Thoughts & Things - September, 2023

Bits of inspiration for your weekend. <3

I know it’s been a minute since I last wrote, 5 months to be exact. I had intended on writing monthly, but honestly I haven’t wanted to add to the cacophony of collective inboxes. There is so much pulling focus for all of us from the important day to day moments, and I’m doing my best to stay present and enjoy things IRL (instead of online) as much as possible.

That said, I am so grateful for the friendships I’ve been able to continue to grow simply because we CAN all connect online. It’s a fine balance I’m working on. That thought is sort of what propelled me to want to share these recent favorite finds today.

• Books - fiction: The Cloisters by Katy Hays, The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, and The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

I’m a BIG dark academia fan and these are all books I’ve recently read and loved for various reasons. Definitely check them out if you love this genre too.

---

• a great non-fiction book: Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson

I listened to this audiobook on my recent road trip and it’s FANTASTIC. It’s non-fiction but reads as fiction and should definitely be optioned to be a tv show or movie!

---

• Podcast Episode: Feel Better, Live More w/ Dr. Chatterjee epsiode #383 “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” w/ Bronnie Ware

This episode goes deep quickly and asks great questions.

From the show notes:

“What do you think you might be saying on your deathbed? Will you be looking back at your life with a sense of joy and completeness, or, do you think that you might be consumed with regret? As this week’s guest shares, “It’s easy to assume that you will live with great health to a ripe old age, then die peacefully in your sleep wearing your favourite pyjamas but it doesn’t work out that way for most people…”

---

another great Podcast Episode: Mental Health Advocacy and Finding Your Voice with Jessica Erin Martin

This is a MUST LISTEN for actors. For real. If you are an actor, the last 1/3rd of this episode is especially important to pay attention to. It’s available on all podcast platforms.

---

Non-coffee morning bevie w/ very low caffeine: MUD/WTR

Weird name, I know, but MUD/WTR is delicious.

I’ve been trying to significantly reduce my caffeine intake for awhile and I gave in to an Instagram ad that ended up being an awesome choice. I’m not going to hard sell here, but it’s delicious. Info here. (That’s not an affiliate link, but if you do want a discount lmk and I’ll email/text my link to you)<3

---

And for those interested, here are some updates from the Santos/Levy household:

• TRAVEL: We visited Paris for the first time in the spring and had an incredible time. Photos here.

• INDUSTRY: The SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes have brought the industry to an abrupt stop. This is a pivotal time for not only entertainment and all of us who work in the field, but also the more existential questions we face about AI, the importance of valuing workers, corporate greed etc… So in the “down time” Barry is planting more trees on our property and prepping for a new well that is going to be drilled soon. Yes, we are full-on country vibes here in British Columbia.

• ACTING: Because I can’t talk about struck productions due to the strikes, I’ll just say that I’m proud to be in an episode of a great show that came out last week. When I can share what that is I will, and thank you to those who are fans of that show and have sent me videos of me lol. :)

• PHOTOGRAPHY/FUN TIMES: I did a super fun road trip down the west coast to visit my half sister in Sacramento, then did a number of photo shoots in San Francisco w/ Rhoslyn Jones’ opera students and colleagues, and then visited LA for more shoots and friend catchups. I had an amazing time.

And here is a small sample of photos from that trip. I love capturing moments and telling stories with incredible people.

Allison Larkin, internationally bestselling author of the novels "The People We Keep", "Stay", "Why Can’t I Be You", and "Swimming for Sunlight". Fifth novel coming in 2024.

Viva Lee, Leo Award winning actress. Stars in Polaris, selected to be the opening night film at Fantasia International Film Festival. The voice of Bissy & Cindy Bear on Nickelodeon & Imagine Entertainment's Bossy Bear.

Eric Seppala, actor and drag performer. Starring in “The FruitCake Follies” at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood, CA this December.

More can be seen on my site: helennasantosphotography.com

---

Until next time, wishing you great moments filled with love and joy.

xoxo Helenna