have you ever checked more than (1) thing off your to-do list and felt on top of the world?
hey whats up hello howre you holding up?
im learning that 99.9% of the reason i even make newsletters is cause i want to share all the resources im hyped about and see if theyll make you hype/help you too. otherwise im terrible at it if its just to promote myself like. ill plug when i can but mostly i just wanna talk! so thanks for giving me space to do that. its good to find reasons sometimes!
---something i want to put here is: it's definitely easier said than done, coping, and i want to acknowledge that i have privilege in being able to do a lot of these things. and that, if youre able to, only take what serves you and leave behind what doesn't.--
updates!
in my mind, i am writing the SHIT out of letters ive said im going to give people but honestly, ive just made peace with, if it gets out by the end of this year, im golden.
for the past three nights, ive been going to sleep after watching a kids' movie (i still fall asleep to bob's burgers) and let me tell you, that is a fantastic idea. i usually have nightmares, and though my dreams are still....colorful, i wake up feeling a bit lighter. Anastasia, ParaNorman, Wall-E have been my past three nights (sadly Wall-E doesn't hold up for me, still pretty depressing, even moreso now) and i stayed up til 3am last friday to make sure i saw The Half Of It and let me tell you, we as a community, deserve this as well as stephen sondheim's 90th birthday celebration.
<------ cw: mention of death in title ---->
and im listening to the heathers musical (every time i hear my dead gay son, i think of Jesus) and quietly mourning barrett wilbert reed's voice (whatever twitter (nope, it was reddit!) rabbit hole i went down has me thinking the heathers musical really damaged her voice which hurts me in my heart) and i need to watch/listen to 900 more musicals but my comfort musicals are so ready to soothe me in their musical arms??
it's been several songs later and this musical is. terrifying??? which i knew, but like i feel a new special interest sliding into my dms.
<------------------- end cw------------------->
things that have been helping
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ive made a tiktok specifically so i can watch animals videos (I MISS ANIMALS SO MUCH)
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i lock my social media from 11pm-9am on my phone and 12am-9am on my computer
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when i feel something i just sit in that shit instead of trying to push through it i just cry and laugh and stop trying to predict whats gonna happen which easier said than done so i distract myself a shitton by not bailing on therapy, reading emergent strategy by adrienne marie brown, minimizing the amount of self-deprecating memes i share, talking to/messaging family, friends, message boards, planning my life for the animals that will be family, writing a sentence (at least) before i log into social media in the morning, stretching, yoga, homies just lay on the floor it is so helpful just lay there for five minutes and then go about your life, whenever your overwhelmed full ass just sit or lie on the floor and breathe
- im doing shit just for the fun of it! i have a harmonica! im learning how to sing! i considered puppetry! do i intend to do anything besides purely learn some shit??? heck no!! im doing hobbies!! what hobbies are you trying out?
resources!
Writing
MayDay Poetry Reading: Hosted by Aja Monet and Haymarket Books
Writing In Place: Podcast Hosted by Nine LaCour
TheQuarantineReadingSeries Hosted By Aurielle Marie
Marcus Books Fundraiser with Danez Smith, Robin Coste Lewis, and Daveed Diggs
Theatre
Howlround Theare offers free captioned, ASL translated livestreams and archived videos of theatre resources
Stars In The House hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Welsey who do a little chat and invite Broadway stars to sing and airs twice a day
Daily Roundup of Theatre Livestreams rounded up by Playbill
Assorted
the true hogwarts quiz, like i cried taking this AND GOT HUFFLEPUFF!!!!
Weekly Masterlist of Creative Resources from PaperCat Press (sign up for their newsletter!)
A whole bunch of interviews from creative artists (one of my absolute favorite things to read) by The Creative Independent
okay, thanks for reading! reply if you'd like! be safe! ~alexis
p.s.
please turn on your blue filter on your phone and add f.lux to your computer! your eyes are important!
p.p.s.
treat yourself if you can!