Imjoshstephens Design Studio

01/27/2026

11/20/2025

A therapist told me this recently and it’s stuck with me. For so long I pushed anger inward to hurt myself or used it to hurt those closest to me. For some fu**ed up reason, I thought these were the only ways to express anger. Maybe because that’s how I was shown when younger.
Instead, anger can be felt and not acted on. Who knew?! So, I’m learning to sit with my anger and not turn it inward or outward. Not to say it’s easy to do with, but acknowledging it and not letting it consume me has been really liberating.

10/17/2025

There’s beauty in the changes happening all around you. And in you. Promise. Even on the days you can’t see them or feel them. You’re not the same person you were this time last year.

08/26/2025

Celebrating myself is a literal hell. I hate it. I hate talking about my accomplishments, I hate celebrating my birthday, I hate talking about my progress. But, I’m realizing lately that I have let the trauma of not celebrating myself and not allowing myself to feel pride in my actions or activities has been eating me away in every aspect of my life. So, I’m choosing to remind myself of this. Just as I reminded a friend the other day via a quick scribble of this message on a piece of paper.

Instead of looking in the mirror and hating who I am, I’m choosing to celebrate the progress. Because who I was just three weeks ago is not who I am now. More on that to come. But, for now, I celebrate.

Share something you’re proud of yourself for in the past week. If you’re feeling daring, share two things.

08/16/2025

So, got this notification from yesterday. And honestly, I don’t know how I feel about it. On one hand, I’m proud of the hustle. On the other hand, I’m bone weary and tired and just ready for the next chapter of employment and life.
It has afforded me the opportunity for things I wasn’t expecting as they’ve popped up in my life. But, it’s a lot. I pour into interactions because I know being human and treating others as human is important. I deal with rude customers. I smile and try to have positive interactions with employees at stores. I pet the dogs and wish well wishes.
I’ve completed 1,000+ orders on Instacart. Maybe it’ll be something I put on my resume. For now, as I keep turning the pages of this chapter, I’m thankful. I’m still eager and hopeful for the next part of my story.

08/01/2025

You don’t have to be okay right now. You don’t have to fix anything right now. You just have to breathe through this moment.

07/27/2025

Enjoy 45 seconds of me relaxing in a teepee in my backyard.

Relaxing doesn’t come easy for me (thanks, trauma). But, I try to force myself to do so every once in a while. And every single time I do I tell myself that I’ve gotta do it more often.

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