Kitcher’s Cafe is a monthly newsletter where I share a hybrid of personal and business updates. If you’d like to be the first to receive this monthly update, join the list here.
As someone who has struggled to show up authentically and then keep up the momentum, I was chatting with my VA, Ghia, about a way to manage a blog, social posts, and a newsletter without burning out. She introduced me to Austin Kleon’s newsletter which is a regular roundup of things going on in Austin’s life, personal and professional. He’s written a couple of books and based on the titles I promptly borrowed them all from the library.
In 2020 I realized how much of a box I had forced myself into and yearned to make my way back to an earlier version of myself that pursued art and exploration. Once graduation from college and earning money became my priority, anything that didn’t directly produce an income got pushed to the side. I hope I can incorporate some of my artistic joys, along with useful tips for you in these emails.
When I was living in Japan teaching English the way that I kept in touch with family at home was through a blog I called “Kitcher’s Café.” I have since closed the blog, but might call this monthly newsletter by the same name. I can see this newsletter being a written version of what we would chat about if we were sitting around a café table sipping lattes or tea. Yes, I’m old. But join me!
Kitcher’s Café
1. These are the three books I’ve just borrowed from the library, as I mentioned above. I’ll let you know what I think! Steal Like an Artist - Show Your Work - Keep Going
2. Here’s the book I’ve most recently finished: In Praise of Slowness. Of the “Live Slow” books I’ve read, it was on the list of good ones. Here are more of them.
3. Photography is one of my joys. Here are a few from this month.
4. My husband and I recently binged the first two seasons of Ted Lasso and are currently making our way through the third. No spoilers please! I tend to be a late adopter of all popular things (no Tik-Tok or Threads, I’ll hold out as long as I can!) but I can really see the appeal. It’s quite endearing.
5. I am proud to be in two local organizations. Green Ossining and The Jug Tavern. If you’re local, check them out and join us in making a difference here in the community!
6. This month I gifted a “Sacred Creators Oracle Deck” to a recent college grad. My hope is that she won’t make the same mistake I did and will instead continue to make time and space for her art even if it isn’t what earns her an income.
7. We don’t have a kiddy pool (holding out on finding a used one) so in place of that I put water into a low recycling bin and she really had a blast!
8. We recently got a used piano found on Facebook marketplace. I will say that Margaret and the family are thoroughly enjoying this beautiful new addition to our home. Screen-free, it allows us to connect, make music, be together, and learn something new. It’s hard, but doing hard things often has great rewards and outcomes. What’s something hard that you’ve been working on?
10. Speaking of pianos, I am trying to identify a song that was played in the 1994 film version of Little Women. If I remember the scene correctly, Beth (Claire Danes) plays a song to wake Jo (Winona Ryder). It’s only a couple of measures of the song, which I suspect is a hymn. Does anyone know which one?
Thanks for being here!
Anything specific you’re hankering to learn more about? Let me know and I’ll put together a post for you!
Looking for one-on-one assistance to get motivated and organized? Let’s chat about ways I can help.
Keep cool in the meantime!
Lana
Any book links will bring you to bookshop.org which may result in kickbacks to me or local independent booksellers. Thank you for supporting the little guys!