mon 11 sep

i’m back with another letter! as you can imagine, it’s been a busy time getting the next round of CC up and running - i’ve been making some updates to the slides and it’s been so satisfying to see those upgrades come together. wait, have i even told you about my new format for teaching?? i don’t think i have!

so i’ve tried a bunch of formats for teaching over the years - my Story Magic Academy videos are a top-down view of my desk and i explain things in voiceover as i make notes and draw diagrams in a sketchbook. in the Story Toolkit Workshop, i did a traditional powerpoint slide deck, using photos to illustrate things.

but in my heart i am a DIAGRAMS person. i’m a super visual learner myself, and often drawing things out visually is what helps me actually design the systems i end up teaching in the first place, as well as getting my points across really clearly. so for CC, that all came together as i created my first ever analogue slide deck.

i started out by sketching out the core concepts on dotted index cards in pencil, inking them over when i was happy with them. i could shuffle the cards around to change the order, and easily add in extra cards with more points or tangents wherever i needed to. being able to work on pen and paper and physically shuffle the cards around or lay them out is so much more satisfying to me than working digitally. it made putting it all together really tactile which itches my brain just right.

and then once i had my complete analogue slide deck, i used my trusty Scannable app to scan each card and stick them on photo backgrounds in Keynote (the apple version of Powerpoint).

i’ve been updating a few of the cards/slides for this next live class and it’s reminded me how much i freakin love working this way. analogue forever!!

if you ever need to put together presentations for work or anything else, i really recommend trying the index card method out. even if you end up making the final slides digitally, it can be a really nice way to figure out how you want to structure things, what slides you need to include and what order they should go in.
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(also my favourite dotted index cards are from WHSmith here in the UK, just fyi.)

✦ the channel

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​✺ Q&A with a creative witch​

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✦ the almanac

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EARLY AUTUMN / N. hemisphere

🌰 foraging, bramble, apple, elderberry, conkers

🍎 back to school, fresher’s week, fresh stationary & a new academic year

🍂 leaves begin to turn, temperature cools, sweater weather

🌓 WANING MOON / winding down, completion, releasing

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✦ the work

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once a month i add an article or resource to this library exclusive to my patrons. if you’re not already a patron and want in, you can join for a few dollars a month.

i’ve been obsessed with this food-prep system for months now and i’m SO happy i finally managed to put together a Periodical article about it 🥳 this month i’m sharing the Magic Salad system - the method i’ve used to easily add way more fresh veg into my diet, waste less and enjoy my meals more.

i would love to hear how it goes if you try it yourself, or if you have your own methods!

​📓🥬 the recipe that changed my relationship with food | part 1​

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✦ is Constellation Clarity right for you?

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CC is open for a little longer 🥳 i know it’s a chunky investment, so if you’re not sure if it’s the right fit, hopefully i can help clear that up. here are some questions you might have, and my answers.

i already use the six domains, why do i need this?

you might have picked up some of the basics from my videos or quickstart guide, but the domains (aka the Garden) are only half the picture! the Cultivators are a game-changer, and the Dashboard brings all that theory into a practical, analogue method. everything else i’ve shared so far has just been a taster.

what if i don’t bullet journal?

you can still use this system, but you may need to tweak it slightly. you can make your dashboard on paper instead of inside a journal. however, based on teaching previous students i’ve found that people who already have some kind of paper-planner practice or habit are able to incorporate the system much more easily. if you aren’t willing to commit to regularly using a paper planner (like a bullet journal, diary, filofax etc) this probably isn’t the system for you.

i’m neurodivergent - will this work for me?

you’ll definitely get something out of it! i’ve tested this with both neurotypical and neurodivergent folks and they’ve both found it helpful.the thing with ADHD is that it’s almost a scaling-up of problems that everyone deals with from time-to-time: forgetfulness, boredom, executive dysfunction, resistance, lack of motivation etc. which means that a lot of tools which are essential for someone with ADHD end up being beneficial for all sorts of people. you may not need or depend on them as much as someone with ADHD, but they can still streamline things massively.

what if i’m too exhausted to implement something new?

there’s no quick fix for being chronically overburdened or burned out. i am absolutely not claiming that CC can unilaterally solve that for you. much of the time it’s a result of systemic issues, not something you can easily fix as an individual. (quick aside: if this is coming from domestic or caregiving labour, i recommend checking out this, and if paid work is the culprit, please for the love of god unionise.) however, if you really struggle to prioritise rest and replenishment even when you do have pockets of free time*,* Constellation Clarity may help to start reframe that for you and provide a structure for more self-compassion and going at a slower pace where possible.

what if my handwriting isn’t pretty?

that’s fine! this is a functional system, you can make aesthetic embellishments if you want but it’s much more important that it works for you.as long as you can write legibly, you’re good. and if you have to write a little slower for your handwriting to be legible, that’s okay, because you only write things once. however, this is geared specifically to people who like working with paper and pen - if you only use digital or hate the idea of working on pen and paper, this isn’t for you.

i don’t work for myself or have a lot of free time, will this work for me?

that’s okay! i’ve tried to design this to be used as much or as little as you need - unlike a pre-printed planner where you have to skip a bunch of blank pages if you fall away from it for a while. whatever amount of flexible or “free” time you have, you can apply this rubric. also if your schedule is packed to bursting with projects and committments, the system aims to help you pare that down to something more manageable.

time is short, but if you have any other pressing questions, please hit reply to this email and we’ll do our best to answer them!

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💫 Join Constellation Clarity

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✦ the finds

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⏀ recently i’ve been voraciously watching Natasha Océane’s entire youtube channel. i’ve pretty much always been really skeptical of health/fitness/nutrition influencers, but Natasha’s work is so scientifically grounded and so compassionate: she’s out here doing the Gods’ work.

i love how she focuses on slow progress, sustainability and avoiding strict rules which stop you from enjoying life. her comments sections are also incredibly heartwarming - so many people credit her work with helping them unlearn disordered eating habits and be more gentle with themselves. her video on what intuitive eating is and who it’s right for is a great place to start if that sounds interesting.

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okay, that's it for now.

take care,