I confess, I am a work in progress. But since watching actor Jonah Hill’s Netflix documentary about his psychotherapist, Stutz, I daresay I have evolved!? Dr. Stutz’s unique “tools” method has helped me through more than a few tough spots. 

 

If you don’t have time for a documentary, I recommend keeping this abridged book on your nightstand for quick reference.

 

There is nothing quite like stamping your initials on things you own. As someone with six names — Melanie Serena Alexandra Genevieve Sweney Dunea (phew!) — monogramming can be a challenge, but I’ve never let a little adversity stop me before. 

 

I sleep in initialed PJs from J.Crew, I travel with monogrammed camo totes from L.L. Bean, and if you’re lucky enough to get a letter from me, my fabulous stationery comes from Dear Annabelle. 

Did you know that men on average spend about 855.8 (or 2+ years) in the bathroom? Compare this with the 770.8 days women on average spend in bathrooms over a lifetime. Since we spend so much darn time washing, toweling off, and sitting on porcelain, we might as well spruce up the bathroom experience. 

 

Check out this exquisitely colorful toilet paper from Renova or this cheeky powder room sign from Etsy. 

 

 

Cue Cher’s ballad “If I Could Turn Back Time” — guess what I would do if I had that superpower? Get a business degree. Why? Because pricing, proposals, and negotiating are not my forte, and good ole photography is not billable by the hour. 

 

However, to keep the lights on, art must meet commerce. Thanks to Blair Enns and his guide to Pricing Creativity, I still have a roof over my head. Check it out.