This post is a triumph.

After the longest-ever absence from my blog, I wrote to you on the 20th of February 2023 and committed to one new post every week. And I kept it up. We’re in July, and I’m still here. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but I’m coming to you live from the trenches of an epic mental health battle. And I’m winning. These words sprouting from my fingertips are proof of that.

Blogging has been one of the small steps tethering me to the hope that things will get better. Some days, depression still calls the shots. Other days, the light breaks through the clouds, and I feel like a person.

And because I’m back online (kind of), many of you want to know one important thing:

Am I writing again?

I’m sorry to report that there has been no progress with A Curse of Venom & Scales. I know this is a great disappointment for some of you. Believe me, I’m disappointed, too. This book should have been published already. In fact, the freaking sequel should’ve been published!

But putting my health first was one of the most necessary and important choices I’ve ever made.

Blog posts have been the only writing for which I have bandwidth. And even then, I’m not writing every week. These posts are scheduled well in advance, allowing me to inch out of my cosy little cave at my own pace. For instance, I wrote this post weeks ago and am on vacation as you’re reading this. 🤭

Working in advance allows me more time to conceptualise and execute thoughtful content. Especially since most of what you’ve been reading involves craft projects. I’m no longer rushed to smash out 1.5k word posts every week, but can instead take them on as I have capacity.

Meanwhile, I’ve been editing some of my older posts. I try to keep my knowledge of search engine optimisation updated and have recently learned a few new tricks. For the most part, I’m just switching out old keywords for new ones or fixing clunky grammar (I’ve seriously levelled up my writing game since back then 😅).

As I finished these edited posts, they auto-shared to my abandoned Facebook page. But I had no idea this was happening. According to my WordPress, my auto-share plugin is broken. I only found out because a friend reached out to me about one of the posts.

Friends, I haven’t opened my Facebook account since maybe March 2022. I can’t even remember my login details, but if I did, I’m not ready to be active on that platform. Something about Facebook causes my anxiety to flare up. It might be the fact that it shows when you’re online or it might just be the pressure of all the people watching, but Facebook scares the light out of me.

I’m sorry that I haven’t responded to any comments. I didn’t mean to ghost you! Thank you for being die-hard supporters, though. You guys really warm my heart!

The bottom line is if you want to contact me or just chat, don’t turn to my FB wall. I won’t see your tags or comments. I don’t receive email notifications, and I’m not planning to start now. 🤣 That said, I always check the comment section of the blog, you can email me (I’m a granny now), and though I’m not actively posting content, I will respond to Instagram DM’s.

In other news, we became Canadian citizens in January. I’ve toyed with the idea of blogging about it, but the critical part of my brain keeps telling me it’s almost 6 months later and nobody cares. Send me a DM if you disagree. 😅

Otherwise, I’m living my life one day at a time. This is a wild concept for a millennial who was raised to always be hustling, but there’s freedom in moving at my own pace. Especially now that I know I have ADHD.

Late-life diagnosis is difficult. My friend Tallulah recently shared this reel by CourtneyADHD that perfectly sums up what it feels like. And I don’t want to delve too deeply into the minefield that is my mental health, but I’m thankful that the open dialogue about ADHD means endless helpful resources about one of my struggles.

Lately, there’s an abundance of criticism about social media “promoting” ADHD, but I sure as heck wouldn’t have figured out I have it if it hadn’t been for Instagram. Reels from other ADHDers have been a valuable lifeline. Also, medication. Though I know this isn’t a viable option for everyone, Vyvanse has changed my life.

For me, 2023 has been a journey of self-discovery. We’re only halfway through, but I’ve learned a great deal about my role in this world. At the same time, I feel like I don’t know me at all. And I guess that’s okay. The growth is ongoing.

Thank you for sticking around for the journey. You’ve been epic and I’m eternally grateful.

Yolandie