Intro Note: Welcome to Freshman Year of Taking Notes

class is in session, syllabus below:

This is Taking Notes, a weekly newsletter for anyone who enjoys peeking behind the scenes of a creative with a restless mind. If you love a list, a moodboard, a bit of inspiration, creative process insights, or just the occasional half-finished thought; you’ve found your homeroom. And btw I’m a student, not the teacher.

I’ve found that life hands out more questions than answers and all too often a test that I definitely forgot to study for. This is where I come to process, collect, and take notes on the school of life: part creative, some curiosity, and a lot of lessons I’m still learning. Grab your coffee, class is about to start and I’ve saved you a seat.

---

What to expect:

Every week a newsletter delivered directly to your desk. Each post will kick off with a note to self, a reflection, quote, lesson learned, etc. These newsletters will focus around a variety of topics under these rotating columns:

Show & Tell

Not your typical show and tell from grade school, this is a moodboard to set the tone for quarter, think of it like the class syllabus to help outline and get inspired for the weeks ahead. I’ll “show” the images that made the board and “tell” a little bit about them. This will always be posted the first week of the new quarter.

Social Studies

A casual research paper on a trend or a creative deep dive into someone or something cool; an artist, idea, or cultural moment worth studying.

Extra Curricular Activities

Think of these as the clubs you might join in school, Right now I’m in “Photography Club” while I learn and grow my small product photography studio. So I’ll be sharing a lot of the self assigned projects while I grow my portfolio up enough to take on paid clients.

You might also see the occasional posts about all the fun side quests that I look forward to, this might include stories from playing at the local tennis club I just joined or the different flowers I’m growing in my garden. This column is fairly open ended.

Field Trip

Sometimes we need to get out and explore. These posts will feature places I’m dreaming about visiting; creative detours, real-world inspiration, and visual documentation from outside the usual desk space. Permission slip granted.

Color Study

A visual exploration of one color at a time. These posts dive into the feelings, meanings, and moods tied to a single hue, with curated palettes, design inspiration, seasonal connections, and a little color theory thrown in.

Lessons in Life

A personal reflection column for all the things you can’t learn in school.
These are real-life takeaways from mistakes, growth moments, patterns, or just quiet realizations. Less preachy, more "here’s what happened and what it taught me."

The Uniform

Style through a seasonal or creative lens. I’ve really been wanting to style outfits with what I have in my closet, here and on YouTube to be honest, so I thought this could be a fun place to start exploring that idea. I am terrible at putting outfits together so this is more for me to get out of my comfort zone.

Lost & Found

Something from the archive; reflecting back on a project, a photo, or an old journal entry from my past self.

R.E.P.O.R.T. Card

A reflection on what I’m reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, trying out. This will always be shared the last week of each quarter.

Extra Credit: the occasional bonus note, think behind-the-scenes moments and a look into my creative and sometimes chaotic process.

Every Monday, paid subscribers will get one newsletter per week and access to study group (aka chat) and free subscribers will get one newsletter per month.

Some posts I’ll be assigning Homework, don’t worry it’s not that serious; something to consider or try.

Class is officially in session, don’t forget to enroll!