Hi Dear Readers!
Last week I packed my work schedule with photo sessions all over Colorado in amazing locations and equally wonderful families. I feel so grateful to work in an industry that allows for connection with good people and creativity. The images above are from one of those sessions…I can’t wait to share more of them with you!
As I write this I am looking at my calendar and realizing my boys return to school in three weeks. First of all, it’s July 18th…the middle of the Summer and I feel like we just got started settling into a relaxed schedule where hot days meld into beautiful cooler evenings. So that makes me feel sad, stabby, and annoyed. But it also makes me realize that I have three more weeks to soak in these days with them. They are 14 and (almost) 10 so spending days with them honestly feels more precious than ever; they’re growing up at lightning speed.
This week we all went paddleboarding for the first time on Evergreen Lake. While I was an awful first-time paddler I loved everything about it. There’s something extremely calming and serene about being on and around water. We’re going again next week and I’m contemplating buying a board for our family so we officially become lake people 😎.
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And now onto the fifth Chapter of B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.Y Notes. A roundup of little notes I’ve made throughout the week.
Bewitching
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I am mesmerized by the art of Street Photographer Billy Dinh. His images have such a cinematic and surreal feel, making the everyday life in New York City look enchanting. His use of composition, light, and shadow is brilliant and inspires me to see photography differently. Visit his body of work on Instagram @billydeee or his website.
Underrated
No caption is needed. The last two in each column are the most important 😆.
Tasty
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Here is a recipe I saved from years ago via NYTCooking and finally got around to cooking this week: Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos. It is the most simple slow cooker taco recipe and is full of incredible flavor. Don’t skip the pickled onions (trust me), they are the icing on the taco cake! I also made this mixed berry crisp for dessert. Dare I call it the perfect Summer night menu?!
Think Piece
I’ve always believed in the rewards of curiosity in my creative life. Curiosity will always lead to growth even if we fail at something. Intelligence is born out of being curious. In an ideal scenario, all of us live our lives to obtain both, but in this piece written by
he argues that curiosity always trumps intelligence. I love this exploration and the idea that what makes humans intelligent is their choice to be curious:The most successful people I’ve interviewed are curious. They talk to lots of people. They read (or listen to) books (or podcasts!) They observe. They listen more than they talk. They expose themselves to challenging ideas. They put themselves in uncomfortable situations (like going to social events alone!) They try and walk away from every conversation with new information…or a new idea..or a new friend. They try things. They fail at things. They try again.
Curiosity is the desire to learn, explore, and understand the world around us. It’s the spark that ignites creativity and drives us to ask questions, challenge the status quo, and embark on new adventures. Here are my arguments for why curiosity should be valued even more than intelligence:
Curiosity Fuels Creativity and Innovation
Curiosity drives the creative process. It allows us to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, experiment without fear of failure, and ultimately come up with new solutions to old problems.
Educate Me
If you’re new to this space, Hi! Thank you so much for being here. I am Sara Garcia and I am a Diet Coke addict. If I have one vice, it is drinking Diet Coke. Opening an ice-cold can of this liquid treat is one of my guiltiest pleasures. As I was perusing my newsletter reads last month I came across this wonderful read about The Diet Coke Phenomenon by
of The Internet is my Friend. What a beautiful rabbit hole this was to explore!This led me to delve a little deeper into the Origin story of the brand. Here are some fun facts I learned along the way:
Diet Coke was launched in 1982 and by the end of 1983, Diet Coke was the No. 1 diet soft drink in the U.S. and the top soft drink brand among women.
Coke’s regulatory team predicted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would approve aspartame by 1985. Several executives wanted to ride the wave of the industry by waiting until a standard sweetener was available to launch Diet Coke. (Coca-Cola Company)
40 years later, Gen Z still leans into the nostalgia of a Diet Coke break. Longevity is this soda’s superpower.
Recommended
Speaking of rabbit holes - this podcast will have you digging until the bitter end. During my busy week of driving to and from sessions last week, I binged this in 1.5 days. It is the best of its kind in the True Crime genre. You think you know who committed the crime in one episode and the next you are dumbfounded by a new and shocking discovery. This is storytelling at its finest.
Imagine you're accused of something horrific. You swear you didn't do it, but someone says they witnessed it: your own brother. Sophia Johnson was newly married with a baby on the way when she became the prime suspect in her mother-in-law's brutal murder. WBUR's Amory Sivertson reexamines a case unsolved, a family torn apart, and the woman who wasn't believed.
Fresh Takes
Listening to
my Summer Anthem:
Yes, please
I usually have this strange aversion to making lists. Where lists usually help people feel like they’re more in control, they make me feel like I’m being bossed around. But not this kind of list. I am a very strong proponent of Pleasure Lists. Will be making some of my own soon!
As always thank you for being here and I’ll see you next week!
Flutter On,
Sara
I think you mean Diet Coke is your shameless enthusiasm, not guiltiest pleasure 😂 I, too, love a Diet Coke, why are they so good?! And, as always, your family session photos are the loveliest!
I’m not a Diet Coke girlie but the other day the lake I opened a cold can of Coca Cola and my gosh was it good.
We’ve had the same blow up SUP for probably 10 years, it’s the best quality but I need to remember the brand…