A Letter for June
The power of making things
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Hello Friends,
Happy Friday
It feels like such a long time ago that I wrote my last letter to you. Maybe it’s just getting used to the new schedule, but a month feels like a very long time!
Those of you who read this newsletter on Substack may have noticed a name change. I’ve decided to move away from Tales from the Overwhelm and towards Somewhere Still.
Yes, I do feel overwhelmed much of the time, but I’m not sure lingering there is particularly helpful. Somewhere Still feels gentler. More a reflection of what I’m seeking than where I happen to be stuck.
I haven’t managed to change any of the branding yet, but hopefully that will be sorted by next month.
Feeling & Noticing
It’s no secret in these letters, that I have been feeling stuck for such a long time.
I think a lot of this is to do with the house move, well rather, lack of house move! It’s annoying; just one aspect of life can take over all others and derail everything. I wish I weren’t like this — could get on regardless — but alas that’s not me.
What I have noticed though, is that inklings of clarity have been showing up now and again, and they don’t arrive when I’m thinking; they turn up when I’m doing. Sometimes it’s doing ‘work-stuff’ such as re-jigging my website (It’s looking so good - I love using Squarespace and the creative freedom it enables - no tech-bros needed here!) Other times it’s while doing something for pure creative pleasure, like knitting or sewing. Basically anything that means I am outside of my head = clarity.
As an over-thinker, I forget this constantly.
Doing Stuff
In a quest to build on these little inklings of clarity, I had a coaching session with Jo.
I’ve worked with Jo before and always come away feeling a little more grounded. There are no shoulds or musts. No seven-step frameworks or promises of overnight success. Just thoughtful questions, gentle observations and the occasional bit of hand-holding, which I happen to think is underrated.
There is so much noise online about how creative businesses should be run in 2026. Endless strategies, systems and rules, all delivered with unwavering certainty. Perhaps some of it works for some people. But I’ve noticed that the more I try to follow someone else’s blueprint, the further away I get from my own.
A quiet conversation with a fellow sensitive creative felt like the perfect antidote.
Making Things
I have put a lot of hours into making stuff this month which feels good.
My red sweater is progressing, slowly - damn those 3mm needles! But, I have just joined it in the round which means no more purling 🙌 and I still have the whole of June left to try and get it done.
May reminded me of my love hate relationship with sewing. I made the Florence Top and wanted to launch my sewing machine out of the window multiple times. Vowed to give up sewing. Then a week later, scored some £ 3.50-per-metre black & white gingham cotton from my local fabric shop, and decided to come out of sewing retirement. I’m using it to make the Arthur pants & Ashton top - a co-ord (A bit of a Beyond Nine dupe). I’m now on a Vinted hunt for some red or burgundy sandals to complete the look.
I’ve been pondering why sewing clothes can be such a stress inducing experience. When I get started on a sewing project, I’m whisked immediately into ADHD hyper-focus mode, otherwise known as: I’m just going to do the next step and then have a break - on repeat. I’ll get a drink after this next step. I’ll get something to eat after the next step. I’ll nip to the loo after the next step. Before you know it, you’ve been at it for hours; you’re thirsty, hungry and bouncing on the spot because you’re desperate for a wee. Also wrapped up in this is the fact that you don’t have a designated sewing room, so you’re trying to get as much done as possible before you have to spend half an hour tidying up all the fabric, threads, and pattern paraphernalia.
With my latest sewing project I told myself I would take a break every hour. I even set an alarm… which I promptly dismissed when it went off and continued to power through. Maybe next time i’ll be better??
Going Places
A highlight this past month was Salad Club - my friend Sadie’s new venture.
A small group of us gathered in Sadie’s wild and beautiful garden in rural Norfolk, sheltered under a pergola from the blazing sun. Each armed with a homemade salad to share. There were creative warm-up games, much creative chat and so many delightful creative details — we even went home with a mini-creative zine of salad recipes!
I love how Sadie, lit up by this idea went all in on it. Didn’t let self-doubt stop her. It felt light, and joyful — a bit how Instagram felt circa 2025 — abundant possibility. It was playful — just as creativity should be. As Sadie says, at the heart of creativity is:
Create the things you wish existed.
Reading List
Autobiograpy of Red - Anne Carson
I loved this book. It’s strange, witty, lyrical and unlike anything else I’ve read recently. I often felt slightly off-balance, as though I was reading in a dream, but the emotional core remained surprisingly clear. I cared deeply about Geryon, even when I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Strange and beautiful remains one of my favourite combinations.
The English Understand Wool - Helen DeWitt
As super short novella that I read in a single sitting. The plot almost doesn’t matter. What I loved was the voice: clever, funny, observant and completely sure of itself. One of those books that’s a pleasure simply to spend time inside.
I feel kind of scared to admit this, given its cult following, but I couldn’t finish it. The prose was beautiful, and I could see why so many people love it, but I abandoned it around 80 pages in.
The difficulty wasn’t the writing. It was the knowledge of what was coming. Knowing from the outset that the child would die filled the story with a sense of anticipation that I found almost unbearable. Rather than drawing me deeper into the novel, the looming grief kept me at a distance.
Perhaps that’s simply a reminder that not every book is for every reader. While many people adore this story, it wasn’t the right book for me, and that’s okay
As ever, thank you for being here.
June feels like a month of small beginnings rather than grand revelations. A reminder that clarity rarely arrives all at once. More often, it turns up quietly while we’re busy making something, walking somewhere, or paying attention to the things we already know.
Until July friends,
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
Becca x
News & Updates
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Thank-you, Becca & Kay x
