Finding my Sea Legs 🌊

Deep Reading = Self Regulation for Nerds 📖

Finding my Sea Legs

I've written a lot about feeling overwhelmed and over capacity this year. My creative ecosystem was out of balance and I had to take action to correct my load. This is my first week after putting two big projects on pause and I'm feeling myself again.

I think I just avoided a mental breakdown if I'm completely honest. I was teetering very close to crisis, but I've been there often enough I knew what I needed to do.

Now that I'm "all caught up" on my university course, prep for the Entwined launch, and

Neurokind

I've been able to create some white space. Right now we are finding a rhythm for home ed that includes my own creative practice, self regulation, and ongoing learning as well as David's. I’m already feeling the positive effects.

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First Up! 🌀

Just in case you missed it, here's an update on the picture book project I am co-creating with

Gracie Klumpp

. We crowdfunded this last year and it's in the illustration phase!

Click here to read the full update from Gracie.

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Reading 📖

Next up is an addition to our Home Brew Home Education. I wanted a picture book that introduced the concept of home education and this does a beautiful job of it.

The author / illustrator was homeschooled himself and it comes through in the lively illustrations. It feels impossible to choose which spreads to include. You can see more here. It's a lovely book. (You can purchase & support an indie bookshop here.)

My own reading has been Meandering by Sofia Lemon & Jung and Alchemical Imagination by Jeffrey Raff.

Both of these books are research for my fiction novel, but there's always interesting overlaps into other areas of my creative practice. I'm exploring imagery of spirals and meanders relating to writing, but I suspect it will bleed into my visual art soon enough.

These books are having an interesting conversation re: creative imagination.

They are both very academic and Meandering in particular is taking me back to my grad school days. I feel really grateful that I've had the mental capacity to dig into these. I credit:

1. Sleep (David has been putting himself down with audiobooks for the past year and it has honestly made a world of difference in my capacity.)

2. Mornings Outside + Nintendo Switch + Khan Academy Kids (these three things are what give me a chance to do my own work - we still don't have childcare).

3. Expanding self imposed deadlines so I don't feel like I'm drowning.

I just wanted to mention the scaffolding behind being able to dig into dense reading like this - even if my notetaking feels a bit frenetic and ad hoc - I wouldn't have dreamed I'd been able to do this even a year ago. Our days are starting to feel expansive enough for me to do deep work instead of surface level work and it's very restorative.

This illustration is by Eduardo Navarro.

We lost wifi for over 24 hours due to a storm this week, and it was really positive. I also started reading Art Fundamentals and finished How We Might Live (2022).

On my To Read list is I Cannot Control Everything Forever recommended by

Marina Gross-Hoy

. It was love at first flat lay for me.

marinagrosshoy

A post shared by @marinagrosshoy

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In the Studio 🐇

Last year I could barely thread my sewing machine before making my gleeman's cloak. Now I've hemmed 3 pairs of pants. The ironing did flare up my back pain, but I'm still counting it as a win.

While the sewing machine was out I also sewed some "brain noodles" for my soft sculpture project. I'll probably share more about that next week, but here's a snippet on Instagram.

sarahdshotts

A post shared by @sarahdshotts

Also, I'm looking at (shadows) like art - inspired (again) by Marina Grosshoy. This is the kind of post that the IG algorithm really hates. If you have an account and want to give it some love I'd appreciate it. I should probably try to please the algorithm more before launching a book. 😂

sarahdshotts

A post shared by @sarahdshotts

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In the Garden 🌱

I was feeling so much better this week (aside from the ironing) we even took a stab at weeding the front garden. You can see how overrun with grass it is, but we made a bit of progress around the herbs. We really need more perennial plants in here to help hold the space against the grass.

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Digital Foraging 🍁

Some bits and bobs I've collected for you this week.

• "When her baby wouldn't stay without the mother, she brought the child onto the dance floor, and they danced together." (Source)

• Why Star Trek's Graphic Design Makes Sense

• Adam Savage's Favorite LEGO Brick

• Plans to make a rotating book stand (a la Thomas Jefferson).¹

Also...

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This time last year…

I interviewed

Morgan Harper Nichols

on my (erstwhile) podcast!

I don’t have capacity to podcast very often, but I’m so glad I made time for this. I’ll be dusting off my podcast microphone next month so watch this space. If I only podcast once a year that’s once more than never.

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This newsletter is a curated collection of tidbits from my overgrown Compost Heap (or digital garden.) You're welcome to rummage around, turn the heap, and see what you can find for yourself. 🪱🐛🌱

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• Leave a comment (it’s free!)

• Buy my book.

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The Internet is like a tin can telephone. It’s magic when someone talks back. I’d love to hear from you. 

What are you reading? What are you making? What are you finding inspiring?

Let’s chat in comments.

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From the Compost Heap illustrations by Gracie Klumpp of Leave the Fingerprints. 🐞

1. I was a preteen when I saw this at Monticello and the idea of reading multiple books at once was instantly captivating. Having that experience this week made me remember the book stand - and I'd much rather make my own than pay $500 to the Jefferson estate.