I’m writing this post from the coziness of my friend’s breakfast nook. I’m cat sitting for her while she travels to Tokyo with her boyfriend. Looking after someone’s space while they’re away is a simple, magical gift. YES I will protect your cave while you go explore the land. It tugs at the deepest roots of our humanity. It’s a powerful reminder that community and kinship are at the core of our survival. 

I wear the trust I’ve earned like a badge of honor. I take quiet thrill in gazing at the small details; the thochke-lined shelves, the vinyl collections, the potted plants. I notice these thoughtfully curated items and I treat them like mini curiosity cabinets peeking into my friends’ souls. I also derive great joy from indulging in a routine that isn’t my own. (Read: popping a bottle of red wine and a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos at 2:00 p.m.) I’m giddily cosplaying Kevin from Home Alone. I’m only a 10-minute city traffic drive from my own abode, but there’s something about a change of scenery that reinvigorates my childlike wonder and sense of tomfoolery. 

While I’m in this frame of mind, I’ll lean into the silliness to see what creativity it might yield. One thing I do know is that I can learn a thing or two from Ophelia, said cat I am bestowed with caretaking. Miss Ophie loves a good tunnel to zoom through and a good pair of socks to steal out of the bottom dresser drawer. Her playfulness is inspiring. It reminds me to take breaks and be silly, too. I’ve poured so much of myself into building this business that I sometimes forget that life is not so serious. That it’s okay to make mistakes and not know what you’re doing. And even when you don’t know what you’re doing, do it with confidence. 

Relishing simple pleasures–like cat sitting–has always been integral to who I am. Putting pen to paper is a simple pleasure, but now it carries immense pressure because I’m making a livelihood out of it. It’s a scary and freeing thing to do. I’m learning how to balance business with pleasure and create space for both in my writing. This is the most sustainable way forward.