margin notes: a new column!

something new, fresh and reflective.

Hi from my new biweekly column!

I’ve been craving consistency lately. I’ve been looking for something to ground my writing. I have been writing professionally for more than five years now, but I still find myself second-guessing my personal voice, wondering if it’s too niche, basic or too quiet. Something I’ve noticed from writing on Substack the last year is that no matter how burnt out I feel from writing at work, that burnout doesn’t really exist here. I actually feel I have room to breathe here—like I opened a window and fresh air came pouring in.

But just like anyone, I hit moments or even weeks when I can’t quite figure out what I want to write about. Much of my writing is rooted in lived experiences, and on an ordinary basis, I feel like I’m not experiencing enough to make it worth writing about (maybe I should change that…).

Cue: this column! I love keeping up with writers through their personal columns, and I’m excited to tap into that space. My column, titled “margin notes,” will include ideas, reflections, recipes and small rituals that are relevant in my life. I’m also giving this column the space to evolve as I continue writing it, allowing it to serve what I need in the season of life that I’m in.

I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy creating it. <3

note to self

It’s been years since I’ve found myself in a room surrounded by creatives. Honestly, not since college have I felt that energy of bouncing ideas off of other writers and talking about big dreams and how we might get there.

That was until the other day. I had an interview with a local marketing director who graduated from the same journalism school I did. We sat in a wide conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows while I picked her brain about her job and career path. She’s more than a decade older than me and a mom of two, yet still full of life and a deep desire to create. Hearing her talk about her work, her side projects, the ways she resets and how she finds inspiration was incredibly encouraging. It made me reconsider how I interact with media, how I can use it to fuel me instead of drain me.

I left the conversation feeling lighter, but energized. Like a part of my creative self had been gently reawakened. I realized it was a familiar feeling, and one that I’ve been missing.

on repeat

I’ve been leaning into my Midwest lifestyle lately (yeehaw), and that includes the music I’ve been playing. I’ve been into Ella Langley’s new album, Dandelion.

I watched an interview with her recently where she talked about how Dandelion comes after her debut album, Hungover, and reflects resilience and growth. She also shared that she later learned dandelion tea is a natural detox for the liver, which felt like a bit of a lightbulb moment for her. I love hearing little anecdotes like that from artists.

from the kitchen: lemonade!

Lemonade screams spring and summer to me. I’ve been most enjoying sipping it from a mason jar, sitting on the porch listening to the birds. I know it’s simple, but sometimes the simplest things are what make a house feel more like home.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1 1/2 cups water (for syrup)

• 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

• 3 cups cold, filtered water

Directions:

On the stove, heat sugar and one and a half cups of water on medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Set that to the side to cool while you squeeze your lemons. I find it takes four to six lemons to equal a cup of lemon juice. Then, in a pitcher, add your lemon juice, three cups of filtered water and all of your simple syrup.

field notes

• I’m currently obsessing over Jonathan Anderson’s Dior show in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. I love the way Charlotte Broekart recaps his show, as well as others. In this particular show, I loved the garden references. Monet has always been one of my favorite artists, so it makes sense I can’t stop thinking about it.

• Photography and collecting memories are something I’ve always held close. Lately, I’ve been thinking about taking it more seriously. I keep coming back to the idea of buying a film camera, especially with warmer weather coming and more time spent outside.

• Concert season is here, and I am ecstatic. While I can’t sing, and I don’t play any instruments, I am such a music girl. I’m positive it’s the writer in me. Anyways, I have tickets to Mumford & Sons in August and Harry Styles in October, and I’m hoping I can find something sooner to hold me over.

scenes from some of my favorite concerts

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And that’s what I’m carrying with me into the next two weeks. I’ll be here, noticing the small things and jotting them down in the margins.