Celebrating 50 editions of my Monthly Musings!

It was in September 2021 that my regular e-newsletter began.  A curious time as we slowly emerged from the pandemic, trying to work out how things worked now.  I was, alongside general life, also trying to work out what this COVID-born little business of mine was, who it was for and what exactly was the point.

I’m pleased to say, 4 years down the line, that I’m much clearer on all that now, but it definitely took longer than I thought it would (as does most things that require proper thought in my business).

One of the first steps for me was to create a regular newsletter that I would actually want to read if it landed in my inbox and so my Monthly Musings was born.  I decided it should come out on the same day each month.  I reckoned the third Wednesday of the month at lunchtime wouldn’t be a time other newsletter writers would choose, and I rather liked the eccentricity of it, so I went with that.

I’m not always consistent in other areas of marketing my business, but I’m really proud that this Monthly Musings has been landing in inboxes on the 3rd Wednesday of the month for 50 months straight!

That deserves a bit of a celebration, which, in Sarahworld, means something to do with creativity!  

Here is my celebratory gift to you, 30 ways* to be creative in your everyday regular life:

1. Give yourself 15 delicious minutes to read a good book, flick through a beautiful magazine or drool over a cookbook today
2. Go on an artists date - take your inner artist to a place where they’ll feel inspired
3. Pick a colour and look out for it through your week - take photos when you find things that are that colour
4. This one is a little niche and just for the yogis out there (but it is adaptable for other pursuits, I’m sure).  When you’re finding a spot on the floor to focus on whilst you balance, imagine it’s a tiny village or city with loads of microscopic people milling about, getting on with their lives.  The focus on that helps my balance immensely!
5. Put a favourite song on in the kitchen and move your body
6. People watch!  When you’re next in a busy place, ask yourself who here would you most want a cup of tea with?
7. … who holds the most secrets?
8. … who does a job that doesn’t match their appearance?
9. … who broke a promise today?
10. … who has had a really good day?
11. … who looks like they’ve just stepped out of a film or a novel?
12. … who inspires you the most?
13. … who would you run fastest from if met in a dark alley?
14. Write a few pages in a journal most mornings, when you first wake up, or last thing at night about what is currently on your mind.
15. Doodle
16. Wear an accessory tomorrow that you haven’t worn in ages.  If possible, colour match it to something else.
17. When you’re next cooking something like a pasta sauce, imagine it’s the surface of a planet and decide what creatures might live there!
18. Buy some stickers.  Stickers are great.  When they arrive, stick them somewhere.
19. Make a list of all the art forms and crafts you’d love to try in your lifetime
20. Make a bucket list, on paper, with doodles (or maybe even stickers)
21. Create a haiku about your day (three lines: 5, 7 and 5 syllables)
22. Look up how to make an origami dragon on youtube and give it a go
23. Play a game of What If? There are no rules to this one - just start asking yourself what if questions about your life.  E.g. What if I moved to another country?  What if I had all the money in the world… and so on
24. Learn how to play a favourite song on an instrument of choice.  Think mine would be a kazoo
25. Stretch your body to some calming music
26. Roll your shoulders (if you don’t have time for the one above)
27. Take a little time out to breathe - box breathing is good.  In for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4.
28. Become a collector for a day - collect memories, photos of a specific thing like cool doors, collect leaves, interesting stones, ideas… whatever takes your fancy.
29. At the end of the day, create a map of where you’ve been that day
30. At the beginning of the next day, create a map of where you want to go

PS, if you love maps and numbers 29 and 30 above, you might want to check out The Cartographer’s Compass - doors will open again at the beginning of December!

PPS, if you’ve stumbled across this blog and haven’t ever signed up to my Monthly Musings, I’m sure you have some full on FOMO just now.  It’s ok though as it only takes 10secs to sign up here.  Come share in the musings!

*Why 30 ways instead of 50?  I won’t lie to you, it took me a while to come up with 30 and couldn’t be arsed coming up with another 20.  But they are a cracking set of 30, so be happy folks! ;)