onwrdawkwrd

[onwrdawkwrd]

Some thoughts on the power and purpose of creativity and the arts. 📚🎨 #awkward #blogpost

[onwrdawkwrd]

New Post! A few thoughts and a little inspiration from a handful of helpers. #awkward #blogpost

[onwrdawkwrd]

Planner Potential

A few late (but still on time?) thoughts on the new year. #awkward #blogpost

One of my rituals for a new year is starting a new planner. I generally pick a weekly planner that matches, what I hope the vibe will be for that year. This year, I took a different approach. I went with a straightforward, no-frills 2025 planner. It has the year and nothing else on its cover. It gives nothing away aside from the moment in time to which it bears witness. I suppose its color (or…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Fa-La-La Feelings

Wishing everyone a festive, frustrating, happy, ho-hum, hopeful holiday week! Check out the latest post and holiday check-in. 🎄✨🕎 #awkward #blogpost

We’ve made it to the epicenter of this year’s holiday season, Christmas and Hanukkah week. Whichever and whatever you’re celebrating, I wish you happy and healthy festivities. This time of year can be all the things. Anywhere from festive to frustrating and hopeful to ho-hum. This is your reminder, for anyone that may need it, that you’re allowed to feel however you want this time of year. That…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Pivoting Progress

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone except whoever decided it should be weeks after Election Day. Some post-election thoughts and a few things to be grateful for. 🦃🇺🇸#awkward #blogpost

Like many, I’ve spent the past few weeks processing the results of the U.S. election and wondering what kind of sadist thought it was a good idea to put Thanksgiving just a few short weeks after Election Day. With only a few hours to go before Turkey Day, I have to say I’m feeling surprisingly grateful for this federal holiday, if only for a brief moment to breathe, reflect, and digest something…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Colorful Chaos

Some colorful chaos, a bit of hope, and a reminder to vote. 🩷💚🗳️ #awkward #blogpost

We’re just over two weeks out from the U.S. presidential election. We’ve nearly made it after endless campaigns, a few debates, and a couple of plot twists. At this stage, even the most dedicated political junkie has all but reached their limit. Your average semi-engaged voter has just completely checked out, either because they know who and what they’re voting for or because of a general…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Political Prattle

Back to remind you that it's #NationalVoterRegistrationDay in the U.S. Check your voter registration and make sure you're ready for election day. #awkward #blogpost

Today is National Voter Registration Day in the United States, and it seemed like as good a day as any to end my summer blog break. Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into a patriotic prattle about the importance and power of doing your civic duty. Voting is important, you know this, and you either care or you don’t. Still, here’s a link to check your voter registration. I know we’ve all…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Awkward Angles

A reminder to my fellow creative humans, be kind to yourself and don't be afraid to make mistakes. #awkward #blogpost

I recently upgraded to a new camera on a different operating system. For those who haven’t done this before, it’s akin to relearning to walk. Okay, that may be a tad dramatic, but basically, it’s been an exercise in humility, one that didn’t quite hit until after a few weeks on the struggle bus. I took myself and my camera to the zoo a few weeks ago. I weaved my way through the maze of young…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Cosmic Coincidence

Cosmic coincidences and other thoughts on this week’s solar eclipse. 🌞🌚 #awkward #blogpost

This week, a solar eclipse made its way across North America. If you found yourself anywhere near its path, I hope you were able to take a moment and simply marvel. This natural phenomenon can only happen because of our planet’s distance from our star and our moon’s distance from our planet. These three celestial bodies just happen to be in exactly the right spot. It’s a reminder from the…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Resting Rebellion

A poem and some thoughts on spring’s return. 🌸🤧#awkward #blogpost #firstdayofspring

In honor of the first day of spring, a poem. Redbuds are pink. Violets are blue. Spring has returned. Aaa…aaa…aaa…choo! Spring is many things. It’s nature’s restart and revenge on our sinuses. It’s the return of activity and busyness. It’s a reminder of our own connection to nature and the power of rest. In a world that encourages us to always be productive, taking time to rest can feel…

[onwrdawkwrd]

A Little Reminder

Time for another awkward valentine. 🌹💕#awkward #valentine #blogpost

Last Valentine’s Day I wrote about the fortuitous timing of the first buds of the year on my miniature rose plant, Mr. Thornton. This year, a new round of buds has once again shown up just in time for this heart-filled holiday. While I stand by the fact that Mr. Thornton is a bit of a romantic, today I was thinking of all the little steps that led to the new, bitty blossoms. Plants can…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Circumstantial Smile

Shadows, silly smiles, and the promise of an early spring. 🔮🐿️ #awkward #blogpost

Happy Groundhog Day! It’s that time of year when we (in the northern hemisphere) turn our attention to the wise woodchucks for the timeline of the changing seasons. This year, we seem destined for an early spring, or at least that’s the hope. And that is what all the silliness and pageantry is about, really — hope. We look for it in the strangest places, especially in the dead of winter. I…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Resolve to Reflect

New Year. New old take on New Year's resolutions. #awkward #blogpost

Welcome to 2024. For those in the northern hemisphere, it’s the beginning of winter. It’s a time of rest and reserve. It’s cold and the call for coziness is at its peak. Yet we’re also being called to dive head first into our New Year’s resolutions. Partial disclosure, I am not a New Year’s resolution person. Don’t get me wrong. Change is good. In fact, it’s inevitable. But forcing it because…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Holiday Homestretch

A quick holiday homestretch check-in and some thoughts on this brief end-of-year window of rest. #awkward #blogpost

We’ve made it to the holiday homestretch and the new year is well within our sights. It’s a small window where most of us give ourselves permission to rest, reflect, and look forward. A moment of relaxation is a powerful thing. It can leave us feeling renewed or quite the opposite. The outcome depends on where we allow the mind to wander. Whether we choose to dream or catastrophize. So, here’s…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Merry Mayhem

A short, silly story about the reason for the season. 🎄🎅🏻🤭 #awkward #blogpost

A few weeks ago I found myself in the lobby of the Palmer House hotel. It was a holiday weekend so the place was packed with people and Christmas decorations. I made my way through the festive frenzy as gracefully as possible and finally reached the elevator lobby. I may have waited for a minute or two. I honestly don’t remember because of what happened when the doors opened. The elevator held a…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Festive Focus

Looking ahead to the holidays with some festive focus. 🎄📷 #awkward #blogpost

In photography, there’s a term known as “bokeh.” It refers to that visually pleasing effect you get when the background of a photo blurs away and all the points of light become fuzzy orbs. It draws your eye to the photo’s focus and gives the world a soft, ethereal glow. Part of achieving this effect is an increased aperture, which essentially means letting in as much light as possible. Another…

[onwrdawkwrd]

Wild and Wonderful

Happy Halloween! Some thoughts on the spooky and the spirit of the holiday. 🎃👻 #awkward #blogpost

Happy Halloween! Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like All Hallows Eve has become even more celebrated in the past few years. It seems that the pandemic has sent us all into a deep dive into spooky season or at least into the yard decor of the season. Yes, the heightened Halloween celebrations could just be a need for a bit more whimsy and escapism. However, I like to think it’s a more…