The beauty of being a newb

Thank You For Being Here, Issue #32

Author

Jenay Zhyrov
November 03, 2023

Hey! Hello. What’s good?

I’m chatting with my mom on Facetime, and as we near the end of our catch-up, I ask her, “Want to see something I made?”

Her eyebrows are raised when she has the audacity to respond with, “YOU made something?”

There’s humor in her voice, but even so, ouch — surprising words coming from one of my biggest fans and supporters. But OK, maybe my mom’s question isn’t entirely uncalled for. I haven’t exactly been a shining example of a hands-on, craft-loving person for a long time.

Yet, her question burns a bit, lighting another fire under my ass while I try to prioritize my exploration of creative expression. I’ve been a scrapbooker, a knitter, a musician, and an artist, but I lost touch with that substantial part of my identity. I’m a little disappointed in that.

When my dropped jaw snaps up, I stop feigning offense at my mom’s sick burn, and we chuckle before I present my two small bowls and a tiny vase painted with silly designs in my favorite colors.

Mom, smiling, looks a little impressed. In my head, I’m happily yelling, “I fucking made these with my hands!” I’m almost high off of the accomplishment.

I want to create more with my hands. I could learn how to crochet cute tops, paint, bake new things, and relearn how to play more than just Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance” on the bass.

There’s some beauty in being a newb; to take our time and make mistakes. It’s beautiful to learn.

Thank you for being here,
Jenay

I’m still mostly listening to instrumental fantasy-themed music while I read and work. This ACOMAF Ambience [Instrumental] playlist is now a part of my rotation. I’m also enjoying folk-pop, something I gravitate towards in the fall.

I added two sweet songs to the Thank You For Being Here playlist. If you’re not a Spotify user, you can listen to them here:

A weekly full day of rest
When my and Vadym’s typical weekend schedule started to feel draining, we adjusted it. I love to experiment and find what feels best as our priorities shift. A typical Saturday now looks like powering through errands, meal prep, cleaning, and friend dates. Then we have a complete Sunday Funday of rest and leisure. This free day often feels longer than any other day of the week because it’s not a race against time to finish a to-do list. We lounge and read in bed for however long we want, watch movies, play games, and heat pre-made meals. It’s bliss.

A year ago, I had no writing samples beyond this newsletter, an archive of old personal blogs and articles from a decade ago. Now, I have a growing portfolio, all thanks to the trust of my clients and countless hours of learning, planning, putting myself out there, and, of course, writing.

Last year, when I finally saw self-employment as a viable option for me, a few freelancers I know were kind enough to give me some guidance. And now I’m getting messages from internet friends seeking similar advice, whether they’re considering freelancing part-time or full-time.

After a few virtual chats, I’m noticing a common thread — those first few steps and self-limiting beliefs are tripping people up. I feel inspired to create a simple resource guide for those who need clarity about how to get started.

I am still a baby freelancer, crawling my way to the big girl table, but I’d love to refer y’all to some very smart folks who share free and valuable knowledge. If you have any freelance questions (you don’t need to be a writer!), feel free to email me by responding to this newsletter, and I’ll address them in the guide.

📚🛒 Visit your local library or browse my Bookshop or Amazon Bookshelf to grab your copies. I’ll earn a tiny commission if you buy a book from these affiliate links. Thanks for supporting authors, bookshops, and me!

I embraced the month of magic with a nice stack of spooky cute books from the library and by binge-reading the ACOTAR series.

🧝‍♀️ A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A few loved ones recommended this romantasy series to me, and now I’m addicted. This first book follows nineteen-year-old Feyre, who is taken from the poverty of the mortal world and into a realm of immortal faeries (hot, strong faeries…not cutesy fairies). And as her hostility toward Tamlin, her captor, melts into passion, she must confront a growing evil threatening the Fae world to save him and the realm. I won’t say what the other books are about because it’ll give away major spoilers, but here are my ratings:

  • A Court of Mist and Fury: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars. THE TWISTS!! THE SPICE!

  • A Court of Wings and Ruin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars. I cried during this one.

🧙‍♀️ The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (⭐⭐⭐⭐.75 stars): It’s a cute and wholesome read. There’s a little romance steam, but it comes secondary to the theme of found family and the meaning of home. As one of the few British witches concealing her powers, Mika Moon's solitary life takes an unexpected turn when she's summoned to Nowhere House to teach young witches, uncovering a web of secrets and finding an unlikely connection with an enigmatic librarian as danger looms.

👻 The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars): It’s a predictable but fun and friendly ghost story. Romance novel ghostwriter Florence, jaded by a past breakup and facing a career crisis, must return home for her father's funeral, and her world takes a supernatural twist when she encounters a ghost who happens to be her handsome editor, challenging her beliefs about love stories and her career path.

🩸 Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda (⭐⭐⭐.25 stars): This is the most peculiar book I’ve ever read, even for a vampire story. It felt like an A24 film that gives “no plot, just vibes.” It’s full of heavy internal dialogue and a lot of young, lonely woman scenarios. Lydia, perpetually hungry with a longing for Japanese food, can only digest blood. As she navigates life in a London art studio space, she grapples with her identity as a mixed-race vampire and her complex relationships with humans as she tries to reconcile her internal conflicts and find her place in the world. I absorbed it as an exploration of identity and mortality and a consideration of what’s good and evil. There might be a parallel to eating disorders, too. I have so many questions.

💔 The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (⭐⭐⭐ stars): I didn't anticipate getting off the library waitlist for The Ex Hex in time for October, but a copy became available with one week to spare. Nine years after Vivi cast a silly spell on Rhys, her ex-boyfriend, her life takes an unexpected turn when a series of calamities in her town lead her to believe her "Ex Hex" might not be so harmless after all, forcing her to team up with Rhys and tackle a curse gone awry. This book had its cute moments, but the story was just OK, merely skimming the narrative's surface. There could have been a more developed system of magic, deeper relationship building, and better pacing.

My November TBR shelf

🔘 I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi: I enjoy his podcast, newsletter, and show. He has an uncomplicated, no-bullshit approach to personal finance, and I'm excited to apply the learnings from his book to my “rich life” goals.

🔘 Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros: The Fourth Wing frenzy continues. The TV adaptation was announced, and the second book of the series is out on Tuesday! I'm diving in as soon as my preorder arrives.

🔘 A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Silver and Flames by Sarah J. Maas: I'm scared of the inevitable ACOTAR hangover I’ll have once I'm done with these.



Extra, Extra

Movies

🤖 The Creator is not your average “war on AI robots” movie. The storyline is unexpected, the visuals are stunning, and by the end of it, Vadym and I cried a little.

🎃 A taste for the supernatural (Film Edition): For spooky cute season, we enjoyed Practical Magic (1998), Sleepy Hollow(1999), and The Haunted Mansion (2023). I also spent my Halloween afternoon watching the Halloweentown trilogy.

Series

👹 A taste for the supernatural (TV Edition): After a long break, I’m on season 4 of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatch. We finished the Disney animated series Gravity Falls, which follows two siblings who spend their summer with their great-uncle in a mysterious and supernatural town, uncovering its secrets. We rewatched the iconic Over the Garden Wall again. We also randomly checked out a 55-minute TV special on Disney+ called Werewolf at Night, based on Marvel comics, which was gruesome but funny. And season 2 of Loki is finally here. It’s my favorite Marvel show, and Ke Huy Quan is now a part of the cast!

💛 The Bachelor franchise is cringe: I don’t usually watch the shows, but I was curious about The Golden Bachelor. Although still cringy, its depiction of love in old age has heartwarming moments. It’s nice to watch people between the ages of 60 and 80 exhibit a zest for life and a longing to love and be loved.

Games

🎮 Owning a Nintendo Switch has been a fantastic addition to our homebody lifestyle. These are fun: Teacup, Florence, Guacamele Super Turbo Championship Edition, and Unravel Two. Next, I’m buying Cozy Grove!

🎃 baking a black sesame pumpkin mochi cake
☔ not getting caught in the rain
📱 replacing an old phone case with a new fun one
📖 reading in bed for hours
🎮 finishing a hard level of a game
🏠 feeling safe

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