From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.

  • There’s some good in the world Mr. Frodo. ⛰️

    Samwise from Lord of the Rings says "There's some good in the world Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."

    Samwise: It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

    Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

    Samwise : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

    This is what I needed this week. I’m sharing in case you needed it too. If you’d like to hear Samwise himself you can watch the scene here.

    We are all going through it.

    So today I’m sharing some resources. First for mental health and then accessible forms of advocacy against the Shadow.

    Last month I listened to the audiobook of You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone struggling even a bit with mental health (and who isn’t?)

    Dan is a YouTuber who experiences chronic depression and social anxiety. He worked with mental health professionals to create a practical guide to supporting your mental health. Dan’s writing style and personal anecdotes make it feel like you’re talking to a friend who gets it. Particularly when listening to the audiobook. (And did I mention he’s British? Love an accent.)

    Black and yellow book cover for You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell.

    You may even find the book (or audiobook) at your local library so be sure to check Libby.

    So many of the tips are simple, but hard to prioritize.

    I enjoyed it so much I think I’ll re-listen to it each winter.

    An embroidery frame holds a cross stitch that reads "I'm Fine". Back cover shows the reverse of embroidery hoop which is a tangled mess of navy blue thread. Text at bottom says March 2025. A Kindle Curiosity Zine.

    Last year I made a zine with self regulation ideas that you may find useful.

    SURVIVAL TIPS FOR UNPRECEDENTED TIMES Make time for things that regulate your nervous system. 1. Go for a walk. 2. Compose a photograph. 3. Write a letter. 4. Blow bubbles. 5. Paint. 6. Plant seeds. 7. Read a book. 8. Breathe slowly. 9. Bake. 10. Curl up in a blanket burrito. 11. Watch the clouds. 12. Hold hands. 13. Dance. 14. Watch a children's 15. Doodle. film. 16. Start a compost heap. 17. Brew a pot of tea. 18. Write a poell. 19. Squeeze clay or dough or putty. 20. Build blocks. 21. Learn something new. 22. Text a friend. 23. Trace your hand. 24. Buy a box of crayons. 25. Go stargazing. 26. Make a collage. 27. Listen to music. 28. Draw a rainbow. 29. Watch a bird or an insect. 30. Take a hot bath.

    You can read the rest here.

    I also have to share this beautiful painting by Amie McNee.

    Hand painted love letter by Amie McNee says, "During tragedy we must make art. Art keeps up human during inhumane moments."

    This is for anyone who feels their creative projects are frivolous or unimportant. Or anyone who is struggling with sharing their art right now.

    Please don’t stop. We need it.

    At the same time, if what you need right now is deep rest and reflection, that is an equally important way to tend your creative ecosystem. And is essential for making art.

    Find Joy

    Another important way to support your mental health is to find sources of joy. I loved this queer twist on this Caemlot inspired romance, Gwen & Art Are Not In Love. It’s a light read, YA romance (no spice), with neurodivergent-coded characters. The author Lex Croucher is queer and nonbinary.

    Gwen & Art Are Not in Love A Novel by Lex Croucher.

    I’m also on the third book in the Seaborn trilogy (queer pirates with magic) which I’m reading with the Livingstans book club.

    Seaborn by Michael Livingston book cover. Blue background with gold details and two pirate ships: one sailing and one flying.

    Fight despair with action.

    We all have different strengths and capacities. I’ve shared before that advocacy action items are often for able bodied and neurotypical people. Here are some ways to get involved if you aren’t able to protest and may struggle with phone calls.

    Or learn about mutual aid. Here’s a recommendation and gifted book from Libro.fm (an indie alternative to Audible that supports local bookshops):

    “We know that books can’t fix everything, but they can help us show up for one another. Mutual Aid by Dean Spade is free on Libro.fm for the next week (until 2/2).”

    Even hobbits can do their bit to turn back the Shadow.

    Flat lay photograph of Bag End watercolor painting by paint palettes

    You’ll hear from me again mid February. I started weekly emails when launching Entwined & Ember and I’m going back to a slower pace for a while.

    Take care,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: There’s some good in the world Mr. Frodo. ⛰️

  • Embracing my Inner Samwise

    Sometimes we so admire the beauty we see in others that we don’t see what’s beautiful about ourselves.

    I’m not talking about physical attributes here, although that happens too… I mean our innate strengths and personality traits. As a fairly analytical person in a creative field this is something I constantly struggle with… like a hobbit wishing to be an elf.

    This week I was planning to blog about reframing adventure, but after listening to the She Percolates podcast about self doubt I decided to write this post first.

    Earlier last year, I had an especially strong wave of this type of self doubt, when I took Sally Hogshead’s Fascinate test. I’d seen her on Marie Forleo and loved the idea that we all have our own secret sauce that fascinates others.

    That is… until I got THE MOST BORING RESULTS EVER.

    I was The Ace.*

    Tireless, Decisive and Goal Oriented.

    Perfect traits for my previous role as a Stage Manager in professional theatre, but decidedly less wondersome for pursing my own creativity as a storyteller, photographer & filmmaker. It made me question the move from organizing other creatives to creating work of my own.

    It happened all over again doing homework for April Bowles-Olin’s blogging class. Asking my friends about my strengths I was similarly disenchanted with the results…

    • Organization
    • Self Motivation
    • Dependability
    • Focus
    • Attention to Detail
    • Patience
    • Loyalty
    • Creativity
    • Kindness

    (One person threw Creativity in there, but it almost felt like I was being tossed a bone.)

    Fast forward several months… I’d continued shoving these feelings of inadequacy down determined to pursue my creative path in spite of them and found myself flying cross country to Creative Live. (Turns out one of my other traits as The Ace is “a relentless pursuit of what you believe in.”) 

    Serendipitously I ended up with Kris with a K as my roomie.

    One evening I confided to Kris that I was disappointed with my interview results. After all, who wants to read an adventure blog by someone who is dependable?

    And then (cause Kris with a K is magic like that) she reframed what I was secretly ashamed of into something I could see value and potential in.

    She said I was Samwise Gamgee.

    Kris spoke directly into to my little geeky heart.

    Now, to be honest, I prefer Gandalf with his mystique and gnarled magical staff.

    I always choose to play a wizard in fantasy games. (Yep, I play Dungeons & Dragons… you got a problem with that?)

    I see now that I wanted to be the wizard in real life too… someone mysterious and alluring. But I’m much more straightforward than than. More hobbit-like.

    "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold it would be a merrier world." Thorin quote from The Lord of the Rings over a photograph of a tree with the sun behind

    So while I wouldn’t have chosen to be Samwise, neither can I dismiss him. I can see his worth.  Without Sam, Frodo never would have made it to Mordor. 

    Even Dean Winchester gives him a pass. †

    I’d be lying if I said I’d immediately fallen in love with all of my dependable qualities, but I’m making a real effort to embrace my inner Samwise. So you might notice a few more hobbit holes around these parts.

    Because I know there’s a strength to being dedicated and organized and hard working. And I never wanted to be the adventurer jumping out of airplanes and visiting every country in the world. I want to help you see the beauty in the ordinary and the adventure in the everyday.

    That is very Samwise of me. He was a gardener after all.

    When I went back and looked at my homework assignment with fresh eyes I saw that my friend had actually said I was wonderfully creative. And another described me as quietly adventurous during our time in Greece. 

    It’s all in how we frame it, and the compliments we allow ourselves to see and accept.

    This week I dug back into my Tolkien books and films to “research”. And I fell in love with this quote (from this scene) in the Fellowship of the Ring film.

    Lord of the Rings quote from Bilbo Baggins, "It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life." over a woodland photograph.

    I love that sentiment.

    Because you don’t need to go mountain climbing to have adventure in your life. There’s so much to celebrate in the simple beauty of the everyday and viewing each new morning as the start of a fresh adventure.

    If you’re feeling self doubt about your own strengths I encourage you to seek out a friend who can help you see them as they do. 

    Let’s muddle through this together and jump in even if we’re feeling doubtful. 

    Because we don’t give up.

    What are your struggles with self doubt? Let’s open up a real dialogue. If anyone comes along and tries to judge you I’ll drub them across the head with my garden shovel.

     

    Cheers,

    Sarah

    * Update 2025: This is kind of funny considering how I now identify as Ace.

    † Dean Winchester quoting Samwise Gamgee in the show Supernatural.

    Dean from Supernatural quotes Samwise while driving the Impala in the rain: Listen, I may not be able to carry the burden that comes with these trials, but I can carry you." Sam says, "You realize you just kinda quoted Lord of the Rings, right?" Dean: "C'mon man, but it's the Rudy hobbit. Rudy hobbit always gets a pass!" Sam laughs. Dean: "Shut up!"
    Read more: Embracing my Inner Samwise