE STAR! I hope you liked the added peek into the process on this one. See you next time!

— R

Sharing an inky spread of snails from one of my sketchbooks. For these little guys I used Liquitex Liquid inks in a range of browns and a brown fineliner. This page was a lot of fun to reference and make.

I love using old text books or field guides for reference when I am playing around so that I am not only giving my eyes a break from gazing at a screen but also, I feel like it gives me an opportunity to learn more about the subject, there is something about learning why a creature or plant does what it does that helps me understand their personality or energy, and while it sounds really abstract, it can also help me understand how to illustrate them better.

I fell in love with these little snail studies and then got the itch to add to the pages. I really want to start incorporating journaling into my spreads, similar to what one of my favorite artists, Jo Brown, did in her book, Secrets of a Devon Wood: My Nature Journal. I’d also like to start adding more collage to my work.

While I was digging up the images of these snails, I also remembered that I made stickers of them! These are small, I think measuring 2 inches or less, and are so cute for a journal, calendar, or another sketchbook page. I think that a new spread with new snails may be in my future soon.

Thanks for joining me on a walk through this sketchbook spread.

— R

I admittedly felt like I didn't read enough in 2025, but then I took a look at my StoryGraph and realized that I did a pretty dang good job of keeping my nose in a book. Overall, I read 26 books and DNF’d five titles. Plus, I read a lot of required reading for a Women’s Literature course I took at my local community college. My eyeballs did a lot of work!

My 5 Star Books

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

On Writing: A Memoir to the Craft by Stephen King

Slewfoot by BROM

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Goblins & Greatcoats by Travis Baldree

There, There by Tommy Orange

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Other reads that may not have been 5 stars (for me) but were still enjoyable are pictured above, except for Drowned Country by Emily Tesh and Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, I forgot to copy/paste those covers into my little graphic.

I feel like overall, everything I finished reading in 2025 was a solid 3 stars or better. I have a silly reading rule: if something doesn’t popoff and hook me by chapter 5, I just DNF, because with over 800 titles on my TBR, I don't care to read something I don’t love.

My DNF List

Into the Dark We Go by DG Woods - I really wanted to like this story, but it just didn’t hit for me.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - I couldn't get past the letters/correspondence format, maybe it would be a better audiobook for me?

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - Ugh, I really wanted to like this, but I tried to enjoy this as an audiobook, and it just wasn’t doing it for me. I felt lost a lot and probably would like this one if I gave it a second chance, but in physical form.

Woman, Eating by Clare Kohda - Meh. Just kinda boring.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, with Sarah Moses - This book is wild; I want to revisit it, life just got in the way.

Side Note - I also read some career self-help books this year (Let Them by Mel Robbins & Dare to Lead by Brene Brown). Not even linking them, bleh. It was a solid reminder that self-help books written by privileged white women are not for me. But hey, at the time I needed a life jacket at work, so there is that.

The above-mentioned self-help book by Cal Newport, however, was good, had substance, and I feel like I took away a few nuggets from it.

2026 Goals & Must Reads

In 2026, I would like to read at least 26 titles, and as part of my vision board’s Q1 Winning Habit, I plan to read daily for at least one hour. So I think I can make it happen, and maybe even a little extra!

Books that I must, must, must dive into in 2026:

• Brigands & Breadsticks by Travis Baldree

• The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

• The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer with John Burgoyne (Illustrator)

• Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

Everything else I subject my eyes to will be at the whim of my Libby ‘available now’ filter on my TBR tag. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Until next time (book)worms!

— R

This introductory share of “Junk Mail” is a collection of all the things that happened in December 2025. Perhaps this will be the format for future posts; maybe it won’t. I’m not entirely sure, but it will be a monthly installment of my blog post in your inbox.

Since this is the first post/email of the year, here is the rundown. I plan to share a Junk Mail with you (on Substack and via email) each month. I will likely share links to all the bits and bobs I’ve shared here over the past month. I don't email all those posts out to folks because I am actively trying to share something from my noggin 2-3 times a week, and that’s just too much for your inbox. I know I would be annoyed with that, so I won’t do that to you.

Things That Happened (last month):

In December, I did A LOT! I made believe that I was the artist-in-residence of a magical studio getaway, and while technically I was enjoying an extended holiday from my office job, I wasn’t anywhere exotic. Just hanging out in my studio; drawing, making, writing

I shared the start of my handmade tarot card project and even created two new cards during my staycation artist/writer residency that I will be revealing later this month.

I’m getting back into sketchbooking regularly (hopefully one day it’s daily!) and shared my thoughts and goals in this post: This $H!T is Bananas

I shared the beginnings of Project Walden, a cozy portal fantasy storybook. On the Winter Solstice, I set my intentions for the year ahead, and even time-traveled to 2004 when I first met the type of quirky gal I have forever been aspiring to be, minus the male co-dependency, of course!

Thanks for hanging out with me this month! I’m excited to share what unravels next. Until then, friends, smell ya later!

— R

This card was a lot of fun to put together and presented a challenge, which is something I always enjoy figuring out when working on a creative project. I wanted the wings on this Queen Bee to be transparent, and I went through various concepts before landing on printing them on acetate. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and I am so glad that I played with the design and execution a few times, because the clear acetate gives the wings the look I was hoping to achieve.

I know that when this card is scanned for usable deck making later on, some of that “wow” will get lost in the process, but for the original version, it makes me happy.

Traditionally, the Rider-Waite version of this card depicts a winged angel pouring liquid between two cups, representing the flow and alchemy of life. The Rider-Waite card also features a glowing crow, which I also incorporated, to represent taking the high road and staying true to oneself. There are, of course, other elements that I chose not to include in my version, but overall, I feel that my version gets the job done.

For less structured readers, like me, you can look at the Queen Bee as that same winged figure, and while there aren't two cups passing water back and forth, I think the concept of shimmering, slow-moving honey says a similar message.

I think that my version of this card says a lot of the same things that the traditional Rider-Waite tarot says, my version shouts out — hey, slow down, find your flow, let the honey move as slow as it needs to. I think it also says that you are the Queen of your domain and that if you can tap into that flow state, nothing can stop you.

Thank you for joining me here again! I plan to start working on THE STAR next and cannot wait to share it with you soon!

— R

Now, before I dive into this love letter to the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, I think that you may need some context on who you’re dealing with. In this time travel post, remember it’s 2004, I am 22 years old and have only existed outside the shackles of my ultra conservative, aggressively religious, prison-level lockdown strict, ‘because I said so’ childhood home for about three years. Everything is new, everything is magical.

Clem and Sam showed me the path to weirdness, then came Kat (Julia Stiles) from 10 Things I Hate About You. Kat showed me that you can also take no shit, which was a concept that escaped me. Saying ‘no’ or ‘talking back’ when something didn’t sit right was never an option in my home, so consider the elation that washed over me when I rented 10 Things, probably from Blockbuster if they were still around, and saw a gal who was in complete control of her destiny. She knew what she wanted, and she didn’t waver.

Then came Ramona. Now I have to admit, it’s been since 2010 that I saw Scott Pilgrim vs the World, so my Ramona memories are not as crisp as those from my formative tangle with freedom. Upon a quick search, it’s confirmed that she is an MPDG (Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but that there is a sprinkle of more to her. While I don’t remember the movie very well, I do recall Ramona and thinking, ‘ Yeah, I dig her vibe and her style. ‘ I think that — as shallow as it is — her style was exactly what I connected with, or maybe wanted to connect with, since I personally didn’t really dress like Ramona, but I wanted to.

The point I’m making with this post is that, while these characters were indeed created to help propel the storyline of a male character, for a little 20-something girl from a dysfunctional home and childhood, I really connected with the concept of possibility through them.

These characters were bold, unique and different. They were ‘quirky’ and had cool hair and/or cool clothes, and mainly carried a vibe that was ungovernable, which was something my little pre-fully-developed frontal lobe was starving for. They showed me that the type of gal I wanted to be was out there, sort of… I didn’t know what being a feminist officially meant, yet, so give me a break on that piece of it all. Still, I knew I identified with these characters on an aesthetic and, to some extent, a behavioral level.

The constant book reading or sketchbooking, the funky attire and hair, the brooding and sometimes moody disposition. I found myself in an awkward place, trying to figure out who I was in a time when I was newly on my own and had never been allowed to be anything other than what my family deemed acceptable. For me, the MPDG was truly a dream, until it wasn’t; then it became a possibility.

So, for that alone, let’s give the MPDG a little bit of a break, granted that I don’t love the fact that the sole purpose is for a male character. Still, if you can remove that from the MPDG archetype and just look at the few dimensions of her that we do get, she is actually a pretty cool gal who would be a great friend and a blast to thrift with. She would tell you that you have food in your teeth, she’d let you borrow her favorite boots, and she’d introduce you to some great books and records.

So, let’s let her be that version, and that version alone.

Thanks for time-traveling with me in this one.

— R

Be Gentle

What does that mean exactly?

It means that I am allowed to enjoy living a slower-paced life. That I don’t need to ‘keep up’ with anyone or any trend, and that I can just exist and wallow in the joys of living a simple life.

This Season I Want

• To embrace rest, recovery and my sense of self-expression. By saying no to things that do not serve me, whether that’s a social invitation or a family dinner, if I am feeling run-down or tired, I need to say no and find rest instead. I want to be the weird one, the kooky aunt, the eclectic friend, and I am tired of holding back on myself. I want to confidently be me and say what I want/need/feel/think.

• To allow things to take the time they take. I am a low-energy person, and with each passing year, I grow closer to accepting that it is okay for me to take my time. Nothing is truly urgent; all the deadlines are made up, and I do not have to subscribe to that philosophy.

• Read more, and for fun. I am very close to canceling and deleting all of my streaming services and being more intentional with time spent in front of the “big screen.” I want to enjoy relaxation in a more intentional way, and books are such a great medium for escaping the world we live in. I would love to read or listen to 100 books a year, and while I don’t think that’s possible for me, I do think that cutting out time spent watching junk could give me a few more hours to spend exploring a world I love each week.

• Revert to a more tangible, or analog, life. I want to collect DVDs again, learn to make bread the old-fashioned way (yes, I still love my breadmaker, but you know what I mean), and get lost and discover things. I am tired of being consumed by the little screen, and I am making a conscious effort not to use it, or to at very least limit how I use it.

• Fill a sketchbook. Simply put, I want to fill up at least one sketchbook this winter. I dont want to follow a prompt list or try the newest trendy art challenge. I just want to doodle and take notes in a little sketchbook. I dont want it to be for making a profit or anything like that, I just want to find a groove and make art for fun.

Romanticize the mundane at home. I want to find joy in the chores I hate doing and keep putting off. The Thanksgiving holiday taught me that putting off all that stuff just makes it harder when you have to allow 13 people into your house for a meal. I want to find little ways to make the housework more magical so that my home feels like a little sanctuary every day of the year.

My intentions for the coming season are built on being cozy and finding joy within, on celebrating the ordinary and embracing self-expression. I plan to utilize this space more frequently in 2026 as I make an active effort to distance myself from social media. While I do understand that, yes, this is also a semi-social space, it feels a lot more like the blogging platforms of the 2000s, and that’s what my current obsession is — getting back to that vibe and energy and enjoying the process of writing long-form jibberish about my day and life and the things that inspire, infuriate and surround me.

If this resonates with you, too, then let’s be friends here and enjoy the spoils of being weird together!

Thanks for reading!

— R

One of my favorite moths is the superstar for the twenty-first card in the deck. I decided an Atlas moth was a good fit for The World because of the obvious play on the physical world, which is literal geography, and this beautiful moth has a name that coincides with a map or an atlas.

It helps that the traditional Rider-Wait card reflects on travel, but also touches on completion, achievement and new beginnings. I feel that the stages of life for a moth or butterfly are also quite fitting for this celebratory, transformative card.

For my die-hard card readers, this card is all about the completion of a natural cycle and the guidance that one phase provides for the next. For those who are a little less structured, I always see this card as a guide to help us navigate through the geography of it all, no matter what lies ahead. Since moths love light, I like to think of the atlas moth as my guide, whether that be physically moving me through a space or emotionally/mentally helping me sort things out. This moth is the light at the end of the tunnel, the navigator of the phase ahead.

Thanks for joining me on this one! What is your favorite card in the Major Arcana? I would love to know, as I’m working on these cards in no particular order and totally open to queuing up any card for the next reveal!

— R

Did you know that cockroaches are just unkillable tiny dinosaurs? While that's a slight exaggeration, it's somewhat true because these nasty things first appeared during the Late Jurassic period, and over time, they haven't evolved much and are known as one of, if not the most, primitive insects.

If you missed my first Handmade Tarot Card project installment, then let me explain: these cards are all handmade by me. I do use the traditional Rider-Waite deck as inspiration, but I have obviously shifted things a bit and am using buggos as my primary theme here.

The traditional Rider-Waite version of Judgment shows a group of folks emerging from their graves, being called upon by an angel and awaiting their judgment to determine their worthiness to enter “heaven”.

In my version, we have the cockroach, because, I mean… If you’ve got roaches in your house, you're getting judged. I picked the poor roach for Judgment because it has literally been here for ages, and while it hasn't evolved much, it does know how to do one thing… endure. Roaches can survive in Arctic temperatures as well as tropical ones, and they are just unkillable. A pest that always seems to resurrect itself, no matter how much bug spray and kitchen cleaning you manage to do.

If you are a little more casual of a tarot card reader like me, think about the poor roach and how it’s perceived, a kind of magical and inspiring quality, right? What I am saying is, think about it, around for MILLIONS of years, and people just hate them, but they keep going, and I have to say, that’s kind of how judgment is right, whether you deserve to be judged or not, you just kind of have to keep going and move past it so you can be your best self. While cockroaches haven't evolved much, they are doing something right because they are still here, and they don’t let anything stop them or get in their way. They know how to roach and roach it right.

Thanks for hanging out with me! What Major Arcana card should I work on next?

— R

A long time ago, I made this banana in my sketchbook as part of a guided online art class hosted by an amazing creative named Jenny Granberry. I'm sad to say that out of three prompts, I only finished two of them, and since then, Jenny’s site is no more. So I hold on to this page in my sketchbook; it’s probably my favorite page, if I am honest.

Although this drawing is somewhat old, I believe it's at least two years old, possibly more. It’s the page I turn to when I feel like I am not really an artist. It reminds me that I can create, that I’m actually pretty okay at it and that even though time stands between me and my last page, it doesn’t diminish the fact that my art exists.

This thread on my Substack is hopefully going to be my accountability partner. I want to post here at least once a month with something — even if it’s terrible, honestly, especially if it’s terrible because art is meant to be made even if it’s ugly.

So, onward I go into this new chapter of creating art again, filling pages in a sketchbook, writing words, and smearing paint… making it all, at least that’s what I plan to do!

I can feel myself returning to the version of me that was always covered in paint and ink, that didn’t own a single piece of clothing that wasn’t stained by a studio session well spent, that lived on coffee and tea alone because stopping to eat meant leaving the muse at the easel, and we just can’t ever do that! I was created to create, and I exist to take up space creatively and share it.

I’m excited to share it all here! I hope you enjoy it too!

Thanks for reading along and spending your time with me! What should I add to my sketchbook? A bug, a kettle, a squirrel? What little wonder would you like to see next?

— R

This is the first of 78 cards to come! I’m dusting off my handmade tarot deck project and officially folding it into my 2026 goals. My hope is to finish the Major Arcana by this time next year. Hopefully, sharing progress updates and pics will help keep me accountable.

For this card, I chose a dung beetle as the central image. These little guys were revered by the ancient Egyptians: their behavior of rolling dung mirrored the myth of the god Khepri, who was said to roll the sun across the sky.

My version, loosely inspired by the iconic Rider–Waite tarot, features a shimmery dung beetle pushing a gold-foiled sun. While it doesn’t include all the classic Rider–Waite symbols, I kept the sunflowers, partly because they represent the four suits of the Major Arcana, and partly because they’re simply one of my favorite flowers. Even without the white horse or the child, I still think the card shows inner strength and joy. This beetle is just doing beetle things, rolling along without a care in the world other than getting that shining orb of poo poo where it needs to go.

I’m not sure how many people realize that the scarab is, in fact, a dung beetle is just a tiny, beautiful creature pushing around a little ball of, well, shit. But honestly, aren’t we all? In traditional tarot reading, this is considered one of the most positive cards in the deck and represents joy, positivity, success and vitality.

For the more casual tarot enthusiast, I think that my version says a lot about life in general. We’re all out here doing our best, trying to take the shit we deal with and turn it into something that shines. My version says, you’re doing great, life is hard, but you are making the most of it and doing your best. Good things are coming your way.

Thanks for hanging out

— R