Self Known

Many months ago I fell in love with this song. And like anyone who has fallen in love, it's stuck with me -- to the point where I can now play it with my eyes closed. I think I love it so much because the lyrics go like: "You can, you can do anything, anything You can do anything" Over and over. In these past few months, I've needed those power phrases on repeat. Thank you, dear music, for being the inspirational piece to get me back into taking piano lessons. Thank you for inspiring me to learn other pieces (and yet always return to you). It scares me to share this with you because it is imperfect, our piano needs tuned, it's not visually stimulating, or even a good quality soundtrack. But I think I would be doing myself an injustice if I didn't. Besides, everyone has to start somewhere. Enjoy.

We have a big library downtown near the community college. It's a bit shady when you visit because you'll have to squeeze down an alleyway if you want to park in the parking garage for easy access. You can almost tell on the way in what it's going to look like because the accents against the concrete floor are bright colors -- sharp lime and sky blue. You ride the elevator one floor up, completely oblivious and honestly, not ready for the doors to open. Everything is white. You see peeks of marble around the corner, and the eye candy of empty space lures you in, allowing the elevator to close after you with a ding. An invisible cable from the center of the building winds around your waist, pulling you in. Around the corner, the building explodes, and it's no longer just white and marble, but beautiful stone, pillars, and wooden hand railings. Above there are decorative balls that look they're metal feathers silently welded to one another. Security asks how y...

Hey friend. Today I wanted to talk about something I have been combatting for a couple of years now. Social anxiety. Now, this is something that is very serious to me, and I would never want to overexaggerate things or blow them out of proportion. This is not something I am writing for sympathy or for anyone to feel sorry for me. This is simply a post about what the world looks like from my perspective. I know when I read blog posts or watch videos that detail what other people are dealing with it makes me feel closer to them. It helps me understand why they do what they do and what colors their world is painted in. And it is always nice to know you are not alone. That is why I am taking the time to write about this today. When did you realize you were socially anxious? It actually wasn't me. It was my mom. Back when I was dancing (2011), I got good enough to be moved up a level -- a level above all of my friends. This caused a very stirring conflict in me beca...

I have a condition. It's been going on for quite a while now. Months, maybe even years. Every time I sit down to write a blog post, a weight settles in around me. My head gets fuzzy. My fingers slam on the keys and I produce pure inconsistent words that stay mushy, even after rounds of editing. Everything seems like it's set on fast forward when I write, and so all these good post ideas I have never get published because they lack the quality I wish to produce. There are the rare moments when the muse strikes and the floodgates open. My heart pours out and a piece of myself is written in a way that leaves me with a feeling much too close to pride. But a majority of the time I struggle. I really want to break this cycle. So from now on, instead of MOVING REALLY FAST AND PRODUCING ALL OF THESE  W O R D S . . . I want to slow down. And. Breathe a little. Take the time to form thoughts. Develop thoughts. Polish thoughts. We live in a fast-paced world, my friend. ...

I hadn't planned on posting anything until next year (WHICH IS WAY TOO CLOSE - BACK OFF BRO) but this idea fell into my head as I was working on my 2018 goals, and I HAD to write about it before the New Year. The 2018 Focus Workbook. This is my own personal creation. Year after year I have made big goals and NEVER gotten them done. This year, however, will be different. (Famous last words, eh?) I figured out during finals that if I list out the projects I have and then further break them down into bite-sized steps , I feel way less overwhelmed and much more focused. So when I was making my own breakdown sheets for my goals, I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, I bet other people will want this too!" I basically followed my goal breakdown process and put it in a worksheet format for you. I aimed for a very simple design so that the action steps wouldn't be outshone by fancy fonts or wild colors that didn't meet your personal taste. It's also very...

I'm taking a break. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone, eh? (Read the quote.)

Hello, friend. You may or may not remember me, but I'm Rosie. If you're new or seasoned, welcome to Self Known. You may want to grab a cup of tea because I like to make it cozy in here. Please introduce yourself to me in the comment section below. Give me your (nick)name, a unique fact, and tell me something exciting that's happening in your life. Now, without further ado... * * * Constantly Combating: The eternal feeling of giving up. I am a Project Starter. Maybe you've heard of my kind before? We usually get LOTS of ideas, especially in the middle of the night. We keep notebooks on our nightstand, in our cars, and in our bags. We have lists and notes on our phone. "Shampoo bottles for the blind" and "Evil villain that disguises himself as Pikachu" are just a few of the things we've written down when struck by our muse. When we're inspired, it's as though there's a fire lit under our bums. We GO. We DO. We already have...