restful productivity to live deliberately & avoid overwhelm

The Roots of My Hobby Obsession

I come from working-class dreamers who never stopped learning. Growing up, I watched my grandparents turn their free time into something meaningful and that shaped me more than I realized. There is a powerful thread woven through the generations before us when we learn skills from the past. At times it may seem like our…

From Stuck to Inspired: A Hobby-Starting Framework

A simple, thoughtful process to help you brainstorm, reflect, and finally begin a hobby that feels realistic, joyful, and life-giving. . In this summer hobby series we have talked about what constraints and obstacles keeping us from hobbies we enjoy. I believe that if you struggle to add in a hobby in your busy life,…

When Hobbies Feel Out of Reach

You’re not lazy, you’re blocked. Let’s talk about constraints and obstacles keeping us from hobbies we enjoy. When I discuss hobbies with someone in person, the first reaction is often a quiet sigh, followed by a sense of guilt or regret. “Every time I try to sit down and work on something creative, I get…

I Suck at Piano – Lessons in Humility

I Suck at Piano – Lessons in Humility

I was a very capable adult. I had three kids already. I had taught myself gardening, canning, knitting, and how to cook from scratch. How hard would it be to take piano lessons? I was already homeschooling my oldest two. I would often get impatient when they were learning how to read or add simple…

Calling Myself A Writer

Calling Myself A Writer

My Story: So much of what I do is invisible. I invest in things that cannot be seen. That gets undone within hours or days. The quiet soul work that happens between me and God cannot be seen. Homeschooling is a daily investment that will take years for the results to be seen. The house…

How I Inherited a Love for Hobbies & Insouciance

How I Inherited a Love for Hobbies & Insouciance

We all come from generations of people who worked hard and then had lots of interests so that they could live abundant lives. They did not wait until they had all the knowledge or watch all the YouTube videos. They just tried stuff. When I think about all that my grandparents were able to do…