#019: Why do things look easier when listed down?

To-do lists, exciting books you must check out, free creative workshop sessions, and more tiny yet precious life moments

Mar 13, 2022

Hey, there! Thanks for reading OK to BE. This is a Sunday newsletter, which means it may or may not be every Sunday but you will receive it on a Sunday, for sure. Here, I share about my creative journey—from reading and writing to making art and helping other people with their projects—and a bit about me and my sometimes-silly adventures. If anything resonates, do write back or leave a comment, and I shall reply! Also, this is a public dispatch, so feel free to share with friends, especially those looking for a reader, writer, or editor to work with. Enjoy! :)

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A (maybe) fun exercise: Let’s make a list of what we like about ourselves and our lives right now.

Done?

Next, let’s make another list of what our ideal selves and lives look like in, let’s say, X years.

Finished?

Third, let’s make yet another list of what we think we need to do to make those two lists identical.

All good?

Congratulations, you now have three lists! Thank you for playing along. Now, put all of them aside!

Why do that? Because lists are helpful! Lists can tell us what’s important, can help us track our lives, can show us decisions and directions. Notes app, Notion, notepads, receipts, paper scraps—wherever we write them on or whatever we write them with, it doesn’t matter. The simple act of listing down things helps keep the chaos at bay. Seeing as we often seek clarity, so then, there we go.

One thing that I’ve been practicing on is listing down my top three to five memorable things for the day/week, good or bad. I do love pouring my kilometric essays of feelings into my journal, but I’ve also found lists as cathartic. (Making art, too, but we’ll talk about that some other day.) And funnily enough, I’ve realized that I can understand myself better through them.

For example, my top three for one day would consist of: a decision, a favorite thing, an emotional breakdown. On another one, it would be: an achieved goal, a meal I didn’t enjoy (Ay? Meron pala?), a new word I learned (*shakes fists at NYT Wordle), an errand, a quote from a book. When I go over my lists, I can spot my patterns and progress (if any) just. like. that.

But while I may be a list-making advocate (haha), nope, I’m not married to my lists. If I get to tick off or fill out everything, good. If not, that’s fine, too. I just like having a guide-slash-reminder-slash-record keeper. KB, these are what’s up, and KB, these are NOT what’s up. We human beings have a strong tendency to be Dory, so I guess this is one way for me to stretch/strengthen my memory. It also helps that when my whatever-list-it-may-be list has something I need to get to, it gets done. Or it gets attention, at least.

So again, let’s do a fun exercise? I’ll go first.

February 2022
Composed a medley of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure” in my head and enjoyed it as my week-long LSS
Celebrated my mother’s birthday with genuine (haha) gratitude and joy
Showed up to all my work things and meetings (even if set at an ungodly hour, no thanks to time zones)
Showed up to all my commitments—gigs, creative projects, and all—even though I was dealing with something huge (ifykyk; thank you so much, btw, to everyone who has been and keeps looking after me)
Showed up for myself, above all and always
Took time off to be with nature

This is Mt. Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines. I have a view of this at home, too, but the pace I stayed at had one that was so much closer and better

Had my *In The Soop* moments in this cabin. Had such a wonderful stay!

Your turn! Reply or comment your own top three/five list with whatever you want to list down. Or, share tips on how you manage your day or life!

**~Creative stuff~ I’mve been up to**

February was a month of creative rest, as in my creativity did a Sleeping Beauty, lol. But I’m elated to share that some of the book projects I was a part of in 2021/early 2022 are now published and released! This is my favorite kind of work; I wish I could review manuscripts full-time.

A Match Made in Lipa by Carla de Guzman
The Things We’re Afraid to Say by Arli Pagaduan
Of Myths and Men by Catherine Dellosa
The Choices We Made (And Those We Didn't) by Catherine Dellosa
First Half: The Game that Reece Plays by Miel Salva
Zabrina's List by Khiara Laurea
If I Wake Up Here Again by Various Authors
BRU LOVE: A Fair by Various Authors
Silhouettes of Marcus Mortell by Khiara Laurea
#RomanceClass NomCom: Tropetastic Kindness Bundle 2: A collection of short stories set in a food park

Hire me as beta reader or editor

OKAY, OKAY. Maybe my creativity did wake up for a minute: I pushed myself and released #OKtoBEzine Issue 8, in collaboration with one of my all-time favorite authors.

🌸 OK to BE: Sweet with Mina V. Esguerra 🌸

Check out Issue 7 as well: OK to BE: Carefree with Bibi Mangki

Featured

FREE workshop sessions on the OK to BE Discord (The first one is on Creative Writing, led by Joy)
Book sale (mostly nonfiction)
The pilot episode of “My Song Diary” with Danice Mae P. Sison
Hourly Bird art shop
Beawilderment on Patreon
Set Sail Into postcards by Circe Candle x Arli Pagaduan
Business Proposal on Netflix
Birthday pop up cards I made for Hobi and Yoongi!