#131 Things to share over coffee

October 2024

Hello friend,

I can’t believe it’s already the end of October. There are only a couple of months left of the year, which for me means finishing off some planning, seeing what I can fit into the last two months of the year, and thinking about next year.

This month, I’ve been spending most of my time teaching ESL in private lessons in my little Sicilian town, which is kind of weird. Strange in the sense that I’ve been doing English tutoring for a while but never have had so much demand as I’ve had this year. So I thought, why not jump in and do it while the enthusiasm is there (mine and the students, too)?

It’s been good to get into a routine with work, housekeeping, and writing. The thought of having to prepare for my students has kept me motivated and moving. My organisational skills have been put to full use, and I’m enjoying it. My students are pretty fun. Italian kids are always so boisterous, and even when there is an eternally bored teenager in the mix, it is always a unique challenge. 

Regarding this newsletter, I thought I’d write a more casual catch-up post like this one towards the end of each month and keep it as a regular free post for free subscribers so we can keep in touch.

So, if you want to access all of my weekly posts and my new podcast project, you need to update to a paid subscription.

Well, for now, let’s move on to some of my recommendations for this month. 

Here are some things to talk about and share over coffee or whatever your preferred beverage may be.

This month, I’ve been trying to eliminate distractions and subscriptions I don’t need, which caused me to cancel my Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions. Of course, as soon as I did this, many new things came out on all different platforms. But I’m sticking to my guns and avoiding the temptation to watch Netflix and chill a little too often. I might consider subscribing again in the new year and binge-watching everything I want to see a month later.

So, I’ve been mainly watching on YouTube. I’ve been reminded of how many great YouTubers there are, and I've been happy to revisit some of my favourite creators online.

I’m happy to see one of my all-time favourite online characters, Elyse Myers, posting regular videos on YouTube again. I was totally addicted to her podcast, Funny Cuz It’s True, which is currently on a break since Elyse has just had her second child. 

I originally discovered her through TikTok, which was a perfect platform for her quirky way of telling stories about her everyday life and experiences. 

She is probably one of the most unapologetically genuine people I have ever seen online. She’s open about expressing her mental health struggles, and she does so with such wonderful humour and inclusivity. Often, her videos make you feel like you are spending time with one of your friends. There is a genuine feel-good quality to her videos, which makes you literally fall in love with her.

Even though I’ve gotten rid of my on-demand online video services for now, I have allowed myself to have a paid subscription to Spotify for the first time in my life. I was a subscriber to Apple Music, but I have been increasingly unsatisfied with the whole way the app works and its inability to allow sharing of playlists, etc.

It’s been great having all of my podcasts, audiobooks, and music together in one place. I have gotten into the habit of listening to several playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks during my regular morning exercise routine. 

I’ve never been able to make time to listen to audiobooks during the day, but I have gone out and bought myself a portable speaker and now have something on in the background most of the day. It’s a great way of relaxing the general atmosphere of your home.

Catching up on a podcast is like catching up with friends, and I’m really enjoying hearing my books as well, so it’s not all about entertainment but also getting some learning in.

This week, I started listening to So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin by Steve Martin and Adam Gopnik. It is a biography of the positively legendary Steve Martin and his ability to be creatively successful across several different genres and over many decades. 

Each chapter is a conversation between Steve and his closest friend Adam, where they talk about Steve's experiences and how they have shaped Martin’s creative career. It's totally fascinating to hear about.

Since I’ve been trying to establish my own productive, sustainable, and positive route this month, I’ve been reading the perfect book to help me with my insecurities and unrealistic expectations. It’s easy to get burnt out while setting unrealistic goals for yourself, but I’ve found the best book to put everything into a realistic perspective.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey is about how famous writers, composers, painters, choreographers, playwrights, poets, philosophers, sculptors, filmmakers, and scientists made time to create and avoided creating their creations.

It’s an impressive book of creative biographies and insights into how some of the world's most famous creatives found their creative flow. Some are pretty strange, others extreme and most idiosyncratic. 

The best takeaway from the book is that there is no one way to be productive and creative. It’s all about finding your own personal routine, which encourages persistence over the long term and dedication to your art. 

The hard slog is sticking to that routine, eventually leading you to complete your creation, whatever that may be.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I’ve been planning a podcast and learning all about it.

Those who have been reading this newsletter for a bit would already know that I completed an online course through AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School). They have some wonderful online short courses on everything from podcasting to screenwriting and other media-based topics. They are great ways to explore new areas you may be curious about. 

I highly recommend the Broadcasting and Podcasting course. It’s gotten me really excited and motivated to start my own podcast. I even recorded a little teaser. The concept has changed a little, and I’m still working through some major stage fright. But we’ll get there!!

Here is my first draft for my podcast teaser. I need to change a few things, but I’m happy to share it with you so you can get as excited as I am about it! I’ll let you know when it goes live.

This month, I stumbled upon the work of Canadian academic and poet Anne Carson after listening to her interview with her, produced by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. Definitely go over and see the video of this rare interview, Writer Anne Carson: Life is not Fair, on the Louisiana Channel on Youtube.

After the interview, I purchased a copy of Plainwater, a collection of her essays and poetry, which I love. Her perspective, point of view, and voice are so unique. She is always offering something new and fresh to consider, which I love. She is also one of the most quotable people around. 

I particularly love this observation about creativity and writing:

‘Noticing small things makes a difference. Witnessing things out of the normal and what is unexpected. Attention to details leads you somewhere truer than simple generalizing.’ - Anne Carson

I hope you’ve had a good month. If you are a free subscriber, I’ll speak to you next month and hopefully have some more interesting things to share with you.

Until then, keep being curious, ask the uncomfortable question of why and feed your mind with plenty of interesting things to  watch, read and learn about. Because that’s what life is meant for, isn’t it?

This is all I have on my mind for now.

I’ll be back soon with more stories and reflections. 

Take care of yourself, and thanks for letting me share what’s on my mind.

Regards from

Rochelle

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always about lightning, the mental load, and sharing my thoughts.

I hope you enjoy the randomness of A Load Off My Mind. 

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