Virtual Hang Tonight
🐶Plus Saltburn, social media anxiety, and seeking giddiness
Happy Tuesday! Stevie and I just came in from her very first snowy walk through our neighborhood. She just turned one, so she still experiences a lot of newness, which means I, too, have the privilege of experiencing second-hand giddiness on a near-daily basis.
Giddiness is not a feeling that I usually prioritize. Until now. Now that my book tour is coming to an end. Now that I’ve seen nearly every season of the book publishing process. Now that I can sit still long enough to remember that allowing myself to feel giddy and playful and silly and curious is the secret to happiness.
A few questions I’m asking myself this week:
What do I want my relationship with social media to look like now that my book is out?
Who is showing up for me during this wild time in my life?
Who puts me on a pedestal because I’m living out their literary dreams? Who sees the real me?
Who/what makes me feel giddy?
What can I remove from my incredibly full plate that’s spilling over and leaving a mess everywhere I go?
Who activates my nervous system? Who soothes my nervous system? How can I calm my nervous system when the former happens? (HINT: Breathing. The answer is always breathing)
Tonight’s Event
Tonight is my very first virtual book tour event. While it’s been rewarding to travel on my book tour and meet readers in other cities, I’m excited to sit in my own home, wear sweatpants, and chat with my dear friend and fellow author, Emily Lynn Paulson, about cults and liquid courage and MLMs. My book’s incredible editor, Jess Zimmerman, is introducing us.
Read more about my own past with MLMs here.
Join us virtually tonight at 7EST. We’ll discuss how the cult of liquid courage and MLMs stem from the same place: seeking something outside of ourselves, hoping that thing makes us happier. We relied on the fleeting dopamine hits of binge drinking and #bossbabe life only to learn that unsustainable lifestyle left us feeling even lonelier.
We’ll also share how we learned to foster healthy, authentic relationships both intimately and professionally—no liquid courage required.
A Few Links
I finally watched Saltburn, and it 100% lived up to the hype. After watching, I did a deep dive into Emerald Fennel, the writer/director of the film. I first fell in love with Fennel’s work after watching Promising Young Woman—a film I’ve seen many times and can’t get enough of. Now I want to watch everything she’s created.
I just finished reading The Followers by Bradeigh Godfrey. I loved this novel! Great plot with complex, well-developed characters and dialogue. I can see why folks don’t like the ending, but I thought it ended in an unexpected, realistic way. I thought Godfrey did a great job of showing what it’s like to live an Extremely Online life while trying to balance a private life. It’s not easy.
This post about being busy by
is such a gift. My word for 2024 is *intentional* so her advice really hits home. I'm learning the seasons of book publishing (pitching, crying, writing, publishing, crying, promoting, and more crying when the season ends I feel lost) so now I know what to expect for book #2. She reminded me to look at the clouds (and snow!) today.
My question for you: what/who makes you feel giddy?
Much love,