How to Have a Whimsical Summer

A creative guide to making the most of the season, advice about big dreams and time management, and a list of movies that feel so summer.

This post is inspired by a t-shirt! I designed a t-shirt with my favorite indie clothing brand! I met the Things Between crew last fall in New York at their pop-up. I had a collection of bright colored sweaters from them and just really loved the styles they curate and create — light, joyful, and happy clothing (just my speed)! In my first winter in the city, their lounge pants and sweaters kept me warm at home as the snow fell outside. A Floridian, stranded in the greyest winter I’ve ever experienced, I would button up a bubblegum pink cardigan as some sort of armor against the color-less-ness world outside.

They figured out I was really obsessed with them and graciously proposed a design collaboration. For months, we shared ideas, and I sent drafts until we landed on a super whimsical and joyful design that was bursting with color. The concept was simple: a cropped tee full of tiny happy things, just in time for summer. Last week, we launched a super limited run of the t-shirt! The front has a simple little Magic 8-ball, and the back is full of COLOR!

you can use the code JENNAISFEELING15 to get 15% off the shirt and anything else on their site that catches your fancy!

Prior to this collaboration, I had hidden my design work for a while, sliding it comfortably in the backseat after a series of unfortunate events. This was not only a dream come true off my design bucket list, but also felt like a bold move forward in believing in myself and reclaiming creativity that had been shrouded in fear for a few years. (I say bold, but last week I did hide under the sheets and had the “what if not one person likes it or buys it” panic, of course). I’m hoping the limited run of printed shirts make their way across the world and becomes the official “Summer of Whimsy” uniform for all who need an extra boost of joy.

Inspired by the shirt, I’ve made a companion list of simple ideas to make summer a little lighter. I was heavily inspired by the American Girl Magazine from July 2007 while writing this.

1. Make a list of things you want to do during the summer season (not things you want to accomplish, just things you want to enjoy) and hang it somewhere you can see it. Cross them off as you go! Your ideas could be as homey like trying a new recipe, painting your walls, hosting a themed dinner party, or re-inventing your closet. Or they could be a little more out-of-the-house, focusing on new flavors and favorite local experiences, too. Here are some ideas to get you started:

   jennaisfeeling

   

   A post shared by @jennaisfeeling

2. Start a mini just-for-summer journal/scrapbook. If you don’t have a printer or time to cut and paste, you can do it digitally (I like the app Notability) and leave small notes about what you were doing and enjoyed. Here is a brief template for a daily scrapbook page, if you wanted to make progress on it as a daily practice (I recommend before bed):

   1. The date

   2. A brief summary or topic or theme of the day, your title (there’s a power in naming your day - it can be a great re-frame)

   3. Include some photos

   4. List any locations or things you ate, drank, listened to, or you enjoyed specifically

   5. Write in any funny quotes from friends/family

   6. Write in any serious quotes from a newly discovered song or book you are reading

   7. If you want - document a moment that was challenging (you’ll see how you grew from it later)

   8. Write 3 things you were really glad happened

   

3. Learn to make your favorite latte at home. Cease your grieving over the $9 matcha charges and make your own! You CAN get it to be as yummy as the ones you like to order with some practice. You could invest in some upfront syrups (or homemade ones) and even make your own seasonal menu. Sharing a few things that jump-started my home café set up that I am enjoying:

   1. A high-quality espresso machine: Two Christmases ago, Connor and I did not get each other a gift; we got the home espresso machine. We say it’s the best thing we've ever purchased for our house. The return on investment is triple-fold. We were uncontrollable fiends for the coffee shop down the street — and I get oat milk (my digestive system earns me an extra $.75 every time I want a drink) so I’m always landing at a $7-$9 drink. Having experience as a coffee roaster, Connor did the crazy research part of finding the best machine out there and landed on this Breville. It has a touch screen, so I don’t have to dial in or do crazy barista things (I did used to rock a coffee trailer in my hometown during college summers though, don’t get it confused). I just press a button. I’ve also been able to host so many friends for “home café days” and be generous with delicious café-level coffees.

   2. Great matcha: If you are a matcha drinker, having a quality matcha at home makes al the difference and gets you to your favorite coffee shop’s level! I use Dona’s ceremonial matcha and it is both delicious and the perfect shade of green. (P.S. Would you ever want a Feeling matcha guide? I think I’m ready to unleash the old recipes from the tea bar I used to own! Let me know if that would be helpful!)

   3. Delicious syrups: Spice up your drinks with some fun seasonal flavors! I add a scooch of strawberry to my matcha, and I float around the apartment after. Here are a few recipes you can make at home: banana bread syrup, Earl Grey syrup, blueberry syrup, and strawberry syrup. If you want to buy a unique syrup without the hassle of making it, I reccomend the brand Transcendence Coffee! I have never tried flavors so naturally delicious. I am a huge fan of their vanilla bean (it doesn’t taste like that nasty artificial vanilla flavor, it tastes like an actual vanilla bean) and the Indian Gulab Jamun, which is a cardamom-forward almost-cookie taste! Use your syrups to develop a seasonal menu, just like your favorite coffee shop!

   

4. Go outside at sunset. Sun is setting? Urgently get outside! Flee the scene! Wherever you may be geographically, try to get outside and watch the sunset. On your street, near some water, in the roof, in the park. Ask someone to go with you.

   

5. Become a collector. Choose something to collect this summer and lean into it - maybe it’s Polaroid photos, seashells, coasters, stickers, matchboxes, souvenirs of the season. I used to collect stamped pennies, and it was a monumental summer activity for me as a child — I challenge you to bring that sense of the “hunt” or discovery back to your season!

   

6. Get into board games (or card games): Nertz is my favorite. Here are some other card games for late nights on a family trip:

   1. Hand and Foot

   2. Trash

   3. Left, Right, Center

   4. Up and Down the River

   

   my favorite playing cards, for obvious reasons

7. Remember things you forgot in school: Refresh yourself from social media with some fun learning moments. (I highly reccomend playing Geoguesser at your next dinner party! Here are some resources:

   1. Brilliant – Visual, interactive lessons in math, science, and logic that feel like puzzles.

   2. Atlas Obscura – A strange and wonderful guide to hidden places, history, and weird facts.

   3. Word of the Day by Merriam-Webster – Expand your vocabulary one quirky word at a time.

   4. DailyArt – A painting and short story from art history delivered to your screen every day. (You can put it as a little widget on your home screen, like a rotating gallery!)

   5. GeoGuessr – Get dropped somewhere on Earth and use clues to guess where you are.

   6. The Wiki Game – Race from one Wikipedia page to another using links only.

8. Host a movie night: Pop popcorn, fluff some blankets in the dryer so they are warm and cozy, and have a few friends join in for a movie night! Here is a list of movies that feel like summer:

   

   1. Before Sunrise: My favorite romance movie that feels like a long conversation between lovers exploring Europe. Light-hearted and engaging, but easy to watch.

      

   2. Little Miss Sunshine: A family story that showcases how moments of childhood can somehow prevail through horrible adult decisions. Makes me both laugh and cry, and the costuming and visuals are inspirational. It definitely has darker themes and language, so watch with that in mind.

      

   3. The Outsiders: Brotherhood, hope, and Sodapop Curtis. An oldie you may not have revisited since English class, but definitely should.

      

   4. Lars & The Real Girl: Indie young Ryan Gosling in a story that will startle you and then absolutely warm your heart. It is one of my favorite films of all time.

      

   5. Some Kind of Heaven: A documentary about the elusive Villages in Florida. I’ve driven through them many times, and this documentary was a visual stunner and window into the world of the senior citizen city.

      

   6. The Parent Trap: Just a reminder you can watch this anytime you want to! Pairs best with peanut butter and oreos.

      

   7. Big Eyes: A thriller! But not a super scary one! Like a dramatic thriller about art, theft, and liars. With an incredible midcentury house (and pool).

      

   8. The Graduate: The visual style and compositions of this film speak to me so loud. It is a classic, dare I say a summer classic. Messy

      

   9. Walk the Line: June Carter and Johnny Cash meet, and the rest is history. A musical with tragedy and enduring love, just perfect.

      

9. Go to the park and eat a hot dog: I can attest that this practice made me smile very big.

10. Start a Supper Club, Breakfast Club, or Book Club: Create a summer dinner party series with friends where you take turns hosting. You can cook through a cookbook together, or choose a series to watch together over desserts. Here is a guide filled with theme and party ideas. And here are a few more ideas:

    1. TV Dinners: Pick a TV show or movie series you will watch together and have everyone bring a dish to share! You could take turns assigning a main course, side, dessert, etc.

    2. Cookbook Club: Choose a cookbook and have everyone pick a dish to bring! Don’t forget to-go boxes so you can all take some home too.

    3. Breakfast Club: Pick a day of the week, and rotate locations of breakfast spots in your town. Diners preferred.

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Some final ideas for your Summer of Whimsy (in no particular order):

• Learn to play pool

• Write a handwritten letter to someone every week

• Start wearing more colors

• Make your own jewelry

• Make playlists for certain commutes

• Give yourself a really ambitious manicure

• Make cookies for your neighbors

• Create a piece of art for your walls

• Do a puzzle, casually

• Develop a journal that you write in every morning

• Redo your home fragrances and make a signature scent (like a hotel!)

• Buy a used digital camera and take photos of your friends and family

• Host a tea party

• Collect some seashells and paint them or turn them into jewelry

• Make a reading list (like elementary schools used to give us) and knock out the list with your friends

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Hi Jenna, I love reading your substack writings and am almost done with “On Dreaming Big” and I just wanted to send you an email about the advice column, I have always been a very creative person growing up however over the years I have become so busy I feel like I barely have any time to work on what I really love. Like you I want to become a writer of some sort or be able to sell my art one day, I guess my question to you is if you had any advice on how I could find that passion again with a busy schedule and somehow make a living off of one day. I would love to hear your thoughts. And also, I sometimes wonder if it is better to put that creative side on hold while I get my finances in order or try to pursue my creative goals while doing so, please let me know your thoughts. Hope you are having a good day whenever you get to reading this and please continue to pursue your dreams and open up another shop.

Dear Reader,

You are the very first person to write in for Dear Jenna, and I was eager and excited to receive your email. I get to participate in the long-loved magazine tradition of answering reader questions — thank you for making Feeling! Magazine come to life in a new way. And your kindness came through so clearly, so thank you for that, too.

I understand your predicament deeply and personally. Feeling like you barely have time to do the thing you love most is a horrible feeling. The good news is that, although less glamorous and often not very fun, time management is creative. And you are creative, so this is possible.

Juggling passions, jobs, and dreams requires constant revisioning and creative discipline. The act of figuring out how to balance it all is an act of creativity in itself.

I’ve been self-employed full time. I’ve been employed full time. Right now, I’m doing both, and I’m often tired, overwhelmed, and juggling many different tabs. It’s hard and good. But I’m deeply passionate about writing this Substack and doing design work, so even when I’m tired, I often find myself wanting to do it. Sometimes I stay up late for it. It fuels a quiet joy I can’t explain. It just feels absolutely necessary.

For a creative person, desire is essential. You have to really long for the work you want to make in order to sustain the chaos of rent, day jobs, and invoices. And I’ve learned the difference between loving the idea of a creative pursuit and actually loving the work itself. Some projects sounded great in theory, but I didn’t actually enjoy doing them, and they fizzled out.

So I’d start by gently checking in with your desire: What kind of creative work do you miss the most? What form feels like a relief to your body and brain? Even when it’s hard or imperfect, what feels like home? For me, that’s writing and designing. For you, it might be painting or storytelling or something you haven’t fully named yet. The clarity of what you want will help you protect and prioritize your creativity.

And protection is the right word. Because creativity can be choked by panic. When we demand that it immediately pay our bills, it starts to feel like pressure instead of play. And it shuts down. So I think it’s totally okay to let a steady job carry the weight of your finances while you slowly, quietly build the life you’re dreaming of. That’s not giving up — that’s a strategy and an investment. Your recoginzing you will have a “pinch” season of extra long hours and limited time, but the result will be worth it.

There will be seasons where it’s time to take a risk and leap boldly. But there will also be long, small seasons of working with what you have. So if you’re living in the “in-between” right now, longing to spend more time on creative work but still needing your full-time job, I want to share a few practices that have helped me:

• Use early mornings or late evenings to clock in to your dreams. Even a few hours a week of protected creative time can spark momentum. Make it really cozy and exciting for yourself. I used to use homework after hours to learn digital illustration, but I always did it in my dorm bunk while watching cozy movies. The combination of working on a skill and relaxing was so helpful.

• Create on weekends when you’re less tethered to emails. Could you take yourself on a little creative date, just you, your ideas, and a few quiet hours? Again, make it really fun for yourself to engage in. Protect that time.

• Make task organization a creative act. I use a notebook to brain-dump ideas and to-do’s each day. Even my Notion pages are full of color and scribbles. Keep your creativity near, even in the logistical parts.

I’m so grateful you wrote.

You’re already an artist, truly. Your desire proves it. Your question proves it. You don’t have to earn that identity!

Stay close to your creative self, and protect it! I’ll be cheering you on from my own crowded desk, working late and dreaming big too.

With so much hope,
Jenna

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See y’all FRIDAY with a bunch of Americana diner recipes for July 4th and a new Youtube video! Don’t forget to grab your summer uniform before they are gone forever! XO

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MORE INBOX CANDY:

Sources:

• Twinings Tea Company archives

• The Story of Tea by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

• Smithsonian Magazine: “The Curious History of Earl Grey Tea” (2012)

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