I hope you had a very merry March and quarter one of 2024!
March Mood
So very springy! In Cologne, Germany where I am located, there were early-spring flowers all around, with changeable, moody weather. What can be very energetic and productive and also very challenging time of change for many.
Celebrating International Women’s Day with two festive events kicked off my month, which continued with planning upcoming travel adventures including a weekend getaway we reveled in at the end of the month and US visit this spring.
The Kunstler Sozialkasse or artist’s guild organization of Cologne accepted me as a member, a big milestone! Now my health insurance, retirement contributions and such will be paid through them, which was very timely since my expat insurance will come to an end this year as I reach 5 years in Germany! Just wild that in July Rufio the cat and I will celebrate such a momentous anniversary of moving abroad.
Quarter 1 Highlights
Since the end of March also marks the end of the first quarter, I wanted to look back at some significant experiences from the past three months and reflect on what is important going forward.
Learning Tango, teaching and coaching, seeing the live performance of “Twelve Ton Rose,” my admission to the KSK/TK, participation in Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Women’s History Month/International Women’s Day (and other workshops and challenges), attendance at Haie Hockey, Koeln Karneval, new windows installed in our apartment, an Easter Weekend getaway to Bavaria, the photo exhibit at Atelier Zoozmann, Robot Cat sushi with friends, new rubber stamps, and planning travel for quarter two are a few of my outstanding memories from the first three months of the year.
Quarter One Fun Bullet Journal Video
Because of its role in my creative process, Bullet Journaling has become a part of my YouTube content, so here’s an update on what I’ve been up to in my notebooks and life as recorded in my notebooks:
Time Stamps:
01:06 Jan quick review flip
03:20 Feb quick review flip
04:10 March & New Quarterly/Seasonal Book flip
08:33 Twenty-four 24s in 2024/ Projects update in Annual Book
13:30 Depth/Low-Buy/Intentional spending year
Teaching & Coaching
Got “in the swing” of my spring schedule of classes and sessions in-studio, at school, and online, including Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga Will keep you posted as further offerings become available and my schedule evolves.
Bullet Journaling & Planning
The above YouTube Video is a flip-through of March 2024 and Winter into Spring (January through March) in my Seasonal Bullet Journal books, with some commentary and thoughts along the way and links sprinkled throughout this article.
In March I continued to update my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily logs and Annual Collections and set up my April pages. April tends to always be a very action-packed month for myself as well as students and clients, so I wanted to be sure to plan ahead wherever possible.
Twenty-Four 24s in 2024: Keeping Track of Projects & Practices
As I wrote about in my Twenty-Four 24s in 2024 article, and with an update in the video above at 08:33, 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.
Some of the activities truly do fall about every two weeks, some being weekly or even daily (such as yoga practice, meditation, and reading), I will arrive at my goal at a different rate for each type of action, but each is something that I value and want to nurture.
Being daily rituals, I had completed twenty-four Daily Logs, Yoga, Meditation, Gratitude, & German Language practices by January 24th and I also surpassed that number of Movement Classes Taught in the first month of the year. With setting up for the year, quarter, and months ahead, I’ve also already made over 24 Bullet Journal Spreads. Social Media Posts (IG specifically) followed in week 6. Which of my 24s will I accomplish next?
Alphabet Superset
The Alphabet Superset challenge with Campbell Walker, aka Struthless, which began in 2023, continues into 2024. Everyone I know who is participating is behind schedule (Campbell himself is coming up on “K”), but we are hanging in there!
I published 2 micro video choreos to TikTok and Instagram in March, for a total of 8 in Q1:
Only U-Z still to go!
Writing & Publishing Articles
Reflection and completion very much continuing to be major themes in my thinking and writing, in March I published three articles to the blog, for a total of 6 in Q1:
- International Women’s Day Beautiful Adaptive Adult Ballet Barre+ with A Blythe Coach Blog Article
- Twenty-Four 24’s in 2024: Analog Project Planning & Action Tracking, Creative Bullet Journal Style Blog Article
- February was for Love, Eating Disorder Awareness, Dancing Up a Storm – 2024 Month 2 Review Blog Article
Filming & Sharing Videos
I published four videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in March (for a total of 9 in Q1), meeting my monthly posting goal sharing dance and creative journaling content for the month:
Connecting through Email & Social Media
I sent four weekly Email Newsletters in March 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!
Media Musings
March media inputs included reading, listening, and viewing entertainments:
Books & Reading
I finished two novels in March for a total of 5 for Q1:
- Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper: “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word…”
- In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren was an outstanding wintry “Groundhog Day-” inspired Rom-Com and I’m excited to explore other titles by this author duo
Along with In a Holidaze, I had two other favorite reads for Quarter One:
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper, which is a Memoir/Nonfiction book which I bought as a supportive resource for my 2024 theme and have been savoring along the way. Interesting life story, entertaining style and format!
The Guest novel by Emma Cline was off-the-rails but also compellingly written.
Music & Listening
In March I transitioned from my balletic new year’s soundtrack, Quantum Leaping into 2024, into Spring Sensations Dance and I’ve also been actively working with playlists such as my in-progress
Alphabet Superset music, ABC Choreo Music Ideas, and playlists for each of the classes that I teach.
My favorite new song from March and quarter one is “Shimmer Shimmer” by Moxxy, “your new glow up soundtrack!”
Viewing
This section is about Films & Series seen, particularly outstanding YouTube videos watched and so forth. My favorite movies of quarter one were:
- “Good Grief” film
- “Nimona” film
For series, my top faves from Q1 were:
- “Girls5eva” series
- “Death and Other Details” series
- “The Bear” series
- “The Brothers Sun” series
- “Blue Eye Samurai” series
- “Homicide: New York” series
- “Naked and Afraid” series
- “What We Do in the Shadows” series
- “Queer Eye” series and the
- “Gender Agenda” comedy special on Netflix with Hannah Gadsby
Questions for Reflection
- What quantum leaps have I taken this month and quarter?
- Which potentialities are still gestating?
- What plans do you have for the coming month, quarter, season?
- How can I support you in springing forward this season?
Resources for Further Exploration
- January was for Tango, Snow, Art, & Completion – 2024 Month 1 Review
- Quantum Leaping in 2024 Word / Intention of the Year
- Blogging My Purpose – the “Why” behind A Blythe Coach
- Why Bother Distinguishing Your Why?
- Analog Journals for Creativity
Happy new season and new quarter, may the energy of change move you in positive directions.
Special events for Dance Week, Coaching Week 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