craftraven

I know why I've been experiencing big emotions over the last few weeks. I understand why they crop up at moments that seem too small for them to be an appropriate response. I know why they catch me off guard when I am unprepared. What I have been trying to tease out is why I haven’t processed or managed them more effectively yet.

June was a little bit different from the previous five months of this year. Having spent six months building craftraven, designing the website, working on blog posts, Pinterest pins, craft projects, shop items, and numerous small details, I realized I had accomplished my 2025 goal. I decided that my goal for June would be to determine how this business would operate on a day-to-day basis. 

PSA #1. I am not a seamstress, and # 2. This is not a tutorial. I have just enough knowledge about sewing to get into mischief. For some reason, things always work out in the end. Perhaps it’s because I don’t mind the imperfections and am just pleased to have finished. Either way, it all started with a pair of thrifted jeans.

My long-term goal for May was to polish some final pieces of the website, prepare it for the shop launch, and launch it. Goal accomplished! Thank you to all who visited and checked out the blog, especially those lovely individuals who made a purchase! You all warmed my heart <3

Sometimes, when I sit down at my computer in the morning, I feel like there is too much information and too many ideas, and I begin to feel frozen as to what to do next. Here is how I process, organize, and move past that sensation.

A very good friend of mine pointed out that I have been remiss in not sharing one of the highlights of my journey of seeking joy and spreading kindness over the last few years: Organizing a group litter pick up.

Today, craftraven launches its very own shop! You'll find a selection of things I've worked on while building craftraven. Several stickers were created from the Understanding Through Artwork project. You can find prints of paintings I have done. Two shirt designs were created from my digital tomfoolery, among other items.

Perfection can be boring and sterile; sometimes, it can feel like the artistic equivalent of everything is a shade of beige. Imperfect art, on the other hand? That’s where the magic lives.

Arthur Brooks' writing style is much more digestible than I anticipated from the cover of his book.

Even when it feels like you didn’t accomplish much each day, over the long term, it adds up! It’s the end of the day and the last day of April. I have been considering how to justify my time over the previous 30 days. I’ve been feeling as though I haven’t done enough.

I didn’t have much interest in Leena's previous book, “Bargin Bin Rom-Com,” but “Half Arse Human” sounded right up my alley.

If you're feeling off track, follow these steps to reflect on what led you astray, realign to your goals, and resume on your path.

This month taught me that working 100% of the days in a month isn't the healthiest of goals. It's much better to find a balance.

I have a big “unachievable” goal. I don’t have the means to throw at it and make it happen right now, so let’s call it an aspiration. 

“Build your life around your dreams and watch them come true.”

I would move my parents into their new house if I had to drag them kicking and screaming.

Free yourself from becoming bogged down in negativity, and allow yourself more time and energy for what matters most to you.

January taught me to set more specific goals. I thought I took that lesson to heart for February.

This quote changed my life forever. I didn’t discover it until 2023 when I was in my early 40s.

Organizing your life around your dreams to make them a reality.