Mind Garden

Mind Garden [mind gahr-dn]: Thoughts, things, art, challenges, and feelings to be curious about, dwell on, discover, and explore.

Apr 07, 2025

Creating a Mind Garden 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

Mind Garden [mind gahr-dn]: Thoughts, things, art, challenges, and feelings to be curious about, dwell on, discover, and explore.

𖡼.⚘

Welcome to a garden of ideas, just for you. I’m writing this because I think it’s important. I’m turning it into a series because I think it’s necessary. Do not be fooled by my colorful designs, this is serious!

With so many voices asking for your time, your attention, your eyes, your focus — I’ve been thinking of a written series that encourages you to take control and choose what you’d like to consume.

A few standards I’ve put in place:

1. Nothing is inherently expensive, I tried to put together mostly free things with a few suggestions for book purchases, ingredients, etc.

2. Everything has a bend toward joy.

3. Everything on the list is whimsical and hopeful if you can allow yourself to be too :)

A little heartfelt back story:

A few weeks ago I met a group of girls at a coffee shop/flower shop (thank you, New York) and settled in with a hot chai latte. As the conversation evolved and became more vulnerable we began confessing things to each other. And for the first time, some deep truth I knew about myself spilled out in the safe place these women created for me. I can’t stop looking at my phone and I’m mad about it. I work hard at content creation and design, so I fool myself into thinking that mindless scrolling is me doing work. But it’s diminishing my creativity. I see so many other illustrators, designers, and cool girls online that my ambition gets stunted because I fear everything I could contribute has already been done. I tell myself I have nothing new to bring to the table, and stay in the loop of watching others create rather than make my own work I believe in. I hate that Instagram gets a precious morning hour from me. I hate that it is so comfortable to scroll after I’m tired from the day — that it has replaced my own practices of writing, drawing, reading, and making things with my hands.

I am at the point where I want desperately to get back to creating instead of consuming. My ratios need fixing!

The girls could relate in frustration. We all navigate the digital social spaces for life & work and know they will always be a part of the day — but why does it get so much of my day? I see it’s stealing creativity — so I am ready to make a change and not an excuse.

After sharing it out loud with friends, it felt very real. I felt determined to change the bad habit (which is often the effect of sharing things out loud, which is why we should consistently share our hearts with safe people).

I downloaded the Opal app and set parameters and guides for myself — and lo and behold, my screen time dropped drastically. (They give you little gems when you reach your goals, and as a former gold-star sticker collector, that’s apparently all I needed for motivation lol). I started writing more and reading more. It’s a very new work in progress, but I’m determined to reclaim the creative hours of my day.

Further, with four years in middle & high school classes, I have seen the damage excessive online time does to kids. For young people right now, it is like waging war for their attention (and hearts). It is constant, and it was designed to be. They are constantly checking Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. Snapchat is essentially letting them see what everyone they know is doing at every single minute. It is not how humans were designed to be — especially kids. The example we set for them in how we interact with our own phones has to be different. I feel called to provide a different example.

⋆˚✿˖°

There is a rich life for you. You don’t necessarily have to banish your screens or get a flip phone and never check on your friends’ Instagrams again. I think you just have to practice a lot of self-control, knowing the apps were designed to consume all your time and money. You have to be stubborn, I think. Watch all your friends pick up their phones while you wait for the meal to arrive at your table — but refuse to pick up your phone. We must be radically present, which will come with practice.

Spending time on things that are panicked, rushed, negative, and unrealistically aspirational can create in us hearts that are panicked, rushed, negative, and defeated. We feel this when it happens.

I’ve curated a list of subjects, artists, and things that are pure, lovely, true, hopeful, and attainable.

We must be more mindful of what we are letting grow in the garden of our minds. 𖥧

There are rich things to create and consume that will leave you feeling lighter instead of heavier. Here is a list of them:

P.S. Think of this like a sample board — I’m bringing you brief ideas, you can choose what to deep dive and make it your own!

P.S. again: My heart is with middle/high schoolers always — so if you have any in your life, I hope you can love them well and invite them into a rich practice of consuming and creating outside of the social media space.

Spring Seeds for your Mind Garden: 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

Library archives - discover the history of your favorite area: Visit your local library and discover their archive section. Ask for some help from a librarian or section historian to find archives about the street you live on, your favorite place in your city, etc. Spend time learning & understanding what your neighborhood was up to long before you moved there. You will likely find some interesting history that could help determine how you decorate your space and give some inspiration to pay homage to your city. You’ll also likely end up with a little more empathy for your area, even if you don’t love where you live right now.
Explore the Symbolism of Cherry Blossoms in Art + Culture: Cherry blossom season is here! Spend some time pursuing The Met’s vast collection of works focused on the blossoms, and see what you discover.
Deep Dive into the Newport Mansions: Are you itching for an East Coast summer? Or maybe just some design inspiration for a coastal update to your home? The houses have wild histories, and they all look like they are from Clue. Learn the history of the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island, and maybe one day go visit?!
Learn to make really good tea: If you are not a tea drinker, it’s time to be. A morning cup of tea and a nighttime cup of tea are joys you can purposefully place in your day. I have lots of tips and tricks for making delicious loose-leaf tea, and can produce a comprehensive guide, if you would like! (Let me know what you’d like to learn about tea in the comments, and I will include it!)
Learn about the Villages: The Florida lore of the widely popular retirement neighborhood “The Villages” is vast, intimidating, and quirky. This documentary follows the stories of those who live there and it is captivating, heart-warming, and also very quirky. Here’s the trailer to grip you.
Study Japanese Ikigai: Learn about the Japanese philosophy that focuses on finding purpose in practical ways. There are many resources out there, but here is a summary of the philosophy.
Learning a New Skill: Replace one thing you pay someone to do by learning to do it yourself! It is so rewarding. When we got the first dog grooming bill from New York, I nearly cried. It was over double the cost of getting Genevieve’s haircut in Florida. So I did a lot of research, watched a bunch of dog groomers on Youtube, found all the grooming tools on Amazon, and started cutting her hair myself! It is not perfect (I’m sorry, Genevieve), but every time I cut it I get a little better!
Create a Home Menu: Every week when I make a grocery plan, I write it out as a menu too. I am on a mission to make my kitchen my favorite restaurant, learning new cooking techniques and flavors. It’s been a creative experiment that also helps me navigate my food sensitivities. Here’s mine for this week:
Learning to make sailor knots: Time to get nautical. Grab some rope. Learn the ropes. Wow someone on a boat one day.
Seasonal floral study: Make a comprehensive list, with photos (drawn or photographed) of what grows in your region during spring.
Commonplace Book: If you are an avid journaler or writer, try starting a Commonplace Book! It’s a great way to catalog inspiration outside of using your devices.
Explore Leah Gardner’s art: I really love Leah Gardner’s colorful, joyful scenes of everyday life. Spend some time looking at her work and letting it inspire/challenge you to see life through a more colorful lens.