Dear Reader, 

I had a big week launching the Common Objects physical and online shop for the people. In this business gestation and birth portal I have been deeply considering what success means to me. In my financial, spiritual, and creative life.

In many ways this is what The Practice of Attention is about at its core. A look into how I see the world unhooked from social media addiction and committed to service as an entry point to peace and liberation.

I strive to live this way as much as I can, and in many ways I did not stick the landing of self care this past week. I didn’t walk, I didn’t cook, I didn’t do Pilates, I definitely didn’t drink enough water (a big theme in my life). But I did make the shop happen alongside Katy, who stayed late most nights to finish hanging quilts, changing painted electrical outlets, installing a dimmer so the bulbs aren’t blasting us, and caring for the space with so much precision and devotion.

I know these types of creative sprints well from the last fifteen years of being self employed and from the last two years of grad school. The last minute edits, realizing part of the wall is concrete so you need different screws, snipping loose threads from the final quilt in the final hour.

I woke up feeling so grateful that the sprint is over, that now we just get to play inside the space we have carved out. I woke up grateful me and Katy both have a day free of outside obligations, that we can sleep in and rest a bit.

I thought I would be happy to not have to go to the shop today (our hours are Thursday - Sunday 11-4) but here I am typing this newsletter thinking, maybe I should go down for a few hours and open the doors. See what strangers wander in. Do some sewing, ship an online shop order that came in last night.

I don’t feel this in the addicted to work sense, but in the sense that I am excited and rejuvenated and want to be in the world we created.

The opening on Saturday was so beautiful. I couldn’t believe how many friends, family, and new faces showed up for us and each other. Bobby and Laur took care of the snack table and seltzer cooler, Andrew brought apples from his new orchard, Will brought flowers, Em brought two flamingo balloons on a stick.

Micah came out of his beloved hermit cabin so he could try on every vest and fanny pack, smell every candle, eat every snack, and open every book. My favorite teen Agnes came, making me emotional thinking about her hanging out at Have Company ten years ago when she was a kid. Just as we were finally stuffing our faces with the noodles Roger ordered for us at Crocodile Palace, Kelsey and Elijah walked in, my favorite shop keepers of the peninsula.

The day before we opened John and Marie and their little one came by and John brought me his new Yimes album.

In just two weeks the space has alreay proven to be a place for spirited connection, for feeling less alone, for being one amongst many.

Me and Katy have been craving more connection where we live, having watched a lot of our queer and trans friends move away after not finding enough community. There may come a day where there isn’t enough for us either, but for now we felt like the answer was to create it so that we could discover it. So that we could see what might be just under the surface.

And so I measure success by how many apples are in the bag, how many flowers in the vase, how many seltzers get cracked. My expectations feel spacious. I think we made good sales for a first day, but I don’t really know what I am comparing that too. I think a good amount of people came through, but who is to say.

What I know is that I didn’t feel any anxiety for those three hours. I just felt love. Watching my friends buy books written by my other friends, seeing the polycules working in action, friends that I had once thought I’d never speak to again showing up for me despite their own discomfort.

And maybe the biggest success was watching people’s eyes brighten and get big when they walked in, taking in the beauty of the space. Curated by me, shaped by Katy, and woven by our community.

Now that the shop is ready to go, the next step is starting to schedule in person workshops. I’ll be teaching an improvisational patchwork class in November, and I want YOU to teach in the space. So if you have ideas for something you’d like to share - a paid workshop, a free event, a book club - email [email protected].

Lastly my gratitude to our beautiful website, a place to shop and learn more about Common Objects. Designed by New Shapes Studio with logo and illustrations by Geoffrey Holstad and photography by Casey Chamberlain. It turned out even better than I hoped it would. Consider us for your holiday shopping or every day gift giving to others or your self. I have already loved seeing the orders come in and delighted by what objects you all put together.

A quick note : Common Objects will be closed this Friday and Saturday while we go to Detroit to see Radiator Hospital at the Lager House : ) But stop in Thursday or Sunday 11-4 or make an appointment for Tuesday or Wednesday by emailing [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in to another week of Monday Monday. There were so many more people to name and say thank you to and I want you all to know how much I cherish you and your presence in my life. Both in person and through the computer screen. Wishing you a beautiful rest of your day.

→ Apply to the Leelanau Press Research Fellowship by Nov 30

→ Thrilled to have a prayer included in Dori Midnight’s anthology Say It Like a Prayer out 3/16/27 with a foreword by adrienne maree brown

→ a small place is an artist residency and sustainable building project in Carapichaima, Trinidad and Tobago looking to raise 30k by November 30

→ LA Warman’s newest book Debt is now available for pre order

→ We are a few years late but have been watching Servant on Apple TV and wow it is so weird and good

CLASSIFIEDS : 

More Than a Meme: Pop Astrology leaves a lot out, let's weave it back in! Learn about houses, retrogrades, and your chart as a whole ✴ FREE Class, open to all ✴ Nov 4th w/ Cosmic Maz

Let me read you poetry! Poetic Reflection Retreat is a self-guided audio retreat where you get to drop in and seek beauty through 4 poems. Receive for free! 

The Underworld Journey: a field diary about repositioning my work. Messy bits, clarity moments, and creating as I go. Come along?

Meditate & Create with live sound healing, free via zoom. Join us for guided centering in creative community.

Want off the content treadmill? Learn Jana O.'s capsule blog method: Write 12 high-converting blog posts — then repurpose them to get clients, on repeat! 

Book a classified ad for next week here 

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My first regular shift at Common Objects yesterday :) I found it a bit difficult to get into any creative flow between visitors, but trust this will come with time.