What's Brewing - Oct'25

Dream Collecting & When 'efficient' isn't always better

💡 What’s Brewing is where I pause once a month to notice what has been unfolding. I write about projects, small joys, half-formed ideas, and questions that are shaping me along the way.

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✍️ Current setting

• 📍 Writing from: Home, Brooklyn

• ☕️ Drinking: Oat Latte

• 🎵 Listening to: High Energy Jazz

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🙋‍♀️ Hiya, October felt like a month of collecting. Collecting dreams, insights, and a clearer sense of how I actually work best. I spent less time worrying and more time creating, which, honestly, feels like a small victory worth celebrating (yay!) 🎉

🍳 What’s Cooking: Collecting Dreams

This month, I joined an online ritual group where we visualized our dreams and shared them with each other. At first, I felt embarrassed sharing dreams that seemed too big or too far away but I shared them anyways. Surprisingly, receiving and giving support and cheers to each others gave me so much motivation and courage.

Some of the dreams I have collected & shared

For this month’s reflection, I created a visual map of what I’ve achieved, the dreams I’m collecting, and insights showed up along the way.

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🫣 Real Talk: The Struggles

For a while now, I’ve been forcing myself into the lean startup playbook: Ideate → Prototype → Launch → Feedback. It’s a smart approach because it’s efficient, low-risk, and easy to pivot. And I genuinely believe in it.

But here’s the thing I’m finally admitting: it doesn’t always work for me. With my museum project, I built a rough prototype, but something felt off. The depth wasn’t there. I wasn’t confident enough to test it with people. My intuition was waving a red flag, and for once, I decided to listen instead of pushing through.

I’m realizing I need more space upfront; time to explore, research, and build a foundation before I jump into prototyping. For this particular project, understanding museum education, art therapy, gamification, and immersive experience design isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s what separates a decent idea from something I actually believe in and that can create impact.

I’m learning there’s no one “right” process. Some projects need speed. Others need hybrid approach. And instead of feeling guilty about needing more time, I’m choosing to trust my pace.

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🤗 Wanders & Wonders

Wonders

• Whitney Calder’s Circus Exhibit

• Anne Frank Exhibit

• Books of Wonder Bookstore

• Society of Illustarators Original Art Exhibit

• Nightfall x Greenwood Cemetary

Fun Finds

• Art as Therapy — A beautiful resource on using art for healing

• Obsidian — a powerful visualizing tool for connecting ideas across research and projects

• Poetry Camera

• Lifelong Kindergarten — MIT Project on cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play

  

🔮 Manifesting Next Month

• Keeping up with my exercise routine (3x weekly) to boost mood and energy

• Embracing my own process and continuing with the museum project

• Learning more about art as therapy case studies and finding opportunities to facilitate

• Giving my best on my first web design contract with a karate studio

• Continuing to pitch to people aligned with my vision—cultivating culture and wellness

💚 Affirmation: I reach for my dreams with an abundance of self-belief, optimism, and conviction.

Catch you next month with more creative musings,

Lira