Educator Toni Federico helps creative solopreneurs master project management and course design, sharing lessons from her own creative journey. Sign up to join hundreds of your fellow creatives.
Things have slowed down for me. Not in the sense that there isn't a lot happening. I've been more productive than ever, but I decided to just slow down "inside" it all. I'm making the conscious decision not to chase clients, not to rush to the next project, and to simply take my time creating. All of this has made me feel like I have some of my life back.
I planted Petunias, Magnolias, Salvia, and Violas in pots on my porch. I found time to clean out my pantry (a bag of unopened granola from 2023, anyone? 🤢). And, I found the courage to begin the work for my art show. Doing that work shook some things loose for me, and I'm back in therapy, so slowing down has been good for that, too.
I also finished a commissioned journal for one of my design clients and had the pleasure of watching him use it during our last consultation for some brand packaging he's hiring me to do.
Custom journal: upcycled silk cover, dot grid pages, and my pattern "Candy Striped" for the end pages
Toni writes
Blackbird
My next novel is coming along — slowly 😉. The name wasn't sitting right with me. I chose A Murder of Crows because a murder of crows plays a significant role in the plot, but it felt more like a mystery or thriller than an upmarket novel about a woman rebuilding her life after escaping violence.
It nagged at me until inspiration hit one afternoon. I was having a fabulous latte at my favorite coffee shop, Goldfinch, and editing chapter one. On a small table next to where I was sitting was the novel The Goldfinch — yes, that is why the shop is named Goldfinch — and it hit me: Blackbird was a much better name. Immediately, like a knot that finally gives way, I felt some peace over the name of the book.
Here are the opening paragraphs for your reading pleasure:
The darkness was absolute.
In the distance, I could hear the traffic on I-35. Austin never truly went to sleep. It wasn’t a 24/7 town like New York, but it wasn’t one of those towns that everything closed down at 6 pm either.
Nearby, a car door slammed. I jerked, dislodging the blanket I’d carefully wrapped around myself. The night was cool and heading toward cold. This was not usual in central Texas, but not completely unheard of. Still, the night air had a nip, and my blanket was all I had to keep me warm.
I reached down, felt around on the floor, and snagged a corner, dragging the blanket back over me. Carefully, and with no small amount of effort, I tucked it around my legs, back, and arms, doing my best to swaddle myself.
Much like a baby, I needed the comfort that the tightly wrapped blanket was supposed to bring. I was trying to anchor myself.
I’d come unmoored. As if essential pieces of myself had been lost. No, that wasn’t right. Not lost. Disconnected.
It was like pieces of myself had been ripped away, and I needed the blanket to keep everything that remained together.
I just needed to survive the night. If I could do that, I’d make a plan in the morning. The daylight would bring me focus. Bring me direction.
I was counting on it.
I snuggled more fully into the blanket. Being careful not to undo my careful tucking, I shoved my hand into my pocket, felt the fob I’d placed in there earlier with its tiny piece of tape over the panic button so I wouldn’t need light to find it.
I took a deep breath, and, for the first time in longer than I could remember, I welcomed sleep.
toni teaches
A Rebellious Act
You don’t need more inspiration. You need a plan. Most creatives are told structure kills creativity, so they wing it… and end up stuck in a half-finished project they can’t untangle. The truth is, planning isn’t restrictive; it’s what makes your work usable, teachable, and actually finishable. If you’ve ever opened your laptop and immediately felt overwhelmed by your own idea, this is the shift that fixes it.
Over on the podcast, we are talking with Stacie Bloomfield about working yourself out of a job, Carrie and I break down how to spot scams, and Elizabeth Silver talks about how to build a surface design business when there is no compass to guide you.
You can now join The Cranky Club on Apple Podcasts, where you get every episode a week early, can listen ad-free, and have access to the archive of episodes forever. Carrie and I decided that, in an era of rising prices, we are going in the opposite direction, so you can join the club for a mere $3.99 a month. You can also try it out for free for one month. We hope to see you there.
WANT TO WORK WITH ME?
1:1 Project Management Coaching & Consultation I help creative entrepreneurs turn big, chaotic ideas into finished projects.
1:1 Course Design Coaching & Consultation I help creatives design online courses that are clear, intentional, and actually teach.
Freelance Design & Commission I specialize in freelance illustration and graphic design.
Educator Toni Federico helps creative solopreneurs master project management and course design, sharing lessons from her own creative journey. Sign up to join hundreds of your fellow creatives.
