life with more cowbell

I recently realized that I’ve been neglecting the cowbell blog lately – lots going on these days, navigating loss, managing work and looking after my mental health. As I emerge from a rough fall/winter, I’m feeling much more energetic and optimistic, have re-started my daily journalling and continue to practice daily acknowledgments of gratitude.

As you may know, I’ve been working as a content writer at Young W, an online arts & letters resource hub and shop offering encouragement, ideas and tools for folks to put down their devices and get out to engage and explore their curiosity and creativity – all for a more flourishing and fulfilling analog life. What started as a six-month part-time contract in mid-February 2023 became a permanent part-time position in mid-August. I can’t believe it’s been a little over a year now – time really does fly when you’ve having a blast! I write for Young W’s growing curated directory and events listings (which are free), as well as long-form pieces on arts-related topics. And I love that my job is about shouting out so many amazing and unique artists, arts organizations and events!

So, if you’d like to check out some of my recent writing, you can take a look at the Pen & Ink Series posts (co-written with Young W Editor/Founder Elena Woo, who also created the how-to videos): Part 1: Fountain Pen Anatomy & Uses; Part 2: Using Ink Cartridges; and Part 3: Filling Your Pen’s Converter with Ink. We also recently started a Theatre Series; Part 1 is about how to pick a play to see. There’s lots more to come for both of these series, as well as some other series ideas we have cooking, plus interviews.

Young W also recently did our first pop-up shop – for a fundraiser for the Town of York Historical Society and Toronto’s First Post Office – at St. Lawrence Hall in early March. We had a blast at our table of stationery items, meeting the organizers, attendees and fellow vendors; and donated two Analog Lifestyle Kits to the silent auction (look out for these in the silent auction at Nightwood Theatre’s upcoming fundraiser: Lawyer Show 2024). You can follow Young W on X, formerly known as Twitter (@YoungW_ca), Instagram (@youngw_ca), Pinterest (@youngw_ca) and/or Mastodon to stay up to date on pop-ups and events. Better yet, you can subscribe to monthly-ish newsletter, Musings by YW, which comes with the perk of 10% off your first order.

So, yeah, it’s been busy times – and I promise to make more of an effort to show up here more often, with mindful meanderings, and posts on art and artists. Spring is upon us (though maybe not arriving as quickly as we’d like), many of us have put our clocks forward and there’s lighter, warmer days ahead. Happy spring, all!