As much as I’d love to slink into all of my subscribers’ inbox without a single nod to the fact that I haven’t written a weekly newsletter in… almost two full months… I know that I can’t really do that.
In an attempt to reclaim some of my daylight hours from the binding shackles of capitalism, I’ve recently decided to cut down on work. For the first time in my adult life, I have actually sought to do less freelancing. I’ve also, for the first time ever, rejected a freelancing request. That’s right! Someone reached out to me to write an article in exchange for good ol’ American dollars and I responded with something along the lines of, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to complete this project.”
Saying no to money has never been easy for me, especially since I graduated college with a six-digit cumulative balance between Sallie Mae and the Department of Education. I’ve never held less than two jobs at any given time since I was probably 19 years old. But now that my debt is a single payment away from being gone and I rapidly approach my 27th birthday, I am at a point in my life where I am seriously considering what my relationship to work means, not only for my mental health now, but for my mental health in the years to come.
Writing had become more of a chore than something that brought me joy. Any time I received an email from an editor with an assignment, I grew to feel this horrible sense of anxiety that told me that my entire self worth was going to be determined on whether or not I was able to finish the article on time, and whether or not it was going to be any good. And considering I already log 40 hours every week for a corporate entity that gives me health insurance, the parameters that I’d set for myself were unattainable for the jump.
I’m still a writer. I spend my days at a writing job that doesn’t whittle away at my self esteem. (Corporate copywriting has not, despite common belief, stifled my creativity, but in fact, livened it. But more on that later.) I am only doing a couple of assignments a month for extra cash. Eventually, that may be down to zero. But in the meantime, I have a bit more brain power to dedicate to this newsletter.
A stylish apartment in Buenos Aires
Don’t you just love old architecture? This apartment is situated in a building that dates back to 1914. The nearly 3,000-square-foot abode is host to three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. High ceilings and hardwood floors offer an elegant touch to the stylish space. A master suite is equipped with a private bathroom and walk-in closet while large doors in the office open up to a balcony that overlooks the streets below. I like to imagine myself in this office, finishing a long writing assignment and opening the doors to allow fresh Argentinian air wash over a piping hot espresso that appeared in my hands out of nowhere, because this is just my imagination. Although the apartment is real, and it’s on the market for $900,000 USD. [Sotheby’s International Realty]
Something I favorited on Etsy this week
Do I know if this is going to be a consistent column for the foreseeable future? Not really. But for now, I spend enough time on Etsy looking for unique finds for myself that I figure I may as well share some of the goodies that I come across in my searches with subscribers who may or may not be interested.
I came across this gorgeous rattan cabinet in a weekly Etsy rabbit hole while looking for bathroom storage solutions for my small, yet surprisingly functional, apartment bathroom. I was on the hunt for a rattan or bamboo over-the-toilet cabinet. (Although I’m not sure rattan would do very well in a room that gets humid at least once a day. If someone has insight on this, please email me.)
Anyway, this cabinet is quite small at only 30 inches tall, 20 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. But I thought it would be just perfect for specialty cocktail glasses or linens or maybe some sentimental keepsakes. How I wish I had $900 plus tax to spend on this and search for a place for it to go in my apartment once it arrives in the mail.
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