• So much news lately! In case you missed it, we're moving to Maine, I'm Autistic, and I just launched a picture book project with Sarah Shotts!
• Feeling discombobulated by so much happening
• Learning to rest before I burn out
• Things I never thought I'd say about staying in one place for awhile

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In this episode:

• So much uncertainty and confusion about jobs and finances
• a big cross country move
• Airstream projects in the works, but stalled because:
• crazy weather here (70 mph gusts coming soon)!

Me fixing the cabin roof before the winds come this evening:

The awkward but functional technical equipment for this come-on-over-while-I-cook-dinner-podcast-episode:

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• Like NaNoWriMo, but different
• Learning to balance my inner dialogue
• ...Especially when it comes to self worth and financial challenges
• Considering Substack as the next step in this new practice of embracing messy, imperfect work and getting it out there--thoughts welcome!
• Revisiting a place we used to live, and talking to the past Gracie that lived there

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• Looking back on 2022, and things it's taught me
• My word for the year for 2023
• Projects I'm planning to start (or continue) in 2023
• Starting the year with hopes, not expectations

Things I mention:

Learning about being neurodivergent 

Read the draft of my NaNoWriMo novel Things Not Said here!

Susannah Conway's Unravel Your Year and Find Your Word Workbooks (free with email sign up)

Me looking like a zombie last December, right after moving into the Airstream after 3 years of very, very hard work renovating it and dealing with lots of trauma and therapy:

Initial plans and first pieces of a new puppet I designed based off one of my ketamine therapy sessions:

A little sneaky peek of the mood/vision board I created while coming up with my word for 2023:

Thank you, thank you, thank you ALL each and every one for being here this year--whether it's been for a day, or the whole twelve months. You've made all these projects and lessons and hard times and beautiful moments possible, and there's not way for me to fully express how grateful I am to you for that!

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In this episode:

• Learning to create the way I cook
• What I've learned from NaNoWriMo (so far!)
• Next project ideas and plans

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In this episode:

• Some new developments with Ethan’s job
• Learning more about my neurodivergent brain
• Finding ways to get unstuck
• An unexpected project to help me conquer paralysis and perfectionism—I’m doing NanoWriMo this month! Anyone else?

I almost forgot! I mentioned the incredible creative writing retreat run by Kimberly Kuniko (Lacelit). I took something I wrote during this retreat and ran with it for my NaNoWriMo novel. She doesn’t have any more workshops of that specific type coming up, but she runs so many wonderful different retreats here, and hosts a beautifully supportive creative community on Patreon.

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Content warning: we had a scare with Slightly last week—he’s back and safe now, but I do talk about the fear and anxiety of losing a pet, as well as some strange trauma-related connections I have with a fear of spiders.

• Managing mental health, panic and anxiety working alone (while Ethan’s at his apprenticeship).
• I’ve started writing my graphic novel script! The difference between screenwriting and story planning-I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed writing scripts!
• A terrible scare with Slightly that tied into lots of trauma for both Ethan and I.

If you have a second, I’ve asked for a bit of feedback in this episode:

• On working alone—would you be interested in some kind of livestream/muted Zoom call where we can all work quietly together, to have support while we do our own thing?
• About my graphic novel—I’d like to share more (within reason—I can’t share too too much), but don’t want to give any even small spoilers if that’s important to you! Would you prefer not to know any possible spoilers until you can see or read it yourself, or do you want to know more of the process, at the risk of a few spoilers?



You can let me know through the comments on the Patreon post, or by Patreon message—whatever is easier for you!

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• I finished my ketamine treatments! Thoughts from that journey (and describing parts of some of my sessions)
• Where I’m at after all of it
• Going “back home” to visit family, and how you can suddenly feel like a child again, but not in a good way
• A therapist’s lesson about creative block

I’ve been into lately:

With ketamine treatments, I’ve needed to be careful about not watching anything upsetting (I tried a couple of movies that we had to stop, or where really hard to get through), so we’ve focused on more feel-good shows and movies. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed:

• Begin Again (Netflix)
• What If (Amazon Prime)
• Happy Anniversary (Netflix)
• How it Ends (Amazon Prime) (Also has a surprisingly Internal Family Systems Therapy feel to it, because her younger self goes along with her through the whole film)
• Douglas (comedy special by Hannah Gadsby on Netflix)
• Also rewatched a bunch of old childhood favorites, including Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden and Hook

I’ve also been listening to more podcasts as we’ve been spending tons of time driving across the country:

• Films to be Buried With — Brett Goldstein. I especially enjoyed this episode with Aisling Bea! But really, in general, I love everything about this podcast.
• Working It Out — Mike Birbiglia. Only listened to one episode so far, truth be told, but I love the idea of working out a project on the fly, out loud, with someone else, as a podcast! Being less precious about your work in general is so refreshing!

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• All transitions are awkward, even good ones
• Sitting in an old school desk chair on the side of a creek to record this (I wish it was easier to hear all the way through, but you can hear it better at the end!)
• Airstream road life means brushing your teeth outside sometimes
• Breaking down mental walls and giving yourself permission not to do some things on purpose
• Adjusting to the freedom of new rewards and letting things flow instead of forcing them
• Bees really like my mint tea, apparently

Things I mention:

• The Good Ship Illustration’s Art Club (the color workshop I went to is no longer available, but they host new ones every Friday! I’ll be joining from now on when I can!)
• Britchida’s Trauma, PTSD, Healing timeline

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In this episode:

• So many new and possible job/life changes lately!
• Our upcoming West Coast realization Tour
• Recent lessons in creative self sabotage (and what I’m doing about them)

I mention:

• What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
• The video about my graphic novel/tv development news!
• The last Coffee Chat with Ethan’s tough love speech
• Our new Tiers!
• Also I forgot to mention I CAN’T WAIT for the new Daniels movie Everything Everywhere All At Once that comes out next week! Anyone else??

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In this Coffee Chat, I’m spilling how this past month has been for me with lots of ups and downs in my mental health, a beautiful and much-needed bit of tough love from Ethan, and ponder some ways I’ve been too hard on and how to keep learning to love myself better through this whole healing process.

If you struggle with workaholism or any kind of ongoing mental health issue, this one is for you, friend.

There’s a lot I meant to, wanted to express in this one that I’m not sure I managed to communicate well, but I’m trying. One thing I think I missed: I talk a fair amount about Manager/Protector parts of me (from the IFS therapy model), and how they’ve been making things harder sometimes with pushing for over productivity to feel some sense of worth, and I do want to say especially for any of you who might relate, that these parts aren’t bad. That’s a really important part of IFS in general—no parts are inherently bad. These parts are well intentioned, trying to protect us from pain somehow, they just might not know how to do it well, in ways that really serve us, especially as we move forward along a healing journey and we may not need the same things anymore.

Oh, and here is the book I mention by Stephanie Foo: What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma

I also meant what I say in this episode—if any of this resonated with you and you want or need to get in touch about any of it, I’m here for it. Let me know.

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• We’re getting ready to move this weekend! Our plans from here.
• Things that have and haven’t changed since we moved in
• On transitions and expectations
• What I’m learning from watching more shows and taking in more stories

What I’m watching right now:

• Squid Game (I know, I’m super behind, but I’m catching up fast with this one)
• Maid
• (Mostly) rewatching New Girl. Confession: I haven’t actually watched it all the way through before because I really really didn’t want it to end. Sad? Yes. Yes, I know. But I’m finally going to finish it this time!

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• Life update (recorded on the back deck, surrounded by chickens and falling apples)
• Snow is coming so soon?? Airstream progress and plans
• The one creative thing I’ve done this summer— applied for a grant to work on my graphic novel!
• Owning our stories and the power of sharing them

I mention:

• Nanette, Comedy special by Hannah Gadsby on Netflix.

Pop over to Patreon to see some airstream progress photos, too!

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• THANK YOU
• A personal and creative black hole and what it’s teaching me
• Not drawing for three months
• Perspective on priorities I thought I already had, but clearly didn’t
• Focusing on the Airstream, and how it’s coming along
• THANK YOU
• ALSO, THANK YOU

For some reason I couldn’t upload an image here, but to see the piece I talk about drawing (for the first time in three months), hop on over to the Patreon version of this post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/untethered-chat-51370668

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