In addition to June bringing PRIDE Month and a handful of notable holidays, it is also my birthday month and I keep the celebration going as long as I can!
Naturally there were pre-, during-, and post-birthday festivities, much fabulous queerness, joyful mindful movement, and adventures.
Furthermore, June brings the Summer Solstice and the midpoint of the year, a wonderful time to reflect on the first six months, refresh, and recommit to our goals.
Jazzy June
On the heels of so much travel in May, for me June was packed with end-of-school year work, tasks, and also festivity, as well as a pre-birthday getaway to Amsterdam.
I feel so incredibly blessed to have had so much quality time with family in quarter 2 and the first half of 2024 and very much want to keep that going as well as exploring new places.
Bullet Journaling & Planning
Because of its role in my creative process, Bullet Journaling has become a part of my YouTube content, so I’m continuing to provide updates on life as recorded in my notebooks.
In June I continued to update my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily logs and Annual Collections and set up my July and August pages.
The below YouTube Video is a flip-through of June 2024 and the transition into July in my Seasonal Bullet Journal books, with some commentary and thoughts along the way.
Teaching & Coaching
With June came the end of the school year in Cologne and classes at such locations, though studio and online courses continue in most cases into the summer, with varied breaks. In quarter two I taught and coached a bit less than in quarter one, which makes since given how much more travel I enjoyed. Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga are especially enjoyable in summer.
Writing & Publishing Articles
Reflection and completion very much continuing to be major themes in my thinking and writing, in June I published three articles to the blog, for a total of 6 in Q2 and 12 in the first half of the year:
- Happy PRIDE Month! Celebrating Diversity, Identity & Justice – Leaping Out of the Closet (again and again) where I wished a happy PRIDE Month to my lovely LGBTQIA2S+ community and precious allies and shared about my own experiences as my identity unfolds.
- April was about Celebrating Spring, Dance Week, Travel Preparations & California Dreaming – 2024 Month 4 Review in which preparations intensified for carryon-only trip home to the US, culminating in flights to San Diego, visiting with family and touristing there.
- Memories of a May Made of Adventures in California, Home in Hawai’i, dancing through jetlag back to Germany – 2024 Month 5 Review Blog Article
Filming & Sharing Videos
I published three videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in June and have total numbers for the quarter and year so far below under “Twenty-Four 24s in 2024”:
Connecting through Email & Social Media
I sent three weekly Email Newsletters in June, full of value-packed resources for fellow creatives. Also fairly active on Instagram and Facebook, and on TikTok in order to post my Alphabet Superset micro video choreos. It has been so cool to get to know like-minded folks on social media and to slowly grow community online through these avenues.
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter.
Would love to be connected to you there, here, on social media, online or in-person!
Creative Challenges
I was pleased during the first half of the year to participate in and host a few challenges and workshops including celebrating Eating Disorders Awareness Week, International Dance Day and Week, and Women’s History Month/International Women’s Day.
Alphabet Superset
Along with various challenges I’m hosting and participating in this year, this one has been longer-term and ongoing. I ALMOST completed the Alphabet Superset Challenge in Quarter 2 with just the letter “Z” remaining, which I published in early July.
Campbell Walker, aka Struthless, launched the creative challenge in 2023, and in order to cover one per week with 26 letters in the English Alphabet, it has continued well into 2024. For many of the participants of whom I am aware, including Walker himself, the challenge is still in progress.
Overall a valuable and interesting project, there are a number of lessons learned that I will also share in another blog article soon.
In all, I published 2 micro video choreos to TikTok and Instagram in June:
First Half Favorites
My most memorable experiences in the first six months of 2024 have included explorations near and far and creative challenges spearheaded by myself and others.
Family, Friends, Making Memories & Celebrations
Time with our stinking adorable nephew (including his first birthday party this spring), with family and friends who live in Cologne, on the Big Island and in San Diego, and folks passing through town on their travels brought so much joy. Art gallery openings, annual festivals such as Koeln Karneval, great food and drink all brought bubble to my life in the first half of the year.
Expanded Teaching & Coaching
New offerings, hours, locations, and clientele–while keeping my ideal schedule and activities in mind.
Finding my voice and speaking truth through teaching, coaching, writing. Practicing a commitment to transparency while sharing from a place of growth and healing. This is an ongoing area of growth that will carry forward into the remainder of the year and beyond.
Creating work about love and joy, beauty, yumminess and savoring, play and creativity, mindfulness, and self-care.
Tai Chi to Tango
Beyond my standard favorite practices of dance, yoga, meditation, reading, reflection and so forth, always trying out new things outside my comfort zone.
Have been studying Tango at Tanzschule Tanzraum (for whom I also teach ballet) since January and participated in Qigong and Tai Chi practices while at home. Learning to flow and to lead in different ways.
I was admitted to the Artist’s Guild/Kunstler Sozialkasse as a freelance dance teaching artist, also granting me access to insurance and other benefits.
Also my girlfriend Ela completed her second brown belt exam in karate, congratulations to her!
Travel & Adventures
Local and international, lucky to have lots of laughs, beloved memories and new experiences!
Q1 adventures included Dance and Art in Bonn (“Twelve Ton Rose” below under Media: Live Performances), and enjoying the outdoors and Castles over Easter in Bavaria.
Q2 Family & Touristing in California & Hawai’i, Family and Art in Amsterdam!
Writing & Publishing
Favorite articles I published so far this year:
- Reflected on 2023 in life A Beautiful Year of Slow Creation & Growth – 2023 Reflections and in media Inspiring Inputs: 2023 Reading, Listening, Viewing & Media found supportive community in Judith Peters’ Jahresruckblog challenge
- Monthly Review blogs inspired by Judith Peters for January: January was for Tango, Snow, Art, & Completion – 2024 Month 1 Review
- February: February was for Love, Eating Disorder Awareness, Dancing Up a Storm – 2024 Month 2 Review
- March: March was about Mindfulness, Women’s History, Moving Around- 2024 Month 3 Review, Quarter 1 Wrap-Up
- April: April was about Celebrating Spring, Dance Week, Travel Preparations & California Dreaming – 2024 Month 4 Review
- May: Memories of a May Made of Adventures in California, Home in Hawai’i, dancing through jetlag back to Germany – 2024 Month 5 Review
- Also in April, Delicious Dancey Digest for International Dance Day & National Dance Week
- And in June, Happy PRIDE Month! Celebrating Diversity, Identity & Justice – Leaping Out of the Closet (again and again), which is also related to the Yoga Visibility Challenge with Susanna Barkataki and speaking my truth as one of my quantum leaps this year
Twenty-Four 24s in 2024: 6-Month Update
As introduced in the Twenty-Four 24s in 2024 article and with a First Half update in the video above. For each of the 24 chosen metrics I intend to make at least 24 contributions, in this way consistently supporting my major goals and most valued priorities.
So far I have met or exceeded 24 actions for Eleven out of my Twenty-Fours total. Wow, I’m actually impressed with myself that nearly half are already complete.
It’s not a 100% game, but I’d like to see further growth in almost every area before the end of the year. Which of my 24s will I accomplish next?
…
- Read 📚 It’s not really important to me to read as many books as possible, just to prioritize reading–fiction, nonfiction, scriptures, poetry–in my life. Been having a blast reading this year and will share a few favorites so far below!
- Books Read: Q1-5, Q2-12, for 17 in the first half of the year and on track to exceed 24 this year.
- Write ✏️ Daily Logs: Q1-91, Q2-90, reached 24 in week 4 and will continue indefinitely as I benefit greatly from this practice.
- Morning Pages: Q1-50, Q2-30, I reached 24 in week 7, with 80 in the first six months putting me on track to meet or exceed my actual minimum for the year.
- Email Newsletters: Q1-12, Q2-8, for 20 in the first 6 months and will soon reach at least 24, though my expectation is that I will publish a newsletter as close to weekly as possible, as this is the best place to receive updates about my teaching and coaching schedules, latest articles and videos released, and tons of other resources that I find useful and believe you will enjoy as well.
- Blog Articles: Q1-6, Q2-6, for a total of 12 so far in 2024, on-track for a minimal goal of 24, though I’d like to be publishing on more of a weekly basis.
- Poems: Q1-2, Q2-2 for 4 in 6 months, not on-track for 24 this year, but you never know and just glad to keep writing in this way in this season of my life.
- Letters: Q1-0, Q2-11, keep going! Connecting with loved ones, whether it be live in-person, online, through calls, messages, letters and cards, it very important to me. I personally love snail mail and know that there are others in my circle who feel the same way, will continue to improve in this area.
- Create 🎨 Videos: Q1-9, Q2-6, makes 15 in the first half, on track for my minimum goal and continuing to be an important part of my free movement and creative offerings
- Choreography Q1-8, Q2-7 for 15 in 6 months, on-track to reach at least 24 this year, kind of a funny metric to count, since I’m always working on a variety of choreographic and dance production projects, but to count “completed” works or even works-in-progress is tricky bordering on absurd. Still it’s nice to acknowledge my creative work in this area in some way.
- BuJo Spreads – reached 24 by February with all my annual spreads, special challenges, monthlies, and weeklies and continue to set up new pages as needed as my projects develop.
- Podcasts – not yet this year, as my work has increased in other areas, this has been moved to a back burner.
- Music – Practice Instrument: not so much a priority currently though I’d like to return to it.
- Playlists: 2 each Q1 & 2 for a total of 4 in 6 months which is fine, I don’t have to create 24 but I’m glad I’m working on several at any given moment to support teaching, dancing, coaching, living
- Practice 🧘♀️ Yoga: Q1-88, Q2-79, as with other daily practices, exceeded 24 sessions in week 4 and will always be an important part of my daily rituals.
- Meditate: Q1-88, Q2-70, like with yoga and other daily rituals, had exceeded 24 sessions within the first month, but will keep going all year long.
- Gratitude & Abundance: Q1-91, Q2-90 is every single day and passed 24 in the first month!
- Deutsch: Q1-91, Q2-90 also every day for 6 months!
- Physical Therapy: I don’t track exactly how many sessions anymore, just make sure to do 2 most weeks, so somewhere in week 12-24 I reached the minimum goal, but I know I’ll keep going forever to maintain my well-being.
- Artist Dates: not really precisely counting these either. However I do indulge my artist child regularly, so I’m not going to obsess because it makes it less fun. At least weekly stamping, collaging, walks, birdwatching, bike rides, picnics, museums, adventures fill my creative cup.
- Serve 💫 Teaching – Classes Taught: I’m not publishing all my class, student, client, session, or income numbers, but I do track these areas and can say that I’ve well exceeded 24 in this area. Indeed, I’ve expanded this school year and calendar year, increased outreach and income even with a good amount of travel in the mix.
- Coaching Sessions: as above, not sharing student, client, session, or income numbers at this time but they are on my list of 24 actions to playfully acknowledge my goals and progress in these areas personally.
- Connect 💕 Host & Participate in Workshops & Challenges: Q1-7, Q2-2 for 9 altogether in the first half of 2024, and I’m excited to continue to take on such artistic and learning opportunities and share my knowledge and passion.
- Social Media Posts (IG): Q1-50 , Q2-27, blowing past the goal in the first quarter to a total of 77 in 6 months, and I also track followers/subscribers on a quarterly basis.
- Sustain 🍀 Financial Fun (Balance Books, pull Profit, Pay Bills, manage Credit Cards, Income Projection and Tracking, Insurance, Savings, Student Loans, Investing, etc.): a weekly practice for which I completed the minimum number in week 24.
Media Musings
June and first-half-of-the year media inputs included reading, listening, and viewing entertainments:
Books & Reading
June Books Read
I love summer reading! Finished four novels in June as well as a work of nonfiction:
- Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead: A Novel (The Finlay Donovan Series Book 2) by Elle Cosimano involves murder, attempted and otherwise but still managed to be a fun romp and apparently I’m reading this series now (honorable mention, didn’t include in 6-month blog but I keep reading). I am pretty annoyed by the main character’s ignorance and bumbling poor decision-making, but the other characters are growing on my and the silly improbability is entertaining
- Divine Rivals: A Novel (Letters of Enchantment Book 1) by Rebecca Ross, which is sort of a dark/apocalyptic fantasy romance and not my usual jam but came well-recommended and was a good read: “It’s not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless.”
- My Favorite Half-Night Stand and The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren (what can I say? I’m addicted to these rom-com beach reads)
- Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper, which is bound to be one of my top books of the year:
Best Reads so far in 2024
Nonfiction Books
- Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World Memoir/Nonfiction book by Christian Cooper I bought as a supportive resource for my 2024 theme and have been savoring along the way. Interesting life story, important contemporary topics, entertaining style and format!
- Rumi: New Translation of Selected Works by Rumi and Farrukh Dhondy was my daily poetry reading until I completed the book, then I started on
- Rilke: Gesammelte Werke by Rilke auf Deutsch (collected works in German) poem daily since I completed the Rumi poems
Fiction Books
- The Guest: A Novel by Emma Cline was a wild, off-the-rails, and well-written way to kick off the year in reading! Warning: very adult and potentially triggering content – Alex does drugs and has sex the whole time. Great slow-build suspense, observations on people, personalities, a slice of society.
- Good Material: A novel by Dolly Alderton, which is about the humor and madness and The Madness of going through a breakup, well-written and bittersweet but not so light. Told from the perspective of a troubled comedian for most of the story, then an interesting perspective shift as well.
- The Maid: A Novel (Molly the Maid Book 1) by Nita Prose was an excellent book recommendation for me, an unusual murder mystery, and I look forward to what is to come from this author
- In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is an outstanding wintry “Groundhog Day-“inspired Rom-Com which introduced me to this new writing duo whose works I went on to binge in the order they’ve become available as eBooks from my library through Libby. Another favorite of theirs that I’ve read this year is The True Love Experiment (though that one is technically the sequel to The Soulmate Equation).
Blogs & Email Newsletters
- Be More With Less
- Atomic Habits, 3-2-1
- Apartment Therapy
- The Dig List
Listening Highlights
Music: Songs & Albums
A few favorite songs I’ve been listening to on repeat so far in 2024, some old, some new:
- “Shimmer Shimmer” song by Moxxy, “your new glow up soundtrack!”
- “Vacation” song by Priya Ragu, who I saw live in Cologne last year and then heard on the radio in Hawai’i in May
- “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyonce
- “Rush” song by Troye Sivan
- “Lunch” song by Billie Eilish
- “Unstoppable“” song by Sia
- “The Fame” album by Lady Gaga
Playlists
- Quantum Leaping into 2024
- Spring Sensations Dance
- Balletlicious Summertime Dance
- 2024 Summer Jams
- Alphabet Superset
- ABC Choreo Music Ideas
- Delectable Dance Conditioning
Podcasts
- Soul+Wit (unfortunately they’re taking an indefinite pause as of summer 2024)
- Trauma-Informed Future
- Unapologetic Entrepreneur
- Good Life Project
- Tarot for the Wild Soul
Favorite Viewing so far in 2024
This section is about Films & Series seen, particularly outstanding YouTube videos watched and so forth.
Live Performances & Exhibitions
- “Twelve Ton Rose” Dance Concert, Choreography by Trisha Brown, performed by Ballet de Lorraine at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn
- “Giselle” Classical Ballet performed by West Hawai’i Dance Theatre at Kahilu Theatre on the Big Island of Hawai’i, where I enjoyed serving as Emcee
- Multi-Artist Artverwandte Photo Exhibit at Atelier Zoozmann
- Arthur’s art gallery showings
- Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, special multimedia Marina Abramovic Exhibition
Sports Events
- Haie Hockey
- The Wave Soccer
- Grand Sumo May Highlights
- Women’s and UEFA Soccer Finals
Films
My favorite movies of the first half of the year were:
- “Nimona” film
- “The Menu” film
- “Bros” film
Series
For series, my top faves from the first half of the year were:
- “Girls5eva” series
- “The Bear” series
- “The Brothers Sun” series
- “White Lotus” series
- “Poker Face” series
YouTube Channels
- Moon Medicine Yoga
- RebEarth Yoga
- Naomi Gottlieb-Miller
- Body Illumination
- Jenny Rawlings
- Qigong Meditation
- Ecofriend Lia
- Minimal Mom
- See Mindy Mom
- JashiiCorrin
- Rachelle in Theory
- Mark Your Pages
- Hay Studio
- Erin Smith
- Ballet Reign
- Use Less
Questions for Reflection
- What quantum leaps have I taken this month and quarter?
- Which possibilities are just taking shape?
- What plans are coming together for the coming month, quarter, season?
- How can I support you in taking flight this year?
Resources for Further Exploration
- Quarter One Fun Bullet Journal Reflection Video
- Quantum Leaping in 2024 Word / Intention of the Year
- Blogging My Purpose – the “Why” behind A Blythe Coach
- Why Bother Distinguishing Your Why?
- Care & Actualization of the Self
- Analog Journals for Creativity
Happy new season and new quarter, may the energy of change move you in positive directions.
Special events for Camp NaNoWriMo, Summer Fun, Back-to-School and more coming up soon!
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
she/her or they/them
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education