with Leah Cedar Tompkins
Designer. Developer. Brand strategist.

ordinary monster days: in pictures [05.16.13]

A little photo update on the last few weeks…

Winterstar + @ecc1977

R.T.’s band Winterstar played a show at the Currier Museum. (Note: you should check out that music if you’re into experimental/noise and/or are in the mood for something a little different.)

Sunny Saturday hoop action.

Hooping in the park! And welcoming springtime…

Springtime dandelions.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful human. @onewordheadline

A flower with a bee on it. #nofilter because this couldn't possibly be any more beautiful to me. #spring #nature

We got new tattoos!

@onewordheadline getting tattooed by @mandydesjardins.

R.T.’s is a cover-up of a bird he got when he was younger. Now it’s lovely autumn leaves. Isn’t it pretty?

The tattoo R.T. got yesterday. The tree is a cover-up. (Used to be the outline of a bird.) Photo and tattoo by @mandydesjardins (freehand because she has mad skills)

Mine: song lyrics by Neko Case.

My new tattoo.

John K. Samson. Puffed up.

As I mentioned the other day, I adopted this little dude — a 6-month-old timneh african grey parrot we named John K. Samson. He’s my little feathered best friend. He has a playgym on my desk and he hangs out with me while I work, doing crazy things like this:

It's a pity that you don't have appendages that would keep you from falling on your back like a klutz, bird.

I trained him to wear a harness. It took 8 days and a lot of patience, but it means I can take him on all sorts of outings. He’ll probably chill at the beach with me this summer. Really.

Zero to harness in 8 days. Wore it for a walk downtown and back. Very proud of our training this week. #birdinthecity #africangrey #portsmouth

And other slices of life…

Breakfast by my brother-in-law.

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We biked & trekked around Parker River wildlife refuge today.

Adorable ice cream/crepe shop.

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R.T. looks sleepy. Stephen looks smiley. (Weird.)

A little bit country.

Jess the baker. @overyonder

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Diesel is sulky because he wants to be outside. I think he has the right idea.

super monster love,

L.C.

surviving, thriving, and something in between

Signs of springtime.

I need to tell you something.

Moving back to New Hampshire has been really, really hard. Things are finally getting easier, but March and April were really tough months.

A thing about me that you should know, if you don’t already, is that I’m a really cheerful, optimistic person who happens to suffer from depression. The kind that isn’t circumstantial, that no amount of cheering up will alleviate. (You may have seen Allie’s humorous-but-accurate take last week.) It’s a force I work against all the time — sometimes coping with it takes everything I have, and other times, it’s just a dull roar that barely interferes with my life — but it’s always there. For the most part, it’s been well managed for the last couple of years. I take a low-dose antidepressant but also manage both my depression and anxiety through things like moving my body (mostly walking & hoopdancing), and watching what I eat (mostly avoiding wheat).

trigger stacking

The last few months have been a perfect storm of what my former therapist would call trigger stacking. The week after saying goodbye to my family and moving east, R.T. started a new job that takes him out of the house for 12 hours a day, several days a week. He also got immediately re-immersed in the social life he had before we moved and I… well, didn’t. I felt really lonely here. I was resentful that I moved back for him and I felt guilty about that. The weather was terrible, which I am incredibly sensitive to — probably more than any other single factor. I owed a f*ckton of money at tax time. April is my busiest month, workload-wise. etc., etc.

I am fortunately not so bowled over by my depressive episodes that I can’t function. (Usually.) I know a lot of people are and I know how frustrating that is. But I just keep on keepin’ on, which is maybe not always the best thing to do. Not slowing down and being gentle with myself eventually leads to breaking down. I’m really fortunate that R.T. is so understanding of this disease and helps me know when to ease up and when to push through. Between his support and my own experience, my depressive episodes feel more like a nuisance than a death sentence. I am able to cope much easier just by reminding myself that it will pass.

Indeed, things are getting easier. Spring finally arrived and brought a long streak of days that were sunny and 65-degrees. As the end of April neared, my workload eased up substantially. I’ve been spending more time with my friends. R.T. is cutting back his hours at his new job so that he can focus on studio work, so I’ll have my partner-in-all-things around to help out a lot more. I adopted this guy:

John K. Samson. Puffed up.

I’m feeling a lot more like “myself” again — like the version of myself that I strive to be, who is silly and lively and upbeat.

This isn’t the most uplifting post to reappear with after being quiet here for a couple of months — but it’s honest, and that’s important to me. I believe the stigma of depression is dangerous. I used to worry about talking about it because I was afraid it would deter people from working with me. The truth is, though, I’m proud of my ability to cope with depression. I’m proud of the years of therapy I spent learning how to function as a highly sensitive person with major depressive disorder. I’m proud that I run a successful business and maintain a full social calendar even when those things feel like an overwhelming amount of pressure. I’m proud enough of these things that I’ve stopped saying “my depression doesn’t define me”, because the truth is that it DOES define me — it defines me as a survivor, as a tiny warrior. It defines me as someone who has been there and made it through. It defines me as a sister and an ally in what can feel like a desolate emotional wasteland.

That’s why talking about it is so important to me. I want you to know that I’m here.

I’m here.

super monster love,

L.C.

Waiting for Springtime

The little park there is of my favorite places in Portsmouth.

It’s been two weeks since we said the last of our goodbyes and loaded everything into our moving truck.

My love is tired. 48 more hours of moving. And then unpacking. #NHbound

Leaving Detroit.

The move was… eventful. The moving truck broke down just outside of Syracuse, New York. I ended up going on alone in the car while R.T. stayed and waited for roadside assistance. The last leg of the drive was really snowy and windy and terrible.

Nevertheless, we made it, and we’ve been getting settled in slowly but surely.

Arriving before the truck & husband means I don't have any furniture or food, but I do have these jerks and my #filofax.

Today. #slowlybutsurely

R.T. took a part-time job working with our friend Tory. It’s been strange not having him around all the time, but it’s working out well. I like that it’s given me separation between work time and personal time.

Visiting with the Bobbetts and Lady Peju.

Delicious honey panna cotta with grapefruit, served by Joel & Peju.

It’s been so nice seeing our friends here and falling in love with this little seacoast town all over again. We’re a little under a mile from downtown Portsmouth, so we’ve been going for a lot of walks.

Cloudy & calm.

Excited pup. We miss @onewordheadline this morning, though.

Downtown. Winter rain.

It’s really picturesque here, yes? Still, I can’t wait until these are spring photos. I’m really longing for bicycle rides, and hooping in the park, and days at my beloved Atlantic.

In the meantime, my days are filled with work as usual. I have one opening for a blog design this month, and I have spots open in April for one Microsite and one (re)Brand Experience.

Thanks for coming on this little photo journey with me. If you want to keep up with me in real-time, follow me on Instagram or Flickr.

super monster love,

L.C.

Ah, February

R.T. and I are preparing for our move back to Portsmouth, New Hampshire (from Detroit, Michigan). Things are crazy busy. I thought I would pop in with a little slice of life update for you.

New England.

He's trying to get a little blogging in this morning. Canine content strategy, yo.

In mid-January, we spent a weekend in New Hampshire with our friends Tory and Tucker. The goal of this trip was to secure housing in the area. That didn’t happen — but, serendipitously, we found a place just after returning to Michigan, and with Tucker’s help, we had the lease signed a week later. (I am nervous about moving into a place we haven’t seen ourselves, but I’m sure it will be fine..?)

Friendship of Salem.

Cemetery in Salem, MA. #latergram

My cute friend Cassy. #latergram

While we were there, I took a day trip to Salem, MA to visit my dear friend Cassy. I look forward to many adventures with her once we’re back in New England.

Flowers from my sweetest husband. @onewordheadline

I turned 29 on January 31st! My husband bought me flowers for the first time to celebrate the occasion. So sweet, yes?

I could probably only have more paint on my clothes/feet/hands/hair if I'd painted myself intentionally. Yay, moving prep.

Otherwise, the last several weeks have largely consisted of packing, painting, and other preparations. We’re downsizing from a 3-bedroom single-family bungalow with a full basement to a small one-bedroom apartment. This has meant letting go of so much of our stuff. This will be the 20th time I’ve moved in my adult life (just over 11 years). Given how often I move, you wouldn’t think I’d be all that inclined to carry a lot of junk with me — but I have, in the interest of keeping ‘memories’. As I was going through stuff this time, I finally realized that memories live in our hearts/minds, and therefore don’t need to be represented by material things. I found myself even tossing out photos of people who’d been in my life for only a short while. (Photos! That feels so… blasphemous.)

Preparing to say farewell to my family again has been really, really difficult for me emotionally. After a decade away from them, this year has brought so much growth and healing. They are some of the best people I know, and being far away from them is going to bring me a lot of heartache. My mom said recently, “Letting you go will be easier this time, because you have a great husband and I know he’ll take care of you… but also so much harder, because now you’re my friend.”

Yes.

But I am looking forward to being back in my favorite seacoast town, especially as a couple of my dear friends are preparing for the arrivals of their firstborns. I’m aiming to position myself as the helpful and enthusiastic friendaunt.

In studio news, I’m booked well into spring, working with a whole new cast of passionate, creative women from all walks of life. I feel so grateful for how quickly my schedule is filling.

I’ll return in mid-February with updates on our new home and news of our blossoming seacoast adventures.

super monster love,

L.C.

Gearing up for 2013, LCWS-style

Song for the new year. #sentiment

Happy new year, everyone!

I hope your holidays were filled with lots of coziness & eating way too much junk food.

My December was filled with resting, hooping, designing, coding, and spending time with my family. December is usually very, very busy for me — but this year, I’d finished nearly all of my projects for the year early in the month, and I spent the last few weeks just gearing up for an incredible 2013.

This meant, of course, a rebrand.

I’ve been telling people that this new look is to demonstrate my brand having “grown up”.

In 2013, I’ll be focusing on quality vs. quantity.

I’ll be doing only 24 custom websites this year — and I’m calling them (re)Brand Experiences now, because they are about so much more than design and code. (You can learn more about them here.)

Starter sites as a 2-week process no longer exist. I’m now only offering them as a single day intensive. This is better for me, and it’s better for you, EVEN if the idea of spending the entire day focused on getting this thing done is kind of scary. (It’s fun. I promise.) I’ll have a few openings a month for Starter Site Intensives, either on Wednesdays or (less often) on Saturdays.

I’ve made it even easier to work together.

I designed my new services page to give you a clearer idea of what the process of working with me is like. I know it can be nerve-wracking to spend a significant chunk of change on what can feel like a hope and a prayer. I want to make that process less scary. If you’re still in the trenches of making a decision, you can get on my list to receive a free copy of my 2013 How to Hire a Designer Guide.

Working with me specifically means: We’ll be talking a lot about strategy — content strategy, social media strategy, smoothie-making strategy, if you want. (I love a good smoothie. Disclaimer: I can’t teach you how to make money off your smoothies. Sorry.) We’ll communicate about our project mostly via Basecamp (my project management system of choice — I recently made the switch to the *new* Basecamp, in fact, and I love it even more). When necessary (or whenever we feel like it), we’ll jam via phone, Skype, or Google Hangout, but only by appointment. (I require appointments because I hate breaking out of “the zone” to answer my phone, and nobody wants an “uh huh” zombie who isn’t giving them their full attention.) We have to be able to have fun.

I’m launching a sister company.

Last year, it became very obvious that one of the toughest things to keep up with was website maintenance. Obviously, the more successful launches my business has, the more maintenance clients I’ll have. My partner-in-all-things, R.T., has been helping with website maintenance for nine months or so, but we recently realized that we need more availability for our own clients and that there’s a great need for skilled people willing to provide general WordPress maintenance to the world at large. We’ve teamed up with one of my very best friends (a gal named Jessica) and we’ll be launching the Website Refinery soon. So soon. Hopefully next week. The Website Refinery will handle all of your site maintenance, backups, WordPress installations, plugin integration, etc., R.T. is the Shop Foreman, so you’ll correspond with him more often than anyone else, but as Operator the Most, I’ll be handling the high-level stuff, so you can trust that you’re in good hands.

I hope this is the year we work together.

I’m making an effort to book those 24 custom sites — er, (re)Brand experiences — sooner than later, so please get in touch if one of those spots should have your name on it (especially if wait lists aren’t really your jam).

I also have strategy sessions available if you just need to chat about things & get a little clarity.

What do you think of my rebrand?

I’d love to know what you think of my new look, either in the comments or via e-mail (leah@leahcreates.com).

Have you forgotten the old one already? Here’s a screenshot to compare.

lc_redesign_2k11

super monster love,

L.C.

A Christmas Relaunch!

relaunch

Things look a little different around here today! This rebrand & new website are my Christmas gifts to myself, my little business, and all of you.

As you might gather from looking around, I have some great stuff up my sleeve for 2013! I’ll be back on January 2nd with more details.

In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying a warm and love-filled holiday season and that your new year gets off to a great start.

Here’s to 2013!

super monster love,

L.C.

Showing up gratefully

Frozen. #morningwalk

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday since I was a little girl. There’s no pressure (for those of us who don’t cook) – you just show up, be thankful, and eat a lot of food. That works for me.

I’m feeling especially grateful this year, being a newlywed and having the luxury of having my mom and my siblings nearby. It’s been many years since I had a Thanksgiving with my own family and I’m so looking forward to it.

So, I thought I would take a minute to make a list of all that I am thankful for and share it with all of you.

I am thankful for…

The big stuff

My amazing husband, Randall Tyler, and our incredible life together
Our crazy dog, the world’s sweetest chinchilla, two lovable-asshole cats, two crazy rats, and one gangster gerbil
LCWS and all of our fantastic clients – the people who show up and do astounding, world-changing things and give me the honor of helping them share their work with the world (and paying me to do it!) – I love you guys so much.
My mom, my sisters Kristina and Micayla, and my little brother Mathew. Spending this year in geographic proximity to them and getting to be a part of their actual lives has healed my soul in a big, big way
The remarkable people I am lucky enough to call friends – in Michigan, New Hampshire, and throughout the rest of the country and the world. I am so fortunate. Thank you.
Dad’s deployment nearing it’s end – he is healthy and safe and coming home soon.

Life’s little delights (a random list of stuff that’s brought me joy this year)

Long walks My Filofax Trek mountain bikes World domination summit Evernote Slacker Radio red wine my iPhone5 Fossil and Epiphanie bags Jen Saunders & Amanda Farough and their endless guidance + support Wild by Cheryl Strayed photography e-courses by Darrah and Vivienne knitting yoga Modcloth this etsy seller (who made both my engagement ring & wedding band) Instagram & Flickr Parenthood Brené Brown colored tights Intimacy bra stylists Zoloft (this one is only a little tongue-in-cheek) The Weepies & The Weakerthans Charity:Water gluten-free crepes President Obama’s re-election green smoothies MyFitnessPal TOMS peppermint soy lattes & dirty chai the coasts of Oregon and Maine Makeup Forever’s HD Foundation Sephora in general Whole Foods! Stratejoy (Molly! The guest bloggers! The rebrand launching SO SOON!) and, finally, ME – the love I feel for my goofy, dorky, imperfect self. (Self love is a total game-changer.)

Mmmm! That was so much fun. I could go on for hours, but instead I have to tackle the day’s work so I can spend tomorrow blissed out in a pecan pie coma. (I live for pecan pie.)

super monster love,

L.C.

where i am lately

AM walk with my little fam.

I’ve been in a quiet place mentally for the last few weeks. I keep wanting to show up and share things with you – our wedding and honeymoon trip in Vermont, married life, preparing for our next move, all of these big transformations that are happening in my life and within me specifically.

But I just feel quiet.

The season change is hitting me particularly badly this year. Maybe it’s just because I’m in the midwest after being on the east coast for all of my adult life. It gets light much later here at the edge of the time zone, and this has been a tough adjustment for me as an early riser. I feel like I’m just not waking up at all.

Whatever it is, I’m in a very ebb phase of the ebb and flow.

It’s okay. It’s where I am. I’m showing up from that place. I hope you’ll join me here.

super monster love,

L.C.

Pending nuptials & autumn in New England

Waiting. #weddingdress

By the time most of you read this, I’ll be in the passenger seat of a Honda Civic headed east to New Hampshire. We’ll stay there for a few days, then head to Vermont for our sweet little honeymoon vacation.

When I come back, I’ll be Mrs. Randall Tyler Tompkins! I’m planning to still go by Leah, though. You know. (HEY-O! Pretend that was funny.)

I’ve been a bit strung out on stress for the last ten days or so. I had a dress crisis the weekend before last. It’s all worked out now, but things were pretty tough for awhile. In the end, all I needed was my mama.

My mom working on my dress alterations. #love

Corset back conversion - half done.

Isn’t that always the way?

Fun Leah fact: I’m a size 10, except “up top”. I have a lot going on in the chest region. I’m a size 16 there. Last week I genuinely pondered whether or not it was really that big a deal if my dress didn’t zip all the way up. I bought an expensive strapless longline. I bought REALLY expensive Spanx. In the end, my mom took out the zipper & converted the back into a corset-style lace-up. It’s really, really beautiful. There will be photos of the finished product eventually. (Melissa is taking our photos!)

So, anyway – I’m off to get married & then for some fun and relaxation! There are still a few days to donate to our charity:water campaign if you feel so inclined.

super monster love,

L.C.

Calling bullshit: Sometimes you really ARE “too busy”

studiophoto

You know how it’s becoming really trendy to spout shit about how saying, “I’m too busy”, is actually saying “it’s not a priority”?

I want to punch all of those people.

That’s a really unfair thing to say to our friends, and an especially unfair thing to say to ourselves. It’s icky and guilt-trippy and we don’t need more of that.

You can’t manufacture time. There are only so many hours in the day.

There’s another saying that isn’t getting enough airtime lately:

If everything’s a priority, nothing is.

On any given day, I want to make it a priority to:

- answer all of my emails
- have a green smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and the healthiest healthy health wrap you can dream up for dinner
- exercise for at least an hour
- call my mom back
- finally get together with a dear friend who lives 15 minutes away but whom I haven’t seen since July
- write to my dad (he’s stationed in the middle east right now and I miss him)
- create a blog post or three or five so that I have a queue
- work on internal bizdev stuff
- meet all of my milestones & deadlines
- answer all of my emails, again, because I can’t leave my inbox unattended for fifteen minutes

If I could just do all of this by 5pm, my evening would be free to:

- check out that new yoga studio
- work on a new painting
- take the dog for a super long walk
- spend a couple of hours mountain biking with my fiancé
- finish that book that I started two months ago
- get 8 solid hours of sleep (because I keep reading that I’m not nurturing my sacred body temple well enough if I’m only getting six… whatever.)

If I could just get all of THAT stuff done on a regular basis, surely I could make it a priority to travel, go back to school, maybe start a second business…?

All of this and I don’t even have kids! Furthermore, I have a fiancé who acts as my personal assistant and does most of the cooking and the housework. What about the mothers amongst us? What about the single gals who also have to do the laundry and the grocery shopping and the vacuuming…?

I’m calling bullshit. Seriously.

It’s okay to be too busy. There’s no possible way to get everything done, regardless of whether or not you call it a priority. Even if it turns out that “I’m too busy” is actually short for, “I’m too busy to make that a priority and still have time left over to make these other things a priority, too,” we can all do each other the common courtesy of letting “I’m too busy” be reason enough to not go through life battling unreasonable expectations.

Don’t let someone else’s pseudo-epiphany/pop-philosophy tell you that you’re not good enough, that you’re not sacrificing enough, that you’re not prioritizing enough.

Here’s the thing: you do enough. You are enough.

Trust that you know what has to be a priority and when you can let yourself off the hook. And when that stuff is done, shut down in the evening and take a fucking bath or sip a glass of wine on the porch or whatever it is that makes you feel nourished. And screw anyone who makes you feel bad about it.

super monster love,

L.C.