Hey friends,

So, you may have noticed I disappeared for a little while, and I owe you a little bit of honesty.

Truth is I took a break for my mental health. Not the glamorous kind of break where you get to run off into the mountains and journal in your cool pants (I wish). More like the kind where brushing your teeth feels like a victory and you start having deep meaningful conversations with your pets. Freyja, my husky, says hi.

I didn’t plan to disappear. I didn’t schedule this on the calendar like, “Block off next week: complete existential unraveling.” But sometimes, your brain pulls the emergency brake. And mine did, hard.

Let me be clear: I’m okay. I’m not writing this from the bottom of a pit with a haunted doll collection. But I was struggling. Anxiety, burnout, the occasional existential dread spiral—it all piled up like Tupperware in a drawer you’re afraid to open. I knew I needed to step back, breathe, and remember how to be a human again.

And honestly? I think that’s okay.

We’re told to hustle, to show up no matter what, to post through the panic. But mental health doesn’t run on a content calendar. Sometimes self-care isn’t a bubble bath—it’s hitting pause. It’s saying “no” when your brain is screaming “we should be productive.” It’s lying on the floor for an hour and calling it “restorative yoga.” (Which, by the way, I highly recommend.)

So, this is my way of saying I’m sorry for going dark—and thank you for your patience. I didn’t ghost you. I just had to ghost everything for a minute, myself included.

If you’re someone who’s also dealing with mental health stuff, or has in the past, or knows someone who is (so… basically, everyone), I want you to know this: It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to take breaks. You don’t need to earn rest. You don’t have to explain your exhaustion. You’re allowed to just… be.

And if you’re not in that place right now—amazing. Soak it up. Ride the wave. And also, please send snacks.

Going forward, I’m easing back into posting, but doing it in a way that’s gentler. More honest. More aligned with how I’m actually doing, not how I think I’m supposed to appear online. Because I don’t want to build something that requires me to be superhuman to maintain it. I just want to build something real.

So, here I am—less polished, a little scruffier around the edges, but still me. And I’m really glad you’re here.

Thanks for sticking around. Thanks for reading. And if you’re struggling, too—know that you’re not alone. (Also: Freyja sends hugs.)

With love and slightly frazzled brainwaves,

Oliver ❤