foundational resources
somewhere with coffee and the best of company, taken on 35mm film
When I think of resources, I think of the practices, systems, routines, and physical items that help to support us through literal (or metaphorical) seasons.
And in this resource library, rather than thinking of something as fixed and unchangeable, we’ll focus on the resources that work for (and with) us right now—the resources that might change shape, be let go of, and revisited later.
My intention behind this digital space, this teeny tiny little resource library, is to have somewhere safe to visit when you’re looking to be re-inspired in ‘taking care,’ without the pressure of ‘sticking with something’ just because someone else said it worked for them.
Here, I’d like to prioritize what makes us feel the most like ourselves, doing our best to let go of the expectations that keep us rooted in the feeling of not-enough-ness.
I believe that learning how to better take care of ourselves (and I’m talking about ‘taking care’ at the most foundational level, nothing more), allows us to better show up for ourselves when we’re by ourselves, and for ourselves when we’re in community (eventually, maybe even trickling into the other things we do and make and care about).
(and as it relates to being present, I discuss this topic a lot more in this epilogue).
To start us off, I’m going to share what I consider to be my foundational resources (at least, the ones that are front of mind today). And while these may take on different shapes over the weeks and months, I almost always have at least one of them in my weekly rotation (almost being the key word here).
Going for lots of walks through the neighborhood (while making sure to take full advantage of the communal strawberry patch).
Sitting on the front porch and admiring out garden of potted plants while spending time with the neighborhood cats that like to stop by for pets.
Reading of and kind, though a book is preferable. I recently read the final book in this series (one of my favorite fantasy series to date), followed by this short-ish fantasy inspired by folklore (which I liked more than I expected), and now I’m onto something more contemporary (thoughts to follow).
Watching my dog sleep or play or eat (or doing anything, really).
Browsing the local library (I primarily use the Libby app, but I know there are other great options out there, including visiting your local library in-person, if that’s available to you).
Drawing something in the blank notebook I recently found when cleaning out my desk (this resource is relatively new as of late!).
Listening to this podcast on repeat. Kening Zhu, the host of this podcast, was someone I discovered recently while listening to this podcast. Safe to say, I spent the rest of the day pouring over her website and absorbing as much content of hers as I could, to the point of feeling inspired enough to launch this library.
Creating a space where I can be playful and curious and imaginative, without the expectations I usually put on myself when it comes to new ideas and projects and my need for output (a topic discussed more depth within our experiments in motion).Listening to this, this, and this podcast to help me stay updated on the world outside of my own, without feeling entirely paralyzed, overwhelmed, or anxious to the point of complete inaction.
Reading newsletters that inform and inspire and nurture and instill hope (there are more, but I’m only thinking of the ones that are currently top-of-mind)
Listening to this album while on my walks, and loving it more and more each time round.
Writing, though this one is a little delicate at the moment due to a recent mood change and the permission that I gave myself to step back a little bit—at least enough to take the pressure off. My hope is that by doing so, I’ll create a relationship based more off of trust than expectation.
Meditating by setting my white noise for anywhere between 5-10 minutes. It wasn’t until recently that I realized just how reliant I had become on certain self-work practices, and while this is a topic I’d like to discuss further, for now I’ll say that I’m very glad of my decision to refine my resources.
For instance, like using the tools I already have to meditate, instead of outsourcing (which I believe to be very helpful and necessary at times, just as long as the outsourcing doesn’t make you feel shame or guilt for being who you are).Being present with myself, while seemingly small, this experiment (discussed here, and in the epilogue, here) has been monumental as of late: whenever I’ve found my thoughts have jumped ahead (or sunk deep into the past), I do my best to bring myself back to the present moment by touching or speaking or looking at something that’s right in front of or next to or around me.
Then asking myself, ‘what feels possible for me to do right now?’ and doing that one thing (and starting the process over again).Writing letters instead of texting someone. A lot of my friends live at least 6+ hours away, so seeing them is something of a rare occurrence. And taking into consideration the anxiety I often have when using my phone, I’ve decided to give it a try (I haven’t actually sent anything yet, so I’ll let you know if this sticks, but so far the writing of them has been very therapeutic).
Rather than planning out every detail of my week, months in advance, the resource schedule that I keep is on a more moment-to-moment basis. As someone who has a tendency to want to control and critique every little thing I do, I’ve begun to ask myself, ‘what supportive thing is most accessible for me to do right now?’ instead of attempting to hold onto and re-organize and try to make sense of it all, all at once.
A few resources I’ve kept in rotation, but have been doing less of: For reasons that I’ll likely discuss later, journaling and ‘constantly trying to fix myself,’ outside of my already twice-monthly therapy sessions, have taken a back seat. As well as Substack, the platform I use to write my newsletter, Freshly Squeezed, for reasons that have less to do with a dislike of the platform, and more with my relationship with writing and absorbing content.
A few resources that have been helpful, but are not as accessible: Therapy, movement, Notion, taking film photos (which requires the purchasing and developing of the film), teaching myself how to make digital art in Procreate, and this amazing community.
I’m curious to see how these resources take on different shapes through the summer months. For now, I’ll leave this here.
Bye for now,
Chloe
Quick note: Here are the foundational posts for experiments and voice notes. Both I mention a few times during this post, and could be a helpful way to better acquaint yourself with the library.
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