The black & white era
Rang in the new year with friends and great food, followed by making wall hangings to match our new year’s moods.
I highly recommend making one. It brings a spark to your mood, for sure.
New year, new fun!
What’s your goal for the new year?
When I first queued up season 1 of Netflix’s Wednesday, expectations were high and the opening lines were strong.
But as the minutes ticked on, I kind of started grimacing a bit. This new version was a huge departure from the canon I knew, but how can you not keep watching a show that is dishing out scenes like this?
I had to keep going to see where it would lead.
By episode 3, I was like, Okay, maybe you were too harsh. This is strong stuff and the creative decisions are fire.
Then there was episode 4, which contains some of the series’ most iconic visuals. If you don’t like that episode, the series isn’t for you. Period.
By episode 6, I was ready to give Jenna Ortega an Emmy and apologize for doubting her bold leap. Not only did she nail a completely in-line interpretation of the character, but she did it right in front of Christina Ricci.
I mean … show me anyone who outperformed Jenna Ortega in 2022. Honestly.
By episode 8, I was ready to give the show an at-home standing ovation. I rewound moments again and again, simply floored by some of the decision-making.
And I’ve had the urge to write a story for it ever since.
And the feeling just isn’t fading.
So the world is going to get a fanfic from me, written to the tune of Wednesday Addams.
It’s important for my usual readers to note that this story will not have a PG rating. I’m going to keep the rating and content true to the story that has been established.
So if that’s not your flavor and you don’t like the series Wednesday on its own merits, maybe skip this one from me.
Otherwise, I’ll be updating this fic off and on until season 2 is released, if you want to check it out.
Wednesday’s Sophomore-Year Possession
by Kontreband
published on: Archive of Our Own
Enjoy 🙂
Overthinking is easy. It’s like putting a car in “Neutral” and seeing what story your rolling car will tell from there.
We don’t often like rogue thoughts running amuck in the real world. The consequences of indulging them can be too devastating.
And this is the exact reason overthinkers tend to overthink.
But we can’t be overthinking in the Year of Expression — trust me, there is no free pass on this:
Expressing yourself demands taking risks.
You can’t over-explain yourself and express yourself at the same time. Expression comes from the heart and over-explanations come from the mind.
Overthinking is all about ego and control.
Expression is about authenticity and letting go.
And goshdarnit if that doesn’t mean I need to start putting out content differently this year — just so that it is expressed and not stored away in a file somewhere for the rest of its life.
Because that’s no place to keep a dream … in an electronic file folder where only one person on the planet can find it?
It seems quite rude, actually. And like a bit of a prison sentence. And that’s not how I want to treat my muses (anymore 😬).
So this year is all about posting things as I go.
If you know me at all, you know I’m always making something — often, in different ways because it never seems quite right.
Then I just save all those files away and move on –repeating the pattern the next day. All due to overthinking.
And it’s time to let that pattern go.
And to kick this off, I’m going to post what I’m working on right now for you by the end of the day.
A few months ago someone asked me if I had enough poems for a book and I said yes, but I haven’t put out anything since.
Did I make a book of poems?
Yes. It started out somewhat long, but then I whittled it down to 33 selections.
Did I make a cover?
Several. Although this is the current leader:
Then did I spiral into overthinking?
I sure did! 👍
I didn’t know what I wanted the interior pages to look like … should the poems just be plain text?
My mom always said,
“Nothing good ever happens after midnight.”
And my grandma liked to say,
“Poems often arrive like leaves on a breeze –
fully formed and ready to catch
if you happen to have a pen and paper on hand
to jot them down before they move on.”
Being a rebel, I challenged both their claims
and learned that, in life, midnights are relative
but poems passing through do, indeed, fade.
I found that all truth is experienced
and it’s not that people mean to lie,
it’s that what’s true for one is not true for all
and our “truth” is our vibe.
And my vibe is
– whether true for you, or not –
to sit beneath the moon, pen in hand,
and write the poems that blow through after midnight.
Or do I add illustrations and interior images that look more like this?
Or is it time to bite the bullet and start making videos?
Or do I endlessly debate the pros and cons of each approach while simultaneously doing nothing?
Not today!
In the name of kicking off an expressive new year, I’m willing to change my stripes: I’m going to hit Post instead of Save at the end of the day and make this little book of poems a free read for you.
It’s my New Year’s gift to you.
Happy 2023, everyone!
(It’s going to be a mood so pick a good one!)
© 2023, Sheralyn Pratt.
Well, you did it. You made it to the holiday season of 2022.
Congratulations. Seriously. 2022 was a heavy-hitting year, so
You deserve festive food and good vibes as you keep warm on cold nights.
Cuz it’s cold this year.
The good news is that –as of today — days will get longer from here on out. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the darkest days are behind you now even if cold days still lie ahead.
And 2023 is all about following the sun’s lead in shining your light longer and brighter every day.
Last year, the theme was Main Character Energy, the totem was the indiGOAT, and this was the mood:
What a year, am I right? A year of leveling up … of climbing the inner-mountains to better see what’s beneath you.
And now it’s time stake your claim and shine your light from this new altitude … even if you’re not sure what that means, at first.
If 2023 was a fictional character, it would be Enid Sinclair from Netflix’s Wednesday.
(Haven’t watched it? Definitely do. And if Season 2 is released in 2023, watch Enid’s glow-up across seasons. That’s 2023’s archetypal mood.)
2023’s signature color is the full spectrum of the rainbow.
That’s right. No color holds sway this year, only pure expression. So whatever your shade, tint, or hue, shine true. Be vivid. Be you. That’s the assignment.
Which is why I’m making the totem for the year a Spark.
It’s the year for celebrating and sharing that which brings you life. This starts with tending to your spark and giving it enough to work with to get a proper flame burning.
So whatever that takes for you, do that.
As for the theme song for 2023, I’m not sure I’ve found that yet. It’s gonna be a banger, even if the mid-winter mood is more of a gentle tune.
Something more like this:
After all, 2022 threw some heavyweight punches and you’re probably still in recovery mode.
So be gentle with yourself. Life is not a race and even the sun’s taking it easy right now: early to bed, late to rise … it’s okay not to be full blast right now.
Enjoy the holidays! Treat yo’self.
Then plot all the ways you’re going to shine when 2023 brings its spotlight for you. Because this is the year to bring daydreams to life.
All you gotta do is broadcast you.
Art is the use of shape, color, and form to express something words are ill-equipped to describe.
I decided that a few weeks ago while working on a painting.
“Wait. You paint?” you may ask.
I do, as of this year. And the one rule I’ve had for myself is:
Plan nothing.
Do whatever feels right in the moment …
even if it turns out looking terrible.
C’est le vie and such is art.
The painting that taught me this is actually the painting I did of my dog, SeBi, after she passed this year.
I did the first phase of the painting the night she passed, but it never felt done. So when her birthday came around last month, it felt right to add it.
Before adding paint, I snapped this shot to make note of where the picture started.
I couldn’t quite get a shot without glare and kept having the thought to take a picture outside.
So I did.
The lighting wasn’t any better outside and I was like, “Well, this isn’t going to work. We’ve got shadows and–“
Then a squirrel that actually knew my dog popped out of the neighboring tree and literally ran up to look at the painting.
It was one of those moments that felt a little surreal. Especially when the squirrel went across the painting so it could jump like SeBi.
You can tell me it was my imagination. That’s fine.
Whatever the case, the rest of the pics I have of the original painting have one of Sebi’s squirrel friends in it and I’m not even a little mad about it.
And this is what the painting looks like following her birthday brush-up:
It was when I was done with this update that I decided art is the expression of that which hasn’t found words yet; it’s an invitation to have a conversation to find those words.
And that’s all it needs to be. Nothing has to be “perfect” in art. It just has to express in a way that brings multiple minds to the same page.
And it’s fun.
That said, you may be seeing more art from me in 2023.
Loneliness is holding onto
that which has let you go.
Sorrow is clinging to connection
that has passed through a veil
into the unknown.
Anguish is forgetting that
for everything there is a season
and every season has its time
and that the trick of joyful living is
growing gardens in pain’s rhymes.
©2022 Sheralyn Pratt
I went camping this past weekend. This was the view:
The first day I was there, 3 hawks, a slew of hummingbirds, and a black-and-white butterfly greeted me, along with this baby Scarlet Bugler:
It was a weekend where logic said I should have stayed home to work, but I went anyway. I put my phone, notebooks, and work to the side and just spent time with the people around me.
Storms blew in, storms blew out, but it was clear about 60% of the time and never got too hot.
Maybe I should have adventured out and explored a little more, but I mostly stayed in our spot and got to know friends-of-friends a little better.
And that is how I came to hear my new favorite toast:
“They call it life.”
Felicia taught it to me. She got it from her Aunt Mary, who was a full-on character. Think of an Italian mother who was also a welder and a foreman, and that’s a snapshot of Aunt Mary.
And when situations around her didn’t really need any more words than they was already getting, Aunt Mary would simply say: They call it life.
And leave it at that.
It’s kind of the perfect phrase for everything.
Two people are arguing and you’re resisting the urge to correct both of them: They call it life.
Miraculous events come together to make for a perfect night: They call it life.
You’re trying to be impressive but end up embarrassing yourself instead: They call it life.
You work hard for years and finally build your dream home: They call it life.
You have plans to go on a trip but get rained out after paying all the fees: They call it life.
Because it is.
None of us are quite certain as to what we’re all doing here, but it’s undisputed that we:
People may debate who/what we are before we come here, or about where we go when we die, but we mostly agree that we’re here now. Together … for some reason.
Even if we would rather not be.
And Aunt Mary’s toast embraces that chaos with a wink and a smile every time.
Not only that, it’s also a hearty reminder to choose your dreams wisely and not insert yourself into every bit of chaos someone brings around.
It was a wink I needed someone to put into words this weekend, to be honest.
You see, I was raised to be a fixer. When things escalated around me, I was the third-party interference that tried to break things up before they exploded, and I never got the memo that I was allowed to stop that as an adult.
I was the anti-Aunt Mary: I tried to fix the chaos while it was hissing and rearing to fight, which … 😂🤣😅 yeah, take it from me, is no way to spend a life.
A better life is to just carve out your little spot in the world, make it into your personal heaven, then ride the bumps and bruises as they come with a can-do attitude and people you like being with.
Of course, you don’t have to do that. You can do anything you want to. After all:
They call it life.
And you can live yours however you want to.
My advice, though?
Don’t get lost in the dreams or legacies of those who came before you OR in the dreams of those currently surrounding you.
Build on them, sure; honor them, if you can; but your time and stage is different than those who came before, and it’s your job to rise and adapt.
They call it life.
It can be a dream or it can be a nightmare. It can be torture or bliss. It’s all in how we meet the chaos that becomes the story we tell when it’s over.
So choose a story you want to tell and get going. Because there are only two things that are certain: the clock is ticking and chaos happens.
Might as well have the chaos find you where you want to be, surrounded by people you enjoy, and with a life’s work you’re proud to leave behind as a gift to those who follow you in time.
We are not here to ascend;
we are here to dive like stars
into the abyss of night
until darkness surrounds us
so we can release our light
— unveiling the unknown
by bringing it into sight.
No, we are not here to
retreat to the glory of
our former homes,
but to transcend the void like adventurers
mapping paths to greater roads.
So, dive, my stars!
Descend to unconquered depths
to plant your beacon on
the path to what’s next.
– Sheralyn Pratt, © 2018
Hi. My name is Sheralyn Pratt. And the first thing you should know about me is that if I don’t become a DJ before I die, then I definitely didn’t complete my bucket list.
“But, Sheralyn,” you may say. “You’re not even close to the music scene now and I’ve never seen you touch an instrument.”
True enough. But a quirk of mine is that I sometimes take the long way to where I’m going — imagining the final destination will be richer for the diverse experience gained along the way. *
*Yet after several decades of this approach, I must confess that I’m not certain my approach is the best around. There is something to be said for taking the short roads when you are young, but oh well.
Time will tell. The story’s not over yet.
Let’s see … what else is good to know about me?
I was born and raised to be a devout Mormon, but these days I think I qualify more as a mystic.
Calling myself a “mystic” used to make me feel like I was trying too hard to appear wise or mysterious, but a mystic is really just someone who makes it a practice to sit with difficult thoughts in a meditative state.
And I do that a lot.
In hindsight, it’s kind of hard to tell if being a mystic made me a writer, or if sitting in writerly thoughts created the discipline required to not look away from the uncomfortable.
Either way, the history books will show that I became a writer before I achieved my deejay dreams.
If you look me up now, you will find my reputation has mostly been built in creative writing. I’ve written successful commercials and award-winning fiction. I’ve written manuals and training courses and speeches.
But I much prefer simply speaking.
Honestly, I would probably be a better podcast host than I am a writer. Maybe someday I’ll put that to the test.
Why? Because I’m the kind of person who tests those kinds of things
Maybe the most interesting/frustrating thing about me is my tendency to do things for a time and move on. My resume reads like an ADHD journey filled with Big Fish stories and epic faceplants. And I’m at a spot in my life where I’m embracing that.
Yes, I was once a karate instructor. Yes, I was once a stage performer. Yes, I was once a publicist. Yes, I have written over a dozen books. Yes, I sold t-shirts in Hawaii. Yes, I taught tourists to pan for gold in Alaska. Yes, I have been an aerobics instructor. Yes, I have sat in meetings with Fortune 500 executives and achieved exceptional results in helping them train their employees.
And, yes, I am also known for reading palms at a local crystal shop … among other things.
I am a fully random person who has been around the block and worked at most of the shops.
This makes me a great consultant and an excellent person to meet with when it’s time to look at old things in new ways and strategize for your future.
Funnily enough, my strength as a consultant is actually a little painful for me to admit.
You see, I was raised to be a good worker. Punctual. Reliable. Someone you can count on rain, snow, or shine — 365 days a year. I literally made it from kindergarten to high school graduation with no unauthorized absences.
My parents did their best. Never doubt that.
But in the battle of Nature vs. Nurture, it would seem that Nature may be my winning team. And my nature thrives on variety and changing scenes. And when you catch me in those spaces, you catch the best of me.
So, yeah … there’s a little about me.
Basically, I am a writer who should probably move into podcasting so I can raise myself up to a place where I can just be a DJ for fun. And if I’m mixing my own playlist while surrounded by inventors, creatives, and performers, then you just walked in on my living my best life.
For now, I would love to connect with you online.
Let’s talk — especially if you’re looking for a podcast guest or a quick consult to reflect on your best next steps.
Reach out on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
The spotlight is on and the house lights are down. Are you ready?
Cuz it’s “GO” time!
I don’t know about you, but I feel like it’s date night and my date is knocking while I still haven’t figured out what to wear.
I’ve been feeling like that all year … not that you’d know that, since I’ve basically been MIA online the whole time.
If I was on your radar in January, you may remember I started out this year by telling you that 2022 was going to be the Year of Main Character Energy. I even made this spirited header:
I told you that 2022 was the year where anyone not establishing their authentic online presence was missing the boat. Then I ghosted you and went off and did the EXACT opposite of what I’d just advised you to do:
I went dark on the internet for seven months and only engaged with others in person.
And I did this in case I was wrong about the importance of showing up in the digital world during this time — just in case connecting only in the physical world was still a viable way to work.
But it isn’t. Today, I’m actually eager to step into the online energy … even if I’m still not sure what to wear.
Keeping it real, the past seven months have been a rough grind through some hard knocks. I learned a lot and I’m sure I’ll share some of that super-fun wisdom with you sometime.
But it’s not time for that yet. Now is not the season for unpacking drama.
It’s Leo season !! The season of maximizing your potential by unapologetically embracing your shine.
It’s the season of enjoying all the things that make it fun to be you and calling it “summertime.”
It’s the season for everyone — me, included — to show up to the party NOT as the staff, but as a guest others came to speak to.
In my case, this means it’s time to:
And that all starts today — with this blog and TikTok, soon to be joined with greeting cards, stickers, and other types of unique designs.
Why? Because two things I like to do with my time are: design and write. And I’m going to get in the habit of sharing those things with you.
In life, I am a random, creative person you seek out when you want to look at old things in new ways. But it’s time to stop selling my labor and reputation by the hour and start standing for things that are genuinely mine by showing up real-time.
After all, time marches on, even if we don’t. So why not find the beat of our own drums and dance with it as we go?
Why not choose own our narrative in the chaos and have some fun?
That is Main Character Energy: self-awareness and purpose paired with impeccable timing.
Authentically express yourself online in the next 3 weeks.
You’ll be cutting it close on catching your summer rays before pumpkin-latte season sets in, but we’ll do it together.
Just remember: Be authentic! The days of positioning yourself like a static brand are done. No one wants to hear a rehearsed monlogue on improv night. You’ve gotta flow.
The online mood now is all about being genuine and in the moment, so that’s all you’ve got to be — while picking your niche and being known for something.
What do you want to be known for?
Embrace that vision today, and step into your main character energy.
It’s time.
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Want to book me as a guest on your podcast? Message me on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.