Me: okay, I’ll set aside Thursdays to do some writing.

Also me: you will never have inspiration on a Thursday every again…

Anyone else ever get this way? Finding inspiration is so weird, especially when trying to stick to a schedule. If I don’t perfectly make my lists and schedules, I won’t accomplish anything. Alternatively, some days I’m seriously just stuck and can’t force myself to be creative. It’s frustrating. I don’t want to write just to write. That completely defeats the purpose of building a portfolio based around work that I’m proud of.

I don’t have much to say today, so here’s a little rant I was prompted to write a while ago. I love adding in the handwritten pieces sometimes. Heads up, I was grumpy when I wrote this.

Here is the latest design prompt!

What does mental health mean to you?

The past few months have been incredibly stressful. I spend most of my time working or sleeping. I haven’t taken the time to enjoy myself. In some ways, I think it’s because I don’t think I deserve it. This is my own fault. I’m creating these problems in my head. Those intrusive thoughts won’t go away. Do you ever feel like that?

One of the most important things to remember today, and everyday, is that you are not alone in this battle. Everyone is affected by mental health in different ways. Lots of people struggle to get through each day. Always know you can reach out for help. If all you did today was survive, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of myself for making it this far, because there were a lot of days I didn’t think I would. I’m glad you’re here.

Today, I’m reminded to enjoy things. I’ve spent so much time lately feeling stressed over things I cannot control. I’ve been fixating on things I can’t do anything about. I’ve been worrying about things that aren’t vital. I’m reminding myself to love life. Most days, that isn’t easy for me. I need to take a step back, smile a little, and just take a silly picture.

Here is the latest design I’ve made. I was prompted to create a logo for a yoga studio called Gentle River.

September has been another month that didn’t suit my fancy. It was another month filled with separation, loneliness, and frustration. People left, I made tough decisions, and spent a lot of time thinking by myself. It’s been difficult for me to get through it, but I did.

I’ve been looking through my camera roll to recall the memories of September, but honestly I don’t have many. A lot of my time was spent alone with my music. Most nights, I came home from work, took care of the animals, and sat down at the keyboard. I’m no piano player by any means. I know basic chords. But sometimes, that’s all you need to get that music out. I recorded a bunch of it, but there isn’t much worth sharing. It was mostly practice.

This was the month I decided I needed to give my notice to resign from my position at work. As far as this site goes, I’ve been very open about how much I love my job. I’ve gained so many skills and opportunities and friendships. I’m very sad to be leaving, but unfortunately, it’s what’s necessary for my lifestyle at this time. Many people have given me crap about it, but I’ve had enough of it. Yes, I will miss my job very much, but I do believe this is the right decision for me right now. The animals need me. The house needs me. My family needs me.

The animals have been keeping me great company and have kept me very busy. I love it. If it wasn’t for them, I would be in a much worse state. They stay close to me. They give me purpose. I’m grateful for them.

Lastly, here is a small clip from one of my little music sessions.

Perception is everything, right? How someone is perceived, either by outsiders or themselves, is what makes them. I’ve been curious on the difference between a good person and a nice person. Personally, I think I’m a good person. Sometimes I’m a nice person. But that’s my perceptions. According to anybody else, maybe the opposite is true. There’s probably a lot of people who think I’m not good or nice. That’s fine by me. I’m trying to get better about not caring about other’s opinions of me. Sometimes that works.

What qualities define someone as good? Friendly? Helpful? Generous? I’d say so. But you could also say these things about someone who’s nice. If a stranger holds the door for you while you awkwardly walk/job to catch up, are they good? Or are they nice? Does a nice person put their shopping cart in the corral when they’re done? Do good people do it? I think they would.

In my mind, it feels like a matter or morals versus manners. It’s one thing to be polite and friendly. But being good goes beyond that. What are you doing when no one is watching?

This is a design idea that was prompted to me by a “fake client” graphic design resource. I was instructed to design a professional logo for a DJing service called vow.com. Here is the image I made!