September 30, 2026 · updates, reflections, advice
Happy September 30th 2026! And happy first blog-post-in-a-while to me!
—> here I am ticking off doing my doing-something-a-little-embarrassing-and-vulnerable for today. And what better topic to start writing about!
Having submitted my PhD a full 30 days ago, I have been enjoying trying out some new things I promised myself I would do once I had more free time. A lot of these things have been creating in some way.
Creating is one part of life that makes me feel my most fulfilled and most human.
Being inspired by the world around me, colours, sounds, other people whether stranger or friend, nature, writing, games, sensations (etc. etc., I could go on).
Loving an idea or an experience so much that I am compelled and overcome by an urge to give shape to my curiosities or interest in whatever form of expression could best channel my passions.
Most recently, this has taken the form of this website!
Having seen the second-coming of the indie web, or “neo-cities”, there has been such a gorgeous growth of people online sharing their code and different fun effects (scripted.neocities.org, where would I be without you and my new purple bubble cursor).
I have enjoyed making silly gifs and curating the photos I want as my background. Even asking questions like “what font best suits me and the feeling I am trying to convey here?” has been such fun.
Other times, this expression has taken the form of oil pastels, smearing and scraping and smudging my ideas into my drawing pad, trying to get as much colour and life out of each oil pastel as possible.
Right now, that expression is writing this!
I have been really inspired by fish and water recently, both as an object of study but also more abstractly as a how I am wanting to approach life at the moment.
Hearing the sound of running water, or seeing that magical way light reflects off and through water onto other objects around it, I remember to take a breath and be fluid like water, letting the currents take me wherever they send me, yet move with immense strength and gentleness.
And my fish poem I wrote while I was finishing off my PhD and finding joy in research after a painful few months. Learning to not hold so tightly onto things means I have open hands ready to catch whatever comes my direction. And I so badly desire to share in these joys of ideas, findings, figuring things out together, and being able to collectively jump into exciting opportunities that come our way.
Life is so much better when experienced together and shared with others. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to make this website and start sharing wee nuggets of life and creation with others, whoever stumbles across it (hello to you!).
How wonderful it is to be a curious and passionate person.
I have come to realise these are the traits I value most in a person. I hope to be someone who inspires others to stretch their curiosities into somewhere they haven’t been yet. My big tip: new and scary things are way more fun and with others, and you can other propel each other farther than where you both could have imagined individually.
I hope you do something a little vulnerable and embarrassing today. Or maybe this week, no pressure ;)
Do that thing that has been in the back of your mind but you are too scared you will fail (you know what it is, that thing you just thought of).
Maybe reach out to the person who really inspires you or you just really want to connect with.
Or start putting those whacky ideas down for a really cool idea you had but were too afraid that you didn’t have the skills or knowledge to yet (best way to learn is by trying!).
There will be no call to adventure; you must seek it out!
We’re all beginners in life, and we are all in a constant state of practice.
How beautiful is that?
