For one of our favorite tv shows of all time, Ted Lasso, it’s the end of an era, but for handmade books and journals, there are new challenges to look forward to.

I’ve been really philosophical lately about creativity. More so than usuall, which is saying a lot.

Maybe it’s because the demands of my life (family and work) have encroached too much on my art time for my best mental health. The balance just got out of whack.

Not enough play time makes Wendy an unhappy girl.

I’m not complaining . . . more like I’m just . . . noticing.

Tiffany Sharpe launched her new solo course on my platform this week: Circle Books. It is really important for me and my business that I stand behind the classes that I put my brand behind.

What that means is that if I’m releasing it on my “network,” it’s a course that I’m actually doing because that course is special enough to get my attention.

It feels like attention is what everyone wants and what is in the shortest supply these days. There is just SO much great stuff on offer. So many shows to binge watch, so many recipes to make, so many great art projects to make, so many of just about every damn thing.

Right now, Tiffany’s Circle Books have all of my attention, and to steal a phrase from Sarah Gardner, I’M NOT MAD ABOUT IT. LOL

I followed Tiffany’s instructions and constructed my first Circle Book this week and . . .

I FREAKING LOVE IT.

I mean, come on! This thing is absolutely gorgeous and special.

The simple act of tracing and then hand cutting each circle? It was pure flow state deliciousness the whole time!

I created the cover material following Tiffany’s instructions in the Circle Book course. I’ve made enough of this gorgeous material that I hope to be using it in a series of handmade journals that will be for sale at some point in the future (fingers crossed!!!).

The pages of this book were made from papers that I had left over (more like planned over!) from our January Fodder School 2 lessons with Liz Constable.

And I’ve just begun decorating the pages with collage fodder from Megan Quinlan’s Fodder School 1 lessons and her stencils from her Etsy shop, MeganQuinlanStudio.

My plan for this book is to add quotes and fodder to every page to commemorate the Apple TV show Ted Lasso. I absolutely hate endings and this is my way of making a show that I love last longer because I just do not want to say good bye.

I’ll be posting my art journaling from this book on my Instagram feed @willa.wanders as I go.

I’m low key obsessed with the felt spine that Tiffany demonstrated in the Circle Books course. I think I’ll be using this technique over and over and over with my handmade journals.

The first quote that I added from Ted Lasso is “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”

And it struck me that this is how I felt when I was making my first Circle Book. It wasn’t comfortable. It was a challenge. Perhaps the kind of challenge that I need.

But without challenge, without feeling that discomfort and then the satisfaction of achievement, would life even be worth living?

I’m so glad now that I accepted the challenge of making a Circle Book. Not only do I have the satisfaction of learning something new, I got another chance to use a lot of my stunning collage papers and fodder from Fodder School, and now I have a new art journal to make something truly meaningful for myself and hopefully those that I share it with.

Are you as sad as I am about the ending of the Ted Lasso series? What is your coping strategy?