Welcome to this week’s Creative Calm Moments — a little collection of what’s been lighting me up lately.

These are the small things, the studio moments, the pieces of life that felt worth holding onto. I hope something here brings you a breath of calm or a spark of inspiration.

I have a long history of obsessing over notebooks and stationery. I adore the feeling of writing and visually creating something on a page. As much as I have adopted digital ways of planning and organizing thoughts, I still need paper.

Enter the pocket notebook. It's the perfect size for writing notes, making lists, doodling an image, and capturing inspiration. It's portable and easy to grab. I've started buying beautiful colorful ones because, well, they make me happy.

The Correspondent was so clever, and I absolutely loved the way it was written. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook because each character is brought to life by a different voice actor, which made the story even more immersive. The book is written as a series of letters and emails between the main character and narrator, Sybil Van Antwerp, and the many people connected to her life. It’s a heartachingly beautiful portrait of the ups and downs of human relationships and the ways they grow, shift, and evolve over a lifetime. As someone who loves both writing and receiving letters, it completely inspired me to send more snail mail and reconnect with others in a more meaningful way.

In December two of my sons approached me with the desire to make something for their girlfriends. Ahhh…young love. Gone are the days of making mixed tapes for your high school love ... these two had their sights on craftier things. Aidan (my oldest) asked me to teach him how to crochet. He wanted to make a blanket for his girlfriend. Colin (my second) asked me to teach him how to make paper flowers.

All I can say is... they've been watching my creative endeavors all these years and picked up on some skills. And seriously spending time teaching them these crafts brought me so much joy.

Their end products turned out amazing and they were loved by the girls that received them.

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and one of my students surprised me with a lovely gift bag filled with thoughtful goodies. Teaching is truly a gift. It’s rewarding, challenging, inspiring, and I wouldn’t change this career choice for the world. I feel incredibly lucky to spend my days learning, creating, and growing alongside such terrific students. Gifts are never expected, but this sweet gesture was appreciated and made my week a little extra special.

I wouldn’t consider myself a “Swiftie,” but I definitely admire Taylor Swift as a prolific and incredibly talented artist with a true gift for songwriting. So, when I came across this interview by The New York Times Magazine, I was excited to watch. I’m endlessly inspired by learning about the creative process and hearing how artists bring their ideas to life. I almost always walk away with little nuggets of wisdom that influence my own creative practice, and that was absolutely true with this interview.

In person classes will return this summer. The studio will be hopping again, and it makes my heart oh so happy.

Be on the lookout for the summer schedule COMING SOON!!