Studio Letters #4

May & June: My Ordinary Days

May and June have felt incredibly full.

The kind of full where the days seem to disappear before they've even begun. Between work, finishing up our homeschool year, preparing lessons to teach art at summer camp, and keeping up with everyday responsibilities, life has felt wonderfully rich but also overwhelming at times.

Lately, I've been feeling the tightness of time.

There are so many things I want to make, ideas I want to explore, and projects waiting patiently on my desk. Yet most days, my creative work has been squeezed into the margins—in the early morning before everyone wakes up, during the afternoon slump, or in the quiet hours of the night after the house settles down (which is actually my least preferred time).

I've found myself feeling frustrated by how little time I have to create. And yet, as I sit with that feeling, I'm realizing that these mundane days are the heart of what I document and desire to remember.

The piles of school papers and books scattered across the house.

The endless lesson plans.

The laundry that never seems to end.

The preparations for summer camp and the anticipation of teaching children how to create with their hands.

None of it feels particularly remarkable in the moment. Most of it feels repetitive, mundane, and often exhausting.

But as I look closer, I'm beginning to see something else...

I see a life that is full.

Full of people to care for. Full of meaningful work. Full of opportunities to learn, make, teach, and serve.

The very things that leave me feeling pressed for time are often the same things I would miss if they were gone. Perhaps that's why this month's theme, My Ordinary Days, has been sitting so heavily on my heart. And maybe the goal isn't to escape them, but to notice them and to find gratitude in the midst of them.

I'm still learning how to balance creativity with responsibility, ambition with rest, and making with being present. Some days I do it well. Other days I don't.

But I'm grateful for the reminder that even seasons that feel busy and overwhelming can be beautiful too.

Thank you for being here and allowing me to share these small pieces of life with you.

With love,

Jenz