“Be careful, be confident”
Spellcasting into the year ahead
One of my favorite social media accounts is “Cooking for Levi” on Instagram, which started out as a series of videos where a father makes food for his adventurous two year old eater to try. Now three, Levi often cooks with his father, discovering the joys, challenges, and aromatic and tasty moments that cooking and eating with your loved ones can provide.
He’s a cute and insightful kid, who is mostly optimistic and generous. Dad provides just enough guidance and structure to allow for curious play. It’s obvious they love this project and each other.
I don’t generally follow accounts where young children are the stars primarily because I am at odds with parents who willingly exploit their kids for views and the potential paycheck that comes from being a viral account. But the vibe is different with Levi and Dad and I hope it stays that way for a good long time.
They were recently making salted caramel cupcakes, and Levi was scooping the batter into the cupcake wells of the baking pan. He held the ice cream scoop in both hands to keep it steady and as slowly he released the gloop into the well that he’d lined with a fluted paper cup. The scoop and batter in his hands are heavy and liable to spill or not land in his target.
But Levi has an impressive record of accomplishments and he knows he can do it if he just gives it his best. Slowly he released the mix into the pan, keeping his eye on the task at hand. “Be careful, be confident,” he utters to himself. A mantra to remind him how he’s going to crush this goal. We the viewers root for him. Of course, the resulting desserts turn out perfect.
I’m carrying that lesson into 2025, and urge my readers too, to be like Levi and to “be careful, be confident” in all your pursuits. And maybe keep a cupcake around for the times when you need an extra boost. 😘 🧁
“More, please” ✨
Most of you reading this have been subscribers to this newsletter for some time. I’m in the midst of a new reader drive, and some of you are reading this for the first time. Welcome. 🙋🏻♀️ I started this newsletter in 2020 but have only been writing in earnest since April 2023. My publishing schedule is as my energy allows, but I aim to always have at least 6 recent-ish posts from within the past 6 months available to freely read. The older posts are archived and accessible to paying subscribers.
As of this writing, there are 468 subscribers, and I’m aiming for a nice round 500 by the end of this month. At this rate, I’ll need two more subscribers per day from now til then. Anything you can do to encourage new subscriptions from your network would be much appreciated. ✨
In the spirit of setting intentions for the new year, I’m spellcasting to readjust the energies around me and to remind myself what matters most this year.
More spontaneous creative expression
I’ve always been in awe of people who can improv, riff, and spitball on the fly. It takes confidence in oneself to strut in public. I have always been one to shy away from showing myself.
My writings were kept private. I chose to sing as part of a chorus as opposed to seeking solos. And in part, it’s led to my focus on community building, to make space for and to include everyone. I also realize that part of my hesitancy has been a lack of technical skill. I’ve got a good handle on writing, cooking, and dancing. So I’ll keep refining my singing, drawing, and public speaking.
Earlier this month, some anonymous artist/s painted and installed these pithy and pointed criticisms of the Barre City Council’s decision to invest in a blighted downtown property. While the debate carries on in council chambers and online, these signs take it to the streets in a layer of visual language. These were posted the morning after the City Council vote, riding the momentum of the moment. What I love about these is how well they convey the dissent of the group in very simple, culturally evocative visual designs.
More analog entertainments
For nonplayers, just know that the world of board games is as diverse in its market as book publishing. People play board games — and I’m using that definition broadly here — to challenge themselves, to be social, to stretch their thinking and their imaginations and hopefully, renew their dopamine with all the fun they have.
Locally we have cribbage tournaments at Three Penny Taproom, craft and romcom nights at the Savoy, Dungeons and Dragons club at the Book Garden, Silent Reading nights sponsored by the Waterbury Public Library, and timed puzzle competitions at other libraries. Vermont’s marketing department does push our outdoor recreation as an attraction. But indoor recreation is also plentiful.
This means finishing my toppling tower of crafty works-in-progress, reading through the books on my bookshelf, and of course, hosting house parties. Board game parties, dinner parties, and once the weather warms, we’ll have pool parties, camping parties, and more.
More community building by showing up for others
In addition to taking better care of myself and my family, I am challenging myself to show up for others more often.
I’ve been figuring out how to layer up my daily routine and reallocate some dead time for things that matter to me like facilitating food access and sharing knowledge and resources. It has helped me to minimally show up for my community.
For me, this means timely replies to texts and phone calls, participating in mutual aid like MealTrain, and support circles, and positively amplifying folks in my network. It’s an extra stop on my commute to make a delivery. It’s asking someone if they want a bitch session or a hug. Or driving an hour to a long-due lunch meeting.
Earlier this month, a solitary person was seen standing at Downtown Barre’s nexus at the foot of the Youth Triumphant statue with a flag that represents and affirms transgender lives. It sparked some interesting discussion online. All it took was one person, one time, one action to show up.
More writing, everywhere, all at once
In addition to writing here, I have started a new newsletter called The Wild Laotian, for food, foraging, and recipes. It’s brand new and I’m still working out the publishing schedule. That is also a free newsletter.
I’ve been freelancing for The Bridge, our local bi-monthly here in Montpelier, writing for the arts section. It builds upon my work as executive director for the Center for Arts and Learning, as regional field agent for the Vermont Creative Network, and gives me a way to put my network and community building to use. I’m linking below a list of the articles of mine which have been published since I’ve started with them (in October).
These three projects will help me to build my writing in the three different areas I want to develop: memoir and recipe writing, persuasive and opinion writing, and deadline-driven news reporting. They all require the basic building blocks of good writing but lean on different techniques and are geared towards different audiences. My hope is that I can maintain my own style regardless of the format of the final piece.
All of this writing is in service of my ultimate goal: to write full time for a living. A modest living is all I need. Paid subscriptions here are optional, but they help to subsidize my healthcare premiums, lunch meetings with clients, and put gas in the car. In fact, last year, writing gigs helped me to pay off my car and in turn, lowered my insurance premiums. The monthly amounts really do help.
Arts Stories for The Bridge
Wool and Water Exhibit Ties Climate Change and Lake Basin Health
Pop Art, Pastels, and Pottery: Explore the Dec. Montpelier Art Walk
Public Art on Private Buildings Program Wows With First Effort
Work with me
I have extra capacity in 2025 in Q2 and Q3 for additional work, if you have a project you’d like to discuss. Use my meeting link here and let’s chat.
If you’d like to support me outside of Substack, please visit ko-fi.com/phayvanh. Donations of $10 or more (or a monthly membership) will be comped with a premium subscription here.
💜🌟💙