posts · Page 1

• Go to three rehearsals, even when I feel nervous

  Fictional demo story

  I nearly stayed home. By the second chorus I had stopped worrying about my own voice and started listening to everyone else's. I am going back. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Spend an evening singing with a community choir

  Fictional demo story

  After rehearsal we stood around with tea, still humming the difficult part. It was lovely to be new at something and find people willing to make space. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Photograph the same view on three different mornings

  Fictional demo story

  The sky stayed grey, so the photograph I wanted never happened. I noticed the wet grass and the tiny paths instead. I might like those pictures more. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Walk up a nearby hill before the city wakes

  Fictional demo story

  A low cloud hid the grand view. The small paths, wet grass and sound of the city waking up were enough. The flask was definitely worth carrying. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Walk the first route with Mateo and Ines

  Fictional demo story

  We missed the perfect sunset while talking, then stayed for the changing colours anyway. A good reminder that the plan is only a starting point. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Share a sunset picnic beside the ocean

  Fictional demo story

  The food was simple and the conversation wandered. I knew everyone's preferred picnic snack by the time we packed up. Lisbon felt a little more like home. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Throw a bowl that survives the kiln

  Fictional demo story

  The rim is uneven and the bottom is a little heavy, but my morning porridge finally has a bowl I made. Leila says the wobble is the best part. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Spend a whole Saturday at the pottery studio

  Fictional demo story

  A whole Saturday disappeared into trimming, tea and talking to the person at the next wheel. I went home with clay on my shoes and no urge to check my laptop. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Draw outside on five different afternoons

  Fictional demo story

  The perspective is completely off, but I can remember the sound of cups from looking at the page. That seems like a good reason to keep drawing. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Spend a morning sketching at a pavement cafe

  Fictional demo story

  One coffee lasted for an entire page. The waiter moved a chair halfway through my drawing, so the finished sketch has a chair that no longer exists. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Run five kilometres at conversation pace

  Fictional demo story

  Five kilometres, no sprint finish, and enough breath left for a long chat. This felt much better than another attempt to beat a number. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Watch the sunrise after an early park run

  Fictional demo story

  We watched the park slowly fill with dog walkers while the tea cooled. Getting up early felt less like discipline and more like borrowing a quiet hour. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Plant the first herb and tomato pots

  Fictional demo story

  I arrived with basil and came home with chives, a tomato seedling and two new neighbours' names. The best thing growing here might be the conversations. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Swap seedlings at the neighbourhood garden

  Fictional demo story

  Three basil plants became chives, a tomato seedling and an invitation to next month's garden morning. I have already cleared another corner of the balcony. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Practise standing up in small whitewater

  Fictional demo story

  I stood up for perhaps three seconds. Mostly I fell in and laughed. We stayed for sandwiches afterwards, which may have been the real achievement. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Spend a phone-free afternoon on the coast

  Fictional demo story

  We left our phones in our bags, ate sandy sandwiches and watched the tide come in. Nothing particularly impressive happened. I would happily do it again. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Bake a loaf with a proper rise

  Fictional demo story

  A crisp crust, a soft middle and only a small flour explosion. Daniel took half home. Having someone to share it with made the practice feel worthwhile. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Share a still-warm loaf with my neighbours

  Fictional demo story

  I knocked next door with half a loaf and came back with a jar of jam. The bread was good; having a reason to knock was even better. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Finish a relaxed five-kilometre park loop

  Fictional demo story

  The best part was not finishing five kilometres. It was having enough energy left to sit outside and talk over breakfast for an hour. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Meet a friend for a run and a slow breakfast

  Fictional demo story

  We ran slowly enough to finish our conversation, then started another one over eggs on toast. I want this to become an ordinary Saturday, not a special event. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Finish a cup I can comfortably hold

  Fictional demo story

  I finally made a handle that does not pinch my fingers. Oliver has already claimed this cup, which feels like a better review than a perfect photograph. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Make a cup for Oliver's Saturday coffee

  Fictional demo story

  Oliver put the cup straight into use. Seeing something I made become part of someone else's morning is a feeling I would like to make room for again. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Try a loaded ride on a familiar route

  Fictional demo story

  The loaded bike felt like a shopping trolley for the first mile. Once I slowed down, it became the kind of morning I had hoped for. Croissant earned. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• Cycle to a village bakery before breakfast

  Fictional demo story

  The bakery was open, the lane was quiet and I had remembered a bag for the loaf. We took the long route back without needing to discuss it. Fictional demo story. Image generated for illustration.

• travel to cologne

• walk through the streets of NY City