You're braver than you think
even when you feel the most tender.
The gentle mania of early December is softening into the particular tenderness that I find always comes with the solstice and year’s end.
As we approach the longest night of the year—a time of darkness and quiet reflection—I find myself leaning into both stillness and one of the scariest acts of visibility I’ve ever experienced.
You know how they say our bad habits are hard to break because we’re actually getting something out of them?
Like how biting your nails might drive you crazy, but it secretly soothes your anxiety just enough to keep you doing it.
I’ve long lamented that, to make a living as a writer, I’ve had to sacrifice much of the creativity I once hoped would define my daily work. It’s hard to make money off poems or personal essays—less so from copywriting and content marketing.
But while the money is a real factor, there’s another hidden benefit:
As long as I’m writing for someone else’s vision, I don’t have to put myself out there.
Writing a website for a nonprofit or an email sequence for a naturopath requires no personal vulnerability. I do the work, I get paid, and I move on.
The same can’t be said for this newsletter or my new offering, Muse Club. The vulnerability hangovers I’ve experienced over the past year have swung between elation and completely frying my nervous system.
I’m proud of what I’ve created this year, even though hitting “send” sometimes feels like a sucker punch to the gut as I spiral into wondering what you all will think.
Writing this newsletter and launching Muse Club has pushed me to be more visible than I’ve been in a long time.
This week, I’m feeling particularly tender about it all.
As the solstice approaches, my body just wants to curl in on itself, hide under a blanket, and not come out until 2025.
At the same time, I couldn’t be more proud to share my new project with you. Muse Club has been in the works for months, and at the last second, I decided I couldn’t pass up the chance to launch before the holidays—for anyone looking to give the gift of creative inspiration this year.
I’m so proud of the work I’ve poured into it, and I’m especially thrilled to have collaborated with the incredibly talented artist Katie Friend, who painted an original piece for the first installment of Muse Club. Her paintings are luminous and layered—perfect for setting the tone for everything I hope Muse Club will be.
At the same time, putting your creative work into the world can feel so scary—it’s just so tender.
Something that starts as playful, fun, and just for you becomes a commodity, judged and (hopefully) purchased by others.
It’s easy to tie the value of your work to how many sales it gets, but as I bring Muse Club into the world, I’m working hard to separate my feelings of satisfaction from its commercial success.
Because honestly? I love this project so much.
The journal prompt, the artist date, the art-making prompt, the affirmation, even the monthly theme itself—it’s all so juicy, inspired, and wonderful, and it’s been incredible to see people already snapping up the limited first run.
If you’d like to buy Muse Club for yourself or someone else, you’ve got just 3 DAYS left to do it. Sign up here before 12/20!
From one tender heart to another, I’ll tell you this:
I’ve never believed in a project as much as I believe in Muse Club.
What started as a gift to myself—a way to center joy, play, and creativity each month—has become my humble little gift to the world. Something to spark a sense of experimentation, lightheartedness, and feed your inner well of creative inspiration.
I love it, and I hope you love it as much as I do.
*****
Oh, and one last thing before we get into this week’s Toolbox—
Working on Muse Club has reminded me that we can be braver than we think.
Like me, I’d bet you’ve carried dreams and ideas that could change the way someone sees the world, and you’ve held them close—too close—because stepping into the light feels impossibly raw.
But this world isn’t softened by hiding. It’s softened by the trembling, audacious act of showing up.
Your art, your voice, your presence—they are gifts. They are what turns a long night into something luminous, what brings meaning to the quiet, and what reminds others that they too can take up space and be seen.
You don’t need permission to be here, to share, to try, to fail, to create.
You are already enough.
So if there’s a story you’ve been wanting to tell, a piece of yourself you’ve been aching to share, or an idea you’ve been holding back on—this is your sign.
You are ready.
The world is ready.
And if Muse Club is part of your journey, I hope it helps you discover just how much you have to offer—and how much more joy there is in the offering.
*****
P.S. If you’re not sure whether you’d like to commit to a monthly subscription, I’m also offering Muse Club a La Carte! Buy just the January edition of Muse Club for a couple bucks more, no subscription necessary.
(Also only available to those in the US—if you’re interested in receiving Muse Club but live elsewhere, simply hit reply to this email to get added to the international waitlist.)
Honey’s Toolbox is here to help you refill your creative cup and put your ideas into action—from prompts to spark your imagination to gentle nudges that get you moving. Grab a few tools my friend, it’s time to start tinkering alongside your creative spirit.
1. Dive into ’s workbook to reflect during the solstice
I really look up to Nic as someone who lives their values day-to-day. One great example of this is their Workbooks for the People, which are completely free to download as a gracious act of the gift economy and radical reciprocity.
I particularly recommend using their workbook WHAT’S NEXT?, which is full of thoughtful questions for reflecting on the past and planning for the future, all delivered in the most delightful way. While the phrasing is geared towards quarterly planning, I think it’s also an excellent resource for annual reflection between the solstice and New Year’s Eve.
(Side note: scroll to the bottom of the workbook page for ideas on how to get involved with some radical reciprocity yourself while using the workbook!)
***
2. Discover Palestine through poetry in The Tiny Journalist
This book of poem’s places the poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s Palestinian-American identity at center stage, as she meditates on the story of Janna Jihad Ayyad, the "Youngest Journalist in Palestine," who at age 7 began capturing videos of anti-occupation protests using her mother's smartphone.
Reading The Tiny Journalist this week felt like stepping into a vivid collage of history, resistance, and humanity. The poems weave together the personal and political with striking clarity, inviting you to see through the eyes of a child caught in conflict while reflecting on the universal longing for justice and peace.
***
3. Nourish your spirit with cozy homemade freezer meals
Things get so hectic towards the end of the year that I love having a few easy homemade meals stashed in the fridge or freezer. I find myself especially relying on them in the early days of the new year, as I’m still getting back to normal life after the chaos of the holidays.
Some favorites that freeze well include:
Claire Saffitz’s seedy breakfast muffins. I make lots of swaps here: real eggs instead of flax, walnuts for pumpkin seeds, sometimes butter instead of coconut oil—consider it a rough guide rather than a strict recipe.
Hearty but healthy Greek agvolemono soup. The magic of this soup lies in the creamy lemon and egg mixture you add in at the end. If you’re freezing this, wait until you thaw and heat to do this last step.
Nisha from Rainbowplantlife’s vegan lentil & sweet potato stew. This recipe calls for an Instant Pot but you can make it without one—it’ll just take a bit longer on the stove. So simple and so tasty though!
4. Make your own incense
I recently bought some hand rolled incense at a craft market and became intent on figuring out if it was something I could do myself at home. I love this as a DIY gift idea for the girlies, or as a fun lil craft night to plan with friends.
This site walks you through pretty much everything you need to get started making your own incense, whether you want to source botanicals from your neighborhood or buy materials online.
That’s all for now.
Talk soon,
Katie
P.S. If you scrolled straight through, you may have missed the news that there are only three days left to sign up for the first installment of Muse Club!
Join monthly for just $.795 here (less than the price of a sad desk lunch!) here, or the a la carte version for one payment of $9.95 here ♡
This is such a lovely shout out! Thanks, Katie :)