At the beginning of this year I unknowingly began a practice that would change the way I see my life. It started with a photo diary. A simple, daily act of documenting life as it is—without the pressure to perfect, style, or filter the moment.
This is the first time in a long time that I haven’t had an interior design project on my plate. And honestly? It’s forced me to look inward. I’ve been deep in self reflection when it comes to my life and my business, and most recently exploring my personal style.
Who am I as a creative human if I’m not designing spaces? Where else does creativity show up in my life?
Junk journaling hit my Tik Tok algo HARD and I was immediately drawn into the world inspired by the Hobonichi journals I saw where they printed out a picture for each day and added it to a calendar.
SAY LESS.
I started the year with folders of screenshots and a million spread ideas... and while we aren’t technically there yet haha.. I made (and am making) messy moves, embracing imperfection by capturing the mundane, messy and real.
I haven’t actually dipped much into the *junk journalling per say* but I have started with the photo-a-day journalling.. annnd most recently- went so far as to break out paint and paint brushes for my monthly spread.
Allow me to influence you either way:
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Since January 1st, I’ve taken one photo every day, and shared a weekly recap on my Instagram.
The Art of Noticing
It’s wild how much your perspective shifts when you start seeking tiny pockets of joy in your day. And while this isn’t an entirely new concept to me, there’s always a big difference between knowing something in theory and actually experiencing it in practice.
As a mindset coach, I understand the importance of training your Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the powerful filter in your brain that determines what you notice and pay attention to. It’s the Red Car Theory in action.
If you’re in the market for a red car, suddenly, you start seeing red cars everywhere—on the road, in parking lots. It’s not that there are more red cars in the world; rather, your RAS is filtering your perception to highlight what’s relevant to you.
This applies to more than just cars—it affects the way you see opportunities, challenges, emotions, and even self-beliefs. If you’ve ever heard of Lucky Girl Syndrome on TikTok, it’s the same idea. Someone who believes they are lucky starts noticing and experiencing lucky events more frequently, reinforcing their belief. Whatever you believe, your RAS will find evidence to support it.
This works both ways. If you constantly focus on stress, overwhelm, or negativity, your brain will actively filter in more of that, confirming what you expect to see. But the reverse is also true.
If you train your brain to look for joy, gratitude, and opportunity, your RAS will highlight those experiences, making them more visible and abundant in your daily life. Your perception of reality is shaped by what you choose to focus on. And when you intentionally train yourself to notice joy, joy will start finding you everywhere.
(Training your RAS is was one of the main reasons I created my first walking meditation- a 12 minute meditation designed to help you shift into a state of gratitude and self belief. (Free Download!)
This daily photo diary really emphasized the art of noticing.
Even a “bad” day, like a grey and rainy one, suddenly becomes part of the story—adding contrast, texture, a different kind of beauty. Every square on the calendar becomes a miniature celebration of the day. Every square on the grid is a snapshot of time I might have otherwise forgotten.
And the thing is, sharing our lives in little squares isn’t new to us—we’ve been doing it publicly for almost a decade.
But this? This is different.
Instagram is often just a highlight reel—a carefully curated version of reality, meticulously framed to be perceived a certain way. It’s filled with ads, promotions, and polished moments designed to sell.
This is the opposite.
It’s not about aesthetics. It’s not about selling. It’s about raw truth.
It’s about leaning into what is.
And most of all, it’s about celebrating the life you already have.
Letting Go of Perfectionism
Perfectionism has a way of robbing us of joy. It convinces us that things need to be polished before they are worthy of being seen. That a photo needs to be “good enough.” That our homes need to be styled just right before we can have friends over. That we need to be more put together before we can fully show up in the world.
But what if we let go of all that?
This photo diary has been an experiment in embracing imperfection. In showing up exactly as I am. In creating without the need for things to be the most beautiful or the most impressive.
At the end of each month, I flip through my calendar and see something profound—the accumulation of tiny, “unremarkable” moments that add up to a full, vibrant, real life.
The Ripple Effect of Romanticizing Life
Here’s the funny thing: when you start romanticizing your reality, it begins to shape the way you move through the world.
Because I’ve been documenting my days, I’ve also started doing more. I’ve made more time for friends. I’ve gone on more walks. I’ve paid more attention to the details—Ryan’s tiny acts of kindness, like the day before grocery day when he made me some chips and salsa out of tortillas, fleeting moments with Cedar, snuggled on my lap while I type away or dusted in snow as we take break outside. A visual documentation of Ryan and I’s “Snow Day”, when we built Cedar a little snow hill and played outside. So many moments that likely “wouldn’t make the cut” for my Instagram grid, but meant everything to me in my actual life.
This shift even led me to host my first scrapbooking girls’ night last month.
Old me would have literally died before hosting people with “mismatched chairs.”
I placed so much unnecessary pressure on myself to “have a perfectly curated space” because I was a designer- and if my space wasn’t extraordinary well designed, it must mean something about my skillset as a designer. FALSE. Not owning my dream dining chairs means literally nothing about me.
Hosting a scrapbooking night without a perfect plan, the perfect set up, the perfectly matching supplies.. was a rebellion against “perfect.”
It was messy and imperfect. And in a sense that made it fucking perfect.
Romanticizing your life isn’t about making it look better. It’s about seeing it differently.
It’s about shifting from what’s missing to celebrating what’s already there.
It’s about collecting moments, not for an audience, but for you.
I plan to do a little recap at the end of each month with some of my monthly highlights- things I’m watching, reading and generally enjoying.
FEBRUARY FAVOURITES:
JOY CREATIVITY PASSION AND PLAY
COFFEE:
Ryan and I try to go for a weekly coffee date around the city. We managed to make it out to 3 cafes this month:
Gateau Ghost 974 College Street:
My favourite ROOMS coffee shops: Baldwin + Dupont
A TRIP TO MEXICO?
My friend Lauren recently moved to Mexico and her daily sunset on the beach content was definitely striking a chord. (She actually started a substack all about it and I got a shout out one of her first posts!) Ryan and I have been debating a departure from Toronto for SOME TIME NOW and Lauren has been a major expander for making a move. We definitely want to do some travelling and potentially do some short stints living in some other places and Mexico seems to be checking a number of boxes. Sooo, I started by doing what I always do- looking at gorg hotels to try to plot out a trip. Naturally I made Notion template and am using this as a bit of a creative outlet!
DANCING:
I started dancing again! I def want to be more consistent with dancing and practicing because I WILL BE DANCING SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE THIS SUMMER. I’ve been dropping into Rebel’s Shuffle Academy on Thursday nights —but if you’re a beginner who wants to learn the basics of shuffling I highly recommend taking her 6 week Melbourne Shuffle course followed by her 4 week cutting shapes course—she hosts them a couple times a year so I’d follow her page to stay in the loop. Sabrina also has an online shuffle portal if you’d rather start learning at home.
WRITING AND PODCASTING:
THIS has been a MAJOR creative pursuit of mine. I have been LOVING SUBSTACK. I love the way it feels so creative and free. I have been just making messy moves, writing about the things I want to write about and it’s been bringing me a tonne of joy! If you are just catching up now- here are the articles I’ve published so far!
the paradox of identity— & releasing the need for a title
After years of tying my identity to being a designer, I realized that my worth isn’t defined by a title or an Instagram bio. Dropping "design" from my instagram handle wasn’t just a small edit—it was a reflection of a deeper shift. I am enough, just as I am, and so are you.
I voice note dictated five years worth of journals into chat GPT—here's what I learned
I've been journaling for as long as I can remember, using writing as a tool for self-expression, self-discovery, and making sense of my ever-evolving path. That lifelong practice led me to a powerful realization—everything I needed to move forward was already written in my own words, which inspired me to create Make Moves Wrapped: A Life and Biz Audit—a Notion-based system designed to help others mine their own data, identify patterns, and make aligned moves with clarity.
I combined Allison Bornstein's 3 word method with chat GPT to define my personal style
I've spent years trying to define my personal style, often looking outward for inspiration instead of trusting my own instincts. After deep self-reflection (and a little help from AI), I realized that my style—like my life—has gone through distinct eras, each reflecting a deeper transformation. Now, I’m embracing my bold, experimental, edgy aesthetic and refining my style from the inside out.
WATCHING:
Squid Games Season 2 (Thriller Drama): A survival thriller drama centered around a brutal yet thought provoking depiction of a deadly competition where financially struggling individuals risk their lives for a massive cash prize. TBH it was pretty anxiety inducing and ends on a (frustrating) cliff hanger, so I am sure I’ll be back for S3 haha.
SILO Season 2: (Sci-Fi Thriller): In a dystopian future, humanity survives in a massive underground silo, governed by strict rules designed to protect them from the toxic world above. When a rebellious engineer starts questioning the truth behind their existence, she uncovers a web of secrets that challenge everything the survivors have been told. A very interesting show to watch and connects lots of parallels to the real world when it comes to power, information and history.
Severance (Sci-Fi Thriller): I am OBSESSSSSSSED with Severance. It’s a show about working at a mega corporation that requires employees working on a certain floor to undergo a procedure that surgically divides their brain in a way that work and personal memories are separate- creating two separate existences in one human body. (mind blown). So essentially the “work version” of you ONLY EXISTS when you clock into work (so all your memories are ONLY AT WORK- as so, you basically never leave the office).. Not to mention it’s an office underground with no windows. No communication with the outside version of you either. The show follows the employees who want to learn more about the real world and the risks they take to uncover the truth about the company and the unsettling reality of their severed existence. As they begin to question the system and push against the boundaries of their controlled world, the tension builds into a mind-bending mystery that challenges identity, autonomy, and the nature of free will. IT’S SO GOOD WATCH IT.
READING:
The first book I finished this year! I’ve read it in the past but found it while cleaning, and since it’s a short easy read, I picked it up to build some momentum. If you haven’t read it, the core idea is that there are no truly original ideas—artists excel at gathering inspiration from different sources and piecing them together to create something new. I fully believe in this concept and think that the more diverse your sources of inspiration, the more interesting and unique your work becomes. (Anddd I actually made a bold move this year and UNFOLLOWED a bunch of creators I like. It’s not because I don’t like them/or their content- it’s because I don’t want to be influenced by what they are doing and focus on what I am doing).
I’m about halfway through this book right now and I think that the concept is really interesting…(who doesn’t wanna profit?! haha)
The whole idea is that as business owners, we tend to take our profit last—there’s always something to reinvest in, which often leaves us with little to no actual profit, even when our businesses are growing. This book flips that approach, arguing that we should take profit first and structure our expenses as a percentage of our income.
As someone who has literally never taken a profit (lol) because I’m constantly reinvesting in myself and my business, this is hitting hard. I’m ready to actually start making some fcking moneyyyyy.*
As the girl with 6,000+ notes in her iPhone, I picked up this book to find new ways to organize and sort my thoughts and inspiration. It’s based on the Zettelkasten system, which started as an analog method for organizing ideas and has since evolved into digital tools like Obsidian.
At the start of the year, I went all in—tracking everything in Notion. But then, as usual, I hit my first luteal phase and completely fell off anything that required me to be on my computer (lol). So now, I’m circling back to this and figuring out a system that actually works for me.
COMMUNITY:
Community is one of those things that gets talked about a lot online but isn’t always practiced as much in real life as I think it could be.
For me, community is everything—getting face-to-face with people, connecting, bonding, and sharing experiences.
One space where community is really thriving is the Toronto wellness scene—it has so many different sub-sectors and ways to engage.
A community that Ryan and I are deeply immersed in (no pun intended)—and where we actually met—is the cold community. This month, we went to two major events:
Thrive x Zawaldi Farm: Contrast Therapy Event:
We attended the first Thrive event, hosted by our friend Thomas in collaboration with Zawaldi Farm, which focused on mindfulness and contrast therapy. The farm itself was stunning, with a massive modern barn perfect for events. The event featured partner activities centered around defining core values, which felt especially aligned with the launch of my Life + Business Audit—also rooted in core values. Along with sauna and cold plunging, it was a truly grounding experience.
Upcoming Events:
Thrive x Womxn's Untamed: Reclaim Your Power
Saturday, March 8 · 6 - 9pm EST
Ice Club at Black Oak Lodge
We had the privilege of attending the first Ice Club, hosted by Jack Greystone, which was such a special experience. It was our first cabin stay of the year, and we spent a weekend at Black Oak Lodge near South Frontenac with a group of creatives, cold plunging, connecting, and collaborating. The whole premise was to create a space for burnt-out creatives to ‘cool off,’ and it totally delivered. I met so many inspiring people across different industries—Lane Dorsey, a photographer and founder of a leather goods shop; his fiance, Megan, a crazy-talented illustrator; Mikey, the owner of the cabin who’s launching All Day Coffee- a coffee brand where you can choose your caffeine level; Rob Bat- the king of ice himself.. as of today he has done 1,579 consecutive cold plunges, and Kaitlyn, an incredibly talented content creator, writer, host, producer and director of social media for Streets of Toronto. Basically, we spent the weekend hanging out, creating, and soaking in the sauna between cold plunges. I’ll be doing a full breakdown of Ice Club soon, but for now—just know it was pure magic. (And David is hosting another one next weekend that I will also be at- grab tickets!)
Upcoming Events:
Ice Club: Creators Cove ✕ Dimensions
March 14 + 15 2025
WELLNESS:
This month, my wellness routine was a bit all over the place. Ryan has been coaching me on building that top-shelf life, but he caught the flu bug that everyone in Toronto caught so he wasn’t working out. I def was not as motivated without him haha so I switched things up and leaned into ClassPass.
I ended up doing a mix of workouts—some Pilates at Jaybird, a few classes at Sweat and Tonic, and some F45 sessions. I’ve realized I love the balance of gym workouts with group classes. There’s something about the energy of a shared class that really pumps me up (and let’s be honest, I may or may not be a tad little competitive).
Beyond workouts, I prioritized self-care with trips to Othership and Trove. If you haven’t been to Trove, it’s stunning—they offer a variety of treatments, but I always find myself back in the salt cave with the PEMF mat. It’s hands down one of the most relaxing experiences ever. Pure bliss.
Use the code AUTUMN for 11% off 2 week, intro 3 pack, single drop-in, 5, 10, 25, and 50 class packs. Can be used once per person, applicable at the Toronto locations.
And for first timers- here’s a two for one offer!
BIZ:
This month was a big one—I officially launched my Life + Business Notion Template! This was something I spent months tweaking and perfecting, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. It’s a deep dive into your life and business, designed to help you identify energy leaks, make necessary shifts, set better boundaries, and ultimately, create stronger goals.
On the coaching side, I currently have three retainer clients in very different industries—one in makeup, one in interior design and the other in holistic wellness. I love the contrast and the challenge of tailoring strategies to such unique fields.
I’m also gearing up to launch my next round of 1:1 coaching spots—so if you’re a creative looking to make moves, this might be for you.
Thanks for reading/listening!!
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