It was June 2023, and I was about to drive across the country, two dogs in tow, leaving the Oakland apartment I'd lived in for 10 years and heading to New York City — without an apartment and knowing only a handful of people. I'd always loved New York and traveled there roughly twice a year for fashion tradeshows back when I was running my boutique. After surviving the Covid lockdown (and, unlike a lot of my friends, staying put), I felt like I was emerging a different person than I'd been in 2020 — and that deserved a life change. Realizing just how short life can be gave me the kick in the butt I needed to finally try living bicoastally. My people, my business, my network are all in Oakland — the Bay has been my home for all of my adult life — so I didn't want to leave it all behind. But I was ready for the next adventure.

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the NYC Summit and seeing our Mayor Zohran Mamdani (and when I say "our," I mean all of the US) speak in person. The room was full of other business owners, folks from the City of New York, and people from embassies and trade commissions across the world.

Inspired by Spotify's annual "Wrapped" here's my favorite reads of 2025. A few a these are on repeat (Yes, Ross Gay is my favorite poet) and you'll see my reading taste is about as eclectic as my interests are. 2025 was a tough year and so you'll notice some themes of coping, rage, resisting capitalism, and just trying to make sense of the chaotic times.

This is the very first edition of Constellations—a space where I’ll share ideas, inspirations, and small joys that I’ve collected along the way. Think of it as part show-and-tell, part essay, part field notes on building place and community.

One of the things I loved most when I was running my shop, Viscera, was the act of curation. Before algorithms and influencers filtered what we buy, read, or watch, we relied on one another—museum curators, travel agents, bloggers, or friends—to introduce us to things we might love. In many ways, this newsletter is a return to that: a slower, more human kind of sharing.

Closing our studio for a full month: Reflections, Lessons, and Future Ambitions

The decision to close Viscera Studio for an entire month for the Holidays was both thrilling and daunting for all of us. As a team, stepping away from our daily operations required extensive planning and communication. Would our projects remain on track? Would our clients understand? We grappled with these questions as we prepared for this collective rest. Ultimately, this is a transformative change for our studio to unsubscribe from ‘hustle culture’ …

In a culture that glorifies overwork and busyness, it can feel counterintuitive to embrace rest. But here’s the truth: rest is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Taking breaks is not slacking off; it’s a powerful tool for resetting and showing up stronger.

Think of it like rebooting a computer. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem or get back on track is…

The other night, I found myself in a café at 8:30 PM with a friend, catching up on emails. Surprisingly, it was one of the happiest moments I’ve had in a while. I know—responding to emails late at night doesn’t sound like anyone’s idea of fun, but let me explain why it felt so fulfilling.

I wasn’t just answering emails. I had an accountability buddy sitting across from me, helping me tackle the tasks that had been quietly weighing on my mind. They were things I was fully capable of handling (or so I thought!) but they carried a certain emotional or mental weight…

One of the paradoxes of being a creative entrepreneur is that we tend to over-index on generative skills but struggle with operational tasks. We’re fantastic at ideation, problem-solving, and spotting new possibilities, but those same superpowers often come with the side effect of procrastinating on anything that feels repetitive or administrative (sound familiar?)…

The true work of an artist or creative is to share our perspective and be seen. To produce anything requires vulnerability—it forces us to become beginners again and have the courage to be bad at something new. While that might not sound like an act of bravery, I believe it’s one of the most empowering things we can do as creators. As social creatures, we crave acknowledgment and acceptance, and…

As the air turns crisp and the days shorten, fall brings an invitation to slow down—a gentle reminder that just as nature shifts gears, we too can take a moment to recalibrate. As entrepreneurs and creatives, we often feel the pressure to constantly push forward, but Fall is the perfect time to embrace a more mindful approach to our work and well-being…

One of the most puzzling challenges of being a creative entrepreneur is that while we’re great at coming up with new ideas, innovative approaches, and creative solutions for others, solving our own problems can feel like a completely different story. Being creative for a living is such a deeply personal experience—unlike more analytical career paths, it’s rooted in our lived experiences and personalities…

One of the main challenges creative entrepreneurs face is finding balance. Balance doesn’t necessarily mean everything is equal, but rather, it means finding equilibrium. We need to strike a balance in many areas: in work vs. rest, personal time vs. community care, and focus on immediate tasks and long-term goals. It's a delicate dance, one that can only be mastered through practice…

It pains me a bit to admit that I missed last week’s Monday Muse. Now, I’m sure no one really noticed—after all, it’s a new newsletter, and the folks in my circle are pretty understanding. Life happens, right? But as I reflected on the last week or two, trying to figure out why I couldn’t stick to writing my Monday Muse, I realized something important: I had an idea and a goal, but I didn’t have a plan…

In the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship, one thing is certain: you will face many rejections along your creative journey. When I started my entrepreneurial path over ten years ago, each rejection felt jarring and painful. However, with time and experience, I developed a new perspective on these "no's"—one of gratitude…

One of the frustrating realities of being an entrepreneur is facing a lot of “no’s” and rejections throughout your career. Over time, this can wear on your psyche and make it difficult to keep putting yourself out there. This is especially challenging for creative entrepreneurs because our work is more vulnerable and personal. Being an artist or creative requires sensitivity, which doesn’t always align with the harsh realities of business…

As a creative business owner, new ideas often come to me quickly. And like many creatives I can live in the imagination phase a little to long. When that happens I can envision and imagine these ideas with such clarity that when I start executing them, the results often fall short of my expectations. This gap between vision and reality can lead to perfectionism, where I focus on what’s lacking and lose momentum. In these moments, I remind myself to “do a bad job.” While it might sound counterintuitive, this phrase is incredibly helpful for two reasons…

This morning I woke up at 5 am with an idea already percolating in my brain. Immediately I had all these tangential ideas and felt so excited about it. I had a moment of asking myself, should I try to go back to bed and work on it later, or should I just get up and go for it? Today, I decided I was going to pull myself out of bed and roll with the energy that comes with having that ah-ha moment…