Another year, another journey

When I was in school, I was the kid all the teachers described as “bright, has potential, but doesn’t apply herself.”  They looked at me in disbelief– they knew I was capable, but I chose to rebel, to fight, to resist, to choose NOT to do the work. I thought I had moved beyond thisContinue reading “Another year, another journey”

Recover

It’s very easy and sometimes preferred to pretend that we’re brave and fearless, especially in an instagrammable world that values perfect squares of perfect lives. There are no squares big enough to encompass this experience, this pain, this journey, this fear. I had the messy job of confronting my fear. Confront, not conquer.  I had to show up *while* being afraid.

Forest Dreams: New Music Video!

Here’s a magical look at my mandala-making process, and some of the locales and landscapes that have inspired my work thus far. The original track, “Forest Dreams” was produced by me (Sheniz Janmohamed) as well. Enjoy!      

Return to Spring

Ah, March. This strange month of snowstorms and snowdrops. Days that look deceivingly warm.  Promises of spring. In winter,  I tend to close myself off and shut off from the world. I turn inward, and find comfort in little joys- whether it’s a cup of tea or a pair of warm socks.  This winter hasContinue reading “Return to Spring”

Embracing the Fall

The summer, while full of little joys, was also challenging.  In my August blog post, I reflected upon the idea of the “instagrammable” summer, versus the real experience of summer– which can often feel like we were failing at sucking out every sunshiny drop of the season. While this summer had wonderful highs , myContinue reading “Embracing the Fall”

Goodbye, FOMO

The general malaise of summer. Yes, malaise. There is a cloud hanging over the golden light of summer, a cloud heavy with expectation and inadequacy. How is it possible, one might say, to experience malaise in the summer? The expectation of having an action-packed, bbq-filled, skirt-flouncing summer, where everything is easy and full of joy,Continue reading “Goodbye, FOMO”

Thanks, but Goodbye, 2016.

Let’s be honest. This year has been shitty and uncertain for so many of us. It’s been a year of heavy hearts, deflated hopes, financial challenges, unrealized dreams.  (tweet this!) This year was a strange year for me- a year of rare opportunities which I am very grateful for, and challenges I’d rather not experienceContinue reading “Thanks, but Goodbye, 2016.”

Navigating in November

  October was a blaze of activity and flurry of leaves. For two weeks, my autumn consisted of frenzied walks through crowds. Of scrawling notes in the dark and tweeting between speeches. Of conversations and interviews. Of hosting authors and sitting on backstage steps to hear them speak. Of signed books and signing books. OfContinue reading “Navigating in November”

The Tide Changes

The Tide Changes Quickly When autumn rolls around, there’s an anticipation in the air. The anticipation of new beginnings and fresh starts– packing away summer memories and embracing (hopefully) the cool evenings and golden afternoons of fall. I’ve always been drawn to transitional seasons- fall and spring. Perhaps it’s the call to transform, the acknowledgementContinue reading “The Tide Changes”