Patterns of Writing

I was prompted to look through my blog the other day after someone in a local Facebook group asked for suggestions for local coffee shops. I started writing about different local coffee shops in 2023 when I began working from home. Last year, I learned how to create personalized Google maps, and decided to map out each of the locations I had been to over the past few years. 

Interestingly, the past two years of blog writing have taken on a similar pattern. The only three posts I wrote in 2025 were August 7th, December 27th, and December 31st. The last three posts in 2024 were August 6th, December 9th, and December 31st. I started writing this post in the evening of August 6th. While there likely is no correlation between these dates, I just found the coincidence interesting! Do I just get a sudden urge to write in this blog around this time of year after months of dormancy? I always write an end-of-year blog post, and have also been continuing my monthly (or close to monthly) recaps on social media. 

I haven’t written anything here in 2026, so here’s a quick recap of some creative business-related events and initiatives I’ve been up to since January, beginning with my vision board.

My word of the year is alignment. Over the course of the year, I’ve been leaning into things that feel aligned, whether they are work-related or other opportunities that arise. My vision board is full of butterflies and words that resonate with what I want to call into my life (alignment is at the top right-hand side)! Little did I know back when I made this vision board, that I would later raise monarch caterpillars and witness their entire life cycle throughout the month of July. I’ll save that for another post. 

January

Speaking of vision boards, I was asked to facilitate a vision board workshop for parents at Holy Cross Preschool at the end of January. We each began with a card pull, and I encouraged participants to use their chosen card to inspire their board in some way or another. One of them pulled a card ABOUT vision boards! I started the tradition of creating an annual vision board for myself, which I keep on the wall in my office/studio. I love collaging anyway, and these types of creations have an added layer of intentionality. It usually takes me a few days or a few hours at a time to complete them. 

On my business anniversary, January 4th (3 years since I registered as an LLC), I decided to have a date with myself. I spent the day in Havre de Grace, then ended it with a full moon sound immersion session at R&R Healing Co. Havre de Grace is a beautiful town, full of creativity and inspiration! One of my first stops of the day was The Luckiest Light art gallery. I had been following the page on social media, and was excited to see it in person. The building had studio space towards the front, for artists to work in the windows and tables for workshops, plus art on display along the walls leading to the larger gallery in the back. The main art exhibit at the time was truly breathtaking, painted by local artist Ezra Berger. I recently learned of his passing a few weeks ago. 

February

In February I had the opportunity to present marketing and communications strategies to local nonprofit organizations after getting connected to The Harford Nature Collaborative, a group of nature-based organizations throughout Harford County. Prior to developing the presentation, I created a Google form to gather information about current methods of communication, platforms used, and details about current marketing (what is working well, areas of needed support, and marketing topics to learn more about). 

I attended BELLA Academy’s Kindness Campaign Kickoff at The Screaming Bean, a free community event to spread awareness about the new nonprofit organization. I have since joined their advisory board, and support various initiatives to boost their visibility in the community.

On Presidents’ Day, I held a “Portraits and Parfaits” event for kids. This event was inspired by the Dream and Draw Project, an art initiative founded by 9-year old Ava Griffith. Her mom, Kiera had posted in a local Facebook group about a youth art exhibit at The Luckiest Light. I got this sudden urge to reach out to her and see if she’d be interested in collaborating on a workshop, and to my excitement, she was in! We had just over a month to coordinate and market the event, and the first step was to find a venue. Side note: in my experience, finding an affordable venue to host local events is usually the biggest hurdle in the process. 

After reaching out to a few places with a response, I decided to post in a local Facebook group (specifically in Havre de Grace because that’s where the exhibit would also be held). Shelby Lesert, the owner of a local wellness space, Olivia’s Nutrition & Fitness, was kind enough to let us use her space free of charge. We decided to build in the cost of a smoothie or parfait into the art workshop ticket, which would go to her. Another portion of the proceeds was donated to The Luckiest Light. We had a great turnout at the workshop itself, and artists got to see their work displayed at the exhibit a few weeks later! 

March

After months of planning, I held the first Spring into Wellness Community Fair on March 21st. I had visualized this event back in the fall, shortly after becoming the publisher for Macaroni KID Bel Air. My goal was to create an event that highlighted local businesses and organizations that support the wellbeing of families and children. I was very intentional about who I invited to participate as a vendor, to ensure a variety of industries were represented. This included a mixture of service and product-based businesses, nonprofit organizations, and a variety of activities available for attendees. 

I began the planning process for this event in October 2025, and the initial venue fell through just before the new year. Fortunately, and serendipitously, we found a new venue shortly after. In retrospect, everything worked out as it should have, despite some unexpected setbacks.

Overall, the event was successful and everything ran smoothly. I managed to get a photography sponsor and business sponsor (who also had a table at the event), which helped to offset overall costs. I am now in the very early stages of planning next year’s event! 

April

Bringing it back to the coffee blog, which I haven’t added to in a while… in April I visited two (new to me) coffee shops up in Cecil County. I became the publisher of Macaroni KID Cecil - NE Harford in the new year, and realized I wasn’t as familiar with that area. I took on the site/territory for a few reasons: it had a publisher vacancy, it includes Havre de Grace which has a ton of events that I can also add to my main site, and it gives my clients a wider window to advertise if they choose to do so. 

Anyway, back to the coffee shops: I met a local children’s book author, Tahiya Cooper, for coffee at the beginning of the month. We initially connected on social media through Macaroni KID Cecil, and I was interested in learning more about her books. We decided to meet at Rise ‘N Grind Cafe in Rising Sun. That place is adorable! They have a full menu of coffee drinks, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, and more. There is plenty of seating in the cafe itself, with a separate shared seating area adjacent to it. Street parking is available. 

The following week I met local financial advisor, Paul Applegate, for coffee at Noir Bakery & Coffee Co to learn more about each other’s businesses and discuss ways to support one another. The cafe was nestled in West Street Village, an indoor shopping center in North East. Another cute spot with street parking! They serve a variety of coffee drinks and pastries, in addition to açai bowls and other breakfast items. The seating area was quaint and inviting, and I sat to work for a bit after my meeting.

May

I got updated branding photos done by Ingrid Berrios Photography. Ingrid also did my photos last year, and now that I have my own office/studio, I knew I wanted to capture the space that I spend so much of my time in! Additionally, this time around I intentionally selected local spots where I spend my time outside of my house. While I loved the studio we rented last year, as well as the colorful murals we found around Baltimore, I didn’t feel fully connected to those spaces. I still use both sets of photos for various purposes, including business profile images, social media posts, and on my website.

Mid-month, I joined in at a site visit for the Healing Arts & Music Festival, which will take place on October 2nd & 3rd. We walked around the venue (Friendship Park in Abingdon) to map out the general flow of the event and visualize where certain vendors/activities would be located.

At the end of the month, I attended and participated as a vendor in a few community-based events where I made some great local connections. I’ve grown fond of in-person networking, especially in Harford County. While some groups and events are just not ‘my vibe’, most events and networking communities are supportive and genuinely want to see others succeed. In addition to group networking events, I've also met with several individuals one on one.

June

June marked a milestone birthday! OK, I know, not really business-related… but still important. It seems that turning 40 has led me to shift my perspective about how I view work and having my own business. I seek to connect aspects of my previous work experiences and skills to my current role, and while remaining open to new opportunities. I also allow my work to evolve and I create opportunities where I see a need. Which brings me to July…

July

I had the opportunity to share a similar presentation to the one in February, this time geared towards local professionals in general. I presented marketing and communications strategies to a networking group whose events I’ve been attending for several months. I sent out a Google form ahead of time to gather information that would then be used to customize the presentation to the audience. I was happy to hear that it was well-received, and shortly after, I was asked to do two other presentations on similar topics. At a recent one-to-one meeting I mentioned that I wanted to do more speaking engagements, and sure enough, here I was just a few weeks later making it happen. 

August

It’s still pretty early in the month, but I have several exciting new things planned in upcoming weeks. After writing all of this and looking back on the year so far, I’m realizing that I want to share these longer-format reflections more frequently. Social media is great for shorter snippets, and I have been experimenting with variations of content creation just because it’s fun. I write a weekly e-newsletter for both Macaroni KID Bel Air & Cecil, and I’ve noticed that writing the (semi-short) introduction has become easier/less time consuming as I get more accustomed to the process. My goal now is to build this blog writing into my schedule so it becomes a more natural rhythm as opposed to random surges here and there. Not necessarily every week, because I think that would make it less enjoyable, but perhaps every few weeks or in conjunction with my monthly social media reflections. 

It is now August 8th, the peak of the Lion’s Gate Portal. I’ve come to understand this moment in time as a powerful opportunity for manifestation AND release. I believe that I can create what I want out of life, and with that, I must let go of things that no longer feel aligned. In other words, when I take inventory of my time and energy, I can see where it’s being well-spent and where it’s not. I plan to write more about this in my journal!