Hello, lovelies.

Quick open letter whilst the site is down.

This year? 2024? Bad. Bad bad bad. The type of bad that crashes and explodes on you like one of those old timey boiler failures.

I’ve never liked the term burnout, because burnout implies that something has been depleted into something worthless. You know, given that it can no longer be expended.

Honey, this is a blowout.

A set of circumstances not to be recovered from, or to repair and continue like nothing happened, but a recognition that the rails I was strapped to always going to lead to disaster. When you modernise a train, you don’t leave the old chassis on the track- lest you crash into yourself.

So what’s changing?
…

I don’t know yet!

Having things figured out before you act when something is hurting you is dumb. Take your hand off the stove and then figure it out.

But, I think, for me, figuring things out is a public experience. I am doofus-coded and enthusiastic about my own shortcomings.

I have developed my business and practice on helping people share what they care about, and yet I’ve not made any space for myself.

The result?

An audience with limited avenues to participate, clients who can’t get my best work, and zero time to unpack the trauma of 2024.

I mean for fuck’s sake. I lost my Dad. My stress has gotten so bad I’ve developed tics. There is a time when you’ve got to accept that the professional approach has gotten you nowhere and it took my body literally forcing me to scream uncontrollably to take action.

For the clients- this is why we sign contracts. We’ll square up milestones, reconfigure deadlines, and figure out what’s best for you moving forward.

For everyone else- can I invite you to linger?

Just… stick around. Expect nothing.

Let’s all relieve ourselves of the burdens of success and completion and have fun playing in the sandbox together. Let’s float paper boats on still ponds in country parks and watch as they melt into the water.

When this website returns, I’ll be launching a new membership service. You’ll be able to pay me any amount of money and you’ll receive absolutely nothing in return, besides my thanks. No fancy title, no gated access, no discounts on products.

Nothing.

That money will be tied to no specific outcome and will be used at my own discretion. If it is given away, it will be given away without expectation or effort on behalf of the participant.

A fund that’s just funds.

I will say though, there’s some things I deeply deeply want. The main one is to get my partner over from Canada so we can settle down and get on with life. The process is expensive, timely, and extremely stressful- after my own survival, this is definitely the thing I want most in the world right now.

Beyond that though, I’m chilling out. I was clocking 70 hour weeks at multiple points of 2024. This year, I’m disallowing myself from working any more than 20.

Don’t expect anything from me even if I promise it. Unless it’s written in a contract, I’m not holding myself to any obligation.

Seriously though, feeling like doing something is enough reason to do it. Not feeling like doing something is enough reason to stop. If I had listened to my brain for even a second on the run up to now, we’d have stopped the train and fixed the engine.

Happy Holidays and Have a New Year, however yours ends up.

Much love,
Haley

P.S. If we’re acquaintances, expect me to unfollow you on Instagram. I want to actually get to know you, and a curated set of squares literally full of yourself is not how friendships form. Email me. Send me letters. I want to squint at your handwriting and smile. Message Request and go “Hey contact me here instead” and I will!