when richard siken said “it keeps coming back to that: what do i do with these hands?” and when mitski said “i don’t know what to do without you, i don’t know where to put my hands” and when olivia gatwood said “what am i, if not yours? what do i do with my hands when they are just hands?” and when sylvia plath said “what did my fingers do before they held him? what did my heart do, with its love?”
things to do on sundays to recharge and make the upcoming week awesome
• clean ya room (just do it). also, check those pinterest boards you save for “one day” and actually go through them and draw some inspiration, even if you just end up rearranging the books on your bookshelf or putting some flowers from your garden in a mason jar on your desk. this is your home, make it feel like it is.
• do your laundry (also, don’t forget your bed sheets). if you’re in the mood, look at next week’s weather forecast and think about what you’re going to wear. go through your drawers, check the back of your closet. that hat you bought some time ago and forgot about because you didn’t dare to wear it? well… new week, new you, right?
• call a friend/family member you haven’t talked to in a while, tell them you miss them. tell them you love them. remember and appreciate that they are a part of your life even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time.
• draw, paint, journal, write or make some music. something you know you love doing but “never find the time”. sunday is “finding-the-time day”. if you’re not feeling creative, read a book or watch your favorite show. or watch a new show. a scary show. a funny show. laugh as loud as you want. listen to music. listen to your favorite songs, or listen to new songs. even a new genre if you dare. turn the volume all the way up. take a second to consciously feel the music. you can always get up and dance. or sing. or both.
• the great, but still really effective classic: take a bath or a really long shower. if you have this special face or hair mask you’re saving up for a special occasion: congrats, you’re the special occasion today. use it. also, body lotion. we all know you’re going to be running late during the week and skip it one too many times. make yourself feel like the goddess you are.
• sit in silence for a few moments. listen to your breath. listen to your heartbeat. for the love of god PLEASE listen to your thoughts for once in your life. don’t make them feel like they are wrong. or bothersome. they too just want to be heard once in a while. what are they trying to tell you? what could be soothing for them? be compassionate to yourself. it’s okay. you are okay. you are okay.
• think about things you can be grateful for next week. even if you feel like your life sucks atm, think about the small things you take for granted in a different way. for example: “next week, i will have access to clean water. CLEAN. WATER. 844 million people don’t have that.” or “next week, my legs will take me wherever i want to go. not everybody has two fully functioning legs, so i’m lucky in that way.” you’re allowed to feel bad about your life, but you’re also allowed to feel good about things.
• if you’ve stayed home most of the week, go out. go for a walk. go swimming. go to a party or dinner with friends. even if you feel like you don’t need to see the outside world, chances are you’ll feel great after you do. if you feel like you’ve been running around all week, maybe you’d like to stay home today. put on your ugliest sweater, comfiest leggings, and fluffiest socks and curl up under a thousand blankets. you a sloth today and it’s okay.
• eat. i mean honestly: eat THE THING. i don’t care if you’re on a diet. if there’s something you’ve been craving all week that has turned you into the veiny-neck-dude meme just trying to resist it: EAT IT. you deserve it. not because you worked out or ate salads or did well in school, but just because you’re a human and you love to eat and life is short and you should be allowed to eat yummy things. it’s okay. you won’t gain 5 pounds or lose your brain cells no matter how unhealthy it is, i promise.
• plan plan plan yo week. it doesn’t matter if you use a planner, bullet journal, the calendar on your phone or the notes app: write everything down you have going on next week. appointments. events. coffee-dates. when are you going to the gym? what are you going to eat? (meal prep if necessary) also, create reminders on your phone for everything. “i won’t forget it!” is a sweet thought, but oh honey you will. schedule reminders for every event. let your phone remind you that you need to buy toilet paper when the store is nearby. schedule daily reminders for your medications. (once you’ve done this it honestly feels like you just cleaned out 38GB of your brain, you simply don’t have to worry about that anymore, space for more important info, like your new favorite pun to annoy everyone with)
• most importantly: listen to what your mind and your body need today and next week. daily life is so full of “should-do”s that it’s important to find a healthy balance between the “should”s and the “need”s. you will be much more productive, healthy and happy that way. nobody knows you better than you do, take advantage of that and plan accordingly.
My favorite thing is listening to people go into extreme detail about some micro-aspect of some hobby they love that I know nothing about.
My mother in law loves bird watching. The other day she told me about how the birder world is ROCKED with controversy about the new Audubon society bird naming conventions, particularly their new guidelines on hyphenation.
My sister in law explained in detail specific qualities to look for that distinguish a good jigsaw puzzle from a bad one.
A friend of mine can talk your ear off about the different forms of cubism in modern art.
This cashier at my local board game store explained to a friend of mine why Hive, a small insect themed strategy game, is amazing but the pill bug expansion breaks the game.
My mom is obsessed with Henry VIII’s wives and can not only list them in order, but knows all of their histories and ultimate fates by memory.
Everyone has at least one thing where their scope of knowledge and opinion runs so much deeper than you could ever imagine. Friends and relatives, coworkers and strangers.
For me, it is a lovely little reminder of how unique and strange humanity is. How we are all, deep down, nerdy weirdos.
So a long while back, I had a illustration project to re-imagine the covers of three of my favorite books. Naturally I went with Patrick Rothfuss’ literary wonders of the Kingkiller Chronicles and a Slow Regard. I finally decided to touch them up, add some type, and put them up here today!
You could sit between me and the fire if you like. If you leaned against me I could keep your back warm. I could wrap my arms around your waist and lean my face against your hair. We could listen to the crackle of the fire and the whistling of the night. I could hold you by this little speck of light in this great wild desert. I could take care of you, in this small way in this fleeting moment. If you like.
