Abortion Rights, Feminism, and Lena Dunham

Content Warning: This article discusses, in depth, my views on feminism, abortion, reproductive rights, etc. I link resources that may be triggering to some readers. Please take care of yourself first, and remember your mental health is more important than any internet article or blog post.

For those of you not as involved in the feminist scandals news cycle, there has been a recent internet outrage over some comments actress and writer Lena Dunham made on her podcast about abortion rights.

Taken out of context, the statement sounds like: "I wish I had the opportunity to have an abortion, so I can understand what it's really like."

In context, it made more sense. It was distasteful, sure, but I think it was supposed to be a joke. Or something. I am not entirely sure.

The Da-Nold Trump Code

Donald Trump has been elected to the US Presidency. I've been struggling with this fact for quite a while now. How could this happen?

Deeply embedded racism? Improper polling tactics? A general frustration with the political system and a need to change it at any cost?

During my nightly knitting meditation, it came to me-- the obvious answer: this is all a conspiracy theory, encoded to hide the true answers to world peace.

Well done, illuminatti. Well done.

Obviously, this is what happened. The alt-right is at best, absurd conspiracy theorists, and in reality, white supremeicists with deep rooted hatred and xenophobia. But, by hiding under these conspiracy theories, they are conspiring to hide the true conspiracy of Donald Trump.

I have not completely cracked the code yet, but I'm getting there. Here's what I've figured out:

Final Thoughts with Rivi

Last night, liberal Daily Show host Trevor Noah interviewed conservative Facebook personality Tomi Lahren. And it was amazing.

So I made my own response to Tomi. Check out my one and probably only "Final Thoughts with Rivi"

I'm fun guys. I'm fun. 

https://youtu.be/QL0NW0-9Uko

Starting an Etsy Shop!

No, not for my handknit goods. Those will always be free and given to those deserving of them.

I'm designing some sticker/planner packs, as well as individual printables and sticker sheets.

I'll follow up with a link when I have the shop ready!

Love to all, stay creative -Rivi

A Knitter's Guide to the Holiday Season

If you have a good friend or family member who knits, I'm gonna bet you have at least one hand-stitched, beautifully crafted, thoughtful item that took hours of time, gifted to you like it was nothing. We knitters are often modest, normalizing these hours of handmade labor as no big deal.

As the holiday season grows near, you may be fretting about how to provide for the knitter in your life who is most likely going to make you something thoughtful and time-consuming. Let me rephrase-- you SHOULD be fretting. The average sock takes about 17,000 stitches. Not to mention there's two of them-- that's 34,000 hand crafted stitches, for the math nerds out there.

Never doubt the knitter. We are able to create magic with sticks and string.

Freebie: Hamilton Stickers!

As many of you know I am a big fan of bullet journaling. In addition to my love of journaling, I have rediscovered the awesome fun of stickers.

My Nonny bought me a Silhouette Portrait for my going away to college gift. I used to use it mainly for creating stencils and greeting cards, but I found new uses for it with the "print and cut" feature, and I started making my own stickers.

Bullet Journal Basics

If you have spent any time with me in person, you know that I am pretty obsessed with my Bullet Journal. I get a good amount of questions on it. I will link the original video from the creator, Ryder Carroll, but I also want to give you my breakdown of the features.

What is a bullet journal?

A bullet journal is a unique planner system that is incredibly adjustable and adaptable to your life, and includes components of a diary, a scrapbook, a planner, a notebook, all of the above, none of the above, etc.

If you want something done right... (Free gratitude printable!)

If you want something done right, you're going to have to do it yourself...

I work at a social skills after school program, and this week was my week to plan the activities. As you can probably guess, that's kind of my favorite thing to do-- design arts and crafts to do with kids and then have fun doing them together.

I had a lot of ideas, but I knew I wanted to have some kind of gratitude activity, with a simple template outline. Pinterest was helpful to a point, but here's what I found--

The Miracle Morning: 5 reasons to try the early rising habit

For the past few months, I have been implementing the miracle morning into my routine. I fell off the wagon a bit the past couple weeks, so I have recently been aiming to focus only on waking up early, and then incorporate the miracle morning life savers later on, once my morning habit is set. You can read more about the miracle morning and the Life SAVERS habits in Hal Elrod's book, The Miracle Morning.

Help me, help you

This post is in no way an attack or a cry for help. This issue, of my community wanting to to support me but struggling to correctly do so, has been a recurring theme in my life. Especially recently, the issues rise with recent events, marginalized groups, and mental self care.

It has come to my attention that people are worried about me. It is justified. I have posted many sorrow filled Facebook posts and recent events around American politics have proven to be very triggering for my mental health issues. I will assure everyone now, for the record, I am doing well. I am an individual living in a changing environment, but I am not a product of my circumstances.

I have mental illness. Emotional pain and mental strength is part of my identity, and it makes up who I am.

I have chosen, since 2014, to remain open about my mental health history, my pain, my struggles, and my recovery. I have received only wonderful support and incredible kindness from my community. I have had people commending me for my bravery. I have had people confiding in me about their own stories, in which they had been silently struggling, alone. I have done my research. If you have a question about mental health in America, what to do in certain situations, or anything else related to mental illness, I can usually answer you with confidence, or at least point you in the right direction.

There is a difference, however, between offering resources and information, and offering parts of myself and my emotional well being. A lot of people don't see the difference. If someone asks me, when I am stable, where to find resources to understand panic attacks better, I am more than thrilled they want to learn. However-- and this is important-- if someone requests I help them so they can help me, there is a potential for clash.

What to do instead:

Essentialism

This past summer, I read a book titled "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less". In it, the author explains how to live and engage with the world by focusing on the values and commitments you deem essential. Today, I am reminded once again of the importance of this lifestyle.



Early on in the book, the author suggests an list making exercise. If you could only do one thing, for the next year, what would it be?

I made my list in August. Here it is:
1. Travel the world
2. Creative Writing
3. Get straight As and focus on my academic work
4. Engage with my community through service
5. Spend time with my family and my Marin community

National Suicide Prevention Day

September 10, 2016


This photo was taken as part of a project-- Steve Rosenfield Photography - What I Be Project. My insecurity at the time, the one I was ashamed to admit, was my fear that my mental illness and my dark times were the most interesting thing about me. That I didn't know who I was without my illness, that even if I was stronger than my illness, I was still defined by it. I almost wanted to be defined by it, because defeating my demons was the strongest thing I had ever done. And yet I knew I had to stop living in my past, and start finding who I was meant to be.

Rivi Name Change

Before

After

It's strange to think about how many people in my life only know me as Rivi. How many of my friends, professors, acquaintances, etc. only know the healed version of me, the recovered girl, the bouncy and bubbly personality that is so crucial to who I am. I have received a few requests, after reading my high holy day intentions, to explain how and why I chose to nickname myself Rivi. There's a long version and a short version.

High Holy Days Intentions

As some of you may know, the High Holidays and Jewish New Year are fast approaching. We are in the Jewish year of 5776.

The High Holidays have always had a special meaning for me. More than academic semesters or calendar years, the Jewish calendar corresponds with my growth as a Jewish woman and as a growing, changing, learning, and recovering individual.

At the beginning of the academic semester, I set my goals for my grades and study habits. At the beginning of the calendar year, I set my new year's resolutions to exercise more, or to clean my room. Since Jews don't believe in Hell, I'll paraphrase: the road to a messy mind and a struggling brain is paved with good intentions.

In 2013, the Jewish year of 5774, I began a tradition that I have been keeping to this day. A tradition that has had profound, life changing effects on myself, my community, and how I interact with the world. At the beginning of the new Jewish year, I set an intention. A habit, it often is, to define how I will live the following year. What kind of mindset do I want to approach the year with? Through what lens will I see my goals, my values, and my future?